#80's comedy sequels

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) directed by Tobe Hooper.

#The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 #The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 #1986 #80's #80s #The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) #American black comedy slasher film #a sequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre #Bill Moseley as Robert Sawyer aka “Chop Top” #Bill Moseley #“Chop Top” #my edit

[monsters-conquer-the-world]

OOZEPUNK

WHAT IS OOZEPUNK?

Oozepunk is the term I'm coining for the microgenre of urban heroic sci-fi horror-fantasy that first exploded in the mid-80s with movies, shows, and comics like Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Toxic Avenger, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Hellboy, Street Sharks, and others. Lots of natural crossover with Biopunk and Cyberpunk, aesthetically and philosophically.

Your childhood trauma didn't let you forget Roger Rabbit heavily featured colorful nightmare slime, did it?

A ragtag gang of weirdos (often horribly mutated--more on that soon) band together to save a city that doesn't understand them. Grimy sewers, abandoned buildings and graffiti'd brick walls are lit up by neon lights, streams of mysterious, glowing goo and/or the unearthly lights of futuristic particle weapons--ideally all of the above!

Beyond the "cracked concrete and gutters full of liquid plutonium" aesthetic, Oozepunk prankishly asks "What if catastrophic aberrations of science, particularly DUMPING TOXIC FUCKING WASTE STRAIGHT INTO THE ENVIRONMENT created fucked-up monsters... but they're HEROIC fucked-up monsters!" These catastrophic aberrations of science grant the heroes incredible powers, but COST them their place in human society. (Ghostbusters and Roger Rabbit eschew character mutation in favor of discovering that the undead and olde tymey cartoons are real [and exploitable!], respectively. 'Busters and 'Toon sympathizers alike are treated like insane idiots and/or frauds in their respective universes.)

Oozepunk heroes are challenged not only by strange supernatural beings, but by human society itself. The Ghostbusters battle with local politicians as much as they do the undead. In the recent (and delightful) TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, Splinter warns the Turtles of humans and their obsession with "milking" mutants for their blood--on top of the villainous mutants they're trying to thwart!

Crank up the creep factor in Oozepunk and you get awesome anti-establishment goo-horror like 1988's The Blob, The Stuff, Street Trash, and probably a bunch more. Toxic Avenger is a batshit crazy splatter-comedy (i.e. classic Troma)... and still garnered sequels, a kid's cartoon and toyline!

And there's a Shredder's Revenge-style Crusaders beat-em-up coming out next year??

This looks dope as shit

Ghostbusters and TMNT are the only current, "evergreen" (or radioactive green!) Oozepunk franchises I can think of off the top of my head, but Oozepunk elements are buried in almost all of the stories and settings I love the most. Heroic kaiju like King Kong, Godzilla and Gamera paved the way for our freaky friends, but so did comics characters like Fantastic Four's Ben "The Thing" Grimm, The Hulk and Swamp Thing. Hell, I think I blame SESAME STREET of all things for starting me down the Oozepunk path.

Surprise! I've loved screaming trash monsters with secret hearts of gold since I was a fucking baby, and they've ALWAYS been there for me!

But it's not just Oscar, Sesame Street as a whole is a proto-Oozepunk utopia, years before the big Ooze-splosion of the 80s. Muppets, monsters, talking animals and chill humans all live and work together to scrape by with a little dignity in a gritty-but-wholesome urban world!

Sesame Street, a decades-long reminder that educational childrens' programming can and SHOULD be cool as hell looking and loaded with all kinds of friendly mutant freakuloids.

OOZEPUNK! Whaddya think?

#oozepunk #ghostbusters #teenage mutant ninja turtles #toxic avenger #toxic crusaders #street sharks #who framed roger rabbit #ooze #slime #hellboy #sesame street #goop #goo #Youtube

[fictionalmenmistress]

The Private Library

... Of Fictional Men Mistress

Welcome! This post serves as my digital private library... my most beloved collection. None of these works are mine, and all credit is due to the lovely and incredible minds that created these works of art; (which you will find next to their titles, once you choose a category). This is the home to my personal most favorites, and most beloved stories and fanfictions and blog posts I have read. I think about these daily... I adore these. They've made my life better. They've changed my life. They've kept me going during my lowest points in life, and I mean that. I reccomend all of these. These were written by the best writers in the world; true to character, perfectly immersive, so imaginative, feels like you are there.

All of these fanfictions, stories, character & show analysis, random tumblr posts, headcannons, and beloved writings of all types, will be listed in no distinct order, inside their categories. Please Enjoy; explore them all! 🖤🗝☕🥂

The Majorety of these reccomends are for mature audiences, 18+, so if you are a minor, please DO NOT read through these reccomends yet.

Choose a vinyl playlist!

What genre of fandom writing do you want to spin on the turntable???

NOTE: NO LINKS ON THIS LIST ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE! LISTS ARE BEING FINISHED, AND LINKS WILL BE ADDED TO THIS LIST ALL AT ONCE, VERY SOON. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER MASTERLISTS, PINNED TO MY BLOG, AND SAVE THIS GOODIE FOR LATER! 😉

• Favorite STARWARS Reccomendations: (The Clone Wars, Prequels, Sequels, The Bad Batch) Analysis / Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite BTS Reccomendations: (mostly Taehyung, Namjoon, Yoongi, Jungkook, Jin, Hoseok) Analysis / Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite TMNT Reccomendations: (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bayverse Turtles, 80s, 2003 TMNT, Rise of the TMNT, 2007 TMNT) Analysis / Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite MARVEL Reccomendations: (MOON KNIGHT, WandaVision, LOKI, Loki Laufeyson, Avengers, XMEN, Wolverine, VENOM) Analysis / Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite LIE TO ME* Reccomendations: (Dr. Cal Lightman, Tim Roth *actor*) Headcannons / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite THE BOYS Recommendations: (Billy Butcher, The Boys Team) Analysis / Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite MY HERO ACADAMIA Reccomendations: (Bakugou Katsuki, Todoroki Shouto, Kirishima Enji, Dabi) Analysis / Headcannons / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite Good Omens Reccomendations: (Anthony J. Crowley *The Demon*, Aziraphale A.Z. Fell *The Angel*) Analysis / Headcannons / Fanfictions 🖤

• Favorite "Warden" Hwajin Na *Get Schooled Webtoon* Reccomendations: Analysis / Headcannons / Fanfiction / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite Tom Hiddleston Reccomendations: (Tommy Hiddles *actor*) Headcannons / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite What We Do In The Shadows Reccomendations: (Vladislav The Poker, Viago Von Dorna Schmarten Scheden Heimburg, Deacon Bruke, Stu, Nick "Twilight", Anton The Werewolf, Nandor The Relentless, Guillermo De La Cruz, Lazlo Cravensworth, Nadjia of Axtapos, Colin Robinson) Analysis / Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite SHERLOCK Reccomendations: (Sherlock Holmes *BBC*, John Watson, classic sir arthur conan doyle books) analysis / fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite DC COMICS Recommendations: (BATMAN, The Batfamily, Nightwing, Robin, The Teen Titans) analysis / fanfictions 🖤

• Favorite Impractical Jokers Reccomendations: (The Tenderloins comedy troupe, Brian "Q" Quinn, Sal Vulcano, James S. "MURR" Murray, Joe Gatto) Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite Portal Recommendations: (Portal, Portal 2, Wheatley, Chell, the Cores) Analysis / Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite Ghostbusters Reccomendations: (Dr. Egon Spangler, Dr. Ray Stanz, Dr. Peter Venkman, Winston Zeddermore) Analysis / Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite AVATAR (Na'vi) Reccomendations: (Jake Sully, Neteyam Sully) Analysis / Headcannons / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite Stranger Things Reccomendations: (Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington) Headcannon / Fanfictions / NSFW & SMUT 🖤

• Favorite Tumblr Posts: (random, deep & intellectual, movie, life, advice, or most comedic posts, that make tumblr the greatest platform of all) 🖤

>>> Return to Main Masterlist?

#fictionalmenmistress #personal #my masterlists #my reviews

[filmsfromreel]

2023 Best Picture Nominees Ranked From Worst to Best

A late list from us at Reel, but a interesting night with some suprising winners meant plenty of time to reflect and discuss, eagerly anticipating the slate of films this year.

Whether or not you agree with the awards it’s safe to say that this year’s nominees for Best Picture were an eclectic group of films all bringing something different to the table. From franchise epics to dark comedies, from war films to music biopics, you cannot deny the quality on show. But, even though all the films were individualistic, some were better than others. Here is our ranking of the Best Picture Nominees from worst to best. 

10. Avatar: Way of the Water 

Most of the naysayers of James Cameron’s epic Sci-Fi sequel have been silenced as the film became the 3rd highest grossing film of all time. Absolutely nothing can take away the huge financial success of Cameron’s 3-hour water adventure, but, for all the vast landscapes, exciting action and visual wonder it offers, the film still gets bogged down by what plagued it’s predecessor.

For all its otherworldly qualities the film’s biggest problem is in its humanity. The multitude of characters, and their stories, feel like mere splashes in the ocean Cameron has created for us. While the visuals deservedly won big on Oscar night, there really isn’t enough consistency in Avatar’s vast 3-hour runtime, making the journey feel like a slog more so than the thrill-ride everyone was promised. 

9. Triangle of Sadness

Ruben Ostlund’s third feature had early signs it may follow a similar trajectory to the one Parasite had 4 years ago. Winning the Palme D’Or and getting nominated for a number of other awards across the globe, it looked like Ostlund would be celebrating deep into award season for his film. However, with no wins at this year’s Academy Awards, Triangle of Sadness has faded into the darkness as far superior films took the spotlight. This may just be circumstantial but arguably it’s because, despite being captivating in parts, this is Ostlund’s weakest effort.

When compared to The Square and Force Majeure, both of which have an enigmatic quality to their stories, Triangle of Sadness regularly smacks you on the head with its themes. Even when Ostlund is showing us some of the finest direction of the year (particularly in the dinner scene on the boat), it still gets dragged out to the extreme – hitting home ideas that were already communicated 10 minutes before. Having said that, Ostlund remains one of the most interesting filmmakers working today and despite Triangle of Sadness feeling weaker than his other efforts, there are still moments of brilliance scattered throughout.

8. The Fabelmans 

The biggest takeaway from Spielberg’s reflective life story is that the Director has never lost his touch. Sure, some of his more recent ventures pale in comparison to Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park and Jaws, but his understanding of the medium and how audiences connect to it are the shining light in The Fabelmans. Scenes in which Sammy Fabelman watches his audience react to his films are wonderfully constructed, making it clear that the legendary director has never lost his love for cinema. 

However, this film was always going to border on the self indulgent. If you compare this film to the reflective efforts of Cuarón’s Roma and Brannagh’s Belfast, The Fabelmans struggles to find a core reason to tell its story. Its backdrop dabbles with elements of depression, anti-semitism and bullying but never fully explores them and while Spielberg is telling the story with his heart on his sleeve, it still can’t find a genuine reason for the story it’s telling.  

7. Top Gun: Maverick

One of the year’s biggest surprises was the quality on show in David Kosinsky’s sequel to the cheesy 80’s classic. While it still adheres to its predecessors rules of topless sport and needless high-fiving the film’s technical aspects very often leave you in awe. The sound, visual effects and action set-pieces are wonderfully put together to create so much energy and tension – but the most surprising part of this sequel is the emotional attachments it holds to the first film. 

Tom Cruise’s performance as Maverick is reflective and softer while never losing the rashness of the character, and the emotional beats between Maverick and Goose’s son (named “Rooster”) win you over every time. This could have so easily turned into just another sequel, but Kosinsky’s controlled direction and modern approach make for a mature follow up that surpasses the original with ease. 

6. Elvis

Over the past few years we’ve had a slew of mediocre music biopics, often boasting a great central performance but never understanding their subject, which makes it a delightful surprise to have a film like Elvis come along. Baz Luhrmann took the story of an icon and told it with the energy and glamour that make the Director so distinct. But, what’s even more impressive is how the film understands just how emphatic Elvis Presley was as an icon. 

The film is by no means perfect, with Tom Hanks not quite hitting the mark as well as his co-stars, but this should be the definitive blueprint for music biopics to come. From his room-shaking begins to the darker days of his time in Vegas, Elvis tells us the story while never forgetting to inject the passion and personality that made Elvis Presley one of the most iconic performers of all time. Also, it’s impossible not to be impressed by Butler’s spellbinding performance.

5. Women Talking 

Sarah Polley’s chamber piece rightfully took home the Best Adapted Screenplay award for her talky adaptation of Miriam Toews novel. The script that Polley wrote is a beautiful balance between character, theme and discussion, lending personality and importance to create one of the most timely films of the year.

While Polley’s script is what shines the most it cannot be understated how important her direction is. Instead of being flashy and overbearing she opts for quiet and observational direction that allows her characters to shine with their own heartbreaking individuality. Like all great chamber pieces, Women Talking densely packs its small setting with so much – leaving you eternally affected by the film’s outcome. 

4. All Quiet on the Western Front

Edward Berger’s adaptation of Remarque’s novel takes a modern approach in its filmmaking to really hit home the timeless themes of the classic source material. Every battle scene is wonderfully constructed in order to capture the “War Is Hell” mantra of the film while never losing those individual struggles we see from the leading characters.

There are different threads that the film pulls on that don’t work quite as well as the core story, but these merely provide extra layers to a film that’s already packed densely with story. War films have to really do something special to stand out these days and Edward Berger has ensured that his film stands head and shoulders above a lot of films of a similar ilk.

3. Tár

At times Todd Fields’ near 3-hour character piece can feel strenuous. The script never hides away from the world it’s set in, often allowing long stretches of dialogue about Classical music to play out in front of its sturdy camera, but the film succeeds because of its subtle character evolutions. You’d be quick to dismiss this film as a discussion on “cancel culture” or even the separation of Art vs. Artist, but really what it’s doing is building everything into its central character.

Smartly made and marketed like a biopic, the film takes a grounded approach of talking about people who are considered otherworldly. Every action, conversation and thought Lydia Tár experiences is slowly etching away her mythical persona as one of the greatest composers of all time – until it all implodes in glorious fashion. The film will likely be remembered for Blanchett’s wonderful performance, but there is a quiet complexity to Tár that stays with you for a long time. 

2. Banshees of Inisherin

Martin McDonagh’s newest film is arguably his finest work. In Bruges loyalists will always argue against that, but McDonagh’s signature style has never felt more fluid than in Banshees of Inisherin. Not only that, but the razor sharp humour wonderfully compliments the quiet melancholic tone – as well as the allegory for the Irish Civil War. 

McDonagh surrounds himself with the familiar faces of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson who, along with the addition of two wonderful performances from Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan, anchor this film’s themes perfectly. The chemistry seeping from every scene shared between the cast amplifies the humour but also gives the film a sense of community, reaffirming the bigger questions of death and legacy, as well as the impact we have on those around us. 

1. Everything Everywhere All At Once 

Easily the most original and unpredictable film of the year – maybe even of the current decade – The Daniels’ bizarre vision of the multiverse is told with veteran control. You easily find yourself in awe of the film’s barbaric narrative, but what’s even more impressive is the it’s ability to find so much heart at the centre of its chaos. 

Amongst the confetti action, hotdog fingers and hundreds of other elements The Daniels pack into their film there is a quietly controlled narrative between Mother and Daughter, exploring their lack of connection and the solace they find in that shared experience. It’s a narrative that is extremely hard to balance at the best times but doing it with so much craziness surrounding it – as well as challenging a suffering marriage as well – is why this film easily stands as the best film nominated for Best Picture. Everything Everywhere All At Once won big at the Oscars and for the first time ever there isn’t a soul out there that can argue against with the wins.

#film #movies #film list #movie list #cinema #oscars 2023 #academy awards #film review #oscars #everything everywhere all at once #the banshees of inisherin #tar #all quiet on the western front #women talking #elvis #top gun maverick #the fabelmens #triangle of sadness #avatar way of water #filmsfromreel

[amoderndreamletdown]

Horror Themed Asks

what’s your favorite horror movie?

who’s your favorite final girl?

who’s your favorite slasher?

what’s your favorite horror creature?

what horror movie do you hate?

what’s your favorite horror-comedy?

what’s your favorite horror franchise?

what’s your favorite horror remake?

what’s your favorite stephen king movie?

what’s your favorite horror movie that doesn’t include any supernatural elements?

what’s the most disturbing horror movie?

what’s a movie that is not considered horror that you think should be?

PG-13 horror films or R-rated horror films?

Favorite horror movie featuring ghosts?

what’s a horror movie that was not supposed to be shitty but was?

what’s a horror movie you know is bad but love anyway?

favorite character in a horror movie?

favorite sequel or prequel to a horror film?

favorite actor/ actress in a horror film?

what’s a horror movie you think you could survive?

what’s a horror movie you would not survive?

favorite horror movie cliché?

worst horror movie cliché?

horror movie with the best soundtrack?

best director?

best special effects makeup?

best ‘80s horror movie?

a horror movie that scared you as a kid?

watching horror movies at night or in th ee daytime?

horror movie you say you’ve seen but have never actually watched it?

annabelle or chucky?

jason or freddy?

michael myers or leatherface?

a horror movie that took too long for the climax to happen

a horror movie that had the climax happen too soon?

a horror movie that is hard to follow?

favorite line from a horror movie?

a movie where you prefer the remake over the original?

orignals or remakes?

a franchise where the sequel(s) were better than the original?

the saw trap that disturbed you the most?

the death that was hardest to handle?

a franchise that has too many movies?

a horror movie you feel was too long?

a horror movie you feel was too short?

worst remake?

worst plot?

best plot?

a horror movie you can’t watch alone?

a character you wish died?

#horror #horror movie #pet sematary #friday the 13th #halloween #a nightmare on elm street #the texas chainsaw massacre #the shining #saw #scream #childs play #the conjuring #midsommar #fear street #it stephen king #jennifer’s body #final destination #the evil dead #american psycho #phsyco #cabin fever #my bloody valentine #candyman #resident evil #carrie #the exorcist #hostel #the ring #the orphan #truth or dare

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: October 21, 2023

It's been a while... Here's what I've been watching.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Wes Anderson, 2023) The Swan (Wes Anderson, 2023) The Rat Catcher (Wes Anderson, 2023) Poison (Wes Anderson, 2023)

I dropped the ball and didn't get around to reading Roald Dahl's stories before watching these, but it was hard enough waiting for all four to release on Netflix, so I definitely wouldn't be able to wait to get my hands on the stories. From my understanding of the source material, though, these are all perfectly peculiar adaptations, staying true to Dahl's voice and heart. All four short films shine unique light on Wes Anderson's strengths as a filmmaker and storyteller, and it was a pleasure to witness. The Rat Catcher is very likely my favorite of the bunch, with a bizarre story and characters, including an award-worthy turn by the always fantastic Ralph Fiennes. Second best would easily be The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which highlights Anderson's knack for idiosyncratic storytelling, grabbing hold of the viewer and honoring the source material by keeping it intact. Poison was an experiment in suspense, and both Anderson and the cast delivered completely. I definitely wouldn't mind seeing him venture into more tense material in the future. And, despite the jaw-dropping performance from Rupert Friend, The Swan was probably my least favorite, over-utilizing its narrator storytelling to the point where I felt detached from the story. There's just so much to love throughout the four of these shorts, though. Unsurprisingly, the production design in all four is brilliant, and I especially loved how interactive Anderson & Co. got with it all, here. The stagehands and creative handling of props stoked the imagination. Robert D. Yeoman's (and even Roman Coppola's) cinematography was singularly stunning. And the cast was pure perfection. The aforementioned stand-outs are only the beginning; everyone here was working at the top of their game. I know they're shorts, but don't be surprised if you see Fiennes and Friend - as well as Dev Patel and Ben Kingsley - popping up in My Best of 2023 lists. I really wish I could've experienced these in a cinema, but when it comes to Wes Anderson, I'll take whatever I can get, whenever and however I can get it. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: 9/10 The Swan: 7.5/10 The Rat Catcher: 8.5/10 Poison: 8/10

Totally Killer (Nahnatchka Khan, 2023)

The overreactions to the way the teens in the '80s behaved got annoying real fast and shone a horribly unflattering light on just how disinterested people of her character's generation are with taking context into consideration when spouting their attention-hungry pontifications. Then again, that's probably the point? So, good job? The cast was okay. The kills were dull. The horror wasn't scary. The comedy wasn't all that funny. The writing in general is lazily paper-thin, and the stakes damn-near nonexistent. - 3/10

The Creator (Gareth Edwards, 2023)

I gets some extra points for being an 'original' sci-fi film in a landscape of sequels, reboots and additions to the MCU, but sadly those wind up being pretty much the only points it ends up with. Despite being 'original', every single aspect of this film feels like a tired rendition of a significantly better film. And worst of all, it's all just completely forgettable... I literally forgot Allison Janney until checking IMDb, just now. Sturgill Simpson was a standout, though. I look forward to seeing him again in Killers of the Flower Moon, this week. - 4/10

Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (Leigh Janiak, 2021) Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 (Leigh Janiak, 2021) Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 (Leigh Janiak, 2021)

They function a little too much as more a limited series than even a trilogy, so they lose some points for that. However, all three are quite good. The best is the first, of course, working the most as a standalone. It also has the best kills and characters, and a tone that most successfully mines the scares out of the material. The second has a good setting, but the extremes of the characters detract from the tone. And while the third works best in its back half, when it completes the storyline set up in the first film, the 1666 section is enjoyable enough in its depiction of just how absurd the 1600s puritan belief system was. 1994: 8.5/10 1978: 7/10 1666: 7.5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

#film #the creator #the wonderful story of henry sugar #fear street 1666 #fear street 1978 #fear street 1994 #fear street trilogy #movies #my week in reviews #movie #cinema #film review #movie reviews #wes anderson #horror movies #etc.

[loopy777]

I just read your fic "Stainless Steel Sleuth" and I loved it. The ATLA series leans itself so well to noir themes and settings im surprised it isnt done more in the fandom. And the idea of setting it in the real world in a time period that would resemble the one in ATLA, what with the 100 year war being WW2 in a way, that was genius. We need more ATLA in the real world type settings. Have you ever though of like an idea for a "ATLA in the real world" story that was still somewhat following the plot of the show? You know like war and the avatar and whatnot.

Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, as figuring out how to translate the Fire Nation's war into something in the real world was the biggest headache for that whole project. XD

What's tricky about any attempt to translate AtLA to a real world setting is mapping the cultures. It's easy to make the Air Nomads into Tibet, and the Water Tribes have a variety of Arctic cultures that can be chosen as a reasonable representation (@mostly-mundane-atla has a lot great information blogged for that). But the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom can be problematic. For a WW2 setting, especially, it's tempting to make the Fire Nation into Japan and the Earth Kingdom into China. But I think the Fire Nation has too much Chinese influence for that to be satisfying, especially since Mai's character design draws so much from tropes of the 'Chinese Girl' and she's the star of that story.

Hence my vague compromise in the backstory where Ozai is leading his own rogue state that mixes followers from Japan, China, and other nations in the area. I did align him with Japan's imperial war of conquest, since they were the active would-be imperial power of the time, but otherwise did a very precise dance centered on Manchuria.

And I do, in fact, have another AtLA AU set in the 'real' world! Getting this Ask prompted me to port my Wild West AU over to AO3. That's a little less real, though, in that I use Steampunk technology and make the mythology around Geronimo into fact, but I still brought in as much history as I could. It was also easier to map, since it was all contained within American cultures. Despite being a short story (and a sequel), this one actually does directly adapt some of AtLA's plot, but mostly just the finale. That choice was a practical one, as it let me cram in the most amount of favorite characters.

It's entirely likely I'll do more writing in this vein, since I like modern history and I like playing in AUs, and I don't see any reason to rule out something with a more classical Aang-led plot. I would never just replicate the plot beats of the AtLA cartoon, but if we allow for something like my Traitor's Face fic where I allowed myself to do a lot of original storytelling, then that's entirely possible.

That said, neither of my 'historical AU' projects were meant to be 'historical AUs.' They ended up that way because I love drawing on history when I can, but I started with the intention of writing a Detective Noir and a Western, classical pulp stories whose look and feel carried down the ages from when those kinds of stories were first being told. I love pulp fiction (despite never seeing the movie "Pulp Fiction"), so that will probably drive my next attempt to bring AtLA into the real world.

Of course, I share that love with AtLA itself. "The City of Walls and Secrets" is fully a Noir tale, and everyone agrees "Zuko Alone" doesn't even try to pretend it's not a Western. So maybe I'll end up doing a 80's Coming Of Age comedy-drama just like "The Beach," although how I'd fit Aang's quest into that, I have no idea. ;)

#anonymous

[mmmmalo]

I ended up reading a bunch of stuff about Avatar recently and it came up that the biggest deposits of the McGuffin mineral "unobtanium" are located beneath the Tree of Souls, where the Na'vi commune with the planet. The ore was replaced as McGuffin by space whale brain ambergris in the sequel, so both the initial context and the assumption of continuity with its successor indicate that unobtanium is central to the "mind" of Eywa in some sense or other. And it occurred to me that since the bulk of the movie is about Jake's trials toward becoming an Authentic native, it'd be thematically tidy and pretty funny if the magic rock below the Soul Tree literally represented "soul", like in the "racial je ne sais quoi" sense.

"I initially assumed another race's skin with a profit motive and, now that I Love Them, I must contend with the cruel effects of my exploitation" is also the plot of the 80's racefaking comedy Soul Man.

#movies #avatar 2009 #race mapping

[sin-sidejob]

Cognito Watch Party:

Warnings: sfw, movie genres and references to thrillers, horror films, trashy tv and shows

Content: sfw, television and movie choices, various themes and genres of television and film

Reagan Ridley:

- Movies: unironically loves cult classic “bad films” that’re more popular but lower in quality. Also loves some psychological thrillers, animation, & sci-if stuff and watches them like comfort movies. Reagan watches: Space Jam + the sequel, Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Grown Ups + Grown Ups 2, Inception, Don’t Look Up, All Dogs Go To Heaven, The Usual Suspects, Ghostbusters I-III, Austin Powers Saga, Harry Potter franchise, and War Dogs.

- TV: Reagan watches documentaries/docuseries, thrillers, clever and dark comedies, and animated shows, and series that get a little therapeutic for her. Therapy seems a bit of a stretch but seeing the family bullshit of others through Fleabag and Shameless help her lots. Reagan Watches: Ozark, Manhunt: Unabomber, The Legend of Korra, Arrested Development, Fleabag, Schitt’s Creek, Drunk History, History of Swear Words, Love Death + Robots, Forged In Fire, Shameless, Arcane, Black Mirror, Mindhunter, Community, and Russian Doll.

Brett Hand:

- Movies: I see this man loving 80’s feel-good flicks and Adam Sandler films. Like mindless, kitschy comedy and classics. Also watches trashy romcoms. Brett watches: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, The Outsiders, The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Sandlot, Top Gun & Maverick, Happy Gilmore, Grown Ups, The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, Star Wars (original trilogy), Spaceballs, Die Hard, and Ghostbusters I-III.

- TV: hes a feel-good show person, avoiding spooky or stress-inducing shows and tv that could freak him out. He goes for mindless comedy that’s more domestic, preferring sitcom. Especially family centric ones! Brett watches: Modern Family, The Office, F.R.I.E.N.D.S., Cheers, The Umbrella Academy, and Stranger Things. Also watches Parks and Rec, The Good Place, New Girl, King Of the Hill, M.A.D. tv, Bob’s Burgers, Robot Chicken, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Gravity Falls.

JR Scheimpough:

- Movies: Watches the classics™️ + organized crime films + white men movies. I don’t see him as a movie watcher like frequently but they’re some of the films he’d choose on a flight or commuting. JR watches: The Godfather part I & II, Casino, Goodfellas, Wolf of Wallstreet, American Psycho, Legally Blonde, Fight Club, The Usual Suspects, Scarface, Heat, The Longest Yard, Silence of the Lambs. He’s also got a soft spot for Finding Nemo, The Devil Wears Prada, Monty Python movies, and Sabrina (both the black & white film and the 90s one)

- TV: This man watches docuseries, drama shows, period dramas, and some business comedies. It’s a blend of boss-workplace dramatics and humor, historical drama, period pieces, and just little bits and pieces that get him laughing and forgetting about his day a bit. JR watches: Suits, Billions, Peaky Blinders, Ozark, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Succession, The Pentaverate, The Crown, The Wire, Ted Lasso, Barry, Fleabag, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Gigi Thompson:

- Movies: She’s got the wildest blend of gory slashers and feel-good chick flicks. Unsettlingly funny and ironic. Gigi’s just as giddy and smiley when watching the slashers as she is with seeing Elle Woods pass the LSAT. Movie night truly do be wild with this babe. Gigi watches: Legally Blonde, Carrie, Cujo, Mean Girls, Clueless, The Shining, Silence of the Lambs, Hush, The Exorcist, The Omen, Pretty Woman, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Sabrina (the 90s version), New York Minute, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, The Ring, The Conjuring, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloweeen, Insidious, Sweet Home Alabama, and Candyman.

- TV: Similar taste in shows as she had with movies but sprinkles in boss bitch shows and avoids thriller or scary shows. She prefers the drama ones and avoids reality tv after the whole K*rdashian fiasco, preferring to keep celebrities far away from her and seen only on a screen. Gigi watches: Gossip Girl, Succession, Billions, Suits, 30 Rock, Veep, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fleabag, Bridgerton, Disenchantment, First Kill, Dynasty, Ginny and Georgia, You, Insatiable, Villanelle, Inventing Anna, The Queen’s Gambit, and The Chair.

Andre Lee:

- Movies: Silly comedies, romcoms, and comedic coming of age stories. It’s a big ass blend of movies and films that he likes and watches, from spooky to silly and sexy to childish. Andre watches: Monty Python, Jackass, Fantastic Fungi, Osmosis Jones, The Wolf of Wallstreet, Shrek Saga, When Harry Met Sally, Steel Magnolias, Wayne’s World, Caddyshack, Animal House, Hush, The Boy, Fifty Shades of Grey, Ferngully, The Princess and the Frog, and Die Hard.

- TV: Andre watches Euphoria while getting high as blatant irony to the plot line. He thinks he’s hilarious. He also has variating taste of genres, kitschy comedy, animated shows, mindless shit. Half the time it’s stuff to get high to and other times it’s stuff he leaves on in the background. Andre watches: Disenchantment, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gossip Girl, The Midnight Gospel, Narcos, Gilmore Girls, Total Drama, Tear Along the Dotted Line, Disjointed, The Simpsons, Saiki K, Grace and Frankie, M*A*S*H*, Kim’s Convenience, and Euphoria.

Robotus Alpha Beta:

- Movies: not going to lie, he doesn’t seem like a movie man? Like he’s one to watch them half-heartedly if it’s with you or a group, but he won’t go out of his way to watch a movie. Televisions a bit different for him. I think Ro can be lured into certain movies and he may watch some of your favorites on his own time to better understand you, but personally? Not for him. But if it came to it, Robotus watches: your favorites

- TV: he likes semi-mindless comedies and sitcoms??? He’s seen the foils of man in milliseconds and tries to avoid all the stuff he’s encountered. In turn, he goes to things that’re funny or dramatic that can remind him subtly of those he’s, ugh, friends with, and how they’ve made humanity more bearable. Robotus watches: The Umbrella Academy, Seinfeld, F.R.I.E.N.D.S., Frasier, Succession, Modern Family, Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, and Derry Girls.

Glenn Dolphman:

- Movies: Watches history documentaries, war films, military propaganda films, and period dramas. Also watches southern films too, for some nostalgia and comfort. Reminds him of his mumma’. Glenn watches: Steel Magnolias, A Few Good Men, Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Help, The Notebook, Smokey and the Bandit, Jaws, Hacksaw Ridge, The Shawshank Redemption, Dunkirk, Jackie, Spencer.

- TV: mix of history shows, docuseries, military and law enforcement shows, and silly comedies. Some shows are for the similar dynamics to work, to his military life, and etc. others he just enjoys. Strange silly man. Glenn watches: Law and Order NCIS, The Sons of Liberty, Turn: Washington’s Spies, Downtown Abbey, Young Sheldon, Community, Space Force, The Pentaverate, Will and Grace, The Lincoln Lawyer, Bridgerton, Squid Game, and unironically, everything during shark week. And of course, M*A*S*H*

Magic Myc:

- Movies: a Blend of truly random shit that’s somewhat nostalgic but also a crackpot of dumb bullshittery that fits his persona wholly and completely. It’s funny and stupid and clever and smarmy. Just like him!! Myc watches: Animal House, Fantastic Fungi, Grown Ups, Don’t Look Up, Monty Python and the Holy Grail + The Life of Brian, The Usual Suspects, Harry Potter franchise, When Harry Met Sally, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Omen, The Birds, Casablanca, and Chucky.

- TV: i feel that he and Andre hang out and watch shit together but mainly talk shit, like get high or just sit around on a couch and absolutely pick apart whatever stupid shitbirds are running around on the screen. They’ll also make rituals of watching certain shows together and if they tv-cheat they get PISSED. Myc watches: Forged In Fire, The Umbrella Academy, Love It Or List It, Stranger Things, Total Drama, The Midnight Gospel, Bob’s Burgers, Master Chef, Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, House Hunters, Cowboy Bebop, Clone High, Amphibia, Gravity Falls, Robot Chicken, Love Death + Robots, America Ninja Warrior, Arrested Development, The Voice, America’s Got Talent, and Squid Game.

#inside job #inside job imagine #inside job headcanon #robotus #jr scheimpough #Andre Lee #reagan ridley #Brett hand #myc #Glenn Dolphman #Gigi thompson #sfw #my inside job #my thots #Glenn #Andre #JR #Reagan #Brett #Gigi #robotus alpha beta #magic myc

[thealmightyemprex]

80's Sci Fi Month vote

Should I watch as my first film of sci fi month

War Games :A film about hackers and nuclear war ,with Matthew Broadrick and Dabney Coleman

The Fly 2 : A sequel to the 80's classic and the only film in the Fly franchise I havent seen ,

Short Circuit : A classic sci fi comedy about a robot who gains sentience

The Running Man :Arnold Schwarzenegger vs evil game show host apparently

@ariel-seagull-wings @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @goodanswerfoxmonster @amalthea9 @angelixgutz

[rubykgrant]

🔪 - Who is your favorite final girl?

🔪 - What is your favorite paranormal horror movie?

🔪 - What is your favorite 80’s horror film?

I have to cheat a little and give multiple answers (because I can never decide on ONE thing)

-Probably Laurie Strode, Ellen Ripley (I know she kinda technically "dies" in various Alien sequels, but she counts), Cecilia Kass, and uhhhhhh... it's a little bit complicated, but "Adelaide Wilson" (is that really who she is? eh... did she survive? YEP! is she an interesting character? you bet~)

-I LOVE the original Poltergeist from 1982 (this is a "comfortable" kind of spooky movie for me, the family moments are so down-to-earth, it makes the scary aspects hit harder) and I really enjoy The Omen (the original 1976, and the 2006 remake. the most fascinating bits to me aren't even the "demonic stuff", but the implications of how regular people react to it, and how "mundane" problems get ignored by the characters)

-Once again, probably Poltergeist! But others I like are Little Shop of Horrors (a comedy/musical horror movie, but I love it), Beetlejuice (again, more fun that horror, but it works), Friday the 13th, and The Thing! (some other big 80s horror movies I like in weird ways; I love the whole concept of a Nightmare on Elm Street/Freddy Krueger, but I don't have a favorite movie exactly. The Shining is amazing, but I enjoy reading the book more than the film versions)

Thanks for asking!

#ask #answer #grandromantic #horror #horror movies

[heavenboy09]

Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 To You

The Iconic & Radiant BiRacial FlashDance 💃🤎 Actress Of The 80's

Born On December 19th,  1963. 

Beals was born and raised in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Jeanne (née Anderson), an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned grocery stores. Beals's father was African-American, and her mother is Irish-American.

She is an American actress. She made her film debut in My Bodyguard (1980), before receiving critical acclaim for her performance as Alexandra Owens in Flashdance (1983), for which she won NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

Beals has appeared in several films including Vampire's Kiss (1988), Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), The Last Days of Disco (1998), Roger Dodger (2002), The Book of Eli (2010), Before I Fall (2017), and Luckiest Girl Alive (2022). On television, she starred in shows such as The Chicago Code (2011), Proof (2015), Taken (2017), and The Book of Boba Fett (2021). She is best known for her portrayal of Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word (2004–2009), which earned her a nomination for the Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She reprised her role as Bette Porter and served as an executive producer on the sequel series The L Word: Generation Q (2019–2023).

Please Wish This Iconic & Radiant BiRacial Actress Of The 80's, A Very Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊

YOU KNOW HER

YOU LOVE HER ON THE DANCE FLOOR.

& SHE'S DEFINITELY A MANIAC WHEN COMES TO ACTING

THE 1 & ONLY

MS. JENNIFER BEALS AKA ALEXANDRA OWENS OF FLASHDANCE 💃🤎 & BETTE PORTER OF THE L WORD

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 TO YOU MR. BEALS & HERE'S TO MANY MORE YEARS TO COME. 

#JenniferBeals #FlashDance #AlexandraOwens #TheLWord #BettePorter

#Jennifer Beals #Flashdance #Alexandra Owens #The L Word #Bette Porter #Spotify

[youngeditor1999]

I feel like a spiritual sequel to “80 for Brady” would be “Draft Dodgers for Rodgers” in which 4 ancient hippies from the Vietnam era (Steve Buscemi, Geoffrey Rush, Al Pacino, John Goodman) sneak across the border from Canada in an attempt to watch fellow hippie Aaron Rodgers get to his second Super Bowl at age 54. Martin Kove plays a hard nosed yet incompetent cop trying to catch them. Bakh and Cobb are there too. Christopher Walken makes an appearance because it’s that kind of movie. There’s at least 1 extended ayahuasca hallucination scene. Everybody ends up getting covid

Alright, anon, here I am, ✨FINALLY✨ publishing your amazing and funny idea!!!

It took me a minute (ok, a few days...👀🤭😜💓) because I wanted to find clips and pictures for all of everything you have describe. 😊🌟💯🔥

First and foremost, I would so go see this movie if it were real. (For context, I saw 80 for Brady the weekend it was released because of course I did 😅💞)

This idea overall sounds silly, entertaining a.f. and all around like a good time!!

To add onto your idea:

It would at least have to be rated PG-13, especially because of the ayahuasca hallucination scene. I also suspect that there will be a bit of swearing, heavy partying and drinking, too. PLUS not to mention that they are on the run from the law and that will provide a whole 'nother set of mischievous/dubious acts. 😏😉😝

Real quick, for those who might not know, this is what Google says the definition of "ayahuasca" is:

"A South American psychoactive and entheogenic brewed drink traditionally used both socially and as a ceremonial or shamanic spiritual medicine among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin, and more recently in North America and Europe."

(In other words, hippie tea 😅☮️🫖🍵)

Now, as for who's gonna direct this amazing monstrosity, I have pulled together three options.

There's Kyle Marvin, who directed 80 for Brady.

Then I have Peter Segal, who directed two of my personal favorites, Tommy Boy and 50 First Dates.

Last but not least, there's Dennie Gordon as an option. Dennie was the director of the first Joe Dirt movie (comedy writer Fred Wolf directed the second).

Either one of these three would be wonderful and would understand that there is a more deeper heart and soul in the middle of this otherwise goofy flick. (:

Next:

Anon, you and I seem to understand each other, so I'm gonna go ahead and say that we can be co-screenwriters and executive producers for this!!!

If we really were out to make this, that is. 🤭😊🤓

ALSO!!! Draft Dodgers for Rodgers is an EXCELLENT title; I love it a lot and am really proud of you for coming up with this title (and the idea in general, of course!!)!!

Now, before moving on to everything else, I must discuss this film's soundtrack.

Clearly there's gonna be a lot of classic rock and older country tunes because that's the era that these men are from.

The classic rock is not gonna be anything too rough/screamy/meataly, though...I'm primarily thinking about stuff from the mid 60's and most of the 70's. Cover songs from and during this era are absolutely acceptable. 😌

Also, because this is an Aaron Rodgers movie, there has got to be a few Taylor Swift songs mixed in as well!!

I don't know if he can, but Aaron can try to pick put his top three tracks from each album/era as songs to possibly put into the overall end product.

And you know what, while we're at it...

Dolly Parton recorded a new, original song specifically for 80 for Brady so whose to say that Taylor couldn't do the same for this movie?!

Her fans, Aaron included, would be very likely to love it, no matter what it sounds like. (:

Now, to address all of your points...!!

I'd like to take a moment to share the other ask you sent me after I wrote this (the first post, hehe).

Replacing Geoffrey Rush with Jeff Bridges was a really great call; I'm so glad that you remembered Aaron's obsession with The Big Lebowski and the exact sweater that he copied from that movie!!! For everyone's viewing pleasure, here is Aaron wearing said sweater next to a still of Jeff's character (named The Dude) wearing the sweater.

Also, I wouldn't be me if I didn't find pictures of the rest of this hypothetical cast, just so that everyone knows for sure what these guys look like.

Top Left: Jeff Bridges

Top Right: Al Pacino

Middle Left: Steve Buscemi

Middle Middle: John Goodman

Middle Right: Martin Kove

Bottom Left: Christopher Walken

(And yes, that is a picture of Geoffrey Rush (bottom right) because even though Jeff Bridges replaced him, people still deserve to know he looks like in case they don't!!)

Additionally, saying that Weird Al should perform his Jeopardy Song was brilliant!! Fans of Aaron know that he loves Jeopardy and even got the chance to participate in some game, as seen here and here. (He also had the opportunity to host once, but the only clip that I could find of that was this. 😩)

P.S.-Here is the Jeopardy song for those who don't know it 🙂

THIS IS PART ONE!!!

I'm gonna reblog for Part Two because I have a few more pictures to share but for some reason, Tumblr won't let me add any more photos to this current post. 😒🙄☹️

#asks #askbox #anon #asked and answered #Aaron Rodgers #Draft Dodgers for Rodgers #This is gonna be so long but it'll be worth it!!! :D #Jeff Bridges #Steve Buscemi #Al Pacino #John Goodman #Christopher Walken #Weird Al #Jeopardy #80 for Brady #movies #films

[ccthewriter]

CC’s Top 10 New Watch Ranking - November 2022

It’s an exciting day for movie lists! The Sight & Sound Top 100 has dropped, everyone’s pouring over the details, and I thought I’d share my own equally famous and important list. Not my personal Sight and Sound - I’ve only seen 45% of this decade’s S&S, so am woefully underinformed to make such a judgement. But, whatever I’ve seen in the last 30 days? That I can do. 

Every month on Letterboxd, I make a list of the 10 best films I’ve seen for the first time. It’s a fun way to compare movies separated in time, country of origin, and genre, and helps me keep track of what I’m watching! The accidental theme of this month has been Journeys Into Underground Worlds, whether that’s crime, cults, or supernatural realms! Click below to see the breakdown! Click here for the list on LB!

#10 - Lair of the White Worm 1988. Director: Ken Russell

A pulpy, erotically charged horror movie starring a baby-faced Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi. Amanda Donohoe is a centuries-old priestess of a snake god that needs human sacrifices, and frankly, I volunteer as tribute. This embodies all the things I like most about high camp horror - a thin plot, corn-syrup gore, a practical effects monster, and visually striking low-budget dreamscapes. The vision shown in this gif is an incredible high point of the film, just absurd 80′s video editing using all its tricks. Recommended for anyone who loves Evil Dead 2 or the scarier episodes of Doctor Who. 

#9 - Sullivan’s Travels 1941. Director: Preston Sturges

An out-of-touch movie director pretends to be homeless to make his next film more ‘real,’ while the studio sends a crew to follow him to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble. He ditches them, and experiences the true injustice and harm that he had been fantasizing about all along. Like that director this movie feels out of touch for much of its run time, until the last act when the main character faces some *really real* injustice at the hands of the carceral system. That’s what elevates this from a mild comedy into something really special. A parody of a studio system that barely exists anymore - imagine executives shaking a writer down, begging to pay him - but still feels relevant in the way that some people can simply stop existing if they’re handed over to the uncaring police state. 

#8 - Out of the Fog 1941. Director: Anatole Litvak

A noir-tinged parable about how fascist bullies can take control of your lives if you don’t stop them. Two immigrant Brooklynites dream of buying a fishing boat and sailing to Cuba, but a racketeer shakes them down at the pier for ‘protection money,’ threatening the life of one of their daughters, who has fallen for his strongarmed charm. This war-time film was an argument by the director in favor of the US entering WWII, showing how the threat of fascism wasn’t just a European problem. Anyone, anywhere, is susceptible to a thick-fisted jerk who sells dreams of power to the weak, and an ever-escalating use of violence to take everything from people who just want to keep their heads down. Incredible for its ending, where - spoilers - the two men effectively murder the racketeer, and everyone they know agree to bury the crime because they know he’s better off dead. Talk about community action! 

#7 - Doctor Sleep 2019. Director: Mike Flanagan

I loved Midnight Mass so much, so was excited when my favorite movie podcast gave me an excuse to watch this film. I rewatched The Shining last month as part of a Kubrick filmography run, so my mind was primed for everything this movie had to offer. Though a sequel to The Shining feels unnecessary on paper, Flanagan managed to find wonderful new layers to explore in the original film’s premise, marrying Kubrick’s nightmarish reality with King’s original intention for the work. What is the responsibility of traumatized people? In a cruel world, do you keep perpetuating harm, do you run away and numb yourself, or do you - miraculously, heroically - find a way to end the cycles of violence wherever you can? Incredible performances all around. Rebecca Ferguson is also in this month’s micro-theme of Very Evil Women Are Allowed To Kill Me. I can’t wait to see what Kyliegh Curran does with the rest of her career. 

#6 - Brute Force 1947. Director: Jules Dassin

A movie that feels like The Shawshank Redemption until its brutal, tragic end. A demonstration of the banality of the prison system and how it is a breeding ground for pain and arbitrary violence. I thought a lot about Andor while watching this - both are examples of a collective forming a rebellion. Both have tragic ends for some of their central characters, but give a feeling of hope that success and victory are possible. That the revolution will win out. Andor is the inception of a revolution that we know will win - the Force will indeed awaken - but Brute Force leaves an air of melancholy as you recognize that the struggle these prisoners face is something we’re still dealing with today. The system has only gotten crueler since this movie was made. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be changed. 

#5 - Eyes Wide Shut 1999. Director: Stanley Kubrick

A movie I’ve often wondered and fantasized about because of its raunchy, taboo reputation. It really moves me how a film with so much sex and erotic content can ultimately leave the viewer feeling drained of any sensuality. From my LB review: “Queerness can't just be a mission to conform 'outsiders' to the mainstream. It must destroy the thing that controls us all! I'm so interested in the way the masked orgy-goers kiss - an imitation of intimacy without connection, without the actual nerve-tingling *sensation* of locking lips. Their secrecy, immovable and grand, must be maintained above all else. Pleasure must be obtained through this barrier that conceals the self. God, the straights have it bad. Even in their most elaborate fantasies they just can't let go. They've always got to look over their shoulder, in case someone realizes they're just as perverted and human as the rest.”

#4 - Michael Clayton 2007. Director: Tony Gilroy

Another film that’s been on my list for a long time! With Tony Gilroy proving himself a genius in the TV sphere, like Mike Flanagan, I wanted to turn to one of his films to see what he’s got there. This didn’t disappoint. Michael Clayton is a seedy corporate fixer sent to save a huge case from being ruined by the lead attorney, whose doubts are arising out of a psychotic breakdown. It’s just fucking *fun.* Someone in the group I was watching this with said that Gilroy nails the perfect balance between effective and flowery dialogue. His characters ramble, speaking outside any sort of naturalism, but it never feels stagey. They’re people stuck in grand, outlandish circumstances, and their speech rises up to match the stakes of their surroundings. This movie has one of the most satisfying endings in movie history. I adore the end credits that just track on Clooney’s face - it’s a great demonstration of what a good actor he is. You can see everything he’s thinking in the small motions of his eyes. 

#3 - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 2022. Director: Rian Johnson

Benoit Blanc is back, baybeee! I love a good whodunnit, and Rian Johnson is proving himself to be the master of this genre in the modern age. Knives Out is one of my favorite movies, and I’m pleased to report that the latest entry in this series is just as satisfying as the first. I want Johnson to make as many of these as he wants, forever. My movie circle has made a lot of noise about the things this film has repeated from the original. I think 2 films is too early to say what the pattern for “A Knives Out Mystery” is going to be, but I hope the essence stays the same. An incredible cast, a colorful setting, and the relatively blank character of Benoit Blanc taking a backseat to let the ensemble shine. Oh, and the hyper-wealthy suffering under the weight of their own greed! That’s good, too. I’ve read about 35 Agatha Christie novels this year, and Johnson has found some of these essential ingredients that made her works so compelling, too. 

#2 - Sweet Smell of Success 1957. Director: Alexander Mackendrick

If there were an award for ‘Most One-Liners In A Motion Picture,’ this one would win, hands-down. I watched this while visiting my dad, who is a kind of passive movie fan and not often interested in films this old - but after just a few minutes of dialogue, he sat down and got sucked in. Sidney Falco is a press agent looking to score big by sucking up to J. J. Hunsecker, a manipulative narcissist who runs the biggest column in town. All Sidney has to do is break up the relationship JJ’s sister is striking up with a jazz guitarist. Through the glamor, glitz, and grime of late 50′s Broadway, this spirals into an immensely satisfying tale of ruthless ambition. The writing is phenomenal, the essence of New York is captured like nothing else, and JJ proves to be one of cinema’s most memorable villains. You can jump to any point in this movie and get one of the zingiest lines you’ve ever heard. A personal favorite: “If you’re funny, Walter, I’m a pretzel!” 

#1 - Labyrinth 1986. Director: Jim Henson

Somehow I had never seen this???? I can’t believe it either. The composite ingredients of this work - the fantasy, escapism, puppetry, fairy lore, danger, design - are all things I have loved from a very early age, and this *feels* like something I would have loved as a kid. Maybe that’s the power of this work - it speaks to a childish part of us that yearns to escape into fantasy, that wants to make cruel oaths to those we love, but knows the epic consequences of what would happen if we did. The journey we would have to go on to repair the hurt caused. I was lucky enough to go to the Henson exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image last month and saw some of these costumes in person. They are so richly designed. Every last inch of this frame is dripping with precision, from the fish-eyed lens to the mixed fabrics that makes each puppet come to life. Just like fantasy drawings often use inks, charcoals, and paints to create a textured image, these puppets are made from a variety of fabrics, metals, and other materials to make them seem organic and real. It’s an incredible feat. Jennifer Connelly embodies such a precise moment of youth, too. The very first steps out of childhood and into the passionate teenage years, where all the consequences of your actions seem massive and the weight of responsibility is dawning. This is a truly unique dreamworld. How lucky we are to have had a visionary like Henson create something like this.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you for reading! If you liked any of these thoughts feel free to follow me on Letterboxd, where I post reviews and keep meticulous track of every movie I watch. Look forward to more posts like these next month! 

#CC OC #Letterboxd #New Watch Ranking #movies #film #labyrinth #sweet smell of success #Glass Onion #Michael Clayton #Eyes Wide Shut #Brute Force #Doctor Sleep #Out of the Fog #Sullivan's Travels #The Lair of the White Worm #text #monthly ranking #list

[benkybot]

1. The Evil Dead

This is 1/100 on the list of must see horror movies, and we are starting verrrry strong. I have tried watching this film before so I thought I wouldn’t like it but i have to say this low budget independent film from the 80′s inspired by drive-in B-movies rivals the best of its time, in my opinion the plot and the characters definitely beat the high budget slashers of the 80′s like Friday the 13th and Halloween. 

The plot centers on 5 teenagers who go up to a cabin in the mountains and upon finding a spooky looking book and some spooky sounding tapes they accidentally awaken demons in the forest that try to possess them. Very simple plot, which works mainly because of the characters and the setting. I would say that the drive-in B-movie influences in this film are mostly subtle, but a more obvious influence is in the characters, who all hold a sense of innocent and naive optimism common to teenage characters in movies in the 50′s and 60′s that makes their seemingly inescapable downfall that much more upsetting and scary. One of my only gripes with this film is that the first half hour is slow paced compared to the rest of the film, but it’s still enjoyable because of the little interactions we see between these characters. 

The setting also works in comparison to big horror movies at the time because unlike using giant houses or any other spaces with plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in or jump out of, the set is incredibly basic, a living room, a hallway, a cellar (which for the most part is inaccessable) and thats it, with the forest being seen as a danger zone, creating a sense of agoraphobia because as there is nothing stopping them from getting inside, there is very little keeping our heroes safe from what lies outside. 

That being said I still have problems with this film, apart from the slow beginning mentioned before, there is the infamous tree sex scene (it is neither relevant nor very good so I don’t feel bad giving you a very confusing mention of it), maybe some people like this scene, I thought it was funny, but it does not do what it sets out to do. Secondly, the use of special effects in this film are noble at best, obviously there is absolutely zero CGI of any kind in this film, but the prosthetic makeup and gore used look kinda goofy. Personally I found it creepy because unrealistic gore has always been more uncomfortable to me than realistic gore due to uncanniness, and the silly possessed teenagers matched the drive-in B-movie aesthetic so I found it funny. There are plenty of other scenes in this film that come off as goofy and I imagine the goofy scenes are a reason for why all future sequels were comedy horror, but I need to state that even though this film has a few silly scenes here and there, it is still completely capable of being serious and scary when it needs to be, and it is still worth being taken seriously. 

Overall, the goods far outweighed the bads, and I really liked it, and would watch it again. 

7.8/10

#the evil dead #100 must see horror movies #horror #horror movies

[mikatopia]

Terrifier 2 Review: Not for everyone (Spoilers down below)

Terrifier 2 is the big box office sequel to Terrifier which premiered on Netflix. The sequel took 3 years to make and was crowdfunded by fans of the original. That being said, Terrifier 2 is a faithful sequel to everything that made the first one so great for hardcore horror fans while taking advantage of its increased budget and adding an emotional story with leads you can really root for.

Things I liked:

1. The family drama. You can still tell this family still loves each other despite the stress of dealing with the death of their father/husband.

2. The supernatural elements, especially her father and the sword he gives her. It is vague though and leaves a lot open to interpretation.

3. Sienna’s character arc as she grows into the strong angel warrior her father believed she could be. One of the best final girls of all time. I also enjoyed her brother Johnathon.

4. The special effects and set pieces. The old carnival and clown cafe sets are detailed and do not get boring. The makeup and realistic gore are top tier and not for the squeamish.

5. The tonal shifts in this movie are jarring, but I enjoyed that. The Clown Cafe dream sequence is 10/10, and if you don’t watch the movie, at least try to see that scene. It’s unnerving, thrilling, and tense.

6. Da music! It’s really good, yo. Every scene has great music that fits perfectly from tense action music to 80’s homage collage music.

7. Art is a free for all killer. Everybody is fair game. There are no anti sex or drug messages in this movie. Just a great slasher. Also Art switches between comedic and intimidating so easy.

8. Weird amount of comedy in this movie. Good too.

Things I didn’t like:

1. The orange glowing eyes. They looked bad, yo.

2. The mom dying. I don’t think she should have died. I didn’t think her corpse should have been sat at the dinner table and had mashed potatoes shoved in it. She was an important character and deserved better.

3. Not seeing Annie’s mom get killed.

4. Not seeing Jeff bleed to death. Did he die? Who knows?

5. Poor Victoria Hayes. I can’t watch the first one anymore knowing that the protagonist from the first movie ends up a sad, insane woman who gives birth to Art’s head. That’s sad.

6. Annie and Brooke’s death scenes are quite gory and uncomfortable, and aren’t my cup of tea. Torture porny, and I felt bad for them.

7. Art and Sienna’s showdown in the haunted house dragged on a bit with too many fake out deaths and defeats.

FINAL SCORE: 10/10, a perfect blend of horror, comedy, and heart with an iconic and original icon. A true grindhouse over the top horror gore show. Very respectful of the fans and gives a real story this time with Sienna Shaw and her brother Johnathon. It’s Terrifier 2, bigger, better, and bloodier!

#terrifier 2 #movie spoilers #lauren lavera #art the clown #david howard thornton #damien leone