Ultra's Fic (and Other Stuff)

I wasn't sure about diving into Phase 4 of the MCU. I mean, I watched The Falcon and the Winter Soldier the first chance I got (because, hello, Bucky Barnes!) but apart from that, I felt like I was pretty much done after The Infinity Saga. Apparently, that wasn't entirely true...

For fic writing purposes, I recently felt compelled to watch Black Widow, even though I was almost certain it was going to be a little too dark for my taste and not really my cup of tea. Admittedly, I did fast-forward through some stuff, but I am glad I took the time to watch what I did of it. Yelena was a very interesting character and I love the relationship between her and Nat. It was painful seeing what they both went through, especially when they were so young, but yeah, not entirely sorry I took the time to familiarise myself with that.

Then I figured, hey, why not watch Hawkeye? I've liked Clint from the start and I joined a Clintasha community here on Dreamwidth and over on Discord a few months ago (I shipped Clintasha in Phase 1, but then switched to WinterWidow later on; also, it turned out Clint was married!) so I figured why not? Wow. I loved all six episodes!

( spoilers if you're even further behind with this stuff than I am )

Basically, there was very little I didn't like about this mini-series and I'm sure I'll rewatch it sometime in the future.

As for the rest of MCU Phase 4 (and 5 by now?) I don't know how much I'll be diving into it. I have a vague interest in seeing the second Black Panther and the third Spider-man sometime, mostly because they're continuations from films I already enjoyed, but none of the stuff with the new characters really excites me at all, if I'm honest. Also, I couldn't get into Loki, and never even bothered with the latest Thor or Ant-Man. I don't know, they just don't appeal somehow, but maybe someday. Who knows?

So, lately I've been watching new DVDs that I got for Christmas, a couple of which are really not my usual thing, and yet they were so good.

Anybody seen Breathe or Gifted? I don't usually go for films that are all drama and almost guaranteed to make me cry, especially at this time of year, and yet, I'm so glad that I asked for both of these!

Breathe is the true story of Robin Cavendish who contracted polio in the 1950s and ended up paralysed from the neck down and had to have a ventilator breathe for him for the rest of his life. He wanted to die, not seeing the point in living forever in a hospital in such a state, but his wife wouldn't give up on him and wanted him to live to see their newborn son grow up. It's such an incredible story and both Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy were amazing in it. I was openly bawling by the end, but my goodness, it was a great film and a truly incredible true story. I highly recommend it, though it's not for the feint hearted if you're squeamish about blood, people with breathing difficulties, or can't handle stuff dealing with death and/or suicide.

Then there is Gifted, which I'll admit I mostly got interested in because it starred Chris Evans of Captain America fame. In Gifted, he plays the uncle of an amazingly intelligent six year old girl and the film deals with how you handle a kid that has the kind of brain that can do the most complicated mathematical problems and yet is still, at the end of the day, just a child. There was laughter and tears throughout, but all in all, I loved it and will definitely watch it again. For all the drama, it did at least have a happy ending :)

Actually, another one for this list is Dear Eleanor. Not as much of a tear-jerker and definitely a lot funnier than the other two films I've mentioned, but it had heart. It's about two teenage girls in the early 60s driving cross country so one of them can meet Eleanor Roosevelt and it's quite the adventure. Thoroughly enjoyable, though there are moments of sadness and it does deal with death and grief as well, though most of the film is upbeat.

Now I'm done with the pile of new films, I've actually decided to head back into my boxsets. I realised in December, whilst scouting through all boxsets for festive episodes, that I don't think I've ever watched all of Lois & Clark Season 4 from beginning to end... apart from when it aired maybe? So, yeah, I've now dived into that and found I barely remember any of it at all... and mu goodness, wasn't it weird?! lol

I'm still working my way through the MCU collection, but that doesn't mean I'm not also watching other things too, and I've recently been trying to get around to watching all those films that 'everyone' has seen and I haven't. So, yesterday, I watched Die Hard. Yep, that's right, a 1988 classic and here I am in 2018 seeing it for the first time. To be honest, that kind of action thing is not really my style. I've seen the Lethal Weapon films, and they were okay, but I like the TV series a lot better. I'm more for character development, less for the violence and cursing, I guess, but I was just curious about Die Hard.

Honestly? It was fine. I didn't hate it. I head the F-bomb more times than I ever needed to in quick succession, but I guess if you were in that guy's predicament, you'd swear a lot, am I right? Um, it was all kinda nasty with the shootings and the blood and all, but at least now I understand the jokes, parodies, etc. that I've seen in other films and TV series over the years. I have to say, I wouldn't watch it again.

So, now I've done the Indiana Jones trilogy + the newer addition, The Magnificent Seven, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Die Hard, The Chronicles of Narnia films, and more. I think I might be reaching a point where I've seen all those classics (and others besides) that I'm supposed to see... or at least the ones I have any interest in at all!

If you have any thoughts on films you think everyone should watch, let me know. I may have seen them, I may have no wish to see them, but recs are always welcome for consideration :)