Author: grasshopper

A Very Stylish Geeky Sunday

Posted on by in Geeky Sunday, High Castle

Costumes, costumes, and more costumes! I am here for this. Before COVID, I was an avid purveyor of all things cosplay and even cosplayed incognito, so today’s prompt is something I have been looking forward to. 

15th November – Adorn

Last month we were talking about visual locations with Embellish, and this month Adorn brings us to costumes! Characters wear an assortment of outfits throughout fandoms and this week we’re talking all about costumes, fashion and more.

If you could steal any character’s wardrobe* which would it be?

I was just having this conversation with @ChelahFan on Twitter! Ever since I first watched The Man in the High Castle way back in 2015, I was mesmerized with Helen’s Smith’s beautiful wardrobe (it was just so classy that I wanted to look like her). I’ve been slowly phasing my wardrobe into a mixture of vintage (reproduction dresses), modern, and pinup. 

Dressing like her is a lot of work. You’ve got the retro dresses which require some clever ways to keep warm in the winter, and then there is the hair. Oh, the hair. It takes a lot of practice and patience to get it right because, without a vintage-do to go with the dress, it just doesn’t match the look. 

Then COVID-19 happened, and my hair is almost to my waist now (the longer your hair is, the harder it is to style like that), and since I’m working from home, there is no motivation to put all of that time and effort into it (I miss wearing my dresses!). 

What superhero’s costume do you love and which do you hate?

As much as I hate Stormfront from The Boys, I like the style of her costume. I’d make a few changes, of course. I’d ditch the earrings and change the belt. Her costume is practical (with the exception of no pockets), and I just adore the way her cape drapes down her back.

Before I get into one I hate, I need to delve into a pet peeve of mine! It irritates me to no end when there is this need to  change a superhero’s costume every single movie the character appears in. They normally make it worse, less imaginative, and more discrete/blend-in-with-the-crowd (whyyyyyy). Leave good things alone, damn it! Shout out to The Boys for NOT doing this! 

The only type of costume I really hate is overly skimpy costumes for female heroes, you know the type…where it barely covers her chest, and her ass cheeks are hanging out. 

You’re riding into battle; who’s armour do you choose?

Loki’s Asgardian armor from The Avengers. It is nice and form-fitting while protecting the chest and shoulders. I’d change up the helmet because I’m too clumsy for horns, ha ha! 

Who wore it better; pick an outfit that’s been worn by multiple characters and tell us who wore it best.

Captain America’s costume – worn by Loki and, of course, Steve Rodgers. Sorry Loki, but Steve wore it better!

From utility belts to magical backpacks, accessories in fandom can be anything and do anything. Which one would you choose to borrow for a day?

A bag of holding (a small bag that matches my costume, of course!). As someone who hates carrying purses, I want a tiny discrete bag of infinite holding attached to my belt. The purses I *do* carry are small because I already hate having it dangle and get in the way.

You’ve been given the chance to redesign a character’s appearance? Who is it, why and what would you change?

Emma Frost from X-Men. As I mentioned before, I am not a fan of skimpy, impractical costumes. I went on one of my favorite places, Doll Divine, and made a new costume for her!

A Very Geeky Wednesday

Posted on by in Geeky Sunday, High Castle

It’s time for another Seriously Geeky Sunday Wednesday! These past two weeks have been crazy to say the least. I don’t want to derail this into politics, but I did my civic duty last week. The line was the longest I’d ever seen it. It took about an hour and a half, but it was well worth it!

A huge thank you to Heather from Seriously Geeky Sundays for the steady stream of interactive prompts!

8th November – What’s in a name?

This week I’ve got a unique one for you all because everyone’s questions are going to be slightly different. What’s in a name? Well, what’s in your name is actually the question. This week each question is based on each individual writer.

Thinking of your name/alias, what is the first female character you think of that has the same name/or a name that starts with the same initial? Do you like them?

Since my real name and most of my Internet handles start with ‘M’, M it is!

Queen Meave from The Boys

Photo courtesy of Prime video

Need I say more? She is badass. There was actually a time when I was badass 😉 I am *very* much out of shape right now. Maybe this will motivate me to at least do some push-ups here and there. 

How about a male character? How do you feel about them?

Morn from Deep Space Nine

He’s the talkative staple of Quark’s bar. His S tier skill is the ability to swallow pure latinum and hide it in one of his stomachs for decades. –what is there not to like, ha ha!

What about an actor; what is the best thing they’ve done?

Mayumi Yoshida

She played the Crown Princess in The Man in the High Castle. I adored her character and still do. I follow her on Twitter, and she always has something engaging to say. On top of that, she responds to fans and appreciates them.

What was your favourite soundtrack during your teens?

My answer for this doesn’t begin with an M (I didn’t discover Metallica until my 20s).

The Backstreet Boys. Hands down. I was obsessed. Nick Carter was my favorite. There was nothing like ripping the plastic of Backstreet’s Back and popping it into a CD player to blast my favorite songs. This was back when CDs came with extra goodies when you inserted them into CD-ROM drive. I remember squealing with delight at the music videos and clips.

Go to a shelf/collection and count the letters of your name across or down. Tell us about the item you just picked out!

I feel like M is a hard letter for this, but I will do my best! 

*Comes back from a good long moment of staring.*

I have to disappoint, dear readers. I have one thing: melatonin gummies. This is probably the most exciting answer of the prompt, ha ha!

Have you ever heard a characters name and formed an opinion about them before you met them? Was your opinion right?

Oh yes, my dear friend. There are a few that evoke a flash of hatred. I think we all have those select few names which make us recoil with dread when we hear them. I’ll leave this answer at that! After all, we are only human.

High Castle: FYC Promotional Booklet Review

Posted on by in High Castle
Consider an  Amazon Original: The Man in the High Castle, Season 1 and Season 2

Let me start off by saying that I was thrilled to get these. Ever since glimpses if the promo for Season 1 made their way onto various corners of the Internet, I’ve wanted it. 

What are these things? You might find yourself asking. They’re promotional advertisements sent to award voters (in this case, The Emmy’s) in hopes of garnering their vote. 

When I saw the Season 1 & 2 set for a reasonable price, I couldn’t pass them up. Now let’s dive right into the good stuff!

Season 1

Comprised of quotes from the crew overlaid onto behind the scenes photos and collages, it gives the reader a small peek into the creative process behind the world building. 

I think one of my favorite snapshots was the picture of a costume designer’s notes about Juliana’s blue dress.

Each of the characters in THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE struggles with how to do the right thing in his or her own way. It’s difficult to hold onto humanity if you’re forced to live under inhumane circumstances

Frank Spotnitz , writer/executive producer
Season 2

It was thinner than Season 1, but it was not without it’s own unique twist. It featured two flip pages where the base design was printed on a thin sheet (a faint outline of shapes on the next page is visible). Once flipped, the viewer sees how base design flourished into a detailed, finished set.

It ended with a clever promotion for Resistance Radio. Remember that? It felt like ages ago. Oh, the fun that was! Good memories! If I ever find the promotional record they sent out (top right), I am snatching that up. If anyone knows where I can get one, please contact me on Twitter @MishiWan

Around the World in 8 Sundays: Eastern Europe

Posted on by in Geeky Sunday

It is time for another trip around the world! Today we’ll be taking a look at Eastern Europe through characters and film!

A huge thank you to Heather at Seriously Geeky Sundays! for organizing this!

25th October – Around the World in 8 Sundays – Eastern Europe

It’s week two of our Around the World in 8 Sundays, a multi-week theme taking us around the world, and this week our spotlight is on Eastern Europe.

Who is your favourite character of Eastern Europe heritage?

I can’t pick just one, so I made a list of a few of my favorites from over the years. 

  • Chekov – There is no way I can NOT include him! He’s fun, handsome, and full of life!
  • Anastasia
  • Borat
  • Black Widow (MCU)
  • Scarlet Witch (MCU)
What is your favourite film set in this region?

As an American born in the 80s, I remember a ton of action movies set in Eastern Europe because of the Cold War. Teenager me was an avid reader of all things Tom Clancy. I’m going to skip over Cold War era action movies and sit down and remember ones that made an impact on me.

  • Chernobyl – HBO’s mini series
  • Band of Brothers – an HBO WWII mini series
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 Believe it or not, I’ve never seen Schindler’s List, otherwise, it would most likely be at the top of the list! 

In Hollywood characters of Eastern European descent are often stereotypically cast as the villain, can you think of a hero instead?

Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch from Avengers. She is easily one of my favorite Avengers in 

  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Captain America: Civil War
  • Avengers: Infinity War
  • Avengers: End Game
Image courtesy of Wikipedia

She is (in my opinion) the most powerful human avenger and does everything in her power to protect Vision. I’ve always wanted to see more of her in the MCU (I am happy she is getting her own show on Disney + even though I don’t subscribe to it…too many things to subscribe to nowadays. I’ll stick with Netflix and Amazon Prime). 

Greek mythology frequently features in pop culture, which appearance has interested you the most?

Loki – wait, wrong pantheon. 😉

I’m not much of a Greek mythology fan (mainly because Zeus is just gross), but I absolutely loved Xena: Warrior Princess when I was a kid. My sisters and I were obsessed with the show and would spend many hours making “weapons” from sticks and pretend to be our own band of Xena warriors. 

Which Eastern European country or location do you feel is overused in pop  culture and which is underutilised?

The Soviet Union is the most overused because of the Cold War.

I’d like to see more of Estonia. They were our allies in the Iraq War, and I’d like to see more of them. I know there are some compelling movies to be made!

Flag of Estonia

By Originally drawn by User:SKopp.
Blue colour changed by User:PeepP to match the image at [1].
– http://www.riigikantselei.ee/?id=73847, Public Domain, Link

Saving the world with High Castle and Field Team 6

Posted on by in Grasshopper Nation, High Castle, News

Tuesday I had the awesome pleasure of joining the Axis of Good (Joel de la Fuente, Rufus Sewell, Chelah Horsdal, Stephen Root, Jason O’Mara, Frances Turner, Michael Gaston, Sebastian Roché, and Isa Hacket) with Field Team 6 for an evening of textbanking. 

Let me tell you about the absolute blast I had! I didn’t know what to expect–was I nervous going in? You bet I was! I am probably the shyest person you’ll ever meet…until you get to know me, that is! 

The week started off with absolute chaos, as 2020 weeks often do. I spent that day doing a bunch of house projects which involved a lot of nit and grit. I scrambled to get my laptop ready in time without bothering to fix my hair and without any attempt at looking presentable. Normally fans are muted and shuffled to the back of these things.

Well….I clicked the link and HELLO WORLD! Hello Joel in particular because I know you saw me fumbling around and flustered! 😉 

After a minute or so, I managed to turn my camera off (like I said, I am SHY, plus I was also grimy from house projects). 

The event officially started when the rest of the High Castle participants logged on. I cannot express what a joy it was seeing them happy, relaxed, and catching up with each other as we all stumbled our way through the textbanking system those first few moments.

As we began the textbank, I felt at ease because we were all just hanging out and enjoying the company as we did our task. We chatted with them via Zoom’s chat feature, and they responded, read our chats, and laughed away.

I had so much fun that I volunteered for two Field Team 6 text banks next week, and an official Biden/Harris textbank!

Saving the world with High Castle and Field Team 6

Some highlights of the evening:

  • Sebastian letting his dog out (or in…I can’t remember!)
  • Isa showed everyone a prop she had held onto–a picture frame with a photo of the Smiths at the lake. <3
  • Rufus laughed about all the STOPs he kept getting (requests to unsubscribed) and was worried about accidentally unsubscribing an actual reply because of all the button mashing (lol)
  • Sebastian had a hilarious conversation with someone involving playing a scientist on TV (don’t ask, ha ha!)
  • Francis reading some of her replies (oh my goodness, I thought I was going to fall out of my chair!)
  • Jason muting himself and Rufus laughing at him
  • Someone commenting on how they would always switch Rufus’s and Rupert’s names on their chairs (I can’t remember who mentioned this, but I thought it was hilarious they did this on set!)
  • Seeing the Resistance Rises posters in the background of Joel’s and Isa’s home offices
  • Chelah telling us about Canadian political parties
  • Hearing all the mouse clicking as everyone button mashed, ha ha!