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fiftysevenacademics · 3 years

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Warrior

By chance, I learned about a show called “Warrior,” originally on Cinemax and now streaming on HBOMax. The basic premise is that a martial arts prodigy immigrates to San Francisco Chinatown in 1878 and is quickly sold to a tong that is on the verge of going to war with a rival tong. The dearth of movies or TV shows set in pre-earthquake (1906) San Francisco always baffles me, given how incredibly socially diverse, violent, raunchy, crime-ridden, wealthy, and often lawless the city was. Portions of the waterfront were even built in abandoned ships. Imagine the amazing sets you could design! I’ll watch anything set in pre-quake San Francisco, especially if it’s going to tell the story of characters, such as Chinese immigrants, that we almost never see in Westerns or other films set in this era.

So I was already in before I saw that the show is based on an 8-page treatment by Bruce Lee and related notes his daughter, Shannon Lee, found. She is also an executive producer, along with Justin Lin. I’m not a huge fan of martial arts movies in general, but this one had a lot of potential so I checked it out and got immediately sucked in.

I’m not going to spoil the plot but it gets convoluted quickly. Probably about 2/3 of the scenes end up with fighting and there is plenty of sex, too. Is it a little trashy with all that sex and violence? Yes, but GOOD trashy, with characters that are multi-dimensional, well-written, directed, and acted, though the costuming leaves a lot to be desired and, somewhat stereotypically for the Western genre, most scenes occur in brothels or barrooms and there are a few historically improbable relationships. But OK, this is borderline pulp fiction and the story is exciting so whatever.

What I love most about the show, however, is how well it portrays a totally neglected aspect of California and American history: How virulent anti-Chinese racism shaped white working class politics in the West. It is the only show I’ve ever seen that directly addresses the cultural climate and politics leading up to the Chinese Exclusion Act from a Chinese point of view. One of the central conflicts in the show depicts how white laborers brutally intimidated and assaulted Chinese workers and their white employers, and how politicians used the “they’re taking our jobs” rhetoric for political gain. One of the main antagonists is a ruthless Irish labor boss called Dylan Leary, who is obviously a fictionalized version of Denis Kearney.

The show mostly accurately depicts how Chinese were sequestered in Chinatown by a combination of laws that prevented them from owning property or becoming citizens and a campaign of terror led by white vigilantes, making it easy for white business owners to extract grueling labor for hardly any pay. The combination of exploitation and exclusion the Chinese immigrants face in American society intensifies a “get rich quick and get out” mentality among some Chinese immigrants, who are more than willing to do anything they must to their own people in order to send money home, make enough money to go home, or to become the most powerful people in Chinatown. Limited opportunities for economic and social advancement outside of Chinatown drive some to organized crime gangs called tongs that have turned this ethnic enclave into a haven for opium, gambling, and prostitution. While the show is set in this sensationalistic criminal underworld, it’s clearly contextualized-- If these guys had the same opportunities as white people, they’d become industrialist tycoons, too. You just don’t see stuff like this on TV!

The ghost of the Civil War is never far from the action, either. The irony of people who held strong views and fought against slavery going West and then oppressing Chinese workers, many of whom were also enslaved by debt bondage, is not lost on this show.

It’s tempting to think that the show is retroactively putting contemporary anti-immigrant policies into the past to make a point. But the point is actually that things really were like this in the 1870s and remain to this day at the heart of American politics. As a show that fits into TVs “Western” genre, it is unique in its point of view and how much detail it goes into about actual racial politics of the era as well as the hopes, dreams, and disappointments of people who have to build their own community in a society that hates everything about them except their strong arms and backs.

Speaking of which, part of the show’s appeal is how generous it is to viewers of its many very hot actors and actresses! It manages to have sweaty, shirtless martial arts sequences and exotic, langorous, opium-enhanced brothel sequences that don’t feel exploitative or one-dimensional because they are just parts of a much bigger, well-rounded world the characters inhabit.

And I totally lost my shit when there was a scene set inside a business inside an abandoned ship in San Francisco’s infamous, utterly lawless Barbary Coast. I don’t honestly know how many businesses continued to be operated out of abandoned ships in the 1870s but surely there were some and I don’t even really care because I was just so excited to see something like that come to life.

One review wrote, The vibe is very much “What if Peaky Blinders was racially diverse and half the characters could roundhouse kick you in the face?”

Another review wrote: There’s a lot about the show that will be recognizable to fans of today’s dark antihero dramas: The gangster storyline feels like a plot from Boardwalk Empire or Peaky Blinders, the frontier fable of capitalism resembles Deadwood, and warring factions vying for power recall similar conflicts on Game of Thrones. But what sets Warrior apart is its focus on a fascinating chapter in the American story that’s often treated like an afterthought in history books. And it wraps that history lesson in an enticing action-thriller package with nods to spaghetti Westerns, the kung fu cinema of Hong Kong, gangster flicks, and exploitation films, as well as other grindhouse genres.

I discovered Warrior thanks to this essay by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Here’s a quote: The real issue here isn’t just adding more Asian American characters, it’s about the kind of characters portrayed. Two important areas that are deliberately overlooked by Hollywood are Asian Americans as romantic leads and as heroic leads. Few series dare to have an Asian American man as the object of romantic desire, especially by a white woman (are you listening, Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise?). Fewer have Asian American women as leads prized for their intelligence and outspoken strength rather than their svelte figure and flirty smile. There are exceptions: the wonderful Cinemax series Warrior, based on a Bruce Lee treatment, focuses mostly on tough and sexy Chinese men and women fighting for survival in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the 1870s.

“Warrior” currently has two seasons. It was canceled when Cinemax ceased producing original content. But Shannon Lee and Justin Lin are hoping that with enough fan support, HBOMax will agree to make more seasons. Check it out!

#warrior #warrior cinemax #i also recognized two of the actors from Vikings #Dianne Doan is great in this and she also played a slave girl that bewitched Ragnar in Vikings #i might switch teams for Chao #and Jason Tobin steals the show as Young Jun #Ah Toy is a great character based on a real-life woman #so many good characters

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fantastica-daily · 3 years

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Richard Elfman on his new bizarro comedy - Aliens, Clowns & Geeks

By Staci Layne Wilson

When it comes to cult science fiction movies, Forbidden Zone stands tall. Richard Elfman's 1980 Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo vehicle was a one-of-a-kind film zooming down on a one-way street to a whacky conclusion that’s stayed in the minds of schlock cinema fans ever since. His latest film, Aliens, Clowns & Geeks is an equally wild and expressionistic indie featuring Austin Powers' Verne Troyer in his last role, promising that Aliens, Clowns & Geeks is the antidote to mainstream and a breakneck cure for the run-of-the-mill.

“I was fortunate to have my dream cast on this one, including Verne Troyer (Mini-Me) as my demonic clown emperor–his final film role,” says Elfman. “Our ninety-minute film has seventy-five minutes of driving music by my brother Danny (Elfman) and acclaimed animation composer, Ego Plum Guerrero. Along with Danny’s to-die-for clown and alien music, Ego added a Latin element with the band we play with, Mambo Demonico.” The score was composed by Danny Elfman, who wrote the theme song to The Simpsons, the music to The Nightmare Before Christmas and did the singing voice of Jack Skellington, and won six Saturn awards.

"Eddy Pine (Bodhi Elfman) is a jaded actor dealing with the cancellation of his series," reads the official synopsis. "To complicate matters, he wakes up with the key to the universe stuck up his ass. Apparently an alien Clown Emperor (Verne Troyer) is in hot pursuit of this, as are his rivals, the Green Aliens. Professor von Scheisenberg (French Stewart) and his comely Swedish assistants, the Svenson sisters (Rebecca Forsythe as Helga, Angeline-Rose Troy as Inga), come to Eddy’s aid. If only Eddy hadn’t fallen for Helga, and then the aliens manipulate his mind to confuse her with Inga! And when the mad little Clown Captain (Martin Klebba) steps on the gas and shifts his spaceship into fourth gear, all hell breaks loose.”

We had the opportunity to sit down with Richard to ask him about his movie.

Q. To what do you attribute your enduring interest in clowns? And why do you think they’re so fascinating to people in general?

As I’ve always said: “To be born a male redhead is to be born into a clown suit.” Hence my carrot-topped brother Danny and I have always had a fascination with clowns. Coupled with our wicked sense of humor and a love of the horror genre, it was an easy morph into thoughts of creepy clowns. Just like dolls and puppets—yes, I’m speaking Anabelle—clowns can have something “surreal” about them. Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise really nails it. And I laughed my head off at Killer Klowns From Outer Space. (And we have honk-honking shit-load of killer clowns in my new film).

Q. How did the idea for Aliens, Clowns & Geeks come about? Is it similar to The Forbidden Zone?

Joined-at-the-hip. Yes. And no. Forbidden Zone is basically a surrealistic “human-cartoon” set to musical numbers. So I was working on Forbidden Zone 2, a thematic extension of FZ but on a much grander scale. I did a successful crowd-funder to develop the project, then, with the help of my producers, raised about half the budget. They asked me if we could do something quick (and cheaper) in the interim to keep the momentum going.

So I basically locked myself in my roof-top writing garret with a box of cigars and many bottles of whiskey and banged out my Geeks script over the next three weeks.

Geeks is utterly zany and music-driven, but it’s not a “singing musical” so to speak like FZ. It has surrealistic elements, thanks to my insane special effects department--and a little help from Hieronymus Bosch—but I would describe Geeks having cartoony elements rather than being a total “human cartoon” as FZ was…if that makes any sense. (And please don’t try!)

Q. Tell us about the multiple roles played by your family – and do you have role as well? What was it like working with your family – any funny stories?

My son Bodhi Elfman—a serious dramatic actor with 100s of credits--did a great comic turn as Eddy, the lead; a bitter out of work actor who wakes up with the key to the universe stuck up his ass. He also played the ass-kissing clown (literally) on the space ship plus the green alien network executive who orders the destruction of Earth. My wife Anastasia played multiple roles, everything from a nun to a carny slut. She also danced and choreographed the cabaret burlesque numbers as well as played a clown…until she got sick from the chemicals inside the clown mask and had to throw up—after we got the shot, of course--committed trouper that she is. When I met Anastasia she was a ballet dancer with a “day job” at a horror fx shop. She can dance with a broken toe but seems to have developed a sensitivity to certain shop chemicals.

I played a clown as well and almost threw up from laughing. I must say Geeks was a fun show to work on (my greatest joy is creating a sense of fun) and the actors and crew had serious trouble keeping from laughing as I directed in insane clown attire. What a fucking visual!

And brother Danny—what can I say? As an independent (hence lower budget) film maker it helps when your little brother in Mozart.

Q. Tell us how you ran away and joined the circus.

Actually, The Grande Magic Circus--a French musical theatre company. 1971, I was twenty-one, visiting the Festival of New Theatre in Montreal. I ran into a scruffy Parisian street troupe. They had something though, a charisma, an élan, whatever-- it attracted me. Director Jérôme Savary needed a percussionist—et voila, that was me! I persuaded them to give me several minutes onstage at the festival doing my comedy/horror piece set to an Eric Satie’s Gnossienne. When I “killed” the pianist in a pool of blood the audience was shocked. And they loved it!

Then, back in California, I went to see Marcel Carne’s masterpiece Les Enfant de Paradise , a three hour film set in the Paris theatre scene of the 1830’s. I exited the theatre, stopped, turned around and went back in and saw it again.

A few months later I received a letter from Jerome. Peter Brook, famed director of London’s Royal Shakespeare Company was backing the Magic Circus in a large Paris theatre. Would I like to join them? Bloody hell!! Hence, I ran away and joined the “circus.”

Q. Tell us something about your time with the Magic Circus, how it influenced you and also how your brother Danny Elfman joined the show.

I might say that working with Jérôme Savary was perhaps my single greatest influence. The troupe had classically trained actors from the Comedie Francais as well as more Avant guard performers. Jerome was a genius, his material had a sense of Absurdism that really struck me. I would later develop this absurdism in my own fashion. Certainly with my own troupe, the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo (later Oingo Boingo). By the way, my film Forbidden Zone was essentially our Mystic Knights stage show set to film.

Danny—several days out of high school--showed up at my 5ème, Rue Descartes doorstep with his electric violin. The company violinist was from the Paris Opera. Jerome liked to improvise. The opera guy couldn’t deviate one note from the written score. I believe my brother is Mozart reincarnated. He could follow any improvisation and got the job and toured with us for the summer throughout France. He and I opened the show with him on violin, me on percussion—the first music Danny Elfman ever wrote.

Q. Any other interesting experiences that you and Danny had there?

We were in a Basque town near the Spanish border. If I may digress, I am four years Danny’s senior. I went to a high school in Crenshaw (Boyz in the Hood), Danny ended up at a school with no guns. I was a tough boxer. Danny might be described as a bespectacled science nerd. So it’s Friday night, the audience was really rowdy and restless. My “street sense” knew it was just a matter of time before the fights broke out. We had an Argentine fellow in the troupe, “Katshurro,” nicest fellow. Drunks in the audience picked up on his accent and shouted terrible Spanish insults about his mother. Katshurro stopped mid-performance, his eyes bugging out of head, and he dove right into the audience swinging away. All hell broke loose. Everyone was fighting, sets crashing down. Danny’s glasses got knocked off. Well, and not for the first time, I managed to get Danny out of trouble with both his glasses and violin intact.

Q. Tell us about the cast you assembled – which includes Verne Troyer in his final screen performance. What was he like? Who does he play in the film?

I really had my dream cast. Along with my son Bodhi we had lovely kung-fu kicking Rebecca Forsythe, versatile Angeline-Rose Troy who not only played Rebecca’s sexy Swedish sister, but donned prosthetics to play poor Eddy’s junkie/whore “Mom from Hell.”

Professor von Scheisenberg was played impeccable veteran French Stewart (Third Rock From the Sun). Another great vet was George Wendt (Cheers) as Father Mahoney. Six foot six comic Steve Agee (Sarah Silverman Show, Guardians of the Galaxy) played both a tough cross-dressing bar owner and a stuttering dufis in a chicken suit. Nic Novicki (Boardwalk Empire) played his nasty little-person boss. I was really blessed with a great ensemble to work with.

And, of course, Verne Troyer, our megalomaniac Clown Emperor. What a wonderful talent to work with! He was funny on set, insisted on doing things in spite of physical limitations and he gave us hilarious comic improvisations. Little body. Big spirit. I will certainly miss him.

Q. The music is by Danny and you also have great animation… please give us some details what it’s like to create worlds through music and manufactured imagery.

Danny, along with my band mate--award winning animation composer Ego Plum (Guerrero)—really gave it to us. Seventy-five minutes of music in a ninety-minute film. ♪ ♫ La, tee-da and a boom boom boom! ♪ ♫ Music is essential to everything I do—especially setting the tone of my films. I even play music before I start writing.

As soon as Danny saw our surrealistic Bosch dream sequence and goofy clown rocket ships he agreed to do the score…after he stopped laughing. I play percussion in a quirky Latin band, Mambo Demonico, led by Hollywood’s top tv animation composer, Ego Plum. He and Danny work with the same people, including Oingo Boingo lead guitarist Steve Bartek, who subsequently has done every one of Danny’s film arrangements. Steve and the original Oingo Boingo members all played on our sound track. I must brag that we do have great fucking music!

You know, Danny was a bespectacled science nerd growing up, basically stayed out of trouble. That was my department. Oddly, he wasn’t really into music. No bands, no concerts, no big music collection. Life is funny how things turned out. I showed him a rough cut of Geeks, he laughed his ass off and offered to do it. Yes, I’m very lucky to have “Mozart” as my little brother!

Q. Who is Aliens, Clowns & Geeks for? Do you think movies like this are more likely to find a mainstream audience?

Forbidden Zone may be a “cult” movie but it still plays all over the world--after forty years. Just this past month FZ played festivals in France and South Korea. Geeks is certainly not for everyone—no one falls in love then dies of cancer. But it will find an audience I am sure. Anyone who had fun with Killer Klowns From Outer Space, liked Rocky Horror, even What We Do in the Shadows in terms of a quirky, wicked sense of humor. I also think it will play well in mental asylums…it certainly shall send people there in any case.

Geeks doesn’t fit into the scheme of “modern films.” Actually, the shooting style and underlying three-act story structure harkens back to classic comedies (says the son of a former English teacher turned novelist). The trappings though, are insane and off-the-wall. You might say it’s just my own, goony creation. Love it or hate it, the humor is balls-out outrageous, definitely not for everyone--no one dies of cancer. Geeks is simply meant to be fun for essentially the genre audience.

Q. What’s your proudest moment associated with making the film?

Proudest moment? Maybe finally paying the actors. People say I’ve embraced the indie spirit. I don’t know how much I “embrace” it, so much as am fucked by it, having to work on such a modest budget. Although I’ve been a “hired gun” and directed scripts written by others, Geeks is really the first time since my 1980 Forbidden Zone that I’ve really done purely my own vision. Per John Waters, well, I’d hope he’d have something strong to drink and/or smoke and then laugh his ass off watching it! That’s what it was like creating the film: Drinking scotch and smoking cigars in my rooftop writing garret, laughing my ass off! The green aliens have a totally high-tech ship, except for the automotive steering wheel and four-on-the-floor to shift gears. For the clowns we went for an absurdly updated version of Flash Gordon. And when our tiny clown emperor takes possession of an earth body, he has little dummy of the earthling sitting in his lap, their heads connected by electrical wires. Absurd and ridiculous, and that’s my middle name.

Want to see a double feature of The Forbidden Zone and Aliens, Clowns & Geeks? You can! They will play at The Regency in L.A. as part of The Valley Film Festival on 1/30/21. Get tickets here.

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Look for our review of Aliens, Clowns & Geeks here soon!

#Richard Elfman #forbidden zone #aliens clowns geeks #bizarro #cult films

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rubecso · 4 years

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Quarantine Tag Game (tagged by @hacash)

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Are you staying home from school/work? Kind of? The university semester is over so I’m doing what I’d have been doing anyway (working on assessments). But I’d usually be working on them at the library and that’s closed, so I guess I’m staying home in that way.

Who is at home with you? No one. I live on my own. The other day I bumped into my tailoring dummy and got the overwhelming urge to give it a hug (an urge I did not resist). The touch starvation is real.

Are you a homebody? Yeah. I don’t do a lot of in-person socialising outside of LARP.

Any event that you were looking forward to that got canceled? My own book launch! I’ve got a poetry book with me and two other poets that’s coming out sometime this month. We’re looking into options for a virtual launch.

I was also going to visit my aunt in Dallas before all this. If it had taken a few more weeks to really hit the fan, I could have ended up stuck over there when the quarantine started. There are also several LARP events that I was planning on doing that are either cancelled or likely to be.

What movies have you been watching recently? Got around to watching the Hunger Games films. They were alright. I watched Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse yesterday; that was amazing. Watched Prince of Egypt with my friends via Kast on the first night of Passover. That was good.

What are you doing for self care? I already have a self care system from my chronic mental health problems, so I’m mostly just trying to stick to that. I’ve been using my government-sanctioned outside time to go for runs three times a week. Reigning in my sleep cycle when it starts going out of whack. Trying not to eat my body weight in chocolate, or at least add some vegetables in there too. Playing my fiddle and dulcimer. Making art. Talking to friends over video / voice chat.

What shows are you watching? The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. I’ll probably rewatch Boardwalk Empire just for comfort.

What music have you been listening to? The Spotify playlist I made for one of my characters and my running playlist.

What books are you reading?

Non-fiction: ‘Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales’ by Jack Zipes

Fiction: ‘The Odessa Stories’ by Isaac Babel, translated by Boris Dralyuk

(For the Boardwalk Empire fans on my dash, if you want to give yourself some extra context for Manny Horvitz’s character I’d recommend The Odessa Stories. They’re also just hilarious.)

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Tagging @izzetengineer, @pepsiwithlemon (if you get the chance <3), @illustratedjai, @beasttheyeti, @ashbless, @beornwulf

#quarantine tag game

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yourheartsamess · 4 years

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welcome to my humble blog,

this a writing blog in which I write fanfiction for characters as a way of celebrating great fandoms and also working on my skills! my fan fiction will include and will mainly be reader insert. My fan fiction will also include stories about characters from my fandoms for added depth!

I also will do my personal headcanons and random theories for these fandoms and include my own gifs and edits.

you are welcome to leave requests or your own headcanons for any fandom and I shall do my best to oblige!

I am also a huge fan of period drama.

anyhow without any further ado! my fandoms! (these will be updated)

- asoiaf books

- game of thrones

- peaky blinders

- hornblower [1998-2003]

- doctor who [both classic and new]

- boardwalk empire

- mob city

- emma [2020]

other things I write for:

- greek mythology

- stories based on songs [for both fandoms and independent writing]

- prompts

#f.a.q #FAQS #introduction #asoiaf #hornblower #peaky blinders #game of thrones #doctor who #classic who #new who #mob city #boardwalk empire #new writing blog

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racingtoaredlight · 5 years

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Game of Thrones Series Review

You likely still remember HBO’s prestige show Boardwalk Empire. You shouldn’t. It was terrible. I watched every single episode of that show...learning the characters’ arcs and the world they lived in, both fictional and real...for no apparent reason other than it being on.

It made me mad that I was so loyal to such a thoroughly mediocre show. The show’s quality did not deserve that type of dedication, and yet I was still there because of course I was. But Boardwalk Empire was still consistent. They gave you the same hour and six minutes of boredom interspersed with two minutes of action each week...just enough dangling to get you to come back next week. There was no hiding the fact that the show was a morass of who-gives-a-shit, once Michael Pitt’s character was killed in season 2*.

*I’m spoiling this because I actively do not want you to watch this show

But at least it was consistent.

GOT SPOILERS AFTER JUMP

***

I loved the first three or four seasons of GOT. The political intrigue and churning maelstrom of charismatic characters vying for power was brilliant, even if the moral explorations were pretty hamfistedly executed.

At some point, things got stupid and I’m not sure where. My first hint something was amiss was when young Dany survived a pyre...”great, so this is where it’s going*.” Dragon and magic nonsense aside, the writing and story was still good enough to carry interest in the show through such awful, AWFUL storylines as the whole Bran, Ramsay, Arya and Sam plots.

*I forgot about the white walkers in the first episode...whatever

Last season was fun, because it was a mad dash and all, but I couldn’t help but look back on the first three seasons and think about how much of a departure the show had made. That season was like making Michael Bay the director for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Not having the books’ steady hand combined with the fact these things are goddamned expensive to make obviously had something to do with the warp-speed plot stuff, and while I understand that aspect, it’s also what bummed me out.

But last night’s episode was too much. This season has been rough, with even the most charitably inclined excuse obvious flaws due to enjoyment and nostalgia for the fictional universe. It’s been clumsy...obvious gestures of fan service executed clunkily and couched within an episode that features a literal holocaust taking up 1/3 of the action.

***

And all of the shit up to that point was just jerking around fans like the writers didn’t give a fuck. The undead are too powerful...yet they’re beaten by a “trap” that had a eunuch defending a cripple before a child stabs him with a tiny knife. But now they’re depleted! The Golden Company! Oh shit!

That threat built up over the first half of the season as the ultimate trump card in Cersei’s deck was wiped out...literally...in 15 seconds. That whole “shit, Cersei’s loaded” was knocked down without even lifting their gloves. That’s not nothing...that’s dick storytelling. That’s telling your child you’re going to Disneyworld, and then ripping the plane tickets up in front of them before lighting the cat and dog on fire.

I stuck around with Boardwalk Empire because at least the storytellers were trying to tell a story...it’s just that Buscemi can’t carry a giant show and Michael Pitt’s diva-ness painted them into a corner where they couldn’t find a way to make the story matter again. But at least they had great set design, great acting, a fantastic soundtrack and an attention to detail the GOT universe abandoned likely around Stannis Baratheon’s death.

At least they were still trying.

What can we say about GOT’s episode last night? Outside of the Jaime/Tyrion scene, there wasn’t any good acting. There was oodles upon oodles of 2004 CGI, here in 2019. And we have the same problem of who to root for...the chick toasting civilians? The “true king” who can’t keep his dudes from slaughtering a surrendering army? Did the Mankind vs. Kane Hell in a Cell match have any point whatsoever? Why hadn’t anyone seen True Lies and saved the viewers a bunch of scenes of people getting roasted alive?

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Wouldn’t going True Lies have saved tens of thousands of innocent lives right off the bat? Yes. Yes it would have. But, again, this is hamfisted Weiss and Benioff world where someone goes from disgruntled half-queen to holocaust in zero seconds flat. Sure, there’s some precedent for mental illness in that family line (at least from what I’ve been told), but...c’mon, sow a few more seeds of discord please, storytellers.

The holocaust provided no extra plot advancement that simply burning the Red Keep would have*.

*also it didn’t make sense there weren’t a few of those crossbows on the big castle, but 4/10 would not bang, and all...

***

After every episode, I’ve been salty. The worst was the fight they’d been building up to for 8 seasons...that they chose to film in the dark. And it’s not Boardwalk Empire salty, it’s “you have every resource at your disposal, and creative carte blanche, and THIS is the best you can come up with?”

As if there was any more obviousness to the fact that, without GRRM, the guys running this show are on a Michael Bay-level when it comes to plot development and continuity. Without him leading the way...and I haven’t read any of the books, and realize there’s a bunch of shit that can be slung his way too, so this isn’t an excuse...the show devolved into silliness. Spectacle. There’s none of the nuance and Machiavellianism that made this show legitimately great...it’s literally a fucking Michael Bay movie now...only with worse camera work and CGI.

Last night’s episode was the breaking point. A holocaust, a stupid WWE revenge match, pointless death after pointless death, an emotionally defeated Tyrion, a figuratively-neutered king not being able to control his literally-neutered troops, and a storytelling version of the horror movie girl running up stairs to escape her killer. But the worst part was the character they built up for 7 seasons as an agent of good, spent a few minutes here and there with some existential struggle...and then full holocaust. That turn deserved more scenery and the show would’ve been better off for it.

Think about it...there are only two outcomes now. Either there’s a coup that manages to kill the dragon that just laid waste to the biggest city in this universe, via something likely unexplained yet...or the coup gets toasty by that same dragon. What else could there possibly be?*

*I forgot about Jon being able to ride dragons h/t herd

With Boardwalk Empire I kept going because I was on some quixotic quest to see if there actually was a point. There wasn’t. But I already know that going into the end of GOT so...what’s the point in continuing to watch? Sad.

#game of thrones

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murdocklovespage · 6 years

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for the fanfic asks ! 4, 14, 17 :)

Thanks @scienceoftheidiot 💖

4. What fandom’s/ship’s fan fiction do you read the most?

Without a doubt, Daredevil. I’ve read one or two fics from random shows/ movies (Boardwalk Empire, Gilmore Girls, Rogue One), but my heart lies with Daredevil and the Defenders.

14. (For authors) Post a line of dialogue from one of your WIPs without context. I’m going to count this as a response to your other post that I’ve been putting off…

“I just got an amazing idea! If we disappear for long enough, do you think we can get my date to leave too?”

17. Describe a fic that is still in the ‘ideas’ stage.

I just got an idea for an AU where Matt and Karen have never met, but they both wake up and realize there is nobody else in the city. They find each other and deal with the fact that they are the only two people left and they don’t know why.

#Fanfic asks #Asks #writer friends #scienceoftheidiot #karedevil squad #Karedevil #kcs #Karedevil cheerleading squad

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bookbabe92 · 3 years

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Are We Out of the Woods Yet?

There’s just something about being in the woods surrounded by tall trees that I love, it just evokes some inner peace (or inner wildness) in me being in the cool shade of trees with very few people around. Hiking is something I have always enjoyed and as a child I always dreamed about running away to the woods (okay, okay I STILL dream about it)! One of my favorite books as a kid was My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, and I still love books about living off the land, hiking, etc.

Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home by Heather Anderson

For the most part I really enjoyed this - not only was Heather attempting to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), she was also attempting to set the fastest time for it. However, it’s not only about her trying to set the fastest trail time. It’s also exploring how her life had completely fallen apart; work, personal, and married life, and why she only felt happy out on the trail. There were some instances where I did feel frustrated by Heather’s emotions and experiences but that’s alright. It’s impossible to empathize with someone all the time, especially because everyone is at different stages of their life.

4/5 Stars

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

A great introductory read for those who are unfamiliar with trail hiking, it explains some of the history of the PCT, trail angels, the importance of taking good care of your feet, and the power of endurance. Cheryl impulsively decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail after the death of her mother and the dissolution of her marriage. Struggling with these emotions, and walking the trail without training has Cheryl at both highs and lows, a great memoir about perseverance. This was also one of the earliest memoirs that I actually enjoyed. Normally, I am very much a fiction reader but this is definitely a great example of narrative nonfiction.

Other Similar Titles: Along the Inca Road: A Woman’s Journey into an Ancient Empire by Karin Muller, Ruthless River: Love and Survival by Raft on the Amazon’s Relentless Madre de Dios by Holly Conklin Fitzgerald

4/5 Stars

I’m also a fan of thrillers or spooky books set in woods… because you’re never entirely sure what is out there... Here are some that I enjoyed that feature the woods or evoke the feeling of being lost in the woods:

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Agnieszka, lives in a small town on the border of The Wood, where evil things live, and it is not safe for anyone to enter. There is a sorcerer who is the Lord over Agnieszka’s town and several others, and protects them and the kingdom from The Wood, from whence monsters come. Every ten years, the sorcerer chooses a girl from one of the villages to live with him as his servant and everyone knows that Kasia, Agnieszka’s best friend, will be chosen for she is the most beautiful and best at everything. Except being an untidy mess and being the best forager – those belong to Agnieszka. Kasia and Agnieszka have been preparing their whole lives for being separated. When the time came, their bond of friendship and love cannot be broken even by distance, magic and the evils of The Wood.

This book had been recommended to me many times before I finally picked it up (I’m stubborn). I read until 3 am that first night, got up the next day and finished it, and then immediately started re-reading it. That had never happened to me before or since! Is there ever a book that you wish you could delete from your memory so that you could read it for the first time again? This is one of those books for me!

Other Titles by Naomi Novik: Spinning Silver, His Majesty’s Dragon

5/5 Stars

We Went to the Woods by Caitie Dolan-Leach

What started off as a group of friends who decided they would attempt to live more off the land in a communal space in a remote area of the woods quickly turned from delightful into nightmarish as the bonds of trust between the friends disintegrated and suspicions arose about people’s motivations. This eerie book is perfect for a late fall read in my opinion. Cozy up under a blanket as it rains while you read for some truly atmospheric enjoyment.

Other Titles by Caite Dolan-Leach: Dead Letters

4/5 Stars

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Hal lives on the edge of destitution in a cramped flat that is always freezing. She barely scrapes enough money together every month by doing tarot readings on the boardwalk in the same stand that was her late mother’s. One day she receives a mysterious letter in the mail informing her that a relative, Mrs. Westaway has passed on and that she is named in the will. Hal knows that this is a mistake, she has no relatives left but she is desperate and thinks that her cold reading skills could maybe help her pass just long enough to get the money. When she makes it to the estate, Hal learns that she should have stayed home as her stay gets weirder and weirder. Forced to stay in the maid’s room in the attic because every other room is full with Mrs. Westaway’s descendants, Hal plays her cards close to her chest and reveals as little about herself as possible but it seems that someone knows her secret…

Set in England during a rainy and cold Autumn this book sent shivers down my spine while I was reading it. Wrap up with an extra sweater and a cup of hot tea while you enjoy this book.

Other Titles by Ruth Ware: The Woman in Cabin 10, The Turn of the Key, In a Dark, Dark Wood, One by One, The Lying Game, Snowflakes

4/5 Stars

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blackleatherjacketz · 6 years

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Farmer’s Daughter

Gyp Rosetti x Female Reader

Warnings: NSFW

This is based on my discussions with @sonnshineandrainbows I apologize if you don’t like it, I was high on cold medicine half the time.

The needle skimmed across the record as it spun in a perfect circle, pulling the voices of the Carter Family out of the shellac and into the air. “Well there’s a dark and troubled side of life…”

You pulled the ribbon out of your hair and set it on your vanity as you started singing along. “There’s a bright and a sunny side too.” You picked up your brush and combed the teeth through your hair as the first verse rang through your bedroom. “But if you meet with the darkness and strife,” you set your brush down next to your compact. “The sunny side we may also view.”

“Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side. Keep on the sunny side of life. It will help us everyday, it will brighten all the way, if we keep on the sunny side of life.”

Thunderous applause boomed over the sound of the gramophone, forcing you to look back. The tall figure of your father’s business partner leaned against your door frame. You were almost positive you’d shut your door before playing your music.

“Don’t stop on account of me.” An amused look crossed his face as he stared at you from your entryway.

“Mr. Rosetti,” You ran your fingers through your hair and stood up, walking towards him. “I didn’t know you were there, I’m sorry if I disturbed you, I…”

He pushed himself off of the door frame and started toward you, meeting you in the middle of the room. “Ah Ah Ah….” He tsked, bringing a finger to your lips. “Gyp.” He corrected you.

“Gyp.” His finger was warm against your trembling lips. You took in a slow deep breath as your eyes traveled up his handsomely dressed body and landed on his face. Deep brown eyes stared down at you as he pulled your bottom lip down with his finger.

“That’s what you called me last night, isn’t it?” He rose an eyebrow.

“Last night?” Your brow furrowed, trying to remember any significant interaction.

He moved his finger down your chin and neck, grazing your jawline before touching your earring. “I heard everything you said last night,” He took a few steps forward, backing you up against the wall. “After you thought everyone else was asleep.” He tugged on your pearl earring and brought his lips up to yours.

“Your voice sounds so pretty when it’s moaning my name.” He whispered.

Your jaw dropped, lips brushing against his as you remember touching yourself the night before. Had he really heard you? Were the walls that thin? Was he bluffing just to see how you’d react?

You felt him press his hips against yours as the wall straightened out your back. “I was…” you felt your mouth begin to water as his hand caressed the skin just below your hairline. “I…”

You couldn’t catch your breath as he pressed against you. The smell of sandalwood and amber whiskey penetrated your senses as his mouth met yours. Soft, full lips separated yours before he slid his tongue along the line of your teeth. His mouth was warm, delicate even, compared to the armor he put on in front of your father. His fingers wrapped around the base of your neck and pulled you closer to him, the other hand finding its way up your dress.

SLAP!

You pulled away and stared him down. “I am a lady.” You whisper, trying to convince yourself more than anyone.

He laughed, putting his hand over his newly reddened cheek. “You don’t have to be.” He growled, taking you in with those onyx eyes.

“I shouldn’t…” You placed your hand on his chest, tracing the buttons on his shirt. You wanted to rip them off, to see everything he had to offer underneath that three piece suit. You wanted to take him then and there, but then what? Gyp was a dangerous man, and men like him didn’t like girls like you: girls with limited experience. You didn’t want to disappoint him, especially since your father’s livelihood depended on making him happy.

“No, you shouldn’t.” He slid his hands up your dress at a more cautious pace. “You should stay here all alone; kick me out and touch yourself all night while I hide in my room and listen through that paper-thin wall.” He hooked his pointer finger around the center of your panties and slowly pulled them down your thighs. “That way we won’t have to keep any secrets from Dear Old Dad, huh?”

He glanced down at the soaked piece of fabric in his hand, tugging it to your knees. “What do we have here?” He rose his eyebrows, dipping his fingers into the moisture of your underwear.

You watched as he collected your juices and brought them up to his lips. Taking his time, he sucked the flavor off of his digits, bringing them out from his lips and onto yours. “You ever wonder what you taste like?”

You looked up and nodded, letting those big fingers slip inside your mouth as your panties hit the floor. You were tangy, the sweet flavor faint against the salt of his skin. You kept your eyes on his, watching them get darker as he pulled his fingers out of your hungry mouth.

“Good?” He let his hand fall to his side before kneeling down before you.

“Good.” You could barely speak. You shivered as he peppered kisses down your thighs and shins, slipping your panties off of your ankles. He shoved them into his pocket, standing up just as quickly as he had knelt down.

You held your legs together, slowly rubbing them back and forth to create some friction. The moisture he created between your legs started dripping down your inner thigh as he took an eternity to bring his fingers up your body.

He ran his hands down your arms, sending goosebumps up your shoulders. He stopped at your wrists, squeezing tightly before lifting them up above your head. “You squirming because of me? You just can’t wait, huh?” He holds your wrists tight with one hand, lifting his thigh in between your legs.

“Show me how you made yourself scream my name.” He lifted his leg higher into your dripping wet center and pushed you into the wall. “Sit.”

He practically pushed you onto his knee, your arousal wetting his expensive teal pants. He leaned in, his freshly shaven cheek brushing against yours as he whispered into your ear. “You want me?”

You nodded again, your words escaping you.

“Show me.” His voice rumbled into your chest.

You moved your hips forward, your afternoon dress colliding with his expensive suit as it ran up your thigh. The fabric on his leg slid easily enough between your hips as he kept a tight grip on your wrists.

You pulled your hips backward, then swayed them forward in a steady rhythm against him. You could hear him breathing in your ear, controlled and steady as you rode his thigh to the blissful Nirvana you had reached last night. The scent of his cologne, the sound of his voice, and the feeling of his hot breath on your neck was almost enough to take you there. You couldn’t believe you were doing this, you couldn’t believe he was here in your room with his big fat thigh between your legs.

You increased your pace on him, feeling yourself start to ignite inside as he pulled you into him with his free hand. Big and warm, he slid his palm onto your ass as you soaked his pant leg completely.

“Gyp.” You moaned into his ear, nuzzling your nose into his neck.

He stepped away from you, letting go of your wrists as you slumped to the floor. The wet stain on his slacks covered more than half of his thigh as his erection made it that more prominent. What just happened? Why did he stop? Why did he let you go? Why didn’t he let you finish?

“Wha…?” Your breath was stifled as you glared up at him from the hardwood floor. “I didn’t even…”

“I gotta get going, doll. I forgot I have lunch with your pops in a few minutes.” He smoothed his cock as he looked at you, biting his lip. “I gotta make myself presentable.” He turned on his heel and started for the door.

”And don’t you dare think about finishing yourself off until I come back.”

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Tags: @smalldiosa @acutecupidity @bobbycannavalelove @stunningstasis @skittle479 @bullet-prooflove @hot-cheeto-nevada @amaroforpresident

#gyp rosetti #gyp rosetti x reader #gyp rosetti fan fiction #bobby cannavale #bobby cannavale fan fiction #Boardwalk Empire #boardwalk empire fan fiction

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buffyfan145 · 6 years

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Some spoilers for those not caught up with "Peaky Blinders" season 4 and I actually haven't finished the season yet either but just saw Stephen Graham is rumored to be in the running to play Al Capone again for their 5th season!!! :D This season has already taken on a "Boardwalk Empire" feel with adding in the New York Italian mafia with Adrien Brody playing a fictional member of it, but apparently in the season finale Cillian Murphy's character Tommy Shelby reveals he's in contact with Al and the writers have apparently hinted they will cast Al for season 5. Would be awesome if Stephen does end up playing him again and I personally had a feeling the American mafia would end up playing a role, so now wondering if we "Boardwalk Empire" fans will hear other familiar names too, especially of Team New York since season 5 will be set in the late 1920s.

#peaky blinders #boardwalk empire #stephen graham #al capone #spoilers #tommy shelby

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221bcumberb · 7 years

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“A female Sherlock? Why not. I don’t care. Sherlockina… it’s coming soon.” The question had arisen because I had been asking Benedict Cumberbatch about his views on the casting of Jodie Whittaker as the first lady Doctor Who – the Timelord saga until recently overseen by Sherlock’s showrunner Steven Moffat. And for the record, Cumberbatch is all for Whittaker in the role. “It’s an alien so why can’t it be a woman?” he says. “I don’t speak as a fan as I just speak as someone who wants to see Jodie Whittaker’s performance as the Doctor. I think she’s an extraordinary actress and we’re lucky culturally to have got her to agree to do it, let alone any debate about whether it’s right or wrong. Just go for it… Let’s see what happens.”

But back to Sherlock, and underlying Cumberbatch’s relaxed attitude to the gender of the person playing the detective with the pipe and deerstalker, I believe I detect an actor who is perhaps subconsciously letting go of the role that made his name. “Maybe…. maybe”, is his not unexpected reply to the eternal question of whether there will be more of the globally popular updating of Arthur Conan Doyle. And while there almost will be further episodes at some point, there is also little doubt that the 41-year-old actor’s energies are flowing in a new direction. In short, he’s become a producer.

SunnyMarch TV was launched by Cumberbatch and associates in 2013, France’s Studiocanal buying a 20 per cent stake last year, and its first major project is about to be seen on BBC1. The Child in Time is an adaptation of Ian McEwan’s 1987 novel centred on a grieving children’s author, Stephen Lewis, whose toddler daughter has been kidnapped from a supermarket two years earlier. However, it’s rather more lofty and metaphysical – as you’d expect from any Cumberbatch-McEwan axis – than the burgeoning canon of more visceral TV thrillers (The Missing and Thirteen on the BBC alone) about abducted youngsters. “Despite the depths it plumbs and the emotional trauma at the centre of it, it’s a story about salvation and hope and trying to build a future that accepts and encompasses the loss of that child”, says Cumberbatch with his characteristic flood of articulateness. “It’s almost an examination of childhood and time and what happens in trauma with time but also reflections and how the conscious and sub-conscious can slide… it got quite a lot going for it other than just that horrific, horrific central premise.”

McEwan is having something of a screen moment, what with the upcoming movie of his novella, On Chesil Beach, and now this – the first TV version of one of the author’s books. Cumberbatch appeared in Joe Wright’s 2007 film of McEwan’s Atonement, but this particular script landed on his producer’s desk. That he himself took the central role of Stephen Lewis was not simply because he wanted to play him but because starring in his own productions is helping get his company off the ground – “To bring attention to the material and get it funded”, as he puts it. Playing an ordinary person, albeit in extraordinary circumstances, the role is also something of a departure for Cumberbatch, a go-to actor for real-life geniuses (Alan Turing in The Imitation Game or Thomas Edison in the upcoming The Current War), arrogant fictional brainy types (Sherlock, Steven Strange), or troubled and/or ambivalent characters like Julian Assange or Hamlet. Cumberbatch would never claim to be an ‘everyman’. “It’s a part that is a million miles away from a lot of the stuff that I’ve done… especially the more famous one on telly”, he says, [referring to Sherlock]. “It was a challenge. I was bringing a lot more of myself as I sound and as I move through the world. It felt quite naked at times, and there were moments when I thought ‘am I doing enough?’. “I wanted Stephen to be close to myself, so I brought a lot of my own wardrobe in because I wanted to feel it was me rather than someone else I was putting on every day. It’s not often you get into a role by getting out of a role.” On the afternoon we meet, Cumberbatch’s wardrobe consists of navy chinos and trainers, white t-shirt and open grey linen shirt – the same outfit, I can’t help but notice, that’s he’s wearing later when he’s snapped by paparazzi as (according to Mailonline) “he enjoyed a date night with wife Sophie Hunter”.

Cumberbatch and theatre director Hunter were married in 2015 after having known each other for 17 years. The couple have two sons, two-year-old Christopher, and Hal, who was born in March. Did parenthood make the role of grieving father in The Child in Time more difficult for the actor? “I don’t think you have to be a parent to understand”, he says. “It wasn’t a case of ‘Oh, great, I can get my teeth into something whereby I’ll be emotionally wrought because I’m a new dad for a second time’. It just happened that way.” He didn’t take the part home with him then? “I try not to do that whatever I’m doing. Those are very separate spaces for me, and you have to take care of yourself. In a way, you’re literally kind of breaking down for a whole day but that’s what the drama demands; it makes you realise what the pain must be like for people who actually experience it. It’s unfathomable, so you don’t really want to bring that into your own domestic space.” Hunter is joining her husband as a producer on one of SunnyMarch’s new projects, a film adaptation of Megan Hunter’s eco-apocalyptic debut novel The End We Start From (“a stunning tale of motherhood”, according to Cumberbatch). Other movies on his production slate are an adaptation of Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time, Geoffrey Household’s 1939 adventure classic, Rogue Male, and Rio, which will co-star Cumberbatch and Jake Gyllenhaal, while TV dramas in pre-production include screen versions of Edward St Aubyn’s Melrose novels. For reasons given above, what connects the productions, apart from their origins in literature, is that they all star Cumberbatch. But what was it like for The Child in Time to also wear the producer’s hat? “It’s different because you’re there at the inception of the idea and just thinking who would be right to direct it… I’ve never been at that stage of things before”, he says. “I really, really enjoyed it. But it’s not without its challenges, especially watching the work sooner than you should as an actor, in a very raw state to then give feedback about what you feel as a producer. That was tricky.” And watching and then critiquing himself? “It’s horrible and very peculiar – the way you look, the way you do things, it’s just horrible. It’s full of hate but there’s nothing better than the self-critic in your head for brutality. “It’s a first time, we’ll see how it works”, he continues. “Everyone had a great experience making it which is a testament to us doing something right as a production team.” The cast of The Child in Time also includes Trainspotting-to-Boardwalk Empire actress Kelly Macdonald (playing Lewis’s estranged wife), Stephen Campbell Moore and Saskia Reeves. Stephen Butchard adapted it. “I’ve been a McEwan fan since I was old enough to kind of understand stuff… I would read the book almost the minute it came out”, says Cumberbatch. “Atonement was the first book [of his] I read and funnily ended up in a few years later. And The Cement Garden was first the first production I went to. There was a production of it being made when I studied it [at Manchester University] and I thought about auditioning for it and then I thought ‘I can’t do that… I’m not a good enough actor.” The Child in Time was one McEwan novel that evaded his omnivorous consumption, however. “I hadn’t read it”, says Cumberbatch. “And there will be expectations from those who know the novel even though it was released in the late 80s. We’ve re-contextualised it and set it in the present day [because] it’s partly a critique of the Thatcherite era.” In the meantime, in another departure for the actor (“Unlike any character I’ve played before”, he promises) it was announced last week that Cumberbatch will be playing the father of gay bare-knuckle-fighter Mikey Walsh in the film Gypsy Boy. And with so much going on you might think that he wouldn’t have time to make another film in the all-star Avengers superhero series, let alone three. However two more of the multiplex blockbusters in the role of Steven Strange have been filmed, with another in pre-production. “I’m very late to the party but it’s just amazing to be part of it. Anything’s possible especially as I can go like that”, he says, clicking his fingers, “and appear anywhere”. He might equally have been describing his future prospects.

#great interview #benedict cumberbatch #interview #the child in time #sophie hunter #sunny march #executive producer #221bcumberb

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venus-dyke · 6 years

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boardwalk, tsunami, riptide!

thank you for the ask!! 💕

boardwalk: who is your favourite fictional couple?definitely korrasami! i love my canon wlw

tsunami: describe a dream outfit of yours.a long flowy mauve colored long sleeved empire waist dress with a low plunging neck line and embroidered black flowers up the spine fanning out over the shoulders

riptide: are you introverted or extroverted? Are you happy with this?i’m a little but if both, extroverted with the right people and i like social gatherings, but i still need my alone time. i think its a pretty good balance.

send me ocean asks!

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nightmareonfilmstreet · 6 years

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Review: BLACK MIRROR Season 4 (Part II - Episodes 3 & 4)

New Post has been published on https://nofspodcast.com/review-black-mirror-season-4-part-ii-episodes-3-4/

Review: BLACK MIRROR Season 4 (Part II - Episodes 3 & 4)

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

While “Crocodile” felt a bit like a filler episode, lacking the nuance and depth of the best of Black Mirror, the issue it examines (surveillance and the sanctity of thought) is interesting. Some moments shine.

“Hang the DJ” is Brooker back to True, at his best. Delicately structured, wonderfully shot, incredible concept…another bit of spec-fiction brilliance.

EPISODE 3: CROCODILE

If you read my first review, you’re probably still wiping off the drool from all my slavering praise. The season’s first two episodes are incredibly strong. “Arkangel” could very well show up in this year’s Emmy roster. “USS Callister” might be one of the single best episodes of anything I’ve ever seen.

“Crocodile” struck me a little bit differently. The episode starts with a hit-and-run accident (think I Know What You Did Last Summer, but more bleak, less Sarah Michelle Gellar). Mia (played by Andrea Riseborough) wants to go to the cops, but Rob (Andrew Gower) was driving drunk. He convinces her to dump the body and keep the secret.

There’s a thin line between “subtle” and “slow.” For me, “Crocodile” fell firmly in the mire of the latter. After the masterful structuring, nuance, and depth of the first two episodes, this episode is a bit of a slump. The stakes are part of the problem. Or, rather, the lack thereof. From the beginning, I didn’t care much about Mia: when Rob runs over the cyclist, she lets herself be steamrolled into keeping it quiet. When he gets sober and tries to make amends for what they’ve done, she kills him to protect the shiny, new, successful life she’s built. Wife. Mother. Architect with daring hair.

Except…we hardly see any of that life. Her husband is onscreen for maybe three total minutes, and we’re given no reason to empathize with him. Same with her son: he’s just a male human child, more the outline of a character than anything.

There’s a strange sterility in many of the characters, actually. Nobody seems to really mean anything to anyone. It’s like they’re all actors on a stage together, and they vanish from the world the moment the camera looks away. They are without weight or life. What characterization there is feels a bit like Bella’s clumsiness in Twilight. Lacking any real inner life or depth, Bella is “clumsy.” Some of us are clumsy. Thus, we can relate to her.

In “Crocodile,” Shazia (Kiran Sonia Sawar) pops peppermint candies and likes pop songs. What are her dreams? Who does she admire? We find out in the end that she has a child with her husband, Anan, but I only know for sure that they’re married because the characters have the same last name on IMDB. He buys her a hamster, they talk about what time she’s going to be home. That’s sort of it. There’s no sense of history, or sexuality, or chemistry.

They both get murdered. That’s pretty much all they have in common, as far as I can tell. We almost get a peek into Anan’s inner workings (he’s watching a movie when Mia comes for him), but…nope. All we get is the credits. Even our ostensible protagonist, Mia, is flat and gray as the landscape she lives in. (The scenery in this episode is the highlight. Shot in Iceland, there’s a rocky, desolate beauty that is almost a story in and of itself. The wide tracking shots of cars slipping along barren landscapes and empty roads like black clots into the heart of the wild are breathtaking.)

When Mia was young, she liked to party and dance all night. Some of the younger viewers probably like to party and dance all night. What do women drink? (White wine.) What do women do when they murder people? (Almost lose it, but keep it together. Drink white wine.) You see what I’m getting at.

With nothing to invest me, watching Mia murder people wasn’t so much shocking and horrifying as perplexing. And a little frustrating: I was interested to learn more about this newly-sober Rob. Maybe see something of their relationship. Oh. Mia killed him. This investigator might be on to what Mia has done. Oops. Dead. The investigator’s husband knew where she was going, so…nope. Also dead.

Even the baby at the end felt more like a cheap attempt to get me to feel something, like Killing the Dog. I assume Brooker was going for dark irony when the Detective reveals that the baby was blind all along. (So Mia killed him for no reason! Gasp!) But it ends up feeling so shoehorned-in and clunky that it falls flat.

There are definite high points and powerful moments in the episode. By high points, I mean one of the darkest, most disturbing things I’ve ever seen on a screen. This in a series that showed us a man having sex with a pig for nearly an hour.

Watching Mia examine Shazia’s memories without permission was excruciatingly like watching a rape scene. I think Brooker’s larger point about the theme of the episode is colored in, here, and in an episode I was fairly uninvested in, this scene stands out as masterful. Sawar’s acting, the sense of despair and rage and violation, is superlative. Riseborough stays on note, but the flatness of her deliveries works well in contrast to the work Sawar is doing. I nearly cried when Shazia started praying through the gag in her mouth.

Though similar ground was covered in earlier episode of Black Mirror (namely, Season 1, Episode 3: “The Entire History of You”) the thesis of the episode is interesting: what happens when the final privacy is removed? What happens when not even the contents of your mind are safe anymore?

Perhaps it’s reflective of the current political climate that two episodes in a row are addressing Orwellian concepts. Surveillance is a word that raises hackles. “Crocodile” raises questions. As Shazia points out to Mia when she comes to watch her memories, Mia is now required by law to talk about an incident if she’s seen it. The cameras Shazia might have used were vandalized, but what does she care? When you have legal leverage to look at people’s memories, everyone is a camera for the government. We are the surveillance. Big Brother is Us.

EPISODE 4: HANG THE DJ

The Mobius Story is a tried-and-true staple of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre. It’s also quite the tricky mistress. But this is Charlie Brooker (sole writing credit) we’re talking about here. With Timothy “Boardwalk Empire” Van Patten in the director’s chair.

Let’s just say they pull it off.

If you haven’t seen it, and you’re still reading this: don’t. Don’t ruin this one for yourself. “Hang the DJ” is too clever, the payoff and final implications too mind-blowing to wreck reading a summation and analysis. So. Go on. Watch it.

“Hang the DJ” is, on the surface, a story about the inevitable future of dating apps and online dating. Frank and Amy are two participants in a new dating program. The computer dictates not only who you are in a relationship with, but predetermines how long that relationship will last. It is infallible. The data it collects from the relationships (experiments?) it puts you through supposedly allows it to predict with 99.8% accuracy who your perfect lifemate will be. It’s never wrong. Nobody ever questions the authority of the program.

The episode asks the simplest, most powerful question science fiction can ask:

But what if…?

There’s innumerable little bits we could dig into, but the two titanic elements that stand out and most need applause (roaring, standing, bleeding-palms applause) are: the Structure and the Irony. The way the end of the episode feeds back into the beginning feeds back into the end and on into infinity is very much in the spirit of the Mobius Strip. Up until the end, “Hang the DJ” is a good episode. The last five minutes are what make it a great episode.

It would be easy to write the O. Henry twist off as “Oh, really? ‘It was all a dream?’ Great.” But it’s so much more than that. So much more. The recursive genius of that twist was stunning: a dating app measuring compatibility by how many times a couple rebels against that dating app. I’ve said before that Brooker understands capital-I Irony in a way that very few people do.

Well, here: exhibit A. Think about the nuance and implications of that: the episode postulates a computer program that manages to simulate the irrationality and fire of the human heart, and then factors it in to its program in order to mitigate that factor in the real world. Is the final meeting between Frank and Amy hopeful? A happy ending mirroring the arc of their Romeo/Juliet computer analogs? Or is it showing us the real-world beginning of the very program that the app postulates in its calculations?

Not one to twist a knife just once, Brooker’s twist cuts a layer deeper, upon reflection. The app is so elegant and effective that, almost inevitably, its success in the real world will ultimately lead to the world it bases its simulations in. Excusez mon francais, mais… That is fucking brilliant.

Black Mirror explored similar territory in Season 1, but there’s so much more elegance here, such grace. Do we really want to know? All of it? Really? I don’t want to, and, neither, I think, does Charlie Brooker. There’s comfort in the fog. Perhaps the spark of life is really the little thrill of fear we feel in the face of the unknown.

IN SUMMATION

“Crocodile” might be your cup of tea. Maybe you need some shock-for-shock’s-sake TV. Maybe you like peppermint candy and pop music. It wasn’t really for me.

“Hang the DJ” has the sort of Forged of a Piece flawlessness that fans of the show came for and stayed for through the first two seasons. One of the great ones.

There’s less cohesion between these two than there was between “USS Callister” and “Arkangel,” but an overarcing 1984-esqu thread is emerging. Control. Privacy. Freedom. These are the concerns this time around.

Timely concerns for all of us, indeed.

#black mirror #Brooker #Charlie #Crocodile #Hang the DJ #horror #horror 2018 #horror review #horror tv #netflix #new horror #review #sci-fi #Season 4

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How Looking For Alaska Channels (and Doesn't) The O.C.

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We talked to Looking For Alaska creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage about the connections between Looking For Alaska & The O.C.

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Tonally and structurally, Hulu's new teen drama Looking For Alaska and that mainstay of teen television The O.C. have little in common. One is a more grounded coming-of-age drama, the other is a (very good) teen soap. One is an eight-episode limited series, the other ran for four seasons on Fox. One is set in the woods of Alabama, the other takes place on the sunny beaches of Southern California.

But these two projects—one set in 2005 but made in 2019, and the other set in 2003-2007 and made during that same time period—have some fascinating connections that can give the Looking For Alaska viewing experience a meta layer for anyone who was also a contemporary fan of that teen drama classic The O.C.

Both The O.C. and Looking For Alaska were created by Josh Schwartz (his producing partner, Stephanie Savage co-created the latter). Schwartz was showrunning The O.C. when he optioned the film rights for first-time author John Green's Looking For Alaska, and it's not hard to understand why the manuscript might have piqued 2005 Schwartz's interest: Both The O.C. and Looking For Alaska are stories about (teen white boy) outsiders coming into a tight-knit, privileged community.

Schwartz said that it was Green's writing that initially drew him to the book all those years ago, and the ways in which it allowed him to connect to the characters of Looking For Alaska, which is told from protagonist Miles "Pudge" Halter's point-of-view in the novel.

read more: Den of Geek's Best Fiction Books of 2017

"Miles aka Pudge, was the guy I definitely identified with," said Schwartz of that initial reading experience. "And I think that idea of everyone has had in Alaska who's come into their life, whether it's been the exact same, it's played out in exactly the same way it did for Miles, but somebody who teaches you... let's just say growth through pain."

The book (and series) follow Miles as he begins his junior year at private boarding school Culver Creek Academy in rural Alabama. In the series, Miles is played by Charlie Plummer (Boardwalk Empire, All the Money in the World). Unlike the novel, the adaptation is more of an ensemble drama, giving just as much narrative space to Miles' roommate Chip "The Colonel" Martin (Denny Love) and object of Miles' affections Alaska Young (The Society's Kristine Froseth), both scholarship kids from working class backgrounds. Miles, Chip, and Alaska's found family dynamic is the basis for the joy, humor, and heartbreak of the story.

"I also thought the book was just really, really funny," said Schwartz, elaborating on what initially drew him to this world. "The relationships that all these kids had with each other. Their nicknames and their codewords and their smoking holes and their ambrosia. It was a whole world that, even though it was loosely inspired by John's experience and obviously by his imagination, I felt like it had happened to me."

Schwartz has evolved professionally since he first optioned the rights to Looking For Alaska 15 years ago. In 2010, Schwartz and Savage formed Fake Empire, a production company for the development of TV and feature films. Fake Empire has made series like Gossip Girl, Chuck, Hart of Dixie, The Carrie Diaries, Dynasty, Marvel's Runaways, and now Looking For Alaska. (They are also behind new CW show Nancy Drew, and are developing a Gossip Girl sequel series for HBO Max.)

read more: Nancy Drew Pilot Review (Spoiler-Free)

Speaking about the difference between making a show about 2005 in 2005 and making a show about 2005 now, Schwartz said: "The O.C. was very much of the time when we made it. It was very contemporary and all of the fashion and the music was of the moment. What the kids were talking about or dealing with... it was very deliberately a show designed to reflect the times that we were living in."

Looking For Alaska, on the otherhand, says Schwartz, is not meant to reflect the interests or anxieties of 2005 specifically, even if it may have some of the aesthetics of 2005.

"We want to looking for Alaska to feel timeless," said Schwartz. "So part of setting it in 2005 [was] because that's when the book was first published. [For] the first generation of readers who read the book, that was the context that they were experiencing it. And the same for us. But [that setting] also allowed the show to have a certain timeless quality. It's not an obvious period piece, but it's the last moment before people got smartphones. There is an innocence and a timelessness to it."

read more: Marvel's Runaways — What Sets This Superhero Show Apart

Fake Empire gets its name comes from a The National song that was featured in Season 2 of Chuck, a nod to how important indie music has been to their success and brand of the company. Looking For Alaska includes many songs that originally appeared on The O.C. or other Fake Empire shows. Savage and Schwartz have brought in frequent collaborator Music Supervisor Alexandra Patsavas (The O.C., Chuck, Gossip Girl) once again for Looking For Alaska.

"Selfishly, it allowed us to go back and pull out our old O.C. playlist," said Schwartz of Alaska's 2005 setting, "and revisit with old friends and listen to some of this music, use some of the music, but then also get these new covers from contemporary artists of those songs."

Not all references are intentional or even objective: When Miles first sees Alaska in the Looking For Alaska pilot, it is through a car window, as he is driving by on his way to Culver Creek. The music swells and time seems to slow down, the rest of the world fading away for Miles, as the two characters see each other for the first time.