#anyway my feelings are Very mixed about daisy but overall i find her character very interesting

[bare1ythere]

Who’re your top five favorite TMA characters?

OHHH Thanks for asking!!

1. Martin! Mainly because of the sheer amount I project on him!! I thought he was fun and cute in S1 (and love(d) that he described himself as “not the smallest guy in the world”) and S2 but when he faced off against Elias in S3 I got REALLY attached. like FUCK, he CRIED. He only really became my favourite character in S4 where his whole arc with the Lonely really meant a lot to me and I related a lot to it. Now in S5 his personality is SO FUN and I love that he’s in every single episode. 

Fanon wise many folks draw him a lot like me (which is fun since I project on him enough as is) and make him trans and its all just SO GOOD and means So much to me. In conclusion Give this man a knife and set him in front of elias its what he deserves. I love him so much.

2. Jon! Jon is a really close second because he was my favourite character up until S4 (not his fault, my love for Martin just grew A LOT in s4). I actually really didn’t like him in s1 during my first listen until Episode 22 when he showed Some kindness to martin and I just went “OH SO HES SOFT BUT GUARDED!! I SEE”

I know im talking a lot so Im just gonna talk about highlights: S3 Jon is my absolute favourite. Knowing enough to be Really Scared but not knowing enough to be comfortable in that knowledge was a really fun time for him. He was traveling around and had softened significantly from s1 and s2, and also went through one of my absolute favourite tropes of “becoming the thing you’ve been fighting against.” S4 Jon makes my heart ache he deserved SO much better and S5 Jon makes me want to scream into a pillow because he’s the most openly happy he’s every been in the dang podcast but its all MELANCHOLY. I love every design for him, especially colourschemes folks use for his outfits. He’s very cool I love him

3. Helen!! I LOVED Michael (specifically his laugh) But Helen’s progression into being an avatar at the same time as Jon was SO interesting to me. I didn’t start to really love her until S5/late S4, though. She’s just SO chaotic neutral and Likes to Cause Problems on Purpose and ACTIVELY FOUND JON’S SMITING ENTERTAINING I GHDSKJFHDSSFD. Her whole vibe is very fun and funky and I love her a lot. The only thing that stopped me from liking her in S4 was her not helping Jon when he begged her in like MAG156 I think gdshjkfds but Thats mainly because when I first listening I was in Full Panic Mode for Jon and Martin

4. Daisy!! Okay well, I don’t like Daisy before s4. I actively Hated Daisy in S3, killing Mike Crew and then almost killing Jon. Being aggressive with the archival crew (minus elias because he deserved it) in MAG81 iirc. And you know, all of her Hunt Crimes. Daisy’s change post-buried though was very good. I loved the episode with her and Jon in the coffin a Lot. She became a lot sweeter and her willingness to starve to never give into the hunt again was very devastating, especially with Basira trying to convince her to lean into it again. She was also arguably the one who was the nicest to Jon in S4, though she wasn’t perfect. The reason she isn’t higher is because she’s a cop and that definitely stops me from enjoying her fully and without hesitation because Fuck That. I more enjoy her arc than her character as an entirety. Anyway I hope she turns out ok in the upcoming act though Im not very optimistic :c

5. Melanie!! Melanie’s first interaction with Jon in season 1 was VERY funny but her later character is very very good. During the small period of time in S3 after she got hired but before Elias confessed to murdering gertrude I loved her attitude about her job and her personality. Afterwords, It was fun to see her try to assassinate Elias and her part in the Slaughter in S4 both scared me and also was very interesting to listen to. I’m glad she got to leave the institute though and at least got a very short happy ending with georgie and the admiral and even maybe jon!! as a friend!!! She said he could be his friend!!!!! Im SOFT. I hope she’s okay right now and I can’t wait to hear from her again ówò

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Hezekiah Wakely because he might’ve been a one off character but he GOT IT and Jonah Magnus but more because of his fanon interpretation than anything we got in canon, so he didnt make the list ghdksjfds

#tma #asks #shut up me #GOD IM SORRY I RAMBLED #noticed i was talking a lot when typing jon's thing and went 'fuck' #anyway my feelings are Very mixed about daisy but overall i find her character very interesting #Anonymous

[ninasfireescape]

The ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ review no one asked for

I wanted to enjoy it. I really did.

I was one of the people who didn’t dislike The Last Jedi. Sure, I didn’t love it. When I watched it, I thought it was too long and had made certain characters choices I wasn’t too happy with, but overall it was enjoyable and left me feeling satisfied. It was not as good as The Force Awakens however and hearing JJ Abrams was returning, I thought he might be able to restore the final episode to its former glory.

That indeed seemed like the case for the first hour. The gang were back together, it was quick-paced, I had an emotional investment in what was going on (and it seemed like they were taking the Finnrey route I wanted them too). I couldn’t exactly follow every plot specific but does that really matter in Star Wars when it’s so exciting? The bit on Star Killer base was genuinely inspired, I was laughing away at once again what terrible shots the stormtroopers were and at Hux being the spy. Every scene with Lando in was gold.

It was just after they got to the water planet that things started to go wrong. I’m not sure quite what it was exactly that made it so disappointing from this point onwards. Perhaps the gang splitting up or the rather horrifically done Leia death scene. I know they didn’t really have much choice with what footage they had but having watched each member of the original trio died, this death was devoid of emotion and predictable. And she died to make Kylo Ren hesitate for one moment. What a waste!

Then the pointless force ghosts! Seeing Luke was nice but it felt like he was just there to add clunky explanation since the plot made so little sense at this point. And when Han appeared, I actually laughed. It was so inconsistent with the tone of the film and he appeared all while Kylo Ren was standing in the middle of a stormy sea that he could fall into at any moment, right in the most climactic section of the film, just to have a conversation with the son who killed him! It was the most outrageous example of a fan service cameo that just didn’t assimilate with the rest of the film.

I don’t actually have a problem with Rey Palpatine. If anything, I thought it was really cool she was a Palpatine. I really didn’t want her to be a Skywalker because I felt it would be predictable and repetitive. Her being a Palpatine also sends the message to young viewers that blood relations don’t make a family which I think is very important for children to hear. Honestly, the only problem I have with it is that it means some poor lady had sex with Palpatine. I agree that it was a ridiculous retcon of The Last Jedi but then I didn’t like the reveal about her parents in TLJ anyway because of how it was executed. Another thing that bothers me about it is the utter lack of information we get about Villanelle Rey’s mother. Already we don’t know much about her father other than that he’s Palpatine’s son but with her mother, we get nothing. With Rey having wondered about who her parents were for so long, surely it would make sense for her to want to know more about her mother and maybe even take her surname in place of ‘Palpatine’. I also firmly believe Rey’s mother should have been played by Hayley Atwell because she looks so much like Daisy Ridley. And while Jodie Comer is an amazing actress, I think 1. She deserves a bigger role in the Star Wars franchise and 2. Her casting as Rey’s mother exemplifies Hollywood’s fear of casting older actresses as mothers. A twenty six year old as a mother!?

About Zurii, I always appreciate new female characters in Star Wars and I thought she had a great design. However, it is blatantly clear what her purpose in the film was. It was to stop people calling Poe gay, inserting a female character for one scene (she barely spoke in her other scenes so I’m not counting those) with no backstory of her own, just to prove he is attracted to women. Well, first of all, he can be bi, secondly, that’s not going to stop people shipping Finnpoe at all. I didn’t clock until afterwards when I saw people talking about it online, but it was super problematic to make Poe a former drug dealer. Sure, the only Latino character in this trilogy. Also, it in general complicates the little we know about Poe’s backstory so far.

With Rose, all our worst fears were confirmed. She just wasn’t there. She appeared in a couple of scenes and had some lines but you’d think she was no more than another miscellaneous rebel, no more significant a role than Billie Lourd’s character. Did they really give into the white fanboy pressure? How could they erase Rose when she was such a good character? She was tough and fought strongly for her beliefs, but she was also compassionate, sensitive. Now, I never particularly shipped Finn and Rose in TLJ. I thought it seemed a bit of a rushed romance and Finn didn’t seem that invested in the kiss they shared. However, you can’t just pretend they didn’t kiss in the last film. They interacted a few times but there was no sense of any bond between them. Where there relationship stood was unclear. Were they now a couple or had they had an offscreen conversation where they decided they were better off as friends? Who knows?

And now onto the worst part of the film: Kylo Ren and more specifically that kiss. Gross. Okay, to be clear, I wasn’t entirely opposed to a redemption arc for Kylo Ren. Sure, it would be predictable, but it’s not like Kylo Ren’s crimes are any worse than those of Darth Vader and he was still capable of redemption. I liked Kylo Ren as a villain. He perfectly depicted that type of whiny, entitled white man who we see so commonly in real life, but again, he could have achieved some redemption if it were implemented correctly. What we got in the film was not this. He was still committing genocide at the start and carried out one good deed which was saving the woman he had a crush on. For this one good act, he was entirely forgiven and somehow all of the genocide wasn’t his fault. And he got rewarded with the woman! If anything, I’d call that act selfish since he only wanted to save the woman he liked. Adam Driver did the best he could with it but everything about it was awful. And it was out of character for Rey to kiss him and forgive him. She stabbed him little more than half an hour earlier! At the end of the last film, she slammed a door in his face. It makes no sense to me how she could suddenly be so invested in him becoming a better person. There’s also the fact that wasn’t included in the films that Rey and Kylo Ren are related (aunt and nephew to be exact). I wasn’t aware this was Game of Thrones! And according to Wookiepedia, Rey was 18 at the start of the films and is now 20 whereas Kylo Ren is now 30. A ten year age different would be fine if Rey were older but at this point, the age gap is uncomfortable and very borderline.

If they’re going to make the claim that it wasn’t actually Kylo Ren who was doing the evil deeds but some dark force corrupting him, they should have explained how the mechanism works. At least in the prequels, we got some sense of Anakin slowly being corrupted. To me, it reads like in some horror films when the abusive characters are found to have been possessed by demons or something. It trivializes abuse which is something very real, acting instead as if no abusers can actually be responsible for their actions and it is the cause of some supernatural force instead. I suppose the kiss doesn’t have to mean anything. After all, Leia and Luke kissed in the original trilogy and Finn and Rose kissed and apparently that meant nothing.

I firmly believe the series intended a Finn and Rey romance. Lest we forget The Force Awakens, Finn awkwardly asking Rey if she had a boyfriend. That was clear coding for him having a crush on her. In that film, the two developed such a strong bond, and they have so much more chemistry than Rey and Kylo Ren ever had. All the scenes with Rey and Finn (and Poe) were full of light and emotion. The scene at the end where the three of them hugged was honestly the high point of the film. Now, when I left the cinema, what was plaguing my mind the most was that throughout the film, Finn had a secret he wanted to tell Rey. It was first suggested when they thought they were going to die in the quicksand. “Wait, Rey, I never told you!” It had to be that he loved her. What else could it be? Supposedly, it was that he was force sensitive. I don’t believe that for one second. If he needed to tell her that, why couldn’t Poe be included? And why did he never get the chance to tell her? It was a build-up I got invested in with no payoff. It must have been that he loved her. So, if that was the case, that leaves us with two options. Either there was a Finnrey subplot that got cut but they forgot to cut these scenes out (or simply couldn’t be bothered to), or they thought it would be funny to have the black supposed male lead chasing after the white female lead who didn’t love him back because she was instead in love with the genocidal white villain. I ship Finnrey so much and find the second option so horrific but I wouldn’t put it past the writers. Finn played such a significant role in the first half of the film, as he should since he’s meant to be the male lead in the series, but after that, he was dangerously underutilized. At least the ending where no one ends up with each other is compliant with my headcanon that Rey, Finn and Poe (and I don’t mind Rose being in the mix too) all end up married to each other and adopt a bunch of porgs.

And lastly, the lesbian scene. Pathetic. We don’t know the character names and I can’t even find out who the actresses were that played them. Okay, they kissed which is a pretty big deal (even though kisses apparently mean nothing in Star Wars) and it’s certainly a step forward from the Avengers: Endgame ‘’’’representation’’’’, but it’s still rather useless considering the big deal JJ Abrams made about how there would be representation.

#alexia reviews #star wars #star wars spoilers #tros #tros spoilers #the rise of skywalker #the rise of skywalker spoilers #anti tros #anti reylo

[echoeternally]

Where would you place the cast of ENY in each Kingdom in MGR? (ex. 'Mario would be from the Grasslands')

This was a good ask!

Also, I delight in comparing or mixing stuff about my fanfics, so, that’s a lot of fun for me, ha!

Originally, I was going to do two versions, since MGR was specified and that mainly focuses on just two kingdoms (Grass Fields Kingdom and Iceberg Empire), but that would be boring, since it would basically be a mirrored take on the Mushroom Kingdom and the Koopa Kingdom.

(Like, everyone from Mushroom would end up in Grass Fields while everyone in Koopa would be in Iceberg, and that wouldn’t make as much sense and be pretty dull since it would be rather straightforward.)

So! I’ll take 20 some-odd characters and sort them through all 4 kingdoms!

Since that will be splitting characters up based more on personality and where they are best suited based on environment, not necessarily based on their respective kingdom, it’ll be more fun. And allows kingdom mixing!

It’ll be below the cut.

...

Grass Fields Kingdom

Mario

Luigi

Pauline

Yoshi

Toad

Toadette 

Toadsworth

Morton

Iceberg Empire

Peach

Rosalina

Larry

Ludwig

Merlow

Mountains Monarchy

Bowser

Junior

Daisy

Birdo

Wendy

Roy

Merlee

Merluvlee

Deserts Domain 

Kamek 

Lemmy

Iggy

Merlon

Merle

...

Not exactly an even split, but I tried to keep them fairly balanced between the two highest and two lowest. It was actually a lot of fun to see where they all ended up based on their personalities instead of their respective kingdoms!

I’ll include a few explanations below.

...

For the Grass Fields Kingdom, the general characteristic is that characters have some energy to them, but are comparatively plain and easygoing between the four kingdoms. Not everyone from here will be, as some can flare up a temper, and they can give off a rather mixed vibe. But, generally, they’re on the nicer side and try to come together. Some value traditional, if dated, mindsets. Others like to see growth and change. Overall, they seem well in intention, though they can get too concerned in personal matters and miss the greater scope, or sometimes even the opposite, view too great of a scope and miss what’s most important.

Mario very easily fits in here, as does Luigi, given that both brothers try their best to help keep their respective sides together. Pauline fits in well since she reflects a rather simple and relaxed nature that fits the environment. Morton, being the quietest yet most interested in keeping his siblings unified, makes more sense here than the other kingdoms. Given that Toads have a common person type of life, they more or less fit the general vibe to the kingdom, thus landing Toad and Toadette here easily. Though Toadsworth also embodies such traits, he could be on a more flexible side; however, he is ultimately cut from the same cloth as other Toads, and would make most sense here as well.

...

Regarding the Iceberg Empire, the citizens here have a harder time opening up to others around them. Life tends to be considered fleeting up in the northern harshness, so most tend to forgo being tethered by bonds. However, these are also the people that end up needing the most support, because though they won’t ever ask for it, they are in dire need of unity to prosper. They’re harder to handle than most, but they do have personality underneath, sometimes unexpected from what one would consider or imagine. On an individual basis, they have a mighty force of power that makes them the types to be reckoned with, should they be crossed. 

Given that description, it’s easy to imagine which characters go here from ENY, and that would be those who are strong, but cold. (Emotionally, anyway.) Peach fits this perfectly well, given her tougher personality in the fanfic. Rosalina falls neatly under here, on par with the seemingly quiet demeanor, but with a massive power lurking within. Ludwig and Larry also typically exude the rougher edges for the Koopalings, and fit in here best. Finally, Merlow embodies this kingdom better than any of his family, and definitely fits in with the rest.

...

With the Mountains Monarchy, they’re a tougher build by their physical basis. However, they’re also a very hearty bunch, enjoying various forms of expression, be it through song and music or combat and strategy. Performance is part of their way of life, and they thrive on arguably the liveliest energy between the four kingdoms. Because of the different environments within the mountains themselves, there’s a bit of diversity across the board. However, while one assumes them to be simply boisterous, they actually have quite the clever adaptability for various situations that arise. Though they try to bury them, folks here can be more emotional and quick-tempered when pushed.

I feel like the selection here is pretty obvious based on who ended up here, probably the most of the four kingdoms. Basically those with the biggest personalities. Bowser, Junior, Daisy, and Birdo most definitely belong among these ranks, as they all have such. Strong, emotional, tempers, and lively? Definitely fits them. Wendy also hits this rather nicely. While Roy could be argued into fitting elsewhere, he does like to carry this mindset as well, and so qualifies for it too. Merle’s daughters, Merlee and Merluvlee, definitely have their own traces that fit in here perfectly, and thus were included too. 

...

As for the Deserts Domain, they’re a bit harder to pin down. On the surface, they’re rather amiable, though are more reserved compared to either the Grass Fields Kingdom or the Mountains Monarchy. However, this doesn’t quite reflect their full build. Having grown within the face of adversity, those from this kingdom have fortitude that is much firmer than expected. They tend to keep themselves open and flexible for any scenarios that they come across. The citizens here are typically clever and know a lot more than they lead on about, though are more than happy to share when prompted. However, they have a mischievous side bubbling beneath, and do enjoy various types of fun when they find moments to do so. Though strong and cunning, they can get a bit carried away with themselves or in the moment.

Though I haven’t had much time to work with this kingdom yet, that is the vibe that I’m going for with them. On the clever and cunning side, a bit mysterious, and sometimes cheeky, but strong against adversity nevertheless. Kamek was the fastest selection that I made for this group, because that described him almost perfectly. Merlon and Merle fit into this as well, having faced adversity yet still coming out strong in the end. Also, both father and son can be on the cheekier side with their sense of humor. Iggy and Lemmy fit in here too; though perhaps not so mysterious, both are clever and mischievous, more so than their siblings, so they were nice fits for the bunch.

...

Aaaahhh, this was so much fun! I really enjoyed this one, so, thank you Anon!

#character comparison #eternally never yours #super mario bros #fanfics #crossover #ish #bluebells are forever #melting gelid roses #anon ask #askecho #four kingdoms #divided by personality #idk #lol #it was fun

[ellsey]

Agents of Shield Rewatch 1x08 The Well

Ok so apparently this actually was supposed to air before before The Hub? Honestly that makes sense. I always felt like this episode was a step backward in terms of character growth and story. Turns out it was just a step forward in the wrong place. I feel like there’s a life lesson there. Anyway, on with the ep.

Can Lil just come narrate my life? This opening is very soothing

But also I see you with your pseudo-movie footage

“You’re our little monkey” KEEP THE WORD MONKEY OUT OF YOUR FOUL MOUTH WARD

Jemma is avoiding her parents which...I kind of understand. But I’m glad that Fitz knows about this, so obviously she’s talking to him about it all.

Melinda May thinks Thor is dreamy. Thor wishes he could land a queen like Melinda May.

Jemma looks like she wants to be 1000 miles away from anything alien poor girl

I’m crying at the way the forest ranger guy says with great regret, “We should check that out.” You can almost hear the great mental sigh he’s giving there. 

When I find a stick in a tree I too want to make out

But it turns out it’s not actually a make out stick, it’s a rage stick

Ew Ward stop talking to her 

Seriously shut it

The way Jemma says, “With my doodads” is the best though

Look, if you’re going to go on a rampage, you should definitely go all-in and leave flaming messages in the street

Jemma and Fitz look disgusted by the word “magic” hahaha

The Beserker Staff- Well you can’t say the name isn’t descriptive 

And accurate

Ha Fitz cuts that professor off quickly when he compliments Jemma

“That’s your progress? People suck?” YOU WOULD KNOW WARD

So here’s our first hint that Ward has a complicated past but honestly I can’t really bring myself to care at this point

Ugh it hurts me to see the Bus Kids going out of their way to help Ward only to be treated that way by him. The funny thing is this is probably the closest to his actual personality that they’ve gotten to see. Clearly he goes for the lowest of blows with Fitz. Sigh.

This is like a weird tent revival for a very violent religious sect

I think Ward was actually telling the truth here. This just reads as him using the truth to get what he wants.

The professor is Asgardian- what a tweeeeeeeest

Jemma really likes dissections what a cutie

The Bus Kids watching this like a movie is also adorable

This professor was literally that gif of Schmidt yelling “YOUTHS”

“He’s not exactly acting like himself” EXCEPT HE IS

Honestly I think that Ward kind of liked having the staff. It sort of reinforced his rage and anger that’s already there and gave him an excuse to be a jerk to everyone else which is kind of his default anyway.

Melinda May on the other hand lives with this pain all the time, so for her this is nothing. 

Well, not nothing, but it’s bearable. Ish.

“You are easily the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in 1,000 years.” Now that’s a compliment. We didn’t get to see Fitz’s reaction, but I’m sure he was a little jealous but also definitely agreed with the sentiment.

Fitz and Jemma are just so supportive and cute with each other

Phil really likes to namedrop that he knows Thor, which, I mean, fair

I’m kind of a mixed mind here. I do think Ward was playing Daisy some by confiding in her, but I do think he genuinely (in his way) liked her. 

I’ve always kind of wondered about the May/Ward relationship. What was really the purpose of this. Just to see two damaged people together? So May would have more reason to hate him later? I don’t feel like just saying he was trying to deeply embed himself in with the team is enough. It’s never really made sense to me.

So overall we’ll give this 8 Thor’s Hammers out of 10 (this is the better of the Thor tie-in episodes I think), and a solid 9 out of 10 on the RAAAAAAAGGGEEEE scale.

Our song of the episode is “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis because basically everyone in this episode would be benefited by some mild sedation.

#aosrewatch #aosrewatchs1 #earth vs space #team earth aos #phil coulson #melinda may #daisy johnson #grant ward #fitzsimmons #leo fitz #jemma simmons #random Asgardian #just trying to have a good time

[jaskiersbard]

"Murder on the Orient Express" (2017) - Thoughts/Highlights

So, I’ve just come back from the cinema with my sister, where we watched the new “Murder on the Orient Express” film; it stars Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom Jr, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer and many others. I’m not a professional film critic by any means, so these are just my thoughts and highlights from the film in case anyone is interested.

WARNING: SPOILERS UNDERNEATH THE CUT

The film is amazing, holy shit, and I recommend that you all watch it! All of the cast are amazing in their roles, and there’s so much I want to talk about in this movie that I don’t even know where to start!

Firstly, I feel I should say that I haven’t read the book by Agatha Christie (yet – it’s now on my list) and I haven’t seen any of the other adaptations either: I wasn’t going in completely blind, however, as I had the film spoiled for me several months in advance by people on YouTube and then this weekend when I was working (an unfortunate consequence of working in a cinema).

I’m sure everyone knows this by now, but the passenger who is murdered is Johnny Depp’s character, Mr Ratchett/Casetti – so if you like Johnny Depp, watch the film. If you don’t like him, you can still watch the film.

There’s a moment where Willem Dafoe’s character complains of being seated with Dr. Arbuthnot (Leslie Odom Jr), who is black; Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley) tells him that it doesn’t matter about “mixing the races” to which he disagrees by saying “you wouldn’t mix your white wine and your red wine” while gesturing to her drink. She proceeds to tip her red wine into her white wine, drinks a sip, and says, “I do love a good Rosé” before walking away. FUCKING LEGEND. WHAT A FUCKING BOSS.

We all know Judi Dench is amazing anyway, but it’s worth saying again; she’s amazing as Princess Dragomiroff, funny at times and serious/heartfelt at others (if that makes sense)

Kenneth Branagh made a pretty good Poirot (and that moustache was hilarious)

All the cast is amazing, I could spend all day talking about each individual cast member but I’d be here forever and never get anything done frankly.

Maybe because I knew the twist, I could recognize the pieces coming together as the film went on: they established very quickly that Ratchett was actually Cassetti, a criminal who kidnapped and murdered a 3-year-old girl (more on that later), and how each of the other passengers were linked to him – which gave them all a motive for murder.

The story is that Ratchett/Cassetti kidnapped a 3-year-old girl, Daisy Armstrong, and killed her even though her parents paid the ransom. Because he had the right connections, he was able to get off lightly and escape justice; Daisy’s mother was pregnant and went into premature labor, and neither baby nor mother survived. Daisy’s father shot himself out of grief. All of the passengers are connected to the family in various ways; the most notable two being Mrs Hubbard (who is really Linda Arden), a retired actress who was Daisy’s grandmother/Sonia Armstrong’s mother, and Countess (H)Elena Andrenyi, who was Sonia’s sister/Daisy’s aunt.

(MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: All of them did it so there’s no one person who’s guilty. They all stabbed him once – with the exception of Countess Andrenyi, who would have been the obvious suspect and so the Count did it on her behalf – so that none of them could know who struck the final blow)

Honestly? There were a few moments where I was like “the fuck?”; Arbuthnot shooting Poirot and taking all of the blame, Count Andrenyi’s rather violent temper at the tiniest of things (even if he is overprotective of his wife), Poirot telling the suspects to shoot him to keep the truth hidden, Mrs Hubbard letting the doctor stab her in the back (I mean, wow, they’re so desperate to keep the truth hidden), but they were only brief moments that didn’t really detract from the film overall.

On a slightly different note, I’m really glad that Lucy Boynton – who plays Countess Andrenyi – is getting more roles, especially in a film like this; for those who are unfamiliar with her, she played Posy in Ballet Shoes (with Emma Watson). I just think it’s nice that she’s in a film like this with so many big-name actors/actresses.

Other aspects:

The costumes: the clothing worn by the characters in this film are period-accurate and gorgeous. I especially loved the outfits worn by the Countess, which were glamorous and bright.

Cinematography: I actually really liked the use of certain shots, such as the overheard one of the corridor when they find the body (the only disadvantage was that we couldn’t see the facial expressions of the people seeing the dead body, but oh well). The shots of the train travelling were also beautiful, especially the ones where there were snow and ice. In general, the way that this film is shot was amazing.

Soundtrack: Surprisingly, I wasn’t paying too much attention to the soundtrack – I think I was so engrossed in the film that I didn’t notice much else. The music that played when it flash-backed to the actual murder was hauntingly beautiful, however, and I found myself grow slightly teary-eyed.

The film used black-and-white to show when something was in the past, which was effective and clear; I also loved the look of black-and-white, it made it feel like an old movie – like a film from the period it’s set in, perhaps.

Sex/Gore/Violence/Profanity etc. content:

The film is a 12A in the U.K., which means that under 12s can watch if they’re with someone over the age of 18.

There’s not really any sex or nudity. The widow says she knows what it’s like to have a man in her bedroom, but it’s nothing explicit.

I can’t remember any profanity being used in the film.

Even though there’s a murder, there’s not a great deal of gore involved; you see the body of the victim afterwards, and he’s got blood on his pyjama shirt where he’s been stabbed, but they don’t show him being stabbed (you see the faces of the people later, but not the knife entering the body). Poirot gets shot in the arm at one point, and you see some blood but not a lot. Mrs Hubbard is stabbed in the back but non-fatally; you see the knife is covered in a bit of blood when the doctor pulls it out, but nothing too gory.

Moderate violence; you don’t see the knife enter the victim’s body, but you see the faces of the murderers as they do it. A few fist fights but again, not too violent. Poirot is shot but not fatally, and you don’t see the widow being stabbed – just afterwards.

*

Overall, I really enjoyed the film; it was extremely well-made, with high-quality performances, amazing cinematography, and I highly recommend it :D

#if the read more doesn't work i'm sorry #murder on the orient express #murder on the orient express spoilers #spoilers

[larksinging]

maria cd case packet: mix notes

MISSING LINK

notes about my song choices under the cut

first off: i like my mixes to have a sort of progression. often that’s a character arc progression, but in this mix i tried to move from most mainstream/relaxed to more dire and surreal sounding songs. a few more really experimental things could have helped this, but oh well

i. i love you - woodkid

“Whatever I feel for you / You only seem to care about you / Is there any chance you could see me too? / Cause I love you / Is there anything I could do / Just to get some attention from you?”

i picked this song as n expression of how desperate maria wants and needs james’ love and affection, and james’ overall lukewarm response to that. i can’t really say why i put this first, but i feel the melancholy desperation feel of the song sets a nice opening tone for the mix

ii. the wrong year - the decemberists

“Could be that he's into you / Could be that the obverse is true / And he wants you but you won't do / And it won't leave you alone [...]  The spirit's willin' / Flesh is getting bored / Speakers blaring out some long forgotten chord / Some misbegotten, long forgotten chord”

this one i picked because i feel it really hits the maria is inherently stuck in the wrong time and the wrong place, and how things were never really meant to work out for her and how frustrating that is. there’s more hints at the frustration of james’ lack of interest. also continuing the lovelorn sympathetic kind of song to establish in the beginning maria as a sympathetic, human character. 

also: i first considered “make you better” by the decemberists for its mood, but this had more fitting lyrics

iii. black sun - death cab for cutie

“There is an answer in a question/ And there is hope within despair / And there is beauty in a failure / And there are depths beyond compare [...] How could something so fair / Be so cruel” 

aaand here’s where i wanted to start throwing in the lowkey omnious mood of silent hill. after all, maria is technically designed as some sort of temptress (regardless of her own agency). anyway, here’s the “maria is pretty and all, but... what’s going on here” song. things are bad in the town of silent hill

iv. ampersand - amanda palmer

“Has any girl in history said / Sure, you seem so nice, let's get it on / Still, I always shock them when I answer / Hi, my name's Amanda [...]  But you've got the headstone all ready / All carved up and pretty / Your sick satisfaction / Those his and hers matching / The daisies all push up'n / Pairs to the horizons [...]  And I'm not gonna live my life on one side of an ampersand / And even if I went with you I'm not the girl you think I am [...]  I'm not the one that's crazy” 

okay there’s a lot going on here. first off, the sort of bizarre tone of things like the first set of lyrics above that i feel really show silent hill/born from a wish. the second section (daisies) is directed at james and his own issues and ideas which ultimately are projected onto and burden maria. so the last part is the pushback (”i’m not the girl you think i am” “i’m not the one who’s crazy”), and the anger at james for valuing maria only as far as she’s mary. anyway a disjointed chaotic song for a disjointed chaotic situation

i also considered “olly olly oxenfree” or even “trout heart replica” but the relationship troubles at the heart of this song won me over

v. atrophy - the antlers

“I’ve been repeating your speeches but the audience just doesn't follow / Because I'm leaving out words, punctuation and it sounds pretty hollow / I’ve been living in bed because now you tell me to sleep / In your dreams I'm a criminal, horrible, sleeping around / While you're awake, I'm impossible, constantly letting you down.”

how could i make a sh2 mix without including a song off of hospice? i mean REALLY. to be fair most of the songs are more of a james and mary vibe than maria, but i feel this can work. mary still lingers over it, but that kind of works for how mary lingers over maria. so that’s what this is - the shadow of mary over maria, and how james can never really be satisfied with her because of it

vi. bernadette (post romanian storm) - IAMX

“Winding down your emotions / Family and friends  / Becoming ghosts to dream of and pass on  / Time will erase every face every name / We are alone  /No-one to blame”

here’s where the mix starts to take a turn for the darker. i’d say this is maria as temptation, her existence as a means to try and guilt james. i felt it was important to include that because her existence as a temptress stereotype makes maria’s whole story all the much sadder. also, i chose this version because i felt the more subdued version made it feel more intimate and unsettling

vii. oleander - mother mother

“I make a mess and you'll be there to help me undress / I'll be unclean, I'll be obscene, you'll be the rest / And if you leave me, rest assured it would kill me”

i feel this is a bit of a retread of the theme brought up in “i love you”, but far more desperate and toxic. this helps continue the downward spiral of the mix overall. i think it also helps re-contextualize james and maria’s relationship as something deeply unhealthy, and maria’s desperate need for attention as destroying her. 

i also considered “love it dissipates” for this, but went with oleander for the toxic desperation it embodies. also, a poisonous flower seems appropriate. 

viii. closer - the tiny

“I met him when the sun was down / The bar was closed, we both have had no sleep / My face beneath the streetlamp, it reveals what it is / Lonely people seek / Closer, closer”

this one speaks more to the loneliness of silent hill, and the loneliness of maria’s existence. also the theme of “closer” - maria’s desperate need to be close to james.  this is also the first of the doppelganger songs. two songs i felt fit happened to have the same name, and i decided to use both because the whole thing about doubles and whatnot. 

ix. closer - paulina andreeva

“Let me feel no fear and anxiety / I’m not alone [...]  Even if you are my insanity / We’re not alone / We’re not alone / Closer /Closer / Closer / Closer to you”

okay. first off. do you know how hard it was to find a video of this? i didn’t want to use the video i found it off of but this video was literally the only other one of this edit of the song i could find. also i had to write these lyrics myself. fucking obscure russian songs

anyway. the second doppleganger song, and the continuation of the closer theme. this one the tone really speaks more than the lyrics. this captures not only the anxious dread of silent hill (”we’re not alone” could be seen as meaning the monsters), but also the way in which staying with james allows maria to not be alone. this is when the downward spiral kicks up a notch

x. reflektor - arcade fire

“Alone in the darkness / a darkness of white /  We fell in love / alone on a stage / in the reflective age [...]  We're so connected / but are we even friends? [...]  I thought I found a way to enter / it was just a reflector. (Just a reflector) / I thought I found the connector / it was just a reflector. (Just a reflector) [...]  Just a reflection of a reflection / of a reflection of a reflection of a reflection (ah!) / but I see you on the other side / We all got things to hide [...]  Thought you were praying to the resurrector / turns out it was just a reflector”

honestly, i could have quoted the whole song. i think if you had to pick one song to sum up all of sh2, it’s be this song. it captures the confusing, illusionary nature of silent hill, the mary/maria reflection, the feeling of lost love and false love, james’ desire to leave/find something/bring something back that is ultimately nothing but a reflection of himself. maria, after all, is just a reflctor.

xi. missing link - revoluation girl utena OST

“An unconnected me / Yet a connected power  / Oh illusions,  / Why am I  / Here right now? / I never wanted to be born / And yet I was  / My heart is just like / An object to be used /  To be born and die / To be born and vanish / To repeat this / How absurd! [...] Look, now the vanished me is living”

when the song the mix title is from is at the very bottom of one of my mixes, you know it’s a big deal. and it’s an RGU song. so [cracks knuckles] here we go. (i am using the translation from here. most other translations i’ve seen have been pretty similar, give or take a little.) the end of the downward spiral.

this song, i feel, is the ultimate expression of the despair of maria’s existence. to be born from a wish is a terrible fate. maria was only ever meant to be something to fulfill james’ wish and embody his guilt, and that’s what she’s stuck doing despite having her own existence and agency. a tragic fate. 

...but this song has a context, and that too works for maria. she is a bit of a rose bride figure, after all! she exists to embody the male gaze and is an idealized form of male sexual desires. her purpose is not her own, but tied to james. she is repeatedly brutalized for the sake of the male figure and exists only to bear his suffering and cause more. i’m not sure how much more rose bride-y you can get without getting impaled by a few hundred swords, but maria’s been imapled like 4 times so she’s getting there

xii. love psalm - silent hill 2 OST

[instrumental]

i wanted to end with something a little less, uh, existentially horrifying. it was only appropriate to use love psalm, which plays on the credits of born from a wish. more than anything, this is maria’s song, and it felt like ending it with someone that was uniquely hers would be nice. i consdered using the version of this from book of memories with lyrics, since some of them fit. check it: 

“To be forced to feel the hearts break / How much of this torture can I take? [...] If you could rewrite our life any way that you please / Would you tear out the pages of our memories? / Would you take back the pain and all the hurt we create? / Or could you be satisfied with the love that you've made with me?”

...but i felt the original instrumental version, the one actually from born from a wish, was more appropriate an ending. so there you go. 

extra: in addition to the substitutions from bands used i considered listed above, i also considered “careful you” by tv on the radio. i felt the sound of the song didn’t quite gel with the rest of the mix. 

#long post cw #ask to tag #silent hill #i should make a tag for maria