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kpop-zone · 3 years

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Itzy reaction to falling for a staff member

Yeji

Yeji didn’t know how you had managed to catch her attention in only a split-second, but she knew that it would be a huge problem. How was she supposed to look at the camera when the person behind it was the most stunning one that she had ever seen? While the PD was explaining to them how this filming day would go, Yeji couldn’t stop stealing glances at you. Everything about you was simply mesmerizing. Even her members started to notice her weird behavior.

“Yeji, where are you going? Here’s your spot. The PD-nim has just explained it to you. What’s wrong with you today?”

Ryujin asked confused when her leader walked into the wrong direction and Yeji bashfully walked to her spot.

“Of course. I knew that.”

She chuckled nervously, but her members stared at her suspiciously. They weren’t used to seeing her this unfocused.

“Are you ok?”

Lia probed concerned and for a moment, Yeji wondered whether she should tell them the real reason for her distractedness. Then, however, she figured that her little crush on you was too insignificant to talk about. This was a professional working environment, she couldn’t and wouldn’t let it show.

“Yes, I’m just still a little tired. But I’ll give my best now!”

Yeji smiled while holding her fist in the air to give her statement more meaning and her members copied her. They depended on her. So, when the shooting began, Yeji tried to stick to her promise. She wanted to be a good leader and role model. Sometimes, however, when the camera wasn’t focused on her, she couldn’t help but to look at you. And sometimes it even seemed like you were stealing glances at her too. But Yeji didn’t allow herself to read anything into that. The group would always come first, and she didn’t have any time for distractions right now.

Lia

“Honestly I can’t even tell you when it happened.”

Lia whined while letting her head fall to the table with a thud, causing Yeji to pat her back.

“Don’t be so harsh on yourself. The heart simply does what it wants.”

Her leader tried to comfort her, but Lia still couldn’t believe that she had fallen for you. You were just friends and co-workers one moment and the next, her heart suddenly wanted to jump out of her chest every time she saw you.

“What am I supposed to do now?”

Lia pouted in hopes that her members could save her from this unfortunate situation. They could always relay on each other, so Lia hoped that one of them would come up with a sparkling idea. But unfortunately, all of them just looked at each other helplessly.

“I don’t know. Tell Y/N?”

Yuna eventually proposed, causing Lia to gasp.

“Tell Y/N??? Are you insane? Do you know how many things could go wrong? I mean what if my feelings are one-sided? Or what if they aren’t? It’s not like we could date?”

Lia felt like crying. Her situation was plainly hopeless. The only thing that she could hope for was that her crush for you would eventually just disappear. Although she knew that that was a foolish hope. It was more likely that she would perish from pining over you eventually...

Ryujin

“Wow your skin is glowing today, Ryujin!”

You praised Ryujin as soon as you stepped in front of her to do her makeup, causing her to smirk to herself.

“Hm maybe it’s because my day got five times better after seeing you.”

She winked cheekily in hopes to make you flustered, but instead you mirrored her expression.

“Or because you’re drop-dead gorgeous...”

You stated confidently and Ryujin’s jaw dropped.

“What?”

She asked dumfounded, feeling how a blush rose to her cheeks. Clearly satisfied with the effect that you had on her, you grinned from ear to ear and Ryujin shyly looked at her lap. She hadn’t expected you to flirt back. For weeks now, she had used every chance to bluntly communicate her attraction to you, but she had never actually thought that you would reciprocate any of her feelings. Nervously, Ryujin fidgeted with her fingers when you lifted her chin up to start doing her makeup. Flirting with you was a lot easier when she had thought that she didn’t have a chance. Now -all of a sudden- she realized how much trouble she could cause the two of you if she would continue to pursue you. Therefore, she refrained from dropping more flirtatious remarks and thought about the different paths that she could go from here instead. She couldn’t really risk both of your careers for this... or could she?

Chaeryeong

“Hi Chaeryeong.”

Happily, you greeted Chaeryeong with a wide smile playing on your lips like every morning. But like every morning, Chaeryeong could barely manage to look into your eyes.

“Hi.”

Her voice was almost a whisper, causing a dark shade of pink to spread in her cheeks.

“What was that? Hi...”

Ryujin laughed loudly while mocking Chaeryeong’s thin voice. The other members joined into her laughter and Chaeryeong hid her face behind her hands in embarrassment.

“Chaeryeong...you really have to stop making an idiot out of yourself every time Y/N is around...”

Yuna giggled and Chaeryeong hit the maknae scoldingly.

“I’m trying! But when Y/N looks at me...ugh...”

She huffed frustrated, causing the other members to laugh even louder.

“Seriously though... Y/N is our manager. You really need to get used to their presence.”

Yeji looked at Chaeryeong with a serious expression before patting her back encouragingly when she started pouting.

“I know but I can’t help it. My heart starts racing every time Y/N smiles or jokes around with us or...”

Chaeryeong started gushing over you but Ryujin interrupted her.

“...just breathes?”

She giggled, causing Lia to punch her when she saw that Chaeryeong was almost dying of embarrassment now. Was she really that obvious? Were you aware of her feelings then as well? Mortified, Chaeryeong let her head rest on Lia’s shoulder, allowing the older member to wrap her arm around her to comfort her. Why did love have to be so complicated?

Yuna

“Hey guys? I have a few questions...”

Yuna asked casually as all of them were lounging in the living room, waiting for their managers to pick them up, causing the older members to make some acknowledging sounds while typing away on their phones.

“So...is an intern a full staff member? Like you know...do the same rules apply to them as to the managers?”

The maknae continued and Yeji looked at her with confusion written all over her face.

“Um...yes they are. They also need to sign a contract.”

The oldest replied hesitantly, clearly not knowing what Yuna wanted with that information.

“Hm ok. So... purely hypothetical, what exactly would happen if a staff member would date one of us?”

Finally, Yuna’s question caught the attention of everyone in the room and all the members dropped their phones to their laps at once. Suspiciously, they eyed the youngest member who tried to win their goodwill by grinning cheekily.

“Why do you want to know all that?”

Ryujin narrowed her eyes and looked at Yuna sternly.

“No reason...”

She replied sheepishly, but the others didn’t buy into her lie.

“This is about Y/N, isn’t it? Yuna, you’re not doing something stupid, are you?”

Lia exclaimed, sounding half panicked, causing Yuna to avoid her gaze.

“Well...”

She trailed off and her members groaned in unison.

“I knew it! I told you guys that she’s flirting!!”

Chaeryeong yelled as she leaped to her feet.

From one moment to the other, agitated chatter broke loose in the living room and a thousand different words hailed down on Yuna. She had known that her members wouldn’t be too excited about her confession, but she had still wanted to get their advice. Especially because she knew herself that a relationship with a staff member wouldn’t be ideal. After seeing the panic in her members faces though, she wondered whether it had been reckless of her to flirt with you so freely the past weeks. Maybe she should wait until after your internship would end...

#itzy reaction #itzy #yeji #lia #ryujin #chaeryeong #yuna #girl group reaction #girl group #itzy x reader #idolxreader #kpop reaction #kpop #girl group imagine #itzy imagine

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latte-fairytaekwoon · 3 years

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𝑴𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂! 𝑨𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒛: 𝑺/𝑶 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒐 𝑫𝒐𝒎 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎 (𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅)

Disclaimer: In no way am I condoning, justifying, encouraging or promoting mafia behavior or lifestyle. This is simply a work of fiction and not meant to represent real life scenarios.

Warning: NSFW content. Read at your own discretion.

✿𝐾𝑖𝑚 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑗𝑜𝑜𝑛𝑔

"Baby? What are you doing?"

Hongjoong smirked as he watched you perch yourself on top of his work desk. You purposefully bent down so he could get a glimpse of your cleavage and a peek at the lace red bra that was part of the set he had bought you on your anniversary, his all time favorite. He sucked in a breath and licked his lips. He tried cupping your chin to kiss you, but you swatted his hand away.

"Nuh uh Kim Hongjoong. This time....I'm in charge." You grinned mischievously at him.

Hongjoong merely chuckled with an amused tone as you brushed your lips against his, your teeth biting on his lower lip.

"Don't play with fire baby. You'll get burned." He warned you.

But you ignored him, instead opting for kissing down his neck, leaving hickeys all over it. Hongjoong let you have your fun for a few minutes before slamming you down on his desk, hands pushing your skirt up, revealing your soaking red panties. Hongjoong snapped one of the garter belts' straps against your thigh and you let out a pathetic whimper at the sting.

"Now darling....let me remind you who's really in charge."

✿𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑆𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑔ℎ𝑤𝑎

You lifted your face up from the pillow, a tired groan coming out from your lips. Trying to lift yourself up on your arms, you fell back on the bed, body still shaking from the intensity of your little session with Seonghwa. You heard the devil himself get off the bed and start dressing himself. Turning your head, you saw him give you a cocky smile.

"What? Don't give me that look doll. You brought this upon yourself." He chuckled as he zipped up his pants.

You pouted as you rolled yourself onto your back, hissing at the sting in between your thighs. But at least now you made a mental note not to try to dom your boyfriend, unless you wanted him to make you cum 7 times in less than an hour.

Seonghwa did feel some pity for you though.

"Come on love, don't pout. You know I'll take care of you."

Seonghwa kissed your head before going inside the bathroom to start running you a warm bath to help soothe your aching body. You made grabby hands when he finally came out, making him roll his eyes at you when he picked you up.

"Ok come on you little brat. Let's get you cleaned up."

✿𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸

Yunho watched you sink yourself down on his huge cock, suppressing a moan that was threatening to come out. He agreed to let you top him for once, amused and curious to see exactly what you would pull out. He was fairly impressed but he also knew you were absolutely no top material. So he just watched you slide in and out of his cock, enjoying the visual of watching your breasts bounce in front of him.

"Y-Yunho?" He heard your voice cry out.

"Yes baby?" His hands rested themselves on the side of your hips, a smug grin on his face, knowing exactly what was happening.

"I.....I..." You bit your lip as your movement slowed down, beginning to feel tired already.

Yunho cooed at you in a mocking tone.

"Giving up so soon honey? What a shame."

You gasped when Yunho sat up, his hand grabbing the back of your head as he began pounding into you from underneath, making you writhe and shake uncontrollably as you neared your high so soon. Yunho's raspy voice had you whimpering as he whispered in your ear.

"Don't get it wrong baby. I'm still the boss."

✿𝐾𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑌𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑔

Yeosang raised an eyebrow at you.

"Y/N....." He warned you.

You smirked at him.

"Whaaat?" You imitated his tone.

"Watch it." He sternly told you.

"Or what? Tell me. What are you going to do Yeosang?"

You leaned your face close to his, trying to intimidate him. Although Yeosang did back away from you, he was by no means intimidated. He just blinked at you, staying completely silent, which you erroneously mistook as him submitting to you.

"That's what I thought. The great Kang Yeosang is nothing but a little sub-"

Your words got caught in your mouth as soon as Yeosang's hand wrapped around your neck, applying pressure on the side. The corner of his lip curled slightly.

"That's more like it. Quiet, hushed little baby that knows when to keep their mouth shut."

He leaned in as his grip tightened around your neck, his lips ghosting over your lips.

"Why not put that big fat mouth of yours to work darling? I'm itching to watch you choke on my cock."

✿𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑖 𝑆𝑎𝑛

"Still thought you had a chance at topping me baby?"

San landed another hard smack on your ass as his hips sped up, your walls clenching around him.

"I-I..." You began stuttering now.

"Pathetic. Can't even form any words." He clicked his tongue.

San pulled you up against his chest, his free hand toying with your nipples.

"See? See how you're just my dumb little slut? My cock can't even let you think straight." He teased you.

When he felt you getting close, he halted his movements, making you whine at being denied your orgasm.

"San! I want to cum!" You told him.

San leaned in and whispered in your ear with an evil tone.

"Then beg for it you little slut. Beg me to fuck you until it hurts."

You whimpered but obliged nonetheless.

"Please! San! Let me cum!"

It wasn't good enough for San though.

"Beg harder for me you little whore......"

You almost came at nothing when he added:

"And it's master to you slave."

✿𝑆𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑖

Mingi chuckled when you pinned his arms on the bed, making you frown.

"Mingi!" You whined, rather too cutely than what the situation called for.

"Yes baby?" He couldn't help but smile fondly at you.

"I'm trying to take charge right now and you're not being cooperative." You complained.

Mingi couldn't help but giggle.

"Honey, it's kinda hard to take you seriously when you get all whiny like that."

You huffed and released his arms.

"I'm done here."

You moved to get off him, but he held you in place.

"Hold on now princess/prince. I'm not exactly finished yet."

Licking his lips, he began sucking on your neck, leaving red spots along the side. You knew he was smirking every time you made a particularly loud noise.

When Mingi chuckled darkly, you knew you were screwed.

"Just cause I treat you like royalty, doesn't mean you always get it your way. Remember..."

He winked at you as he pinned you down on the bed, arms raised above you with just one of his hands.

"I'm still your king."

✿𝐽𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔

Wooyoung had the biggest shit eating grin on his face as he looked down at the state you were in.

"Hmmm? What was that you said before? Care to repeat it?"

At this point you couldn't reply even if you wanted to, his fingers were moving so fast inside of you and your vision was becoming more and more blurry. Wooyoung noticed too.

"Oh that's right. I remember you're all bark and no bite hun."

Your back arched off the bed when he found that special place that would have you quivering in seconds. The squelching sounds coming from Wooyoung's abuse on your tight hole and your pants were the only things heard through the room, the neighbors would probably think you two were filming a porn video.

Wooyoung let out a satisfied groan when you came, his movements slowing down gradually to help you ride out your thigh. He pulled his fingers out, making sure to collect some of your cum and spread it around his fingers to show you.

"See baby? Got you cumming in less than 3 minutes."

You blushed as you recollected what you said earlier that day, regretting that you underestimated him and got too confident with yourself.

"I'm the real dom in this relationship baby."

✿𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑖 𝐽𝑜𝑛𝑔ℎ𝑜

You could tell Jongho was trying so hard to contain himself from laughing at your pitiful attempt to dom him.

"I'm gonna have you be-begging for me baby boy." You cursed yourself for stuttering.

Jongho, always the sweetheart for you, simply played along.

"Oh yeah? Tell me what are you going to do to me?" He purposefully flexed his arm muscles through his white dress shirt, effectively distracting you.

You knew this was a stupid idea. Who were you kidding? You were no dom, especially not when you were dating someone like Jongho. He patiently waited for your reply, looking at you so cheerfully and cutely.

Sighing in defeat, you got off him.

"I can't do this! Jongho just fuck me against the wall or something!"

As soon as the words were out, he picked you up very easily and slammed you onto the nearest wall. Your hands gripped his arms, loving the way his they felt under the material of his shirt. You sucked in a breath when he began undoing his belt.

"I thought you'd never ask baby..."

Gifs not mine. Credit goes to their respective owners.

#ateez #ateez reactions #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez smut #ateez hongjoong #ateez seonghwa #ateez yunho #ateez yeosang #ateez san #ateez mingi #ateez wooyoung #ateez jongho

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erictmason · 2 years

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Sonic Boom (A “Sonic the Hedgehog 2″ Review)

OK, full disclosure: I didn’t especially like the first “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie. I appreciate what other fans saw in it, and I’d even say I agree: the movie’s portrayal of Sonic himself was genuinely pretty good, an interesting reinterpretation of the character that plays him more as an overly energetic Kid in contrast to the Teenager With Attitude he’s traditionally portrayed as, matched with a charming vocal performance by Ben Schwartz and an intensely appealing design from fan-favorite artist Tyson Hesse. But as important as getting Sonic right is to a “Sonic” movie, for me it’s not enough to compensate for a story that was, at best, pretty generic, with some frustratingly poor effects work and some thoroughly uninspired directing. Oh, and I also really didn’t like Jim Carrey’s Robotnik, who for me never stopped feeling like An Excuse For Jim Carrey To Do Schtick first, with any sort of actual consistent characterization a very distant second. Again, I get why others feel differently, but that’s just where it lands for me.

So it should tell you something significant that I find myself a lot more favorably disposed to “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”.

To be clear, that’s not the same as saying I thought it was the absolute best; it recreates a lot of the first movie’s weaknesses and adds on some truly baffling ones of its own. The story especially remains less than spectacular; it’s thankfully not as bland as the first one, pulling more overtly from the narrative of the “Sonic” games enough to give itself a slightly more distinct personality, but it still struggles with things like Pacing (the second act especially is inexcusably bloated, but we’ll get to the specifics on that in a minute) and Coherency. That last point is especially frustrating when it comes to Tails, a mainstay of the “Sonic” games who joins the movies here. While still voiced with appreciable charm by his long-time VA Colleen O’Shaughnessey, the story only ever kind of knows what to do with him; his motivations are left frustratingly vague, and he ultimately isn’t given as much to do or as much importance to the story as you might expect. It’s not a total failure, indeed ultimately Tails’ presence (and Knuckles’ as well, but again I’ll get to that in a bit) proves a worthwhile one for how he brings with him his iconic friendship with Sonic and how well that works for both characters, but it is hard to miss how minor Tails feels here, especially compared to some of the stuff the movie wastes time on that I rather wished it hadn’t. In particular it attempts to beef up the roles of returning minor characters from the previous film in ways that didn’t really work for me; that’s bad enough when it comes to a needless sub-plot involving Adam Pally’s Deputy Wade and Lee Madjoub’s Agent Stone which at least has the good sense to be short even as it doesn’t really add anything to the main story, but it is very bad in the case of that distended second act I mentioned. That’s where the movie very obviously and forcibly twists itself in such a way as to shift focus away from literally any of the characters we are actually supposed to be following to instead turn into a completely different movie focused around Natasha Rockwell’s Rachel and newcomer Shemar Moore as her fiancé Randall, a pair of characters who, up until that exact moment, have been utterly inconsequential to the main story, and will in fact return to being completely inconsequential the moment their tedious mini-movie runs its course. Mind you, I’m even willing to say something half-way nice about this, as the nasty jokes at Rachel’s expense were one of my least favorite aspects of the first movie, and I also at least theoretically appreciate the chance this affords Tika Sumpter’s Maddie to do more this time around, but it’s just so enervating and unfunny to me and it seriously comes out of nowhere and grinds the entire rest of the movie to a halt. I don’t even especially like it for the Lore-Building function it’s meant to serve (which I won’t spoil here), which feels like it could and indeed should have been handled literally any other way.

But for all those criticisms, I did ultimately say I came out of this one feeling fairly good about it, and that holds true. The key (and you’ll notice this applies to why so much of what I just talked about doesn’t work for me) is that the movie is much more explicitly centered on Sonic, who remains as charming and endearing a presence here as he was before but now has even greater room to really flourish because everything now relates much more directly to him, rather than having to be mediated through other characters first. That’s especially true of Carrey; I’m still not entirely sold on him in this particular role, but not only does the movie at least work a little harder to make his Robotnik feel like an actual character rather than a fairly random string of Comedy Moments, but moreover Carrey’s willfully petulant take on him plays so much more effectively when it’s bouncing off of the childish Sonic, and especially when complemented by the real MVP of the whole thing, Knuckles the Echidna. Played by Idris Elba, who is hardly taxing himself here but nonetheless delivers a fun performance that makes perfect use of his signature deep voice both for Menace and for humor (the movie gets a very impressive amount of mileage out of having him deliver his portentous proclamations with the exact same tone with which he naively blunders through misunderstandings), he acts as a great foil to both Sonic and Robotnik with his earnestness and forthrightness, which both makes him a meaningfully difficult obstacle for Sonic to conquer and a plausible stooge for Robotnik to manipulate toward his own ends without either one just rendering him a total clown. Despite my earlier complaints, Tails too works at fleshing Sonic’s character out by being a genuine peer to him, someone Sonic can relate to on his own level, and perhaps even more importantly by being someone Sonic feels obligated to protect. That last point is especially significant; the first movie was mostly about Sonic trying to keep himself out of trouble with others coming to his rescue, but here the emotional and thematic arc of the film centers on Sonic trying to be the Protector to those he cares about most. The way that initially starts with his belief that he needs to find an Epic Quest with which to prove himself but ends with his recognizing that it isn’t just about him honestly works far better than I would’ve expected; it’s not exactly the freshest storyline, but the movie commits to it sincerely enough, with enough emotionally authentic moments (again, especially when it comes to how Sonic’s affection for Tails develops and then drives him) to make it resonate. And pushing all of that over the edge is the movie’s action sequences. I will say that another problem from the first film that the sequel carries over is a certain weakness for compositing its animated characters into shots; it’s mostly fine when they’re primarily interacting with each other, but there are several instances where they interact with real-world objects that just look and feel notably poor. But this time around, a lot more of the movie is almost entirely animated than isn’t, so it never becomes that distracting a problem, and moreover the various action set-pieces here feel a lot more energetic and inventive than the original. I give a lot of credit for that to Tyson Hesse, for the record, who returns here in a major creative role as Storyboard Supervisor, and his influence on things is very keenly felt all throughout, especially during the movie’s climax, which handily serves as the big highlight of the whole thing with its delightful mix of Epic Action, Charming Personality, and Satisfying Pay-Offs.

Look, if you’re not already a big “Sonic” fan, I don’t imagine this movie is going to do much for you; I enjoyed it myself, but it’s not especially hard for me to recognize its limitations. Still and all, though, rounded out as it is by some very well-picked fan-friendly references, a sense of humor that works more often than it doesn’t (well, outside of that truly bizarre tangent in Act 2), and a brighter more energized overall spirit, as a long-time “Sonic” fan this definitely feels a lot more like the movie I would want out of this series. Which probably slants my opinions in a fairly biased way, but so be it; there’s only so far one can fight against one’s self in the name of objectivity, and in this case? Yeah, this movie gave me a lot more of what I wanted, and I’m really glad for that.

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog 2 #sonic the hedgehog: the movie #review #ericthemason #My writing

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heavensmortuary · 3 years

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🍁🍂🍁🍂Alright, since its mid-September, its time for my annual spooky movie reccomedation list! I include ratings, and I can include trigger warnings for any of these films upon request as well! I'm also looking for horror movies to watch myself, so feel free to comment/ask any as well!! So, here we go, in no particular order...🍁🍂🍁🍂

Fantasy/sci-fi horror:

The Thing 1982 [R]: A group of scientists find a shapeshifting alien underneath the ice in Antarctica, and they just survive as it imitates them. Trust no one. The Thing is one of my favorite movies in general. Its scary, retro, and the special effects are insane. It reminds me of classic Lovecraft, but better. Very terrifying. 10/10

Pan's Labyrinth 2006 [R]: During the Spanish Civil War, a young girl named Ofelia enters a world of twisted fantasy while above, her step-father's brutality causes trouble in the midst of a rebellion. Genuinely a beautiful movie. It's like a fairy-tale, and sometimes you forget it's a horror movie. It's simply magical, but frighteningly real. If you love classic fantasy, monsters, history, and horror, you'll love this movie. 10/10

Alien 1979 [R]: A team on a shipping vessel in soace come in contact with a parasitic alien within the clausterphobic confines of the ship. A classic, and it's still absolutely terrifying. Sharp insight on early 80's consumerism (in more than one sense), and a marvel of alien horror. Its very claustrophobic, tense, and 100% worth watching, especially if you love scifi. 10/10.

Aliens 1986 [R]: Continuing the story of Alien, space marines must investigate a distress signal from a colony, and what they find is more horrifying than they could have imagined. Full of retro action, humorous quips, scares, and plenty of bullet spray, it's a terrifying and fun watch. I enjoyed it just as much as the original, and its just awesome, while being scary at times. 10/10

Annihilation 2018 [R]: After the mysterious death of her husband, a Biologist goes into Area X to discover what horrifying cosmic entity his team found there. Not nearly as good, or accurate as the book (I CANT reccomend the Southern Reach trilogy enough), but this movie genuinely frightened me at points and the setting is simply beautiful. Its clever, creepy, and it's a strange watch. 8/10

Signs 2002 [PG-13]: After strange symbols appear in the cornfields on a family's farm, they must protect each other, and their faith, during the invasion. Love this movie, it's just spooky enough, but outside if the monsters, the people in this movie are what really matter. It's compelling, and a beautiful story. Simply excellent. Plus you'll know where the screaming guy in a closet meme comes from after seeing this one. 10/10

A Quiet Place 2018 [PG-13]: Could you survive a world where making a single sound could spell your death? Monsters decend upon the Abbot family, just as a baby is on the way. One of my favorite movies ever. Its beautiful and ABSOLUTELY horrifying. I think I forgot about eating my popcorn while watching this one. Overall, the desperate survival of the Abbots is heartwarming, but oh so stressful. If you can, PLEASE watch the sequel right after this one. 10/10

A Quiet Place 2 2021 [PG-13]: The Abbots face new challenges as they traverse a devestated landscape, and monsters wait around every dark corner for them. An EXCELLENT sequel. I caught myself actually going "NOOO AAAA" at some points, and its totally a worthy sequel to the scares in the first one. Again, great story, great characters, great cinematography, great message. 10/10.

Coraline 2009 [PG]: Coraline Jones, unhappy with moving to a new house, suddenly finds a whimsical world in a little hidden tunnel inside the house, but she learns the sinister truth behind the candy-colored world beyond the wall. Dont let the stop-motion animation confuse you; this movie is terrifying. A classic from my childhood, and its a treat to watch every Halloween. The Beldam has to be on the list of the most horrifying villains ever. 10/10

Zombies, ghosts, ghouls, and everything in between:

The Haunting 1963 [G]: Based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House, a group of people must stay in a supposedly haunted mansion. Eleanor, one of the women, suddenly believes that the house is talking directly to her. One of the many adaptations of the book, it's spooky, and it's very disturbing, while also having a nice theme. Perfect for setting the mood on a October night. 8/10

Night of The Living Dead 1990 [R]: Survivors take shelter in an abandoned farm house while the undead attack. Can they work together, or let their own prejudices get the best of them? I havent seen the original yet, but I love this movie. Very scary, and its directed by Tom Savini, so lots of good ol zombie gore. Not only that, there's a good bit of social commentary here on racism. The classic was the original zombie film. 9/10.

Dawn of The Dead 1978 [R]: As the undead rise up, survivors take to a shopping mall in order to survive. I don't know how to describe this movie's vibe. It has this weird retro 70's feel, mixed with uncanny horror. It's campy at times, but it doesn't take away the scariness. Very fun in a weird way, and its an on-the-nose satire of american consumerism. 10/10

Train To Busan 2016 [R]: While the world crumbles around them, a small group of survivors must learn to protect each other on a train headed to Busan. Seriously, please watch this one. It's completely unique to any zombie film I've seen. It's scary, but you genuinely care about the characters, and its VERY intense. Love this one. 10/10

Murder and ect:

Scream 1990 [R]: A masked serial killer stalks high school students in middle class suburbia. Its a parody of the modern horror genre, clever and scary all at once. I enjoyed it as a classic and I liked the commentary on how violence with no essence effects people, especially when glorified with horror films. Definitely not for everyone, but its good never the less. 8/10

Wait Until Dark 1967 [NR (I give it a PG-13)]: A gang of criminals looking for heroin attack the home of a blind woman, and it turns into a horrifying game of back and forth between them, until it can go on no longer. Literally one of the best thriller movies ever. Genuinely scary, and genuinely clever. This was actually the first film I saw Audrey Hepburn act in. Super tense near the end, I was biting my nails the whole time. 10/10

The Village 2004 [PG-13]: A rural community is faced with a hard decision as the monsters in the woods leave bloody warnings around their small town. I watch this one every autumn. Its atmospheric, the score is breathtaking, and its a great story. Its beautiful, gently frightening, and its overall a love story. I love this one a lot, even though I know a lot of people didnt like it. Don't go in expecting a great twist at the end, and you'll enjoy it. 10/10

Jane Eyre 2011 [PG-13]: Jane Eyre becomes the governness to an estate, and find a dark secret there. Not necessarily horror, but its gothic and absolutely beautiful. Its the perfect october movie. I love it lots. Nothing hits different than a rainy october day, a cup of chai tea, and this movie playing. 10/10

TV Series:

Stranger Things 2016- [PG-13]: After a child is taken by a supernatural force, the small town community of Hawkins must search for answers and find him before its too late, but as they search, a horrifying conspiracy comes to life before them. I adore this series. Its a love letter to the 80s. Cant reccomend it enough. 10/10

The Twilight Zone 1959-1964 [PG]: A serialized series featuring many different stories ranging from scifi to horror and everything inbetween. Its genius honestly. Each story is compelling, and thought provoking. A great Halloween watch. 10/10

The Walking Dead 2010- (seasons 1 & 2) [R]: A sheriff wakes up from a coma to find himself in a terrifying world of the undead. Its a decent series, at least in the first two seasons! Its pretty scary. Its great if you like zombie movies! 7/10

Over The Garden Wall 2014 [PG]: Two brothers find themselves lost within the world of the Unknown, a place where time is blended together and reality isn't quite right. Ok, real talk here. Its my favorite series of all time. I could go on and on and on about it. If you haven't seen it, please I beg you. Theres nothing like it. Its literally the BEST autumn show to watch. Clever, funny, lightly disturbing, deep, nostalgic...its fantastic. 11/10

So, there you have it. Huge list of horror movies I've enjoyed and actually reccomend. I have seen quite a few more than this (Halloween, Dawn of the Dead 2004, Nightmare on Elm Street, ect), but I specifically picked out the ones I love the most. Enjoy! And have a great autumn.

#krakens croaks #hope yall enjoy!!#feel free to rb and add some reccomenations

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plasticnightmaredoll · 3 years

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So, the "Justice League" finally got its own movie, eh? Oh, that thing from 2017 was just trash. It's gone. We don't need to look at it anymore.

But in all seriousness, it's great people called out for the Zack Snyder cut of the movie and actually got it! And, yes, it is a vast improvement over the Joss Whedon cut.

Now, my feelings about the DCEU have been pretty divided:

I actually did enjoy "Man of Steel" and found Superman to be relatable and likable for once (I'm not a Superman fan and don't come for me)

"Wonder Woman" was very entertaining and easily the best entry for me in the movie series so far.

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" was a hot mess. Lots of good ideas but it was executed poorly. It felt kind of cheesy at times, especially that whole "Save Martha" thing. Jesse Eisenburg is not a convincing Lex Luthor. Ben Affleck is not a good actor and is a terrible Batman/Bruce Wayne. He's not as bad as George Clooney, but he's not much better either.

"Wonder Woman 1984" was a massive glow-down. Poor quality writing, Maxwell Lord was a weak villain, Cheetah was laughable, and the ending was so goddamn corny! Not to mention, it took ages for anything interesting to happen, and what was the deal with Steve Trevor possessing another dude's body? I mean...what?

Haven't seen "Suicide Squad" in its entirety but I do know and have seen enough to decide that it's a huge misstep. Haven't seen "Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" either but I have some interest in it so perhaps someday.

Haven't watched "Aquaman" but probably will eventually but I'm just not very motivated to see it. I like Jason Mamoa as Aquaman/Arthur Curry, but...I don't know. The trailers didn't really grab my attention.

The 2017 Joss Whedon version of "Justice League" was terrible -- worse than "Batman v Superman," worse than "Wonder Woman 1984." I thought the movie moved too quickly, lacked proper character development, and had some bad CGI (I mean, Mustache Gate, am I right?)

Onto the Synder Cut for "Justice League!" Spoilers ahead, of course:

These are really a collection of thoughts, opinions, and observations I had while watching the movie. I have only seen the 2017 film once and honestly don't want to watch it ever again, not even to "refresh my memory" of some details.

Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf was such a pitiful villain in the Whedon Cut. The CGI for him was terrible, and he looked like some weird dude in armor. His personality and motives were paper thin as well. He was a throw-away, token villain, and the only things memorable about him was his name and voice.

In the Snyder Cut, not only was Steppenwolf's CGI much more refined, his character design was imposing. His armor seemed to be alive, too, always shifting slightly, this way and that, which was an impressive sight. His motives, while nothing too deep or extraordinary, gave him a little more depth: he pissed off Darkseid and had to make up for it, and was clearly afraid of what could happen to him if he failed.

The name and voice obviously were still memorable but combined with the other improvements to his character, they were icing on the cake.

That being said, I don't think Steppenwolf is as intriguing or even remotely sympathetic as Loki and Thanos in the MCU.

Darkseid

Was Darkseid even mentioned in the Whedon cut? I can't remember and I don't want to watch that shitty movie again just to find out. However, I don't recall Darkseid making an appearance or even being spoken of in the 2017 version. Now, I haven't read DC (or Marvel) comics, so I don't know a lot about the guy, but he is supposedly one of the more iconic villains.

His motives are pretty simple, though: command and conquer. There isn't a lot of depth so far in the movies but he does pose a much larger threat than Steppenwolf did. You could tell Steppenwolf was intimidated by Darkseid, who was about as cold and menacing as they come. He's a complete villain in that regard, having no emotions and only seeking power for himself.

He looked great in the Snyder Cut. He was actually really fucking scary-looking. He made the beefcake Steppenwolf look like a puppy.

I'm glad that Darkseid made an appearance, even if he didn't fight the Justice League. It alludes to a much broader story, as well as foreshadows an epic boss fight down the line -- assuming the Snyder Cut is popular enough to convince the studios to make a direct sequel and not just abandon things in favor of some sort of soft reboot.

Superman/Clark Kent/Henry Cavill/Mustache Gate

Let's get this out of the way: Henry Cavill is hot af.

Ok, now that we got that out of the way, hooray for Snyder for getting rid of those nasty reshoot scenes involving Henry's CGI'd mouth! Can't say I missed them, you know? I mean, in the 2017 Whedon Cut, you could always spot reshoot scenes based on whether or not Henry's mouth looked normal and totally strange.

I think the 2017 movie had Superman grab Batman by the neck and ask, "Tell me: Do you bleed?" I'm relieved that was removed from the Synder Cut because it added too much of an evil tone to Superman, and we could clearly tell he was most upset with Batman upon being revived.

One massive problem with the 2017 movie was that it made every member of the Justice League look like bumbling idiots without Superman's help. It was downright embarrassing and unrealistic. I mean, you're telling me that Wonder Woman, a goddess, can't take on Steppenwolf? Or Victor Stone, a cyborg with incredible abilities? Making Superman key to winning isn't the problem, it's how it was done in the 2017 movie. He's already OP but that shouldn't mean his comrades have to be useless in comparison.

Superman was allowed to be OP in the Snyder Cut without making his team look incompetent. Like in the Avengers movies, everyone in the Justice League had a purpose and all of them worked together to defeat Steppenwolf. Superman obviously was key to winning, but, again, it wasn't like he was the only capable one during the battle.

I did like the black suit. It's kind of ominous but also very cool at the same time. But is it also foreshadowing something? I don't know...I haven't read the comics so I really don't have any idea lol.

Batman/Bruce Wayne/Batfleck

One glaring issue I still have is Ben Affleck is a mediocre actor at best and he's a terrible Bruce Wayne/Batman. I mean, they couldn't have found anyone else? Someone with, like, good acting abilities?

Martian Manhunter

This whole time -- THIS WHOLE GOTDAMM TIME -- Martian Manhunter was hiding in plain sight! General Swanwick, who I remember from "Man of Steel," IS Martian Manhunter. I didn't see that coming. I mean, I knew Martian Manhunter would appear in the Snyder Cut but I didn't know he'd have an alternate identity, let alone that of an existing character in the DCEU.

As much as I did like seeing him, I am glad he didn't play a big part because the movie already has plenty of characters as is, and introducing yet another one could have slowed things down and taken away from developing the plot.

The Runtime/Pacing

I mentioned already that the Whedon Cut felt rushed and needed much more time to develop its characters and plot. While I had doubts about whether or not making "Justice League" four hours long would be a good idea, it turns out that it was just what the story needed.

Character development was actually existent, and Cyborg/Victor Stone received a detailed backstory, and Flash/Barry Allen got some extra tidbits added to his character's story/background as well.

I actually thought Victor was a fascinating (if a bit tragic) character in the Whedon cut and was disappointed that he just sort of, like, popped up and fought alongside the other Justice League members with the tiniest amount of depth.

Despite an epic 4-hour runtime, it didn't feel slow, nor did it feel like any scenes were "filler." Every scene had a purpose and kept the story moving at a steady, comprehensible pace. It felt more like a 2.5-3 hour movie, honestly, which is a feat since pacing can often be one of a film's biggest issues ("Avengers: Endgame" also accomplished this feat with its 3-hour runtime feeling more like 2-2.5 hours but with no negative side effects of that). Breaking the movie into chapters, including an epilogue was a tad strange because it's not a very common thing, but I think it helped break up the epic 4 hours into separate, manageable but still cohesive pieces. Also, they helped easily transition from one portion to the next smoothly without any awkward cuts.

The Flash/Barry Allen/Ezra Miller

Barry still amused me in the Whedon Cut. He brought some good-natured humor and charm to the movie, preventing it from being too brooding and intense.

I think Ezra is a talented actor and does well in the Barry Allen role but he is, unfortunately, a problematic person. I mean, if he gets recast, he gets recast but hopefully, they pick someone else who has some acting abilities worth noting (i.e. Not a Ben Affleck type of actor)

The Final Battle

It was a huge improvement over the 2017 cut, as everyone was key to winning the final battle, not just Superman. It is meant to be a team of costumed heroes defeating a villain, not just one OP member of the team outdoing everyone else.

That being said, I felt that the final battle was a little bit anti-climatic. I don't know what it was but I just thought that it would be longer? I expected more to happen? More fighting? Not sure how to describe it, but I do feel like it wasn't as impressive as it could have been.

The Epilogue

A dystopian future involving an evil Superman and Joker somehow working WITH Batman was just...crazy. I mean, evil Superman, I can believe, but Joker and Batman working together (even reluctantly) is quite a sight.

Based on what I've been reading, this nightmare Bruce has could be setting up not one but two sequels for "Justice League." I would like to see how things will play out even if things get kind of dark. I'm getting the impression that Darkseid will kill Lois Lane, thus breaking Superman emotionally and making him compliant. That is unless Bruce intervenes in this timeline and prevents that from happening...but at the expense of his own life. Oh dear...

I definitely enjoyed the Zack Snyder version of "Justice League," and would definitely watch it again and again and again. I already have forgotten the majority of the Whedon Cut, and after seeing Synder's version, I think the 2017 movie will be rendered null and void. I hope it is just expelled from the DCEU canon entirely. That, and we get the "Justice League" sequels, preferably from Zack Snyder (Say what you want but I think he is a pretty good director for the most part and seems to really care about this work).

I honestly want to see a fight between the Justice League and Darkseid because I think that's what we're trying to build up to, and seeing as how Darkseid is one of the legendary villains in the DC comics, I would be extremely disappointed if this doesn't come to pass.

Also, as much as I like Batman/Bruce Wayne, seeing him sacrifice himself to save the team, including Lois and thus Superman's sanity, would be something else. It would bring everyone even closer together, for one, and I think that the negativity shared between Batman and Superman in the past would be completely forgiven. I'm not saying there isn't forgiveness now, but dying to save Superman's wife would change everything....if that makes sense? Does it make sense? I'm terrible at explaining my thoughts sometimes.

#justice league #zack snyder #dceu #snyder cut #zack snyder's justice league #superman #wonder woman #the flash #cyborg #martian manhunter #darkseid #steppenwolf #batman #barry allen #bruce wayne #diana prince #victor stone #aquaman #arthur curry

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myhockeyworld87 · 4 years

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Bubble Wrapped - Part 4

Word Count: 5,762

POV: Reader

Warnings: Same as always, Language, Smut, NSFW, Please see the note in the Masterlist

Teams: Bruins, Caps, Flyers, Lightning and Pens

Notes: This part got a little crazy...haha! We have a lot of players involved this time, so I hope you guys like it. Feedback is always welcome. Happy Reading!!!

Day three and four in the bubble were sedate. There were a few minor glitches here and there, but not any brawls or fighting, and you weren't thrown in the pool again. You chalked it more up to the fact that the teams were practicing more and watching films so there was a bit less downtime. After breakfast on day five, you made your rounds, making sure that the conference rooms were cleaned to perfection for the lunch crowd and doing the same with each workout room. Though the latter was a bit more complex considering most of them were occupied.

Once you found everything under control, you headed over to the tennis courts and found Sidney Crosby playing on the one court with a couple of his teammates. It felt kind of wrong to just stand there and watch him, but you couldn't help yourself. He had on a pair of black sweats and a grey Pens t-shirt that clung to his body from where he was working up a sweat. His locks were shorn as if he had just gotten them cut before coming in the bubble. Every muscle was defined as he would swing the racket and connect with the ball. Automatically, your eyes went to his ass, which was just sheer perfection and you longed to feel his glutes under your fingertips. There was part of you that wished he was wearing shorts so you could appreciate his thighs as well. Your eyes followed every move that he made, every swing of the racket; step of that he took. It made you weak in the knees and your mouth go dry.

You tried concentrating on the other players, Letang, Hornqvist, and Petterson, but your eyes always came back to Sid. It's been five days in the bubble and you'd yet to get Sid alone, as he was always surrounded by teammates or coaches. You were going to have to do something soon, for there was always the chance they could end up losing in the qualifying rounds. You waited until they finished, then grabbed the fresh pile of towels that were sitting on the outside table, and decided to take them inside the court. They normally stayed outside, but it wouldn't hurt for them to be inside the court. They were just walking out, and you used your ass to open the door, making as if you didn't know they were coming out. As the door open, you stumbled forward, only to have Sid's strong arms grab you. "Oh sorry, I didn't realize anyone was there?" You told him.

"No, it's my fault, I should've been paying attention instead of chirping these two," Sid said, his arms still around you.

"Anyone need a towel?" You offered with a smile and only then did his hands come off your waist, so he could grab one. The other three did as well and soon you only had a couple left. "Everything fine with your stay here?"

"Oh yeah, we always love staying here," Sid commented and the other three agreed.

"Whoever put these tennis courts in was a genius," Letang added.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to mention that you appreciate my ingenuity to my bosses when I talk to them."

"No way, it was your idea?" Sid seemed impressed and you didn't mind taking the credit since the courts had been your idea when they decided to build this hotel.

"I've been affiliated with the company for a while, and had a lot of ideas for when we built this place."

"No wonder they put you in charge of the place for this whole thing. You've really done an awesome job." The compliment from Sid had you blushing.

"Thank you, if there's anything at all you need; don't hesitate to call me." You made sure that you looked Sid in the eye as you said that. Letang elbowed him at your insinuation.

"We'll meet you upstairs," Hornqvist stated then patted Sid on the shoulder and the three left the two of you alone.

It was a bit awkward at first, but then you broke the silence. "So are you missing Pittsburgh at all?"

"Nah, not really. It was kind of boring quarantining alone. This is a nice change of pace." Well, at least you had your answer about if he had anyone waiting at home for him. "Are you into architecture that you had this idea of the tennis courts?"

"I took a few classes in college. I find it intriguing. I'm by no means an architect but I have great ideas." Well, that sounded a bit conceded. "I mean, I'd like to think they are great at least."

"Architecture has always fascinated me as well. What else did you do here?"

"Well, the rooftop pool was, though that took a little bit of engineering. I just loved the idea of having it up there. We ended up sacrificing the indoor part to have it, but I think it was totally worth it." It was definitely a highlight of the hotel, well as long as you weren't being shoved into by a certain rat player.

"Oh, it's definitely beautiful. I'd love to see something like this in Pittsburgh, maybe we can steal you away from here and get you to think up something for us." A cute little smirk appeared on his face and you wanted to kiss him so bad. What was it about this man that just made you weak? You'd only ever felt this way around one other guy, but that wasn't what you wanted to think about now.

"Well, I'm sure you could persuade me if you wanted to."

"Really?" Sid didn't seem so unaffected by you as Tyler assumed. Apparently, hockey wasn't the only think on his mind.

"Yes, in fact…"

"(Y/N), I need you in the kitchen it's an emergency." Logan said breathless, as he came rushing into the tennis court.

"Sounds like you're needed," Sid stated grabbing the door and holding it open for you. "I'll let you go."

You were seriously going to murder Logan, especially if this was like the towel incident. "Yeah, I should probably go, but if you need anything call me." You rushed out to follow Logan, plotting the many ways to kill him on your way to the kitchen. It had better be on fire. When you walked into the kitchen things seemed under control. "What seems to be the problem, Logan? Things look fine."

"Oh, they're not though. Chef said that no one brought in the dirty dishes from conference room two and now we don't know if we'll have enough plates for lunch." If Logan made it out of the bubble alive, it would be a damn miracle.

"Sorry (Y/N), I thought when I told him that he would go get the dishes and not you."

"It's ok Marco." You told the chef, before turning to Logan. "Could you please go get the dishes, then bring them in here and wash them." You tried to spell it out as best you could for the kid.

"Yeah, sure I can do that. Don't know why I didn't think of that before." You didn't know why he didn't either, but he had just effectively ruined your opportunity with Sid. At least you were able to lay the foundation so that hopefully the next time you saw him, you'd be a bit more successful. Logan scurried out of the kitchen and Marco again apologized for not being more specific with the young pup.

Marco told you he'd keep a better eye on Logan the rest of the day so that you wouldn't have to worry about him, and you thanked the chef and went on your way. The rest of the day went pretty easy. You tried to look for Sidney but seemed to just miss him, so you called it a night and went to your suite to get ready for bed. You were just slipping out of your skirt when the phone rang. "Hey Car, I was just going to grab a glass of wine and head to bed. What's up?"

"Well, there's a little congregation in conference room one. It's not out of hand or anything, but they really shouldn't be in there since it's all ready for breakfast."

"So tell them to move to their floor."

"You know me Y/N, I'm chicken shit around these guys." It was true Carly was used to saying yes with being a concierge and most of her dealing were on the phone and she could get what she wanted that way but face to face, she found it hard to say no, or in this case move somewhere else. "Besides, I don't think they're all from the same team."

"Ok, I'll be down in a minute." You threw on an oversized shirt and leggings and headed down to the conference room. You were surprised to see that two members of the Flyers and two from the Penguins were playing cards. It was common knowledge that the two teams were rivals, but they seemed to be enjoying the game. Well, you could hear some chirps back and forth but it seemed to be in fun. "Hey guys, I hate to break up this party but you can't be in here."

"Aww, come on, we promise to keep the fighting to a minimum." Carter Hart said with a cute innocent little look on his face and it reminded you that Tyler said to keep away from him and not corrupt the boy.

"Seriously Y/N, it's all in good fun," Brandon Tanev echoed and you really started to wonder if everyone in this damn place knew your name. "Hayes and I have a long-standing game from when we both played for the Jets. Thought we'd get these two involved in it since we're all here."

"I don't care if you guys play. You just can't play here." You told them as you took in the money laid out on the table as well as the hand that Hart had. You wanted to tell him to fold for his hand was shit.

"Well, there's nowhere else this time of night." Zach Aston-Reese chimed in. He had a point, most of the common areas closed at this time of night.

"So like what are we talking, only a few more hands, or is this some all-night game, because I may have an alternative."

"Not all night, we've got a game in the morning." Kevin Hayes said reminding you that the two played each other in exhibition tomorrow.

"And no one's going to flip a table or throw a punch?" Your question was definitely valid, considering how'd you seen the two teams go at each other on the ice.

"Scouts honor," ZAR stated, though you didn't see his fingers crossed behind his back.

"Fine, come with me." They got up and followed you out of the room. You stopped and grabbed Carly. "Are you coming?"

"Where? And why?" She said as you grabbed her hand and pulled her along to the elevators.

"My room and for moral support." Once inside you pressed the twenty-ninth floor. The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor first. You crossed your fingers in hopes that whoever was getting on wouldn't question the odd mix of people in it.

Unfortunately, you had no such luck as Brayden Point, from Tampa Bay, got on, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Umm, what's going on here?"

"Nothing," was what came out of your mouth. While at the same time Carter Hart said, "We're playing poker."

"Poker? You got room for another?" Point asked and it was easier to tell him yes then have him make a scene. Thankfully, you made it to your room without any more stops along the way. "Wow, nice setup you got here." Brayden let out with a low whistle.

"Thanks, there's no poker table but you're more than welcome to use the dining room table to play. As long as you're here do you guys want anything to drink?"

"Tell me you have alcohol?" Kevin asked as beer was kind of at a premium in the bubble. They didn't want the players partying too much so it wasn't as readily available as they would've liked.

"Sure that's smart with games tomorrow?"

"One isn't going to kill us," Tanev remarked and you supposed as long as they didn't get drunk it was fine.

"I have beer and wine. Who wants what?" Four of the guys chose beer with Carter choosing water. Which was probably a smart choice considering he was probably the starting goalie for the game. Carly went into the kitchen to help you get drinks, claiming a glass of wine for herself.

"You sure this is a good idea Y/N?"

"No, but what's the alternative, have them cause a riot in the lobby where everyone can see?" Carly shrugged her agreement. "At least here we can control them a little bit." Or so you hoped.

You headed back to the dining room, drinks in hand. "You two want in on the action?" ZAR asked, which was nice of him.

"I'm sure the sakes are a little too rich for our blood," They were Carly's words but you had to agree with her.

"We don't have to play for money," Kevin suggested and you raised an eyebrow at him. "You know strip poker and all." Part of you started to wonder if they had made this plan before they even started to play in the conference room. You wouldn't put it past them. All eyes turned to you and Carly, and you turned to her with a shrug as if to say your call. You knew she hadn't had any fun yet in the bubble, well at least not like you had.

"Alright gentlemen, deal us in." You took a seat between Tanev and Hayes; while Carly sat between ZAR and Point. Hayes declared himself the designated dealer for the first round, saying that you'd be playing a basic five-card draw game, and that winner could choose two players to lose an article of clothing, instead of all six individuals losing clothes. He then proceeded to deal out the first hand. Best you had was a pair of nines, so you tossed in the three cards that were pointless in hopes of gaining something that would help you out. You did pick up a pair of twos but you really didn't think two pair, nines high were going to win you anything. And you were right as Point ended up having three of a kind.

"Y/N and Carly have to lose a piece." He declared.

"Look I have no problem stripping but if you seriously pick the two of us every time, I'm calling an end to the game and you can all go back to your rooms." You said before stripping anything off your body.

"That's only fair," Tanev agreed. "From now on you can only ask one of the girls to take something off." It seemed a fair addendum to your original rules, which seemed to be nonexistent before this moment.

You stripped off your shirt and Carly did the same. Carter's eyes popped out of his head as he took in your lace bra and you realized that Tyler was right; he was way too innocent for the rest of the guys at this table or even you and Carly for that matter. Hopefully, Hayes would send him off to bed before things got too out of control. "If I didn't know better I'd swear you both wore those bras on purpose," Hayes commented and you let your hand glide up his thigh before answering him.

"Maybe we did." You gave his thigh a little squeeze and saw him jump a bit, which caused you to giggle. "Now I believe it's my turn to deal." He handed over the cards. The round went quick and thankfully Carly came out on top, so you knew that you were safe this time.

"Point it's payback time."

"Gladly," he announced before throwing off this t-shirt.

"You too Brandon. Might as well be both the B's" You caught a whiff of Tanev's cologne as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. His scent seemed to be a mix of sandalwood and something purely masculine, it was intoxicating and you found yourself getting damp just thinking about what the two of you could get up to. The six-pack he sported on his abdomen didn't help your wondering thoughts any.

"My turn," he said, palm upturned for you to place the cards into them. The smirk on his face told you, you'd been caught staring, and you handed the cards over in a hurry with a discreet cough. The third round had Carly winning again and you were hoping she was on some kind of hot streak.

"Hayes and ZAR, you're up." She stated matter of factly and the two men divested of the shirts, leaving Carter the only one fully clothed. "I mean you're welcome to join them, Hart, if you feel left out." He simply shook his head no. "I really think you need a beer to loosen up." Carly was right and you walked out to the kitchen to grab him one. He took a long swallow and it seemed to help him a bit.

The next round had Carter winning and the poor boy seriously looked confused about who he should choose. "It's easy Hart, pick one of the girls and one of us," Brayden told him.

"I know," Carter said indignantly as his eyes moved back and forth between you and Carly. He seemed completely torn and part of you just wanted to take off your leggings and put the boy out of his misery, but just then he finally made a decision. "Carly, since you've been winning it's only fair." She gave him a little wink before wiggling out of her bottoms and tossing them to the floor with her shirt. Carter's eyes bugged out as he took in her thong and you heard a low whistle from Point right before she sat down.

The deck was moved to the next person and cards were dealt. It was hard to hide your smile when you were dealt with three aces, and you were fairly confident you'd win this round; it just so happened you did. You had five guys to choose from and it was a difficult decision, but you really wanted to see what Brandon was hiding underneath his shorts, so it was a no brainer in choosing him. It was the other one that you were debating on. Tapping your finger on your chin, you mulled over your choices. "Brandon and ZAR, time for those pants to go." The problem was you didn't know which way to look. ZAR pulled the fly down on his just as Brandon yanked his down drawing your attention. There was no disguising the bulge in Tanev's boxers and you wet your lips without even thinking. He caught your attention and you swore you saw his cock twitch, but then ZAR's bottoms were falling and you took a moment to appreciate him. Both men were well-endowed and you couldn't wait to see what was underneath their boxer briefs.

Cards were dealt again and when you looked over at Carter, you noticed the beer you got him moments ago was gone. That wasn't a good sign. Both you and Carly lost this time, with Carter coming out ahead. He looked a bit woozy after downing that beer so quickly and didn't seem to realize he'd won until Hayes pointed it out. "Hayes and Point..." he stated and before he could say anything more; all four guys were breathing down his neck.

"What the hell?" you weren't sure who said it but it was echoed by all the guys, and you snickered before saying. "He's made his decision boys, now lose the pants."

"But I meant to ask which one I should pick." Hart protested.

"Too late," Carly chimed in a satisfied smile on her face. They both dropped their drawers then, each man sporting a hard-on that was outlined by the cover of their underwear. "I need more wine," Carly said and you could tell her mouth had gone dry from checking both men out.

"Grab us another as well, would ya?" You gave Hayes a look, making sure that this was a good decision as you made your way to the kitchen. "It's fine. I swear this is the last one."

This time Carly left you to fend for yourself as she didn't want to prance around in her thong. You were rummaging through the fridge and pulled out the five beers that you needed when Brandon came into the kitchen. "Need some help?" There was that cute little smile on his face and you returned it with one of your own.

"That would be nice." The kitchen wasn't large and he reached around you to grab a beer that you had on the counter, effectively trapping you against it. His body was pressed against yours and you could feel his cock hard against your stomach. Your breath hitched and before you could say anything his lips were on yours. You opened right away for him as his tongue sought entrance into your mouth. Brandon was a good kisser and you found yourself reaching around to the back of his neck and pulling him closer.

"Hey, what's taking so long," someone yelled and you pulled apart from Brandon. "Wanna continue this after the game?" He asked and you nodded your head yes, before grabbing two bottles of beer and the wine and slipping under his arm. You winked at him as you left the kitchen and could've sworn you heard him groan.

The game started back up and this time ZAR was declared the winner. His eyes raked up and down your body before he said, "(Y/N) it's got to be you." You pushed the chair back then made a show of wiggling out of your leggings, making sure Brandon got an eyeful of your ass before reclaiming your seat. All eyes but Carly's were on you; who coughed discreetly to remind ZAR he still needed to pick someone else. "Oh um, I guess Hart by default." Carter's cheeks got red, as both you and Carly turned your attention to him, though it just seemed sort of wrong since he seemed innocent. He was definitely sporting some wood and from what you could tell he had most of the guys there beat in the length department. He hurriedly sat down as soon as his shorts were off.

When the game resumed, it was Hayes who had a straight and won the round. "Point, since you joined the game late, I'm going with you." Brayden rolled his eyes but still stripped out of his briefs leaving him completely naked. His dick was average but still nice and you could see Carly squirming in her seat taking him in. You didn't really think Point was her type but then when you'd been in the bubble for a couple weeks like you both had those sorts of things went to the wayside. He seemed to return her interest, for as he reclaimed his seat his eyes never left hers. "(Y/N)," Kevin said bringing your attention back to the fact that you lost. "Lose the bra." You had kind of forgot that Kevin had to name another person, but you should've figured it would be you as you'd teased him earlier when you squeezed his thigh.

"Fine," you said and you let the strap slink down your right shoulder before drawing your arm through it. You repeated the process with your left, then moved to unclasp the eye hooks in the back. Keeping one hand holding the bra together you let your other slip to the front to hold the cups, before letting the bra go. The cups released into your hands and you slowly peeled it away, teasing the boys as you did, until finally your breasts were revealed. You knew you had nice boobs. It had been commented about by almost every guy you'd ever been with, not to mention the stares you got when wearing a low cut top. Tyler had said on more than one occasion that they were perfect and he could spend hours playing with them. So when the guys' eyes went wide, you weren't surprised. It was Carter's look of shock as he downed the rest of his beer that had you suppressing a giggle. You knew he was innocent but it almost seemed too much for a hockey player to be this inexperienced. You hoped it was just the setting of the game and all. "Ok, now that that's done; on to the next hand." They seemed a bit disappointed that the game was back on instead of just ogling your boobs.

Brandon dealt the card, the side of his hand accidentally brushing the side of your breast as he dealt you yours. It was hard not to think of the encounter in the kitchen earlier and you kind of wished this game was over and you could move on to bedroom games with Brandon. As the hand went on, you saw Carter sway a bit. "Hey Kev, you better take your goalie back to his room before he's unfit to play tomorrow." They were Points words, but he was absolutely correct as Hart was not looking good to finish the hand let alone the game.

"Hart, you good?" Kevin asked and Carter made to put his thumb up but couldn't. "Fuck man, you're really one of those, sniff the beer cap drunks, aren't you?" Carter just smiled over. "Alright bud, time to call it a night, before we both regret this; though you owe me. Big time!"

Hayes threw his clothes back on before tossing Carter's shirt at him, which smacked him in the face. They made their way to the door, Hayes none too happy to be leaving. "Guess this means the game is over." You said thinking to put an end to things around the dining room table and move it to the bedroom with Brandon.

"What do you mean? It was just getting interesting." Zach pointed out, looking directly at your chest.

"I gotta agree," Brayden added, looking over at Carly. "I have a good feeling about this next hand."

"Don't you guys have a game tomorrow?" you asked Tanev and ZAR.

"Yeah, that's what naps are for," Brandon told you with a little wink. "But I see your point, only a few more rounds than we'll call it a night." He picked up the cards and started to deal. They did not fall your way and this hand saw Point come out on top of everyone, which was lucky considering he was now in his birthday suit.

"Zach looks like you're up this time." ZAR dropped his drawers without even thinking about it, giving you a nice view of his cock. It was erect, almost pressing up to his stomach. You didn't know if it was the fact that he was hard or not, but his dick was kind of pretty if that was even a thing. He sat back down before you could check it out too long, which was disappointing. Point look at Carly and said, "Your turn." There was a cocky little smirk to his face but as Carly removed her bra, she directed all her attention at Brayden.

"You two need to get a room," Tanev said off-hand and you saw Carly cock her head as if to ask if he wanted to go to hers. Point nodded a yes, and Carly started grabbing her clothes off the floor.

"Thanks for the game (Y/N). I'll see you downstairs." She said throwing clothes on and heading for the door. Point right behind her.

"So, umm…" you hummed, not really knowing what to do now that you had both Brandon and Zach alone.

"One last hand?" Brandon asked, and you couldn't really see the point of it. "If I win, I get to kiss you."

"And if I win, I get the kiss." Zach chimed in.

"And what if I win?" It was a valid question.

"Then you can pick either one of us or neither of us." Brandon offered.

"Ok, who's dealing?" You asked with an all-in attitude. ZAR picked up the cards and started to shuffle. You picked up the five cards in front of you, two jacks being dealt. It wasn't a bad start and when you got the redraw there was another one. Brandon laid down his pair of tens first, knowing that he probably wasn't going to win. Zach went next, a smile on his face that told you he'd thought he'd won with his two pair queen high.

With a satisfied grin, you laid down your winning hand. "Read them and weep boys." They both frowned at you picking up their stuff and got ready to leave, thinking that you'd choose that option. "Oh, neither of you is not my choice." They both looked back at you, a little stunned at your statement.

"Who's it going to be then?" Zach asked, hand still holding onto his boxers and shorts.

"What if I say both?" They looked over at each other, a silent agreement passing between the two teammates. You grabbed Brandon's hand, then walked over to take Zach's as well, leading them over to the sofa. They both went willingly, one on each side of you as you stood there. You looked over at Zach first and went up on your toes to give him a heated kiss. He cupped your cheek, drawing you closer to him. Zach was a good kisser and you got lost as your tongue swirled with his, until you felt another pair of hands on your body, starting at your waist and working their way up to fondle your breasts. Brandon twisted your nipples and you moaned into Zach's mouth before breaking apart. Brandon turned your hips so that you were facing him, before threading his fingers through your hair. With hardly any pressure, he had you leaning into him so he could kiss you. Brandon was skilled with his tongue and you melted into him. But it was Zach's cock that pressed against your back that you felt even more. You reached behind you to palm him and he hissed out his pleasure as he dropped kisses to your shoulder blades.

There were four hands all over your body and you weren't sure who was doing what as you felt someone slide your panties down off your legs. Brandon's mouth left yours, only to move south to your breasts, where he took a nipple in and sucked, eliciting a moan from you. Zach's fingers, at least you thought they were his, were delving between your folds. It was too much and you lost your grip on his cock. Zach pushed a finger inside you while his thumb toyed with your clit. Pleasure ripped through your body, Brandon now switching breast to give your other nipple the same lavish attention. You threw your head back enjoying their ministrations. You missed the communication between the two, but the next thing you knew was that they were lowering you down to the sofa.

Brandon slid down to his knees in front of you, spreading your legs wide for him to go between, while Zach sat down beside you on the couch. Zach's hand immediately went to the back of your neck so that he could pull you in for yet another heated kiss. Your hands skated down his well-chiseled chest until you found his cock. Wrapping your fingers you began to stroke the length of him and he deepened the kiss.

It was at that moment that Brandon licked a stripe between your folds. The action causing you to stutter your rhythm on Zach's cock, as your body tingled from Brandon's tongue. Two of Brandon's fingers spread you pussy for his mouth to go to town on you and you found yourself breaking the kiss from Zach. "Fuck Brandon…that feels so good," you moaned out.

Brandon's mouth worked its magic on you, sucking and nibbling on your clit, before he looked up at Zach. "You have to taste her man, she's so fucking sweet." A quick shift in positions from the two and then it was Brandon's mouth on yours as you tasted your own juices off his lips. His hand found yours and he guided it to his member urging you to stroke him.

Zach's fingers delved into your cunt, sliding up and down between your folds collecting your moisture. "You're so wet…I just have to taste you." He breathed out before going in with his tongue and licking at your pussy. He hummed out his approval as he continued to eat your out.

Brandon moved his hands to your breasts, where he pinched your nipple between his thumb and forefinger causing you to gasp. His head moved down to your other nipple and he gently bit down on the turret peak. You moaned out as that familiar tingle of orgasm started to hit, from the combination of both Brandon and Zach. "Don't stop…" You panted out. "Please don't stop." Zach increased the speed of his fingers as they thrust in and out of you, while his mouth and tongue flicked and sucked your clit. "Oh god…" Brandon bit down on your nipple and it sent you shattering, your legs tightening around Zach as they shook with the force of your climax. "OOOHHH," you exclaimed and you swear your moan echoed off the walls of the suite it was so loud. Both men worked you through your orgasm, a satisfied smile on each when you finally made your way back to them. "That was…" you didn't have time to finish your thought as there was a loud knock at the door.

"Who the fuck is that?" Brandon asked in a hushed whisper and you honestly had no idea as most of the employees of the hotel would've called your phone and not come knocking at this hour.

"I know you're in there. I could hear you." The voice said from the other side of the door and suddenly it registered who it was on the other side.

183 notes · View notes

sanstropfremir · 3 years

Text

ok alright alright alright kingdom episode two

kinda disappointed that they only showed half the stages, but that's just an editing thing to draw out the content so you can air for longer, i'm not super surprised about that. i would have liked to evaluate them all at the same time, but at least this gives me time to go more in depth for all of them since they're full stages this time and I wrote 3000 words for last episode when they only had 100 secs. so this format will probably keep me sane for longer, i think.

solid stages all round for them, none had especially glaring flaws on the whole. i'm not gonna do a full ranking for this episode since we haven't seen them all, but i will say that btob’s was my favourite from this set and both ikon’s and tbz’s stages were about equal; they both had things i liked and disliked in equal measure so i'm tentatively giving them the same ranking. full opinions and analysis on each stage below the cut, plus another section of general notes because hey what the fuck did you do to that stage mnet???

and for anyone that’s wondering yes i do have the qualifications. also seriously grab a drink or something because this is LONG.

some general notes

and here i thought this section wouldn't be as big as it was last time because mnet was going to get their shit together about the stage design, but noooooooooooo they had to go and make it worse! thanks mnet i hate it! remember how i said you shot yourself in the foot last time? well ya fuckin kneecapped yourself AND all your idols with this one ya dumb fuckin idiots. alright folks welcome back to stage design 101, my recurring segment where i explain the different types of stage layouts and their effectiveness for kpop idol survival shows, i guess.

ok so last week i covered the basics on theatre in the round and traverse staging, which i’ll link here if there’s anyone new or just wants a refresher. i mentioned that its likely that mnet will switch to an in the round style staging because it offers a lot more freedom for camera movement and also for directional blocking. well, i was wrong. so i'm gonna give you a quick rundown of prosceniums. a proscenium, proscenium arch, or just prosc, is an architectural feature that sits around the front ‘opening’ of the stage that delineates the stage from the audience. if you've ever been in or seen any pictures of old european style theatres it can be quite ornately decorated with scrolling, but it's almost always there in most western theatres. it basically provides your ‘wings,’ which are where you exit off into to get offstage, they provide cover from the audience sitelines. pretty much any theatre where the audience is directly opposing the stage across the 180 degree line is a proscenium stage, even if it doesn't physically have the arch. hell, movie theatres are prosc stages. now, there's a secondary architectural feature/device called a false proscenium, where you set a second, smaller archway inside the first prosc, usually done for a specific effect. think of it like a literal framing device; it's often used to visually signify that ‘this is a play, we are telling a story, please be aware that this is a play thank you.’ but sometimes, it can be a semi-permanent structure that’s set in place to narrow the prosc opening. we had this at my university, there was a false prosc set just inside the actual prosc because the stage had a hilariously big prosc opening for a university that never had casts larger than 24 people. so they set false prosc in to make the stage slightly narrower and to widen the wings, because it doesn't matter what size theatre you're in, you always need more wingspace. makes sense? ok, now here’s a very quick drawing of what i'm pretty sure the kingdom stage looks like:

before you get lost: stage directions are oriented to a person standing on the stage, hence SL and SR being reversed. a quick tip for remembering which way is upstage and which is downstage: if you go too far downstage you fall down (most stages are raised between 2-4’ from the floor, so if you step off the end you will actually fall.) the arrows on here signify the entrances i observed during the performances, which is not necessary in this explanation but i just thought it was interesting to note. still not entirely sure what the surrounding architecture is but it appears that the stage is a raised platform inside a room, and not actually built as part of the building. the ‘house’ is just a technical term for where the audience is, and in this case it's where it looks like most of the film crew and the producers/staff are. there’s pretty clearly a platform upstage centre, and i think there may be some others but i don't care about those right now. what i want to talk about is this dumbass false prosc they set IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STAGE. now i suspect that they did this to solve some problems that they could have had that i don't know about, since i don't know who the stage designer was and what the actual limitations of the space are. but basically they've built two stages and stacked them on top of each other to create one very deep stage, and then separated it off with a false prosc in order to control the size of the space a little better, and possibly to add some visual interest. this stage is functional for its purpose, absolutely, and i think, if mnet actually gave a shit about point of view and camerawork, it could produce some really interesting performances. however, because this stage is so deep, it kind of has the same properties as the traverse stage from before, but just with some big led screens in the middle for reasons. you extra have to pay attention to the directionality because you have all the staff and cameras concentrated in one specific cardinal point, so you have to get creative if you want to crossover between the two sides frequently. again, this is not necessarily bad; restrictions often produce some of the most creative decisions. but! we have not seen a lot of consideration for camera and sightlines and audience pov, hence why i think this setup is dumb: it’s not facilitating the best performances it could.

ok now to the actual performances

btob

this is my favourite of the group because it's very clean lined and utilizes a few simple devices to pretty good effect. i realize these reviews are making me sound like i only like simple performances but i promise this is not at all true i'm just very critical and very picky. let’s start with the costumes, because why not.

costumes

i like these very much, i love modernized traditional clothing in all forms, and these are very well tailored and well coordinated. they do the bulk of the work establishing the theme for the performance, along with the costumes on the backup dancers. personally i would have liked them to be a bit more colourful, à la the teal detailing that was on minhyuk’s final look. i'm getting a bit tired of the whole trend of having groups only wear all dark or all white, or maybe sometimes red if they're feeling spicy. obviously uniform colour is the easiest way to tie a group together visually, but on a show like this i think the groups would actually benefit more from looking distinct from each other internally rather than establishing the group as whole.

i liked that minhyuk had a costume change but i didn't really care for how it was how it was broken down. this is a very personal quibble because i literally have spent years prepping quickchanges but the method it broke down wasn’t the most visually compatible with the garment and felt kinda clunky. please ignore this anecdote it's just me being picky.

set

i loved the forest! a very excellent way to divide the stage area and obscure the weird stage lines/architecture that mnet has made. plus the snow, flowers, and fog? makes a really sharp and immediately indicative atmosphere, a very good use of visual shorthand to establish place.

i didnt love the screens, they reminded me a bit too much of rolling whiteboards from grade school, but they are thematically relevant. also, i feel like we didnt actually get to see about half the choreo for them? fuckin mnet and idiocy again. fun use of rear projection with the dancers’ shadows, and also good use of them to direct traffic, if you will.

personally i think that the sheet gimmick from tbz’s performance would have been a better fit here instead of the screens, especially since the fabric motif was already established at the very beginning of the performance. plus you can do some really fun shadow work with a stretch fabric screen.

personally i think there could have been a little bit more integration between the forest area and the screen area, or they could have done the whole thing in the forest space, but that would require a bit more consideration of camera and choreo maneuverability

sound

really liked this arrangement, obviously the song is iconic but they added a more traditional instrument sound. has good structure for the loose narrative that they had and they were well to label this as ‘theatre’ version because this did follow very closely to a traditional musical theatre sound and style

lighting

no complaints. the overall theme for this episode is apparently blue and red? again with them i like their dedication to a limited colour palette and i especially like the blossoms at the climax

staging

there was pretty clear camera choreo and a minimum of nausea inducing moves. i think some of the effectiveness of the staging got chopped by the editing but that’s not really btob’s fault.

i was just saying i wanted them to give minhyuk some time to shine, i was not expecting to get it so soon! this is a very smart choreo that proves you can be interesting without doing a lot of tricking. minhyuk obviously did a lot of practice and work with that sword, his movements are very fluid and he knows how to handle it. and it looks like its either a blunted proper blade or a correctly weighted replica. a lot of the times when sword choreo looks fake it's because the person either hasn't had enough practice or the weapon is not weighted/weighted incorrectly. only complaints are that you would never hold your fingers/palm that close and un-anchored over the edge of the blade, which is just a safety thing. also you would never scrape your blade on the ground like that, nor toss the thing like dead fish but that's a respect thing with a live blade and this is clearly done for dramatic effect so i’ll forgive it. please ignore this anecdote also it’s just my third dan getting uppity.

ikon

costume/set

smart thematically to go with the sort of miscellaneous 30s-40s (western) aesthetic because it's the fastest way to make it look like you built a theme with mnet’s weird pseudo art deco nonsense they've inexplicably got going on in the set dec. however, they should have stuck the theme all the way through, it would have been more visually cohesive and more interesting. we expect more hiphop/electronic sounding songs to come with these kinds of 4th gen costumes, it would have been anachronistic in a fun way to have them do that second half in 40s style suits. here’s a performance from sdc3 that uses that kind of anachronistic play (this was a combo stage with two ballroom dancers and it has a 20s aesthetic but close enough.) also here’s another routine from sdc3 that does a similar effect on a much more abstract scale, and also it’s a fucking incredible performance and it got slept on by the captains. also yes i know these are incredibly experienced career dancers but they way they construct narrative within their routines and their stage presence is SO GOOD.

do not speak to me about the backup dancers costumes, holy shit i hate them. i hate them so much. how do you manage to hit too shapeless AND too fitted in the same fell swoop? i'm so mad at these. i'm neutral on bodycon dresses on the best of days but these were absolutely the wrong choice for this stage. generally kpop has abysmal costuming for female backup dancers on the whole but this is just like.....especially lazy. the point of the costume are to help give an indication of where and when you set your performance. they started off with a vaguely 40s theme and then jumped abruptly modern. why? also skirts like that are the literal worst choice for dancing in, hello?? the men’s looks are just sloppy, when you have a garment that big you want it to serve a purpose within the choreo, whereas with this it's just hiding the dancers’ movements.

as for ikon themselves, see everything ive said about black on black on black styling in the previous two reviews.

the actual set is minimal and that's tragic. i mentioned mnet’s weird art deco theme and it was smart of them to try and play off that with a lack of stuff. definitely a mismatch of stuff pulled from yg’s prop storage, but they made it work as well as they could. no other meaningful comments i’m just kinda sad about it.

sound

the arrangement is fine, no complaints from me. they keyed up the old hollywood style musical theatre sound in the beginning which i really liked. i didn't mind the song/tone switch, i think they pulled it off.

staging

same as btob they learned more towards a theatrical style, which is smart for this particular format of show. i think this was the smartest staging of these three, and also i think the only ones to not get the crew in shot.

despite seemingly leaning into a more old hollywood style the narrative was a bit too loose for my taste. i'm not sure what i would have done to make it clearer at this moment since they had so little to work with, but i did get by on my previous knowledge of the songs. that shouldn’t be the only indication of narrative though! all elements need to support it!!

also like btob they had a pretty intentional point of direction and there weren't a crazy amount of spins. they also used the camera cuts the most effectively that i've seen so far. the first half is actually all in one take!!! incredible!!! thank you!!!! this is how you do it!!

the lighter flick gimmick was well pulled off and a good example of how to use a couple of simple tricks to good effect.

ikon as a whole has really great stage chemistry with each other, and they're extremely cohesive performers. this is a really strong physical performance from them, the dance was very solid and clean. good use of levels without verging into acrobatics. this might be the best group choreo i've seen so far, but we’re not very far so that's not a very high bar to clear.

it's a shame they had the budget of 1 banana.

tbz

i liked this stage better than their intro stage, but i still think they have a long way to go and they're still over ambitious. personally i find stages based on specific pop culture properties to be kind of twee and ineffectual, because it requires a specific knowledge of that pop culture property to work. sometimes the specificity can help with a narrative but you're at risk of alienating a larger portion of your audience out of sheer non-knowledge than anything else.

costumes

again, interesting garments physically, but not much clarity of relation to the theme other than the colour. also the backup dancers???? another case of backup dancers being from an entirely different stage, what is up with those coats/dresses? looked more like they belonged in either sweeney todd or a vampire movie.

hands in front of the camera again, but these were used much more effectively. i'm not the biggest fan of mixing metals and i’m partial to silver on the whole so i didn't love the jewelry, but at least it was vague and stereotypical enough to denote ‘fire magic’ even if it does rely on a derivative middle eastern shorthand.

set

the stage set itself is fine, although definitely feels a bit haphazard to me. doric columns and frozen rocks and whatever that cover for the pyrotechnics was at the front, combined with the candles and the chaise lounge? like ikon, it felt a bit like they were pulling out of the props/set storage. not that all these things do not work together, it's just that you need a thread to tie them together, and this didn't have that for me.

sound

it's a crime they have a song called ‘no air’ and its not a jordin sparks cover. just saying.

i didnt really like this arrangement, again like their intro stage it didn't have a strong structure that suited the narrative, because they were pretty clearly trying a narrative on this one. also were most of the adlibs playback? they were singing live but there were so few shots of anyone specific singing.

lighting

probably the weakest of the three. the projection design was a bit too tacky for me, and although i appreciated the small amount of variety in colour, it felt way too concert-lighting for me.

staging

the editing on this stage is wack and did no one any good. the hands leading/pov was a really smart device and they should have stuck out the one takes like ikon did, it would have made the whole stage feel a bit more cohesive. a lot better directional camerawork from them this time around, well done. again with the hands in front of the camera gimmick which i actually preferred this time, since they were a part of the narrative. the stretch/silhouette fabric i think they pulled off quite well, even if it didn't really fit thematically with the piece. i actually worked on a show a very long time ago that used this exact same effect with dancers and also rear shadow projection, and it requires a lot of rehearsal and trust to pull off well, so props to them. i think it was the wrong choice because there isn't an established motif for the fabric, so it kind of appears out of nowhere for one specific visual moment and then disappears, and i think that time could have been better served for something else narratively relevant.

again, these 4th gen groups are overly focussed on gimmicks as a way to make up for the lack of experience. personally i think this will be detrimental in the long run, and a reliance on gimmicks means that you don't trust your performers. tbz have the manpower to be doing some pretty cool collective dance work and i dont think its being trained or utilized correctly. they are suffering from a lack of cohesive stage presence right now and that can be fixed with training and time.

this might be because the group sizes are so different between these three but this choreo is very directionless. mnet is also providing to be absolute garbage at editing and i feel like i can't see the choreo at all.

this is a thing i've noticed with kpop camerawork in general, there’s very little regard for actually viewing the choreo as a singular work. and for some reason the camera always needs to be moving???? people do actually want to see what’s happening on the stage. the choreographer can only see from one spot, so from that spot is how they are intending it to look. you wouldn't need to upload full cams of every music stage if you just filmed the choreo properly in the first place. if you watch the two sdc3 clips i linked you can see a clear difference in maintaining the integrity of the choreo, even though both shows use several cameras and a lot of cuts. obviously for kpop you want the money shots of idols’ faces but i definitely think there’s a healthier middle ground than what we have now.

ill wait for full subs but i want to know where in the fuck in sk you can rent a tank thas clearly been custom made for underwater photography, because that’s extremely cool even if it was absolutely unnecessary to the actual stage itself. i can think of several ways off the top of my head that would have achieved that same freezing effect without any of that wasted time and effort.

mnet decided to drop full cams while i was writing this and despite watching those my opinions are the same.

in conclusion, some more general thoughts:

i think ikon and btob got it right by leaning more into the theatrical than the cinematic, if that makes sense. i might be talking up my own ass here but these are theatre performances, and they should be treated as such. trying to do things that you can do on film isn't going to do you any favours in the long run, and it makes it harder to make a cohesive performance. i’m harping a lot about narrative but it is so important to performance. although it is not technically necessary, when doing big theatrical performance stages like this it does help with clarity of intent and general success. humans have brains structured around storytelling, it is literally the way our history has been passed down for tens of thousands of years. the atlantic published an article recently on narrative and memory, and it's a really excellent read for maybe after you've taken a break from this behemoth, oh dear god.

tldr: the stages were good but disappointing in their own ways. mnet continues to sabotage via weird stage design decisions and bad editing. see you next week! (or in my ask box if you have questions)

#kingdom review #kpop analysis #kingdom #oh dear lord this is almost 4k #to anybody that actually reads this thank you and im sorry #text

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dangermousie · 3 years

Note

How do you feel about the controversy with Zhang Ziyi playing the 15 year old version of her character? I think she looks amazing and about the same as she did in The Road Home just slight aging but with makeup and effects she looks really good. I know it’s a pretty large difference but of course they haven’t had the same criticism for men 🤷‍♀️

I think netizens like to get upset about the dumbest things. First of all, Zhang Ziyi looks amazing - she was 41 when she filmed and she does not look it. (No, she does not look 15, but she looks a good decade plus younger than her actual age.)

But the other thing is - what kind of a weird nitpick is this, when to be consistent, they’d have to nitpick every period drama ever made, or close to it.

Because a heck of a lot of period heroines are supposed to be in their teens (and the bulk 15.) Yet, thankfully, I have never seen a cdrama cast an actual 15 year old; the bulk of times they don’t cast any teen of any sort either. Which is just as well, because I don’t think those teens would have experience and range, but also that would be gross for obvious reasons.

I also have no idea what their beef specifically is with ZZ and this drama, to be honest. To cast an actress who is significantly older than a teen especially when the drama covers a lot of that character’s life, is the default. I do not remember people having fits about 31 year old Zhao Liying playing 15 year old Minglan nor 32 year old Yang Mi playing Fuyao who couldn’t have been older than 15 either, nor (to pick a recent drama), 37 year old Tiffany Tang playing 15 year old Xiao Chuo. All three of them are 15 (and then in their teens) for a large chunk of even most of the story and no eye was batted at that. WHY? I mean, it seems bizarre and arbitrary to say “well, a 31 year old (or a 37 year old!) is young enough to play a 15 year old, but I draw a line at 41.” Neither looks anything like 15 - so either all are OK, or all are not. (Honestly, even 25 year old won’t pass as a 15 year old, so seriously, unless one is crazy and is arguing they should have cast a literal teenager in this and every other period drama, this argument makes absolutely no sense.)

Also, I wonder if the netizens realize how creepy it would be to cast a 19-year-old actress (because let’s face it, they are not casting a 15 year old) opposite 36 year old Zhou Yi Wei/36 year old Yuan Hong/36 year old Tony Yang. Like - yikes! And yet I have not seen any complaints about those gentlemen being too old. Even if there were, it means that those netizens who are not fine with having an almost literal baby starring opposite a bunch of masculine, very very very adult men with a huge RL age difference, want the whole cast de-aged. Which - imagine the same story with a teen (or even 21 year old) female actress, barely out of his teens Third Prince and Helan Zhen and maybe 25-27 year old Xiao Qi. This would be a drama with a very different, and highly inferior vibe because let’s face it, it would be your typical pretty face idol cast and all the narrative heft and kick be gone. The reason this drama works so well is, in large part, because the cast is so amazing; they are all experienced heavy-hitters who also convey the part. What young actress can convey Awu’s steel and brains and elegance and contained fierceness? What barely out of puberty idol can have such dark, dysfunctional sense of chemistry yet danger the way Helan Zhen does now? What young guy can come across as believable as an experienced general who’s been through hell and back a dozen times and can inspire hundreds of thousands of men to follow him? Third Prince is the only one I can imagine being done well by a younger actor. And I would pick a great actor any time over someone age appropriate. With the cast that would make netizens happy, we’d get General’s Lady, where Caesar Wu was so very pretty but about as believable as a general as I would be, and his lady love was supposed to be smart but came across as petulant and not overly bright.

Not to mention this story takes place over decades; wouldn’t the complaint be those actors/actresses are too young for the latter part of the story, then? You can’t win.

So that’s my considerably more than two cents.

#asks #cdrama #rebel princess #monarch industry

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365days365movies · 3 years

Text

March 12, 2021: Jason and the Argonauts (Review)

We gotta revitalize the mythology epic film.

I loved this movie...mostly. I’ll get to the “mostly” of it all, but I need to first say that I love the idea of this film. I desperately want more films based (faithfully) on Greek mythology. Please. PLEASE. And I know, I know, Paramount made a Clash of the Titans reboot in 2010, and it was...

...bad. It was really bad. Also probably ended Sam Worthington’s career, because dude VANISHED into the aether of Hollywood after this movie, and its equally bad sequel, Wrath of the Titans. I know, OK? But I still desperately want Greek mythology films.

And yeah, this would be an...OK start, but there’s so much potential! We’ve had Troy to cover Homer’s Iliad, and Troy wasn’t terrible, but we NEED an Odyssey movie, for the love of GOD. Do you know how much goddamn potential there is for an Odyssey movie?

And I’m fully aware of O Brother Where Art Thou, but it’s loosely based on the story at best. We need an Odyssey movie, is all I’m saying. Not just that, though. We need a new movie about Hercules (non-Disney, and NOT starring the Rock), a movie about a normal Greek dude navigating the complex world of the gods, maybe a movie about Theseus or Perseus (again, yes, I know), and, of course, a Jason and the Argonauts movie.

I need this. I need this more than I can express. Oh, and I really want these films to be accurate, not the fast-and-loose approach to mythology that 1963′s film incarnation played. And oh...let’s get to THAT, shall we? Check out Part One and Part Two of the Recap for more on that, if you’d like more details!

Review

Cast and Acting: 9/10

Much to my everlasting surprise, the acting in this film is actually pretty good! Yeah, it’s definitely got that stereotypical 1960s flair, but it actually makes sense for an epic film based on Greek mythology. It all feels very epic, very grand, and the actors definitely help to contribute to that feeling. Up top, of course, you’ve got Todd Armstrong playing the noble Jason...kinda. Yeah, we’ll get to that, but he only played the character physically, while his voice was overdubbed by Tim Turner. Which...yeah, again, more on that later. But Armstrong is backed by some good support, especially Honor Blackman, Laurence Naismith, and Nancy Kovack, whose turn as the future murderer Medea actually shows her potential villainy in her sparse performance. Seriously, I was impressed by her characterization! This movie surprised me in terms of its acting. Although...Nigel Green as Heracles is only OK, and I’m a little chuffed that he only lasted through some of the film. Of course, that harkens to my BIGGEST issue...

Plot and Writing: 7/10

...OK, look, I know in my heart-of-hearts that judging the story of this film, adapted by Beverley Cross and Jan Read, as based on The Argonautica by Appolonius Rhodius, is unfair. It is. I’m aware of this, don’t worry. But that said...it’s not as good as the original story. Or, at the very least, it makes some weird choices that could’ve been changed. I went through the major inaccuracies in my Recap (too much, at that), so I won’t touch on most of that here. BUT, I do have some points to get through. Bear with me (or just skip this section, let’s be honest).

Missing Argonauts: Literally, the only major Argonaut from the story that actually gets to do something is Heracles, and he DOESN’T GET TO BE HERACLES. Dude is the most famous demigod of all time, and he never gets to do anything more than hold open a door and piss of Talos. Yeah. Disappointing as HELL. But that’s not THE WORST of it. Sure, Atalanta can be unused, as she wasn’t in many versions of the myth anyway. But the Wind Brothers? They’re necessary for defeating the Harpies, but they’re nowhere to be seen. Castor and Pollux? Oh, they’re in the movie, and they don’t do ANYTHING. Orpheus? ORPHEUS? YOU DIDN’T INCLUDE ORPHEUS AT ALL? Orpheus is arguably the most important of the Argonauts outside of Jason and Heracles, and he’s just...nonexistent. That’s just patently offensive. You really couldn’t give Harryhausen the chance to make Sirens? That would’ve been amazing! Speaking of them...

Missing and Misplaced Perils: Yeah, OK, this one’s a little unfair, because I don’t think putting Talos in here was a bad idea AT ALL. It’s actually my favorite part of the film, not gonna lie. But yeah, he was present on the return journey, not the journey to Colchis. But OK, whatever. At least we have the Harpies, the Clashing Rocks, the Sirens, the...oh wait. Where are the Sirens? I guess with no Orpheus, there are no Sirens, but...we really should’ve had both in here, come on.

Acastus: Yeah, here’s a weird criticism, but Acastus really was misused in here as well. He was actually one of Jason’s Argonauts, and came back from the journey on good terms with him...until Medea manipulated and tricked his sisters into cutting their father into pieces in order to gain promised immortality and boil those pieces for consumption. Yeah. Medea’s evil as SHIT. But turning Acastus into a heel-turn villain was...unnecessary, I think. Not that bad, though, so I guess this is a nitpick. I guess I would’ve liked to see the group return, and have had Acastus side with Jason against Pelias. I think that would’ve been neat. And speaking of Pelias...

The Ending: WHAT THE FUCK WAS WITH THE ENDING? Really? No conclusion to the story? What happens on the journey back? What happens with Pelias and Jason? Does Jason become King of Thessaly, now that Acastus is dead? Come on, man, what the hell! I HATE how that film ends so much, because there’s just nothing. Jason escapes by jumping off a cliff, the soldiers are still around (and are probably gonna kill the Colchian soldiers out of bloodlust), and Jason and Medea kiss, AND THE MOVIE ENDS. GAAAAAAAH

...Yeah, the plot could use some work, I think. But the worst part is...it’s still not a bad version of the story. Yeah! Despite all of my problems with it, most of the changes narratively make sense, outside of the original Argonautica. So, all things considered, I’m probably being too harsh on this film for personal reasons. What can I say, I love Greek mythology? But, I can still admit that this film is well-plotted out...for what it is.

Directing and Cinematography: 8/10

Is it the most groundbreaking direction by Don Chaffey, or the best cinematography by Wilkie Cooper? Well, no, but it’s still good. There aren’t exactly any amazing and groundbreaking shots here, but I also have no complains about either of these categories. So, yeah, not bad, guys. However...

Production and Art Design: 10/10

...the film still LOOKS fantastic. Because the production, set, and art design of this movie are all fantastic. From the costumes, to the Argo, to the authentic-looking sets, this movie looks great. And, of course...there are the effects by Ray Harryhausen. Which deserves the biggest chef’s kiss I can muster. Some of you may be thinking, “I dunno man, those effects don’t fully hold up.” To which I must remind you, that this film is 57 years old. FIFTY. SEVEN. Look, for the time period, this is groundbreaking, and it honestly looks pretty good today, even with the advent of better technologies. And the fact that these are technically physical objects does make this film look more...well, real, to be honest. It all looks pretty real, in a way. And they’re even pretty well-integrated with the live-action actors, much to my surprise. Gotta say, I love it. Antiquated, maybe, but also authentic. I love it.

Music and Editing: 9/10

Music, done by Bernard Hermann, is stellar and BOOMING. It’s an epic score for an epic story, and I also love it. As for the editing by Maurice Rootes, it’s also pretty great. Except for the sound editing. Yeah, um, the sound-editing for this movie isn’t great. It’s not bad, but it definitely isn’t amazing, especially in the base of dubbing for Jason and Medea. Oh, yeah, she’s dubbed over by Eva Haddon, forgot to mention that. And it’s pretty obvious. It’s a weak point, is what I’m saying.

88%, which might be a little...biased.

I love Greek mythology (he said for the eightieth time), and that may have colored my perception of this film. And yet, I do still really like this movie! It’s a classic film, and I’m looking forward to the other film of it’s caliber coming in a few days!

For the next one, though, I’ll have to do something non-Greek myth based. I mean, to continue the previously established trend...back to Japan for 3 HOURS? Oh...oh shit. I may have to break this next one up.

March 13, 2021: Kwaidan (1965)

#jason and the argonauts #don chaffey #ray harryhausen #todd armstrong #nancy kovack #honor blackman #gary raymond #laurence naismith #greek mythology #argonauts #argonautica #apollonius rhodius #user365 #365 movie challenge #365 movies 365 days #365 Days 365 Movies #365 movies a year #movie review

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lemon-ty · 3 years

Text

While I have no time to draw I found that thing from twitter and I don't think it would be bad if I post at least anything till I'll be free to draw?? and let's say that's just one another post before I'll finally add some of It in my blog

I'll just answer all in one post let's go, guys

(Movies & mini series & book mixed)

1. Favorite female character

I don't think there're a lot of 'em lol. But

Patricia Uris

That's right, not Beverly. Patti has one(!) chapter and somehow I fell in love with her character while reading it. She's got her own story before Stan and she's got a very very very beautiful relationships with him.

(I'm so in love with Uris family I mean whyyyy can't I just have some Stan with his pretty wife and a CHILD THANK U VERY MUCH)

2. Favorite male character

RICHIE

I'm just in love with him he's perfect next

3. Worst character

Bill?

OK, let's talk about it. I was kinda neutral to everyone in the Loser club except Richie for a year or more. Then while being in fandom I fell in love with these guys like with everyone of 'em concluding Bill. But when I decided to actually read a book... why is he so stupid and careless and fjligvdsvfuklugxseggh

Moron.

I really tried not to be "of course u let kid go alone what will happen right??" but this.fucking.weather.this.fucking.fact.that.Georgie.told.him.he.was.about.to.go.to.the.closed.area.u.know.closed.bc.it.was.dangerous.to.go.there like BOY, u killed ur brother when he stepped out of the house HAVE U EVEN LOOKED TO THE WINDOW???? Was it ur plan how to get rid of him bc he was clever and better than u and everyone loved him more? Bc if it was, well, congratulations! it worked not like u expected but still worked!

I'm bullying Bill Denbro in my house I wish for the alternative version with George as a main character instead of him-

4. Favorite scene

Richie and Beverly dancing together

I LOVE their friendship they're like BEST BROTP EVER

I love all their interactions and I find it SO ADORABLE they danced together I always think about it ...about 'em

5. Favorite member of the Loser club

Well, again? Fine. RICHIE

6. Original or remake?

I'd say book? But if we're talking only about films when of course remake

I saw mini series some time ago and that was cute and had a lot from the book (and abult Eddie-) but it was so naive and looked kinda stupid (sorry everyone but I'm the new auditory and I can't get that seriously especially after new films) while new films... Weeelll...

Let's be honest, I saw It 2017 only bc of James McAvoy in the second chapter and I found it boring. And then the second part I found more like a comedy than horror. I didn't like films that time but I liked characters (Richie). Some weeks ago I rewathed both It 2017 and It 2019 and second one is still too long and a comedy but first I found interesting

So remake is great at least on the second time watching and that's enough

7. Reddie?

Reddie is always the answer it's never a question cuz the answer is YES all the answers YES

8. Ben of Bill?

Oh that's a question for me and my hate to Bill!

Ben OF COURSE

Not only bc I hate Bill, Ben is awesome himself. In films he was more leader for the Losers that Bill and Mike like together?? And have u seen that he did fo Henry in the book? Damn boy u're way too cool slow down

9. Best ship

Look question 7

10. Worst ship

OK it took a lot time to find the one bc I don't think there's any ship I would actually hate or smth but if thiiink Bill × Beverly

First, bc Bill?? Seriously?? Go and find someone better, my girl

Second, bc Ben and Bev have much more chemistry (god, Richie and Bev have more chemistry and this tells the person who would kill for reddie)

11. Book or movie?

Book

(and if u say the book is too big I swear I-)

12. Tim or Bill as Pennywise

Why do u need to ask such difficult questions?? I mean, I love every version of Pennywise no matter if it's book or 1990 or 2017-2019 they all are great in their own ways

So both Tim and Bill have an extreme charisma, different but equal in power

I like Tim's Penny bc he's simple and warm I mean c'mon I would definetly hug him or anything and die happy, I mean, he just got ur trust??? And I like how bad effects make him seams not like an awful monster who will eat u but like a friendly mischief (listen me up: he makes sink dirty right after Bev cleaned it up like phhhhhhhhahaha really u're a moron u know). Yeah, that's not that Pennywise is meant to be but that's adorable

And I love Bill's version bc he does look scary (in a some way, of course). Yeah yeah new effects are doing their work and the costume is less friendly than Tim's but the most important is Bill's acting. His mimic and expressions are perfect he fits this role way too good. And, damn, he's so funny like... Yeah, I'd spend my last minutes with him he's great, that would be the most hilarious death I could ever get

So... can I just say both??

13. Funniest character

Do u really see this as a question??

Richie. The funniest guy ever. I would go to his stand-up. I would buy his merch. I would buy hi- AHEMAHEM

Seriously, I found him irritating watching 1st movie first time but after 2d started I've changed my mind he's a diamond that makes films better like he's the only reason I didn't fall asleep while watching 2d part

14. Worst character fear

OK, let's say we don't count the book here. Bc, u know, the fears in the book was, well, like actually kid's fears. Like someone just saw a horror film great now they've got a deep emotional trauma that's like kids work.

So saying about movies...

Stan

Does anyone really got what's wrong with that painting?? I mean???? Just an art what's wrong with u, Stan, do u like... hate art???

I do not get it, plz, if u do, just explain me bc I have no fucking idea why should it be a normal fear that's stupid

15. Favorite actor from the film

James McAvoy

Like I said I went to this fandom ONLY bc of him

16. Favorite adult character

Do u think they grew up and anything changed? Hell no!

Richie

Forever Richie

17. Worst encounter with Pennywise

None? I really can't name u anything bc they all are great at leeeeast bc of Pennywise taking part in it. The scene with him can NOT be worst

(but still-

Eddie's such a stupid brave boy like WHY does he always need to go to scary deadly places I mean are u going to die of what????)

(in the book he just decided that was a great idea to actually try to get into the Neibolt house like ????????????????? U FUCKING BRAVE IDIO-)

18. Worst jump scare

I don't pay attention to any jump scares sorry

None

But I can name my fav! Mrs. Kersh. Not bc she's scary but SO FUNNY OMG

(and in mini series she IS scary, yeah...)

19. Favorite quote

Everything Richie says

20. Least favorite ship

Stanbro

This ship is really great: there're reasons why it's existing and the ship dynamic is good but... I hhhaaaateeee Biiilllllly. And that's the whole problem, yes. Blame me but I can't love otp if I don't like one of the characters

21. Favorite fan account

Don't follow any

22. Favorite Pennywise quote

Is he saying anything??

Alright-alright I know how it looks. "U say u love Penny but don't remember any of the words he's saying". Yes! All I remember is that everything he says is cool but, yeah, sorry, I have nothing in my head

23. Best friendship

RICHIE TOZIER

BEVERLY MARSH

24. Richie or Bill?

Who the fuck will choose Bill?????? Richie's the best

I mean, u want me to choose between my fav one and the one I hate most? really?

25. Eddie or Ben?

Not lying to u that's a difficult question. I like both of 'em so I needed a list with +s and -s of each one

Eddie:

+ Jack Dilan Grayser's face

+ the thing with hand

+ u can joke about his mom

+ s.h.o.r.t.s

+ he's mean I like ppl like that (I'm person like that)

+ can kill u with the knife just stuck in his cheek

+ healer

+ brave as hell

- he's SO loud

- non human speed of talking

- most of the time he's a wimp, let's be honest

- DEAD

- has scary tendencies of amputation everything

- not Riche's husband somehow

- mindlessly brave as hell

- FIVE

- PARAGRAPHS

- OF

- OBSCURE

- MEDICINE

- STUFF

in his very first chapter

Ben:

+ an architect (i concider all of 'em like gods)

+ punctual. If he said he'll be in ur bar on Saturday when he'll be doesn't matter he's in London right now

+ I tell u he's a hidden leader

+ can drink and stay sober

+ HE

+ PUNCHED

+ HENRY'S

+ BALLS

- wrote a haiku I don't like haiku

- minuses are ended

So Ben has less +s but less -s if u compare to his +s. So, sorry, Eds, but Ben

26. Funniest scene

Every with Richie

27. Least favorite male characters

I can't just say Bill again, right? Or I caaan???

Bill

28. Most underrated character

MIKE

I see ppl love every character even the once that has really small time (STAN) but I haven't seen so much ppl loving Mike. Everyone kinda... forgot about him?? What an irony

29. Favorite edit

Every with Richie

30. Is fack real?

Plz don't ship real ppl

#it #it 1990 #it 2017 #it 2019 #it challenge #the losers club #pennywise

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angelkurenai · 5 years

Text

Imagine Tom accidentally spoiling that your boyfriend, Jake, has plans to propose to you and already has bought an engagement ring.

“Acting is on its own a tough profession but one must admit each movie is different and does demand more things from you. Especially a superhero one, has even more demands. And you as actors need to be able to live up to the expectations and demands of this job.” the interviewer said and both Jake and Tom nodded their heads “So my question is, was there a scene that was particularly hard to film and you felt like demanded more from you as actors than any other one?”

“Oh you're playing a very dangerous game there, I'm warning you!” Jake said with a grin, grabbing his coffee to take a sip as he glanced at Tom “Are you sure you want him to answer that one? Because if you do, let me go right ahead and say: Spoiler Warning! Proceed with caution!”

“Come on, dude.” Tom laughed although deep down he too was scared something might slip. It was this kind of questions that he really was scared of “Have some faith in me!”

“Oh I do have faith in you! I have so much faith that I am 100% sure you will leave one non-spoiled scene in the entire movie. That's why I'm making this clear, I have no part in this!” he raised his hands in the air.

“Wow way to throw me under the bus, man, thank you so much for this.” Tom blinked, faking shock and hurt but in the end they both burst in laughter “Anyway, I'll prove you wrong and you'll see it!” he said fully determined before turning back to the interviewer “I actually remember filming this scene which-” he paused for a second, glancing at Jake who was seemingly on alert, watching his with wide eyes.

“Look at him!” the interviewer laughed “He's like ready to jump and stop you in case you spoil something.”

“You know, I suggested getting duct tape with me just in case but somehow they believed it was too much? What kind of thing is even that?!” he looked around with a funny look before scoffing “Now there's only so much I can do about it.” he shrugged as his words earned a laugh “You can never be too careful I tell you.” Jake noted and Tom shook his head with a laugh.

“Don't worry man. As I was saying, there was this scene which aside from the action part which it certainly had, because I remember my heart racing the entire time, it also came down to being really emotional. And- and I remember how it was during the middle of the production and we had shot some easy and hard scenes but when we got to shot that one it was, like, Whow man this is tough! And now that it's all over I can say that for sure. I remember how I had to balance those two and it was particularly hard because other than being this struggling hero trying to fight for his life and the ones he cares, I had to show the emotional pain on my moves and whenever I could my voice and face; whenever it was on display I suppose. It was like putting two aspects together that very often are linked but also very rarely are displayed in that way, with- with the mask on and all that. So uhm-” he shrugged a bit, nodding his head “Yeah, that's it I believe.”

“Wow” Jake breathed out with wide eyes, faking shock “I'm actually impressed. He didn't spoil anything!”

“Told you to have some faith in me dude.” Tom said as they both laughed.

“What about you, Jake?” the interviewer asked the older man.

“Oh nah I just sipped on my coffee, said a couple lines here and there, cuddled the life out of (Y/n) and all around let the CGI team do their thing. It was a great movie to film, yes.” Jake said with smile full of pride, shrugging casually.

“Basically was 24/7 with his girlfriend is what he'd trying to say.” Tom laughed “And even when she had a scene he was like, behind the cameras cheering and fangirling over her!”

“No, man, no.” Jake brushed him off all seriously “It's called fanboying! Fanboying! Learn the right terms.” his voice came out almost stern until they both laughed “I can't believe I'd ever get to say that!”

“(Y/n)'s really forced you to learn them huh?” Tom laughed.

“Nah she talks about it all the time so I just kind of listened to it and now I know pretty much everything.”

“Considering how much time you spent together it would be no surprise. Plus, (Y/n)'s like the ultimate fangirl despite having been part of the MCU ever since the beginning. It was actually-” Tom looked back at the interviewer “Her that I was about to talk about next. Despite how Jake insists that he had it easy, there were some scenes that were quiet stressful and I think if it wasn't for her being there to, you know, support you and make you come back to reality, you would have noticed how hard they really were.”

“All jokes aside, it's a tough job, yeah. A lot more than people actually realize.” Jake nodded his head “That's why friends and family are sometimes really important.”

“And you guys I presume had a little bit of both during this film, right?” the interviewer asked.

“We were very lucky because we had a lot of both, yes.” Tom said, glancing at Jake who nodded his head “And there were a lot of people that were friends and turned into family and that makes the movie even more important. We- Despite any tough days were we really got tired, I think we were always able to find moments to- to actually relax without having to think about preparing for work or anything like that and be ourselves, you know?”

“Which is actually a bunch of five-year-olds stuck into adults' buddies.” Jake said with a smirk, getting hold of his coffee again.

“Which is exactly that, yes.” Tom nodded his head “But it's also something that some days (Y/n) could barely handle and that- that really was an advantage sometimes, you see. Because, I remember that time we had the day off and I had gone to find him in case he wanted to hang out. But when I saw him he was so incredibly nervous and unable to sit down and I was not sure if I should ask or not. In the end I was like “Hey, what's up man? You don't look ok today. Is there something I can help with?” and turns out it was the right thing to say because he was overthinking about some stuff and uh needed a friend to help him take it slow.”

“And at this point I go like: Who the heck told you we're friends?” Jake said playfully, effectively making both him and the interviewer laugh.

“Yeah, here's probably that too. Anyway, I'm really glad we became this big dysfunctional family, even if he and I actually spent the entire day going from shop to shop trying to find the perfect engagement ring for him to prop-” but his words were cut off when he hear the loud coughing coming from the man next to him as Jake had apparently chosen the wrong moment to take a sip of his coffee. Or maybe the second worst decision, with the first one being letting his guards down and thinking that spoilers was the worst that could come out of Tom's mouth.

“Jake, you ok man? Jake?” he patted him on the back as he tried to recover from it “Are you ok?”

“D-dude!” was the first word that came out of his lips as he looked with wide eyes at Tom.

“...Wh-what?” Tom asked after a good few seconds, unable to understand the reason behind all of it was what he said.

Jake's face went serious and he looked at the interviewer saying with an almost blank face and no longer wide eyes “Please tell me you have some duct tape with you. Please, I will be eternally grateful to you.”

The woman was having a hard time hiding her laugh behind her hand “I'm- I'm sorry but... no.”

Jake groaned, letting his head hang low as he shook it “No mercy. Absolutely no mercy. I can't believe this.”

“Wh-what happened? Why are you-”

“What happened? What happened? Oh how about the fact that you just blurted out something way worse than a spoiler for the movie! Is there really no filter? None at all?”

“I didn't- Wait-- you mean you haven't proposed to her yet?!” Ton's own eyes widened “Dude you've had the ring for like 6 months now!”

“Oh yeah, why don't you go ahead and say that too hm?” he asked sarcastically before shaking his head “Oh dear, can't believe-”

“Come on, do you really think after all these months she may have not figured it out herself? (Y/n)'s too smart for that! I'm 100% sure she knows.” he tried to comfort him or probably calm him down before he killed him, judging by the nervous laugh that he let. Seeing Jake somewhat relax he kept going in hopes that he'd make things better “Only reason she's probably not talking about is because she's trying to figure a way out to tell you about the positive pregnancy test without you-”

“What now?!”

Or not. Maybe not. Definitely not make things better.

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plasticnightmaredoll · 3 years

Text

The full-length trailer for "Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2" DLC has been released and

AHHDBGHGAHGFFF!!!!!!

😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩😲😲😲😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺😁😁😁

id Software, why are you giving the fans what they want?!

Why does this look SO DAMN GOOD? 😫😫😫😫

I don't know if anything should be this epic?

But "The Ancient Gods Part 2" looks like iconic af already.

And with that, I have some thoughts!

My experience with "The Ancient Gods" and Doom's reboot game series

While I have played "Doom Eternal" and "Doom" 2016 a few times each, I haven't played "The Ancient Gods Part 1" yet. I do know some of the key plot points, though, namely the Dark Lord regaining his body so the Doom Slayer can kill him once and for all. I just haven't had the time, energy, or patience to play the DLC, mostly because my current job is kicking my ass, I'm super stressed, and I feel like I'm rushed on my days off. I don't have much time after work to do anything save for exercise (on a couple days), showering, and eating. It's not prime time for gaming. At all.

Also, I have been kind of hooked on survival horror games as that is technically my favorite genre of games.

I'll play "The Ancient Gods," both parts, at some point in the near future, but not sure exactly when.

The end?

Something I noticed in the trailer is it seems to indicate that "The Ancient Gods" is the conclusion to the Doom reboot story.

But that can't be right, can it? As far as I know, the Doom reboot games have done very well, and, also as far as I know, id Software hasn't pissed off a good chunk of their fanbase by doing dumb shit (like NRS and MK11)

I'm guessing this isn't truly the end. I mean, at the end of "Doom Eternal," it was said that the Doom Slayer's fight is well....eternal. And can you really destroy hell? Banish it for good? I have my doubts 🤔

They could do spin-offs, too, I suppose, since they have created a Doom Universe for the first time ever. It's a thought 🤷‍♀️

And, uh, id Software may respect their fans and their creation, but they in business to make money, and if Doom is bringing in the cash then the logical thing to do is...make more Doom. 💲💲💲💲

The Dark Lord is here!

Why the hell is this bitch hiding inside a robotic armored suit???

Get the fuck out of there and fight me like a (demon) man!

But seriously, this is the Dark Lord of Hell, so why is he not fighting the Slayer one on one WITHOUT the robotic armored suit????

HE SCARED OF THE SLAYER?

HE WEENIE?

I can't say I'm very intimidated by the guy....not after seeing this. Doesn't mean I think the game is going to be bad. I think it's hilarious that the Dark Lord is appearing in battle like this.

Lord of the Rings?!

I can't be the only one who thought of "Lord of the Rings" here.

Asgard?

This reminds me of the Bifrost Bridge and Asgard in general. I mean, it's a place that seems to be floating somewhere with waterfalls running over the edge into the air below.

I am MCU Trash and ...

The final battle for "The Ancient Gods Part 2" reminds me of the final battle in "Avengers: Endgame."

I MEAN, AM I WRONG?

Now, I know what some might be thinking:

"But this is so derivative! id Software just copied 'Endgame's' epic battle instead of making up their own 😑"

Well, here's how I see it:

Marvel hasn't placed a copyright/trademark on "Endgame's" final battle, so if anyone wants to style a fight/battle based on it, it's not illegal.

People copy each other's works all the time. Well, it's not like people copy stuff ALL the time. Sometimes, a creative idea references a previous creative idea. Writings inspired by other writings, art inspired by other art, movies inspired by other movies, songs inspired by other songs...So, this is nothing new.

If id Software wanted to have an epic final battle against the forces of Hell, it makes sense that, instead of making the Doom Slayer do EVERYTHING, there would be forces coming to fight alongside him. I'm sure plenty of beings have beef with Hell, and when someone stands up to fight against it, then it would be time to rally the troops to join the guy and kick some goddamn ass. I can't think of any vastly different ways to style/choreograph this fight. I mean, yeah, id Software could have been a little less obvious with their references/inspiration, but, I don't think it's a big deal.

If you're going to make a fictional epic battle modeled after another fictional epic battle, then "Avengers: Endgame's" final battle IS that battle.

I know some people see the MCU as trash, but I strongly disagree. I have enjoyed the vast majority of it so far, and am excited to see more.

Some people think "Endgame" is overrated and doesn't deserve to be in the top 5 highest-grossing films. Well, that's just your opinion, Guys, and I disagree with you. 🤷‍♀️ It's a 3-hour movie that feels more like 2-2.5 hours, which is an accomplishment in and of itself! I have seen movies 2 hours long that felt 10 hours long -- and not in a good way. I have seen movies 3 hours long that felt like 3 fucking hours. So, I think "Endgame" deserves some credit here.

Some think "Avatar" and "Titanic" are more worthy, especially since they have won various awards, including Oscars, and "Endgame" didn't win much. Ok, so, the Oscars are fucking bullshit anymore, just political garbage and barely anything to do with quality or talent. Winning awards doesn't always mean the world, either. "Avatar" and "Titanic" are both HIGHLY overrated in my opinion. Amazing visual effects, terrible stories. I won't go into detail because y'all wouldn't like my thoughts anyway.

"The Ancient Gods Part 2" has a fucking amazing final battle and I don't care what anyone says! It's DOOM all the way to the max! I mean, we're taking part in a massive assault on Hell for the first time in the Doom franchise. How is that NOT awesome?

The release date is what?!

As far as I know, id Software didn't advertise the release date for "The Ancient Gods Part 2" until the official full-length trailer was released on March 17th.

And we find out in said trailer that this DLC is coming out TOMORROW.

MARCH 18th.

WHAT OMG AJJHSAHAahgAHFAF?! 😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲

How....is id Software allowed to be this fucking LEGENDARY?

Final Thoughts

I really hope this isn't the end for the Doom reboot series. I mean, they took the time to build a little universe in Doom Eternal, so it seems like a real shame to end the story now.

I can't get over the final battle between Hell and... The Forces of Good? Not sure what else to call them. But it's pretty much what I would expect of such a thing in a Doom game. It's grand, epic, cinematic, awesome, incredible, insane, brutal, chaotic, and pure carnage.

I seriously wonder how "The Ancient Gods Part 2" will end.....will there be a teaser/hint at future installments?

#doom #doom eternal #id software #bethesda #the ancient gods #doom 2016 #doom slayer #doom marine #the ancient gods part 2 #doom dlc #fps games #first person shooters

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