#my superior naming skillz

[chrinsu]

NEW MESSAGE !!          to: @chrsab      subject: gross

     vision, an absolute blur. head, a pounding mess. shirt, haphazardly strewn over his shoulders, digits clumsily moving down the buttons, messily tucking in the front of it into his matching black pants. fingers coming to rake back the strands of untamed hair, feeling the remnants of yesterday’s events. hungover, as graceless digits pull to adjust the shirt on his frame, shoulders rolling backwards, regaining what little disposition of sanity he had left in the haziness of the situation. realisation, failing to piece the fragmented memories together, leaving him dulled hues hanging above dark circles. he catches the movement of someone in his peripheral, gaze turning, still unsure of his surroundings only to see the features of an older woman peering underneath the covers. eyes, still closed as slight mumbles leave from her lips. his brows raise, amused one of the emotions fuelling his drunken veins. the other, absurdity. a simple tch leaves from his own lips, before turning his way to the leave the room.

     the place was a lot bigger than what he had anticipated, the fragments still parted, it felt almost foreign. memories wiped, a hazy onset of images cascading through his reverie and he’s greeted by confused staff, onlookers placing gaze on his dishevelled appearance. he supposes that if he has already gone this far as to fuck the recent divorcee, he might as well use the main entrance to take his leave, no sense in sneaking out otherwise. a bold move. such an insu thing to do, so his father would tell him. 

     the morning glaze having painted over the azure stretch of cloudless skies. an arm raises to shield his vision from the glare, making his way down the steps, still feeling the incessant pang against his temples. he lets out a subtle groan in between gritted teeth, he should know better by now. his gaze lifting to the sound of footsteps edging nearer, stygian hues flicker tiredly for a moment matching gazes with her. sabrina. 

     he couldn’t help but lets his eyes roll, a habitual response, as it drifts to the person beside her, a brow raising. digits come to rake through his strands again, a smirk tugging at his corners as dulled hues return to meet with hers, “new pet?” a snigger leaving. “didn’t think you were capable.” shoes missing on both his feet, only socks encasing them. clearly, he had struggled to pull his attire together.

#chrsab #threads. #chrsab &&. gross. #my superior naming skillz #kagjrfe oop #i also dont know what this is #clown emojis out the ass

[ithinkilikeit-reactions]

2019 favorite songs (male version)

A/N: This is all my personal opinions and these are the songs that stood out to me this year and are the most memorable for me. Also this post will be long 

Here is my top 10 for those who don’t want to see the rest

1. Rooftop - N.Flying

2. Soso - Winner

3. Wonderland - Ateez

4. Highway to Heaven - NCT 127

5. Undercover - A.C.E

7. Lit - Oneus

8. Sweet Chaos- Day6

9. Savage - A.C.E

10. Fuego - U-Kwon

January 

“Lonely Night” - KNK 

I was anticipating KNK’s return. I was very curious as to what they would do after leaving their company and having Youjin leave and Dongwon join. But they did not disappoint at all. Dongwon proved himself very much and it’s one of my favs this year. 

“I’m OK” - iKon

I was so ready for this song. I love it so much. I was so ready for this song I was at school ready for it. iKon have never disappointed me with a song and this one is no exception. I adore it and listening to it makes me miss B.I. 

“Say My Name” & “Hala Hala” - Ateez

Ateez was always on my radar. But these songs really made me notice them you know. I still bop to them both daily and like this is peak Kpop to me. This is the standard I expect from groups. Ateez really is out here to kill

“Rooftop” - N.flying

This song might be favorite this year. I’m not the biggest N.Flying stan (Really getting into them tho) and I love this song. This song might be my number 1 this year. I love it so much. 

February

“Want” - Taemin

Taemin is a god. That’s all I really have to say. Like Taemin really is on another level. This whole album is a blessing. 

“Enough” - SF9 

SF9 are a group to look out for in my opinion. They really have their own sound and I can appreciate that. I have all of their albums in my playlist. I listen to this one frequently. 

March

“Tuxedo” - Ravi

If you want to be happy. Listen to this song. It just puts a smile on my face. I genuinely like all of Ravi’s albums and think he is really promising as a musician. 

“Thrilla Killa” - VAV

Still kinda sad Jacob isn’t in this one because wow. But VAV are underrated kings of the year. Thrilla Killa is such a fun song. I really have been enjoying VAV’s releases. 

“Miroh”- Stray Kids 

I will be jamming to Miroh until the day i die. I will be doing the Haka part of the choreo to this dance, until the day I die. 

“Vibe” - 1Team

This might possibly one of my favorite debuts of all time. The song is so chill and mature yet still fun and I feel like you got to hear every member’s strengths and I adore it to bits and pieces. 

April 

“Doves” - Gree

(Couldn’t find a gif for the mv)

I really fell in love with this song after stumbling on it accidentally. The song is really different and I really really like it. 

“Tu Eres” - Newkidd

It makes me so happy to see Hansol find his place somewhere. After he left SM and the SMrookies, he joined The Unit and I was just kind of like when is he going to find his place, is he going to go solo? I’m just happy he found his place. All around this is a solid debut. 

“Bloom Bloom” - The Boyz

I have had a hard time getting into the The Boyz, I still don’t know any names or anything but this is the first song that really peaked my interest. I really love songs like this. It’s so fun and fresh to listen to and it puts me in a good mood. 

“Bet Bet” - Nu’est

Nu’est is really coming for me. I love every release they have brought out over the years. They are just so good. Baekho’s vocals are god tier and I adore this song. The album is amazing as well. 

May

“Ah Yeah” - Winner

Winner have been so refreshing and just lovely lately. Their recent comebacks have really made me adore them even more. “Ah Yeah” is a song I have been listening to a lot lately and it just makes me really happy. 

“Undercover” - A.C.E

We all know how I feel about A.C.E. This song is in my top 10 this year, maybe even top 5. A.C.E have so much talent and the video and the styling are amazing. But like the rap is God tier. 

“Highway to Heaven” - NCT 127

I chose this song over “Superhuman” because it’s superior to me. Highway to Heaven makes me feel like a college student, going on a spring break roadtrip with my friends. Also in my top 10 this year. 

“Twilight” - Oneus

I didn’t put their debut in this, even though it was amazing because Twilight is superior. I love this concept, this song and these boys. Oneus are proving themselves to be monster rookies and I am here for it. “Now” is a really good b-side. 

June

“Wave” & “Illusion” - Ateez

It’s not surprise that Ateez makes the list again. This album was the one I bopped too all summer and I will never not “HAKUNA MATATA YAAAA” 

“RPM” - SF9

I LOVE SF9. Look RPM is superior in everyway and form. The choreo, the styling, the song, the mv, JUST EVERYTHING. I was so shook when this song came out omg. 

“Side Effects” - Stray Kids

Boy my head hurts. I love Stray Kids, I love their songs. This song totally caught me off guard and as much as I prefer it when Stray Kids isn’t as angry, this song is amazing and no one can change my mind. 

“Questions” - Zelo

I missed my baby. It’s nice to hear his voice again. I love this track it’s really nice and summery. Looking forward to more things by my baby. 

July

“Rolling Rolling” - 1team 

1Team are rookies I didn’t know what to expect from. But their songs are so chill omg. I love every single one of them and like I just feel hanging out at the beach when i listen to them. 

“Time of our life” - Day6

Day6. I love this song. They had so much fun with it and it’s just so good omg. Day6 for the win. K-Bands for the win. 

“Sunset” - KNK

Oh lord. KNK came for my throat. I want more KNK in 2020 because I need it. This song reminds me of a fashion show. 

“Give me more (ft. De La Ghetto, Play n Skillz)” - VAV

Fun summer songs always win for me. Also VAV always win for me. I really like the dance and just the vibe of the song. It is kinda generic but I still really like it and listen to it alot. 

“Boom” NCT Dream

Boy these boys have grown up so much. It warms my heart and makes me sad at the same time. I still listen to this daily. 

“Face” - Woosung/Sammy 

I love this song so much. It’s so refreshing and nice to listen to. Sammy’s voice is like butter. 

August

“Come back home” - Target

This song surprised me. I generally don’t go into groups I don’t know with high hopes, but I really like this song and the choreography. 

“Final Kiss” - IZ

This is a band I have been getting into too. Final Kiss is a great way to end the summer and it’s a really nice refreshing and fun. The drummer really caught my eye, because he’s hella cute and the main vocalist is so talented. 

September

“Hit” and “Fear” - Seventeen 

Fear made me nearly crap myself at the beginning of the song. It caught me so off guard but in the best way. Hit is just such a fun song and a hype song. I yell along to it in the shower almost every time. 

“Lit” - Oneus

I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. How they made such a fun song that I willbe listening to 10 years later is besides me. Oneus really out proving themselves. Another one for in my top 10. 

“Human” and “Daredevil” - Zico

I have mentioned in the past how much I love Zico and his music and this was the return I wanted. The Thinking album is just amazing. Zico manages to put every emotion there is into an album. 

October (A lot of great releases here)

“Jopping” - SuperM

I will be jopping to the end of time. Look a lot of people hate the thought of SuperM and stuff. But like, to me SuperM is just alot of amazing in one group and the songs are really cool. So yeah and they created their own verb. 

“Why” - ONF

(not the right mv but yeah)

This song really put ONF on the map for me. It’s so different and nice. I love it. The mv is also incredibly and the vocals are too. 

“Wonderland” - Ateez

Again, no surprise. This song is still on repeat for me. I love it, I want to tattoo it on my forehead. i want Yunho to “Kajaaaa” all over me. I love it, love it, love it. Can’t wait to see them live in 2020. Also in my top 10 this year. 

“Good Bam” - N.Flying

A chill feel good song that I adore. Me and my friend talk alot on voice chat on discord and at the end of the night we say ‘Good Bam’ because of this song. It’s just so fun. 

“Runaway” - TXT 

I am not the biggest TXT stan, I like some songs and that’s about it but, Run away is an amazing song. The mv is lovely, the song is great and I really like the choreography. 

“Poison” - VAV

VAV came for my throat and they didn’t have to. Also in my top 10 this year. 

“Sweet Chaos” - Day6

I listen to this and i want to scream along. We got a lot this comeback, Young K’s forehead, a full album and all of Day6 in suits. Another one for in my top 10. 

“So So” - Winner

SoSo came out after I broke up with my boyfriend and let me tell you, perfect timing. This mv is one of the best I have seen ever and the song is amazing. Winner really stepped up their game this year. Another top 10. 

“Follow” - Monsta X

This will be a Monsta X era I will cherish forever. Enough said. 

“Savage” - A.C.E

We all know my A.C.E tangent I went on and I will not apologize. Another one for the top 10. No one does it like A.C.E. MORE A.C.E IN 2020. Also Wow’s rap in this song needs to be 10 verses longer, for my health. 

November

“Calling my name” - GOT7

Got7′s best title track yet? IDK but to me it is. I also love all the b-sides and I feel like everyone got to show off their strengths. 

“Make this” - 1Team

The beat drop in this song is something I haven’t quite heard before. I really like it and the video reminds of like a 90′s video game which is pretty cool. 1Team really are my favorite group out of boygroups who debuted this year. 

“Balloon” - Zico

Zico man, I love this video and song so much. It encapsulates alot of my own emotions and it’s beautiful. 

“Blue Flame” - Astro

This song had me so shook. I have really been getting into Astro and this is my first comeback with them and I am not at all disappointed. Astro man...

december

“Fuego” - U Kwon

I love this song so much. I want people to cover dance it, the choreography is so fun and I’d do it myself but I can’t dance. I love the song and it was like the last thing I expected in December and it is in my top 10. 

“Levanter” Stray Kids

a bittersweet comeback. But still beautiful, I’m proud of how far they have come and Stray Kids have never disappointed me. The choreo is lovely and Seungmin’s vocals are beautiful. 

#knk #ikon #ateez #taemin #sf9 #ravi #vav #stray kids #1team #gree #newkidd #the boyz #nu'est #winner #a.c.e #oneus #nct 127 #zelo #day6 #nct dream #target #iz #seventeen #superm #got7 #woosung

[drunklander]

Drunj!Der Yells About Outlander

Thoughts on Ep. 503

Oh, Outlander. Le sigh.

On one hand, this episode gave me everything I’ve been wanting for 84 years a long time: Jamie and Claire, together, working as a team as the center of the episode. On the other hand, this very much did *not* feel like an episode of Outlander.

Bottle episodes are fine. The Garrison Commander, The Wedding and A. Malcolm were all basically bottle episodes. Two of those three are a couple of my favorite episodes of the whole series. This episode was like if the times the show decided to cosplay as a different genre (horror this time, rather than the political drama and military drama we’ve seen them attempt in the past) was dialed up to the point it no longer resembled an episode of the same show. From the music to the directing to p much everything.

This episode made me think that like if Outlander was a Venn diagram it would have Claire and Jamie working together as a team, them in the bulk of the episode, and a Good Episode™ of Outlander. You could have two but never all three.

(Also I hate horror movies. They’re just aggressively not jam.)

Ok but now that Marsali is Claire’s apprentice, can we have her and Fergus find out about time travel this season? Because in the books it’s like vaguely implied in MOBY but we never actually get to see that convo.

Also, yes, Marsali, Boston’s pretty rad. Not that I’m biased or anything. In addition to apparently “discovering” penicillin, we also invented Amurrica.

Shorter Claire’s VO: Idgaf about the timeline anymore. Don’t see how that can go wrong.

So was the blurry af title card Marsali practicing suturing? Why did they shoot it like that. It looks more like how they shot Mr. Beardsley’s POV rather than through the moldy bread covers or whatever it was through.

That whole intro part felt like it came from a different episode and was just tacked on to remind us that mold shenanigans are still a thing that is happening.

I do love Marsali, and her with Claire, though, but still.

SUPER SOFT FRASER FACE TOUCHING!

Ok so Jamie is only gonna do another cross burning when he calls his dudes to fight the English, right? Because he did the whole big thing like “I won’t light the flaming dildo again until we’re going to war” and now he’s raising the militia but not doing the fire part when they showed the new wicker dildo right there up high on the Ridge. So like, because that whole bit was about the men being loyal to him, he’s only gonna light it for freedom, right?

FLAMING DILDO OF FREEDOM

So Fergus using Claire’s list of medical tips as his note for the printer is def not going to come back to bite anyone in the ass. Nope. Def not.

Also I love that the whisky thing is Fergus’ thing in the show.

TEAM KEEP GIVING FERGUS AND MARSALI STUFF TO DO BECAUSE I LIKE THEM AND THE BOOKS FORGOT ABOUT THEM.

How many pigs is Marsali gonna butcher to practice her skillz? Also is Deadguy McWhatshisface still in the cellar somewhere?

Mr. Trouble! I love Germain a lot and would love more of him with Grannie and Grandda, pls and thx.

Also, would *love* some Bree and Marsali time. Maybe next episode while the bros are in Brownsville and they’re at the Ridge by themselves? Pretty please?

Ah yes, plantation jokes. In the time when those exist. And you’ve stayed at one. Come on, Bree.

Oh look, Jamie and Claire not keeping secrets from each other. Good. Well done, kids.

But they’re keeping it from Bree. Who, as the grown-ass woman at the center of the Bonnet bullshit, fucking deserves to know. So fuck y’all for not telling her.

She knows, I know that, but they think she doesn’t sooo, do better.

Lots of callback references from Jamie this season. The thing about his scars last week, Black Jack, the brand Claire cut off and his dad’s stroke this week. Ngl, the show is so different now that those references don’t even seem like they’re from the same series.

Gonna take this twin bit as an opportunity to remind everyone to watch Orphan Black.

Kezzie leaves-his-pants-for-the-kittens Beardsley, too good for this world. Too pure.

You come across a creepy fucking cabin in the woods, that you know is the home of a physically abusive fuckwad, and you immediately split up? Claire. Girl. You’ve seen horror movies.

OMG HAI CATS! I GOT ALL EXCITED THAT ADSO MIGHT BE ONE OF THE PANTS!KITTENS BUT ALAS. SOON. SOON, MY FLOOFER.

I fucking hate jump scares. Like I knew her face was gonna be in the window when Jamie turned back around, because this episode is the most trope-y horror short ever, but still. I fucking do not like horror movies, y’all, and jump scares are cheap.

Jamie on the other hand has never seen a horror movie and clearly doesn’t know that you DO NOT GO INTO THE CREEPY CABIN WITH THE CREEPY JUMP SCARE LADY.

Omfg with the banging door, it’s like they were like ok let’s read Making Horror Movies for Dummies and then put in ALL THE TROPES.

Also, this might be the one instance where the book name was better. Why the fuck would you name the goat Billy when Hiram is *clearly* a superior goat name.

CLAIRE. WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING UPSTAIRS. YOU ARE THE GIRL WHO GETS KILLED FIRST IN THE HORROR MOVIE. WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS. STOP BEING A DUMBASS.

Oh, hey, another jump scare. I’m both bored and annoyed.

Like we finally get an episode that is centered on Jamie and Claire. Together. Team Fraser. And it’s this nonsense.

I cannot with this show, tbh.

“Poor men bleed for rich men’s gold.” Two hundred and fifty fucking years later and it’s still true, Mrs. Findlay.

Did they borrow zombie noises from The Walking Dead for this episode? I swear to fuck every time Mr. Beardsley makes a noise I’m like uhhh, what show am I watching again?

“What you must have done to deserve this.” Yeah, like don’t @ me. I know abuse is fucking wrong. But you know what? This is fucked-up-past-times. Fanny’s out here by herself with no rights and no help. Go for it, girl. Fuck that fucker up.

This season on AHS: Beardsley Farm, the dulcet sounds of afterbirth squelching.

Here I was, all pleased that we were spared Breast Milk and Periodpalooza in the premiere. I should have known better. And yes, I know it’s natural and a part of childbirth, yada yada. I watch Call the Midwife and even *they* don’t fucking squelch it like that.

The subtitles spell Baltimore “Baltimoe” and now I have Another Op’nin’, Another Show from Kiss Me, Kate stuck in my head.

Is it too much to ask that the show find some way to demonstrate the past being The Worst™ that isn’t women and children getting abused or raped or murdered by shitty men? We already know men are shitty. Men are still shitty.

Like seriously, who the fuck does Mr. Beardsley think he is, murdering all his wives for not having babies, Henry VIII?!

“Having a baby doesn’t make me a mother.” Yuppppp. You do what’s best for you, Fanny.

“And your name is Sassenach.” And she’s not even like and “that’s a weird ass name.” I lowkey love Fanny Beardsley?

I still wish they skipped this whole thing though.

Omfg Jamie. BuT tHeY wOn’T bE wItH tHeIr FaMiLy. YOU *HAVE* TO KNOW CLAIRE’S RIGHT. YOU CAN’T BE THAT FUCKING THICK. NO SHIT THE FUTURE IS SAFER. Also, they’re fucking adults. They are their own family. You left Jenny. Young Ian stayed with the Mohawk. PEOPLE GROW UP AND LEAVE AND IT’S OK.

“Maybe she’s gone to find help.” Apparently Jamie *is* that thick. Really, bro? She left to find help? Really? Fucking dumbass.

“And we’ll seek Mrs. Beardsley as we travel.” “We won’t find her.” That’s a nice way of phrasing “You’re a fucking dumbass, she’s gone and claimed her freedom for the first time in her life. Let her have that, you fuckwit.”

The shot of the leaves blowing is literally like straight out of The Walking Dead.

Also loool at the birds.

Oh hey, next week we get all the dumb Brownsville stuff! And probs little to no Claire and Jamie. Exciting times.

#* #outlander starz #outlander 5x03 #drunj!der yells about outlander #i had my cousin's wedding in chicago this weekend and just got home #not that anyone was wondering why this wasn't posted yet

[moviegroovies]

y’all i saw terminator: dark fate!!!!!!!!!

GOD i loved it. i think i’ve admitted before that the only way i really rank exciting plot points in movies is by how much i anticipated them/wanted them to happen, and terminator: dark fate did NOT disappoint. fuck every writer or director who makes weird shit happen in their stories just to give the audience a story they couldn’t possibly have anticipated. (cough avengers endgame cough.) sometimes the best ending is one you can see from ten miles away, because that means it’s been set up EFFICIENTLY. 

obviously, i think the new terminator did that. there were a few things i wanted to happen that didn’t (mostly regarding the life of one or two key characters), and a few things i legitimately didn’t see coming that i really liked, but ultimately the story was solid, awesome to watch, and very faithful to the original. i haven’t seen any of the sequels past judgement day, and i have no plans to change that anytime soon (lmao), but i’ve heard that it discounts all continuity past the second one, and that’s completely fine by me. the actors were great. LINDA HAMILTON was great. and i am sexually attracted to old soft arnold schwarzenneger. 😔

i was debating on whether or not i should make a separate post to talk about the time travel in the terminator franchise or if i should just go crazy go stupid and lump it in with my review and ultimately i think it can just go here, because i have some things to say re: the way it ties back to the originals. 

personally i think the neatest example of time shenanigans in the franchise comes from the very first movie. that one sets up time travel in their universe as very “you already changed the past,” insofar as, without the time travel elements, there is the very real sense that the future the terminator came from would never have existed. kyle reese, from the future, becomes the father of his superior officer john connor. without the time travel, there would be no human resistance for skynet to fear. not only that, when the terminator’s arm is left behind intact, even after sarah destroys the machine, they set out the idea that skynet itself was DEVELOPED FROM THE TERMINATOR’S TECHNOLOGY, so if there was no time travel, there was no skynet, and no apocalypse... etc. at the end of the movie, the picture of sarah that kyle comes back with is taken by a child at a gas station, and it seems like a clue that everything is happening on track. sarah will give birth to john connor, the machines will rise up, the resistance will rally, time travel will ensue. the events of the first movie are a closed time loop, and ultimately, i find that really satisfying. 

However. 

from a narrative perspective, i think the changes in those time travel mechanics are super interesting. 

basically, in judgement day, there’s still some implications that the timeline is a closed loop--the terminator’s hand is actually shown to be the basis of what will become the skynet computer, which is being built right then and there. the apocalypse could indeed be on, and everything seems fixed. then, though, they find the creator of the computer, and miles bennett helps them to destroy his work in horror at what he will create. skynet never happens. they change the future. 

by dark fate, that ability to change what is “written” becomes not only a plot point, but a sort of rallying cry. the skynet apocalypse is officially off--now the dark future is controlled by a very similar breed of computer known as legion. sarah’s efforts changed the future, permanently. there’s the feeling perhaps that the future can only be changed to an extent (the skynet apocalypse being canceled, but replaced by a very similar robo-hell, for example--almost like the timeline is trying to set itself right), but that feeling is tested and challenged as the movie progresses. in that sense, dark fate is the full culmination of the trendline that their “trilogy” represents: sarah’s fate was sealed in dark fate, but with john’s influence in judgement day, things were officially set off course. dark fate represented dani’s turn, and she took everything into her own hands--she personally stood up and refused to run, refused to let the bad future win out, refused to take things lying down. sarah felt a kinship to her, based on the position that she found her in, but it’s like she realizes--dani is not sarah. sarah’s realization is that “she’s john,” which is closer--she’s the leader of the resistance, humanity’s only hope, but i think the message is pretty clearly telling us that she’s not john connor either--she’s dani ramos. 

and she fucking OWNS.

one thing that i was a little iffy about at the start of the movie was the “white savior” thing. i don’t think that was an unfounded reservation to have--based on the formula from the first movie, a terminator is sent back to kill, and a hero is sent back to protect. this time, the “hero” is a white girl cyborg named grace, while the character in danger, who the movie clearly wants you to think is in the same boat as sarah connor, ie the mother mary role, literally important not for her own self but for her womb, is a mexican woman. that could have reached unfortunate implication levels like hella fast, but honestly (and i will disclaim this by adding that i’m white, so if you felt differently about it i would appreciate hearing why), i think the rest of the movie subverted that pretty beautifully. for one thing, grace being fundamentally human underneath her augmentation meant that she wasn’t an unstoppable machine ready to continue on until her metal frame was torn to shreds. she was a BADASS, obviously, and in the first fight, grace did prove herself a worthy successor to the “uncle bob” terminator in t2 with her kickass skillz (sorry kyle reese you’re just not that cool), but soon after that we got to see grace’s limits. if it hadn’t been for sarah connor, grace’s plan on the bridge finally boiled down to “when the terminator starts to kill me, run.” soon after that, grace’s power is shown to be fallible even more thoroughly when she hits her limit and starts to convulse, a byproduct of her augmentation. grace can do more than what a human can do, but she can’t do it forever like a machine could. very quickly in the movie, the tables were flipped, and even though grace came back through time to protect dani, dani was the one who had to take over the driver’s seat (despite never having driven before), and the one responsible for getting grace to medicine so that she could be resuscitated. and all that was BEFORE the big reveal.

a note: there were two scenes in pretty quick succession in this sequence that made me sob. the first of these was the death of dani’s brother diego, because in his last act, he was reassuring his sister that he was okay, despite being impaled by a metal pole. that line gave his character some depths that i hadn’t expected, and it really made dani’s pain after the car went up feel palpable. diego didn’t get a lot of screentime, but we saw him flirt lamely with a neighbor, we saw him dream of internet fame, we saw him joke at the factory even as his job was being replaced. we saw how much dani cared about him when she told him to take her job while she sorted out his replacement by machine parts. their relationship was a solid brick in the movie’s foundation, and his loss felt a lot more real than many comparable losses in movies. you know that whole “show, don’t tell” adage? they didn’t have to tell me that losing diego (and her father) was like a knife in dani. i saw that for myself. the second scene was at the pharmacy, when the employees and the other customers reached out to help grace even after she and dani had both lashed out and threatened them with the gun in fear of what was happening. y’all ever get emotional over the way that people are essentially good and will help each other when they can? god i fucking love that.

anyway, the reveal. the reveal was awesome. 

i started suspecting that dani wasn’t the mother of humanity’s last hope, but rather, humanity’s last hope herself, during the conversation on the train telling us exactly the opposite. sarah makes some assumptions and projects her experience onto dani, telling her flat out that she’s pretty much a walking incubator for humanity’s last hope. there’s a sense that sarah might be bitter about having that role handed to her, and perhaps even more so because it was then taken away--she lost the son that she risked everything for, fought two terminators for, and for nothing: for some machines in a future that no longer existed. in that scene though, crucially, grace never says anything to confirm sarah’s assumptions. the one character with knowledge of the future doesn’t impart it, and it shows. sarah knows things that dani doesn’t simply because it’s not her first rodeo, but she’s also wrong sometimes, too. again in the kitchen later, the “carl” terminator asks about grace’s mission, but she doesn’t share it or give any information on who dani is going to turn out to be. the absence of information can often be an answer all in itself, and the reveal had some EXCELLENT groundwork throughout the movie--both in grace’s actions and in the brave and heroic actions of dani herself.

dani’s nature and grace’s past being revealed in the plane was one of the best scenes in perhaps the entire franchise. i said i sobbed at those scenes i outlines before, right? yeah, that was nothing to how hard i was crying and also cringey stimming during the reveal. we got to see a peek of dani ramos some twenty years in the future, and she’s incredible. she’s fearless, she’s tough, but crucially, she’s still kind. she takes no shit, but she not only saves a child’s life, but she offers a new one to the thugs who were chasing her. in just one scene, the way that dani bands a resistance together is obvious: she’s the best of us, and she uses that for good.

god, i love dani ramos. 

the way that ultimately, dani takes the “hero” role over for herself (much like sarah did, honestly) and the way that we get to see grace’s weaknesses make them a very balanced pair. they’re both badass women in their own right (hell, sarah is, too), and they counter each other excellently. grace is augmented, and has physical capabilities that dani can’t match. at the same time, though, dani is willing to make risks that grace isn’t, because while grace’s concern rests on the fate of one woman, dani wants to find the best outcome for everyone--including herself, but not ending there. grace is willing to drop dani at the bottom of a mineshaft, if that’s what it takes to keep her safe. dani is willing to sacrifice her safety to face the confrontation that’s looming, because that’s what it takes to move forward. 

i think one of the coolest things about the movie is that both grace and sarah come into the action with more experience in combat than dani, and more knowledge about the situation than dani, but ultimately the movie shows that they aren’t infallible, and there’s never a moment when dani is punished for naivety or made to feel stupid because she wasn’t as informed as them. both grace and sarah, in fact, are openly shown to be wrong about dani in different ways--grace knows who she’s going to become, intimately, but that closeness makes her too reluctant to put dani near the front lines, choosing to run indefinitely from the terminator rather than face it head on and use every advantage they can get to beat it. sarah, meanwhile, respects dani’s agency more, but in a way she sees past her at the start of the movie, dismissing her importance in a way that reads as sarah dismissing her own--she’s attacking herself and using dani as a proxy, but sarah’s wrong, because dani isn’t her. i love how both grace and sarah are good characters, and they’re both doing what they think is necessary and right, but they’re allowed to be wrong and misguided. ultimately, if it wasn’t for dani’s own agency and choices, the terminator would not have been defeated, and there would be no hope for subverting the bad future everyone is waiting for.

fate, believe it or not, is a very present theme in dark fate. obviously, i talked earlier about how this movie is the culmination of the “you can’t change the future” ->  “you can change the future?” -> “you can change the future.” chain of events represented in the good terminator movies that i will acknowledge, but it’s more than just that. through the character of the “carl” terminator, we also get to see the blatant subversion of one’s nature for the better, and that was just. really epic. ngl.

in terminator 2, i enjoyed how john connor was protected by the reprogrammed terminator “uncle bob,” but i was a little disappointed by the execution. having uncle bob be a protector to john was exactly what i wanted, but the explanation that he had been programmed to do so rubbed me a little the wrong way. what i didn’t realize until i watched dark fate was that this pinged as wrong because dark fate gave me what i wanted: a terminator that didn’t change sides because he was taken down and forced to change, but rather, a terminator that actually made a conscious decision to be better because of what he observed in humanity. carl saw a familial dynamic and realized that he had taken that from sarah, and reached out to her, giving her a purpose like his family had given him a purpose, because he chose to. and that was the sexiest thing he could have done.

can you tell i LOVE what they did with the terminator. his arc and sarah’s were such awesome continuations for sarah’s general history and the progression of terminators played by arnold schwarzenneger. part of me was hoping for an ending where we saw sarah and carl drive off together, waving to dani and preparing to live out the rest of their years saving the future. yeah, well, we didn’t get that, but there were several scenes that hinted at forgiveness from sarah (an almost impossible feat given how she felt and what she lost) and trust between the two of them, and i loved that too.

dark fate was a good movie, y’all. it was so good. 

there’s probably a million other things that i could talk about going down this vein, but this post is already a monster. i’ll just sign out by saying: one last thing i thought was epic and cool was how the protagonists cross the border from mexico into the us and at no point is such an action demonized; in fact, it’s necessary for them to reach essential aid in the form of carl, and the man who facilitates the action, dani’s uncle, is never treated amorally or like a criminal. i know, i know, the bar is on the fucking floor, but in the political climate we’ve got, for a blockbuster to take that stance felt like a pretty solid statement to me. 

also, i liked the terminator’s line about texas. watching that in a theater in texas, i must report that it got the biggest audience reaction out of any line in the whole movie. folks, there were wolf whistles. ciao.

#terminator #terminator: dark fate #sarah connor #dani ramos #carl terminator #grace terminator #i feel like i like the movie more now than i did when i started typing this #don't get me wrong it's always been epic and sexy but while i was ruminating on it i realized things i didn't even know i felt #terminator dark fate is the gift that keeps on giving i must see it again

[dmydfilmreviews]

MARVEL MOMENTS

 So what they really did, as well as making a good load of films, was actually make a vast tapestry of genius interwoven moments like flicking through a big comic book! Ten years! Twenty something movies! A load of rubbish images at the end of the list because the last three films weren’t officially out on Blu Ray! Avengers assssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Tony Builds the First Suit

 Really it was a stroke of brilliance to start the whole shebang with Iron Man the self-made superhero. The backbone of the whole universe is that of Tony making himself and that all kicks off here, in a sequence that’s hugely thematically satisfying given what comes later. There’s also the fact that back in the day all this construction stuff was just fucking cool, a Nolan-lite bedrock for a blend of realism and fantasy that comic-book cinema had never quite nailed before. Seeing Tony improve his tech step-by-step is a quiet pleasure of these movies, the suits getting more and more outlandish but staying absolutely believable, just like the films, and that all kicks off here with one guy and a non-magical hammer.

Pepper Pulls Out Tony’s Heart

 I noted these all down before Endgame, honestly. Sob. It was always his story really. The best example of the foundational relationship of the MCU: They finish each other’s sentences!

‘Truth is… I am Iron Man.’

 They knew what they’d got from the very first. This ballsy coda sets the tone for the whole MCU, one of backed-up swagger, a willingness to fuck with the source material in the name of story and the general feeling that Robert Downey Jr. was God. All in like two hours. That they flipped the egotistically iconic line into an era-defining declaration of responsibility, growth and heroism a decade later is nothing short of remarkable.

Hulk and Betty in the Rain

 It’s uh… it’s a nice comic-book visual of a classic comic book romance, I guess? Look, Hulk came a long way later, but his forgotten love for Betty was the closest they ever came to the source material outside of the Hulk generally smashing and being awesome. It was sweet!

The Bit Where Hulk Suplexes a Giant Zombie Wolf on the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard

 wait was this in the Incredible Hulk

I’ve Successfully Privatised World Peace!’ ‘Fuck you, Mr Stark.’

 They got Garry Shandling in these movies!

The Suitcase Suit

 Now that is a cool-ass adaptation.

Black Widow Kicks Asses

 Yeah, after a whole movie of being reductive eye-candy she was still reductive eye-candy here. But the scene as a whole’s basically a perfect realisation of her moves in the comics, and showed Marvel were capable of doing someone who wasn’t Iron Man. Then they did EVERYYYYOONNNNNNEEE bonus points for Happy taking out that one guy and yelling ‘I got him!’

Tony and Rhodey in the Japanese Gardens

 Look, they just look cool, OK? No one said this was going to be deep.

Tony and Pepper as the Stark Expo Explodes

 They haven’t managed a lot of great romance, but this one hella works: Tony’s overblown mess of a movie expo exploding behind the true love of his life is a visual so great that Shane Black nicked it wholesale for the climax of Iron Man Three: Christmas in Croydon.

The Frost Giant Throwdown

 Wait, what’s happening? I thought these were the movies where Jeff Bridges rode a Segway? Are we in SPAAAAACCCCCEEEE?

Thor Can’t Pull It Off

 Out of the big three Thor’s arc of mythology to humanity might be the deepest and most satisfying of all. That starts here with his tearful inability to be worthy of his father, his world and, crucially, himself, leading directly into the first great Thor/Loki exchange, then a whole host of movies that eventually put him through the emotional wringer to self-acceptance. Hopefully?

Thor and Loki Battle on the Rainbow Bridge

 Yeah, it looks kind of goofy, but this is pure sixties Kirby, shorn of the irony the series would develop later. Beautiful.

Erskine Points To Cap’s Heart

 That’s it. That’s the character.

The Star Spangled Man!

 Who’ll hang a noose on the goose-stepping goons from Berliiiin?

That Whole War Montage That Ends With Bucky Falling From The Train

 Just smash after smash after smash of wartime Cap goodness that we’d never see again, ending with the ‘death’ that’d define the rest of his story. Steve lost as much as Thanos in his quest for peace but, y’know, he wasn’t a total fucking intergalactic dick about it.

‘I gotta put her in the water!’

 Man alive he waited for that date... whether you think the ending of Endgame ruins the moment somewhat (it doesn’t. sort of), this was still the biggest heart-tugger in the MCU at that point, and defined the characters of Cap and Peggy for years to come. Watch Agent Carter! Just bloody watch it!

'Lemme Put You On Hold’

 The stand out moment of The Avengers is basically all of it, but let’s start with the moment Black Widow finally becomes a character, a sequence of broad-strokes skill from Scarlett Johansson and Joss Whedon that begged for a movie she finally got way too long later. Bonus points for possibly the greatest Coulson reaction shot in a history of great reaction shots.

The Helicarrier Ascends

 OK, shit – this is series is big now.

The Whole of Stuttgart

 Whedon’s love of classical posh entertainment is seen in Angel’s superior ballet episode and his fondness for Sondheim, and he even gets a bit of the ol’ jewellery rattling in here in a perfectly pitched Loki-loving sequence that culminates in some fantastic bits for Cap before Iron Man AC/DC’s all over the place. This is where the comic book stuff really kicks off.

‘YOU COME HOME!’

 This Hemsworth’s fella’s really got something...

Forest Bro Down

 Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. The first real Avengers mash-up is just wonderful. This is where the wish-fulfilment really begins, in a quiet clearing, where three superheroes nearly beat the shit out of each other in classic comic-book style. The Avengers assembled.

The Whole Fuckin’ Helicarrier Sequence

 An absolute masterpiece of blockbuster juggling that had never been done before, this could be the third act of any other film. Over what plays out weirdly like a piece of theatre we get terrifying Hulks, mewling quims and awesome heroics, all expertly laced with wonderful character mash-ups and action we’d never seen before. Then Coulson dies. This is what Joss Whedon does.

‘There was an idea…’

 Fuck shit yeah there was, and it made for a hell of an Infinity War trailer six years later.

ALL OF NEW YORK

 Yep, all of it, but if we’re being picky it’s Hulk v Loki for the comedy side, the tracking shot for the action. As a sequence it’s never been bettered in the MCU, even in the open-mouthed joy-gush of Infinity War and Endgame. FIGHT ME

Go Fish

 Iron Man Three is a wonderful movie that works best as the sum of its parts, but there’s one bit that’s up there with the pantheon: the sky-diving rescue above the bay is such a joyous subversion of the usual third-act super-fisticuffs that it’s like something out of a 70’s Superman movie, only with a hilarious capper at the end where Iron Man explodes under a truck. Beep beep!

Running the Lemurian Star

 The Russo Brother’s action calling-card for their incredible MCU run, this sets up their vision of Cap’s super-subtle-super-serum-super-moves. From the off it’s a game changer in the way action’s shot across the MCU, clean-cut raid-alikes becoming the order of the day. AND THEN HE FIGHTS BATROC ZE LEAPER

Elevator Throwdown

 Yeah, yeah, we all know the actual bit in the elevator that’s spoofed to tremendous effect come Endgame, but remember this sequence ends with Cap TAKING DOWN A FUCKING QUINJET SINGLE-HANDED. The look on his face at the end says it all.

The Winter Soldier Street Fight

HE FLICKS A KNIFE MID PUNCH

Come and Get Your Love

 We’d seen a lot of cool shit from the MCU by this point, but this was something else again. It’s funny! It’s funny as fuck! What the fuck is this movie? And again, they know their own best bits: the return to this in Endgame is top drawer. What a moron.

The Kyln Sequence

 This whole breakout is the Guardians at their very best; squabbling in space, reluctant teamwork, loads of cool shit and leg theft. The bit where it all goes anti-grav is a treat.

WE ARE GROOT

 That’s it. That’s the movie.

…Stark…

 It’s a shame they didn’t delve deeper into Scarlet Witch’s hatred for the man who murdered her parents, but her barely contained rage is the keystone for Age of Ultron: deeper, nastier, more questioning of it’s heroes and their heroism. This one they brought on all by themselves.

Sun’s Gettin’ Real Low

 Yeah, maybe it’s for the best the slightly bumbled Hulktasha relationship was forgotten about, but this moment was pivotal in the character development of both. Beautifully shot, and leads to a primo Ragnarok gag.

Lift That Hammer

 You genuinely could have made a whole movie of these characters hanging out at an open bar. The Stan cameo’s great, the War Machine story bit gets an Endgame alien planet boost much later, but it’s the drunken worthiness competition that’s the real highlight, a seemingly fun throwaway that actually almost single-handedly sets up the whole character of Vision and the most fist-pumping moment of Endgame, a movie nearly entirely composed of fist-pumping moments.

Hulk vs Hulkbuster

 Pure comic-book wish fulfilment again, and how. From Hulk spitting out a tooth to Tony desperately pleading ‘go to sleep go to sleep go to sleep’, this mad clash of science pals knocks every Transformers movie straight through a freshly-bought-building. Veronica!

Well Done.

 Alright, Vision’s no one’s favourite Avenger, but he’s one who’s the satisfying product of several movie plots, one beloved supporting AI and the combined brains, magic and cool red capes of his team. Whedon performs his own mad-skillz level script trick to make us accept this fucking weirdo, first by giving him Jarvis’ voice, then having him stare out at a world and see his reflection in it, then having him lift an unliftable character-establishment hammer. None of this could be done by any other film series.

The Geometry of Belief

 Ultron’s climactic church-a-maggedon is short but perfect, a swirling mass of splash-page insanity that culminates in a glorious trinity of Vision, Iron Man and Thor blasting the shit out of their mad son like a magic triangle. The Avengers at their peak.

Vision and Ultron Have a Chat

 Whedon pops out these gems of detached humanism from time to time, and his sundown final exchange between The Avenger’s success and failure is a doozy. The most poetic little scene in the whole MCU, voiced by two creatures who look like nightmarish dildos. ‘A thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts’ is an all-timer.

Big Bathtub

 Ant Man’s bedrock might be its family values, but it’s the shrinking that makes it stand out. The first time Scott drops into tiny-town is a Pixar-esque fun-burst akin to Stephen Strange’s nutso jump into infinity later, with deadly bath taps, thunderclap vacuum cleaners and mid-day apartment raves (?) all bringing a new level of threat and adventure to a series already teeming with variety. They should carry these ones on foreverrrrr

Cassie’s Room

 There’s something about this scene that sums up Scott’s whole character and hopefully sets up his daughter for future ant shenanigans: he is (was) unique as a hero with a family, and no matter how many Pym Particles he stuffs into his suit he’s always looked like a giant to his daughter. Plus, y’know, Thomas the Tank Engine.

Some Guy Crashes a Car at Night

 The catalyst for the great middle schism. Civil War is a masterclass of twisting, gut-churning reveals, and this is the quiet moment that starts it all.

QUEENS

 The perfect Marvel character, introduced into the perfect realisation of the Marvel Universe, perfectly.

Running Into Each Other At The Airport

LITTLE MAN IS BIG NOW I’M CLINT WE HAVEN’T MET YET I DON’T CARE WHERE YOU FROM KID QUEENS BROOKLYN I’M YOUR CONSCIENCE WE HAVEN’T SPOKEN IN A WHILE YOU GUYS KNOW THAT OLD MOVIE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK HOW OLD IS THIS KID ETC ETC OH MY GOD MY BRAIN HAS EXPLODED

Cap vs Iron Man

 ‘I don’t care. He killed my mom.’  

The Big Brain Burst

 They keep doing bits to expand themselves, and this is one of the best, with the most potential for the future. Fleeting, but dazzling.

New York Mirror Fest

 If the next Strange movies delve into this deranged nonsense then they could end up the greatest of all of them. This is the tip of the iceberg, and it’s still unlike anything else being done in mainstream cinema.

Mr Blue Sky

 In a movie that frequently reaches big and misses, at least it hits the spot at the beginning. This glorious celebration of family, space-craziness and genre subversion is everything Guardians does best. The Gamora / Groot bit is adorable.

Peter’s Civil War Adventure

 The perfect tone-setter for the story’s most-average joe, this ground-level view of the universe’s biggest clash acts as a whippet quick intro to Peter Parker’s world in the big bad MCU. It’s always a thrill to see him where he belongs.

The Homage to Getting Buried Under a Tonne of Crap

 Homecoming’s riffs on classic Spidey-lore are generally pretty subtle, but when it comes time to show what Peter’s really made of Watts rips directly from the best, first with the iconic Parker/Spidey face split and then with him holding up a whole fucking building like he’s nerd Hulk or something. The added ‘come on Spider-Mans’ are the adorable icing on the homage-o-cake.

Anytime That Immigrant Song Plays

Another!

Thor vs Hulk

 Yeah, it’s not perfect and it’s a little CGIey. But it’s Thor fighting the Hulk in a fucking galactic gladiator arena place run by Jeff Goldblum and it smashes and it’s full of fun callbacks to previous movies. Yes! That’s what it feels like!

Thor and Loki Do Get Help

 The perfect encapsulation of Waititi’s irreverent-but-with-tonnes-of-heart freshgasm on the story of Thor, this bit of hilarious dumb shit acts as amusing action beat and neat character resolution all in one. They’re friends again! They’re brothers! Thor throws him around like a rolled up carpet!

What Are You The God of Again?

 Oh right, so he’s the best Avenger now.

Killmonger in the Afterlife

 The bloody heart of the most emotional Marvel movie, when Erik Killmonger enters the Wakandan afterlife he finds himself in his own tiny Compton apartment, exiled with his father forever with the plains of eternity just out of reach beyond the window. Heartbreaking, and brilliant.

Thanos Arrives

 The opening of Infinity War is another example of their absolute mastery of tone; after the megaton funblast of Ragnarok we’re thrown into the end of that movie being ripped apart, before Thanos appears, dragging a battered Thor into frame, beats seven shades of green shit out the Hulk and murders two beloved supporting characters, all without breaking a sweat. If you weren’t excited before you were now.

New York Tussle

 The opening New York section of Infinity War is all very clever, acting as the only grounding Earthy moment in what’s a pretty out-there narrative in terms of existential stakes. You get Tony and Wong helping people off the sidewalk and Strange winking after halting the space-death-machine, but from there on out it’s full-bore comic-book smackdown fun, clashing characters who’ve never met and providing top-drawer banter about wizards and children’s parties. This is the page, up there on screen.

BRING ME THANOS!

 BRING ME THANOS!

The Thanos Fight

 Jesus fucking Christ. Up there with the end of Avengers and the Civil War airport battle, this is a perfect realisation of superhero action, with a bigger dose of high-level insanity courtesy of the Infinity Stones and Doctor Strange. Sublimely realised, incredibly satisfying, with real weight and thought put into the spectacle, it’s also fantastic in the narrative of the film, the culmination of its themes of desperation and inevitability. The first time you saw them try to rip off the gauntlet was unbearable.

The Snap

 Well, yeah. You’ll never get back the first time you saw this. And imagine seeing it as a fucking kid.#

Just a Girl

 Sure the big level-up CGI fest at the end is good, but it’s the comedy smackdown on the Kree ship that’s the most satisfying part of Captain Marvel, the shit-eating joy on Carol’s face as she discovers she’s way more powerful than the assholes who’ve been holding her back. It’s corny sure, but it’s hella fun.

Thor Goes For The Head

 Endgame is a shocking, disorientating blur to begin with, all the characters you loved acting in strange, desperate ways in a super-hero version of post-traumatic stress disorder. Tony’s meltdown is bad enough, but it’s when Thor just straight up fucking murders Thanos that you know this is going to get dark and serious. It doesn’t, it remembers it’s a Marvel movie, but the shot of him walking out into the blurred alien sun, cape aflutter, is a fitting goodbye to a more innocent time of heroics.

Ant Man and Cassie

 A moment that could be worthy of a whole movie itself, a desperate Scott Lang meeting his five-years-older daughter gives a joke character a serious moment in the same way Infinity War did for Guardians. It’s very odd, very sweet and very Marvel.

Love You 3000

 Morgan H. Stark is almost a little too on the nose as a wrap-up for Tony, but hell, she’s still sweet as all hell and a perfect capper to his story of fatherhood and responsibility. It’s a mark of the work they’ve put in that we’ll almost immediately accept the tired trope of kid-taking-over-mantle when she inevitably puts on the armour in a few years.

Steve and Peggy / Tony and Howard

 This is the bit in Endgame where I finally started tearing up: a lot of it is too-neat fan-service, but fuck it, they’ve put in so much effort that it works. This is the scene where you realise both of these long arcs are coming to an end, the resolution of Steve quietly making his decision to go back to Peggy and Tony getting the closer of discussing parenthood with his unknowing father. It’s corny sure, but so are comic books, and setting the whole bit at the height of seventies Marvel Comics mania is a loving nod to the imaginations that made all these crazy possibilities possible.

Widow and Hawkeye

 There’s a theme here. All of these moments are kind of cheesy and rely heavily on callbacks to previous bits… but at the moment it doesn’t matter because ENDGAME WOW. Maybe we’ll look back at it as a corny misstep, but for the moment, Clint and Tasha having one last, ludicrously overblown tussle for who gets to live is a sweet capper that never goes as deep as the others because they’re supporting characters. It still stings, and it’s a neat mirror to Gamora and Thanos in Infinity War. The red’s gone from her ledger! It’s on the rocks! Urrrgh

Nebula Kills Herself

 Again, they’re so good that they can spend a big chunk of time in what’s ostensibly the last big movie for their most beloved characters on making a lesser character beloved. Endgame spotlights Nebula even more than Infinity War did Gamora, using her self-hatred and fear of her father for compelling, wibbly-wobbly plot and character beats. The resolution of her story and her newfound place with her team should make for a whole different Guardians before we even get to Fortnite-Thor joining up.

Cap Wields The Hammer

 ‘I KNEW IT!’

Thanos’ Army

 One last escalation of scale. When Thanos’ army finally arrives it’s like something out of those apocalyptic Turner paintings, where the hordes of a ship-wrecked hell confront eternity under skies ripped from heaven. Only this time they’re facing one guy called Steve, and they’re fucked. Incredible.

Avengers… Assemble

 It almost lives up to what you always had in your head. The Marvel Universe, somehow done right.

Tony Hugs Peter Back

Awwww!

New Avengers Run the Gauntlet

 A surprising amount of Endgame’s grand finale is given over to the future hopes; while Strange gets stuck in with holding back a Biblical flood it’s up to Black Panther to grab the Infinity Gauntlet from Clint in a delightful callback to Civil War, before embarking on an intense relay race across the entire battlefield that begins with Scarlet Witch crushing the shit out of Thanos’ testicles and ends with Captain Marvel engaging the Mad Titan in a bone-crushing show of super-strength. And along the way if finds time to have Peter Parker dragged through the air by Thor’s hammer which was thrown by Captain America before landing on a Pegasus flown by Valkryie across an exploding sky of alien whales. Maybe the most satisfying run of action since the first Avengers.

I am Iron Man

 It was always going to be him really. Bonus points for Downey Jr. originally telling Thanos to ‘Fuck off’. Did anyone else keep thinking he was going to wake up and quip and everything would be OK? That’s how you make movies.

The Funeral

 It looks a little weird actually, like they weren’t all on set. But they were! The Marvel Universe again, holy smokes.

The Kiss

 Now that’s how you end ten years and twenty one movies. They’re movies! It was romantic! It was exciting! It was fun!

For TEN FUCKING YEARS.

Swing a Ding Ding Sir

 After five movies of fresh shit they've finally starting dumping some classic Spider-Man on us; the Euro stuff's fun and all, but it's Far From Home delirious climax that sees Spidey and MJ thwipping through the canyons of New York before bumping into ugly ol' J. Jonah JJ Jay Jay likes it's a freakin' comic book or something. Delightful, and also serves as a wonderful image of hope and joy post-Endgame.

What a fuckin’ ride. Here’s to the next... seventy six? Seventy seven?

wait did I leave any out

#marvel moments #captain america #Iron Man #thor #doctor strange #black widow #captain marvel #black panther #spider man #spider-man #marvel #mcu #stan lee #guardians of the galaxy #ant man #civil war #infinity war #endgame #avengers #avengers assemble #iron man 3 #iron man 2 #spider man far from home #spider man homecoming #benedict cumberbatch #tom hiddleston #chris evans #chris hemsworth #chadwick boseman #chris pratt

[folerdetdufoler]

Why don’t you read fanfic? Especially considering that you write it?

short answer is that i’m an egomaniac and insecure as HELL, threatened by other people’s talent and skill.

long answer, which justifies all of the above, is…

- i write for myself. i write my fantasies. sometimes they start as prompts from other people, but they become the story that i dream about, the one that lives in my middle distance throughout the day. that’s what i’m interested in. i’m not interested in these characters in other people’s fantasies, in their AUs or crossovers or even canon-compliant stories, especially if the characters do not match up with how i think they are “supposed to” act/think/look. because i’m so stuck in my own head i know i won’t find someone else’s appealing, and would most likely try to invalidate someone else’s fantasy.

- i am scared that if i do read someone else’s writing, i will unconsciously pick up a characteristic or a line or SOMETHING and use it in my own. then a reader will recognize it and i will be accused of stealing said THING. ever since this plagiarism accusation rocked the book publishing world i have carried that around as one of my biggest fears. this fandom is literally my entire social circle, and i would be devastated by such a fall from grace, shunned and unable to recover. having no IRL friends and a family that barely remembers me mentioning “that norwegian show” over a year ago, i’d…lose everything.

- if i were to read someone else’s universe/trope/pairing/whatever, i would think “okay it’s already been done, i don’t need to write it,” because it 100% is better than anything i could come up with so…why bother? why put effort into something that would be a disappointment to myself, if not others? surely this makes sense to everyone complaining about the remakes because they just want more of the superior/original show.

- i realize the absolute IRONY of all of this, that i would have a much better chance of not accidentally copying someone, or writing a different, incomparable version of something someone else has already done, if i just…fucking…read…fanfiction. but deep down i must think that my versions of these characters are superior, and that julie’s version is the goddamn bible. i especially don’t want this opinion of someone’s treatment of characters to cloud my opinion of them. there are so many lovely people in this fandom, who are kind and generous and funny and smart and hard-working and talented, and i don’t want to end up thinking lesser of them for as ridiculous a reason as their headcanons or writing style or whatever the fuck i would find at “fault.”

- knowing this, knowing that i think so highly (yet little) of myself, only sets me up to read something and look for reasons why it is Not Good™. not only would i not enjoy it, but i would actively point out what’s wrong, and they wouldn’t be valid criticisms. all in the name of making myself feel better about my own writing! which is not the point of fanfiction! so knowing that i would be a bitch about all of it, not reading it in the first place helps me avoid that fate. a little bit. i’m still a bitch, but it’s probably less noticeable if we don’t interact. like that anon a while back who wished i would just not watch skam austin because all of my opinions about it were negative? well, i’m not reading fanfic because all of my opinions about them would be negative, and i would not be able to stop myself from voicing those opinions in an ass-backward way of validating myself.

- if i am not judging other peoples’ work, then readers have less incentive to judge my own. i mean, they are certainly welcome to! i honestly appreciate any and all feedback, no matter how negative, because i believe it would only help me improve my writing. but i also think that if people saw me being negative, they would be more inclined to criticize my work in the same manner, which, as we can all see now, would not actually be proper critique but merely a projection of my own fears and insecurities. i can’t take it, so i’m not about to dish it out in the first place.

- i know i’m missing out on some great work. i still bookmark things that people send to me, in hopes that i get the fUCK OVER MYSELF and can appreciate life again. i see y’all talking about fic and i’m jealous that you’re able to enjoy them so much that you want to shout about it to anyone who will listen. i do, i do want to understand what the deal is with isak and glasses, to swoon and cry and anticipate the next chapter. but i know myself. i know i will get in the way of all of that.

- i don’t even read my own writing. which is in direct conflict with my burning desire to be as accurate in my universes as possible, as well as my opinion that my own writing is simply the best. like, just yesterday i found out that uber is illegal in norway, and i’m pretty sure i had even using it in scene three, take two (because i think i read a tripadvisor post about uber from 2016 that said it existed but wasn’t terribly popular outside of the city, lol great research skillz kerry). i am itching to update my fic, but i also am afraid that if i start reading it again, i’ll want to change this, and then this too, and that thing, oh and this whole chapter, actually fuck all of this bullshit i’m just going to delete it.

ugh. fuck. short answer, i’m a goddamn mess, and i’ll have five more reasons to prove it by tomorrow morning. and every morning after that. y’all don’t need this shit.

#kerrywrites #kerryrants #my entire house is about to explode from the amount of self-loathing i'm radiating rn #i really should just quit before i do something i would regret