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imaginebandsatlptvomam · 6 years

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“can you please do an all time low preference where you tell them you're pregnant?”

Alex Gaskarth:

You sat on the smooth white surface of your bathroom sink, your fingers tapping rapidly against the front edge of the counter, your legs swinging gently, and a pregnancy test laying on the other side of the sink. You tried to remain calm as you waited for those blue lines to do their thing. You heard the front door open and close, keys jingle as they were hooked to the wall, and footsteps approaching the kitchen.

“Baby?” Alex, your long-time boyfriend, called out. You reached over the sink and grabbed the pregnancy test. One line...two lines. Pregnant. Your breath halted as you stared at the positive test, then a smile swept across your face. You jumped down from the sink and opened the door. Alex stood in front of it about to knock.

“Hey, what’re you doing?” He asked. You just stared into his brown eyes, his pink hair swept messily across his forehead. Alex rose an eyebrow as you didn’t respond. You reached over and held up the test, showing Alex the results. His eyes left yours and traveled to the lines, then quickly back up to your eyes.

“Are you serious?” He let out a happy laugh as you nodded your head. Alex grabbed your face and pressed his lips against yours in a hard, passionate kiss.

“I’m so fucking happy, oh my god,” Alex couldn’t stop smiling and kissing you until you were both shedding happy tears.

Jack Barakat:

6 o’ clock in the morning. Too fucking early. You slammed awake from your messy hotel bed, nausea taking over your body. You rushed to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet.

“God, what was in that wine...I only had two glasses.” You thought to yourself as you held the rim of the toilet, afraid you weren’t finished. Your finance, Jack, was stirring in bed after a long night of partying in Hawaii. You watched him through the open door of the bathroom hoping he wouldn’t wake up so you didn’t have to move from your spot at the toilet.

“Oh no,’ you threw up again, this time it felt more relieving. You stood up and washed yourself up. You sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped your arms around your stomach, leaned against your thighs, and closed your eyes. After sitting like that for awhile, Jack woke up and saw you. His eyes half closed, his black hair messy and the red streak in it fading. He kicked your hip gently, and sat up.

“Why are you awake so early?”

“I had to throw up, that wine must have been stronger than I thought.” You replied. Jack wiped his eyes and laughed.

“Maybe you’re pregnant.” It was intended to be a joke, but you actually thought about it. You tried to remember when the last time you had your period was and you couldn’t.

“Jack...I’ll be right back.” You put on some long pajama pants and shoes, and raced the the drugstore. You walked in, eyes scanning for the family planning section. There. You rushed without rushing to the back corner of the store and grabbed one of the more expensive pregnancy tests. You weren’t taking any chances. You paid for it and rushed back to the hotel. Jack was still sitting on the bed, but this time his was in pants and wide awake.

“Did you really buy a pregnancy test?” He asked. You looked at him, then went to the bathroom.

“Baby, I mean...is it possible? I mean, I know it’s POSSIBLE, but...” Jack was at the door now and was a little on edge, he was nervous, he didn’t actually think you were pregnant until he saw your reaction. Now the thoughts were rushing through his mind too. You were in the bathroom for what seemed like forever to Jack, finally you opened the door, walked right past him, who was still standing there, and sat on the bed. You let yourself fall backward.

“So?” He paused before asking. Jack walked over to you and stood with one leg in between your legs that were bent along the edge of the mattress. You let out a sigh.

“Do you want to be a father?” You asked, still not giving an answer about the test.

“With you, fuck yeah.” You were shocked, you honestly thought he’d be worried about it, that he wouldn’t want to give up a life of traveling and drinking. You sat up, your face at his chest now. Jack looked down at you and grabbed your cheeks, kissing the top of your head.

“I think we could make it work, honestly, I’m excited to be a dad. Our kid would be fucking awesome.” He laughed. You smiled.

“Good. Because I’m pregnant.” You looked up at him, Jack’s face lit up. His smile stretched as far as it could and his eyes almost shut. He pushed you back and climbed next to you, kissing you before asking,

“Can we name the baby Alex?”

Zack Merrick:

You had been feeling sick all week, your stomach twisting and turning, throwing up multiple times. Your boyfriend, Zack, had planned a week long hike and camping trip with you for weeks prior to your illness so you didn’t want to cancel on him now. He showed up at your house in the early morning. His car all packed up with the essentials, tent, cookware, hiking gear, bear repellent, you name it. You slung your dufflebag over your shoulder and grabbed you backpack. You looked at your face in the mirror and you looked like death, but you sucked it in and headed out the door.

“I don’t know why we really have to leave this early, I mean, the campsite will still be there at 6pm.”

“Y/N! Getting there early is part of the fun. We can set up and have all day to explore or relax before we go hiking.” Zack responded. You sighed with a smile.

“If you say so, wake me up when we’re there.” You leaned the passenger seat back and closed your eyes. You tried to rest but your nausea kept getting in the way. Finally, after listening to Zack’s “Roadtrip Jams” playlist four times, you were at the campsite. Zack carried most of the things, refusing to take multiple trips due to excitement for camping. and you grabbed your bags and tossed them on the ground. Zack pitched the tent, gathered firewood “for authenticity” he said, and made the site into a cozy little nook just for the two of you. You felt sick to your stomach again, and tried not to throw up the whole day. Zack brought an acoustic bass and used it to play subtle background music for a serenade session. You sat across from him in your folding chair and watched him lovingly but the nausea came back.

“I’ll be right back babe.” You got up and grabbed your backpack, rushing to the woods. You barely made it behind a tree, and threw up.

“Fuck.” You whispered as you wiped your mouth with a tissue from your bag. You reached in for some extra toilet paper so you could go to the bathroom, and a small box fell out with it. You picked it up and wrapped around it was a piece of paper that read, “you’ve been sick AF lately, maybe you should use this. XO Jen”. You unwrapped the paper and underneath was a pregnancy test. Your best friend had slipped it into you bag for you. You were shocked, you didn’t even think about being pregnant. Zack was always protected and you were on birth control. Your lives were so filled with travel and outdoor adventures that you were specifically not trying to have a baby. The thought worried you. it would be the perfect explanation for your illness, but you didn’t know how to handle it, or how Zack would. Regardless, you peed on that stick anyway.

Zack was getting worried, he called out to you asking if you were okay. You came out of the brush and replied, “yeah, just a little sick is all”. He stood up and handed you a mug of water.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” You nodded at him.

“Well, I have something to tell you and I don’t know how you’ll take it.” Zack got even more worried.

What is it?”

“Zack, I love you so much and I don’t know how this will affect things but I hope that it will be positive...I’m pregnant...” Zack didn’t know what to say at the moment. He stood dumbfounded. He didn’t let off any particular emotion, just a blank stare.

“Are you...okay?” You stepped closer to him, poking him in his muscular chest. Zack looked down at your stomach, then back to your face, then back to your stomach.

“Earth to Zachary.”

“I’m...you’re...” He couldn’t get his words out but a smile crept across his face. He grabbed you by the waist and lifted you into a strong hug.

“We’re going to be parents?”

“Yes, is that okay?”

“Okay? That’s amazing! I love you so much!” You could feel his excitement oozing off of him. He was so overjoyed and that made you know that everything would be amazing.

Rian Dawson:

Your husband, Rian, was holding your hand as you picked out which pregnancy test you wanted to use. You and him had been trying to get pregnant for quite awhile now and this was attempt some-teen of buying a test. Rian was in a good spot with the band and his music producing, you two had recently moved into your first house, and you adopted your favorite pet together. Your career was great, and your life was going well. You finally wanted to add on and have a child but it seemed to be more difficult that initially planned.

“You know what? I’m just going to get all of these.” You grabbed once of each test and threw it in the basket. You also grabbed an extra bottle of your favorite intensifying lube and gave Rian a smirk. He gripped your hand approvingly.

You checked out, the young cashier noticing your items and gave a smile. You looked over all of the boxes of tests again once you were in the car.

“Honestly, I don’t know what the difference is, if they all say ‘fastest results’ which one is telling the truth?” You questioned. Rian shrugged. Once you got home, you took your big sack of pregnancy tests into the bathroom where Rian tried to follow.

“I can do this part by myself, babe.” You laughed. Rian stood by the door waiting. After you had peed a little on each test, you laid them out on the counter and washed your hands. You opened the door for Rian and he looked at them all laid out.

“Now we wait.” You said, setting a timer on your phone. You sat on the toilet lid and Rian sat on the edge of the bathtub. The minutes passed and the timer went off. Rian squeezed your hand before you stood up and grabbed one of the tests. You closed your eyes, sighed, then looked at it. It was hard to tell if the second line was one the little screen. It was the cheapest test, and the “not pregnant” line was barely there too. You dropped it in the sink and shrugged, moving on to the next. You examined this one, it definitely said “pregnant”. You choked back a smiled, looking at every single one before you turned back to Rian. Every single one of those pregnancy tests said pregnant. You broke down in tears. Rian thought it was negative again and came to comfort you. But you started to laugh. He was confused and looked at the tests himself. Rian’s eyes filled with excitement. He wrapped his arms around you and repeatedly kissed your forehead, cheeks, and nose. His bright white teeth seemed to lighten the room.

“I love you so much, Y/N, I love you,” he repeated over and over, in between each kiss. “You’re going to be such a great mother”.

“And you a father.” You hugged him and cried into his shoulder.

Finally.

#rian dawson #jack barakat #zack merrick #alex gaskarth #all time low #all time low imagine #atl #atl fanfiction #atl fanfic #atl fanfics #all time low fanfic #all time low fanfiction #pregnancy #preferences #atl preference #cynthia

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itshansolo · 6 years

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my review of the last jedi

spoilers, very much so

It’s easy to understand why the critics love this film. It’s very different from The Empire Strikes Back, it’s got some excellent acting, surprising moments and good action scenes. For people who get paid to analyze films as their own entities and do so countless times a year - and as such probably don’t remember much about The Force Awakens aside from “Han was killed as Luke showed up in the last few seconds” - that’s all it takes for a 10/10 experience.

The film ends on a high note, so you walk away from the theater in ecstasy and still absorbing what you just saw. But the euphoria doesn’t resist 10 minutes of critical thinking. For a film that praises itself for digging deep into its characters, The Last Jedi is surprisingly superficial. Presumably, one of the first questions Rian Johnson asked himself was “what is Luke Skywalker doing on that island?”. Turns out he feels guilty about what happened to Ben Solo and the Jedi order he was building. Wait, you might say, I thought the previous movie had already made that clear? That’s because it did. The Last Jedi was supposed to be Luke’s movie and we get no insight whatsoever into his character that we didn’t already know or make educated guesses about.

Except for one thing. Turns out he tried to kill his nephew when he sensed the darkness inside him. Yeah. Exactly. He didn’t give up on Darth Vader of all people, but he was ready to slaughter his teenage nephew. There is no plausible explanation for this. That was before shit hit the fan in the Skywalker household, so any psychological trouble that might excuse his odd behaviour when Rey finds him does not excuse this.

That’s not the full extent of Luke’s iffy characterization. We all remember how he went against his masters’ teachings and faced Darth Vader with nothing but compassion under his sleeve. So tell me how does it make sense for a Force Ghost Yoda to appear and lecture him on all that was wrong about the old ways of the Jedi? It doesn’t. Their respective beliefs were flipped.

In the last few months, the powers that be have repeatedly stated in interviews - as a weird badge of pride - that each director is entirely free to come up with the story of each film, with nothing but the previous instalment as a starting point. Long story short, the trilogy is being written as they go along. And it shows. Snoke was nothing but a plot device. The Knights of Ren are nowhere to be seen. There’s no explanation for how and why the Skywalker lightsaber ended up in Maz Kanata’s possession. Maz, by the way, has the most inorganic introduction I’ve ever had the displeasure to watch. I just have to presume it was in Lupita Nyong’o’s contract to be in at least two films.

If Lupita’s contract might explain Maz’s atrocious cameo, Benicio Del Toro can only be a close friend of Rian Johnson’s with a lifelong dream to be in a Star Wars movie. The character, whose name we do not learn, is completely useless and badly portrayed. The necessary skills that he has could have been easily transfered to Rose. As a side effect, the whole Canto Bight detour - also a waste of time - could have been thrown out altogether.

Speaking of Rose, she’s one of the few elements that actually work in this film. Kelly Marie Tran is excellent and the character is immediately likable. We learn more about her than we learned about Rey in two goddamn movies. Her storyline with Finn, as mentioned above, could have used a little trimming, but I have to disagree with critics who claim it’s the biggest/only weakness of the film. The sheer charisma of Kelly and John Boyega carries the storyline.

The truth is there a lot of weakness and they are spread out. Case in point, the dynamic between Amilyn Holdo and Poe, my least favorite part by far. Rian Johnson came up with the character of Amilyn and Claudia Gray borrowed the name to write a different character in her novel Princess of Alderaan. Those who have read this book know that she’s the Luna Lovegood of Star Wars and her charming personality completely vanishes in the film. She’s virtually a different woman. Did the story group of Lucasfilm and their supposed responsibility for continuity in a galaxy far far away take a vacation while Claudia was writing the book?

It’s clear that Holdo was introduced in the movie to prop up Poe Dameron’s character development, but the trouble is that such development is not necessarily welcome or well done. I don’t know how a movie that lasts two and a half hours can feel rushed, but here it did. Poe and Holdo’s altercation is truncated, confusing, almost impossible to get invested in.

Did you notice how I failed to mention Rey until now? You may think Daisy Ridley was just being humble when she kept saying in the press tour that Rey is not necessarily the main character. She wasn’t though. Rey does not feel like the main character at all. As a matter of fact, Poe feels more like a protagonist this time around. And that’s saying something, considering his character was supposed to die early on in The Force Awakens.

I’m not gonna ramble at length about the godforsaken topic of Rey’s parentage. I’m just gonna say that, aside from being almost comical how The Force Awakens missed the mark when introducing the child of literal nobodies, The Last Jedi takes its sweet time to settle the debate once and for all, as it continues to tag people along like Lucasfilm and Disney have been doing for two years. As soon as Rey and Kylo have their first bizarre Sense8-esque Force meeting, my seatmate whispered to his friend “wait, are they siblings?” and I wanted to take a bullet to the brain right the fuck there. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT WOULD HAVE MADE SENSE. Mere seconds after one of their Force connections, Luke has a similar scene with Leia. You know… Leia. HIS SISTER. At some point, Kylo tells Rey that he knows she’s gonna join him eventually… because he’s seen who her parents are. Geez, Louise. I wonder why the identity of her parents would compel her to get closer to Kylo. Maybe because they are HIS PARENTS TOO?? No, that would have just been too good.

And it doesn’t end there! Remember that teaser in which something sinister is calling to Rey and Luke yells “RESIST IT”?. That was awesome, wasn’t it? Who was calling to her? Snoke? Kylo? Turns out it was… a cave. A cave in which Rey has a borderline psychodelic experience that involves mirrors. She asks to be shown the face of her parents and the music intensifies until… we see Rey staring at her own reflection. That’s brilliant, Rian. Keep building up the mystery only to reveal later on that her parents were alcoholic junkers that may or may not remain nameless for eternity (and Rey shall remain just “Rey” forever).

I’m still trying to figure out the purpose of that cave scene. This goes back to how disappointingly shallow the movie was. We were supposed to learn some pretty interesting lore about the Force and what did we actually get? We learned that the Force doesn’t belong to the Jedi (duh)… and that’s it. Are you serious?

Let me get into what I did like about the film. Like I said, John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran are a tour de force of charisma. They’re the most endearing pair and just plain fun to watch. Although Finn has been criminally demoted from his leading man status, his confrontation with Phasma (who’s Phasma again?) brought nice closure to his arc as a former stormtrooper.

I know many of my mutuals and followers cannot stand Adam Driver. I have side-eyed some of the things he said recently myself. But the guy is phenomenal in this movie. I caught myself looking forward to his appearences, because he is simply magnetic. I have no idea what’s gonna happen to Kylo, but I’m invested either way. The one thing The Last Jedi taught me is that speculation is pointless, because fans put way more thought into the story than the powers that be. That’s depressing, but it’s the reality of the situation.

I think my favorite scene in the whole movie is Kylo and Rey in Snoke’s throne room. The tension was palpable. The way Kylo ended Snoke had everyone in the room on the edge of their seats and the battle against the Praetorian Guards right afterwards was simply breathtaking.

Carrie Fisher is so Leia in her last appearence. I’m pretty happy with her send off, all things considered. She felt way more at ease in the role when compared to The Force Awakens and we gotta give Johnson some credit here, even if I want to strangle him most of the time. The infamous Superman scene is pretty awkward, but it was about time she showed some badass Force powers. The old hologram from A New Hope being what motivates Luke to finally help Rey was a stroke of genius. Such a simple plot development, but literally no one saw it coming. There wasn’t a single dry eye in the audience.

LUKE AND LEIA REUNITE! Well, sort of. But it was enough for me. Which brings me to Luke projecting himself across the galaxy. It sounds cartoonish on paper, but boy did it work! If you didn’t get goosebumps when he became one with the Force to the sound of Binary Sunset, something is wrong with you. The shoulder wipe was LEGENDARY. Some of the humor didn’t work in this film, but most certainly did, especially Chewie and the porgs (which are adorable and thankfully not overused) and Luke hitting Rey in the hand with a stick when he asks her to reach out.

As a standalone film, I give The Last Jedi an 8 out of 10. But as a follow-up to a seven-part saga, it’s a 6/10 with a pinch of generosity.

#i talk

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abitterlifethroughcinema · 4 years

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The Five (+1) Movies To Catch For the New Year

WOKE! 2020 Film Awards PReviews

by Lucas Avram Cavazos

It is a mighty and yet daunting task this ‘2020 thing’ that is upon us. I think inherently we all know that some things are going to shift, others will change, some will expand and a lot more are likely to im/explode. Despite the factuality of it all, one constant I will always turn to, and recommend to you my lovelies, is cinematherapy. It goes without saying that some upcoming movies, which are either now or soon to be at our local VOS movie theatres, are also about to sweep some awards and with Oscar nominations going live this second week of January, I believe the movies below will soon be water cooler twawk, so me here at A Bitter Life brings you a BCN in VOSE look at the five (PLUS ONE!) films to catch before awards season intensifies.

In fact, it was a rather decent year for some great fare and not such a hodgepodge of Marvel and Disney movies forced down our throats every other week. The film I must start off with on this 2020 Film Awards Preview would be the excellent South Korean film Parasite ####-1/2, unanimously chosen as the winner of this year’s Palme d’ Or at Cannes and easily gracing the top or near-top of most film critic’s lists this year, as well it should. Telling the story of a South Korean family, the Kims, who slowly become interlopers within the confines of the uber-wealthy Park family. Starting off with one of them acting as a tutor, they slowly find a way to fill a need for the Park family, all while acting as non-related good Samaritans…that is until a botched getaway vacation and an underground bunker with a tale to tell reveal themselves and send the two families into a quagmire that must be seen and lived to be believed. (Now playing all over BCN/CAT/ESP)

Next up would be my personal favourite this year, though very closely followed by the aforementioned film! Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ####-1/2 became, at least for myself, a redeeming factor in the oeuvre of Quentin Tarantino after the meh! feelings given off by his last big screen outing a couple of years ago. Taking the tragic, real-life story of the Manson Murders that ended the life of Roman Polanski’s then-wife Sharon Tate, director Tarantino buckles his audience into their seats and sends them into a time zone tunnel to 1969 Los Angeles. One of the things that has always revolved around a Tarantino movie is the element of revenge. Here, we have a different take on a true event, but the concept is widened by the director using actors Brad Pitt, Leonardo di Caprio and even Margot Robbie as conduits of a bygone era that give a peek into a mindset and time that usually must be lived to be remembered. The fact that we, the viewing audience, feel like we were actually there in ’69 and then also given the chance to make up our own mind as to a possible different ending to the Manson family murders is mere evidence of a great director/writer who seamlessly gives us a choose-your-own-adventure saga with superb cameos. Excellent cinema once again. (Soon on DVD/Blu-ray & VOD)

The next big film that has increased the star power and respectability factor of Happy Gilmore, uh I mean, Adam Sandler is the ever-loved and heralded film Uncut Gems ####. If we have to put some truth to power, it must be noted that part of the film’s appeal is that it is such a New York City film. When you then throw in the elements of a thriller mixed with the Diamond District of Manhattan AND a run-around plot that also includes ballers and entertainers like Kevin Garnett and The Weeknd playing themselves, what you get is a peek into what feels like a true-life crime show playing out in front of your eyes. Add in the ever-excellent Tilda Swinton and Natasha Lyonne, as well, and even despite the long 2-1/4 hour running time, what you get is Adam Sandler, under the direction of the Safdie brothers and along with the good graces of Netflix (who will also be distributing the film in Europe), becoming the new Comeback Kid. (To be released in BCN/CAT/ESP via Netflix on Jan.31)

While we’re on the subject…Netflix. Whatever your thoughts may be on the streaming site service (and others like it), it goes without saying that VOD services have become the wave of the future. Home cinema and entertainment centres/systems are what make for the latest in silver screen viewing. For the last three-plus years, the world cinema system (not to mention film academies and award outlets) have had to adapt to a new reality few probably ever even thought of before this new digital age. Just a few days ago, perhaps showing a bit of wane after receiving the most nominations, only two actress winners took home trophies, Olivia Colman as The Queen in The Crown and Laura Dern for A Marriage Story, reviewed below. With that said, famed director/ writer/ producer Marty Scorcese decided to go the Netflix route for his (likely) last mafia opus The Irishman ####, detailing the life story and inner workings of the Philly mob, while also detailing intricacies of the Teamster unions, Jimmy Hoffa, the Kennedys and the inner workings of the US mafia and its many minions. Financed by Mexican firm Fabrica de Cine (mad side-eye and furrowed brow) amongst Netflix and other studios for international rights, the production of the film apparently ballooned up to (and some reports even say, well beyond) $160 million. With just under 8€ million reaped at the worldwide box office (taquilla) coffers, it’s fair to say that this film in all its glory should have been edited to a slightly shorter length and intended for movie theatres. It has had a fairly great response by viewers on the streaming site du jour, but even Sandra Bullock garnered hella more viewers with her formulaic thriller Bird Box earlier in the year. As a student and tutor of history, the elements of the film that stood out to me went beyond the impeccable performances, specifically by Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa, but of course De Niro and Pesci as Frank Sheeran and Russell Bufalino, as well, but it was Scorcese’s capturing of that forgotten time around which we find so many Trump supporters harkening to, and it details the trials and tribulations of the working class then…and perhaps, even now. That aside, I abhorred the expensive de-ageing CGI process to make the Italian acting kings look younger…just vile. It was like they suddenly became animated secondary characters from a dropped scene in Spielberg’s Tin Tin film a few years ago…bloody odd for a live-action mafioso epic. Still…Scorcese is the only working director who can capture that essence of a time gone by and dress it in Hollywood’s finest if overly-priced storytelling. Which brings us to the other Netflix gem to catch…but only when emotionally prepared. (Now streaming on Netflix and select screens)

Marriage Story ####, a.k.a. that likely Oscar-nominated film that will require too many tissue moments, also makes its way to this list. Trust, I can get my heart strings pulled quite easily if the right sentiments abound, so I was non-plussed going into this because I had already heard from my film fest peops that it was a bit of a tearjerker. Undeniably, there is a brutally-displayed realness that envelops the main characters of this film, particularly actresses Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern. Helmed by the wonderful Noah Baumbach, Johansson gives a near-best performance as former teen actress turned TV actress Nicole Barber, who separates from her NYC theatre-directing husband played by Kylo Ren himself, Adam Driver. When she takes a role and moves to LA, along with their child, things become even more real. There is a gutsy bravado that clearly makes itself beyond relevant, as the melancholy yet funny film continues, and I, for one, could hardly keep the sobs at bay with the ending of the film. This is the stuff that ‘rom-drams’ need last their heart, not that paltry shite fed to too many simpletons by Nicholas Sparks. (Now streaming on Netflix and select screens)

Aaaaaaaaand…lastly, Knives Out ####-1/2 rightly fixes itself into a final slot on this list because it is one of those long-lost wonders of vintage cinema…a star-studded quasi-whodunnit with wit and thrills and superb, serio-comedic acting by everyone involved. A mere smattering of those actors would be Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Spanish actress and Golden Globe nominee Ana de Armas, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette and even Don friggin’ Johnson! Following an investigation into the sudden death of famed mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), who had just invited main members of his family to his mansion for his birthday celebration, we see the touches of a perfectly poised ensemble film. Director/writer Rian Johnson has really stepped up to the plate with the best of the new directors and fresh off his box-office behemoth Star Wars: The Last Jedi from a couple of years back, his helming a film like Knives Out really plays his hand heavily in his diversity and directing tenacity. The fact that he also wrote this fine piece of script and dialogue makes him even more worthy of a possible director nod and it goes without saying that the cast is undoubtedly the finest ensemble piece made and released in the last year, and if you’ve been seeking a classic feel of a film with a smart, sharp modern twist, this film will satiate any of those olskie-olskie longings of a nostalgic murder mystery that makes you feel good after you leave the cinema. (Now playing in BCN/CAT/ESP)

#cinema #ABitterLifeThroughCinema

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kuro-freakin-shitsuji · 7 years

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▌a review: Book of the Atlantic

~read after the jump at your own risk~ Kuroshitsuji: Book of the Atlantic 劇場版「黒執事 Book of the Atlantic」

Alright, this post contains very specific spoilers for the new film in Japan!

I’ve watched it twice during the premiere weekend. I’m writing this as a personal keepsake for myself, but am allowing others to read, share, and discuss. For the love of all things kuro, read at your own risk!!

I recommend you bookmark all reviews, and wait to read them until after you watch the movie yourself.

I promise you it will be worth the wait when you can just enjoy the experience yourself first!!

If you want a tl;dr basic little review, see the first point. If you want to spoil yourself rotten with each and every specific detail that stood out to me in whatever way, skip down to the second point. Your own risk!!

basic review

The movie was beautifully animated despite having spare brief moments of questionable budget. It moved in a steady pace without feeling too slow or fast, and felt like a creepy thriller. It is packed with violence, gore, and a threat of danger. All of the major scenes and moments that make the Campania arc complete were included in the film, and I loved it enough to watch it multiple times in one weekend. I would watch it a third time in theatres and will definitely preorder the bluray and soundtrack!

a very detailed spoiler review

warning: there are spoilers after this jump & it is a long read. bring tea.

Updates

8-26-2017 ♞【 “That butler, resting” blu-ray comic translation 】 8-25-2017 ♞【 Japanese blu-ray release 】 8-25-2017 ♞【 I’m creating & linking edits that coincide with this review! 】

a very detailed spoiler review

The Campania arc is my favorite arc of this series, however I didn't go into the movie with any expectations other than Sebastian’s cinematic record being as sharp as the end of his butter knives. I wanted Yana Toboso to do what she and the production team do best, and I’m happy to say I am a satisfied fan!

Immediate Impressions what stood out to me

The animation is clean and sharp, but with brief, varying moments of questionable budget. The team utilizes various styles of animation to tell the story, specifically during certain points of comic relief, Undertaker’s explanation of the dead bodies, scenes of Sebastian demoning, and Sebastian’s demon-to-butler debut within the cinematic record

Everyone was beautifully cast! I really enjoyed all of the voice actors, new and returning. I’m most impressed with Undertaker, Sebastian, and Ciel in that order, for various reasons listed in my favorite moments. I also loved seeing Knox and Snake on screen~!

EYE PORN (the enhanced, dramatic, and intense focus of a character’s eyes). There is so much eye porn and I live for it; I can’t wait for tumblr to get a hand on this film. I see so many edits and gif sets and art flooding my future dash. Specifically impressed with Sebastian, Ciel, and Undertaker’s eyes in this movie and the various angles, styles, hues, and reflections they all gave. Sebastian had so many gorgeous, deadly, and very unique hues of red throughout the entire film, and the most distinct scene of them is the close up to his eyes as the first deceased body is being resurrected. Ciel’s contracted eye was flawless in each scene it is exposed, and seeing reflections hidden within his blue orb really intensifies the anxiety and fear he’s feeling during the scene when Undertaker was going to give a fatal blow to Sebastian ━【 ♞ 】

For the Undertaker stans… you all are not ready. You’re just not; you won’t ever be. Accept this. Just sit back and accept this gift and drown in your fandom feelings during his entire reveal scene. Bless. ━【 ♞ 】

Lizzie’s reveal touched me in so many ways!! Seeing Lizzie in action on screen for the first time… The anime downplays her character, but she redeems herself so much from the bad portrayals of the anime. And when babygirl started running on the walls...yes. It was a bit odd at first, but it worked, and I LOVED seeing her elegant foot and wristwork as she slayed

Sebastian makes so many facial expressions and I died from each one either with laughter or awe

Favorite Scenes & Tiny Moments there’s a lot

when Knox dodges Sebastian’s knives (favorite gif)

the look on Sebastian’s face when Knox was like “k bye, gotta go” after their fight – priceless ━【 ♞ 】

the utterly confused look on Snake’s face when Rian Stoker escaped into the elevator (I need this screenshot) ━【 ♞ 】

the Undertaker’s silhouette reflecting in Ciel’s enlarged, fearful blue eye because Undertaker was about to slice into Sebastian a second time (I need to make a sebaciel appreciation post about this scene right here) ━【 ♞ 】

the vulnerable quivering voice from Ciel during the night terrors scene of Sebastian’s cinematic record...I believed his fear and hearing Sebastian soothe him not only with the warm milk & honey but just the way he spoke to him...

actually, the entire cinematic record and their verbal exchanges

Lizzie’s entire reveal scene, from start to when Sebastian stops her finish

just hearing Sebastian apologize to people over and over again, especially Lizzie when she’s the one doing the work in the reveal scene, and the truly pained, disappointed-in-himself look that’s on his face as he does so

Sebastian’s extended laugh when Ciel is flustered by Lizzie after they battle Knox and Grell

Sebastian knocking Lizzie out with that hand ━【 ♞ 】

Sebastian dripping over those blueprints and then redressing himself

When Sebastian and Ciel take turns wanting to kill/wait to kill Druitt

Undertaker’s voice as he give his infamous lines during his reveal

Undertaker revealing his death scythe & every fight scene with him in it ━【 ♞ tba 】

the growl Sebastian makes while reaching for Undertaker when he took Ciel

when Sebastian mastered how to kill intruders silently in his cinematic record, holding the knife to that guy’s neck just like the manga scan (Died.) ━【 ♞ 】

when Undertaker smirked right before taking his death scythe and attacked the Campania

when Sebastian punched Knox and got right into his face just like the manga scan after Ciel vouched for his demon (Died. Screens and gifs, please. Please.) ━【 ♞ I 】//【 ♞ tba II 】

I FORGOT TO ADD THIS!! when Lizzie jumped on Ciel and started to nuzzle his shoulder and cry on him because she was sooooo thankful he survived!!! and then the look on Sebastian’s face as he watched them embracing!! MY HEART!!! ━【 ♞ 】

Alterations From the Manga ...that I could catch or remember

Charles Grey and Charles Phipps make an appearance (think we all got this one)

Ciel does not tell Snake to not be ashamed of his appearance

Snake is the one who jumps on the boxes and tells Elizabeth and Ciel to move higher up with him (from what I remember, Elizabeth is up with him but Ciel stays down to shoot at zombies, and Snake calls down at Ciel to join them). In the manga, Ciel is the one who takes charge there for everyone to ascend higher, and this stood out to me in the manga

Tanaka, Madame Red, and Nina’s scenes do not appear in Sebastian’s cinematic record. The focus is entirely in Sebastian’s point of view and the cinematic record scene does take a good 10-15 minutes (it really felt like it did) of precious screen time, so I am personally not upset by this decision of the animators. It doesn’t take away from the overall experience of the film, unless one of these characters are your absolute favorite : /

I’m not a big fan of the scene when Sebastian kisses Ciel’s hand; it looks like he’s smiling at it but in the manga it’s a direct kiss. It’s not a huge discrepancy but, I noticed. However I did thoroughly enjoy the cinematic record

The Midfords make an appearance, but we do not see them kick some serious ass the way Elizabeth does. Their scene is rather brief; when Sebastian asks if everyone is safe and informs them of how to defeat the monsters, they slice into their heads and that’s it. They introduce themselves just as in the manga, but once Sebastian leaves we don’t see any fighting from them again

We don’t see Lizzie or Snake doing the Phoenix pose

We don’t see Grell try to give Ronald his glasses back; Ronald recovers them himself

Interesting Discrepancies ...that I could catch or remember

Since Tanaka doesn’t appear in the cinematic record, I found it odd that Sebastian transitions from calling Ciel ご主人様 (master) to 坊ちゃん (young master, originally coined by Tanaka). Tanaka is the one who taught 坊ちゃん to Sebastian and the language shift stood out immediately for me because I enjoy this series in Japanese much more than in English. I would have liked to see Tanaka in the scene, or at least have Sebastian not utilize 坊ちゃん during the rest of the record since it was cut. It’s tiny but important to me and I could go into more detail about that and all of the sebaciel of the film in a separate post

It is a little obvious in certain places of the film where there was a limited or extinguished(?) budget for the animation, but nothing that takes away from the overall quality of the film, in my opinion

We finally see where Sebastian’s hand went in that one bathroom scene, however it is not exactly aligned the way it is in the manga. His hand is on the small of his back in the film; in the manga it is hidden by a speech bubble in unspoken territory but you can clearly see Ciel’s waist is hand-free

Closing Thoughts

I walked away from this movie so appreciative for this arc finally being released in anime-form, and choosing to make it a movie was a wise and fruitful decision. This movie will feed the Sebaciel and Ciel x Lizzie fans very, very well, and a I have a new appreciation for my favorite characters!!

I also will say...I loved Undertaker in the arc, but he wasn’t in my top tier of priority characters. However, leading up to the movie I noticed I’ve been reblogging enough of him to make his own tag. After seeing this reveal in action I’m probably going to be a little obsessed with the character until I can see him fight again; it was so beautiful~!

Whenever you all get the chance to watch this, please feel free to stop by and share your own thoughts and opinions in a note, tag or my inbox!!

#review #book of the atlantic premiere #spoilers #kuroshitsuji #book of the atlantic #omg are there spoilers #kuro freaking shitsuji #I'm so exhausted but I finally finished this review and can go to bed #i have scans but too tired to do all that #rambles

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