#sure they are main stream and their music is in so many movies and shows but

[alkibiadessuperfan]

I have to say it: I love imagine dragons and this whole hate train saying they are cringe and making fun of people for liking them is so stupid.

#they seem like cool people #they often speak out on their support for the lgbtq community #i went to their concert last year and had the best time #not one second did I feel unsafe #they managed the crowd greatly #their music makes you feel like a action/fantasy/distopia main character #sure their style never really did smth different but?? is that a crime?? #no #they just do their style #sure they are main stream and their music is in so many movies and shows but #im sorry they never disappointed lmfao #they ate it up every single time #from on top of the world for the croods to zero in wreck in ralph to enemy in arcane #ate that up #i fear they are allergic to not making a song fit for main characters #ldkfögldkrgl #ok #imagine dragons #had to let that out #music #rock #pop #imagine dragons hate #arcane #wreck it ralph

[nicejewishcharactershowdown]

Nice Jewish Character Showdown 2023 - Round Two Eliminations

Another round has passed, one I'd liken to a bloodbath, and we're down to 8 competitors in the race for the NJCS 2023 title. Before the quarterfinal votes go live, let's check in with those disqualified contestants and discuss what makes them such Nice Jewish Characters.

Match One Elimination: Cristina Yang, Grey's Anatomy Probably the most well-known Asian Jew in television, Cristina Yang is canonically Jewish, thanks to her step-father who raised her in it (her mother converted). Grey's has a weird relationship with Judaism, like a lot of medical dramas, but it definitely gets points for the rare and definitely appreciated look at how diverse the Jewish population is.

Match Two Elimination: Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof It's the quintessential Jewish musical, it's one of the main reasons we've seen a shtetl-core resurgence, it's Fiddler! It was definitely the match-up of the dads this time around, and as much as I love this man, his success rate in reference to loving and supporting his daughters is, well... not a perfect score. Thank you Sholem Aleichem for the original stories, thank you Chaim Topol for your iconic portrayal in the movie, alongside Zero Mostel, Leonard Nimoy (yes, Nimoy played Tevye for a bit!), Alfred Molina, Harvey Fierstein, Danny Burstein, and many, many more. Nothing truly hits like being a Jew in the diaspora and watching Fiddler. Still bummed I haven't had a chance to see Yiddler, the Yiddish remount. (Oh, and Fiddler tends to be free on Youtube, so if you haven't seen it before -- or want to revisit Anatevka, treat yourself!)

Match Three Elimination: Rebecca Bunch, Crazy Ex Girlfriend *hits top of a car* this baby can fit so many song titles from CEXG in it When looking for representation, it can often feel like no one else is singing your song. Sure, there are the characters whose Judaism is restricted to reminding you that we've suffered, or who become props for some Christmas Special. But then we get a gem in the rough, a girl in love, a Jewish American Princess who moves across the country to follow a former summer camp crush. Crazy Ex Girlfriend was a rarity, and the four season run blessed us with a lot of quality television, and something even rarer -- a multidimensional Jewish lead. If you haven't had a chance to meet Rebecca, the entire show is available to stream on Netflix. And yes, when I realized how much she was losing this round, this song was on loop in my brain. Apologies to Rachel Bloom and the rest of the CEXG team, I seriously thought you'd sweep this thing. What a twisted fate.

Match Four Elimination: Lily Moscovitz, The Princess Diaries Oh, Lily, I think the internet misunderstands you more often than not these days. But to ignore your Jewishness is an absolute faux pas, whether you're looking at the movies or the much more blatantly Jewish representation you get in the books. Seriously though, I can think of at least a handful of Jewish girls I grew up with who remind me of the headstrong public access host. Side note -- to all the girlies who grew up hating their curly hair because of the nightmare of a makeover Mia got, I'm right there with you, and we'll get through this together. Honestly, I think there's something to be said about Jew-coding's relationship with makeover scenes, but we don't have the time for that right now.

Match Five Elimination: Francine Frensky, Arthur I've mentioned before how I grew up on public access television, so is it any surprise when I say that Francine was (probably) the first time I saw myself on television? Even if it didn't come up a lot outside of holiday episodes (at least in the seasons that aired when I watched), Francine's Judaism felt recognizable. Plus, if you told her she was just token representation, she'd probably sock you in the face. Oh, and something I found while researching -- THE GOLEM IS A PLOT POINT IN A HALLOWEEN EPISODE?! Seriously, props to PBS.

Match Six Elimination: Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off Finding good representation in any 80's movie is going to be an uphill battle, considering well. The 80's-ness of it all. So when looking for a good Jewish character, it's much easier to default back to the transitive property of Jewish media (art made by Jews being Jewish by way of their perspective being translated into the text). Since Matthew Broderick, Ferris himself, is Jewish, who's to say the most beloved delinquent of his era isn't too? Plus, he's a stock standard rebel against restrictive institutions. Listen, I have the original Footloose on my coded Jewish representation Letterboxd list, I have no room to judge. *Points to Ferris* That's a NJB right there.

Match Seven Elimination: Truman Burbank, The Truman Show Speaking of my coded Jewish representation Letterboxd list, this movie SCREAMS Judaism to me. Come on -- it's so critical of Christianity that it almost falls backwards into Judaism. Free will in spite of a higher power? Disagreeing with authority so much that you flee your home, your world, your reality? Helps that his hometown is so heavily designed after post-war 50's suburbia, which has its own relationship with being Jewish. So is Truman Jewish? I think he can be -- watch the movie and make the call for yourself. It's a classic for a reason, and I won't rob you of the experience.

Match Eight Elimination: Wall-E, Wall-E Wall-E, my robot blorbo, the most Guy of any Pixar protagonist -- what makes him Jewish? He loves Barbra Streisand, collects tcotchkes, and is relentlessly working to make the world better, even if he's the only one still doing it (tikkun olam has NEVER seen a cuter mascot).

#post round analysis #nice jewish character showdown round two #nice jewish character showdown 2023 #nice jewish character showdown

[whatcolorissaturn]

Godzilla minus one is (maybe?) The best movie I've ever seen

Anyways, I've been meaning to talk about this movie for a while bc I have some things to say. The movie is insanely good and at the very least the best movie I've seen in years. Genuinely.

This si the first movie that's made me cry for real, and hard, in as long as k can remember. The writing serves really well to help humanize, and make you relate to these distant characters who are connected thinly by chance and circumstance. we see these beautiful and charming friendships and relationships develop out of them. When the doctor first shows up he seems minor, some passing character like almost everyone else in the film. By the end he feels like a friend, you genuinely fear for his life.

I could talk about all the characters individually for hours but I won't. The use of godzilla in this film is exquisite. Genuinely made me feel terrified in the theater.

One major change I noticed in this movie is that godzilla really looks like an animal in this movie; this scene right here is what really made me realise this:

Godzilla has forward facing eyes, and deep ridges on his face, and seeing him next to human people, *the main characters*, helps the viewer to realise just how fucking *large* he is. This scene in particular made me really feel something in the theater I haven't felt in a long time.

This scene and several others where godzilla appears (which are thankfully used sparingly, in contrast to the recent Hollywood godzilla movie) use the soundtrack from the original/old godzilla movies. The iconic musical sting suddenly jumps out at you from an otherwise almost un-noteworthy musical soundscape. This is one of the scenes that's made me genuinely afraid for the main characters, and almost for myself. In most modern films I tend to think "they can't really kill off these characters important to the plot, they're fine" and so the fear and tension that's built is present but not really important. Godzilla minus one made me think "surely there's no way out of this, they have to be dead" and yet they always get away, and it makes the daring escapes genuinely thrilling and exciting.

The main character is relatable in so many ways. The one that really struck me was this conflicting desire to live, and desire to die. The man abandons his duty and risks shame and rejection for choosing to live; yet by the end of the movie he's accepted his fate, to die, and you almost root for his demise. You genuinely see things from his side. Without needing to be told I fully understood what was going through his head, why he decided he had to die for his family.

I could go on for just as long as I already have and I probably will but I really need to go do something else now so enjoy this stream of consciousness for now!

#godzilla minus one #film #film review #awesome #godzilla #movie

[hiro-doodlez]

TUTORIAL/PROCESS ON..Uh… MY ART!!!

Using this recent drawing as reference!

(Blueberror by @loverofpiggies )

OKAY HERE WE GO!

First off, I use procreate, and, surprisingly, NO custom brushes!! Almost all of them are default and you can find just by browsing around. And also, some of the tips are only on procreate, really sorry!! But i bet there are a lot of Ibis, CSP, Ect. equivalents!

BEFORE ART AND.. UHHH STUFF YOURE DOING IN THE BACKGROUND??

Almost ALWAYS when drawing, i have something happening/playing in the background like music, a show/movie that ive watched like a million times (Steven Universe), or maybe even an art stream (jakei my beloved /hj) Honestly anything in the background is nice!

More on that, if you like music, i totally suggest finding mood based playlists that is based on what youre drawing. So if youre drawing just cute fluff then put on something that reflects that!! Does it have any actual effect on the art itself? Probably not!! I just like it a lot LMFAO. You can even find tons of character related playlists on spotify you can listen to!

Also suggest having maybe a small art station somewhere! I personally have a small art area that i set up LITERALLY 2 DAYS AGO and i LOVE IT. Anywhere really works, it can literally be your bed!! I just really like the idea of somewhere dedicated to my hobbies, im a nerd :D

ALSO MAKE SURE TO STAY HYDRATED

I also suggest, especially if you tend to draw for long periods of time, to do hand stretches and stuff. (Above my desk i have a stretching guide thingy by @tizzymcwizzy that i suggest doing before during and after longer sessions)

SKETCHING AND FIRST PART OF THE PROCESS!!

First off, one thing that has always been a huge help has been keeping a sketchbook always to jot down ideas, especially in school when we’re not allowed on any personal electronics. I barely use it now that its summer, but it always has been a huge help keeping one with me almost everywhere i go! Plus, its always a lot of “woah eww” when looking back at old art, its kinda like a little archive!!

BUT THATS NOT WHAT YOURE HERE FOR PROBABLY

The big things youre thinking about when sketching down your ideas is NOT making it perfect. The sketch 99% of the time will look absolutely terrible and thats okay, and honestly preferred! Most of the time nobody will even see it, so dont worry about trying to make it look polished. Youre just trying to put the idea on the canvas, thats all youre focused on! Try to stay loose and simple!

BACKGROUND (sometimes)

Fun fact: I usually go from sketch to background to lineart!

I do this for 2 main reasons: firstly, because doing the background can help establish the mood, and also mainly to help pick the colors later on! Although, a lot of the time i dont even do this lol, only for drawing where theres actually a background (im a fraud)

Also, for backgrounds, especially for things like landscapes, you want to try to work with big shapes to refined details, never just tiny sections at a time!

Heres the original background:

LINEART

Cry. Cry until theres no tomorrow and hope that you make something worthy of looking at /j

OKAY ACTUALLY, HERES WHAT I TEND TO KEEP IN MIND:

Keep most lines in one big stroke, not many tiny ones

On digital, erasing is super easy, feel feee to over shoot your lines and erase back over

For things with more emphasis, make bolder lines, for example, the eyes or hands

If the lineart just isnt working out, feel free to literally just refine the sketch until it looks like lineart (I DO THIS A LOT)

Cry

Thats all I’ve figured out, lineart is still a mystery to me..

BASIC COLORING!! (Yayy coloring the best part)

First what i do when putting down basic colors is just try to figure out what would be the best general colors, sometimes you can use those little dots on character sheets and use that to figure out what colors would look best together

Youre not going for perfect and youre just jotting down the colors, keep it messy n stuff, no refined details allowed!

After you finish putting down the colors, your new bestfriend in procreate (idk about other equivalents) is the curves, color balance, and hue saturation and brightness function (found in the second dot on the top row). These let you adjust the colors very easily!! I love them a lot!!!

BASIC SHADING

(Sometimes)

Now, a lot of the time i use the basic Multiply layer method, where i just use a dark purple and set the layer to multiply, but recently ive been doing it a BIITTT differently

Basically, take the base color from the previous step and increase the saturation, and decrease brightness, like this:

And then, lower the opacity of the brush down to MAYYYBEEE 5%, take that new color that you have, and take the… hue?? Maybe?? Like, blue green purple ect, but keep saturation and brightness mostly the same. Then, layer layer layer with those different colors, or dont! Use funky colors and shading in places where they shouldnt be, make it crazy!! Dont let it make sense!! There are no set rules for this part AT ALL!! Youre just having fun now! >:)

I totally suggest looking at @yo-honne s art for coloring inspiration. I base mine off theirs A LOT.

TEXTURING N STUFF!

Pro tip for this: spiderverse.

OKAY BUT ACTUALLY the spiderverse movies style is INCREDIBLE, i highly suggest just staring at it and taking mental notes on practically everything

For texturing, i tend to go kinda crazy. I like to use the grid and decimals brushes for shading and lighting respectively on procreate

For this part, you can use mostly random colors, and there are literally no rules!! Youre SUPPOSED to make it look crazy!! No rules man! Put it in random places and HAVE FUN! Go fast and try not to think much about what youre doing!! Dont use the right colors EVER!

FINAL DETAILS AND TOUCHUPS

At this part, you marry procreate.

Overlay layers are your best friend, experiment with them A LOT because that REALLY help making your art pop! Especially with overlay gradients

On procreate, theres a thing called chromatic aberration, that can make colors look blurred and glitchy, use that with errored characters! Or dont!

Use halftones feature!!! It really help!! If you wanna do lighting, you can use an airbrush brush and then use the halftones feature, or just use the decimals brush!!

For lighting try to use layers like screen or add! Or dont, make it random colors for lighting! Go and have fun!

On a new layer, set it to something like vivid light, hard light, ect. And use very vibrant colors to go over lines and areas you feel need more emphasis in the artwork!! Especially if, like in this one, the characters colors are so dark you can barely see the lines

Mess with random brushes in your app and use those to your advantage!

Work fast and try not to stress! Take breaks and take care of yourself!

FINAL NOTES

I can not stress enough, EXPERIMENT!! Try to put random elements of art and stepping out of your comfort zone as much as you can! Have fun and go random! (I think thats my new catchphrase)

Reference things if you want to try something new. For a while i thought references really only meant for weird poses, but it can be for anything!! For this one, i literally looked up spider punk spiderverse and used that as reference, and for the background (before i put filters on) i referenced samdoesarts!

If you feel like messing with colors, make the background something random and try to make the character look… well with the background?? Kinda hard to explain lolol

This is a general guide for my art, and i hardly ever even follow it myself. I fluctuate with my art a ton, taking outisde influences to put into the art and never staying with the same thing every time. My art process is wild and random and very much confusing even to me, and i like it that way!

This whole thing ive developed mostly on my own, and by taking tons of inspiration from other art i found appealing! So some of it might literally be wrong!! SORRYY

Would like to note ive never made ANYTHING like this so… sorry if it sucks!!

(((( @overthinkingintrovert-blue ))))

#THIS TOOK SO LONG #undertale au #undertale #utmv #blueberror sans #art tutorial #RAHHH

[blogger-yura]

Entry #49 Aug 14th '23

#YurasLife #MovieMonday #Horror #Psychological #Thriller #Mystery #Religion #Abortion #Tin&Tina

𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 - Tin&Tina (2023)

Title: Tin&Tina - Screentime: 119min - Director: Rubin Stein

Rotten Tomatoes

After a traumatic miscarriage, a young couple adopts two peculiar twins from a convent whose obsession with religion soon disturbs the family.

Film Affinity

Two very special twin siblings, after being orphaned and being welcomed in a convent where they receive a strict education, are adopted by a young couple.

Hello, hello, my pretty butterflies~! How are you guys doing? How did the weekend treat you all? Me... Well, the weekend brought a lot of new movies for me! And as always, I can't let slip the chance to share one of the many with you guys~. (　＾∀＾)

Have you heard of "Tin&Tina"? Apparently, the movie wasn't super successful when it was first released in Spanish theaters and festivals, but has been getting a lot of attention lately now that's been put up on streaming services.

Currently streaming on Netflix, tells the story of this spanish couple, Lola and Adolfo, that can't have kids, so they decide to adopt. For some –ironically– unholy reason they take home from a convent the most odd looking and behaving twins in existence– Tin and Tina who are fascinated with religion, god, the bible. As if them playing creepy music wasn't enough of a giveaway (*｀Д´)ノ！

Plot wise, the movie is just weird. It touches really sensitive topics, but never with enough depth. Other than religion, of course, since that's the main focus in the movie as the kids are literally obsessed and sadly lack the common sense to understand the bible. You have their tragic miscarriage. You have a bit of dysfunctional marriage, an absent husband, and even a bit too aggressive for my liking. ( I spent the whole movie telling Lola to get a divorce!) Of course, he doesn't believe anything his wife has to say, ever. Though I agree she had some untreated traumas that also built up a bit of paranoia on her side, we have overall a weird family dynamic.

Being based on a short film by the same director, I think the plot remained very consistent, at least. It becomes a bit confusing at times, but that, in my opinion, only helps build up the suspense and discomfort you feel watching the movie because you never know for sure what's going on. (* ﾟーﾟ)

I'm not sure how much budget they had, but production wise, I really like the whole aesthetic they had going. It's a movie based on the middle to late 80's, a place far away from the city, very rural. The coloring, the decoration, the little details like the shows that played on TV, the lightings, the music, the everything really. I found it very pleasant.

More than a horror, other than the one gore scene, I'd surely call it a thriller. It's very psychological, very unsettling when you put the scenario in context and you try to make sense of it all, but it's not scary in itself. It builds up tension successfully when needed. I wouldn't give it a 10/10, but I definitely enjoyed it and would watch it again in case I missed anything of relevance.

Would you watch a movie like this one? Is it down your alley at all? I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did, honestly. If you do watch it, let me know your thoughts on it! (＞∇＜)ﾉ

This is all for today, lovelies! I'll see you guys around soon~. Hope you have a wonderful week ahead! Stay hydrated, and make sure to look after yourself well. Until next time!

All the love, -Yura ♡

Personal score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟☆

💗: @clubwnderland [💙] @jinju-oc @moonlightchn @kimheebby @nana-n-nono @coffeexdreamcb @silcntxnight @livealittleoc-cb @minsour-r @multi-esme @urtwice @san-cb @reve-rv @domrachaa @oppositesattraxt @lunaaofthemoon @badbf-cb @thepatchedpaw @domxbot @the-hellhounds @monsterhigh-cb @theinvitation-bot @hwangroyaltycb @welcometosector1 @multi-joong @vanilladaises-rp @beastfights-starting @halloween-idols @redlight-cb @yourmysticalgirls-cb @theonesxcb @hybridsheltercb @3rachabot @kardpackcb @beaconhillsxbot @yandereyeri @glamrockpop-cb @angelsxdemons-cb @screamcb

#yura types 🧡 #movie monday

[obstinatecondolement]

I was tagged by @aeide-thea in this. Thanks for passing it along to me!

last song: Washing Machine Heart, I think? I was not, strictly speaking, listening to it though, so much as making sure that sound from my Bluetooth headphones didn't bleed into something I was recording. Basically, the lav mic I was using plugs into my laptop's headphone jack, so I was trying to use wireless earbuds to get around that, but then the audio quality of the recording suffered a lot from streaming music, which indicated to me that it would also suffer if I was on a voice call, which was what I was doing the tests in preparation for—in the end I used wired headphones with my phone for the voice call and recorded my audio on the laptop so that I wasn't crossing the streams.

favorite color: I like purple and green a lot at the moment, so I am going to be very annoying and say octarine.

last movie/show: If we're not counting reality tv, then I'm pretty sure it's still the CBS Ghosts show? Which reminds me, I need to watch the Christmas special of BBC Ghosts before it gets spoiled for me.

sweet/spicy/savory: At the moment probably savory, but this is largely for hernia related reasons as opposed to more fun considerations. Historically though, sweet.

relationship status: Taking the cue from @aeide-thea here to reflect on, and snark a little, at the amatonormativity of this question and the way it stands out from the rest in that it's kind of more likely to be something that would be potentially a vulnerable or alienating thing to discuss. Also, like, I have many non-romantic and non-sexual relationships that are very meaningful to me, but, I mean, for the purposes of this then single I guess, since apparently that's the kind that matters, lol.

last thing i googled: Again, like @aeide-thea, I also use DuckDuckGo now ;) But the last thing I looked up online was Pixabay, because I was making a podfic cover and wanted some royalty free images of space and/or astronauts on space walks to edit.

current obsession(s): I've been having a great time with podfic and audio fandom-y stuff in general recently! I participated in ITPE and created five pods for that (one for my main assignment and four treats) and now I'm doing Voiceteam Mystery Box and am tentatively starting a new podfic challenge based around creating podfic of Yuletide fics written by authors who give permission for podfic of their work called Tide Pod, which should kick off early January.

tag 9 people: @rovermcfly, @robotlesbianjavert, @venort, @kd-heart, @ilthit, @agoldenshinywireofhope, @liandrins-jawline, @translightyagami and @benicebefunny.

[watchmenanon]

Let's Hear It for the Boy: Finn Wolfhard

from STATUS Magazine August 2017 feat. Finn Wolfhard and Noah Schnapp

by STATUS Magazine

While some kids hide underneath their blankets once they discover the monsters underneath their beds, Finn Wolfhard didn't need a lot of growing up before he decided to face them himself. Sure, the underground creatures he takes on are a bit fictional, but the young actor is braving the real world with promise and precision.

It’s not that hard to be smitten with Finn Wolfhard.

Just like the characters that he portrays, he’s a charming young boy who views the world with eyes of wonder and excitement. At 14 years old, he’s already been in two huge thriller franchises that most kids his age wouldn’t even dare to watch. He first hit our frequencies last year starring in Stranger Things as the determined leader of the pack, Mike Wheeler. The series might’ve catapulted his career, but his love for the craft has been keeping him grounded. “The only thing that’s different now is that I get stopped on the street for pictures and have a lot followers on social media, but that never changed my personality or anything. I’m just happy to be an actor in general,” he adds. Making his way from Hawkins, Indiana to Derry, Maine, he’s also set to star in the upcoming movie adaptation of Stephen King’s horror classic It as the buck-toothed goon Richie “Trashmouth” Tozier. While both involve a plot where children mysteriously go missing, we’ve found ourselves a star in Finn Wolfhard. He’s definitely got the “It” factor, and there’s nothing strange about that.

Despite being a middle-schooler, Finn is wasting no time kidding around. Although it seems like he’s shaping up to be sci-fi’s It-boy, he’s been gradually showing different sides of himself. When he’s not busy slaying strange creatures and dancing clowns, Finn can be seen shredding his bass and guitar, and he’s got an impeccable taste to match the skill he’s been refining. His covers of Mac DeMarco and Nirvana have been circulating across the Internet, in addition to the buzz he’s been creating with his band Calpurnia–and it doesn’t stop there. He recently hosted and performed at Sweet Relief’s benefit concert called Strange ‘80s alongside Sarah Silverman, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Tenacious D, and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor. And now, he’s stepping behind the camera with his latest project, co-directing a crowdfunded music video for Spendtime Palace’s Western rock tune “Sonara” with former Viner Josh Ovalle. With It premiering this September and the second season of Stranger Things streaming this October on top of his personal ventures, Finn might’ve seemingly bitten off more than he can chew, but never underestimate a small kid with a big appetite.

: You recently dabbled into the world of filmmaking, co-directing a Westernthemed music video for Spendtime Palace with Josh Ovalle. Can you tell us some of the directors that inspire your vision as a director?

A: I think my favorite directors would be Spike Jonze and Edgar Wright. I like Spike Jonze because he’s so versatile in a way that he can make skateboarding videos but also win an Oscar for Best Screenplay. That really gives me faith that I can be an actor and still be a director. And Edgar Wright’s incredible because he just knows how to create something visually. He has perfect vision. Oh, also Sofia Coppola! That’s another director that I admire a lot.

Q: We’ve also been seeing a lot of your band Calpurnia online. Can we expect any music release from you guys soon?

A: Yeah, it all depends on my schedule, but I think we’ll be doing an EP that’ll be out in the next couple of months. Hopefully next year, we’ll do some shows. We want to do as many shows as we can ‘cause we love performing so much. We want to do shows in Vancouver and a tour maybe next summer.

Q: Going into your upcoming projects, you’ve been into a lot of scifi and supernatural stuff so far. Was this a conscious choice or a mere coincidence?

A: It’s a weird coincidence for sure. ‘Cause when I auditioned for Stranger Things, I was auditioning for everything. That was just the right thing for me to do at that time. Same thing with It, and I’m glad that they were. It’s just complete coincidence. Acting is my favorite thing to do, so whatever comes to me, I’d do it as long as the script is good.

Q: Both Stranger Things and It are set in the glorious decade of the ‘80s. How were you able to play a character from a time period you have no memory of?

A: The cool thing about playing a character in general is you have to add yourself to it, so I try to put as much of myself into every character that I play as possible. Like in Stranger Things, I read the lines like how I would say them in real life. I think the only thing that really has to do with the ‘80s is that it’s set in a different time. If you know enough about it, it’s easy enough to do.

Q: You got the chance to work with Sean Astin for this season. How was it like working with him?

A: He’s so amazing. He was open to anything. I asked him every question I had about The Goonies and The Lord of the Rings. He just gave me so much knowledge and told me to enjoy being a kid but at the same time, be comfortable with what you’re doing as well as the projects that I’m in.

Q: How different would this season of Stranger Things be from the first one?

A: The second season is just like the first season, but better. It has the same sense of wonder and adventure, but adding more horror and drama aspects to it. I even think it’s funnier than the first. It’s taking everything that the first season did and just improving it.

Q: Moving forward into your career, what kind of projects are you interested in doing next?

A: For acting, I’d love to do a comedy or a drama. I don’t want to do too many sci-fi and horror stuff ‘cause I would just get typecasted. Obviously, I enjoy doing Stranger Things, but the genre in general isn’t always my favorite. And I’d also want to continue directing anything that’s written by me. I don’t want to misquote Matt and Ross [Duffer], but they told me, “If you want to be a director, you have to write your own stuff.” And I really like that ‘cause you have full control of everything.

Q: Being a kid yourself, do you have any tips for other kids who want to follow the same path that you thread on?

A: I think anyone my age who’s into acting should go to open casting call websites like Craigslist and just find whatever they can find. If you want to do acting classes, that’s fine, but acting classes never worked for me. I’ve learned to access my emotions way more as I went along. But it depends. If you want to study it, that’s a different thing. I only advise that you go to school for it if you don’t know anything about acting. But if you already know enough about it, then I think that you should just do your own thing.

#finn wolfhard #mike wheeler #st articles #byler #< target audience

[mehworld]

Spoilers ahead! So here I am 4 episodes into Amazon’s A League of Their Own series. And I have thoughts. With the death and dearth of lesbian/queer women content on main stream prime time, A League and even the Sandman give me hope. In case you’re wondering whether it’s worth watching and supporting here is my list. Again remember I’m only 4 episodes in:

Pros:

- queer content. We all need more of that. Both white and black queer women content.

- D’arcy Carden is a gem.

- The show is fun and runs through many of the movie moments like the tryouts, the etiquette school, and women finding empowerment in themselves and others.

- Abbi Jacobson isn’t too bad either.

- did I mention there is kissing in the first episode?! The first!!

- the underlying stories, especially Max’s story is so compelling. I could watch Chanté Adam’s act in her own one woman show.

Cons:

- it’s not original. There were many teams in the women’s all American League that they could have picked to follow instead of the Rockford peaches. So many stories and different locations. Such a waste.

- because it follows the peaches, I can’t help but compare it to the movie and find it wanting. I can’t help comparing Jo to Rosie O’Donnell’s character, Greta to Madonna’s character and Carson to Geena’s. No offense to Abbi, but she is no Geena Davis.

- the trailer and the images used to advertise the show clearly put the black actresses on equal footing as the white ones. Instead it feels like two shows. I assume their stories will merge at some point but who knows.

- to that point, they could have followed the story of the first black women in the womens league. That would have been a refreshing angle.

- time appropriate sexism, racism, homophobia

- the music doesn’t fit the time period always

- the dialogue and characteristics/slang etc doesn’t fit the time period

- there is some threats to out an character. Big no no. Not sure how that will play out.

Overall: B for the effort and love that went into it. A for the acting. Overall, B+. Worth watching. First, it’s good to support queer content made by queer women. Congrats Abbi on her engagement. Second, it’s a good show despite the cons. The newcomer actors are amazing. Third, atleast half of each episode is focused on the characters of colors. Fourth, omg the kisses. The sex scene. I never thought D’Arcy Carden could be hotter than she was in the Good Place.

P.S. episode 6. Woof. Needs a trigger warning for the end.

Update! I finished the series. My rating doesn’t change. I did love the show. I think Abbi wasn’t the perfect casting for Carson, but she did her best. I really could watch a series just about Max’s story. I think what I overlooked was just how gay this series was/is. It is really gay. Like women’s softball gay. Like Rosie O’Donnell gay. Like make out with you on the side of a house gay. And that’s a beautiful thing.

#a league of their own #aloto spoilers #d’arcy carden #abbi jacobson #lgbtq+ #lgbtq #the lesbian agenda continues #squeals in lesbian #let's go lesbians #lesbians #wlw romance #wlw #gay

[siflshonen]

What type of music do you think bkdk listen too I want to project onto Deku and say jazz cause it what I listen to but it probably anime soundtrack that edits all might and bkg I know people like saying rock but I think he listens to rap cause of the art hori did of him beatboxing

Huh! That's a fun question. I think it's probably a variety. But given their background and the sorta-meta conversation happening around how much US influence both boys experience and like in their daily lives, this is what I think they'd trend towards. It's funny you mention jazz, because there's a lot of history behind the Japanese jazz scene and music scene in general in response to westernization.

I've never really thought about it in seriousness, just like a passing joke, so here's what's coming to me off the top of my head.

Deku: modern pop, J-rock, anything in an action movie soundtrack and almost anything that has been touched by westernization into the main stream. Somehow, besides themes commonly used for his favorite heroes or in All Might cartoons and shows, I'm not sure how deeply he might think about music on its own instead of just like a casual consumer saying, "oh! I like this!" but if Heroes put out CDs, I'm sure he has them all because it coincides with his other, more obvious obsession. I can see him listening to a lot of different stuff, though.

Given Izuku's admiration for the "very aggressive" and western-like Katsuki, he probably has a collection of very intense and anti-authoritarian rap and heavy rock mixed within all the more general mainstream stuff, too.

Bakugo: I think Katsuki likely has a surprisingly varied library, too, but with a more noticeable trend towards blatantly US or the UK's bands and more of a penchant for heavier rock, metal, and rap than Izuku does overall. Stuff with the rhythm section very prominent rather than just plain "loud" music only. Whatever it is, it is likely more contemporary stuff with a few surprise tracks thrown in. However, I have a gut instinct to say that, of the two of them, I could see him having a fondness for jazz before Izuku, or at least a more noticeable one. I have nothing with which to justify this except a gut feeling.

And, again, to mirror what I said about Izuku's taste probably dipping into edgier territory as a flip to the "expected standard", I think Katsuki probably has the cultural equivalent of, like, what I like to call "sad girl music" - some Taylor Swift, Mitski (actually, yeah, for post DVK2-Katsuki, there's probably a lot of Mitski in there if he ever discovered it considering the topics of many of her songs), and stuff like that - on his playlists.

#bakugo katsuki #izuku midoriya #deku #bnha #ask

[laughinglynx]

3 things 2,5,8,18 (not sure my first ask made it) :)

Thank you for the ask!! (And for sending it again, the first one did indeed get eaten I think, thanks hellsite XD )

2. 3 movies you have rewatched many times Ever After, which is hands down the best Cinderella movie ever, and I will happily fight people on that. (Yes, the musical movie is good. This one is better.) If I could get my hands on any of those costumes I would immediately start crying. I've watched this movie So Many Times.

An Unexpected Journey. By far the best of the Hobbit films, and I also used it for a lot of my research when I made my Thorin costume. I think I watched it like 15 times over the month I spent making the armor.

The Ritual, an absolutely gorgeous horror movie, and actually the first horror movie I ever watched! It's turned into a kind of comfort film for me.

5. 3 colors to paint your room

The room I grew up in is painted a mid-tone, dusty warm purple, which I think is a fantastic color for a room! You get all the coziness while also getting... purple.

...listen, I really really like purple XD

Other than that, I could see going for a really lovely green. I've also always wanted to paint a mural wall in a medieval style, with lots of reds and blues... But I think that would work better in an office or a living room!

8. 3 tv shows that you never get bored of

The West Wing my beloved. I love this show so much. There are very few political things that don't make me extremely sad and angry; while this show does have elements of that, it's mostly just so hopeful in a way I really appreciate.

Vikings, BUT ONLY seasons 1-4. Once the original main character leaves, it all goes seriously down hill.

I've watched Merlin the full way through.... oh, 5 or 6 times? Just a deeply goofy, fun show, I used to watch it any time I was sick! I'm so mad Netflix or whichever streaming service it was took it down.

18. 3 dream jobs you’ve had in your childhood

So originally I wanted to be a purple teenage dragon who would become president and rule the world. I had a Halloween costume. It was fantastic.

After that.... I didn't really have a dream job until I hit high school and discovered costume design, which is what I'm heading towards now? It wasn't that I didn't know what I wanted to do, I just didn't really care from like... 7 to 16 years old.

#answered asks #thank you!!

[screamqueenlibrarian]

The Impact of Horror in My Life

by Dakota M.

Finding comfort in the items around oneself is rather common. Some individuals have blankets, songs, stuffed animals, toys, and etc. Even I myself have an orange fat tabby cat stuffed animal named Pumpkin. I could possibly always listen to music, but it did not bring me as much comfort as other forms of entertainment. Toys? Sure, as a kid, I remember having these My Little Pet Shop animals that I loved. Blankets? Absolutely, I love the comfort of a soft blanket. However, nothing comforted me more than the genre of Horror.

Horror a genre of jump scares, suspense, and gore. Yet even as a little girl I found comfort in all three of those staples of the genre. The creepy has always given me a sense of self. I remember the times I would wake up early around the Halloween season to watch Goosebumps by R.L. Stine on Cartoon Network from Elementary school into Junior High. The main title song rings a sense of nostalgia deep inside. A sense of home reached for me out of the pages of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. I found this home within the collected stories over the decades.

I could place memories of watching Killer Klowns from Outerspace with my Dad and Nana at the Holiday Twin Drive-In located in Fort Collins, CO. Always going the concession stand grabbing popcorn, drinks, and some candy. We also brought a meal from KFC so that we ate dinner while waiting for the sky to go dark. At this exact drive-in I have watched: Beetlejuice, War of the Worlds, Zombieland, The Addams Family, The Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, and more. This has been constant in my life, and a thing I take pride in even.

In high school I wrote reports on many horror-based subjects. For psychology it was about real serial killers, for art it was about capturing the horror in everyday photography, and for English it was all about writing my own stories for the genre. High school marked an era for my life where I began to cosplay. Creepy anime was big for me to cosplay at that point. Death Note, Soul Eater, and High School of the Dead. I got to see my comfort range across all forms of entertainment.

Getting into my adult years I began to cosplay from Resident Evil, Halloween 1978, Scream 1996, The Bride of Chucky, Dead by Daylight, and many other titles. Core memories made with the horror genre, the spooky stories, ghost tales, and the macabre. I began watching horror shows as well. One held a special place in my heart though. I watched Stranger Things season 1 the day it first came out. Love at first dice roll, so to speak. Relatability for bullied and downtrodden, plus the music was a bop. At this point I was trying to do college work, work, and still find myself.

Finding myself came through events that shook my life. A little after a few of those events COVID-19 hit. I found myself losing my mind in the solitude of the lock down. No horror movies at the theaters with friends and family, no boardgames, no cosplay events, and almost no outside time. I spoke with my best friends, and we came up with an idea. I should stream on Twitch. WitchyBunBun was born. This felt like me.

WitchyBunBun a stream name for a horror fanatic, who also happens to be into magical practices perfect. The channel theme is two important things in my life: Stranger Things and Horror. My comfort in the horror genre, the macabre, the creepy, and some D&D 80s horror show got to shine for all. Horror not only was my childhood comfort, but it also became my everyday comfort. Becoming a part of my everyday life, and dreams for careers. I have made a name for myself from the memories I shared with my Nana and Dad.

#horror #WitchyBunBun #stranger things #80s #childhood #childhood nostalgia #blog #podiescast #halloween #horror movies #comfort #twitch #college student #macabre #memories

[scenekidfancams]

19 Questions {Cuz I accidentally didn't send 20 edition} Ortega (@baphometlovesme) [FFO: Ramirez, Oujia Macc, Old and New eras of Shinigami, and David shawty.)

Ort3ga is a growing underground, hyperpop, digicore and trap metal/dark trap artist from the bay area in CA. His singles upset & obsessed, GOTH STAR (Featuring. Jimbo7) have collective 2k streams on soundcloud, On YouTube his single switch has 3k on one video. So Ort3ga is coming up and is grinding. Taking influences from the current wave of digicore and bubbly trap. His sound is mall goth inspired too. He is sure to be your new favorite rapper.

(ORT3GA HAS NOT PAID FOR A INTERVIEW BUT I HAVE KNOWN HIM PERSONALLY SINCE 2016 SO KEEP THAT IN MIND)

Q. Who are you, and What do you do?

A. I am Ort3ga I make music for depressed people and goth girls I am also 1/3 part of GKZ which is my new group coming 2023

Q. What is 666Lyfestyle?

A. Wow I can’t believe you actually know about this umm... 666Lyfestyle is my clothing brand that I’m trying to get up and running ASAP.

Q. Non Hiphop, Rap or trap influences?

A. A big influence for me non music wise would be definitely Steve O as bad as it sounds he’s a pretty amazing guy and he’s come a long way but lived a fire life. 

Q. Your Style both musically and Fashion wise have changed? What was this shift like or was it always this way.

A. I have always had great style but in the last few years I’ve been spending way to much on my clothes I have been only wearing robin jeans. My music style has changed drastically because recently I’ve become more and more goth and I’ve been trying to make a sound started I call it goth rage music just wait it’ll be big soon.

Q. Who is your biggest influence music or not. A.  A. Ramirez is my idol and I would love to eventually make music with him. it’s a life long goal. A few others are $uicideboy$, lil peep, juicewrld, and pretty much everyone signed to g59, and korn.

Q. You often have done tech and worked on shows, such as system of a down, korn, and many others. Do you have any advice for working class musicians trying to make it in music or anything really?

A. I don’t have nearly as many streams as some of my favorite artists and people I’ve worked with in the industry but my main piece of advice for musicians is to schedule your release a few weeks in advance and have a style that sounds original but also catchy but above all you have to be yourself and make music that you love.

Q. Have you heard of semetary. go listen to him lol this isnt a serious question just a recommendation.

A.  I love semetary my favorite songs by semetary are 10,000 weeping choirs and Pain!

Q. Favorite Goat.

A. favorite goat would have to be Rob zombie or Marilyn Manson

Q. Drain Gang?

A. Shout out bladee and all the Hyperpop goons I love ‘em all and am gonna be releasing more Hyperpop soon.

Q. Any producers or mv directors you'd like to collab with?

A. I would love to collab with Mikey the Magician, f1lthy, and dotcomnirvan

Q. How long did Upset and Obsessed take you? What was the creative process like?

A. It actually took me 2 years to fully complete Upset and obsessed I had a idea for it and a few songs out for it but just in the past year I have got down my sound and banged out the album in about 8 solid months of working. To be honest so many tears went into this album I kept getting my heart crushed by these “wonderful” girls and I needed an outlet so I didn’t lose my shit.

Q. Favorite art or visual influence?

A. My friend ACER the world famous graffiti artist.  he’s just amazing!

Q. Do you like horror movies?

A. I love horror movies! my favorite horror movie is the terrifier if ya haven’t seen it you should definitely check it out at your own discretion.

Q. How do you feel about inspiring people to make music?

A. I hope before I die to inspire at least 500,000 people to do something they love I believe everyone should be doing something they love.

Q. Youtube Recommendations?

A. Trashgang definitely and also go check out my new album on all platforms I love Aidan ross too.

Q. Gas Fast food or recommendations for food in the bay area.

A. There is my favorite burger joint out here is called the Smokehouse if you want good Mexican food the best spot isn’t in the bay it’s in woodland where I used to live it’s called El Jaliscience

Q. Hyphy or Bay area Hardcore?

A. I grew up in south Berkeley and east Oakland and would slap e40 everyday before middle school so imma have to go with the hyphy movement 

Q. Video Games?

A. I’m a warzone demon and I love me some scary games too I recommend outlast.

Q. Any thoughts or anything else? Shoutouts?

A. Shout out Saegoe that mf believed in me when no one else did and I will always have his back a big shout out to Jimbo7, Max Riley, and 9aradox

Check Out Upset and Obsessed.

https://tidal.com/browse/album/261247565

#SoundCloud #Spotify #goth rage #berkeley #oakland #ort3ga #saegoe #jimbo7 #bladee #semetary #hauntedmound #digicore #hyperpop

[soap2day-official]

Soap2Day - Forky Asks a Question

Soap2Day - Forky Asks a Question

Soap2Day is a fantastic way to find new TV shows and movies. A simple, three-minute video features the lovable utensil Forky asking a question. This unique cartoon features a childlike demeanor and a curious streak that will appeal to both kids and adults. The video's quality is also quite high, with its editorial rating next to each title.

The quality of the content is excellent. Soap2Day Offical offers 65 HD channels, and a large catalog of videos. Many of its shows are also available to view before they air on television. The content is updated daily, so you can always find what you're looking for. The main benefit of Soap2Day is the ease of access. Once you've made your selection, all you have to do is relax and enjoy the show.

The service has a huge catalog of TV shows, movies, and music videos. With its streamlined interface, you can stream any show or movie you want without interruptions from commercials. Soap2Day is free to download and you can watch it on your computer, mobile phone, or tablet. You can get new episodes of your favorite shows and movies, too. In addition to this, you can also watch Soap2Day on demand before they air on TV.

Soap2Day is an amazing way to watch movies and TV shows. It provides easy access to its huge library of content, allowing you to stream entire seasons in a single go. With a flat monthly rate of less than ten euros, you can access Soap2Day from any location. You'll never miss an episode of your favorite show again. Soap2Day is a great choice if you enjoy the show and want to see it whenever you like.

Streaming movies and TV shows is easy with Soap2Day. The platform's user-friendly interface provides an easy-to-use interface for viewers. Soap2Day also offers a wide selection of popular movies and TV shows. It is also a great source of free content. You can watch them on Soap2Day and be sure they'll be available soon.

In addition to its aforementioned features, Soap2Day also features a dedicated streaming provider. It offers over 65 HD channels. You can watch your favorite shows and movies right before they're broadcast on television. Its users can also view episodes and clips of Soap2Day before they're broadcast on free TV. In addition to being a great resource for Soap2Day, it is also a great source for other popular TV shows.

Soap2Day is a great place to find TV shows and movies. Its user interface offers a wide variety of genres and makes it easy to watch your favorite series and movies. By offering a search bar, users can quickly find the latest episodes of their favorite shows. The platform also has a search feature to find new content. It's a great way to find popular television series and movies.

Another bonus of Soap2Day is that it is free to subscribe. You can watch movies and TV shows for free. The site has 65 HD channels, and you can watch your favorite ones before they are broadcast on TV. Its catalog constantly updates, making it the best place to catch up on your favorite shows and movies. You can also view popular movies and TV series for free. Soap2Day has the largest selection of films and TV series online.

Soap2Day is the best place to catch up on your favorite TV shows. With 65 HD channels, Soap2Day offers a huge variety of entertainment. In addition, you can watch your favorite shows and movies before they are broadcast. In addition, Soap2Day is a great way to watch popular TV shows online. Soap2day is a great way to catch up on your favorite shows and movies.

If you're a fan of Toy Story, you may already be familiar with Forky. This confused, upcycled arts and crafts project is full of fun, and has continued to be a popular character. But his identity crisis has long since passed and he's all about learning. This new version of Forky is even more complex, and he's even learning more.

#soap2day #soap2dayofficial #soap2dayplus

[c-40]

A-T-4 003 Push The Button

I was out the other day when the lyric to a pop rap song being piped caught my ear, the lyric was Push The Button. The context in this case was pushing a button on a mobile phone, as a subject of pop music the telephone has been around as long as pop music itself. The subject is continually being reinvented for anew generation, for a while in the 1990s I remember it was pagers, and before telephones songs were written about writing letters, there are also plenty of songs about telegrams, all sorts of long distance communication

Pop music records changing times but as with fashion it likes to see itself in the vanguard leading the way, every season a new year in with the new out with the old, but for the last 20-years or so it's tech and gadgets that have been the height of fashion. It was a lot easier to imagine the future of technology in 1984 than it is in 2024, or even 1999 when Nas released Nastradamus in which he predicted (amongst many things) laptops with 100 gigabytes [of memory], my smartphone has more memory than that! Perhaps that's one of the reasons the most streamed song in the UK last year was Miley Cyrus's turn of the century style pop disco track Flowers, you can't argue with the song, no wild predictions here, she will survive and she can buy herself flowers - I remember in the 1980s when women couldn't buy themselves flowers, it shows social progress - or perhaps it's the workout she does in the video like all those Ministry disco-house videos from the turn of the century that's made it so popular

Miley Cyrus's Flowers is retro like pretty much all mainstream pop music is today, is it just nostalgias pendulum? I'm not convinced, this type of disco-pop been out of the charts since the late 1990s. What has changed since then is how we consume music. I enjoy science fiction movies but what makes me laugh in them is no matter how far in the future they are set if the scene is in a bar or club or something the music is 1990s techno or house, maybe bass music for films made more recently. To me it says in the imagination of the film makers music stopped innovating at some point in the mid 1990s. Coincidentally this when neoliberalism peaked and has been limping along ever since

Newcleus's Computer Age (Push The Button) takes Push The Button from another cultural obsession synonymous with the height of the Cold War (pushing THE button) and applies it to computing. Newcleus weren't as niche as you might think, Jam On Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song) peaked just outside the top 40 on the UK singles chart and Jam On It got into the top 100, the album Jam On Revenge getting to 84 on the album chart (Newcleus did even better in the US)

One of the main drivers of innovation in pop music is new technology. Electro-funk of the early 1980s like Newcleus arrived on the back off new synthesisers and drum machines. Has there been any great leaps in music tech since the mid 1990s? Soundcards are better, tasks have certainly gotten quicker and easier, there are MORE software emulators and you can do some of the old tasks on a smartphone now instead of a laptop or desktop. I'm not a musician or studio guy so I can't say for sure if there's been any great leaps in music production in the last 20 years, it looks to me things have just been refined. Oh! of course generative or ai music has come along in the last few years

Which brings us to the lyrical content of Computer Age, for a pop song that is 40-years-old some of the things they are saying about computers are still in discourse today. Newcleus had previously gone by the name Positive Messenger "and were making music that had a purpose, either messages of love or faith or talking about the conditions of the world." Newcleus and Jam On Revenge was lighter and had fun with hip hop but Computer Age sounds like it's a throwback to their roots

"Computer age is now Everyone must have a machine They say it's gonna make life easier, well, I can't stand it...."

You can't argue with the above verse. In the UK there's been several efforts to adopt a computer and for all of us to go online, interactions with local government or banks and all your bills are done via computers now, it easier until it isn't. Here Newcleus decide to ask a theological question which isn't exactly useful, does reliance on computers make us gods or slaves? and Newcleus conclude god is going to be pissed with us if we replace him with a computer

"For here we sit in our easy chairs As our machines decide how we'll fare Who will suffer, who will survive? It's up to the computers"

So in the above verse Newcleus hit one one of the most important discourses around ai/ml computing. Ai/ml has been used to decide who qualifies for parole in the US for a decade now, the data used to make the calculation records many decades of bias against non-white people so when ai/ml was used in the prison system we found the ai/ml reproduced the bias recorded in the data. Ai/ml is being used as giant management tools, making all kinds of decisions that have real life consequences. If a government or business want to make cuts or set tight targets an ai can do this without see people or asking how people will manage?

"It's up to the computers" isn't correct, it could be up to us. Some computer scientists are calling for citizen assemblies to work with ai/ml, more awareness is certainly needed. Right now tech giants are predicting a scary ai future that only they can fix, this isn't true and it gives tech companies with already too much power even more power

I wrote a proposal for a job funded by the CIA once via Cambridge University. They wanted artists to create narratives that challenged the story that an all powerful all knowing ai will destroy humanity so we might have a more sensible conversation

#1984 #newcleus #electrofunk #hip hop #new york #usa #80s music

[spook-study]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[blogger360ncislarules]

This year has been a melancholic one for collectors of physical media. DVDs and Blu-ray discs, once a source of billions in revenue for Hollywood companies, are at risk of becoming obsolete, or at least irrelevant.

The first blow came at the end of September, when Netflix mailed its last DVD (a copy of the 2010 film True Grit, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen). As of Nov. 1, the DVD Netflix website functions as an interactive in memoriam page.

Netflix’s DVD business had dwindled in recent years (falling from over $1 billion in revenue in 2012 to $146 million by 2022), but it was a safe space for film fanatics who loved its immense library of new releases and classic films and shows that aren’t available to stream. The shutdown was in many ways the end of an era, and while some, like Redbox, try to fill that gap, it is a service that appears unlikely to return.

Then Ingram Entertainment, once the largest distributor of DVDs in the country, said in September that it will exit the disc business — and, in October, the country’s biggest electronics retailer, Best Buy, said it would stop selling DVDs and Blu-rays at the end of 2023.

“To state the obvious, the way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today than it was decades ago,” a Best Buy spokesperson said in a statement, adding that removing the rows of discs “gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy.”

To be sure, the market isn’t dead, especially with Amazon and Walmart still in the game. In fact, Media Play News reported over the summer that Walmart was in talks with Studio Distribution Services (a Universal/Warner Bros. joint venture) about partnering on its physical media business. However, without Netflix and Best Buy, and with others perhaps set to follow, the fate of DVD home entertainment has never been more perilous. 

Yet there are also signs of hope. A significant strategic shift by major streamers, paired with the current state of play in the music industry, offers a potential way forward for physical media.

When Netflix launched its streaming business, you could find everything you wanted, from every era of film and TV, available at all times. Everyone else followed that strategy — but now things are changing again. 

Warner Bros. Discovery last year began a content purge of its streaming service HBO Max (now just Max), removing thousands of hours of programming. Disney+, Hulu and Paramount+ followed suit, canceling shows and culling old titles. As the cost of content will continue to rise in a post-strike world, even Netflix or Amazon might be tempted to remove titles to save a few bucks.

That strategy shift, as jarring as it is to some creators and consumers, reinforces the value of physical media. It’s a similar state of play with digital downloads, which you might “buy” from Amazon or iTunes, but can be removed from your library at any time. Studios could pull Westworld and Good Burger from Max — but not from your bookshelf. 

Then there’s the lesson from the music industry, which was upended by streaming well before Hollywood. According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s 2023 midyear revenue report, while streaming accounts for 84 percent of music revenue, physical media is on the rise. Vinyl records are the main growth driver, but sales of CDs have also increased. “The new data also shows the lasting power of physical formats,” RIAA CEO Mitch Glazier commented, adding that “physical revenues reached their highest level since a full decade ago, topping $880 million so far this year.”

Vinyl records, with their unique sound and artists willing to add bonus tracks and content that isn’t available to stream, helped turn around music’s physical media business. It’s not unlike the behind-the-scenes access and director commentary that defined the DVD and Blu-ray era. 

With titles disappearing from streaming services at a rapid clip, it might be worth opening that DVD or Blu-ray distribution window one more time: Buy it now, before it leaves your subscriptions and doesn’t come back. 

#I hope so #DVD's are important! #dvd's #television #movies #personal