#unironically the cinematography in this is impeccable

[suuho]

Top 3 kpop mvs from the 2000s

hey!! thank you so much [: this got long, so without further ado...

1. bigbang, haru haru.

it's literally this and then [BRICK WALL] like, this music video literally changed the trajectory of kpop, it became a viral moment that lasted until, like, 2010. it catapulted bigbang to international stardom. i desperately cannot stress enough how this music video and song is a moment, and a high, that kpop is still chasing to this day and that they might never reach again. absolutely, purely organic genius. the brilliance of haru haru is how absolutely earnest it is with its very own melodrama. the acting. the conflict. oh my god, that story line. this is maybe the greatest kpop music video ever, just because it is impossible to replicate now. this changed lives. it did a lot to put kpop on the map. and it is just perfect as it is, and as a time capsule. i watched this approximately 3655467287 times in 2010 alone. i think people who know how iconic and influential bigbang are only ever choose fantastic baby or bang bang bang as examples, but haru haru is what turned them into yg's biggest superstars before inflated numbers, streams, etc. it's hard to explain if you weren't there, to be honest. on another note, i am pretty sure that gtop fight was my gay awakening, lol. another bigbang entry that just missed the mark because it was released in 2010: tell me goodbye. literally a masterpiece. narrative! CINEMATOGRAPHY! that top verse i can still recite word for word! a perfect marriage of everything that makes japanese kpop offerings impeccable. i carried a picture of that gdragon in my school diary until i graduated high school, lol. (choices, i know)

2. 2pm, heartbeat

i wanted to go with mirotic first, but i think heartbeat did the same things done in mirotic, just better. first of all, this music video does not rely on any narrative or any gimmicks, and it is still so well done. the angles and camera pans here, the obstructed shots, the lens flares. the contrast between the industrial gray and the eery, hollow white set. that choreography. this is so purely, undistilled 2nd gen kpop but in, like, a gothic fantasia. the atmosphere of this video is almost creepy which serves the song perfectly, and it is carried by performance, lights, and camera alone. i would have almost chosen again&again, because it does have a story line, but i actually think heartbeat's directive choices are so much better, and far superior. it is such an interesting music video just because how it is shot in a way that makes it visually appealing while simultaneously a little off-kilter. amazing. no notes. 100000/10 beast is not here, by the way, because if i would have chosen anything, it would have been shock, but heartbeat is once again the better offering of a similar style.

3. g-dragon, heartbreaker

one more masterclass. i am sorry, but this is another one of those insane offerings. the production design here is off the charts, the checkerboard heart eye-make up and bleached hair immediately became a signature hallmark look, the choreography is so memorable yet perfectly in sync with g-dragon's artistic persona. this music video felt insanely expensive back in 2009, and deviated from the nitty-gritty of that era. it was colorful, catchy, and immediately, insanely recognizable. replay factor? through the roof, especially with that breathe teaser making it a two-piece. also, the apple imagery was just another stroke of genius. like, this felt like watching a superstar emerge into the scene with that intro. "I'm all by myself, but it's all good," like yeah, sure, is this cringy as hell? absolutely. could anyone else pull this off in the year of our lord 2024? never, but it works perfectly here. the sci-fi influences. the masked dancers. oh my god. we will never have something this earnest, unironic, serious and yet glossy and campy.

3. shinee, ring ding dong

did you really think you would not find shinee here? c'mon now. what is there to say about this music video that hasn't been said yet. the wings. the choreography that the entirety of korea knows by heart. this made shinee my instant ults, my instant biases. dancing in the water!!! the concise color palette, the grays and reds, the hairstyles getting progressively more disheveled. watching jonghyun in this music video for the first time (and to this day) was like watching a miracle appear right in front of your eyes, that sort of gravitas and charisma is rare to come by and i am afraid there will never be anyone else quite like that. truly, one of a kind and just an insane moment in time to live through. how, in a way, unpolished this music video and their performance is is precisely why it is one of the greatest things ever. you can literally see them launching straight into their stage and performance genius from this. it's so crazy. this is like watching history being written, which is why it is one of the best kpop mvs of that decade.

honorable mention: sorry sorry by super junior. a perfectly slick, chrome fever dream that could be a commercial for all i know. i am sorry (hah) but when this song comes on, every ounce of, like, common sense leaves my body and i am stuck in this 4:17 true kpop marvel. it is just perfect. the production of this music video and this song. the aspect ratio (slay). the black and white. that tastefully measured autotune because suju has like maybe 3 decent vocalists. the group choreography shots look tight as hell, especially at the end. the last 15 seconds of this music video look just. fucking amazing. sorry, yeah, it had to be here.

ask me my top 3 anything, kpop edition 💌

#ask #mowowow #read more cause long! thank you!!

[mouldremover]

My top 5’s of 2022: Books and Films/Shows

(as in stuff i read/watched in 2022, not all stuff released in 2022)

Books:

Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

i 100% loved this book, always love a novel full of toxic people doing toxic things. i love how we see the story through the perspective of an outsider sort of, and catherine earnshaw is such a gripping character. five stars.

Nona The Ninth - Tamsyn Muir

oh my god i cried while reading this. this is the best book in the locked tomb series by far and i can’t get over it at all. you can really feel what it’s like on the planet and despite it being ten thousand years in the future it feels really real. and the epilogue oh my god the epilogue is incredible.

The Vampire Lestat - Anne Rice

the best book anne rice ever wrote, i swear to god. despite there being a lot of questionable stuff in the book, the first part of it, ‘lelio rising’ also made me cry. the first person pov feels very genuine and manages to make you sympathetic for lestat despite him being a literal bastard. i can’t explain why i like this book so much, somehow despite it being about vampires, parts of it really capture the human experience.

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo

in february-ish this year i had a grishaverse phase and read all the books, but this one was definitely my favourite. it was exciting, had fun characters, also felt a lot easier to follow than the start of six of crows. very nice book.

Dracula - Bram Stoker

i did dracula daily this year (like everyone else did) and this book was so much better than i expected. a couple years ago i tried to read it but got bored, but this time i guess something changed and i was captivated. it’s about how the power of friendship can defeat vampires! but like in 1897. also mina and lucy were definitely in love.

Films/Shows:

Twilight (2008)

the world is full of twilight haters, but i am not one of them. this movie is semi-unironically great. the blue-green tint, the soundtrack, the pretty scenery: impeccable. there is something so cosy about this movie, and it captures the twilight vibes the best out of all the books in the series.

Emily (2022)

anyone who hasn’t watched this film is missing out. it is insanely good, like i cannot convey in words how amazing this film was. the costumes, the music, the cinematography, are all amazing and despite it not being ‘historically accurate’ i honestly think that was the intention. just watch this film. watch it. it’s cathartic.

The Social Network (2010)

never did i think a film depicting the creation of facebook would be so good. but i was wrong. as an enjoyer of dramatic stories, this was very entertaining, and i like how it clearly shows mark zuckerberg is an asshole. the music is also really good.

Glass Onion (2022)

this film was fun! i loved knives out and also loved this, and it mixes murder mystery with revenge story very well. let’s hope that what happened to miles bron happens to real elon musk. i also really liked the significance of the title of the film in the actual film. when i saw the trailer for the film i was like ehhh but the actual film is so much better.

What We Do In The Shadows (TV Show)

i watched all of wwdits this year and it is now my favourite comedy show. it’s funny, gay, has vampires, etc etc, what more could you want??? all the seasons so far are so great and i can’t wait for s5 next year. nadja is personally my favourite character.

#new years #2022 #films #books

[mc-cookies]

ok so not that cruella made any sense from a story perspective as a prequel to 101 dalmatians, but like? it was a surprisingly good movie? like. ignore everything that’s supposed to happen afterward and read it as an au, and like,,, it’s fucking fun! the plot is kinda stupid but good enough to be interesting, the characters are pretty fun to watch, the soundtrack is pretty good, the acting and cinematography were great, the costumes were absolutely excellent, just somehow everything about this movie just comes together in the weirdest way to create something that doesn’t remotely fit as a cruella origin story but has absolutely impeccable vibes! i’m rambling but like my point is, it’s way better than i would’ve thought, i’d unironically recommend it. but don’t pay the 30 dollar whatever fee they’re charging, that’s bullshit ☠️

[elleroodles]

el’s october movie recs!

so! new thing! i am a raging cinephile and have lots of thoughts on lots of movies so this is going to be an opportunity to dump them! usually this will be a lot more put together but since i wanted to get one out for october (hi big horror movie fan here) i’m shoving one out to get this ball rolling!

(since most of these are horror movies, i threw in a cut just in case! due to the short notice, there’s no visuals, but you can never be too careful! these normally won’t be cut and the formatting will be way different!)

EL’S #1 OCTOBER MOVIE REC!

donnie darko dir. richard kelly 2001

CONTENT WARNINGS (spoilers!): death, cp, manipulation, implied sex, lots of swearing, blood, shooting

WHY IT’S SO GOOD: if you know me, you know that i am wholly, completely in love with donnie darko. it’s my favorite movie of all time, and i doubt it will ever be topped. no movie has made me feel so human. it’s not a comforting feeling, not by any means, but one that makes me feel so much emotion. it’s immensely quoteable, with both hilarious lines and somber ones, and most of the concepts brought up will make your head spin. don’t expect to understand it on your first watch. it also has one of the best movie soundtracks, perhaps ever.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT: troubled teenager donnie darko is a sleepwalker played by baby faced jake gyllenhaal: that much is clear up front. after his life is turned upside down by a freak accident, donnie is told the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. illegal wacky shenanigans insue!

EL’S OTHER OCTOBER MOVIE RECS!

hereditary dir. ari aster, 2018

CONTENT WARNINGS (spoilers!): dude, it’s ari aster. please please please proceed with caution. it’s hard to put warnings without spoiling the entire second act, but familial death and cults are two big ones

WHY IT’S GOOD: it’s not an exaggeration to say this movie wrecked me. i can genuinely say this is most horrifying movie i’ve ever seen. i don’t regret watching it, the cinematography, acting (toni collette deserves every award for her ‘i am your mother!’ speech), writing, and directing are incredible. i’ve learned so much from this script, this movie has been wonderfully made. and the story is so gut wrenching, so dark, depressing, anxious and lonely, and that energy seeps into the audience. the visuals are horrific in the most shocking of ways (this movie does not stray away from body horror, y’all. proceed with caution) and in the most raw of ways. it’s an unrepeatable experience, and it’s should stay that way.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT: when the matriarch of the graham family dies, her secret unravels with her death, sending her daughter’s family spiraling

train to busan dir. yeon sang-ho, 2016

CONTENT WARNINGS: zombie apocalypse, violence, blood, death, people with daddy issues will cry their eyes out

WHY IT’S GOOD: once you can break the subtitle barrier, you have access to the saddest movie ever made. this movie is phenomenal. impeccably made, written, directed, acted, shot, you name it, train to busan did it right. it holds the title as saddest movie i’ve ever seen, and one of the most hopeless. it hit hard in all the right spots, and i’ve never felt so lost. plus i like zombies.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT: businessman/distant father seok woo and his daughter soo ahn board a train to busan admist an outbreak of the living dead

the cabin in the woods dir. drew goddard, 2011

CONTENT WARNINGS (spoilers!): violence, blood, death, drug use (weed), horniness(?), some scary monsters

WHY IT’S GOOD: it’s so dumb, i love it so much. it’s kind of a scary movie-esque look at the genre, except a little bit more unironically cheesy. the overarching concept is fascinating, as well as it’s extremely meta take on the ‘final girl’ trope. leaning as heavily into stereotypes as it does with the main cast of characters could either end in a disaster or a delight, and i personally loved it. good luck predicting the final celebrity cameo!

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: a breakfast club reminiscent group of college kids go to stay in an isolate cabin in the woods. what could go wrong?

shaun of the dead dir. edgar wright (my favorite director!), 2004

CONTENT WARNINGS: zombies, cartoony violence, some swearing i think?

WHY IT’S SO GOOD: here’s a good october movie for all you romcom lovers out there! christened as ‘a romantic comedy. with zombies.’ on letterboxd, shaun of the dead lives up to that. since it’s an edgar wright movie, you know the soundtrack is stellar, and the use of music is very wright-esque as well. where the other zombie move on this list takes itself very seriously (and for good reason), this movie takes itself as a joke. the portrayal of a zombie apocalypse being a mild inconvenience is hilarious, and shaun’s oblivion to the world around him plays that trope up to the extreme.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT: london is overtaken by zombies! oh no! how unfortunate!

and that’s it for this month! thanks for reading till the end, and i’ll see you in a week or so with some good movies for november!!

#yay! it’s finally done!! please enjoy!! #lmk if you watch/like any of these movies! especially donnie darko!! #el’s monthly movie recs #donnie darko #hereditary #train to busan #cabin in the woods #shaun of the dead

[thepringlesofblood]

the In The Heights movie was really good y’all

saw it today (6/12), it premiered midnight on Fri, and god DAMN

i’m literally fresh off watchin it so here my thoughts (no spoilers except vague references to things and like. who the cast members are)

#1 love. love the movie.

#2 it is not quite the same story, but weirdly enough, this time, when I say they changed it to suit a wider audience, I mean it in a positive light.

#3 its not better or worse than the musical - it’s parallel, two quality versions of the same fantastic fucking story.

#4 I can die happy now knowing that Olga Merediz was able to perform Paciencia y Fé in such a rich and amazing setting. Movies allow you to do things you can’t do in musicals, and this is one of them.

#5 The trend in hollywood of lying to your audience so the plot twist is unguessable has left its fingerprints on In The Heights. Suffice it to say, they keep certain important plot points to the very end for shock value. It was still a fucking fantastic ending, but like. many choices in earlier scenes were clearly made for no other reason than to obfuscate the ending. and idk how I feel about that.

#6 then again, a good adaptation adds and plays around with the original story to make something new and beautiful, and guess what? boom goes the dynamite, they certainly nailed that.

#7 the chronology is super different than the musical, which makes sense given the change in media, but some of it is just kinda. odd. it all still works for sure, it’s just odd.

#8 why am I not surprised that lin manuel miranda plays the piragua guy? and why am I not surprised that it was so chaotic?

#9 the music. the choreography. just. YES. you know that mbmbam sketch about “the rhythm of the city”? that, but unironic and impeccably executed. it’s like the cup song but everywhere in terms of how well the beats of the music match up with footsteps, car honks, etc. as well as of course the choreography.

#10 some really interesting and beautiful cinematography choices. you can tell a lot of love when into this film,

#11 usnavi is just such a weird lil dude, and the energy anthony ramos brings is just *chef kiss*

#12 the actress who plays Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn 99 plays Carla. I’m telling you now so you don’t spend half the movie with her name on the tip of your tongue: it’s Stephanie Beatriz.

tl:dr good good good movie, I cried (a lot, in a good way), falls victim to some of the pitfalls of the film industry re: plot twists and chronology, but is still fantastic and vibrant and gorgeous and a lovely adaptation of the musical.

*spoiler territory under the cut*

#8 hey lin manuel miranda? why did you end the blackout so soon? the musical ends with the blackout still on - it’s even in the first line of the finale “Lights up on Washington Heights at the break of dawn/The blackout goes on and on and on” but in the movie it ends after “Carnaval del Barrio” why’d you end the blackout so soon buddy? maybe for lighting reasons, i can’t imagine only using lights from phones n shit was easy, but the rest of the play is set outside during the day for the most part.

#9 can we get an f in the chat for the songs that didn’t make the cut: Inútil, Sunrise, Hundreds of Stories, Enough, Attención, Everything I Know, No Me Diga (reprise), Piragua (reprise), I understand the reasons for all of them not being in the movie but I still mourn babey

#10 I. didn’t really like the girl who played Vanessa. idk why. might just be vibes. she did great and all, maybe I just pictured Vanessa different in my head.

#11 Sonny, I love you, I love all the shit they added about you, I agree 100% w the shift in focus towards him and the lives of undocumented immigrants. Also, the scene where he asks out Vanessa for Usnavi is PRICELESS.

#12 there’s lots of changes that they made that I like way better than the OG. some I just sort of tolerate but some are just better that way.

#13 96,000 taking place at a pool is INSPIRED but where the FUCK did they find a pool that big???????

#14 sometimes they just sort of. take a vacation from reality for a little bit. and I like that. there’s lots of parts where you can tell that lin manuel miranda used to be on sesame street and the electric company, and that’s a good thing. 

#15 I have no fucking clue why Nina’s mom is dead in this one. they probably wanted to focus on her relationship with her dad? they couldn’t think of a way to have Camilla without keeping Enough as a song? it still works, just odd.

#16 the narration device of having Usnavi tell the whole story to his kids is fantastic. so is the reveal that they are HIS kids coming later - now THAT’S a relevant thing to hold back. why they’re on a real beach before and the bodega painted like a beach later is beyond me. was it like a metaphorical beach before? were they on vacation? ???

#17 there’s so much background city noise going on all the time that when it all stops and you get moments of silence it is POWERFUL

#18 related: I didn’t think I could cry more at Alabanza. I was wrong. I realize now why they don’t show the paramedics/Usnavi discovering her in the musical - it would one-hit K.O. everyone in the audience from the intensity if it was in-person.

#19 this movie took the time to say “dreams are not sparkly shiny things, they’re rough, and you have to work at them, and sometimes you work so hard you forget to notice what’s around you” and it was beautiful

#20 they added so much more about Nina and how she felt at college, and it HIT

i love this musical and I hope it blows up bigger than hamilton ever did bc that’s what it DESERVES