idk about anyone else but for me /personally/ assigning any of the wof dragon tribes a single equivalent human culture or accent feels kind of weird or off. Unless you’re like. Specifically from that culture and know what you’re interpreting

like sure the ‘nightwings are British because they’re voiced that way in the audiobooks’ is funny at first but I once saw a post break down the accents by tribe and assign sandwings a Nigerian accent. Which IMMEDIATELY makes the fact that they’re commonly rogues and thieves in the story not a fun cowboy thing but a vaguely racist thing suggesting that all Nigerian people scam and steal, which. Given the ‘Nigerian prince’ thing is already a stereotype, well…-

and it definitely isn’t JUST that, I’m not trying to call a single person out. But these kind of 1-1 correlations lead to results like this 9/10 times and it just feels strange. Just mix stuff together. Mash ideas from different places into one. Don’t make the dragons a 1-1 parallel to a specific human culture because then any story you tell that may connect to a stereotype of that culture will come off really, really bad

Gran Turismo 7 PC Download

Gran Turismo 7 August update: everything you need to know

The list of tracks that serve as the stage for all the racing action feature the usual mix of real-life circuits and original courses, taking players to 37 different locations for a total of 108 unique layouts. Classic series circuits from the original 'Gran Turismo' such as 'Trial Mountain,' 'Deep Forest,' and 'High Speed Ring' make a comeback updated to the latest advancements in technology. Similar to cars, additional tracks have also been added to the game via regular content updates since release. Polyphony Digital’s adoration of auto culture remains evident as you progress through Gran Turismo 7 PC Download unconventional career mode. Constantly returning to the in-game café, where you retrieve quests like collecting specific vehicles or winning a grand prix, you get an effective tour of the game’s many modes and offerings.

At larger venues like the Nurburgring Nordschleife, conditions may vary greatly depending on where you are on the circuit. For information on which tracks were added by post-launch updates, see the downloadable content page. It features a 1.5-liter V12 (yes, you read that right) and about 230 hp (171 kW). When you see a Championship White Honda Type R with red badging it’s an homage to this very car.

Payouts aren’t particularly extravagant and car upgrade costs can be surprisingly high for some items, like tyres that cost twice as much as an entire MX-5, or $100,000 nitrous systems no amount of boosted DVD players would ever pay for. Even neat ideas, like the huge range of official manufacturer paint colours we can use in the design booth, annoyingly come with a cost attached. But, of course, there are new features that differentiate GT7, like the Gran Turismo café which serves as a campaign hub point. If you ever played a cheap dating sim with faces and non-audible dialogue text, and a hub from where you meet your dating options... The game also provides the best workout for the haptic trickery of the PS5’s DualSense controller yet.

Of course, you don��t have to take the journey by yourself, you can play locally with friends in "2P Split Screen" mode or go online and race with other players from around the world. With so many modes, talking about them all in depth would take thousands of words, so I’ll be brief. Music Rally is entertaining enough as you pass checkpoints to earn more beats per minute (basically ‘more time’) on a song that’s played with a higher volume than usual, at least compared to the cars. The game gives you three of these - again with Gold, Silver or Bronze awards - to play with while you wait for the full game to install, which is a nice touch, with three more when it has. Music Replay syncs camera cuts to the music that you’re listening to, which is nice but not really worthy of a bullet point on the box. Some tracks also have a new ‘meeting place’ where you can connect to an online lobby and use a text window to talk to other people, share photos and liveries and enjoy just driving around the track.

Also celebrating the launch of the film – which charts the true story of GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough – is this limited-time time trial. The Ambulance, on the other hand, will be gifted as a prize on 14th or 21st August, provided you watch the upcoming Showdown events within the game. Simply tap the icon over this upcoming weekend at the top right of the world map, watch the YouTube stream and await the prize. Polyphony Digital celebrates 25 years of its series with the return of the campaign and the most focussed and finessed Gran Turismo to date. Gran Turismo 7 is the same amazing simulation-focused racer elevated by VR in ways I wasn’t expecting. Though the game was delayed substantially, it’s looking like Gran Turismo 7 was worth the wait.

It also appears as a prize in an early GT Cafe event, which means it’s possible to own two of them or, by completing your license first, skip out the race in which you’d need to win it. The game features 481 cars (478 standard, 3 special editions) as of version 1.36. After a bit of a bumpy ride with GT Sport, Gran Turismo 7 gets the series back on track, for the most part, at least. With more than 400 cars available, it's the most content-rich Gran Turismo game in years, and, thanks to the immense power of the PS5, the best looking too, by some margin. However, as is often the case, there's a whole lot more than just impressive variety and bleeding-edge graphics going on under the game's hood. Named the EXENEO Vision Gran Turismo there are two versions; Street Mode and Off-Road Mode.

Gran Turismo 7 offers built-in profiles and configurations for all the top options on the market, though I didn’t get to try any of them myself. The series has had a sterling reputation in the past when it comes to wheel support, so I suspect the same will be true for Polyphony Digital’s latest. While the experience of Gran Turismo 7 is solid as a whole, I did run into one bug that how to download gran turismo 7 drove me bonkers. When attempting to return from winning a race event back into the World Map, the game occasionally hung up and failed to respond to controller input. I could only get back into the game by swapping the PS5 into a different game, then re-loading GT7. Each time I did this, the game seemed to lose all progress from the most recent session, regardless of length.

GT7 makes full use of the PlayStation 5’s ‘DualSense’ controller, with particular attention drawn in the State of Play video to haptic feedback in the triggers. This, it’s said, gived gamers a sense of how much grip they have at the front end of the car, providing a more immersive experience. On the subject of noise, engine sounds, never a Gran Turismo strong suit, still don’t quite seem to be up to the standard of some rival titles.

Gran Turismo 7 is the most graphically intense and realistic version of Sony’s famous driving simulator to date, with access to 97 different racetrack layouts from launch and a host of the world’s fastest cars. The new title has launched on both Playstation 4 and Playstation 5, and players from both consoles will be able to race against one another online. Part of this is down to the remarkable implementation of haptic feedback on the PS5’s DualSense controller. The vibrations in the controller do a convincing job of simulating various surfaces, conditions, and degrees of traction, while the triggers increase resistance based on your vehicle’s capabilities.

Ramble on the Limitations of Looking for KnY Interpretation based on Japanese Mythology

One thing I notice a lot in the Japanese side of KnY fandom theories is a lot of deep dives into religious and mythological reasons behind Gotouge's creative choices. It is super interesting stuff, and Gotouge borrows enough and does homage to enough that there is a clearly a solid knowledge base there. While I find historical details handy for interpreting the characters, ultimately, I find that the canon of demons and Breaths can be interpreted in a vacuum without relying too heavily on the uncanny coincidences lurking in deep dives. This isn't going to be a well-supported essay, this is going to be a ramble that may include a bunch of interesting nuggets. (And then she went on to ramble for 3249 unedited words...)

First things first: I'm a nerd. I like to say I broke the weeb scale a long time ago, but I'm not exactly a university professor or anything like that. That said, I do read a lot of stuff from experts who have jumped on the KnY trends to talk about how elements in KnY are taken from, say, the sword making traditions of the Okuizumo region that results in black swords or simply making comparisons to famous swords, or local legends of supernatural encounters that resulted in split rocks, or comparing specific oni with and the heroes who slayed them or at least comparing elements of specific characters to other famous oni legends, or that Hinokami Kagura is based on a specific Shinto legend and has 12 forms based on existing Kagura traditions, etc. And I love reading this stuff, because I wouldn't had learned about some of it without my interest in KnY leading me to those articles, or as I read it I cheer because they're making references to things I already (as a nerd) really enjoy and therefore it strokes my inner echo chamber bias, or I nod along and think, "oh, yes, why of course, that makes total sense, Hinokami Kagura must be based on the dance Amenouzume performed to enticed the Sun Goddess Amaterasu out of the cave, how silly to think it could be based on anything else" but I then also take a step back to think, "...but it also doesn't have to be." For as many similarities as there to existing legends, it feels to me that Gotouge made it a point not to make specific reference to any particular mythological or religious elements. As an example, Gotouge considered titles with reference to a Shinto fire god named "Kagutsuchi" but never made actual reference to any fire god (or sun god) by name in the finalized direction canon took. Granted, a lot of fan theorists have read into that, going so far as to say because Nezuko's fire powers she represents Kagutsuchi, Yoriichi represents Amaterasu, etc., but while I find the idea of borrowed elements makes for highly interested interpretation of canon, one-to-one comparisons really don't work for this series. By not invoking a name like Kagutsuchi in the title or otherwise, Gotouge succeeded in not being boxed in by the canon of any particular deity. (Granted, "canon" for mythology can vary significantly by whatever historical writings you're looking at, with standard interpretations going through many big changes throughout the centuries. It can be as loose as it is limiting, depending on what sort of historical/mythological/religious figure you're talking about.) I feel there's more evidence of this avoidance by never invoking Amaterasu as a deity, despite the emphasis on the power of the sun in slaying demons. Even looking back and trying to figure out who Akeno placed so much faith, it was only called a "god of sunlight" as opposed to a "sun god." It's as though KnY works with a generic approach to religion. Even if the use of Buddhist element, the Nenbutsu prayer is called such, and Himejima's repeated phrases are legit Buddhist practice, but there is a huge variety of Buddhist sects and practices and theologies, and throughout history, many of them didn't get along. Going back to Akeno and wondering if she might had been Buddhist, I went so far as to suspect she was influenced by Nichirin sect philosophy based on its emphasis on the "Nichi" (sun) representing Japan and incorporating Shinto gods into its philosophy, and for its likely influence in the Kanto area in Akeno's time period, and for its encouragement for the salvation of women and therefore popularity among women. I felt pretty satisfied that it was all lining up, but also, none of this is necessary for a quality interpretation of canon. If Gotouge wanted to say specifically what informed her religious conviction, then it would had been said. But that's not what was important, was it? What was important, and therefore focused on, was Akeno's feelings toward her son and wishes for his sake.

While KnY's worldbuilding feels richer with all the clear religious influence, the details are not actually important. If anything, I feel like Gotouge dove into the heart of the elements of, say, Shinto mythology, and played those core elements up. It's different, yet still familiar, to take sun-associated elements and used them in a way that serves the story without being boxed into existing traditions. The sun is clearly important, and once you start looking for it, you find subtle recurring references to it. Like, Akeno's name? The "Ake" is one way of writing "red," and there are all sorts of uses of other ways of writing "red" throughout the series, in everything from the sand used for making Nichirin blades to the way that Haganezuka calls Tanjiro an auspicious "red" child with a very rarely used kanji. Our commoner main characters, though, just use regular old ways of saying "red" when referencing Tanjiro's appearance without thinking deeply into it, like there's something special right in front of them but they don't recognize it. Similar to how something as special as Sun Breathing was hidden right in front of them in Hinokami Kagura, with a name so generic and simple that it's entirely unsurprising that the Taisho era Kamado family would interpret it as "fire god." The very lack of limiting real-life details is what allows Gotouge to sprinkle these deep touches around, cover them up with branches and leaves, and then sit back and wait for readers to stroll through and invitingly pleasant looking field and then trip and fall down a rabbit hole. This is also what I think gives Gotouge the freedom and malleability to work with the sun in a way that serves the story, especially in ways that tie it to fire. While I don't think there's strong ties for this is general Japanese culture, the way canon is written implies a close tie between fire and the sun as being a very closely related element, hence the influence on the Kamado family, Tanjiro's appearance, his suitability for Sun Breathing based on a history of tending fire for careful charcoal burning, and Tanjiro and Nezuko capability as demons to overcome the sun. Here is where I go into a bit of a tangent about the purification element. This, again, is not strictly tied to any particular Shinto canon (and Shinto does place heavy emphasis on purification), but instead is an example of Gotouge getting to the underlying heart of a lot of common religious elements. Fire is associated with spiritual purification in everything from Buddhism to Catholicism, it's very easy to apply Nezuko's fire abilities as something which burns away something evil (demon poison) so as to purify something good (human flesh, or even other physical substances). Maybe lesser known, but very deeply entrenched in Japanese culture, is the purification element of charcoal. While it may be known around the world for soaking up undesirable elements and therefore used in everything from fish tank filters to treating food poisoning, in Japan, there's a bit of a spiritual side to it as well. For something so closely tied to the way of life for citizens throughout hundreds of years of history for everything from cooking to heating the home, it's unsurprising that quality charcoal would receive as much emphasis as good water and rice. Japanese charcoal is especially known for not producing undesirable smoke or odor, making it appropriate for use in a lot of settings. Charcoal farmers have often not just been that; they've been caretakers of the forest. Keeping the right trees, at the right sizes (both for use as charcoal and for how you pack it together when making charcoal), and in the right numbers to ensure you have stock for coming years, requires management of the forest. (Other tangent side note: many of the other names in the Kamado family are references to plants. Sumire both has the "sumi" sound of charcoal and is the word for violet, Kie is in reference to hollyhock, Nezuko is in reference to red beans (and the asanoha pattern of her kimono is in reference to hemp leaf, an

auspicious symbol of strong and quick growth), Takeo is in reference to bamboo (ironically bamboo can be a problematic plant for charcoal farmers, because it may spread too fast and take resources from other trees--stop stealing all the takuan pickles, Takeo!), Hanako is in general reference to flowers, Shigeru is in general reference to (plants) flourishing, and maybe by the time they got to Rokuta they gave up and said "he's our sixth child, let's just call him 'Six-Boy', lolz." BUT I DIGRESS.) That means the Kamado family not only had careful management of fire in the actual days of charcoal production, but of a wide variety of natural resources to ensure the trees were healthy. Natural weather phenomena, clean water, pest control, minerals from rocks getting into the soil, hmm, so many elements to pay attention to. Hmm. These sure sound a lot like other Breaths. And Breaths all stem from Sun Breathing. That means there may be certain elements of Sun Breathing that have been emphasized in each of them, but none of them encompass so many qualities of the natural world. The natural world which Yoriichi saw with such clarity than nature accepted him with open arms, practically, in how well animals took to him. Sun Breathing, while especially using that all-important purification aspect of sunlight which burns evil demons, is like an all encompassing embrace of nature. While being closely tied with fire is hugely important, there's more to it than just flames. While Shinto is very much so closely tied with nature (the extent to which this is emphasized may vary from shrine to shrine, scholar to scholar), what I see in KnY is a clever use of emphasis on spirituality in nature as opposed to emphasis on Shinto mythology. And I think that was a smart move. While stories based more directly on various theologies, mythologies, and religious ideologies often use those building blocks often wind up having very creative takes on them (even and especially with the confines of them), ultimately, the story of KnY is whatever Gotouge wants to do with it, and it does not seem guided by the specific conventions of more specific religious elements. But again, those deeper elements are still everywhere. You know what color Japanese charcoal burns? It's a gorgeous jewel tone red, spanning many of those rare shades of red Gotouge make reference to. And, in wider Japanese culture, red is the color of the sun (as opposed to how other cultures may represent it as yellow or orange or white or so on). (Not as exactly a KnY tangent, just personal: Japanese charcoal is so freaking pretty, I had no idea until I saw it used in the tea ceremony at parts when guests crowd around to enjoy the sight of it as the host prepares it for boiling the water. I can stare and stare and stare, it is so so so so so pretty, but also this element of the ceremony has gotten rarer both as many places have made a more practical switch to electricity, and tea ceremony quality has gotten more rare both due to fewer producers and due to beetle-related damages to the trees used, and I will always state HOW DISAPPOINTED I am that Kanata and Sumihiko are not out there raising charcoal, because charcoal is precious and I'm always so terrified of wasting charcoal in my practices because its so precious, but seeing the amazingly beautiful burn of the charcoal is absolutely one of my favorite elements of the ceremony and this of course gives me an extra soft spot for Kamado Tanjiro BUT I DIGRESS AGAIN, I TOLD you this was going to be a ramble, but SERIOUSLY IT IS SUCH A GORGEOUS RED).

So anyway. My point is, as interesting as incorporating outside elements may be, I don't find them necessary in interpreting KnY's canon. Even if it takes tons of Taisho Secrets to do so, Gotouge presents the details necessary, and that's more than enough to work with. After all, despite all the care taken in historical details in building the setting, KnY takes place in a fictional universe, it can make its own rules when it comes to things that don't actually exist in our universe. Demons, for example, follow a chronology and power system with sources and limits that is unique to a this universe, as tempting as it is due to general cultural familiarity, it does not call for a one-to-one comparison with existing demon legends. Breath as well, as a power system, is very interesting. Again, this is because it has a lot of basis in core concepts of real life physical and spiritual training. It's presented as a method available to anyone who can pick it up, not drawing on a mystical outside power or summoning the actual superhuman elements of nature. Other stories that present their power systems like that are well and fine, but when it comes down to it, this is a story about mere humans doing everything in their limited power to wave swords around and defeat creatures that seem so likely to outpower them. This is a common, relatable basis of stories throughout history, and a lot of analysis I've heard of KnY's success says that it shows how classic this story structure is. Many Japanese demon stories have their origin in epidemics, and some people suggest that the world looks for hope in stories like KnY in times of seemingly insurmountable crises like coronavirus. I think that's an oversimplification of KnY's success, but again, because of Gotouge's use of core cultural elements, it can be applied easily. OKAY BUT ON THAT NOTE we can do some really interesting digging if we want. : D Gotouge does make some highly specific references, included religious ones (granted, not in ways that impact the plot). The example coming to mind is the Seventh Form of Thunder Breathing, the "Flaming Thunder God." In Japanese, this is "Honoikazuchi-no-Kami," the name of a lightning deity who had a very, very brief mention in the Kojiki and who appeared among a handful of other lightning deities named in reference to other aspects/phenomena of lightning, like the sound or the rumble through the ground. Honoikazuchi is not so much the lightning itself, but the fires started by lightning. Stick with me a bit longer, I'm building up to something here. You've probably heard of the twelve animals of the Chinese (poorly translated as) Zodiac, right? Well, the system is way more complex than that, and really, if you want complexity, skip Japan and go dive straight into ancient China. I laugh and cry at myself for having a graduate degree in Chinese studies, the extent of my knowledge is is pitifully small, I know nothing, nothing. Suffice to say, China has its own five element system of water/wood/metal/fire/earth, it's more a philosophical application than a more physicality-based four element system popular in the west (fire/water/air/earth, why hello there, Avatar), with attributes of these elements assigned to every about anything through Chinese culture, from medicine to, you guessed it, the Zodiac animals. Japan saw all this and said "cool, we'll do that too" albeit their sort of mixed and matched a bit and made their own take on it in Onmyodo. An Onmyoji, who keeps track of, like, really any other-worldly matter you might have on your hands as a Heian noble, is someone who is paid to know all this stuff (it was very likely an Onmyoji who told the Ubuyashiki clan, "yeah, you got an evil family member to blame for your curse, squash him"). Yours Truly is not an Onmyoji and therefore will not attempt to go into more detail, save the one that a handful of Japanese theorists in the KnY fandom love to bring up: The Boar is a water sign. This means that, especially in Shinto practice, boars are considered an animal that protects against

fire, hence, a lot of practices to protect against fires were done on days of the Boar, in the month of the Boar, etc. So? So-o-o-o-o-o? You see it? You see it??? Boar = Water, Honoikazuchi = Fire, Inosuke and Zenitsu are basically foils to Tanjiro? Yes, yes, see it, yessss??? Deep dive Kamaboko theory, yes?????? Hahahaha. Naw. It's just a fun coincidence. ^_^ Again, I find these details completely unnecessary, for we are already given so many details in canon to work with on its own, and I think Inosuke and Zenitsu as foils to Tanjiro works entirely well simply based on their personalities, not because of any supernatural elements that require a high level of nerdery to have any hope of appreciating. Besides, once you start reaching too hard for cultural details Gotouge might have used and clinging too tightly to those ideas, there's likely something in canon to make it doubtful. For instance, Inosuke more widely presented as a king of the forest who wears deer and bear hide as well, and the fanbook state that Beast Breath is considered a likely offshoot of Wind Breathing. Even if we rely more strictly on historical detail, there's still the question of, say, what one of the basic Breaths, Thunder Breathing, even was when it was but a thunder inspired sword form not necessarily powered by Breath, you know, back when swords were longer and it would have been harder to make the fast draws katana would later be better suited for. Maybe they called it Thunder because it was practiced by swordsmen who stomped around really hard, and then when they added Breath technique, they figured out "oh dude, we can use our strong legs to go fast"??

Those are the kinds of things I find more fun to play around with in interpreting canon by bringing in little outside details, because as a work of fiction, there are already so many fun details to work with already even when treating it in a vacuum. But, giving Gotouge extensive and subtle use of cultural elements, especially core elements, it sure makes a lot of outside details applicable. Which is all to say, it's all super interesting, and I think the more people realize these things, the deeper they read into it, to an extent more than canon calls for. As much as I like it, and as much as I've enjoyed pulling outside elements in to fanfiction (like Kagutsuchi and lightning god tidbits), ultimately, if Gotouge thought these things were necessary, they'd have been included. Since they are not, I try to stick to canon details and Word of God-touge in answering Asks (lolz, I didn't plan on becoming a meta blog, it just kinda happened). BUT ALSO, JEEZ, I AM SO EXCITED IF PEOPLE TAKE A DEEPER INTEREST IN JAPANESE CULTURE BECAUSE THEY LIKE KIMETSU NO YAIBA, YOU CAN HAVE SO-O-O-O-O-O MUCH FUN PLANNING A TRIP TO JAPAN AROUND KNY THEMES, DO IT DO IT DO IT, GO TO YAGYU AND POSE IN A TANJIRO HAORI AND STICK YOUR SWORD IN A SPLIT ROCK, THE LOCALS THERE LOVE IT, DO IT but also like maybe learn about the tea ceremony and appreciate how beautiful the charcoal is with me k thx bye

Awards that the Academy missed

Now that the Oscars are over, I thought I’d put out my own picks for several categories that didn’t receive proper recognition from the academy:

Best emotional scene where Scarlett Johansson ties someone’s shoes

Jojo Rabbit is an incredibly kind, sincere, and deeply funny movie. It’s hard to be a single mother. It’s even harder to be a single mother in Nazi Germany, especially when your son is enthusiastically pledging loyalty to the Party. Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) hates the Nazi Party, but she loves her son, and we see that no more clearly than in the scene where she squats down to tie Jojo’s shoes and explains the meaning of love. “You’ll know it when it happens. You’ll feel it. A pain. In your tummy. And in your heart.” It is a reminder of just how dependent and inexperienced and naive young Jojo is. In the lands of a lesser performer, this little speech about the meaning of love would have felt a bit too on the nose, but Scarlett Johansson delivers it in a way that makes you forget that she’s not a German mother in the year 1945.

It’s one of the best scenes of the year, almost as good as the Scarlett Johansson shoe-tying scene in Noah Baumbach’s movie about divorce. Winner: Marriage Story

Best movie where Adam Driver plays a character who loses his temper and shares a fraught romantic relationship with a woman who accuses him of being a villain

I don’t think that Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker is a good film. The sequel trilogy is fraught, and watching episode VIII followed by IX felt like watching two different writer/directors wrestle over the direction they wanted the series to take, kicking sand in the face of the audience in the process.  In Episode IX, the plot is barely coherent, the pacing is bizarre, and so many of the creative choices are baffling. Yet, the sequel trilogy has one through-line that constantly works, and continues to work in Episode IX: the relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey. By episode IX, it feels like Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley are carrying the whole weight of this franchise on their shoulders, and their relationship is one of the few things that gets better and more interesting over the course of the trilogy.  Is it love?  Is it hate?  It’s difficult to articulate, and yet they share a connection, bound by some tether of fate or compatibility or chemistry that makes a romance between the two of them seem both impossible and inevitable. Yes, Kylo Ren is a villain, but he also may be the man that Rey loves.

Adam Driver brings a truly excellent performance in Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker.  It’s the kind of performance that makes you wish he could be in a better film, with better material to work with. Fortunately, he got exactly that in one of 2019′s most dramatic scenes, in Noah Baumbach’s divorce movie where Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) screams at Charlie (Adam Driver), “You gaslighted me! You’re a fucking villain!” Winner: Marriage Story

Best movie about the culture of Hollywood and Los Angeles

Tarantino loves making movies that are about movies. He pays homage to so many classic film genres, and every bit of his love for cinema comes across in his movies. Inglorious Basterds was a film about the power of cinema, with a powerful scene coming at the film’s climax that literally takes place in a theater, as film itself is used by a Jewish filmmaker as a weapon against Nazis.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is more deeply concerned with the filmmaking process and the people who participate in it, and I really think that Trudi Fraser (Julia Butters) steals the show with her portrayal of a child actress who, in her own way, reacquaints our protagonist Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) with his love for acting. And the parts involving Sharon Tate are purely about the love of cinema, a throwback to a more innocent time as we watch someone who loved making movies get to see firsthand the joy that her performance has brought to an audience of moviegoers.

Of course, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood isn’t just about Hollywood; it’s about the city of Los Angeles. There’s a scene when night falls and all of the signs across the city light up, and I’m left with the feeling that Tarantino really just enjoys giving us a retrospective tour of Los Angeles. It’s a joy to behold, and the movie constantly reminds you of where you are and why it’s special. It’s a lot like the scenes in another movie from the same year, where a man of New York (Adam Driver) gradually becomes acquainted with the city of Los Angeles, a place where people spend their days in their cars instead of on their feet and people constantly feel the need to remark about how much space there is. Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) discovers that beyond her talents as an actress, she takes quite naturally to the director’s chair, as Los Angeles offers her opportunities that she never could have had in New York City. Winner: Marriage Story

Best movie where the “villain” is portrayed as German, but actually the real villain is the system

1917 is a movie about the brutality of war. It is also a hauntingly beautiful film.

There is a particular shot in the movie, the first scene that takes place after nightfall, where we see flares lighting up the night as a church burns. We see shadows dance across the ground, and the score swells in just the right way, and the scene was just so nightmarish yet so striking that I couldn’t help but have a physical reaction to it. It feels like we’ve stepped into hell on earth, and yet...

So many shots in this movie are simultaneously terrifying yet magnificent in a way that doesn’t undercut the terror of war, but rather, underscores it: these characters inhabit a beautiful world that is tainted by the scars of battle.

There is a moment about halfway through the movie when the main character is confronted with the grim reality of human mortality, and from that moment forward, the specter of death looms over him. Every gunshot he hears -- and that we hear -- is a reminder of his mortality. Every step that he takes, he is surrounded by death, often in the most literal way possible as he finds himself in various settings surrounded by the remains of the fallen.

As we gaze upon fields and rivers and earth littered with death, we are left with the impression that God has given us a beautiful world, and the things that make it ugly -- the machine guns and barbed wire, the crashed planes and mortar craters, the sound of gunfire and the agonized screams of injured soldiers -- are a pox upon that natural beauty, a sort of corruption that could only be wrought by the hands of men.

War is an ugly, wretched, terrible thing, not only because of what it is, but also because of what it robs us of. 1917′s hauntingly beautiful moments give us fleeting glimpses of that.

1917′s plot is fairly minimal, but its basic construction facilitates the anti-war message: the climax of this movie is not about a soldier attempting to win a battle or kill enemy combatants, but to call off an attack in order to prevent soldiers from marching into the maw of death. German soldiers stand in the way of our protagonist’s progress, and he must defeat them in order to carry out his mission, but the Germans are not the real villains here: the true villain of this movie is war itself.

I had similar thoughts watching Laura Dern’s performance in Noah Baumbach’s movie about divorce: true, she is an opportunistic divorce lawyer. She exploits Nicole and Charlie’s pain for her own benefit, and in the end we’re left to think that despite all her claims to feel compassion for Nicole, she was really in it to win to satisfy her own ego. And yet, can we really begrudge her for what she’s doing? She’s a divorce lawyer, and she’s good at her job. It’s hard not to admire her for her sheer competence and work ethic. She is responding to the incentives that the court system has put in place. The messiness of divorce court is not the fault of any single individual; it’s a system that forces good people to do bad things, including the divorce lawyer played by actress Laura Dern, whose German ancestry makes this movie a valid candidate for this category. Winner: Marriage Story

Best movie about human parasites

Bong Joon-ho makes films in a genre that I sometimes have difficulty describing, but maybe if I do a poor job of articulating it you’ll still get the idea of what I’m gesturing at: he makes movies that are about ideas. (As opposed to, say, movies that are about things, or people, or events, or places.)  There were some movies -- good movies, even -- that, when you leave the theater, make you say, “well, that sure was a bunch of stuff that just happened.” I don’t think Bong has ever made a film like that: his movies stay with you.

Every movie is informed by the worldviews of the people who created it, but it feels like Bong creates movies that are intended to specifically communicate a certain worldview -- and yet it never feels preachy, because the stories that he tells seem so real and genuine. Maybe it’s the performances that he’s able to get out of the actors he works with, maybe it’s the way he always seems to let the camera linger just a second longer than other filmmakers would in order to really let a specific emotion hit you.

It feels reductive to describe Parasite as a film about class. It certainly doesn’t seem like we’re meant to agree with the characterization of these members of the “underclass” as mere parasites: they’re clever. They exhibit wit, ingenuity, and if they behave dishonestly and selfishly, it’s only because they’re part of a system that has forced them to be this way. It’s similar to the dynamic presented in Noah Baumbach’s divorce movie, where Baumbach portrays divorce lawyers as parasites who are nonetheless human in a story that feels incredibly true-to-life without being vindictive. Winner: Marriage Story

Best scene (that has also become an internet meme) where a character explains who is winning 

Uncut Gems had me glued to my seat in the theater, and it feels like an incredible cinematic achievement. I felt thoroughly sucked into the world of this movie -- a pretty unpleasant sensation, all things considered. Many shots give an incredible sense of claustrophobia. The camera work gives off a constant sense of frenetic energy that just makes you feel tense. The characters are all incredibly abrasive, and the actors all deliver world-class performances that completely sell that abrasiveness, all while talking over each other: no piece of dialog feels like it has room to breathe. Everything about this movie feels incredibly and unpleasantly crowded. It’s kind of amazing. It’s artfully done and incredibly immersive, but the world that it immerses you in is so unpleasant that I’m not surprised it got a relatively poor Cinemascore: this movie does not scratch the itch that typical moviegoers are used to having scratched, and in fact the main level it operates on is by making you itchy and refusing to scratch that itch. The ending of this movie is perfect, but it’s definitely not a crowd-pleaser that is going to leave you with a grin on your face as you leave the theater. I want to make it clear: these are all things that I love about this movie.

Adding to the visceral sense of unpleasantness is the fact that the film not only immerses you in a specific place (the diamond district of New York), but the perspective of a character who is pretty twisted, and lives an adrenaline-fueled life where every hour day is spent performing the incredible balancing act of borrowing money from one party to pay off his debts to another: it’s enough to give you second-hand anxiety as he weaves his way through a mess of loan sharks, trying not to lose his skin in the process. It’s like watching someone sprinting on a tightrope while juggling knives.

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is a deeply flawed man with practically zero admirable or redeeming qualities, and yet he’s rendered in such incredible fidelity that everything about him feels believable -- and being thoroughly immersed in his perspective makes him deeply fascinating. Throughout the movie, I felt myself wanting to understand this character and what made him tick, and the movie delivers that in its third act with a scene of the variety that I like to call “the scene in the movie where the main character explains what the movie’s themes are.” If that description sounds reductive and dismissive, it’s not because I mean it to be that way: I love this scene. Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) explains to Kevin Garnett (Kevin Garnett) what it is that makes him tick in a language that Garnett (and we, the audience) can understand: this anxiety-riddled thrill ride? This isn’t just the cost of doing business for him; he lives for this. “This is my fucking way. This is how I win.”

It’s a scene that’s almost as memorable as the line from Marriage Story where, in the midst of a fight between two people who are divorcing each other, Charlie (Adam Driver) punches the wall and screams, “you’re fucking insane! And you’re fucking winning!” It’s such a memorable moment that it’s no wonder that scene has become such an internet meme. Winner: Marriage Story

Best film of the year

It’s hard to overstate my love for Marriage Story. It’s one of those movies that just oozes competence from every pore, the kind of movie that makes me lean back in my chair and say, “This. This is how movies are supposed to be.” It’s so uniformly excellent that I hesitate to get specific with my praise, because while I can clearly put my finger on things that are great about it, the thing that I really love about it is all the things. I wouldn’t want to focus too hard on any one facet for fear of failing to recognize everything else about it that’s positively superb.

The set design is phenomenal. The film’s use of color is gorgeous. Noah Baumbach handles dialog in a way that makes you think “every movie should be like this.” Randy Newman’s score fits the film’s aesthetic to a T. And of course, the performances. Nearly every actor we see on screen delivers a performance that is Oscar-worthy: the array of character actors bat 1.000, and they’re not even the main event! Adam Driver gives the performance of a lifetime, and probably the only reason I’m not also saying the same thing about Scarlett Johansson is that she has to spend so much time sharing the screen with Laura Dern, who steals every scene that she’s in (based on Dern’s Best Supporting Actress award, it seems the Academy agrees).

Noah Baumbach gets great performances out of his actors, and he’s willing to frame the shot in a way that emphasizes the actor. There are so many shots that left me in awe of just how much confidence Baumbach has in his actors, his sheer willingness to just frame them in the middle of a shot and put the entire weight of a scene on their shoulders, only for them to deliver everything that’s expected of them and more. This film is beautiful from top to bottom, it has so much respect for its characters and it communicates all of that in a way that is just sublime.

Marriage Story is a movie about divorce. It has many incredibly emotional and contentious moments. If you have seen any part of this movie clipped or screenshotted on Twitter, it’s probably the scene of two characters shouting at each other, which really does feel like the performance of the year. I love everything about that scene. Two characters have reached a breaking point, and every bit of animus that has been stewing for the entire duration of their decade-long relationship comes to the surface all at once. It’s enough to make you terrified of what’s going to happen.

I like movies that make me uncomfortable. I like movies that are unsettling and sometimes almost anxiety-inducing, that have fully realized characters, even if those characters are abrasive. I love movies that are deeply immersive and pull me into their world, even if that world isn’t a place that is pleasant. For all of these reasons, if you’ve read this post this far, I think my pick for film of the year should be obvious. Winner: Uncut Gems

11 Incredible Experiences That’ll Make You Fall in Love with Uzbekistan.

Landing late evening in Uzbekistan (and Central Asia) for the first time, by myself, I was excited and apprehensive at the same time. When the airport taxi pulled into an old house, I found myself in a courtyard adorned with fig, apricot and persimmon trees. Even before I was shown to my room, my sweet 70-year-old hostess Gulnara, invited me for a cup of green tea and the sweetest melons I’ve ever had. Little by little, in broken English and Russian, she let me into her life, her childhood in Bukhara, the Soviet times and how Tashkent (the capital of Uzbekistan) has changed over the years. By the time I went to my room, I felt like I had arrived in an old friend’s house instead of a country unknown to me.

Guidebooks, travel blogs and most common wisdom suggests that Uzbekistan is all about its exquisite architecture. That to be amidst nature or experience a unique culture, one must travel to its neighbors Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan. To some extent, it’s true.

But over the course of my travels in Uzbekistan, partly solo, partly with fellow bloggers on assignment for USAID, I fell in love not just with Uzbekistan’s grand mosques, minarets and mausoleums, but also with its quaint mountain villages, ancient Sufi connection, old walnut orchards, fading Jewish history, bizarre Soviet influence, unique cuisine (even as a vegan) and most of all – the warm, welcoming, friendly locals.

The courtyard of my guesthouse – easily among the best places to stay in Tashkent <3

PIN this list of things to do in Uzbekistan to plan your trip later.

Some of you have asked me for an Uzbekistan travel guide, with specific ideas on what to do in Uzbekistan and my recommendations of places to visit in Uzbekistan. So behold, all my travel highlights that will make you fall in love with this country too:

1. Explore the old mohallas of Tashkent

Exploring the hidden old mohallas – a must do in Tashkent.

If I didn’t have to fly in to Tashkent, I probably would have skipped it, dismissing it as another soulless city. With its broad avenues, tree-lined walkways and busy streets, it feels like the Soviet influence has rubbed off on the capital. Yet turn into a small street and there are still old mohallas (traditional neighborhoods) with stone and mud houses (Tashkent literally means “stone place”) built around vine-covered courtyards, kids playing a game of marbles and curious faces eager to know what brings you to their country.

Tashkent walking tip: I discovered these mohallas thanks to the recommendations of my hosts in Tashkent. The old Tashkent walking trail on Caravanistan is lovely too.

Also read: Tajikistan: A Country That’s Not on Your Travel Radar But Should Be

2. Hike in search of 2000-year-old petroglyphs in the Nuratau Mountains

Uhum village in the Nuratau Mountains.

Along walnut orchards we hiked, past gushing streams carrying chilled water from the mountain spring, waving out to locals relaxing or toiling in their summer mud homes in the village of Uhum in Uzbekistan’s little visited Nuratau Mountains. Then we scrambled up rocks to see petroglyphs – images carved in rocks by our ancestors, depicting their animals, rituals and life – recently evaluated by archaeologists to be nearly 2000 years old. A rare glimpse into the fascinating history of humankind.

Nuratau Mountains Uzbekistan: I travelled to Uhum village in the Nuratau Mountains with Responsible Travel Uzbekistan, and highly recommend them.

Also read: What I Learnt Volunteering on a Remote Island in Cuba

3. Take in the grandeur of Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis in Samarkand at sunset

The exquisite beauty of Shah-i-zinda in Samarkand.

Although Registan is foremost on the list of “best things to do in Samarkand” and justifiably so, it was at the Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis (literally, the living king) that I felt the soul of Samarkand dwells. Between the 11th and 19th centuries, a series of exquisite, blue-tiled mausoleums with stunning ceilings were built here, including the tomb of a cousin of Prophet Mohammed. All afternoon, we watched worshippers and tourists alike, walk through the domes in awe, but at sunset, we found ourselves alone, with the grandeur all to ourselves, accentuated by the soft light of the setting sun.

Getting to Samarkand: Take the high speed bullet train from Tashkent to Samarkand and Bukhara, and make sure you book it atleast a few days in advance! 

Also read: Why You Should Drop Everything and Travel to Iran Now!

4. Indulge in Uzbek food – even as a vegan / vegetarian

Gulkhanum – a twist to khanum, a traditional Uzbek dish that can be made vegan.

I was pretty apprehensive before I set out for Uzbekistan, for the only Uzbek vegan I found on Instagram recommended eating Georgian food in Tashkent! Travelling as a vegan in Uzbekistan was a mixed bag. Even though they grow and use many vegetables, meat – primarily sheep, cow and horse – is pretty much part of every dish. Yet I was lucky enough to try vegan versions of many traditional Uzbek dishes, including khanum (stuffed dumplings), pirashki (like the Indian poori), plov (rice with carrots, chickpeas and raisins), shashlik (coal grilled veggies), laghman (stretched handmade noodles), manti (pumpkin stuffed dumplings), samsa (like a puff stuffed with potato) and dimlama (boiled potato, carrot, beetroot, cabbage). I’ll be writing a detailed guide to vegan / vegetarian travel in Uzbekistan soon!

Vegan in Uzbekistan: Inform your homestay hosts in advance about your dietary preferences. Google translate works accurately for Russian, but not always for Uzbek. The rooftop restaurant at Boutique Hotel Minzifa in Bukhara was my favorite (and one of the few) vegan-friendly restaurants in Uzbekistan.

Also read: How to Travel as a Vegan and Find Delicious Food Anywhere in the World

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5. Experience Sufi mysticism at Naqshbandh Sufi shrine near Bukhara

The Naqshbandh Sufi Memorial Complex near Bukhara.

It took me a while to unearth the Sufi history of Uzbekistan, for like many of its neighbours, including Iran, there has been a backlash against Sufi mysticism in the country. Turns out though, present day Bukhara is the birthplace of the 14th century Sufi saint Bahauddin Naqshbandh Bukhari, founder of the revered Naqshbandhi Sufi order. A half hour drive from the old city of Bukhara sits the Naqshbandhi Memorial Complex, where believers come from across the country to pay homage to his shrine. In the golden light of sunset, I felt transported to another era as soulful Sufi chants filled the silence of the memorial.

Sufism in Uzbekistan: Shared taxis are easily available from the old city of Bukhara; late afternoons are a beautiful time to visit the Naqshbandhi Sufi Memorial Complex.

Also read: Travelling to Iran: Things to Know Before You Go

6. Ride the Tashkent metro – which doubles up as a nuclear bunker!

The ornate and somewhat bizarre metro stations of Tashkent.

Given the fancy cars that ply the modern streets of Tashkent, I didn’t buy the hype about the Tashkent Metro – until I actually went underground. After an earthquake destroyed Tashkent in 1966, the Soviet sent their best artists to design the Tashkent metro, which also doubles up as a nuclear bunker! Each metro station has its own theme; two of my favorite stations are Alisher Navoiy – named after the Uzbek poet who wrote the epic poem Laila Majnun in the 15th century (there’s some controversy about the author though), with dome-shaped ceilings and poetic illustrations on the walls – and Kosmonavtlar – which translates to cosmonauts, and is designed to represent the galaxy. Its tunnel walls are dedicated to famous Uzbek and Soviet cosmonauts, including the first Russian woman to go space.

Tashkent metro: Don’t just see and marvel at the metro stations, use them to get around the city. It’s easy, cheap, safe and super convenient, plus you’re bound to have some interesting conversations with local commuters. A ticket costs 1200 som (INR 10 / <10 $cents).

Also read: 9 Practical Tips to Save Money to Travel

7. Live with a rural Uzbek family in the Nuratau Mountains

My hostess in Uhum Village making khanum.

I always feel like I haven’t really experienced a culture until I’ve lived somewhere remote with a local family – and so it was in Uzbekistan. Luckily, I ended up discovering an idyllic little Uzbek paradise deep in the stark, barren Nuratau mountains. Like many local families in Uhum village, my hosts had a stone and wood summer house (and a second one in the village for winter), shaded by walnut trees atleast a 100 years old. I joined different members of the family to splash in the icy stream, collect wild mulberries, climb the barren mountains, hear local legends, relax in the tapchan under the stars and try potent homemade vodka. If there’s only one offbeat thing you do in Uzbekistan, pick this.

Uzbekistan homestays: I booked my homestay in Uhum village through community tourism based organisation Responsible Travel Uzbekistan, and absolutely loved the experience.

Also read: What the Village Folk of Kumaon Taught Me About Life

8. Find inner peace inside Hazrati Imom Jume Masjidi in Tashkent

Inner peace at the Friday mosque at Khast Imam, Tashkent.

The magnificent 16th century Khast Imam Ensemble makes it to all the ‘best things to do in Tashkent’ lists, but people seldom talk about the interiors of Hazrati Imom Jume Masjidi (the Friday mosque). Watching people pray amid the whitewashed walls, under the intricate ceilings, as sunlight poured in through the domed windows, filled me with an indescribably intense feeling of peace. I can’t think of a better way to spend sweltering hot Tashkent afternoons.

Khast Imam Tashkent: There are separate praying areas for men and women in the big hall, but you can walk around freely and take photos. Women are not required to cover their heads!

Also read: Land of a Thousand Friends

9. Witness the magic of Bukhara at sunrise

Bukhara at sunrise – devoid of shops, people and heat.

Bukhara and I didn’t get off to a good start. Arriving from the Nuratau mountains, the intense heat (like Delhi in the peak of summer) and swarms of tourists were a shock to the senses. Luckily, I managed to drag myself out of bed at sunrise, to find that the weather was cooler and souvenir shops and selfie snapping tourists hadn’t yet occupied the streets. The bustling 16th century lyab-i hauz – with once functioning madrasahs (schools) and a khanaka (a resting place for wandering Sufi dervishes), the magnificent 12th century Kalon Minaret so impressive that it was spared even by Genghis Khan’s rage and the many centuries-old mosques were just waking up from slumber. Locals cycled past the Silk Route trading domes with their morning bread, women in beautiful traditional dresses came to pray at the mosque. The old city of Bukhara (locally written Buxoro) is a living breathing testimony to our glorious and gruesome past – best witnessed in the solitude of sunrise.

Bukhara sunrise walk: Walk from Lyab-i Hauz to the Kalon Minaret, and further along the trading domes to the Abdullazizkhan Madrassa, a great spot for early morning people-watching! 

Also read: Reflections on Life, Travel and Turning 29

10. Experience Tashkent life at a family-run guesthouse

My hostess at Gulnara guesthouse in Tashkent.

Staying with a friendly Uzbek family at Gulnara Guesthouse immediately gave me a sense of belonging in Uzbekistan. I spent delightful mornings having breakfast on a tapchan (traditional lounge seating) under the shade of persimmon trees, chatting with my 70-year-old hostess who told her family that I only eat melon (because that and bread/homemade apricot jam were the only vegan options ). Her sons gave me plenty of suggestions to explore the city beyond the Chorsu bazaar.

Where to stay in Tashkent: If a guesthouse doesn’t sound like your thing, consider staying at  Hotel Uzbekistan, with its striking Soviet design and central location opposite Amir Temur Square.

Not on booking.com yet? Sign up with my referral to get 10$ off your first booking.

11. Dine in the summer room of a 19th century Jewish trading merchant in Bukhara

The courtyard at Ayvan restaurant in Bukhara.

I landed up, by pure serendipity, at a 16th century Jewish synagogue in Bukhara – and learnt about the opulent 133-year-old house of a Jewish merchant, now refurbished as Lyabi House Hotel and Ayvan restaurant. During the Soviet era, it was bought over by a Tajik merchant, then passed into the hands of the government, became a kindergaten for kids, a communal home and finally a hotel. The extravagant summer dining room has recently been opened up to the public as a restaurant – strikingly ornate, adorned with artefacts, with a charming outdoor courtyard.

Bukhara where to eat: Ayvan only opens for dinner and seating is limited; make a reservation. Vegan options are limited to soup, stew, salad and vegetable kebabs. 

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Do you plan to travel to Uzbekistan in the near future? What else would you like to read about Uzbekistan on my blog? Tell me in the comments.

*Note: This trip was made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Competitiveness, Trade, and Jobs Activity in Central Asia. The contents of this post are my sole responsibility and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.

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11 Incredible Experiences That’ll Make You Fall in Love with Uzbekistan.

Tajikistan: A Country That’s Not on Your Travel Radar but Should Be.

Why You Should Drop Everything and Travel to Iran Now!

The Epic Land Journey from Thailand to India via Myanmar.

11 Incredible Experiences That’ll Make You Fall in Love with Uzbekistan. published first on https://airriflelab.tumblr.com

Disney mania at Wellington City Libraries!

Disney mania continues on the kids blog… and at Wellington City Libraries!

Walt Disney has brought some fantastic movies for families’ enjoyment and entertainment, whether it is in a busy movie theatre or in comfort of your own home. He has been considered a pioneer of the American animation industry. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

If you’re interested in learning more about his amazing life, why not read his biography:

  Walt Disney.

“Fans of Disneyland, Disney World, and all things Disney are sure to enjoy learning all about the fascinating founder, Walt Disney. This new biographic reader reveals the interesting, enchanting life of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers and entrepreneurs. Level 3 text provides accessible yet wide-ranging information for fluent readers”– Provided by publisher.

  New in the collection!

Since its release, Dumbo has taken the world of Disney by storm. Why not relive the magic… (and movie), of Dumbo with the following books:

Dumbo : circus of dreams.

In this novelisation of Walt Disney Studios’ live-action Dumbo, fans will experience the wonder of the breathtaking world created by the incomparable Tim Burton. Features all-new details and exclusive original content that will give fans insight into their favourite new characters.

  Dumbo.

When Dumbo the baby circus elephant is separated from his mother, he will need help from his friends and belief in himself to find his way back to her.

    Announcement: Dumbo will be released on DVD on 10th July. Click here for more information.

  New Movie Trailer: The Lion King

Here is another trailer for the much anticipated movie of the year, The Lion King. 

You will see Nala, experience more comical antics from Timon and Pumbaa, a possible battle to the death between Simba and Scar and whether Simba will take his rightful place as king.

  Movie Review: Aladdin

Guy Ritchie directs this live-action retelling of the original animated 1992 Disney classic, with Will Smith as the wish-granting Genie.

If you want to go on a journey of wonders, have non stop laughs, thrills and take magic carpet rides to an Arabian Night, then Aladdin is the film to watch!

The film is in a word, MAGNIFICENT and pays homage to the original animated classic, but also managed to create a whole new story, with some surprising twists you will not see coming.

In typical Disney style, the movie tells the story of Aladdin, a street urchin with a heart of gold, who falls in love with Princess Jasmine, who is trying to find her voice and make her way is a male dominated kingdom, culture and country. In order to make himself worthy of Jasmine’s affections, he helps the wicked and disgruntled palace vizier/sorcerer, Jafar, (who is just as wicked, however not as scary as Voldermort) retrieve a mysterious lamp from the cave of wonders. Aladdin’s whole life changes with one rub of a magic lamp as a fun-loving, shape shifting, humanoid Genie, played by Will Smith, appears and grants him three wishes, setting him on an incredible journey of discovery, love and true meaning of friendship and becomes the friend, mentor and surrogate father that Aladdin never had.

This movie is awesome! Awesome story! Awesome music! Lots of original songs such as A whole new world and Never had a friend like me. This movie also features  a new song sang by Princess Jasmine, played by Naomi Scott called Speechless.

There were lots of awesome scenes, camera angles, movie effects and playful banter between Aladdin and the Genie, and moments when the relationship between them transcends from servant/master to friendship. Will Smith’s role as the Genie was epic! He managed to pay homage to the original Genie, played by the late Robin Williams, while at the same time making the role his own.

As promised, the film delivered at being amazing, entertaining, heart warming, moments where you will laugh and dance for joy.

A well deserved 8/10… and highly recommended movie that the whole family can enjoy at the weekend!

  Takeaways and wise words, from the film, to remember:

“Be specific with your words. The deal is in the details.” -Genie.

“If you don’t have anything, you have to act like you own everything. ” – Aladdin.

“I made you look like a prince on the outside, but I didn’t change anything on the inside. Prince Ali got you to the door, but Aladdin has to open it.” – Genie, (to Aladdin)

“Sometimes you just have to take a risk.” – Aladdin.

  Check out some of the songs from the soundtrack, such as:

A whole new world, by both Mena Massoud, (Aladdin) and Naomi Scoot, (Jasmine) and ZAYN and Zhavia Ward.

Speechless, by Naomi Scott.

  And… some wise words from the man himself:

“Around here we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  Walt Disney, Film Producer, Director, Animator, Entrepreneur.

Disney mania at Wellington City Libraries! syndicated from https://paintballreviewsgun.wordpress.com/

Star Control II: Summary and Rating

For the box art, the developers seem to be paying homage to L. Ron Hubbard.

           Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters

United States

Toys for Bob (developer); Accolade (publisher)

Released in 1992 for DOS, 1994 for the 3DO console; later fan ports to other platforms

Date Started: 23 March 2019

Date Finished: 14 May 2019

Total Hours: 47 Difficulty: Moderate (3/5) Final Rating: (to come later) Ranking at time of posting: (to come later)

       Summary:

Star Control II takes the ship-by-ship action combat of the original Star Control and places it solidly within an adventure game of epic proportions. In a galaxy of more than 500 stars and 3,000 planets, a captain must build alliances, find artifacts, mine minerals, and coerce information from alien races so that he can ultimately throw off the yoke of the Ur-Quan Hierarchy and free Earth and its allies from slavery. Gameplay comes with a lot of lore and plot-twists, but every so often it reveals its origins and requires the player to defeat enemy ships with selects from his own armada, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. Although the sense of an open world and a nonlinear plot both end up being somewhat illusory, the game is still fun and memorable.

****

         In the comments for my winning entry, several readers have offered descriptions and text that occurs when you try some of the game’s alternate strategies, such as surrendering to the Ur-Quan, provoking the Orz, or selling your own crewmembers to the Druuge. Most of them are either dead-ends or offer such harsh consequences that you’d best not do them in the first place.

One thing I was curious to check out is what happens if you wait out the game’s time limit. The Melnorme originally told me that the Earth would be destroyed in January or February of 2159, but my actions in the game managed to delay the apocalypse by almost two years. As I sat in hyperspace and watched, nothing much happened until November 2159, when the Supox and Utwig returned to their original systems, much diminished. 

           No one remains but the Ur-Quan.

          Around the end of 2159, the Kor-Ah won the civil war and started to circle the galaxy, destroying each sentient race in turn. Some of their ships reached Earth in April, but they weren’t here to destroy Earth just yet. I fought a few dreadnoughts and the horde moved on. The Arilou, Umgah, and Zoq-Fot-Pik were all gone by June 2160, the Supox and Utwig a month later. By October 2160, the Ur-Quan fleet had reached the “southern” end of the galaxy and destroyed the Yehat. Finally, in November, I received a broadcast from the Ur-Quan notifying me of Earth’s destruction, and the game was over. My ship was parked right next to Earth at the time, and I was hoping I’d see a bunch of dreadnoughts approaching it, but alas, it wasn’t quite that detailed.

              The “bad” ending, unless you’re a big Ur-Quan fan.

           If I hadn’t cheated a bit during the game by reloading when an expedition proved a waste of time, I probably would have run into issues with the time limit. Watching the slow destruction of every race, along with the intelligence that they possessed, would have been mildly horrifying. But apparently you can still win the game at any time during this process, with nothing altered in the endgame sequence.

I confess that the last bit bothers me a little because it’s indicative of the approach taken by the game as a whole. When I started playing Star Control II, it gave the impression of an open-world game with multiple narrative possibilities. But it turns out you have to follow a few paths in a relatively specific order, and most of the choices turn out to be illusory. Oh, it certainly does better than the typical RPG of the period, I hasten to add. It was just a bit disappointing to find that open exploration isn’t really rewarded. If you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a key location amidst all the planets in the vast galaxy, you probably won’t be able to do anything because you haven’t bought an important piece of information from the Melnorme first.

I have similarly mixed feelings about the game’s approach to the alien races and racial characterizations. On the one hand, I enjoyed the variety. When you’re making a game (as opposed to shooting a film or television show), you have the freedom to make some interesting races without worrying about the CGI budget. I appreciated that there were no “bumpy forehead” aliens except perhaps for the Syreen.

            I could have done with less of this.

          I also don’t fault the game for broad characterizations. It’s a longstanding trope of science fiction and fantasy to paint races with a broad brush: the wise elves, the logical Vulcans, the proud Klingons, the evil orcs, and so forth. You rarely have time to explore the detailed characteristics of an entire culture. It’s perfectly acceptable that Star Control II decided to highlight one major attribute of each race, such as cowardice, depression, loneliness, and greed. When it did go into more detail, such as in the case of the Ur-Quan and the Syreen, the detail was generally good, and it was rewarding to unlock those stories. I also appreciated the consistency of characterization. The Spathi locking themselves under their own slave shield amused me to no end because it was perfectly in keeping with the Spathi personality–and, in hindsight, 100% foreseeable. 

But I also felt there were too many moments of outright goofiness and parody among the racial interactions. The Orz, the Pkunk, the VUX, the Umgah, and the Utwig mostly just exhausted my patience. I couldn’t help but think how the same races with similar characteristics might be handled with less silliness. We don’t have to look very far to find an example. Starflight and Starflight II had some of the same broad racial characterizations, but rarely crossed the line into outright slapstick. I felt the stories and plot twists of those games were much better, too.

Nonetheless, I understand why Star Control II is regarded as the better game: it’s all about the combat. I wasn’t any good at it, but I can see why people like it. Until I played it, I wouldn’t have thought that a single choice–what ship to pilot–could have so many tactical implications. There are 14 ships that can join the New Alliance and 13 potential enemy ships, resulting in 182 potential battle combinations, and each has completely different tactical considerations. (With the Super Melee application, you can fight any of the ships against any of the others, for 625 possible combinations.) Slowly mastering the strengths of your ships and learning the weaknesses of the enemy ships is a huge and rewarding part of gameplay. Later in the game, when you have to fight multiple ships in a row, there are strategic implications for what ships you send into combat first and which you reserve for later in the battle.

             The typical outcome of my combats.

           Still, the nature of combat, plus the lack of “character development,” really makes this a non-RPG, which means it might not do so well on the GIMLET as an RPG. I played it as an exception. I don’t want to hear any future comments along the lines of, “Well, you played Star Control II, so to be consistent, you should also play This Game.” The point of exceptions is that I don’t have to be consistent with them.

As to the GIMLET:

1. Game World. Star Control II manages to check most of the boxes in this category. It has a rich, detailed backstory, an open world, a clear place for the character and his quest, and an evolving game state that responds to the player’s actions. (I particularly like how the starmap continually updates to show the dispositions of the various races.) The plot and its twists are original and interesting. The only fault I can find is that there isn’t much to see or do in the open universe. I wish the creators had seeded more planets with optional encounters and finds, perhaps replacing the system but which you purchase all your technology upgrades from the Melnorme. Score: 8.

2. Character Creation and Development. Alas, there is none of either except for the ability to name your own captain. Even if you regard the ship as a “character,” it doesn’t get innately better so much as it gains better equipment. Score: 0.

3. NPC Interaction. Another strong point. I’ve given my thoughts about the NPC personalities, but I should add that even goofy personalities are better than we get from the typical RPG of the period, which is no personality (or even NPCs) at all. I wish there had been more honest variety in dialogue options instead of one that’s obvious, two that are stupid, and one that’s evil. The Starflight games did a better job giving the player real “options” when talking to different alien races even though they came in the form of “stances” rather than specific dialogue choices. 

I should also note that most NPCs aren’t individuals but rather representatives of their races who somehow know the previous conversations the player has had with other representatives. But the game otherwise hits most of the criteria for a high score hear, including a plot that advances based on NPC interaction. Score: 7.

             My thoughts exactly.

              4. Encounters and Foes. The game has an original slate of foes (ships) that require you to learn their individual strengths and weaknesses. There are otherwise no real “encounters” in the game that aren’t also NPC dialogues. Score: 6.

5. Magic and Combat. I can’t give a high score here because my scale is about RPG-style combat and the various tactics and strategies that draw from attributes, skills, and the player’s intelligence rather than his dexterity. Still, as I discussed above, the choice of ship and the way you plot long combats create some important tactical and strategic decisions. I just wish combat has always been about ship versus ship. The planets, which show up suddenly as you switch screens, were unwelcome guests. Score: 3.

           The asteroids, on the other hand, I didn’t mind so much.

         6. Equipment. All of the “equipment” in the game is ship-related rather than character-related, and it all applies to the flagship, which a good player arguably does not rely on. I wish there had been opportunities to upgrade the other ships in the fleet. It would have been tough to offer meaningful options with so many of them, but even just generic attack or defense improvements would have been nice. Beyond that, it’s fun to figure out how to best make use of the limited modular space on the flagship, particularly as new options come along regularly. Score: 3.

7. Economy. There are really two economies in the game: the “resource unit” economy that lets you build a fleet and equip your flagship, and the Melnorme “information” economy that depends on bio data and Rainbow World identifications. I found both rewarding enough for about two-thirds of the game. Score: 7.

8. Quests. The game has one main quest with a few options (though, as I mentioned before, a lot of the options are illusory) and side-quests. There’s only one ending. Score: 4.

9. Graphics, Sound, and Inputs. I don’t have many complaints in this category. The graphics are perfectly fine for the scope and nature of the game; the sound effects are fun and evocative throughout; and it’s hard to complain about the interface of a game that supports both joystick and keyboard inputs and lets you customize the keyboard. I had problems in combat despite these advantages, but I don’t think I can blame the game.

I do have one major issue, or several related issues, that fits into this category. The dialogue is delivered one line at a time in a huge font. You can hit the SPACE bar after each bit of dialogue to see a transcription in a smaller font that you can barely read. Either way, if you don’t make your own transcriptions or screen shots (which must have been tough for an era player), the dialogue is lost once you leave the screen. In most cases, you can’t prompt the NPC to speak the same lines again, and there’s no databank in which to retrieve it as there was in Star Control II. Thankfully, I took copious screenshots, but they’re a cumbersome way to review previous dialogue and I think the game should have offered a better system. Score: 6.

             This text is better than nothing, but it’s still not very easy to read.

          10. Gameplay. I give half-credit for non-linearity. The game is more linear than it seems when you start, but you still have a lot of choices about the order of your activities. I also give half-credit for replayability. As I mentioned earlier, many of the “options” seem illusory, and a replaying player might find himself swiftly on familiar paths, but there is at least some variety for a replay. The hourly total is just about right for this content, and while I had difficulty in combat, I still managed to win with an acceptable number of reloads, so I can’t fault the difficulty. Score: 7.

That gives us a final score of 51, surprisingly close to the 53 I gave both Starflight and Starflight II, which had actual characters and character development. But reviewing those games, I’m reminded how awful combat was, and how many issues I had with the interface. I’m thus comfortable with the rating. 

              The ad makes it seem like the game’s enemies are the Umgah.

          There are plenty of players, however, who would consider a 51 an insult. Star Control II still continues to make “best games ever” lists compiled by various publications. In a March 1993 preview in Computer Gaming World, Stanley Trevena liked the game enough to put it on his “top ten list of all time.” “It is not often,” he says, “that such a perfect balance is struck between role-playing, adventure, and action/arcade.” In the November 1993 issue, they gave it “Game of the Year” in the adventure category (or, at least, it tied with Eric the Unready). Dragon gave it 5 out of 5 stars. It’s rare to find an English review out of the 90s, though for some reason European reviews tended to put it lower, in the 70s.

The 3DO version from 1994 has some significant differences from the DOS version. It has an animated, narrated introduction and cut scenes plus voiced dialogue for the conversations. (My understanding is that the open-source Ur-Quan Masters would use some of this voiced dialogue but re-record others.) Some readers encouraged me to play this version specifically because of the voices. I’m not sure I would have liked it better. There’s really just too much dialogue overall. Some of the voices are good: I appreciate the Vaderesque bass of the Ur-Quan, the lispy enthusiasm of the Pik, and the weird Scottish accent the creators gave to the Yehat. For some reason, they decided the Shofixti was a bad English translator of a 1970s Japanese kung-fu movie; the Orz, Spathi, and Utwig are just annoying; and the Umgah is the stuff of nightmares. The Talking Pet is the worst, with some ridiculous southern “Joe Sixpack” accent. I was also disappointed by the Syreen, who sounds like Doris Day rather than . . . well, honestly, I’m not sure what would have done justice to the Syreen. How do you blend a fierce Amazonian and a seductive vixen in a single voice?

Star Control II left a satisfying number of mysteries, such as the fate of the Precursors and why they seemed (to the Slylandro) to be nervously searching for something. We never learned about the Rainbow Worlds or why they (apparently) form an arrow pointing to the “northeast” of the galaxy. We never learned what the Orz did to the Androsynth, what the Orz really are, and how they relate to the Arilou. I was disappointed that we never found out why the Ur-Quan destroyed historical structures of humanity, including some places we weren’t even aware of. I was disappointed to find that most of these questions are unanswered in Star Control 3 (1996), although we do apparently learn that the Precursors genetically modified themselves so they would have the intelligence of cows, thus protecting themselves from a race that periodically harvests the energies of sentient races. I think the creators missed an opportunity by not making the Precursors actual cows. There could have been a Gary Larson tie-in and everything.

           The creepy cover to the game’s sequel.

          The direction of Star Control 3 reveals some of the background drama between developer Toys for Bob (authors Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford) and publisher Accolade. According to Reiche and Ford, Accolade gave the developer such a limited budget that they had to essentially work for free for half a year to create a quality game. Accolade would not increase the budget for the sequel, so the original creators refused to develop it, and the job went to Legend Entertainment instead.

In 2002, authors Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford made the source code available for free, and some fans used it to create The Ur-Quan Masters for Windows, with multiple releases starting in 2005. It has since been ported to multiple additional platforms. The effort also led to the creation of the Ultronomicon, a Star Control II wiki.

The Star Control trademark passed to Infogrames when it purchased Accolade in 1999; Infogrames soon rebranded itself as Atari. When Atari filed for bankruptcy in 2013, its assets were sold. Stardock Corporation managed to acquire the Star Control license and produce Star Control: Origins (2018). Set 26 years before the original Star Control, the game would seem to retcon when Earth first encountered alien life. During development, Stardock claimed to be in contact with Reiche and Ford, and were developing the game along their vision, although they couldn’t technically participate because of their Activation contract. If this relationship was ever friendly and cooperative, it soon became otherwise when Reiche and Ford announced they would be creating Star Control: Ghosts of the Precursors and Stardock started selling the first three Star Control games on Steam. Both parties counter-sued each other for copyright and intellectual property violations, and Steam removed the Star Control titles (including Origins, at least temporarily) after receiving DCMA takedown notices from Reiche and Ford. As far as I can tell, the litigation is still ongoing.

            Combat in Origins has improved graphics but seems to adhere to original principles.

        Toys for Bob still lives as a subsidiary of Activision, and Reiche and Ford still continue to direct the development of its games. I don’t think we’ll see them again, however, as none of their titles are RPGs. (For more on Reiche and Ford, see Jimmy Maher’s excellent coverage of Star Control II from this past December. My favorite part is when Reiche gets fired from TSR for questioning the purchase of a Porsche as an executive’s company car.)

I am often dismissive of calls for remakes, usually considering them to be the products of dull, dilettante gamers who can’t handle any graphics more than 5 years old. But I would like to see, if not a remake, a modern game that has the basic approach of Star Control II (and, for that matter, Starflight)–perhaps even one that realizes it better by offering truly alternate plot paths. We have plenty of games (although, in my opinion, not enough) that allow us to explore open worlds; have any so far allowed us to explore an open universe? Perhaps that’s what we’ll get from Bethesda’s forthcoming Starfield.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/star-control-ii-summary-and-rating/