#i just learned how to paint skies epic
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Week ending: 26 November 1953
Some competition as December draws to a close, with a rather Spanish-looking duet and an Eddie Fisher number vieing for my favour. Who's it going to be?
Vaya con Dios (May God Be With You) - Les Paul & Mary Ford (peaked at No. 7)
Well, we start strong, with some genuinely very nice steel guitar from Les Paul. I've only just realised that he's probably the one the guitar make is named after? A quick google confirms that indeed, the Gibson Les Paul was named after him, though he didn't play one.
Either way, the pace it sets is chill, a relaxed sort of waltz. We're getting a lot of waltzes at the moment, aren't we? They can sometimes get a bit slow and soupy, and this thankfully feels relaxed without ever getting properly slow. It's laid back, but not draggy.
When the lyrics come in, they paint an evocative picture of a sleepy town, somewhere in the American South-West. Or possibly in Mexico, I guess. We learn first of all that "Now the hacienda's dark, the town is sleeping". Later on we also get mission bells, and of course, we've got the Spanish in the refrain, all of which makes me think of somewhere like New Mexico or Spanish-influenced Texas. Again, this must have all seemed impossibly exotic in the UK of the early 1950s.
Throughout, Mary Ford's voice is sweet and lovely, understated and fairly deep, and just very soft. The harmonies are either a very good backing singer or Mary's singing her own harmonies, and they're all just really nice!
Plus, I like the lyrics. They're simple, all about having to part from your love, and wishing them God's blessing, praying for them, promising to be with them "Although you're many million dreams away". It's just enough metaphor to elevate it from the realm of the banal, and I love it!
There's also a hint of the scandalous - why else would they be parting from each other before dawn, before people wake up and see them together? Is this a forbidden love? It all feels a bit Romeo and Juliet with the "Parting is such sweet sorrow" line.
And then we wind to a close right on time, with a mix of strummy, disorganised chords that shift around and don't seem to settle straight away. It feels quite modern, in a way, and diametrically opposed to the Big Bombastic Ending school of thought that some songs of this era evidently subscribe to.
I really like this song. It's great, and I'm not surprised that it seems to have become a bit of a staple since this came out.
Wish You Were Here - Eddie Fisher (8)
No, it's not Pink Floyd, sadly.
We're immediately in the realm of the slightly epic with Eddie Fisher, though, with a big orchestral introduction, complete with twiddling flutes and fast, energetic strings for just a brief moment before the singing starts.
The whole song's clever enoough - it's about how the world looks duller when the person you miss isn't around, but I love the way it's phrased as Eddie sings about how "They're not making the skies as blue this year", or how "Someone's painting the leaves all wrong this year" or "Why did the birds change their song this year" before going back to the constant refraid: "Wish you were here". Something about the unchanging nature of it - whatever catches his eye, he always goes back to just missing his love and thinking about them incessantly. It's sad, and evocative, in a show-don't-tell kind of way.
It doesn't hurt that Eddie's singing is lovely and smooth. He can croon with the best of them, and he knows when to belt it and enjoy a note versus when to hold back. It's nicely done.
I also like the orchestration, with these tense strings playing away underneath the lyrics. They seem to shift about indecisively between more major chords and minor chords, while there's also this jittery effect to it, which really captures that frame of mind where nothing's quite right or stable any more.
There's then quite a long musical interlude about two-thirds of the way in, but there's enough going on in it to keep your attention, from the low strings taking up the main tune, to the higher strings doing this fun stabby, jerky descending line. I like it!
It's not a song with much in the way of narrative or development - it has one idea and sticks to it - but it doesn't need it to be a good song. It feels quite dramatic, like something from a Broadway play, and it does a good job at what it's doing.
And, of course, we're back to the Big Bombastic Ending thing, albeit in a nice variation where instead of going loud, Eddie goes high. We get one gloriously soaring "They've stolen the joy from the NIIIIIIIIGHT" and then thankfully, things get quiet again for a quiet, melancholy ending that's actually quite effective. The string bit that follows spoils it a bit, but it's still better than a lot of recent song endings have been, and leaves me with a lot of good will towards this song.
What a refreshing pair of songs! Both of these songs come highly recommended, they're lovely - well worth a listen, especially the Eddie Fisher song, which I do think deserves more recognition than it gets. Not sure it's my favourite of the two, but still a good tune. Of course, that means...
Favourite song of the bunch: Vaya con Dios (May God Be With You)
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2022 – The Year of Resilience
I genuinely thought that I am done with 2022 due to the huge heartbreak that I felt.
Since 2019 I never make a goal to start a new year, just continuously reflecting on what I have done and I have achieved.
From December 2021 until May 2022, I was occupied preparing my university and scholarship application to some universities. I got no time for unnecessary things like hanging out with friends, getting along with my co-workers, or even thinking about love.
I knew that 2022 was supposed to teach me about how failure and blessing could co-exist. But in the mid of 2022-in June to be exact, you came into my life. You reoriented the rest of the year making it more colourful and it felt like you painted my whole skies. When I failed, you tried your best to cheer me up. Nothing sexier than effort and knowing that there is someone who wants you so much.
Some people said that stay single until you feel that love is easy, as simple as breathing. Despite the differences among us, I am grateful to have him right now.
So, writing this reflection reminds myself that this year is full of ups and downs, tears and laughs, loneliness, resilience, anxiety, and joy.
First: Failure
Half of my 2022 was full of hustling in preparing for university and scholarship applications. My desire to pursue a high level of education is still the same every year. All I want is to get my master's degree, a new experience to broaden my horizon, and get a better job for a better life. I applied to Oxford, MIT, Freiburg University, 4 universities in Sweden, Hong Kong University, and Sussex University. From all those applications to universities, I got accepted to HKU and Sussex Uni, but not the scholarship.
During preparing these applications, I realised that I am more aware of what I want and what I need. I learned that it’s ok if your dreams change and it’s not the same dream as 5 years ago. I realised that I evolved and my dreams as well. Preparing the applications takes time and requires deep focus. I can say that my half-life in 2022 is juggling with personal statements, reference letters, tons of essays, documents, and not being able to move from my desk (ups! My bad).
When I got an email from ADB-HKU (which was my last hope back then) telling me that I didn’t get the scholarship, I was shocked and all I could do was sit in silence and cried until I slept. But the universe has its own way to remind me about failure. One of the TEDTalk videos I watched before I slept was about how a high-level mindset can help you to achieve your dream. It was such an enlightening talk for me because the talks remind me to keep my head up and not every chapter in life is going to be perfect. So, it’s ok if you fail, you will learn and grow.
Second: Growth
I always believe that rejection means redirection. When I failed, I didn’t tell myself to be strong or “yeah let's do it again”. No. It is not how I treat myself to face failure. I learned that in order to make yourself stronger you have to give room for yourself to be vulnerable. Accept the situation and feel the emotion. So, when I cried, I let myself feel all of the emotions like anger, sadness, confusion, etc.
My failure has taught me that I shouldn’t hold on to something too tightly. It’s like when you hold sand in your hand too tight, it will come out from your fingers and it won’t stay. I also try to believe in what God has prepared for me because God is the best planner and executor. My failure gives me room to grow and evolve. It teaches me that life is about to catch and release.
Third: Joy
The rest of 2022 was an epic journey for me. I never expected could meet someone like you. Well, of course, we met in 2020 but I mean we really ‘meet’ at an unexpected time which…both of us know the story. HEHE. It took almost 3 months for me to really form a feeling for you and during that time you always prove to me your consistency which is ‘sexy’ for me. I have to say that neither of us expected to walk down a road that leads us here. (Read: kamu genit banget dari dulu sampe aku gamau deket tapi sekarang malah seneng kalau spending time sama kamu)
We met at the point where I was done with wanting to be with someone. I was done about meeting and knowing people to start a relationship. Then, there is you. All of the efforts you make, the sweetness, the weirdness, the awkwardness, and the silliness, all of these make me rethink about love. Despite our differences, you treat me well and make me one of your priorities. Even though I hate when you ‘ngomong gak jelas’ but you still steal my heart. Asik :D We went from one art exhibition to another, make a list of ‘Saturdate’ activities, re-watch Harry Potter, went to Ubud and Besakih and almost ‘died’, and many activities.
It’s weird how I started 2022 with hustling, and overthinking and ended with me smiling and laughing almost every day.
Since nothing is permanent in this world, including this state of happiness…so I guess let’s embrace our moments. The only thing we can do is cheerish it while it lasts.
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Jkt / January 1st, 2023 / 11.28pm
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Best apps to kill time on 😻
I've been seeing some posts circulating about popular websites/apps and wanted to make my own version.
These are apps I’m way too addicted to. Am I missing any?
Edit: Sorry for all the time I’ve taken away from your life
Commaful - popular fanfiction, story, and poetry community 👑
Photo Filters - makes my Insta feed look perfect
Spellbinding - super addictive bite-sized stories
Sweatcoin - get paid to walk
Terrarium 🌱 - build the ultimate garden empire
Idle Human - build a human from scratch. for reals.
Palm Reader - get your palm read!
Meditation and Sleep - helps me find happiness and calm!
Choices - get crazy in this role play choose your adventure game!
Fitnesss Coach - your indoor fitness coach, get fit!
Cat Game - cutest cat game ever 😻
Byte - watch the funniest videos on the internet
Weed Factory - grow your weed empire 👿
Idle Construction - build a city!
Tabou: juicy HS stories
Sushi Bar - run your own sushi restaurant and win big
Zooba - zoo battle royale!!!!
BIGO Live - the best live streaming app!
BitLife - a life simulator
Calm - how i deal with my mental health
My Story: go to back to HS in this choose your own adventure
Well - an awesome hypnotherapy app that makes you feel better
Idle Workout -get fit in this virtual workout game!
Draw it - how fast can you draw? So addicting!
Tennis Clash - the best multiplayer game on the app store
Hily - a privacy + safety conscious dating app!
Repair Master 3D - open up some electronics and fix em up!
Perfect Paint - how fast can you paint?
AMAZE - taking mazes to the next level!
Video Editor - an easy video editing app for your phone!
Bake It - bake some masterpiees for your customers!
Yubo - come make friends!
Cold Cases - solve some cold cases!
Go Fish - win trophies by catching hella fish
Golf Orbit - ever play golf on mars?
Basket Throw - just throw the ball into the basket. Easy right?
Gun Gang - build your gang and shoot your way through
Avakin Life - your 3D virtual world
Knock'em All - shoot balls, destroy everything!
Adventure Escape Mysteries - investigate clues and solve the crime!
Drop and Smash - smash it all!!
Bunch - really fun way to play games with friends
Crazy Shopping - spend as much as you can, as fast as you can!
Army Clash - build the biggest army and destroy them all!
Shoot out! - kill the bad guys, save the good guys 🔫
Dental Bling - pull out the rotting teeth
Fam - video parties!
Aquapark - race you down the water slide! (and push you off it!)
Jetpack Jump - fly this addicting jetpack!
Scribble Rider - Draw your wheels in this crazy adventure
2048 Balls - how far can you go in this one?
Ball Blast - upgrade those cannons and shoot some balls!
Smash Cars - race and smash some cars!
Taimi - finally a good lgbtq+ dating app
Wired For Youth - get knowledge and learn from interviews and books
Ultrahuman - a very calming meditation app for sleeping
Flex - work out with friends!!
FitnessAI - your personal home workout trainer
Unfold - make your Insta stories awesome
Flip Jump Stack - flip and stack all the way to the cheer tour!
Run Sausage Run! - Avoid the knives and save the sausage
Bee Factory - build and raise your bee empire!!!!
Draw Joust - draw your own cart and crush the other player!
Sniper - are you a good shot? prove it!!
Rolly Legs - race your robot to victory
Let's Be Cops - you're the only good cop in the city. Can you keep the peace?
Good Slice - slice that food!
Go Fish - win trophies by catching hella fish
AmpMe - amp up your phone speakers!
Betternet - a safe, fast VPN to get around bans!
Demolish! - demolish everything!
ASMR Slicing - the most satisfying slicing game
Paint The Cube - paint through a 3D cube maze
Car Restoration - let's restore some cars!
Curvy Punch 3D - swipe to punch!
Line Color - paint the road!
Flip Tumbling - just keep flipping! Parkour!
Baseball Fury - hit that home run!
Summer Buster - play these summer mini games!
Sharpshooter Blitz - your mission, storm the enemy base
Shred - your personal home workout planner
Spiral Roll - dig wood, make spirals, destroy enemies
Tower Run - grow your tower of humans
Foot Clinic - run a foot clinic to fix all types of feet!
Farmer Hero - run your own ranch! step into the farm land!
Jumpero - can you get through this obstacle course?
Sleepzy - Your sleep cycle tracker
Crash Landing - anyone can fly, but landing takes skill
Farmers.io - harvest as much as you can!
Ball Slider - slide that ball!
Blast City - Be the hero the city needs
Fast Driver - It's a race! Can you win?
Magic Woods - chop those trees!
Five Hoops - shoot hoops with millions!
Super Sniper - be the best sniper you can
Sleep - awesome bedtime stories!
Off The Rails - control the train!
Tie Die - make some awesome shirts, bikinis, and more
Woodturning - create your wood masterpiece!
Crowdmaster - blast those enemies away!
Ramp Car Jumping - do some crazy jumps with some crazy cars!
Stunt Truck Jumping - do some crazy stunts in trucks!
Doodle Run - it's a race!
Overtake - a racing game, can you overtake your foes?!
Acrylic Nails - run a virtual nail salon!
Spark - ran easy mobile camera and video editor
Braindom - figure out who's lying, cheating, and married!
Ramp Car Jumping - drive off a ski jump...in a car
Super Salon - run your own salon!
Bullet Rush - shoot everybody!
Itsme - hang out with your BFFs!!
Idle Slice and Dice - the most satisfying game for cutting all kinds of stuff!
9 Months - a pregnancy simulation!
NERF Epic Pranks - epic nerf battle!
Flipper Dunk - pinball meets basketball!
Ibotta - save money on everything you buy!
Wish - the funnest way to shop!
Wishbone - fun game for comparing stuff like hair, celebs, sports
Sticker Stack - epic stickers for you to send!
Celebs - the app that shows you what celeb you look like
Palm Reader - get your palm read!
Yarn - stories that are seriously creepy af
RemNote - the best freenotetaking site for students and professionals
WeBull - get 2 free stocks valued up to $1k!
Sweatcoin - get paid to walk
Idle Human - build a human from scratch. for reals.
Terrarium - build the ultimate garden empire
Spellbinding - super addictive bite-sized stories
You’re welcome 😉
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Horoscopes for New Moon in Cancer July 9th 2021
Horoscopes for the New Moon in Cancer
July 9th 2021
By Antonina “Little Thunder” Whaples
@whaplesantonina
If you find these horoscopes useful, please consider voting for me in the Muscle and Fitness Hers front cover competition for 2021′s Ms. Health and Fitness: https://mshealthandfitness.com/2021/antonina
Digital painting by Antonina Whaples
Still steaming in the energy of the overarching solstice sun rays, this New Moon in cancer will have you blissfully forgetting any of the struggles of the very conflicted Capricorn dominated conversations of the last Full Moon. In the wake and bake of the solstice, our Yang energy gets an overdrive that manifests in contrasting ways. Looking at your focuses on this way down the epic landslide of energy will open up gates of knowledge to understandings about your true identity. With Saturn coming into center with Aquarius soon, and Jupiter hitting retrograde in Aquarius on July 28th, your inner databanks are getting a major makeover Queer Eye style.
Much of this reorganization will center around how we collectively feel about ourselves individually, our responsibilities for our words and actions in our communities, and how we plan to make real-time changes to our “Ways” in order to contribute to grand legacies. Legacies themselves will undergo a transformation of definition. We can thank good old Venus opposing Saturn in Aquarius for this. But, unlike the “tower of babble” moment, the scenarios brought up by this New Moon will have your communication systems recalibrating towards epic achievements of the mind/body/spirit varieties. It’s all about Love, your memories of it, the ways you’ve embodied it, and the sacrifices made for it. Some of those sacrifices are coming full circle, and in the New Moon, this will be mostly felt by the Yin collective consciousness as a major relief. If you’re feeling unbalanced on the 10th, try to focus on activities that bring you comfort and ease your mind. This act may feel like a true moment of spiritual rebellion.
There’s a lot of hope in this moon, cradled by Cancers’ warm and loving waters. The “Home” is pivotal to this Moon’s inherent cleansing cycle, which may bring up dust and twigs swept under the rug. The idea of responsibility for our actions is heightened. We will all be challenged to face our own idiosyncrasies and dualities. This appears to be a long standing theme we’re all checking in and out of repeatedly until Neptune stations direct in Pisces on December 1st 2021. This very slow moving energy feels like a drum out of rhythm with our daily lives. Individually we are learning to tune into deeper vibrations of our own, and tune out wavelengths disruptive to our growth. This moon is a good time to move your body to healing sounds that help you manifest the emotional experiences attached to your not yet manifested dreams, hopes, prayers, and altar work.
Aries:
My fiery frequencies have been running too hot. I find places to release my steam that are quiet, dark, and all my own. Whether in the outside world, or my inner mind palace, I find slices of shade are my delight. I desire a type of self-synergy that can only be activated in the realms of the subconscious, and I make time to rest in the ways that make these new synapses happen. I want to learn and grow, and I’m giving myself the space to honor the eternal internal scholar within myself.
Taurus:
I’ve been typecasting my own archetype for some time, and I’ve realized those imprints have become outdated. I do not fear the revelation of my Cosmic Face to my own self, but rather look forward to the introduction of myself to Myself. I find ways to greet my emerging identity by balancing my time with friends and family. I take the time to meditate on what I am agreeing to when I go along with the herds. I respect my self sovereignty enough to reject projections on my personhood. I take responsibility for my own reflections on others, and these actions allow me to accept myself in any situation. I release all concepts of my empathic or psychic nature as negative, and allow the gifts I have been given to garnish me with life’s abundances.
Gemini:
I’m preparing for my mic drop moment. I’ve been writing bars and aiming for the stars, and I feel it coming. Not sure what, not sure when, but this moon is bringing mojo. I sense the message I was meant to embody is being written deeply inside me by a host of ghosts and ancestors ready to protect my destiny. Things are feeling extra cosmic, and I can almost feel my future touching me from time to time. I let myself enjoy my dreaming time, and this New Moon gives me a place to hide my secret poems and self reflections. There’s a softness coming over me, and I feel comfortable allowing myself to relax into the knowledge that my creative genius isn’t just valuable, it’s real.
Cancer:
The cycle of filling and emptying feels extra powerful under this New Moon. Elevated by this lunation, I use this dark moon to focus on the moments in-between. In this meditation, the world opens up a new concept of Time to me. In this knowledge I am able to reconstruct my psychological leanings away from worst-case-scenario and anxiety -laden secret self conversations. I don’t need to look outside myself for cues from the pack, and I am comfortable asserting my authoritative genius when applicable. This acknowledgement of my self-worth and efficacy gives me awareness that assists my community and gives others much needed moments of Hope & Joy.
Leo:
Things feel saucy in the right ways this new moon. Yin and Yang are focused on balancing my section of the sky’s influences this lunation cycle. Sometimes I feel the tug of my shadow side urging me to use my head AND my heart. Although I feel driven by the power of my heart center, and the emotions of my inner oceans, I find time to stop and ask myself “is this what I really want?”. When I allow myself to acknowledge the influences beckoning me to overspend my creative and sexual resources, I am able to find my personal zen. I discover new secret distractions in the everyday experience of relating and existing in community and friendship. I’m learning to tune my volume to the right settings, and this allows my audience to hear me clearly. Clarity has become increasingly important to me, as discernment makes me feel centered. This moon I use the dark hours to clear my mind, and calm my heart.
Virgo:
The quiet emptying of this New Moon secretly invites me to advocate for my silent needs in ways that feel safe to me. I practice self loyalty regularly, and renew my vows to my internal compass under the protection of the current skies. I know that moments like this aren’t always accessible, so when they are, I congratulate myself for my good luck. Spending time with private projects makes me feel centered and focused in ways that empower me. I use this darkened moon to look at my private world with a gentle eye. I know that my goals are just an echo of desires I’m learning to advocate for. Finding words for my journey helps me understand myself the way I wish to be understood.
Libra:
I am allowing myself to be seen and appreciated by myself. When I take the time to be in relationship with myself, my moods, and my memories, I find a special center. I’m manifesting a reality where my sense of self is solidified and appreciated by myself first and foremost. Through my self manifestation work, I am becoming aware and knowledgeable of the long history and sacrifices of those who came before me. I use this awareness to build gratitude within my heart center for myself and anyone else who shares in my archetype. My focus on self-healing is a radical step in my generational efforts in this timeline. I am an important person, and I tell myself so often.
Scorpio:
I am quietly waiting for new moments to try out my newfound knowledge. I’ve been watching and observing, but now it is my time to act. I take the reins of my destiny, and I do not apologize to the previous carriage driver. I know the power of an apology, which is why I know when one is owed or not. I do not need to struggle with power games that play in the psychopomp of the collective, and am my own sovereign spiritual space. I trust that my future is held in love & beauty and is supported by the generations of ancestors present on all planes. I am using this dark moon to get in touch with my essence and knowledge of my true self.
Sagittarius:
This New Moon I am shedding responsibilities that have become recognizably not-mine. With this awareness has come the revelation of what is mine to control, and what is mine to let go. I accept the blessings of my responsibilities as the reason I am able to hold space for myself in my own life. I do not allow others to speak on my behalf, and use my voice to set the story straight. I use my energy for higher purposes and don’t have space this lunation to be dragged into any conflicts. I use my arrow to draw solid lines in the sand about which energetics I’m willing to play with. I promise myself to treat myself with compassion daily, especially as I outgrow scenarios and scenes that just ain’t me.
Capricorn:
I’m learning how to define karma for myself, and this New Moon is giving me a lot to think about. I understand that if I wish to heal, I must practice kindness towards myself. When I notice the mean monsters arrive in the darkness of night, I use my practical wisdom to ward them off. I’m noticing that fear doesn’t have as much power as I once imagined, and I’ve been slaying small demons like candycrush. This lunation I allow a space for the internal/external conflicts to find a cease-fire, and I find myself enjoying new mental quiet. I’m learning to trust the process of letting go, and this small cycle feels like the period at the end of a sentence.
Aquarius:
The labyrinths of my inner circuit board are asking me if I’ve tried turning it off and turning it back on again. When I consider my own off/on switch, I contemplate who I give access to it. When my triggers are alarming, I respect myself enough to take the time to respond carefully to my own messages. I acknowledge the wiring of the ancient ones, and use the ancient technology of this Moon to allow my power centers to upgrade. My dreamtime is especially sacred to me in these moments, and I use this lunation to discern important inner truths. I do not need to fear when I have premonitions, but instead, refocus that awareness on trusting my own intuition first and foremost.
Pisces:
This New Moon I let out a deep sigh of relief. In the feelings of stuckness and frustration, I’ve discovered hidden patterns of life. As I discover which patterns benefit me the most, I learn to recalibrate my channels to an easier stream. This work opens me to timelines I may not have previously considered when vision-boarding and manifesting dreams. I thank the spiritual abbacus for working out ancient calculations this New Moon. I give gratitude when my supplies are distributed exactly how, where, and when they will make the greatest impact for my ultimate visionings.
#horoscope#newmoon#moonhoroscope#aires#taurus#gemini#cancer#leo#virgo#libra#scorpio#saggitarius#Capricorn#aquarius#pisces#shaman#shamanism#northcarolina#zodiac#zodiacsigns#psychic#premonitions#insight#wellness#meditation#affirmation#moonmagic
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This might be a lot since there’s so many characters in APWH, but could you share something secret about each character that no one else knows or maybe just a fun fact?
I am so sorry I’m answering this so late- I try not to be a human disaster, but inevitably end up being one most days.
Oooooooh this one is very interesting- they might not all be secrets, because for some characters, that would be giving away major plot points, but fun facts I can do! Let’s see what I’ve got (below the cut):
Robb: Has definitely licked a bone on a dare before, is actually a decent artist (much like Sansa) and does a fair amount of sketching in the field, and has an engagement ring for Tal in his work locker that no one knows about yet :) Inherited Catelyn’s ability for leadership, and is really good at dealing with Logistics, management, and the bureaucracy involved in his job. Hangs out with the experimental archeology students a lot (he’s like the accidental older brother for half the department) and would definitely wear handmade linen armor from someone’s project and let an undergrad shoot arrows at him to test it. (For those of you unaware, linen armor is next to impossible to cut without an extremely specific and sharp type of electric saw). Is good friends with Sarella, who’s going through grad school in Oldtown as well. Has been reluctantly dragged into the feud between the archaeology/anthropology and paleontology departments.
Aegon: is a fairly talented piano player, has always liked to cook, but got really good at it when he was dating an adjunct professor in grad school (none of his family knows about the relationship, but Theon does). Has been taking night classes recently to try and learn the Old Tongue bc he and Lyanna are particularly close. Dates casually, and volunteers at a community center for at-risk kids in Kings Landing on weekends. Is the only Targ sibling emotionally aware enough to spend time with Viserys, and is his grandmother Rhaella’s favorite.
Rhae: Actually really likes listening to heavy metal, especially when she’s working, and is really into the Westerosi equivalent of late night comedy. Will get really invested in hobbies for like, a few months and then move on to something completely different. Is her grandfather Aerys’ favorite, and has him wrapped around her finger. Makes a game of antagonizing Viserys at Targ family functions, and has been inseparable from Margaery since they met in college. Thought her cousin Obara was the coolest person in the world when she was a kid. Most likely of all the characters to do a triathlon without breaking a nail.
Bran: Might be one sociology class away from identifying as an anarchist. Kind of wants to be a professor and will probably write novels someday. Is really into flea markets and will go antiquing with Ned and Elia and sometimes Cat. Loves kayaking and decorates his wheelchair elaborately for holidays. He’s won several costume contests at school for it. Very snarky. If Sansa had been raised by the starks, they would have had a standing Saturday lunch date to snark and gossip about the rest of the fam.
Jon: wanted to be a forest ranger for the longest time and then a writer, but felt like he had to choose a more reputable career, and is kind of jealous that Robb decided to say ‘fuck it’ and become an archaeologist. Really wants to travel, although he picked law after His Valyrian is passable (the targ sibs spoke it anytime they were with Rhaegar and fam), but he speaks Rhoynish fluently and is close to his cousins on the Martell side of the family. Really likes hiking and will often go with Cat, who is also fairly outdoorsy. Likes epic high fantasy novels and would really love LOTR.
Mya: is weirdly into dream interpretation, is bisexual, and has fallen into one of the canals in Braavos before on a school field trip. She was born in the Vale, and her mom moved to Braavos when she was five. Would definitely eat a bug on a dare. More tomboy than anything, but really enjoys getting dressed up and being feminine. Likes painting her nails fun colors. Who gives a shit about gender expectations? Not Mya.
Sansa: the first person she kisses in APWH isn’t going to be Jon…;) If she’d been raised by the Starks, she might have gone to school for journalism or become a novelist. Hates math, but is a passable accountant because of what Baelish taught her to help him with the books for his restaurants. Doesn’t like to ever wear her hair down, and has a collection of decorative bobby pins for updos that she’s acquired from flea markets in Braavos. Really loves to swim. Pushed the boy who knocked Mya into the canal in after her, but none of the teachers believe him when he accuses her, because it’s sweet, kind, well-behaved Sansa.
Robin: Secretly likes to listen to musicals and is a fairly good singer. In a group chat with Doree and Loree who are drastically improving his social skills and the three of them are parent-trap level plotting. Really dislikes doctors and hospitals. Used to ask Sansa to draw birds for him a lot when he was younger and still has most of them.
Rickon: is actually better with computers and smarter than anyone realizes, because he’s such a jock on the surface. Very used to going with the flow and adapting to change. His favorite classes are chemistry and bio, but he doesn’t really like writing. Is really popular and well-liked among his classmates, but can have a temper when he thinks an injustice is occurring. Is generally just good with animals.
Catelyn: Grew up going hunting with her uncle and always had a stronger stomach for it than Lysa and Edmure did. Is half-estranged from her father because of a disagreement they had regarding Catelyn’s inability to move on after the kidnapping, and a tense relationship with her brother after he married Roslyn Frey (The Freys were vocal supporters of Roose Bolton’s politics and had a hand in publicizing the rumors about the Starks being responsible for Sansa’s disappearance- Walder Frey owns several prominent southern newspapers), but they’re working on mending fences. Takes fairly long walks outside regularly, and would be a bruce springsteen fan. The most intimidating of the entire family.
Arya: Went through a true crime phase. Really enjoys learning languages, her favorite classes this past semester were her Ancient Ghiscari course and her global politics seminar, because they got to debate current issues every week. Like Sansa, she really likes people-watching. Will probably end up at the Olympics for fencing at some point, but was also a sprinter in high school on the track team.
Ned: Probably dropped acid at least once in college. Really enjoys skiing. Learned how to play the guitar as a part of his midlife crisis. Met Cat after she went on two dates with his brother Brandon and they decided they were better as friends. Brandon brought her to a party, and Ned ended up giving her a ride home after his brother found another girl to chat up. They quickly found out that they had a lot in common, and she got along famously with his mother, who Ned was extremely close to. Has a serious sweet tooth
Elia: Likes to paint, but doesn’t think she’s very good at it. Grew up speaking Rhoynish with her family, and taught it to the kids. Has forgotten more about art than most people will ever know, and is extremely efficient when set loose in a flea market. Really likes theater and ballet, and took ballet classes through college.
Lyanna: is working on a book about money in Westerosi politics that’s tied into her current investigation of the Boltons, but only Elia knows about it. Grew up far north, and her first language was the Old tongue rather than Andali, but didn’t want her kids picking it up, because the accent is stigmatized. Keeps notes for her articles in the Old Tongue to keep her nosy kids from reading them.
Theon: Is doing a psychiatry residency in King’s Landing currently. Does a fair amount of biking, and 100% does a polar bear swim in the ocean every winter (Aegon always shows up to cheer him on and they go out for drinks afterwards- his girlfriend, Jeyne, thinks this is insane). Refuses to eat blue foods and was actually a decent French horn player in high school.
Thank you- this was a fun one!! :)
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Shepherds Crook Doom the Moonlit Sky in Latest LP
~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~
By Billy Goate
Album art based on a painting by Remedios Varo
I've been enamored SHEPHERDS CROOK from the moment I chanced upon 'Black Lake' (2018) some years gone, which inspired an impromptu review. Here is a band that should be, in my mind, every bit as familiar to aficionados of doom metal as Dopethrone, Bongzilla, and Cough. This opinion is founded on more than the strong emotional connection the music has made with me over the years. Every sludge lover I've had occasion to introduce the Trondheim duo to has taken to them immediately. Who can deny the appealing backwoods grit of "Uteseler" or the celebratory toke of "Smoke Diver"?
While their road game has yet to start, their track record in the studio is flawless with two stellar EPs and four highly regarded LPs notched around the belt already. The principal drivers of this project are multi-instrumentalist Ole Hell and vocalist Nestor. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with in the heavy underground, with Ole's penchant for composing dank rhythms and forlorn guitar leads that touch a nerve every time. Nestor completes the picture with characteristic gravelly crooning that carries more evil, hissing ire than a den of pissed off vipers.
Before us lay the latest long-player of the lot, 'Mat For Månen' (2021) -- or "Food For The Moon" -- which is such a brilliant title when you consider how suitable this music is for humid summer nights full of barbeque, beer, and self-loathing. If the dog's fabled bark at the moon could be rendered in relatable terms, it might end up sounding like Shepherds Crook.
"The Narrow" cracks the bottle on the recording with an irradiated strum. This becomes the song's central theme, with bass and drums joining in, followed by Nestor's gruff, caustic strains. This dirge of doom is unrelenting, with the riff simultaneously establishing the melodic core and rhythm. It's a tight track with no room for fat, not even for one of Ole Hell's trademark guitar solos -- though the woeful axeman does drop an ominous footnote during the song's closing seconds.
The titular "Mat For Månen" is next in queue and dons quite a downcast mood, with guest artist Stian Sumstad's basswork carrying the song to several emphatic moments that border on epic. The guitar has an opportunity to really shine on this one, with a melodic lead midway through that seems to be telling us secrets buried in the woods 'neath these mysterious moonlit skies.
Photograph by Magnus Olsen
Though I'm far from an angry drunk, "Barfight" has me feeling the rage that comes along with imbibing a bit too much and making enemies at the table before the night's all said and done. The song sets off a nasty blues vibe that makes me feel braver than I really am, inspiring a swing at my enemies -- real or (in this state likely) imagined.
Our four-song excursion grinds to a finish with "Ingen Morgenkvist" which does sad as only Shepherds Crook can. Though I'm uncertain of the precise meaning ("morgenkvist" has no English equivalent), my best detective work has me believing the song title could be approximated "No Morning Seen." This number has a certain weight to it -- and not merely because of its 16-minute runtime. Despite the familiar joshing about how long doom bands are prone to playing ("I just got here, what did I miss?" "Nothing yet, they're still on their first song!"), it takes strong songwriting and a steady hand of musicianship to pull off low and slow in a way that works convincingly for the listener. Here, the song has a balladic feel (it's based on a poem by poem by Jørgen Nygard) that builds gradually, layer upon layer, with Mr. Hell's guitar doing the kind of singing that defies words, yet somehow succeeds in rendering meaning.
Overall, Mat For Månen is a welcome addition to the Shepherds Crook oeuvre. It succeeds in delivering the unique sound of the band with a depth that gives it staying power. Perhaps it will find a welcome home in your playlist, to. Releasing July 2nd (at which point it will be available for purchase here), the record is presented in its world premiere courtesy of Doomed & Stoned.
Give ear...
LISTEN: · Shepherds Crook - Mat For Månen (2021)
Shepherds Crook: The Rundown
Interview with guitarist Ole Hell
Photographs by Magnus Olsen
How did Shepherds Crook get its start?
It started out as some kind of experiment back in 2017 when I (Ole) rented this little studio room in a larger studio space of a friend of mine.
The first track we did was "Outlaw Speedking", based on a riff I made on the spot when I found my acoustic guitar after many many years of not playing. I got myself some new gear and just started to record.Nestor heard it and got hyped, wrote some lyrics and recorded the vocals in one take, first try. We knew that we had to do more songs and about a month later we released Black Lake. We did five releases from 2017 to 2019. I do everything from recording to mixing and mastering, so it's been a learning process for me as far as making heavy music sound good, with every release I think it sounds a little bit better.
Where did the name Shepherds Crook come from?
Actually I thought it was a fascination for walking sticks from hiking in the woods or whatever, but Nestor reminded me the other day that the name came from a dream I had years ago where I was going to make a band called Shepherds Crook. I can't really confirm that as I don't remember. Blame the beers.
How would you describe your "sound" to someone who hasn't yet listened to your records?
We're all over the place as far as I'm concerned. We started out with more of a stoner vibe and kind of mixed in elements of doom and sludge. The vocals might be weird for a lot of stoner rock fans, and the riffs might be too boring for everyone that is into "metal" but likes the vocals. This is our impression from people anyways. But back to the sound; it's heavy riffs, moody melodies and mean vocals. I think we kind of got our own thing going at this point, we care less and less about these "doom" and "stoner" labels these days to be honest.
Walk us through each track on 'Mat For Månen' and tell us about what the songs mean and/or how they originated.
We do like the idea that the listener can interpret and make up his own mind what the tracks mean. But, basically the general idea for the album is the moon and how it connects to organic life on earth. Mat For Månen is norwegian for "Food for the moon" and is based on the same concept laid out by the mystic G. I. Gurdjieff (and to some extent Ouspensky and others), I won't lay the whole thing out here, but if anybody is interested they could check that out.
The tracks touch on this topic in various ways like lunacy, the saturn connection, no dawn, wizards and shit, lol. The songs are also pretty varied on this one, from that stoner doom thing to a more heavy blues vibe, doom and stoner metal.
As a side note, we recorded the album at a place called "Månen" (the moon), the place of a buddy of ours. Cool thing is he joined on vocals for two of the tracks and It sounds awesome. He might be joining us on bass and co-vocals whenever we get our asses on stage.
Speaking of stagework, has Shepherds Crook had a chance to get out and tour much?
I mean, not really. In the beginning it was just me playing all the instruments as a studio project. Then after a while we had a couple of drummers come in and a bass player. We started rehearsing to play live then some of us couldn't make it due to different reasons, etc. We still have plans to make it happen at some point in the near future.
Give us an overview of your discography so far.
Black Lake (2018)
Uteseiler (2018)
Evil Magician (2018)
Carved In Smoke (2019)
Dauseiler (2019)
Mat For Månen (2021)
Black Lake by Shepherds Crook
Uteseiler by Shepherds Crook
Evil Magician by Shepherds Crook
Carved In Smoke by Shepherds Crook
Dauseiler by Shepherds Crook
Are there any records or songs that you are especially proud of?
I know we're both pretty happy with Uteseiler as a whole and the last track of Dauseiler: "Serpent Ropes". Also, Mat For Månen is pretty decent I would say.
What does the future hold for Shepherds Crook?
I'm in the process of writing riffs for another album, but have no idea when it will be finished. It could take a while. We have other projects going as well.
Nestor (the singer) is now in this black metal band and I'm doing my other thing Vandrer (instrumental doom), you can check it out on vandrer.bandcamp.com.
We also got a new drummer: Trollhammer aka Jan Olav, an old childhood buddy. We were in a death metal band together in the early-mid 90's and he's been in many death metal bands since then.
He will be doing the drums on both Shepherds Crook and Vandrer from now on, bringing that extra punch to the face (and groin area).
What is your philosophy of life? How do you see the world, your place in it, etc.?
Well, we got all kinds of crazy renegade ideas. While we wait for that book, just insert any Lemmy quote of choice!
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#D&S Debuts#Shepherds Crook#Oslo#Norway#doom metal#sludge#metal#death doom#HeavyBest2021#D&S Interviews#D&S Reviews#Doomed and Stoned
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The Droid’s Song
AN: This is the first of eight chapters of my long-promised epic Star Wars poem. Enjoy.
This is a tale of times long past,
In a galaxy - far away and vast,
Of tearful sorrow and joyous thrills,
As written in the journal of the Whills.
When sky-walking Luke to freeborn son,
Back when his learning had just begun,
Destroyed deadly construct of imperial science
And brought hope to a desperate rebel alliance.
Those were the times of civil war,
When against the empire good men abhor
Starships striking from well hidden base
Won a great battle in Scarif's space.
For freedom they battled and for justice they fought
And on Scarif well secured plans they sought
Of the Empire's weapon so terrible,
In firepower incomparable.
An entire planet it could destroy,
Which Tarkin the Grandmoff sought to employ
As a threat to cow rebels into final submission.
This Death Star would end even brave opposition.
These Death Star's plans rebel spies now stole
And with their lives they secured control
Of a sending dish large enough to transmit
For the ship far away receiving it.
This ship was the valiant Tantive IV
Which was on it's journey from the worlds of the core
To Tatooine, planet of binary stars,
Where the Empire's troops and machines were sparse.
In this traveled Leia Organa, Alderaanian Senator,
Who had long stood up against imperial terror.
Pursued was this ship by the Empire's dreaded
Battleship Devastator, for battle headed.
----
In the skies of three-mooned Tatooine
Those unequal ships would face in battle.
Where the valiant Tantive would find its ruin
And its crew was then slaughtered like farmer's cattle.
The Devestator, a mile long,
Surpassed valient Tantive ten times in size,
A star destroyer with well-armored prong,
It pursued valiant Tantive like a frog pursues flies.
And as flies surpass frogs in maneuver and speed,
The Tantive had engines that made it quicker.
But a hunting Frog has for running no need,
And Leia's ship was engulfed in the bright green flicker
Of Devestating fire of turbo-lasers
That shredded well-crafted Corellian shields:
Like skin is shredded by careless razors
Would fail the Tantive's energy fields.
The Tantive fought back, don't mistake me here,
For it was armed better than one would expect
An ambassadors traveling cruiser to be,
But on a warships defense it had little effect.
For the Star Destroyers of Kuati production
Were surpassed at this time by no ship but one
And had brought many vessels quick destruction,
Often faster than the rebels could try to outrun.
And this was the fate of the doomed Alderaanian ship,
For it's reactor was hit by turbo-laser's fire,
And the crew would find it now in the grip
Of a tractor-beam drawing it to the Empire's ire.
Into Devestator's hangar it would now pull
This doomed but valient Tantive IV,
Where was waiting a battalion in full
Of the Empire's white-armored stormtrooper corps.
On the Tantive valiant crew prepared for a fight,
In the turnings of white-walled corridors,
Those prepared to resist the Empire's might,
Alderaanian guards, trained warriors.
Trained in protecting the noble senator
And volunteers on this daring mission,
Who would loose their life to forces sinister,
For they too believed in the Rebellion's vision.
As the Tantive docked in the enemy hangar,
They prepared their weapons for vicious assault.
Prepared themselves for Imperial anger,
Which as best as they could they would try to halt.
Sweat dripped from some brow and some hands were shaking,
For imperial troops were widely feared.
Every heart on the Tantive was quietly quaking,
But no matter, for battle all of them geared.
At the door there was heard a terrible sound,
At the door the soldiers saw a bright light,
As a flame of plasma moved all around
The door, top and bottom, left and right.
With a deafening crack it was sprung out the way
And white smoke blocked the soldiers unaided sight,
But their fire at they time they would not need to belay
And their blasters they shot into the smoke, red and bright.
And their fire was returned from behind the smoke
And with it the first of soldiers many died,
As the widely feared white-clad stormtroopers broke
Into valiant Tantive's well guarded inside.
The stromtroopers skills were well on display,
For despite their position they only lost two,
While in an assault, as they normally say,
They would loose twice the defenders numbers in lieu.
But here this relation was well reversed
And the Tantive's guardians soon retreated.
The defenders throughout the ship dispersed
And in many places the battle was heated.
With the entrance secured the ship would board
The insidious presence most loyal servant,
The fallen Jedi and now a Sith Lord,
Who had pursued them from Scarif, relentless and fervent.
Far-dreaded Darth Vader lead this well planned attack,
And where he tread rebellious hope ever faded.
The knight whose heart they said was all black
The valiant Tantive IV now invaded.
As black as his heart was his armor and cloak,
With an unknown face hidden behind skull-like mask,
With mechanical breath, metallic voice when he spoke,
Was he man or machine no one dared to ask.
On fallen bodies he looked down
And to living saluting troopers as well,
For his stature was as large as his galactic renown
And fear all around him he would compel.
Wordlessly he stepped over bodies that lay
On the ground around him, friend and foe alike.
Enemies today he planned not to slay,
But interrogate them unto shiver and shrike.
----
In the bowels of said valiant rebel ship
A droid received a data chip
From the princess Leia Organa's hand
To take with it through space and desert sand.
A message she spoke that the droid recorded
Of her desperation on the ship now boarded,
A call for help he would need to deliver
To a man who would make their hope more than a sliver.
This droid was an astromech of the series R2,
Of cylindric shape painted white and blue,
With three wheels, two on legs and one under the chassis,
Small wheels of limited efficacy.
From the body many arms and tools could extend,
With which damaged machines of all kinds he could mend.
The cylinder was closed with hemispherical lid
With a rader eye, projectors and a sensor grid.
This droid was found in the Tantive's bowls
By another droid of a different role.
A gold-plated one of human-like guise
With immovable mouth and white-shining eyes,
Who was build for a much more esteemed function:
To facilitate a range of diplomatic conjunction
By translating a million forms of communications
And also aid in human-droid relations.
“Artoo-Deetoo, where are you, where have you been?”
Said this one, C-3PO, as soon as he had seen
The smaller and braver astromech droid
In a voice at the same time fearful and annoyed.
“They are heading towards this section of our ship,
And if they find us they might very well strip
Us for parts or send us to slave away
In the spice mines of Kessel, forever to stay.”
But Artoo simply passed by the golden translator
Towards the ships starboard elevator,
For he clearly had a place he would try to reach
While listening to the golden one’s worried speech.
“Wait Artoo-Deetoo, where are you going?
The upper deck must now be overflowing
With imperial troops armed to the teeth,
Who will shoot us apart, piece by piece.”
But clever Artoo wasn't using the lift,
To present themselves to the Empire as an unforeseen gift.
Instead he went down to the lowest deck
And from here he planned to escape this wreck.
There had been twelve escape pods when the Tantive had left
Alderaan for the journey to assist the theft
Of the plans of the Empire's dreaded death star.
Around five of them had been started so far.
So Artoo entered one of the remaining pods
And C-3PO calculated the odds
Of survival while complaining about the lack of permission
That was given the droid for pod acquisition.
But a blaster bolt of advancing Imperial troops
Brought an end to the droid’s indecision loops.
And above Artoo into the pod he crawled,
And Artoo pressed the button, now no longer stalled.
The escape pod's engines launched it out
Of valiant Tantive's hull on the fastest route,
Away from the Devestator and it's captured prey,
Right out the star destroyer's hangar bay.
And C-3PO took a look at his ship's underside
And said “the damage doesn't look to bad from outside”.
So for now at Artoo he did not chafe,
But he still asked: “Are you certain this thing is safe?”
----
The desert-world Tatooine has three moons
And on it the many rocks and dunes
Are divided commonly into three zones:
The first of which is the Dune Sea, where long-bleached bones
Lay in the sand for ages and ages.
A deadly place, as know fools and sages,
Where the suns shine hot and the krayt dragon flies,
Where its wings cause sandstorms that darken the skies.
The second are dry mountains commonly called Wastes.
There you find water in the air and which life can taste,
Not much, mind you, but enough to sustain
A number of farmers who in the Wastes maintain
Moisture farms fed by vaporators,
Which draw water from the air and safe it to later,
To water the hardy species of crops,
Which the farmers sell in the settlements' shops.
The Settlements are the third area of three,
Where humans and aliens live, slaves or free,
In white houses one or two stories tall,
With the desert's song still in floor, roof and wall.
It is there where a spaceship would normally land,
Not in the Dune Sea's desert sand.
But the droid's escape pod was no guided machine,
And so in the dunes of the Dune Sea it's wreckage was seen.
From this wreck left the droids as fast as they could,
For they knew to suspect that the Empire would,
Send men to recover whatever had been placed
In the pod that the Devestator had no doubt traced.
Luckily for the droids their vessel had landed
At the edge of the Dune Sea, so they weren't stranded
At a place where they would need to fly like a hawk.
Instead to the Jundland Wastes they could walk.
“How did I get into this disastrous mess,”
Asked Threepio more to himself then Artoo,
“If only an answer to this I knew,
But I always end up in trouble and distress.
We droids, it seems, were made to suffer,
My joints freeze and circuits fill
With desert sand mixed with oil spill.
Oh were I a human I would be much tougher.
“What kind of desolate place this is,
Dunes of sand to the left as far as I see,
And to the right mountain ridges without a single tree,
Even I the nature of Alderaan now miss.
But why, dear Artoo, are you turning right,
To the wastes were countless rocks lie in the way,
Difficult to walk for us even by day.
I will certainly trip and break me at night.
“What do you beep about settlers who up there live?
And don't come me with technical nonsense,
I am tired of your talk of secret missions and,
The benefit of the doubt I will not give.
Go there to the mountains and stumble on rock
And then lay there calling futile beeps for help!
I will not help you, pathetic astromech whelp!
Instead I walk where nothing my way will block.”
And Artwoo went right and Threepio left,
For Threepio was of ideas bereft,
But in anger refused to follow the guidance
And instead went the other way in unthinking defiance.
Through the wind-wand'ring dunes of the desert he walked
And while he was walking he talked and talked
Of a protocol droids unenviable fate
As the days hour was getting later and late.
And when he saw a great krayt's sand-covered bones,
His speech changed into blaming tones.
And according to what he said in this hour
His thoughts on Artoo in his mind turned sour.
“He tricked me,” he said in accusing voice,
“He tricked me, going here wasn't my choice.”
But in desp'rate hour on the horizon blue
A large metal-clad transport came into view.
----
Meanwhile Artoo had taken the rocky path
And his mind did not mirror Threepio's wrath.
While he had been annoyed at this errancy,
His mission now took priority.
For the data that Princess Leia had given
Now on three small wheels needed to be driven
To a person the Alderaanian Princess had told
About, a friend of her father's of old.
Night fell over the Jundland Wastes
And Artoo did not realize that he was chased
By creatures of human shape but small,
Who hid behind rocks at the canyon's wall.
Brown cloaks they wore with large hoods atop,
A shadow above their face they did drop.
Only large eyes, bright and yellow,
Shone out of the hood of a Jawa-fellow.
When Artoo drove down a downwards slope,
This droid who carried the rebellions hope
Was hit by Jawa-blaster's lightning-blue cast
And his body engulfed in an ion blast.
His circuits overloaded as his body stiffened
And uncontrollably toolarms he did extend.
His awareness shut down as in ions he drowned
Clever Artoo-Deetoo fell flat on the ground.
And as he lay on the stony ground
eight Jawas in total gathered around.
And since Artoo was equal in height
To the height of a Jawa but by far not as light,
They needed to carry him with five or six
To the place where the droid they intended to fix.
To prepare him to then sell for acceptable prize
They brought him to a transport of impressive size.
This was was sandcrawler centuries old,
Intended to carry valued ore in its hold,
When on three-mooned Tatooine to mine
Core World companies would workers assign.
But the planet was hostile and the sands not forgiving,
And the ore was not worth the cost of living
For the miners so they left the hostile sand
And left their sandcrawlers where they did stand.
The nomadic Jawas then took possession
And maintained the sandcrawlers after a fashion.
Those giant machines became their home
And with them the deserts and wastes they could roam.
Like a block were they shaped, 20 Jawas in height
And twice as long, with machines of impressive might,
Which on four huge tracks carried the Jawa-house
To places where it served as a droid warehouse.
The Jawas placed Artoo at the crawler's foot,
Where one of them for security put
A restraining bolt on the clever droid's side,
So he would obey orders and neither run nor hide.
A vacuum pipe was lowered down from above
And one of the Jawas took in his glove
A remote that woke Artoo from involunt’ry sleep,
Just awoken he was sucked into the sandcrawler deep.
----
In the sandcrawler’s gigantic hold
The Jawas kept what they had not yet sold.
And as R2-D2 looked around,
He saw many spare parts on the ground
Of machines one would find at the galaxy’s edge:
Power couplings, energy cells, and a holographic wedge,
Converters, and casings, and thermal sensors,
Hyper-spanners, light-hammers and coffee-dispensers.
Many a droid was stored there as well,
Droids the Jawas intended to sell
To moisture farmers and on Mos Eisley’s streets,
To buy crawler-fuels, fresh water, and meats.
Those droids were of various forms,
Almost none of them stored according to norms,
Some came from trash heaps or accident sites,
others old units bought or stolen outright.
A 3B6-RA-7 unit
Looked on the astromech unfortunate
With larges eye-spheres atop elongated face.
It’s limbs damaged it could only trace
The movements of this nights second newcomer
And other droids waiting for a customer
Like the WED Treadwell who moved on eight wheels,
With seven arms like a spider, the eighth lost to ordeal.
There was a Gonk-droid, a man-high box,
Its content secured with two energy locks.
A box that moved on it’s two flat feet,
Which had carried munitions in the Republic fleet.
Another astromech was in the Jawa’s store,
Red and white, with designation R2-D4.
Higher than Artoo with a head half a cone,
Silently it stood in the corner alone.
Those and many more droids Artoo saw,
But only one of them could his attention draw:
A gold-plated, well-learned protocol droid,
That just hours ago had tried to avoid
The clever astromech on his secret mission.
Now raised his eyes in recognition.
With a voice that carried hope anew
Threepio called “Artoo, it’s you!”
So were reunited these unequal fellows
Just as the sandcrawler’s main engine bellows
To carry the mechanical beast through the night,
To bring to someone their acquired freight.
To the regions settled by human farmers,
Where the Jawas would try their luck as charmers
And see if a bargain worthwhile could be won
On the farm of Own Lars and Beru Whitesun.
#star wars#poetry#star wars poetry#my writing#my star wars poem#i cannot say when the next part will be released#might take a couple of months
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Obsession.
Ella Kemp dives into Letterboxd’s 100 highest-rated, obsessively rewatched films of 2020 to find out why we love them—and to give Hollywood a heads-up on what we want to rewatch again and again.
Take note, development execs: we want to watch more of everything that makes us feel alive; that makes us feel thankful to be. To bottle that feeling, and drink it up as often, and as obsessively, as we like. We also want: more singing, more dancing, more drugs, more talking animals, more of whatever Director Bong is serving—and make everything gayer.
We know this because, a few years back, the Letterboxd team asked one very simple question: what’s the highest-rated film of all time, when the criteria is that you must have seen it five or more times? Not the ‘guilty’ pleasures, not the ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ gems, but the already-excellent films that are also inherently rewatchable. The resulting top 100 from back then are all extremely, objectively good. What can we say—you have great taste.
Because 2020 is, well, 2020, we revisited this idea to see how four years and an endless quarantine might have changed things. The usual suspects have been rounded up (Christopher, Quentin, Ridley, Damien, David and company), but a lot has shifted in the Highest Rated Obsessively Rewatched Club for 2020.
The top ten in the 100 highest rated, obsessively rewatched films of 2020.
Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is now top of the heap, where Spike Jonze’s Her was number one last time around. In fact, only Jaws and Carol remain from the last top ten. The Letterboxd community favors a wider world view: in 2017, the top 100 had only one film by a female director; in 2020 there are eight. The list has gone from exactly zero films entirely in languages other than English, to two (Portrait and Parasite), with several more containing a portion of non-English dialogue. Not quite leaping the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, but it’s progress. And, there is substantially more LGBTQ+ representation all round.
This year’s top 100 shows that we still like to return to the idea of the auteur, and the challenge of a franchise. In 2017, Christopher Nolan was the filmmaker with the highest number of highly rated, obsessively rewatched films; in 2020 Quentin Tarantino has taken the lead, just ahead of Nolan. Joining them in the multiple-titles group are Edgar Wright, Peter Jackson, Joe and Anthony Russo, epic-scale filmmakers from whom we’ve learned so much, and whose films have more to offer the viewer on every watch. (When ratings are not part of the equation, Avengers: Endgame—still with a respectable 3.9 average—was the Most Obsessively Rewatched title of 2019. “You give me someone flying, turning invisible, super speed… that’s where I live,” explains obsessive rewatcher Max Joseph this Letterboxd interview. “In Endgame, I get a little bit of every genre and mood.”)
Obsessed with obsession
What is “obsessive”? To put some kind of parameters around the search for this year’s top 100, our team looked for the feature films that had five or more rated watches from a minimum of 150 Letterboxd members each, then we sorted that list by the ratings of those members.
But that word—“obsessive”—got me thinking. Just how obsessive are we talking here? It’s reassuring to know that Parasite is, naturally, a film we enjoy returning to, but when we’re talking about rewatches plural, what happens when we sort these 100 highly rated titles by another value: the number of diary entries logged by these obsessive members. And what would that list say about our tendencies as watchers?
Spoiler: we also pulled those numbers, and found an entirely different top ten:
The most obsessively rewatched, highest-rated films of all time, as at 2020.
Look at that image. Compare it with the inarguable cinephilia of the ratings-based top ten, which soars on critical strength. What are we seeing here? That’s not the question. The real question is: what are we feeling? What do these ten films do to us so consistently, that helps them to retain high ratings across many, many, many rewatches?
You see, in the top 100, members typically log their favorites between five and seven times—but there’s a select handful of titles that see an average of up to 24 viewings per obsessive member. You read that right. There is a film on Letterboxd that multiple obsessive members have watched 24 times or more, at the time of writing.
Comedy that never gets old
The film in question is Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows, a genre-smart mockumentary about three vampire housemates just, well, pure vibing. It’s entirely in a league of its own, no doubt helped by a spin-off series, with the next entry, The Lonely Island’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping racking up an average of 17.7 rewatches per obsessive member.
These top two most obsessively rewatched titles make sense. When you’re feeling low, or when there’s some time to kill, what better place to turn than somewhere where the jokes never get old? As James writes on Letterboxd, Shadows “never fails to make me laugh”. Never fails. Taking a chance on a new comedy harbors its risks, so when you find the ones that work, you have to hold onto them like gold dust. It’s the sense of familiarity that comes from the same sharp, self-aware sketches, the endlessly quotable one-liners and screenshots that make memes feel like works of art.
(On that note, I asked the team: what were the highest-rated, obsessively rewatched comedy specials? No surprises: Bo Burnham’s masterful 2016 Netflix special Make Happy, and John Mulaney’s Kid Gorgeous at Radio City. Comedy is good when it catches you off guard—but in a pandemic, it’s even better when you can rely on it to deliver that same rush of endorphins, every time.)
Thank you for the music
Speaking of pick-me-ups, ever notice how much better you feel after karaoke? Or, when you know everyone else has gone out so you can let rip across every inch of the house with ultimate privacy? The cathartic thrill that comes from a sing-along is what keeps our obsessive members returning to musicals, increasingly. There’s comfort in memorized lyrics; the words we yell and hold dear.
You’ve got this in Popstar (‘Finest Girl’, anyone?) and, crucially, in a double-bill of jukebox musicals celebrating ABBA’s greatest hits: Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. With fifteen rewatches on average for the former, and almost seventeen for the latter, the sequel’s slight upper hand proves the film’s triumphant formula—there really is an endless supply of ABBA bangers—but also that the repurposing of the most pivotal tracks (‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Waterloo’) will work even better the second time around, due to the familiarity, both of the songs and now their new-found purpose in this world.
The feeling of singing along with Lily James as Donna, as she dances around Paris with her young Harry, of latching onto Cher’s every breath as she reunites with the eponymous Fernando—these moments become part of our own memory, and the satisfaction that comes from performing them again and again never fades. It’s also why so many musicals are rewatchable staples. Singin’ in the Rain, Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody and Pitch Perfect all feature in the top 100.
Out of interest, I asked the team to lift the curtain on non-narrative music films to see which greats we return to. Again, zero surprise (to me, at least): Jonathan Demme’s transcendent Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense is, and has long been, the highest-rated, most obsessively rewatched concert documentary on Letterboxd. And it’s only been a few months, but the Disney+ filmed version of Hamilton is up there, along with Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé. #BEYHIVE, come in.
Maybe we should trust love
At the other end of the spectrum, two titles in the most obsessively rewatched top ten point to our tendencies to find catharsis in our most extreme, most vulnerable expressions of emotion. Our two revealing films here are Love, Simon and Interstellar—one a grounded and sensitive coming-of-age picture of a teenage boy’s coming out, the other an epic space-travel thriller. Still, both films understand that, ultimately, love transcends all.
These films make room for us to revisit these most searing feelings, of love hidden, lost, afraid or universal, they let us cry out what we relate to, and escape into whichever onscreen emotions we prefer to project ourselves into beyond our own lives, time and time again. Because however much changes, you know you’ll always crave and be rewarded by love. (And by the existential exploration that often accompanies these big feelings: Don Hertzfeldt's World of Tomorrow is the highest-rated, most obsessively rewatched short film with Letterboxd members.)
Ink spots and needle drops
The idea of projection—of escape beyond our own lives—comes back often when thinking of the rewatch. But certain titles reveal how we choose to find escape in a quite literal form; observe the love for Tangled, rewatched on average ten times per obsessive member.
And then there’s Shrek 2, revisited on average 7.9 times (more on this bizarre, outstanding oddity on its own soon). The leap of faith into an animated world is one that offers a blank canvas painted over with new colors: the pastel pinks and soft peach oranges of sunset skies in Tangled, the rich purples and blues of the twinkling lights of the afterlife in Coco, the playful blue waters of Moana, with the sun giving everything a new glow. Animation works as relaxation here, clearing the mind and coloring it calmly time and time again. Elsa said it first: you can, and should, let it all go.
It is entirely probable, of course, that no Letterboxd parent is logging the Frozens—or any other animated family film, for that matter—as often as their household is actually watching them, the truth of which would completely upend this data. We know the math underpinning this whole exercise is somewhat arbitrary, but it’s an interesting starting point from which to analyze why certain things just work, again and again.
Take the oddity that is Shrek 2, deserving of its own dissection purely because of how masterfully it combines so many of the previously established elements. This film and its predecessor create so many vivid images that fit into the category of animated escapism, but music plays a major part, also. ‘Accidentally In Love’ by Counting Crows as Shrek and Fiona blissfully enjoy their honeymoon period; ‘Funky Town’ by Lipps Inc. as Shrek, Fiona and Donkey roll into Far Far Away; Jennifer Saunders as Fairy Godmother, with her sublime cover of Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Holding Out For A Hero’. There are too many perfect needle-drop moments to count, and every time the rewatch comes around, they feel new.
Add to the comforting visuals and euphoric music the countless one-liners, perfectly performed by Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers, but really, here, Rupert Everett as Prince Charming—a squirm-inducing, note-perfect pantomimic performance. Shrek 2 might just be the defining example of what makes a good movie the best movie, and one that only grows greater with every rewatch. Lucky us.
Festive fever
The inclusion of A Christmas Story, the second-last in our most rewatched top ten, makes sense when considering the times in our lives when we turn to movies for comfort (and discomfort: note the Hallowe’en-related rewatchables in the top 100). A Christmas Story might not be your first festive choice, but you will have your own equivalent. The Muppet Christmas Carol also made the top 100, with Elf, Love, Actually and the Home Alone movies bubbling under. We recognize all the beats, and seeing as the holidays return each year, it’s natural that we return to the titles that make us feel most at home within them.
Like Carol. Darling Carol. The last of our top ten most most most rewatched. Flung out of space into our eyeballs by Todd Haynes as some sort of Christmas miracle, its rewatchability as much seasonal as it is about love, representation, vintage glamor and that final scene. Let’s see where Happiest Season sits this time next year, shall we?
And so, what can filmmakers and distributors learn from what we want to see, not just once, but again and again? In just four years the list of titles the Letterboxd community has chosen to revisit and protect has blossomed with an open heart and feverishly enthusiastic mind.
Looking over the top 100 highest-rated, obsessively rewatched films in 2020, we want more queer love: Portrait, Moonlight and Carol but also Booksmart, The Favourite, Call Me by Your Name. We definitely need more singing and dancing: Suspiria, La La Land, Singin’ in the Rain, Mamma Mia and beyond.
We want more adventure, more time travel, more mind-melters, more drinking, exploring, investigating, more talking animals, more drugs, more laughs, more tears, more goosebumps. We want more full-body feelings of falling in love with a movie you know you’ll hold onto with everything you’ve got.
In the end, numbers can only tell us so much, and these numbers are drawn from what we’ve already seen, which is what’s already managed to make it through the system. There’s as much to learn from how these films were made as there is from what they’re about. Because, no matter how many AI tools people dream up to help with the green-lighting process, moviemaking is fundamentally about magic. And when all the right ingredients make it into the cauldron, the spell can be so strong that a film will win our hearts forever.
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The Highest-Rated Obsessively Rewatched Club for 2020
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So this is really different. In the Conan event I ran on Wednesday, one of the characters—a concubine named Beata—was expected to die in an Attack of Opportunity from a hidden enemy; however, he rolled low and she ran past him and eventually to “freedom.” Not expecting this but seeing the chance to expand on some more lore, well. This story happened.
Diermina was practicing speed painting and produced the above image, which stunned me! The epic piece from Kelzack, well. It’s beneath the cut for a reason and I’m really thankful to both of them.
Eventually, I am certain, the heroes will make it to the Temple of Longing. Eventually...
This piece was 1 hour, 13 minutes of writing!
THE TEMPLE OF LONGING.
Follows: Prologue.
Follows Part I.
Follows Part II.
Follows Part III.
Follows Part IVa.
Follows Part IVb.
Part V.
BEATA THE BRYTHUNIAN’S breathing beggared her battered, bruised, though becomingly beauteous body beyond belief. For all that she had experienced, all she had not seen—she was not yet broken. So long as she kept moving, she told herself, she could never be broken.
Behind her, the battle surely raged on—and her sisters, those beauties that had been brought from all about the world at the behest of their benevolent benefactor, were imperiled in ways she could not fathom. It had all happened so suddenly: happened so quickly, that in the moment it took for her to realize she was running, she had already become something that rode a line she could not yet comprehend, but knew not to deviate from.
They had been attacked. The Aquilonians were always a threat she had heard of, but as her beloved Dorogoy, whose voice she could hear within her mind even as she staggered through soft sand, had told her not to fear—she had not. He may have been the Satrap Mostafa to some, but to her—and only her—he was Dorogoy: the man that had saved her from a life of certain misery. The man that had, in her time of need, been all that kept her from falling beneath sands that were far more deadly than those that she then staggered through.
Before her, the world had become a sea of that sand. The passing of the storm had been a gradual thing, filled with terrifying sounds and shouts that denied the human world. As but a girl had she been taken from Berthalia, in Southeastern Brythunia nearest the Karpash Mountains, yet even then she knew words of the mysterious beyond—words that filtered from the mysterious fyli of the mountain and reached the ears of those that would one day sell her: that would one day free her from the weakness that was a land burdened with beauty and a lack of brawn to see it protected.
Those words of her childhood, which spoke of ghosts and phantoms—spirits that hungered for blood, or the sweet things that filled the heart in less corporeal ways—had been tales mean to scare her. And for a time they had done just that: they had stripped her of courage and of strength and left her a passive and docile little creature that obeyed the words of her family—that family she had been born with, not the gift that she would one day be given.
The gift that at that moment, she was certain, the dead were feasting upon.
“The blood of boyars is within you,” her father had said as he bit the coin used to purchase her. The Boyars—those disreputable fools that had lost a land, lost a people—lost a world, because they could not agree to come together at their time of need. Yes, some kept that title, but they wore it as any scavenger did looted armor: ill-fitted and ridiculously, yet capable of protecting them from those clumsy fools that would have otherwise challenged them.
That could not be what she was descended from, she knew.
That was not something that her Dorogoy would have desired.
It was the thought of Dorogoy—always the thought of her sweet protector; her master, that kept her from falling where she was. The sky above them had been a brilliant blue when the Aquilonians freed them from the palanquin, but as she ran it betrayed itself to a shade violet and slowly became something darker. She thought of the blood she had seen: of the flesh that hung from the mouth of one of her sisters—perhaps Titre?— that had emerged from the confines of her own palanquin a changed beast. She thought of the eunuchs, risen from the dead that grabbed her; of how they had beaten her, of how they had torn at her until her veil was lost and she, in her bedraggled state, had been freed to flee from their pursuit.
What land was this that they had been birthed into from the darkness below?
If she could but find her Dorogoy—if she could free herself of a world without him, she was certain, she would be safe. For he would never fail her; he would never leave her to suffer a world in which she walked and he did not. No, somewhere among the endless sands she would find him, and once she did—once she did, she would know the comfort of his arms again.
It had taken her years to know that comfort though.
When she first arrived in the pleasure palace, she was little more than a child. Satrap Mostafa had gained her from the hands of a man that had gained her for his own tutelage. At the time—that time before Dorogoy—she had not known what these people wanted of her, though soon enough it became apparent: a Brythunian beauty was a golden commodity, and if the blood of boyars shone within her then she was all the more splendid. In passing had she been seen by the satrap, who did not yet wear his iron mask, and he had requested her.
“She is not yet trained,” the merchant had said.
Dorogoy, in a voice smooth as the silken sheets she then longed for, answered. “She is perfect as she is.”
It might have seemed foolish to say it—but even then, she had seen the majesty that was the man he would become. He was tall, but not immense. His eyes were light brown and gentle, though sharp when he was alarmed and glowed with a sort of calming majesty. In years to come he would wear an iron mask over those features, and yet she had never felt deprived by that. The mask was not cold to her—it was warmed by the man within it. His hands were still warm; his voice still a song of devotion. And even then—even before she knew what a man truly was, she had known that he was among the best of them. The merchant had tried haggling, but her Dorogoy would not be persuaded.
She was perfect as she was.
She was his.
The muscles in her legs had gone from hot to cripplingly heated. Each step she took was a protest against the inevitable; a denial of the death that lingered upon the horizon. Her throat was raw and wretched; her breath, scented not in dates but the vomit that had been forced from her when she fell. It had been when her hands felt the warm sand beneath her that she knew she could sink into it: sink into the silt and vanish as so many had before her. All she needed to do was give up; to let the world know that the blood of boyars burned just like any other beneath the merciless sun. How ashamed she was to think of those moments, which had been but an hour prior and yet felt like a lifetime. She could have let go—would have let go—and become one with a world that had been attempting to devour her since first her blue eyes opened and the breeze danced within her blonde hair.
Beata had never been the best at anything. When she had arrived within the harem, there were already a few that were counted as legendary among Mostafa’s possessions. Diwa the Drujistani, who spoke of death and whispered tales of a distant land, was possessed of a touch that could turn flowers black, or see those things fallen brought back from the beyond. Once, when she was but two summers past her arrival, had she seen just that—a dead rat, touched by the Drujistani and made to dance with the shifting of her fingers.
What could she offer to the man that had purchased her in comparison?
Norra of Nordheim, a woman whose hair matched her own but features were stronger by several harsh degrees, was strong and could wrestle men as if she were born with the same steel within her body that they knew. They had become closer than any other—shared a palanquin and spoke the same languages, and yet there was nothing about her that would have placed her above even her.
She did not possess Vithika’s winding hips or Ilahe’s voice. When she thought to develop some talent of her own, it had always been to the detriment of her station. With tears had she turned to another for aid, for some sign that she might be able to earn the admiration she had for so long desired. But no one could help her.
No one, that was, save for one person—the Fiend.
He had tricked her with the promise of something that would make her beloved Dorogoy see her. Promised to give her a world of experience that would win him her heart. And so she had left the confines of the pleasure palace to visit the garden with him: to hear his words, to see his mysteries and learn from his secrets. The Fiend had been convincing in that he seemed a simple man: thin, clever, and quick to smile. But all things about him were false. All he knew were lies. Lies—and lust.
The memory of what followed the Fiend’s treacheries burned hotly within her. It burned up to her neck, which was still covered by her collar, and caused an old injury to inflame. There, against the sand, she surely could have fallen and perished—yet, as she thought of that lesson she had learned, perhaps the only lesson that truly mattered, Beata pushed herself up and staggered in her step from the blue skies into the violet.
How old had she been then? Fifteen—sixteen, to the day? The Fiend had sought to corrupt something within her; to take something of her that she had not yet known could be taken. But when he made it clear what he desired—and that truthfully, her Dorogoy would desire it one day, she knew that whatever it was could not be abandoned. That she could not let this fiend, this liar—this beast, to so harm her.
So she snatched the knife from his waist.
Sharp things had never been to her liking. Since she was a child, Beata had felt that violence was something to be avoided at any expense. The Fiend, though a thin man, was still taller than she was—and stronger, and when she took his knife he laughed as if she had told him a joke far cleverer than she could have imagined. They were alone in the garden; shadows the only witness to the cruelty he would have visited upon her. So in her moment of desperation—perhaps, in the moment of her awakening—she did all that she could. The knife found its mark.
The scar yet lingered across her throat.
Diwa would later call it her First Death—a gift, she said, from a god that loved her more than any other. As the knife ran along her throat she felt blinding pain and in an instant, the horror of her body falling out of her control. She thrashed; blood slipped past her lily-white skin and rosined the ground a roseate hue spread by her flailing arms. In an instant she had seized control of what she was and defended what she believed was hers to defend.
The Fiend slunk away—never to be seen again… or so she had believed.
Had it been he that she fled from, more so than the corpses that walked? Across the horizon he had been a sticklike figure and yet, she knew his stride well enough. Never had she spoken a word of his deeds to another, yet he knew—and she knew—that his life was held in her hands.
Would he have spared her, as she had spared him?
“My perfection,” Dorogoy Satrap Mostafa had said, softly and with a kindness she had known could come of him. When she awakened on her own bed, she felt his hand tenderly touching where the scar that would forever make her act of defiance was. “Would you have left me in a world without you?”
She wept. “No.”
He kissed her forehead. Then her temple. He whispered in her ear. “You are mine.”
As the years passed he would kiss her more after that day; each year a little lower and a little longer. His touch had become more than a comfort—it was an obsession. By the time that he kissed her—truly kissed her, she had become so inflamed for him that she no longer knew what life had been like before he had visited himself upon her. Even when the tender flowers of her maidenhood yearned for his touch, had he been gentle and kind with her. That which the Fiend desired; that which he sought to steal from her, remained as true to her then as ever it would.
She was his—and she was perfect the way she was. Those words had been what kept her moving, even though the world had become only a dark shade of what it once was. A shade that, as she walked, began to turn from the rich and majestic violet in the sky, to a faint red and finally, crimson that lined the horizon. Wherever she was—wherever she went, she knew, she would have to find him so that she would be safe.
Diwa the Drujistani’s words returned to her as she walked. “Life can only be appreciated through Death,” the Drujistani witch had whispered. Her eyes, amber lined with crimson streaks, had begun to glow with interest at that. Never before had Beata seen her show such interest in her—in her life, and death, than she had after those words. “You have known First Death. What is there to fear in the one to come?”
She slowed in her stride as she recalled those words. Was it death that she feared—truly? Since first she had begun running; since first she had thought to call back to the others, it had not been with the understanding that she feared the end of her life. The terminus of all things, it had to be said, was death—and that terminus, though daunting, was one she had indeed experienced before. Death had changed her—first or otherwise—and made her see the beauty of a man that stood somewhere in the distance.
All she feared was losing him.
She could not live in a world without him.
Beneath a crimson sky the abattoir stretched in grim salutation. Overhead, carrion birds sang a dolorous song that echoed off the emptiness of a world hungering for those very souls that then slipped from it and into a darkness beyond time. Beata had exhausted her will to run. She walked then, past bodies partially covered in sand, and standards of both armies scattered about. A golden eagle, clutching a Mitran sun girding a gladius, stuck at an awkward angle from the ground: its shaft broken, and the banner beneath it waving in a hollow, cold flap. On the wind she could hear the moans of the dying—and of the dead—and knew that wherever she was going, she would need to go no further.
To her right, an immense bird descended and caught hold of a man that had crawled free his sandy grave. Its head was absent skin; its body a massive plumage of black that made it appear more shadow than avian. She heard the man’s moan as it cracked his bones—heard not pain, but the pleasure of death overtake him. Beata lifted a hand to her mouth and walked on.
There, in the middle of the gathered bodies of the dead, she saw a single horse. Upon its back, a thin figure sat. That thin figure, cast against the red sky, was nearly a shadow itself—but she could see the glint of iron upon its face.
Immediately, she wept.
“Dorogoy,” she said—her voice dry, her words a scratchy protest against motion. But she rushed to him and fell to her knees in relief.
The lone rider—her Dorogoy, descended from the horse and crossed the sands with measured steps. She looked up at him, at his cold mask, and began to speak.
He silenced her with a finger.
No longer did she feel warmth upon his hand—no longer did she feel his hand at all. The bony digit that silenced her was the steel that had been within her protector. She heard his voice on the winds about her, bidding her to be still—to be silent. Loyally, she held as she was. Beneath that mask, Beata knew, the lovely face she had adored was no longer there.
“Would you live in this world without me,” the wind said to her as it swayed about her. His thumb, a sharp and bony thing, slowly ran beneath her eye, pushing away tears. He used it then to lift her chin… to draw her up before him. But a girl, she should have trembled—as a woman, she looked boldly into the mask that was before her.
The land that she had found herself in—the land that the others were in, was not the one they had once known. Of that, she could have no doubt. But true to this world or any other, she knew—knew as much as she knew the blood of boyars, or the scar on her throat, or the pains she had endured to stand before him, that she had nothing to fear. It had never been the face of her Dorogoy that had intrigued her—it was what glowed within him.
He gestured to the horse, as stripped of flesh and bone as its rider. With grace, Beata allowed herself to be helped into the saddle, and then felt the weight of her Dorogoy settle into place behind her.
The Zuagir Desert. Drujistan. Hell. Wherever they were, it didn’t matter. As the horse started off at its deathly slow pace and she felt her Dorogoy’s arms settle around her, Beata knew that she was where she belonged. Diwa had been correct: after experiencing First Death, what did she have to fear of that which was to come? Life could only be appreciated through death—and Death, surely, could only be savored with life.
No other girl of the harem could have said that. If Death had become her master, then he had been correct so long ago, when first he laid his eyes upon her.
She was perfect as she was—perfect and his.
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A History of Two • A Reddie Fic
Eddie Kaspbrak's first crush came in middle school. It was on his best (and only) friend, Big Bill Denbrough. Bill was the kind of boy who made everyone he spoke to feel special - a leader right down to his bones. He could have any friends he wanted in the whole world even with his stutter, that much Eddie was certain of, yet he still chose to hang around with the short asthmatic kid he'd met in the park when they were five. This was a mystery to Eddie who was not blind to the fact he wasn't exactly the coolest kid around.
He was on the smaller side size-wise. His mother, liked to call him 'delicate' while everybody else called him 'scrawny'. When he went outside he would be laden down with an aspirator and a fanny pack of medical supplies, and God help him if he came back with so much as a scratch on him or his mother would haul him down to the emergency room in a second. This had had the rather depressing effect of making Eddie a target for bullies.
At school, older boys would laugh and call Eddie names, they'd shove him around and sneer at him, often asking Bill if it got annoying having his little boyfriend following him around like a lovesick puppy all the time. Bill never laughed along with them. He never defended himself either - never yelled "I'm not gay!" or put deliberate space between himself and Eddie even though they both knew he'd have an easier time of it if he did - something which Eddie was eternally grateful for. Instead he'd flip those boys the bird then turn to Eddie and joke "Don't worry, I know you could do much better than me."
Eddie would smile back and roll his eyes, pushing down on the urge to blurt out how wrong he thought Bill was about that.
So for several years, it was just the two of them. Eddie would show Bill how to fix his bike the way he wanted all the while trying not to get oil on his pants so his mother wouldn't yell at him, and in return Bill would tell him stories as they worked. Bill's stories were wonderful - filled with adventure and friendship, dashing knights and beautiful maidens. Listening to them made Eddie's heart swell. Once on his birthday, Bill had gifted him a book of those same stories written down and Eddie could've sworn his heart would burst from joy. He wondered if he would ever stop loving Bill Denbrough.
The answer was yes and no because love changes, fluidly switching between romantic and platonic as it pleases with no concern for the heart to which it is attached. Eddie would grow to love Big Bill Denbrough as a brother while the romance in his heart fell to another.
Richie Tozier was nothing like Bill and he was even less like Eddie. He was a loud brash boy with coke-bottle glasses that made his eyes look almost comically wide. He met Bill in sixth grade who in turn introduced him to Eddie, much to Eddie's own dismay. In class he would often mouth off to teachers in a fashion that suggested he couldn't really help himself. This irked Eddie, but what irked him even more was the way that Richie would call him cute and laugh at his own jokes all the while telling him to lighten up when Eddie scowled. Sometimes he would pinch his cheeks or shorten his name to Eds, and even though Eddie did not believe in violence it would often end in him threatening to punch Richie.
So yes, Richie had the most annoying habit of grinding Eddie's gears like it was his full-time job. Consequently, Eddie spent several mornings complaining to Bill asking why they had to hang out with such a jerk, to which Bill would reply by saying Richie was cool when you got to know him. Eddie had his doubts.
Until...
"Hey, runt! You can't run from us!"
It's a good thing Eddie is so fast because it's the only reason he's managing to escape the wrath of Henry Bowers and his gang of miscreants right now. His legs carry him forward without him even thinking about it. All his focus is pointed towards getting away and surviving the afternoon.
It's a hot summer day, so hot that hazy little heat waves emanate from the surface of the sidewalks. When Eddie had left the house this morning he'd intended to head down to the Barrens, he and Bill's preferred place to play, thinking maybe the two of them (and probably Bill's kid brother George too) could play swords with some of the sticks they'd found last time. This was not to be the case though, as he learned when he knocked at the Denbrough's door. Bill and George had gone with their father to buy tools from the hardware store. Eddie didn't feel like waiting around for them to get back - Mrs Denbrough had offered a glass of milk but she always looked at him with such pity for reasons he didn't really understand and it made him uncomfortable. So he had politely declined and wandered off into town in search of something to do.
Unfortunately for him, Bowers and his gang had been looking for something to do too. As soon as they spotted him it became apparent that knocking him around would be amusement enough. Eddie had had enough sense to start sprinting.
He would have escaped entirely if it were not somebody stepping out of the corner shop door as he flies by it. The resulting collision is an epic mess of limbs and surprised shouts. When Eddie looks up he finds Richie staring back at him.
"Where's the fire, Eds?" He asks, then he spots Bowers coming towards them and his eyes widen. Quickly he's tugging Eddie up and they're running once again.
It seems hopeless. Pain shoots up Eddie's ankle and he thinks 'Oh God, another trip to the emergency room.' They're never going to get away. The gang is gaining on them now, all cruel laughter and insults, but then-
Richie kicks a dustbin backwards as they pass, he kicks it hard, and it goes flying into Bower's. There's a noise of pained rage but it's enough of a distraction for them to finally get away. The clanging and the yelling is joined by adult voices asking what the hell is going on out here, and when Eddie and Richie turn the corner they're free.
They head for Richie's house, he explains his parents aren't home, and when they get there Richie's fingers are tender as they wrap Eddie's ankle in ice.
"Gotta be more careful, Guv'na! Or 'em damn rascals 'll getcha!" He says with a cheerful smile as he pays Eddie's knee. It's what he calls his 'British Constable voice', which Eddie usually hates but this time it draws a laugh out of him.
It was in that moment that Eddie realised Richie's teasing words were not deliberate attempts to get a rise out of him but rather his own special, and slightly irritating, brand of affection. That was the first time he knew for sure that they had become real friends.
By eighth grade Eddie and Richie were no longer allowed to sit next to one another in class. In fact, they were often put on opposite sides of the room. In all honesty, this was through no fault of Eddie's. It was Richie who was unable to keep his mouth shut, and it was not Eddie's fault that the boy had a certain talent for making laughter bubble up inside him exploding in an unwanted burst of giggles. Richie remained unable to keep his mouth shut whether he was next to Eddie or not, but at least when they were apart he had less incentive to crack jokes every five seconds.
They may have been able to separate them in a classroom, but the teachers at Derry Middle School had no place preventing laughter on the playground and so it became normal for Eddie to watch the clock in class counting down the minutes until one became three for lunchtime. He, Richie and Bill would throw themselves down under the large oak tree on the playing field and share torn off pieces of sandwiches while pouring over the latest issues of their favourite comic books.
Eddie's mother did not like Richie. He was too loud for her aging ears and he had a tendency to knock things over by accident while gesturing. The Kaspbrak house was filled with many a delicate antique, or at least what Mrs. Kaspbrak liked to think of as antiques, and several had met their doom as a result of Richie's flailing limbs. Despite this, she was helpless to stop him from visiting because by that point Eddie and Richie had become EddieAndRichie, attached at the hip and seen everywhere together or not at all, and so she was forced to accept that desperately hiding her precious china when she heard footsteps coming up the porch was a tedious forever part of their lives.
Their group expanded from three to five and then on to seven when they hit high school. First to join them was Stan Uris, a neat bookish boy whom Bill had met through bird watching. He had a sneaky wit about him and enjoyed going on runs with Eddie in the morning. On group outings he began bringing along his friend Mike Hanlon, who up until recently had been home schooled. Mike gave the best advice and saw more reason than his friends, often getting them out of trouble. Eddie was grateful for his friendship.
Then along came Beverly Marsh and Ben Hanscom, two other regular victims of Bowers gang boredom. Beverly was fiesty and unafraid - she and Richie got along like a house on fire. Eddie was never sure which he felt for her more: envy or admiration. Probably the second one. He hoped it was the second one. Ben was sweet and spent many afternoons in Bill's garage with them building all sorts of strange structures. He looked at Bev like she was the sun and he would paint the skies for her. Eddie wondered if he realised she looked at him the same way or he was too blinded by his own low self-esteem to realise.
The group became his lifeline; the Loser's Club they called themselves. For the seven of them, weekends were filled with visits to the Aladdin, the local movie theatre, and picnics down at the Barrens. They would start campfires and have Bill tell stories. Richie would butt in with his terrible impressions and Ben would laugh so hard he got a stitch. Everything felt right when they were all together.
At some point during that time, though Eddie couldn't pinpoint exactly when, they had knit together and become a family of sorts. He loved them wholly and completely, and he knew they loved him back in a similar fashion. It was a blinding sort of unquestionable love, which is probably why it took so long for Eddie to realise what he felt for Richie was different for what he felt for the others.
It was in twelfth grade that Eddie Kaspbrak finally realised he was in love with Richie Tozier, and it hit him like a ton of bricks.
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Life on the Road: Week 1, France
A week ago we had just reached French shores and stayed the night near the Belgium border. Now, over a thousand kilometres later, I look back at life on the road in Suzi the HiAce.
The days before we left England, I was filled with nerves. A weird sort of apprehension-excitement-fear combo descended on me, especially as George left me alone for a day whilst he headed up to Manchester to do a last-minute video shoot. Then, Monday morning finally came and I was so glad we were ready to leave, given that my mind had been running in circles in the days prior.
Even if we had forgotten things, not planned for certain eventualities, I was ready to go and to start our long-awaited trip.
The drive to Dover was somewhat uneventful, punctuated by a welcome visit at my Aunt’s house in Ashford, and a lovely meal, sharing stories of places travelled and frantically jotting notes down from my knowledgeable relatives about the best routes to take (and tolls to avoid!) in France. We arrived at the ferry terminal with ages to spare, an unusual departure from George and my usual tendency to leave everything to the last minute.
Once on French soil, we really enjoyed taking in the surroundings of the north coast. Although an altogether flat and industrial area, Dunkirk and the neighbouring villages were peppered with characterful qualities: the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ hosting small road-side bonfires, faded signage painted on brick facades, and unusual Flemish-style housing with tiled roofs and shuttered windows. We started to search online for the history of places we saw and towns we passed through, often discovering impressive stories from both the world wars of soldiers’ resistance and the resilience of ordinary local folk. This activity of reading a place’s Wikipedia page as evening entertainment has become a bit of a habit!
(images, left to right) Exploring the streets of Dunkirk, a much-needed celebratory champagne/beer on the ferry from Dover, and me outside Suzi on our drive to Paris.
En route to Paris, we risked the tolls and experienced the aggression of French drivers when they get stuck behind a 25-year old fully-laden campervan. Tolls are something we’re generally going to avoid; whilst they save you time, we’d rather save the money and enjoy the more scenic routes. But in this instance, we got to France’s capital nice and quickly, and found free showers at the roadside services as a bonus.
The two and a half days we spent in Paris were just perfect: we kept things slow and cheap rather than trying to see and do everything.
Based on advice from other vanlifers, we opted to park up in a suburb on the outskirts of the city and catch the train each day. Despite protests from railway workers and closed train lines making headline news whilst we were there, the line we took seemed unaffected and it worked out brilliantly - we would pop up at the station outside Notre Dame, and each day take in the sights of the city by foot. Road closures left streets feeling calm and quiet, combined with the fact that the freezing cold temperatures were keeping the crowds away!
Generally, we mooched around the Quartier Latin and the student areas, centred on the Pantheon and Rue Mouffetard, the city’s oldest street. I was impressed to see sustainable, human-centred initiatives across the city, no-doubt linked to the forward-thinking stance of Paris’ mayor, Anne Hidalgo (a renowned figure in urban design circles). There were lots of bicycles, generous pedestrian spaces, electric car charging stations and even billboards announcing the city’s ‘participatory budgeting’ scheme, although the lack of green spaces and trees was apparent too.
(images, left to right) Filming in Le Jardin du Luxembourg, wandering along the Seine, and escaping from the cold in a super-cool Parisien cafe.
We were lucky enough to catch up with friends and family in Paris, which made the big city feel warm and welcoming.
On the first night, a girl who I had met back in Sydney when we both volunteered at a not-for-profit restaurant met up with us and showed us the local’s perspective into the best inner-city spots for wandering and socialising. On Thursday, what began as George randomly spotting that an old bandmate of his was also in Paris, resulted in a couple of beers that evening with him and his girlfriend. And the next day, we were able to see one of my cousins, along with his wife and newborn baby, in their apartment in the 11th arrondissement. These encounters were so enjoyable, and were a powerful reminder that it will be the people we see and spend time with along this trip that define it.
Sad to leave but ready for the next step, we left Paris in the knowledge that life admin was on the cards. We wanted to get a gas refill for our spare gas bottle so that when we run out on our first tank in some middle-of-nowhere location, we don’t have to eat cold spaghetti! After a few delightful days of being tourists in Paris, including filming our first episode of ‘Place Portraits’ about film photography through our documentary channel Broaden, spending a tireless day looking for the right gas refill felt like a fall from grace.
We quickly learned that all the little things like gas, electricity and water can take up a lot of time when you’re living in a van and you’re in a foreign country.
Eventually laden with a new (albeit pricey) bottle of gas, we headed out towards the countryside to find somewhere to stay for the night. We didn’t get that far, and stopped in the town of Fontainbleu - renowned for its historic connections to French royalty (also worth checking out the Wikipedia page). We found our parking spot through the fantastic app ‘Park4Night’, and this location reaffirmed just how awesome the app can be, as it led us to a space literally outside the gates to Fontainbleu Castle!
(images, left to right) A morning run around Fontainbleu Castle, a very excitable me after said run, and our epic camping spot outside the castle gates.
One of mine and George’s priorities has been to squeeze in exercise along the journey. Staying active is not only important to the two of us, but essential when you’re often sitting still in a van for long distances. The only thing getting in the way of doing lots of exercise is the fact that we don’t have a shower (though we’re looking into a small one with submersible pump and would love recommendations from folks who have used them before). Nonetheless, we did a 5K run around the eery castle grounds at Fontainbleu, and I’ve tailored a workout with the NikeTraining app that I can just about do lying in the van. As for the washing situation, well it’s either boiling a kettle and doing a face-cloth shower, or heading to public swimming pools (as we did in Lyon) and making use of the facilities whilst squeezing a swim in as well.
With dreams of snow, we spent two days headed south-east, through Lyon, towards the Alps. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit of a half-baked plan and we eventually decided to give up on the idea.
We had gotten quite close to the Alps before we decided it wasn’t worth it. We’d been tracking slower than expected, and had generally realised that Suzi can’t just whizz up hilly roads as we’d like. Given that we also had no plans to ski (and were just headed there for the views and hikes), it felt like a huge commitment for not all that much reward. It was a frustrating decision, but a good first experience in the reality of trip-planning and timing.
Almost a week in, and it felt like we’d hit our first slump: giving up on the Alps and generally being aware that Suzi is an old van with a somewhat unreliable engine. Although we’ve had no issues with her so far, other than underwhelming fuel efficiency, George is conscious that we may have worn piston rings. The piston rings are something that could cause us issues in the future, so we’re closely monitoring them for now and on the look-out for a reliable garage in South France/Spain that may be able to have a look at them and give us an idea of what repairs may cost.
(images, left to right) Emptying the wastewater tank and filling up on fresh water at an ‘Aire du Camping-Car’, stocking up on much-needed bread and cheese, and editing footage inside the van in true hot-desking style!
Changing the plan and re-diverting west turned out to be a real positive. We ventured along some alpine roads through the stunning scenery of the Parc Natural Regional Livradois-Forez and ended the first week on a high - parked up in the middle of nowhere safe and sound in the van.
That evening, we ate fresh baguette with local cheese and snuggled under our blanket watching a BBC crime drama. With no other sign of life in sight, we finally felt free - next to a stream in a misty forest, accompanied by the soundtrack of light rain. It wasn’t the most stunning place, the most famous or the most extreme, but it was just right.
#traveldiaries#SuzitheVan#ToyotaHiace#OverlandAdventures#DigitalNomads#BryonyandGeorge#vanlife#hiacevan#lifethroughalens#vanliving#consciouscommunity
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Current Music Obsessions: July 16 - 31, 2018
July is over, but this series goes on. Let's see them honorable mentions.
Phosphenes - People You Love Become Ghosts
Morbid Violence - Knights
Evictus - The Heart of Pandora
Aural Vampire - Flare Stack
Hatemagick - God ov Worms
Eleine - Echoes
Fleesh - Time Lapse
Helion Prime - Silent Skies
Vrsty - Neon
69 Chambers - Metamorphose
69 Chambers - Chemical Poetry
Chaos Heidi - Anubis (Septicflesh cover)
Twenty One Pilots - Jumpsuit/
Crystal Viper - At the Edge of Time
Aquaria - Your Majesty Gaia
Desdaemona - Invisible Thread
Hell City - Your Darkest Hour
69 Chambers - Machine
Aeternitas - A Case of Revenge
Lullacry - Crucify My Heart
Allamedah - Perspective
Soul Desire - Rapture
Lejana - The Dirty adn the Beast
Eluveitie - Ira Sancti (When the Saints are Going Wild) [Powerwolf cover]
Flyleaf - Broken Wings
Tomoko Tane - Broken Wings
I:Scintilla - Boxing Glove
And now for these obsessions.
1) To Paint the Sky - The Ghost
I recently cracked into my old YouTube account and decided to check out some of the music I was into back in the day and found this song. I'm honestly shocked by the fact that I genuinely enjoy this track. It's a catchy, fun jam and it's got emo/scene queen written all over it, but I really enjoy it.
2) Charli XCX - 5 in the Morning
I got curious as to why gay twitter was all over this song, so I decided to give it a listen and holy hell is this song absolutely amazing. I was blasting this song for weeks. It's such an epic jam. I really need to look more into her music.
3) Once - The Hour of Eden's Fall
I knew that their music was going to be amazing and was very excited when I heard they were going to be dropping their debut single, but I wasn't expecting this. This is some dramatic and powerful symphonic metal goodness right here. I've been a fan of Alina Lesnik for a few years now and I'm so happy that her own project is finally releasing music. I can't wait for the album to drop, because it's bound to be full of many more epic tracks, and maybe some even better than this one.
4) Zeromancer - Send Me an Angel
Another track I found on my old YT account. This song grew on me so quickly. Like I already enjoyed it, but as I continued to listen to it, I got really hooked on it. It has a really great industrial rock vibe going on with it that I really dig.
5) Ariana Grande - God is a Woman
This song is everything. Of all the songs she's released, this has to be my favorite. I know the gays are probably mad that I'm saying this, but this surpassed Into You for me. It's so powerful and beautiful and is absolutely everything. And the video. Oh my god, the video is STUNNING. And I love the screaming furry friends. So much yes.
6) Florence + the Machine - The End of Love
Not gonna lie, her new album didn't impress me that much, but this song really stood out to me. It's songs like this why I love Florence. You can hear so many of the beautiful dimensions of her voice here. It's full of so many emotions and is so captivating. Absolutely love it.
7) Foscor - Encenalls de Mort
Found this song through their record label. It's a really chill post rock/metal track. It might even fall into the blackgaze category, but I'm not familiar with that genre at all, so don't take my word for it. Anyways, this is a great track to just veg out to. It's very soft and soothing, but also has this broody kind of atmosphere to it.
8) Estrum - Abiosis
Once again, another find from my old YT account. I'm so glad I found this song, because I've had the music video for it stuck in my head for a few months now. This is a really great gothic metal track and I love how deep the singer's voice gets during the verses. I also love it when a female singer can hit some low notes. I'm definitely am gonna check out more from them.
9) WonderOnce - Morrigu
This was a random YT find and I absolutely need to hear more from them. This is such an epic symphonic metal track. The fantasy vibes are so real here. It has such a catchy feel to it. I love the blending of all the singers' voices. It just adds to the epicness of the track.
10) Synkvervet - Room of Angel (Akira Yamaoka cover)
I rekindled my love for this wonderful cover. I honestly prefer this over the original. These guys are such a great blackened symphonic gothic metal band and they turned this cover the fuck out. It's so beautiful and still just as haunting as the original, just with some added drama, and we all know how I feel about dramatic music at this point.
11) Thy Shade - Dies Irae
These guys recently released a video for my favorite song off their debut album. This song is powerful and dramatic. Pure symphonic gothic metal right here. It has some Therion vibes to it which fuels my love for it even more. I will say this though, the studio version is way more epic since they cut a decent amount out for the video. I hope they have more songs like this on their next album. And I also hope their front woman's voice has gotten a lot stronger since this release.
12) We are the Catalyst - One More Day
I'm always seeing an ad for them on Facebook and this song is always playing and it finally got stuck in my head. This is easily one of my favorites from them. It's so simple, but the amount of energy and emotion they put into it really makes it what it is.
13) Rhapsody of Fire - Magic of the Wizard's Dream feat. Christopher Lee
Ok. How am I just learning that Christopher was an opera singer? Not only that, but that he also did a song with Rhapsody of Fire? Holy tits. This is such an amazing duet. Fabio's voice is already so iconic and wonderful, but the two of them together is a match made in heaven. Such a powerful ballad track.
14) The Gathering - Eleanor
I recently got my hands on a copy of Mandylion, which is probably my favorite album of theirs from their doom days. This song wound up really sticking on me. It's a lot faster than a lot of the tracks off the album and has really pretty "orchestrations" in it. Such a gorgeous track.
15) Twenty One Pilots - Nico and the Niners
I've never really bought into the hype with these guys, but I really dig this track. I'm a sucker for pitch shift harmonies and that's exactly what this song has. But the vibe of this track is so cool. It has a bit of a trip hop kind of vibe to it and the chorus is really catchy. And don't get me started on that epic bridge.
16) Yuki Kajiura - Bloody Rabbit
I got curious as to what all anime soundtracks this iconic composer/singer has done and found out she did Pandora Hearts. I haven't gotten around to watching it, but I read the whole manga and it's a really cool story. This track is just pure amazingness. I miss the days when a lot her songs were like this; when they had this progressive pop vibe to them. Don't get me wrong, I love her cinematic stuff, but the pop and rock stuff are always gonna be my favorites.
And that's it for July. August is looking to be pretty interesting, and I'm also gonna dive back into my old YT to find more old jams. Shit's gonna get wild.
#me#Current Music Obsessions#music#blogger#To Paint the Sky#metalcore#Charli XCX#pop#Once#Alina Lesnik#symphonic metal#Zeromancer#industrial metal#industrial#Ariana Grande#Florence + the Machine#indie#rock#Foscor#post metal#blackgaze#Estrum#gothic metal#WonderOnce#power metal#Synkvervet#black metal#Thy Shade#female fronted metal#We are the Catalyst
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Metropolis (1927)
Once you've seen Metropolis, you'll know. You'll know why, as it's approaching its 100-year anniversary, it's still being talked about. It’s a masterpiece, a film that, at numerous points, will make you wonder “how did they do that?”
Metropolis was released in 1927, long before color and before they were able to synchronize sound to pictures. It was edited down from 153 minutes to a more digestible length for the audiences of the time and many of the removed scenes were discarded or destroyed and are still missing to this day. Now, we're very close to having the entire thing together again.
In the future, the poor work themselves to death to power the skyscrapers above where the rich live. The Master of Metropolis is Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel), whose son Freder (Gustav Frohlich) spends his days carefree. When Freder falls in love with Maria (Brigitte Helm), he learns of the workers' appalling condition. Meanwhile, Joh is preoccupied with signs of a growing underground rebellion. To infiltrate the resistance and disassemble it from within, Joh enlists the help of his old rival, the mad scientist Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) to create a robotic duplicate of the resistance's leader: none other than Maria. While everyone overlooks their own agendas, Freder desperately tries to mediate the situation, becoming the heart who can help the hands (the workers) and the brain (Joh) work together.
The visuals featured are spectacular. There are the dazzling skyscrapers of Metropolis, with its busy streets and skies filled with planes, but the real eye-popper is the machinery underground. The film displays enormous sets full of pistons, whirring gears, blasts of steam and workers desperately trying to maintain it all. There are literally hundreds of actors on set.
Metropolis also contains several Biblical themes, which bring in either fantasy/nightmare sequences. Each brings in those "how did they do that?" questions and are so grandiose, so magnificent they'll be permanently imprinted into your mind. The Tower of Babel, the Whore of Babylon (in a scene that would have been borderline pornographic at the time and is still risqué today) and an elaborate reference to the seven deadly sins and the angel of death/grim reaper, Freder's vision of the demonic pagan god Moloch (frequently associated with human sacrifice, particularly that of children by fire) are powerful sights. It's full of elaborate, ground-breaking visuals and ties them back to the idea that “The Heart must be the mediator between the Hands and the Brain” in ways that are mind-blowing, even if it were done today. It’s enjoyable simply as a story about a man who is torn between two worlds but becomes even richer when the symbolism is dissected.
It all sounds pretty artsy, the kind of thing that will go right over your regular movie watcher’s head, but that’s where the foreground story comes in. We’ve got a romance between Freder and Maria, two rivals (Joh and Rotwang) teaming up together while one secretly plots to betray the other, a mechanical duplicate (spectacularly introduced) that threatens to reduce the whole city to ash and all the while the whole city is on the brink of tearing itself apart. There’s murder, seduction, science fiction, pretty much everything you want to see in an epic film and throughout, you'll see sights that inspired everything from C-3P0 to the landscape of Blade Runner.
As big corporations keep merging and the rich get richer, it's easy to imagine a world ruled by a single man while the rest of us are forced to grovel in the dirt but this movie paints neither the rich nor the poor as villains or heroes, just as people so distant from each other that they cannot even fathom placing themselves in each other’s shoes. Ultimately it’s a movie about peacekeeping and averting disaster. Regardless of which decade (or even millennium) it’s told in, it’s a story we relate to.
I could further stress the historical significance of Metropolis, how great and elaborate its special effects and visuals are or how captivating the story is with its symbolism, twists and turns. Let me try a different approach instead. How many big blockbusters, with all their special effects and modern qualities wind up forgotten a couple months down the road? How many actually mean something? Metropolis has impact and lasting power. You’ve never seen anything like it. Why not go for something totally different? A film where there is no talking, where actors emote vividly (more like stage actors than film actors), where there was no focus groups or number crunchers? It’s more than a movie, it’s a story about a long-lost treasure that’s been slowly reconstituted, a testament to the importance of the preservation of film and a piece of science fiction so early in the evolutionary chain that people take cues from it without even knowing it anymore. You might think you’re taking a chance with Metropolis, but the truth is that you aren’t, you’re going for a sure-thing. If the story with its drama, sequences of disaster and thrills don’t get ya, it’s sure that the visuals will. (2010 restored version on the big screen, April 12, 2014)
#metropolis#metropolis movie review#metropolis film review#movies#films#reviews#movie reviews#film reviews#fritz lang#thea von harbou#brigitte helm#gustav frohlich#alfred abel#rudolf klein-rogge#theodor loos#fritz rasp#heinrich george#1927 movies#1927 films#science fiction movies#science fiction films#5 star movies#5 star movie reviews#adamwatchesmovies
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RWBY Musings #7: Gonna take a wild guess as to what I think Oscar’s semblance might be as I believe it could play a role in helping Jaune to finally awaken his.
According to what Ren said in Chapter 4, it is stated that one’s personality can define their semblance or vice versa. That being said, my guess for Oscar’s semblance is something to do with his mind, particularly the way how his mind is right now.
What if...and this is stretch here...Oscar’s semblance will have something to do with dreams and memories which will then grant him a more enhanced ability to connect to others through his mind.
(Fasten your seat belts and grab yourself a snack readers. This is gonna be a long one)
If we look back, the very first time we were introduced to Oscar was when he woke up from a bad dream following the scene with Salem addressing Team WTCH. To me, that scene insinuated that Oscar possibly dreamt that scene or at least bore witness to it in some form of outer body experience...maybe?
Maybe Oscar dreamt of Ozpin's battle with Cinder too and that was the first time the two actually connected mentally before Ozpin was eventually reborn inside of him. That could be a possibility, yes.
As I said before, it's a stretch. And while I don't have much more evidence from the series to back my hunch, however I do strongly think that Oscar’s semblance would have something to do with his mind.
Maybe Oscar will have a Professor Xavier from X-Men kind of power. While I doubt he'll be able to read others minds and/or lift things telepathically like Jean Gray (though that would be freaking awesome if he could); I do like the idea of him being able to connect to others mentally, more specifically through their thoughts and dreams.
It would make sense. Oscar is a man (well boy) with two souls. He is the embodiment of two minds sharing one singular form so having a semblance that reflects that would fit. Plus I really want this cause I would love to see the series do a visual representation of Oscar's mind.
Gonna use another Yugioh reference here again. Remember back in the original series when the character Shadi used his Millennium Key to enter Yugi's mind when he suspected that he was the one who stole Pegasus' Millennium Eye (which was actually taken by Evil Bakura)? In that episode, we got a nice visual idea of the inside of Yugi's mind after pairing with the Pharaoh. As viewers, we actually got to SEE what both sides of the coin looked like with each being represented by a different room and door.
If I remember correctly, Yugi's was described to be more childlike, pure and innocent, as remarked by Shadi, whereas the Pharaoh’s was basically a cold dungeon labyrinth with endless staircases leading to many intricate doors housing a variety of tricks and traps, all to deceive unwanted intruders. Some were even guarded by Duel Monsters; one of them being Yugi’s signature card: The Dark Magician, as I recall.
This was done, as I believe, to reflect the complexity and overall mystery of the Pharaoh’s character as part of the story was uncovering the secrets of his past and his true identity.
Gosh! That was such a cool part of the original Yugioh and I would LOVE it if the CRWBY did something like that for Oscar and Ozpin. Fingers crossed!
While hearing the mental banter between Oz and Oscar is nice; it would be an even greater touch if we actually got to see the inside of Oscar’s mind and what it looked like, especially now that Ozpin is there. Somehow I envision Oscar/Ozpin’s mind world being no different than how it was for Yugi and the Pharaoh.
Picture this everyone...
Oscar’s Inner Mind
Imagine one room. One single room. An inner sanctum, if you will. The room is divided in half. On one side, there is a locked door with a clock cog symbol embedded on its surface to represent it being Ozpin’s room while on the opposite end, is another smaller, simpler wooden door to identify that it belongs to Oscar. At the centre of the main mind hall is a single long table with two chairs facing each other. It is here, within these uncharted walls, where Oscar and Ozpin meet within their inner mind (I need a more creatively whimsical word to describe this).
Since Oscar is still the more dominant soul, the room atmosphere changes to reflect his mood. When he's cheerful or perhaps relaxed, it becomes a tranquil afternoon sky in a large open field covered with lush green grass mirroring that of the one he would see all the time back in his home in Mistrel. When he's angry or upset, the skies turn grey and cloudy. Though they never rain, the raging thunder and lightning above are more than enough to voice his troubles.
And when he thinks of Ruby; the ambiance transforms into a beautiful sunset and what was once a grassy field becomes a vast rose garden filled with an outstretch of blossoming red roses; their gorgeous petals blowing ever so delicately in the wind.
Okay, that one was for my RoseGarden shippers but c'mon, how sweet would that be.
Picture a scene where:
Oscar and Ozpin are having a private conversation within his inner mind world when Oscar is either dreaming or meditating (perhaps a session with Ren).
Oscar is frustrated with his training and Ozpin is there to offer him some reassurance. The room atmosphere is a raging storm to reflect Oscar's brooding dissatisfaction but in the instance where Ozpin is able to calm the boy down, it simmers to a gentle breeze blowing through a green meadow.
Ozpin then tries to lighten the mood by asking Oscar about how he felt about his new teammates: Jaune, Nora and Ren. Oscar, of course, gives a good review of three remaining Team JNPR members, commenting that he gets along well with everyone. And since they're all so nice to him and help him with his training, he thinks they’re cool. Ozpin quietly accepts this answer. He then addresses the real Goliath Grimm in the room.
He asks Oscar about his thoughts on Ruby and the instant he does Oscar’s whole demeanour changes in an almost comical manner.
The young farm boy is suddenly fidgety and by Ozpin’s keen observation, a little red in the face, barely making his point audible as he clamoured out a bunch of nonsensical facts about Ruby (that Ozpin already knew of) all summing up to him basically saying that she’s just a huntress he really, really admires for her strength and considers a good friend.
While Ozpin accepts this answer as well, albeit with one of his trademark scrunch-nosed chuckles, he doesn’t however fail to point out that while Oscar’s mouth said one thing, his own mind betrayed him. For at that precise moment, unknown to Oscar, the room had changed again to match his current emotions; revealing his true blossoming feelings for Ruby (which literally take the shape of a freaking rose garden).
Imagine how perfect that would be. I know it’s just a thought however if the series somehow ever did something like this, I'd lose my shit.
The Room of Two Souls
I’d imagine the inside of Oscar's room would resemble that of his original home back on his aunt's farm cause right now it’s the only family tie he has.
However as he makes more connections with people he come to care about, the room will expand and even change depending on the person or bond he’s thinking of. Y’know how folks are always using the analogy of creating a space in their heart for someone or something they consider special to them.
Maybe the same can work for the mind; in particular Oscar’s mind, with him creating a special place in his own mind room for certain cherished loved ones using the memories and feelings he’s shared with them to bring it to life within his inner mind.
Imagine a place in Oscar’s mind built on the memories and sentiments of his time with Team RNJR which in turn links him mentally to all of them. Take special note of this point. I’ll elaborate more on it later in this post.
Ozpin's room, on the other hand, will be complicated with as much intricacy as the mechanical interior of a clock. As a matter of fact, I picture it being like a giant clock tower leading into another room decorated with towering portraits of different men; the faces of Ozpin's previous vessels with the memories of their lives and adventures contained behind each portrait. It within here where Ozpin’s past memories are all stored.
For all the Star Vs The Forces of Evil fans in the audience, remember how in the episode ‘Into The Wand', we got to see all the past Queens of Mewni in portrait form including Moon.
I pictured something like that for Ozpin and all his past forms. The portraits not only paint a vivid depiction of what the previous Ozpins looked like physically but additionally it illustrated a perfect mosaic of all the major events in their lives; from rebirth to death.
Imagine if we got to see a portrait of Ozpin in his last form before Oscar; when he was simply known as just Professor Ozpin: Headmaster of Beacon Academy. An eternal collage all his achievements up until his demise by the hands of Cinder (maybe then we might actually learn how the events of that epic fight).
Why I’m taking my time to describe this in such detail is because I would honestly love to see the CRWBY do something like this in the series as I believe it can play a major part in Oscar’s growth as a character. Why would you create a character with two souls if you didn’t plan on showing us, the eager viewers, how the inside of his mind looked?
I’m just saying.
Now that I’ve described what I think Oscar’s semblance is, you might be wondering at this moment what does that have to do with Jaune and his semblance? I’ll explain.
I think I’m all finished here with Oscar. Let’s talk about Jaune for a bit.
Jaune’s Semblance Is....
Back in Volume 1, I remember Pyrrha mentioning that Jaune possessed a lot of Aura after using some of hers to unlock his. Ren said that once one has mastered control of their Aura, not only can it aid them during battle as a form of defense but also recovery by gradually healing their wounds. The keyword there is gradual. When Jaune first unlocked his Aura, it instantly healed his wound.
Sure it was only a scratch but...the way Ren implied it is that the healing process is supposed to be slow, not as quickly as Jaune recovered.
So what this says to me is that Jaune is certainly unique when it comes to his Aura level and that is one of the clues to figuring out his semblance.
What else so we know about Jaune? Let’s only focus on the positive. He’s always willing to step up and do what he can for the people he cares about. Evidence? Despite his feelings for her being unrequited, Jaune still cared enough for Weiss that he called out Neptune on the way he was treating her.
He even empathized with him a little too by helping him through his own securities by making him see the error of his shallow ways.
He was so willing to cheer Pyrrha up that he tossed all semblance of dignity out the window and wore a dress.
He was kind enough to help Ruby on their very first day of school, even though they had only just met.
He even forged a new weapon for himself combining his with a memento of Pyrhha’s. He did it, almost as a little tribute to her so that, even though she was gone, the memory for her will forever live on with him and their teammates.
Jaune Arc: Helpful. Compassionate. Loyalty with a high level of Aura...I think I’m starting to piece together a semblance of a semblance here guys.
While Pyrrha didn’t exactly say that Jaune possessed an infinite amount of Aura, the fact that she said he has a lot of it; so much so that he’s able to project it around his entire body is interesting. Up until now, I haven’t witnessed any other character in the series project such a strong Aura around themselves that they glow in the same manner as Jaune did. Maybe his semblance will be something along the lines of Restoration: Because he possesses such a high level of Aura, he is able to use it to help others. This way he can use his Aura to commit amazing feats: such as shield others with it and/or even use it to heal and replenish their strengths by restoring their own Aura.
I hope it’s something morally exciting like that and true to the nature of Jaune’s character...rather than a semblance that just makes him super OP for a limited (or unlimited) amount of time, destroying anything and anyone in his path (like Mario juiced up on star power in a Super Mario Bros game).
NO! That’ll be way too typical. Way too shounen protagonist cliché!
But Squiggles, what the fudge does Oscar’s semblance have to do with Jaune’s?
To me, Jaune seems to be suffering a block right now when it comes to his own untapped power. Based on what he said last episode, the reason for his block doesn’t seem to be a physical one nor even a lack of skill. So...maybe it’s something deeper...something psychological.
Remember the point I made earlier about if Oscar had a mind semblance then maybe he can connect to people he’s close to. Here’s where that ties in now.
With a mind semblance, maybe Oscar can enter the minds of those he connects to or look into the memories. Maybe Oscar unknowingly connects to Jaune during his sleep/meditation and ends up sharing a nightmare/thoughts with him about the events of the Fall of Beacon where he’s been constantly reliving the moment where Pyrrha abandoned him to fight Cinder. We have yet to truly touch base on how each member of the remaining Team JNPR felt after Pyrrha’s death. Sure we caught a little glimpse of it back in Volume 4 (during the first and last episodes of the volume, ironically) but still not too much. I’m particularly curious about Jaune’ feelings in this as he was there that night and was the last person Pyrrha spoke to before leaving for her inevitable death.
You can tell or at least immediately assume that he’s still grieving over losing Pyrrha. Remember that episode in Volume 4 when Ruby found him training at night to an old recording of Pyrhha’s mentoring. While a touching albeit a depressing scene, it definitely highlighted my point of Jaune’s internal grief over losing a close friend.
Maybe Oscar will help Jaune by entering his mind to help him deal with his grief. Perhaps Jaune is suffering from that kind of mental block. Maybe his guilt and grief over Pyrrha is what has been holding him back from unlocking his semblance.
Now that I think about it, it would make sense if that was true. Everything about Jaune’s development and improvement from amateur warrior into a full-fledged huntsman has more or less centred around Pyrrha. Pyrrha was the first person to acknowledge Jaune’s potential and reach out a helping hand to help him grow. She was the first person to truly believe that he could be a real huntsman before he believed it himself.
So wouldn’t it make sense if SHE is the reason why he can’t move forward? I think Jaune’s reasoning for not unlocking his semblance has something to do with his feelings for Pyrrha.
Feelings of never fully understanding her during her time of uncertainty and grief (y’know over the whole Fall Maiden scenario).
Feelings of never getting the opportunity to reciprocate his own feelings for her (?).
Feelings of feeling as if he failed her, not just as a friend but as everything: a friend, someone that she felt worthy of her love; failure as a leader cause she was part of his team.
She was his teammate. He was supposed to protect her. But...he didn’t! He failed her!
He probably blames himself for being so powerless that Pyrrha felt it more fit to send him away to safety rather than stay and fight alongside her to stop Cinder. Maybe if he had been strong enough and less of a weak burden, maybe he could have saved her.
He might not have been able to stop Cinder especially at her full Fall Maiden strength but at least he might have been able to save Pyrrha. If it weren’t for his weakness and incompetence as a huntsman...maybe she’d still be alive and their team wouldn’t be so broken; incomplete and...cold without her.
So maybe we’ll get a mental battle where Jaune faces off against his guilt which takes the form of Pyrrha. And after defeating that and overcoming those negative feelings, he either finally unlocks his semblance or comes much closer to unlocking it, feeling more confident that he’ll do soon. Y’know just in case the show writers wanna drag this out longer again.
All in all, those are my theories. It’s a pretty interesting theory. Kinda out there. Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not canon. As I said, early. It’s a stretch.
I just think it would be cool if we got something like this. If Oscar’s semblance doesn’t have anything to do with the mind then I’ll be fascinated to see what it could be canonically.
That being said, as a top choice, I’m still gunning for another mind-based, mental semblance in the series. So far Emerald Sustrai is the only confirmed one with her mastery of mental hallucinations. Neo was technically another with her illusions however I’m not sure if she’s still part of the series.
I know she’s in RWBY Chibi (then again, so are Pyrrha, Penny and Roman Torchwick and they’re all....YEAH!) and I know fans have been waiting hopefully for her to make a triumphant comeback.
However beyond those two, I want another character to possess a mental semblance especially a good guy (seriously Emerald and Neo are both villains). So yeah, we need a good guy main character to have a mental-based semblance.
CRWBY...C’MON! Golden opportunity here!
OSCAR GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY!
I’m just saying; Oscar is right there. You’ve already set him up with having two minds. You’re basically writing his semblance for him. Make it a mental one.
Give him a cool Professor X type of awesome mind semblance! I’m calling telepathy or some RWBY variant of it. Maybe he can read the minds of people he makes either physical or eye contact with. This could be a SWEET ability to have especially in combat cause then Oscar will be able to tell his opponent’s next move before they even make it. The only exception will is that he won’t be able to read certain people who either have a mental type semblance like him or have somehow been trained to block out mental intrusion abilities like that or...are Salem.
I also call the ability to enter someone’s mind through their dreams or thoughts or just by having a strong connection with to a person due to an intimate bond (like a close friendship or relationship).
Fingers crossed here!
But anyways, I think now I’m officially done with this musing. See you all in the next new episode! Hope we get another Mistral moment with Team JNRR and Oscar. As a matter of fact, each episode should contain a mandatory scene with them). Just saying.
~LitteMissSquiggles (2017)
#rwby#rwby volume 5#oscar pine#jaune arc#oscar and ozpin#rwby rosegarden#rwby musings#rwby theories#oscar and jaune#rwby shovelknight
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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #235 - White Christmas
Spoilers Below
Have I seen it before: Yes
Did I like it then: Yes.
Do I remember it: Yes.
Did I see it in theaters: No.
Format: DVD
0) I know Christmas was a week ago but I’m just getting the chance to write this now so thanks for your patience everyone! :D
1) This was actually the THIRD film Bing Crosby sang “White Christmas” in after Holiday Inn and Blue Skies.
2) This film’s opening scene does well to establish the tone of the picture. It’s hopeful and sweet against a harsh backdrop, with showmen Bob Wallace and Phil Davis doing their best to bring some Christmas cheer to WW2 soldiers. It also establishes what kind of a man General Waverly is, which is important. The entire motivation for the film is helping this man out, this great men who all those soldiers care about so much. We understand why in this prologue.
3) The first singing of “White Christmas” also does well to play up the movie’s heart. It gives a sense of the sentiment and kindness that permeates the two hour run time.
4) Danny Kaye as Phil Davis.
Kaye is the ultimate scene stealer of the entire show and was actually the third choice for the role. He is incredibly funny, bringing a much welcome energy and charisma to the part. He’s crafty (manipulating Bob in a harmless yet devious way), clever, and has a great chemistry with Bing Crosby’s Bob Wallace. Of the main four stars, Kaye is definitely my favorite.
5) Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace.
The straight man of Wallace & Davis, Crosby still gets to show off a nice sense of humor in the film. He gets the chance to be serious, fun, kind, a little sad, a little mad, romantic, and pulls all of them off well as the film’s solid lead. Obviously his vocal chops were a big part of the character, but he’s Bing Crosby. I don’t think there was ever a doubt he could sing.
6) The montage which follows the prologue does well to establish the post war rise of Wallace & Davis in showbiz. It’s an important aspect in the film which could have really slowed done the part but the montage is sleek and fun so as not to bore the audience.
7) The conversation with Bob and Phil about how the latter wants the former to start dating so he can have some time alone really defines their relationship moving forward. We understand how good of friends they are that they can be candid but fun with each other. They joke, they tell it like it is, they play, and I just really like that.
8)
Betty: “Benny’s got a job in Alaska. He’s been out of the country for three months.”
9) The relationship between Betty and Judy is wonderfully defined - not by their song - but by their conversation before the song. We understand how this relationship works much as the conversation with Bob & Phil established their friendship. We get how Judy sees Betty and vice versa and it’s great. A nice female friendship where there’s no bickering over a guy, a rare treat in the 1950s. Although I will say I never bought Vera-Ellen as being the younger sister here.
10) Rosemary Clooney as Betty.
Clooney is an extremely kind, likable, charismatic, and endearing performer who really elevates the role of Betty. She has a very nice chemistry with Crosby and is just so damn interesting. Which is good, because on paper Betty is freaking awful. I’ll talk about this more, but we get a sense of what’s to come with her holier-than-thou attitude when Bob begins talking about “angles”. Basically I love Rosemary Clooney in this movie, but I hate how Betty is written. It’s frustrating to say the least.
11) “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing”
This early number shows off one of the film’s weakest and strongest elements simultaneously. Most if not all of the numbers do nothing to actually motivate the plot forward, instead just filling up the two hour run time. HOWEVER they’re almost all so damn entertaining it’s hard to actually find fault with this. You’re too busy enjoying the show!
12) According to IMDb:
According to Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye's "Sisters" performance was not originally in the script. They were clowning around on the set, and director Michael Curtiz thought it was so funny that he decided to film it. In the scene, Crosby's laughs are genuine and unscripted, as he was unable to hold a straight face due to Kaye's comedic dancing. Clooney said the filmmakers had a better take where Crosby didn't laugh, but when they ran them both, people liked the laughing version better.
13) Ah, the only person of color in the movie. And they’re servers.
14) “Snow”
Snow is probably the second most Christmas-y song in the film after “White Christmas”. It shows off the four leads unity well (although Vera-Ellen didn’t do her own singing) and is one of my favorite numbers in the whole film. It’s charming and sweet, filled with winter charm and spirit. I dig it.
15) I like that the greenness of Vermont is a detail but not a focus of the film. Yes it’s called “White Christmas” and yes snow does bring in business to the hotel, but the conflict isn’t about trying to get it to snow it’s about trying to make an old friend happy for the holidays.
16) Dean Jagger General Waverly.
Waverly is the personification of the movie’s heart and sincerity, while also being my favorite character in the movie. You see how caring he is through subtle ways. He’s not one to express his emotions or his heart but you can see it clearly in Jagger’s performance. He is able to be commanding when necessary but more than that he is a kind, sometimes sad, honest man. I love it.
17) This was always one of my favorite gags in the film.
Bob [after hearing over the phone how much something will cost]: “Wow.”
Phil […]: “How much is wow?”
Bob: “Right in between in between, ‘ouch,’ and, ‘poing.’”
Phil: “Wow.”
18) The Minstrel Number.
This is one of the longest, most pointless numbers in the entire film. There is a great amount of entertainment and production value but it adds nothing to the story. While it is probably the strongest out of the three “performances” (the rehearsals Wallace & Davis are holding at the hotel), like the other two you can cut it and lose absolutely nothing from the film.
19) According to Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby improvised almost all of his dialogue in the scene where she meets him in the kitchen. You can tell and I mean that as a compliment. There is an honest spontaneity to the conversation which pulls you in because it’s so interesting.
20) “Count Your Blessings” is a wonderfully kind and moving number which has you invested in the romance between Bob/Betty quickly. Too bad the writing with Betty has me totally DISINTERESTED in them actually ending up together. But more on that later…
21) The scene where we learn that Waverly wanted back in the army but gets rejected not only develops him as a character (his motivations, his desires) but the heart of the film as well.
22) I mentioned that “The Minstrel Number” was one of three totally pointless numbers in the movie. “Choreography” is by far the worst offending of those three. It is not nearly entertaining enough to warrant its run time and serves as close to offending filler. Honestly just cut it.
23) Ah yes, what I’ve been hinting at this whole recap. The bane of my existence, the thing I hate in this movie above all else: freaking Betty becoming such a passive aggressive shit head! If you haven’t seen this movie let me recap:
Betty hears some BS about Bob out of context which paints him in a negative light
She takes this half-assed rumor as fact and immediately accepts it
She never ONCE actually talks to Bob about it
And then she just LEAVES! She runs away WITHOUT ACTUALLY SAYING WHY SHE’S UPSET!
BOB LITERALLY DOES NOTHING WRONG DURING THIS ENTIRE FILM, BETTY NEVER APOLOGIZES, AND BOB SPENDS THE REST OF THE MOVIE FEELING BAD OVER SOMETHING HE DIDN’T ACTUALLY DO!
It is infuriating and I hate Betty because of it. I hate her I hate her I hate her! BUT Rosemary Clooney is so damn charming I love her performance in the movie! But on paper alone Betty is being a passive aggressive shit who Bob devotes way too much energy into trying to appease her. IT’S NOT WORTH IT BOB! Of all the contrived pieces of bullshit in an attempt to add conflict in their relationship, this is the most painfully obvious piece of crap I have ever seen. I love this movie but dear god I freaking hate Betty in the last act.
24) I love that Judy basically cons Phil into an engagement with her and how freaked out he gets by it. Suddenly the dynamic of their relationship just shifted and it’s glorious.
25) A fine piece of 50s BS sexist writing: suddenly Judy is a weeping hysterical woman because her plan didn’t go the way she thought. Which literally matches with NOTHING we learned about her before this moment.
26) “Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me”
First of all, this is such a melodramatic and shitty move. “Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me?” SERIOUSLY!? Maybe it would’ve IF YOU TALKED TO BOB! I know that Betty asks to sing a different song when Bob shows up but clearly the filmmakers are trying something with this and I just, ugh, I HATE IT!
Second of all, the number is actually a great tune and a wonderful showcase for Rosemary Clooney’s talents. It’s her only solo in the entire film and she absolutely nails it. So again, a great example of how I love Clooney but I hate Betty in this film.
27) Phil keeping Waverly away from the TV set is an excellent showcase for Danny Kaye’s comedic talents. He may not be Charlie Chaplin but he’s damn good.
28) “What Can You Do with a General?”
Leonard Maltin called this composer Irving Berlin’s least memorable tune. I disagree and in fact really enjoy it. It’s got a sense of cleverness to it. It’s sweet, a nice tune. A little slow but it gets stuck in your head. So in short: I disagree with Leonard Maltin.
29) The look on Waverly’s face is everything this film was about. EVERYTHING.
30) “Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army” is a fun and fitting near-climactic musical number for the film. It’s fun, funny, representative of the joy and humor that Wallace & Davis wanted to bring Waverly. Also, according to IMDb:
For the song "Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army", there is the lyric, "Jolson, Hope And Benny all for free". This is a reference to three wartime entertainers: Al Jolson, Bob Hopeand Jack Benny. The original words were "Crosby, Hope and Jolson all for free", but the lyric was changed because with Bing Crosby in the cast the original lyric would break the fourth wall.
31) While obvious from the film’s title, the snow fall at the end is a sweet way to wrap the story up. It’s not made into a big deal, they just enjoy it’s beauty. This leads into the final performance of “White Christmas” which acts as a poignant and fitting finale to the story.
White Christmas is a holiday classic with a great heart and sense of fun. The cast knock it out of the park and the music is great, and although I may have issues with some character writing (freaking Betty) I still love the film as a whole. I definitely recommend it.
#White Christmas#Bing Crosby#Rosemary Clooney#Danny Kaye#Vera Ellen#Epic Movie (Re)Watch#The More You Know#Movie#Film#GIF
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