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jesse-eisenberg-interview · 1 year

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Jesse Eisenberg on the Gendered Double Standards That ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble’ Exposes

The star of the new FX adaptation also discusses why he feels embarrassed by the culture the show depicts and why he’s most comfortable playing the antihero.

NOVEMBER 16, 2022 9:30AM

Jesse Eisenberg is a bit embarrassed to be here. It’s not because of the quality of the project he’s promoting — new miniseries Fleishman Is in Trouble is based on the 2019 novel (of the same name) that was a New York Times best-seller, longlisted for the National Book Award, and landed on every major best of the year list; the FX adaptation also stars Lizzy Caplan and Claire Danes. Rather, it’s the sheer fact that he is on display as the face of this project, the subject of interest from other people. “I’m so embarrassed that I’m a public person in the first place,” he says. Also, there are themes in the drama series that are triggering for an actor inclined to humility.

The story follows a divorce between Toby (Eisenberg) and Rachel (Danes) Fleishman, narrated by Toby’s friend Libby (Caplan). Viewers are first shown all the ways in which the social-climbing, wealth-obsessed wife has antagonized the altruistic husband, before the other side of the argument — the side that isn’t always shown in pop culture — is revealed. It all takes place on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and while the gendered themes are universal, it particularly skewers the class consciousness of New Yorkers. (Jesse Eisenberg is a New Yorker).

“So much of this show feels embarrassingly specific to the culture I grew up with, all things I have shame around,” he says. “It can be a relief to play something familiar, but it’s also exposing the things I’ve hidden in my own life — and here I am on television feeling those things in front of everybody.”

Eisenberg spoke to THR over Zoom (from New York, of course, shortly before the show’s Tavern on the Green premiere party) about the onscreen exposure therapy and what Fleishman has to say about marriage.

How familiar with the book were you when you signed on?

I started reading the book because I had [read] so many interesting interviews with Taffy. The trick of the book is so satisfying. You’re involved in this man’s story, he’s this heroic, sympathetic guy, and then you realize that not only is this a one-sided perspective on a tragic marriage but also a long-standing trope in stories, that we feel bad for the man. We have different expectations for what a man should shoulder than what we think a woman should shoulder. And when it comes to issues around domestic challenges, family and marriage, we expect more from a woman.

What is your take on the character of Toby?

There’s a line at the end of the book, which I think is also in the series, that says, “Toby would come close to self-awareness and then run screaming from it.” My first reaction had been that the guy is completely self-aware, but I realized that he has a sense of righteousness that clouds him from being self-aware and seeing his own contributions to the fraught in his marriage. That was interesting to me, because I don’t think of myself that way. I think of myself as not only very self-critical, perhaps more than is healthy, but I blame myself first in a situation. And sorry, I don’t mean to tout my values, I just mean this is how my brain is wired. And Toby is not wired that way.

Were you still able to imagine yourself as him?

It’s a lot more comfortable for me to play the antihero than it is to play the charming guy. I just tend not to think of men in that way, as put-upon, I think of them as really in control. I don’t love the idea of male sympathy, which is one of the wonderful elements of the show: It makes the viewer complicit in that sympathy because you’re thinking God, this guy’s a victim. And then by the end you realize that’s just one version of this marriage. I felt it was easier for me to play the ending episodes of the show, which are more in line with the way I view complications in relationships: that there’s no saint.

Brodesser-Akner (also the series’ showrunner) is well known for her keen celebrity profiles of people like Bradley Cooper; did you feel like she was scoping you out?

I’m so glad I know Taffy through this experience, because there was a safe thing to talk about, which is the show. She did hit the thing right on the head for me, which is that I deflect from talking about myself by asking a lot of questions. She said if she was going to try to write a profile on me, it would be about the profile that I’m trying to do on her.

What did you think of the way the show depicts New York?

This show portrays what I call Zabar’s versus Sarabeth’s, which is fascinating to me. I’m sort of neither. I was born in Queens, and when I was 5 I moved out to New Jersey, so I’ve been on the outskirts of Manhattan culture. I’ve always had this fascination with very rich people, that they could live side by side with everyone else and have these extravagant lives. I suppose there’s a bit of cynicism because you think, “I’m an artist, I’m doing it the right way, and I hate that you have to be a billionaire to get a two-bedroom apartment now.” And all that is in the show. As my character says to his wife, “I’m a rich person everywhere in the world except the 40 square blocks you insist we live in.”

SOURCE

#2022 #jesse eisenberg #fleishman is in trouble

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insanityclause · 5 years

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Near the end of Betrayal—or near the beginning of the betrayal within Betrayal, since Harold Pinter’s 1978 play about a seven-year affair runs in reverse, from the infidelity’s aftermath to its inception—a soused would-be lover rattles on a bit.: “Look at the way you’re looking at me. I can’t wait for you, I’m bowled over, I’m totally knocked out, you dazzle me … My life is in your hands, that’s what you’re banishing me to, a state of catatonia, do you know the State of Catatonia? Do you? Do you? The state of … where the reigning prince is the prince of emptiness, the prince of absence, the prince of desolation. I love you.”

In the royal family of Western drama, Pinter himself might be exactly the figure his intoxicated, infatuated character describes. His laconic, subtly brutal plays—known for the loaded pauses that now bear the writer’s adjectivized name—float precariously on a dark reservoir of things unsaid. His characters are like those waterbugs who balance above the depths on the delicate force of surface tension. He is not a universal taste, and mediocre Pinter productions have their own particular kind of cringiness: They feel like acting exercises. Even in sure-footed ventures into the Pinterverse—such as Jamie Lloyd’s lean and sexy revival starring Tom Hiddleston, now visiting New York after its London premiere—there can be an element of technical gloss to contend with. You can feel, as I did, like you’re watching Good Actors Acting Well, which is a matter of intellect rather than emotion. Impressive and interesting, yes. Devastating? (Pause.) Well.

Lloyd’s production is cool, confident, and mercifully aware of Pinter’s sense of humor. Some of its strongest moments are its unsmiling jokes, which Lloyd’s actors attack like fencers, pricking without overextending. Hiddleston—with his fixed blue stare and his ability to lock his jaw into a mask of British propriety, unmistakably undergirded with menace—is particularly adept with the playwright’s distinctive rhythms, his smirks, evasions, and threats. A vapid conversation between Hiddleston’s character, Robert, and his best friend Jerry (Charlie Cox) about whether boy babies are “more anxious” than girl babies becomes a master class in hard-edged, straight-faced comedy. But then the whole play has that “master class” feel to it: As much as the phrase has become a critical cliché for a tour de force, it’s not the same thing as “masterpiece.” There’s expertise on display, but there’s an academic distance to it too.

Part of the distancing effect might be that Hiddleston undoubtedly outshines his fellow actors, who are solid (and equally great-looking — this is Pinter with highly paid personal trainers) but never quite as at home in the material. Cox comes close, and indeed, his role gives him less of an ability to stand still and shoot lasers from his eyes, as Robert gets to. He has to maneuver, stumble, and course-correct more, and he does so with a bemused, affable charm that belies a deeply selfish character. Part of Betrayal’s fascination is that Jerry, who’s been having a hidden affair with Robert’s wife Emma (Zawe Ashton) for seven years, is in fact the “Pinter” role. From 1962 to 1969, Pinter himself concealed from his wife an affair with the BBC presenter Joan Bakewell (for her highly compelling take on their now immortalized-if-somewhat-fictionalized infidelity, click here). It’s arguable, though, that for all the playwright’s own experience inside a dangerous liaison, his play belongs not to the betrayers but to the betrayed. At least in Lloyd’s production, Robert—his moment of awakening and his eventual hardening of himself as a result—is the heart of the show.

It’s structural—the torturous scene in which Emma admits the affair to Robert sits smack-dab in the middle of the play—but it’s also a matter of actor and director inclination. As Robert slowly learns the truth about Jerry and Emma, Hiddleston sits stone still and silently weeps until the snot hangs in ropes from his nose. There were quiet gasps in my audience when it started to drip, unheeded by this broken man in his moment of crisis. “Ah. Yes. I thought it might be something like that, something along those lines,” says Robert, with extreme Britishness, when Emma confesses — but there’s so much raw emotion pulsing underneath Hiddleston’s performance, and overflowing its container in this one pivotal scene, that the character can’t help but become the play’s tragic center. The way Hiddleston plays Robert, it’s difficult to believe it when Emma tells Jerry, “You know what I found out… last night? He’s betrayed me for years. He’s had… other women for years.”

Despite the real power of Hiddleston’s performance, that empathy gap strikes me as a flaw. We can’t quite take Emma at her word (we’ve also heard her lie on other important matters), and so the scales of Lloyd’s play end up tipped rather than balanced. It seems to be a play about a victim and two perpetrators — but I think it’s a play about three people, all of whom we should empathize with, all of whom we should mistrust, all of whom are capable of great selfishness. Ashton has the hardest job: Emma’s got that sense of mystery about her that sometimes happens when men, even very talented men, write women. The scenes between Robert and Jerry, though often tense and terse, feel lived, red-blooded, affectionate. Emma often seems ethereal — her motivations and actual desires somehow far away. (For a real bust-up of that trope, get into Bakewell’s essay — there’s no mystery woman there; instead there’s a super-smart Cambridge grad who was expected to become a housewife and mother at 25.) The character is already the most opaque in the play, and Ashton’s performance doesn’t do much to elucidate her. Tall and willowy, with bare feet and a dancer’s limbs, she tucks her hair behind her ears, tilts her head and half smiles. It’s clear she likes Jerry’s attention, but it’s not clear where her own deep hungers lie. Lloyd has her leaning into the enigmatic aura Pinter gave Emma, and it renders Ashton less visceral and—and this is the real problem—less sympathetic than her male counterparts.

Still, Lloyd’s stripped-to-the-bone approach to the play’s environment lets the text breathe and stretch. We can really hear Pinter’s words pinging off the big blank wall of Soutra Gilmour’s set, with its neutral palette and vast, clean emptiness that put us in mind of the art gallery where Emma works. In this white box, the three actors move like dark ghosts, memories of themselves with all the clutter stripped away. They turn slowly on a big revolve, and, crucially, Lloyd keeps all three present throughout, so that the shadow presence of the third always influences scenes between the other two. The staging restores some of the balance that’s lost in the performances. It brings back the sense that any affair, especially one that involves friends, is in fact a triangle, and that out at the corners of such a hard, angular form, even in our desperate flight from loneliness, we’re more isolated than ever.

Betrayal is at the Jacobs Theatre.

#theater #review #theater review #betrayal #harold pinter

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cuthie · 4 years

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Omru: Mushy Talk

Pandaria.

Omru had never been to the island of Pandaria before his invitation to the Soju Slam. There was a currency prize for the winner of the drinking competition, as well as some neat raffle prizes. There he had bartered with some pleasant vendors, and had met some of the Alliance races he had yet to see with his own eyes. Worgen, Humans, Void Elves and even a gnome! It had been unfortunate that he misunderstood the rules of the game, however. Om had been under the impression that this would be a test of constitution. Who could drink the nastiest most vile liquid without throwing up? Living in the wastelands of Vol’dun, Om did not have sensitive taste buds. He had been confident entering his drinking bracket, but uh…

He wasn’t the first to fall down drunk, but he had lost his lunch. Twice. Still, the experience had been worth it. He had met so many people, heard so many stories, and was eager to explore more of the peaceful paradise the bear folks called home. Just, not that night. No, he had to sleep off the booze, first.

Morning came and he had the biggest headache he had ever experienced. He felt like shit. Usually he was fine camping, that was his preference. He could pack and unpack all his stuff in minutes, not hours. It was his nomadic way of life, laying his head down wherever he felt like it. That day, he instead checked into a Pandaren inn. His sympathetic hosts had given him herbs and some kind of tea to help in his recovery, but he wasn’t feeling up to his usual self until much later on in the evening.

As the stars began to emerge, Om slowly stepped out of the small wooden building in a set of plated armor. In his mind he had expected that he might fall over or walk slowly, as if in a bog. In reality, the heavy armor wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. He could feel the added weight on his shoulders and pushing down his paws with each step, but with that came power and a level of security. Omru had been training with monks and soldiers, tauren and orcs alike for months and months before joining the Horde officially. After that he had joined the Sons of Varok in battling minions of the Void. Luft, his best friend, had been the first to take notice of his changing physique. Most Vulpera were scrawny scrappers, light on their feet, but not capable of taking a hit. Omru had been beaten senseless in sparring sessions and battles alike. All the training and ass kickings as well as a steady supply of nutritional food had given him a strength he hadn’t ever known. To borrow a sin’dorei term, he was kind of ripped.

‘And watch what happens when I assist. Try it now.’

The beautiful soft voice of the formless elemental had been a whisper in his large fluffy ears. “Alright, here we go.” Grinning, Omru rushed ahead through a darkening meadow of foreign flowers and the scent of, what was that, honey? Again, he had expected to fall flat on his face, but he was moving so fast, it almost felt like it was nothing at all.

‘See? When we work together, it’s much easier.’

Omru leapt into the air, a gust of wind lifting his body ten feet off the ground before his black furred paws returned to the grass. This whole thing had been her idea, of course, Luft’s. Omru had taken more than his fair share of hits in the Son’s Northrend battles. He needed better protection, and more importantly, he couldn’t rely on the shadow techniques he had learned from ancient Tortollan scrolls years ago. Stealth and teleportation had become instinctual to the fox. He could just concentrate and poof into nothing. It had saved his bacon more than a few times, but when N'zoth's visions had drawn his group of friends and allies into the shadows? It had done nothing but hurt him. He could hear a deep voice calling to him, and worse, he wanted to follow it. Shifting into the shadows was no longer a liberating trick. It had tugged on something within him, convincing him that there was no hope. For a moment he could only feel despair, until the Sons of Varok had snapped him out of it.

Ever since then, his abilities had become unreliable. They took more concentration, and worse, seemed to tax his body and mind afterwards. It wasn’t worth it. Some people could handle the Void with expertise. Some could use a little tricky shadow magic here and there and get away with it. Whatever had happened in those visions had left a lasting mark on him, and for better or worse, he was now hanging it up.

Instead he was going to focus on what he could control. Similar to the monks and warriors of the Horde, he would continue to train, weaponizing his body and mind to compensate for his loss of ‘tricks’. Besides, he still had a full backpack filled with helpful elixirs, potions, explosives and enchanted doodads. And now this armor? He was surprised at how natural it felt, and how proud he was. He felt like a little Hukaga in a way. Hukaga was the leader of the Sons. A mountain of a Tauren in full plated Horde warrior’s armor. Omru had watched him cleave Nerubians, Void monstrosities and spectral wolves alike with fierce swings of his mighty axe. Om would never be that tall, that large, that strong, but that didn’t mean he had to be weak. His time amongst the larger races had proven nothing but beneficial, and with Luft’s elemental magicks assisting him, there was no telling what the future Omru would be capable of.

As the sun dipped down below the horizon, Omru ran and leapt through the grass. Long furry black tail swishing behind him, he was imagining himself clobbering his enemies left and right. Like Hukaga, like Kee, like Loh.

‘You’re already pretty great, you know.’

Omru allowed himself to fall backwards, knowing Luft would catch him before he hit the ground, regardless of the added weight. Softly his body was lowered into the Pandarian grass, his bright orange eyes darting from star to star in the sky. “Thanks. You’re pretty great too. You know?”

‘I-’

Luft flew up into the sky, only a minor distortion in Om’s vision before becoming completely invisible. There was no looking at Luft, usually. Only feeling her presence and hearing her words. ‘I didn’t think I would feel this way about a mortal again. Well, not again. You’re different.’

Omru stuck out his tongue, “Well, thanks for that. Different, not funny or charming?”

‘Oh you’re definitely both of those at times. Also corny and hopeless with maps. For someone who travels a lot, you’ve got us lost more times than I can count.’

“Tell me more about how great I am, please continue.”

There was a small pause in movement and sound. A full minute of silence, in which Omru’s gut twisted. Had she left? She hadn’t left his side since Winterspring. “Luft?”

‘I’m here. Just thinking on my words.’

“No need to do that around me. Let’er rip!”

‘Okay. Well, a long time ago I was summoned to this realm, this plane, against my wishes. Around twenty summers ago, I suppose. My body as I knew it had been ripped away, lost between planes as a goblin child mettled with rituals far beyond his skill or understanding.’

Omru frowned. It was a rough story, but one he had heard before.

‘It took me a year to forgive him, maybe longer. But afterwards we grew closer than I had ever been with any of my own kind. I saw him as my adopted mortal child, in a way. I took care of him. So when I lost him to those Naga…’

The Vulpera could feel the moisture in the air around him swelling, as if it were about to rain.

‘Anyways, I ran away. I don’t know what drew me to you, specifically, other than knowing you had that totem around your neck. But, I’m glad I did. If I’m being too forward, you may tell me.’

Omru blinked. Too forward? She hadn’t said anything new, but maybe she was just feeling weird about the sensitive topic. He himself had felt pretty shitty at Paz’s passing, but for Luft it had to be like she said. A mother losing her son. “No, you’re not. I’d tell you.”

‘We haven’t been together for long, comparatively, but there’s just something about you Omru. I love your voice, I love your deductive reasoning, your jokes, the faces you make. You’re a great friend to me, and without you to help me cope, I may have never come out of this in one piece. I just wanted you to know how much I care for you. I think, perhaps, I hadn’t said that enough to Pazaz. So. There it is.’

Omru sat up, one ear flickering as he scented the air with an upturned snout. Something sweet was on the wind. Typical Pandaria, maybe. Exhaling softly, Om scratched at the back of his head, “I think that’s natural. We miss the ones we lose, and so we try to do better to remember how to love the ones we still have. I- Let’s get mushy, we’re already there, right? I love you like family. I’ve never been close to anyone like this before. I’m not saying we should go snog, and I’m not even sure how that would work, heh, but uh.. “

‘I don’t think I’m capable of snogging. Being close to you is good enough for me. I wasn’t saying I’ve developed romantic feelings, that would be obtuse. We’re not compatible in that sense.’

Om grinned, “You sure you don’t wanna have a romp in the hay sometime?” Wiggling his brow line in a corny gesture, he was unprepared for the great gust that shoved him back down into the grass. His body was then rolled through the meadow over and over, the fur around his face rustling as he laughed, “Alright, uncle, uncle! I was teasing!”

There was laughter in the shapeless elemental’s voice, ‘Uh huh, be careful what you wish for Omru. What do you mortals say? I could rock your world.’

As the playful display of power stopped, Omru’s head spun for a brief moment after. “Yeah, I believe it.” Still grinning, the world around him calmed as he continued, “My family and friends are loved from a distance. I meet people, then see them once every few months, sometimes years. Distance doesn’t sap my love for them, never has never will. But this? You and me? I’ve never stayed with someone this long, and it’s been awesome. You’re my confidant, you’re my best friend, you make me feel safe and strong at the same time. And honestly, it kind of worries me that you might up and leave sometime. I’ve never had that fear before, that idea that I could lose someone. I mean, I would always treasure our time together, our stories, our talks. But-”

‘I feel exactly the same. Like you’re too good to be true, or you’ll discover some great imperfection in me that will turn you away.’

Omru stood up, stretching under the weight of his new plated armor, “Forever is a long time, but maybe we’ll see it together. I’m glad you found me.”

‘Okay, enough mush. It’s training time.’

And with that, the little Vulpera was launched up in the air as if thrown by a mighty Tauren.

“Waah!”

#vulpera #WRA RP #wra #Wyrmrest roleplay #omru #Sons of Varok

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airlock · 5 years

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airlock grades the Camus archetype

next in this series, we delve into the world of fancy jackets, ebon horses, and loves that cannot be. that’s right -- it’s the day in the lives of the one who was fortunate enough to fuck off into the ocean with no memories, and all the other ones who just straight-up died!

(do note: under cut are spoilers for… everything, and also a significant amount of me criticizing or blamming characters that you might like. you’ve been warned! but if you’d press on, then I’m afraid I have no choice but to face you on the battlefield-)

a foreword

so, I’m not trying to end up rating every single semi-sympathetic miniboss out here; to this end, I will be working with a very specific definition of a Camus for this exercise. I do not claim it to be the definition of a Camus; it’s simply what I’ll be working with. it’s as such: a Camus is a secondary villain who is characterized as virtuous, but tragically doomed to stand against the player characters, either in keeping with the aforementioned virtue, because of an overpowering external circumstance, or both.

so, let us dig in!

camoo

(7/10)

there he is, folks! the man whose dick launches thousands of ships, hurtling into each other on a maelstrom of tragedy.

a multitude of appearances -- matched only by a certain trio of flying girls -- has given him incredible room to expand as a complex, dynamic character. where his original appearance alone might blip as gently tragic but not incredibly compelling, he’s incrementally gained a robust character, and ultimately got to be one of the ones who managed to elude the pits of data size issues in Akaneian characterization.

screaming camus

(1/10)

is it a stretch to tout him as a “virtuous” character? perhaps, but for the purposes of classification alone, intent weighs a little more than execution, and I think it’s clear that the writers had intended for Berkut to be sympathetic, but tragic, as far as secondary antagonists go.

unfortunately, though, they failed big time. Ian Sinclair’s stellar voice acting counts in Berkut’s favor, but little else does. his character is nigh-on pastiche and he seems to hog a lot of screentime without adding anything of significant interest to the story or to other characters. his motivations, while genuine enough, are irritatingly played by the narrative as being sympathetic when they absolutely are not; and worst of all, his fall from grace is severely cheapened by ending on a note of easy redemption that he does not at all deserve.

mongolian camus

(4/10)

in concept, this is a brillant player punch; as if Hardin wasn’t enough, you have to make enemies of even more of those who fought by your side on the previous game, and this guy -- alongside his underlings bar Roshea -- aren’t even fighting you because they’ve gone mad; they’re the same as they were before, and it’s only unfortunate that now, their master is no longer on your side.

however, further labor on the execution front would have been invaluable here. as far as Camuses (camusi? camii? camee?) go, the ole Wolfpack has a lot less time in the limelight than is par for the course, and the one-two maps they haunt don’t leave enough room to draw out the drama.

I’m not docking points for this, but New Mystery of the Emblem also does the Wolfpack a serious disservice in making them all recruitable. besides being a cowardly evasion from the tragedies of war that Fire Emblem is well-known to mercilessly portray, it’s not even a better outcome for them personally. like, have you seen Wolf’s epilogue? and it’s only further a shame after Shadow Dragon went and made Wolf and Sedgar so busted they may have had a better chance to leave an impression on the player -- which would then have made it all the more of a gut twister if they’d remained as full proper... goddamnit I’m not doing the plural Camus thing again.

wine camus

(10/10)

without hesitation, one of the most effective... camus characters, okay, there, I settled that... ever written. it’s sad enough when you have to snuff out someone nice because war is hell and the world is an awful place, but having the guy be the protagonist’s best friend is just ruthless.

and it’s not just text, either; it’s set up brillantly. Eldigan and Sigurd’s good bond is put well on display before it’s brutally shattered. he’s even given an unusual out in that you don’t have to kill him -- but if you don’t, Chagall will! hoohoohoo, Jugdral is the bestworst.

seriously, though, I think I’ve honest to god cried at least once about Eldigan, and making me cry is pretty difficult -- like, outside of an argument or other situation where crying totally sabotages me so of course my body will do that to me.

thunder camus

(5/10)

I appreciate an extremely powerful female character as much as anyone should, but other than that, I will have to admit that I don’t find her incredibly compelling.

although Genealogy of the Holy War may have been the game that gave us Hilda, it very much betrays the Kagaman’s hesitancy in letting women be villainous, and there are not many better examples of this than Ishtar here. as far as Camus characters (hahahaha! I am unstoppable!) go, she’s one of the most virtuous -- and also one with the flimsiest reasons for staying the course of villainy anyway.

like, sure, she has a boyfriend who turned into satan. we sure get told that. and then it stays as absolutely nothing other than text, when she tends to act like she’s being forced by the greatest of all powers to continue opposing you. Thracia 776 at least strengthens the script by depicting the extant relationship as an abusive one, which would shed a little more sense into things, but it’s too little too late; too late because it’s one whole game later, and too little because Ishtar and Julius are not focal characters of that game and don’t have enough room to expand in there. (plus, it’s not a great idea for Julius anyway -- he’s hellspawn, not a smooth operator.)

tiny hand camus

(5/10)

curiously, I’d actually bill Reinhardt here as a hybrid Camus-Michalis -- while his arc swallows elements of inevitable tragedy such as a star-crossed crush and a superior that he won’t defy, it never feels like he has to fight you in the way that a Camus normally does; rather, it feels like he chooses to anyway because of his shortcomings, in the way that a Michalis normally does.

and putting these things together... well, I’m grading the whole character here, but let’s be real, he’s far more effective of a Michalis than a Camus. intent regadless, sympathy isn’t usually the sentiment that he flints up, and I believe even Olwen is ultimately of that mindset; still, it gets to be a shame that he makes the choices he does when he’s otherwise not such an overtly repugnant type.

(I went this whole time not talking about Heroes, yes? that’s because I’m not going there. not the memes, not his thorougly botched characterization there, nothing.)

alamo camus

(2/10)

I believe that Galle and Murdock are intended as Camus characters (booyaka booyaka! shakalaka!) as well, but they’re so painfully inconsequential I’m not going to get sidetracked in their direction here.

Brunnya is not that much better off than they are, alas; she gets a little more screentime, but remains underdeveloped until her one chapter in the limelight. she does get to play an interesting role as a Camus who outlives her master and still decides to carry on his will, but we’ve seen better and more compelling all over this list.

double camus

(9/10)

oh, snap, there are two of them! ... well, so there were in Genealogy of the Holy War, but these here bros aren’t to be analyzed in isolation.

the moral complexities that they play at together are interesting, but I think that the coolest aspect of their character, by far, is that they play at being direct counterparts to Eliwood and Hector. the charming, reasonable one and the brutish, straightforward one who strengthen each other through their balance -- they’re shining mirrors of what could have been, or what comes to be when you take the same strengths as those of the heroes but place them irrevocably in the path of the villains. ... hmmm, I wonder if they’d have a non-adoptive sister if Lyn were, like, relevant at that point of the story.

their screentime is surprisingly short, but all indicates that they make tidal waves on the little time they have. I’m certain they’d have benefitted from more, but they’re still amongst the best of the Camus characters (I did it again!! I did it again!!).

not severa camus

(8/10)

although her tale is not as gut-wrenching as Eldigan’s or the Reed bros’, she’s one perfectly adequate Camus. virtuous, and impactfully so, but loyal to the end, and justifiedly so -- both in a relevant backstory and in a string of deceptions and misfortunes that play her stronger qualities against her.

I don’t find her to be a standout, but she’s a perfect execution of her own concept -- and considering the staggering amount of unfulfilled potential we’ve seen up to here, that deserves its due praise.

tincan camus

(4/10)

although he’s fairly interesting, the sins of his master befall him -- the reveal of his identity is severly dragged-out for also meaning very little until the additional reveal of his brand. and by then, it’s doomed to be only a blur out of the many unfulfilled twists in the Tower of Guidance.

even beneath the mask, he’s had a lot of chances for player punches that he missed out on. his confrontation with Greil emphatizes his role as Ashnard’s underling, instead of his role as Greil’s former student and Ike’s newly-made archrival, and I feel like that’s a severe mistake -- for one thing, it forces the cutscene to end with a lame halfway intervention from Caineghis, where it would’ve been perfectly viable for Ike to walk out of that one alive exclusively due to Zelgius’s own motivations.

even beyond that, his appearances in both Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn often play him as a plot device instead of a character; as a matter of fact, that ridiculous magic warp powder of his accomplishes no purpose other than enabling him to be a plot device wherever plot needs him (aside from how it silently explains how he lives a double life in two different countries, but that’s kind of a pointless detail).

and lastly, just how impossibly lame is it that he’s given a deadly final confrontation with Ike, that he’s just going to walk off of by the sequel anyway? it’s easy to see why it’s necessary for the plots of the two games it affects, but it’s laaaaaaaaame.

samurai camus

(1/10)

easily the least compelling of the list. he comes in to carry the half of a nonsense arc that doesn’t have enough room to fully build him, and it shows. and to make things worse, he’s one of the most notable sufferers of a syndrome that thorougly afflicts antagonists in Awakening and, to a lesser extent, beyond: a tendency to try to paint them as unambiguously evil before you fight them, but tragic and redeemable right after you fight them. which ultimately completely fails as the player punch that the writers ostensibly intended and robs the confrontation itself of much-needed gravitas.

if-conditional camus characters

(??/10)

hahahahaha!!! hahahahahahaahhahahahaaaa!! sockeye!!! I did the thing again and right in the middle of a nickname too!!

but yeah, I haven’t played Fates any more now than at the time of the Gharnef post.

anyways, what do you all think? have I earned your undying loyalty, or does chivalry demand that you slaughter me for my vile takes? if the upcoming Three Houses is to have a Camus... oh, who are we kidding, of course there’s going to be a Camus. in another life, things have been different, but this fate is inescapable. the only mercy we can extend for it now is to wonder what it’ll be like. once again, I welcome your comments in the replies and reblogs -- would you wrong your country by keeping them to yourself anyway?

#airlock grades the villain archetypes #fire emblem is tagged in this post

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thetygre · 6 years

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30 Day Monster Challenge 2 - Day #19: Favorite Minions/Henchmen

1. Minions (Overlord [Video Game])

There is only one creature we call ‘Minion’ in this house, and it is the Minions from Overlord. (The game, not the anime.) The Minions are the perfect… well, minions. They’re design is mostly goofy, but there’s also something kind of horrible to them; they’re like somebody threw an imp, a spider monkey, and a goblin in a sack and didn’t open it up again until the screaming stopped. Those buggy yellow eyes, the hunched backs, the crooked tails, the shrill voices; this is what pops into my head when I think of what an evil minion is supposed to be like. They are utterly and totally devout to their master; they have one purpose in life, and that is to serve you. They think absolutely nothing of throwing themselves into a forge just to upgrade your weapons or taking on a monster just because you tell them to.

Watching them swarm over a cyclops like a nest of army ants is always fun, but that hivemind mentality shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of individual. The Minions are kind of precursors to the uruks from Shadow of Mordor; the longer they live and the more fights they survive, the more unique they become. They’re given names and titles, and they start gathering weapons and armor. It’s never made clear what exactly the Minions are in Overlord, but the implication isn’t that an Overlord chooses them; they choose the Overlord. Without the Minions, and Overlord is just some spooky adventurer in a suit of armor. The Minions make the man, and the fact that you need them as much as they need you is a pretty interesting power dynamic.

2. X-49 (Samurai Jack)

Just… do I really have to say anything? It was one of the best episodes in Samurai Jack, one of the best animated series of all time. And the music and the writing and the cinematography and oh god it’s all coming back at once

3. Igor (Young Frankenstein)

There never was an Igor in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; he’s a fabricated character at least partially concocted from Edgar Allan Poe’s Hop-Frog that somehow wormed himself into horror mythology. And honestly, thank goodness for that or we wouldn’t have had Marty Feldman’s fantastic performance for Young Frankenstein. Feldman looks like he was born for the role; his exophthalmos was a problem he dealt with his entire life, but Igor is just one example of how he incorporated his condition into his comedy personas. Igor is a good comedic counterpart to Gene Wilder’s Frankenstein in a classic double-act kind of way. Where Wilder’s Frankenstein is driven to escape his destiny or conform to it, Feldman’s Igor is committed to his role from the beginning, with no real perspective on it in the grand scheme of things. Igor undercuts Frankenstein’s deliberate melodrama to remind the audience that it’s all a joke.

4. Kobolds (Dungeons and Dragons)

Kobolds are one of the greatest success stories in tabletop roleplaying monsters. Kobolds have been in Dungeons and Dragons since the beginning, but they spent 1st and 2nd edition as basically another kind of goblin. Outside a few rare exceptions, kobolds were just an adventurer’s in-between step as they transitioned from clearing out rats in cellars to goblins in caves. For 3rd edition, the designers felt they needed to give kobolds something; a hook, a feature, a raison d’etre. So the design team though, “What if the littlest monsters had dreams about being the biggest? What if kobolds thought they were dragons?” The rest is history; kobolds became dragon minions, cultists who firmly believe that they are descended from the great wyrms they worship. Inside ever little kobold beats the heart of a mighty dragon, and their pluck and determination pushes them to reach for heights most humanoid races never even dream of. Kobolds are not only great examples of how to make a monster interesting from a game design perspective, but also of how endearing characters can be when you give them goals.

5. Pleiades (Overlord [Anime])

It always bothers me when evil overlords leave their castle staff of their minions list. A great villain should have their power displayed in everything around them, from their captains to their cooks. That’s why Ainz Ooal Gown’s Pleiades are so great; the castle maids for an evil fortress, each on is an individual fighter with her own superpowers. Following organization rules, each of the maids is also a monster; werewolves, shapeshifting oozes, a sentient swarm of insects, etc. And that’s the kind of creativity and attention to detail I love to see in an evil overlord’s forces. Look at where there isn’t a superpowered minion, and say, “No, this will not do. More evil.”

6. Hunchbacks (Castlevania)

I remember that my mind was blown when I finally realized the ‘fleamen’ from Castlevania were supposed to be hunchbacked Igors. While I was kind of disappointed that bizarre insect men hybrids, I am still happy that Castlevania didn’t neglect a favorite horror trope. Castlevania actually has a pretty unique staff; undead maids, zombie butchers, a plague doctor groundskeeper, and skeleton butlers. But it wasn’t until the Lords of Shadow games that the hunchbacks started being explored. One of the good things about Lords of Shadow was the implication that Castlevania itself is alive; the castle has always existed, and can’t even really be fully pulled through to our world. When the castle needs repairs, though, someone to repair it and expand it, it summons the hunchbacks out of nowhere. The hunchbacks are tied to the castle; they’re like cells in its body. They might know more about Castlevania itself than even Dracula, but they aren’t letting on. Their only job is to serve their master, whoever or whatever it might be.

7. Maleficent’s Goblins (Sleeping Beauty)

Maleficent’s goblins are little bundles of medieval monstrosity with enough character to be charming. They’re like the Minions, where I honestly can’t imagine them existing without a master. It wouldn’t surprise me if it turned out they were just demons conjured up by Maleficent from her firepit. The odds and ends of medieval armor and weaponry on top of their gargoyle aesthetic makes me think of very early Tolkien, like the first covers for The Hobbit and Return of the King. These little guys were the forerunners to orcs, uruk-hai, parademons, and every other evil monster army. Sometimes I still wish we could go back to minions like these.

8. Lurch (Addams Family)

The quintessential creepy butler. I feel like Lurch parallels Marty Feldman’s Igor in some pretty interesting ways. They’re both essentially half a joke, part of a comedy routine that requires someone else to land the punchline. The difference is that while Igor undermined Frankenstein to lighten the mood, Luch is deadly serious to contrast the Addams’ playfulness. Lurch wasn’t just a straight-man; he was a brick wall that you could throw anything off of. To be honest, I always kind of wondered what exactly Lurch was; I never really thought of him as human. My favorite theories are either that he was a flesh golem (since he was clearly based off Karloff’s Frankenstein), a homunculus grown for the family and passed down through generations, or just some really tall guy in a suit.

9. Dwergi (Van Helsing)

The Dwergi in Van Helsing have an unnecessarily cool design for what amounts to being Dracula’s grunts. The goggles, spines, and full leather outfits make me think of aliens or something that would be working for Clive Barker’s Cenobites. I can’t help but think of the ‘jawas’ that were through the gate in Phantasm. But I think that I love the Dwergi most as concepts for evil dwarves; ‘dwergi’ most likely derives from ‘dvergar’, a German word for dwarf. There are even evil dwarves in Dungeons and Dragons named duergar and derro. And that connections opens up so many possibilities for me. Imagine a dwarven sub-race mutated to be classical Igor characters, or adventurers encountering derro dressed all in mad scientist gear underground. The Dwergi have hidden depths when you know where to look.

10. Stormtroopers (Star Wars)

Out of the standard henchmen armies, Stormtroopers are still my favorite. Stormtroopers are up there with Red Shirts in terms of incompetence and mortality rates. Every now and then some random Stormtrooper manages to stand out and look like a badass, but even they usually have a lifespan of however long until the heroes arrive. I’ve heard some people argue that the humanizing elements of Stormtroopers, the way they talk about their day or are just trying to do a job, makes the very Nazi-coded Empire too sympathetic. But I would argue the opposite; the human aspects of the Stormtroopers make it clear how actually farcical the whole Empire is. The Stormtroopers aren’t some elite kill-force, they’re bumbling idiots. Whatever brutal efficiency they’re ascribed usually happens off-screen, and it quickly gets drowned out by the chorus of Wilhelm screams heard while trooper after trooper dies ridiculously. The Stormtroopers make it clear how fascism doesn’t raise the individual up but uses them as a disposable resource. The Stormtroopers as human characters make the Empire look inept, not empowered.

#30 Day Monster Challenge 2 #30 Day Monster Challenge #overlord #samurai jack #star wars #addams family #dungeons and dragons #long post

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karinnnn · 5 years

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Why is “BANANA FISH”’s Ash commended by women? Thinking about lives that bear relation to #metoo

I translated an article about Banana Fish and #metoo for an acquaintance, and I decided to put it here because I figured people might be interested. Here’s the link to the Japanese Article: https://realsound.jp/movie/2018/08/post-233213.html

As a commemoration for mangaka Akimi Yoshida’s 40th anniversary, Banana Fish is airing on Fuji TV. Although the source material has been completed for over 20 years, it boasts a lasting popularity; it's lustre has not faded in the slightest. In particular, the protagonist Ash Lynx's charm is unique.

Banana fish had been airing since before I was born, so I read the bungou edition with no prior knowledge. Within that black binding, I was taken to such bloody setpieces such as the Vietnam war and mafia disputes, so I was sure that this comic was targeted towards boys. As such, when I realized halfway through “Bessatsu Shoujo Comic” that it is shoujo manga, I was very surprised. As it turns out. “Banana Fish” has a large female following.

When one stops to consider this, the work itself does indeed feature characters with slender shoulders and bodies. Undeniably, it fits right in with other shoujo from the 80s and 90s. Even in the anime, the blonde ash and other characters are colored in light tones, giving this hard-boiled world a somewhat soft impression.

Furthermore, as far as shoujo manga-esque elements go, the caucasian protagonist Ash is drawn from the standpoint of a woman. The boss of a gang of New York street boys, Ash has repeatedly suffered sexual violence from adults of the same gender as a result of his lovely and elegant appearance. These experiences have become sources of trauma carved into Ash’s memories and body, and he’s developed a hatred towards those who look at him in a sexual manner. However, within his actions, there’s a sense of an urge to “give up”.

From last year, the movement to address the issue of sexual harassment against women has been increasing due to the complaints of journalists such as Itou Shiori and the blogger/writer Achuu. However, there are still a great number of voices without much heart in them, both towards women and the movement in general. Female writers looking on such conditions are likely tortured by a sense of resignation. Is it not the case that many women live their everyday lives embracing such a sense of resignation?

This sense of resignation may be difficult to understand for men. However, while Ash is a man, he stands on the same side as we women. Ash, who displays disgust towards sex and has been ruthlessly exploited, and fights to endure and stay strong, is all the more a sympathetic figure for women.

Ash may be attractive, but he’s not merely a “cool, strong” protagonist with “a pitiful past that makes you want to support him”. He’s a figure that seemed to overlap with those of women, and lives while bearing the shared suffering that so many women live with. Because he’s in such a unique position, many women find themselves find themselves drawn to Ash.

This is a digression, but in the last volume of the bungou edition there are essays from prolific people. Distinguished people such as Sakamoto Ryuuichi and Watabe Eriko have created splendid works, but there are essays with large spoilers (at first glance, I realized that I had stepped on something of a landmine…). For people planning on reading the bungou edition of the original work, make sure to reach the end and read the essays. While I’m not particularly experienced in translation, I like to get better, so feedback is much appreciated.

#banana fish #ash lynx #akimi yoshida

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theonceoverthinker · 6 years

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OUAT 2X01 - Broken

It’s good to be back! Who’s ready for Season 2?

It should be TWO-bular!

...Did you miss the puns?

I missed the puns.

Anyway, under the cut is where you oughta be to hear my thoughts, both cute and seriously! (Going all out here! You get puns AND a rhyme! I spoil you all!)

Press Release Reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina’s broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren’t transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora, but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan, will soon have to face a deadly foe. General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness Past The past segment here does an interesting job answering the question of what happened to the Enchanted Forest. Aurora’s a great focal point because just like her, we’re being introduced to the remains of the land with answers only slowly being revealed. At the same time, it’s not for lack of trying on Aurora’s part. She’s quite no-nonsense and inquisitive, but still romantic and trusting enough to believe Phillip as he continues to lie to her.

Additionally, there’s a great deal of tension created between all three mains. Between Aurora and Phillip, there’s the lie about the Wraith’s mark. Between Aurora and Mulan, there’s the threat of romances with Phillip. And between Phillip and Mulan, there’s the fact that they’re both lying to Aurora about everything, the fact that Mulan’s not particularly warm to someone who seems to be characterized as such, and the fact that Phillip’s also lying to her, too. The way that it all comes to a head is just perfect and it leaves everyone in a really interesting for future episodes. It was also cool to see that this was the immediate future following the events of the present segment, a fun way of playing with time and a component for a fantastic twist! Present This episode does a marvelous job exploring exactly what one would want to see after the curse breaks. We get to see happiness through reunions, and on a large scale. At the same time, we get to see the chaos that would be expected too. Mary Margaret and Blue’s reunion (As small as it was) illustrated this best for me. There was that glee in the action of them holding hands, but panic upon the discussion of magic. Additionally, there’s a great buildup to Emma’s source of pain as well, and it’s contrasted so well against Snow and Charming’s enthusiasm. Emma’s character is not forgotten and her pain from the past is still present and valid, making her inability to connect with her parents so sympathetic and heartbreaking. This is a large part of the heart of the story, especially this season!

It’s also great how this story intertwines so well with Rumple and Belle’s. And let’s talk about their story, because it’s fantastic! Rumple having Belle back doesn’t just up and solve his problems. He’s still who he is and he even lies to her and actually gets consequences for it. Granted, they’re temporary consequences (I personally would’ve kept them apart for another episod at least), but at least Rumple is given a sting for what he did and Belle is very clearly framed in the right for her feelings and actions in response to the lie, so I don’t have that many complaints. All Encompassing I was thinking of a grand theme for this episode, and I think Mulan put it best: “Love is sacrifice.” Throughout the different dynamics on display in”Broken,” this was the most prevalent. Now, of course, it’s prevalent in the past, as Phillip’s love for both Aurora and Mulan has him sacrifice himself to the Wraith. But it’s also littered through the present like purple magic smoke. Snow and Charming’s love for Emma came at the cost of potentially sacrificing their relationship with her. Emma’s love for Henry came at the cost of her sacrificing both her hatred for Regina and her being in the same realm as him. Belle’s love for Rumple came with the sacrifice of her anger towards his lie. Those are just a couple of them, but you get my point. It was a well delivered theme that worked with our cast of characters and gave way for the stories they’re going to have going forward! Insights - Stream of Consciousness -The first time I saw this opening, I actually thought I found the wrong show because it was so different than anything we had seen from OUaT so far. Now, it’s so cool for precisely that reason! It’s a jarring turn (A new protagonist and setting and the return of the pop music) that still has tiny elements of the show (The horse and the well-dress rider that gives a vague fantasy vibe). Even the way it’s shot is something that’s more real than the different angles we got in Storybrooke. It just makes the moment when we see both something fantastical from Storybrooke all the more striking. -I forgot how no-nonsense Aurora could be! While still romantic, she’s very questioning and has a nice bit of snark to her. -I love the way magic just hovers in the air, like a harmless sandstorm. It’s hazy and mystical and just a touch threatening because of those that have magic, but there’s a calmness to it too that makes it so lovely to look at. -Those reunions are positively heartwarming! It feels so beautifully earned and everyone is so well connected! It was a great idea to start here as a buildup to the reunion with Emma. -And speaking of, I’ve got to give all the credit in the world to Josh and Ginny. Their reaction to seeing Emma for the first time uncursed is beautiful. Just like in the finale, Snow and Charming get so speechless, ironically showing the emphasis of the moment. And Jen too! Emma’s reaction to this is pretty fitting -- not running at the moment, but this is a lot to take in. The two sets of performances create a stunning contrast with each other to make a reunion so distinct. -Robert Carlyle’s face! Rumple is out for BLOOD! -Also, I just realized that we haven’t seen Regina, and given the last frame of her from Season 1, that is fantastic buildup! -I have...opinions on the whole “no killing under any circumstances” policy, but right now’s not the best time to write that out. -That said, I LOVE Henry’s reaction to the mob invading Regina’s house. It puts Henry’s behavior and expectations towards Regina in Season 1 in context and affirms that for as much as he wants the curse to be undone and for her to lose, he does love her. -The buildup to Regina’s lack of magic is stunning and hilarious! Everyone in the crowd pull off their anger and fear so well and Lana’s put all the ham in to make this such a fantastic moment! -Whale is just the fucking worst! -THANK YOU SNOW!!!! FUCK! YES! THAT WAS THE WAY TO HANDLE REGINA! LOCKING HER UP IS A GOOD IDEA! Seriously, as I said before, while I feel like “no killing under any circumstances” isn’t an ideal way of conducting things for someone who committed harm and could intend more of it, there do need to be consequences for that behavior and Snow went about making a good decision about how to enforce those consequences. I feel like if the Wraith hadn’t taken Emma and Mary Margaret away and Regina hadn’t got her magic back, she would’ve also suggested a trial. -Did Emma change jackets between being at Regina and the sheriff’s station? -Rumple’s “OH” face at the jail cell is so beautiful! XD -My headcanon is that Wraiths have pool parties in the River of Lost Souls during their down time! XD -Did RUMPLE get a haircut and I just didn’t notice? His hair looked so long in the station compared to now! -How do non-Dark Ones summon Wraiths? Apart from the one that invaded Aurora’s land, Mulan has at least heard of them before. -I only realized now how much the writers pull that “I’m dying, but I can’t let my beloved know” trope. I don’t mind it (It’s romantic, tragic, and usually has an interesting bit of lore and character interaction because of it), but when I think about it, wow, there’s a staggering amount of those instances! -”You’re going to have to be more specific.” Given all that he’s done in the last 12-24 hours, that is quite the legitimate question! -Rumple, I get that Emma broke the curse, saved Henry, and reunited with her parents, but you know damn well what you did! Like, leave a note or something! Emma thought her kid was dead and you above all others should empathize! And kudos to Emma for just not buying it for a second! -I’m stuck between finding the Wraith cool as hell and fake as hell, but I’m going to lead towards the former! -Holy crap! Snow’s pulling a pre-Gina Linetti Gina Linetti with that lighter and can! When did I start loving Snow so much because holy crap, I like Snow! -Awww! There’s some cute Regal Believer when Regina asked if Henry really asked her to protect her! -Okay, so I may be the last person in the world who cares about plot holes, but how did Aurora sacrifice herself when she was cursed? -Josh had some glorious acting when it came to the post-portal anger with Regina? You can see every beat of sweat and hear the snarl in his voice! It was equal parts sad and scary -Henry asking Regina to stay away from him and everyone was also the right call. I swear I love Regina, but Henry’s decision both has a level of him giving Regina due consequences and a level of childish pettiness because his presence (As far as he knows at this moment) won’t affect her progress. -I didn’t think until now about how tragic it is that David and Henry, two people who never lived in the loft, now are, but without either of the two usual inhabits. How much are you willing to bet that they spent the day during the reunions imagining settling down in the loft with Emma and Snow, just the four of them together and happy! It makes the bleakness of those first few moments in the loft, such an iconic and bright setting in the last season so sad. -I also feel like I like David a lot more this season! He’s a lot more determined and given emotional provisions, and by that I mean, the emotions that he has are more well founded. Arcs - How are These Storylines Progressing? We’re mostly back to just the introductions of conflicts here: Emma accepting her parents - This is set up to be Emma’s internal conflict throughout the episode and I’d argue the season if not also the next one too. There are multiple facets to it. First, Emma’s collecting her bearings with the giant revelation, and second, she’s working through an underlying bitterness at her parents for leaving her alone throughout those twenty eight years. Emma and Snow stuck in the EF - This one just kind of explains itself! Storybrooke working to get them back - See above. Regina’s Redemption - A line from my favorite critic, Moviebob that he said quite recently in regards to the protagonists of “The Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise got me thinking as to the nature of redemption for the villains of the show as a whole. It basically amounts to the titular characters and others who redeem themselves do so “through their commitment to each other and a higher cause.” And I think that’s why I’d say that Regina’s redemption starts here. While probably more true for when she first adopted Henry, one can definitely say that their dynamic grew a little skewed both before and during Season 1. So I’d say that this is the rebirth of Regina’s commitment to both Henry and doing better as a person by bringing back Emma and Snow, and thus the true start to her redemption. Favorite Dynamic Emma and Snow - While I was tempted to put Charming in here too, Snow is the driving force behind this dynamic as she is the more active in her demands. In addition to being a dynamic that plays with the theme of “love is sacrifice” (In two respects with them, actually), as I mentioned before, they have a great contrast. Mary Margaret’s passion for meeting her daughter is so wonderfully enthusiastic while Emma’s is...not. What I love is how not only do both women get time to discuss those feelings, but how both of their contrasting feelings are portrayed by the story and the conflicting character as completely valid. While everyone wants Emma to have that same joy as her parents, she doesn’t, and while admittedly a touch selfish (Though I’d also argue understandably so), there’s an understanding that this isn’t just something that she’s going to process right away. Writer Adam and Eddy are of course in charge here, and I think they delivered on exactly what they needed to! Exiting the curse was a big step and doing so would require things that an audience needed to see, both good and bad, across both realms and they did a great job of that. On top of that, the mixing of all three storylines is some of the best that I’ve ever seen of the series. It all feels so seamless and natural how they intersect. Rating Golden Apple (10/10 with an * for superb quality). This episode would’ve been good enough had we just seen the reunions and consequences of the actions in the Season 1 finale. However, we got more than just that. We got new characters, a new story, perfect character conflicts that exist so well with who we have and what they mean to each other, a twinge of lore, and some mysteries to be solved throughout the season! Everyone gets something to do and a “shining” moment (Whether it be an action of heroism or villainy), and it just meshes together really well. It’s just a well put together episode and deserves the appropriate acclaim! Flip My Ship - Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness” Sleeping Warrior - We definitely get some of that enemies to lovers stuff here, and I always enjoy that! There’s a great chemistry between Jamie Chung and Sarah Bolger have some nice chemistry and their characters have that nice defensiveness that ends up making the moment where they do come together at Phillip’s “grave” very sweet. ()()()()()()()

Wow! This was a great way to start the season off! Full disclosure: Since I binged Season 2 and 3 during my initial watch of the series and only rewatched a handful of episodes from it, I never really took much of a magnifying glass to the individual episodes, nor did I really form opinions on some of the characters, so seeing this episode rock as hard as it did made me so happy!!!

Thank you for reading and thanks to the fine folks @watchingfairytales for putting this project together! Next time, get hyped, because out of many come one-- oh excuse me-- two. See you then!

Season 2 Tally (10/220)

Writer Tally for Season 2: Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis: (10/60) Tags: ouat, once upon a time, watching fairytales, ouat episode code, ouat rewatch, jenna watches ouat, ships mentioned

Operation Rewatch Archives

#ouat #once upon a time #watching fairytales #ouat 2x01 #ouat rewatch #jenna watches ouat #basically every character in this episode is discussed #ships mentioned #sleeping warrior

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lightsandlostbells · 6 years

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why I’m not keen on Evak 2.0

fredweasleying replied to your post

“Skam Italia episode 7 reaction”

Im italian and i have the same opinions mostly....why dont you want an evak 2.0 tho im curious!!

Hi, I’m sorry for taking some time to respond! I was feeling a little sick this week and I have a long answer for this question, lol.

The main reason I don’t want an Evak 2.0 is because is that, well, I feel that Evak 1.0 is about as perfect a canon ship you can get in execution, and S3 has no major flaws for me - I only have one gripe of any substance (having to do with Emma outing Isak) and it doesn’t ruin the season for me or anything. Personally I didn’t want any of the seasons to be direct remakes and would vastly have preferred new stories tailored to the culture, with new characters developed around the actors’ personalities and strengths, but there’s not anything we can do about S1, and at least one S2 remake is mid-season, with more being set up. And I believe the contracts required the remakes to do S1 and S2 of the original? But S3 is not a guarantee. Anyway, S3 and Evak had some weird magic going for it where everything worked. Very rarely have I seen a fandom react with near-universal praise and satisfaction toward something, especially a canon ship. Obviously not everyone is going to love S3/Evak but I think it’s hard to deny that they’re overwhelmingly well-received. Not just by fans, either. I’ve seen professional film and TV critics gush about S3, too. Much of S3′s success comes from elements that can’t be replicated just by following the outline of the original.

The chemistry is hands down pivotal to the success of S3. I can guarantee you that, strength of the writing and directing aside, if those two actors aren’t fantastic together, then the season is just not going to work. Imagine two actors with no chemistry doing all the bed scenes, or the kitchen scenes, or the O Helga Natt scene. It would be so awkward. I think OG Skam overall did really well with cast chemistry, and Tarjei and Henrik’s chemistry was really something special - you can see little things in their body language, the way they mirror each other, turn toward each other, come up with unique gestures for each other that make them seem more real as a couple. They react to each other and feed off the other’s performance rather than just performing a script. I think it’s going to be extremely difficult to find actors who are even remotely as good with each other. (And frankly this is harder with gay fictional couples due to possible biases in their depiction ... I want to believe the best of the remake production teams but I’m not gonna lie, until I see it in action I’ll be a little apprehensive that they won’t let their Isak and Even be as affectionate together as the original. Even “progressive” shows can display double standards about that.)

You need a seriously gifted actor to play Isak. Not that you don’t need talent for all the characters, but there are quite a few scenes where Isak just looks at stuff on his computer, or gets a text message, or talks on the phone with someone, and you need an actor who can clearly communicate what Isak is feeling without help from other actors or stimuli. Then of course there are the bigger emotional moments, but Isak is a very internal, very vulnerable character for much of the season. As far as the remake Isaks go, Lucas hasn’t felt that believable to me in most scenes and his facial expressions/subtlety are especially what have left me cold, and I like Martino but his performance doesn’t feel that vulnerable to me yet. Matteo from Druck is the one who seems most capable of being Isak-like but IDK what’s up with Druck. I am very willing for these actors to show me excellent performances in the future, I’m just aware that they have a lot to live up to.

You need a seriously gifted actor to play Even. This could make or break the Evak pairing in the remakes, perhaps. I would argue that you need more acting chops to play Even than to play any of the other love interest characters in Skam, because you need someone who can pull off depression and mania convincingly. That’s really tough subject matter and someone who isn’t up to the challenge could potentially make the character a parody or caricature, the last thing you want to do in a season with positive mental illness rep. You also need someone who can walk the tightrope of carrying a big secret through most of the season while still being charming and sympathetic even as we’re stuck in Isak’s POV, being hurt and confused by Even’s unexplained behavior. We need to have some trust in Even. It will be hard to root for Evak if the Even seems like he’s just messing around with Isak and lacks that core sweetness and sincerity. Personally speaking, I never ever doubted that Even’s feelings for Isak were genuine, even when he was ghosting and giving mixed signals, because honestly, Henrik’s heart-eyes were just that convincing, lol.

Some of the symbolism and richness of the original’s writing and directing will be lost no matter what, if they stick to the S3 script.

For instance, 21:21 does not make sense as birth/rebirth symbolism if the character is not named Isak/Isaac/some variant. Of course the story can still continue and make sense on a surface level, but it will lose aspects that gave the writing additional depth. One reason of many that I love S3 is because the symbolism gives the story so much more weight. It makes Isak and Even’s relationship feel much more important than just a sweet teenage romance. Not to sound ultra corny, but presenting Isak’s love for Even as a form of spiritual rebirth feels downright profound and puts it up there with the “epic love stories” that Even likes, tragedy or not.

The Romeo + Juliet references are not going to make as much sense if they can’t, say, get the rights to the music from the original. Like … if you do a close remake with the pool kiss, and it might be a pretty scene, but you’re going to need some R+J music over it for it to have the same resonance. But then, lol, the scene will be too similar to the OG scene. The R+J references weren’t just fun Easter eggs for the viewers; they were woven into the story very thoroughly and thoughtfully. Even’s love of Baz Luhrmann tells us a lot of about personality and outlook on life. It gives us an idea of his romanticism but also hints at his depression. Thematically, R+J is hugely important in terms of creating tension and suspense throughout the season, that undercurrent of “epic love stories have to be tragic” and making the viewers expect the tragedy, only to subvert that expectation. A story about suicide becomes a story about rebirth.

They should not even bother trying to redo O Helga Natt, man. Just don’t do it. They’re going to lose a lot of the symbolism anyway.

There’s some other stuff but IDK, there’s just … so much that can go wrong. The Evak relationship feels really specific - they have so many inside jokes that are unique to them, so many recurring themes, so many little gestures, and they all work together as part of a whole. Copying them wholesale is going to feel artificial. Some of the remakes have handled the adaptation part better than others, but there’s some stuff that I just don’t think will work as 2.0 at all.

Since we’ll likely be getting an Isak season in each of the remakes - it was such an international draw that I can’t imagine it not happening for each remake that is renewed - what I really want is for them to write their own S3 featuring a coming out story, with the same care and detail as Evak, and covering similar themes, just ... not Evak. Not the same scenes, the same dialogue, the same characterization. Make Even have a totally different personality. I wrote a post about different films they could reference in S3 other than Romeo + Juliet, and like, I wrote it as a joke, but also? They should pick different movie references for S3 if they decide to incorporate them. Perhaps they could pick iconic Italian/French/German films from the country of that remake. Think carefully about the story and weave in different symbolism. Just recreating those motifs will be the ultimate sign of a remake’s laziness.

I do think S3 is very important in terms of the issues discussed, and I think it would be wonderful for youth in different countries to get the LGBT and mental illness representation. I would just prefer if they created something thoughtful and original rather than trying to recreate something that’s already considered a masterpiece by many critics and fans.

#fredweasleying #skam remakes #evak

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seriouslyhooked · 6 years

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Scoring Your Love (Part 12/?)

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six,Part Seven,Part Eight. Story also on FF here and AO3 here. Banner by the wonderful @timetravelandfairytales

Modern AU where Killian is a world famous soccer star who has hit rock bottom and been sentenced to the place where ‘football’ legends go to die – America. While here he crosses paths with Emma, an up and coming musician and film scorer who challenges everything he thought he knew and makes him want more than the game he’s always loved. Will be filled with fluff for days, and eventually rated M.

A/N: Hey everybody! Remember how I said there might be some hiccups along the way in this story? Well let’s call today a hiccup. It’ll be okay though, friends, because you know if it was actually really bad I would warn you before hand, but there is some drama today that’s been looming on the horizon for a while. Hope that you guys enjoy the chapter and I would love to know what you all think! Thanks for reading!

“And you’re really sure about this, Jones?” Robin asked Killian as they stood in the team room adjoining the press hall in the stadium. “Because I can talk to Regina. Contract or not, she can’t force you into this.”

Killian appreciated his coach’s concern, and where many people might think that Robin was taking all of this too seriously, Killian knew the truth. The press could be brutal for athletes of his standing, and with his history there was bound to be some awkwardness. To go from one of the most talked about footballers in the world to pretty much off the grid for public consumption was abnormal to say the least. So far, however, the press had respected his boundaries. Over the past few months of the season, Killian hadn’t had to do this and he also hadn’t been hounded by paparazzi or rogue sports bloggers. That was thanks, no doubt, to the power of Regina and her family’s influence, but Killian knew he couldn’t ignore this part of his world forever. For better or worse this was a key element of his job, and the sooner he did this, the sooner he could be done with it.

“She’s already screened the questions, which is better than most of my interactions with the press in the past,�� Killian reasoned, his voice lilting with a joking edge as he shrugged his shoulders. “Besides the sooner I get this done, the sooner it’s behind me.”

“And the sooner you can get to your date tonight,” David chimed in as he walked up to them. “But brace yourself, man. There’s a lot of them out there.”

“There always are, mate,” Killian said, trying to portray the overconfident cockiness he was known for as he straightened out his suit jacket and headed through the doors.

Instantly the flashes of the cameras blinded him, pulsing every second as photogs tried to get the perfect shot of Killian. At the same time murmurings of his name, coupled with the most eager of reporters directly trying to talk to him, began. But all of this chaos was to be expected. The press was hardly known for its patience, especially with high profile players like Killian, but before it could get too out of hand, Regina called everyone’s attention back to her.

“Now gentleman, what did I say about manners?” she chided, her voice cool but resolute.

“Hey, there are ladies in here too,” one particularly overeager sportscaster said as Regina chuckled in response.

“There are, but they all knew I meant what I said and they’ll be rewarded for that. Yelling isn’t going to work in my house. You play by my rules or you’re out of here. Got it?”

The quiet that settled in as Killian took his spot at the table before all the microphones was answer enough, and Killian fought the urge to smile at the looks on some of the audience’s faces. Many of the most taken aback journalists were ones he recognized as being on the European circuit, so clearly they hadn’t had the chance to tangle with the Queen until now.

The movement of the conference from there went as well as could be expected. Regina had told him that she needed half an hour of his time, and she ran a tight enough ship to allow that. Just as she promised, she favored almost all of those question-askers who had been quiet at his arrival with opportunity, leaving the others grumbling and frustrated. It provided an interesting dynamic for Killian too, since most of those early questions actually had to do with the game. He was happy to answer those, admitting that he hadn’t stayed on top of his stats as dutifully as he had in the past, but that he was happy with his effort so far this season and that of his whole team as well.

“Killian, what do you think that moving to the American leagues has given you?” one woman asked along the way, and though her phrasing was innocent it struck Killian with a bit more force than the other queries had.

The truth was that this move had offered him so much more than people would ever know. The answer that this fleet of reporters was looking for no doubt had to do with privacy from the press or a clean slate on a new team and both of those were undoubtedly true. But the most important thing that this move had given Killian was a wake up call about his life and what he wanted. He had entered this contract a far more broken man and he was now at the twenty game mark yielding both a perfect 20-0 record and a whole new world perspective. Now the game wasn’t the most important thing to him, Emma was, but strangely enough his change of priorities hadn’t hurt his playing it all, it had only made him better.

“It’s given me everything,” Killian responded evenly, and as all eyes and cameras remained trained on him he expanded the thought. “I left a great team back home, a talented group to be sure, with a city and a country filled with passionate fans. But the culture here is different. It’s not just the fact that Americans call it soccer that makes them unique.”

The press corps laughed at Killian’s purposeful joke, feeding into his ploy to appear charming and put together. Then Killian returned his eyes to the woman who had asked this question and pressed on.

“I honestly didn’t come into this expecting what I’ve found. The love of the game here is just as strong as anywhere in the world, and the emphasis on team as opposed to being the best is refreshing. It’s not about big names and perfect stats. It’s about which man gives his all on the pitch and which man doesn’t. This team is filled with men willing to go the extra mile, and I appreciate that.”

“And what about your personal life?” A faceless voice asked, going against the tone of the conference all-together. Regina was in charge of calling on reporters, but this man had spoken of his own volition and he showed no signs of stopping. “What about the hot blonde you’ve been seen with, Emma Swan?”

In the span of two heartbeats Killian’s world went from normal to doused in anger and a little fear. It enraged him that this man would bring up Emma at all, never mind with descriptors that disrespected all she had to offer, but he was also shaken by the fact that people even knew of her. Here he was thinking he’d done all he could to keep things private between them. The press had mentioned nothing substantial about his dating life either here or at home, as Killian had been checking in every day, but that peace and solitude was broken now and Killian felt terrible and irate all at once.

“Cameras off, now!” Regina said, and immediately everyone complied, live feeds or not. The sound people moved to cut their recordings and the whole operation stopped so forcefully Killian was awed by it even through his anger.

“Now, Who asked that?” Regina yelled, her voice cutting through the large room almost like a blade. “I will not ask a second time.”

As if people were so scared of her that they physically had to move, the crowd shifted and both Killian and Regina could see the perpetrator. Instantly Killian knew that the truce that landed him here had been broken, because this man was familiar. He was a writer for one of the most sordid tabloids back home and the owner of that tabloid just so happened to be Killian’s largest enemy: Gold.

“I think the people have a right to know about -,”

“This is the part where you shut your insolent mouth and listen well,” Regina replied, interrupting the man who clearly had balls to even try to go against her. Now, however, the reporter practically cowered where he stood. “I was very clear with my expectations, Mr. Glass, and even though you work for a dumpster fire of a paper, I let you into my home, into my stadium, with the understanding that you’d walk the line. Since you’ve failed to do that you are now no longer welcome.”

Regina motioned to the security staff who immediately stepped in and escorted the man out. It was a sight to see, and the display of power was almost chilling even if Killian was grateful for it. That being said the damage was already done. Emma’s name was already out there and that was Killian’s fault. Her whole life might be changed because of this and he just couldn’t forgive himself for that.

“You can go now, Killian,” Regina said in a way that was defined but more sympathetic. “I’ll handle this.”

Killian thanked her as he left, knowing that even if Regina was capable of granting a miracle this couldn’t be totally undone. Emma’s name was out there now, and whether he had a hundred reporters looking for the scoop, or just those in Gold’s army, it wouldn’t matter. The small kind of sanctuary he had and the beautiful freedoms he’d indulged in living in LA were gone. There was no more anonymity, and tonight’s date would likely be the last time he and Emma could make such a public outing without interference. The only question was should he try to enjoy the evening and then tell Emma, or should he come clean immediately and deal with the potential fall out? Killian was still grappling with that choice when he arrived at the restaurant where he and Emma were meeting and he was brought to their table where she was already waiting for him.

“Well if it isn’t Mr. Undefeated himself,” Emma greeted when he approached the table, and the teasing in her voice made the heartache Killian was dealing with all the more bittersweet.

Instinctively Emma got up from her spot to meet him, and though she pressed a soft kiss to his lips that was meant for a more casual kind of greeting, Killian couldn’t bring himself to let her go. He deepened the moment, letting himself get lost in Emma and the feeling of this bond between them before reality could settle in again. Losing himself in the kiss, his hands held her close, roaming her body and trying to map out every perfect curve and line about her. Killian felt Emma holding onto him too, meeting him beat for beat, before she finally pulled back, her breathing altered and her eyes wide with curiosity and lust.

“Wow. Well that’s one way to say hello,” Emma murmured, her fingertips coming up to cover her lips like she could still feel the kiss there. Meanwhile, Killian remembered that they were not alone, and as he spared a look around the restaurant he realized almost all eyes were on them. Luckily there didn’t appear to be any cameras, but damn if it didn’t bring the sad state of things barreling back at him.

“Sorry, Swan. I just… needed you.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Emma said as she took his hand and led him into the table, scooting in so they were side by side in the rounded booth. “I’m sure not. That was a hell of a kiss.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” Killian asked with a soft smile, even though he knew the answer already.

At that moment the waiter came over, asking them questions about wine and dinner and the like, and Killian allowed himself to get caught up in that even though he was distracted. He answered every query, and paid attention to everything Emma wanted as he usually did, but it was hard to be present right now. He was still reeling from the day he’d just had and trying to figure out what the bloody hell he should do.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Emma asked when they were alone again and Killian met her gaze, slightly terrified of having this conversation even as he took comfort in the fact that Emma knew him so well.

“How did you know I had something to say?”

“Well for one thing you haven’t let me go since you got here,” Emma mused, drawing attention to how close Killian had her. It was an intimate hold but also a possessive one, as if subconsciously he was afraid that she would slip through his grasp. He looked back at Emma, expecting her to be upset, but instead she only smiled as her hand came to cover his. “And I may or may not know about the press conference.”

“You saw it?” Killian asked, feeling himself blanch as he did.

“No. But Mary Margaret did. She didn’t have much to say though, except that my name was brought up.”

“Aye, it was. I wish it hadn’t been. I’m so sorry.”

“It was bound to happen, right?” Emma asked, taking this a lot better than he’d expected. “I mean we’re together, and, well I don’t know about you, but I don’t see that changing any time soon.”

“No, love, that’s not changing,” Killian replied, taking her hand in his and pressing a kiss to the top of it gently. “You know if I had my way this would be a forever kind of thing.”

Emma brightened at his words, looking as if she was about to say more, but then someone approaching the table caught her attention. Killian assumed it was the waiter again, but he never imagined who he’d find when he turned. For there was the devil in the flesh: Gold was here, and sporting a shit eating grin that put Killian’s whole being on red alert.

“Well look what we have here. If it isn’t Killian Jones and his latest fixation. How quaint.”

“What are you doing here, Gold?” Killian ground out, his words more a growl than anything else.

“I see your manners haven’t improved since your move, Killian. What a shame, since your pretty little date here seems sweet as can be.”

The words were designed to make Killian retaliate, but just as he was about to jump up Emma’s grip on his hand tightened. He looked at her and her face said it all: this wasn’t the place to get into a brawl, especially since Emma was in the dark right now, not knowing the full story. Even so, Killian knew he had to do something to get Gold out of here. He just didn’t know how the hell to do it. As he tried to think of something, Emma came to his rescue.

“I’m sorry, Mr….”

“Gold,” the snake of a man replied with feigned charisma. “And no need to introduce yourself, dearie. I know all about you. You’re Killian’s latest conquest, and I can assure you that you are one of many.”

“Did you just call me dearie?” Emma asked, sounding more put off by that than anything else even as Killian’s blood ran cold. “Seriously? It wasn’t bad enough you interrupted our dinner, you have to pull out the creepiest pet name to go with it?”

“Ooh, this one’s got some fire doesn’t she Jones?” Gold replied with a grin that was so sinister it looked like something out of a horror film. “I can see why you like her. Such spirit. Such passion.”

Hearing this monster of a man speak of his Emma and mock the things about her that he loved so much physically repulsed Killian. His whole being was begging to go toe to toe with Gold right here and right now. There was no doubt who would win in a fight, at least one that was fair. Perhaps it was primitive but Killian felt like if he could just beat enough sense into Gold the man would get it and give up, but that wasn’t the case. With men like this there was always a looming trick and some complex strategy. Getting a rise out of Killian would no doubt play into that, so Killian attempted to restrain himself.

“You’ve had your fun, Gold, but you and I both know you’ve already pushed things too far today.”

“Oh Sydney, right. Well he’s just so dedicated to the truth that one. There’s no way to rein him in,” Gold said with a showy smirk. “And we’re all obviously worried for you Killian. What with the drugs and the sex addiction and the -,”

“Enough!” Killian yelled, causing such a ruckus that in the moment thereafter the whole restaurant fell eerily silent. Killian instantly regretted his response in that moment, knowing Emma must be mortified at best and actually scared of him at worst. This was just about the worst thing he could imagine happening right now. At least Gold was quiet though, having flinched at Killian’s outburst. But the devil rallied enough to bid them a final farewell, trying to pretend he wasn’t intimidated even though Killian saw it in his beady little eyes.

“It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Swan. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again very soon.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Emma replied, and with one final look between them, Gold departed, leaving a stale aura of tension in his wake.

The sinking feeling that he’d ruined all the happiness he had with Emma made Killian feel physically sick. Not only had he just publically embarrassed her by causing a scene in front of all of these people, he hadn’t prepared her for the monsters that roamed in the world he’d left behind. She knew only the bare minimum about his past. She didn’t truly understand the vendetta and how it all started. Now, perhaps, she would think it best to cut her losses. After all, who would submit themselves to something like this when they’d done nothing themselves to deserve it?

“We should go,” Killian whispered only just loud enough so that she could hear it. It pained him to think of doing so, but staying here with all these people looking on would only make things worse for Emma.

“No,” she replied, prompting Killian to look at her. In her eyes he saw questions, but more than anything else he saw determination. “If we go he wins, and besides, you promised me a date.”

“You mean you still want to…? But there’s so much I have to say. I should have told you before, Emma, it’s just -,”

Emma broke his train of thought by cupping his cheek and pulling him down for a quick kiss. It didn’t last nearly as long as their first of the evening, but it told Killian so much more than he ever hoped to hear. Emma was trying to tell him that she was still here and that she wasn’t going anywhere, and only when they broke apart and she offered another of her small smiles did his growing anxiety that she would leave him start to fade.

“Whatever it is, it’ll be okay. It’ll all still be there after dinner, and I’m guessing I’ll feel better hearing about it if I’ve had a few glasses of really good wine and some to-die-for pasta first, right?”

“Probably,” Killian agreed, shaking his head at the idea that she could be so certain of him.

“Okay then. Now, tell me about the game. Twenty straight wins – that’s pretty incredibly if you ask me.”

Not as incredible as you are, Killian thought in his mind, but he bit back the words and three other little ones that would give away his whole heart. Instead he stuck to Emma’s plan, trying to enjoy the dinner as best as he could and knowing that whatever came next, Emma and him would be okay. And even though today had been a rough one, there was hope within it too – for today had shown him that the woman he loved was with him in this, and nothing could take that away from him, not even a demon like Gold.

Post-Note: There are no doubt a few of you right now staring at your screen in shock or dismay that I did not include their conversation. I swear I can actually hear some of you in my mind right now, but alas this is where the muse has led me. As you can imagine, this stuff with Gold isn’t over yet, and the next two chapters will actually be rather big ones, so big in fact that I’ve decided I want to try to post them together. My ideal is that in two weeks I’ll post one Saturday and one Sunday, but no matter when they come, please trust in my vision for this story and this couple – Emma and Killian always end up together in the end and it’s always a fluff fest when it’s one of my fics. This story WILL be a fluff fest, and since I have seven more chapters and an epilogue mapped out, there is plenty of time left for all the cuteness I have in mind. Anyway thanks to all of you for reading, and I hope you have a great rest of your day!

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mesaylormoon · 6 years

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Film and Fluff Blogging Second Thoughts: A Re-Review of The Greatest Showman

For those of you who have been following Film and Fluff Blogging since my first post, you may recall my first review of The Greatest Showman. The film, while grand in scope, spectacle, and soundscape, failed to deliver by way of story, plot/character development, focus, etc. However, with that said, I do believe that my initial criticisms of the film were perhaps too harsh.

Today’s review, or shall I say re-review, will feature a more merciful dissection of the beloved musical. While I do not agree entirely with the positive consensus surrounding the film, I do believe that, when one disregards their judgments of a cinematic piece such as this, they may find themselves charmed by the better elements of it. Among the best of these include the music, choreography, character interactions, performances, and the energy. Without further ado, I shall begin with my praise of the music.

Without question, the absolute best element of The Greatest Showman is the soundtrack. Never before have I discovered a film whose most memorable and marvelous component was the music, but The Greatest Showman is, impressively, the first. Every song, as I have mentioned previously, serves as an ideal plot furtherance, and conveys the emotions and internal/external conflicts of the characters in a passionate, energized manner that fits the tone and situation of every scene. Also, as I mentioned in my first review, it’s impressive to see a cinematic outing set in an earlier time period that manages to incorporate a modern sound within it, without anything becoming distracting or obnoxious. Because it’s established early on that the acting style and dialogue of our performers will conform to contemporary standards, it’s easy to accept that the music will be equally contemporary. This allows for every track to become more accessible and enjoyed by today’s pop-dominated audience. The best among the tracks include “Rewrite the Stars”, a deeply moving and sweet duet sung by Zendaya and Zac Efron; “The Greatest Show”, the opening number of the film; “A Million Dreams”; and “Never Enough.” Each of these songs are given powerhouse vocals to match, and the swaying melodies of each give an incredibly likable life to it all. It certainly helps that these songs are the most emotionally charged in all of the film.

The story, while it has its cliche and underdeveloped moments, also carries with it plenty of charm. This charm can be attributed to the timelessness and sympathetic nature of the various story arcs. Despite the film’s lack of focus on any of them, each individual conflict is easy to follow and even easier to identify with. P.T. Barnum, being a loving father (as portrayed in The Greatest Showman), is hopeful to achieve his dreams of becoming an entertainer, as well as a provider for his family. These motivations are well-supported by Hugh Jackman, who plays the fictionalization of the character with the suave cleverness and playfulness needed to make his character likable. Other characters, while they lack definable personalities, are at least cordial toward one another, and the way they speak with and act toward one another does suggest a sweet camaraderie. This sort of behavior is particularly notable among Barnum’s troupe; they are not given much screen time, but their desire for acceptance in a society full of fearful people is understandable, and because of their gentle demeanors, audience members will not want to see them hurt. Unfortunately for Barnum’s wife, his family, and Carlyle and Anne, none of them are given the time necessary to become more fleshed out, and their struggles and motivations are relegated to more of a subordinate role in the story as a result. However, none of these flaws detract terribly from the entertainment value of The Greatest Showman, and at the very least, these characters are still kindly and sympathetic.

The choreography of The Greatest Showman is also impressive, and is helped immensely by the scope of each scene. Every dance paired with the songs of the film are well-timed and paced, and the movements made by the actors are all varied, blending seamlessly with the melodies and moods of the songs they sing. Whether a character’s conflict is being revealed in a slow and romantic, pondering and despondent, or uplifting and soulful manner, every dance is charged with the enthusiasm and emotion needed to help audiences watch in wonder. The choreography in “Rewrite the Stars” is particularly beautiful, with Anne performing swinging trapeze stunts with grace and elegance, as she laments her hopeless feelings to Carlyle.

The energy infused in The Greatest Showman is the last great component of the film I’d like to address. I have recently heard that this film was a passion project of Hugh Jackman’s, and from the first minute, this is apparent. The first fifty-five seconds of the film open with excited chants from P.T. Barnum’s audience (and their seat-stomps), and when the first swift movements from Jackman are seen from behind his dark backdrop, it’s easy to anticipate the kind of viewing experience waiting in store. After the sugar rush of this scene, “The Greatest Show”, every song and dance number that follows is filled with the appropriate amount of zeal from the actors. As I said with the choreography, no matter what the mood of a particular scene, every person on screen meets it with the passion anyone in that particular situation would display. The projections of their voices, the excitement in their movements, and the smiles on everyone’s faces are infectious. To see such an ecstatic cast carry such an upbeat musical in this way is rare, and it’s wonderful to wait anxiously for the next song and dance coordination.

Although the criticisms I mentioned in my previous review are not invalid, I must admit that my following viewings of The Greatest Showman were pleasant and delightful. It is by no means a perfect film, but the elements that make it continually watchable make the film more than worthy of recommendation, and it will certainly make for a great experience for anyone hoping to discover a new favorite musical. See The Greatest Showman now if you have any desire to see a film filled with a passion not often seen in musicals, and if you need anything to lift your spirits. The Greatest Showman is certainly a wonderful means to make a viewer smile.

#the greatest showman #hugh jackman #michelle williams #zac efron #zendaya #rebecca ferguson #2017 movies #movie musicals #musicals #the greatest showman review #pt barnum #charity barnum #phillip carlyle #jenny lind

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thepixarenthusiast · 3 years

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Toy Story 2 (1999)

Back to the toys! What a fun revisit! Toy Story 2 is that rare sequel that improves upon its predecessor in its art, humor, storytelling, character development, and heart. This is the film that solidified Pixar’s place in movie-making history. Its release was the moment everyone knew that this company was going to continue to be wildly successful for decades.

While the original Toy Story and A Bug’s Life were both fun, lighthearted children’s romps (with enough charm to entertain the adults), this is the first time we see Pixar transcend the typical kids’ movie genre into something truly timeless and relatable for all ages: a glimpse into what Pixar would continue to produce time and time again.

The movie starts out in a tone familiar to its predecessor. We see Rex playing a video game that features Buzz in a battle with his nemesis Zurg – a fun nod to Star Wars for the adults in the theater. So we’ve got our gang of the lovable Rex, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, Hamm, Buzz and Woody back together for the kiddos and enough pop culture references to keep the grown-ups tuned in.

*Side Note* There’s a very funny pop culture reference of Buzz being thrown into one of those 3D pin-pression toys (the kind where you can leave an imprint of your hand, or if you were a gross little kid like me, your face), and it leaves an imprint of him like Han being frozen in carbonite – a reference I definitely missed as a kid. And there’s another good one where Rex is chasing the rest of the gang in the toy car, and Mr. Potato Head looks back at him in the side mirror – a nod to Jurassic Park, of course, which is supplemented by the fact that our villain, Al of Al’s toy barn, is voiced by Wayne Knight, who played the bumbling DNA thief in Jurassic Park.

But soon this story becomes much more than just an adventure tale or buddy comedy. After a heroic rescue attempt at a yard sale, Woody finds himself in the clutches of Al, a toy collector who wants to make big bucks by re-uniting the Woody’s Roundup Gang – which we come to find was a classic black and white kids’ show whose merchandise are now collectors’ items, with Woody as the grand prize. We meet Jessie, Bullseye, and Prospector Pete for the first time. They’re being boxed up and shipped to Japan for display in a Toy museum. Woody must now face an internal conflict of whether to return to an old life or start a new one.

Woody becomes much more likable in this movie. His motivations, desires, and torn feelings are relatable and very human. Because Andy left him home from Cowboy Camp after accidentally ripping his arm, Woody feels understandably hurt and unwanted, which contribute to a change of heart about going to the museum. This is the first time we see Woody grapple with the fact that childhood is temporary – that Andy will someday grow up and lose interest in his toys – that loss of innocence and coming to terms with one’s own mortality that becomes a strong theme throughout the Toy Story franchise. Woah. That’s deep for a kids’ movie.

Where this really comes to light is through Jessie’s song “When She Loved Me.” This one’s a tear-jerker for sure. Jessie had a little girl that loved her too – but that girl grew up and left Jessie behind. It’s then that Jessie’s story starts to resonate with Woody, and he begins to believe that Andy left him behind, too. Thankfully, Buzz and the gang quickly come to the rescue to remind him that although childhood innocence is impermanent, it is still worth experiencing and should not be let go too soon. Buzz becomes the voice of reason this time, him being the one that reminds Woody that he is a toy. That his purpose is to make a child happy, not to be ogled or admired behind glass. The little details throughout the movie reflective of this theme are also worth noting – for example, when we meet a shiny new Buzz in the toy store, you can see how Andy’s Buzz has some scratches and dirt on him that are evidence of toy well-loved. Ultimately, this is what Woody chooses for himself too, and it all works out, because Andy’s still a kid, and he hasn’t forgotten Woody. Woody will eventually choose that new life for himself later in the franchise (think Toy Story 4), but it’s not time yet.

I love the character development in this movie. You see Woody becoming more sympathetic, and less motivated by being the center of attention. He goes out of his way to help Jessie become part of the gang and helps her realize that she can be loved by a child again. We see Buzz become a voice of reason – which is hilariously emphasized by the shiny new Buzz in the toy store who thinks he is a space ranger, like our Buzz did in the original film, and hilariously wonders about how he could have been that irritating. We get some new characters, like Jessie, who could be seen as a bit selfish at the start for wanting to pull Woody away from his life just so she doesn’t have to be in storage anymore – but then you come to truly understand and empathize with her through her song, because you were a kid once too who grew out of your toys. These thematic elements and iconic characters are truly what makes Pixar great.

Final thoughts:

Toy Story 2 improves on everything from its humor to its storytelling to its characters and will forever hold its place as a classic.

Fun fact:

When Barbie is giving the gang a tour of Al’s Toy Barn and they cruise through the Buzz Lightyear aisle, she says “In 1995, shortsighted retailers did not order enough dolls to meet demand.” This is in reference to how after the first Toy Story film was released, toy stores didn’t anticipate how big the film would become, and they didn’t stock their shelves with enough merchandise.

Best character:

Woody redeems himself here. This is the Woody we know and love.

Tear-Meter: 2/5 teardrops. “When She Loved Me” definitely activated the tear ducts, but not giving it a full 5 because some of Pixar’s later films have even bigger emotional impacts.

Current ranking: 1/3

Move over Toy Story 1, we have a new front-runner.

1. Toy Story 2

2. Toy Story

3. A Bug’s Life

#pixar #toy story 2

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flynnspeaks · 7 years

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Flynn Marathons Doctor Who, Part II

Rounding out the rest of Season 1:

Marco Polo: Oof. This one was rough. So this was my first actual reconstruction (I’ve listened to a good majority of the missing Hartnell stories on audio, but never sat through a recon), and let me tell you “Marco Polo” is a terrible story to have to view that way, given how much it depends on its lush imagery to carry essentially seven episodes of meandering. I do wonder how much of this would be enlivened by being able to watch Derren Nesbit as Tegana (much in the same way “The Aztecs” is enlivened by John Ringham’s Tlotoxl) and in fairness there’s a lot of individual moments of charm scattered about the serial--the Doctor bonding with Genghis Khan over rheumatism is delightful, for example. But it’s so very little in such a long story.

The Keys of Marinus: Okay, so objectively I know this is terrible, but I can’t help but absolutely love it anyways. This is really where Doctor Who gets cemented as a completely ridiculous display of fantastic concepts and for that alone it earns my high regard. I always enjoy Nation best when he’s in his “completely balmy” mode of writing (see also: every subsequent Nation script written for Hartnell) rather than his “repeat “The Daleks” the bajillionth time” mode (see: every Nation story written after Hartnell), and I adore so many of the ideas on display here--the brains with eye stalks! The acid sea! The weird gimp suits!

About the only real drawback is this is where Susan gets irrevocably ruined as a companion--though in fairness this has as much to do with Lucarotti writing her as a normal teenage girl in both “Marco Polo” and “The Aztecs”. It’s such a shame, because there’s so much promise with this character, and it only ever gets realized in like...four stories in her entire tenure? Such a disappointment.

The Aztecs: This didn’t hold up for me as much as I thought it would. This used to be one of the high watermarks of the Hartnell era for me, and now I find it kind of sluggish. The whole premise of Barbara trying to reform the Aztecs is, as argued elsewhere, problematic as hell, and the time travel stuff really feels very old hat. It’s also not particularly well-structured--I’ve argued before that the episodic structure of the classic series paces best when each episode is clearly distinct (“Keys of Marinus” is a good example of both sides--it zips by until it spends multiple episodes on the coutroom shit, at which point it halts to a stop), and “The Aztecs” spends a lot of time repeating the same events--the Doctor flirts with Cameca, Barbara spars with Tlotoxl, Ian fights that one dude like three fucking times, etc.

All that being said, there really is a lot of good here, and it’s easy to see why the serial is so well-liked. This marks the first time I think in the entire show where we’ve had a really solid supporting cast--Cameca and Autloc are wonderfully well-rounded characters (I love Autloc leaving at the end for personal discovery), and Ringham as Tlotoxl is delightful--easily one of the best guest actors in a Who serial (though we should put an asterisk on that point given the obvious issues of whitewashing), and he invigorates most every scene he’s in. Is it ham, yes, but such good ham.

And then of course there’s the scenes with Barbara and the Doctor, which are so great--I so wish we could’ve gotten a serial at some point that was only those two travelling together--and the scenes with the Doctor and Cameca are just charming. It’s a good thing the Doctor gets more comedy later on, because Hartnell shines in the cocoa scene. And I love the detail of the Doctor keeping the token from Cameca at the end. So, all in all--not one of my favorites anymore, but still a hell of a lot of good here.

The Sensorites: I love this one. For my money this is one of the underrated gems of the Hartnell era--especially for how foundational it ends up being in giving us sympathetic monsters. Susan is finally used to good end here, though it’s a shame to see her psychic powers go away at the end, and the story is really well-structured--they’re able to pace the episodes nicely by focusing initially on the human crew and then moving to the Sensorites, so we never spend more time than we need to with each set of characters. It falls apart a bit at the end, essentially waiting two episodes for the evil Sensorite to be caught, but then what six-parter so far hasn’t fallen apart in the last two episodes?

Apart from that the only galling things are the fact this was obviously Jaqueline Hill’s vacation story so Barbara’s missing for most of the serial, and then the really bad ending where the Doctor gets mad at Ian for no reason, but I think we can solidly blame that point on the next story. This one’s just solidly a really good example of the show starting to find itself in its first season.

The Reign of Terror: Well, I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. Politically it’s of course garbage, making a complete hash of the French Revolution, but other more well-informed people have expounded on this, so I’ll leave it be (except to say it’s so fucking weird to see the Doctor casts on the side of loyalists). Susan and Barbara are treated terribly, mostly ending up damsels or the subject of intense leering from every other male character. The comedy rarely works, and the whole thing is entirely misbegotten. It’s a tossup between this and “Marco Polo” for worst story of Season 1, though the edge probably goes to this one for its politics (which, I stress, really are terrible).

All that being said, though...The episode is surprisingly well-structured and pacy--The show’s beginning to figure out that if it splits the companions up it’s able to expand the amount of plot it can tell, though at times this manifests itself merely as “watch Ian have to find the other three in order for the plot to progress”. I’m actually rather charmed by the Doctor walking through France to have little mini-encounters--it’s a nice way of expanding the world without feeling like too much of a digression. Above all though, what stands out to me is how much this is clearly from the future script editor that would give us “The Time Meddler” and much of the better parts of “Dalek’s Master Plan”--Spooner ends up being a very sharp writer for the show, and there are elements of that in “Reign”, most obviously in the surprise turn of Lemaitre at the end. And even though the comedy doesn’t work here, it ends up paving the way for a more workable take on the historical that will eventually give us Donald Cotten’s contributions, which I personally am incredibly thankful for.

Ultimately, I’m inclined to treat this as the first step for a future important contributor to Doctor Who--much in the same way “Space Pirates” is a first (well, second) step for Robert Holmes, though Spooner is obviously nowhere near his level of importance. It’s pretty terrible, but there are worse first scripts to be had (except for the politics. Again, they are awful here). I do adore that ending scene something fierce, though.

On to Season 2!

#flynn marathons doctor who #doctor who #classic wh #first doctor

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johnsellph · 4 years

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Book Review: Colombia Es Pasión

“Colombia Es Pasión” by Matt Rendell

A biography of several Colombian cyclists as well as the story of modern Colombian cycling and Colombia itself, this book will enrich your understanding of many of today’s top riders and how they got to where they are today.

Rendell wrote “Kings of the Mountains” in 2003 which explains more of Colombia’s early cycling history, that is if you can get your hands on it, as it is out of print and scarce second-hand copies trade at a premium. Now “Colombia Es Pasión” is the story of today’s generation, a biography of contemporary Colombian riders plus Richard Carapaz, the Ecuadorian who was raised on the porous border and did much of his early racing in Colombia.

Did you know Miguel Angel Lopez is nicknamed “Superman” because he fought off attackers who tried to steal his bike? That Esteban Chaves had a near-miraculous recovery from crash injuries? That Rigoberto Uran’s father was murdered? That Nairo Quintana campaigns on rural rights? That Alvaro Hodeg’s surname should be Hodge as he’s descended from a Scotsman? That Egan Bernal started out mountain biking? If you didn’t, then this book will tell you these stories and plenty more. If you did, this book will give you all the detail. Take the example of Lopez, the book explains he was on his mountain bike to buy credit for his phone when two men set on him and he fought them off, it then tells how he struggled to get medical attention for the knife wound, going from clinic to hospital until one finally took him in and in this tale we have part of Lopez’s legend but also a story of Colombia from bandits trying to rob a child’s bike to to weak healthcare, the micro and macro. Such detail evokes Rendell’s “The Death of Marco Pantani” but that was forensic like a post mortem, in “Colombia Es Pasión” the detail just enriches the story and signals the author has done their research on the ground rather than recycle press cuttings into book.

Several themes run throughout. A chapter about a rider often cites the family finca and what they grow (sugar cane, maize for the machete-wielding Dani Martinez; potatoes, onions, sweetcorn, peas, beans, fava and haricot for Miguel Angel Lopez; maize, beans, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, wheat and barley for Darwin Atapuma’s family, maize, potatoes, beams, peas, tamarillo and arracacha for Fernando Gaviria’s grandfather) but it’s rarely bucolic, volatile crop prices can be ruinous while rebels and paramilitaries are a regular threat to livelihoods and life.

Ethnicity and skin tone are referenced, outwardly we see riders under the Colombian flag, sometimes we know riders come from rival regions like Boyaca or Antioquia but they’re not homogeneous, Quintana’s mother is a muysca, an indigenous people, Atapuma is a proud pasto. Alvaro Hodeg Chagui is descended from Scottish and Syrian ancestors.

It’s become common to think Colombia confers advantage on its cyclists thanks to the effects of high altitude but read this and it’s a constant story of disadvantage. Many of today’s stars start racing on old bikes, there’s no vintage charm, just heavy iron and many struggled for cycling kit. Darwin Atapuma has to decide between his cow and a new bike, a modern version of Jack and the Bean Stalk:

Darwin has a cow and weaning calf at the finca… But Darwin faces a dilemma. He needs light, modern racing bike. Without it, his chances of winning the 2004 Vuelta del Porvenir, the national stage race for seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds, will be slim. But if he sells his cow, he disposes of his only source of income.

Egan Bernal’s parents flee a violent, impoverished barrio for another where “the roads were still unpaved, and their house lacked a roof and floors, but the move represented a small but significant step up”. Rigoberto Uran’s father is murdered and he becomes the family breadwinner as a teenager, a brutal case but several other star riders spend their early years toiling on farms or starting work before dawn loading trucks with produce before school. What’s startling is how recent much of this is, the rider you saw in team kit on a €10,000 bike last year may well have been picking strawberries for €1.50 a day a few years before.

As Rendell explains the concepts of childhood and adolescence are vague in Colombia. Riders and their families are often campesinos, peasants. The word shares its linguistic roots with campeón, champion. The resilience needed to cope with this difficulty perhaps explains the popularity of cycling in Colombia, the hours of outdoor work, the patience. It certainly gives many of these Colombian cyclists a sense of perspective and Nairo Quintana’s journey from Cómbita to Monaco is measured in more than the circumference of 9,000km.

There’s an element of survivor bias here. The stars we see atop podiums obscure the plenty who didn’t make it, perhaps equally talented but their bikes broke, they crashed, or traffic accidents took their toll and most often they and their entourage could never raise the pesos needed to travel to a race. Here Colombia’s cycling federation doesn’t come out of the book well, far from Quintana or Bernal being the peak of a broad pyramid, they seem to resemble the angel atop a drooping, barren Christmas tree. Escaping Colombia sounds essential, as to stay is to risk falling into the seemingly rampant domestic doping scene where testing is rare, Oscar Sevilla keeps winning, and according to one claim in the book positive tests could be suppressed for a cash payment. If riders have made it to the top it’s often despite the formal institutions. When President Santos congratulated Colombian riders for their display in the 2016 Tour de France, Winner Anacona replied they did it with little help from others:

volveremos por+,porq nos hemos hecho SOLOS en este bonito y duro deport con la ayuda de pocos.

— Winner Anacona (@wian88) July 23, 2016

Rendell is an evangelist for Colombia. A background story is Colombia’s path towards peace and prosperity, it’s gone from a place to be avoided to one where you might like to ride. There’s affection to the riders, they’re referred to by their first names and especially “Nairo” can do no wrong, the controversy over his Giro-winning move over the snowy Stelvio in 2014 is down to confusion by the race organisers and whipped up by rival teams; his stale period of late at Movistar as if he had no power in picking his race programme but read and you’ll be sympathetic to him, even the section of the crowd that accuses him of being passive in races might warm to him given the obstacles he’s overcome.

Being greedy you’re left wanting even more, for example to learn more about how Colombians follow cycling in the media and what place cycle sport holds in the country today, do people still listen to radio broadcasts while toiling in the fields or do they “consume” cycling via Rigoberto Uran’s Instagram feed? Or are there two very different classes now? This change is touched on at the end as brands stake out the climb of Las Palmas during the Tour Colombia.

Colombia Es Pasión was marketing slogan created to brand Colombian exports and you wonder if the book title is right, does “passion” match the story of riders escaping a weary, insecure land? Perhaps it’s the writer’s passion? Then you think of all the volunteers, the people running clubs in their spare time, the coaches paid a pittance to keep kids busy and here’s the passion, this quiet network that has helped export these riders and create mini-ambassadors to promote Colombia. Luis Saldarriaga stands out, the book reads like a tribute to him.

The Verdict Enjoyable, authentic and thorough, “Colombia Es Pasión” tells the story of several Colombian cyclists, of modern Colombian cycling and through them, the recent story of a nation.

Sometimes the publishing industry can work backwards, “Va Va Froome” felt pumped out in time for Chris Froome’s first Tour win and other books feel timed to meet forecast demand for themes and anniversaries but Colombia Es Pasión doesn’t feel like a reaction to the rise of Egan Bernal, Nairo Quintana or Fernando Gaviria, it’s more a labour of love and much the better for it. It’s an easy read, the biographies of each rider each tell interweaving stories and bring some pace to the book, prior cycling knowledge helps but it doesn’t get bogged down on background politics and conflicts which are probably not what the cycling audience came for. It retails for £20 in the UK, pricey, but worth reading for all the insight it contains, it’s a volume of several biographies that will give a deeper appreciation of today’s Colombian cyclists and their journeys.

Colombia Es Pasión is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson/Orion and available in hardback, electronic and audiobook versions

Book Review: Colombia Es Pasión published first on https://motocrossnationweb.weebly.com/

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