#Oh Ramona! Review

[softness-and-shattering]

Two mini reviews, partly brought to you by tumblr autosaving - Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I wasn't sure what to expect; I really liked The Sunbearer Trials (Ive not yet read the sequel), and DNF'd Lost In The Never Woods because it was the wrong type and intensity of dark and spooky for me at the time. Cemetery Boys is a freaking delight. Maybe my least favourite part was the villain reveal, it made sense but either it wasnt foreshadowed enough or I just wanted better for that character? idk. But this isnt primarily a plot book, its a romance, and its a story about community and acceptance, and figuring out how you fit into the world when you're not the shape you're expected to be. And it did really well with both those aspects. I also appreciate that with so many stories, real and fictional, about people who have to leave their communities to find themselves, I appreciate a story of someone who never once thinks maybe I need to leave, and instead forges on to create space for himself in his community and his heritage. That's not everyone's story and thats totally fine. Our experiences are diverse and we deserve diverse stories. Its all good. As for the romance, its really believable. Its quite an opposites-attract situation, from Julian's aggressive queerness and non-issue with Yadriel's transness making his albeit and unexpected presence a breath of fresh air to Yadriel, to their growing understanding of each other's lives and admiration for the strength of each others convictions. (When Julian is upset about his friends and Yadriel nevertheless pauses to set that boundary about ghost-safety, that was hot.). And the ghost aspect! (this is not a mini review anymore lol). I was not really sure how that was going to go, and then cheering for them, and then wondering what the heck they were gonna do about ongoing ghost-itude and the finiteness of that situation, and actually I really liked how it went. The romance and how they push each other and grow to understand each other is fun, romantic, sexy, heartfelt. Remarkably sexy given that one of them is a ghost who cant be touched. (Spoilers for a sec - the scene on the car where Yadriel reaches for Julian's jacket to pull him closer and there's nothing there to grab? Oh that feels like grief.) The book is quite a bit about grief. Missing parents, missing support networks, missing opportunities to be yourself and be accepted. Its about a guy who can communicate with ghosts and its set around Dia de Meurtos, there's grief themes.

I also really love Maritza, showing off another aspect of (gender) non-conformity, that its not only trans people who have trouble fitting fairly strict defined roles. (Julian's friends do so similarly). Almost all the Spanish I picked up from context, but how Julian refers to Yadriel at the end I knew I had to look up that word specifically and oh my heart. Overall really enjoyed. probably 9/10 second, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. I havent read the books/comics, I have seen the movie. This show....for at least the first half I had no idea what the rules of the universe were or what exactly was going on or what themes exactly were being explored. I was definitely entertained though. The last few episodes manage to make sense of the first few and deliver on those themes in ways I quite liked. I liked that Ramona is the "manic pixie dream girl" and then almost immediately gets upstaged for that role by Envy Addams. I normally am annoyed at stories in which some boring guy "gets" the manic pixie dream girl and certainly doesn't appreciate her - you know the kind who goes on reddit and complains that she wont stop talking about slugs or decorates their whole house in anime? And I know scott pilgrim is a comment on that trope. I like how its about scott but its not really about scott. Largely its about Ramona and her friends (and her exes). And the others recognise that scott isnt so great, or so smart, and also that if Ramona likes him thats cool. He can be a "lovable idiot" and shes not automatically making a mistake with him. If they're happy they're happy. (and of course the ways that *could* go wrong, but arent destined to). Plus the music is fun, the visuals are bright and pretty. It might lean overstimulating for some people, I had to stop and think about my spoon levels between episodes. Thats what I got for today. Two very different fun stories I recommend like 8-9/10, not perfect but a damn good ride.

#review #mine #scott pilgrim takes off #cemetery boys

[myloveforhergoeson]

ash's march 2024 reading round up

find all the books and fics i read this month under the cut with a link to the synopsis and my reviews/ratings attached :)

this is just for fun! i'm not a professional, i just like to read <3

booklist!

The Mistake by Elle Kennedy (18+)

• review: good book, fun read! nothing extraordinary but entertaining nonetheless, but i did struggle because the two main characters share the names of a few of my best friends... weird. anyway, i'm such a sucker for a second-chance romance, as logan and grace have in this novel after they're on the path to a relationship, but logan can't seem to get over the girl his best friend is dating... after a summer apart, both of them return to college and find themselves getting mixed up in each others business, which allows for time to reevaluate and find out together just what went wrong! love seeing a man grovel after he makes a mistake lol. but, again, it was a fun read, nothing super special or groundbreaking and i think elle kennedy has some internalized misogyny she needs to work out which comes through a bit in her writing sometimes. i don't think women in romance novels should always be put through terrible situations to culminate in a moment of love-clarity, but that's just me. that scene told me more about logan's character than grace's, which was nice to see him stand up for her and her friend, but still. hurt to read a bit. i am also slightly worried for graces' future as a therapist. she has absolutely no empathy when logan was opening up about his struggles with his father's alcoholism - to her credit, he wasn't telling her everything, not that he needs to, but still... regardless, i thought these two were cute. even after he blew her off big time in the beginning, he worked to prove he made a mistake and actively worked to better himself. i thought graces' list of things he needed to do to win her over was adorable - i wish there was more time spent on seeing him complete these tasks! the ramona (grace's kind of best friend) side plot was interesting but i was very caught off guard with how it was resolved... but! still enjoyed this book nonetheless~

• tw: depictions and scenes around alcoholism in a side character, side character held at party against her will

• rating: 3/5 boxes of blonde hair dye it must've taken grace to dye her hair

2. Happy Place by Emily Henry (18+ish)

• review: oh my god oh my god oh my GOD!!!!!!!! no book i've ever read has had such an emotional grip on me. i must've cried like five separate times while reading this book - not because it's sad, but because i found myself identifying with so many of the themes (and also because i may or may not have been going through it at the time of reading). this is a beautifully written tale about two ex-fiances, wyn and harriet, reuniting five months after their break up to join their friends on their yearly vacation to their favorite place in the world - a beach house in maine! - without telling anyone they've broke up. now, they must play the part of the once-happy couple they were in order to keep the peace and not ruin everyone's vacation. seeing how family, friendship, growing up, moving apart, grief, and not listening to one's heart affected each character absolutely gutted me in ways i was not expecting at all. like i said, i identified with so many of these themes, and the way they're all interwoven throughout the book is so masterful it literally brought me to tears. and not like silent streaks, i was sobbing at some parts. i also really loved that the book was told between two time periods: the present or "real life" and the past or "happy/dark place" so we could see the full span of wyn and harrys relationship, the connections they made with their friends, and how important each and every character is to each other. the scenes of the past felt so nostalgic, like i was there with everyone as friendships, and subsequently relationships, developed. the scenes from the present were just as comforting, even with all their real-life struggles. oh, yeah, and it was a romance novel. dubs for the second chance romance this month! anyway this one absolutely wrecked me and i cannot recommend it enough; one of my favorite books of all time! i could literally talk about it forever, but i'll stop here for now!

• rating: 5/5 times i stained the pages w my tears <3

3. Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan (18+)

• ok. lots to say about this one too but for different reasons lol. overall, i love the concept of this book. an archaeologist (clark) attempting to hit his big break after a rough patch, a curse breaker (riley) hired at the same site because the castle they're excavating has not let anyone discover much about it for hundreds of years, scottish folklore, romance... on paper this is a perfect book for someone like me, who loves both archaeology and the supernatural. however. i do not think that the concept of enemies to lovers really works in modern settings. i really think i've only enjoyed that trope in fantasy settings, but that's just me. like, you're telling me she straight up threatens him with a knife in the first 30 pages and he didn't immediately call the cops on her? he tries to humiliate her not even two chapters later? she breaks into his camper a chapter later? like yall... this isn't even enemies to lovers these guys just straight up hate each other. besides that, i thought the concept was fun. the curse placed upon the castle hundreds of years ago was on a romeo-and-juliet type couple and ended up affecting clark and riley in the same way, hence the enemies to lovers aspect. i thought the castle pushing them to be together to make up for what happened in the past was really cute! that being said the book specifically called out the enemies to lovers trope by name like eight separate times. it made me want to scream! we know that's whats going on, no need to repeat it! and i love a good modern reference, but im not sure four separate criminal minds shout outs were necessary. i love matthew gray gubler too but i do not need that to be randomly thrown in for no apparent reason. the book was really slow to start, i don't think i was really interested until about halfway through. also, i'll say it. some people really aren't meant to be together and i think those people are riley and clark. physical chemistry does not equal emotional chemistry and his confession really just came out of nowhere - i was so jarred. overall, weak characters, okay cringe millennial writing, and very interesting, detailed, and well thought out plot. there were some really great parts that made me blush or laugh out loud!

• 2.5/5 times clark made a comment no self respecting archaeologist would ever make...

fic list!

learning to love by autisticbarbie (3k)

• fandom: big time rush (tv)

• pairing: james diamond/original male character

• yall... such a cute one shot. literally had me giggling and kicking my feet and shit while reading. very well written too; i was so invested!!

this was the only fic i finished this month because i typically go for longer stories! (sorry to the two Inuyasha one shots i read and forgot to bookmark...)

but, i just started an incredibly long dr who/ofc fic called lost in time by whovianeverlark17 on wattpad and, as always, i'm reading icegirl2772's james diamond/ofc story take a shot in the dark on ao3! i'm not at the point where i've read enough of the first to recommend, but if you're a fan of btrtv fics take a shot in the dark is definitely for you!!!!!!! i love you oc fics i love you!

#once again: just for fun! not here to start anything - i'm just sharing my opinions #not giving the fic a star rating bc if someone did that to mine i'd throw up but it was very very good just trust me! #ash talks books #the mistake #elle kennedy #happy place #emily henry #do your worst #rosie danan

[araminakilla]

Day 45: "Si tú me llamas" preview

A little sneak peak of the song was released three days before its official debut, here it is:

The lyrics so far are:

If you look at me (?), I lose myself

like the sand in the desert

If you call me

for you I would climb the highest pyramid

(Upbeat music)

So far... I like it! Despite the autotune and the election of singers, the melody is very catchy. It represents the spirit of the film very well, as they said.

At first I was like "What is this?" but after listening for the third (or thirty?) time it really captured my attention. This could be better than "Te voy a esperar"

Now, little reviews of the sneak peeks:

Seems like the scene after Tad was fired by Ryan. Sara is trying to console him, maybe saying that he doesn't need Ryan's approval and that he is just as important as anybody in the camp. Tad of course doesn't believe this.

Are those agents... shooting at them?

They are shooting at them!

They try to take down the mummies, and they don't even care there's a human among them!

Of course we by this point know Tad is a menace to ancient artifacts and museums, but that doesn't justify trying to shoot him.

Mummy is guiding Ramona to safety by... holding her hand???

I think it is her wrist actually, while Ra-Amon-Ah is looking at their hands, rather perplexed? Like, "why is he touching me?" or something like that.

For the boat behind them, this occurs after they arrive to Egypt and the peaceful journey is ruined by the agents.

And where is Sara? Still in Paris? Is she traveling with Ryan and his group?

Also, is it just me or after falling behind the rock, Mummy has a devastated/shocked face, as it having flashbacks of past events?

Maybe it's just me.

More of the red lightsaber scene. Mummy knows how to make a dramatic entrance.

New fear unlocked: Beljeff.

Also the bathtub!

Welcome to the "scared mummy club" Ramona. So far you and Mummy are the only integrants.

Tad & mummies running away from the international police. This should be fun... for us, not for them.

The Indiana Jones reference, except it is a Earth globe instead of a rock.

Run Tad! If you don't conquer the world then the world shall conquer you.

So, *clears throat* yeah.

How do I even begin to describe this scene?

Oh! I know.

I will let this gif speak for me:

Rip Tadeo Jones. You will be missed.

#tadeo jones #tadeo jones 3 #tad the lost explorer #tad the lost explorer 3 #tadeo jones meta #tadeo jones analysis #tadeo jones theory #si tu me llamas #tad stones #sara lavroff #mummy (tadeo jones) #ramona (tadeo jones) #Ra-Amon-Ah #tadeo jones belzoni #tadeo jones jeff #beljeff #jeffzoni #tad 3 countdown

[daja-the-hypnokitten]

Jukebox reviews part 32! For context, see my post “A Project”     under this same tag. If you want to see a full list of his EMCSA   stories, they can be found here, sorted alphabetically.And if you want to see some of his drabbles, check out his blog at @jukeboxemcsa

Voyeur (Jukebox)

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

10/1/2016                                     mc mf ff fd

Oh, this is sweet! Not my speed, exactly - voyeurism always makes me feel a little squicky, so when it's an essential element of things it's a bit of a turn-off - but much of the story is lovely and the sense of control is amazing. Seeing her frozen, unable to move, and then the way the end adds a new layer to everything? It's well worth a read. 8/10 spirals 

 Eyes Wide Open

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

10/8/2016                                     mc ff

Well, that sure is one way to keep people from being suspicious, and to tempt others into trying your challenge! But also oh, this is just WELL DONE, hypnotically! There are techniques I could steal quite easily here, and I just might! I really enjoy the way Darcy approaches this, and Lia seems to be enjoying the result herself! 9/10 spirals. 

 Necrophobic

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

10/15/2016                                   mc ff

Ooooh, I like Vampires! I like ALL the vampires. (ok, quite literally not all of them, but still.) I REALLY like Isabella's everything here, and the "look into my eyes" is ... *swoooooon* Yes good I love it. And everything that follows after... oh, I *love* it. Especially this line:  "She leaned down, her stare irresistibly beckoning Lori with waves of drowsiness until Lori’s eyes slipped helplessly shut" Oh, I can *feel* that and it makes me want to get lost in one of my partners' hypnotically blue eyes... *happy sigh* 10/10 spirals. 

 Pressure

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

10/22/2016                                   mc mf md

This is a better fantasy story than erotica; what erotica there is in it is only at the tail end, but I'm ok with that! It's an interesting magical system, an interesting setup, and I have to wonder about the world that Jukebox has created here - and if the order in question truly did expect Acacia to fail. It's a lovely story, but it's too magic heavy to hit my preferences. 6/10 spirals. 

 I’m a Slave 4 U

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

10/29/2016                                   mc ff

Oh, that's a heck of a lot of programming to make all of this work. And probably extremely unrealistic for actual what can be done with hypnosis, but we do learn there's other brainwashing equipment we don't see, so sure, why not. I'm impressed by just how well-thought-through the brainwashers have everything we see in this situation, and I do wonder if we're going to see more from 4U and Haley. The depth of control here, the level of depersonalization shown, while still maintaining an awareness of the underlying human and her reality is *fascinating,* and I love it. And the way 4U slides into her role is so satisfying. I just wish we could have seen her brainwashing and conditioning. 9/10 spirals 

 Already There

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

11/12/2016                                   mc mf fd

I disagree with Ramona on the delightfulness of resistance - I like the playfulness, and seeing someone *trying* to resist but being controlled by your power anyway... oh, that is a *rush* (and, imo, just as fun from the other side). That all said, the rest of this is SO good. That being so excited that you basically trance yourself out? Oh, that can be delightful, and it feels so very real. 9/10 spirals 

 The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

11/12/2016                                   mc mf md

This is a good sequel to "The End is the Begininng is the End", if I make the same assumption about it all being consensual "behind the scenes." The suggestions in play, the way it all works together ... mm, it's delightful. And the language the hypnotist uses is *really good* - even if a few of them are phrases we've seen over and over in Jukebox's stories, the "thoughts sleeping in my will" is both a very distinct line and a wonderful one. And I might have to steal the "trying to wake up just hypnotises you more deeply" at some point for a partner who just adores auto-fractionation. Thanks, JB ;) 9/10 spirals 

 Quiet Time (Jukebox)

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

11/19/2016                                   mc mf md

Y'know, Thomas, you *could* try just NEGOTIATING for what you want, rather than adding implicit conditions every time. You might be surprised just how much she'll agree with because it's worth it to her >.> This is *relateable* on so many levels - the busy brain, wanting things to just *stop* being stressful, etc - that I find myself understanding Kirsten entirely too well. I'm glad she has the chance to give herself a break, and that she's *aware* of what Thomas is doing and is willing to take the tradeoff. And seeing her responses, seeing in her head as it all just *stops* is lovely 8/10 spirals. 

 Lips of an Angel

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

11/26/2016                                   mc ff cb

I adore Wild Rose and Sharpe. So very much. They're a lovely pair, and the chemistry between them, and the *understanding* Sharpe has for the potential hazards of hero work, and finding ways to help, to work with Rose, and so on. I just love their dynamic. And Angel is an interesting villain here, and I love all the effects. 10/10 spirals. 

 The Kind of Girl I Could Love

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

12/3/2016                                     mc ff rb

*oh, Melinda,* sweetheart, you poor girl. (I say, having been a few years younger than she was when I first stumbled across the word asexual and had things click, and being grey-ace myself so it's a bit more complicated, but like. I *get* her. SO MUCH.)  I'm glad she found a way to find someone who can give her what she wants, without making her accept something she *doesn't* want. There's a lot lovely about this, even though I'd hardly call it erotica. After all, she specifically doesn't want sex, and so sex doesn't show up here. And I appreciate that, the understanding of someone wanting *kink,* of wanting *submission,* without necessarily wanting sex. There are so many ace kinksters, and it's nice seeing that representation. I do have to wonder if there's a way to have her new Girl(tm) not have the strawberry scent, somehow, since it gave her that reminder of not being listened to. And I think it's poor programming on the part of the Girls(tm) to not have been prepared for ace folk in general, given their mission and all. But this Girl(tm) figures it out and is validating, and just... yes. Thank you, Jukebox, even a bit over 6 years later this still holds up as good kinky ace representation, and I appreciate you *getting* it so clearly. 10/10 spirals. 

#Jukebox Reviews

[perel]

i reviews a netflix movie that is very bad called oh ramona - TRIGGER WARNING ITS SEXUAL!!!

#review #netflix #movie #oh #ramona #ohramona

[popculturebuffet]

Scottrospective Part 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour!

Hello all you happy scottaholics! And welcome back to Scottrospective and we’ve reached the finale.. of the comics. Yeah for those of you who’ve been following this and thought this was just covering the comics, nope! I’m also covering the movie and video game for their anniversaries, with the movie serving as a natural finale. The reason for saving both for last is simple: both pull from all 6 books (though realistically the movie pulls more from books 1-3, a bit of four and the OUTLINES for 5 and 6 that ended up radically changed but hey, semantics). 

Point is it just didn’t feel like a complete look at Scott Pilgrim without them and the movie’s anniversary is in part why I dove back into the series leading to this retrospective in the first place, so it’d feel weird not to FINALLY revisit it after a decade you know? If your just joining me and would like to check out the other 5 parts of this retrospective so far here they are:  Precious Little Life, Vs The World (Comic), Infinite Sadness, Gets It Together, and Vs The Universe. And if that’s not enough pilgrim for you I have reviews of the bonus comics (Free Scott Pilgrim, Wonderful World Of Kim Pine, Style, the comic strips and Natalie Beetle) all up on my Patreon which you can find RIGHT HERE. For only two bucks a month you get access to all those reviews and more. 

So yeah we’re at the finale and for one last time we look at my experince waiting for this book. As you can imagine with how devistating the last book was I was hotly antipcaiting this one. So I fondly and throughly, the last part a rarity for me, remember getting the book from amazon, opening it up, marveling and the cool cover, easily the best of the original run...

And then reading the whole thing, cover to cover. I’d waited a year to find out what happened to my beloved gang, I wasn’t going to wait any longer. 

You however will have to wait a second. As a refresher for those who didn’t need to binge the last 5 parts of this, and no shame if you did, as i’ve discovered via youtube it’s sometimes really fucking fun to find an entire series on something you never knew exsited and cram your face with it. Anyways Scott was at his lowest point: his girlfriend left him, his cat left him, Kim left him, Stephen was a dick, and oh yeah Gideon finally made his move now Scott had defeated the other exes, calling Scott to politely schedule a time to die. 

Just kidding.. Scott dosen’t have a therapist otherwise this series probably woudln’t exist. So yeah Scott’s in a deep hole. Will he dig himself out or keep digging himself so deep he hits the core of the earth?

You probably expected that so join me under the cut and see for yourself as Scott somehow goes lower only to rise to his highest peak, this is  Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour!

Things Stop Happening: So we open with Scott having a nightmare, desperatley trying to go after Ramona and Gideon (The Cat), only to find....

So with that Scott wakes up or something and we fade to him on his couch which he clearly has not left often in months playing his handheld. I’d make a joke at his expense but a good chunk of my time is spent on my bed playing my Switch so stones, glass houses, you get it. Wallace wants Scott to get out of his Ramona induced depression.. and more importantly get laid so he’s less boring to talk to because Wallace while a caring concerned friend who clearly wants Scott to move on, especially since he likely already went through this with Envy. Seeing Scott post breakup also shows a clear vision of what he was probably like back then. 

Wallace also wants to take him to Hooters which is apparently his favorite restraint despite being gay. But given his best friend is Scott watching Horny Straight men be really fucking stupid on a regular basis is clearly something he gets off on, so fair enough. Wallace also points out he can’t just.. dodge Gideon forever. With Ramona or not he’s clearly coming for Scott and can’t keep putting this off , forgetting putting uncomfortable things off until they blow up in his face is one of Scott’s pasttimes. Before we move on the conversation has a weird bit of Wallace saying “You still like girls don’t you?” and just feels a bit off with Wallace wanting Scott to randomly bang people to feel bettter forgetting that Scott sucks at telling people things and is already bad at not hurting people. it works for Wallace because he’s good at telling people things are casual and also has game and feels off for Wallace to give such terrible advice.. if somehow still in character because it works for Wallace after all. 

So we have  an interlude from Stephen inviting Scott to watch his new band, and Scott bringing up the name Shatterband whic his a damn good band name.. also a clear sign Scott likes Shatterstar which means he has good taste. I want to rag on the guy more.. but this time Scott really is the asshole being so out of it he forgets he broke his bass months ago and isn’t aware he isn’t even in this band or Sex Bomb Omb is gone. Or is in denial. Stephen is genuinely being a good friend going to Scott.. even if inviting him to his new band after he broke up the old one is kind of a facepunchingly dickish move. Oh look I was able to rag on him after all. Wishes do come true. 

So Scott has another nightmare, this time Ramona stabbing him with the power of love and then Scott being surruonded by horrible creatures.. which come into focus right before he wakes up

Yeah obviously this is Scott’s repressed guilt over his past relationships mixing with his last one having just emploded.. as well as clever setup for the fact all three relationships are about to collide back into his life. 

So Scott decides “damn I gotta get out of here if my dreams are getting this horrifying and decides to go tot he show where we meet his band which consists of Joseph and cole, who we’ve never met before but Scott apparently stabbed with a fork thinking he was Gideon...

 Coincidentally the real Gideon is opening up a club soon. Also concdentally, for once she’s really not stalking him anymore, we run into Knives, now 18 years old, with Scott wondering if that meant she was 16 when they met. Turns out no she was 17 meaning this story, at least in flashback, all started one year ago, it having been a few months since Ramona left. We then get one of the series most iconic moments

So we find out that Knives will be moving away to UCB soon, with Scott barely comprehending anything as she goes over the fact she will be far away from all her friends.. but she needs a change. Scott.. uhhhhhhhh

Which leaves both just sitting there not sure what to say because .. what the fuck else would this do. I”m not even sure how to grapple with this and I knew this moment was coming. 

So we cut to later where Knives .. rejects him. 

I really hadn’t noticed how great and impactful this scene was before now. After a year of obessing over scott, not getting the breakup wasn’t her fault or ramona’s fault or anyone but Scott’s, or that Scott in general was kinda a shitty person... Knives has finally grown up. Realizing Scott is not some perfect guy but just a shitty, normal guy finally woke her up to reality and she’s no longer the same wide eyed naive homicidal kid we met at the start of this. It’s really striking just how much she’s like the rest of the cast: a bit cyncial, a bit broken.. but wiser for it. Hell she’s honestly more mature than most of the cast was at the start, hinting she might have a better go of it than they did. Her experiences sucked but she ultimately came out of them for the better. Granted I don’t think Scott should of done anything he did to her in the first place, but I do think Knives strong character arc is precisily why she works in this story: sure Scott dating a 17 year old and tossing her aside is fucked up.. but the narrative never stops showing the damage he did to her and once she’s finally healed, Knives herself even lays  into him how bad it is. Though she does offer to make out with him.. but it’s shown as a terrible idea for all parties involved in the most amazing way:

Scott At The Party:

So that scene just ends and next we see Scott he’s at a party for someone he dosen’t know and assumed was Julie who moved to Montreal that Young Neil clearly invited him to tag along with at. What I love is you feel just as disorinted as Scott does: your just dropped into this random party resembling the one from Volume 1 with no real context or reason and help helps really sell just how lost Scott is.. how the last encounter and just how SKEEZY he was, leaning on an ex he’d already horribly mistreated for some support, left him FURTHER lost and further down the hole. This part was hard to read at the time since you know, Scott was already in a hole why push him further but now I see it as Scott NEEDING to sink lower narratively. He needs to hit his weakest point, have lost everything nad be truly lost and alone as a person, with his friends on their last leg with him for what happens next to work. 

So Scott finds out Envy’s there and we get.. this

God I feel like i’m back at the start of volume 1. For the record for any impressionable readers who may not get this is bad, it is. it’s called negging and it was primarily touted by Mr. E a pickup artist and giant pile of feces masquerading as a human man who looked like this. 

He looks like the kingdom hearts character you wish would stop banging your sister. 

So yeah Envy’s back for the finale, and well. look at her introduction..

Eh I duno I think this series already gave us the perfect woman. 

Scott tries negging her and it goes as expected: She glares, he fumbles and thankfully the comic itself cuts out before we see more.. 

So the next day Envy let’s Scott buy her a coffee and they catch up.. or rather she asks questions, he’s evasive and has an actually withering response when she calls him on it. 

Okay so while I DO think Envy cares... I don’t blame Scott for not thinking she would as last time she asked him questions about his life she was doing so just to torture him. Why would he assume different? And while as this volume reveals he wasn’t blameless in the breakup.. it was still mostly on her as she slowly pushed him away and dumped her. Also bitch you are some kind of vilianess, you tried to hammer his girlfriend to death a few months and three volumes ago and came back just to toruture him, as well as reveled in your current boyfriend beating his face in. You may have some legitimate beef with him Envy but he has an entire COW with you. 

The next day after calling her the devil, as you’d expect, Wallace points out Envy turned 25, then talks about her possibly being with gideon and ramona possibly having a threesome with her and gideon. Yeah while this book is mostly gravy Wallace IS a tad more dickish. Though he did buy Scott sushi. That was nice. 

We then get some GOOD news for Scott for once: after getting a call from kim that telegraphs she misses him and sets up for a little bit later in the plot, handling scott with all the grace and subtley you’d expect...

As you can tell Cat Gideon has returned. Scott FINALLY gets a win. Huzzah! He’s still a douchebag but you know HUZZAH!.. .which really sums up the series to this point don’t it?

So Scott talks to Envy, congradulates her and she points out Gideon threw her the party. Scott ignores the obvious red flag and asks if she wants to get back together or have casual sex, with envy rebuffs, asking if he even remmebers the party, and while he counters she broke his heart, she counters with the same. It’s clear though she still CARES about him as he’s one of the only people who knew her before and “he’s only known me as I am now”. Yeahhh as you could probably guess she’s with Gideon.. who after 5 books of ominous build up..  has finally arrived. 

After a few more panels of build up Scott prepares to hit him the same way he hit his own brother thinking he was gideon and...

Yeah I can’t exactly blame him. Scott’s in no mental shape to fight. Phsyically he shoudln’t but this is a comic so he’ll be perfectly fine to fight later despite months of atrophy. Look unless said otherwise comic book heroes genuinely don’t have to stay in shape to kick your ass. It’s merley implied but it’s not a hard rule. 

 Naturally he ran to Wallace, off panel, as the next time we see him Wallace is putting him on a bus to Kim to take a wilderness sabatical: get his head on straight and get ready to fight. Scott does have a point that what if he dosen’t want to fight him and that he has no reason to.. but that point is moot. It’s very clear Gideon wants to kick his ass wether Ramona’s in the picture or not and Wallace knows it. This fight may not have it’s ORIGINAL point but Scott can’t keep running: Gideon is rich, connected and can keep following him and likely only allows said sabatical because he’s both baffled Scott ran.. and because he still has his fallback of his incredibly cool club opening where he can dramatically stab him in front of an audience. This was likely simply Gideon setting up Scott to come to said club opening, so Scott running really dosen’t delay anything in the long run. 

A Link To the Past:

So it’s off to the great white north for some beer, back bacon and meeting Kim’s parents:

Yeah that explains why she’s so awesome. Also as it turns out Kim has not gone back to school.. or done much of anything, having kinda lost her way since then. But not so much she still can’t bust Scott’s balls:

Or help perk him up when he truly needs it:

Kim admits she has no idea WHY she’s out here or what she’s searching for. Presumibly she came back with grand plans of restarting school then backtracked unsure of who she is anymore after all the crap she went through last volume and how lost she’s probably felt for a long time. She and Scott sit in a tree and soon K-I-S-S-I-N-G insues. 

Like the Knives thing I read through this so quickly the first two times, I didn’t notice just how FANTASTIC this scene is: Scott suprises her, Kim naturally gives in having wanted this for all 6 books and finally having it.. only to reject it. It’s just not right. She realizes their both just trying to fill a void in their lives and this can’t end well on any level. She does LOVE him, but she can’t be with him, not now and not like this. Not while he’s still messed up and she’s still lost. Maybe later once Ramona gets back. All three of them. Now that’d work.

But for the present when Scott tries to say it was always easier with her.. she points out he’s forgetting a few things.. and we soon find out why that flashback was so crucial: Scott edited it. His telling Kim he was leaving for Toronto?  Never happened, he told Hollie and she told Kim for him. His epic fight to rescue her from her ex simon? Yeah... about that...

Yeah this is the reveal i’ve been mostly tiptoeing around: Scott has been conciously repressing his shitty behavior. The reason he seems so cavalier about things, was so shitty to kim, to knives to everyone... is that he just tries to forget when he does something bad and act like it never happen, re-write his own history to make him look like an undisputed hero. 

Scott tries to avoid things and glows.. which could be taken as this being Gideon’s doing but given Scott’s response to Negascott showing up soon after...

Scott’s likely been fighting Nega Scott his whole life. Nega Scott like the movie isn’t evil. He tries fighting Scott here sure and looks evil.. but he’s really just everything Scott hates about himself. Everything he regrets, every bad and selfish act locked away so he can see himself as a good person. Negascott isn’t trying to beat up Scott for fun.. he just wants Scott to finally FACE HIM, to notice him and own up to his actions instead of running away constantly. As I said in the volume 5 review, Scott and Ramona’s issue.. is that they run. From consequences, from problems, from physical locatoins, and most importantly from how shitty a person they’ve been. Ramona tries to ignore it, Scott avitvely denies it and thus both are in an awful place. But Kim refuses to let Scott dig himself deeper yelling at him ...

Among other things, this is a long scene and I can’t in good concinse just put the entire thing up there. That’s against fair use. He can’t keep running, neither can Ramona. It just keeps piling up and coming back on them. It’s a truth I learned too.. you can’t keep RUNNING from crappy things you did. I’ve come on way too strong with women, assumed frinedshpis were more, had tantrums in chats. I’ve fucked up too... and it was only by stopping and finally letting myself feel that and realize it was my fault did I grow as a person.. and it’s only by stopping, by remembering ramona and remmebering how she made him feel, how she made him WANT to get better and want to be a less shitty person.. that Scott finally accepts this. Then this happens

So with that Kim puts Scott on the bus. Scott feels he’s not worthy of Ramona, even though simply by admitting that and welcoming his full memories back he already is, Kim simply tells him to fight for it, gives him a kiss for Good luck and sends him on his way

Love Hurts:

So we cut away from Scott breifly to Gideon, who finally gets a proper Scott Pilgrim intro. 

He does his job well: he dismisses Envy’s concerns of working herself to the bone for him, literally chains people to sewing machines to produce her costumes and outright says he gets off on dressing her lik ea doll, then has the fucking nerve to get angry when she quitely quips back and retracts it, implying he PHYSICALLY abuses her too. 

Yeahh. So back to Scott who enters the Chaos Theater looking for Ramona, instead finding Wallace, who gladly greets his buddy and admits he dosen’t know where Gideon or Ramona are but figures this theater has gideon written all over it what with it’s cage dancers, arcade machines clearly meant for Scott and trendy for the 2010′s lightiing. 

He next tries his sister whose oddly douchey in this volume, being constantly hostile with Scott for no reason, or some reason here given Wallce told Stacey his threesome theory. Mine’s better. Point is he also introduces Stacey to a friend she’s somehow never met.... a friend who despite being a right dick lately at long last gets his hearts desire:

Look neil has been a right dick for the past three volumes, and at times the entire series. But Look at that face. Your heart cannot withstand that face. He’s just so freaking happy. I’m so happy for him. It also shows him going from one of Scott’s friends because, to a true friend. They’ve clearly been hanging out more, Scott buying his handheld off the guy, and Neil inviting him to a party but this clinches him as a real friend. And really while some of that dickishness was uncessary , aka calling stephen “Captain Homo”, mostly just that, the rest was all brought about by Stephen blatantly abandoning him and the rest of the gorup just kinda doing it because it was easy instead of working to keep him as a friend. So this gesture isn’t just Scott being nice.. it’s Scott honestly putting in the work he hadn’t before and his friends never really did and acknolwdging that Neil isn’t just some kid who hangs around but his friend. That’s true friendship.

He also runs into Julie... because my life isn’t painful enough but thankfully outside of one cameo later this is her last apperance so despite summoning her like Beetlejuice, i’m free FINALLY FREEEEEEE. So yeah not dwelling on that scene. 

So after that touching moment Scott talks to Knives and Tamara whose now all in on Envy, and while Knives has neither person she’s look for the show begins soon after, and Gideon naturally reveals himself.. and naturally tried to Sucker Punch Scott from behind, but thankfully Envy warned him in song. And why yes she apparently wrote a song entirely just to warn Scott because she knew Gideon well enough to know his opening move would be trying a sucker punch. Wallace.. is as helpful as ever. 

Or rather as helpful as he is in an actual fight. Still love ya bud but for fuck’s sake. Anyways Scott and Gideon spar a bit, with Gideon giving out one of my faviorite lines in the series and one that’s stuck with me in the 10 years since this came out (This came out the same year as the movie and game). It’s anniversary is next month but given how packed that already is and how this was intended for last month but got pushed back I decided screw it. Anyway about that line:

The two fight but eventually both find out something crucial: Ramona isn’t with EITHER of them, and Gideon is livid for a second and takes his rage out by stealing the power of love from Scott. 

But he’s not going to gut scott right away.. he has a very Darth Vadery offer for him first

Gideon takes it well...

Yup... Scott’s DEAD. I also love how everyone has a unique reaction with those closest to him, knives, kim, wallace, stacey and yes.. even douchebag, having a shocked reaction. Other little things to note, Joseph has no reactoin yet Julie does meaning Julie somehow has a heart despite all evidence ot the contrary and Stephen SOMEHOW found someone worse than her. The other thing is that Kim, despite clearly still back up north, can sense Scott died because she’s apparently a jedi. Such an amazing woman. 

So I guess this ends the review, if you liked this review please consider.. oh right.. there’s like a hundred pages left give or take. So yeah Scott’s not dead but is groaning about about it.. when a certain somebody finally makes her entrance.

Don’t Let it Get You Down: 

Also nice work on the call back. So Ramona is indeed back. As for where the hell she’s been, she’s been milling around trying to find herself , leaving becxause she was afraid she’d hurt Scott if she stayed.. and still hurt him by leaving. She came back.. for herself. Scott is naturally a bit upset at that but Ramona’s response is perfect. 

As it turns out though her motives weren’t entirely selfish: She came back because he deserved an apology and closure and she was tired of always running. Like Scott she had an emphipany and wants to be better and this was step 1. Step 2 is scott ramming his tounge down her throat because he thinks this is a dream. But nope he really is dead.... until a chekovs gun finally fires. 

Yup. All the way back form volume three to save the day. it even took on his new hair’s apperance. Spiffy. So he takes it and comes back.. and Ramona comes through his chest, proving to him that wasn’t a dream. Wallace reacts how you’d expect. 

Gideon, who likely expected he’d have to double murder scott anyway given he was there for Volume 3 is glad she’s back.. as he can inact plan a... which he lowers from the celing. And if you already thought he was an asshat.. good.. but you might not of realized HOW much of an asshat. 

Yeah Gideon’s been freezing his exes as part of a sick collectoin.. and Ramona’s next. Gideon then Hadouken’s the glow at everyone as it turns out he invented it.. somehow. 

Point is it makes Scott and Ramona fight, and Gideon reveals how he founded the League. 

Yes really... this may be one of the funniest things in the entire series. This entire series exists.. because some douchebag posted a drunken rant on Craig’s list and happened to find out his ex who he pushed away anyway, had 6 other exes who were like sure why not.. or he bribed or glowed them into it. The specifics aren’t clear. He also argues Ramona must be the common denimotor with her saying they could’ve just turned shitty later. Which really while she did screw over most of them that’s only true for the twins. The twins are GENUINELY the only ones where she’s their super villian origin story. Otherwise Matt clearly just kept on being a douche or became one or is mad over a relationshpi from middle school which makes him a douche by default, Lucas made peace with it, Todd was always an ass and Roxy was killing less because she was evil and more because she was jealous. Sometimes someone just attracts douchebags. We also get a curious look into Gideon’s head. 

Yeah as you’ve probably figured out... Gideon is an evil version of Scott. 

But unlike Todd he’s a more complex dark mirror of our hero. And as someone who loves evil oppositeis, one of the best i’ve seen. Gideon has Scott’s charm, looks, selfishness, tendency to rewrtie his past, anger, love of music and trouble letting go. But it’s all twisted up into some noxious pretzel: He’s charming but only on the surface and in a way that wears off fast where as Scott is genuinely well meaning and likeable despite his doucheness. He’s handsome and knows it while Scott really dosen’t realize it. He’s selfish.. but while Scott is untetionally greedy and is trying to correct that, Gideon dosen’t care and literally gets off on being controlling. Both rewrite the past.. but Scott stopped doing it to be better while Gideon’s response to it is to call his ex a whore and slice her current-ish boyfriend on chest. Scott’s anger is either impotent or righteous while Gideon kills . Both love music but Gideon is the corrupt industry incarnate while Scott is just happy dinkin around. And finally Scott learned to let go.. and Gideon wants to stuff his exes in cryo because it makes his dick hard> There’s obviously more bu tGideon is just a compellingly vile counter and easily the best of the exes, being the most complex, vile and compitent while his parallels to our hero show just HOW FAR Scott has come. He might’ve been a low rent version of Gideon some day.. but he faced himself in the miror and came out better. 

Ramona tries to just bounce to fix things but gideon stabs her to stop it. He also reveals Ramona’s been using it to ride into subspace... and what it is exactly.

He can be two things Scott. He can be a dickish sociopath who seals people in their heads and a music producer. Both jobs don’t require a soul. 

We also get a quick flashback of how Gideon and Ramona met and how she left, planning on leaving the letter before accidently porting out with it. 

Ramona is weak from you know the stabbening, and tells Scott she’s sorry and he just has a way of getting insider her head... literally. he’s inside her. 

So Scott realzes what she’s getting at and uses her magical murder bag to travel inside Ramona’s head to get Gideon out. 

Gideon boasts he’s all powerful om jere.. but Scott defies it, not only telling him to look at himself.. but then headbutts him down from his super spooky god mode back to normal. And then gets bisected because the glow does nothing to him.

Things look bleak.. but Scott’s noble save of Ramona has woke her up... and she takes on her real world form and well...

“You know your right part of me does belong to you.. but the other parts of me are finished with you!” 

Bad.. ass. Gideon naturally tries to kill Scott on his way out but Ramona blocks with the bag.. somehow and it causes it to rip in the real world spilling all three out.. and Ramona realizing how much she cares for Scott.. gives her a little something. 

And as Gideon is a dick to Envy trying to help him he flashes back to all his breakups... and seeing all his friends combined with that gets him somewhere profound. He understands Gideon because he could’ve been him.. and now he has to kill him because he’s not. Because he’s Scott without any of the good, just a douchebag, just who he could’ve been.. and in realizing that and coming further.. Scott gets a new power up:

So you’d think this would be the end.. but Gideon hid a sword in envy’s dress because “that’s just the kind of guy I am!” so we get one final swordfight, with Gideon doing his best villian gloating saying Scott and Ramona will never work and that he watched them.. not as the cat though.. which he didn’t even know existed. He has a parting shot that dosen’t quite go as planned. 

Yes they WERE.. but their trying to fix themselves where as Gideon is just a dick and always will be and thankfully gets killed in the coolest way possible. ‘

So with that Envy hugs Scott, he gets closure, and she reveals Gideon never really wanted a relationship and ps get off her stage, having clearly become a better person herself.. and showing it off by singing as she lets Gideon’s captured exes free. 

So with that Scott and Ramona sit down with his friend group and Ramona reveals where she’s been.. dicking around, playing games and watching x files at her dad’s place and she tried calling but couldn’t. Or as Wallace puts it...

So with that Scott and Ramona talk things out and she admits she cahnged constantly as part of her whole running thing afraid of getting stuck. Scott tells her they can be stuck together and to not worry if she has trouble with that.. it just takes practice. With that their back together

So Anyway: Time for the epilogue. We start with Scott and Steven at work with Scott having not only got his job back but upgraded to prep cook. And after closing via a casual kiss, Scott finds out Stephen is gay, something I didn’t bother hiding as it’d get in the way of my anaylisis. But yeah Scott knows now, Joseph is a dick about it, and Stephen admits he came out fully in volume 5 but didn’t mention it to Scott because he was going through some shit. Scott’s reactoin is the exact one your expecting. 

I’d say that was offensive.. but this is Julie we’re talking about. But no wether he’s covering up his sexuality or not Stephen Stills just has shitty taste in partners. 

Next up, ding is Kim and Scott who have formed a new band, Shatterband, because Scott again has good taste in mutants, and perform what turns out to be a shitty cover of i’m a belivier. Knives and Neil aren’t impressed but their happy anyway. 

Next is Knives leaving for college with a tearful goodbye. 

Finally we end our story as Scott and Ramona jump into a door into subpsace.. and into their future together

THE END Final Thoughts:

This volume is perfect. Even it’s one or two tiny flaws don’t detract from the fact this is a damn fine ending and the golden standard by which I hold all comic book series and series endings in general. It ties up all the loose ends, has a dramatic satsifying payoff that was built up the wole way, and in general is just great. The art hit’s it’s true peak, the color does too for the reprints, and the characters are all paid off in great way. It’s just a wonderful, truly spectacuclar end to a truly spectacular series. Speaking of which

Final Thoughts on Scott Pilgrim Comics and Volume Rankings:

While i’ll again return to the series in july with this the comics are at an end. I’m truly glad I did this, doing a deeep dive into a series I loved but was disconnected from for so long and it only made me love it more. The series has some issues, mostly of the time such as gender politics, not getting bi or pan people exist, the use of the r word, portaying living at home as a loser move when it’s pretty normal now that sort thing. 

But outside of that, and Julie as she served no purpose and just grated on me every second and i’m glad to be free of her.. and yes i’m aware she’s in the game and movie but she’s not an ungodly blight on humanity in both versions so I stand by what I said. But yeah outside of that.. this series great. It’s well drawn, has amazing memorable characters, a releatable story, awesome fights, and with the color aditions truly eye popping colors that show just why we need colorists. It’s a truly remarkable work and if you haven’t read it, PLEASE DO. 

So like I said, i’ll be back in August for the anniversaries, and until then like I said MY PATREON has some bonus reviews to keep you occupied and any money is appricated. So until then my Scottaholics.. thank you.. thank you for reading all these, thank you for making this one of my most popular series, thank you for your feedback and just.. thank you. I love you all, goodnight and good luck. 

#scott pilgrim #ramona flowers #kim pine #envy adams #knives chau #stephen stills #julie powers #tamara chang #gideon gordon graves #joseph #stacey pilgrim #neil nordgraf #other scott #negascott #wallace wells #lbgtq+ #pride month

[panur]

hi sorry I don’t have an ao3 account so I can’t comment there BUT im so obsessed w the scollace fic you’ve been posting and I initially didn’t really think much of the ship but the concept was intriguing enough (found the fic thru tags) and now im HOOKED. Like genuinely excited for the next chapter. just… the drama, the reveal, Matthew (literally giggled out loud at some of these moments lol), Ramona, Stacey, EVERYTHING… the way you write is so entertaining and creative, it’s literally like reading a comic book in book book form holy crap… it’s like, inspiring me. Now I wanna write cool fanfiction. looking forward to the next few chapters, keep it up, tysm

oh goodness, thank you so much for taking the time to comment ;A;, I'm hella flattered! and you should absolutely go for it and write your thing!

I've been working so long on this fic so seeing people's reactions to it has been incredibly heartwarming, especially in this hell month where work is doing it's level best to have me killed TvT

I dearly hope no one will find the next chapters/volumes too jarring, because it's about to be a conga line of Scott introspection and there's some more serious stuff to go through, so I'm really hoping it's not gonna kill the fun mood!

but on that topic remember you can still comment in the fic itself, you don't need an account, that i know of? it should be set up so non members can leave reviews anyway

#answers for me! #my art #scott pilgram vs the world #scollace

[soc-characters-as-songs]

oc characters as romantic comedies?

ivy: return to me ("heartbroken and struggling emotionally after his wife's death in a car accident, bob rueland (david duchovny) agrees to go on a blind date set up by his friend Charlie (david alan grier). though the date fizzles, sparks fly between bob and the waitress, grace (minnie driver), a recovered heart transplant patient with intimacy problems of her own. when bob discovers grace's heart came from his own organ donor wife, an unusual romance blossoms between the two.")

meredith: sabrina ("sabrina fairchild (julia ormond) is a chauffeur's daughter who grew up with the wealthy larrabee family. she always had unreciprocated feelings for david (greg kinnear), the family's younger son and playboy. but after returning from paris, sabrina has become a glamorous woman who gets david's attention. his older, work-minded brother linus (harrison ford) thinks their courtship is bad for the family business and tries to break them up -- but then he starts to fall for her too.")

diana: life partners ("a 29-year-old lawyer (gillian jacobs) and her lesbian best friend (leighton meester) experience a dramatic shift in their longtime bond after one enters a serious relationship.")

alassie: the wedding singer ("set in 1985, adam sandler plays a nice guy with a broken heart who's stuck in one of the most romantic jobs in the world, a wedding singer. he loses all hope when he is abandoned at the altar by his fiancé. he meets a young woman named julia (drew barrymore), who enlists his help to plan her wedding. he falls in love with her and must win her over before she gets married.")

ramona: under the tuscan sun ("when frances mayes (diane lane) learns her husband is cheating on her from a writer whom she gave a bad review, her life is turned upside down. in an attempt to bring her out of a deep depression, her best friend, patti (sandra oh), encourages frances to take a tour of italy. during the trip, the new divorcée impulsively decides to purchase a rural tuscan villa and struggles to start her life anew amid colorful local characters, including the handsome marcello (raoul bova).")

rhea: music and lyrics ("former music superstar alex fletcher (hugh grant) used to pack them in back in the 1980s, but now he is reduced to playing nostalgia tours and county fairs. he scores a chance at a major comeback when reigning pop diva cora corman (haley bennett) asks him to write a song for her, but he hasn't written anything in years and cannot compose lyrics anyway. noticing that sophie (drew barrymore), the plant lady, has a way with words, alex proposes that he and sophie make beautiful music together.")

cornelia: man up ("when a man (simon pegg) mistakes her for his blind date, a woman (lake bell) decides to play along to see what happens.")

kaden: my big fat greek wedding ("everyone in the portokalos family worries about toula (nia vardalos). still unmarried at 30 years old, she works at dancing zorba's, the greek restaurant owned by her parents, gus (michael constantine) and maria (lainie kazan). after taking a job at her aunt's travel agency, she falls in love with ian miller (john corbett), a teacher who is tall, handsome and definitely not greek. toula isn't sure which will be more upsetting to her father, that ian is a foreigner or that he's a vegetarian.")

andreia: wimbledon ("frustrated at his own failures and disillusioned with professional sports, tennis player peter colt (paul bettany) resolves to retire from competition and become an instructor at an exclusive private club. but when colt receives a surprise wild-card berth in wimbledon, he can't help but enter the tournament. soon, colt meets lizzie bradbury (kirsten dunst), a beautiful american tennis player with an upcoming match of her own, and finds the inspiration he hopes will turn his luck around.")

suzy: you've got mail ("struggling boutique bookseller kathleen kelly (meg ryan) hates joe fox (tom hanks), the owner of a corporate foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the street. when they meet online, however, they begin an intense and anonymous Internet romance, oblivious of each other's true identity. eventually joe learns that the enchanting woman he's involved with is actually his business rival. he must now struggle to reconcile his real-life dislike for her with the cyber love he's come to feel.")

samuel: 10 things I hate about you ("kat stratford (julia stiles) is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn't attract many boys. unfortunately for her younger sister, bianca (larisa oleynik), house rules say that she can't date until kat has a boyfriend, so strings are pulled to set the dour damsel up for a romance. soon kat crosses paths with handsome new arrival patrick verona (heath ledger). will kat let her guard down enough to fall for the effortlessly charming Patrick?")

bianca: 13 going on 30 ("a girl who's sick of the social strictures of junior high is transformed into a grownup overnight. In this feel-good fairy tale, teenager jenna (christa b. allen) wants a boyfriend, and when she's unable to find one, she fantasizes about being a well-adjusted adult. suddenly, her secret desire becomes a reality, and she is transformed into a 30-year-old (jennifer garner). but adulthood, with its own set of male-female challenges, isn't as easy as it looks.")

archibald: sleeping with other people ("twelve years after a one-night stand, a man (jason sudeikis) and a woman (alison brie) run into each other and try to maintain a platonic relationship despite their mutual attraction.")

raphael: bride and prejudice ("with four beautiful daughters of marrying age, manorama (nadira babbar) and chaman bakshi (anupam kher) frantically seek out the perfect husbands for their children. yet their eldest daughter, lalita (aishwarya rai), is intent upon marrying at her own choosing, for love. lalita endures a number of hopeful suitors, but the american william darcy (martin henderson) seems different -- and not always in a good way. misunderstandings, schemes and lies threaten to keep the two from true love.")

#the selected #not songs #host characters

[weekendwarriorblog]

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Delivers Everything You’d Want from an Edgar Wright Horror Movie, While Also Being So Much More

I wasn’t sure if I was going to write a review for Last Night in Soho, at least not a full one, because I had already assigned the Below the Line review to another writer, the brilliant J. Don Birnam, and I thought JDB would do a good job reviewing it without the expectations or personal bias I might have, having known director Edgar Wright for a very long time.

But it turns out that after I saw Last Night in Soho, I felt that I had too much to say for just a mini review in next week’s column, and I wanted to marvel at the amazing craft but didn’t want to take away from what my pal JDB might write.

What do you know about Last Night in Soho? Maybe you’ve watched the trailers and think you know a lot. Hopefully you didn’t read any reviews that might spoil the many twists, because this is one of those movies where you can get lots of joy from being surprised, and yes, quite shocked.

The Cliff notes plot is that it stars Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) as Eloise “Ellie” Turner, an ambitious young woman enthusiastic about moving from her Gran’s house in the boonies to London to go to school for fashion. Like many young people going to college in a new place, Ellie isn’t particularly confident, and she has difficultly making new friends among a group of catty, partying fashion types, including her awful roommate, Jocasta (a very funny Synnove Karlsen). Not fitting in with these “Mean Girls,” Ellie moves to a bedsit in the house of a rather strict landlady (the late, great Dame Diana Rigg in her final role) which is just fine with Ellie’s lifestyle, though once there, she also starts experiencing odd occurrences. Elllie has this knack for seeing ghosts, but she has begun to a woman from ‘60s Soho named Sandie (Anya Taylor Joy), who is trying to be a club singer -- in fact, Ellie starts watching Sandie’s life as it plays out, once she meets an amorous manager, played by Mat Smith, and Sandie becomes a muse for Ellie’s fashion designs, until things start going bad for Sandie.

First and foremost, Last Night in Soho is a story about ghosts (vs. a ghost story) as well as a murder-mystery. It isn’t necessarily gothic horror or Giallo, as some might be expecting, but those influences are in there, as are others. Unlike his fellow filmmaking pal Tarantino, Wright always seems to be able to integrate and hide his influences by burying them in a story original enough that you don’t immediately go, “Oh, this is him doing this” or “This is him doing that.” Sure, there is something underlying that will make you think of other movies, but unless you’re a human IMDb (which I am most definitely not), you’re gonna have trouble putting your finger on it.

Much of the fun of the film comes from how the story builds to make you wonder what Ellie is seeing and experiencing. Are these dreams? The supernatural? Real events fro the past? It offers enough of a big-time mind-fuck -- something I quite enjoy actually -- that you’re never sure whether what she’s seeing is in her own mind or whether maybe you’re going a little crazy yourself. That feeling only increases as the film goes on.

What truly sets Last Night in Soho apart from Wright’s previous films is that it’s his first movie told completely from a female perspective. Of course, he’s had fabulous and important women characters around his male protagonists in all his previous movies -- Ramona in Scott Pilgrim, Debora in Baby Driver, etc. -- but this one really stands out due to three very important women collaborators, the two main actresses, and also co-writer Kristy Wilson-Cairns, whose previous script was for the Sam Mendes war movie, 1917, a movie with all men, oddly enough.

I can’t stress enough how great Thomasin McKenzie is as Ellie, because after Leave No Trace, it’s probably the young actresses’ most significant role and one that gives her so much to experience and show off what she can do. It’s maybe the first time that I’ve really been pulled into a movie by her character and performance, since Ellie is written so well. Anyone who has seen Anya Taylor-Joy in anything knows how fantastic she is at what she does, but Sandie is another particularly juicy role for her, one that goes through just as much of a transformative character arc as that of Ellie, and similarly, still leaves you guessing what is happening.

All of Wright’s movies have looked great, but another key collaborator here is DoP Chung-hoon Chung, who has done some amazing visual work shooting for Korean filmmaker Park Chanwook, most notably Old Boy and The Handmaiden. He gives Last Night an equally distinctive look to mirror its shifts between ‘60s and present-day London. The VFX used to integrate the two women’s worlds are fantastic, particularly the early Café du Paris scene which switches between Ellie and Sandie so fluidly, it’s hard to keep up. Honestly, the crafts used to make this movie look so stunning makes me glad I’m NOT writing the review for Below the Line or this review would probably be an extra thousand words or two. (I'll let JDB talk about the costumes and makeup and such.)

One of “Wright’s Women” that I haven’t discussed as much above is the fabulous Diana Rigg, whose role in the film can’t be discussed too much, but Wright has given her a final role for the ages. And then there’s Terence Stamp, another fantastic actor from the ‘60s given a great role that shows off his worth, especially when playing a more menacing role. I also should note that Michael Ajao's John is more than a love interest for Ellie. He's a friend, a confidante, and he also brings a lot of humor to the movie, and man, do you feel bad for the wringer he's put through for being such a nice guy. Ajao is quite a discovery, for sure.

I could probably spend a few thousand words talking about the music in Last Night in Soho, and if you don’t believe me, my last interview with Edgar was for Den of Geek, and we ONLY spoke about the music for Baby Driver. This one is a great mix of score by Steven Price and some great tunes and needle drops for which Wright has kinda made a name for himself. Ellie is very much a young woman out of time who has a proclivity for ‘60s music and that spills right into the soundtrack. What I thought was incredibly funny was that many of the songs have more recent covers maybe more known to my generation, such as the Damned’s cover of “Eloise” or The Fall’s “Ghost in My House,” so when the songs come on, you're thrown for a loop when it turns out to be the original versions. That’s just where Wright’s cleverness lies when picking music for his movies, and as a complete and total music addict, it thrills me to no end.

However you slice it, Last Night in Soho is another great example of how Wright takes an idea--and sure, a vision if you like -- and finds just the right people to work with to help realize it to its fullest. This is a great horror film, as well as a great character piece, and while it’s very different from some of Wright’s previous movies, I’m not sure anyone who loves those movies will be too disappointed by this one either.

Rating: 9/10

#Last Night in Soho #Movie #Review #Edgar Wright #Anya Taylor-Joy #Dame Diane Rigg

[dazedandlucid]

pls elaborate more on the manic pixie trope i like hearing u talk

anon i am hijacking your message to answer other anon(s) as well i hope that is okay!

first, we must look at what a manic pixie dream character (yes this doesn’t apply only to girl characters so if it’s a dude, manic pixie dream boy, keep going from there) even is! girl or boy or non-binary, etc, a mpdc was a trope identifier coined in the ancient year of 2005 in a film review of cameron crowe’s ‘elizabethtown’. the criticism was basicaly that this type of character isn’t their own character at all and a very specific one at that. they are whimsical. quirky. they’re not like other girls/boys/nb’s. usually they are childish, bright and optimistic about life. they have cool obscure music taste. sometimes weirdly colored hair. but the biggest tell is that this character has no goals or wants of their own. they don’t want anything independently of the main character. they are there to show the, usually very drab plain boring miserable stuck in a rut protagonist, a new fresh bright way of life. they are there to “save” so to say the main character not through any heroic action but by their mere shiny oh so special ~existence~. it was originally a criticism of the way male writers wrote these, usually, female characters, with zero agency or purpose other than being a receptacle for the male character to project all his boring bullshit onto. this is a valid criticism. characters like kirsten dunst’s in ‘elizabethtown’, natalie portman’s in ‘garden state’, to a debatable extent the movie version of ramona in ‘scott pilgrim’. for male characters there’s the dude in ‘the fault in our stars’, the dude in ‘pitchperfect’. these characters are by and large thinly written vehicles for the plot, for someone else’s growth and not much else. they do not have their own journey of growth as well. but then, as people are known to do, we lost any and all nuance.

basically every sorta alterna-ish female love interest was deemed a mpdg in the mid late 00’s. even ones that either clearly were not (ie clementine in ‘eternal sunshine’) or ones that were meant to serve as a deconstruction of the trope (summer in ‘500 days of summer’) or worse ones that were a critique and deconstruction of the lazy criticism of the trope itself (ruby in ‘ruby sparks’). why are none of these characters mpdg if they surface level fit the bill? because all of these characters have agency. they want things that have nothing to do with their love interest. they actively are in opposition to the idealization of who the male main character wants them to be. (especially in ruby sparks’ case, the main character descends into insanity when the female character from his book comes to life and, try as he might, he cannot control her. she develops her own consciousness/identity completely independent of him. that’s the point.) but what does any of this have to do with rwcbmt, taekook, and who is or isn’t the mpdc? i’ll get to that, but first: we need to talk about penny lane.

i’ve talked about her at (relative) length before, so i’ll get to the point. penny lane is the main female character in cameron crowe’s (yep same cameron, see a pattern?) 2000 film ‘almost famous’. the jist of the film is a coming of age tale set in the 1970’s where the main character at 15 years old gets sent to cover a rising rock band in the last hoorah in rock’n’rolls last golden dying age. he meets penny lane, the leader of a group of “actualized” groupies, self monikered as band-aids, who takes him under her wing and is pretty much his guru in all things rockstar. af came out a good 5-7 years before mpdg internet insanity became a thing TM, and was retroactively shoved under the umbrella term (as was annie hall, katherine hepburn in ‘bringing up baby’). now, penny lane is definitely whimsical. she has a different outlook on life. she is mysterious. she is a muse. and she very much is a supporting character who helps william, 15 year old wunderkind, on his merry way. but reducing her to a mpdg completely rips her of who she is as a character. as much as penny lane is a muse, as much as william is in love with her and wants to possess her, as much as russell (our shaggy haired rock boy band lead guitarist) lusts after her and wants to posses her, penny lane is not a possession. even when she makes decisions because of men, these are her decisions. she has desires and wants beyond these men. she course corrects her life when she decides she no longer wants anything to do with either of them. she causes action in the film. she is, in fact, the catalyst of the resolution. now, you could say this makes her a character in service of the story, but all characters either serve or direct the plot in some way. and this story is william’s story. everyone is here to lead to his growth in some way, from his mother to his mentor to the band to his sister. but penny lane has her own growth, her own journey. her personal resolution has nothing to do with anyone else except herself and what she wants. if anyone wants to sit around and still argue that no penny lane is a mpdg, then i’m going to have to sit around and argue back that there’s a bigger case that if anyone is the mpdc in this movie, it’s actually russell, our shaggy haired lead guitarist idol god turned almost bff turned antagonist turned just a guy really. but i digress.

depending on when you got into bts, you may have been introduced to taehyung as “the 4-d member” which is kpop lingo for “the weird one” as in so weird they are privy to a whole entire other dimension the rest of us just aren’t. a little out there. not normal. bizarro. not like the other k-girls/boys/nb’s. and sure while he talked about pink bunnies on the moon (which is actually based on a sk folk story but w/e), spoke in a colorful language, had an outside of the box thinking style, it wasn’t all he was. the idea in itself is reductive. but it was sort of everywhere. and a huge part of the mdgc is the concept of the muse. in essence that’s what they are. they are inspiration in whatever way that is for a comparatively “grey” character. they bring the color. so when i thought up the idea of rwcbmt, i was thinking about taehyung, and i was thinking about how often jungkook is often depicted as the polar opposite of “the muse”, but i was also thinking about the mpdc trope but mostly how deeply flawed it is as a trope but also as a character critique. badly written characters should be critiqued, especially female ones for how one dimensionally they are often written, but sometimes the critique itself is derivative and trite for how it leads to the generalizations of certain archetypes. and, beyond this, the way a lot of romance is written, the love interest, not always but often enough, tends to be what the originator of mpdg was criticizing: a fantasy, a plot device for the main character, someone exciting who saves an otherwise mundane character of their own mundanity.

so in terms of rwcbmt, who is the mpdc re/deconstruction? both of them. but also, neither of them. taehyung is in some ways the “grey” character. he’s in a standstill in his life. he’s the less exciting one. he’s not the one who leads them on their adventures, argues that life is so much ~more~. but one of the first things jk asks him is something along the lines of “are you fucking real?”. he’s not like most “other guys”. an entire universe lives in his head. he does have this very wondrous rosy view of life at times. he’s very q-word and very very w-word. but he also has a very grey view of life. he’s not all that whimsical and his optimism is not rooted in the belief that life is ultimately good, but that, as a human person, it’s your responsibility to make it so. jungkook, as the non pov character, takes on the role of the object of desire. the muse. the one who is desired. he pushes taehyung’s comfort levels, makes him reassess what he thinks he knows about almost everything. but he’s in direct opposition to what the mpdc traditionally looks and acts like. there is nothing whimsical or openly childish about him, he’s not a heart on your sleeve optimist on paper. he looks and acts like the “bad boy”. but as the story unfolds, all of that is partly a facade, not because he’s secretly the archatype all along, but because characters should have the space to be multidimensional. tbh, the main reason neither is the mpdc, is because, in the end, they both have agency. they both want things beyond each other. regardless of them ending up together, the thing i’m trying to show with these characters, the thing they in essence show each other, is that no one saves you. not acknowledging that the person who “saves” you is you is removing your own agency. it’s pushing pressure and idealization onto another human person who’s kinda busy with their own shit. i harp on this a lot but my rejection of not only the mpdc trope + critique but how a lot of romantic love is depicted is because i’m trying to posit the idea that love is in essence respect, and viewing your romanic partner as their own separate person completely removed from your own wants and desires, is one of the most important but underlooked aspects of love. to love someone is, again in essence, to respect them for who they are completely beyond you.

and you know fiction is fiction and romance can be just that. idealized versions of characters/relationships/people in fiction are not some grand evil. but they do tend to be the norm so i think there should also be space for attempts of the opposite.

#ask #anon #not @ me forgetting jason lee is the singer twice #ah yo where you at jason lee?

[bae-science]

I heard you're taking roast--I mean, review requests now. What do you think of Uprising's drivesuits?

boy oh boy i sure hope this becomes a thing because let me tell you this is better than any kind of therapy. hey everyone this is the disaster in question:

so i’m not like. a fashion designer, or a historical clothing expert, or a costume designer, or any kind of professional in this field, but i am gay so i feel like i have the qualifications to. not nitpick but like, be validly upset. lemme run through some quick questions for uh. lizz wolf, apparently. real nice google photo, ramona flowers. anyway she will not be hired back for pacific rim three and here’s why: why does each abdominal muscle have a separate fucking plate. you bend over that shit is literally gonna dig into your stomach and restrict movement oh my goooooood there is no proper protection here the entire torso section is a fucking mess. there is a REASON medieval knights and every other armor in history ever has not sectioned off the chest and stomach protection with gaps in between, and that is because you are BOUND to get wounded there if you leave space. and i don’t CARE that they’re in a jaeger, everybody in pr1 had full coverage sets of armor with proper interlocking pieces that didn’t look like plastic halloween costumes straight outta halloween city, there is ZERO excuse for this shit. and why are the SIDES of their thighs covered??? and not the plexus or genital area?? and no coverage at the sternum or the elbow jesus fucking hell it’s like they picked all the fleshiest, most vulnerable areas and said “okay!!! you get a sexy cat costume and that’s it!!! good luck reproducing or, like, staying alive!!!” this is why the ppdc never gets anything done without a pentecost telling everyone what to do, these people have worms for brains. WOOOOOORMS. get these bitches to bikiniarmorbattledamage stat. actually @bikiniarmorbattledamage you’re smarter than me go the fuck off. anyway big fuckin qualm: where did the visors from pr go that was a good idea what happened to them. where is the fun yellow juice and the statistics displayed to each pilot to provide individualized targeting and information based on neural position and fighting style. if my memory serves all that shit shows up on the screen in front of them, but that is SUCH a bad idea because y’see lizz all those pretty lights are BLOCKING THE KAIJU THEY ARE FIGHTING. also their faces aren’t protected AT ALL and that’s like the number one injury spot in this movie. facial wounds are like oprah; you get a lip cut and you get a cheek cut and you get your face exploded and die. sorry kid from disney channel’s jessie. guess it doesn’t feel like a party every day. finally my biggest problem is this: they’re all recolors. this is lady avenger (thanks for the slur update by the way, steven, why don’t we hit all the minority insult buttons today) and if you want to know what ANY of the other jaeger drive suits look like, change the armor color, and you’re done. every jaeger in pr1 had an entirely different AESTHETIC and DESIGN based on the country and the pilots’ personalities and fighting styles; CHERNO ALPHA HAD FUCKING GOGGLES. GOGGLES. COOL AS FUCK. here it feels like a bunch of generic, watered down battle suits made to look cool and be easily producible on toys, which, oh wait, was the general idea when making every single aspect of this fucking movie. don’t do this to my man john. star wars did finn dirty with wardrobe, you had such a good idea with the bathrobe in the kitchen scene!! he’s fun he’s thotty he deserves a badass suit that fits his personality!! which honestly might not even be possible come to think of it; barely any of the cadets beyond vik and amara (and even them just crumbs) got any development and personality, so the jaegers honestly fit them all quite well. blank, cool-looking slates made to appeal to a broad market without any of the charm or style of the original. give my girls a pink and orange jaeger named Mo’s Revenge and give those poor kids some tactically placed metal on their little pubescent frames. why the fuck doesn’t lady’s cockpit have any stickers.

#ask #anon #pacific rim #pacific rim uprising #mine #Anonymous

[booksandwords]

Vespertine by Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn

Read time: 3 Days Rating: 5/5

The quote: Your skin tastes of ocean and sin Your lips sink me like ships In a wave that holds on so strong It’s impossible to sail on — Nicholas 'Nicky' Blumfeld

Warnings: drug use, suicidal ideology (past), death, lots of biblical references, addiction

TL:DR. This is a brilliant book that I recommend to lovers of the genre it has some unique character moments and is just well written. Things to look out for if you decide to try reading this, drug use, suicidal ideology (past), death, lots of biblical references, addiction. Some are minor some are more common.

Here we go. I have never read anything quite like this in my life. I've read forbidden love, I've read addiction and I've read back in town. But I've never read them quite like this with religion, music and high stakes. It is worth saying this is a book that starts with a bang, in the first chapter there is major drug use (voluntary and coerced) to the point of overdose and holy speech running side by side. That is how the book continues with the colliding and melding of worlds sometimes with ease sometimes jarringly as is required. The burning question of Verspertine is what price love? What are you willing to pay for love?

I'm going to be honest and say this is a book with a fairly predictable endgame for those who have read the genre at least. The signposts start appearing and seeing where it is going is not difficult. But it's not about that it's about the characters and the journey. Nicholas Blumfeld is known to the world as Nico Blue, to his friends as Nicky. He is the guitarist and lyricist of the successful band Vespertine. After an overdose on tour, he has returned to his childhood home to get clean and find out who he is clean. His emotional tone throughout Vespertine is shown through song lyrics that appear sporadically. Between the ages of 9 and 17 Jazz and Nicky were inseparable, Nicky never knew why Jazz entered the seminary, never understood a lot of things it left him angry. That anger has fuelled his entire career. Jasper Hendricks, known to the Little Heights community as Father Henricks and Nicky as Jazz is a Priest with a sweet tooth. At seventeen he followed his calling and joined the seminary becoming the Priest in his childhood hometown. His pride and joy is Blue Oasis Center home for LGBTQ+ youth. When Nicky comes back Jazz is thrown, their confrontation is in a place it shouldn't be. Jazz starts questioning his path, his choices in life. His place on the path is shown by the appearance of the church. As characters I really like them I like their dedication to their truths, their paths. The characters are delightfully different for having come from the same place. The way they were written made me want to cry for both of them more than once. Their yearning, shown well with Nicky's flirting and Jazz's staring wasn't ended at the right place. They both knew they were playing with fire, they just couldn't stop. Their coming together each time it happens it tonally perfect, each time feels right and the right one is leading. From the sweet to the hard and desperate. Some of those scenes in other books would be absolute no-goes for me but here they just work.

The support cast is largely minimal but what there is used well. Miriam and Adrian, Nicky's parents, are his support but Adrian also has a bit to do with Jasper. Within Blue Oasis Center there is Lizzie. Lizzie is a trans girl who arrives in Little Heights the same day Nicky gets home, their stories are linked. Mrs Wells is employed and the Center but also taught Nicky and Jazz as children, like most of the others in the book she distrusts Nicky and just sees him as a no-good junkie. It's good to see someone like that in close, her reaction feels realistic. The church is represented well by Andrew and Father Thomas. Father Thomas is particularly interesting, he knows Jazz better than he knows himself. The only member of Vespertine we spend any time with is Ramona a badass rocker if I've ever read one, I cannot express my love for her. Her need to keep Nicky clean doesn't just come across as self-interest which feels important. All these characters just want Jazz and Nicky happy, though not necessarily together. Everyone knows that is impossible.

If I try to write a coherent review of this it will be obnoxiously long so we're going with dot points. Of things I really liked and appreciated because there was not much I didn't.

"Mom I need help." that is just a beautiful line and I almost cried despite its simplicity.

With or Without you in virtually any setting will wreck me. The way it was used in Vespertine was perfect. Acoustic and by people with way more emotional baggage then they can handle  And my emotional reaction to that song will forever be blamed on Looking For Alibrandi.

Dizzy the cat and the chaotic humour she induces are fantastic. I did not expect to laugh so hard at the lines “She gives high fives?” “And delivers death to poor innocent bunnies. I’m considering whether or not she’s an agent of Satan.”. But yeah that's Dizzy. Oh and I love the side of Nicky she induces.

Nicky's tattoos are stunning representing his love even though he didn't know it. I was in awe of them in a way. No spoilers on those

There is as expected a lot of biblical and religious quotations and act for the priest but that in itself as an atheist is interesting.

Nicky and his religious journey. He was born Jewish, spent time in the Catholic church as a teen, considers himself atheist but might be something closer to agnostic.

I had to look up Rugelach for my own sanity. It originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and is a sweet pasty. I think I've eaten without knowing what it was called.

I probably should put it here. Nicky is exactly my type when it comes to fictional men. Slightly broken, tattooed and described as "a pretty little bad boy". Look I know my type and FYI Leta Blake writes broken well (I'm looking at you Joel).

I read on a kindle, a kindle that allows me to highlight and make notes as I read. It has been a long time since I made as many as I did for this. There are some brilliant lines about faith, love and life, just as they were in the other books I've read by Leta Blake.

I may be putting Leta Blake on my fave mm authors list I appreciate her focus on character and growth over smut. (sorry to Indira Vaughn who I will look up more books by soon)

#vespertine #leta blake #indra vaughn #book review #tw drug use #tw drug addiction #tw death #tw suicidal ideology #this review is far too long but making it shorter was never going to happen #i loved this far too much #ktreviews #read 2021

[araminakilla]

Day 11: More information about the movie

Link to the information:

Unfortunately, this web page doesn't allow copying and pasting its articles, but that's why we have screenshots:

There's more of the interview but I only posted here the parts I found interesting like how the creator is pointing out Tad's frustration at being unable to tell the world all the adventures he lived. And how his wish for fame and recognition ends up dooming his friends.

Seems like Ramona will be the hit character in this movie, being capable of stealing spotlight from Mummy. Looks like it is the case thanks to that first review calling her the best new character of the franchise. Waiting to see her in action.

Also...

@shields-and-depthgauges-oh-my I don't want to have our hopes in high regard but, this sounds very promising. Cursed Mummy being all fun and games at the start only for the curse (and situation) to get serious as the plot continues and something is telling me he won't be happy all the time.

#tadeo jones #tadeo jones 3 #tad the lost explorer #tad the lost explorer 3 #tad stones #mummy (tadeo jones) #ramona (tadeo jones) #Ra-Amon-Ah #tadeo jones meta #enrique gato #tad 3 countdown

[zaritarazi]

Tvline referred to Mona as the worst new character of the year. WTF. Been knew that site was trash....

You know what fucks me up? Ramona is like, 21. That's what gets me. She's newish to acting, she's a fucking child, to me at least but ESPECIALLY in terms of the ages of her costars, and no one on that show has ever gone to bat for her. And the sort of lack of awareness that is either willfull or purely ignorant as the rest of the cast is like oh look at all the praise we get, including praise that takes digs at mona, is so beyond shitty to me.

Like im sure people will be like well it's not their responsibility to take care of her and you know what? Im not asking them to be her parents, im asking for a little fucking respect. This is someone who is significantly younger who is working with you and who has been visibly upset about this and maybe its not your responsibility, but the overwhelming silence from the cast and writers when people constantly hate on mona shows a real lack of empathy. So im gonna choose to get mad at everyone here, because shit begets shit, as the saying i just made up goes. This is a communal bullshit experience.

In addition it does seem like ramona departed this season around ep 2 or 3 and ari and i are going to get a LOT more in depth with what i've discussed above in the legends in review episode that correlates with her leaving, so keep an ear out for that if you're fans like us who feel deeply disillusioned and disgusted by this ordeal. We may just title it "our meanest episode ever" bc no one but maisie and ramona are safe

#legends of tomorrow #mona wu #mona wu defense squad #we've been pissed about this for some time so we're trully distilling it for when it's time

[timeladyjamie]

My Review of the Fourth Doctor Adventure 2.7: The Final Phase

with Mary Tamm as the First Romana

First of all, I have this habit of reading the inside CD covers first and now I’m already crying finding out this was Mary Tamm’s last audio before she passed away.

Romana getting on Cuthbert about pronouncing her name correctly is a MAJOR MOOD for me too. When I’m telling people who don’t know of her about her, they usually do this and then this same exchange happens. “It’s RO-MANA, not RA-MONA!”

Can we honestly give kudos to Briggs for giving us an audio where Romana 1 meets the Daleks? It’s something I’ve always wanted because I feel she would have dealt with them like a freakin queen (unlike Romana 2)

And I was right, she did. That’s my queen!

Cringing every time Cuthbert calls Romana, “Ramona” *shakes fist*

Four laughing over ‘being captured’ by the Daleks. Oh Tom! <3

Four surrendering himself for the safety of Romana and K-9, but mostly for Romana. Tom, your Doctor/Romana shipper-self is showing again and I’m so proud. 

Romana saying the Doctor would never surrender himself for her safety...and he surprises her doing EXACTLY THAT! I LOVE THEM!

Four teasing the Daleks. 

K-9 and Daleks talking back to each other in the sassiest robot fight since the Doomsday episode. *snap snap*

Romana being sad when she thought she lost the Doctor. Like, yeah, they didn’t get along but- it was changing and they cared for each other.

Dorrick was annoying at first, but I kinda warmed up to him.

Romana BEING A QUEEN, AGAIN and talking back to Cuthbert and taking action to help when they all think the Doctor is ‘dead.’

Romana happy over hearing the sound of the TARDIS and seeing the Doctor alive and well. *cries*

“Did you miss me?”

YES, SHE DID!

“Take me to your leader.” Four being a true alien as always <3

Whoever yelled “SMALL FRY?!”

Romana calling Cuthbert supremely stupid. MY QUEEN AT IT AGAIN!

Cuthbert getting his medicine by having the Daleks betray him. You should have just listened to the Doctor and Romana, they were right.

“Listen to me you big, fat, stupid, arrogant pepper pot!” Four being savage and sassy, this is what I love! <3 Honestly, this is probably what caused the Time War too because the Daleks got offended by it.

“Have an original thought” the way Tom says it just....wow. 

Four talking with the Daleks. <3 It’s all good, honestly. 

The Doctor’s “500-year diary” was mentioned!

Romana not wanting to leave the Doctor’s side and go back to Gallifrey...but the ACTUAL exchange between them of it.

“I don’t think I should let you out of my sight for quite sometime to come” I”M LEGITALLY CRYING AGAIN. THAT ENDING!

Thanks for the Doctor/Romana feels!

Mary and Tom know how to effect me...and I love them even more for it. They honestly had the best chemistry ever! *cries even more*

“nothing romantic of course, but you never know.” Oh Mary, we know <3

#Jamie listens to The Final Phase #fourth doctor adventures #Mary tamm #tom baker #romana i #fourth doctor #big finish audios #Jamie listens to Big Finish Doctor Who

[fratresdei]

Meditation Gone Wrong

Caroline Crook is back on the blog to share her hilarious story of a guided meditation gone way off the rails, and how Scott Pilgrim, glowing orbs of light, and bad Cracker Barrell interviews all come together on the mental plane to invite her into some divine laughter. 

I thought I'd tell you all about a guided meditation I once tried that quickly became one of my favorites, and also a complete disaster.

I've been meditating on and off for a year now, through a variety of apps, podcasts, tarot readings and the occasional Quaker service here in DC. I faced some of the same challenges that I've faced with yoga while trying to cobble together a semi-regular meditative practice. There is tension in meditation, in the desire to remain relaxed, yet focused. The general impression of meditation is often a serious one - I know when I first considered it, I called to mind half-lit rooms hazy with incense, hours of silent contemplation, maybe developing some psychic powers as a reward for such diligence and focus. The practice felt appealing and intimidating in equal measure.

The first meditation podcast I tried out was called, fittingly, The Meditation Podcast. The hosts only release one guided meditation per month, each one is about 45 minutes, and they use "binaural hearing" (sustained tonal frequencies designed to slow the heart rate) for a fully immersive session. The first episode I listened to was called “Self Love” - I was told to visualize myself looking in a mirror that, throughout the 45 minutes, gradually began to glow with light. It was awesome. 5 stars.

The following week, I found another episode they had put out called "Finding My Truth." The episode was described thusly: "In today's meditation, we journey to our highest Being, our highest Self, to gain a deeper, divine perspective about our lives, our Truth, and our Purpose." And I thought, Sounds vague, but great. Truth and purpose? Sign me up. I changed into pajamas, settled into the old recliner in my apartment and pressed Play.

(The following is mainly paraphrased from memory, as the podcast hosts archive any episodes older than 6 months.)

"Feel yourself sinking into the chair. Feel your body sinking through the chair, into the earth. Imagine rooting yourself deep into the earth under your chair."

Rooted. Got it. I felt my body grow heavy, my eyelids closing. Good stuff.

"Now let your consciousness float out of your body, utterly weightless. Your body is still safely grounded in the earth."

Okay...

"Your consciousness is a light, soaring, up, up..."

Oh-kay...

"Above and through the atmosphere..."

The atmosphere? Wait, we're HOW high?

"Soaring into space."

Space?? Back down on earth, in my grounded, rooted body, I felt my grounded, rooted face begin to frown in confusion. But the host encouraged me to pause up here in space, to take in the beauty of stars and planets as they swirled in and out of view. The human brain is incredibly adaptive, and after only a few deep breaths, I was suddenly super comfy up here, a disembodied consciousness gliding through, you know, outer space.

"Now, you see a door. Approach it, open it, and go inside." Sure enough, a door swirled into view. There's a scene in the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World where Scott floats toward his crush's apartment door, which materializes as a white door with a star-shaped window, floating in the middle of a starry sky. My brain offered this exact image, and this exact experience, minus Ramona Flowers.

And what was behind the Scott Pilgrim door? "Your guardian deity is here, and has been expecting you."

Hang on. My who?

"Your guardian deity stands before you, ready to teach you everything you need for your life's journey."

My who? For my what??

"Take a moment to greet your guardian deity, then sit and prepare to receive what they are here to teach you."

Again, I was a meditation novice. My brain heard "Surprise, you are sitting in front of an authority figure whose full focus is on your life goals" and went into overdrive compositing every bad job interview I've ever had into one moment. Suddenly I was not a beautiful disembodied beam of light -- I was 15, fidgeting in an Ann Taylor Loft blazer, watching the General Manager at Cracker Barrel frown over my resume, my mom waiting outside in the car. Except instead of the General Manager at Cracker Barrel, I was sweating in front of a beautiful being radiating Grace, every gesture exact, every expression a poem. This was a bad job application, and a surprise exam, AND a performance review, all rolled into one.

I was so busy manifesting these insecurities, I didn’t notice the podcast had gone quiet until the host spoke again, jolting me in surprise. "Now that your guardian deity has given you the wisdom you've come to receive..."

So not only had I arrived completely unprepared to receive any kind of wisdom from my guardian deity, but I was so busy reliving every time I've been unprepared for a self-evaluation of any kind, I completely missed the part of the meditation where I actually receive said wisdom. Mary, Martha, eat your heart out.

"... you rise, and thank them for the time they've taken to set you upon your life's path."

Unwilling to even try rewinding the podcast, reliving all that cosmic social anxiety just to ask my guardian angel to repeat that one more time about my life’s purpose, I rose, and thanked them for the time they'd taken to set me upon my life's path. In the space I almost heard laughter, and am now certain my guardian deity was chuckling, having somehow known I would pull something like this.

But the worst was yet to come.

"You've brought a gift for them, to thank them for their wisdom. Hold out your hands, and see the gift you hold for them."

I'm a good daughter of the Capitalist Machine, so I immediately pictured the robin-egg blue box from Tiffany & Co. Apparently in my mind, this image is the highest gift one could receive, the pinnacle of luxury and taste.

"Open up the gift, and present it to your guardian deity." So I opened up the box.

And without warning, my mind yelled, "INSIDE THE TIFFANY BOX IS THE HEART OF A BABY DEER." And pictured a bloody, still-beating heart of a baby deer. To offer my guardian deity.

Back down on earth, my grounded, rooted body froze in horror. WHY would I picture that?? WHO would want that??

I went into overdrive, picturing alternative gifts. What do you get for your guardian deity, the being who, ostensibly, has everything? Well here's what I came up with in those 8 seconds:

A dying star. Prayer. A child's smile. A single blade of grass. The concept of laughter. Red lipstick. Dark matter. A rosary. Teeth. A tennis bracelet. Baby's breath. An actual baby's breath. The sound of a curtain brushing the floor. Solar flares.

The thing in the Tiffany box transformed rapid-fire into each option, a roulette wheel of terrible gift ideas. In the end, bafflingly, I went with the tennis bracelet.

By that point my guardian deity was giving me this loving-yet-exasperated look, like they just caught me playing in a cardboard box on the edge of a cliff. But I sensed something like mild laughter, and the bracelet was suddenly gone from my hand, which I decided to take as acceptance. Then the podcast gently drew me back through the Scott Pilgrim door, and back down to earth; the interview was over.

I've tried a lot of different meditations since then - some creative visualizations like this, some more focused on breathing exercises, some that involve poetry or music. This was one of my favorites, because it taught me the most about visualization, presence and focus. Stillness in prayer isn’t necessarily about staying 100% focused for 45 minutes - when I lost my focus in this meditation, I didn’t slam back into my body on earth. I kept returning to the visualization, returning to that stillness, and the path continued onward. I still may not know my life’s purpose, but there was prayer, and there was communion with the Divine, and for me that's enough.

I mainly love thinking about this one though, because I rarely laugh with God, and I came out of this meditation shaking with laughter. I kept picturing my guardian deity politely waiting until I left the room before tossing my Tiffany tennis bracelet in the trash.

There are infinite ways to have a laugh with the Divine. Find yours with Fratres Dei.

October 30, 2019 | Denver, Colorado

#mindfulness #spirituality #body wisdom #bodywork #yoga #spiritual but not religious #religion #christianity #religious humor #humor