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adobe-outdesign · 1 month

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Kung Fu Panda 4 Thoughts/Liveblog Thing

Just caught this at the theater for a grand total of five whole dollars, so I thought I'd do some quick opinions while it's fresh.

Non-spoiler opinion: It was Okay(TM), but the movies were considerably stronger as a trilogy. It's worth seeing one (1) time if you're a KFP fan (and really, who isn't), but I wouldn't bother paying full price for it or anything

SPOILERS FOR ALL 4 MOVIES UNDER THE CUT:

A list of things that slap:

The animation is stunning and fast-paced. Really loved the use of Chinese-style paint brush strokes to accentuate the action

Also I'll talk about the 5 later but I also really liked the animation change when describing where they are—all KFP movies have at least one animation shift and I'm glad this one kept up with it

Some of the fight scenes were super good, I liked the one that uses the tilting bar on a cliff in particular

(side note: the Missing Link did something similar, just on a ship. Go watch the Missing Link)

The Chameleon served straight cunt the entire time she was on screen and I kind of loved (almost) everything about her. Character design was incredible, voice was perfect, palace design was amazing, abilities were sick

Also the way she rides up chilling in a golden tree branch of all things? Fellas, we have no choice but to stan

Also I just appreciate the choice to both do a female villain for a change and to get a reptile in here after having only mammals and one (1) bird as villains previously

Speaking of character design there were a few really good ones in there, like a pangolin that moves Sonic the Hedgehog-style, a cool looking female boar, and a bunch of Komodo dragon henchmen. Good stuff

The jokes were a very mixed bag for me, some hit and some didn't. I will say that Zhen just going "that's great for you" in response to Shifu stating he's a red panda got me for some reason

If anyone hurts Po's gay dads I'm killing everyone in this room and then myself

Jack Black's cover of Baby One (1) More Time is unironically better than the original

A list of things that Do Not Slap:

Pacing/Plot:

This movie lacked a color scheme? KFP 1 was blue (also some gold), KFP 2 was red, KFP 3 was green. These colors weren't subtle either, there are entire scenes in each movie drenched in these colors and it was really obviously missing here

The whole first half the movie feels really breathless and too fast-paced. Apparently it was a studio mandate to have it not go over an hour and a half which is A) stupid and B) hurts the pacing

As much as I love Po's two gay dads we REALLY should not have been wasting time on their journey when the runtime is so tight

Also them tagging along felt off? Mr. Ping was worried sick about Po in KFP 2 but he doesn't tag alone because obviously he needs to let his son have his space. It's more in-character with Li Shan but it doesn't come across like he's talking Mr. Ping into it or something

In general there are so many plot points in this movie that feel under-developed. You could've made an entire movie out of the previous villains returning, Zhen and the Chameleon's relationship (see below), etc.

Po's Character:

People not knowing Po is the dragon warrior is weird, I'm pretty sure he would've been more well known than that

The entire thing with Po needing to give up his role as the Dragon Warrior doesn't really make sense? The Dragon Warrior is literally a made-up title. There's no need to have a Dragon Warrior because there is no such thing technically, it's why Oogway denied Tai Lung the title and then waited years and years to give it to Po. Like it's not a role that needs to be passed down, that's missing the entire point of the Everything

Also Po's only been like Dragon Warrior for a few years? I don't think we're ever given a time scale but it wasn't that long

The jokes about Shifu and Po having trouble with inner peace/mediating feels off given that was the entire plot of the second movie

It felt like Po regressed a bit character wise. He acts like he has no idea how to be a teacher in this movie but he already was a teacher by the end of the third, that was the entire point??

Also he seemed like he was more gullible in this movie but I could be wrong

Why is Po so impressed with Juniper city. He literally spent most of KFP 2 in Gongmen hello?? I think(?) Juniper is bigger but he shouldn't be acting like he has no idea what a city is

Zhen/Chameleon:

Zhen's character design doesn't match anything else, which is weird because most of the new characters in this film keep the distinct style in some form or another

Her wanted poster shows her with the bold markings KFP is known for and it looks SO much better

The plot twist with Zhen working for the villain was so obvious I did not realize it was supposed to be a twist at first

Also, the entire thing with Zhen was entirely unneeded? The Chameleon could've just just stood up and announced her plan to take over and Po would've shown up on her doorstep with the staff

I guess the idea is that Po needed to hand over the staff willingly for it to work? But if that's the case the Chameleon could've just impersonated Tigress or something and gotten it that way in like 1/3 of the time

Originally she was supposed to have kidnapped Shifu which would've been a much better plot point as it would've given Po extra motivation

The other problem with treating Zhen as a plot twist is that it hampers the relationship she has with the Chameleon effectively being her mom, which is FASCINATING. They had some really interesting chemistry together (the whole "stand up straight" thing as one example) and I could've seen it as a Mother Gospel from Tangled kind of deal, but we barely get any interaction between the two and it's like AAAAAAA

Fanfic writers fix this shit. I believe in you

I'll have to chew on it more but my pacing thought would actually be to start with Po finding out about the Chameleon's "take over everything" plan very early due to Shifu's kidnapping. He breaks into the lair like at the 1/3 mark or earlier and he meets Zhen inside which then leads into why she's doing what she's doing and the mother angle, etc etc blah blah

The Chameleon needed to just straight-up murder someone, comically shoving them down the stairs isn't good enough. I know stairs are Po's greatest enemy but I don't think that applies to everyone

Shen was allowed to stab someone on-screen so I think the Chameleon should be a allowed to strangle someone or something. as a treat

If violence was the concern just keep it off-screen like Master Rhino's death in KFP 2

The shapeshifter turning into a giant monster trope is overrated and I'm glad it was just used briefly here and not even for her defeat

Also the Chameleon's thing with her being rejected from Kung Fu because she's too small makes no sense b/c Mantis, which I'm pretty sure everyone's pointed out already. She does say "lowly" I think but was she ever poor? Could make a very interested parallel to Zhen if that was the case but it was never brought up again

I've heard some argue body image parallels w/ Po in KFP 1 but if that was the intent it's not explored, like, at all, which is a shame because it could've been an interesting angle

Also If they wanted a better excuse related to body image just say she was too frail instead of too small. I haven't owned chameleons but I've heard from people who have that they are very frail and very hard to keep alive, which would be a much better reason to turn her away

Cameos:

Yes I'm devoting an entire section to five second cameos don't judge me

I have mixed feelings on the Five not being present (save for the end cameos). On the one hand they are sorely missed but on the other hand they would've just made the plot bloat even worse

Lack of speaking was also bothersome. Part of me is glad they weren't recast with cheaper VAs because it's disrespectful to interchange them, but on the other hand that might've been better than just not having them speak and not paying anyone anyway

Tai Lung had all the best lines and was also the best used out of all the cameos, even if it would've been nice to have him on screen for longer. Also if they stuck with Shifu being kidnapped those two could've had some much-needed dialogue

Side note, while I don't think it contradicts anything from KFP 3 the spirit world having only kung fu masters in it feels off? It makes it seem so small and limited

Kai being there is weird. He's like. dead dead. Deader than dead. I guess you could argue that you can't kill something that's already dead but there's nothing even acknowledging this

Trying to take Shen's kung fu is really weird because the entire point of the fight with Master Rhino in KFP 2 is that he is not? a master?? like he's GOOD but he's not amazing, like if a master is like a 10/10 he's like an 8/10.

"The Chameleon has the powers of all my old nemesises!" WHAT'S SHEN'S POWER EXACTLY. HIS ONLY POWERS ARE GUN AND MOMMY/DADDY ISSUES

She does summon him way later than Tai Lung and Kai so maybe she was just camp spawning every single person she could think of regardless of skill level? she also uses his wings at one point so maybe she just wanted those, I don't think(?) there were other birds summoned

Though speaking of which she claimed she was using his wings but very clearly wasn't? not only were they black but they were raggedy and lacked the five longer feathers on the tips

Also Shen's model was super off, it looked way too fluffy and like an entire row of eyespots were missing from the edge of the train (which might have been a clipping error? unsure) it's been said the new models were made out of glue and popsical sticks and I believe it

Tai Lung has a habit of just like Grabbing anyone that's smaller than him and it amuses me

It's honestly really weird that everyone would just agree to go back into the spirit world willingly?

Like I think it works for Tai Lung because he's a noble person who just goes into a disassociative state and commits atrocities. Like I think he'd be willing to accept his death

Also it checks out for Shen because he killed himself and given his "dead belong in the past" mentality I can't imagine him wanting to stick around, he'd probably think it was unnatural

But Kai?? Kai was FURIOUS at being dragged back into the spirit world at the end of 3, like hell he'd just go quietly

Also I can see Tai Lung maybe respecting Po enough to bow to him but everyone else is pushing it unless they have therapists in the spirit world. Po offered Shen some nice advice at the end of KFP 2 and his response was to kill himself on the spot, I don't think him or Kai would be bowing

All of them were definitely in the middle of a mahjong match and were experiencing the equivalent of being woken up in the middle of a nap so they were just going along with things

Chameleon: I'm going to steal your kung fu

Everyone:

Misc:

I did like some of the more subtle callbacks. Stuff like Po seeing his reflection in the blade the way Shifu did or the "I can't even beat you to the stairs" scene were nice and not overly overt or in-your-face

If Po actively refers to himself as the "Kung Fu Panda" one more time I'm going to end it all

anyway that was not supposed to be a 12 page essay but it's too late now, goodbye

#kung fu panda #kfp #kung fu panda 4 #kfp 4 #liveblog #outdesign posts things #don't get me started on kfp or I won't shut up about it

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ghcstao3 · 9 months

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Read the other two Sleep Talker!Soap x Burglar!Ghost and need to finish this trilogy or something.

So, three years or so of dating and Ghost finally proposes. He’s cleaned up his act, stop robbing shit, works a full time successful job, and Roach is doing pretty good too!

They’re doing great! Except, as the wedding date gets closer he feels bad that he hid his burglar past and decides to confess before the wedding, giving Soap an out.

He pushes it off for so long it’s nuts. After a long day they settle into their bed in their apartment and try to sleep. Ghost lays awake for 20 mins staring at the ceiling before Soap says something.

“Something in your mind, Si?”

Ghost sighs, he doesn’t want to but knows he should.

“For a long time, including the job before my current one, I wasn’t actually working to make money…”

Soap sits up and looks down at him curiously, “don’t tell me you were an assassin or something.”

“What…”

“Cause that’s super hot and it totally wouldn’t change anything-“

Ghost sat up too, putting a hand over Soap’s mouth, he continued.

“No, I didn’t kill people. I-ugh I was a burglar. Roach was my partner.”

Soap removed the hand from his mouth and held it in his lap.

“Ok, that doesn’t change anything. I still love you and want to marry you.”

Ghost groaned again. That was the EASY part. He knew for a fact Soap would be understanding and kind, but finding out that Ghost was going to rob HIM was questionable. Soap either dies laughing or kills him.

“Si, what’s this leading to? Did you steal something you shouldn’t and now you have this insane price on your head and have to run away with me?”

Simon chuckles to himself, he can always count on Johnny to make him feel better.

“No, just- we didn’t meet how you think we did. No don’t give me that look, let me finish. The first time I met you, you were asleep. I was robbing your place, going through your room when you started talking. Said all this crazy shit about ‘its going to eat you’ and like ‘leave or die’. Then you just shot up from the bed, pointed to a shadow, said something in Gaelic, and collapsed back in bed. I put everything back and left because I was CONVINCED you were possessed. Then you showed up at the hardware store that I get my supplies and I was kinda afraid of you. You asked me out and told me about that dream that wasn’t actually a dream and I thought for sure you knew it was me, but you never said anything so I didn’t say.”

Johnny squeezed Simon’s hand tight, his head was bent down and his shoulders trembled. Simon was sure he was about to be kicked out, making his own fiancé cry! What kinda man was he!

Then Johnny fell backwards, howling with laughter. Tears in his eyes and hands wrapped around himself, side clenching hard with laughter.

Simon just looks at him, stunned. Johnny eventually calms down and beckons Simon to him. Simon lays down on his side next to Johnny.

“Simon, I think that is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. This doesn’t change anything and I still would love to be your husband. Nothing, even being a cool assassin or dumb robber with a price on his head, will change that.”

Simon smiles “I feel like you’re disappointed that I’m not an assassin more than me not telling you about this.”

Johnny laughs and turns onto his side, burying himself into Simon’s chest. “Nah, you’re still pretty cool. This explains a lot actually.”

Simon shifts, “what?”

“Simon, nobody carries around a lockpicking set.”

“Oh yeah, keep talking shit. We’ll see who’s laughing the next time you get locked out and I’m not home.”

Johnny gasped, “I never said it was a bad thing! Besides, that look on your face when you get the door open is super hot. You do this whole smirk to yourself thing and I’ll admit that after the first time, the next three times I lost my keys were on purpose.”

Simon laugh and hugged Johnny right, “Whatever, go to sleep weirdo.”

“Right back at you, hottie.”

Simon snorted and they relaxed. Johnny quickly drifting off to sleep. Yeah, Simon had no idea what he was worried about.

He never had anything to worry about, really.

Johnny’s understanding, always has been, and of course he’d be about this, too. He understands Simon just needed to make ends meet somehow, and given that Simon has since given up robbing, it helps his case just a little more.

It doesn’t stop Johhny from asking a million questions a day after he finds out, though. Or making jokes at Simon’s expense. Or ganging up on Simon with Roach because apparently it’s hilarious, or something.

Oh well. It’s a funny enough story to tell, and now that Simon has long since gotten used to Johnny’s sleep talking tendencies, he supposes a little teasing is better than having ruined what he’s built up with Johnny.

what a lovely. Silly conclusion (also!! everyone make sure to say thank you @snootlestheangel for the initial idea!! and go look at her post!!)

#ask #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #soapghost #ghostsoap #ghost mw2 #soap mw2 #ghost x soap #ghoap

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2stepadmiral · 1 month

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So I’ve been getting back into Bionicle lately, I loved it as a kid and I’m on a whole nostalgia trip right now, rebuilding my Toa and Bohrok and rereading the comics/watching the movies, and as much as I still love it, it makes me sad for anyone who didn’t get to experience it as it was coming out.

Like take the MCU, for example. If you weren’t old enough to start watching the MCU before the first Avengers came out, you could still experience the MCU in its golden times. And if you have young kids, who are just getting to the age, where they can start the MCU, they can still kind of experience that by watching the movies in order and building up to Endgame. It obviously won’t be the same, but I feel like if you do it the right way and paste it right, you can kind of re-create that experience in a reasonable proximity.

The same goes for Star Wars, you can have your kids, watch the original trilogy, then show them trailers for each of the prequels before letting them watch those to get them. Excited, then let them go back and watch clone wars and rebels, and let them read the expanded universe books at their own pace. It won’t be the same as growing up with the prequels coming out and being excited to see new Star Wars movies after seeing the original trilogy when you were little, but it’s still a fairly decent facsimile.

But with Bionicle, that feeling cannot possibly be re-created.

You can’t recreate the feeling of being 11 years old and finding out that Mata Nui is dying, and that the Toa Nuva, your traditional heroes, were defeated by the new villains, and that the six Matoran you grew up with since the franchise started are the new Toa who have to pick up where the Nuva left off.

You can’t recreate the shock of finding out that the eccentric village elders who have advised your heroes for three years were once Matoran themselves who became a team of Toa a thousand years earlier, defeated the main antagonist, went through a Jekyll and Hyde mutant phase, and then turned into the Yoda type elders.

You can’t recreate the horror at finding out that Makuta won in the end, his convoluted, millennia long plot resulting in himself gaining control of the universe. You can’t recreate the disbelief that the story abandoned the Matoran on that dark note to explore an entirely new planet with entirely different characters, species, and culture. You can’t recreate the relief when Mata Nui showed up, his presence, carrying the promise that the original storyline would tie into the new one sooner later, and the grim ending was only a temporary pause. You cannot re-create the excitement at seeing the story climax with the final showdown between Mata Nui and Makuta. A final battle that you had never imagined possible, but one that only feels right and full circle.

You cannot re-create the horror and sorrow when Matoro failed to reach Mata Nui with the Mask of Life in time to save him. You can’t re-create the disbelief and terror at wondering where the story can possibly go after that point. You can’t re-create the disbelief and sorrow and morning as you read the pages of that comic, as you see Matoro put on the mask and start to become part of its energy. You can’t re-create the stunned, heartbreaking silence that you felt as the death of Matoro, who you would known for six years, who you had at least peripherally grown up with, whose journey you had watched unfold as he went from a simple but well-known and even iconic Matoran, to a new Toa of Ice, unfolded on the pages of that comic in that curious new art style that you would never quite gotten used to. You can’t recreate the feeling of mourning you share with his friends as they learn that Matoro has died, that feeling of almost being part of this universe as you share in the sorrow of the characters (Matoro’s sacrifice was way better than Tony Stark’s, sorry but not sorry).

And above all, you can’t re-create the feeling of having to wait two months for the next comic or the next book, or the movie to find out what happens next, and filling that time by making up your own storyline, and acting it out with your own toys.

Largely because the story unfolded through books and comics, and through the new wave of toys, and through the movies in some years, trying to re-create, even a close facsimile of that feeling just isn’t possible. And it breaks my heart for any kids I might have one day that I’ll never truly get to share this wonderful franchise with them.

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madame-fear · 2 years

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Omg… You know how everyone in the Batman trilogy was (understandably) terrified of DK!Jonathan Crane? How do you think Soft Yandere!Jonathan would react to Y/n, a hostage (who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, not involved in anything bad🤷‍♀️), is scared BUT accidentally says out loud, “Wow that’s hot” out loud in reaction to Jonathan/Scarecrow?😂🤭 And when he hears this and his attention is now in her, she’s like, “Oh dear lord did I say that out loud???”🤦‍♀️🥲 This would definitely awaken Yandere Jonathan lol😳

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YES!!!!!!! ❤ I think he'd be shocked, but deep down inside he'd actually love it 🤭💕

sorry if this is a bit shorter than usual dear!! hope you enjoy your reading! 🥰 (p.s: also, i'm finishing pt 2 of Lovestruck! ;w;)

____________________________________

Gotham City was a terribly dangerous place to walk alone at night, especially for young ladies like you. Unluckily, you had the misfortune of being captured by someone while you were walking back to your home after finishing your work shift.

Slowly blinking a few times, you gently opened your eyes. Your head felt dizzy, as it was spinning around, and the pain you felt was stinging and awfully aching, causing you to quietly groan. Confused, you began looking at your surroundings, absolutely clueless about where you were. It seemed to be an old, dark, abandoned building. Nervousness suddenly began increasing when you realised you were kidnapped, and that your life was currently in danger.

You tried to speak, but it was in vain; your mouth was tightly covered by a piece of cloth. Perhaps, you had no other choice, but accept your faith. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath, immediatly sighing once you heard gentle footsteps coming from behind of you. In a harsh move, the cloth was removed from your mouth, causing you to gasp and quickly open your eyes, immediatly guiding themselves to look up at your kidnapper; only to find a tall man in a suit, and with a brown burlap bag in his head.

Despite the bag in his head, you could still see his beautiful blue eyes through it. "If you make a sound, I'll have no choice but put the cloth back in your mouth." He said sternly, you could only nod. You couldn't possibly be attracted to your kidnapper – no, but there was something about him that quite intrigued you. "You're such a cute pretty face, you're perfect for my experiments. You'll look even more prettier with your eyes full of terror and fear." He traced your jawline with his cold fingertips, causing you to get shivers down your spine and gulp. You felt your heart drop with fear, causing your lips to quiver and body to tremble. Before saying anything else, he looked deep into your eyes, admiring your beauty. He was proud of himself for such fine selection of a young lady for his experiments with fear.

He released his fingers from your jawline, and suddenly took off the burlap bag from his head. You were certainly stunned with his looks: dark, messy short hair, clear blue eyes, and a sharp jawline. You shouldn't feel attracted to your kidnapper, and hell, you didn't even know what he was about to do with you, but no one couldn't deny the fact that he was incredibly attractive and enigmatic. You carefully observed all his actions as he suddenly taked a syringe with a clear liquid out of his pocket, removing it's lid.

The way he observed the liquid inside the syringe so focused on it made him look even hotter, especially with the fact that his dark hair was messy because he harshly removed the bag from his head. The thoughts of all the endless possibilities of what he could do with that syringe suddenly evaporated, your mind focusing on his stunning features. "Wow, that's hot." You mindlessly and breathlessly muttered. He quickly stopped what he was doing, and suddenly turned all his attention to you. Did you just call him...hot?

The whole world stopped around him. He wasn't supposed to be attractive to anyone! Were you being serious, or just trying to distract him? Turning his head around to look at you, his eyebrows were raised out of confusion. "Shit, did I say that out loud?" Gulping in nervousness, you realised your mistake at the sight of him with his eyes widen, and his cheeks with a faint rosyness on them. A soft smile began forming on his lips, and tilted his head to his side. "You did." You swore you had bitten your lip so harshly, that you could taste a bit of your own blood slightly dripping. "I guess I never thought of myself as 'hot', so thank you for the compliment, my dear." Another reason for him to be proud of himself is for being so good at keeping his shit on the outside, even when in the inside he was losing his shit.

A pretty girl like you referring to him as 'hot'? That's new to him, but he's thrilled at the thought of getting used to it. His heart fluttered with many new feelings he never felt before, the idea of using you for his fear experiments didn't feel right; he felt...merciful and uncapable of harming you, now. You were afraid that he might have not enjoyed that as much as he should, but oh how wrong you were. After a few long seconds of staring at the nothingness itself and not saying anything, he looked you again, with a smile on his face. "I shouldn't do this to you." What? This was very unlike him, you certainly had an effect on his way of thinking.

All the new feelings collapsed in both his heart and his mind. A growing need of having you by his side and getting to know just who you were began increasing as seconds passed. You were too precious to be gone anywhere else. "I'm going to release you, but you won't be going anywhere, you're staying in here with me. Promise me, not to make a scandal after I release you." You were confused at the whole situation, but you still nodded in agreement. Wasn't he going to kill or experiment something on you just a few minutes ago? Oh well, you weren't complaining. You didn't mind at all if you had to stay with him for a while.

He untied the cloth that was now around your neck, throwing it randomly to his side. He walked behind of you, and began to untie the ropes that so badly tightened both your hands and legs; the burning sensation you felt around your limbs right where the ropes were tightened, made you sure that they were going to leave some bruises or marks. You immediatly lifted yourself from the chair where you were previously sitting, your whole body stiff from the uncomfortable position you were in. "T-Thank you for sparing me." You managed to shyly and quietly mutter, as you turned around only to meet his soul-piercing blue eyes.

Slowly walking towards you, he left no gap in between your bodies. He raised his hand, only to caress your cheek with the back of his index finger, provoking a smirk on his beautiful face. How he loved the thought of you praising him and being so thankful for him sparing your life.

"No need to thank me, my dear. All you need to do, is promise me you won't leave me, and that you'll behave." Admiring your precious, delicate face, a spark of need for your whole attention and love increased inside of him. With you, he realised how long he's been craving for the type of affection you just gave him, even with a simple small compliment. He was going to make sure you had only eyes for him, and that you'll never, ever leave his side.

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moonlitempty · 4 months

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“It’s our basic human right to be fuck-ups. This civilisation was founded on fuck-ups!”

And after roughly 3 weeks of waiting, hoping, and constant refreshing of the tracking page, here it is finally, I am able to hold it, and see it, and analyse every intricate little detail of its design, and its packaging. And it makes me feel somewhat fulfilled.

I honestly keep struggling to find the words for this caption, my thoughts are all over the place and it feels like no praise or fawning will suffice, no amount of love dumping will be nearly enough to describe how absolutely lovely this record is.

The World’s End is a film I was afraid I wouldn’t like, even when I was just getting into The Cornetto Trilogy and familiarising myself with everything around it, I could just TELL The World’s End was, not quite a black sheep, but the odd one out in the trilogy. I saw hordes and hordes of people rave over Shaun (rightfully), I saw thousand of dedicated followers of Fuzz (VERY rightfully), but at most I saw a couple hundred people campaigning for End to have more recognition. So when it came to finally watch it for the first time, I was honestly nervous and I vividly remember I had to keep pausing the movie over and over again whenever Gary said or did something dumb, I felt bad for him, he seemed enthusiastic and he longed for his old life with his friends and none of them even trusted him. So that set a very specific lens quite early on that I saw the whole movie throughout, and I think it actually helped me appreciate the movie from the get-go.

So I decided to put my big boy pants on, stop systematically pausing the movie, and sit through it, no more pauses or interruptions.

•“12 Historic Ale Houses!”

I quickly found myself enamoured with End, I loved the unapologetic and almost blatant Sci-Fi route of the film, after all, Sci-Fi in general is a genre I hardly consume, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this film alone opened the doors of the genre to my once closed eyes. I grew to love the characters oddly quickly, my stand-outs obviously being Gary and Andy, but I also made room in my heart for Sam and Steven (the only survivors, ha!)

Also, it may have been the Blu-Ray doing its Blu-Ray thing but I thought the film looked PHENOMENAL, easily the most visually interesting film out of the Three, maybe it was also the use of more contemporary cameras and technology, it was an absolute treat to the eyes. The filmmaking and directing choices have been pointed out time and time again, Edgar Wright has the best directing style of any modern filmmaker.

But let’s get to the main subject, the soundtrack!

•The World’s End: Original Movie Score (Mondo Exclusive , Pressed on Crowning Glory Ale Vinyl)

This is a beautiful little record! It’s easily one of the prettiest in my entire collection, usually a splatter vinyl like this is pretty hit or miss, I’ve had my fair share of less than stellar records, but this one NAILED IT! I don’t know if you can tell from the pictures, but this record looks EXACTLY like a nice, cold, foamy and enriching pint of Ale, and the design of the centre labels is oddly satisfying, I lack the right words to describe it, but the entire film carries a sort of “vintage-ish” aesthetic in its graphic design and motifs, hopefully I’m making myself clear with that. It’s a mix of vintage and modern, if I had to describe it!

The record is very nice to the touch, it’s solid and quite heavyweight (which is a reassurance when it comes to vinyl), and it looks absolutely stunning when held up to the light. A detail I love is how the labels seem to slowly uncover the presence of The Network as they go on, by Side D the centre label makes it awfully clear that The Network is, a) a thing, and b) present everywhere in Newton Haven.

In the gimmick/fun little trinkets department, we have a small pamphlet! Styled as a tourist guide for the pubs in Newton, it features a full map of the town (the one Gary used to mark up the pubs), and the commentaries by both Edgar Wright and the composer Steven Price, these are frankly a treat to read and give so much more insight into not only the making of the score, but also the deeper meaning of the score, what Prince intended to transmit with the creative decisions he made while making and building the score, it makes listening to it a much more rewarding experience.

This will be forever one of my favourite items I’ve ever owned, period. Not favourite vinyl records, or movie memorabilia, items in general. And I feel immensely grateful to not only have it and hold it, but to also share it with everyone in a cohesive and engaging way. Writing this post has been an absolute privilege! Hopefully it is mildly decent and not just another one of my soliloquies.

If you got all the way here, you have my eternal gratitude and I love u mwah. here’s a cookie for your troubles 🍪

Let’s Boo-Boo.

#the cornetto trilogy #simon pegg #nick frost #edgar wright #the worlds end #gary king #andy knightley #vinyl #soundtrack #mondo #original score #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #vinyl records

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twinnedpeaks · 4 months

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ok it’s time for elvira’s yearly reading wrap up! best and worst of 2023:

worst:

the cabin at the end of the world, paul tremblay - disappointing. could have been so good but, alas, was not.

the silent patient, alex michaelides - quite possibly my least favourite of the year. people were telling me how shocking it was and how it had a huge plottwist. this plottwist was predictable from PAGE ONE. please.

the grimoire of grave fates - i remember nothing except being bored.

hide, keirsten white - i hate when horror is bad <3

filth, irvine welsh - okok my second attempt at reading irvine welsh. i liked parts of this book but not enough to even slightly enjoy it as a whole.

finnegans wake, james joyce - i wasn’t sure whether this should go in best or worst honestly. such a huge phenomenon, purely because it’s “unreadable”. i still don’t know how to feel.

best:

12 bytes, jeanette winterson - miss winterson can do no wrong in my eyes. brilliant reflections on technology, written beautifully.

new animal, ella baxter - just SUCH a good time!! great novel on grief and sexuality.

the gilded wolves, roshani chokshi - i’m very picky about my fantasy books, but i fell in love with this trilogy so fast. the characters are incredible and diverse, and finding a canonically autistic character meant a lot to me.

tripping arcadia, kit mayquist - creepy, gorgeous, has not left my mind. i can’t even explain it, it is just an Experience. Go read it.

how to sell a haunted house, grady hendrix - FUN HORROR!! HAUNTED HOUSE!! EVIL PUPPET!!

when we lost our heads, heather o’neill - lesbian marie antoinette historical fiction? yes.

no longer human, osamu dazai - gorgeous tale of existence and misery. loved loved this one.

i who have never known men, jacqueline harpman - heartbreaking and real. one of those books i think everyone should read.

patricia wants to cuddle, samantha allen - lesbians and furry little monsters. weird as fuck and so funny.

penance, eliza clark - reflections on true crime and the rivalries between teenage girls. gruesome and fascinating.

not forever but for now, chuck palahniuk - MY MAN RETURNED!!!! and i am so goddamn grateful. nauseating but stunning. masterpiece as always.

house of hunger, alexis henderson - gothic vampire novel with a touch of haunted house story and eerie lesbians.

sign here, claudia lux - one of the funniest books i’ve read in a LONG time. selling your soul to the devil is basically the same as working for capitalist organizations.

the child thief, gerald brom - HORRIFYING version of peter pan. brom always makes me utterly nauseous and i am ovsessed with him in every way.

the girls, emma cline - 60’s cult vibes, true crime, just a solid piece of literature.

angels before man, rafael nicolas - basically gay bible. 10/10.

silver under nightfall, rin chupeco - poly queer vampires. gritty gore. amazing world building. cannot WAIT for the sequel.

none shall sleep, ellie marney - me? enjoying crime fiction from someone other than karin slaughter or tana french? it IS, apparently, possible.

house of leaves, mark z danielewski - IT IS ABOUT! THE! SYMBOLISM! I WANT TO YELL.

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hauntedjpeg · 2 months

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hi! i was wondering if you have any favorite novels or pieces of writing of all time?

yeah!!! i fucking love reading!! im sorry this got really long!!

the wheel of time series - this gets a mention for being THE fantasy series that made me go "oh my god, i want to write fantasy. i wanna write fantasy books so bad" the thing I will say about this series is that its not good. right? like its 14 books and it could have been maybe 10, 6 if we're being honest with ourselves. robert jordan cannot write women and it's cringe to read them, but i loved.....rand al'thor (the main character) so much it made me cry LMAOOOO i loved him with my whole tiny childish heart, i was convinced he was THE best main character of all time. its why my own oc, xavier is a tall red head with anger issues LOL

that being said, for some better fantasy

highly recommend 'the broken earth trilogy' by nk jemisin. one of THE best modern day writers i think i've ever come across. the first book in that series was so devastatingly good it ruined first books in series for me. like nothing lives up to that. but i will say look up trigger warnings for her work, that series is VERY dark and emotional but my god...some of the best writing i've ever read.

'the greenbone saga' by fonda lee is another urban fantasy series that i recommend to nearly everyone who comes near me. it has the LITERAL definition of morally grey characters and you genuinely do not know who you're rooting for sometimes in that series. the writing is fucking fantastic and the characters are like ingrained into my brain matter.

a horror novel i highly recommend is "the only good indians" by stephen graham jones. this had a scene in it that is so terrifying, so deeply horrific and brutal and unnerving and scary that i literally closed the book, put my hands over my mouth and stood up IRL LMAOOOOOOO i was so fucking stunned and terrified by what the author had written it was....impactful. fantastic read. cannot recommend highly enough.

'bunny' by mona awad is another favorite book of mine and a NECESSITY for everyone who has entrenched themselves into 'pretentious writing circles' LMAO i unfortunately relate to the main character a little too much. absolutely insane novel, though and a lot of people have mixed feelings on it

i have only read the first book in the locked tomb series by tamsyn muir, but gideon the ninth is one of my favorite books of all time. like the main character, gideon, lives inside me. i have read and annotated that book to the fucking death of its spine.

and since you said "writing" and not JUST novels, this lighthouse fic by my bff unknownangels is fucking amazing and i cannot recommend it enough

and THIS fic by them is also OVERWHELMINGLY fucking good

AHHH thank you for asking anon. i love talking about books so much.

#ask #anon #on writing

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iwillberunningfromdemons · 1 year

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"So you will always love him as a son, but treat him as your prince. One step away from where you long to be. Because even if you told him, you could never be his father."

I was starting to get angry again. "You are not my father."

"No." He stared at the fire. "And I'm not your lover, either."

I felt suddenly weary and sour. "Is that what this is about? Bedding with me? You won't return to Buckkeep because I won't bed with you?"

"No!" He did not shout the word, but something in the way he said it stunned me to silence. His voice was low, almost harsh as he spoke. "Always, you bring it back to that, as if that is the only possible culmination of love." (...)

He caught his breath, and said, "There it is. Plainly, Fitz. I told you I set no limits on my love for you. I don't. Yet I never expected you to offer me your body. It was the whole of your heart, all for myself, that I sought. Even though I've never had a right to it. For you gave it away ere ever you saw me."

Fool's Fate, by Robin Hobb (Tawny Man Trilogy #3)

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byooregard · 9 months

Text

good ace attorney fanfics.

according to me. im the worlds pickiest fanfic reader tho so if i say its good its good. mainline series; here's good dgs fics

Trilogy centric:

and we'll toast these stunning ruins by ohallows [~9k; oneshot]

He pulls the door open and all his thoughts grind to a halt. Miles Edgeworth is standing there, dripping with rain and looking a bit like a drowned cat. If Phoenix was being honest, he’d almost forgotten about him being back amidst the chaos of the day and the conversation with Maya. It’s a novel experience, actually; he can’t remember a time when Edgeworth wasn’t hovering, wanted or not, near the forefront of his mind. But he’s here - he’s real, standing on Phoenix’s doorstep in his dingy hallway in an apartment complex that probably costs less than Edgeworth’s entire salary, looking awkward as all hell.

[wonderful expansion on the whole Thing Phoenix & Edgeworth have going on during Farewell my Turnabout. its so messy i love them. General stamp of approval also on everything this author writes.]

Marriage, Magic, Misunderstandings by theacegrace [~20k; oneshot]

When Mr. Nick gets disbarred, Pearl decides there is no better opportunity than this for him to finally move to Kurain Village so he can be with Mystic Maya. With the help of Mr. Nick’s new daughter, she decides to plan the perfect wedding for the two of them, and won’t let anything get in her way. After all, Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya are in love… aren’t they? (AKA: Pearl and Trucy plan a wedding, and neither parties involved want it.)

[Love how this one takes a joke from the games that is stupid and often uncomfortable and gives it such depth and weaves a beautiful story out of that. Shoutout to ao3 user theacegrace everything they write is a banger.]

A False Start by theacegrace [~50k; 5 chapters]

Twenty-one year old Miles Edgeworth finds himself reconsidering his perceptions of State vs Fawles after running into an old friend at a train station, carrying a suspicious necklace and in a relationship with a suspicious woman. And perhaps he could ignore it, except it’s a little hard for him to ignore a particularly clingy, emotionally volatile Phoenix Wright. AU. Miles and Phoenix meet while Phoenix is still in college. It goes about as well as you'd expect.

Apollo Justice (game) centric:

Alternative Dispute Resolution by FaustianAspirant [~19k; 5 chapters]

In a fit of impulsiveness, Klavier asks Apollo on a date. Unexpectedly, Apollo accepts, but under one condition: in the interests of avoiding further awkwardness, Klavier must resolve his remaining differences with Phoenix Wright. What follows is excruciating for everyone involved.

[This is my favorite Klavier fic. It has everything a girl could want: exploration of the small glimpses we got of whatever the hell is going on with Klavier Gavin (& his brother) in aa4, resolution on Klav and Phoenix's relationship, and the best fake Gavinners song & album titles I've ever had the pleasure to read. If nothing else, read this one for this line:

How fitting, though, that he is destined to be a martyr for love! It’s just like in that track on the Gavinners’ third album, ‘I Would Do Anything for Judicial Impartiality (And Also Love)’, or that other track on the Gavinners’ third album, ‘Stop in The Name of The Legal Authority I Legitimately Wield (And Also Love)’.

Also like, the rest of it. Perhaps the best thing about this fic is how it manages to weave absolutely insane ace attorney bullshit like the Gavinners song titles with such depth of characters and emotions.]

Fuel for the Funeral Pyre by MoominQuartz [~7k; oneshot]

Kristoph Gavin wants him dead? That’s fine. Phoenix Wright wants him dead a thousand times more. If he expects Phoenix to lie down and let the snake bite him, that just means he won’t be looking for the trap lying in wait. A look into Phoenix's head during the seven-year gap

Everything Good (Eventually Hurts) by Wildfey [~10k, oneshot]

Phoenix: I'm talking about evidence that shouldn't have existed. A naughty magician's trick...

The second time that Trucy's life falls completely, irrevocably off its rails, it’s a Friday, and she doesn’t even notice. A story about what Trucy was doing during the events of Turnabout Trump.

[everything by this author is also good 👍]

The Phoenix, and Other Early Birdsby Wildfey [~100k; 16 chapters]

Wright grimaces. “Sorry to tell you this, but as of six hours ago, I’m officially a stay-at-home dad rather than a lawyer. I might be able to recommend you someone else if-” “That’s why I’m here!” Apollo half-yells, and then feels the tips of his ears flush because he just shouted over Phoenix Wright. “I know we’ve never met before, Mr Wright, but I think you’re being framed, and I want to help you clear your name!” ~*~ In which Apollo is 15, Trucy is 8, and Phoenix is very confused as to where all these children keep coming from. (Also known as the 'Apollo goes to the Enigmar trial AU')

Wrong from Right (Wright from Wrong) by Wildfey [~9k; oneshot]

“I’m not sure what exactly you want, Herr Wright,” he says instead, flattens his voice down so neither anger nor tears leak through, and tries not to wince at the fact it defaults to friendly but distant charm instead. Like Wright’s an overenthusiastic fan who’s caught him while he’s busy and won’t take a hint. Wright knocks a fist against the doorframe, somewhat absent-mindedly. “I want lunch,” he says, finally. “The bus takes forever, give me a lift back into the city, will you?” In which Klavier and Phoenix are smart enough to finally have that conversation about the past, and dumb enough to do it in two parking lots and a burger barn drive-thru. There's no accounting for taste.

disillusioned twenty-something(s) by kitelines [~2k; oneshot]

She’s known him only a week, but it’s already clear to her that Klavier Gavin has high expectations of the world around him. And Ema hates people who have high expectations. It’s unrealistic. It’s blind naïvety. You have high expectations, and you set yourself up to fail. It’s something she’s seen time and time again. And it’s a lesson Gavin needs to learn, starting off small—because it’s 8AM at a murder scene in a 7/11 and he’s already dipped his hand into her bag of Snackoos that she’d taken the only one grieving. (Post AA4, Klavier-centric, not shippy.)

The Devil's Brother by ItsyRoyal [~6k; oneshot]

When Vera is lost in grief and afraid to face the empty studio where her father should be, Klavier offers her a place to stay. She quickly realizes she's not the only one grieving. (Post AA4, Klavier-centric, not shippy.)

In Better Light by cosmogyral & sunsmasher [~60k; 7 chapters]

Apollo’s been stationed at the Los Angeles Shatterdome for just over a week before a young woman his exact height pops out of a basement stairwell and says, “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

* AA4/Pacific Rim fusion. Apollo and Trucy save the world. Phoenix and Edgeworth help.

[I think about this AU every fucking day. there's goddamn themes and narratives in here; this is the absolute pinnacle of what fanfic aus can do. someday in the distant future i hope to be able to create something half as incredible as this. also; both of the authors generally have good works]

forty years in the wilderness (and the following holiday weekend) by sunsmasher [9k; oneshot]

Miles Edgeworth comes home five weeks after Phoenix finishes rebuilding the jury trial system with his own two fucking hands.

[bookmarker's note: augh, yeah.]

no feeling (is final) by zombiekittiez [5k; oneshot]

Mr. Wright marks the date on their official wall calendar, a freebie from the grocery store that features seasonal produce. “Not every day you get to see a murderer marry the guy she framed for it,” he quips. ~~ Alita Tiala serves three years in the state penitentiary; Wocky Kitaki marries her anyway.

[bookmarker's note:👍👍👍]

Misc:

selected conversations from the magisteel discord server by liilllyyyy [~30k; oneshot]

A comedy of errors, ft. Discord shenanigans, friendship, gay pining and more!! aka. Miles Edgeworth and Maya Fey co-run a Steel Samurai/Evil Magistrate discord server; neither knows who the other is. What happens next will shock you

[This is the only chatfic ever. no chatfic will ever be this.]

The Catch-Up Game by theacegrace [~60k; 9 chapters]

With his daughter away for the year on a magic show tour, Phoenix’s life is upended enough as it is. The realization that his childhood best friend and courtroom rival may be in love with him, and the complicated feelings that come with that, are the last things he needs. Written for narumitsu week 2020, each chapter loosely based around the prompts: family, marriage, free day, pining, opposites, AU, hurt/comfort, and future.

[I've read this one multiple times, and it's still the Definitive Phoenix Fic in my head. This is the culmination of his development throughout the games that I had wanted so badly, and for that it has the absolute highest honors a fanfic can get in my head. 10000/10]

pressure (pushing down on me) by ApprenticeofDoyle [~130k; 7 chapters]

Dahlia Hawthorne is going to prison, and Phoenix Wright is a free man. Mia Fey takes one look at the glassy-eyed teenager collapsed on her couch and thinks, by the Mother, this kid needs therapy. Luckily, she knows somebody. (Or: Six times that Phoenix Wright needs help, and one time he gets it, without even having to ask.)

The Art of Personal Transfiguration by estelraca [~9k; oneshot]

Athena convinces Simon to stay at her place for a few days while he's getting his feet under him after his release from prison, and the two of them spend some time trying to get to know each other and themselves again. Post-Dual Destinies.

Of Haircuts, Pocketwatch Chains, Other Uninteresting and Undesireable Things, and Generic Wholecloth Christmas Magic by ribbontype [~9k; oneshot]

Phoenix finds an old gift lying around that he had meant to give to Edgeworth years ago, and Edgeworth finds himself obligated to return the favor. Meanwhile, Phoenix continues to live his life. Neither of these things are particularly easy. They are also not as hard as Phoenix and Edgeworth are making them.

[bookmarker's note: this guy fucking gets it]

The Turnabout Job by ribbontype [~15k; 2/6 chapters finished]

“Please, Mr. Edgeworth! Please! You know how the police in this country are - how our laws are. You’ve seen the way people are rewarded when they try to do the right thing the right way,” In a kinder world he could have disagreed with her, but they’re not in a kinder world, they’re in Los Angeles. “I don’t need the police. I need a good man who wants to help.”

Edgeworth makes a mistake that has him straying farther from the path of the courts than he ever has and, even worse, it could mean other people are going to go down with him. After seven long years abroad, his ill-advised stint back in Los Angeles forces a reunion of allies who had long since gone their separate ways. It'll take one last big turnabout to right the wrongs they've done. Just one big job, then everything can go back to normal

[grabs you. ace attorney leverage au]

i havent written anything ace attorney really but i've been your host ao3 user kaetor if you want to see. idk my other bookmarks

#aa #cleb talky #ace attorney #apollo justice #fic recs #gud writes

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pagesandpothos · 18 days

Text

The Sins On Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

I had no idea what to expect when I started The Sins On Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin. I saw that it was blurbed by several queer romantasy authors that I like, so I requested it from NetGalley on a whim and was happy to dive in. I'm so glad I did. It was not what I was expecting but it is an interesting and dark fantasy that I enjoyed discovering.

First of all, if there are things that could trigger you, be sure to read the content warnings before you start this book! This novel deals with some very heavy topics and the author has kindly included detailed warnings on her website (there's also some stunning character art for you to seek out while you're there).

The Sins On Their Bones is inspired by Jewish mysticism and folklore and is a high fantasy set in a world similar to Eastern Europe in the 19th century. Dimitri Alexeyev, one of the main POV characters and a former Tszar, has recently lost a brutal civil war to his vicious and newly immortal ex-husband, Alexey Balakin.

At the story's start, Dimitri is in hiding in the Free States with his closest friends and former members of his royal court: Vasily, his most trusted spy; Annika, who once led his army; Ladushka, his political advisor, and Mischa, his royal physician. Dimitri still harbors a lot of guilt (and other complicated feelings) about Alexey, the war, and the consequences of it. When Vasily brings word that Alexey is building an army to invade the Free States the group hatches a dangerous plan to finally defeat Dimitri's monstrous ex.

The novel cycles through three POVs. Along with Dimitri, we also get chapters from Alexey and Vasily. All three POVs are engaging and each adds different things to the story. Jumping back and forth through their parts of the story moved the plot along steadily while also filling in the needed backstory. Vasily's chapters, in particular, give a lot of clarity to the backstory which was one of the many reasons that his chapters quickly became my favorite.

The plot of this is fast-paced, dark, and full of religious and political themes. I also found it surprising and not predictable at all. Multiple moments shocked me and had me frantically flipping pages to see what would happen next.

The characters are also likable. Vasily, as I've already mentioned, is a fantastic character. Dimitri is sympathetic and has a nice arc of growth and healing. Alexey is a terrifying and well-written villain. Annika, Ladushka, and Mischa round out the main cast as dynamic characters with a lovely "found family" relationship (together with Dimitri and Vasily).

The Sins On Their Bones is a unique and very queer dark fantasy. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic tales of good versus evil in their fantasy!

Other Points:

Alexey reminds me of The Darkling from the Shadow and Bone trilogy.

There may be a Doctor Who reference?

There is an asexual character and a non-binary character along with the many same-sex relationships that the book features.

The whole book is delightfully queer normative with most of the main characters and several side characters being casually queer. There's no drama or trauma around their identities.

I also liked how the author wove Judaism into the world.

Did I mention how much I love Vasily?

The last 25% of the book is tense, action-packed, emotional, and surprising. It is almost impossible to put down!

The ending is satisfying while also setting up issues for a future sequel.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tropes/Tags: achillean, queer, Jewish fantasy, dark fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, found family

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️/5. There are multiple sex scenes (various m/m pairings) that are "Open Door" and mildly descriptive.

Content Warnings: Full list from the author

If you liked this I think you will like The Sins On Their Bones: The Shadow and Bone series for the Eastern European inspiration. This is a much more gory and adult version though!

Links: Storygraph | GoodReads | LauraRSamotin.com

The Sins On Their Bones will be released on May 7, 2024, and is available for pre-order!

This book was made available to me in advance thanks to NetGalley! I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for this review. The above are my honest feelings on the provided book.

#The Sins On Their Bones #Laura R Samotin #queer books #book review #netgalley #arc review #books #best of 2024

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dartxo · 4 months

Text

"Sauron Defeated"

2023

Towers fell and mountains slid; walls crumbled and melted, crashing down; vast spires of smoke and spouting steams went billowing up, up, until they toppled like an overwhelming wave, and its wild crest curled and came foaming down upon the land.

-"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", by J.R.R. Tolkien

The realm of Sauron is ended!

The climax of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy may well be my favorite scene in the whole saga. And that is in part, with apologies to Professor Tolkien and the purists, because it is so much better done in the film than in the book.

The novel gives the impression that the destruction of the Ring happened by mere accident, with Gollum tripping and falling into the fiery chasm; further writings by Tolkien explain that it was actually divine intervention that destroyed it, which, narratively speaking, isn't much better. In the film however, the Ring effectively destroys itself. At the very moment when it looks like the Ring has won, having finally overpowered Frodo and with Sauron within moments of retrieving it, its power turns on itself: it inadvertently makes Frodo and Gollum fight over it (mirroring the very first scene of the film with Sméagol and Déagol), and they both fall off the cliff. And it doesn't stop there. For a few moments the Ring floats in the lava, as if enticing Frodo, hanging over the edge, to follow it in its ruin. Only at the very moment where Frodo reaches out and grabs hold of Sam does the Ring, its final act of malice foiled, melt into the lava.

What follows is the stunning, beautiful, cathartic collapse of Barad-dûr, and the end of Sauron's power in Middle-earth. And here too it's good that the geography is changed somewhat in the films, because our heroes at the Black Gate get to watch the Dark Tower fall with their own eyes. There's nothing quite like the sight of the mighty Dark Lord watching powerlessly as all his works crumble beneath him, even as he himself is reduced to oblivion.

All in all, it's a brilliantly paced, magnificently executed scene, and has become for me an encouraging and comforting reminder that all tyrants, all empires, do indeed fall.

#eye of sauron #sauron #barad dûr #mordor #lord of the rings #return of the king #lotr #lotr fanart #lotr art #fandom #realism #photoshop #art #screencap redraw #artists on tumblr #mexican artist #autistic artist #dartxo

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donniesexceptionalmind · 8 months

Note

hey hey may you please infodump about your favorite book(s) please ? I want to hear a detailed poetic explaintion about eeevery single thing you like because you're cool and i like reading what you write

I am BEYOND amazed by this ask, I - I can't comprehend. Is this real?

My favourite books - that's a though ask because I have many books I thoroughly enjoy, many tied to my special interests.

Oh gosh, I am sorry in advance, this will be long...

I have not talked about it much on here, but besides Jupiter Jim I am a huge fan of Star Wars & I'm owning over 160 books + the begin of a comic collection. Autistic much, mhmmmmm?

My favourite Star Wars book series is the Republic Commando Series by Karen Traviss. It's a masterpiece.

The way she gives the clone soldiers individual lives & personalities is amazing & it truly mirrors the conflicts that arise with the use of clones for an army. I am also fascinated by Mandalorian Culture, which the clones are raised in by their DNA giver Jango Fett & a few mandalorian warriors he chose for that task.

Karen Traviss created Mando'a, the language of this culture (which I have NOT learned, no, never /s).

I also want to add that the clones are NOT stormtroopers!

I'd also recommend reading the High Republic Series, which is BEYOND amazing & has become my favourite Star Wars Era next to the Prequel Era.

Even if you are not a fan of Star Wars, the High Republic is worth a read as a standalone series. You don't need to know anything about Star Wars to understand it.

Star Wars has a very big library of books & comics - every era has great stories. Here are some of my favourites beyond the ones I already mentioned:

Darth Plagueis (Prequel era to beginning of the Empire)

Alphabet Squadron Trilogy (New Empire era)

Death Star (Original Trilogy)

Brotherhood & also Master & Apprentice (Prequel Trilogy)

The Padmé Trilogy (Prequel Trilogy)

The Lando Calrissian Trilogy (takes place years before the Original Trilogy)

Everything by Timothy Zahn (he's famous for creating Thrawn)

You see how I am unable to choose???

Apart from my quite big Star Wars literature obsession I love reading other science fiction works & also thriller/ horror stories.

Ethan Cross with his absolutely amazing serial killer Francis Ackermann Junior is my favourite thriller author, but I do enjoy Stephen King as well

Of course, Jules Verne & his works are worth mentioning too, his work is impressive considering what he had come up with back in his time!

A Walk Between Stars by Tyler. R. Parsons is a great novel, truly recommend it - a human is stuck in outer space & gets rescued by strange aliens

As a huge Five Nights at Freddy's fan, I (of course) own the novels as well & THEY ARE SO WORTH IT

Occasionally I like fantasy as well.

The Dune Universe by Frank Herbert is what I've started reading & I do like the idea, but I don't enjoy the main character - so I've stopped after the first book. I do want to try to read the whole series someday!

Walter Moers is my favourite fantasy author, his work is absolutely stunning & I treasure every single one. My favourite work would be the 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear, which was the first novel I've read by him

Lord of the Rings & the Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. No words needed!

The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende (trust me, it's exceptional)

Momo by Michael Ende (teaches you a lot about compassion)

I like reading the nerdy books about astrophysics & quantum physics, but I haven't included them since - it would've been boring to read for you. My newest interest is neuroscience & I want to obtain the scientific books about that field as well!

There you have it, a general overview about my favourite books! (Finally over)

I was seriously touched by this ask.

Even if you just asked to comfort me, it still means so much to me.

People actually care for me.

Thank you.

#donnie speaks #donnie answers #donnies exceptional mind #turtle net #rottmnt #donnies support squad #donnies special interests #donatello infodumps #donatello tmnt #rise donnie roleplay #books #favourite book #rise autistic donnie #rottmnt autistic donnie #autistic donatello #autistic donnie

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dandelionjedi · 6 months

Text

I've been meaning to spread some Andor love for a while. Huge thank you to the people at @andorappreciation for giving me a push to put my thoughts out into the world! I've loved seeing everyone's posts, and wanted to throw in my two cents. Warning: Long post incoming, continues after the cut

I think Andor is the best thing Star Wars has put out since the last 4 episodes of The Clone Wars show (which were amazing, and another thing I could go on about, but that’s not today’s theme). I’d say it’s the most consistently good thing Star Wars has put out, ever. Please keep in mind I am not much of a critic, but still. I’ve watched a lot of Star Wars stuff.

Please note the "consistently good". There's so much Star Wars stuff out there, it's hard to say what's the 'best'. And best is very subjective! I think Andor is noteworthy for having 12 episodes that all felt equally great. There were certainly some that stood out above the rest (One Way Out comes to mind), but none of them seemed worse than the others, or out of place.

Most Star Wars media has a "it was really good, but...". The original trilogy was all around pretty good, but I'm more of a prequel era person. That being said, I'll be the first to admit that the prequels had some room for improvement, especially in the dialogue department. The Clone Wars show was very good, but there were a lot of lackluster episodes in between the main plot. Rebels was good, but it was aimed at a younger audience, and doesn't quite stand up to some of the other shows. The Mandalorian was good, but definitely fell apart in later seasons (which I'm aware Andor could still do). I could go on. We'll need to see how they do with future seasons, but I have nothing but good things to say about season 1.

Andor was visually amazing, in a way that The Mandalorian and other recent live action shows haven’t quite gotten. I think some of it can be attributed to them shooting on more practical sets. One of the most breathtaking settings was shot in the Scottish Highlands. There were wide aerial drone shots that they never would have been able to get without being on location.

They also used color really, really well. Whenever the show was in Empire territory, everything was bright lights, hard lines, sharp corners. Black and white and gray, clean outlines without a speck of dust. Outside their control, everything became more natural. It was gritty and dirty, with lots of neutrals. On Ferrix, there were rusty earth tones. On Aldhani, beautiful green rolling hills. On Kenari, earthy greens and jungle vines. When Luthen goes underground on Coruscant, it immediately shifts from bright lights to soft shadows. Away from the Imperial color scheme, back towards the natural colors of the Rebels.

When you go back to Coruscant, in Mon Mothma’s house, you can still see the influence of the Empire. While the colors have shifted from black and white, everything else screams Empire. The same crisp lines and hard shapes. It’s pretty, but empty. Much like the life she lives. You can try to cover it up, but she’s still in the Empire’s home base.

Every location was visually recognizable. As soon as you see the screen you can tell where the characters are. And so much of it was new! No more sandy Tatooine, full of characters that all inexplicably know one another. Every location was new, or made sense to be added, but it still felt connected with the rest of Star Wars.

There were also so many amazing visual moments. The whole scene with the Eye of Aldahni was breathtaking. Tragic, poetic, and visually stunning. I loved watching Mon Mothma play her political game on Coruscant. There were a few shots of her completely alone in the frame that took my breath away. Cassian had a similar shot on Kenari, looking out over the quarry. Luthen in the tunnel. The prisoners on Narkina 5. The final march on Ferrix.

I also loved the costumes. Not even in a "look at the attention to detail" way, just an "I want that outfit. I WANT IT!!!"

All the characters were so well developed, even those that only got a little bit of screen time. Everyone had a personality, their own quirks and motives. Everyone contributed to the story in their own way, no matter how small. On both sides too, Empire and Rebellion. The one thing about characters I do have to say is I have my fingers crossed that Dedra and Syrill don't get together. Just, please no.

And the music. The bells. The native people of Aldahni. The funeral march. It was so, so, so good.

The dialogue was also spectacular, but if I were to talk about that it would pretty much be me quoting various lines and saying “Listen to that! Wasn’t it amazing? IT WAS SO AMAZING!!!!" So I’m just going to say it was ridiculously good and leave it at that.

The whole show is dark, gritty, and down to Earth. We know, going into it, how the story ends. We know pretty much everyone is doomed. But they still make us care. The ending was amazing, tying up loose ends, and feeling like a fulfilling ending, while still leaving plenty of story threads to pick up at a later date. The final scene, of the Death Star coming together, means we can't forget for a moment how the story ends, no matter how much we might wish otherwise.

I loved it. (You probably had no idea). I would highly recommend it, regardless of whether or not you’re a Star Wars fan, or have even ever watched a Star Wars movie. If you’re not convinced, just watch the teaser trailer. The teaser trailer specifically, it’s so good, I’ve probably watched it at least a dozen times. Those bells!

Some other random notes:

Brasso seems like a really nice guy. Just, kudos to him for being a really great friend. And him hitting the Imperial guy over the head with the brick was great.

LGBTQ+ in space!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!

I am obligated to point out the sheep. Real, live, sheep. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t those sheep the first normal Earth animals to make it into Star Wars? No fancy prosthetics, just normal sheep (that breed of sheep naturally has 2+ pairs of horns). They’re Hebridean sheep, by the way. In case you were wondering.

Also Bix is pretty and I want her jacket

Small note: I'd love to add some screenshots/gifs to this post, but I'm a little confused about tumblr etiquette for that type of thing. I know GIF making is it's own thing, that takes some effort, so do people not generally post gifs from shows that they didn't make? What about random screenshots from google? Probably overthinking things, but if someone could explain that to me I'd appreciate it.

One other small note: A lot of this is taken from a post I made on my Instagram account. I would be incredibly surprised if anyone sees both posts, but I thought I should mention that. I'm not linking my Instagram because I keep it separate from my fandom life, and I'd like it to stay that way. The Andor post was an exception.

#andor #andor appreciation week #star wars #andor is amazing #andor show #cassian andor #my post #my posts

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