#this video is honestly so underrated it's stunning

[39oa]

top 3 landoscar moments <3

miss risa you have no idea how difficult this was i think this is like 20x the acceptable length of what this prompt called for.

honorable mentions: not one specific moment but any instance of 1) lando constantly giving oscar the opportunity to win in the final round (see winner-takes-all during summer games + 100-point ultimatum in mini golf), i think if we tallied all their wins by round over the course of mclaren pr videos he'd honestly be above oscar by now, 2) lando being obessed with saying OSCUHHHH like it's an actual filler word he's ingrained into his basal speech patterns instead of his legal name, and 3) obviously oscar hearts-eyeing lando's entire existence in general though i think one great moment is the virgin radio uk appearance because why were they still managing to exchange extremely charged eye contact throughout 14 minutes of zak brown sitting between them. brah

other hms include ice bath video just because them making those sounds at each other was objectively hilarious, the cricket match-up (lando getting all worked up like "nice and easy oscar or else i'll take you off in the next race!!!" "i'm just worried about oscar, i feel like he's a silent killer you know" "oscahhh ): let me get you out mate ))):" and then oscar nonchalantly going Well it's only lando bowling i'll be fine. and immediately decimating him with his aussie schoolboy cricket prowess lmfao), suzuka in general but more specifically oscar not being prepared in the slightest to get absolutely doused by lando on the podium after he foksmashed his champagne, and also underrated landoscar moment is definitely oscar submitting the lando P3NI5 photo to a neural network image guesser.

ok let me get onto the actual list but thongs debate too just because lando obviously Knew but was doing it to be a little shit... in general i think what's fun to me about landoscar is that they've become quite natural in a sort of quiet domestic way so i like any moment that shows off their wordless communication, or alternatively oscar's endless level of patience + tolerance toward lando (listening to whatever pre-race music he blasts / silently giggling at his antics during the cake decoration video). like it's kind of funny when lando pretends in any way that he's miles more hilarious than oscar is because 1) he literally has the exact same sarcastic sense of humor, 2) 80% of his humor is a defense mechanism anyway, and 3) he's probably even more baseline introverted than oscar is (omg i could write a thesis on their social media presences but i won't.) and whenever people talked about how carlando were So Funny as teammates and mistakenly ascribed effusiveness to lando's character in response to their dynamic it quickly became apparent later on that carlos was always the one bringing this out in lando and not the other way around so... like i think their humor matches up well just in subtle moments aka the post-double podium video where oscar is like eyeing the way lando is holding his trophy at the start and then lando gets embarrassed and they start giggling while poor andrea is trying to make his speech like If you two don't stop!!

ANYWAY THE LIST:

🥉 twister: not really because it tells me anything wrt aspects of their dynamic but just because it's SO RIDICULOUS AND UNHINGED. first of all it's such a stunning instance of lando being better at something than oscar is but then the something is literally just being flexible so that's already a large enough indictment there (why are you as a man only good at golfing and being a little gaybo... i won't). but like [face-to-face with oscar's ass while folded up like a little pretzel] "what a sight that is" / "OSCUHH" x5 WHILE HIS VOICE IS LITERALLY GOING HOARSE IN THE PROCESS / and of course the most formative "YOUR LEFT FOOT IS NOT GOING BETWEEN MY LEGS!!!" actually dynamics-wise this WAS informative in that it proved to us that oscar will always be the first to lose at gay chicken. amen

🥈 sportbible green flag video: i think this video deserves to be slotted in at #2 because it's from when their teammate dynamic was still somewhat fresh but it proved to me that oscar was capable of Handling lando... like lando was clearly On One here and saying the most genuinely unhinged shit and somehow oscar still managed to find him funny and charming?!?? which i think is important because as much as oscar has always been characterized as chill and accepting there have been instances of him being genuinely flabbergasted and/or frustrated during his prema days which is of course also a reflection of age and natural maturity, but i still feel like specifically with lando he is SOOOOO TOLERANT of all his particularities and FOR WHATTTTTT. but also you can see during the >LOOK AT YOU WITH YOUR STUPID GOATEE ON moment that this was when lando was starting to understand that oscar wouldn't bend to everything he said and could be witty and incisive (silent killer) when he wanted to be and i think this is important as well in determining the equal footing of their dynamic. tbh my favorite moment here is the entire astrology question because of lando confidently assigning oscar piscesisms when that couldn't be any further from the truth. go off king of rejecting logical reasoning

🥇 LANDO'S BIGGEST FAN INCIDENT: this is #1 to me for so many reasons aka 1) i think this was formative to landoscar taking off as a ship in general because it spanned multiple fics but also 2) this was Personally what convinced Me to actually invest in 814 ship stonks because beforehand i was like "ok clearly oscar likes lando as a teammate and lando thinks oscar is a little lame and dry (in a mildly derogatory instead of fond way) and also oscar is just an attentive listener in general so his heart eyes disposition is mildly exaggerated" but then i watched this and it rewired my brain chemistry. the way we were still skeptics in august... 

this whole fanmeeting is insane for several reasons but basically it boggles my mind because the entire exchange starts from the moment oscar is DESCRIBING HOW LARGE HIS NECK HAS GOTTEN which means lando is like sitting there quietly cataloguing the size of his body while oscar gets mildly flustered by the nature of the conversation and then lando deliberately cuts in like mate i'll buy you a new shirt and you can tell you can TELLLLL he was sitting on that response making sure it read well in his head. also it's doubly insane because when oscar responds that he'll get him a smaller shirt to strangle him they're both clearly interpreting it in bad faith like "you just want to get rid of me because i'm your competition xD" but then for whatever reason lando decides to make it Exceedingly weird 5 seconds later and his VOICE LITERALLY CRACKSSSS WHEN HE SAYS HE'LL BUY HIM A SEE-THROUGH SHIRT???????? like what's all this then. why did he essentially call oscar fit. why did he default to his little fantasy of seeing Known Bad Dresser oscar piastri in a shirt detailing lando's possession of his affections. genuinely calamitous levels of embarrassing for everyone involved i don't even know what to say.

ok i'll stop but hopefully this was informative <3 i'm so sorry

edit: omg i forgot to mention this but also the iconic silverstone fan stage side-hug and lando's whole face lighting up when he realized oscar was the one initiating physical contact!!!! 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

#never ask a man his salary or a lesbian why her landoscar tumblr manifesto is 1k words long #a

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

3 thing ask:

2, 6, 11, 33, 34, 37

Three movies you have rewatched many times

1. Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron. I went through a phase when I was nine/ten where I’d rewatch this movie multiple times a week for… like a year 😅

2. Bolt. Underrated movie!! This was another one I looped when I was younger, and I tried writing a fanfic about it when I was eleven maybe but gave up after one page or something lol

3. The Good Dinosaur. Yet another one I looped when I was younger :) I saw this one in theaters too!!

I went through a major animation phase when I was 9-13. All these + How To Train Your Dragon were pretty much all I watched aksgaksgaksg

I still have all my animash edits saved :) Perhaps I will share them someday…

Three characters that inspire you

Ooh man, hmm…

1. Tommy (DSMP). This answer seems silly at first, but I’m always touched by how much and how hard he tries. He tries so hard to be good, and to help people, and to never give up on people, and it’s amazing. It’s rare that I find characters who are so, for lack of better words, good. He’s just a really good kid.

He also loves most everything he touches, and he loves hard. He loves so hard that it’s impossible to not see it, to not feel it, to not be changed by it, and that’s freaking powerful.

(I’m really having to Think about this question, because while I like a bunch of characters, I’m not often inspired by those characters)

2. Zelda (BOTW/TOTK). LOOK AT ME PICKING A CHARACTER FROM A VIDEO GAME!!! WOO!!!

If I had to describe Zelda in one word, I’d choose “selfless”. So, so selfless. It’s crazy.

The things she does for her kingdom and for Link and for the things she cares about is near-unmatched; she’ll do hard things for the good of others, and I mean really hard things. Heartbreaking, painful, scary things that I honestly probably wouldn’t do.

I think she’s really neat :) And I think I could learn a lot about being selfless from her.

3. Goshhhh I’m kinda drawing a blank here ummm

*spongebob time-passing-screen-thing with the french guy*

Okay so I literally hopped off tumblr for the night and came back to this question twelve hours later lol and I still cannot think of a character :’0

Three books that you would recommend everyone to read

!!!!

OOOOOOOH!!! OKAYOKAY!!!

1. The One And Only Ivan :D This is one of four stories that has ever made me tear up, and the only story that has ever made me cry. It’s just… ough. It’s beautiful and unique and it’s amazing it’s amazing it’s amazing I CANNOT tell you enough how amazing this book is oh my gosh-

AND FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING, DON’T FREAKING WATCH THE MOVIE! IT SUCKS! IT TOOK ALL THE THINGS THAT MADE THE BOOK UNIQUE AND GOT RID OF THEM AND THE RESULT IS AN INFURIATING PIECE OF MEDIA THAT DOES NOT DO THE BOOK JUSTICE! DON’T FREAKING WATCH THE MOVIE! READ THE BOOK!

2. What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson. I read this one very recently, I think in December, and… wow. Absolutely stunning. Just… wow. It’s haunting—that’s probably the best word for it—and beautiful and deep and dark and tragic. It’s the sort of book that made me feel a bit heavier while I was reading.

(Also one of the four stories that has made me tear up sooooo)

There is a bit (not a lot at all) of swearing, and one scene that bordered the lines between PG-13 and something above PG-13; it was like… I don’t know, it’s kinda confusing. It was sort of sexual but nothing really ended up happening. It was more like an implication or a suggestion.

But other than those things, the book was fantastic and I highly highly recommend!!

3. THE ROAD BY CORMAC MCCARTHY!!! YES THIS DESERVES CAPS LOCK!!!

LIKE

!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It’s one of the coolest and best stories I have ever hekkin read and it’s so sad and so amazing and so well-formatted and so interesting and so OUGHHHH

I need to reread this again 😭

There’s like, one swear word maybe? Two? Hardly any, really. But there’s definitely some disturbing scenes that would make a lot of people uncomfortable, so I’d advise caution.

But yesssssss this story is so good I’m gonna scream 😭

Three scented candles that you love the most

Gonna be perfectly honest here, I don’t like candles all that much. I just… eh. I don’t see the point. Not my thing.

So instead of doing scented candles, I’ll just list three of my favorite scents in general 😅

1. Vanilla :)

2. Certain flowersss maybe?? Some of them smell nice? Like vanilla but with honey and sort of like yogurt now that I think about it.

But a lot of flowers don’t smell like anything to me, so meh.

3. Uhhh

(This question is making me realize that my sense of smell is either not very strong or I just don’t… care that much about it lol because this is hardddd)

3. Like. Food. Good food. Yyyyyes.

Three people in history that inspire you the most

This is making me remember that I really do like history, and I like learning about history/people in history, but it is MISERABLE trying to find history books that aren’t hard to read or incredibly boring. So unfortunately I don’t know as much history as I would like :(

And I do like a bunch of people in history, but like the character question, I’m not often inspired by them.

Three languages you would love to learn

1. ASL!! I’ve been wanting to learn this one for years but haven’t been able to figure out how :’0 I would really like to take a class, but they’re surprisingly difficult to find.

2. Dutch! I think it’s super satisfying to listen to and I think it’d be fun :D

3. FRENCH!!! I technically know a little bit of French, but definitely not enough to say that I truly speak it.

#ask #ask game answers

[death2normalcy]

This post is part of a series I’m going to call ‘Why I Love Stray Kids’. Each post is going to be dedicated to a different member and is just going to be ramblings of things I love about them, because I just really love making lists and sometimes, I get bored.

This post is about I.N./Yang Jeongin!

Songs I Personally Love Him In:

Beware/Grr; Scars (Either version); Placebo; 24 to 25; Waiting for Us; If It Is You (Cover); Maknae on Top; Gone Away; 향기만 남아 (Memory of Your Scent?) (Cover); My Universe

Music Videos I Love Him In:

Insomnia; I Am You; Get Cool; Miroh; Levanter; Mixtape: On Track; Cheese; Gone Away; Freeze; Sorry, I Love You

10 Random Things I Love:

The way he is so smiley all the time. It’s infectious, and I see him smiling, and I’m like, hell yea, I want to smile. And I’m not a smiley person, at all.

How savage he is. He doesn’t hesitate to roast the other members, and he does it with a smile on his face. Another one of the funniest members, honestly.

Despite that, how much all the other members love him and just want kisses from him, it’s cute as hell.

His stunning voice. Purely from my perspective, I’d say it’s a little underrated, but I do see a lot of fans praise him, so it’s not by much. It’s different from Seungmin’s, for sure, but I don’t know enough about singing terms to really explain why that is.

His style. I don’t necessary lose my mind over it the way I see some fans, and it’s not necessarily my taste, but I get why he’s considered one of the more fashionable ones in the group.

The fact that he posts on Instagram pretty regularly. From what I’ve seen, he seems to do it way more than most of the other members, so it’s nice that he wants to keep in touch with the fans, even if it is just pictures of his outfit of the day.

His stage presence. It’s not intense the way, say, Changbin’s is, but he still has such a good presence on stage. He’s charming and interesting to watch.

His nickname ‘baby bread’. I’ll admit to not knowing the full origin, but it’s cute, because it means people can make jokes about him being fully toasted now, lmao.

Not so much a thing I love, but a thing I want to comment on, and that’s the way he eats. He stresses me out. I get it, but also, why. Please take smaller bites, I beg of you.

How hard he’s clearly worked to improve and shine in the group, you can see a clear difference between him in ‘Hellevator’ and him now.

Let Me Be Superficial For A Moment: His eyes are the prettiest eyes out of everyone in the group, which says a lot, since they all have beautiful eyes.

Two Dynamics Of His I’m Fond Of: Seungmin and Chan. This was hard, since I love all the Jeongin dynamics almost equally, his relationship with the boys is so sweet. But those two barely edged everyone else out.

#Jeongin #I.N. #Yang Jeongin #Stray Kids #skz #skz thoughts #Each of these will be formatted in roughly the same way #and i'm going to try and go in reverse age order #so chan will be last #I was genuinely worried i couldn't think of 10 things for each of them #but they weren't too difficult to think of #remember this is just how i interpret things #and this may not be 100% of the picture

[wrecking]

december!! what the fuck do you MEAN it's already been 2 years of doing these monthly charts. uh open for names and stuff yaurrrr

going to add a little description for why a certain thing ends up on here

the volunteers - the volunteers / dash's favorite album!!! super meaningful to me now

maggie rogers - surrender / this has just kinda been a mood all year. like messy and melodramatic and bombastic and honest

lady gaga - the fame monster / got pulled to revisit this, and i'm sorry but she served so fucking hard. this is the deluxe w the fame included btw

ariana grande - dangerous woman / idk i just felt like i needed to revisit it after spending a lot of time away and unfortunately it's still a really good pop album

mitski - the land is inhospitable and so are we / underrated as fuck healing album. easily her best

beabadoobee - beatopia / been revisiting a lot of summer 2022 stuff and this one has held up so well. really good album and great cover

hitsujibungaku - 12 hugs (like butterflies) / i love their previous album and this is their new release! it's not my favorite but it's rly good and i wanna give it more time to grow on me

marina - electra heart / been pulled back to the melodramatic pop of my teen years (see tfm and dw above) and they're all just really good? been humming hypocrates all month

yeule - softscars / been an album for processing shit and letting it go and being unabashedly, cringedly myself

boygenius - the record & the rest / [ tries not to cry ] ok but actually tho just cool about it & afraid of heights. that is all

alvvays - blue rev / dash rly likes after the earthquake and the album is so good :)

charli xcx - crash / missed this album a bit! still rly good imo like it fills the niche of pop to turn your brain off to

food house - food house / my fav hyperpop project still, wanted earnestness and simple tried-and-true tactics rather than gimmicks and frost childrens' hyperpop albums have been on heavy rotation all year so i figured i'd revisit this instead

olivia rodrigo - guts / the stranglehold this has on my teenager arc...

pinkpantheress - heaven knows / REALLY good in a surprising way. thought her debut project was good-but-not-great but this has some BANGERS and a stunning cover. women win

yola - stand for myself / revisiting summer 2022 stuff again, but this is like the most meaningful album of that era to me and i have been just thinking about a lot

lucy dacus - home video / [ starts crying ] top 3 of all time for me. thumbs only hits harder as more time passes unfortunately

courtney barnett - tell me how you really feel / dash really likes it, and i've been in the mood for some courtney anyways. ttttt is also rly good but it's a healing album and i am not exactly healing rn lmao

hayley williams - flower for vases (descansos) / continuing right from where ^ left off, this has been my comfort during rough times for going on 3 years now. such a flawless album

rina sawayama - hold the girl / ok now HERE'S a healing album. this one is still so good idgaf if it's not experimental genre fusions. the girls that get it get it and the ones that don't dont

corinne bailey rae - black rainbows / can i be real i listened to this on a whim this month bc of mic the snare and wow it's so good. been on my mind ever since

sigrid - the hype / honestly a bit of a sleeper hit on this chart? borderline has been slowly becoming one of my all time fav pop songs, and i forgot how good wanted it to be you was

frost children - hearth room / my fav hyperpoppers really went and made an indie record... it's fun tbh it's silly and lighthearted and i love frost park in particular :)

carly rae jepsen - the loneliest time & the loveliest time / both of these are stunningly good but i've been fixating on talking to yourself all month

ethel cain - preacher's daughter / [ continues crying ] girlie is emotionally crafting things to be here specifically for me during my lowest points and we love that for me

-----

ok so real shit i already finished crunching the stats but i am too dissociative to do the fucking stat analysis rn. it'll be in the january post idgaf ok cya in 2024 * vine boom *

#d #m #topsters

[hobikookie]

Every Loona MV 1/?: ViViD - Heejin

#loonawork #loona #1/3 #heejin #jeon heejin #this video is honestly so underrated it's stunning #this set was so hard to make bc there's just?? so many gorgeous shots?? #and the colour scheme is so fantastic?? #and there's so many great outfits?? wtf?? #anyway i love vivid n i love heejin #mine #every mv: loona

[a9saga]

tbt - girl’s day - expect me // i may look calm but deep down i’ve been really excited about posting this one all week

#i guess i don't have a lot of girl groups in the tag #i never got that into girl's day and ie i dont know them as well as like miss a or after school #or maybe a couple other groups i would compare them to #i probably should by now i miss this style of early 10s girl groups #it all looked and sounded so good and most of them just broke up in the mid 10s #but i loved this style and honestly even with some of the less talented ones there weren't a lot of subpar girl groups like this #don't talk to me if you're not gonna talk about early 10s kpop girl groups or fruits basket chibi skirts #minah is like that really pretty girl you know who can also sing #looks and sings exactly like the type #they're all so pretty here djhflkgssj qhat do you want me to say #this video and miss a hush are like top tier looks/songs/videos/eras to me i could watch those groups perform these songs forever #and some days i have with hush because miss a has only been my favorite girl group for 6 and a half years #sojin tho... 🥺💞 #i love her suddenly she's so stunning #i wanna get more into girl's day lately i've always been casual w them #i know female president is a bad song lol #if anyone has some girl's day song recs lemme know #i could maybe even uh 👀👀 exchange them for some miss a song recs 👀👀 #or other retrospectively underrated girl groups of the time idk #i like a lot of them #song rec #tbt #girl's day #kpop #shut up kaily

[teenage-mutant-ninja-freak]

The guys reacting to the first time thing get heated (😏) with their s/o

Leo

Ok so Leo is such a gentleman like it’s almost too much

like you have to put his hands on your waist/thighs/boobs ect because otherwise he won’t

not that he’s not excited, he’s over the freakin’ moon but he wants to make sure he isn’t pressuring you

eventually when it becomes clear that you definitely want this, he gets a little bold

“do you want to move this to my room?”

umm, of course you do!

he’s so very gentle at first

he knows that it’s just as much about your pleasure as it is about his

he undresses you like you’re something precious because, to him, you are

trails kisses everywhere and I mean every inch of skin that’s exposed

he does like to be in control most of the time but doesn’t want to force these power dynamics on you before you’ve had a chance to talk about them

so when you’re making out he goes a little more aggressive than he usually is but never too much, he wouldn’t do that

kissing up your neck, pulling your jaw to the side and kissing behind your ear and then telling you to look at him while he runs his thumb over your lips

compliments, compliments, compliments

telling you how you’re the most stunning thing he’s ever seen, he’s so lucky to be in this moment with you and how he’s gonna make this last

you can practically see the restraint in his entire being as he tries to hold back everything he wants to do to you because he knows he has to pace himself

but honestly, the second his clothes come off you’d let him do just about anything to you

of course he goes with traditional missionary for your first time together

not that he’s boring, but missionary is underrated and it means you can see each other and kiss while it goes down

oh he’s so intense though

direct eye contact and if you look away it’s “no, eyes back to me, baby. That’s right”

the kissing almost never stops unless he wants to hear you moan but you normally moan against his chest/shoulder to cover up the noise

not that he minds, in a way that’s hotter for him

stroking your hair and cupping your chin in his hand as he rocks further into you, telling you what an angel you are

it’s a perfect night

Raph

oh the gentle giant 

when things first start heating up and you encourage his hands to wander around your body more, he’s very quick to make sure you’re certain you want to do this

lots of “you can change yer mind anytime” and “yer sure yer wanna do this?”

he needs a little encouragement to warm up

but once he does he is in the zone baby!

undresses you like you are made of glass, like you’re the most fragile thing that’s every existed

and a long, loonnggg makeout session while you’re both in your birthday suits

this guy can really kiss 

hands will begin to wander, mainly to your ass/thighs as that is his fave part of you

but plenty of attention on your nipples too, trying to gauge how gentle/rough you like things 

unlike Leo being gentle with you comes so naturally to him

he’s used to toning down how strong he is when you’re in his arms just so he doesn’t crush you

there’s a shy little “so what do ya’ like?” as he rubs the back of his neck 

you giggle and tell him what gets you going and you being so upfront and honest makes him less shy

oh he knows how to body worship, he’s been dreaming of treating you like royalty since you first met and this is his chance

rubbing, nipping, licking and gently biting at your exposed flesh 

hand cupping the back of your neck in a possessive yet protective way also

big fan of hand stuff, just to really get you in the mood

but he also pulls away a lot just to make sure you’re still enjoying yourself and don’t want him to leave

he gets insecure like that at times

but when the act is actually happening, he’s in the moment entirely. Anxiety? who is she?

he wants you to ride him, he figures that’s best for you

lets you decide how deep you want to take him in and lets you set your own pace

also gives him a chance to rub, slap and cup your ass as much as he wants

he gets you to stop half way through just so he can take your face in his hands, look into your eyes and tell you “You’re perfect” before rolling you over and getting on top

Mikey

overexcited to the max

a “wait! this is really happening?”

then he’s practically squealing before giving himself a little pep talk of “be cool, man. don’t blow this for us”

oh he is so clumsy with it 

leading you to his room while trying to still makeout with you at the same time

you both bumping into every wall and table on the way there 

he picks you up bridal style to “carry you over the threshold” as he puts it

everything is just a light hearted, fun time with Mikey

however he takes your enjoyment and, beyond that, your consent very seriously.

((not that the others don’t, just Mikey is super in tune with this stuff))

he’s very intuitive so if you pull away or your body language doesn’t feel right, he asks about it and stops what he’s doing

last thing on earth he would want to do is make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe

the second he’s given the all clear, though, it’s back to business!

oh the dry humping and groping is to die for

he can’t have his hands in enough places at once 

very touchy feely to the extent it makes you laugh because he just wants you so badly and it’s so clear

after some more heavy petting and the clothes come off he gets between your legs so close that you can feel his breath on your most sensitive area and asks “do you want me to fuck you?”

not that you need to be asked twice, but it makes you falter because of just how hot that is

of course you say yes and then you’re in for the time of your life

he is the king of oral after all

his tongue just knows all the right spots and it’s slopping and intense and just oh so good

whispering sweet nothings against your sex because he’s just having such a good time down there

making sure to tell you how amazing you taste

but that’s just the warm up

the main act, he will of course ask again if this is what you want and then it’s show time babeyy

he wants you on your side with him behind you, arms around you and he lets you put him inside you, just to make sure you’re really ready 

playing with your nipples the entire time he’s fucking you because that’s just what Mikey loves to do

whispering in your ear non stop as well

about how tight you feel, how much he adores you....ect

biting your ear lobe and leaving hickies on your neck

Donnie

oh he’s the most nervous of any of them

not because he doesn’t know what he’s doing, believe me he does, he’s read enough books on it and maybe seen enough videos on the matter if you catch my drift

he could make you cum blindfolded with one hand tied behind his back (in fact, he’d probably like that)

but he wants everything to be perfect, he’s a romantic after all and this is a blessing and a curse

things are getting steamy and he knows it because you’re reaching up under his hoodie and caressing his thighs so he knows that tonight is the night

he’s half prepared which is less that he likes to be

he’ll excuse himself for a second and then come back 5 minutes later and lead you to his room

candles everywhere, slow jazz music playing and his bed is actually made for once

“...I wanted it to be special” he says sheepishly, so of course you throw your arms around him and kiss him deeply

mainly keeps his hands to safe areas until you tell him it’s ok to touch you and then he takes full liberties with it

king of hand stuff I cannot stress this enough

he has strong, perfect hands that know how to hit all the right spots and do not get tired

he can let you go 3 rounds with just his hand while both of you are still mostly clothed 

lots of brushing your hair out of your face and smiling little a dork at you

even lying back at one point and snorting because “oh my god I thought this would never happen!”

he makes it clear that he’s just thrilled to be there with you which makes you feel special 

eventually the clothes come off and he’s surprisingly good at taking the lead 

marking you up a little, even going as far as to leave a trail of love bites in the shape of a heart on your stomach 

he’s such an attentive kisser as well, just matching the pace you set and never too much or too little tongue, always letting you guide how you want it

he wants to to ride him, of course

he wants to just watch you, see your hair get messy as you run your hands through it in pleasure, see how you close your eyes and throw your head back, how you purse your lips together or bite your bottom lip to stifle a moan

hands on your midriff the entire time, helping you set a pace that’s good for both of you

he never takes his eyes off of you, just stares up adoringly the entire time

#tmnt #tmnt imagine #teenage mutant ninja turtles #teenage mutant ninja turtles imagine #tmnt 2014 #tmnt leo #tmnt raph #tmnt mikey #tmnt donnie #tmnt raphael #tmnt donatello #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt leonardo #first time #first times #tmnt x reader

[atimburtonfan]

How Tim Burton influenced my life

I haven't posted very much on here in the past months so I tried to find the reason why and thus decided to write down how Tim Burton's films and art have influenced my life. I also like to divide his films into three distinct periods to explain how his works have changed over time and what might have been the catalyst behind this.

First period: 1982-1999/2000 These above mentioned years I like to classify as the first period of Tim Burton's films and fame. It started in 1982 with the production of his short animated film, Vincent. It was during this time that Tim Burton started to produce/direct films for a world wide audience and that he started to build up a name for himself.

The short films of Vincent, Frankenweenie and Hansel and Gretel are nowadays true Burton classics and show his distinctive style of art. The beginning of the 80's were basically the beginning of the imagery that nowadays people call Burtonesque. It's this period during which Tim Burton could truly be called an outcast in the film industry, making eclectic films that would captivate millions.

Each of the three periods is also defined by a woman and it was during the first period, 1992 to be exact, that Tim Burton and Lisa Marie met each other, they got engaged in the following year until the start of the second period which is defined by another female actress, the woman most people associate with the name Tim Burton.

In my opinion it was during this period that Tim Burton made his most personal and creative films, my all time favourite film was made during this period. It's clear that Tim Burton was able to express himself quite purely before he got influenced by the studio that once rejected him. Some of these personal and creative films include: Ed Wood, Mars Attacks, Beetle Juice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Pee-wee and his adaptations of the Batman films.

It was also during this period that I was born and introduced to his films at an early age. The first Tim Burton film that I have ever seen was Mars Attacks, an underrated comedy that I still love to watch these days. Even though I saw his films during the 1990's, I never really concerned myself with learning the names of directors or even be remotely interested in the background of them or recognize their distinctive art styles.

Second period: 2000-2012 These years are what I like to call the 'golden age' of Tim Burton's fame and influence. During the late 1990's and early 2000's, alternative music such as metalcore, nu-metal, gothic and industrial metal started to become incredibly popular in mainstream culture. Many teens became obsessed with this type of music and it was especially the explosion of the Emo-culture that introduced many teens, including myself, to Tim Burton's distinctive artstyle.

Shops like Hot-Topic became incredibly popular and many people began to dress themselves as if they were a character of a Burton film. Therefore it isn't very surprising that Burtonesque merchandise started to appear in the same shops where Emo, alternative, gothic and metal teens liked to shop, further fueling his fame as the lonesome different gothic filmdirector.

Why 2000 you might wonder? As I have said earlier, each period is defined by a woman in his life and it was during this year that Tim Burton met Helena Bonham Carter on the set of Planet of the Apes. They quickly fell in love with each other that eventually resulted in them having two children and living inside two homes that were connected to each other. Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton together formed one of the most eccentric couples that Hollywood has ever seen and they were much beloved by their fans.

It was during this period that films such as: Corpse Bride, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Big Fish, Alice In Wonderland, Dark Shadows, Planet Of The Apes and Frankenweenie were made. They captured the hearts of millions of people throughout the world who felt like an outsider in this society and gave them a place they could call home. This was the era of the golden trio, Burton, Depp and Carter.

I myself became an awkward gothic teen at the age of 12 when I first entered high school. It was a time before youtube, the internet was still a relative new thing therefore it was incredibly hard to get your hands on anything remotely Burtonesque. I can remember reading magazines of alternative shops like Large and the McFiber and begging my mother to buy me some stuff.

As I grew more awkward and awkward, eventually getting an autism diagnosis, I got deeper involved into the alternative scene. All of my friends were exactly the same, different, alternative and thrown out by mainstream society. Many of us had serious mental problems which resulted in self harming and even episodes of attempted suicide.

It was then that I started to find comfort in his works. I could identify myself perfectly with the characters of his works and I adored the image and lives of the adorable couple, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter. I became truly obsessed with some of his films and started to finally learn English in order to write fanfictions about Sleepy Hollow. The alternative/emo scéne reached its highest moments during this period and it was almost fun to be that weird outsider who liked the art and films of Tim Burton.

Third period: 2013-present day This is what I like to call the decline of the alternative scéne and thus also the decline of Tim Burton's popularity. There are of course multiple reasons why Burton eventually became less popular but I think the most important reason is the fact that the alternative scéne is slowly dying. Most of us who were teens during the early 2000's have now grown up and most have shed off their unique gothic/ alternative/emo skins and entered adulthood life.

The internet has also changed. Platforms such as myspace, vampirefreaks and the countless of forums have died, these spaces were havens for alternative kids. Youtube was by then well introduced and started to commercialize quite badly, I honestly miss the times during which Youtube was just a free platform to share your videos without any intent to make money.

Like I said at the beginning, each period is defined by a woman in the life of Tim Burton and it was around the end of 2012 that the relationship between Burton and Carter started to wobble. It was also during this year that Eva Green made her debute in Dark Shadows. Rumours quickly rose that Eva and Tim were having an affair and in 2014, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter separated, which was absolutely stunning news to their fans as they were long viewed as the ideal 'gothic' couple.

In my honest opinion, the quality of Burton's works started to drop dramatically after the separation. The period of the classic Burton/Carter films was now officially over and this era is defined by films such as: Miss Peregrine, Big Eyes and Dumbo. None of these films really felt like a classic Burton film and I feel like he has sold his soul and creativity to Disney. Where he once was the outcast, the one who opposed Disney in order to produce his own unique works, he is now fully part of the Disney company and his distinctive style is now barely visible.

He also has made barely any works since 2012, the aforementioned films are basically the only ones he directed since the last decade. At this current moment, there is no work in production, although there are rumours he is making a sequel to Beetlejuice and his own adaptation of the Addams Family but this can't be verified. Most of his original fanbase have grown up and either shed the alternative scéne skin entirely or are still stuck loving his older works.

I can place myself in between. Truth be told, I also lost most of my interest after 2012. I became an adult and the emo scéne I once loved so much, was now officially dead. I didn't like the films he produced after Frankenweenie (2012), it somehow lacked that classic Burton magic. Not to mention that Tumblr itself has also been dying, and still is.

I still love his early works very dearly and rewatch them quite often until this day. I have however stopped obsessing about them, with the exception of one film, Sleepy Hollow. Tim Burton created a home for teens and young  adults who didn't fit into modern society. I was one of those teens and his films have really helped me get through an extremely difficult period of my life. He made me feel that I belonged to something and the weekends I have spent holding Tim Burton marathons with my alternative friends were the best moments in my life.

I'm so sorry for this incredibly long post but I wanted to try to explain how Tim Burton influenced my life and how this eventually led to me barely posting anything on this tumblr account in 2021. What do you think of Tim Burton currently? Do you agree with the three periods that I have defined?

#Tim Burton #Personal #Influence

[phantombandit-films]

Why ‘War of the Worlds’ (2005) is a underrated masterpiece.

‘War of the Worlds’ was released in 2005, it is directed by the film god that is Steven Spielberg (Jaws, E.T.) and written by Josh Friedman (Terminator: Dark Fate, Avatar 2) and David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible) 

Cast:  - Tom Cruise as Ray Farrier. - Justin Chatwin as Robbie Farrier. - Dakota Fanning as Rachel Farrier. - Miranda Otto as Mary Ann. -Tim Robbins as Harlan Ogilvy. - Ann Robinson as Grandmother.  - Gene Barry as Grandfather. 

First lets start with some history of ‘The War of the Worlds’ - The 2005 film is based off the novel of the same name which was written by H.G. Wells between 1895 and 1897, it then was then made into a series by Pearson’s Magazine in 1897 in the UK, Cosmopolitan in the US. Then becoming a hardback novel in 1898, it is one of the earliest written pieces to tell a story of conflict between Martians and man and so its one of the most commented on pieces of science fiction. 

It has been adapted and developed several times over many decades in many medias, the ones that come to mind are the famous 1938 dramatic radio reading that was directed and starred Orson Welles that actually caused public panic to those who listened in and didn’t know that the Martian invasion was fiction, its said that up to a million people ran out of their homes in terror.  (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama) )

The 1953 ‘The War of the Worlds’ film adaptation, which was produced by George Pal and directed by Byron Haskin. It also starred Gene Barry (who played Dr. Clayton Forrester) and Ann Robinson (who played Sylvia Van Buren) who can also been seen at the end of the 2005 film, they play the grandparents of Robbie and Rachel which I think is a sweet little cameo to see for those who loved the 1953 film.  Ann Robinson also revived her role as Sylvia Van Buren in two other films and three episodes of ‘The War of the Worlds’ tv series in 1988. 

In 1978 the most well known musical album by Jeff Wayne was produced and based off the story of ‘War of the Worlds’ this album included the voices of Richard Burton and David Essex.

This was then turned into a concert musical which tours annually through out the UK and Europe, the concert includes live performers such as Carrie Hope Fletcher but also a 3D hologram of Liam Neeson. It also includes a mix of computer animation, pyrotechnics and a big mechanical tripod that comes out on stage and lights up and can fire its heat-ray. 

(Source: Birmingham Mail.)

There have also been several Tv series, the two newest being the 2019 BBC version staring Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson and Full Monty’s Robert Carlyle, that has a Edwardian setting and follows closely to the novel. 

The other being the FOX 2019 adaptation that is set in present day Europe but I found this version didn’t really go off the novel, and was frustrated with the lack of the famous Tripods.  (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds) 

As a kid I would watch the 1953 film with my mum all the time as its one of her favourites and I do really like it, but then 2005 rolled around and in comes Steven Spielberg’s version. To be fair it was probably 2006 when I finally saw it, I was nine years old at the time and I remember my dad bringing home the DVD that someone at work had lent him. I don’t remember watching it but I do remember having nightmares for a month after, only for a month though.  Many years later when I was half way through high school and getting more and more into film my dad then bought the DVD from Woolworth's before it shut down, the DVD didn’t have a case only a see through CD case so I think it only cost him something like 50p. So I re-watched and again I don’t really remember this but all of a sudden I was hooked, and it climbed to the second spot on my favourite movies list where it still sits today. Honestly if you asked anyone I was friends with at that time they will tell you just how obsessed I was with it.  

I have many scenes that I love in this film the first being the rise of the first tripod, but there are two that I geek out over every time. 

The first scene being the one in the basement at Robbie and Rachel’s house, the scene starts off with Ray asleep in a chair. He starts to stir when when a blue flash of light on his face, but then jolts up right at a load whooshing noise followed by closely by Robbie shooting up from just below the camera. I love the way that Robbie appears sort of fits with the sound that’s heard, also the whole mood of the scene which is pitch black with this blue flashing light every now and then. The fact that you’re just as clueless as the characters as well, you find out what’s happening when they find out.  Also the way that Rachel appears behind the basement stairs, which will appear again near the end of the movie in a much more damaged basement which shows just how much their world has changed in just a short few days.  The sound design in this movie as well is something that I love, I love when the sound in a film alone can creep you out. The tripod sound is one of my favourite sounds to exist, like if I heard that from outside I would be so creeped out and scared.  At this moment in time Robbie and Rachel have no idea what is hunting them or what Ray has seen, Imagine running from something and seeing something completely destroy the whole of your neighbourhood yet not knowing what it looks like. This is what runs through my mind when I heart Rachel cry “Is it them, Is it them?!”  Then the next morning when Ray goes upstairs and see’s that the house is just completely destroyed by an aeroplane that has crashed down in the middle of the the housing estate. This Boeing 747 was a out of use plane and the production crew bought it for $60,000 which then cost them $200,000 to transport, it was then broken into pieces and houses were built around it. Which just shows how far some movie productions will go to make a film look more legit. (We love practical effects in this house.) This scene is still set up at Universal Studios Hollywood and can be seen on the Studio tour. 

(Basement and Plane crash scene.)

My second favourite scene, which is one of my all time top favourite scene ever with no surprise is the dock scene.  The speeding train that’s on fire is absolute stunning in every sense but for me the scene starts when the music starts.  ‘If I ruled the world, everyday would be the first day of spring.’ But i’m really glued to the screen when Rachel starts to follow the birds coming in from the river to in land, she follows them up to the hill where she notices the tree’s on the top are moving weirdly. “The tree’s are funny.” She then reaches out and grabs onto Rays hand who was talking to a friend.  Robbie turns to the hill as the camera slowly comes back and shows Robbie also turning to look at where Ray is looking. (Just remembering that this is the first time Robbie and Rachel ever see the tripods.) 

The camera then shows us what the family is looking at to reveal a tripod stood on the top of the hill, it then moves one of its legs which crushes a tree and makes everyone else look back. Obviously chaos ensues from this point on, everyone running trying to get onto the ferry to get away from the impending doom, unfortunately we learn that no where, not even on the water is safe. As a tripod comes up from out of the water and attacks the ferry, the family manage to escape and get to land on the other side of the ferry. They stop for a moment to catch their breath as people are being picked out of the water below them, they turn as a old air raid alarm is heard on the other side of the hill and we see tripods coming over another hill that was filled with people and using their head rays to wipe them all out, we also see in the distance a lighting storm indicating more Martions are still coming to earth. The scene is like a depiction of all the stages of the attack.  (Dock attack scene.)

I mean all the action scenes in this movie are just so beautiful and amazing, but did we expect any less from Spielberg? And the CGI and practical are all done extremely well and fitted together to make a scene look as real as possible. One of the art directors that worked on this film, Doug J. Meerdink who has also worked on Jurassic Park: III, Cloverfield and Jurassic World. 

I was looking up some trivia on IMDB for this movie and found that there was a deleted scene that is called the ‘Camelot’ scene. This scene is supposed to take place between the attack on the ferry and the battle on the hill, it involves Ray, Rachel and Robbie walking through an abandoned housing estate that’s named Camelot, when a pack of tripods start walking near by.  One of the tripods breaks off and the family has to take cover behind a SUV, they watch helplessly from behind as the tripod reaches into the house and grabs people from the houses. This scene has never been released but apparently it was fully finished, VFX and all but then taken out a few weeks before post production was wrapped up.  There is only one official video from this scene that was in the actual trailer for the film, and it’s only a shot of the family hiding behind the SUV. 

The only other shot from the scene is this landscape shot of a CGI tripod. 

There are also photos of the set designers setting up the miniature of the housing estate to shoot this scene, the rest are fan arts of how the scene maybe looked/ played out.  (Source)

I really hope that one day Steven releases this scene, or for some anniversary adds it into an extended version of the film like we’ve seen for other films. Because I would love that so much! It seems like such an incredible scene, and to see the tripods up this close again would be so cool! 

One of the trailers that was released for this film doesn’t have any of the film shots it in, It takes place in a normal neighbourhood where people are just going about their normal nightly routine when suddenly over the hill there are all these brilliant flashing lights, everyone's just coming out of their houses in their pj’s and standing in the street marvelling at this sight in front of them. Then we see explosions and suddenly heat rays are blowing up the tress on the street which then goes into the title.  I just love this, a trailer that doesn’t give anything away from the movie but creeps you out enough to be invested.  (Trailer.)

All in all it’s just an very visually pleasing film, it feels real enough to give you a sense of fear for the characters and for yourself. I also love that Steven stayed true to the source material,more truer than some of the other adaptations and also added in his own little Easter eggs.  The sounds, the aesthetic, the colours just everything comes together so beautifully. I think its a very underrated movie that deserves so much more love.

#war of the worlds #war of the worlds 2005 #robbie farrier #ray farrier #rachel farrier #steven spielberg #movie #film #film talk #tom cruise #dakota fanning #justin chatwin #the war of the worlds #not really a film review #i just wanted to talk about my love for this film

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

Cats for the ship ask! (yes, all of them. XD I want to know all of your opinions!)

OH GOSH OKAY

(i did all the “general” ship ones!)

what is your absolute favorite ship?

Tuggoffelees, Demestrap, Casslonzo, Platoria! And obviously all my OC ships, both mine and my mutuals’!

what ship do you hate most?

I don’t hate these ships, but anything with kittens x adults is a no-no for me, as well as anything Mungoteazer, Demelurina, Cassomile, or Coricomile.

what was your first ship, and what fandom is it from?

My first ship in this fandom was probably Demestrap? I didn’t start really shipping Tuggoffelees until I had read a few fics and had been able to watch some videos of different productions!

explain why do/don’t ship [pairing]

Tuggoffelees- i love their dynamic, and the amount of interpretation this pairing gets within the fandom is incredible!

Demestrap- i just... both of them are wonderful, and honestly the 1998 production has my favorite version of Demestrap, just because we get to see all their background moments!

Casslonzo- they’re gorgeous, slinky, and i can 100% imagine them only being soft with each other. 

Platoria- I LOVE SHY PLATO BEING CAREFUL AROUND VICTORIA DURING THE JELLICLE BALL!!! The 2016 revival has my favorite version of them, especially since they get their own moments during the group dance during the Ball.

I don’t ship pairings like Demeter/Bombalurina, Mungojerrie/Rumpleteazer, or Cassandra/Tantomile because I see them as family. One of my biggest hcs is that Demeter and Bombalurina are sisters, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are twins, and that Cassandra is Tantomile’s aunt, so those ships for me are a no-no (I’ve got a whole Jellicle family tree on my blog, so anyone that I hc as related on that tree is a no-no for shipping for me personally)

how did you start shipping [pairing]?

I started shipping Demestrap because I just thought their interactions were absolutely wonderful, and I really just loved seeing all the content about them. Same with Tuggoffelees after finding some videos of different productions!

is there a ship that you used to ship, but don’t anymore?

I don’t think there is? Victeazer might be one, but it’s not that I don’t ship it anymore, I just don’t write anything for it.

what’s a ship you like that most people don’t?

2019 Tuggoffelees. I don’t think that it’s that people don’t like it, but it’s more so that Mistoria and Mistoriastraps are the more popular ships from that movie. But I love looking into that ship, because they’ve got such an interesting dynamic, and the idea that they’d be ex-boyfriends is probably my favorite hc!!

what’s a ship you hate that most people like?

Again, there’s not hate here, but Demelurina is a ship that I can never get into. The art that people draw for this ship is absolutely stunning, and I’ve stumbled across a few fics that are really well-written, but because of my own hcs, I just can’t get myself to enjoy the gorgeous content about them.

what is the most underrated ship, in your opinion?

2019 Tantojerrie. I wrote like 3 shorts for it and never wrote anything again, but that ship still lives in my head and there are days I can’t stop thinking about them.

what is the most overrated ship, in your opinion?

I don’t think there’s an overrated ship, honestly! 

[gothamcityneedsme]

I saw this bouncing around my dash and decided to fill it out myself for fun :)  I decided to not double-list any games, and I tried to mix up the companies I used too so that the list would be more unique.

Long post, so I’m doing a readmore for my longwinded part lol.

(read more)

Favorite Game: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords - I could talk about this game forever.  How it tears apart the Star Wars universe from within, how it creates a compelling story while challenging the usual themes, etc.  I could talk for ages about the characters and how their motivations slot in place, and how this game lends itself to interpretation and analysis alongside roleplay.  It’s just a wonderful game, one I deeply love and will always love.  It’s a game that isn’t afraid to have you talk to other characters for twenty or thirty minutes at a time and honestly I’m always riveted at every line.  This game deserves the cult fanbase it has, but I think there’s a lot the fanbase misses in appreciating this game.  (Note...gameplay is a little janky and a community made mod restores a lot content that was cut before shipping-the game wasn’t properly finished).

Best Story:  Fallout New Vegas - It’s the setting that makes the story here, and all the moving pieces and factions alongside the main conflict really make this game stand out.  There’s so many little pieces to find along the way in the world and the way the main quest splits based on who you want in power feels important--and you are choosing a future for this whole region.

Favorite Art Style: The Witness - This game is peacefully wonderful with its visuals.  There are wonderful nature scenes and nests of wires and panels spreading in various parts of the island that are fascinating to look at.  The environment is half of the gameplay in most areas, so it’s important to look around even though exploration is not really the gameplay.  You find puzzles in the world, even in nature, and it’s fascinating.  The colors are bright and beautiful.  There is even a map in the middle of the island inside of a lake that helps you track your progress if you notice it (it isn’t like a normal ‘map’).

Favorite Soundtrack: Shin Megami Tensei IV - I love video game soundtracks, but SMTIV is something special.  The music booms in ways that make you really understand the atmosphere of the world, and there’s a great mix of different kinds of tracks for different places.  I love the tracks for the other worlds you enter, and the themes of the different routes are done so well.  Some of the music draws from past SMT games, but the remixes done for this game really are stunning to me, and there’s so many fantastic original tracks.

Hardest Game: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream - I love this game but I literally never touch it without a walkthrough, which is why it gets to be the hardest game on the list, despite being a point and click adventure game lol.  Also just emotionally this game is challenging too, but I definitely mean this more in terms of getting a ‘perfect run’.

Funniest Game: The Stanley Parable - Trying to make this list has taught me that I don’t really play many ‘funny games’.  I don’t know if a game where multiple endings demand that you kill yourself should count as a ‘funniest game’, but it is also a game where the narrator tells you to stare at a fern and memorize its features, so....it counts.

Game I Like that is Hated: RWBY Grimm Eclipse - I’ve been playing this game since it was in early access and have loved it the whole time.  I find the gameplay soothing and fun, and I like playing the different characters.  It’s a game I play to chill out and just enjoy some fun battle mechanics.  It’s a fun game and I’ve spent over 100 hours in it, so I hope I like it, lol.

Game I Hate that is Liked:  Nier Automata - Neither this game’s gameplay or story impress me, and the fact that you have to replay basically the same stuff from a more boring-to-play-character’s pov in order to SEE all of the plot is a huge damper on the experience.  The story, to me, someone who engages with a lot of robot-focused fiction, is far from impressive or new, and it hardly engages with genre specifics at all, let alone in a new or interesting way.  I view this game as ‘a story with robots in it’ rather than ‘a story about robots’, which, to me, is a detriment.

Underrated: Nevermind - This game is amazing and very unheard of--and when it is heard of, it has been marketed incorrectly.  Nevermind seems like a horror game, and does market itself as one a bit, but it’s much more than that.  It’s more about trauma, recovery, therapy, etc.  This is a game that is so mindful about the topics it engages in that I am impressed by it every time.  It’s heavy with symbolism and character, despite lacking conversations or other similar game mechanics.  This is a lovely game that I really wish more people knew about-`p5-all of the patients are so interesting, and the focus on recovery and mental health is impressive.

Overrated:  Fire Emblem - I sort of mean this as the series as a whole really.  I have enjoyed the entries I have played somewhat, but I overall consider the series much less impressive than I was led to believe by others.  The gameplay especially is not impressive to me in any regard, even though I sometimes do find myself enjoying it.  The stories are alright, but many of them are weighed down by the gameplay and as a writer and person who likes to analyze writing, it’s very hard to do so when it isn’t able to fully exist under the chains the gameplay forces on it.  There are ways to mix gameplay and story well, Fire Emblem has not really done that in any of the entries I’ve played.  That being said, I don’t regret playing them, and I will occasionally replay, but I consider them mediocre games at best.

Best Voice Acting: Devil Survivor 2 - I love the voice acting in this game.  I feel like all the characters are really suited to their voices, and it’s really easy for me to visualize their voices.  They really bring the game to life and make both the dramatic and the funny scenes more enjoyable.

Worst Voice Acting: Jedi Knight Jedi Academy - I love this game, I really do, but some of the voice acting is janky.  Some of it is okay too--I think Kyle Katarn’s voice actor does fine, and some of the others I like NOW but hated when I was a kid, but the male protagonist voice in this game is just awful.  Which is bad when Jennifer Hale is the female voice actress lol.  His performance is passable though unless you’re playing darksided--the darksided ending to the game lacks all punch when you’re playing the male protagonist.

Favorite Male:  Battler Ushiromiya from Umineko no Naku Koro Ni - He’s the protagonist for most of the visual novels and I adore him utterly, especially once you move past episode 2.  He’s a wonderful character who I care about deeply.  I love his drive and how he fights--he’s someone who is easy to cheer for.  He matures well throughout the series and his character development is just wonderful.

Favorite Female:  Naoto Shirogane from Persona 4 - I really like how Naoto fits so well in the game, especially for being a final recruit--oftentimes the final recruit of Persona games (post 3) have a bit of a more difficult time feeling right with the group.  Naoto works really well though, and I love her struggles and story as well.  I think the difficulties she has concerning living as a woman in her field hit very deep to a problem that has existed for a very long time.

Favorite Protagonist: Connor of Daventry from King’s Quest 8 Mask of Eternity - I’m like, one of four fans of this character in the world, lol.  KQ8 is not a very well liked game and it does have a lot of issues, both with age and with how much of a departure it is from the series prior to it.  It’s strange to take a puzzle adventure game and make it a hybrid with what basically is a shooter, and it doesn’t really work.  Add to that the fact that you spend most of your time in the game without anyone around to talk to and it leads to this really polarizing and weird experience.  For me, Conner goes through what I would consider to be the ‘Ultimate Nightmare Scenario”.  Everyone in the world is turned to stone except him (and he survived out of mere chance) and so now it’s up to him, practically alone, to save the entire world.  There is no game lonelier than this.  I adore him for his bravery in the face of it, and how he just picks up to do what must be done because someone should do it, and if no one else can, then he will.  I also really love how he apologizes to people who are encased in stone while he takes money from their houses to help him on his journey.  I really do think he went back after the game was over and gave everyone heaps of gold to pay them back with interest lol.

Favorite Village:  Oakvale from Fable - The first Fable is the only one I really like, and it was one of the games I played when I was little, so the hometown in the game always meant a lot to me.  I like how you grow up there and how your tragic backstory is there--and then how you get to return to the town years later after you’ve come into your own, and you can see it completely rebuilt.  I like to spend a lot of my time in this town, just wandering around it and playing the minigames.  Even though I have a house in every town, Oakvale is where my hero calls home.

Most Hated Character:  Merril from Dragon Age 2 - I don’t really want to lay into how I feel about Merril, but what I will say is that it was suggested to me that I totally ignore her when playing, and I did so.  I only met her for her quest, dropped her off in town, and literally never spoke to her or interacted for the rest of the game.  I had a much better experience for it, honestly.  She appeared after I made my choice in the end of the game, which felt weird since I hadn’t spoken to her in several ingame years, but other than that, the game was totally fine without her.  I sort of just wish you could kill characters in DA2 the way you can in DAO, then I’d just do that, tbh.  It doesn’t suit very many (or any) of the characters I rp in DA2 to keep her around or support her in any way.

First Game I Played: Mixed up Mother Goose Deluxe - I’m not actually sure if this is the FIRST game I’ve ever played or not, but it’s one of the first I played alone as a kid.  I really loved it--this is probably what created my love for point and click adventures, and the game was very silly and fun.

Favorite Company: Bioware - I’ve always been a sucker for Bioware games, ever since Knights of the Old Republic 1 was my favorite childhood game.  I love how they do stories and party members, and while I’m not a fan of all of their games, I really love what they’ve made and their style of storytelling and character driven plot.  Even though sometimes their stories get cliche, I think the suit video games well and most of my early gaming was within their games.

Hated Company: EA - Bioware truly only started to go to shit after the EA acquisition, so I fucking hate EA.   I know Bioware had issues before EA too, but I definitely don’t think EA has helped the situation whatsoever.

Depressing Game: The Beginner’s Guide - I relate to this game as a creator and a writer, and it affects me deeply because of the story it tells and the questions it raises.  It makes me reflect on how I think of myself as a creator, and it reminds me of friendships I used to have.

Creepy Game:  The Path - God, I love this game.  It’s just aimlessly wandering around and finding symbolic scenery and watching your current character comment on it.  Then, you go off to find your girl’s wolf, and each one is different and unique to her, and you watch it ‘kill’ her--and facing her wolf is the only way each girl can truly mature.  Whenever you get to grandmother’s house, the camera switches to first person, and your eyes keep closing, so you can only see while clicking to move.  It forces you to keep moving so that you can see, but since you are moving, you only get to see things somewhat vaguely.  It’s got a great atmosphere, and I love the symbolic storytelling.

Happy Game: Eastshade - This game is so sweet.  There’s some drama around to with many of the quests, but I like this as an rpg without combat, and I think this would be a really good kids game.  There’s a lot to see and explore, and the game was made to be really pretty so that you want to paint several aspects of it.  It’s really lovely to just wander around in this game and bike around the area, painting anything that suits your fancy.  As long as you don’t finish the main quest, you’re free to wander, and materials do respawn, so you essentially can infinitely paint once you get far enough.

Favorite Ending: Virtue’s Last Reward - I love the questions this game asks and where the ending goes.  It thematically ties together--the whole reason the game itself exists is to get the attention of a ‘higher being’--the player, essentially.  I love how it plays with that concept, and even though the final game in the series doesn’t entirely pick this idea up where this game left it, standalone this game is stunning in how it comes together.

#shitpost #long post #this was fun to do #i made it so every answer was a different video game and i tried to mix up my companies as well #got 3 atlus games on here but mer #2 obsidon #llol #2 sierra too haha but still #beginner's guide and tsp were made by the same guy too but #STILL I LIMITED MYSELF OK #these answers aren't absolute because i was trying to have a good diverse list lol

[noyin]

Which LoZ game is your favorite?? Which ones have you played if any, and if so what was your first?? Fav character?

Oh boy here we go

I've played every one except Zelda, Zelda 2, A Link To The Past, Oracle of Seasons & Ages and sort of Wind Waker

Phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda game

It's so hard to choose which one is my favorite honestly. But...

I have a huge soft spot for Phantom Hourglass. I genuinely love the story, gameplay, characters, design, concepts. I feel as if it's also heavily over hated, it's a great game and I just love it so much. Also. It produced the best character/companion in the history of Zelda who we all know it's Linebeck (yes I will fight anyone who claims otherwise)

I cannot put into words how much I also love Minish Cap. It's also severely underrated (but I think that's bc of the console it was released on). But let me tell you, Minish Cap gets SO MANY THINGS right. The aesthetic, the concept, the level design, the Overworld design, the bosses, the items, the story. Gah there's something so uniquely special about Minish Cap and I adore it.

Link Between Worlds. That game is SO GOOD. I love the world and temples and story and characters (though I will say the characters were it's weakest point-- the most character we got other than the main ones was Irene and I love her). It also utilizes it's 'gimmick' very well. And HOLY SHIT. THE OST. Hands down one of the best osts in any video game

(but needless to say, any Zelda ost is PHENOMENAL.)

Call me a basic bitch but I also love Ocarina of Time. Aside from being REVOLUTIONARY in the video game industry, it's VERY solid and deserves all the praise it gets. I'm not kidding. The storyline is very well made, the design is very pleasing, the temples are jaw dropping amazing, and again, the concept? Stunning. I think Ocarina of Time has THE BEST Temple music in any Zelda game overall. The Vibes in each temple are SPOT. ON.

(a small interlude so that I can say that I LOVE the Vibes in Majora's Mask also. Very pleasing color palette also)

And finally!! Breath of the Wild. I cannot stress just how BREATHTAKING this game is. Story, temple, world, this game has got it all. Breath of the Wild isn't a game, it's ART. And I have so many fond memories of it.

(one last shoutout to Skyward Sword, a game that is so beautiful that I might cry just thinking about it. Skyward Sword is very dear to me and deserves so much more praise in general. The gameplay, story, design, and characters are AMAZING okay!! In this household we love and respect Skyward Sword!!!!)

Lastly!! My favorite character from The Legend of Zelda is Link in general. I have several favorites that are more game-specific, but Link is the overall favorite.

#lavmochi talks #Zelda #lo!! #long post

[thegaytwentysomething]

“Harleys In Hawaii”: A Retrospective on Katy Perry’s Best Single in 5 Years

Though she triumphantly claimed last year that she’s “Never Really Over”, Katy Perry seems...somewhat over. Yes, she’s still making millions a year from American Idol, royalties from her greatest hits, and successful, visually stunning world tours (as recently as 2018), but it doesn’t take a pop music aficionado to know that the Katy Perry of 2010 is long gone. Her star, honestly, has been nearly taken from Ariana Grande, the new it girl of pop. Everything Katy touched in 2012 went straight to number one, she consistently topped hottest women alive lists, and her career seemed limitless. In fact, Katy Perry probably reached her true peak a few years later in 2015 with the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show of all time, which was the very best of an icon distilled into 12 minutes of pure pop culture greatness.

Since then though? Well, it’s been mostly all downhill. 2016’s stand alone Olympic single “Rise” underperformed. Then, while “Chained to the Rhythm”, her first proper debut single in the almost 4 years since 2013’s “Roar”, made an impact at #4 on the Hot 100, it faded much more quickly than previous ubiquitous hits. While “Chained” remains a great Katy Perry track complete with perhaps one of her greatest music videos, Teenage Dream era included, the rest of Witness saw Katy stuggling to redefine herself as “woke” and futuristic. Much like messy eras Bionic and ARTPOP before it, Witness was not a bad album, but it was overly ambitious and divisive. Worse for Perry, this challenging album came right when she needed a proper comeback nearly 4 years since releasing proper new music. Matters were made worse by troubling media interviews, setting hopes high with a “purposeful pop” promise, and truly cringe-worthy performances. Witness saw Perry artistically lost at exactly the time she needed to be focused. A truly awful pixie cut even took away her trademark sex appeal, effectively turning a pop princess into a goofy aunt in a matter of months. By the time the cringe-worthy music video for “Swish Swish” dropped, it seemed as though all of Katy Perry’s magic had vanished.

With a nearly career-destroyingly bad era behind her, Katy had a lot of ground to make up in 2019, and she started her comeback by testing the waters with a new sound with Zedd on the collaboration “365”. While the black mirror themed music video, good vocals, and stellar hook were promising, the track’s lack of a proper chorus and somewhat uninspired production just wasn’t good enough to make up for the destruction Witness left behind.

Katy tried again for a comeback with May’s “Never Really Over”. The song was promoted with the focus of a lead single, but with ambiguity as a safegaurd in case it underperformed. While the song had moderate impact, some longevity, and some cool factor among Carly Rae Jepsen-y gays if only for its distinct fast-paced hook, the song was not a smash hit. It lacked the special feeling of a Katy Perry lead single and it more or less left the public wanting something better. Close, but no cigar.

Late summer’s “Small Talk”, a quirky, over-hyped, juvenile Charlie Puth co-write track, quickly took Katy back to square one. Just like at the end of the Witness era, she seemed anything but cool with this lackluster single.

Then, something miraculous happened, she dropped a focused, unique, concept track that blended the sexy sound of younger stars Camila Cabello and Ariana Grande with Katy’s iconic pure pop sound. That track was not the hugely important lead single of KP5. No, it was the mostly forgotten “Harleys In Hawaii”, the third or fourth in a long line of 2019 stand alone Katy Perry singles. In fact, this song missed the Hot 100 completely and peaked at an embarrassingly low number 10 on the Bubbling Under Chart.

What a shame too, since this song is a real joy for any pop fan. It starts with an island-tinged acoustic guitar hook that continues throughout the track. Quickly, a modern baseline drops as Katy Perry sings about a sexy Hawaiian romance. Falling in love and riding off into the sunset is what Katy Perry at her peak was all about, and this track embodies that vibe incredibly well. The melodic pre-chorus replicates the very best of Katy’s Teenage Dream era prechoruses making use of her dinstinctive falsetto to build up to what we expect to be a huge chorus. However, it isn’t a huge chorus. Rather, we get a catchy, but relatively chill chorus almost in the same way Lana Del Rey’s similarly beachy “West Coast” changes pace and vibe from a fast-paced prechorus to a slow, melodic, and psychedelic chorus. This decision to give the song a mellow chorus is perhaps the single musical reason why the song didn’t smash, but nonetheless, it makes the song distinctive and fresh. It is apparent that Charlie Puth and Katy Perry were trying to emulate the breezy repetition of the chorus of Camila Cabello’s then-recent massive hit “Havana” in an attempt of writing a commercially successful hit. What they ended up doing though was creating something much more artistic, and less commercial. The reason for this is the chorus is not quite so punchy and in-your-face as “Havana”’s. Rather, it blends a singsong-y melody over a chill keyboard chord progression creating a truly breezy island vibe. By comparison, in its chorus, “Havana” has those iconic, bold, clanging piano chords, a big hip hop baseline, and a ridiculously simple melodic repetition. The effect makes “Havana” perfect for the hip-hop obsessed radio landscape of 2017-2020, while “Harleys in Hawaii” stays a little off the beaten path. To me, this makes “Harleys” cool, mellow, and unique, but perhaps it was a little too cool, mellow, and unique for a top 40 landscape dominated by one trap-infused note.

Nonetheless, the song is undoubtedly Katy Perry’s best song since “Dark Horse”. It is expertly crafted with focused melodies, a dynamic vocal performance that ranges from sexy whispers to powerful belting, and thematic yet mature lyrics. The engine rev bridge would be a tad cliche if it weren’t the perfect set up for one of the best vocals in Katy’s discography in the form of an epic 10 second belt complete with breathless note changes and flawless runs. I’m actually convinced the song’s title just might have been a little too kitsch for the general public. She sings about riding Harleys in Hawaii as though it were a universal experience like having sex in a car or playing in the water at the beach, and I think that’s where the song failed to make the connection with the hearts of the general public. That said, the song’s kitschy title is actually backed up by a mature sound, smooth vocal performance, and the incredibly timeless underlying message of wanting to escape to an exotic paradise with your love. In short, it is a great Katy Perry song. Great songs aren’t always hits, however, and stand alone comeback single attempt number 4 was about 4 comeback single attempts too late for a struggling Katy Perry.

Will we ever get a true Katy Perry resurgence and a true return to form? I’m feeling doubtful at this point. Then again, I was doubtful Lady Gaga would ever have a true pop smash hit again and she managed to do that this year by going back to an old sound and reinventing it for 2020. “Harleys In Hawaii” offers a glimpse at what a Katy Perry comeback could sound like. This time, however, if she ever wants to really come back, she needs to take the quality of “Harleys” with the universal message of “Never Really Over” and the promotion of the unfortunately bland true KP5 lead “Daisies”. We’ll have to see how it goes for her, but regardless I’m glad that we got a real treat in the form of this truly underrated song from 2019.

#katy perry #harleys in hawaii #daisies

[deobis]

Road to Kingdom Episode 4 Thoughts

The third challenge was for each group to pick one of their own songs and perform it. I really wish RTK stuck with the “king” theme, but I guess there are only so many challenges they can create revolving that topic. 

DISCLAIMER: I am a lot harsher in this review than any of my other posts. Please know that I do not hate any of the 7 groups and I truly wish the best for all of them. This is just an analysis of the most recent performances.

Anyways onto my rankings!

Enjoyment ranking: 

Pentagon (Wow! For once it’s not TBZ haha)

Verivery

The Boyz

Oneus

ONF

TOO

Golden Child

Objective Ranking:

Verivery

The Boyz

Pentagon

ONF

Oneus

Golden Child

TOO

Prediction rankings:

Pentagon

The Boyz

Verivery

ONF

Oneus

TOO

Golden Child

Put a prediction ranking bc the rankings haven’t been announced yet so we will see tomorrow!

For the first time in forever, TBZ is not first in my book. Shocker I know. That’s not to say that I didn’t like their performance or concept but rather the other groups (PTG and Verivery) did better in my eyes. Let’s talk about TBZ’s Reveal (Catching Fire) perf. I’ll call it RCF for short. TBZ was the only group to continue a story from the second challenge. This gains major points in my book as I love plot driven performances. Anything with a story or clear objective gains brownie points because it’s what makes performances an art. You can dance to a song but if there’s no emotion it stays as a sport rather than a form of artistic expression. TBZ have shown their artistry fully through RTK, something they haven’t really been able to do before. I’m amazed at how they are able to control shock factor so well. I was worried the stunts of Danger would outshine whatever they had to show in RCF but they proved me wrong. There were less stunts this time but they focused on a much larger picture (pun intended). They added backup dancers and allowed the camera to take wider shots to show their formations. I just felt like they lacked a spark this time. If you can’t already tell, I prefer their Danger performance much more. A large part of this is due to the arrangement of Danger. The RCF arrangement was interesting and refreshing but there wasn’t anything really new. Maybe I feel this way because I’ve listened to Reveal too many times who knows. Negatives aside, I have to say I really liked the choreography changes. The part where Haknyeon is center really blew my mind. 

But here’s why I liked Verivery and Pentagon’s performance more: emotion. Pentagon’s is obvious, they used this stage to send off someone they really love. You can really see that the members love Jinho and that they have a deep bond. Pentagon was also the only group to mix two of their songs together, one being a title track and one being a side track (note: PTG and Verivery are the only groups who picked side b’s for their song). Pentagon’s arrangement was impeccable. For me, the new Shine sounded like a Jpop song (mostly because of the rock vibes; if you listen to Jpop you know what I mean), while still retaining the bright theme of Shine. A lot of people might say the performance was too emotional and not professional, but out of all 7 performances, Pentagon’s was the most meaningful and was delivered the best. The message and how they played with the stage was stunning and their little additions and references to other popular Kpop songs makes it so you will notice something new every time you rewatch it. Please watch this video where Hongseok goes into detail about the little easter eggs and the whole purpose behind their performance. I have so much respect for Pentagon and I could write so much more about this performance but I must talk about the other 5 haha (if you want to hear more feel free to ask!)

Verivery. VERIVERY. God DAMN did they really come back and hit hard. They definitely had the clearest and most well thought out performance of all. What differentiates them from TBZ’s story like performance is that TBZ had too much going on in my opinion. They tried to tell us a long story with not enough time. This is why so many fans have vastly different interpretations of their performance. While this can often be a good thing, I think you have to find a balance when doing a storytelling performance. Verivery cleanly executes their narrative of a nightmare and takes the cliche of “it was all a dream” to the max by going “SIKE” at the end. Their choreography was so well planned out and they were honestly very minimalistic about their stage, just like TBZ’s Danger stage. The shock factor is just right (my favorite part being when the backup dancers have the smoke come out of their mouth). Not only that but Photo is a SIDE TRACK. I cannot stress enough how brave of them that is. I legitimately thought it was a title track until I looked at their discography. They arranged their side b to sound like a title track, and not only that, they changed the overall feel of the song as well. If you listen to the original Photo, it sounds more like a bad boy song, but their RTK version is very much so horror/rock themed. I can’t STRESS how good this performance is. Especially because it’s such a contrast from their last performance. Photo is now in my spotify playlist and I have no regrets.

Now onto the last 4 performances. I hate to break it to you all but... I didn’t really like any of them. None of them made me think “wow I could rewatch this so many times.” Lets start with Oneus. LIT is my favorite Oneus song so I highly anticipated this performance. If you didn’t know Oneus before and only watch this stage you might think its a very good stage with a strong traditional theme. I totally agree, the traditional theme is unique to Oneus and I loved the instrumental changes they made so the song would cater more to their theme. The biggest issue I had with this stage was that It literally is just like their music video. If you have seen the LIT mv you will know what I mean. The dragon dance, traditional clothing, theme, sound, everything was too similar. The stage was grand but it just felt like a live version of their MV. 

I know a lot of people liked ONF’s performance. Let me just say first that they killed it and YooA was *chefs kiss* The biggest issue I had with this stage was its message and theme. They seemed to have a conductor/medieval theme but also the masks?? Like what? It felt so out of place and random. I felt like a lot of their stage choices had little to no purpose. I honestly still don’t understand why YooA was there. The duet dance was nice but why? It seemed like they were trying to tell a story but it just wasn’t clear to me. It looked nice and everything but that was about it. In no way am I saying the performance was bad, it’s just there’s nothing that makes me want to go back and watch again. I think the fact that there was a plot but no plot at the same time really bothered me and that’s why I didn’t like it as much. 

TOO has grown a lot since episode one. They are truly experimenting with the stage and I’m very happy to see that. I have the same issue with TOO as I did with ONF. There was a clear theme of “dark vs light” or “evil vs good” but why? What was the point? The theme may have seemed obvious but was it really? Were they trying to convey good vs bad, angel vs devil, justice vs injustice? I couldn’t tell throughout the entire performance. It’s okay to take cliche themes but with a show like RTK, there needs to be something more. I also hate to be harsh but some of their execution just wasn’t as clean. This doesn’t only apply to Chan (I think that’s his name), but the whole performance in general. The most obvious instance is the head twist part. But I applaud Chan for performing with 100% even after his mistake (which, by the way, he made look very natural. I was very sad when he kept beating himself up over the mistake 😞 you did great bb I hope you know that). Even if their age and lack of experience is shown in their performances, I must say they are really stepping out of their comfort zone and learning at a rapid pace. I have high hopes for them.

Now onto the last group. Golden Child. I was very impressed with GolChas first two performances but this one was a disappointment. I appreciate the use of strings and their classical arrangement (as I said in my previous episode thoughts post) but this performance was, well, dull to say the least. The only “shock factor” was the violin solo (which was very good btw), but I think it was too late into the performance. There wasn’t much that made me interested in the performance up to that point. I don’t know. There really just isn’t much for me to talk about because they didn’t really do much.(God that sounds so harsh;; I’m sorry 😭😭) I really think their second performance was highly underrated but all in all this third one was not it. 

As you can see my critiques for this set of performances are, well, a lot harsher. I think it’s because the bar was raised so much higher after the first three episodes. Overall, if I had seen any of these performances outside of the RTK context I probably would have been a lot more impressed and shocked. I wish the best for all the groups and no matter who gets eliminated tomorrow I want all the groups to know that they all deserve a spot in the Kingdom. Mnet is just trash.

#yikes another lengthy one #road to kingdom #sdjfhdfjh god i swear im gonna get hate for this post fuck #but i like what i like and i said what i said #take this with a grain of salt please #anyways that took way too long #if you're going to take anything away from this post #its the hongseok video i linked #please watch that #my heart breaks so much for pentagon #they truly deserve to win imo

[aion-rsa]

Best War Movies to Watch: A Complete Streaming Guide

https://ift.tt/32Bbpxh

Sadly, the human race has pretty much never not been at war. We remain an ever violent, combative crew. Hopefully one day that’ll change and we’ll enter an era of unprecedented peace. Until then though, we have the movies!

War might be hell, but war flicks can be pretty great at times! Armed combat and all the other various theaters and forms of battle makes for high-octane drama and gripping backdrops. And that’s pretty much exactly what we are looking for out of our drama films.

What follows is a (mostly) comprehensive list of all the war movies available with a streaming subscription on the major streaming services. If you’re interested in paying per movie, options like Amazon, Google Play and YouTube should help broaden the field. Otherwise, scroll below because the films here are all free with a log-in subscription to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, or HBO Max.

‘71

Available on: Hulu (US), Amazon Prime Video (UK)

An underrated British thriller from the last decade, ’71 turns “the Troubles” in Ireland into a pseudo-horror movie. At a mere 99 minutes, this is lean, economical filmmaking with a barebones premise about a British solider (Jack O’Connell) who gets separated from his unit during a Belfast riot in 1971—the height of British-Irish tension. His plight to survive the night is riveting filmmaking and a grim look back to still fresh nightmares.

The African Queen

Available on: Amazon Prime Video (purchase only in UK)

An unlikely war movie at first glance, The African Queen is very much the story of two middle-aged people caught up in the chaos of the First World War. It’s also a crackling adventure yarn about autumn romance between a drunken river boat captain (Humphrey Bogart) and a Christian missionary (Katharine Hepburn) who’s brother was just killed by Germans in colonial Africa. Both set out to get down the river, and away from the Germans’ reach, in this charming John Huston classic with still stunning location photography.

The Alamo

Available on: Hulu

As an ironically little remembered version of the Alamo siege from director John Lee Hancock, The Alamo (2004) is still the best film version of these events. With a refreshing eye for historical authenticity instead of Texan mythmaking, the movie unpacks the lives of David Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), James Bowie (Jason Patric), and William Travis (Patrick Wilson) with a warts and all approach. It also relays the events of the battle in its actual context at night, and in grim chaos, and gives needed attention to the overlooked contributions of the Tejanos to Texan independence.

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But most significantly, it has a bittersweet soul as expressed in Carter Burwell’s score, which is at its most beautiful when Crockett climbs a parapet to serenade both sides of the battlefield with his fiddle.

A Bridge Too Far

Available on: Netflix (US Only)

The last of its kind, A Bridge Too Far is one of those old-fashioned all-star war epics about World War II that came into vogue between the 1950s and ‘70s. But this nearly all-British production is not about one of the Allies’ greatest triumphs, but rather one of their most disappointing defeats: the failure of Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands.

Director Richard Attenborough and screenwriter William Goldman try to squeeze it all in, which will honestly be exhausting to some viewers. For others, seeing a historically accurate (if too lighthearted) rendering of this battle with the likes of Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Ryan O’Neal, Robert Redford, and more will be enough.

Casablanca

Available on: HBO Max

Another Bogie movie where the war is adjacent to the central conflict, Casablanca is the best wartime melodrama ever produced. Some even consider it the greatest American movie for that matter. Actually made during the Second World War, there is a great rush of patriotic idealism and anxious uncertainty about its vision of a seedy Moroccan city that is ostensibly under free French rule, but is not-so-secretly being occupied by the Nazis. There everyone goes to Rick’s, a café run by a disillusioned American (Bogart) who sticks his neck out for nobody.

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But Rick must soon pick up the fight again after an old flame named Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) walks into his gin joint, bringing with her a French husband, a freedom fighter who has the Nazis breathing down his neck. All three are going to make some tough choices, as will complicit French police officer Louis (a marvelous Claud Rains) as the forces of World War II finally start pulling.

Cold Mountain

Available on: HBO Max

An attempt at an old fashioned sweeping wartime epic, Cold Mountain still brings modern historical insight to the oft-mythologized Civil War. The film is about several people from North Carolina’s Appalachian region. Like many Confederate soldiers, particularly from NC, Inman (Jude Law) has no slaves and no real reason to fight for the Southern cause. So after hellish battle, he deserts and attempts to make a sprawling trek back home.

Elsewhere, however, his sweetheart Ada (Nicole Kidman) must make hard decisions of her own with the leering eye of the Home Guard peeking over her shoulder, especially as word of Inman’s desertion reaches the mountains. An odyssey of the Civil War from the vantage of the impoverished it rolled over, Cold Mountain is a refreshing melodrama.

Da 5 Bloods

Available on: Netflix

Spike Lee’s latest joint is also one that opened up wounds from the Vietnam War that never really healed. Set more in the 2010s than 1960s, Da 5 Bloods follows four Black veterans who’ve ostensibly returned to Vietnam to find the remains of their fallen brother (Chadwick Boseman in one of his final roles). But they’re also here to reclaim gold that was stolen back in ’69.

Something of a heist movie, Lee mixes genres yet never loses sight about the anguish of those who fought in a war, and the legacy it leaves even decades and generations later.

The Dirty Dozen

Available on: HBO Max

Even if you haven’t seen Robert Aldrich’s epic 1967 adventure, the term “dirty dozen” and the basic premise of the movie have found their way into popular culture over the decades and influenced recent movies like Suicide Squad.

A grizzled (as if there’s any other kind) Lee Marvin leads a team of prisoners–including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, George Kennedy, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland and more–on a suicide mission during World War II, with full pardons as their reward if they survive. The results are explosive and, at the time of release, controversially violent. They also make for one of the great war movies of the era.

Enemy at the Gates

Available on: Netflix, Amazon (US Only)

Sniper versus sniper; eagle versus eagle. That is the basic appeal of Enemy at the Gates, the rare Hollywood World War II drama where America is not even present. Rather this is a film about the war of attrition between the German and Russian forces at the Battle of Stalingrad, the nightmarish conflict which began turning the tide against the Third Reich. The movie features an all-star cast, including Jude Law, Ed Harris, Rachel Weisz, and Bob Hoskins, but it’s the chilly environs of hell on earth which make this worthwhile.

Five Came Back

Available on: Netflix

A film told in three parts, Five Came Back tracks the singular, and now fairly astonishing, choices made by five A-list Hollywood directors: John Ford, Frank Capra, George Stevens, John Huston, and William Wyler. They all chose to leave Hollywood either at the peak of their careers, or at the beginning of it, to make films about the Second World War. Each ultimately served as an officer, and several were in the actual thick of combat to capture war footage (and propaganda) for the first time in history. It was a patriotic and revealing choice then and now, and it’s examined with insight by the likes of Mark Harris and Steven Spielberg here.

Flags of Our Fathers

Available on: HBO Max

Not as good as director Clint Eastwood’s companion film told from the Japanese perspective, Letters from Iwo Jima, Flags of Our Fathers is nonetheless a worthwhile film. A rather skeptical look at the lives of American marines who were turned into an inaccurate legend by the U.S. military when they were photographed raising the American flag above the sands of Iwo Jima, the picture tracks the home lives of soldiers who did their job only too well and were then asked to return home as glorified heroes… and then live an ordinary American life.

The Four Feathers

Available on: HBO Max

One of the great British adventure films of the pre-war era, The Four Feathers is director Zoltan Korda’s sweeping reimagining of the A.E.W. Mason novel. Set during Britain’s colonial wars in Egypt and Sudan during 1882, the film tracks an English officer who only took a commission in the military to honor his family’s ancient war record. However, when the call of war comes, he fears he would not do his duty in battle and resigns his service… so his three friends and even a fiancée give him four white feathers: white for cowardice.

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To redeem himself, he travels to Sudan and helps the British cause while posing as a local. Filmed on actual African locations and in glorious Technicolor at a time when American movies were afraid to leave California, The Four Feathers is a classic (and politically incorrect) throwback.

Gallipoli

Available on: Amazon

Australian filmmaker Peter Weir has directed just 13 films, but probably 10 of them are classics, and this 1981 drama is one of them. A 25-year-old Mel Gibson stars as one of several young men who enlist in the Australian Army during the First World War. They eventually find themselves on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, site of a costly and lengthy battle that ended in defeat, but marked a turning point for Australia’s perception of itself and its place in the world and a seemingly disinterested British Empire. It’s a harrowing tale about the loss of innocence, national character, and the price of war for both.

Glory

Available on: Netflix (US Only)

Arguably the greatest film ever made about the American Civil War, Edward Zwick’s Glory continues to shine like one gallant rush. Based on the lives of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry regiment, the film tracks the hard fight for respect—and freedom—endured by the first African American regiment in U.S. history.

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With a still crackling ensemble that includes Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick, Andre Braugher, and Denzel Washington in his first Oscar winning role, the movie both mythologizes and humanizes the 54th’s struggle as the American struggle. It also soars with James Horner’s most transcendent and ethereal musical score.

The Great Dictator

Available on: HBO Max

The rare comedy on this list, The Great Dictator was a film of political courage by writer-director-producer-and-star Charlie Chaplin. Filmed in 1940 when much of the world was already at war, but the United States was not, this Hollywood film made a farce out of the hatred and fascism of the Third Reich, with Adolf Hitler being especially skewered.

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In the film, Chaplin plays both a fictional barber and Hitler-like dictator who switch places in a Prince and the Pauper styled mix-up. Chaplin thus makes a still hilarious deconstruction of Hitler’s madness and insecurities at a time when most Hollywood studios chose to pretend there wasn’t a war going on. The film also concludes in one of the greatest anti-war speeches in cinema history.

Hacksaw Ridge

Available on: HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video UK

The rare film that is told in merely two acts, director Mel Gibson’s World War II drama is fairly underrated. The film follows the remarkable true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), an unlikely U.S. Army corporal since he was also a conscientious objector who refused to hold a gun. Nearly court-martialed for his defiance of orders, as a medic Doss insisted he could serve his country well by saving lives on the battlefield. He got his chance at the Battle of Okinawa when he pulled 75 lives out of the carnage, which is captured in grisly detail by Gibson. Likely the bloodiest WWII movie since Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge is also one of the best.

Hamburger Hill

Available on: Amazon Prime Video (US Only)

This 1987 film set during the Vietnam War recounts one specific mission: a 1969 assault by the U.S. Army’s 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, known as the “Screaming Eagles,” on a well-fortified North Vietnamese position near the Laotian border. Dylan McDermott, Don Cheadle, Courtney B. Vance, and Steven Weber all make early career appearances in the film as young soldiers thrust into a situation where victory almost seems more like defeat—as good a metaphor for the Vietnam conflict as any.

Hostiles

Available on: Netflix

Director Scott Cooper did the rare thing with Hostiles: He looked back at American history with nuance and sincere contemplation. This film is ostensibly about a U.S. Cavalry officer on his final mission, which is to escort a family of Native Americans across the last remnants of American frontier. But when that officer (Christian Bale) knows he’s escorting the dying Cheyenne war chief (Wes Studi) who led the doomed side of American Indians in previous conflicts—and alongside a woman (Rosamund Pike) who just lost her family to Indian attacks—the ghosts of America’s sins and recriminations walk with them.

The Hurt Locker

Available on: Hulu, Netflix UK

The film which won Kathryn Bigelow the Oscar for Best Director, The Hurt Locker is the first great movie about the War on Terror in the 21st century. Boiling down the madness of war to being like “a drug” for some soldiers, the film essays the high-stake tension—and adrenaline—of being an officer in the Army’s bomb squad who is responsible for disarming IEDs, bomb vests, and other hidden weapons of death.

It’s terrifying… and exhilarating as personified by Jeremy Renner’s addicted Staff Sgt. William James. Also with a career-making performance by Anthony Mackie and a pseudo-journalistic script by Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker gets under your skin.

Platoon

Available on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video (US Only)

There were plenty of Vietnam War movies before Oliver Stone’s Platoon, but what shook audiences in 1986 is that this was the first time one was made by a Vietnam veteran. Not that Stone didn’t take liberties: He makes his soldier’s eye view of the generation-defining conflict a fever dream of America’s darkest moments in the shit.

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But his lament for the soldier also brought a renewed sense of sorrow and regret to how veterans were treated in the aftermath. With a heartbreaking supporting performance by Willem Dafoe, whose demise in the film has become iconic, there’s a reason for many this remains the only Vietnam War movie of consequence.

Red Tails

Available on: HBO Max

Here is executive producer George Lucas and director Anthony Hemingway’s well-meaning but so-so aerial war epic about the Tuskegee Airmen. The real-life Black pilots, mechanics, bombardiers, and more made up a segregated flank of African American airmen (as well as flyers from Haiti, Trinidad, and other Caribbean nations) in World War II. This film attempts to honor them with a cast that includes Terrence Howard, David Oyelowo, Nate Parker, and Cuba Gooding Jr.

War Machine

Available on: Netflix

David Michod (Animal Kingdom) wrote and directed this Netflix satire set during the ongoing war in Afghanistan, eight years after the 9/11 attacks. Brad Pitt stars as four-star general Glen McMahon (loosely based on real-life general Stanley McChrystal), whose bleak assessment of the situation on the ground puts him at odds with President Obama and others. Like other less-than-reverent films before it, War Machine is interested in the sheer insanity of war: doing the same thing over and over again while hoping for a different outcome.

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[educatedinyellow]

The Underrated Things Meme, part 2: gymnastics edition

The other day, beastlyanachronism kindly tagged me to share 5 things I think are underrated. I tend to be so verbose about it that I’m doing it in pieces :) Yesterday I mentioned Peter Allan Fields, a television screenwriter whose work I especially love. And today, I’d like to talk about...

Gymnasts who never won Olympic medals.

Women’s gymnastics is a popular sport to watch during the Olympics, but my impression is that most people (myself included) don’t usually keep up with it during non-Olympic years. Those gymnasts who have entered the popular consciousness tend to be the ones who win Olympic medals on TV. But there are many amazing gymnasts beyond that narrow range, and fortunately there are people on the internet who can point a newbie towards some of the lesser-known greats.

Two gymnasts I’ve recently learned about are Li Li (a Chinese gymnast competitive in the early 1990s) and Olesya Dudnik (a Soviet gymnast who competed in the late 1980s). Li Li never won an Olympic medal, and Dudnik never went to the Olympics at all. But they were both innovative, elegant, ahead-of-their-time gymnasts who incorporated stunning difficulty and originality into their routines. Among those who really know the history of the sport, they’re remembered as extraordinary.

Forgive the crummy video quality, but Dudnik’s beam routine here is amazing from the hugely difficult first move to the hugely difficult last move!:

Meanwhile, Li Li’s beam routine includes some incredible spinning. She honestly looks like she’s busting breakdance moves on the beam:

Both of these gymnasts have many other fantastic routines available on YouTube, too -- I especially recommend their uneven bars.

My heart goes out to Dudnik, whose gymnastics career was brief due to injury and who lost both of her parents to illnesses resulting from the Chernobyl disaster. Both she and Li have continued on as gymnastic coaches, and they’re working and living in the U.S. these days (Dudnik spent many years living and coaching in Egypt as well).

*cheers for them!*

#underrated meme #gymnastics beyond the olympics #olesya dudnik #li li