#this is more based on the characterization in the musical than in the movie

[minty-mumbles]

Linked Universe Survey 2023

The long awaited results of the survey. Sorry it took me forever, making graphs is hard.

There were 452 responses to the survey as a whole, which is almost double what we got last year, so thank you to everyone who participated!

If you want to see the raw data, you can find that here. I had thoughts about the data, but compiling that into another post would be too much of a hassle. Feel free to send me asks about it though!

The rest of the post will be under a read more as it it large

Demographics

Other: Demigirl (4), Transmasc (3), Grey genderfluid, Unlabeled, Demiboy, Demiagender

Other: Omnisexual (4), Poly (2), Trixic, Abroromantic or Bellusromantic, Demisexual

General Questions

Other: Quotev, Discord, their own google docs

Other: Discord, Variations of "I haven't posted yet, but I pan to" and "I haven't posted my fics in ages",

Other: Wattpad, Deviantart, Discord

Other: Crochet dolls, Custom dolls, Roleplay blogs (2), Fan translations, Headcanons (2), Piano music

The purple section in the “Warriors vs Warrior” chart is supposed to read “Warrior.” I made a typo.

Favorites and Least Favorites

Selected Free Response Answers

im sorry warriors i just can't play your game (it is very very hard. i am stuck very early on in the game)

I love cats meow meow meow

was extremely tempted to put twilight for least favorite. unfortunately he is my favorite to write from the perspective of (he has taken over most of my wips. help) and that probably counts for something. WILD on the other hand. hooo boy how the hell do i characterize this gargoyle. why is he Like That. least favorite it is

Twiddy

very good fandom to be in :) everybody is very nice

It's a straight up crime that Wars lost the aesthetics poll so quickly. He has such a peak Link design with the best colors. Ugh I'm getting wistful.

FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. ALSO HAPPY PRIDE MONTH. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS.

I will fight Hylia herself and the next person who implies Twi can't handle spice. If we're going to lean into him being southern/Midwestern, which is an alright stero type for our rancher, please keep in mind the culture you're basing him off. The south and midwest can handle their spice, I assure you. Have you ever had authentic Louisiana gumbo? It will melt you tongue off. Or some good old fashion spicy fried chicken? I promise the real stuff has quite a kick. (In all seriousness, though. It's more important that you're having fun. And even I can admit the idea of Twi being an Ordonian who can't handle his spice is more than a little funny.)

I am an OoT Link edgelord and have been since early 2017. So, in September of that year, when an artist by the name of jojo56830 puts out a lineup of nine different Links and the Hero of Time is there – the oldest, no eye, Hero’s Shade armor? I saw that one sketch and just thought “oh this is gonna be bad.” Yeah of course he has the coolest design. By the way, it’s only a matter of time until Fierce Deity shows up in the comic and I have reason to believe it could be this current Dawn arc. Dawn … Dawn of a New Day … and who brought about the Dawn of a New Day? Fierce Deity. Twilight is recovering but still injured and what will happen if he falls again? Fierce Deity is coming and we need to be prepared. In this essay I will—

Remember that time when someone put the whole script of the bee movie in here? I’m not that dedicated, and I don’t have that time, but let us remember and hope someone else does it again this time. Cause someone is bound too. We’re all crazy enough to do it. Alright, love you and stay hydrated pls!

Hi! I joined this fandom really recent but i’ve always seen LU stuff on pinterest and elsewhere. Only recently have i actually took the time to understand the fandom and get back into LOZ stuff and i adore the characters and story! The more and more fanart, fanfics, and comics i see about the different Links the more i love them all. It’s such a pain to pick just one i like or one i don’t like because they’re all so unique. I love this fandom and hope to get more involved!! Have a wonderful rest of your day :]

Epona is an underrated queen

your mom

I really don't get why Zelda is called Artemis. Athena makes more sense???? It perplexes me

Anyone seeing this should check out Breanna’s E!Wild AU

Something something queer every Link into oblivion!

#linked universe #lu survey 2023 #lu wild #lu twilight #lu time #lu warriors #lu legend #lu wind #lu hyrule #lu four #lu sky

[from-memphis-with-love]

Let's talk about Hound Dog

With the upcoming release of the movie Priscilla, it seems that there are tons of trolls out and about on Tumblr trying to inundate the #Elvis tag with lies and misinformation about Elvis.

Like, for one, that he stole music from black recording artists. One of the most pervasive--and incorrect--rumors specifically revolves around the song "Hound Dog."

People say that Elvis stole the song from Big Mama Thornton, a talented (and black) rhythm and blues singer/songwriter.

But what if I told you that "Hound Dog" was written by two Jewish guys?

And that Elvis' rendition was not based on Big Mama Thornton's 1952 version, but rather on Freddie Bell & the Bellboys 1955 version?

First, let's talk about how the song came to be in the first place.

In 1952, bandleader Johnny Otis introduced Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton to songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who were inspired by her powerful and gritty blues style to write the song. Characterized by its bold lyrics and Thornton’s robust delivery, the song told the story of a woman dismissing a useless man from her life, with the iconic opening line serving as a euphemism for a man who is a burden rather than a benefit ("You ain't nothing but a hound dog/Been snoopin' 'round my door/You can wag your tail/But I ain't gon' feed you no more").

The writing process was influenced by both Thornton's imposing physical presence and vocal style and sought to capture her fierce and unapologetic personality without using explicit language.

And quite frankly, the song is kick ass. Have a listen here:

It was written for a woman to vocally chastise her selfish and exploitative man, making use of metaphor and sexual double entendre common in the bawdy genre, and effectively embodied Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton's robust and unapologetic persona.

In a stroke of genius, Leiber and Stoller crafted the iconic piece in just 12 to 15 minutes, with Leiber jotting down the lyrics spontaneously during a car ride. The process involved a challenging rhyme scheme and a complex metric structure of the music. In addition to the original version, they also created an alternate version titled "Tom Cat," adding diversity to Thornton's musical repertoire.

Thornton’s rendition of "Hound Dog" played a pivotal role in transitioning black R&B into rock music and symbolized the blending of racial lines in music ahead of legal desegregation in public schools. Initially, Thornton performed the song as a ballad, but Leiber and Stoller, who held her version as their favorite, guided her to the more rhythmic and edgy style that became iconic. New York University music professor Maureen Mahon highlights the significance of Thornton's version as "an important [part of the] beginning of rock-and-roll, especially in its use of the guitar as the key instrument."

Many assert that Elvis was the first to cover her song, but that is untrue. By the end of 1953, at least six "answer songs" that responded to 'Big Mama' Thornton's original version were released. According to Peacock Records' Don Robey (who, it would come to be known, defrauded Leiber, Stoller, and Big Mama Thornton out of money for "Hound Dog"), these songs were "bastardizations" of the original and reduced its sales potential.

By 1955, enter Freddie Bell and the Bellboys.

In 1955, Bernie Lowe of Teen Records believed "Hound Dog" could have a broader appeal and commissioned Freddie Bell of Freddie Bell and the Bellboys to rewrite and sanitize the song for mainstream audiences.

Jerry Leiber found these alterations irritating, criticizing the new lyrics for making "no sense", even though the modified version became a regular feature in Bell and the Bellboys’ Las Vegas act.

You can listen to their version here. Sound familiar?

Finally, we come to Elvis.

In 1956, Presley and his band first heard "Hound Dog" while they were in Las Vegas, where they were booked to perform at the Venus Room of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino. During their stay from April 23 to May 6 of that year, they encountered the song at the Sands Casino, where Freddie Bell and the Bellboys were performing their sanitized version of the tune, having transformed it from a racy song about a disappointing lover into a song literally about a dog.

Elvis Presley was instantly captivated by the song. Its catchy melody and lyrics had him returning to the performance multiple times to grasp its chords and lyrics fully. Scotty Moore, Presley's guitarist, and D.J. Fontana, his drummer, corroborated that Elvis was heavily influenced by the Bellboys’ version of the song. Presley, although acquainted with Big Mama Thornton's original bluesy version, was more drawn to the Bellboys' rock and roll, more comedic rendition.

Soon after, Presley introduced "Hound Dog" to his own live performances, first showcasing it at the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. Initially, his execution of the song bore a more measured pace and almost burlesque feel, influenced directly by the Bellboys’ comical, Las Vegas-style performance.

At around 1:30 in the video below, you can see and hear the slowed-down version as Elvis might have performed it in Las Vegas.

It was not long before the song became a staple in Presley’s performances, and a twangy guitar and a hard-driving rock and roll beat were added, making its debut as the closing number at the Ellis Auditorium in Memphis on May 15, 1956. The audience of 7,000 at the Memphis Cotton Festival witnessed the inception of what would become a classic element in Presley’s shows, enduring for a time as his standard closer.

Elvis Presley’s version of "Hound Dog" is not considered a direct lift of Thornton’s original, but rather an adaptation of a song that had not reached the status of a "standard" in the music industry. Presley encountered the song through the Bellboys’ version, which was itself one of a number of covers of the original. Furthermore, respected music analysts and critics, including George Plasketes and Michael Coyle, emphasize that most of the audience in Presley's era were not familiar with Thornton's 1953 original recording, and thus, Presley's version cannot be perceived as a theft or usurpation.

Moreover, it is essential to highlight that Presley held a deep respect for Thornton’s original version and even had a copy in his personal record collection, indicating an acknowledgment of the song's origins.

Presley's rendition of "Hound Dog," influential as it became, was part of the broader practice of artists adapting and interpreting songs to suit different styles and audiences. Presley's had often recounted his admiration for other renditions and related songs--and often rebuked the notion that he was the King of Rock and Roll, instead preferring to refer to Fats Domino with the title.

Contrary to persistent stereotypes suggesting Elvis Presley claimed sole credit for the rise of rock and roll, the singer himself acknowledged the black community’s paramount contribution to the genre. In a 1957 interview with Jet magazine, Presley openly dismissed the notion of being the originator of the genre.

In the interview, he expressed his admiration for black musicians, conceding that his own renditions could not match the authenticity and soul of artists like Fats Domino. Elvis cited his childhood experiences attending black churches, such as Rev. Brewster’s church in Memphis, as instrumental in fostering his love for the music that would later define his career. Through such statements, Elvis sought to underscore the black community's foundational role in shaping rock and roll.

His open admiration for and familiarity with black music and black artists proved that his interpretation of "Hound Dog" was not an act of appropriation, but rather a contribution to the evolving landscape of rock and roll.

#elvis presley #elvis #hound dog #elvis history #Youtube

[hamliet]

It's A Boys' Love Story, Your Honor: Be Gay, Do Crimes

This review is often satirical and sometimes facetious. Or is it?

Anyways I got dragged into watching HIGH&LOW, a Japanese action show full of pretty boys punching each other. Aside from me wondering how all of them don't have CTE and screaming CHEST COMPRESSIONS when one character codes and the nurse like... walks away (he's ok the power of friendship is stronger than any defibrillator), it turned out to be a surprisingly excellent, enjoyable, and even poignant watch.

The plot is vibes at best and the narrative ideas are less formed than, say, those of Kinnporsche. But, what it does have down pat is characters. Pretty much every character is compelling from their introductory scene (except for the Mighty Warriors who exist purely to suck). The characters may not necessarily be the most complex or psychologically challenging, but they come across as intriguing enough, flawed enough, to carry series on their own. Like, I would honestly watch a full series based on any one of them.

To be honest, this show does more to establish who a character is, what they want, and make them interesting within a character's first 30 seconds than some high-brow directors do with three hours of film. I would honestly recommend it to anyone trying to understand how to characterize.

Also, it's basically a yaoi but with fighting instead of f*cking. It's just dripping in homoeroticism that they infuse with just enough plausible deniability that insecure straight guys can watch it too!

Although, being straight in this 'verse is pretty much a misery sentence for everyone except Kizzy and Kaito. I haven't seen such flagrant use of bury/break up your straights since Togashi.

But:

It's not a yaoi! you say.

To which I shall respond with numerous examples of what the f*ck is this then? The power of (b)romance?

Doubt. (Heh ifkyk.)

Cobra + Murayama

The same episode we get a girl having a crush on Murayama he's shown as completely disinterested because he's too hung up on Cobra. This leads to him seeking Cobra out. And also to him having realizations about himself. He's then kind to the girl, but not romantically interested. The framing of this Cobra-Murayama realization about himself with the episodes opening with a girl pining and ending with his kindness to her is clearly to get the audience thinking about romance and the other interactions in light of that.

Murayama embarrassingly asks to join Cobra in front of all the other gangs.

Murayama calls him Cobra-chan and sides with Cobra when all the other leaders of SWORD refuse. All three others have left but Murayama still tells Cobra he has his vote, even though it's not going to do anything, just so Cobra knows Murayama's on his side.

In End of Sky Murayama literally going behind Cobra's back to get Hyuga to agree to join Cobra's alliance to protect him, at personal risk to Murayama, even though Cobra will never know what he did for him, when even those most loyal to Cobra have abandoned him, is literally a romance trope as old as time. And it's literally set to inspirational music.

Murayama calls him Cobra-chan and sides with Cobra when all the other leaders of SWORD refuse. All three others have left but Murayama still tells Cobra he has his vote, even though it's not going to do anything, just so Cobra knows Murayama's on his side.

At the end of the movies, Murayama gets a motorcycle and is implied to join Sannoh eventually with clever color symbolism as @eatprayworm points out.

As if we didn't get it, The Worst literally shows us Murayama calling Cobra-chan on his phone and tells us that he frequently drunk calls Cobra by having him say that he's not calling about bikes... this time. This phone call shows 0 narrative purpose besides reminding us that Murayama's endgame is with Cobra.

Chiharu + Yamato

Yamato saves his life and then is told he has to "take responsibility for" Chiharu, which is totally not a reference to the common idea of a guy taking responsibility for knocking a girl up--

except it is explicitly because even Yamato's mom directly asks if he knocked someone up when she hears that he has to "take responsibility" for someone.

When they finally reconcile after Chiharu confesses to drugs Tetsu tells them "you look good together."

Chiharu then takes a bullet for Yamato. I mean, not actually, because it was a blank, but no one, not even the person firing the gun, knew it was a blank.

Tetsu + Dan

Whenever Dan expresses interest in a girl Tetsu gets mad at him and when Tetsu cuts off his dreads to be more appealing to girls Dan gets mad at him. They're in love your honor.

They'll leave a gang for one another.

They exist only in proximity with each other.

Tatsuya/Kohaku/Tsukumo

These old men are so gay. They started the fall. And by old I mean they're supposed to be like 26 but they are clearly played by actors in their mid-40s and so I'll just pack off and head to the Villages then.

Smok(e)y + Hiroto

Ah yes when you're wandering around Nameless Street looking for your older brother and he's not there so you and your other brother decide to leave but then! then! a sickly man wasting away everywhere but his hair (which remains luscious) walks in front of you, barely glances at you, and you instantaneously walk away from your brother and your life to go follow the twink. Much straight.

Rocky + Koo

Here.

They also use "anata" for one another. Which means "you," but also is frequently translated as "dear" because it's what married couples often refer to each other as.

The manga also implies they live together.

Yasushi + Kiyoshi

Everyone in canon refers to them as "Yasukiyo." They exist in a state of symbiosis with weird hair and insanity.

If anyone implies Yasushi was involved with drugs Kiyoshi will fight to defend his honor.

"He sacrificed himself for me!" ?????? That's a love trope, Your Honor. Don't worry, though. They're gay, so Kiyoshi survives his sacrifice.

Odajima + Todoroki

Fellas is it gay to spot a man across a battlefield and be so in awe you run over to him right away?

Is it gay if you then ask said man "you're different from the others. Want to play with me?"

Tsukasa + Fujio

Tsukasa mopes around like Bella after Edward left after Fujio moves away for like a week.

Tsukasa takes a bus ride across the country for the chance to fight his BFF again in the rain (wet, what is symbolism) and then tells him "I'll be waiting for you." And also "I should move here because it's boring without you."

Tsukasa might be held as a hostage but he knows Fujio will come for him. In fact his relationship with Fujio is explicitly paralleled with Amagai and Suzaki's.

Amagai + Suzaki

The redemptive power of love, as beautifully written by @eatprayworm here.

I mean Suzaki literally can barely stand and limps over to protect Amagai when Amagai is experiencing the consequences of his actions and then saves Amagai from himself.

At the end of the day all he wants is to be boyfriends with Amagai.

Probably my favorite ship because it's everything I love, meaning one of them is too good for this world and one is a bastard.

Nakagoshi + Nakaoka

Nakagoshi sacrifices himself for Nakaoka even in a parallel to Yasushi and Kiyoshi (don't worry, they're gay, so they live too).

Tsuji + Shibaaan

Do I even need to comment here?

And I didn't even get into Sachio's sunset conversation with Fujio, in which you visibly see the twink fall and then they, not knowing who the other is, subsequently meet and recognized each other on the battlefield like Mr and Mrs Smith.

Themes Too!

High&Low isn't exactly an uber-deep thematic exploration of what it means to be gay and do crimes, but the themes it does do it does pretty well.

One of those is indeed the redemptive power of love, which involves being seen and known. Y'know, that mortifying ordeal. Because love itself leads to freedom. It's true for Chiharu, it's true for Noboru, it's true for Arata.

Rocky and Kizzy/Kaito's story is kind of one of the best examples of the redeeming power of (platonic) love leading to freedom, and it takes like... 3 minutes? of the story. And it's not left unexplored; it's just succinct. Kizzy and Kaito are trafficking women and Rocky comes to stop them, and when fighting, notices that Kizzy is actually a transwoman. He stops the fight and says that he doesn't fight women. That's enough for Kizzy and Kaito to follow Rocky, giving up their life of cruel crime and atoning--truly atoning--by spending the rest of their lives doing exactly the opposite of their crimes: fighting to free women from traffickers and protect them.

The significance of that moment is that by seeing Kizzy as she really was, Rocky pointed out to Kizzy that she was engaging in self-harm, keeping herself trapped (symbolically) and never able to live as she could. But for Kizzy, to be truly free to be herself means helping other women also be free. It's also, even if unintentional, a good twist on the transphobic trope and conservative talking point of a transwoman trying to harm women (cough, she who shall not be named).

Kizzy also never styles herself super feminine even after gender confirmation surgery (as implied by Rocky that she received), but she still is a woman, and her being herself leads to redemption and freedom for everyone around her. We stan Kizzy and her loyal boyfriend (husband?) Kaito in this house.

Another theme, and connected to the idea of self-discovery and freedom and love and all that, is how to handle the past, a question everyone is always asking because as long as we're alive, we're evolving. Obviously we see that with the Amamiya brothers and the Mugen backstory, and we also see that in the present with Murayama and Todoroki. But we also see this most sharply highlighted in the conflict between Cain and Smokey.

Cain is not subtly named after the first murderer in the Bible, who kills his brother. Cain, of course, kills Smokey in cold blood, with Smokey asking him "did you come here to kill me?" and Cain affirming that he did indeed because if he doesn't, he won't be able to completely erase his past.

But the thing is, you can't kill your past without killing yourself. You have to embrace it and let it live. And something as precious as a life won't be so easily destroyed. To live, you have to live with all of yourself, the past and the present and the hope of a future. It's a struggle, it's a fight--but with people beside you, it's worth it. Almost like the fights in the series are a metaphor for struggling through life or something.

And then we have gentrification. Let's just say the horrors of it are not exaggerated. Smokey's death--and life--offer poignant social commentary on what happens when people treat others like they don't deserve to live, like they are forgotten, like they don't exist. Because they do exist, because they love.

When Cain kills Smokey, Smokey tells him--in all sincerity, despite being abandoned by his parents, living in a homeless slum, and being terminally ill his entire life because the rich poisoned the people in the slum--that he lived "the best life." Why? Because the scenes flash back to him meeting his adopted sister Lala, caring for Eri, meeting his gang. He had a family, and he loved them, and they loved him. When he dies, he's buried in that same slum and Takeshi comments that "to Smokey, this [place] is heaven." And it is, because heaven is love.

(Also, the "rich poisoning people by being careless because these people don't matter" is hardly unrealistic. Bhopal would like a word with you, Dow Inc, you sh*theads.)

In Conclusion

Things you'll have to endure: multiple Mighty Warrior music videos.

Things you get to enjoy: Hyuga being a Barbie girl in a Barbie world who shows up to fights with all the Durama Ikka and planned choreography and bespoke songs.

Things you get to enjoy: multiple twinks needing rescue from being dragged into the drug trade to save their loved ones only to get whumped in true hurt/comfort fanfic fashion before sobbing in the arms of their friends who welcome them home.

Things you have to endure: Noboru trying to convince Cobra et al to join the Mojo Dojo Casa House Kuryu Group.

Things you get to enjoy: The power of friendship saving Noboru from himself, Rocky from dying alone, Smokey from having no meaning to his life, Amagai from himself, Murayama from himself, Todoroki from himself, Arata from himself, setting captives free, and rich bastards who trod all over the poor getting what they deserve.

Things you have to just not think too hard about: gangs seeing drugs as the biggest taboo which I'm pretty sure is not usually the case but hey, hoodlums have standards, and also the evil guys keeping their secrets in a folder literally stamped with the label TOP SECRET.

Things you have to endure: Smokey dying. I'm not over it. Someone fight me to bring him back. But also it's one of the most beautiful death scenes in fiction.

Things you get to enjoy: Generally no one, unless you're Smokey, straight (Takeru), or yakuza (no one cares).

Things you have to ignore: why no one ever studies at these high schools and why they all look like they're in their 30s-40s.

Things you get to enjoy: pretty great rep of a trans woman that directly counters some of the most harmful tropes.

Things you have to endure: Noboru being resurrected by the power of True Love's Handholding, because the nurse literally RAN AWAY from a coding patient to "get the doctor" but it's okay, his friends beg him to live and he does.

Things you get to enjoy: a series that founds its premise in action and violence that offers a surprisingly wholesome, kind message on relationships, humanity, redemption, and love... whether that love is platonic or romantic.

But, I mean, Final Mission literally ends with the gangs defeating the evil corporation with a rainbow-colored smoke that takes over the sky of the city. So it's gay.

#hamliet reviews #high&low #high & low #cobramura #cobra #murayama yoshiki #amagai kohei #suzaki ryo #amazaki #hyuga norihisa #smoky #amamiya hiroto #hanaoka fujio #tsukasa takajo #chiharu #yamoto #dan #tetsu #rocky #rockoo #kizzy #kaito #noboru #sannoh hoodlum squad #oya high #white rascals #daruma ikka #rude boys #todoroki yosuke #odajima yuken

[lebenspurpur]

the slahsers with a Gothic S/O please ??

AN: I feel like I've done this before, but I didn't find anything in my archive, so who knows.

Slashers: RZ Mikey, Vincent, Bo, Lester, Otis, Baby, Brahms, Thomas, Josef, Jason and Amanda.

RZ! Michael Myers

Oh boy, he is whipped for you.

I know we always characterize Vincent as the goth boy, but I think Michael would be much more enamored. You just look different from the others, and that interests him.

He would let you paint his nails and do his eyeliner. (Michael with smudged eyeliner- 😳)

Even though Michael is one of the most introverted slashers, he likes showing you and your style off. The idea of other people finding interest in you while you're completely his, entices him.

Halloween is the holiday for the both of you. You're looking forward to it every year.

Vincent Sinclair

Vincent loves your style, but he can't put a name on it. He's simply never heard of the gothic subculture. (let's not forget that he's an old man living in the middle of nowhere)

But he's not only interested in style, the history and lifestyle of the gothic culture speak to him as well.

I see Vincent as someone who adores dark romanticism, so gothic literature and art really speak to him.

He is way too lazy to ever dress like you would, so he helps you get ready if you need help. It's really funny how under-dressed he looks, compared to you.

Vincent likes listening to goth music, too, now and then.

Bo Sinclair

He's a little boomer-y about it in the beginning, but he's just trying to suppress his curiosity.

Bo supports you, don't get me wrong, but he definitely teases you for it.

Don't even think about getting that make-up near him.

If anyone makes fun of you, he'll start a fight.

(I also feel he'd sexualize the whole thing a little, so yeah, there's that.)

Lester Sinclair

He has never seen anyone who looks like you!

I firmly believe that Lester would be the golden retriever boyfriend who just supports you, no matter what.

You can use your make-up on him, too, just don't let his brothers see.

Heart eyes when he looks at you, heart eyes.

Otis Driftwood

Another slasher who will definitely tease you.

But Otis is also really proud that he has a partner who's brave enough to be themselves. Confidence is something really attractive to him.

Gothic music is so not his thing, but he will watch a few gothic movies with you, if you want.

Otis also kind of wants to show you off. He will take you out, just so he can present his gothic partner.

Baby Firefly

If you're interested in any kind of fashion, Baby is interested in you.

She's like, the exact opposite of you, and she adores it.

Doing each other's make-up!!!

Baby definitely steals your clothes.

If she's shopping, and she sees something you might like, it's coming with her. Baby adores making you gifts.

Brahms Heelshire

He's scared and intrigued.

God, what would his mother say about you?

I feel like Brahms supports your style, but he doesn't want anymore to do with the culture itself.

The internalized hate for everything different inside of him, given to him by his mother, makes it difficult for him to be nonjudgmental.

On the other hand, it's kind of enticing to break the rules.

If you wear eyeliner, he will want to watch you do it every time. How do you do it, Y/N?

(I am sorry, but he will also sexualize quite a lot.)

Thomas Hewitt

It's not him, who you got to be scared of, it's his family.

Thomas will support anything as long as it makes you happy, but Hoyt would rather see you dead than wearing gothic clothing.

Even Luda is rather distrusting towards you.

The whole family is just very prejudiced.

However, Thomas is the sweetest soul.

He will keep victim's clothes if he thinks they'll fit you, and he'll collect jewelry.

Even if he doesn't understand the subculture or its purpose, he's glad that something makes you happy, and he will try his best to protect that happiness.

Josef

Very, very intrigued.

Josef's entire life is based on finding more or less interesting people he can kill befriend.

And you look so interesting.

He will absolutely go shopping with you. Josef waits in front of the changing room and claps whenever you walk out.

Compliments, pet names, he will go crazy with both of them.

Josef just cherishes the ground you walk on, to be honest.

Jason Vorhees

He would be curious, but also suspicious.

I feel like his mom might've warned him of people who dress like you do.

However, after he gets to know you, he's reassured enough to stop worrying.

He will support you, but he rarely knows anything about the gothic subculture.

Amanda Young

She's in awe.

Amanda likes to dress a little edgy as well, so she appreciates her partner doing the same thing.

You can go shopping together, but don't expect her to be patient because she won't be.

She likes listening to you talk about the subculture while she works on traps, it's like a podcast.

Amanda subconsciously adapts to your style by matching her outfits with yours. It's super sweet.

#rz michael myers #michael myers #vincent sinclair #bo sinclair #lester sinclair #otis driftwood #baby firefly #brahms heelshire #thomas hewitt #josef #jason vorhees #amanda young #vincent sinclair x reader #slasher x reader #slashers #bo sinclair x reader #rz michael myers x reader #michael myers x reader #lester sinclair x reader #otis driftwood x reader #baby firefly x reader #brahms heelshire x reader #thomas hewitt x reader #josef x reader #josef creep #creep 2014 #creep 2017 #jason vorhees x reader #amanda young x reader

[ideahat-universe]

Good Design, Bad Design: ARG edition!

Don't worry, it's just a framing device. Lets talk about a Good ARG and a Bad ARG.

Good Design

Shipwrecked 64 is one of the better examples of a ARG done extremely well but what really sets it apart in my mind is the fact that it's a real game.

A lot of indie games make game play a means to an end, most of it benefits more from being watched than played.

A meta of overcharging people to play chapters of a game where each chapter is a little under 2 hours and the game play is just put key in keyhole and run from thing has really crippled the entertainment the genre can offer.

Not so for Shipwrecked 64. You're expected to learn and even write down many things to find the answers needed to progress.

Learn a little bit about music, remember numbers and colors when they appear to you, watch the videos that show up, Read the notes made by stumbler, utilize a fan made cipher to decode Beaver-scratch (or decode the method yourself!), dabbled in the phonetic alphabet, oh and a bit of some googling.

The game can be a punishing experience for streamers who expect to knock this game out in an afternoon. Because of that though it can be fun to play blind. In fact it's very fun to play blind and the scares are edited fairly well as the the jump part of scare utilizes a very surreal screen tearing effect, meanwhile the game tries to come up with ways to sneak up on you to make the jumps really sudden.

It's very good. Sure Poppy's Playtime is a more cinematic experience, and the latest Freddy Game wasn't that bad either but there's something about a really well rounded experience that lives beyond its expectations.

UrbanSpook is. Well, UrbanSpook is a TV dinner.

Let me explain.

A few months ago I mentioned Who's Lila which was also a really well done ARG and meta mystery story which was born from Twin Perfect's reading on what Twin Peaks was supposed to be about.

The idea is that Twin Peaks was a response to how throwaway and artless television was becoming and specifically how murder stories were just a cavalcade of dead bodies and killers with nothing else to care about.

The metaphor used in Twin Peaks? TV Dinners. Whenever bad people were indulging in base desires they were eating TV dinners or other meals that lacked substance.

Yeah, I think you know where I'm going with this. UrbanSpook comes out the gate with a framing device for a gallery of artwork but the framing is bare bones and the artwork only satiates the desire to see gore. The artwork is good but in creating a story it is not judged as a series of images and is instead judged as a story.

As a story we don't know who the killer is, how they kill, why they kill (why they have to kill people to make paintings). We don't know the victims beyond them being dead, when they died, and how they died. We don't know who is primarily responsible for investigating the killings (as it is not uncommon for a specific person to be tasked with bringing a serial killer to justice).

We know about as much as you might learn in a B movie. Which brings me to what I believe UrbanSpook is. UrbanSpook is a no budget ARG Splatterpunk horror.

People come in expecting some kind of lip-service to pathos because at the end of the day people love character, not kills; and in almost every good horror story you get characterization of everyone as well as a strong theme beyond "We like violence, yes we do."

BUT in a B-movie or a cheap slasher film you want gore, you want some blood thrown around, you want TV Dinners.

I imagine though that the budget of UrbanSpook is quite limited so rather than make a completely animated venture he went for the Mandela Catalog effect.

And maybe it's a good gambit. With money he could make a better production but he's getting a Serbian film style reception which does hurt and lashing out on Twitter isn't great PR but that's beyond the art and really everyone is terrible on Twitter.

UrbanSpook isn't bad because it dares to do things that are audacious and repugnant, because the horror genre has gladly housed such films since the creation of film as a genre.

What UrbanSpook does bad is telling a story and while morally Horror can do whatever it wants, artistically there is a good design for a horror story and a bad design for a horror story and this is

Bad Design

#fandom #controversy #horror #shipwrecked 64 #urbanspook #Youtube

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

Susan Kay's 'Phantom' Read: Part VI (Erik-Christine Counterpoint)

Dear God.

I can now unequivocally say I hate this book. Some of you may have caught my vent post from earlier which I wrote in one of the many moments I had to put the book down and walk away for the good of my own health and sanity.

The badness of this book has now ceased to be amusing and is now just... bad. So bad in fact that I think it triggered my bronchial asthma and I had to get out of the bathtub and find my inhaler before I could finish this portion.

To sum up it really seems like Kay lost any and all interest in exploring Leroux's characters once she finished Erik’s back-story. Yes there were differences from Canon even there, but the story was still following Leroux's timeline and was by-and-large canon compliant.

This section, barring a few superficially similar details is virtually unrecognizable from the source material.

Yes Erik begins to teach Christine under the guise of the Angel of Music, and yes he takes her down under the Opera house for two weeks. And yes they go up for the masquerade and yes Christine and Raoul plan to run away on the rooftop, leading to Erik planning to blow up the Opera house out of desperation.

Carlotta croaks like a toad and the chandelier does indeed crash.

Yet all of these details seem like perfunctory afterthoughts. The intervening material is so wholly divorced from Leroux's story that when events from the canon are included, it felt almost jarring to me.

I hate the way Kay characterizes Christine, and Erik is just as bad if not worse.

Christine’s descent into the lair is clearly modeled off of the Musical/1925 movie, with Erik drawing her down into the tunnels in a trance. And Christine asks for the Angel to take her away! How convenient for Erik!

I would have been far more interested in seeing the abduction from the book as told from Erik's perspective.

This launches a self-indulgent two weeks of Christine essentially worshipping at Erik's feet, which is shattered only by a frankly ineffective unmasking scene (again based on the musical/1925 movie and less affecting than either).

This is no torrid, passionate, innately horrifying yet also emotionally heart-wrenching unmasking of Leroux. Christine simply snatches the mask and Erik has a heart attack(?) before he can fully choke her out.

Christine’s shock at discovering that her Angel is actually a man, and then her horror of his face is lacklustre, and completely insufficient to convince me that this is really a big enough stumbling block to prevent her from marrying him. She puts him on such a high pedestal and Erik does absolutely nothing to contradict her. He says he worships her, but in action, she is always deferential to him. He never prostrates himself before her, never treats her like a queen, like a goddess. He never follows her around like a faithful dog, as he does in Leroux. On the contrary, she follows him.

She's so obviously in love with Erik that her claims of confusion regarding her feelings for him come off as flaccid and disingenuous, and her obvious preference for Erik and her complacency with her situation sap any tension from the love story.

Don't misunderstand me, I like when a Christine has a preference for Erik. My problem is that Kay has completely lain all her cards on the table. Christine speaks freely and almost easily of Erik to Raoul who is basically a cardboard cut out. Kay's attempt at "exploring" whether Raoul's doubts in Christine's love for him are really founded in Christine secretly holding a candle for Erik is ultimately pointless because the READER already knows that she finds Raoul's love a pale comparison to what she feels with Erik! There's no mystery here!

(Its unfortunate that Kay wrote this before having access to Lowell Bair's translation, which provided us for the first time with Leroux's own answer to that Question: Why tempt fate, Raoul! Why ask me about things which I keep hidden in the back of my heart like a sin?"

It makes it feel even more incomprehensibly perfunctory when Christine decides to run away with Raoul when she knows that she could simply marry Erik for however long he has left (he's apparently not long for this world anyway) and then go on with her life. Gah!!

And then there's how Kay infantilizes Christine. While Leroux's Christine is eccentric and dreamy and credulous, she is not ignorant or "unstable". She's aware of the ways of the world

You would say that to me, Raoul? You, an old playfellow of my own! A friend of my father! You have changed since those days, Raoul. What can you be thinking of? I am an honest girl, M. le Vicomte de Chagny, and I don't lock myself in my dressing room with mens voices!"

Christine very clearly understands the implications here, and she's outraged and offended that Raoul would even imply that she would conduct herself with impropriety.

And it's not only Kay who infantilizes Christine, but Erik as well:

I'm beginning to realize just how much of a child she really is, how terrifyingly immature and vulnerable--even unstable. There's a fatal flaw running through her, like a hairline crack in a Ming dynasty vase, but that imperfection makes me love her with even greater tenderness. I don't suppose for one moment that that boy is aware of the never-ending care she'll need. Whoever marries Christine is going to have to play the father as well as the lover; if she lives to be eighty she may never be more than a child at heart, a lost and frightened little girl, bewildered by the demands of reality.

This is infuriating to me, because, as M. Grant Kellermeyer so astutely points out in his footnotes of the 2018 Old Style Tales Edition of the book:

"He confesses his cheat. He loves me! He lays an immense and tragic love at my feet... he has carried me off for love! He has imprisoned me with him underground, for love! But he respects me!*"

* - This, indeed, seems to be a unique experience in Christine's life: she is surrounded by people who despise her (Carlotta), dismiss her (the managers), idolize her (Raoul), infantilize her (Mama Valerius), and pity her (the opera workers)--Erik alone respects her. Erik alone sees in her the power and artistry that becomes increasingly obvious as her character grows in confidence and assertiveness. Erik fears her to an extent, and [...] it is likely that Christine is simply touched by Erik's belief in her, his confidence in her, and his devotion to her success.

And Kellermeyer's point about Christine growing in assertiveness is very very important. She wields power over both Erik and Raoul.

But Kay's Christine doesn't. Erik's treatment of her, both his actual treatment and his internal monologue is absolutely horrible, so again NOT AT ALL how Leroux's Erik treats her.

Let's start with the stretch where he's playing the Angel (Alexa play album "Playing the Angel" by Depeche Mode)

Christine says:

He's so stern and exacting in his demand for perfection; he never praises me, even when I know I have done well. He remains aloof and cold in his timeless imperishable wisdom, and I know that the worship of a mortal heart can mean nothing to him.

Kayrik said he wanted to be her angel who would make her feel confidence in herself at last, and yet none of his behaviour exhibits any desire to do that. I hate interpretations of Erik that take "stern" to mean cold or outright verbally abusive. That is terrible teaching method and never produces good results. Furthermore, in Leroux, Christine never mentions the Angel withholding praise, and when he is aloof following Raoul's reappearance in Christine's life, it even seems as though this is a departure from the norm.

Arguably one of the most iconic moments of the original novel is the scene where Christine is left alone in her dressing room after recovering from a fainting spell that saw her carried off the stage immediately after her triumph. Raoul, outside her room, hears Christine and Man's voice conversing and we are given some of the most iconic lines in the novel:

He had heard a man's voice in the dressing room, saying, in a curiously masterful tone:

"Christine, you must love me!"

And Christine's voice, infinitely sad and trembling as though accompanied by tears, replied:

"How can you say that to me? To me, when I sing only for you!"

[...]

The man's voice spoke again: "Are you very tired?"

"Oh, tonight I gave you my soul, and I am dead!"

"Your soul is a very beautiful thing, child," replied the grave man's voice, "and I thank you. No emperor ever recieved so fair a gift. The angels wept tonight."

Raoul heard nothing after that.

This important scene, deeply layered with romantic and sexual subtext, is completely absent from Phantom. Not only that Kay explicitly says that when Christine returned to her dressing room after her triumph, the voice wasn't there at all. He never congratulates her, never praises her. He's simply. Not. There. For her.

It's not just this that I hate though.

It's the number of times Erik calls her a "stupid child".

Funnily enough, Erik treats Christine with the exact same supercilious condescension that makes me hate Raoul in the musical.

Both Kayrik and Musical Raoul look at Christine and regard her as potentially mentally unstable, unable to trust her own senses or handle reality. To both of them she is a "scared little girl" and will never be anything more. Both of them look at that and say "No matter, let me wife that."

Interesting thing: Leroux Erik only calls Christine "Child" when he is in his guise as the Angel. Never does Erik, as Erik, refer to her that way.

Now I'll pause to say, there is one part of this episode I enjoyed and that is when Christine masturbates to Don Juan Triumphant.

And yet even this I have a problem with.

I've already covered the fact that though Leroux's Christine is innocent, she is not ignorant. She is very aware of the potential sexual danger Erik poses to her when he abducts her (though this, again was not a portion of the book available in English when Kay was writing). Nevertheless I still find it hateful and irritating that Kay's Christine is so ignorant that when Erik's music arouses her, she says she touched herself in a place "I had never known existed."

And the fact that Christine has remained insensible to her sexuality this far into her relationship with Erik is another thing that chaps my hide.

Both Leroux's Christine and Andrew Lloyd Webber's admit to fearing the effect that the Angel of Music and his tutelage have had on her. Leroux's Christine says "I hardly knew myself when I sang. I was even frightened." And Andrew Lloyd Webbers also says "He's with me even now, all around me--it frightens me" and in a short-lived alternative lyric used on the West End "I'm changing, Meg!"

And indeed, Erik's tutelage has changed Christine. Her singing under Erik's influence is not simply that of innocent euphoria. It referred to in deliberately orgasmic terms such as "Ecstasy" and "Rapture". And this so frightens her, because she is aware of what exactly these ecstasies are awakening in her. But Kay's Christine doesn't seem to be undergoing the same change. Instead of Erik's voice awakening her, Kay rather describes him as shrouding her in the fantastic, even shielding her from the very awareness and maturity that Leroux's Erik seems to be drawing out in her. Her final step into adult awareness is Erik revealing himself to her as a man, which seems to be something of a non-event here, not even of importance independent of the Unmasking. To Kay's Christine it simply is, while that simple fact is reacted to by ALW's Christine with undisguised attraction and by Leroux's with indignation.

Further sullying what is otherwise a very engaging (if somewhat short) scene of... self... discovery(?) Is Erik's perspective on the proceedings, an excerpt which prejudiced me against this book long before I undertook to read it:

I dared not think how near I had been to losing control, how terrifyingly easy it would have been in that moment to rape her. I'd raped her with music instead, and perhaps that crime was almost as bad as the one it had so narrowly prevented. Either way I'd violated her trust and destroyed a rare and precious innocence--soiled the delicate ambience that had lain between us all these weeks.

When I first ran afoul of this quote I had still been under the impression that this section of the book would be following Leroux's story and took this to be Kay's interpretation of the moment after the Unmasking when Erik, having lashed out in horrific fashion at Christine for exposing him, retreats to his room to express his anguish through music, and that music actually prevents Christine from taking her own life. In another travesty of censorship, though, the salient details of this moment (Christine's description of Erik's music) is yet another portion of the book Kay would have had no knowledge of or access to, yet is one of the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful pieces of prose ever put to print:

Troubled at the idea of the fate now awaiting me, and terrified of seeing the monster's uncovered face peering from the doorway to the room with the coffin, I had run to my own room and snatched up the scissors that could bring me freedom from this loathsome fate when I heard the sound of the organ.

At that instant I began to comprehend to Erik's strange rejection of what he termed "opera music". What I was now hearing was completely different from the music that had thrilled me up to that point. His "Don Juan Triumphant" (for I had no doubt that he was now losing himself in his Masterpiece to forget the horror of the moment) at first struck me as one long, dreadful, glorious lament into which he was pouring all of his bitter misery.

I visualized the manuscript with the blood red notes and easily imagined that they had been written in blood. His music carried me on a gut-wrenching journey through martyrdom and into the most hidden recesses of the pit which this hideous monster called home; it showed me Erik banging his poor, ugly head against the dreary walls of the hell where he took refuge from those whom he would otherwise frighten. I, listening, gulping for breath, besieged and pathetically broken by the Titanic cords which turned suffering divine: rising from the pit they suddenly rallied into a remarkable, menacing swarms, soaring up to heaven circling ever higher Like an Eagle toward the Sun. Listening to that Triumphant Symphony as it as it set the world of fire, I now understood that the work had achieved its apotheosis, and that the Beast soaring on the wings of love had dared to countenance Beauty.

Yet another iconic moment which Kay saw fit to axe from her work is Christine's visit to her father's grave at Perro-Guirec, where Erik plays for Christine unseen in the snowy graveyard at midnight, and after which Raoul comes face to face with Erik for the first time.

Kay weaves a frankly incoherent and disjointed tale that confounds in the original scenes and rushes through the ones that touch on canon.

But by far the most unforgivable omission

She cut out César, the White Horse from The Profeta.

See I was all set, back in part III to praise Kay's foreshadowing, because CLEARLY she put so much focus on Erik's affinity with his horses, having him tell Giovanni that he has no need to train them--they follow him because they want to, etc CLEARLY that was set-up for him carrying César off to transport Christine. RIGHT?

RIGHT?

RIGHT?

RIGHT?

Wrong.

As lovely as Erik's description of Christine's kiss is, by this point its so overshadowed by a cloud of shit, I couldn't really enjoy it.

Nearly finished now. I can't wait for this to be over...

Masterpost

#phantom of the opera #poto #commentary on 'phantom' #susan kay phantom #phantom susan kay

[theroamingtrashcan]

Which Percy Jackson adaptation is best? (tw opinions)

I am going to rate them all based on several things, casting, dialogue, entertainment value, how accurate it is to the source material (story, characterization of the characters, etc) and finally, does it capture the spirit and nostalgia of the og series.

The Movies

Casting - By far the worst of the three. These are supposed to the 12 year olds? Why are they like 20?

Dialogue - Not the worst here. You can tell they were written by someone who understands how story’s play out on a screen vs a script.

Entertainment Value - Also not the worst here. These two movies are actually pretty fun and funny, if you can look past the inaccuracies.

How accurate is it to the source material? - This is what kills it. These two movies couldn’t be further if they tried. It actually upsets me how they butchered the story. WHY THE HELL DID THEY FIGHT CRONOS IN THE SEA OF MONSTERS?!? WHY EVEN CALL IT THAT IF YOU WERE JUST GONNA RUIN THE ENTIRE PLOTLINE OF THE FRANCHISE?!? As for the characters, where did Grover’s insecurities go? Where is Annabeth’s… literal entire personality? Ig they did Percy alright, could’ve been more angry (when it counts) and sarcastic.

Does it capture the spirit of the og series? - In the most minute way possible, kinda. It has some funny moments, some attempts at heart felt ones, kinda.

Final rating - A solid 4/10, actually entertaining, butchered the plot and most of the characters, kinda feels Percy Jackson ish.

The Musical

Casting - This one is tricky. This, unlike the others, is a stage musical, so you cannot be too picky on the casting, nor can you easily cast children. However, this musical was written with the intention of being an age appropriate musical for youth theater programs, because of that I will say the casting is well done.

Dialogue - Again tricky but I’ll just interpret dialogue as the songs and well dialogue that happens in between. This has the best dialogue in the list, it’s goofy, funny, but also hits those emotional beats very well.

Entertainment Value - This one really depends on the person, because a lot of people don’t like musicals. For me personally, it’s fantastic. The music bops and the story is interesting.

How accurate is it to the source material? - Best on the list. Considering the options they have, as a stage musical, and what they were able to achieve, easily the best here. It has the monster battles, the pen, an actual sizable Bianca and Nico mention, best on the list. The characters are so well done, each of the og three having their own struggles and challenges that they overcome in the span of the play. Best on the list.

Does it capture the spirit of the og series? - 100% It’s funny. It’s heartfelt. It connects to the issues faced by neurodivergent kids, as well as kids who grew up missing a parent.

Final Rating - 8/10, entertaining, follows the books, only reason I give it an 8 is because a lot of people don’t like musicals.

The Show

Casting - Best on the list. Actual preteens? They all act very well? Crazy. But yeah easily the best here, I mean that right there is Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, no argument. I will say however, this is unfortunately the only thing the show wins at here.

Dialogue - Listen, Rick, you’re a book writer. Not a script writer. And it painfully shows. It’s bland, there are a lot of useless lines (as in characters are often saying things rather than ever showing them). Not to even mention how horrendously rushed the entire thing is. I thought it would slow down as it went on, so the big story moments could have the time they deserved, but no. If I am being completely honest it makes the entire show feel cheap.

Entertainment Value - Worst on the list. It is actually boring. The fights they took out, the fact that you never see riptide transform, the whole thing just feels so so cheap.

How accurate is it to the source material? - It’s… weird? It is but with some changes I just don’t understand, it’s a lot like the dialogue, kinda small yet useless changes that I believe make the show suffer a bit. The characters are, kinda accurate? Why does Percy know so much? Grover is… off. Much like the movies, but in a different way. He doesn’t have most of his insecurities and honestly he doesn’t have much of a personality. Same with Annabeth. The both of them were never really given time to have one.

Does it capture the spirit of the og series? - Not really. The funny moments don’t land and the serious ones are too rushed. It never really felt like Percy Jackson.

Final Rating - 5/10, the only reason it’s 5 is because I feel like the internet would crucify me if I rated it the same as the movies.

Final Conclusion

Listen to the musical if you haven’t already! The movies aren’t good but are entertaining. The show is a disappointment. Before you come at me saying how Rick was there blah blah blah, I don’t care. Rick being there doesn’t make it good.

#percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson series #percy jackson movies #the lightening thief musical #percy jackson musical #annabeth chase #grover underwood

[thefandomenchantress]

DRDT Mean Girls AU

So a while back I saw some posts about DRDT Heathers AU, and I was like ‘woah! I have so many AUs like this one where I assign DRDT characters to roles in my favorite media, I should make a post about one of them!’.

Then I forgot.

But I remembered after listening to some of Mean Girls The Musical yesterday, so I’m finally doing it. Speaking of the musical, I’ve listened to many of songs from that a dozen times, and seen the movie exactly one time. So characterization will probably be based a bit more on the musical than the movie. Anyways, let’s get started!

Cady Heron: I’ll be honest, since Cady is arguably the least eccentric of the Mean Girls cast, and her main role in the story is changing her personality based on what other people want her to be without too much focus shown to her true personality for a large chunk of the film/musical, I had trouble figuring out which character I should put here. Eventually, I settled on Teruko. Along with being the main character of DRDT, it’s also confirmed that she spent at least some of her life living in Japan, so I figured we could swap the ‘moving from Africa’ plot line to ‘moving from Japan’ since most of the Africa stuff doesn’t impact the plot too much, besides Cady’s inner monologues, which don’t effect the physical world. And I know Teruko would need to be good at math in order for the plot to work, which she probably isn’t since she’s been on the run and stuff, but just pretend she, by some miracle, got really good at math for some reason.

Regina George: I was kinda stuck between David and Arei on this one, but decided to go Arei in the end. Since it’s been stated she was a high school bully, her being the high school bully in this AU just kinda makes sense. Unlike in Miss George in the movie, I think her parents would be rather absent, which is why she wants all the positive attention at school that comes with being popular. Plus, in the musical Regina gets a small scene where it basically shows she’s starting a redemption arc after the whole bus incident, so Arei can get better, just like in DRDT.

Gretchen Weiners: Ever since it was shown in chapter two that Ace has the habit of eavesdropping and overall being a bit nosy, I’ve loved shoving him into the Gretchen role, and gossipy roles in general. Plus, Gretchen’s hair is said to be ‘big because it’s full of secrets’ and. You have seen this man’s hair, right? Plus you can swap her wanting to make ‘fetch’ a thing to one of Ace’s strange idioms (go swing your bat into a beehive, petal backwards on your tricycle). Since there’s no killing game, he’d probably fit more into his chapter 1 characterization where he’s slightly less aggressive and more of a ‘kickable scaredy-cat’ in his words, doing anything Arei says (while harboring a fuck-ton of resentment towards her, but being too scared to act on it) until Teruko comes around to ruin their tenuous friendship.

Karen Smith: Arturo. One of thier main character traits is about their looks, Karen being the ‘hot one’ according to her song ‘Sexy’ from the musical. And while Karen is definitely nicer than Arturo, I think you could still make him fit the role, by having him act a bit less air-headed and a bit more condescending than Karen (aka like himself while still filling her role in the story, which is basically just to stop being friends with Regina/Arei). Since Arei is the closest thing to a celebrity they have in the school, because of her popularity and rich parents, he’s decided following her around will be the best option for his school career, especially since it boosts his own reputation. But it’s less so that he wants to be in her posse more like he settled for it, so he’s willing to break it off with her once Teruko starts breaking up the plastics.

Janis Ian/Sarkisian: J Moreno/Rosales, and I’ll be honest. One of the core reasons is because they both dress and act in a less feminine way than their other female classmates. But J also was confirmed to really like Teruko in the Chapter 2 refresher (I’m too lazy to look up the actual name), so her wanting to be friends with Teruko right off the bat makes sense. Janis also seems artistically inclined, inviting Cady to come to an Art Show, so switch that with J wanting Teruko to come to a play she’s doing the effects for, as well as them hanging out in the theatre instead of the art room (I know the musical has them in the art room for a scene, not sure if it’s the same in the movie). The ‘people say J’s a lesbian but she’s not’ plot thread is the only thing that bothers me, since having J be mad about being called a lesbian while there are lesbian relationships in the AU that no one bats an eye at wouldn’t make much sense. But I think you could probably play around with this plot thread a little, maybe J and Arei were friends when they were kids, just like Regina and Janis, but once people started saying J was weird/a loser/insert insult here, Arei threw J under the bus (get it??? cause regina gets hit by a bus??? i’m hilarious i know) to save her own reputation and told everyone that they weren’t even friends anymore. Which obviously hurts J’s feelings and she swears revenge for Arei’s betrayal.

Damian (I couldn’t find his last name): If Damian didn’t exist, I probably would’ve cast Whit as Karen, but Damian does exist so Whit goes here. Damian kinda just goes with the flow in Mean Girls, he doesn’t seem to have any reason to ruin Regina’s life but he helps anyways because he wants to be a good friend. Whit also just kinda goes with whatever he thinks will lead to the least conflict, which in this situation is going along with J’s plan, though he does try to talk her out of it a few times, since he isn’t too keen about the idea of ruining someone’s life. Understandable. But he wants J to be happy, so he follows the plan. Plus he’s one of the few characters to be confirmed to like boys, (along with David and Ace but neither really fit this role).

Aaron Samuels: I ship Minruko so of course I made Min Teruko’s love interest. There’s a scene in the musical where they talk about how Aaron’s hair looks ‘better pushed back’ which made me think of Min’s bangs and how Arei would want her to show off her pretty eyes. Aaron also tutors Cady in Math, which would definitely work for Min, since she’s the Ultimate Student and was helping another student study in her bonus episode. The main reason Regina wants to date Aaron in Mean Girls, other than to make Cady mad or jealous or whatever, is because he’s popular and hot. And Min has got that second thing down so good enough. I’d imagine dating the most popular girl in school would make Min rather popular by association anyway, so I don’t think it’s too big an issue that she’s not a football player that everyone wants to date or whatever.

And that’s it. This AU is…kind of a mess, but I like it. If you have any arguments for why certain drdt characters should be switched around or if any characters not mentioned should be casted, I’d love to hear them! I know making two of the ‘mean girls’ trio boys is a little strange but I thought they fit the roles best. Plus I had fun imagining them gender swapped.

#danganronpa despair time #drdt #drdt spoilers #teruko tawaki #arei nageishi #ace markey #arturo giles #j moreno #j rosales #whit young #min jeung

[escapism-from-the-real-world]

I’ve been meaning to make this post for a while but it’s a long post so… have fun

So, the power rangers movie, right?

Garbage.

As someone who watched power rangers growing up and is rewatching a lot of the series it does NOT hold up to its legacy.

All the characters lack any real characterization and they (the makers of the film) know it. Instead of showing us there growth, we are literally told, to our face, the struggles they are going through and how this connects them to each other.

They literally have to force them to interact and have heart to hearts because they lack so much chemistry.

And I think part of that is that they are all the “outcast/loner” archetype. Now, I usually really like this archetype in PR (read Dillon from RPM) but they have every. Single. One of them as this kind of character.

Instead of having a typical group dynamic with a heart, leader, smart guy, strong guy, and lancer, with diverse character archetypes, it’s all just, outcast who used to be popular, outcast with autism, outcast because she sent nudes of her friend to other people, outcast for some reason, and, you guessed it another outcast!

In other PR shows, we have so much diversity in how the rangers are. Like, PR is surprisingly good at having a bunch of completely different people mush together to form a team.

But no. They wanted to be edgy. And they could have been!

Like RPM would have been a great version to base the movie off of since its more mature and, in my opinion, the best power rangers and it is edgy! Almost all the world is dead and the air is toxic and the team is full of really interesting characters who just feel so natural and pretty much everyone had a tragic backstory where someone they care about gets hurt/killed by Venjix and it so good.

If I was the writer for this movie, I wouldn’t have so many outcasts. And I know part of it is they need a reason why they all gathered together and got their morphers, but PR has been putting a group of strangers into unlikely situations in order to form their teams for years but now suddenly you can’t think of a better way to bring them together than “they were all outcasts and didn’t feel connected to the city”

Also, Zordon is a bitch. Sucky mentor who doesn’t tell his rangers shit and doesn’t train them and is just disappointed no matter what they do. He barely changes by the end of it and I. Don’t. Like. Him.

Also, the little robot is not friend shaped. I don’t care what they were going for, it failed.

It’s like the movie runners completely forgot that part of PR is that ANYONE can be a ranger and its not just the angsty, lonely outsiders fated to protect the world.

Also the music choices? Bad. Horrible. I could’ve picked way better song choices and let the audience here it. Seriously, how do they not know how to use music?? Don’t even get me started on when they used the power rangers theme, that was so bad.

They should’ve used a orchestra version that shook your bones. But no, we’re left with an unsatisfying play of the theme that can barely be heard with honestly crappy suit designs that I don’t really like and bland, soulless characters that I don’t want to root for.

Just, why. It could’ve been so good, but it stinks. Especially in comparison to other PR shows like RPM where they were angsty and edgy but still fun and good and able to use fucking music in their show like holy hell how hard is it to turn the volume up a little

Ugh, I am so bitter about it. They all deserved better. They all deserved to be campy. Shit, man.

#rants #power rangers #power rangers movie #i can’t with this movie #and the girl whosent the nides doesn’t really apologize?? #like yeah of course you’re being bullied #everyone knows what you did don’t play victim to possibly ruining someone’s life #like bro they aren’t likeable #execpt for Billy but only barely #everyone else is a bitch and needs to calm down with the edgelord bullshit

[auradoniandreams]

What are your honest thoughts on Lonnie and her family in Descendants?

Personally, I've always liked Lonnie, but I have to admit that at this point in time I feel like I'm more attached to the fanon version of her (who has actual motivations and a backstory), than the canon version whose personality changes every 5 seconds. I feel like she had real potential as an AK who likes the VK's, and who's also not afraid to challenge Auradon's status quo, but something got lost along the way.

I don't really have any thoughts about her family, tho (outside of the og Mulan movie, anyway - but we're talking Descendants now). They're barely mentioned, and when they are, we're reminded that Disney doesn't know what to do with ethnic characters (*cough* Lil' Shang *cough*). I'm not Asian/Chinese myself, so I can't rly speak on the representation aspect (if you're Asian, and would like to, feel free to share your opinion in the replies/reblogs! I'd love to hear them), but it's obvious that Lonnie is not a Chinese name, and from what I understand, naming a kid after their parents is a big no-no in Chinese culture.

So...yeah. I have a lot of thoughts on her characterization tho, so if you wanna hear me ramble about her character arc, click on the read more link.

Before D1: The first time we see her, in the School of Secrets webseries that was released before D1 as promo, she's spying on the other AK's, trying to expose the shady things that happen behind closed doors, and to challenge the idea that the upcoming arrival of the VK's signals an imminent doom for Auradonian society. Granted, they never confirmed the fact that it was her behind the shorts, but she was voiced by the same actress that played her in the movies and if I remember correctly she also had the same bracelets.

Based on this appearance, she sounds like an incredibly interesting character, as the only other AK besides Ben and Doug who wants to give the VK's a chance. Additionally, she's standing up for what she believes in like her mother did, without turning into a carbon copy of Mulan.

D1: Her attitude towards the VK's is kind of confusing; one minute, she's asking the girls for a haircut and showing the c4 sympathy for their shitty childhoods, having little to no problem with them. The next, she's screaming and running along with Audrey and her princesses. Peer pressure? Personality shift? Fear of Mal's dark magic? Go figure.

D2: She sneaks out to the Isle of the Lost, helps the c4 fight Uma's crew, and she uses a loophole to enter the R.O.A.R. team as its first female captain. I loved seeing them develop her character more and give her a plotline, but I also kind of wished they hadn't turned her into a full carbon copy of her mother. I think this is when the writers also started getting confused abt her character, because in the first movie she was a lot more girly, and not necessarily athletic. Obviously she can be both at the same time but it felt like a sudden change.

Wicked World: Her personality (??) mostly stays the same, but for reasons that I can't figure out, she forgets she likes fencing, and is suddenly into...music??? She has a side gig as a DJ??? Uhh ok

School of Secrets: Lonnie's Warrior Sword: We're reverting back to her D2 characterization: she's athletic, headstrong, and anxious about her mother's legacy, or whether she can fulfill it. The plot also borrows a lot of elements from the og Mulan movie. It's an enjoyable read, but it's pretty much what you'd expect from a daughter of Mulan, and I wish they'd done more with her.

I liked her relationship with Jay, tho. Their dynamic (esp in the books ) is fun and they make a good team. That was a highlight for sure.

All in all, I like her, but she suffers from the same problem that every side character in this franchise does: inconsistency.

#answered asks #disney descendants #li lonnie #lonnie descendants #lil shang descendants #descendants wicked world #descendants 1 #descendants 2 #descendants books #descendants school of secrets #lonnie's warrior sword #this was sm fun lol #i love getting asks

[jules-has-notes]

Hocus Heathens (Unexpected Musicals) — PattyCake Productions music video

The PattyCake guys love Hocus Pocus, so it's no surprise that it was the inspiration for their first Halloween production. Reframing an angsty rap-rock hit into a campy recitative-style party tune is pure genius. After all, who is more of a heathen in the eyes of pop culture than an unapologetic witch?

Details:

title: Unexpected Musicals – Hocus Heathens

performers: Jennica McCleary (Winnie), Jaimz Dillman (Mary), & Stephanie Trilli (Sarah); Alexander Browne (Billy); Kaley Kolb (Dani); Paul Vesco, Sam Zambito, Charlie St. Cyr-Paul, & Nate Anderson (band members)

original song / performers: "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots for the Suicide Squad (2016) soundtrack; "I Put A Spell On You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (based on the Hocus Pocus version by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker)

written by: "Heathens" by Tyler Joseph; "I Put A Spell On You" by Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins & Herb Slotkin

arranged by: Layne Stein & Paul Vesco

release date: 5 October 2016

My favorite bits:

recreating the tinkly "I Put A Spell On You" intro music from the movie

the ladies nailing the Sandersons' melodramatic characterizations and choreography

really leaning into ♫ "we can smell your intention" ♫, because the witches spend the movie sniffing out their quarry

♫ "You don't know the half of the abuse" ♫ "She's vicious." ♫ ::double stomach punch::

the subtle bell chord on ♫ "slow slow slow" ♫ in the final chorus

starting the call-and-response section with the regular lyrics, then slipping into the incantation from the movie

(Side note — Layne, where did you find that incredible crossword puzzle jacket?)

Trivia:

Jennica was extremely comfortable in her role as Winnie, having played her many, many times in multiple contexts through the years, from Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney World to the racy Peek-a-BOO burlesque show. (She's also one of Tony's fellow "Beetlejuice Revue" alumni.)

Stephanie (and her sister Tiffany, who plays Cruella in the Villains' Lair series) are also "Beetlejuice" veterans, having played several roles between them.

Jaimz had appeared in VoicePlay's "Patreon pizza party" launch videos the previous autumn.

The crowd in the club is made up of many PattyCake friends and family members. (Including Layne's sister-in-law, who ended up doing double duty as "Medusa" and also in the maid costume.)

All three main actors reprised their roles the following year for PattyCake's villain-tastic "Look What You Made Me Brew" video.

Layne performed a very different version of "Heathens" in VoicePlay's "Twenty One Pilots mashup" collaboration with Kurt Hugo Schneider a month later.

#PattyCake Productions #series: Unexpected Musicals #Hocus Pocus #Sanderson sisters #music video #jukebox musical #music #video

[bonesgadh]

The involution of Mileven vs the evolution of Lumax

I'm both a Mileven and Lumax shipper. That said, I find it quite interesting how both pairs' characterizations have taken very different paths despite having things in common at the beginning.

On Stranger Things 2 is where you can spot more similarities between them, even if they only became official couples until the season finale. Mike was the first person to show El kindness, and he defended her and protected her. Lucas was consistently kind and friendly to Max since she arrived and advocated for her to join the Party despite Mike's reluctance. El was fiercely protective of Mike, and Max didn't hesitate to threaten Billy after he attacked Lucas.

On Stranger Things 3 is when things went south with Mileven, though. It's difficult to believe that the same Mileven that painfully longed after each other for 353 days is the same Mileven that became so utterly possessive. Not only that, but the way they sexualized their relationship was something that made me uncomfortable (and a lot of people, too).

Mileven couldn't spend a day without seeing each other and were sewn by the mouth, and Lumax's relationship was very chaotic. Both pairs had an immature component to their relationship (understandable given their age). However, there's a substantial difference between them: Mike & El's reluctance to have a life outside their relationship was toxic and codependent; Lucas & Max had a life of their own. They spent time with their friends, they went to the movies, they laughed and had inside jokes, they talked to each other—hell, when El goes looking for Max, she is enjoying her free time skateboarding by herself.

True, Eleven couldn't leave Hopper's cabin for her own safety, but are you telling me she and Mike couldn't watch a movie together, listen to music, walk outside her house, or simply... talk? Or perhaps they did and the writers didn't show us that part, but I doubt it based on what other characters said (I have to admit that, even with all his faults, Mike does have his virtues. He admitted he was becoming too possessive of El and apologized to her, which is a big deal and should be recognized more by those who dislike him. Accepting when you are wrong and apologizing is something a lot of adults can't do, so the fact that Mike did it is to be applauded).

Mike & El were never friends. In contrast, before being boyfriend and girlfriend Lucas & Max are best friends first, and it shows. They clearly enjoy each other's company without needing to be next to each other all the time. Lucas even points this out in his POV novel, "Lucas On The Line":

If I liked Lumax before, Stranger Things 4 is the one that truly made me fall in love with them. Even if they were broken up, their bond was still strong albeit damaged by trauma. Mileven, on the other hand, had interesting struggles (like El wanting and needing something more than what Mike was giving her) but at the end of the day, it felt as if they were still lacking something that Lumax had plenty of: a real, meaningful connection. The fact that Mike was a satellite character to El and their relationship became so overdramatic didn't help, either.

Both couples had communication issues, albeit for different reasons. Max's relationship with Lucas (and all her friends) became strained due to her intense feelings of guilt and depression, which she didn't share with anyone. El couldn't tell Mike about her struggles in Lenora and pretended everything was great, and she didn't tell him how hurt she was that he didn't tell her he loved her. It wasn't until Mike saw El being bullied that he learned the truth, the same way Lucas knew of Max's state of mind until after she was cursed by Vecna. But Mike & El's talk quickly turned into a confrontation because El couldn't hold back her frustration anymore, while Lucas & Max slowly but steadily began talking more, like they used to. They even shared a laugh while exploring the Creel house, and Lucas beautifully pointed out how much he missed Max's laugh.

This brings me to...

Mike's Anguished Declaration of Love™. They say "show, don't tell", right? Truth be told, I have zero doubts about Mike's feelings for El, and I believe he truly and deeply loves her. However, his speech made me feel conflicted since I first watched Volume 2, especially if I compare it to the Lumax scene in the camper and them non-verbally communicating with each other while waiting for Vecna. 

There is something so uncannily beautiful about those Lumax moments that made them a hundred times better than Mike's speech. I don't know if it's because of Sadie & Caleb's chemistry and growth as actors or due to their theater background, but their scenes are so poignant that you are utterly convinced Lucas & Max have a special bond without the need for one of them to burst out their feelings. Those scenes were much more romantic and meaningful than any big speech, and in one of them they didn't have to say a single word.

In short, I love Mileven but I'm very disappointed at the turn their relationship has taken, and it's been made painfully obvious when you see how much Lumax has grown and matured together, instead.

Edit: I've gotten a few replies to this which has made me realize I didn't explain myself well. I never meant to throw shade at Mileven because I am a Mileven shipper, first and foremost. Second, the reason why I said I don't see them as friends is because of how their relationship has developed and how I perceive them, however I don't think it's necessarily something bad and it's not a personal attack on their dynamic. Third, when I say I'm disappointed at the turn their relationship has taken is because I feel as if they have lost some of the charm they had at first, and I wish they bring that back for season 5. But that's just my perception as a shipper, and I understand it's not what other shippers believe.

#for the record this post isn't made to throw shade at Mileven #this is just me analyzing how different they are now #Lumax #(not tagging this Mileven just in case)

[isfjmel-phleg]

I rewatched TSG 1949 today, so have some random thoughts expanded on the notes from last year's viewing that I never had the energy to convert to something coherent.

The opening credits play over a shot of the locked garden and then hands opening the door (Mary's, identifiable by a ring she's seen to wear later). The score makes the garden seem quite ominous and establishes a dark tone.

The opening scene is from the POV of the officers investigating the Lennox home and discussing cholera and death, and the first shot is of vultures overhead, a contrast to the much friendlier bird who will appear later. In case the opening music didn't get the message across that This Is A Dark Movie.

Mary's parents are not given first names in the book, so adaptations frequently give them names. Here her father is "John Lennox." No longer a Captain?

Mary is introduced singing and surrounded by extravagant dolls. The former foreshadows her singing later for Colin, and the latter is visual shorthand for Bratty Little Girl (and a lot of adaptations use it, despite the book's making clear that Mary has no more interest in dolls than she does in people.)

Mary’s characterization here is shrill, snobby, and outspoken. Margaret O'Brien nails it, of course, but it's not much like the Mary of the book, who starts off eerily cold and detached when not angered. I can't imagine her, for instance, loudly spouting classist remarks about other children and getting in a fight with them without provocation--which happens in this movie.

Mary’s relationship with her parents is vague? She tells an officer that they're always going away, and apparently she wasn't allowed in the front of the house, but she seems to have been around her mother enough to be able to quote a bigoted opinion of hers. She later explains that her mother "never let anyone see me because I wasn't pretty." The officer is surprised to learn that the Lennoxes had a child at all but also tries to console Mary on the news of her parents' death by saying that he knows how much Mary and her mother must have loved each other. It seems roughly comparable to how the book establishes it, but with more of an emphasis on Mrs. Lennox rejecting her daughter based on her looks rather than just not wanting a child at all.

Misselthwaite has an emphatically Gothic atmosphere, highlighted by plenty of darkness and people walking around with whole candelabra. This Is A Dark Movie.

Martha's chief characterization is that she's perpetually laughing. I assume this is as a contrast to Mary, or perhaps an attempt to make her comic relief, but the effect is rather one-note.

The first glimpse of Mr. Craven is him on a balcony looming over the distant sight of Mary leaving the house, He's seen from behind, with emphasis on his deformed back, and ominous music plays. This Is A Dark Movie.

For purposes of convenience, the robin is now a raven (played by a bird named Jimmy, who appeared in many movies of this era, including You Can't Take It with You, The Wizard of Oz, and It's a Wonderful Life), and Mary is initially antagonistic to him, not fascinated as her book counterpart is with the robin.

Dickon shows up on the first day, tells Mary all about the garden, and gives her the skipping rope (taking over a little of Marth's role in the book). Mary is also antagonistic to him.

“I’m not hungry, I’m just eating. Get me another biscuit,” Mary tells Martha after her first day out. LOL!

There's an emphasis on darkness and shadow in the manor's interior, especially in the dreamlike sequence of Mary's opening door after door into a series of rooms trying to get away from Martha and ending up at Colin's door. This Is A Dark Movie.

Mary’s first sight of her uncle is as he is leaving the room of a screaming Colin, and he wants to see her shortly afterward. This sets him up as apparently the sort of person who leaves screaming children in his wake and makes her meeting him more tense.

As she enters, the drink in his hand and the decanter on the table are highlighted. The camera shifts to Mary's direct POV (as if it were her eyes) as he speaks to her. He is characterized as depressed, erratic, and probably an alcoholic. Any kindly traits of his book counterpart are all but absent, and he creepily tells Mary, his ten-year-old niece, "I had hoped you might be beautiful." He tells her this twice. This Is A Dark Movie.

[yikes]

Ben is the head gardener now because why not. Now that this scene is taken from the one in the book, Mary is fascinated by the bird this time.

In the book, when Colin first meets Mary, he asks her "in a half-frightened whisper," "Are you a ghost?" The movie's Colin calmly informs her, “You’re a ghost,” and that will tell you all you need to know about the direction taken with his characterization. He has a clinical, smugly superior attitude when he's not being emotionally volatile. It's not necessarily...wrong for the character? but feels off to me and I can't pinpoint why.

Mary informs him that she thinks he's "crazy," both him and his father. This adaptation has more of an emphasis on the Cravens as (potentially?) mentally unstable than any other, I think.

An elderly Mrs. Sowerby makes a brief appearance when Mary goes to her cottage! Mary thanks her for the skipping rope and asks if Dickon will speak to her. It's a very minor scene, and Mrs. Sowerby plays no further role, but it's nice to see Mary get to have a pleasant interaction with her. Especially in a movie with this tone.

“What good's a secret if there’s no one to tell?” Mary says to Dickon. This version of her is not at all withdrawn or secretive.

Out of all the children, Dickon's characterization seems to come closest to his book counterpart: he's pleasant, friendly, good with animals, and genuinely excited about getting into the garden. Nothing mysterious or mystical about him. He's just a really nice, sweet kid and a good friend. Very accurate.

This is the only version that I'm aware of in which Mary does not discover the garden alone. She and Dickon find it together. She asks him to open the door, but he gives her back the key so she can do the honors.

There's a murder mystery angle: Mary and Dickon find the fallen tree branch on a chair in the garden, and the possibility is raised that Mr. Craven might have killed his wife. Which is probably why the film has established him as erratic and ominous. This Is A Dark Movie.

"Dickon...did you really meant what you said about how I'm not so bad-looking?" Mary asks shyly. Why is this film so preoccupied with Mary's looks? The equivalent line in the book, I think, is when she asks if he likes her. Quite a difference.

Mary as a grandiose liar spinning tall tales to her cousin and Colin as a conniving manipulator who stages his tantrums: entertaining characterizations, not especially in keeping with the characters of the book.

The screenwriter seems to be of the opinion that the best way to convey that a child is bratty is have them say, “I hate you, I hate you” constantly.

Colin's doctor is portrayed as coddling and smothering, keeping Colin wearing leg braces and ordering that the windows stay closed. This version of the character is not a relative set to inherit if Colin dies, so the motive here is less clear. But Colin in this version does not seem to play an active role in holding himself back from recovery.

The tantrum scene is played for comedy. It is indeed entertaining. Very different in tone from Burnett's, but amusing. ...This Is A Dark Movie?

Mary points out that Colin is proud of his expectation of dying since it makes him feel special and different and that he uses it as a tool to get his way. And she's not wrong?

He develops a gentler, more vulnerable and childlike manner post-tantrum. The smugly superior attitude completely vanishes.

There's a rather slapstick moment in which the doctor comes while Dickon and his animals are visiting Colin and the raven steals the doctor's toupee. ...This Is A Dark Movie?

The grand doctor from London (called Dr. Fortescue here) makes an appearance and sensibly diagnoses the issue but is shouted down by Colin's doctor.

Colin announces that he wants to go outdoors and will make himself difficult if they try to stop him, and Medlock and the doctor are somehow shocked that he is having the audacity to speak to them like this.

Before entering the garden, he tries to walk to the door but falls down and sobs, and here ends any further attempt to stand until the end.

There are no scenes of the children working in or restoring the garden. After Mary and Dickon find it, the next time it appears is when Colin visits, and it is colorful and blooming as if by magic. The switch to Technicolor is an effective choice.

In contrast to the joyful tone of the line in the book, this Colin utters a solemn “I shall live forever, I shall live forever.” still with the mark of tears on face from the failed walking attempt.

Dr. Fortescue visits Mr. Craven to follow up on the recent visit to Colin, and there's a discussion of Mr. Craven's mental health. He admits, “For ten years, my sanity has been a matter of...shall we say, touch and go.” We're meant to see him as not merely depressed and grieving but also unstable, perhaps dangerously so. There's also some frustrated remarks from him on his disability...and that's more to unpack than I can get into here.

Fortescue, the resident psychoanalyst, tells him, “You transferred your longing to die to your own son.” As in many adaptations, Colin's issues are primarily attributed to his father.

We see the children again in the garden, but they're not working, just discussing the changes in them and the adults' suspicions (which we don't see in action).

Ben shows up not to be shocked at the sight of Colin but to warn the children to get out of the garden lest Mr. Craven find them.

(No standing in indignation, no learning to walk--this is where the 2020 film gets that take.)

Dickon has an off-screen conversation with Ben, which he relays to the other children. It's confirmed that Mr. Craven didn't kill his wife. Like any of us actually thought he might have. This Is A Dark Movie.

Then it turns into Mary saying she won't be able to understand her uncle's grief until she gets older, then declaring she doesn't want to grow up. Colin reminds her of a story she told me about a secret garden that only children could see and says, "It's a long time till we're grown-up. We're going to be happy. Nothing is going to happen to our garden. No one will ever know."

So they seem to be going for the garden as a symbol of childhood innocence or something, but I'm not sure how this thematically fits with anything else that the film has presented.

Colin and his father then have a conversation, which changes the nature of their relationship and diminishes the ending scene as a reunion. Mr. Craven interrogates his son about his going outdoors and what he does and talks about taking him to Italy and not coming for a long time, because Misselthwaite is going up for sale. Colin starts to have a tantrum but just breaks down and cries.

His father tells him, “I can no more cure your poor body than you can cure my mind,” but he wants them to be happy together while there's time. "I owe you everything a father owes a son," he says.

(I am very confused by this. What are these arcs.)

The potential buyer for the manor tips inadvertently tips Mr. Craven off to goings on in the garden. There is no letter, no "In the garden" dream.

Mr. Craven is violent to Mary when he enters the garden, pushing her aside when she tries to plead with him.

Colin spontaneously walks to his father, begging him not to sell the garden and falling into his arms--and everything is magically fine with father and son now. The estate won't be sold.

All three children feature in the ending, telling Mr. Craven about the garden. “Thou may help us too,” says Mary, handing her uncle the key before the credits roll.

It's a watchable movie, it really is, but I struggle with how much the characterizations deviate from the book. It really does change the story thematically, especially the darker take on Mr. Craven that introduces issues that shouldn't be resolved as smoothly as the ending indicates. But the performances from the children are very good, and the switch from black and white to color is an effective choice that only a film from this era could have pulled off. Not my favorite adaptation, but hardly the worst either.

#The Secret Garden

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

When the Longing Returns (Phantom of the Opera, 2004 Fanfiction) || Erik x Christine

Ch. 2 Author's Notes

Read the Fic here on tumblr or on AO3

◇ Erik strove not to remember the surge of jealous rage that had overtaken him as he had watched the Chagny boy put his dolman around Christine and hold her as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Military fashion is not my area of expertise, but a dolman is the outer jacket part of the uniform that Raoul wears draped over his shoulder for the masquerade.

I can also tell you that it's a Hussar uniform.

Why is Raoul wearing a Hussar uniform when he's not apparently tied to the military in any meaningful way? No clue. Couldn't tell you, you'd have to ask Maria Bjørnsen.

Even more baffling is the fact that Raoul's uniform in the musical is based off of the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars. That's right, Raoul is wearing a British inspired Hussar uniform.

My best guess is this is a reference to the Raoul of the 1925 Lon Chaney film (played by Norman Kerry), who is the "Debonair lieutenant and Beau Brummel of the Second Chasseurs",

OR to Anatole Garron, one of the Raoul-type characters in the 1943 Claude Rains film (played by Nelson Eddy), who is also an opera singer, and who plays (I think) a Napoleonic Hussar of the 1st Regiment in the main opera set-piece of that film.

My best guess for an in-universe reason for Raoul to be wearing this uniform? Well, it is a costume ball, so ~shrugs~ it's just a costume?

Now at this point I'm sure the burning question on everyone's tongue is 'What is a Hussar or a Chasseur and what is the difference? '

Well, Hussars (Hussards in French) and Chasseurs (or, more properly Chasseurs á Cheval) were both light cavalry. The difference is that Chasseurs á Cheval were also expected to act as infantry if the situation called for it. Both Hussards and Chasseurs á Cheval had dolmans as part of their uniforms.

What I find quite funny about all of this though is the fact that in the book, Raoul is actually a sailor lad.

◇ "I will tell you all, Christine," his even tone trembling a little. "I only ask that you.... that you try to be gentle in your judgement of me."

Leroux Reference: Erik's History

Erik's whole backstory in this chapter is heavily adherent to Erik's life-story in the book as told in the Epilogue and the Persian's narrative.

Erik's birthplace of Rouen, his father's profession as a mason, his running away from home at "an early age"; his traveling to India, being discovered in Russia, being given immense power by the Shah, committing political assassinations, the "Little Sultana's" gladiatorial matches, the torture chamber, and of course the Daroga saving Erik's life from an order of execution following the completion of the trick box palace, are all detailed in the book, though of course I made some embellishments and alterations to fit Erik's characterization in the movie.

◇ "... and my mother [...] gave me a mask so that she would not have to..."

Leroux Reference: Chapter 13, "Apollo's Lyre"

"Why did you want to see me? Oh, Mad Christine, who wanted to see me! When my own father never saw me, and my mother gave me my first mask so that she would not have to!"

◇ "There was always a week in early August when she... was worse than usual... and I came to assume that these bouts must mark when I was born."

I don't put any stock in astrology in real life, but it is useful for choosing character birthdays.

Christine's generally agreed to be a Libra and that's about as bang on as you can get (though I could also see her as a February Pisces, if the Christine in question has the freaky energy of, say, Meredith Braun).

But Erik a character has about five signs that would suit him with equal perfection. He has the pride and flair for drama of a Leo, the aloof, ruthlessness of a Capricorn, the vicious sensuality of a Scorpio, the enigmatic, dark emotionality of a Cancer, and the violent passion of an Aries. How do you pick just one? I decided on Leo for Gerik specifically. Why? I can't say.

And if anyone is curious, Meg is a Sagittarius and Raoul is a Virgo.

◇ Her tears, warm and sweet, dripped onto his skin and trickled under his mask.

She, Christine, the true angel—who had sought after his kisses, when his own mother had never even tolerated them—she was weeping for his sake.

Her blessed tears mingled with his under his mask, and they flowed down to his lips.

Leroux Reference: Chapter 26, "The End of the Ghost's Love Story":

"And I fell at her feet, crying... and I kissed her feet... her little feet, crying [...] and she cried also... the angel cried!

[...]

"I felt her tears dropping onto my forehead--my forehead! They were warm, they were sweet! They flowed under my mask. Her tears! They mingled with my own tears in my eyes and they flowed into my mouth.... Ah! Her tears, on me!"

◇ Masonry, carpentry, joinery, metalwork; whatever I set my hands to seemed to come naturally, and so skilfully.

Carpentry and joinery, while both aspects of the woodworking trade, are separate skills. In this time period especially, carpentry referred to cutting and rough-work (including building construction), while joinery refers to assembly and fine-work.

◇ "I was brought down from Ninji-Novgorod, in Russia..."

Nowadays transliterated as "Nizhny Novgorod"; the sixth largest city in Russia, located on the Volga River in Western Russia. It is an important transport hub, as well as an economic and cultural centre, to this day.

◇ "as an entertainment for the Shah's favourite who was 'withering away' of boredom"

Leroux Reference: The "Little Sultana"

It was thus that his reputation reached the palace at Mazenderan, where the little Sultana was bored to death.

The "Little Sultana" is a vague but brutal female figure that is mentioned by both Erik and the Persian. In Leroux's epilogue she is called "The Shah's Favourite", almost certainly meaning a favourite wife or mistress. According to the Persian, she took delight in watching Erik kill prisoners in gladiatorial matches, and even persuaded him to teach her how to wield the Punjab lasso herself, using it to indiscriminately murder her own ladies in waiting, and occasionally even those of visiting friends.

M. Grant Kellermeyer speculates the "Little Sultana" to whom Leroux alludes to be based on Jeyran Khanom, the seventh wife of Nasser al din Shah, whom he first took as a mistress in around 1850 following a chance encounter during which he apparently fell in love with her on sight. One story of their meeting even asserts that she was one of his mother's servants.

Jeyran was a formidable figure, and enjoyed many masculine pursuits including hunting and shooting, and not even the Khanom (the Dowager) was able to dissuade Nasser from conferring her the title of Forough ol-Saltaneh, or from naming her son the crown prince (though this decision was stuck in political hell for years because of Jeyran's lack of influential bloodlines). She was the Shah's favourite wife until her early death in 1860 at the age of 29.

It's my feeling, however, that, though likely inspired by Jeyran (and also by her successor as the Shah's favourite, the even more formidable Anis al Dalweh, pictured below)

the "Little Sultana" is an entirely fictional character created by Leroux as a device to instil a deep sense of unease and horror in the reader; a monstrous young woman with bloodthirsty proclivities that stoked Erik's own growing disregard for human life at a time when he was particularly susceptible: best not to associate her too strongly with any real historical figure.

I was particularly eager to explore on this character, having recently read (and despised) Susan Kay's novel Phantom, in which this character is presented, not as the Shah's wife or mistress, but (rather incomprehensibly) as his mother.

◇ "By the time I had finished, the Shah had given me a nickname: 'Derb Mekhefa Met'eseb' which, roughly translated, means 'Trapdoor Lover'."

Leroux Reference: "Trap-Door Lover"

We have it from the Persian in Leroux's novel that this was a nickname of Erik's during the "Rosy hours of Mazenderan".

I have long wondered exactly what that would actually be in Persian. I determined that I wanted Erik to actually say it in the language, rather than just the translation, but reverse translating it has proven difficult. With no knowledge of Farsi as a language myself, I resorted to online language converters and translators, and this seems to be the best I can come up with. I believe it more accurately translates as "Hidden Door Fanatic", but I'm sure there are probably huge contextual problems with this attempt at translation. If anyone reading this speaks or has an understanding of Persian language, or knows someone who does who can give me a better translation, please let me know, I want this to be as authentic as possible.

◇'There, now! you are quite the Don Juan I would say. Any woman that ever saw you would be yours forever.

Leroux Reference: Chapter 13, "Apollo's Lyre"

This particularly cruel blow on Erik's self-esteem from the Shah was directly inspired by one of Erik's own comments during the aftermath of his Unmasking by Christine in the book (one of the most genuinely terrifying moments of the novel):

"He burst into a harsh, rumbling, powerful laughter, repeating the words: 'oh you women are so curious!' And then he said, 'Well, are you satisfied? I am a handsome fellow, eh? When a woman sees me, as you have, she becomes mine! She loves me forever! I am a kind of Don Juan in that way, you know!'"

This is the kind of line that sticks with you. This sarcastic comment is a horrible glimpse into just how deep Erik's self-loathing goes.

It occurred to me that, in my story, this may have been something the Shah might have sarcastically said to him that stuck with Erik, and inspired Erik's Don Juan comparison (and the work into which, as Leroux's Christine says, Erik "poured all of his bitter misery"). The betrayal of a tenuous, but much craved-for paternal figure would be deeply scarring to a young Erik, so it's little wonder he would try to turn the Shah's comment back on itself, to reclaim it.

◇"Daroga helped me to escape—I suppose in return for my once having saved his life—but on one condition. 'No more murders.'"

[...]

"I had never believed in making or keeping oaths and agreed to this one without much real intention of putting any stock in it."

Leroux Reference: Chapter 22, "Interesting and Instructive Vicissitudes of a Persian in the Cellars of the Paris Opera":

"Erik, you promised me: no more murders!"

"Have I really committed murders?" He asked, taking on his most amiable expression.

"Ah, you wretch!" I exclaimed. "Have you forgotten the Rosy Hours of Mazenderan?"

"Yes," he sighed. "I prefer to forget them, though I did make the little Sultana laugh."

[...]

"Erik... Erik swear to me..."

"What for?" he interrupted. "You know I never keep my oaths. Oaths are made for catching fools!"

◇ "I had returned to find the Opera Populaire under new management and it was not long before I observed that the new directors, Debienne and Poligny were far less competent than those who had advanced real talent and taste. Not unlike our present management,” he added under his breath. “In addition to that, I soon discovered that Poligny had, for some time, been defrauding Debienne in their private business ventures, among other... shall we say 'indiscretions'. I was fortunate to also discover that he was quite superstitious."

Book Characters!

Debienne and Poligny are the out-going managers of the Opera in the novel; their counterpart in the play would be M. Lefevre.

The lengthy timeline gave me some room to work. I figured Lefevre wouldn't have lasted a full thirteen years under the Opera Ghost's thumb, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to introduce these two as his predecessors.

Exactly what Erik was blackmailing Poligny over (because this detail is true to the book), is never explicitly stated, but it is implied to regard numerous proclivities, both moral and financial:

" 'Poligny was superstitious and Erik knew it. Erik also knew much about the public and private affairs of the opera.'

"When Poligny heard a mysterious voice whispering to him about the use he had made of both his time and his partner's confidence, he did not question it."

◇ "I worked by fits and starts, composing for weeks at a time during which I hardly ate or slept and lived only on my music."

Leroux Reference: Chapter 13, "Apollo's Lyre"

"I sometimes compose for fifteen days and nights together, during which I neither eat nor drink, and live only on music..."

Depeche Mode References, for those looking for them…

◇ “Did he have any choice but to go down on his knees and pray that she would have the strength to forgive all the things that he'd done?”

From "One Caress" off of Songs of Faith and Devotion:

"Well I'm down on my knees again

And I pray to the only one

Who has the strength to bear the pain

To forgive all the things that I've done"

◇ “A moment of silence as Erik gathered his thoughts, steeling himself against the heavy sense of trepidation that threatened, like a disease, to take hold of his tongue.

Doing his level best to shake it away, he said…”

From “Shake the Disease” off of Black Celebration (Deluxe Edition):

"Here is a plea, from my heart to you

Nobody knows me as well as you do

You know how hard it is for me

To shake the disease

That takes hold of my tongue

In situations like these"

#author's notes #phantom of the opera #poto #poto fanfiction #phantom of the opera fanfiction #poto fic #phan phic #erik x christine #christine x erik #eristine #erik/christine #e/c #poto e/c #gerik #erik the phantom #christine daae #poto 2004

[homomenhommes]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more …

1941 – Holocaust SS chief Heirich Himmler orders the arrest and deportation to concentration camps of all homosexuals in Germany, with the exception of certain top Nazi officials. He also announced a decree that any member of the Nazi SS or the police who had sex with another man would be put to death.

1954 – Poet and Carl Sandburg Prize winner, Rane Ramón Arroyo born (d.2010); Arroyo was an American poet, playwright, and scholar of Puerto Rican heritage descent who wrote numerous books and received many literary awards. He was a professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Toledo in Ohio. His work deals extensively with issues of immigration, Latino culture and homosexuality. Arroyo was out Gay and frequently wrote self-reflexive, autobiographical texts. He was the long-term partner of the American poet Glenn Sheldon.

He published ten books of poems, a book of short stories, and a collection of selected plays. Arroyo said: "No one is more surprised than I at being read in my lifetime." Arroyo's most recent books include "The Buried Sea: New & Selected Poems" , and "The Sky's Weight." "Midwest Challenge" was nominated for a 2009 Pushcart Prize.

The Umbrella

Class assignment: bring in an object that tells your life story. Friends bought a music box, a painting of a cowboy being tamed by a mountain, a jeweled Buddha, but I was poor and had to risk being modest. Then I saw the broken umbrella, turned it inside out and exposed its ribs. There was a pun in it, rain and Rane, but the teacher said, how sad is your life? The other students nodded for their grades, but I opened up the umbrella, holding it by what was left of the handle, and it blossomed before the astonished class. Once again, when dismissed, I made magic and I got an A for seeing among the blind. - Rane Ramón Arroyo

1967 – François Ozon is a French film director and screenwriter whose films are usually characterized by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality, particularly gay, bi, and lesbian sexuality. Ozon is himself openly gay.

He has achieved international acclaim for his films 8 femmes (2002) and Swimming Pool (2003). Ozon is considered to be one of the most important French film directors in the new “New Wave” in French cinema.

Ozon often features LGBT people in his films. Some examples include:

Une robe d'été: a young gay man strengthens his relationship with his boyfriend through a brief encounter with a woman.

Scènes de lit: this features a lesbian couple and a gay couple.

La petite mort: a gay man's relationship with his estranged father.

Sitcom: this spoof comedy has numerous lesbian and gay references. The family's son comes out, engages in sexual orgies and begins an affair with the maid's husband, a sports teacher. The maid, herself, finds out she's a lesbian and seems to have a relationship with the mother, who has tried to cure her son's homosexuality by sleeping with him - she, of course, fails.

Les amants criminels: the main male character is gay and in the closet; he kills his (male) object of desire out of jealousy and enjoys his relationship with an ogre-like man who's kidnapped him and his female friend who was, more or less, his beard.

Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes: the two male characters, Léopold and Franz, are lovers - they are either gay or bisexual, while Véra, a former boyfriend of Léopold's, is now an M2F transsexual/trans woman.

8 femmes: one woman is lesbian and two others are bisexuals; the maid is ambiguous towards her female boss all the while she is her male boss's mistress. This film presents a lesbian kiss between Catherine Deneuve and Fanny Ardant. It's a gay cult movie in France.

5x2: a happy gay couple is used to highlight the unhappiness of the heterosexual couple in the film.

Le temps qui reste: this deals with the end of life of a young gay man dying of cancer.

Le Refuge: this film explores the relationship between a homosexual man and the pregnant girlfriend of his deceased brother.

1974 – Todd Klinck, born in Windsor, Ontario, is a Canadian writer, nightclub owner and pornography producer.

Klinck moved to Toronto at age 18 to study theatre at York University, but dropped out to focus on his career. In 1996, his novel Tacones (High Heels) was the winner of the Three-Day Novel Contest, and was published by Anvil Press to strong reviews in the Toronto Star and Quill and Quire.

Klinck also collaborated with John Palmer and Jaie Laplante on the screenplay for the 2004 film Sugar, which garnered a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 25th Genie Awards, and he was a columnist for fab until 2005. He wrote an online only column for Xtra! called "Sex Play" in 2009, and a column called "Porndoggy" in the same publication for most of 2010. His writing has been published in the National Post, Saturday Night and Bil Bo K (Belgium).

Klinck and his business partner Mandy Goodhandy have launched several sex businesses in the Toronto area, including a transgender strip club, "The Lounge", an adult DVD production company, "Mayhem North", and a porn site, "Amateur Canadian Guys". In 2006 they opened a pansexual nightclub, "Goodhandy's", located in downtown Toronto. Klinck has also worked as a professional BDSM dominant, and has appeared on the television series KinK.

With Goodhandy, Klinck was chosen to be the Grand Marshall of the Pride Toronto 2010 parade.

1980 – Michael Harcourt, an alderman consistently supportive of the gay community, is elected mayor of Vancouver. An organization called Gay People to Elect Mike Harcourt campaigned actively in gay community. Harcourt would become NDP premier of British Columbia in 1991.

[sparrowsfallingfromthesky]

Evaluation of Treasure Island musical adaptations on spotify:

Treasure Island the Musical by Starshine Singers – This is a company that makes children’s musicals, so it’s a cheery little thing sung by children. Doesn’t have a lot of plot but a fun 20 minutes if you want to hear some kids singing about torture and murder.

Treasure Island the Musical Original Cast – This is an actual legit musical which was staged in London in 1973. For better or worse the sound is very much Old Timey Musical Theatre. There are at least two recordings of this on spotify for some reason.

Treasure Island: A New Musical by Ceramic Goose – This is more of an independent local theater kind of production. The full show is available on youtube but I didn’t watch it. The “Prologue” and a couple of other moments are quite annoying, Jim is played by a whole adult, Captain Smollett is a woman (and dies?), and either Jim’s father is alive or Livesey has jumped into a father figure role (unclear). Some weird characterizations throughout. Most of the music isn’t bad – has kind of an Evan Hansen-ish vibe – but there are some songs that are worse than others.

Treasure Island The Musical by Chris O’Sullivan – Can’t find much information about this one but based on all the performers’ names it appears to be Irish. There are plenty of things I could say about the work as a whole but I just cannot get past the fact that Silver is introduced with a song that’s clearly styled after Master of the House from Les Mis.

Treasure Island by XvallariX – I don’t know what the fuck this is but I’m including it because all the songs are named for TI characters.

There have been other musical adaptations but these are the ones I could find on spotify! And the other results on there are either unrelated or Treasure Planet or audiobooks.

Then there are also several songs called Long John Silver:

By Richard Thompson – I already knew this song because I like this singer, and “there’s nothing but black in a pirate’s heart” makes me sad but it’s a great song.

By Stormfrun – More of a piratey sound and seems to be about actual Silver not as a metaphor. The idea that he got the nickname Barbeque by cooking a traitorous crew member and feeding him to the crew is pretty fucking hardcore.

By Jefferson Airplane – I’m going to be really honest, when I think of Jefferson Airplane I think of Supernatural. Interesting lyrics though.

By Great Master – This music isn’t to my taste but you guys. Look at the fucking lyrics of this song and the others on the album it’s from. This is 100% based directly on Black Sails. Not Treasure Island, Black Sails. Like there are show characters mentioned and bits of actual canon dialogue. Which one of you did this.

By Skull & Bones – Kind of a bop. They’ve got other Treasure Island themed songs too.

By Lennon Kelly – This one is in Italian and is pretty good.

By Jimmy Dorsey (with others) – This is an OLD song. Fun if you like swing I guess. Doesn’t really have lyrics so nothing to do with Treasure Island. There are a few renditions of this on spotify.

By Ray Lindo – Instrumental piece from the soundtrack to the movie Christmas in Hollywood.

By Golden Ivy – Instrumental ambient music idk.

By King Kyle Lee, Liveola, SoSanAntone, and Famous Lil Ken – Rap. Couldn’t find lyrics so I don’t know if it has anything to do with actual Silver.

By Schandmaul – German. I like the chorus.

By Studio Murena – Another Italian one but I don’t like this one lol.

Long John Silver: Themes by David Buttolph – From the soundtrack of the 1954 motion picture Long John Silver. I went and listened to some of the rest of this soundtrack and it very much sounds like something from the 50s!

Then there are a few about the restaurant, and a few others that mention Silver the character offhand in the lyrics.

#why did I do this? I don't fucking know why do I do anything #Treasure Island