#it's so cool because on one hand it's an obvious deconstruction of the superhero genre

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: A Haunting in Venice

In the landscape of cinema these days, its all about the action packed superhero genre and not really about the smaller and more intimate stories. In the right hands, the smaller and more human based stories can be something special and this franchise continues to be just that. Agatha Christie's famed detective is back and I was genuinely excited because of the amazingly crafted and fun previous film entries. This time around we get something a little more spooky in the famous murder mystery series and it is perfect for the Halloween season. Seriously, think about how many murder mystery films come out around this time that are perfectly themed for the occasion. Not many are and that is why I was surprised by it. There were moments where some of the characters felt a little cartoonish because of the accents, but it was part of the charm. The characters are as rich as expected and all of them have a distinct part to play which felt essential and perfect.

Kenneth Branagh returns once again as Hercule Peroit and he continues to be so much fun to watch. His charisma and immediate attention to detail is always exciting to witness. I loved that with each entry we get to see the layers of Hercule and this time we get to see a side of him that is lonely and somewhat painful. It doesn't take long for his analytical brain to start working and when he's on the case, nobody is safe. His witty remarks and analogies were hilarious and deep cutting. Tina Fey joins the series as a fellow detective and famous friend of Hercule, Ariadne Oliver. The chemistry and banter between was fun to watch and even though her part to play in this story was a bit obvious, it was still cool to see it all deconstructed. Her accent was a bit all over the place at times as you could hear her restraining from sounding like the typically exaggerated 1940's dame. Riccardo Scamarcio was awesome and intimidating as his personal bodyguard, Vitale Portfoglio. I enjoyed his steadfast nature and his connection to Hercule. Jamie Dornan was great and endearing as Dr. Leslie Ferrier. His depiction of PTSD from World War 2 is something I haven't seen before during that time period and was refreshing. Jude Hill was outstanding as his son Leopold. The amount of insight and maturity the kid has in the most extreme situations was astounding and masterfully handled. Kelly Reilly is always wonderful to watch and as Rowena Drake, she delivers an emotionally charged performance that is layered and intense. Michelle Yeoh was excellent as Joyce Reynolds and she truly sets off the supernatural nature of the story. I liked that she was consistent for the most part, but there was one scene that really showed her hand and it was a bit disappointing. Emma Laird and Ali Khan were great as her assistants Desdemona and Nicholas Holland. They had your typical story of wanting a better life, but there is a fun twist that happens with them. Kyle Allen was good as Maxime Gerard and I liked that even though he was antagonistic, he had a sense of humanity that comes to light in the latter half of the film. Camille Cottin was good and steadfast in her faith as Olga Seminoff. I liked that she was the most honest person in the film and even though she had plenty of motive, she stayed true in the face of danger.

The score by the wonderful Hildur Guðnadóttir was excellent and haunting in the best way. She nails that slow and creepy build to the horror elements of the story and keeps the emotional beats strong when characters are talking about the victims. Visually the film is gorgeous with the use of shadows and lanterns. I always loved the look of eroided stone walls and classicly painted murals. From beginning to end, this was a fun and spooky murder mystery that dabbles in the supernatural without being overly cheesy and keeps that same quality of storytelling that started with Murder on the Orient Express. I genuinely enjoy these films and I can't wait for another mystery for Hercule to solve. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

#a haunting in venice #kenneth branagh #tina fey #jamie dornan #michelle yeoh #kelly reilly #camille cottin #kyle allen #jude hill #riccardo scamarcio

[the-rockers]

Man Invincible is so fucking good. It's also extremely brutal. Like, to a jarring degree. Episode 1 still haunts me. If you can tolerate gore please watch Invincible.

#fucking crazy good #invincible #it's so cool because on one hand it's an obvious deconstruction of the superhero genre #and it parodies the formula that a lot of superhero comics / tv / movies rely on #but on the other hand #it's a love letter to superhero comics! #robert kirkman isn't some grouchy cynic! he's a dude with stuff to say about the thing he likes! #season 1 was so good i might just start reading the comics lol

[neurodiversenerd]

Madoka Magica’s Beautiful Queerness

I must confess: Puella Magi Madoka Magica is my all-time favorite anime and manga.

I first got into anime when I was 8, sitting down in front of the TV gleefully watching Sailor Moon swinging her sparkly wands around and declaring justice against monster after monster. I’d heard of it from somewhere on the internet, and upon asking my dad, he described it as a story about “a girl who turns into a superhero.” I’d later learn there were countless shows like Naoko Tekuchi’s classic, all falling under the aptly named “Magical Girl” genre.

To be frank, I’m not licensed to talk about Magical Girls as, by being white, I lack that cultural context to fully analyze the common tropes of these kinds of media. As such, I will NOT be talking about Magical Girls as a genre or about how Madoka Magica and Sailor Moon changed it. However, Sailor Moon was what kicked off my interest and from there on out, I sought out other similar anime and stumbled upon something… different.

That was when I came upon Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Unlike many unfortunate (and mentally scarred) fans of the surprisingly dark deconstruction, I was lucky enough to read the Wikipedia article on it and have some foreknowledge on its mature themes. I didn’t actually end up reading or watching the series then and there, and almost forgot about it until the first 3 volumes of the manga appeared in my school’s library.

I’ll admit; I mostly checked it out because of the sparkly rainbow covers, but briefly I remembered that all was not what it seemed. As much as I love girly fluff, I’m also really into psychological horror, and Madoka Magica delivered both.

PMMM follows Madoka Kaname and her friends as they make contracts with an alien cat called Kyubey, allowing them to obtain magical powers and a wish for their souls. Each of the girls realizes, though, that this contract is far more dangerous and sinister than they thought, and that Kyubey may not be fully honest about his actual motivations. It starts out adorable, but then in episode 3, a dark twist quickly turns this innocent show into an emotional and horrifying thrill ride.

The manga’s beautiful art and readability got me obsessed, and I ended up picking up the spinoff manga series and watching the 12-episode anime. Each of course, was equally magical and fantastic, only making me love this fictional universe more. The characters were incredibly human and had a depth that made me care for them, and the series managed to perfectly balance and contrast both its horrific and heartwarming moments. That’s not even mentioning the plot, which was unpredictable and enjoyably surprising, with a perfect ending.

By and large, though, my favorite thing about Madoka Magica was how beautifully queer the story was. The show has been criticized for queerbaiting and pulling out some problematic tropes, as the relationships admittedly are not as obvious as they could be, but upon watching it’s blatant that the main girls are anything but straight. Despite the flaws of this representation, the story manages overall to create an enjoyable narrative about the lives of these girls and the relationships between them.

When the series starts, we first get to know shy, pink-haired Madoka and her spunky, blue-haired best friend Sayaka. In the first episode, a romantic relationship is already teased between the girls, Sayaka hugging Madoka and explicitly calling Madoka her wife.

Sayaka and Madoka are unfortunately something of a rare-pair in the fandom, but their relationship is so genuinely wholesome and loving during the series that it’s a surprise that not many people ship them. They can be seen holding hands and supporting each other through whatever comes, and up until episode 8 they are together through everything.

Sayaka is unashamed to tell Madoka everything she’s feeling, and both are motivated mostly by protecting each other. Unfortunately, they have a falling out because of Sayaka’s increasing distress about her contract, but this is eventually resolved when they are brought back together at the end of the series.

These two aren’t the only couple hinted at, either.

When a new girl, Homura, transfers to Madoka and Sayaka’s class, Sayaka develops somewhat of a crush and remarks about how beautiful Homura is. This is quickly overwritten when Sayaka and Homura become more antagonistic, though.

After Homura joins the cast, Madoka and Sayaka are saved from a “witch” (the monster contracted girls must fight) by a girl named Mami. Both Madoka and Sayaka become fast friends with Mami, both talking a little too much about how “cool” they think she is.

While fighting another witch and alone with Madoka, Mami reveals that she struggles with loneliness and what could even be read as symptoms of mental illness. Madoka responds by holding hands with her, comforting Mami and reminding her that she isn’t alone. Mami then calls the two of them “a magical girl duo,” and monologues about the newfound emotions she feels about her companionship with Madoka. Note that this is only on episode 3 out of a 12-episode anime!

This beautiful moment of non-heterosexuality, though, is again unfortunately brief. Mami becomes careless and is killed by the witch she intended to defeat, leaving Madoka and Sayaka scarred. This is of course, somewhat problematic, given that Mami’s death could be read as an incident of bury your gays. The series does seem to invoke this with the characters’ deaths, and I will concede that I can’t exactly justify this especially since it really seems to take a while to even confirm that character’s queerness. Even so, the deaths are relevant to the plot and drive the story, so avoiding the characters’ demise would actually hinder the story and the message it attempts to deliver.

After Mami dies, the start of Sayaka’s primary arc begins. It’s hinted that Sayaka may have had some deeper feelings for Mami than she shows. She regrets that she didn’t make a contract in time to save her, and fights (and dies) to model how Mami used to. Most of how Sayaka acts from this point forward is in memory of Mami, which is both beautiful and tragic for her character. It’s a testament to the queer undertones of the show that Sayaka is willing to fight in honor of the girl she loved.

Another character named Kyouko is introduced as an antagonist, another one of the “magical girls.” She fights with Sayaka over witch hunting territory, and their philosophical disagreements on how to kill the monsters make them at odds with each other. Despite this, there’s an aspect of Foe Yay to how they interact with each other.

It’s revealed that Kyubey takes a girl’s soul when she makes a contract with him, causing Sayaka to fall off the deep end, while Kyouko begins to see herself in Sayaka and tries to rescue her before it’s too late. Kyouko’s character goes from a villainous one to that of someone who pushes other people away because of their fear of abandonment, supported by what she experienced prior to the series.

She wished for her father’s church to become popular again after he was excommunicated, but once he discovered that his daughter is what he labels a witch, Kyouko is outcast and her family dies by her father’s hand. Her story is reminiscent of the rejection that some queer youth face when they come out to bigoted religious family and can be read as metaphorical for that predicament.

Unfortunately, the series pulls a “bury your gays” moment yet again. It turns out that magical girls are only contracted so they too can turn into witches and so Kyubey can gather energy for his civilization based off this transformation. Sayaka, unable to cope with all the pain that comes with being a magical girl, turns into a witch when she becomes too filled with despair. Kyouko attempts to restore her original form but fails, destroying herself and Sayaka’s witch so that they can be together in death.

It's a sad ending for Kyouko and Sayaka, but it does strangely add more subtext to their relationship considering that they get to a point where they would literally die for each other. The song “And I’m Home” by Wowaka also plays after their deaths, which is a love song between the two of them expressing how despite their sadness, they’ve found safety in each other. During the song, a still image of them holding hands underwater, as if they’re drowning together, is pictured.

Madoka and Homura then become the couple most alluded to during the final 4 episodes of the series. Homura tells Madoka that an apocalypse-wreaking witch is coming to their town, and that she’s been going back in time using her magic to save Madoka from that witch, or to stop Madoka from becoming a witch herself.

Episode 10 is arguably the best episode of the series, where we see the various timelines Homura has lived through and how she bonds with Madoka every time. Madoka and Homura’s relationship during these periods are sadly brushed off as “friendship,” but Homura’s dedication to saving Madoka and Madoka’s willingness to die for Homura in several timelines alludes to something much deeper.

The best scene from this episode is by far when both Madoka and Homura are about to become witches and the two make a promise to destroy the world together as monsters. These two are perfectly willing to fall right beside each other, but when Madoka is able to save Homura from her fate at the last minute, Homura is forced to kill Madoka before she becomes a witch and reset again. The scene is heartbreaking and is really when Homura begins to drastically change compared to the other timelines.

Episode 11 features what’s basically Homura’s confession of love to Madoka, wherein she promises to keep Madoka safe at all costs and embraces her. When the giant witch finally attacks in episode 12, Madoka runs out into the ruins of the city to save Homura, and finally decides what to wish for to become a magical girl.

These final moments of episode 12 are particularly beautiful and filled with things that cannot be brushed away with simple friendship. Madoka wishes to erase witches, and through loopholes in the rules of the magical girl contract, is able to ascend to godhood and save every last magical girl from witch-hood. She basically rewrites the universe in her ideals but has to say goodbye to Homura as she leaves earth.

Madoka calls Homura her “very best friend” and gives Homura her hair ribbons to remember her by. Oh, and did I mention that during this time they’re hugging and naked in space? Yeah. Just gals being pals.

This ending is emotional, cathartic and gives a depressing series a strangely happy ending. Other than the naked space hugging (*suggestive eye raising*), it also summarizes the queer themes built up through the series.

The character Kyubey, an alien who uses these girls to his own advantage, manipulates them and profits off of their despair and personal trust. Many people have written about how he could be metaphorically read as an entitled man who views women as objects and resources to be used. Considering that queer women in today’s society are particularly marginalized due to how cishet men often feel entitled to fetishize and marginalize their gender and sexuality, the subtext in Madoka Magical also plays into this.

When Madoka finally manipulates and one-up’s Kyubey for a change, Kyubey is shocked because of what he doesn’t anticipate. From him predicting Kyouko’s death to his original contract with Homura, Kyubey has used the girls’ love for each other as a weapon against them as many straight men do towards queer and trans women. He doesn’t expect Madoka’s love for Homura and for her friends to win over him, and it creates a fantastic ending because of how Madoka’s love is literally able to rewrite the universe. Yeah, gay love saves the world.

One of the key ideas of the show is the relationship of hope and despair, but the emotion of love can easily be included in either, so even though Kyubey can tip the balance of hope and despair he is incapable of doing anything to the love the girls feel for each other. Though he can weaponize it, as shown by Madoka’s wish he is never fully able to erase it. What gives Madoka the hope to continue standing against Kyubey is nothing but the love she’s felt between herself and her (more than) friends.

The whole of Madoka Magica can even be read as Madoka’s coming out story. In the beginning, she’s shy and unsure of herself. Sayaka is blissfully ignorant to the pain of the world (metaphors for discrimination), and Mami is lonely because she’s set apart as a “magical girl.” Kyouko was also rejected due to religion.

The girls are eventually all taken by the whims of Kyubey and his need to use them, but even so they find solace in their relationships with each other. Madoka witnesses these events and gains a full understanding of what it means to be a magical girl, and instead of giving up, chooses to hope for a better world and actively change it.

But the story is also arguably about Madoka falling in love with Homura and gaining strength from the experience. In the end, she literally becomes a goddess when she embraces herself and defies Kyubey’s (and society’s) expectations.

Madoka Magica isn’t perfect. Bury your gays, and almost canon subtext are features that fall under queerbaiting and are somewhat problematic. Beneath it all, though, Madoka Magica is a great story about a group of queer girls of color opposing a system built against them. It’s got flaws, and more steps need to be taken so that the series improves in this manner, but Madoka Magica is a good start and I hope that the 4th Madoka movie will continue to improve its LGBT themes and perhaps even explicitly confirm the relationships.

Until then, I’d highly recommend Madoka Magica for its storytelling, animation, and it’s beautiful (if not perfect) queerness.

#madoka magica #puella magi madoka magica #pmmm #sayaka miki #kyouko sakura #kyoko sakura #mami tomoe #homura akemi #godoka #madokami #madoka kaname #manga #anime #fangirl #fandom #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbt+ #lgbtq+ #queer #tw: queer #tw: homophobi #tw: homophobia #tw: q slur #feminism #intersectional feminism #analysis #spoilers #spoiler warning

[vivace-joyous]

The Umbrella Academy 1x04-7

This was a good crop of episodes... for a drama tv show. I just finished episode 7 and the one thought I had was “These people really like to talk about their powers a lot. But like... not actually use them.” 

For real, Allison hasn’t used her power ONCE. I mean, episode 8 is titled “I Heard A Rumor” so like!!!!!! but like I wish the show had did more physical gags as an excuse for them to use their powers. Yea, I like how they are shaping Klaus’ individual character arc with his struggle to control his powers with drug abuse but now wants to control his powers but must first get over drug addiction to do so. I LOVE THAT but like... man wouldn’t it be cool if that was done for everyone? Like more fight scenes to show off Luther and Diego’s powers? They don’t have a problem with showing off Five’s powers. Why can’t they do they with the others? I feel that this show is supposed to be more of a DECONSTRUCTION of the superhero narratives than something that falls into the conventions of the genre. The characters talk about their powers a lot. But those conversations tend with them implying that they hate their powers The story supports this in how their father abused them BECAUSE of their powers. And the overall story arc appears to be the team learning about how they should use their powers because they can do such great things with them. (With I hope a point made that even tho that might be true, that does not excuse their father’s abuse). But yeah, this show keeps repeating the theme of “the burden of being a hero” especially with how the rest of the team reacts to Diego’s vigilantism and Luther’s steadfast faith to their father’s mission. “Why do I have to save the world?” But like.... okay you SAID that. You KEEP saying that. But we also have a ticking clock to literal doomsday. How we gon wrap this up? And then episode 7 comes along! 

Okay, I really like the combination of episode 6 and 7 are so cool with the whole “rewind of a day”. I felt like we really got to sink our teeth into all of the characters (cept Allison...). I am starting to feel a lot more invested in them and what they go through. I still feel like the main driving force of the show however is the plot, not the characterization. But the characters are getting more interesting, overall, and I really enjoy that. 

I didn’t mention Hazel and Cha-Cha in my first review but OMG they are really great antagonists! I love their personalities, their chemistry, their aesthetic, their character arcs. I always appreciate a well-defined villain and these two deliver. I ALWAYS love when we cut to them. Honestly, I wish the show was based around them more often. They get the bulk of the action scenes anyways!!

Let’s talk about the individual characters.

1) Luther: yeah yeah he has def got more interesting to me. I like how it is canon in both timelines that he finds out his father sent him to the moon to essentially rot away out of site. Which wow fuck lol okay goddamn. I’m glad we have a solid backstory as into why he looks like that and it wasn’t just some odd aesthetic choice. Cause like... yeah it just seemed bizarre and out of place to everything in the show. And damn they erased him and Allison dancing and kissing? I mean... is it incest if they were both adopted? Like... they were raised more like colleagues than siblings? So it isn’t weird him and Allison totally wanna fuck? Cause I don’t find it too weird? But part of me feels like I should... idunno

2) Diego: YUMMY sorry your hetero girlfriend died :/ wanna be into dudes now? And CAN THEY GIVE HIM A FUCKING FIGHT SCENE?????? Also, loved his dumbass just crashing through the glass door! So funny!

3) Allison: She’s... she’s boring... I... she is the type to get her hands dirty. So she wouldn’t be running around and doing dumb shit like Diego and Five. But like... ugh. I just wish her personal character flaw was relevant to her character arc. Because I don’t feel like she has a personal character arc. Her character feels only to exist within relation to the other characters. I can’t define her by realizing something about her self. I just wanna she her do her powers... I understand why she doesn’t. But ugh. I mean, let’s see for episode 8 now. 

4) Klaus: these writers are giving Robert Sheehan ALL the good story material. All these beautiful acting scenes. These character scenarios. His arc. Like WOW they do not pull the stops when it comes to crafting his story. Him, Five, and Hazel/Cha-Cha are my faves to cut to from episode to episode. Can’t wait to see what his greater potential would be beyond his powers. I mean... it’s Robert fucking Sheehan. You always want more of him and so I want more and more of Klaus! But ugh why does Dave have to be the most basic looking white boy. I... ugh no. Really? Just straight mayo.

5) Five: BEST OF THE WHOLE FAMILY. ACTUALLY DOES COOL SHIT. HOLY SHIT IS THIS LITTLE KID PLAYING THE FUCK OUT OF THAT PART. LET’S FUCKING STOP THE END OF THE WORLD.

6)Ben:...............? Can’t give him a story? Really? He’s just to serve as a side character to Klaus? Even though his death is what caused the group to break apart in the first place??? LIKE?????? Y’all haven’t seen each other in years BECAUSE of him and y’all don’t talk about it? Mourn? Don’t give me “he died years ago” I mean I still feel like that wound would open up upon being together again. That reminder of why you decided not to associate with these people anymore. Like....... okay

7) Vanya: I feel like the whole “you have a secret power” thing is kinda obvious? Idunno. But it also got spoiled for me on tumblr so thanks for that >.> But like yeah, I’m enjoying what they are doing with her storyline. It seems that Harold may do something to her to cause the apocalypse to happen. Sooooo.... can’t wait to see that unfold!!

#the umbrella academy #netflix