#very wong kar wai film inspired | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

swampjawn · 1 month

Text

God I love animation. I love it for the way it can bring anything to life beyond the constraints of boring ol' reality, but also the ways that it's inextricably linked to, and draws on the conventions of live-action film-making.

So fuck it, let's look at how Hayao Miyazaki straight up copies some camera framing techniques from his predecessor and the other most influential Japanese filmmaker of all time, Akira Kurosawa! (Kurosawa really was the master of framing scenes around his characters, so he's a great source of inspiration)

(btw, this is a screenshot from this TV special where the two met for the first time just after the release of Kurosawa's final film. It's pretty interesting, and also very cute how nervous Miyazaki seems to be to meet one of his idols.)

Specifically, how the two each choose to break the 180 degree rule (well, not technically 'break' in the case of Kurosawa) to show their protagonists' changing destiny in "Throne of Blood" and "Princess Mononoke".

For anyone who doesn't know, the 180 degree rule is a basic film-making rule of thumb which states that in any scene where two characters interact, you should draw an imaginary line between them and the camera should always stay on one side of that line.

("In the Mood for Love" - Wong Kar-wai)

This way, one character is always looking to the right of the camera, the other is always looking to the left, and the audience doesn't get confused by the geography of the scene. Crossing this line can be disorienting, but when done intentionally, it can convey a paradigm shift of some kind in the scene.

In this scene from "Throne of Blood," (a feudal Japanese retelling of Macbeth) Washizu's wife Asaji discusses tactics with him and tries to convince him to aspire to the throne and to assassinate his lord Tsuzuki while he sleeps.

As two servants appear to notify them that Washizu's sleeping quarters are prepared, the camera dollies left and around the characters' backs. This camera movement is motivated by the motion of the servants' torches outside the room, but it also signifies a change in Washizu's outlook.

Washizu is completely silent for most of this scene, contemplating his wife's advice. But as the camera slides behind his back and across the line of action, the scene is now re-framed, illustrating his change in perspective.

He's been convinced and the trajectory of his life is about to change - and now, facing away from the camera, is the time for action.

Because the camera slides smoothly across the line, Kurosawa isn't technically breaking the 180 degree rule. Miyazaki on the other hand, takes it a little further.

The complimentary scene in Princess Mononoke comes near the start when the wise woman of the village reads Prince Ashitaka's fortune after he's cursed by the wild boar spirit. She tells him that it is his fate to leave the village and travel to the west, where he may be able to lift the curse on his arm. The trajectory of Ashitaka's life changes in this moment too. As he accepts his fate, the change is symbolized by him cutting off his hair, but also by the camera jumping the line.

Throughout this dialogue scene and even as he cuts his hair, the simulated camera sits just slightly to the side of Ashitaka's left shoulder.

But once it's done, for the final shot, the scene is reframed and we jump to the other side, where Ashitaka is now looking to the right of the camera instead of the left.

Making the camera dolly across a scene like Kurosawa's version in 2D animation is no simple task, so this transition with a simple cut is in a way subtler, in another way a bit more jarring, but it conveys the same meaning.

This is the moment when our protagonists make the choice to embark on a new destiny and re-frame their lives.

This has been an excerpt from a short video essay I made a while back, which not many people watched. I think this is at least in part due to my failure to package it well, and it seems you tumblheads like this animation/cinematography analysis stuff, so this is an experiment to see if, with the help of y'all, and a new title and thumbnail, it's at all possible to give this video a second wind in the eyes of the Youtube Gods!

So if you found this interesting, I'd appreciate if you checked it out! Thanks for reading!

youtube

#Also i spent a lot of time on the little animated bit at the start so please watch it lol #animation analysis #mini essay #video #video essay #princess mononoke #throne of blood #hayao miyazaki #akira kurosawa #Youtube #gif warning

890 notes · View notes

tarotwithlove · 1 year

Text

pac ⋆ if your life were a movie...

reminder that this is a general reading and messages found here may not apply to everyone. take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and don't force anything if it does not fit

BOOK A READING WITH ME · TWITTER · TIPS ♡ tips and feedback are very highly appreciated

☆ GROUP ONE

cards pulled ⋆ ace of wands (reversed), ace of wands, the sun (reversed), five of wands (genre – action / fantasy), relationship – eight of pentacles (reversed), knight of swords (reversed), wheel of fortune (reversed), the empty fool, the pain fool: face your pain, inspiration, psychic abilities

channelled songs ⋆ moon by everglow · blinking game by jonghyun · lost in the citadel by lil nas x

while you would not be the main character, you would be integral to the movie. that is to say that, rather than the character who runs into battle, you would be the character who sits on the sidelines and imparts spiritual guidance to them and the hero’s party. in your secret fortress, hidden from all in the world who are not worthy, your magic, spiritual wisdom, and psychic abilities make sure that the hero completes their questin this movie, your spiritual path would be more important to you than love and relationships.

you would have had a string of misfortune in this department, as many of your love interests are either unsatisfied with the solitary life you lead or are intimidated by your magical power. you have, as a result, resigned yourself to being single and to being devoted to your spirituality above all else. the particular relationship that hurt you the most in this world is a forbidden one.

you and your person were torn apart because of this, and you have, since, felt like love was completely out of reach. that no one else could ever be your match like this person was.

hey there, group one ♡ if your life was a movie, it would be an action fantasy, filled with action, magic and adventure!

your character will experience a significant arc in being made to recognise whether you live your solitary life out of choice, or out of the perception of choice that comes about after experiencing a lot of pain. because your character will have experienced a lot of pain. you have lost loved ones to the world in which you live and while it has made you ever kinder it has also caused you to withdraw from the world out of an attempt at protection and self-preservation.

the energy is quite tower-heavy. in and out of the movie, as a person and as a character, know that change always occurs for the utmost best. it is not something for you to fear. this lesson is another one that your character will have to battle with throughout their overall arc.

☆ GROUP TWO

cards pulled ⋆ seven of cups (reversed), the world (reversed), the fool (reversed), nine of swords (reversed), eight of wands (reversed), four of cups (reversed), ten of pentacles (reversed), seven of swords (reversed); the respect fool: respect the natural flow, the fear fool: laugh at your fears (reversed), the tear fool: your tears heal your soul (reversed), commitment, willpower

channelled songs ⋆ light bulb by nct u · the 7th sense by nct u · elevator by jonghyun

hey there, group two ♡ if your life was a movie it would be one that was more about the characters, feelings and emotions it evoked, rather than the plot. a movie that does not neatly fit into any boxed genres such as “romance” or “coming-of-age” or “drama”, but that intermingles all of these things into a beautiful exploration of the human identity.

think of films by wong kar wai, of days of being wild, of the before trilogy, of house of hummingbird, of and so we put goldfish in the pool—which all may be movies that either resonate with you or that could be healing to you if you were to watch them. these movies are snapshots of life. as painful and cathartic to the viewer as it is beautiful. and that is the kind of movie that your life would be.

your movie would be almost entirely self-contained, with your character barely venturing out of the same handful of spots. and while your world may feel small to you as the main character of this movie, it would not feel so to the viewer, who is so enthralled by your story and how you mirror every feeling, emotion, thought they have ever had. in fact, you may have heavy or prominent aquarius and/or virgo placements that lead to you being a sort of mirror for those who interact with or perceive you.

it is the kind of movie that people would describe as “healing” or “comforting”. it will not have a clear ending, but it will leave people feeling hopeful for the hope that you, as a character, will be filled with once it is done. and yes, there are no hard resolutions, and the sadness lingers, and there are obstacles to yet be overcome, but that does not bog your character down.

your character ends their movie standing on the cusp of the glorious new. and the central message of your movie will be to love your life as it comes, to enjoy it, to grasp it while it is here—to do so even through all the healing and difficulty. to find some peace and some way to come to yourself at the end of the day.

☆ GROUP THREE

cards pulled ⋆ page of wands (reversed), the empress, three of cups, three of pentacles, the world, the fool, nine of pentacles; the crazy fool: get in touch with what you want and need, and make it your top priority, the truth fool: be honest, the deceit fool: trust your intuition (reversed), home, finding, friendship

channelled songs ⋆ for the lovers by whitney houston · river by maya b · friday i’m in love by the cure

hey there, group three ♡ your movie begins with an end and ends with a beginning! your movie begins with the end of a serious relationship, one that you devoted many years of your life to.

this end will leave you feeling adrift, depressed, and hopeless, and in an attempt to not only lift your spirits but to help you reconnect with yourself as a person your friends will choose to heavily involve themselves in your healing journey. and, in classic rom-com or chick-flick style, will surprise you with the trip of your dreams, whisking you away to a party island or island resort.

you will spend the movie trying to find yourself again, outside of this relationship. remembering your likes and dislikes, your hobbies, your joys; remembering who you are as a person.

this movie would be fun to the max. a real feel-good movie, in many ways like “mamma mia!”. the scenes of you and your friends club-hopping, partying, and enjoying the single-life will be balanced beautifully with meaningful conversations, revelations, and tears. lots of tears.

it is slow going, my love, the healing that you experience in this movie, but that is what makes it worthwhile. break-ups are painful, but they can also be beautiful for showing you who is actually there for you.

friendship is the theme for you in your movie. relationships are the absolute furthest thing from your mind, with you and your friends saying “fuck you” to relationships while doing shots or hanging out on the beach.

and that is when love is going to sneak up on you. on many of your friends as well. you’re all going to be celebrating being single and independent one day, and the next one of you is going to run into someone she likes, then another, then another, then another. even though you are incredibly attracted to this new person, you, in particular, are going to be quite adverse to it, after the pain you have just experienced. but, in the spirit of being of vacation, you and your friends agree that a fling is not only fun but needed!

and sure, it will start out as a fling. but then you’ll notice the lines around his eyes when he laughs, the way he listens so attentively when you speak, the way he’s gentle with you like your ex never was, the way your heart races when you see him, and the excitement that courses through you at the very thought of him. then one night, cuddled up on the beach, the noise of the party finding its way to you even at the distance you’ve created, you’ll look over and realise you’re in love. fuck.

the night before you leave, he confesses to you and you let out the biggest sigh that’s half “thank god it isn’t just me” and half “where do we go from here”.

and this is where the first movie end, with that uncertainty of what’s going to happen to the both of you as you go your separate ways. but being at peace because you two are in love and willing to make it work. it ends with hope.

i’m so surprised that i’ve just been writing without realising for so long. your life as a movie… group three… wow. it really inspires the inner romantic in me. your love story will not end here, however, and have a second movie that will look into how you two navigate your long distance relationship.

there will be a lot of love here, but it will be compounded by the obstacles of not only a new relationship but the distance between you.

your love perseveres, and you will make this work, you are both determined. you are reunited early on in the movie, and the movie follows your ups and downs, and eventual proposal. (you say “yes” by the way). and of course we have to have a third movie that follows your wedding and the drama around that, but i won’t get into that now!

#**#tarot #pac #pick an image #pick a card #pick a pile #pick a picture #tarotblr #witchblr #tarot community #tarotcommunity #tarot reading #free tarot reading

302 notes · View notes

argumate · 3 months

Note

you have some knowledge of classic hong kong kung fu movies, right? like bruce lee, maybe john woo and jackie chan, I'm not really sure who the big stars are. do you have any you particularly recommend? I'd like to watch a few

I'm not actually an expert on this (or anything) and my experience is somewhat scattershot, which makes me wonder what I've even watched, hmm.

Bruce Lee, I've only actually watched The Big Boss in full as a movie, but seen enough clips of the others that they feel familiar; honestly despite the way he towers over the field I think he's more valuable as a conceptual inspiration than a maker of actual movies.

Jackie Chan is obviously incredible; his early movies might be a little cheap and silly but they're far more advanced than anything Bruce Lee had the chance to do and he made so damn many of them! he's not just a kung fu guy but a master of physical comedy, a modern Buster Keaton, and yes obviously the stunts wow.

John Woo fills in the "charismatic gun-fu" and "fluttering doves" side of Hong Kong movies and those are surely worth dipping into at least a little, especially if you appreciate Chow Yun-fat.

Stephen Chow is a personal favourite; a very funny comedian but his comedies include Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu, as well as the two part Journey to the West parody (Chinese Odyssey) which is fantastic.

Leslie Cheung wasn't a kung fu star but A Chinese Ghost Story by Tsui Hark is still the best version of that movie ever made.

oh and while we're on kung fu comedy, Eagle Shooting Heroes from 1993 is the funniest damn thing and has the best scene of toad-style kung fu put to film; allegedly made in a rush while Ashes of Time ran over budget, it borrows most of the cast and has both Tony's Leung and Jackie Cheung as well Brigitte Lin and Joey Wong and Maggie Cheung.

hmm actually these are all kung fu comedy recs but kung fu lends itself naturally to comedy (and the best comedies have a solid emotional core); Tin Ha Mou Seung (Chinese Odyssey 2002, no relation to the other film with a similar name) is a hilarious spoof of Wong Kar-wai films and classic Shaw Brothers movies like The Kingdom and the Beauty and The Butterfly Lovers, it's great!

oh turns out there is another film titled Chinese Odyssey from 2022, which was Ng Man-tat's last movie before he died of liver cancer; what a pity, that guy was great with Stephen Chow and made more than fifty movies in his career.

okay I'm rambling here and there's tons of other kung fu movie possibilities I haven't covered, like 36th Chamber of Shaolin or the first Ip Man movie, Donnie Yen movies in general, oh and anything with Sammo Hung in it, just go watch some movies already!

15 notes · View notes

gditrisha · 8 months

Text

Constancy | part 1 The Commitment

PAIRING: miguel o'hara x fem!reader / afab!reader GIST: Pinterest Boards, Wedding Expos, and all that jazz! Fem!Reader / AFAB!Reader is having a field day sharing her Dream Wedding to her husband-to-be. TAGS: established relationship, discreet proposal, marriage preparations, fluffy, domestic, wedding au TRISHA NOTES: aside from my writing, i designed some visuals and moodboards to make these imagines as immersive as possible! CONSTANCY SERIES | WRITING MASTERLIST

Imagine one day Miguel initiated a conversation you'd least expect - he asks you about your "dream wedding". let's just say he once caught you peacefully curled up on the couch, remote still in hand with the TV auto-playing wedding planning videos it's taken over your algorithm, it is full of it

"Really???" you beamed then immediately retrieved your tablet, showed him your Pinterest Board, and had an absolute field day just explaining why certain details would work best

Miguel finds it adorable how your "Dream Wedding" Pinterest board is organized. He's amazed how everything is categorized with pics from attire such as rich-toned suits to dainty bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses as well as different possible motifs, venues, venue styling, and table settings

You find it so sweet of Miguel to involve himself in the conversation, "Hmmm...instead of this suit, I'll wear the red maroon one. I don't think green sage is my color."

this came to you as a surprise cuz you knew he'd rather have a civil wedding. weddings are very costly and it's the vows that matter anyway, right? but he's actually giving suggestions???

Miguel notices the furrowed brow, he runs his thumb over it cuz it isn't a good look to your sunny self "What? I said green isn't my color...and sí, cariño...let's have a real wedding."

He then slides the engagement ring box on the table. it's a simple band encrusted with diamonds. he thought the simple design would go well with any of your rings cuz he knows you like to layer it

There's a high muffled "AAAAAAAHHHH" as you cover your mouth. You bounce on your tiptoes cuz you can't contain your excitement, Miguel carries you, carefully swinging you around in the living room, and gives you a kiss on your temples and lips

You'd both attend lots of Bridal Expos for weeks to come; trying to find more inspiration for your wedding and finalize your suppliers. Miguel holding your hand and pointing at the booths for the both of you to try. Imagine feeding each other free samples of cake and drinking wine (as if it were the ceremony already) garnering some "Awwws" from those managing the booths. You'd return back to your place with LOTS of pamphlets and business cards

The prenup photos isn't your typical shoot with a theme set in the day. No. As bubbly as you are, you knew a day photoshoot didn't fit either of you. You both enjoyed the evening as there are no expectations from either of you, everything is more quiet, reserved for each others' company. The photoset features the city night lights and how you both welcome each other in the hazy glow, beautiful smiles captured in stills similar to a Wong-kar Wai film.

You change the name of the Pinterest Board to “Save the Date” and continue your discussion about the board. Editing it during your free time after kicking anomaly butt and saving the Spiderverse

This is the motif you and Miggy come up with. A mix of rich tones and soft hues. The warmth of burgundy and amber blended with the coolness of tan and sage.

TRISHA NOTES: I forgot I owned a wedding board myself and idk the delulu in me was like might as well. But on a serious note, I was just thinking of the possibility of it coming true someday ahihihi getting married I mean. Anywaaay, trying to have intervals between posts cuz I don't wanna rush it but Part 2 goal is 2nd week of September!

46 notes · View notes

boo-cool-robot · 4 months

Text

Everything I Watched This Year

I have watched the most movies this year of my life, which is still so few that I can fit them all into one tumblr post, so here they are in approximately chronological order (along with TV shows). I almost exclusively watch visual media with other people, and they're often the ones picking. Favorites get an asterisk (*), and this does not include rewatches.

*Fallen Angels (Wong Kar-Wai): Five loosely connected lonely people chase imagined versions of each other around the Hong Kong nightscape. I didn't go into a plotless arthouse film expecting it to be extremely funny, but it is. He Zhiwu (my new tumblr icon!) deserves to be up there among the deranged autistic blorbos of all time.

What We Do in the Shadows (Showrun by Paul Simms and Stefani Robinson) [First half of S4]: If you're on tumblr you probably know the premise already. I was disappointed that after S3, which felt like a build to huge shifts in the characters and status quo, S4 felt like a walkback. Don't remember much else about it other than crying laughing at the sequence where they try to get baby Colin Robinson into private school.

Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee): Everyone knows what this movie is already. It's well-made and solid, but it wasn't anything that exciting for me. I expected it to be more striking. Love the 70s home production design in that one scene though, and that kiss truly is good.

*Velvet Goldmine (Todd Haynes): A reporter tracks down the truth of a rock star gay affair that sparked his own queer coming of age. Dreamy, gorgeous, and I could not describe the plot scene to scene if you paid me. Just a really lovely film to experience for me, someone who had latent and unnamed transgay feelings as a teenager about the concept of "emo boys kissing."

Phantom of the Paradise (Brian De Palma): Phantom of the Opera-inspired drama about a songwriter getting revenge on the predatory producer that ruined his life. Total delight of a campy melodrama.

Kamikaze Girls (Tetsuya Nakashima): A delinquent and fashion-obsessed scam artist strike up a lesbian-tinged unlikely friendship. This movie is bananas. Way more stylistically experimental than I'd expected--there's a sequence of the protagonist's birth, people just float offscreen sometimes, the townspeople constantly turn to the camera and advertise for the megamart they buy all their clothes from, etc. A really really surprisingly fun watch.

*Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (Hiroshi Kobayashi and Ryō Andō) [First 6 episodes only]: Optimistic young pilot of a war machine that she may have an illegal psionic connection with goes to space high school and is promptly drawn into political plotting via accidentally getting gay engaged to a corporate heiress. Highly enjoyed the parts of it I saw - great action sequences, fun character drama, and just enough political substance. Not as weird as Utena, which it's inspired by, but can be brutal where necessary. I should watch more!

*In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar Wai): Two Shanghainese emigrants in Hong Kong discover their spouses are cheating and embark on a tragic affair of their own. God, this movie deserves every bit of praise it gets. I gasped out loud multiple times at the gorgeousness of shot compositions. Top notch acting, gorgeous colors. This tends to be a movie pitched as being about a repressed love affair, but it's also a movie about the positionality about being middle class colonial subjects and the relationships they have with the world. This gave me so much to chew on after I watched it.

Happy Together (Wong Kar-Wai): Two Hong Kong expats living in Argentina have a toxic gay relationship trapped in a tiny apartment. This one felt very opaque to me, and it is allegedly an allegory for Hong Kong being returned to Chinese rule after British colonialism, which I absolutely do not have enough background to really get. Wong is a great director though, and I constantly think about the sequence of the main character seeing the abusive ex walk into the club, beat while he finishes his drink, and then he breaks his bottle off and goes in to screams.

Bound (The Wachowskis): A lesbian handyman falls for a woman married to an abusive mobster that they plot to rob. The first 45 minutes were very enjoyable as a lesbian heist film. Unfortunately, once the gunshots started the torture scenes became so stressful for me to watch that I sweated through my shirt. (I also had Covid).

#hey did you know tumblr has a character limit?#because I hit it in this post #long post

14 notes · View notes

legallybrunettedotcom · 9 months

Note

any suggestions for a director i can study in my film class next year? i have to make a short film inspired by their style. i trust ur film taste.

what a cool assignment! the first name that popped into my mind is wong kar-wai. no one does love and loneliness quite like him and he has such a distinct style. another director with sort of similar neon visuals is nicolas winding refn. i'm sure someone in your class will be doing their project on tarantino, unless they think they're too cool for him, but refn is sort of similar to him theme-wise. he's also obsessed with violence and indebted to all the great filmmakers that came before him. and i think it might be interesting to analyze how style became substance, the evolution from his first films to recent projects etc. gaspar noe might be another interesting option if we're staying in this neon and hazy and brutal world. the most obvious choice is wes anderson. i think cute and fun things could be done trying to replicate his style. in the same vein sofia coppola. my bestie david fincher is another potential option, you have the very dark and sterile and jaundiced colour palette, he doesn't move the camera a lot so you got this feeling of being like a fly on the wall. i think terrence malick could be so cool and you can utilize the nature a lot, even though that can be a nightmarish task. and unlike fincher his camera seems to levitate, it's not really fixed. sergio leone could be really fun, you can make your own western, lots of wide-angle shots of the environment and close-ups of faces, everything is intense and almost comedic, some cool music and you got it. anyway these are the ones that first popped into my mind. good luck! 🫶🏼

14 notes · View notes

l00106 · 1 year

Note

AAAA I LOVE YOUR ART SO MUCH

If you don’t mind me asking… what’s your style inspiration? It feels very reminiscent of some classical paintings but I can’t quite put my finger on whose exactly.

Thanks for sharing your art with the world!

ASFSHSJ TYSM oh boy i can talk hours abt what inspired my style but im gonna make some points

- melancholy nostalgic movies (cmbyn, wong kar wai, wes Anderson movies, period drama movies are my favorite, A24 movies)

-analog photography

-18s fairy tail books illustrations

-yes i do take classical painting styles it literally injected in my blood i cant live w/o it and its from impressionism era

-also some of my favorite artists: Carl Larsson, Jessie Willcox Smith, Tom Lovell, JC Leyendecker, Ignasi Monreal, Mayuyukashita

1 just love to make my paintings looks fuzzy n warm, “film like” painting like u live in that moment even the color is cold, feels like home n nostalgia feelings ykwim

42 notes · View notes

pikachufacedesune · 1 year

Text

So, Mile and Apo confirmed in the recent Esquare HK interview that KP's aesthetic is inspired by Hong Kong cinema. I saw Wong Kar-wai and Christopher Doyle's references in the visual aspects and the colours of the show since the very start of it, and so I love every single scene, visually speaking. Artistically, KP might be the best Thai series ever filmed. I've watched a lot of Thai series and none of the the photography, the camera work and the editing of them can compare to those of KinnPorsche. Such an amazing work they did.

#kinnporsche the series #kinnporsche #mile phakphum #apo nattawin #be on cloud #mileapo #hk cinema

23 notes · View notes

mydarlinginej · 11 months

Photo

read my full review of immortal longings by chloe gong here.

#1 New York Times bestselling YA author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra , is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

my review:

At this point, you must know that I am a big Chloe Gong Fan, and I was absolutely dying to read her adult debut…Then I got an ARC and put off reading it for months because I was not emotionally prepared to actually start it. Once I did, however, I flew through it and now am desperate for the sequel. Set amidst a 90s-esque world, Immortal Longings introduces us to a story of love and obsession — and what one will do to free themselves.

Every year, the palace throws a set of games in the twin cities of San-Er. In this competition, eighty-eight people race to be the last one standing, either by killing or eliminating other contestants, in order to receive unbelievable riches. This year, Calla Tuoleimi, the last princess of Er and not seen in the last five years, enters the games, as does Anton Makusa, an exiled noble. Calla needs to win so that she can meet the reclusive and heavily guarded king — to kill him and finish what she started five years ago. When August, the king’s adopted son and her cousin, approaches her with a deal to throw the odds heavily in her favor, she soon rises in the ranks of the games, with Anton immediately targeting her as a threat. The two of them ultimately enter a hesitant alliance, but the tension grows into something more as mysterious threats to the kingdom arise.

The worldbuilding immediately drew me in. Gong has described this book as “Antony & Cleopatra meets Clove and Cato in a 90s Wong Kar-wai film,” which is the craziest string of words yet perfectly encapsulates the vibes of this book. It’s set in a world with 90s technology, so there are landline phones, televisions, computer cafes, and so on. There’s also a concept of “jumping,” wherein people can “jump” into other’s bodies in a flash of light. This adds an extra layer to the game, as players can jump from person to person and survive longer.

read my full review here.

#immortal longings #chloe gong #flesh and false gods #reviews #book reviews #booklr #mine #link #q

9 notes · View notes

reflections-in-a-critical-eye · 1 year

Note

Happy New Year BMT ❤️ I was wondering, given your focus of study, if you had any queer movies (or any media really) that you love and would be willing to recommend?

Hi @moonmoonloves and Happy New Year!

I remember I made a similar list last year, but I can't find it, so I did a new one 😅.

These are just a few of them, it's not very comprehensive. But I recommend searching for lists made on Mubi as well. They're quite good and you'll find a lot more. I took some inspiration as well because my memory is not that good.

I hope you'll watch and find interesting some of the films I compiled here.

My advice is to also look for other films made by these directors because some of them focused on similar themes in other films as well.

Todo sobre mi madre (Pedro Almodovar, 1999)

La mala educacion (Pedro Almodovar, 2004)

Cabaret (Bob Fosse, 1972)

Happy Together (Wong Kar Wai, 1997)

Lawrence Anyways (Xavier Dolan, 2012)

My Own Private Idaho (Gus Van Sant, 1991)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Jim Sharman, 1975)

The Hadmaiden (Park Chan Wook, 2016)

Je, Tu, Il, Elle (Chantal Akerman, 1974)

Maurice (James Ivory, 1987)

The Hunger (Tony Scott, 1983)

My Beautiful Laundrette (Stephen Frears, 1985)

Velvet Goldmine (Todd Haynes, 1998)

Tomboy (Celine Sciamma, 2011)

Stranger by the Lake (Alain Guiraudie, 2013)

The Swimming Pool (Francois Ozon, 2003)

Paris is Burning (Jennie Livingston, 1990)

Water Lilies (Celine Sciamma, 2007)

My Summer of Love (Pavel Pawlikoswki, 2004)

Tom at the Farm (Xavier Dolan, 2013)

Pink Narcissus (James Bidgood, 1971)

Beau Travail (Claire Denis, 1999)

A Song of Love (Jean Genet, 1950)

Rebel Without A Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955)

O Fantasma (Joao Pedro Rodriguez, 2000)

Victor/Victoria (Blake Edwards, 1982)

Farewell My Concubine (Chen Kaige, 1993)

Scorpio Rising (Kenneth Anger, 1963)

Cruising (William Friedkin, 1980)

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Hector Babenco, 1985)

Breakfast on Pluto (Neil Jordan, 2005)

Brothers of the Night (Patric Chiha, 2016)

#bmt asks #bmt film recs #bmt queer cinema recs

26 notes · View notes

fayewongfuzao · 7 months

Text

City by City

“I love vintage things, especially 90s Hong Kong culture which produced so many good movies. It’s a very influential era for the rest of Asia as it saw the likes of Faye Wong, Tat Ming Pair, Four Heavenly Kings, Wong Kar Wai films, Stephen Chow movies.”

- Issac Lam, photographer

"I really like Picasso, Jean Paul Goude, Wong Kar wai, Faye Wong, Niki de Pharrell, etc.. Depending on the stage of life I’m in, different artists inspire me, but in the end, it’s a combination of all them that has influenced who I am now. I think their work has really deep emotions and poignant storytelling which I can strongly relate to. I feel intense emotions through their work, whether love or sadness."

- John Yuyi, artist

#faye wong #王菲

5 notes · View notes

nectar-cellar · 2 years

Photo

i always wanted to do a photoshoot inspired by wong kar wai’s film aesthetic, and this lot by @simsmidgen really caught my eye! i only wish there were more in this style.

i had a lot of fun setting up the lighting. i love night-time pics. daytime pics are nice, but in the darkness i can get more creative with the placement and coloring of the lights. i noticed that in a lot of stills of wong kar wai’s films, the lighting is very harsh, there is high contrast, and lots of color. i tried to recreate that here.

#the sims 3

70 notes · View notes

fablecore · 1 year

Note

Hi Irini! I've been wanting to improve my writing lately, so I thought I might ask for some advice from my favorite writer! Do you have any tips on pacing? And although I have a vague idea of the kinds of characters I want to write, I'm struggling to find the things that might motivate them... do you have any advice on that? Also - I want to develop my writing style, so I was hoping for some recs for authors/works that inspire you. I hope that isn't too much! I'd really appreciate any advice.

hi dear anon 🌸☕️🎍 here are two posts i love about characters/plot/romance & making characters want things.

a very very brief list of my influences (i should put a disclaimer here saying i haven't touched some of these in a while but either they were formative to me or i simply enjoyed them and i think you would too):

piranesi by susanna clarke, a gentleman in moscow by amor towles, the literature and history podcast, the manga of irie aki, wong kar-wai films, hbo’s succession, poetry (basho, mary oliver, mahmoud darwish, pablo neruda), anne carson, the pillow book by sei shonagon, beowolf translated by maria dahvana headley, the circle of magic series, richard hugo's essay "the triggering town", the webcomic kill 6 billion demons, thomas flight’s film analysis on youtube, nanette by hannah gadsby, maxfield parrish, yoshida hiroshi, matias bergera, princess arete, obligatory ghibli/fullmetal alchemist mention, the video game final fantasy x

as for pacing... i have no thoughts (because i'm no good at it and i've given up caring) so i'll channel my inner nabokov. he'd probably say something like "tell the story at the pace at which it wants to be told." don't overthink it, probably... (<- the hesitance of someone who is unsure whether to call this advice or just wishful thinking)

#letters #on writing

12 notes · View notes

onehunnit · 6 months

Text

Cinema Studies Minor Gets Super Into Analyzing K-Pop Videos 2.1

Disclaimer: I'm still a student, no where near an expert, I will be wrong in some technical aspects. Also my interpretations are my opinion which means you may disagree and that's okay. Awesome even! Just be normal about it fr. This is also very out of order bc that's how my brain works. Also I am but a baby loretiny, which means my interpretations are shaky at best compared to what's been established. But the lore is confusing anyway so....

The World EP.FIN: Trailer Analysis pt 1: Sections

Why Not Film?

K-Pop's Obsession with Wong Kar-Wai

Ateez and Metropolis

Why Not Film?

I mean like filming on film stock. Because there is a film grain/noise... (overlay? mask? idk man i'm not an editor I forgot my terms) texture to parts of the video that I think is supposed to evoke the idea of a security camera (I would have LOVED some high-angle shots to drive this home but oh well) BUT could also just be representing that it's old/in the past because it is also in black and white.

the texture is especially evident on San's face. I think they just put a noise filter over this part, which creates grain that you'd find on old film

So why not just film on film stock? It's expensive and cumbersome my guy. they filmed this between schedules like.... digital editing and stuff is just so much easier.

Which leads me to the next section:

K-Pop's Obsession with Wong Kar-Wai

STEP PRINTING!!!! 8/10FPS!!!!! STREAKS!!!! WE! LOVE! IT!

I fucking love this effect which WKW first did by filming (on stock) at 8 frames per second (fps) and then repeating the same frame 3 times to create that streakiness. Filming at a low frame rate then playing it at a higher one (usually 24 fps, which I'm guessing is also what they used for this trailer, 24-32(ish) fps is the cinematic standard) creates fast motion. This process is called step-printing.

The subject(s) would stay still/ move very slowly while filming to give the effect that everything is moving fast around them while they're normal speed. Super cool, gives sense that time is passing around them and/or isolation from others, which is what I think is intended here since HJ and the teezers are isolated from society as they're trying to fight against the government. sweet sweet storytelling through style. OBSESSED!

Here is an example from Chungking Express:

But also: K-Pop in general is OBSESSED with WKW's style. I will make a list of MVs that rep that eventually, but off the top my head, Mamamoo's mv for wind flower is inspired by Fallen Angels. The color grading, cinematography, the scene references etc.

Ateez and Metropolis

Now for something completely different: Before I get into it I really want to emphasize how fucking instrumental cinema was in globalization, because when cinema first became an industry it TRAVELED like TRAVELED. and resulted in a mix of styles since the fucking like 1920s. AMAZING

Okay so speaking of 1920s, let's get into IT! German Expressionism was a film movement that was born out of post-WW1 Germany and society's need to express (ha) the horrors of war they went through and since hyperinflation fucked up the economy so much, film companies were like "spend whatever" and blew budget on super elaborate film sets and facilities.

Expressionism is focused on the physical and really emphasizing features and such. It's hyperbolic as show in the screen shot from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari:

The subject's face is deepened by the make-up and lighting and shows their state of mind, a mindless corpse being controlled by another power (think Master/Puppet, but we don't have time to rly get into post WW1 Ger's anxieties)

It's also hyperbolic, as I said, which sometimes takes form in the sets. Specifically the establishing shots. These would traditionally be miniatures or painted, as they are easy and you can see how they're similar:

1- Metropolis & 2- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Notice anything? The lines maybe? Perspective? Symmetry? These are all qualities seen in German Expressionism which I will get into in a momement but first. Let me explain why I use Metropolis as an example. In short, they already referenced it in Guerrilla:

click to get the whole picture! Guerrilla MV and the film poster for Metropolis, the book cover is similar.

See the lines and perspective? The establishing shot at the beginning is the same, let's compare it to Metropolis again:

THE WORLD: EP.FIN Trailer & Metropolis

German expressionism is alive and well in film style and I'm so in love with how the director utilizes it.

Next, we're going to talk about structure and lines, along with style and how it helps the narrative.

[TO BE CONTINUED]

#x.txt #x.cinema analysis #ateez #I will reach image limit so I'll just do a pt 2

1 note · View note