Month: March 2024

My Top 10 Favorite Episodes of Hilda

Posted on by jacobsonbblog

You can catch up on the previous parts of the list here and here. We have finally reached the top 10 best episodes of the whole show and honestly some of the best episodes in all of animation and television.

10. The Eternal Warriors: Probably the funniest episode of the show. David’s over confidence is entertaining and the idea of two tribes killing each other and then a swamp guy reviving them over and over is hilarious. I’m honestly impressed that this show managed to get away with showing a kid get decapitated TWICE!

9. The Hidden People: One of the most important rules in writing a show pilot is the “five-minute rule” and Hilda perfectly established the show within those five amazing minutes. Most show pilots while not bad are considered weaker compared to the rest of the show but honestly, I think Hilda’s first outing still holds up.

8. The Fifty-Year Night: I love that this show has the balls to kill off its protagonist TWICE! I am a huge sucker for the 40s vibe. The backstory of Hilda’s neighbor and Tildy is both sweet and tragic. It also wonderfully ties with what Johanna says to Hilda in the beginning about how actions have consequences.

7. The Nightmare Spirit: While I do think Hilda’s fear of riding a bike could’ve been built up more this is still a visually creepy and very imaginative episode. The Marra and the rat king were very unique and legit creepy, and of course, this episode has the introduction to fan favorite Kaisa. Great episode to put on during Halloween.

6. The Bird Parade: The third and final chapter of the “Trollberg trilogy” and my favorite of the three. Hilda learning to like the city is nice. The Raven is very likable and the titular event in the end is beautiful. If there was any episode outside of the pilot to introduce someone to this show it would be this one.

5. The Witch: The Hilda/Frida “shipping episode” (wink wink). Finding out that the librarian aka Kaisa and the old lady from episode 3 aka Tildy are both witches is really cool. The challenges the trio face in the library are a lot of fun. Also finding out that Frida can also use magic and becomes a witch in training is neat.

4. The House in the Woods: This felt more like a proper season finale then the Black Hound as it is the episode where Hilda finally accepts that Trollberg is her new home while also not lettering go of where she came from. The house is legit creepy and I like how we never get an explanation of what it is so it’s left up to our imagination.

4 1/2. The Mountain King: This is where the film would rank If it counted BTW.

3. The Forgotten Lake: If there was any episode that best showed off the relationship between Hilda and Johanna it’s this episode. I love seeing Hilda and Johanna one common ground especially after season 2 and I also like that there’s no forced conflict between them. The spider frog is legit creepy and the scene where he eats Hilda and Johanna is powerful. Also, it made Twig CRY! It should be considered illegal to make Twig CRY!

Ok I’m going to be honest the next two episodes are honestly a tie.

1/2. The Deerfox: For a long time, this was not just my favorite episode of Hilda but also up there with Steven Universe’s On the Run and Amphibia’s True Colors as one of my favorite episodes in all of television. You absolutely feel the strong connection between Hilda and Twig throughout the whole episode. Twig’s backstory is absolutely beautiful and emotional. Getting to see more deerfoxes including Twig’s parents was great. The scene where Hilda runs off sobbing and then reuniting with Twig is my favorite scene in the whole show and I can’t watch it without crying. Everything from the animation, the music, Bella Ramsay’s emotional performance is perfect.

1/2. The Fairy Isle: Most people will say that Avatar the Last Airbender’s Sozin’s Comet or Gravity Falls’s Take Back the Falls is the greatest animated series finale, but for me The Fairy Isle is my favorite series finale of any tv show I’ve ever seen. This emotional roller coaster is full of amazing moments like Hilda bonding with a younger version of her mother, Johanna and her family’s heartbreaking backstory, the return of the deerfoxes, and especially the ending. The final scene is an absolutely perfect send off to the characters and show and I cry every time every time the episode cuts to black and then the end credits.

Again I’d like to thank everyone who worked on Hilda for making this wonderful show and I’d like to thank everyone for tagging along on this three-part adventure. This was a project I’ve been really looking forward to sharing with all of you. What is your favorite episode of Hilda? Like and comment below.

Ranking Every Episode of Hilda Part 2

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You can read part one of the episode ranking list here.

22. The Job: This episode finally introduces Hilda’s father. I like how they found a middle ground where Anders isn’t exactly a great role model but still loves his daughter. It would’ve been so easy to just make him a neglectful father but I’m really glad they didn’t and still made him likable.

21. The Draugen: I get the feeling Luke Pearson saw one of the Pirates of the Caribbean films and was like “I could do that”. The sea shanty tone was unique and the use of the ghost flute was a neat call back to a not-so-great episode. The woodman as always is great.

20. The Tide Mice: This episode shows that while Hilda’s heart is usually in the right place her recklessness and inability to think things through does lead to a lot of problems. The idea of around the tide mice and the side effects they have are legit creepy. Also, another great cameo from Kaisa.

19. The Windmill: The return of our favorite mad scientist and the introduction to her homemade (and creepy) nisse. I really like how the ending hints of what’s to come in season 3, but even if there wasn’t another season I like that it’s left up to your imagination of where Victoria is.

18. The Yule Lads: Fun fact: The writer of this episode Todd Casey was also one of the writers for Krampus 2015. Why do I feel like this was intentional? This is the closest the show has to a Christmas special. The Yule Lads are cool especially their leader Kertasnikir played by Andy Serkis.

17. The Storm: This is the fun adventure season 1 really needed especially after the Hilda/Frida rift that happened in the previous episode. The idea of weather spirits causing a snow storm just from petty arguing is really creative and funny. Victoria Van Gale is a neat and insane addition to the show.

16. The Stone Forest: I never understood why Hilda has a new look in this episode. Good way to conclude the Hilda/Johanna conflict while its cliffhanger ending also setting up the Mountain King. The titular location is a neat setting. The b-plot involving Erik and Hilda’s friends however kind of messes with the pacing.

15. The Train to Tofoten: Aunt Astrid is a very likable new addition to the show thanks to Miriam Margolyes’s performance. The kid’s older designs are neat, the woff’s nest scene was awesome and the summer setting is a neat change of pace. This episode along with season 3 has a huge sense of finality.

14. The Fairy Mound: This episode perfectly contrasts the previous laid-back, warm and happy feel with a more intense, threatening, and foreboding one. Fairy Country is a legit creepy location and it gets you excited to see what’s to come in the series finale. The scene where Johanna and Astrid fish is very touching.

13. The Midnight Giant: There’s such a twisted irony that Hilda went through all this trouble to not move only for her house to get destroyed. It’s also a clever way of showing exactly how the elves feel about her stepping their houses. A bittersweet ending that leads to a new beginning in Trollberg.

12. The Giantslayer: This episode missed a huge opportunity to have a cameo of Jorgen and Illus. Still the time travel was a brilliant way to let us see more giants before they left and a lot of them have unique designs. The titular character also works as a great foil for Hilda.

11. The Old Bells of Trollberg: I’ve seen many episodes about pollution but noise pollution is usually not talk about much, so seeing Hilda deal with this topic while also being a fun heist episode feels very unique. The new bell system brilliantly showcases the harm it causes not just to trolls but to all creatures.

Stay tuned for the top 10 BEST episodes of Hilda tomorrow.

Ranking Every Episode of Hilda Part 1

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Three months ago, the beloved Netflix animated series Hilda came to an end. To show more of my love for this show I have decided to do a three-part ranking of every episode of Hilda sharing my thoughts on each episode. I’d like to clarify that there are no bad episodes of Hilda. Every episode is wonderfully animated and well written. This list is also based on my personal opinion. Now let’s begin with not the worst but the decent at best.

34. The Ghost: Not a hard choice for last place. This episode felt too cynical and it was very hard to sympathize with Frida especially after what she says to Hilda near the end. The ghost fight goes nowhere and the fallout between Hilda and Frida felt very forced.

33. The Nisse: This episode tries to cram too much into one such with Hilda trying to earn a badge, the ongoing Hilda/Frida rift, the Frida/Kelly thing, the black hound and the Nisse. All these plots felt like they should’ve been in their own individual episode instead of crammed together.

32. The Replacement: Nothing really happens in this episode. This one is mostly breather episode that proceeds the huge season finale. What puts this higher about the last two episodes on this list is that you do feel bad for Alfur and don’t him to be replaced by some pencil pusher.

31. The Troll Rock: Hilda’s school life felt unutilized and maybe it would’ve been nice to show her struggling to adapt to this new environment. Sort of a fish out of water scenario. This episode kind of acts like a teaser for season 2’s overarching troll conflict in season 2 and the Mountain King.

30. Strange Frequencies: Why are the all the penultimate episodes of each season kind of weak? Much like season 1’s penultimate episode this one also tries to juggle two uninvolved plots in one episode when they could’ve been their own individual episode. This also serves as a breather before the huge series finale.

29. The Laughing Merman: The only episode of season 3 to have nothing to do with the overarching plot and the “freaky friends” reputation comes out of nowhere, also there’s a FART JOKE!. Still Louise was very likable even if this was her only episode and Eugene and his song number was visually amazing.

28. The Jorts Incident: This is technically a sequel episode to The Tide Mice. A very odd episode focusing on a junk food snack that feels the least like a Hilda episode. The scene where the original CEO resigns by jumping out the window (with a parachute) got a huge giggle out of me.

27. The Black Hound: It’s not a bad season finale but still the weakest one and I believe the later ones are much better. Much like the previous episode it suffers from trying to tie up all these plots together and again all of these scenarios could’ve worked better in their own separate episodes.

26. The Troll Circle: I think this episode would’ve been higher in 2020 since it was the first episode in two years but now it is the weakest season premiere of the show. It does its job of establishing the Erik Ahlberg/troll conflict as well as the slowly straining relationship between Hilda and Johanna.

25. The Lost Clan: The elves’ obsession with paperwork will never not be funny. Bragga is one of the most underrated characters of the show and he’s always a blast whenever he’s in an episode. I really like the scene where Hilda, Frida and Alfur ride the water spirit. It’s such a laid-back scene.

24. The Beast of Cauldron Island: Liar revealed aside, there is an irony in this episode I like where Hilda is victorious in saving the sea monster but ends up grounded by Johanna in the process. The end credits song “The Life of Hilda” is a really cute song that perfectly sums up the titular character.

23. The Sparrow Scouts: This is a tamer episode compared to the first three episodes where not much really happens, but it’s a cute way to introduce the Hilda/Frida/David trio. Though am I the only one who thinks the onion thing sounds like a mix between Gilbert Gottfried and Suction Cup Man from Piemations?

Stay tuned for part two of my episode ranking tomorrow. See you then.

Dune Part Two review

Posted on by jacobsonbblog

I apologize for not writing a full review of Part One back in 2021, so I guess I should give my thoughts on the first one. I never knew much about the book series or the 1984 film. All I knew was that it had giant sandworms. When I saw Part One I thought it was good though a bit long and had too much political talk. Dune Part Two does have the same runtime issue as the first but honestly that’s my only complaint. Part Two pretty much continues where Part One ended.

There are two things in Denis Villeneuve’s films that stand out to me, his directing and the amazing cinematography. Almost every shot is wonderfully shot thanks to Denis’s terrific directing. You could pause it at any time and you could hang in in a museum. Desert settings aren’t usually my favorite setting though movies like Prince of Egypt and Mad Max Fury Road are a few exceptions, this film managed the make the desert planet of Arrakis amazing the look at. What also helped was that unlike the first part which I only saw on Max in my bedroom I went to a movie theater to see Part 2 on a huge screen. So, the film felt a lot grander to me.

The acting in this film is also really good but the real standout for me was Feyd-Rautha played by Austin Butler. He is a legit creepy and entertaining character and every time he’s on screen it’s clear that Austin Butler is having a blast playing him. I was already amazed by his performance as Elvis back in 2022 but this might be his best performance yet. My favorite scene of the whole movie and pretty much the whole duology in general that combines all these positive attributes is the Harkonnen arena scene. Everything about this scene is perfect from Denis’s directing, the cinematography and the fight choreography. The use of monochrome is an absolute brilliant touch that perfectly contrasts with the consistent orange desert aesthetic. This whole scene is just a visual treat.

The best film/films I could compared this/these is the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows duology. Both part ones are slower and there’s a lot more talking. Both parts twos however have a lot more meat and more action. Much like Deathly Hallows Part 2 (my favorite Harry Potter film), I think Dune Part Two was even better than the Part One. If you liked the first part you will love the second part. Still there was one downside when seeing this film. I didn’t get my Dune popcorn bucket.

Verdict:

+Denis Villeneuve’s directing

+Feyd-Rautha

+The cinematography

+The Harkonnen arena scene

-Long runtime

-No popcorn bucket

Score: A

96th Academy Awards Predictions

Posted on by jacobsonbblog

Daniel Pemberton and Once Upon a Studio was ROBBED! Ok now I’m glad to get that out of my system. Now that the Oscars are in one week it’s time for my annual Oscar predictions. My choices are in bold and based on personal preference.

Best picture:

“American Fiction”

“Anatomy of a Fall”

“Barbie”

“The Holdovers”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Maestro”

“Oppenheimer”

“Past Lives”

“Poor Things”

“The Zone of Interest”

Best actor:

Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”

Colman Domingo, “Rustin”

Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”

Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”

Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

Best actress:

Annette Bening, “Nyad”

Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”

Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”

Emma Stone, “Poor Things”

Best supporting actor:

Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”

Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”

Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”

Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”

Best supporting actress:

Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”

Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”

America Ferrera, “Barbie”

Jodie Foster, “Nyad”

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

Best director:

Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest”

Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things”

Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”

Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall”

Animated feature film:

“The Boy and the Heron”

“Elemental”

“Nimona”

“Robot Dreams”

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

Adapted screenplay:

“American Fiction”

“Barbie”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

“The Zone of Interest”

Original screenplay:

“Anatomy of a Fall”

“The Holdovers”

“Maestro”

“May December”

“Past Lives”

Visual effects:

“The Creator”

“Godzilla Minus One”

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”

“Napoleon”

Original score:

“American Fiction”

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Original song:

“It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony”

“I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie”

“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”

“The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot”

“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Cinematography:

“El Conde”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Maestro”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Costume design:

“Barbie”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Napoleon”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Animated short film:

“Letter to a Pig”

“Ninety-Five Senses”

“Our Uniform”

“Pachyderme”

“War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko”

Film editing:

“Anatomy of a Fall”

“The Holdovers”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Sound:

“The Creator”

“Maestro”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”

“Oppenheimer”

“The Zone of Interest”

Production design:

“Barbie”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Napoleon”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Makeup and hairstyling:

“Golda”

“Maestro”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

“Society of the Snow”