Death Note: A Netflix Nightmare

  So Death Note got a Netflix original movie... uggghhhhhhhoercfiun2riofnouw1kkkd1eok

  Right, here's the thing, okay? As it stands, I went in with really low expectations. I'll happily admit it. And no, it wasn't because L is a black gentleman or that Light's last name was Turner... fucking Turner! I get it, I totally understand. Actually I don't, but that's besides the point. What exactly was the point of this? Because it's completely lost on me. So much was changed for no reason and much of it remains unexplained. Newcomers won't have a bloody clue what's even going on half the time.

  Was it necessary to change the workings and rules of the Death Note? Not really. Did it over-convolute the whole plot? Oh god yeah. Was it just me that was yelling at my Television screen because Light didn't just burn the page with his name in it as soon as he got it? He was running around with it the whole build up to the Ferris wheel scene just so he could supposedly test whether Mia would choose him, which was a complete waste of time because she betrayed him anyway. Which she would never have done originally. Her character adored light obsessively throughout the manga, the anime and the two Japanese films.

  Talking of the Ferris wheel scene, I just... I have no words.

  What on earth possessed them to play I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love, swiftly followed by Power of Love, (not even the Jennifer Rush version because she probably wanted nothing to do with this trainwreck), when Light is explaining the final arc to his dad, which was only necessary because nobody had a fucking clue what was happening?! I'm almost certain the intention wasn't to have their audience in fits of laughter, but that's what it got from me while my dad sat behind me utterly confused.

  Now L, let's talk about L, one of the only redeeming factors of this entire thing. Other than a few gripes, like the fact he wore white in only one scene, or that he sat incorrectly most of the time, or even that he was happy to go outside rather than using his laptop and a signature voice changer... yes, other than all of that. Keith Stanfield's performance was probably as close to the source material as any of this was capable of being. His accent was clearly well practiced and L's signature vocal ticks were there - he was believable for the most part. I feel like he could've done so much more if the writing had been better. The diner scene was the one that made me point and say, "look, he's finally sitting like L!" I was slightly disappointed that he was pushed to retaliate so easily when it's completely out of character for L to do so, but I'll give that one thing a pass.

  Ryuk was so shrouded in darkness the entire time that he was barely visible, and whether that was artists choice or laziness we'll never know. But luckily they went with the closest voice they'd get to the original with the wonderful, the legendary Willem Dafoe. Unfortunately he only really appeared when the plot needed explaining or emphasizing, and he wasn't as playful or sassy as he used to be. The centuries have finally gotten to him.

  Oh, Light, good ol' Light, how this adaption made me despise you. The first scene was Light being bullied, which was a trope more than likely only used so they could exploit how angsty they made him. His first kill was decapitation for god sake. How angry does a kid need to be? Happy family? Nah, his mum's dead now so he wants to avenge her or something. Y'know, like every character that needs a reason to get back at the world. That was the entire point of Light, he wasn't trying to spite the world, he was trying to purify it. He has a god complex that you're supposed to learn to hate. Emo McEdgelord can suck it.

  I didn't want this post to be as long as it is, but it's almost midnight right now and I'm tired and annoyed. In conclusion, from an OG fan point of view, this movie was a mess. Not a homage, but a massive steaming dump on the one fandom whose fans haven't made me hate it to it's very core. From a newcomer's prerogative, I dunno, I guess it's okay. My dad liked it, or what he understood of it anyway. Consider it like a crappy horror movie; you watch it because it's funny to laugh at, not because it's good. I feel like if we compare it to Vampires Suck or Meet The Spartans, it could be seen as slightly less abysmal. 

Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience.
29/08/2017

Meta Movies

  Would you like to improve your quality of life? Chances are you're looking in the wrong place if you're reading this. What do I look like, a bloody doctor? Go see your GP if that's what you're after. I deeply, though very insincerely, apologize for any confusion I may have caused you. Perhaps your brain was already addled with issues and I have made it umpteen times worse. Oh goodness, now I'm positively guilt ridden. How can I make it better? In what way can I rectify this truly inexcusable thing that I've done?

  I'm... I'm so sorry. There, did that help at all? No? What do you mean no?! One moment...

  *Shuffles papers*

  Ah! Here we go! *Clears throat* How about a one way ticket to... no, no that won't do. *Sigh* I suppose there's just one thing for it. Here's a list of my top recommended movies in order of the year of their release. I'm a sucker for a good organised list.

• Jaws - 1975
• The Boondock Saints - 1999
• Treasure Planet - 2002
• Saw - 2004
• Inside I'm Dancing/Rory O'Shea Was Here - 2004
• Hellboy - 2004
• Wild Hogs - 2007
• Avatar - 2009
• Warrior - 2011
• Arthur - 2011
• The Mule/The Smuggler - 2014
• The Conjuring 2 - 2016

  
  Obviously these are my choices and really that holds no weight for you, but these are a handful of films I not only adore, but have watched on so many different occasion with so many different people. Whether you're a movie goer or not, it's certainly safe to say it's a medium that brings people closer.

Signed,

Elijah.

Meta Sentience.

25/08/2017

Mob Mentality

  The internet is a breeding ground for sadistic individuals. That might be a far cry, or so you might think, but what other platform is there that gives you the ability to target people from the comfort of your own home with almost zero repercussions? Anonymity depersonalizes the bullying, therefore bullies don't get to see how their actions can impact another person.

  I'm not going to sit here and pretend I'm the pope, and say I've never said anything against anyone. Of course I have, everybody has. But I most certainly don't do that now, and do my utmost to stay out of drama and away from anywhere it could potentially occur. I think when we talk about people we forget how easy it is to say something derogatory, and that's why we need to be careful online.

  Large groups taking sides can cause mob mentality and a giant circle jerk of people accusing and harassing others. The issue here is that nobody takes responsibility for their own actions, and if there's a way to plant the blame elsewhere that route will be taken. This in a way is a tie in to my last post about YouTube and the reasons it's become so toxic. Mob mentality is one of those reasons.

  Basically, be careful online. It's so easy to scroll down to the comments section and leave a life impacting comment just because you can. It's so easy to take a private photo and post it for a community to see, and for them to leave obnoxious, nasty comments. There are no immediate consequences on the internet. That is the very reason so many people get hurt, and that's exactly what we all are - people.

Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience.
22/08/2017

It Was Called YOU-Tube For A Reason

  YouTube is an amazing platform. It gives anybody of any age the opportunity to make new beginnings for themselves. Unfortunately the coin has two sides. Sites like these are so anal about the money they're making, they lose sight of their creators. There wouldn't be YouTube without content creators, and over-regulating the system is jeopardizing what they built and what it was originally intended for.

  Yes, I said anal. Stop laughing. Stop laughing. Stop it.

  Despite the over-saturated correction of the site, creators with the intention of targeting are the ones getting the recognition that they don't rightly deserve. With drama channels hosted by malevolent garden gnomes, 'prank' channels that make you cringe more than laugh, and let's not forget the teenage celebrities dropping diss-tracks to rack up views; is it any wonder YouTube has become the putrid beast it is today? The damage control needed right now is off the fucking charts.

  One set of creators in particular seems to be YouTube's latest victims. Though it's not that new really, it's been going on for months and is just gaining more traction. Isn't it a shame that people feel the need to speak up once a situation reaches it's breaking point?

  The commentary community, those that offer unique perspectives on news and trending topics as they happen, have been hit the hardest. Some individuals have undeservedly lost more than half of their ad revenue despite having previously done so much for the site. To name a couple, Pyrocynical brought light to child pornography and exploitation happening in the darker reaches of YouTube and had the videos removed. An interview conducted by ImAllexx assisted a mother in relieving her children from the abusive family they were with. Now the kids are happy and where they should be. Yet despite these factors, ImAllexx, MrRepzion, Birdman, Bobby Burns and Andy Warski are just a few that've had their videos completely demonetised. 

  Good to know that YouTube lets that shit pass by while punishing it's creators for no accountable reason. Clearly, we as creators have the power to influence generations ahead of us, and that positive intent is being quashed by what I can only assume is the corporate ladder. YouTube is meant to support the people that make and have made the site what it is, not amplify their fear by taking away their livelihood and main source of income.

  I hope there is some kind of resolve to the current situation, I really do. It would crush me if the people I admire were unable to continue making their videos for the enjoyment of themselves and their audience. Not only because I find solace in the content, but because it's heartbreaking to watch people struggle to continue doing what they love.

Signed,

Elijah.

Meta Sentience.

18/08/2017

  

Meta Updates

  Today's post is a little rushed and I'm not entirely sure what to talk about, so we'll just go with a couple updates for now. I can't come up with hilarious anecdotes and uncensored comedy all the time, you know.

  So the convention last weekend was fantastic. Great vibes, great cosplays, and we met up with our favourite artist running a stall and bought some more of his work. Our Doctor Who group was well received on the Saturday, and on the Sunday I spent my time rolling around the convention hall in my Tobuscus cosplay. Heelys and all. The latter was certainly the better day.

  As for my writing, what I hope will become a book now has a title. 'Despondence'. The book is about mental health and the title means; 'to overcome depression or a depressive state with hope and courage'. The screenplay I began working on a while back is also based around mental health issues and struggling to function in an extremely social environment, so it seems I have some kind of theme going. I'm okay with that. It seems I'm best at writing for domestic situations.

  In other news, more internet drama has been happening as usual. Clearly they didn't read my post on avoiding that. Word to the wise, if you're going to make an indirect, don't drop yourself in it. Keep your indirect's just that.

  I apologise for not having much to talk about today other than what's been going on. Hopefully on Friday I'll have something a little more enthralling for you all. 

  See you Friday, you beautiful bastards!

  ... Meta, you are not Phillip DeFranco... stop that.

Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience.
15/08/2017

When I Con Around

  It's that time in the year again, cosplayers swarming to their local arenas turned convention centres for a chance to wear their new costumes out. At least, that's the case for me. I know a lot of people that go to be geeky with a group of friends for the weekend, or just to buy some cool merch. See, merch, I can be down with the youths.

  For me, it's hard to top the feeling of excitement fueled stress that builds over the week running up. Then you wake up on con day, realise it's five in the morning, you're tired and regret all the choices you've made up to that point. Usually I have to wake up extremely early to be painted for cosplays such as Gladiolus Amicitia from Final Fantasy XV or Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez from Bleach despite knowing the paint's only going to smudge or rub off anyway.

  I know it can't just be me that can't wait to debut a new cosplay, until it becomes scoldingly obvious that you've chosen the wrong cosplay for the wrong season. Leather? In summer?! Are you downright insane? Perhaps problematically masochistic? 

  And of course there's the part of the community, usually younger, running around screaming 'kawaii desu doki doki!!' having just discovered anime for the first time. We can't berate them, they're living life and having fun before they grow up and realise there's bills to pay. That's annoying, too, realising you have to put bills before cosplay expenses. In retrospect, if you're wanting to go the whole hog, cosplay is a wallet draining hobby. Cosplay pieces, convention tickets, fuel money, hotels if you're not close enough to the venue...

  But don't let that deter you! There's nothing more fun than seeing a Decepticon wave it's metal claws above it's head whilst wiggling to caramelldansen, nor is there anything better than duelling Spider-Man with the gigantic Final Fantasy sword you probably made from cardboard and paper mâché.

Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience.
11/08/2017

Overtly Covert

  A long time ago when me and my dad were watching Clue, a 1985 'whodunit' film where everybody involved is the suspect of a murder, my dad offered a life changing, future movie spoiling piece of advice. I warn you, if you want movie suspense retained for the future click away now; the character least on screen is usually the one to be mindful of. Ever since that moment, I've usually been able to figure out who the perpetrator is because the trope is used so often. I'll use a couple of my favourite movies as examples.


  The Bone Collector, 1999. A film based on the Lincoln Rhyme book franchise. A bed-bound, quadriplegic detective is attempting to solve a series of murders conducted throughout the city. You see the culprit maybe twice before he is revealed as the film leads you here, there and everywhere. But as an extra spicy twist it turns out to be the seemingly unimportant character implied as the closest to Rhyme. The ending is extremely satisfying. *Winky face* 

  
Saw, 2004. Two men wake to find themselves chained to pipework in a decaying bathroom. One is ordered to kill the other, or his family will die. Not only was concept used, but it was flipped completely. Two characters - the first seen only once until the second half and the other in plain sight in the main environment the entire film, unmoving and casting no presence at all. When he eventually makes himself known, the twist is so large that you sit through the credits still on the edge of your seat in complete shock.


  The Smuggler, (The Mule outside of Europe), 2014. A man coerced into smuggling drugs in his stomach back to Australia from Thailand, finds himself locked in a hotel room for two weeks unable to use the toilet. My dad actually figured out the main twist in this movie, and finds a reason to bring it up whenever the film is mentioned. But the part I'm honing in on is the manipulation used to make the audience believe one character is guilty, when it's the other. The good cop, bad cop routine is employed and honestly, it's easy to spot on a second viewing. But because the acting from everybody is so believable, the tropes pass by and are barely detectable.

  I can't list the amount of times this is used in media, but I love the trope as a talking point. I tried to keep spoilers to a minimum but you should've seen these films by now anyway. If not, then that should be your next port of call.

Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience
08/08/2017

00:12

  It's currently twelve minutes past twelve in the morning and I'm laid in bed writing this because I couldn't properly focus on the Pyrocynical video I was trying to watch. My mind will not switch off. That's what this god forsaken blog has done to me. It's forcing me to be productive when I would usually watch memes of Tobey Maguire screaming about the new Spider-Man movie until I finally left the conscious world for the void I visit every night.

  What makes it worse is I'm writing it horizontally on my phone just so I can get it done. This keyboard is so awkward my forearms are burning and the webbing of my hands is chafed raw. Did I say webbing? I meant, um, the creases in my fingers. Yes, that's it. I am in no way some kind of reptilian overlord that burrowed from deep underground to continue with their terrible enigmas up top.

  I'm taking you all down.

  I'm kidding! HahahahahahahaHaHAHAHAHAHA!!!

  I know what you're thinking. 'Go to sleep Meta! You're not yourself when you're tired!' But unfortunately, it is because of you that I'm even writing this. Typing so rapidly that there is smoke currently billowing from my screen. I must admit, I don't feel as guilty as I did when I started the post - no, now I'm just mildly delirious. I'm blaming you for this. This whole thing is probably riddled with mistakes because I'm so tired. I just wanted to be with my memes but my claws are being forced. HANDS! I meant hands.

Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience.
04/08/2017

Advancement

  As difficult as writing can be, I find it comes a bit easier if I actually open up the word document. That might sound obvious, but remember that thing I said I started? Well, I've opened that file every single day since I started it, even when I really haven't felt like it. I'm only on the sixth page, but I haven't thrown it away yet. For me, that's a personal little goal I've managed to stick at. Even if I've only written a paragraph, I got something down. I think that could be the main thing that's kept me going. Actually forcing myself to go ahead and take that step.

  It's impossible to predict what tiny, (or huge), thing that happens during your day could drive you to create. I find it's best to note things down as needed, just in case. The other day I had a banging idea before I fell asleep, and now I've no idea what it was. That's frustrating in itself, Especially if it was something that could've moved the story along easier. When I'm writing, I have a hard time filling the gaps. I don't want to feel like I'm rambling about a character devouring his toast like a monster chewing and consuming children in it's foul smelling maw. So tantalized is he by said toast that his canines are dripping, and he remains a slobbering mess. See what I mean?

  I don't want to be stuck as a short story writer, I need to change something, I need to DO something. Yesterday I found almost three chapters of a project I basically threw away last year because I lost the spark with it. Reading it back, what I have isn't bad. The issue is it's 18 pages and I've no idea how to get it to where it needs to be. I've done this so many times that my recycle bin is actually named, 'important projects folder'.

  I need to push through this drought and break the mold, and I want you to do the same. Whatever you're struggling with, whether it's art, your job or life in general, you should keep pushing. You never know who you'll inspire. Hell, you might even help somebody like me.

  See you next time on When Will Meta Stop Pandering To His Audience?! (Probably never. Get out while you still can).

Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience.
01/08/2017