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2manythoughtz · 3 months

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Barbie has been deeply misunderstood?

The movie Barbie is still topic of many discussions among viewers and their different points of view. The Golden Globes have proved just why this movie was needed in the first place.

Recently some comments have been made during The Golden Globes that have left people thinking. For those who don’t know, The Golden Globes is an annual ceremony that takes place in the US and awards movies, TV series, actors and so on based on their categories and the votes are made by approximately 300 entertainment journalists from various parts of the world. As with all ceremonies, they must have a host who most of the time is someone famous in the entertainment industry and who is meant to make the night funny and unforgettable, sadly this year was not the case.

Jo Koy, who is a famous stand-up comedian and actor, was the host of this year’s edition and some of his jokes left people speechless. While most VIPs in the audience looked somehow confused and uncomfortable as he tried to get a few laughs from everyone. Of course, hosting is not an easy task, there’s a lot of pressure on the person and I’m sure they need a lot of time to prepare their jokes. That doesn’t excuse what has been said and, while no one in the audience said anything about it, the fans at home were not so silent on the matter.

While many lines were not appreciated, such as Jo Koy’s comment about Taylor Swift that left her fans bitter about it, one in particular really struck a nerve and everyone started talking about it on social media. “Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies.” And if that wasn’t bad enough, he then added. “I don’t want you guys to think that I’m a creep. It was kind of weird being attracted to a plastic doll, just something about your eyes, Ryan…it’s not all about you Margot.” And finally. "The key moment in Barbie is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet. Or what casting directors call character actor!"

As you can imagine, the Barbie cast was not too enthusiastic about these comments as they looked embarrassed rather than amused. People all over social media are criticizing Jo Koy for proving the movie’s point, just because the movie is about a “doll with big boobies” doesn’t mean that it’s something he can comment about so lightly. This misogynistic behavior is exactly why Barbie was made in the first place, to show people that in a world dominated by men, women will always be looked down upon, whether they’re real or just dolls.

But what is the Barbie movie about? Whether you love it or hate it, I think everyone agrees on the fact that the Barbie movie is a way to show people, mostly young women, that it’s hard to fit in today’s society. Women have been fighting for their rights for years, trying to become men’s equals while also feeling the pressure that has been put on them to be perfect no matter what. Barbie is about a doll, yes, but the story revolves around something deeper. The way Barbie slowly realizes that being imperfect is not a bad thing, it’s just a human thing, and the way she manages to understand her feelings as she evolves from feeling perfect to slowly wondering if there’s more to life is just eye-opening.

The movie discusses many topics and, while some of them may be a bit controversial, the main topic is womanhood. What is it to be a woman, what if feels to be a woman and how women are portrayed. So joking about Barbie’s body in a sexual way and the struggles she encounters is not only sickening but also embarrassing.

Greta Gerwig, the movie’s director, remained professional on her end and when asked to comment on Jo Koy’s words, she simply said. “Well, he’s not wrong,” she continued. “She’s the first doll that was mass-produced with breasts, so he was right on. And you know, I think that so much of the project of the movie was unlikely because it is about a plastic doll. Barbie by her very construction has no character, no story, she’s there to be projected upon.”

Even so, the Barbie movie won an award for best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

Speaking of awards, there’s something else we must address. Another misconception that shows just how everyone has misunderstood how deep the movie’s message is. In fact, most of the movie’s soundtracks were nominated as Best Song at the Critics Choice Awards and, as everyone expected What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish to be the winner, I’m Just Ken ended up winning that title. Yet again, it’s almost laughable as this song is basically a joke about the Kens feeling misunderstood and ignored by Barbie, while What Was I Made For is a song about womanhood and the hard feelings and fears that women live with. The award went to the only song made by a man that was up against the other 2 songs made by women for the same movie.

Ryan Gosling’s reaction has become viral online as you can see him confused and unamused by this unexpected victory. Yes, I’m Just Ken maybe became more popular because of the memes but to put it above a meaningful song such as What Was I Made For felt unreal. I’m not sure which was worse, Jo Koy’s jokes or this award.

What are you thoughts? Let me know!

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jasonrae117 · 8 months

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Just Another Hollywood Scene

CHAPTER 2- Media Frenzied

Damian was furious, that insufferable woman at the pathetic excuse for a coffee shop made him look like a complete asshole when in reality he was simply trying to expedite the process because they were taking too long. Now here he was drinking the subpar coffee in the lobby, grinning at his win. That will be the last time I see her.

“Ahem, Damian?” The receptionist, Barbara Gordon, called.

He pulled himself out of his short lived reverie, “Yes Gordon?”

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49727071/chapters/125517982

“I really wish you’d stop using my last name, reminds me of waiting for my dad to be done at the police station.”

“We are at our place of business, and we must conduct ourselves professionally.”

“You call me that no matter where I am!”

“Hm, instinct I suppose since I don’t see you that frequently outside of work hours. Anyway, what room is the meeting in? I’m already behind schedule, I don’t want to be late.” He leaned against the counter slightly.

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes as she typed something into the computer. “Looks like your father canceled the meeting and rescheduled it to…friday at one o’clock.”

“Four days from now? But the article is supposed to be released tomorrow!” He almost yelled.

“Oh, there’s a note in the memo. The media team delayed the release until Friday as well, but at five.”

“They can’t be serious! What did my publicist have to say about this?” He took a step back and began pacing.

“Damian, I don’t know why or what happened, I just have the new times. Why don’t you ask your father or Dick?” She said gently while readjusting her glasses.

“No, I don’t need their excuses. Well then I’ll see you on Friday.” He huffed.

“Mm, not so fast there. You have a preliminary costume fitting on wednesday.”

Damian pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine, I’ll see you on Wednesday.” He stormed out of the office building.

How could they just cancel the meeting discussing the procedures of handling the media frenzy. They were supposed to announce his involvement with the movie and begin his media tour to garner buzz for the movie. Now that it’s delayed the Gotham Gazette won’t be happy that they didn’t have their front page news when expected and that might reflect poorly on him, like they weren’t confident it would sell well.

Here’s the problem Damian always had when it came to his own stardom. Many people assumed he got his starring roles because of his father’s connection to the industry or his adopted brother’s ties, and while he in no way claims that he does not benefit from nepotism, a lot of the roles he earned on his own.

Damian started out like anyone else in this business, background roles or extras. Sure he had the best access to those roles, which he publicly thanked nepotism for, but he did his time in the background and it was other directors, lead actors and actresses, and the public that begged him to start aiming for starring roles. So, he did just that and he was a natural of course, you can’t live with one of the best actors in the world and not pick up some skills, but Damian brought something totally new to the game.

For starters, he was half Middle Eastern which he takes a lot of pride in and is happy to bring at least some representation to Hollywood. He also liked to think of himself as more in tune with his characters, that he delves deeper into who they were to better understand who they are. Not to discredit his father, but Damian simply believed he was in some ways, if not most, a better actor than anyone in his family. He wouldn’t dare openly admit that, but everyone around him seemed to suspect he felt that way.

Unfortunately Damian was somewhat of a diva. He had no intentions to be but when he sees something that can be better, he speaks up. If he thinks something is out of character or doesn’t make sense he brings his complaints to the writer and director. But the thing that most directors hate initially is that Damian would go off script and completely improvise very dramatic scenes.

Why then would he keep landing these roles if he is such a nuisance to work with? It’s because he was almost always right about the changes and his improvised scenes were arguably his best work and has won him countless awards. He was, plain and simple, a phenomenal actor.

Even with all the praise he gets, Damian still has to answer to the trolls that ruin every interview or live Q&A. The ones that demand he acknowledges his privilege with nepotism and being half white, which he does, every single time. It’s like these people don’t believe the awards or the raving reviews of his movie, or even the general consensus online. They make him feel like he has to continually prove himself, make a bigger name, to show that he is more than his father’s name. That’s why Dick went into directing, to get out of Bruce’s shadow.

Damian thinks that staying out of the public eye as much as possible will help his image and have him not come across as wanting to always be in the spotlight. But Bruce pointed out that all that does is make him seem like a recluse that only wishes to grace people with his presence when he has won something. Damian hates PR and having to do those talk shows or Buzzfeed Interviews but it's the only way he can change this image of himself according to his father. The only public thing Damian enjoys is his charity work with the zoos across the nation and the local animal shelters. Damian trusts animals more than people and he can tell they don’t think he is who he is purely because of his familial ties.

This life was exhausting but rewarding all at the same time, he wouldn’t give it up for anything. Which is why he was incredibly irritated they had rescheduled his article in the Gazette, because now that meant more PR meetings and probably more interviews to make up for the delayed information.

Damian had gone to his favorite vegan cafes a block down, he made the trip down here, might as well make it somewhat worth his time. As he was about to head out and back to his condo, he changed his path walking back toward the offices, promptly deciding to see if his father or brother were in so they could discuss the delay. When Damian got out of the elevator on the seventh floor a half dozen assistants and execs were milling about and chatting excitedly. When they saw him, some tried to scatter but still offered a polite smile.He gave a nod in their direction but continued his way towards Dick’s office.

He couldn’t clearly make out what they were talking about, but everyone was in unusually high spirits. The beginning of a large budget movie was often hell for everyone, so something must have recently happened to garner this much excitement.

As he approached the Dick’s office, Jason Todd came strolling out with the ever present smirk he always had. Damian had known Jason for almost half his life, he played one of Bruce’s sons in a project for several years and then got his own spinoff from that. He was your average roguishly handsome actor with a ‘I don’t give a shit’ mentality, he did come from nothing unlike Damian and worked his way to the top. He was in some theatre production at a local underfunded middle school that Bruce donated money to and stopped by to see their fall play. Bruce was blown away by Jason’s performance at such a young age, but what’s more is that when Bruce exited the theatre to go back to his car, he caught the young Jason trying to steal the tires. Instead of involving the police, Bruce introduced himself and offered to pay for acting lessons for the kid and got him a few auditions which he landed.

Since then, Jason has almost been a part of the family. Bruce and Jason didn’t always see eye to eye as Jason was brash and prone to scandal, but it was almost as if Bruce had officially adopted Jason, he was around the manor often enough, he might as well have been a legal son.

Still Damian was often annoyed by the slightly older man’s behavior, always feeling like Jason was squandering the opportunities his father gave him by being drunk in public and saying outlandish things, as well as literally fighting off paparazzi. He also toted around a new woman every week and it felt like gross behavior from someone who was given everything.

Damian resented Jason in some ways too, because the only thing that separated the two of them was that Bruce chose Jason to follow in his footsteps, but he was forced to give Damian those same opportunities. Except as the media saw Jason as an underdog story that made it big, Damian’s success was purely nepotism. Not to say Jason didn’t also deserve the roles he got, he was admittedly a good actor, but it wasn’t fair to be so similar yet treated so differently.

“Hey little D.” Jason said, meeting him a few steps from Dick’s office.

“Todd, what did I say about nicknames?” Damian narrowed his eyes at the taller man.

“To be fair, I don’t remember half the things you actually say to me. I try to block you out but your incessant complaining really knows how to pry its way in my head occasionally. “ He shrugged and was about to continue walking but he stopped himself just to the side of Damian’s shoulder. “We’re all in a pretty good mood, Dick especially. Try not to sour it for fucking everyone.” He patted him on the shoulder, which Damian instinctively shoved off.

“I only complain when there is something reasonable to complain about, and how other people perceive my constructive criticism is not my problem.”

“Yeah because telling me to stop wearing my leather jacket is such a reasonable complaint that entirely affects your life.” He rolled his eyes.

“You wear it year round and half the time you don’t even ride your motorcycle because you’re being driven around. It's pointless and you think it makes you look cool, but in actuality you look like an imbecile. But I’m glad to see that maybe the tides are changing since it seems to be absent from your outfit today.” Damian smirked smugly, but was confused to see Jason shoot back the same look.

“You’re wrong about pretty much everything you said just now, but I don’t give a rat’s ass what your opinion is on my outfits or why I chose to wear what I do, but I will let you in on a little secret. I was wearing my jacket today, took it off while I sat in on a few auditions for your little superhero movie, and now it rest on the shoulders of one fucking hot new actress in town that, and here is the secret,” He leaned into Damian’s space whispering, “ will probably be your leading lady.”

“Great so I may have to deal with some bimbo that probably slept her way into the audition and-” It was Damian’s turn to roll his eyes but Jason’s unforeseen shove made him stumble and swallow the rest of his sentence.

“Don’t fucking say things like that. She had a fantastic audition while also being fucking hot. Don’t be such a prick and just assume things about someone because I say she’s hot.”

“Only girls you think you have a chance with do you even bother bringing up and 90% of the time they’re bimbos so excuse me for jumping to conclusions. Besides, there’s still auditions for the roles over the next couple of days, we don’t know anything yet.” Damian took a step forward but looked over his shoulder, lowering his voice, “And don’t even think about laying hands on me again Todd, we’re not friends, and we are not family.”

“Fuck you little D, you used to be a touch nicer when you were younger, guess that stick never came out on its own. I can just see it now though, you being jealous when you see your co-star and knowing that you can’t have her because I already will.”

Damian fully turned to him now. “First, I don’t date coworkers. Second, anyone interested in you isn’t smart enough to be interesting to me.”

“Mark my words Dami.” Jason called out making his way down the hall and to the elevators.

Damian was already frustrated on his way up, now he was just down right pissed off. Jason sure as hell knew how to push his buttons. He tried his best to shake the conversation and took a deep breath before heading into his actual brother’s office.

“Hey D! Everything alright out there? I heard you and Jay’s conversation get a little heated.” Dick was milling about his office, collecting stacks of files together.

Dick’s office was very cluttered but in particular groupings. He thrived in organized chaos, he was a researcher at heart and made sure to analyze every bit of data before making a decision. It’s why he was such a good director, he really understood the background of his movies and would make sure they were as accurate as possible. His mahogany desk could barely be seen beneath the mounds of different colored folders representing anything from future projects, schedules, resumes, and even lunch menus to his favorite restaurants. The floor to ceiling window across the back wall of his office gave him an impressive view over the city and let a lot of natural light in. The office was still overall bright and clean, with off-white walls and light tan wooden panels, the light reflected well around it. Knick knacks from his early days with his real family in the traveling circus were placed neatly on the many bookshelves around the office. He had a plush couch and armchair in the corner facing a large flat screen TV and a coffee table that matched the rest of the wooden furniture in the room. On the other side of the desk were two comfy green velvet chairs for guests to use. It was minimalistic, but full of life. Damian didn’t feel cooped up in here like he did in Bruce’s office that had a much darker color palette.

“Just Todd being his usual irritating self.”

Dick set his current stack of papers he was carrying down and excitedly started searching for something else in a file cabinet. “He’s been in a better mood since the audition we saw today just before lunch, this Ra-”

“Dick, I really don’t care to hear about it right now. From what it sounds like, she probably isn’t worth the headache she’ll give us if she’s already throwing herself at Jason.” Damian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a seat in front of the desk.

Dick straightened up, a perplexed expression resting on his face. “I wasn’t aware they knew each other, she just borrowed his jacket for the scene but he didn’t mention he knew her.”

“To be fair, I’m not sure how acquainted they currently are, but he made it clear he wanted to get more acquainted.” He scoffed.

“Well then I’m going to tell him to back off, I don’t want anything ruining the potential this girl has. I think she’s our girl. She is our sorceress!” He threw his arms dramatically into the air.

“Be reasonable, Dick. You still have more auditions for that role coming up. You were probably just hungry.”

“Maybe, but maybe not. I’m telling you, you’re going to love her. I can pull up her audition tape so you can see what I’m talking about.” Dick practically ran to his computer, typing in his password. He barely was able to hit enter when Damian snapped the laptop shut on his fingers. “Ow!”

“Not interested until you’ve seen the rest. I don’t like you making rash decisions, that’s Jason’s brand, not yours. Besides, I came here to talk about something actually important.”

“Idunno Dami, I have a feeling about this one. But I hear you and I’d hate to be rude to the people that have worked hard on their auditions and count them out just yet. So I'll finish them out and go from there. However, this is actually very important, arguably more important than what you’ve come here to discuss.This is our lead female hero, your right hand woman. She needs to be good enough to stand beside you.”

“You’re opening auditions for this massive role to anyone that can speak. I don’t know why you didn’t just go with someone we’ve worked well with before.” He crossed his arms.

Dick leaned his forearms on the desk. “ Like who? You’ve berated me for anyone I’ve ever suggested. Besides, how are we gonna evolve as an industry if we keep using the same handful of actors, it gets boring. I want fresh talent, and the chance to give someone their big break!”

“How charitable. I haven’t hated everyone you’ve said. Brown was okay to work with.” Damian huffed.

“Stephanie is not the right fit for this role, the Sorceress is dark, mysterious, temperamental. Steph plays the girl next door, happy go lucky type. Plus she hates you.”

Damian shrugged “True.” He always had a hard time with his female co-stars, either they were hired because they were pretty but couldn’t act their way out of a paper bag or they wanted to start a relationship with him to increase buzz surrounding the movie. He tried that once with Emiko Queen and after the movie premiered, just as he was coming around to it being a real relationship, she breaks it off right before announcing her next movie. He felt used and she somehow spun the tale to make him out to be the bad guy, and with his record, it wasn’t hard to sell. He swore that he’d never do that again, or even date co-stars in general.

He’d done a pretty good job of making it clear from the beginning, but some leading ladies still tried, thinking they could change his mind. They never did.

“Anyway, if you came here to appeal the press release date change, I’m sorry but there’s nothing we can do about it.” Dick opened his laptop once more and typed something.

“You don’t understand how bad this is going to make me look to the Gazette, and if they mention it to anyone else, it’ll be even worse. If this is because you guys are afraid about what I-” Damian was leaning forward in his chair, his voice raising just a little.

“Damian, stop. Everything will be fine. We wanted to wait until your costume fitting so we can send some pictures with the announcement so people see this is happening and real and that we stand behind you fully. Bruce explained everything to the editor-in-chief and told them how much the pictures were going to enhance the story and they agreed. Plus with first look photos of the costumes, all the blogs are going to be jumping on the news and spreading it. By Saturday, everyone will know you’re heading my movie!”

“But won’t this put us behind schedule for the press tour?”

“Not at all, I didn’t schedule your first talk show until the following week as a precaution if we didn’t gather much wave of media presence. But I now worry we’re going to cut our impression short with the new stuff you'll be talking about." He was now reclined back in his seat, hands folded in his lap.

Damian wanted to argue, but it did all make sense. "And the other cast announcements?"

"All will be released in due time. I'll probably save the Sorceress announcement until last though, really build up speculation and buzz."

"Not to mention drama." Damian muttered.

"Hey, drama isn't all that bad when it's speculation." Dick retorted, pointing at him.

“This feels like the ‘no such thing as bad publicity’ excuse. And that always goes horribly wrong.” He crossed his arms, slouching a touch into the chair.

“That’s because it kinda is Dami boy. Except it’s truly not bad publicity, sure some people will get disheartened that it’s not their pick, but we’re working with entirely original material, no fanboys to worry about.” Dick seemed way too relaxed for a director releasing what is thought to be the biggest movie of the decade.

“You still seem to be grossly overestimating the weight of the news about the Sorceress.” Damian stood from his chair and did his best to brush the wrinkles from his suit.

“And you seem to be a misogynist that doesn’t think his female co-star is as important as him!” Dick said firmly as he stood as well, palms on his desk with his body leaning towards the accused.

Damian sputtered his words, his eyes darting for anything to come to his mind right now. “I am not a misogynist! I just think that after my announcement, everyone else is gonna hold the same weight.” He settled his hands on his hips to help him look confident in his statement, but Dick could see right through it and Damian knew it.

“Admit that you’re scared some relatively unknown actress is gonna steal your limelight.”

“That’s not it.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah…” Damian watched as Dick slowly sat back down, a calm smile on his face as he rested his right ankle on the knee of his other leg and folded his fingers in his lap. “Ok, maybe I think that we are putting too much stock in the idea, but maybe I’m worried that my chance to change the public's opinion of me is going to be overshadowed, especially with how big you’re acting like it’s going to be!”

“Let it out, Dami. We can’t ease your mind if we don’t know what’s going on inside of it. Look, I know that the press has been up your ass since the Emiko incident. But anyone that’s worth anything knows the truth and will not hire her ever again. But if our sorceress is the next big thing, it may not hurt for her to like you…not in any sort of romantic way. Lord knows we won’t push that angle again, but literally just think you are a decent guy.” Damian scowled at his older brother implying the task for the new girl to be difficult. “Then, if she does reach mega popularity as we hope, then she’ll be willing to do interviews with you and about you and then everyone can see how…charming you really are.”

“I see you and your committee have put a lot of thought into this. It would be foolish to not give your theory at least a small glimmer of a chance.” Damian pulled away from the desk and headed toward the door. He turned ¾ of the way back to Dick, “But she has to be tolerable too, I won’t fake liking someone just because it’ll be good press, someone will notice eventually and then it’ll blow up in your face.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way Damian. Now I’ll see you Wednesday for a moment to check on your costume, but we’ll really touch base again on Friday. Have a great rest of your day Dami.”

Damian nodded in response, closing the door behind but watching Dick’s annoying cheery smile disappear behind the door. He really hoped that they cast this role well because it’ll either be hell or the best thing to happen to him in a while.

#raven #teen titans #raven roth #robrae #damian wayne #damirae #jayrae #dc fanfic #hollywood au

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kajaono · 6 months

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Why Douglas leaving doesn't mean we will see a drop in quality

I see many people worrying that Douglas leaving will effect the quality of the show, in a negative way.

I would like to take Shadowhunters as an example. Here the showrunner changed after season 1. Todd Slavkin, who took over the psotion, then functioned as a showrunner, co-producer and writer. So i think it is fair we now pretend its kind of the same as a change of the director. One main role of a director is: "They collaborate with actors, read and develop scripts, and motivate the cast and crew to deliver their best performances. They also make critical decisions regarding set locations, budget management, and artistic execution."

This means the show can go downhill with a wrong director. Unmotivated crew, shit locations, rejected script, wrongly managed budget... or it can also have a positive impact.

In Shadowhunters Todd Slavkin sweet talked Freeform and Netflix to give the show 22 eps instead of 10 eps, and got rid of a lot of bad CGI, costumes and lightning.

Costumes:

Swords:

You get my point.

You may say: But GO is already perfect. How could a new director make it even better?" Well I also don't think they will, but they can add their own vision to it. That doesn't mean it has to be bad. Just different.

But will we like those changes?

Well... i can not answer this question, but remeber that the course of season 3 is already set. Jesus 2.0, Zombies (?), Supreme Arc Angel Aziraphael, a garden, the cottage. And Neil is still head writer. There will be no sudden changes. They will also not cast a homophobic asshole... hey, maybe they will cast a queer person who can add their own queer accents to the story?

This show is openly queer, they will not cast someone who is against a queer version of the show.

Yes this person will handle the budget differently, they will connect with DT, MS and Neil differently, but why does that has to be bad thing? Douglas vision was amazing and I am sad he left, but there are many amazing directors out there. And just because they join later, doesn't mean they do not understand the story. See Todd, we had an amazing time with him. He even published a BTS book about his time and how friendly the fandom welcomed him. In the end he intergrated a lot of fan wishes into the show and was really open to critique of the queer community.

Why can't we have the same for GO? Why does everything has to be bad? I know we have trust issues, and i can totally understand that not knowing who will come next is scaring, but just this times I wnat you all to focus on the positive things. We are also still talking about Prime. They don't want to blow this up either.

And Neil and Terry were always so protective of GO. they made sure that only someone who understood their vision was allowed to adapt GO into a show/movie and rejected multiple offeres who felt untrue to the story. You think Neil suddenly agrees to give the story away to someone who doesn't respect it and wants to change it to something bad... more Tom Cruise like? (little joke)

And we already had a change in tone and lightning of the show.

Many liked it, some hated it. But nevertheless, it worked.

The only thing I want is that Neil does not take over Douglas position now. This show is a two person story. Terry and Neil, Douglas and Neil, Azi and Crowley.

TL.DR: The husbands are in no danger. A director change will influence the show but why does that have to be a bad thing? Neil is as protective of the show as we are. He will not suddenly give it away to someone who wants to make drastic changes or who rejects all of his script ideas.

#good omens #douglas mackinnon #ineffable husbands #good omens season 3

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passingreviews · 23 days

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Searching for Self: “Passing” Review

By Danielle Bing

Director Rebecca Hall’s debut feature length film Passing by Rebecca Hall was inspired by the 1929 novel Passing by author Nella Larsen. Hall’s career has been as an actress but in 2021 she made her directorial debut with this film. Passing follows two Black women, Irene Redfield played by Tessa Thompson and Clare Bellow played by Ruth Negga are old friends that have recently reunited. As Irene and Clare become reacquainted with each other Irene soon discovers that her childhood friend has been “passing” as a white woman. While Irene’s complexion is also light enough for to pass as well, she instead chose to live her life as a Black woman. As the film unfolds, the audience watches Irene as she questions her identity through Clare’s expression of her identity.

Rebecca Hall’s film adaptation of Larsen’s novel came into fruition as a personal journey to understand her family’s background. During an interview with actress Uzo Aduba entitled “How Passing Was Adapted From Book To Netflix” for the But Have You Read the Book? Youtube book club webseries–Hall explained that throughout her childhood her mother seemed to have African American features however, when she questioned her mom about it she would dismiss the question. Eventually Hall’s mother revealed to her that her maternal grandfather was an African American man who chose to pass for white and the family never spoke about it. How Passing Was Adapted From Book To Netflix | But Have You Read The Book? The film, like the book, is a narrative that explores the aspects of identity and how identity forms perceptions of one’s own self and the external perceptions of other people.

What Really Made The Movie: The Details or The Acting?

The cinematography of Passing is absolutely breathtaking! Given that this is Hall’s first feature length film one might not expect the level of intricate detail that is captured in this film. The film is beautifully shot in Black and White during the 1920s in New York. This gives the film a more authentic feeling as it is a period piece. Had the movie been shot in color it would have taken away from a sense of realness that would have come from a colorized film. When the viewer watches the film closely they can see the many tones of gray and the shadows which enhance the costuming and settings. By having the film done it Black and White it forces the viewer to watch more closely in order to really see the details in the costumes, makeup, and props. The film being shot in Black and White also makes it more difficult for the viewer to make out the skin complexions of Irene and Clare. After all they are able to pass for white women so how light does one have to be?

One of the scenes that captures this well is towards the beginning of the film when Clare introduces Irene to her white husband John. Irene is surprised that Clare has a white husband. During their short conversation John makes several derogatory statements about African Americans. Irene in a sharp and direct tone asks “So, you dislike Negroes, Mr. Bellew?” John, without hesitation and in an assertive tone responds to Irene’s question stating “No, no, no, not at all. I hate them” as John and Clare laugh (Passing, 2021, 17:10 to 17:18). Irene abruptly begins to laugh in an off-putting and hysterical manner as she masks how she truly feels and does not draw any curiosity from John that would make him pay closer attention to her risking her true racial identity. This mask of laughter while uncomfortable for Irene affirms John’s racist behavior. Irene knows that if she says something to challenge John’s blatant racism she could be caught and her and potentially Clare’s safety could be jeopardized.

The camera shots and angles force the viewer to focus on the acting of one or two characters at a time. Hall used a 4.3 camera lens for most of the film which concentrates on the actor and blurs out the edges of the frame. This is done best in the dance scene.

The camera lens focuses on Irene and Hugh and blurs the space and background allowing the viewer to pay close attention to their conversation. Both Irene and Hugh are observing and commenting on the people in the room. As they are talking Hugh is commenting and questioning Clare because she has a commanding presence. Suddenly Hugh realizes that Clare is actually a Black woman who is “passing.” Along with Clare’s light complexion, her speech and dress simulate those of a middle-class white woman. Not only is Clare passing by race but also by socio-economic status as well making her seem so believable as a white woman. If you are not watching her very closely most people would not realize that she is a Black woman. Clare performs her whiteness so well that her own husband does not even notice that she is actually a Black woman.

The most intricate cinematic aspect which makes the film so compelling is sound. From the opening seconds to the very ending of the film, sound enhances the film in multiple ways. The sounds throughout the film help to signal the viewers feelings in particular moments, especially the moments when Irene’s inner self feels seen or when she is the one observing others. The undersounds of the film help to capture what is happening in a particular scene and how a character might be feeling.

The acting of the main characters: Clare and Irene make the narrative believable. Clare and Irene in particular, need one another in order for the film to work because of the personality differences of the characters. Irene needs Clare to self reflect on her identity and who she thinks she is as she is going through a personal identity crisis. The exceptional acting by Tessa Thompson (Irene) and Ruth Negga (Clare) shine through their respectable characters. Thompson’s ability to play a character who is so uncertain of herself and Negga’s portrayal of a woman who is so free and does not conform to the labels of society are difficult to play. Once the viewer thinks that they understand a character something happens and disrupts their beliefs and makes them begin to question their knowledge of the character once again.

The Binaries of Identity: What Does It Mean to Pass?

Humans have created labels in order to make connections and give things a meaning. Due to the history of the United States, Americans have a fixation to categorize everything and everyone. When a person steps outside of their assigned or assumed “category” it causes a concern because they are disrupting social norms. Irene demonstrates this well in the film. Before Irene reunites with Clare she was living a life where she conformed to society's expectations of a woman. Irene is a middle-class Black woman who adheres to the politics of respectability and tries not to draw attention to herself. Whereas Clare does not fit into a binary, does what is expected of a middle-class white woman, and welcomes the attention of others. By refusing to label herself she appears free to the viewer. So free that it can become uncomfortable or even frustrating when trying to understand Clare.

Clare welcomes the gaze of other people and she enjoys it. Rebecca Hall describes Clare as someone who has an identity without boundaries. During the same interview with Uzo Aduba Hall explains “Clare is gay when she needs to be. She’s straight when she needs to be. She behaves like a man when she needs to be. She behaves like a woman when she needs to be. She’s black. She’s white. She’s this walking duality.” (How Passing Was Adapted From Book To Netflix | But Have You Read The Book?, 2021, How Passing Was Adapted From Book To Netflix | But Have You Read The Book?) She is constantly “passing”. Passing brilliantly shows the fluidity of identity rather than identity as being a fixed state. Clare’s character portrays this throughout the film as she continuously moves between race, class, sexuality, and culture. She is visible and invisible at the same time.

Symbolism is incorporated everywhere in the film. From the costumes, accessories, and makeup to each prop. Hall’s usage of symbolism and foreshadowing through props and sound helps to control the pace and the feeling in different scenes. Irene is constantly dropping and breaking things. We first see her drop a flower pot out of the front window of her home. Later on we see her at a party strongly gripping a teapot and dropping it as she stares at Clare who is receiving attention from everyone. These moments lead up to the ending of the film.

Was She Pushed? Did She Jump? Or Was It Something Else…?

Hall, like Larsen, purposely left many aspects of the film ambiguous. Making the decision not to provide all the answers to a film is unusual. However, by doing so the viewer's interpretation allows them to create their own conclusions about the characters identities, actions, and feelings. This also allows for the viewer to project their own beliefs and then reflect on them. This is skillfully done and keeps the viewer questioning, guessing, and rethinking what the characters are thinking and feeling throughout the movie and creates a constant reexamining of one’s self.

The ending of the film leaves the audience in suspense because what happens to Clare is left untold. The ending allows the audience the ability to choose their own ending. The lack of knowing strengthens the film because it further complicates the narrative and themes within the film. As well as invites interaction from the audience by causing them to grapple with the ending of the movie and how they come to their conclusion. This allows all assumptions to be true and the film reveals that there can be more than one truth.

#history #passing #tessa thompson #ruth negga #rebecca hall #andre holland #Identity #race #Nella Laren #film #Netflix

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konggodzuko · 5 months

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Look, it may be the fact that I had just watched possibly the best Godzilla movie of all time (Godzilla Minus One) and have been watching possibly the best installment of the Monsterverse (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) but when the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire trailer dropped I felt...

Deeply unexcited. Apprehensive, even.

There's some weird shit going on with Egypt as we see a portal near the Great Pyramids and then some sort of weird Egyptian chamber w/ more pyramids and I really hope we don't find out some weird ancient-aliens BS went on with Egypt.

I honestly, truly think that the new Godzilla design is terrible. His proportions seem wacky & top heavy, the shape of the spines isn't doing it for me, and the pink is obnoxious. Yeah yeah, MireGoji had some purple on her spines, but it wasn't NEON PINK. Plus all the glowing stuff is way too much. His design was PERFECT in KOTM/GvK (well, nearly perfect, his head could've been a touch bigger) so I don't know why they would change him so much.

IDK, something about the trailer made me just think this is going to be stupid. Not in a fun way, but in an obnoxious, over-the-top Bay Transformers movie kinda way. Godzilla doing an extended, arms-pumping sprint next to Kong who has a robot arm made me feel annoyed rather than hyped.

It's just... up until GvK, the Monsterverse has largely played its concept seriously. Hell, Monarch is a VERY serious show, even with it's well-done humor. But GvK was like "wuh-oh, let's get WACKY!" and writing just flew out the window and it was ONLY an excuse for monster fights, and this looks to be even more of that. The director's even said they have several minute long sequences of JUST monster stuff and that sounds EXHAUSTING.

It's also not helpful that I've seen so, so many people who're excited for this movie acting like anyone who expresses the mildest dislike of this movie "hates fun" or "doesn't understand Godzilla" or whatever.

Look, I hope the movie's good. I hope I walk into that theater and end up loving it, but man, I just don't have high hopes. I thought GvK was a franchise lowpoint for the Monsterverse and the fact that they've doubled down on it does not fill me with hope.

[PS: ALSO, WHERE'S MOTHRA???? BRING HER BACK!!!!!!]

#Godzilla #godzilla x kong: the new empire #Negativity #I think I'm on track to becoming a Dedicated Hater of this movie

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best-evangelion-girl · 11 months

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why are the things called that?

so to a lot of people who haven't spent hours reading the evageeks wiki, you're probably confused on the weird names for everything, especially with the differences between the original anime series and the rebuilds. I'm gonna attempt to explain everything to the best of my ability, and will also make it clear in all my polls whether I'm talking about something from nge or rebuilds.

so first off, what do I even mean by "nge and rebuilds"

so the anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion", sometimes abbreviated to NGE, was released in October 1995 and aired until march of 96. it consists of 26 episodes and is what is called the original series.

when the show ended, fans were really upset that there wasn't a proper conclusion to the mystery about the angels or seele, and that the last few episodes mainly focused on the mental turmoil of the main characters and them eventually coming to terms with reality and deciding that life is worth living. because of these complaints, the studio and the director of the series hideki anno decided to make a movie with an alternate ending to the series.

released in July of 97, "End of Evangelion" is considered by many fans to be the true ending of the series. the movie is a different episode 25 and 26 where everything sucks and seele invades NERV and tries to kill everyone to cause the third impact, Gendo attempts to start the third impact himself thinking he can reunite with Yui, but ultimately Rei triggers the third impact and gives control to Shinji before he must come to terms with humanity's purpose and find an excuse to live. basically, everyone dies and their souls are merged into one single entity, which means there's no more misunderstanding or confusion or hate in the world. Shinji eventually realizes that this sucks, and that life is about experiencing pain as well and joy, and everyone's souls rejoin their body. the movie then ends with Shinji and Asuka rematerialized on an apocalyptic earth in front of a sea of blood.

End of Evangelion, sometimes abbreviated to eoe, is basically Anno giving a big middle finger to all the fans who didn't like the original ending of the anime.

later, in the mid 2000s, Anno wanted to make a new evangelion story, this time a fully theatrical experience.

in 2007, "Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone" was released, in 2009 "Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance", in 2012 "Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo", and in 2021 "Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon A Time"

all four of these movies together are called the rebuilds, the new theatrical release, NTE, and in the case of 3.0+1.0 specifically "shin eva" (similar to many other remakes of popular Japanese ips being labeled "shin", such as godzilla and kamen rider)

it is heavily implied in the lore and through external media that the third impact in EOE caused the world to reset, and this new universe that was created was the universe of the rebuilds.

the events of 1.0 and 2.0 play out largely the same as the original series, up until the end. when the tenth angel attacks, Rei is killed and Shinji risks everything to try and save her. unintentionally, his eva absorbs the angel and nearly causes the third impact before it's stopped. Shinji then wakes up about 15 years later to find that the world is extremely different, and that most of the people he knows are fighting against NERV. he comes to discover that the world was nearly destroyed, but pockets of civilization still exist. after seeing his boyfriend's head explode and understandably being traumatized, he eventually learns how to love life again by being part of a small farming community. the final movie ends with Shinji confronting his father, making him realize that his attempts to reunite with his dead wife were impossible and living in the past was only hurting himself and everyone around him, and then causes a final impact that remakes the entire world into a new world where the Evangelions never existed, and everyone is chill and also he and Mari are dating. another giant middle finger to the fans, basically saying "get a fucking life, nerds. get a girlfriend. stop living in the past."

hopefully that makes sense as an explanation for naming the anime and movies.

nge and eoe are the original series in the 90s

1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.0+1.0 are the rebuilds from late 2000s to early 2020s

but what about the angels?

so the angels have names in nge but not in the rebuilds. in the rebuilds, they're just given a number. why is that? according to the lore, the dead sea scrolls were discovered by seele and laid out the plans for human instrumentality and gave names to all the angels. in the rebuilds, the dead sea scrolls were never found, and thus the angels in the rebuilds are not given names.

sure, some of the angels from the rebuilds look very similar to the angels from nge. but because a few are completely new, and they're mostly out of order, it's less confusing to just use numbers when talking about the angels from the rebuilds, and names when from nge. sometimes, when I'm talking about the angel's role in both nge AND rebuilds, I will use the name just because it's more convenient. (for example, I might say "bardiel was the angel that attacked and controlled Unit 03, which was piloted by Toji in nge and Asuka in Evangelion 2.0" even though it's called the 9th angel and not bardiel in Evangelion 2.0, it is basically the exact same thing and it's hopefully less confusing that way.

so yeah. names = original series. numbers = rebuilds

if you want me to give a shitty explanation about anything else, let me know. :3

#best evangelion girl poll #neon genesis evangelion #poll bracket #poll competition

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thisaintascenereviews · 3 months

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Here For Blood Review

Heavy metal, as a genre of music, has been synonymous with the film genre of horror for many years, and you can understand why if you know anything about either one of those. Heavy metal bands, especially death metal, thrash, and even some traditional heavy metal bands, have been incorporating horror imagery for decades, especially the 1980s, and if you know anything about the 1980s, that was the pinnacle for the Satanic Panic. That was when Christians decided to point fingers at anything and everything that was deemed “demonic,” whether it was music, including metal, movies, or Dungeons & Dragons, of all things. There were more things that happened, including daycare workers that were accused of being Satanists, but needless to say, the 1980s were a time when heavy metal and horror movies were under attack for being “demonic,” and because of that, a lot of bands and filmmakers leaned into that. Bands and artists like Motley Crew, Ozzy Osborne, Slayer, Cannibal Corpse (although they weren’t big until the mid-90s, but they were a band that Christians loved to hate), Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and many more, were accused of being demonic, Satanic, and all that bullshit. Even today, being a fan of metal, you get that judgement from Christians, but heavier music has gotten a lot more accepted to like, at least for the most part.

The same goes for horror movies, too, as horror is one of the most celebrated genres of film, although it’s also a genre that is known for a lot of garbage. It’s really hard to find a lot of great horror movies these days, but a lot of filmmakers are looking to the past for inspiration, specifically the 1980s. Whether it’s the practical effects, the cheesy and over the top characters and villains, or the overall aesthetic, there’s a lot of media, especially horror, that taps into the 1980s. Stranger Things is a good example of that, as that show really brought the aesthetic of the 1980s into the mainstream, although other shows and movies were doing that, but Stranger Things really made it cool. It also seems like a lot of filmmakers now grew up during that time, so they are incorporating those films and ideas into their own work.

What happens when you take 80s hard-rock and metal, and combine it with 80s horror aesthetics? Well, you’d get the movie Here For Blood, the newest movie from director Daniel Turres, and writer / producer James Roberts. Starring Resident Evil film franchise actor Shawn Roberts, along with Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame (in voice only), Maya Misaljevic (The Boys), Joelle Farrow, Tara Spencer-Nairn, and Michael Therriault (Chucky), this film is a love letter to 80s metal and over the top 80s horror with gory and bloody practical effects that are both parts funny and grotesque. A ScreamBox original, this movie premieres on the streaming service on February 9th, but I got the chance to watch the movie beforehand, and I was hooked from the synopsis I was provided that painted the movie as an 80s homage to films like Friday The 13th, Nightmare On Elm Street, and even movies like The Thing (at least with its practical effects). From the look of the trailer, the movie seemed over the top, fun, gory, bloody, and a good time.

Sure enough, that’s what I got, but the caveat to Here For Blood is that you need to look past a few things and just look at the movie for what it is. This movie is a ton of fun, but it’s also not a very thought provoking film, meaning that it doesn’t have any esoteric, meta, or ethereal themes that need time to digest after watching it. The plot for this film is basically a wrestler needs to babysit for his girlfriend, because she needs to study for a test in college, and she can’t babysit this girl that she normally babysits, so he ends up doing it for her until she gets back. Well, things go awry in the form of both masked assailants and supernatural demons, or something of that sort. I won’t go into spoilers, but the movie doesn’t explain what the main threat is, and that’s part of the fun of the movie. If you don’t question it, the movie is a ton of fun.

The characters are pretty one-dimensional, but they’re also fun. Roberts, in particular, is a big highlight; he plays a tough as nails wrestler, but he also has a heart of gold, despite being dumb as rocks. He has some of the funniest quips and dialogue in the movie, but a lot of this movie is pretty funny, although there are a few running gags that start off funny, only to get repetitive when they keep doing it. One involves a henchmen of the bad guys getting hurt, whether it’s getting limbs chopped off, or being in pain, and he just screams loudly. They do it three times, and weirdly enough, the first and last times are the funniest. There’s another gag with Dee Snider as the voice of a severed skull, and his only gag is that he screams “Feed me” over and over, and there is a funny conclusion to that, but it gets annoying when that’s all he says.

Here For Blood is a relatively “standard” horror movie that takes a lot from the 80s, but it’s fun. I’d recommend this movie if you want a good time, and don’t care to just let loose, laugh at some jokes, and cringe at the practical effects (some of them do get rather nasty in the best way). The performances are good for what they are, and everything in this movie is solid enough, so I’m glad I saw it. I will say that the only disappointment I really had was that the heavy metal element that was advertised isn’t played up at all, minus Dee Snider being in it, and there are some generic metal songs you hear throughout it, but I wish the soundtrack had more recognizable songs on it. That’s not their fault, probably licensing issues, but for what it is, it’s fine. I had fun with it, either way, especially for a relatively lower budget and indie horror movie. It wears its influences on its sleeve, but its unashamed love for that stuff is what makes this movie very enjoyable. The movie streams on ScreamBox and is in theaters on February 9th, so be sure to catch it when it comes out.

#here for blood #horror #gory #horror comedy #comedy #shawn roberts #stranger things #screambox

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marciabrady · 1 year

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Why do you hate TLM 2? I always thought it was alright. I never cared much for TLM 3.

There are soooo many reasons. Also, want to preface with I understand there's a sizeable TLM 2 fandom that's developed in recent years and def am not looking to ruffle any feathers! Everyone can like with they like and dislike what they dislike and have their own opinion...but I'm going to start with listing what I admired about the film, before I go into why I really can't stand it.

Jodi Benson's voice acting! I didn't like her performance at all in the third film, but in this movie, her singing was laced with a beacon of motherly light that was so incredible. From the ethereal humming in the first scene, where she's in the shadowed room and gently singing her devotion to her small child, there was something special in the air. Her unreal harmonies in For a Moment are some of the best vocals of all time.

Kenneth Mars reprising his role felt so in character and he was such a delight. Sebastian's voice was too but Kenneth just had this regal strength to him and he had all the weight and emotional impact of Triton from the original film, but with this underbelly of softness that was exposed and he was so tender and loving...his character seemed to be the most in line with what would've organically transpired from the first film. Everyone else is wildly out of character (aside from maybe Sebastian and Scuttle and Flounder, but that was because the writers just made them do exactly what they did in the first movie down to giving Sebastian the same plot device lol)

Flounder was cute. Not much to go into here but he did make me giggle lol

Ariel getting her feet wet was such a powerful moment. Taking off her heels and immersing a part of her back into that world where gravity was different and she was young and things felt almost weightless is such a vibe. I also admired her transition back to a mermaid for similar reasons- releasing her from that mom bun and that terrible dress, her being able to plunge back into the sea, being able to re-connect with her roots.

Okay, so the reasons why I can't stand it and, overall, dislike it:

I came to this movie as an Ariel fan and...we were done dirty tbh? They totally changed her temperament, her personality, her motives- in a way that wasn't just "oh she grew up and developed" but like...that's not her and this movie's cheap writing tried to make her into someone she wasn't so that the story could go down the way that it did. Most of the people who love this movie love it because of Melody, which is fine, but like...as someone who came for Ariel, the fact that she wasn't a main character was lowkey disrespectful? It think it also contributes to this idea that once you "grow up" or just age or have children, you can no longer be the main character and you have to be delegated the background so that the next generation can have their moment. More on this in another bullet. But yeah, nothing of the original Ariel was here- none of her passion and spirit and love. None of her quirks and hobbies and interests. It was just "protect Melody!"

The walrus and the penguin...I'm not a fan of Timon and Pumba type of characters and the fact that they took up so much of the runtime genuinely made this unwatchable to me. Like, we couldn't get more of Ariel, but they could be forced down our throats???

Morgana was uncompelling to me. I don't really like her design or her sidekick or her backstory. Just...eh.

The absence of Howard Ashman was really felt. Now, growing up, I have to admit I don't think too much about him and would frankly get irritated when people kept bringing him up over, and over, and over again as the sole credit to The Little Mermaid's success. I felt it discounted the director's talents, those of Glen Keane and Andreas Deja's, as well as Jodi and Pat's, and just the other members of the creative team without which this franchise never would've found legs. BUT in recent years, I was beginning to ask myself why I feel Ariel so rarely retains that original energy about her from the first film. For instance, there's none of Ariel in this sequel movie to me and even less of her in the third, and I wondered why that was. For the original three princesses, the reason the characterizations are flawed in the sequels and spin-offs is due to the lack of input and involvement from Adriana, Ilene, and Mary- but since Jodi was involved in everything Ariel had anything to do in, why did the character not always live up to who she was in the original? And I honestly think the missing piece was Howard. Regardless of anyone's personal politics or beliefs are, The Little Mermaid is THE LGBTQIA+ fairytale. It was written by a gay man and adapted by another gay man (Howard Ashman) and so much of the character of the original mermaid and Ariel carries the experience of a closeted gay person. This simply can't be adapted by a straight person and still have its artistic integrity intact (which is why I'm admittedly uncomfortable about the live action remake...there isn't a single person involved that is anything but straight, from what I've seen, and the lack of diversity in the cast with Eric, Ursula, and even Triton being white is another red flag for me considering they said they wanted to set this film in the Caribbean but the film features a majority white cast). They took Ariel from who she was in the original movie, written and adapted by a gay man with that characterization and created in the 1980s, and they essentially made her into like a WASPy suburban mother and I just...that's not my Ariel.

Overall, it's uninspired. It's literally just a next generation story with no creativity to it in my opinion. Also, as I mentioned, the characters themselves have so many places to go without needing to give birth to a kid who just relives the original movie all over again but with younger characters.

The animation wasn't expressive. I understand it's going to be a downgrade but...yikes. They went from Glen Keane's iconic animation (I honestly think his work on The Little Mermaid is solely what launched him into being a legend; like yes, his other work is great and deserves its flowers, but the fact that he did the Part of Your World sequence was probably the highlight of his career) to something that felt Rugrats level.

I was just so frustrated with the stealing of a trident and ugh in general the plotpoints annoy me and not in a way that's suspenseful but just in a "I hate that this is happening"

In the original film, what made Ariel and King Triton's relationship so potent was that it mirrored that of a homophobic, intolerant parent and a gay teen. Also, before anyone contradicts me, as I've mentioned before, it's meant to be queer-coded...someone once reblogged my post, disagreeing, and saying that while Ariel and Eric's love was forbidden and even considered illegal and they were from different species, they were still different sexes and thus could never be queer-coded and I think this person is missing the "coded" part of that definition lol but anyway, Ariel and Triton's dynamic had layers and was so raw and real. Ariel and Melody's relationship is literally just a "don't worry, I felt different too at your age, sweetie! It's not easy for anyone to be a teenager" and the entire plot of the film is centered around timing. Where Ariel left Atlantica after Triton destroyed her collection, invaded her personal space, attacked her, and essentially told her he'd never accept her, the plot of this sequel is only propelled by Ariel not catching Melody to tell her in time about her mermaid heritage. Literally, if she came into Melody's room a few minutes earlier, that entire thing never would've happened lol and that's the other part of it- throughout the film, Ariel is willing to talk to Melody multiple times??? So like...whereas Ariel had no resources, but still showed love for Triton, Melody didn't really have that. Look at the difference between how apologetic Ariel was when Triton appeared near the end of the film and how she attacked Ursula for taking the trident. Melody ignored Ariel when she tried to talk to her and handed the trident over to Morgana lol

The entire thing is aged/watered down. The original was a theatrical release, where the mandate was to write from 8 to 80 as a demographic. The direct to video release had a Pre-K to 12 audience and...yeah

The setting being weird and cold and icy did nothing for me. Like the original film made the underwater scenes look like that- apart from Under the Sea which purposely was bright and colorful and vibrant- because they wanted us to understand why Ariel, a mermaid that had always been in the dark, cold ocean, would be so infatuated by the warm kingdom of Prince Eric. To go back to the sea but make the entire thing grey and icy with a bland sky didn't make me want to go to the ocean lol

#ask #megahra #thank you for asking!#i'm open to discussions about this btw

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choeeri · 1 year

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Observation #002: cold

Harry keeps a public persona, both as <movie director> and as <eldest son>. He'll smile frequently, buy people drinks and make clever quips.

D21, breakfast chat

Right now, Harry is in business mode.

I think I got more used to it now.

He turns sociable only when he needs to be...

D32, breakfast call

What? Who's the shy young master?

Me. I can be one if there's something I need.

Prologue chat

But that's not who he is, and he won't pretend unless he's forced to. On the contrary, he says he is cold.

There's two of me? The chat room will freeze to death.

Well, i've been through all sorts of things, and now i specialize in challenges Oh. So you'd last longer than i think.

No, i downloaded this app just for fun lol The chance of this conversation will stop easily is increasing more and more.

I've been so lonely for such a long time… I've been seeking warmth… I dont think i can give you that.

He really stresses this out during the first couple of chats. He's sure people don't want his company. Because he's "cold" or "emotionless" or "boring". It's a characteristic he really internalized as his.

D11, lunch call

I'm sure you've seen what I'm like. I'm cold, and I hate it when people try to run from their responsibilities.

D18, night chat

Like everyone said, i am dull and cold.

I know.

D21, night chat

Were you paying attention to my mood?

Yes. I'm not emotionless.

But you are quite insensitive

Cant help it. This is who i am.

But "being cold" is also something he wants to reject, somehow.

Asking Heart (Lab Study)

What kind of a person are you? We would like to know what YOU think.

Just human. I may be bit cold and uncaring, but i’d say i’m human enough.

Maybe because he doesn't want to be perceived as such by the ones he cares about.

D18, night chat

[Like everyone said, i am dull and cold.]

It's true

So you think the same.

D29, breakfast chat

Do i look that cold hearted?

I bet YOU are the only one who is unaware...

I am aware. I was just wondering if you agree with others.

D63, breakfast chat

You understand my pain. But if I let it out I would become the cold-blooded man.

Which is heartbreaking considering how many times it's possible to call him exactly that

...

BUT there's a ✨GLOW UP✨lol Because now he can use that card too

D83, lunch chat

I'm leaving.

That was cold.

So you are no ordinary human. Cuz it's natural for humans to be born with compassion.

D84, night chat

We'll see who shows up first in about 10 mins...

Youre calm even in this circumstance. Youre very cold-hearted.

🤭

#the ssum #the ssum harry #choi harry #harry choi #the ssum spoilers #cloudi #burny #pi #chat #phone

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winns-stuff · 2 years

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LO RANT/RANT:

Okay, I’ve been reflecting within myself for a while now about all of the rants I’ve been doing surrounding Lore Olympus as a whole and at first I wasn’t sure about it. I thought that you know, maybe I’m just being a major hater and maybe I’m just being super obsessive with all of this stuff. I’ve talked about it with my friends and everything and they’ve all asked the same thing; “why do you care so much about this webtoon?”. At first I couldn’t really put it in words and I even had to sit down and ask myself that question too, but after realizing it I’ve compiled a small list of why exactly I care so much about other people understanding that Lore Olympus isn’t as great as it’s made out to be.

Like I’ve said before, I was once a Lore Olympus fan and around that time it was one of my favorite webtoons. I was in middle school when I found it and instantly fell in love with it, I was doing a lesson on GM in one of my social studies classes and I thought it would be fun to interact with the retelling. Obviously, I knew not to handle the story like it was the original myth and I interacted with the story like it was any romance comic I’ve came across in the past. I enjoyed seeing someone who was like me (Persephone) handling herself, I enjoyed that she had ambitions and goals and dreams bigger than she’d ever imagined them to be. I loved her kind nature and how cheerful she was, I truly related to her. I also loved that in the beginning Lore Olympus seemed like a coming of age story, I was so happy and excited to watch Persephone grow into her own and really hone her skills because that’s what I was transitioning into as well. It was nice to have a character that was going through similar situations like me. But after stepping away from the comic, it really started to irk me about how such a compelling story transformed into this uncomfortable weird situation. Persephone just up and left her family, friends, education, home, and everything else she’s ever known just to go down into this land she’s barely interacted with and marry this 40 something year old man that she barely met within a week or maybe 3 (which is the longest might I add). It just crushed me how her journey became so… One sided. It was getting less and less of Persephone’s story and more of Hades lusting after her, everything I ever admired her for was gone and anything I related to her with was ripped from me. I didn’t want to see her be built up so much just to have her as some docile wife for a man who went after her when she was barely of age.

Another thing is just because I really hate that the teenage experience always has to be surrounded by sexual hormones and sex drive with a lot of stories created by adults. No this isn’t exactly about Lore Olympus but it’s just about “teen material” in general. I’ve seen so many teen movies, books, shows, songs always centering themselves around this idea that teenagers are promiscuous and their sex drive runs endless, not only that but if you’re a virgin you’re just some prude that deserves to be made fun of and bullied for the rest of your life until you give in and sleep with someone. I’m not saying that teenagers are not like that at all but what I am saying is that I hate that that’s all we really get from these literal adult directors. We’ve seen too many damn sex scenes between teens and kissing moments between teens, I’m tired of it. I just want their to be a movie about teenagers that has nothing to do with it at all, I want more movies that show teens being real people and not just eager sex dolls ready for the next orgy or something! Also not trying to shame anyone who goes to those, I’m sorry I just thought it would fit. But really it does hurt that most teen shows profit off of exploiting such a very sensitive time in adolescence and allows for us to be seen as nothing more than sexual deviants. It’s disgusting that there are literal adults who view teens that way and that are pushing all of that filth towards their teenage audience. We don’t need to see any sex scenes when we’re literally just trying to find out who we are as people and grow and morph into the person we want to be.

Last thing I feel is just because I feel like although I only do this in my spare time I think it needs to be talked about. There’s been multiple times where Rachel has expressed about how much she enjoys this very awful age gap. Not only that I’m tired of people preying on fresh 18/19 year olds when they’re quite literally barely legal, they’re still teenagers I don’t know why so many think that you can just become an adult overnight. They still have the same brain and experience they had when they were 17 please be fucking for real. But back to the topic at hand, Rachel has done a lot of questionable things and has stated many questionable things from her own mouth. Loads of stuff I don’t agree with and it would’ve all been fine if the stuff that she’s talking about wasn’t so heavily implicated in this damn comic. It’s so weird how there’s probably gonna be so many girls out there who are my age or younger reading Lore Olympus and naively consuming everything it has to offer while Rachel continued to push these very problematic and uncomfortable themes in her books without any real proper addressing being made about them. Instead of saying that the things in her comic aren’t the best and shouldn’t be done she glamorizes it and romanticizes these very real and important issues. She doesn’t even try to say anything about it she just keeps making more and more uncomfortable situations and since the younger and older audiences possibly don’t know any better they’ll continue to praise it and idolize such scummy behavior. I feel like all of this could be avoided and talked out but instead of actually facing her problems Rachel just runs from them or blocks them completely. I know it’s hard to write stories and do art and handle fandoms and such but you cannot neglect all of these problems that half of your audience begs you to fix, I’m not saying it has to be perfect but with at least some effort something can be done.

But anyways that’s the end of this rant, I know doing these won’t help anyone or anything but I hope I at least reached someone. By the way, not trying to bash the fans or anything that’s not my intention (unless it’s kinda deserved and even then I still don’t bash them that much) and I’m not trying to persuade anyone from dropping the book. I still look at others peoples’ updates of Lore Olympus from all sorts of apps just to see how Demeter’s storyline is going (even though I’m always disappointed) but yeah, it’s perfectly fine if you keep reading I just had to say something about it for myself. Like I always say these are just my thoughts and they’re always pretty meaningless anyways, but that’s how I consumed the piece of media I interacted with and how I felt about it. If you agree that’s great and if you don’t that’s also great too, we see things differently and it’s completely reasonable.

#lo critical #anti lore olympus #anti lo

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myhotel-year · 7 months

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Tonight's Movie: Hostel (I and II)

god there is so much misogyny, badly written female characters who just hate on each other, criminalization of drugs and alcohol, and playing into awful slavic stereotypes. The gore is barely worth it they should have died worse

they just added ableism and being mean to ugly people.

no joke you can't tell apart the strippers and the main characters cause they're all exactly the same in both look and temperament

fuck even the girls will call something gay

AND now there's GOLFING it officially has all my least favourite things

i'm starting to recognize different directors' style n stuff, mr Tarantula i am not a fan so far

to be real it's also 2007

and why do they keep getting ambushed by ethnically ambiguous children

i get that everyone in horror movies has to be a villain but GOD WOW

ren faire? with hypnotism????

deadass i could not figure out what the tattoo was of, i thought it was a lil ghostie

ok redeemed the fiddling is really good

reminds me of a Sebastian Stan movie i saw.. FRESH

diversity win! the ugly girl gets a fat guy!

and ugly guy gets his revenge! (he could have saved women from murder cannibalism but she hurt his feelings)

even bitchy girls understand u don't let a homie disappear w someone

how is "person knows ur name before you tell them" a horror trope and how do they always FIGURE IT OUT

if someone remembers my name i am ecstatic, sometimes i can't even remember if i told them already

did they get captured separately by different murderers?

diversity win? the strippers are as good at killing girls as they are guys

ooooo moments of comedy keep horror alive, they really do

why is pole dancing in movies barely anything but irl it's like, a sport level exercise

oh he's gonna bathe in her blood wow

honestly she's p small i don't think she'd have enough blood for a real bath

OOO THERE'S A WOMAN KILLER TOO

love how they keep using gay as a slur but also using negative lesbian stereotypes (mean, specifically to men, overtly sexual towards other women but also mean to them)

how do the fucking kids always get revenge, and why are they so mean???? what have they been through fuck

well. direct answer to. my question.

has stripper girl gone soft? she is helping the target??? or maybe not

love how good w names i am

ok this movie does give good backstory to the first one, and it does feel like a totally different perspective and kind of movie being told from a woman's pov, but also have you ever talked to a real woman

like you get the general shape of "woman" but you've never actually SEEN one in real life

like yeah the concept of human trafficking is scary to everyone, but liiike, you do know that's a real fear for many actual women,,,

it feels like a white man going "isn't slavery scary as a concept, wouldn't that be terrible lmao"

yeah it's normal for a bestie to do a makeover when i'm freshly traumatized and hurt

"we're the normal ones" *does cocaine*

for both movies i've checked how much longer at about an hour (30 mins left) cause i get fuckin bored

there's such a back and forth of are they actually a villain at the very end it's very interesting

nooo i'm not gonna kill you, i'm a good guy! I'm one of the nice ones!!

FUCK

lmao he can't even handle watching her die what a FUCKING CUNT

ha i knew the strong one would end up the wuss and the sad one would be the killer

good doggies

ANOTHER WOMAN IN CHARGE

it's true, the real incels are are the ones that call them incels

woah birthday almost twins, i'm 11/11 she's 12/12

lmao she's got him by the dick, LITERALLY

ok actually that's amazing

diversity win! a girl joins ur gang

I'M NOT KIDDING THE FIDDLING IS SO GOOD

i am even more confused

Mr. Tarantula u do know how to make a movie feel like it ended in the middle so you can make a sequel

the "or is it" of horror

guess i know tomorrow's movie

#tonight's movie #hostel #horror

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mxdam · 5 months

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youtube

this is one of my favorite deleted scenes from cinderella 2015, even if i have a lot of qualms and criticisms about its framing and about the choices made in the construction of it. one of the things that really makes this movie (and frankly all live-action disney adaptations) suffer is its reliance on tropes; understandable to some extent, it's a fairy tale, but also frustrating on another level because it saps the movie of a unique voice and vision. it's absolutely possible to make a fairy tale adaptation with all the tropes involved without being so milquetoast and sort of Cultural Image Smoothie about it. the "umbrellas in the rain" that branagh talks about in the beginning are just a sad victorian image, not necessarily something that tells us about the movie itself or about the characters (except for the pointed exclusion of ella).

i will talk however about what this scene shows us about margarethe and what it means regarding her feelings at this time as well as her relationship to ella. ms. blanket does a lot in moments like the ones here and i have to imagine that branagh, as the director, encouraged her, which means that the deep ambivalence she shows toward ella in this scene and elsewhere is a "true" element of the character, in line with both their visions for lady tremaine's story. not that i value mr. branagh's vision so much (i could talk at length about his poirot) but insofar as this movie does have a direction and a voice, this is part of it.

the first thing i will discuss is the lack of sympathy for margarethe's position in the narration and framing. to a certain extent, this is OK for two reasons: 1. she is an absolute dick 2. the story is about ella and not her.

that being said, it must be emphasized that auguste's death has left the family destitute. for margarethe, this is the SECOND time in just about 2 years that a husband has suddenly died on her and left her alone; she married auguste in the first place specifically because of the financial security he offered. the fact that they have no income at all, maybe not even savings, hints that he was not as financially secure as margarethe thought, despite the fact that he probably had an older-money background than either marg or francis (who was a nouveau riche merchant with no particular background in money or nobility despite his later acquisition of a title). (this old-money background is speculation from the many times kat and i got drunk and watched this movie together btw. it just felt right when he suggested it.)

margarethe's position here is precarious. she has nothing. she is nothing. a woman without a man and without money to live off of is nothing in her social milieu, and i have to point out how deeply, deeply humiliating it must be for her to have to fire the servants and sell off household goods. this is not something she wants to do. she is lazy. she is annoying. she loves having things. she does not want to have to take the "economies" mentioned by the narrator. any analysis of this scene without taking that into account is lacking, and when you understand that for a woman of her social aspirations it is embarrassing and horrible to not have servants to take care of her house, to have to sell the very stuff out of her late husband's armoire to get by, her coldness and hostility make more sense. she is making a series of choices that she hates to do but must do to survive. and that is what margarethe is, a survivor at all costs, no matter what.

to continue: this deleted scene has many moments where margarethe is looking at ella. i have talked many times about their relationship and about the gaze of margarethe looking at ella. i must reiterate from the linked post that the gaze margarethe uses on ella here is a gaze of identification. she identifies with ella. she relates to ella. she understands ella. does that mean she loves or likes her? no. does it change that she is appallingly cruel to her? no. but it does mean that her feelings toward her are more complex and meaningful than just hatred or contempt. here are some shots of how marg looks at ella when ella doesn't know she's being looked at.

these are not hateful glowers. certainly they are not positive or loving gazes, but they are not the looks of a woman who is full of loathing and contempt. (i would suggest that the leftmost image does have a degree of schadenfreude in it--marg has a few moments like these which i think of as her "polishing her hate" by watching ella in pain.) if she despised ella you'd think she'd be laughing or smirking or something more than these cool, stony-faced, ambivalent stares. but her relation to ella is much more complex and to reduce it to simple hatred is to do a disservice to the work put in here both on cate's part and (unfortunately i must say) on branagh's part, given the way the camera lingers on margarethe in these moments and the deliberate inclusion of these takes.

my takeaway from this deleted scene is and always has been the incredible ambiguity of margarethe and her feelings and actions in the story. the narrator (that is, ella's fairy godmother) repeatedly attempts to characterize her in the simplest, most antagonistic terms, and insofar as this is ella's story, again, that makes sense; but margarethe repeatedly defies the narration by imbuing even her most stereotypically evil-stepmothery actions with a dimension of complexity, grief, and ambivalence. despite the fairy tale framing of the overall story, margarethe as a character resists it, becoming a kind of rogue actor in a tale where she's meant to play a simplistic part.

#██ headcanon tag.#so sorry it's been hc city on this blog lately #Youtube

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