#basically my problems with this movie are to do with directing and editing

[wreckitremy]

i would like to hear. about ur special interest

Hmm, well currently I'd say selkies are my special interest bc right now I feel like pulling an um actually about them.

Selkies are an irish/scottish mythological creature.

They are seals that can take off their skin/pelts (usually referred to as coats in their mythology) to be a human.

They cannot return to the sea without their coat. If you catch a selkies coat, the mythology says that they will fall in love with you. But if they find their coat, they will leave and never return.

Most of their stories involve teaching people about not controlling people, and letting them be themselves.

My sources of selkie stories are

The Secret of Roan Inish (1994 movie based on the 1957 scottish book Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry)

The Song of the Sea (2014 movie by Cartoon Saloon, an Irish animation studio)

Tales of the seal people: Scottish Folk Tales edited by Duncan Willamson

Basically, there's not a lot of accessible info out there about them. But there has been some things in some modern stories trying to include selkies, that don't quite get the vibes of selkies right.

It's not that they are getting the mythology, wrong necessarily. It's about to equivalent the variety of changes werewolves and vampires have had, just on a much smaller scale. However they bug me so I'm gonna rant about why.

Selkie mermaids

As a hybrid, or a version of a mermaid with a seal tail instead of a fish tail. It's a cool concept, and not really bad on its own.

The problem is when people think that a selkie mermaid IS a selkie. The whole point of a selkie is being able to take off their coat and look human. Having the selkie be both human and seal at the same time changes what their purpose is.

Rules about when they can take off their coat, that are similar to Davy Jones in pirates of the Caribbean

Selkies are like fae in that they are unpredictable, but they do not have rules that strict. Selkies represent humanity's relationship to the sea. They are the tides, the waves, & the currents.

They have patterns, but if you try to rein them in, you will only have yourself to blame.

Also these kinds of stories make land seem more enticing by doing this, which is not really selkie vibes. They are curious about land and people, but about as much as a cat is, bc selkies are autistic coded (i wrote a whole post about that already actually).

Giving selkies with the Soulmate AU treatment

While selkies stories are about relationships, their stories are not about "finding the one".

Most of the stories, selkies are not looking for a relationship at all. Their stories tend to have the message of "if you love them, let them go". They kind of follow the plot of things like the song The Willow Maid (but instead of fading into a flower, they disappear into the sea)

Granted, Song of the Sea, does lean a bit in this direction, but it still has the vibe there, if you know to look for it. There is love there, but love is lost in many different ways due to the need for control. It's giving up that control that allows that love to not disappear into the sea completely.

Anyway that's my opinion on selkies. I've been obsessed with them since before I can remember, and I thought I had run out of things to say about them after my post about them being autistic coded, but omg this got long

#selkies #remy replies #selkie #april 2024

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 11/28/2023

tuesday again no problem will be taking a break for the 12/12 edition (not next week but the one after)

listening

previously featured Os Mutantes, a countercultural brazilian rock group, is back bc i heard A Minha Menha on an instagram reel by @/ vintagepulps on a showcase of brazilian pulp magazine covers.

the SECOND that driving riff hit i experienced a brief moment of fuckor bc this is exactly and precisely the kind of song i like. this translation tells me it translates to My Girl. it's got moon/sun imagery. it's exactly the kind of song to drive around to in the summer while having an absolutely crippling crush on the person in the passenger seat. spotify

-

reading

you wouldn't download a woman...

TWICE

-

watching

I'm No Angel (1933, dir. Ruggles) a 1936 black comedy written by Mae West and starring the babiest Cary Grant you've ever seen. i added it to my letterboxed bc i saw screenshots of this one specific dress. that’s so much sideboob. good for her.

we don't use the term "adventuress" anymore to describe a woman who does various physical or social stunts to land a husband and i think that's a shame. Tira (yes) is a burlesque dancer and (separately) a lion tamer at a down on its luck circus, becomes famous through putting her head in a lion's mouth, and leverages that fame to fall in and out and back into love.

your enjoyment of this movie will hinge on your tolerance for astrologers, circuses with animals in them, and depictions of black housemaids that have not aged super well, even if they're mostly there to stroke her ego. i'm sort of torn on what rating this would get today-- i'm assuming R bc there's a woman expressing desire but nothing actually happens beyond kissing and some sitting in laps. some peril for the lions i guess?

i do not think this particularly nailed its landing, and i'm not totally sure why they got back together, but mae west in straight up burlesque and the shimmiest dresses you've ever seen is so much fun to watch it doesn't really matter. this is sort of sidelining the her very funny, extremely quotable script. apparently any movie she wasn't allowed to write or heavily doctor her own lines just completely flopped, which i also think is very funny.

just straight up on the internet archive

-

playing

triple header for Things That Came Out This Decade: Genshin Impact (September 2020), Deliver Us Mars (2023) and Gamedec (2021).

brief Genshin update: your main companion in the game, Paimon, the little fairy bitch, has been the recipient of some worrying foreshadowing lately. hey Paimon you wanna tell us anything???

Deliver Us Mars, free on Epic this week. i want to like this game. i think there should be more weird little eurojank original scifi B-franchises like this and you should be able to feed your family by making them. i do not want to continue playing this particular little franchise.

it's the second game by KeokeN (The Netherlands) and published by Wired Productions (UK, although they are partnered with Koch, which means they’ll be bought up soon), a studio of under 20 counting support staff (some of who are certainly part time or on hourly contracts) and an intern. after doing that basic background research i ratcheted my expectations back a couple notches and deleted a somewhat catty paragraph about video game hair.

this is a sequel to Deliver Us The Moon, which was a successful Kickstarter and Steam greenlight (TM (C) R) and it seems they spent the four interval years mostly polishing up the predecessor Deliver Us The Moon, which i do not own and do not plan on playing.

Deliver Us Mars bills itself as an action-adventure, but during my time with it, it was more of a cinematic movie/walking sim with extremely light puzzle/platform mechanics. there are extensive childhood flashbacks following a dad around as he trains his daughter to be an astronaut. the timing and insertion of these never quite clicked for me-- they take forever and they were never as interesting as what they interrupted.

this game is not good at signposting or tutorializing. i had to restart a chapter twice bc the unique controls popped up for a brief fleeting moment on screen and weren’t in the keybinding settings. i could never quite get the mouse and keyboard camera sensitivity right, and platforming/vertical elements seem to only be partially implemented: you can only really successfully approach certain segments from extremely specific dead-on angles. there are like three big boxes in your path that you have to clamber over at one point and i do not think it should take a solid minute and a half for me to get over them. some reviewers praised the lack of signposting during the launch sequence (causing you to frantically look around at a million unlabeled buttons and levers to see if any of them were highlighted as a thing you can click) as a fun way to ramp up stress but i fucking hated it.

after two and a half hours, and only just making it to a ship OUTSIDE mars, i decided there are other games in the world. this hits some sort of minimal viable story benchmark for me, i can see why some people love it, but i don’t want to find out what happens bad enough to play through a slow game that handles terribly and isn’t much fun to exist in.

does get points for big fuckoff dishes.

Gamedec is an isometric RPG, where you are a near-future private investigator who handles delicate personal matters inside wildly popular MMORPG VR games. unfortunately all the trailers suck shit.

this is catnip to me. i love a no-combat game where i have to walk around and talk to everyone and click on everything and write things down in a little notebook. i loooooooove being nosy. i've played through the first two and a half chapters (kinky second life, racketeering farmville, and real life uh oh) and i'm having a fucking marvelous time. the writing team clearly had a lot of fun, the VR game worlds feel very alive and vibrant-- there's a ton of possible weird little flavor interactions that go a very long way toward making me forget this is a limited-perspective isometric. this is like praising an RPG for doing what it says on the tin and being an RPG, but the most recent RPGs ive played have been fucking terrible. it's not shoehorning me into one-true or main-path choices. extremely forgiving of failure, which is good bc i straight up accidentally killed my first client. i know he was a kid but he kinda had it coming imo. sometimes kids just suck shit

im so delighted by this shitty little apartment-- it's got to be fucking bizarre to exist in, bc of the ultra-loft ceilings you need to make it be isometric, but it somehow manages to feel like a studio apartment and a seedy back office all at the same time. a game that is in general very fun to Look at. will have more thoughts as i continue playing but this is really scratching some sort of itch for me. commits to the bit. funny but sincere. a pastiche in ways i personally do not find annoying. has not hit me with like konami code style references yet. due to the fact this is also in my epic games store library i believe this was also free at some point

-

making

fallow week for me. phil has been regrowing skin at a good clip and i can no longer feel each individual vertebra, AND we have another vet appt on friday to get more/different antibiotic goop and all of her vaccinations and microchipping done. mack made a hairball and is getting put back on an actual wire slicker brush grooming schedule. my beautiful girl seems to have a particularly dense coat among the domestic shorthairs of my acquaintance, although that may be bc she is a new england girlie and we constantly exist in air conditioning?? mixed feelings about scheduled brushies from her, even with short and light sessions. we’ll get there.

helping.

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem #phil

[dvar-trek]

January Romance

hello friends i have not slowed down, and perhaps i have maybe even sped up. in the. shotgunning queer romance novels department.

i am mostly on a hockey kick lately. i know nothing about hockey. i have probably watched a grand total of 5 minutes of hockey in my life. i do not care about any sports at all. but i figured that if i can get invested in a sports movie without caring about the sports part (such as Hoosiers (1986) or A League of Their Own (1992)), i could get invested in a sports romance novel without caring about the sports part. and i was correct. thank fuck, bc i think i've read all of the historical romances that there are.

nothing i read this month was like. perfect. it's very hard to measure up to my KJ Charles faves. but there was still some good shit!

the best of:

Hockey Ever After Series (Winging It, Scoring Position, and Unrivaled by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James- each book follows a different couple. the characters are so good and well fleshed-out, the team dynamics are fun, the plots are engaging, and the sex is hot. you really don't have to know anything about hockey (especially if you start with the 2022 edition of Winging It, which is definitely, definitely the correct choice), but also apparently their hockey shit is pretty accurate, which i always appreciate. overall, the complete package.

the rest of:

loved | liked | okay | didn't like

historical

 ●Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley (a duke falls in love with his valet who is also his best friend. couldn't finish it. i know KJ Charles has me spoiled for historical accuracy, but i yelled 'WHAT!!!' so many times at so many things that i finally gave up. also it's just not very good in any of the other respects.)  ●The Campion Square series by Adella J Harris (three romances taking place in the same little neighborhood. the series is essentially just sweet and sedate and wholesome, and there is nothing wrong with it, but it did not make me feel a single emotion. the definition of 'okay'.)     ○Mr. Wilkins and the Lodger     ○Mr. Montague and the Pineapple     ○Mr. Jenkins and the Necklace  ●Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton (simply not that good, and not even in a fun way.)  ●Mr Warren's Profession by Sebastian Nothwell (clueless son of a wealthy baronet falls for an impoverished clerk. it's nothing special and requires so very much suspension of disbelief that it stops being fun.)  ●One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny (it has its problems and isn't going to make the faves list, but is basically a lovely and heartfelt romance. two men who don't know each other's identities travel together through the winter. requires a normal-mid amount of suspension of disbelief.)

hockey

 ●Him series by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy (guy falls in love with his straight best friend in high school and cuts him out of his life. they reconnect 4 years later for one last summer together. i loved 90% of the first book, but did not love the direction the authors take things. this series is a genre-wide favorite for tons of people though.)     ○Him     ○Us     ○Epic (novella)  ●On The Brink by Kate Willoughby (there's nothing fun wrong with it. it's just not good.)  ●Puckboys by Eden Finley and Saxon James (these are fine for what they are--just enough plot for hockey boys to have a lot of sex and fall in love, in that order. there are a ton more of these but i had no desire to keep going.)     ○Egotistical Puckboy     ○Irresponsible Puckboy  ●Light Up the Lamp by Kit Oliver (i cried my fucking eyes out. and then i listened to a bunch of songs that i knew would make it hit harder and i cried some more. the writing is... not that bad but also not that good. the premise destroyed me. childhood best friends who fall in love and then life takes them in different directions and they fuck it up so stupidly because they are nineteen years old. and then they go through life with this. chasm. where the love used to be. and then 15 years later they are forced to work together and they decide they will simply never speak of it even though they never resolved any of their shit and it is breaking them open. if you read this book you are contractually obligated to talk to me about it thanks!)     ○Biscuit in the Basket (epilogue novella)

other

 ●Hard Feelings by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James (artist/graphic designer and software developer who can't stand each other are forced to work together, and they have a lot of hate sex about it. i do not think the authors know anything about design or coding. several parts of this book are cringe. it still had its moments that made my fucking chest hurt. possibly worth it just for that.)  ●The Rock Star's Guide to Getting Your Man by Ashlyn Kane (another one where a guy is in love with his straight childhood best friend. he goes back to his hometown 15 years later to hide from drama with his bandmates, and finds his former best friend still lives there. this one also made me cry, but mostly the dead dad parts. a little bit cheesy and awkward. some funny moments, and not, like, heavy, but also not exactly lighthearted. i appreciated the fact that most of the conflict was with the band and not with the love interest.)  ●The Inside Edge by Ashlyn Kane (tv cohosts who annoy each other and bicker on-screen -> casual sex -> fake dating -> real dating. just a delightful little bonbon of a romance. does go zero-to-i-love-you, which is a pet peeve, but you can't have everything in life.)  ●All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim (composer's dad asks him to come home and put on a charity performance, and to convince a former classmate, now a famous movie star, to perform in it. nice amount of focus on the asian family dynamics without being too heavy-handed. engaging story, and sweet, but clunky. it's a debut novel though, so i'm looking forward to seeing what else this author will put out in the future.)  ●Winter Ball by Amy Lane (i don't even know what to say about this book. i think it is from an alternate universe. the story and the dialogue both feel weirdly out of time, and the author uses phrases in the sex scenes that probably have never have never even been thought by another human. anyway it's about two best friends who discover their sexualities together, and decide to build a life together in spite of familial and societal disapproval.)  ●Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake (the third book in a series that unfortunately peaked at book 1. all of the things that were awkward about the first book have only become more pronounced as the series progresses. i gave this the old college try, but could not finish it.)  ●Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye (YA book wherein a popular boy agrees to pretend to date his gay classmate for a week. it is. not well-written, but it is basically a sweet story.)  ●The Best Men by Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely (this one just felt aggressively like a book by straight women for straight women. also they didn't do the anal research. also also they didn't research the jobs they gave their main characters.)  ●Top Secret by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen (what if you were a straight guy in college and you were anonymously sexting another guy to set up the threesome your girlfriend requested. and then it turned out you were really into him. and then it also turned out he was the guy in your frat house that you hate. would that be fucked up hot or what. i will not lie to you, this book is kind of cringe. like one of the main characters insists approximately 500 times that he's only sexually experimenting because he's a scientist and it's scientific. but it's still fun and i still enjoyed it. there's also a bonus epilogue available.)  ●Heels Over Head by Elyse Springer (incredibly repressed olympic diver falls for his new teammate. full of heartache and shitty families and tenderness and choosing joy.)

#romance roundup #in lieu of a #wip wednesday

[zalrb]

Scream VI Review (since anon asked)

OK. So, the thing about the original Scream movies is that the meta isn’t contained to a couple of info dump scenes where someone explains the rules of the movie they’re in and rattles on about the wider trends in media.

It’s inherent in the dialogue and in the choices the movies make. Billy is pressuring Sidney to have sex and says that they’re “edited for TV”

and uses film ratings to describe his frustration

then when Sidney decides to do something risque, we don’t see it because Scream is “editing their relationship for TV”

when they discuss who the killer could be, Tatum uses Basic Instinct as an example of how a woman can be a killer

it’s in the fabric of the movies.

this scene

is like any other scene in a horror movie, it doesn’t have the irony of a scene like this

because this scene is simultaneously making fun of and paying homage to horror movie tropes with the added layer of Jamie Kennedy going “Jamie watch out” when yelling at the TV because it’s Jamie Lee Curtis onscreen.

Having a shrine with evidence from the other movies in a movie theatre with dialogue like this

isn’t enough.

Playing Red Right Hand at the end when it played at the beginning of the first movie while the mask burns onscreen isn’t really much of anything, like I think the shot and the callback is great

especially because it’s as if Richie directed the movie of his sociopathic family dying at the hands of their victims who are the children of Billy, like I get all of that but it didn’t really stay with me because for the most part, Scream VI is a generic horror movie that isn’t funny, which is another problem. The original scream trilogy was also funny.

Like, if you’re talking about things are bigger in a franchise, in keeping with the spirit of Scream, that should be made fun of in this movie, where things get progressively more ridiculous and outrageous and bloody that I laugh out loud,

Because throughout the first three Screams (maybe even the fourth too) there were so many meta jokes that contributed to the irony and the breaking of the fourth wall. Besides Tori Spelling playing Sidney

after Sidney made a crack about it

while the clip of Stab makes fun of the choices made in the first Scream movie, thereby poking fun at Tori Spelling as well as at themselves

with LUKE WILSON playing Billy??

There are also things like, at the time, David Arquette (who plays Dewey) and Courtney Cox were together so having him say this line referencing David Schwimmer who is Courtney’s onscreen brother in Friends is like haha

The thesis of this installment is character assassination

and it’s done in such a generic way and it would’ve been more interesting to really lean into how serial killers are immortalized and glamorized in society and the victims have to fight to be heard but ANYWAY when Scream 2 wanted to make a commentary on being desensitized to real world violence because of film, and the way reality and fiction bleed together, it does it in a very ham-handed way but it’s outrageous and entertaining and still rooted in film

and the debate happens in the first 20 minutes

the debate about sequels doesn’t stay within the confines of the Scream/Stab universe

they actually pay homage to other movies as characters

and I think the fact that the Scream franchise was also a franchise in love with movies, which made it fun and witty and smart got lost when KW stopped writing for the movies, which is why I’m always “meh” about them now. Like the villains of this one are a family of serial killers and NO ONE is going to mention Texas Chainsaw Massacre??

Man, I miss my meta.

[fantasyinvader]

So, I finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird today. I'm Canadian and it wasn't part of my curriculum in school, but I picked up the movie a long time ago and decided to read the book first before watching it. You know, because the book is better nine times outta ten. But, in the back of my mind, the question of whether Atticus was actually a racist was on my mind.

People accusing Atticus Finch of secretly being a racist didn't just pop up with Go Set A Watchman, the rejected first draft that was reworked into Mockingbird. It's been around for a bit despite the book talking out against racism and instead wants everyone to get along. So, what was my final conclusion on this matter?

I do believe there is reason to believe Atticus is racist, but it might have been by accident. Part of the thrust of GSAW is an adult Scout returning home to discover this fact and having to reconcile that Atticus isn't the paragon of righteousness she thought he was. It would make sense for there to be little clues in the flashbacks to illustrate that Atticus was always like this and Scout was just seeing him through a child's eyes.

But at the same time, TKAM wants to make it very clear that Atticus isn't like most of the adults in Maycomb and he's more of an egalitarian. He even has his kids call him by his first name like he does to them, or why he doesn't like to use his natural talents in shooting because it makes him better than others. You could even argue it's why he's in the legal profession as he argues that the world outside isn't equal. Someone's always going to be more talented, or have an advantage, but in the courts everyone is supposed to be treated the same. So I think that's the intent of the reworked story, while stuff like him saying he's as radical as a major proponent of white supremacy at the time are details Harper Lee may have failed to edit out (and I don't take that as Atticus joking, as the man is against lying. He's willing to let it be known Jem killed Ewell so that people won't talk about it behind his back, And this would also put him in direct contrast to Ewell, who lied about his daughter's actions resulting in Tom Robinson's death).

My problem though is his attitude towards society. A white man who takes advantage of a black man is trash, says Atticus, but he never extends this to society. He knows there's injustice, but his reaction is basically don't shit where you eat. Don't confront others on their racism, instead try to be an example especially towards your children in order to incite change. This is contradicted, however, because of how he allows Aunt Alexandria to try and instill her beliefs into Scout. Beliefs that are racist and classist, about how she's better because of her breeding despite how the family's money has dried up. The hypocrisy of the ladies meeting where one woman sings the praises of a preacher looking out for people in Africa while treating black people in her vicinity with scorn. And then there's the fact he tells Scout he knows there will be a reckoning due to how African-Americans are treated, just he hopes it doesn't happen in her lifetime. That black people will still be mistreated until after his kids are dead. To see this attitude being championed, it did not sit well with me.

Maybe the movie will be easier to digest. At least it has Gregory Peck.

I keep thinking about how TKAM is supposed to be Superman's favorite book and movie, and I can see him aligning with the inspiration bit because that's kinda Supes' deal, but Superman also isn't afraid to confront injustice. He was introduced as a champion of the little guy, doing things like beating wife-beaters or forcing war profiteers to fight in the wars they start. Mild-mannered Clark Kent was writing fiery editorials to try and urge Americans to join the war against Hitler and was kicking Klan ass back in 1946 on the radio. I get using TKAM would be a standard answer for Superman considering it was revealed before this discussion became more common, but it's an aspect to his character I feel would warrant an update.

Not him being a massive Metallica fan though, that needs to stay until the end of time.

[nothoughtsjusthoffstrahm]

Hi, guys!!

I just wanted to apologize for not really replying to stuff these days, I had big mental health problems again. I just think I'm gonna take a longer break from social media up until I go through some stuff on therapy and get at least a bit better. But I wanted to let you know of that first, because I don't want you guys to think I abandoned this blog, because hey look I still do love Hoffstrahm and think about them 24/7!!!! Just ask my friends they can confirm!!!❗❗

Good news in all of this is I've been writing a lot, MUCH MORE of the Hoffstrahm fic than I even did before (which is honestly partially thanks to y'all, you have no idea how much your appreciation for my fic and your comments on it motivate me to write it further, I'm so excited for you to read everything that comes later!!!) which means I might finish the 6th chapter soon. That also means I think I'll edit and publish the 4th one much sooner than I thought ! (I know my writing process sounds kinda weird and chaotic, but it's just basically - I keep leaving a few chapters unpublished in case I decide to go in a slightly different direction in the next chapter, so that I can still change stuff, revise it, go through it again, check if everything clicks and makes sense plot-wise, relating to the movies, characters, everything really. I just want it to be as realistic, as Saw-movies-like as possible!)

I won't say when I'll publish the next chapter yet, but just keep an eye out for a post about it, that's all I can say! Again, thank you so much for all your sweet words and your appreciation when it comes to my fanfic, my posts, my headcanons and theories, my playlists, everything <333 You truly have no idea how much it all means to me.

Oh, there are a couple more things I do have planned for this blog once I'm back, one which I'm not gonna spoiler 🫢 and the other, I keep working on this Hoffstrahm fanart which I might post once I'm back, maybe not only that one, who knows 👀

I hope all of you are having a great day/night, sending you everything that is the best, huge hugs and as much time as possible for rewatching and analyzing Saw, hehe !!!

See you! <333

#personal #? #blog #saw #hoffstrahm #hoffstrahm fic

[deusvervemakesgames]

Project RBH Devlog 0001 – Finding Direction

There were some real-life complications that means this Devlog doesn’t have quite the progress that I would like, namely how long it took me to get feedback on my experiments. 70 mph windstorms can do that, apparently. The good news is that nobody was harmed, and damage was minimal.

To recap, I found three possible directions for Project RBH, and I promised to settle on one of them and write up a Game Design Document (GDD). And I have reached my conclusion from probably-not-extensive-enough playtesting.

Project RBH will involve the player starting out with a basic attack that they steadily upgrade over the course of a run, until by the end they are filling the screen with bullets like an angry god.

So the next step is writing out the GDD to make sure that the game actually reflects this idea.

I touched on it last time, but I feel like there’s more to say about GDDs and what makes them such useful tools for game design and development.

Conveniently, Game Maker’s Toolkit recently put out this video on means of analyzing games which ties directly into this subject.

The short version of this video is that a game’s systems and mechanics lead to dynamic interactions with the player(s), in turn coloring their emotional response. For example, a game where you have big guns and lots of bullets will probably make you feel like an unstoppable action movie hero, while a game with limited ammunition and powerful enemies will make you feel disempowered and cautious.

The GDD is a way for the development team and the designers to coordinate the systems and mechanics to steer the dynamics and achieve the desired emotional response. It’s an incredible tool for focusing design and development to a single, sharpened point. A way to ‘fail faster,’ so to speak.

Failing Faster refers to the practice of constant iteration as quickly as possible, in order to achieve more feedback and learn from the parts that don’t work. It’s the entire reason I threw together my current prototype even though I haven’t done my GDD yet. And yes, the GDD itself can be used to fail faster. Getting ideas out of your head and onto the page forces you to think of how to communicate those ideas, and gives you something tangible to show people and receive feedback on.

It's a way to prevent Perfect from being the enemy of Good.

But what’s included in a GDD? Yes. Yup, that too.

I’ve still got a template from my college professors while I was getting my degree in game design, and it includes:

The World,

Intended Audience,

Unique Selling Point

Multiple sections on plot and characters

Means of narrative progression

Locations, Layout, Maps

Intended Gameplay Experience

Enemies

Combat

Obstacles

Items and Equipment

User Interface

Art Style

Music and Sound

Among several other things.

As you can see, it’s a lot. Luckily, it’s divided into sections which makes it a heck of a lot easier to get through, especially because I don’t need to write an entire essay per section. The GDD is a living document, meant to be edited and updated throughout the lifespan of a project. I also won’t necessarily need every section.

This does, however, lead us to our next problem with the design. Story.

I’m the kind of person who really likes narrative in his games. Traditionally, Roguelike/lites are not known for being exactly narrative heavy. The cyclical nature of dying, restarting for zero, dying again, repeat, doesn’t always lend itself to storytelling.

Luckily this is a problem that has been solved multiple times. The recent Hades, for example, turns that very thing I listed as an obstacle to storytelling into a vehicle to drive the story forward. Heat Signature gives each of your playable characters a motivation; a specific goal they wish to achieve before dying or retiring, letting the player craft each character’s narrative through their successes and failures. Cult of the Lamb has a narrative explanation for your immortality and your runs with a plot that continues through the whole game, albeit a simple one. And, of course, the Mystery Dungeon games have been telling stories with roguelike elements for a long, long time.

The issue is not that it is impossible to tell a story in this kind of game. The problem is that calling my budget ‘shoestring’ is a gross exaggeration. Having a simple excuse plot like the one in Orbital Bullet would dramatically reduce the development time of Project RBH.

On the other hand, making this game the way I am is already enough of a pipe dream that it might be worth going all-in on it.

So that’s where things stand at the end of Week 1. Next week I’ll be checking in with the progress of my GDD, and deciding how and where to start actually making this thing.

Until next Devlog!

-DeusVerve

Special thanks to my Tier 3 Patron Haelerin!

Support me on Patreon

#devlog #indie dev #game development #indie game #game dev #video games #rbh

[queermediastudies]

Behind the Umbrellas: Marginality as Joyful Resistance

Final Queer Video

When we first talked about the video project, I thought of Parasol Patrol, a non-profit founded by Eli Bazan and Pasha Ripley in 2019. I wanted to show how Parasol Patrol creates a queer space in the midst of a visual culture filled with hate and violence aimed at LGBTQ children. The Barker and Scheele (2016) graphic novel informed my goals.

1. I wanted to show one type of queer activism (p. 51). As queer people of color, Eli and Pasha are uniquely able to address the threats facing queer children, including queer children of color.

2. Barker and Scheele describe “how queer theory has engaged with popular culture…” (p. 6) and given the increasingly violent actions directed at trans people and at drag events, I wanted to show how a local organization could resist the hate targeting LGBTQ folx.

3. Barker and Scheele say, “Queer activism is a form of sexuality/gender activism that opposes assimilationist agendas of trying to show how ‘normal’ LG(BT) people are. Instead it celebrates difference and diversity…” (p. 15). Pasha often says, “We’re here because of the hate groups. We’re not here for them.” Parasol Patrol carves out a space in the midst of violent hate that doesn’t try to change LGBTQIA children—it celebrates them. I wanted to show this joy.

4. Most importantly, I wanted to make queer media about queer people. So I focused on how Parasol Patrol creates space for youth to grow into powerful adults. Parasol is really about queer elders modeling community care for queer youth. This is our genealogy and I want to document it.

5. As a secondary goal, I wanted to create something Parasol Patrol can potentially use in its marketing because yay capitalism and the Nonprofit Industrial Complex.

I had good access to Eli, Pasha, and the rest of the Parasol Patrol regulars. I’ve been a Patroller since their 3rd month, so I knew getting footage and photos wouldn’t be a problem. I also felt pretty sure I could show the change in atmosphere when participants move from the hate group side of the venue to the protected queer-friendly side behind the umbrellas. I questioned how much of the hate I should show, and I’m still not sure I balanced that right.

I had some other problems. I’ve never made a movie, so in terms of technology, I started at zero. Mia provided some helpful guidance, and the links on the module helped with editing. I also tend to be pretty wordy (ha!) so my first proposal was enormous. I needed to cut the scope down.

I had some tech issues, all user error, but I finally got a first rough draft posted. Moss watched it before I submitted it to Canvas. Their feedback basically boiled down to “what does Parasol Patrol even do?” but said in a very nice way. I reworked the intro, but after submitting the 2nd version, I still needed to clarify some things, rethink some quotes, and work on my ever-lagging tech skills (note to self: film in landscape next time). This is when I added voice over, bullying my husband into being the narrator. He agreed because he’s scared of me I think.

Unique helped me figure out how to script something that made sense without having to redo the whole video. She answered tech questions. She also gave me snacks and tea, both of which gave me enough energy to work on the video when the cold hit.

I sent the 3rd draft to Mia, she gave more feedback, and I changed roughly 1/3 of the video. I also added some different images about recent events.

While the assignment was for a 5 minute video, mine goes over that. The credits begin at 5 minutes 25 seconds, so that’s where the for-a-grade project ends. But. Because I wanted Parasol to be able to use the video, and because I adore the owner of Second Star to the Right Bookstore (she always gives us food when we patrol there), I added a Marvel-Studios style post credit clip. Honestly, in my eyes, Eli and Pasha and the rest of the patrollers are superheroes, and Dea has been a long-time knowledge-keeper and child-protector, so it seems very apropos.

Bryn

#queermedia #queer media #lgbtq #youtube #queermediastudies #queer media studies #final video #ParasolPatrol #disarmhate #activism #drag queen #drag queen story time #all ages drag

[amyjsoba]

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

About every other week my friend comes over and watches a sci fi movie with me and my husband. We’re working through a huge list and have more or less gone in order of date made. This was the last movie of the 1980s, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

It’s been about fifteen years since I’ve watched this film, so it was interesting to go back and revisit with mainly one question on my mind: is this movie as bad as I remember? The short answer is no—and yes. 

Star Trek V opens with a fairly strong beginning. Jerry Goldsmith scores this movie, and I believe the opening to ST: V is the best version of what’s now known as the “TNG Theme.” It’s got the classic opening from the 60s tacked on at the beginning (which TNG also has) and just when the music is ramping up to the main fanfare, there’s a synth that mimics the sound of warp drive engaging.  I love this. You can listen to the track here if you like. 

I also love the idea that everyone is on shore leave and is hanging out with each other. Sulu and Chekov are on a hike, and Spock, Kirk, and Bones are camping. It’s some nice character interactions that are them being found family together.

The edition of Sybok is one of those, “okay, I guess they needed to shoehorn that Spock has a brother somehow” but I found the idea not completely distasteful.

Actually, our discussion of the film after it finished was just that—the idea of someone getting a weird vision from an entity and having to fly to the center of the galaxy feels like a plot point from TOS. It’s entirely within the realm of “things that happen in Star Trek”. And this aspect of the movie is what I found less distasteful than when I watched it 15 years ago. 

The problem with the film comes with almost everything else. My friend, LE, pointed out that this narrative would’ve been more compelling if someone on the crew received the vision to go to the center of the galaxy. But instead, we get a side character who seems like they’re going to be the villain, but then just sort of...isn’t? 

That’s the biggest issue of this movie. There’s no drive or urgency. The entire cast just stands around doing nothing for most of the film. They’re along for the ride. The Enterprise gets taken over and there is so little effort to get it back. Think about all the times the Enterprise gets taken over (it’s a lot). Westly puts in more effort to get the Enterprise back when everyone else is taken over by that pleasure game. 

Spock doesn’t kill his brother, but he doesn’t attempt to fight him, either. That seems OOC to me. I feel like Spock would’ve at least tried to do something. The rest of the crew is a bit brainwashed but this is also never reversed, or discussed much. Sybok says they’re not brainwashed but...come on. They’re brainwashed. 

I also like that bit where Kirk is basically like, “I DON’T NEED THERAPY I NEED MY PAIN” which is hilarious and made me laugh out loud, because of course that’s what Kirk would say. Manly space captain! 

The Klingon villain isn’t a villain (he just gets scolded by the old Klingon general) which is also funny but then it falls flat because again, there isn’t urgency or a sense of drive. The payoff isn’t as good as it could’ve been.

And then at the end, the Klingons, crew and everyone else are all drinking together which feels weird in the context of Star Trek VI. 

Shatner was given a chance to create the story and direct and this movie is what we got. It’s a good thing he was only given the reigns one time. 

For our next film, we move into the 90s with Total Recall (1990). Our last film was Predator (1989). 

#sci-fi movie watch #stark trek v #star trek the final frontier #star trek #star trek movie 5 #star trek tos #james t kirk #spock #science fiction #sci-fi writer

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2023

www.tumblr.com/theharpermovieblog

I watched Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny (2023)

Thank you James Mangold for doing what Steven Spielberg failed to do.

Indiana Jones finds himself chasing down the other half of an artifact created by Archimedes, believed to be able to time travel.

I'm a huge Indiana Jones fan since childhood. I'm also one of those annoying fans who will take any opportunity to talk about the sacrilege that was Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. So, rather than do the typical type of review I do, I'm going to basically just list what I don't like about this film and what I do like about it. But overall, I stand firmly in the camp that this 5th entry into the series is a solid film that does the series and character justice.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

First off it's a little too long. While I never found myself bored, at 2 and a half hours it could have lost maybe 15 minutes. But that's it. There wasn't much to cut, but a few things could have been tightened up.

Second, I'll always feel slightly uncomfortable with CGI in Indiana Jones movies, but that is just a very nerdy old-person reaction. Some of it just looks extra fakey. Plus, there are reasons I love the CGI as well, which I'll get to later.

Those are my biggest problems with the film. That's it. I know, you'd expect there to be a lot more, but no.

WHAT I LIKED:

First, James Mangold as a director knew exactly how to make an Indiana Jones movie. Certain aspects of the direction and editing, hit the right beats, tone and overall structure. This was, without a doubt, an Indiana Jones movie from top to bottom.

Second, The cast and characters were fantastic. From the old cast members to the new additions the whole thing works in a way that KOTCS couldn't pull off. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Milkkelsen are perfectly placed to hold up the story and are welcome additions.

Third, the story is fantastically told. The whole Dial Of Destiny thing is a fine artifact to chase, but more so the overall story and relationships work really well. Indy dealing with turmoil and family trauma is touched upon without interfering with the adventure or the action. It's all very organic. Also, the use of CGI and de-aging to help tell a decades long story really makes for a fully rounded adventure, which deals with an aging character. Sure the De-aging works better in certain shots than others, but to get a classic Indiana Jones opening with a young Harrison Ford fighting Nazis is more than worth a few rubbery moments.

Throughout, the film is action packed and paced beautifully.

Finally, let's talk about the elephant in the room. Can an action/adventure movie work with an 80 year old man as the hero? Overall, yes it can. Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character does come in to do some heavy lifting action, but she never takes over for Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones. He's running, jumping, driving, fighting, and using his head to solve the case, and it's believable and fun to watch him go. The adventure never slows down and therefore neither does Indy.

For a movie that I was so ready to dislike, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find a movie I'd be happy to own next to the original trilogy. I'll probably watch it again soon, just to treat my inner child who has been so beaten down by disappointment.

(And as an added bonus, the way they deal with KOTCS's Mutt character gives him both dignity and pleases the fans like me who hated him so very very much. Hard to do, but they pulled it off.)

#indiana jones

[r2tmit]

OISB Kamen Rider Franchise (pt 1 of ?)

I have been into Kamen Rider about since I found myself in college stumbling onto Den-O and Gekiranger at the same time and stuck very close to it ... uuuup until I tried to review it weekly on youtube.... Had tried to catch back up but, basically have been out of the loop since Reiwa era started... anyways, spoiler warnings for Ryuki, Ghost, and Zero One

I accept Precure Black as an honorary Kamen Rider, and anyone who has a problem with Precure anyone being included, or a woman can't be a Kamen Rider, you can talk to mister Black RX about that

I really... do not like Ryuki. I know it's a lotta people's fave, and it helped lead to Madoka and there are real good bits to it but I just... The first time the antagonist comes in to reset character development because characters were getting to friendly, to the ending that just, put a serial killer and arsonist back on the street I just did not like it.

Oh... I HATE Ghost. I don't think I'll ever hate a Kamen Rider series as much as I HATE Ghost. The writing bad enough that I can feel when different writers come on, or the lead disappears to work on the movie coming back only to introduce character details never a part of the story UNTIL they needed tie-in references to the movie. The editing even for a weekly low budget live action kid's show, glaringly obvious use of footed scrapped and redubbed over to give it the current story's context. The grating way that every time our hero died he came back stronger. How the first 'history fact' they introduce is literally wrong and it's documented Japanese history! How those two last points clash with the theme about 'the importance of inspiring people who light the future' as well as 'you only have one life to live'. The suits, due to having so much inner lighting going on just look bulky and the hoodies don't hide that. God and how they wrote the side characters- I need to move on, I literally spent over 40 minutes straight discussing my issues with Ghost before.

My favorite Kamen Riders, are not what I would recommend to people as their first, since Gaim, Faiz, and Fourze, are not structured written or directed like standard Kamen Riders and will not really help to familiarize people with the franchise

I am REALLY uncomfortable with the setting to 01. The 'happy to serve' slave android race, the main character being just an underdog president of a multi-billion dollar company going up against the evil rival who is evil because they are a multi-billion dollar company that is ALSO multi-national. The mangaka episodes x.x

Rider chip version of Kakusei is better than the base version, but the base version of Flashback is better than Rider Chip's

Full Force better than Lords of Speed

I'll never forgive parents groups for what Hibiki turned into at the halfway point

Folks keep swinging, and it's far from perfect, but Decade is still the best Kamen Rider anniversary series.

Toei are cowards for only putting up the first two episodes of near every Kamen Rider series on their global channel along with some rather low res versions of some movies and crossovers

Shout Factory, for the love of God, Buddha, and the Rider Kick, please work on expanding your Kamen Rider selection for streaming?!

#kamen rider #OISB #Opinions I Stand By

[wintanti]

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[forresthouse9]

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[simptasia]

Top 5 Cats the Musical moments AND Top 5 Cats the Musical Movie moments? 😂

oh bless you!!

tho i have to say i’m not nearly as familiar with cats as a stage musical as i am the movie. i’ve seen bits and pieces of the 98 version (i’ve seen misto’s, skimble’s and griz’s songs fully. and parts of the other songs, enough to know what they sound like. and like i watched somebody else watch the 98 version, which gave me the Gist but it’s not the same, obviously). meanwhile i’ve seen the 2019 version 3 times (been on painkillers every single time! not on purpose just amazing timing) AND i’ve watched all of the scenes over and over and analysed it to bits..... so mayhaps i’m a tad underqualified here

so i can give a top 5 for 2019 cats but i don’t feel secure in doing the same for the 98 version. BUT i will say this: all of misto’s song is amazing and “presto” hits harder than any drug. misto’s presto is deservedly iconic

okie this is gonna be hard for me. 98 the problem is i don’t have enough cuz i haven’t seen it properly. 2019 the problem is theres just too many

also i’d like to preface this by saying im at a point where i genuinely adore this movie (aware of the problems, certainly) and i can’t regard it as a bad movie anymore. last time i watched it, i was having the time of my fucking life

so the first half is misto’s song is cute and awkward (and its meant to be, i will defend this song, damn it. tho laurie cannot hold a note, aw honey...) but the second half? when the triumph kicks in? that is golden! golden i tells you! during which i am experiencing genuine euphoria. it’s all good, the whole song is good for me and i love misto so much. but like a moment during this that REALLY gets me tho is when old deut has come back and it cuts to misto looking so overjoyed and the music kicks the fuck in into triumph mode and that is the bit that makes me cry. like a laugh cry. it’s so good, so good. that shit is PEAK

i can’t pick a favourite part of skimbleshank’s song and nobody should. the entire thing is great and it pretty much plays continiously in my head. i dunno if 5 minutes counts as A Moment but fuck it all. he’s a cat that. cannot. be. ignored

griz’s song, memory, is of course amazing. i don’t even need to say that. but also like her “TOUCH ME” is so powerful it’s like all of my organs were being pulled towards the screen at once. thats the best way i can describe it. fuck me that hits like a motherfucker

okay i’ve made it abundantly clear that my love of robbie fairchild’s performance in this has evolved into uh, worshipful. love me a theatre bitch. chaotically sincere and sincerely chaotic. but i can’t just say “every moment with munkustrap” because thats so much of the movie! king!!! this movie rests upon this lovely stripy shoulders! and picking like BEST? for him?? impossible. but i will mention two scenes: the passionate and loving performance given during “old dueteromony”. the singing is beautiful and the aaaacting is lush. that bit when munku nuzzles old deut is A++++. mwah. and the other scene being his background acting during the ad-dressing of cats. the one where he’s emoting so fucking much in the background. and he’s doing that the whole movie actually but its more obvious there. i’ve been to that scene a lot and lemme tell you whatever frame you get of munku in that scene is fucking gold. special mention goes to what he does when old duet mentions the caviar. also i cannot stress enough that robbie does not blink!!! he’s a mad lad!!!!

i love all of jellicle songs for jellicle cats, great song, proper bop. and i dunno if this is my fave part but i think it deserves to be on here, i like when we get to the slow verse where its all like religious and stuff, they’re reaching up towards the everlasting cat as they sing and i think its beautiful. then these lyrics happen (and munku is guiding victoria thru these lyrics, which is nice) “feline, fearless, faithful to others that do...” and the macavity says “what”. and then suddenly the song goes back to really fast paced again. i dunno, i just love the way that part hits. i dunno if it should go in the top five, there are other moments i love more, a lot of them didn’t feel Big Enough. so they’re going in honorable mentions

i wanna give honorable mentions to

misto’s “romantical cats!” with his heart paws

“how will they be chosen?” “by singing the song of themselves, of course” i love that line because it perfectly expresses that this movie will express it’s concept entirely sincerely without a hint of irony. and i like that

every time misto and victoria nuzzle. oh and that heavy breathing held gaze tension moment they have after the bit with the dog [bleps]

misto and munku dosed on catnip cuz i’m a horny fuck, okay

munku and victoria’s lovely dance followed by misto suddenly yelling his own name and juggling. yeah that about sums it up

“macavityyyyyy [whoosh]”

the little chin hold munku gives misto. i’ve seen robbie do that in other things and it’s always towards a love interest. interesting

the jellicle ball. in general. but especially misto and victoria dancing together and munku and skimble dancing together. and all is right with the world

i really like beautiful ghosts (musically and character wise. the scene itself isn’t very interesting to look at but oh well) and i especially like “all that i wanted, was to be wanted”. like for me that informs a lot of victoria’s character. that stuck with me, i like it

munku’s tear during memory

“you... are the jellicle choice” and griz’s reaction. felt that

“up, up, up to the heavyside layer!” (with the bonus that misto is lighting the candles in time with the music, and thats satisfying as heck)

jennyanydots’ eye rolly joke during tugger’s song is worth it because of munkustrap’s reaction to it. his “oh you’re so bad!” laugh followed by looks that say “oh no, i shouldn’t laugh at that, i’m supposed to be sensible. hehe”. you can tell they’re good friends, it’s endearing

SKIMBLE AGGRESSIVELY TAP DANCING TOWARDS GROWLTIGER

i can’t pick a specific part of mungo and rumple’s song but i love victoria going into silly mode, and also just mungo and rumple’s Vibes, ya know. extra special mention to victoria and rumple’s obvious chemistry

fuck it, any time misto is a klutzy endearing (not so) little baby. OH WAIT i wanna point out how fucking proud of himself he is when he sings about his family repeatedly calling him in. that is the epitome of a cat, amazing

there’s more, there’s always more, but that’s currently... enough

i’m very into this movie, can you tell. like i’ll dunk on it, but i love it

it’s my special interest and i’m here to have a good time, babey

#cats 2019 was good actually #i have proof [holds up a piece of paper that says ''i love it''] #i happen to have amazing suspension of disbelief #and clearly im feeling this movie with my whole heart and puss #lady autism is a chaotic mistress #don't get me wrong theres a lot of mistakes and bad decisions made here #like certain casting and character decisions #and whoever edited this movie should be SHOT #basically my problems with this movie are to do with directing and editing #and i recognise the way they did the music was. like technically just wrong #im not equipped to explain it #but nonetheless i really enjoy the songs anyways #despite some off key notes and warped orchestration #basically fuck tom hooper #this movie is good to me because the actors and musicians and CGI artists doing their fucking BEST #and i just really enjoy it! #the first time i watched it was a little disorientating but i adapted #and well here we are #also fyi just because i didn't give a mention to a character or a song doesn't mean i don't like that character or song #for example tugger has grown on me. wish they didn't underplay him #the reformed ringwraith

[twistedtummies2]

Top 6 Portrayals of Willy Wonka

Happy Easter, everyone!

Easter, of course, isn’t all about candy and chocolates - whether you’re religious or not, it means so much more - but let’s face it, sugary sweetness is a BIG part of this or virtually any other holiday. And there are very specific colors and motifs associated with Easter that I tend to think of when I think of the holiday…and, incidentally, those colors and the idea of candy work as a perfect segue to one of my favorite stories: Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Arguably Dahl’s greatest work (and certainly his most popular), “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” tells the story of a young man who gets whisked away to a magical candy factory, run by the mysterious and eccentric Willy Wonka. Wonka, himself, is a big part of what makes this story so well-known and beloved: he’s an unusual, colorful character, and while he is actually not the main protagonist, he’s such a prominent figure in the story, in a lot of ways, that it’s understandable why some people know this story better as “Willy Wonka” than as Charlie’s tale. Wonka is a classic scene-stealer, as his mixture of zany shenanigans and dark undercurrents enrapture the readers…and he’s been doing the same onscreen and onstage for almost as long. Today, I’m going to be looking at my Top 6 Favorite Portrayals of Willy Wonka: they come from movies, TV, and even musical theatre, and they only scratch the surface! Each of them were interesting reworkings of the character, and I can think of no finer occasion to discuss them than now. So, grab some Wonka bars and join me for the ride…

6. Christopher Lloyd.

Yeah, I bet you didn’t know Lloyd played Wonka, did you? Now, to be fair, Lloyd only appeared as Wonka in the briefest of all roles: a phony trailer. In 2009, comedy website “Funny or Die” created a parody trailer for a horror film reimagining of the story entitled “Gobstopper,” and Lloyd was cast in the role of Wonka for the fake trailer. Honestly, while the Trailer is amusing in a darkly satirical sort of way (it’s intentionally meant to look like a commercial for a REALLY crummy slasher flick), I actually would have loved to see Lloyd play Wonka for real, be it in a horror film reimagining or even just the story, proper. I loved this piece of mad weirdness so much, I’ve actually been sitting on plans to write a story inspired by the fake trailer. Honestly, the simple fact this IS only a fake trailer is the ONLY reason Lloyd doesn’t make it into the top five: there’s just not a whole lot to go on. But it’s still worth mentioning, in my opinion, if only for the novelty of it.

5. Johnny Depp. Depp’s take on Wonka from Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is and I think always has been rather polarizing, and I’ve kind of gone on a roller coaster ride with his interpretation. When I was a kid, I really loved it; then later in life, I started to turn against the portrayal, as I saw more and more flaws. Nowadays…I’m sort of on the fence with it. I actually like a lot of what Depp does, as I think it creates a very unique but still interesting take on the character, and it’s one of the first performances of his I think of when I think of his name. HOWEVER, my main problem is that I think we know Wonka TOO WELL in this movie: he’s even more the main character than Charlie is, in this version, and I personally feel Wonka works best when he’s kept more in the shadows. Whether you like him or hate him in the part, I think everyone can agree he’s a one-of-a-kind portrayal.

4. Christian Borle.

The next three entries are all from the same basic source material: the stage musical adaptation of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” composed by Marc Shaiman and originally directed by the inimitable Sam Mendes. (Yes, James Bond fans, THAT Sam Mendes.) The show originally started on the West End in London, before moving to Broadway in 2017. Christian Borle was cast to play Wonka in the Broadway edition. The Broadway show…didn’t go so well, it actually closed in less than a year; a lot of changes were made to the show in its transition from the West End to New York, and almost none of them were for the better. In fact, Borle is a good example of some of those issues: I absolutely LOVE this actor, and when I found out he was playing Wonka, I thought it was perfect casting. And I was right! Borle is absolutely wonderful as Willy Wonka, mixing the right amount of whimsical panache and manic intensity with a slight edge…BUT, much like Johnny Depp, I feel like issues in the direction and writing lessened his effect, as we once again know Wonka a little too well, I think, as his motivations and goals are spelled out to us practically from the start. I know this is a classic story a lot of people will be aware of, but I always feel it’s a mistake to spell out what’s coming later in any story; it ruins the surprise for anyone who doesn’t know, or is waiting with rapt anticipation. Still, he did as good a job as he could manage, and I’d be remiss to leave him out of the running.

3. Douglas Hodge.

Hodge was the original West End Wonka, and really set the bar - and set it high - for future performers in the role for the stage show. His Wonka is particularly unhinged; with other takes on the character, there’s always this question on whether he’s truly mad, or just crazy like a fox. There’s no such question with Hodge: he’s absolutely insane, and that makes him one of the most unpredictable takes on the character to date. Despite his madness, however, and his dangerous edges, he’s still a fun and at times even caring individual; he has issues, but he’s not a monster or a fiend. He has a sort of rock-star-quality to his sense of showmanship and flair that you don’t find with any other take on the character, yet it works splendidly. He’s both one of the most demented and yet one of the most sympathetic versions of Willy Wonka you’ll ever find…and, unlike his Broadway counterpart of future years, he’s still kept a solid mystery all the way through. 

2. Alex Jennings.

Jennings was Hodge’s immediate successor in the part on the West End, and in my opinion, he is the only person following in Hodge’s footsteps to IMPROVE on the part. While Jennings admittedly doesn’t have AS strong a voice as Hodge, in the singing department, it’s still a good voice, and in many ways, I think he’s the Wonka closest to Dahl’s imagining in the original book, in a lot of ways. His quick, sharp movements, quirky attitudes, and constant shifts in attitude from a rodlike authoritarian figure to a childish, quick-witted clown really make him interesting to watch. There was actually a point in time where he was my favorite Wonka! I no longer think that, obviously, but he’s still a close second…and who takes number one should be no surprise…

1. Gene Wilder.

What makes Wilder’s Wonka so iconic and so great is that he does what all good actors do with material like this: he adheres to the source, but he also finds ways to make it his own. So much of what we know and love about Willy Wonka actually comes more from Wilder’s performance than from the book itself! Wilder felt that the character needed to be a constant question mark; “they’ll never know if I’m lying or telling the truth,” he said, and that was his “main motor” with the part. His Wonka could be absolutely terrifying at times, but he could also be riotously funny, and even caring, gentle, and comforting. You could never really be THAT frightened of him, no matter what happened, because he was just so likeable and strange. A chaotic character who was constantly in control. While it’s arguable if Wilder is the definitive Willy Wonka, he is certainly the gold standard by which all other portrayals are held, and the one most people tend to think of when the character is brought up, I feel. Therefore, he is more than deserving of being named My Favorite Willy Wonka. “There is no life I know to compare with Pure Imagination. Living there, you’ll be free…if you truly wish to be…”

#willy wonka #willy #wonka #charlie and the chocolate factory #willy wonka and the chocolate factory #roald dahl #easter special #list #countdown #favorites #best #actors #portrayals #top 5 #gene wilder #johnny depp #alex jennings #douglas hodge #christian borle #musicals #musical theatre #broadway #movies #films

[egcdeath]

aunt flo

summary: your monthly friend decides to visit you while staying over at steve’s.

word count: 1.5k

pairing: steve rogers x reader 

warnings: periods (so blood as well), awkward situations

a/n: this is definitely inspired by the *ahem* cycle that is currently plaguing me. it also hasn’t been thoroughly edited as this was the first time in a while that i’d written something, and i wanted to share it with you all as soon as possible! i hope you enjoy <3 

Sleeping over at Steve’s apartment was never a bad experience for you. He seemed to always be completely prepared for what the night would entail, whether it be a plethora of snacks, or your favorite scent of lotion.

However, when you woke up in what felt like a pool of your own blood, saying you were alarmed was a bit of an understatement. You mentally cursed at yourself for not realizing ahead of time that your cycle was set to start any time that week, and the fact that you’d bled all over your boyfriends sheets.

You attempted to slip out of Steve’s grasp and out of bed to assess the damage done in both your underwear, and on the bed. Once you were finally standing on the floor and gawking at the red spot in bed, you rubbed your forehead exasperatedly. While it wasn’t as bad as you’d expected, it certainly wasn’t good. The quarter sized blood stain seemed to be glaring back to you, and you decided to glare back at it before heading into the en-suite.

Before plopping yourself down on the toilet, you searched through cupboard upon cupboard for some sort of period product. Behind the mirror: aftershave, Advil, bandaids, a random bar of soap, nothing you could use. Under the sink: Epsom salt, your favorite body wash, an extra bottle of shampoo, but not a tampon in sight. Above the toilet: a few rolls of toilet paper, yet nothing even resembling a pad.

Seeing as Steve seemed pretty prepared for anything related to you, you were more than a bit surprised that he hadn’t considered that you were a menstruating human. You huffed as you sat down on the toilet, then assessed the damage control you’d need to do. First and foremost, you needed something to protect the rest of Steve’s apartment from your uterine lining. After you figured that out, you desperately needed to get that stain out of your boyfriend's sheets before he’d notice.

Maybe you could order some pads from a grocery store to his apartment. That seemed like a safe bet, but Steve would probably become concerned if he realized you’d been in the bathroom for 45 minutes. Perhaps you could just leave without a word to Steve. But that raises the issue of a random blood stain, and possibly, an upset Steve.

“Think, Y/N, think,” you muttered to yourself. You attempted to brainstorm more options for yourself, but ultimately ended up dozing off, and waking up to the soft rapping against the bathroom door, along with the sound of Steve’s voice.

“Sweetheart, everything okay in there? You’ve been in there for a while, and I saw some blood on the bed. Did you hurt yourself?”

You mentally cursed at yourself, at least now you’d only have to worry about obtaining a pad, and not addressing the mess on the bed.

“Oh yeah, I’m completely fine. Actually, I should probably head home,” you attempted to sound convincing, but didn’t exactly hit the mark.

“Are you sure? I thought we were gonna get brunch together this morning.”

You could’ve sworn you heard the frown in Steve’s voice. “Oh, uh, I’m not super hungry right now.”

“Okay, that’s fine. But about that blood, what happened? Are you alright?” He questioned.

“I’m fine, Steve.”

“Did the headboard scratch you? Did I sleep fight you or something? Did you hit your leg on the nightstand again?”

“Jesus Steve,” you scoffed a bit at the overload of questions. “I just started my period. And you have nothing I can use here, so I need to go home. That’s why there’s blood in your bed, and that’s why I’ve been in here all morning.”

“Doll, you should’ve told me! I’ll go get you something, okay?” He opened the door just a crack, and blew you a kiss. “Just stay right where you are. I’ll be back quicker than you can say period. There’s medicine behind the mirror, and I can grab you my heating pad before I go. Maybe taking a shower would help t-“

“Steve,” you giggled. “That’s plenty. Now go get my shit so I can stop bleeding all over the place.”

“Got it. I love you,” he smiled warmly at you before closing the door softly, and heading out.

—

Steve basically sprinted to his nearest convenience store, getting lost in the feminine hygiene section, then finding himself completely at loss with what he was supposed to buy. There were just too many options. He considered calling you to ask what you need, but he didn’t want to bother you more than necessary. Plus, you could be standing in the shower right now, and what if you heard your phone ringing, tried to get out of the shower to answer, and slipped? The thought of you hurting yourself made Steve shudder.

He ended up settling on three different varieties of pads and tampons. If you didn’t need them, he could always donate them to a local shelter. He then stopped by the candy aisle to grab you some dark chocolates (he’d heard in passing that it was good for menstruating women), along with a package of panties that looked like they could be your size, before hopping in line at a register.

In the midst of Steve’s menstruation mania, he failed to notice a random customer snapping a photo of him with the over abundance of women’s hygiene products. He was much more busy with checking out and getting back to you as fast as humanly possible.

——

Once Steve made it back to his apartment, he found you still in the bathroom, surrounded by a light mist of fog from the shower, and clad in an oversized sweatshirt with a faded SHIELD logo.

“I didn’t know what to get you, so I got you everything,” Steve blushed at his own unpreparedness, then passed you the bags of period products. “I’m gonna go change the sheets. When you’re ready, just meet me in bed, okay?” He pressed a soft kiss to your forehead before leaving the bathroom, letting you handle your business.

——

A breakfast-in-bed and movie marathon later, you were still cuddled up in Steve’s bed, his massive body giving you an extra level of warmth that was soothing your cramps like nothing you’d ever witnessed before. You were probably more comfortable than you’d ever been. Except for the incessant vibrating of your phone on the bedside table.

You’d finally reached out for it, and were pretty shocked to see all of the messages you’d received. You opened the first message from one of your closest friends, and your eyebrows raised as you read it.

LMAO read this right now bitch

enews.com/caps-pad-problem

Curiosity got the best of you, so you opened up the article.

#Padgate?

If you've been anywhere on the internet in the last few  hours, you’ve certainly seen the word “padgate” trending. The reason why is more interesting than you’d think.

Early this morning, Captain America, America’s sweetheart was spotted buying out the entirety of the feminine hygiene section of his local convenience store.

From this, a huge question rises. Is he donating? There’s certainly enough pads and tampons to keep an army of women satisfied for a year. Is he seeing someone? She must be some lucky gal.  Either way, when we thought this man couldn’t get any more lovable- he did!

You blushed while reading the article, not exactly sure how to feel. After letting it simmer in your brain for a second, you began to giggle, deciding that more than anything, it was pretty damn funny. You texted a quick message back to your friend who’d sent the article, then finally began to speak to Steve, who was giving you a bit of a confused look at your giggling.

“Steve, you goof. Someone took a picture of you buying all of that period stuff, and now the internet has gone wild.”

“What? Let me see,” he reached for your phone, and you gladly passed it to him. He skimmed over the article, then furrowed his brows. “Tony and the PR department are never going to let me live this down,” he groaned.

“Don’t be so dramatic, maybe something good will come out of this!” You chided, giving him a mischievous grin.

——

As it turns out, the word good is subjective.

It’d been about a month post-padgate, and you’d been strolling through the store with Steve, working on getting your groceries for the week.

As you entered the wellness aisle, you looked at the shelves containing menstrual products, knowing that you needed to restock sooner than later.

When you first saw what you saw, you had to do a complete double take. Your eyes must’ve been deceiving you.

A Tampax box stared back at you, a logo with a shield containing a star clearly defined on the box, along with the text ‘Captain America approved!’

“No way,” you actually laughed out loud at the sight. “Steve!” you grabbed onto his sleeve, and pulled him in the direction of the box so he could see what you were seeing.

“No way!” He reprised. “Oh my God. I’m really never gonna live this down, am I?”

#steve rogers x reader #steve x reader #steve rogers x you #captain america #captain america x you #avengers x reader #captain america x reader #chris evans x you #chris evans x reader #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #hey i wrote that lol