#this movie has the biggest cameos ever my eye's hurt trying to look who was on screen

[phantomoftheparadise0002]

i was looking at the space jam 2 trailer and…

me:

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE?? 

ultra-violence in space jam?

#space jam #space jam 2 #a clockwork orange #this movie has the biggest cameos ever my eye's hurt trying to look who was on screen #ultra-violence in space jam? #looney tunes #looney toons #space jam a new legacy

[thefilmfatale]

Always Be My Maybe and How to Ruin a Rom Com

There is an art to a good romantic comedy.

Let me preface this post with a confession: I am a rom com enthusiast. Go ahead, turn your nose up at me, you snobs! But I unabashedly love romantic comedies. Yes, I’m aware that the genre is much maligned for being painfully predictable and vapid, but it would surprise you how tough it actually is to produce a solid rom com that hits all the right notes.

You see, there’s a formula. Boy Meets Girl (yes, I’m being deliberately heteronormative for this example, put your pitchforks down). Girl plays hard to get. Boy persists and wins her over despite how much the lady doth protest too much. A conflict introduces tension and separation (”Gasp! This was all part of a bet?!”), throwing the relationship into jeopardy. Boy performs Grand Gesture™ to win back Girl’s heart. Girl forgives Boy and the two gallop into the sunset. Cue Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” as the credits roll.

The formula works, but only if the filmmaker can trick the audience into believing that this on screen romance has real stakes. To do that, you have to have a script that at least pretends to explore an interesting relationship which, as it unfolds, gives the audience butterflies and makes them want to root for the star-crossed lovers. Without audience investment, you have no rom com.

To get the audience to invest, you need likeable leads who have great chemistry and just enough tangible sexual tension to create that air of “Will they or won’t they?” After all, no one ships a couple who are devoid of personality and lack chemistry. Most of this sexual tension is physical—in the way the actors interact with each other—but what can really help establish this is verbal, by way of witty repartee.

Think of some of the classic rom coms, like When Harry Met Sally. Why does it work? Sally is a Type A personality. Prim, proper, particular, and uptight. Harry is more laid back, casual, and candid— unafraid to tell it like it is. He’s also a bit of a troll who enjoys getting a rise out of someone. Throw the two on a road trip together and you have a recipe for romance (or disaster—however you want to look at it). As a viewer, you begin to root for them because we’re told that opposites attract and complement each other. Harry softens Sally’s rough edges, Sally helps Harry realize he needs some maturing.

And you all know the Big Gesture™. A New Year’s eve confession that inspired a thousand sappy rom-com speeches.

What makes When Harry Met Sally successful?

Harry and Sally are different enough from each other that there is enough sexual tension and push and pull to make their interactions interesting.

Each half of the couple has their own personality that feels authentic to their character. They have their own ambitions and goals. They also have traits and quirks that uniquely position them to attract each other.

The relationship does not seem guaranteed—the audience has to have a moment of doubt or uncertainty that makes them will the couple back together.  

Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal have fantastic chemistry.

It seems pretty straightforward. Follow the formula, and you’ll be fine. In fact, it’s hard to screw up a good rom com if you just imagine unconventional ways to put two individually interesting but opposite enough people together then lean back and watch the sparks fly.

So all this to say that nothing could have prepared me for the soul-sucking awfulness of Always Be My Maybe, the Netflix flick starring comedian Ali Wong (know for her Baby Cobra Netflix special) and Fresh Off the Boat’s Randall Park.

The story follows Sasha Tran (Wong), a renowned chef and restauranteur, who rekindles a romance with her childhood best friend Marcus Kim (Park) when her marriage engagement suddenly falls through. Tran is portrayed as ambitious and driven, while Kim is unmotivated and immature, using his widowed father as a crutch to not follow his dreams. In its purest form (this summary), the gist of the story seems fine. Nothing to write home about (certainly not novel), but this is romantic comedy and the bar is more of a footstool so no one’s begrudging sticking to convention. But Always Be My Maybe takes that convention and, in true Asian fashion, approaches it with textbook diligence that just sapped the joy and life out of what should have been a fun, light-hearted romp. So much for subverting Asian stereotypes!

Now I’m a fan of Ali Wong and Randall Park’s, but this movie was so mind-numbing, it made me physically ill. Ali Wong? Hilarious! Randall Park? Extremely likable and has great comedic timing! Together you would think they would be dynamite. Fireworks! An explosive affair of epic proportions! And for those of us who’ve had a hankering for a rom com with Asian leads (and God knows we’ve waited a long fucking time—thank you, Crazy Rich Asians) we know about the demand for one.  

Alas, what a disappointment. A telephone pole and I would have had more chemistry than Ali Wong and Randall Park. As much as it pains, I have to say that Always Be My Maybe just might be one of the worst romantic comedies I have ever watched.

Not only did this movie put two leads together who had zero chemistry—or at least enough sexual tension to help the audience suspend their disbelief that these aren't just actors—but the story unfolds in a fashion that actually makes the audience keenly aware of the formula. I know I said if you just follow the formula you can’t go wrong, but Jesus they didn’t have to make it so obvious! It’s like Fight Club, you know? The first rule of making a good rom com is YOU DO NOT MAKE THE AUDIENCE AWARE THAT THEY ARE WATCHING A ROM COM. I mean, at least try to approach it like it’s actually an interesting story about two people.

Instead, the movie followed story beats that seemed to exist for the sake of moving the story along instead of actually selling us on the relationship. The beats were so obvious that you can actually pinpoint where they begin and end because they were helpfully (and often unnecessarily) bookended by old school hip hop songs. Cue music! Here comes the conflict, the part where Boy and Girl rekindle their romance only to find that the years apart have made them different people. Boy judges Girl for being pretentious and obnoxious. Girl judges boy for being immature and unmotivated. A big fight ensues! Insults are hurled at each other that are so truthful they hurt! But it’s only a sign that they are meant to be with each other because they can trust each other to be this honest!

You know your movie is bad when your story beats are so obvious that they take the viewer out of the movie. You know your rom com is bad when Boy’s Big Gesture™ felt like a very clear When Harry Met Sally rip-off with dialogue that makes you want to get a lobotomy. There’s certainly nothing wrong with being referential or, even better, deliberately parodying romantic comedies. But Always Be My Maybe wasn’t really trying to be either. It was just stuck in this weird gray area of trying to be a romantic comedy and failing.  

Always Be My Maybe’s biggest problem is in its turd of a script. It was so cringeworthy, filled with inauthentic lines and tired Asian jokes (the joke about Asians hating tipping was played out to the point of exasperation). Even their attempts to make fun of woke culture (which is an effort I wholly endorse) felt contrived and flat, which is such a bummer because that would have been a cool differentiator. Even the promising jabs at the pretentiousness of haute cuisine were awkwardly executed. Most of all, it didn't do its lead actors any favors, turning them into cartoonish cardboard cut-outs that were designed to follow the formula of a rom-com without putting in the work to earn the audience’s investment. Performance-wise, Wong did a passable job, but there were times when it felt like she was reciting a line that was clearly more apt for a comedy skit rather than a piece of dialogue that a character in a movie is saying. Park’s attempt at faux awkwardness, on the other hand, was excruciating to watch. Couldn’t he just be a dude in a rap band who happens to live with his dad? That's a decent enough back story. There really wasn’t a need to give him a personality quirk that seemed put on rather than authentic.  

The film’s most promising moment was a Keanu Reeves cameo. And it’s only because Reeves was so game at poking fun of himself and the pretentiousness of celebrity that it worked. But just like the tired Asian jokes, at a certain point the humor was played out to the point where it became unwelcome. I also want to give credit to the film for portraying an Asian American upbringing that wasn’t the Fresh Off the Boat variety. While there isn't anything wrong with that portrayal, it’s also a treat to be able to see a different dimension of Asian culture, one that shows how typical and relatable it is to the average American’s upbringing. Premarital, promiscuous sex! Rap music! Being into pretentious food! Much as I hate to admit it, the whole “Asians—we’re just like you!” approach is kinda needed in film and television because it removes this layer of exoticization that can be restrictive to Asian characters.

While not tokenizing Asian characters is a positive, it still doesn’t make Always Be My Maybe a good movie. While I did watch it all the way to the end (despite my body’s vehement protests), it hurt my soul in ways I didn’t anticipate. How did they ruin this rom com? First, and most importantly, there was a shocking lack of individual character development. You don't get a sense of who these people are individually. Instead, they just seemed to be characters created for the sole purpose of putting them together and contrasting them enough to where they should have some sort of chemistry. But you can’t manufacture that. Each actor has to go through the work of making their characters likable. If I like the characters individually, I like them even better together! See how that 2+2 worked? But without dedicating the right amount of time and space in the story to showing their inner lives and what makes them tick, you’re setting them up for failure.

Second, and on a related note: there were no real stakes to the relationship. because setting up Sasha and Marcus to be together just seemed like a given from the get go. There didn’t seem to be any real jeopardy to their relationship, even once the conflict was introduced. The forced repartee between the characters came off like lines of dialogue instead of natural conversation, not to mention the very apparent lack of chemistry between Ali Wong and Randall Park. So much so that you didn’t really want to see them make out, let alone root for them to end up together. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you ruin a rom com.

If you, a friend, or family member just watched Always Be My Maybe and are experiencing similar symptoms of nausea and misanthropy, may I direct you to a Netflix original rom com that is actually good? Go check out Set It Up, if you haven’t already!

What did you think of Always Be My Maybe? Am I full of shit? Did you like it? What are some of your favorite romantic comedies? Sound off in the comments below!

#always be my maybe #movie reviews #Ali wong #Randall park

[stlplaybox]

The Home Stretch

This week marks the beginning of the end. The crew that we’ve come to know and love will careen into into their final story arc. But instead of conjecturing about the mountain of questions that remain unanswered, I want to spend some time honing in on the key pieces on the elaborate chessboard that James Roberts has setup. After all, what is MTMTE/Lost Light other than the sum part of the characters it has woven together?

The question I want to explore is this: who are the key players that will shape this final story arc? If we can guess who, we have an idea of what’s at stake, what to look out for, and, most importantly, how are hearts are going to be broken. 

Like my write up of who was likely to survive the Dying of the Light, I’m going to give the odds of each character playing a big role as I expect (hope).

Naturally, before we proceed, a heavy SPOILERS reminder. If you haven’t already caught up, please don’t proceed past this point. 

The Set Pieces

Rodimus: This is Rodimus’ story. This is his quest. This is his ship. These are his friends. Lost Light has always been about the story of how the unlikeliest of bots banded together on the unlikeliest of journeys and became the unlikeliest of friends. Deep down Rodimus has always known this wasn’t about the quest. He made this concession early in the opening salvo of Dark Cybertron before Getaway or Megatron came aboard. Deep down this is all that matters to Rodimus. At it’s core, this is why Rodimus hates Getaway. Their confrontation will be brutal as Rodimus must come to terms with the damage that Getaway has inflicted. 

Odds: A Sure Bet.

Getaway: There is no Getaway without Rodimus. A bot who has lost his way and committed to his dark path, he must come colliding with the bots that he resented and displaced. We may not be certain of what fate the rest of the Lost Light has succumbed to, but Getaway’s confrontation with Rodimus and crew will be a chilling contrast to what life used to be aboard the Lost Light.

Odds: A Sure Bet.

Ratchet vs Pharma: Apart from the foreshadowing in Lost Light #1, you don’t reveal Cyberutopia as being an eerie science fiction take on euthanasia and palliative care without these two characters clashing again. Ratchet has been a big heart of this book and there’s no better way to raise the stakes than forcing a confrontation with the bot that resents him more than anything else in this universe. If you think back to Ratchet’s story arc at the start of season one, this surely comes full circle.

Odds: A Sure Bet.

Drift: One of the key players from the start, we know there has always been, pardon the pun, more than meets the eye with Drift. Issue #18’s revelations will undoubtedly have an important impact on Drift but there’s still too much about Drift that’s been left vague. On a ship of misfits who were always looking for anything else but the reality of post war life, he’s always had an angle. Now we’re going to get to find out exactly what.

Odds: A Sure Bet.

Rung: He’s been primed for this. If there was ever a moment he was going to shine, this is it. All the pieces are in play. The sparks, the blacksmith, the whole forged vs constructed cold. The Lost Light’s opening arc was a vehicle that set up Rung’s potential and there’s no way JRo is letting this one through to the keeper. Rung prime must star.

Odds: A Sure Bet.

The Grand Architect: the identity of this bot is the biggest mystery. I have a few loose theories but nothing that’s convincing but we’ll leave that for another time. I’m convinced whoever they are revealed to be, it’ll be critical to shaping the final trajectory of the our beloved crew.

Odds: A Sure Bet.

Nautica: The themes of memory, revisionism and identity have been core to MTMTE/Lost Light since the beginning. Skids was a key exponent of this and his death triggered something in Nautica. In trying to save one of her dearest friends, Nautica lost her memories of ever loving him and this is biggest note that can be sounded to tell this story. The consequences have been tragic for us the reader to watch but it does not come full circle until Nautica herself realises the price she has paid. Strap yourselves in. This is going to hurt.

Odds: 95%

Anode: Brought on at the start of Season 3, the obnoxious and brash blacksmith’s skills clearly have a key part to play. How? I’m not sure, but that the Grand Architect was responsible for sending her on the quest in Lost Light #1, means she has a large role in the coming conflict. 

Odds: 95%

The Wildcards

First Aid: If there is one character who owes so much to the Lost Light, it’s First Aid. Rescued from the dreariness that was Delphi, he found his identity and home  onboard the Lost Light. From the companionship of other minibots who he watched movies with to being anointed the Chief Medical Officer, First Aid is mortified by his role in enabling Getaway to assume control of the Lost Light. It’s personal now and I can’t see First Aid not coming back to make things right.

Odds: 90%

Megatron: Will Megatron return in the darkest hour? A la Drift and Ratchet in the Dying of the Light? I believed this with full certainty at first. But I wavered on this after a great debate with my dear friend (@SeanV2) but then my memory went back to some of Megatron’s own words: 

“Sometimes, you look back on your life - on your life’s work and you realise that it’s unsalvageable.  And if you’re brave enough - or desperate enough - you throw it all away and start again. On Luna 2, I threw it all away. And here on this ship, I started again.” 

Megatron never wanted to stay in the Functionist Universe. It was Terminus who entrapped him. For Megatron to complete his arc, he must come back. He may never atone for the atrocities he’s committed but coming back means that he’s desperate enough to salvage his second lease on life and make it count on the ship that gave it to him. 

But what about the mechanics of getting him back, you say? Let’s not forget the liberties that are afforded to a writer when said titular character carries around an inter dimensional wormhole in his gut.

James Roberts has also on the record said that he needed to move Megatron from the board to focus on the core characters. He also said that this was the last we’d seen of the Scavengers. Go figure.

Odds: 85%

Grimlock: The big bad of Autobot fandom has been simmering away in the IDW universe and this is his moment to shine. He’s been there since the beginning and we’ve watched as he’s slowly pulled himself back together with the help of the Scavengers. We’ve seen him take command of a situation already but he’s also carrying the child and I can’t see Grimlock role not having a pivotal role in all this.  

Odds: 80%

Deathsaurus: With Nickel’s role in helping him realise the bigger picture, I can’t see Deathsaurus not coming for her. And in doing so, Deathsaurus brings a disenfranchised arm of the Decepticon cause in this post war environment back to the chessboard. This is important as a core component of the MTMTE lore has been to question the black and white roles of Autobot and Decepticons. Bringing them to the fold in this finale offers an x-factor in the moral quagmire that is MTMTE/Lost Light.

Odds: 60%

The Dark Horses

Overlord: if there is something brewing in the Transformers Universe, the Galactic Council will no doubt have their eyes on this. What better way to bring a loose cannon into the fold than this? There’s an unsolved mystery here as well. The Galactic Council has been lurking in the shadows since the early days of MTMTE and I think it’s high time we got the answer to how they tamed a Phase Sixer that Megatron could barely keep in check.

Odds: 40%.

Roller: Why bring back a character who has contributed so little? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved his appearances in the flashbacks but there’s been nothing potent and imposing about his presence yet. I refuse to believe James brought him back purely as eye candy (and that he is!). That said, I’ve looked hard but I’m unsure how he fits in this end game so all I’m going on is that he had to be brought back for a reason.

Odds: 10%

Fortress Maximus & Red Alert: These two were pretty much there at the beginning. That they went to Necroworld where things have gone awol, will have give them a trail to follow. Realistically they maybe will have a cameo at best but I think I speak for a lot of us when I drool over the prospect of the newest Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord confronting Scorponok. 

Odds: 10% 

So there it is. My hypothesising about who would die in Dying of the Light was pretty good. Will I be as lucky this time? Let’s strap ourselves in for the final ride and see how we go this time.

#transformers #lostlightfest #lostlight #more than meets the eye #mtmte #mtmte rodimus #transformers idw #mtmte megatron #tf mtmte

[misssophiachase]

Can I request KC + any cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie. Any of them.

Thank you!!! Awesomeprompt. For some reason it’s not so mini, so sorry for the delay. Okay, I’ll admit that I took some liberties, I mean there are way toomany to choose from so this is a different spin. I think I kind of morphed intoa Hallmark movie writer with all this cheese and fluff, hope you still like it!

Not Another Hallmark Movie

“I’ve worked with animalsthat are better behaved and trained than you, Mikaelson,” she hissed. 

“Only because they can’ttalk. If they could I’m sure they’d have some pretty choice things to sayabout such a Princess, Forbes,” he shot back. 

“Cut!” 

“You are such an…”

“Well, you’re no picnicyourself sweetheart.”

“I said Cut!” TheirDirector, Enzo St John, growled. “You don’t get creative license,children. This is a bloody Hallmark movie and you will do it as I say. So, justfor your information, the lines actually were, I love you Jacob. I think Ialways have but I’ve been hurt before and Christmas is such a difficult timefor me after losing my father.”

“And then Jacob says,”Bonnie Bennet, their long suffering producer, added through grittedteeth. “I would never hurt you Grace and if you let me in, let me love youthen I can prove that to you everyday of our lives.”

“I much prefer my line,”Klaus shrugged his shoulders, unmoved by their terse interruptions. 

“As I do mine,” Carolineagreed, arms crossed over her chest. Agreeing was something the two actorsnever did, just ask the rest of the cast and crew. They’d been bickering eversince their first day on set and things didn’t seem to beimproving.  

“How about we take abreak,” Enzo sighed. “We’ll pick up in twenty minutes and maybe you twocan learn your bloody lines.” The crew scurried away, no doubt to enjoy somedowntime from all the drama. 

Klaus made his way to hisdressing room, slamming the door shut in the process. Who was Enzo St John totell him what to do and how to do it? He remembered the second worse decisionhe’d ever made so clearly. If he could have blamed it on alcohol he would havebut this was all her doing.    

“Hallmark? Ah, no Lucien.”

“You didn’t even let mefinish…”

“Because you used the Hword,” he muttered. “I thought we spoke about having that networkexorcised from any future contracts.”

“You need this role Klaus,if anything just to get you back on your feet,” he pleaded. “The roleshave dried up since…”

“I don’t need you to tellme that,” he growled, finally stopping his pacing. “But there must besomething else, something on HBO? I saw they’d green lit a pilotabout the Clash.”

“The Joe Strummer role hasalready been cast.”

“Oh don’t tell me, it’sthat talentless idiot, Tyler Lockwood?”

“No, it’s…”

“Well, don’t keep mehanging, Lucien. You know, I’m a big boy, I can handle the truth.”

“Stefan Slavatore,” hemumbled, his brown eyes now firmly focused on the floor.  

“The brooding, James Deanwannabe? He’s not even English and is definitely more boy band than punk. Anddon’t even get me started on his obsession with his hair. Could that guy ownany more hair products?”

“That’s probably why hehas that lucrative endorsement deal with L’oreal.”

“I bet his mother is soproud,” he groaned. “Why do talentless and undeserving losers like thatget the good roles?”

“You’ve been out of thegame for a bit, people tend to move on after you pass on roles,” he offered,albeit weakly. “You experienced a monumental loss and it’s understandablethat you needed some time out but…”

“You’re even starting tosound like a bloody Hallmark movie now.”

“It’s your only chance totry to resurrect your career Klaus, trust me on this.” Klaus was silent,thinking about his options. 

Not that Klaus liked toadmit it readily but Lucien was right. But was his career more importantthan his pride? Klaus knew the answer and prepared his response carefully. Hallmarkand their latest Christmas cheese-fest could go fuck themselves. “The female part is being played by Caroline Forbes. She’s a verytalented and versatile actress. Actually grew up in the same town as you, Imean what a coincidence.”

That Klaus wasn’texpecting and he felt his chest constrict and an immediate craving to be closerto her again, if so just to try and make things right. “Fine, I’ll do it.”  

It seemed as if Klaus hadcome full circle his worst ever mistake crashing into his second worst. She was just as flawless as he remembered when they met for rehearsals amonth earlier. Even with that scowl plastered firmly on her face, Klaus didn’tthink he’d seen anyone so beautiful. Even her latest insults couldn’t deter hisadmiration. If Klaus could do things differently, he would have.

“Now, that would have tobe your best tantrum by far.”

“If I wanted an audience,little sister, I would have chosen one a lot less sarcastic and hostile.”

“You’re not going to findone, Klaus,” she insisted. “Especially if you keep acting out this way. Noone will ever hire you again.”

“Always the publicist,” hedrawled, rolling his eyes for extra effect. “Did you ever think that maybeI don’t care?”

“And what about Caroline?”His eyes flew to hers, Rebekah always had a tendency to push his buttons andtoday was no exception. Caroline had pursued a modelling career but hadrecently excelled in a few cameo roles. “This is her first leading movie role,do you want to ruin it with such childish behaviour?”

“I’m pretty sure Hallmarkwill do that all on its own,” he joked. “Look, I realise Caroline is oneof your clients but that doesn’t mean you can use our sibling status to guilttrip me into staying. I’m sure that they can recast me with some bland, kendoll type. Maybe the gods are smiling on us and Stefan Salvatore is actuallyfree?”

“No one has chemistry likeyou and Caroline, trust me we’ve all seen it.”

“That was a long timeago.”

“Really? Because from thatforeplay I just saw out there, your connection is stronger thanever.” 

Klaus knew it too, notthat he was willing to admit it aloud and to his sister and publicist of allpeople. He loved her, Klaus had never stopped. Suddenly he felt like he’dstepped into some weird, Hallmark vortex. 

“Yes, those insults werereally romantic.”

“I know you miss her, weall do” she implored, her hands finding his. Klaus knew they weren’t talkingabout Caroline anymore. “But that’s no reason to throw away your career orCaroline in the process.”

Klaus knew she was right, hedidn’t speak, just squeezed her hands affectionately before making his waytowards her dressing room purposefully.

“If you’re here for roundtwo, I’m not interested,” Caroline scoffed before he could get a word in. Shewas seated at her dressing table and regarding him suspiciously in thereflection of the mirror. 

“I don’t know,” he smiled,thinking just how much he’d missed their lively banter. “I thought we’dclocked up at least twenty rounds by now.” 

“And to be honest, I’mtired of it,” she sighed, closing those blue eyes momentarily. Klaus knewexactly what she was doing. 

After making love they’dlie naked together in the moonlit filled room, their limbs entwined and Klauswould recite all the reasons he loved her. Her creamy skin, her golden waves,her melodic laugh and ability to render him completely useless were frequentmentions but his favourite, he’d say, were her eyes. They were the windows toher soul, he’d say, and Klaus used to murmur that as long as she kept her eyesopen everything would be okay.

“Open your eyes, love,” hemurmured, making his way towards her dressing table and running a hand alongher cheek slowly. 

“You don’t deserve that,”she whispered, a single tear making its way down her cheek. “You don’tdeserve me.”

“I don’t,” heagreed. “I lost that right after…” Her eyes flew open as she pushed awayhis hand.

“After you walked out onme,” she sobbed, standing shakily and increasing the distance between them. Shewas wearing a thin dressing gown and Klaus could make out the lace accents ofher underwear and the way they strained against the swell of herbreast.  

“I didn’t want to hurtyou..”

“Yet you did exactly that!How long have we known each other Klaus? Twenty years now? We climbed treestogether when we were eight. You took me to my prom senior year and cheered meon at my college graduation. God, we dated for three years but even after wemoved our separate ways for career opportunities we were still close. You wouldcall me whenever Lord of the Rings was on TV because you knew I hated itand recited the dialogue verbatim, then you’d berate the latest tabloid storiesabout my love life because you were the only guy that was worthy of my timeapparently. I can recall so many conversations, so many life events with you presentand that was the thanks I got for being such a loyal friend?”

“I wasn’t in the righthead space that night Caroline, my mother had just died,” he explained. “Iwas spiralling out of control and had been drinking.”

“I wanted to be there foryou the night of her funeral, to support you in your time of need.”

“And I took advantage ofthat,” he murmured, remembering it like it was yesterday. 

He’d woken, unsure of hissurroundings at first but then he felt her against his chest. He would neverforget the rhythmic and even sound of her breathing or the fact the thesunlight spilling into the room was highlighting the golden flecks in her hair.She looked like an angel.

He left hurriedly,throwing on his clothes and racing from the hotel room. Klaus knew it wascowardly but having to face her and explain the previous night and hisscrambled emotions was too much after burying his mother yesterday. 

As the months passed,Klaus began to miss her name on his caller ID and almost hit the call button amillion times, if only just to hear the sound of her melodic laugh telling himhe was an idiot. But he never called and it was the biggest regret afterleaving her that morning without a goodbye. 

“I’d rather not revisitmemory lane,” she said, breaking Klaus from his dream-like trance. “But Iam curious, why are you doing this film? I mean you break out inhives when you even hear the word Hallmark.”

“It was all for you,love.”

“Oh, if that’s a line, I’mso not interested in hearing anything more Mikaelson…”

“It’s not,” he persisted,making his way towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders gently. 

Her blue eyes were widenow and Klaus could see that the anger and hostility he’d seen for weeks hadsince been replaced by curiosity and that raw vulnerability he loved so much.He knew there was a brief window, If only he could just explain himselfarticulately. Her vanilla scent was putting him off somewhat, so too her closeproximity. “I needed to be here, I needed to make things right after Iroyally stuffed them up.”

“That’s certainly anunderstatement,” she growled. 

“I was scared,” headmitted, fastening a lock of hair behind her ear. “When Esther passed away sosuddenly it knocked me around so much. She was the most important and biggestpresence in my life. That morning when I woke up and saw you lying next to me Iwas so frightened it hurt. The thought of ever losing you, like her, was toomuch to comprehend in my emotional state.” She was silent for a momentobviously processing what he was saying. 

“But you walked out onme.”

“I figured that if youweren’t in my life I couldn’t lose you. I know it’s not an excuse but you arethe only woman I’ve ever loved and even if you weren’t in my life I could stillwatch you from afar and it would be okay.”

“But yet you show up onthe set of a Hallmark movie.”

“Obviously that poorlythought rationale didn’t last too long. I was desperate, I wanted you backeven if it was a long shot.” She cocked her left eyebrow curiously, a slightsmile tugging at her lips. 

“Do I have this right? You signed up for a Hallmark movie for me?” 

“Desperate times and allthat,” he smirked. “Please tell me my efforts haven’t been completelywasted?”

“I’ll tell you what’s beencompletely wasted,” she said, her hands finding their way to his hips andpulling him closer. “Your talents.”

“Huh?”

“Your talents are wastedin this kind of film and we both know it,” she mused. “So, what I want youto do is march out there and tell Enzo you’re quitting.” Obviously she didn’twant to see him again but Klaus couldn’t blame her. 

“Do you really hate me thatmuch?” 

“I don’t unfortunately,”she teased. “You need to snap out of this funk. Esther wouldn’t want this for you and we both know it. You need to get back tothe roles that made you who you are and you need to stop stalking me too.As much as I appreciate the explanation, you are sounding more like a Hallmarkmovie everyday and I can’t have that.”

“What roles? There are none.”

“I heard about the ClashHBO series, that would be a good start.”

“ApparentlyStefan Salvatore has already been cast,” he groaned, hating the fact he even had to say his name aloud. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure,Mikaelson,” she grinned knowingly. “You just need to have a little faithin yourself and your craft.”

“So, if I do all of that,do you think there’s any chance you might ever forgive me for being…”

“The biggest ass in theworld? I’ll think about it,” she smiled, placing a chaste kiss on his nose.Klaus melted into her embrace, not wanting to let go but also glad she’d heardhim out and was willing to consider a future, whatever that might be. 

“So, before I go and annoyEnzo, Rebekah and my manager I have one question myself.” She didn’t respondjust raised her eyebrows in preparation. “Why did you take this role? Imean it’s not really your thing either.”

“I already have amodelling career, acting is a hobby right now, but it doesn’t hurt that there’sat least a dozen scripts sitting there for my perusal.” 

Klaus looked over at the table,noticing the large volumes of paper for the first time. From this distance he could seethe title Oceans Eight on one of them. He wasn’t sureif it was related to the Soderbergh box office hits but if it was CarolineForbes was going to be a big star. 

“And I’ll be therewatching your career unfold from afar, love.” He was gone before she couldrespond. His spirits buoyed and his heart open for the first time in over a year, telling him they’d meet again some day.

So, their ending wasn’t aHallmark one, well not that day anyway. Fast forward two years and Klaus wasstarring in the latest Scorcese film, Caroline in Spielberg. 

“So, where can a girl geta drink around here?” He’d know that melodic voice anywhere, his crimson lips curving into a smile.

“I might be able to help you with that.” She sat at the neighbouring barstool her leg grazing his briefly and causing all the familiar feelings to resurface. He said he’d wait and Klaus was hoping she was finally collecting. 

“Which is exactly why I came to see you,” she smiled. “We have a lot to talk about, Mikaelson.”

Turns out they did. Exactly three months later the two childhood best friends were married and happened to live happily ever after, just like in fairytale or a really cheesy Hallmark movie.  

#not another hallmark movie #klaroline drabbles #misssophiachase #thanks for the awesome prompt #lbeartakestheworld

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #186 - The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: I think so.

Do I remember it: Better than I did the 1st one, which isn’t saying much.

Did I see it in theaters: No

Format: Blu-ray

I nominated the recap for the first Princess Diaries to @princessofsunnydale because she nominated it for my (Re)Watch so I thought I’d do the same for this post. Thanks!

1) I think it was a wildly smart decision to move the setting of this film from San Francisco to Mia’s often spoke of but rarely seen dominion of Genovia. It’s an organic next step to her story. We saw her learn how to be a princess in San Fran, now we see how she actually adapts to her home country (which is a lively character in its own right). The decision to jump ahead five years ahead instead of three (the number of years between releases) I think also is nice. Mia is more comfortable in the agency she gained in the first film, the relationship with her beau Michael is not hanging over her head, it just allows the film to not be dogged down by some plot points from the first film.

2) Sir Fat Louie? Did they knight him? Can you knight a cat?

3) I didn’t remember this line before I put in the movie but I do now.

4) Shonda Rhimes co-authored the story AND wrote the screenplay? Huh.

(I don’t actually watch any Shonda Rhimes shows, now that I think about it.)

5) Chris Pine as Nicholas.

There is a strong initial chemistry Pine has with lead actress Hathaway, allowing the audience to grow invested in their relationship quickly. Even/especially when they’re not getting long, you can just fell the sexual chemistry in the air between them. It’s fun, making the film stronger because of it.

Chris Pine on his own is as charismatic and interesting as ever. In lesser hands the character of Nicholas could be an even bigger jerk and while there are antagonistic qualities to him the audience UNDERSTANDS his motivations. He is trying to honor what he believes his dead father wanted, he believes he’s trying to do what’s best for Genovia. And when he sees he was mistaken, he tries to step aside. There’s a nice honesty to Pine’s performance. He doesn’t play Nicholas as an over the top mustache twirling villain. All in all, Pine does a fine job in this film and helps support it.

6) Except for one black guy, Genovia’s parliament is made up of all white guys saying they don’t want a woman to rule unless she has a man by her side.

I think Queen Clarisse has the perfect response to that.

The law is severely sexist and antiquated. One of the members of parliament claims it should be respected because it is 300 years old. Saying a law is that old is not an effective argument for it as much as it is AGAINST it. 300 years ago in 2004 that’s 1704. That’s slavery, that’s a fundamental lack of women’s rights across most countries. Don’t use the fact a law is old to argue for it. Laws should evolve as the world does.

7) John Rhys Davies is a wonderful character actor who plays Nicholas’ uncle as a holier than thou elitist arrogant jerk. I love to hate him in this, but I might need to watch Lord of the Rings or Raiders of the Lost Ark next to balance out my feelings.

8) Hey guys. Remember that time Catwoman stomped on Captain Kirk’s foot in front of Gimli and Mary Poppins?

I’m sure someone has made this joke before, but still.

9) The last film was largely about Clarisse putting her duty as queen aside to be Mia’s grandmother, a relationship which is as strong in this film as ever.

Clarisse [after Mia stomped on Nicholas’ foot]: “As a grandma I say right on.”

10) Like the first film, this movie’s biggest flaw is definitely pacing. Many scenes serve no purpose for the larger plot and instead distract from the main conflict. But - like with the first film - these scenes are also some of the most memorable. So…I’m not sure what to say then. I’m just going to move on.

11) I dig this.

Matarazzo is a continued treat in this film as she was in the first, stealing a number of scenes and infusing some quality humor into the plot. The way she mixes with Genovian life and culture can lead to some nice fish out of water observations, and Matarazzo plays the role with as much commitment and heart as she did in the first film. God bless Lily.

12) The bachelor selection scene is - by far - one of my favorite moments in the film. It is directly related to the plot and has an incredible amount of humor to it. Also, it’s not nearly as long as I remember.

For those of you who didn’t watch the clip above (or even if you did), here is my favorite moment from the scene.

(GIFs originally posted by @ezrajamessharkington​)

I mean it’s small, but I appreciate that both this film and its predecessor acknowledge the LGBTQIA+ community more than other Disney films did at the time.

13) Callum Blue as Andrew Jacoby.

Much like Michael from the first film, Andrew is able to be a good guy while avoiding the trope of Nice Guy™. There is a respect he has for Mia, an understanding and a fondness. They clearly have a connection and appreciate each other’s company, but it is clear that neither of them love each other. And Andrew does not force this on Mia. He’s pretty much at her service, ready to respect her wishes without being a total pushover. He’s a good guy, someone who could have easily been a jerk or a bully but the fact Mia could plausibly end up with him just ups the stakes.

14) The fan scene is a nice moment of chemistry between Hathaway and Andrews, which (much like in the preceding film) is one of the strongest elements of this movie.

this film one of those moments is when she is reduced to tears because John Rhys Davies spooked her horse and revealed that - SHOCKER - women actually prefer to not ride side saddle. I suppose it’s better that she’s too hard on herself than not hard enough though, as she will be queen.

16) Damn, Joe is a badass.

Mabrey: “Sir, you will find that the word ‘fear’ is not in my vocabulary.”

Joe: “Perhaps. But it’s in your eyes.”

17) Hey look! The foot pop!

18) Okay, Nicholas is being creepy with Mia at the fountain. Yes, they kiss. But then she says no to him. Multiple times, too. Yet he keeps groping at her and chasing her around the fountain until they both fall in. And MIA’S in trouble?

19) The parade.

By far the strongest moment in the film. It shows off not only the agency Mia gained in the first film (she has the confidence to stop a parade), but also her incredible heart. She shows off such kindness and care for the people of Genovia, accepts her role as a leader, and is able to create a positive change through the sheer depth of her heart. Also, little Abigail Breslin is very cute.

20) Holy crap, Paul Williams is in this movie.

What is this movie?

21) The bridal slumber party is another scene which doesn’t really add to the plot and it goes a little long. BUT - again - it is wildly memorable. Especially seeing Julie Andrews surf on a mattress after giving a wink to her most iconic character.

22) Julie Andrews’ song.

Julie Andrews underwent surgery in 1997 to treat what she referred to as a muscular striation on her vocal cords. She emerged from the surgery with permanent damage that hurt her singing voice and gave a rasp to her speaking voice (for which she sued the hospital for malpractice two years later). Julie Andrews basically lost her singing voice. Her song “Your Crowning Glory” was the first time she sang on screen since the surgery. Although it was set in a limited range to accommodate her voice, she was reported to have nailed it on the first take and brought tears to the eyes of crew members on set. Raven Symoné - who duets with Andrews on the song - was so moved when she told she’d be singing with the legend that she too was reportedly brought to tears. If for no other reason, I am grateful this movie exists for all of that.

23) Nicholas is very ready to step aside and let Mia rule.

Nicholas [after his uncle notes all their work would be for nothing]: “It wouldn’t be nothing. Genovia would in good hands.”

I love that. I love that he’s true to his beliefs about doing what’s right for Genovia, NOT himself.

24) So there’s a slight bit of foreshadowing here.

Nicholas [at Mia’s window]: “Rapunzel, Rapunzel…”

Chris Pine would later go on to play Cinderella’s Prince in the 2014 film adaptation of Into the Woods, which also featured the characters of Rapunzel and her prince.

25) I’m surprised Paolo’s back. I mean, Larry Miller is great. But didn’t he totally betray the trust of the royal family in the first film? And also, why is he suddenly kinda bad at styling Mia?

26) Bless whoever made this

(I just found this on google. If this is your’s and you want credit let me know and I’ll be happy to give it.)

27) Um, guys…

What the heck is Stan Lee doing in The Princess Diaries 2? Is Mia going to join The Avengers? Is Genovia a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? What is happening!?

All humor aside, as I understand it Stan Lee will cameo in any movie asked as long as he gets his standard fee. I think he wants to have the record for most cameos ever.

28) I dig it, Andrew.

Andrew [after Mia calls off the wedding]: “Uh…thank you. Thank you for saving me from doing the proper thing for once in my life.”

29) Much like the first film, it is Mia who must take her own fate in her hands. She’s the one who argues against the marriage law, she’s the one who convinces the people and parliament to strike it down (although the Prime Minister is again incredibly supportive and I love that). It’s her taking charge of her life, which I think is absolutely great.

30) I 100% forgot that part of this film ended with Clarisse and Joe getting married. I am very okay with that.

31) OH MY GOD YES! PARLIAMENT IS MORE DIVERSE AT THE END! THERE ARE SO MANY WOMEN AND EVEN WOMEN OF COLOR AND IT’S JUST BEAUTIFUL AND DIVERSE AND I NEED MORE OF IT! THANK YOU!

Like the first film, The Princess Diaries 2 held up surprisingly better than I was expecting. Obviously it’s aimed at a younger audience than me but it was pretty enjoyable. Anne Hathaway is strong as ever, as is Julie Andrews, while Chris Pine is a welcome and fitting addition to the cast. The themes are nicely feminist as is the ending. Overall I just find it an enjoyable film worth the watch.

#The Princess Diaries #Julie Andrews #Anne Hathaway #Chris Pine #Heather Matarazzo #The Princess Diaries 2 #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #John Rhys Davies #Paul Williams #Stan Lee #Abigail Breslin #Boom #I Don't Get It #Movie #Film #GIF

[wearethewitches]

So, ya…I got tagged by @raywritesthings and here are my answers for him!

Rules: Always post the rules. Answer the 11 random questions posted for you. Create 11 new ones and tag 11 people. Let the person who tagged you know that you answered.

1.    What is your favourite story from any type of media at all?

This is so haaaaaaaaard. I’ve got a couple of favourites, things I go back to watch when I don’t have anything to do – Wall-E, Doctor Who: the Doctor’s Wife/Journey’s End/The Husbands of River Song and Matilda (1996) – but I suppose if I had to pick my favourite story…I’d pick…His Dark Materials trilogy, by Phillip Pullman.

In other words, for those that have no idea (who are actually reading this), I’m talking about The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass – and also, I’d like to mention that while I haven’t read it yet, I recently got my hands on a copy of La Belle Sauvage | the Book of Dust. Looking forwards to reading that.

2.    What are some clichés you’re tired of seeing in television and film?

The gays dying.

3.    What makes you decide to start watching a show?

Reviews on Tumblr, sometimes, or my recommended on Netflix – that’s how I started watching The Expanse and fuck yeah, that was amazing. Tumblr got me into Supergirl and The 1OO, for some perspective.

4.    Have you ever quit a show, and why?

Uuuuuh…I sort of quit Supergirl. I definitely quit The 1OO. I watched till the end of season four, after Lexa died, then boycotted the new season and basically everything else. It’s what got me into LGBT+ politics, really. I had an understanding of it all, but when it was right there in front of me in the media I was consuming…well. Lexa’s death fucking hurt. Let’s say that’s my reason.

5.    Why did you join tumblr?

I joined in 2012, when superwholock was a thing. Unfortunately, I didn’t understand tumblr very much back then, but I’m here now. It was a fad, or whatever…I’ll never regret it.

6.    What is your favourite non-internet related activity?

Writing. Definitely. I write fanfiction and while it goes up on the internet, I love to write out bullet points for what I’m going to create – I love filling notebooks. I filled my first one the day before Christmas of 2017. It was a good feeling.

7.    What is the synopsis of your ideal fic?

Ooooooooooh, sorry, this has to become a fic rec, soz guys, tho I’ll tag them either way:

Bill Potts has had her life turned upside down - in the space of a year, she's ended up as one fourth of the biggest band of the century, and become a global lesbian icon. Which, let there be no misunderstandings, is pretty awesome.

What she didn't need was to fall for some mysterious girl who keeps turning up in the front row of their concerts, a girl with a star in her eye.

And if the gay panic weren't enough, Theodore (or, the Doctor, as his older fans call him) and Missy are sitting on some secret that only River Song seems to know anything about, a secret that could bring up a dangerous part of their past with their ex-bandmate Harold Saxon - and a horrific reporter called Kovarian seems determined to unearth it, at any cost.

Aka, The Law of Gravitation, by @evilqueenofgallifrey

This fic is just too good, I’m sorry. The relationships in this fic are true and fleshed out, healthy and unhealthy - there are also so many fucking cameos and it makes me cry-laugh. It’s just so fucking amazing.

8.    Do you prefer reading fics or professionally published works?

Fics, though I’m trying (and failing) to read more physical copies of books. Somehow, though, I am only really collecting hardcover copies of books I own and/or the sequels.

9.    Would you recommend the last movie you saw?

Seeing as I watched The Hunger Games, I do – though I’d recommend reading the books in tandem, like, the 1st book, then the 1st movie and so on and so forth. Or maybe the other way around. Ask yourself if you prefer Finnick Odair being blond or auburn (knowing that he’s auburn in the book).

10. What makes you go pay money to see something in theatres as opposed to waiting for it to come out on Netflix/Hulu/On Demand/etc?

Uhhhh…you’ve discovered my greatest secret. I go to the cinemas. The thing is though, I’ve only got access to Netflix and when the hell will Netflix get the rights to The Last Jedi? Not before I’ve learnt the entire plot on Tumblr, that’s when.

(That sounds so mean for some reason?? My sarcasm leaking through, but honestly-)

My local cinema is an Odeon. I’ve never really had a local cinema, up until moving away from home. I can walk to it and go whenever I like (so long as I’ve saved up some money and/or waited for my booster ‘fun stuff’ money from my mum).

So…yeah. Cinema is fun – I go on my own and I get to sit in a dark room, most likely in the perfect spot bc I go early. I suppose I go for the experience, the big screen and the ice-cream (which I can’t afford).

11.  Have you ever walked out of a movie, and why?

I have never walked out of a movie. My family has a thing – on both sides – where even if the movie is crap, we’ll watch it to the end just because we cannot under any circumstance leave an ending untold.

I answered the questions – and here are the new ones!

1.            What ship(s) are you obsessed with right now?

2.            Do you write fanfic/draw fanart/create gif-sets for your favourite shows/characters?

3.            Would you ever read fanfic for your NOTP?

4.            If you ever got hurled into some fantasy land, what land would it be?

5.            Leading on from #4, what two things for your hands (also traditionally numbering two), would you bring?

6.            Leading on from #4 & #5, if you could bring someone (or something alive) with you, who would you bring?

7.            Were you ever overly-obsessed (to the point of cringe, looking back) with something in your Early Tumblr Days?

8.            Did you ever involve yourself (in any fashion) with SuperWhoLock or its variations thereafter?

9.            When is the proudest moment you’ve ever felt of a Mutual? If you don’t have a Mutual, I’m sorry, that’s sad and here’s an alternate question: when is the proudest moment you’ve ever felt for your Tumblr Idol?

10.          How long have you been on Tumblr?

11.          Generally, how many fandoms do you think you post about? AND/OR; Generally, how many ships do you think you post about?

And, my nominees: @evilqueenofgallifrey @foxx-queen @besiderunningwaters @nessieschild @clarabosswald @unicyclehippo @longlivethegirlinthedress @worldkilller @reginamillsqueenbitch @swen4lyfe @asafehavenx

#i tag u #i tag you all #i tag u all #tagging game #question game #personal #speaking to the void

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Marvel Cinematic Universe review

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the biggest and most ambitious franchises ever made. While not the first franchise ever to attempt a shared universe, it is definitely the one that codified how to pull them off in the modern day, and it has proven to be an incredible, unbelievable success. I mean, as good as Iron Man was, no one ever truly expected the little Nick Fury cameo at the end to ever be anything more than a neat little mythology gag. And yet, here we are, nearly a decade later, with it being the highest grossing franchise in cinematic history and with it containing some of the very best superhero films ever made.

Of course, there being fifteen movies so far, and with more on the way, it would be an enormous task to review them all individually… so, to celebrate the impending release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, I will be doing a similar thing as I did to the View Askiewniverse and touching upon each of the Marvel films thus far released. However, for the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Civil War, and Doctor Strange, I will keep things brief, as my reviews of them are still new enough to accurately reflect my opinions (Age of Ultron is not so lucky here).

There is no better place to start than the start, so let’s lok at the film that began it all: Iron Man. It is the tale of egotistical millionaire Tony Stark and how, after a brush with death that had him kidnapped by terrorists and crippled, he decided to change for the better and don a robot suit so he could protect the world from devastation. One of his big goals is to clean up the mess his company has made in the world, which not everyone likes, particularly Obadiah Stane.

This movie is probably most well known for resurrecting the career of Robert Downey, Jr. after he struggled for years with addiction and had a downward spiral. This is a truly triumphant return, and his negative experiences definitely helped him out with this role of a self-destructive playboy who realizes he should dedicate himself to a better cause. RDJ truly captures what his character is and what he should be, and thanks to his performance, he not only saved his career, he saved the character as well, who had not exactly been popular due to the recent Civil War event in the comics and his unnecessarily extreme actions therein. It’s a twofold saving, and boy is it a blast!

One part of the film that is not often talked about is the villain, Obadiah Stane, who is played by Jeff “The Dude” Bridges. As the very first Marvel supervillain, he does leave a bit of an impression with his  exclamation of how Tony built his first Iron Man suit IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS! He eventually suits up in a gigantic mech suit, and becomes the typical “Evil version of the hero” that we’ve all come to know and love… but, to be fair to him, he was the first one. As far as “Evil version of the hero”-type villains go, Obadiah Stane is enjoyable and memorable. He was originally planned to have a “never found the body” situation going on at the end of the film, hinting he could eventually return, but as it’s not in the final cut, we kinda have to assume that this was part of the annoying “kill the cool villain” trend the movies would follow for years.

This movie has a reputation as being one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, and it really isn’t undeserved. This film has kickass action, great characters, intriguing foreshadowing that actually payed off, and yet it still works easily as a standalone. This right here is how superhero films should be made, but the fact that so many later superhero films, including later MCU films and the DCEU films prior to Wonder Woman, decided to focus on cramming in so much crap that requires you to watch previous and later films to understand them, it seems not many got the memo. Franchise building isn’t always bad guys, but take notes; work on being good on your own first.

The Incredible Hulk is next up on the list, and this is one of the most obscure films in the MCU. NOBODY talks about this movie. I’d understand if people thought Mark Ruffalo was the first Hulk in the MCU; this movie is hardly ever referenced even in later films, all its plot threads seem to have been dropped, and it took until Civil War for one of its characters to reappear. For the life of me, I’ll never understand why; this movie is a fantastic example of worldbuilding while still remaining a solid standalone film. The plot is relatively simple: Bruce Banner wants to be left alone so he can cure himself, but after accidentally poisoning a man with his blood after it got into some soda (you read that right), General Ross and Emil Blonsky are on his trail; for those not in the know, Blonsky becomes one of Hulk’s most famous foes, Abomination.

Edward Norton is Bruce Banner here, and you can tell he really is a fan of the comics, because he does an excellent job; he apparently did a lot of uncredited rewriting and even directed some of his own scenes. William Hurt as Ross is also perfect, which of course is helped by the fact that Hurt is a big fan of Hulk. Then of course there’s Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, and she’s actually one of the better love interests in the MCU, to the point where it’s honestly offensive she hasn’t reappeared and instead has been replaced with Black Widow of all people as Bruce’s love interest.

The movie has solid action and a solid final fight, with Abomination being a pretty good “Evil version of the hero” villain. He’s not spectacular or anything, but he’s definitely threatening and pretty cool. So how then did this become such an obscure film in one of the biggest franchises? I imagine part of the problem is being screwed over by Universal, who owns the distribution rights for Hulk solo films. This movie just couldn’t be followed up, and so Hulk is relegated to ensemble casts. This leaves a lot of the characters in limbo, which includes Abomination and Leader (who had his origin shown in the film). And this is a real shame, because like I said, there’s some great worldbuilding here; the super-soldier serum is mentioned, there’s Stark weaponry, and in an alternate opening with the Hulk running through the arctic we get a glimpse of the frozen Captain America. Honestly, I think aside from the issue with the film rights, the fact that this movie can mostly be described as “Solid” is the reason why it has faded from the public consciousness; it lacks the OOMPH so many of the later films and even Iron Man before it had, and nowadays aside from looking for all the foreshadowing it’s hard to watch and care about these characters who will never show up again. It’s a damn good movie in my eyes, but I can see why it is relegated to a footnote in the MCU.

Next up is Iron Man 2. Fuck this movie. I fucking hate this movie with every fiber of my being. It is an awful, bloated, unfocused, cluttered, and disrespectful mess of the film. This film is a fucking travesty in every single regard, except perhaps casting Don Cheadle as James Rhodes. The plot deals with the fallout of Tony outing himself in the last movie, with industrialist Justin Hammer breathing down his neck as congressional hearings try and force him to share his tech. There’s also a pissed off Russian named  Ivan Vanko who wants to get vengeance on him, oh yeah and Black Widow is also unceremoniously stuffed into the film alongside Nick Fury so this can basically act as a trailer for the upcoming movie about the Avengers. This was due to executive meddling, to the point where jon Favreau didn’t direct the third Iron Man. Marvel had bad problems with executive meddling in their early days.

This movie fucking offends me. First off, they waste Mickey Rourke as the villain Whiplash; Mickey Rourke was pissed with the execs making his character into a cartoonish villain when he was trying to play him as a human, an anti-villain… and so he proceeded to spew vitriol at everyone involved, meaning even if Whiplash survived it’s unlikely he’ll be back. So we wasted the one interesting villain, and who are we left with? Justin fucking Hammer, one of the most unfunny, annoying cunts in comic book movie history. He is easily one of the worst superhero movie villains ever made; he’s annoying, he’s cloying, and he sucks away screentime that could have been devoted to Whiplash. He’s an absolute waste of a villain.

Then we have Tony’s “Demon in a Bottle” arc, the arc where his rampant alcoholism threatens to ruin his life. This is a tragic part of the character, and the film was going to delve deeper into it. And hey, this would have been great! RDJ could add a lot to such an emotional arc due to his own experiences! Guess what they do instead?

They play Tony’s alcoholism for laughs. Have I mentioned I fucking hate this movie?

This movie sucks ass. It’s fucking awful and feels like a shitty trailer for better movies, which is exacerbated by how shoehorned in Black Widow and Fury are. The movie is a bloated, disgusting mess, crushed by bad decisions and executive meddling. It is easily the worst movie in the entire MCU, but believe me it has some competition… which I’ll get to soon enough.

After that travesty, we have Thor. Thor I can best describe as being a precursor to Wonder Woman in a lot of ways, which is reflected in the story to an extent: it’s about a god – er, or an ALIEN – who is banished by his father after being a disobedient shit. He gets sent on down to Earth, while his half-brother Loki plots and schemes back on Asgard. Okay, so it’s not entirely like Wonder Woman, but still, there are similarities.

The biggest similarity is probably Chris Hemsworth as Thor, who exudes a childlike, boyish charm as Thor when he is down on Earth among the mortals. It’s not the same charm Diana has in Wonder Woman, but it’s not wholly dissimilar. Their origins too, as mighty gods who go to live among mortals and fight alongside them, is likewise similar. Of course, there are big differences too: the biggest one is while Wonder Woman surrounds herself with a cool human supporting cast, Thor surrounds himself with one of the worst fucking supporting casts I’ve ever seen. Special mention must go to the cliically unfunny Kat Dennings, who sucks the joy out of every scene she’s in with her relentlessly awful attempts at humor. Natalie Portman is a bland, flat love interest who has almost no chemistry with Thor, a nd the old scientist guy is so generic I forgot his name. This is a damn shame, because his supporting cast on Asgard was fantastic, with Heimdall getting special mention for being an utter badass guardian played by Idris Elba. I’d much rather watch the cosmic adventures of Thor and his Asgardian buddies than him pal around with boring humans, but ah well.

Still, at least we have a cool villain this time around. Loki is pretty interesting, and Tom Hiddleston does an excellent job with him. He would only get better and more entertaining in later films, but this was solid groundwork to establish him. Hilariously, Roger Ebert hated this film and had this to say in his review: “The standards for comic book superhero movies have been established by Superman, The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man. In that company Thor is pitiful. Consider even the comparable villains (Lex Luthor, the Joker, Doc Ock and Obadiah Stane). Memories of all four come instantly to mind. Will you be thinking of Loki six minutes after this movie is over?" This is just one of the most hilariously ironic reviews I’ve ever seen, as Loki has come to be one of the best and most memorable Marvel villains (mostly due to the fact he doesn’t die).

Overall, I feel like this movie suffers from the same thing The Incredible Hulk did; it’s a darn good movie with a lot of value that also works as a standalone film, but it’s easy to see it as exceedingly average due to its faults. At least this movie got followed up… though… eh. We’ll get there soon enough. As it stands, Thor is a good if not great film that establishes Thor well enough.

Next up is one of my personal favorites, Captain America: The First Avenger. I love me some pulpy 1940s style two-fisted tales, and this delivers that fun in spades. Sometimes you just wanna see a handsome blonde man punch Nazis in the face, and boy does this film deliver. The story tells the tale of how wimpy but strong-hearted Steve Rogers goes from a scrawny little man into the gorgeous beefcake American hero that is Captain America, and how he fought against Red Skull and HYDRA.

This movie has a lot of silly Golden Age elements to it that would not work in any other context other than the most patriotic superhero’s first big movie. The biggest, of course, being Cap himself. He’s a character that is really hard to pull off… and yet, Chris Evans did it, and perfectly so. I’ll let this excerpt from TVTropes’s YMMV page for the movie speak for itself:

“It's always an issue to adapt Captain America to any medium, because a character who is actually living up to his own principles of righteousness can far too easily come off as straight-out Narm, and by all rights that's exactly what this film should be. But somehow it comes out as a genuine, heartwarming, awesome, tear-jerking, triumphal ode to true patriotism and human goodness instead, a feat that should have been impossible outside the Golden Age of Hollywood. The writers, director, and Chris Evans deserve a lot of credit for striking the right tone with Cap: The Herois a trope that's almost never played straight anymore, without veering into self-parody or coming off as self-righteous.”

I really could not have summed it up better myself.

Now, let us talk about the villain, Red Skull, who is played by a deliciously hammy Hugo Weaving. Hugo Weaving is an actor I love in nearly everything, because he always brings exactly what is needed, and boy does he do that here. He’s sick, depraved, truly evil, and just oh so delightfully hammy. The man is basically if M. Bison as played by Raul Julia was in a Marvel film, and that I think is the highest compliment you can give a hammy villain. The best part: While he is defeated in the end, his use of the Cosmic Cube seems to imply he could survive, leaving him open to return. The bad news: he hasn’t appeared since, and for years after, Hugo Weaving took a very negative attitude to the role, implying he only did it for money… until a 2016 interview showed he had softened considerably, and thought the role was awesome. Please Marvel. Bring this man back. We need more of his evil Nazi hamminess, especially since you fucking wasted Baron Strucker (we’ll get to that soon enough).

If I’m gonna criticize anything here, it’s gonna be the Howling Commandos. As a point of comparison, let us bring up Wonder Woman again; she too assembled a multi-national ragtag group of misfits, and all of them had plenty of character and development, and to top it off, it’s pretty obvious they were meant to be a substitute for the Commandos. But despite they, they’re actually BETTER, as the Howling Commandos barely have any presence at all in this film. I couldn’t tell you a single thing they did. They’re dull wastes of character space, and it’s a shame.

Still, overall, the movie is fantastic pulpy fun, and it ends on the biggest tearjerker of Phase 1. It’s a pretty simple film, and at times it can seem corny and silly, but like I said in Wonder Woman, it’s all part of the charm of these optimistic superhero films that harken back to the Golden Age. And hey, I find it hard to give a movie that subtly implies Indiana Jones is canon in the Marvel universe anything but two thumbs up.

Finally, after all the buildup, we come to the big conclusion of Phase 1: The Avengers. And after all the buildup, all the development, was it worth the wait? HELL FUCKING YES IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT! This movie kicks a whole lot of ass, and is one of the biggest, best, and flashiest superhero films ever made. This is the film where Thor, Cap, Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow all unite to take down Loki and his alien army before they destroy the world; how much cooler does it get?

The movie’s greatest strength is just the sheer spectacle of it all; this kind of film was unheard of. Who would have thought a movie like this would exist when Iron Man first came out? Seeing all these huge actors as heroes onscreen together, fighting against Loki… it’s just amazing. The writing and humor here is actually really on point, which can be jarring after seeing the much denser and wackier dialogue of Age of Ultron; it makes one wonder if the execs forced Joss Whedon to add more humor to that film. All these pieces are in place, and it is just a joy to see them come together.

Even better, it’s not totally required to watch every movie before to understand all of the characters; the film does a pretty good job of establishing everyone. Sure, it HELPS, but you can get a feel for each one of the heroes just from this film. It especially helps with Bruce, since it’s Mark Ruffalo now in the role and no one really remembered Hulk’s one MCU solo outing anyway. Speaking of which, Mark Ruffalo is a highlight of the film; he’s the best Bruce Banner yet by far, and his Hulk is the best yet scene in film.

If there are any criticisms to go around, it’s that Cap doesn’t get to do as much, and a lot of the badass normal heroes kind of get shafted. Sure Cap, Widow, and Hawkeye do some cool shit, but it’s Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man who pull of the big, flashy, exciting moments in the big final fight. I get that you gotta make Hulk cool considering his lackluster past films, but do ya gotta steal Cap’s thunder to do it?

Overall though, The Avengers still holds up as a great, exciting superhero extravaganza and one of the best crossover films ever made, and it’s definitely one of the best MCU offerings. It has its flaws, but the sheer excitement and comic book joy of the film shine through, making it a must-see experience.

Phase 1 ended on such a high note… how do we kick off Phase 3? With another shitty Iron Man sequel, of course! To be totally fair, this movie is a hell of a lot better than Iron Man 2… but a lot of things are better than that, so it isn’t saying much. This time Tony Stark has the bright idea of antagonizing a terrorist organization known as the Ten Rings and their leader, the Mandarin. This backfires, and soon Tony is uncovering evil plots and shit.

This movie fucks up badly, especially in the villain department. Most of the enemy mooks are people injected with Extremis, a drug that gives them powers… the problem is, most of these mooks are disabled military vets who are now willingly and gleefully acting out terrorist attacks on their fellow Americans, up to and including a plot to assassinate the president. Look, I get sometimes it’s dumb to read into things in movies too much, but there’s really no way I can read this that isn’t pretty fucked.

As if that isn’t bad enough, we come to the issue with the Mandarin… and shockingly, it’s not about race or the “Yellow peril” origins of the character. For most of the movie, we are led to believe the Mandarin is played by Ben Kingsley, and he does an absolutely excellent job at making the Mandarin menacing, chilling, hammy, and intimidating all at once. He’s the perfect modern update of the villain… and sadly, he is not actually the Mandarin. He is an actor named Trevor Slattery. Slattery still manages to be one of the bright spots of the movie… something that does not extend to the true villain Killian, played by Guy Pearce. He’s an extremely boring, generic, and forgettable foe, and his claims that he is in fact the real Mandarin opened so many plotholes it’s no wonder they had in development a short where the real Mandarin sends out pissed off enforcers to call bullshit on his and Trevor’s schemes.

There’s just not much to recommend here. The movie is just a dull slog with a few bright spots here and there, and even the ending is bullshit with Tony seeming like he’s giving up superheroics for good… and then by his next appearance he’s back to being a hero with a new set of armor even though all his suits were destroyed in this movie. This one just sucks, though not as bad as the second one; there’s at least a bit more to like here.

And now we go from bad to worse, for we land on Thor: The Dark World, which is an incredibly awful movie. The plot involves evil elves invading Asgard looking for a magic MacGuffin to do things and… look, the only reason anyone bothered with this fucking movie is because Loki is in it, and by god, the forty minutes he’s in it are just fantastic and funny. His interactions with Thor are nothing short of hilarious, and the fact he actually comes out on top in this movie is intriguing. Props to the film for that at least.

Too bad the film sucks in nearly every other conceivable way. The major focus on the human characters is the worst of all; Natalie Portman is given a disproportionately large amount of screentime and hogs the plot, and Kat Dennings is back and as relentlessly unfunny as ever. She is like a cancerous tumor on an already foul film. And as if the humans aren’t bad and obnoxious enough, we have the villain, Malekith the Accursed, a dark elf who has some of the most generic and boring motives ever despite looking absolutely cool. He is one of the worst comic book movie villains ever, hands down, and it’s such a shame because he’s played by the usually amazing Christopher Eccleston. To say that he was wasted here is a crass understatement.

There’s not much else to say here; this is an awful, shitty movie. The saving graces are Loki’s screentime and maybe the final battle, but even that is interjected with some unfunny humor, and the lack of a solid villain really drags the film down. This film is utter crap, but at least there’s a bit to recommend here, which is more than I can say for Iron Man 2.

Well we’ve got two strikes down, so this is Marvel’s last swing… can they save their asses? I mean, this is a sequel, to Captain America: The First Avenger of all things, this couldn’t possibly be that good, right?

WRONG.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is not only one of the very best films in the entire MCU, it is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, and probably the greatest adaptation of Metal Gear Solid we’ll ever get. I’m not kidding, everything’s there: a genetically modified super soldier fighting against a shadowy conspiracy that wants to use a giant war machine to attack the world’s population, all the while fighting a crazy cyborg version of their best friend. Also there’s a fight in an elevator and an evil AI that has been manipulating the world from behind the scenes. If you can’t already tell, I fucking love this movie.

A big plus is that this is less straight-up superhero action for the most part, and more an action thriller. This lets Steve use his badass super soldier skills to their fullest extent against armies of armed mooks. Even more amazingly, this movie does a good job at making Black Widow likable and interesting, and she has very good chemistry with Steve. Best of all, though, is the introduction of Anthony Mackie as Falcon, Cap’s new best buddy and a badass hero in his own right who helps solve this big HYDRA conspiracy. And despite his limited screentime, Sebastian Stan makes an impression as the incredible, unstoppable, hardcore titular Winter Soldier, AKA Bucky Barnes, Cap’s long-lost friend.

This movie is the one all Marvel sequels would be judged by afterwards. Well, for a while at least; this movie’s own sequel managed to top it somehow. But yes, this movie is absolutely fucking fantastic, a modern classic of the superhero genre, and one of the best Marvel sequels ever made. Not bad, especially since unlike Iron Man or Thor the original movie is not the biggest or most critically acclaimed Marvel film (Though t still got a mostly positive reception). The fact it managed to produce a sequel superior to the first while Thor and Iron Man’s sequels ended up being shit is nothing short of impressive.

After this movie came Guardians of the Galaxy, which I reviewed recently on Michael After Midnight. Needless to say, it’s an amazing film, akin to a modern-day Star Wars, and I truly love it… though at this point, I fully admit its sequel is far superior. If you want a general idea of my thoughts on the film, just click the link there.

So how do you follow up two incredibly epic game-changing movies? With an Avengers sequel! Joss Whedon is back, the cast is all here, what could possibly go wrong?

A whole fucking lot.

This movie had tons of executive meddling, so much it drove Whedon nuts. But executive meddling can’t take all the blame for the shoddy script and the piss-poor mishandling of characters. One of my biggest regrets is saying this was one of the better MCU films in my review; it most definitely is not. But on the other hand, unlike the Iron Man sequels or Thor: The Dark World, there really is a lot of genuinely good stuff in this movie. Look at the plot: Tony, desperate to keep the world safe, creates an AI that ends up going rogue… that AI being Ultron. Now they gotta stop this AI before it wipes out humanity. There’s a lot of good potential in this story! But sadly, this potential is not fully realized.

Let me talk about the good stuff first. The big draw is the action setpieces, which are a bit more spectacular than before… or they would be the big draw, but since the story is so messy, it’s hard to care too much. At least there’s more action scenes. The REAL draw here is  this stretch of time where the Avengers are at Hawkeye’s cabin; this lets all of the characters interact with each other in a close space, and see how everyone plays off each other. It’s absolutely fantastic, and it’s a shame the whole movie isn’t as tightly written as these scenes. Hell, they manage to make Black Widow, who tends to be a dull and uninteresting character, more human with a bit of tragic backstory.

The new characters here are fascinating as well; Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Ulysses Klaue, Vision… all of these characters are pretty interesting and cool. In concept, at least. While Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver get a solid amount of screentime since they’re working for Ultron for most of the film before switching sides, by the film’s end Quicksilver is killed. Vision only appears immediately before the final fight, Klaue is just a cameo (albeit a really good one) to set up Black Panther… none of these characters really feel organically added, they feel crammed in to set up future films, leading to Age of Ultron feeling like a trailer for better movies to come.

Look at the original Avengers movie; you could jump into that from just about anywhere in your Marvel viewing experience and get it, and they don’t throw too much new at you. Here, they’re flinging all sorts of new shit at you that you pretty much NEED to watch the other movies to really get this one. Hell, and even that doesn’t help too much, since there are still things like Thor’s weird, nonsensical vision and Bruce and Natasha’s out of nowhere romance.

Of course, the absolute worst part of this film is the absolutely horrendous script. It’s not entirely bad, but there are lines like “She’s weird and he runs fast” (describing Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, respectively) and Black Widow going “Beep beep” while she rides through a crowd and Tony’s infamous “prima noctis” joke… the movie is just so dense with garbage writing like this that it’s impossible to take seriously and it deflates the tension when it constantly happens in battles. Now, there are still some good and genuinely funny moments, like when Vision lifts the hammer or Klaue’s entire scene, but there’s plenty of cringe inducing stuff that proves when it comes to Whedon’s writing, lightning DOES strike twice… do you want to know what happens when Whedon’s writing is hit by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else.

Now, finally, let’s talk about the villains… oh, sorry, VILLAIN, they decide to anticlimactically kill Baron Strucker offscreen after the opening, so no point in discussing him! Ultron is the biggest saving grace of the film… as well as yet another example of Marvel getting rid of their most interesting villains. Ultron has solid motives, an interesting plan, and with more fleshing out could have served as an incredible reoccuring antagonist… so of course he is blown up by the end of the film, because his name isn’t Loki. HOWEVER, everything is ambiguous enough that he could realistically return; guy had to hide a backup somewhere, yeah? James Spader did such a good job at making Ultron both creepy and charismatic it would be a crime to not use his talents again, though since Marvel isn’t exactly begging Hugo Weaving to be Red Skull again at the moment, I won’t hold my breath. What makes this a bit more bitter is that, overall, Ultron was the best villain in all of Phase 2.

Age of Ultron is a film that can only be described as messy. Honestly? I’d say it’s a bit worse than Iron Man 3. That film may not be very good, but at least it was a bit more focused and the humor didn’t clog every single action scene and they didn’t try and cram fifty new characters to act as teasers for better movies into the plot. This film actually has a lot in common with Batman v Superman; the story is cluttered and unfocused and choked by the tone of the rest of the film, there are superfluous cameos and character insertions that are advertising better films to come, and obviously both are lukewarm superhero crossover films. Age of Ultron has a better villain, however, while Batman v Superman has much better fight scenes, and also Batman doesn’t make an awkward and forced rape joke so that’s good. In all honesty, I’d rather watch Batman v Superman over this; that movie may be dark and dour, but I can handle grim and gritty more than I can handle horribly painful and unfunny jokes ruining most every action scene. Age of Ultron is a seriously mediocre movie, and it’s just so depressing after how good the original Avengers film was… what a note to end Phase 2 on…

...Ha! Psyche! There’s still another movie, bitches! Here comes motherfucking Ant-Man to save the day! Whoever could have thought that Ant-Man of all characters would redeem Phase 2 by delivering a quirky, genuinely funny action-crime thriller? This story has Scott Lang, a former robber who is trying to go straight for the sake of his daughter, get roped in to becoming Ant-Man after breaking and entering into Hank Pym’s house. Ant-Man has to steal research from Pym’s former company before the new, corrupt owner Darren Cross abuses the research.

So this film has great setup, and it’s a refreshing change of pace for the most part. The film is mainly about the training to become Ant-Man and the heist itself, leading to a bit of a different tone from the usual superhero film. Yes, of course there’s a big fight with a supervillain at the end, but it’s so quirky and hilarious that it still fits the tone of the rest of the film. That’s another great quality this film has; it’s quirky and humorous while not being obnoxiously so like the last film. A great addition is one of Scott Lang’s sidekicks, Luis, an incredibly enthusiastic criminal with quite bit of hidden depths and an impressive skill for telling stories.

But even more impressive than the quirkiness and the interesting change of pace from other superhero films is just how this movie takes things and makes you like them, things no one would ever expect to like. Hank Pym for example; Pym has long been a subject of ridicule among comic fans, mostly due to an infamous moment where he hit his wife Janet. After this movie and Michael Douglas’s powerful and moving performance in scenes such as when he talks about how his wife died… well, those “Wifebeater Hank Pym” jokes can go the way of most of the MCU’s villains. Douglas did an excellent job at making Hank a character with flaws who is still sympathetic. And if that’s not enough at how this movie makes you love things you’d never expect to, well, this film just may make you cry over the death of an ant. No, I’m not kidding.

Now, if there’s one thing I can really criticize here, it’s the villain. Darren Cross/Yellowjacket is not bad by any means, but like a lot of MCU villains he falls into the trap of having the same superpowers as the hero, which is frankly an overplayed concept. Look at the great villains of the MCU like Loki, Ultron, or Ego; all of them had powers that gave them an edge or were noticeably different from the heroes they fought. Cross shrinks just like Ant-Man does, just like Obadiah Stane had a giant robot suit, Abomination was a big roaring monster, and Kaecilius was a powerful wizard. None of these villains are really bad per se, but still. At least that final fight is incredible, with the concept of two men with shrinking powers played for all it c an be played for and so many great comedic moments coming from it.

Ant-Man totally makes up for how lackluster and unfunny Age of Ultron was. It’s genuinely funny without clogging every scene with jokes, the action is utilized excellently, the protagonists are all likable and enjoyable, and the film feels a lot more fun and fresh than anyone would expect. This is definitely one of the most shocking success stories of the MCU, but that success is nothing less than well-deserved.

And now we enter into Phase 3, and as I have reviewed all the films, I will link to their reviews.

First up is Civil War, the third Captain America film, and the movie that Age of Ultron should have been. It still does bring in some new blood, but they feel far less forced and more organically woven into the plot. The jokes and the action are all great, and the villain is actually interesting. Click here to see what I thought of it, and also what I thought of Batman v Superman (I may have to re-review that movie as well…).

Next up is Doctor Strange, which holds the distinction of perhaps being the most visually impressive superhero film ever made. The trippy visuals really help to make the film, and Benedict Cumberbatch puts in an excellent performance, as does Mads Mikkelson, who redeems what would otherwise be a flat villain. Click here for the full review of the movie.

Then we have the most recent of the bunch, my favorite film of all time, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I won’t say anything here, just click the link for the full review.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly growing and expanding, creating new and fascinating stories that their characters can inhabit. These films are some of the only modern superhero films that truly embrace their comic book roots and play them for all they’re worth. Coming up soon are films such as Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man & The Wasp, Captain Marvel, and untitled Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man sequels as well as volume three of the Guardians of the Galaxy story. We can only hope that, upon their release, I have wonderful things to say about them. But considering the high quality of most of the movies here, especially as time went on… I don’t think there’s any reason to be afraid. Marvel’s the king of superhero cinema right now, and I see no signs they’ll be giving up that crown any time soon.

#Review #movie review #Marvel #Marvel Cinematic Universe #MCU #Iron Man #The Hulk #The Incredible Hulk #Captain America #Civil War #Black Widow #Hawkeye #Age of Ultron #Guardians of the Galaxy #Ant-Man #Thor #Doctor Strange

[abnormal-angel]

Im not sure I understand all the "drama" around DK and Norm. What happened? Why is everyone hating on her? Are they a couple or not? What did she do that makes people so angry? Where do people take their info on their relationship? I'm so behind on the gossips. Sorry for asking. I hope you'll be able to light my lantern.

Hey Anon! How much time do you have? Pull up a seat and I will tell you the tale of dk (lol). I’m going to try and stick the main points here, if I leave anything our anons will let me know.

First please check out the dk wank tag I created, this will start you at the very beginning of what started all this for me. Which was he trolling the fans on IG. Anyway here some main reasons why fans are upset with her.

1. I have known about DK since she started dating Joshua Jackson about a decade ago, I have never been a fan of hers and have always thought she was just entirely fake and only in it for the fame and attention. She used Joshua’s name to become “somebody” in Hollywood, from which I hear isn’t her biggest fan. 

2. She is a serial cheater and known to leech off of one guy and then jump right into bed with another. She has cheated on her ex husband and cheated on Joshua with Norman while making the movie, Sky. Cheating on Joshua right under his nose, even though he helped get the film publicity by cameoing in the movie, which still flopped.

3. She carried on cheating on Joshua with Norman and who knows who else tbh after Joshua gave her another chance. After a year Joshua finally kicked her to the curb when she was caught cheating on him again. For some reason dk is the one who sought out Norman for the role in sky and had apparently wanted to get her hooks in him that early. What is even more sick is that Norman and Joshua had been friends and had known each other for years. 

4. From what we known dk and norman have been casually screwing around with each other since then (2015) but Norman has also been screwing around with a lot of other women on the side at the same time. dk has been pushing really hard the past few months to try and force norman into saying they are exclusive, going so far as to set up her paparazzi rag (The Daily Mail) to snap shots of them out on the town or her going to his apartment (showing everyone where he lives btw). She then has her people there type up hyped up articles with headlines like, “Sorry Joshua, but she’s taken!!” Using Norman’s name to throw shit towards Josh all the while pretending she really cares about Norman. Who she was quoted to call, “a very broken,” man in an interview while filming sky. Uh what?? So you love your men broken do ya dk? Twisted.

5. She is an emotional manipulator and many of us worry that she is going to hurt his heart. She has already proven all the cares about is her face in the spotlight and she uses guys to get this attention. Literally, no one thinks she can act, so her life legit has become siccing paparazzi on Norman every second he has been in NYC on hiatus and then leaking them to her rag. All the rag articles mention Norman Reedus, even in ones where it is just her picking up her laundry or some shit, because it gets clicks and she gets paid.

6. dk has a sick and twisted tie with the Daily Mail. Check it out. Not only are most of these articles just plain click bait, but it shows her connection to the rag is a deep one where she is basically paying paparazzi to setup norman and her and norman on the town and then she pays the daily mail writers to write whatever b.s. story she wants us to believe. Not too mention her IG appears to be filled with paid trolls who help her block and delete all negative commentary on her IG and fill it with bullshit, “you’re so beautiful we love you and norman,” comments. Which again Norman has NEVER come out and actually said they are dating so this just again shows her lack of respect and willingness to spin things her way, even in fucking IG comments. lol hilarious. She spends her days trolling fans and stalking norman, she has legit not left him alone this entire hiatus, except when he is at cons. Bitch is scared of fans and should be, we are catching onto all her b.s.

7. Don’t even get me started on the video she set up with her and norman about a month back. He was wasted out of his mind and she was parading him around like a puppy on a leash, while the paps snapped away. Then she set up up so we had to watch her attacking him basically while she gives him a hickey and he stands there awkwardly and tense af, knowing they are being filmed. Then she smacked his ass, as if to claim him, he looked pissed. If you can stomach the video (seriously the grossest thing I have ever seen tbh *shudders*) google “diane kruger daily mail norman reedus makeout” or something like that and you will find it. But be forewarned it is gross. 

8. Also this very same day she paid paps in L.A. to follow Joshua around when he was on a date with his new girl. She then leaked those photos because she had been bugging Josh to go public for a while with this new woman and he wouldn’t. So she legit set him up so that he was forced to go public, at least in paparazzi rags. No major media magazine ever picks up any of these things it is tabloid fodder that she gets paid for and spins to her advantage. So that very day she leaks Joshua on his date pap picture is the very same day she set up and leaked that video. 

9.She is trying to lock his ass down and show people he is hers, when in reality he has never come out publically about being in a relationship with her or it being anything exclusive or official. Norman also has always loved his privacy and has a hatred for paparazzi and has a well known history of this. So her using paps to force himself to out himself with her is really sick and twisted of her. And her setting him up at his apt, showing where he lives in also very disrespectful.

10. She is an emotional manipulator, she is very good at trying to spin everything so that she is the victim when in fact she is victimizing him. He is also not completely innocent in all of this, but I believe he has a good heart and she is playing with it. She is literally using him for everything she can squeeze out of him.

11. We also found out last week that it was her and her people who set up and propped up the false pregnancy rumors that have been flying around the past few weeks. Even though every event she is at she is caught drinking, just another way to troll fans and gain clicks on her rag. Also again if you respected Norman you wouldn’t be spreading false rumors and purposefully playing into them. Just shows what kind of person she really is, a user.

12. Norman is obviously hating the paparazzi be sicced on him all the time and some theorize this is a way she is keeping him on lock down. Think about it, he can’t fuck around if they are watching his every move. Another way to force exclusivity when it is obvious Norman does not want that. She traps and uses him and then calls it “love.”

[EDIT ANON ADDED ITEM]: Add to your list. DK was only allowed in Spain on the promise she would not call paps. She begged NR to go. She broke it before she left because she alerted the DM paps she was leaving the country for everyone to see. DK has also said shit about one of NR’s closest friends  She has also said bad things about Norman himself last year to get what she wants.

[EDIT ANOTHER ANON ADDED ITEM]:  Do not forget she is a plain classic stalker. She stalked NR fan blogs and saw about his ex-gf ig he commented on. She tracked the gf down and liked posts on her account about NR. She must spend most of her time researching his name. She went to Italy and when she saw he was hanging with his twd friends she flew back the same day because she is so crazy. And she keeps up comments about them marrying in secret on her social media.

—–

Whew! I think I got most of the main points here Anon. Long story short she is bad news and making Norman look awful in the industry’s eyes right now, which he doesn’t need or deserve. We all hope he gets away from this toxic manipulative woman soon. He deserves to be treated so much better!

WE LOVE YOU NORMAN! And we love Joshua! Who didn’t deserve any of this (after ten years with her she does this to him) And we hope that they both get away from her as soon as possible.

Hope that clears things up. Thanks Anon! Send Norman some love and clarity, he is really grappling with big decisions about this situation rn if you ask me…

#norman reedus #dk wank #diane kruger

[beautifulgiants]

https://y105music.com/michael-shannon-interview-frank-and-lola/

MICHAEL SHANNON SAYS ACTING IS ONLY GETTING MORE DIFFICULT, REVEALS HE ALMOST TURNED DOWN ‘BAD BOYS 2’

E. OLIVER WHITNEYDecember 28, 2016

Universal

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Michael Shannon might be the busiest actor of the year. In 2016 he starred in 10 films, including his Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice corpse cameo and two unreleased films from the Tribeca Film Festival. Shannon continued his ongoing collaboration with director Jeff Nichols in Midnight Special and Loving, he played Elvis Presley opposite Kevin Spacey’s President Nixon, portrayed a hilarious Texas sheriff in Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, and reunited with Werner Herzog for Salt and Fire. And after all that, he even found time to put together the best red carpet outfit of all time.

Shannon works so much that when I sat down to talk with him last month, he’d just gotten off a red eye from Toronto after wrapping one of his five films expected out next year. In his latest and final release of 2016, Shannon plays Frank, a Las Vegas chef who falls for a woman with a mysterious past. Frank & Lola begins as a quiet romance between Frank and Imogen Poots’ Lola before switching to a tense psychosexual drama about jealousy and betrayal.

This Day In History

The actor told me about filming Frank & Lola back-to-back with Elvis & Nixon, an experience he called “pretty f–king weird,” and why he almost turned down his role in Bad Boys 2. Shannon also revealed he doesn't like being photographed and said, despite his 24 years of experience and overflowing resume, acting has become more difficult for him over time.

You’ve been in so many films this year and played a lot of intense, energetic characters, from Nocturnal Animals to Midnight Special and Elvis and Nixon. In Frank & Lola your character feels much more stripped down and naturalistic.

Yeah. Well look, at the end of they day, he’s a cook, you know? That’s what he is. And from what I’ve seen their primary focus is food, making food. So they don’t necessarily have to be super verbal you know? I mean, it’s a hard life. It’s a hard job.

Were you familiar with a chef’s lifestyle before this film?

Just to the the extent that I had worked in some restaurants and I spent some time with a friend of Matt [Ross’], the director, who’s a very successful chef, and he kind of showed me the ropes. It’s not like I’m a complete and total expert on it, but I’ve certainly been around it.

There’s a relatable vulnerability and human quality to Frank and his jealousy that I don't think is reflected as much in the louder characters you’ve played. Did you understand him more as an everyday kind of guy rather than compared to the big personalities you've played?

I don’t know. I feel like all my characters are human beings. I’m not playing, like, a minotaur or something. They’re all people. They’re different people, and they operate differently and they think differently.

So it’s hard for me to answer that question I guess. I’m always approaching any part I play as an inquiry into the identity of the character, whoever they happen to be. But I guess maybe what you’re thinking or saying is that he’s not a tremendously complicated person, which is probably true.

Universal

He is a very simple guy.

Yeah, so maybe that’s what you’re responding to. I mean, he’s very pure. He loves cooking and he loves Lola. It’s very simple, and then he gets hurt and then he flips out.

That response can easily be sensationalized or hyperbolic in movies, but the ways you reacted with jealousy and suspicion in this film are more subtle.

Well that’s good to hear. It’s always hard for me to comment on that because I’m not in the audience, you know? I can’t say, yeah I was so subtle in that movie. It’s just not my prerogative I guess. I just show up and do the work.

Do you watch your films later?

Oh yeah, I watch ’em. I saw this movie and I don’t have any problem. I’m always curious to see how they turned out because you know the work is very hard. I think it’s a lot harder than most people realize. Every shot is a battle. I mean this movie, we shot it very quickly. Imogen [Poots] and I, we had a real natural kind of chemistry, which is weird because I didn’t know her from Adam before we started shooting the movie. We shot that part in Vegas in like, three weeks. Which is crazy. We shot all the Paris stuff in one week, which was even crazier. So maybe it’s like Japanese sand painting or something, you just do it really fast.

When you say every movie is difficult, is it the same for you when shooting indie movies compared to big studio movies? Is it still the same level of difficulty?

Honestly the weird thing about acting, for me anyway, maybe it’s different for other people, I find the longer I do it the more difficult it gets. I feel like any human being on earth could probably be in a movie. I saw American Honey recently and the girl, Sasha Lane, she’s great. But could she play Ophelia? Can you keep showing up and doing it over and over and over again, and every time you show up you’re supposed to be somebody else? You feel like you’re going to run out of possibilities.

That’s the way I look at it. I’m trying to create a whole different person each time. So, it’s like excavating yourself. I just finished a movie last night in Toronto. It was very hard. But also, I think the harder it is usually the more likelihood that it’ll be worthwhile to see it, to watch it because it shouldn’t be easy. It should not be easy to make a great movie, and it isn’t.

Is there a role that’s been the hardest for you?

They’re all difficult. Honestly, playing Elvis was a very demanding thing to do. It took me a long time to wrap my head around that. But eventually I started having fun with it once I got on the set and settled down a little bit.

It’s hard to stand in front of a camera. I don’t really like having my picture taken to begin with. People are always like, “Can I take a picture?” I’m like, “No. I don’t want to.” Then I realize how absurd that is because I’m getting it taken 24 frames-per-second at work. But it’s a very unnatural thing, you know?

I read you shot Elvis and Nixon in Vegas right before Frank & Lola. What was that like making those back-to-back?

No, I shot it in New Orleans. What happened was, we shot the Vegas part of Frank & Lola for like three weeks. And then I went to New Orleans and shot Elvis and Nixon. And then after that we went to Paris and did that part of Frank & Lola in Paris. So that was very trippy. That was pretty f–king weird.

Bleecker Street

What was it like to navigate between those two?

It was surprising. I was surprised when I got to Paris how quickly I clicked back into it. Because I had really been just eating, breathing, sleeping Elvis all the time for five weeks. So I was a little anxious, like what if I don’t remember what my voice sounds like or whatever. But the second we got over there and plugged back into the story, I was like “Oh yeah...” It wasn’t as difficult as I anticipated it was going to be.

You bring a lot of humor to Nocturnal Animals. The scene in the police station with Karl Glusman is so great. Was any of that improv or was it all in Tom Ford’s script?

The owl [scene], I think I had said that out of my imagination. But it was mostly the script. Tom worked really hard on that script. It’s based on a book. Tony and Susan. Tom is pretty meticulous guy and filmmaker. We pretty much stuck to the script. There’d be a little thing here or there. There was some – well see, I don’t like to say. It’s a secret.

Nocturnal Animals Movie CLIP - The Interrogation (2016) - Jake Gyllenhaal Movie

I love that character. It’s my favorite of yours from this year.

I love Bobby. He’s a cool dude. He’s a good fellow, he’s very sweet. He’s kind of a curmudgeon, but very sweet because he really cares. He winds up caring about Jake [Gyllenhaal’s] character in spite of himself. He doesn’t want to, he really doesn’t want to and he can’t help it.

I enjoyed you in Loving. I read that you shot that part in one day.

Yeah, it was totally manageable. It wasn’t like we were rushing around. It made sense. It would have been silly for it to take longer. I was sad I didn’t get to spend more time on that set. I always like being around Jeff and Joel [Edgerton]. I really liked Ruth [Negga] a lot.

She’s great in that.

I hope she gets nominated. And Joel, and Jeff.

Last question, has there ever been a role you hesitated taking or that you needed convincing to take?

Oh yeah. [Laughs] There’s been a few. I remember when I got the offer for Bad Boys 2 to play that silly man in the KKK. I read the material and I thought, “This is humiliating. I don’t want to do this.” But my manger at the time said, “Michael you can’t pass this up. This is one of the biggest franchises in the world. This movie will make half a billion dollars at the very least and everybody on Earth is going to see it.” I’m like, “Yeah but then they’re gonna see me wearing a white robe.” So I was really on the fence about it. But it was all in good fun at the end of the day. The fact that it was so silly made it very clear that I was not a role model in any way shape or form.

Read More: Michael Shannon Reflects on ‘Frank and Lola’ and His Busy 2016 | https://y105music.com/michael-shannon-interview-frank-and-lola/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

#michael shannon #interview #frank and lola #quotes #beautiful giant

[monasatlantis]

Digimon Tri - My review of the the first 4 movies

Be warned, I use mostly the german names here... because I am so damn used to them XD

First of all lets talk about which Episode I found was the best... and which one was the worst.

The best episode for me, was definitely the third one. I loved the emotions, the actions, the music was on point and there were almost no unnecessary filler scenes. The only thing you could complain about is, that I can hardly remeber Izzy in that one, despite the fact that it was suppose to be centered around him too. But besides what happened in the final fight, the only thing I can remember ist my poor boy Takeru crying his eyes out, because he realized he is going to lose Patamon once more, this time most likely for good. I loved the moment when all the Digimon did spend their last hours with their partners. I also liked it that we were fooled to believe that the memories of the Digimon could be saved. It was a nice plottwist that it didn’t work. The worst episode for me so far was episode 2. I laughed a lot in this hilarious onsen-scene were Kari got saved from T.k. of all people and Sora ended up infront of the door to the Sauna in which Tai and Matt of all people were in and were just getting out just at the right moment. I really loved that scene, but this whole onsen-scene had no other purpose than fun and fanservice. It was an overly long and unnecessary filler for that episode. Next comes, I personally don’t care for Mimi and Joe that much. And I find some or their character traits extremely annoying. So watching them doing the stuff I dislike about them the most is just really... interesting... at all. Plus, I have nothing against Meiko, but she is a stranger and new to the team and she got a lot of screentime in this episode... which made it even more annoying, because it was the worst mix of characters to have the focus that they could make. At least for me personally. The first episode was a nice starter. You got to get invited to figure out were our characters are right now, what they are doing, their relationships with each other and how they handle their life at the moment. All in all it was a nice introduction to the new season. But I found it was not exactly an episode that I would love. And it centered a bit too much on Tai. Yes, he was and is the star of the Digimon Adventure team, but it still felt like too much Tai to me and it is not like I dislike him, so that is not the problem. When it comes to the 4 and for now last episode I feel a bit... uhm... biased, because I have a certain problem with Tai, Matt and Sora as a trio for reasons only the shipper will understand. But I talk about them later. The point is, the episode centered around them, so it was pretty hard to stay unbiased. But I did like the nostalgie that came with that episode. Being back in the digiworld and all. What I disliked tho, was the fact that Biomons behavior seemed out of character. In the first season, Biomon was unnerving as hell, following Sora around, annoying even the woman with the crest of love and this time Biomon runs away from her? Doesn't seem right to me.

Now lets talk about the overall plot so far and what you think about the characters, now that they are older once more...

I actually feel a bit weird about the plot and some of the characters in a way. Don’t get me wrong, the plot as it is is not bad and all... and I do love and hate the characters as much as I did all those years ago, but some things are not right for me. I actually am not even sure if we can consider Tri canon with some of those things that bug me. Lets talk about our 4 Heroes from season 02 first. I was never a huge fan of them, really. I only liked the second season for Hikari and Takeru and the cameos of the other characters from  the first season. BUT how they treat them here is absolutely stupid and not acceptable in any way. I do understand why they wanted them out of the way, since this season was suppose to be about the characters from season one, but there had to be another, a better way, to get the 02 kids out of the way. The way they did it in the movies was very cheap. First of all, Takeru and Hikari belonged to the 02 Team. They were not just an addition or more experienced Digidestined which helped them find their way into the world, they were part of the team. What happend to the oh so over the top promoted friendship between Kari and Yolei or T.k. and Cody? What happened to that deep connection between them that helped their Digimon to evolve together? They are missing right now in the movies, but they didn’t even realize that something was off until they saw the “Emperor” and even after that, they were easily convinced that everything is alright. Kari and Davis have always been good friends, why didn’t she call him to ask were his best friend Ken went or if something unusual happened to him? And why aren’t they around anymore? Like... they were all in the same school. And Davis was in Hikaris and Takerus class... why is he not even on the same school? Because if he would be, they surely would wonder why he doesn’t come to school anymore. (I just realized how good it is that hardly any shipper ship Kari and Davis, because for them, this season must be the biggest disappointment ever...) No one really deeply seems to care. And I also found Takerus reaction when the saw the “emperor” a little odd. He was a bit like “Oh no, it is that asshole again”, acting like Ken never was part of their team. This feels so not right. And I dislike it and understand every fan that complains. They have every right to. Next... Takeru is popular among girls, which is no big deal, he is cute and all, but how he acts about that seems so out of character to me. I never saw him being the boy who enjoys being popular among girls and also it seems so unlike Takeru to be so flirty and stuff, seeing how he interacted with Meiko when she showed up and his reaction when the concert got cancelled. The way Hikari teases him says it all, it seems like he toys around with girls, never beeing serious. That is not my baby boy T.k. and I refuse to believe he would EVER become like that. There is once more the Trio that gives me a headache, but I will write about that in the next post. Something that bugs me a bit too, his how Meiko was so easily accepted into the team. I mean, she gets invited to go with them to take a hot bath on what felt like the next day, while no one bother about the 02 kids. I honestly thing its the writers own fault that she gets so much hate, when you look at it. Other then that, most of the plot and the way the characters became are okay. I actually thought that Kari had made quite the progress, but seeing how she got stuck with Tai the whole 4. episode it felt like I was wrong. I do think, although it was annoying, that Tai fearing that his actions might hurt or even kill someone only shows that he is more mature and thinks more about his actions and the consequences that follow. I also like that we get to know more about the very first Digi-destined. Like... finally. We never knew much about them. We just got bits and pieces here and there. And now we might finally found out the entire truth. That is really nice.

Now lets talk about ships and how important it is to watch the movies yourself to understand what really is going on between the ships.

I have been in the digimon tri tag before a few times, keeping myself at least a little up to date, while I was pondering if I will watch the movies or not. And I can teller you that some things were not how the people wrote they were. Lets start with Takari. This is most likely the most popular ship from Digimon seasons one and two. There is hardly anyone else to ship those two with, because of how they already seemed meant to be in the first season, where they were barely 8 years old. Because of the things they have been through in the first season, their bond was extremely close in 02 and even Davis could not really get between them. Now in tri, they are basically always together. Walk side by side, talk to each other, tease each other, support and protect each other. Now I can tell you, as one who ships them too, that in tri, you get good shipping material and shipper are fussing about that since their first scene together ind the first movie. But watching it with a clear head (which I usually try to do), you come across the fact that some things were not as people make them look like. First of all... Karis oh so bad jealousy. Despite the teasing, Kari actually doesn’t really seems jealous at all... not even annoyed. She rather seems amused most of the time. Of course it is a thing of interpretation. But the only thing that hinted for me that Kari was jealous when Takeru told her he would go with another girl to Matts concert, was when she stopped walking for a moment. But the way she reacted was otherwise extremely calm and didn’t show any sign of jealousy. Takeru, on the other hand, pretty much seemed like he WANTED her to be jealous. Of course in the end, you can see that as a stupid game they play. He tries to make her jealous and she know that this is what he wants, so she pretends not to, with that dancing around the real subject behind it: Their feelings for each other. Or... Kari just knows that Takeru is not serious with any of the girls, given the attention she gets from him, it seems hard to believe that she really has a reason to be jealous and so she doesn’t mind. Or, she actually really doesn’t care about Takerus lovelife. It is a possibility. Someone pointed out, that from the very beginning, Takeru had a strong will to protect Hikari, going as far as to lose it in the episode with the black ocean, when she is only talking about her dearly beloved brother Tai, despite the fact that Takeru did care a lot for her too and wasn’t exactly hiding it. The point of that person was that, yes, Takeru protects and support Hikari a lot and often, but that is what he always did. And maybe he really just does it as a good friend, teammate and someone she shared a special bond with, do to what they have been through together and with their beloved Digimon... and annoying big brothers XD All logic aside, since I do ship them, I really enjoyed the many moments were they stood and walked next to each other, teased each other and supported and protected each other. They are hope and light and thus, for me personally, they belong together, always have, always will. And Karis lack of jealousy? Lets go with the “she knows better then to honestly be worried that any other girl could take her place“ because as we saw multiple times in tri, in the end, she is the number one priority right after Matt and Patamon. So why worry? *takes a deep breath* Now to the Trio... Tai, Sora and Matt. I don’t want to go to deep into this, because it really hurts, but let me tell you that I find it offending for both the Taiora and the Sorato fans how they treat them in tri. Digimon 02 made it canon that Sora and Matt were a thing, despite everything that happened between Sora and Tai in the first season and the fucking very first Digimon movie, Tai was shown to be fine with it. Well great. The Sorato fans won and the Taiora fans had to learn to live with it. Or write fanfiction... but you get what I mean. Things were clear. There was no question. We even got confirmation that Sora and Matt got married in the end (fuck this epilogue, really...), so tell me why, why on earth do they have to put a questionmark on those two ships again? Why are they unable to just confirm the one ship that was suppose to be canon for good or for worse, but instead show those 3 always together as a trio? I can not even tell you, how much I hated the 4. tri movie, because of what happened there. Because they made Sorato look like a fucking joke. Matt needed Tai to deal with the woman who is suppose to be his girlfriend and basically, Matt did almost nothing for Sora at all in that episode. When they got attacked the first time, who was it who was holding out his arm protectively infront of Sora? Tai. Who pushed her to the ground to protect her the second time they got attacked? Oh, look, it was Tai? Who was it who said Soras name in worry when the distortion showed that she was in danger? Tai. After Matt and Tai saved her from the following attack, who was the one who genuinely worried asked Sora if she was okay? Look, it was Tai, once again. Matt totally failed in his job to prove that he is Soras boyfriend and deserves to be her boyfriend in this episode. Honestly, every person who did not know that Matt and Sora are suppose to be a canon couple, would have though that Tai is the boyfriend or at least that Taiora is the ship with high chances of becoming canon. Not just because of that, there were other scenes in the other movies too. I know that this is suppose to be fanservice. But I hat it. If you make the choice to make a ship canon, then you have to stand behind it, no matter what. That is it from me about the first 4 episodes. Only 2 left.