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lilydalexf · 3 years

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Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Dreamshaper

Dreamshaper has 54 stories at Gossamer. Her stories often feature Mulder and Scully exploring their feelings in ways you really, really wish you could’ve seen on the show. I’ve recced some of my favorites of her stories here before, including Found in Memory, Just By Existing, Purpose, and Promise. Big thanks to Dreamshaper for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

I'm not at all surprised people are still reading X-Files fanfic! There's a deep catalogue of good and interesting fiction there, and the X-Files still has cultural significance. And of course there were the recent seasons to bring it back to mind. I think if you had asked me in 2000, I might not have supposed that it had this kind of staying power. So now I'm thinking of this interview as a time capsule--what will my answer be in 2040?

My own fic was not designed to have staying power. If anyone is reading it now, bless them, they are kind and patient. I would only recommend probably reading the first and last things I posted just to see what kind of growth is possible. The first time I ever posted fic, someone told me to never write again. I was a teenager. I was crushed but I went on writing anyway, and I worked hard to improve.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

I think of two things. As for the show itself, I still think of Mulder/Scully as the ultimate in romance. I can still picture certain moments from the episodes, from the movie. I look for pairings with tension that reminds me of theirs--an almost-regency level of UST, but with a modern element of danger.

As for the fandom itself, I grew up in it. My entire online life and the core of how I participate in fandom was formed here. I was 17 or so when I started writing and posting MSR. I was 18 or 19 when I started meeting fans in real life. I was fortunate enough to fall in with people who were equal parts gracious and nerdy, and while my own nerdiness is innate, I remember and emulate the kindness which was shown to me.

I have an entire side post to this question about how strongly I disagree with the current age stratification in fandom--this idea of not interacting across artificial age divides is tragic to me.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

ATXC, and mailing lists. I don't actually remember the names of all the mailing lists! I can picture myself sitting in my kitchen on my computer, and what the emails looked like--the font, the signature lines--but not the names. I can even remember specific conversations we had! One of them must have been Scullyfic, because I remember the first meetup being planned. Is that right? Was it the Scullyfic meetup? [Lilydale note: Probably was Scullyfic. There was a big email flurry when the first Scullyfic mailing list meetup was being planned.] My mind was absolutely blown by the idea of a fan con. Now I've led panels at a dozen of them.

I remember some of the arguments, too. It's funny that some of them are the same arguments I still see here and there, like whether or not criticism of a fanwork is valid. Real Person Fic being this unbelievably shameful thing you had to ask to be shown, and the doyennes of the fandom would have given you the cut direct at Almack's if they'd found out, you know?

This was also the era of AIM and ICQ. mIRC too, right? I spent a lot of time in channels. I absolutely loved when people started to be more open about themselves in chats. I was always so interested in how fandom fit into people's lives. Some people I talked to were moms, college students, people who had interesting careers, and they all just found ways to make fandom work for them. They had a need and were meeting it, despite the pressures of their offline life.

I don't know how to explain the impression that made on me, but--it normalized fandom. That seems obvious, maybe, but I hadn't known this was something you could integrate into your everyday life.

It also normalized the idea of women taking their own needs as primary, in a way that went beyond what I was exposed to in my home life, or through the feminism of the 1990s. There was this wild intersection of the--the domestic and intellectual life of women, and the playful life of women, just making itself known to me in a way I'd never seen before. That was enormous. Absolutely a foundational experience for me.

My experience was that ATXC and email lists were like, these surface-level interactions where people figured out, roughly, if your mind ran on a similar track to theirs, and then you were invited to make deeper relationships in more private corners of the internet. Social media filled both functions at once, I think, for a while. But the privacy was missing. I'm not surprised that Slack and Discord are starting to fill that private corner gap--everything old becomes new, etc.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

UST and monsters. This is still an unbeatable combination for me!

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

I loved romance novels--I read so many of them. Somehow, before we even had a computer at home, I started to tell myself romance novel stories with Mulder and Scully as the lead characters. This was how I talked myself to sleep--I wasn't a good sleeper. Then when I got online and did whatever search led me to ATXC, I was just shocked. Shocked! Can't do the surprise justice, in this era where fanfic is relatively mainstream. Other people had also independently invented this thing I loved! But they wrote their ideas down! I jumped on the bandwagon immediately.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

It's like my relationship to my childhood, frankly. Foundational, but I don't think about it all that much on a daily basis, right? I smile and reblog gif sets. I get nostalgic. I get embarrassed by social mistakes I made. I feel the way many of us do about memories from our teenage years. I wouldn't be who I was without it, but I'm not still in it.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

I was. I've spent 20 years in fandom! I did some beta work for someone who'd started writing slash--The Sentinel. The actual Sentinel, not just an endless loop of Sentinel AUs based on Sentinel AUs based on etc. I had some idea at the time that I was queer, but this was my first real exposure to romances that weren't straight. So I tore my way through the early 2000s slash fandoms as they developed: The Sentinel, Due South, Stargate Atlantis. Popslash, where a mix of good writing and absurdity ruled. Bandom, where I met my wife. Since then, many smaller fandoms.

It's hard to compare any of these things to each other, let alone to the X-Files. In each one, I was lucky enough to find a circle of women who were strong beta readers and good friends. I never wrote as much or for as long as I did in the X-Files.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

I watched the new episodes. I've shown friends important episodes--I remember that a few years ago, another friend and I tried to hook a third friend on the show by binging some favorites--mostly shippy MOTW, so it was like, Arcadia, Triangle, Bad Blood. Fun stuff!

We finish watching and I'm like, well? And? And she says, that was fine, but I'm more of a man-pain, secret babies kind of person? I'll never forget it. She had no idea but she'd hit the nail on the head! We were wheezing with laughter. We went back and watched mytharc episodes, which was much less fun for me, but much more interesting to her.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

I don't read X-Files fic often. I look at new things sometimes, and I've reread a few old classics, but my reading taste has changed so much. I still love straight romance, but it needs to be fast and sharp in a way that is hard to find.

I read fic in other fandoms when I have time. In the past few years, I've finished a degree, had a daughter, renovated a small Victorian and then sold it and bought another one during this pandemic--so time has been short. Currently I read some Untamed fic, some Good Omens fic, Magicians, Schitt's Creek...a sampler. Whatever friends are writing, whatever they recommend.

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

I never have a favorite of my own fics. I'm never satisfied. The second I post something, I'm always full of regrets. I've written fics that did very well and still hated them a month later. People have asked me over the years to move more of my stuff off Livejournal and onto ao3, but I do it really reluctantly and only by specific request. Everything's ephemeral! Let the old works diminish, and go into the West!

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

I have no oldies to dust off. I do periodically think of X-Files stories I would tell, but I don't have enough time for current interests--and so it goes.

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

I do. I was most recently writing in The Magicians fandom. I posted a couple new stories in an old fandom last year--I'd written Good Omens fic fifteen years ago, and then again for the Amazon adaptation. I have a pile of original novels in various stages of completion, but I'm never happy with them. One day I'll figure myself out, perhaps, or I'll just keep writing myself this and that and leaving it all in a drawer.

What's the story behind your pen name?

So AOL had a character limit for user names--I think it was 10. I was a teenager at the time I was coming up with the one I'd use for fandom, so I went with Dreamshaper. It was kind of literal, in the sense that I was going to share the stories I'd been telling myself to help me sleep. But the character limit meant I went with Dreamshpr, which I later liked because of the alternate reading of Dream*shipper*. A reminder to the younger fans that we were the original shippers!

I would also come up with new pen names when I wanted to experiment with a fic that didn't fit my usual style. I don't remember any of them. I probably did that a dozen times, so, sorry to those poor completely abandoned stories.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

Giddygeek on tumblr and ao3. I'm most active on twitter, but largely about my domestic life with dips into fandoms or original writing; message me on tumblr if you're an old friend who'd like to reconnect elsewhere.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with fans of X-Files fic?

Just gratitude--I'm so glad that I found people to share an obsession with, and that they were good people, at a time in my life where that made a significant difference to me. I don't know where I'd be now without my time and my growth in this fandom!

(Posted by Lilydale on December 22, 2020)

#new post #old school x #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #xf fanfic author interviews #dreamshaper

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bygosscarmine · 4 years

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Guardian: The Great And Lonely God

or like any reasonable English-speaking fan would call it*

Goblin

*DramaBeans referred to it as The Lonely Shining Goblin, as usual tracking toward fandom needs with utter disregard for what official outlets say

an aesthete review

SPOILERS ABOUND BUT THERE IS NO CUT you know you’d scroll by without reading if you didn’t care anyway so it doesn’t matter

So. It feels like even longer ago that Goblin came out because there was so much lead-up hype, and also, a lot has happened in my life since January 2017. This is the first fresh Korean drama I’ve watched in possibly that long or longer. I picked it up in the last month or so because I’m studying Korean and wanted to reconnect with it in a more natural context. And I hadn’t forgotten that though there were issues in the story premise, and mixed reactions to it as it aired, I had wanted to see Gong Yoo in a drama like this really badly.

Looking at Gong Yoo’s filmography, I can see why I feel like he’s been in hardly any dramas. After Coffee Prince, which is one of the dramas that really sold me on Korean TV as particularly interesting) the only other project he’s done was Big. This was a drama that was also highly anticipated and panned by most of the reviewers I knew. I had loved him in Biscuit Teacher Star Candy the way one loves a particularly gifted actor in an early effort--he’s charismatic and pretty (and 26 though playing a teenager).

I’m sure preference comes into play with the weight of movies in his career, but also he’s a little less of a mutable person than some major players in drama. Try to imagine swapping him for Lee Dong Wook in roles, for instance. Lee Dong Wook can be playful or dead serious or just incredibly dumb, because in some ways he’s a clean slate. I’m not sure why this is true, but it enables him to move from secondary leads to lead and back again with a variety of characters.

Gong Yoo is in a class with Kim Sun-Ah or Hyun Bin: he can embody characters in ways that feel immediate and real, but there is a certain core to them that comes from his own person. It’s a strength, but one that requires a character to fit in a certain way.

The Goblin, fka Kim Shin, needs an acute actor who can carry off both the kind of inner intense conviction that would fuel a hero to the kind of death and rebirth the character suffers, as well as a softness and hopefulness that makes a love story work.

Even considering my bias, don’t think it’s too much to say Goblin works because of Gong Yoo's abilities in that regard.

While fantastic elements are fairly common in Korean dramas, getting a full-fledged fantasy that treats its fantastic elements with the sort of care a procedural would matters of law or a hospital drama would matters of medicine is not as wide-spread.

Goblin both creates a consistent world of fantasy and does not overdo answering questions. The important points are clear, the ambiguities are not plot-breaking. While in the case of what happens once the sword is pulled out, one of the rules does seem to be broken by the drama, for the most part, all promises are kept. I have my issues with Kim Shin continuing on in an immortal form when I think a normal human life span from here out could do (barring the fact that they force him to wait for another reincarnation) but this is me as a fantasy specialist critiquing a choice the writer made, not a point of the mythology not working.

The main sticking point of the drama for most critics is the age gap.

In a way, I’m not as bothered by age gaps when it comes to immortal beings--there’s not a huge difference between being 19 and 30 when your partner is 396, right?

I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but the writer could have worked around this, and almost seems interested in doing so with the time-skip--only to have their second lifetime meeting also happen when she’s in high school.

I’m at a college right now and I’m 33 with a lot of classmates who are between 18 and 21. They are having adult relationships, but in real life I do give a look askance when the dude seems much older. And younger than 19 is really young.

If 29 was a fine time for them to be together in the end, with a much more intimate relationship, how long does Kim Shin wait the second time around?

Anyway, let the man die and come back as the same age, is what I’m trying to tell you.

Overall, the writing did a good job of allowing our heroine to be her age, and the romance to develop according to her pace. If there hadn’t been a second advent of her as a teenager in his life, with his years still running on ad infinitum, it would have seemed fine.

The fact that Ji Eun Tak, Goblin’s Bride, is a sort of classic Cinderella figure could have been an issue, too. However, I felt like she was given a lot of dimension so I rarely remembered that she was embodying a trope. Her clear memories and relationship with her mother help with that--she may live with uncaring relatives, but she has known herself to be loved and that centers her.

I also liked that her will was so important. In the back and forth between her and Kim Shin before it’s truly established that she is his destined bride, she gets to make choices about her relationship with him and while he withholds information a good deal of that is to allow her more choice.

This is a deployment of fate that feels full-bodied--the fate isn’t just something determined from the outside, even though we hear the voice of the gods in the actual narrative. Because of who these people are, they choose what has been predicted for them.

And the story is largely from her point of view, even as Kim Shin’s perspective and history shape so much of the plot. Her obsession with candles takes over the house Goblin and Reaper share, so at the end, Reaper has candles in his room. Her relationships are what center the story so much that the reminder that Deok Hwa doesn’t know her yet comes as a surprise before AND after the memory wipe. Everyone else connects in spokes around her--even Kim Shin and the Grim Reaper have to find their friendship footing around her status between them, where before they were just odd roommates.

What Ji Eun Tak wants is very important to this story, even when it is initially denied to her.

She is the only one who says no to the tea of forgetting, and gets no word of argument or explanation from her Reaper.

Altogether, I really enjoyed this show. Even the ending (which I had gotten vibes about that warned me of disappointment) which I didn’t love made sense in the logic of the rest of the story, including its failures.

It was a beautifully shot series, though with erratic editing in some of the chapters, and the intensity of the storyline carried off the high drama that might otherwise have turned maudlin.

If I were to watch it again, I’d be tempted to skip the last part of the last episode, leaving it in my mind that Kim Shin finally grew old, that by suffering his absence without memory was enough heroic suffering for Ji Eun Tak, and that when Reaper has done his duty and escorted Sunny into the afterlife they all come back together as childhood friends in a Reply 2079 reboot story.

...At the same time, the time inversions of the opening matching up with the first and last episode are pretty sweet, and I wouldn’t have missed that little bit of clever resonance just for a less messy headcanon version.

#Goblin #Guardian #kdrama #The Great and Lonely God #korean drama #review #spoilers #Goblin spoilers #Guardian spoilers

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loki-of-war · 6 years

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On the future of TWD

(EDIT: Reposting due to a formatting error)

So I’ve seen a lot of people commenting and sharing their opinions lately on how Chandler’s departure will affect the show, if it will survive this hit or not, for how many seasons more will TWD run, etc, etc. And I decided, now that I’m thinking more rationally (I hope) and I’m able to form understandable sentences, to share my honest thoughts with you lovely people on this entire mess.

Which is as follows: I give the show a minimum lifespan of ten seasons (meaning, the show will end in two more seasons) and a maximum of twelve seasons in total. This is my verdict, feel free to disagree with me.

Now onto explaining why I think this is so:

I can sort of see why old fans who left and people who have never liked Carl or feel lukewarm about him are happy this death is going to happen. But on the other side I'm thinking this kind of mentality is the reason why the show gets away with terrible decisions and why they keep making them over and over, declining in quality. I don't think it's right to condone mediocrity; this is from someone like me who has stayed on the TWD's side so far hoping they'd find the right footing at some point this season (then, obviously, because why wouldn’t they, my patience and tolerance was rewarded with this haha). And as I mentioned in a previous comment I made on YT, no matter what the public's feelings for Carl are, they won't change the importance of his role in the plot and his fundamental connection to Rick (this latter element has an effect on the whole cast, for better or for worse).

But anyway, Carl's death is going to change the entire mood of the series from now on so it definitely will never be as it once was and I think because of that the story will slowly bleed out. I mean, Carl has been the greatest determinator for every single one of Rick's decisions the entire show, and not only that but what he symbolised as a character, the hope for a better future, is gone now. What do children, sons, daughters, symbolise in every universal story? The next generation, what comes after, that not everything is going to be screwed up forever; especially after seeing how unmerciful TWD's world has proven to be for children and having Carl be the only exception to this 'kids cannot survive this world' rule has sort of become a moot point thanks to the...current circumstances.

Rick's and Lori's speeches to Carl in seasons 2 and 3 respectively justify this way of thinking: that after everyone from their generation (the adults) dies, Carl will have to take the reins and move on. I refuse to believe any writer with common sense would write such important pieces of dialogue just because they felt like it, just because they're emotional words without any other kind of meaning behind them. That is just lazy and awful writing in my opinion. Why write these poignant moments only to have the kid killed long before the end of the series? Why write/do anything if those things are going to be ignored later down the line, nevermind that every piece in a story must connect with the others? Why bother teaching him this morality lessons if they're all going to go to waste anyway; if he will never have a character arc/storyline that is plot relevant where his morals are challenged? (Good on you, whoever made the call, for missing out on possible great storylines for Carl that would have improved viewing and the quality of the show). That doesn't make a bit of sense, unless that what they were looking for was to give the events leading up to his sudden death some twist of irony, and that'd be perfect and all, except that Carl dying was so not part of the plan (the improvisation is so obvious it hurts me in the balls I don't have) and even the way his death was set up was graceless-the bite- and not something one would expect from the same people who made/directed/wrote/produced Season 4. In other words, killing him was basically flipping off the idea of a future in the face, whether they meant to do that or not, and this is bound to turn the overall mood the series to a much grim and darker tone to an already heavy themed and toned series. Many people won't find themselves too content with that heavier tonal change, I think, if the ratings for season 7 are to be trusted.

Ignoring that the conclusion to this was having him die though, I do have to say the actual set up in the mid season finale itself was beautiful and emotional (Chandler's acting was on point, he was the star of this episode), but the chain of actions leading up to it was lackluster. With lackluster I mean that he is a very important character that has literally been wasted for far too long; if you look at his progression throughout the seasons you'll realize he has not done much from a plot perspective despite being a main character. Therefore, his death feels unsatisfactory and empty because one can't help but feel that he hasn't nearly done as much as he should have. What he did to save his people in the mid season finale was amazing but it wasn't enough to make up for a notorious lack of screen time over full eight seasons, moreover if the motivations that drove him to that point, to that mentality, to that philosophy, don't make sense because his personality has made a one eighty from how he was the previous season with no type of prior explanation as to why that happened.

It may not seem like it but I'm actually a huge fan of angst and favorite-character-slaughter. I love when books, music, movies, videogames, series make me suffer (great examples of this are my undying love for Hannibal the tv show and that my favorite videogames are the ones directed by this one man, life destroyer actually, called Yoko Taro). Perhaps that is another reason why I'm being so critical with the choice to kill Carl (asides from the horrible decision-making and poor writing), because I love being hit in the feels in the best way possible, without holding back any punches, just go straight for the kill and make me cry like a newborn. However, I don't like tragedy when it's done for shock value, or when it's done simple-mindedly. If a favorite character of mine is going down, it has to make sense and they must have had filled out their purpose in the story, reached a state of character development we're all satisfied with so that when they die one can accept it and be happy despite the possible trauma that could ensue after (well, one can't exactly pin point when that happens, when enough is enough, but to have had the character embark on a lot of adventures even without them accomplishing their purpose, is enough to embrace their death). I guess what I'm trying to say with all this is that, while on one hand I would have preferred him outliving everybody else, if they were still so adamant on having him die at some point of the story (as if killing Carl had actually been part of a long term plan and not some last minute decision) they should have developed him first and foremost, and then assign him a proper death in later seasons, most preferably before the last season ends given that him dying before Rick is several different levels of wrong; if he wasn't such a huge part of Rick's character then fine, do it, but putting and end to him is equal to neutralizing Rick for literally years, which is time that both a comic and a tv show cannot afford, so to do it near the end of everything would be a better fit.

And, I don't know, even having Judith fill the void won't be of much help either, because we haven’t and we won't see her grow the same way we did Carl, her relationship with Rick will be vastly different, and so on. Probably this is just me but I'm not really attached to her; Judith so far is to me only a concept and not actually a person (yet). The fact that they keep changing the little baby girls who portray her doesn't really help, that gets me out of the story everytime. She just can't replace Carl, she might take his future storylines but it won't be the same. Besides, by the time she grows up, she’ll already be deep into this world, this is her normal life and probably by that time things will have changed.

So basically, not only in killing Carl they destroyed the image of a future, they have killed a foundational part of the essence that made The Walking Dead be The Walking Dead we all knew and loved, and that will never return. Also, allow me to point out that for those who think that The Walking Dead is about people dying whenever and wherever, and the cruel injustice that is life, I am not going to say that your interpretation is wrong but it is an incomplete one. The audience doesn’t watch TWD only to see tons of MC’s get murdered on a daily basis. Otherwise, why bother with investing time on a plot and just have them all killed at once. The soul of TWD is not about senseless killing and murder and tragedy and sadness. Simplifying it all to ‘this show is about the possibility of anybody dying/gore/zombies/etc’ is a great disservice to the show and the fans. Obviously, I am not neither the writer of the show or Robert Kirkman to claim to know to a T what the central theme of The Walking Dead is, and for full disclosure I have not read the comics. Nonetheless, basing my personal opinion on the tv show alone, I would like to think one of the core themes the show has explored and returns to time and time again is the topic in regards to the essence of human nature, and how in spite of apparent doom and the horrible circumstances we are forced to face, humans will always find the way to move forwards and stay strong, ergo, the message is a positive one, not a negative one, depressing, nihilistic one. And what better character to portray this versatility of human nature, this capacity for change, other than Carl Grimes, a child of transition, a child who was pulled out of his normal childhood and thrown right into the chaos of the apocalypse? A boy who has witnessed inhumane things, horrible things, has killed his mother, his second father figure, has done awful things himself, has always been toeing the line between right and wrong, cruel and kind, because of all the experiences he has had to process in a very short period of time? He was obligated to grow in a decaying world, watching his father and the ones surroundind him make mistakes, learning from them, evolving, seeing close ones die, starving, surviving insane experiences... If someone like that manages to grow in such a hostile environment and still remains true to himself and still has not lost faith in the world and humanity, and keeps close all the meaningful, important things his family and friends told him in the course of his entire life and not only that, but also applies them... What does that mean for you, to you? What does it mean for us? What does it say about human nature that hasn’t been told before or not quite in this manner?

Well, that is the point. I guess we will never get to find out in the Tv Show the answer to those questions. Regrettably.

If, and just if, the show manages to recover from this point onwards, I still have no idea how I'd feel about having the show thrive on the tails of throwing under the bus such a key character with no legitimate reasons behind the choice (don't even get me started on what they've done to poor Chandler). I'll still watch the show but I would be incredibly uncomfortable if that is how it turns out to be.

Finally, I apologize for any grammar mistakes or awkward phrasing you may find, it’s way too late to be doing such a long post and English is not my main language. Please don’t be afraid or feel awkward about replying to this post, even if it’s to hate on it. I really don’t mind having a long conversation about this topic with you all since I’ve literally been dying since Sunday night to discuss it.

Thank you so much for reading!

#twd #the walking dead #Carl Grimes #Rick Grimes #Chandler Riggs #Andrew Lincoln #Michonne #Danai Gurira #Negan #Jeffrey Dean Morgan #season 8 #twd s8 #scott gimple #amc

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arplis · 4 years

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Arplis - News: Virtual reality pops up at Denver museums, festivals and even VR escape rooms

Samantha Doerge was shutting down the Denver Film Festival’s virtual reality floor last fall when a woman shuffled in with her elderly mother, asking if Doerge would run the hour-long, three-part “Spheres” program one last time. ” ‘We’re sorry to be here so late,’ ” Doerge, a programming coordinator for the festival, remembers the woman telling her. ” ‘But my mother has wanted to be an astronaut all of her life and couldn’t because of an astigmatism. This is as close as she’ll ever get.’ Of course, I was more than happy to stay open for her.” “Spheres,” which has captivated audiences and critics at the Telluride, Sundance and Venice film festivals, invites viewers to don the now-standard virtual reality goggles and take a celebrity-narrated trip through the cosmos. Created by Eliza McNitt and executive produced by Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”), “Spheres” employs digital animation to render the big bang and other astronomical events in spectacular detail, bringing participants as close to space travel as they’ll likely ever get. The effect of narrative experiences like “Spheres” is uniquely powerful, said Doerge, who has helped program the Denver Film Festival’s virtual reality offerings the last couple of years. She also assisted with the debut of “Spheres” as Telluride’s first-ever VR offering in 2018. “When this woman, who had to have been 85 or 90 years old, came out of it, she was just crying,” Doerge said. “The word she used was ‘magical.’ “ Long in the wings, VR has increasingly inched into the spotlight at festivals, museums, theaters and bars as its complex technology — bulky headsets, servers and software — has grown rapidly cheaper and more compact. When it returns Oct. 30-Nov. 11, the Denver Film Festival will offer eight separate virtual reality experiences at its Festival Annex at the McNichols Building, with another four provided by its VR sponsor, Boulder-based Reality Garage, a lounge and makerspace that produces its own VR content. In recent years, the entrance of Facebook, Microsoft, Sony and other global players into the industry has rapidly accelerated VR’s consumer-friendliness while spurring artists and programmers to dream up new interactive concepts. Investors are also licking their pixelated chops at forecasts that predict the global market will increase from about $8 billion in 2018 to $44.7 billion in 2024, according to a recent report. And as Doerge knows, virtual reality isn’t just for gaming and entertainment. Her husband, a technology specialist for Children’s Hospital Colorado, uses VR to transport sick kids from the confines of their beds to Altspace, a social platform that offers simulated meet-ups and activities. “It’s there so kids can do things like have dinner with their families,” Doerge said. “These are mundane things we take for granted, but sick kids can check into Altspace and no longer feel this alienation from their childhoods.” Of course, that requires the other participants to don VR headsets, too. But as people get used to seeing VR at places such as Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum (which offers simulated plane rides), the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (in its new “Extreme Sports” installation), and the casino-like environs of Dave & Buster’s, the idea of bringing it into the living rooms gets less intimidating. In other words: Much like table tennis or life-sized Jenga, it’s another trendy entertainment — albeit a pricey, fast-evolving one. Related Articles “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson will be at opening night of Denver Film Fest “Knives Out,” “Marriage Story” will bookend Denver Film Fest’s 2019 red carpets Denver Film Festival reveals 2019 dates, tribute to late artistic director Brit Withey “There’s no headset at home, but that’s been a request for Christmas,” said Mandi Hoffman, a Denver mother overseeing nine middle-schoolers last week at VR Social, a virtual reality arcade in Broomfield. “We don’t have a lot of space, so I’m a little worried about how it would work. But we love VR. We visited a VR art exhibit in Montreal, which was incredible, and we like to do the VR games at the Punch Bowl Social on South Broadway.” Hoffman’s son, Henry, was there celebrating his 11th birthday with school buddies — all of them playing a sci-fi combat game and loosely tethered to the ceiling by cords on their headsets. The scene prompted Hoffman’s daughter Millie to acknowledge a common criticism of VR: Why should kids hook themselves up to machines for entertainment, even in poor weather, when indoor playgrounds, trampoline parks and “American Ninja Warrior”-style obstacle courses are so widely available these days? “Clearly from the outside, when you don’t have the headset on, it looks completely different,” Millie, 14, said as she stood in the bare-bones, LED-lit arcade space. Next door, a quintet of near-motionless people sat in a darkened room playing a virtual escape-room game. “But once you get inside it’s a heightened reality — fantasy games, fighting off robots, things you don’t get to experience when you go to (a business like) Jump Street or Lava Island.” Basic VR emulators such as Google’s Daydream Viewer, which mimics the look of VR by turning your phone into a display screen, retail for about $100. Gaming-friendly VR headsets, like the new Oculus Quest, range from $400 to $1,500 for crisp, stereoscopic imagery that offers the illusion of three-dimensional interactivity. Provided by Wings Over the RockiesVisitors to the Blue Sky Gallery in Centennial experience a virtual plane ride as part of Wings Over the Rockies’ VR programming. (Provided by Wings Over the Rockies) That’s a pricey buy-in compared to a board game or night at the movies, but nothing can match the experience, proponents say. Blotting out natural stimuli with eyepieces and headphones is one thing, but adding to the sensory immersion with physical elements, motion-tracking, controllers and other features can take something like a video-game escape room to new heights of interactivity — and meaning. “As a technology, it’s extremely exciting for us,” said Lauren Cason, creative director of Interactive at Santa Fe-based art company Meow Wolf. “If you’ve ever been to a VR exhibit or seen a demo, you’re going to be sitting in a blank room with a thing on your face, and it might not have much to do with the space you’re in.” Meow Wolf, however, has been busy researching and developing new XR (or “extended reality”) concepts that will allow guests to blur the lines between their physical and digital worlds at the company’s interactive art-playgrounds. That includes its forthcoming Denver location, a 90,000-square-foot, $60 million, four-story complex under construction at Interstate 25, Colfax Avenue and Auraria Parkway viaducts. “There’s technology out there — like HoloLens, Magic Leap, Spark AR, Apple’s AR (augmented reality) kit, ARCore and others — that allows you to superimpose three-dimensional digital objects onto real-world objects, and then have an interplay between those real and fabricated worlds,” said Cason, a veteran of MIT and Apple. “We believe that’s the future of these immersive, experiential spaces.” Or the present. Last week, the Washington, D.C., location of Madame Tussauds wax museum announced its new “Alive in AR” augmented-reality experience that uses smartglass technology to animate its celebrity and historical statues. That includes everyone from Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. to Tyra Banks, who come to life with the aid of 360-degree video, holograms and custom soundscapes. “While some attractions have experimented with AR on handheld smartphones, Madame Tussauds D.C. is embracing the more immersive and hands-free smartglass technology,” said ARtGlass founder and CEO Greg Werkheiser in a press statement. So how long will it be before we see that in Denver? Possibly sooner than you think, Meow Wolf officials said, although they declined to reveal specific details about Denver-based XR offerings, or say how much the company is investing in those technologies. “We’ve had several interesting tests and successes that are pointing toward something larger,” said Emily Montoya, a co-founder of Meow Wolf. “A couple of years ago, we took a VR experience called The Atrium to South by Southwest, which allowed people to experience our (Santa Fe-based) House of Eternal Return. And last year we took Navigator (a ‘mixed-reality sculpture’) to L.A.’s L.E.A.P. Con, which was sort of a giant-robot headset experience.” Navigator, which invited participants to climb behind the controls of a car-sized, spider-like robot, combined VR, AR and physical features to create the experience of operating a giant robot in real time. This sort of “spatial computing” is a clear emphasis for the company moving forward, Montoya said. “One of our biggest interests is incorporating theatrical storylines into the technology,” she said. “We already have the capacity to create such fantastic physical spaces and controls, so why not start there?” The same criticisms that detractors have for VR — its largely sedentary nature, its contrived imagery and sound — could just as easily be leveled at all manner of film and gaming, defenders say. And VR’s unlimited adaptability in the virtual space means, for example, that deaf people can use sign language to communicate with one another, or that wheelchair-bound people can fulfill dreams of walking, running and even flying. Recent advances have broadened VR’s applications to the point of mainstream appeal, from VR headsets going wireless to virtual learning, workplace training and even theater – such as last month’s “Virtue of Reality” production from the University of Colorado’s Experience Design MFA students. There’s limitless room for experimentation, backers promise. Just not, you know, in the literal sense. “At my core, I am a cinephile and I love movies,” said Denver Film Fest’s Doerge. “But one thing that’s so exciting about VR is that your brain doesn’t make a distinction between what’s happening to you and what’s happening in the headset, so the emotional response you can get from a VR experience is very powerful. I have watched grown men burst into tears because it was so captivating.” She hopes to further evangelize for the format at the Denver Film Festival’s VR-focused panels at Civic Center’s McNichols Building on Nov. 9. One is a general creator panel, while the other explores its uses in pediatric health care. Both are fundamentally rooted in storytelling, she said. “One of the most successful and basic VR experiences out there is called Job Simulator,” Doerge said. “It’s also the first one I ever tried about four years ago. In it, I was basically a 7-Eleven cashier, but what shocked me was how consuming it was, because I almost had to reintegrate into my own reality after taking off the goggles. It’s been an uphill battle with VR into the film world, but whether it’s storytelling or escape, it has this unique ability to transport you, even when you’re fully aware that you’re wearing the headset.” Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox. #TellurideFilmFestival #Museum #ThingsToDo #News #MeowWolf

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/virtual-reality-pops-up-at-denver-museums-festivals-and-even-vr-escape-rooms

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zombiekadabra · 7 years

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Iron Fist Kind of Sucks, and It’s Not Because It’s Kind of Racist

Netflix’s Marvel adaptations have a pretty good reputation thus far, with a knockout season 1 of Daredevil and Jessica Jones, a solid Daredevil season 2, and a passable, if oddly frustrating, Luke Cage. Iron Fist is sadly another drop in quality, but not for all the reasons that most of the TV critic outlets keep harping on.

The problems often cited with the show are that it should’ve had an Asian-American lead, and that the Asians in the show are pretty stereotypical.

Those are both fair points, but the main issue with the show is that it doesn’t take these or many of its other opportunities to adapt a cliche 80′s trope of a story for a modern audience, and doesn’t seem self-aware enough to realize that it’s giving its audience whiplash.

Nobody was waiting for Iron Fist. Outside of a niche group of 40+ year old comic geeks, Iron Fist was basically unheard of before its series was announced, much like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.

Luke Cage and Jessica Jones succeeded in part because they took advantage of this lack of awareness and modified/updated their setting and backstories to tamp down on the campiness and blacksploitation elements, and thereby made the material relevant, and kept us from rolling our eyes 5 times an episode.

Even if Luke Cage made some odd choices in its narrative (why in God’s name would you build a compelling and well-developed adversary, and then underwhelmingly replace him with a 2D villain halfway through a season?), and wound up leaning WAY too hard into its campy villain in its second half (”Can. You. Dig itttt???” No, I cannot.) it did at least do a good job with Luke himself, and the setting and stakes in Harlem.

I would’ve been fine with Danny Rand being an Asian-American. For starters, I didn’t know he was white until I saw the first trailer for the show, so I, like most people, wouldn’t have known the difference. But that wouldn’t have solved any of the show’s core problems, and might have even made my white ass squirm even harder in my chair when Danny starts spouting ancient Asian wisdom.

If I had any doubts on that point, they were laid to rest the first time Colleen Wing, 24-year-old Japanese dojo master and certified badass in her own right (And best character in the show, even if it’s a low bar), tells her student trying to feed his family, “You dishonor yourself when you fight for money.” Cue eye roll.

So, much like Daredevil and many comic book and movie heroes of that era, Danny Rand is a rich white kid, befallen by tragedy, who winds up becoming some ancient and mysterious Eastern region’s “Chosen One,” then returns to reclaim his seat and set things right. Fair enough. It’s hard to escape that without rewriting the entire mythos behind the character, but does he have to walk around spouting the benefits of one’s chi and “internal force,” or drop lines like, “You chatter like monkies. Your kicks are like lace curtains?”

Finn Jones is clearly a capable actor, but nobody can possibly sell a dopey ass line like that, and it’s the show’s fault for including it in the first place, then having the audacity to ask us to take it seriously.

In a show that could only benefit from some actual levity, these lines ought to earn nothing but scorn and snorts of laughter from the rest of the cast if the audience is expected to buy it.

This all underscores the main issue with Iron Fist. Danny Rand is fucking lame and totally oblivious to the world around him. In many ways, he’s mentally still a child. He’s a virgin, which... yeah. I mean I guess spending your early adulthood on a distant astral mountain surrounded by monks is a better excuse than most ever have for not getting laid. He’s also totally oblivious to how he will be received when he walks back in off the street, and has a frustratingly short memory when abused by his friends and surrogate family, which he manages to forget by the next time he has a scene with them multiple times.

Even the most obvious duplicity strolls under this sleuth’s radar, such as his father’s best friend, who apparently rose from the dead and recently delivered a sinister monologue to him while he was drugged and strapped into a mental hospital bed, telling him everything is hunky dory now and he’ll take care of everything.

Not to worry though, because Danny Rand is a savvy and penetrating mind. For instance, when some mysterious criminals beat up and try to kidnap his childhood friend, he conveniently hears them say, “Hey, let’s go back to Golden Sands,” follows them, and then is like, “Hey, why’d you guys do that?” Then they just straight up tell him and shut the door, and he just walks away. Mystery solved.

I can’t figure out if Danny Rand is an idiot because the writers wrote an Idiot Plot, or if they wrote an Idiot Plot because Danny is stupid. I suspect the former, since other characters demonstrate equally nonsensical and grating behavior, such as Colleen Wing admonishing her cage-fighter student for fighting for money, then turning around and doing the exact same thing twice.

The frustrating part of this is that it would be fine if it weren’t for the show’s attempts at shoe-horning Punch-child Rand into a brooding, dramatic plot and instead played into the butt-monkey role that the viewers already see Danny as anyway, it would have relieved a lot of tension, added some sorely-needed humor, and set Danny up as the lighter personality his childlike optimism is tailor-made for.

With The Defenders gearing up, and 3 brooding superheroes already established, the last thing that Iron Fist needed to be was a vanilla retreading of those same stories, but that’s exactly what it is. It doesn’t play to its strengths, tries to force its tone through nail-on-chalkboard dialog that just can’t support it.

No show has had more need for Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple to chime in, “You’re so corny.”

#iron fist

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beesandbooks1 · 4 years

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Adaptations: The Good and the Bad

If you’d like to read this post on my blog instead, click here!

Hi there book bees! This is actually one of my favorite topics to discuss when it comes to books! By adaptations, I mean to encompass book to film and book to television adaptations, as well as potentially circular ones such as how books are turned into musicals then turned into films (think Phantom of the Opera). This can also be reversed with books being inspired by film, television, and musicals and then influencing those things again in turn when an extended canon universe is manifesting.

What is a good adaptation?

A good adaptation is one that draws on the existing fanbase of whatever they are adapting. This means that the adaptation is not necessarily catered to the fanbase, but absolutely needs to respect them. If you check out the YouTuber Dominic Noble, he addresses this in several of his video essays on book to film adaptations as well as other reviews. One such video specifically addresses the new Death Note live action movie and how certain changes were made almost as if the creators wanted to draw in the fanbase of the manga and anime but then make fun of them once they were watching.

Good adaptations come from a place of respect, if not also admiration and love. Well made adaptations are often of pieces of media adapted by their own fans or at least by people who understand the fans. There are also adaptations that respect premises but recognize problematic elements of the original text and thus attempt to create a more inclusive adaptation that manages to point out the problems in the original while respecting its core premise.

Good adaptations don’t necessarily need to be strictly perfect. Practical Magic for example has strong followings who prefer the book, and equally strong followings who prefer the movie. Many people have a preference for one or the other, but consume both. I personally adore both versions and think that the movie made some smart choices in adapting to the screen, as well as created a different message that I enjoyed in its format.

What is a bad adaptation?

Just as a good adaptation can change things and still stand on its own, a bad adaptation doesn’t necessarily have to be wildly inaccurate to what it’s adapting to be bad. Bad adaptations stem from the opposite of good ones, ie a lack of respect for the fanbase the adaptation is naturally drawing upon.

The big draw of an adaptation is that there’s an existing fanbase that will likely convince others to go and see the adaptation. The success of a book leading to its being turned into a film is what creates massive franchises such as Twilight and The Hunger Games. Effective marketing means automatically drawing in the existing fanbase while also creating a new set of fans that are just loyal to the movie or television adaptations. By acknowledging that the fanbase already exists and needs to be at least somewhat pleased with the results in order to stick around, the adaptation creators are already entering into a mutual understanding of respect. The new creators respect the fans’ love of the original text and honor that by being true to it through their new creation. In return, the old fans encourage the development of new fans and expand the fanbase out of respect of the new creators.

A bad adaptation breaks this social contract, sometimes deliberately and sometimes by accident. When it is done accidentally it’s often out of misunderstanding. For example, the new Artemis Fowl movie just completely misunderstands that the whole draw of Artemis was that he began the series as a villain. Instead, the new movie adapts him into a protagonist turned antagonist role because they didn’t believe anyone would want to watch a story that did the opposite…. despite an entire existing fanbase saying they did in fact like that story and would like to see that story in film. There are also creators that come to despise their fanbase, which is an entirely other situation that occurs outside of adaptations (think Sherlock or Joss Whedon). When the creators no longer like the fans they have and want to actively draw them in to be hurt, they create bad faith adaptations that are meant to poke fun at the things most loved by the fans.

What do adaptations even do?

Take the money out of the equation for a moment, forget that we just lived through about two decades of “franchise films” in which a book’s concept could be blown up and dragged on for several movies, all of which came with huge promotional budgets including merch, celebrity endorsements, and fanbase growth. It’s pretty easy to see that formula is there, and appealing, after the success of various franchises such as Marvel and The Hunger Games. And there are definitely still some adaptations being made with the idea that they’ll be the next big thing to take over Hot Topic’s shelves and make baffling headline news.

But how did these adaptations even start? For a lot of them, adaptations start when someone in the movie or television industry gets a hold of a really good book and says ‘hey this has something.’ The Princess Diaries for example features an adaptation that transforms the concept of the original Cabot series and became a fan favorite on its own merit. There’s similarities between Mia in both versions, and the basic premise is the same, but enough changes were made to the Anne Hathaway movie that it appealed to not only the fanbase of young girls who’d read the books, but also became a staple in a lot of other childhoods. The movie brought to life a version of Mia who was a little more appealing, and condensed her story into a quicker consumption time (an entire series of books will take significantly longer to consume than the single movie, or both of them if you’re a fan of the sequel). In doing this, fans of both the books and the movie have some kind of common ground to discuss the two, but there’s also an appreciated separation depending on which you were exposed to first or which you enjoyed more.

Bad adaptations are usually disliked on the merit of poor storytelling just as much as they are for ruining the premise they were meant to present. Eragon and Avatar: The Last Airbender as movies had poor directing choices, poor CGI, and poor acting that exacerbated the diversions from canon that were included. If these two movies could have stood on their own the way The Princess Diaries did, they might not be so hated some people pretend they don’t exist at all. But instead, they were so poorly done as films that not even people with no knowledge of the original story enjoyed them. In these cases, the adaptations contribute absolutely nothing to the fanbase by disrespecting them, and contribute nothing to new viewers because they are so bad they won’t receive a dedicated following of new viewers.

Final Thoughts

Like many people my age, I grew up learning the exciting news that books I’d enjoyed immensely were being turned into movies. It eventually got to the point, though, where I had come to expect a few things would happen once this was announced:

1. The movie is made, it’s not wildly successful outside of the book’s fanbase, and even if the movie is well done the hopes of getting the rest of the series adapted as well are slowly killed by lack of interest in the project

2. The movie is made and is pretty successful, as well as relatively true to the book. The fanbase turns out in great numbers and convinces the movie industry there’s something here. The project changes hands at some point, leading to something crucial being missed in the adaptation that creates a divide between fans of the books and fans of the movies. Depending on where I fall in this divide, I would either lose interest in the movies out of loyalty to the books or come to have a new, negative view of the books.

3. The adaptation of the books is so wildly inaccurate that it creates a lack of interest in both forms of the media, though resurgences and acknowledgements of what the books originally did that the movie squandered or ruined may occur. This happened with Eragon for me, where I only picked the rest of the series up again after the disastrous movie when I saw some positive discussion of it in fan spaces and remembered how much I did enjoy the book.

Ultimately, a well done adaptation can expand the fanbase of the books and create a more immersive world building experience for those fans. A poorly done adaptation can in turn hurt the books by driving away fans who weren’t as attached to the original texts and are so unimpressed with the adaptations as to attribute this negative experience to the fictional world as a whole. Good adaptations require a respect of the original text and its fans, as well as an understanding of how to carry certain themes and expectations over to screen and still make for an interesting television or movie experience. It’s not an easy job, and it’s messed up a lot of the times especially when money becomes such an influential factor. Think about the hype over the love triangle in The Hunger Games and how in the quest for a major motion picture franchise, merchandise sales became more important than the core revolutionary premise of the text and the exact phenomenon that so disgusted Katniss and readers alike of the Capitol focusing on her love story above all else became a real phenomenon with little critical thinking involved.

What do you think of adaptations? Are there any examples of good or bad adaptations you’d like to point out in the comments? How about ways you think adaptations can be improved that will sustain both fanbases of the original and the new versions?

#bookblr #books #adaptations

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erriikkka · 6 years

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As I develop my capabilities, I’ve been really a hoarder of movies, Disney films to be exact. Since then, it has always been a part of me to pay attention to these movie pictures that accompanied and innovated me throughout the years. Furthermore, i have abide to tackle the route in reaching my dreams and I have these bundle of films that represents my childhood in which i can relate to. These movies are the reason that at some point in my life, it also happens to me, and there, I see myself in my that particular scene so what are you waiting for? come on and see what’s inside my movie blog!

I. Beauty and the Beast

the 18th-century fairy tale was brought into life.

Beauty and the Beast

Disney has already given us live-action versions of animated films like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty in recent years but in a way, Beauty and the Beast feels like the riskiest of them all so far, as far as potential backlash is concerned. Beauty and the Beast is still much more recent than those other animated classics, and many can clearly remember growing up during the film’s initial release and explosion in popularity. Starting from editing, the musical, the casting, setting and the whole production staff made everything possible for this film has to be brought into life and its just very alluring, it will never disappoint you. There are numerous scenes from the film that leave me breathless and had me in tears. One of these scenes is when Belle and the Beast had their first date and dance in the tune “Beauty and the Beast” which depicts their love story. Speaking of their lovestory, the story’s fantastical elements made it feel truly “realistic,” these touches the hearts of its viewers especially, the die-hard Disney fans who waited for this time to happen. It was like a time travel from time to time through the use of the music box which plays the life of Belle since she was born. Lastly, it was when Gaston fatally shoots the Beast from a bridge, but it collapses when the castle crumbles, and he falls to his death. The Beast dies as the last petal falls, and the servants become inanimate. As Belle tearfully professes her love to the Beast, the enchantress reveals herself and undoes the curse, repairing the crumbling castle, and restoring the Beast’s and servants’ human forms and the villagers’ memories. The Prince and Belle host a ball for the kingdom, where they dance and lived happily ever after. With that, I could definitely say that i am mesmerized by this film and it has a huge impact in my life. This movie get to be my favorite movie. 10/10

II. Frozen

Frozen.

My happy pill.

Frozen desalinates the new generation, our generation. Wherein, the youths are being portrayed by Elsa who would always keep a particular secret from everyone for the reason that she’s afraid that the society wont accept her. Within her, i saw myself, i saw how excruciating it is for her to lose her loved ones, i’m not saying that the same thing occurred to me but, even my family’s complete, there’s always that something that’ll be missing. Since then, this film has been my happy pill and Elsa served as my spirit animal and just like her, I should be continuing what I’ve started and what I want because basically, it’s me, that is me. No one could ever deny the hard fact that these challenges will always come and test us, but we should all believe in ourselves that we can like what Elsa did. She stood up for herself and she even managed to grow into a beautiful rose even if she’s all alone. The reason why i really can’t resist this film is about it’s life lessons that we should always think first before we should do any decisions for it might affect our future.

III. Inside Out

The universe is full of dark matter and black holes, of planets made of diamond and space clouds that smell like raspberries. It is beautiful, terrifying and very, very odd. but none of that wonder holds a Christmas candle to what goes on in the mind of an 11-year-old girl. Take Riley—a fun, goofy, hockey-loving kid from Minnesota. Sure, she might not look all that unusual from the outside. But dive into her gray matter and you’ll see towering shelves full of memories and terrifying forests of broccoli in her subconscious, cloud cities forming in her imagination and elaborate dreams taking shape on the sound stage of her psyche. Above it all, in the control tower, work Riley’s core emotions: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear. They push buttons and twist knobs and help power Riley through each and every day, making scads of marble-like memories all the while. Most of those marbles are eventually whisked away to long-term memory storage. But a handful stay in the control room. They’re her core memories, moments so critical in Riley’s development that they’ve spawned whole islands of identity. When Joy is sucked out of the control tower, though, it becomes impossible for Riley to do much but sulk and cower and occasionally blow up. And while that’s not good in and of itself, it’s a fantastic depiction of what kids feel when they’re under a lot of stress. When you’re 11 and your whole world has changed, your inner world is shaken, too. And we learn here that our emotions, even ones that might seem, on the surface, “bad,” can help stabilize things. Riley’s parents don’t understand what’s going on with their suddenly sullen daughter, but they want to help. And so they do—through love and patience and understanding. It’s pretty obvious that Mom and Dad are great (though not always perfect) parents, and Riley, eventually, sees them as such. That means Inside Out isn’t content to depict how awful things can get when our lives take a sudden downward turn. No, it also wants to show us how important family can be in the process of picking yourself up and moving on.

IV. Moana

Princesses come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, though Disney’s latest addition to its ever-growing gallery of empowered female heroines, Moana – The sail of the century. It is a tale of the young daughter of a Polynesian chief who seeks to explore the world beyond her island in the Pacific and save her people in the process. Moana’s father continually asserts that because her role is to be the island’s next leader, she must remain on the island. However, her decision to defy her father’s orders leads to a fulfilling experience. She skillfully incorporates Polynesian culture into its plot, demonstrating its beauty and intricacy while respecting its origins. The film includes the traditional Polynesian legend of Maui, a demigod known for his mischievous personality and contributions to mankind, most notably his creation of the Pacific Islands by pulling up rocks from beneath the ocean. Maui’s character is cleverly utilized to highlight the significance of Moana’s agency as a young woman. Demonstrating his rude personality, Maui constantly doubts Moana’s ability to navigate the ocean and help her people because of her status as the young daughter of a chief. Moana’s continual capacity to prove Maui wrong emphasizes her independence and inherent talents regardless of her social standing or gender. Though Maui and his godly powers contribute to the storyline, Moana’s strength and determination are central to the film’s plot and communicate a stirring message of female empowerment. Patience is the key to happiness, they say, and nearly the entire film embodies that belief. For example, Moana must find enough patience to learn how to sail, patience in Maui who doesn’t trust her at first, and patience throughout her entire journey. During the film we see Moana fail a few times before she finally succeeds, and that added humanity to her character, which a lot of protagonists tend to lack. When a lot of people see this, especially our youth, I think it will help them realize that mistakes are a part of our journey through life, and some things require patience before success. The film will be cheered as many things — an entertaining holiday film, a princess story without the slightest hint of romance, a multicultural addition to the Disney family — but best of all, it’s a sharp attack on helicopter parenting. Unlike most of the young women we meet in fairy tales, Moana has a happy childhood and never wants for anything. Like many middle-class American kids today, she has two wonderful, caring parents who only want what’s best for her. Otherwise, the movie offers positive messages of self-discovery and empowerment. And Moana herself is a great role model, demonstrating perseverance, curiosity, and courage.

V. Coco

They say, Coco is the best movie of Pixar in years, and I totally agrees with it. Most of the scenes in the movie takes place in the Land of the Dead, but the movie never stops overflowing with life. Colors riot and effervesce, Mexican folk-art patterns tease the eye, music and song ride beneath each scene and goose it forward. The movie’s so exuberantly visual that it feels as if you’re sticking your head inside the collective unconscious of an entire culture. Not to mention it’s soundtrack “remember me” which says the whole story and within that, we can all see that many people can relate in this kind of music especially the emotional ones. Although out the movie, it made me cry for the reason that at some how I can relate and I know how it feels when your parents are contradicting the things you wanted to do. This movie is a 10/10 for me. It’s really nice and knowing me, being emotional this movie suits my sentimental heart. While all is well in the end, the movie can be dark and sad , especially for those who’ve lost beloved relatives. But it also has powerful themes of perseverance, teamwork, and gratitude and encourages audiences to love and appreciate their family and always follow their dreams.

5 worthy movies that you shouldn’t miss! As I develop my capabilities, I've been really a hoarder of movies, Disney films to be exact.

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