#(no but i want to know who at a24 was like 'you know what we should do to promote our heartbreaking love story? sesame street.'

[p0orbaby]

It’s Called Free Fall

summary: therapy makes you realise a lot of things

warnings: none

a/n: there’s not actually any alexia in this, but she is mentioned

word count: 2.7k

part 1

-

The therapist’s office feels like it’s been curated for someone far more refined than you—someone who actually takes their therapy seriously, rather than as an ironic lifestyle choice. The walls are a pale, flat grey that veers perilously close to lifeless, and there’s this overwhelming sense of emptiness, like everything here exists for display rather than use. The chairs, two narrow-backed leather things angled just slightly towards each other, appear less like furniture and more like sculptures. You imagine some recent graduate from a New York art school positioned them just so, meticulously arranging each one to make sure it induced the precise mix of discomfort and luxury.

The table between you and Dr. Vargas is another matter entirely—a sleek slab of polished mahogany, thick enough that you could lean your entire weight on it without even a squeak of protest. Its surface is bare except for a single leather-bound notebook, a fountain pen and a ceramic dish, all aligned to a degree that feels almost militaristic. There’s not a single loose thread in the rug, not a fingerprint on the glass of the one window facing out onto a garden view that’s suspiciously verdant for the middle of winter.

Even the fern, perched in the corner like it’s waiting for its close-up, seems too green, too lush. It’s ridiculous, but it’s all part of the aesthetic, this carefully curated minimalism, the kind of cultivated restraint that says, “We don’t need embellishments. We’re here for the truth.” You’re here, supposedly, for honesty and revelation. But to you, it all feels a bit too staged, like a hotel that boasts a “homely charm” but is actually cold and sterile beneath the surface. You suspect Dr. Vargas might even mist the plant herself in some sacred ritual of maintenance, a sort of last-minute grounding exercise to fill the silence between clients.

You settle back in the chair, draping one leg over the other, and make a mental note to mention it next time you’re in some magazine interview. “Austere,” you’d say, “but in a chic way. I once caught my therapist hand-polishing the leaves of a houseplant.” You let yourself savour the image for a moment, glancing at the fern, which seems to return your gaze with silent judgement.

Dr. Vargas has her pen poised in that infuriatingly neutral way, a half-smile that somehow manages to be both welcoming and utterly unreadable. She’s mastered this look; the expression that says, I’m here for you while also suggesting she’s already a step ahead, already written your entire profile out in her head, neatly categorised into sub-headings like “Avoidant Tendencies” and “Control Issues.”

You begin with a sigh, throwing a glance at the ceiling in mock contemplation. “I’ve been thinking about another place. A chalet, maybe. Something in the mountains this time.” You pause, letting the idea sit, feigning like it’s just occurred to you. “Somewhere remote, where people can’t just… get to me”

You’re fully aware that she sees right through it. This isn’t her first rodeo; you’re sure she’s dealt with hundreds like you before, masters of diversion who fill sessions with banalities rather than facing anything real. But Dr. Vargas, in all her maddening professionalism, gives nothing away. She just tilts her head, the soft scratch of her pen against her notebook barely there as she writes something down.

“A place to escape,” she offers back to you in that maddeningly placid tone.

“Yes. Escape,” you echo, knowing full well the word holds no weight here. Escape from what, exactly? You let your leg bounce a little, as if the rhythm might lend some gravity to your words. “And there’s this new project I’m in talks with—A24, actually. They want me to do something… serious. A proper rebrand. Gritty. Artistic.” You drawl out “artistic” with the faintest of smirks, like you’re amused at the thought of it all. A lifetime of playing these games, and you’re practically a pro by now.

Dr. Vargas’s face betrays not a flicker of interest or amusement. She simply nods, that little encouraging tilt of her head again, like she’s waiting for you to get to the real point, the heart of the matter. But you’re not giving in so easily.

“It could be big, you know,” you continue, lifting your chin a fraction. “And I’ve got Alexia, of course.” The name slips out, deliberately nonchalant, though you feel its weight instantly, like it’s left a mark on the air between you.

Dr. Vargas raises her eyebrows, ever so slightly. “Alexia,” she repeats, not quite a question, not quite a statement. Just… acknowledgment, and yet it still feels as if she’s plucked something out of you without you realising. You don’t like it, the way she turns your own words against you.

“Yeah,” you say, shrugging. “She’s… brilliant. On the field, off it. You know, she’s—” You trail off, allowing a smirk to play on your lips. “Not bad to look at, either”

She gives no reaction, doesn’t even break eye contact. You imagine her poker face would rival that of any seasoned card shark. But it’s her silence that presses at you, coaxing out more than you intend to reveal. It’s a trick she’s used before, and yet here you are, willingly falling into it.

“Honestly,” you continue, almost laughing as if sharing some private joke, “you should see her after a match. There’s this… intensity, this rawness. Shirt off, sweat-drenched, eyes still blazing from the game. It’s… invigorating.” You roll the word around like a fine wine, savouring it as you go. “It’s like the universe threw me a bone, just when I was getting bored”

Dr. Vargas finally moves, a slight shift of her head, her mouth curving up in a near-smile. “And yet, you’re here”

Her words drop between you like a carefully placed stone. You scoff, rolling your eyes, but there’s something in her expression—an almost imperceptible softness that somehow feels like an accusation. “Therapy’s a hobby,” you shrug, leaning back, as if the very idea of anything deeper is laughable. “I’m always in therapy, Doc. News flash”

“Yes,” she agrees smoothly, not missing a beat, “but you don’t usually bring her up”

“Come on,” you counter, with a smirk that’s designed to look careless, “I bring her up all the time”

“Not like this”

Her voice is calm, almost gentle, but her gaze sharpens, pinning you in place. You feel a spike of irritation, or maybe it’s something else. You cast a look towards the fern, now faintly silhouetted by the afternoon sun, its shadow long and narrow across the wall, an unasked-for third party in this strange little dance. The absurdity of the whole scene hits you, but before you can fully detach, she’s speaking again.

“You’re talking about her differently. More… openly.” There’s no edge to her tone, no overt judgment, yet it feels like she’s peeled back a layer, glimpsed a part of you you hadn’t meant to reveal.

In the moments that follow, you stub out your cigarette on the pristine ceramic dish Vargas keeps on the table, the one she’s claimed is “not for smoking” but never actually moved after that one session. You’ve taken it as tacit permission, though you know damn well it irritates her—just another way to test the boundaries in a room that prides itself on having none. That’s half the point of these sessions: see how far you can stretch them. How much she’ll let you say, or not say. And you’ve mastered the art of saying absolutely nothing, all while filling the space with empty words.

Dr. Vargas doesn’t speak, doesn’t press, which is almost worse than if she did. There’s just the persistent softness in her eyes, the quiet implication that she understands more than you’d prefer. You remember Alexia’s eyes looking at you like that once, right after you’d tried to make some grand point about the nature of relationships—one of those pseudo-philosophical tangents you like to go on. She’d just looked at you, with a kind of bemused patience that felt a little too genuine, a little too close to knowing you.

You roll your shoulders, shake off the memory. But it clings.

“Alright,” you say, letting the smoke spill out as you form the words. “Maybe I don’t do ‘love’ like everyone else. I’m not here for a candlelit dinner and a mortgage. I’m not,” you add with a quick laugh, “one of those people who turn into some sap over a nice couple’s holiday in Santorini”

Dr. Vargas gives a small nod, an acknowledgement rather than agreement, her expression neutral but open, giving you room to continue.

“But, yes. Fine.” You take another drag, a deliberate pause. “Maybe I… care about her. I care about her. She’s different, alright?”

“Different how?” she asks gently, with an infuriatingly patient tone.

You groan, shifting in your seat. “Come on, don’t make me quantify it. That’s your thing, not mine.” You know you’re stalling, using your usual deflections, but there’s an itch underneath it, a part of you that feels raw just acknowledging that Alexia is, in fact, ‘different.’

You can feel her eyes on you, waiting for you to take the bait you’ve laid out for yourself.

“Fine, you want specifics?” you sigh, feigning annoyance, though you know you’re the one who’s led the conversation here. “She… laughs at my worst jokes. Like, really laughs. Not in a polite way, but genuinely, like she thinks I’m the funniest person alive, even when I’m barely trying. It’s stupid, really, but it gets me”

“And how does that make you feel?” Vargas leans forward, like she’s zeroing in on something significant.

You chuckle, low and dismissive, waving the question off with your cigarette. “How do you think it makes me feel? It’s… fine. Nice. A bit strange, maybe. I’m not used to being seen like that.” You pause, the weight of that admission lingering in the air between you.

She doesn’t react, doesn’t push; she just lets the moment settle, knowing there’s more.

You sigh, smoke curling up around you, as your mind goes back to other little things—the way she has this weird ritual of picking all the green M&Ms out of the bag and tossing them to you, claiming they’re “bad luck.” How she insists on reading the morning news out loud, in that silly, exaggerated announcer voice, just to make you laugh while you pretend to read emails. Or how she makes you tea at exactly the right temperature, handing you the mug with a grin like she’s just given you a priceless gift. These are things that, on the surface, should be forgettable, the kind of mundane moments that fade. But they don’t, do they? Not with her.

Dr. Vargas’s voice interrupts your reverie, soft but insistent. “You’re smiling”

You realise she’s right; you’re smiling without even meaning to, and it’s a small, stupid smile, the kind that feels too open. You try to erase it, but it’s too late. The vulnerability’s already there, a quiet confession written across your face.

You roll your eyes, more at yourself than at her. “Alright, so what? So she’s… alright, she’s fun. She’s got that energy, you know, that lightness. It’s kind of… refreshing”

The words slip out unbidden, and you feel a pang of something resembling regret. Refreshing. A word that implies something else by omission—that most of your life, most people you’ve known, have been exhausting. The irony isn’t lost on you: someone so completely different from your own brand of detached sarcasm, from your carefully cultivated ennui, has managed to slip under the radar and wedge herself into your carefully controlled life.

Dr. Vargas watches, her silence pressing you forward.

“Look, I don’t think about it too much,” you say, trying to inject a casual note into your tone. “I don’t need to psychoanalyse every smile, every inside joke. I’m not here to have my relationship broken down into neat little psych terms”

“Maybe you should think about it,” Vargas says gently. “Maybe that’s why you’re here”

You scoff, but there’s a softness in the sound, a hint of resignation. Because she’s right, isn’t she? You came here because, as much as you don’t want to admit it, this thing with Alexia has started to matter, in a way that’s both terrifying and strangely compelling. You’ve always prided yourself on staying a step removed, on being a spectator in your own life, observing rather than fully engaging. But with her, you’re finding it harder to keep that distance.

“Fine,” you mutter, leaning back, letting your head rest against the chair, staring up at the ceiling as though the answers might be written there. “Maybe she’s… special”

The words feel strange in your mouth, too vulnerable, too open. You don’t say “special” often, especially not in this context. But there it is, a reluctant admission.

“I mean, it’s not like I’m in love with her,” you continue, the words tumbling out before you can stop them. “She’s great—don’t get me wrong. She’s amazing in bed. I can’t remember the last time someone made me cum so much. And she’s got this thing about her, you know? Like this fire, this intensity. It’s like when she looks at me, she’s looking right through me. And yeah, I guess that’s… intoxicating. But that’s all it is. Right?”

Dr. Vargas nods, a small, subtle gesture. “Why does that scare you?”

You don’t answer right away. Instead, you watch the smoke dancing away from your cigarette, dissipating into the air, leaving nothing behind but a faint, lingering scent. You think about what it is you’re so afraid of—because there’s something there, something you can’t quite name, a sense that if you let this thing with Alexia continue, it might change you in ways you’re not ready for.

“Because I don’t do… attachment,” you say finally, the words coming out sharper than intended. “I’ve built a life that doesn’t depend on anyone else. And she’s… she’s a complication”

You can feel Vargas watching you, sensing the weight of what you’re not saying, the unspoken truth that this isn’t just about Alexia, that it’s about something deeper, a fear of vulnerability, of losing control. She doesn’t push, though; she just waits, letting the silence do the work for her.

After a long pause, you take a breath, letting your gaze drift to the fern by the window, its leaves glossy and perfect, so meticulously maintained it almost looks fake. You wonder if it’s ever felt the strain of trying to keep everything together, to present a flawless exterior while something more fragile lurks beneath the surface.

“You know,” you say, almost to yourself, “it’s funny. For the longest time, I thought love was just a distraction, a temporary fix for people who couldn’t handle being alone.” You take another drag from your cigarette, exhaling slowly. “But with her, it’s… it’s different. It’s like she makes everything brighter, sharper, like she’s tuned into some frequency I didn’t know existed”

Dr. Vargas doesn’t respond, just nods, letting you continue.

“And the worst part?” You chuckle, a self-deprecating sound. “The worst part is that she’s getting to me. She’s in my head, even when she’s not there. I find myself thinking about her in the middle of the day, wondering what she’s up to, if she’s thinking about me too”

There’s a fragility in the admission, a crack in the armour you’ve built around yourself. And it terrifies you, this sense of letting someone in, of letting them get close enough to matter.

You stub out your cigarette, watching the last curl of smoke dissipate into the air. It feels like a metaphor for something, though you’re not sure what.

Dr. Vargas gives you a small, knowing smile. “Maybe falling in love isn’t as bad as you think it will be,” she says gently.

You shrug, trying to play it off, but there’s a part of you that knows she’s right. Because for all your detachment, all your carefully cultivated distance, there’s something about Alexia that feels like home, like she’s a part of you you didn’t realise was missing.

“Maybe,” you say, the words soft, barely audible.

Love. The word lingers like an uninvited guest. You try to dismiss it, try to laugh it off, but it keeps creeping back in.

[sukunasbow]

fanboy.

pairings: pierre gasly x fem!actress!reader.

warnings: none.

in which a certain formula one driver makes it known your his favourite actress and fans start to ship the two of you.

yourusername 📍 santorini

liked by pierregasly, zendaya, and 1,739,442 others

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liked by pierregasly and 1,564,823 others

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liked by pierregasly, charles_leclerc, and 3,728,221 others

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[mrs-stans]

How Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson got under each other’s skin for ‘A Different Man’

Adam Pearson and Sebastian Stan both know what it’s like to have people stare at them and be made to feel like they owe the public something.(Sean Dougherty / For The Times)

By Tim Grierson

When Adam Pearson was young, he rubbed elbows with celebrities. “I was at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, one of the best pediatric institutes in the world,” he recalls of the London facility, “and they often had famous people come in to meet the kids. I met Boyzone, a big Irish boy band in the ’90s. The other one was Princess Diana.” The British actor was 5 when he was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis Type 1, a condition that resulted in the growth of large tumors across his face. Those tumors would often cause passersby to gawk cruelly, which made Pearson feel an unlikely kinship with the notable figures who stopped by the hospital. “I was like, ‘Oh, these people get the same staring and pointing I do, but people seem to like them.’ I wasn’t resentful, it was just an observation I made as a 12-year-old: ‘Oh, OK, that’s fascinating.’”

Decades later, Pearson, who turns 40 in January, is on a Zoom call from London alongside his co-star Sebastian Stan, beaming in from New York, to discuss their thought-provoking, satirical film “A Different Man,” which is all about appearance and perception. Writer-director Aaron Schimberg introduces us to Edward (Stan), a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis who believes he’ll be happier once he undergoes an experimental procedure that removes his tumors, revealing the sexy man underneath. Later walking around New York with a new identity — that of the slick real estate agent Guy — he discovers that the aspiring playwright he pined for, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), has written a drama about his former self, who will be portrayed by Oswald (Pearson), a happy, charming man with neurofibromatosis. Guy looks on in horror as his old life is played with such flair by Oswald, who steals Ingrid away as well. Maybe it wasn’t his condition that had held him back — maybe it was just him.

Stan, 42, found two-time Oscar-nominated makeup artist Mike Marino to craft the realistic mask for Edward. But there was something even more important for Stan to get right. “I wanted to talk to Adam about how he was feeling about myself playing this part and having someone step into these shoes without neurofibromatosis,” he says. “Just really trying to be mindful and understand how I need to approach this so I can be of service to the character but also to somebody who actually has this condition.”

It was during those initial conversations that Pearson, who previously appeared in “Under the Skin” and starred in Schimberg’s 2018 drama “Chained for Life,” gave Stan, best known as the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the insight that living with neurofibromatosis was not dissimilar to being famous. “They both come with certain levels of invasiveness,” Pearson explains. “You almost become public property. The public feels that you owe them something. So while Sebastian might not know the staring, the name-calling, the camera phones in a way I do, he certainly knows what it’s like to have people think [they] deserve to have a selfie with him.”

Sebastian Stan plays an actor with an ugliness inside, Adam Pearson plays the disfigured actor who is charming and confident, and Renate Reinsve is friend to them both. (Matt Infante/A24)

The absolute honesty between the two actors was crucial for a film that is candid about the stigmas around disfigurement. Schimberg, who became friends with Pearson during “Chained for Life,” also drew from his own experience with a cleft palate. “Aaron is such an incredible writer — he’s set up these things that rope you in as a viewer to judge Edward because of his appearance,” Stan says. “We project these stereotypical thoughts: ‘He’s lonely, somebody’s taken pity on him.’”

But with Oswald, “We haven’t made the connection yet that someone like Adam could actually be OK with themselves — and not only that, incredibly confident and accepting of themselves as they are.”

Indeed, “A Different Man” toys with our expectations, depicting Oswald as the life of the party, while the conventionally handsome Guy is riddled with insecurity. Unsurprisingly, Stan and Pearson have noticed that viewers sometimes don’t know what to make of Schimberg’s acerbic sense of humor.

“I’m always looking around to see what’s landing and what isn’t landing, because I’ve never had an audience react the same way,” Pearson says, amused. “Everyone finds different things either funny or uncomfortable.”

“The film asks very important questions in terms of disability and disfigurement,” adds Stan, “but we can also offer people permission to experience the film as they might. It is funny. Aaron Schimberg has said, ‘If you think this is a comedy, that’s fine — if you think this is a tragedy, that’s fine too. It’s both.’”

Much has been made of Stan’s recent so-called risk-taking performances, including in the Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice.” (He won Berlin’s lead actor trophy for “A Different Man.”) “One of the reasons I’ve lately gravitated more toward what I’d call ‘transformational’ roles is because they do make it easier to lose yourself and to stay in it for the entire time,” suggests Stan, who lived in Romania and Vienna as a child. “I wanted to be an actor because it saved my life. I grew up in a very weird, chaotic time. I was always searching for identity — I came to this country when I was 12, and it was a shocking experience. Acting was a way of release and communication — it was a language, in a way, and it allowed me to understand myself.”

Pearson understands that sentiment. “There’s something inherently terrifying about putting yourself out there,” he says. “When I first got into TV when I was 25, one of my friends gave me what we now lovingly call ‘the talk of doom.’ He was like, ‘You are going to go on TV, and people watch TV — if they don’t like you, they will tell you on whatever platforms you are on. Do you think you can handle that?’”

He could, and his work in “A Different Man” has only raised his profile. Now he’s the one who’s a celebrity, although he acknowledges those old anxieties remain.

“Even now, my friends are like, ‘Aren’t you just a little bit scared that people are going to [not like you]?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m always scared,”’ Pearson says. “Option A is, ‘Don’t do it,’ and then Option B is, ‘Do it scared.’ And I’d rather do it scared than not do it at all.”

[ghostiemothp1mp]

|BREAKING: HAZBIN SEASON 2 LEAKS FLOOD THE INTERNET!|

You heard right folks! There was a breach at A24 and Spindlehorse toons resulting in almost the entirety of season two being leaked onto several platforms but mainly Tik tok. While something similar happened last year when Hell's Greatest Dad got leaked, this time it was to a much greater scale, including several songs, animation clips, and more spoilers than imaginable.

Yes, this is disastrous for Spindlehorse and the entirety of Hazbin Hotel as show. In fact, we're lucky that Hazbin hasn't been dropped from Amazon all together. A lot of times when a breach this big happens, the show just get cancelled, but Amazon has stated that their legal team is trying their best to clean this up and find the perpetrator who did this.

However, the leaks are spreading like wildfire and the amount of views and shares is growing by the minute. The best thing that is fans and viewers can do is NOT SHARE. DO NOT SHARE. DO NOT WATCH IF YOU CAN HELP IT! AND REPORT REPORT REPORT! If you come across spoilers of ANY kind—for example, footage, song clips, fanart—REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY AND GET IT TAKEN DOWN.

Now, you might say, "but spoilers aren't a big deal! I wanna know what happens!" Believe me, we are all excited for the next season, but we need to find out what happens the RIGHT way. I will not be sharing exactly what was leaked because I do not want to feed the fire, but the leaks released kind of ruin the show cuz a) they don't make sense cuz they are just random bits and pieces and b) it makes it a lot harder for Spindlehorse to even keep the show and fandom going. We are extremely lucky that Amazon is even keeping the show, please PLEASE help Spindlehorse keep it that way!

According to Spindlehorse, they believe that the person who leaked the footage was actually someone either on their team or on A24, in other words, this was an inside job. Whoever did this had full intention of sabotaging the success of this show from within, either to serve their own nefarious purposes or someone else's. Currently we don't have any more information on it, but hopefully Amazon's legal team can find the culprit and punish them accordingly.

Okay, so, some footage got leaked. What's the big deal? Well, I didn't go that in depth as to the real effects of the leak earlier, but I will do so now. First of all, it's one of the biggest breaches a show has seen in a WHILE. Including hundreds of shots, MULTIPLE musical numbers, and character reveals that were not planned drops. What does this mean exactly? Well for starters, we probably won't be seeing any more con teasers or sneak peeks. Remember the Baxter teaser? Yeah, that probably won't be happening again. Second of all, I have already seen the fandom start to slowly fall apart on Tik Tok, hundreds of videos talking about how angry they are, not just about the show being spoiled in the first place, but the content of the spoilers themselves. People are already saying how furious they are about the twists and turns the show is taking, without even considering the fact that these leaks don't even contain the full context. Third of all, as the leaks spread and fanart and edits and cosplays of the spoilers flood the internet, the likelihood of Hazbin growing in popularity and hype with the release of season two grows slim. Nobody will be super excited about the "big reveals" next season because they've already been spoiled. Yes, this is pretty disastrous, not just to Hazbin as a cartoon, but to the fandom as well.

That is why we must take action! We must aid Spindlehorse and Amazon in the clean up by not sharing the spoilers. We must aid them by not creating fanart or edits or reaction vids or cosplays of spoilers either. We must aid them by reporting these videos and getting them taken down. We can save Hazbin, but we have to work together.

If anyone sees this post, please share. Please help stop this madness and keep things that should be secret, secret.

[purple-star-eyes]

QnA with Viv, Erika and Amir (Wednesday, 31st January 2024)

(1 day before the Season 1 finale)

Who would be the better dad?

>Lucifer cuz his heart is in the right place.

Alastor wanted to get under Luci's skin, which is where the Dad rivalry came from.

Alastor is canonically aro/ace.

Said in a livestream by his voiceactor Amir Talai but Viv didn't deny it.

"It didn't come up in the show yet obviously."

Amir Talai owns an "Oh deer" cup a fan made for him

Concerning Fantheories: A lot of people have gotten a lot of things right.

Viv tries to avoid it, but she's excited to see how exact people get it. Apparently quite a few have figured it out to the T.

When Viv first made the characters she changed a lot of stories around, case and point Vaggie's story changed.

Viv laughed when she saw the HB theory that Wally Wackford is a secret form of Mammon.

>clearly false, fun but not true according to Viv, debunked in real time

Viv's brother works at A24 and loves trolling fans with theories like "Charlie dies in ep.4" (false obviously)

Amir said Alastor has a tail. Viv doesnt confirm or deny it.

Viv: "The tail is not relevant."

-> Might be answered later, since he'd have to be without the coat

Erika likes that Charlie has actual realists around her keeping her grounded.

(Like Angel in ep.4)

Charlie's view is very simplistic on redemption.

The point of the show is to explore that the grey area and redemption are very complicated

(Charlie's arc)

Mimzie is a relieable narator when it comes to Alastor.

But his backstory will come up in future episodes.

There *HAS TO BE* someone that scares Alastor according to Amir.

"We haven't even scratched the surface with Alastor." According to Viv.

Why does Alastor keep Nifty around?

-> Will be explored in the next episodes.

He is very fond of her.

They can connect due to "they both dont care about anything"

How tall is Lucifer-> 5'2 (as per the definitiom of shortking) and Charlie is a foot taller than him. (The hat adds a lot)

The hat is a concious choice of Luci to make up for his height.

"He's not concerned with fashion. Just his height."

The other sins are very big, Viv loves that Luci is the tiniest one of the sins.

Charlie is 6ft

Valentino is 10ft

Angel is 8ft

Alastor is around Charlie's height

Erika's favourite V is Vox due to his voice. She might never love Valentino (he makes her mad).

Amir refused to comment who his favourite V is.

Is there more to the beef between Alastor and Vox?

-> they hate each other, Vox is jealous

Alastor enjoys Vox like a rug (Vox exists and he can walk all over him.)

Pretty simple and nice dynamic but nothing else.

Alastor thinks Vox is "inconsequencial".

Viv thinks Alastor is Chaotic Neutral.

(Tho she's not too familiar with the categories)

Amir says it's hard to say without giving anything away, regarding what his alignment is.

It was hard to record in 2021 due to having to record sessions and duets alone in the booths, according to Amir.

Erika felt a lot of pressure during the first 2 Episodes, because she knows how long people waited for it.

Brandon will help write Eps in Helluva Boss, but works a mile a minute so he will come in and go "Oh I remember this one" :)

Someone dies in Hazbin.

"You can sleep tonight if you think it's Angel Dust"

Both said by Vivzie. So she basically confirmed that Angel will (probably) NOT die.

She did say it was "going to be obvious" who it would be.

Season 2 is in production.

[thenextdawn-temporarilyclosed]

My saviour

Word count: 4.0K

Warnings: dark themes: abusive relationship, pregnancy. Hurt/comfort

Pairing: Jenna Ortega x Fem!Reader

———

You had no idea how you managed to run away. Literally you had no idea. All you knew was that you had finally managed to run away from your abusive boyfriend, after he kept you locked in his apartment for days beating you up continuously and taking advantage of you whenever he wanted, almost as if you were an object, his little lab rat to play with.

With you being an rising actress, this thing in your relationship had to stay hidden. You didn’t have huge roles, you weren’t famous all you had were one liners in movies that didn’t have that much of a success, even if they were movies with actors from A24. Pretty damn good actors, at that. But well, the make up artists always did a good job covering up the bruises.

The thing is, now you were homeless, and you had no one, you didn’t have anyone that could help you in this fucked up situation. You didn’t have that much experience to become known at least in your city, and to get some help. Currently it was a bit after 1 am and you were walking around the street of a creepy Los Angeles, you were limping for how much he beat you up, your lip was busted and you had a black eye and a nosebleed. You just wanted to find some place to sleep, and you’d figure out what to do in the morning.

However you never found it because you were stopped, when a car pulled over next to you. You heard someone getting out of it but you kept walking on the street. “Hey, do you need help?” You heard a sweet voice speak behind you. You had your hood over your head trying to cover your face and bruises… the dark of the night helped way more. You tried to ignore the girl as you kept ignoring her, until she moved in front of you. “Hey… are you okay?” Just then did you see who she was. Jenna fucking Ortega, the girl playing Wednesday in that new famous series. However at the moment you had no interest in the matter. You briefly looked at her, soon averting her eyes but god did she look at you.

“I know you. You’re from A24 right?” What in the world, how did Jenna Ortega know who you were? “Uh… yeah” you said, your voice shaking from how weak and in pain you were. “You were with that guy who played the lead in the movie you were in” she said and you didn’t have the time to nod, because she spoke again. “Did he do this to you?” You nodded again and looked down. “Come with me” she said and took you by the wrist, making you flinch because you were in pain and dragging you to her car. “Where are we going?” You asked her, your voice low and soft. “I’m taking you to my place, my mom’s a nurse. I hate this stuff, I hate domestic abuse and if there’s some way I can help someone, I will, gladly”. You smiled softly at her words, now you saw why everyone liked her. She was sweet, she fights for the right causes and god isn’t she beautiful.

It wasn’t long until the two of you arrived at her place, the big-looking house had lights on and off, and her mother was already waiting for us at the front porch, a sign that Jenna had already texted her mother about your arrival. It took you some time to walk there, and when you were at the front door, Jenna’s mother came to you. “Oh dear,” she said, raising her hand to caress your cheek. You flinched at first, which caused Natalie to move her hand away but then you leaned in for the touch, a gesture that made the woman smile sadly. “Come inside, let me help patch you up” she said and brought you inside the house, everyone was pretty asleep, the only ones awake in the house were Jenna and her mother. “Sit down, I’m gonna take my med kit. Jen can you make her something warm?” The young girl immediately sprinted towards the kitchen, and you were left alone in the living room for a brief moment before Natalie came back with whatever she needed.

The woman kneeled down in front of you and started taking a cloth as she dampened it in water and disinfectant, gently moving your head with her hand. “He messed you up real good huh?” You nodded and she placed the cloth on your busted lip, it did sting a while but then it turned into pleasure. Jenna walked over and placed a cup of tea on the table next to where you were sitting “thank you” you said quietly. “Do you know who did this to her?” Natalie said and Jenna nodded, you could see she was pretty upset, I mean, who wouldn’t be? “Yeah I know who he is. I swear I’m gonna make sure he looses his job” “you didn’t reply in the matter, not wanting to bring up some unwanted memory and you just zoned out, letting them talk until they were finished.

“(Y/N)” Jenna called, but you were too busy trying to think of something else, not wanting to focus on your now ex and what he did to you. “(Y/N)” she called once again, moving her hand in front of your face, but you weren’t budging. “(Y/N)!” She called again, this time raising her voice and putting a hand on your shoulder, snapping you out of your trance state. “Huh?” You said and looked at Jenna. The girl looked at her mother with a look that you considered “worried”.

“You’re bleeding” she said again, and you looked at yourself, your pants were soaked in blood and it wasn’t stopping. You didn’t know how to react, you weren’t scared, you weren’t worried, you were just confused but before you could realize it you were in the family car being taken to the hospital. It didn’t take long for you to be admitted, with Natalie being a nurse in that same hospital, now you sort of had privileges. You weren’t in pain, you were actually pretty calm but just to be sure, a nurse decided it would be a good idea to give you an ultrasound.

“You almost lost your baby, honey. It’s good that now you’re safe” the nurse said, and you furrowed your brows. “I’m sorry, what?” You asked, confused as hell. Baby? “Baby?” You said it out loud too, not believing what you had just heard. You weren’t pregnant. No, it couldn’t be… but when was the last time you had your period? You didn’t notice. “(Y/N), you didn’t know you were pregnant?” The nurse asked you, and you shook you head in shock not believing what you were hearing. “H-how… how far along am I?” The nurse looked at you with a sad smile, checking once again. “Judging on the size of the fetus I’d say that you’re entering the second trimester”

Fuck.

“T-that means that I ca- I can’t abort anymore. Right?” You were panicking. “I’m afraid that can’t be possible darling” Yep, you were definitely panicking. You couldn’t do this, you couldn’t deal with a baby. Not yet, not now. But on the other hand. You didn’t have any choice, did you? “Can we- can we leave? Please?” You looked both at Jenna and her mother, their eyes softening as they helped you off the bed and out of the hospital.

But when you got into the car, it hit you. “I can’t stay with you” you said, making the two women look at you. “I appreciate your help but with a baby-“ you shook your head. “It’s too much… I can’t ask you that” you said and you looked at Jenna the girl was looking at you with sad eyes, the look in them telling you a thousand things, yet you couldn’t even understand any of them. “Listen to me, dear” Natalie said, waiting for you to look at her and when you did, looking at her through the rearview mirror she began talking. “You have nowhere, no one to be with. We’re here to help, I’m a nurse, we have space in the house… trust me you won’t be a bother, okay? We want you and your baby to be okay and you certainly can’t go back to him. We’ll make sure he gets what he deserves”

———

You had to admit you didn’t expect all that support from Jenna and her family, you didn’t know them after all. But being with them, you learned a lot. You learned that your Ex was also Jenna’s ex and that he covered up a lot of bad things he did such as drug addiction and articles about him, just because he wanted to keep his reputation up high. So once you recovered fully, you and Jenna started working together on getting him arrested, you had a lot of evidence and so did she, so it was gonna be really easy.

Of course this brought the two of you to get incredibly closer, to the point where you’d watch movies together in the same room and fall asleep in the same bed, though with you always trying to keep some distance. You hated physical contact, and while Jenna loved it she always made sure to respect you and your spaces, knowing that you were scared of it, now it nearly burned you. You just couldn’t handle it and you were lucky that Jenna respected it.

The change in that came one day, when you had to go for the ultrasound to find out the gender. With Jenna’s help you learned to see the good sides of this pregnancy, you didn’t think of him anymore, you had started living out your life normally, you started booking roles, and Jenna’s manager was a huge help in that. Back to the ultrasound, you were now waiting for your turn, leg bouncing up and down and a hand on your baby bump. You had started feeling kicks recently, and this is one of those moments. “Is the baby kicking?” Jenna asked, seeing as you were gently caressing the bump. She had been coming with you to every doctor’s appointment and you were grateful to her for that. “Yeah… it feels weird” to said and looked at her. “Can I… can I feel it?” She asked.

Her question made you hesitate, you hated physical contact. Not because you didn’t like it, more because you were scared of it but she’s helped you so much, surely you could trust her… right? “Y-yeah” you said kind of nervously, you removed your hand and waited for her to place her own on your bump. Her touch was ever so delicate, her hand was so warm and soft and gentle, you had never felt this calm when someone was touching you. The baby kicked twice, right where her hand was and you saw a huge smile appear on her face and you had to be honest, it calmed you. Your eyes met for a couple seconds, god the feeling of safety she gave you. You were about to speak when the doctor came out.

“Miss (L/N)?” She called, and both you and Jenna recomposed before getting up and into the room, you laid on the bed and lifted your shirt. The cold gel was kind of soothing as you you looked at the monitor. “There it is” the doctor said smiling, turning the monitor for you to see. You could see the head and you could make out the arms and the little legs. “Would you like to hear the heartbeat while I figure out if you’re having a boy or a girl?” She asked and you looked at Jenna, before looking back at the monitor and nodding quickly “yes, yes please” the doctor nodded and turned on the audio, a fast heartbeat could be heard and you couldn’t help but smile “oh…” you teared up, looking at the monitor at the little baby moving its hands, while you had subconsciously took a hold of Jenna’s hand.

“Looks like you’re having a little girl!”

———

From that day on, you only grew closer with Jenna. You allowed her into your personal space and she treated you like a feather. Even when you cuddled, she always made sure you were comfortable with her, but how could you not be? She treated you like a princess. Her family treated you like their own, her mother always made sure you were taking your vitamins, giving you tips on how to do stuff the more your bump grew. Her sisters talked with you as if you were family, you enjoyed that, you loved that.

On this particular morning you had woken up with her by your side. The last thing you remembered from last night was watching a movie together, apparently you both fell asleep and didn’t notice. A few months ago you would have freaked out if someone was in your bed but now, not anymore. You looked at Jenna, scanned her face. God was she even more beautiful in the morning. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, mouth slightly ajar and the beautiful freckles sprawled on her nose and cheeks. You didn’t think you could have a crush on women but, here you were. You didn’t even notice when you moved a strand of hair off her face and behind her ear, letting your hand linger more than necessary on her cheek.

And that’s when she woke up. She stared at you with a small smile, blushing. And that’s when you realized. “Shit- I’m sorry” you said and immediately pulled your hand away, blushing and looking away as well. “No, don’t be sorry… I was enjoying it” she said softly as to not startle you “really?” You asked her, almost in a whisper as you looked at her in the eyes, she nodded softly and for a brief second you could swear you saw her looking at your lips. You nodded as well and placed your band back on her cheek. “You’re so pretty…” you whispered as you caressed her cheek. You blushed immediately after saying this and she blushed as well, the two of you giggling for a while, before going back to look at each other.

“Can I… kiss you?” She asked. No one was ever gentle enough to ask you to kiss you. No, people just assumed it was okay to do so without your consent. “Yeah…” you whispered and sheepishly nodded, you watched a smile appear on Jenna’s face before she leaned in to place the softest kiss on your lips, her lips were as soft as silk and god wasn’t she addicting. You felt as if your heart was going to explode in your chest, you were so happy right now. She was so careful, so gentle, and you felt so at peace around her. Unfortunately it was a short lived kiss, and she soon pulled back, however staying a few inches away from your face. She smiled softly and you did so too.

“I really like you, (Y/N)” she whispered, if you were smiling bright earlier, now your smile reached your ears and you pulled her down for one more kiss. She moved so she was slightly leaning over you and you could lay comfortably, while her hand gently found its place on your stomach, precisely on your baby bump. You sighed contently at the contact and placed your free hand on top of hers.

From that moment on, the two of you were a couple, and when you officially told her family, they already knew. They could sense the tension between the two of you and knew that sooner or later, you were going to end up together. You were never in a relationship this healthy and god was it good to live it. She talked about your daughter like her own, and it wasn’t rare that she’d talk to your bump, especially during your latest stages of pregnancy.

This was one of those days.

You were laying comfortably on your bed, and you had some back ache so Jenna made sure you had enough pillows around you, so you weren’t in any pain. She was laying next to you, a hand on your bump like always, tracing shapes on it and watching the baby’s reaction, which would be small kicks, but you were grunting because of your back ache so she decided to distract you a bit and she moved so she was facing your bump, hand still tracing shapes.

“Hello little one” she said in a cute voice, drawing your attention as you looked at her. “You know, your mama’s in a lot of pain and she really really wants to meet you… and so do I” she said and watched you giggle “I’m going to spoil you so much babygirl. I will buy you cute dresses, take you on sets and show you off to my friends… maybe we can take you to red carpets too! Your mama’s going to be with me anyway, right mama?” She asked you and you nodded happily, still smiling like an idiot and she placed kisses on your bump, where the baby was kicking, before coming up to kiss you very softly, like she always did.

“I love you” she said, for the first time since the two of you were officially a couple. You looked at her with heart eyes and a small smile before replying. “Really?” You asked her, only to watch her smile brighter. “Yes, I love you (Y/N)” she said and leaned down for another kiss, which you happily reciprocated “I love you too” you whispered.

It wasn’t too long after that you went into labor. You had agreed on doing a home birth, so that Jenna would nor be seen in public and followed by paparazzi, and well at least you had some peace. You hated hospitals anyways, so when they asked you this you happily agreed. Natalie was a nurse, and her best friend at the hospital was an OB so it was perfect for the occasion. You had medical attentions and all of that, so you and your babygirl were safe.

You had been having contractions the whole night and you couldn’t sleep. You had found a comfortable position on the bed, laying on your left side while Jenna was spooning you, hand on your bump while she sang to you trying to get you to feel better. Her mother was there, keeping track of your contractions and how close they were with one another. You weren’t much dilated yet, so with Jenna’s help you walked a bit around the house, some times stopping when you got the contractions. It took about 8 hours for you to get fully dilated and by then you were tired and in so much pain. The OB had arrived and was getting everything ready for you and the baby’s arrival, all while Jenna’s mother was filling the bathtub with warm water.

“Jen- I don’t think I can do this” you grunted in pain, all while taking your clothes off to get into the bath tub. “Yes, you can. love, look at me” she said and turned your face to look at her. “You got this. Okay? Your babygirl’s almost here, and then everything will be better” you nodded and almost immediately after that, you started pushing. God was it painful. You were squeezing Jenna’s hand so hard, you were sure it was gonna be bruised. After the second push, the head still wasn’t out and you were so tired. “Jen, it hurts” you said and a few tears escaped your eyes. “I know love, I know.” Jenna wanted to find another way to comfort you more, so she did something, that she actually saw on Grey’s anatomy.

Being fully dressed, she slid behind you inside the bath tub and wrapped her arms around you, being careful not to touch your stomach and kissed your forehead. “I’m here, my love. You’re okay.” This gave you a lot of confidence, and just in two more pushes, your little girl was out, and Jenna was right her cries made it worth everything.

Soon enough the little girl was placed in your arms and everything melted away. The pain, the exhaustion, it all went away the moment you met her eyes “hi babygirl” you nearly sobbed, Jenna looking at her from behind your shoulder “you did it my love… she’s gorgeous” she whispered and kissed your forehead once more. “How do you want to call her?” The OB asked, having to put it on the birth certificate. “Marie” you said without hesitation. “Marie (L/N)” Jenna looked at you both with love and surprise. “Babe, Marie is my middle name” she said and you nodded “I know… you saved my life, Jen. All this… is thanks to you” she smiled brightly and kissed you softly “god I love you so much”

———

Ever since your little girl was born, your life has been way much better. Marie was a sweet little angel, and Jenna took care of her almost as if she was her own daughter. You told her she didn’t have to give you this much help, but she wanted to. She wanted to take care of both you and your daughter, and you let her, of course. Almost every morning you’d find the two of them cuddling in your bed, Jenna would change her diapers, feed her, and do anything a mom does. Her family loved your daughter, and Jenna’s mother treated Marie like another niece. You and her were part of the family now.

Just like that, the first year of Marie’s life went by. In that period of time you had managed to shoot a couple movies, having gotten the roles thanks to Jenna’s help. No one except for your cast mates knew about you having a baby, but once you had gotten a bit more famous, you decided to hit to that with this instagram story.

“My two favorite babies <3”

Everyone tho knew about your relationship with Jenna. You didn’t make it public, but it was pretty obvious so the two of you didn’t mind posting pictures together. But the fact that you “might” have a baby (say might, because no one was sure yet) made this even more famous.

Sooner than you knew, Jenna was invited to the MET Gala, and she had invited you along. “Can we also bring Marie? Pretty pleaseeee” she basically begged, but how could you say no to that pretty face? Of course you had to agree.

The moment you stepped into the museum, everyone started cheering for the two, well, three of you. Your little girl was used to the loud noises so she was laughing and smiling at the cameras, you were sure that you would get a lot of pics form this gala. Yours and Marie’s dresses matched Jenna’s so every picture was going to look like a family picture and to be honest, none of you minded that.

Your little girl was now 1 and a half, she was walking and running around with you always making sure she didn’t get hurt and being hot on her trail. Then the cutest thing happened. Jenna was taking some photos alone, and you were standing not too far as you were being taken pictures with your daughter. Just as you placed her down once the photographers were satisfied, Marie saw Jenna and ran over, Making grabby hands at the young actress.

You mouthed an “I’m sorry” once Jenna looked at you, but she picked your daughter up and invited you over for some more pictures.

Yep, you were definitely going to enjoy this family pictures.

Part two…?

Comment with what you’d want to read!

Taglist: @livininshadow @cartierdreamx @oh-thats-cute-blog @fanboy7794 @seph305 @eviekensington @tundra1029 @secretbackrooms @wandassock @mindingmybidness12 @ulicebld @sgriffin0127-blog @realgreyscxle @andsoigotabutterfly

[lovesickonmybed]

Maybe since Ellie has been trying to get help for her toxic tendencies, what would be readers reaction to her doing something nice for the first time?

I think Ellie would always do nice stuff for reader but I think the first time reader would see that Ellie is changing for the better they’d be out together at the local video store looking for some stuff to add to Ellies horror collection. 

You’re searching through the titles looking for something good when you spot it, a Criterion Collection copy of Dead Ringers. “Holy shit, weren’t we talking about this one last week?” You exclaim, holding the DVD up for Ellie to see. Her eyes go wide and she grabs you by the wrist to pull it closer and get a better look.

“Good find, babe. You know I love Cronenberg, even if you think his stuff is gross,” she chuckles, grabbing the copy from your hands and putting it in her basket.

“Not everyone can handle body horror like you, El,” you roll your eyes.

“You’ll learn to love it…just like you learned to love my wedgies,” she teases, playfully reaching for your waist. You squeal and let yourself fall into her as she wraps her arm around your waist, she kisses your cheek and smiles at you.

“Can you guys get a room, jesus christ, some of us are trying to shop here!” Snarks the most film bro looking film bro you’ve ever seen in your life, he’s even wearing an A24 baseball cap. The old Ellie would’ve gotten up in his face, threatened him, made him fuck off for sure. But the new Ellie, the Ellie who tries to keep her anger under control, takes a deep breath before turning to face the man. 

“Sorry, honeymoon phase, y’know. I just can’t help how cute my girl is. The dramas are two aisles over by the way, bud.” She allows herself one snarky comment, keeping it playful. 

“I was actually looking for Men, the Alex Garland movie, so I’m in the right section, but thanks.”

You and Ellie have to turn away to try and contain your laughter, you throw your arm around Ellies shoulder to whisper, “Of course he would wanna watch that pile of shit…”

Ellie snorts, “Be nice…you’re supposed to be my good example to look up to.”

You roll your eyes playfully, “You can look up at me later when you’re on your knees, okay?” You admittedly feel a little proud of yourself for that even if it is kind of corny.

Ellie is the one rolling her eyes this time, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink, “You’re the one who’s supposed to be on their knees y’know?”

“Maybe I wanna see you from a different angle this time,” you say, pulling her closer and smirking.

“I’ll think about it on the way back to my place,” Ellie mumbles bashfully.

You two walk up to the counter with your picks, thanking some higher power for the video store having Criterion Collection films always be half off. You set them on the counter, Dead Ringers, Dogtooth, and Piggy being your picks for today. The cashier, a pretty girl with curly brown hair, rings up your picks and tells you the total, you reach for your wallet but Ellie is already handing the clerk enough cash to cover it. Ellie looks over at you and smiles, “I got it.”

You groan, “Those were gonna be gifts for you!”

“Maybe I wanted to gift them to myself,” she smiles.

“Ugh, Ellie! You should’ve let me pay!” You whine, giving the cashier a quick smile as you grab the bag and the receipt, heading for the door.

“You can pay me back after the movie tonight,” Ellie says, opening the door for you and slapping your ass as you walk ahead of her. Ellie admires her view of you as she follows you out to the car. She’s excited to tell her therapist about her progress at their next session.

[palomahasenteredthechat]

My thoughts on AQPDO

So, did this image appear in the actual film? Yeah, that's what I thought...

I loved it, and I was disappointed by it. This is long, so buckle in. Major Spoilers discussed below.

First, the outstanding: the performances. Holy hell. Lupita. Just...her talent is breathtaking. To sustain that level of intensity without overdoing it, I am simply in awe. Well done. I hope some attention is paid to her performance when award season rolls around. Ditto Alex Wolff. He did a LOT with so little screentime. Djimon too; they all were so, so moving.

Joe was so heartbreaking, and yet Joe's character is one of the things I am disappointed about, because I needed more. Not because I love Joe, but because the story needed it. I know there was a backstory that was cut, and to be honest I don't think that was necessarily a poor decision, but the issue is it was cut late in the creative process, versus in the writing, and that is where the problem is. More on that in a bit, but Joe delivered a sensitive and moving performance, and really understated as well. Not a bit of the cheeky Joe we have come to love so much that also I think pops out in Eddie and Michael occasionally. He was wholly immersed in Eric's reality and his energy complimented Lupita's so well; you can see how much they worked off each other. Dare I say she elevated his game. Another marathon performance and I can imagine how exhausting it must be to sustain that.

Second, Michael Sarnoski, hats off to you sir. The pacing, the way you put the story together visually, your heartbreaking script, just so well done. I hope they release the shooting script because I would love to read it and see the words (or lack of) that Joe and Lupita interpreted so movingly. I wonder if Michael has processed the death of a parent recently, because I felt so much emotion from this story. This film is about accepting the inevitability of death, while going through the five stages of grief, yet seeking to live fully regardless. Trigger warning: DO NOT see this movie if you are going through a rough time with someone who is terminally ill. It will wreck you. But this film is tragically, beautifully human. To deliver that story in a Hollywood big budget action film is a hat trick. Every actor in Hollywood who wants to grow creatively should be calling their agents asking to work with Michael Sarnoski right now.

Also, shout out to the production design people. They completely suspended my disbelief that the characters weren't in New York. Set design, lighting, like I could SMELL New York. Virtual production is getting so fucking good - we're well past the Unreal Wall vistas of the Mandalorian. If you ask yourself how A24 could shoot an Iraq war movie in the pastoral hills of England this is your answer.

Now, the not so good.

Go back and watch the first and second trailers and tell me how many of those moments were in the movie. Answer: barely any.

Map claw hand? We have to get out of the city? Gay couple? Old man turning off engine? Nada.

So, was this all misdirection in the marketing, making the audience think they were coming to see a summer action movie? That's legit, trying to get butts in seats, but I have a strong feeling Michael delivered a very different movie that was hacked up in the testing process. All of those scenes probably made the movie feel 'too long', and they had to cut them back to balance the action sequences with the emotional sequences.

The helicopters overhead spelling out THEY CAN'T SWIM probably came from focus group comments where someone was like 'why didn't the aliens just cross the river and start eating people in New Jersey?' (good point). But I'll bet you they wanted to give Alex Wolff's character a more significant death in regard to Samira's emotional journey, so they reshot the scene with the old man turning off the engine and had Alex do it instead.

Also, I get the strong feeling Eric showed up in the story much earlier in the original cut of the film, and the scene with Map Claw Hand illustrates that. The big question regarding Eric is why this random sad British dude gloms on to Samira and I'm not sure they answer that question in the final cut. Joe absolutely sells it, but it doesn't make sense and I suspect it's because it wasn't written that way.

Also, and call me crazy, but I think Joe is wearing a wig in some parts of this movie and not in other parts. It would make sense if there were significant reshoots based on early testing of the film. I wonder if the Alien Lava Tiki Bar (what...was that actually) scene was added later. Like, I get why Eric went up there- actually I don't, I think Eric would have been focused on getting the medicine back to her and wouldn't have taken a detour up scaffolding to follow I cat at all, but that's just me.

Finally, let's talk about the cat. Both Schnitzel and Nico are exquisite and enjoyable to watch, though how no one got scratched or bitten by a disgruntled feline is a mystery. We had a long debate about whether The Cat Represents Samira's Life, or The Cat is An Angel, or Fate, but ultimately we just went with KITTY and that made the story more enjoyable.

Samira is on a quest, to die on her terms, and once she accepts her fate, she sheds the things that no longer matter to her, and in the process gives Eric a purpose. The scene in the jazz bar was so moving. The final shot is also incredibly moving, and I hope the city was filled with the sound of music one last time, a beautiful elegy accompanying her soul to heaven.

Bravo.

[cowboycannibalism]

just got out of a late showing of Talk To Me and I have thoughts!

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

so let's dive in while it's still fresh in my mind

Grief is a heavy player in this movie and that's what makes it so good. So much of what happens is because of Mia not being able to let go or face her grief. she's vulnerable to the spirits/demons/souls because she's lonely and sad and she's trying to find anything to make her feel.

The opening scene was absolutely amazing! it sets up how fucking crazy the movie is going to be. It brings us into the world where everything is for views, everyone is entertainment even when they're suffering. It's not the focus of the film but they way social media guides the story is interesting.

to add to the previous point, every time someone does the "game"/seance, the others whip out their phones with lightening speed. They laugh, they point their cameras at the possessed and scream and shout in joy regardless of what the possessed is doing. we see this in Daniel's first go which is a weird sexual possession that leaves him embarrassed and scared, whereas the group is laughing and recording. it's also what brings Mia to the hand in the first place, she keeps seeing the videos posted of people playing the game and having "fun"

I really liked the kangaroo scene because it was so jarring and the foreshadowing was just mwah. wonderful.

I will admit Mia got annoying because you want her to know that she should stop, but she won't. I was literally trying not to yell at the screen lol

on the other hand (ha hand), I get it. She was desperate, grief will do that to you, she just wanted answers and closure. And that can drive you mad.

The gore/violence in the movie was so good for a possession film! The Riley scene was intense and had the small amount of us in the theater squirming and yelling and gasping. And the limbo/purgatory scene although brief was not what I was expecting and it blew me away, it gave cronenbergian/yuzna's Society [1989] vibes.

the cast was very very good! Sophie Wilde played Mia with such an intensity and passion that drew me in even when I didn't care for her character's actions. And the supporting cast stood their own which was awesome because sometimes in horror those other characters can sometimes get pushed aside or fade into the background.

the sound design had me so tense! I swear I thought I was hearing things and not sure if it was me or the movie. We don't talk enough about sound when it comes to horror. It's honestly what really scares me, more than the actual scenes, it's the score that revs up my anxiety and fear.

All in all, the movie was really good! I'm not even a huge fan of possession horror but I was excited to see it and really glad that I did. I know it's been greenlit for a sequel which would be interesting depending on where they take the story but I'm definitely more interested in the prequel that they've already made!! I hope it gets picked up by A24 like the sequel is because I definitely would like to know more about the hand and mythology behind the "game".

Just to add on some more personal thoughts: It's interesting to me how often grief plays a role in horror. From Midsommar to Hereditary to The Babadook to classics like Pet Sematary, the list goes on. We are vulnerable when we're grieving, easier to let bad things in or ignore the people who love us who are trying to help. When I watch horror about grief, it gets to me more often than any others because I've known grief like a childhood friend. It's been with me my entire life. But I've learned to handle it better than I used to, and with movies like this it's a safe place for me to let it consume me, let it be messy and overwhelming like it is for the characters in the movie.

Anyways to wrap this up please go see Talk To Me! If you like possession movies you'll like it, if you like movies with deeper layers you'll like it, it feels like there's a little bit of everything to appeal to most horror fans.

[restinslices]

your hc about the linkuei brothers watching movies are very funny. What would it be like watching horror movies? Or movies about martial arts? I feel that bi-han would criticize absolutely every detail of every blow or movement. You can choose only one type of movie if you want, I understand that sometimes it is difficult to have inspiration to write them. You can ignore this too! Thank you 🫡

I’ve never really been into martial arts movies so I went with horror since I had more experience with those. Hope you enjoy!

I kinda feel like Bi-Han is one of those people that can’t enjoy horror movies because he thinks logically too much 

He can’t go dumb for the movie and that ruins it for him

Take Scream for example (fuck Scream 7. Don’t watch that shit when it comes out), he cannot understand how people are actually killed by Ghostface 

The mask should mess up their vision, plus the robe, plus it’s a regular person. Typically a teenager or young adult. How are they killing that many people? Their victims are pathetic

He immediately knows who Ghostface is, or who any secret killer is. He sees the signs right away and is like “how isn’t it obvious?”

A bummer the whole time 

You gotta shut off your brain and have a good time when watching a horror movie, Especially slashers.

Don’t get him started on the Evil Dead movies 

He’s so mad they read from the book. If he saw Evil Dead Rise, he’d walk out the room

”The book opened when Danny bled on it-“

We know Bi-Han. We’re angry too

A horror movie can fr ruin this mans day

He’d probably like psychological movies or those A24 movies 

“You don’t get it because you have to think”

Yes, he’s one of those 

Shut the fuck up. You are not better than anyone 

Not as much of a bummer

Do I think he loves horror movies? Eh. Probably not

Does he hate them? No

They’re just alright 

I’m getting monster flick vibes from him for some reason

Dracula, Frankenstein, The Thing, movies like those 

My proof? I have none. I can just see it in my head

Do zombies also count as monster flicks or are they their own genre? Either way, I can see him enjoying those too. I think he’d be into the classic monster flicks. The black and white ones 

In general he’s into the older horror movies from years ago. Yeah the effects are bad and maybe the acting is too, but they’re the originals and what got the genre rolling

I don’t think horror is his favorite genre so I don’t see him putting one on out of a “man I really wanna see a horror movie” need. More so out of boredom 

Is also bothered by dumb actions, but he understands that the movie gotta keep moving somehow 

The type that can watch a horror movie then go to sleep immediately after 

Doesn’t stay up to date with new horror movies coming out. He just hears about the popular ones that blow up

Like how Hereditary was everywhere 

He enjoys them. It’s just not his favorite and he doesn’t think about it

His favorite subgenres would be paranormal and home invasion 

Proof? None. I’m just thinking of subgenres and assigning them-

Paranormal movies are easy to enjoy. Any movie with a supernatural element is easy to enjoy to be honest. He can put it on and just relax

Home invasion movies are for days when he really wants to feel some fear in his bones 

The Strangers (original. Not the recent remake) is a good example 

Are the main characters idiots? Yes. Them feeling sad they accidentally killed a friend and leaving the secure room was dumb

But it’s still a movie that gets your blood pumping 

Home invasion movies are scary because home is supposed to be a safe space. These movies break that idea 

Horror movies are supposed to scare you, and he likes it

Hates unnecessary jumpscares 

It’s just super cheap 

Just make the movie good and give genuine scares 

When horror movies really amp up the sex factor, that also bothers him

He can handle sex, but he didn’t choose to watch an erotic movie. Put the scary shit

I’m projecting 

Hates super gorey and/or torture porn movies 

Sorry Jigsaw

[lemonhemlock]

S02E03 First Impressions

- this episode annoyed me a lot less than the last one. i really liked the harrenhal sequence. my gosh, what a great actor simon russell beale is! i mean, i knew already, but goodness. matt smith plays really well off of him. great, moody vibes, great decor and a terrific introduction to alys as a character. daemon conceptualizing rhaenyra as her teenage self.......delicious! this whole section looked lifted off of an A24 movie. loved it!

- i like that they at least attempted to create some tension within the black faction with 1. rhaenys insisting to corlys that he name rhaena his heir and him being meh about it and 2. rhaena feeling resentful at rhaenyra for sending her away to care for children. it's still quite tepid for my tastes and i remain unimpressed because it took them this long to depict even the seeds of disagreement

- you know, i don't even dislike this version of rhaenyra. i don't even dislike this version of mysaria. but they're totally different characters from the book. i've spoken about this before but someone with rhaenyra's current assigned personality would not have done the things rhaenyra has done. i like how anxious she is during council meetings, for example, and i appreciate how she tries to avoid bloodshed, but they want to make her into this reasonable leader because they don't know how to write a story that has two >problematic< sides. they need the dichotomy of good v bad, because the only deconstruction they know how to do is to make the "good guys" just a tad questionable and not perfect and to make the "bad guys" at most a little humanized. they just don't have the guts to go all out from the beginning. i know we will get to mad queen rhaenyra because the story beats demand it (hopefully), but they have to start rhaenyra off as wise and temperate. they don't know how to write book!rhaenyra, who was awful but raw and real in her grievances and could have been sympathetic as such.

- not even going into mysaria the unicef goodwill ambassador. they defanged her so much but without even redistributing her involvement in b&c to daemon. instead, it's all just a harmless fuck up. the diminishing of b&c is such that helaena seems over it this episode. ?? way to gloss over one of the most horrifying scenes grrm has ever thought up. i swear to god, rhaenyra was depicted as feeling more sorry for jaehaerys than helaena. 😵

- my main gripe with this episode, though, is the glorification of viserys. please, i am so tired. i get why otto would be ultimately fawning over him, i get why rhaenyra would hold on to a rose-coloured glass view of her father. i even get why alicent would inhale so much copium as a survival mechanism. but why are we, so often, throwing around so many uncritical statements about viserys being a great king and person? he forced pregnancies on his ailing first wife, killed her to get a son out of her, engineered a succession crisis and maritally raped his teenage wife, impregnating her against her will, too. why is there nothing, not one statement by anyone inviting the reader to contest that? it's one of the grossest things they're doing. is this a joke?

-as such, i don't careeeeeeee about viserys' death bed wish!!!!! i understand why it may be important to alicent and rhaenyra personally. FINE. have them quibble over it in the sept. but no one is making the legal argument that aegon is viserys' heir by andal law! no one! the show wants you to believe that it allllllll hinges on viserys' death murmurings. oh ffs. it can be a good propaganda tool to use, but the king's word is not law as this fantasy setting was imagined with its political structures in place, political structures that the author didn't bother to change from the european medieval history he took inspiration from. he left them as is, so they function as is!!! there are no explanations given as to how or why the westerosi power structure would function differently! the only MARGINAL argument we have heard is that the lords would never accept a woman for a monarch, but never the law itself: a son comes before a daughter and a daughter comes before an uncle. watch the greens in the next episode claim aemond is aegon's heir over jaehaera because the writers won't allow them to remember their own laws. ☠

-as it is, alicent's actions don't make any goddamn sense. if she always thought that somehow viserys' has the last say in naming his successor, then why is she yelling at teenage aegon that he is rhaenyra's challenge simply by living and breathing? why is otto telling her that she has to prepare aegon to rule or else cleave to rhaenyra's mercy? why is little aemond telling teenage aegon that helaena will be his queen? where did he hear that from? if alicent always intended for rhaenyra to take the throne? why is she telling her children since they were small that aegon will be king? it obviously didn't matter to her that viserys failed to actually nominate aegon. it's obvious that she was planning this for a very long time. also, the fact that they wrote that the council "went behind her back" to crown aegon doesn't make any goddamn sense either. it's just a plot hole. they are so inconsistently writing this schroedinger's alicent - she meticulously prepares for years so that aegon could be a legitimate king - gives him the conqueror's name, makes him marry his sister, make him have heirs of his own, tells her children this is what is going to happen, but somehow isn't aware that the council she headed for years was planning the same thing. somehow she was waiting for viserys' say-so. i don't have a problem with highlighting hypocrisy, but this is just a straight-up plothole.

- gwayne. listen, i love freddie fox as much as any man. i knew i was going to stan gwayne since he was cast, no doubt about it. i love how sassy he is. i'm intrigued by the buddy-cop comedy they seem to be building for him and criston. but did they really have to make him sneer at criston specifically because he is dornish and lowborn? and no one is batting an eye? this is so unserious. dorne is not even part of targaryen rule at this point and it hasn't even been mentioned once. no one has said anything about the status of dorne, about how the dornish are viewed throughout the rest of westeros and why. i bet the general public didn't even catch on that being dornish is viewed through a racist lens and that criston is not considered white. 🤦‍♀️ not to mention that ofc they gave the racist line to a green character, whereas rhaenyra gets to collect POC characters like pokemons to prop herself up as a diversity champion

[allastoredeer]

I just found some Hazbin Hotel leaks, pre-being pick up by A24 and, do you know we could have had an episode where Charlie meets all the Deadly Sins? We were absolutely robbed of a pretty good filler episodes before the big finale with heaven.

Here's link to the leaks: https://imgur.com/a/nCorcZq

In case the link doesn't work, you can also look at this tumblr post: https://www.tumblr.com/hellaverse-critical-confessions/727383242254204928/hello-the-pre-a24-leaks-anon-again-heres-link?source=share

I really hope they use some of this old concepts on the next season cause they seem quite funny and interesting. Those ideas could help flush the characters out a bit more and the worldbuilding. What do you think?

Me writing notes while reading the leaks:

OOOH HOO WE GOT SOME WONDERFUL CHARACTER INSIGHTS! Especially with Husk!

“Angel and Charlie drag Husk out to a carnival show to show him the not-so-sleazy side of life. This proves difficult with Husk being raised to know nothing but crime and no experience with innocent fun.”

Husk has no experience with innocent fun. He only knows the sleazy side of life T.T Also he has mob connections 👀That is good to know. I find that so, so interesting. It explains it grim outlook on life. Why he's hardly every smiling or having fun. I think one of the first times we actually see him smile is after fighting those shark demons with Angel Dust in "Masquerade."

Now that I'm thinking about it, he smiles a lot more after that. Or, at least from what I remember. I might need to rewatch the show (for the dozenth time, LMAO). But, that kind also goes to show how much this guy needs friends. Good relationships. Connections outside of crime, which is all he's known all his life.

I WANT HUSK TO HAVE PURE, DUMB FUN AND TO LAUGH AND SMILE AND IM SOBBING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

Also love delving more into Vaggie too. How she's incredible responsible, but controlling. After reading through a few of the episode description about her, my personal headcanon/take is that she still has a bit of that "angels are superior" mindset in the way that when she challenges Maxine, she's quickly reminded of her own limits when she's defeated "very easily." It's like what Carmilla was saying in the show. The angels are arrogant in their fighting. They leave themselves open, they're brash, and uncoordinated because they're not used to fighting demons who can actually fight back.

As far as we've seen, all of their victims are regular demons. None of the Overlords. Well, except Carmilla that one time, and she'd taken down the Exorcists with relative ease because she knows how to fight, and she's powerful. Given that this is the first time an Exorcist has been killed, and the first time we hear about an Overlord being attacked during the Extermination, I assume not a lot of Exorcists come face to face with the Overlords.

So, this kind of brash arrogance still lingering in Vaggie, who see's a demon talking down to her and automatically challenges them to a fight, only to lose immediately. Then her falling back into her insecurities that if she's not able to protect/fight for something/someone, than she's useless (which is ANOTHER thing she's learned from her time as an Exorcist angel--if she's unable to fight for the cause, what use does she have?). It's like this double-edged sword, and I'm rahhhhhh I'm gnawing on it.

ALSO ALSO, getting not only one annual event held in Hell, but TWO! "Hells Weapons Exo," (which I like to think Vox co-hosts with Carmilla, as she is a weapons manufacturer, and Vox is the guy to go to if you're looking to sell/buy something. Also, Vox HAS to have a showmanship side of him. Like, a legitimate showy, entertainer side--which I also like to think is what brought him and Alastor together before their, uh, falling out.)

Their second event being "Challenge Day" where lower tiered demons can challenge higher tiered demons for control over souls? I interpreted this in two ways, 1) challenging a higher tiered demon for the souls they already own, or 2) challenging the person who owns your soul as a way to get it back - both of which I really like. It actually fits really well with some of the world-building I've been doing for the last few days, so I am eating it up.

ALSO THE FACT THAT THERE'S A ROYAL BALL HELD AFTER "CHALLENGE DAY." My RadioApple brain LATCHED onto that so quickly. Imagine Lucifer taking Alastor to the royal ball as his date T.T I wanna see them all dressed up fancy, and I want them to dance, and dsofslknjljblkjbj FUUUUUUCK

Thank you SO Much for sending me this! I am soaking up these lore pieces like a sponge.

It also mentions Angel and Charlie taking Husk to a carnival show, which makes me wonder if there are places like carnivals open in Pentagram City, or if it's similar to the traveling circus thing Blitz grew up in. Like, do hellborn demons who doing travelling circus/carnivals just go through all the rings, one-by-one, including the Pride Ring? That way the Sinners get to get in on it too? AH! I just love thinking about it.

Thank you thank you I am feasting so much right now.

(THIS ALSO MAKES ME SO UPSET ABOUT STUDIOS LIMITING SERIES DOWN TO 8-10 EPISODES A SEASON, WE COULD'VE GOTTEN SO MUCH CONTENT AND WORLD BUILDING IF THEY'D GIVEN VIVZIE AND HER TEAM A PROPER SEASON TO BUILD IT ALL UP AND GRRRRRRRR)

Oh, also, I just realized I didn't answer your original question about the Sins, GOD I wish we got that. I want to see Charlie interacting with all the Sins so badly. Though, I suppose with Amazon not really owning Hazbin Hotel, where all the Sin's have been showing up, I wonder if they'd be able to do an episode like at all.

I don't know. Things to think about.

But to sum up! Thank you so much for this! I know this answer kind of went on long LOL, but you have given me so much brain food and I am eternally grateful 🙏

[wizardsvslesbians]

Isaac here. I have been remiss, allowing recommendations to pile up in our inbox! I'll put them in one big post here. I think these have evolved to be at least partially intended for our audience rather than for us, so I'll include each whole pitch as a public service.

i would be curious to what yall think about Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane, which is about lesbian Achilles in a T4T relationship, and then things get Weird. if nothing else it’s the most creative of the recent wave of myth retellings

This has now been rec'd twice! I'll put the requisite little star by it.

finally got around to watching love lies bleeding and while it doesn't qualify as wizlez by virtue of not being sff, it absolutely is in the zeitgeist as it hits many, many of the main beats of the wizlez subgenre. wizlez might really hit the mainstream at some point

If the wizlez movie escapes A24 and replaces the my dead wife is a 9/11 metaphor movie at the top of the cinematic heap I'll be surprised but not shocked

i'd like to request Vinbre the Novel by Opacifica! While it is technically a fanfiction, it uses a totally original setting and cast and doesn't require any prior knowledge. It veeery much qualifies for the podcast

Clever, clever. "Technically a fanfiction." You thought I wouldn't notice how many letters these characters' names have? How many sweeps do you want us to spend on this, exactly?

hi! been binge-listening and really enjoy your analysis :) I have a few recommendations -- first, leech by hieron ennes, which may not fit the brief precisely but definitely plays with a lot of the themes that you seem interested in (power, empire, hive minds, immortality, child abuse, body horror). I loved this one and I think it may be to your taste. also, star eater by kerstin hall and the scorpion rules by erin bow -- two dystopian novels with prominent wlw characters and definite wiz vs lez vibes. I can't vouch that these two are Good per se, but I definitely think they're interesting and bring a lot to discuss.

The Scorpion Rules is in fact on our to-cover list, and is only waiting for us to get some different murder at the boarding school books out of the way first.

it's been a hot minute but i have a book rec! It doesn't have lesbians per se but it is very Gender so it may make a good Special Episode (or at least y'all would enjoy it i think!) it's The West Passage by Jared Pechacek. Little scrungly babies scurry around a castle the size of a city. Decay! Casual cannibalism! gorgeous illustrations by the author! medieval steven universe worldbuilding! it was very weird and very beautiful

I do like books that take place in One Giant Building.... I'll give it a shot...

Wanted to drop a rec for you guys! Author is hiyodori and the book is The lowest healer and the highest mage!

This has also been recommended twice and we will probably, maybe get to it.

Look I'm aware that due to the time commitment which is on par with reading Homestuck and the audio format it's basically impossible to cover all of it. But fellow wizards vs lesbians listeners should know that the magnus archives probably counts as wizards vs lesbians. There are a million wizards, women fall in love, and lesbians definitely attack the wizards. plus there's an assortment of bad mothers and monstrous children. It somehow has a coherent plot and themes by the end as well, if you can stick with the motw format long enough. However it's mostly wizard pov

It is in fact possible to read the Magnus Archives as an ebook, thanks largely to the efforts of my friend Snarp. I mean, we won't be doing it, at all, ever. But it is possible.

whenever the two of you feel like reading young adult: these feathered flames by alexandra overy has an interesting lesbian (who is also a wizard? or at least has a wizard within her?), and the sequel has an evil wizard who comes the closest to “actual wizard, with the hat and beard and everything” i’ve ever seen

Yeah, why not.

[mrs-stans]

Sebastian Stan Talks Career Interests And His ‘A Different Man’ Film

By Jeff Conway

Sure, you likely know him for his many Marvel film appearances as Bucky Barnes, but actor Sebastian Stan has often taken “the road less traveled” when it comes to his career, having built quite the unique repertoire of memorable performances in far less conventional films.

That observation has arguably never been more visible than with his involvement in the new A24 film, A Different Man. Written & directed by Aaron Schimberg and co-starring Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve, it tells the story of Edward (Stan), an aspiring actor who undergoes a breakthrough medical procedure to transform his facial appearance, but soon regrets his decision when he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what he has lost.

I sat down with Stan, Pearson and Schimberg to uncover the origin and the creative thought process that went into this new project, which is now playing in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles - nationwide come October 4. For filmmaker Schimberg, this purposefully uncomfortable narrative and the overall project hits rather close to home.

Schimberg said, “I mean, for me, it’s sort of a personal story. I have cleft palate and it’s just sort of me thinking about how it’s affected me in my life and others’ perception of me and my perception about myself. My previous film [Chained for Life] also dealt with the subject in some ways, so that’s sort of what I am always thinking about when I am starting to write a film. I was also thinking about Adam because I had worked with him previously and he played a shy character in Chained for Life, my last film, and he’s not shy at all - and yet, people I think sort of thought that he was playing himself in my movie because they sort of assumed that he must be shy. So, I was inspired to write something that was closer to who he is - taken to a comical extreme, maybe, and I wanted him to show off his range, but I also just wanted to work with him again, so these were some of the starting points.”

Pearson, a British actor with neurofibromatosis, which is a rare genetic disorder that typically causes benign tumors of the nerves and growths in other parts of the body, went on to share what it was about A Different Man and his Oswald character that most intrigued him to want to make this his next film.

“Well, I enjoyed working with Aaron the first time, so when he said, ‘Would you consider working with me again?’ Straight away, I was like, Ding Ding! Round two - let’s rock and roll. Then the script - all the words have weight. There’s very little wasted motion in the script. The end result of the film is quite challenging and holds up a mirror to an audience. I’ve never been a fan of hand-holding or sugar-coating. I think audiences can be a lot smarter than we often give them credit for. A good film will change what you think for a couple of days, but a great film will change how you think for the rest of your life. We’re certainly trying, at least, to be in the great film business.”

With Stan not only acting in A Different Man but also an executive producer, I wondered how he has perhaps noticed his interests and priorities towards the stories that matter most to him as a professional and human being evolving as time goes on.

Stan said, “Well, you get a little older and the questions get a little scarier. A few years ago, I just decided to kind of just be a little bit more aggressive about finding specific work that was interesting and different and kind of challenging for me than what I was getting to do. Eventually, you find yourself in conversations that are in the development of certain things and that might lead to a producing kind of aspect. I think in this [A Different Man] situation, I was involved before A24 came on, which never really happens for me. Not only because of obviously how I felt about the story and so on, I felt really brought in by Aaron and [producer] Vanessa [McDonnell] into their journey with this film and like what they were wanting to do. So, I felt a much bigger attachment than I usually do as an actor in a way.”

When it came time to film A Different Man, Stan recalls the production not having much time, which he actually found to be helpful within his producer role “because when you’re involved in some capacity beyond acting, sometimes you can kind of go, Hey, let’s continue shooting or something. You can help add more to the making of it in some capacity and that was big for us, given our time - that we didn’t have a lot of time.”

In fact, during one particular scene in the film, Stan remembers while everybody else was wrapping up the production trucks for the night, he decided to head out on the streets of New York City with his A Different Man director of photography Wyatt Garfield and Schimberg to grab additional footage. “I just kind of took one of his other little cameras and then we started going up and down Columbus Avenue. It was Friday night and we just got all these shots. Maybe you don’t always get to do that, so that was helpful.”

As I began to conclude my conversation with these three gentlemen, I wondered what Pearson and Stan would say to their A Different Man characters, Oswald and Edward, after seeing their stories play out on-screen and understanding their wants out of life.

Pearson said, “I’d be like to Oswald, Maybe turn it down a little bit. Be nicer to [Stan’s character Edward] because he might not say it, but he loves you and he needs you right now.”

As for the message Stan would tell Edward, he said, “Listen to me! I’m here - I’m telling you. I don’t know how I feel about this. Just hear me out.”

He then added: “It’s very interesting because we all have these moments in life, big or small, where you make a decision or you even say something because you’re with other people or you’re supposed to say something the right way, but you know your reaction in the moment or the decision you’re making is not what your gut is like really telling you. Then, you feel kind of like you’ve abandoned yourself, but then you just quickly deny that - that can kind of like spiral down. We’ve all kind of not owned certain things in the moment and that’s sort of what happens. He kind of drowns out that voice.”

[lordeemailarchive]

A note from Lorde

(27/03/2024) ("Take Me to the River" cover release)

Hey you, it's me

Today my version of "take Me To The River" from the Stop Making Sense compilation comes out. Do you remember the first time you ever heard Talking Heads? I'll tell you my story.

Ok, it's 2008. I'm twelve years old, eyes painted black, jaw blasted with acne. My bedroom is a nest of posters, broken toys, street signs. I've kissed with tongue.

Something's happening to me: i am beginning to ooze out in every direction. I feel a constant burning urge to express myself, to draw a map that leads to who l am. I can't get it right; there's deep discomfort in this, and I have no choice but to keep trying.

At the same time, I'm realising that if I look at a picture or listen to a song sometimes a surge of feeling will take over my whole body. In this way, I can remove my strange-feeling insides and replace them with whatever I want. I can't predict what exactly will do this to me, so I have to try everything. Things are either corny, or they're cool. Occasionally, the thing that replaces my insides is a total mystery to me, not corny or cool but somehow both, and through this feeling I have my first experiences with the divine.

My mother, an artist herself, sees the ooze. She brings her laptop into my room one night and puts on a Youtube video. It's grainy, 240p at best. In the video I see a band from another time performing on a TV show. The lead singer wears a suit, has high cheekbones and slicked-back dark hair. To his left a blonde girl plays bass. They stand in pools of light. The dark haired man is singing a song about wanting someone, not being sure why. He is a preacher, a controlled fire, a wild animal. He's moving like ive never seen anyone move, and his eyes are rolling back in his head. He knows how it feels to kiss with tongue. The wifi signal drops in and out from downstairs.

I feel a portal open between me and the screen. Humour, lust, rhythm and ritual course through me. I don't understand what I'm feeling, but I do understand that the band in the grainy video live with the same strangeness that I do. My palms tingle. My insides are replaced.

This version of the first Talking Heads song I ever heard was done in a few days in Echo Park, L.A. with my friend Jimmy. It's my interpretation of that pixellated spiritual experience. We did it fast, I didn't let myself tidy it up too much, it had to feel young and imperfect, the peeling posters, the jaw of acne. It's beyond a great honour to be part of this compilation. In doing so, I am reaching back through time and pinning something to that kid's wall.

Hope you like it

PS* Immediately after that Top of the Pops clip finished, I had my first of many, many viewings of Stop Making Sense. I am truly changed as I know you were too by that group of people on the Pantages stage moving together with warmth, strangeness and pure cool. It was so great to go to the theatre and feel that again on a big screen. Love to DB, Tina, Jerry and Chris, and to Lynn, Edna, Alex, Steve, and Bernie Worrell.

(source: A24 newsletter)

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

Btw—

When I talk about and critique both Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, I say “writers” or “creative heads” and not just “Vivziepop” because I don’t know what the HB writers room looks like. Writing is often a group effort with a head writer credited—I know that Vivienne is usually the head writer and has creative control, but because I still don’t know what the writing situation is like or how collaborative the writing room for HB and HH is, I don’t want to contribute ALL of the writing to Vivienne alone, especially since Brandon Rogers and Adam Neylan are also head writers.

In general I’ve also noticed in general that despite both HB and HH being big projects with a lot of really, really talented and creative musicians, animators, and artists working on them, most people tend to talk about them as being created solely by Vivziepop. (More below cut)

I think acting like Vivzie does everything is a huge disservice to all the people who contribute to the show.

It’s gotten to the point where, sometimes, if you search a song from HB it will usually have VP listed as the creator/composer and not the person who actually wrote the song.

This is especially prevalent on Genius. Thankfully, you CAN find the correct credit given to the musical artists on the series albums—but they are still listed under “Vivziepop” instead of something like “Cast of Helluva Boss/Hazbin Hotel”. I know this is probably done because she is the creator of the shows, but it’s weird to me because, to my knowledge, she isn’t a composer and doesn’t write any music for the show.

Luckily, Sam does seem to have his own album as well, but Vivzie is still on there? Like maybe I’m wrong but if she also composes music why is she never credited in the show?

(Also please don’t try to twist what I’m saying into “Vivziepop isn’t crediting her musicians at all on Genius!! I don’t know how Genius works or who sets up artist’s music and lyric information. I highly doubt it was Vivziepop or anyone on the creative teams for HB and HH)

I’ve also noticed that there are times where, when I talk about HB’s writing, people will bring up Vivziepop in their replies when I never named or mentioned her in my original post. Sometimes I’ll even be talking about an episode that she didn’t even write.

Again, I understand she’s the creator and lead of both shows—but because I have literally no way of knowing how all these writing decisions are made, and b/c VP doesn’t even write every episode, I’m not going to ascribe every single writing choice I don’t like or disagree with to her alone.

I recognize that she is the creative head, but I’m still not comfortable with acting if she alone is making Hazbin and Helluva Boss alone.

(I know that there is also an interview where she stated A24 let her have complete creative control. Again, that could be true, but we still don’t know enough about how collaborative the process was. Still doesn’t mean I’ll hold back with any critiques once the show comes out. But yeah.)