Monsters and Minors - Day 4
Another day, another entry. My LJ is seeing more action these days than ever before. I don't think it quite knows what to do with itself. I kind of like this daily posting thing, though. It gets the rusty ol' gears turning again. Maybe after I'm done these two memes I'll start up another one. Yes, I realize I'm getting ridiculously ahead of myself (I probably won't even finish these two), but it's fun to pretend that I'm that ambitious. Lol. Anyway, getting on with it... it's day 4 of 30 Days of Skins vs. 30 Days of X-Files.
And, action!
Skins Day 4: Favourite Gen 2 Character
She technically bridges the gap between BOTH generations, but it isn't until series 3 that we REALLY start to see what makes her tick (turns out it's a time-bomb). My fav Gen 2 character is...
Effy Stonem. I honestly don't even know where to START explaning why I love Effy. First of all she's gorgeous, even in her most wrecked moments (hell, ESPECIALLY in her most wrecked moments. I've never seen someone make matted hair, runny mascara and cigarettes look SO BEAUTIFUL). In Gen 1 she's confident, aloof, manipulative, reckless, intelligent, blasé, mysterious, crafty, and most of all... caring. Underneath the tough-as-nails exterior we see that Effy has such intense love in her heart, especially towards Tony... just don't expect her to ever ADMIT to it. :)
Gen 2 sees Effy struggling with her own sense of self-worth. She silently cries out for her parents' attention, but they don't see her. She finally finds real love, but can't quite figure out why she deserves it. She falls into habitual self-destruction, retreating so deep within her own mind that escape becomes an impossibility. All of this is played out to CHILLING perfection by Kaya Scodelario, who... just... Gah.
Nails. It.
Seriously, it's SO HARD for me to sum her up in one simple little blurb. It's just not possible. She's somewhat like Cassie in that way; there are SO MANY LAYERS to her. This is what makes her stand head and shoulders above the other Gen 2 characters, in my opinion.
Anyway, I'll end this section by picspamming what I believe to be one of the most beautiful moments of simple, simple, simple cinematography in ANY of the Skins seasons:
I don't even care if they're contact lenses (though I'd bet money they aren't), or if the editors used some kind of after-effects software. Her EYES... goddamn! The extreme close up, the peacefulness, the distant expression, and the BLUE!!??? Gorgeous.
X-files Day 4: Favourite Monster Of The Week
This one was difficult. Of course the first place my mind goes when I think MOTW is Flukeman. I'm not even going to post a picture of him (it?) because it scares the shit out of me. It scared the shit out of me in 1993 and it still scares the shit out of me today. I'm not too proud to admit it.
Anyway, then I realized that Fluky isn't actually my FAVOURITE X-files baddie, he's just the most MEMORABLE (because... well... he's fucking evil-looking). Lol. I keep wanting to call it a "he". I suppose I could go back and re-watch the episode to see if I have the pronoun correct... but it's 12am and I live alone. I'm not that desperate (or stupid).
No, Flukeman is not my favourite (though he IS most people's). I myself prefer the monsters/villains that creep into the agents' heads and really set up shop, resulting in mind games, trust issues, and intense fear. At first I thought of those lovely alien mealworms in "Ice" that made everyone turn their guns on each other (and gave us the pseudo-erotic "I'll check your neck if you check mine" scene). But no... my absolute favourite "I'm gonna make you fuck YOURSELF up" Monster of the Week is Robert Patrick Modell, a.k.a. Pusher.
Modell actually appears in two separate episodes (the eponymous "Pusher" in Season 3, and "Kitsunegari" in Season 5), which in itself is an indication of his awesomeness. He's pretty badass. In the first 15 minutes of "Pusher" he talks a police officer into playing a game of chicken with a semi-truck, and he makes an FBI agent set himself on fire.
Mulder: Modell psyched the guy out! He put the whammy on him!
Scully: Please explain to me the scientific nature of "the whammy".
Lol!
The real reason these episodes are so effective, though, is because of what Modell does at the END. In "Pusher", we get the infamous game of Russian roulette, with Mulder (under Modell's mind-control) pointing a gun to his own head before finally aiming it at Scully. Her tears in this scene are heartbreaking, and the fact that Mulder is able to resist pulling the trigger on her (albeit with a little bit of help) is what makes this one of the defining M/S moments of Season 3. Modell's second run (in "Kitsunegari") ends similarly, with Scully actually shooting herself in the head. Or... wait... what? Muaahahaha!
It's this unique brand of mindfuckery that makes Pusher one of the most memorable, creepy characters in all nine seasons. Gotta love that stalker-stare and deadpan voice. Everyone say it with me, now:
"Cerulean blue is a gentle breeze..."
And, action!
Skins Day 4: Favourite Gen 2 Character
She technically bridges the gap between BOTH generations, but it isn't until series 3 that we REALLY start to see what makes her tick (turns out it's a time-bomb). My fav Gen 2 character is...
Effy Stonem. I honestly don't even know where to START explaning why I love Effy. First of all she's gorgeous, even in her most wrecked moments (hell, ESPECIALLY in her most wrecked moments. I've never seen someone make matted hair, runny mascara and cigarettes look SO BEAUTIFUL). In Gen 1 she's confident, aloof, manipulative, reckless, intelligent, blasé, mysterious, crafty, and most of all... caring. Underneath the tough-as-nails exterior we see that Effy has such intense love in her heart, especially towards Tony... just don't expect her to ever ADMIT to it. :)
Gen 2 sees Effy struggling with her own sense of self-worth. She silently cries out for her parents' attention, but they don't see her. She finally finds real love, but can't quite figure out why she deserves it. She falls into habitual self-destruction, retreating so deep within her own mind that escape becomes an impossibility. All of this is played out to CHILLING perfection by Kaya Scodelario, who... just... Gah.
Nails. It.
Seriously, it's SO HARD for me to sum her up in one simple little blurb. It's just not possible. She's somewhat like Cassie in that way; there are SO MANY LAYERS to her. This is what makes her stand head and shoulders above the other Gen 2 characters, in my opinion.
Anyway, I'll end this section by picspamming what I believe to be one of the most beautiful moments of simple, simple, simple cinematography in ANY of the Skins seasons:
I don't even care if they're contact lenses (though I'd bet money they aren't), or if the editors used some kind of after-effects software. Her EYES... goddamn! The extreme close up, the peacefulness, the distant expression, and the BLUE!!??? Gorgeous.
X-files Day 4: Favourite Monster Of The Week
This one was difficult. Of course the first place my mind goes when I think MOTW is Flukeman. I'm not even going to post a picture of him (it?) because it scares the shit out of me. It scared the shit out of me in 1993 and it still scares the shit out of me today. I'm not too proud to admit it.
Anyway, then I realized that Fluky isn't actually my FAVOURITE X-files baddie, he's just the most MEMORABLE (because... well... he's fucking evil-looking). Lol. I keep wanting to call it a "he". I suppose I could go back and re-watch the episode to see if I have the pronoun correct... but it's 12am and I live alone. I'm not that desperate (or stupid).
No, Flukeman is not my favourite (though he IS most people's). I myself prefer the monsters/villains that creep into the agents' heads and really set up shop, resulting in mind games, trust issues, and intense fear. At first I thought of those lovely alien mealworms in "Ice" that made everyone turn their guns on each other (and gave us the pseudo-erotic "I'll check your neck if you check mine" scene). But no... my absolute favourite "I'm gonna make you fuck YOURSELF up" Monster of the Week is Robert Patrick Modell, a.k.a. Pusher.
Modell actually appears in two separate episodes (the eponymous "Pusher" in Season 3, and "Kitsunegari" in Season 5), which in itself is an indication of his awesomeness. He's pretty badass. In the first 15 minutes of "Pusher" he talks a police officer into playing a game of chicken with a semi-truck, and he makes an FBI agent set himself on fire.
Mulder: Modell psyched the guy out! He put the whammy on him!
Scully: Please explain to me the scientific nature of "the whammy".
Lol!
The real reason these episodes are so effective, though, is because of what Modell does at the END. In "Pusher", we get the infamous game of Russian roulette, with Mulder (under Modell's mind-control) pointing a gun to his own head before finally aiming it at Scully. Her tears in this scene are heartbreaking, and the fact that Mulder is able to resist pulling the trigger on her (albeit with a little bit of help) is what makes this one of the defining M/S moments of Season 3. Modell's second run (in "Kitsunegari") ends similarly, with Scully actually shooting herself in the head. Or... wait... what? Muaahahaha!
It's this unique brand of mindfuckery that makes Pusher one of the most memorable, creepy characters in all nine seasons. Gotta love that stalker-stare and deadpan voice. Everyone say it with me, now:
"Cerulean blue is a gentle breeze..."