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khentkawes · 2 years

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I know the entire SW fandom is freaking out about baby Leia and prickly, tired old man Obi-Wan. And for good reason! But can we talk about Kumail Nanjiani's character, Haja? Because he has now won the award for fastest journey from "I loathe this character and want to see him bloody on the floor" to "I love him and will protect him with my life."

We first meet Haja and he's a low-life con-man. Worse, he is taking everything that the Jedi represented and everything that Obi-Wan stood for and using it for his own selfish, petty purposes. I loathed him on sight. It's a personal affront to Obi-Wan, but also to those of us as fans who have admired the ideals of the Jedi. I wanted Obi-Wan to beat his ass and was hoping Haja would get killed off quickly. How dare he make a mockery of the Jedi ideals of compassion and self-sacrifice, and twist it into greedy self-serving pettiness. How fucking dare he do that and force Obi-Wan, who has lost everything, to see that his entire life as a Jedi is viewed as nothing more than a joke and a means of manipulation? Yeah, Obi-Wan, you can beat this guy to a pulp, and I won't judge you one bit for it.

But then, by the end of the episode.... it's a complete 180 degree turnaround. He shows up and says he will help Obi-Wan. He says, implicitly, that he respects and believes in Obi-Wan. We are finally seeing that there are people in the SW universe who saw the Jedi as heroes. Haja is a fan, like us. And so his attempts at playing "fake Jedi" for his cons are cast in a different light. How many of us as kids used to pretend we were Jedi and wish for Jedi powers? How many of us (like Ewan McGregor, who has been "one of us" all along) have waved our hand in front of an automatic door just for the private moment of pretending that we used the Force? Suddenly, Haja's fakery is transformed from an affront to something relatable and almost sweet.

And then he drops the deal-closing line: "you're not alone, Obi-Wan."

And that's it. I have now adopted Haja and I will love him forever. He is proof that there are people, who must have watched the Jedi from a distance for years, who still remember the Jedi and still respect them. Not everyone in the SW universe is a Han Solo, who knows nothing about the Jedi and thinks they are fake. The Jedi helped millions of people, they were the public face of the clone wars. They can't have just been forgotten so quickly. That's always bothered me. It never made sense that the Jedi were so prominent, and 20 years later they are totally forgotten or regarded as some ancient myth. And now we see that they were never forgotten. People like Han Solo and Rey might be clueless. Others might have bought into Imperial propaganda. But Haja and people like him have never forgotten; they have tried to keep the ideals and the legend of the Jedi alive in what little ways they can.

And now Haja offers Obi-Wan the respect and faith that he needs just when he needs it. And even more than that, he calls him Obi-Wan. Not "Master" (as the doomed young Jedi from the previous episode did). Not "Kenobi," as most of the inquisitors do. Not even "General Kenobi," which would make sense for anyone who had followed the clone wars (and is also how Leia refers to Obi-Wan in her infamous message from Episode IV). No, Haja calls him Obi-Wan. It's personal to him. He uses his first name, the same way people with celebrities who they follow or admire. Haja knows who Obi-Wan is, who he was, and in using his first name, he treats him like a person rather than a figurehead or a representative of the Jedi Order. And even though Obi-Wan isn't willing to accept it yet, Haja offers what comfort he can: "you're not alone, Obi-Wan."

Well-played, SW team. I've never gone from loathing to loving a character so quickly in my life.

Now if you pull the rug out from under me and turn Haja into a double-agent or if (as is more likely) you kill him off, I will not be responsible for my actions!

#obi wan kenobi #obi wan kenobi series #kumail nanjiani #kenobi series #haja estree #(yes apparently thats his full name)#obi wan is a better person than me because i forgot haja's name instantly and had to go look it up)#kenobi spoilers #obi wan kenobi spoilers #khent's posts

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themosleyreview · 26 days

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The Mosley Review: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Nostalgia is a fleet of tug boats in the front and rear of a massive ship or tanker. They will lovingly push and guide the ship forward into familiar waters, but they can't carry it the entire way home. They have a limited distance of travel and don’t sail past the point of no return. Unfortunately, many franchises have yet to learn that lesson and rely on those tug boats for life. Ghostbusters: Afterlife was guided perfectly and went full speed ahead into new and uncharted waters with curiosity and warmth in its heart. I walked into this film knowing that the waves of nostalgia would brush up against this new story, but I felt this time that it started pummel the otherwise overly crowded ship. At first, I was loving the day to day ghostbusting with the new team and where they all ended up. Shortly after, the film started to take a turn in relying on too many reused moments, lackluster comedy that stopped the tension dead in its tracks and a vast number of characters that were given too little to do or were contradictory to one another. There were 4 out of the 6 plotlines that should've been the main focus of the film and would've driven the plot home to a more powerful conclusion. The amount of character development would've been more interesting and not so watered down and unfocused.

Mckenna Grace returns as Phoebe Spengler and she exudes the same amount of charm she had from the previous film. She begins to showcase that teenage rebellious angst in this film and it was interesting to see her befriend someone unexpected. She has a lot of pent up rage and its on full display at times. Finn Wolfhard as Trevor Spengler this time around nails that "I'm an adult now so treat me like one" attitude and it was fine, but that's really the extent of his development and I was a little saddened by that. Carrie Coon returns as their mother Callie Spengler and I still liked her protective and sometimes chill nature. I do wish she was a bit more stern and not so easy going when it came to some of the sass she receives from Phoebe. Paul Rudd returns as her boyfriend Gary Grooberson and I loved his chemistry with the family. He truly shines when he is trying to be a bigger part of the Spengler family and I found that was truly the heart of the film in many ways. Logan Kim continues to steal scenes as the loveable and intense Podcast. I would totally watch an entire film about his adventures with Phoebe and Ray Stanz or the rest of the younger ghostbusters anyday. Celeste O'Connor returns as Lucky Domingo and I liked that she was given the ability to play with some of the new equipment and be proficient at it. Her chemistry with Trevor is still palpable and I want a teen love story between them because they are too much fun together. Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts and Bill Murray all return as Dr. Winston Zeddemore, Dr. Ray Stanz, Janine Melnitz and Dr. Peter Venkman and they all get to have fun and shine in the best way. The chemistry between Winston and Ray has never been stronger. Their "Judgement Day" scene from the original film was my favorite and their conversation in this one was just as fantastic and important. Ray and Podcast have also have an amazing bond that I want to see expanded upon in a mentorship capacity. William Atherton returns as now Mayor Walter Peck and he was still delightful to watch. It fits that he still has it out for the Ghostbusters after 40 years. He was that grumpy old man you see on a porch that never stopped hating everyone.

There are a alot of new characters that join the franchise and this is where I meant it got crowded. Kumail Nanjiani was wonderful and funny as Nadeem Razmaadi. I liked that he was a driving force behind the plot and did get to have his comedic time to shine, but a bit too much in my opinion. There is a difference between a one liner that perfectly buttons a scene and a one liner that just lingers for too long. He has at number of the latter and I hated seeing that happen to a great actor and comedian. James Acaster was fascinating as one of Winston's engineers, Lars Pinfield. Through him, you are introduced to the possible future of the paranormal investigative side of the Ghostbusters that I hope will be the focus in the future and with him leading. I would watch an entire series just with him and a science team doing studies on the different classes of ghosts they capture and examine. Patton Oswalt as Dr. Hubert Wartzki was as good as you'd expect. He had the expositionary lore position of the film that I felt was wrongfully given to him. If Ray has studied the paranormal legends, folklore and beyond for his entire life, then why not make him the source of all knowledge for Podcast and Phoebe? I just felt Hubert truly stole alot of the thunder from Ray and you honestly could've cut his character completely. Just imagine for a second that Phoebe, Podcast and Ray work together to investigate the new villain and it would present a moment for Ray to have another chance to study with Egon through his granddaughter and you see that glow of happiness in Ray’s eyes and heart. Sounds awesome right?! Emily Alyn Lind was good and melancholy as Melody. I'll try not to spoil too much, but I'll say that she presents a interesting perspective on ghostbusting and possibly the humane nature of it. Her chemistry with Pheobe was a highlight of the film and gets a decent payoff.

Composer Dario Marianelli takes the helm this time around and delivers a fun score that incorporates the classic Elmer Bernstein score motifs while delivering his own themes. I do miss Rob Simonsen's touch from the previous film though. The use of more practical effects is always been a staple of the franchise and it continues here. I liked seeing the new and creepy ghosts in the film and wanted to know more about them. So what are my final thoughts on this new chapter in the GB franchise you ask? Afterlife was a welcomed and heartfelt return to the franchise, but this film felt like it wasn't handled with the same amount of care. Yes, it was more an adventure and more like an episode of the original animated, but it lacked a fully focused narrative that could service each character purposefully. There should've been less nostalgia, trim off the one liners and the many different plots at hand. You have too many characters on a single case and it came together in the end, but you still feel that void of logic in its essence. What I wish this film had done was let the tension and fear build and actually let the audience feel as if any of them could die. Don't be afraid to have that level of terror, darkness and seriousness that comes with facing these dangerous spirits. Stop adding all these characters and focus on the ones you already have. If this film was the many building blocks sprawled across the table that it felt like, then the next film needs to focus on the blocks that fit and not add more blocks to the pile. In the end, I still liked the film and I had alot of fun with this messy and scattered entry, but I hope the next film truly lets the tug boats of nostalgia return to the docks and allow the franchise set sail into more mature and fresh waters. I’m curious to see a director’s cut of this film because it truly felt like it needed another five minutes to clean up some of the mess. There is one mid credits scene that was fun, but its not that important. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

#ghostbusters frozen empire #mckenna grace #carrie coon #paul rudd #finn wolfhard #logan kim #ernie hudson #dan akroyd #bill murray #annie potts #celeste o'connor #kumail nanjiani #patton oswalt #emily alyn lind

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thatgirlinskullz · 2 years

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Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 6 ***SPOILERS*** (and final thoughts)

-- SPOILERRSSSS

-- I MEAN ITTT

-- IT'S GONNA BE ALL OVER THE PLACE BUT STILL

-- YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

-- SPOILERS INCOMING

-- IN

-- 3

-- 2

-- 1

OHMYGOD THIS EPISODE

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

fucking hell my heart hurts

Baby Leia is still perfection and needs to be protected!! i am so happy with Vivien Lyra Blair's performance, and cannot wait to see her in more stuff. not only is she adorable, but she is soo damn good for her age!!! 💖

Baby Luke is adorable, and i'm happy with what they did with him, and Grant Feely did a great job with what he got, but i feel like they could have done more.. he barely has any lines or screentime, but then again he does it really well, still. and i am glad he wasn't the focus. tbh, cuz Leia deserves more love and screentime, she is a badass and i love how she was the focus...

speaking of badasses... AUNT FKIN BERU KICKED ASS!! holy shit!! she was so amazing, (underutilized but amazing!!) thank you Bonnie Piesse for gracing us with your presence, i love you. please come back for more!! 💖

Owen still kinda pisses me off xD i get why he's so protective, but i just don't like him.... he did do a good thing in the end by allowing Obi-Wan to meet Baby Luke and give him the present, so i guess that's fine.

moving on to other things...

Haja is still one of my favs from the show, and i wish he got more to do.. maybe in the future.. i really liked Kumail Nanjiani in this so i hope he can come back to SW one day..

Roken is actually great. he grew on me. and i rreeeeallly hope we get to see more of him in future projects.

unfortunately the Grand Inquisitor was extremely underutilized. he is wasted potential if i ever saw one.. he is such a fkin cool character and then you don't do shit with him?! what the hell?!!! 💔

aanyway...

Reva is redeemed, i guess. which.. works, i guess... i mean she was never fully on the dark side, she was tempted, and after revenge, but she was never fully turned, so i guess it makes sense to go down this route..

i really loved how they made her face her demons, face herself, face her past, and choose her own path.. for a second there i actually thought she'd commit seppuku like Hux was supposed to in the sequel trilogy... but no. she lives. she gets to move on. and build a life i guess...

would be really cool if she joined in on the rebellion or just help rescue force sensitives, trying to fully redeem herself and make up for her actions.. maaaaybe partner up with Quinlan Vos.. they would be a perfect pair: both having been on the dark side, both having lost people they cared about. they would work perfectly together imo.

now... let's talk about that fight...

OHMYGOD THAT FIGHT

my heart. it hurts. 💔😭😭😭

fkin hell...

the choreography was great, the music was great, the lighting, the lines, the emotions, it was all there. it was fkin amazing.

no, it was not as powerful as Revenge of the Sith, nothing can be that powerful. nothing can ever come close to that.. BUT it still all worked. it was so well done..

the chemistry between Obi-Wan and Anakin/Vader.. you could feel all the history and emotion behind each slash and stab..

idk if it was Hayden or one of his doubles in the suit, but goddamn they did an amazing job!! moving like that in that heavy ass suit cannot be easy, so great job to them! and thank you!! 💖💖💖

loved the way Vader was showing off how strong he is, using the saber one-handed and using the force so much... but he did switch to two-handed mode when he felt he was in over his head xD

loved how Obi-Wan regained his strength from thinking of Luke and Leia, well, mostly Leia.. thinking of them, their future, what they mean to him and to the galaxy gave him the push he needed and goddamn did he use it well.. throwing rocks at Vader to make him lose focus.. niceee

speaking of... what is it with Disney Star Wars and floating/throwing rocks? XD i get it, it's cool, but it's funny they keep using it xD

but the end of the fight was waaay to much for me...

Lucas was right when he said "It's like poetry, it rhymes" because goddamn did it rhyme. and did it break my heart.. again..

the way Obi-Wan slashes Vader's helmet and Anakin's face is shown, and his voice comes through.. a perfect parallel to Rebels when Ahsoka slashes Vader's helmet... and it hurt. it hurt so much. 💔😭😭😭😭😭

(he also said the "then you will die" line at some point like he did with Ahsoka in Rebels and that hurt me on a personal level)

the way Anakin's voice breaks through and mixes with Vader's... and says he killed Anakin.. my heart...💔😭

and even after the loss, Vader/Anakin is still obsessed with Obi-Wan, and he has to pretend that he doesn't care in front of Sidius...

speaking of... FKIN YESSS IAN MCDIARMID IS BACCK I KNEW IT FKIN HELL YESS THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK!!!!

also... they fkin left the Qui-Gon force ghost cameo to the last second, they just wanted to hurt me even more, didn't they? XD LOVED IT though

edit: alsooooo the way Obi-Wan was talking to Leia about her parents, the way he got sooo emotional talking about Padme and Anakin.. omg. it was such a good scene!! and it was also very painful but like in a good way? idk... i LOVED how he told her all these nice things about her parents, and it was enough. and i feel like Leia finally realized that she doesn't need to know more, because she HAS parents already. Breha and Bail, who love her and would do anything for her. and they ARE her parents. the way she ran to Breha proves it that she's finally content and happy with being an Organa. she doesn't need more. she is at home. she has a family. i loved that scene. 💖💖💖

.....

all in all... this is not a perfect show.. there's a LOT of wasted potential: the Grand Inquisitor, no mention of Cody or Satine, no clone war flashbacks, the episodes could have been longer to flesh out the characters more.. we could have had more of Obi-Wan in solitude.. could have had more Luke and more Beru tbh.. more Inquisitors.. the lightsaber lighting was a bit overused, (sabers have never been this bright ever xD but i guess it's fine, i get it was a stylistic choice)

there's a lot they could have done with this story, a lot of characters could have been mentioned or shown.. but overall IT IS A DAMN GOOD SHOW!!

i fully enjoyed all of it. and i loved all the performances!! i loved where they went with the story and characters. i loved how there was a lot of inspiration from Rogue One and Rebels, and Clone Wars.. with the references and some story beats.. the parallels and the rhyming.. it is all perfect imo. 💖

the emotional weight of all aspects of this story, Reva's, Anakin's, Kenobi's, Leia's, even Owen's.. it's all there and you can feel it all..

Anakin is still not fully gone, and you can sense it in every second he spends obsessing over Obi-Wan..

Obi-Wan has not fully given up, because he knows there is hope..

their reunion and rematch makes sense, and was very much needed before A New Hope, imo, it ties things together perfectly.

i am so happy that this show happened. that Ewan and Hayden got to come back and play these roles again. 💖

and, while i hope it's not the last time we see them, (although i know Hayden is gonna be in the Ahsoka show, so that's something i guess), if it is the last time, i'm happy with what we got 💖

i am happy with this show, and i am hopeful for the future of star wars.

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alaffy · 2 years

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Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ep.2 (Spoilers)

Kumail Nanjiani will not rest until he’s been involved with every major property out there.

I think it was a good idea to release the first two episodes. The first episode, while decent, really was there to catch us up to what has happened in the past ten years and to introduce some characters. This episode is far more interesting.

I’ve seen people wonder if Reva, Third Sister, is one of the Younglings who escaped. On the one hand, it would kind of make sense as she might feel as though Obi-Wan abandoned them. On the other hand, as she seems to want favor from Darth Vader….wouldn’t she be more likely to want revenge on him if this were true? Of course, it could be she wants revenge on both of them. And what better way to get to Vader, then to dangle Obi-Wan in front of him?

As for Leia….recently I’ve been making posts for the Halo Tv Series. One of my biggest criticisms was with the character of Kwan. I really wish the writers of Halo would watch this show in order to get an idea of how to write for a young sidekick. See, with Leia, yes she acts like a child sometimes because she isn’t quite aware of what’s going on. But we also can see traits in her that show us who she will be when she grows up. She’s very adept at reading people and she’s got that sarcastic whit and sharp tongue. And, furthermore, they also did a good job….when she runs away from Obi-Wan, it made sense. In so many cases, these shows give such a flimsy excuse for the young sidekick to run away (looking at you, Kwan). But with Leia, she’s not completely wrong. Obi-Wan was hiding something from her and she was kidnapped because of him, why should she trust him? After all, he’s offered no proof that anything he’s said is true. (Although you’d think Senator Organa would have given Obi-Wan something to be able to prove to Leia she was safe).

Now, in fairness, I do realize that creating a young version of an established character is different then creating a new one. Still, it you have a goal in mind of a character, then you should be able to establish some traits to show that character is capable of reaching the goal.

Finally, I admit I was surprised to find out that Obi-Wan didn’t know Anakin lived. That being said, I don’t know why that surprised me. Obi-Wan left Anakin on the battlefield and immediately dealt with hiding the twins, before going into exile. There’s no reason to assume that he would know. I think it’s because, given the fact we were told in The Empire Strikes Back that Obi-Wan knew, that now it just feels like he’s always known.

#obi-wan kenobi #obi-wan kenobi spoilers #darth vader #anakin skywalker #leia organa

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unpassive-viewer · 11 months

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Kings of Summer (2013) Review

“Hey Joe? Did you know we’ve been walking for half a mile? I can tell by how much we’ve bonded.” - Biaggio

“He took the Monopoly, too. As a way to spite me.” - Frank Toy

Hey gang, wow. It’s been like... eight months since I was here last. Still no Northman review in the works. To be honest I sort of forgot I had this account. I started grad school in January, so my other passion projects sort of went out the window.

Instead of reviewing a movie that anyone remembers or is in theatres, I’m going to review/break down one of my favourites - Kings of Summer. I don’t think that many people know this one. It was Nick Robinson pre-Love Simon. I have endless love for this film. It feels like a warm hug. Every time I need to bring myself back to reality or chill the hell out, I watch this film. Considering the whole grad school thing, it’s likely I’ll need to watch it again pretty soon.

The movie follows three teenagers who are frustrated with their families and decide to build a house in the woods to escape them for a summer. It’s a coming of age story about navigating relationships, self-discovery and growing up. Sounds simple enough, right? But this film is so much more than a typical attempt at engaging a teenage audience. In addition to the coming of age element, it’s also a look at a father/son relationship that’s on the rocks, as they tend to be when you’re 15. I really believe it has something for everyone, it is so funny and so wholesome.

The cast is “star-studded” in the best way. Nick Robinson (as mentioned), Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Moises Arias (maybe better known as Rico from Hannah Montanna), Lilli Reinhart (Riverdale), Erin Moriarty (The Boys), Marc Evan Jackson (Kevin from B99), Eugene Cordero, and Hannibal Buress and Kumail Nanjiani in smaller roles, among others. All of the adult actors are pretty established in comedy, and bring really interesting depth to the characters they embody.

The soundtrack is fantastic. Like I could not think of better music for a coming of age movie. I regularly listen to it while studying or writing papers. ( https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2c86gY4Ehvpngyxx8LwnTX?si=c2f2381ee3c2468f for anyone interested).

The art direction is phenomenal as well. This movie is very close to Arrival in that watching it feels like taking a breath of fresh air. There are so many shots that seem to place you into a cool summer evening in the woods. They remind me so much of the summers of my childhood, where I’d be out before noon and come home as the streetlights turned on.

And it is funny. The humour is very much typical of Nick Offerman, paired with capitalizing on tension and awkwardness among all the characters. It gives me a little secondhand embarrassment, but some of the most effective humour is within the scenes you sort of wish would just end.

So, clearly I’m already biased to this film. It’s in my top five movies of all time, if that says anything.

From here on is more of an analysis, so spoilers inbound:

I’m going to organize the content of this movie into two sections - one which will follow the standard three-act play, and the other which I will affectionately label “fuck around and find out”.

Before we start, some general character sketches of everyone so I don’t have to go through the entire synopsis.

Joe Toy: Fantastical thinker, head-in-the-clouds-syndrome. Rebellious, sort of petulant, and at least in the beginning expects to be able to do whatever he wants just because he wants to. Bottom line, he’s a selfish teenager.

Patrick Keeney: Joe’s best friend. Cautious - a total reflection of his household. Patrick is caught between wanting to make Joe happy, his realistic thinking, and figuring out who he wants to be in relation to those around him.

Biaggio: A-grade comic relief. Awkward, a little strange, but very loyal. We don’t hear anything about Biaggio’s family until the last 30 minutes of the movie. We don’t find out if they anticipated his disappearance or not since he seems to trust his father, but at the very least they were not worried that he’d gone missing. We can only imagine the kind of household he lives in considering his personality and the relative ease with which he returns after being gone for three and a half weeks.

Kelly: Joe’s love interest. Clearly has her own shit going on. She opens with a boyfriend who is visibly a lot older than she is, and is working a job where she has to deal with idiots constantly. Kelly needs someone who is kind to her and treats her like a person, which is 100% not Joe for like 95% of the movie, which is probably why she ends up with Patrick.

Frank Toy: Joe’s dad, widower, typical Nick Offerman character. Headstrong and combative. Not bad, just lonely and punishing others for it.

Mr and Ms. Keeney: overbearing helicopter parents who love their son a whole lot, despite how in his business they are.

Heather: Joe’s older sister. Must be somewhat similar to her mother, based on the way that Frank describes their mother as being someone who just “let Joe be”. She’s a sort of voice of reason, but is also fed up with her father’s antics. She’s the quintessential “sibling who got out of the oppressive household” character. Often a catalyst for Frank’s realizations.

And with that, I will break down the acts and the things that I noticed. This is mostly a commentary on how the acts set one another up, and the ways they transition between one another.

Act 1: The transitions between acts are marked with the song “The Pipe”. The first time we hear this song is prior to the director giving us the first shot - it plays, and eventually opens on Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and Biaggio (Moises Arias) in what we will later learn is a flash-forward. They’re in-sync, hammering on a pipe in the middle of the woods. As any film major will say, the opening scene is always the most important of the movie. It sets up the entire rest of the film. This shot gives us an important look into their dynamic - Biaggio dancing, and Patrick and Joe complementing one another’s beats on the pipe. In this scene, they are still youthful. We then jump to “one month earlier”, with Joe in the shower dreaming about Kelly (Erin Moriarty), and Frank (Nick Offerman) pounding on the bathroom door, “you’ve been in there for fifty four, no, fifty five minutes!”. From these scenes we know several things - 1) Patrick and Joe are the best friends of the group, Biaggio is adding his very particular flare to the dynamic, 2) Kelly is Joe’s love interest, 3) Joe and Frank are at complete odds with one another. In act 1, we’re at the beginning of our character’s arcs. Joe is rebelling against his father, Frank is bringing down the hammer on his son, Patrick wants to get away from his helicopter parents, and... well, we don’t know much about Biaggio. It’s Biaggio and Joe who initially discover the clearing in the woods where they’ll build the house, and so the plan is hatched.

The crucial parts we learn in Act 1 are all the things that motivate the change which takes place in Act 2. The art direction here is more simplistic, since we’re just setting up the characters. Much of it is reflected between the beginning and ends of the narratives with the characters external to Joe; Biaggio is the first to find the clearing where they build the house, as they walk in darkness after escaping the beach party. Biaggio is conversely the last to leave, also under the cover of darkness. Patrick stumbles into the clearing with the two of them the following day, unsure of the plan, and is the one to tear a hole in the wall of the house they built together. I’m sensing metaphors all around...

Act 2: The second time we hear “The Pipe” it shepherds in Act 2. It comes after a scene with the parents of Patrick and Joe check a greyhound bus for evidence of where their children have gone, and find their phones and a single Monopoly piece. Frank’s Monopoly piece. The scene ends with Frank saying, “he’s taunting me,”. Act 2 begins with, of course, “The Pipe”. Now in the present, we return to Patrick, Joe and Biaggio at the pipe in the woods, followed by Joe’s speech about “being men and answering to no one”. This, of course, will be the catalyst to all of Joe’s character development.

The art direction begins to take on a warmer tone leading up to Act 2. The boys have broken out - they’re free, they’re having fun. There are multiple shots of the scenery, of the sunlight coming through the leaves of the trees - this is the part that really speaks to my childhood.

Act 3: Act 3 begins again with “The Pipe”, but this time we don’t see Patrick, Joe and Biaggio. The music starts after Kelly brings Frank to the hideout in the woods, and Biaggio shows up to try and redirect the attention of a copperhead that has backed Joe and Kelly into a corner. This is where we somewhat of a resolution to Joe’s struggle with his father, when they begin to work together as a team. There’s as much of a heart-to-heart as you can get between them.

Leading up to Act 3, after Joe kicks Patrick, Kelly and Biaggio from the house in the woods, the shots take a cooler tone. Joe’s scenes are overcast, whereas Patrick’s are still warm now that he’s back with his family. Patrick’s narrative at this point has mostly been based around how he’s already mature, he had much less learning to do than Joe, and could go home. Joe on the other hand suffers a radical shock to his worldview, which is reflected in the scenery. I’ll discuss in a moment the divergence between the fuck around and find out sections of the movie, but I’ll note here that Patrick’s scene immediately follows a scene showing Frank and Joe. Patrick is mirrored in the same position, but is the only one of the three who is actually happy.

The resolution to Act 3 is somewhat ambiguous. We don’t totally get resolution between Patrick, Joe, and Kelly, but we can see that there’s at least forgiveness between them. Ultimately we don’t need to, because we can see that Joe has grown up, completed his character arc, and he’s less of a petulant child than he was before. This leads essentially into my next method of breakdown:

Fuck Around/Find Out: The Frank and Joe Dichotomy

This breakdown I am making based on the character arcs of both Joe and Frank in relation to one another. This is split almost evenly 2/3 to 1/3 of the runtime, and is how we learn that Joe and his dad are very much parallel to one another. As much as Joe’s is the critical character arc, the narrative underpins the entire film. Frank is really a grown-up version of Joe, navigating his own grief and isolation, with no interest in doing any of the things that would allow him to have a better relationship with his son. They exist in opposition to one another, with Joe perpetually looking for the upper hand on his father. Even when Joe disappears, Frank maintains a “he’s messing with me” narrative, which Patrick’s parents do not have. This childish back and forth is what I’d label the “fuck around” portion of the film, which translates to at least the first 2/3.

The “find out” part of this breakdown takes place once we see that both Joe and his father are alone - physically and emotionally. Joe has cast all of his friends aside after finding out Kelly is with Patrick, and Frank is alone after Heather leaves their house with the conversation, “Heather, am I a bastard?”, “no dad, a bastard would make everyone around him miserable just because he is,”. That’s the tie between them, when both of their arcs meet - they’re both making everyone else miserable because they are.

The scene I’m most interested in is where their parallel scenes with food. Joe has run out of money for the chickens that he was “hunting” (buying form the Boston market) and elects to eat a mouse which we can assume came from inside the forest house, whereas Frank hasn’t bothered to cook anything and instead finally eats the leftover dumplings that he’d previously complained about. They are united in their pathetic meals, neither deciding to take initiative and eat something other than what’s immediately available to them. They’re feeling sorry for themselves, why would they? The scene then cuts between them, both lying on their couches, looking up towards nothing. They are both alone, and they feel it.

This is the scene I’d mentioned which leads into Patrick’s; Patrick is also reintroduced to us sleeping on a couch, but he’s the only one who is in a good mood. He’s been able to rest, and he’s given up on his idea that his parents are the villains (it’s debatable that he ever thought that in the first place). Throughout the film Patrick’s family is cast in contrast to Joe’s. They have inverse problems with their parents, but at the end of the day what Joe has that Patrick doesn’t is a perpetual power struggle between himself and his father.

The scenes in the “find out” portion of the movie are where we start to see divergence between the characters. Joe is thrust into the realization that he needs to grow up for real in his isolation. I’d argue that his father also has to come to terms with admitting that he’s wrong, but Joe’s is the arc that is more glaring in this instance. The reason I say this is that if Frank had his own similar character arc, it’s unlikely that Joe would have felt the need to run away in the first place. Their dynamic culminates, of course, in them being able to at least somewhat settle their grievances at the end of the movie. Like any tumultuous parent/child relationship, there’s no real “sorry” moment, just a mutual understanding that settles between them. It’s the equivalent of your parent bringing you a bowl of fruit after a blow-out, or waking up to find they’ve taken your car to get its oil changed.

So yeah, that’s my little (not so little) stream of consciousness assessment of Kings of Summer. I may come back and edit this one later - I’ve been writing about Harry Truman for the last three weeks, which makes it hard to switch into coherent creative-style writing.

Have you seen Kings of Summer? If you haven’t, please watch it. It would make my nerd heart so happy to know other people like my favourite movies.

Oh yeah, and if it wasn’t clear already - 5/5 stars. or 10/10. I have no idea what metric I’ve been using to rate movies, or if I even had for the last few posts. All you need to know is it’s good, ok?

#Kings of summer #nick robinson #nick offerman #movie review #alison brie #movie recommendation #watch this movie #my favourite movie #favourite movies #good movies #coming of age

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beardedtreeskeletonbagel · 2 years

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Quran Exegesis ( Important Message)

Last night, I was in the masjid where Maulana Kumail Zaidi gave a lecture on Quran (24:50). In the ayah, Allah said, 'Are they afraid that Allah and His Messenger will be unjust to them?' I am connecting this ayah to my life where my heart tries to escape from the teachings of the Masoomeens and attempts to pave a path according to the wishes of my heart. For example, when you find that the Imam has clearly spoken about any issue, why do you not accept it? Do you have a fear that what Allah, the Prophet, and the Imams decided would be unjust to you?

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katherine-mcnamara · 2 years

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Hi Dev, I just wanted to say I hope you're doing okay and how you were doing with the long COVID? I had it recently and I'm still recovering. Also, would you mind posting an update on how many comms you have and what you're working on just so I can see when I want to commission you? I'm getting some money soon but I also want to make sure you're okay and not putting too much pressure on you! Have a great day and I hope you're well!

I'm also still recovering but slowly getting there so thank you so much for the well wishes and I'm sending you all the love and well wishes and hope you are taking care of yourself and getting lots of rest!

Right now I'm backed up because of being so sick so this list is a lot bigger than it usually is bc im a few months behind thanks rona, which is why i'm not advertising my comms rn (and havent since january) but if people are willing to be patient I'm more than willing to make them gifs.

Also I'm about to head to bed so excuse me being lazy and just copying the list of ones from this chunk aka ones posted in the last month and ones to be posted within the next month strikethrough means posted (for public) or delivered (for private)

Coco Jones in Bel-Air Simone Joy Jones in Bel-Air Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Dracula Julia Garner in Inventing Anna Pierre Niney in Un Homme Ideal Pierre Niney in Amants Lili Reinhart in Riverdale 6x05 Lili Reinhart in Riverdale 6x06 Lili Reinhart in Riverdale 6x09 Lili Reinhart in Riverdale 6x10 Nishi Munshi in Lethal Weapon Skyler Gisondo in Booksmart Skyler Gisondo in Santa Clarita Diet 3x06 - 3x10 Alex Meraz in The Walking Dead Harvey Guillen in What We Do in the Shadows Ella Rae-Smith in Into The Badlands S03 Remy Hii in Marco Polo S1 & S2 Caio Castro in Novo Mundo Zeeko Zaki in FBI (All 4 Seasons) Tanner Buchanan in Cobra Kai S04 Jamie Campbell Bower in City of Bones Charlie Day in I Want You Back Keon Alexander in The Expanse Marina Moschen in Deus Salve o Rei Owen Teague in The Stand & The Empty Man Oka Giner in The Five Juanas Anya Taylor Joy in The Queens Gambit Alexander Ludwig in Vikings S03 Alexander Ludwig in Vikings S04 Gemma Forsyth in Mako Mermaids S02 Mike Faist in Panic Mike Faist in West Side Story Andy Bean in Transfer Matthew McNulty in Three Musketeers Tamzin Merchant in The Tudors Lily James in War & Peace Ivana Baquero in The Shannara Chronicles S1 & S2 Kumail Nanjiani in Eternals Snitchery (youtuber) in Various Videos Iman Fandi (youtuber) in Various Videos Hallea Jones in Locke & Key S1 & S2 Nico Tortorella in The Walking Dead: World Beyond S1 & S2 Alexa Mansour in The Walking Dead: World Beyond S1 & S2 André Lamoglia in Elite Peter Vack in Consent Diego Boneta in Die In A Gunfight Tunji Kasim in Nancy Drew S3 Xu Kai in Falling Into Your Smile Sophie Turner in Heavy Katie Stevens in The Bold Type (All Seasons) Tala Ashe in Legends of Tomorrow (All Episodes) Melisa Asli Pamuk in Carpisma Melisa Asli Pamuk in Hayaller ve Hayatlar Jaylen Barron in Blindspotting Charithra Chandran in Bridgerton S02 Simone Ashley in Bridgerton S02 Natasha Lyonne in Russian Doll S02 Rachel Bilson in Take Two Hayden Christensen in Outcast Norman Reedus in The Walking Dead S04 Yang Yang in You Are My Glory episode 4 - 7 Kalama Epstein in No Good Nick Season 2 Peter Vack in I Believe in Unicorns Damaris Lewis in Titans

#usually i dont release my lists of months to do packs because anons #like to be mean when i even breathe #but here you go #rpt #rph #gif commissions

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agentem · 2 years

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Eternals, initial thoughts

I saw it. Spoiler cut.

I've been posting about ETERNALS for weeks and I started to feel a bit guilty, like I was a corporate shill. What if I didn't like it? And it was as bad as some reviewers were saying.

I'm pleased to say it's fine.

I don't think it's "the worst" Marvel Studios movie. (I still think that's Incredible Hulk, which I had trouble connecting to.) I don't think it's "the best" either. (Probably Black Panther but the ones I rewatch the most is either Thor Ragnarok or Iron Man.)

This does have a huge villain problem. In that the Deviants are not individualized. I thought perhaps Kro would be more, but he's not. He's just sort of the biggest Deviant.

And of course the Celestials as the ultimate bad guy (spoilers I guess) is very difficult because they are huge space gods and there isn't much there there.

I'd put it on a Guardians Vol 2 level of "I don't care about this bad guy"? Maybe?

I thought Gemma Chan was great. She's definitely the lead and I'm so happy we have our first WOC lead actress.

I, of course, loved Salma Hayek. I read one review that said she didn't get enough to do and they wanted her to be more Salma Hayek-y. When I read that I thought it was racist and they wanted her to be a Latina stereotype. And after seeing the film, it's racist and they want her to be a Latina stereotype.

She was so Salma Hayek. But not the funny, loud Salma Hayek. This is the Salma Hayek who has rescued nine stray dogs she was worried were going to die on the street, adopted a pet owl and who knows how many random animals. I'm so glad we get to see that side of her on film because she is a humanitarian and someone who is a protector. (She is also gorgeous and funny and smart and a good writer. Women can be lots of things!)

I had sort of guessed from the marketing (we never see her at the end battle) that Ajax would die. I was prepared for that. I wasn't prepared for Gilgamesh. I need time to process that.

I loved Kumail as Kingo and Brian as Phastos. Of course I loved Phastos. No one clapped with me when Phastos kissed Ben. I really wished we got to spend more time with Phastos, Ben and Jack. I'm worried about Ben and Jack now that Phastos is gone!

Oh, no now I'm thinking about Ben and Jack seeing Phastos taken away like Dane saw Seresi taken away. I'm going to be worrying about this for years, I suspect. I had been so worried something might happen to Ben or Jack, I wasn't worried about Phastos enough!

PROTECT THE GAY FAMILY.

The one element I expected to connect to that I didn't was Thena. I was very emotional when I heard she had mental illness and something like PTSD. I have depression and anxiety and have suffered PTSD from a sexual assault. And I know Angelina Jolie has dealt with mental illness in her life as well. But it felt more like a plot contrivance that kept her weak at convenient moments. I kind of would've liked her to fight at the end with the white eyes, sort of just let her go nuts (like the Hulk). Sometimes that is what you want.

But perhaps if they explore it more that she has real memories of previous planets and they have traumatized her, I could get on board.

What else?

Oh regarding the post-credits scenes, everyone told me Harry Styles was in it but no one told me PATTON OSWALT was in it. I'm a nerd, people. You are burying the lede.

Also was that Jeffrey Wright's voice at the end? Is the Watcher talking to Dane?

ETA: Chloe Zhao has confirmed it is Mahershala Ali. See later post.

#eternals spoilers #spoilers #eternals #marvel #mcu #protect the gays #phastos #cersei #gemma chan #brian tyree henry #haaz sleiman #thena #angelina jolie #salma hayek #patton oswalt #uatu?#kumail nanjiani #kingo

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crhinge · 3 years

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Breaking Down The Classic Rom-Com

I feel like I haven’t written a fun post in a hot sec so lets talk about one of my favorite subjects: Rom Coms

According to wikipedia, a Rom Com, also known as Romantic Comedy, is “a subgenre of comedy and slice-of-life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles.” In the past, Romantic Comedies have also been called “Chick Flicks” but I think this is devaluing of both women and the romantic comedy genre.

The other day, I woke up to find that the most wholesome rom-com couple of all time reunited: Matty & Jenna (Aka Mark Ruffalo & Jennifer Garner). This got me thinking about the beauty of the Rom-Com and how unappreciated they can be. It has been years since we have seen a rom-com with the cultural impact of 13 Going on 30, and I would like to petition for more of them after a sad and painful year.

I can already hear the millions (in my head this blog is extremely popular) of comments “What about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before?!?” “What about The Kissing Booth?!?” And too that I say, "Good Riddance!” If you’re rating your rom coms on a TATBILB scale, or even WORSE The Kissing booth, I feel sorry for you. Truly I do. So let's dive into the best Rom Coms of all time, but first...

What makes a Rom-Com good? Well let's start with a relatable as hell main character. I am talking a girl (sometimes guy), who has many flaws, but the audience can see themselves within her/him. Let's use Jenna Rink from 13 Going On 30 as an example. Well, she's literally a 13 year old in a 30 year olds body, but don’t we all still have a preteen hiding inside of all of us? She is 100% willing to be herself at every step, even if that means dancing thriller all alone. She touches on all of our insecurities, while teaching us how to break down our walls.

Rom-Coms also need characters to make realistic choices. This does not mean that the movie itself is realistic, but rather than you can understand the choices the characters make. Again, 13 going on 30 does a fabulous job of this. Obviously, Jenna traveling in time because of wishing powder is not realistic, but the choices that her and her past self make are. Due to the insecurities of her childhood and a need to feel included, relevant, and powerful Jenna pushes important people out of her life, which happens to so many people in the real world. These decisions force her to miss out on the love of her life, and ultimately, the story ends sadly: the love of her life marries someone else and she is left with tears, wishing powder, and an old doll house. That is until she is able to travel back in time and change the course of her life.

Lastly, Every classic Rom-Com couple needs to have chemistry. There. I said it. Hollywood loves just casting random famous actors without giving them a proper chemistry read. One great example of this is Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel in Safe Haven. Both fun, famous, Hollywood actors who have zero chemistry. Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner had more chemistry throwing back Razzles than those two did during an intimate sex scene.

Alright, now that we have broken down the requirements of a Romantic Comedy, let's jump into the best and worst of all time.

Best: When Harry Met Sally. 9/10. A classic. A tale as old as time. Both Sally & Harry are very flawed, yet relatable characters. Sally is too picky and particular, while Harry is a player. They both suck at relationships, but make rational decisions based on their motivations. We all have friends like these two and their chemistry is on point, both on a friendship and romantic level. They bounce off of one another splendidly.

Worst: Sleepless in Seattle. 1/10 I know, this is a strong take, but this is a terrible movie about a stalker. Meg Ryan (I don’t even remember her character's name) is the stupidest most unrelatable character I have seen in a long time. She is extremely unlovable, cheats on her SO emotionally, and flies across the country to stalk a man that she has never met before. And then you’re telling me that Tom hanks FALLS FOR HER? Nope. No. I refuse to except this. Plus, their chemistry in this is pretty mediocre (You’ve Got Mail is Way Better) and we only get to see them together once.

Best: 10 Things I Hate About You. 8/10. I was tempted to leave all high School Rom-Coms off this list, but Heath Ledger is my exception. Talk about likability. Kat is a strong, powerful, independent woman who learns how to be more vulnerable while still being a feminist badass. We all wanted to be Kat growing up. Meanwhile Heath Ledger is the classic bad boy with a soft side, and who wasn’’t into that? Both characters grow into new people throughout the movie making them relatable, complex, and realistic. Not to mention the angel that is Joseph Gordon Levitt, who keeps the audience up beat and smiling throughout the course of this Shakespeare tale

Best: My Big fat Greek Wedding. 10/10. Have you seen this film recently? Because it is an absolute DELIGHT and so relatable. It dives into the difficulty of family expectation and cultures merging. It also has the cutest proposal of all time with a realistic couple that fights for one another on a daily basis. You laugh. You cry. You get a dynamic cast with wonderful chemistry. You feel invested in the family and the relationship. Just a joyful wonderful film.

Worst: Something Borrowed. 0/10. If you’ve never seen this movie, don’t. Ginnifer Goodwin sleeps with her best friends fiancé and we’re supposed to be okay with it because she liked him first. Hard pass. And she ignores John Krazinski who is right in front of her. She is unlikable, unreliable, and makes dumb decisions that no one else would.

Best: He’s just not that into you. 9/10 I will go to bat for this movie. It follows several realistic storylines in a Love Actually manor, except they actual seem legit. A woman realizing her boyfriend is never going to marry her. A girl facing the fact that maybe some guys just aren’t that into her, and she isn’t an exception to the rule. A man slowly making the decision to cheat on his wife as they are growing apart. A woman realizing that she is worth way more than her bastard husband. A woman realizing that the person she’s sleeping with will never leave his wife for her. It's compelling, has realistic characters that we can relate to, and still warms your heart in the end.

Best: The Big Sick. 8/10. Okay to be fair, this is based on a true story so it automatically has realistic characters and decisions. Maybe I should leave this off of the list, but I wish this film got the recognition it deserves. Two lovable main characters who make mistakes that are understandable. Wonderful chemistry between Kumail and his girlfriend as well as her family.

Best: About Time. 11/10 This is hands down the best Rom-Com of all time and Potentially the best film of all time as well. If you don’t cry in this movie you do not have a heart or soul. The characters are SO insanely likable and adorable.It touches on the importance of family and valuing time and how little of it we have. The chemistry within the whole cast is palpable, and we can all relate to at least one character, whether it is the protagonist Tim, his wife Mary, his sister Kit-Kat, or his father.

Well it is important to point out the obvious here: this list is lacking diversity in a huge way. All but one of these movies follow a cis, straight, white couple, and that is extremely concerning. People have attempted to make more diverse rom-coms over the past few years, but they all seem to be lacking one of the three core components of what makes a rom-com great: Relatable, realistic, and great chemistry. For example. Crazy Rich Asians was a fantastic film, but the high level of wealth that Nick Young comes from, made his character difficult to relate to, and I’m sorry but the chemistry just wasn’t there for me. Always Be My Maybe’s characters fell flat and it’s not a film I would want to watch more than once. Love Simon made some huge waves for LGBTQ representation in the media, but that ending kiss was unrealistic along with his friends reaction to fining out he was lying, which left the movie anti-climactic by the end.

Now, the most recent film on this list was made in 2017. And before that 2013. So where have all the Rom Coms gone? Why don’t we see more of them. There are a few Rom Coms that could be contenders on the “Best” list from the last couple of years that include a small amount of diversity:

Yesterday 7/10. The big question here is does this count as a romantic comedy? The love story isn’t the main plot, but is definitely a large sub-plot. This movie features an interracial couple and is highly re-watchable. The main characters are entertaining, relatable, and have pretty good chemistry. We will see if it stands the test of time.

The Broken Hearts Gallery 7/10. This movie has gotten NO recognition. The main character, Lucy, is an extremely likable 20 something, not unlike our Ginnifer Goodwin in He’s Just not that Into You. The plot is fun and predictable but keeps you watching. I don’t know if this one will stay on my list long, but it’s definitely up there.

But here is my challenge to Hollywood: create some new, beautiful Rom Coms that celebrate diversity but that don’t throw away the relatable, realistic, and high chemistry characters that we are just waiting to fall in love with. It’s got like 16 ideas up my sleeve, so just give me a call Hollywood.

#rom com #romantic comedy #13 going on 30 #when harry met sally #sleepless in seattle #my big fat greek wedding #10 things i hate about you #something borrowed #he's just not that into you #the big sick #about time #yesterday #The broken hearts gallery

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janetsnakehole02 · 2 years

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On the Jimmy Fallon Show Kumail Nanjiani said he was tricked into doing the Bollywood dance sequence by Chloe Zhao and that he was told it was a Bollywood ACTION sequence

And I really wish the action sequence wasn’t a trick

Instead of having to listen to English music in what’s supposed to be a Hindi dance number we could’ve gotten the perfect opportunity to highlight the fact that Bollywood action sequences are anti-gravity

Desis we were done so dirty

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theocseason4 · 3 years

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Kumail has unfortunately been subjected to the Chris Hemsworth treatment at Marvel. As in, they're basically contractually obligated to have an ED and dangerous routines are encouraged. They have impossible fitness expectations and their diets are like half a boiled chicken breast, 3 sips of apple cider vinegar and a wish. On days they have shirtless scenes or scenes they need to look superhuman in they drink litres of water for days then drink nothing for 24hrs so their bodies dehydrate quickly and tighten their skin making them look more shredded. The physical and mental strain they put on their actors is simply not worth being in a movie that'll be forgotten in 2 months when the next one comes out. For Kumail's sake I hope the movie flops and he isn't stuck recording catchphrases for Disney rides for the next 20 years. I'm thrilled he can get the check though so he can fund projects he wants to do and feel authentic.

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jupitermelichios · 2 years

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Spoiler-free Eternals reaction

Well, I’ve finally seen Eternals, and I’ve gotta say... that’s a weird movie.

The first 2/3rds are some of the best stuff Marvel Studios has ever made, the last third drops the ball so thoroughly it may well retroactively ruin the first parts of the movie for you. What I will forever now think of as the Blade Runner 2049 problem.

Personally it didn’t ruin it for me, it was just disappointing that it didn’t live up to everything it set up in the first half, but my partner definitely feels like it did ruin it for him, so YMMV.

FYI for Marvel UK fans, Black Knight is barely in it, and while fun, isn’t recognisably Dane Whitman (he appears to be an entirely pleasant, well adjusted man, and definitely not the sort of weirdo who would get a mural of his coworkers naked painted on his bedroom wall, a thing comics Black Knight canonically has).

It’s diverse in a way the MCU has been dramatically failing at since the first film, and it doesn’t feel like tokenism. There’s a gay main cast member (we meet his husband and kid as well, it’s not just a throwaway line), a deaf main cast member, a mentally ill main cast member, albeit in a fairly comic book-y way but still, what may actually be intended to be a QP relationship? It felt very matter-of-fact ‘this is just what the world is like’ which was refreshing, and there was never any point where it felt the need to explain why it was diverse. There was never a ‘yes I know Salma Hayek is a brown woman but it’s okay she’s a good leader honestly’ moment, she was just the boss, and the movie expects you to just accept that.

Weirdest post-credits cameo since Guardians. I knew about Starfox, I did not know who else we would be getting, but I kind of dig it. It’s good to know that just because Gamora is dating Peter Quill doesn’t mean Adam Warlock will be single.

The CGI is mostly used judiciously in a way I liked. There’s a lot of actual location shooting, and more practical effects that you usually get. It would have been nice if the Deviants were practical effects, but (baring one more humoid one who should definitely have been doug jones in a suit) it didn’t bother me that they weren’t because of how complex the designs were, and the celestials are legitimately something that you could only do (in the way they did them at least) with CGI. Thena’s weapons are all CGI, and legitimately look super cool. Again, they’re the kind of thing you could only do with modern effects, and that’s what CGI should be for, the stuff that physically couldn’t be done any other way.

Richard Madden turns out to be fucking great at wire-work, this is the best stunt flying I’ve seen in a very long time. Scott Snyder wishes he could make superheroes flying look this good.

The costumes are really good. I’m still not 100% sold on their heroing outfits, but they can move well in them, they’ve got plenty of coverage to allow for stunt padding, and they look cool when they’re using their glow-y gold powers, so I don’t mind so much the rest of the time. But their civilian costumes are great. I think the last time I saw a woman just dress as normally as Sersi does in a movie was the first Twilight film.

I like how it handled the MCU tie-in elements - this is the first movie that actually feels like it was influenced by the events of Infinity War rather than just referencing them, and I know that doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I prefer it.

Every penny of the budget was on screen. It’s not unusual with modern blockbusters for me to come out of the cinema asking ‘how the hell did that cost $100,000,000?’ I did not have that question here. I know where every penny of it went. (Babylon, it went on designing and rendering the city of Babylon for a single scene).

The jokes basically all land, Kumail Nanjani is a great comic actor and he gets plenty to work with. I thought they balanced the tone well, mostly by not trying to make every character funny. There’s a lot less of the Wheadon-style quippiness that I know a lot of people hate, and more actual jokes.

There’s a lot about this movie to like, and I still don’t know if I can recommend it. The last third of the film doesn’t undo the good stuff - the effects are still good, the cast is still diverse, they do fun stuff with the powers - but it’s also just not good in a way MCU films have mostly avoided since AoU. Storylines just get dropped or wrapped up really unsatisfyingly because they ran out of time, the ultimate plot resolution is kind of unsatisfying as well, there’s a bunch of moral choices that absolutely need actually exploring but which don’t get explored. It’s kind of unclear with some of it what’s actually going on? I’ve seen much much worse conclusions to movies, but those were generally bad films, and Eternals isn’t, and that makes it way more jarring.

I hope Chloe Zhao gets to direct more movies for Marvel, despite the flaws. The elements that felt uniquely hers I like, and it definitely has the feel of a learning curve movie, and I’d like to see what she learned. It also feels like she was given her head as a director in a way franchise movies almost never allow, and I hope we see more of it going forward. That’s always been the MCU’s biggest strengths - the way they rely on their second unit directors to cover the action elements, allowing them to give non-action directors a creative freedom they wouldn’t otherwise have - and I hope they continue to lean into that.

#martin scorsesee look me in the eyes and tell me this wasn't a movie #eternals #mcu #long post #very mild spoilers #it's certainly an interesting film #I love shang chi #but it felt very safe #and very blockbuster-formulaic #and eternals definitely isn't that #it didn't make me angry #this isn't kingsman 2 bad #but it's unsatisfying

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lilydalexf · 3 years

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Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Michelle Kiefer

Michelle has 55 stories at Gossamer. If you haven’t read them, what are you waiting for?! She has great takes on Mulder and Scully. I’ve recced some of my favorites of her fics here before, including Christmas in California, Making Other Plans, and Six Inch Valley. Big thanks to Michelle for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

I’m not sure anyone is still reading my stories. I haven’t migrated my X-Files ones to AO3. I don’t think Gossamer provides any viewing statistics. I’d be very happy to hear that people still like my work.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

My X-Files fandom experience was amazing. I remember that sense of excitement and immediacy. It was thrilling to write stories (and read those of other authors, of course) in an active fandom for a show that was on the air. It was truly my first experience in an online world--a parallel world to my real life existence. I learned how to keep a foot in each world. As I recall, it was very hard to keep my focus in my “meat” world, when the online one was so fast moving and thrilling. But I did get some balance in my life as time went on.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

Message boards and mailing lists were my experience. They were primitive compared to the pretty screens now. I forged some amazing friendships, some of them with people I discovered lived relatively near me. All I wanted to do was discuss episodes and fic. The flame wars were a little intimidating, but also amusing if you didn’t get swept up.

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

I was very passionate about the fandom--as I said, there were times when my online life seemed to overpower my real life experiences. I learned to manage that, and think I’m all the better for that. And I found some amazing friendships that are active and thriving today. I learned a lot about writing with XF fanfic. The level of quality was stunning. A decent percentage of fic were as good or better than traditional published fiction. But there were so many writers! I wanted to make an impact on the fanfiction world, but that meant taking my writing very seriously and learning to develop a story, pace that story, make it compelling and believable.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

I had a couple of coworkers that talked about the show all the time. I was curious, so I watched an episode. I believe it was the cannibal town one. I thought David Duchovny was odd looking and wasn’t terribly impressed. But I tried another episode - Wetwired, which blew me away with the morgue scene when Mulder thinks he’s going to identify Scully’s body. Ah...I thought, now, I see what everyone is talking about! And from then I was hooked.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

As I watched, I wanted more. I was fairly new to the internet (frankly, the internet was new to almost everyone) I found episode reviews, and some of them were fantastic. Some mentioned fanfiction. I was unaware of such a thing, though to be honest, since childhood, I’d been spinning stories in my head about characters on TV shows. I found some fanfic. The first couple of stories were not great (at least one was horrible) but then I found some that were very good. Probably a bit soap-operaish, but still readable. And then I became voracious as I plowed through the mass of stories looking for the good stuff. And boy was there good stuff.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

I’m not estranged from it, but I don’t spend much time with it after all these years. I’ve found fanfic in some other shows that I like and only occasionally read old XF stories.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

I’ve not been as involved with any other fandoms, i.e. following commentary on the show. I tend to dive into TV shows well after their heyday, so I’m always late to the party. I do read fanfic from other shows, and have actually written fanfic for other shows, but I need a really good idea to write. None of the other fandoms for my other shows are as busy and active as XF, even ones currently in production. And none of them have as much fanfic and certainly not the level of brilliance that we had in XF.

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

I tend to go for interesting partnerships, very much in the XF fashion. And a flawed hero is always a plus! The partnerships don’t necessarily have to be romantic---in fact I find I prefer those that are not. Really, Mulder and Scully were the only ones I felt deeply as a pairing, probably due to the chemistry between the actors. But the partnerships have to be well-balanced and realistic. I loved the characters on Sleepy Hollow. The two main characters were very much in the mold of Mulder/Scully.

My newest passion is British detective shows and I’ve completely fallen for the “Morse-verse” shows, Inspector Morse, Inspector Lewis and Endeavour. Less of an XF feel, but compelling characters with interesting backstories. Other favorite partnerships in the British detective genre are on Inspector Lynley and Broadchurch.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

A bit less now, though I’m still involved with a wonderful group of ladies who love the X-Files. When we get together for a yearly weekend, we binge episodes and eat impressive amounts of junk food. XF isn’t on network TV these days, but if it was, I’d probably watch it.

A couple of years ago, I listened to Kumail Nanjiani’s XF podcast on my long commute. I loved the commentary and interviews so much that I did watch some old episodes.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

I don’t read much XF fic. I’m currently reading in some other fandoms, but it’s harder to find good stories--the ones I follow aren’t very active these days and the quality just isn’t what XF was. We were so lucky. We had maybe 20 incredible top authors at any one time, then maybe another tier of 50 to 100 good to maybe great writers. And with new episodes, there was so much inspiration. We were so spoiled.

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

Everything from Syntax6, MaybeAmanda, Kel. A special story for me was “Strangers and the Strange Dead” by Kipler because I remember reading that very early in the morning in my unheated basement in the winter because that was the only time I could use our single computer without others in the family complaining. I remember actually gasping at the big reveal in the story. I can even remember the story’s opening line!

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

I was just learning how to write fiction when I was involved in XF, so I’m not sure my best work is there, though the bulk of my stories are there. I liked some of the work I did with others. I wrote Bone of Contention and Out of the Everywhere with Kel and I think that those stories got the best aspects of both of our styles. For stories I wrote myself, I think they’re not bad, but they are rather short and it’s always easier to maintain a theme and style for a short story. I liked Black Cherry Velvet. I’m writing some Inspector Lewis stories that I think are pretty good--they benefit from the years of experience that I was gaining through XF.

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

Never say never, but I probably won’t write more XF. I used to burn with it, but I think that got burned out a bit. Still, I have such wonderful memories of the whole period. It might be worth looking at again.

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

As I mentioned, I am currently playing in the Inspector Lewis world. It’s sad--it’s a very small and not terribly active fandom. Sad that my best work is in an inactive fandom where I’m lucky if 20 or 30 people are reading them. It doesn’t help that I don’t write the most popular pairing.

But I’m really enjoying it. I occasionally write for Man From Uncle, which really shows my age, as that was a childhood obsession.

Where do you get ideas for stories?

With XF, it was always a take on an episode--did I get a tiny idea that I wanted to develop, or was I not thrilled with the way something went on the show. Now, it’s usually a “what if” kind of thing where I get inspired by a possible event and explore how that would play out, i.e. “What if this character had a one night stand resulting in an unplanned pregnancy?” What would happen? How would he handle the consequences of this? How would it change his life?

What's the story behind your pen name?

It’s literally my own name. I SOOOO wish I’d used a pen name. But I was naive and fandom was so new to me that it never occurred to me that a pen name would be better. I always told myself that my real name sounded like something made up, like a TV newscaster name, and I hoped people assumed it was a pen name.

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions?

My husband and my kids were the only ones who knew about it for many years. Then I went to a fandom/fic gathering for three days and had to explain to a few other family members and my work mates why I was going to Chicago on my own. It’s still mostly a need to know thing and they don’t really need to know.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

I’m on AO3 as msk. And everything I wrote for XF is on Gossamer.

(Posted by Lilydale on February 2, 2021)

#new post #old school x #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #xf fanfic author interviews #michelle kiefer

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smokeybrand · 2 years

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Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Mad Weary

I was never on board for an Eternals film. I always thought it mad more sense to make an Inhumans movie. People know the Inhumans. They have stories. There characters are iconic. Karnak. Medusa. Crystal. Blackbolt. These are names, characters recognizable by the casual. Feige thought otherwise. Admittedly, the Eternals are cool in concept. They have intriguing power sets and, of course, that old school, Jack Kirby, Fourth World charm. What they don’t have is f*cking stories to adapt. Every Eternal narrative in the comics is terrible. All of them except for one. What the f*ck could they possibly use to make a compelling film? Well, the thing is out on VOD and i finally got a chance to check it out. Is it as bad as everyone wants me to believe or is there something there most people missed? I had to know for myself so i spent the to and a half hours checking it out.

The Good

This film is f*cking gorgeous. I love every design choice in it. I love how the Deviants look and move. I love how the Eternals us their powers. I love their costumes and all of the scenes set in the past. This thing is easily one of the best looking films in the MCU slate to date.

The direction of this thing i on point. I’m actually surprised because this isn’t Chloe Zhao’s usual fare. That chick is a prestige director and looks to make films specifically to win awards. I hear that’s hat Feige wanted and, admittedly, the direction is sharp enough to make that happen. Unfortunately, the film gets in the way of itself and takes dulls a lot of that shine.

I rather enjoyed this cast. There are, of course, standouts but, for the most part. Everyone does an admirable job in their respective roles. Salma Hayek is pretty good as a more motherly Ajak; A stark contrast to the aloof dickery of her comic book counterpart. I enjoyed Richard Madden’s take on Ikaris. His character felt the most accurate to the source material. I loved Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman and wanted so much more of that guy. Don Lee was exceptional as Gilgamesh and it sucks he was the second of the only two Eternals to bite it. It’s always dope seeing Brian Tyree Henry in anything but his Phastos is up there for me in terms of his performances. I mean, it ain’t Paperboy but it’s still really good. Gemma Chan’s Sersi has potential. There’s something there, i just wish she was allowed to she more of it. I also kind of feel the same way abut Thena, Angelina Jolie’s character. It feels like there is much more for her to do, much more for us to experience just below the surface. Now, it’s time to get into my favorite characters.

Harish Patel as Kingo’s valet, Karun, is the MVP of this flick. I loved this guy! Speaking off...

Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo is a f*cking stud. This dude was stealing every scene he was in. A lot of people focused on his unnerving physical transformation for this role, and was drinking all of the HGH-Steroid flavored, protein shakes, but he’s really good in this role. Shame he jut up and f*cking leaves just as the climax begins. F*cking cock tease, that one.

Lauren Ridloff speeds by as Makkari and she stole my heart along the way. I adored this character, man. She was so full of energy and, for someone who is deaf and doesn’t speak, said so much, with all of the passion. She was a real treat to see and, my goodness, did they realize her powers dope. Makkari is easily the best looking Speedster to make t to film to date.

I can’t talk about Makkari without mentioning Druig, played to the perfect, caustic, abrasive pitch, by Barry Keoghan. This dude is something special and i look forward to what he has in the pipeline next. Considering the rumor mill is saying he’s the next Joker, I'm all for that sh*t.

Seriously, my favorite thing about this movie is the relationship Druig and Makkari share. I can't tell if it's romantic but it's definitely very deep and very passionate. It's definitely a love. Druig is so cold toward everyone else but is an absolute teddy bear for Makkari and it's adorable.

The Meh

So much waste in this flick, man. Salma Hayek? Wasted. Bill Skarsgard? Wasted. Kit Harington? Criminally wasted. That last one hurt because Jon Snow is really f*cking likable in this thing, man. Honestly, if you’re not Gemma Chan, you didn’t have enough time in this flick to really leave an impression. Well, at least, a good one. Sprite is in this movie and i will get to her, trust me. Meanwhile...

You see a lot of Sersi in this and, as hard as it is for me to say this because she is my favorite Eternal in the books, she kind of sucks. It’s weird to see because it’s very obvious Sersi is the main character but she never really feels like it? Like, i went on this journey with her for to and a half hours but i still know absolutely nothing about the character or her personality. I was shown nothing and told everything so it feels hollow. She feels hollow. How the f*ck is the main character of your origin film, your introduction to the audience, a nothingbuger? It’s not really a problem if you just go into this thing as a “blockbuster”experience” or whatever but i can’t do that. I don’t think Feige or Zhao want you to do that so this is a whole f*cking problem.

A lot of these cats are a little too melodramatic. It feels like Zhao was trying to force Nomadland into an MCU box and certain actors responded accordingly. To the detriment of the film. I think that might have something to do with the writing, though, because that sh*t i trash. Zhao doesn’t understand these types of films and it really shows, which is weird because this thing is really well directed. How does that happen? I mean, Zhao wrote this cluster so you’d think the story would be on point, or at least as good as the direction, right?

The Bad

I hate the tone of this film. It doesn’t feel like an MCU movie. Sh*t is trying to be more than that but fails miserably and ends up being so much less. This thing plays like a DCEU flick and not something post-Endgame that Marvel would make.

There’s way too much going on in this thing to be coherent. There’s too many characters and that really hurts the narrative. This sh*t is all over the place and has to force certain things for plot convenience. It’s covered up by slick effect and dope set pieces but, if you’re paying attention, you can see the very obvious compromises.

Why the f*ck was Kro even in this thing? F*cking wasted potential, man. That character could have been ANY Deviant so why Kro?

This sh*t is LONG, man, and you f*cking feel it. There are all sorts of pacing issues and it drags way more than it should. You feel every second of that two and a half hour rut time.

Why the love triangle? One side of this thing was only in the movie for, like, ten minutes. Why the f*ck would you even push that? Sh*t is wholly unnecessary and absolutely detracts from what could have been decent character development.

The Celestials look like dog sh*t. i love so much of this film’s aesthetic but these thing look like hot donkey diarrhea. The one we saw in Guardians was much better.

Sprite is terrible. People like to give child actors a pass because they’re kids but Lia McHugh is bad at her job, man. She doesn’t understand how to portray emotion properly. It’s weird to see. I know she knows what she’s supposed to do, that much i can see in her performance, but i don’t think she has the range to do it so it comes across as just bad. Especially put up against this cast of vets. She’s the worst thing about this entire f*cking movie.

The Verdict

Marvel’s Eternals is a weird experience, man. It’s definitely not as bad as everyone says but, at the same time, not very good. There are a lot of strong performances and some of he worst I've seen in the MCU. It feels epic as sh*t but, simultaneously, frustratingly small. This thing is absolutely f*cking gorgeous and then there’s Pip. This movie is a vexing micture contradiction of mediocrity and exceptionalism. Like, there are intriguing sequences and relationships that, if we got to see just a little bit more, would be dope as f*ck. Gilgamesh and Thena. Makkari and Druig. Sprite's unrequited love for Ikaris. Why Kingo is such a f*cking fanboy. All of this is rich, fertile ground for exploration. Instead, we get passing acknowledgment of this sh*t in favor of a half-assed love triangle where one side isn't even in the f*cking movie. It's so goddamn frustrating because i can SEE a great, emotional, consequential film between the scenes we were given.

Like, the movie we got is pedestrian as f*ck but the movie it wanted to be, is Infinity War levels of excellent. There is a good movie here and i can see it, just under the surface, but what we got is not that. It’s not good but it’s not bad either. It's stuck in this limbo of meh. Middling with spikes of incredible but wholly unnecessary. Who’s this movie for? What’ the point of blowing the Celestial load so soon into Phase Four? Why amass such a strong ensemble only to kneecap them with sub par material to perform? I sat through two and a half hours of a first draft script, or at least that’s what it felt like. Ultimately, Marvel’s Eternals is not the prestige flick Feige wanted it to be and is more in line with the middle-of-the-pack MCU entries. Maybe the next one will be better, maybe it won’t. All i know is, unless you're a die hard fan of the MCU or a completionist, you can skip this one. Nothing of value will be lost.

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