New Semester, Fanfics, and Three Movies!

[davetheanalyzer]

The first month of 2018 and the first month of classes. I have another Writing Portfolio class. Another student was going to join us, but she dropped out. At least that means fewer people to review. I’m writing a two pages of my master project a weekend, just so I wouldn’t rush it at the last minute and hopefully have a completed chapter I’d be able to modify with context. The other class Readings in Fiction involves reading several short stories a week while discussing them and some power phrases on the forums. Completing my third week, which is still near the beginning but I’m sure I can keep up with this so far.

In fanfic news, finally posted We Will Hold On Forever chapters 8 and 9. After editing chapters 10 through 13 over and over again, I felt like I did enough that I could post the preceding chapters without much worry. Now to write chapters 14 and 15, which I have barely any material for. With the developments so far, I replotted those chapters, even going beyond my eighteen line limit for one of them so all the details would be clear. I was worried about how to accomplish a certain plot point or two but as I got writing, the answer seemed to become clear to me. I written some pages for chapter 14 but barely any of it would be of use for what I had planned, so I trashed it. I decided to experiment with a new writing pattern where I forgo reading every five minutes to write four lines instead of two. As a result, I’ve already got a page for chapter 14. I didn’t think I could do two pages a day with classes and I won’t be able to do it on all weekdays but I might be able to ground out ten pages a week. For chapters that range from forty to sixty pages, that means there mightn’t be as long a release gap.

Also nearly done with the first rewrite/edit of my Godzilla fic Together in Death. I might have to rewrite a second time to change more details and make more distinct characterization but I feel it’s much improved. I tried to cut down one or two lines per paragraph and eliminate anything I repeat, so a story over 31 pages is now 29. I’ll see how I progress here, and when I’ll post this.

Saw three movies, making up for the December releases I missed. I finally saw The Last Jedi. I meant to see it with my helper but she got sick or occupied with other things. But on a whim, my family decided to go on a Wednesday night and I quickly decided to go with them. I heard some split reactions, some understandable praise and criticism. Having now seen it myself, I could see some of both sides but I did enjoy the film. Having barely seen or remembered the original trilogy, I don’t have much investment in how accurate Luke is portrayed here compared to his other appearances but I can understand why he would be dispirited with how his actions might’ve contributed to Kylo Ren’s rise, the death of his many students, and how the Jedi Order causes more problems than it solves by simply existing.

For Rey, her persistence and frustration with him was great. Her interactions with Kylo Ren were interesting. I can see some people’s issue with her attempt to turn him to the light, but I rationalize it partly to trying to make up where Luke failed, frustrated with him (Accentuated with the deleted scene where she was told to run to rescue a village when it was a lie for her third trial – why did they cut that?) and due to her anxiety about her parents. She doesn’t remember who they are and mightn’t see them again, so Kylo Ren should at least go back to his mother who’s still around and still loves him very much.

Finn continues to be sweet, and kind. Seeing the Resistance struggle to escape, him trying to escape so he could at least take Rey somewhere safe is understandable. Rose is sweet and very nice, and I like her dynamic with Finn, though I could see how her tasering him to prevent his escape has issues. I read some dispute their plot wasn’t a distraction but helped develop Finn by making him see the suffering the First Order and weapons sellers cause, thus making him firmly committed to the cause. I agree. Rose’s perspective on these things was nice and as was her ingenuity and her agreeing to give up her heirloom. I liked his fight with Captain Phasma. There was a deleted moment where Finn tries to have his fellow storm troopers defect and she guns them down in preparation. I wish that was still in there. I hope she survives, because there is still potential with her and this rivalry with Finn. DJ was a nice ambiguous character and represented the military industrial complex well. I wonder if we’ll see him again.

Poe’s plot with the Resistance and Holdo was interesting, thought I can understand some frustrations with it. I don’t grasp his character as fully as the others, so I can’t comment on much on how his hotheadedness might be in-character or not. But I could understand his frustrations with Holdo and her not just coming clean with what her plan is, maybe to the point of rebellion. Still, he seemed understanding and sympathetic once the truth became clear. I did like him screwing with Hux at the beginning, that seemed to align with The Force Awakens. He should have a show where he gives roasts, especially to villains.

I also did like that Holdo was more complex than “Bad replacement leader.” She had her own ethics and code. Though her just not telling everyone what her plan was still seems odd. Wouldn’t it be the quickest way to gain trust? Did Leia do anything like this? Maybe she thought if Poe and others were so distrustful of her, it was a sign of a flaw on their part than any flaw of hers. I don’t know, maybe someone who can better grasp her character can explain it better. I did like her last words with Leia and the heroic sacrifice she managed with the craft.

Kylo Ren hesitating over shooting at her mother was a nice moment, but him doubling down on the Dark Side after killing Snoke is a sad but natural development. Him asking all of the military to fire upon Luke showed the depth of his grudge with the latter but it was so freaking funny. Luke really screwed with him long enough so the resistance could escape.

Wow, has the Resistance been whittled down. I wonder where it would go from here. At least Rey, Finn, Poe, and Rose will be fully together for the first time. I wonder how they’ll explain away Leia’s absence with her actress’ passing. Will Kylo Ren continue his downward spiral? I look forward to seeing the conclusion in Episode 9 two years from now.

I also saw Ferdinand. An okay movie, with some parts stronger than others. The film was probably expected to have no audience that day or someone was asleep at the projector, as no one dimmed the lights. That made the dark and night scenes hard to figure out. John Cena as the titular bull is perfect casting, he should get more voice rolls. Some of the zanier side characters, gags, and emotional moments weren’t as strong but I didn’t mind. Ferdinand’s friendship with Nina, the girl who adopted him, was sweet. When captured and brought back to where bulls are trained to fight, I did like how his basic kindness was able to get those indifferent to him and even former childhood bullies to become his friends.

Him going back to rescue them when he realizes bull fighting is a death sentence seems natural to him. When Valiente, having lost one of his horns and resigning to being turned to meat, responded to Ferdinand’s offer for everyone to join him on Nina’s farm by snarking that they all should be soft and prance around smelling flowers, Ferdinand answers by saying no, that isn’t what he wants. I like that. Ferdinand is comfortable being a gentle pacifist who likes nature but he isn’t the type to force others to change the core of who they are. At most, he wants others to be kinder, and value what’s really important. His attempted sacrifice also seemed in-character, since he wants them to have the chance for a life he had. Whatever the film’s antics and the chase scene, which could have mixed results, I thought the finale in the bull-fighting arena fired on all engines. There was barely any dialogue and Ferdinand just dodging and refusing to fight while sniffing roses was pretty cool. I liked he got the respect and sympathy of the crowd, and even the cantankerous matador and the buill-owning men. The ending is of course all the animals living with Nina and being happy. It’s a flawed movie but there were strong moments and parts I liked.

Speaking of flawed movies, I also saw Proud Mary. I saw it got a drubbing in the reviews.  My helper planned to go this Tuesday but discovered last Wednesday the last showings for my theater were the next day, so I asked my mom about the possibility of going ourselves and she convinced my younger brother to drive me to the theater and watch it with me. The critiques I read were correct on it being weak and not using some clichés well but the titular Mary and the boy Danny are the heart of the film. Their actors give their all, as even some reviewers admit, and they develop a nice banter-y but affectionate bond. Mary shows the appropriate amount of guilt that would come from assassinating someone’s father and her mindset to make sure the killings that follow don’t point to her. It seems that assassination awakened her conscience and that she now wants out of this life. Danny is the right balance of savvy about how to survive the street and gangs while still having the beliefs and viewpoints of a kid.

The other characters were a bit cliché but I could see where the writers were coming from, showing the shades of grey in the people involved in mafia life. Mary having to go against the man who raised her and her former lover did yield to some interesting and even great tension when Mary decides what to do. There wasn’t much action in the film, focusing on plot and relationships but when it did happen, it was pretty good. As an R-rated movie, I braced myself for some extreme violence but I was surprised other than some head shots, it wasn’t too much different from a PG-13 movie. The R must come from the other content. I feared at the end that either Mary or Danny would get shot for a downer ending, but nope, they manage to get away with only some fight injuries and a damaged car. They probably gott the heck out of town to restart their lives, which likely means no more action for them. With how under-advertised the movie is and how quickly it got pulled from theaters, I don’t think there will be film sequel. But a sequel in comic form or some other medium would be good, particularly if it takes the film’s strengths and extrapolates from them.

That is all for now. Excited about the Black Panther reviews coming out and look forward to seeing it. Trying not to see too much footage and spoil myself. Ambiguous on seeing Antman and the Wasp for various reasons but if nothing else, that is one well cut trailer. It had more personality than the teaser I glimpsed for the first one years ago. But that’s far off later in the year. Until the end of February, see you!