LemmySoloHer

LemmySoloHer, 10 hours ago

Meowth has such a tragic backstory of abandonment, heartbreak, rejection and belonging. Abandoned as a kitten, learned to walk on two legs to impress Meowzie only to be outcast for it, learned to talk but realized learning to talk and walk instead of training has made him weak and unskilled in battles, rejected by both other Meowths and humans for being a “freak” that is too different from either group, finally finding acceptance and a place with Jesse and James.

I think you’re right that his job and his co-workers are what keep him going without any need for extra manipulation, although his massive jealousy of Giovanni’s Persian fueled by his insecurity of never being able to be seen as such a prized Pokemon are a part of that drive.

LemmySoloHer, 1 day ago

Any recommendations for reliable storage? I need new drives but I’ve put off buying any for years with all the bad reviews and counterfeit products making me weary of any deal that seems too reasonable or model with known issues.

LemmySoloHer, 9 hours ago

Using the blue and yellow pushpins to put this up is the kind of attention to detail that makes someone Overseer material. Keep up the good work, vault dweller.

LemmySoloHer, 2 days ago (edited 2 days ago)

This is the extreme end of things but nearly every Zack Snyder movie, extreme because it specifically goes heavy on editing saturation, contrast, etc., that takes away the aspects of realism for this look to instead make it stylized in an exaggerated way on purpose.

Joker (2019) plays with this look.

A lot of noir-esque stuff will use this kind of look to varying degrees too. Dark City (1998), and a lot of the future/neo-noirs will do this even when bright cyberpunk lights are present. Zone 414 (2021) is another one. Live by Night (2016) uses it during the criminal activity scenes to contrast against the brighter, roaring world of the rich.

I think there are a lot of better examples out there that I’m just not thinking of at the moment.

Edit: Adding Prisoners (2013), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Children of Men (2006), and Taxi Driver (1976) to the list.

LemmySoloHer, 2 days ago (edited 17 hours ago)

Also all eight of Captain James Holden’s parents!

LemmySoloHer, 3 days ago

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Darths, I will fear no evil: for Obi-Wan art with me!

LemmySoloHer, 4 days ago

Part One was available on Max about three months after the Blu-Ray release for it (Part One had digital copies released Jan 9 and physical versions released Jan 23, with Max getting it on about April 26).

I really wish they’d get specific about streaming dates but it does seem like Max is consistently getting this kind of stuff about three months after their initial release for purchase dates.

LemmySoloHer, 4 days ago

In Stardew Valley one of the questions the game asks during character creation is “what is your favorite thing?” where you can type anything you deem fit for you (and your character). Without knowing why it asks this (or completely knowing why) means that an honest answer like “tits” can happen organically or specifically just for the chuckles.

Throughout the game, every time you find a Stardrop that increases your total energy bar, you are reminded of whatever favorite thing you entered at the start of the game.

LemmySoloHer, 7 days ago

Co-Dependent’s Day (Season 15, Episode 15 aka Episode 328):

A visit to the George Lucas-esque Cosmic Wars Ranch, Marge and Homer get drunk and toss around Cosmic Wars creator Randall Curtis like a football.

LemmySoloHer, 7 days ago

I finally got one!

LemmySoloHer, 12 days ago

Get on up outta here with my eyeholes!

LemmySoloHer, 13 days ago

I’m not a fan myself but I think the right amount of ketchup on Mac and cheese is generally how much you like.

But there is such a thing as too much. Ketchup is great because the sugar and salt makes it appealing. Start pouring it on and all of a sudden you’re guzzling down a lot of sugar and taking a dish high in sodium and exacerbating it. Not so bad every now and then but a constant high-sodium, high-sugar diet is rough for kidneys, blood glucose levels, etc.

There are also “no salt added” and “no sugar added” versions of ketchup but even still, a reasonable amount is just not pouring a ton on. For anyone eating the dish like twice a year, I’d say go nuts! But for those eating it regularly, make sure to enjoy yourself but also take care of yourself! I say this as someone that has a kidney issue in remission and was asked way back at my first appointment “how much sodium do you consume in a day?”

LemmySoloHer, 13 days ago

I have never heard of Leech (Ennes) or Starter Villain (Scalzi) but both sound intriguing in completely different ways. It’s been a while but you might just have gotten me to start reading something longer form again.

Also, massive props for not just including some of the main books in the series starting with Leviathan Wakes but for also including Gods of Risk and The Churn on here. The Expanse is so compelling that those novellas really add an extra something special!

LemmySoloHer, 13 days ago

I think that’s definitely one of the reasons Leech sounds so intriguing to me, I kind of just want to see how the unified consciousness is written as the main (instead of a side character) and as a parasite instead of a collective, especially in such an unusual mystery plot – it’s so different that I figure I gotta satiate that curiosity. After carefully checking out some non-spoiler reviews, I’m gonna go for that one first since I feel like I might need something light and fun like Starter Villain to recover afterward.

And I am with you on The Expanse books and 100% think it’s because we watched the show first – especially since that show brought the actual authors of the books into the writers room for the entire series (for anyone stumbling across this that are confused, the author “James S.A. Corey” is actually a pseudonym for the two people that wrote the books, Ty Corey Franck and Daniel Abraham). With the actual creators, plus an incredible showrunner that really helped them navigate how to keep the heart and stability of their story world while making some necessary changes for the medium, translated extremely well to screen.

But that also means we’ve essentially gone through the three main things that makes The Expanse so compelling already (at least to me):

1. First, the careful balance between “science” and “fiction” that considers so many details. It makes it realistic and believable while also understanding it’s an epic fictional story. Stuff like the muscle difference of people depending on how much gravitational force they grew up with is fascinating, with Belters having lived their lives in low gravity stations and Martian military training extra hard in order to withstand the same level of gravity that Earthers are naturally conditioned to. Normally that would be extremely fascinating to read, but because the show did such a fantastic job at explaining it, it was more of a nod and an appreciation for the elaboration on the effects of it.
2. Then, the characters. Even with the differences, it’s easy to see why so many people that read the books before the show ended up embracing the cast in its entirety after being initially put off. While Amos and Bobbie look a little more beastly in the books, most anyone that was initially put off admitted that the actor for Amos ended up being so true to that guy that him being too pretty for the part quickly faded from their minds. Same thing with Bobbie, as realistically the fact that casting found an actress with the height, ethnicity, muscle and real-world competitive fight experience to come close to the Bobbie character in the book is a miracle in itself (and my bias for having a massive crush on Frankie Adams as well as every actress in the show). For that reason, for the most part, instead of being fascinated by Amos’ adjusting and growing, Bobbie’s Martian education and patriotism and her exposure to the reality of the universe, and just wanting more Avasarala dialogue, it’s kind of just reminding you why they are such fascinating characters instead of pulling you in to understand them – after the show, in a lot of ways, we already were captivated at unraveling these people and already have done so.
3. Finally, the most compelling thing for me was the need to know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! There are political stakes, thriller sequences, tough decisions, all done with the grace that causes someone to say “I can’t stop now, just one more episode” or “just one more chapter” and keep going. Because of the show, we, for the most part, already know what’s going to happen.

I found the books to be very well written, but with these three main draws already having played out in the show, they didn’t give me that addictive rush I usually get from a good book that turns me into a page-flipping fiend that just can’t put the damn thing down. That said, the elaboration is fantastic. I was confused by the guns on the space station in the show initially since they don’t explain there is different ammo until either near the end of the first season or even later. When the books clarified, in satisfying detail, the plastic gyro rounds used on space stations that are designed to puncture human flesh but not pierce the walls of a space station, and that normal bullets are still used in other environments, was great. All this stuff about reducing gun recoil for use in space, etc., all were a treat to read. Even when not perfect, the added details on top of the thought they put into trying to convey some realistic use of the laws of physics, etc., elevates the believability of the books to a new level. Other than that, it is a lot of just “spot the difference” for us that have seen the show. It’s interesting to say “oh okay so this is different from the show but I see how they’re going to get there still” or “ah so they must have realized these events weren’t enough to justify adding another character on the show with limited screentime, so they just rolled that character’s actions into Camina Drummer’s character, which worked well.” Extra tech, characters, bigger differences, etc., are all nice to bring you in closer to this story universe I love so much, but at the end of the day the need-to-know stuff is mostly already in our memories.

I also think that’s why, like you, I really enjoyed the novellas. They added so much extra to a story universe that I didn’t want to leave yet. The Churn was actually the first thing I read because the reveal of [redacted]'s upbringing was so eye opening that finding out there was a novella further explaining just what made this person who they are today felt like a must-read addition to such an interesting character.

LemmySoloHer, 13 days ago

Definitely, in the show when we start meeting characters from their home city and really start to hear details about how they grew up it was such an eye opener. As soon as I heard there was a novella I smashed through it for the moment-to-moment details and really felt like I understood a lot about the character, by the end thinking “you know, all things considered, this character is actually far more well-adjusted than I gave them credit for initially” which, given the character, is saying something.

I squeezed in the first chapter of Leech earlier today and it’s very much the kind of “different” that I’ve been looking for! Getting these insights into how a character with a consciousness across multiple bodies thinks and feels is fascinating. Also, the description of the autopsy very much reminds me of watching Castlevania where I’m impressed and intrigued while also knowing there is no way I could read this book and eat food at the same time haha.

Hmm you might have also convinced me to check out The Host after this. I’d adamantly stayed away from it because I got sent the first book from the big series she’s known for in a care package and read it since the girl I was dating at the time really liked it, and it was one of the most miserable reading experiences of my life. Nothing against the swathes of people that loved her big blockbuster series, and I’m not saying reading them makes people dumber, but for me I found it harder and harder to think the further I got in and that terrified me. But, even the author herself said she wants to be remembered for The Host but knows people will only remember her big hit series instead. If it really is enough of a step up for her and others to say that, and it serves as a comparison to the kind of narrator perspective in Leech, I might just have to give her another shot.

LemmySoloHer, 14 days ago

For $10? Can’t be pure. This has definitely been cut with RC Cola, Sam’s, and Diet Shasta.

LemmySoloHer, 15 days ago

Glutenous Maximus over here loving that Pig gluteus maximus.

LemmySoloHer, 16 days ago

The trailer for Prometheus is one of the biggest catfish movie swindle experiences I’ve ever had. I was enthralled by that trailer, I remember how excited I was when buying tickets to see it and getting in our seats. As the movie went on, reality set in. There are some cool scenes but they are so engulfed by insane choices and boring nonsense that I hope the How Did This Get Made podcast (the podcast that reviews ‘bad’ movies) does an episode on it someday.

I do think Fede Alvarez will do extremely well with the visuals after Evil Dead (2013), but Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise sequel was far better at mixing the wild and crazy stuff the franchise was originally known for with modern, shocking visuals. My guess is they’ll keep the story reeled in and focus on iconic tropes and scenes in Alvarez’s style, keeping it more safe and simple which is fine. But I’m all out of excitement and will just wait and see what actually does come of this.

Speaking of, Prometheus was so hard to sit through that I never watched Covenant because of my fear of seeing those elements continued, even with how much I like Danny McBride. Watching Shane Black’s The Predator that released a year afterward did not help revive a lot of interest in that movie universe for me either. I’ve heard a lot of takes but I’m curious, would anyone here recommend watching Covenant?

LemmySoloHer, 16 days ago

I think I’ll keep it on my “movies I’m not in any hurry to see but will probably check out someday” list right where it’s been then.

LemmySoloHer, 13 days ago

Oh yes! I was very intrigued when it was announced and I actually added it to the “My Stuff” section on Hulu when it released but didn’t get around to watching it and totally forgot about it. Thank you for the reminder, I’m marking this as the next movie I watch for sure!

LemmySoloHer, 13 days ago

This too! I was actually thinking about the theatrical trailer but I was so hyped for the movie that I watched this a dozen times beforehand too. I don’t know why but I thought we’d see some more of this kind of stuff in the actual movie and was surprised that Guy Pearce was in makeup to look 104 years-old for the entirety of it instead.

LemmySoloHer, 13 days ago

I definitely plan to get around to it now. Talking this out here kind of made me realize one of my big frustrations with Prometheus was how excited I was for it and how high my expectations were. Being able to go into Covenant without a surplus of hope and instead set realistic expectations will probably make it more of a throwaway watch if anything, instead of a big let down.

LemmySoloHer, 13 days ago

Thank you for the heads up – this is exactly the kind of thing I wish I had known going into Prometheus. Just expecting something different made the facepalms more than I can handle. I feel like knowing what to expect is going to make it so I can check out Covenant at some point without the accompanying let down that.

LemmySoloHer, 17 days ago

I just looked into it, kind of surprised I didn’t know Kilian Eng’s name with so much work out there. Really cool stuff that also sent me down a rabbit hole of other stuff Floating World Comics has republished.

LemmySoloHer, 17 days ago

The more I think about this the more curious I am as to what’s on it. Nice work reaching out to the Smithsonian, sometimes you gotta take action to satiate curiosity.