It's a Christmas Cop Out

Although I was pissed,
the acting was great.

'SUP, NERDS?!

I've finally gotten around to watching It's a Wonderful Life, which is revered as one of the best Christmas movies of all time. It plays on television around this time of year and I've never given it much attention because it was always just there.

On Christmas Eve I was alone and figured it would be a fun night to see it on the big screen. The film really engrossed me until the 3rd act when the angel intervened during George Bailey's suicide attempt. I left the theatre upset because the entire tone of the film turned too quickly. I think the ending is a bit of a cop out.

The 3rd Act Didn't Fit

I would classify It's a Wonderful Life as both a comedy and drama. The drama stems from George's desires and failure to follow through with his plans and the comedy mostly from everyone around him. It's fair to expect both cheer and bitter-sweetness in a Christmas movie, but there wasn't a good transition from a realistic drama to super naturalism.

The moment Clarence the angel is introduced, I felt the entire film cheapened. Minutes prior, I was crying as I felt George's dread to suddenly cocking my head.in confusion as Frank Capra pulled the emergency breaks on a deeply meaningful moment for our disturbed, suicide-driven protagonist. I almost wished we got to see George die and perhaps have a conversation with himself or God to help transition to the super natural element of the film.

Forced Values

George sacrificed everything that would have made him happy to support those around him, which in turn paid off during his darkest moment. I both agree and disagree with the values of this film, but it is overall too chipper for my tastes.

There is literally nothing wrong with marrying and having a family. However, I think George was never meant to be a family man. He resisted Mary as a child, both after high school and college graduation and even on the day of their wedding! What Mary likes that he is a good man, but I don't think his heart was ever fully in the relationship. Also, did George only agree to have children to make Mary happy??

Is George really a family man??

George consistently expresses his desire to travel and forget about Bedford Falls. He only wants experience just a small bit of freedom but never allowed himself to actually pursue his dreams. The ending of It's a Wonderful Life upset me because I see it as an acceptance of mediocrity. It only indicates that George will forever be stuck in his town, running Building & Loan until he dies. I don't think that's what he truly wants... but as a people-pleaser, he's going to let everyone boss him around until his end.

Although I disagree with how family and community values are presented in this film, I do wholeheartedly agree with Clarence's note he leaves George: "Remember no man is a failure who has friends." George is socially wealthy by having so many people around him, who have his back. His life didn't turn out the way he ever wanted, but at least he has an entire community behind him.

No Consequences, No Rewards

Who can lose $8000 in the 1940s, let alone today????

I think the ending of It's a Wonderful Life would drastically improve if someone learned a lesson as for there are no consequences or rewards. George is the only person rewarded with friendship, but Uncle Billy and Potter, the culprits of completely screwing George, don't have any solid conclusion.

Although Uncle Billy is a forgetful, but well-intentioned character, he is never reprimanded or demerited for his constant mishaps at Building & Loan. Good-guy George blames himself and doesn't follow up with Billy's dumb-assery.

As George's enemy, Mr. Potter nearly manages to sabotage George's entire life, but there is nothing to prove he is going to stop his dastardly activities. Do the police investigate and crack down on Potter stealing George's cash? Does he continue to own the town? Potter doesn't receive any sort of punishment or any acknowledgement at the end of the film, which is quite a let down. No retribution.

Bedford Falls will become a Pottersville with the ending we got.

In my opinion, the best ending would result in Potter being taught the values of the community in a way he is able to open his heart. This in addition to the townsfolk giving George and his family enough money to pay the bank and enough to send them off on a vacation. George needs a break from his work and really deserves to travel for once...

Signing Out for the New Year,

Alrighty, peeps. I hope you all had a good 2017. Please have a wonderful 2018. More blogs will be coming your way, always soliciting my ridiculous opinions.

My final question to you... what is the BEST Christmas movie? I'd say it's Die Hard, but what do I know? I didn't like It's a Wonderful Life with it's cheesy ending.

LATER, DWEEBS!

Loverly Liz

"Justice League" Was Good. COME AT ME, BRO!

'SUP, NERDS?!

I'm not a huge fan of superhero movies. Nu-uh. Batman is the extent of my liking. The rest are... not very enjoyable. I may be harsh on superhero movies, I do like the DC universe. Occasionally I'll pick up the comics. I've had interest in watching all of the films preceding Justice League but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I intended to see a special showing of Howl's Moving Castle a couple weeks ago and invited a friend out... but I lost my marbles and mixed up the day. We ended up seeing Justice League because why not? Initially, I resisted since I haven't seen the recent DC movies, but overall Justice League brought *ahem* justice to both women and those new to the DC movie franchise.

My Beef with "The Avengers"

I'm erecting my flame shield:

I hated The Avengers. I thought it was boring, I didn't know what was happening and I didn't like the heroes. With so many characters, I didn't understand the history of anyone and I felt there wasn't much context of what happened in the previous films. Before I ever saw The Avengers I tried to watch the Iron Man movies a few times and fell asleep on multiple occasions.

Let's not forget that Black Widow sucks as a super heroine in the Marvel movie franchise. She didn't serve any purpose beyond being a hot piece of ass. Can someone tell me if she has any superpowers??? I'm so confused because it seems her superpower is only being the token female.

Character Introduction

Although I love Batman for it's darkness and quirkiness, I expected Justice League to be campy like any superhero movie (which isn't my style) but there was no plot confusion. Going into the movie knowing virtually nothing, it's immediately established that Superman is dead, emphasizing the grief of losing such a paragon.

Negative: not enough
Supermanin this movie.

Batman v. Superman is summarized in the first few minutes. Good. I'm caught up. Wonder Woman is the only other hero with a feature length film. Unfortunately I couldn't really collect what happened during her movie. I can forgive that since I didn't feel lost during her development. The most welcoming aspect of Justice League is the introduction of new characters.

The Flash made a few brief appearances prior to Justice League whereas Cyborg and Aquaman make their official debut. I think Cyborg has the most intriguing story of any of the heroes due to the pressure from his father, who pushes Cyborg's ability and blends the boundaries of humanity and machinery. The Flash is well explained when Batman recruits him. His personality shines as he twitches and fumbles during this exchange. Aquaman is a mysterious character because he refuses recruitment, but I think he is being saved for his own film set to be released in 2018.

Inclusion

I'm tired of the male gaze and the bullshit gender politics of Hollywood. Justice League pleased me because I felt included in superhero culture, which I've always considered to be a boys club. On the surface level, Justice League is not shy when it comes to showcasing handsome men (which is basically the entire movie). Aquaman is definitely the biggest hunk of meat to hit the screen, usually shirtless.

Both costume sets are cool... so why are we arguing over this?

Probably the biggest controversy is the Amazons' costume change between Wonder Woman and Justice League, where they wear skimpier outfits. People are pointing fingers at Zach Snyder for feeding patriarchy-- that the Amazon's are more exposed because a man directed the film. Let's be real, I wasn't a bit distracted by their costumes nor did I feel the women were sexualized in any manner. After comparing the Wonder Women costumes, I thought the Justice League costumes nicely showcased the Amazons' muscles.

There is sexual tension between Batman and Wonder Woman, but I think it played off well. One particular scene I loved was after a battle when Batman is taking off his gear. Wonder Woman enters and you think she's going to help remove it to only grab his arm from behind. She *twists & cracks* his poor back instead.

The two spend a lot of time together out of costume.

I'm not sure how deep their relationship will go in the future of the DC film franchise, but the moments shared between Batman and Wonder Woman were more funny & sweet than they were cringey. I love that Wonder Woman was not used solely as Batman's object of desire. She managed to equally contribute, if not prove herself to be more useful than other members of the Justice League. Wonder Woman even admits she was passive earlier in the film, which she realizes is weakness within the group. She embraces her power and asserts herself more by the time they revive Superman.

Self Awareness

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the awkward duck
of the Justice League.

Justice League is not only a well constructed action film, but self-referential and knows what it is. From the flood of Batman jokes to jabs at Aquaman, Justice League winks at the audience. It knows when to be cool and when to be corny. It is a well balanced movie that never took itself too seriously, but was still intense. That's a big part of why I like it.

It's not a perfect movie, but only a few things bothered me. There was too much blatant product placement, which takes away from almost any film. Nobody likes product placement.

Also, I heard Superman had a mustache?

What are your feelings? Did you enjoy Justice League?

If you were a character in the Justice League, who would you be? Ideally I'd like to consider myself Wonder Woman (my affinity for the Bat plays into this too)... but I'm totally the Flash when it comes to this movie. He's super awkward, dweeby and underestimates himself only to totally save everyone's asses.

LATER, DWEEBS!

Loverly Liz

Johnny is the Reason I Cosplay

'SUP, NERDS?!

It's been a while since I've discussed cosplay. How awkward, considering I started this blog with the sole purpose of discussing the subject. It has also been a million years since I've sewed something. This could be due to being busy graduating college or moving across the country... but a lot of it has to do with glamour, vanity and self-esteem involved with cosplaying.

The Fear and Pressure of Dressing Up

This isn't  a well sewn dress...
but I made it, so that's cool.

I've been a little afraid to cosplay over the last year or so. I was frustrated because someone near to me consistently told me that cosplay was too expensive and made me feel it wasn't worth my time or effort. I asked for help with my projects and was left with little enthusiasm. Today I still consider myself a n00b-level seamstress. The fiscal pressure made me feel like I couldn't sew anything without the expectation of the clothing coming out perfect.

When I cosplay, I literally become whatever I want and feel the prettiest in the room-- even during the lowest peaks of my self-esteem I became a queen for a night.

Although it should be celebrated, I'm really bothered by the uprising of "thicc" cosplayers in the mainstream. It wasn't cool to be chubby or have a big butt years ago. It's refreshing to see bigger girls get the recognition they deserve, however female cosplayers of all shapes sexualize themselves and I think it is distasteful.

Aware of my own assets, I felt I wasn't good enough to be a "thicc" cosplayer. Thoughts like "Are my boobs big enough?" or "omg how do I afford a little bit of lipo with my insurmountable school debt?" were trapped in my head these past couple years. The toxicity of money and sex-appeal ate my cosplaying spirit.

I am so sick of thicc...

Just a Bit Character

The hours I slave over cosplay are recognized when I'm complimented. My last entirely homemade cosplay didn't get much buzz, which totally bummed me out at ACen last year.

Hnnnnghhhh why am I so in love with Johnny?? Is it the cape?

I cut week of classes prior to ACen 2016 in order to make Johnny, who is just a guy featured in a single episode of Space Dandy. As a one-shot character, he charmed me with his dashing good looks and his dream to be a rock star-- even though he's already the emperor of the most powerful army in the universe! I knew I had to replicate his glittering cape and be a she-version of Emperor Johnny.

The sparkles from the sun.

The Johnny Dilemma

Unfortunately cosplaying bit characters or creating weird interpretations of even a mainstream character nobody knows who you are. That is the Johnny Dilemma.

Proudly toting my heavy, sequined cape, I rocked Johnny upon debut. But nobody got it. Hell, I even bumped into people who were wearing the t-shirt of the band that Johnny and Dandy formed and didn't get a reaction. Oh, and actual Space Dandy cosplayers??? I don't think any of them watched the anime because nobody got my character.

Most of ACen 2016 flew by, Johnny didn't get any love from the 30000+ attendees until I browsed the vendors hall for overpriced anime. A young woman approached me from behind and stroked my cape. She stuttered, "Are... are you... Johnny?!"

The moment I uttered "yes" this woman excitedly asked for photos and exclaimed "I never thought I would ever find a Johnny."

Upon reflection and being in a better place than I was last year, I finally learned this is what cosplay is about.

Eradicating the Johnny Dilemma

Although the characters I cosplay are extremely niche or are taken in a unique direction, the people you meet matter more than the vanity or competition. I don't get a ton of attention at convention for my cosplay, but the interactions and relationships I've built as a result of bonding over a character or piece of media is invaluable.

I found the right people by cosplaying things dear to me.
My buddy, Aeron, is dressed as Space Dandy from Anime Midwest 2016.
We had such a broment when we bumped into each other.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be sexy and cosplay either. I've determined that if I'm going to make a sexy cosplay, it's for me, not to impress and garner the attention of anyone else. All of the outfits I make are for me to express my love of some cartoon, comic, game or movie.

Revisiting Old Cosplay & Looking to the Future

I want to make my Johnny cosplay again... I want to remake all of my old cosplay, I harbor so many good feelings for these characters and want to take what I've learned and improve. Hopefully I can go into remaking and creating new costumes with the spirit of community and friendship that I hadn't recognized before.

Cosplay is meant to be fun. Take pride in every piece you make or buy. Embrace the character and what attracts you to that imagery or personality. I really can't wait to show you what I'm working on right now. I'm in the middle of a few new costumes, all at various stages. My goal is to debut 2 or 3 solid cosplays by the time ACen 2018 rolls around.

Love you guys. Have fun.

LATER, DWEEBS!

-Loverly Liz