[deezilpum]

spoilers for wake up dead man!!

having wicks symbolise jesus, comparing himself to jesus in that big speech, implying that his father was god and that he was preparing to fall and rise again, having him be the one that was leading the flock, etc, and then actually have him 'rise' from the dead on the third day and 'die' again after having been betrayed by someone close to him - already fantastic, i was totally on board

having the plot twist be that samson, the one that was probably the most separated from wicks' church, the one who was said to truly love and care for others the most, the one willing to sacrifice for those he loved, the CARPENTER (who uses nails on good friday to essentially make his own coffin), actually ends up as the one rising from the dead on the third day to be killed by someone close to him - also fantastic

[deezilpum]

also now im thinking about the other sort of symbolism going on, like maybe Prentice as God, creating Eve (Grace) and Adam (Wicks). He holds Eve/Grace to an unreasonable standard and shames her for wanting the inheritance (Eve's apple), despite him being the one that literally told her to expect it and telling her everything she had to do to get it later on.

Wicks/Adam claiming he had to suffer because of Eve/Grace's greed and desire and sin even long after she's dead - even though he claims multiple times to have exactly the same desire for the inheritance/the apple. like he literally builds his whole church around how much he hates her and all the terrible things he thinks she did.

and then idk eventually the only way any of them can benefit from eating the apple is through jesus christ.

[a-library-ghost]

WAKE UP DEAD MAN SPOILERS SCROLL AWAY IF YOU HAVENT SEEN IT

the concept of the groundskeeper being mistaken for the resurrected leader in wake up dead man as an inverted reference to the actual bible where Mary mistakes Jesus for the gardner (Mary Magdalene turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus…supposing him to be the gardener.” John 20:14, 15)

Rian Johnson your mind is so powerful truly in awe wow

[bloodsoaked-rainbows]

“Your inheritance is in Christ” IT IS THO!!! ITS IN THE CRUCIFIX!! IT IS IN CHRIST!! HE’S NOT LYING HE’S JUST NOT TELLING THE LYING PART!!!

[deezilpum]

spoilers for wake up dead man!!

having wicks symbolise jesus, comparing himself to jesus in that big speech, implying that his father was god and that he was preparing to fall and rise again, having him be the one that was leading the flock, etc, and then actually have him 'rise' from the dead on the third day and 'die' again after having been betrayed by someone close to him - already fantastic, i was totally on board

having the plot twist be that samson, the one that was probably the most separated from wicks' church, the one who was said to truly love and care for others the most, the one willing to sacrifice for those he loved, the CARPENTER (who uses nails on good friday to essentially make his own coffin), actually ends up as the one rising from the dead on the third day to be killed by someone close to him - also fantastic

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

I'm obsessed with the decision to give Monsignor Wicks' mother the name "Grace".

Something she was never given in life and certainly not in death. We're introduced to her as the "Harlot Whore" and what we're told of her is through the eyes of someone who despises her and sees her only as a sinner. Her only presence in her son's life is the outline of where a cross once was, memorialising an untrue version of past events.

For all the years that Monsignor Wicks has been head priest of that church, that's all that has ever been of Grace. He built a church of hate on the bedrock of her shame and hate. Her memory is one of sin and temptation. Her legacy is a fairytale where she is the wicked mother and the wicked daughter. Her name is never uttered; she is simply the "Harlot Whore".

Her son does not know the truth about her until sixty years have passed and even then, he does not show her grace, instead only thinking of himself. He does not see her as the person she was; as the desperate woman trapped under the thumb of her controlling father and his church who is denied the escape she was promised. He doesn't think of her at all, he thinks instead, ironically, of how he himself can escape this church.

She is not given one ounce of grace until after her son dies, sixty years later. It's only when another woman, similarly trapped by Grace's controlling father and his church, confesses the truth that she is finally given the grace she has deserved for over sixty years. When the truth comes out and she is shown to be a person, however flawed, and not some caricature with only hate in her heart. And only then does Martha, the other woman, finally see that herself and show Grace grace.

And that's what the whole movie is about. Showing grace to one another, being kind and being caring and helping our fellow man.

The movie ends with Grace's presence and memory in the church being put to rest as Father Jud puts up a new cross, which so happens to have Eve's Apple hidden on it.

Though it's sixty years late, Father Jud makes sure to give Grace both her namesake and the key to the escape she was promised.

Man, these movies are fucking good.

[buellersfueller]

The fact that Father Wicks died because he was so consumed by the need to punish his daughter for her "sins" that he literally swallowed 'Eve's Apple' is maddening to me, literally named it for original sin but was so caught up in attaching that sin to femininity that he killed himself over it. Literally named his daughter Grace and never gave her a single spec of it. Literally ate the apple too. Literally.

[buellersfueller]

The Benoit Blanc mysteries are so enjoyable to watch, like these are Movies!! With characters, and sets, and scripts, and lighting, and themes, and plots, the whole shebang!! Not that other movies don't or that Hollywood is some monolith exclusively producing hot garbage except for these valorous exceptions, just that they feel so thoroughly and intentionally crafted and not for optimized market appeal but to create art and tell a story and think about the world and context from these movies have emerged, Movies!! in the most loving sense of the word

[ele0nline]

I 1000% agree. Its refreshing to see a movie series that isn't formulaic, that isn't based on a comic or book, thats just pure artistic vision crafted solely for the big screen. And seeing how these movies serve as a mirror against specific aspects of our modern world (Knives Out with the immigration, dinner party scene, Glass Onion in just about every scene tbh, and not Wake Up Dead Man with the told between Jud and Cy about using fear or Jud's confrontation with Wicks in their final confession). And and just getting to watch Johnson explore the intricacies of religion (the ugly and the beautiful, the corrupt and the healing) in a way that is poignant but not overwhelming.

And and and (last and I hope) what I saw with this movie is thst its not really about Blanc. We are watching Jud's story. He is driving the story, the audience is invested in his conflicts, not Blanc's. We are watching the story through his eyes. Glass Onion was predominantly Blanc's story, we are introduced to it all from his eyes and then we are split between him and Helen. Knives Out (the original) was Marta's story. Very rarely do we watch the mystery through Blanc's eyes despite these movies, on paper, being "his" movies. He is characterized by those around him and we learn about him through the eyes of others.

I dunno where I was going with any of this im tired and rambling I just love these movies (and wudm) so much.

[maid-of-the-golden-deer]

i genuinely dont think it was intentional, but making blanc a queer character adds Such an umami to him; like the reveal of phillip was totally just meant as a "pwn the conservatives" moment (one of the primary functions of these films, i think we're all aware, is rian johnson expressing his very slightly left of lib opinions and pwning conservative viewpoints) rather than a thoughtful choice to make blanc not straight

but irregardless it, to me, makes him just that bit more Flavorful, adds more context to his visible need to help the downtrodden get their dues, especially against people using the rigged system to their benefit. and in WUDM it gives his dislike of the church more substance than "reddity atheist" (i have No love for the church myself but a more nuanced viewpoint on why someone might feel that way is always more innteresting).

and metatextually, ive made this point before but agatha christies two best known detectives are both Disadvantaged Societially for their time period (poirot has a cane for many stories and is an Foreigner, and marple is elderly and a woman), and that is part of what makes the "Unassuming Detective" trope really hit, so making blanc an older queer man gives him that extra Oomph poirot and marple have

[therebelcaptain]

just went to see wake up dead man and rian johnson slipped in a joke referencing how all those conservative star wars dudebros like to think of themselves as the rebels and i think i laughed a little too hard for my own good. i just know they’re going to be pissed when they catch wind of it because they still can’t shut up about the last jedi all these years later and i’m not gonna lie… it made the joke so much funnier to me lmao

[junkyardghost]

As a total star wars fan who's favorite movie of the franchise is the last jedi, I loved this part.

To add on though, that wasn't even my first thought. My first thought was the ai generated image tweeted by the white house this past May 4th of trump as a "jedi," with a caption that calls the "radical left lunatics" the empire.

Setting aside the obvious, well-known issues with generative ai (a topic of conversation for another time), the tweet is simply asinine.

First, the ai generated trump with a red lightsaber. A lightsaber that is red, you know, the color associated with the sith, the dark side, the empire.

Second, saying the "radical left" is not "the Rebellion—[but] the Empire," is so ridiculous that I cannot find the words to express how ridiculous it is in this moment. Trump and his administration have torn families apart, put children in cages and bound them with zip ties. He has called for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. He has used the presidency to enrich himself. He has nominated abusers, sexual predators, eugenicists, white supremacists, etc., into positions of power; nominations which his cronies have then confirmed. He has taken away global aid that will result in the deaths of thousands, if not millions of people. And this brief list still falls too short of all he has done, of all the people he has harmed, of all the damage he has caused that will take decades of tireless work to undo.

What makes the joke in wake up dead man so good, so clever, is that like the character who said that line, those who have followed trump down this path, those that wear the red hats and drink the kool-aid, will never get the punchline. They will never understand that they are the ones wielding the red lightsabers. That they are the empire.

This joke will fly above their heads like a jedi doing a cunty little flip.

The White House Posts AI-Generated Image of Trump as a Buff Jedi: ‘Happy May the 4th to You All’

The official White House socials posted an AI-generated image of Donald Trump as a beefed-up Jedi in celebration of "Star Wars" day.

[serendipitous-posts]

oh, Wake Up Dead Man the messages you carry. "Religion is used to radicalize spread hate by preying on the vulnerable" and "religion can be used to uplift others by giving them a community and offering them acceptance and a second chance if they're willing to take it." and "it doesn't matter if your belief is no belief you should still love others" and "those puritanical women you see where raised in an environment where they were told to hate others and that they had to follow and serve a man for their entire lives"

[corvidcorgi]

With three movies to compare between, I really appreciate how each Knives Out movie explores justice from a different thematic angle, not based on the murder that was committed but based on the cruelty that led to that murder.

In Knives Out, a compassionate, ethical young woman treats everyone around her with generosity, and the people around her repeatedly try to take advantage of her kindness to force her into losing the fortune that was gifted to her by a dear friend. There, justice means that she keeps the fortune and decides that actually, she doesn't have to be kind and giving to people who've proven themselves assholes.

In Glass Onion, a woman loses her sister to a gang of wealthy, successful people who've sacrificed their principles for the sake of ambition and ego. There, justice means that everyone involved will be made notorious: whatever their other accomplishments, they will forever be known for being complicit in the burning of the most famous painting in history.

In Wake Up Dead Man, the church takes advantage of a young girl's loyalty and faith to place her under a lifelong burden and fill her with guilt, shame, and hatred. Justice means helping her understand what was done to her and the women around her, and giving her compassion so she can find peace.

This is cool because it means the movies contradict each other! The compassionate justice of Wake Up Dead Man would be totally misplaced in Knives Out, and so would the toppling-monuments justice of Glass Onion. And because each movie has something different to say, they all stand on their own and feel fresh.

This is also why Benoit Blanc is the uniting figure but never the protagonist of these movies. He's an agent of legal justice in that he's the detective and it's his job to figure out whodunnit, but the protagonist -- Marta, Andi and now Jud -- is always the character who delivers thematic justice.

[vulnerature]

Truly, truly, TRULY the movies of all time. I don't think I've watched better movies than these

[nenejosten]

nothing about thanksgiving is funny, except when neil looked at andrew for help on what to do when luther and the whole table started praying, and andrew wordlessly stared back, because he had the same question.

[risha-png]

Two cats resting.

[brainlice]

book 3, chapter 1

[inafieldofstarflowers]

outsider perspective of neil josten will never not be the funniest thing in the world to me like wdym this no-name, no-reputation kid was picked up by the most infamous d1 team in the league and proceeds to 1. insult one of the most famous college players on live tv, 2. claim his notoriously bad team is going to beat a team who has never lost, 3. spends christmas break with that team and comes back with red hair, blue eyes, and a face tat that’s basically the equivalent of that same famous player’s seal of approval, 4. says that the face tat is meaningless and insults the team & player to reporters, 5. gets kidnapped during a riot after a game, 6. comes back with a ton of injuries that are clearly from torture (including a burn mark where the face tat was, 7. be revealed as the son of an infamous serial killer (who’s dead now, btw), 8. play in a totally different position than normal during finals and actually succeed in both playing that position and winning the game against the undefeated team, 9. almost get murdered by the famous player on live tv for having the audacity to win like ??? honestly idk if it’s funnier to imagine all of this from a PSU fan’s perspective or from a fan of like, some team in the west who’s just watching all of this from a distance like “hahaha what the fuck is happening over there??”

[compostyourbones]

Had this idea…forgot how long the roast actually was, but i was too far in to stop. Proceeded to spend three days on it. Happy with how it turned out tho :)

also idk why it’s kinda blurry until you click on it?

"You know, I get it. Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you’re worth a damn off the court— yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time. I know it’s not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you’re physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don’t think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. Pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. So please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone." -Neil Josten, The Foxhole Court

[foxholecourt22]

Neil is so fucking funny, I feel like every read through I notice a new thing that he does that is just absolute comedy gold. I never fully processed the fact that he was lowkey being funny as fuck in Baltimore. He wakes up from being knocked out and sees Lola sitting backwards in a wooden chair, obviously trying to seem intimidating and fully expecting Neil to be frightened considering what she had done to him on the car ride there. But instead of showing any sign of fear, Neil (who fully believes he is going to die), looks at how badly Lola messed up his hands/arms and is like “uh these have to be cleaned?? Do you even know how infections work??” and when Lola reminds him that it literally doesn’t matter because he’s going to die, he just gets up off the ground and wanders over to the sink to wash them anyways. Like, he definitely believed her, he’s just like that. Then, best part of all, once he finishes washing his wounds out, he realizes that he can’t towel dry them (for obvious reasons) and literally turns back around to look at Lola and sticks his arms out in front of him to drip dry. Like Lola is just sitting there in her chair while Neil looks at her like