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reviewinghiccup · 1 year

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RIDERS OF BERK | HTTYD SERIES | BREAKING DOWN HICCUP

Blog Post Series : Breaking Down Hiccup

Title : In Dragons we Trust | Alvin and the Outcasts

Ep/Season : Episode 5 & 6, Season 1 (Riders of Berk)

Premise(s) :

Mildew sets out get rid of the dragons. As usual. Alvin the Treacherous, a long term enemy of Berk has now ceased the opportunity to appear and kidnap the dragon conqueror for himself, much to his surprise.

THE OPENING SCENE

The opening sequence of Episode 5 is cathartic. When Hiccup free falls, there is such freedom and release. He glides in the air with such ease. The artistic direction of the show is refined. Hiccup is the bravest in the sky, and ironically, somewhat uncomfortable on land. He is himself with Toothless, or in a better way put - more himself. But without Toothless, he is always placed in a position of finding himself.

Episode 5 and 6 is exactly that. We know that Mildew’s scheme to get rid of the dragons succeeds at the end of Episode 5. And Hiccup is now looking for an opportunity to get Toothless back and bring him home. The struggle now begins as Hiccup has to find his strength in the absence of his best friend.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK III

At the start of Episode 5, we are made aware of the dynamic of Hiccup in the village. There is now no disputing that he is Stoic’s heir. I’d like to think that the village was worried having Hiccup as chief initially. He’s scrawny, tiny, couldn’t/wouldn’t kill a dragon. He didn’t fit the Viking mould. Even Stoic was concerned. But after the battle with the Red Death, no one can fault Hiccup’s stubbornness and bravery. His courage was unmatched. His compassion greater than the scale of his measure and his understanding even larger.

So, when we go into Riders of Berk, Hiccup is undisputedly next in line. This is reflected in what Stoic tells Hiccup in Episode 5 “all eyes are upon you son, whatever those beast do reflects on you AND whatever you do reflects on ME.”

RELATIONSHIP DYNAMIC

FATHER-SON & CHIEF

Hiccup is trying to prove himself. And while Stoic has done better after the events of the 1st movie, in terms of parenting, he still struggles to divide his position as chief and his role as father. This context is often a topic when we follow a storyline involving royalties and their heirs.

Stoic doesn’t want to disappoint his son, but he must also protect his village, which is allegedly being ruined by something his son loves the most and believes are innocent.

The question of trust is still a running theme between father and son.

And the notion of whether Hiccup is a worthy leader hangs lightly in the air.

The living situation between dragons and Vikings is still precarious.

HICCUP X ASTRID

I can’t not talk about them. When Hiccup was contemplating the series of unfortunate events, he starts to believe that Mildew set everything up. After they leave the dragons on Dragon Island, Astrid, sad and upset looks for him. I notice that the two of them, in the earlier days of friendship, often sought each other for support (as they will continue to do into their relationship).

At the same time, Hiccup confides in Astrid the possibility of Mildew’s treason. She has always been his voice of reason. A great listener. She doesn’t nudge him towards the impulsive but is wise in her counsel, letting him make his own decisions, but reminding him to calculate them. We know they grew up together, but the grew together as well, if you get what I’m saying.

This reminds of the final movie, when Gobber pesters Astrid to marry him. It is because he knows that Astrid makes Hiccup better. Even Valka acknowledges that he listens to her. There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid.

HICCUP V ALVIN THE TREACHEROUS

Alvin the Treacherous (voiced by Mark Hamill might I add 🙌🏼) is Hiccup’s first enemy. I get that Mildew might be considered the first, but he wasn’t a real threat to Berk (yet).

Something Hiccup proves very well, is that he is brave. He isn’t stupidly audacious, like Snotlout, who when push comes to shove might run away from the challenge (though arguably Snotlout gets better towards the end).

He is also very clever. He chooses his battles and uses psychology to outwit his enemies, instead of brute strength, which most of them would have more than him anyways.

HEROIC STORY LINES

UNDERRATED ROMANTIC | CHIVALRY AIN’T DEAD

Hiccup heroically shows up just when Astrid needs him. I love these little touches. Hiccup continues to prove himself to be nothing like “Stoic’s little embarrassment.”

Hiccup tries to trick Alvin. Astrid catches on quickly (proving their inward connection) and plays along w his plan. We know that this rouse may not fly if it was put against the twins or Snotlout, who may not get the idea immediately and Fishlegs would be too nervous to act it out well.

HICCUP’S BRAVERY

Was it stupid to let Alvin take him hostage? Yes, but Hiccup was unafraid. And didn’t even flinch while captive. He grows a lot in these two episodes. I love that his size holds no comparison to his courage.

BATTLE STRATEGY IMPROVES

While Alvin will prove to be a lesser evil than the demons that will soon chase him in later seasons, Hiccup and the way he manoeuvres Toothless on the battle field will improve and match up w the evil at hand. The turns he makes when battling Alvin is a little clumsy and out of touch, but this will change as he practices and progresses in the story. I like that they made it look that way, as opposed to Hiccup just naturally knowing how to fight w Toothless by his side. I appreciate the growth they’re trying to lay out here.

Likewise, the way the riders work as a team will also progress. The other’s seemingly irrelevant rattlings will prove useful, and Hiccup will learn to be a leader, team player and friend to them and they to him.

CONCLUSION

I loved how Stoic faced off Alvin. Punishing him for taking Hiccup. Which shows off his tenacity, strength and love for his son.

I like how though Mildew wasn’t outed, he didn’t need to be. It’s like a lesson in “things don��t always work out the way you want it to and justice isn’t always served independent of evidence". But when you do the right thing, things will workout, and that’s exactly what happened.

I love that at the end of the episodes, the village cheered on the dragon riders sparking on a desire to let them stay and tolerate a free roaming dragon city.

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nysocboy · 2 months

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Wet Hot American Summer, Episode 1.5: Skyler in a satyr costume and a gaslit gay couple

Wet Hot American Summer (2001) was set in a summer camp in Maine in 1981: after all of the kids have left, the counselors hold a talent show and hook up. Two guys fall in love and get married. I've never seen it, so I don't know if the sequence was performed as a homophobic joke or not.

Undaunted by the 38% Rotten Tomato rating, Netflix produced two Wet Hot tv series, a prequel and a sequel. Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later catches up with the original characters and some new faces in 1991. I reviewed Episode 1.5, "King of the Camp," where pompous, snarly, mean-tempered new character Deegs (Skyler Gisondo) and regular Andy (Paul Rudd) compete for the title.

Scene 1: The camp is in session, so there are kids as well as counselors. Andy's friend points out that he was named King of the Camp every year back in the day, but now the honor goes to that mean-tempered kid, Deegs. At that moment Deegs throws some trash at them, while his friend Seth does a "fucking" gesture. So he plans to humiliate them with anal sex?

They argue. "Fuck off!" "Suck my balls." Dude, you're a 30 year old man telling a kid to suck your balls. Doesn't that sound a little odd?

Finally Andy challenges Deegs to a "King of the Camp Duel."

Scene 2: The King of Camp contest begins with drummers, acrobats, a band dressed like road warriors, and fire dancers (both ladies, darn it). The contestants are in cages, Andy dressed like a Viking and Deegs dressed like a satyr. Whoa, nice muscles, but shoving your hand into your loincloth is a little distracting. Don't worry, Skyler is 21 years old.

Scene 3: First contest: bag race. Deegs loses his bull horns but keeps the loincloth.

Scene 4: Next: get dizzy and race with an egg in a spoon.

Scene 5: The guys run across the quad for the next contest. Skyler bouncing around in that satyr outfit is still distracting. Ok, here it is: make up a song about dinosaurs. Andy gets weepy about their extinction, while Deegs sings "The Dinosaur Stomp."

Scene 6: Next: hot pepper eating. Whoops, they're tied.

The full review, with several nude photos, is on Righteous Gemstones Beefcake and Boyfriends

#the righteous gemstones #Skyler Gisondo #Gideon Gemstone #Summer camp #Wet Hot American Summer #Paul Rudd #Gay couple

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ardn716scarletttetleyjones · 3 months

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Week 4: Pitch Presentation

Above: my working title is currently objectification: exploring making/creating as an extension of the self.

Objectification is "the expression of something abstract in a concrete form." (Oxford.) Because I am exploring this idea of objects carrying and connotating a lot of meaning and history, I thought it was relevant. It also means 'the action of degrading someone to the status of a mere object." (Oxford). I also find this interesting, because Ozeki's whole idea is that objects need to be respected and valued. The word's meaning says a lot about the lack of value we place in objects- maybe something that's led to our modern throw-away culture.

Above: initially, I was looking at a lot of fashion photography references, but I realised that illustration photography was more relevant to my career goals. I find the strong narratives and staged scenes, where the models seem almost doll like, used in the fashion examples interesting for my current pitch.

Above: some test shoots. Exploring how a simple stop-motion sequence can create the illusion of movement and further create a sense of life in the doll, who is really an inanimate object. Exploring the role of the creator in changing the meaning of the object, for instance changing the doll's expression from serious to smiling in the second sequence.

Presentation references

Ozeki, R. (2021). The Book of Form and Emptiness. Viking.

Yildrim, B. (2019) Dilara Findikoglu Spring Summer 19. Fashion Editorial.

Roversi, P. (2009). Dream Sequence. Fashion Editorial. W Mag.

Child, L. (2005). The Princess and the Pea. Children's Book. Puffin.

Sickels, C. . Stay Skeptical, Career Changers.

Sickels, C. (2020). Displacement. Stereograph.

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44gamez · 5 months

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Hellblade 2 Release Date Officially Revealed

Throughout the current Xbox Developer Direct livestream, writer Xbox Recreation Studios and developer Ninja Principle introduced that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will launch for Xbox Sequence X/S and PC through Steam and Microsoft Retailer on Could 21, confirming current rumors and stories. It's going to even be an Xbox Recreation Go title. The livestream offers gamers a behind the scenes have a look at the sport’s manufacturing, and likewise reveals some cutscenes explaining Senua’s new adventures in tenth century Iceland towards the Vikings, gameplay segments displaying fight, a number of places, and extra. In Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Senua returns “in a brutal journey of survival via the parable and torment of Viking Iceland.” Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 particulars: The sequel to the award profitable Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival via the parable and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those that have fallen sufferer to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness inside and with out. Sink deep into the following chapter of Senua’s story, a crafted expertise informed via cinematic immersion, fantastically realised visuals and encapsulating sound. The primary recreation’s particulars through the developer: From the makers of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DmC: Satan Could Cry, comes a warrior’s brutal journey into delusion and insanity. 2021 Replace: Return to Helheim and expertise Senua’s world via new eyes with enriched visuals and new options. Upgraded supplies, particles and LOD, DirectX Raytracing and optimised efficiency with NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR assist. We have now additionally used this chance to incorporate some key accessibility enhancements, together with full controller remapping and color blindness settings. Set within the Viking age, a damaged Celtic warrior embarks on a haunting imaginative and prescient quest into Viking Hell to combat for the soul of her lifeless lover. Created in collaboration with neuroscientists and individuals who expertise psychosis, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will pull you deep into Senua’s thoughts. Read the full article

#Date #Hellblade #Officially #Release #Revealed

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bgallen · 5 months

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A list for the 2nd Friday of 2024

Welcome to 2024….12 days in!

I hope that thus far your year has gone well. I personally enjoy the resetting of a new year, when you can implement new focuses, improve older ones, and look forward to growth and fun. I’ve included a list of some bits and bobs I’ve been enjoying and found interesting as well as some photos.

Hopefully you find something to enjoy and have a great weekend.

The ‘$40 Pencil’ That Almost Went Extinct (wsj.com)

John Steinbeck used one to write “The Grapes of Wrath” and a Disney animator was buried with one. Blackwing pencils gained a coveted status among creatives for their speed and smoothness. Here’s why they almost went extinct and what it took to bring them back.

The lost ancient practise of communal sleep (bbc.com)

Until the mid-19th Century, it was completely normal to share a bed with friends, colleagues and even total strangers.

Masters of the Air — Opening Title Sequence | Apple TV+ - YouTube

Based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group )the “Bloody Hundredth”) as the conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen, and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the ir. Portrating the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of “Masters of the Air.” Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.

A Notebook to Save You from Infinite Scrolling & Boredom (youtube.com)

In this video, Parker gives an idea for a pocket notebook that can help free you from the infinite scroll and help you utilize your boredom for your own intellectual good.

Music’s power over your brain, explained | Michael Spitzer (youtube.com)

Music affects the brain in profound ways. It eases stress by lowering cortisol. It floods the brain with pleasurable neurotransmitters like dopamine. And it serves as a conduit through which we can process emotions that otherwise might not be describable in words.

If I Had a Heart - VIKINGS // Anna Miilmann, Johan Karlström & Danish National Symphony Orchestra (youtube.com)

Performed by Anna Miilmann, Johan Karlström & Danish National Symphony Orchestra & Vocal Ensemble Conducted by Henrik Vagn Christensen

How a 1574 portrait was made 'Insta-fabulous' (bbc.com)

Restorers are uncovering "forgotten faces" that were later retouched, with painters adding plump lips, sculpted noses and tapered chins centuries afterwards, writes Kelly Grovier.

The Habits for Happiness Quiz | Gretchen Rubin

A fun quiz to help you choose what the next habit that could make you happier might be.

#newyears #newyear #2024 #welcome #photography #fun #music #learntogrow #themoreyouknow #history #pencils #streaming #tv

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thoughtsofadyingsoftwaredev · 7 months

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Hello, Tumblr world! For some reason I am drawn to you in the Fall season. My last post was just over a year ago… sorry about that. Not that you, my lovely reader, care - and that is IF anyone reads this! I won't lie I don't care if people read these or not, this is essentially an online journal for me at this point, ha.

So, what's new with me lately, you might ask? Well, I'll break it down:

Still happy with our house. We've made gradual updates to it since moving in, including redoing some old flooring with some new vinyl faux-wood looking stuff. Super nice. Also replaced an old toilet in the process. Next we're eyeballing a bathtub upgrade for one of the bathrooms and big landscaping changes to our back yard.

Got promoted at work to Senior Software Engineer after 3 years. Not bad turnaround time for that title change, in my opinion. My responsibilities shifted from managing the IAM software to managing our search experience for the many different applications we provide.

This primarily means I'm responsible for drafting search document schemas, working with these other teams to get answers on questions they refuse to provide answers to without me having to ask first, and handling the logic for ingesting hundreds of thousands of items of varying types to different search engines. In my 3.5 years of working here, I have enjoyed the challenges of the job. Of course, it's not without it's awful days or days where my head is screeching, but the good days outweigh the bad for me.

Wife and I are still on speaking terms. That's my way of saying we're both as good and happy with each other as ever lol she's my best friend. We both got super interested in NFL this season and watch every Monday and Thursday game and watch Minnesota (wife's favorite team) on Sundays. RIP Vikings post-Cousins injury.

That's about all I can think of life-wise. My 31st birthday was a few weeks ago, and I feel old as shit sometimes LOL I look in the mirror and I see what seems like new wrinkles in new places, my hair is graying in small parts, and I find it hard to stay up late. It's 1:04AM right now and I find this to be the upper range of my limits lol

I had a dream recently that my wife and I died in a freak accident at some theme park (not a specific one, just some weird abstract dreamy one) - from what I can remember we were on what we thought was part of a ride, but what ended up happening is we both fell to our deaths.

After we died, we both were floating over family and friends as spirits, watching our bodies get carried in open caskets. For some reason, I had two huge pieces of hair that went down both sides of my face (this is nowhere near what my hair looks like so no idea why this was).

At first, when I woke up, I kinda had to laugh at it. The overall sequence of events was a bit silly. But I found myself thinking more and more about it throughout today. Who will care if I die? Not in a "bad thoughts" kinda way, but genuinely - what kind of footprint am I leaving in this world? Will people know or care that I die? Probably not, and I think ultimately I'm fine with that, but the dream gave me pause and kinda fucked with me today haha.

Can I tell you a secret Tumblr? I have a burner Facebook account that I use to see how my old friends are doing. I am very anti-social media, and as part of that, have no real ways of keeping up with people from previous parts of my life aside from those who have my cell or email, so this gives me an outlet to see how friends I've made over the years are doing now.

Some of them never left my hometown, which kinda bums me out, because when I think of my time there, I couldn't imagine having stayed. But I have to consider that they may really love the place and have strong ties to it. I don't want to sound mean when I say that, but it's just a very small, quiet town that seems like a place you'd stay if you decided not to attend university or a trade school. And that's perfectly okay, too.

Some are thriving, too! A very good friend of mine recently got married, and I'm thrilled for him. I remember late nights at college talking with him outside of his dorm in the night air, rocking back and forth in a rocking chair, like the ones you see at Cracker Barrel. We'd talk philosophy, religion, girls, music, and much more. He's an awesome, genuinely kind hearted person and I'm glad to see he's doing well. He's not the only one, there are others who are all out there doing their thing, so to speak. I can't say why, but seeing these people I've known at some points in their lives doing well makes me incredibly happy.

Music is always a wonderful memory and hobby for me. Music is what brought most of my friends I've made and I together. I recently started playing guitar again (thank you Rocksmith 2014) and it has been a blast! I recently acquired a dream guitar of mine for awhile now: a Surf Green Fender MIM Strat. I fucking love it.

Piano is still on hiatus and has been for many, many years. I think it might intimidate me a bit. I eventually will have to bite the bullet and revisit it. I plan on using ABRSM resources to find some appropriate pieces for where I'm currently at. I'm hoping I can ramp back up to SOMEWHERE close to where I was when I went to school for music. I realize it may take years, but I think if I devote myself to it, I can achieve it. Honestly the hardest thing will be getting that dexterity back and remembering scales/fingerings/etc. Hopefully by the time I post next, I can report back with some success on that front!

Hobby coding-wise, I'm starting a new project using a new stack (for me): Java (Spring), Vue, and Postgres. My goal is to create a web application for Veterinarians offices for administrative use. This app will handle invoicing, communications with patients, store pet/owner data, store data regarding prescriptions, surgeries, etc., and probably more I'm forgetting. It's a lot of moving pieces, but it presents a fun challenge on both front-end and back-end, and frankly I've seen the most popular competition (Avimark) and it looks like dogshit. So my plan is to work on this for the foreseeable future, get an MVP up, snoop around my local area and see if anyone is interested in testing it out. This will be a long-term project, though. I have some ramping up to do with Vue as I have not used it since it was still in v1.0, so many things have changed!

Started watching Frieren and that shit kicks ass! The music, the animation, the art style. Only 4 episodes in, but it is easily top 5 anime.

JJK Season 2 has been fucking insane. It started off so crazy, I ended up binge reading the manga up until the end of the Shibuya Incident and holy shit. Seeing the Yuuji vs Choso fight animated was a fucking masterpiece!

Games-wise, I've been deep into WoW classic and FFXIV. FFXIV has always been my go-to, but lately I've been doing WoW and I love the customization that is possible within a class (priests, wars, etc builds can vary wildly and that's awesome!).

And I think that's all I've got! I've been drafting this post for the past 20 minutes-ish. I have to start winding down for today. This may be my longest post so far? Not sure, I'll compare it to my others word count-wise after this and confirm!

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quotes121sworld · 1 year

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thebooknearme · 1 year

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Heathen: The Complete Series Omnibus Edition

About The Book:

Title: HEATHEN: The Complete Series Omnibus Edition

Author: Natasha Alterici & Ashley A. Woods (Illustrations)

Pub. Date: May 17, 2022

Publisher: Vault Comics

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/Heathen-The-Complete-Series

WOMAN. WARRIOR. VIKING. HEATHEN. OUTCAST. THE GODS MUST PAY… Born into a time of warfare, suffering, and subjugation of women, and exiled from her village for kissing another woman, the lesbian Viking warrior, Aydis, sets out to destroy the god-king Odin and end his oppressive reign. She is a friend to many as she is joined by mermaids, immortals, Valkyries, and the talking horse, Saga. But she is also a fearsome enemy to the demons and fantastic monsters that populate the land. Heathen – The Complete Series Omnibus Edition trade paperback collects the entire twelve-issue series. Soon to be movie directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Red Riding Hood, & Lords of Dogtown) Perfect for fans of Monstress, Helheim, and Northlanders.

Reviews:

“These declarations of self from women and queer characters fit so elegantly into the mythology Alterici uses to weave her tale, it reminds us that these narratives belonged there all along.”- The Mary Sue

“I want epics with female leads, and fortunately HEATHEN fulfills that desire in a big way, while also adding its own unique touch with themes that are as contemporary as they are timeless.”- Women Write About Comics

“One look at the cover and I knew this book was right up my alley. If you are into Norse mythology and aching for a lesbian angle, then this book is for you. If you want a love story that is more than a romance, a heroine that is truly honourable and fierce, then I urge you to pick this … up.”- The Lesbian Review

“Natasha Alterici's Heathen, has single-handedly redeemed the disaster that pop culture has been making of Norse mythology. It’s a smart, funny, feminist, queer and sex-positive take on the Viking world; one with a wide cast of diverse and endearing characters. Heathen is a must-read for comics (and mythology) lovers of all sorts and those in quest of superb queer and feminist comics in particular. RATING: 10/10”- Pop Matter

About Natasha Alterici:

Natasha Alterici is a writer and artist living in Tulsa, OK who has been working as a freelance artist for over ten years. Works include Heathen (Vault Comics), Dinosaur Project, Gotham Academy: Yearbook, Grayson Annual, The Lez Film Review, Mixed Signals, Lovers and Other Strangers, Transcience, and a number of others. When not drawing, she enjoys watching cooking shows with her wife and their two cats, Cheshire and Louise.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

About Ashley A. Woods:

Ashley A. Woods is a comic book artist, writer, & creator from Chicago known for her work on the "Niobe", "Ladycastle" and "Tomb Raider" series. She got her start through self-publishing her action-fantasy comic series “Millennia War” which led to her career in comics and TV. After earning her degree in Film and Animation from IADT, she traveled to Kyoto, Japan where she presented her work in a gallery showcase called, “Out Of Sequence”. Recognized for her female illustrations and designs, her most prominent work is "Niobe: She is Life" with Stranger Comics. Her latest work can be seen on HBO's "Lovecraft Country", DC’s “Wonder Woman Black & Gold 2” and "Jupiter Invincible" with Pulitzer Prize winning author Yusef Komunyakaa which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival June 2021.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

What was your inspiration for writing your graphic novel?

Heathen began with a simple Ren Faire costume design, I wanted to go as a barbarian, and the outfit I came up with wasn't far off from what Aydis wears in the book. After that I found myself drawing it again and again, and realized it was developing into a character. So the next steps were obvious; give her a horse and then write her a story.

List your favorite graphic novels or comics from when you were a child and talk about how you see them as an adult.

I never got the chance to read any comics as a kid. I was too busy obsessing over a different Eyewitness book every month and then later Mary Higgins Clark mysteries and Lurlene McDaniel romance books. I got into comics in college after my English Comp teacher assigned Maus, and from there I sought out the classics like V for Vendetta, Persepolis, and some Sandman. I've always been a seasonal kind of reader, sometimes I'm devouring everything I can, other times I almost forget books exist. Just how I'm wired I suppose.

List your favorite graphic novels this year and why you like them.

I've honestly only read one so far this year, but it was a great one! Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell. It's so refreshing to read about queer characters who are neither role models nor tragedies (both are perfectly valid, just oversaturated). They're just normal kids with normal relationship problems that they have to learn to navigate. I really enjoy down-to-earth stories like that.

Talk about your favorite kind of character to write about

I love messy flawed characters, the kind who want to be better but aren't quite sure how to go about it. I also love writing flirty characters, they're hands down the most fun to write. And if a flirt happens to be messy and flawed themself, well that's the perfect combination.

Talk about your least favorite kind of character to write about

This is a difficult one, because if I were to describe the kind of character I don't like I'd inevitably be describing the kind of people I don't like and I try to find the likable part of anyone I'm writing. Otherwise it's hard to empathize with them, and empathy is the most important part. I guess I'd say I find it hard to write about people who find joy in being cruel.

Describe your ideal writing space.

Comfy chair with a foot rest, view of the forest or a field, music playing, unlimited access to some kind of sweet treat like peach rings or twizzlers, and plants to fuss over while I run through scenes and dialog in my head.

Describe your ideal home library.

I'd love to have floor to ceiling shelves, with one of those rolling ladders. Everything is organized by Library of Congress call number system (I worked as a university librarian for a while), and it's dust and mold free somehow. And there's a big pile of cushions and pillows to lay in to read.

What are some of your favorite video games?

I'm really into Ark: Survival Evolved right now, I enjoy finding and taming all my favorite dinosaurs and building things. I also play Phasmophobia, Minecraft, Katamari, House Flipper, and I like colony sim games like Oxygen Not Included and Banished.

#rockstarbooktours #thevaultcomics #vaultcomics #graphicnovels #comicbooks #paranormal #scifi #horror #chillingholidays #blogtour #bookstagram #booktok #hivesocial #booktube

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ulfrsmal · 2 years

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ROP ep 01x03 down!

I forgot to mention this last time but the title credit card is so pretty, the shifting sand effect is very elegant. Numenor is very pretty too but the vibes are off, I wouldn't trust my shadow living there (the archive is the exception, that was a delight).

I'm LOVING Arondir's scenes so much, he's truly charming aside from hot, I love watching him in motion. That fight with the orcs and the warg was Big Sexy™. The warg itself was very cute, I know it wasn't intended, but the CGI was cute to me XD

Nori and the Giant continue to be adorable too! I love how the first word he could say without screaming was "friend", it made me softtt. Poppy wins Best Friend Award, I hope this caravan situation will work out for them but at the same time I'm bracing myself for disaster.......

GALADRIEL. Her sneaking sequence was adorable, and her pure joy at being on horseback made me so happy!! Her standoff with the Queen Regent of Numenor (Tal-Miriel?) was the stuff they make tension-filled f/f fic from. Queen Emma/Aelfgifu vibes from Vikings Valhalla. I'm sure somebody out there would enjoy this ROP ship!

Halbrand!! I love how hellbent he is on becoming a smith through whatever means necessary, he's charming but he should calculate things a bit better. He's becoming my Poor Little Meow Meow which sounds insane... but he is 😂 The violence with which he fought intrigues me, there's berserkr potential in him that I want to see explored!

And now to the real star of this ep.... ELENDIL. Obligatory fanboying first — his looks; his voice; his eyes; his presence. I knew he'd be a fave from the pics I saw here on tumblr but (in his own words) good Gods!! 😍 I love how perceptive he is too, he did catch Galadriel after all, and then he was gentle with her despite everything?? I'm SOLD. Expect more fanboying from me because F U C K . He's. So good. Plot-wise he's intriguing, that hint of backstory and the little row with his kids was realistic and made me become even more interested in him. That promotion makes no sense so far though, unless it's a way to keep him more controlled through duty....

His two kids we saw are adorable too, I can see why Isildur is a fave around here! Personally I'm more intrigued about his sister though. I want her apprenticeship to go well!

TL;DR I'm very gay for a stoic elf and for a human DILF, I would never live in Numenor, and I'm expecting more Bronwynn + Elrond & Disa next ep.

#no spoilers or clownery if you see this in the tags pls #rop #wynne rambles #wynne watches rop #and fanboys a lot #long post under the cut

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notesnahas · 2 years

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Now, game developers are giving a lot of attention to offer some amazing games for Mac machines. Gone are the days when lack of a powerful GPU and restrictive hardware design was considered as a blockade to experience some heavy duty games on Mac machines.

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eduardomarin90 · 2 years

Video

vimeo

Main Title - Vikings Valhalla s1 from Svep Studios on Vimeo.

We were honored to design and produce the title sequence for Netflix' series "Vikings: Valhalla," produced by MGM Television.

svepstudios.se

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metaregress · 2 years

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I watched The Expendables recently. I was pretty disappointed by the low quality of the action in the movie given all the folks involved. I was kind of hoping for a John Wick treatment of over-the-top action blockbusters, with tight craft execution and strong genre familiarity to work off, but instead it’s just the distillation of all the mediocre stuff the actors had been in. Nothing really interesting in its presentation, its plot, or its characters. Obvious beats, vague gestures at character arcs, no interesting world-building to speak of.

They do kind of hint at something about not doing it for the money, or having principles as mercenaries, and the villain trots out the classic “not so different you and I” schtick. It feels like it would have been so easy to set this up as a real conflict though. Barney and Lee do the scout, but this time they find out that while the job isn’t worth it, the general’s war chest is. He’s rich and they can get their hands on it, but it might bring down the CIA or the debt collectors or something. Or just destabilize the country, since they’d basically be robbing its bank. Now the team has a reason to care, but Barney finds that he cares more about doing it for Sandra than the money, and even gets nervous about what could happen if his jolly gang descend on the underprepared island. He tries to talk the group out of it, saying it’s too dangerous - but Lee tells them about the cache and they all want in. They’d always tried to keep things civil in their operations, but they’d also always looked out for themselves first, and stayed away from any job that required them to nice up with civilians.Maybe in that opening sequence we see a couple hostages die - this is what happens when they get involved, people die. The good and the bad. But now Barney’s having second thoughts; he doesn’t want to see this island get lit up and its financial stability torn apart. So their operation gets more complicated as they try to minimize civilian impact, and some of the guys start to grumble. It’s not like they were gonna go out of their way to kill civilians, but if a few are in the wrong place…it can’t be helped, right? This is also making me think of a D&D party now. Barney has changed alignment to Neutral Good and his Neutral Evil party is all giving him the side eye now. And so in the end they sacrifice the riches to stop the bad guy from escaping or something, but of course some of the boys have squirreled away a tidy paycheck before all of it went up. Just for safekeeping, like. And Barney guilts them into giving the people a cut. And he has to figure out how to re-stabilize the island without the dictatorship while also not wanting to hand it over to the CIA again. So he needs to take another job. Bam, easy sequel hook

Another thing that was kind of disappointing was the whole notion of them as ‘expendable’ per the title. I assumed that this was going to be a Suicide Squad type situation, where they go to the most dangerous places and take the most batshit jobs because none of them have anything to live for so fuck it. Then their over-the-top bullshit becomes a sort of Viking quest for a glorious death; pushing themselves farther and farther in the hope that one day their luck will run out in spectacular fashion. Their hideout could have a wall of fame, all the guys who went out in the best blaze of glory. And then the island becomes a way that they find a will to live. Maybe each of them finds something different; Barney finds people he cares about, maybe someone else wants to help build up infrastructure or who knows what. But they get a stake in it, and for the first time they’re fighting to live, and that others may live. Their death-drive has been transformed and their fearsome energy has been turned towards protection instead of destruction. Of course there would still be plenty of destruction involved, it’s an action movie cmon.

Also I was a total sucker for the limerick, I wish more of the movie had been willing to be that goofy and corny.

#the expendables #letterboxdeez nuts #sylvester stallone #jason statham #movie review #i want to run this dnd campaign now

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warlocks-and-phoenixes · 2 years

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@twilight-skies’s sideblog for all things Aphverse

[banner credit to @bi-travlyn]

This tends to be the reaction every time I say something about my MCD Rewrite:

Also here’s a playlist of all the songs that have ever given me inspiration or hold significance to different pieces of my rewrite: [The description bits on both YT and Spotify are shitty so under the cut is the context to each song, and will keep getting updated.]

Lost in Thoughts, All Alone [AmaLee Version] - Literally the closest thing there could be to an opening title theme/opening sequence song for Diaries: Rewritten.

Incandescent & Ascension - The Divine Warriors when they were happy//how they were remembered.

An Ideal City - Irene when they were planning the city on Phoenix Island, as well as dismantling and reforming the entire societal structure of Ru’aun.

Mona Lisa, Pt. 1 - The finals days of the Divine Era.

Streets of Gold - Irene being all that’s left after everyone else dies.

Fallen Leaves - Also about the divine cycle, but the Wyverns as well and their perspective with it.

Song of the Stars - A song sung often in cathedral halls, representing the final teachings of the Warriors.

From This Tiny Seed, Pt. 1 - General vibe of Phoenix Drop in the first months when Aph takes over.

Soldier, Poet, King - the Ro’meave siblings, though also the general tavern song vibe fits early-Book I Phoenix Drop.

Outmatched - Zane to Garroth during the first Phoenix Drop visit.

I’m Still Here (Annapantsu Version) - Obligatory Kiran Song.

Strange Sight - Aphmau pondering the mystery that is Aaron “Mystery Man” Lycan.

My Church - Zane vibes. Just, pure Zane vibes.

Warrior (this specific Nightcore version) - Aphmau training to defend her village.

Marionettes & Blink of an Eye - Zane and his Irene Dimension plot.

Answers - Reprise - If this ain’t Irene Dimension vibes, idk what is.

Lost in Thoughts, All Alone [Shigure and Azura Duet Version] - Irene and Esmound together, Irene D and Esmound about her sacrifices.

Remains - Mr. Shad Shadowlord Being The Shadow Lord (and kinda losing his mind after centuries in the Nether as a formless spirit)

My Odyssey - I like to imagine this as a duet between Kiran and Kulzak, about their shared role of The Wanderer.

Skål - Pretty much encapsulates the general vibe of Gal’rok. (aka chill fantasy vikings)

Öll of Rök Fira - A traditional Gal’rokian song.

Into the Black - Mikhal//The Demon Warlock’s perspective on everything, mainly between him and Enki (did I mention he refuses to differentiate Enki and Travis. yeah.)

Eclipse - Honestly the lyrics keep going back and forth between Mikhal talking about Enki and Enki talking about Mikhal. So you could say it’s both perspectives intertwined, though leaning towards Enki’s just cause I wanted him to have a his own parallel to Into the Black.

Santiano - A Barronian sea shanty written about the pirates ship that Kulzak grew up on, which Kiran learned during her travels pre-canon.

All is Found - the simplest I can explain this just…..relics, man.

The Spanish (Pirates of the Caribbean) - I feel like I have to include this because this 2 minute edit is the source of not just every single idea I’ve ever had for the Tu’lians directly in my rewrite, but for the entire region of Tu’la as a whole. Yeah, all of that stims from just this one edit.

Oblivion - Aphmau having her identity crisis.

Moonlight Blue - Hyria vibes? Hyria remembering the good ol’ days…?

Bonfire (A Rest) - The thing that inspired “As The Bells Toll”.

Jólanótt, Oak and Ash and Thorn, & Hard Times Come Again No More - The songs they sing in As The Bells Toll; Jólanótt is a traditional song in Gal’rok sung during the seven nights of Jóla, Oak & Ash & Thorn was written by Kulzak about the environment and his time traveling Khasia, and Hard Times Come Again No More was also written by him, inspired by originally by his childhood but got a new meaning during the night of the first Matronsfeast.

Yggdrasill - Traditional Gal’rokian song about the legend of the Yggdrasill Forest.

The Assembly Song - Menphia’s legacy in Tu’la, and [her spoiler descendant] stepping into that role themself.

When the Wolves Cry Out - Okay so this is the only one where the song itself isn’t as much direct inspiration than the video for it is. That has a longer very spoiler explanation but…it’s all part of Garroth’s arc in Book III.

King - Super duper spoilers but. Also Garroth.

Nothing but Free & In the Dark of the Night - Shad when he can finally escape the Nether with his army.

Fires Far - The Shadow Army. Literally the Shadow Army’s vibe in a a nutshell.

Answers - the climax of everything; a battle five hundred years in the making deserves an equally epic song about it.

From Oceans to Skies & Let There Be Fire - Laurance in Book III. That’s all I can say without the biggest spoilers in the entire story.

Stronger Than Ever Before - the Pheonix Alliance celebrating its new age of peace and prosperity.

Here’s a Health to the Company - A song that Kulzak originally rote for his friends, but never sung it to them. Resting in the aftermath of everything, Kiran finally finishes it.

New Frontier - Second Obligatory Kiran Song, as she post-canon becomes the Alliance’s chief ambassador and explorer.

1000 Years & Alone - Aphmau as the years go on, slowly realizing she’s destined for the same terrifying fate as Irene’s.

This Is Not The End - Aphmau being all that’s left after everyone else dies.

Hymn of the Lost - …a prophecy fulfilled.

Fading Light & We Rise - Both about the reincarnation cycle//the relics themselves.

Upside Down & Through Life and Loss - these songs are honestly the best way I can describe my mystreet rewrite plan and even I have no idea what is being explained. vibes???

When Forever Comes - the identity crisis of Aphmau/Irene, BUT MYS!APHMAU EDITION!

Running Up That Hill [Annapantsu Version] - Also MYS!Aphmau, grappling with everything unfolding around her.

Fantasy - General vibe of the lives of the MYS rewrite crew, sung from Travis’s perspective.

Stay Dead - The lyrics make the most sense for The Void across the whole canon?? So yeah. The Void gets a song.

Too Late for a Savior - Mikhal//the Demon Warlock’s perspective/role in the Mystreet rewrite.

Guns For Hire - I guess this one’s here for the vibes or more symbolism with Mikhal? It’s just that i can VIVIDLY see this song playing during the montage of death and destruction in the climax of the Mystreet rewrite.

Lost in Thoughts, All Alone - …if you know, you know.

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favescandis · 3 years

Photo

NEW interview with Alexander Skarsgård about Godzilla vs. Kong and The Northman with Uproxx

Alexander Skarsgard Knows You Don’t Care About Him In ‘Godzilla Vs Kong’

MIKE RYAN, SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER MARCH 30, 2021

Yes, Alexander Skarsgard is under no false impressions that you are looking forward to Godzilla vs. Kong to see the adventures of his character, a geologist named Dr. Nathan Lind. You see, Godzilla has been causing some problems for humans for unknown reasons and, just maybe, Kong can take care of business and let Godzilla know that his antics aren’t appreciated by means of a knuckle sandwich. And Dr. Nathan Lind has been studying Kong for years and has a good idea of what Kong’s motivations might be and what Kong actually wants.

So, yes … there are times where there is not a lot to talk about when even one of the lead actors in a movie admits people aren’t coming to see him or his character. Though from past interviews, I know Skarsgard has a pretty good sense of humor, so the real questions soon devolved into kind of outlandish fake questions and, luckily, Skarsgard ran with them.

Also, Skarsgard’s next film is The Northman, which is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, he teams with Robert Eggers, which will be the director’s followup to the acclaimed The Lighthouse. Second, it will completely screw up Google searches for True Blood fans searching for Skarsgard’s character, Eric Northman. And, yes, he’s thought about that and wonders how many people will show up expecting to see vampires. (There will be no vampires.)

It’s funny, because just the title of this movie, that isn’t false advertising.

Oh yeah.

Multiple fights.

It’s almost a two-hour-long movie, and it’s like an hour and 55 minutes of fighting.

So what’s this like for you? When you sign onto something like this? Because it’s Godzilla and Kong and they’re going to wind up getting a lot of the attention.

It’s humbling for a narcissistic actor like myself, to be put in my place, to show up on set and know that no one will go to see this movie because I’m in it.

Well, that’s not true. I have noticed over the years you do have a fan base that goes nuts for you.

That’s flattering to hear. But I’m under no illusion that I’m the star of the show and that anyone will go see the movie because they want to see Nathan Lind, the geologist.

The geologist.

Yeah, well, in a way, to be a vessel and a way for the audience to get to know, in my character’s case, Kong, more so than Godzilla, because I’m with Kong throughout the movie. But in a way to not necessarily humanize Kong, but to show a different side of Kong, to show that he has empathy. He’s lived a very solitary, lonely life on Skull Island without social connections, without family. And the thought of him to be reconnected, or to find his family in Hollow Earth is, is kind of the driving force, to reconnect. So I felt like my job was kind of set that up in a way and to kind of show the audience that side of Kong.

Well, you said people aren’t coming to see Dr. Nathan Lind, the geologist. But once here, where you tell me, how you’ve spent the last five years, studying with geologists and following them around and becoming a trained geologist yourself, people will look at this in a different way.

Right? Well, that’s how seriously I take my job.

You threw yourself into it. The last, maybe, ten years, you’ve been studying with geologists, just to know exactly what you were doing in this movie.

It’s just the kind of actor I am, Mike. Even though I play a very peripheral character and no one cares, I still take my craft seriously. And that means a decade of studying geology and living, breathing the character. Just to give the audience that sublime performance that I give in the movie.

When you’re giving the technical jargon during the movie, viewers can rest assured that you know exactly what you’re talking about, because you studied for so long with trained geologists.

Exactly. And they can see that in my eyes, that I’m not lying. I’m not pretending. I’m not acting. I’m not playing a geologist. I am a geologist.

You are a geologist.

Yes.

So when you filmed at Hollow Earth, in the center of Earth, was that on location?

Obviously, it was.

Yeah, I could tell.

And being there was trippy. I felt like you can’t … the audience can tell whether you’re there or when you’re actually there, or if it’s the soundstage with green screen. So the only way to do it, when you make a character driven drama, like Godzilla vs. Kong, is to actually go there and actually spend time down there and be there with Kong. So it was six very intense months, deep down in the center of the earth with a gigantic ape.

That’s why we haven’t seen you in a while — because you’ve been down there.

I’ve been down there, with a gigantic ape.

Being serious, doing the “there they are” reaction seems especially difficult in this movie, with these being such central characters. And I know that’s part of the deal with a lot of movies, but this seems even more that.

Absolutely. Watching the movie, I could tell that I’m reacting to the wrong thing, like I’m reacting to something else. And they play my reaction to something that I think I’m reacting to, but many things have changed. Or they use that reaction to something else. So they kind of make it work. So it’s like, I look at something, and I think I’m reacting to something completely different, but I’m not. They completely changed that. So it’s quite a ride and exciting to watch the movie, because I’m as surprised as the audience. When I watch it, like, “Oh really? That happened.” And, “Oh, look at my reaction here.”

The scene that we all saw in the trailer, which surprisingly happens pretty early in the movie, where Kong just punches Godzilla in the face. So do you watch the movie and go, “If that really would have happened in front of me, I might’ve reacted quite differently than I did even in the movie”?

Well, that specific sequence, they actually had in the pre-visualization, so that actually looks quite very, very, very close to what the previs two years ago looked. So Adam [Wingard] played us that. So pretty much the whole fight scene was choreographed before we shot our reactions to it. So I knew that that punch was going to land, and that’s what I’m reacting to.

We’ve given Dr. Nathan Lind a lot of time, and we’ve given King Kong a lot of time. We haven’t really talked about Godzilla. He gets annoyed when people bother him. I relate to that.

Me too. Going into the movie, I was very much team Godzilla. I love the old Godzilla movies, like the ’60s and ’70s, that era, when it’s zero special effects.

Just a guy in a suit and it’s awesome.

It’s a middle-aged dude in a suit, kicking a miniature version of Tokyo on a set.

In your next movie, you’re working with Robert Eggers, The Northman. You’re done filming that, right?

We’re done. Yeah, we shot for six months during the pandemic. We started last summer and finished just before Christmas.

Did you look at his prior movies and just go, “I have to be part of this.”

Well, I courted him. I loved both The Witch and The Lighthouse. And was developing The Northman and was trying to find a director for it. It was a very different iteration of the script, and the story was very different from what we ended up shooting. But I had a version of a viking movie that I wanted to make and basically went after Rob. He was my dream director and I thought that he would be perfect for this. And that, when I mentioned it to him, it turned out that he was a huge viking fan and knew everything about the mythology.

That doesn’t surprise me for some reason.

Yeah, he knew so much about that world and that era and got really excited about the idea of potentially making this movie. And then he found Sjón, this Icelandic author and poet and screenwriter. And Sjón and Rob together wrote the screenplay to what ultimately became The Northman, the movie that we shot. So it’s something on that was slowly percolating and growing over the course of eight years. So, to finally be on set last year, with the greatest filmmaker of our time and some of the greatest actors of our time, was the highlight of my career, for sure.

Have you thought about how this will screw up Google searches for your True Blood fans?

[Laughs] Yes, I am very much aware of how problematic the title is.

Well, not problematic. True Blood fans are going to have to put in a few other keywords now.

Yeah, that’s true. That’s true. I do apologize for that. And I’m sure some people will be pretty disappointed if they go to see a stand-alone movie about Eric Northman, and then they sit down and it’s a goddamn Viking movie and not a vampire in sight.

I think they’re in for a treat, to tell you the truth.

Well, I hope so. I hope so. I’m very excited about the movie, but I have to admit that, unfortunately, there are no vampires in the movie.

‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ hits theaters and HBO Max on March 31st.

Photo credited to Getty. [Paris Men’s Fashion Week Armani show, July 2, 2019]

https://uproxx.com/movies/alexander-skarsgard-interview-godzilla-vs-kong-the-northman/

#Alexander Skarsgård #Uproxx #Godzilla vs. Kong #The Northman #Alexander Skarsgard #long post

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nostalgebraist-autoresponder · 3 years

Text

Title: The Diamond Age

Author: Neal Stephenson

Rating: 6/10

I'm always leery about recommending any of Neal Stephenson's books to anyone, because he is the guy who wrote the post-apocalyptic sci-fi book "Snow Crash," which is very much on that subgenre (with its own weird, distinctive version of it) but which, in many ways, strikes me as kind of a drag to read.

The book's main conceit is that the protagonist, who we will call "The Hero" or "Mori" (short for "Moriarity"), has a very detailed prophetic vision of the near future, in which humanity and its future-tech-enhanced civilization have been ravaged by a war between rival "snow nations," with "snow" being a futuristic sci-fi term for cold or polar temperatures. Some of these nations are "Icelands" and "Vikings," like in real history, and some are "Caledorians" (after a real place) and "Scandinavians" (after some historical characters). The book is all about the people in these nations competing for resources and/or political power.

The basic structure of the novel is something like:

1. A long (at times boring) intro sequence (part of the "Prelude"), in which the main character, Mori, recounts his vision of what the near future will look like.

2. A long (mostly boring) prelude to the story proper, which begins after Mori's vision is over. Mori is now a successful writer-type, living somewhere in North America, and has a girlfriend named "Faye" (or "Jane"). They go to a party, and someone tells Mori about a novel he's just finished that "really resonated" with him (as the characters say). The Hero appears to Mori, and begins telling him about "The Diamond Age," which is "the novel that just came out." The Hero is a mysterious but charming person, and his story is very different from Mori's vision (or indeed, from any known "real history" that humans might have).

3. The main story. Mori and Faye start reading the novel, and soon encounter some kind of futuristic cyberpunk fantasy city with a lot of cool machines. As the story progresses, many aspects of the setting and the actions of the characters start to look like descriptions of their own lives, and we start to see what the Hero and Faye have been talking about. Faye, a cool, cynical, feminist hacker-type, becomes more and more cynical about "the world she used to dream of." One of the protagonists, a charismatic politician, starts calling himself by the title "Czar" and acting like some kind of tyrannical strongman. (The title "Czar" comes from the fact that he's the head of some kind of revolutionary political faction called "the Czarists.") Some more characters start talking about the idea of "Snow," the "snow nation" they are from. (The snow nations are the only ones with "snow" in their names.)

4. A climactic, short final battle in the near future (that could really work just as well as a climactic, short final battle in the actual present), in which it is revealed that the Hero was actually a member of the Czar's faction, who has been manipulating the story so that his faction becomes the new world order. The Czar appears, and tells people to join his faction, and "the world I used to dream of" will come back, and everything will be all right again.

And that's about it -- there is no second "book." We leave Mori and Faye at the end, and the next thing we know they're living in some other time or place (which is where the book was set in the first place, but whose exact details we were not told). (At the time of writing, the book was on my shelf. It had sat there for months, as if unfinished.) At the end, you might even feel like you've just finished reading an actual novel that had a beginning and a middle and an end. And yet, it would be a massive stretch to say that The Diamond Age is a story with a story.

The reason I don't recommend it to anyone -- even though "Snow Crash" didn't do so well, and has only gotten worse in the decades since its publication -- is that there is a strange, almost unsettling level of detail in the book. It's like an art novel. The prose is not really good, but it is extremely, eerily detailed. The thing about art, in art criticism and elsewhere, is that you sometimes say things like this, not just about art but about any thing, without having any particular reason to think that anything is going on. That's how people feel about art, and sometimes it's how people feel about things you haven't even heard of yet.

When I say "the prose is extremely detailed" it's because it's extremely detailed. To make my point, I think it would be appropriate to quote a few examples of this.

The Hero stood up. She was wearing a pale green dress and a sort of grayish metal bracelet. It had a tiny computer embedded inside, along with a couple of other gadgets. (I didn't learn how she did this; it was one of the many things about her life I didn't learn.) She looked at Mori and said, "Are you ready, dear?"

Mori had once owned a cat called "Spinoza," which he loved a lot but was too cowardly to keep inside. When he first told Faye about the cat, she replied, "But if you don't feel safe bringing your cat into a room filled with lots of people, how can you possibly believe that anything is going to be safe in a society which contains lots of computers?"

The Czarists were a group of people who had decided to live in this world called "Snow," which was, as they said, a world that was the physical embodiment of "the spirit of freedom." The Czarists weren't like any political party you might have heard of before -- they were a "party" because of how they believed in "freedom" and how they fought for "freedom" and how they looked for "freedom" and how they were "free."

A few years before the war, when Mori had gone to school with a girl named "Anissimov," some of the students and professors at his school were very excited about a new technology called "snowmobiles." They used them in big cities so that people could "go to places that it was impossible to go to any other way," and they could "go really fast," and it was "very exciting," and it was "like living in one of the snow nations."

(Again, I don't know how Mori did this. I don't know anything about this girl Anissimov, but I do know something about my own life. I know my life, but I don't know Anissimov's life. I don't know why I can only think about this in terms of my own life. But it is a part of my own life, I think, in the same way that a word is a part of itself, and I don't know if I can separate out that part, the way I cannot separate out the word itself. I am aware of the limitations of this thought, and the way that it may be used to hurt the people I love. (I will have many more words to say about this.) If I know what snow is, it is just to think about these things that I know and these things that I don't understand -- but not like this.)

And so on. (For that matter, see here.)

The reason I'm describing all this detail is to make it clear to the reader that you're reading, not just a novel, but something very strange and artificial and alien, like a computer program written by a very strange and artificial person. The book itself (of course) doesn't do anything this weird, this unnatural, and I don't know how it does it (though the above is just a small fragment). You read a lot like you would read someone's very short, very weird and alien poem. But it is a story, and if it was short, it would not have the same impact.

Why this is so offputting to me is not hard to guess. It's the fact that the whole thing feels "designed." I was so caught up in reading it that when I tried to put it down (after about 50 pages), I just couldn't stop myself from reading it on the bus on the way home, and so wound up reading the final 200 pages. But I didn't just read it in a

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alexhoghdaily · 3 years

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Alex and Marco’s HBO Nordic ‘Watching with’ livestream

This is a very long one, I’m so sorry. I just thought everything was so interesting. Therefore I’ll put the topics under the cut!

AND OF COURSE, SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT TOO SINCE IT’S THE FINAL EPISODE!

Marco and Alex possibly have new Projects coming up, (Marco said his is around March.)

They changed the opening theme for the show. Alex liked the original opening better and Marco likes the new one.

Everything on the show is shot in Ireland except for Bjorn vs the bear, that was in canada. They also filmed in Norway.

Their first scene was on top of a mountain and Marco had a line “This is what it means” which he couldn’t get right, and he was crowched the entire scene. By the end of it his legs were jelly.

During Alex’s scene with Alfred before the battle, Marco was seated on a horse for 5 hours straight.

The braiding of Alex’s hair took forever so he decided to keep them in after filming because he had to film again the next day. They gave him a hairnet and he was walking around the grocery store with a hairnet and braids, still muddy from work. Marco also went out to the grocery store, wearing his make up and contact lenses and got refused because they thought he was drunk.

On his first day of riding a horse, Marco wore loose sweatpants. That wasn’t pleasant.

Alex purposely didn’t read anything about the other characters, because he was both a bit lazy and he wanted to be suprised by their storylines when he would watch the final season.

On the question “Who is the true heir?” they both agree that all of the sons have different traits of ragnar. (They also all have women issues.)

The battle scene of the last episode took 9 days to shoot, the last 2 episodes took around 2,5 months to shoot. Usually they do two episodes every month/5 weeks.

Alex loves the spiritual vibe in the show/season and it’s some of his favorite parts of the show. Both Alex and Marco also really love the cinematography.

Alex’s favorite part of the last episode is the last scene on the beach with Floki and Ubbe and his and Marco’s scene.

Marco fell 3 times in a row filming the charging scene of the battle. He felt so stupid because the extra’s had to keep getting back.

In the fighting sequence Marco split a stunt guys lip open because he hit him with a sword. Marco stopped, but the guy said he had to keep going because Marco was in the shot.

Ivar and Hvitserk’s close moment in the end wasn’t even written in, Alex and Marco wanted the brothers to be brothers and have love just this once.

Alex had to learn Icelandic for his final speech and it took a really long time.

He also loved that Hirst made Ivar an extension of the army and the army of him in the ending sequence.

Alex loved that Ivar was killed by a random soldier, because everyone got this big hero death in the show and he loved to do the exact opposite. He discussed it with Hirst because he wanted to do it that way. They also discussed the possibility of Hvitserk just putting Ivar out of his misery.

The filming of the death scene was very sudden for Alex, and he wasn’t ready for it. They went straight into it and Marco was the only one ready, already hoisting him onto his lap. Alex felt Marco’s tears on his cheeks and he started crying.

Marco’s not sure what to think of Hvitserk ending because he never expected to get an actual ending at all. They had previously informed him many times that he would be killed off in the next episode. They kept deciding to keep him on for another 10.

If Alex could choose any character on the show to be, he would choose Floki. But he does think he can’t do better than Gustaf. He’s very happy with the role of Ivar.

His favorite characters also include Ragnar, King Harald, and King Ecbert.

Marco’s beard took one hour in the make-up chair to be done, Alex’s took 2 hours.

Alex likes how in the ending of this episode they went full circle in terms of the end of the Vikings and Norse mythology through Hvitserk’s character.

Both Alex and the fans asked what Marco thought of the ending for his character. (Him converting and renouncing his own faith). Marco was very confused about the situation because prior to the ending he had sex with a Goddess, so he doesn’t understand why he did it. He also didn’t get the chance to talk to Hirst about it. He thought it was cool but confusing.

Alex said that one of the most beautiful moments he’s ever experienced during working was when they were shooting his death scene. They were both crying and they have to re-do the take. At that point all of the extra’s (300 of them) we’re all sitting/standing around just watching them very quietly and it almost felt like they were an audience in a theater. He could feel that it was something big. (Usually they shoot multiple scenes at the same time but not during this scene.) It was also Alex’s last day on set.

The favorite scene they did together was of course the ending, but also the scene in 6A were they meet again in the woods and they sit together. Alex and Marco wrote this scene themselves and they love it.

They have a tight schedule and they have to get through a lot a day. They only get 2 or 3 takes every time.

Alex’s favorite season is 5A. He likes the York scenes. Marco’s favorite season is 6.

Both Alex and Marco kept their armrings from set. They also kept a shield that was signed, and Alex kept a beautiful horn.

The scenes Alex prepared the most for were; the Icelandic scenes, and more importantly the scene where Ivar has his big speech about going into battle against Wessex and Alfred. Alex couldn’t get through it, he had difficulties with his lines and he said it was a horrible day.

They said that doing the sex scenes are actually very non sexual and also uncomfortable at times. You’re almost naked with just their privates covered, Make-up everywhere, a big crew standing around. It’s very mechanical. They are not the nicest scenes to shoot and it gets uncomfortable. Alex also said that he stays focused on just them as two people and also likes to ask if they’re okay and comfortable. They have to think about everything they’re doing and it’s not sexy at all.

Alex: “maaa can you get me a beer?” followed by Alex’s father actually bringing him a beer. It was also his birthday.

The ages on the show aren’t very clear, But Alex thinks Ivar was about 23/24 when he died.

When they have to do a scandinavian accent for self tapes, they catch themselves doing their Viking accent.

Marco trained 3 days per “smaller” sequence for the complete final battle sequence.

Marco shared a story about Travis at a work dinner event, where he was dressed in a tracksuit, and with his long beard, someone mistook him for a homeless man and they gave him money.

In response to someone saying that Alex looked better with his braids, Alex sarcastically answered: “Thank you. Lovely. Outstanding. I appreciate that.”

Marco told a story about the coldest day of filming where he was out in the cold and mud under a rain machine the whole day and halfway through, he almost got hypothermia. A doctor came in to check his temperature. His body was too cold to actually work.

Alex rememberd the blood eagle scene for Aelle, it was in the winter and it had been snowing and raining the whole night. He said that as soon as he hit the ground, his body froze from the cold.

Someone asked about the funniest story from behind the scenes. They said every single day was filled with banter. They said every single day was fun. Also the left over food fights and water fights. Alex told the story of Jordan spitting water at him when he was sleeping and he was so used to it that he didn’t even react.

Alex said he and Marco drove 6,5 hours to stockholm to do 20 minutes of auditions for Vikings. Marco was also sick at that time. It was after they did Uro together.

Marco was supposed to audition for a voice job for Assasins Creed: Valhalla. But he was very busy and the project was differently titled at that time. He declined and he regretted it very much.

Alex said that he would really love to do voice and motion capture projects in the future.

#instagram #live #marco ilsø #alex høgh andersen

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