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crystallinee-waters · 4 years

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Please do it for Jarley and Violate

Imagine your OTP has achild together: Joker/Harley:

1. Who goes to the baby,when it cries in the middle of the night? Always Harley, but J did it once (it was the first time he actually looked at Jaylie, and she became a ‘person’ somehow in his eyes, rather than a thing/concept.)

2. Who takes thematernity/paternity leave from work, when the kid is born? Harley, as the club/underworld/crime sprees are too dangerous to bring an infant to.

3. Whose name (ordesignation, like “mom” or “dad”) is the child’s first word? *checks fanfic* It was Dada. I think.

4. Who is more protective?Or overprotective?Harley is the moreprotective one but also not. She is much closer to her parentalinstincts than J but her parenting style is also very laissez-faire. Sometimes Jpicks up a danger that Harley has completely overlooked because she isscatter-brained and he is more calculating, or just more aware of things. (e.g. she does not see the harm in her daughter playing with knives or bullets at the age of two, but J does.) In certain places such as theunderworld/clubs, Harley is definitely the violently-protective parent and J is more laid-back until an incident actually happens, then shit really hits the fan.

5. What language they speakto the baby? Do they title their child “young man” or “young lady”, or do the typicalbaby-talk?J spoke “villain monologue” to Jaylie since she was six months old, Harley mostly spoke baby language until her daughter was twelve. In conclusion, Jaylie’s vocabulary is… conflicted.

6. Do they buy the childevery toy it desires? Or they don’t spoil their child? Jaylie is and was a spoiled kid. Harley gave her literally anything she asked for since she was a baby, and she learned to throw tantrums to enforce it. J did not yield, however, but he still gives her lots of gifts, like he does to Harley.

7. Are they immune totemper tantrums the child throws, eg. when they dont want to buy them a toy insupermarket? Harley always gives in. J gets annoyed - he might throw a tantrum in return and even blow up the supermarket to make a point - but in the end… Jaylie gets her way. She gets the dog and the friend and the acid bath. (Jonny Frosts always yields, too. Ivy is annoyed and confused at this mess.)

8. Who is more likely tomake ice cream for breakfast? Harley all the way. (Or Frosty if he’s on duty.)

9. Who does the thing withpicking up and swinging the kid around? J. He can also throw her very high into the air.

10. Who cooks for thebaby?Frost, actually, because Harley can’t be trusted with that (or can’t remember to do it very often, actually.)

11. Who reads bedtimestories? Both! It was something they genuinely enjoyed, making it dark yet exciting - and they have a favorite nursery rhyme: Who Killed Cock Robin (no shit, this is a legit nursery rhyme for kids.) Harley’s favorite is: It’s Raining, it’s Pouring (which is also legit very ominous.) I had so much fun researching this.

12. Who picks outfits tokindergarten for the kid? No kindergarten. Harley picks all the outfits.

13. Who makes the child bemore self-dependant and who makes everything for the kid? J’s mere presence in Jaylie’s life taught her how to survive from an early age, and be alright on her own, however that sounds. She learned how to manipulate, use charms or wits or make herself invisible if the situation required it - she did get a lot of life skill from that unstable yet affectionate connection (I could delve deeper into the psychology of Jaylie - her attachment style, for example) She also mentally survived tough situations, such as being kidnapped at an early age, due to knowing which expectations J had of her, so it served her. He is the most laissez-faire parent of them all - like Harley he often doesn’t recognize danger until Jaylie is in the middle of it.

14. Who enjoys watchingkids movies more? Harley!! She loves it. She and Jay usually have long cartoon marathons.

15. Who looks more liketheir child? Harley is the most similar to her at first glance, but Jaylie resembles her father more, with her eyes and facial features.

Violet/Tate:

(I actually never fully pictured this so this was a bit hard. I’m assuming Tate is still dead, or alive, and Violet is still alive?)

1. Who goes to the baby,when it cries in the middle of the night? Both of them, but Tate especially. He hates the sound of his child crying.

2. Who takes thematernity/paternity leave from work, when the kid is born? Considering Violet must still be alive, and older, she does.

3. Whose name (ordesignation, like “mom” or “dad”) is the child’s first word? I think Violet’s name - Mommy.

4. Who is more protective?Or overprotective? Considering they live in the Murder House, there are going to be a lot of shit around to keep an eye on, with everyone wanting a baby, so I think both of them would be very protective. Tate would be his usual violent self to ensure the safety of the baby, killing if he had to.

5. What language they speakto the baby? Do they title their child “young man” or “young lady”, or do the typicalbaby-talk?I think they would speak very normally to their child, no baby talk at all, considering how serious they are.

6. Do they buy the childevery toy it disires? Or they dont spoil their child? Tate would spoil the child, but Violet would be a bit more restrictive.

7. Are they immune totemper tantrums the child throws, eg. when they dont want to buy them a toy insupermarket? Tate always gives in, he can’t stand the tantrums. He would do anything to make the child stop crying.

8. Who is more likely tomake ice cream for breakfast? Both of them, mostly Tate.

9. Who does the thing withpicking up and swinging the kid around? Tate!

10. Who cookes for thebaby? Both, Violet? Or Vivien or Moira or Nora or Hayden - the list goes on.

11. Who reads bedtimestories? Violet, mostly, trying to give their child a sense of normalcy. But also Vivien or Moira or Nora or Hayden.

12. Who picks outfits tokindergarten for the kid? Violet.

13. Who makes the child bemore self-dependant and who makes everything for the kid? I think Tate and Violet both would try to make their child as self-dependent as possible.

14. Who enjoys watchingkids movies more?Tate. Violet absoultely can’t stand it.

15. Who looks more liketheir child?I feel both a son or daughter would look really like Violet, but especially if they had a boy.

(Gosh, I wanna write this now…)

Thank you! ~

#jarley #violate #life and death #gothamsharls #jarley headcanons

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chaniters · 4 years

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Monsters

Reaper’s doomsday threatens to destroy the entire city of Phoenix. Rangers rush to stop him for a final, bloody confrontation. Catastrofiend seeks a second round with Awan.

Next part of @kruk-art ‘s Awan Cormac’s fanfic!

Enjoy!

_____________________________

“Good evening,” Reaper says holding a mic. “Good evening everyone, how are you liking the party now? Pretty good, am I right? It’s good to be able to address the creme and crop of the West Coast’s corporate world” he says.

You struggle with the impulse to shoot Reaper right now, and instead, keep moving to the side. You know better...

It is hard to make way, engulfed by a sea of terrified civilians trying to figure out what’s going on as this skeletal man that has just killed one of their own starts the opening of a typical villain monologue.

You’re not sure if it’s just the wardrobe or the much deeper tone he’s using, but he sounds like the physical manifestation of death right now, and it’s very demoralizing.

According to your instructors, your main objective now would be to get into the best spot to get a clear shot at the enemy the moment your team leader orders it. Team leader... That would be Ortega right now in your mind, even if you’re not a ranger proper.

At the corner of your eyes, you catch a glimpse of a couple of guards rushing towards the stage as you anticipated. You stop to study what kind of countermeasure Reaper’s planned to stop them. It’s pretty obvious the villain would have something prepared for this eventuality in a plan this complex. Still, you never know, right? Maybe it all backfires and he gets arrested on the spot?. That would be fun!

You watch with anticipation as they start approaching Reaper who doesn’t even turn to them… And there it goes. They stumble on their feet and fall flat, their powered carapace armors malfunctioning as one, the joints releasing smoke and the stench of burnt circuits. A quick glance reveals the same is true for every other guard in the room. Also, more importantly, all the dampeners go down simultaneously.

“I’m afraid we will have none of that, my fellows” Reaper goes on “My AI system Charon has taken full control of the network that connects every system in this facility, including your mercenaries armors. I just have to thank your wonderful management for outsourcing most computer systems to my company” he adds dusting off his skeletal hands “It made my infiltration today a lot easier, yes, thank you for that.”

If his AI took over all the systems that means he could overhear your intercoms. You send a mental suggestion to the woman next to Ortega, making her tap his shoulder before unconsciously pointing at you and each of the other rangers in the room, letting him know where everyone is. Having a telepath on the team is good for stuff like that.

Ortega quickly catches on because it’s not the first time you pull something this weird on him, and he gestures for you all to fan out and surround the enemy, a command you quickly pass onto all of your team with wordless thoughts.

Sunstream and Steel move on to opposite ends of the room, while you waddle through the crowd to do the same with a hand to your gun’s grip, so that makes you three the shooters. Anathema, Elyise, Sentinel, and Ashfall remain now hidden in the crowd to intercept him. All four have powers that could prevent Reaper’s death touch, so it’s a pretty solid plan, at least in your mind.

“Have you gone mad? What do you want from us?!” A woman asks. You recognize her as one of the company’s most priced Geneticists, Dr. Laverne. You read about her in a magazine, she developed the energy source in the Arcology.

“What do I want, you ask, Dr. Laverne? Well, to begin with, I’d like you all to have a taste of your own poison. Charon, proceed” he commands as he adjusts something to his face. A gas mask? Yes. Oh shit...

Ventilation shafts open up into the ceiling, making everyone look up which soon proves to be a mistake. Columns of dark brown gas descend rapidly upon the crowd, engulfed everyone into the acrid stench of the cloud outside. He must have disconnected the air purifiers, and started pumping the poisonous air directly inside.

The people around you immediately cover their mouths and eyes, entering coughing fits, and you have to hold onto a wall while you adjust your gas mask not to fall into it as well.

“W... What are you…?” Laverne coughs heavily, as reaper comes down the stage, walking up to her. “Why are you doing this? This is … my life’s… work. We are protecting the people in here” she says trying to stand to him.

“You, who have built this monstrosity... You, who are literally throwing a party while everyone outside is poisoned... You call this protection?”

“Not true… this… project is open… open to everyone!” she protests

“Everyone who can pay, you mean. Your greed has blinded all of you. You praise yourselves in having brought a handfull of powered heroes to the world, while your product kills thousands who try to live the dream... But it ends now. I’m not only funneling the cloud into the living spaces of this Arcology. It’s going straight into the power plant’s core, Dr. Laverne.”

The fear that creeps into her brain upon his words is hard to miss, even at this distance, in a room full of terrified people.

“J-just stop… we can… we can do whatever you want. We can offer you anything just...” she tries to negotiate under the gas

“Please doctor, I wouldn’t have gotten this far if all I wanted was extortion. The biomorphic fungi abomination you engineered is a truly remarkable lifeform. It resists extreme temperatures, toxins of all kinds, and more importantly, grows incessantly while generating and metabolizing hero drugs turning the reaction into power. Quite brilliant I must say. Well, as it turns out, the toxic waste poisoning the city’s sky just happens to be the fungi’s ideal feeding ground. Now that it’s entering the core, the creature must be growing at a rapid pace, don’t you think? It will soon overgrow its containment unit… Charon believes once it’s free it will grow through the whole Arcology exterior, maybe the whole city. Perhaps it can turn the entire cloud into hero drugs, given enough time.”

“You are mad! You will destroy the entire city! You will kill hundreds of thousands!”

“I’ve thought of it too, Doctor… but the thing is… isn’t it worth it to sacrifice one city if it means the whole country will realize the danger that your corporations represent? What lack of all regulation truly means? There won’t be any way for them to still support the economic free-zone and lack of all regulations after this.”

“Please.. You can’t do this!”

“Oh but I can. I am the Reaper, and you Dr. Laverne, you will die. You will ALL die. Want to escape?” he asks turning to a few executives rushing to the door “Be my guest of course, but remember, there’s a riot outside. I finally found a use for Psychopathor, and let me tell you, he’s already surrounded the whole building and the people are MAD. If you somehow manage to make it out, you will be torn to pieces on the streets.”

By now, there is general chaos, as everyone rushes to the exits. Reaper raises his scythe to strike at Laverne…

“I am the Reaper, and I have come for your sou…-”

“NOW!” Ortega says giving the signal.

You draw your gun and take two shots. You can see Sunstream sending a golden beam, while Steel’s activates his plasma rifle at the same time.

Sunstream’s beam hits instantly, producing a flash of heat, followed by the explosive plasma blast from Steel’s cannon and your blasts at roughly the same time. Anathema’s times his jump along with you and is now holding Dr. Laverne, safely out of Reaper’s reach.

For one, hopeful, brief instant, you’re sure you’ve got him… But your mind quickly realizes the truth.

“Watch out, he’s still in there!” you say trough your intercom

“How?! We just blasted him!” Sunstream asks.

As the cloud starts to dissipate, Reaper laughter cackles through the room.

“Now this is a surprise... Rangers! I expected you to be outside fighting Psychopathor… Well, I must admit this is awkward… I’m not used to being on the baddies side. Was it too much monologuing?”

“Simply the worst” Charge says standing up to whatever’s left to him. “Now please surrender”

“I think I’ll pass... It’s a bit too soon for that, don’t you think?”

You begin to make out his figure, walking out of the mist. He looks unscathed, but translucent, glowing with white light. Shit, you’ve seen this before at the farm! So that’s why he had invisible skin…

“Everyone, be careful! He’s boosted twice! Those must be some sort of intangibility power!”

“Shit, so he kills on touch and we can’t even touch him?” Anathema asks.

“Yeap. Couldn’t possibly be worse” you say, immediately regretting the choice of words.

“Alright Rangers, let’s do this. Let’s have this little fight. But what is a Halloween party without a proper monster? Charon, please do close the doors so we can keep our partygoers here for the main attraction. Oh, and while at it... take over the speakers, and play... hmm… the Monster Mash?. I always enjoyed a classic when working on Halloween.”

“Main attraction? What do you mea…?” Ortega asks.

Too late. The sudden strain of nausea, pain, and rage makes your vision blur, forcing you to stop in your tracks. You lift your gaze, and manage to get a glimpse of it, falling onto you from one of the shafts. You get just enough warning to dive to the side, as it’s blades slice the man to your left instead of you.

Catastrofiend lands where you had just been standing roaring, it’s eyes glaring straight into your yours. It raises its blades, ready to strike.

It hasn’t forgotten it was you who shot it last time, and whatever it is you did, the fiend didn’t like it. It wants to pay you back. A quick scan reveals none of your allies is close enough to help you right now.

Everyone who survived that night had their own version of the events, but the one thing all witnesses agreed on is that Reaper sang along with that stupid song the whole time. You still have nightmares about it.

Catastrofiend, smiles, before leaping straight at you.

Shit.

___________________________________________________

My Fanfics: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.

#fallen hero: rebirth #Awan cormac #Fanfiction #Spoilers

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abigailaech · 6 years

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Book: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas Start Date: 2017? Finish Date: July, 2018 Rating: *** // *****

I’ve started and stopped this book so so so many times. I checked it out from my library (no lie) five times before I ended up buying it because this book constantly has a hold wait. This is one of the most popular, widely talked about book series I’ve seen on social media and I really really wanted to find out why.

I did read and finish Maas’ other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and managed to get through that within a couple of months. What was it about this book that made me struggle for so long? Was it just me?

To start, this book is clearly Maas’ early writing. It was published in 2012, and definitely reads like a poorly written fanfic. There are quotes from characters and descriptions that made me really question what was going on. The story lagged several times, and I feel like several villains could have been fleshed out so much better.

Celaena Sardothien is also a strange character. Criticisms I’ve seen of her are that she’s whiney and, in typical YA Heroine, is Too Good At Everything. However, in this book, you rarely get her side of being an assassin. Her inner monologue was heavy in the I want to kill you realm, but the lack of backstory or evidence of her bloodlust made her character fall flat.

The Crowned Prince, Dorian, was also a bit stale to read through. He flipped too quickly between Playboy Prince to Devoted Lover, and didn’t really hold any qualities I would associate with a prince at all. Maybe I’m coddled by Marissa Meyer’s intricate writing, but much of Dorian himself was glossed over in favor of a boy who really likes this pretty blonde girl.

And Chaol....I just kept reading his name as “Chol” instead of “Kay-al” and that’s my own downfall.

Overall, pacing and lack of character depth knocked off a few stars for me, but as I begin to read Crown of Midnight, we’ll see what happens. With all the hype that surrounds this series, I can only hope it gets better? My goal is to catch up with the series by the time Kingdom of Ash releases! Tell me what you think of this book and series - I’d love to know more!

For more reviews, visit my blog! unabbridged.tumblr.com Check out my IG for more content! Recommend me your favorite book or series! Click on “Queries” on my blog page

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ramctheatheist · 7 years

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5 Filmmaking Tropes of Mahendran

An edited version of this article has been published on Film Companion.

Name : J Mahendran Original name : Alexander Skills : Director, Screenwriter, Film critic Language : Tamil Active Since : 1966 Favourite Genre : Drama Biggest hits : Mullum Malarum (1978), Uthiripookkal (1979), Nenjathai Killathe (1980)

Like Francois Truffaut, Mahendran started out as a film critic. His reviews of Tamil films for magazines like Thuglak were scathing. He went on to write screenplays and dialogues for several hit films, starring Sivaji Ganesan and MG Ramachandran, before making his directorial debut with Mullum Malarum (A Thorn and a Flower, 1978). Mahendran took ample inspiration from literature for his screenplays. 10 out of the 12 films he directed have been adapted from literary works by Tamil writers. Being an avid fan of Satyajit Ray, his films portray villages, cities and characters as they are without romanticizing or passing judgements.

His Best Work

Uthiripookkal (Unstrung Flowers), 1979

Adapted from Sittrannai (Stepmother), written by Pudhumaipithan, Uthiripookkal is the story of Sundaravadivelu, a sadistic manager of a village school and his desire to marry his wife’s sister. The film lures you gently into the rhythms of village life before it unleashes drama, through the actions of Sundaravadivelu to attain his goal. It has one of the most understated yet haunting antagonists of Tamil cinema.

Poottadha Poottukkal (Locks that don’t lock), 1980

Adapted from the short story Uravugal (Relations) by writer Ponneelan, this film focuses on the fissures in a married couple’s relationship when they can’t have a child. The wife falls for a young man, who gives her attention and the drama that unfolds forms the rest of the story. It’s a subtle meditation on how the human mind works in relationships and how the invisible forces of societal expectations weigh down heavily on married men and women.

Mullum Malarum (A Thorn and a Flower), 1978

Mahendran began reading a novel by Umachandran, set it aside halfway through and wrote this film’s screenplay. It’s about a brother and a sister in a village, who’re orphans. The brother, Kaali, works as a winch operator at a power plant. His relationship with his supervisor is strained from the beginning and their skirmishes lead to him losing his left hand. This was one of the first films in which Rajinikanth, who had done negative roles until then, played the protagonist. Mullum Malarum, Johnny (1980) and Kai Kodukkum Kai (1984) are 3 Mahendran films that provide a glimpse of a Rajinikanth devoid of the larger-than-life image that he’s known for today.

Trivia: This film was later remade in Hindi as Pyaari Behna (1985) with Mithun Chakraborty playing Rajini’s role.

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5 Filmmaking Tropes of Mahendran

Sharp storytelling

During his days as a critic, Mahendran slammed Tamil movies for being ‘talkies’ rather than cinema. He abhorred melodrama and the monologue. So the first thing that strikes you about his films is his precision with words and images. The words and their understated tone maintain the drama at a realistic pitch. A character might be bursting with anger but in a Mahendran film, all you’ll hear is a single line spoken calmly.

Take for instance, the scene in Uthiripookkal that introduces a couple. The husband is seated at home eating his lunch, while the wife stands nearby. He bites into a pebble while chewing and his face contorts. He glowers at his silent wife and says, “Can’t you be careful while cooking?” The entire bitterness of their relationship is packed into that single line and his contorted face.

Mysskin revealed in an interview with Baradwaj Rangan that he considers the opening shot of his film to be critical. The opening shot dictates the shots that follow. Likewise, Mahendran establishes his film’s theme visually within the first five minutes. The opening title sequences of Nenjathai Killathey (Don’t Pinch My Heart, 1980), show Suhasini jogging through city streets shrouded in mist. The film is about her running to and fro in relationships.

The opening shot of Metti (Toe Ring, 1982), shows two daughters waking up, admiring their mother’s toe ring as she walks towards them. The film is about their yearning to wear the toe ring and how it shackles their lives. In Mullum Malarum, Kaali’s resentment against authority is established within a single minute in this scene. He feels the same resentment later against his superior officer.

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Nature & rhythms of life

When asked what kind of literature he liked, this was Mahendran’s reply. “It’s filled with limitless beauty, countless wonders and mysteries that man is yet to decode. It nourishes mankind and all living organisms. Nature is the best literature.” You’ll find his love of nature woven into the fabric of every film he made. In Poottadha Poottukkal, cats purr on a sleepless night as a couple mutely stare at each other. A barber in Johnny lives and sleeps amidst animals and plants. A popular song from Mullum Malarum has a man singing of the breeze that played on a pandan flower and washed over him, its scent creating the illusion of a woman.

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Mahendran has a keen eye for observing life and capturing its details with precision. The lines his characters speak sound real. A village woman bargaining with a cloth seller in Uthiripookkal, remarks, “Give us a good price. Don’t try to cover your daughter’s wedding costs by selling us this saree!” A fight in Mullum Malarum that churns up dust, with mediators and silent onlookers takes place without the accompaniment of the typical “dishoom dishoom” of the 80s. And even if it’s an urban setting, he captures its spirit well in films like Nenjathai Killathey.

Ripple architecture

The supporting characters and songs in every Mahendran film echo its main theme. In Uthiripookkal, that explores a man’s sadism and lust, there’s a lunatic, who pesters people to read out a letter from his runaway wife. And an old woman sings a song, during an engagement, with the fond memory of her dead husband. In Poottadha Poottukkal, that plunges into the darker crevices of marriages, almost every other male character ogles at women, including an adopted child who’s a peeping tom. In Nenjathai Killathey, a story about finding love and companionship, he has a comic character in his 40s who’s still single.

Metti, a commentary on the institution of marriage, has a playful song, Kalyanam ennai mudikka (In order to marry me). A woman lays down her conditions for marriage like wanting the groom to play the nadaswaram and the marriage ceremony to take place on a moving train with foreigners chanting hymns! Johnny’s protagonist is a thief for whom stealing is an emotional burden and the release he finds in a singer’s voice is succinctly expressed in this song.

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These characters and songs aren’t sprinkled to make the film more interesting. They’re deliberate choices that grow organically out of the film’s theme. He lays out these characters and songs in concentric circles echoing the film’s core, like ripples in water.

Submerged Symbols

On the surface, having Kaali as a winch operator in Mullum Malarum adds a touch of realism. But, looking closely at how Kaali’s relationship with his superior slides steadily downhill, you realise that perhaps the winch is a symbol. There’s a scene that shows Kaali playing uriyadi, the traditional game of hitting a moving target with a stick while people hurl water at him. In a way, that’s a visual summary of Kaali’s life. He grew up as an orphan fighting against the society and taking care of his sister all by himself. He bears a boiling resentment against people in power, since their position is always out of his reach, just like the moving target.

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In the splendid climax of Uthiripookkal, it’s only the men of the village who gather and force the antagonist to drown himself in the river. There’s no woman to be seen. The villain is a demon who represents the filth in the hearts of all men and the climax is a call to destroy that demon, so that we can move on as a society and live a better life. Seen this way, Uthiripookkal is a much larger film than simply the tale of a solitary sadist and how he meets his end.

Likewise the toe ring in Metti and a poster in Nenjathai Killathey depicting children dressed up as a couple are symbols that make a bigger point. The good thing about Mahendran’s films is that you can enjoy them without really bothering about these symbols or what they signify. But, when you watch his films closely and look beneath the surface, you’re sure to relish them even more and inch closer to their underlying themes.

Silence

Mahendran loves to begin a scene in the middle of a conversation and linger on the characters during uncomfortable pauses. A classic example is a night panchayat scene from Uthiripookkal. The entire village is gathered to debate the villain’s atrocities. His wife weeps silently and we get closeups of a lot of faces. The only sound you hear is the unconsoled wail of a child in the background.

During an emotional moment in Metti, when a character’s mother dies, she’s seen sitting on the floor and sobbing in an empty space surrounded by flowers. That’s the emptiness left behind after her mother’s body has been carried away. Mani Ratnam, who later became known for such powerfully visual moments, can be seen as carrying forth the torch of silence from Mahendran’s hands.

Mahendran once remarked, “Ilaiyaraja wrote the dialogues for my silent scenes. He should be credited as my co-writer!” It’s exhilarating to study the musical themes that Ilaiyaraja develops for various characters and subplots in each film. In Uthiripookkal, for instance, there’s a theme for the antagonist’s desire for his sister-in-law, a theme for the innocence of his children and a theme for the unspoken desires of his wife. And there’s silence in his songs too. ‘Senorita I love you’ shows a couple play-acting as husband and wife. Later in the film, the girl ditches the guy for someone else. So there was never any love between them. Everything was make-believe, just like their silent mimes.

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In conclusion

The great thing about watching Mahendran films is that a specific character, a specific line or a specific visual is bound to stick in your mind and not leave you. You can revisit his films at a later stage in your life and you’ll get new insights. It happens because his films don’t have a planned architecture to achieve an intended effect. They’re complex, organic growths that mirror real life and so each time you enter them, you’ll spot something new that’s sprouted under your feet.

“We must learn cinema from the people around us. It’s important to express naturalism with an aesthetic sense. One doesn’t need to rack one’s brains for aesthetics. If you look through the eyes of people around you, you can acquire an aesthetic sense naturally.” This is Mahendran’s cinema in a nutshell - real characters in their natural habitats, their natural behaviours, their emotions, their interactions, captured through an aesthetic lens that doesn’t judge.

#mahendran #Tamil Cinema #movies #cinema #Rajinikanth #uthiripookkal #mullum malarum #ilaiyaraja

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lilbooktopus · 6 years

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A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas Synopsis: The huntress Feyre is taken to Prythian as punishment for breaking The Treaty and slaying a faerie in a wolf's skin. She is given freedom to roam within the gates of the manor, but not to return to her family and home. The longer she stays in the manor of her captor Tamlin, the deeper she falls in love with the masked fae. Outside Tamlin's walls, the kingdom that lies north of the human realm is a land tormented with a curse, a shadow that leeched the magic of its inhabitants and set dark creatures dangerously close to the human borders. Feyre must break the spell or watch everything she loves fall into its doom.A Court of Thorns and Roses is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast.

First Impression: ACOTAR is told in first person POV and we get Feyre to narrate everything to us. I'm not a fan of first person POV but I thought the first four chapters were okay until I felt they were going too slow. And that's where things started to go downhill.

Book Talk

Meet Feyre, a huntress whose only motivation in life is her family who treats her badly despite being their sole provider in this hard winter and her hobby painting. She gets whisked away to faerie land by a not-so-obviously handsome masked high fae as a punishment for killing one of their kind. In Prythian, she lives a life of absolutely zero consequences for reasons revealed in the last part of the book, if you manage to hang on long enough.

Feyre is a sad excuse for a heroine. She's petty (don't let her hear you say 'ignorant' and 'insignificant'; she'll think you're talking about her and mope, or find a creature that could kill her), and goes beyond the usual amount of recklessness and stupidity YA main characters have, the likes of which has never been seen since Bella Swan's cliff dive. She'll do the exact opposite of anything you say will keep her safe and manage to stay alive long enough for an alpha-male to come to her rescue.

ACOTAR is a book that kept me thinking who the bigger douche is, Tamlin or Rhysand, and watch Feyre mistake abusive behavior for protectiveness and kindness over and over again as she tries to break the most specific curse in the history of magic casted by the most underwhelming villain I've ever seen. I got frustrated watching Feyre complete everyone's sentence with "insignificant human", describe things with "I can/not paint it", wait to be invited to faerie parties she had no business being in, fail to answer the easiest riddle in the history of riddles, and basically make the worst decisions ever without having to face any consequence.

It took a dull 275 pages and 31 chapters of Feyre's whining, hating faeries, and inexplicably falling in love with faeries enough to sacrifice her life for her High Lord (haha yes, that's a thing!) before any semblance of a plot became apparent and by then the only things keeping me hanging on were sheer will, moral support from friends, and the fact that I bought all three books already and doomed myself to this fate. If you ever find yourself in the same position, the only way to get through it is by telling yourself there must be an explanation somewhere. Explanation, never a justification.

PS. Lucien is the character I liked the most and I love the Suriel (a veiled faerie with features scary enough that Feyre will probably say she won't be able to paint).

World-building: ★★☆☆☆ Characters: ★★☆☆☆ Plot: ★☆☆☆☆

(Click read more if you’re prepared for a long ass review. You have been warned.)

Book Talk

Let's start with the things I loved. Let it not be said that I loved nothing in this book because if I am to be completely honest, I did.

Side characters I loved Lucien, Tamlin's friend and emissary. He's the life of the book for me, the person that makes most sense. Just your regular slightly-arrogant fae, but not really out-of-line. He has a witty response for everything and will never tire of reminding our MC how to keep herself alive, although he's always ignored. Plus, interesting backstory.

Alis, another fae serving the Spring Court, who is Feyre's handmaid. She gives Feyre some bits of advice throughout her stay in the manor, to keep the new girl alive… if only Feyre would listen.

Creatures Above all, I loved the assortment of faeries roaming Prythian, especially the Suriel, a faerie that could answer all your questions. Feyre's encounter with the Suriel is my favorite event, more because of the Suriel than Feyre's presence. I liked how eerie it felt to read of this faerie, yet feel responsible for its safety.

Things I loathed about this book:

Plot (or the lack of it) There is basically no plot. The only part that matters is the events Under the Mountain. The rest of the book talks about: 1. Feyre thinking she is worthless, useless, ignorant human 2. Feyre painting, Feyre failing to paint something 3. Feyre worrying about her family 4. Feyre-Tamlin inexplicable "romance" 5. Feyre being stupid and running to random dangerous things Only around 150 pages matter here, which could be found at the last part. The events Under the Mountain are the most exciting too, if you manage to hang around that long. Tip: Just tell yourself it would get better. It won't ever be good, but it will get better.

Writing I just hated Sarah J. Maas's writing. For one, SJM abused dashes and adjectives. I'm daring you to find at least two consecutive pages without a dash in it. She uses three adjectives on something that could be described with one.

Another thing I despised was Feyre constantly bleating about her painting. Her hobby is used to describe both her mood and her surroundings. She's sad: she can't paint. Something is too beautiful: she can't paint it. How the heck is "It's so beautiful I wouldn't be able to paint it" supposed to make me understand how a place looked like?

Third thing I hate is how easy information comes to Feyre in the form of characters in the know spout these info while they monologue. Tamlin spilled Lucien's backstory to her, Alis talked about the curse, Rhysand explained his motives and whatnot. It's so lazy on SJM's part.

The Most Boring, Annoying MC since Bella Swan I have never hated an MC this much since Bella Swan. Feyre is presented to us as a badass huntress, the sole caretaker of her family in this hard winter. She endures her spineless father and ungrateful sisters, slaves for them and keeps them alive. Basically, they are bitching on the only reason their family hasn't starved to death yet. I would have pitied her if only she weren't such a martyr.

This girl is one giant walking trope. She constantly thinks she is plain and not beautiful, how hunger made her bony, how her cheekbones are too sharp. Basically an attempt to make her more relatable which doesn't really work because she's the one narrating the story so we hear her whining and then hear everyone else tell her otherwise and want her/lust after her.

Feyre sees her worth through the eyes of others: a. How her family needs her before and doesn't need her now that they are provided for by Tamlin, b. How the faeries perceive her. She is petty enough to take one snide remark to heart and repeat it to herself over and over again. Here's a few of my favorite (there's a really long list):

1. Insignificant - yes, I was insignificant to their lives, their power. As insignificant as the fading chipped designs I'd painted around the cottage. (pg. 66) 2. I could still cling to that scrap of a dream, though these High Faes are likely to laugh at how typically human it was to think so small, so little. (pg. 78) 3. You mean a faerie is passing up the opportunity to mock an ignorant mortal. (pg. 117, when Tamlin offered to help her) 4. I'd stop asking, just as the Suriel had ordered. Like a stupid, useless human. (p. 170) 5. I was an ignorant human fool. (p. 367) That said, I am very much annoyed with her constant whining about how useless the faeries think she is, snapping at anyone who mentions she has a flaw. Apart from that, she hates how no one seems to trust her (although she doesn't trust faeries herself), how she's not privy to their decision-making, and surprise: how she's not invited to parties.

1. As if I were at the very, very bottom of a long list of priorities. (pg. 106) 2. Perhaps it was contained but it seemed it was still wreaking havoc - still a threat - and perhaps one they truly didn't want me knowing about, either from lack or trust or because… because I was nothing to them. (pg. 108)

So what if she's petty and very much presumptuous? That's not enough to hate her! Brace yourselves because Feyre is also that kind of heroine who has a death wish. She deliberately disobeys any orders which were set for her own safety. Okay, so what if she's reckless? Right! If only she could save her own hide but sadly, she could not. Every freaking time she heads out, either because of curiosity or spite, she puts herself in a dangerous situation she could not get out of until a male savior comes to her rescue.

Under the care of these faes, Feyre lives a life of zero consequence, never gets reprimanded earnestly because… you'll find out if you could hang around long enough to reach 75% of the novel. And even then I felt like I was being cheated because it's so lame that Feyre could do nothing wrong or if she does, no one will lift a hand because everyone is looking to her to break the spell that's on them. It's a very convenient way for the author to slink out of the responsibility to keep her MC in check. Feyre being reckless to the point of almost killing herself doesn't make her brave or endearing; it makes her stupid.

Here's another attempt to make her more relatable: giving her a very ordinary hobby which is painting. More about this on Writing.

Problematic Relationships

This book is riddled with red flags for me, problematic relationships and power imbalance. Feyre is tossed into a world dominated by powerful males, high lords and such, and she is a powerless human forced to blend in. She is forced into desperate situations she could not get out of without the help of said males like Tamlin and Rhysand. I felt like Feyre is often exploited, reduced to a plaything, and she could do nothing but to accept it. Problematic relationships are okay only if these instances were not romanticized and are presented as problematic indeed, not like how Feyre saw these as sweet, sexy, kind, or supportive.

Tamlin "Do not disobey me ever again." My favorite Tamlin quote. Tamlin is presented as this high lord, noble and fair, probably handsome behind the mask (No, the mask didn't really do anything to diminish his effect on women). And he would not explain anything to Feyre and would constantly growl and unsheathe his claws, and lengthen her canines at her. Cursed or not, he's a too-dominating, overprotective, suffocating ass of a fae.

An example of which is Fire Night, where Tamlin tells Feyre to lock herself in or else, when he becomes possessed later in the night, he might come to her and force himself on her. Feyre was thrilled and thought, "A feral part of him wanted me." Yes, if she didn't stay in, he would rape her and it would be her fault. When the douche of a guy comes home, he pins Feyre against the wall and kisses and bites her neck despite her protests which, no matter how half-hearted they are, are still to be taken as NO. And when she tells him not to do that ever again, the damned fae just chuckles. Next day, he justifies biting her neck because she disobeyed him despite his orders, saying "If Feyre can’t be bothered to listen to orders, then I can't be held accountable for the consequences."

Rhysand Rhysand, on the other hand, was marketed as this bad boy whatever. He's just a douche. No matter what his ulterior motives were, I felt like he went overboard and did unnecessary stuff that the author wanted readers to swallow as sexy. Rhysand would make Feyre do/do everything to Feyre without her permission, invading her mind and body.

Later in the book, Rhysand abuses her both verbally and physically, making her dress in clothes she's uncomfortable in, insulting her, intoxicating her and making her dance for him in front of people while he touches her and makes her sit on his lap. He laughs at Feyre's pain when he was checking her injured arm which is totally unnecessary - you can't say it's because he's playing a role here - because no one was there to see. When he comes to her in the night to lick her tears and insult her more, she thinks that Rhysand had kept her from shattering completely. It's really worse when Rhysand reveals he didn't need the one-week-a-month deal to heal her arm. He was hurting her for fun.

Romance I'd be hard-pressed to tell you how Feyre and Tamlin fell in love with each other, so much that Feyre was so ready to let go of her anger towards faeries and throw her life away for him. In the absence of an actual showcase of their hearts jiving together, we just get SJM telling us that they're in love. Or Feyre was very much attracted to this sad, brooding lord, whose tan skin and perfect eyes call to her, whose touch makes her skin burn.

Villain/Curse I was so disappointed by the villain of this novel and the curse this notorious she laid on the land. It was so underwhelming that I nearly melted into a puddle. Amarantha, the she so evil, so powerful, that they would not mention her name is not worth all the fuss they're giving her.

First, her curse is the stupidest curse ever. I mean, you expect a mask to hide Tamlin's beauty to prevent people from falling in love with him? Did it stop Feyre from assuming he's beautiful? Did it stop her from noticing his tanned skin, his muscles, which she was soooo attracted to?

Anyway, the curse was so damn specific that it sucked. It super duper sucked.

Oh and did I mention about the easy way out Amarantha gave Feyre? Okay, defend it all you want and say the evil queen did that because she underestimates humans so much but it was so ridiculous I answered it by the second line. For a quicker way out, she should have at least made it more difficult than that.

Final Verdict:

This book gave me the biggest headache of all time, especially the final chapters where the strength of my mind was tested. I hate this book with a burning passion but I will read on because I already bought all three books and it would be a waste of money to burn them. From a lame MC, abusive alpha-males, underwhelming villains, and a non-existent plot, this book will give Twilight a run for its money.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5)

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