In The Mind Of: BoJack Horseman (SPOILERS)

It's never too late to be the person you want to be...

Life can be hard and just downright suck at times. Still, it's always imperative to take it slow and never lose sight of what makes it all worth while. No one has to learn that more than this horseman hybrid right here. To say BoJack is complicated is putting it ever so mildly. Growing up with two incredibly abusive parents, BoJack knew nothing but toxicity for most of his life and, in going through the trials and tribulations of life, let that fester into something truly ugly. While he had shown signs of being genuinely loving and trustworthy, especially before he got a real taste of the Hollywoo(d) lifestyle, BoJack gradually devolved into a bitter, selfish, backstabbing, self-destructive, narcissistic asshole who only valued people as objects that would fill his constant need for validation and the empty void he feels he has, never caring once about their feelings or how his actions would lead them to suffer. To put it simply, it's hard not to paint BoJack as a utter piece of shit, but really there is so much more to him than that. So. Much. More.

Deep down, he is a truly broken individual, plagued by years of trauma and self-loathing. What makes it so painful is that there really is a good person buried within that jerkass exterior, but for every thing that he does to better himself, all it takes for BoJack to relapse is to fall under the pressure that comes with real, genuine change. By the end of the series, he hits a rock bottom that sees him pay a hefty sum, but instead of letting it bury him, he now believes he can use the experience to truly change his life for the better. Only time will tell if that really can happen.

BoJack Horseman is quite possibly my favorite fictional character of all time. I don't think I've ever found myself connecting to a character the way I do with BoJack. I'm sure we all can relate to him in some way. Throughout the whole series, I really hoped, even prayed, for him to be the person I know he could be. While the answer to that wasn't so clear cut, I have a very (if slightly cautious) optimistic feeling that he can now finally find the peace he deserves. After all,

Sometimes life is a bitch, then you keep living...

And that's it for this post, guys! I hope you're all staying happy, healthy, and safe during these tumultuous and uncertain times we are currently living in. Just remember to always keep your head up. You guys will get through this. And as always, tune in for more posts coming your way :)

In The Mind Of: Arthur Fleck/The Joker (SPOILERS)

I used to think my life was a tragedy...but now I realize...it's a comedy...

Everyone has a bad day. Several in fact. It's a natural part of life in the end. But what happens when someone so broken experiences that one bad day that pushes them over the edge. Over his long career as a comic book supervillain, the Joker has shown us what that could look like...at least given what little we know about him. Each iteration gives at least some background on why he came to be the way he is, but none have ever come close to making us feel for him the way the 2019 version does. 

Arthur Fleck is a failed comedian with an ailing mother and a condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at the most inappropriate times. Throughout the movie, Arthur experiences hardship after hardship, each worse than the last. He loses his job, gets embarrassed on national television by his idol, and learns the extent of his traumatic childhood. Combine all this with his deteriorating mental health, and Arthur finds himself walking down a dark path. What is interesting about Joker is that even though he is probably the most sympathetic interpretation of the Joker to date, Arthur is not someone to root for. His actions are truly horrific and at the end of the day, he's still the Joker. He may have had it hard, but it does not excuse the carnage and chaos that his actions have caused. 

Arthur is a truly unique interpretation of one of my favorite characters in all of fictional media, brought to life by the vision of Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's powerhouse performance. With what the ending of Joker entailing and the news of a sequel being in development, it seems this isn't the last we'll see of him after all...

In The Mind Of: Pennywise The Dancing Clown/IT (SPOILERS)

Time to Float...

For every 27 years, something comes to Derry. Something strange, something dark, something...evil. It can't be explained, and there's no way to prove what it truly looks like. It doesn't even have a real name, simply being known as IT. This creature can take many forms, but its preferred host is that of a clown known simply as Pennywise. Under this guise, IT begins to actively seek out children (its favorite food source) to frighten and feed upon, which says a lot about its character. First, that it is a sentient being who revels in causing as much pain and suffering as it can, and secondly, that it ironically is a ginormous coward that can only function when its victims are afraid. If they fight back, IT can be destroyed, which almost is the case when a young group of children known as the Losers' Club decide to fight back. Narrowly escaping death, IT goes back into hibernation and decides to seek revenge on the Losers once it awakens, leaving several bodies in its wake (including that of fellow Loser Eddie Kaspbrak) before the combined might of the Losers in their adult prime come together to destroy IT for good. 

Pennywise/IT is for me one of, if the most, evil characters to ever grace the realm of fiction. It is as nightmarish as it is jovial, hilarious as it is sadistic. There is no shortage of horrors it can conjure up, and yet you'll find yourself laughing your head off at certain times because it is, at the end of the day, a clown after all. 

In The Mind Of: Sheriff Woody Pride (SPOILERS)

Reach for the Sky...

We all have that one toy that holds a special place in our heart, so much so that we even consider it a living person that we can call a friend. For me, it's my camel. For Andy Davis, it's a cowboy doll with a snake in his boot. For as long he can remember, Woody has always been Andy's best friend, and they would always do everything together. For that reason, there is nothing he wouldn't do for Andy, even if it's not always the best course of action. When a new toy by the name of Buzz Lightyear arrives and becomes Andy's new go-to plaything, Woody's jealously gets the better of him, which in turn alienates him from his friends and puts him and Buzz in danger. Here, though, is where both he and Buzz come to realizations about themselves that allow them to grow and become friends. Together, they escape certain doom and return to Andy as partners who will look out for each other and share Andy's love equally.

Over the course of the Toy Story series, Woody has been in several situations where he questions his purpose in life. On one hand, his sense of loyalty makes him feel obligated to making a child, be it Andy or Bonnie, happy. On the other, he also wants to live a life outside of obligation, one where he can truly live of his own accord. Ultimately, once he is reunited with his old flame, Bo Peep, Woody discovers the life he has always wanted, only that it comes at a cost. Because he chooses to follow his own path, he has to leave his old friends behind, including Buzz. 

Woody is the heart of the Toy Story series. It was he who kept everything and everyone together, and through him the other toys have been able to find their own sense of belonging in the world. Woody himself grows from the experiences he shares with others as they do from him. By the end, he now can truly live life of his own accord. To Infinity...

And Beyond...

In The Mind Of: Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen (SPOILERS)

We break the Wheel together...

Westeros is a cruel and unforgiving place filled with deception, betrayal, and murder. It was not where heroes would triumph over the villains and bring about everlasting peace. The fact of the matter is that nothing comes easy in this world. Despite all of this, there are still people out there who wish to do the right thing and make it a better place. Among them are Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, two people who have been outcasts in the past before eventually becoming two of the most influential and powerful people in Westeros. 

Both come from rather obscure places. Jon is the illegitimate son of Lord Eddard Stark who does not know the identity of his mother and feels out of place in the Stark family due to his status as a "bastard." Daenerys, meanwhile, is the daughter of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, whose tyrannical reign was ended during Robert's Rebellion. Born as soon as her family fled King's Landing, Dany never knew what life was like outside of where she and her brother Viserys were held up. Eventually, both Jon and Dany go on journeys of self discovery that shape them into the people they become. 

Joining the Night's Watch, Jon matures into a braver man who realizes that what he thought he wanted was far from what he needed, and it is through developing bonds with people like Sam and Ygritte that he starts to see that. Likewise, Dany is faced with several struggles that test her resolve and how far she is willing to go to get what she wants. Through the strength of her compassion and the advice of people like Jorah, she is able to check her worst impulses and become a fierce yet caring leader.

By the time these two meet, they both have reached high points in their lives. Jon has become King in the North and Dany has amassed an army large enough to take back the Iron Throne. It is here that tragedy strikes. Once she reaches Westeros, Dany is faced with overwhelming odds that see her lose a lot of what she cares about. Likewise, Jon is faced with the burden of being King, which brings responsibilities he has no desire of holding. In spite of this they manage to find allegiance with one another which soon blossoms into romance. Together, they work with everyone else to combat the greatest threat imaginable and manage to defeat it. However, what seals the final nail in the coffin is the truth of Jon being the son of Dany's late brother, Rhaegar Targaryen, and Lyanna Stark, thus making him Dany's nephew and the true heir to the Iron Throne. From here, their relationship takes a downward spiral and further complications cause Dany to give into her darker nature, which in turn forces Jon to make the ultimate sacrifice and take her life before she can bring ruin to a world she sought to save and protect.

In the end, Jon and Dany's story is not particularly happy, especially in Dany's case. Still, their actions led to the status quo being changed and the people of Westeros opting to elect who rules from now on. Ultimately, Westeros is far from where it could be, but there's a glimmer of hope that change is coming, so it was not a completely bitter end for the two of them either. Plus we got this :)

In The Mind Of: Tony Stark/Iron Man (SPOILERS)

I am Iron Man...

Back in 2008, a group of people got together to bring to the screen the story of a man who created a metal suit and used it to become a superhero. In their journey, they cast an actor who went through a myriad of troubles throughout his long career. With so much stacked against it, it seemed as though the story of Iron Man was doomed to fail. Fast Forward to 2019, and not only has Robert Downey Jr.'s career experienced a huge upswing, but that story of the rather obscure Marvel superhero started what may be one of the biggest movie franchises of the decade, if not all time. 

Throughout his tenure in the MCU, Tony Stark has experienced quite the journey. Starting off as an egotistical jackass who made a profit from selling weapons of mass destruction, it's when Tony ends up on the receiving end of being held captive and tortured that he realizes how truly corrupt business dealings have become, most of which on account of his longtime friend and associate, Obadiah Stane. As a result, he turns over a new leaf and dedicates himself to using his technology to help others, becoming the superhero known as Iron Man. 

Though Tony does gradually evolve into a better person because of his change of heart, he still remains a heavily flawed person, and it takes people like Pepper, Rhodey, and Steve Rogers to give him the reality check he needs. He experiences heavy hardships throughout this time as well, be it heavy bouts of PTSD, discovering the truth about how his parents die which in turn causes a massive rift between him and Steve, and a monumental defeat at the hands of the Mad Titan Thanos. 

Even when all the odds were stacked against him, Tony still managed to find peace amid all the chaos by starting a family with the woman he loved. It is here where he makes the ultimate sacrifice. Choosing to help reverse the damage done by the Snap so that every one can have their happy ending, there is only one way for things to truly go back to normal and stay that way: Tony's death. With the snap of his fingers, he finally puts an end to the nightmare that has plagued him so long, and with reassurance from Pepper, finally rests in peace knowing everything is going to be okay.

Tony Stark has had one of the most moving, compelling, and profound arcs I have ever seen in the realm of fiction. All of this was capped off by Robert Downey Jr.'s electrifying performance, proving that no one could ever play the role the way he did. As such, though his story ended on an absolutely perfect note, the MCU will never be the same without his presence every now and then. 

I love you 3000...

In The Mind Of: Hiccup and Toothless (SPOILERS)

It's you and me, Bud...

The best kinds of friendships last a lifetime and persevere against all obstacles. In the realm of fiction, there are many friendships that encapsulate this idea and no different from them is the bond shared between a boy and his dragon. In the world of Berk, vikings and dragons were constantly at odds with each other, fighting an endless war that would only end with one or the other dead. That all changed when Hiccup met Toothless, and together the two formed a friendship that brought the two worlds closer together instead of further apart. 

Hiccup and Toothless share a bond that is one of the purest and most genuine friendships I have seen in the realm of fiction. Their bond has not only affected each other, but those around them. As such, people like Stoick and Astrid are able to grow into better people because of them. Together, even if the odds are stacked against them, they still push through because nothing can stand in the way of their bond and their pursuit of everlasting peace between humans and dragons.

In The Mind Of: David Dunn/The Overseer, Kevin Wendell Crumb/The Horde, and Elijah Price/Mr. Glass (SPOILERS)

I'm just an ordinary man...

Let him show the world how powerful we can be...

They called me Mr. Glass...

There are two films that have left a significant impact on M. Night Shyamalan's career. Those films are Unbreakable (considered by many to be one of his best if not the best) and Split (which is considered to be his comeback after taking a nosedive in his career.) Now, with Glass, everything has come together. In this post of In The Mind Of, I'll be looking at not one, not two, but three characters, each of them from these three movies. To begin, let's talk about the hero of this tale:

David Dunn starts off as this man who is thrown into so many situations where after each event, a new question pops up for him. It all serves to reveal to him that he is more than he thought; that he is in truth a superhuman being. It takes a while for him to accept that fact and adjust to it, but once he does, it proves to be a very complete and fulfilling journey. He becomes the Overseer and works to protect those who need it, especially from people like the next two characters.

Kevin Wendell Crumb, A.K.A. The Horde, is a truly unique individual. Having lost his father in the train crash that helped Dunn discover who he was meant to be and victim to a horrifically abusive mother, Kevin developed a disorder known as D.I.D., in which he changes between 23 different personalities, with three of them, Hedwig, Patricia, and Dennis, asserting the most control. Eventually, he soon develops a 24th personality known as the Beast, which is essentially Kevin transformed into a superpowered, ravenous monster of a man who engages in cannibalizing young girls he considers "impure." Overall, what little of Kevin is trapped within his subconscious, yet there are still moments where it is clear that he is still there and not too far gone. 

Our final character, Elijah Price, is the most villainous of the three yet still suffers hardships and misfortunes that could easily garner anyone's sympathies. Having been born with a disease that makes his bones brittle and easy to break, and being an avid lover of comic books, Elijah has spent most of his life trying to find his purpose and prove he is not a mistake. It makes it all the more tragic, disturbing, and bizarrely heartwarming once he reveals to David that he was the one who caused the train derailment (and many other accidents that claimed many lives) after he helped the latter realize his potential as a superhero, thus finally finding his place in the world even if that means being a villain. 

David, Kevin, and Elijah are unique characters within their world and they affect everyone around them, even each other, in many ways. Sadly, their story doesn't end well for any of them, but they have managed to leave an impact that will change the world as they knew it. 

In The Mind Of: Rick Grimes (SPOILERS)

They're fucking with the wrong people...

With The Walking Dead's ninth season entering its midseason hiatus, I feel that now would be a good time to reflect on the show's former main character. For the past eight seasons, Rick was the centerpiece of the story; the one we were meant to follow as this show took us on a journey through his eyes. For those eight seasons, we watched a man grow from a young, idealistic sheriff into a more hardened, determined, and at times ruthless survivor. He became a man who would do whatever it takes to protect his family and his group, and even with that noble goal in mind, he was often tested on how far he'd go to make sure that was the case. His humanity began being put into question, and I was often questioning whether we were seeing our protagonist morph into a villain. At the end of the day, though, he was always able to bounce back from every hurdle he's faced and was ultimately able to make a new safe haven a reality for his people. 

By the end, Rick was someone who, while losing everything that defined his past (including his wife, son, and best friend,) was able to find new meaning in this dark and treacherous world. Andrew Lincoln brought a true humanity to the role and it's going to be hard to watch the show without him. That being said, he has survived his final episode, so while we may never see him return to the show, his story is far from over. 

In The Mind Of: Michael Myers (SPOILERS)

You can't kill the Boogeyman...

"I met him, fifteen years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding; and even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and the blackest eyes...the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply...evil." 

There is no better way to describe Michael Myers than those words quoted above. I am a big fan of horror movies, and my gateway into them was none other than the boogeyman himself. As I grew older, my fondness for him never changed, and I started to appreciate him for more reasons other than nostalgia. One thing that makes Michael stand out among the likes of Freddy, Jason, Chucky, and Leatherface is that we know next to nothing about him other than the fact that he is just some deranged man who killed his sister when he was only six years old. Naturally, this means he is lacking in any true character, but somehow, it makes him scarier. Sometimes less is more, and people fear what they can't understand.

Personally, Michael never really scared me, and the sequels did him no favors. However, the new re-sequel has actually come the closest to making me terrified of him, as he engages in insanely brutal acts of violence and shows no mercy to anyone, not even children! The movie made it clear that this was all Michael ever needed in order to be a truly terrifying character.

Overall, Michael is my favorite horror icon of all time. Though he is impossible to understand, there is no reason to. Michael is the Boogeyman, and he will live on to haunt the streets of Haddonfield every All Hallows' Eve.

In The Mind Of: Scar (SPOILERS)

Long Live The King...

Since my first Retro-Review was Disney's The Lion King, I felt it natural to have my first spotlight of In The Mind Of  be Scar, the main antagonist of the film who all at once is my favorite character from the film, my favorite Disney villain, and one of my all time favorite villains/characters in general. 

As I have mentioned in my Retro-Review, there is something about Scar that I find so intriguing and I became immediately invested in him as his actions drive the first half of the film. To elaborate further, it is easy to sympathize with Scar since he basically is an older version of young Simba, as all he has dreamed of being is king of the Pridelands, and now to see that taken away from him is quite unfortunate, to say the least. Of course, none of this is being said to downplay Scar's actions, which prove him to be one of the most downright vile and sinister villains Disney has ever devised. At heart, Scar is a petty, foul-tempered, entitled bastard with no love or loyalty to anyone but himself and who will outright crush all who oppose him. No better is this exemplified than when he murders Mufasa and tricks Simba into believing that he was responsible for it before exiling him and sending the Hyenas to kill him. From there, Scar takes a backseat in the movie and has faced criticism for losing his menace and credibility as a villain. In his defense, he only appears in one scene before the final battle, has already achieved his goals, and all of his whining and complaining is actually perfectly in-character for him seeing as all that being king did was show how utterly pathetic and self-serving he really is. By the end, Scar gets his much deserved comeuppance, but he sure gives Simba the fight of his life, so while he doesn't have much to do and is out of focus for much of the second half (which is one reason why I consider it to be the weakest part,) I don't see why there were any issues with Scar himself. 

Overall, Scar is a marvelous villain and a big part of why I love The Lion King so much. He was ambitious, sly, and perfectly capable of getting away with his schemes. Cap this all off with a slick character design, terrific voicework by Jeremy Irons, and a kickass villain song (which is sang superbly by Irons and Jim Cummings,) and Scar will be revered by me in a way other Disney villains haven't and I know he is one that will live on in infamy. LONG LIVE THE KING!