#<- i know it is not called that but i already tag the biopic posts that way soooo

[sgt-celestial]

every time they announce another whitewashed mcu actor is going to be in the bob dylan timothee chalamet biopic a transmasc dies btw 😢

#WHERE IS THE HUMANITY #emi's meandering jotts #going electric #<- i know it is not called that but i already tag the biopic posts that way soooo

[idolatrybarbie]

odd couple

pairing: established francisco "frankie" morales x reader

word count: 2.5k

rating & summary: explicit, mdni! | frankie can't cook, to put it lightly.

tags: no trigger warnings needed for this one, porn with (little) plot, rated e like woah, frankie needs a win, very unedited as of initial posting, stubborn!frankie, premature ejaculation, handjobs, cumplay, overstimulation, sub!frankie moments, multiple orgasms, spit kink/drooling, #petnames4frankie, praise kink, slight dacryphilia, reader calls frankie "wet" in this idk that might not be your thing i guess. look man it's been a hard week.

notes: it's not wednesday and i am struggling a lil' bit (might make a personal life update soon idk ?) but i am being such a brave little toaster about it! writing this definitely made me feel better. when it comes to music, this weezer song is a little generic within their discography but whatever, i like it. hope you enjoy! also everyone go read @wannab-urs sub!max phillips fic because i say so and it's awesome.

You listen to Frankie move around the kitchen from your spot on the couch, trying your very best to ignore the occasional clang and clattering noise that flows out from the distant doorway. Tonight, he has taken on the task of making the two of you dinner. Or trying to, anyway. You don’t cook much either. Your job, like his, doesn’t lend much time to it. Takeout is more than often what’s on the menu—Burger King, of all things, is his favourite.

You know how to cook though. Every once in a while you have the spare time to whip together something truly delicious; slow-roasted pork belly, or maybe a nice pasta with garnish. Frankie doesn’t seem to know his ass from the oven.

The two of you have had this conversation hundreds of times. You stating that he can’t cook, and him pushing back, insisting that he can. Or he could, before the service stuck him with single meal MREs for a number of years and he lost most of the culinary knowledge given to him by various tías, his abuela, and of course Mrs. Morales herself.

His stubbornness spurs the occasional urge to throttle him. It’s fine you can’t cook, you always tell him. Not like he can’t still learn. Still, he insists, and insists on insisting on top of that.

Honestly, you couldn’t be more of opposites. Even excluding skills of domestic labour, he and you are a bit of an odd couple. Frankie’s an early mornings guy, always, while you enjoy a sleepy Sunday—or just about any day that ends in Y. He hates the horror movies you fawn over, while you can’t stand the nature documentaries and sappy celebrity biopics that he eats up year over year. Frankie is highly detail-oriented, the engineer instinct in him always angling towards rigid preparedness; you’re a bit more goal-focused, letting any plan morph and adjust according to the situation.

Another such cooking conversation had taken place on the drive home after declining Frankie’s offer of McDonald’s for the fourth night this week, and now here you are: listening to the man curse under his breath, muttering complaints from the kitchen as he tries his hand at homemade spaghetti.

The kitchen is silent for a moment. You go back to channel surfing, clicking past reruns of Golden Girls and M*A*S*H*. Stopping at a channel playing the cinematic masterpiece Grease 2, you focus your attention on the open doorway behind you again. It feels almost too quiet…

A string of hushed, panicked curses from Frankie confirms your suspicions. Getting off the couch, you use the soft overhead light to guide you through the dark apartment. Frankie is standing over the stove when you see him, quickly moving away and towards the sink. Water splashes into it, surely scalding as steam rises into the air. Or maybe that’s coming from his ears?

You clear your throat in the kitchen doorway, and Frankie turns to you. His face is slightly red, a silver pot held in his grip by the towel-covered handle.

“Is everything okay?” You already know the answer to that question—aggravation rolls off of him in waves, permeating the space between the two of you like a mirage in the Mojave Desert.

Frankie opens his mouth to respond, but the words never come. He does this a few times, wracking his brain for the proper way to put it as he parts and pleats his lips, living up to his call sign.

Eventually, he settles on, “No.”

He heaves a deep sigh, tossing the pot onto the counter. Getting a closer look at it, you see the charred spaghetti noodles stuck to the shiny bottom.

“Don’t, okay?” Frankie says before you look up again.

“What?”

“I know what you’re gonna say. I told you so, blah blah blah. I know. You’re right. I can’t fuckin’ cook.” The words are rushed, like he’s half-embarrassed to even say it.

You frown, reaching an open palm out to him as you shake your head. “That’s not what I was going to say.” You motion for him to come closer and he does, slipping into your arms as you hug at his tense shoulders. “It’s okay. You can take a class, or we can work on it together. I think that’d be kind of fun,” you say.

Picturing making something with Frankie—maybe bowties and broccoli, something simple—has you smiling into his shoulder. For his birthday last year you made red velvet cupcakes with sour cream frosting. The recipe is a little more complicated, but baking them with him this time is a pleasant idea. You already know he’s the type of person to lick the batter off the beater.

“I don’t want to do that to you,” he says.

You pull back from the hug to look at him, those big brown eyes of his crinkled at the far edges. “You’re not doing anything to me,” you say. “At least, not right now.”

A small smile comes to his face then, creeping and dopey before Frankie gives you a soft kiss at the tip of your nose.

“They should really give you a Netflix special or something,” he says.

“Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all night,” you muse.

Still in your arms, Frankie glances over at the pot of blackened, noodle-shaped mush. “What are we gonna do for dinner?”

Right now, he’s in the closest proximity to you that he’s been all week. At least, while you’ve both been conscious. Work has you staying later and later at the office these days, while his shifts handling flight operations have him drained, in bed and fast asleep well before you even get home. Tonight is special even if it hasn’t gone the way either of you planned.

You hum, dipping your head to nose at the patchy beard along his jaw. “I’m thinking we skip dinner.”

“Come on, seriously,” Frankie says.

“I am serious.” Leaving a wet kiss on his cheek, you whisper, “Don’t you want your dessert, Francisco?”

A hum rumbles low in his chest. “Of course, but—”

“But nothing.” You move your left hand to cradle the side of his face, his skin smooth under your touch. He leans into its warmth. “I’m hungry.”

You know that he is too. At your words, Frankie practically jumps you, a kiss pressed to your lips hard before your brain can catch up with what’s happening. He holds you in his arms tight, like if he loosens his grip even a bit, you’ll float away. The pair of you move out of the kitchen and back into the living room, the horrible 80’s movie still dancing across the pixels of the TV.

Frankie falls onto his back, bouncing against the couch cushions. The remote is underneath him, the mute button conveniently hit upon his landing. The cheesy show tunes cut out immediately. You move to straddle him as he lays horizontal. Frankie cranes his neck a bit to watch you as you settle over the crotch of his sweatpants. He’s half hard under the fabric already.

Frankie pulls you down into another bruising kiss. You hunch over to meet his lips, his hands circling around your waist. You’ve decided to take the Frankie approach to tonight’s activities; cool and calculated in your plans and decisions on how this is going to go. Grinding your hips down, you watch his face carefully. He huffs out a breath, soft and peppery like the cinnamon gum he keeps in his car.

You reach between your bodies to feel him in his pants. Frankie kisses at your face, quick and sporadic as you palm at him. He moves to lift your shirt off your body and you let him, raising your arms to help him. He tosses the thing to the floor and lets his hands rove over your skin. Continuing your ministrations, you slip your hand beneath the elastic waistband of the grey sweats. Frankie has no underwear on, a pleasant surprise.

“Fuck,” he groans, nosing at your neck.

“What’s wrong, honey bun? Doesn’t that feel good?” you ask, slowly pulling your hand away.

“Yes, please. Do it again?” His voice strains deliciously, the muscles in his arms held taut.

Frankie relaxes only slightly when you return your palm to where he’s hot and achy, cock wet at the tip. You run your thumb along the head of his dick as he pushes his hips up into your touch. You slide the pad of your finger along his shaft, spreading the dampness.

“Aw baby, you’re already a little wet. Isn’t that sweet?”

You start to stroke him in earnest, the tight circle of your hand moving up and down his cock. The movement is a little dry, your skin dragging against the sensitive velvet of him. You push his shirt up his belly, pulling his pants to his knees easily. Then you spit into your palm, jerking him off easier this time.

“Fuck baby. Just like that,” Frankie pants. He’s moving his hips with your hand now, fucking up into it on every down stroke. With your free hand, you prod at the small dip at his hip, feeling the muscle tense beneath the skin.

“Bet you feel so good, baby. Nice and easy for me,” you coo.

“Don’t stop,” he whispers.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, honey.”

You twist your hand at the end of every movement upwards, fingers rubbing over Frankie’s tip as he leaks steadily onto himself. The glide is easy now, lubed with your saliva and his precum. The squelch makes your mouth water as you watch his cock disappear and reappear in the shadow of your fingers.

He puts one of his hands over yours, urging you to go faster. Your hands move together over Frankie’s dick, picking up the pace as the sticky noise turns into a slap with every thrust of his hips.

Frankie breaks pace, stuttering on a caught breath before he spills over your hand and onto his belly. You pause to watch his chest tense and then loosen, his eyes shut tight as he comes down. Raising your hand to your lips, you lick a bit of his cum from the edge of your fingers. It’s the first thing Frankie sees when he opens his eyes again, making him groan. The noise sounds almost painful.

“That was—”

“Amazing?” you supply.

Frankie wheezes a laugh. “Something like that.”

“What about a second helping?”

He furrows his brow, then looks down at his dick. It lays limp and spent on his stomach. “I don’t—”

“Please,” you implore oh-so-sweetly. Frankie sees big eyes batting at him, a twinkle of adoration. The intent behind it is a little more Kubrick, but he doesn’t know that yet.

He can’t say no to you, doesn’t want to anyway. Frankie nods, mumbling a yes at you. His cock twitches with interest when you drag a finger through the pool of cum on his belly and pop it in your mouth. You smile at Frankie as you take him in your hand, strokes slow as he hardens again.

Leaning into his body, you flick your tongue against the shell of his ear. “So, so wet honey. This all for me?”

“Yeah, shit—I can’t,” he mumbles.

“But it feels so good,” you say. “Wish you could see your cute little face. I love seeing you like this.”

Frankie’s face waivers between tightly wound and relaxed in pleasure. You’re using his own cum as lube now, hand practically sloshing across his cock. He tries to keep his eyes open, watching your movements as you sit patiently in his lap, jerking him off.

Your underwear is ruined, the cotton soaked through as you discreetly rock yourself against the rough seam of your pants. You’ll take care of yourself later. Right now, all of your attention is on Frankie. This reward is his punishment. It’s the slightest bit petty, but you can’t let his stubborn behaviour go quite yet. You aren’t an I told you so type of person, but this? This is perfect.

You stroke at him on autopilot, watching the middle distance between the fine thatch of hair at Frankie’s pelvis and his skin coated milky white. He comes with a flinch before you even realize, still moving as he hisses. He’s still hard when he’s done, solid under your touch, so you continue.

“You’re doing so good for me,” you say softly.

“Oh god,” he whines, eyes rolling back.

“Does it hurt baby?”

Frankie doesn’t speak, can’t, nodding frantically up at you.

“You want me to stop? All you have to do is tell me.”

He doesn’t—not with words or the shake of his head. He likes this, and both of you know it. Frankie gets off on the pain, a pleasure so hot that it burns; water blazing to the point that the sensation runs cold, delicate skin held close over a candle flame.

Frankie starts to squirm. You hold him down by the shoulder with your free hand, fingers spread over his overheated skin with a firm press. His whole body is sweaty, soaking a runway down the front top half of his t-shirt.

“Please, please, please.”

He breathes your name, barely getting the syllables past his lips. You never find out what he’s begging for. He probably doesn’t quite know either.

His dick and his mind can’t seem to agree on what they want. You watch this war play out, a losing battle. Every few seconds he presses his hips to the couch, trying to stay out of your reach. Then he slots his hips forward again, seeking out your hand directly.

Finally, Frankie seems to find his words. “Fuck, please. I can’t, I can’t. I’ve got no more, baby, please.”

“One more, honey. You can do that, can’t you? Just one.”

“Mm, shit. It’s—it hurts. It hurts,” he says.

“I know, baby. You’re so sweet for me, so good. I know you can do it,” you assure him.

Leaning down, you position your mouth over him. You let the spit sitting in your mouth pour past your lips, drooling onto his throbbing cock. The saliva slides down his length slowly as Frankie moans at the sensation.

The added slick makes everything wetter, truly soaking as you jerk him off faster. Frankie starts to babble nonsense between short, tripping moans. A split-second decision, you breathe hot air over the head of his dick. The slightest change in contact pulls his third orgasm of the night from him. Frankie cries, groaning loud as fat, wet tears roll down his cheeks. You hunch over him to give his face a kitten lick, collecting them with your tongue.

You let him go when he finishes coming, letting his dick flop against the plush of his tummy. Dragging your own shirt off the floor, you wipe at his skin and clean up your hands before tossing it back down.

Frankie finds the strength to tuck himself back into his sweatpants. He pulls at your elbow, sending you crashing gently into his side on the couch. It isn’t really big enough for the both of you to lay down. You squish yourself against his chest and shoulder, feeling his arm rest over the length of your back.

“How was that?” you ask after a while.

“A five course meal and then some,” he says. Frankie scoffs at himself, like he can’t believe what just happened. “Jesus Christ.”

You kiss his chest through his shirt, his body warm and solid against your cheek. “Nope, just me.”

#frankie morales #pedrostories #frankie morales fanfiction #triple frontier #*ww

[dalliscar]

i was tagged by @bowiepop ty darling 💌

who was your first favourite artist? depeche mode, bowie, duran duran, omd, rush

who are your current favourite? soda stereo, blur, virus, tokyo, lush, inxs, a-ha

are you into musicals? which ones/why not? a little bit. grease, hairspray and west side story are cool

are there songs you consider so special you only listen to them very rarely? many!! i'm lazy to list but there's songs that i listen just when i'm feeling really sad or extremely happy. i just believe that music helps change our mood, thats all.

what’s your preferred way of listening to music?  (time of day, medium, situation) all day, if not on spotify, then my record player

what would you say is the most niche music you listen to? idk really kskrjejjfh

what’s your favourite music related movie/tv show that’s not a musical? uh,,, i love almost famous, a few biopics of my fav musicians and documentaries about music in general

albums or playlists? albums!!!

favourite albums? oof, i think i could pass hours talking about each one ksjdjsjdn

is there an artist you’re trying to get into? theres a lot!! i already made a list of albums to listen, the thing is: im always lazy, when i start listen to music, i just think about recent recomendations friends gave me or my current fave songs,,, so yeah i need to explore more bands and genres

whose music do you find overhyped? idk if its because i used to listen too much and today is not my thing anymore, but hair metal. i do like a few artists but theres other ones that is just too boring or more of the same. i still like the genre tho

what’s an underrated song? such a tricky question skdjjsjd i dont know it depends

what’s a thing a bunch of songs do that you love every time? bass solos!! and really strong drums. recently i've been loving guitar solos too!! and i wont even start talking about synth solos cause i will not shut up

what song is better acoustic? to be honest im not a fan of 'acoustic versions', maybe one song or other but it's not my first option

what’s the worst song of all time? depends of the point of view, right? cause theres few songs i see people saying that its an anthem and stuff and i go like 'uhhhhh dude i have bad news for u, this ones bad !'

do you put individual songs on repeat? if so, for how long and how often? yes!! honestly, if i really enjoyed the song, i'll put it on repeat for 50 or 100, but im boring, soon i get tired if i listen too much so i give a break to not ruin my hype for the song

do you make your own playlists? if so, what’s your most entertaining playlist title? for sure!! i've made almost 50 playlists, but just 8 are open on spotify because im insecure lmao. im not good to playlist names but theres one called 'and she was a runway model' that is just my fave songs to listen while i do my makeup and other called 'br wave' thats just brazilian new wave/post punk songs.

headphones or earbuds? earbuds!!

do you always sing the lead vocal or do you harmonize sometimes? if you harmonize, do you ever invent your own harmony? sometimes i try some lead vocals but i rather harmonize cause i find my voice embarrassing

a musical confession: i've tried a few times create a acc on rateyourmusic or medium just to do some reviews, but i just cant, i mean, i am too sentimental that i cant make a long article with clever words saying what i thought about the song or album. i never see the technical side, but just the feeling the album caused in me, if was good or bad... i envy people who can do a review without sound a complete idiot who dont know how to talk (aka me)

now i tag: @musicacuantica , @andypartridges , @dedicatedfollowerofrock , @thischarmingjaz , @eleventh-earl and @carlpalmer if you guys want to 💓

#my first fav artists still being my all time favs hehe and theres more!! #tag game #this one was fun!!!

[beersfromthebleachers]

The Avengers vs. Game of Thrones; an All-Star Game

We are going to let the dust settle in the over packed weekend between the release of Marvel’s End Game and HBO’s Game of Thrones. The worst thing that you can look up on the internet is any spoilers your horrible friends or coworkers can have already bragged about seeing both this weekend. Instead of making another post of, “This is what you missed this weekend...” I am going to do something a little more fun...at least from my point of view.

Since both storylines are ending, I feel like there needs to be a championed crowned in which franchise is better. Now every nerd that I know (including me being one of them) would simply pin them against each other in combat to see who would win in battle. The only unfortunate circumstance that entails is having fantasy realm versus the over whelming edge of anyone who has superpowers. Instead of giving out heroes a humbling death, I’d rather have them square off against each other in a “fantasy baseball” game to see which team is considered more worthy of being the best.

***Note to reader: I do not own any of the following characters in the writing of this blog. All characters belong to the property of Marvel Comics, the Home Broadcasting Network, and George R.R. Martin. Everything in this post is written completely in parody for entertaining purposes and all rights are reserved. The following lineups are the position players of each of the following teams:

Team Avengers:

C- Captain America: The leader of the Avengers will take the best position where he can call all the shots, behind home plate. Playing the backstop will make sure no one would run on the First Avenger as he feeds a laser to any one of his teammates if they are stealing. Cap has mentioned before that he was a fan of the New York Yankees; consider him a more lethal Yogi Berra, but with the true American spirit of the other “Captain,” Jason Varitek.

1B- Hulk: The strongest Avenger will deliver a great deal of power being the first baseman for the Avengers. A towering command of strength will be a guaranteed home run at the plate...as long as he not going ballistic in rage if ends up striking out instead. Consider this dude putting the Big Hurt on you, Frank Thomas style.

2B- Black Panther: the King of Wakanda will be one of the quickest infielders whether he is playing the shift or conducting a double play to any of the Avenger-basemen. The highly skilled king will also be a playmaker every time he goes to bat for the team, a guaranteed hit to make sure he gets on base. Let us not forget, for all you movie nerds that the actor who played T’Challa also played Jackie Robinson in a stand-alone biopic.

3B- Thor: The other ruler on this ball diamond who will deliver some great power behind the plate using Mjoliner. The first to third connection to Hulk is the only other Avenger who is capable of catching a fast throw from the God of Thunder. If you ever imagined what Chipper Jones would look like with long hair and a beard, he definitely would be the best representation of the Asgardian.

SS- Ant Man: I could not help myself putting a hero who can shrink down to a position that is a good play on words. As funny as that sounds, that superpower would come in handy being able to grow to a giant in order to snag a line drive that would not end up reaching the gap to the outfield. As crafty as Scott Lang would be, he also developed some “magic tricks” while not wearing the infamous suit; did you know that Javier Baez’s nickname for his tricks is “El Mago”?

LF- Dr. Strange: The legitimate Sorcerer Supreme will be the real magician on the field displaying his talents in left field. The biggest piece of this defense will make plays from anywhere and everywhere on the field. Nothing will leave the yard and Dr. Strange will make sure almost every time that no base runner from the opposite team will advance, even if it is to home plate. Consider Dr. Strange the best left fielder in the game, right there next to the legend himself: Ted Williams.

CF- Iron Man: The man who is in line exactly with Captain America with guarding the diameter of the ballpark; Iron Man. Tony Stark will be orchestrating all the patterns in the outfield and making sure not a single ball will leave the field. With the entire arsenal in his suit, Iron Man can put the ball anywhere into play from on base single to a grand slam home run. There is only one true “Iron Man” playing center field on the field right now, and his name is Mike Trout.

RF- Spider-Man: Who would have ever thought that nerdy Peter Parker would be stuck in right field for the Avengers? The final asset to the outfield for this team makes them close enough to flawless on defense; there is no excuse for anything to go over the web-slinger’s head operating the right field foul post. The Queens native will do everything possible to demonstrate his best attempt at being a New York Met, perhaps channeling the athleticism of the greatest Met to play right field; Ron Swoboda.

Starting Pitcher- Hawkeye: You give Clint Barton, who has the best accuracy of all his teammates, the ball as the starting pitcher for the Avengers and he is nailing the ball in the strike zone every pitch of the game. Hawkeye has heat, skill, and durability in order to paint the corners of the batter’s box as his own personal target. As much versatility this mighty hero has, Hawkeye will gather as many strikeouts as Nolan Ryan trying to pitch a winning game for the Avengers.

Team Game of Thrones:

C- Sandor “The Hound” Clegane: Had Hodor still be alive this far into the series, he most likely would make as good as a back stop, but Clegane has more brute force and a better defensive mind set. Clegane is an aggressive fighter known all over Westeros, he will carry the same reputation while at the plate tearing up pitchers. As good as any swordsman, his power can drive in any runner on base to get the quick RBI. Give Clegane the best comparison to Mike Piazza; for being well known but never winning anything of true honor.

1B- Jamie Lannister: The “Kingslayer” will look to add new target to the two crowns he faces on the opposing end. Lannister also has an altered handicapped having an iron hand for his right hand, making him left-handed batter that could deliver power with some iron behind it. From the Young Lion to Iron Lion, Lannister will be a definite Silver Slugger with what he delivers offensively. Scrapping with some of the best adversaries, Lannister is a mighty competitor with the resume proving he is mighty fighter; close enough to the royalty on what Lou Gehrig shared in the game as a champion.

2B- Grey Worm: the Unsullied leader will make a fine slugger at second base for the team that represents the seven kingdoms. With his attacking style, his batting profile will have him as a threat every time he goes to bat for the Throne. His offense will reflect well with his defense, collecting as many double plays as the adversaries he will be facing. Seeking no mercy, Grey Worm’s lethal style will be the same as Craig Biggio.

3B- Tormund: The mighty Wildling will display some impressive hacking skill at the plate, trying to outperform not only his teammates, but also the ones he will face. Tormund will display an aggressive playing style on defense, being the last stand on the diamond preventing anyone that will attempt to score against the Throne. The wild personality of “Giant’s Bane” makes him a fan favorite to anyone watching him from the stands. Before he became an internet sensation, I had heavy beliefs that Justin Turner was a distant relative as a Wildling for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

SS- Tyrion Lannister: I thought I had my fill at the “short” jokes with the position assignment; however, I could not resist assigning this one to “the Imp” of House Lannister. The skillful Tyrion may not have anything to add on offense, but he will be even a bigger asset on defense in the infield. With his genius intellect, he will execute simple plays that demonstrate preventing runs from advancing on the bases. To fool his opponents, he will have the size of Jose Altuve, the mechanics like Ozzie Smith, and the drinking capability of Wade Boggs.

LF- Daario Naharis: A crafty warrior representing the fighters of House Targaryen, Naharis will display amazing acrobatics in left field for the Throne. With Tormund being the entertainment of the roster, Naharis will be the heartthrob for the ladies in the stands. As much skill as he has as a fighter, he will deliver on base hits that will guarantee him to be a threat on the bags; this also includes the probability of stealing a great deal of bases being a stealth fighter as well. Daario Naharis has not shown his presence as of lately on the show, perhaps his skills are a legend as are the tales of Shoeless Joe Jackson.

CF- Gendry: As a bastard son of the last Baratheon King that sat on the Iron Throne, Gendry is a skilled swordsman that carries his own for the team for the Throne. A worthy batter, he has been trained and skilled in many houses in order to become one of the best threats at the plate. His skills are kept as a secret, in order to be known as a quiet threat at the plate. Gendry is a big team player and contributes to a great deal of assists on the field; you can compare him to a young Dexter Fowler.

RF- Euron Greyjoy: the raging pirate and king of House Greyjoy has a great deal pf power and strength to display at the plate. Euron is a force to reckon with being an offensive asset that is lethal and dangerous to be facing. With his brute force, he also holds a great defensive mind set holding down right field and a threat to anyone who tags on the bases. As a pirate, you can expect him to “loot” the bases as a quick threat, despite his brute stature. Euron Greyjoy may have the capability to play like Reggie Jackson.

Starting Pitcher- Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen: The Lord Commander of the North will demonstrate all of his best mechanics at the mound. After being trained by House Stark and the Night’s Watch, he has the entire arsenal to deliver the best variety of pitches on the mound. After discovering that he is the true air to the Iron Throne being a Targaryen, it gave him that little extra special push to have some of the best heat to deliver to the strike zone. Torching pitches with lethal command makes Jon Snow comparable to Greg Maddux

Both rosters have talented line ups on both end of the field, however I feel like I’m going to get some criticism for the lack of variety from other key characters in the series. It is also important to understand that in baseball, you cannot win championships without spectacular pitching. The following key characters of both team are your all-star studded cast for their bullpens, respectfully:

Team Avengers Bullpen:

Relief Pitcher- Black Widow: The first call to the bullpen will be Hawkeye’s first partner in crime: Natasha Romanoff. Carrying on to what Barton has with accuracy, Black Widow is not too far off from what they share in target practice. Romanoff will do “whatever it takes” to get the job done and carry on the game to the next inning. Expect Black Widow’s relief style to be swift, like Aroldis Chapman.

Relief Pitcher- Scarlett Witch: The set up woman for the Avengers would be perfect putting the ball in Scarlett Witch’s hands. Her control of the ball is what is going to be essential in those dramatic moments when the game is at its highest peak. Scarlett Witch will be casting all types of spells delivered to the strike zone, leaving hitters in a daze and possibly confused. With the amount of pitches she will deliver, you can compare Scarlett Witch to Josh Hader.

Closer- Captain Marvel: In the period where the game will be at its climax, if the Avengers are in trouble or ahead, they will look to Carol Danvers for the save. Captain Marvel delivers the best presence on the mound for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, as she will be dialed in ninth inning. With her supernova strength, all of her pitches will be close to untouchable, it will be close to near impossible to get a single hit off of her. With the filthiest stuff in the bullpen, Captain Marvel models her pitching style as Trevor Hoffman did in most closing scenarios.

 Team Game of Thrones Bullpen:

Relief Pitcher- Brienne of Tarth: Brienne is fantastic substitute player than can play anywhere in the outfield as well as be a legitimate contact hitter for the Throne. What is even more special in characteristics of her mechanics is how well she stays on target. Brienne has the capability of being a relief pitcher in order to deliver success if the team is in need of aid. With her tall frame and power, she has the ability to command and pound the strike zone. Brienne may look like Billy Wagner on the mound if she gets the chance to relieve Snow in the game.

Relief Pitcher- Daenerys Targaryen: Enter the “Mother of Dragons” herself; Daenerys is the perfect set up woman if the Throne baseball team has a commanding lead. With the power influence of a dragon, she can torch the strike zone without fail and delivers her signature strikeout of each batter: DraKarys! Dany has the pitching mechanics like Craig Kimbrel and could possibly give him a run for his money as a better relief pitcher.

Closer- Arya Stark: Enter the secret assassin who has many faces. Arya Stark has proven to be one of the most dangerous assets (and in this case, teammates) on the side of the Iron Throne. With last night’s reveal, it should be known that she is not a force to reckon with in the deadly Game of Thrones. With her killer instinct on knowing how to dismantle players, she will have lights out stuff to throw from the mound. You can compare Arya to the likes of Mariano Rivera, because you will never see her coming and will not be fortunate to be left alive…in the batter’s box.

With this All Star cast facing each other in something that you would probably pay a great deal of money to see at Comic Con, who do you think would win this amazing baseball match up? I leave the result to be held in the world of imagination, but if this carries on as a thread, I would love to see how baseball fans would have this adaptation of fantasy baseball. We are more than fortunate for both of these franchises being a part of our lives over the past decade. With the influence of baseball, both of these team would be a great mash up to see play each other in a match for the ages.

#journal #baseball #Fantasy Baseball #marvel #mcu #end game #the avengers #game of thrones #battle of winterfell #captain america #hulk #black panther #thor #ant man #dr. strange #iron man #spider-man #hawkeye #black widow #scarlett witch #captain marvel #the hound #jamie lannister #grey worm #tormund #tyrion lannister #daario naharis #gendry #euron greyjoy #jon snow

[vol-au-vending-machine]

Eleven questions

Post the rules.

Answer the questions given to you by the tagger.

Write eleven questions of your own.

Tag eleven people.

Tagged by @dreamsofghostsandstars, thank you so much! Good questions!

1. Is there a fandom that you’re surprised isn’t bigger?

This question took some thought, but actually you know what? The Indiana Jones fandom. Star Wars has 64k works on ao3. Indiana Jones? Less than 300.

2. What book or book series do you really want to see adapted into a TV series/miniseries?

Hunger Games, I know it has been adapted already into like 10 hours of movies but I think it should have been maybe a 13 hour miniseries. For one thing: it's ABOUT a television show. The extra three-ish hours could also have been used for worldbuilding and character development. I just love the world of Panem and I’ve hungrily devoured all of the knowledge of the worldbuilding Collins gave us (ie NOT ENOUGH) and I wish we could have had more. 

For personal reasons, I’d love the Hermux Tantamoq books to be an animated children’s series. Maybe stop-motion, or like with the people who made Fantastic Mr Fox? It’s such a colourful book series, the visuals would be amazing. 

3. What couple/trio/group was/were your first real ship?

Remus/Tonks from Harry Potter. It was in googling them that I came across this strange website called Fanfiction.Net, and my journey began...

4. Do you prefer period costumes or futuristic fashion?

Futuristic fashion is usually all minimalist and clean lines. Period costume! Pearls! Headdresses! Long sleeves! Velvet! B R O C A D E!

Also I’m a history student

5. What’s an underused period of history that you wish more media focused on?

Lol, did you know I was a history student before you wrote these questions?

Medieval period stuff is all about kings and outlaws. Monks are underrepresented given how important they were to the intellectual history of Europe. I want more monks. Monks sitcom. Monks romcom. More monk murder mysteries. Monks Coffee Shop AU. Monks tattoo parlour AU. Monks High School AU. Monks buddy cop. Monks road trip movie. 

On a more serious note, I want a biopic of British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. He lived through it all: WW1, the 30s, WW2, decolonisation, the Sixties, the Cold War. He was JFK’s uncle and he sassed Khrushchev at the UN. Also, of all my historical faves, (I have many) he is the most unproblematic. All the evidence I’ve read suggests he was a real-life cinnamon roll, so making him a hero wouldn’t be bending the facts as much as for other historical figures.

6. If you could drill one fact into sci-fi writers’ heads, what would it be?

I really don't know. I can forgive Star Wars for forgetting gravity works in space. Maybe, that there are geographical consequences for having multiple moons/ suns? Like... that should affect the tides and seasons and flora, ne?

7. Have you ever written a novel-length fanfic?

More than once! 175th Hunger Games: Seven Days was 119k words, The House that Leah Built was 88k, Marion’s War Diaries was 79k and The Mary Sue Hunger Games was 45k. 

8. Do you prefer biopunk, steampunk, cyberpunk, or dieselpunk?

Steampunk. I love cogs and gears and I’m not at all familiar with the other 3.

9. What’s the one big historical mystery you wish you could solve?

Again, history student. How can you ask me to choose O N E?

I’ve studied the colonists of Roanoke, so I’d love to know the answer to that mystery, but I think the Marie Celeste has to take the biscuit. That mystery’s a real mindfuck. 

10. Where do you fall on the dubbing vs. subtitles divide?

Depends on the language and the media. I prefer to watch Death Note dubbed rather than the subtitles as I find the Japanese distracting for some reason I don’t even know. I did watch an amazing Korean historical drama with subtitles and I was fine. My stupid ears must be just weird. 

11. Is there a conlang that you have learned or would like to learn?

Interestingly not many of my fandoms involve conlangs. Maybe Valyrian for the awesomeness of the words, or Elvish for the beauty of the script 

My questions for: @mycrawft @orsino @ramainen-elvie @obsidianbutterfly @theyaremydivision @sciosophia @chizuu @lovelydisarray @hazeleyedjedi @dreamphoenix1016 @gotochelle

1) Best Disney Villain? (If you're not into Disney, best villain of a children’s film)

2) Your favourite hero/ine duels your favourite villain/ess. Who wins? Who dies?

3) Pick one: a big pile of dishes to wash by hand OR a massive pile of laundry to wash in a washing machine. (You can tell what I’m procrastinating right now can’t you?)

4) Pick one: You write a masterpiece, but it isn’t acclaimed until 200 years after you die and your authorship is disputed, OR you earn fame, fortune and fans  in your lifetime but because your work is So Bad, It’s Good. 

5) Goriest/grossest death scene you’ve ever read/watched? (For the sake of spoilers, feel free to say how they died but not who died)

6) The book/movie with the best plot twist is:

7) Name a song that lifts your mood 

8) Your best fanwork? Your least best?

9) The year is 2576. The dust cloud clears. One meme is left standing. It is:

10) On the spectrum from hero---->villain, which character sits most exactly in the middle, neither one or the other?

11) Your favourite trope/cliché?

#ask game #me #thanks!

[maczazind]

Film Diary 2017: May, June, and July AKA "The Combined Post Because I Got Lazy"

For the first time this year, I unfortunately missed my window in terms of keeping up with these monthly entries. A huge handful of birthdays, stress and even an ankle injury all seem to be the contributing factors that ultimately led to me combining both the May, June and July posts. So now, you’re getting three for the price of one! The summer movie season is coming to a close soon and with it has come some clear winners and disappointments. Additionally, the summer season has led to many movie marathons popping up in deep cable as the holidays come and go. Which have I seen, and what did I think? Read on to find out…

As always, the following reflects MY OWN OPINION. If you’d like to see these entries in full as the year progresses, each installment is given the tag “Film Diary 2017” so feel free to follow along!

Each entry includes how every feature was primarily seen and an asterisk which denotes that viewing was the first time I’ve seen that movie in its entirety, despite possibly having seen pieces of the film previously or having a general knowledge of it. Numbering reflects the year’s overall total, not the monthly total.

55) May 5th: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2* - Theater; Kicking off the blockbuster season, I have to admit there was a piece of myself deep down that was worried about the Guardians sequel. The trailers presented plenty of music, chemistry and wit that I loved from the first film while a lack of a clear antagonist left much to be desired. And this concerned me because while the original is one of my top three features of the entire MCU thus far, it did have some problems with Ronan & it’s closing climax that I still take I stride due to everything else it does damn well. Without getting into spoilers, Guardians 2 thankfully doesn’t go the route of Iron Man 2 or Thor: The Dark World and recaptures the magic by expanding upon the elements of the first. That’s not to say it’s perfect; the first act while fun feels a bit lost in its direction. There’s certainly a tug & pull between the one-liners and the emotion it tries to dish out, sometimes struggling to keep that balance, but finds a solid grip for sure. It was to my delight that a decent-sized bulk of previously released scenes arrive in the first half hour, allowing you to really enter into the true meat of the film. The main villain that is presented is perhaps the most memorable in years for the MCU; the emotional beats that are hit, especially in the second half, may be the most heartstring pulling of the entire cinematic universe in recent memory. Director James Gunn very much goes for a more personal story in regards to Star-Lord and in doing so seeks a similar story for the entire team, playing on the theme of family between Gamora/Nebula, briefly tackling Drax’s underlying origins once more, and even the dynamic within the team itself most notably between Rocket/Quill. And it’s there I feel the sequel reaches the same placement of its predecessor. It takes the elements I loved from the first and explores certain aspects as well to beautifully compliment it and present a memorable outing I can still think back to weeks after leaving the theater.

56) May 12th: The Powerpuff Girls Movie - TV (On Demand); Released circa 2002 and commentary regarding the recent reboot aside, this animated feature has interesting placement in my book. The original series holds a special nostalgic place for myself as it was easily a cartoon that took its bubbly exterior and appealed to everyone through its action, comedy, characters and exceptional visual direction. The film is a bit of a different story, as I really only remember seeing it once after renting it from the video store. Now on its 15th anniversary, bumbling through on demand I came across its availability and decided to dive head first into the mystery of why it never left a lasting impression. In many respects, there are ways the movie works well. The amped up visuals and entire final third act battle with Mojo Jojo are among the highlights, including the girls’ fish out of water story that is absolutely a different side to the main trio given their overwhelming acceptance by the people of Townsville in the series. But the film in many ways I think serves better as an expansion of the series rather than a standalone outing. This is very much an origins tale of The Girls’ unique creation and integration into Townsville; but there are certain pieces of the film, especially Mojo Jojo’s own origin story, that resonate more if you’ve seen the show’s expansion of these elements. Furthermore, the movie somewhat struggles with some identity: the first act is the perspective of The Professor to the entire creation of the title characters, before changing to The Girls’ POV as Professor is thrown into jail for the second act and taking a sharp left turn alongside it. With the origins skeleton in mind, its acceptable that The Girls aren’t the hero team viewers knew and loved just yet either; though to see them unknowingly destroy the city they’ve protected so many times before can be a bit jarring. They don’t quite accept their role of heroes until well into the third act and that’s when things start to click into familiar territory. Finally, the film is a lot darker than I remembered compared to the balance the series conveyed. It sets aside the status quo of the small screen for something uncharted and there are times it does feel like a mixed bag of trying to tell a more serious side of The Girls’ history with the fun elements they’ve presented before. And that’s exactly how I walked away from this: mixed. I think if you’re a fan of the original series you can tackle this no problem with the mindset of it simply growing on what you already know. But this format may not leave the best first impression for those too young or too old to experience the wonder that is this franchise.

57) May 17th: The Founder* - DVD (Rental - Library); After it had gained some awards season buzz only to seemingly be snubbed out of the year’s annual ceremonies, I sincerely wondered if The Founder failed to live up to the hype it built in its early marketing. And though it does have problems, the biopic about McDonald’s transformation to a small California eatery to the global dominator it is today surprised me by how strong of an immensely intriguing tale it is. Michael Keaton’s Ray Croc plays a central protagonist that is flawed yet engrossing in his ruthless business spirit. Though this is very much Croc’s tale on how he went from a struggling salesman to the man responsible for expanding the golden arches into a worldwide phenom, his story doesn’t come without some chapters that drag. His life at home, what little we see of it, is introduced with a clear road of what’s to come and in turn says not to get too invested. Because of this, it becomes a bit of a hassle when the minor subplot is dragged out for a decent portion of the movie. But the intrigue of the plot and where the film really shines is the focus on the McDonald brothers and their relationship with Croc as time goes on. The brothers had me hooked the second they laid out their small business origins story to Ray and from there it just becomes a clash of morals, standards, quality and money all at the same time as we see two different types of men fight over their ideals. And it’s that piece of the film that really drives it from beginning to end, even throughout various meetings with potential new employees and lawyers. If you’re interested in seeing a different side to the largest fast food company in the world prior to the common status of the restaurants in modern times, this is definitely one to give a watch to.

58) May 18th: Hidden Figures* - DVD (Rental - Library); Moving on to another highly buzzed about awards contender, Hidden Figures hit a very similar sweet spot for me. It tells a very unrecognized and important story regarding three highly influential woman to NASA in the midst of the space race. Taraji P. Henson’s central role of Katherine Goble Johnson is easily the one that shines the brightest and I can now see why many were upset over her snub at the Academy Awards. Likewise, Octavia Spencer’s Dorothy Vaughan and Janelle Monáe’s Mary Jackson showcase their incredible individual stories of intelligence as well, while driving home a strong tale about both race and gender equality that transcends its setting. It absolutely lives up to the hype and deserves to be seen if you haven’t already.

59) May 20th: Ghostbusters: Answer The Call* - DVD (Rental - Library); There are a handful of reasons why I decided to check out this reboot months after it’s release. For one, the original wasn’t quite the icon of my childhood that everyone else tended to hold up on a pedestal, though I do still regard the film as an incredibly well done and fun classic. For another note, I’m not as won over on director Paul Feig as others have been. Following the highly hyped Bridesmaids, I’d finally seen it on Blu-Ray and thought it was only okay but went on to enjoy follow-up efforts such as The Heat and Spy. Combining these two elements and the atmosphere surrounding the perception of Ghostbusters ultimately led myself towards a timid response. But now that I’ve finally seen it, I can say my reaction is still dishesrtening. The first act, in my eyes, is where the film holds most of its problems. It’s very much a Feig film in its dialogue and therein lies an issue in not deciding what kind of film it wants to be - the script in the beginning paints a more joke-filled affair that is a stark contrast to the paranormal adventure elements it’s attempting to set up. So for the first act, it’s a movie that through its comedy almost doesn’t want to take itself seriously with extremely forced comedic dialogue despite the fact that it needs you to consider it serious for the premise to really work. As the film goes on, the more over the top comedic elements settle down to embrace the growing action and at times finally find a decent balance between the two. It’s there that the film can actually be fun and leave a better impression. But it’s the fact that it takes so long to get to that balance that can be the troubling part. The villain doesn’t quite live up to measure either, trading in mythology of a single supernatural heavy hitter for a wave of various CGI beings that create chaos. That chaos does lead to an entertaining climax, but perhaps could have been more impactful with a stronger antagonist at the center of the action. In the end, I didn’t necessarily hate the reboot as it decides it wants to warm up the longer it continues. However, it’s far from the optimistic fresh start I was hoping it could’ve been. I now understand the divided response and why any plans of a direct sequel have been incredibly quiet.

60) Interstellar* - On Demand (Epix); Another one I put off for personal reasons. Five years ago, The Dark Knight Rises arrived and my best friends can tell you how frustrated I was toward the third act in which a number of extremely questionable choices are made. When I had seen in 2014 that Interstellar seemed to also divide opinions, I decided to put it off until now. However, this one ends on a more positive note for me as I enjoyed it for the most part. Granted it didn’t reach a transcendent level in its plot nor approach to the ideas it outs forth, but there were still a handful of concepts I found intriguing. Cooper’s devotion to his family is certainly a driving force throughout the film and the introduction of a massive difference in how time passes by in the other galaxy developed a type of running clock in my head. I was hopeful for a reunion because it was in many ways Cooper’s singular ideal beneath his responsibility to the expedition that helped flesh him out and give the sci-fi adventure some personal stakes. It doesn’t necessarily excuse some of the more heavy handed stuff nor the nearly three hour runtime that does feel quite a bit taxing and gives no excuse for an ending that feels rushed. And perhaps I benefited from various details being out there online for myself so that I wasn’t so taken aback by their presentation. Still, the film remained on good standing for myself. For all the homages to Kubrick’s 2001 and the various interesting concepts presented that the film’s sci-fi premise hinge on, Interstellar was a solid watch though one that I’m not exactly clamoring to run out and add to my Blu-Ray shelf.

61) May 25th: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them* - DVD (Rental - Library); Upon the release of the first expanded story for The Wizarding World, many Harry Potter fans were able to experience a film set in the universe that was not a direct adaptation of its source material. However for myself, I managed to fall onto the traditional route and read the book before the movie as I received the official scripted book release for Christmas. So suffice to say this reaction to the film won’t be too detailed because I don’t have much of a response - there were no major surprises as I knew what was exactly in store. All that was really left was to see how it translated into a performance setting and it went well. Everyone served their roles well; I really think the audience vehicle that is Jacob, a non-magical human introduced to everything, is the scene stealer and it becomes apparent towards a truly emotional conclusion for him. It’s a solid foundation to build upon to really delve into some of the mythology from the other books, especially Grindelwald, Dumbledore and earlier years of Hogwarts, along with this new unexplored section of the universe. I can’t help but wonder if I would have been more enthusiastic towards the film if I had experienced it prior to the book. Still, I’m still very interested in how the rest of this expansion unfolds as future installments arrive.

62) May 27th: Bleed For This* - DVD (Rental - Library); Last month, after giving a sour response to Hands of Stone, I was very hesitant to dive into another boxing biopic despite this outing being centered in an area I originated from. Bleed for This is yet another film of the genre that failed to make waves last year and seemed to disappear without a trace despite yet again having some notable names attached to it, such as Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart and Katey Segal. Thankfully, though, this outing worked out much better than the aforementioned as it turns out Bleed For This is a solid entry. The ego and eccentric personality displayed by Teller here keeps things always entertaining, while the central story never falls into an overwhelming pit of cliché. Teller and Eckhart have great chemistry, both giving impressive performances, while the addition of Vinny’s family into his career adds some intrigue as profession and blood clash. Definitely a movie worth checking out.

63) Brooklyn* - DVD (Rental - Library); A sweet, endearing love story that at times is as comical as it is dramatic. Exploring not just immigration but the universal feelings of coming of age, friendship, love, torn between family & your own individual life and so very much more, I found myself falling deeper into the film’s undeniable charm the longer it went on. Saoirse Ronan’s performance is a strong one, while Emory Cohen shines as one of her two love interests. I’m not typically one to embrace stories that are more romantic in nature, yet director John Crowley and writer Nick Hornby find ways in order to balance that out by focusing on Eilis’ struggles that her move to America brings both socially and emotionally. One of the more fondly remembered entries of the year for me.

64) May 29th: Rise of The Planet of the Apes - Blu-Ray; In preparation for the upcoming sequel War For The Planet Of The Apes, I figured it was time to rewatch the two previous Cesar entries in the franchise which I hadn’t seen in a good while. First up is 2011’s surprise Summer smash Rise and boy oh boy did I forget how much I love this prequel. I always tend to hold its successor Dawn to a higher stander for various reasons (see below), but somewhere along the way I forgot what Dawn does so damn right. The core relationship between Will & Caesar, Will’s motivation behind the central drug, the nods to the original story that this entry is building towards, the visual storytelling that director Rupert Wyatt conveys for most of the apes’ storyline, the third act that sucks you in the second Caesar’s intelligence reaches a new level from the perspective of the human characters; I could go on and on. Though there is more of an emphasis on the human element in this film, it’s both necessary and understandable in a handful of ways. The humans are the dominant ones at this point and time so its natural they play a larger role, especially in the creation of the Apes’ advanced evolution. At the same time, it allows Caesar to shine that much brighter as a scene stealer with Andy Serkis just knocking it out of the park while the story portrays this wonderful balance of origin story and establishing Caesar as a complex protagonist, very much a subject of both sides of the primary man vs. ape conflict. Again, I feel since Matt Reeves has done a beautiful job in taking over the franchise from Wyatt, the first installment tends to be remembered more as a pleasant surprise with the promise of more to come. Rewatching it though, it is a damn good foundation that allowed Reeves to certainly elevate the material in the sequel and yet still stands strong on its own right as the film to revive the series in a spectacular fashion.

65) Dawn of The Planet of the Apes - Blu-Ray; To continue the conversation, Dawn from Reeves successfully elevates the predecessor by not only going bigger in terms of the central conflict with Apes and humans but also more personal by delving into the differences of the characters as well. Koba, introduced in the last movie, comes from a different side of the humans than Caesar did and both operate separately in terms of their empathy for the humans who are slowly dwindling out. So while the humans are very much in survival mode and not ready to face the apes, whom they blame for the massive outbreak that led to the deaths of many, we see the unified Apes having a civil war of sorts as loyalties are torn between the two leaders. And it’s that three sided conflict that finds a handful of ways to be complex, introspective & thrilling. I’m willing to admit that upon rewatching, Dawn did not hit me as strong as it did the first time; perhaps because most of the shock or unpredictability I found in that first viewing was more cemented now. However, it still does not rob the awe and power from the film as both an incredible sequel and one of the best of the entire franchise.

66) June 3rd: She’s All That - TV (Freeform - DVR); Listen, I was in the mood for a nostalgic teen movie flashback. A classic for many, admittedly She’s All That was never my favorite. And now I still see why. For all the clichés it still has, it’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable. But perhaps I’ve just seen its parody Not Another Teen Movie far too many times to take this seriously. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachel Leigh Cook still standout portraying strong characters. I couldn’t help but feel that the climax of the entire film was extremely rushed and quickly resolved. There are some teen genre films I turn to in fleeting moments of comfort seeking and again this has never been one of them. After rewatching, let’s just say it didn’t win a spot.

67) June 4th: Die Hard With A Vengeance* - TV (IFC - DVR); The ONLY installment in the Die Hard franchise I had not seen in full. Though I feel as if Die Hard 2 helped recapture the “confined to one place” mentality of the original, Vengeance took the series in an entirely different direction by expanding that scope. And while I don’t necessarily admire the change up, it does lead to a more compelling villain than the second installment. Furthermore, Zeus is a perfect partner to McClane and both characters play off each other well. The third act climax is just okay and I do in fact prefer the darker yet more personal alternate ending, which you can find with just a quick Youtube search. Vengeance, though, is a solid entry in a series that holds strong when compared to the latest release a few years ago.

68) June 7th: Wonder Woman* - Theater; Gosh. What can I say about Wonder Woman that hasn’t been said already? Among the three high profiles entries in the genre this season, easily my favorite superhero film of the summer. It’s a weird comparison, but I walked out of the latest DCEU entry feeling as if Diana is now the Superman of this cinematic universe. What I mean by that is at the conclusion of her first ever solo feature, the title hero comes off as such a wonderful beacon of strength, power, hope and resilience that firmly cements her as a major force moving forward in this cinematic universe. From the intriguing origin story packed with badass characters, to the climactic final battle, Wonder Woman not only presents a superhero film that is entertaining, funny when it needs to be, heartbreaking when it calls for it and so many other things, but it takes the time to both explore and enforce what it means to be a hero. Not only do we get to connect with nearly every supporting character along the way of Diana’s journey, we see what they mean to her and her heroic philosophy the more the story goes on. And it’s that infectious passion & care about all of the elements around Diana that easily leaps off the screen and in turn makes you care about them; Ares’ downfall is important to her, so you care about her quest to stop him; protecting humans at various turns, especially including No Man’s Land, means something to her and in turn we care about the missions at hand. Take this tale, put it in the hands of director Patty Jenkins who infuses the film with a wonderful eye even down to a differential in color treatment in key scenes to distinguish the mood, and you get easily the best entry in the DCEU by a long shot. One of my favorites of the year thus far for sure.

69) June 14th: The Simpsons Movie - Blu-Ray; Up until about a year ago, I had never owned the theatrical adventure of the long-running iconic television family. I saw the film upon its theatrical release and really remember loving it for multiple reasons. As someone who fell in love with The Simpsons through a Season 2 box set and the wide variety of reruns that would air every weeknight after homework but before dinner, the movie struck a chord as I saw a slight elevation of the classic formula with better animation, a few less censorship restrictions and even some momentous payoff (looking at you, Springfield Gorge jump). My little step-sister has finally reached Simpsons-mania age and I finally bought the film on Blu-Ray so that she could watch it. Rewatching it nearly a decade later from my aforementioned first viewing, it’s still entertaining and even easier to see the raunchier jokes that easily went over my sister’s head. Filled with wit, heart and enough deviation from the typical formula to keep it a memorable stand-out adventure for the franchise, it definitely tends to hold up in my eyes.

70) June 18th: The Magnificent Seven (2016)* - TV (On Demand - Epix); I am by no means your average fan of the western genre, but that’s not to say I don’t like westerns. Having never seen the original outing, I thought that perhaps this remake may fare better with me without a template to expect anything from. Furthermore, the star-studded cast that included Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'onofrio and more intrigued as to how exactly they would come across. The movie starts off strong enough with a gripping introduction to our villain that really sets up the main conflict ahead. However, it’s the long process of assembling the team, giving them all their own introduction and seeing how they gel within the growing number of men that led to a dragging period that I simply could not recover from. Furthermore, the main villain who is responsible for the issue at hand simply disappears during this stretch, never to be seen until the third act climax. That climactic battle is certainly something to behold, but it’s the journey to get to it that just takes too damn long as loses momentum. And it’s there that the film ultimately lost me, leaving me with a sour taste. If there was one silver lining, though, it’s that had the remake been a larger hit I would’ve loved to see a spinoff starring the scene stealing duo of Ethan Hawke and Byung-hun Lee.

71) June 19th: The Edge of Seventeen* - DVD (Rental - Library); This new spin on the classic teen movie format has been on my radar since the first trailer was released last summer. Then, it seemingly arrived, received its buzz, and then vanished. Now months later I’ve finally watched the latest member of the genre and I have to say I found it entertaining. That’s not to say there isn’t some major predictability to it, especially concerning the main love interest, but elements introduced are used to ground the entire story in a comical way that ultimately works. The key feat is making sure this is pulled off is through casting and Hailee Steinfeld absolutely shines in the lead role of Nadine. She’s able to pull off the complex mix of awkward, funny, self-loathing, analytical, heartbroken and more at various points throughout that it makes for a wildly unpredictable ride as she volleys between opening up & emotionally deflecting. The supporting cast works around her as they all click well with Steinfeld, especially Woody Harrelson’s eccentric teacher, but perhaps the breakout is the endearing, dorky, hopelessly romantic performance by Hayden Szeto as Erwin. Time will tell if this stands next to other teen classics, but thankfully it stands strong as writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig presents a quirky, grounded and relatable coming-of-age tale.

72) June 23rd: The Purge* - TV (DVR - FX); A franchise that’s been around for a little bit now, I’ve never experienced an entry in its entirety. Some shots from cable here, a commercial there, youtube videos showcasing the series’ place at Universal Studios during Halloween over here. So, I finally decided to give the premiere chapter a try. And it was just okay. The setting and rules regarding it are the most interesting part. The rest is a somewhat bland thriller filled with jump scares, most of which includes a small vendetta elevated that you can see coming from awhile away thanks to the set up. Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey and Adelaide Kane do their best with what their given, but really the only one who steals the show is Rhys Wakefield as the Purge Leader who doesn’t get nearly enough screentime in all his creepy glory. But, yeah. It was fine enough. I’ve heard the sequels are better as it doesn’t confine us to one location, and they do in fact feature continuing characters unconnected to this one. I’m not exactly rushing out to see them after this, though.

73) June 27th: The Quick And The Dead (1995)* - TV (DVR - Sundance); Talk about hitting me out of nowhere. Just days after a sour modern western experience, I managed to come across this film in my cable guide, which I’d never heard of. My jaw dropped when I saw the cast included Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, Leonardo Dicaprio and more, all directed under one of my favorites Sam Raimi. What resulted is an exciting film filled with plenty of build up, payoff and execution that is a hell of a lot of fun. The set-up of a shootout tournament among these participants, most of whom either have a gimmick to showcase or a past to be revealed, certainly tends to suck you in with how exactly it will ultimately pan out. In addition to this, the idea of these various characters and well known actors pitted against each other is as equally intriguing. In the end, this felt like a unique entry in the genre that though may not be as fleshed out as some would like, is still quite the entertaining hidden gem with fantastic performances from the aforementioned quartet. Seek it out if you have the chance.

74) June 28th: Okja* - Streaming (Netflix); From director Bong Joon-ho, the highly talked about Snowpierecer has been a film I have yet to see despite being on my list for the longest time. This means the newly released Okja is my first impression of Joon-ho and ultimately I walked away liking this unique adventure. It’s perhaps best that the less you know about Okja the better, though I had seen the previously released trailers and still found a story filled with unpredictability. The backdrop of the plot is certainly satirical against a corporate machine and towards the end melts away to emphasize a message which paints the film with an interestingly sharp edge as it contains a rather whimsical and heartfelt tale of friendship. The first act of Okja at times reminded me of a Studio Ghibli film brought to live action through its scope of wonder, while the central bond between Mija & the title creature does feel at times slightly reminiscent of Totoro, Hiccup & Toothless, Lilo & Stitch and others. But it’s that sharp lining that gives it a final punctuation mark that may not only divide some but certainly gives you something to think about long after it’s over.

75) July 5th: Spider-Man - Blu-Ray; In the days leading up to Spider-Man: Homecoming, I found it only fitting that I revisit the web slinger’s past to prepare for his future. First up was his original 2002 debut and the start of the Sam Raimi saga that would unfold for another five years. I’ve found myself firmly in the placement of adoring not only this film but the sequel to follow and rewatching the original resulted in an interesting perspective. I’ve always thought that Spider-Man was incredibly good and usually I’ve managed to find something different in it depending on the mood I’m in. This rewatch, I found myself not drawn to the action (which, through the head bobbing behind masks, kind of struck me with a Power Rangers vibe) but to the well developed characters. Mary Jane is treated far better in this outing than the sequel as a rough home life and headspace of following her dreams blossoms into an arc that continues its logical journey in the next installment. So while she may not be treated well in the sequel, it’s the establishment of her accomplishments that give her an additional silver lining due to the set up here. Harry is both a rich kid and outcast, thus he bonds with Peter over their social status while at the same time leaving you to not believe 100% in the relationship as there is in fact a harder edged lining to it all that does inevitably unfold. Uncle Ben, who is given a bit less screen time than I remember, still packs a punch in the scenes he’s in due to his emotional impact; origin story be damned, Uncle Ben’s death is still at a core of Spider-Man and important. And then there’s Tobey Maguire’s Peter. Memes aside, you have to take into consideration WHY his scenes look that way in context; Tobey plays a Peter that IS believably awkward, nerdy, down on his luck but still with an endearing heart of gold that inspires that heroic nature in a generation of moviegoers. I’m not saying nor excusing all of his scenes over the three films (lord knows there are plenty I can’t defend - Emo Peter dancing, some blank stares, etc.) but its that awkwardness that works to drive home his nerdier qualities, only for his Spider-Man to offer a kind of confidence that comes with a few quips and plenty of excitement-yelling while web slinging. And though the action and special effects may not hold up as well today as they did back then, what made them great still does: the dynamic between our hero & villain, Willem Dafoe’s performance, Danny Elfman’s incredible score, and Sam Raimi’s direction. The relationship between Peter and Norman has always been a highlight of the saga, with Dafoe’s Jekyll/Hyde turn driving home the more despicable aspects that not only work but the complex circumstances surrounding them escalating the entire feud. Elfman’s score equally elevates various moments throughout, creating a memorable musical outing for a superhero film that for the last 15 years has only ever truly been challenged by Hans Zimmer’s The Dark Knight score. When you wrap it all up, Spider-Man struck me much better than I usually tend to think about it. It has its good share of faults; however, for most it should still hold a special place not just because it convinced Hollywood to invest in the comics-to-film boom but because it’s a great template of how to balance the fun, the dramatic and the emotional while exploring the characters on a three dimensional level.

76) July 6th: Spider-Man 2 - Blu-Ray; Now, we move on to the sequel. There’s no question about it, I still love this movie. It’s been one of my favorites since its release and it remains that way to this day. But, it is in no way infallible. Let’s start with the good, and for there I’ll begin with how the film looks. Now I’m not sure if it was the change over of cinematographers from Don Burgess to Bill Pope but on a visual level this has always been important to me. Where Spider-Man at times feels like it’s stylized to seem like a comic come to life, it can clearly feel like actors on a stage or set because of it. Spider-Man 2, though, drastically dials that back and nearly everything feels blended into a more realistic looking New York, especially including the action. The action is much more CGI in nature compared to the first, but ditches that “Power Ranger” problem I had mentioned because of it. Storywise, Spider-Man 2 hits so many high notes in my opinion. We get to see Peter truly struggle with his responsibility and what he desires. It’s a well crafted balancing act that not only makes our main character sympathetic but drives most of Peter’s plot in the film to an incredible degree. Nearly every relationship he shares with a character benefits from this focus and it really strengthens even the smallest interaction between our hero and supporting players. You feel for him; you hurt for him; and when it comes down to it, you understand and connect with him. Further adding to the character count that transcends the screen, Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius aka Doc Ock. On some level, there is no possible way that Doc Ock was going to top the personal heights set by Green Goblin in the last film but damn does it find a way to bring it close. They follow a similar template for sure; both men who connect with Peter and are seen as mentors before a freak accident causes them to become villains but shown they’re more so being controlled by their creations. But dammit if it doesn’t work. And with Ock, Raimi crafts some of the most memorable scenes of his saga (besides the upside down kiss, of course): the horror-like hospital scene and the train rescue, the latter of which still stands strong as perhaps the best action scene in any Spider-Man movie. As I said though, the film is not perfect. It’s biggest fault has to be Mary Jane. While an argument could be made that watching the Raimi films back to back brings her to a logical next step, Mary Jane is nothing more than simply a goal to get in this sequel. Most of the romantic back and forth between Peter, Mary Jane and her new fiancée comes across as unnecessary, though Raimi admirably never portrays her fiancée as an antagonist as he really is not a cliché. And while this may light a fire under Peter’s ass, motivating him and some decisions going forward, it doesn’t help flesh out Mary Jane other than making her mostly dependent on Peter. It runs its course, and the emotion between the two does reach a high point, but it’s still a blemish. Besides that, though, Spider-Man 2 is still one of the most fun, action packed, entertaining, emotional and complex films Marvel has made and still stands tall against the MCU-era.

77) July 7th: Spider-Man: Homecoming* - Theater; So now that I tackled two of my favorite superhero films of all time, what about the most recent installment in the franchise? This one is a bit trickier. Homecoming, in many ways, had a variety of expectations set about it. Not only is it the title character’s first true adventure in the MCU in a non-supporting capacity, but it’s also Sony’s admission that after 10 years of trying they needed help to get the hero on the right path again. Headed into the movie, my expectations were actually a little low. Despite the glowing consensus that manifested via reviews, I’ve felt like the MCU has reached somewhat of a tonal formula lately and hasn’t knocked me on my ass in amazement since Guardians of the Galaxy. Furthermore, the over reliance on Iron Man in marketing materials soured my hype as I felt it was less Spidey’s movie and more aggressively a team up that would not allow him to stand strong enough on his own. Plus the hinting of an artificial intelligence in his suit only made me a tad bit bitter out of concern they were taking an Iron Man like approach to Spidey as well. However, after seeing the film I can say that it does wind up in the upper-half of my MCU ranking thus far. Homecoming was a fun, largely entertaining coming of age superhero movie that works on a variety of different levels but also has its fair share of problems. Homecoming feels, more or less, like an adaptation similar in line to the television series’ of the past 15 years or so but never brought fully to life on the big screen. Both prior sagas attempted to explore this path but were wildly cut short with graduations occurring and school setting ultimately ditched. With the highs, Tom Holland does come off very likable as Peter Parker attempting to make sense of what his inclusion and path of a superhero ultimately means. With the younger Peter, I do feel there was a lack of emotional maturity and complexity that the Raimi films pulled off so well, opting more for the comedic approach than a tortured one. But at the same time, it’s completely understandable as maturity is definitely lacking in early teenage development. A part of me feels for that emotional edge there should have been an emphasis on Uncle Ben, in any capacity. I know many feel retreading the origins story is tiresome, and I agree - but neglecting the repercussions of Uncle Ben’s death is not. As at least three men call out Aunt May’s attractive looks and even her obliviousness to one of them, it would’ve worked to add some depth to her by showing she’s still not over the death of her husband and how Peter reacts to that. Similarly, Peter and Tony come to odds late in the film where Tony makes a remark about trying to be a father figure, where it could have been absolutely opportune for Peter to outburst how he had one and it didn’t end well. There is an infusion of “great power/great responsibility”, though, as we do openly get to see Peter struggle between what he wants & what he must do on a few different occasions, and it’s absolutely a nice touch. On the opposite to Peter, Michael Keaton is strong as The Vulture and when the two finally share some extended screentime together it’s absolutely electric. The rest of the cast falls into roles of exactly what the comedy calls for. Laura Harrier is certainly your female lead, despite the promotional push making you think that it’s Zendaya. And her Liz is fine; connecting with Peter in certain ways but never amounting to one of Peter’s greatest love interests by any means. Zendaya’s Michelle is one of two puzzle pieces (the other being the post credits scene) that definitely felt like “classic Sony” to me; she shows up what felt like in one minute intervals to quip out a line and then disappear. Admittedly, one of her moments early in the Washington Monument scene is one of the more memorable; but I simply felt she was nothing more than sequel-set-up fodder for now. The action failed to wow me, mostly because literally every major sequence was more-or-less detailed in trailers & tv spots. That’s not to say there weren’t some surprises in tow; just not in the action department. In fact, what I wanted more of is best exampled in a simple moment in the later half that may be my favorite of the entire film: a quieter yet still edge-of-your-seat scene shared between Peter and Adrian that shows brilliantly through visual acting/storytelling a key piece falling into place. It was absolutely incredible to watch. Overall, this was a good foundation to reestablish the Spider-Man universe and gain some new wind in the sails after six solo outings. There needs to be a little bit of tinkering moving forward, but the future looks promising if they can build upon this new take.

78) July 12th: Loving* - DVD (Rental - Library); Another important real-life story brought to the big screen, Loving tells the struggle for the titular couple whose lives are upheaved when law enforcement in their hometown disapproves of their interracial marriage. Though an incredibly slow burn movie, it’s the matter at the center of the film, the couple’s strength despite massive targeting and personal loss that drives the story. I didn’t find it nearly as attention grabbing as various other true-story entries in my journal this year; Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton are solid as the leads; it’s certainly one to discover, though don’t expect this artistic film to strike every note.

79) July 13th: Assassin’s Creed* - DVD (Rental - Library); “You were the chosen one! It was said you would destroy the bad videogame movies, not join them! Bring balance to the genre, not leave it in darkness!” That paraphrased Star Wars quote is pretty much how I felt in 2016. Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed looked to be films that may have finally been what the videogame adaptation genre needed to kickstart a new wave of movies to be adapted. Projects such as Uncharted, The Last Of Us, Bioshock, Halo and countless others could have been finally taken out of film development hell upon a successful streak. Alas, the two tentpoles eyed by hopefuls such as myself failed. And though I haven’t seen nor played the fantasy entry of the duo, I have played & now seen Assassin’s Creed. Despite a promising first act, which attempts not only to intrigue in both the Animus storyline and our main character’s past, everything seems to slam to a halt directly afterwards. The Animus storyline is the only source of action, used as a break from the dull, utilized thrice and does not amount to very much screentime. The film does an admirable job of setting up the key components of the universe so that those unfamiliar with the franchise get the necessary information, but fails to really translate what makes it so popular through a script that’s just alright. In one of the more embarrassing fan service moments mid-Animus action sequence, one of our leads name drops a move from the games with a delivery of awe and I ultimately wound up bursting out with laughter. An attempted good vs. evil conflict brews, all led by a macguffin used previously in the games, though the assisted supporting characters under our lead Cal barely get anything more than a quick introduction and sly line. This all amounts to a climax that not only bleeds into an incredibly quick final scene but a laughably abrupt ending that feels just insulting as a simple set up for a potential sequel. It’s with these feelings of frustration another feature is added to the growing pile of video game movie flops, and now rest our hopes on the Tomb Raider reboot with Alicia Vikander.

80) Power Rangers* - Streaming (Rental - Amazon); This one I owe to Twitter, as one afternoon I decided to crowdsource what movie I was going to rent that evening in an online poll. The winner wound up being Power Rangers, a reboot I initially had no interest in seeing until it gained positive word of mouth from friends when it was in theaters. Having seen it myself, I can definitely say I enjoyed it with some reservations. Easily the strongest aspect of the film is the script’s exploration of the five main characters, making sure they have at least some depth and chemistry with one another. It can be argued that Jason, Kimberly and Billy get more development than Trini or Zack, but certainly each of the five at least get their own moments to shine. If this exploration had been absent, the necessary team aspect wouldn’t have held up nearly as strong as the later half of the movie demands it to be. That being said, there are some impressive moments in deleted scenes that could have also worked wonders in strengthening various bonds and character elements that I’m sad to have seen on the cutting room floor. Beyond the team is where some of the more drastic changes happen that I didn’t quite mind. Elizabeth Banks actually pulls off a solid Rita, with a backstory trait that definitely adds intrigue to her. Zordon definitely comes across as much more than an omnipotent head on a wall; I just wish that there was more detail into what exactly caused the rift in the old Ranger guard, which is established but kept pretty vague in dialogue. As for the action, which is mostly contained into the third act of the film…it was ok but I felt that the computer effects could have used some more time. The best example of my special effects problem is a scene very late in the movie in which there is a tight close up of a traveling Rita that is a mix of practical and green screen but comes off laughably bad. And though this is the worst of the worst, there are other sequences where I simply felt the CGI was floating as opposed to blending into the world - especially the suits, which I felt easily could have been more practical effect than the CGI ones we receive. Then again, I didn’t walk away from this movie thinking about the final zord fight; I walked away thinking about the characters. Power Rangers, though far from perfect, is a movie at its best when establishing characters to care about. While this origins story is a solid foundation that needs a little bit more construction, it’s the hopeful thought of seeing these characters again, their bonds tested not only by something new but by an addition of Tommy, that excites me.

81) July 14th: War For The Planet Of The Apes* - Theater; Continuing my takes on the new Planet of the Apes saga, War arrived as perhaps my most anticipated film of the Summer. With Matt Reeves now slated to step into the directorial chair for the first solo Batman entry in the DCEU, it felt as if there was a growing focus on how exactly this installment of the Caesar story would go. After glowing reviews, I still managed to temper my expectations and go in cold. What I found was a wildly satisfying, exceptional and yet different change of pace adventure in the leader’s story so far. By change, I’m more so referring to a decent portion of the film that sees Caesar and our two most established supporting roles Rocket & Maurice accompanying him on a quest that not only opens up a new side to Caesar but also focuses more on his motivations rather than that of the larger group. It’s here we get to see Caesar struggle not only with his compassion for the humans that has stayed with him for most of his life, but if the absence of that aligns him more with Koba’s mentality. Furthermore, this is ultimately Caesar’s biggest test as a leader of his group not just emotionally but mentally. Woody Harrelson is terrifying as The Colonel, more so than any other primary antagonist opposite of Caesar thus far and easily the greatest of the trio. It’s the extended time together, mostly in the second half, that gives the film it’s true power, heart, and signature moments. On top of all these dynamics, we even receive an interesting subplot that continues to connect these prequel entries to the original films. The special effects this time around are stunning, perhaps the most realistic of the trilogy. The ending wasn’t completely unexpected but fitting. Much like Dawn, I think placement in this entry will ultimately depend on rewatches and after the surprises have ultimately settled in. My gut is that Dawn edges this one out due to the solo diversion of this one being a drastic change; but there’s so much that feels right as a boiling point for Caesar, between being pushed to his limits and facing off with his most menacing villain yet. Reeves delivers another well crafted epic that cements one of the more surprising successes in recent blockbuster history.

82) July 15th: Tomorrowland* - DVD (Rental - Library); Tomorrowland is a film that for the better part of a couple years now I’ve avoided. Gearing up towards the release, I was extremely on board for the Brad Bird directed sci-fi adventure. So much so that I even purchased the official prequel novel that partially detailed the origins of the background organization Plus Ultra. Why I avoided the film, however, was due not only to its mixed reviews & my fear that it would disappoint, but because the road to the theatrical release mostly felt like an empty mystery box approach that left me rather sour on the entire ordeal. Now, I can say that I have seen it and yes I do in fact have some mixed reactions. The first act of Tomorrowland may be the piece I enjoyed quite the most. It’s easily the most focused act of the entire journey, blending the overwhelming theme of optimism in a world of harsh reality with some entertaining introductions to our core cast. The concepts presented offer plenty of mystery to explore as things start to build. The second act, though, is where I felt the film was dragged down. There is a lot of explanation to be had about exactly what is going on, what happened to Frank (which is made more clear but definitely not crystal clear the more that exposition is piled on), and the path to the title location all feel like a very forced prickly road trip with more questions than answers. The third act, pretty much set solely in Tomorrowland, finally weaves our central antagonist back into the fold after an hour and twenty minutes off screen…even though when we were last introduced to him, exactly who he was, where his morality lied, and his exact purpose all remained fuzzy. Still, it at least punctuates the story with an active force instead of ever changing robotic minions. But it’s just not enough. Especially when David Nix’s reasoning behind his motives aren’t truly your traditional evil, as he gives an impassioned and actually quite impressive speech about why he’s simply given up. This all culminates in a final thematic underlining that may feel a bit too much like The Lorax to some to be forgiven. At the same time, it is that message that kind of shined through for me. Sitting through the first act, I was almost convinced this could have been a cheer up movie to watch on the downer days because it has such an infectious spirit. The nods to classic Disney Parks material is equally admirable and certainly adds to the overall atmosphere. It’s just the structure problems that weaken the entire experience despite me coming away from the movie more favorably. I just wish it could have stepped over the pitfalls on the way there.

83) July 18th: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping* - Streaming (HBO Go); In the mood for something funny, I decided to turn towards last year’s The Lonely Island feature film. A heavy satire towards celebrity pop culture and the current method in which musical artists have to market themselves for popularity, I found it entertaining with a few pleasant surprises throughout the mockumentary. It doesn’t quite measure up to the cult heights of the team’s prior outing Hot Rod as the narrative isn’t quite as strong; it nails its core trio well but at the same time you get an idea exactly where the arc of the movie is heading extremely early on. Still, it’s worth a watch when the time is right and if you’re a fan of the group’s previous work.

84) July 21st: Dunkirk* - Theater; As previously stated in this post, it’s been some time since director Christopher Nolan is won me over completely. And if I’m being honest, I had very little enthusiasm towards actively going to see Dunkirk, despite the glowing reviews in the days prior. Alas, the decision to go see the war movie was made on a whim combined with the overwhelming temperatures. However, I’m extremely happy to say that Dunkirk was an amazing film in my eyes that quickly catapulted towards the top of my yearly ranking. What I say fro here on out will be rather bare bones because I truly believe the less you know going in, the better. Nolan presents a real life story but done in a unique narrative style that easily separates Dunkirk from the rest of the genre. A decent deal of the film is presented through visual storytelling as opposed to dialogue spelling things completely out and it’s truly a sight to see as you still connect with these various characters through their quest to survive by whatever means necessary. Furthermore, the inner Hitchcock suspense fan in me is absolutely giddy as Dunkirk has a great amount of edge-of-your-seat tense moments that are elevated even more so by Hans Zimmer’s score that works so complimentary to what you’re witnessing. It’s this tension that really sucked me in and would not let go until the final scene. It’s this blend that makes the film more so an experience than anything else that is perhaps best seen first in theaters right now rather than when it hits home video.

85) July 25th: Jumanji - Streaming (Starz); Prior to the sequel-reboot’s release later this Winter, I figured it was time to rewatch this fondly remembered childhood classic to many. It has been plenty of years since I’ve seen the adventure feature and it was never an overwhelming favorite of mine when I was younger. Seeing it again after all these years, however, it’s clear why it’s a staple for many. It isn’t overly cutesy as some family adventure films tend to come off; the drama & emotions are high, the premise can get dark rather quickly and it’s all very intriguing to watch unfold. Robin Williams is easily the highlight in terms of acting, playing one of his more complex characters that appeals to all-ages. The computer effects, though astounding at the time, don’t hold up overly well as you have to remember upon release this was the age when even Pixar was just starting out. That being said, if they could find a way to remaster the special effects much in a similar way Star Wars has done with its home video re-releases, Jumanji could be mistaken for a recent release. The blend between practical and CGI certainly helps, while at the foundation is still a strong story that young adults and older will probably appreciate more. And with the set-up for next installment allowing us to see inside of the game for a change, I’m interested in how exactly it holds up - especially with what seems to be a far more comedic approach than this original go.

86) July 27th: The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-Wrestlemania!* - DVD (Rental - Library); For three years now, WWE and WB animation have partnered up for a variety of direct-to-video films featuring WWE’s current roster of wrestling talent. Two Scooby Doo films are certainly one thing, as the franchise of spooktacular mysteries have not stopped since their resurgence in the late 90s. The more…let’s go with “interesting”, entries in this planned partnership are members from classic animation that have not seen a modern day take in an extended period. The Flintstones arrived first in 2015 with their first new film in 14 years that, in my opinion, just felt kind of lazy and rushed. The voices seemed off, the shoehorned WWE angle just led to more puns than anything else and to think that this could be a generation’s first exposure to the franchise disheartened me as well. It’s been many years since Cartoon Network or even Boomerang (yes, there is at least the paid service app now) aired the Hanna Barbera classics regularly on television and I often wonder whether or not the current generation growing up are even aware of their existence. Now this year, WWE and WB attempted the same with The Jetsons, a franchise with an even longer streak of nearly 30 years since it’s last piece of media. When the trailers first arrived, I was kind of angry because I saw this long dormant series was only being exhumed as a cash grab. Not to mention I didn’t know exactly who this was for - kids who are fans of WWE wouldn’t necessarily know who The Jetsons are, and those old enough to care might dodge it because they saw it simply as a quick buck. But, funny enough, after actually having seen the film I can say that oddly this is the best of the WWE/WB partnership thus far. I do have to give it credit where credit is due. Despite yet another heavy handed focus on the wrestling side of the story, there is a genuinely good Jetsons movie buried inside here. The first act, which mostly deals with Big Show waking up in the future and ultimately serves as a light reintroduction for the franchise, is actually a fun albeit kind of cliché plot that works as a concept and I would have loved to seen explored more before taking a sharp left turn. The comedic dialogue dealt actually got me to laugh out loud in some parts; the voice actors really sound like a close portrayal of the original show; the animation is solidly well done (better than The Flintstones partnership’s style anyways). Furthermore, it actually has a storyline that tries to infuse a moral within and creates a sturdy-enough arc to separate it from the pack of previous entries. That’s not to say there aren’t problems though. That same moral infusement of technology-driven laziness isn’t brought to its full potential what so ever, which I believe is due more to the wrestling focus; Big Show’s characterization is all over the place; the time travel subplot feels more like a cheap knockoff of the story device used in their 80s crossover with The Flintstones; at 81 minutes it still finds time to drag, especially in the second act which is full of wrestling glorification, a montage, nabbing stars and then making their way back. And yet despite those moments that left me bored and rolling my eyes, I still walked away feeling they did something truly right here. It can be incredibly entertaining, the joke writing stands strong enough, and there’s just something that really nails the family at the heart of this all that manages to rise above everything else. Dare I say it, I actually would look forward to a follow-up…without the wrestling. For now if this is the best we get then it could’ve been far far FAR worse off. For the best example of that just look at Tom & Jerry’s recent adventure with a certain chocolate factory and confectionary maker.

87) July 30th: Miss Sloane* - DVD (Rental - Library); We live in a year heavily focused on politics. Due to this, sometimes the entertainment we want to escape from it all may also be politically focused and it can add up to an exhausted feeling (one of the reasons I couldn’t quite pick up House Of Cards again earlier this summer). In this whirlwind, there seems to have been a political thriller overlooked in the middle of Oscar season that certainly deserves that attention now: Miss Sloane. Once you get settled into the world past a crash course introduction in the first twenty minutes and the film’s primary conflict is set up, the D.C.-set feature focusing on lobbying can both impress and shock you. Jessica Chastain is incredible as the strong, cutthroat, sharp yet not invulnerable title character. Elevating it even more is a script from Jonathan Perera that at times feels reminiscent to that of an Aaron Sorkin execution with how focused and sly the dialogue hits. Sam Waterston and John Lithgow are quite notable as antagonists to Chastain’s role, but Michael Stuhlbarg tends to knock it out of the park as his character’s relationship with Sloane drives his performance. Admittedly the story’s flow seems to take a sharp halt in the second half, though it’s intentional and even spelled out by Sloane herself. But for me it hits that spot that similar politicially-driven media, such as Scandal, has in the past in which my interest is driven by the fact this fiction I’m watching could easily be happening in real life. Filled with twists and if you enjoy the aforementioned Netflix series, Miss Sloane is one to check out.

88) The Girl On The Train* - DVD (Rental - Library); Ending on a low note shall be an adaptation that I can’t even attempt to accurately voice my substantial disappointment towards. Having read and enjoyed the original novel prior to any announcement of a film version, when ill-fated reviews emerged last Fall I ultimately avoided this movie. But as curiosity finally got the better of me, I decided to sit down and watch The Girl On The Train. And ouch. Despite a voiceover plot element utilized, most of the internal dialogue of the core three characters is left to the page causing some moments to come off almost creepy (to a laugh out loud degree in spots) and reasoning behind others aren’t really delivered upon. Additionally, this adds to an unlikeability problem as Rachel’s novel turn as unreliable narrator coping with personal life setbacks & struggling to venture beyond that traumatic past comes across as raging alcoholic with weird stalker tendencies. Likewise, Anna and Tom seems to suffer from development as they seem to share a lack of a spotlight beyond what’s shown, as does Riley who seems to be popping in more as someone who states the logically obvious as opposed to deconstructing the tangled web. Furthermore, most of the reveals that on paper drive the mystery by adding intrigue somewhat lost their impact here, as twists seems stated so matter-of-fact - especially the largest one at play. Now that could in fact be more of a problem on my end, much like Fantastic Beasts, because I knew all of the material. But when out of six main characters a majority is ruled out in a single line of dialogue, it doesn’t take much of an imagination to come to a revelation as an audience goer even if the lead has yet to realize it herself. It’s all of these elements that ultimately come across as trying too hard to chase the Gone Girl hype and falling like a knockoff, with less than two hours coming across as a slow one to get through.

WHEW! Well that took a long time. Three months away can really add up, eh? Now as the summer dies down, weirdly my journal is starting to heat up with some widely notable films from the past year. But, more on that after Labor Day…

What movies did you see this Summer? Are there any movies you’d highly recommend that I should add to my watchlist? Feel free to drop me an ask or a reply!

#film diary 2017 #movies #film