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crashing-all-modes · 12 days

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UPDATE ON THE RAVEN CYCLE SCULPTURE!!

Sorry for such a long wait for the update. It was my last two weeks of school, and MAN, OH MAN, was it stressful for homework!!

Okay, so first of all, this is a long update with lots of pictures!!! (I’m going to make a TLDR version for anybody who doesn’t want to hear me yap, LOL)!

Once again, no spoilers if you have thoughts please!

As some of you may know, I had a project for my 3D design class where we had to pick a book and then create a sculpture out of the book (it can be anything, a scene from the book, a feeling you got while reading it, symbolism and so on). The one rule of the assignment is the pages of the book have to be the most prominent part of the design. So I was allowed to paint it, draw on it, and use whatever I saw fit as long as the pages of the book were included and the most prominent!!

For my project I decided to do the raven boys as tarot cards using the major arcana.

I’m gonna break this up into sections so it's easy to navigate!

Making the Hand

So funny story, I thought this project was due two weeks ago and spent all night (stayed up till 6am) working on it, only to wake up at 8am to find out it was due the following week. AH. So here’s what I did that night:

Dw, the hand looks way better after I had more time to work on it; I used about… 4 jumbo sticks of hot glue to attach it to the board? You can pick this up by the hand and use it as a weapon, and it will stay attached.

Building The Base Tarot Card

I made all 5 cards with 2 pieces: one large piece, which would be the back of the card, and another smaller piece, which would act as the part for the character to be on. I made them out of cardboard, so there’s definition.

Back Piece

I carved into the cardboard these small little triangles which was for the gold foil I planned on using! To cover the back pieces, I ripped up pages into uneven pieces and mod-podged them on there (because glue itself made the pages translucent).

Front Piece

The smaller pieces were very important when creating the cards because I used full pages from the book. I picked very specific moments in the book that helped to relate both the character and their card!

Ronan

This is the page where Ronan first "finds" Chainsaw. His card is The Moon, which deals with supernatural elements and visions, so I figured it would be a perfect page to use. Plus, it was one of my favourite Ronan moments!

Gansey

Originally, I wanted to use the page where Gansey recounted his near-death experience with the bees, but I must've used the page by accident because I couldn't find it ANYWHERE?? I opted for this page instead, because this is another instance where Gansey looked death in the eye and scared it off (his card is The Hanged Man).

Blue

I decided to use Blue for The Lovers card because I felt the irony of it was too fitting. I used the page where the reader learns about Blue's fate to kill her true love just by kissing him. The design for her card is so evil (if you keep reading, you'll see it), but it's good.

Noah

(Spoilers) If you've gotten this far, I'm hoping you've at least read the first book. Noah's card is Death, which is... very fitting for obvious reasons AND for the context of the card!! I decided to go with one of the craziest moments in the book when they find out Noah's a ghost. It's perfect for the Death card... and IT EVEN MENTIONS THE DEATH CARD ON THIS PAGE, WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I WAS GLUING IT ONTO THE CARDBOARD!!

Adam

Adam is my favourite in the book and I had so many moments to pick from for his tarot card. Ultimately, I picked the scene where he and Whelk are having a face-off, and all MAGIC IS BREAKING LOSE BECAUSE HE'S THE MAGICIAN (as I've been told by many sources, I still have only read the first book)!!

After I glued all of the pages onto the smaller pieces of cardboard, I dyed them with food coloring!! I had no idea this would work, but thanks to YouTube, it worked so much better than trying to paint, and the colours turned out amazing!!

From left to right on the top row: Ronan, Noah (before tea wash), Adam, Gansey and the bottom one is Blue's!

Here's Noah's after being tea stained, I wanted his to look like it was old and worn, like it was lost in the earth. To make it blotchy, I used the actual tea bag and blotted it on the card like crazy.

I then went on to dye WAY MORE PAGES. It's surprisingly fun.

The Tarot Cards (Roughs)

So, for each tarot card, I created designs, trying to implement the original while making it my own in relation to the character. All of these are sketches, and I honestly might make them real pieces in the future!!

Blue

UGH. I think hers and Noah's might be my favourite designs (I'm very biased tho because I love skulls lol). Each card has an earthy theme, I included lots of flowers and branches!

Adam

Adam's is the closest to the OG tarot card, because I felt like it was so iconic I couldn't change much to the design. That's probably why his is my least favourite design LOL.

Gansey

Ngl, I really like the symbolism on this one. If you were to pull it in reverse it would be Gansey with the crown floating above his head, like it's his and he's close to reaching his goal.

Noah

OKAY, BUT LIKE GUYS, THIS IS AHGSSGSGHSH. Like???? I love him so much. I put him in a saint pose, like those you see sculptures in churches posing in or paintings of saints. But I love him so much.

Ronan

I love the vibe his card gives off. It's very contemplative and moody, just like him.

I love how all of the designs turned out, but I unfortunately only had time to make one, Ronan's!

Ronan's Card

To make Ronan's cutout, I cut pieces of different stained pages into the shapes I needed (like his shirt and his head), and I then drew on it with an ink pen. It was really difficult to make everything the correct size because of the way I did his card, so this alone took me an hour to do. Think of him like a paper dress-up doll, LOL.

THE FINAL

FINALLY HOLY CRAP. I'm running out of photo room for the post, so I'll make it brief here but post more on a different thread!!

Anyway, I'm going to make all of them into cards now that school's over, and I'll update y'all when I'm done!!

I just wanna give a really big shoutout to everyone who helped me decide which tarot cards to give to each character, especially @screechin-outloud! They went into so much depth without spoiling the book, and I APPRECIATE YOU!! I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU!!!

And if you made it down this far, thank you for reading all of this!! :)

#the raven cycle #the raven boys #ronan lynch #adam parrish #gansey #noah czerny #blue sargent #fanart #raven boys fanart #raven cycle fanart

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mystycalypso · 21 days

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Yknow what gets me about ep 5? The traps and how they function in it. Like the traps b4 this aren't as deadly. Hell I'd argue they weren't even meant to kill in ep 4 - imo bc Mr Peterson knew they were looking and made it so they wouldn't anymore by scaring them! He literally turns to look at them while he's in his front yard and the key for the lock is in plain view. The traps are essentially part of a cubby set trap for Nicky, luring him into a set entrance and blocking off all exits he's learned of beforehand so the snare snaps this time. Bc he believed if he did that they'd be too scared to attempt anything... and if I wasn't for Trinity he'd be right!

Anyway, the ones in ep 5? Let's go over the traps actually: a swinging axe trap who's axe is meant to hit someone coming from the direction of the basement, a delayed pickaxe trap near the basement door that barely misses Enzo, a delayed net trap on the basement door meant to capture someone leaving, a delayed electric shock trap on the door with the key to the basement (seen twice, mr Peterson even checks his rubber gloves b4 touching it due to knowing his was gonna still b touching it after its timer goes off), bell strings near the entrance hallway, and finally a chainsaw trap activated by the creaky floorboard the kids kept stepping on.

That's 3 out of 6 that could prove deadly for a healthy kid, 4 outta 6 for Nicky due to his stay in the basement as stress and starvation can cause heart issues which can be exacerbated by electrical shocks, 1 meant alert, 1 to capture... and 3 built with delayed timers. Perfect for someone like captured Nicky whose movements often stutter to a stop, who's so slow most of the time that the others have to pull him along and even when originally leading them to the washroom exit somehow ended up behind everyone.

The traps were no longer built to keep ppl out, he built them with the express purpose of keeping Nicky in and that's so terrifying, especially bc no one even gives his house a second thought despite the sounds coming from it... because the neighbors had taught themselves to ignore it and Nicky's 'lies.' In his mind? I'd guess he thought as long as Nicky didn't get out he didn't need to worry about ppl entering his basement and taking Aaron away.

Tbh? I think that was also the reason he never passed the property line. Ppl already thought Nicky was a delinquent, a liar messing with a poor old man! As long as he only chased him to the property line, they'd see him as a man just trying to keep this cruel kid from messing with him. It's only after Aaron escapes that he drops the facade he showed in ep 5 and gets caught.

This Mr. Peterson is a much more terrifying threat, imo and I find it fascinating.

THIS

(Fold bc jfc this gets long)

The jump in intensity in between pre Nicky's capture, and post is- terrifying. And then not to mention how much worse it is post the rest of the groups capture. I mean for God's sake, Enzo also wears rubber gloves SPECIFICALLY because he works with electronics and stuff that might get unsafe and the voltage Mr. Peterson has on that locked door is enough to shock him not only to a large degree in general, but so it lingers on him several seconds after the fact. Not to mention the pit of blades that seems to be almost as long as Maritza is tall and the mannequins who come out after the fact, seemingly to push someone who made it across back into the pit. That's like- seriously seriously messed up.

Something else I feel is kind of weird is just how much worse the state of the house gets post-capture. Sure when Nicky and Trinity break into his house it's not the cleanest, but even when we see Enzo going through the house and trying to avoid getting captured it's still not nearly to the level of DISGUSTING as in episode 6 and that's DAY BEFORE

How did it get so bug-infected and awful mere hours after Enzo broke in? What the hell was in the bathtub?! Even Theo seemed disgusted by it.

And also, something that has been bugging me personally,

When does the start of episode one take place?!

This might seem like a dumb question. "It takes place right before we cut to Trinity. It's the escape attempt where he's climbing out of the window!" But like- I don't think that's possible.

The window mechanism we see Peterson use here is disgustingly advanced. Like way more than even just the bars we see in episode 6. If he had these to keep Nicky stuck in episode 1, why not use them elsewhere?

Furthermore,

For the loud, "I'm about to die" type scream he screams before the transition, he seems, really calm climbing out of the chimney. Not to claim my dumb expression analysis was for nothing but with how naturally flinchy and panicky Nicky is when he could still be in danger (followed by the science teacher or still on Theo's property), I doubt he'd be even close to this relaxed.

For this to be the case Nicky would have had to

A. Get past Mr. Peterson, dodging between his legs or something without getting grabbed, something he's not good at when cornered as we see in episode 4 because he tends to freeze up when suddenly surprised or startled (we also see this later in one when Trinity has to pull him away from the bricked door because he's so shocked)

B. Run back downstairs

C. Climb up and out of the chimney

And again, if Theo has fully controlled, heavily locking windows available, WHY WOULDN'T HE USE THEM EVERYWHERE?

This also doesn't make sense because the blue door Nicky opens is the same one with that window. If he got stuck in there and barely escaped that morning, WHY WOULD HE TRY TO GO IN THAT ROOM AGAIN????

It just doesn't make sense. But it can't take place post-capture because then that room is shown to be sealed off and Nicky's eyes are still green. The one thing I've kept coming back to as a possibility for it is that it's a nightmare of Nicky's either before that day or while he's in the basement. This is because in the game it's shown Nicky is prone to nightmares even over less scary situations like grocery stores and- public school (Okay that one might be scarier than Theo). So him being scared of getting captured or of Theo making his house so advanced that he couldn't get away makes sense.

Anyway back on track from- Jack's side tangent (tm)

Uh I feel like his specificness of only REALLY caring about catching Nicky is for several reasons. Obviously because he's the most persistent in his actions, but also because no one seems to care if Nicky isn't there. I bring it up often, but there is not one missing person's poster for Nicky, nor do his friends even really believe he was kidnapped. ENZO IS THERE AFTER IT HAPPENS AND EVEN HE DOESN'T VOUCH FOR TRINITY. It's passed off as just "Yeah he runs away all the time who cares" which isn't normal. For God's sake his family is so absent I was running with an "Orphan Nicky" theory. (I'm still not completely sure his mom is infact alive. The wiki says she is but I don't believe the wiki after it called the Principle a friend of Nicky's). He is- inconsequential to Ravenbrooks. Theo would've been set if Trinity wasn't wasn't there.

But yeah Mr. Peterson's actions are- scary, scary and unnatural. I was watching Th3Badd3st's hello neighbor 2 playthrough (featuring Pastra) and they were theorizing that maybe something is having some sort of control over the antagonists. However they both also admitted to not knowing much lore besides the series to go off of. But I guess it's something to think about with how massive of a turn to violence Theodore takes.

#welcome to raven brooks #hello neighbor welcome to raven brooks #hello neighbor theories #hello neighbor #non art post #nicky roth #this show turns me into mini matpat istg #I NEED the LOOOOOORE guys #this whole show is just making me wonder so much #theodore peterson

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miseria-fortes-viros · 8 months

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(brings microphone to your face) tell us abt ur au!!!! whatever you're willing to share, i love hearing abt wips.

OOHOOHOO OK!! so i have talked abt this before but i don’t think i have a tag for it however im going to go back thru and tag ALL of it bc well. i like all of my things in one place. ANYWAY. i’m going to put this under a cut bc it will be LONG because i cannot help myself ever. so, i present: trc rival bands au!

this is the pinterest board i’ve made for the au that i cannot stop adding to. i’m refraining from sharing my spotify playlists because uh. those are a major part of the story and i don’t want to take that away from it 😭 BUT trust me they are SO good. im obsessed.

anyway. rival bands au LETS GO!!

gansey, ronan, henry, and noah make up the (pop punk?/alt rock?) band Kings of Henrietta.

ronan plays lead guitar. he’s the son of legendary irish rockstar niall lynch and also ex lead guitarist of the boyband the lynch brothers. he plays a seven-string ibanez xiphos in black flat (VERY sexy guitar VERY difficult). its name is chainsaw. he has perfect pitch. he’s also very, very irish

gansey’s lead vocals and rhythm guitar. he grew up hollywood royalty but was never really interested in acting, just did it because it was expected of him. his exodus from the film industry in order to be in a band was originally widely considered a long shot but now. well. one of the most famous bands in the world and all that. he plays an obnoxiously orange gretsch jet that fans have dubbed “the pig”.

henry’s bass and backup vocals. he’s the heir to two tech fortunes but ran off to be a musician and was a solo artist for a few years before the formation of KOH (think yungblud). he has a classic rocker haircut, he’s openly queer, he’s a weirdgirl fashion icon. he plays a custom made electric blue fender precision with lightning detailing. he calls it “madonna” but this name has yet to catch on

noah plays drums (and also provides vocals on occasion if the occasion is screaming). his parents are music producers, his sister adele is also in the industry. he breaks at least one drum stick per show and tosses it into the pit. hardcore fans can and will fight for it.

they are SO fucking famous. like taylor swift 95m monthly spotify listeners famous. like people recognize ronan just from his hair like eminem famous. about to leave on one of the longest world tours ever famous. it is INSANE how famous they are.

they all met at aglionby and often played together but didn’t form a band until after niall lynch’s murder and the disbanding of the lynch brothers. there’s a few years gap between graduating aglionby and the formation of KOH

some circles still believe ronan killed his own father however they are very few and far between. WHATEVER

blue grew up in a house full of musicians. she can play pretty much anything under the sun but prefers drums and guitar. she went to juilliard on scholarship, which is where she met adam

adam did not grow up playing music with his family. he grew up learning it in secret. he cannot play everything however he is a VERY quick learner out of sheer willpower. he graduated high school as valedictorian and immediately got the fuck out of there to go to juilliard (also on scholarship). he and blue were inseparable almost immediately

they moved in together after graduation and blue took him home to henrietta when the rent started to get a little too high. they officially formed their band page of wands in blue’s room at 300 fox way

“page of wands” merges both of their symbolic tarot cards together (page of cups + magician). did i mention blue was raised pagan? she was. as to be expected. anyways.

virtually unknown indie rock band page of wands posts a cover of a KOH song. they do not expect KOH to see it. they also do not expect KOH to return the favor in front of tens of thousands of people. KOH does it anyways. because gansey is ENAMORED. he is SO FAR GONE.

blue hates this. she hates it so much. unfortunately POW’s sudden success is now irreversibly tied to KOH and there’s nothing she can do about it. or is there

their record labels agree to a rivalry. success! this is what she wanted

except it’s not. but she doesn’t know why

cue enemies to lovers. and long distance pining. mutual destruction. the entire music industry watching this all unfold. bluesey. pynch. way too many spotify links. you get the picture

guys i literally CANNOT stop thinking about this i don’t know what to do. what do i do. i am so lost. please help me

#the raven cycle #helenaposting #asks #trium #trc band au #barbi.trc #barbi.wip

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1whimsicalgal · 2 months

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September/October 1973 Ah, Youth, The Life Of an O’riginal Chainsaw Gal

A deep spring cleaning brought these little gems above to the surface.

In the days following filming Chainsaw ’74, after we’d wrapped, we were all finding our path, looking for ways to make money. I wasn’t in the brutal chainsaw dinner scenes (t’anks gods!!!). I was done and immediately looking for work, any work. Prior to filming I’d been working at Mrs. Robinson’s Restaurant at the corner of Riverside Drive and Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, for two years, paying for classes at St. Edward’s University, and doing well. Simultaneously, I’d been getting leads in all the plays at St Ed’s Mary Moody Northern Theater. After filming “Headcheese’ (Chainsaw ’74’s working title) for two-weeks, with little in the can, we shut down for a week. Then, we got a call that they found some money, filming was resuming. We all signed new contracts, but this time for ‘deferred money’. They’d kindly held my job at Mrs. R’s for the two weeks, but when we extended filming for another month, they had to hire someone to replace me. Drat. No job, no money.

Out of the blue, Daniel Pearl did me a solid. Our Chainsaw '74 cinematographer, Daniel, offered to shoot a portfolio for me with Daniel as the photographer, and Dottie Pearl assisting me with make-up and wardrobe. Both were full of great ideas, completely supportive, and very talented. Back in the day, with no internet, iPhones, computers, etc., we literally snail-mailed our pictures to casting agents and directors. When I think of the time-consuming hours of addressing, stamping, and trips to the post office, I get exhausted. Now, of course, you can scan and press Send.

Think about it.

The Good News: Everything finally worked out. As happens in life, things always change. For the past few years, our Chainsaw franchise has grown exponentially. I am pleased to report we have all grown close, appearing with my remaining cast mates to celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, since our filming and its release in 1974, appearing at various horror cons with my remaining cast members, together with our film crew members, Daniel Pearl, DP, JMichael McClary, ADP, and Ted Nicholaou, Sound Recordist. Fans love it and we love them!

Thanks to Kim Henkel, his son Ian Henkel, and Chase Anderson, we've been enjoying a real reunion to celebrate a little film we gave our hearts and souls to in the sweltering heat of July and August 1973, that went on to put Texas horror films on the map, a trailblazer, and lauded across the planet as a cult-classic in the horror genre. No sour grapes here, just great lessons learned, and thanks to all those who appreciate our work. We thank you.

The top right picture is from a print ad for Suzuki. Daniel had scored a local Suzuki commercial print ad shoot as DP in September 1973. When the director said they needed a girl who rode a motorcycle, Daniel did me yet another solid, he suggested me.🚀

Fifty years later, I’m still grateful.

xoxo,

Pammie 🪝💋

Original B&W photos by Daniel Pearl DP/ASC

Follow Daniel on Instagram: @danielpearldp

Colorization by Eric Goode @ericgoode106

#texaschainsawmassacre #horror #leatherface #marilynburns #trailblazers #gunnarhansen #teri mcminn #texaschainsaw #art #danielpearldp #billvail #johndugan #edguinn #edneal #jmichaelmcclarey #tednicholaou #allendanziger #waynebell #tcm 1974

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stillwill76 · 1 year

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Alright, I know April’s almost over but as it is still Autism Acceptance Month, I wanted to talk a little about it. Just wanted to share what being autistic is like for me and some of my special interests.

I was diagnosed with ASD and ADHD when I was 8 years old. Back then, I was technically diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome but that was merged into ASD in 2011 so I’ll just refer to it as ASD. Anyway, I didn’t really know what that meant until I was seventeen and actually did some research. Learning that a bunch of my behaviors and certain feelings I had were actually because I was autistic was…. I don’t know, relieving? Things started to make more sense. Before this point, all I knew was that I didn’t understand social cues and I was very specific about what I liked and disliked. It did not help that I was also on ADHD medication that exacerbated the negative parts of autism. Since that day, I’ve learned so much more about myself and I learn new things about autism everyday. I’m not angry or upset that I’m autistic. I was (and still kinda am) mad at the people who didn’t explain it to me properly when I was younger but that’s beside the point. I’ve learned to accept it and I’m a lot happier because of it. I don’t need people to be aware of me. I just need people to accept me.

Okay, that was a lot. Hmm. Anyway, SPECIAL INTERESTS, LET’S GO!!!! 😃

My primary special interests are manga, anime, and video games. And within those special interests are even MORE special interests. For example, some of the manga I have a huge interest in include Bleach, One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist and Jujutsu Kaisen. There’s a lot more but there are too many list. On the flip side, the anime I like differs slightly. I don’t always like anime adaptations of manga I like. For example, I really don’t care for either the Bleach or One Piece adaptations (Bleach TYBW is the exception). There are certain scenes from each that I really enjoy watching and they both have great soundtracks and great voice acting in both the original Japanese and the english dubs, but weird choices that differ from the source material and huge pacing issues make them hard for me to watch. On the other hand, there are certain adaptations that I prefer to the source material, such as Demon Slayer or Mob Psycho 100. These two in particular take the original material and enhance it greatly. What’s more, there are certain series where I really like both the original manga and the anime (Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen to name a couple). Also, I love original anime, like Space Dandy, Oddtaxi, Gurren Lagaan, Appare Ranman, and Vivy: Flourite Eyes Song. It’s really cool to see original content in a medium that is primarily adaptations.

Starting a new paragraph for video games. This might be my big special interest. RPGs, Metroidvanias, platformers, action games, puzzle games, party games, etc. I really love video games. Favorite series include but are not limited too: Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, Pokémon, and Xenoblade Chronicles. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m a big Nintendo person. If I had to pick a genre, I’d say RPGs are my favorite, whether they are turned based or action oriented. My top three favorite games of all time are Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Kingdom Hearts II. Favorite Pokémon generation is three though Scarlet is my current favorite game. I could go on about how I love different combat and level up systems in different games, how I love that the sidequests in the Xenoblade games add to the worldbuilding and give them so much depth, how I love watching videos analyzing background lore in games like Hollow Knight or Breath of the Wild or videos going into detail about how dark series like Kirby or Splatoon are, or how even though the story is insanely stupid I adore Kingdom Hearts for how sincere it is. But I feel like this has gone a bit longer than I originally intended.

Anyway, a couple of notes really quick about Autism Acceptance Month and autism in general:

Don’t support Autism Speaks. They are a hate group focused on trying to “cure” autism.

Don’t use the puzzle piece when talking about autism. It is ableist. Use either the gold infinity symbol for autism or the rainbow infinity symbol for neurodiversity.

Vaccinations don’t cause autism. Whoever came up with that can burn in hell.

I think that’s everything. If whoever is reading this is autistic, I hope you had a great Autism Acceptance Month.

#autism #autism spectrum disorder #autism acceptence month #special interest #anime #manga #video games #i feel like i lost the plot when i was talking about my special interests #oh well #also it took me WAY too long to figure out how to put that “keep reading” cut in #i started typing this on my phone and had to switch to my computer

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adamwatchesmovies · 1 year

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2013)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is a vile, sadistic film where gore replaces potential scares. It’s predictable, poorly written and doesn't show anything worth seeing, even to those who liked the 2003 film it serves as a prequel to.

Set four years before the events of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (remake), the hulking Thomas Hewitt (Andrew Bryniarski) is working at a slaughterhouse. When the health department orders its closure, the people surrounding it pack up their things and leave - all except for Luda Mae (Marietta Marich), Uncle Monty (Terrence Evans), and Charlie Hewitt (R. Lee Ermey), who are determined to stay. If cannibalism is the only way to survive, then so be it. We witness the origin of “Leatherface” as brothers Eric (Matt Bomer) and Dean (Taylor Handley), along with their girlfriends Chrissie (Jordana Brewster) and Bailey (Diora Baird) pass through the town.

This is one of the most prequel-y prequels I’ve ever seen. We learn how the Hewitts developed their taste for human flesh, why Uncle Monty is in a wheelchair, how R. Lee Ermey’s character became the sheriff and why he has dentures, who Leatherface's mother was, where he was born, we witness his first murder, find out why he makes masks, and more. If there was a detail from the 2003 remake you never wondered about, it receives an origin story. We see cows in fields surrounding the town, which means the Hoyt’s would rather eat people than hamburgers? So what if it makes no sense?

The Beginning is also one of the most by-the-numbers, clichéd horror movies you’ve ever seen. The characters are simply there to get chopped up and have no personalities beyond what is required for you to remember who is still alive and who is now dead. You don’t care about anyone, and I mean ANYONE at all, making this an extremely dull experience. All it’s essentially doing is interrupting the prequel moments with the same beats we’ve seen in every single Texas Chainsaw movie since the original sequel in 1986.

General incompetence oozes from every frame of this film by Jonathan Liebesman (Darkness Falls, Battle: Los Angeles). The suspense is nonexistent and since we couldn’t care less about who lives or who dies, there aren't any scares either. You’ll want to close your eyes often though, as the film lingers on the gore constantly. I know “massacre” is in the title but did we need to see a human being vivisected while still alive? It might be disturbing but scary? No. How could anyone care when we already know none of these people will make it out alive - this would contradict the events of the other film. This means the picture is free to indulge in tropes we thought we’d left behind years ago such as “the killer is hiding in the back seat”!

Say what you will about the decline in quality the Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th series saw, but some of the follow-ups were actually good or could be enjoyed ironically. Average out the rating these Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies have been receiving. That's a scary thought. This may be the worst-faring slasher franchise out there. Wish me luck as we proceed with the rest. (Unrated version on DVD, February 15, 2019)

#The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning #The Texas Chainsaw Massacre #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #horror movies #horror films #Jonathan Liebesman #Sheldon Turner #David J. Schow #Jordana Brewster #Taylor Handley #Diora Baird #Matt Bomer #Lee Tergesen #R. Lee Ermey #2013 movies #2013 films

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thebwarch · 1 year

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I watch anime with the buds often with anime group watch nights, last night we did a first episode spree to check out some new things. (Even though we very much shouldn’t have since we’re watching like ten other things, but it’s too fun to do. Appeals to the ADHD.) Check out the first episode, and decide if we wanna watch the show just based on that first impression. I prefer the Madoka Test for truly testing shows (3 episodes) but, first episodes work out real nice for group watch nights.

“Akiba Maid War” - Good first impression, fun concept I'm dying to know where it goes, what a crazy little almost plot twist. (Being told ANYTHING about the anime will make it less surprising, but we went in pretty blind and it *was* surprising.) I just like seeing maid outfits so. This was a pretty easy slam dunk for our group. Be in for an actionful gore-y time. Not saying much about the plot since it’s funner that way. Great pacing and scene direction.

"Reincarnated as a Sword" - A dude dies, is reincarnated into an RPG fantasy world as a big sword. He's actually very fine with it and I couldn't possibly emphasize enough how much the thought of being a human again never crosses his mind. He's so gung-ho on being a sword from now on it's funny. Kinda an enjoyable change of pace from “Oh noooo I’m not human anymore I must get back to human ASAP” Also he frees a catgirl slave and she's gonna wield him from now on. I am very annoyed at the game UI bits as often as they came up. Videogame anime is gonna annoy me a lot probably when they think they’re absolute GENIUSES putting game UI in and acting like it’s cool.

The pacing is all over the place, The jokes barely land, this has a penny for a budget. But it's kind of charming and I like the catgirl. Maybe more??? If nothing else was happening then this would be a watch but. There is so much actually fantastic stuff airing right now or recent that we’re probably gonna let this one stay buried in the backburner.

"Do It Yourself!!" - I love this one the most outta the pile, kind of a surprise hit with the watch group since nobody had really heard about it. It's sorta Eizouken-esque (though I didn't watch Eizouken).

A DIY club of a few schoolgirls forms of just learning how to put things together and DIY. The main girl is aimless and sleepy and flunked out of her chosen vocational school for a lesser one. She barely even knows what she wants to do but sees a woman doing carpentry and wants to try it. She has a tsundere next door neighbor who she is begrudging pals with and thinks that if she builds a bench between their houses they'll hang out more again. I love the main character’s design and the general show style is very good. Very nicely animated. It’s just cozy as a watch, nothing incredible, but purely enjoyable.

I’ve had a long-time ignoring of slice of life anime up until this season between Bocchi the Rock! and this. Both of them are hitting the right buttons to keep me entertained and not bored.

A quick list of everything I’m watching: Bocchi the Rock!, Chainsaw Man, Mob Psycho III, My Hero Academia S6, The Executioner And Her Way Of Life, Spy X Family Cour 2. This season of anime is insane and has way more shows I’m paying attention to than normal.

I’m TRYING to get back to finishing Vivy and Flip Flappers, and I recently finished up watches of Death Note/Devilman OVA/Call of the Night/Gunsmith Cats OVA.

I’m reading through Devilman as well and considering just talking about all the adaptations of that series compared to the original manga, it’s interesting all the different ways the adaptations went. Anyway toodles thanks for reading!!

#Anime #Akiba Maid War #Reincarnated as a Sword #Do It Yourself!!#Anime Review #Bwarch OC #Animation

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nacentart · 15 days

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I Can't See the Trees For the Wood

David Nash is a much admired British sculptor who has mainly worked with wood during his long career as an artist. Nash left Kingston College of Art in 1967 and bought a chapel very cheaply, in the hills of the Snowdonia Welsh slate quarry town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which came equipped with high vaulted ceilings, ideal for working with large tree trunks. He still very much lives and works in Blaenau and as well as his artistic practice, he has inspired many students worldwide on sculpture in mainly wood, but has also recently created bronze sculptures. The wood that Nash uses is carefully selected for its properties, and it is also noted that the trees that he works with have naturally fallen or are diseased. Nash’s most famous two works are the subject of some fascination for me. The first sculpture called, Ash Dome, 1977, is a living sculpture and is situated in a mysterious, secluded spot in Snowdonia.

It consists of a series of 22 ash trees that Nash trained to form a kind of covert whirlpool in the Eryri landscape. I would love to visit the ash assemblage, however, its location is a clandestine mystery; only a few are lucky enough to find its whereabouts. From photographs, it looks like it has been caught beneath a freak tornado and gnarled into formation. Nash wanted to plant something to represent hope for the 21st century when the outcome of that likelihood looked bleak in late 1970s Britain. Nash sees his living sculptures as engaging in the physical realms of space and time as if ‘the doctor’ was dabbling in art. He views it as fourth-dimensional art, and Nash is very inspirational in the intellectual rigour of his practice. The sculpture is the genesis, and the end emerges through the pathway of time.

What Nash had come to believe in his love of sculpture, is that his outdoor works do not try to resist the natural elements but have a relationship and engage with their environment. Nash came to this belief when he understood at a young age that the reason he did not like a lot of outside sculptures was due to the destructive resistance to those elements. If they were not preserved, they would look awful or worse; Nash anticipates this with Ash Dome and in the shaping and growing of the trees. Nash’s other famous piece is called Wooden Boulder, 1977. Also, a piece that actively connects with the natural elements, be it at a different point of the life-death cycle. When Nash first sculpted the piece, it was barely touched with his chainsaw and just about took on its spherical form. Nash originally wanted to launch the boulder, but in transporting it back from the forest to his Methodist chapel, it became trapped halfway down a waterfall and he realised that is where it should live. The whole point was its movement and relationship with the elements. It eventually made its way down the stream and into the river Dwyryd estuary after many years slowly moving through the North Welsh landscape. Indeed, it had a very eventful journey through the years and is unfortunately hidden, for now.

Will it reveal itself once more? It is still there somewhere, It might have escaped, but it is there. It is probably Nash’s most famous piece and defies any artistic label. Could it even be performance art? I think the profundity of Nash’s Wooden Boulder cannot be understated. I love Nash’s teaching philosophy, he has come to believe that you don’t just teach a child things as if an empty vessel taking on board information and then being tested on, but rather a child is born with everything already there and the child just needs to learn to identify what they have inside, so Nash says that the teacher's role is to give the child appropriate experiences that they can recognise in themselves. When someone loves an artist's work, it is because they are acknowledging something in themselves. I love this idea and I also believe it to be true. Nash has exhibited worldwide over the years. Who knows when and where Nash’s most famous piece of art Wooden Boulder will be exhibited next?

#David Nash #Wood #Sculpture #Artist

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spook-study · 5 months

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The radio. What is it about the radio? Even as technology has advanced, becoming something almost unrecognizable from the golden age of radio. The original radio play of War of the Worlds was aired in 1938. Let that sink in. The Buggles may have said it best in their 1979 bop: video, did indeed, kill the radio star, but that hasn’t stopped them from appearing in video.

There are so many great movies us radio as a foundation for the plot. Nightmare Radio (2019), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), and The Vast of Night ( also 2019), a movie I should really get around to doing a write up on because I loved it, all feature deejays as main characters, and they are far from the only ones to do so. On top of that, arguably every ghost-hunting movie ever made can wiggle its way in there, most feature some kind of antennaed communication device, and often use radio as a ghost/demon conduit. For whatever reason, we all decided and agreed that the dead can speak through the radio.

Pontypool (2008) certainly isn't John Carpenter's The Fog (1980), but nothing ever will be.

Despite the lamentable death of the radio drama, horror has never let the radio die. Those little boxes litter the genre. They remain steadfast, still showing up in movies even as Spotify takes over the music streaming scene and narrative podcasts attempt to fill the void left in the wake of live radio plays. There’s just something about it. Something alive. The fact that when you listen to radio, you’re listening to someone speaking to you in real time; someone is turning tables and transitioning between songs or segments in real time. Even live television can’t compare because it’s performative. Radio is alive, which means it can be dead- have dead air. If a person stops talking or spinning tables, you won’t be hearing anything until the emergency tape eventually kicks in. There’s just an activeness to that. And an aside to say rest in peace to television dead air; in my heart, no “6 Hours Soothing Sleep Static Sounds” video on YouTube will ever do you justice.

Radio is more personal than all that. Someone is speaking to you, that’s simply the way radio works. "If you’re just tuning in, listeners," that’s you. It feels personal, contained, call the number and talk to that disc jockey to win tickets, to offer your opinion, to be on the radio right then and there. It's a slice of fame: everyone listening is hearing you, learns your name, is reacting to what you're saying. I’m sure it’s thrilling. I've always been too nervous to even try to call in.

Now I'm a sucker for a bottle movie, so I'm sure you can imagine my delighted realization when it became clear that Pontypool is one! Talk about radio being personal, save for the first couple of minutes where disgraced shock jock Grant Mazzy is driving to his new job in the middle of nowhere Canada, we never leave radio station. One big room? Seems pretty personal to me.

For those of you who might be unaware, a bottle film, from ‘ship in a bottle’ figures, is a movie or episode of television that remains in the same location for most, if not all the duration. While characters may come and go, we, the viewer, remain. Hitchcock’s Rope (1948) and Rear Window (1954) both qualify, as well as the more recent Circle (2015), and Hush (2016). Horror certainly doesn't have a shortage of them, either. While there are bottle films which take place in locations with more than one room, like Funny Games (1997 or 2007, both great) or Clue (1985), I’m preferential to the smaller locations as exemplified in Pontypool. I like the claustrophobia, the containment, the way these movies can make both viewer and characters feel like the walls are closing in. I like the visual representation of being being stuck, the endings often culminating in the escape from containment. Give me a movie in a single room and I'm practically in love. There’s just something about it- breathing the same air as it gets stagnant, seeing the same sights, stuck with the same people. It’s The Yellow Wallpaper effect. The movie operates on a simple premise but leaves a lot to unpack if you're in the mood for contemplation.

Pontypool is a pandemic movie a 'zombie' movie, colloquially speaking. If people never die they aren't zombies, but let's not get into that right now. The movie leaves whether people actually die over the course of the illness taking hold unclear. While no one is rising up from their grave, they still become mindless killing machines who eat people. One way or another, the infected remain up and about when a human would definitely be dead.

Still, Pontypool does manages to set itself apart from the crowd: the infection is spread through words. Specifically English words. The idea itself is interesting enough to cover the convoluted explanation the movie gives, but that might just be due to the fact that it's almost impossible to wrap your head around. A disease transmitted through words? How the hell does that work? Just thinking about it gets my mind whirring.

The film follows the early morning workers of the Pontypool radio station. Grant Mazzy, who has found himself with a dreg of a job after his untoward personality and “take no prisoners” approach to hosting got him fired and basically blackballed. Tech assistant Laurel-Ann, who is a veteran for seemingly no reason, is amused by his antics. Station manager Sydney, a middle-aged woman who is tragically and typically devoid of a personality, is decidedly less so. In addition to the on-screen roles there’s another impactful character who is only heard through call-in, “eye-in-the-sky” helicopter reporter Ken Loney, whose helicopter is actually his beat-up car on top of the tallest hill in town.

A bit into the movie we get the irreputable town doctor Mendez, who miraculously made his way to the station despite his office being the first location we hear about being overrun. Running, violent hordes that are shown to chase people and the greying Dr. Mendez makes it out and across town, no explanation offered. We're talking breaking down the doors and piling on top of one another like a small town World War Z (2013), or at least that's how the situation is described. If you aren't contemplating the workings of the movie's universe, like my aforementioned fascination with how the infection works, "how" questions can be killer. For Mendez's entire appearance I just kept thinking, "how the hell did he get out of there?" It's easy to get caught up in things like that and my suspension of disbelief is no more. This is a reoccurring problem for the movie, which I'll get into more later.

Since the program is a morning news show, the group starts off by reporting what is only considered news in itty-bitty towns like Pontypool, Ontario, Canada. Mazzy clearly hates his job, drinking at the crack of dawn and making fun of the townspeople as news comes in. He tells nothing stories because there's nothing to report on. In a previous broadcast which serves as the opening narration to the movie he reported on a woman's lost cat. It's hard-hitting journalism, folks. The first report of the day of the film regards an altercation with the police with an ice fishing shed.

After taking one too many mild crack shots, Sydney chastises Mazzy. He jokes about alcohol being involved in the situation, which ended as soon as it began. But he finds out through Sydney that one of the men is indeed an alcoholic. She implies everyone knows it, but things like that remain spoken of only behind closed doors. It's later revealed eye-in-the-sky Ken is a pedophile. Well, not exactly, the people in town just all keep there kids away from him. The dirty laundry is to stay in the basket. So, whether he likes it or not, the people of Pontypool need their simple news- school closures, weather, traffic. Particularly during blizzards, like the one everyone is caught in for the movie. Power is likely to get knocked out, which means no television news. The first iPhone came out in 2007, only a year before the movie’s release, so smart phones are still a rarity. What you have is your landline, and not much else. It’s radio news, or it’s no news.

Ken Loney reports on what is first deemed a riot which is of course slowly revealed to be a pandemic that turns people into violent cannibals that creepily parrot words and phrases. A bit into the growing situation, a transmission in French intercepts their air time which urges everyone to stay inside, not speak, to particularly avoid pet names such like ‘honey’ and ‘baby,’ ending with warning not to translate the message. Oops, too late, it’s been translated and Mazzy relayed it on air. So much for that warning. Also, lest we Americans forget, Canada has two official languages, one of which is French. It's reasonable, then, for the movie to have characters that know at least a bit of French, rusty though it may be. Since it's only English that is infected, other languages remain safe. That is, if they need to speak at all. Pen and paper are pretty good workarounds too, but still they chatter away even after Dr. Mendez's entrance. His first bits of dialogue include him openly stating he believes the illness is transferred through sound, and English. We can extrapolate through the characters broken French from later in the movie that Pontypool is predominately English-Speaking, thus explaining why the earlier warning was related in French. Anyway let's keep talking.

As more of Ken’s scattered reports come in, he relates his escape from the oncoming hoard, subsequent hiding in a barn, and the sight of a boy he knows crying out with the voice of a child while missing an arm and despite the fact that he should be dead. The employees of the station become a bit more frantic as well, unable to get much information coming from the outside. As an additional strain the Station has no windows, so they are unable even to see what is happening.

This limitation seeds disbelief, leading them to open the front door and incidentally inviting the infected inside. Sound is what draws the infected, so they play a recording to the loudspeaker outside: Sydney Briar is alive. This draws the group back out. Laurel-Ann becomes infected, and Mazzy, Mendez, and Sydney take shelter in the sound-proof radio booth. Mendez hypothesizes that only certain words are infected, and that one must ‘understand’ the word in order for the infection to take hold. What in the world that means is sort of explained, but really it's anyone's guess.

Time passes to the sound of Laurel-Ann relentlessly banging her head against the plexiglass window to the booth. After her continued self mutilation, what’s left of their young station tech dies. Eventually, and I do mean eventually, the remaining group decides it might be best to stop talking after Dr. Mendez comes to the realization that it is only certain words of the English language which transmit the disease, the first indication of which being the host’s repetition of an infected word. They begin passing notes to communicate. But when Dr. Mendez exhibits the beginning signs of infection, Mazzy and Sydney leave him alone to the booth. This is the beginning of the end, which I’ll leave to you to watch on your own.

So what is Pontypool saying? A movie set in a radio station of which the very foundation is the power of sound, where radio itself is practically ground zero. Who knows what words may set the infection off. Did Mazzy, who as far as we can tell isn’t infected, start this whole thing with his half-truth reports? What this movie hedges its bets on is the power of language and of sound. Horror is nothing without sound, and we don’t need a movie about deejays or radio to know that. For tone setting, for jump scares, for themes, audio can make or break a horror movie. Who could forget the the crazy and wildly listenable soundtrack to Suspiria (1977), the sharp iconic sting in Psycho (1960), or the looming staccato of the themes from Jaws (1975) and Halloween (1978)?

For those of us whose hearing remains intact, sound has power- whether you’re conscious of it or not. It effects everything you do, and everything you experience. Mazzy’s show is a news program on top of everything. English as the infected language, which doesn't feel like a coincidence. Casual half-truths with little to no foundation. While the movie takes place in Canada, Americans should be able to relate much of the premise to their own experiences. When did the news become a thing of opinion? Why has fact become so convoluted? How did it come to this? Where is the impartiality that begets news in its purest form, as a way to conduct information? The dissemination of not only ideas, but ideals, is perpetuated in part by news media. How many of us have tried to wean an unsavory relative off of Fox? I’ll do you one better: how many have made fun of and decried shock jock radio host Joe Rogan?

Information is passed through language, and the bias of those reporting it then infects the listener.

Pontypool doesn’t reflect on this enough in its runtime, and most of these musings are my own. derived from but not included in the movie itself. While it may touch on the fear of misinformation and the doubt that can come from being unable to witness things for yourself, I feel it could have been a bit more keyed-on, a bit more contemplative. Maybe even a bit more heated. There was very little passion. It runs around itself, in a way. Most of the movie is just the characters repeating the sentiment of not believing the things that are being related to them are happening, and then, once they’ve confirmed it, they can’t believe it.

Pontypool spent a good portion of its runtime with the characters asking if the situation was real. That can get tired very quickly, and it did. We know it’s happening because we’re watching a movie. Stringing a viewer along with character disbelief loses its efficacy pretty quickly. While character reaction may be understandable in a semi-realistic way, we aren’t watching the movie for realism. It’s performance. The characters need to move a bit faster, the actions need to be a bit bigger, the body has to react a bit stronger. It’s a horror movie. Pontypool just spent too long on disbelief, which caused a disconnect. It stated to feel winded, despite only being 6 minutes longer than my ideal horror movie runtime of 90 minutes.

I think they relied on all the weight to be carried by the concept, which I thought was so interesting. Unfortunately my interest ended up being only on the premise. Almost as if presented as a piece of news itself, Pontypool didn’t have much of a point of view. The script just didn't live up to the idea, and that drives me crazy. Mazzy’s a shock jock, but whether he was an asshole or a martyr is never really answered. What exactly was he fired for saying? We never find out. Why wasn’t there a brief comedy relief moment where he just devolves into speaking only in swear words? Of course, he doesn’t swear much because of the FTC but when they stop broadcasting? Or when he starts to lose his cool?

Sydney knows everyone in town and all their dirty laundry, is she maybe a little meaner than we had initially thought? Or actually, is there anything interesting about her? Because besides being the “mother” figure who admonishes Mazzy and scolds Laurel-Ann, there wasn’t a lot going on. Embarrassingly, her only defining trait is that she cares. That's just bad writing.

Laurel-Ann is a veteran, but why didn’t she have anything else to show for that other than the one line, “We have enemy combatants.” This last one really grinds my gears. The fact that she was a veteran went nowhere. No badass moment, no kicking zombie ass, no bodying them in defense. It’s a pandemic movie; there’s always an excuse to have your army brat character do some stunts. She was young too! She looked like she was in her 20s. Why was she dismissed at such a young age, or was she a reserve? Obviously she worked in army radio, but she looks fit enough. And if she did work in radio, why did they give her that army brat line and have her move like she was infantry? Or, if she didn’t have a reason to know hand-to-hand combat, why wasn’t there a little joke about that?

And Doctor Mendez. Why was he allowed to still be practicing despite writing phony prescriptions, a crime which could potentially prosecuted as a felony? Why does he still have a license? Sydney knew about it, but did no one tell the police? There's keeping personal matters private, but I don't think this one counts. And why, when they realize it’s the English language, do they not immediately switch to French? Why don’t they start to write notes sooner? For the number of times someone said they should stop talking, they sure kept on doing it.

I’m getting frustrated again just thinking about it! Questions like these are easy to answer with standard movie dialogue. Plot holes, failed potential, trip ups, whatever you want to call it, this movie had a ton of them. It’s also a high-stress environment. So why isn’t anyone having a real argument, whispered or otherwise? You’re telling me stuck for hours in the same room with the same people wouldn’t beget a real argument? Why is no one scared to the point of anger? Anger, confusion, fear, it just was so pale. And here I go again! I can feel my muscles tensing the more I mull it over.

Pontypool took itself so seriously the fun was just sucked right out of it. The devil is in the details and nothing is more irritating to me than tiny unanswered questions. You can leave your overarching explanations vague, have a weird ending, make it whatever you want in my opinion. But you better answer how the hell Dr. Mendez escaped his office when Ken Loney’s first report included a crowd gathering outside the building. I mean as far as the viewer is concerned, it was the first place. And the infected people are strong! The person who ended up getting Ken busted through a barn door! A movie shouldn't bring up questions like these unless it intends to answer. Where's the payoff? I want to grab this movie by the neck and shake it. I don’t even have the words. Like come on. Ugh! I’m getting heated, girl. (Or guy…or other…you get it.)

Honestly this whole review probably feels incredibly disconnected, but that’s the split for me about Pontypool. I adored the premise, spent time thinking after it ended about the world it created, the rules, how one might go about counter-acting it, what does the virus actually do to someone. But the movie itself? Completely wanting. Of anything. It’s just such a bummer because the idea, at least to me, is so cool.

Not particularly funny, scary, or contemplative, I have to go on what the movie presented, not just the concepts. I could see the good movie in there, but I didn't see it on screen. Look, I'm still thinking about it much after watching it which is only a good thing in terms of staying power. But we also remember bad movies and tend to think on those just as much as the good ones. Still, Pontypool is quite the popular movie and continues to be well received to this day. I'm definitely in the minority when it comes to my dislike, so don't shy away from giving it a watch. As of now (December 20) it's streaming on Shudder. As for me? Well...maybe the book is better. It usually is.

Split down the middle in a case of execution not living up to the concept, Pontypool (2008) slips by with a 2/5.

#spook study #pontypool #2008 #horror #film #movies #review #movie review #my writing #long posts about horror #2/5 #pontypool 2008

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signalwatch · 6 months

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Psycho (1960)

Watched: 10/26/2023

Format: Peacock

Viewing: 3rd or 4th

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

So, it's not really worth talking too deeply about Psycho (1960) here at Ye Olde Film Watch Journal. The movie is one of the most written about, discussed and analyzed flicks that one is likely to see. So I won't get into plot, analysis, etc... Y'all can chase that around on your own.

I hadn't personally seen it in probably two decades, so I decided to give it a whirl as part of our Halloween spooktacular cinema series.

Probably my foremost comment is that the movie actually lives up to the hype. Some movies do. Lawrence of Arabia. 2001. The Godfather Part II. I can go on listing great movies, but just assume I agree with you as you fill in your own blank here.

Maybe those movies show signs of age or that they were made in another time, but there's nothing about them that doesn't pull you in and hold you. And Psycho - minus the weirdo psychoanalysis at the conclusion - is kind of a perfect film. Every line has weight or double meaning, every shot provides you with information about the story and characters, and the sound and atmosphere are on point.

Hitchcock is known as the master of suspense, and from the moment Janet Leigh picks up the money, the movie never really lets up. That it breaks deeply ingrained narrative tradition and bumps her off - now one of the most famous scenes in cinema - is still a mental jolt. You're all in on Marion's flight and plight by the time she decides to get clean (itself a double meaning).

I can only imagine how audiences felt in 1960. You'll hear it pitched as the first 30 minutes - but the car sinks at about the 1 hour mark of a 110 minute film. To actually have a victim built up as a protagonist, it just naturally seems she should survive - something that Leigh's own daughter would perfect in Halloween. And the beautiful leads almost always survive in horror pictures - drop a comment to name a movie where one doesn't, prior to 1960.

It's also impossible to say enough about Anthony Perkins in the movie, who possibly did *too* good of a job and got himself planted in the world's consciousness as Norman Bates, no matter what other roles he took on. But, man, not a false note in the film, and putting in a performance utterly ahead of its time. This role is closer, timelinewise to Dracula by 30+ years than it is to today, 63 years on. Absolutely unreal. And if you were only partially there with Norman, the final moments of the film are one of the great selling points.

I've seen and enjoyed the direct sequel - but I'm not sure it ever should have had one. That final shot should have been the end capper.

I'm not clear on the production of the film. I know the studios didn't want to make it, and it seems like a good 1/3rd of movies that go on to be genre-busting classics come for very passionate filmmakers studio execs want to out guess. I know you wind up with some duds from letting name directors chase their bliss, but sometimes you wind up making one of the most important films of the century.

Psycho has its sequels, a TV show and it's been endlessly referenced, ripped-off, homaged, and a good chunk of films are now a xerox of a xerox of the original. And for good reason. A lot of horror would learn its tricks from the movie and how its framed, how Hitch used the stairs and sets and camera placement. Montage would tell us more than actually just showing the thing in the shower sequence. Reveals that show us things are endlessly more f'd up than we first expected when we find Mother in the cellar.

I don't know that simply dipping back into the well is able to recapture what's there. It's the Hitchcockian synergy of all the elements working together, and that's lightning in a bottle. That some can do this over and over is just amazing fortune for audiences.

If you listened to our Texas Chainsaw Massacre podcast, you'll be aware that I recently finally Googled the murders of real life psychopath Ed Gein, which partially inspired TCM, Psycho and portions of Silence of the Lambs. There's a whole lot to unpack there, and it's absolutely horrible, but turns out the author of the original book that Psycho is based on lived near Gein, so you can see how he'd have some inspiration.

I don't really have much to say on it, and I don't particularly think you'll sleep better actually reading up on Gein, so don't. But it's also fascinating that one guy seems to have spread his personal horrors out through so much culture and pop culture.

#psycho #1960s movies #alfred hitchcock #horror #janet leigh #anthony perkins

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somethinglikelife · 1 year

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Okay Sunday was the premier of Last of Us on HBO, I'm not going to spoil it. At least I'm going to try not to. I played the game and loved it. But really so many of my favorite games are now shows or movies, and they haven't been done any justice. So I'm hesitant on this one, waiting a few episodes to decide if it's yay or nay.

And don't worry I'm not going to turn into a review blog. Just thought that I would show a little inner geek. I am a sucker for certain game franchises and stand alone games, like Resident Evil, Last of Us, Uncharted, Bioshock, Final Fantasy, Silent Hill.... I know two of those aren't in the creepy factor (I need my unwind games okay!)

And yeah I like silly games like Chainsaw Lollipop and Little Big Planet as well, I mean really, one has a cheerleader who kills zombies with a chainsaw, the other has a small doll that you explore the world with. Both are completely different sides of the chaotic wheel.

Why I'm saying all this? Well my first game really was a DnD game. A littel world created by Margaret Wiess, Tracy Hickman and a few other brilliant people. I played DragonLance with it's awesome Kender, Wild Elves that were pretty much fairytail elves living in the woods, while higher elves had their cities. And well, Wizards of the Coast is eating crow at the moment, or is it Hasbro is? I mean really all because they weren't making as much money as they could off Dungeons and Dragons. I watched a lot of the story unfold on TikTok, because really, watching fellow geeks and nerds meltdown and give a call to action is fun.

The call to action? Well ending the subscription to DnD. I am pretty sure that's about when WotC and Hasbro went "oops we fucked up". Ya think? I mean you couldn't get that idea from the out cries from say.... how they butchered other 80's fan favorites.... (Yes Michael Bay I am glaring at you for the mess that you made of Transformers).

Though you would think that some would, ya know, learn the fanbase. I mean really, most of the games that I was in, we plotted to take out an evil entity, worked with complete strangers and well, if the DM lost the plot or control of the game, created chaos for the enemy. Which is why I have a level thirteen Wild Elven Ranger, who is dual classed as a thief and is picking up more Bard skills than I though she should ever have a right to. Though ya know when the party needs a distraction, she's willing to be said distraction, being quicker on her feet than our thief most of the time, and cursed with a high charisma (No I did not say it wrong).

Will I still play her? Hell yeah, will I play her in a WotC game? Not for a while. The whole ordeal, has left an angry bitter taste, and well, I do have her already slotted for round robin type games and I am planning on rerolling her stats once I find a replacement game system I like for her. I like my high fantasy, and hell at this point I'm half tempted to just slot her as a character in one of my writing projects. That way I can still play with Taleenya Greenleaf, without having to deal with all the ick.

She may have started from a one shot in a game based in Dragonlance (One of my favorite book series as well mind you. I still love my high fantasy), but that is the beauty of gaming with original characters, they can move, evolve and become something else. Will I ever try her in a space based game? Maybe if I find one that seems interesting enough. But for now, I'm okay with looking at her in my gaming binder, where she'll stay for just a bit until I feel that I can game again.

And where and what that game will look like? Is probably going to be a great adventure. Because really, isn't that what all us gamers really want? Just an adventure that lets us have a hobby that doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars and need specialized equipment? I mean really, the dice we use, have been used for centuries. And I have seen many people make their own, hell there's some I really want to buy myself. I really doubt we need to stick to 'official' materials.

After all DMs are story tellers, the monsters we can create as one, can be far more entertaining than what's in a book. Yeah it would take us a little more creativity, but isn't that why we picked up DnD to begin with? I know I for one picked it up to work on my story telling. It's why I've kept all my characters, Tal, Reiko, Maric and his brother Devon, even have a shape shifting fox, and a techy that all started out from table top games. I almost want to get the books for my techy's start and replay that for nostalgia's sake, I mean really had giant robots, aliens, different planets. She'd finally get her Cyclone.

And yeah I know finding the modules will be a chore, but I kinda lost a lot of my gaming stuff leaving Georgia. Though getting new modules, or even coming up and testing out a new system myself might be fun.... I already have so much on my plate though!!! Including a mad desire to introduce tabletop gaming in a very basic form to elderly in a home. Mostly because it would allow them to get in touch with a creative side I know for a fact most activities don't touch. And yeah that's something that I will be looking into trying to write a storyline for at some point. I almost want to try it at the very Sunday Book Club based home near me. I know that the faculty there would have a hissy fit because it's "devils' work", you know how many youth group pastors I follow on TikTok that play out games with their kids as a way of getting them involved with the material that the pastor of the church is teaching? Far more than I thought ever would be. And I for one totally love it. May those youth group leaders keep teaching those kids how to think outside the box!

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 3 years

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Hi Clan!

How are you?

I have a new request for you!

It's a Taki x Gender Neutral! Reader.

The plot is: Reader is doing evening hiking, like they always do, when they eventually hear noises in the woods, and that's Taki comes out, with her chainsaw.

Naturally, Reader is scared and runs away, with Taki chasing them. After a bit of running, Reader trips and sprains their ankle. Thinking they were done for, they close their eyes for their incoming doom... only to never come, as Taki pats their head, calming them down.

Taki explains they (I heard Taki can be both genders, so it's they then?) only wanted to talk to them, since it can be lonely where she lives. They grab them bridal style and lead them to where they live to ease their sprain, and it ends with Reader feeling relieved and happy to have a new very special friend.

What do you think of that? Wanna do it?

(Note: This will be the last FNF request I do for a while, and Taki will be referred as he/him and she/her)

..........

'Lesson learned...don't hike at night.' You thought to yourself as you ventured through the forest, trying to find your way back home. With the sun setting rather quickly you knew you were in a bit of trouble, considering how chilly it got.

And of course, hiking at night meant there were risks of serial killers being on the loose and-

Vrrrrrrr

You froze in your tracks, a twig snapping beneath your foot as you tried pinpointing where exactly that metallic sound originated from.

Why did the thought of serial killers even cross your mind?

Suddenly, the revving noise grew louder.

There was no doubt it was a chainsaw....and some manic had spotted you. In panic you immediately turned around and ran away, picking up the sound of distant laughter.

'How did they see me?! I couldn't even see them!!'

You kept running, not caring if you ended up further away from civilization. You'll find your way back in the morning, since you knew these woods fairly well.

But what you didn't know, however, was the presence of an overgrown root you were about to trip over.

Before you knew it, you fell to the ground, grunting in pain as you tried getting back up.

Your ankle hurt like hell.

"G-Goddamnit!!!" You cried out, only to freeze as the stranger caught up to you.

Now that you could see what they looked like, they were some gray-skinned person dressed as...a nun? They had large white eyes that didn't blink once.

In their hands was a rusty chainsaw, which they revved once again. With a soft giggle they raised it high above their head, staring down at you like you're their next victim, ready to paint the grass with your blood.

Considering tonight's events playing out like a classic horror movie...that seemed to be exactly the case.

You shut your eyes and waited for the inevitable...

But it never came.

You heard the sound of splitting wood and anxiously opened your eyes back up, seeing that the creepy nun sawed through the large root you tripped over.

"...huh?"

Looking up, you saw them smile at you as they held their chainsaw in one hand, bending down to pat your head with the other. "I helped."

".....y-yeah..you uh..sure did, thanks." You cleared your throat, trying to calm down when you realized they meant no harm. "Who are you?"

"Taki. I'm devoted to God."

"I can tell. But..does that devotion involve using a chainsaw to terrify people?"

Taki's smile fell as they stood upright, looking at their weapon for a moment, before shaking their head. "Not terrify. Only to meet God. But...I've always wanted a friend. I have none outside of town."

"So..by chasing after me you hoped to be my friend?"

"....I'm sorry, I'm not from this world." They apologized, guilt etched on their face. "I adopted many things here..like being a boy and a girl. I like both."

"Ah, you wanna be preferred as both then?"

A wordless nod followed.

"I see." You began to understand her better now. Although as you tried sitting up, the pain in your ankle reminded you how helpless you still were. You winced. "Damn..I sprained this pretty bad when I tripped..."

"Let me help."

To your surprise, Taki was able to pick you up after strapping the chainsaw to his back. Somehow you were as light as a feather to him, but then again she wasn't from Earth. So she might've had some enhanced alien strength.

He raced to somewhere within the woods at an inhuman speed. And you two ended up at some abandoned shack that resembled a church.

You noticed a hamster or two scuttling around in a makeshift cage, as well as a cabinet that seemed to be stashed with...Oreo packages?

Interesting.

Taki set you down on one of the cushioned pews, smiling still. "This is a house of healing..so I will heal you. Wait here." She set off to find some bandages, while you relaxed to the best of your ability, taking note of the candles and other holy décor scattered around.

Only a little while ago, you thought you were about to be a goner, just like the first clueless victim of a horror film.

But instead you found a friend.

#clanask #fnf x reader #friday night funkin x reader #fnf taki x reader #taki x reader

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ballorawan740 · 3 years

Text

SCP Scenarios: When their kids says their name for the first time (Part 2)

(I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in soooooooooooo long. I'll try and write up the requests in a couple weeks)

(C/N) = Child's Name

SCP 035 (Possessive Mask) 035 was playing with your child as they were giggling and mumbling something they've heard in the foundation. You were trying to rest your eyes from the long day you had until you hear 035's scream. You ran over to see him hugging (C/N) and asked what had happened. 035 explained what had happened and attempted to encourage (C/N) to say their name again. It happened to work because it's 035 and you were shocked. Later on, you tried to do the same thing and failed.

SCP 105 (Iris)

Iris was rather busy, so she welcomed you both and allowed the bed to absorb her when she came back. You left your child by the TV and went in to check on Iris who fell asleep to which she woke up to your footsteps. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you" your gentle voice spoke out when you saw her tired eyes. She quickly said it was fine and went out with you to which you both stood by the corner to watch (C/N) who was now looking at the nursery book the foundation staff made with their name attached on it. "(C/N)" your child suddenly spoke up which stunned you both. (C/N) then came crawling to you both when they saw you and greeted you both with a hug.

SCP 106 (Old Man)

This grandad was sleeping more than (C/N) and that was saying something. You said with your child, playing with some legos until you had to stop them from inhaling the small parts, resulting in them crying. This of course woke up 106 as he rushed over to see what was wrong. (C/N) ran to hug his leg as any child would when they were being scolded by their parents. 106 was the softer one in this relationship so he hushed the child who then giggled at his terrible job at comforting. 106 had allowed you to cool off for a bit to which (C/N) suddenly spoke out their name which surprised you all. (C/N) just giggled as 106 put him down and he began to play with the stuffed bear (No, not that stuffed bear).

SCP 096 (Shy Guy)

Since 096 can't exactly speak, you were the one who taught your child how to speak. Luckily for you though, not only were you one of the psychologists (who also happens to be trained personally by Dr Glass), you were also a linguistics professor and had a communications experience back when you were younger. 096 was just watching you both having fun and learning until (C/N) crawled to 096 to ask for a hug which he gladly gave. (C/N) pointed to you and said "Mama" then towards him and shouted "Papa". You both smiled until (C/N) pointed to themselves and said: "(C/N)" which made you smile even wider as you both were proud of the progress you've made.

Dr. Alto Clef

You and Clef were just watching (C/N) playing around with some Legos and fake foods and talking about what you both did to Bright's chainsaw until you both heard (C/N) babbling non-coherent words/sentences. You both went over and asked if they were alright until Clef arrived and picked up (C/N). Clef just played with (C/N) until they decided to vomit all over him, making you laugh. You helped them both get cleaned up until you both looked over and your child just spoke out "I'm (C/N)" before giggling away which shocked you both. Bright came in and was surprised as both you and Clef looked like you both had seen a ghost.

Dr. Benjamin Kondraki

Kondraki was just babysitting (C/N) as you rested your head against his shoulder. He hummed down as he watched (C/N) play quietly as he wrapped his arm around you and rested his head on top of yours. Not long later, you woke up from your little nap and noticed that Kondraki had (C/N) on the counter as he made food. You went in and noticed (C/N) giggling and talking to Kondraki to which he smiled and noticed you. You went over and went to make your drinks as (C/N) pointed at various objects and said what it was. (C/N) then pointed to themselves and said "(C/N)" which made you and Kondraki smile widely in awe as proud parents.

(Sources - Pics: SCP 035 | SCP 096 | SCP 105 | SCP 106 | Dr Clef | Dr Kondraki)

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