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vergilsama922 · 1 year

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My completely unnecessary Marvel Phase 4 Review

Right so I been spending the past 2 weeks thinking about the MCU phase 4 and my thoughts on all the projects and also perceptions towards it. Is it worth writing out a college-level essay? Nope. But hey I'm a super fan so here we are XP I don't expect this to get more than 2-3 likes anyhow :P Let's begin. I'll even throw in pictures since I'm so nice ;D

WandaVision (8/10):

A really great, unique piece of subtle and poignant storytelling with great writing, acting, and directing.. until the final episode which felt rushed, and formulaic and didn't utilize Agatha to her full potential compared to the mystery that surrounded her the entire series. Also rushed Wanda's journey into acceptance when instead, that should have been saved for MoM with WV setting up the Darkhold and its corruption better to lead into MoM more smoothly. Still, I absolutely adored the sitcom aspects of the show and the ongoing week-to-week mystery. Mephisto memes were born here!

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (8.75/10):

What this series does well, it does extremely well, but what it also suffers from some severe problems. Thankfully the good things are more than the bad and that makes the series enjoyable. The racism aspect, Sam's arc, Isaiah's story, and the symbolism and subtext about the faults of America were all done amazingly! Bucky and John Walker felt a tiny bit underused and not as developed as they could have been, but still were incredible. The Flag-smashers and Sharon needed a lot more time and better writing to make the audience care about them. In general, the series tried to do A LOT with little time, which also made the finale a bit underwhelming. It needed at least 2 more episodes and better pacing/editing to make it feel more serialized rather than a movie sliced in parts, as well as some better writing for its villains and it could have been one of Marvel's best projects yet. Still, it's easily my favorite Disney plus show and let's not forget how incredible Zemo is and his awesome dance skills

Loki (9/10):

One of Marvel Studios' best storytelling endeavours yet. Amazing character development, some of the most philosophical themes that Marvel has touched on, and a very well-built world that feels both grounded and fantastical at the same time. Also some of the most visually beautiful cinematography, production design, and directing as well Marvel's best original score. This series truly felt and was epic and still stands as Marvel Studios' best D+ show. That said, it needed a bit tighter pacing and a meatier, less lenient story with more layers. Episodes 3, 4, and especially 5 felt quite empty and repetitive from a story and character progression standpoint and could have been compressed in 1.5/2 episodes. But I love the overall tone of it feeling like a Doctor Who show and the aesthetics of the TVA. And let's not forget Jonathan Majors insane performance as He Who Remains. Not to mention Loki falling in love with Loki, Our Loki getting a ton of character development, and Sylvie effectively ruining the multiverse. Thanks, Sylvie. (人◕ω◕)******

Black Widow (7.25/10):

The movie was just fine. Nothing more than that. It also came out too late (Thanks Perlmutter) and that coupled with its flat storytelling, especially surrounding the Red Room, and the truly unnecessarily extreme action made the movie feel like it had zero stakes and it ended up being forgettable and uninteresting. I have rewatched it since it first came out though and I actually enjoyed it more the second time around. I especially loved the first half with Natasha and Yelena. Unfortunately, the second half struggles to balance the Red Room threat and the family arc, making the catharsis and arc completion in the final act lacking and not-as-climactic. But at least we got Yelena who is one of my favorite new characters introduced!

What if...? (6.5/10):

A great concept with some great ideas, but it ultimately felt like 20 minutes to each episode wasn't nearly enough to properly tell most of these stories. That said, the animation was amazing and for an MCU fan, the series is still enjoyable enough to get through once. I mean there were some bangers like the zombies episode (@pyropsychiccollector loves it alot (人◕ω◕) ) and the Ultron episode at the very end. I also enjoyed the Captain Carter stuff and when Killmonger betrayed Iron-man but it definitely was the studio's first step into animation so they're going to be unrefined. Hopefully, by season 2 they have a better idea of what to work with.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (8.5/10):

A good, but rather formulaic origin story that was elevated to a great movie due to its strong lead, its beautiful and smooth cinematography and action choreography, its culturally unique story, and its great use of flashbacks that made for very compelling storytelling, tied to the cultural themes of memory that the film so gracefully explores. Not to mention that Wenwu is INCREDIBLE! One of the best MCU villains so far and his love/grief is strong storytelling. Honorable mentions of Katie and Xialing as well. Definitely, a strong start for a new character on the big screens even though it has issues to iron out

Eternals (7.75/10):

Much like TFATWS, this is a movie that tried to do too much. Too many characters, too many plotlines, and too many themes. And its runtime didn't allow it to reach the great potential that it had, making the ending fall flat and not really all that satisfying, especially with its cliffhanger, making this feel like a part 1 to a 2-part story narrative that may not even get concluded in this saga. That said, even with the time they had, Zhao and the Firpos made almost all the characters really well-rounded and realized and each with their own unique personality, struggles, and character arc, making them instantly iconic and likable, investing the audience in an otherwise quite long-winded story. But I will say the cinematography is absolutely stunning and Ikarus's dilemma at the end was textbook Shakespearean. And yes Tiamut WILL be a core thing moving forward in Phase 5, don't you worry. Also, Black Knight and Blade tease at the end~

Hawkeye (8.5/10):

A really fun, entertaining, heartfelt, emotional, and genuine Christmas action/adventure that knows what it is and doesn't try to outdo itself. My only complaint is that, like Eternals and TFATWS, they tried to do a lot and failed to give the appropriate weight to all of it. Yelena and Kingpin needed to appear earlier and they needed to better establish Kingpin's character and his relationships with Maya and Eleanor. Other than that, the show is the project that made me tear up the third most and it is a testament to Renner and Steinfeld's outstanding acting and the writers' simple, yet incredible exploration of their characters and their relationships with their families. It's funny though because originally I would've rated this a 6/10 when I first went through it but on the rewatch it was a lot stronger than I gave it credit. Also, Jack is a treat. And that damn musical LMAO

Spider-Man: No Way Home (9.25/10):

An almost perfect movie all around. Great writing, direction, cinematography, action, plot, structure, pacing, and a satisfying and very emotional conclusion to decades of storytelling. That said, the plot during the first half of the first act felt very convenient and sloppily-written, and was there just for the film to happen. It is completely understandable due to COVID reshuffling the release dates of this and Dr. Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness, but it still takes you a bit out of the narrative HOWEVER let's be fair. We ALL lost our shit when we saw Tobey and Andrew show up again! Even William as Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx as a MUCH better Electro. And Aunt May's death was the second movie in Phase 4 that made me cry like a baby. This movie was simply the perfect way to end Peter's prequel trilogy and now he will truly be Spider-Man moving forward.

Moon Knight (8.5/10):

An amazing, refreshing character piece with some of the best acting the MCU has seen with Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke. Really interesting and compelling storytelling, but with a mediocre and rehashed story. Also the different tones: the horror mystery of Episodes 1 and 2 and the adventure of episodes 3 and 4, the more serious psychological deep dive of episode 5, and the over-the-top super-hero action of episode 6 felt like they were colliding with each other, often making the series feel a little unfocused and not knowing what it wanted to do. That said, the plotting and structure were actually really good and they utilized the 6-episode structure really well unlike most of the shows. The pacing felt great and the slow character exploration of both Marc and Steven until the climax of their story in episodes 5 and 6 was remarkable. And I won't be remiss to bring up "It's your turn to lose". @pyropsychiccollector won't let that go XDD But seriously, Oscar Isaac absolutely gave an Oscar-level performance as Marc, Steven, and Jake. Check out Assembled: Moon Knight on Disney plus to see the insane work put into this show!

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (8/10):

A very good story with great themes, ideas, and character arcs with.. some problems admittedly. Michael Waldron's slow, character-focused, introspective script and thematical ideas are jumbled and don't get as much focus and gravitas in Sam Raimi's unnecessarily frantically-paced, intense, action-packed, slasher horror. The writer and director are both amazing on their own, but they didn't work well together. That said, they each held each other back too. Without Waldron's interesting and nuanced script, Sam would have a made semi-mindless slasher, and without Raimi, Michael would have made a very long and potentially boring and slow-paced movie. With that out the way, I REALLY enjoy Strange character arc and realization that he had to be the one to not hold the knife, unlike his variants. Wanda was also brilliant and her descent into madness made perfect sense if you've seen WandaVision but also how Wanda had a moment of clarity at the end and did the right thing. Of course, there's the Illuminati with Patrick Stewart back as Professor Xavier, Anson Mount as Black Bolt, and John Krasinski as Reed Richards. And of course, those death scenes were freaking brutal! Also honorable mention to America Chavez, yes I can hear some of you moan about another mentor relationship but I really did enjoy her energy on screen.

Ms. Marvel (7.25/10):

Just like Hawkeye, this is a more low-stakes, slice-of-life, fun, and genuine piece that showcases teenage struggle and Muslim and Desi culture in a realistic, down-to-earth and authentic, albeit sometimes simplistic way. It doesn't try to be more than that and it does really well with what it is. It is elevated A LOT by the unique and beautiful direction and art direction, especially in episodes 1,2,3, and 6 as well as the great and vibrant cast, particularly the passionate newcomer, Iman Velani who brought Kamala Khan to life better than anyone else could and is a bigger MCU nerd than me! But it is also severely brought down by the VERY underdeveloped and rushed villains and the odd pacing of episodes 4 and 5. That said, the series is good enough to be entertaining, even with its mishaps, and its surface-level "for kids/teens" aesthetic betrays the amount of passion and subtext put into the show. Also, I personally learned a little about the partition from this wonderful series.

Thor: Love and Thunder (7.5/10):

Despite the hate this has gotten online, I genuinely believe that this film is great, but definitely not perfect. The movie knows what it is and what it wants to do and spends no minute wasted. It is slow, ponderous, serious, mature, and emotional when it needs to be and that is not undercut by humor, unlike Ragnarok, but it's also funny, passionate, genuine, heartfelt, and tender when it needs to be and it nails both tones perfectly with a great balance between the 2, again unlike Ragnarok.

The somber and serious moments in Love and Thunder (every scene with Gorr, the entire Shadow Realm sequence, Thor and Jane's relationship building and flashbacks, Jane's scene at the hospital and then her death, the last scene with "Love and Thunder") were executed much better than Ragnarok's (there's no somber moment after Odin dies as Hela immediately comes and throws Thor into the zany Sakaar, and we barely see Thor mourne as Loki immediately appears and ruins Thor's prayer, Surtur is treated like a complete joke, 2 of the warriors 3 die a "non-warrior-y" death, Asgard's destruction is literally made into one of the worst jokes in the MCU).

In my opinion, Ragnarok treats itself much less seriously when its stakes feel much larger and more daunting and depressing, causing a tonal divide, while Love and Thunder are supposed to be a fun adventure because Jane is hiding her pain and suffering as she is TRYING to spend the last few days of her life on a crazy, fun, zany adventure on purpose. Jane is being silly because she CHOOSES to be silly and have fun in her last moments and Thor feels silly because he is falling in love all over again and is at a point in his character arc where he feels comfortable to let himself be silly and mess around.

On the other hand, Ragnarok makes its characters silly for no apparent reason, making that movie more like a stand-up comedy than an actual story unfolding in front of our eyes. That said, most of Ragnarok's jokes are better and feel more organically inserted in the dialogue, while most of Love and Thunder's jokes don't land as well and sometimes may even feel SNL-level, taking you away from the story. Once the rate of jokes significantly decreases and their quality increases in the second half of the movie, the story really shines and gets you much more invested.

Cast was all at the top of their game and holy shit Bale just poured his heart and soul so much into this, although he did need quite more time, both to live up to his name, but also to be established as a serious and multi-layered threat and make the plot meatier. The opening and the ending were so, so, so well done! Soundtrack and cinematography were top notch, it elevated the movie so much! If someone asks me what the meaning of life is, I will show them this movie. Find love and do what makes you happy every single day like it's the last. Don't wait, don't sit around and ponder what the meaning of life is, just go out there and live it with the people you love the most! The ending was so good and solidified this theme so well, that any flaws mostly go away for me, because of how much it hit me emotionally.

She-Hulk (8/10):

Let's start with what this show ISN'T.

Despite it seeming like a superhero show, it is not. It is a comic book show and it definitely has a lot of comic-bookiness and weirdness, but it doesn't really belong in the super-hero genre (even Jen herself doesn't want to be a hero until near the end) and it definitely doesn't belong in the action genre that Marvel Studios is known for. And I like that it actively turns the superhero genre on its head at the end and subverts people's expectations of the Marvel formula.

It is also not a show with a big, twisty, overarching story or deep characters. That's not what She-Hulk ever was or what it was striving to be. Both in the comics and in the MCU, She-Hulk was a silly, completely episodic, slice-of-life sitcom/courtroom comedy that tries to showcase and embrace the absurdity, weirdness, vibrance, and flamboyance of comic books, but also make fun of the flaws, repetitiveness and general silliness of the medium through meta-commentary.

It was also a progressive comic book that contrasted the timid life that a female lawyer lives, being unnoticed by her male counterparts and society in general, and her suppressing those problems to appease to societal norms, with the exuberant and confident She-Hulk that empowered Jen Walters to be the person she wants to be.

And Jessica Gao along with the whole team of writers and the 2 directors, Kat Coiro and Anu Valia, truly understood that and did an absolutely amazing job of translating it to screen in the best way possible.

What makes the show stand out is Tatiana Maslany's irresistible charm and great comedic performance along with the funny, witty and meta writing which allows the show to fully embrace its absurd and weird setting as well as expand the MCU's lore and world-building through the POV of semi-regular MCU citizens as well as the eyes of the law, but also the unique, quirky supporting characters and cameos (Hulk, Pug, Nikki, Madisynn, Wong, Abomination and his crew and of course Daredevil) and their relationship with each other and with Jen.

On the other hand, Titania, despite being marketed as the main villain, felt like a nothing character. Especially in the wedding episode which was a weak episode in general. She was just a nuisance and it was frustrating that the show made her feel like a bigger deal than she was. Much of it though definitely came from the promotional. Jameela Jamil had second billing and was often called the primary antagonist of the series and there was a whole Titania marketing campaign with her getting her own Twitter account.

Most of the stories (apart from the wedding) were really interesting and, as I have said above, really expanded the world of the MCU and showed us another side of it that I personally have always wanted to see. The finale was the boldest, most inventive, most insane thing Marvel Studios has done and I don't think it can be topped. It was just the number 1 "WTF" moment by a mile!

Werewolf by Night (8.5/10):

A short, great piece of storytelling and action with its own unique style. Where this 54-minute film really excels is in its stellar production design. First-time director Michael Giacchino makes this project in a throwback to the classic '30s horror films that first put Universal on the map. And the film takes advantage of it. Everything from its black-and-white aesthetic to its clever use of lighting and camera angles makes it one of the best singular-produced projects Marvel has done in all of Phase Four so far.

Werewolf By Night’s use of violence and horror also proves to be a standout. While not the most violent or bloody thing in the world, it’s definitely heavier than most of Marvel’s more family-friendly fare. And it bares its teeth (literally in this case) with a brutal final act that will leave unaccustomed viewers in shock.

Lastly, the film takes full advantage of its two lead actors. Gael Garcia Bernal is brilliant as the titular character and once his ferocious transformation occurs he physically owns every scene. Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone also contributes a stellar performance in her limited screen time but she chews up the scenery.

For all its greatness, and there is quite a bit, there is still one glaring problem that left me dissatisfied at the end of it. Clocking in at 54 minutes, it tells a lot of story for such a short period of time. It’s a blessing considering the previous 15 minutes shorts we used to get in the MCU, but I still wish with this level of a concept and high of production quality, we could have spent a little more time in this new corner of the Marvel Multiverse. And of course, as with every aspect of the MCU, this film does mostly stand out on its own without much, if any, connecting tissue. While that is a negative to some, I was glad we were able to focus on these characters instead of constantly trying to focus on where this short places in the wider universe. Ted is also one of the greatest new characters introduced in the MCU. Easily top 3 for me.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (10/10):

Easily my most favorite MCU movie of all time. My definition of what I consider a "Perfect" movie. An outstanding movie from whatever aspect you look at it. Writing, directing, cinematography, music, costume design, production design, cast performances, story, plot, pacing, editing, and storytelling. It just felt like the Phase 4 project with the most love and passion poured into it. So much so that Ryan Coogler didn't let one aspect of the movie be "mediocre" and didn't let one moment of screen time go to waste. It felt genuine, serious, mature, deep and it succeeded in the monumental task of continuing the narrative of the Black Panther franchise without its lead character, while also giving its ensemble cast the time to shine and develop other corners of Wakanda.

What was particularly strong apart from Shuri's acting and character arc was the villain, Tenoch Huerta's Namor, and the worldbuilding of Talokan as well as the geopolitical worldbuilding of the film that sets up the future of the MCU. As a sucker for the geopolitical and sociopolitical aspects of the MCU, this was the movie that fully met my needs and expectations. And the last point I'll make here is that this movie made me cry 5 times when I first watched and three times on the rewatch. The amount of emotion poured into this movie and it's themes and trauma that black people experience daily and generationally means this film has a very special place in my heart. This movie taught me it's okay to be angry and in pain but also taught me *HOW* to heal and move on. For this reason and the others I listed above easily makes this the best MCU movie for me. Honorable mention also goes to Riri who was incredibly charismatic and energetic from her first shot. Some people may see Riri as unnecessary but these people fail to recognize how Riri serves as an allegory to black americans and the energy/personality we have. And on top of just being a very likable person, she's also a super-genius? Let's gooooo~ Can't wait for her show and separating her from Tony Stark was a genius idea for the MCU.

Guardians of the Galaxy: A Holiday Special (8.75/10):

Just pure, unfiltered fun with great music and finally a good character arc for Mantis who had been left to the side in the previous MCU installments. Nothing more else I have to say other than watching this will become a Holiday tradition for me, just like Hawkeye became last year. Actually no. I do have to say that I was originally planning on skipping this but I'm SO SO glad I didn't. All I'll say is this. "YOU'LL NEVER ESCAPE ME BACON!!!!"

I would also like to talk a little bit about the Phase 4 unnecessary overhating and the toxic nitpicking.

Partially, it is definitely caused by nostalgia clouding the flaws of the Infinity Saga and thus making the flaws of Phase 4 stand out more.Another part is also the desensitization to the genre and the formula and that is even more amplified by 2 bonus facts:

the audience that grew up with the MCU and felt that magic that it brought in their pre-teen/teen/young adult years has grown up now and that same magic will never be brought back.

The age you experience a stimulus plays a VERY important role about whether that becomes a positive or negative stimulus, not only because of the difference in your comprehensive capacity, but also because young brains experience things under a completely different light. What might seem magical, world-shattering and insane to a young brain might seem pretty neutral and dull by an adult mind.

2. Marvel Studios has oversaturated the market with superhero stuff and Disney's other company, Lucasfilm, is also oversaturating the sci-fi/fantasy/action/adventure megagenre that most blockbusters belong into as well. And because there's this notion that's been ingrained in MCU fans' brains that they NEED to watch everything Marvel Studios puts out otherwise they will be lost in the next installment, people have gotten tired of trying to catch up with the MCU and to some it may seem more like a chore or homework.

Back on the nostalgia bit, Phase 3 also imbued people with this emotion that comes with finality and with culmination. Marvel Studios offered its fans a drug that's called hype and build-up and during IW and EG, everybody got so high on it that people feel the need for an overarching threat and plot to be established right away and for every project to lead into the next event.

They can't wait for Marvel Studios to take a breath, rebuild and expand the universe, deal with the consequences of IW and EG and slowly set up all the new players, the new threats, the new corners, the new teams and the new rules that will be important in building up the next event properly.

That's why cameos and post-credits scenes and spoilers and connections have become so important now. Sometimes so much so that some fans forget to see the projects for what they are.

However Marvel Studios themselves are not completely hands-off on this turn-off for the MCU. They have made many flaws this Phase, many of them attributed to COVID changing the filming schedules and the release dates and thus the stories to some extent and how these are told, but also many of them attributed to Marvel Studios not choosing the right people for some projects or not giving them enough time to tell the stories they wanted to tell. And when there are many consecutive projects that didn't live up to their own potentials as stories, there's this sour aftertaste that's left in people's mouths. And of course, Bob Chapek being an absolutely AWFUL leader and restricting/overworking Feige.

On top of that, toxicity and negativity has gotten off the charts in the world the last couple of years, and especially on the internet of course. COVID created and gave light to many conspiracy nuts and made people angry at each other and I'm not even gonna mention how the political state of the world deteriorating every moment is contributing to that as well as to people's edginess. So these flaws and mistakes get more amplified on the internet now than they were before.

I also think the fans amplify them on purpose, because the lack of an overarching plot made them less and less interested in these projects, so the general lack of interest in the MCU made them see some of the projects with a more negative bias.

For example, Thor: The Dark World was a meh movie but it introduce the reality stone and the Collector, all stuff that people knew were gonna play a bigger role in the future and that made them see the movie under a different light because they were interested in the universe that it was part of and how it's going to affect it. That's also why the reception to AoU has changed over the years once more and more of its world-building and set-ups started paying off and proved really important.

But the MCU is different now. It's not following that same structure where each movie is a very important episode with all the episodes following the same story that leads to the finale. Before, the MCU felt like an Avengers TV show with 2-hour episodes. It legitimately felt very, very similar to Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and I think Feige took a lot of inspiration from that show and still is considering The Kang Dynasty was literally the name of one of its episode.

Now, we've entered the era of the actual Marvel Cinematic UNIVERSE. A web of stories with an insane amount of characters doing very different things in their own little corners of the universe with some of these corners occasionally overalapping and interacting. That's the structure of storytelling that the comics followed from the 60s till the early 00s.

It was only after ca. 2005 that Marvel Comics started its obsession with events that brought literally the entire universe together every few months with all solo runs in-between acting as pre-ludes and interludes for these events. And that's what the MCU fans have come to know now, which makes this new structure of individual, self-contained, "filler" stories something odd and unnatural for MCU fans.

And of course, since all these "episodes" of the Infinity Saga TV show were part of the same story, they also felt much more cut of the same cloth. Similar tone and style, similar stories. And that tone and style was designed to appeal to the widest audience possible. The MCU has diversified its style, tone, types of stories and the target audiences for each of its projects are now very, very different.

Finally, there are some people who saw the MCU as "Cap and Tony". They were the much of the audiences' anchors in this universe and without them, it just feels like all these are side-stories. For these people, the MCU ended with Endgame. For these people, the MCU was a TV-show with 22 2-hour episodes and now everything post-Phase 3 is just spin-offs; post-game campaigns.

And they are the players who close the game once the main story is done.

All in all, it was a good, enjoyable, fun, but also heartbreaking and emotional 2 years and while nowhere near perfect, Phase 4 introduced some great characters, had some great stories and some great threads for Phase 5 and 6 to explore. Will definitely look back with fond memories and nostalgia when the Multiverse Saga eventually comes to a close and I beliebe some stories will become retroactively better.

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pluviophile-bookworm · 3 years

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AWAE 3x3 rewatch: thoughts and reactions

So I made a ginormous pause in between these again. I just wasn’t feeling up to the task, I guess. But it’s the anniversary of the premiere of AWAE, so what better day to do the penultimate one of these... Let’s just dive in because it’s been literal years since I first saw this episode and I remember literally nothing from it.

Oh my, Bash is just the best. And those baby chicks... well, I know what is most likely to happen to chickens on a farm when they grow older but... can we just maybe not think of that yet? Plus, seeing Mary keeps reminding me that soon I won’t be seeing her anymore. It’s safe to say I have mixed feelings about this cold open. Let’s move on.

Gosh, now they’re leaving Matthew alone with Delly, who is two types of people he’s uncomfortable around - a baby and a girl. But it’s fine, it will be just ‘a couple of hours’...

It is such a shame to think that Mary might have been saved... if she were white. People can be so awful. A human being is a human being. At least there are people like Dr. Ward and our protagonists who know that and act accordingly.

Oh... there’s that cute scene of Matthew showing Delly around Green Gables that I’ve seen in so many gifs... I can’t comment much on it so I’ll just sit back and enjoy. But before I go - Matthew is the best, most gentle man I’ve ever seen. He might be awkward around women and children, but he knows how to treat them right better than most people who are not awkward around them.

Oh gosh, the nappy! That kind of made me laugh out of place but, well, I just wanted to say - thank gods for Jerry and his many siblings. My boy knows how to change nappies.

Oh, they’ve got the printing press! Now that’s exciting! I feel like excitement is a good word to describe this episode, at least so far. We’ll see how I feel by the end of it. All I know is this is making me smile and I’ve really been needing that.

My, my, Ruby... I keep forgetting when it was that she got over Gilbert. Apparently it was not before mid-season, since she’s still in it way too deep.

Oh wait... is this when things began happening between her and Moody? I mean, the way he gives her his handkerchief, you’d think ever since he stopped trying to make Diana and her ‘very blue’ dress notice him, he’s been sitting back and watching Ruby from afar, hoping he can, somehow, compare to Gilbert. The best part is, in just a bit, he won’t need to. Boy, do I need a fourth season even if just to see these two develop... and for Diana and Jerry to make up, and just in general to see the kids being all grown up... now I feel like crying because we’ll very probably never get it... ok, moving on.

Anne: Sometimes life finds gifts in the darkest of places./ Marilla: Indeed. Wait, was this Marilla’s way of telling Anne she loves her? This is just the best.

The contrast between scenes dealing with Mary and the rest of the episode is just so stark, it’s jarring. It’s like, you never know the darkness someone might be sinking into while everybody else is bathing in the light. You know, everybody involved in making this episode, and the show in its entirety, made it so poetic, and yet it’s not. It’s absolutely devastating. And now Gilbert can’t even tell Mary that she’s got no more than two weeks left. This is the worst.

You know, Anne is right. Caring deeply will always be the right thing. I mean, it’s natural for Gilbert to doubt himself at this time, especially since the tragedy is happening to his own found family. You know, there’s something my mum taught me to do when I’m watching something and I can’t bear the subject matter of it - focus on the acting. And right now I’m just blown away by the superb performance by these incredible young people. But I really can’t bear to focus on the plot right now. And the acting being that good doesn’t particularly help me to detach myself from the story.

You know, tragic as what’s happening to Mary certainly is, it’s somehow lucky she has Anne in her life now that she’s about to leave her own daughter to grow up motherless. Because if only Anne’s parents had an orphan tell them what an orphaned child needs most, Anne’s own experience might have been very different. Mary is a very smart woman for realising that and talking to Anne about it. Because life is not about lamenting what we didn’t have. It’s about making sure we do what is in our power to make it easier for others if we can.

Ah, yes. Racism and ‘White Man’s Burden’ mentality are still very much a thing present here. I guess this here is the first mention of that horrible prison of a school that Ka’kwet would be sent to. This is. The. Worst.

I just can’t bear to listen to this guy. ‘Heathens’ - you mean people with a rich culture and belief system beyond your privileged straight white male comprehension? ‘Teach them all things civilised’ - you mean erase their own, I repeat, rich culture, and replace it with your white man’s ideas of civilisation? What deity fell from the heavens and made you God? And the way Rachel totally agrees with this guy, it just makes me sick. As if that guy would hesitate to discriminate against you on the basis of you being a woman! I just can’t with this. Let’s move on.

‘Be sure you marry for love. Only for love.’ Don’t worry, Mary, he will. Not before a huge, long period of confusion, mind you. But he’ll come to his senses eventually. People do stupid things when they’re young. That’s how they know they’ve lived it to the fullest.

Rachel just baffles me, you know. And Marilla, too, isn’t quite faultless here. How can you be so accepting of one kind of POC, yet so cruel to another? Then I remember their initial reactions to meeting Bash. They were not the most accepting at first. Yet they can see how they’ve now grown to accept and care deeply about Bash and Mary and Delphine. Why can’t they give Ka’kwet’s people a chance like this?

‘You may well have saved some Indians today’... Saved them? From what? Being free to practice their own culture? You know, white people can be so very ignorant... and I say that as a very white person. I’m just ashamed of everything my ethnicity has done to literally every other ethnicity.

‘I don’t wanna die’... You know, sometimes I do, and right now that makes me feel so ashamed. I should really think of Mary and also every real person who had an untimely death whenever I’m having those thoughts again. We should all learn to appreciate life so much more.

So this is the one with Mary’s Easter... this is beautiful. I might have to rescind my ‘excitement’ statement from earlier, but there is still a theme of beauty, love and family throughout this. Well, technically throughout the entire series, but especially here. I love this.

Delphine with a flower crown is the cutest thing ever...

Minnie May: She looks like a chocolate candy. I just... took notice of how the background music abruptly stopped. You know, coming from an older person, this would sound... not at all ok. But this 7-year-old didn’t mean any harm, and they realise it after a brief moment of panic in their eyes. Still... black people don’t call us, idk, butter or something. We should not compare their skin colour to chocolate.

Their singing is absolutely beautiful. But let’s be real - in a real-life situation, most of the people would be way off-key and those harmonies would be impossible to arrange. Still, for this beauty, I am willing to suspend my disbelief for miles. Also, that prayer at the end... well, I’m not Christian, but I am religious, and I know the power of a prayer as poetic as this one. However hard it must have been for Mary to know she wouldn’t live, it must have been a great consolation to know she would go in such a way, surrounded by so much beauty and love, and light. Well, that ending was bittersweet! But I absolutely loved this episode. Except for the racist parts that made me absolutely livid. It’s so frustrating to know there is still so much hate in the world based just on minor superficial differences between people. Yet it would have been even more frustrating if we didn’t have people in the world like our protagonists (and especially the protagonist, Anne). It is such an absolute shame that this show, and others like it, got cancelled over some trivial issues and wasn’t given the proper chance to develop its positive messages even further. But still, even with just the 27 episodes it was given, it was able to cover so much ground. I don’t know what to say. AWAE is just supreme.

Let’s sum up: the final weeks of Mary’s life; racial prejudice might have just cost this lovely woman, a wife and a mother, her life; Matthew showing Delly around Green Gables is the sweetest thing; the first press-printed issue of The Avonlea Gazette, with a significant typo; and thus, a ship was born; subtle ways of saying those three little words; ‘Caring deeply will always be the right thing.’; the legacy of a mother; ‘White Man’s Burden’ mentality is alive and dangerous; double standards regarding the acceptance of POC; Mary’s Easter; going surrounded by a loving community.

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cosplayinamerica · 4 years

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Rin Tohsaka from Fate/Stay Night // Cosplayer : Stardust_Megu // Photo : dtjaaaam

Back in high school, I read the first few volumes of the manga at Barnes and Noble and stopped. I went back to the series in late 2016 or early 2017 and actually watched the anime adaptations! Rin is one of my favorite characters because she’s intelligent and has these different sides of her. At school, she’s the model and diligent student, but when school’s out, she loves to let loose and is flawed just like everyone else! She may be brash, but she truly cares about those close to her and is an amazing mage! I love Rin because I can easily relate and see myself in her (minus the magic use)! That’s when I decided for Rin to be my very first Fate cosplay! I made the whole cosplay myself including the embroidery on the top. I first debuted her at Anime NYC 2018. Then I wore her again this year Anime NYC 2019.

On Sunday of Anime NYC when I was Rin, I saw an amazing Archer cosplayer and fangirled. He saw me and was excited! I asked for a photo with him and he said yes. After that then he told me that there was going to be a Fate cosplay meetup in an hour. I literally had no clue about this and thanked him for informing me. Then later on at the meetup, I met so many wonderful Fate cosplayers. They all look amazing in their cosplays! This inspired me to plan out more Fate cosplays in the future! Right now I’m slowly working on Ishtar from Fate Grand Order!

The NYC cosplay scene is very interesting… NYC has a few cons here, but we have lots of cosplay meetups at parks and public places and so many cosplay night parties. A bunch of the cosplayers here strive to be cosfamous, but they along with some photographers and even companies are guilty of only favoring those with the “ideal” looks (thin, white, lighter skinned POC, racially ambiguous black cosplayers, plus sized cosplayers with a pear/hour glass shape) and would belittle those who don’t “fit the aesthetic” (plus sized cosplayers who don’t have the hour glass/pear shape, darker skinned black cosplayers and especially if they’re both).

There’s so much elitism and subtle discrimination so a lot of cosplayers tend to keep to themselves or with close friends. A bunch wants to be recognized for their cosplays, which isn’t wrong, but I feel that they completely forgot the true meaning of cosplay. However, when things do happen, there are plenty of times when we come together and help each other out. For an example, back in 2016, a former friend of mine made a meme of me and fat shamed me publicly on social media for no good reason. This all came out of the blue and I was shocked that he did this.

When the whole NYC cosplay community found out, they all defended me and told the guy that what he did was wrong. I’m very grateful for this! Because of the elitism and bullying, a bunch of friends created cosplay groups, events and free photoshoots/meetups for all cosplayers to come and connect with each other. We’re not completely united and there’s definitely needs to be some improvements, but there are times when it does feel like a community.

It’s not as niche as it was 10 years ago. There are now better materials to make your cosplays and it’s more accessible. We have physical stores that sell worbla and other cosplay materials. There are online shops that sell better quality wigs. The rise of social media has changed the cosplay scene drastically. It’s a double edged sword. Cosplayers can easily post their cosplays and connect with other cosplayers. There’s more cosplay tutorials on YouTube compared to back then. Some even make a living as cosplayers through Patreon!

Photo: @kronos2501

I like that cosplay is mainstream, but this also makes the bullying and elitism much more visible. It has always been there, even long before I became a cosplayer, but the rise of social media gave these trolls the platforms to tear down cosplayers and especially harass black (darker skinned) and plus sized cosplayers. Black cosplayers are still told that we’re the “n-word *insert character*” and plus sized cosplayers are still asked if we “ate the character”.

There are so many amazing black and plus sized cosplayers out there, but we still receive so much hate and are less likely to get opportunities, like cosplay guest spots at conventions or sponsorships. We’re more likely to get criticized and have to work 20x harder than everyone else for the fraction of opportunities. Recently, I received a bunch of hate on Twitter on my Rin cosplay post. I was constantly told that I looked like a man because of my size and dark skin. I was even misgendered a couple of times on purpose. Luckily my followers defended me and had my back.

Cosplayers (including myself) use social media to bring awareness and speak up about our experiences. We even speak up at panels and especially about the experiences that plus sized, black, disabled, LGBTQ, etc. cosplayers face. We use our platforms to educate the audience, help them be much more mindful of others and for changes to be done in order to make the spaces safer for all. Now all conventions have rules on cosplay etiquette and against harassment (physical, sexual, verbal, etc), racism, and bullying. It wasn’t like this when I started. We still have a long way to go, but things are slowly getting better!

https://linktr.ee/stardust_megu

#Rin Tohsaka #Rin Tohsaka Cosplay #Fate/Stay Night #Fate/Stay Night cosplay #cosplay #cosplay interview #black cosplay #black cosplayer #poc cosplay #poc cosplayer

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theskymahtin · 4 years

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Okay, I'm Way late to the party, but I'm rereading TRK and I've just been thinking a lot lately about the racism displayed in the book. (To refresh your memory: Ronan does a "vaguely offensive version of Henry's voice" and then, later, Adam and Ronan are making "puerile jokes at Henry's expense".) In particular, I want to talk about how this compares to the misogyny that is also displayed in regards to how both are handled.

First of all, I don't think that the simple act of including these things was a bad thing, but that the way it was handled was pretty tactless. Let me explain.

To me, this is a lot like how Maggie wrote the boys all being lowkey misogynistic at certain points throughout the books. I love that she did that because it's realistic. She didn't try to pretend that her characters are just magically exempt from something that's so (unfortunately) common in society. She didn't try to do that thing where the woman thinks the man is being misogynistic and then the man is like Oh Really Because Every Man Hates Women??? and then makes her look like the idiot. No, (like Maggie said, although she Definitely could have expounded and handled things much better than she did) they're a bunch of teenage white boys and-- again, unfortunately-- teenage white boys tend to lean on offensive humor in one way or another. (Also worth mentioning that I obviously don't think teenage white boys are the only people who make offensive jokes or are uninformed or whatever else-- and I don't think that every single teenage white boy does-- but I just graduated from high school and I can confidently say that they're extremely likely to. Because they're privileged in a lot of ways PLUS they're young and still usually immature. Back to my main point...)

However, there are definitely some big differences between these two things:

One, Henry was not there to defend himself in either case. Blue was able to call them on their actions, point out what they did wrong, and hold them accountable for it. The remarks that Adam and Ronan made were behind Henry's back and so we didn't get to see his reaction to them. We didn't get to see if he was bothered or hurt, just that Ronan and Adam "sniggered clannishly," which just diminishes the impact of what they said and allows the reader to brush it off.

Two, this was dwelt on wwaayy less then the boys' misogyny. Granted, by the time Henry becomes important and these events occur, there's only one book left whereas we had three before this where Blue is prevalent and such. Still, though, it deserved way more than like five sentences total. Blue got multiple chances, on page, to deal with their misogyny. There's even that whole entire scene where that guy was being an asshole at the gas station and Blue got pissed at him for reducing her to her legs. There was no other purpose for it, the scene opened and closed on this same topic, declaring it important. She even explained to Adam, later, why it bothered her so much and Adam was like "oh that makes sense"-- therefore showing that Blue wasn't blowing things out of proportion, that it was a big deal and that we should rely on her view of these things over the boys' view. Also, it allowed for us to see Adam growing a bit in that area, which is very important and also never happens at all with the racism.

Which brings us to three: No one really comes to Henry's defense in a notable away. All he gets are a couple of throwaway comebacks that are framed as jokes. In the case of the offensive voice impression, Blue sees Adam smirk and turn his face away, hoping that Gansey won't see; Gansey does, though, and says, "Et tu, Brute? Disappointing." (Which at least acknowledges that it was shitty, but come on.) In the case of the offensive jokes, we get Blue saying "Jealous much?" in defence of Henry (pretty weak) and Gansey "[telling] them to put aside their preconceptions and think about him" (which barely qualifies as a defense as he made it about himself).

TL;DR: I think that it was realistic, especially considering the location and the characters' ages, much like the subtle misogyny throughout the books. However, racism is obviously a very sensitive topic and Maggie put a lot less effort into hashing it out then she did the misogyny. Which makes sense to a degree because she's a (white) woman and therefore has been effected by misogyny and has a lot more experience and knowledge to draw on in that area. But, like........ I just think that since she did so little with the racism thing, it only served to make Ronan and Adam look like assholes (which, yes, they definitely were) and didn't add anything valuable to the story. Also, it's not like she had to be an expert on racism to have a character clearly say "hey, that's fucked up" and then have Adam and Ronan at least acknowledge that, yeah, it was fucked up (and hopefully be sorry about it). She really could have made a very important statement, but she just didn't handle it well.

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amphtaminedreams · 4 years

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A/W 2020 Fashion Month: Before Vogue Went Blank (Part 2)

Hi to anyone reading,

I was going to start this post by jumping straight into Dion Lee and part 2 in general but there's been a lot going on the past couple of days-although this blog is primarily fashion, it wouldn’t feel right to start talking about designers without acknowledging all the shit that’s been going down.

^Photo Credit to @spiltcoco on Twitter

Yesterday, police footage came out of US police murdering yet another black man in broad daylight-George Floyd. He joins Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, and Alton Sterling, plus hundreds more named and god knows how many more unnamed African American citizens in the ever-growing list of victims of police brutality.

The majority of these are just people going about their daily lives, a majority of them doing absolutely nothing wrong; even those we know to have committed crimes have been unarmed and non-violent offenders. That being said, their offences are beside the point when we’ve seen the white perpetrators of mass shootings be calmly cuffed and escorted into the backs of police cars as if they were the ones selling cigarettes without permits. American police, given the amount of them that are armed, regularly become judge, jury and executioner trained for 8 weeks by an institution that originated from slave patrols. I cannot imagine how terrifying it is just to walk around as a PoC in America. I cannot imagine the collective trauma that has been suffered because of recent events on top of the intergenerational trauma that most likely exists because of centuries of oppression. I cannot imagine what it’s like to live in a country that was built to suppress you and was by law allowed to do so until very recently, those original structures still in place. I cannot imagine what it’s like to be made to feel like this is your fault. I mean, Boris Johnson is a useless, cold-hearted twat and I won’t defend him or this country for a minute (we have much blood on our own hands, and racial profiling is just as much a thing here as it is in America-I read earlier that you’re 28 times more likely to be stopped and searched in London as a non-white person compared to a white person), but I still can’t imagine him publicly advocating for the mass murder of groups he knows to be primarily made up of black people via Twitter. This whole situation is so unimaginably fucked up; anyone who still sees America as one of the world’s most developed nations needs to take a long, hard look at what is going on and reconsider that opinion.

Whilst we can’t fix everything, we can all speak up and make our voices heard, and it is our duty to do so. It’s not good enough to just “not be racist”, you have to be ANTI-racism, even if that means constantly reflecting on your own privilege and challenging your assumptions. Neutrality is complicity. Signing a petition isn’t going to change the world, but it’s a start:

https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=7ba70000-a127-11ea-87fb-d1ff0bf6ea96

As I publish this, there’s less than 50,000 signatures needed to hit the target of 6,000,000 so if you happen to see it, get signing! There are lots of other petitions online but Change.org seems to be the only major one you can sign in the UK as the other are US based and require a zip code. I never thought I’d close a paragraph by quoting Macklemore but the line “no freedom 'til we're equal, damn right I support it” is at the forefront of my mind right now. Again, neutrality is complicity. We’re never going to achieve a fair society by sitting on our asses and hoping things will improve. Let’s all do the best we can.

Sorry if that intro wasn’t what you came here for, but I just think it’s so important to talk about. I know I’ve said in the past that fashion is supposed to be an escape from everyday life but there are some times when real life needs our attention and this is one of them. Feel free to unfollow if you disagree.

Anyway, onto the fashion. If this is the first post you’re reading, welcome! There’s a part 1! But I don’t wanna be pushy so start here if you wish!

If you read part 1, welcome back!

I ended that post by practically falling at the feet of Dilara Findikoglu, and I so wanted to start this post by regaining a sense of dignity and go straight into what-the-fuck-ing at Dior, but I know breaking chronological order would really piss off those “OmG I’m SoOo OCD, tHis BuzZfeEd aRtiCle WiTh DiFfereNt SiZed TiLes ToLd Me!” which is basically me minus claiming liking things to be organised means I have OCD-no, just dermatillomania and the denial that a compulsive skin picking disorder has anything to do with OCD because the neuroses club that is my brain doesn’t have any space left. SO, I have to continue where I left off and star the post with Dion Lee, whose collections I am a big fan of.

I could ramble a bit more but I did enough of that at the beginning of part 1 and am sure I’ll do more than enough in this post anyway, so here it is, Dion Lee:

Considering we ended with the maximalism of Dilara Findikoglu, sliding back over towards the other far end of the scale with a designer that tends to pitch their tent on the borders of the minimalism camp feels correct. Dion Lee, fortunately, seems the perfect collection to open with. There aren’t many other brands who do edge in such an understated and masterful way. If you want to be ready for combat and look like you’d fit right in at Vogue at the same time, look no further. This season’s collection is full of perfectly placed cut outs and immaculate tailoring and subtle street fighter-esque details as ever, and that’s why it pains me to say it:

Not that this is enough in the way of critique to restore my dignity by any means, it’s not a patch on last season.

I don’t think there was a single bad look in that show, and at times it felt like I was weeding through them here. When the looks were good, they were GOOD but a lot I found to be disappointing. Plus I have no idea why you’d put tie-dye in an A/W collection. I appreciate that it’s an Australian brand and that our winter is their summer, but they’re presenting to the rest of the world at fashion week and anyone in Paris, Milan, London and New York is going to be freezing their tits off and looking like a twat in an orange tie-dye sundress. There wasn’t much of a dip in quality for the menswear compared to last season, but honestly womenswear left a lot to be desired. That’s what happens when your expectations are high.

I used to think that if you assume the worst, it’s impossible to feel let down. And then I saw Dior’s A/W 2020 collection. Did a full 180 on that statement.

I suppose it’s a step up from haute couture, but then at least the styling in that was simple, and it just didn’t look like anybody had tried at all; here it’s clear Maria Grazia chucked everything she could at this collection, every headscarf, every gingham print, every shallow feminist undertone, and it was still a fucking mess. At first you think some of the individual pieces are cute but have just been ruined by the styling, and then you begin to look, and realise that even those individual pieces could’ve easily been bought in a New Look Boxing Day sale.

THIS IS CHRISTIAN DIOR, SUPPOSEDLY ONE OF THE MOST LUXURIOUS BRANDS OUT THERE. WHAT IS GOING ON!?

I don’t know, I included as many looks that I didn't mind as I could, but it’s like there always has to be a crappy, unnecessary detail in there. Everything is so literal. Of course the collection based around the divine feminine has the models dressed like basic ass Greek goddesses, so of course the collection based around the modern woman and equality has women walking the runway in ties and ill-fitting shoes too. Maria Grazia, here is a box:

Think outside of it.

Next is, thankfully, Elie Saab:

No, not exactly a trailblazer of a collection, but executed with poise and elegance as always. I mean, the styling is spot on. It looks like each part of the outfit was made for another, to contribute to a whole clearly envisioned look, similar to what we saw in the Alberta Ferretti show. Elie Saab is known for its haute couture shows where all the tiny details, the sequins and the silk and the embroidery come together to make something beautiful, and this is just that on a larger scale, with less “wow”s and more quiet admiration, more wishing you were the one wearing that outfit. If you’re gonna play safe, do it this well. The night dresses are stunning of course, but not even my favourite bit of the show. It’s the casual looks, the pussy bows and the ruffles and the neck scarfs and the private girls school monochrome colour palette with the occasional pop of red or purple, a toned down version of what we saw at haute couture, any of which deserve to be worn whilst eating macarons in front of the Eiffel Tower before trip to Musee D’Orsay. It’s Poppy Moore’s school uniform grown up and made fit for a fashion magazine editor:

Somehow managing to cram an Emma Roberts early 2010s fashion moment into every post is my talent, who knew. Wild Child was really a gem.

Erdem was a mixed bag:

With a lot of the outfits, I can’t tell if I actually like the garments that much or if I just like the look as a whole. I mean, without sounding too gluten-free Callie from the Valley, I like the VIBE, but there was a lot of outfits I almost included before I had to ask myself “LAUREN, do you ACTUALLY like this or do you just like the walking-into-your-sugar-daddy’s-will-reading-to-claim-his-fortune DRAMA of it all!?”

It happened a couple of times, where once I took off my black and white, theatrical violin accompanied entrance filtered sunglasses, I realised that the actual print was ugly. A collection so cohesively ornamental and kitschy is going to lean too far into that at times, and they were a few overly-fussy moments where it seemed less nudge nudge wink wink and more like Erdem Moralıoğlu fell into his grandma’s wardrobe, stole some fabric, and called it a day. I don’t want to sound like I’m not a fan of the collection because overall it’s gorgeous, I just thought it was a bit much at times.

Continuing with the theme of clever seasonal continuity that weaved its way throughout this year’s A/W offerings, Ermanno Scervino kept the core of his summer collection and made it just that little bit darker, added some weight to everything, and this is one of the rare occasions where I like the winter incarnation a lot more. I’m not huge about either but there’s a lot of things I’d love to wear here, the coats especially.

Up next is a reliable favourite of mine:

Etro.

Was it REALLY necessary for you to include ALL those coats I hear you ask?

Alaska Thunderfuck as Gia Gunn voice: Absolutelyyyy.

When it comes to bohemian fashion, Etro is unbeaten. Everything is always exquisitely coordinated and styled. Like I usually fucking hate aztec print but I love the way it’s done here. I’ve never known a brand to make belts seem like such an integral, tasteful part of the outfit in a field where they so often seem like a last minute addition for the sake of accessorising; it pains me to say it, but Elie Saab, I’m looking at you. It’s your only fault.

Yes for bringing back embroidered jeans! Yes for all those high necks! Yes for the tapestry print! Yes for the Afghan waistcoats! Etro will keep fedoras cool forever and I love them for that; I don’t know if she ever actually wore any of their stuff but I just know Stevie Nicks was in her prime would’ve ate this shit UP and she is my style icon for the ages. Plus, I might be way off base here but a lot of the collection seems to be inspired by traditional Romani style and it’s a beautiful direction to take things, a treasure trove of layers upon layers and rich textures and opulent prints.

I can’t wait til the phase of my phase of my life where I can swan around in maxi dresses and ponchos. I just hope those maxi dresses and ponchos are Etro.

Onto another brand which hasn’t had a bad show since I started my reviews: Fendi. This season, they took their late 60s/early 70s wild child aesthetic and gave a millionaire’s high maintenance wife spin on it, and what’s not to like about that?

I mean, Fendi is a brand which is always going to excel in its F/W presentations-the rich, bohemian prints (pro-tip: if you can’t already tell, me mentioning the word bohemian in a review pretty much guarantees I like the collection), the furs, and the warm colour palette all perfectly translate into clothes suited for walks through a city going through a post-summer burnout, where it rains red and orange leaves. You can tell Silvia Fendi is in her element when she’s got texture to play with, something that comes across in the gorgeous coats Fendi consistently puts out, and this season continues that trend. Plus, there’s a lot of adorable details here-shoes that show off the decorative socks underneath, the cube shaped bags and those furry ear muffs which I hope bring about a high street muff renaissance because they’re the equivalent of slipper socks for my ears and THEY’RE ACTUALLY REALLY PRACTICAL. The only thing I’m not in love with is the mirrored glasses, and I can’t help but think how replacing them with a pair of grandad style aviators would be the icing on the cake for the collection. Maybe I just need to see Miss Robyn Rihanna Fenty wearing them and then I’ll get on board. Usually works.

Ah, GCDS. I got so excited for it after last season but this time round, it was a bit of a disappointment. There were a few outfits that semi-matched up to how cutting-edge I saw their last collection, however a lot of the pieces looked pretty low quality. I get that streetwear is in the name, but it’s supposed to be a high fashion take on that, and a lot of the looks were quite pedestrian. Stand outs are the top 2 rows and the leather motocross style jumpsuit on the far right, third row down, but the quality of these pieces wasn’t consistent across the board and I feel like I ended up having to convince myself I liked some of the others just so I had enough photos to justify including the brand. It really sucks when I look back on how ahead of the game last season’s collection was-we’re talking outfits that wouldn’t be out of place on Instagram’s Tokyofashion page and as far as I’m concerned that’s the fashion holy grail. Some of these looks, especially the menswear, could be from a Boohoo TV ad and that makes me sad.

Meanwhile, Giambattista Valli put out a collection that looked like a virtual postcard of Parisian fashion; if a St-Germain-des-Prés streetwear themed Instagram doesn’t exist already, someone should capitalise on that, stat, because if my typical vision of French feminine fashion is correct it would be full of outfits like this. I feel like this is what a fashion novice EXPECTS Chanel to look like. Trust me-these days the reality is much more disappointing.

There’s many things I'm happy to see here besides the tulle and florals and prettiness I expect of the brand. Obviously the berets and the bows and the elbow length gloves are the kind of off-duty ballerina style touches I’ve become accustomed to but there are also some nice surprises here: the military style white jacket, the unexpected snake motif on clothing that’s otherwise overly delicate, and to my delight the return of the boater hat. IDGAF, this is the summer where I’m buying myself one off Ebay and making this happen for me whether they become a “thing” or not. I shouldn’t squander having this little of a double chin; the opportunity may never present itself again.

I haven’t watched Killing Eve in a longggg time since there’s only so much of two women attempting to kill each other and then miraculously avoiding death you can watch but I’d love to see Vilanelle prancing round a city in this kinda shit slitting some necks again. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like too much of a sadist; only in a purely fictional world is this something I want to see, I assure you.

Givenchy was really, really great this season too, imo. Definitely a step up from the last RTW anyway. Aside from the drama of the exaggerated floppy brim hats and the quirky tassle detail dresses a la Schiaparelli, a lot of these outfits kinda remind me of something a Miranda Priestly/Cruella De Vil type would wear, and you know me; I’m all for that kind of intimidating, about-to-either-slap-you-or-fire-your-ass bad bitch energy. The gathered leather gloves with the androgynous subtly checkered power suits feels CORRECT and if Giambattista Valli is the bottom in this relationship, Givenchy is the top. Am I allowed to reinforce sapphic relationship stereotypes as a bi girl? Probably not. I’m sorry. Won’t do it again. Just this once. And you know I’m right really xoxo

And OMFG Gucci. Another impeccable collection for me, honestly. Once again, it’s probably my favourite of the season. How it is that Alessandro Michelle gets it SO right for me despite his vision being so bold and different every time? He has this specific brand of strange, conceptual beauty which blends past and present trends in a way so supreme it should be considered art. It’s not a term to throw around loosely but the man is a genius, and tbh I’m still not over the human head props from the 2018 F/W winter show.

In my Haute Couture week review, I talked about the Viktor and Rolf collection (which I loved, don’t get me wrong!) and said that pretty meets grunge is my fave thing ever-this is that, but much even more substantial and intelligent. The Wes Anderson-esque pieces or that late 60s/early 70s hipster aesthetic that I loved in last season’s show hasn’t been done away with either-be it the level of detail or the colour scheme, it all somehow fits together. Never did I think I’d see dresses fit for porcelain dolls through the lens of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen seamlessly slotted in between outfits that could’ve been put together from the clothing rack of Dazed and Confused’s costume department. I want it all-opulent fur-trimmed coats, crucifix jewellery and pilgrim hats I’m sure both Edgar Allan Poe and modern goths would approve of, and the tiered skirts that wouldn’t be out of place in a Westworld saloon. The models were delightfully sad and almost creepy looking and I wouldn’t change that for the world. To say 10/10 doesn’t do it justice, so I’m gonna have to open a reviewer’s can of worms and say 100/100.

Gucci is a tough act to follow, and I’m sorry it has to fall onto the shoulders of Halpern. In the nicest possible way (as if there is any nice way of saying it), I don’t think I any expected anything but a downgrade, so if anything, my standards will be lower so...Michael Halpern, you can thank me I guess?

That was really mean, I’m sorry. It’s not a bad collection, and I definitely like it more than last season’s. It’s a slightly garish colour palette at times but an exciting one in spite of that, which when paired with the animal print dotted throughout makes this collection the perfect fit for a tropical beach party or at the very least, a semi-decent night at the Caribbean themed bar in your local town centre. The sequins and silk, a Halpern trademark, are as tastefully done as ever, and seeing them on the models, I can’t deny these are some power fits-the kind of clothes you are bound to look and feel confident in; if you wanted to play queen of the urban jungle for a night, this is what you need to be wearing.

Ah, Hermes.

Generally not one to stoke a fire inside me. In all fairness, the tailoring here is really, really nice and French biker chic, and the pieces are perfectly crafted-it’s not that I don’t like the outfits because I think that if I saw one of them individually in a natural, messier setting I’d probably be impressed. These are classy, elegant winter looks and what more could you want when you’re looking for outfit inspiration for this season? It’s just that it’s always a little too neat and uniform for me, and on the runway I like my fashion to be risky. This could almost be the sophisticated mother to a Tommy Hilfiger collection and whilst that’s something I would probably wear if I wanted to look put together, it’s not what you get excited to see at fashion week. Primary colours all together aren’t where it’s at for me either, the infamous colour scheme of the cheap plastic playhouses you’d find in the garden of every working/middle class British household back in the day. Yes, I had one. So did the after school club I was forced to attend whilst my mum was at work. Apparently the negative connotations are still too much for me (a boy I went to the after school club with did once fall off the back of one and crack his head open so maybe it’s justified).

Isabel Marant was pretty much exactly what you’d expect from Isabel Marant; if the Etro bohemian woman is one who rolls out of bed and chucks on the first thing she sees, the Isabel Marant bohemian woman is the one who claims she’s done the same thing but who actually planned it all out the night before. She designs for the gluten-free, bikram yoga Kourtney Kardashian style “hippy” who claims to be a free-spirit but would definitely not do acid with you. I was gonna say it was a collection for the Gwyneth Paltrows of the world but then I remembered Gwyneth proudly released a candle she claimed smelled like her vagina and changed my mind-she’d definitely do acid with you.

It’s definitely a cohesive transition from the summer collection; both have that seemingly laid-back, clean-cut vibe, and cater to the rich, impeccably groomed scented candle loving woman everywhere. Obviously the pieces are a tad more suited to an alpine lodge in Switzerland than a beach in Malibu this time round, but that same mild colour palette, pretty, naturalistic patterns, and generally relaxed fit persists. It’s cute enough.

J.W Anderson is a bit of an enigma.

Despite the experimental silhouettes and the kooky details that you think would very “look at me!”, the collections still seem to have a chilled, easy-going feel to them. They toy about with the strange but remain entirely sophisticated whilst doing so-I think it’s because aside from the little quirks that make the garments J.W Anderson, they’re otherwise fairly reserved and simple; even the quirks themselves mostly tend to be exaggerated, more conceptual takes on more typical stylistic motifs anyway. Anderson has a knack for producing statement pieces that don’t look like they’re trying too hard to be statement pieces, a talent he expertly deploys at Loewe as well. Whilst Maison Margiela collections are like the fashion equivalent of that Jughead “I’m weird, I’m a weirdo” speech, J.W Anderson’s refusal to conform is quiet and modest. I like it. It’s not generally my personal style but I can admire the thought behind the work, and there are still some things I’d love to try. I have a few standouts-the shoes with the hoop detailing dancing from the ankle straps, the dress on the bottom right with what appears to be art nouveau typography on, the trench coat with the cape detailing and the gossamer dress to its right are all stunning, especially that dress. If I ever want to dress as the bubble Glinda the Good Witch descends in when she meets Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I know where to go, though I don’t suppose there’s going to be an occasion that calls for that any time soon. Can I just have the dress anyway?

Kim Shui is another new designer I found through blessed Twitter screencaps-thanks guys for doing my research for me. Much appreciated.

But anyways! Like Charlotte Knowles, it’s clear she’s still establishing her aesthetic as a designer, and thus far I love it. The whimsical, throwback prints on urban silhouettes that range from the androgynous suits of city dwelling cool girls to the amped-up sex appeal of nightclub dresses is gorgeous, especially twinned with dainty headscarfs and opera gloves-all in all I think this a very cool and wearable collection and I’m looking forward to the next collection she puts out.

Next up is Lacoste, and IDK why I always include their collections to be honest, considering they’re not really known for “high fashion”. I guess it’s because my dad has collected Lacoste shirts since I was little so I kinda have a soft spot for it and feel obligated to include it every time presentation season comes around. Yes, the outfits are unbearably preppy and the colours are garish but I feel like that’s kind of the appeal? So what if some of the tracksuits look like they could’ve been pulled out of a bad mafia movie? I see the argyle jumpers, with a bit of wear and tear, as a charity shop gem my sister would come across (she has the #Y2K Depop girl knack for finding old designer pieces in the shittiest charity shops without the audacity to try and sell them at a 70% markup) that I would then steal from her wardrobe to wear myself, contrasted with a ripped mini skirt, chains and and docs. I see the POTENTIAL of a look that is very fuck you to the rich middle age tory styling we see here. It’s punk, okay?

Lanvin was STUNNING this time around. Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching Mad Men recently and it reminds me of the fashion on that-which I hope somebody won an award for at the time BTW, it is SO fucking good-but I just adore every look here. I can’t even remember if I reviewed Lanvin’s SS20 show, and so clearly if I did it wasn’t that memorable (no shade intended), however this collection is a different story. Every single one of these outfits is iconic movie moment worthy, a 60s Cher Horowitz plaid two piece equivalent that would get screencapped and replicated ad-nauseam, all the best looks of Betty Draper and Peggy Olsen and Joan Holloway and Megan Calvet brought together and refined for the modern day woman. I might even consider sacrificing my anti-royalist principles if it meant I could transport myself back in time and switch bodies with Grace Kelly so I could make this collection my princess-off-duty wardrobe and drive around Monaco in that Bella Hadid look, roof down, all the drama of the fur trim and the gloves and hair whipping about in the wind (but in this unrealistic vision I can actually see what I’m doing and I’m not choking on random strands and swearing at Mother Nature as if she is a real entity with a personal vendetta against me).

Loewe! More J.W Anderson! I’m gonna try not to repeat myself by arsekissing too much all over again and get the good points out of the way quickly! So rapid fire: elegant! Delicious colour palette! Interesting shapes! I think I’m seeing a Victorian/Edwardian influence there! Correct me if I’m wrong! I like it! The coats are strong! Remind me of the suffragettes! But lets pretend in this case these Loewe style coat wearing suffragettes are not raging classists!

AH. Apart from that, it was a bit too austere for me. I definitely preferred Anderson’s eponymous collection; there were a fair few recurring details in this show that I couldn’t get behind that I didn’t include, in particular this bib-like black panel that just kept popping up on everything. Sorry J.W Anderson. But a 50% success rate is still good! And at the end of the day, having 2 collections on Vogue Runway at once is more prestigious than the accumulative total of every accomplishment I’ll probably ever have achieved in my life by the time I’m on my deathbed so what do I know anyway? Sigh:( At least I’ll always have the honour of having the largest head by circumference of my class in year 4, right *sweats nervously*!?!?!

Louis Vuitton was definitely a downgrade on last season for me. There were for sure elements I liked-the Vera Wang-esuqe mixing of the tulle bustle skirts with the rougher, more masculine biker inspired vests and jackets was a cool choice, reminiscent of Gucci’s mixing of the lace dresses with harnesses. I enjoyed the baroque jackets and subtle nods to steampunk style too. Though we’ve already seen it a lot this season, the wet look coat with fur trim I can’t help falling in love with, and I’m immune to the potential ugliness of the muted blue monotone look purely on the basis I can picture Ripley from Alien in it. So like I said-it’s not as if I hated it. I guess when it comes down to it, the collection wasn’t bad so much as I just had higher hopes. I will say though, the staging was INCREDIBLE. As a history nerd, I never thought I’d see the day when a Henry the 8th lookalike actor was part of the backdrop of a Paris fashion week show-and I always thought there was no interesting career path for me in the subject!

And another big name I don’t tend to be so partial to, Maison Margiela. IDK, I did like last season but I wasn’t a fan of haute couture and it took me a while to warm to this. Call it deconstructed, experimental, whatever, but you know when you can’t decide what to wear and you’re in a rush so you kinda just throw all the shit you decided against into a pile? Well, my initial thought was that this season Margiela is kinda that, on the runway.

I will say, once I let go of my need to see a clear shape, a lot of the individual pieces were stunning (NOT the puffed up tabis though, I still can’t even get behind the regular ones). I guess I just wish they’d go for less is more with the styling because as it currently stands, it makes it hard to actually take the clothes in.

Ultimately, one thing you can always say about Margiela, like their clothes or not, is that it has a monopoly on being effortlessly bold.

Marc Jacobs I really liked again, though I will say it doesn’t stand out quite like the S/S collection did. That was absolutely STUNNING-I can’t remember specifically where I ranked it in my top ten but I know it was at least in the top 5. This, on the other hand, is...pretty. It’s very pretty, and very put together, so I’m not saying at all that I don’t rate it. I suppose it’s just a lot simpler than I expected it to be-I don’t have a problem with simplicity, at all, especially if it’s what a brand is known for but I feel like part of the appeal with Marc Jacobs is that it’s pretty kooky. I mean, not Thom Browne or Margiela kooky, but commercial kooky at least. I feel like the kookiness is lacking here? And that’s where this feeling is coming from? And also, the fact that Lanvin tackled the same era and did it a lot better? So there’s that, too. Plus, I adore Miley Cyrus but...why? Random celebrities waking the runway just doesn’t do it for me-it always comes across as a publicity grab, as if the designer isn’t confident enough in their collection’s ability to get people talking on its own, and I suppose in this case that says it all really.

Margaret Howell was...well, Margaret Howell. She’s known for her basics, and they’re always pretty non-offensive “regulation hottie” in the words of the icon that is Damian from Mean Girls. It’s been, what, four years? More? Since I last watched that film but I’m pretty sure watching it about twenty times between the ages of 9 and 15 tattooed it on my brain. I include her because even though they don’t get my pulse racing, I like these pieces; considering the fact that expecting straight white men to ever have style on the level of barbiedrugz (his instagram is my favourite thing ever) or Rickey Thompson is ludicrous, Margaret Howell’s menswear looks are probably are the best, realistic goal for any future partner. Because I like my men dressed like Paddington bear/a depressed Brown University English lit lecturer, okay? Or in other words, Will Graham from Hannibal.

Marine Serre had a few good moments-the looks that I liked were the ones that stayed within her lane of blending the weird with the visually appealing. There were a lot of cool things going on, and I like the utility vibe (the boot with the pouch detailing and the mask are perfect examples of this done well), but outside the fits I picked out a lot of it went over my head tbh.

Marques Almeida is a show I was looking forward to-it has such a youthful, experimental quality to its collections (it’s no surprise the designers said they were influenced by the HBO show Euphoria this year!), similar to Central Saint Martins, and you can tell the designers (Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida) are based in London too; we are talking about the birthplace of the punk fashion movement, and as a designer it’s probably almost a rite of passage that you incorporate elements of that into your work. Marques Almeida does that with a flair and consistency you can count on. Their clothes don’t have the wildest silhouettes or anything like that but the fun they have playing around with print and colour and the ease and confidence with which they settle on those combinations always comes through-the black and white coat with the yellow furs trim is one of my favourite pieces from the entirety of this season’s offerings.

I wasn’t so fond of Max Mara’s SS20 collection and I'm not gonna lie, this isn’t THAT much of a step up for me personally. It’s just one of those brands I feel obligated to include because it’s talked about quite a bit but I’m not totally sure if it’s for me. Too monotone, but I’ll give it another season! And I mean, there is a slight improvement here-this collection is a lot more laid back than the stiff, austere feel of the last, and there are some very well fitted and structured pieces. A lot of the looks kinda remind me of a 2020, fashion take on The Breakfast Club’s “Basket Case”, which is kinda cool, and just from looking at the clothes, the high price tag is palpable. Also, scruffy hair club unite! Though obviously it’s intentional here! That’ll be my excuse for the next time I turn up at work looking like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards-Max Mara made me do it.

Ending on those words of wisdom, I’m gonna bring this post to a close, because I can’t fit any more photos in! I’m desperately hoping that I can fit this all into 3 parts like I did with my last RTW review but even if I do have to make 4 posts, I still include my top 10 shows as I did before. I hope to get that post up within the next couple of weeks! After that, I’ve shot a Lana Del Rey inspired by each of her different albums and “era”s though given last week’s events I’m on the fence about whether to post it or not, especially given her silence over the last couple of days. I’m really proud of what I’ve put together and I’ll always love her art and music (I have 2 bloody tattoos, for fuck’s sake!), so I’m trying to think how I can reconcile that with those awfully worded posts and just the general lack of awareness of bigger issues that she’s displayed the last week. JFC, being a Lana stan has always been so chilled up until now. All the very valid and important takes aside, that “Lana pls delete that post and apologise, we can’t fight the barbz all your stans are depressed” tweet is the only good thing to come out of this shitshow. He got a point. Breathing feels like effort lately:( IDK, if you’re also a Lana stan and you have any opinions on the matter, feel free to DM me, because I’m feeling pretty conflicted rn.

Most importantly though, are the issues I opened this post by talking about, and I thought I’d finish by including the thread of petitions I saw on Twitter. Like I said, a lot of them aren’t available to sign in the UK but to anyone who read up until this point (thank you!) idk where you’re reading from so maybe some of them will apply to you:

https://twitter.com/yericvIt/status/1265801832930045953

Also, while we’re at it, because every tory voting twat seems to treat our country as if it’s some beacon of hope where racism is non-existent and love to tell PoC to stop moaning about their experiences, here’s a thread of black British men and women who have lost their lives to police violence:

https://twitter.com/illh0eminati/status/1266441604170223617

Thank you for reading until the end. I hope that you enjoyed the fashion part of the post but also that if you did read this far, you read the other bits too if you didn’t know what was going on already. It seems like everyone does but you forget that Twitter’s a bit of an echo chamber and that outside of it, there’s a lot of ignorance, whether intentional or not. I know Tumblr has a similar audience to Twitter so I imagine there’s loads on here about everything going on too, but ya know. I wanted to talk about it just incase.

Stay safe, keep fighting the good fight, and again, thank you for reading!<3

Lauren x

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nightcoremoon · 5 years

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I think part of the reason why I hate horror movies is because of the overreliance on jumpscares and shock value and BWAH SUDDEN LOUD NOISES rather than on atmosphere, believability, tension, fear.

here's a list of horror movies from google and the reasons why I hate them, or why I love them, or that they're not actually horror movies.

A quiet place: haven't seen it yet but it's a thriller more so than a horror. thrillers can be scary though but then again so can comedies. and romances. 50 shades is definitely scary: it is psychological abuse after all.

Halloween: slasher film, automatically boring and shit. I'm including the entirety of the franchise here, by the way, and I'm also gonna be including Friday the 13th, nightmare on elm street, etc. They're all the same brand of sensationalist garbage. maybe the very first in each series could be redeemable but the mass volume of shitty and terrible CGI gorefests have ruined them forever. "oh no the scary unkillable monster is coming after us and he's gonna kill us in overly violent ways" 💩

Hereditary: I don't even give a shit it looks trite EDIT maybe it's okay but I don't give enough of a shit to bother to ~give it a chance~ because hey. that's what fucking horror games are for.

Insidious: boring, not scary, 0/10

Get Out: haven't watched yet but will because it's a cinematic masterpiece that defies genre conventions

Bird Box: IM SO FUCKING SICK OF HEARING ABOUT FUCKING BIRD BOX SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT BIRD BOX HOLY SHIT. It's just the goddamn happening by shyamagofuckyourself and it's an excuse to profit off of sensationalist suicide. oohh so spooky. eat my ass, boggart

It: too much bad cgi makes it a comedy. plus a bunch of kids say fuck a lot. good movie that's technically horror I guess but is it scary? nah.

Suspiria: I've never heard of this movie

Annihilation: same

Split: M NIGHT SHYAMALAN IS A SHITTY FILMMAKER and also it's ableist as fuck so

Mandy: google you suck none of these movies have any mainstream appeal

The Conjuring: 💩💩💩

Hush: ??? you know what fuck it I'm skipping the ones that don't matter

The Vvitch: 🙄 my mom's a witch, my best friend's a witch, I'm a witch. hey yeah maybe let's not buy into christian colonialism please? scary witches are boring as shit. gimme something actually scary. like Catholics.

The Nun: wait shit not like that! and by that I mean BORING AS HELL aside from the jumpscares. which are shit

The Babadook: clearly an LGBT movie, not horror

Cabin in the Woods: a parody and an excellent one at that. at least the gore is in homage, or hilariously over the top

Sinister: the fucking epitome of shitty jumpscares and shock value and lack of atmosphere and bad acting and bad plot and jesus fucking christ this is one of the worst and most boring movies I've ever had the misfortune to see DONT WASTE YOUR GODDAMN TIME

Saw: it's actually a thriller with Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Michael Emerson, and Tobin Bell. it's a campy cheesy low budget true to form horror film with adequate writing, good acting, AMAZING MUSIC BY CHARLIE CLOSER, and isn't over the top with gore considering it's all practical effects. top fucking notch but spawned a dozen terrible sequels.

Shaun of the Dead: it's a touching and heartfelt romantic comedy... with zombies, EXCELLENT CINEMATOGRAPHY, excellent acting, and sad parts that will rip your fucking heart out, stomp on it, and grind it to dust. literally one of the best movies ever made of all time, eat shit tarantino.

The Ring: eh, the original Japanese was better (Japanese horror is its own genre and not a part of this criticism, I actually really like original Japanese horror unfucked up by american audiences as long as it doesn't just gratuitously glorify suicide as Japan does), but this was still a really good mystery thriller with some really cool effects, and is the only movie that has ever actually scared me for real. even now I hate that there's a tv with a vcr right at the foot of my bed.

The Sixth Sense: shyamalan made a couple of good movies. this was one of them. but it wasn't a horror movie and if you didn't know the twist IT WAS A FUCKING AMAZING ONE. like, goddamn empire strikes back levels of supreme and god tier plot twists. it went a little overboard on shock value but compared to the rest of the COMPLETE BULLSHIT on this list (AND IN HIS OWN MOVIES) it really could've gone way further.

The Descent: goddamn claustrophobia. too much horribly cgi'd gore and terrible decisions to be truly enjoyable though. would've been a much better movie without the mutants and the middle finger to physics throat stabbing and the JUST FUCKING KICK IT YOU GODDAMN IDIOT and oh yeah the subtle misogyny. the first half was good tho

28 days later: shitty remake of a merely ok movie EDIT I was thinking of 28 weeks later, 28 days was actually okay I guess

Scream: did not age well but it's okay for being meta, despite the fucking torture porn of drew barrymore at the beginning. allowed for scary movie 1 though, so I'm glad it exists.

Paranormal Activity: PARANORMAL FUCKING ACTIVITY CAN EAT MY ASS, ITS SUCH A SUBLIME FAILURE OF EXECUTION. I WANTED IT TO BE GOOD BUT IT WASNT. oh well at least it inspired five nights at Freddy's. I'll go ahead and throw all shitty found footage movies under this one, including unfriended.

Blair Witch Project: a fucking pioneer of its time. a genre definer. truly scary. good movie. I'll go ahead and throw all good found footage movies under this one, including cloverfield.

The Shining: a thriller, not horror. but goddamn is it the scariest not horror movie ever made. Stephen king you magnificent bastard

Alien: goddamn fucking alien. science fiction masterpiece. director's a little creepy but eh, sigourney weaver kicks ass, and alien isolation is such a good game (despite its many flaws), and it's just so iconic in terms of sheer scope of concept. it's the same horror movie as anywhere else but in space, and I still can't fucking believe this was made in the 70s. this and Star Wars were FUCKING AMAZING, and the xenomorph? THATS ALL PRACTICAL EFFECTS BABEY. NO OVERRELIANCE ON CGI GUTS AND SHOCK VALUE HERE, ITS JUST PURE HORROR AT ITS FINEST. good movie. aliens was better. everything else... eeehhh...

The Thing: same as the descent but with men instead of women, and EVEN WORSE DECISION MAKING. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE JUST HOW GODDAMN STUPID EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM COULD POSSIBLY BE. and in the remake yeah the practical effects were mind blowingly fantastic and inspired dead space which I believe is one of the best horror games if not just best games or horror pieces of media if not just best pieces of media constructed. but the prequel? 🙄 no thanks

The exorcist: masterpiece of practical effects without an overreliance on jumpscares and gore

Jaws: it's Stephen fucking Spielberg in the 70s and one of the most influential horror films and just films in general

Hellraiser: okay I'll give all works by clive barker a pass here because goddamn is he a demented fucking genius if ever I saw one. if only Jericho was actually a good game, it could've been the next doom 3

Poltergeist: an actually good horror movie that depends on atmosphere and effects more so than jumpscares and gore? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP

Evil Dead: campy but misogynist. the sequel was a comedy so it's okay. the next sequel is also a comedy AND ARMY OF DARKNESS IS ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER FUCKING MADE. FIGHT ME. and fuck the remake. sam raimi should've retired after spiderman 3. maybe even before that.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: honestly not bad. it was actually freaky and believable. rednecks really are fucking scary with all their inbreeding and terrible music and hatred of black people. I refuse to acknowledge the original and the sequels.

Psycho: eh, hitchcock's worst is still better than most of the shit on this list.

The Wicker Man: OH GOD NOT THE BEES! AHHGUBLAHH MY EYES! AAAAAHHHHH!!! fucking excellent comedy. but it doesn't have any naked ladies in it like the original did. oh well, can't please everyone.

Night of the Living Dead: THOSE ZOMBIES ARE BULLSHIT. ZOMBIES CANT USE WEAPONS AND THEY SURE AS FUCK CANT TURN YOU INTO A ZOMBIE BY STABBING YOU WITH A TROWEL. THEY HAVE TO BITE YOU. FUCK YOU GEORGE ROMERO. Also, dawn of the dead was just sensationalist garbage. "They tore apart a real pig carcass tho so it looked like real intestines" what? the fuck??? who gives a shit????? I watch movies to escape from reality, dumbass. I don't beat off to chopped up human carcasses. If I want a zombie movie I want the walking dead sans the soap opera bullshit and the racism and then "no one is safe and everyone will die" boring mentality propagated by twd and got and other things I used to like but no longer care about (because why should I give a shit about it if everyone could die? I can already be sad enough about all the real people I know who die. enjoying the pain of the deaths of those important to us is a privilege the cishets have). the walking dead seasons 1&2 was pure horror and the very best kind. don't give me boring contrivances. "but sheena, night of the living dead was a trope definer! everything in it was original!" yeah, you know what else is original? *farting noise* George Romero is just rob zombie without a rock band. his best work was fucking call of duty. that's pathetic. "maybe you just don't like gore" HEY YEAH SURE I DONT WANNA SEE UBER REALISTIC INTESTINES AND ORGANS IF THEY ARENT PART OF A MEDICAL DEAL SO IM JUST A BIG DUMB HATER. I'm the one in the wrong. fuck me, right?

Don't Breathe: A FUCKING TURKEY BASTER FILLED WITH SEMEN. THATS SO STUPID I FORGOT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SCARY. BEST CRINGE COMEDY OF THE YEAR :D

Tremors: legitimately great movie with a hundred shitty sequels. like saw but your faves win so you walk away filled with determination rather than sad and disappointed. enjoyment of tragedies are a privilege awarded to those who are neurotypical.

Zombieland: gore done right. the only casualty is mindless zomzoms and bill murray. good. granted it counts as a romance and a comedy but honestly last time I watched it I cried at the part where you find out buck isn't tallahassee's dog. god I love that movie. AND FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS IS THE MOST BADASS MOVIE OPENER EVER.

The Fly: Jeff fucking goldblum. amazing effects for good reasons. need I say more? the original doesn't exist because 1950s horror movies are all bad because all 1950s movies are bad. the 1950s should just be purged from america's records except for pleasantville.

All other Stephen king movies: hit or miss but mostly still good. although very few are actual horror.

10 cloverfield lane: more of a thriller like above's misery but still an amazing movie.

Peeping Tom: literally a movie about how creepy it is to fetishize the deaths of women WHILE LITERALLY FETISHIZING THE DEATHS OF WOMEN. like, come on man. how do you miss your own point so completely?

Invasion of the body snatchers: it's not horror and if it's made to be horror using gore it's shit. the whole thing is just an allegory to the joe mccarthy communism witch hunts anyway.

Cube trilogy: the ultimate b movies. so bad they're good. and it's such an interesting concept too!

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: fucking alien clowns come to earth to turn us into cotton candy by killing us using carnival fare. THIS IS THE GREATEST BAD MOVIE EVER MADE.

All horror movies based on horror video games: either irredeemably bad, or action movies

All creepy Netflix horror movies: wow any idiot with a camera and basic cgi skills can throw shit together to make a movie these days, huh

The Slender Man: I am literally too pissed off about this movie to insult it.

Marble Hornets, Tribe Twelve, the Slender Man movie on YouTube: triumphs of meta, editing, found footage, proof of concept, and story. Slenderman is such a malleable entity for a perfect horror experience, HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY FUCK THAT UP? YOUD HAVE TO BE INTENTIONALLY SABOTAGING YOUR WHOLE MOVIE TO FUCK IT UP AS BAD AS SOMEone who exclusively directs remakes... oh... oh no.

Wrong Turn: one mediocre movie and a dozen loathesome snoozefests coasting by on shock value

Troll 2:

oh god

they're eating her

and then

they're gonna eat me

...

oh my gooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

(Troll 2 is literally the worst movie ever made and I have to respect it for that at least)

but yeah, horror is just bad for movies. but for video games, though...

#long post

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habibialkaysani · 6 years

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review: an american marriage by tayari jones

SUMMARY: it’s about an african-american man, roy, and his marriage to celestial. he has a bit of an up and down relationship with her and her parents, and vice versa, but everything turns upside-down when roy is falsely accused of rape while staying at a motel with celestial. roy goes to jail and it takes several years and a lot of paperwork for him to be released. while he’s in jail, they write to each other, but they soon disconnect as a couple and celestial struggles with being his wife when they were still in their honeymoon phase when he was arrested. and it’s kind of about what happens next for her, for him and for their friend dre as well as their parents.

TRIGGERS: rape (mostly mentions and accusations, really, absolutely nothing graphic, I don’t think) and a fair bit of violence towards the end and allusions to suicide (sorta)

ngl, this one caught me off-guard because in all honesty I was kind of not expecting it to be as real and as angsty as it ended up being. like I was super invested in these characters and their marriage and the way that it was the centre of the book. also I mean it got me thinking about the american concept of marriage and how it’s kind of very traditional in a lot of ways?

I love something like this - with a fairly simple premise, an unfortunate one, sure, but nevertheless one that I know is realistic esp given this is set sometime in the 1970s I think. I’ve always felt strongly about how to portray injustice in literature and that the number one priority for me is ensuring that those stories are written with authenticity and accuracy. this one certainly ticked that box. more than that, though - the premise of this was enriched with the racial and cultural history that formed a part of everything the characters said and did and was the basis for the premise of this book as one about an african-american man being accused of a crime he didn’t commit and how his family dealt with it - or didn’t.

I think first person can be kind of hit and miss, but this was like - 90% hit, tbh. I loved the different points of view and I think the fact that it was fairly evenly spread between the three main characters helped a lot. but I do think for those who aren’t a fan of headhopping they may hesitate in reading this because there is some of it. imo tho it’s worth it - there are some beautiful character insights that wouldn’t be able to be told, I don’t think, unless it was in first person and from that character’s perspective.

I grew to care for all the characters and more importantly I think I really understood why each one did what they did at various points in the novel. again I think the authenticity from having a black author writing black characters helped with that. but also just seeing how celestial and roy, for instance, were anxious for their in-laws’ approval, and the way they all struggled with daddy issues to different degrees - it was so real and I think that’s why it resonated with me, really. plus the fact that this is set in the 1970s, I think, which is a fascinating time in american history because it’s something of a limbo I guess in the eventual aftermath of segregation finally being abolished - but it was also a time when black people faced a lot of more insidious and subtle injustice. so I cared about the characters a lot.

I think the author did a wonderful job of spanning over a long period of time in the writing which I can say personally is something I find hard to do. and as I said, it helped that the main plot points and obstacles were pretty straightforward because it meant I could focus on the character moments. I definitely think this novel was very much character-driven, as the main character, roy, hit a roadblock, so to speak, when he went to jail, and things only made a turn when he was released. and I mean I know people are often (almost always) meh about love triangles, but they’re actually a big weakness of mine when done right and this was so done right. I love the idea of best friends with a shared history who fall for each other over years and years with a delicious kinda slowburn (I say kinda bc it’s more complicated than that) that honestly makes my heart ache.

I think this was a beautiful book that made me sob. what hit me the hardest, I think, was that the thing that fractured what could have been a beautiful marriage the most was the systemic racism that led to roy being imprisoned in the first place. I mean it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve heard of black men being accused of various crimes they never committed. but what got me was that at no point did celestial think her husband was guilty. nor did any of roy’s family, really. it was far more about how roy drifted from his wife as an inevitable result of the distance between them physically and emotionally. 10/10 would recommend.

#an american marriage #tayari jones #rape cw #reading tag #mine

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narrowtriangle33-blog · 3 years

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Quotes that accurately describe White Trump Voters.

"It’s not just that he’s white. White people sneer at, mock, ostracize, and generally hate on other white people all the time. It’s that he DELIVERS RACISM and THAT is the priority to his base. This is what gets me when writers and thinkers wring their hands in befuddlement, like Nichols is doing, about how Trump’s base can “vote against their own interests.” They’re not! They’re prioritizing the babies in cages, the “shithole countries” remarks, the deadly Charlottesville clashes with literal fucking Nazis, etc OVER health care, transitioning the economy away from fossil fuels, education, assistance to the poor, and whatever other liberal agenda items one would think would be natural, rational fits for the Cleti everywhere.

These people are absolutely voting in their own interests, and getting exactly what they wanted out of the Trump admin. He has been a tremendous success in their eyes because he has delivered racism since Day 1, and that’s what they want out of politics."

"This, They will never -ever- admit it, outside of trolling on the net, but Trump has done more to support their views and find great joy in it then any GOP member before.

He’s all but given up on the dog whistles, once he found out that the media will simply ‘tut-tut’ and that delights his base. Even when he does something that will fuck them over, they overlook it because he continues to advance their agenda with huge leaps. Most of the never-Trumpers discovered early on that going against him can lead to getting primaried and Mitch is content to let Trump do whatever the fuck he wants with limited disagreement, because he’s busy installing GOP goal friendly judges everywhere.

The DNC’s response has been to avoid rocking the boat as much as they can by offering up Joe with a bone thrown to black people with a possable black woman VIP. (If that even happens), but the chances are high that Trump will get another four years to continue to do as he likes. And what will the Dems do? Protest and throw shade and offer limited resistance that won’t slow down Trump for a second.

People don’t like to even entertain the idea that Trump will win, but without a huge number of people turning out against them, what else can they expect will happen?"

"My father HATED John Wayne with a burning passion that I remember from age 3-4! He loved Westerns but he would spend the entire movie foaming at the mouth at all the racist tropes and outright historical lies of each one of them! Honestly, although he loved thoughtful rap, I think he idolized Chuck D for simply uttering his infamous lyric!

Now that I’ve reached a certain age, I find I love Westerns too - but not John Wayne, Clint Eastwood or any old ones. I like the newer ones that speak to what deplorables white cowboys were: The Revenant, Bone Tomahawk, Hostiles and the like. They’re still white-centered and white-washed but any modern thinking person can see that the cowboy image should stand for nothing but a savagely cruel, thieving, raping murderer (and we’ve been consistently lied to)."

"Does Trump accept responsibility and look out for his team? Not in the least. In this category, he exhibits one of the most unmanly of behaviors: He’s a blamer. Nothing is ever his fault."

"This is nothing but rose-colored bullshit. Anyone who’s ever spent more than 5 minutes working in corporate life knows for the most part this isn’t how white men behave. Those offices are full of extremely mediocre men who are very confident and have nothing to back it up with other than their bluster, egos, and the generational wealth that allows them a leg up over others. That generational wealth allows them to go to the diploma mills that open doors for them. Admitting mistakes or even admitting just not knowing something in that environment comes off as weakness to them. They spend most of their energy trying to project the image of confidence and control, which is why they’re quick to rage when things don’t go their way. A good example is the douche bag running Quibi that gave that horrendus interview a couple of weeks ago. He was asked a couple of questions about why his company was failing while other streaming services are thriving, and where they might have went wrong in their business model. He didn’t accept responsibility for shit. He went into his hurt little feelings and attacked the interviewer, and tried to make the questions seem like they weren’t valid.

On steroids this white American exceptionalist world view is called patriotism. It manifests in the idea that we as a country can do things counter intuitive the rest of the world just because we’re the USA. More mass shootings by far than any other country? USA! Other countries have cheap/free education through college? So what, USA! Biden even displayed this during one of the debates when Warren pointed out the same disparity in our healthcare compared to every other developed nation. Guess how he responded.

I feel like I started rambling a little but what I’m trying to get at is that whiteness, toxic masculinity, and patriotism are so intertwined that its beyond the author of that Trump think piece."

"Funnily enough as the article and subject matter were in regard to racism in the US I didn’t feel a burning need to mention Indigenous Australians but to answer your question they are pretty much in the same boat as black Americans. Did anything I say imply otherwise or were you just fishing for an argument?

"Stupid as it is, “You’re a manly-man, right? So why is your manly-man leader such a cowardly little pussy?”

That’s not what he projects and that’s not what they see. They see him using aggressive and accusatory tones and language all the time and it makes him look tough."

They fall for the “Emporor Has No Clothes” routine because they never look at him critically. They buy the bullshit on the surface, and don’t see that his words never match his actions. He said on tv several times that if anyone in the country wants a Covid test, they can get tested. Ask them how many people they know whose jobs don’t require it, have actually been tested. He down played the death toll of this disaster every step of the way. Remember when we were supposed to be in church for Easter? As long as he lies with confidence, they’ll follow him to hell."

"I’m definitely tired, and frustrated, and everything else. I keep holding my nose and voting, and that only adds to the exhaustion and frustration because very little if anything seems to change, and in some ways we keep repeating the mistakes of the past. I’d never advocate for doing nothing, but trying to engage and challenge the average Republican-voting dipshit to think critically, and not keep supporting people and policies that perpetuate and exacerbate the problems this country has??? No thanks. If you’re not black, I so encourage you to take up that mantle, but for me as a black dude in this country I can’t. Talk about shooting the messenger. Plus, to keep it a buck, this is mostly white people’s mess, if not all. They need to fix it.

Honestly I feel like racism festers because most white people just look the other way. The racism of their peers/friends/relatives doesn’t impact them personally so they’re probably just people to be avoided. Why rock the boat when you can just avoid an uncomfortable topic? Joe might forward you Fox News and OANN stories, and racist FB memes, but he’s fun at Bills games. Well what if Joe is also a cop, or in a management position over minorities? You can bet money he takes those views you overlooked with him to his job. The PoC he interacts with won’t have the benefit of seeing him at Bills games, or might not even have the benefit of being seen as equals."

"People get so caught up in the blatant, mustache-twirling racism that they don’t see the subtle pervasive way it spreads like a cancer. For every Trump there are dozens Joes, and along with the Joes are the real problem: The people who ignore the Joes. The Joes and Karens go on to commit all kinds of microaggressions that Poc pretty much have to tolerate, and in Joe’s and Karen’s minds that’s just the way the world works. I deserved to get followed around Joe’s store. I came in wearing a hoodie and Adidas so I couldn’t be up to any good. Karen felt threatened when I walked into the building she lives in, so she felt justified to call the police, never mind the fact that I live there too. This is how deep this shit runs. It’s not just politics. Racism isn’t just baked into politics. It’s part of the flour the US was baked with.

So I appreciate you if you’re willing to call these fools out. I’m glad somebody is because I’m not wasting my breath. They won’t hear me anyway."

"I mean if Tom Nichols was in front of me and read this steaming pile of shit to me I would’ve slapped him silly and said the reason that people that look like you excuse all of his fuck ups, failings and mistakes is because well HE LOOKS LIKE YOU!!!! The question that none of these mouth breathing chud monkeys seem to want to answer or are incapable of answering is would you excuse any black, Hispanic or Asian man that had his resume? We know the fucking answer.

When this bloated piece of unseasoned chicken shut down the government in January of 2019 hurting his all white, poorly educated base the most a quote from a voter in Florida was burned into my head forever. She said upon not getting her government subsidized check (I mean they have no issues with the government helping them, it is those pesky brown people that are lazy and entitled) “He is not hurting the people he is supposed to be hurting.” Let that sink in. A voting US Citizen thought it was the job of the sitting *president to hurt people. That says it all. Their allegiance isn’t based in anything other than anger and hatred of those that they deem less than them. Fuck him and them and may they both rot in hell."

"“He is not hurting the people he is supposed to be hurting.”

That spontaneous, bewildered, stream of consciousness utterance by someone who doesn’t think critically but has an indwelt recognition of like-mindedness IS the Trump voter exemplified! A racist who found themselves too poor, too old and without the power to demand or protect the status quo and just wants to stick it to their perceived enemies while retaining ‘something’ for themselves.

That sentiment has fueled every waking thought, worry and action of an American white since the founding of this country.

So, it’s not just every Confederate flag waver, every neo-Nazi and every flyover state’er; it’s every aggrieved American white who had to accept the changing world around them; there’s no reasoning with them nor changing their minds.

My fear is that I’m becoming inhumane like them because I was soooo happy when he cut her Meals on Wheels and didn’t cut her Social Security check."

"I think you nailed this right on the head. All through the article, he keeps pointing out what we already know except for one thing. After all, why would white people elect someone who is so far outside of what they claim to be/stand for? He’s not conservative in any real way. Yet conservatives stand behind him. He’s not a Christian in any practical sense by his actions. Yet Christians say he’s sent by God. He’s not a good businessman, father, or even person. Yet here we are. The only answer that makes sense in any real way is that he is proof that to many people, any white man can do the same or better than even the best black man, woman, or POC in general. There’s always a backlash to progress both real and imagined. Trump is it."

"Also, a lot of the characteristics Nichols thinks represent the opposite of idealized masculinity are actually representative of masculinity as it is performed in this country. From my experience with men who lean into their masculinity, it is about performing dominance by antagonizing people, all in the service of making shallow, insecure men feel better about themselves. Trump is a domineering asshole, which is what too many men think being a man is all about."

"It is fascinating how unbelievably brainless racists are. Many of the commenters and you Damon have pointed out the stupidity of racism. I mean this seriously, racists have absolutely abandoned intellect, progress, humanity or desire for real greatness that could manifest through equality, in order to hold onto the despicable delusion of superiority based solely on a human having more melanin than another. The sheer simplicity of the trick doesn’t even seem like it should work; but alas, all roads merge at Slave Rd. The dimwitted aptitude it takes for a person to actually believe stealing humans, beating, burning, assaulting, selling their children on auction blocks, splitting families (and more brutalities)...... all for greed born out of sheer laziness, and again stupidity is mindblowing. You literally must turn your brain off to be a racist, and you see it now. Millions of white people, with switch STILL off, courtesy of their forefathers, have continued down this same disastrous, nose-spite-ing road. There’s a lot of white people walking around with black kerchief’s, hiding the draining blood and a ragged hole where their nose once occupied, holding a tight grasp of their hate. Their greed. Trump finally allows them to remove that blood soaked kerchief with pride for all the world see their disfigurement. It’s stunning that there is pride where instead, their should be pure shame for then and for now."

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snarktheater · 6 years

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Shadowhunters — Episode 2x12

You know, the more I delve into this show, the less I feel like it even deserves the snark treatment. I mean, look at this episode. It's…okay. Spoiler warning? Nah, it's just a statement of my opinion, I guess it's fine.

But yeah. This episode…it's fine. And in hindsight, while the show is flawed, it's…fine. It's not great, but definitely not bad enough to be worth this. So sometimes I'm like…why even bother? I mean, I can't even claim that snarking it is the only way I'll take the time to watch, since…you know. It's been a few months and season 3 is almost upon us. Again. Oops.

Existential crisis in the intro of my own posts aside, I'm going to finish this season at least, but I will have to do some soul searching eventually regarding season 3. And maybe it's just because this episode was all right and I'm just second-guessing myself for no good reason. That is very possible.

We left off our heroes with Magnus and Valentine having been body-swapped by the Greater Demon Azazel. That's not just to fuck with the heroes, mind you: Azazel wants the Mortal Cup too, and he wants Valentine to get it for him, which he can't do from a cell at the Institute.

Valentine, meanwhile, is freaking out about being in the body of a warlock, because racism, and if you think this won't actually impact the plot beyond one scene at the start…well, you're right. I guess hypocrisy is already part of his character, since he uses demons and magic even as he despises them, but this is on a whole new level, considering he's flinging spells like he's been doing it his whole life by the end of the episode. As you do, I guess.

But for now he's struggling to even Portal, let alone get the Cup. I mean, he also says the Cup is protected and he couldn't get to it as a Downworlder, but I'm not sure if he's lying to Azazel or genuine about that. Mostly because it never comes to that.

That's enough about Valentine for now. Let's check on our heroes. By which I mean Clary and Simon in bed, which is totally a visual I needed. Thanks, show. I'll skip over the banter and cut to the chase: Clary hasn't told Simon that Jace isn't her brother, while Simon hasn't told her that Raphael is blackmailing him for being a Daylighter. So, you know, healthy relationship stuff right there!

Clary's called away to deal with Azazel, and Simon…well, he's mostly stuck in his subplot this episode, as he tends to do for a surprisingly huge part of this show, now that I think about it. I wonder if someone, somewhere, is making a Simon-less cut of this show, and how much of the central plot would actually change, but I'd wager it's not that much.

Regardless, I'll get to his subplot first, because it's shorter that way. Isabelle's come back from the depths of addiction with Sebastian's help (of course), and so he asks her for help dealing with Raphael.

"I heard you guys were kinda seeing each other and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me out doing that thing you're really good at, you know, making a man bend to your every will."

One: that's a really fucked-up thing to say. I mean, it's horribly reductive of Isabelle's character and strength, especially since she hasn't really manipulated many people with sex in the show, all things considered. Plus, it erases Raphael's asexuality, which I'll remind you is textual in the show. I guess you could say Simon doesn't know, but Isabelle does and doesn't react.

Two: that also sounds like Simon wants to use sex to manipulate Raphael himself, and you know what? Why not.

Anyway, Isabelle tells him about the venom addiction, but she has another plan: to go visit Rosa Santiago, Raphael's sister (and therefore an old lady in a retirement home). Isabelle has Simon take a picture of her as counter-blackmail, because here's no way this could go wrong, right?

So it goes wrong, and Raphael Portals to the Jade Wolf (where Simon and Isabelle are celebrating victory) in the middle of the day to kill him. Because Raphael's also incredibly stupid, I guess. Sure, Luke's pack is a little understaffed right now, but again: broad daylight, and Raphael came with two vampires and a warlock. So he's easily chased off, but not before the other vampires see Simon in sunlight and figure out he's a Daylighter. On the plus side, that means things are actually moving there, so…yay?

Oh, also, before the attack, Isabelle told Simon about Jace and Clary not being related, so of course, at the end of the episode he confronts her. It doesn't go anywhere, but it does give us a moment of Simon being pissy about the whole thing (and I don't mean about her hiding it, that's a legit problem; I mean he's instantly jealous again), in case I'd forgotten why I don't like Simon.

I will also mention that Isabelle and Simon get another scene, where they're out at night after the whole debacle. And if you thought they'd run into vampires and we'd find out word has already spread about Simon…well, no, it's here mostly for ship tease, because Rosa thought they were a couple.

"Hey don't worry about Jace not being Clary's brother. Rosa's right, you're a catch."

Subtle.

But I still like this scene, because Simon tells her his mom's also recovering from addiction (I think alcoholism?) and tells her she should go to meetings, and she agrees to do it. I mean, this addiction subplot has been…a problem, but I'll take the silver lining. And the acknowledgment that she's not 100% back to normal.

Okay, with that bit of pointlessness out of the way, back to the actual plot. For once in their lives, our heroes did the right thing and warned everyone that Azazel was loose, and Imogen Herondale is even smart enough to wait until the crisis is over before considering punishment for even summoning him in the first place.

"To catch the Greater Demon you summoned to the Institute, defying all protocol—and common sense?"

I mean, she does get a rightful amount of sass, but still. I like her much better than her season 1 incarnation—or her book counterpart. If/when she dies I might feel sad about it, too.

Isabelle, who as I already mentioned is much better regarding her addiction, convinced Sebastian to come along to the Institute (or…"convinced", I guess I should say, because…come on, of course he wanted to become part of the group). And since he just so happens to be an expert in Greater Demons, he provides them with all the information they need on Azazel's weakpoint. Which is just…a spot on his spine, while in human form. If you think this is boring, you're right. If you think this means the show's already tired of Azazel, you're also right.

See, Alec doesn't fully trust Sebastian (and rightfully so, but we're not supposed to know that, guys). So he goes to Magnus for help tracking down Azazel. Of course, it's actually Valentine, and also, Azazel's actually there to force Valentine to give him the Cup, so Alec shoots him…right in the weak spot, banishing him back to whatever Hell dimension he's from. That's…maybe ten minutes into the episode, by the way.

So what's the rest of our plot about? Well, the body-swapping issue. See, Valentine did apparently trust Azazel to return him to his body (or at least a Shadowhunter body, Azazel's wording seemed to hint at the latter) and even tried to stop Alec from banishing him. But now that he's gone…well, we gotta find another solution. And to compound the whole issue, Magnus (in Valentine's body) is being tortured for information he doesn't have, no one believes his claim to be Magnus Bane, and Imogen decides partway through the episode to have him executed because she'll never manage to get the Cup's location out of him.

And I don't know how I feel about that last part. I mean, it's probably her prerogative as Inquisitor, but you'd think the Clave would want someone as high profile as Valentine to at least show up in Alicante as a prisoner, if only for the optics of it? Plus, it seems she acknowledges that torture won't work (and therefore, that she's aware it doesn't always work), but then…why torture him at all? And why skip straight to execution? If you know torture is unreliable, why not use other methods?

Sadly, these are all ethical issues the show will not address today.

Well, anyway. Magnus does manage to tell Alec stuff about their offscreen relationship history that makes Alec wonder if he might be telling the truth. If you think this will matter, you are wrong, by the way.

Because meanwhile, Valentine has Dorothea teach him magic, claiming to have lost his memories during the fight with Azazel. Dorothea sounds dubious of it, and even notices that he sounds and acts like Valentine, but she still teaches him, so…chuck that up as another weird point that won't be addressed, I guess.

With magic, Valentine takes Jace hostage, and offers to trade him for his freedom (and his body back). So, as I said, Alec realizing Magnus is really Valentine and vice versa goes nowhere, because he plays along the Inquisitor's plan until the very last minute, and even then, he only changes his mind because Valentine makes his move, not…you know, because of love or trust in Magnus or anything silly like that.

Before I proceed, I guess I should mention the other subplot in this episode. Remember how Clary's sun rune failed against Azazel? Yeah, apparently this is a thing and she can't use her fancy special runes anymore. So when, post-Alec banishing Azazel, Imogen asks to test Jace and Clary's abilities, she agrees, going against Jace's advice to never trust the Clace. That test, by the way, is pointless, safe for this eventually-ironic exchange between Jace and Clary:

"Can't be easy being a Herondale." "Oh, yeah. Must be tough being like Shadowhunter royalty. All this power, prestige."

What is relevant is that after that (and Clary still failing to use her runes), Sebastian comes for a one-on-one with Clary, telling her her problem might be emotional, since she lost her mother and then "lost" her brother when it turned out Jace isn't her brother, and therefore she has no family left. It's…a weird statement, but it's made by a villain, so I'm going to assume he's correct and manipulating Clary.

Okay, now that you're caught up on that, back to our hostage situation. One, Imogen agrees to a rescue, because Valentine reveals that Jace is her grandson, which he proves by…showing her he took the Herondale family ring off of Céline Herondale's corpse. Who was…only a Herondale by marriage, and doesn't really prove that Jace is her son, but whatever, we'll roll with it because we all know he's telling the truth, for a change.

So they let Magnus (in Valentine's body) go to Magnus's flat, where the real Valentine is waiting with Jace. Alec, Clary and Sebastian are secretly following—Sebastian being there at Clary's insistance, because I guess the Institute had no other Shadowhunter to spare and all these extras we keep seeing are just the maintenance crew or something.

Anyway, Valentine (still in Magnus's body and with Magnus's magic) turns on the wards that protect Magnus's flat, so they can't get in to capture him / prevent him to escape / get Magnus and Jace back. So it's up to Clary and her special runes to break through…which she only manages after Sebastian pushes her to embrace her feeling of grief over her mom's death and "losing" Jace. Which…I guess is something she really did feel grief over? She literally starts crying, then angry-drawing her rune, and it works.

And it's…a weird moment. What is Sebastian's point here? Is this some kind of Dark Side of the Force, "embrace your emotions to be stronger" deal? Is there some other plan going on, like he's trying to make her feel grief over having no family left so that she'll love him more once he reveals he's her brother? I don't know.

Meanwhile, Magnus and Valentine trade bodies again with a spell in Latin that's…close, but still wrong.

"Relite animus nostrus in earum corpora."

"animus nostrus" is singular, and I'm not entirely sure how Latin handles the distributive, but I would have used he plural. And even if the singular is correct here, then "corpora" is plural and you need to change that. Either way, one of them is wrong.

"Relite" feels like it should be a verb based on "ire" to mean "to go back", but…no, you were thinking of redire, which in the imperative should be "redite". Of course the imperative is also wrong, since imperative doesn't work with the third person, so you should have gone with the subjunctive (this is even what happens in English, by the way, you wouldn't say "our souls, go back to our own bodies", you'd say "let our souls go back to our own bodies"), so…redeat/redeant? Depending on whether it is singular or plural.

"Earum" means, literally "of these [people, feminine]". So for starters, you wanted to go "eorum" since they're men. Unless Harry Shum was botching the pronunciation, I mean. Then there's the fact that it's badly used. Yes, using the demonstrative in the genitive case as a third person possessive is, when the possessor is not the subject of the sentence, is the right way to go (so instead of saying "his/her/their", you say "of him/her/them"). The problem here is that…the possessor is not third person. I mean, it's right there, two words earlier: "nostrus". Our. Because you're the ones speaking this, and also the ones who own the bodies. Now, I guess they were going for something along the lines of "our own", which I'm honestly not sure how to express in Latin, but am certain this isn't it.

Yes, I just did that. I'm that petty. And bored. Cut me some slack. You should know what to expect on this blog by now.

Anyway, they get their bodies back, the gang comes in before Valentine can escape, and Valentine is locked up again. This episode does feel pretty pointless when you look at it like that: all it did was undo the cliffhanger from the last episode. And get Sebastian into the Institute, which is non-negligible.

I will say that I appreciate the wrap-up this episode features, though. Alec apologizes to Magnus for the torture he underwent. I don't think Alec did any of it himself—the worst he got was yelling at Magnus for…saying he was Magnus—but since Alec did almost stand by while he was executed, an apology is the least Magnus deserves.

And I've gotta wonder why it is that this season keeps putting Alec in the bad spot here. Because it does. And I guess it's progress to making Magnus do tons of shitty things to Alec, but this…isn't really an improvement for their relationship as a singular entity.

Speaking of apologies, Sebastian also apologizes if he upset Clary by making her embrace grief and whatnot. She's fine with it, because it restored her rune ability and she was feeling pointless without it. No, really, she said that earlier. He also asks her out to dinner, and so for the first time in my life, I'm glad that Clary is currently dating Simon, because that means she turns him down. Dodged that bullet. For now.

And finally, we end the episode on Imogen accepting Jace as her grandson.

"Now I know where that bold defiance of yours comes from. You're just like your father."

The guy who betrayed everything you and your family stood for and joined an extremist cult where he was killed? Yeah, that's not as big a compliment as the show seems to think.

But yeah, she tells him he has a family now, and a pretty noble one at that. So, again, we'll ignore Stephen and also Imogen herself, who I'm pretty sure tried to kill Isabelle last season and now almost killed Magnus. Not to mention, wanted to kill Valentine, because fuck due process or even letting others try to get valuable intelligence out of him.

"Now, my boy, you are about to find out what it means to be a Herondale."

Well, when you put it like that, it almost sounds ominous.

And that's the episode. And yeah, I've ranted a lot more than I thought myself capable, but I still stand by my stance from earlier.

Sure, it didn't accomplish much, although we did get progress on the Simon front. And it didn't fall for obvious pitfalls with the bodyswapping plot (I was especially worried they'd have some kind of sexual interaction between Alec and not-Magnus, which thankfully didn't happen), so I'll call that a win? Or at least, not a loss.

Also: special shout-out to Harry Shum Jr, who was absolutely spectacular as Valentine in Magnus's body. Because I'm sure my opinion matters a lot to him.

#You Are Not Your Own #Jamie Gorenberg #Bille Woodruff #shadowhunters #Todd Slavkin #Darren Swimmer #mcg #series #TV series #review #reviews #series review #series reviews #the shadowhunter chronicles #cassandra clare #st: shadowhunters s2

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girlonfilmmovies · 4 years

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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

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fulltimereviewer · 4 years

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50 Best Zootopia Fanfiction On The Internet

Top 50 Best Zootopia Fanfiction That You Haven't Read

Our Title and Heading say' it all today we have some of the best Zootopia fanfiction stories for you fanfiction lovers, and if you guys were searching for these Fanfiction Zootopia stories the search no further. we hope you guys love our best collection of top-rated series, anime, games and movie collection.

Zootopia was released in 2016 in America that too in 3d, it is basically a computer-animated comedy film. From this journey, there have been many Zootopia Fanfiction Lovers all around the globe. Zootopia was released by Walt Disney pictures and the exact release date of Zootopia is February 13, 2016. Let's Begin Our Collection of the Best Zootopia Fanfiction on the internet.

Straight_up_geek Why did Disney make me ship and bunny and a fox together??

Kido Zootopia is one of the few Disney movies I feel actually NEEDS a sequel. There’s so much more world and character building they could do.

zootman Ive never gone crazy with any disney princess couples, but now im shipping a bunny and a fox so hard. Omg

arman-shk If you ship Judy and Nick put a thumbs up. And if you want to let me know why you ship them.

peolk.s Ok but low key Judy and nick remind me so much of rapunzel and Eugene. Must be the similarities that make both of them my favorite movies and characters😍

super35 Why Did Disney Tell Me To Ship Them , THEN NO KISSING SCENE?!?!

love_u I'd be more than happy to see them as an official couple. And if there's a sequel on the way...lead down that road

here_i_am That's now what I say to my friends in gta when somebody attacks me. "Boys, Ice Em "

dum dudu If ever there was an Oscar for best animated performance, Nick Wilde would easily win. Jason Bateman really delivered with this role, especially the fact that he improvised a lot of the dialogue.

c@re They are cute couple specially the fox ia handsome and the bunny is so cute Zootopia was the 55th Disney feature animated movie, Byron Howard and Rich Moore were the directors of this movie. Fanfiction Zootopia lovers are also huge fans of these two individuals. The Co-director of Zootopia was Jared Bush. Zootopia Fanfiction Human Voice lovers who love the voice in the film are mentioned below.

We hope you guys liked our collection of the best Zootopia Fanfiction Updates, that we are providing you guys. Please share this as much as possible.

Zootopia Fanfiction Human version 2020

The voices that rocked the movie all around the world were Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, and others are mentioned down below in the other section of this Zootopia Fanfiction Stories article. The reason why we give the emphasis on these Zootopia fanfiction human voice personalities were the real reason for the blockbuster of Zootopia. YB Judy: it just burns me up to see such a bad attitude forwards foxes.. Also Judy: carries an anti fox spray Alyssa Love the subtle racism. She is surprised that a fox can be smart, and condescendingly praises him for being "articulate." Nick sarcastically calls her non-patronizing afterwards. 😂 Fallen Tacozz Judy: Are your costumers aware... They are getting snot and mucus with there cookies and cream. Boy elephant: Spits out ice cream on girl elephant: )X Random person Judy: are your customers aware their getting snot and mucus in their cookies and cream The couple with cookies and cream: OH FUC- Brandon Christopher The initial prejudice by the cop to assume that violence (reaching for her weapon) was the best way to handle the Fox... That's how it is and feels. Plus being judged by the owner of the ice cream shop in front of everyone is demeaning as well...for example when you're followed around the store and treated poorly wherever you go. (Black people of color equal income and credit get less money for loans for homes and businesses than white people of the exact same qualifications.) Rhonda howard Even when she thinks she's done something nice she's still treating them like they're less than with her tone as the Fox points out. lego nightwing Prejudice is going away but it's still very real. I appreciate all people white, black and all colors and backgrounds who understand this and fights against it. jackson selqiust "Now that is high praise. It's rare that I find someone so non-patronizing." blitz sapphire This is a great subtle jab Nick makes at Judy here that flew over my head the first time I heard it. The praise that Judy gives him is so condescending when you really think about it. It's that "wow, you're really well-spoken for a black person" compliment. Roeland Farah The fur textures in this movie are amazing. Blows my mind tbh Hoping that you guys liked our collection of the best Zootopia Fanfiction Human Version, that we are providing you guys. Please share this as much as possible. Fanfiction Zootopia Stories Updated in 2020 The Story of Zootopia revolves around the unlikely relationship or you can say the partnership between a very smart red fox and a rabbit police officer(who always dreamt of being an officer since Her Childhood). That's why people love Such Fanfiction Zootopia stories. These two try to find out a criminal conspiracy that connects them to the unusual disappearance of the predators. miss anime "I'd lose my head if it weren't attached to my neck. That's the truth." So me😂😂 dylingr The writing in this scene is so well-written. It captures both the big and small instances of racism that often happens; both the hostile side and the non-hostile side. Favorite moments: "I'm such a..." "You probably can't read, fox" "I just want to say you're a great dad and a real articulate fellow" "Oh, well that is high praise. It's rare that I find someone so non-patronizing. *fake smile*" citavalo If it ended it like that, you can call it a short animation with a message behind it. animal fafic I love this movie so much. It makes me smile, brings up all sort of expressions I'm not aware of until afterwards. That's how you know it's a good movie. You're so invested in it that you don't even know what your face looks like. You're just totally in the world of the film. John martin "real articulate fella" that's the best compliment you could come up with. Did you think he couldn't speak English or something and are pleased he can. Dude you deserved to be had xxlinuxxx Fashionably late guys. Or a sloth uploaded it or something "new and hip" like that lmao. bazil I had this happen at a store when I came in to do some grocery shopping. I'm the type to wear band tees and jeans (it goes with the story I'm about to tell) and that's my usual attire. takimg a shower, dried my hair (which is always wavy and voluminous) brushed my teeth, had to go out to get food. already had some items in my basket when I was looking around in one aisle and an employee who was stocking items was watching me. I smiled at them and went back to looking at the boxes of pasta in front of me. Next thing I know, I have the manager asking me what I was doing and the guy I smiled at standing behind him. bazil I was asked for my ID and when I did, they said that it was fake. I do look younger than I am. They asked me to leave. I said I had money and wanted to pay for my items. They said I won't be paying with anything that's not mine (they thought my ID was fake and my credit cards were fake, therefore, believing I am a thief..like I was just going to walk out with my basket) I said, no everything I have is real and that I'm not a teen looking to steal. Even when I showed the manager my credit cards, he automatically said, "That doesn't mean anything to me." I got a full "up down" look from the stocking guy, like just because I'm very skinny with wild hair and had on a band tee and ripped jeans didn't mean shit. I put my basket down and left. odinia legend has it you can still her the toot toot to this day raven paruli Me: this cookies and cream ice cream is really great! News Cast says that there is bacteria in ice cream We are sure that you people loved our collection of the best Fanfiction Zootopia stories, that we are providing you guys. Please share this as much as possible. Zootopia Fanfiction Lemon Series As the Story continues the fox fond himself having a crush on the lady rabbit officer. We are sure that we have some of the dirty-minded people here visiting this webpage about Zootopia Fanfiction Lemon Stories. Zootopia was released in Belgium in 2d, Digital 3d and also in ReadD 3d, the best was Imax 3d formats in the united states. Mr Choice "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" Some establishments are still like that sadly mr abby wabby The moment I first seen this movie and I seen the elephant don't got gloves for they trunks I was like HEALTH HAZARD! 😂lmao puffered fish The ONLY thing I can think of when I see this scene is how unsanitary that ice cream place is XD xin yi zou The thing that always is in my mind is that Judy is my name as well 😂😂😂 warrior dragon564 Got a genuine laugh outta me when i read the description about he uncensored version, lol The killer Me: sees naked animals gagging Also me: sees Marina without her off the hook outfit THIS JUST GROSS AND DISGUSTANG blazelth Only real flaw I can spot: showing Bellweather as the villain in the "trailer". They went out of their way to hide the fact that she was the villain in all the advertising so it could be a big shock once the reveal happened in the movie sea slat Welcome to the Kill Count, where we tally up the victim in all our favorite horror movies! I'm James A. Janisse and today we're looking at Zootopia anonymous FINALLY I GOT WHAT THE HELL I WANTED HE KILLED HER YASS IT FINALLY MAKES SENS Battlr bin me: expects a short fan film casually looks at the duration bar at the bottom left corner me: confused screaming Make sure that you people loved our collection of the best Zootopia Fanfiction Lemon stories, that we are providing you guys. Please share this as much as possible. Zootopia fanfiction Crossover People Also Like the Zootopia Fanfiction crossover stories that why! we also have a series of the best zootopia crossover fanfiction and we can also Zootopia Fanfiction Crossover as well. joseph lay Judy:“You have to let me go” Nick:“I don’t want to let you go” That broke my heart 😭 unfc Judy: "I'm in love with a fox" The entire zootopia universe: "Say sike rn" susanana Nick: “honey tell them to buzz off” “honey who is it?” Awe he already has little names to call Judy 🥺🥰😂 skelei bones Me: sees Miles Walker Miles Walker: future mayor Me: he is evil 😏 max jordon "i call bull.." Nick: "close.. but no dice.. its a buffalo!" swear jokes no3 drive Is everyone just going to skip past the part where Nick goes “and I’m her boy toy 😏 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯” jennings Y'all see the phone, during Nick's song, that shows the sheep holding a gun? destiny ganfic " I bet you use your hand everynight" I laughed so hard when judy said that Alpha 3.o Disney wouldn't have the guts to make a sequel like this. kurt langberg Coffee? You know what that means? Yes, we’ve watched Luke Cage. We know what “coffee” means. we are sure that you guys liked our collection the 50 best Zootopia Fanfiction Stories and people can also say that fanfiction Zootopia stories. It depends on the fanfiction lovers interset. If you people have any suggestions or want any other fanfiction stories like this Zootopia Fanfiction Stories, you can comment down in the comment section below of this article on Fanfiction Zootopia Updates. We just want to make sure that you guys love these Zootopia Fanfiction stories and always keep on reading such Zootopia Fanfiction Crossover. Share these Zootopia Fanfiction Crossover Series to the other fanfiction lovers who are searching for such Fanfiction Zootopia Stories all over the internet. Thank you Best Pokemon Fanfiction Stories Read the full article

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5hfanfiction · 7 years

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Women's March -- 1-21-2017

Women’s March

‘’LOVE TRUMPS HATE! LOVE TRUMPS HATE! LOVE TRUMPS HATE!’’ Lauren takes a moment to stop chanting the sentence over and over again and take a deep breath and look around. She can’t believe how many people showed up.

So many people who decided to show the world what they believe in. Show the world that they cannot be silenced. So many people who are taking action instead of only using words.

It’s moments like these that she feels proud to be a part of America. Of American history.

And history is being made today. Never before has there been a protest this big after a president’s inauguration. Never before has a president won with so many people voting against him. It’s a strange world we’re living in, and as of January 20th, it became even stranger and definitely scarier when Trump officially became president of the United States of America.

Lauren looks around, holding her sign that says ‘Hearts and minds alike unite in the name of Human Rights’ proudly in the air and grinning at the people around her. The second she heard there was going to be a Women’s March, she knew she had to be a part of it.

‘’Lauren, you alright?’’ her friend calls out, noticing the green-eyed girl growing quiet. But Lauren turns her grin towards her friend and nods quickly.

‘’Yeah, just appreciating the moment.’’ She tells her with a smile and her friend just nods with an understanding look.

The feeling of being here with all these people is hard to describe. Men and mostly women of all backgrounds, races, religions, sexual orientations, genders and classes have united. The feeling of belonging, of unity with all these people around her, is what stands out the most.

She doesn’t know these people but it feels like they are all her brothers and sisters, fighting for their rights and freedom with her. She knows they are all in this together.

She continues walking and prepares herself to start chanting along with the enormous crowd again when she spots a rainbow flag in the corner of her eyes. She turns towards it curiously and sees two girls standing close to each other, the flag wrapped around them both just like Lauren’s own rainbow flag is wrapped around her waist.

She sees them leaning in towards each other and she feels butterflies in her stomach from excitement. As soon as the girls kiss, people all around them start cheering loudly and Lauren cheers along. She feels represented.

One of the girls smiles at the other when they pull away and raises her sign that says ‘Love wins’ and people start cheering again.

All of a sudden a girl jumps towards the couple and starts jumping up and down with them excitedly with a big grin.

‘’Yes! Love wins, I’m proud of you girls! You are so welcome here, we love you!’’ she screams loudly and the crowd screams along with her. Lauren grins at the girl and watches her long dark brown hair bounce around her head.

When she turns around to let go of the girls and continue her march, Lauren sees her face and it seems like the world stops for a moment. Her brown eyes are sparkling, her hair is glowing in the gentle sunlight and her smile is enchanting.

Lauren’s lips part slightly as she looks at the girl who keeps yelling out sentences and a lot of people behind her seem to follow her lead, taking her undeniable enthusiasm and strength as an example.

Lauren finds herself infatuated immediately.

And then the girl turns to her in the middle of a twirl and their eyes connect. Lauren sees the rainbow stickers on her cheeks but the intense stare of the brown eyes and the power and confidence they carry make her knees weak.

Lauren forces herself to smile and give a subtle nod to the girl who grins back immediately with a little cute wave. She bites her lip momentarily and sends her a wink. Lauren feels like she might pass out right this second.

Then the girl turns around to the crowd behind her, putting her hands in the air. Lauren sees her take a deep breath and then hears a beautiful voice yell loudly:

‘’Tiny hands, tiny feet, all Trump does is tweet, tweet, tweet!’’

Lauren can’t hold back her laughter at that sentence and laughs loudly along with some other people in the crowd.

‘’Girl, good one!’’ A woman calls out before repeating the sentence and more people follow quickly.

The girl in front of her grins at the woman before looking back over at Lauren. She smiles again and then turns around to continue her march. Lauren tries to follow her with her eyes but she disappears in the crowd quickly.

She sighs and shakes her head. That was weird. This girl captured her attention for some odd reason and Lauren feels a little disappointed that she’s gone now.

Then she shakes her head. She needs to focus on why she’s here. She straightens out her leather jacket and pushes her sign back up in the air. The people around her are still screaming the girl’s sentence and Lauren joins in quickly with a wide grin.

After a few hours she lets herself fall down on the stairs of one of the many monuments in DC and grabs a bottle of water out of her bag. Her voice is cracking slightly now when she chants along with the crowd and her legs are tired.

She looks around to find her friends, but she kinda lost them in the mass of people. They agreed on a meeting point before the march in case they would lose each other, so Lauren knows she’ll meet them there when the march is over.

‘’Hey there.’’ A voice says to her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looks up while gulping down some water and then almost chokes.

The same girl from before is walking up to her and sits down next to her without any hesitation.

‘’Uh, hi.’’ Lauren says with a smile, watching as the girl stretches out her limbs quickly.

‘’Crazy experience, huh? Unbelievable how many people showed up today.’’ The girl says with a smile and Lauren can only nod in agreement. From up close, this girl looks even more stunning.

‘’Oh yeah, definitely. There is such an exhilarating and electrifying energy around here, it’s amazing. I never felt anything like this.’’ Lauren answers and sees the girl nod in agreement quickly.

‘’Yeah, for sure. I love that there’s so many men walking around here too. Gives me a little more hope for the future, which we know will be crazy either way.’’ She says with a chuckle and Lauren feels butterflies.

Her voice sounds so angelic, so beautiful. Her face is breath-taking and her body is unreal. She’s wearing some dark skinny jeans and a crop top which shows a part of her stomach and says: ‘Born this gay.’ Lauren smiles and has to be careful she won’t start drooling around her.

‘’I know, who knows what’s going to happen. I’m just glad we’re so united and peaceful today. That really shows a strong message, I think. It’s inspiring.’’ Lauren answers and the girl nods and looks around the thousands of people.

‘’How many people do you think are here?’’ she asks and Lauren shrugs.

‘’Not sure, easily over a million I think. But all around the world people are marching. It’s incredible, really.’’ She says and the girl turns to her with a big smile.

‘’Really? I haven’t been online since I got here, but that’s amazing.’’

‘’Yeah, in a lot of big cities people are joining us. I’ve seen sister marches in Paris and Amsterdam for example.’’ Lauren replies and the girl chuckles.

‘’So even at the other side of the world people realize this man is crazy.’’ She says with a laugh and Lauren laughs along with her.

‘’So… tiny hands, tiny feet, all Trump does is tweet, tweet, tweet?’’ Lauren asks with a smile and Camila bursts out laughing.

‘’Yeah…’’ she says, holding her stomach and grinning over at Lauren who beams back at her.

‘’How did you even come up with that?’’

The girl shrugs. ‘’Not sure, seeing your pretty face must have inspired me. Plus, his hands are like… really tiny.’’

Lauren laughs again while a light blush makes its way to her cheeks. This beautiful goddess just called her pretty and Lauren can’t handle it.

‘’My name is Camila, by the way.’’ The girl says, reaching out her hand to introduce herself.

‘’Lauren.’’ The green-eyed girl answers, shaking Camila’s hand in greeting. She feels Camila squeeze her hand a little before letting go and for some reason her hand starts tingling.

‘’Gotta say, Lauren, that rainbow flag looks good on you.’’ Camila says, pointing at the flag wrapped around her waist with a smile and a sweet wink that makes Lauren blush again.

‘’Thanks, the rainbows on your cheeks are cute as well.’’ She counters and smiles in victory when Camila blushes now as well.

‘’Thank you.’’ Camila smiles back at her, her eyes lingering on Lauren’s for a moment longer than necessary and Lauren swallows. She looks away and sees two elderly women walking along side each other, each with a sign in their hands.

‘’Camila, look at that, that is amazing!’’ Lauren says to her, pointing over to the women with signs that read:

‘Can’t believe I still have to protest for my rights.’ And ‘Now you pissed off grandma.’

‘’Oh my god, those are really good!’’ Camila laughs along with her.

They continue pointing out hilarious and genius signs to each other and make small talk and Lauren feels like she’s in heaven.

‘’So, why are you here today, Lauren?’’ Camila asks and Lauren turns to look at that dazzling smile.

‘’Well, to make a statement. I believe love is the key to a good society and all Trump is doing is spread hate and divide us, make people stand against each other. He makes racism, sexism, bigotry, misogyny and bullying seem normal and that’s not a country I want to live in. Those are not the values I want to live by. He is creating so much hate and he is threatening the lives and rights of so many people and I couldn’t just stay away. Maybe this march won’t help but I just couldn’t let my voice be silenced.’’ She replies and Camila looks at her with a mixture of what seems like pride and adoration in her eyes.

It makes her heart skip a beat and Lauren smiles at her. ‘’What about you?’’

Camila blinks quickly, looking like she had to pull herself out of her thoughts, and takes a deep breath.

‘’I feel like he’s threatening my existence along with so many others. I’m Cuban-Mexican-American, I’m gay and I’m a woman. I am pretty much everything he is against. I’m here to show him that I matter and that every single person in this country matters.’’

‘’That’s beautiful.’’ Lauren tells her with a smile and it makes Camila blush a little once more. Then she points over to a little girl holding a small sign.

‘’That’s also why I’m doing this.’’ She says, and Lauren reads the sign the young girl is holding:

‘Girl power.’

‘’I love it. All these statements, it’s so inspiring.’’ Lauren tells her, watching the little girl walk with what seem to be her mothers with a proud look.

‘’Want to make a statement?’’ Camila speaks up, looking at the monument behind her with a smirk and Lauren looks at her questioningly.

‘’Always. What do you have in mind?’’

Camila smiles and points towards the statue behind them before grabbing Lauren’s hand and pulling her up.

‘’Follow me.’’ She says and Lauren grins as she watches Camila climb up the statue.

With a shake of her head and a quick look around she decides to just follow her and enjoy the moment. Her heart flutters again when Camila looks down at her with a beautiful smile and motions her to climb up too.

Lauren jumps into action and climbs up as well, reaching Camila at the top quickly. The brown-eyed beauty is sitting down on one shoulder of the statue and Lauren sits down on the other one.

‘’Alright, let’s make a statement. Give me your flag.’’ Camila says. Lauren nods and struggles a bit to untie the flag from around her waist without falling but hands it over to Camila quickly. ‘’Please hold me, I don’t want to fall.’’

Lauren gulps and nods. She reaches out to Camila’s hips to steady her while Camila wraps the flag around the both of their shoulders, forcing them to be close to each other.

‘’Ready?’’ Camila asks with a smirk and Lauren can only nod, too curious to see what Camila will do next.

She watches her take a deep breath before yelling out to the crowd around them.

‘’Love not hate, will make America great!’’ she repeats it and Lauren immediately joins her, raising one fist in the air while letting her other hand linger around Camila to make sure they won’t fall.

The people around them look up and quickly start to cheer and chant along with them.

‘’Now let’s make a statement.’’ Camila says, reaching out to Lauren’s cheek to stroke it gently with her thumb.

The air is being pulled out of Lauren’s lungs immediately when she looks at her and butterflies erupt in her stomach. A smile takes over her face and she feels herself leaning in towards Camila, meeting her halfway.

Their lips touch softly in a kiss that shows such a clear message and Lauren can hear the faint cheers of the crowd in the background. But all she can focus on is Camila’s lips against hers.

They create a fire within her and sparks behind her closed eyelids. When she starts to slowly move her lips and feels Camila smile against her, her heart skips a beat. Her body heats up immediately as Camila captures her bottom lip and tugs on it gently.

When they pull away Lauren sees a beaming smile and sparkling eyes look at her and a wide grin appears on her own lips as well. Before she can do anything else, Camila leans in and kisses her again and there’s only one thing crossing her mind momentarily before the feeling of strength, acceptance and love of kissing Camila takes over her whole body.

Fighting for human rights has never felt better.

———————-

AN: First off, I want to thank every single person who went out and let their voices be heard today, all around the world.

We don’t know what’s next and what it will mean to each of our personal lives, but united we are strong. Never let your voice be silenced or your mind forced shut. Your life matters, your opinion matters, your rights matter and you matter. I think Lauren Jauregui and many more around the world showed us that today.

Never stop fighting for who you are and what you believe in. Love trumps hate, always<3

- Giny

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/ChooseYourLife

Tumblr: http://itsyourchoiceee.tumblr.com/

#UPDATE #one shot #AU #slash #camren #humour #romance fluff #submission #womens march

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ostensiblyexistential · 7 years

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This is an art blog. But this is not an art post. While I do use words artistically, this is not a piece of fiction or a work of poetry, but a personal post. While it may not be art, it’s certainly a catharsis, and in light of everything that’s been happening here in the US, this is a post I feel I need to make. I don’t have many followers, and many of the ones I do have I suspect are bots, so I doubt anyone will really see this, but still. This will be a long post. Please bear with me.

I dated a racist.

And I don’t mean just for, like, a few months and then when I found out he was so deplorable I left him. I mean for nearly 3 years.

“That’s disgusting.” Yes. You are correct. To write that sentence makes shudder. I want to vomit. I am disgusted with myself that this happened. But it happened, and I need to process that. I want people to know how someone could get herself caught up in something so awful. Why didn’t I leave? you ask. Ah, well, we’ll get to that. Sometimes it’s a bit more complicated, and not everyone can easily do the right thing by leaving…

First I want to talk about my background. Personally I think this is important, because context is, so I’d really like it if you read the next part, but if you are of the opinion that none of it matters, or, like, get bored half way through, please skip to the part where I tl;dr and read from there.

I am a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman, and as such, I have some privilege. I was born in Southfield, Michigan. I lived in Detroit, Michigan until I was 9. I attended a private school in Redford, Michigan for gifted children in the metro Detroit area. At least half of my classmates and friends, if not more, were black. At 9, my family moved to Dearborn, Michigan, which has a substantial Arab and Muslim population. I began public school in the 5th grade. In high school, I spent half of each day at a local community college campus taking advanced courses in math, science, and technology. This program pulled some of the best students from each of the three high schools in Dearborn. Again, at least half, if not more, of my classmates were Arabs. High school was post September 11th, just so you have an idea of the political climate of the nation during the entirety of my teens. At 18, after I’d graduated high school, I left Michigan and moved to Arizona, living and working in and around Phoenix, where I lived for the next 7 years. Many of my coworkers were Mexican immigrants or Mexican-Americans. I have absolutely no idea how anyone could think races other than white are less intelligent, or in any other way lower. I was surrounded by people of color my entire life; the concept that race makes someone less than is completely foreign to me, and so obviously and categorically false.

Tl;dr: I’m a white cis-het woman with all the privileges of the first three who’s been immersed in diversity her whole life.

So how did the topic of this post happen?

I didn’t know, not at first. In my experience, it’s kind of rare for someone to just straight up say, “Hey there, I’m a giant racist!” This is because I’m white. Racism is not directed at me, so I don’t know if someone’s racist or not until I actually see or hear it come from them. Our social circle was nearly non-existent and some topics just didn’t come up apparently, or when they did he stayed silent about them until one day when he decided not to be, but that wasn’t right away. Plus, in public, like many other racists, he hid this part of himself. When we went places, he wouldn’t make comments or disparage people. Not at first. That, to my horror, changed. But I’m getting ahead of myself; let’s go to when we met and go from there.

While in Phoenix, I worked as a server. At the last restaurant I worked at there, I ended up meeting someone who’d been sent to Phoenix for work. He was my last table for the day and somehow we ended up getting into a conversation that lasted beyond my work day. This… wasn’t normal for me. I really don’t like tables who are talkative, and would always try to find an excuse to get out of it without being impolite. But I couldn’t really find one, so I was kind of trapped. (In retrospect, the foreshadowing on that would be fantastic if it weren’t so personal and painful for me.) That was how it started out at first, but then topics ended up moving to things that I guess, you know, resonated with me, and I felt more comfortable.

We spent the next couple of days that he was in town together, getting to know each other. At the end of it, we decided to keep in contact. For the next year, we had a long distance relationship. We communicated every day. Once a month, we both took time off work and one of us would fly to see the other for a week. This was how I got to know him, and with hindsight, I believe that it was perhaps not the greatest way to really see someone, not the way we interacted. Our visits were isolated - we mostly spent the time together and didn’t go out very much.

After a year, we decided it was time to make things more permanent. Neither of us could sustain long distance, not financially, and it’s hard emotionally as well. It made more sense for me to move than him, so I did, across the country, and to a state where there’s snow, the exact thing I’d left Michigan to avoid. I’d spent a lot of my savings on these visits we’d been having, and used basically the rest of my savings to move. I took a year off work, so the meager amount of my own money I had when I first moved disappeared fast. Although he’d told me I wouldn’t have to work because he’d support me, that turned out not to be true, and I had to get a job.

He’d promised me a lot of things that didn’t come to fruition. He’d told me a lot of things about himself that simply weren’t true. Honestly, I don’t think he was lying on purpose, I think he just has really bad self-perception skills. The omissions, though, I’m not really sure about.

At around six months after I’d moved (so a year and a half into the relationship), I realized the huge mistake I’d made in involving myself with this man. I knew he wasn’t right for me, for more reason than one. He revealed his true self - an overt racist, an only slightly more subtle sexist, and an emotional abuser who wanted to control me rather than have an equal partner in the relationship. There were lots of small things that added up, and some bigger things that more than added up. I’d gotten myself into one of my own worst possible scenarios. I felt sick. I felt helpless.

He made his first racist statement somewhere around that time. It hit me hard. I was confused and upset. I did the only thing I could - I argued. I don’t mean screaming or crying, I mean I clearly and calmly corrected him. I thought maybe he was just misinformed and giving him real facts might change his perspective. He, on the other hand, argued back in a very aggressive manor. As a person who grew up in a home where anger and aggression meant violence, I cannot handle this type of thing. I went into panic mode, the situation escalated, and he wouldn’t hear me. I was devastated. For a while, I still tried educating him, still tried encouraging him to broaden his views. It never worked, and I think I knew it wouldn’t, but still, I felt I had to try. That was the right thing to do; it was the only thing I could do. At some point I stopped, because it always resulted in some kind of argument, and I couldn’t do it any more. This was a man who used racial slurs around me specifically because he knew how much they bothered me. He thought that was funny.

Although I knew this was wrong, both in a larger sense as well on a personal level for me, I felt I couldn’t leave.

First, I had no money. I didn’t get a job until after I’d come to the conclusion I would eventually need to get out of this, so I mean, I really had no money (spent it all to move, remember? Stupid stupid stupid.) The job I did eventually get pays poorly (minimum wage is not a living wage, but that’s another topic), and I only work part time. With things like groceries and car insurance to pay for, plus 3 cats to take care of, plus the fact that he dragged me out to do things frequently despite my not liking leaving the house and not being interested in the things we were going to but him insisting on me helping pay, I wasn’t capable of saving much. This was my biggest factor in not leaving. I wouldn’t have had anywhere to live, and I couldn’t have afforded to live on my own.

The other reason I didn’t leave was fear. He never physically abused me, and he never showed signs that he would. But he was constantly on edge, always agitated, and as a very empathetic person, I picked up on that. It made me uncomfortable. Anger and yelling, which he was prone to when upset, makes me physically afraid, even if it’s from a person I have no logical reason to physically fear. It’s a trigger and I can’t control that reaction. I had so much anxiety that if I confronted him about my problems and/or left him, he’d snap and I’d either be hurt or dead. Was that ever a real potential? I don’t know.

I lied to everyone around me and pretended my relationship was great, because I didn’t have a support system I felt I could rely on. What good would it have done? It just would have exaggerated my sense of failure without gaining any actual help.

We did, eventually, part ways, and I did have help, but it took me a year and a half after my first startling realization to get there. It was not an amicable break up. I don’t want to talk about the circumstances. They are personal, and it was a difficult time. But while I’m finally free of that disgusting person, I’m not free of my guilt. Perhaps my guilt is misplaced - I didn’t enter into it knowingly, and by the time I’d figured it out it was too late to do anything immediately - but it’s still there. I have a hard time coming to terms with being so close to something I find so abhorrent.

Although I’ve rarely taken part in political movements, my heart has always been, and will always be, the heart of a feminist and an ally. The best I’ve ever done is speak up when I felt I could, when people whose lives I care about were being attacked but who weren’t there to defend themselves. I know it’s not much, but it’s about all I have to offer.

I can’t attend the Women’s March on Washington. It’s just not a feasible journey for me. But I will be attending the sister march that’s taking place in Hartford, Connecticut. Donald Trump is a racist, a misogynist, every kind of -ist and -phobe, and unfit to be called a human being let alone President. Attending is not merely an act of contrition on my part for the relationship I was in with a racist. It’s more than that.

I will be attending for many more than myself and other white women like me. I will be attending for all the people of color he has disparaged, called liars and cheats and rapists. I will be attending for all the members of the LGBT+ community who fear for their right to love and marry who they want, to use what bathroom they want, to be called by the name that they want. I will be attending for every black and Arab and Muslim and Mexican and any other person of color I’ve ever known in my life, and for those I don’t know too. I will be attending for all the survivors of sexual assault. I will be attending for everyone who feels they are in danger or have been disrespected by Donald Trump and others like him. I will never speak over you or for you. But I want you to know that I’m right here beside you.

For anyone who’s actually reading this, even if it’s just the one person who I know will, thank you.

#not art #personal #racism #women's march #not my president #women's rights are human rights #Muslim rights are human rights #LGBT+ rights are human rights #black rights are human rights

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yamatokasukawaca · 4 years

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Yamato Kasukawa | 5 Points You Required to Know Prior To Migrating to Canada

Fancy vehicles, developer clothing, as well as high paying jobs are the amount of individuals in developing nation could think of life in the western component of the world. After all, those that are lucky sufficient to come in to Canada, UNITED STATE, or the U.K. for a new as well as prosperous life, always return home for a see after a couple of years bearing a ton of gifts for the whole household, constructing homes on substantial acres of land, and costs heaps of money that appear to be endless. Yes, the way of livings of those that stay in western nations are very fortunate in numerous manner ins which I can't deny. I ought to understand, I live in Alberta Canada, an oil abundant province where jobs are plenty; wages are high, and also poverty, virtually non-existent.

In addition to staying in what appears to be a life of high-end, there are things all individuals need to be totally aware of before resolving in Canada.

# 1) WESTERN WAY OF THINKING

Lots of people in developing nation do not have or may not understand credit cards or home mortgages. So, if you recognize or see a person living in a large home or driving a high-end car you can safely make the assumption that they are rich. However, in Canada or UNITED STATE someone driving a glamorous cars and truck and living in a huge attractive house may or may not be rich. If you have good credit history, you are qualified to obtain a mortgage, credit cards, cars and truck leases which essentially indicates the financial institution really owns your vehicle or house as well as you make monthly payments depending how much the funding is. It can take 2-5 years to settle an automobile and 20 plus years for a residence.

# 2) STANDARD OF LIVES

Staying up to date with the Joneses is a common phrase utilized to define an individual who strives to have what their neighbour has. It is really typical for a household that might make a consolidated annual revenue of $100,000 to be deeply in debt. Most likely, due to the fact that they are living over their methods in order to maintain appearances. A timeless instance of this, is a person I when knew who had an attractive million-dollar house in a top course community. This house was enhanced with sophisticated furniture top to base, big screen TELEVISION, and also she also drove an all new Mercedes. A way of living excellent by lots of, but what many people didn't recognize is she can not afford to pay the electric expense as well as home loan. Does that make good sense to you? So it is important to understand that not everyone is abundant in Canada, our concept of success is impractical and we are creating financial obligation while in quest of treasures.

# 3) MONEY DOESN'T EXPAND ON TREES

Yamato Kasukawa

In Canada, believe it or otherwise, cash is made from extremely effort, long hours 5 days a week and for numerous even 6 or 7 days a week. There are some people that function 3 jobs just to make ends fulfill. Automation in Canada has created numerous work for skilled workers. However, several extremely educated immigrants are located working such jobs as, abattoirs, taxi drivers, or janitorial tasks that many Canadians think about to be unwanted. These jobs do pay well because no one wishes to do them and also they require very little training. International credentials such as: medical, law, or any other degree gotten in a country outside Canada does not assure you a work in Canada. Your degree, which you strove for, might not be recognized by Canadian requirements. To prevent dissatisfaction it is important to recognize what level of specialist and also scholastic criteria you require to fulfill before you get here.

# 4) DISCRIMINATION & RACISM

If you are intending to migrate to Canada you need to know that you may face this concern. Some cities are much better than others but right here in Alberta it may be the worst. A recent article in the Calgary Herald exposes Calgary as the hate criminal offense resources of Canada. Growing up as an African Canadian in the 80's, each time when there were couple of black family members I encountered a great deal of concerns with racism. Though there are more visible minorities now, this issue still exists. Just recently I met a guy from Russia who deals with racial slurs daily at his work place, he stated despite the fact that his skin is the same colour as there's they still discriminate against him due to his Russian accent. The reality that discrimination and bigotry can be extremely subtle as well as even non-verbal at times indicates that we require to work hard to confirm ourselves at all times. Minorities are underestimated and also may not have the exact same opportunities as our Canadian counterpart, however we can still call for regard in the work place or in school. The anti-harassment and also discrimination policy is style to sustain us in this regard.

# 5) ALTER OF A LIFESTYLE

Canadian custom-mades may be various from what your used to, but there are a few custom-mades you may not recognize. For instance, it is traditional to call and also make an appointment to go to somebody at their home, showing up unannounced is considered rude. When you arrive see to it gets on time as Canadians worth preparation, do not fail to remember to eliminate your footwear at the door whatsoever times. Never make a remark about a women's weight if she is over weight, this is thought about extremely rude, you're far better off talking about fat burning as a compliment. In order to ensure an effective social integration try to fraternize individuals beyond your social team. I see a lot of immigrants of all various ethnic culture's have a tendency to only border themselves with those from the same cultural background. I understand that conference with people from the same country you're from is humanity, you have a great deal in common such as: language, culture, or religious beliefs. Yet it is similarly vital to incorporate into culture by not segregating yourself. Spending time with people from o

#Yamato Kasukawa

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dangkynhanhieusanphamcom · 5 years

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Counterculturalism Rightly Understood – Law & Liberty

The subtitle of this book signals its countercultural thrust, as well as indicates its inspiration in the thought of the nineteenth century American Catholic social and political thinker, Orestes Brownson (1803-1876). He wrote about, and put into currency, the notion of “the unwritten Constitution.” Brownson “thought a humane political order must be reflective of a people’s history, as well as their deeper cultural, philosophical, and theological assumptions about humans, society, and God. This unwritten constitution of a people must anchor their extant constitutional settlement.” Therefore, to understand America, and American constitutionalism more broadly, one needs to consider the necessary, the chosen, and even the providential, connections between the written Constitution and the complex social order it presupposed. Hence the book’s title, A Constitution in Full.

The dual authorship of the book indicates the authoritativeness of the treatment of Brownson one can expect, as well as the pathos of the book. Both Lawler and Reinsch are experts in Brownson’s complex and subtle thought. With great sureness they expound and apply it to today. Alas, only one is still here to read reviews of the book. Peter Lawler died suddenly a couple of years ago. Fortunately, he had already contributed his allotted portions of the book, so, after deliberation and consultation, Richard Reinsch went ahead and performed an act of intellectual and personal friendship to bring the collaboration to fruition. We are in his debt. This is a fitting last word from Lawler.

Principled Eclecticism

Since Lawler was involved, two features were bound to characterize the book. It would be eclectic, at points quirky, and it would emphasize the human person. These features work well together since persons are unique in any number of ways, including quirks. The eclecticism shows up primarily in the choice of authors enlisted along with Brownson to understand and update American constitutionalism (in the larger Brownsonian sense); and in the recommendations offered by the authors to contribute to the great end of shoring up its foundation and lodestar, “American liberty” rightly understood.[1] The counsels come from the left as well as the right of our political divide, but from the past as well. In this there is an echo of Plato’s notion of the statesman as an ingenious weaver, together with Chesterton’s notion of tradition as the democracy of the dead: they get to take part in our deliberations.

To illustrate the authors’ efforts in this regard, one can instance their argument designed to reconcile post-Obergefell marriage opponents in a common commitment to the next bone of civic contention, religious liberty. The basis of the argument is a distinctive understanding of human or personal dignity as relational. Since gay and lesbian couples have been given access to the traditional institution of marriage because of the relational dignity they claimed, they and their supporters should recognize that attachment to traditional religious beliefs, and to the practices and communities they inspire, is an equally valid exercise of the human person’s relational freedom. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Another recommendation, this one made with the help of the once well-known conservative thinker Wilmoore Kendall, is that Congress reassume its leading role in our constitutional republic. Neither the imperial presidency nor (especially) the imperial judiciary is appropriate to our democratic pluralism and the need for regular compromise. Congress was the American institution designed for representation in an extended republic, for face-to-face debate, and for plausible compromise: let Congress be Congress!

These two examples illustrate the general character of the authors’ proposals, starting with their conciliatory spirit and aim. They make good sense within their framework, they have genuine appeal on any number of grounds, but, alas, they stand little chance of being implemented in today’s polarized climate. It’s hard, therefore, to differentiate a hopeful recommendation from a present-day indictment. That they wrote the book indicates that the authors don’t despair of America. Still, there is a significant gap between the positive teaching they present and the contemporary America it addresses. How hopeful they really are, either for the adoption of their recommendations or for America as a land of humanly estimable freedom, is unclear. The reader is not especially reassured when they note that Brownson himself was “without effect” in his day.

The Relational Human Person

The human person in his or her relational reality is the alpha and omega of the book, and the concept does a lot of work, both critical and constructive. Early on, in “A Brownsonian Prologue,” we’re told that

Brownson argued that every human is, by nature, a relational person who exists with others to work, to love, and to pray. These higher ends of humans provide the principles that limit government precisely because these relational ends cannot be defined by law; they are above the state. Humans’ need to provide for themselves and those they love means that government cannot subjugate economic freedom. A person’s need to love and serve others, most notably in family life, means that the family cannot be undermined by government, and humans’ need for meaning and purpose, their desire to know the truth about themselves with others, equates to religious freedom. The term “relational personhood” that we use in this book stems from Brownson’s understanding.[2]

This is a deceptively straightforward passage. Merely restating its core elements—person; (human) nature; ends; relations; freedom; freedoms; the state—indicates as much. The passage sketches an anthropology and gestures toward a theory of the state appropriate to that anthropology. To begin with, there’s a connection—a natural connection, one that is inherent in the subject—between human persons, their given natures, their constitutive relations, and the precious endowment of freedom. Freedom is thus a part of a whole, not the whole itself. Such freedom should be recognized by government, but not indiscriminately or by itself. Human freedom is naturally structured and personally appropriated, it is not divorced from ends or obligations. A sign of this is freedom’s natural division into kinds. These, however, have a common root in human nature and in the nature of the person. The latter therefore are the predicates for the “American liberty” that the state should serve. In short, freedom presupposes a personal anthropology, it doesn’t simply define one.

Equality Under God

Brownson in his day, and the authors in ours, employ this understanding to criticize alternative accounts of the human and to point the way to better practices, institutions, and constitutionalism informed by the relational truth of the person. In his day, Brownson dealt with Southern racism and Northern humanitarianism and their oppositely false understandings of liberty and equality. In the light of the relational person, Brownson could detect nuggets of truth in both. The aristocratic southerners were right when they affirmed the special standing and unique significance of the human person, but were terribly wrong to deny them to blacks; while northerners, despite being right to affirm human equality, with their unduly abstract views of equality tended toward human sameness, in some cases, to pantheism. Human equality does not mean homogeneity or individual indistinctness, it means the equality of distinct persons under God.

Reinsch and Lawler follow Brownson’s lead in this aufgehoben endeavor. Contemporary partisans therefore have the pleasure of seeing their opponents’ ox gored and the pain of having the one-sidedness of their own view exposed. Examples? Conservatives who think that freedom plus productivity is the American ethic (think Romney) and liberals who think that freedom plus self-expression is. These two views are combined in technocratic libertarianism (or neoliberalism), but all three leave out the person’s civic relationship and his even more constitutive relationship with God. Both of these enter into the definition of the American person.

If one thinks these claims are mere platitudes, he might reflect upon contemporary debates over immigration and borders, or over anti-discrimination and religious conscience. In these contexts, they do have significant cash value, lending weight to one side of the debates, without being dispositive. Further Brownsonian teachings concerning a citizen’s loyalty to the “territorial sovereignty” of the country and the country’s principled commitment to the spiritual liberty and lives of its citizens further tip the scales.

America’s Bête Noire

The main opponent of Brownson and the authors, however, is the theory of radical individualism, the human person understood too abstractly, merely as the individual with rights. It appears to be the congenital American bête noire. Brownson’s critique of Jeffersonian “Lockeanism” is remarkably relevant, as our authors show, and illumines today’s aggressive individualism, whether in economic life, in culture, or in law. In fact, later conservative arguments that dealt with the progressivism that emerged after Brownson, to the effect that radical individualism leads to collectivism, an increase in state power, and the marginalizing of intermediate institutions, receive fresh impetus from Brownson’s critique of the theory and practice of the autonomous individual. One especially acute irony was that Progressivism itself indicted “individualism” or “rugged individualism.”

The last point leads us beyond Brownsonian personalism to social and political and constitutional matters. The authors treat them all, some more than others; they do so, however, out of a recognition or apprehension that Lockean individualism is ascendant today and increasingly so. Several years ago Lawler coined a memorable phrase in this regard: it’s imperative to keep Locke in the locked box. The radically individualist view of man must not be allowed to become our authoritative public dogma. If it does, American liberty will be gravely impoverished and, predictably, tyrannical in its implementation.

Tocqueville’s Middle Class Americas

It almost goes without saying that Tocqueville is one of the authors enlisted to help in this grand endeavor. Lawler’s earlier The Restless Mind: Alexis de Tocqueville on the Origin and Perpetuation of Human Liberty (1993) can be seen as a precursor and companion to A Constitution in Full. In the first chapter of this book, to understand “What Distinguishes America?” entails reading Tocqueville and Brownson together. Tocqueville complements Brownson’s notion of the unwritten or providential constitution by talking about the premodern aristocratic and Christian inheritances that enriched and elevated American democracy.

Tocqueville also nicely limns American middle class democracy in three possible iterations: at its best, at its most characteristic, and in its decline. In the best case, American democracy retains vital connections with extra-democratic elements; in its natural state, it “honestly” follows its utilitarian bent (with spasms of higher aspiration); and, in the degradation of its principles, one finds a leveling egalitarianism and liberty understood as mere emancipation and self-assertion. All three versions can contribute to assessing the health of the American body-politic. The assessment, of course, will be complex and ongoing: some parts exhibiting democratic health; others, business as usual (as Coolidge had it, “The business of America is business); still others, morbidity and worse.

There is a host of other Tocquevillian contributions as well. His Pascalian understanding of man, “the angel in the beast,” a truly paradoxical mix of material and spiritual components, complements Brownson’s relational understanding. This anthropological view in turn helps to illumine the middle class character of American society. In a society absent masters and slaves, every angel must work for his beast. That of course gives a certain bent to the angel in man. Thank God, said Tocqueville, for the sabbath, when the American democrat can rediscover his inner angel.

The middle class also serves as a center from which to consider the other two classes, elites and have-nots. Today, its well-documented distresses cast a negative light on their purported superiors and the social compact they have offered, while the fact that many of its members only have a tenuous hold on their status, or are slipping beneath it, sheds disquieting light on it and on what is beneath. In this connection, the authors update Tocqueville’s fear of an emergent “industrial aristocracy” to encompass today’s technocratic globalists who make productivity the measure of man and see their rule as the opportunity to script the lives of the unproductive. The description indicates their judgment.

The Countercultural Brownson

It is Brownson’s thought, however, that is the constant template for our authors. Two Brownsonian themes are particularly countercultural today. “Providence” and “civic loyalty” were central to his political thinking, one drawn from Christianity, the other (with suitable modification) from antiquity, together they formed the pillars of the unwritten constitution. They are the opposite of, and antidotes to, “political atheism” and merely “contractual,” interest-based, views of social coherence. When their meaning is drawn out, they refer to a grateful acknowledgement of America’s participation in a providential order, in an order of civilizational history (the west), and an order of distinct nation-states. Perhaps the three things most under assault today in the progressive west: traditional religion, the nation-state, and western civilization, are held together and held up by Brownson. Belief in the universality of Providence helps moderate the biases of human and political particularity, while the “territorial sovereignty” to which we are loyal as citizens is the incarnation or embodiment proper to political life.

Christianity’s main contribution to free politics, however, is found in its teaching of the relational human person, made in the image of the Trinitarian, or fully relational, God, together with its own corporate and catholic character. The church is a universal, trans-political community that allows the political community to recognize its own nature, one that is essential to human well-being, but limited in its aims and authority. Just as the triumphant Roman general needed someone who reminded him of his mortality in the midst of heady victory, so the democratic state needs the church to remind it of its moral foundation in the truth of the human person and its subordinate authority under a truly sovereign God. So argued Orestes Brownson, so argue our countercultural authors.

Before I end with a word on Peter Lawler, I need to repeat and emphasize “our authors.” Both get credit for this fine countercultural book’s contents. Richard Reinsch deserves special credit for his act of intellectual and literary friendship. Given his amply demonstrated philia, I doubt he would mind if I turn to Lawler at the end.

A Fitting Finale

It’s corny but true to say that Lawler and Brownson were a match made in heaven. In them, we have two learned Catholic political philosophers who analyzed, criticized, and wrote prodigiously to improve the America they both deeply loved. Both lived through terribly divided times and employed their faith and their cultivated reason to try to knit together a divided country. However, both thought that this healing would require a refounding, an explicit recognition of the truth of the human person. Brownson was not successful in his attempt, there’s no sign that Lawler will be in his. However, neither thought his task demanded success, but rather fidelity to the truth. This is the lesson I take away from their lives. I’m also reminded of an earlier saying: that a prophet is not without honor, except in his own land.

[1] Following the lead of Tocqueville’s “self-interest rightly understood,” Lawler was in the habit of qualifying his understanding of any number of things as “X, Y, or Z, rightly understood,” for example, Postmodernism Rightly Understood.

[2] Brownson combined theory and observation in coming to his understanding of the relational person. “[I]nspired by Catholicism, [Brownson] embraced French philosopher Pierre Leroux’s (1798-1871) principle that all persons live in communion with God, humans, and nature.” But “the anthropological understanding of a human’s relational personhood, [w]as [also] revealed in multidimensional social, familial, religious, and economic life.” One way that our authors put the matter is that American practice required a superior theory to account for it than was available in the North, the South, or even in the Declaration of Independence.

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