Mucca & The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Aug. 8th, 2025 02:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
As a follow up to bitching about this in the last post, I thought I'd look and see where I was with watching some of these. The movies are in order they came out. The TV shows are sorta just stuck in there for the year they started, rather than breaking them up by season. I'm too lazy to look up the details of exactly when they aired (especially as I don't even remember some of these existed). I'm only including live action films and tv shows. ( Long list is long )
Superhero Summer of 2025
Aug. 8th, 2025 01:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Going to the Movies!
(Success Rate: 1.5 out of 4)In May, we tried to go to Sinners at Local Theatre #1, only to find none of their caption machines were working.
In June, we didn't bother trying.
In July, we tried to go to Superman at Local Theatre #2, only to find that they didn't have caption machines at all. In 2025.
Later in July, while visiting my parents, we went to their Local Theatre to see Superman, only to have multiple caption machines crap out part way through the movie, leaving Nenya to finish it on their speech to text app (an imperfect experience).
This week, I went back to Local Theatre #1 and asked in person if the caption machines were now working (they neither answer the phone, nor call people back if you leave a message). Being assured they were, we booked tickets to The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The first caption machine Nenya got didn't even turn on, but the next one made it through the whole entire movie! Diversity win! (Or something.)
Actual movie thoughts aren't that deep, but it's superhero films, so...
Superman (2025)
So I'm more of a Marvel Girl, though I did like the first Wonder Woman movie and Blue Beetle, but Nenya grew up on the Christopher Reeve movies, and this had been advertised as More Like That, so we decided to give it a go.It was really fun! I thought the casting was great, and I'm really enjoying the "superheroes' lives are inherently ridiculous" vibe we're currently going with. Also: death to origin stories! It was really nice to see the Justice League International gang (lol), and have a Superman who was doing the Big Blue Boyscout thing in earnest. (I thought
Will happily come back for the Supergirl movie, and am even more invested in season two of Peacemaker.
The Fantastic Four: The First Steps (2025)
I really liked the retro-futurist aesthetic, and was happy they didn't combine them with 1960s inequalities. Also: space! I haven't seen any of the cast in a whole lot, but thought they were great for the roles. Pascal was fully on point as Reed, and managed to capture his pathos without diving head first into manpain, and I really liked Reed/Sue here. I just like his face, also. They toned down Johnny's womanising into a low-key romance that actually worked for me, though even putting Natasha Lyonne in it didn't make Ben's crush that interesting (mostly because we got 2.5 minutes of time with that plot). Given all the natalism in the air, I'm a bit twitchy about movies focused around babies, but I liked that they didn't even consider that Sue couldn't go on the mission while eight months pregnant. I will riot if we don't get Valeria, though.Which kind of brings me to the mid-credits scene. ( Spoilers for where this fits in the MCU? )
(Looking at AO3, it seems like people are into
Department of "But It's Still Weird that It Happened Twice"
( Mild spoilers for both films )Are all in the North. It's Grim Up North.
Aug. 7th, 2025 09:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I've been knitting and watching shows, which has led me to try to find stuff that's good to watch while crafting, especially things on Kanopy.
I was going to do a bunch of these in a post, but the first got long, so stand by for further knitting show thoughts.
North and South (2004)
(I haven't read the book, though I keep meaning to get into Elizabeth Gaskell, who is recommended when you run out of George Eliot.)
A star crossed romance between Daniela Denby-Ashe as an impoverished daughter of an auto-defrocked churchman from Hampshire, and Richard Armitage as a self-made cotton mill owner inLancashire "Darkshire"* (amazing name, thank you, Mrs Gaskell). He's in the middle of putting down a strike, and she's in the middle of being appalled by the violence of literally everything that's happening. The main attachment between them seems to be that they are both stunningly beautiful, and appear even more attractive when they are sad. Which they are a lot.
So... he's a strike-breaking mill owner in 1855, who sets the army on his workers? (Which they are careful not to show in detail because it might distract us from how very beautiful Richard Armitage is when he's sad.) Absolutely no one talks about where all the cotton's coming from, other than "America."† He does, later in the show, come to be more sympathetic to the workers, and start actually talking to them and shit, but the strikebreaking is a lot to get past. If you're likely to spend much of the show humming "The Internationale," then maybe give this a skip. If you don't mind/can ignore that, the pining is excellent, and the actors are very beautiful.
Quality as knitting show: 4/5, would knit to this again.
( End Notes )
I was going to do a bunch of these in a post, but the first got long, so stand by for further knitting show thoughts.
North and South (2004)
(I haven't read the book, though I keep meaning to get into Elizabeth Gaskell, who is recommended when you run out of George Eliot.)
A star crossed romance between Daniela Denby-Ashe as an impoverished daughter of an auto-defrocked churchman from Hampshire, and Richard Armitage as a self-made cotton mill owner in
So... he's a strike-breaking mill owner in 1855, who sets the army on his workers? (Which they are careful not to show in detail because it might distract us from how very beautiful Richard Armitage is when he's sad.) Absolutely no one talks about where all the cotton's coming from, other than "America."† He does, later in the show, come to be more sympathetic to the workers, and start actually talking to them and shit, but the strikebreaking is a lot to get past. If you're likely to spend much of the show humming "The Internationale," then maybe give this a skip. If you don't mind/can ignore that, the pining is excellent, and the actors are very beautiful.
Quality as knitting show: 4/5, would knit to this again.
( End Notes )
August Challenge 2025: Return
Aug. 4th, 2025 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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The theme challenge for this month is Return (Please include the tag challenge: return when you post.) Theme challenges have to do with fic choice. Since this month's challenge is 'return' your story has to be related to that theme one way or another.
The shape challenge is 'diagonal 3' (tag challenge: diagonal 3). This should be at minimum 3 squares, ie:
OOXOO
OXOOO
XOOOO
OOOOO
OOOOO
Shape challenges require that you complete a specific shape of squares on your card. If you complete a shape challenge by the deadline, you’ll win a cheat. If your card already has the shape formation before the challenge starts, you can only count that challenge as completed if you fill at least one square on your card within the challenge time period.
You can pick the challenge you prefer or do both if you're feeling ambitious. Once you’ve posted the podfic required to fulfill the monthly challenge, please comment here to let us know you’ve completed the challenge.
If you complete a challenge, you earn a cheat. If none of the challenges appeal to you, you can also earn cheats by commenting on other people's podfics.
What are Cheats?
Cheats are rewards that allow participants to manipulate their cards so that they can be finished more easily. There are 2 kinds of cheats: shifting squares and swapping out squares. Shifting squares allows participants to swap locations of two squares on their card. Swapping out cheats allow you to discard one of your prompts entirely from your card and replace it with a prompt of your choosing from the Prompt List.
2025 Sign-Ups
Aug. 4th, 2025 12:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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FAQ | Prompt List | AO3 Collection | Ask-a-Mod
This year, you can sign up for a card at any time from August 4, 2025 - February, 2026. There will be monthly challenges that are only open to those who have signed up for a card. Don’t miss them! Sign up now. You will receive your card within a week. Give us a poke if you haven't heard back from us in that time.
To sign up, leave a comment stating that you'd like a card and if you want NSFW prompts or not. You can also opt-out of up to five prompts when requesting a card. If you dislike any prompts on the card you're given, cheats should be your primary form of changing them!
Before signing up, please take a moment to review the FAQ post.
This year, you can sign up for a card at any time from August 4, 2025 - February, 2026. There will be monthly challenges that are only open to those who have signed up for a card. Don’t miss them! Sign up now. You will receive your card within a week. Give us a poke if you haven't heard back from us in that time.
To sign up, leave a comment stating that you'd like a card and if you want NSFW prompts or not. You can also opt-out of up to five prompts when requesting a card. If you dislike any prompts on the card you're given, cheats should be your primary form of changing them!
Before signing up, please take a moment to review the FAQ post.
Welcome to Podfic Bingo! 2025 Rules & FAQ
Aug. 4th, 2025 12:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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Welcome to Podfic Bingo: 2025!
FAQ | Sign Ups | Prompt List | AO3 Collection | Ask-a-ModWhat is Podfic Bingo?
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This can be a way for podficcers to try different things when podficcing to hone their art, to get out of a rut, to venture outside their comfort zone, or try something they've always wanted to but maybe didn't have the courage to.
Some things you try may not go exactly as planned, but it's all about learning and doing new things. Don't be afraid!
( Click here for the rules and FAQs of 2025 ).
Don't hesitate to ask a mod if you've got further questions.
Ask-a-Mod!
Aug. 4th, 2025 12:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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FAQ | Sign Ups | Prompt List
Have questions about the Prompts? You might be thinking, "Do you consider a selkie a human?" or "Does Gamora count as a 'character of color'?" We purposefully don't have a list of definitions to go with our prompts so that the prompts can remain to interpretation. People can be so creative in how they interpret things and we want to encourage that.
However, if you find yourself looking at a square and have no idea what it means/what to do with it, leave a comment and we can let you know the original intent behind that prompt.
You can also check out the resource post from previous years:
2024: DW | 2023: DW | 2022: DW | 2021 : DW | 2018: DW | 2016: DW | 2015: DW | 2014: LJ | DW.
Reminder: Once you get your card, you can start posting podfics right away.
Have questions about the Prompts? You might be thinking, "Do you consider a selkie a human?" or "Does Gamora count as a 'character of color'?" We purposefully don't have a list of definitions to go with our prompts so that the prompts can remain to interpretation. People can be so creative in how they interpret things and we want to encourage that.
However, if you find yourself looking at a square and have no idea what it means/what to do with it, leave a comment and we can let you know the original intent behind that prompt.
You can also check out the resource post from previous years:
2024: DW | 2023: DW | 2022: DW | 2021 : DW | 2018: DW | 2016: DW | 2015: DW | 2014: LJ | DW.
Reminder: Once you get your card, you can start posting podfics right away.