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ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 3 years

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(sees another fandom that I can ask you about and cheers) Orphan Black! Thoughts? I don't know Dr Who but Tatiana is one of my favorite actors period.

Anon you are so sweet! I'm always happy to chat about fandoms and characters and whatnot, and I will never not appreciate the majesty of Tatiana's acting. That is one of the greatest parts of the show hands down.

Orphan Black, to me, is a show that had incredible potential, but didn't really live up to the excitement it created. (Loooong post ahead.)

The thing is, Orphan Black builds a chilling mystery and background, the world it gradually creates as it goes for about the first two seasons, got be very invested and made me wonder a lot about where it was going to go and what the answers were. The setup is brilliant, right from the start with that iconic cold open of Beth's suicide. The unknown is what really helped this show get as thrilling as it was, because the actual answers behind the unknown were kind of hit and miss, and it seemed like far too often, the show just wasn't interested in telling it's story. Hijinks where the clones impersonate each other in slice of life events? That's fun at first and it really works well as they're still getting to know each other. But after a while, it gets tedious, and it seems like the show would rather fuck around and have dance parties (seriously, that scene was such a #BigLippedAlligatorMoment) than focus on the story and the threat that the sisters are facing. Virtually all of Allison's plotlines are like this, they feel like they belong in a different show, and for some reason the writers insisted on giving her one of these storylines like, every season. After Allison passively murders her own friend out of suspecting that she's spying on her, I just don't feel like an arc about her running for some PTA office position even matters. It doesn't feel right.

Speaking of that, here's another example: Donnie. Why did the end of the first season suggest that he was this secret mastermind working for Leekie? The whole idea just deflates in Season 2 and doesn't really go anywhere. He just goes back to being the bumbling sweetheart he was before. Why even have him be the spy? Maybe it should have been Ainsley. Do you want to know the exact moment that I think Orphan Black went wrong? Like, the specific scene? When Leekie was killed off. The character who had thus far been the Big Bad, gets taken out in the stupidest possible way, a literal accident on Donnie's part, and it's even played for laughs. After that point, the show really struggled to regain it's footing, though I don't think it completely went off the rails until about Season 4, and it was still generally hit or miss. Like, some stuff was really good. The introduction of the Castor clones, the development of Rachel's character (I'll get to her, trust me.) and the reveal of Kendall Malone. But it seemed like so much else was just forgotten or otherwise not resolved. Whatever happened to Cal? Sure, the show wanted to focus on the sisters...but Kira deserves to know her father if she wants to. That's just one example. It's a crying shame because this show is sometimes incredible. The metaphor that I always use for situations like this, is a card game. The show has all the right cards in its hand, they're just not being played.

The two strongest characters, at least to me, were Rachel and Helena. One of these characters was superbly written and went through a devastating arc. The other was Helena. We need to talk about her. In Season 1, she really cemented herself as a memorable presence with her trademark accent, her scars, her whole damn personality (again, hats off to Tatiana) and of course, that iconic screechy theme music that accompanied her. Which at first made us jump, but eventually made us cheer. I adored Helena, and I loved the development of her relationship with Sarah. Who went from shooting her in Season 1, to being deadset on rescuring her in Season 3, being furious with Siobhan for betraying her. (This is unrelated but Siobhan has the same " twist villain fakeout" at the end of Season 1 that Donnie does, and it's quite frustrating.) And yet, I swear, the writers just didn't know what to do with Helena half the time. They put her on a bus for long stretches, including one point where she just up and leaves Allison's house in Season 4, for no given reason. And the characters just kind of...don't care. The same thing happens when she gets arrested. No one cares to try and find Helena, even though she's unstable and often a danger to those around her. Even though she's by herself with no real ability to function in society. Even though she's pregnant. There is no excuse for this, and no Sarah, that "I'm sorry, I avoided you" scene in Season 5 is not going to cut it. It's such an afterthought.

I'm being rather critical, but I hope you can tell that this is from a point of passion. I genuinely enjoyed this show and getting to watch it. Just that sometimes it didn't feel like the show cared that I was watching. However, this was not true whenever Rachel was onscreen. Look, I'm a Merula Snyde stan, so you can probably already guess how I feel about Rachel. Despite her crimes, despite her constant slipping back the dark side, I felt so bad for Rachel at the end of it all. That scene with Kira really sums it up. "Who hurt you?" "All of them." And no scene is more intense than when she stabs out the eye cam. Like, I'm sorry, I pitied Rachel pretty much from Season 2 on. Her parents were horrible to her, and I'm supposed to think Ethan is the good guy here? He kills himself in front of his own daughter, telling her that she doesn't deserve him. And then Sarah shoots a pencil through her eye, causing brain damage and requiring a long recovery. I'm not saying that Sarah was wrong to do what she did, just that if I were in her shoes, I'd still feel a degree of guilt for Rachel's condition. In the end, I'm devastated that she was barred from Clone Club, when she made the right decision at the point it mattered. But there's just too much history there, and Sarah won't ever forgive her. (Though again, I do feel as though there's blame to share.) Rachel is my favorite character and I never expected her to be. But she's just so complex. Side note: "Enjoy your oophorectomy" is so damn quotable. I don't know why but I love that line.

So, Rachel's my favorite. Who's my least favorite? It might surprise you. It's Delphine. I'm sorry, but I just...I couldn't get on board with C*phine. Not after Season 3. I was waiting for the point that the show would push to finally redeem Delphine for her turncoat role, for all of the hell that she put Cosima through. By Season 5 though? I realized that as far as the writers were concerned? She already was redeemed. Even though she did nothing to earn it, except be presumed dead by Cosima. The way she treats Cosima in Season 3 is actually disgusting. Her reasoning for breaking up with Cosima is circular. She has to love "all the clones" in order to be with Cosima, and the way to do that is to take over Rachel's job, which means they can't date anymore? I'm not the only one who thought that didn't make sense, right? Oh and let's talk about how she stalks Cosima's date, breaks into her house, and threatens her life. Red. Flags. Cosima even says the line, "If you're not going to be with me, just let me go." I'm sorry, that should not be something she has to beg for. Delphine's behavior made me want her to stay far, far away from Cosima. Who is, incidentally, a sweetie and I absolutely adore her. I legit have trouble remembering that Tatiana's playing her because she just looks and acts so different. That said, even though I immensely disliked Delphine, I am so very glad that they made one of the clones gay. Just like I'm glad that they made one of them trans. (Though...Tony wasn't handled especially well.)

In general, I do think the earlier seasons were stronger. The Brightborn arc, while interesting, didn't really contribute much to the overarching narrative. We got the backstory on Beth's suicide and finally learned the truth about her, I suppose. Still, even though Beth is one of my favorite of the clones, and I never expected her to be either...I feel like the actual reason given for why she took her own life was rather illogical. She apparently did it because the investigation was putting the clones in danger of another Helsinki. Okay, but just because Evie Cho says you should off yourself, doesn't mean you have to. You could just, like...stop investigating. And if you die under mysterious circumstances without explaining anything to the sisters, they're not going to be put off from the investigation. They're going to look into this even more, because they don't know why they're not supposed to. The reveal that she and Art fell in love toward the end adds an extra gut punch, but it also doesn't make sense because wouldn't Art have referenced it during the period that he thought Sarah was Beth? On the other hand, Season 4 also introduced MK. And I have such a soft spot for her. I adore that sheep-masked sweetie. Everyone always asks "Which clone would you date" (because fandoms can think of nothing else I guess) and I never see anyone give any love to MK. Her death absolutely tore me apart. I am glad Siobhan avenged her even if she went down at the same time. Side note, her last word being the affectionate "Chickens..." Broke me.

Season 5 was a strange beast. In general, it seemed like we were finally getting some answers to the questions that were hanging over us. Exploring the deep mythos. But then they kind of turned it around and made it just be a Wizard of Oz style fraud twist. Westmoreland isn't really inhumanly old, he's a charlatan. I don't know why that was necessary in a science fictional show. I've seen the interviews and I get what they were going for, it just feels like it would have been cooler and far creepier if he was actually that old. The puppet master pulling the strings the whole time. We also finally get some answers for Kira's superhuman healing abilities (though we never learn how she's telepathically connected to the clones) and I'm loving it, but the trouble is, it's inconsistent. Ethan "Why is this guy so popular, he's an asshole" Duncan told Rachel specifically that Sarah being able to have children was a fluke, that the clones were "barren by design." I don't know, the whole concept of Revival and of the "magical island" was really foreboding and tied in with the earlier references to The Island of Doctor Moreau. Especially that song about "Revival's Children" just...the shudders, man. But just having it be a regular old scam is...a letdown. I know it may be more realistic, but I don't always need realism in my scifi. The finale is interesting, in that it's mostly an epilogue. I'm glad the clones (sans Rachel) got to live happily ever after, but there are two gut punches right at the end that are total nitpicks but they bother me. Helena naming her kids after Art and Donnie? And writing a memoir that she names "Orphan Black?" Those two tropes can go die in a hole. They can enjoy an oophorectomy, because I'm so sick of them.

The potential of Orphan Black was practically infinite. The results of Orphan Black fell frustratingly short.

#Orphan Black #Alison Hendrix #Rachel Duncan #Helena Orphan Black #Sarah Manning #Cosima Niehaus #Long Post #Beth Childs #Ramblings #Veera Suominen #Donnie Hendrix #Aldous Leekie #Ethan Duncan #Delphine Cormier #Siobhan Sadler #Clone Club #Arthur Bell #Tatiana Maslany

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letterstomarstmblr · 5 years

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So I promised to tell what is discussed during streams and usually not much is really talked about but I went nuts yesterday and answered loads of questions.

Though I hardly remember what exactly I said through the joking around, here’s what was discussed.

First; the major differences between the turtles and their beast forms.

For Donnie, he is very swift. This is because of his robotic legs. His mutagen enhances his speed too, giving him a huge advantage. All other points, like strength and what not are even.

The opposite is Raph. His best is strength. He has more muscle naturally than the other brothers and this is what has enhanced in him thanks to his mutagen. While his speed is nothing to sneeze at, his sheer strength is the true gold.

Both Mikey and Leo have heightened and even stats. Mikey has much more coordination than Leo though, due to the fact he has full control over his Beast Form. While Leo is quite aggressive and unpredictable. His lack of proper mind means he doesn’t really know what he is doing, so plans can change mid-attack and throw him off. Mikey has full access to his mind. In fact, while in Beast Mode Mikey can hand the reigns to a more monstrous personality and return when he wishes. This means he can fall into a reckless state but can pull himself out.

All four have a unique look in their eyes when you get close to them in Beast form.

With Raph you can feel his rage and anger. Donnie, you can feel his despair and sadness. Mikey you can feel the remaining intelligence and the calm. Leo, you can’t see or feel anything. Mikey’s eyes are meant to feel unsettling due to how he acts while in Beast Form. With his brute force.

Next; The Relationships between characters.

I had this whole rant about everyone. Even like romances and junk. I explained that April acts almost like everyone’s mum. Casey flirts with her but it’s mostly just to be playful. Donnie has no interest in romance due to his mental state. Leo has this very close emotional connection with So. So is a bit angry at Donnie for what he did to Leo but knows it’s partly Leo’s fault other than that is close friends with April, Casey and Raph. Raph is close friends with Casey and So while generally spending more time with Casey. Mikey has a bit of a crush on Usagi and is close friends with Karai. Usagi is best friends with Mikey and close friends with Karai. I think we know Karai’s friendship stuff here but she teases Mikey a lot about Usagi (which constantly gets on his nerves).

I explained about how Raph finds Mikey and Leo. A whole lot of other stuff too but most of it I want to draw as comics anyway so you’ll see it one day, plus I’m sure I’ll mention it on stream again too at some point.

Anyway, that’s all. 6 hours of stream summed up best I can because I can hardly remember what happened due to how long it went for and just how much we went through but yeah. <3

#rottmnt #rottmnt au #tmnt #tmnt au #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #au #Leo #Mikey #Raph #Donnie #Casey #April #So #Usagi #Karai #Fall AU

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eulerami · 5 years

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I'm really curious on what Nacho's relationships with the other saints are like, other than Troy ofc

Sure! I really go into it in the fic, since that’s…the bulk of the story, really, but I can give a bit of a quick rundown without spoiling too much:

SR1Julius: He deeply respects and admires Julius. His words resonated with him and he believes in his ideology and his vision. Nacho isn’t from the Row either, but it doesn’t matter. He was homeless at the beginning of the game, but after helping Julius and Troy push back against the invading gangs in the Row, he feels as though it’s his home now, especially since he did his part to keep it safe. He very much wants Julius’ approval, and looks up to him. Julius is soft-spoken for the most part, but stern; this is the attitude that commands Nacho’s respect, just based on his personality. (He liked Ben King too.)

Johnny: He has respect for Johnny, but they are opposites. Johnny’s boisterous where he’s reserved, loud where he’s quiet, proud where he’s humble. It is easy for Nacho to take a backseat around Johnny, simply because he powers his way through a situation, but Nacho inherently strives for best-case scenario results. They are friends, and he considers them friends, but at arm’s length. There is a lot of selectivity to his words in SR2, and behavior, and I feel as though Nacho is pressured to maintain a certain macho, hardass presence around Johnny. One that he lets down around Pierce and Shaundi. If he can help it, he doesn’t like to involve Johnny, or bother him. He’s overly courteous around Aisha’s home, and asks during the Ronin mission “you sure it’s ok I come by?” to double-check. That implies a carefulness with his manners. (Manners are really beat into Nacho’s head and demeanor like you wouldn’t believe.) Johnny’s a bit of a headache to deal with sometimes, for Nacho–a “diva,” lol.

(Nacho’s mind is still stuck in the time of when the accident happened, but Johnny’s had five years of experiences—he’s changed a lot. Nacho just feels he’s moved on, rightfully so, and that he should let him be. )

(Aisha, by extension,) He never really got to know Aisha out of courtesy. He is cordial with her and on good terms, but he doesn’t really know her very well. He keeps a thoughtful distance. Whenever Johnny and Aisha ask him for relationship advice in SR1 and comments in SR2, it’s funny that he’s silent to me. Because when Toby asks regarding Laura, he’s got suggestions and commentary. So, he tries to stay out of their personal lives. He doesn’t “fit in” very well with their lifestyle, attitude, etc.

Dex: He liked Dex at first, because Dex is touchy (shoulder pats, bumping elbows, etc,) and says all the right things. He’s friendly! And funny, and Nacho is a bit naive and quite the social creature, when you get past his shyness. He took that as genuine, but it didn’t take him long to see the attitude Dex had against Troy, seeing that he’s got a petty side to him. For him to be so friendly, calculating, and really good at hyping up the glory of battle, that sudden shift in attitude bothered him. He also didn’t appreciate Dex ducking behind him when Lopez went to shoot him in the mansion. But, being naive still, he didn’t hold it against him, until SR2 when he realized what Dex was up to. It makes him feel used, and like an idiot, therefore inciting his vengeful streak.

Troy: Duh, he can’t stand him, obviously. With his stupid hair and stupid cheekbones.

Lin: He really, really liked Lin. I feel like if she had more time, they could’ve been great friends. He looked up to her, she was really cool-headed, well rounded, humble, sarcastic, a generally chill person. Nacho is relaxed around people like that. She also liked cars, and he likes cars, so naturally they’d get along. I feel like the reason he spares Donny so much in SR2 is because he knows Lin wouldn’t have wanted him to kill him. He tries so hard to sound threatening, but it’s like, you just know he’s not going to kill him–no matter how many times he threatens it. Lin’s death hits him very hard.

SR2Pierce: I feel like once, Pierce must’ve made an slight, know-it-all comment to him, or gave him some kind of harmless criticism, and Nacho never let him feel *too* smart ever again. It initiated a subtle war of picking and teasing. Nacho really likes Pierce and appreciates his insight, his ideas, his planning–even if it goes over his head sometimes. He knows that he’s passionate, devoted, and enterprising, and they’re all qualities he needs around to kick him in the ass. But, he can’t let Pierce go around thinking he’s doing too good of a job, not only because Nacho has a core fundamental principle of humility, but also because it’s fun to mess with Pierce. They don’t…hang out? I guess? But he definitely considers him a friend.

Shaundi: Shaundi is like the capybara of the Saints, okay. Everyone likes her, everyone’s relaxed by her, and Nacho is no exception. He really likes Shaundi and she is a dear friend. They both have the same mentality about social events, about partying, about having a good time. I feel like the two of them could kick back and chill out for a long time. However, Shaundi is a bit more laid-back in the fun department than Nacho is, however, recruiting her by going stunt-jumping probably sealed the deal on their friendship. They get on really well and she never ceases to startle him.

Carlos: Carlos was like a brother to him, enough said. He meant a lot to him and losing him was devastating. I go into it in the fic.

Other Characters: He’s friends with Toby, Laura, The Wheel Woman (Brianna, I named her,) Wong, and Luz as well. Nacho’s a (shy,) social butterfly! He does like to be out and about around people. The ISFP personality type rundown summed it up best.

#this is all in the fic in great detail #but just a bit of a summary #I don't think I forgot anybody #I don't think Aisha is technically a Saint right?#Anonymous

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douxreviews · 5 years

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Gotham - ‘The Beginning’ Review

Penguin: "I did not spend ten years in Blackgate to give my city to a man dressed like a bat!"

Me, watching the Gotham series finale and being confused that Gordon still doesn't have the iconic stache? It's more likely than you think.

If we're being honest, I could have watched a series finale that consisted of forty minutes featuring only Batman repeatedly foiling foolish and bumbling plots orchestrated by Penguin and Riddler, and walked away with zero complaints. Instead what we have is a suitcase-overstuffed-with-too-many-Tommy-Bahama-shirts of a plot that should have ran ninety minutes condensed into forty minutes. And yet, dare I say, I actually enjoyed this finale for what it was. It's flawed, contrived in some areas, and possesses a plot so convoluted, Donnie Darko is jealous, but I didn't walk away from the conclusion to Gotham feeling I had been cheated of something. But maybe that's just me coming to terms with the fact that no amount of time-jumps or finality are going to salvage the aspects of Gotham that are poor in quality.

The time-jump takes us ten years into the future, long after Gordon has been promoted and Bruce has left Gotham City. It's beyond me why this series chose to make such a drastic time-jump though, yet keep most of their cast members looking like they haven't aged a day. What's that? Oh right, how could I forget: they threw some purple hair dye in Lee's locks, now I can rest easy with that gripe.

Why Bruce went to a Tibetan-looking village specifically, we don't know, but something-something-bats happens, and he returns to his home city with a mission to drive out any trace of criminal activity he comes across, putting him on the radar of the mayor and the GCPD. At the same time, Jeremiah puts into motion a plot that for some reason needs to involve his escape from Arkham, Penguin, Riddler, the framing of Bullock for murder (I guess nobody bothered to dust the handgun that the victim – not Bullock – shot himself with for fingerprints?), and an immense collection of explosives to topple the new Wayne Tower. While Gotham has always had difficulties finding a consistent identity, it has mostly always walked a fine line between 'gritty' and 'campy,' and this is especially evident and welcomed in this finale, with certain sequences paying homage to the Year One comic, and others feeling like they were pulled right off of a Adam West Batman reel. I will also point out how the cinematography in this finale nicely contrasts the dark, dulled colors of everything before in Season 5, by giving us many vibrant, energetic scenes instead.

Another nice advantage a finale like this has compared to literally the entire series before it is that Gotham no longer needs to feel obligated to insert various easter eggs and set-ups for future characters; rather, it's allowed to take the cast it's been guiding towards their fated roles, and just allow them to be that. In other words, Gotham had freedom in this episode to do really whatever it wanted with the story now that there was no need for any further world-building, even if that story is borderline nonsensical at times.

I'm not sure yet even as I write this how I feel about David Mazouz and Camren Bicondova not returning to reprise their respective roles. Lili Simmons is fine as an older Selina and the resemblance between her and Camren is actually a little uncanny, but I can't imagine how much of a sucker punch it must feel to play so brilliantly the part of Bruce Wayne or Selina Kyle for five years and then learn that you won't even get a chance to put on the Batman-suit (which has this aesthetic to it that summoned some unpleasant memories of Batman and Robin) or Catwoman-costume when the finale is all said and done.

While we're on the subject of costumes, I have to give praise for Cory and Robin, and their input into the final designs for Riddler and Penguin; Riddler's outfit feels like a nice fusion of the spandex suit from Batman Forever, and the more formal wear from the Arkhamverse games, while Penguin's feels like it was inspired directly by the Burgess Meredith outfit. Perhaps issue may be taken with the fact that they may not seem as intellectually apt as before, or that Batsy got the best of them so quickly, but isn't that the whole point? From here on out, the feeling of being curbed by Batman's grappling hook is going to become practically routine for them. A service is done to the term 'callback' as well with Penguin and Gordon's scene on the docks, one I just wished hadn't been spelled out previously in the trailers, and Penguin's decision to taunt Gordon before pulling his trigger, evoking Riddler's words to him back in 'Heavydirtysoul': "Instead of killing me when you had the chance, you've decided to feed your ego."

I wasn't sold immediately on Jeremiah's final look as Joker from the promotional material. If I may be blunt, I miss the green curls, and scrutinized for days leading up to this finale over why the costume designers found inspiration for this look in The Walking Dead's whisperers. Cameron Monaghan though, in the precious five minutes of screen time he's given, succeeds in making Joker (or 'J' as he's now referring to himself as) once again feel like a distinct entity separate from Jerome or Jeremiah, as well as from previous live-action interpretations of the source material. It almost sounded as though he was channeling a Christopher Walken caricature, and the indication that he may find Batman just as, or even more, fascinating to obsess over as Bruce is pretty amusing to me. I'm not sure I understand even in reflection why he needed to frame Bullock as part of his whole operation though. It's in Bullock too where one of my major gripes with this episode lies, and it is how Bullock just feels more now as a plot point used to move other components of the story along. For example, why on Earth would an experienced detective like Bullock go alone to investigate a lead, how on Earth could an experienced detective like Bullock single-handily be bested by a single uppercut from around a corner, and I don't believe that an experienced detective like Bullock would keep the fact that someone set him up from Gordon of all people.

The actual execution of how to sell Batman in a finale like this is a tricky thing. On the one hand, I initially entertained this notion that Batman is never completely seen, but still his presence is felt. By the end though, what was also felt was that this episode seemed to be going out of its way to not show you the dark knight. Take for instance the final scene between him and Selina where Selina has her outburst, denouncing Bruce for walking out on her ten years ago. In most cases, I would think this is the type of conversation that warrants a face-to-face interaction. Instead, Selina chooses to keep her back to Batman in a rather impractical manner so that we as the audience are forced to stay focused on her for the entire exchange.

At the end of it all, Season 5 of Gotham is quite frankly, all over the place, and for me, its entertainment value and quality never ended up topping 'Ruin' or '13 Stitches.' Too many subplots that ended up receiving no payoff in the end each scrambled for control anyway over the season's narrative, costing the audience opportunities to see further developments of Bruce's transition into Batman, why Selina ended up choosing to not leave the city with Oswald, the strange attachment Nygma had with his question mark playing card, and a supposed allusion to a comic the showrunners couldn't reveal the title of at the time because it would be considered too much a 'spoiler.' It is dispiriting that this is the note Gotham goes out on for me because I will in fact miss many of these characters and all of this cast as it's been clear for a while that each of the actors have been making the effort to go 110% with what they're given to work with. My final thoughts shouldn't suggest either that this is the verdict by which I'm forced to remember this series by, au contraire, I'd instead prefer to look back on Gotham and judge it by the chapters it was able to execute wonderfully, among which include 'Penguin's Umbrella,' 'Welcome Back, Jim Gordon,' 'This Ball of Mud and Meanness,' 'Mad Grey Dawn,' 'The Gentle Art of Making Enemies,' 'How the Riddler Got His Name,' 'The Primal Riddle,' 'Pax Penguina,' 'That Old Corpse,' and 'Ruin.'

When I get right down to it in its entirety, the closing words to Grand Canyon just about sum it up; "I think it's not all bad."

Aaron Studer loves spending his time reading, writing and defending the existence of cryptids because they can’t do it themselves.

#Gotham #Batman #Bruce Wayne #Selina Kyle #Oswald Cobblepot #James Gordon #Edward Nygma #Gotham Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews

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ryanmeft · 5 years

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Creed II Movie Review

I don’t remember anything about the first Creed except Sylvester Stallone, and that barely. I liked it well enough, then forgot about it. Now here comes a sequel. I liked it well enough, and will soon forget about it. At its best moments, it is about ghosts, and the way they can control a life. It is also sometimes about family, and the way we don’t get to choose ours. In the end, though, it’s fine being a fairly standard boxing movie. It could have been more. Dare I say it? It coulda been a contender.

If you’ll recall (I had to look it up), Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), son of famous Rocky opponent Apollo Creed, got adopted, separately, by both Adonis’s widow (Phylicia Rashad) and Rocky himself (Sylvester Stallone). Before going into the ring and losing but honorably, he also became boyfriend to a partially deaf singer named Bianca (Tessa Thompson). As the sequel begins, Adonis wins the heavyweight championship, and is almost immediately challenged for it by Russian mountain Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). That would be the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man whose bout with Adonis’s father Apollo was the death of him. Later, Ivan lost to Rocky, and as a result lost his status, his wife, and his respect, which makes you wonder how the Russian divorce rate isn’t 99%; after all, the hard reality is that most people who compete for something lose. Back on the home front, Adonis and Bianca come down with a case of pregnant-before-we’re-ready, and it is only natural to wonder if the baby will also be deaf. Adonis, of course, also takes Viktor’s challenge.

Outside of the ring, the movie, which has tagged in Steven Caple Jr. as director since Ryan Coogler went on to handle some superhero thing, is a surprisingly nuanced look at obsession, masculine ego, and the toll an ultimately meaningless contest takes on people. Adonis has to fight the son of the man who killed his father, because it’s destiny, a word sports announcers, writers and fans throw around more than they do game balls. Mostly, though, it’s because he’s goaded by both the Dragos and a slimy promoter (Russell Hornsby), and it is of course an accepted fact that you cannot turn down such a challenge and still retain your manhood. Who decided it was an accepted fact? Well, people with a lot of money to make off the fight, of course. The idea that your ability to whup another man’s ass decides everything about who you are is of course older than recorded history, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn it was thunk up by an ancient sports promoter.

This is even clearer on the side of Ivan and Victor. The elder Drago blames his loss of “everything” on Rocky defeating him. He never considers the fact that Rocky wouldn’t have been ostracized in his country for losing, never stops to think it might just be wrong to see the world that way. His son does. When their ice-hearted ex-wife/mother (Brigitte Nielsen) parades herself and her status as the pampered trophy wife of a wealthy stuffed shirt in front of the humiliated Drago at a dinner party, it is Viktor who reacts, insisting that, no, dad, it’s her fault for leaving them just because he lost a fair fight. I would have loved to see the movie from their point-of-view.

Adonis loses his first fight with Drago, and loses badly. He keeps his belt because Drago hits him while he’s down. He goes to the hospital, spends months in recovery. Yet, despite the fact that he has a baby on the way and that Bianca wants him to settle down, she offers no resistance to his continued machismo in accepting a rematch. And it is exactly that. He rages against his own impulses, Rocky tries to impress the importance of other things on him, and the movie flirts briefly with the idea that he might do the saner, rarer and more interesting thing: turn down the fight, live his life, learn that sometimes the story doesn’t go entirely our way. I imagine a film wherein he decides he does not need to fight, that he is a whole man already.

That doesn’t happen, of course. I said in my review for a great, underloved movie called Damsel that the western is the most versatile of modern genres. The sports genre is the least. Donnie takes the fight. The movie ends with a rousing display of well-choreographed martial prowess, a fight that is thrilling in and of itself but which is also common and wrote in a movie where the characters often are not. I felt fascinated by Adonis’s obsession and the toll it takes on him. The screenplay by Stallone and Juel Taylor, based on a story by Sascha Penn and Cheo Hodari Coker, goes to a lot of love in crafting a broken youth. I was especially engaged with him when he is at his worst: when he pushes away the mentor who has been where he is, simply because his ego can’t handle being told a right answer when he wants it to be a wrong one. For much of the film he is not a hero we can admire. And Stallone? Well, he may only have one way of acting, but it works here. He does not feel broken, but worn, sort of like a rock passed many times over by a river. The women in the movie are rendered largely irrelevant and reduced to ineffective protest, but the relationship between Adonis and Rocky points to fascinating conclusions the film could have reached. I also wanted to see more of the viewpoint of Viktor, who more than Adonis doubts the validity of self-confirmation through fighting, but is routinely pulled back into the world he has been taught.

The third act of the film discards most of this. In the end, Adonis’s choice to fix his broken pieces by fighting yields him all of the rewards and none of the consequences, while those in his life either actively cheer or look on passively. It isn’t that I want a sports movie to not be a sports movie, but this one makes so many overtures toward something deeper that when it opts to reinforce the modern sports belief that winning is at the heart of the universe, it becomes less than the sum of its parts. For a few glorious moments, Creed II was almost a powerful film. Then it settled for less.

Verdict: Recommended

Note: I don’t use stars, but here are my possible verdicts.

Must-See

Highly Recommended

Recommended

Average

Not Recommended

Avoid like the Plague

You can follow Ryan's reviews on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/ryanmeftmovies/

Or his tweets here:

https://twitter.com/RyanmEft

All images are property of the people what own the movie.

#michael b jordan #sylvester stallone #tessa thompson #Sports #movies #boxing #creed ii

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lobsters-on-their-heads · 6 years

Text

OB Rewatch: The Redesign of Natural Objects

I so want this to be symbolic of Sarah Stubbs’ relationship with Alison Hendrix.

As always, there are SPOILERS for the ENTIRE series ahead!

I loved

The shots of Siobhan out stalking Duko. Somebody make this into a poster with some inspirational Irish saying at the bottom.

That Alison and Felix communicated to defeat Duko. She has people she can count on who know her secrets.

Adele's back! Yay! “I don't want anyone friskin' you. It's not as fun as it sounds.” Heh. And I just love this shot of her.

“Cosima, it's good to see you again!” “Um, yeah, I'm a bit conflicted about it.”

“Yo, Rachel.” “Yo.”

Cosima recognizing and using her value to the Susan and Rachel team. She doesn't have a whole lot to lose at this point, but she has what they need.

Great contrast of Jesus Christ Superstar with Donnie in the cell. I don't know the musical, but people have pointed out that Alison's playing the role of Judas. (See, they told us that knowing Bible stories would help us understand other stories, and they were right!) Plus, this shot of Alison is the best shot of her for the entire series.

“Yes, I'm sure you're excited about your contribution, Ira.”

I liked

When MK says, “There’s something you should see,” she immediately follows it up with what that something is. It’s refreshing.

“I could build us all coffins. Shall I start with the smallest first?”

As soon as Scott said he wasn’t working with Rachel, Cosima went with his assessment. Because he’s her partner.

Spot on music for Donnie's opening scene in prison – Sonny Curtis' “I Fought the Law (and the Law Won)” After all, “I needed money 'cause I had none” does sum up why the Hendrixes got into drug pushing in the first place

The finch desktop wallpaper is a nice touch.

“She even cheats at Agricola.” Oh, Scott. I'm curious HOW one cheats at Agricola, though.

The person Art trusts to talk to about Duko is Raj, the sweet guy who got Beth and Sarah all that equipment.

Alison says Shit! And Scheisse!

Both Siobhan and Sarah trying to dress Felix like he's not the biggest fashion stickler of the entire Clone Club.

Alison's terrified hesitation as she talks to Felix on the phone.

I didn’t like

Donnie is such a fucking idiot. He's learned nothing from working with drug dealers. Has he even watched TV?

I hate any time a character tells another character how “crazy” they’re being. If the characters and plot are strong enough (and in this case, they are), the audience can gauge the craziness for themselves. Telling us is just talking down to us.

What the fuck, Rev. Mike?? “I'm sure the children will be just fine with proper therapy.” Alison, get thee to a different church, now! I kind of wish they'd made Rev. Mike a Neolutionist. It'd make more sense than him just being a shitty reverend.

Cosima's hair is under the ear protection/ head set, rather than tucked behind it. That bothers me.

Other notes

Both Rachel and Ira are wearing gray at the beginning – Rachel dark, Ira light.

By the end, though, Rachel’s back in white, and a shirt very similar to the one Susan’s wearing. Ira’s still in gray, though.

Thank GOD Charlotte was removed from Susan Duncan's “care” before Susan could fuck her up any further. The way Susan pits siblings against each other, obviously keeps Charlotte away from kids her own age, and invests nothing in social or emotional education.... And Charlotte's little smile when Susan says, “Ira, have you shown Rachel your toy soldiers” says everything about Charlotte's comprehension of the game at hand.

Rachel’s comment that she has “a long perspective on our ailment” gets fleshed out (sorry, bad pun?) in Season 5.

Alison heard the term “fly in the ointment,” and thought of Sarah immediately.

Alison had that mini bottle of vodka completely open when Felix startled her and she dropped it. Nothing like vodka-infused mascara, eh?

“Beth told me about you. How's your illness?” MK makes it sound like Beth told her about Cosima’s illness, which makes no sense. It could be an intentionally strange construction, though, since MK’s coded as neuro atypical.

Rachel has an eye vision of the inside of the yurt with the Messenger, but no Delphine. Indicates Delphine (a) is in on the visions and helped orchestrate this one, (b) is out of the yurt and the Messenger just helps himself, or (c) just sits back and puts up with anything and everything that happens on the island, even if it's in her personal space. I’m betting on (b) or (c). Still, how cool could it have been if Delphine showed up in her eye vision, slowly moving her thumb into Rachel’s field of vision.

This shot, by itself, could make an interesting dental hygiene ad.

If Duko’s niece is the reason he's doing all of this, it's telling that he says she's “like, ten.” Most of us, I think, would be able to give our beloved nieces’ and nephews’ ages at the drop of a hat, no hesitation or “like” involved.

I have questions

Is the safe house a former bakery as well as grocery? Those look like bakery or pizza ovens to me.

What happened to the Threatening Neo after Neolution collapsed at the end of the series? I’m guessing he stayed in prison, but did anyone tell him they collapsed?

Art was totally opposed to Siobhan killing a cop, until he was fine with it. Was it Duko going AWOL, or his threat to Donnie, or his trying to get Sarah that swayed Art?

Who had Kira's ears pierced, and when?

And what was Rev. Mike doing with that stack of hymnals?

What denomination are the Hendrixes? Not Catholic because we would have known by now, and because they call him Rev. Mike, not Father Mike. I think these symbols indicate a particular denomination, but I don't recall which.

Why is Rev. Creepy helping with the rehearsal? Don't they have a musical director for that?

Why is poor Scott the one who has to clean the blood from the comics shop? And why is he using such a stiff brush? A damp cloth and some bleach oughta do it.

I have questions in general about the state of Cosima's reproductive system. She says they couldn't get her cells to create a usual culture (though she doesn't give a time frame for when that was attempted). Fortunately, her disease isn’t real, so I’ll never get my questions answered.

Where and how did Sarah have her eggs removed? How many did they take? Did she get that oophorectomy after all? Did she enjoy it?

I would have liked to have seen

I wanted to see some discussion of how they've already looked for Delphine. Sarah's claim that “we'll find her” should have been met with a response of “How? We’ve already checked everywhere” or some other expression of frustration.

Someone get Tatiana and Terra Hazelton a Broadway musical, STAT.

#the redesign of natural objects #orphan black rewatch #ob rewatch #ob season 4 #orphan black season 4 #Alison Hendrix #enjoy your oophorectomy #orphan black spoilers

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toldnews-blog · 5 years

Photo

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/how-peter-mayhew-became-chewbacca/

How Peter Mayhew became Chewbacca

Image copyright PA

Peter Mayhew played Chewbacca, the gentle giant with a distinctive growl, in Star Wars films for almost 40 years – but how did he find himself inside that huge, hairy costume?

The London-born son of a policeman was diagnosed with gigantism, a condition that causes excessive growth, aged eight. Mayhew also had a related genetic tissue disorder called Marfan Syndrome.

He went on to reach a towering 7ft 2in (2.18m) and started his working life in engineering.

But, according to his charity foundation, he felt “more fulfilled” working as an orderly at King’s College Hospital in the capital.

He was spotted for his film career by chance, when a local reporter published a photograph of him.

It was seen by the producers of Ray Harryhausen’s action fantasy Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Mayhew’s hospital work in 1977 included helping put up signs

This led to Mayhew playing the Minoton, a huge half-man half-bull bronze creature in the 1977 Sinbad film.

He had exactly what Star Wars creator George Lucas needed when he was casting Chewbacca – height. Lucas had initially asked Dave Prowse, but he bagged Darth Vader instead.

Mayhew was perfect for the role of Chewie, the loveable, even cuddly sidekick to Harrison Ford’s intergalactic smuggler Han Solo.

Han, the pilot of the Millennium Falcon, saved the Wookiee from imprisonment, sparking their life-long friendship.

Image copyright EPA

Image caption Friends on and off-screen: Peter Mayhew and Harrison Ford

Once he was cast, Mayhew set about researching his character by studying bears, monkeys and gorillas in his local zoo – preparing to bring his character to life once he was encased in the yak hair costume.

In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, the actor summed up Chewbacca’s role by saying: “My character is a teddy bear, basically.

“I bet you, if you looked around your office, how many people had a teddy bear as a youngster or a security blanket as a youngster? And that’s what Chewie is, he looks after everybody.”

The only bit of Mayhew that could be seen was his eyes, which, along with his body language, were his only means of expression.

Image copyright Lucasfilm

Image caption Peter Mayhew played Chewbacca (L) alongside Harrison Ford in Star Wars Episode IV

He was told by Lucas the Wookiee was “a mime character because they put the noises on afterwards”, which turned out to be a relief.

“It makes it easier for me, because just try making loud enough noises through a mask!” Mayhew said.

“It’s very hard so you do as well as you can, and then they take it to the sound studio and put their own voices in it. It’s not easy, really.”

Chewbacca’s distinctive growl was actually made by sound designer Ben Burtt, who created the sound by collecting noises made by bears, walruses, lions, badgers and sick animals.

Burtt said he “extracted little grunts and put them all on one tape” and then collected sounds covering a range of emotions, such as affection and anger.

Mayhew played the 200-year-old Wookiee for the first trilogy of Star Wars films.

Harrison Ford pays tribute to Chewbacca star Mayhew

Mark Hamill says Mayhew had the spirit of a Wookiee

His other showbiz appearances included the Donny and Marie show in 1977, 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special and The Muppet Show in 1980, plus several commercials.

Once the fuss about Star Wars had died down, he moved to Yorkshire, where he “lived quietly”.

But the Force came calling again in 1997 after a special edition of the films was released. With fans’ interest reignited, Mayhew travelled the world, meeting them on the convention circuit.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Mayhew and his wife Angie met a familiar face at a 2012 fan convention

After marrying his wife Angie in 1999, he moved to Texas, becoming a US citizen six years later. He also reprised his role as Chewie for 2005’s Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

He shot a few scenes in Australia with Lucas himself, who, according to Mayhew, “set aside time personally” to direct him.

In 2009, he received the MTV Movie Awards lifetime achievement prize from Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption The princess and Chewie: Carrie Fisher and Peter Mayhew

His final Star Wars film was 2015’s The Force Awakens, directed by JJ Abrams.

Abrams called Mayhew, asking him if he could appear in the film.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Mayhew [pictured in 2018] had difficulty with mobility in his later life

Mayhew recalled the conversation with Rolling Stone, saying: “I explained that I had just had a medical procedure before we even started – I laid my cards on the counter.

“I said, ‘Look, I can’t walk. I can do most things, but the only thing I can’t really do is walk. But I can do the facial expressions and everything else like that for Chewie.’

“And he said, ‘Right, we’ll find out what you have to do and we’ll get it done.’ So I was very, very pleased.”

He shared the role of Chewbacca with Joonas Suotamo, who was his double in The Force Awakens and went on to play the Wookiee in The Last Jedi in 2017 and last year’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Joonas Suotamo went on to play Chewbacca

Mayhew, who used a walking cane shaped like a light saber, had spinal surgery in 2018 to help with mobility.

In 2012, he set up a charity, The Peter Mayhew Foundation, “devoted to the alleviation of disease, pain, suffering and the financial toll brought on by life’s traumatic events”.

He also wrote two books, Growing Up Giant and My Favorite Giant.

Skip Twitter post by @TheWookieeRoars

Sorry, I’ve been quiet as of late. I’ve been planning & going through some spinal surgery to improve my mobility. It’s been a success & I’ll be spending the upcoming weeks recovering. A big thank you to the doctors, staff, my family & friends that have helped me through this. pic.twitter.com/fdfUelrsel

— Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieeRoars) July 24, 2018

End of Twitter post by @TheWookieeRoars

Film journalist Jamie East said Mayhew was an “ambassador for the whole Star Wars trilogy”.

As well as appearing at conventions, he “would pop up quite often on Reddit during fans’ discussions on Star Wars, and say hello”. The fans’ delight at meeting him was a big part of his life, East said.

“He knew what he was there for, and revelled in the fact he could spread so much happiness with fans.”

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at Toldnewsnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].

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thewildertype · 7 years

Note

Just curious, but why do you hate the current season? It's seems to be going well...

*cracks knuckles*

I can’t stand this season of Orphan Black for a number of reasons, which I will try to sum up in list form. I stopped at 10, but I could keep going on and on. Maybe the last 4 will save it, but I dunno, man. It’s not looking good.

1. Sarah Manning Getting Sidelined.

Sarah Manning is the protagonist of the show. She’s the lens through which all of this flows. When she has gotten less screen time than PT Dubs it’s a massive problem. Added to this, Sarah is not a passive person/character. For her to simply react to things like Rachel interfering with Kira is completely out of character. The Sarah that we’ve seen through seasons 1-4 would have attacked Rachel by now, regardless of what Kira wants. We may see some of that next episode, but it’s episode 7 of 10. I mean it’s great that they’re finally getting back to the ACTUAL STORY THAT MATTERS but with 4 episodes left they’ve wasted 1-6.

2. Rachel Duncan Getting Nerfed

REMEMBER LAST SEASON? HER GLORIOUS SPEECH WHERE SHE SAID SHE’D ROUND UP THE CLONES AND EXPERIMENT ON THEM BECAUSE SHE COULD? And then remember all the promo about the sisters coming together to fight Rachel/Neolution as one?? *sigh*. That was the dream. Rachel is the villain of the damn show. Let her be the villain. Also, it would let the patent, aka: my favorite dropped storyline, actually matter in the end.

Instead, we get meditative Rachel, who closes her eyes as if it fucking matters. We get hints that Rachel is fucking PT Dubs, because Ferdinand simply wasn’t gross enough. I did not want this. I wanted Rachel, out for blood, cutting into clones and imagining that it’s Sarah. I wanted Rachel hurting Sarah because she could. I wanted Rachel and Helena to meet and Helena to kill Rachel like she’d almost done in season 2. I wanted a lot of things. Instead I got anvils about patriarchy from PTDubs.

3. The Monster No1Churro About

What was the point of the monster? It went on for five episodes only for that god awful storyline to finally get put out to pasture. Yeah, ok, they learned about LIN-28A, but you could have done that in a much cleaner fashion by having Cosima analyze data from the kid with cancer who died. The monster was even more pointless than Castor… and that’s saying something because I don’t think anyone knows how much I hated that storyline.

4. The Return of Virginia Coady

Did anyone actually want this? Like???? I wrote a whole fic about Coady and I certainly did not want this. And they didn’t even choose to make Coady and Virginia jilted lovers so…. they wasted any potential that her return could have had and now here we are.

5. Hell Island as a Whole

Why did we waste 6 episodes on Hell Island? You could have wrapped that storyline up a lot sooner. It literally took the same track as Camp Castor from season 3, where it was a big thing in eps 1-6, only to be blown to smithereens in episode 6 by an unlikely character (Paul/mob of people idgaf about) and likely forgotten about/never spoken of again after ep 7. Oh, and there was a clone in captivity both times too. Like. Why.

6. PT Dubs as a Featured Character

I am going to let you in on a secret, anon. I don’t give a rat’s ass about the history of Neolution. I don’t care that PT Dubs is a dude named John who isn’t really 170 years old. Of course he isn’t 170. Of course Neolution is a cult (they only told us that a bunch of times in season 1 and season 4 without spelling it out). This should have been Rachel’s chance to take it over and run it into the ground in a way that only she could have. But, it seems they’re trying to redeem Rachel and I REALLY AM NOT HERE FOR IT.

7. MK’s Death

This list is by no means in order of importance, after the first two, but I took this long to get to MK’s death because so many others have addressed it. She died because it was something they wanted to do, not because it fed the story or changed the story in any real way. Kira wanted to go with Rachel throughout the episode, Sarah was way OOC/OTT in her desire to run, and MK died to basically get the show to where it was already headed.

I am 100% ok with a clone (as long as it’s not Sarah) dying. Let’s get that one out of the way. I think my response to Ira dying last night was “BYEEEEEEEE” (that may have had a lot to do with my fucking loathing of Castor, but he was the least offensive of them). But to have MK’s death not mean anything, have her dying not even as herself, to frame MK’s death as Ferdinand’s moment… it just… it wasn’t ok and this isn’t what the show’d been for the 4 previous seasons.

8. This Season Doesn’t Feel Like It’s About Leda Clones

Yes. There are clones in every episode. But other than episodes 3 & 5 it hasn’t felt like it’s a clone show. There is less of Tat on screen than there has been previously. Of the core cast/characters (meaning not Krystal/Adele) – Felix, Donnie, Art, Alison, and Helena have all been missing for multiple episodes at a time. Instead it’s a bunch of septuagenarians arguing.

9. All These Random Character Returns… Why

For example: Adele. I just. Why. And oh boy, Gracie is coming back next week. You know what I had zero interest in? Gracie and Mark. I get that this is the last season of the show, but come on… if they’re going to bring back someone from obscurity, might I suggest… TONY SAWICKI.

10. The Tone is Off

For four seasons, the show has navigated dark and comedy really well, but last night was just… off. It was Krystal being Krystal and then all this presumably dark stuff where Susan dies, Virginia threatens to murder Cosima, Ira dies, etc. But… I just didn’t care about any of that and I think that’s a fault of the plotting. It was more like whiplash from one story to the next. Maybe it’s a result of sandbagging Alison for a few episodes, as the Hendrix storyline has always been better than Krystal’s at balancing comedy and drama and the mythology, but yeah. I just am not feeling it.

#ob negativity #asks #if Sarah dies I'm going to have a fucking fit

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