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jonnolovesfob · 2 years

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I posted 385 times in 2022

128 posts created (33%)

257 posts reblogged (67%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@songbirds-sweet

@gunthersgf

@what-is-lettuce

@fancycolours

@memories

I tagged 382 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#mick’s bs - 186 posts

#mick answers - 73 posts

#jonno’s bs - 53 posts

#fancycolours - 29 posts

#mick does tag games - 22 posts

#mick spreads positivity - 15 posts

#fall out boy - 14 posts

#mick’s music ask - 13 posts

#mick and mars’ bs - 13 posts

#mick’s pop punk bs - 13 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#my friend made me a wallpaper of yungblud and palaye royale that’s also a live wallpaper for my birthday + to tie me over until the yb show

My Top Posts in 2022:

🏳️‍⚧️ happy trans day of visibility everyone :)

i’m not out to the world around me, but i’m out to those i trust and love. i’ve come to terms with myself and i just want to say that i am happy about who i am.

dear trans people, non binary people, gender diverse people and everyone in between,

it’s okay to not love yourself and your body right away. it takes time for you to love and accept yourself. self acceptance is long, long journey and i promise you will reach it. self love and acceptance can be taught, but it will take awhile to learn. you will learn it.

i see all of you, all of you diverse genders and trans people and i just want you guys to know you’re loved and accepted and seen. you’re amazing and i love you, keep going :)

with love, mick

10 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

vic fuentes 🤝 kellin quinn

using the YEAH! guttural as a fill in any song

11 notes - Posted April 25, 2022

new tag game!! reblog with the song currently stuck in your head!! mine is

i shall tag @sixer-mayhem @damage-incorp0rated @torchythompson @larsaholic @songbirds-sweet @nikkisqueenofsleaze @fancycolours @katiegameplays @vashappeningkevin @hungercityhellhound @americanrocknroll @outtathecarlonghair @princeofpittsburgh @blinkinglightz @thed1vinezero @transmascaxl & @cyanide-sinner

+open tag if anyone not tagged wants to participate!!

11 notes - Posted April 3, 2022

voldemort // better

- with confidence

29 notes - Posted June 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

music ask game but it came straight out of my caffeinated brain on a wednesday morning

there’s just one rule : send some into me before you reblog!!

1. what is your favorite song. right now. tell me.

2. what is your favorite album. tell me rn.

3. who is your favorite artist or band? if you’re like me, just give your top 3 or 5.

4. what band started it all for you?

5. shuffle your playlist!!! what’s the first song that plays?

6. what bands/artists do you want to see in concert?

7. what bands/artists have you seen in concert?

8. tell me about your favorite band. go on infodump for me.

9. what’s an album that JUST came out and it’s been on repeat for like 6 days +?

10. what’s a song that literally just came out and you’ve had it on repeat forever?

11. tell me about your least favorite band or artist. go on scream about why you hate them.

12. what is one song that has irreparably damaged your social skills?

13. what is one album that has irreparably damaged your social skills?

14. what is one artist that has irreparably damaged your social skills?

15. what is one band/artist you listen to and everybody knows you listen to them but no one would expect them to have THAT genre?

16. what is one band/artist you listen to that everyone knows you for?

17. what song in your playlist sounds like this 💖❤️🥰🤩💘💕 but the lyrics are 🖤🩸⛓💣🗡🪨

18. what song in your playlist sounds like this 🖤🩸⛓💣🗡🪨 but the lyrics are 💖❤️🥰🤩💘💕

19. what is your favorite album art from one of your favorite artists?

20. SHOW ME A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS. RIGHT NOW. I NEED TO SEE THEM.

21. what’s the weirdest song title you can think of right now.

22. i just saw the prettiest motorcycle on the way to school tell me one song you’d blast on a motorcycle while driving one

23. what’s a song that makes you feel like a hot badass?

24. what’s a song you cry to?

25. show me your favorite playlist!!!!! what are some songs on it?????

26. show me two songs with the same title!!! same genre?? different genre??

See the full post

782 notes - Posted May 11, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #jonno’s bs #wow ok #Spotify

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wheresjonno · 9 months

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#dracula daily

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victorsandvanquishers · 9 months

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Tear Me to Pieces, Skin to Bone

Fandom: DC Comics

Ships: Jon Kent/Jay Nakamura, past Jon Kent/Imra Ardeen

Ratings: T+

Warnings: Past Child Abuse, Angst, Body Horror, Romance

Story Synopsis: Jon reminisces on past loves and new ones, and how over the course of time his lovers have taken to his network of scars, both inside and out. [Canon compliant up to the end of SOKE, Warworld & Steelworks; disregards AOS:JK, written for 2023 Jon Kent Week, Day 3 - Scars and Marks]

~~~

Wanted to make sure at least one of the week's fics was dedicated entirely to Jon's love life LMAO. Hate when they forget my boy's got game. Who else can boast they scored both an alien girlfriend and pinkette boyfriend in the same lifetime? Only Jonno.

Don't forget to leave a review! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

@jonkentweek

#jon kent #jay nakamura #jonjay #jayjon #jonkentweek #avafanfics

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magicalgirllove92 · 1 year

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The show called LA Brea. The synopsis was an sinkhole that swallow up Los Angeles sending strangers including an mother and son back in to prehistoric times. Left alone is an very scared teenage daughter who lost her leg due to scary accident is disabled with mechanical leg is in dire need of an assistance by her father who suffered from psychic hallucinations due to drinking and an troubled past who is unlikely to solve a mystery with his best friend. Unfortunately, after the family is reunited, the narcissistic wife Eve Harris played by FX's critical acclaimed hit neo-western action drama Justified actress Natalie Zea is sleeping with her former husband Gavin played by BBC's Merlin 2008 actor Eoin Mackin's best friend the evilish betrayer Captain Levi Delgado played by The Princess and the Barrio Boy actor Nicholas Gonzalez. Still unfortunately, the group includes 3 kids played by TikToker Jack Martin, disabled model Zyra Gorecki and young actress Veronica St. Clair who has an career downgraded era from Golden Globe-winning miniseries Unbelievable to terrible Jurassic Park saga ripoff struggles to go back to their own time because of arguing like immature teenagers, being slaves by The Others ripoff, Exiles led by the late Jason Momora wannabe Tamaart, getting run-in with disastrous situations including poorly rendered CGI prehistoric animals and dinosaurs and mysterious evil woman and James Harris played by Australia's longest running soap Neighbours actor Jonno Roberts' personal minion named Kiera played by the actual good actress Simone McAcully. In the worst twist during season 2, the sinkhole that sending The Harris Family, Levi, Riley, her dad Dr. Sam Medez played by Selena and Bad Boys 2 actor Jon Seda and their friends to prehistoric times were responsibled by the evil group The Lazarus Project from 2076 who are working to find the way to deal with their time period's depleted resources as well as how to master the de-extinction. The Lazarus Project is headed by James and Kiera with the assistance by Tamaart and "the liar" Aaron. Unfortunately, the ratings of season 1 was the best, even the best written comedies Abbott Elementary and Ghosts USA is getting clobbered by Twilight Saga and Riverdale meets Jurassic Park movies soap opera by the season's end. However, during last year's Halloween week, 2nd season of La Brea was brutally beaten by an much better written teen drama All American from The CW and The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXXIII with 2 hit segments the Death Note anime parody Death Tome and WestWorld parody SimpsonsWorld with Jon Roberts as Linda Belcher from Bob's Burgers makes a cameo towards the end of the segment and the episode. This could send LA Brea fans to panic while its haters is satisfied, not even the show is safe from YouTube podcast video and the entertaintment reviews for "problematic, Jurassic Park and Days in Our Lives ripoff, an actual toxic "woke", sending a wrong messages to teenagers and sending Latino people and people dealing with anxiety issues into stereotypes." Thankfully, the show was delayed until next year, fell victim to current WGA writer's strike despite they're still filming "the final season" in Australia. If the the final season comes within the first weeks of January, don't watch or watch in case of curiosity or cringe. This is why NBC's infamously Jurassic World/Lost Mashup ripoff telenovela LA Brea is an very bad show. Next time, I'm tackle the hunks of Jurassic Park movies and it's called Jurassic Heartthrobs.

#labrea #nbc #infamous #jurassic world #jurassic park #countdown to month of Jurassic Park 30th anniversary

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alexsfictionaddiction · 1 year

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Review: The Detention Detectives by Lis Jardine

Middle-grade mystery is one of those niche genres that people rarely talk about but that really deserves more love than it gets. I’m not sure how many people would relate if I said that ‘children solving crimes’ is a definite buzz phrase for me and I will always devour books that feature child sleuths.

Jonno has only been at Hanbridge High for a couple of weeks when he and his classmate Daniel find their PE teacher dead in a cupboard. It looks like murder but who could have done it? Jonno and Daniel weren’t really friends before but together with wannabe reporter Lydia, they both have an invested interest in solving this case.

Lydia is that annoying, nerdy girl who always happens to show up at the most inopportune times. I think we all either were her or knew her, during our own high school years. I would have liked to see more of her because she made me smile every time she appeared with her notebook. While her investigative skills were utilised, I’m not sure she really got her moment to shine. Fingers crossed that this will be a series and she’ll get her chance!

Tyler Jenkins is the school bully but he has a stammer. I thought this was really interesting because for once, a middle-grade novel depicted a school villain as someone with instantly obvious vulnerability. Tyler isn’t a main feature of the book, so his stammer isn’t really explored but it suggested that he wasn’t the over-confident, fearless bully that lots of children’s books present them as.

Daniel’s mum has chronic fatigue syndrome and while I can’t comment on whether it was an accurate description of the condition, I enjoyed that it was included. This is part of the reason for Daniel wanting to solve the case, so it definitely served a purpose to the story. I would have liked to hear more about the illness from Daniel’s mum herself but perhaps that will be explored in later books.

The Detention Detectives was a great, page-turning mystery and I was hooked throughout. I was introduced to some really lovely characters and the ending suggested that there is more to revisit in this case with a future of crime-solving for our three young detectives. I’m excited to see where it goes!

#the detention detectives #lis jardine #middle-grade #mystery #book review #review #books #bookworm

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funkydoommachine · 7 years

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Sonic Forces Review: Stop Comparing it to Mania

So I recently played Sonic Forces on the PS4, and while I did enjoy it, there were some things about it I have to address, as well as some other things around it.

Spoilers contained, so press on if you either finished the story or don’t care about spoilers.

STORY

Alright, so the basic plot is this; Eggman is so fed up with Sonic beating him that he ‘gets serious’ and unleashed a brand new weapon on the world. Sonic is called to action during an attack and this new weapon, named Infinite, goes Brock Lesnar on Sonic and beats him. We’re next told (through text) that Eggman had easily taken over the world with Sonic out of the way, and for the past six months an underground resistance has formed to try and take the world back. So Sonic (who is actually alive, gasp), the Avatar (I’ll get into this later), and Classic Sonic (for whatever reason he’s here too) have to work together to defeat Eggman and bring the world back to peace.

The plot isn’t really groundbreaking, but this is Sonic the Hedgehog, I’m not expecting George RR Martin levels of writing. The plot is simple enough, the dialogue is nice and cheesy (and lacking in any PS2-era Shadow the Hedgehog angst). It’s a dumb little ride and I enjoyed it, even if it was a little short and I would have liked to see more cutscenes instead of text windows.

CHARACTERS

If you ask me, the characters are at their best written and performed in Forces. The voices match the characters perfectly (Vector is up for debate) and their lines are delightfully corny. Eggman has gone back to his roots of ‘legitimate threat who is quite menacing with only a little humour’ instead of the complete joke he’s been presented as for the last few games before. Sonic still has his 90s cool kid wit, and to be honest I’m fine with it. It’s how I know Sonic, and I’d rather have this instead of some bland edgelord. And speaking of bland edgelords, even Shadow is better performed this time, with Kirk Thornton giving him much more emotion and even a few sassy lines here and there in his DLC.

The game’s main villain is Infinite, a jackal who was head of a mercenary squad before turning full on edgelord with (surprisingly cool) virtual reality powers provided by the Phantom Ruby. He’s edgy to the point of parody, and you can tell that’s what the team was going for when creating him, and you can’t help but enjoy the copious amounts of teenage angst that ooze out of him like he was sweating a Simple Plan album.

But the star of the show, and the main selling point of the game, is the Avatar. Your OC. The newest member of the resistance. The Avatar only speaks in vocal grunts, but is actually a very important part of the plot, and the holds the key to defeating Infinite in the form of a Phantom Ruby shard which messes up his powers. I’ll get more into the OC below.

Some levels, when you beat them, will occasionally have an SOS signal coming from them. These are extra missions that require you to either take control of another player’s Avatar or to rescue a fellow resistance member. These aren’t mandatory of course, only for a bit of extra challenge and experience. Bonus levels also pop up depending on how well you do, and you can also beat them for extra accessories. Neato.

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay is the standard fair it’s been for the past few instalments, with a lot of Boost2Win, but it’s not nearly as bad as it used to be. Modern Sonic’s levels are quite varied, with different paths depending on how skilled and eagle-eyed you are. Boosting (which is provided by Wisps and defeating enemies in Forces) is a double-edged sword, where you’re penalised for using it in the wrong areas and not paying attention. You can tell when you’re allowed to boost since Wisp pods will be provided, but even then it’s still a blast to just rush through and plow down enemies like toilet roll.

As I mentioned earlier, Classic Sonic is back. I have no idea why they brought him back, but here he is. And to be honest, it’s as shoehorned as it sounds. The gameplay for Classic is pretty janky, with floaty jumps making some parts of platforming difficult to navigate. The speed boost doesn’t last nearly as long from what I’ve noticed, the drowning countdown has shortened to the point where an asthmatic could hold their breath longer than him, and to be honest he slows down from high speed very quickly. I mean I guess he still has the Mania jump dash (oh yeah, forgot to mention this Classic Sonic is the Sonic from Mania, because for some reason they had to tie the two games together).

After beating the first level, you have the opportunity of creating your own character, choosing between a dog, wolf, rabbit, bird, cat, bear, or hedgehog (guess which one is popular amongst kids and memers), with each species actually having its own unique perk, such as birds having a double jump and wolves able to attract nearby rings like a Sonic 3 thunder shield. As you beat levels you collect more clothing and accessories for your donut steel, and achieving S-ranks and completing side missions nets you even more stuff. There’s even an experience system for each species, which gets you even more accessories. The OC controls quite well, with responsive controls and opting for a grappling hook attack instead of a homing attack, and the lack of a jump attack is replaced by Wispons; weaponized Wisps that you can swap out on the fly before each level. There’s a wide variety of Wispons, including Burst that fires a flamethrower attack and allows a frequent jump when powered up, and a lightning one that uses an electric whip attack and lets you use the ring dash. Completing side quests unlocks Wispons with side-effects, including a shield and starting with rings. Changing Wispons is required for different paths and collectables. In some levels, Sonic and the Avatar will team up and you can control between the two simultaneously, combining their powers to create Captain Planet get through different challenges. Some parts include a Double Boost section, which after a quick button mash, lets you plow through enemies while cheesy butt rock cheers you on.

MUSIC

One thing many can agree on is that the only consistently good part about Sonic games is the soundtrack, and Forces is no exception. The theme song, Fist Bump, is a delightfully upbeat and corny butt rock tune that you can’t help but smile when you listen to. Especially if you’re a Hoobastank fan. Infinite’s theme song (named, well, Infinite), performed by Dangerkids, is Ow the Edge in all the best ways. The nu-metal inspired track includes lyrics talking about how cool and awesome Infinite is, and it’s so hilariously catchy that you’ll likely fall in love with it unironically.

Modern Sonic’s music ranges from techno and dubstep-inspired beats to full-on punk rock chords that many fans know the 3D games for. Tempo and tone change depending on which part of the stage you’re on, which I love.

Classic Sonic, which once again goes for a chiptune-feel, is also enjoyable... for the most part. Green Hill’s bleeping goes so high at some points that it’s almost uncomfortable to listen to, but the tunes are all catchy and memorable.

The Avatar’s music, my personal favourite, opts for more techno and D&B inspired tracks, which include lyrics that reflect your poor Coldsteel’s thoughts while rushing through that particular stage. I love these ones, they’re a welcome change and it’s not all the time you get lyrics during an action stage, making me remember the good times of City Escape.

PROS AND CONS

I know I’ve mostly been singing this game’s praises so far, but of course it definitely has its flaws. But the game does try to make up for them.

The story, and the levels, feel far too short compared to previous titles. There are thirty stages, not including bonus levels, and a lot of them feel like they were beaten in a flash. When you know what you’re doing, you can beat most of them in circa 2 minutes each. Granted, the levels were designed by newcomers to the format, and for their (I assume) first go, they did quite well. Plenty of branching paths and secrets to look for, and the secret/bonus levels provide plenty of challenge.

The Avatar creation leaves a bit to be desired, being unable to combine some accessories or change the colour of others, opting for just having a different set colour for the same thing. But again, this is the first time we’ve had this on an official Sonic game, and for the first try, I’m satisfied. Adding side-effects for species and Wispons provides plenty of replay value to make up for the short story.

The villains of the game are made up of Eggman, Infinite, Chaos from Adventure, Zavok from Lost World, Metal Sonic and Shadow. The last four are actually virtual reality projections created by Infinite’s powers, which I thought was a nice twist in the story instead of just having them brainwashed or whatever, but my gripe is you don’t get to fight Chaos or Shadow. It’s a shame, considering how fun they were to fight in previous titles, but the bosses we do have provide fun challenge. The final boss (Eggman in a giant robot, because thank god Eggman is actually the last boss again instead of Infinite hijacking the finale as all-powerful allies of Eggers tend to do) is a three-stage fight compiled of tactics mirroring previous bosses. Though I see this as the previous bosses warming you up for the finale, and the final boss did provide plenty of challenge. And in good Sonic fashion, you’re rewarded for using your abilities carefully and in the right moments in the form of doing more damage and a faster completion time.

FINAL WORD

As short as the main story was, Sonic Forces provides plenty of replay value in the form of extra challenges and character types that challenge you to find all the collectables and get all the S-ranks, which you are rewarded for with more things to bling out your Sonichu with. I still haven’t completely beaten it yet, despite having beaten the story in a few hours. Plus the DLC will be free, and for a AAA title, its RRP is pretty reasonable. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of the 3D stuff.

Now if we could stop comparing this game to a 2D platformer starring the same character but plays and looks completely differently and was made by a completely different team, that would be lovely.

People aren’t comparing Mario Odyssey to Super Mario Maker, so stop doing it here please.

FINAL SCORE

7 Chili Dogs out of 10

#sonic forces #sonic mania #sonic forces review #jonno reviews

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taromilkmagic · 5 years

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Notes: Cursed Child NY 27 November 2019

My first time watching CC was in Melbourne during previews, and I had an amazing time. A few months later I absorbed myself in the cc fandom here and on twitter and I became more and more obsessed with the incredible casts and crew that are a part of this amazing production all over the world. So yesterday, I finally treated myself to a second viewing of HPCC, but this time with NY Cast 2. I was taking frantic notes in between parts because I wanted to unpack and reflect over it, but when I first saw the play I wasn’t as absorbed into the fandom, so there may be things that are obvious that I’m finding new. Anyway if you’re interested in reading my thoughts on this cast/performance and how I found it different to Melbourne I’ve dumped a rant below...

Part One

Act 1

Nick Albus looking at his family and smiling, so excitedly, when they are about to enter platform 9 3/4, is everything I need in my life. But it really is heartbreaking to watching Albus’s progression from excited and hopeful to isolated and resentful.

Everyone in the background at the station is captivated by Matt Ron’s trick. This time around, I noticed that they are all incredibly grossed out when Ron plucks Lily’s ‘nose’ from his behind (accompanied by a loud fart noise), simultaneously leaning away from the Potters and Granger-Weasleys. It’s these little extra details that really lift the comedy in the show for me.

Bubba Scorpius is anxious and tense, but in a quiet/soft way. While I remember Will having very frantic nervous energy, Bubba is much more reserved and closed in on himself—both emotionally, but also physically. He is permanently hunched over and withdrawn, and his movements are smaller—not as wild— and stiffer than Will McKenna’s (James Snyder does a good approximation of this in the Polyjuice scene). When Scorpius is being sorted, he clenches and unclenches his hands. Then, when the sorting hat declares SLYTHERIN! he slowly closes his eyes. Rather than going ‘oh, as expected!’ like Will does with his head tilt and eye-roll, Bubba Scorp seems a combination of relieved and resigned.

As a sidenote, Bubba was staring emptily in my direction at the start of third year while taking to Albus. So I was a crying mess, but I also felt extremely uncomfortable because it felt like he was looking directly at me with his sad eyes 😂

Something that struck me about Nadia’s and Jenny’s Rose and Hermione: the similarities in how they carry themselves and the way they speak. They both radiate fast-paced Type A energy and you can tell that Rose is every bit like Hermione by her brisk mannerisms and alert eyes.

Jenny’s Hermione has a mischievous streak that isn’t as obvious in Paula’s drier, authoritative Hermione (disclaimer: I love them both). In Harry’s office, the toffee line is sung in an enticing tone. Tof-fee? Translation: Are you sure you don’t want one? Apparently, Jenny was quieter than usual during this performance, but I have to say that I didn’t notice this at all. As my first introduction to her Hermione she was both vibrant and funny.

Nick Albus and Bubba Scorp are much more tactile than Will and Sean (at least compared to when I saw the Melbourne cast in previews). Some moments that stood out — Nick touches Bubba’s shoulders and back a LOT, including on the train at the start of their third year, and then at the start of fourth year when he escapes Rose’s efforts to (re) befriend him and plunges into Scorpius’ train compartment.

Another instance of cute Bubba-Nick Scorbusness in the visit to St Oswald’s. Scorpius stands directly behind Albus, turned toward the audience and away from Amos, for most of the conversation. He flinches away several times when Amos is talking, essentially sheltering behind Albus. Have I talked enough about how Bubba’s Scorpius really is adorably awkward? When Albus earnestly assures Amos that they know about the danger they’re about to embark on, Scorpius leans in to Albus and says “Do weee?” Albus turns around, and Scorpius immediately spins around and peers at the wall details—he even squeaks Oh LoOk!! (*in small twitter font). Overall, Bubba Scorp feels vulnerable—more vulnerable than Will!Scorp, who is a bit of a drama queen at times—and must be protected at all costs.

Right before drinking his Polyjuice, Bubba did his trademark forehead shzzzzap, and it was art.

Act 2

When Albus and Scorpius decide that Delphi should not travel back to the first task with them, and Delphi is storming off after kissing Albus, Sara and Bubba do that thing where they both almost run into each other and block each other, then feint/dodge in the same direction as each other twice. Bubba Scorp says “OHkay!” in an exasperated voice before going around her. It was an incredibly awkward and funny moment and you could feel the tension between Scorpius and Delphi.

The Edge of the Forest scene was beautiful, as always. I didn’t notice this but at stage-door Nick told me that he stuttered and struggled to say “Look-L-look its-look it’s Hogwarts.” And then he said that Bubba was side-eyeing him like >_> the whole time. Bubba definitely seems like the sort of person who would passive-aggressively judge you at your worst moments, but I love him anyway.

Interestingly, the lighting is different here compared to the Melbourne production. The theatre is lit up with soft golden lights which make it sort of look like golden hour, casting everything in a comforting glow. In the Princess theatre, they go for a more literal Hogwarts-through-the-trees, with gorgeous dappled shadows on vibrant blue and orange stained glass windows. Both of these work wonderfully.

In Dragons, James Romney’s Slytherin student being in the wrong House section and having to squish through everyone was very funny. Kevin Reyes as [Craig Bowker Sr?] was doing something funny in the crowd during the first task as well but I can’t remember it for the life of me sadly. But it made me realise how amazing and constantly on point every single member of the cast is, even when the spotlight isn’t on them. Sitting in row D was a massive change from being in the balcony in Melbourne, and it made me realise and appreciate the actors who are carrying out their own stories in the background.

Nick’s Albus looks both a little put out and surprised when Hogwarts’ audience has a mixed response to Harry in the first task.

Interestingly, James Brown III’s Bane is more human than horse here than Melbourne Bane (MelBane?), who would neigh and snort every few sentences. The only horse noise he makes is a loud snort as he backed away into the shadows.

Albus was having nightmares in the hospital wing during Harry’s conversation with Dumbledore. Several times, he mumbles “Dad?” in his sleep as he tosses and turns. It’s actually kind of heartbreaking.

James Synder and Nick Podany both pretend to eat the chocolate. The chocolate itself is fake and a Lie. I just thought everyone should know that.

There is a noticeable difference between Paula’s Hermione and Jenny’s Hermione in the first AU, particularly the DADA classroom. Jenny is much more aggressive and explosive, getting in Ravenclaw girl’s face with a loud nOOO??!!? Her soft, dangerously cold voice was terrifying and a different take to Paula’s terse, irritated, authoritative tone. This AU Hermione seems angry and vindictive, rather than just disillusioned and bitter. In Melbourne, Paula presented her AU Hermione as a possible version of the same person—someone who could grow more and more unhappy with the world over the years. Jenny’s AU Hermione was different; her energy simply felt so wrong and at odds with her usual character, and I think this performance emphasised how unnatural and completely off the new timeline itself is. It definitely made me empathise with how shocked and bewildered Albus would have been, and it reminded me of my experience reading the script for the first time as it gradually dawned on me how messed up the timeline had actually become.

Staircase Ballet in New York made me just as emotional as it did in Melbourne. I don’t think that scene will ever get old for me. Bubba did some incredible face-acting that I was glad to be able to see from my seat. His Scorpius really looks completely broken and despondent as he stares downwards and then, later, at Albus.

Sara’s Delphi is soft (wait what?? I know...) when she speaks to Scorpius about him and Albus. Madeleine Jones had more of a “silly billy, of course you should just talk to him, he’s your best friend!!” big sister vibe when I saw her in Melbourne—gentle, but talking down a little bit (still in a friendly way). This Delphi is much softer, which only makes the reveal more shocking and upsetting when she later reveals her real motives.

Bubba Scorp blowing Polly Chapman a kiss twice in a row to distract her from Delphi under his cloak was so LOUD and breathy and cringe that I may have died from second-hand embarrassment.

The library confrontation! Incredible! @lumoshyperion observed something about Melbourne’s Louis!Scorp in her (incredibly detailed and poetic) review/recap, where he falters and holds himself back at the end of each sentence or phrase during the library confrontation. This was definitely true of Bubba as well! He would sort of trail off and fade away as he spoke, rather than crescendoing continuously to a shout.

When McGonagall came into the library and the two boys were hiding, Nick SKIDDED across the stage and FELL flat on his face, knocking a chair over. It looked really painful and I was like 😶. I asked him about this at SD after, and he said he was okay but that he and Bubba immediately started laughing while they were hiding under the invisibility cloak. After McGonagall left, Bubba casually put the chair back up right before he sat down.

The two boys were both vigorously wiping their eyes during the library confrontation. When Nick hugged Bubba, Bubba made a 😬 and stuck his arms out straight.

When Draco said “The girls’ bathroom on the third floo...ooorwhat on earth would they be doing there.......”, it was so ridiculously deadpan and disappointed and exasperated all at once. I haven’t written many notes on him but Jonno truly is an amazing Draco.

Being from a close seat this time, I was able to see the second task. It definitely didn’t look like a projection this time and that made it feel much more dynamic and engaging.

Bubba Scorp gets immediately self-conscious after the “Consider me engorg-impressed” joke and steps quickly back from Albus and the sink (where he was casually leaning), wrapping his robes around him tightly.

Lauren Myrtle was hilarious as I assume is usual. Lauren’s Myrtle did that thing where she poked at Harry with her foot with every word she said. He flinched back every time, it was hilarious. Diane did a full flinch and staggered back four feet from Myrtle’s hISSSS.

Lauren looked upside down—DIRECTLY at Albus—when she said the “....and BOYS” line, and Albus immediately started fidgeting with his hair, with his hands behind his head. HE KNOWS THAT SHE KNOWS. In general, Lauren’s Myrtle was just as hilarious as Gillian, although a lot growlier. There was, as there was in Melbourne, a large round of applause as the second task began, presumably for Myrtle!

I realise I have zero notes about any of the 'adult’ characters but they are just all-around excellence anyway so there’s not that much to say. Matt Mueller is a fantastic Ron, but very different to Gyton. He’s just as cheesy and cheerful, but not as jolly and laidback (if that makes sense...it’s a little hard to describe). Diane Davis as Ginny is Soft™, and very clearly understanding and caring. It’s easy to see that Harry depends on her as a source of advice, wisdom and emotional support. She generally doesn’t “roar” like Lucy Goleby’s Ginny does, so when she shouts it tends to come out in one angry punch—i.e. “My son is missing!” “SO is MINE!” (as opposed to SO!!! IS!!! MINE!!!!). As for James Snyder’s Harry, his anger and frustration in the alternate timeline is scarily believable, and it’s upsetting to see how it affects Albus and Ginny. It made me think of Angery Harry in Order of the Phoenix (I’m not @ing the people who say Cursed Child Harry is OOC, but...maybe I am). His American accent popped in a few times, but I barely noticed it and he was such an incredible Harry that I did not care in the slightest. The woman next to me was marvelling at how much he resembled Daniel Radcliffe, but to me this wasn’t even a fraction of why he felt like an authentic and well portrayed Harry.

Part Two

I have much less notes for Part 2. Part of this is because I was too much of a weepy mess being swept up by the art of Bubba and Nick’s Scorbus and part of it is because my phone died. I hope you enjoy what I DO have though!

Act 3

After being assigned this investigation, I can report that I am pretty sure I saw Bubba drool (?????) in the Dark AU office scene and I don’t know why or how or what... I didn’t even know this was a thing that happened on the daily but yes, yes it did. If anyone can provide more information on this... And yes, Bubba did look amazing in the Dark AU outfit. Thank you for the warning. I was still unprepared.

Spinella Snape was great! He has the deep voice down, and the dryness was Dry. Something interesting that happened in the Snape classroom scene is after he opens the secret passage in the chalkboard, Snape takes Scorp by the shoulders and gently guides him toward it. It’s a surprisingly protective and ~mentorly~ action and it reminded me a little of Snape getting in front of the Golden Trio in the PoA movie. ~Obviously~, Snape is a terrible person. But I guess he’s also capable of looking out for others! Stephen Spinella did an incredible job at actually endearing his character to me.

Ron fumbling with the wand for ages before pointing it at Scorp in the Dark AU. Unlike Gyton (and the script), Matt didn’t point it at himself this time. But he fumbled with his jacket a ridiculous amount before finding his wand and it got a lot of laughs, including from me!

Bubba was so out of breath after getting out of the pool that he had to take a long pause between the first “Harry!!!!” And “HARRRYYY POTTERRRR!”

Fiona Reid’s Petunia, in the graveyard scene, was visibly emotional. You could hear her voice getting choked up as she thought about Lily. I didn’t pick this up the first time I watched the show, but here I got it and I even teared up a little.

The jump scare GOT ME.

During the Slytherin Dorm scene, Bubba Scorp leaned over the top of Albus’ bed and yelled directly over his face to wake him up. This was both hilarious and adorable. And Malfoy the Unanxious: this whole scene was pure gold. Bubba doing weird hip-swaying dances in the air on tippy toes. Bubba waving his hands in weird and wild gesticulations (a contrast accentuated by how stiff and closed up he was prior to this). Aaah. He must be protected at all costs.

Bubba said the ‘It’s time that time turning became a thing of the past” line very solemnly, and leaning in very close to Albus’s face (!) rather than standing (sitting?) next to him and gesturing proudly, which is what I remember from Melbourne. It’s an interesting take and a more serious one. It’s also more Scorbusy, so I’m not complaining.

When Harry and Ginny and Draco walk in on Ron and Hermione kissing, Diane Ginny said OH! really loudly and, without a pause in her stride, immediately circled around and started to leave 😂

Jonno Draco acted so disgruntled when Specialis Revelio didn’t work. It was hilarious how grumpy he sounded when he said it was worth a try

Sara’s Delphini was much more menacing than I remember from Melbourne. I think what Madeleine did great in Melbourne is make Delphini seem like Ralph Fiennes’s Voldemort — powerful, ambitious, confident, a little bit dramatic. She DECLARED her lines: it was very Shakespearean. Sara was more sneaky and sinister. You get a sense of how she easily tricked Albus and Scorpius. Also, when she was mocking Albus for being naive, she did the little leg-kick dance that she did when she was saying he was becoming quite some wizard. I don’t remember if this is something that always happens with her or with other casts, but this is the first time I was paying close enough attention to notice it and I got CHILLS at the return. Sara’s Delphini is just that sinister and bone-chillingly terrifying.

Act 4

I have a lot of Feelings about Part 4, but not many details, sadly. Mostly because I was too absorbed by the incredible acting by everyone on stage.

James Snyder jumped around a lot when he said “Clever boy left me a message!” and it was such a pure and adorable move compared to his previous Angst that the audience laughed and cheered.

Jonno was wiping his eyes a LOT in the scene in Harry’s office. Several times, as Draco spoke about Astoria and her death, he got so choked up that he had to pause and take a breath before going on. It was a teary scene for all involved and a great testament to Jonno’s acting ability.

Since we’re on Jonno, his delivery of “Look at the thatched roofs.......and......is that a farmer’s market?” SENT ME. He genuinely sounded kind of intrigued, interested and hopeful. I guess Joward Draco isn’t the only one who loves a good farmer’s market.

When Draco and Scorpius hugged in Godric’s Hollow, they hugged for a long time. He held onto Scorpius for a long time after, repeatedly craning his neck to be closer and holding him close as if afraid to let go again. Throughout subsequent scenes, Jonno kept his hand firmly on Bubba’s arm/inner elbow. You can see how shaken Draco was at losing Scorpius, and how fiercely protective he is now that he has his son back.

When Nick hugged Diane from her side, sitting on the bench in St Jerome’s, he knocked her down a little and she said oH! as she lost her balance. It was such a spontaneous moment and showcased the bond between Albus and his mum.

In the second to last scene, and perhaps most importantly in this entire recap...When Nick Albus says: “You better ask Rose if that’s the right thing to do!” (in response to “this new version of us”), Bubba keeps his hands firmly gripped on Nick’s arms, and stares at his face for a full three seconds before going “oh-ahaha...yeah!” and laughing awkwardly. Then, when he goes off and the stairs start spinning to bring Nick into the Nice Day scene, Nick keeps his head facing to the side where Bubba had exited—Albus’ gaze lingering distantly on Scorpius. Not saying Scorbus is canon (I really am), but Bubba Scorp’s last scene presented him as a very believable Confused Bisexual.

Finally: Nick and James rushing into a hug right as the lights went down.

“We almost broke like four times” — Nicholas Podany, 2019, on his scenes with Bubba. We are so blessed to have them.

#ccsquad #harry potter and the cursed child #cursed child #cursedchildnyc #albus potter #scorpius malfoy #scorbus #nick podany #bubba weiler #jonno roberts #draco the penguin #nadia brown #cursed child review #broadway #jenny jules

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nghinaaaf-blog · 4 years

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KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE MOVIE REVIEW

Hi! saya Naura Ghina ingin me-review film kingsman : the secret service

Sinopsis

Sebuah organisasi mata-mata merekrut seorang anak jalanan yang menjanjikan ke dalam program pelatihan agensi, sementara ancaman global muncul dari seorang jenius teknologi.

Tim Produksi

Sutradara : Matthew Vaughn

Produser :

Adam Bohling

David Reid

Matthew Vaughn

Skenario :

Jane Goldman

Matthew Vaughn

Berdasarkan The Secret Service oleh Mark Millar Dave Gibbons

Musik :

Henry Jackman

Matthew Margeson

Sinematografi : George Richmond

Penyunting :

Eddie Hamilton

Jon Harris

Perusahaan produksi :

Marv Films

Cloudy Productions

Shangri-La Entertainment

TSG Entertainment

Distributor : 20th Century Fox

Tanggal rilis :

13 Desember 2014 (Butt-Numb-A-Thon)

29 Januari 2015 (United Kingdom)

13 Februari 2015 (United States,Indonesia)

Durasi : 129 menit

Genre : Action,Adventure,Comedy

Negara :

Britania Raya

Amerika Serikat[2]

Bahasa : Inggris

Anggaran : $81 juta

Pendapatan kotor : $403,8 juta

Pemeran

Taron Egerton as Eggys Unwin

Colin Firth as Harry Hart

Samuel L. Jackson as Valentine

Mark Strong as Merlin

Michael Caine as Arthur

Sophie Cookson as Roxy

Sofia Boutella as Gazelle

Samantha Womack as Michelle Unwin

Geoff Bell as Dean

Edward Holcroft as Charlie

Mark Hamill as Professor Arnold

Jack Davenport as lancelot

Jack Cutmore-Scott as Rufus

Lily Travers as Lady Shopie

Nicholas Agnew as Nathaniel

Rowan Polonski as Piers

Tom Prior as Hugo

Fiona Hampton as Amelia

Bjørn Floberg as Perdana Mentri Skandinavia

Hanna Alström as Putri Tilde

Nicholas Banks as Digby

Jordan Long as Poodle

Theo Barklem-Biggs as Ryan

Tobi Bakare as Jamal

Morgan Watkins as Rotweiller

Paul Kennington as Barman

Velibor Topic as Bog Goon

Alex Nikolov as Eggsy Kecil

Jonno Davies as Lee

Angle & Shot

Zoom in dan zoom out

Tilt up dan Tilt down

Bird Eye View

High Angel

Low Angle

Eye Level

Frog Eye

Walk in

walk away

Door frame shot

Reflection Shot

Fast Road Effect

Arc Shot

Over Shoulder shot

Profil shot

Fore ground

Extreme Close Up

Big Close Up

Close Up

Medium Close Up

Long Shot

Extra Long Shot

Review

Menurut saya film ini banyak pesan sosial yang bisa diambil,selain itu film ini mempunyai alur yang tidak terlalu rumit sehingga mudah dicerna oleh penonton.film ini mempunyai keunikan tersendiri seperti toko jas menjadi sebuah markas,payung menjadi sebuah pistol,dan taxi menjadi mobil pribadi yang didalamya terdapat perlengkapan agen rahasia.set lokasi film ini juga asli toko jas yang menjadi markas kingsman terdapat di London,Inggris.salah satu pesan populer dan favorit dari film ini adalah “Manners Maketh Man”.

Efek Media & Efek Pesan

Efek Media : Video,Audio

Efek Pesan : Afektif,karena merasakan emosi ketika melihat sang musuh merasa dirinya paling benar dan merasa sedih ketika melihat Eggys di remehkan dan dibuly oleh teman satu timnya dan anak buah ayah tirinya.

Sumber

https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsman:_The_Secret_Service, https://www.tribunnewswiki.com/2019/08/13/kingsman-the-secret-service-2015, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2802144/plotsummary

*salah satu pesan yang ada di film ini yang relate sama keadaan sekarang (2020) yaitu percakapan oleh Valentine kepada Arthur “ketika kamu kena virus,kamu kena demam.Naiknya suhu tubuh adalah cara tubuh untuk membunuh virus.planet bumi bekerja dengan cara yang sama.pemanasan global adalah demam dan manusia adalah virusnya.kita membuat planet ini sakit,pengurangan populasi adalah satu-satunya harapan.jika kita tidak mengurangi populasi kita sendiri,hanya ada dua kemungkinan yang akan terjadi.bumi membunuh virus (manusia),atau virus (manusia) membunuh bumi”

(Naura Ghina F, X BRC 6) Thank You!!!

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jonathanottofanpage · 5 years

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Check reviews for Jonathan Otto and his work at several websites including: http://www.jonathanotto.tv/ ; https://thesacredplant.com/interviews/jonno/ & https://biblehealthsecrets.com/.

#JonathanOttoReviews #JonathanOtto

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bdstatenews · 3 years

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626 children raped, 60% increase in child marriage in 2020: MJF

Despite the closure of educational institutions and the absence of public gatherings during the pandemic, 626 children were reportedly raped between January and December 2020, revealed Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) at an online press conference this morning. The number of child marriages also increased by some 60 percent during this period, it said. During the period under review, 145 children…

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cinema-tv-etc · 4 years

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Hunters (TV Series) (2020)

Synopsis / Plot A diverse band of Nazi hunters living in 1977 New York City discover hundreds of high-ranking Nazi officials are conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the U.S. The eclectic team will set out on a bloody quest to bring them to justice.

Cast Al Pacino, Logan Lerman, Saul Rubinek, Carol Kane, Lena Olin, James Legros, Dylan Baker, Raphael Sbarge, Josh Mostel, Victor Slezak, John Noble, Christian Oliver, Izabella Miko, Jeannie Berlin, Josh Radnor, Lou Martini Jr., Tiffany Boone, Caleb Emery, Kate Mulvany, Sam Daly, Brian Donahue, Kathryn Kates, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Jerrika Hinton, Robbie DeRaffele, Gibson Frasier, Ben Livingston, Michael Iacono, Justin Clarke, Ben Cole, Gyula Mesterházy, Henry Hunter Hall, Miles G. Jackson, Timothy Patrick Klein, Max MacKenzie, Musto Pelinkovicci, Kristoffe Brodeur, Ed Moran, Greg Austin, Jonno Davies, Joshua Satine, Lauren Yaffe, Marc Schöttner, Ryan Welsh, Anastasia Barzee, John Cashin, John Combs, Krista Donargo, Frank Fernandez, Robert John Gallagher, Tricia Paoluccio, Mark Rowe, Johnny Solo, Yury Tsykun

Critics' reviews

"After seeing five episodes, I'm still struggling to decide if the show is quality TV, and if I like it or not. What I'm sure of is that I find it fascinating and while I may not necessary want to recommend it, I want to talk to people about it" Daniel Fienberg: The Hollywood Reporter

"It’s an effective, fictionalized premise, but one that’s also dependent on the viewer being able to enjoy a particularly harsh blend of fact and fiction"Ben Travers: IndieWire

"The series has a lush and vibrant production design, an overwhelmingly array of stylistic touches, rich and vibrant writing — and appropriately oversized, comic-book performances from a terrific cast (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"Richard Roeper: Chicago Sun-Times

"Al Pacino is great in an otherwise disappointing series (...) The flaws behind 'Hunters' are too large to overlook, and yet the show is admittedly rewarding" Chris Evangelista: SlashFilm

https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film885451.html

#Amazon Prime #Hunters (TV Series)

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briangroth27 · 7 years

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Kingsman The Golden Circle Review

I finally got to see this two weeks ago and really enjoyed it! I’m glad I caught it in theaters; despite some missed opportunities, it was a good, solid sequel that naturally grew out of the original while telling its own story. I was surprised it was as closely tied to the original as it was and that so many relationships were informed by the first movie. At the same time, it didn’t feel derivative or repetitive. I love the original and while I think it’s better and has more to say, The Golden Circle is definitely worth seeing!

Full Spoilers…

I really enjoyed Eggsy’s (Taron Egerton) evolution. I’m glad that even though he’d become a master Gentleman Spy, they still paid attention to Eggsy’s home life and kept the connections to that side of his character (though not nearly to the extent the first film did). The balance he found between his job as a Kingsman agent and his grounded life with his friends (Tobias Bakare, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Thomas Turgoose, and Calvin Demba) was great, and it was refreshing that Tilde (Hannah Alstrom) seamlessly fit in with them without becoming a caricature of a princess who disapproved of his lower class friends. Though we don’t see him with them very much, I absolutely bought into Eggsy’s circle of friends and was sorry when he lost some of them. They also managed to recapture the class divide even with Eggsy being one of the posh Kingsman agents by playing him against Tilde’s literal royal family, which was a nice payoff of the gentlemanly lessons Harry (Colin Firth) taught him. I’m interested to see how Eggsy continues to navigate the upper class in the proposed third film now that he’s married to a princess and how he handles being a married man and a spy. It was cool that they had Eggsy remain true to Tilde rather than allowing him to become a ladies man who didn’t care about anyone and got a new love interest in each film, subverting that portion of the Gentleman Spy trope. Making him actually worry about what Tilde would think about the seduction portion of his job was a great surprise. I also liked that they wrote against the stereotypes of Eggsy’s lower class lifestyle by not making him an expert on drugs or dosages (despite Harry referencing his use of them before the first film started); that drug users in the film came from all walks of life and professions rather than just being criminals and minorities was another cool bit of subversion. I was taken aback by just how much personal loss Eggsy suffers in this film; Egerton absolutely sold his sorrow over losing so many close connections and the agency that had become such a big part of his identity. Both in terms of the character and Egerton’s performance, it was impressive that even though Eggsy was clearly shattered by the losses he suffered, he didn’t lose his charm or engaging charisma, nor did his quest to stop Poppy (Julianne Moore) become a depressing revenge mission.

I thought Eggsy and Tilde had a well-written and believable romance, for the most part. I was surprised to see her back at all; I’d totally expected Eggsy to follow the Bond tradition of leaving his love interests between movies, so him actually striving to build a life with her was great. One of my few criticisms of the original movie was that Tilde was reduced to a sexual reward for Eggsy saving the world at the end, so giving her a much-expanded role here was awesome. That said, I didn’t quite believe her being OK with Eggsy sleeping with a target as long as they were going to be married. I wish we’d seen the two of them discuss that aspect of spycraft more, because it would have a serious impact on their relationship and the trust between them would have to be immense (particularly as it’s not a mutual arrangement, like on The Americans). Since they brought it up I wish they’d explored it more, but I give the film credit for having Eggsy tell her about it immediately and refuse to go further with Clara (Poppy Delevingne) than he had to (planting the tracker on her was an uncomfortable scene in its own right that I don’t think the film needed). However, I still think we needed more reconciliation between Eggsy and Tilde than what was essentially ��Eggsy saved the world (and her life), so he gets forgiven for everything.” Even if she really was OK with the seduction part of his job because she had the security of their impending marriage (perhaps I simply haven’t seen enough of her character to say whether her choice was in-character or not), I still think that’s a big enough relationship roadblock that it deserved more attention than Tilde responding “what was I, target practice?”, ignoring his phone calls, and getting high. In addition to digging deeper into relationship issues like that, I’d definitely like to see Tilde’s role expand even further in a potential third film. Since she has real power, I’d love to see Tilde’s attempts to save the world in her own way rather than just staying at home, and how her style contrasts with Eggsy’s efforts within the Kingsman organization. That could so easily intertwine with whatever caper Eggsy is on, it’d be foolish not to incorporate her ability to influence the world for good. If they envision this as a trilogy, perhaps Eggsy leaving Kingsman to be head of her personal security as she tries to save the world through political means could be an exit strategy for him.

Before I saw the film, I didn’t think Harry needed to come back and after seeing it, I still kinda don’t. I like Harry a lot and Golden Circle established how much he meant to Eggsy perfectly—he could barely talk about Harry without tearing up—but I’m not sure he brought as much to the film as his return could’ve (or should’ve). I felt like his purpose had been served magnificently in The Secret Service, so I was worried reviving him would be a step backward into safe territory instead of forging ahead. I liked the role reversal of Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong) trying to bring back Harry’s memories, even if I was also wondering if it’d be happier for him to not remember his life and get a second chance to live out his pre-Kingsman dream of becoming a lepidopterist (a fun character aspect). I’m glad they didn’t let Eggsy settle back into his old role as Harry’s mentee, but I also don’t think they did enough with Harry’s head wound-inflicted dementia (even if Firth played what he did get well). They gave Harry a cool, believably high-tech resurrection, but his mental haziness gave them the perfect opportunity to play him as getting too old for the job and they didn’t take it. He came back a little too perfect when it really mattered, so all his craziest actions—even shooting Whiskey (Pablo Pascal) in the head—were the totally correct things to do despite how addled his brain was supposed to be. Instead, they could’ve made Eggsy confront and deal with the idea that his father figure wasn’t the same man he’d remembered (another personal loss for him, even after recovering Harry), forcing Eggsy to be the “mentor” to Harry for one last mission, which would’ve been a stronger arc and a better parallel to growing up (as well as a continuation of their role reversal). They could’ve even wrapped the lepidopterist aspect back in as part of Harry’s retirement, with Eggsy having to let him go once again because he’s unable to continue as an agent. As it is, Harry suffered no real consequences or changes from his near-death experience except his lost eye, some temporary mental fogginess, and the need to regain Eggsy’s trust (which was really Eggsy needing to trust him all over again).

Merlin had a good showing in the field this time out and it was nice to see him and Eggsy on equal footing instead of trainer/trainee (or even boss/agent, like in the climax of the first movie). In behind-the-scenes interviews from the first film, Strong mentioned that he and director Matthew Vaughn took care to craft Merlin as not just a tough drill sergeant, but as someone who truly cared about the recruits. I think that shows here and playing him fully as Eggsy’s equal instead of a judgmental former instructor worked very well. The two of them having a drink (or several) for their fallen comrades was a great moment, as were Eggsy and Merlin’s reactions to the Statesman way of doing things. Merlin’s sendoff was very well done, referencing Eggsy’s father’s (Jonno Davies) death perfectly. I’m glad he also got to take out several of Poppy’s (Julianne Moore) guards in the process instead of just saving Eggsy’s life.

Poppy was a fun villain and I liked her 1950s-styled sensibility a lot! Moore played Poppy with a genial and friendly demeanor that was authentic and unsettling without ever undermining the believability of how deadly she was. It was also cool that Poppy was far more bloodthirsty and self-centered than Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson); most films would probably invert those traits in their male and female villains. Valentine was probably the better-conceived villain, but Poppy’s argument about the unfair drug laws and her desire to have her business acumen acknowledged by ending the US’ War on Drugs gave her a solid drive too. Despite Poppy’s goal of legitimizing her own drug trade, I love that these films give their villains social commentary that—if they weren’t murdering people—might make sense. Poppy’s loyalty-proving cannibalism was too much for me, but I liked the other aspects of her organization, such as the solid gold tattoos and her robot dogs. Her jungle-based lair was a cool, classic Bond villain locale (as was her mountaintop virus cure facility), while her 50s theming gave “Poppy Land” a definite Kingsman twist. I would’ve liked them to do a little more with that theme than just her demeanor and the architecture of her base, though.

My biggest disappointment was the total waste of Roxy (Sophie Cookson). I appreciated her being Eggsy’s best friend and that they continued to avoid the clichéd trap of making her his love interest; it would’ve been simple to use her and Eggsy’s common spy experiences to bond them as lovers who “only understood each other,” creating a love triangle between the two of them and Tilde (even her codename Lancelot implies a love triangle, now that I think about it). While I’m glad there was no animosity or jealousy between Roxy and Tilde—and Roxy coaching Eggsy through his dinner with Tilde’s royal parents was a fun moment—I wish we’d seen more of her and Eggsy’s friendship. I liked her a lot in the first film and was hoping she’d have an expanded role here, so I was very disappointed she died after just two scenes; her death hit me the hardest (though I was most shocked they killed JB!). There was a major missed opportunity to comment on sexism in the spy world (and spy movies) through Roxy, just like the first film spent a lot of time exploring classism. They could’ve had Eggsy championing Lancelot’s equal standing against the American machismo of the Statesmen just like Harry fought for him despite his lower class background. I will give both Kingsman films credit for always treating Roxy as Eggsy’s complete equal (and arguably, superior, given she did shoot her dog in the final test; a willingness to do whatever it takes that was never capitalized or even commented on, beyond being used as a jab to emasculate Eggsy), even if she wasn’t given much to do. Poppy’s love of retro culture—particularly that of the 1950s—could’ve absolutely provided the perfect basis for commentary on sexism too, given the gender expectations of that era in America. Furthermore, Poppy’s desire to have her business skills acknowledged could’ve paralleled Roxy’s desire to be seen as an equal among the Statesmen perfectly, which would’ve recreated the hero/villain parallel from the first film wherein Valentine also wanted to save the world. Aside from Poppy and Tilde, Golden Circle’s female characters in general lacked agency, as they’re killed, used as oblivious trackers and then killed, and stuck behind computer screens due to the whims of men; that seems to be the one area where the Kingsman films follow tropes in the classic Bond films too closely without subverting them. It would’ve been awesome for Roxy to fight Poppy alongside Eggsy, Harry, and Merlin and to go on to rebuild the agency with them; with his lower class origins and her being a woman, it would’ve represented an entirely new and modern iteration of the agency. Perhaps Eggsy can train a female replacement candidate for Roxy in the potential third film, but I wish they’d done more with the character they already had.

Charlie (Edward Holcroft) was a great surprise return from the original film! Surviving Merlin detonating Valentine’s implants due to Eggsy electrocuting him was a twist I never would’ve thought of. It set the stage for his evolution perfectly; I loved his robotic arm! Poppy calling it “ARMageddon” made me laugh (hey, I love a good pun!). Charlie’s personal vendetta against Eggsy and the Kingsman organization was played excellently. If he’d taken over his family’s resources, he could’ve worked as a main villain to reinforce the class struggle theme between him and Eggsy (as well as the fact that he would be going up against his old trainer and the man who killed his parents, Merlin). As it was, his history and connection to the heroes made him a great secondary villain and henchman for Poppy.

The Statesman agents were fine, but I wasn’t enamored with them. Tequila’s (Channing Tatum) demeanor was wildly different from Eggsy and Merlin’s, which made for good conflict between them, but he didn’t get much to do and his character was taken out of action for most of the film. Since he’s joined Kingsman by the end of the film, his recruitment may be setting up a new culture clash between his American style and the British standard, which could be fun. I liked that Whiskey (Pedro Pascal) had an agenda of his own that aligned with Poppy’s plan and the President’s (Bruce Greenwood) goals while also selfishly serving the Statesmen, but I wasn’t invested in him and didn’t feel betrayed when his true motives were revealed. Champagne/Champ (Jeff Bridges) felt like the trustworthy American version of Michael Caine’s Arthur, but they didn’t subvert that to make him stand out. Similarly, Ginger Ale (Halle Berry) was fine as a tech agent whose career was sidetracked by Whiskey, but it didn’t feel like she had much to do. That said, I’m glad she finally got promoted to be an agent in the end and I wouldn’t mind her returning. I think my biggest problem with the Statesman was that they just seemed like the American version of the Kingsman agency and nothing more. While that produced some funny comments like Eggsy’s “skipping rope” line, it felt like the impact of losing the entire Kingsman organization had been lost. If Merlin and Eggsy can relatively easily enlist the help of a nearly identical spy organization right after losing their own, what’s the point of destroying Kingsman? Sending Eggsy, Merlin, Harry, (and if I were writing it, Roxy) off against Poppy on their own without support would’ve increased the stakes dramatically. Perhaps not introducing the Statesmen until the end of the film—only having the surviving Kingsman agents encountering Whiskey as a tertiary antagonist with mysterious backers in the field—would’ve worked better. Or, maybe Eggsy and Co. could’ve been dismissed by the Statesmen, only to have Whiskey go rogue to “help” them. That way, the agents we’re invested in would’ve had to really scramble against the odds to stop Poppy while preserving the means to rebuild their agency through the now-helpful Statesmen at the end.

The President of the United States wanting to let all the drug “addicts” in the nation die while pretending to care was great. That was clever social commentary on the ethics of drug use and how society judges those who use drugs regardless of their reasons for doing so. I don’t think people would stand for the literal cages he put people in—there’s no way someone didn’t sneak a camera past the military helicopters somehow and film the interior of those stadiums—but otherwise I liked how hypocritical he was. Elton John had a highly entertaining extended cameo that I didn’t see coming at all, but fit in perfectly. I also liked the connection to the first movie, wherein Poppy kidnapped him when Valentine was rounding up celebrities, so no one suspected her. I didn’t get a grasp of Michael Gambon’s Arthur from his brief scenes, so I don’t know how he was different from how Caine’s acted; did he also disrespect Eggsy’s background, or was he more enlightened?

The retro spy tone paired with modern sensibilities from the first movie seamlessly fit into this sequel; it felt unmistakably “Kingsman.” I love that the movie never took itself too seriously, like most modern spy films have tended to do (as the first Kingsman pointed out), instead continuing—and even heightening—the already-heightened reality of the series. The use of classic and iconic spy gadgets continued here as well and I absolutely loved the over-the-top technology in the film! Moving into cybernetic limbs and robots felt like a natural evolution from the weaponry in the first film, especially Gazelle’s (Sofia Boutella) prosthetic sword legs. If they make a third film, I’m all for the technology continuing to escalate; these movies fearlessly digging into comic book science fiction is awesome! Aside from some noticeable CGI in the opening car chase (which even then wasn’t too distracting), all the effects were great. Charlie’s retractable robot arm looked totally real, which can’t have been easy or cheap to do. The fights were very well choreographed and varied, and I liked that the redone “Manners Maketh Man” scene echoed the original while highlighting Harry’s impairment. The pop soundtrack was just as fun as in the first film while Henry Jackman & Matthew Margeson’s score again invoked classic Bond films while remaining its own animal. I also loved the ads for the film, which took credit for the solar eclipse and launched a fake, 90s-styled Kingsman board game! What an A+ promotional department!

While The Golden Circle certainly misses opportunities to dig deeper into the themes and characters it introduces, it’s still a fun roller coaster and a solid action film. I definitely think it’s worth seeing and I really hope we get a third Kingsman!

#kingsman #the golden circle

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alexdunkin · 7 years

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Fair Day Blurb: What does Australia Day mean to you? ‘It’s a day when we recognise how lucky we are to be Australian’ – Keith ‘It’s the last public holiday before school returns so it’s perfect timing for one last family trip to the beach shack’ – Helen ‘Double time! Screw patriotism, I’d rather get paid. I’ll save my time off for next week.’ – Mark ‘Bring on the beach, the beer and the babes. Grab the stumps, tie on ya flag and party. This is our day for Aussie pride where we uphold our land and our rights.’ – Jonno Come celebrate Australia Day among locals and visitors at Founders Bay. Immerse yourself in their many and diverse Australia Day customs and beliefs, even as they begin to unravel and residents struggle to hold on to their values, and even their lives. Background: Australia Day in all its aspects comes under fire in the latest novel by Adelaide-based author Alex Dunkin, Fair Day. Set in the fictional seaside holiday town of Founders Bay, Fair Day tackles behaviours and attitudes commonly accepted among white Australians as they go about celebrating Australia Day and what it means to them. “Australia Day as a celebration of national pride has become a contentious issue through discussions of its meaning and changing the date, and so it seemed an ideal backdrop to explore other Australian behaviours and attitudes that perhaps we take for granted,” Dunkin said. “Each year around Australia Day I would watch the commentary and was unsure of what the public holiday actually meant to me. Usually I would go to work and enjoy the extra hourly pay. But I was also interested in what it meant to other people. When it came to writing Fair Day I sought out these different ideas on Australia Day and what it means to be Australian in general. “When I had the opportunity to confront these issues through my research I was excited to challenge my own preconceptions and those I have been exposed to.” Fair Day is the creative artefact component of Dunkin’s recently completed PhD research project that introduces cannibale, a contemporary grotesque Italian genre, to Australian audiences. “Cannibale has existed in Italy for a couple of decades but has so many cultural and language references that translating them is very difficult, bordering on impossible, particularly when it comes to making sure the author’s full intent comes across,” Dunkin said. “There are some restrictions for authors who write in this genre. Writing in this style means that I can only write from my own social and cultural experience, which means that I take on Australia Day from the point-of-view of an Anglo-Celtic Australian, who grew up in a country town. “The plot then needs to explore the worst case scenario of these experiences, beginning with small steps that slowly escalate into extreme but plausible and logically consistent situations.” Fair Day is out November 30th 2017. It was completed as part of a Higher Degree by Research project and supported through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Alex can be contacted directly for further comments. Review copies of Fair Day are available on request by appropriate outlets.

#teaser #cover art #preorder #coming soon #Novel #australian novel #australia day #straya #blurb #novel blurb #background info #literature #PhD #creative artefact #fiction

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vermontparnasse · 7 years

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a clockwork orange review (9/2/17)

idk if there is any interest in this, but i thought i'd write up some of my thoughts on the off-broadway production of a clockwork orange.......

this is going to be a critical review, but please keep in mind that these impressions were formed while watching the first preview of this play.

cut for length

a quick background on my perspective and expectations going into this: i read the book two weeks ago and i absolutely loved it. i think it's a fascinating tragedy of a story - it's horrifying and compelling and darkly comedic and the overall impact is powerful and intense. i didn't feel that while watching the play. in fact, i didn't feel anything. i didn't laugh when i was supposed to, i didn't feel sick when i was meant to... i felt detached, annoyed, and utterly bored.

i have a lot of opinions about the skill and art required to adapt a text - whether it's book to film or book to stage or whatever, i find that the best adaptations are rarely the ones that adhere most strictly to the text. you need to embrace the conventions of your medium, you need to know when to cut out or alter plot points to enhance the experience of the show while still retaining the essence of the story. this is where a clockwork orange failed spectacularly. plot points were sped through as though an invisible checklist were being ticked off - the result is that it's a technically very faithful adaptation, but at what cost? the plot got confused (not helped by the fact that all of the actors aside from jonno davies each played multiple characters, which weren't differentiated from one another in a comprehensible way), and none of the moments were given the gravitas that they required to have much of an impact. moments meant to elicit horror get tangled together in a forgettable blur. when i'm watching the iconic scene where alex gets his eyes clamped open and is forced to watch disturbing films, my only thought shouldn't be 'when is this going to be over?'

the use of music was almost laughably amateur. alex's connection to music is one of the most critical elements of the novel, so i thought a theatre production was going to be a fantastic chance to expound upon that, to use music in a striking way, but nothing was made of this opportunity. a sort of eclectic soundtrack runs throughout the production, forgettable remixes of 80s songs and maybe a bit of beethoven - maybe? i don't quite remember. which, when your main character is driven by his obsession with classical music, is a problem.

the entire aesthetic of this show was amateur. the stage is minimalist, painted black; actors wear only black, white, and orange; a pile of oranges sits in the background; hoodies hang on stage throughout the show that characters put on at the end. why? what does any of this accomplish? you know what i thought when i was watching this play? it's like if a teenage boy had been assigned a clockwork orange as high school reading, and instead of doing an essay, he asks his teacher if he's allowed to write a script, and he and a couple of his friends throw this together during their lunch period before class. i don't mean to suggest that the actors' performances were on that level, it was quite a solid cast all around, but the caliber of the script is about what you'd expect from a teenage boy, complete with gratuitous stripping to show off the actors' abs, and embarrassingly on the nose dialogue like 'you've ruined his connection with music! do you see what you have done! i can no longer be a part of this experiment!' there's just... no subtlety, nothing intellectually rigorous or challenging or engaging about the way this story plays out on stage.

basically, watch this. you watched it? cool. congratulations, you have now seen a clockwork orange.

now let's talk about the biggest issue that i had with this production - the exclusion of women, and the way it was handled. this is probably the only time in the history of the universe that i was excited about the prospect of an all-male cast. why? violence against women plays a huge role in this story, and i was intrigued by alexandra spencer-jones' decision to subvert that. there's enough violence in this story without the numerous rape scenes. unfortunately, rape was still depicted on stage, but with men playing women. which in a way i do understand - i respect the decision not to cast one or two women in this show solely to play rape victims. but what i found so inexcusable about the decision to have men play women in this show is that it was often done for laughs. 'look at this man in heels, isn't that funny? look at this man speaking with a stereotypically gay affect, isn't that funny? look at this man flip his scarf over his shoulder, isn't that funny?' no? no, it's not funny?

there was an explicitly gay twist to this production - actors pretending to jerk each other off, alex kissing a man at the end of the show - but i honestly felt like it did more harm than good. the inclusion of lgbt+ characters in itself is not inherently progressive. because, how is it progressive to associate that kind of extreme violence with homosexuality? how is it faithful to the story to ignore the thread of toxic heterosexual masculinity that runs through it?

jonno davies' performance was strong - he played the role with passion and a relentless physicality and i don't doubt his devotion to this role for one second. my qualm with him is that i felt like the character he was playing wasn't alex. i didn't get any of alex's youth or paradoxical innocence from him (which, granted, is difficult when you have a grown man playing a fifteen year old). i not only didn't get alex's connection with music, i didn't get the fact that his obsession with violence is so heavily driven by the aesthetic of it - violence and beauty, inextricable themes in the book, don't even exist in the same realm in this play, despite the fact that so much violence is choreographed through dance. the dancing itself was well done by the actors, but ultimately rather forgettable - another aesthetic box checked off, another opportunity to connect with the text missed.

ultimately, i felt this production missed the point. it felt more like a celebration of hyper-masculinity than an indictment of it. the tone was all wrong - there was nothing intense or sinister or darkly comedic or even remotely thought-provoking about the muddled execution of this story, and i'm sad about the lost potential, because there's something so undeniably theatrical about this narrative. unfortunately, this production didn't capture it.

in fairness to the actors and creative team, i will end this by stressing that this was the first preview performance. am i optimistic that this show will improve? not particularly, as so many of the problems i had had more to do with the script itself than simple kinks that can be easily ironed out - however, you never know. this production has been very well received in london, and it may very well find its footing here. but it definitely was not for me.

#a clockwork orange #review #rape mention ///

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