Movie Peek: Come to Daddy

Need a good flick to take your mind off of what a hot mess the world has become? Me too!

As you will know if you are returning reader, we stan Elijah Wood in this house. Recently-ish I was on a plane flying back from a long overdue trip visiting my family in another province (travel during covid isn’t fun, kids, avoid it if you can!) and Elijah’s new film Come to Daddy was available on the in-flight entertainment, so I gave it a go. It looks like it’s also available to stream on Amazon Prime. I had no idea what it was about aside from the movie poster, which features Elijah standing in front of a strange hillside dwelling, sporting what google would refer to as a “hipster haircut”, and gripping a bloody carving fork.

Not to be confused with the disturbing music video by Aphex Twin…

I settled in as the dude seated next to me also seemed to settle in, leaning ever closer to my side, encroaching on the sacred armrest space, with his eyes lingering on my screen more than his own. Elijah has that power.

It was fun seeing our humble and kind-eyed muse playing Norval, a spoiled and self satisfied city kid that prizes his limited-edition gold phone designed by Lorde and makes dubious claims about his music career and impressive industry ties. He heads out to meet his estranged father and soon wishes he’d never left his cushy life behind. The supporting cast were also very well chosen; I particularly enjoyed Wood’s scenes with Stephen McHattie in the beginning of the movie.

After about 15 minutes in I thought I knew where the movie was going and was a slight bit disappointed, thinking it would follow a predictable and somewhat familiar thriller arc, but then the movie took that notion and chewed it up, spitting it back into my face like HAH! YOU THOUGHT! A sudden and revelatory twist makes things very interesting indeed.

It’s some form of Elvish, I can’t… sorry, wrong movie.

While much of the film relies on slow and steady tension building and thoughtful, amusing dialogue, this is a jaw-clenchingly brutal movie at times. There was one violent episode in particular where my mind was racing “oh god, is Mr. Seatmate still looking at my screen, yikes, this is fucking brutal, oh god, it just keeps going, hahahaa, jesus, sorry you had to see that sir, HAHAhaha”.

He’s just trying one of those new-age face masks… to, uh… open up his pores or whatever

Overall, this is a movie I would easily recommend to anyone who likes bloody misadventures and dark humour. I got some genuine surprises, a couple of good laughs, and was assured that Elijah’s still got it— he carried this movie along through the quiet and poignant moments as well as the fight-for-your-life ones.

Ant Timpson’s Come to Daddy gets 5 big blue eyes out of 5 from me!

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A Silent Voice Spoke to Me

Last night I watched A Silent Voice, the anime adaptation of the manga by the same name. I’d previously read the first volume of the manga, so I had an idea what the movie was about and expected it to be an emotional film, but it surprised me with its masterful and deliberate techniques. It brought a few tears even to my eyes, and I very rarely am able to cry.

A Silent Voice focuses on the relationship between Shōya, a young man who was once a habitual bully, and Shōko, the deaf girl who used to be his favorite person to tease and bother. The movie weaves naturally between the memories of the past and the raw emotions of the present day, wherein Shōya is trying to make amends for the callousness of his past actions.

Many moments of the movie hinge upon the subtleties of communication and mixed messages— through spoken word, written word, and sign language. It also touches upon the delicate ties maintained between former friends and acquaintances, and how efforts to rekindle or mend former friendships can open oneself to vulnerability and shame.

At the same time, A Silent Voice highlights the maturity and bravery of making choices that open up this vulnerability, and the struggles and rewards that are born of it. The deeply personal messages of the film, as well as the several gutdropping and heartstopping moments throughout, punctuated by moments of silence and crescendo, make for a truly thoughtful and moving film.

Mini Review: Maquia- When the Promised Flower Blooms

If you fall in love, you will become truly alone.

This is the sentiment that forms the undercurrent of Maquia, a standalone high-fantasy story centered around the lorph- also known by humans as the “clan of the separated” because their near-immortality has caused them to live isolated lives and become the stuff of legends.

Maquia is a woman of the lorph. When a power-hungry kingdom raids her village, she is torn away from her kind and finds herself rescuing a human infant despite her deep knowledge of the heartbreak that will inevitably ensue.

Maquia is a rollicking story of adventure, with heaps of drama, spoonfuls of humour, and touches of romance. It’s also quite emotional- if you are a crier, be prepared to cry. By the end of it my husband looked at me and said “I feel like they’re trying their damnedest to make me cry”.

One aspect of the story that I really like is the Hibiol- the lorph are weavers and have a unique language of the cloth which they use to record history and share messages amongst themselves.

The film carries along at a good pace. It is interesting to see Maquia’s adopted son Ariel and the other humans in the story growing up steadily around the ever-youthful lorph characters. The way the characters developed and the decisions they made surprised me in some instances.

Another engaging aspect is the existence of the Renato- huge dragon creatures capable of flight that the kingdom of Mezarte have enslaved to do their bidding, but which are slowly but surely dying off from a mysterious “Red Eye disease”.

A word of caution- if, like me, you prefer sub over dub, stick with the Blu-Ray for this one. Sub and dub options are usually included on both the DVD release and Blu-Ray for most anime nowadays, but this is an exception- I borrowed the DVD from the library and then realized that it only had an English dub, so we had to watch it with English voice acting. The BluRay, I found out, does have both a sub or dub option.

Overall I really enjoyed this film and would totally watch it again someday. I think that, since it’s an engaging standalone film with a PG rating, it would be a good movie to introduce someone to anime, to share with your family, or to enjoy on a date. Or, just cosy up and enjoy it on your own!

Bad Romance: A Defense of Reprehensible Love Interests in Otome and Beyond

My prince charming is your worst nightmare.

From the age that I can first remember feeling the pangs of infatuation and lust in my mid-teens, I found I had a taste for rogues, tricksters, baddies, and miscreants. In books, movies, manga, anime, and otome games, I rarely go for the hero of the story- my affections are generally reserved for the evil adversary, mysterious secondary character, or perhaps the dangerously playful womanizing side-kick. These characters are often sexy but would ultimately make terrible romantic partners in real life.

Recently I’ve been noticing in comment sections all over the internet well-intentioned people decrying these very sorts of characters that I am drawn to. Fans and non-fans alike are calling out reprehensible actions of characters as they see them. I think this is a positive reflection of wider discussions and movements that are happening worldwide right now regarding healthy relationships, love, affection, sex, and consent. These honest reflections on characters, from Sabrina’s Father Blackwood to the Sakamaki family of Diabolik Lovers, are valuable and worth noting. The relationships you see on TV or other media are often not good examples for real-life relationships to follow- sometimes these sorts of characters stray into cruel or even verbally and/or physically abusive behavior.

However, I do not believe that the answer is to eliminate such characters from the stories we tell and worlds we create.

One area that gets a lot of heat for these sorts of characters is otome games- perhaps because they are simulating a relationship with the player. Games like these feel more intimate than watching a movie or reading a book: usually a player uses their real first name in-game to enhance the immersion, voice-actors use dummy-head mics to record sound like they are right beside your ear whispering sweet nothings through your headphones, and choices in the game lead to consequences for the character you play as well as other characters in the game.

The first true otome game I played was Code: Realize, Guardian of Rebirth. It’s an interactive visual novel with a Victorian steampunk aesthetic, excellent Japanese voice acting, and odes to famous historical figures throughout.

Code: Realize

A common strategy for playing otome games is play the main route with the main love interest first (often he’s featured on the cover, as with this example featuring Arsene Lupin) and then branch out to other romantic partners in subsequent play-throughs.

However, I always gravitate immediately towards the character that (you guessed it) is strange, aloof, mean, temperamental, and/or seemingly sinister. In Code: Realize, I went for Saint-Germain, an intriguing and mysterious white-haired gentleman voiced by my favorite voice actor, Daisuke Hirakawa.

Saint Germain still image from Code:Realize, Guardian of Rebirth

*Warning:  spoilers ahead!*

My interest in Saint only grew as his complex and tragic story slowly unwound, with seemingly no means of a happy end. Still, I was caught completely off-guard when my first play-through ended abruptly with that is probably considered the worst possible ending you can get in the game: he murdered me.

Scene from Code Realize, Guardian of Rebirth

I was shocked, bemused, and strangely thrilled by this sudden turn of events. Retracing my steps and choosing different directions on my second play-through, I discovered that he had some solid legitimate reasons for killing my character (really!) and in the less tragic story-lines he is actually a gentle, devoted, caring partner, despite a crushingly brutal past that haunts his every step.

Aside from his bad-ending (murder…) route, Saint is actually not particularly problematic, so I’d like to present a more blatant example of the “reprehensible love interest”…

Diabolik Lovers, by Rejet

Diabolik Lovers began as an otome visual novel game franchise, but has since been turned into manga, anime, a stage musical, and tons of drama cds and merchandise in Japan. I stumbled upon the subbed anime on Crunchyroll a few years ago, starting a personal infatuation with this vampire series- a series featuring characters that are unabashedly terrible in their treatment of the female protagonist, Yui.

Yui is a Mary-Sue type character often seen in otome series-  aside from some rare moments of tenacity, she is presented as an unremarkable, quiet, polite young lady. She’s a sort of vanilla stand-in for the viewer or player, one which they can easily replace with themselves.

Her potential suitors, on the other hand, are some very strong personalities. Their dispositions differ widely, ranging from hysterical and possessive to dismissive and toying. What unites all of the Sakamaki boys, though, is the way they all cruelly use and abuse Yui to sate their thirsts for blood and amusement.

Some hardcore fans will argue that by the end of the plotline their favorite boy truly loves Yui and is deeply devoted to her, but let’s be real here: that doesn’t excuse the abuse, and nobody is compelled to watch the Dialover anime or play the Dialover games because of the romance. The average viewer would be repelled by the sadistic, narcissistic, misogynistic and psychopathic actions of the Sakamaki family (some of my friends certainly are). The Sakamaki brothers each in turn physically restrain Yui, attack her verbally and physically (mainly through biting and taking her blood against her will) and deceive her naive and trusting nature unendingly. Each boy has a different demeaning nickname for Yui (Pancake, Sow, Bitch-chan, and so on…). So why are some people, like myself, drawn to these characters who are obviously toxic?

This scene from Watamote is literally me T-T

This conundrum has fascinated me for some time. Why am I attracted to characters in fantasy that would make me miserable in real life? Is this predilection linked to the dark triad of features that supposedly signal a capable mate, triggering some biological response in me? Am I simply bored by predictable good guys and their chivalry? Is it pure masochism on my part? While not everyone falls for the charms of the bad boy, i’m certainly not unique in this regard, and there are lots of potential reasons someone might be willingly pulled over to the dark side.

Whatever the reason, the truth is that I and many others enjoy these sorts of flawed, dangerous, cruel characters, even when they are at their worst. While I understand the criticisms of series like Diabolik Lovers,  I believe we mustn’t equate a portrayal of an abusive or problematic fictional character with the actions of a person in real life or an endorsement of these kinds of relationships.

It’s okay to enjoy a romantic fantasy, even a dark and twisted one.

I am an advocate for the freedom to read, write, and create without restrictions. No work will be pleasing to everyone, and some may find certain works distasteful, but we must remember that these stories are fictional. When I immerse myself in an otome game, it is my choice, and I can withdraw my consent from the experience at any time by pressing the “power off” button on my Vita. I don’t confuse the tangled relationships in the fictional stories I enjoy with my real life relationships, which are thankfully much less dramatic than the ones I read, watch, and play.

---

 

Abuse is wrong. Verbal, physical, and sexual abuse have no place in a healthy relationship. Consent is vital. I don’t condone abuse in real life.

The fantasy world of books, movies, and video games are a space where the dangerous sides of love and lust can be explored safely- the cat and mouse game, which is exciting in theory but potentially devastating in real life, can be enjoyed in a make-believe format in which the consumer controls (while enjoying being “controlled” artificially).

We can and should continue to reflect on characters, and each person can determine for themselves what they enjoy or do not enjoy reading, watching, or playing, but there should be no shame for enjoying reprehensible love interests in fiction!

 

Spoiler-Free Review: Train to Busan

I picked this movie up at the library as it’s been a while since I watched a zombie movie. My hubby Dustin said he’s over zombie movies, but I convinced him to watch it with me tonight, and it didn’t take long before we were invested in the plot and characters.

A workaholic father, recently separated from his wife, heads out with his young daughter to take her to see her mother in Busan. Someone odd has managed to limp onto the train among the many passengers.  The train has barely left the station before an attendant is attacked, leading to a chain of events that causes infection and panic to spread rapidly throughout the carriages.

Dong-seok Ma as Sang-hwa, who is definitely my favorite character in the film- the dude is a total badass!

This is a really solid, tightly plotted film with a good balance of action, emotion, and lots of YESSSSS and NOOOO!!!! moments. You see early on that the zombies are fast, ruthless, and dumb. They swarm and crowd, scrambling over each-other in waves and crashing onto screaming victims.

Sohee as Jin-hee

Yoo Gong as Seok-woo

As the movie progressed, we were rooting for certain characters, pleaing with them to do or not do certain things. Contrastingly, there’s at least one character that we grew to hate (you’ll know who if you watch the movie!) and we were urging him toward a slow and painful demise…

While a few common tropes are used, and occasionally a zombie’s facial expression or movement feels a bit campy, overall the film is gripping and gives you a believable taste of what might surmisedly happen if a train full of people suddenly found themselves cast into infectious chaos. The infection doesn’t stop at the train- there’s an entire messed up world to face. There are also some surprising plot twists that I really appreciated.

Su-an Kim as Soo-an- this girl is a seriously impressive actress!

I definitely recommend Train to Busan. It had me tensing up in my seat a lot, anxious for the main cast of characters. It engages you from beginning to end and leaves you sated with lots of feels. I can’t help myself from ending on a cheesy line- this train is an entertaining ride!

 

 

Spoiler-Free Review: Tokyo Ghoul (Live-Action Film)

Tokyo Ghoul is one of my favorite manga & anime series. I came across the live-action film when I was shelf-reading a section at the library the other day, so of course I had to check it out (I didn’t even know it was already made into a live-action!)

Dustin had watched the anime with me previously, so he and I hunkered down tonight on the couch with our dog Tegan to watch this new live-action film together.

While I am quite willing to suspend disbelief and ignore trivial inconsistencies for the enjoyment of a movie, there were a few scenes where I could tell my husband was thinking “Really? Realllyyy?”- such as when Kaneki was attacked in the shoulder but then started limping and flailing like his legs had turned to jelly. However, these moments didn’t detract from the film. When I sometimes feel that acting is over-the-top, I then remember that anime and manga are also often over-the-top.

Kaneki’s awkwardness and vulnerability is played up so much in the beginning as to be almost cringe-worthy, but as with the manga and anime, the payoff is worth it. It’s fun to see his growth. I love how they played with the design of his mask, particularly the teeth:

The actors chosen were generally spot on with their characters. The scenes where ghouls are made to eat human food almost made me gag along with them- that is some solid acting. There were a couple of scenes where I actually gasped out loud in surprise or delight at the action or depravity on the screen.

Fumika Shimizu as Touka. I really enjoyed her as Touka, but I just found out that soon after filming she announced that she is retiring from her entertainment career and devoting herself to the controversial religious organization/cult “Happy Science.”

The visual effects were fairly believable and definitely cool- lots of quinique and kagune action shots.

Yô Ôizumi as Kureo Mado

Masataka Kubota as Kaneki Ken

I hope a second film will come out of this, as some of my favorite characters weren’t included in the movie since their plots emerge a bit later in the series.

Juzo

Shuu

Yeah, Juzo and Shuu, i’m talking to you.

I’m really glad Uta had a couple of scenes, at least.

Bando Minosuke as Uta- the dude reeks cool.

Overall, this film is a fun and action packed adaptation of the anime and manga. While the comparatively short length of the movie doesn’t give as much time to explore Kaneki’s inner turmoil and the complexities of the ghoul & human worlds, hopefully this isn’t the end of Tokyo Ghoul’s live-action career. I’ll be waiting for vol. 2!

Shocking Anime Memories & Rare Ghibli Musings- Anime is a format, not a genre!

One of the main goals of my ALC conference presentation There’s a Graphic Novel for Everyone (Yes, Even You)   was to reinforce the importance of recognizing comics, including manga, as a format and not a genre.

Similarly, anime is a format capable of telling any kind of story.

I’m heading out to Animethon tomorrow, and as such I’ve had several conversations with friends and coworkers recently about anime. One such friend was reminiscing with me today about favorites from childhood, and we discussed how sometimes anime surprised us with its content.

Anime: Building Solid Foundations For Childhood

And Beyond

When I was very young, before I even got into Sailor Moon or Pokemon, I was prone to watching and re-watching my favorite VHS tapes over and over and over again. I’d watch them so fervently that I could speak every word of dialogue along with the tape. One of my favorites was a particular version of Heidi which had  beautiful music and charming style. Another was a lively and unique version of Snow White. Yet another was a tape of the first 3 episodes of the action-packed extra-terrestrial fantasy cartoon, Thundercats.

Little did I know that in the might of these three VHS tapes, probably plucked from the bargain bins of convenience stores by my family, anime would begin to sink its hooks into my impressionable young mind!

By scouring the internet some years later on a hunch, I confirmed that my Heidi movie (which was dubbed in English) had ties to one of the most well known and celebrated anime studios both in Japan and internationally, Studio Ghibli. My Heidi was a condensed version of a full Japanese anime series created by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, the two founding directors of Studio Ghibli.

This was back when Studio Ghibli was not yet established- Alps No Shoujo Heidi was released under Zuiyo Eizo which later became Nippon Animation. Nippon, I also learned with some digging, created the Grimms Fairy Tale Classics series, including my aforementioned favorite version of Snow White!

Oh, and Thundercats? It was animated by a Japanese studio called Pacific Animation Corporation.

Snyarf, Lion-O!

I Didn’t See That Coming (and Neither Did He)

I have a vivid memory from when I was quite young of sitting in the living-room with my Dad watching an anime that he randomly found while browsing tv channels. Two people are battling in some sort of combat ring, the sort of setting where a competition like martial arts would take place. The fighting is bloody and intense, and keeps amping up in its recklessness.

Suddenly one of the fighters takes the pointer and middle fingers of both of his hands and thrusts them into the temples of the competitor, making a calculated strike-and-pull. A close up is shown of the victim’s retinal arteries (?) being ripped open, and blood gushes out of both sides of his head.

Everything goes black. Now he can’t see and must continue the fight completely blind.

My Mom’s spidey sense must have tingled in worry about her pre-pubescent daughter because she walked into the room at the peak of the action, raised her eyebrows to the roof with a sidelong glance, and said something like:

“Doug, what in the hell are you two watching?!”

Dad was just as shocked as I was –

“Well, it’s a cartoon! I didn’t…”

We sat transfixed and watched the rest of the show. I have no idea what the name of it was, and to this day I can’t remember anything about it besides that scene, but this experience was my first big glimpse of anime’s capabilities beyond friendly magical girls and elemental monster battles, and certainly far beyond any western animation I’d ever laid eyes on.

Please Sir, I want Some More (Ghibli)

Outside of my heavily edited VHS version of Heidi, the first Ghibli movie I remember watching was Princess Mononoke. I was still quite young, and, once again, this was something my Dad stumbled upon while browsing channels. We both realized it was a bit more bloody than we were expecting (which is funny, because it’s to my knowledge the only Ghibli movie with that level of gory imagery- not that there’s anything wrong with that!) and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Dad… what is wrong with the boar, dad…?

Years later, Dad finally decided it was time to invest in a BluRay player and brought home a PS3, along with our first ever BluRay: a copy of Ghibli’s award winning Spirited Away. 

While he seemed to have bought it mainly as a means of testing out the assuredly Beautifully Clear HD Quality Image and Unsurpassed Sound of a BluRay on his TV, I was immediately smitten with the intricate backdrops, the strange characters, and otherworldly happenings in the movie.

I waited until the newness of the BluRay fever had died off a bit and asked if I could keep the film and add it to my small but growing anime collection. Dad acquiesced with a fake sigh and a “should have known you’d like this one, kiddo”.

Ghibli movies have continued to blow me away with their devotion to truly understanding and amusing children and childlike minds, their attention to even the minutest and most seemingly insignificant details, and insightful depictions of the true good and bad faces of humanity. Their works are often fantastical, sometimes sentimental, occasionally tragic (don’t watch Grave of the Fireflies without some tissues handy) but always beautiful.

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Last year I had the opportunity to fulfill a long-held dream of visiting the Studio Ghibli museum in Mitaka with my husband while on our trip to Japan. It was an experience I’ll never forget and will hold in my heart forever.

Again for the People in the Back: Anime is a Format,

Not A Genre

In my early teens, when I first began working part-time, I began to purchase anime of my own accord. There was no rhyme or reason to what I bought- usually it was whatever overpriced “Volume 2, Part 1” randomness my local CD Plus had in stock. Some were wonderful, and some were underwhelming, but as I learned more and more about anime and manga, I fell more and more in love with both.

Chibi Vampire Karin, one of the first anime I purchased with my meager grocery store earnings…

In time I began to understand the vastness of the possibilities of this uniquely Japanese format. To anyone who looks at an anime and immediately thinks “I’m not into that stuff”, I challenge you to do a little investigating online or talk to staff at your local library and see what’s out there that might be relevant to your interests.

Curiously, it seems that there aren’t many non-fiction anime produced from what I can tell- I’ve come across a few, but biographical and NF anime (and manga) seem to be rare. I’m not sure why that is, as it’s just as valid a format as any. If anyone has any insight on this I’d love a comment or DM!

Aside from an apparent dearth of non-fiction anime, here are just a few anime that pop into my head as some examples of the versatility of the format, but they are only a few drops in an ocean of worthwhile anime.

Bad Taste in (Fictional) Men

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by freaky and evil characters.

I’ve blogged previously about how Elijah Wood was my first crush, and he’s pretty cuddly generally speaking, but bear in mind that I developed that crush only when I saw him with unnaturally pale stabbed-by-the-nazgul-help-me-i’m-dying eyes. I remember that moment, when my adolescent mind was like “oh”.

^so healthy, so wholesome

It was only downhill from there, my friends.

In most stories the main protagonist is presented as the desirable one, clean-cut and clean of conscience. Yet I’m always drawn to the dark and devilish characters, who are sometimes but not always the cunning asshole characters, the ones who are equipped with a snarling mouth, deeply condescending voice, and heavy lidded eyes full of spite.

Or, sometimes they are good, well meaning characters who are facing something tragic and/or are severely misunderstood.

^Brandon Lee as The Crow

Occasionally they are cocky and controlling, complete with lust for power and soulless eyes.

^Ezra Miller as Kevin in We Need to Talk About Kevin (yeah, I know, totally evil character, I’m not proud that I was attracted to Kevin! But Ezra IS really handsome, so I hope that has a lot to do with it…)

Usually the characters I am interested in are different than the characters my friends (and the general public, I’d think) are drawn to.

In my mid-teens, the tumultuous time of hormones and serious crushes, I fell head over heels for Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, and his plentiful eyeliner. Subsequently I sought out more of his films and swooned over Edward Scissorhands, Ichabod Crane, and Sweeney Todd. Johnny was my first HARDCORE crush. Perhaps the most hardcore i’ve ever had or will have T-T

While I had a fleeting crush on Ron in Harry Potter, Snape and Lucius had more staying power.

Criss Angel had a claim to my heart at one point, too. I remember rushing home from theatre practice so I wouldn’t miss Mindfreak (as well as InuYasha, but my anime crushes could fill an other entire blog post, so I won’t go there for now).

Here are some more that come to mind:

Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler (X2)

Clancy Brown as The Kurgan (Highlander)

Ville Valo (H.I.M.)

Tim Curry as Darkness (Legend)

Timour Bourtasenkov as The Wolf (Red Riding Hood, 1997)

I also fell hard for Louis and Lestat, at which point I realized I totally had a thing for vampires- capable fangs, pale skin eclipsed by crimson, captivation by luminescent eyes, an uncontrollable craving that drove them to desperation… freaking gothic euphemisms for sexual expression!

I’ve sought out so many vampire movies, but Interview with the Vampire is something truly special.

Bonus points for Armand!

Triple bonus points for QOTD lestat!

Now that i’m into kpop (namely SHINee), the music videos and performances that excite me the most are usually the ones involving aesthetics of darkness:

 

Tricksters and eccentrics often also captivate me:

Michael Sheen as Castor/Zuse from Tron: Legacy

Heath Ledger as The Joker

Hiddles as Loki

^Yet more bonus points for sexy mouthguard!

Heck, even Kenny from Kenny vs Spenny has given me feelings a few times, and Kenny’s whole point is that he’s (sorry Kenny) kind of a mean, obscene, no holds barred asshat!

^(Deep down I think you’re probably a nice guy though, right Kenny? Reeeeallly deep down? Maybe? >.> )

I say all this with the caveat that I DON’T think it’s a good thing to want to date someone who is actually emotionally manipulative, controlling or otherwise horrible to you. Happily, I  fell in love with my husband, a man who is warm, funny, silly, and kind- the opposite of a creepy, manipulative, controlling jerk!

^& He puts up with my fangirl ways! ❤

To bring all of this full circle back to Lord of the Rings, here is a word of advice: never tell your friends “you know, there’s just something about Grima Wormtongue”, because they will never let you live it down.

“Who knows what you have spoken to the darkness,

alone, in the bitter watches of the night?”

 

 

The Shape of Water: A Spoiler-Free Review/Doug Jones Squee Fest

Just the other night I watched The Shape of Water. I got it from the library and began watching it having almost no idea what it was about, who directed it, anything- just that it (maybe?) was a romance between some kind of amphibious man and a beautiful dark-haired woman(?).

I know, it had lots of Academy Awards buzz and whatnot, but I don’t have cable, I rarely go to the shoddily-maintained movie theatre in my small town, and apparently I live under a rock. I’ve been really busy ok! T-T

After just the first couple of scenes, I knew it would be my kind of movie. It was immediately apparent that I was in for a journey that would be a bit whimsical, artfully directed (those colour palettes, tho!), and not afraid to go places that were a little transgressive.

I won’t go deeply into the plot, as this is a spoiler-free review, but I will say that when I learned that it was directed by Guillermo del Toro I was not surprised. I greatly admire del Toro’s work- I appreciate how he doesn’t underestimate his audience’s capacity for comprehension, doesn’t pander to the widest audience possible, and balances quiet, charming scenes with short but arrestingly graphic ones.

Sometimes to enjoy del Toro’s vision, the viewer must permit herself to suspend disbelief and question where (or whether) a scene blurs from reality to something more poetic and conceptual.

When I discovered that the film was directed by del Toro, I wondered if Doug Jones was the actor who portrayed The Assett/The Creature, and sure enough, he was. I mean, to be fair, the creature in this movie does resemble Hellboy’s Abe Sapien (also played by Jones) more than a little bit- not that that’s a problem at all!

Doug Jones is a talented actor with a long and impressive filmography to his name, yet many people don’t know his face because his roles often involve full-body prosthetic. To any person who thinks that donning heavy prosthetics equals lazy acting, guess again. Doug brings characters brilliantly to life with his subtle, carefully executed physicality.

^he also undoubtedly sat patiently for countless hours while experts carefully pieced together all of these looks onto his body!

The Shape of Water tickled my fancy quite a bit, and so I drew a little picture with ink and dip pen.

View this post on Instagram

#shapeofwater #art #ink #dippen #creature #guillermodeltoro #darkfantasy #sallyhawkins #dougjones #vanessataylor #theshapeofwater #deltoro @actordougjones @realgdt

A post shared by Shauna (@hidengoshauna) on May 18, 2018 at 6:53pm PDT

And then this happened and it kinda blew my mind

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😮 #dougjones #actordougjones @actordougjones

A post shared by Shauna (@hidengoshauna) on May 18, 2018 at 8:56pm PDT

FJKRNGKJQAMKFAMDKLM!!! Whoops, I fangirled a little there.

So, if you haven’t seen it yet, go watch The Shape of Water! I’m certainly planning to add it to my personal film collection in the future.

Fictional Moms: An Often Unconventional List of Favorites

I’ve been seeing a lot of these Fave Mom posts kicking around since Mother’s Day is tomorrow, and although I wasn’t planning on doing one I inevitably began thinking about my own favorite fictional moms, and after a bit of reflection I was like “no, this is a damned good list; it must be shared with the world”.

And so, I present, my list of Favorite Fictional Moms (That I Can Remember At The Moment.)

In no particular order, here they are!

• Louis Pointe Du Lac (Interview with the Vampire)

Louis you say? But, but, he’s a dude! Ah, but here it is from Claudia’s own mouth:

Locked together in hatred. But I can’t hate you, Louis. Louis, my love, I was mortal until you gave me your immortal kiss. You became my mother and my father, and so I’m yours forever.

Claudia was born, so to speak, from Louis’ “immortal kiss”. And Louis tries his best to be a good parental figure to Claudia given their unique vampiric circumstances. Oh, Louis!

I could include Lestat here too, except Claudia kinda sorta rejected him in a huge way sooooo, yeah, let’s not go there.

Disclaimer: in the unlikely event that this post goes viral for some random reason 5 Mother’s Days from now and a subset of netizens take this post literally and start a vitriolic social media thread about how I am promoting an abusive  kidnapping child-killer as a parenting win for Mother’s Day, I must say- dude, chill, it’s a vampire movie/book. Take it for what it is. P.S. the movie and the book are both excellent, get on that.

• The Parents (Easy A)

I can’t remember their names (if they were ever given). I do remember that when I watched this movie I thought again and again “dang, these parents get an A+ from me”. They’re funny, understanding, not overbearing, accepting, and obviously totes in love.

#parentinggoals

• Duchess (Aristocats)

It’s been a while since I watched Aristocats to be honest, but it was one of my favorite Disney movies growing up, and I remember Duchess being totally devoted to her kittens, leading them tirelessly through treacherous situations to try and find their way home.

She’s also been known to get groovy if given the opportunity to let her hair (fur?) down:

Ok, so maybe this psychedelic dance scene re-used animation from previous Disney movies and also contained some unfortunate racist chariCATures, but that’s on Disney, not Duchess. I’m sure Duchess would not approve!

• Vianne (Chocolat)

Vianne is a strong-willed independent thinker who doesn’t give a flying fair-trade truffle what people think of her. She sets an excellent example for her young daughter Anouk by standing her ground when the ultra-conservative community threatens her chocolate shop, and she doesn’t shame Anouk for having an imaginary friend.

I was once a little bitter about Vianne having had the opportunity to make out with Roux, aka Johnny Depp, but you know what Vianne, you deserved it. Get it girl.

And again, here’s a book that was made into an awesome movie. Check out both if you haven’t already! Your public library can probably hook you up!

• The Other Mother (Coraline)

Hey, I sense some hackles are raised. Is this list called “Most Inspirational Mothers” or “Mother’s I’d Like To Have”? Nope, this is Favorite Mothers, and I truly adore Neil Gaiman’s creepy Other Mother. I’d love to cosplay as her someday.

^Dave McKean’s illustrations are amazing as always

The Other Mother gets a lot of hate. She’s just like your normal mother! Except, buttons for eyes, and the desire to capture you and erase all you know and love to replace it with an eerily similar but utterly wrong replacement.

And once again- excellent movie, excellent book!

 

• The Inventor and Pegg Boggs (Edward Scissorhands)

Neither of these people are Edward’s Mother in the traditional sense of the word, but both were, I think, well-intentioned and good-hearted people who contributed to his life in the best ways they knew how.

Who can fault the lonely inventor, played by legendary Vincent Price, for seeing a potential for life, and seeking love and companionship?

And Peg, the sweet and dependable Avon Lady, who reaches out to Edward without judgement when nobody else would.

Oh, Edward. ❤

• Edna Turnblad (Hairspray)

Edna, traditionally played fabulously by men in drag on stage and in film, is an anxious laundry-business owner and overweight mother. Her transformation of self-love and learning to let loose, led by her tenacious daughter Tracy, is sweet and inspiring.

 

• Molly Weasley (Harry Potter)

Molly is frequently listed on Favorite Mother lists, but it’s justifiable because she is a damn good mother!

Not only does Molly immediately accept Harry (whose family life has been less than ideal) into her family and home, she is a proud mother who loves her kids fiercely. Yet, I especially love Molly because she isn’t just a one-dimensional sweetheart character- if you piss Molly off or do or say anything disagreeable, she’ll let you know in no uncertain terms what she thinks of the situation!

Oof.

And who could forget such gems as Not my daughter, you bitch! Molly is talented with a wand, and not just in the kitchen! Though, on that note, Molly is also a proud homemaker whose home is so charming and cosy that fans can feel homesick for it from time to time. Molly has been known to sing along unrestrainedly with her Celestina Warbeck albums in the kitchen. Yes, Molly is relatable to a fangirl like myself, as she has been known to swoon wholeheartedly, even, occasionally, over questionable celebrities (*couLOCKHARTugh*).

• Irie-Mama (Mischievous Kiss, Love in Tokyo)

If you enjoy cute Japanese dramas, you gotta watch Mischevious Kiss, Love in Tokyo (there are also other versions of this show in other languages too I think, and i’m pretty sure it’s based on a manga series).

Irie-kun’s mom stands out because she has a youthful energy and brings humour to the show by constantly trying to pair her son up with Kotoko.

I think lots of fangirls resonate with Irie-Mama because she expresses the way we feel when we really, really want two characters to end up together! She will go to any length to support Kotoko in winning Naoki’s heart (even when she goes overboard into shenanigans involving cameras, disguises, and bamboozlement.)

She’s also a kind and positive influence in Kotoko’s life, especially because Kotoko’s own mother passed away long ago.

• Tanya Baxter (That’s So Raven)

Speaking of TV show Moms, Raven and Cory’s mom Tanya is hilarious and loves her kids very much. I loved watching this show with my sister when we were younger. Tanya puts up with so much ridiculous tomfoolery from her kids!

It’s refreshing to see two parents who are often present in the plot (rather than all but missing from the show entirely for some reason, as parents kids shows on often are). Not only that, but for the most part the Baxter’s aren’t overbearing on their kids, and are just as goofy and funny as Cory and Raven.

Aside from the funny stuff, there are lots of learning moments in That’s So Raven that show how thoughtful parenting aids in raising strong, informed, resilient kids.

 

• Lucy Emerson (Lost Boys)

Dianne Wiest again? What can I say, she plays a great motherly character. Lucy loves her two sons, and will do whatever she can to support them (including fleeing a bad marriage and moving back in with her kooky Dad). How was she to know she was relocating her family into the Murder (vampire) Capital of the World?

And props goes to Lucy for not being afraid to get back out there into the dating scene after her divorce, though maybe things would have been better after all if she hadn’t… but hey no spoilers here, if you haven’t watched this killer vampire movie yet GET IN THERE AND WATCH IT RIGHT NOW WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR DUDE!?!?

 

• Miss Honey (Matilda)

If you are a 90’s kid and you don’t love Miss Honey you have no soul. Or, you haven’t seen or read Matilda yet, in which case, get on that asap.

Miss Honey is the real mother Matilda never had, proof that just because you’re related to someone doesn’t mean you’re family (and that you don’t have to BE related to BE family). Miss Honey sees how Matilda’s toxic family disregards her well-being, happiness, and education, and in addition to being in-loco-parentis as Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey finds herself willingly taking on more and more motherly roles in Matilda’s life.

Her voice is so soft, calming, and kind, that I could easily compare it to honey.

The finale of Matilda lends itself to be the title one of those click-bait articles- “What one selfless teacher did for her student will give you goosebumps- the ending had us in tears!”

 

• Mrs. Darling (Peter Pan)

Mrs. Darling is just so beautiful and enchanting, you can’t help but want to be embraced by her motherly presence, especially when she is played by Olivia Williams.

When her kids fly off to Neverland, she and her husband  are desperate for their return, pining away and spending every moment searching in vain.

The fact that the kids want to return to them from such an exciting place at all says something about their capability as parents (although Mr. Darling does bear an uncanny resemblance to Captain Hook. And for that matter, Lucius Malfoy. Just me? Well, we’ll let it go for now. )

Side note: let’s not forget the other motherly presence in the Darling house: Nana!

Don’t you just want to kiss those little jowls!? ❤

 

• Aunt May (Spider-Man)

I love all iterations of Aunt May, but my favorite still has to be Rosemary Harris. She was the first Aunt May I saw in live action, and she kinda won my heart.

No matter what version of Aunt May you favor, you gotta admit each is pretty bad-ass in her own way.

HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW, DOC OC?

I’ve mainly only read the early original Spidey comics masterworks, but Aunt May has proven herself again and again throughout the life and times of the Amazing Spider-Man.

 

 

Well, that’s all I’ve got at the moment, but i’m sure there are tons more awesome Moms I am forgetting. Happy Mother’s Day to all the awesome moms out there!