Entry tags:
Stuff about things
And now, some random commentary on:
(Note: There Be Spoilers Here)
How to Train Your Dragon
Several people on my flist/rlist and also my brother were really excited about HtTYD, so I was looking forward to seeing it. Now that I have, I've gotta say:
* There were some amazing, amazing sky sequences (when the dino!dragon was flying up into the clouds and we pull waaaaaay back and just, guh) and everything looked great and moved well and it was generally a good example of quality computer animation.
* There was not a drop of original storytelling in this film. It was paint by numbers/cookie cutter/fill in the blanks/a million other cliches that appropriate because the film was, itself, a giant cliche. White/straight/boy is ~different~ and outcast and also the son of the leader, blahblah meets dragon, blahblah training sequence, blahblah sudden popularity and acceptance by father but it's not real you guys, he's living a lie, blahblah discovery by love interest, discovery by general population, fight with dad, rushing to save the day and prove himself and so on and so forth until he saves the day, wins the girl, and sways the hearts and minds of the populace. And then it closes with a rephrase of the opening monologue because it's cyclical you guys.
None of the characters were allowed to be anything other then their archetypes, no one was allowed to do anything interesting or new.
I appreciate that the genders were more balanced then normal in the background - some men and women left to fight, some men and women stayed behind, the village elder was a woman, the Object of Sentimental Value and Symbolic Fatherly Approval was passed down from Hiccup's grandmother, etc. But our main character was still a dude who got the adventure, the prettiest dragon, the mad dragon-whispering skillz, and the day-saving while his love interest was the girl who couldn't quite match up.
Castle
Castle, I love you - I love your characters, I love your actors, I was mostly okay with the relationships you were building - but you've got to do better then this. It's like someone gave you a cliche hat for Christmas and you decided to replace your writers with it. I rolled my eyes at the Sexy! Deviant! S&M! episode, I rolled my eyes at the Serial Killer! Obsessed with Beckett! Mind games! two parter, I said unkind words regarding the Mayan Mummy! ANCIENT CURSE! episode, and actually the Late Night Host episode was okay (except for the bit with the actress sleeping around to get work. And Castle checking to see if Alexis 'really means that' when she said she missed him because obviously all women are liars. Perhaps 'okay' is too high a rating).
But last weeks episode was fucking ridiculous. I mean, we finally get some background on Esposito and 'my last partner was killed by the mob but we never found the body OMG he's alive and working for the mob OMG WAIT he's innocent and living undercover to clear his name' is what you go with? Really?
Also, I'm tired of the UST between Castle and Beckett. I was tired of it when the show started (because it's been done over and over and over, Castle, have you never seen another cop show?) and it hasn't gotten any better. Castle and Beckett do not actually have any chemistry, they don't, and hamhanded hints at jealousy, everybody being 'you two are totes together/why aren't you together' (subtle!), and now this attempt at a love triangle isn't going to make things work. Be daring! Let them be best friends!
I did have a fun shipper moment at Ryan's >:( face when Esposito was introducing Mr. Love Triangle, though.
And what was up with Esposito saying 'This is my partner, Ryan, and this is my other partner, Castle' to his old partner?
And why the hell did they go out of their way to tell us 'no, Ryan totally has a girlfriend, look here she is' if they're never going to show or mention her again?
All that said, yay, new Castle tonight! [crosses fingers]
Doctor Who
* I love, love, love Dr Who - it's one of my it fandoms, the ones that make you happy just by existing. It's also the only fandom that's made me cry on multiple occasions (although I'm unsure as whether or not to include the crying I did at the end of Children of Earth). Which is not to say I am unaware of it's flaws - it has many! It's never handled race particularly well, for one, and also Donna and Martha got fucked over. But we're here to talk about season 5.
* I'm totally behind Matt Smith as Eleven (Ten's extended swansong rid me of any lingering apprehension. 'Just die, Ten, this is not a fucking opera!') and I'm really happy with the job he's done so far - he's really nailed the 'ancient being in a young man's body' thing. I love that he's kinder, that he makes mistakes and then learns from them, and that he seems to have found some peace.
* I also a fan of Amy Pond - I love that the Doctor screwed her over multiple times before she even became a companion, I love that she still went with him, that she's using him to run from something, that she's whip smart and clever, and that their budding relationship seems to be along grandchild/grandparent lines (thank you, Moffet. So much).
* I have enjoyed all the episodes so far! Yes, even the Dalek Power Ranger episode (WW2 fighter planes in spaaaaaaa~ce). The most recent one was fantastic - I did not think the Weeping Angels could be as scary the second time around but I WAS WRONG, SO WRONG. My chat window with![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nepenthe basically looked like ghruepgurpwbgHOSHITshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitfspgbureipgbrueiAAAAAH the entire time.
* Although, show - there were only two black dudes in the entire episode? And you sent them off to die first? And neither of them even got to be Angel Bob? That is fucked up.
* I don't like River Song - I disliked her in the Library episode and I dislike her now - and I'm torn as to why. Is she actually awesome and I'm just having an internalized misogynistic reaction to a woman who is 'too good', 'too married to my Doctor,' and 'too good at putting him in his place'? Or is it a genuine dislike for a character that's badly written and is being used to tell me things about the Doctor Who mythos I'd rather not know? [sighs] It's probably somewhere in between.
Hayate x Blade v6
* Was awesome!
* Seriously, I was just :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD all the way through both read-throughs.
* Have I mentioned you should read Hayate x Blade?
Ooh,![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
three_weeks_for_dw starts today! This probably isn't worth including but I should plan ~something~...
(Note: There Be Spoilers Here)
How to Train Your Dragon
Several people on my flist/rlist and also my brother were really excited about HtTYD, so I was looking forward to seeing it. Now that I have, I've gotta say:
* There were some amazing, amazing sky sequences (when the dino!dragon was flying up into the clouds and we pull waaaaaay back and just, guh) and everything looked great and moved well and it was generally a good example of quality computer animation.
* There was not a drop of original storytelling in this film. It was paint by numbers/cookie cutter/fill in the blanks/a million other cliches that appropriate because the film was, itself, a giant cliche. White/straight/boy is ~different~ and outcast and also the son of the leader, blahblah meets dragon, blahblah training sequence, blahblah sudden popularity and acceptance by father but it's not real you guys, he's living a lie, blahblah discovery by love interest, discovery by general population, fight with dad, rushing to save the day and prove himself and so on and so forth until he saves the day, wins the girl, and sways the hearts and minds of the populace. And then it closes with a rephrase of the opening monologue because it's cyclical you guys.
None of the characters were allowed to be anything other then their archetypes, no one was allowed to do anything interesting or new.
I appreciate that the genders were more balanced then normal in the background - some men and women left to fight, some men and women stayed behind, the village elder was a woman, the Object of Sentimental Value and Symbolic Fatherly Approval was passed down from Hiccup's grandmother, etc. But our main character was still a dude who got the adventure, the prettiest dragon, the mad dragon-whispering skillz, and the day-saving while his love interest was the girl who couldn't quite match up.
Castle
Castle, I love you - I love your characters, I love your actors, I was mostly okay with the relationships you were building - but you've got to do better then this. It's like someone gave you a cliche hat for Christmas and you decided to replace your writers with it. I rolled my eyes at the Sexy! Deviant! S&M! episode, I rolled my eyes at the Serial Killer! Obsessed with Beckett! Mind games! two parter, I said unkind words regarding the Mayan Mummy! ANCIENT CURSE! episode, and actually the Late Night Host episode was okay (except for the bit with the actress sleeping around to get work. And Castle checking to see if Alexis 'really means that' when she said she missed him because obviously all women are liars. Perhaps 'okay' is too high a rating).
But last weeks episode was fucking ridiculous. I mean, we finally get some background on Esposito and 'my last partner was killed by the mob but we never found the body OMG he's alive and working for the mob OMG WAIT he's innocent and living undercover to clear his name' is what you go with? Really?
Also, I'm tired of the UST between Castle and Beckett. I was tired of it when the show started (because it's been done over and over and over, Castle, have you never seen another cop show?) and it hasn't gotten any better. Castle and Beckett do not actually have any chemistry, they don't, and hamhanded hints at jealousy, everybody being 'you two are totes together/why aren't you together' (subtle!), and now this attempt at a love triangle isn't going to make things work. Be daring! Let them be best friends!
I did have a fun shipper moment at Ryan's >:( face when Esposito was introducing Mr. Love Triangle, though.
And what was up with Esposito saying 'This is my partner, Ryan, and this is my other partner, Castle' to his old partner?
And why the hell did they go out of their way to tell us 'no, Ryan totally has a girlfriend, look here she is' if they're never going to show or mention her again?
All that said, yay, new Castle tonight! [crosses fingers]
Doctor Who
* I love, love, love Dr Who - it's one of my it fandoms, the ones that make you happy just by existing. It's also the only fandom that's made me cry on multiple occasions (although I'm unsure as whether or not to include the crying I did at the end of Children of Earth). Which is not to say I am unaware of it's flaws - it has many! It's never handled race particularly well, for one, and also Donna and Martha got fucked over. But we're here to talk about season 5.
* I'm totally behind Matt Smith as Eleven (Ten's extended swansong rid me of any lingering apprehension. 'Just die, Ten, this is not a fucking opera!') and I'm really happy with the job he's done so far - he's really nailed the 'ancient being in a young man's body' thing. I love that he's kinder, that he makes mistakes and then learns from them, and that he seems to have found some peace.
* I also a fan of Amy Pond - I love that the Doctor screwed her over multiple times before she even became a companion, I love that she still went with him, that she's using him to run from something, that she's whip smart and clever, and that their budding relationship seems to be along grandchild/grandparent lines (thank you, Moffet. So much).
* I have enjoyed all the episodes so far! Yes, even the Dalek Power Ranger episode (WW2 fighter planes in spaaaaaaa~ce). The most recent one was fantastic - I did not think the Weeping Angels could be as scary the second time around but I WAS WRONG, SO WRONG. My chat window with
nepenthe basically looked like ghruepgurpwbgHOSHITshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitfspgbureipgbrueiAAAAAH the entire time.* Although, show - there were only two black dudes in the entire episode? And you sent them off to die first? And neither of them even got to be Angel Bob? That is fucked up.
* I don't like River Song - I disliked her in the Library episode and I dislike her now - and I'm torn as to why. Is she actually awesome and I'm just having an internalized misogynistic reaction to a woman who is 'too good', 'too married to my Doctor,' and 'too good at putting him in his place'? Or is it a genuine dislike for a character that's badly written and is being used to tell me things about the Doctor Who mythos I'd rather not know? [sighs] It's probably somewhere in between.
Hayate x Blade v6
* Was awesome!
* Seriously, I was just :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD all the way through both read-throughs.
* Have I mentioned you should read Hayate x Blade?
Ooh,
three_weeks_for_dw starts today! This probably isn't worth including but I should plan ~something~...
Re: I only have stealth!Who icons - this needs rectifying! (That's kind of a great word.. "RECITIFY~
3) ................. okay. That's pretty standard - and I hesitate to use the expression even in the face of the evidence - Mary Sue 101 right there.
.........
Look, you've prompted this.
This is Jon Huertas in GK:
I'm not sure but I think this might be the scene where Brad strips to his pants and ... pretends he's a plane. He's Poke. Or Espera, but everyone calls him Poke. He likes to educate the others on the oppression perpetrated by the white man.
This is Poke with RayRay. RayRay is insane and amazing.
This is Walt. He takes care of Ray and makes him stay in line.
This is Ray with Brad (Iceman). Ray is also the crazy mofo who drives the first vehicle, so if Ray makes a mistake, everyone pretty much dies.
This is Brad with Nate. Nate is Brad's LT, and they're the mom and dad of their company. I don't think I need to comment on that look. That's what happens all the time with these two. Nate also saves special rations for Brad, and gives them to him like presents. Yeah.
I'M JUST SAYING.
That's Rolling Stone (the reporter) being "stealthy".
RayRay! (I kind of like him, if you couldn't tell.)
This gif never fails to make me chortle like a 12-year-old.
The show is super quotable. (See: my icon)
The cast! :DDD
Nate is too idealistic for the war, and Brad is always like >:( when something happens. Also, uh, his lips are company-wide wank material
in fan fiction at least.DDDD:
Espera: Yo. That was some fucking true Iceman shit you pulled last night. Your superhuman powers of observation saved the whole platoon. Shit, dog. They thought they were gonna get the drop on the Iceman? Fuck, no! The Iceman can see you before you even know you’re there.
Brad: Those guys were untrained amateurs.
Espera: Oh yeah? How come we didn’t see them?
Brad: You’re not as good as me.
This is filed under: "It Writes Itself"
I have read every single fic in this fandom that can be found online as of 3 weeks ago. Every single one, not kidding. If you feel a slight inclination to watch GK and maybe read something, look no further.
Re: I only have stealth!Who icons - this needs rectifying! (That's kind of a great word.. "RECITIFY~
This is Rudy Reyes. As in the actual BAMF who participated in this very war. He plays himself because they couldn't find any actors as pretty as this marine. Even the others are like "It's okay if you're gay for Rudy, he's too pretty."
He's very much straight and married, but carries around a special brand of moisturizer and other assorted vanity products, he doesn't care what *you* think about that. (In fanfiction he's always good for the supply of lube substitutes, hahaha.)
He gets his own comment.
On that note though: Jon Huertas was with the Air Force for 8 years, a significant period of which he was with special ops.
He's a big supporter of the Wounded Warrior Fund. :)
Re: I only have stealth!Who icons - this needs rectifying! (That's kind of a great word.. "RECITIFY~
...
......
.........[goes to track down first episode]
Re: I only have stealth!Who icons - this needs rectifying! (That's kind of a great word.. "RECITIFY~
What is your greatest extravagance?
A chai mocha and a jaunt to the comic book store to see Wednesday’s newest comics.
Who are your personal heroes?
Bruce Lee, Lance Armstrong, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Rocky Balboa.
What is your favorite food?
Peanut butter, peanut butter, peanut butter. I also love ice cream with a big side of ice cream.
Are you a good dancer?
Let me put it this way, when I’m dancing I fake it by shadowboxing.
What books are on your nightstand?
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, Winterdance by Gary Paulsen, The Gunslinger series by Stephen King, and The Invisible Actor by Yoshi Oida.
What music never fails to move you?
U2’s Zooropa, Moby’s God Moving Over the Face of the Waters, and anything by Citizen Cope.
What would people be most surprised to learn about you?
I’m a kid in a grown man’s body. My greatest joy is discovering a new action figure.
What is your favorite sound?
A clean left hook on the heavy bag.
Is there a movie that completely blows you away?
Michael Mann’s Heat. Inspired by the way of the samurai, the film explores the duality between aggression and compassion and the consequence of destroying one’s enemy.
Have you ever had your butt kicked?
I swam the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. That’s 1.5 freakin’ miles from Alcatraz through the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay. The hypothermia almost killed me but I pushed through my limits and that’s what it’s all about.
What scares you the most?
Failure.
What is your idea of happiness?
The bliss of being completely in the moment with whatever it is I’m doing.
And so do James Ransone's dimples.
*whistles*
Alexander Skarsgård: He did some amazing legwork.
James Ransone: Well, we hired him because he was a ballerina.
Alexander Skarsgård: Yeah, just take a look at those thighs.
James Ransone: I saw him in a stage adaptation of David Cronenberg’s Crash and I was like, We must have him. His beautiful legs.
(Alex and James on Pawel Szajda as Cpl. Walt Hasser.)
The cast is the best.
The main ships in this fandom are Colbert/Fick (that's Brad and Nate), Walt/Ray and Ray/Brad.
HIIII~ STARK SANDS, I TOTALLY DIDN'T WATCH "DIE, MOMMY DIE!" JUST TO FACT CHECK WHETHER YOUR NIPPLES WERE THE SAME COLOUR AS YOUR LIPS. UH.
Like I said, ~The Best~.
HI BRAD.
Actor and real person Ray. <3
HI RUDY!
ENDLESS JOY.
Brad is smelling some goddamn Charms.
Iceman 2x.
Doc: Can you believe this shit? These people still haven’t picked up the trash from the last war.
Espera: People been fighting over this bitch since ancient times, dog. How many graves we standing on? Think about all the wisdom and science, and money and civilization it took to build these machines— and the courage of all the men who came here. And the love of their wives and children that was in their hearts. And all that hate, dog. All the hate it took to blow these motherfuckers away. It’s destiny, dog. White man’s gotta rule the world.
I REC THE DVD COMMENTARY: “God, you’re— I’m surprised, you know. You really don’t work out that much but Jesus, that Viking blood, man, I tell ya.” (James Ransone)