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A little defence against my boi Jean-Claude, I do like Hard Target and Timecop, but yeah the rest of his movies are pretty unbearable.

Things that Made Me Happy About the Oscars: Spike Lee winning his first competitive Oscar and Samuel L. Jackson's enthusiasm in announcing and awarding him. Olivia Colman's acceptance speech for winning Best Actress. Rami Malek's win and acceptance speech. Guillermo del Toro presenting Best Director to his close friend, Alfonso Cuaron. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse winning Best Animated Feature. First Man winning Best Visual Effects. Mirai being nominated for Best Animated Feature. No cringy host this year. Thank all things holy. Things that Made Me Angry (or Cringe) About the Oscars: Bohemian Rhapsody winning all the Editing awards. The fact that Mission: Impossible-Fallout was not nominated for anything. Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler presenting Best Supporting Actress. Black Panther winning Best Original Score. The Favourite only won 1 Oscar out of the ten nominations it received. Won't You Be My Neighbor? was snubbed by the Academy for Best Documentary. Black Panther winning 3 Oscars. Bohemian Rhapsody led the ceremony with 4 Oscars. (What??) Serena Williams presenting A Star Is Born.

Sounds like you need a reboot. If you'd like any suggestions of anime that might cleanse your palette. just say the word. Happy to help. Quick thought on The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: It's a great film, but I do think the pacing could be better. And the ending could be a little more satisfying.

Some Brandon characters described by anime themes: Kelsier: Battlecry by Nujabes from Samurai Champloo Szeth-son-son-Vallano: Debilman no Uta by kensuke ushio from Devilman Crybaby Stephen Leeds/Legion: A Cruel Angel's Thesis by Yoko Takahashi from Neon Genesis Evangelion Wayne: Tank! by Yoko Kanno from Cowboy Bebop Waxillium Ladrian: Rain by Yoko Kanno from Cowboy Bebop Vivenna: Styx Helix by Myth & Roid from Re:Zero Bridge Four: Guren no Yumiya by Linked Horizon from Attack on Titan Vasher and Nightblood: the WORLD by Nightmare from Death Note Hoid: Space Lion by Yoko Kanno from Cowboy Bebop

What's the meaning of life? Whose pyjamas are these? Why so serious? I heard Master Yoda talking about midi-chlorians, and I was just wondering, what are midi-chlorians? How many days in your life have you been sick? Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper? Shall we play a game? You've gotta ask yourself a question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well do ya, punk? You talkin' to me? Who ya gonna call? Who's on first? Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? (Bonus: If you can determine what movies these questions are from, you have our eternal respect)

So Brandon mentioned you in his acknowledgements for Skyward. I can't remember it off the top of my head, but you were a beta reader and advised him about some physics...if that's correct. That's really cool. Are you doing the same for Starsight?

Glass is the newest film by M. Night Shyamalan and is nearly twenty years in the making. This is a movie that I have been looking forward to for a long time. I think Unbreakable is one of the best films ever, and Split was awesome, albeit a bit disturbing. The third entry in this trilogy combines both casts of the films, except for Robin Wright, because she's way too expensive these days (or she just said no). To see Bruce Willis return is great and is made even better because he is actually acting. Samuel L. Jackson doesn't much except sit there for the first hour or so, but once the plot kicks into gear, he's awesome. And of course, James McAvoy just blows it through the roof as "The Horde". In Glass, he plays 21 of his 24 personalities and adds enough to set them apart as different characters. Spencer Treat Clark and Charlayne Woodard return from Unbreakable, and Anya Taylor-Joy returns from Split. They all give great performances, but especially Spencer Treat Clark. His arc in the movie is really good. Do not believe the Rotten Tomatoes percentage for this movie. I encourage everyone to decide for themselves. I really enjoyed the movie, until an event in the third act. After that, it sort of fell apart for me. But overall, I highly recommend you see this movie because it is really good until what happens. SPOILERS:

From what I understand, Series 5 is split into 4 parts, with each part featuring an encounter with a Master. So she's not facing all of them at once. (I would like River Song to confront the Valeyard, personally)

I recommend Violet Evergarden, a beautiful anime on Netflix. It takes its time, but it is a great sci-fi-ish anime. Another one is A Place Further than the Universe. This one is more of a slice-of-life, but it's so charming. Action-wise, I recommend Megalobox, which is awesome. (Note: All of these came out in 2018)

Alright, so the Academy announced the Oscar nominations... let's just say I'm a little annoyed. This post will be going through the major categories and some of the other film ones, like Best Documentary. Another post shall cover my thoughts on the production ones. But first, let's get started with Best Picture! Best Picture: Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, A Star Is Born, and Vice First off, I must question why Black Panther was nominated. I know that it was a massive hit everywhere, audience and critics, but....there are some major storytelling flaws, and some of the CGI is terrible. I'm not trying to sound racist, but the main reason Black Panther was such a huge hit was because of the African-American cast. I mean, Crazy Rich Asians was the first mainstream film to have a prominent Asian-American cast, but did it get recognized? No. Black Panther is a good movie, but is it that good? Eeeehhh, not really. I still really like it, but it has some flaws that I cannot forgive. I have to applaud the Academy this year, because they actually have films this year that everyone went and saw, films that were successful both critically and commercially. This includes the aforementioned Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book. I hope that this lets the Academy realize not everybody likes arthouse films. Should Have Been Nominated: If Beale Street Could Talk Will Win: Roma or A Star Is Born Should Win: The Favourite Best Director: Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman, Pawel Pawlikowski for Cold War, Yorgos Lanthimos for The Favourite, Alfonso Cuaron for Roma and Adam McKay for Vice I don't really have any problems here, though there are some directors missing when people thought they would surely get a nod. Should Have Been Nominated: Damien Chazelle for First Man, Peter Farrelly for Green Book and Bradley Cooper for A Star Is Born Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron for Roma Should Win: Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman Best Actor: Christian Bale for Vice, Bradley Cooper for A Star Is Born, Willem Dafoe for At Eternity's Gate, Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody and Viggo Mortensen for Green Book This is one of the categories where I honestly don't who will win. I would be fine with anyone winning in this one. Should Have Been Nominated: Ethan Hawke for First Reformed, Robert Redford for The Old Man & the Gun and Nicolas Cage for Mandy Will Win: Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody or Viggo Mortensen for Green Book Should Win: Willem Dafoe for At Eternity's Gate Best Actress: Yalitza Aparicio for Roma, Glenn Close for The Wife, Olivia Colman for The Favourite, Lady Gaga for A Star Is Born, and Melissa McCarthy for Can You Ever Forgive Me? I think everyone thought Lady Gaga was going to win all across the board, but then Glenn Close snuck up at the Golden Globes and snatched it away. So now, I'm kind of wondering who will win this. Should Have Been Nominated: Toni Collette for Hereditary Will Win: Glenn Close for The Wife or Lady Gaga for A Star Is Born Should Win: Olivia Colman for The Favourite or Melissa McCarthy for Can You Ever Forgive Me? Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali for Green Book, Adam Driver for BlacKkKlansman, Sam Elliott for A Star Is Born, Richard E. Grant for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Sam Rockwell for Vice Nothing to say here. Should Have Been Nominated: Timothee Chalamet for Beautiful Boy, Steve Carell for Vice and Michael B. Jordan for Black Panther Will Win: Mahershala Ali for Green Book Should Win: Sam Elliott for A Star Is Born or Richard E. Grant for Can You Ever Forgive Me? Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams for Vice, Marina de Tavira for Roma, Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk, Emma Stone for The Favourite and Rachel Weisz for The Favourite Having two actresses from The Favourite is an unfair advantage, but they should have found a way to put them together and give them one reward for their performances, because neither one works without the other. Should Have Been Nominated: Cynthia Erivo for Bad Times at the El Royale Will Win: Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk Should Win: Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk I'm going to skip over the screenplay awards, but I am really happy that The Ballad of Buster Scruggs got nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. It's a really fun movie, and it's on Netflix. Go check it out. Best Animated Feature Film: Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Mirai, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Hopefully, you all know what's going to win, and I totally agree with it. (Hopefully, the Academy doesn't screw up) However, I'm really glad that the Academy and the Globes nominated Mirai, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, one of the best directors working in anime today. This gives me hope that the Academy will acknowledge great anime films besides Studio Ghibli, because there are a lot of films that could have been recognized that weren't. Mirai does not have the chance of winning this year, but hopefully anime will have its chance to make a mark in the Academy. Should Have Been Nominated: The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl Will Win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Should Win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Best Foreign Language Film: Capernaum (Lebanon), Cold War (Poland), Never Look Away (Germany), Roma (Mexico) and Shoplifters (Japan) If Roma wins Best Picture, they should give this award to a different film. But if not, Roma will probably win this one. Should Have Been Nominated: Burning (South Korea) Will Win: Roma (Mexico) Should Win: Cold War (Poland) or Never Look Away (Germany) Best Documentary-Feature: Free Solo, Hale County This Morning, Minding the Gap, Of Fathers and Sons and RBG Okay, I'm really mad about this, because the Academy snubbed the biggest documentary of the year, and the only one that people bothered to go see, and to top it off, was FREAKING AMAZING. This is why the Oscars annoy me so much. Should Have Been Nominated: Won't You Be My Neighbor? Will Win: Free Solo Should Win: RBG or Minding the Gap That's it for now. Production awards will be coming soon.

My Top 10 films of 2018: Honorable Mentions: Bohemian Rhapsody, Isle of Dogs, Roma, The Other Side of the Wind 10. Green Book 9. Paddington 2 8. Avengers: Infinity War 7. The Favourite 6. Aquaman 5. Won't You Be My Neighbor? 4. Creed II 3. First Man 2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 1. Mission: Impossible-Fallout

Aquaman is the newest movie in the DC Universe, and it is by far my favorite DC movie. I had a blast with this movie. It has great action and amazing visual effects, the best in any DC movie so far. I'm actually really mad at the Academy Awards right now, because they put Black Panther on the shortlist for Best Visual Effects but not Aquaman! Which is a sin. Jason Momoa is awesome as Aquaman. He enjoys every moment on the camera. My man Willem Dafoe is in the movie too, though he is subject to the movie's only bad effects, that being de-aging his face. (Why'd they do that??) The script has some issues, it really hams up the cheesiness, but that is exactly what they're going for. This movie is going to really cheesy to some people, but just know that it's the filmmakers' intention. There's also a romance between the two leads that feels so forced, that I just laughed whenever they brought it up. Aquaman may not be the best DC film, but it is definitely my favorite one. Go watch it. It's worth it.

I'm still working on my reviews for A Certain Magical Index. To stew everyone over before they come, here's my opinion on the acclaimed anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. (Warning: SPOILERS) Neon Genesis Evangelion is notable for being a deconstruction of the mecha genre, and for its Christian imagery. Also, as a plus, it has incredible three-dimensional characters. My favorite aspect of this show is that while the mechas, or Evas, are a big part of the story and the action, the main focus is on the characters. In particular is the main protagonist, Shinji Ikari. Shinji is a straight-up coward, which at some points, really bothered me. I would sometimes growl in frustration at his reluctance to fight, or his generally wimpy manner when trying to reconnect with people, particularly his father, Gendo. (Gendo, by the way, is one of the worst dads ever.) Shinji's arc comes to a head at the series finale. (Which we will talk about momentarily.) I also really liked how the show developed every character, even the side ones that we don't really care about. Some characters, like Shinji's classmates, just disappear near the end, but their arcs are pretty much completed before then. My favorite side characters included Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Sohryu and Gendo Ikari. The animation is really good for a nineties anime. Besides Cowboy Bebop, this probably has the best animation from the nineties era of anime. The music is alright, but the opening theme is iconic. A Cruel Angel's Thesis is one of the best. Go listen to it. Alright, the ending. Oh boy, the ending. There are two endings to the show. One is the series finale, and one is the film The End of Evangelion. The series finale opts to focus on Shinji as a character. It breaks down his psyche and really pounds him down. But it comes to an emotional peak, and ends his character in a very satisfying way. However, this finale does not answer any of our questions. It doesn't reveal what SEELE's motives are, or what exactly Rei is, or Asuka's fate. This made fans of the show extremely angry. Hideaki Anno, the creator, received death threats. And so The End of Evangelion was made. This is the actual conclusion to the series, physically showing what happens, while the series finale is the emotional end. The End of Evangelion is both satisfying and confusing. It answers a lot of questions, such as SEELE's motives, Rei, and why the heck Eva-01 is super important. It also gives a great revelation of why Gendo was a terrible father to Shinji. Also, it has one of the best action sequences of Evangelion, that being Asuka beating the trash out of the new Eva models with Eva-02. However, the actual conclusion did not satisfy me as much as the series finale. I really like the emotional end to Shinji's character, but The End of Evangelion left me empty inside. It answers the questions, but fails to be emotionally satisfying. Despite the controversial ending, I highly recommend this show. If you read this entirely and haven't seen it, then I apologize. I just dropped some major spoilers. But watch anyways. It's worth it. (Mostly)

Favorite Movie: Mission: Impossible-Fallout or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Favorite Book: Skyward Favorite Game: Spider-Man PS4 Favorite Hero: Adonis Creed in Creed II Favorite Villain: Killmonger, of course Favorite Music: The Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack, both of them

I think it's time we blow this thing. Get everybody and the stuff together. Ok, 3, 2, 1, let's jam! Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. For those who aren't knowledgeable about anime, the premise is quite simple. A group of bounty hunters wander the solar system in the year 2071, looking for possible bounties on a ship they call the Bebop. But the end result is a whopper, hitting you from all sides with all kinds of emotions. And it is great. While the show has four main characters, there really is only one main protagonist. That is Spike Spiegel, who is a great character. He is modeled after many different people, including Bruce Lee. You can compare a lot of people to Spike, such as Star-Lord. But the thing that makes him so intriguing is his past, which is slowly revealed to us through beautifully animated flashbacks done in noir style. You receive more and more information about him, and the character in the present becomes more entertaining. He is also very laid back, and has a lack of sympathy for others. Sometimes he comes off as insensitive, but it's always played for comedy. The other three are great characters as well. Even though the main focus is Spike, the others should not be ignored. The first is Jet Black, who actually is in charge. While Spike is the main focus, Jet takes care of the ship, cooks, finds new bounties and trims his bonsai. He's basically the mom. But he's also an ex-cop with a metal arm and a short temper. We do get to see more of Jet as the series plays out, and all great series develop all their characters. Then there is Faye Valentine, a no-nonsense, gambling con artist. She has a great dynamic with Spike and Jet. The scenes in which she clashes with them are among the best. She is very cynical on the outside, but the show has a way of peeling off the layers and revealing what she really is. Faye's story arc is very powerful in that it teaches us to look back and find ourselves. But this turns out to be quite difficult for Faye. Lastly, there's Edward. Her full name is Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV. (She made it up herself.) She represents the goofy side of the show. There never really is a scene where she is actually serious. (Except once, but that's a spoiler.) While she is goofy, she never bogs down the ride. She is never annoying. In fact, Ed nearly is adorable. While Edward is meant to be taken lightly, her intelligence is quite sharp, because she's a computer hacker. Then there's Ein, a Welsh Corgi with near-human intelligence. He's usually just there, but the show does give him moments to shine. All of these characters (except Ein) represent the overall themes of Cowboy Bebop, which is loneliness and the difficulty of escaping the past. It's very sobering to think about, because the show is usually a lot of fun. However, it is a very thoughtful way of doing so. Another thing I must mention is the music, composed by Yoko Kanno. This woman is a genius. I never thought jazz would fit into the space genre, or any genre besides.....I don't know, jazz, but it really works here. If you click the link above, you can get a small taste of this great music. There are no bad episodes of Cowboy Bebop, but there are some that feel less important, or feel like fluff, especially in the last half of the series. The first half has some of my favorite episodes, and while the second half is good, it does dwindle slightly. Some of my favorite episodes include: Ballad of Fallen Angels Sympathy for the Devil Gateway Shuffle Black Dog Serenade Pierrot le Fou If you have not seen Cowboy Bebop, please do. It is worth your time, and if you aren't an anime person, it still is a great way to get into it. I highly suggest the English dub, which is actually better than the original Japanese. While the original is good, the English dub really captures the essence of who and what the characters are. Go watch Cowboy Bebop. If you don't, well, you're gonna carry that weight.

Here's a humorous story I wrote a while back. It's pretty fun. The Uses of an Epiphany It has become clear to me that life can’t get much worse when you’re an Language Arts schoolteacher. Children always have questions. They have terrible grammar. Parents are always calling. My boss comes in to watch. “Mr. Moffat, please explain to me what a gerund is for the billionth time.” “Mr. Moffat, I’ve brung the presentation!” “Mr. Moffat, my kid came home crying! What the hell are you teaching in there??” “Mr. Moffat, I think that you could be doing a little more of this certain subject to help your students in the learning environment.” Everyone should just shut up. I mean it. I am sick and tired of all these kids asking me how subordinate clauses are used. They are in the eighth grade!! They should know already! *Sigh* Forgive me. I’ve had a hard time. Every teacher does, but for a subject like Language Arts, they expect you to know everything about it or none at all. Unfortunately for me, people have chosen the latter. And let me tell you, my financial situation right now is the only thing that is stopping me from walking. But that changed. Let me tell you how. My name is Eric Moffat. I’m a middle-aged, thirty-two year old man. I’m a bachelor living in a five room apartment with only my cat, Douglas Adams, to keep me company. Please do not judge me. I would like the idea of getting married. Really, I would. But something just stops me. I don’t know what. Don’t get me wrong. The perfect person lives right across the hall. Her name is Charity Freeman, and she’s twenty-nine. She’s dated a lot of weirdos over the two years I’ve been here, but she appreciates literature just as much as I do. She has a goldfish named Mark Twain, for Pete’s sake. Mrs. Duncan, the landlady, doesn’t help. She’s always trying to set us up. Every time I’m invited for dinner, I just say I have a hangover or something, because I know it’s just a plot. Have I gone on a date with Charity? Yeah. Once. We showed up at a decent restaurant and it so happens that one of my students was there. It happened to be the one who thought they knew everything about Language Arts. She saw me and immediately started pestering me. Did the parents bother doing anything? No. It was almost as if they wanted to see me suffer. Goodness. If parents like to watch teachers suffer, then you should see the damnation kids. Kids are always drawing pictures of their teacher on the noose, or getting run over or something messed up. Those are the kids who usually get sent to the local penitentiary. Which means most of them. Anyway, I ended up leaving early, making an excuse that my aunt was giving birth. (She was due but not at that moment. That ended up being in the middle of the same night.) And the next day, I gave that student an F on their quiz. She had failed, and I just relish the fact of writing “FAIL” in large letters on the paper of a student I despise. But today started out like any normal day. I woke up, took a shower, and gave Douglas some breakfast. I cut myself shaving, which didn’t help my sour mood, and I was out of milk. Now I had to go to the store. I exited my apartment, only to run into Charity. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Hi, Eric!” “Hullo.” I replied. “Did you have a nice sleep?” she asked. “Yeah.” I lied. “You excited to teach today?” “Yeah.” Another lie. “Ready to face new challenges?” she asked. She is really good at rapid-fire questions. “Yeah.” Not only was I good at lying, I was a master at one word answers. “Well, have a great day!” I didn’t even answer. I grunted noncommittally. Smooth. I trudged down the stairs. Charity was so lucky. She had a job that let her work at home. She didn’t have to tolerate the little swine that walked through school. Oh, did I say swine? I meant communists. I left the building, careful to avoid Mrs. Duncan. The last thing I needed was an invitation to teatime. I approached my car. I climbed in, started it, and drove over to the market. ***** After getting my milk, I had a slightly rushed breakfast. Then I combed my hair, grabbed a tie, and drove to the school. The school where I teach is not a public one, it’s a private one, which makes it worse. That means I have to teach the spoiled brats whose only future is Parliament or the inside of a prison cell. Probably both. I parked in the faculty area, then entered the building. I checked in, and went to the lounge. I’m usually one of the first ones there, but since I had to get milk, I was late. David MacBrewer, the Algebra teacher, came over. “Eric! You’re late!” He smiled, patting me on the shoulder. I couldn't help but smile back. Dave is just one of those optimists who are great at cheering up despondent companions. “I ran out of milk,” I replied. “Had to grab some.” I walked over to the coffee maker and poured some in. I took a swig, and immediately choked. “Whose ******* idea was it to put decaf in here!?” I spluttered. David laughed. “Language, my friend,” he said happily. “You work at a children’s school, you know.” I scowled at him, then threw the cup of coffee in the trash. If there’s something worse than annoying students, it’s decaffeinated coffee. To make things worse, the headmaster, Ms. Brown came over. That woman is a viper. It is no wonder she’s single. “Mr. Moffat,” she said. “It’s come to my attention that you have been harsh to your students.” I raised an eyebrow. “In what way?” I inquired. “A parent complained that you were yelling at his son for-” “Sticking a pen in the pencil sharpener?” I finished. “He had it coming. The boy’s been taunting me for days, sticking the pen in there like it’s some big joke.” “I don’t think that is a good reason to yell at a student.” Ms. Brown interjected indignantly. “Yeah, well, yesterday he actually started cranking the handle! Those sharpeners don’t come cheap and sticking a pen down the gullet is definitely going to do something.” As I spoke, an edge of sarcasm creeped into my voice. Unfortunately, Brown picked up on it. “Be serious about this, Eric,” she snapped. “Do you want to lose your job?” I raised both eyebrows at this. “That was uncalled for,” I said calmly. “I will reprimand my students the way I see fit.” David, who was standing behind Brown now, shook his head violently. He pointed at Brown, mouthing the words, “She’s mad today.” Brown’s nostrils flared. “Mr. Moffat, if an incident like this happens again, I cannot stand by.” “You won’t have to,” I replied. “If my students continue to treat me with disrespect, I will leave.” I turned away and exited the lounge, heading toward my classroom. The clatter of footsteps followed me, and David was at my side. “What in the name of George are you thinking?” he cried. “You should’ve seen her face! She’s furious!” I continued to stride down the hall. I was angry. I was tired. I was sick of everything. I was-. I stopped in the middle of the hall. It had hit me. “Eric?” David asked. “What’s wrong?” “Dave,” I said. “I’ve had an epiphany.” David’s eyebrows knit together. “A what??” “An epiphany,” I repeated. “A moment of sudden revelation.” I faced the wall, which had one of those stupid anti-bullying posters on the wall. “I’m going to get out of here.” ***** If there is one class of students I like, it is my second hour. Most of the kids in there take reading and writing seriously. The minority who don’t just don’t. They’re not troublemakers. I have five hours straight full of students. The first hour and lunch are my only preparations. But today, I decided to do something different in my classes. And that started with my second hour. “Class,” I announced. “We are having an oral quiz!” A large groan went through the class. I expected this. No student likes a surprise quiz. Everyone began to put away their things. I stood in front of the classroom. I smiled. I would miss this class. ***** Now the class I was waiting for was fourth hour. It was perfectly obvious to me that this was the worst class. It was chock full to the brim with future criminals. For example, Terry Harcourt. He was suspended for two weeks for having cigarettes in his locker. Eleanor was a shoplifter. Jennifer, it was rumored, had set fire to the chemistry lab. And Joseph. That little sh-. Nope. Sorry. I almost forgot that other people will read this. But a message to Joseph, if he ever comes across this. If you ever figure out your life, I’ll be very surprised. Were all the students in my fourth hour bad? No. There were three girls and a boy that I was quite impressed with. Other than that, the students were actual demons of hell. Anyway, the reaction I received for the quiz was exactly as I expected. A large chorus of yells of outrage and protest. “Oh, come on!” yelled Terry. “We had one two weeks ago!” I cocked my head. “Yes, you did,” I noted, sounding slightly amused. “But that was two weeks ago.” I held Terry’s vicious stare, counterattacking with my own. Students began to grumble and put away their books. Well, almost all of them. Lisa, who sat in the back, did not put away her book. She thought that if she left it on her desk, covered by a jacket, I wouldn’t see it. She was wrong. I came over. “Well,” I said, lifting the jacket. “I never saw you as one to cheat. But then again, you missed no questions last quiz.” I picked up the book and set it on my desk. “You may retrieve this when we are done.” I brought the book over to my desk, and dropped it unceremoniously onto the surface. It made a loud sound, and everyone jumped. I walked up to the front of the classroom. “This quiz is oral,” I proclaimed. “Each student is required to answer two questions each, and if you fail to do so, I will deduct your grade.” Another large protest ensued, until I smacked the wall so hard, my meter stick broke in half. The room fell silent. I looked at the half I still held and smiled widely. “That hasn’t worked before,” I noted. “Let’s get this quiz started.” But then Joseph unwisely opened his big mouth. “Well, stop blabbing, Mr. Moffat,” he drawled. “Let’s get on with this stupid quiz.” I raised an eyebrow. It was time to set the second phase of my epiphany into motion. “Another comment like that, Joey,” I said. “And you’ll be seeing Ms. Brown.” That was it. I was at the point of no return. Either Joseph took the bait, or I’d have to get someone else to snatch up. But luckily for me, that wasn’t the case. Joseph hated being called Joey. I had seen three kids beat up because of the dreadful mistake of calling him Joey. Joseph tilted his head, facing me. His cheeks were the slightest tinge of red. “What did you call me?” “It’s not a concern of what I call you, Joey,” I said, allowing contempt to creep into my voice. “Your concern should be how well you do in this class.” Joseph looked even more angry, most likely because I called him Joey. It was like how that Marty McFly kid got triggered because some dork called him chicken. Then, Joseph made the worst decision ever. He stood up, walked to me, and laid both hands on my collar. “Don’t call me Joey,” he growled. “Mr. Moffat.” he added with a sneer. I stared right into his eyes. Then I tore his grip from my collar. I walked over to my desk and pulled out a detention slip. “Manhandling a teacher, Joey,” I noted. “I doubt that’s a first, but everyone’s gotta start somewhere.” I handed him the slip. “Go see Ms. Brown. Right now.” I opened the door with a flourish, like that smarmy doorman in front of a Hilton. I gestured down the hall. “Right this way.” Joseph left, glaring at me as he did. I beamed and waved at him. But he wasn’t the only one that class. In my third hour, I had sent a total of two to Ms. Brown. For fourth, well, let’s see, I have thirty-four in that class, so……..take the number of Doctors and double that. I am not even joshing this time. I sent almost everyone in that class to Ms. Brown. All except the four good students. Fifth hour was also productive. I sent eighteen of that class to her. It would do Ms. Brown a lot of work to do, instead of drinking decaf and looking up photos of Rupert Grint. (Seriously, that’s what she does. Don’t ask.) At the end of the day, Patricia the secretary called me. “Eric,” she said, almost a whisper. “Is there anything wrong? You’ve sent almost every student of yours to the office!” “Oh, no, everything’s fine, Patricia,” I chuckled. “I expect Brown wants to see me?” Patricia confirmed this, and I practically skipped out the door and down the hall. I got many looks from fellow colleagues, but at this point, I didn’t care. Wasn’t like I’d see them again. Except David. I entered Brown’s office with a grin from ear to ear. “Hello there!” I said. “You wanted to see me?” Brown looked in no mood to play, which she rarely does. (Except for the time Rupert Grint visited the school.) Tight-lipped, she gestured to the seat in front of her. “Please take a seat, Eric.” she said. I did so, bouncing on the cushions. She leaned forward, and began to berate me in a fierce undertone. “What the hell is wrong with you, Eric?” she hissed. “You’ve sent every damned student to me and I don’t appreciate it. Do you realize how many calls I’ll get?” I had vaguely contemplated the fact that Brown would take the beating, but I honestly didn’t care much. What was that quote from that one movie? Oh, yeah. “Better her than me!” -Han Solo I shrugged nonchalantly, and tried to look neutral. “My students are very rebellious.” I said, as it should’ve been obvious. (Which it is.) Brown slammed a fist on the table. “I don’t care about the students,” she scowled. “I care about your performance as a teacher in the learning environment. You’ve been slacking off for the past few months. I could have you fired.” I pursed my lips. “You won’t need to,” I replied. “I quit. I’m getting out of this hellhole.” I stood up and left, not even waiting for a response. It was then that I entered the zone. Any external sounds were extinguished. I could hear faint yelling, probably Brown, but I took no heed. I exited the building for the last time. I started the car and began to drive home. I turned on the radio. It was playing Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”. How fitting. My epiphany had consisted of basically two parts. One: get fired and/or quit. Two: Well, I was doing that right now. The half hour it usually takes to get to my apartment felt like seconds. Like the Flash, I was out of my car and entering the complex. I ran into Mrs. Duncan. “Why, hello, Eric,” she greeted. “Could I interest you in-” “No thank you, Mrs. Duncan,” I interrupted. “I’m already on that.” I squeezed past her and took the stairs three at a time. I found myself in front of the door of Charity Freeman. I paused momentarily to catch my breath, then knocked. Charity, beautiful as ever, opened the door. She looked genuinely surprised. “Eric?” she asked. “What are you doing back early?” “I was just wondering,” I blurted. “If you’d like to come to dinner with me tonight.” To my great disbelief and pleasure, she blushed a deep red. “I’d love to,” she said. “But Eric, why so….abrupt?” I slowly grinned and smiled. “Well, let’s just call it the uses of an epiphany.”

A quick thought on Incredibles 2. So when I heard there was going to be a sequel to The Incredibles, I was pumped. It was like before Toy Story 3 came out. People would joke about it, but never thought it would come out. Then Pixar announced it and everyone just lost it. It was much the same situation for Incredibles 2. And now that I have seen it, I must say that I was disappointed. Let me say this. Incredibles 2 was not a terrible movie. It was really good. But there are several elements in the narrative that prevent it from reaching the level that the first one has attained. First and foremost is, of course, the villain, Screenslaver, who ends up being the lady that the movie doesn't say is the villain, but you can obviously tell that it's her. I have yet to meet someone who was actually shocked when they revealed her as the villain. I think this is the fault of the script. It gives too many hints within her dialogue that she is hiding something. Subtlety should be key here, but it isn't utilized. The first Screenslaver looks awesome. His costume is great. But he barely appears in the movie, which wastes the anticipation of Elastigirl confronting him. The fight between Screenslaver and Helen should have been way longer, and would have ended sooner if Helen had just stretched to grab him instead of running. Secondly is the focus of the movie. The Incredibles does a great job of focusing on Bob's plight, but still involves the family as a whole. Incredibles 2 struggles to decide whether to focus on Helen, or Bob taking care of the kids. It should have focused more on Helen honestly, because there are sides of her character that were left unexplored in the first one, and sadly, they still aren't. While Bob's plotline in the film is entertaining, it steals away from the investment that we should be feeling for Helen, which is practically non-existent. The balance between the plotlines is ultimately skewed, and damages the connection we feel for Helen. Lastly is the tone. The Incredibles feels large, but personal, because we understand where each character stands and what they want. Incredibles 2 does not feel as serious as the first, and I largely blame this on the other supers. Not Frozone. He's awesome. But the others, like Voyd, Reflux, Brick. Introducing all these other superheroes were very unnecessary to the overall story. They distract us from the main focus of the film, and make it feel silly. I would have just introduced Voyd. She would have been enough. But the rest honestly just distort the tone. Those are my thoughts. If they make Incredibles 3, they should focus on Dash, because he is the character with the least nuance in the Parr family. I think even Jack-Jack got more screen time. Even Violet gets more development, even though she has less screen time than Dash and Jack-Jack! But I digress. Cowboy Bebop coming soon.

Being off the grid can be refreshing, but I have to admit that I missed this. Hey, guys, welcome back.... I've been watching a ton more anime since I was last here, and I've developed an appreciation for it. I think the main reason that I didn't watch much anime except Ghibli was because of the fanbase surrounding anime. Not all of the fans are super weird or kinky, but the stuff I've seen really did not give a good impression. However, that did change when I watched two particular shows, A Certain Magical Index and Cowboy Bebop. These shows fascinated me and I will be doing in-depth reviews of both of them. (There will be multiple for Index because there are multiple seasons and a spin-off show as well) See you soon!

My favorite part (besides Jeremy Renner as Ronin) was the cinematography. The shots in this trailer are breathtaking.

Okay, so they recently announced a live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, which is my favorite anime series of all time. I'm extremely nervous, but I have my hopes. Here's my dreamcasting for the crew of the Bebop! Andrew Garfield as Spike Spiegel Karl Urban as Jet Black Vanessa Kirby as Faye Valentine Dafne Keen as Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV and please get a real Welsh Corgie to play Ein.

Thanks! I'm very busy with school and other stories and what not, but I post here when I can.

That evening, the saloon was crowded. People chattered and laughed. Drof had a long night ahead of him. Arbitan and Wayne sat at a table near the far wall. Wax approached the bar. Drof slid over. “Where’s this Barl?” asked Wax. The husky bartender nodded towards a gangly man, with a wispy goatee. “ ‘E’s over there,” he whispered. “Careful, Wax. ‘E’s a little quick to anger.” Wax grinned widely. “Good thing I’m a patient man,” he chuckled. “Gimme a shot real quick.” He set down a clip, and Drof obliged him with a shot of whiskey. Wax poured a small amount of steel in the drink, then downed it. He nodded at Wayne and pointed at Barl. Wayne wiped his mouth, and began to stumble over. He weaved his way through the crowd and nearly collapsed in front of Barl. “ ‘Ello there!” he exclaimed. “I was hearing the other day that you were...uhh, askin’ for men to go on a brilliant crusade!” Barl smiled amiably, and patted Wayne’s shoulder. He began to steer Wayne towards an adjoining room. “Of course, friend,” Barl said. “Come this way and we’ll discuss business.” Wayne looked over his shoulder as they walked away and mouthed, This guy smells like a four day old apple! So do you, Wax mouthed back. Focus on Barl. Wayne winked slyly, and began to chat with Barl. When they had entered the next room, Wax strided over to Arbitan. “What do you think?” asked Wax. Arbitan shook his head. “There’s somethin’ wrong with this whole thing, Wax,” he muttered. “I think it’s a setup.” Wax’s eyes immediately searched the room, looking for a possible suspect. “Do you see anything?” Arbitan closed his eyes and burned electrum. He breathed slowly, then opened his eyes. Instinctively, he reached for his gun. “There is someone else,” he said. “Other than Barl, I mean.” His eyes roved intently for the culprit. “I don’t see ‘em here...I dunno, Wax, should we spring it?” Wax shrugged and pulled out a coin, tossing it hand to hand. “Nothin’ better to do tonight.” ***** Wayne followed Barl down a thin hallway, adopting a posture that suggested he had more than his share already. He studied this strange man that Arbitan had said was a bandit. Well, if he was, he wasn’t selling it very well. What kind of rusting bandit combed his facial hair? Very unnatural. Wayne shuddered. Barl opened a side door and gestured Wayne to enter. Inside were two other men. “Hello there,” spoke one. “I suppose you’re interested in our business, is that right?” The man had a nice accent. Sounded like he was from the area of Far Dorest. Wayne nodded vigorously. “I am, I am,” he said eagerly. “May I ask what kind of racket you’re organizin’ ‘ere?” The man smiled nonchalantly and laid a hand on Wayne’s shoulder. He nodded to Barl and the other man, and they began to close the curtains. “My name is Brynner.,” the man said. “My partners and I are recruiting able men for my superior, a leader of a band that you perhaps might have heard of. The Surefires.” Wayne nodded in confirmation and Brynner continued. “The business we are conducting as of now is highly profitable for all involved.” “Well, that’s nice to hear,” Wayne remarked. “What kind of business is that?” “Hold up there, son,” Brynner chuckled. “We first need to know if you’re qualified. How old are you?” “Nearly eighteen.” At this, Brynner laughed loudly. Barl and the other man joined as well. Wayne joined too. A good laugh was nice to have. Brynner shook, then contained himself. “You look younger than that, but I could believe it,” he said. “You an Allomancer?” This time, Wayne laughed. He saw a nice pen on a small desk next to Barl and picked it up, twirling it in his fingers. “Twinborn.” The one word made Brynner freeze. Barl’s thin mustache twitched. The other man peeked through the curtains, watching the outside. “Now that’s something.” Brynner whistled. Wayne winked at him.

Zane is the worst written character in the entirety of Brandon's work. (Sorry) Never got attached to Sarene, and never bought that Hrathen actually had feelings for her. Who remembers Parlin? No one? Well, there you have it. I've never felt any sympathy for Tia whatsoever. Shallan, sadly enough, has never been very interesting for me. She has gotten better, but there's still a lot missing

I've always appreciated movies, especially as of late. So this thread will let people show their appreciation for their favorite movies by pitching a sequel(or prequel)! No matter how ludicrous it sounds, no matter how bad, you can pitch it. I will start with a pitch to one of my favorites, Princess Mononoke. Call of the Forest: Two months after the death of the Great Forest Spirit, Irontown is again producing iron, but at a slower rate as the town is not fully rebuilt yet. Ashitaka spends three days with the people of Irontown, then three days with San. Lady Eboshi now uses trees sparingly, respecting nature. Life is well. Jigo returns to the Emperor empty-handed, but the Emperor is extremely angry. He decides to exact his vengeance by executing San and seizing control of Irontown. He sends Jigo to carry out his orders, with the threat of death if he fails again. Jigo is hesitant to confront the gods of the forest again, but has no choice. The apes of the forest have succeeded in planting more trees, but are very distrustful of Irontown. Ashitaka negotiates with them, but they are interrupted by warriors of Lord Asano. In the following skirmish, the leader of the ape tribe is killed. Enraged, the apes swear to destroy the humans. Ashitaka tries to convince San to help them, but she refuses. Feeling defeated, Ashitaka travels to the center of the forest, to the former home of the Great Forest Spirit to seek some sort of guidance. Jigo arrives in the valley with an imperial army. Lord Asano meets with them, and strikes a deal, gaining half of all production in Irontown. In exchange, he swears loyalty to the Emperor. The two armies begin marching towards Irontown. San and the wolves detect the approaching threat, and warn Ashitaka. He rides to Irontown and warns the people. Lady Eboshi sends the men, led by Gonza, to meet the threat. Ashitaka accompanies them. The opposing sides meet in a deep pass, surrounded by the cliffs. San, mind in turmoil, decides to aid the people of Irontown. As the two sides begin to clash, the apes ambush them and cause the cliff faces to collapse. The rockslide kills many, including Asano, Gonza, and one of the wolves. The remaining men of Irontown retreat, led by Kohroku. San and the remaining wolf attack Jigo and the remainders of the two armies, despite Ashitaka’s pleas. The wolf is badly wounded and retreats, while San is captured. Outnumbered, Ashitaka is forced to retreat as well. In Irontown, Ashitaka tries to persuade Lady Eboshi to send men to retrieve San. Eboshi refuses, concerned for the people. She orders the gates to be closed. Furious, Ashitaka sneaks his way out, and Kohroku accompanies him, intending to help. Meanwhile, San fights viciously against her captors. The men begin to be tempted, but Jigo orders them to stop. Jigo begins to question where his loyalty lies, and if serving the Emperor is the wisest decision now. Ashitaka and Kohroku continue to pursue them, and they are attacked by the apes. They successfully evade them, but Kohroku worries that they will attack the weakened Irontown. Meanwhile, the last wolf has been corrupted, and turns into a demon. It begins to follow the trail of Jigo’s army. During the night, several soldiers attempt to rape San, but she breaks free and kills them. Jigo makes a decision, and lets her go, telling her to run away and keep the forest safe. Jigo then arrives in the capital. The Emperor has Jigo executed, but Jigo is satisfied that he will leave with a clear conscience. The apes begin to surround Irontown, becoming bolder and attacking the walls. Lady Eboshi is forced to post extra guards during the night. San reunites with Ashitaka, and they decide to return to Irontown as quickly as possible. They catch a glimpse of the demon on the journey back, but it pays them no mind. Ashitaka, San and Kohroku return to Irontown, but are ambushed by apes. They manage to make it in, but not before three apes slip through the gate. The apes begin to ravage the town. Ashitaka rallies the people, and they fight back. But then, an explosion critically damages the west wall, and the entire ape tribe invades. The people of Irontown fight back. San fights the apes as well, but is cornered. Lady Eboshi saves San and suffers a fatal blow. In her last moments, she makes Toki, Kohroku’s wife, the lady of Irontown. After destroying the armory, the apes suddenly leave, taking the bodies of men. In the capital, the Emperor plans to destroy Irontown. A disturbance is heard at the front gates, and he hears the shouts of “Demon!” Panicking, he seals the inner palace, but the demon bursts in. It kills the Emperor and many samurai lords before being eradicated by a rudimentary cannon. Ashitaka succumbs to a wound he sustained during the battle. San is devastated. Ashitaka admits that humans are flawed, and will never be at peace with nature. He tells San to travel to the east, where the Emishi people live, and fewer disturbances in nature happen. Ashitaka asks Toki and Kohroku to rebuild Irontown, but use it for good, not destruction. He then dies. Distraught, San takes Yakul and Ashitaka’s body into the forest. She buries Ashitaka on the island of the spring of the Nightwalker. Deciding to heed Ashitaka’s last wish, she begins to travel east with Yakul. When she stops to sleep, she discovers she is pregnant. The last shot of the film shows several kodama sit on Ashitaka’s grave.

Spook laments the death of Kelsier. (Extra points if you know the song. It's not that hard.) I'd sit alone and sense the night My only friend through Ruin’s bite And everything I had to hear I heard it with my Tineye ear You gave them all those hopes and dreams And even though, it’s not what it seems You helped them live, you helped them die You made us feel like we could fly (Kelsier) So don’t become a wispy voice We all need you to make a choice I just don’t know, I just don’t feel I just complain, I can’t push steel You had your time, you had the power You’ve yet to have your finest hour Kelsier (Kelsier) All I hear is nobleman ga ga Nobleman goo goo Nobleman ga ga All I hear is nobleman ga ga Nobleman goo goo Kelsier, what’s new? Survivor, someone still loves you! I watch the ash, they watch the mists While Thugs stand up and spar with their fists We hardly need to use our tears When much has changed through the years Let’s hope she never leaves, good Vin On all good nights, I burn up my tin I’ll stick around ‘cause they might need me When they grow tired of the scrutiny You had your time, you had the power You’ve yet to have your finest hour Kelsier (Kelsier) All I hear is nobleman ga ga Nobleman goo goo Nobleman ga ga All I hear is nobleman ga ga Nobleman goo goo Nobleman ga ga All I hear is nobleman ga ga Nobleman blah blah Kelsier, what’s new? Someone still loves you Nobleman ga ga Nobleman ga ga Nobleman ga ga You had your time, you had the power You’ve yet to have your finest hour Kelsier (Kelsier)