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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 8 months

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I've been on a slight classic Disney TV Animation kick.

I'm talking mid-1980s to early 1990s era DTVA... The era of DUCKTALES, CHIP N' DALE RESCUE RANGERS, TALESPIN, DARKWING DUCK, etc. I loved these shows as a kid, as I caught the many re-runs of them on Toon Disney in the late '90s when staying over my grandparents' house during the summer days before my mum got home from work.

And the funny thing is, when reading up on these shows and their histories... If a ton of these shows were being made today? I think they'd be met with a lot of doubt and skepticism on the Internet...

Like... "TALESPIN? Wtf is this? JUNGLE BOOK characters as cargo pilots in an INDIANA JONES-esque adventure setting? Chip and Dale lookin' like Indiana Jones and Magnum P.I.? Trying too hard to be relevant and cool. So dated! A Disney cartoon about Gummi Bears??? A candy??? Disney is totally out of ideas, man-"

And yet, the fledgling division - a brainchild of the newly-arrived CEO Michael Eisner, who saw that Disney had long barely contributed to the world of episodic television animation - went through with these shows circa 1985-1993... They came out, kids and audiences watched them, they all did very well, are fondly-remembered favorites of American animation's 2nd Golden Age. The early batch of shows arguably changed the game for TV animation in the states, which was by then soaked in toy commercials and cliche kidvid stuff.

And I almost get the feeling that once the Golden Age went full-throttle with the advent of THE SIMPSONS, Nickelodeon's "Nicktoons", Warner Animation's offerings (many of which involving Steven Spielberg!), MTV's groundbreaking adult cartoons, and many more, Disney TV Animation did have some re-routing. The early '90s was a kind of weird era for them, when they put out shows like BONKERS, RAW TOONAGE, and THE SCHNOOKUMS AND MEAT FUNNY CARTOON SHOW. The game was changing fast, and soon they were wowing once more with the likes of GARGOYLES, and venturing into other territory with shows like PEPPER ANN. They'd get creators of shows that were hits on other networks, such as Paul Germain from RUGRATS, who co-created RECESS with Joe Ansolabehere, who had previously worked on another iconic Nick show, HEY ARNOLD!

Kinda makes me think of where Disney Animation has been for a bit these past few years, in an era where the mainstream feature animation game is changing fast. And how! And it's not that what they do is bad or - as largely insufferable people say - "mid". Release something like ENCANTO or RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON or even STRANGE WORLD in 2015, it'd be praised, most people would be in agreement, "Yeah, another strong entry from the revitalized WDAS." Of course, RAYA and ENCANTO enjoyed solid reviews and excellent streaming results, and STRANGE WORLD even got pretty passing grade reviews (whereas something like the MARIO movie... Didn't. Funny how that works), but large chunks of weird animation fans on the internet seem to think they're all just "mid" or whatever... It's some console wars-caliber nonsense, I think, that's reductionist. If I didn't like something, I still acknowledge the hard work put in by the filmmakers/crew (especially crucial amidst the writer and actors' strike), and go about my day. I'm not pitting STRANGE WORLD against PUSS IN BOOTS 2, for sure. There's no reason for me to do so.

I thought about how in ANIMANIACS, they took potshots at BONKERS. The same era as "SEGA does what NintenDON'T." Those extreeeeeeme aaaaattitude '90s!

I know, because I lived most of that decade.

BONKERS is a show that fascinates me (I recently wrote a little thing about it on my main tumblr), and I thought while watching it... Release this show in 1988, and *not* 1993, it's likely hailed as groundbreaking. A cartoon trying to be zany and fun like 1940s Tex Avery cartoons, visually satisfying and nicely realized, and much more original than - say - the umpteenth CARE BEARS cartoon or the new Hanna-Barbera ersatz Scooby-Doo stuff. But, post-TINY TOONS, post-REN & STIMPY, and sitting next to ANIMANIACS, it seemingly just could not compare. It also didn't help that it was heavily inspired by the amazing film that is WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, its characters and premise ostensibly being a replacement for a property Disney could no longer do stuff with because of their feud with co-owner Spielberg. (Which puts TINY TOONS and ANIMANIACS' potshots at Disney and BONKERS, respectively, into perspective.)

Similarly, Hanna-Barbera - long one of the studio names synonymous with TV animation in America - were in an odd place themselves, until they - under the stewardship of one Fred Seibert - began bringing in some incredible talent like Genndy Tartakovsky, Paul Rudish, Rob Renzetti, to name a few... We had moved away from the likes of YO YOGI!, TOM AND JERRY KIDS, and SIMPSONS-chasing "adult" cartoons like CAPITOL CRITTERS and FISH POLICE... 2 STUPID DOGS, which had been dismissed as a REN & STIMPY wannabe by some folks back in the day, was really a launchpad for those talents. And soon, Hanna-Barbera Productions was rockin' the mid-to-late '90s with all the iconic Cartoon Network shows we all know and love... Kinda makes me think of how Illumination gets looked at, they've been around for some time and they "churn out" stuff that's just "mid" or "bland" or whatever, but I think post-SING 2, post-MINIONS 2, there's a sort-of newfound appreciation for them in some circles. Somewhat. SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE got a pass from a lot of people engaging in these weird console wars, despite its middling critical reception and a lot of folks saying it actually wasn't good. (I liked it fine, but I felt it was more a "Mario's Greatest Hits" showcase than an actual movie.) But, Illumination has an adult animation division (Moonlight) firing up, some pretty dynamic side projects and shorts, too. They even got talent like Benjamin Renner, who directed the upcoming MIGRATION. They're doin' something right if they got him.

I think, more than anything, things change so fast in entertainment. Tastes change, things trend, animated movies take a while to come out and are largely determined at a stage long before a print (or digital file) of the finished film projects onto a screen somewhere. How does one know what the world looks like, culturally, five years after they have started their film? Let alone 2 years? It's why I don't pile on films like ELEMENTAL, STRANGE WORLD, LIGHTYEAR, RUBY GILLMAN, et al losing money. They seemed surefire when they signed off on them, and like William Goldman said... No one knows anything!

I dunno, I thought I'd just relate some current feature animation things to what was happening in TV animation some 30 years ago... all because I was watching TALESPIN and BONKERS and such-

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myown-worstenemy-2003 · 2 years

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Helpless (Eddie Munson)

A/N: Hey guys! So here is another fic about Eddie, and with me, because I'm a *cough* whore *cough* for him. Anyway! This is very much written for me again, but I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it! PS: Jade and Miles are original characters. Also please do not copy my work, I worked very hard on this! Thank you! :) <3

Summary: Based on the song Helpless from the Hamilton musical

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Come on!” Robin said, trying to convince you to go to the party that was happening tonight.

“It’ll be fun!” Nancy helped.

“Yeah!” Jade agreed with the others.

“I don’t know ‘bout it, y’all,” you said, not really wanting to go.

“Why not?” Robin asked, whining. You looked down at your hands and started playing with the rings on your fingers, “Well, ‘cause I get nervous when I’m around people I don’t know. And there are gonna be a lot of people there that I don’t know.”

“Steve will be there! And Jonathan and Vickie, and we will be there too,” Jade told you, hoping that you would change your mind.

“But y’all have your partners, and I’m just gonna be a third-wheel, and I don’t wanna do that to y’all. Just go without me, and I’ll be okay,” you told them with a little smile, to show them that you would, in fact, be fantastic if you didn’t go to the party.

The party that they were talking about, was a Halloween Party at Steve Harrington’s house. And even though you were friends with Steve and you loved Halloween, if anyone were going to attend this party, they would have to wear a costume. Now you did enjoy dressing up for Halloween, and you did it every year back in your hometown, but you never did like the feeling of everyone's eyes on you.

“But everyone will be there! The kids would love to see your costume! And after some time, you would even talk to more people and get more comfortable being around people,” Nancy explained.

You thought about it. You knew Miles had told Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will about the costume that you were making. And that they were super excited to see you dressed as your character from their favorite game that you dabbled in as well.

You sighed, “Fine, y’all have to help me with the finishin’ touches on my costume.”

“Absolutely!” Robin said, nodding her.

“You got it!” Nancy said, smiling.

“Yes!” Jade said happily.

You smiled as you watched them scramble to help you prepare your stuff. I hope you’re ready, Piper.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jonathan pulled up to Steve’s house with Nancy, Robin, Vickie, and you. You could see some people hanging out in the front yard. Robin took your hand, “It’s okay, you’ll have fun, I promise.”

You looked at her and smiled, “Okay.”

You were the last one to get out of the car because you were in the middle of Robin and Vickie for some reason. When you got out, you fixed the bottom of your dress that rode up as were climbed out of the car.

As you followed your friends into the familiar house that was not so familiar because of all the people that were there, you observed what people decided were good enough to dress for the party. A couple on the lawn were dressed as Superman and Lois Lane; there was a guy dressed as Darth Vader but with no mask on sitting on the front porch talking to another guy that looked like Indiana Jones. You were impressed by how well the costumes were executed.

As you made it inside behind your friends, you followed them until you spotted a certain redhead that was wearing space buns. You smiled and made your way over to where she was in the kitchen.

“I never pegged ya as a Princess Leia type,” you teased Jade when you walked up to her.

“Well, you would never guess that it was my idea that Stevie and I go as Han Solo and Princess Leia,” she shot back at you with a smile on her face.

You laughed, “I always knew that you would be the movie geek with me.”

She laughed along with you, “You got me. Anyway, you look gorgeous! Just like we knew you would.”

You smiled and blushed a little, “Thank you. I’m hopin’ that the glasses don’t take away from the struggle of puttin’ in the color contacts.”

“I think that they work very well. Especially since your eyes are a very nice bright golden yellow,” Jade told you as she got you a soda from the fridge. When you got it, it was nice to have because it was starting to get really hot because of all the bodies in the house. You stayed in the kitchen and laughed as Jade became the center of attention and dazzled the room.

You were watching her when out of the corner of your eye, you saw a figure come through the door. As soon as you saw him, your heart skipped a beat. A guy with curly hair dressed in medieval garb, just like you are. But he looked like he had been to war and possibly died. He looks pretty cute for a dead guy.

He was looking around like he was looking for someone, and for some reason, you wanted to catch his eye. What was this feeling?

Apparently, he found who he was looking for and disappeared into the throng of people drinking and dancing to ‘Karma Chameleon.’ You sighed disappointedly and went back to drinking your soda when Jade and Nancy came up to you, “What’s wrong, Pip?”

You looked at the girls and answered with a small smile, “Nothin’, just people watchin’. You know me.”

The two girls looked at each other and then looked back at you and said at the same time, “Bullshit.”

You groaned, “Fine. There was a guy that I saw that I thought was cute, but he was lookin’ for someone, and then I lost him in the crowd before I could get to him.”

“OOOOO!” Robin excitedly squealed loudly, coming out of no where. You punched her arm and scolded her, “Shut up, Robin.”

“Okay, okay, what did he look like?” Jade asked. You shook your head, “He looked like he was lookin’ for someone, so he probably had a date. There is no need to do anything about it.”

Nancy said, looping her arm with yours, “Well, since I’m here, and we both look hot, and Jade is gonna go suck face with Han Harrington,” Jade rolled her eyes at that, “We should go and have fun! Forget about whatever happened and have fun!”

“I don’t know ‘bout it,” you started, but then one of your favorite songs came on. You saw the smirk grow on her face, “Are you sure about that?”

“I hate you, Nance,” you answered, dragging her to the makeshift dance floor.

“I know you love me, Piper,” she answered when you made it to the middle of Steve’s living room, singing along loudly to ‘You Shook Me All Night Long.’ And dancing like what you would describe as stupid because you were shimmying and being stupid with one of your best friends. And you were pretty sure that if you didn’t stop and adjust soon, a boob would fall out of the homemade blouse, and your thighs would be rubbed raw because your spandex under your dress was riding up just a little too far. But that didn’t matter right now because you were having the time of your life.

You also didn’t notice from across the room the little stare-down that you were getting from the very same guy that you stared at earlier. As ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ came on next, you were the hottest thing in the room, and the man was mesmerized.

After a few songs, you had to stop and get something to drink. When a slow song came on, it was a perfect time to take a break and adjust and cool off. You made your way into the kitchen with Nancy and Robin coming in with you.

Jade was with Steve talking about something.

“Ew, get a room, you lovebirds,” you said teasingly, getting a bottle of water from the fridge that Steve keeps for Jade.

Jade laughed, “Nah, we want to make you squirm.”

She then kissed Steve on the lips, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Hot damn!” “Get it!” You and Robin cheered, and then they laughed as they pulled apart.

“Did you have fun out there?” Jade asked, standing next to Steve with his hand around her waist.

“It was! Had to stop so I could get a drink to cool down,” you told her, smiling and then taking a swig of water.

“Yeah, can’t have our sorcerer dehydrated when she’s kicking ass on the dance floor!” Robin said, sipping some of the punch that had been spiked apparently from the face that she had made.

You laughed a little, and then the four of them started talking about something as you looked out of the sea of people dancing to Whitney Houston's ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody.’ You were watching people dancing, drinking, and having fun when you saw the guy again. He was talking to someone. You kept your eyes on him as you hit Robin on the arm several times.

“What? What’s wrong?” she asked. You whispered, still looking at him, “It’s him”

Both Jade and Robin rushed to either side of you. They asked where and what he looked like and if he was cute. You shook your head at what they were saying around you while you were still looking at him. You pointed to where he was, “He’s in medieval clothes,” you told them to help them out.

“Eddie?” Jade asked. You whipped your head over to her, “You know him?”

“Yeah, he and Steve are friends.”

At the sound of his name, he perked up, “What’s up?”

“You know Eddie?” you asked Steve. He nodded his head.

“Yeah, why? What’s he doing?” he asked, coming to see what he was doing.

“Nothin’!” you answered quickly, blushing. And looked away from the guy that you now know as Eddie.

He grinned mischievously, “You like Eddie?”

“No!” you said too quickly. The three of them looked at each other like they were forming a plan. And it was against you.

“You know, he is kind of cute,” Robin said, smirking.

Jade nodded along, “Yeah, he is. Don’t you think he is, Pip?”

You looked down, “Yeah?”

“Yeah? Well, he is single. And he is looking for a girl,” Steve said, leaning against the sink and taking a sip of his beer.

“Oh yeah? Well, I heard that Dana said that she thinks he's cute. So you won't mind if I put in the food word for her?" Nancy asked.

“No, I don’t. I’m fine,” you said, shaking your head.

"Okay, I'll be right back then," she said. You watched her walk past you to the door leading from the kitchen to the living room. You quickly grabbed her wrist. She stopped and turned to you.

“This one’s mine,” you whispered shyly. She smiled knowingly, “I know. We just had to get you there.”

Then Jade and Nancy left the kitchen, leaving you in there. You watched as they disappeared into the crowd of people.

“What are they gonna do?” you asked out loud to no one in particular.

“Who’s gonna do what?” you heard from the doorway. And you saw the gaggle of freshmen you came to know and love.

“What are y’all doing here?” you asked excitedly, going over to them to give them hugs. They all happily accepted it, except Mike, who accepted it but not happily.

“Y’all look so awesome in your costumes!” they all came dressed as their favorite superhero. A round of thanks yous and thanks came from them.

“Piper, you’re costume looks so cool!” Dustin said excitedly.

“Thank you so much,” you said and curtsied to him.

“Yeah! Did you make that yourself?” Will asked.

“Sure did, and I helped Miles make his too,” you said, smiling.

“That’s so awesome!” Lucas said.

You smiled, blushing just a little, “Now, don’t you have someone else to bother? I think I saw Steve in the backyard.”

“We have to show Steve,” Dustin said to them, making a break for the back porch, the rest of them following.

“Hey Sissy?” Miles said, stopping, the rest a few feet away, waiting for him.

“Yeah, what’s up, buddy?” you asked.

“You do look really cool, and really pretty,” he said, smiling.

“Thank you very much, Batman,” you said with a smile and curtsied to him. He smiled and rushed to the rest of the boys. You watched them as they safely made it out to the backyard. You smiled and shook your head as you heard Dustin yell for Steve, and then the door closed.

You looked over to where you last saw Eddie. Then you saw Nancy and Jade talking to him when suddenly his eyes found yours, and then you feel your knees start to go weak, and you feel like a helpless bird.

As 'Thriller' faded out, you heard Eddie ask Nancy and Jade a question as they made their way toward you, "Where are you taking me?"

The two girls looked at each other from either side of him, and Jade answered with a smile, "We're about to change your life."

He thought about it and then smiled, "Then, by all means, lead the way."

You distracted yourself before you started to freak out, so you started crunching on some pretzels.

“There she is!” Jade said and brought him over, “Eddie, this is our friend that we were talking about.”

“Hi, I like your costume,” he said, smiling and trying to subtly check you out.

You blushed under his gaze and smiled, “Thank you, I made it myself. I like yours too.”

Nancy cleared her throat, and you looked over at her, and Nancy made a motion with her head toward him. Then you realized what she was telling you telepathically.

“I’m Piper Jones. It’s a pleasure to meet ya,” she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. He looked at her, puzzled for a second, “Jones? Do you know a Miles Jones?”

She nodded her head, and this time, she was confused, “Yeah, that’s my little brother. Why?”

He smiled, “So you're the famous favorite big sister of the group of freshies? Miles and the others are a part of Hellfire,” you nodded your head, knowing what Hellfire was, you and Nancy would trade off picking them up, ”I’m their Dungeon Master.”

“OH! You're the famous Eddie! They talk about ya all the time!” she said, “They all look up to ya. But don’t tell them I told ya. It’s good to finally meet ya!”

“As is to meet you,” Eddie started, “So, pray tell, do you drabble in the arts of Dungeons and Dragons?”

You giggled, “I do. I dressed as my character. I’ve been wantin’ have a session with the boys where we all dressed up as our characters and stuff. We haven’t worked out the details yet, but I figured I’d get a head start.”

“What do you play as? Wait! Don’t tell me,” he said and started looking you over. You blushed again under his gaze. He was looking you over. That’s when you heard the song ‘Hungry Eyes’ come on, “You’re aaaaaaa half-elf?”

You came out of your trance when he spoke up. You answered, “Yes, I am. I’m Zora Nightbreeze, a half-elf sorcerer.”

He watched you as you curtsied. He then took your hand and bowed, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Zora Nightbreeze. I am Eddie The Banished, a human Bard. Just coming back from battle and meeting a beautiful maiden. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

You giggled, blushing, “Thank you for all your service.”

“If it takes fighting a war for us to meet, it will have been worth it,” he answered smoothly. He then kissed the back of your hand.

“Well, we’ll leave you to it,” Nancy said, finally dragging herself and Jade away from watching the two interact.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Two weeks later, after the Halloween party. You sighed as you walked up to your locker after Geometry. People always said if you were good at algebra, you would be bad at geometry. And you hated to admit that they were right. There you were at your locker after class, hoping that you didn’t fail the test that you just took. When you opened your locker, out came a folded-up piece of notebook paper. You smiled as you picked it up and saw ‘Lady Piper’ written in messy handwriting. You haven’t even read the letter he wrote you yet, and it already made your day so much better.

“Ooh, what do you have there? Another love letter?” Jade said, coming up next to you. You blushed, holding it, “Maybe….”

“Let’s read it!” Jade said excitedly.

“No, I can’t. He told me to wait and read it then. So at lunch, we can,” you told her. She nodded her head.

“Okay. I guess I can wait until lunch,” she sighed dramatically. You rolled your eyes at this, and then she continued, “Are you still taking Miles Trick-or-Treating Friday?”

“Yes, ma’am. And you and Steve are gonna be taggin’ along?” you asked, even though you knew the answer.

“Duh! But we might not dress up since Stevie is supposed to have basketball practice,” she told you.

You fake coughed, and there was a muffled loser in the fake coughing fit. Jade rolled her eyes, “It’s not my fault that Coach Stricklin wanted them to continue the practice, no matter what.”

You groaned, “Fine! But you better at least dress up as somethin’, or you’re not gettin’ any treats that I made for y’all.”

“Yes, ma’am. Anyway, I have to go listen to Mr. Pankey talking about how to write a proper paper. I’ll see you later, Pip.”

“Bye, Jay!” you called to Jade as she walked away to another classroom. You were switching out books when another figure came up beside you, “Hey, sweet thing.”

You giggled as you realized it was Eddie. You flirted back, “Hey, stud.”

“How’s my girl been?” he asked, putting a hand around your waist and pulling you close to him.

You hummed happily as he pulled you close to his chest, “Just peachy, now that you’re here.”

“Aw, sugar, you make me blush,” he said with a smile on his face.

“You make me blush all time, so it’s my turn to get ya back,” you said, booping his nose and then pulling away. He pouted a little as you went back to trading books and notebooks out.

“What do you say that we take our free period, and we go and waste time in my van?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

You giggled, “As much fun as that sounds. We both know that I have a free period while you have Ms. O’Donnel’s.”

“Whaaaaat? Noooo,” he tried to sound convincing. You looked at him with a look on your face that said, Are you sure that what you are about to say is the right thing to say at this moment?

He then pouted and whined, “Pleeeease?”

You smiled a little but shook your head, “No can do, Romeo. You promised to go to class.”

You started to walk toward the library when Eddie whined again, “But I don’t want to go to classss.”

You stopped and then faced him and put a hand on his chest to stop him from running you over, “How about this? You go to all your classes today, and after trick-or-treatin’, I’ll give you a little treat?”

He made a confused face, “What like candy? I can get that myself while skipping class.”

You hummed and moved closer to him. Eddie wrapped his arms around your waist, thinking he won. That was until you whispered, “Think sweeter, but fewer people.”

That’s all it took for him to turn around and run toward the classroom he was supposed to be in. You laughed as you watched him sprint down the hallway and curse and apologize when he bumped into someone.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Friday night, Halloween night. Everyone was supposed to meet at your house so you could all walk together as the boys went and got candy. There was a knock at the front door. Figuring that it was Jade you went to the door and opened it with only your sleep shirt and pajama shorts that were too short, “Hey Jay, you’re early.”

The person that stood in front of you, that wasn't Jade, raked their eyes up and down your frame, “Hey there sweet thing. I’m not Jade, but I’ll be whoever you want me to be if I get to see you in that outfit again.”

You blushed, “Eddie! I didn’t know you would be here this early!”

“You promised me something and I am here to make sure I get that promise. Am I allowed in?” he asked, smirking.

You nodded your head and opened the door wider to let him in. He came walking in wearing his costume that he had on at the costume party. You closed the door and watched as he checked out your house.

“I like your place. It’s cozy,” he commented, smiling.

“Thank you, dear,” your mom said, coming to the hallway from the kitchen. Eddie jumped, surprised to see another human being in the house.

“Piper! I didn’t know you had a twin sister! It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said holding out his hand.

Your mom laughed and shook his hand, “I’m Brenda, Piper and Miles’s mom. Thank you for trying to boost my confidence though.”

“What do you mean? You and Piper look exactly alike! I can see where she gets her beauty from,” he complimented, you mom giggled.

“Well, aren’t you a charmer? Piper isn’t quite ready yet, in the mean time, come tell me about yourself…,” your mom trailed off waiting for his name.

“Eddie, at your service,” he said, smiling. He followed your mom into the kitchen. You then ran off into your bedroom to hurry finish getting ready.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on your door, followed by a girl’s voice, “Yoohoo!”

“Hey! There you are!” you said as Jade came into your room, you finally finished the final touches that was the contacts and the earrings. You smoothed out your dress and then there was a low whistle from the doorway.

“Hot damn!” Robin said looking you up and down. You laughed and blushed, “Look good?”

“Look good? Girl you are hot!” Robin exclaimed. You giggled.

“Alright we better get to the living room before the boys interrogate Eddie too much,” Jade said nonchalantly.

“Do what?” you said wanting to make sure that you heard them right.

“Yeah, the boys are out there doing the what are your intentions with my sister, thing right now,” Robin explained.

“Are you serious?” you said, “He’s gonna think I’m crazy now.”

You were stressing. Because this was a guy that you liked and the guys were going to now ruin all chances that you had.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. Brenda and Nancy are in there too,” Robin said.

“Oh Lord help me,” you said under your breath as you paced the floor.

Why were you stressed? Well because out there in the living room, ‘interrogating’ Eddie were people that knew you the best and would kill anymore for you. You’re father wasn’t in the picture after your mom divorced him when Miles was in kindergarten. And your family and the family that you chose were out there doing the job better than another father could have dreamed of doing.

That is exactly what Eddie was thinking right now as he was trying not to sweat under the gaze of Piper’s family. There was the group of boys that he had adopted at the beginning of school. They looked scarier than he remembered them being. Especially Dustin and Miles. When did Miles and Dustin get so scary?

Nancy and Jonathan sat to the side, Nancy asking her journalist questions and Jonathan staring him down like he could see into his soul. That is fucking creepy, man.

Brenda was the only one that look any type of nice and happy that he was here for Piper, she had a smile on her face that still read as ‘if you hurt my baby girl, they will never find your body.’

And Steve was leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed, staring him down like a father would.

Eddie cleared his throat and smiled, “So, uh.”

“Alright, cut the bullshit,” Dustin said. Eddie sat up straighter in his seat, “Piper is our friend and she’s crazy. But she’s our friend. More like our sister. So if you hurt her, you are gone.”

Eddie sat there for a minute taking in all of the faces that were around him. He saw the love that they all had for Piper and for each other. He knew what would happen if he did hurt her and he would never do that. He had that love for her and he wanted that from them too.

“I promise that I would never hurt her. She makes me so happy. And I haven’t felt that is so long, I don’t want to lose that feeling. I would do anything to never lose that feeling ever again. I want to make sure that she is happy and never feels like how I felt,” Eddie told them honestly looking down at his hands, feeling very vulnerable. He felt a hand on his back, when he looked up, Steve was looking at him with a smile on his face, “That’s all we want for her and you too.”

Eddie then looked around the room and he saw smiles on everyones faces, Miles came up to him still looking scary, “Be good to her, she’s been through too much shit already.”

Eddie nodded his head, “I promise, I will be true to her for the rest of my life.”

Miles smiled and hugged Eddie.

“Well it sounds like your getting married already!” Jade said to you from outside of the living room.

Meanwhile that was all happening you, Jade, and Robin were outside of the living room, listening to Eddie basically ask for his blessing to be with you. You’re trying not to cry because you know that he loves you and that there is nothing that he wouldn’t do to be with you. But when Miles made his way over to him, This is it. If Miles doesn’t approve, then it’s over.

But when Miles said that and then hugged, you came rushing into the living room. Eddie’s eyes met yours. He smiled so brightly that your knees went weak and you felt so helpless because you knew that he was yours and he had more family than he could ever imagine having.

He got up after Miles pulled away and went over to you and pulled you close into him and kissed you sweetly on the lips. All around you were wolf whistles and ewws.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

After that it was like you and Eddie were married and had seven kids. You all took the kids trick-or-treating. Not only did the kids get some candy, you stole some from the kids that you blamed as the ‘sibling tax’ because you were taking them out. After everyone had their fill of candy and talking to each other, your house was evacuated. All that was left was you, Eddie, some candy, and the quiet.

“Looks like it’s just us,” Eddie said as he sat down on the couch with a sigh. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders as you cuddled into him the best you could.

“Hmm it does seem like that,” you answered and then you threw your leg over him and sat on his lap. He moved his hands to your thighs that made an appearance from the movement. He tried not to look at your clevage that was display from your costume, “What’re you doing sweet thing?”

“What do ya say I make good of that promise from earlier this week?” you flirted, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. Suddenly you were being lifted in the air, you let out a little squeal. You then giggled as you wrapped your legs around his waist to support yourself as you felt him move his hands down to your butt to support you as he held you.

“That sounds like the best idea that I’ve heard in a long time,” he answered and kissed your lips.

#eddie munson x reader #stranger things x reader #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things

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chronostachyon · 5 months

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From a YouTube comment I just wrote

Link (cw: reaction video)

Star Wars and Indiana Jones are both cut from the same cloth: pulp fiction. The magazine format, not the Tarantino film. Pulp comics were cheap, trashy stories built around broad character archetypes and thrilling good-vs-evil violence; I fully get why they're fun and nostalgic, but they push a British colonialist viewpoint of noble men in savage lands that's very much descended from Rudyard Kipling. Takeaway, pulp fiction is a fun storytelling genre but it's best not to let it shape your world-view.

Regarding the changes to the film over the years: I'm sure many other commenters (online or meatspace) have mentioned that the CGI was added after-the-fact, as were the "Episode 4" and "A New Hope" parts of the title... but the title change happened much much earlier than the CGI change. In the time of Episode 5 (1980), it suddenly went from a standalone movie to first in a trilogy, so they updated the title of the first film. That change was a lot less controversial compared to Lucas's digital remasters just before Episode 1 (1999). Nobody grew up on "Episode ∅: The Unsubtitled" VHS tapes: in 1977-1980 home video releases weren't yet a thing, and taping things at home off of broadcast TV was incredibly rare (the tech was immature and outrageously expensive then). Nope, people grew up on the "Episode 4: A New Hope" name that you actually saw here, and they always knew it as first in a trilogy. There wasn't a real opportunity for a widespread "they changed it now it sucks" outcry, because the only crowd who knew the difference were people who watched it during that three year gap and were old enough to remember the old version.

A brief rant:

IMO, the "they changed it now it sucks" folks have a good point here and there, but I also see Lucas's thinking in 1999 about how a new generation was going to grow up with a Star Wars trilogy, and he wanted the original trilogy to look less jarring to people born in 1990-1994 even if people born in 1967-1972 hated the remaster changes... especially how a lot of cutesy squeaky animals were added in the Tatooine establishing shots and, yes, Greedo shooting at Han and missing. A lot of it boils down to kids my age screaming that ThunderCats the children's cartoon about teamwork was cool when we grew up, but the new ThunderCats is a children's cartoon about teamwork and that's earnest and cringe and I can't believe we're exposing younger generations to it, because ThunderCats the children's cartoon of the 1980s was gritty and dark and sarcastic like the stuff I'm into now as a teenager. Neo and Trinity and Morpheus just really get me, mom.

All that said: it's awful that we don't have a Blu-ray that has both VHS-era and remaster on them, though.

#cringe #i am cringe but i am free #star wars meta #star wars prequels #star wars remasters #pulp fiction #irony poisoning

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artemismoorea03 · 1 year

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10 Facts About Ari

Wanted todo something like this for a while now, so might as well do it now :3

1) I live in the United States, specifically the North-West part of it though I have been looking to move to Canada for a while now.

2) I’m married! I got married in 2019 to an absolutely amazing person who I’ve been dating since 2013! He is fantastic and easily my best friend. I wouldn’t be half of the person I am today without him.

3) I’m legally deaf, nearly legally blind in my left eye, and use a cane to walk around! These as well as a few other health issues have made having a physical job difficult so I spend 18+ hours a day writing and coming up with ideas for Fanfiction as well as my original story. I’m also Dyslexic so that’s fun :3 (not really)

4) I have an allergy to Ginger and Cinnamon, weird right? Just developed it randomly at the end of 2020. Which sucks because Cinnamon is my absolute favorite spice.

5) My favorite movie of all time is Twister from 1996 and I watch it more than is probably healthy considering that the very idea of a tornado keeps me up at night x’D

6) I have 4 pets (though 6 live here with me). Baby Jade is a 6 going on 7 year old Ragdoll/Siamese, Lady Maria (aka Carpet Muncher/Circus Freak) is a 3 going on 4 year old Calico, Indiana Jones (Indi for short) is a 1 year old Australian Shepherd, and Salem is a 5 month old black cat. The other two dogs belong to my sister and are both Poodle mixes; A Golden-Doodle and a Aussie-Doodle name Win and Scout. The only male animal in our house is Salem, the rest are ladies.

7) My favorite color is Teal or Black :D (I’m always wearing black though)

8) My biggest fear is easily the Dentist but Heights is also up there.

9) The thing that inspired me to start writing was the book series Maximum Ride. I have read the first one over 100 times (not even kidding, I started reading it in 3rd grade and I still read it to this day, I’m now 26).

10) I have been writing since 3rd grade and never really stopped. It even got to the point where when my teacher realized that I was hopeless at Math he just told me to “Work on what you’re good at and like to do, because trying to force yourself to do something you hate and don’t understand will just make you miserable in life.”

Anyways, this was fun and just something that I just wanted to do. But I’m always willing to answer any questions anybody has. I don’t bite, I promise. :3

#Ari rambles

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mostlymovieswithmax · 3 years

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Movies I watched in March

Thought I’d chronicle the films I’ve been watching over the March period, from the 1st to the 31st, and how I’d rate them. If you’re looking for something to watch, perhaps this will help. A lot of these movies are available on streaming services also.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - 10/10

I hadn’t watched this in a couple of years but I was blown away. Peak Scorsese.

Rushmore (1998) - 7/10

Not the best Wes Anderson movie for me but still fun.

Lion (2016) - 8/10

I discussed this at length on my podcast: The Sunday Movie Marathon. Great movie!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10

Now this is one of the best Wes Anderson movies. I discuss this more on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Fantastic, funny and I watched it twice because it’s so much fun.

Inception (2010) - 10/10

Discussed on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Best Christopher Nolan movie for me, Inception is just breathtaking.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) - 5/10

This might be Anderson’s weakest film (at least from what I’ve seen) but it’s still not as bad as a lot of directors at their worst.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 10/10

I was really on an Anderson binge in March. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the most wholesome movies I’ve seen and certainly one of his best films.

Rome, Open City (1945) - 4/10

This was filmed in Nazi-occupied Italy and from that premise, the film enticed me. Despite having some interesting qualities, I do feel that initial pull is most of what the movie has going for it.

The Prestige (2006) - 7/10

I showed this to my brother and for what it’s worth, he enjoyed it. I do think this is one of Nolan’s weaker efforts but considering how much I like it, that speaks a lot to Nolan’s filmography as a whole.

Nostalgia (1983) - 10/10

I watched Nostalgia three times in the space of a week and reviewed it on The Sunday Movie Marathon. It’s phenomenal.

Kangaroo Jack (2003) - 1/10

Another one I watched for the podcast. Kangaroo Jack is truly terrible and it upset me a great deal. Avoid this movie.

Stalker (1979) - 10/10

Another Andrei Tarkovsky movie (director of Nostalgia). I watched this again during the day before my second watch of Nostalgia and while it’s hard to compare such different movies, I enjoy Stalker more. It’s a staple of Russian cinema for a reason.

Four Lions (2010) - 5/10

Watched for the podcast. I didn’t really gel with this comedy but it would certainly appeal to someone who enjoys the humour, as my co-hosts did.

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 6/10

This Sam Mendes joint was a tad too melodramatic but still boasted some great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Metropolis (1927) - 6/10

This silent film is a staple in cinematic history. Its themes are as painfully relevant today as they were in the 20’s, yet despite that I found a lot of it to be intensely boring. After it hit the hour mark, I started playing it at 1.5x speed.

Crimson Peak (2015) - 4/10

A lot of great set design and costumes and colours, yet the story itself was madly uninteresting.

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004) - 10/10

Who doesn’t love a good movie written by Charlie Kaufman? I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and after a third watch, it is as fascinating as it is gut-wrenching.

Godzilla (2014) - 3/10

If you wanted to see Godzilla fight a bunch of monsters for two hours, then this is not the movie for you. There’s maybe about ten minutes total of on-screen Godzilla action and considering that’s really all anyone’s watching this for, it’s amazing the titular sea lizard occupies so little of the movie.

Prisoners (2013) - 10/10

Brilliant mystery thriller by my favourite director, Denis Villeneuve. Discussed on the podcast.

Eraserhead (1977) - 7/10

David Lynch’s debut feature film went down in my estimations this time around. You can listen to why on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Still, Eraserhead is a very good movie.

Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981) - 6/10

The first Indiana Jones movie proved to be a fun romp and Harrison Ford plays the character beautifully. I’m just not a big fan of Spielberg and his average verging on pretty good but rarely ever great movies. Perhaps on a second watch, I may enjoy this more.

The Seventh Seal (1957) - 9/10

Watching this movie again was so much fun. So far, it’s my favourite Ingmar Bergman film. It’s a celebration of life and love, with an underlying sense of dread as death looms ever-present.

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984) - 5/10

I can tell why this generally looked on as the weakest in the trilogy. Harrison Ford is still great but the movie dragged a lot and felt more like a bunch of things happening for the sake of it rather than a fun action/adventure.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989) - 7/10

The Last Crusade was a lot of fun and maybe it was Sean Connery’s inclusion, or perhaps the bottle of wine I drank through the movie elevated my enjoyment. But alcohol aside, I still believe this to be the best in the series.

Justice League (2017) - 2/10

People really weren’t kidding when they said this was bad. I watched this in preparation for the Snyder cut and I was not happy. This took years off my life.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) - 3/10

Barely any better and double the run-time of the original. I discussed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and I was certainly not impressed. Better luck next time, Zack!

The Truman Show (1998) - 10/10

Brilliant movie and one I would highly recommend for a stellar Jim Carrey performance. This was another recommendation for the podcast.

Eighth Grade (2018) - 7/10

I was impressed with Bo Burnham’s debut feature. This is a coming of age story centred around a young girl growing up in the modern world and how it can affect the youth of today. Burnham shows a deep understanding of youth culture and a real knack for filmmaking.

Bad Education (2019) - 8/10

A real “yikes!” movie. If you want to learn a bit about the embezzlement that took place in an American school back in the early 2000’s, you need not look further than this tight drama with fantastic performances from Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney.

Twelve Monkeys (1995) - 8/10

One of the only movies where the time travel makes sense. I recommended this for The Sunday Movie Marathon and it’s pretty great.

Ready Or Not (2019) - 7/10

Despite a premise that is not wholly original and a super goofy third act, Ready Or Not is gory, violent fun with a lot of stylish art direction.

Dead Man (1995) - 3/10

Recommended on the podcast. I really did not get a lot out of Dead Man. It’s a very slow movie about Johnny Depp going through the woods and killing some people on the way, but it’s two hours long and hugely metaphorical and sadly it just didn’t connect.

Misbehaviour (2020) - 6/10

A big draw for me in Misbehaviour is Keira Knightley; I think she’s a great actor and I’m basically on board with anything she does. I’d been wanting to see this for a while and I was shocked to see just how relevant it is (being set in 1970) to the world we find ourselves in today, where women are still fighting to be heard and to be treated equally. While the film is not spectacular, I still got a lot from its themes, so recently after the murder of Sarah Everard and how women are being treated in their protest.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (1964) - 7/10

I was surprised at just how hilarious this early Kubrick movie is. While I can’t say it floored me or took any top spots, it’s still a great examination of the military and how they respond to threats or try to solve problems and the side of war we don’t often see in films: the people in the background sitting in a room making crucial decisions.

Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10

Wow! I can’t believe I’d never seen this before but I’d never really had access to it. Taxi Driver is a beautifully made movie with so much colour and vibrancy. De Niro puts on perhaps his best performance and Paul Schrader’s timeless script works miracles.

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - 5/10

Classic Tim Burton aesthetics in a pretty by the numbers, almost Supernatural-esque story eked out over an hour and forty minutes.

Seaspiracy (2021) - 6/10

Everyone’s going crazy over this documentary and I agree it tackles important issues we’re facing today surrounding the commercialization of the fishing industry, but a lot of what’s presented here is information already available to the public. The editing feels misplaced at times and the tone is all over the place. Nonetheless, it’s still quite fascinating to see good journalism being done in a way that exposes this side of the industry.

Pirates of The Carribean: The Curse of The Black Pearl (2003) - 8/10

Super fun and a great first instalment in a franchise that sadly seems to have peaked at the first hurdle.

My Octopus Teacher (2020) - 8/10

Great cinematography and a lovely premise, this documentary has garnered an Oscar nomination and I can see why.

The Sisters Brothers (2018) - 8/10

A really solid western I was happy to watch again. It’s a shame no one really talks about this movie because it is excellent with stunning visuals and great performances.

Pirates of The Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) - 5/10

A strangely massive drop in quality from the original. If I didn’t like the whole concept of this franchise so much, I might have had a worse time.

Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 8/10

On a second watch, Tarantino’s first feature is still wildly impressive.

Life of Brian (1979) - 7/10

This is perhaps my third time watching Monty Python’s Life of Brian and it’s still incredibly funny, however it never manages to measure up to its predecessor (and one of my all time favourites), Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

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smokeybrandreviews · 3 years

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Smokey brand Retrospective: The Gift and the Curse

Brendan Fraser has seen a resurgence lately and i love every bit of that. Dude has been one of my favorite actors for decades. I’m an Eighties kid who grew up during the Nineties so i was right there when he came onto the scene. I was a massive fan f all of his early work; Bedazzled, George of the Jungle, Encino Man, Airheads, Blast from the Past, and even Monkeybone. Dude hit his stride right around the Aughts and then completely disappeared. We found out later it was because of some really f*cked up sh*t but he made it through and proved he still had with Robot Man on Doom Patrol. I’m so glad this guy got another shot at this movie star sh*t but i wanted to revisit the franchise that put him on the map: The Mummy.

The Mummy

I love this campy ass flick, man. I saw this one in the theaters because, at the time, i was super into CG. It had only been a few years since Jurassic Park blew that sh*t out the water and only a few months after The Matrix made everyone sh*t the bed. The Mummy just missed that window but it was still incredibly enjoyable. This was my Indiana Jones because i didn’t care about Indy for a long time. It’s not that they were bad movies, i was just too young to appreciate them. The Mummy came out right at the time i started to really understand why i liked cinema, what a good permanence truly was, and how beautiful a film could be. The Mummy covered almost all of those bases. Fraser did an excellent job as Rick O’Connor and Rachel Weisz stunned as Evelyn Carnahan. F*cking Evie, man. I was already a fan of Fraser but this movie made me really pay attention to Weisz and she became one of my favorite actresses. It helps tremendously that she is f*cking gorgeous! Rounding out the cast is John Hannah as Evie’s brother, Johnathan and Arnold Vosloo as the titular mummy, Imhotep. Also, i can’t not mention the scummiest of scumbags, Benny, portrayed so effortlessly by Kevin J. O'Connor.

I absolutely adore this film. It’s a not the best example of Nineties cinema, how can it be, and it’s a terrible remake of the original Universal Mummy but it does what it wants to do very well. I love the ideas and the world they built with this campy clusterf*ck. It shouldn’t work, it should be terrible, but it’s one of the funnest films i have ever seen. It has it’s issues, absolutely, but they are minor compared the non-stop action, the incredible cinematography, the dated but ambitious CG effects ,and solid performances from every principal actor. They really let Fraser do his thing and that energy carried over to the rest of the cast. Evie is every bit the bad ass as Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley but is still a very girly-girl; Something that seems to be frowned upon nowadays. Imhotep id an unrelenting, vicious antagonist who controls powers from long ago, literally willing the seven plagues of Egypt into modern times. This movie is all over the f*cking place but it worse so well and every time i see it, i have as much fun as i did way back when i was a ripened fourteen years old.

The Mummy Returns

Boy, this one suffers terrible from Sequelitis. It does nothing new and is an almost exact retread of the first film but we have new characters and a new villain in the guise of... The Scorpion King! Yes, this is the first film that titular Arachno-Monarch makes his first appearance portrayed by a very young, very beefy, and later, very poorly rendered, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson! That’s right, long before he was Franchise Viagra, way before he was punching out Dom into a stalemate in them god awful Fast flicks, The Rock got his start here, in the sequel to The Mummy and he’s f*cking terrible! Oh my god, is he bad but it works. His awful, awful, performance fits right in with the utter camp of this ridiculous franchise ans, to no one’s surprise, i loved every second of it. Now, as much as i love The Rock in this thing, i have to absolutely give it to Patricia Velasquez as Meela Nais, the physical reincarnation of Imhotep’s regicide partner and f*ck-buddy, Anck-Su-Namun. I didn’t talk about her much in the entry about The Mummy but that as mostly because she was more a plot device rather than a character. She isn’t much else in this one either but at least we got to actually see her for more than ten minutes. Plus, that fight between her and Nefertiri was f*cking glorious. Sixteen year old Smokey appreciated the f*ck out of that.

The returning cast hits their points perfectly. That chemistry never falters. Fraser, Weisz, and Hannah are exceptional together and Vosloo is, somehow, both far more menacing and hilarious at the same time. There’s this scene toward the end where he is utterly defeated and it’s the funniest sh*t i have ever seen. I also really enjoy both Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay far more in this one than the last because he gets to do sh*t finally. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was also a welcome surprise as the muscle, Lock-Nah. Dude just kinds of stands around and i think he gets into a fight with Fehr that was pretty cool but a little trite. Obviously, as a film from the early Aughts, it has it;s problems. There’s a ton of culturally insensitive sh*t that Zoomers would probably be upset about but, you know, f*ck em. It’s like a sense f humor is illegal nowadays. That said, having Rachel Weisz, as gorgeous and half-naked as she is and was, portray an Egyptian is a little much nowadays. At least Patricia Velasquez is a type of Brown? An attempt was made. This thing is a mess and i enjoy every second of it. The Mummy Returns is substantially worse that the first but, at the same time, just so batsh*t that it is equally as entertaining. But f*ck that kid, though. Every time he’s onscreen all of the good times are thrown right out the goddamn window!

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

I gave this one the hard pass for years. It looked like trash. Like straight up dog sh*t. This thing came out seven years after Returns and i just didn’t care. I was one hundred percent in my hipster film snob era and couldn’t be bothered. For a full f*cking decade and some change. Seriously, i just watched this thing the day before yesterday. For the first time. It was the inspiration for this retrospective because, after seeing this train wreck, i went back to check out the first two just to get the taste of dogsh*t out of my mouth. There are several changes made to the formula that immediately take me out of this film. First, and most egregiously, no more Rachel Weisz! She didn’t come back for the third. The reason behind her absence has run the gambit from vanity, to scheduling conflicts, to literally never getting a script. I don;t really care why, all i know is that her absence was felt. Maria Bello did her best but she isn’t MY Evie. Another “choice” was to age up that awful f*cking kid into an awful f*cking adult. That’s right, this is a “passing of the torch flick” and Luke Ford’s Alex O'Connell was supposed to take over the franchise going forward. That didn’t happen because this is Rick’s franchise. The Mummy would be nothing without Fraser and the at was proven when this thing tanked. It wasn’t all bad though. I really liked the new mummy, Han. They did some really fin things with his abilities and Jet Li never once phoned in an action scene. Unfortunately, even with the strength of the brand and outstanding lead performances, this thing still sucks.

I had a time with Tomb but it wasn’t like the time i had with it’s predecessors. I don’t know if it’s because I'm so much older and hardened by life but all i see is the flaws in this one. It doesn’t have the nostalgia goggles like the first two so i can’t enjoy it like i enjoy those. I just see plot holes instead of camp. Bad CG instead of rustic attempt. Poor set pieces instead of Nineties jank. Bad character writing instead of unfortunately hilarious dialogue. Tomb isn’t terrible but it ain’t good wither. It;s mediocre and i know the first two aren’t great but they’re better than whatever this wanted to be. It’s weird to see because there are a lot of great ideas here. I can see the vision that lays outside the margins and it’s frustrating. Fraser does is in his element as Rick and Li’s Han is a physical powerhouse but that’s not enough. As awesome as this movie gets when those two are on screen, literally everything around them is dismissible and i don’t understand how or why. I think a lot of the chemistry was lost when the focus was shifted to Alex from Rick and the recasting of Eve really didn’t do this film any favors. However, even with all of my frustrations, i can’t say i had a terrible time with this thing. It was entertaining, if a little bogus.

#The Mummy #The Mummy Returns #The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emporer #Brendan Fraser #Rachel Weisz #Smokey brand Retrospective

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introvertguide · 3 years

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15 Badass Movies for a Fun Time at Home or with Friends

There is a buzz in the air as COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out and the hope of having a movie night with friends is again becoming a reality. Watching alone isn’t as fun because I want to talk to somebody about what I have just seen. A full theater does not agree with my introvert nature because somebody screaming or laughing or talking on their phone will ruin it for me. Watching with a fellow cinephile or two is perfect. But what to watch first? People have been stuck inside, so fantasy and alternative worlds have been overly popular. All I do is talk over zoom for a living. I think what I need most right now is a movie about realistic people with realistic skills that go into a situation and just wreck house. I need a badass movie. What is this “badass” movie you might say? Well, here are some basic criteria: 1) There must be a tough lead character who kicks butt while spouting one liners and doesn’t need superhuman powers (high levels of peak skill with speed, aim, or strength is OK if they are plausible in the real world), 2) most of the characters (good and bad) must be likable, admirable or at least memorable, 3) the lead must face and defeat overwhelming odds against them, and 4) extra points for memorable one liners. Also, I am only dealing with human protagonists (sorry Terminator), but slightly superhuman opposition is acceptable. This list is by no means exhaustive, it is just an example of some badass movies. So in no particular order:

1) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

To start off the list, I want to mention the most well known American badass. Indiana Jones is a smart guy with a gun and a whip. He is rugged and punches guys in the face. He has weaknesses but works through them to get the job done. Harrison Ford was in his early 40s for this role and had this tough-as-nails and seen the world kind of feel while still being young enough to fight hand to hand. Any of the first three films featuring Indiana Jones would work here, but this is the original and it started the fun. Easy to watch. Easy to cheer for. Great movie. You can’t really go wrong with any age or group with this one.

2) 13 Assassins (2010)

This movie is extremely badass but not for everyone. This is one of the goriest films I have ever seen as 13 warriors kill off a couple of hundred soldiers and the evil leader that they guard. The movie was directed by Japanese extreme horror icon Takashi Miike if that means anything to you (hey made Audition and Ichi the Killer). The movie has gallons of blood, but also an amazing story of redemption and honor. There are tons of scenes of a single warrior taking on dozens of soldiers and managing to overcome. Not for everyone, but still very much a badass movie.

3) The Raid (2011)

This is an Indonesian action thriller with the word action in bold. The film is directed by Gareth Evans and stars Iko Uwais as part of a small police force that tries to take down an old building that houses a drug lord and his violent gang. It has a lot of what I like in badass movies: one-on-one fights between the lead and almost superhuman villains, long well-choreographed scenes, a banging soundtrack, ridiculous weapons, and ridiculous gore. The fight scenes in tight places and the use of the environment for weaponry is amazing and the sound design makes sure you can feel every punch. The lead character should have no chance, but he makes up for it with skill and being a pure badass. This movie is one of the few that I would describe as having non-stop action.

4) Jon Wick (2014)

When did Keanu Reeves become so cool? I grew up with him being part of the Bill and Ted duo. He decides to learn martial arts and play a god-like being in the Matrix movies and then becomes a one man wrecking crew? I guess he is a badass because he does it so well. Keanu plays a retired hitman who is wronged and decides to go back to work for vengeance. He just won’t stop coming and seems to constantly survive out of pure hatred alone. There are 3 films in the series and any one of them will impress. Pure fun too watch.

5) Casino Royale (2006)

When I was asking around, there were many people who thought that James Bond was the ultimate badass. I disagree in that many of the older films show Bond as overconfident with the assistance of many people. In fact, Q is more of a badass in many ways than James Bond. However, when the series was taken back to its roots with the last book that had not been made into a serious film and made darker, it reached badass levels. From the parkour chase to a poisoning to an extreme torture scene, this was not like any James Bond movie before it. Roger Craig plays a much colder lead who gives no quarter, much more like what the greatest secret agent would have to be. Heavy on violence but light on gore, this film is more for all audiences than other films on this list.

6) Desperado (1995)

What makes this movie is not all about Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayek. It is that every other character is memorable and badass as well. The street standoff with Bucho’s men versus El Mariachi, Quino, and Campo is iconic. El Mariachi murders everyone in a bar with precise skill. The rogue assassin Navajas with all the knives played by Danny Trejo. Nothing but extreme shoot outs and fight scenes with a ridiculous variety of guns and explosives. I think what makes this movie so amazing is that all these amazing assassins are incognito and, when they suddenly produce an arsenal out of nowhere, it is always a pleasant surprise. Quino and Campo are amazing when they bring their guitars.

7) Pulp Fiction (1994)

Truly the role that made Samuel L. Jackson into the ultimate badass. He and his partner Vincent are hitman that keep running into the worst situations. The thing about the film is that everybody is so cool. The characters are cool, the music is cool, the dialogue is cool, hell even the diner featured in the movie is cool. The movie only spans a couple of days (in completely separate segments shown out of order) but packs in 7 distinct situations that are all berserk. From the mind of Quentin Tarantino, this movie is dripping with the best characters traveling through the best story. Highly recommend.

8) Leon: The Professional (1994)

Also known simply as The Professional in the U.S., this film features the debut of Natalie Portman. It is directed by Luc Besson at his best period, right between La Femme Nakita and The Fifth Element. The lead is actually a quiet hitman who reluctantly takes a little 12-year-old girl on as an apprentice to become a paid assassin. Her parents were killed by a corrupt cop and she wants Leon to help her exact revenge. He is an absolute badass and somewhat of a caring surrogate father to the girl. Unlike a lot of the films on this list, the premise is not simply kicking butt in a bad situation. There is serious character growth. Apparently you can be a caring parent and a cold-blooded murderer...and that is badass.

9) Kill Bill (2003)

Being a badass is not exclusive to men and The Bride is a prime example of this. She survives a shot to the head, kills deadly assassins, slaughters a gang, and takes on a crazy school girl bodyguard. She is tougher then any lead I can think of and she has the bad attitude and sense of vengeance that makes for a badass. Combine this with the soundtrack and beautiful cinematography associated with director Quentin Tarantino and you have a beautifully violent movie in which the hits keep coming. Even on this list, the fight scene between the bride and Gogo Yubari is insane. Also note the nod to Bruce Lee with the bright yellow motorcycle suit. Beautifully badass film.

10) Aliens (1986)

In nature, there are few things more dangerous than a mother protecting their young. A mother will fight you to the death and make sure that, at the very least, you won’t be able to go after her kids. Now imagine an alien planet covered with hostile beings created in the mind of James Cameron and Stan Winston and you have a setting made to create a real badass. In the beginning, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is just desperate to survive and barely knows how to use a weapon. She meets a little survivor named Newt and then has a real reason to become aggressive. She and a group of marines fight through a station filled with super destructive xenomorph aliens made straight from nightmares to save this kid. The transformation is truly amazing and culminates in a mech suit versus a giant queen alien and it is extremely badass.

11) Army of Darkness (1992)

Far and away the funniest movie on this list, this is the third film stemming from Evil Dead and again stars Bruce Campbell taking on the deadites that were raised by reading from the Necronomicon. The opposition is the undead evil that faces the world which makes the violence very unrealistic. This was early work from Sam Raimi and features a variety of different shots done to the extreme. What really makes this film stand out is how Bruce Campbell is amazing at delivering a one liner. His classic quips have been used as fun Easter eggs in video games like Duke Nukem and World of Warcraft for decades. The quintessential horror comedy and a perfect example of a badass.

12) Die Hard (1988)

Apparently, I am a big fan of single characters that need to work their way through a building of villains using mostly intelligence and the element of surprise. Throw in some one liners and I am all for it. That is exactly what this is with Bruce Willis crawling barefoot around a 40 story building and fighting off a gang of villains. The movie also has Alan Rickman as the main bad guy and he is chewing the scenery. This is a great example of being a badass, but it is too bad that the follow up sequels were so poor. Definitely stick to the original and let the rest pass by.

13) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)

An OG of the badass movie genre, this is some of the best of Sergio Leone and the spaghetti western. Instead of one badass, this movie has three different leads that are all amazing. You have the good, Clint Eastwood, who is an amazing shot and a heart of gold under a rough exterior. You have the bad, Lee Van Cleef, playing an conniving assassin that will kill anyone that he doesn’t have a use for. Finally, you have the ugly, Eli Wallach, as a desert rat that will do anything to survive. They all gain information about a gold stash and need to work together to get it, but this creates a vortex of cheating, undercutting, and straight up murder. Clint Eastwood is more of the classic badass with his cigar, hat, and poncho, It is an iconic look on an iconic character in an iconic movie. That is what I call badass.

14) Ong-Bak (2003)

This less of a badass movie and more houses some of the most amazingly badass fight scenes that can only be described as badass. This movie introduced the great Tony Jaa to the western world and showed the high flying nature of Thai boxing and Muay Thai in general. The main character is entered into a street fighting tournament and the moves include a flying double knee drop and a full splits kick. If the whole movie was the tournament, it would be the best movie that ever existed. The variety of opponents makes the fighting even better and the cinematography is top notch. Tony Jaa is truly badass in this film.

15) Dredd (2012)

Not the crappy version with Stallone, this movie is seriously badass. It features Karl Urban who is helmeted for the entire film (as Dredd would be) taking on a 200 story mega slum filled with residents that want to shoot him dead. There is a drug dealer high up in the building and she locks down the entire compound with instructions to kill Dredd, who only has his rookie partner to help. He takes on random resident mobs, groups of gang members, and even a trio of mini guns that have bullets that can rip through walls. He has a smart gun with a bunch of ammo that he uses judiciously to kill everybody. This movie was seriously underrated since it had not been that long since the garbage Judge Dredd came out in 1995. The 2012 is a far superior movie, being much more violent and dark instead of having Rob Schneider as the comedy relief (not badass).

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I know there will be a lot of opinions about what makes a badass film and what movies i didn’t add. Feel free to add your own movies or critique my choices. I will stand by my choices, however, and recommend any of these films for a night of cheers and badass action.

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alcalavicci · 3 years

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So there’s a really interesting interview with Deborah Pratt here. If you don’t want to pay for it, I’ll paste what I can below, but a few points first.

Deborah says she doesn’t know where Dean is, and says she misses him. I guess she hasn’t had contact with him since he left for NZ? And with Russ Tamblyn saying Dean’s hanging in there in answer to a recent Twitter question, that brings up more questions about his condition.

Deborah claims she came up with the idea of Quantum Leap, which I’ve never seen come up before. Also Don wanted to send Sam home?? I feel like she’s misremembering a lot of details/making herself seem better than she is.

“Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished… He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own, and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time tht his next leap will be the leap home…”

The premise of Quantum Leap succinctly and empathetically explained by a voice that spoke to viewers week to week, setting the scene at the opening of the episode. It is a voice that left an indelible print on the show, from its inception to its finale. This is the voice of its Head Writer. No, not Donald P. Bellisario, but a woman of color who was leaps ahead of her time – co-executive producer and uncredited co-creator, Deborah M. Pratt.

Deborah wrote or co-wrote 40 episodes of this sci-fi gem and her authorship of the show runs deep through its five seasons. Aside from the opening narration, Deborah is audible as the voice of Admiral Al Calavicci’s pocket computer, Ziggy. She also guest stars in the episode ��A Portrait for Troian’ (S2, Ep11) as a grieving widow who hears the voice of her husband calling her.

Deeper still, Quantum Leap was a family affair. It was co-created with her husband at the time, Bellisario, and their daughter, also named Troian, appears as a little girl in ‘Another Mother’ (S2, Ep13, who can not only see Al, but also sees Sam as he really is, rather than as her recently divorced mom.

Prior to helming Quantum Leap, Deborah rose through the ranks as an actress, racing the screen in Happy Days, CHiPS, The Dean Martin Show and many more, and was also a writer on shows such as Airwolf and Magnum P.I. She is a five-time Emmy nominee, Golden Globe nominee and winner of countless other awards. She went on to produce CBS comedy cop show, Tequila and Bonetti, and then to co-create and produce the TV series adaptation of Sandra Bullock tech thriller, The Net. But Quantum Leap was Deborah’s brainchild – one which is emblazoned on the hearts of its faithful fans.

Deborah has since moved into directing, including on hit show Grey’s Anatomy (2020), but was generous with her time when spoke in late 2020 to leap back into the past.

It does seem that you were really ahead of your time as a female head writer and a showrunner in the ’90s, especially in science fiction TV. Was it hard for you to progress and to get Quantum Leap made?

“Usually women were relegated to comedy, very rarely was it drama or heavy drama. It’s changed, finally, with people like Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Bridgerton, Scandal). But yes, I was a true pioneer, even though I don’t have a ‘created by’ credit, it was a ‘co-created by’ show – with Don. I brought him the original concept, and we were married, and he said ‘Let me just run with this. I can get it made.’ And to his credit, he understands how to tell a story to the audience. He simplified it in a way that you could welcome Quantum Leap into the world. But it was still a tough show to sell.

“I think we went back three times to pitch it to the network. It was complicated to explain. Brandon Tartikoff [the executive] said ‘It’s a great idea – It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen on TV. Let me think about it.’ Then he asked us to come back, ‘I want you to pitch it to me like I’m six years old, then pitch it to me like I’m 80 years old’ and finally he took it. Then even after the show first aired, they decided to introduce that opening where I tell the story. That was created to explain every week to a new viewer what was going on and it worked really well.”

On rewatch now, the best part of three decades later, the show feels groundbreaking in terms of the subjects you cover. Did you feel like you were pushing the envelope?

“I feel we got to do so much on that show. I remember when I did ‘Black on White on Fire’ [S3, Ep7], the networks in the South in the United States wouldn’t air it because it was a black/white relationship. Even though there is no scene where you see a black person and a white person being intimate.

You saw Sam, who was white, and the girl who was white, but because he was playing someone who was black, it was an issue. They wouldn’t air the show in the South. This was around 1992.

“It was challenging for sure. I think we pushed the limits.

“The beauty of the show too, was that it was about hope, which I see so little of on television today. Everything’s so dark, so mean, so vicious, bloody – how many people can you kill? How mean can you make your lead characters and antiheroes. I think it’s why I didn’t work as much afterwards. A) I was a woman, and B) a black woman. There weren’t any black female executive producers that I knew of in drama. I got to do The Net because it had a female lead, but that was almost ten years after Quantum Leap was created. Any show I brought in that had a black lead was never bought, or a female lead, was never bought.

“I remember I wrote a big action piece – like an Indiana Jones, but female-driven, feature film – and pitched it and the studio executive said, ‘Yeah, yeah, but when did the guy come and rescue her?’ And I said, ‘She doesn’t – she rescues him.’ The look on his face. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”

The show darted around TV schedules, but the fans remained with it, and still to this day hold it dear to their hearts. Was that palpable at the time, or has that grown since?

“I think near the end of the first season, Harriet Margulies [Production Assistant on the show] found a chat room after an episode where people from across the country talked about it and it became the ‘watercooler.’ We were the first television show that had a chat room as a watercooler. Before that, it was literally you going into your office and standing around the watercooler and talking about movies or TV shows you were watching. Suddenly, it was online. So we started to go into the chat room and talk to people about what they liked and what they didn’t. Not necessarily telling them who we were, but that fan base is what kept us on the air because the network didn’t know what to do with us. There was no show like it, so they couldn’t like pair us with anybody.

“In the five years we were on, I think they moved the show six times and the fans still found it, they followed it, they watched it. That’s how we knew we had something unique and special. To this day, I’ll go into a meeting with a young executive who’ll go, ‘I have to tell you, I loved Quantum Leap. I used to watch it with my mom and dad’.”

Scott Bakula was such a great hero and heartthrob as Dr. Sam. What was he like to work with?

“He was so approachable, you know, in the sense that he had this great, easy acting style. He took chances and he was likeable – in a way that he could be a man’s man and a woman’s man at the same time. He’s really a brilliant actor. I am saddened by the fact that he has not had the opportunity to do movies in the way that could really have lifted his career. He’s had an incredibly successful television career. He’s a good actor. He’s a kind man. I’ve always admired him and felt like when we were working together, I had a friend that I loved to write for because he was always so giving and willing and wanting to take chances as an actor. So it was fun to go down to the trailer and say, ‘Guess what? You’re going to be pregnant this week’.

He does everything in the show from sing and dance to baseball, football, hopping over car bonnets to fights and martial arts. Did you know he had such a wide skill set from the outset, or did you write the challenges for him to rise to?

“I think we had conversations with him about that. I also knew that he had been on Broadway doing musicals. I knew he could sing and dance. When I wrote ‘Sea Bride’ [S2, Ep20], I wrote a tango number – that was unique for him. When Don knew that he could play the guitar… We asked Scott, ‘What do you want to do?’ And he said he wanted to do a musical and I think that’s how the ‘Catch a Falling Star’ episode [S2, Ep10] came about, which involves a performance of ‘Man of LaMancha’.”

Admiral Al Calavicci – he’s so much more than wisecracking and surface jokes or flirtation. There’s so much depth to his character. Was that fleshed out early on with an end to end journey for him in mind, or did his character evolve through the seasons?

“It was a little bit of both. Dean Stockwell had been on Broadway at five-years-old and had been a major child movie star. I remember when we wrote the show where Sam had the chance to save Al – ‘The Leap B4, Ep1] – he was so good in that. I’ll never forget how beautiful that was. And then in the very, very end, I love the fact that Sam did change history and Al ended up wih his beautiful wife with five kids.

“I remember once asking Dean, ‘Do you want us to write more drama for you? Big dramatic moments?’ And he said, ‘I want you to look at me right now. I want you to tell me what you see.’ And I said, ‘Well, your performance, the pain, fear and loss and all that, because you’re such an incredible actor.’ And he said ‘For me to perform that, I have to be it and live it. So don’t do too many.’

“He had that depth of acting talent. He is so good – Dean, wherever you are, I love you. I miss you.”

The episodes that follow later in the seasons involving celebrities – Sam as Elvis, Dr. Ruth, or Lee Harvey Oswald, was that kind of a direction that you always foresaw? It feels like a sea change as the show progressed.

“The stories were designed, for the most part, to be so, so simple in that they were everyday stories. They weren’t change-the-world stories. I think the biggest one was Lee Harvey Oswald, and maybe the one involving Marilyn Monroe – those were with people that could have had a ripple effect.

“But there were other little kisses with history in the show, but they were very hard to do. They ran into a child version of Donald Trump in a taxi cab, [‘It’s A Wonderful Leap’ – S4, Ep18], then they ran into a little boy who is supposed to be Michael Jackson – Sam teaches him to moonwalk [‘Camikazi Kid’ – S1, Ep8]. The first time I did a kiss with history was ‘Star-Crossed’ [S1, Ep3] – Sam meets up with the woman that left him at the altar and they’re at the Watergate Hotel. That was fun stuff.”

Sam managed to awkwardly kiss lots of ladies in that sense of ‘Oh God, they’re going to kiss me and I’ve got to be this person, what am I supposed to do.’

“We never, ever really discussed what happened to Sam. We didn’t want him to be encumbered by a relationship. But I didn’t get to kiss him. My husband wouldn’t leave the set on the episode I was in!”

Your move into directing – from your TV drama Cora Unashamed back in 2000, to Grey’s Anatomy just last year. Is that something you wanted to do sooner? Were there barriers prohibiting you?

“I was supposed to direct on Quantum Leap four times. Every time it was coming up, something would happen. The only women who directed on the show were two black women – Debi Allen [Fame, Everybody Hate Chris, Jane the Virgin] and the other was a woman named Anita Addison. They each did two shows.

I said, ‘If I’m not doing this, I want black women.’ There were no other black women. And it was a fight. I tried to get black women directors on the show, but I could never get them past.

Then when I went to do The Net, the studio blocked it. I give huge amounts of credit for executive producing to Shonda Rhimes and what she has been able to do. She did what I thought I was going to be able to do. She’s so talented and I’m such a fan of her and her shows. I’m looking forward to what she’s going to do on Netflix. And it was an honour to do Grey’s Anatomy because I’m a fan of the show and I’m really grateful to have that opportunity.”

Has there been progress in terms of female directors and filmmakers being given opportunities?

“It’s very hard for women because there aren’t a lot of women executives at the studios. There are more now. And so there is an evolution that’s happening, but it still feels slow. There were shows run by people I gave opportunities to back in the day, but when I said, “hey, I want to direct on your show,” the response was, “oh, there’s too much machismo. There’s too many male hormones around here. They’ll eat you alive.” And I went, “no, they won’t, you’ll protect me. How about if I do my job?” And that was only last year. But there are more opportunities. There are more women making decisions, but we have to do more because women’s stories and women’s voices are more than half the population – we need to hear those stories. The historic ones as well as the contemporary ones.”

Is there a leap that was your favourite overall? That you feel made you made your mark with?

“’The Color of Truth’ [S1, Ep7] touched so many people and it opened a dialogue. I remember we got a letter from a teacher who said she brought the VHS in and she played it to her class, up until Jesse [Sam as an ageing black chauffeur in ’50s Deep South] goes and sits down at the counter in the restaurant. Then she stopped it and asked the students what they thought happened next. They thought that he just ordered lunch. And then she played the rest and that hostility and the animosity he endures and the fact that he had to get up and leave really incensed these children. They had never heard of or experienced racism. They didn’t want to believe that it really happened. This is how history gets buried and why television is so powerful and important. It opened a conversation that she could not have necessarily had in her classroom, according to her, had she not brought that show in to share with her students.

“We had another letter that was very moving, and I want to say it might’ve been ‘The Leap Home’ [S2, Ep1-2]. There was a couple who wrote and said they had a child that was on a cancer ward and every Thursday the whole ward would watch Quantum Leap. Their child was dying and they had kind of given up and it was just time to help that child transition out of this world. They watched the show and she said, ‘We realized we gave up hope. When we watched the show, we realized we didn’t have to give up hope and we wanted to write to you. It’s now six months later and the crisis has passed. The cancer is in remission. Our child is up and going back to school. And we just want to thank you for reminding us that hope has its own power’.”

Its power and poignancy has never diminished. Though the final episode, ‘Mirror Image’ (S5, Ep22), with the caption saying Sam doesn’t get to go home, does leave a sucker punch.

“That was our last fight. Don was going to send him home. And I said, ‘You can’t, you can’t send him home. If you ever, ever, which we’ve not ever been able to get Universal to let us do it, want to do a movie… If you want to keep the story going, you have to leave Sam out there in the hearts of people, leaving people thinking he could leap into their lives’. And at first Don said, ‘No, no, we need to bring him home’. And I said, ‘Do not bring him home. Or you will end the show. If you leave the hope out there, that Sam is out there and he could leap into your life and make a difference’. You keep the show alive in the hearts and the minds of the fans. And I think I was right.”

The ending was poetic for me as a viewer, but your point about Sam still being out there – Is there a leap back to the future for Quantum Leap?

“I started writing a project called Time Child about Sammy Jo Fuller. I actually wrote a trilogy in Season 5 where Sam leapt back three times into the same family and the second time he leapt he ended up in bed with this character and conceived a child. Then the third time he leapt in, he met her at 10 years old – a girl named Sammy Jo Fuller. So in my vision, Sammy Jo Fuller grows up. I actually have Al say, ‘Sammy is in the future with me. We’re trying to bring you home.’ That was my set-up way back in 1993, in Season 5, to say someday, Sammy Jo being his daughter might take over….

“This was the ’90s. Women heroes didn’t exist really – other than comic books – Wonder Woman was there, Super Girl was there. But I set it up in the show that Sammy Jo was going to bring him home. Sadly, I have not been able to get Don and the studio to give me the green light for Time Child. It might happen someday.”

Right now, it feels like we need more shows that offer hope. Is there a place for a reboot on streaming platforms?

“Universal keep saying they want to bring it back. They’re not going to give it up to Netflix because they have [US streaming service] Peacock now and still have NBC. I personally think it should be on a full blown network. The hard part would be that it would have to be recast if there was a female version using my character Sammy Jo Fuller. Or if they just redid the show, it would be interesting in the sense that there was such an innocence about the show. I still believe that there is an audience out there that wants it, that longs for looking at the past through the eyes of somebody in the present. But who would that person be if you did the show now, what are those eyes like?

“We’re living in the time of COVID and suddenly you go back in time. How do you warn people that this is going to happen? How do you warn people about 9/11? How do you warn people about things in the future?

“I mean, one of the beauties of that innocence too, and I thought that was a great gift from Don to the concept, was that Sam’s memory as Swiss cheese – he didn’t remember things and that made it a lot easier, and Al was not allowed to tell him what was happening in the present. There’s a lot of detail woven into the mythology that allowed it to be innocent and in the moment of time travel. You didn’t have to drag the future back with you.”

Do you have an actress in mind to play Sammy Jo in a reboot?

“Oh my gosh, Jennifer Garner. I always felt she would be a great female Sam. She’s an ‘every woman.’ She’s funny. She does great drama. When I think of a female Sam or even Sammy Jo, I think Jennifer – in a heartbeat. She’s so great in Alias. That show just never stopped. You couldn’t take a breath. If I had to go younger, somebody that would have that kind of believable humour that you think could actually rescue you – maybe Jennifer Lawrence. She’s pretty formidable in that sense.”

“To bring Quantum Leap back. If they’re thinking about it, now’s the time to happen. Tell people to write to Universal! Write for the attention of Pearlena Igbokwe – if anyone can bring it back, she can do it. Write! Write to Pearlena – she’s the one that’ll make it happen. That’s how we stayed on the air for five and a half years. Fans unite and write!”

#quantum leap #article

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imwritesometimes · 3 years

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Confession tapes!

Rules: post 5 confessions about Star Wars I was tagged by @maderilien 🥰 1) I literally only watched Star Wars at all for Harrison Ford. When my brother was a kid he had the original trilogy on this ancient used VHS box set and I was watching him one day and he wanted me to watch it and I was like no and he was like but Indiana Jones is in it and I was like get to the VCR now! 2) When ROtS came out my cousins and I planned the whole day around going to see it. We made a mix CD to play in the car and me and my cousin wrote.... inappropriate stuff all over his sister's car windows about Obi Wan cause she was in love w/Ewan and then we made her drive us to the theater lol 3) I went and saw Rogue One by myself shortly after Carrie Fisher passed and I didn't know about the Leia cameo at the end and I kinda sorta fckn lost it in the theater 4) The Mandalorian is the only non-movie Star Wars content I've ever watched

5) The Obi Wan Series is the only other non-movie Star Wars content I'm planning on watching and I'm ridiculously excited for it zero pressure tags: @firehart9 @dinkryze

#fun stuff!!#a day late but lol my may the 4th was hectic

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alexis-dot-com · 3 years

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So I never grew up with Star Wars, having only seen the original trilogy once as a kid, which never clicked with me. I was more of an Indiana Jones/Back to the Future kid. I always saw them as overrated 'cause they just never stood out to me as all that special.

I watched the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy over the past few days, and honestly prefer the sequels. Because I don't have that connection to the original series, I wasn't too invested, whereas the characters, visuals, music, editing, colours in the sequels really clicked with me.

I get that if you grew up with Star Wars, the sequels might not be what you wanted, but for somebody like me, who had no connection to it, I loved the sequels. If there was another Indiana Jones movie, or BttF, I'm sure I'd have a knee-jerk reaction to it too. I went into these movies not expecting to like them, as everything I ever heard about them is that "original trilogy is good, sequels are shit" but uhhhhh, I completely disagree. The originals aren't bad by any means, I liked them enough but I feel hardcore fans hold them on this untouchable pedestal.

I ain't writing this to argue, if you didn't like the sequels, that's all good, but please respect that I liked them a lot. So I guess I'm a fan of the series now? I watched the prequels when they first released so I might need to go back to those at some point.

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bamon4bamily · 3 years

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TVD 9x16 - What happens in Vegas... (part 2 of part 1) Enjoy! =)

Cut to – The hospital location. As soon as they arrive, they figure they must have made some kind of mistake. It is in fact a Psychiatric Hospital, but it looks like it has been abandoned for years.

UBER DRIVER: Looks like you might have the wrong address…

KAI: It’s the right address, look (shows Damon his phone with last night’s route).

DAMON: Guess it is…

UBER DRIVER: Are you sure you guys want me to leave you here?

IKER: Trust us, man, after last night, it can’t get any crazier.

UBER DRIVER: If you say so. Good luck! (Drives away).

ALARIC: (Looking at the creepy place, already regretting whatever they did there the previous night) Why?! Why on earth would we come here!

DAMON: Guessing princess bride here (referring to Kai), had something to do with that.

IKER: There is no way that call came from here...

DAMON: Let’s check it out. We’ll do it fast, in and out; just to make sure Stefan isn’t passed out somewhere inside.

ALARIC: I’m getting too old for this shit…

DAMON: Oh, come on, Ric! Think of it as another one of your Indiana Jones adventures (mocking him for the photos he took in cosplay), the Last Crusade, if you like.

ALARIC: Shut up…

They go inside… the place is straight out of a horror movie.

IKER: Okay, I’m officially creeped out.

DAMON: I say we split up; it’ll be faster and we can cover more ground.

KAI: Have you ever seen a horror movie? That’s exactly the kind of decision that gets everybody killed… Trust me, I would know.

DAMON: Fine, Michael Myers, you can come with me.

We’ll look this way... Iker, you and Ric can search down that corridor.

IKER: Sounds like a plan. But, 20 minutes max, then we meet back here.

DAMON: 20 tops. (Teasing, as him and Kai are walking away) Oh, and watch out for the killer clown…

IKER: Yo, don’t play with that shit, man! You know I hate clowns...

ALARIC: So do you, Damon. So, if anyone is pissing their pants, my money is on you.

(Damon and Kai walk towards one direction, Iker and Alaric, towards another).

KAI: Do you really think Stefan is here? I mean, I know he’s dark and gloomy, but this is a bit extreme… even for me.

DAMON: The only reason we are here is because your crazy ass is definitely responsible for dragging us here last night.

KAI: Yeah, probably… but still, creepy AF…

DAMON: Now you know how we feel when you’re around. But… what I am really intrigued about, is how the hell you joined our little party.

You must remember at least getting on a plane or something...

KAI: No… Last thing I remember, I was taking a nap, and then… puff! I woke up here…

DAMON: You couldn’t have driven; so how the hell did you get here… Makes no sense.

KAI: Ooh…! What if I can do that Bonster trick?! That’d be freakin awesome!

DAMON: Of course you can’t, that’s stupid. Unless… No, no, I refuse to believe that…

KAI: What? You think Bonster...? Hey, it makes more sense than the alternatives…

DAMON: No way! Hell no! Let’s just drop this little mystery of ours and do what we came here to do… (they continue searching; suddenly, he stops dead in his tracks) Shhhhh, do you hear that?

KAI: What? No…

DAMON: Listen…

KAI: I am! I don’t hear anything…

DAMON: I thought you had vamp hearing…. Listen harder.

KAI: (Standing completely still and in total silence, trying to listen…)

DAMON: (Does a vamp speed trick, scares the shit out of Kai) Killer clown!

KAI: Jesus mother of Christ! (Damon cracks up) Not funny, asshole!

I literally almost shit myself! And, I’m hung over, so that was a real possibility!

DAMON: Ew, no, no, no… you’re disgusting.

KAI: Just being honest… don’t act like you don’t know what that’s about.

DAMON: Yeah, no... definitely not having this conversation!

Come on, let’s pick up the paste; vamp speed our way through this place before we become the victims of the “based on a true story” Saw movie.

Cut to – Iker and Alaric

ALARIC: Sorry we got you into this mess, man.

IKER: No worries. I’m used to it. These types of situations pretty much sums up what it’s like being friends with Damon.

ALARIC: Tell me about it. My life said goodbye to “normal” the day we became friends.

IKER: Ditto (they laugh in complicity).

ALARIC: He’s a good guy, though. I mean, considering…

IKER: He is… I’m really glad Bonnie gave him a chance; never seen him this happy… like, really happy.

ALARIC: Me neither… I think we both know he wasn’t truly happy with Elena. Don’t tell her I said that… but no matter how hard they tried; it just wasn’t going to work; too messy. Gotta say, it’s kind of ironic that when he “got the girl”, turned out it wasn’t the “right girl” … After all his love drama, it was about time he finally found “the one”.

IKER: It sure was… Hey, man, look… (spots something strange ahead, vamps to it. It’s a black garbage bag; which wouldn’t be all that strange if it weren’t new). Check this out… (Alaric opens the bag, and starts taking memorabilia from iconic Britney Spears videos, which are clearly originals) What the…

ALARIC: I’m starting to believe Stefan wasn’t kidding…

IKER: Nah… you don’t think… Can’t be, right?!

ALARIC: When those two (referring to Damon and Stefan) team-up, anything is possible, so… maybe?

IKER: Oh, shit! This is getting crazier than I thought!

ALARIC: Straight out insane. Let’s go back. I’m pretty sure Stefan isn’t here, and this place is giving me the chills.

IKER: Me too… (they head back to the meeting point).

Cut back to Kai and Damon.

KAI: We’ve searched everywhere, I really don’t think he’s here…

DAMON: You’re right. Another dead end; let’s go back. (Just as they are about to turn around, Damon spots something) Wait… do you see that?

KAI: Hell no! I’m not falling again.

DAMON: No, I’m serious. Look... (they see something shiny. Damon takes a closer look, picks it up) It’s Donovan’s badge.

KAI: So, they were definitely here with us…Anything else?

DAMON: Nop, just the badge.

KAI: Well, let’s head back, see what we all make of it. This place is really starting to freak me out… the vibes, you know?

DAMON: Yeah, I know… (they speed vamp back to the meeting point and reunite with Alaric and Iker).

ALARIC: Find anything? Cause we did…

DAMON: Stefan?!

ALARIC: No, this (shows him the bag with the memorabilia).

DAMON: What is all this?

IKER: (Teasing) You know perfectly well what it is…

KAI: All too well, sweetheart.

DAMON: At least I didn’t get married in a tutu, princess.

KAI: That princess thing got old like an hour ago. You really need to start thinking outside the box, Damon.

DAMON: That’s right! Yes! A box! I remember a box!

ALARIC: Great! And…?

DAMON: That’s it, that’s all I got.

ALARIC: (Sarcastic) Very helpful, Damon.

DAMON: Well, we also found this… (shows them Matt’s badge)

ALARIC: Interesting… still not a lot to go on, but that confirms we were all here. Listen, guys, I may have a theory…I still don’t know how, or why, but I believe we actually did go to Britney’s house, the real Britney; at some point during the night…Look at the props; they don’t seem fake… Which brings me to the conclusion, that we must have stolen them from her house. Now, as for why? … I have no fucking idea, and I can live without knowing…

KAI: The Britney Spears?! Nah, there’s no way we would be able to break into her house!

DAMON: But what if we didn’t break in… What if, and just hear me out on this, Sheriff Donovan pulled the cop card… and that’s how they let us in.

ALARIC: Matt wouldn’t do that.

DAMON: Maybe not sober, but…

ALARIC: Still, they wouldn’t have let a wasted cop and his pals in for some tea.

KAI: But if we sneaked in… let’s say, hiding inside a police car?

IKER: A police car! Yes! I told you I remembered something about a police car; it was one of those suv ones…

DAMON: We must have stolen one…

IKER: Wouldn’t be a long shot.

DAMON: Don’t those things have trackers though? They would have found us in seconds.

KAI: Not if you know how to disable a tracking device… which I do.

DAMON: Why am I not surprised…

KAI: I had a lot of time on my hands, figured I’d learn a trick or two.

ALARIC: Okay, this is getting even more confusing. I say we go back to the villa, for all we know Stefan might be back. We can check the hotel parking lot, see if we find a stolen cop car; work it from there.

KAI: Agreed. We really need to get out of this place; freaking me TF out. Uber’s on me.

(They wait for a while, until their uber arrives. As they drive away, on one of the top floor windows, a freaky clown waves goodbye).

Cut to – The boy’s hotel villa. They walk inside, and hear the piano playing…

DAMON: It’s that damn monkey! (They walk into the living room, only to find Britney Spears, in the flesh, playing the piano).

BRITNEY: Hello, boys…

KAI: Britney…the Britney Spears…?

BRITNEY: The one and only…

KAI: (Totally fanboying) Oh my god!

DAMON: (Totally fanboying too) OMG! OMG! OMG! It’s Britney, bitches!

BRITNEY: Aw, you’re sweet…

(takes a gun out of her purse and points it at them). Now, shut the fuck up and tell me where the hell is the rest of my stuff!!

ALARIC: Wow, wow, wow… please, don’t shoot! It’s right here (hands her the bag, she looks through it).

BRITNEY: You’re lucky I like to handle somethings on my own. You’d all be dead if my security were involved…

DAMON: (Still fanboying) Lucky… I love that song!

BRITNEY: Now, where is Stefan? We need to settle this little feud of ours, once and for all.

ALARIC: Wouldn’t we all like to know…

BRITNEY: What do you mean? He was with you (referring to Damon), the cop, and the howling boy, at my house last night.

DAMON: Wait, so, neither of these guys were there with us?

BRITNEY: No… but if you had brought him (referring to Iker), maybe things could have turned out differently (winks at Iker).

Tell you what, boys, I’ll help you find him. As long as you help me get my long-awaited trophy win, on “Mr. Bon Jovi”.

DAMON: Wait… so that concert story; that was you?

I thought Stefan was messing with me!

BRITNEY: Oh, that was me… Prick made me think he was Bon Jovi, I was totally fangirling, so embarrassing. That was before I got really famous, and I met the real John. Made me feel like a fool when I told John we had met before, and he was like: “uhm, no we haven’t”. So, as you can understand, it was only fitting that I would get him back for that.

DAMON: I’m with you, Brit, Stefan is a dick!

ALARIC: Can you give us any insight on what happened at your place? Might help us figure out where he is.

BRITNEY: I know from my security cameras that they used a police suv to gain access. Then you (referring to Damon), did some weird eye thing to my security team, and they just stood there, doing nothing. I also know from the cameras, that Stefan took my babies Justi and Kevi (referring to the baby elephant and the monkey). And you (to Damon), stole the memorabilia I had from my videos… My red leather suit better be intact, or I’mma kill you!

DAMON: Oops…

IKER: Don’t you dare say: “I did it again”...

BRITNEY: Wait… I think I might know where he is… Back when we first met, we were here, in Vegas. He took me to this spot in the desert he liked to go to; he’s such a weirdo… Anyway, maybe he went there? You know, for old times’ sake…

ALARIC: Maybe… but it’s gonna be hard to find a “spot” in the middle of the desert, and we don’t have much time; our plane is leaving in like 3 hours.

BRITNEY: Well, if you want to go back home with the rest of your pack, you really don’t have much of a choice.

KAI: There’s no way we are going to find him if he is in the middle of the desert.

BRITNEY: It’s Britney, bitch!

Of course we’ll find him. Listen, you boys take the cop van and follow mine, I’ll lead you to the spot.

IKER: Except, we don’t know where it is…

BRITNEY: (Smirks) But I do… (shows them live cctv footage from inside the cop car) See, boys, I have eyes everywhere! It’s in the parking lot.

(They go to the car and find Matt and Tyler inside, a cellphone in Matts hand, and a lot of empty bottles lying around. As expected, neither of them remember anything about the previous night; it’s a miracle they even know who they are. The only thing they keep repeating, and cracking up about is, Rawson Neal Psychiatric Hospital. They are clearly either still drunk or high on something. They decide it’s best they stay behind and get some rest in the villa. Damon, Iker, Alaric and Kai get in the cop car, and follow Britney to the site.)

BRITNEY: Okay, boys, this is the spot. (They get out of the car, start looking around. She get’s out as well, points the gun at them). Did you really think I was going to help you?! Aw, cuties…no one messes with the Brit! I gave Stefan his, now it’s time for yours …

KAI: But, Britney, what about us (referring to himself, Iker, and Alaric)? We didn’t do anything!

BRITNEY: Guilty by association… Now, give me your clothes, and the car keys… Quick, or I swear I’ll shoot! (They hand her the stuff; she gets in her car. Just as she is about to take-off, she opens her window) If you want to know where Stefan is; it’s easy, he’s exactly where he belongs… Good luck trying to find an uber to pick you up here… And, by the way, sweetheart (talking to Damon), there’s only one princess of pop, and it ain’t you.

(Gives them the finger, and drives away).

DAMON: (Looking heartbroken) But… Britney…

ALARIC: (Sarcastic) Well, isn’t this peachy!

IKER: At least she left us our phones.

ALARIC: There is no way we are going to catch that flight, or find Stefan any time soon. I think it’s time to call Caroline…

DAMON: Shit! Shit! Shit!... Fine… I’ll do it… (dials). Care, it’s Damon… Listen ...The bachelor party got a little crazy and, well...we lost Stefan.

BONNIE: Uhm…think we might have a problem of our own…

DAMON: Bon?

BONNIE: It’s me, I think… Anyway; the bachelorette got a little crazy too, and, well… we lost Caroline.

TVD 9x16 (part 2) coming next! Hope you stop by, read and enjoy! =)

#TVD #tvd fanfiction #vampire diaries #bamon #bamon fanfic #bonnie bennett #damon salvatore #ilovefanfic86 #mademoisellevalerie85 #stephm1587 #bamon-fanfiction

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daleisgreat · 3 years

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Old Joy

2006’s Old Joy (trailer) is the longest 77-minute film I have ever seen, but I mean that in only the best kind of ways. Director Kelly Reichardt intentionally establishes a deliberate, plodding pace about two distant friends who fell out of touch meeting up to go on a road/hiking trip to find a tucked-away and highly reputable hot springs. The film opens up with Mark (Daniel London) meditating at home when he gets a call from his free-spirited old friend, Kurt (Will Oldham), with an invite for a last-minute weekend trek to discover these mystical hot springs. That opening scene does a masterful job with its minimalist dialog and awkward body language to indicate how Mark is still not quite settling into married life with a kid on the way and comes off a little too eager to jump at the opportunity to get out of the house last minute for the weekend.

The film jumps to sitting in on an extended driving scene with Mark listening to political talk radio, and when he meets up with Kurt is when the intentionally long scenes start to take hold. I like smartly written films with smooth-flowing dialog filled with edgy quips and retorts, but I also appreciate a complete 180 as seen here and in movies like Slacker where the dialog sounds….uncomfortably natural. When Kurt and Mark start off driving, there are many advertent pauses during the conversations where it seems like the two are trying to think of topics to bring up to talk about and catch up. I can 100% relate to that, and it is insanely rare how often I run across that in average big-budget films and pull it off so well like it is done in Old Joy. Highlights from the road trip part of the film include how well shot little moments are like a gas station stop with oblique camera angles that somehow capture the subtle but noticeable moments of the excitement of getting out for the weekend as Kurt and Mark amusingly toss beverage koozies at each other. Watching the pair drive around aimlessly while Kurt tries to remember how to get to the springs and eventually resorting to a makeshift campsite while exchanging philosophical stoner verbiage is another memorable scene of their journey.

I would be remiss to go this long without giving a shoutout to Lucy, Mark’s canine pal tagging along for the journey. In the bonus feature interviews, it was enlightening to hear that it is actually Reichardt’s dog who she had no choice but to include in the film because she could not find a dog-sitter while filming. Reichardt stated she was anxious about how it would work out since Lucy had no film training. Lucy wound up as a perfect third wheel for the adventure. She blended in perfectly, especially with some smart improving with Oldham, where he would instinctually play with her during the hiking spots of the movie. Eventually, the trio found the hidden turnoff to their destination and go on a hike to see the hot springs. The film once again, through exquisite cinematography and intentional drawn-out shots with very little dialog, shows how all the hassle to reach their endpoint was worth it. It is a boldly ambiguous, memorable scene. The film not-so-climatically wraps up with Mark dropping Kurt off, and the movie goes out of its way to capture another little thing so well that few other movies have pulled off in the form of the malaise-filled drive back home and the dread of the return to the normality.

I have the Criterion Edition of Old Joy, and it has four bonus features totaling about an hour altogether. Daniel London and Will Oldham reunite for the first time since production wrapped in 2006 for a conversation filmed in 2019. They exchange many interesting production stories, with the one standing out the most to me being the warning from the park ranger escorting them to the hot springs on how brave they were to go in there because of all the gunk they have fished out of there over the years. An interview with Reichardt is a must-listen on how she decided to film this movie after taking a sabbatical from filmmaking. An interview with the author of the original short story the film is based on, Jim Raymond, on how he met Kelly and how satisfied he was with her treatment of the adaptation and changes she made for the big screen. Finally, Director of Photography Peter Sillen shares a fair amount of production factoids and insights. This being a Criterion release, there is the requisite booklet included, which has a 14-page essay by Ed Halter that thoroughly dissects the film and its production and the entirety of the 22 page original “Old Joy” short story from Jim Raymond. I accidentally stumbled upon this movie browsing through the latest Criterion releases, and the description of the film made it sound right up my alley by how unorthodox it is. This style of filmmaking may not be for everybody with its different structure and laidback style of dialog from the average theatrical movie. I wound up absolutely loving Old Joy, and was thrilled to hear how this film was a hit with critics and was the catalyst for Reichardt directing more beloved indie films following this like Wendy & Lucy, First Cow, and Night Moves. Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers: Endgame The Avengers: Infinity War Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve The Clapper Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed I & II Deck the Halls Detroit Rock City Die Hard Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Grunt: The Wrestling Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Hell Comes to Frogtown Hercules: Reborn Hitman I Like to Hurt People Indiana Jones 1-4 Inglourious Basterds Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Justice League (2017 Whedon Cut) Last Action Hero Major League Mallrats Man of Steel Man on the Moon Man vs Snake Marine 3-6 Merry Friggin Christmas Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets Nintendo Quest Not for Resale Payback (Director’s Cut) Pulp Fiction The Punisher (1989) The Ref The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VIII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Pilgrim vs the World The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Slacker Skyscraper Small Town Santa Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Sully Take Me Home Tonight TMNT Trauma Center The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild The Wizard Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Days of Future Past

#random movie #old joy #kelly reichardt #daniel london #will oldham

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