hi! im tori and welcome to my interactive fiction blog 💗
GRIFFIN REIGN I LOVE YOU. (seven lawless standing off to the side in the background)
ifs i've played: apt. 502, body count, can't save your love from dying, chop shop, college tennis: origin story, fallen hero, infamous, merry crisis, press play, scapegoated, a tale of crowns, the wayhaven chronicles, when twilight strikes
(disclaimer: i'm basing this list off of films i personally have watched and loved. my taste skews older so if you aren't a fan of black and white movies then this won't be the post for you, sorry -- but if you're open minded please consider adding these to your watchlist! i do not think that the ro's are the main characters or the story directly reflects their own in every case.. especially with victoria in this case. in a lot of these cases, it's inspiration or resonance!)
O QUINN
Ball of Fire (1941)
The dynamic between the two romantic leads are just so perfectly O Quinn’s tastes to me. The male lead, Bertram Potts, is part of a team of academics tasked to create an encyclopedia, with his specialty being Language. In realizing that their research isn’t emblematic of the time, he goes to a nightclub and discovers a sweet talking performer named Sugarpuss O’Shea (literally the best stage name of all time) who’s up to date on the latest lingo. So, they collaborate and she sweeps him off his feet with her quick wit and flirty personality (unknowingly pursuing a girlfriend of a mob boss). Think about wooing O Quinn and it’ll all make sense!
All That Heaven Allows (1955)
For me, this is the most O Quinn romance of the bunch. Following a widower, Cary, who’s trying to rebuild her life alone, she’s pressured by her suburban community (and adult children) to follow the socially acceptable rules of grieving — wearing black, appearing solemn, mourning at all times. When she meets the son of her gardener, Ron, a handsome man in a different age group and social class than her, they have an instant connection, albeit a taboo one. Cary lets the outside influences win, until she doesn’t. I think O Quinn would resonate with the social pressure — and find it to be a positive influence.
Marty (1955)
I believe the main character, Marty, would heavily resonate with O Quinn. He’s consistently badgered by his family to get married, since he’s 34 and still single. His friends are still bachelors stuck in a loop of partying and going on dates with women they’ll never commit to, something he doesn’t understand. When he takes the chance to go out on a Friday night, he meets Clara, and there’s an instant connection, but everyone in his life tries to convince him to leave her alone. The way in which Marty defies the influences around him and chooses his own happiness is something that I think would inspire O Quinn in his own life.
The Swimmer (1968)
A more heartbreaking choice, but I wholeheartedly believe that O Quinn could see themselves in this film. It’s a surrealist drama that follows a man named Ned who decides that he wants to swim in every pool he crosses on the 8 mile voyage back home. While on this journey, he’s confronted with his past and by the time he makes it home, so much time has passed that his life isn’t the same anymore. I chose this one more because of the feelings that it evokes than concrete plot points!
G REIGN
The Red Shoes (1948)
An aspiring ballerina is picked for the role of a lifetime and is subsequently torn between dance and love. She’s warned to never allow love to get in the way of her career or she’d never reach her full potential. The men on either side of both love and career play tug-of-war with her and push her to a breaking point. With all the movies I chose, I can see G initially laughing it off but being deeply haunted afterward.
A Face In The Crowd (1957)
A classic story of the meteoric rise to fame and the inevitable downfall of Lonesome Rhodes, a seedy local plucked from a drunk tank in Arkansas. Like all of the films I chose for G, I think that they’re more of a cautionary tale or a warning for them than something they’d fully resonate with.
The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981)
This film follows the scripted forbidden love between the main characters (Sarah and Charles), and the illicit affair offscreen between the two leads (Anna and Mike). It flips between the period piece and the modern set romance, juxtaposing the chemistry the actors have both on and off screen. It’s not the same as a competition show, but there’s potential overlap with the persona both G and the MC (could possibly) have — and the obvious offscreen affair.
Velvet Goldmine (1998)
When I started this project, this was the first film I chose for G, because it is quintessential G Reign to me. A reporter and a former fan tracks down a glam rock star that had faked his death a decade earlier and been outed as a fraud. I don’t want to say too much more because so much of my reasoning is based on vibes so watch it if you’re curious!
VICTORIA VALENTINE
(with vic it was a bit harder to pick films because a lot of the choices inadvertently became a “she would watch this and study it to hone her craft” rather than “this movie represents her” so.. most of these choices are somewhere in the middle of both!)
The Women (1939)
This film was considered progressive for the time, as no men are pictured on screen, but the cast does frequently discuss relationships with men. The main character, Mary, finds out that her husband is having an affair with a salesgirl named Crystal. She plans to divorce him but (spoiler) goes back to him. My description isn’t helping sell it, but I promise the humor, the cattiness, and the slapstick makes it worth it!
The Bad and The Beautiful (1952)
A movie star, director, and writer are called on by the movie producer who they owe their success to. The movie producer, Johnathan Shields, is at rock bottom and is trying to gather his only remaining resources to make his next project a hit — and get him back in good graces with both Hollywood and the public. The film tells each of their stories with Shields and how he built them up and discarded them. This one is pretty self explanatory if you think of G Reign’s relationship with Viktor White!
Opening Night (1977)
I’m biased but I think Gena Rowlands is one of the greatest actresses to have ever lived. I headcanon that Victoria is a massive fan of her and studies Cassavetes films any time she needs inspiration! In this film, actress Myrtle is preparing for her upcoming stage play debut. Her car strikes and kills a fan days before opening night, and it causes her to spiral, both out of control and further into her alcoholism. I don’t think it would be far fetched to say that this resonates with Victoria the more famous she gets, but first and foremost she’d be enamored by her performance as Myrtle.
One From The Heart (1981)
A Vegas couple celebrates their fifth anniversary and have an explosive fight before leaving to celebrate the holiday on their own. They both are swept up in whirlwind romances that night (they ultimately find their way back to each other). I don’t think this is necessarily inspirational or reflects Victoria’s situation, but to me she’s a romantic, and that’s what’s at the heart of this film (despite how much I detest the ending). The romance is extremely romantic and the real parts are extremely real, which screams Victoria to me!
(if you've read this far thank you so much ily <3 i will be posting part two as soon as i can but it may take a while!)
the "my favorite character did nothing wrong" mindset is completely unappealing to me because i love thinking about all the things my favorite characters did wrong
