#my favorite queer indie romcom

[khruschevshoe]

Remember how I said I finally read RW&RB a while back? Well, I finally watched the movie. And..... I really super duper wish they would have just left the book alone (more so because the content/characters they cut out were SO central to the story-line that they might as well have just made a different movie entirely). Ugh, bleh. I need to read the book again-

My guy I literally was *just* reading through a thorough analysis of why the movie felt so off! June and Rafael were so integral to the plot/themes of the story, Bea and Nora were made into completely different characters, the aspect of Ellen and Oscar's divorce being missing hit me on a personal level (even if I understood why they did it), and like...the entire last half hour of the movie, basically everything after the lake scene, felt so OFF that I couldn't stand it. Basically every questionable pacing/writing/ordering of scenes decision was made from the fact that they took out all of the queer history in the museum scene, the fact that Alex makes his speech coming out about the relationship BEFORE he talks to Henry, the fact that a queer Latino man outs them due to jealousy rather than, you know, THE RICH WHITE CONSERVATIVE HELLBENT ON DESTROYING EVERYTHING QUEER and then him literally being EXPOSED by a queer Latino man (the optics on that last one are a bit...yikes, ngl). I appreciated what they did with the movie, a family-washed queer romcom is still better than nothing, but some decisions are BAFFLING.

(Though I have absolutely no notes about how they executed the lake scene. The acting during the moment that Henry is listening to Alex's feelings confession and you can just SEE the moment he shuts down because he knows he can't give Alex what he wants? And then the shot of him in the lake? 10/10. No notes. The ONLY scene that is better in the movie than in the book.)

But yeah, I'm almost glad that my favorite book is a self-published indie sapphic alternate history novel because that means no chance of movie adaptation. As much as I would KILL to see President Janine Moore, Cynthia Freeman, First Gentleman Preston Lithwick-Moore, Guadalupe di Angelo/Luis Diaz, and First Daughter Annette Moore on my screen, I would be TERRIFIED to see how they'd make it palatable to straight audiences.

#rwrb #rwrb film #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #firstprince #burn the house down #kenna jenkins #janine moore #annette moore #cynthia freeman #preston lithwick iii #luis diaz #janthia #june claremont diaz #rafael luna #adaptation #criticism #my asks #nora holleran #bea fox mountchristen windsor

[misterbitches]

(SNOB vOICE excuse me for talking abt myself on my own blog 2 no one...im always sf paranoid ppl think i'm being more pretentious than i actually am if they stumble upon my untagged posts)

i'm not a creative writer which is why i went to film school and not real school and write scripts. but i'll watch something dumb and post fics every now and then. so during lockdown i got this crazy idea in my head abt this very self-indulgent ridiculously boring but fun-for-me character study fic for winteam. i don't even know why i would have gotten the urge, i just liked them so much and bounprem's dynamic too.

around that time things everywhere were super fraught (still fucking is obviously) but it was when the pandemic was super bad and people were dropping like FLIES and there was constant state-sanctioned murder. in thailand there were a lot of protests because of a coup going on there and a protester in the VICE video i watched on it said music helped them deal with the poverty and drug use in the slum they lived in in thailand. the left and/or artistic, indie, DIY scenes in other countries always fascinate, inspire, and entice me. uniteasia is a great resource for alternative asian music. a large chunk is dedicated to metal, which i'm not into, but there's a decent amount of post-/punk, DIY/grunge, indie/alt, and post-hardcore. i've been seeing a lot of shoegaze lately too.

so all this brewing in me i started to really think about a (queer) anarcho-commieesque band au fic but team is a (gasp) [cis] girl and i know i know boo hoo but also fuck that! i got a comment about that which bugged me cause i had to justify my sexuality which was weird because why are we both not embarrassed to be on ao3? i get the impulse but no because it was specifically because of all the stuff above and me listening to a lot of my favorite bands like nirvana—in uwma win had posters of nirvana on his wall plus his hair (which could be poser-ish but now he has like 3 and a radiohead poster and an arctic monkeys and oasis poster so you know what werq plus i am actually a poser)—and hole, fiona apple (who had just come out with her new album), vince staples, a bunch of other good shit, and getting into sonic youth. it just got me thinking of like music and art and diy and gender and identity because that's something those bands/people talk(ed) about and struggled with, along with sexuality obviously, and i wrote a lot; still writing. so much was going on then but like life had to stop so so much wasn't? that intensity they bring...what it would be like when there's so much shit going on in the world, if team was different when shit is so different. in any other circumstance, i wouldn't have imagined this specific scenario (i published one? i think or maybe two fics i had for them b4 and wrote some on my own)

anyway i thought about just taking it down and completely reworking some of it into some script for some dumb romcom i'd attempt to write in a pipe dream for it to get made but these 2 are just too compelling for me and now that this show is here??!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?! they're the only ship that could make me give half of a shit enough to even think this hard or continue something for up to 2 fucking years or even think about it. and for what? cos the fic is bad cos again can't write like that but just what? they had FORTY MINUTES in uwma. that's actually bonkers insane. like i cannot believe this????? how can i clown on them too much when they got so many of us fuckin' whipped. it's fun writing them just being hot and cool and doing art tho lmao it's fun watching them jus tbeing hot and cool and freakishly in love anyway i'm editing the stuff i've written and posted and will just save it instead of reposting. so if anyone ever read it before they can be extremely surprised at how different it is ^___^

speaking of music prem's song is really fuckin' good it's just the right amount of good pop with an edge it's a greaaaaaat background song for their scenes. genuinely good and i am never a fan of tv OSTs they are usually generic to me

#aaammm

[fellhalcyon]

things for which i do not take responsibility:

whatever tf reality is up to at any point while i am otherwise occupied

things for which i do take responsibility:

my playlists

for ships

dan + yok from not me [may never recover from them]

sajou + kusakabe from doukyuusei etc. [the one (1) reason i still believe in love]

for media in general

murderous, doomed [evidence that my lit prof wields eldritch magic because i thought i Detested the iliad]

my fics

REDACTED

at least for the moment

in case my little sister sees this

my fandoms

bad buddy [แค่เพื่อนครับเพื่อน]

thai bl series by gmmtv, university-set boy-next-door enemies-to-lovers romcom, basically romeo and juliet but make it gay and thai and really fucking funny and sweet and there are lesbians!!!

led by two of the best actors thai bl has to offer

haven’t finished this yet but i need to

legally available free, with eng sub, on youtube

blueming [블루밍]

korean bl series, rivals-to-lovers university film students romance, startlingly profound and poignant in its treatment not only of awkward young love but of family trauma, quietly but gorgeously shot and overall just great. one of my favorites ever. it hit all the right notes for me. great rewatch value too (and also there are kind of possibly baby lesbians)

adapted from the webtoon ‘who can define popularity?’ by tak bon

legally available, with eng sub, under the vip subscription to iqiyi

kinnporsche [รักโคตรร้ายสุดท้ายโคตรรัก]

thai bl series by be on cloud, currently airing, enemies-to-lovers mafia mystery with lots of action of both the gunfight and the *ahem* swordfight kind, great cast and acting, great production quality, storyline taking some worrisome turns recently but for better or worse i am utterly hooked

adapted from a webnovel by daemi but apparently worlds better than its source material so far

legally available, with eng subs, free (tv version) and subscription only (uncut version) on iqiyi

long time no see [롱타임노씨]

korean bl series by strongberry, a queer indie production house for which i would run barefoot to the ends of the earth. webnovel writer and one of his fans fall in love only to realize that they are both hitmen on opposite sides of a mafia turf war.

it’s a love story but it’s also a story about the best and the worst of family and it is! so! good! low budget but awesome acting, filming, chemistry, action scenes, humor, the whole nine yards. kinnporsche might let me down but this mafia bl will always be there for me

legally available, with eng sub, under the subscription on gaga

meow ears up! [น้องเหมียว ในห้องผม]

sweet silly little thai bl, currently airing, about a comic artist falling in love with a catboy featuring equally adorable side ships including a lesbian couple! the wigs may be horrible but the vibes are friendly and full of light

adapted from the manga ‘hey, your ears popped out!’ by tracy hu

legally available, eng sub, with a subscription on gagaoolala. a few episodes have been uploaded onto youtube too

mó dào zǔ shī [魔道祖师] ‘grandmaster of demonic cultivation’

basically a gay chinese soap opera historical fantasy, really long and wildly confusing and often rather ridiculous but once it gets hold of you it will never let you go

webnovel by mòxiāng tóngxiù, adapted into a manhua and a donghua of the same title and a live-action drama called chén qíng lìng [陈情令] ‘the untamed’, donghua and drama both censored but the ‘b’ in ‘bromance’ is irrelevant

drama legally available free, with eng sub, on viki

mr. unlucky has no choice but to kiss! [不幸くんはキスするしかない!]

japanese bl, currently airing, university-set magical realism (?) romance-with-ulterior-motives. carrying on the proud tradition of great shows with wtf titles. reminds me a lot of cherry magic (cute clumsy dork x swoonworthy gentleman) but we’ve already gotten a kiss and there might??? be lesbians???? here’s hoping

adapted from a manga of the same name by tsuyu gamoko

legally available free, with eng sub, on gaga and under the standard subscription on viki

not me [เขา...ไม่ใช่ผม]

thai bl series by gmmtv, fast-paced action meets slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance meets clumsy but culturally groundbreaking sociopolitical critique, boys kiss and commit arson and cry

great premise, high suspense, a little rushed and confusing at the end but still awesome and the side boys had me by the throat the whole time

legally available free, with eng sub, on youtube

ocean likes me [나와 같은 바다]

 korean bl series, currently airing, shy udon chef and manic pixie dream musician open a seaside noodle shop together, started out really shaky but gets better with each episode, lively acting and sweet chemistry eclipses a frankly shitty script

half the couple is holland! the first openly gay idol in k-pop! which is a major win as he is an icon and a treasure! and the other half is han gi chan of where your eyes linger fame so it’s a win-win situation

legally available under a standard subscription, with eng sub, on viki

plus & minus [正負之間]

taiwanese bl series, currently airing, childhood-friends-to-lovers lawyer couple and strangers-to-coparents-and-also-lovers side couple and also i am holding out for lesbian bartenders. possibly my favorite series on air at the moment

seriously it’s so cute and funny and charming! it reminds me of history 4 but much much more wholesome and mature

legally available free, with eng sub, on gaga and on viki under the standard subscription

the pornographer [ ポルノグラファー ] series

japanese live-action yaoi series adapted from a manga by marukido maki, a study in artistic melancholy, these bitches gay and also sad and horny, rated nc-17 for a reason

consists, in order, of ‘the pornographer’ [6 eps], ‘mood indigo’ [6 eps], ‘spring life’ [short film], ‘playback’ [movie], and ‘spring life continued’ [short film]

legally available free, with eng sub, on viki [first three only]

semantic error [시맨틱 에러]

korean bl series, university-set, enemies-to-lovers romcom that is just all-around nice. short, sweet, great acting, convincing chemistry, engaging story, pretty pretty visuals, and a fun score. there’s a reason why everybody loves this one

adapted from a webnovel of the same name by jeo soo ri but from what i can tell the drama is better

legally available, with eng sub, on viki under the standard subscription

word of honor [山河令]

another gay chinese soap opera historical fantasy! also very long, also quite confusing, but underrated as hell and even gayer (despite censorship) than the untamed. look up lipreading videos on youtube

have not finished this one yet but i desperately need to. it’s just so long but i promise i will get to it

adapted from the webnovel faraway wanderers by priest

legally available free, with eng subs, on youtube and under the standard subscription on viki

to be updated as i get my shit together!

#by yours truly #playlists #fanfics #fandoms #fuck if i know what i'm doing #but whatever it is i am doing it #and i cannot be stopped

[go-events]

GO Rom Com Spotlight: @mia-ugly​

The delightful @mia-ugly​ (also mia-ugly on AO3) has claimed 10 Things I Hate About You to adapt for Good Omens in the Good Omens Rom Com Event.

For reference, here’s a little background about the source material!

About 10 Things I Hate About You: Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn't attract many boys. Unfortunately for her younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), house rules say that she can't date until Kat has a boyfriend, so strings are pulled to set the dour damsel up for a romance. Soon Kat crosses paths with handsome new arrival Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). Will Kat let her guard down enough to fall for the effortlessly charming Patrick?

We spent some time chatting about how the adaptation is coming so far, as well as future plans for it! Now, get to know @mia-ugly​ a little better!

* * *

goromcom: Let’s start with something about you. :) You know how if you open a Tumblr chat with someone you haven't chatted to before, Tumblr tells you two things they post about? I wanted to tell you that yours reports that you post "#ineffable co-stars au and #let's go". Let's go, indeed!

mia-ugly​: Haha, "let's go" is my pretty places to run away to tag. I didn't not realize that was such a significant part of my presence on Tumblr (I can have a little romantic escapism as a treat.)

goromcom: Heck, have a LOT as a treat. But let’s move on to your rom com. You chose to adapt 10 Things I Hate About You. Has this movie been a favorite of yours, or is there some other reason you chose it?

mia-ugly​: I remember loving the movie when I first saw it, as a grouchy teenager who over-identified with Cat and her excellent taste in girl rock. Also because of Heath Ledger's hair and Heath Ledger generally (the eternal queer dilemma of whether I wanted to look like him or bang him or if both things were potentially an option.) I also wanted to write a "Crowley seduces Aziraphale for dubious reasons" fic before the romcom fest was announced and 10 Things just seemed like a perfect fit for that storyline.

goromcom: Kat does have great taste! But let’s get specific for a moment. What's your favorite moment of your movie, and are you looking forward to presenting it in your adaptation? Any loose plans for that scene that you can share?

mia-ugly​: My favourite moment is probably the Grand Romantic Musical Gesture in the bleachers: "You're Just too Good to be True." (The man can lunge, I'll say that about him.) This particular moment is getting changed in my fic, there is no lunging through the bleachers, but there maaaay be a spontaneous and helpless miracle that one of our lovestruck fools accidentally manifests. Of the musical marching band variety. And my tentative title for the story is "Heaven to Touch," so. The song is going to feature in it more than once.

goromcom: Oh, that’s a great line from that song! :) Other than your plans for that scene, do you plan to stick very closely to the beats of the original story, or make bigger changes?

mia-ugly​: I'm trying to stick fairly closely to the beats of the story, but this is also my first Ineffable Husbands NON-au (yikes) so there are major changes I'm making in the set up. I'm essentially mashing 10 Things and Good Omens together and hoping that it is a delicious, piquant stew and not just a mix of snow and rainwater.

goromcom: I can definitely see a lot of fun in store for that mixture, so it should be lovely. Let me see if I can get one more preview out of you before we risk revealing too much. What's an interesting decision you've made in your planning so far--a notable casting decision, a changing of venue, or some other plan you have to paint Good Omens all over your rom com?

mia-ugly​: I'm getting rid of Bianca! Sorry Bianca. So the impetus for the seduction comes from a very different place. Also two major characters are going to be... animals. Yes, Crowley goes full on Disney Princess and gets himself some animal sidekicks/spies. This sounds like a nightmare, here's hoping it works.

goromcom: I can’t wait to see that! It definitely has vibes of the deleted scene with Crowley and the rats, so that really tracks with canon for me. 

But let’s move on, before we give out too many spoilers. I am blatantly stealing this last question from The Good Place: The Podcast, but here goes: Tell me something "good". It can be something big or small. It can be a charity you think is doing good work, or you can talk about how great your pet is.

mia-ugly​: My pet is pretty great but I'm going to go full-on capitalist and throw some love at a business. So. 

I'm a Canadian white-passing Indigenous person (Yale First Nation, holla at me.) And throughout our education system here we're taught that indigenous culture is a thing of the past, and we need to grieve as a nation for the literal GENOCIDE that Canada carried out (as if that still isn't happening today) but we don't talk about indigenous culture as a current, gorgeous, growing thing. What always astonishes me and fills my heart with warmth are the indigenous creators and artists and designers taking traditional elements and shaping them and bringing them into the present. Because culture evolves, it isn't stable, and we're still the fuck here. We survived. We never left.

There are many, many examples of this throughout Canada and the United States and all over the world. But my particular good thing is: My childhood best friend and her impossibly lovely partner run a company called Indi City that celebrates indigenous culture and fashion and models  and you can BET I own their "matriarchy" necklace.  They made an electric light-up jingle dress, they are doing amazing work with incredible values and their jewelry is gorgeous as hell. As a person who works with a lot of indigenous youth, I love creators like this, who give youth an opportunity to see themselves reflected back as vibrant and important and thriving in our country. 

Not only still here. But leading us forward.

goromcom: That sounds like a great business working for toward an important goal of shining a light on those cultures and groups. I love it.

And speaking of love, you’re all gonna love the GO adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You, coming very soon!

#goromcom #goromcom spotlight #good omens #mia-ugly #10 things I hate about you

[melodytheartpony]

emoji: ❤💙

ʙᴀsɪᴄs

I am a cis male

I am a cis female ❤

I am a trans male

I am a trans female

I am nonbinary

I am genderfluid

I am bigender

I am unsure of/questioning my identity

I am white 💙

I am black

I am brown

I am asian

I am latino

I know one language ❤

I know two languages

I know more than two languages

I am the oldest child 💙

I am the middle child

I am the baby

I am an only child

I am straight ❤

I am gay

I am queer

I am lesbian

I am bisexual

I am pansexual

I am demisexual 💙

I am grey asexual ❤

I am asexual

I am homoromantic

I am biromantic

I am panromantic

I am greyromantic

I am demiromantic 💙

I am aromantic

I am polyamorous

I am unsure of/questioning my sexuality ❤

I have long hair

I have medium hair 💙

I have short hair

I have a shaved head

I am bald

I have brown hair

I have blond(e) hair ❤

I have red hair

I have black hair

I have dyed hair

My hair is natural 💙

I am short ❤

I am average height

I am tall

ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs

I have a large friend group

I have small friend group 💙

I have several friend groups

I have no friends

I have a best friend ❤

I have several best friends

I want a best friend

I am close with my friend(s)(ish)

I spend a lot of time with friends

I have feelings for a friend

I want more friends

I envy my friends

I love my friends 💙

I am the voice of reason

I am the mom/dad friend

I am the comic relief friend

I prefer to be alone ❤

I like being the center of attention

I am introverted 💙

I am extroverted

I am ambiverted

ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs

I am single

I am in a romantic relationship ❤

I am in a QPP relationship

I am in a polyamorous relationship

I am in an open relationship

I am married

I am engaged

I am in love 💙

I have a crush on someone

I often date

I take relationships very seriously ❤

I don't take relationships very seriously

I have high standards

I have a personality type I prefer 💙

I do not have a personality type I prefer

I have a body type I prefer ❤

I do not have a body type I prefer

I believe in soulmates

I am affectionate 💙

ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ

I have depression

I have anxiety ❤ (not sure)

I have bipolar disorder

I am schizophrenic

I suffer from psychosis

I have OCD 💙 (not sure, but mild)

I dissociate

I have PTSD

I have C-PTSD

I have a personality disorder

I have ADHD

I am on the autism spectrum

I have a learning disability

I have unspecified mental disabilities

I have asthma

I have allergies

I have scoliosis

I have kyphosis

I am blind

I wear glasses

I wear contacts

I have had a correctional eye operation

I am mute

I have selective mutism

I am deaf

I am hard of hearing

I have a growth disorder

I am paralyzed

I am in a wheelchair

I walk with assistance

I am epileptic

I am narcoleptic

I have insomnia

I have chronic pain

I have chronic fatigue

I have migraines

I have cancer

I have diabetes

I have an unspecified physical disability

I have an eating disorder

I have an addiction / dependence

I have experimented with drugs

I have abused substances

I am/have been abused

I am in therapy for a mental condition

I am in therapy for a physical condition

I've been hospitalized

ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ

I have become a better person ❤

I will become a better person

I am recovering

I will recover

I am proud of my accomplishments

I am confident

I love my hair

I love my body

I love my nose

I love my eyes

I am looking forward to something 💙

I have met a famous person

I have a hobby I love ❤

I have a dog

I have a cat 💙

I have a reptile

I have a fish

I have a bunny

I have a snake

I have a bird

I am part of a religion that brings me peace

I have lost weight

I have gained weight

I took a shower today

I ate today ❤

I had water today 💙

I washed clothes today

I cleaned today

I accomplished something today ❤

(ᴅɪs)ʟɪᴋᴇs

I like parties

I dislike parties 💙

I like romance movies

I dislike romance movies

I like drama movies

I dislike drama movies

I like thriller movies

I dislike thriller movies

I like horror movies

I dislike horror movies

I like sci-fi movies

I dislike sci-fi movies

I like romcom movies

I dislike romcom movies

I like video games ❤

I dislike video games

I like milk chocolate

I dislike milk chocolate

I like dark chocolate 💙

I dislike dark chocolate

I like white chocolate

I dislike white chocolate

I like country music

I dislike country music ❤

I like rap music

I dislike rap music

I like pop music

I dislike pop music

I like rock music 💙

I dislike rock music

I like metal music ❤

I dislike metal music

I like punk music

I dislike punk music

I like indie music

I dislike indie music 💙

I like latino music

I dislike latino music ❤

I like soundtrack music

I dislike soundtrack music

I like k-pop

I dislike k-pop 💙

I like j-pop

I dislike j-pop ❤

I like art 💙

I dislike art

I like books ❤

I dislike books

I like anime/manga 💙

I dislike anime/manga

I like snow

I dislike snow

I like fast food

I dislike fast food

I like coffee

I dislike coffee

I like tea ❤

I dislike tea

I like politics

I dislike politics 💙

My favorite season is winter

My favorite season is spring ❤

My favorite season is summer

My favorite season is autumn 💙

I am a cat person ❤

I am a dog person 💙

I am a bird person ❤

I am a reptile person 💙

I am a bunny person ❤

[goosebytrade]

Moomins Movie Night

Around a month ago, @thegoldensoundstwice and I were joking around about a Moomins Movie Night AU and she asked me to share what we came up with. This is set when they are in their late teens/early twenties. Moomintroll and Snufkin are dating, Moomintroll and Snorkmaiden are amicable friends who get along so much better now they’ve broken up, and the one thing all five of the kids have in common is that they have found family at Moominhouse.

Once a week, the five main kids who stay at/near Moominhouse (Moomintroll, Snufkin, Little My, Snorkmaiden, and Sniff) get together and watch a movie. This is a bit of An Event for them, and it comes with its own rituals and expectations. The Moominparents aren’t really invited (though Mamma will pop in with snacks) and the kids take turns picking the movies.

There is a lot of banter during these films (to Moomintroll’s dismay) and overall the event is pretty chill. Even when a member of the group doesn’t like the movie they still tend to have fun, either because they mock the film throughout or engage in some healthy debate. They’ve ended up with a lot of inside jokes based on Movie Night Incidents.

Little My is no longer allowed to pick the movie. She tended to make her choices based on shock value rather than actual appeal, and everyone unanimously agrees there have been too many incidents for her to have a fiftieth chance any time soon. Little My can get quite loud during movie nights. She cackles whenever a character gets hurt or experiences distress. She gags during cishet romances and rolls her eyes during queer ones (Snufkin once politely told her he considered it rude for people to gag during most queer romances and she tries to accommodate that for him). She gets really into things and is known to punch the air and wriggle about. She is especially good at predicting jump scares and likes to shout in Sniff’s ear during them.

Sniff tends to choose fairly simple, low brow stuff. Buddy Cop films, movies about counting cards in Vegas, anything starring someone who was on SNL in the 1990’s. These tend to be Snufkin’s least favorite nights, and he tends to complain through them. As for Sniff, he tends to get very confused during movies. “Is that the guy from the beginning?” “Wait, where did that come from?” “Why is everyone laughing, I don’t get it?” are very common questions. Moomintroll is most likely to answer Sniff’s many questions, as Snufkin and Snorkmaiden are rarely paying Sniff any attention and Little My tends to fib and confuse Sniff even more. 

Snorkmaiden tends to choose things like romcoms, fairy tale adaptations, popular musicals, glamorously pretentious foreign films, and classic Disney movies. She’s really very observant and can usually pick up on plot twists long before they happen. She enjoys sighing dramatically at the appropriate moments and reveling in the spectacle of films. She watches movies to enjoy them. She has a lot of opinions and delights in playfully bickering with Snufkin on movie night.

Snufkin tends to pick obscure and intellectually pretentious foreign films that require subtitles, old timey queer coded stuff, indie films, movies with clear environmental or socialist undertones, bizarre animated movies from the 70’s that are oddly engaging yet baffling, and anything that would make a person ask “What the heck did I just watch?” Snufkin’s picks are always Sniff’s least favorite, and he complains throughout. Snufkin likes to point out symbolism in movies and read between the lines. Just like Snorkmaiden, he tends to have a lot of opinions. He often goes into movie night telling himself he will be aloof as is standard, but Snorkmaiden usually (deliberately, and in good fun) gets to him.

Moomintroll is the only person here who just wants to eat popcorn and watch movies in peace. Is that too much to ask? He tends to pick fairly standard stuff: Franchise movies, popular mainstream things everyone is at least vaguely familiar with, seasonal favorites (always a spooky movie in October, for example). He’s here to laugh or cry and move on with his life, not listen to people use big words like ennui and ingénue and proletariat. He’s the person most likely doing the shushing.

((He’s having a lot of fun, too. He just has to be dramatic about it))

If you are anyone other than Moomintroll, then watching Snorkmaiden and Snufkin playfully and enthusiastically flex their debating skills is the highlight of the event. Their commentary is the stuff of legend. Even Sniff, who has very little of an idea what they are talking about, finds it fascinating to watch these two people who don’t often interact match wits. Movie night is very intellectually stimulating for both of them. They both love Moomintroll in their own way, but he really isn’t the most intellectual person either of them knows (even if Snufkin is too nice to say it).

I can take almost any movie and write out how their interactions would go. Let’s take Les Miserables. Ten minutes in and, predictably, Snufkin has opinions about the bourgeoisie. Snorkmaiden interrupts to tell him to “Stop making Les Mis political and just enjoy watching the sexy French people suffer.” She knows Les Mis is political but she also knows this will get a rise out of Snufkin. It does. “Les Mis can’t NOT be political!” Snufkin insists and now they are off. Is it romantic or insufferable that Marius falls in love with Cossette on first sight and can’t focus on the revolution anymore? Is Javert redeemable? Is anyone surprised Sniff’s favorite characters are the Innkeepers?

Other than their own choices, Snufkin and Snorkmaiden tend to best enjoy one another’s choices. As much as Snufkin might act like a hipster and Snorkmaiden might act like a… prep (I guess??), they actually share a lot of interests. When Snorkmaiden announces she wants to watch Mamma Mia! Snufkin is the most excited member of the group. When Snufkin shows them a South Korean drama called Castaway on the Moon Snorkmaiden is enchanted and loves it. Little My will never let anyone forget the time Snufkin actually cried during The Fox and the Hound (and during the last fifteen minutes didn’t mention monopolies even once!) or the time she caught Snorkmaiden writing fanfiction for the film Saving Face.

The tradition continues for a long time; it is important for the people who found a family in the Moomins to come together sometimes, even if they normally don’t have much in common. As other kids that Moominmamma takes in (like Ninny) get older, they probably join in too.

#moomins #moominvalley #moomintroll #snufkin #snufmin #snorkmaiden #little my #sniff #i just want them to be friends

[canonicallyanxious]

Hello! Would you know of any good recommendations for LGBT movies but specifically with happy endings? (A bit emotionally drained from the sad-ending gay movie stuff). I was looking for something along the lines of Love Simon, but if it helps, some movies I have enjoyed: Jongens, The Handmaiden, The Way He Looks, and even Moonlight. No pressure if you don't know, but I like your taste and would love to see what you think.

damn anon sdkfjnsdkfjds you took the movies i immediately thought of but still i think i can name a few LGBT movies with happy endings you didn’t list! Unfortunately i’m not sure that, like, any of these will be similar to love simon lol i don’t watch a lot of teen romcoms and so most of these will probably be dramas but! i can still guarantee happy endings! i swear!!! i will also link you to the trailers so you can maybe get a better idea of if you feel like checking them out.

[rip this got stupidly long for what’s a list of like five movies so gonna toss a cut here]

[also if anyone else has any suggestions please feel free to leave them in the replies! i’m sure i’m missing tons of good ones!]

Saving Face - i’m starting off with this one bc it’s a lesbian romcom so it’s automatically going to be the most similar to love simon i think, although it’s not about teens and it deals more with asian american identity, issues of family, questions of shame/honor within asian american communities, etc. it’s a movie about a young chinese american doctor who meets another young chinese woman - a dancer - and as their relationship develops she has to deal with how her queer identity affects her relationship with her mom and by extension her community. It’s also a bilingual movie?? is that the word??? The actors speak english and mandarin [and also shanghainese according to the wiki page but like i wouldn’t know tbh] so i would recommend finding a version with subs if you don’t speak mandarin. this is one of my favorite wlw movies ever bc it’s a romcom that i personally find extremely relatable as an asian american with a sympathetic protagonist, a lighthearted tone, some really good intimate scenes, and a happy ending! also saving face’s director Alice Wu is set to direct an actual teen wlw romcom for netflix that i’m!! super fucking hype about!!!!

I Can’t Think Straight - also stars two women of color, tbh i don’t remember too much about it and i thought it was more romcomy but wiki says it’s a romantic drama?? idk lol but i do remember it being pretty thoroughly enjoyable and the chemistry between the leads was excellent! i haven’t watched, like, a ton of lesbian dramas bc tbqh i find them a bit camp for my taste [that’s just my personal opinion!! god like i still remember watching the likes of elena undone and room in rome and being thoroughly underwhelmed by the extremely long sex scenes kdnfksdjfsn] but i remember thinking this one felt pretty down to earth while still being appropriate for its genre.

and here are some more dramatic movies i can think of, so these might be a bit angsty for what you’re looking for but they all have happy endings so i’m still putting them on here [i guess they’re more toward the moonlight spectrum of gay movies than love simon]:

God’s Own Country - gorgeous, gorgeous indie movie set in Yorkshire, depicting the romance between Johnny, a young and emotionally closed off sheep farmer, and a Romanian migrant worker named Gheorghe. It’s sort of an enemies to lovers kind of dynamic? But somehow very tender?? Another thing i like about this movie is that the characters’ sexualities aren’t really a huge deal, like the movie is not about Johnny coming to terms with being gay, it’s more about him coming to terms with falling in love and opening himself up to intimacy which is a bit of a different kind of narrative i really like!

Carol - would recommend this one if you want oscar worthy vintage lesbian content! it’s really beautifully shot, the story is very compelling, and if you want period lesbians who don’t die this would be a good bet! It’s pretty angsty throughout so maybe might not be the best pick for what you’re looking for, however i want to note that it’s based on what is widely assumed to be the first lesbian novel with a relatively happy ending.

Esteros - Argentinian childhood friends to estranged friends to lovers story. i unashamedly love this movie just for the tropes. the tension and the dialogue between the two mains is also quite excellent! I guess the one thing about this movie is that the pacing was a bit weird toward the end but still, happy ending for sure!

Good luck finding what you’re looking for anon! if you decide to give any of these a try feel free to come back and tell me what you thought even if you hated it, i’d love to hear your thoughts!

#anon: i want movies that are like love simon #me: can only think of super angsty dramas #on brand lol #but also my favorite gay movies are probably moonlight and the way he looks so my hands are tied here u know #answers #Anonymous

[ghastlyrosemaiden]

found this on fb, be warned, it’s long

ʙᴀsɪᴄs I am a cis male  I am a cis female 🐉 I am a trans male I am a trans female I am nonbinary I am genderfluid I am bigender I am male  I am female 🐉 I am unsure of/questioning my identity I am white 🐉 I am black I am brown I am Asian I am Latino I know one language 🐉 I know two languages I know more than two languages I am the oldest child 🐉 I am the middle child I am the baby I am an only child I am straight I am gay I am queer I am lesbian I am bisexual 🐉 I am pansexual I am demisexual I am asexual I am homoromantic I am biromantic I am panromantic I am greyromantic I am demiromantic I am aromantic I am polyamorous I am unsure of/questioning my sexuality 🐉 I have long hair 🐉 I have medium hair I have short hair  I have a shaved head I am bald I have brown hair 🐉 I have blond(e) hair  I have red hair I have black hair I have dyed hair 🐉 My hair is natural I am short 🐉 I am average height  I am tall ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs I have a large friend group I have small friend group I have several friend groups 🐉 I have no friends I have a best friend 🐉 I have several best friends 🐉 I want a best friend I am close with my friend(s) 🐉 I spend a lot of time with friends 🐉 I have feelings for a friend 🐉 I want more friends 🐉 I envy my friends I love my friends 🐉 I am the voice of reason 🐉 (sometimes) I am the mom/dad friend 🐉 I am the comic relief friend 🐉 I prefer to be alone I like being the center of attention I am introverted 🐉 I am extroverted I am ambiverted ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs I am single 🐉 I am in a romantic relationship  I am in a QPP relationship I am in a polyamorous relationship I am in an open relationship I am married I am engaged  I am in love  I have a crush on someone 🐉 I often date I take relationships very seriously 🐉 I don't take relationships very seriously I have high standards 🐉 (ehhhhh) I have a personality type I prefer 🐉 I do not have a personality type I prefer I have a body type I prefer 🐉 I do not have a body type I prefer I believe in soulmates 🐉 (Ehhhh) I am affectionate 🐉 ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ I have depression 🐉 I have anxiety 🐉 I have bipolar disorder I am schizophrenic I suffer from psychosis I have OCD I dissociate 🐉 I have PTSD I have C-PTSD I have a personality disorder I have ADD I have ADHD I am on the autism spectrum  I have a learning disability I have unspecified mental disabilities 🐉 I have asthma I have allergies 🐉 I have scoliosis 🐉 I have kyphosis I am blind I wear glasses 🐉 I wear contacts I have had a correctional eye operation I am mute I have selective mutism I am deaf I am hard of hearing I have a growth disorder I am paralyzed I am in a wheelchair I walk with assistance I am epileptic I am narcoleptic I have insomnia 🐉 I have chronic pain 🐉 I have chronic fatigue 🐉 I have migraines 🐉 I have cancer I have diabetes I have an unspecified physical disability I have an eating disorder I have an addiction / dependence I have experimented with drugs  I have abused substances I am/have been abused 🐉 (emotionally, aye) I am in therapy for a mental condition 🐉 I am in therapy for a physical condition I've been hospitalized  ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ I have become a better person 🐉 I will become a better person 🐉 I am recovering 🐉 I will recover 🐉 I am proud of my accomplishments 🐉 I am confident I love my hair I love my body I love my nose I love my eyes 🐉 I am looking forward to something  I have met a famous person 🐉 (does getting called “doll face” by Derek Ray/Houston count?) I have a hobby I love 🐉 I have a dog 🐉 I have a cat 🐉 I have a reptile I have a fish I have a bunny I have a snake I have a bird I am part of a religion that brings me peace I have lost weight 🐉 I have gained weight  I took a shower today 🐉 I ate today 🐉 I had water today 🐉 I washed clothes today I cleaned today I accomplished something today (ᴅɪs)ʟɪᴋᴇs I like parties  I dislike parties 🐉 I like romance movies 🐉 I dislike romance movies  I like drama movies 🐉 I dislike drama movies  I like thriller movies 🐉 I dislike thriller movies  I like horror movies I dislike horror movies 🐉 I like sci-fi movies I dislike sci-fi movies 🐉 I like romcom movies  I dislike romcom movies 🐉 I like video games 🐉 I dislike video games I like milk chocolate 🐉 I dislike milk chocolate  I like dark chocolate 🐉 I dislike dark chocolate  I like white chocolate 🐉 I dislike white chocolate I like country music 🐉 I dislike country music 🐉 (i like, like....2 songs) I like rap music 🐉 I dislike rap music 🐉 (love/hate) I like pop music 🐉 I dislike pop music 🐉 (love/hate) I like rock music 🐉 I dislike rock music I like metal music 🐉 I dislike metal music I like punk music 🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉 I dislike punk music I like indie music I dislike indie music 🐉 I like latino music x🐉 I dislike latino music I like soundtrack music 🐉 I dislike soundtrack music I like k-pop 🐉 (for reference, I prefer k-hiphop I dislike k-pop  I like j-pop 🐉 I dislike j-pop I like art 🐉 I dislike art I like books 🐉 I dislike books  I like anime/manga 🐉 I dislike anime/manga I like snow 🐉 I dislike snow I like fast food 🐉 I dislike fast food I like coffee I dislike coffee 🐉 I like tea I dislike tea 🐉 I like politics  I dislike politics 🐉 My favorite season is winter 🐉 My favorite season is spring  My favorite season is summer My favorite season is autumn I am a cat person 🐉 I am a dog person 🐉 I am a bird person 🐉 I am a reptile person 🐉 I am a bunny person 🐉

#why is this so long #admin facts #no one asked for this but here u go #ghastlyrosemaiden

[crypticcrow]

a bit about me:)

ʙᴀsɪᴄs

I am a cis male

I am a cis female

I am a trans male 🍄

I am a trans female

I am nonbinary

I am genderfluid

I am bigender

I am unsure of/questioning my identity

I am white 🍄

I am black

I am brown

I am asian

I am latino

I know one language 🍄

I know two languages

I know more than two languages

I am the oldest child 🍄

I am the middle child

I am the baby

I am an only child

I am straight

I am gay

I am queer

I am lesbian

I am bisexual

I am pansexual

I am demisexual 🍄

I am asexual

I am homoromantic

I am biromantic

I am panromantic🍄

I am greyromantic

I am demiromantic

I am aromantic

I am polyamorous

I am unsure of/questioning my sexuality

I have long hair

I have medium hair

I have short hair 🍄

I have a shaved head

I am bald

I have brown hair

I have blond(e) hair 🍄

I have red hair

I have black hair

I have dyed hair

My hair is natural 🍄

I am short

I am average height

I am tall 🍄

ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs

I have a large friend group

I have small friend group 🍄

I have several friend groups

I have no friends

I have a best friend 🍄

I have several best friends

I want a best friend

I am close with my friend(s)🍄

I spend a lot of time with friends🍄

I have feelings for a friend 🍄

I want more friends 🍄

I envy my friends

I love my friends 🍄

I am the voice of reason

I am the mom/dad friend

I am the comic relief friend 🍄?

I prefer to be alone 🍄

I like being the center of attention

I am introverted 🍄

I am extroverted

I am ambiverted

ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs

I am single

I am in a romantic relationship 🍄

I am in a QPP relationship

I am in a polyamorous relationship

I am in an open relationship

I am married

I am engaged

I am in love 🍄

I have a crush on someone

I often date

I take relationships very seriously 🍄

I don't take relationships very seriously

I have high standards

I have a personality type I prefer

I do not have a personality type I prefer

I have a body type I prefer

I do not have a body type I prefer 🍄

I believe in soulmates 🍄

I am affectionate 🍄

ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ

I have depression 🍄

I have anxiety 🍄

I have bipolar disorder

I am schizophrenic

I suffer from psychosis

I have OCD

I dissociate 🍄

I have PTSD 🍄

I have C-PTSD

I have a personality disorder

I have ADHD

I am on the autism spectrum

I have a learning disability

I have unspecified mental disabilities

I have asthma 🍄

I have allergies 🍄

I have scoliosis

I have kyphosis

I am blind

I wear glasses

I wear contacts

I have had a correctional eye operation

I am mute

I have selective mutism

I am deaf

I am hard of hearing

I have a growth disorder

I am paralyzed

I am in a wheelchair

I walk with assistance

I am epileptic

I am narcoleptic

I have insomnia

I have chronic pain

I have chronic fatigue

I have migraines 🍄

I have cancer

I have diabetes

I have an unspecified physical disability

I have an eating disorder 🍄

I have an addiction / dependence

I have experimented with drugs

I have abused substances

I am/have been abused 🍄

I am in therapy for a mental condition

I am in therapy for a physical condition

I've been hospitalized🍄

ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ

I have become a better person 🍄

I will become a better person 🍄

I am recovering 🍄

I will recover 🍄

I am proud of my accomplishments

I am confident

I love my hair

I love my body

I love my nose

I love my eyes

I am looking forward to something 🍄

I have met a famous person 🍄

I have a hobby I love 🍄

I have a dog 🍄

I have a cat

I have a reptile

I have a fish

I have a bunny

I have a snake

I have a bird

I am part of a religion that brings me peace

I have lost weight

I have gained weight

I took a shower today

I ate today 🍄

I had water today 🍄

I washed clothes today

I cleaned today

I accomplished something today🍄

(ᴅɪs)ʟɪᴋᴇs

I like parties🍄

I dislike parties

I like romance movies

I dislike romance movies

I like drama movies

I dislike drama movies

I like thriller movies

I dislike thriller movies

I like horror movies

I dislike horror movies 🍄

I like sci-fi movies

I dislike sci-fi movies

I like romcom movies

I dislike romcom movies

I like video games 🍄

I dislike video games

I like milk chocolate 🍄

I dislike milk chocolate

I like dark chocolate 🍄

I dislike dark chocolate

I like white chocolate

I dislike white chocolate 🍄

I like country music

I dislike country music 🍄

I like rap music 🍄

I dislike rap music

I like pop music

I dislike pop music

I like rock music 🍄

I dislike rock music

I like metal music

I dislike metal music

I like punk music 🍄

I dislike punk music

I like indie music 🍄

I dislike indie music

I like latino music

I dislike latino music

I like soundtrack music🍄

I dislike soundtrack music

I like k-pop

I dislike k-pop

I like j-pop

I dislike j-pop

I like art 🍄

I dislike art

I like books 🍄

I dislike books

I like anime/manga

I dislike anime/manga

I like snow 🍄

I dislike snow

I like fast food 🍄

I dislike fast food

I like coffee 🍄

I dislike coffee

I like tea 🍄

I dislike tea

I like politics 🍄

I dislike politics

My favorite season is winter

My favorite season is spring 🍄

My favorite season is summer

My favorite season is autumn 🍄

I am a cat person

I am a dog person 🍄

I am a bird person

I am a reptile person

I am a bunny person

#a bit about me #about me

[girlonfilmmovies]

The Top 25 Films of 2019

25: Shadow (dir. Zhang Yimou)

"Without the real, there can be no shadow. A principle no one's understood."

After a string of terrible films trying to play to Hollywood audiences, Zhang Yimou manages to successfully return to the goldmine he stuck in the early 2000s and craft another absolutely gorgeous wuxia. Here he swaps out the poetic, colorful beauty in favor of monochromatic, surprisingly violent tone poem about deceit. It ultimately works against it, as by the seventh or eighth double cross you kind of just give up trying to figure out who's on what side, but the main action setpiece is so wonderful it deserves a spot for that alone. Hopefully a good sign for Yimou's future, as long as we don't have another nationalist war epic that somehow inexplicably also has a white savior narrative too.

24: Climax (dir. Gaspar Noé)

"...something's kicking in..."

Noe takes us for another plunge into the dark, twisted, vomit-inducing, neon-lit hellscape that is his mind and at least has the common courtesy to put the pleasant parts upfront this time. While it will eventually devolve into the same type of chaos that we all love/hate from him, the first act is kind of a wonderful departure from him. He basically accidently makes a musical for a while, with wonderful and deeply intricate dance choreography as well as a fantastic extended sequence where every character jumps in and out of frame and gets a chance to strut their stuff. That movie would have been a strong top five contender, but alas, the man has his particular quirks that he must abide by. But at least he also strung together probably the best soundtrack and sound design of the year, with the fantastic EDM bangers rumbling through the walls throughout the entirety of the film.

23: Long Shot (dir. Jonathon Levine)

"Oohhh boooy!"

Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen doing a political comedy that manages to be both smart and extremely funny seems like a long shot indeed, but Johnathon Levine finally strikes gold again after a number of disappointing duds. He manages to make a pretty good story about how navigating the political minefield destroys what little hope and dreams high level politicians still manage to have, but then he also happens to make it all absolutely hilarious too. Theron demonstrates a surprisingly strong comic game too, easily matching all the other talent and cracking jokes along with them. It ends up being a charming romance where the woman takes charge in a very pleasant change of pace. And if nothing else, the way Seth Rogen yells "oh boy" in that video is always going to make me laugh no matter what.

22: 6 Underground (dir. Michael Bay)

"Ghosts have one power above all others: to haunt the living. Haunt them... for what they've done."

Theoretical question: what say Netflix gave Michael Bay a blank check and no restrictions, and he turned in the most overblown, dialed to eleven, nonsensical spectacle that he ever crafted and was allowed to put it into almost every American home for free? Now what if I told you that it was actually kind of awesome? Sure, it's basically a child playing with his $150 million dollar GI Joe set, smashing his toys together and making pew-pew sounds, but it's also probably the best testament to the power of conventional effects work over the increasing insistence on CGI for big setpieces. Let's face it: explosions are pretty cool, every one likes exotic locales and bright sports cars, and there's at least someone here to appeal to you (least surprisingly for me, it was Melanie Laurent with bangs wearing a suit). It almost reaches a late Michael Mann kind of abstraction, as both are respectively breaking apart the action movie into stranger combinations. Bay gives plot only because he contractually has to, and even then doesn't seem as committed to characterization as he is showcasing surprisingly brutal ways for the gang to dispatch their enemies. It's nonsense, but the damn best nonsense of the year.

21: Ip Man 4: The Finale (dir. Wilson Yip)

"Is that it?! Is this your Chinese Kung Fu?!"

The finale in the decade-long quadrilogy of supremely silly and borderline racist worship of China finally attempts to tackle America to delightfully amusing results. Scott Adkins doing his best evil R. Lee Ermey impression while slipping in modern neo-con punchlines, neverending Bruce Lee worship, and more nationalism and bad fake American accents than you could ever believe. Yet also a more bizarrely honest portrayal of racism in 1960s America than most movies would ever have the courage to acknowledge. It’s almost fascinating considering how a lot of the non-Asian racism basically serves as set dressing, but they still put more effort there than pretty much every Hollywood movie set in the 60s that isn’t directly about civil rights. But ultimately they're selling you a bill of goods saying "watch Ip Man beat the crap out of racist meatheads" and you better believe they're going to give you what you want.

20: Let It Snow (dir. Luke Snellin)

"Have you ever been with someone, and you stay up until like 4AM just talking about everything, and you're just like, I can't believe I get to exist at the same time as you?"

Okay, so let me explain myself on this one:

So yeah, it certainly is a generic teen romcom where everyone plays into basic teenage stereotypes, half the cast is clearly nowhere near eighteen, and all of the romance is oddly chaste. But there truly is something to be said about representation in a romcom, and after a thousand boring cis, straight, hetero couples falling in love for decades, this movie actually managed to hit a lot of notes that are at best rarely explored in the genre and also manages to probably sneak in some genuine firsts. While both the "tomboy/softboy" and "Latina struggling with her family" storylines have been done before, these are some nice, cute little iterations on those befitting a teen-friendly movie. But the Dorrie/Kerry story is not only legitimately groundbreaking, but also an absolutely perfect encapsulation of the types of problems that queer teenagers struggle with during that time of their lives. It's a queer romance, played by two actually not-straight people, with one of them being a nonbinary actor too. And it's not cordoned off into some bargain bin DIY indie that fell out the back of the truck on the way to an indie film festival; no, this is in a major holiday release, with well-known actors, and as one of the central storylines! Plus, it perfectly captures the woes of modern teen coming out, knowing that everything will probably still be cool, but the fear haunting you as all you can do is look jealously at someone who is out and proud. And it does it without being real shitty and horribly traumatic too. Eat your fucking heart out, Love, Simon!

19. John Wick: Chapter 3 -- Parabellum (dir. Chad Stahelski)

"Si vis pacem, para bellum!"

Another year, another John Wick movie. There's more plot; you don't care, and let's be honest, neither do I. Stahelski is here to serve up more badass characters and incredible action, and no one in Hollywood does it quite like him. It's got familiar action favorites demonstrating why they still remain supreme, with Yayan Ruhian, Cecep Arif Rahman, Tiger Chen, and the ever underrated Mark Dascascos. It's got surprising action showcases for Halle Berry, Lance Reddick, and somehow Boban Marjanović. It's got great character actors doing their thing, from the returning McShane and Fishburne to newcomers Saïd Taghmaoui and Anjelica Huston. It's got Asia Kate Dillon as an awesome nonbinary shadow organization asshole. It has a bewildering Jason Mantzoukas cameo. And above all else, it has Keanu Reeves, still demonstrating not only his incredible physical skill, but also how to perfectly utilize his particular acting style to create an iconic character.

18. Doctor Sleep (dir. Mike Flanagan)

"Man takes a drink. A drink takes the drink. And then the drink takes a man."

While not the most accurate adaption, it might be the only Stephen King adaptation that comes to mind that actually successfully channels what makes him such an appealing author. King's stories have an inherent corniness to them and for as much as you unsuccessfully try to cover that up (look to this year's The Outsider for a good example), it's where the true charm of his work shines. It's what makes this so fun, because as much as an epic, eldritch terror is exciting, it still doesn't have the goofy fun of a bunch of vampiric bohemian drifters led by a Stevie Knicks knockoff in a top hat breathing up souls. Plus, the epic three hour runtime actually allows Flanagan to at least try to cover all the more subtle serious characterizations of Danny Torrance, from his recurring alcoholism to him seeking closure with regards to his parents. It manages to actually make the final act's nostalgia play kind of work, or at the very least get the terrible memory of the Ready Player One version out of my head.

17. Her Smell (dir. Alex Ross Perry)

"I thought you were better than this, but deep down I knew you weren't."

Perry must have had some extra pent-up nastiness in him after having to restrain himself while writing Christopher Robin (by the way, that happened), because he really created one of the nastiest characters in cinema here. Her Smell is the equivalent of being locked in a room with the shittiest person you'll ever meet, as she constant lashes out at everyone and everything with the kind of delirium that the truly demented are cursed with. And credit to Elizabeth Moss where it's due: she really perfectly embodies such a horrible human being and proceeds beat you damn near to death with it during a majority of the runtime. Eventually it slows down and all of the problems become apparent once they script isn't flying by at a thousand words a minute. But Moss literally did her job so well that people fucking hate this movie because of her character, and if that isn't a testament to her acting talent than I don't know what is.

16. High Life (dir. Claire Denis)

"At 99% the speed of light, the entire sky converged before our eyes. This sensation, moving backwards even though we're moving forwards, getting further from what's getting nearer. Sometimes I just can't stand it."

Denis finally makes her English debut with what she does best: nauseatingly uncomfortable sexuality oozing from terrible people doing horrible things. In this case, she takes an innovative detour into sci-fi, setting up a decades-long story of human experimentation, murder, the horrors of space travel, and whatever unholy things are going on inside of the "Fuck Box". It has an appropriately dingy production design too; the clean retro-futurist spaceship design soon dissolves into a torn apart den of depravity, caked in a mixture of filth and dry blood. Pattinson once again manages to be likeable while also being extremely standoff-ish; only playing with his baby daughter do we seem to see him actually enjoy interacting with a human being. Kind of gets lost in the sauce near the end, but at least manages to land some surprising emotional notes considering the kind of horrors that they've shown up until then.

15. The Farewell (dir. Lulu Wang)

"Chinese people have saying: when people get cancer they die. It's not cancer that kills them, it's the fear."

Lulu Wang's followup to Posthumous is such a massive step up in talent it's not even funny. She manages to make such a wonderfully soulful and loving movie about impending death by utilizing near perfect comic timing to defuse a situation that threatens to stray too dark. Not to mention her point of view on modern China from a non state-sponsored eye actually captures a much more accurate shot of the country itself. It's almost as if an Edward Yang movie had set itself more modest expectations -- it's pleasant, goes down well, teaches you a couple of things about Chinese culture, and manages to do it all in only a hundred minutes. And Awkwafina manages to hold her own against far more experienced actors, even if you can tell her Mandarin is still a little spotty.

14. Uncut Gems (dir. Josh and Benny Safdie)

"I think you are the most annoying person I have ever met. I hate being with you, I hate looking at you... And if I had my way I would never see you again."

Adam Sandler's magnum opus performance -- there will never be another character that fully embraces every grating aspect of his style of acting and manages to weaponize them for two anxiety-inducing hours of hell. Sandler's Howard Ratner is an absolute sewer rat scumbag, an untrustworthy coward, and a perennial fuck-up of epic proportions. But he's still so charismatic and powerful on screen that you root for him every time he drives you further up the wall. And the Safdie brothers know how to keep him moving too, never letting the audience catch a breath of air for this movie-length panic attack as the odds stack further against Howard each minute. Whenever you see Sandler phoning in his comedies for fat checks, just remember this performance and how pretty much every awards committee completely ignored this film. No wonder he doesn't bother trying anymore.

13. The Last Black Man In San Francisco (dir. Joe Talbot)

"You don't get to hate it unless you love it."

A wonderfully evocative love letter to a changing city that is so full of life in every way, from the vibrant movement of the camerawork to the bombastic and powerful soundtrack blasting throughout. But it actually plays more like a New Orleans' funeral march, a melancholic chronicle of the original denizens of San Francisco even as the city warps into the caricature that it's slowly becoming. There is a definite feeling that the aggressive gentrification is unavoidable and even the love of the original quirky denizens can only stave off the metaphorical steamroller that paves over the past. It makes for a wonderful counterpoint to the previous year's Blindspotting: both about young black men dealing with gentrification in the Bay Area, but Blindspotting starts as a very angry comic satire that eventually ends on a note of hope and a will to survive the changing tide, whereas this begins as a joyous celebration of the city and ends on a heartbreaking resignation in the face of everything. Both come from respectively very different sides of San Fran culture, but it's rather interesting seeing each have such different approaches to the same topic.

12. The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (dir. Henry Dunham)

"How do we know it's not you?"

A simple "pressure cooker" scenario done to perfection: one empty warehouse, a bunch of hardened standoff-ish militia men, a missing gun, a ticking clock, and a whole lot of suspicious side eyes and probing questions. It helps that the gruff suspects are a perfect who's who of roughened character actors, all previously well-versed in playing suspicious people, and all of them hiding the kind of unspoken rage that makes a man secretly join an armed militia. All of this told with a nerve-wracking minimalism and style as weirdly detached from reality as some of these men are. One hell of a debut for Henry Dunham and hopefully a sign of good things to come.

11. Booksmart (dir. Olivia Wilde)

"How about we play a *rousing* round of J'ACCUSE!"

Profoundly silly and yet also so disarmingly sweet, Olivia Wilde whips a wildly stylized portrait of Gen Z high-schoolers and the many ways that they vastly differ from their older peers. Certainly much more welcoming and accepting of the diversity of teenagers than pretty much any other teen movies from the past, although they still poke fun at some particular brands of modern "wokeness" too. Stuffed to the brim with wonderfully weird characters, between the lovable catty theatre duo of George and Alan, the cringe-inducing desperate rich kid Jared, the endearingly dumb thirstball Theo, the dorky and blissfully unaware queer-bait Ryan, the effortlessly cool and extremely "top energy" Hope, and the absolutely batshit wildness that is Gigi. But mainly it serves as a vehicle for Devers and Feldstein, with both bouncing perfectly back and forth off each other in moments of comedy and drama. Feldstein always pulls off huge laughs pretty much every line and Devers sells a perfect amount of baby-gay awkwardness in one of the sweetest (and heartbreaking) queer romance stories in film. But above all else, it's just so damn fun and aware of what teenagers are actually like than most movies ever have been.

10. Luce (dir. Julius Onah)

*chuckles* "You really think I believe that stuff?"

One of the most wildly uncomfortable experiences in recent cinema history, but not due to any horrifyingly explicit graphic content being shoved in our faces. No, Onah and Lee created something much more discomforting: a constant challenging of all our biases and stereotypes, of us wanting to give chances and have faith in those that we trust. Kelvin Harrison Jr. delivers one of the best acting performances in recent memory because he's able to literally do everything; his Luce somehow manages to perfectly walk the tightrope required for a performance like his. With him behind it, Luce is such a charming, loving, likeable character but there's always just something that seems off about him. And even if Spencer's Wilson has a fixation on him that crosses all sorts of legal and moral boundaries, wouldn't we be cheering her on under different circumstances? In a way, she herself is trying to communicate a lesson about perception too, one that also mires in deep, troubling waters. Even if the film still feels very stage-y due to it's source material, the cold clinical aesthetic only further helps it make us squirm in our seats.

9. Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (dir. Haruka Fujita)

"Nobody wants a letter that cannot be delivered."

An absolutely magical experience that artistically excels over the original TV series it's based off of. The production is still as impressive as any other KyoAni work, but the composition and lighting in particular are outstanding, selling the social isolation of the first half and the childlike wonder of the second half. Beginning with a sublime Victorian romance in the first half, the story eventually morphs into a tribute to the workers of the world, the cogs in the machine. But in the context of the studio's recent history and the horrific arson attack that claimed 36 members of the studio, this instead comes off as a battlecry against the opposition against them. It's a story valuing those who are overlooked in the process of creation, a story about strong determined women, a story of a young girl defining her own future against society. KyoAni as a studio were most known for treating all their employees exceptionally as well as being a primarily female-led studio, both unfortunate exceptions in the industry as well as the target for a lot of unfair online hatred against them (and surely played some sort of role in why the arson attack happened to them specifically). To see the studio make their first post-attack work so proudly emblematic of what made them unique makes this so much more powerful than you would expect.

8. The Nightengale (dir. Jennifer Kent)

"You know what it's like to have a white fella take everything that you have, don't ya?"

The classic revenge fantasy narrative warped into a bleak, cynical portrait of racist cruelty in 1800s Tasmania. Jennifer Kent, improving leaps and bounds from the relatively straightforward Babadook, crafts a searing indictment of the foundations of colonialism and the misogynistic undercurrent of the barbarous society. It's a revenge movie where the vengeance is horrible and unsatisfying -- there's no crowd pleasing murderous money-shots, just brief moments of comeuppance in the face of everything in the world working against our two protagonists. Those who are squeamish should be aware that it is exceptionally graphic and grueling at times, although Kent does manage to keep up a very good pace for the two and a half hours of hell.

7. Transit (dir. Christian Petzold)

"They say that those who were left never forget. But it's not true. They have the sweet, sad songs. Pity is with them. Those who leave, no one is with them. They have no songs."

Hitchcock by way of Kafka -- a classic existential mystery told in a disorienting separate reality not quite like our own. It's a bold move to take a Holocaust set narrative and completely throw out the actual setting itself, but Petzold only enhances the weird themes of the story by taking it to a completely different but still very familiar time. This is a classic tale of becoming the person you say you are but really aren't -- then begging the question of what if you're not the only one also living a false identity. Buoyed by an excellent and very enigmatic lead performance from Franz Rogowski, who displays a tremendous skill for playing somebody so closed off but also very charismatic and watchable.

6. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

"When you come to the end of the line, with a buddy who is more than a brother and a little less than a wife, getting blind drunk together is really the only way to say farewell."

Tarantino trades in his B-movie worship and penchant for comical bloodbaths (well, for the most part) to make something I certainly didn't expect from him: a relaxed hangout movie about getting old and falling out of fashion. Exceptional production design whisks us away to the height of Hollywood and three different people all looking at their future careers in very different lights. Leo gets to stretch his wings in all sorts of silly fun ways and Brad Pitt finally lets go of the young superstar image and easily slips into his more natural "hot single dad" swagger, playing the most effortlessly cool character of his career. Tarantino sets aside time to look back on his own flaws as well and playfully reflects on his own particular ...quirks. Easily his best since his 90s prime and the first time in a long time I've felt the maturity that he showcased in Jackie Brown.

5. The Lighthouse (dir. Robert Eggers)

"Damn ye! Let Neptune strike ye dead Winslow! HAAARK!"

Hyper-masculine mania as told through a wonderful blend of dark comedy and cosmic horror and with some of the most lush black-and-white cinematography maybe ever in a film. Eggers' now trademark devotion to absolute accurate period detail in both visual design and dialogue greatly helps this reach transcendent heights. But it's truly the two performances of Dafoe and Pattinson that help it weave a perfect spiral of insanity that also manages to be so oddly fun. Never could there be any other paring of actors that would perfectly showcase these two dirty sea-dogs going stark raving mad at each other so well.

4. Midsommar (dir. Ari Aster)

"As Hårga takes, so Hårga also gives."

(Director's Cut) Every generation deserves their own paranoia-fueled pagan horrorshow, but Aster strikes a much deeper vein in his epic take on the classic territory The Wicker Man had previously claimed. The brutal rituals of the Hårga are only set dressing most of the time, with much more focus poured into the vile toxicity plaguing the relationship between students Dani and Christian. Reynor's Christian is such a perfect portrayal of a terrible influence -- he's charming, fun, and likeable when he's on your side, but the second anybody goes against him his seedy manipulation begins to seep into everything he says. Pugh continues her winning streak too, delivering a broken person desperately trying to put a smile on while falling apart on the inside as she realizes she truly is all alone in the world. While some might be disappointed by the lack of actual "terror" for a good chunk of the movie, Aster has found something much more likely to scar us than these friendly Swedish cultists.

3. Sunset (dir. László Nemes)

"The horror of the world hides behind these infinitely pretty things."

After striking gold with Son of Saul, Laszlo Nemes takes a hard turn into a very different genre but manages to create a wonderfully unique spin on classic detective noir. His signature camerawork powers this yarn, successfully taking the claustrophobic eye of Saul and using it to give a truly immersive sense of place in the tumultuous world of 1913 Budapest, where danger is simmering under the surface and ready to boil over at any moment. After all, noir is always about the eye of the detective, so Nemes' style takes it to a literal degree where everything outside of Irisz' field of vision is incomprehensible. We catch the same shady sideways glances and hushed whispers at the same time she does too. The plotting, like all noir tales, gets a little too complex for its own good, although it's less because of double-crossing and deceit and more from the story slowly dropping its connection to reality to function on a far more allegorical level. But as far as immersive, experiential cinema goes, not even 1917 can stack up to this film's highs, as the enraged lower-class populace eventually comes for the heads of the bourgeoise and Irisz suddenly realizes she is in the very wrong place at the very wrong time.

2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)

"Do all lovers feel they're inventing something?"

An absolutely breathtaking portrait (hehe) of yearning and love, so astonishingly romantic and actually aware of what will make a woman swoon. Every technical aspect is perfect, from the gorgeous locale to the lovely windswept dresses to the soft, classical cinematography. But the true magic comes from Merlant and Haenel perfectly delivering every line of Sciamma's wonderous script. Those two have a sexual tension strong enough to burn down the theater, as their shy glances turn into deep longing stares and both their steely professional reserves give way to poorly suppressed joy at just being able to be with the other. Even their initial terse dialogue melts into pure romantic splendor, as they lovingly catalog all the little gestures the other does when flustered. Their connection during filming was powerful enough to fuel rumors around the two in the press and is currently providing the desire for every thirsty lesbian who finishes this to immediately pull up videos from the press tour and hunt for those same things between the actors themselves. And trust me, they are there.

1. Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho)

"Not 'rich but still nice.' Nice because she's rich, you know? Hell, if I had all this money, I'd be nice too!"

Very rarely does a film come along that actually warrants to be described as "perfect", as in one that literally generates no critiques in any way even if I was forced to pick something at gunpoint to complain about. But Parasite truly does every single thing right. Even Bong's tonal whiplash style, which does grate on me at times, somehow fits perfectly here as the schemes become increasingly madcap and the increasing sense that this will all come crashing down horribly mounts ever higher. Until then, it's an absolute joy to watch in every way, as Bong stacks the card deck higher and all the characters dive further into the sewer for their own benefit. The midpoint pivot works wonderfully too, as it goes to show that literally every person is getting played in the world of Parasite. It's massive success is only surprising to those who haven't seen it: it's the perfect movie for the era it came out in and may as well be the watershed moment for a new age of cinema where Hollywood finally admits that it's not the king of the world anymore.

#top 25 #2019 in film #parasite #portrait of a lady on fire #sunset #midsommar #lighthouse #fuck capitalism

[kissingbook]

Black History Month Week One:          Reading Blackout 2018

Last year, I decided to join in on the #readingblackout where the goal was to focus one’s reading on Black American Writers. By the end of 2018:

90 % of my reading was Black American writers. 70% of the books were Black Woman. Six were indie authors which I must confess puts me well under my goal of 12 indie Black Books.

In addition to the reading Blackout, I decided to add a self- challenge of only watching media that had at least one Black person. I ended watching many Rock movies as a result. Which was not exactly a bad thing.

The results were more than just numbers. What I got from this experience was immersing myself in my own community. It was a nice break from stereotypes and token Black characters that seemed too common in non- Black literature.

For a year, I got to experience writing where Black people are the center of the story as opposed to a writing device. I had hope starting this adventure would instill even more Black pride within myself. The experience was surely a success as I was amazed by the endless Black excellence within the writing world. I found some great books, series, and authors that I wouldn’t have known about if I hadn’t taken on this challenge. It was also a breath of fresh air to be transported into all these different Black created worlds or listening to Black poets and prophets express the realities of being Black in American.

My Favorite Authors of Blackout

Alexia Gordon: author of the Gethsemane Brown Mysteries series. These books are for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a supernatural touch. Plus, music fans will like that Gethsemane is an orchestra teacher. 

Attica Locke: author of thrillers/mysteries set in the Deep South. Her mysteries and her troubled characters will keep you reading non-stop. 

Alyssa Cole: author of a variety of romance books including historical romances with espionage! Plus the newest series of Reluctant Royals for those looking for good fairy tale RomComs

My Favorite Stand alones 

The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel: it is poetic, breathtaking, heartwrenching, literary fiction about who really is the devil. This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you read it. Prepare to cry!

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones: A fictional story that shows how criminalization of Black people affects families and marriage. 

Sula and Tar Baby by Toni Morrison. Queen of Literary Fiction. Just read it. I can’t describe Toni Morrison.

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann: a romance with an Asexual/ Biromantic Black woman lead.

 The Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon: a sci-fi and an alternative reality that deals with the issues of oppression and slavery in space opera style. This is a Queer book with a neurodiverse main character. Fans of N.K Jemisin should definitely check this book out.

Favorite Non-fiction

 Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: an advocate lawyer writes about racism, classism, and sexism in the in the criminal justice. His stories show the innate problems of the death penalty, life sentences, child imprisonment and the criminalization of women’s rights. 

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine: a poetic exploration of anti-black racism which makes the reader, regardless of race, feel like they are actually living these stories. One of the most empathic books I have read about race in America.

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhymes. This book is refreshing and fun. Shonda Rhymes encourages everyone to wake up, start living one's life, and stop dying away in dreamland. It is great on audio with Shonda Rhymes as the narrator.

#Reading Blackout #black history month #Black tumblr #Blackness #weneeddiversebooks #booklr #booklife #Blackbooks #Amreading #bookworm #book recommendations #Bookreader #Fiction #Romance #Nonfiction #Sci-fi #Black Writers #Black Authors #black love #bookporn #Bookish

[iheartromcoms]

ughhh i finally watched love, simon and i'm so mad!!!! i don't know where to talk about this!!!!

i was listening to the soundtrack the other day still upset that i hadn't seen it (tried to convince my SO back when it came out but i'm. i am not a pushy person. after like one time suggesting we do something i get too scared to bring it up....idk i'm just too afraid to do so many things) so i finally watched it after everything today which was exhausting and. what the heck!!!! i want cute happy love stories.... i want my romcoms to be as gay as ever..... but i don't want films to be focused on coming out anymore.... and what the HECK with simon's awful friends?!?!?! "hey this guy was blackmailing me and would have outed me as a gay [which is POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN SOME PLACES BTW] so i had to help him" and they all got mad at him and leah called him cruel???? go eat a dick holy shit!!! and not doing or saying anything when those assholes were on the table, i'm so upset... who the hell acts like that also like.... "in love with a stranger" is LITERALLY MY FAVORITE ROMANCE TROPE. i used to call it "pen pals to lovers" lmao but i think that's the official trope name... why would it reel me in like this.... just to make me sad and wishing i had an even cuter happier gay film to watch GBF.... love, simon... alex strangelove.... (i loved alex strangelove the most, amazingly) i'm happy to have cuter gay films but like!!!!

but i'm a cheerleader came out in the NINETIES. i know we're just getting to a point where a lot of film ppl who like to make cute queer indie-paced mumblecore-type films (my favorite kind of films) are finally making their films but i'm desperate goddammit, i know coming out is a big deal but just once i want the cute film to not be half "whoa i'm gay" and half or less "here is my romance" also is it just me or are a lot of films where women who thought they were lesbians find out they're bi coming out in the last decade? also incredibly annoying....