#wow classic worth playing 2021

[ispyspookymansion]

hiiiii im having my 18th birthdaysoon! 20th of next month! im a little unnerved tbh. but anyways i was wondering if u had any like. anything with that kind of theme. it doesnt have to be literal or even a direct metaphor just. whatever movies you can think of that deal with sort of like. the last step of coming of age. adulthood. aging. anything that remotely parallels that. preferably w no SA. if you got nothing for that maybe a few horror movies that you really like that i can watch on my Special Day im really feeling like just binging horror movies all day recently. youre like the horror movie expert that i follow lol so id be happy to check out your suggestions

omg exciting…..turning 18 felt weird yes but i hope its a good birthday and a good age for you!! i’ll try to think of some good horror recs for the occasion lets see!

- raw 2016, one of my very favorite horror movies and definitely one of my favorite coming of age horror films! its a cannibalism flick with a great score and themes on sisterhood and family and fate and becoming the adult you are, whether you want to or not. kind of intense and gross but its really good. oh its also french sorry but its worth it

- pyewacket 2017, about a girl with a tense relationship with her mother who dabbles with some occult stuff that she shouldnt and has to try to handle whether she really woke something up with it, or if its in her head. a lot about growing up + mother child relationships, i think this is an underrated gem

- we’re all going to the worlds fair 2021, its a bit younger than 18 but its a gorgeous and strange reflection on coming of age that i think will resonate a lot especially for people who grew up online and/or are queer/trans. it’s a very odd and stylistic piece so its a bit hit or miss for people but i like it a lot. the MC is younger than you but i think its a really striking story! its kind of moody and left me a little sad (its not a tragedy tho) so maybe not a happy birthday film

- carrie 1976, obviously this is a classic coming of age film if you havent seen it i cant recommend it enough! its just really good. score is great, acting is great, visually its stunning and colorful and awesome. a classic for a reason

- excision 2012, this one is again very weird and also heavy on psychosexual themes but theres not any assault that i remember. does the dog die says there may be one kiss that is unwanted but it doesnt stand out in my mind fwiw. this is a visually bizarre movie about trying to be who you want to be, who you think you ought to be, and who your family wants you to be. very much coming of age, very very weird

- hatching 2022, again this one is about a character younger than 18 but i think the practical effects work is stunning and the themes about growing up, family, expectations, and loneliness are applicable even though the mc is young. its really gross visually and i love that!

wow these have all been girls uh theres a lot of weirdgirl horror about coming of age i guess. those are also all pretty serious, emotionally heavy films too so lemme think of some more that are a little different

- the lost boys 1987, this is a lot lighter than some of the others! its a very fun california coast set vampire coming of age movie, very 80s, very homoerotic

- the final girls 2015, its a meta horror comedy about getting sucked into a friday the 13th esque slasher film starting the protags recently deceased mom. again, lots of mother child relationship work, surprisingly touching story about growing up and grief and handling that

i’ll also rapidfire toss some out that are related to birthdays, if thats more your speed on this: child’s play 1988 (andy barclay gets chucky for his 6th birthday, kind of self explanatory i assume you know who chucky is), happy death day 2017 (a girl gets stuck reliving her birthday over and over and dying each time, she has to figure out who’s killing her and handle some nice coming of age/family themes, its a horror comedy), bloody birthday 1981 (very very cusp of 70s 80s horror about three evil kids with the same birthday who are evil due to the planet’s alignment at the time, they like to kill people, it is what it is. no sexual assault iirc but they do peep on a girl changing), madhouse 1981 (a woman is chased down by her insane twin in the days leading up to their birthday, this one is kind of mid but the ending is pretty strong and iconic to me)….that might be it off the top of my head :-)

hopefully some of those sound fun to you!! if not come back and i can rec some more, theres heaps of coming of age horror out there these are just some that came to mind

#yayyy giving recs happy to be considered your resident expert :D #asks #captaiinobvious #kora.txt #long post

[technoquarter]

#Tech #Gaming #Mobile #News

[reflectismo]

“[P]recisely because Jane was my girlfriend, I wanted to tell her there that I loved her, so that’s what initially inspired this song; that’s what it was. Listening to it so many years later, I do think it’s a nice melody. It starts with F-sharp minor, not with the root chord of E major, and you gradually work your way back. When I’d finished it, I felt, almost immediately, proud of it. I thought, ‘This is a good ’un.’

It really reached me, so I thought it might reach other people too. I brought it to the recording session where The Beatles’ producer George Martin listened to it. We were about to record it, and he said, ‘I think it would be good with an introduction.’ And I swear, right there and then, George Harrison went, ‘Well how about this?’ and he played the opening riff, which is such a hook; the song is nothing without it. We were working very fast and spontaneously coming up with ideas.

Another thing worth recalling is that George Martin was inspired to add a chord modulation in the solo of the song, a key change that he knew would be musically very satisfying; we shifted the chord progression to start with G minor instead of F-sharp minor – so, up a semitone. I think George Martin’s classical training told him that that would be a really interesting change. And it is. And this sort of help is what started to make The Beatles’ stuff better than that of other songwriters. In the case of this song, the two Georges – George Harrison with the intro and then George Martin on the key change into the solo – gave it a bit more musical strength. We were saying to people, ‘We’re a little bit more musical than the average bear.’ And then, of course, the song – which is now in F major, or arguably D minor – eventually finishes on that bright D major chord, a lovely, pleasing resolution. So, I was very proud of that. It was very satisfying to make that record and to have written that song for Jane.

Many years later, long after we had lived together in St John’s Wood, I ran into her when I was going to a doctor on Wimpole Street. I’d been walking down the street from Marylebone, and I passed the house and thought, ‘Wow, great memories there.’ Then I went further down the street to where my doctor was, and I was just pressing the bell when I sensed someone behind me. I turned around, and it was Jane. I said, ‘Oh my God, I was just thinking about you and the house.’

That was the last time I saw her, but the memories don't fade. ”

Paul McCartney, “And I Love Her” from The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present (2021)

#Paul McCartney #Jane Asher #And I Love Her #1964 #The Lyrics #(That last line.) #(Happy that he included a bit more of Jane in this book) #The Beatles #(Shoutout to both Georges for contributing massively to this song!) #George Harrison #George Martin

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in March

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

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

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

Rushmore (1998) - 7/10

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

Lion (2016) - 8/10

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

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10

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

Inception (2010) - 10/10

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

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

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

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 10/10

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

Rome, Open City (1945) - 4/10

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

The Prestige (2006) - 7/10

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

Nostalgia (1983) - 10/10

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

Kangaroo Jack (2003) - 1/10

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

Stalker (1979) - 10/10

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

Four Lions (2010) - 5/10

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

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 6/10

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

Metropolis (1927) - 6/10

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

Crimson Peak (2015) - 4/10

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

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

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

Godzilla (2014) - 3/10

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

Prisoners (2013) - 10/10

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

Eraserhead (1977) - 7/10

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

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

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

The Seventh Seal (1957) - 9/10

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

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

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

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

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

Justice League (2017) - 2/10

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

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

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

The Truman Show (1998) - 10/10

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

Eighth Grade (2018) - 7/10

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

Bad Education (2019) - 8/10

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

Twelve Monkeys (1995) - 8/10

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

Ready Or Not (2019) - 7/10

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

Dead Man (1995) - 3/10

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

Misbehaviour (2020) - 6/10

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

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

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

Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10

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

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - 5/10

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

Seaspiracy (2021) - 6/10

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

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

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

My Octopus Teacher (2020) - 8/10

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

The Sisters Brothers (2018) - 8/10

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

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

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

Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 8/10

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

Life of Brian (1979) - 7/10

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

#march #movies #film #wrap-up #monthly #follow for more #the wolf of wall street #rushmore #lion #the grand budapest hotel #inception #the life aquatic with steve zissou #the royal tenenbaums #rome open city #the prestige #nostalgia #kangaroo jack #stalker #four lions #revolutionary road #metropolis #crimson peak #eternal sunshine of the spotless mind #godzilla #prisoners #eraserhead #raiders of the lost ark #the seventh seal #indiana jones and the temple of doom #indiana jones and the last crusade

[epic-potato-crisp]

Courtship - Part 3 (AjinWeek21/1)

Notes: So I decided to continue this for Ajin Week 2021! (although I was torn between making this a Sato fic cause you know. Hat.)

Day 1: Favorite character / summer break/ hat

Favourite character: Both Kei and Kou are among my favourite characters, Kei especially is one of my favourite protagonists of all time, and summer break, because this place during the sweltering time that is training camp. (fun! :D)

————————-

“Really?” Kei asks with growing annoyance as the vampire movie plays out on the screen in front of them. “Really?!”

“I can’t believe you haven’t seen that!” Kou defends himself, depositing the bowl of chips into Kei’s lap so his hands are free to adjust the volume.

“This is not what I had in mind when I agreed to…well, dating you.” Kei says, lowering his volume at the last three words that seem a little too foreign too pronounce.

“Why not?” Kou replies, “Movie nights are a super normal thing to do, not even for a date-“ He in comparison, has zero trouble adequately naming their current situation – “or with friends!” He smirked, which could never mean anything good: “Which you’d know, if you had any-“ Kou winces as Kei’s elbow rams into his side.

“I did have friends.” Kei grumbles through his teeth, stretching out his feet over the old and battered, but still quite comfortable couch. This is, surprisingly, afar more relaxing activity than he had initially anticipated.

Even if the movie is grating on his nerves.

“Why is everyone trying to befriend her?” he asks, exasperatedly. Bella Swan had made it perfectly clear that she was not interested in socializing from the moment she had arrived in her father’s rainy suburban town. And yet, in the first half an hour, not only had her childhood best friend shown up, she’d also been introduced to numerous classmates and faculty, and on top of that, was subtly encouraged to take a glance at a family of – vampire’s, that was his most likely prediction based on what he’d heard of the plot.

“Well, she’s new and people wanna get to know her. Nothing wrong with that.” Kou said diplomatically.

“Ugh.” Kei groans, and takes a sip of his coke. Eriko had always tried to make him watch these movies, which, if he was correct, were five in number, because apparently it was no enough to have a fourth movie. No, it had two be dragged out across two volumes. So far, he had been able to avoid it. Until training camp.

“Which you’d know, if you’d had-“

“Shut the fuck up.” Kei snaps, and the mood sours for a moment.

“Right, right, I’m sorry.” Kou says, after a beat of silence, and then his hand reaches over to grasp Kei’s.

“Is that really necessary?” Kei mutters, feeling his cheeks heat up. He prays that the darkness of the room, only lit up faintly by the TV, serves as enough cover.

“Well, it’s a date, right?”

“Stop saying that all the time.”

“Date. Date. Daaate.” Kou sing-songs, grinning at Kei knowingly.

The latter glowers: “Are you in elementary school?”

Kou laughs. He still doesn’t let go of Kei’s hand.

Kei feels his heartbeat quicken, ever so slightly, nervousness manifesting in the pit of his stomach. He chalks it up to the unfamiliar situation. After all, he really doesn’t know whether the movie will provide suitable entertainment for the next one and a half hours. There is no way it has anything to do with Kou.

At least, it shouldn’t.

“If you could choose between being a vampire and an Ajin, what would you pick?” Kou asks, out of the blue.

The movie had ended just a little while ago, a pointless two hours and six minutes of a supernatural romance that Kei couldn’t care less for. It was a little past ten, and they were not finished for a long while, apparently, if the cover for the second movie, blinking traitorously in Izumi’s streaming library, was anything to go by.

“Not this again.” Kei sighs, “Do you spend all day on these unlikely scenarios?”

“It’s that not unlikely.” Kou argues, “Come on, a few years back, you didn’t even know Ajin existed! And now you’re one!”

“Of course I knew they existed. It’s part of the school curriculum.” Kei deadpans, this particular lesson still rather unsettlingly fresh in his memory.

“Which you’d know if you’d gone to school.” He adds, acidly.

“Wow, harsh.” Kou pouts, “I did go. I just…dropped out. There’s a difference. Everyone knows that.” He mumbles.

“Keep telling yourself that” is on the tip of Kei’s tongue, but he swallows it down, if only to retain the peace. And perhaps because he would feel the tiniest bit guilty further prodding at that sore spot.

But school is something he does not want to think about for a good while again. The memory brings only pain. Betrayal from his classmates, from teachers, a jealousy- one that Kou would never be able to comprehend - on missing out on education that is a given for his former classmates.. A High School degree that he will never receive, if the government has any say in it, after all the years and effort, the hours of studying and revising he has put into it. A bleak future with all paths to prestigious medical universities blocked irreversibly. His only crime had been crossing that road that day. If only I could be reborn, Kei thinks miserably, then I could get a new chance. chance. He is in dire need of a new identity. Perhaps he can later guilt Tosaki into creating one for him.

“So circling back to the topic at hand, vampires.” he says, reluctantly.

“Heck yeah.” Kou agrees, excitedly, “So?”

“There are pros and cons on both sides.” Kei shrugs, “If you were a vampire, you wouldn’t be able to age and have a career, build a reputation. You’d have to get a new identity every few years. That sounds like a hassle. And don’t get me started on the…blood lust.”

The vampires and even humans in the movie had looked hungry in a completely different way whenever that topic came up. As though sucking your body’s circulatory system dry was desirable under any circumstance. Kei shuddered at the thought.

“You mean, you wouldn’t be able to build a family, live out your life with your friends, that kinda stuff?” Kou asks.

“I was referring to the important things, but I suppose.” Kei says loftily.

“Yeah, well, you’re wrong about that. Even vampires enjoy having relationships.” Kou argued.

“Debatable.”

“Bella seems pretty happy with the Edward guy.” his teammate emphasizes, “No matter if he’s a vampire or not.”

“But it is going to be a problem in the future.” Kei argues, “Honestly, she should have just stayed with Jacob and been done with it. It’s a suitable match, why put in any extra effort? She’s just going to grow old while he stays young forever.”

“Figures you’d go with the childhood best friend.” Kou mutters, flicking crumbs of his trousers.

“What?”

But Kou – strangely, for once in his life- doesn’t seem to haven an emergent need to elaborate further on the matter.

Kei probably should have said something a long time ago.

Perhaps he should have stopped Kou from starting the blasted second movie, but “Kei, it’s not that late! And how else will you know how it ends?” (Apparently, never was not a viable option.)

So here they are, sitting through another two hours of what Kou calls an “iconic classic” and Kei under his breath refers to as trash, but not the recyclable kind.

The cinematography is stunning, he has to admit begrudgingly, and the plot, albeit ridiculous, still manages to draw him in enough for him to forego his plans of turning the movie off several times, which is quite bothersome.

Well, fine then, Kei thinks to himself, at least now if Eriko badgers him about those movies again, he can give her a detailed review of every single logical error he has discovered so far.

He is considering starting a list, just so as to have some backup proof. His little sister’s education doesn’t have to suffer any more than it already had.

“Is she really going to sit around for months and wait for him to come back?” Kei complains, grabbing a fist full of popcorn from the bowl Hirasawa had made for them, “That’s a complete waste of time.”

“I don’t know, don’t you think some people are worth waiting for?” Kou threw in, giving Kei a knowing -sort-of-look that he couldn’t place.

It was the first sentence he had spoken in a while. Apart from his rambling monologue to get Izumi to join them a while prior when she came in to check if the streaming service was working.

“Did you see these movies already, Izumi-san?” Kou had asked and Kei surely hadn’t imagined the blush pinkening her cheeks.

“Oh, those? Just…once.” she’d replied, her voice sounding a little too high-pitched for that to be true, “It all seems fine, so I should get going-“

“Ah, already? Take a seat, take a seat!” Kou says generously, gesturing to the couch, “You need a break too, right?”

And Izumi did, albeit only tentatively on the edge. “I’ll be gone in a few minutes.” she promises.

She lied. Fifteen minutes later, she is still there and Kei doesn’t have the heart to kick her out, despite this being a a date, as he not so subtly communicated to Kou via verbal cues – all of which the other successfully ignored -but then, he bitterly thought, what chance did their pseudo-trial stand against Kou’s immortal woman of his dreams?

His thoughts screech to a halt. What does he even care what Kou thinks about either of them? It was all beyond ridiculous.

“It depends on how long you’re waiting for them.” Kei says, in response to Kou’s earlier question, “What about you, Izumi-san?”

“I think some relationships are worth preserving.” Izumi replies meaningfully, but right before she can say anything else, her phone goes off, the Caller-ID flashing with a familiar name.

“It seems Tosaki-san needs my assistance.” she says, barely concealing a wistful sigh, “Have fun you two.”

“He really needs to stop working you to the bone.” Kou complains.

Kei has the decency to feel guilty about the relief that settles in him when she leaves.

The motorcycle ride looks engaging. An activity Kei himself wouldn’t mind doing, seeing as there was zero risk involved to his safety with his newfound Ajin status.

As he verbalizes all of this, Kou gives him yet another of these knowing looks.

“Well, you were always one for motorcycles, weren’t you?” he says, tone bordering on smug.

Kei frowns. “Where did you get that idea from? I’ve only ridden one so far, but that was with Kaito.”

“I know.” Kou says, and then downs the rest of his coke.

“Refill?” he asks, holding out his hand for Kei’s glass.

“Sure.” Kei says, passing it over. He eyes Nakano skeptically, for any hint as to why his demeanor kept fluctuating.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Kei cautiously takes the glass from him. Their fingers brush, lingering just a second too long to be casual. Kei notices how the tips of Kou’s ears redden and uses his momentary distraction to his advantage.

“You really hate that Jacob guy, don’t you?”

Judging by the look on his teammate’s face, he hit the nail on the head.

“I, uh, well hate is a kinda strong word.” Kou hesitates, stumbling over words, “He’s just not my favourite.”

“Really?” Kei asks, raising an eyebrow. In all honesty, he isn’t very interested in either of the characters, but psychoanalyzing Kou is what gives the evening its spice.

“Why is that so surprising?” Kou pouts.

“Because he’s just the same sort of muscle-brained idiot that you are.” Kei responds, gracing Kou with an exasperated look, before turning back to the movie.

“Oh.”

His words seemed to have had a profound effect on his teammate. Whatever sort of enlightenment had reached Kou, it had visibly brightened his mood.

“He is, isn’t he.” Kou says, with a small laugh.

“I don’t know why that is so surprising.”

“Guess I never thought of it that way.”

Which was exactly why it fit so well, Kei thinks to himself. Kou looks positively thrilled with the new discovery. As much as it pains to admit him, a lot remains about his teammate that he still doesn’t understand.

“I think he might be becoming my new favourite character.” Kou says, conspiratorially, sliding closer to Kei and slinging arm around him.

As the movie goes on, Kei starts to feel more and more tired. The comfortable atmosphere and the constant stream of voices from the TV serve to lull him a sleepy state. “Wake me up when they reach Italy.” he mumbles, the exhaustion of another day spent training finally catching up with him.

Kou mumbles an affirmative, and that’s where Kei’s memory cuts off.

The next thing he knows, someone is prodding at him from the side, instructing him to wake up.

“Fine, five more minutes.” Kei says, swatting the offending hand away.

He blinks as he comes too, shielding his eyes against the sudden brightness of the room.

The movie has ended, but even if hadn’t, Kei wouldn’t have been able to see much of the screen.

Not with Tosaki blocking their view.

“It’s almost 1 am.” he informs them through clenched teeth, “Get upstairs before I sever the internet connection.”

It’s a substantial threat. Substantial enough to briefly distract Kei from the fact that he had fallen asleep right on top of Kou.

“Fuck.” Kei swears under his breath, sitting up straight.

His teammate seems less perturbed.

“You missed the ending.” is all Kou has to say for himself, with a shit-eating grin.

(“It really is pointless.” Kei whispers, later that night, as they are both lying in Kou’s bed, a hair-brained decision that Kei blames his tiredness for.

“The whole being with a vampire. She can’t be, unless someone turns her into one, but that would be the epitome of a ridiculous clishé".

“…”

“Oh God, please tell me I’m wrong.”)

#ajinweek21 #ajin #ajin demi human #ajin fanfic #courtship #copious amounts of twilight references

[marisfavoritedcandvertigostuff]

Aight, so these are some fun experiences I've had. Doesn't matter if ya'll don't believe me; I know what happened. But I thought I'd share. After all, the universe works in weird ways, and Lord knows the weirdness increases ten-fold whenever John Constantine is involved.

Back in November of 2020, I was working toward my 2nd BA and working an unpaid internship a few days a week. It was a little before this time that I got into Hellblazer and I started consuming as much Constantine related comics as I could. I started out with a bit of Swamp Thing, some early Hellblazer, and some more recent works to get a feel for the character before getting really serious. After all, reading the entirety of Hellblazer is a bit of a feat. I had to make sure it was something I really wanted to commit to doing. So, I was working in the linguistics room cleaning up and sorting audio from a word elicitation session. Us linguists shared a room with the IT department because it was the quietest room in the building. The head of IT, a guy not much older than me, had a few playlists and would sometimes have music playing quietly in the background as we worked. Thanks to the industrial strength headphones I had, for the most part, I didn't hear it unless I was giving my head a break and took the headphones off (those headphones HURT). One day I was reading the very cursed first issue of  Hellblazer: Rise and Fall (God I hate that series) before my internship started and there is a small part where John and a friend are trying really hard to drunkenly sing Tiny Dancer by Elton John (gave me something to do on the bus). After about an hour, I took off my headphones so I could take a pee break, and what I heard made me freeze in place; Tiny Dancer was playing. I turned to the head of IT and said "wow, nice playlist". His response? "Oh, this isn't my playlist. This is a random one I found on youtube. It's got a good mix of modern and classic." At that moment I just shook my head. It felt, in that moment, like a crazy coincidence.

Months later, in 2021, I was at the local book retailer trying to find a planner to use for my new job. Must have been about 7 months ago (at the time of writing this). I found a planner that was exactly what I was looking for, but it was much more expensive than I hoped it would be. Still, I had to get it. I decided to torture myself by looking in the comic section. Looking in the H section of the DC shelf, it didn't appear that there was any Hellblazer in stock.This was lucky, in a way, since I couldn’t really buy anything more and still say I was being responsible with my money. On a whim, I decided to look at the Marvel shelf behind me and, wouldn't you know it, John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 1: Marks of Woe was on the bottom shelf beneath some books of Spiderman. I was super tempted, but I was already spending more money than I had planned. Standing there, thumbing through the book, a song came on over the radio in the store; Heroes by David Bowie. I had never actually heard the song before (no one in my family was into Bowie, and I have honestly never been interested. Never seen Labyrinth. I know this is sacrilege), but I recognized it immediately. The day before I had been reading issue #11 of Hellblazer. At the beginning of the issue, a friend of John's is blasting that very song on the radio, so the lyrics are written out. I felt like I had just experienced a crazy plot twist in a movie. You know what I mean, yeah? I was frozen in place and just felt like ‘woah’. It felt almost too crazy to be a coincidence. Regardless, I shook my head, said "okay John, you win" and bought the book. Spent way too much money that day, but it was worth it.

I was thinking about all this again because of an incident that happened yesterday. I had a truly terrible weekend. I ended up in a book store again, trying really hard to hold back tears and keep it together. I looked in the comic book section with the goal of spending an unhealthy amount of money on comics in order to help distract me. Unfortunately, the only Hellblazer they had was Hellblazer: Rise and Fall (which, as previously stated, I haaaaaate) so I started to wonder around. I finally ended up in the back by the study aids. Alone, I started to cry. I felt my ability to keep it together begin to crumble. But before I could really start to sob it happened again; Tiny Dancer came on over the store radio. In that moment, rather than stunned, I almost felt like I was being encouraged. Like a pat on the shoulder. It was so weird, and maybe it was due to the shock of it, but I actually felt better. I was able to pull myself together. It was strange, but somehow I felt comforted.

Now, I have no delusions about all this. John is not communicating me from beyond. No matter what some Hellblazer writers have said/seen, and although it is kind of fun to think that John is real in some way, I know that isn't what's happening here. But, supposing that there is any merit to the theory of synchronicity, then I'd like to think that these things are connected. That somehow the universe it trying to give me a hand, or something to help me feel a bit better that day. Coincidence, weirdness, placebo, etc. Take your pick. It was still nice.

Anyway, that shit was weird. I relived all this a little while writing it, which is nice considering that today sucks just as bad as the weekend lmao

#Hellblazer #Comics #Personal

[aion-rsa]

Cinderella Review: Amazon’s Adaptation Isn’t Afraid to Be Absurd

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Camila Cabello’s Cinderella is the most ridiculous movie of 2021, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Entering this movie, with its cast of triple (or at least double) threats, it can be easy to let assumptions get the best of you. Cabello is an extremely talented singer, so you can assume there’s going to be some tunes. Billy Porter is fabulous, so you can assume he will continue to be so as this adaptation’s incarnation of the fairy godparent. Idina Menzel, who plays the tale’s stepmother, is a goddess amongst us all, so you can assume she will continue to wow the world over. Wrap that up in a classic tale of a parentless child who lives with her stepmother and stepsisters, and you’ve got a story that has been told before, with some singing on the side. Yet, somehow, in no small part because of the charismatic cast—and against every expectation—this movie works and stands apart from other versions of the classic fairy tale.

Cinderella walks a fine line between heartfelt and ridiculous, and mostly gets it right. Ella’s (Cabello) dreams to open her own dress shop are real. She wants to create and charter her own life, to not be dependent on others. It’s a relatable and modern character motivation and grounds the film from start to finish. She’s also incredibly sweet, awkward, and optimistic despite the circumstances she finds herself in; a combination that works and makes you cheer for her from start to finish.

Read more

Movies

Ranking Cinderella Adaptations

By Natalie Zutter

TV

Amazon Prime Video New Releases: September 2021

By Alec Bojalad

But Ella isn’t the only character whose dreams are respected. Cinderella is a story that usually doesn’t have anything nice to say about most of its supporting characters. Here, however, stepmother Vivian (Menzel), Queen Beatrice’s (Minnie Driver), and even Princess Gwen (Tallulah Greive) and the stepsisters have dreams that defy expectations and are real at heart. And it’s easy to connect to any of these characters because, as women, we face challenges on the daily based on the bodies we were born in. By giving viewers multiple female characters with different dreams, this modern adaptation avoids some of the pitfalls of the original story.

While the dreams may keep viewers hoping, it’s the ridiculous nature of the adaptation that keeps you watching. In many respects, this movie is reminiscent of classic Mel Brooks. In movies like Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Spaceballs, Brooks elevates plot and character to the point of intentional nonsensicality. Dark Helmet’s helmet didn’t have to be that big, but it was, and it worked. Prince John’s mole didn’t have to keep moving, but it did, and it worked. That same spirit and energy is in Amazon’s Cinderella. It adds honest, sometimes awkward humor that isn’t afraid to poke fun at its own actors, and the circumstances of their characters. This movie knows that you’ve heard this story before. So to elevate things, they add music. Queen’s “Somebody to Love” playing while the Prince bemoans about how hard he works on a daily basis—something we know isn’t true, and the the film knows too. The production has a self-awareness, as if its characters know they’re in a movie so they throw the antics up a notch to the point where you can’t help but cover your face and laugh.

A key to Cinderella, besides the heart and ridiculousness of it all, is the romance between Ella and Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine). Independently, the characters work—they’re both funny, kind, dorky, and sassy. But when they come together, they shine and complement each other in ways that are often missing from Cinderella adaptations. Prince Robert isn’t here to take away Ella’s spotlight, and she isn’t here to be a prop on his arm. They are their own people and choose each other—not because they’re being rebellious, but because they see a potential partner in one another. In this ensemble-minded adaptation, every character matters in a way other adaptations have failed to depict, making for a more well-rounded story. In this new Cinderella, they break the box, rebuild it, and show you there’s another way.

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Bring that all together and Cinderella is a movie worth watching. It has the feel-good elements of a romance, the timing of a comedy, the noteworthy singing of a musical, and the kind of dream that feels inspiring—the kind of message that viewers may particularly be searching for in 2021.

The post Cinderella Review: Amazon’s Adaptation Isn’t Afraid to Be Absurd appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[oosteven-universe]

Robyn Hood in Cult of the Spider-Queen

Robyn Hood in Cult of the Spider-Queen Zenescope Entertainment 2021 Written by Joe Brusha Illustrated by Babisu Kourtis Coloured by Juan Manuel Rodriguez Lettered by Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studios People are going missing in Manhattan. When Robyn investigates these strange disappearances she discovers that they are rumored to be tied to the Mysterious Spider Cult. The further Robyn digs into the cult's activities the more dangerous she realizes they are. And at the center of their web may well be the most terrifying threat she has ever faced...the deadly and evil Spider Queen. I don’t know about anyone else but if this Cult of the Spider Queen is located in the sewers or below the sewers in the abandoned train stations then how have we not heard of them before this.  Better yet just how many of Robyn’s foes live there and yet don’t know each other?  It has to be getting ridiculously tight down there and it’s not like there’s an endless amount of tunnels either the rich utilised them and therefor they don’t go throughout the entire city.  Joe can’t just shove em down there for the sake of having them be somewhere, there has to be a rhyme and reason behind it, where they are and how they got there. The story itself is being told pretty well.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented nicely.  I love the set-up for this and how we get to see Smitty again thanks to Peyton and her assistant and I have to say that I am very much enjoying this relationship the women are developing.  Being a Public Defender means Peyton doesn’t have a lot of free time on her hands and honestly I like the whole idea here.  The characterisation is spot on and it’s nice to see.  The pacing is great and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, it’s players and setting up what I hope is new arc this becomes a classic Robyn outing. With how this is being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge and other grow stronger we see some classic work.  I do wish Robyn hadn’t found the cult so quickly, a night or two searching would’ve been better and more realistic and only a page or two more would’ve been good a lot of reasons.  The way we see the story’s ebb & flow created through how everything works together is solid. The best part, of waking up is Peet’s in your cup, of this whole book are the interiors!  I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if the linework isn’t exquisite and how the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create some of the most mindbogglingly brilliant detail work we’ve ever seen!  There are little things, like Peyton putting her hair behind her ear, to the much larger moments and seeing that webbing come out yeah wow, gross, nasty, unable to look away and it’s frakkin brilliant.  The composition within the panels and how we see the backgrounds come into play bringing us depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the book is beyond marvellous.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a brilliant eye for storytelling.  The colour work is divine!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows us a spectacular eye for and understanding of how colour works. ​ Oh my goodness the creativity and imagination we see is superb.  Now if we can get a writer who understands how to write better this would’ve been one of if not the best book out this week.  As it stands the interior artwork alone is well worth the price of admission and it’ll change how you see Robyn Hood and Zenescope.

#Comic Books #Comics Reviews #Zenescope Entertainment

[mrcolin1212]

WoW Shadowlands Patch 9.1: All information about Chains of Domination

The Murloc is out of the bag: At Blizzcon 2021, Blizzard announced the first major content patch for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. Patch 9.1 is titled Chains of Domination and continues the story of the Shadowlands.

We have compiled all the information for you about the new patch 9.1 in advance.

What comes with patch 9.1

Before we go into detail, here is an overview of all new content and features that will come to the Shadowlands with Patch 9.1:

· New wing and adjustments for Torghast

· Start of Season 2 for Mythic + and PvP

· New levels of fame

· 10 Player Raid : Sanctum of Dominion

· Mythical mega-dungeon : Tazavesh, the veiled market

· Flying in the Shadowlands

· New cosmetic pact armor

· New story campaign : The pacts strike back

· New area in the gullet : Korthia

· New skills for the soul bond

· New mounts and pets

When will patch 9.1 be released?

Blizzard has not yet been able to give us an exact date. Patch 9.0.5 is currently still on the test server and will probably make it to the live server in a few weeks. Only then can Patch 9.1 be applied to the PTR. We suspect that a release of Patch 9.1 from April is conceivable.

Story: United against the jailer

After you've made the pacts stronger through your heroic deeds and joined one of the four factions, it's time to form an alliance. Together all the pacts go down the throat to find the jailer.

But first you have to find out what his plan is. The jailer himself has of course not been idle either, so that he will oppose you newly won subordinates and slaves. What we already know: He's looking for something special in the ruins of the mysterious city of Korthia.

We don't yet know exactly what that is, but Hazzikostas told in an interview that we will find out in the course of the update what the jailer is really up to. 

The story for all four pacts is largely similar or evens the same thanks to the merger. However, there should be some pact-specific sections again, so that it is worth replaying the story with another pact. In the course of the story you will not only go to Korthia and thus into the gullet, but you will also have to visit some well-known places again.

New area: Korthia, City of Secrets

The city itself was once a place of the godlike first ones and bears the title "City of Secrets". Now it's just an abandoned ruin. In search of a way to fulfill his dark plans, the jailer throws this ruin into the throat to look for an answer to his problem.

Of course, neither the pacts nor you miss the chance and also pay a visit with Patch 9.1 to the city, which provides you with new quests and other activities.

This is where our friend Ve'Nari comes in again, who, according to Ely Cannon, plays an important role in the new area. After all, it has taken a rather neutral position so far and provides you with information about the gullet and its ruler. In Chains of Domination we should learn more about her and her position within the broker group.

There will also be new rewards in the Maw in the form of two mounts and two pets that you can collect. We can also use all of our mounts in the Maw from patch 9.1. But supposedly we can't fly in the gullet.

Raid: Sanctum of Dominion

After we were able to explore Nathria Castle to the last corner and Count Denathrius is already all green and blue from the beating orgies, a new raid with ten bosses finally comes with patch 9.1.

The Sanctum of Domination is the center of the power that the jailer has over the throat. It is located in Torghast, the Tower of the Damned, which you already know from your weekly soul ash collection campaigns. Instead of a single corridor, however, you are now exploring a whole sanctum and can finally take revenge on Tarragrue, who otherwise always chases you through the corridors when you have died too often.

We will also meet the banshee queen Sylvannas Windrunner in the sanctum. Apparently she will become the final boss of the raid. We should also be able to meet and fight the Lich Kel'thuzad in the raid. Nekrolord members had already dealt with the old acquaintance in their pact campaign.

As usual, the raid will not open right at the start of patch 9.1, but only about a week later. It will probably be the case again that the mythical level of difficulty, as well as the entry via dungeon finder, will only be handed in bit by bit.

Mega dungeon: Tazavesh

You already know mega dungeons from previous WoW expansions such as Mechagon in Battle for Azeroth. These instances can only be played on mythical difficulty level at the beginning and play a bit like a five-player raid. They are larger than the classic instance (hence the term "mega") and usually accommodate a few bosses with exciting and nasty mechanics.

There will be a total of eight bosses in the mega-dungeon who want to get your hands on you. As already said, the dungeon is initially only playable on the mythical level of difficulty. Traditionally, the next big patch - 9.2 - will be expanded to include the levels of difficulty heroic, normal and mythical-plus.

While the first area of ​​the mega-dungeon includes the intermediary bazaar, in which we will fight against various intermediary cartels, the second area is structured like a heist, in which we have to get back an important artifact. On your raid you fight against all kinds of different opponents. Among other things, a dragon in a pirate costume wants to make a fire under your bum: 

Again there are different pets and a mount, as well as different weapons to get hold of.

Flying in WoW Shadowlands

We already knew that the reputation grind would be gone. We didn't expect that to unlock flies in WoW Shadowlands you just need the conclusion of the story campaign.

Torghast: New wing and less frustration

The Tower of the Damned is also being redesigned. With patch 9.1 there should not only be a new wing with new opponents, the previous experience in the tower should also change and be less frustrating. The current situation is that you can either manage a wing at a certain level and receive soul ash and runic mason memories as a reward, or fail and start another attempt with empty hands.

With Chains of Domination there will no longer be a hard death limit, as is currently the case. Rather, your reward scales with how well you finish you’re run in Torghast. So you get better loot if you make a perfect run and don't die a single time than if you die twenty times.

And to top it all off: If you unlock flies in the Shadowlands, you will even receive a new flight mount, or rather four new flight mounts, as a reward, because each pact gets its own flying mount.

#wow shadowlands #wow news

[aniamajewska]

Recycle - pre production

16 February 2021

The first idea that came to my mind in relation to the Recycle brief was a sheep skull that I have at home as a decoration. I like to travel with my husband and our dogs across Scotland, walk in the woods and hiking. This skull was found by my husband on one of our trip somewhere along the way A82 near Loch Lomond. My husband plays bass in doom metal band called You’re Not A Man Of God and they took the skull as band symbol. I photographed this skull few times in the past but never tried with light painting technique. I also have a lot of shells and rocks, dried leaves and pine cones as I like collect that kind of nature rejects and reuse them in home decor compositions. I have an old vintage styled backdrop and I thought that it will looks nice in my still life composition. 

The second idea came unexpectedly to my mind on Sunday. As I mention above, we love to travel. We have iconic classic Volkswagen T4 Caravelle 26 years old and it is a kind of story when we got it 4 years ago, completely out of order and required a lot of money to be restored, but it was so worth it! My husband is a handyman, so he always do things first on his own. He spent 3 months working on this van in the garage. When it was ready, we could drive wherever we wanted and stay overnight sleeping inside. We were in Germany, Austria and Poland, few times on the Isle of Skye and we made NC500 route and we have many fond memories while we travelled  with this van. It is vintage and so cool! We know, it is old so every now and then something breaks and needs to be fixed. And that’s it, we fix it and go on! On last Sunday it was broke, due to alternator. When I saw this thing, I was amazed of it shape and overall look, so old, used, dirty and all in grease. I thought, wow, it was working for 26 years, it has the holy right to break. I’m so fascinated in industrial. I worked for many years in a factory, surrounded by machines and robots. I was listen to their sounds like the music and I could only admire their design and process. So, my idea is to photograph the old alternator, a part without which the car cannot function. 

#recycle #preproduction

[aion-rsa]

Blizzard’s Reputation Won’t Be Saved by J. Allen Brack “Stepping Down”

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In a brief statement released earlier today, Blizzard confirmed that J. Allen Brack will be stepping down as the “leader of the studio” and will be replaced by Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra who will serve as “co-leads” of Blizzard moving forward. There’s no word on what Brack will do next, but a separate statement published by Activision notes that Brack is “leaving the company to pursue new opportunities.”

What you won’t find in either statement (beyond vague references to “integrity and inclusivity” as well as Oneal and Ybarra’s reported commitment to “all” Blizzard employees) is a direct reference to California’s lawsuit against Blizzard over the company’s practices and policies, the controversy over certain Activision Blizzard executives’ responses to the state’s investigation, or the fact that players are staging protests against Activision Blizzard as part of their own responses to these stunning allegations.

So what does Brack have to say about all of this? Well, he previously addressed the lawsuit in an internal email that was leaked to various media outlets, but his official statement on his “decision” to step down is significantly shorter and frustratingly generic:

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“I am confident that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will provide the leadership Blizzard needs to realize its full potential and will accelerate the pace of change. I anticipate they will do so with passion and enthusiasm and that they can be trusted to lead with the highest levels of integrity and commitment to the components of our culture that make Blizzard so special.”

You know, there’s quite a bit to talk about here, but I can’t get over that “components of our culture that make Blizzard so special” line. When Brack references that culture, I don’t imagine he’s talking about the toxic culture of abuse, sexism, harassment, and employee demoralization that apparently existed behind the scenes for far too long. I assume he’s instead talking about the years that Blizzard spent making all-time great games while convincing so many of us that they were a loving and caring company made of passionate gamers who would do anything for their fans and each other.

But you know what? I don’t think Brack deserves to be able to reference those days, even if we do choose to believe they ever really existed. He is, after all, the man who had this to say in response to a fan’s question about whether or not Blizzard would ever add legacy servers for World of Warcraft:

“No. By the way, you don’t want to do that either. You think you do, but you don’t.”

At a time when the much-maligned Warlords of Draenor expansion sunk WoW‘s reputation lower than it had ever been before, Brack had the audacity to tell fans that one of the features they’d been asking for the most was something they only thought they wanted.

While it’s certainly at least a little funny that Brack was forced to reveal WoW Classic just one year later (and that Classic‘s subscriber numbers proved that he was wrong), there are many fans who will always remember him as the guy who not only seemed to fundamentally misunderstand what WoW fans wanted but was bold enough to think that he could gaslight them into somehow believing that WoW‘s then-modern days were so clearly better than what had come before. I’ve spoken before about how the Final Fantasy 14 team’s commitment to their fans is a big part of the reason why that game is pulling ahead of World of Warcraft, and clips like that only help sell that argument.

However, I don’t want to make it sound like J. Allen Brack was somehow the only person on the WoW team who believed that they knew what fans wanted better than fans did. There’s a very good chance he was simply the figurehead on that day and that other members of that panel would have expressed similar (if perhaps better worded) views that were in line with the “passionate” thoughts of one of the team’s leaders.

Honestly, it feels like Brack is playing a similar role now. He may be stepping down, but does anyone believe that Brack was the last member of the Blizzard team who represented the company’s darkest days? We know for a fact that there are other toxic executives at Activision Blizzard based solely on recent statements made by those executives, but we don’t know how many people were put into the positions of power over the years because they too bought into the culture that Brack and others cultivated, contributed to, and, at times, simply let slide.

Blizzard is now in a position where they have to convince everyone but diehard fans that things really have changed. While I’d like to believe that they’ll do that by forcing more executives out the door, implementing serious culture/policy changes, and promoting the next generation of great Blizzard creators, my fear is that people will be willing to overlook all of that and simply judge Blizzard by the quality of their upcoming games. Of course, with World of Warcraft at a low point, Hearthstone sometimes struggling to chase its glory days, Overwatch 2 navigating the early levels of development hell, and Diablo 4‘s release nowhere in sight, it’s honestly not clear whether even good games can save Blizzard in the near future.

Mostly, though, I feel sorry for those Blizzard employees who never did anything but their jobs (and were perhaps even victims of abuse at one point) and are now tasked with solving a problem that they inherited. J. Allen Brack was given a golden parachute just as those who remain at Blizzard were handed the keys to a crumbling empire. If we’re to believe that Blizzard’s incoming leadership has nothing but good intentions regarding the future of the company, then it is a shame that they’re only being elevated now that the company is in this situation while others before them were able to coast by on misguided public perception, legacy works, and whatever sense of self-worth their egos provided.

There’s little doubt that a small army of incredibly talented people with good intentions remains at Blizzard. It’s just a shame that their efforts will now be judged based largely on how they navigate the sins of their predecessors. As someone who would have previously called themselves a long-time fan of most of Blizzard’s games, I truly hope that they’re able to make the most out of what could most generously be called a stacked deck. However, as others have pointed out, the sad truth of the matter seems to be that Blizzard may become the next BioWare and serve as little more than a brand name.

Titles mean a lot in the corporate world. Until 2018, Mike Morhaime was CEO. When Brack took over, he was president. Now, Oneal and Ybarra are described as "co-leaders." A clear glimpse at who's really in charge: Bobby Kotick

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) August 3, 2021

The post Blizzard’s Reputation Won’t Be Saved by J. Allen Brack “Stepping Down” appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek