Not Quite Normal

My faves in case you need any recommendations. (Some of these are really not appropriate for children, so keep that in mind lol).

The Dark Crystal - 1982 - the Skeksis will give you nightmares. I am honestly very proud of the remake for being just as disturbing if not more so than the original.

Watership Down - 1978- NOT FOR CHILDREN - Jesus Christ why did so many of our parents show us this film at a formative age? It's all about trauma and death and displacement and there's literal blood and murder. Not a G Rated Film. Still, it's very good. Loads better than that CGI remake from a decade ago.

The Secret Of NIMH - 1982 - Incredible movie. Minor disturbing elements. Probably my favorite on the list. It's just a great adventure story with real world issues (animal experimentation, mental health problems, disabilities) and there's even a lovely romance. Highly recommend.

Legend - 1985- This film is just straight up disturbing. Yes, there's a lot of beautiful shots of unicorns and sexy, 20-something year old (insane Scientology wack job) Tom Cruise and gorgeous Mia Sara, but there's also torture, madness and literally the Devil (Tim Curry is the entire reason you should watch this film)

Labyrinth - 1986 - I only really have two words. David. Bowie. My 10 year old self found out about a lot of burgeoning kinks while watching that man prance around in eyeliner and a codpiece. It's a wonderful adventure as well - if you ignore the blatant romantic and sexual tension between Bowie and an underage Jennifer Connelly (none of us could)

The NeverEnding Story - 1984 - Lots of disturbing imagery in this one! The Nothing was fucking terrifying, and the creatures in this world seemed uniformly creepy, but still incredibly well done. Love the adventure of it.

The Princess Bride - 1987 - Not technically a kids film maybe? Lots of adult themes and adult jokes, but safe for kids imo. I adored it and still do. Incredible performances by Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin. R.O.U.S, Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya! (need I say more?)

The Last Unicorn - 1982 - A beautiful film with stunning representations of innocence, good and evil. Just gorgeous really. I should rewatch it as it's been 20 years or so.

Willow - 1988 - For all the lightheartedness of this movie, it starts off pretty dark; there’s at least two deaths in the first few minutes, and the trolls were pretty scary when I was little. Still, you’ve got Val Kilmer playing Discount Aragorn in this movie, which is fun, and the title character is a wizard played by Warwick Davis who’s tasked with escorting the chosen one (who is a baby) to the kingdom she’s destined to rule and protect her from the evil queen who wants her dead.

Ladyhawke - 1986 - the sad pining of the romantic leads does a lot of the heavy lifting in this movie, as Matthew Broderick’s comedic character is entertaining but not especially engaging. Still, the quiet sadness of the lovers is really strong, as they’re together but not together, cursed by a romantic rival who couldn’t stomach rejection.

Krull - 1983 - this movie is more of a planetary romance rather than a straight fantasy, what with the evil castle being a spaceship that touches down as the world’s most obvious bad omen, but it’s very fun anyway. You’ve got a princess kidnapped from her wedding at lasergunpoint, and her prince going on a quest to rescue her with the help of thieves, warriors, a basically wizard, and a cyborg.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - 1984 - this one’s also got some sci-fi flair, thanks to the post-apocalyptic origins of this world, but the title character is a princess with an affinity for nature who just wants everyone she cares about to be safe. Threats to her people’s safety include a warmongering enemy kingdom, dangerous wildlife, remnants of the ancient weapons that nearly destroyed the world, and the toxic jungle that’s slowly spreading across the land.

“people who can afford homes —“ are typically 400-600k in debt for them. also if “can own your own home” is your threshold for the rich you are contemplating eating, i think you are genuinely stupid

Carb starts your engine, protein keeps it going.

Cookie

Fruit (canned or fresh)

Chips

Piece of bread

Popcorn

Crackers

Easy protein add on:

Nuts

Spoonful of nut butter

Cheese

Roasted chickpea snacks

Glass of milk (dairy or non dairy)

“I sent him this reply: ‘Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.’” — Nehemiah 6:8 (NIV)

“Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?” — Job 38:2 (NIV)

The Silly Songs with Larry from that movie is an Elvis parody that sets up the line “You’re no elf! You’re an Elvish impersonator!”

So many BookTok or other social media book darlings are generic as hell, populated with cardboard cutouts instead of characters who are aping the motions of stories instead of really experiencing them. Even the people marketing them can’t think of anything to say beyond things like “the steamy enemies to lovers romantasy of our dreams” or “the cozy slice of life slowburn we’ve been waiting for”. There’s basically no care for the story on its own terms, just what boxes it ticks and which labels can be slapped on it for easy consumption.

Aquaman and Aqualad: *swim there*

Flash and Kid Flash: *run there*

Batman and Robin:

I know we all say “not all men”—because it’s really is not all men—but how would you feel if you saw a “women bad” or “women should die” post made by a man and then he said “well it’s not All Women so if you’re not xyz then this post isn’t about You”?

So I don’t know. I think instead of a vague “men bad” or “men should die” post and “well if you’re a good man then this post isn’t about you” we should call out specific harmful behaviors without grouping All Men together and expecting good men to 1.) know this post isn’t about them 2.) not feel Bad about / unsafe for being a man whose only crime is being a man.

i started really loving superman from the new movie and recently finished all star superman and from there read superman for all seasons and batman: year one. i’m currently simultaneously reading batman and robin year one and am almost done with the compact for leaping into the light bc im interested in learning more about the bat fam and i figured getting some background for past and current dick was a good starting place?

Absolute Wonder Woman. It’s part of the Absolute universe, which was designed as a jumping on point for new fans, but I especially recommend it because of how true it is to the character. There’s been a lot of comics lately that really mischaracterize Diana (Injustice being perhaps the most egregious), and the Absolute comics are very true to the real core of who she is, and they’ve made me fall back in love with Wonder Woman.

Batman: The Long Halloween. It continues the story of Batman: Year One (which is also excellent), and it explores the shift in Gotham from the more traditional organized crime of Carmine Falcone and the mob to the costumed craziness of supervillains. The basic premise of the story has been adapted into many of the Batman film adaptations like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Batman.

What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?, or as its movie adaptation is called, Superman vs The Elite. Like Absolute Wonder Woman, this is a comic that really gets across the heart of its main character, as Superman opposes the much more violent methods of a group of vigilantes. On top of being a thoughtful entry into the real-world conversation being had at the time it was published (which is still relevant) about violence in comics, it’s a perfect example of why some of Superman’s most memorable villains are the ones who can’t challenge him physically, but challenge him mentally and emotionally.

Superman: Speeding Bullets. I’ve always had a fondness for the Elseworlds comics, and this is one of my favorites. It’s fun to explore different possibilities within the DC universe, and this one takes a pretty simple idea and builds an interesting story out of it. I know some people were a little unimpressed by how this one ended, but I thought it was exactly the kind of finish a concept like this should have. It’s a simple but fun what if story idea executed well, and I especially enjoyed it.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. Bruce and Clark have one of my favorite friendships in all of fiction, and this comic is one of the best at showing the rapport they have. They’re different people, but they know and trust each other, and when they team up there’s nothing they can’t handle. You’ve also got Lex Luthor doing what he does best, opposing Superman with his wits rather than his strength.

DC: The New Frontier. A love letter to the Gold and Silver ages of DC comics, if you enjoyed Superman 2025 or The Incredibles, I think you’ll like this one. It leans into the sci-fi zaniness of the eras it’s referencing, while also telling an interesting and thoughtful story about people trying to do the right thing in an increasingly complicated world.