Connor Thiessen
Stories (5/0)
What Can Superhero Movies Learn from ATLA & TLOK?
With the recent addition of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse to Netflix and having begun a rewatch of The Legend of Korra, I found myself noticing a large number of plot parallels between the acclaimed Avatar series and many of the superhero movies that have come out in the past decade or two. Some are more obvious, as both pertain to individuals of superhuman ability (most of the time), with the plot centred around their development as people with great power, and thus, great responsibility. But after diving deeper into this comparison, its applicability only increases. Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, having remained free of many of the pitfalls that befall highly focus-group-tested films like those in the Marvel and DC cinematic universes, managed to tell stories that would feel fresh, although not necessarily unfamiliar in the same company as Marvel and DC. By addressing a few of the familiar tropes in modern superhero movies that also show up in ATLA and TLOK, perhaps we can find some new life in a genre many have turned their noses up at. For the sake of accessibility, the phrase “superhero movies” will mainly refer to the Marvel and DC cinematic universes, as well as the X-Men films and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse.
By Connor Thiessen3 years ago in Geeks
"Reimagining" Fandoms as Cults
If you spend much of your time discussing pop culture on Twitter or, God forbid, Tumblr, chances are you’ve encountered one or two toxic fandoms in your day. Maybe you’ve been exploring forums about a long-running series you’ve grown a new interest in, only to be met with aggressively-unnecessary gatekeeping. Perhaps you’ve been perplexed by a fandom’s idolization of a possibly-problematic celebrity. Maybe you’ve just been creeped out/taken aback by the intensity with which discourse about said media is discussed. In any case, at some point, you’ve come to notice the cultish characteristics that many fandoms have taken on, in a world of identities entirely invested in two or three movies or television series, outdated philosophies perpetuated by the sheer force of nostalgia, and misplaced desires for a sense of both community and individuality. In that spirit, I thought it’d be fun to imagine how some of these fandoms would actually operate as full-fledged cults.
By Connor Thiessen3 years ago in Geeks
Investigation: Where Are You? I Think I See You
Hey, I just got here. Are you inside? Oh, I think I can see you over there. Can you see me? I’m the one waving. Wait, no, not the guy over there who’s waving. That’s an annoying coincidence. Okay, do you see the red minivan? No, not the one directly to the left of you. Bad example, I guess. Yes, I can see you plain as day, I’m staring right at you. I’m wearing the Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt you got me. I guess that doesn’t help much, we’re in Seattle.
By Connor Thiessen3 years ago in Humans
Interview: I Really Couldn’t Take Another Bite
“No, really, I’m stuffed.” Last week, we were able to sit down with Michelle Bunkton, who’d finished her dinner mere seconds before we’d offered dessert. The following interview was held in discussion about her feelings and concerns regarding said dessert, concerning her past experiences of having eaten her fill.
By Connor Thiessen3 years ago in Feast
What You Need for Online Theatre
The above quote from one of my theatre professors has stuck with me past graduation, and seems to increase in relevance as time goes on. It is particularly potent right now, as the performing arts have been forced to awkwardly reposition themselves in a world where people can not gather in large groups into the same room, if in the same building at all. There are adjacent prophecies regarding the “death of the film industry”, and while one cannot deny that the arts have taken a massive hit that we will be recovering from for years to come, I refuse to believe that logistical circumstances like a lockdown will eradicate live theatre entirely. This is, in fact, simply a chapter where theatre must once again adjust its available spaces and media as has been done in the past, like renovating a French tennis court, to accommodate for what we must.
By Connor Thiessen3 years ago in Geeks