#*video from Kevin after game interview*

[yourleftpinkytoe-blog]

Andrew Minyard has a secret tumblr account that he posts the weirdest most random shit and for some reason it has just a shit ton of followers.

[greatwyrmgold]

Caramelldansen, the Disney Channel theme, & obfuscated authorship

Kevin Perjurer's Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery and jan Misali's who wrote Caramelldansen? feel like complimentary opposites.

Both are videos about the authorship of music that lots of people have heard but few people think about. But the similarities end there. (Aside from some fairly petty stuff like "both have iconic associated choreography, if the wand thing counts as choreography".)

Perjurer expresses frustration that, for all the artistry he puts into this and his other documentaries, he will be remembered as a YouTuber or a content creator, not a documentarian or a filmmaker. For all the work jan Misali puts into his craft, he embraces the fact that he makes YouTube videos. It's not easy to remix "Die Young" and "Hare Hare Yukai," but Misali did it...and what kind of documentary would have a 13-second title card in the middle with a mashup of a J-pop song and an A-pop song playing over it?

(Are American pop songs called A-pop? They should be.)

On a related note: Perjurer's documentary seems to have that tension as its primary theme. The tension between the effort and artistry that goes into something like the Disney Channel theme, and the disrespect it receives for not even qualifying as "low art". The primary theme of Misali's video seems to be more along the line of "It's worth remembering random facts about the world," expressed through his frustration at Remix Records, his frustration at how much Caramelldansen ("I would absolutely love to play the garbage Caramelldansen rhythm game!"), and the random facts he dug up while researching and chose to share for no other reason.

(There's a decent argument that who wrote Caramelldansen?'s primary theme is more along the lines of "'Caramelldansen''s original authorship is irrelevant, because the meme is what makes it 'Caramelldansen'," but that theme doesn't really appear outside the video's conclusion.)

Another stream-of-thought association: Perjurer has nothing but respect for the work of Alex Lasarenko, both his contributions to the Disney Channel theme and his broader work. Misali has nothing but shade to throw on the work of Giovanni Sconfienza, both his "contributions" to Caramelldansen and his broader work, and especially his attempts to take the Caramell out of Caramelldansen. I feel both of these are 100% justified, given context, but it's another interesting contrast!

Perjurer assumes that the audience will accept that the Disney Channel theme's importance is obvious to the viewer, and understand what made it so prominent. It was played on one of the biggest kid's TV networks of the 21st century! Misali focuses most of the video on why and how Caramelldansen rose to prominence, because for a lot of people it's just "that song that plays for ANIME LOL".

The obfuscation of the Disney Channel theme's authorship comes down to Disney being Disney and not saying anything about non-Disney people who make Disney Disney. (And, to be fair, broader industry trends.) The obfuscation of "Caramelldansen"'s authorship comes down to some rebranding done years after the fact. Misali is (I feel, rightfully) critical of [name]. Perjurer is (I feel, rightfully) respectful towards Alex Lasarenko and the music he directed/composed.

Most obviously: It takes months of research, correspondence, interviews, and so forth before Perjurer can figure out who wrote the Disney Channel Theme. Misali identifies Caramell as the creators of "Caramelldansen" in the opening seconds of the video. (Also, it's in the song's title.)

Now, you might reasonably wonder why I wrote this post, comparing two random YouTube video essays on similar topics. I'd like to provide some grand thesis statement that ties my conclusions and process into some statement about the nature of art. However, at the end of the day, this is more of a jan Misali post than a Kevin Perjurer one. But I think both would agree that this kind of little thing has merit. (Nowhere near enough to ask for their opinion or assume they'd have one, of course.)

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

The Magnus Archives/ What We Do In the Shadows (Crossover)

gaslight gatekeep girlboss by thepolysyndetonaddictsupportgroup

"Look, believe it or not, I had no intention of killing the Vampiric Council when I came here,” declares Nadja, sitting alone on the couch. “But Guillermo and I arrived at the first council meeting and did the whole, you know, the whole thing, the first day thing. Introductions and all that, yes hello wonderful to meet you, yes this is my bodyguard, yes he has slaughtered a tremendous number of our kind”--she flaps her hand absently--“normal first day things, you know? It was fine.” She pauses. “It got really fucking weird on the second day."

Or: Nadja and Guillermo seize control of vampiric politics, puppeteer world powers, and have the hottest of hot girl summers.

Unfortunately, they also really miss the stupid assholes they're in love with. With no way left to find them, they have no choice but to consult an Archivist.

DC/Danny Phantom Crossover

Teenage Hero Burnout #56: Interview With A Ghost. by STOVE

Red Robin, (aka Tim Drake) decides to host a YouTube series called "Teenage Hero Burnout'' after he makes a video by the same name talking about his own experiences. He interviews current and past heroes who started their careers as teens and discuss how it shaped their outlook on heroing & life in general.

(This fic is a one-shot. Teenage Hero Burnout is a hypothetical series that I will not be writing, but others are welcome to write their own episodes.)

All For the Game

One More Time (With Feeling) by elesary

Andrew Minyard went to sleep next to Neil Josten in their bed in Denver six years after graduation. He woke up on plane to Tucson between Wymack and Kevin, on their way to recruit Neil Josten, striker sub.

boyfriend privileges by mostly_maudlin

Andrew knows he treats Neil different. So why is it so bothersome that everyone else seems to know it, too?

Five times Neil gets boyfriend privileges, and one time it doesn't piss Andrew off.

SVSSS

The Peace Between Divine Pec- ah-hm sorry - uh…Peaks by AceOfDivineChlorophyll

Well, being kidnapped and tied up had to be the worst part of Shen Qingqiu's day right? Surely it couldn't get worse even if he was being presented to some new and upcoming demonic warlord as tribute after all it would all be mote when Luo Binghe escaped the Endless Abyss right? Well... unless the demonic warlord in question WAS Luo Binghe.

Thankfully... it might not end up going at all how he, or the demons, thought it was going to.

invasive blindfold removal surgery by postcardorigami

Part 1 of side effects may include indefinite photosensitivity

Oh, he thought absently, dizzily. Oh. I love him. I really, really love him.

That wasn’t a new thought—Shen Qingqiu had always known that he loved Luo Binghe. Thinking otherwise wasn’t a concept that had occurred to him. He’d loved him as a fictional character, as a sticky and eager-to-please disciple, as a troubled young man. He loved Luo Binghe the same way he loved the world around him: easily, wordlessly, endlessly, and in full acceptance of all faults and flaws.

But this- this felt like-

I think, Shen Qingqiu thought, for the first time in this life or the one he’d left, I think I’m in love with him.

And- and then-

I want to tell him where I come from.

or Shen Qingqiu, in order: hits the ground, pulls himself back up, and comes out. About several things.

Dreaming of Gardens in the Desert Sand by TGP

Huan Hua Palace master Luo Binghe never thought there'd be any reason to worry about the master that threw him away all those years ago. Surely, he was safe and cared for by the martial siblings he'd so thoroughly enamored.

Luo Binghe was wrong.

(Or, the one where the Jinlan City event doesn't happen and Luo Binghe's plan to slowly show he can be a righteous cultivator actually goes as he expected, with consequences he did not)

starry-eyed by shoutowo

"Shi-Shizun,” Luo Binghe says, going cross-eyed in an effort to see what Shen Qingqiu just placed on his forehead. “What is this?”

“A star,” Shen Qingqiu explains, while not explaining at all.

or, Shen Qingqiu has a sticker sheet.

Clone Wars

(you were) meant to save them by cjwritesfanficnow

The building was only five stories. With the gravity on Melida/Daan, it should’ve been over in seconds... but he—

just—

kept—

falling—

And then there was nothing around him, but he was still falling, down down down, infinitely, through space, stretched thin, twisted and pulled and the Force curled so tightly around him that he couldn’t tell where he ended and it began, and then—

And then he was falling straight out of a clear sky and down down down—

Onto another battlefield.

-

In which Obi-Wan is abruptly transported from the civil war on Melida/Daan to the Clone Wars.

(Alternately, in which I noticed how few clones there are in all my other fics, and this wouldn't leave me alone.)

Tactical Engagements by elwenyere

Even before he managed to open his eyes, Obi-Wan felt the tug against the base of his neck, the snarled thread of energy that only ever meant one thing: something had gone very, very wrong.

-----

Or, Cody, Obi-Wan, and the 212th are sent to Ringo Vinda with Anakin and the 501st, and it changes the field of engagement.

[the-s-exy-squad]

Foxes Headcanons (Modern Day: Social Media Edition)

•Neil Josten uses social media after canon.

^ he posts the most vague shit ever and dark humor posts. He also has an anonymous hate page full of Riko Moriyama being clumsy or clips from the game where he lost against the foxes.

^^ he uses audios on TikTok and other socials that imply he’s fallen for someone he was on a team with and just lets the fan base assume it was Matt bc the whole Andrew/Neil rivalry. He likes to see reactions.

•Andrew starts to do art to express himself.

^He has a few anonymous art accounts throughout a few platforms and posts like twice a week on each. Hes really popular on TikTok and insta.

^^Neil stumbles across his content and realizes it’s him because he posted a picture he drew and sat on his dresser. Neil doesn’t tell him but frequently visits the accounts bc he wants to see Andrews art but knows he isn’t comfortable sharing in person or he would have.

•Matt and Dan would be influencers.

^ Matt mostly does sports equipment rating and reviews but he also does goofy ass videos with the rest of the foxes. Dan would do a lot about woman rights and activism in general. Big supporter of the LBGTQ.

^^ I like to think they’d occasionally do videos where Dan reviews make up products but uses them on Matt instead. They’re usually silly.

•Aaron takes pictures of every drink he gets from Starbucks and is obsessed. He is a Starbucks girly and has over 200000 pts on the app.

^He saves the pts to use when he’s desperate and for whatever reason didn’t have his wallet on hand.

^^^Starbucks deadass sponsors him.

•Kevin doesn’t do socials and just hired people to run accounts for him.

^ He does the photo shoots and tells them specifically what photos to use. He also puts interview clips so people often time think they’re just fan accounts.

^^he also records and post one singular video a month on his TikTok about upcoming games which serves as reminder that it isn’t a fan account.

•Allison uses her reach as a Sport player to advertise her clothing line.

^ She she has posts with lines such as casual wear, athletic wear, business casual/proffesional wear, and normalizes business making plus size clothes.

^^ she makes a few different lines for her friends and never posts them or sells them to the public. This includes armbands for Andrew, bandanas for Neil, one of a kind pride outfits for all the gay bitches on the team (let’s be real they’re all fruity), fox themed shirts for casual wear (even after they stop playing for the foxes)

•Seth hates social media and doesn’t have any.

^ He MIGHT have another fox run one for him and doesn’t interact at all.

^^ He lets the other foxes post him on their socials but doesn’t want one of his own.

•Rene does a lot of advocacy things on hers.

^ She shares her story about how Christianity and exy helped her.

^^ She doesn’t want to seem like she’s forcing Christianity. She says “having any kind of faith”

•Nicky posts a lot of random shit

^vlogs, funny sports clips, pride stuff. Videos of him and Erik.

^^ He gets the twins in a few and they’re just glaring with such a “I can’t handle you anymore. You should have put me up for adoption /hj” face directed at him and there’s a few comments saying “wait… they’re both making the face. Which is which?”

[popculturebuffet]

Ghostbusters 40th Anniversary Review: We Got the First One! (Comission for WeirdKev27)

We got one all you happy people! Are you troubled by strange noises in the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or your family actually seen a spook, specter or ghost? If the answer is yes, then don't wait another minute. Read this review!

Yes it's time to talk about ghostbusters for my good friend weird kev... whose in the middle of a Hurricane warning so please, give him your good thoughts, prayers if your religious and just.. hope for him.

For now let's focus on Ghostbusters. It's one of the biggest comedies ever made in both scope and pop culture relivance, launching 4 sequels (Which we'll get to over various halloweens) , 2 tv series with a third on the way at the time of this reading, a ton of video games including the excellent liscneed game we'll cover next year, and comics most notably idw's stellar run with the concept including a tmnt crossover which i'll undoubtly cover at this point that's one of the few of idw's many neat TMNT crossovers that's canon to the main books. For real, Ghostbusters/TMNT is plot relevant.

It's a big thing and a big thing to talk about, but it all started with an idea in comedy legend and at the time mostly famous for being an SNL alum and a blues brother Dan Akroyd's Head: Dan came from a family with an intrest in ghosts: his grandpa was a spiratulist, his mother had claimed to see them and Dan had picked up that love of ghosts and the supernatural. The man fully beleives in the beyond and I respect him for it. A chunk of his interview in the old ghostbusters dvd is just him making it clear he does believe and honestly.. I like that. Wether you think ghosts are real or not, I do but do also have the caveat a lot of ghost hunters and mediums are just confidence men, women and nb's. But Dan isn't one, he belives. He's also a bit off and I love him for that, see nothing but trouble for evidence. I haven't yet but you can inflict that on yourself at your leisure.

So Dan dreamed up a wild film set in a futuristic new york where ghostbusters were common as exterminators. He showed it to his friend director Ivan Reitman, who at the time was famous for Bill Murray vehicles Meatballs and Stripes and would go on to have... an objectively weird yet succesful carrier with Twins, Dave , My Super Ex Girlfriend, No Strings Attached and ending with Draft Day of all things a film i'm still not entirely convinced exists. I mean I saw the trailer a lot but i'm still not 100% convinced someone didn't just shoot b roll of Kevin Costner and claim they made a movie and slapped ivan reitman's name on it.

Conspiracy theories aside he was both a talented guy and a friend of Akroyds and despite being reluctant to read it, loved he. He did spot the problem though: it was way too expensive to make. So he suggested moving it to modern day earth and grounding it, having the guys start as college professors who get canned and go into work. Blue collar guys.

To help Reitman brought in another friend of his Harold Ramis. Like Reitman and Akroyd, having written Meatballs , Directed Caddyshack and soon after writing in stripes. The man is a comedy legend and I miss him terribly. Ramis and Akroyd got along well, with Ramis knowing supernatural stuff well even if unlike Dan he didn't belivie.

Dan originally planned for two other comedy legends to be in the movie after adding ramis in the scripting process: John Belushi and Eddie Murphy, both former snl cast members and friends of his. The former didn't work out for tragic reasons you already likely know, with Dan working on the the script just as he got a call saying John was dead. Eddie.. I have no idea. The interviews on the dvd and blu ray said nothing and the oral history I found mentions this but not why it didn't work out. Maybe he was busy, maybe the studio couldn't afford his sallary, we don't know.

So in Jim's place Dan brought in ANOTHER SNL Alumn, one that could help sell the project: Bill Murray. You know him, you love him as a performer, you might want to punch him as a person, and he was a big deal at the time and having worked with Reitman on two previous hits, was an easy get.

Replacing Murphy was Ernie Hudson, an actor who hadn't done much at that point and has had steady gigs as a character actor showing up on Oz, and in a nice roll on Grace and Frankie as Frankie's boyfriend jacob. He was also Agent Fowler in transformers prime, something I didn't know but is neat.

Rounding out the cast was Desinging Women's one and only Mary Jo, Annie Pots as the Busters sassy secretary Janine. Sigourney Weaver auditioned and while reitman was skeptical her barking like a dog and proving she had comedic chops and was willing to do slapstick convinced him. William Atherton was brought on as Dickless antagonist Walter Peck, and canadian comedy legend and the man I wish was my dad Rick Moranis as happless neighbor Louis. The roll was meant for John Candy but Reitman got the sense Candy didn't want to do another wacky supporting role and gave it to Moranis instead.

The cast was set shortly after Reitman made a gamble: he pitched the film to the head of columbia, who agreed despite execs urging him "please for the love of god cancel this expensive comedy", provided they got it done by early next year.

Despite the scramble production seemed to go well. At worst people grumbled about the stoppages to get new york, including sci fi legend Isaac Asamov, but it seemed shooting went well and I don't have much to perform on that. The cast got along and thanks to Bill Murray being a big deal and him an ddan being legends in new york they got into any restraunt early or late as they needed to.

The film was a success, such one that even a test screening with no effects went damn well and well.. here we are. So join me under the cut as I unpack one of the finest horror comedies ever made.

Ghostbusters begins fittingly with a haunting.. and one that scared me as a kid a common story and the reason I didn't glom onto it as much as a kid as i'm sure many of you did. The context probably didn't help: I loved libraries, still do, and the slow buildup as a librarian goes about her day and the reveal of that ghost.. it's a lot.

It's a good thing for our heroes though and I got to hand it to Reitman, Ramis and Akryoyd, the ghostbusters are some of the best protaganists in comedy, three, later four, very fleshed out believable guys acted to perfection. You know em you love em but since i'ts my job they are: Ray Stanz, an excitable beliver in all things spooky who is passionate, gets excited over weird shit when others would say don't, and is basically me if I went into academia: cyncial but also a big ole kid. Egon Spengler is his taciturn best friend, a fellow researcher at the local university who is terse to the extreme to the point it's hard to tell when he's actually joking and Ramis' finest performance.

And finally we have the least of them, despite being often the face of the band, Peter Venkman. The other two are loveable weirdos, ray being an excitable kid at this stuff at his best and goofy and hapless when he ain't at his best and egon terse and professional but both at least studied hard and belive in what their doing. Peter like 95% of Bill Murray characters is coasting along in life best he can on charm. He enters the film shocking a hapless volunteer for funzies while hitting on the other one whose defintely too young for him. And is also a student. Peter.. is a bit of a creep, something that happens to a lot of Bill Murray characters with the passage of time as what passes for "zany trickster who sticks it to the man" in 1984 can be "sleazy at best assault at worst". I mean it's not the worst i've seen, there's a scene in Meatballs where Murray's character tripper half jokingly assaults his love interest and her crying for him to get off and his blaming her after jokingly is played for laughs

But it's still not good. We'll get into this more in a bit once we get to Dana but for now our heroes actually have found something after years of searching and go to the library. We get a lot of great gags out of this, from Peter dryly listing off things like "does your family have a history of schizorphenia" or "have you been drining" to the poor startled old woman, which is so fucked up it works, to one of my faviorite jokes of the film , Peter pointing out the time Egon tried to drill a hole in his head "And it would've worked if you hadn't stopped me. " I forgot till rewatched how joke DENSE this thing is, just enough to never not be entertaining but not enough to smother the plot which is well constructed, loose enough for improved jokes, but tight enough to not waste a second.

So our heroes find the ghost and use the time honored strategy of RUSH HER. This... goes poorly but does mean their real. Unfortunately this happens right around the same time our heroes get sacked. The university is tired of their shit and flim flammery and the dean looks oh so smug as he fires them.. granted I think he's mostly just pissed off with Venkman as he directs most of his rant at him

Egon and Ray getting fired.. is sad as they are genuinely trying. I mean ray's a touch cynical but he still clearly belivies. But while Venkman's key to the team.. it's not as a scientest. He's not stupid or anything, but he's clearly not actually been studying the work and mostly been trying to bang anyone he can with wacky schemes.

He does prove WHY he's part of the team after. As ray bemoans the private sector in a great line "You haven't been outside academia I have. They expect results" that shows he's a tad cynical himself, knowing this shit could take a while or forever, Venkman.. sees the profit and rallies them. They have access to the pest removal system of the decade, a service only THEY can provide, and cutting edge test... why not start their own buienss, rake in the dough and eventually franchise, something I love that the game and later IDW comics actually explored.

The others are convinced and put down a triple mortgage on ray's parents house to get the money for equipment and a place to set up shop. That place is the now iconic firehouse and I love each characters reaction: Peter likes it for being cheap if a wreck, Egon points out every single thing wrong with it, and Ray slides down the fire pole and wonders if they can go ahead and stay the night. God I love ray. I love Egon too but Dan Akroyd has so much fun in this part while still feeling like a fleshed out person.

To assit in this endeavor they hire the wonderful and hilarious Janine Melnetz. As I mentioned Janine is played by Annie Potts of Desgining Women Fame, and i'm sure some of you reading this

Have only vaugely heard of it at best. And since I have an audience allow me to educate ya'll as it's on Hulu and it is fantastic. Desining Women is a classic late 80's early 90's sitcom following Sugarbaker's Design Firm, set up in the house of Julia Sugarbaker, a non nonsense libreal who will tear you to shreds with words on a moments notice, and is run by her and her friends/coworkers: Her fashionable former pagent queen rich as hell pig owning tiara wearing sister Suzanne, the off kilter but kinda nd empathetic charlene, annie's character Mary Jo, a put upon mother of two recently divorced from a cheating Scott Bakula, and Anthony, a sometimes voice of reason and ex con who has worked hard as hell to get his degree and often gets the funniest stuff. There's also Bernice played by the legendary Alice Ghostly who isnt' a main character for most of the show but is close enough and is both out of it and hilarous. There's more I could gush about but it's in all an extremly well written, well acted and hilarous sticom that also wasn't afraid to touch on hard topics, having a fantastic episode about AIDS and I emplore you all to watch it.

Annie Potts is just as on her a game there as here, with Janine's dry sarcasm being a great foil for Peter's, and her crush on Egon being a hilarous runner. In hindsight i'm.. not upset they didn't end up together. I used to be but it's clear he isn't intrested and i'ts hard to tale if his spoors and fungus line is him being genuine or him trying to scare her off. My take?

Our heros soon get their first client in Dana Barret, a cellist who finds an unsettling vistor from the beyond in her fridge

So she calls the Ghostbusters and naturally Peter is there to swoop in and... hit on her. Yeah this is where the bulk of peter being creepy comes from. It dosen't wreck the film but it does make me revaluate my old opinon of them being endgame as in hindsight most of their relationship is Peter going

Just constantly hitting on her. LIke she is kinda into it, but it's still someone called in to do a service not doing that and instead hitting on the client because he finds nothing. And later getting jealous because *gasp* she's hanging out with another guy and not him and he thinks their DAAAATTTTING. Even though he and her aren't DATTTTTING yet. What i'm saying is I don't buy it at all and they don't spend enough time on this romance to make me actually care. Maybe next time.

So with their money pretty much gone before Peter can embezzle it to ask dana out, our heroes finally catch a break: A ghost has been found in a local ritzy hotel and they need to go catch em. That ghost of course is SLIMER!

Slimer is the series mascot. You know him, you love him, some of you may of wanted to strangle him by the end of the cartoon. He's been in 4/5 movies, and in afterlife, his only absence.. was still present via his non union blue guy equilvent muncher. Slimer was their tribute to Jim Belushi, a blob who eats a ton, gets guck on people and likes to party. The kind of role Jim was good at. It's a wonderful tribute and I do like this part of him as stuck even in places where the old cast is absent or barely there.

The slimer effect is excellent and the chase for him, including the natural sliming that happens to Peter is great. Our power trio only has the vaugest idea of what the hell their doing at this point and i'ts fun to see. They still win in the end and I love them blackmailing the snooty hotel man who hired them whose pissed they trashed the ballroom. While they really DIDN'T pay any mind to it, I get focusing more on "get rid of the ghost that's coming in at night and wrecking up the place" over "PLEASE PRESVERE THE RICH PEOPLE SHIT".

It's part of the ghostbusters charm: while once fully assembled their two academics, a conman and a hard working working class guy who also has a degree, their ultimately working class heroes on the whole. THey started thier own buisness, bump up against beuracrats and their first client is a guy working for a snooty rich hotel whose also snooty as hell they succesffully get one over on, planning to release slimer then and there. Or rather back in the empty room where he's away from civlians but still gonna wreck up the place. This is protection wrackety, sure.. but the guy HIRED THEM to do a job and was going to stiff them for.. causing some damage doing it when it's a dangerous job. I have little sympathy for him trying ot stiff them on the bill because he thought they'd be cheap and didn't bother to actually.. ask for a price point before they went in. I also love the detail that slimer had ALWAYS been at the hotel, but the spike in ghost activity thanks to gozer clearly razzed him up.

Such a big bust and big payday puts our heroes on top: Magazine covers, invertviews, and some b roll from the test footage they shot of them running down the street. The ghostbusters astetic is an awesome one: the jumpsuits fitting their working class hero astetic, the big bulky proton packs clearly cobbled together and the ecto one, an old hearse reconfigured into one of the coolest cars in fiction from the siren to the tech on board to the all white paint job.

The montage is fun, allowing us to speed from "we can barely eat" to "Modest success" to the awesome theme song, which came in at the last minute and had to be used. My faviorite bits are the late great Casey Casem reporting on the ghostbusters on america's top 40, and how they apparrently spared a nightclub from a ghost then danced the night away. We were robbed of dan Akroyd's dance moves. The other is that a friendly ghost.. does some sex to ray. We can't see exactly what but we do see Dan Akroyd orgasm and that's really all you need.

WIth this success our heroes hire on a fourth man, Winston Zedmore. Winston is ready to belivie anything for a paycheck which as lot more harmless stance back then and is quickly hired... because he applied I guess. Ernie Hudson, while proud of the legacy of being a prominent black character in sci fi that many a kid looked up to, felt Winston was just kinda there.. he's introduced halfway into the film, dosen't get to do much and is just sorta the guy. Later sequels and adapatations do give winston way more to do, and my guess is Akroyd intended for Eddie Murphy to just improv a character and didn't bother to write in more of one. Winston does serve as a good straight man though, being the calm resonable one in the storm of stocisim, enthuasim and snark that the other three bring.

However while our heroes are now succesful, even having the now iconic no ghost logo which akroyd had sketched into the first script up top, that also brings enemy and they meet their arch enemy: A man who while absent from the sequel would plauge them in the video game/idw continuity and most recently in frozen empire. A man who may or may have no dick but certainly has no ethics. Mr. Walter Peck. Atherton perfectly plays him as a slimy asshole.

What makes peck intresting is he does have some legit concerns: the ghostbusters COULD be conmen and Peter WAS one at the unversity and the montage makes it clear from a cut in by Larry King that some people think they are up to shit. They are also carrying unathorized Nuclear Accelators on their back. The EPA does have a right to check in on them and frankly the ghostbusters are only able to get away with half of what they do because there's no real regulation for catching ghosts. Our heroes are loveable.. but they are reckless jackasesses. It's something that bleeds into the other movies , games and comics starring these guys to the point that the video game has a tally for how much shit you blow up. Winston only stops letting a 13 year old be on the team in frozen empire because Peck tells them to bench Phoebe. Granted said 13 year old is a pro at this and Peck is an asshole, but it's still on brand for the ghost busters to just kinda wing it and hope new york dosen't blow up.

We only root against Peck because again, he's an asshole. THe ghostbusters are likeable hot messes. Peck is that kind of entitled prick given too much power we run into every day. Peck's reaction to being refused entry by Peter, who while a dick to him is within his rights since Peck has no papers nor no identification saying he's actually with the EPA, is to go get a court order.. and then a short while later have a guy with the city he forced into helping him shut them down without having any idea what he's doing. Peck hates the busters on such a fundemental level, assumes their dicks from day one that instead of getting them shut down legally with proper procedure... which he easily could've done as our heroes are not careful nor cautious he barges in and nearly destroys the city.

But before that of course the rest of the plot needs to catch up. So they call in the diamond dogs, specifically gozer's two hell hounds. They grab dana with...demonic hands from her couch they can make manifest to drag her into the gozer dimension. Instead of just.. sending the big dog after her?

Because that's what they do with Dana's neightbor louis. Louis has shown up on occasin and is entertaining, a nerd who is having a party the same night Dana finally agreed to go out with peter and gets grabbed my demonic hands. Louis is a loveable asshole: he clearly does need to learn no as dana isn't intrested and he's disapointed when she can't go to his party, but does invite her to bring peter and it's very clear he isn't pressing harder than just.. asking her to be at his parties. Which isn't a lot but given Peter's tactic was showing up around where she worked to beg her to go out with him, restraint is appreciated. It's the bare minimum but it's also 1984 in thie movie. I also admit part of it is just Moranis charm, he's just such a dweeb in the best way and something I only noticedo n this watch is he's using the most Canadian accent he can, the same one he used for The Great White North sketches on SCTV.

So Louis gets chased by a giant demonic dog having been chosen to be the other possesion target and the sequence is hilarous and ends with the poor guy being possed and wandering the streets. So both halves of the orginzation end up dealing with gozers dogs: Peter finds Dana and after claming to be the keymaster gets inside.. but also restrains her as he realizes she's not herself and was in fact dealing with a possesion, while the rest of the team end up getting louis who wonders around possesed and gets that hilarous helmet clonked on his head once the police drop him off, having no idea what the hell to do with the guy.

SO our heroes figure out what the hell's going on: Gozer is an ancient sumerian god, and one of her worshippers, Ivo Shandor built Dana and Louis' apartment building as a conduit, hence them being chosen. To get into this world Gozer needs their keykeepr and keemaster to

Now why does Gozer need this? I assume they like to watch and that's the best I got.

So they need to keep them apart.. which becomes a problem as a certain dick comes in at just the wrong time to screw them all over: Peck charges back in with that electrican I mentioned, who TELLS Peck "I have no idea what the fuck i'm doing" has him swtich it off.. and ALLL the ghosts the busters have are released, Dana escapes while Venkman goes to meet the others, and Louis escapes in the confusion, with our heroes being drug to the mayors office at the worst possible time. So Gozer no has a possible army, new york is in chaos and getting worse, and the keymaster and keykeeper get it on doggy style in Dana and Louis' bodies, which is gross and uncomfortable if inteitonal.

So as new york buckles under the pressure the mayor asks the pope of.. new york I guess for advice but has nothing. Peck INTENDS for this to be a public hanging for the ghostbusters... and underestiamtes how bad he fucked up. Not only do Ray and Peter mock him with the classic "It's true this man has no dick line", but the ghostbusters are able to convince the mayor that yes this threat is VERY real, they need help and Winston gets his one real moment in the film, pointing out in just a week with the ghostbusters he's seen shit that would turn you white. Venkman as usual deliveris the verbal killing stroke and as much of a dick as he is.. the team does need him as he's the mouthpiece: their the ones who can fix it and if nothing happens well then throw them in jail.

And with a pillar of light errupting as Gozer enters this plain, the boys get what they need, a police escort as they enter to Alesi's truly orgasmic saving the day. An attack from Gozer dosen't knock them down as they get up again. and up.. and up and up and okay they may want to bring it down as they have to deal with so many fucking stairs before they get to the roof, with Dana and Louis now encased in giant dogs as they approach gozer. I love gozer's design, the spangly suit dead eyes and voice performance.

She asks if they be gods, no they be but men. And Peter has some wisdom for ray.

I also like how this comes from his initial plan being "Go get her ray", a nice bit of revenge for Ray's plan with the library ghost being GET HER.

So our heroes do their best but can't really fight a god so Gozer decdies to cut to the chase: CHOOSE THE FORM OF YOUR DESTROYER. This sequence I adore for it's creatvity: It gives gozer some personality beyond evil god as their a sadist, letting our heroes pick their doom and I like how Peter's instant response is clear your head... and how as usual Peter gets way too cocky as ray lets something slip in.. the most innocent thing he could think of..

This... was brilliant. Taking something innocent, a design Dan Akroyd got from his buddy thor because of course Dan Akroyd has a buddy named thor, and making it into a fucking kaiju. The only way our heroes can beat it, say it with me

CROSS THE STREAMS

A chekovs gun from earlier as crossing them could destroy reality.. but so could this little.. er big ole guy. It's honestly kind of insane how easily they beat gozer... just crossing the streams. I mean it causes a big ass explosion and gets them all covered in marshmallow, but it's still pretty simple. But it's a great sequence. our heroes win, dana is seeminglyd ead for a second but she and louis are just in dogs she and peter kiss for some reason and we get one of the best endings in film. From the build up with gozer, to the final desperation movie as easy as it was, to that triumphant walk out, even getting another great rick moranis bit as he's carted off seperately, i'ts fucking genius

And the film as a whole.. holds up well. A bit or two haven't, being an 80's comedy will do that to you 9/10, but the hwole of the film is an inventive romp with tons of iconic gags, designs, and performances. It's a true classic for a reason and still the gold stnadard five movies later. But check back later this halloween as we tackle the less than well recieved sequel and thanks for reading.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

From Michigan

* * * *

Another good day!

August 8, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

The effort of Democrats to use Project 2025 as a millstone to sink Trump's presidential ambitions has Republicans running for the hills. On Wednesday, Trump's longtime evil minion Stephen Miller appeared on Ari Melber’s show on MSNBC to unequivocally deny any connection between Trump and Project 2025. (Miller was Trump's speechwriter who drafted Trump's “American Carnage” inaugural address in 2017.)

Miller claimed that Trump “is his own man” and “he alone decides what policies he will follow.” Miller explained that the near-perfect overlap between Project 2025’s policy goals and Trump's campaign promises is pure coincidence.

Ha! Good one! Who says MAGA extremists don’t have a sense of humor? For Trump to “set his own policies,” the following improbable conditions would need to exist simultaneously: (a) Trump would have to understand the differences in competing policies; (b) he would have to care about policies that did not affect his personal power and wealth; and (c) he would have to do the work of promoting and implementing those policies. Yeah, right! That didn’t happen in Trump's first term, and he has told us that the only policies of his hoped-for second term will be vengeance and retribution.

Ari Melber was having none of Stephen Miller’s disinformation. But Miller was running from Project 2025 as fast as he could. For good reason. Focus group testing has shown that when Republican and Independent voters hear about the substance of Project 2025, they oppose it overwhelmingly.

Republicans know this and are trying to repair the damage of having published their plot to end democracy. See Navigator Research, Focus Group Report: Project 2025. (“After participants viewed clips of the Wall Street Journal video detailing Project 2025, disdain for the plan grew.”)

The problem (for Republicans) is that Democrats have done a great job of identifying Trump as the prime beneficiary of Project 2025. Indeed, on its website, Project 2025 is described as a “Presidential Transition Project.” Since the project was drafted by Trump administration alumni, the “presidential transition” was for Trump, not Biden (now Harris).

Republicans are in full panic mode. JD Vance wrote the forward to a book by Project 2025’s author Eric Roberts, “Dawn’s Early Light,” which summarizes Project 2025. The book was scheduled to be published this month (August 2024) but has now been mysteriously delayed until after the election. See Media Matters for America, Delayed publication of Heritage president's book reflects Project 2025 shell game. Unfortunately for JD Vance and Trump, Media Matters has obtained a galley copy of Eric Roberts’ book and is willing to share!

But it gets worse (for Trump). In 2022, Trump shared a private jet ride with Kevin Roberts on the way to a Heritage Foundation conference. (Heritage Foundation is the sponsor and funder of Project 2025). At the Heritage Foundation conference,

Trump delivered a keynote address that gestured to Heritage’s forthcoming policy proposals. “They’re going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do.” Separately, Roberts told The Washington Post in an interview in April of this year that he had previously discussed Project 2025 with Trump as part of offering briefings to all presidential candidates. “I personally have talked to President Trump about Project 2025,”

See Washington Post, Trump took a private flight with Project 2025 leader in 2022. (This article is accessible to all.)

Given that Kevin Roberts said he briefed Trump on Project 2025 and Trump told Heritage that the project “lay[s] the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do,” Trump's claim last month that “Have no idea who is in charge of it” is a blatant lie. Although Trump claims that he and Kevin Roberts did not discuss the project on the flight, Trump's comments at the Heritage Foundation conference make clear that Trump knows exactly what Project 2025 is.

The Trump campaign’s release of Project 2025 was an act of hubris and overconfidence it now regrets, just like its effort to drive Joe Biden out of the race.

Here's the point: Trump has been caught with his hand in Project 2025 cookie jar and we must continue to tie Trump and Vance to the project and make clear that they are lying about their lack of involvement in the project.

On the campaign trail with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have managed to continue the momentum and enthusiasm of the Harris campaign. Trump was missing in action from the campaign trail, while JD Vance stalked Harris and Walz, drawing paltry crowds while showing flashes of anger and arrogance. JD Vance is turning out the be an “anti-candidate” who is a drag on the ticket.

At a rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Harris and Walz drew a crowd of 10,000, while a rally in Detroit drew 15,000. Per reports, the interest in the rallies far exceeded the capacity of the venues. See The Guardian, ‘We’re not going back’: thousands rally for Harris and Walz in Wisconsin and Michigan.

A simultaneous appearance by JD Vance in Michigan (Shelby Township) drew a crowd so small it was outnumbered by the press contingent covering the event. See video embedded here. See Newsweek, Liz Cheney Takes New Dig at JD Vance's Rally Sizes. Per Newsweek,

A video of the event shared to X by Michigan political reporter Maggie George suggests that the small number of people attending the Vance speech in support of the candidate was rivaled by the press covering the event.

The small crowd is an indication of the lack of coordination and ground game by the Trump campaign—a lack of focus that starts at the top with Trump. Per reports, Trump is spending more time blaming advisers and complaining about his campaign’s problems than campaigning. See WaPo, Trump complains about campaign as advisers try to focus on attacking Harris. (This article is behind a paywall.)

JD Vance did Trump no favors on Wednesday when he gave a sour response to a reporter’s question about Vance being “joyless” and angry:

Reporter: You have been criticized as being a little too serious, a little angry sometimes. What makes you smile? What makes you happy? JD Vance: Well, I smile at a lot of things, including bogus questions from the media, Dan. A-HAHA-Heh-heh. .  . .But, look, sometimes you got to take the good with the bad. And right now, I am angry about what Kamala Harris has done to this country and done to the American southern border.

After insulting the reporter and describing himself as “angry,” Vance then acknowledged that Trump “loves to . . . make fun of everybody that’s out there.” See Trump VP Pick Laughs as Reporter Asks 'What Makes You SMILE?

The stark contrast between the well-executed, enthusiastic, joyful campaign of Harris and Walz is dramatic. And it is encouraging. See Salon, "Bringing back the joy": Kamala Harris' rally blows away JD Vance's weird appearance across town | Salon.com

But the race remains tight (tied?) despite positive signs in almost every new poll that suggest a strong trend in favor of Harris and Walz. 

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[kstarlitchaotics]

Message from Mark after Conroy's passing; end of an era Mark Hamill will never voice Joker again without his Batman 🥺🦇

.....

From the page: History of The Batman on FB

Mark Hamill states that he won’t voice the Joker again after the passing of Kevin Conroy aka Batman.

In the upcoming March issue of Empire Magazine, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the DC Animated Universe film ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ and remember the late Batman veteran voice actor Kevin Conroy who passed away November 2022, Empire interviewed people who were part of creating the iconic DCAU film and series, such as Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Mark Hamill, who voiced the Joker.

In the interview, Mark Hamill doesn’t believe he'll ever take up the Joker mantle again without Kevin Conroy there to trade lines with as the Dark Knight. Hamill says "They would call and say, 'They want you to do the Joker,' and my only question was, 'Is Kevin Batman?' If they said yes, I would say, 'I'm in.' We were like partners. We were like Laurel and Hardy. Without Kevin there, there doesn't seem to be a Batman for me."

Mark Hamill, beginning in 1992, voiced the Joker for the classic #DCAU in series such as ‘Batman: The Animated Series’, ‘The New Batman Adventures’, ‘Static Shock’, and ‘Justice League’. Writer Paul Dini knew Hamill was the perfect cast for the Harlequin of Hate, in particular with his crystalizing laughter, filled with all the bitter madness that shapes this 83 year old character. Outside of the DC Animated Universe, Hamill reprised his role as Joker in a few non-DCAU projects such as the video games ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’ (2009), its sequel ‘Batman: Arkham City’ (2011) and the finale game ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ (2015). Hamill returned as the Clown Prince in the 2016 animated film "Batman: The ‪Killing Joke‬", the animated tv shows "Justice League Action" (2016-2018) and “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?” (2019), and the 2022 video game MultiVersus.

If Hamill is ending his three decades long contribution to voicing the iconic Batman villain, we thank him for creating this depiction of one of the most popular rogues in literature and for being a very important part of the Batman's 84 year long history.🃏😢💔

[pensat-i-fet]

"Little" summary of the new Rúben interview, which you can watch here:

-We obviously start with a joke about the Manchester weather.

-Rúben is asked if he's in his best moment as a player because last season was the best of his career, trophies-wise. And he says it's one of the best but he can't know if it'll be the best.

-Then he's asked about what went through his mind after winning the CL and Rúben says it's really hard to put into words. That once the match was over, he didn't know whether to cry, run, hug people, ...

-We then move to the importance of disconnecting after the season and going back to friends and family for the holidays. And Rúben mentions that he wanted to "disappear". And they talk about how being famous, he can never entirely "disappear" but he still manages to find a level of privacy. And then they talk about his friend the actor and how they went on holidays together. That they are both busy but finally found time to spend together.

-After that, they talk about how important it is for Rúben to maintain his physical form and how his routine is what works for him. Other players do different things that work for them but Rúben knows what works for him. And everyone should do what they feel comfortable doing.

-The presenter praises his mental strength and leadership skills, and Rúben repeats that it just comes naturally to him to be like that. And that he was always the most responsible on his teams. He always played so the team could win, not so he could look good. Even at a younger age. And he always trusted himself and believed he could be successful.

-He's asked about two teammates, Haaland and Bernardo. About Haaland, they talk about how he is also very disciplined. About Bernardo, he's really happy about being a dad now and they mention what a great person he is. That they come from different backgrounds but they are actually very similar. And he's his bestie in football.

-They also talk about Benfica and that Rúben tries to watch their matches but can't always. And they talk a bit about how well they work with youngsters and that's why they find and create so much talent.

-About the national team, they mention Rúben was about to play his 50th match and he wants to play at least another 50 and he really wants to win a big trophy with Portugal. Because winning for your club is great but winning anything for your country means more. It's hard to explain why but it just is how he feels.

-Then we finish with some quickfire questions (and I don't understand what the first question means but the answer was Bernardo):

*Best music taste: Akanji.

*Best dressed (didn't say worst dressed but was asked): he goes for a top three of Wanker, Akanji and himself. No words...

*Fastest player: Wanker.

*Biggest diva: Grealish.

*Best at playing video games: he doesn't know well but between Kalvin, Stones, Kevin and Ortega.

*Bookworm or intelligent guy that knows it all: and he says Bernardo. Shocked he didn't say Rodri, to be fair.

[ok555ficideas]

Kevin's thoughts on Andrew choking him and also on Riko's death from the first fic I ever wrote for this fandom "Broken promises". It's not finished, I don't know if I will ever finish it, but I hope I will some day.

At first he was terrified, but that violence was something he was used to. Andrew never shined away from using force, so Kevin shouldn’t be surprised that he was not an exception. He even felt like he moved past it, when Andrew started practicing at night with him. He felt like Andrew finally cared, but he understood now that it wasn’t because of finding interest in exy. Andrew didn’t care about exy, he cared about Neil and that infuriated Kevin to a degree he didn’t understand.

He thought he was okay with it. He kept his end of the deal, Andrew kept his. Beside that mild setback from the blonde that Kevin still had nightmares about, they should have been okay.

Everything changed with the news about Riko’s death. When Kevin first found out he felt like he was dying himself. He wanted to throw up, he wanted to just lie down on the ground and cry until he passed out, but every single person around him was happy about the news. They expected him to be happy too.

How could he be? Riko was dead. His partner, his brother, his everything was dead. He remembered all the games they played together side by side. Their first rackets were so small, but felt like a weight of forever in their little hands. The first time when they drew their numbers on their cheeks and the words that followed “We will be court someday, Kev. We will be the greatest strikers this game has ever seen.”

Except that wasn’t true. Riko never intended for them to be the best together. He wanted to be the best. He wanted Kevin to always stay one step behind him. He wanted him to always come second and when it turned out not to be true, Kevin paid the price.

He reached for his left hand with his right one. He felt them both shaking.

After the news of Riko’s death the fans went crazy. They were posts on social media. Videos, photos, captions, all in a tribute to their fallen king. You couldn’t put any sports channel without reporters talking about this tragic loss. They all wanted to talk to Kevin, but the coach successfully refused every offer of an interview on behalf of his son. They wanted to know what he was thinking, they wanted him to be as sad and devastated as they were.

How could he be? Riko was dead, his abuser was dead. He remembered all the games they played together when he had to hold back to not be better than him. The weight of a heavy racket on his dominant hand. The time when they were finally old enough to get actual tattoos and the feel of the needle that made him realize that he would never be able to escape. He was Riko’s always and forever.

Except Riko was dead, and there was only one person that he could talk to that would understand, but he sent him on the other side of the country.

[jonasiegenthaler]

hi! since the off season is dragging and i miss the devils - what are you favorite moments for each player (or select players) from this season, not just goals or plays but an interview, soundbite, off ice moment, anything

(missing pk big time because he always posted fun team content)

hiya anon, this was a fun one, thank you! this got, Long, so i'm gonna put it all under the cut (alphabetized, not ranked, and definitely not comprehensive)

kevin: 

not like one thing in particular but playing more regularly this season! especially the second half

yanking multiple guys around casually

this was more last season but there’s a bunch of guys in utica that, every time he goes over the boards for a shift, chant a call-and-response of “who’s out?” “bahls out!” and it is beautiful

nate: 

the video of him and johnny in seattle

this one of him nearly getting taken out by a football

also he’s seen the memes he loves the love

boqy: 

a lil cuddle, or two, or three

i’ve always said he’s the devils’ morgan frost so i’m just very glad he’s found some semblance of a role this season he’s very neat to me

bratter: 

hatty! 

big hat hat!

him and nico reaching milestones together talking about how special it was,

more cuddles

notably too cute to be good at chirping

gravy: 

carshield commercials - ïf you don’t call now, your wife should stop loving you.”

for some reason his goal in the oilers game early in the season stands out? keeping the winning streak alive!

smacking nico’s ass on a driveby

[30 seconds of uncomfortably polite staring as the sm admin waits for him to complete the heart]

dougie: 

the six flags promo, wild that that was this season it feels like ages ago. 

those few games where we kept going 4v3 in ot and dougie just kept scoring gwgs, iconic, showstopping. 

fully lifting bratter like a foot? off the ice? 

herding a flock of dudes 

signing off the camera with a “hi grandma”. 

floor time!

the movie re-enactments? wheres his oscar

haula: 

“this is where i want to be. this is my family” <3

single handedly bringing us timo.

getting hit with a chicken finger

facing the other way on the bench when we went to shootouts (one of us).

laughing curling up on the floor instant fetal position

nico: 

there’s. so much. because i’m nothing if not biased. 

“i’ve just got a good feeling” 

pumping up the crowd 

selke finalist! career high in goals, assists, points! 

being absolutely dominant in the rangers series. 

game 5 nico chants! 

[gestures vaguely at 1386 tag] 

having the time of his life with some kids toys

marner’s “i felt good until nico decided to take me for a walk” 

“siegyyyy! don’t worry everyone siegy is here!” <3 

“let’s not forget to have fun. stick together. whatever happens.” + all the pre/post game speeches during the playoffs. 

nate talking about how nico made him feel like he belonged + so much more

“he cares more about his teammates than probably does about himself”

timo facetiming him because he was anxious about the trade 

jack

“oh shit :d”

hatty!

devils win for hanukkah :) 

“yeah i knew that”

“those are quinn’s boys so--”

whatever him and pk were on at all-star weekend

“i want that record”

“we are off on our chemistry today, hey?”

looney tunes ass fall

[gestures vaguely again at 1386 tag]

nothing but respect for my lady byng finalist

the dance

all the hugs

luke

first goal! ot winner!

dream dinner guests: julius caesar and george washington + getting chirped about it by dawson

the entire exit interview, all of it - messy but working on it (lie, probably), doesn’t know what day it is, hasn’t retained a thought for more than 5 seconds, fidgety

marino

[looking at a children’s toy] look i’m not not saying this looks like a bong

him and gravy giggling after they pushed pally off the ice

dawson

the players tribune article

hatty!

setting the franchise record in consecutive games with a goal

the hair, it’s majestic

yegor

santagovich

a pet bird, named ham

throwing shit at sevo

messing with the camera lights during bratter’s interview

messing with tuna during his interview

vv

made friends with a bird :) 

consistently referring to himself as “the vitek”

every time akira makes a big save vitek gives huge taps over the board <3

[brokehorrorfan]

The Last Starfighter will be released on 4K Ultra HD on May 30 via Arrow Video. Matt Ferguson designed the cover art for the 1984 sci-fi action adventure film; the original poster is on the reverse side.

Nick Castle - best known for playing Michael Myers in the original Halloween and co-writing Escape from New York - directs from a script by Jonathan R. Betuel (My Science Project). Lance Guest, Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Robert Preston star.

The Last Starfighter has been restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and uncompressed 2.0 stereo, 5.1 DTS-HD MA, and 4.1 audio. Special features are listed below.

Special features:

Audio commentary by star Lance Guest and his son Jackson Guest

Audio commentary by director Nick Castle and production designer Ron Cobb

Audio commentary by Mike White of The Last Projection Booth podcast

Interview with actor Catherine Mary Stewart

Interview with composer Craig Safan

Interview with screenwriter Jonathan Betuel

Interview with special effects supervisor Kevin Pike

Interview with author Greg Bear on Digital Productions, the company responsible for the CGI in The Last Starfighter

Interview with arcade game collector Estil Vance on reconstructing the Starfighter game

Crossing the Frontier: The Making of The Last Starfighter - 4-part documentary with cast and crew members

Heroes of the Screen featurette

Image galleries

Theatrical trailer

Teaser trailer

Booklet with writing by film historian Amanda Reyes and author Greg Bear’s unpublished Omni article on Digital Productions (first pressing only)

Video game expert Alex Rogan finds himself transported to another planet after conquering The Last Starfighter video game only to find out it was just a test. He was recruited to join the team of best starfighters to defend their world from the attack.

Pre-order The Last Starfighter.

[beardedmrbean]

This weekend (July 6-7) probably the biggest pop culture event in Bulgaria took place. Over 25,000 fans of cosplay, manga, anime, gaming, comics, cinema and graffiti gathered to have fun in the company of popular actors, artists and talents from around the world. Two days, 4 halls and thousands of emotions! The diverse program allowed everyone to immerse themselves in their world and be themselves among like-minded people. Dozens of zones with games and surprises, panels with movie stars, gaming tournaments, meetings with celebrities from the small screen, workshops, contests and a show program are just a part of everything that Aniventure Comic Con will leave a mark on the hearts of the audience. After the fantastic end of this year's edition, the organizers have also announced the dates for next year, namely July 5 and 6, 2025!

As part of Aniventure Comic Con 2024, fans had the opportunity to meet live with actors Ross Marquand, Dan Fogler, Anna Shaffer, Vincent Regan and Maria Bakalova, who with a smile and a very warm attitude welcomed their fans for photos and autographs. In addition to these close encounters, the actors talked about themselves and shared interesting moments from their lives and careers during special interviews from the stage of Hall 1.

They were joined by Julian Kostov and Josh Wichard, who took us to another dimension and explained what it's like to be a video game actor. The topic excited dozens of guests who crowded the gaming area of ​​A1 and Lenovo, where tournaments and challenges were held on the most popular and current games such as Brawl Stars, Clash Royale, League of Legends Challenge, FC24, FORTNITE with 4a1a.

Visitors had the opportunity to meet live the artists of comics such as "Tony Pateto", Neda Malcheva, Christian Duce, as well as the author of the series of books from the universe of "Dune", "Star Wars" and "The X-Files" - Kevin J. Anderson, who revealed more details and little-known facts about his work on the super hits.

One of the hot spots during the event was the Meet&Greet area, which met us with the most popular influencers and YouTubers such as Slavi from The Clashers, Aide BG, The World of Vankata, Mirela Ilieva and Teodora Mudeva from "Games of Will", Hyperkong and Elizabeth Kravets, Philip Bukov, Krisia, Atanas Mishev-Nasi Svej, Maggie Tomova, Ekaterina Todorova, Valeria Dakova. For the first time, all the "Bachelors" of Bulgaria gathered in one place - Viktor Stoyanov, Evgeni Genchev, Alek Mladenov.

Of course, we can't help but mention the extremely exciting cosplay, manga and anime contests, which peppered the event with incredible images and favorite characters that came to life on the main stage. There were also numerous workshops, panels, lectures and screenings dedicated to Asian culture, which filled Hall 2 with fans.

These and many more emotions captured Inter Expo Center, and what awaits us next year, we have to find out on July 5 and 6, 2025. Tickets at a promotional price are now on sale in the Eventim network!

[musicthrob]

In-Focus with LAUNDRY DAY

April 12, 2024

For fans of artist interviews, modern boybands, Kevin Abstract, and BROCKHAMPTON

A few weeks ago, at the Ryan Beatty concert at The Wiltern, I passed by Kevin Abstract twice, once opposite each other on the stairs in the main area and second as he entered the doors of the floor section. I quite literally could not think of anything I could say to him then, but now I know exactly what. 

After that day, I eventually discovered that he interviewed LAUNDRY DAY and I ended up loving the topics they discussed and loved lots of aspects of the video in general. If I had watched this before the concert, I would have definitely commended him in person. If you’re reading this Kevin Abstract (and the Video Store team), I love this interview and here’s why.

Right away, the video shows that this interview is set in a random game store, a very uncommon yet fun place to hold an interview, that I think is fitting. This random game store is sort of another character to this interview that brings it to life. Weaved on top of audio of the interview every once in a while, the video strategically cuts to shots of LAUNDRY DAY browsing the store or playing Battleship against the crew and keeps the casual vibes of the video going. The atmosphere really just highlights the good company they were all in. 

Specifically, this reminded me of Chicken Shop Date, where they use strategic cuts to b-roll of the chicken shop as awkward yet cute indicators for topic switches.

It is evident that LAUNDRY DAY has such respect for Kevin Abstract and his peers and it is evident that Abstract shows them that same respect through his questions and the conversation he is able to foster. I think it’s the boyband camaraderie. There is also just a magic that exists when artists interview artists and ask all the right questions. 

multimdia also produces interviews on creatives where both the discussion and the fun video parts just feel really authentic. I recently watched the Aidan Cullen interview because I was interested in how he got started in the business. If you’re reading this Aidan Cullen (or anyone on the NOVA team), please approve my application I love y’all lol

LAUNDRY DAY talked about everything from selling out to being corny to being excited about green room sandwiches to their album documentary. On the topic of “selling out,” LAUNDRY DAY has been able to use their funny and unserious singing videos on the street to their advantage. Whether people know them from their covers of the “Can I Call You Rose” by Thee Sacred Souls” or “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston, they have gained an audience of people in it for the laughs and the vibes and ultimately an audience that will listen to their music new and old. (They were even able to reach Drake.) In addition, one of the members spoke about how after someone sells out, they have the power to just reset and do whatever they want with their art, regardless if the general public are behind it or not. 

On the topic of “being corny” and being excited about green room sandwiches. I think as an artist, it is essential to be corny about your art and always be excited about the little things. If you’re not excited about your own art, then who will be? It was fun to know that LAUNDRY DAY used to promote their stuff in high school as if they were already famous and that they were the ones under the band’s comment sections. Knowing this, makes it even more awesome to see how far they have come. 

Also being excited about green room sandwiches was probably the stuff that was shown in their own documentary and that’s why I love them. LAUNDRY DAY produced, edited, and scored their own documentary about the process of making their most recent album. They only screened it in Los Angeles for one night and I wish I was there to witness their album process on the big screen. What can I say. I just love the process. And I love LAUNDRY DAY. 

Shoutout to the Twitter mutual who put me on in 2018. 

If you’re reading this LAUNDRY DAY, keep rocking and I need Narduwar vs. LAUNDRY DAY to happen soon. Thank you. 

Links:

Listen to the LAUNDRY DAY song that Drake loves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83NkgCH6Tdc&pp=ygUeY3Jhenkgc3R1cGlkIGxvdmUgbGF1bmRyeSBkYXkg

Listen to the LAUNDRY DAY song that I love at the moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SETI_xw47fc&pp=ygUbbXkgc2hpbmluZyBzdGFyIGxhdW5kcnkgZGF5

Watch this LAUNDRY DAY video: https://youtu.be/r72Dx_LluVs?si=zqtPM_NA6XzaWGFh

Watch In-Focus with Quadeca: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvVJh8imS58&pp=ygUNZm9jdXMgcXVhZGVjYQ%3D%3D

Check out multimdia on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@multimdiamultimdia

[stereax]

ID LOVE 2 KNOW :3 - @homegirlhockey

:D!!! Here's the Devils' locker room layout for all your fanfic needs!

First off thank you Santagovich because your video singlehandedly confirmed about 60% of this, secondly shout out to exit interviews for giving me more info. Also: this is only for HOME GAMES IN 2022-23. Away has different seating, practices also have different seating, and next year's roster will shake up the locker room as well.

That being said...

Just to the right of a set of doors sits Tomas Tatar. Then, the line goes Yegor Sharangovich, Jack Hughes, Nate Bastian, Timo Meier, Jesper Boqvist before hitting a corner. Turn the corner and you get Miles Wood, Dawson Mercer, Nico Hischier, Ondrej Palat, Mikey McLeod, Jesper Bratt, Erik Haula. To the right of Haula is another corner, this one with a shelf of supplies and a fridge (presumably for Jack's Gato), and after that another door. Jonas Siegenthaler is on the other side of that door, followed by Damon Severson, Kevin Bahl, then John Marino, then a silver panel with NJD on it.

All of this I have confirmed. After is somewhat speculative because I can't find good shots of the back of the locker room.

I believe that after the NJD panel is another set of doors, then an Est 1985 silver panel, then Dougie Hamilton's stall. Dougie looks like he really enjoys his personal space, as his neighbor's stall is empty. I believe that after the empty stall is Brendan Smith, then Ryan Graves, Curtis Lazar, and Luke Hughes. (So the d-corps gets one wall, excepting Lazar who's Luke's father figure lmao). Luke has just about no interviews in front of his stall, making it hard to confirm what's after him. I think there's an empty stall after Luke? But hell if I know.

Then there are the goalies, who have stalls in the order Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid. To the left of Blackwood is an empty goalie stall. Siegs's Game 5 Victory Speech makes it look like Akira's sitting on the left side of the doors that Tuna flanks from the right.

Finally, something to note is that the Devils logo is in the middle of the floor with the horns pointing up towards Nico's wall.

So, to recap to the best of my ability:

[Empty goalie?] - 29 - 41 - 40 - [Doors] - 90 - 17 - 86 - 14 - 96 - 70 - [CORNER] - 44 - 91 - 13 - 18 - 20 - 63 - 56 - [CORNER] - [Storage & Fridge] - [Doors] - 71 - 28 - 88 - 6 - [NJD silver panel] - [Doors] - [Est 1985 silver panel] - 7 - [Empty] - 2 - 33 - 42 - 43 - [Empty?] - [CORNER?]

If any of y'all know of any more locker room pics from this year that show the back of the room, especially the bottom-right corner and the goalies' area (mostly what's on their sides), let me know so I can edit this appropriately :)

[thisuserdead]

The Minyard-Josten rivalry as seen through the media ~ part 1 of ???

----

*A Foxes vs Trojans game is playing on a wall screen in a TV studio. Two commentators are sat on bar stools in front of a desk. A buzzer signaling the end of the game echoes through the speakers*

Commentator 1: And there you have it people! The Foxes win the last game of the spring championship, yet again. This time with a 4 point margin against the USC Trojans.

Commentator 2: Very exciting, very exciting indeed! Palmetto has had a series of exceptional seasons these past few years. I think everyone has forgotten what they used to be like before the start of their winning streak.

Comm. 1: Indeed! People were a bit apprehensive at the start of this season however. As a reminder to our audience, this was the first season in the last five years that the Foxes have played with only one of the players from the "original" lineup from the Foxes' golden year.

Comm. 2: Fans weren't sure if the team was going to pull through. But, it seems like their captain - starting striker Neil Josten - was able to push the team to its full potential this season.

Comm. 1: It's also Josten's very last season with the Foxes. Rumor has it, he's already gotten several offers from pro teams all over the country. We'll have to wait and see who he decides to sign off with.

Comm. 2: It looks like the team is just as excited about the win as we are. Let's replay the moment right after the buzzer while the players shake hands.

*A split wall screen shows the players of both teams lining up for the final handshake on the right side while the left side shows the Foxes huddling around a very tired but happy looking Neil. It almost looks like he's being raised off the ground with the force of their joy.*

Comm. 2: Well, that's it for now folks! Stick around for the after game interviews. We'll be back in just a couple of minutes.

*Transmission is interrupted by clips and highlights from the game.*

-----

*Youtube video buffers before the noise of a crowded make-shift conference room starts. The camera is pointed at a long table with two orange clad athletes and their coach seated behind it.*

Wymack: Alright everyone, on with the questions!

Reporter 1: To Neil Josten, with you leaving there will be an open spot for captain, has it already been decided who is going to fill it?

Neil: Our current fourth-year-senior vice captain has already been selected to step up into the captain position.

Robin: As for the newly-opened vice captain position, that one will be filled by yours truly!

Neil: *nods, visibly proud*

Reporter 2: Neil, how did you manage to keep the team together now that there's a whole new generation of foxes?

Neil: Well, I have Dan to thank for lending me her infinite wisdom...and Kevin for his very public monday morning calls where he tells the team everything they did wrong during friday's game.

Robin: He is very motivational. Makes you want to do the exact opposite of what he says.

Wymack: *undefined grumbling*

*The reporters go through some more questions about the future of the Foxes. Most are answered by Robin or Wymack. For once Neil looks like he's content to just sit back and listen.

The last question of the night however is veered back to Neil.*

Reporter n: Neil, what was it like playing a whole season without Andrew Minyard? You two seemed close by all accounts.

Neil: *after a moment, a mischievious grin on his face* Who?

Robin: HAH

Reporter n: *caught off guard* uhh, your former teammate-

Neil: Hmm, does not ring any bells. Well- *cuts the reporters off from further prying* looks like out time is up.

*The three people sitting behind the table get up and walk towards their respective locker rooms and to the lounge in Wymack's case.

Video stops.*

Video Description: Neil Josten, Robin Cross and Coach David Wymack answer burning questions at the post-game conference

Date: XX/XX/XXXX

358 493 views

Comments:

@ exyneilno1fanxxx: great game! And even better interview. Can't wait to see who Neil signs with!!! xx <3

@ wildinwithdan: Always great to see my fave get mentioned!

@ kevsqueen22: is this the start of a minyard-josten rivalry? *thinking face on* See other 3k replies @ jostyard103: @ kevsqueen22 I'm calling it now, they're in a super secret relationship

-----

Note: Thanks for reading! TBC when I can, I'm thinking of possibly making this multimedial.

[ladylooch]

Letters in Your Last Name - Chapter 21

A/N: I purposefully didn't post because of the alternate AU Kevin I posted here yesterday. But I love this chapter. I am so happy we got the video mentioned here of Kev at the winter classic "But I'm not gonna do that." 🤭 I love him. So much. He's so ridiculous and such a princess.

Word count: 5.1k

Warnings: SMUT 18 + Content, Angsty!!!

The day before Thanksgiving, blood pounds in my veins due to a freight train of anxiety.

I watch on the TV screen as Kevin waits for the signal from the referee for his shootout attempt in New Jersey. The boos rain down from the Devil fans as he sets his gaze on the net minder. To anyone else, he looks determined. To me, he looks empty. The joy of hockey has been taken from him, or truthfully, maybe he gave it away. He’s had a tough, East Coast road trip that has started rumors and whispers around the league that his time in Minnesota is limited. He did nothing to help them after dodging a question about being removed from the power play by insinuating Dean Evason never had a conversation with him about it.

Boy, did the media love that one.

I tried to call Kevin that night and into the next morning, but he ignored me. It is frustrating to me how easy it can be for him to shut down. Meanwhile, every minute he didn’t respond, a thousand more comments popped up on Twitter about the Wild speaking with Vancouver, New Jersey, Boston, and New York about moving Kevin. When I finally spoke to him, he played it off like he was sleeping. Sure, Kev. It’s three days later and Kevin still looks as shut down as he did in the interview after the loss to Florida. I’m hoping a goal will boost his confidence and his demeanor. He’s been playing well- a team focused game- and if he holds on, the goals him and the fans are longing for will come.

Kevin cuts into the ice and begins his pursuit to the net. First, he goes left, then he moves right before he pulls back to the left. From there, he slides the puck level with his hip and snipes the puck into the top right corner. It’s a beautiful goal- full of patience, finesse and the snapping of white twine. I cheer from my spot on the couch and watch eagerly as the camera zooms in on his face. My smile falls instantly. He’s not happy. A tightness forms inside of me and I feel the anxiety gripping at my throat again. Cam Talbot makes the save at the other end. The Wild are leaving Jersey with another win secured.

As the post game coverage begins, I go over the plan I created this morning while staring at the ceiling unable to sleep. The ultimate plan to ease my anxiety and connect with Kevin after a hard week apart. It’s time to shake some things up and what better way than to turn into a sex goddess. Sex is how Kevin and I connect. I feel safe and loved and desired by him when we are engaging in the most intimate, pleasurable act humans can do. Surely, hot sex has solved every relationship rift, right? So, I wandered to the mall earlier today and selected the sexiest outfit I could find. It’s sure to have Kevin hot and needy before he even has a chance to unpack tonight.

My phone buzzes on the couch next to me as I’m drifting off to the latest Becoming Wild episode on Calen Addison. I glance down at Kevin’s text.

Taking off. See you soon, babe.

Time for my work to begin.

I step into the shower and pay extra attention with my razor. I scrub my body with an exfoliating scrub as well so my skin will feel smooth and rich despite the colder temperatures outside. When I’m done, I begin the delicate task of getting myself ready. I do my full face make up and curl my hair into easy, cascading tendrils. My curls are loose and after struggling with the comb and a bit of hair spray, I achieve the volume I want. Nothing super crazy, but just enough to make him wonder if I’ve been rolling around in bed all day, waiting for him.

Next, I head to the closet and grab the new black, lace teddy I got from Victoria’s Secret. There is a built in bra that covers my breasts in black lace before giving way to see through lace weaving in a delicate design down my stomach and between my legs. The sides have cut outs along with black ribbon keeping the ensemble together. The bra has extra padding in the bust, not that I need it, but it helps keep the girls up and in place. I grin widely when I finish, looking at myself in the mirror. Yeah, I’m definitely fuckable.

Now, I just need Kevin.

You would think this is our first time having sex with the butterflies dancing in my stomach. I’m anxious. I don’t know why. He’s going to love it. At least I think he will. I close my eyes and imagine him entering the apartment. The look on his face when he sees me, the way his hands will grab me. He’ll walk us into our bedroom and bury his face into my breasts. Then, he’ll fuck me hard, fast, and deep until we both can’t handle it anymore.

I pour myself a glass of wine and glance at my phone. He should be home any minute now. I suck down the red liquid and savor the feeling of the warmth sliding into my stomach. I want to feel loose. After being so high strung this entire road trip, I need to melt into a different world with Kevin. I’m in the bedroom, sitting patiently on the bed when I hear the door of our apartment open. A knowing smile pulls my lips apart and I wait.

“Babe?” Kevin calls further into the apartment when he notes I’m not in the living area. I stand and walk to the doorway of our bedroom, leaning against it casually with my arms crossed under my plumped breasts.

Kevin steps into my line of vision and I watch with sultry eyes as he tosses his jacket on the couch. He lets out a cute little yawn. When he finds me at the door, his entire body stills. Then his eyes slowly dance from my face down to my toes and back up. With each look, his features get softer and his jaw unclenches in obvious desire. His hands drop to his sides as he begins to walk towards me.

“Welcome home.” I muse.

“This is nice.” He says, reaching for my hips and pulling me tight to him, his hands immediately slip down to my bare ass, gripping it in his strong hands. “Where is this from?” He asks me, his lips an inch from mine. I can already feel the need building within from the way he’s looking at me. The unsteadiness of the last week is melting second by second.

“Does it matter?” I respond after he kisses my lips gently. He lets out a brief laugh and shakes his head.

“No.” He steps forward and begins to move me backwards leisurely. My knees hit the back of our bed and he sits me down. He takes in a full look of me again. Why isn’t he picking me up and throwing me on the bed?

“You are so beautiful.” He tilts my chin up to look at him. His eyes have melted into pools of desire and his eyebrows are pulled together in earnest.

Everything about him is slow and deliberate and gentle. This is not what I was expecting from him. I thought I looked like a sex goddess. He’s touching me like I’m the girl next door. And I don’t like it. In an attempt to change the pace, I reach for his belt and help his pants slip down his hips. His erection juts out and I reach for it, getting my mouth ready to take him in.

“No.” Kevin reaches for my wrist and gives it a gentle squeeze for me to released him. I look up at him with furrowed brows. What guy doesn’t want a blow job? Definitely not my fiancé.

“Kev..” I trail off.

“Not tonight.” He says to me.

He reaches for my thighs and tilts me back until I’m flat on my back. My breasts bounce in the bra and practically hit my chin. Geez, these things are weapons right now. Kevin seems to have liked that though. His hands come to them, giving each a firm squeeze. My nipples pucker in delight and he brushes his thumbs against their form through my bra. Next, he moves south, slowly, almost painfully, kissing down my stomach until he reaches his destination. His tongue licks at me through the teddy before he moves the fabric to the side with his hand. The cool air reaches my clit and I brace myself for the desperate nibbling I know is coming.

Except it doesn't. Again, he’s slow and gentle and, don’t get me wrong, I like it, but it’s not what I was anticipating. As he works his mouth on me, my eyes open and my heart rate begins to increase. The anxiety is suffocating me again. Why isn’t he railing into me? Why is he going so slow and deliberate? Why is this the reaction I’m getting from this expensive outfit? Is it not sexy? Is he not into this? Fuck!

I lick my lips and push out a breath, trying to refocus on what Kevin is doing. I close my eyes again and focus on the feeling of his tongue lapping at me. His finger circles my opening and he slides in and out with gentle ease. Despite my overactive mind, I’m wet and ready for anything he wants to give me. His finger curls and I feel him bump into that spot inside of me that endlessly begs for him. I pull in a sharp breath and then let it out in a low moan. I open my eyes and Kevin is watching me again with those doe like eyes. Damn it, I want the fire eyes. I break eye contact immediately and reach for his hand, halting him.

“Babe, this is nice, but can you fuck me please?” I ask him. Kevin stills and is quiet for a moment in the dark.

“Ah... yeah.” He finally says, but his tone is questioning. He pulls the shirt off his shoulders and then slides the remaining clothes down his legs. When he is naked in front of me, he looks at me and tilts his head. His hand does a sweeping gesture to my outfit. “How would one get this off?” He laughs, his white teeth shining in the dark. “Is there something on the back?”

“No, it’s the arms.” I start to shimmy and tug the straps off. The bra portion falls down. Kevin pauses my movements, hands working on my breasts again. He leans down and sucks a nipple into his mouth. I let out a needy breath, adding an extra, exaggerated cry to turn up the heat in the room. Kevin pulls away after that and slides the teddy the rest of the way off me. “We will be seeing you again soon.” He assures the fabric before tossing it on the floor. I giggle excitedly at that. So he does like it.

Kevin positions himself between my legs and gradually slides into me. When he’s all the way in, he pulls out a few inches then slides all the way back in again. I adjust to him quickly and I wiggle my hips excitedly for him to go. I settle in deeper to the comforter and wait in anticipation for his thrusts to increase.

And yet again, they don’t. Instead, the tempo Kevin sets is somewhere in the lazy, Sunday morning sex category. Not, haven’t seen you in a week, I’m dying for you, sexy outfit category. I resist the urge to sigh in disappointment and instead focus on the feeling of his dick sliding inside of me, willing the tension to build. This goes on for a few more thrusts. Kevin leans down and presses our lips together in a kiss that’s sickeningly sweet. His mouth opens against mine as he breathes heavier, but it lacks the edge of sexiness I crave.

If the outfit isn’t the problem, it must be me. I think back on the minutes and hours he was able to stay disconnected from me this past week. Like he completely forgot about having someone at home waiting for him. During that same time, I felt like our entire world was falling apart. The pressure of tears begin to build behind my eyes and my chest squeezes as my imagination sprints down anxiety road. The heaviness of my engagement ring on my left hand has completely disappeared from my mind.

He isn’t attracted to me. I’m not enough for him. He’s going to leave me.

“Hey, are you here with me?” Kevin mumbles as he pulls up to glide in and out steadily. He’s looking into my face and he must see the trace of absence there.

“Kevin, can you please fuck me.” I encourage him with a desperate edge to my voice. He immediately stops and looks down into my face with an irked expression.

“Babe, I’m making love to you.”

“I don’t want that.” I borderline cry to him.

“What do you want?” He asks me in a low voice. I can see his eyebrows pulling down over his beautiful eyes. He looks hurt.

“I want you to fuck me so hard that I can’t speak.” I snap exasperatedly at him.

“I can’t do that tonight, Sam.” He whispers back to me. I hate the way my name sounds coming through his lips and it makes me wince.

“Then I don’t want this.” I push at his bare chest as tears fill my eyes. He slides out of me instantly and I roll out from under him. I can feel his eyes burning into my back as I walk to the bathroom and close the door.

"Sam?" He calls to me from where he is still kneeling on our bed.

The sobs instantly come. I know Kevin can hear me from the bedroom and I’m trying to be quiet but it’s not working. Soon, I can sense him outside the door. I know he’s at war with himself between wanting to give me space and wanting to hold me.

My plan has utterly back fired. Instead of the uncontrollable desire from Kevin, I got the vanilla side of him. Don’t get me wrong. There is a time and place to enjoy that, but it’s not what I need right now. Not with this horrible insecurity and unknown swirling around our entire life. I need the burning desire. The ache for each other where even though every inch of your body is touching, it’s still not enough. I need that all consuming passion as reassurance of our connection to each other.

The door quietly opens so I hide my tear streaked face in my hands. Kevin covers me with my pink robe from the back of the door before he slides down to the floor. He wraps me into his arms and lifts me into his clothed lap. His touch makes me cry harder. I begin to feel shame seep into the joints in my body. Kevin holds me steadily through each sob.

“What’s going on?” He asks me when my tears have quieted.

“It’s been a really hard week.” I cry to him through a few sniffles. “Your name has been in every fucking trade rumor in the league.”

“Babe, you gotta stay off Twitter.” He sighs, adjusting my hip in his lap to settle us against the wall better.

“Fine. I need to stay off Twitter.” I admit, wiping under my eyes. My finger tips are black from the heavy mascara I put on. Great. I still can’t look into his face from both embarrassment and distress. “But you’ve been so distant this entire road trip. We barely spoke and half the time you wouldn’t even answer my texts. Sometimes, it was like I didn’t even exist to you. At one point, I was convinced you were so quiet because you had been traded!”

“I’m sorry. I was spiraling and trying to stay focused. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Well, it made me feel like shit. And really insecure. And like an outsider in your life.”

“That’s why I needed to fuck you?”

“Yes. I wanted to feel desired. Important to you...” My voice trails off.

“Sam, I was trying to show you that. That is why I was making love to you. I can fuck whomever. I can’t make love like that to just anybody.”

I gain the courage to look into his face. I can see all the emotions of the last week there- the anger, the sadness, the confusion, the stress, the weight of his entire hockey career feeling like it’s in limbo. He looks young and unsure in the bathroom with me. Like he’s incapable of carrying all of this alone. I drop my gaze again because I don’t know what to say. My hair drops across my face and Kevin’s hand comes up, tucking it behind my ear again.

“Don’t hide from me.” He whispers to me. “I need you. Now more than ever.”

“I’m worried… and I’m sad.” I admit.

“Me too.”

“You’re so good at that.” I shake my head at him. “Making me feel like I’m not alone.”

“You’re not. I’m right here.”

We are silent for a moment. I begin to think about the outfit and the need for a physical connection. Those things were driven by a deep insecurity I’ve felt inside of me this whole week: Not pretty enough. Not close enough. Not what he needs. Not enough, period. My face crumples again and a new batch of tears falls from my lashes.

“I just want to be enough for you.” I cry quietly.

“Enough?” He repeats to me incredulously. His mouth is slightly agape and his brown eyes search my green eyes quickly. He brings my face close to his, resting our foreheads together. “This isn’t about you, baby. I'm so sorry I made you feel this way. You’re everything to me. I’ll do whatever I need to for you to know that.” He murmurs against my lips. “I’ll fuck you straight through our headboard if that will convince you.” His kisses are hasty and I finally feel like I’m getting the Kevin that I wanted. Too little too late- the mood is decidedly gone. I close my eyes and lean into his bare chest.

“Maybe you could just hold me.” I whisper. Now all I feel is a vulnerability hangover that only his arms can cure.

“Of course. But can we go to the bed? My butt is asleep.” I nod and he helps me stand up. “Do you want clothes?” He asks me as I crawl onto the bed. I nod my head yes and he brings me a t-shirt, panties and a pair of pajama pants. I slide them on and then get under the covers. Kevin reaches for me and brings me across the bed to him. We meet in the middle; our legs and arms tangle together until there isn’t an end to either of us. The room is quiet but the silence feels comfortable.

“Do you still want to marry me?” I murmur anxiously to Kevin after a few moments. He lets out a chuckle.

“Yes. Even more than before.”

“It was the lingerie, right?”

“No, it’s the girl in it.” He slowly opens his eyes as I cup his strong jaw in my hand. “It’s going to be okay.” He assures me after studying my green eyes. I know he’s speaking of his contract situation and future on the Wild. “Just hold onto me. Don’t let go.”

“I won’t.” I assure him, gulping down the lump forming in my throat. Kevin’s lips press gently to mine and I kiss him back eagerly. “I’m yours. Forever and anywhere.”

“I know.” Kevin answers me with confidence.

And I mean it, but I drift to sleep that night hoping anywhere can still be here. _ _ _

Winter in Minnesota is anything but kind. However, I think the current temperature at Target Field is a new level of rude. It’s currently hovering at 0 degrees but with the windchill, it’s well into the negatives. I’m careful as I pull my skate laces tighter. The outsides of my pinky fingers tingle in protest but I persist. This is the Winter Classic after all. The team is finishing practice and several family members have already joined the skate. Kevin already ran by me to the locker room so he could shed a few pieces of his gear and add another heating layer now that he worked up a sweat in the chilly weather.

I finish the last of my skates, looping my laces and securing them in a bow. I reach for my choppers and put them back on to protect my skin. Then, I stand on my skates and look out across the Winter Classic ice. Wow. The league left no detail out. Everything about it screams State of Hockey. This Minnesotan is beside herself with excitement for it all.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Kevin says to me from my left. I snap my head to him and I can’t help the huge grin that goes onto my face. He’s wearing his team issued green, Winter Classic jacket, hockey gloves and the rest of his padding from the waist down.

“I have goosebumps. And It has nothing to do with the cold. This is really cool!”

“Then let’s go!” He encourages me towards the door to the bench. When my blades hit the ice, an excited squeal comes out of my lips.

“Ohmygod.” I breathe out and suck in the frigid air into my nose. It hurts and my eyes water from the wind, snow, and the emotions of how cool this is. This will be a game our state will never forget, a bright spot in an otherwise difficult time. I turn and skate backwards to look at Kevin. “I’m so glad I fell in love with you.” He lets out a hearty chuckle and reaches for me. I close my eyes and savor the brief moment we are connected.

“Sam! Here!” Kelly Talbot throws me a white beanie with a poof ball on it. On the front in forest green, glittery patches is the number 22.

“Oh fer cute!” I giggle, taking off the Wild Hockey hat I had on and replacing it. “Now everyone knows who I belong to.” I stick my tongue out at my fiancé.

“Yeah… it’s the hat. Not the fact that he follows you around like a puppy.” She teases me. I laugh and look at Kevin who scrunches his nose in annoyance.

“How about the engagement ring I gave you? I thought it was big enough to send the message.”

“Well you can’t see it through my gloves.” I hold up my covered hands at him.

“Bummer. We need to sacrifice your fingers so everyone knows.” His lips find mine and I laugh into his mouth.

“No thank you.” Our cold noses touch and I shiver a bit in response. “Okay, it is definitely cold AF. This is going to suck for you tomorrow. Hopefully you’ll be amped up enough you won’t notice.”

“It’s bad on the ice, but the bench has good heat.” He assures me. “I’m definitely wearing the head wrap. My ears would be falling off.” We skate around a few times as we chat, envisioning what the game will be like tomorrow. Kevin has never played in front of almost 40,000 fans, so he’s curious to how loud it will be. After a few more minutes, his gaze lifts to the bench and he nods his head in acknowledgement at someone.

“I have to do a video for the league’s Instagram account. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He kisses my cold cheek. “You look good even when you’re freezing.” He tells me, eyes dancing with love.

“Oh god. Stop.” I roll my eyes at him and shove him towards the bench. “Go do your thing, superstar.”

I watch as he skates over to the bench and grabs a phone from a man who is bundled up to the point that only his eyes are exposed. Definitely not from the northern part of the country. Kevin grabs the phone from him and goes to center ice where Kaapo Kahkonen is. I watch from my position by the penalty box and grin at how funny it is to see him like this. His voice changes and his enunciating of his English gets crystal clear as he puts forth the extra effort of his non-native language. He glances at me and I tuck my chin into the collar of my jacket to hide my laugh.

“Thank you, Kaapo. Let’s go talk to a Minnesotan next. Get the family involved.” Kevin’s eyes set on mine and he gives me an encouraging nod.

“Oh boy..” I trail off with a nervous laugh as Kevin comes over to me with the phone.

“This is my fiancé, Sam. Wave to the people, babe.” I do so and skate in closer to him so we are both in the frame. “You grew up in Minnesota. Is this what the state of hockey is all about?”

“Definitely.” I nod my head at him. “The league did a great job. I don’t think they missed anything. They even have an ice fishing hole out there.” I point beyond the ice. “Plus the weather is doing its part by showcasing a true Minnesota winter.”

“You’re used to winter here. Does this feel cold to you?” He asks, gesturing to the weather including the falling snow.

“Um, yes.” I laugh honestly.

“What tips do you have for me to stay warm tomorrow?”

“Score some goals.” We both laugh at that.

“Okay.” He gives the camera raised eyebrows and wide eyes. “Sam says goals will keep us warm, boys.” He says to Matt Dumba and Ryan Hartman.

“Solid advice.” Ryan nods his head at me. I give him a thumbs up.

“Alright, that’s it for me from the Winter Classic ice. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Kevin clicks off and hands the phone back to the social media staff member for the NHL.

“Riveting content.” I say to him when he skates back to me.

“What the people came for, for sure.”

The next night, the people did not get what they came for.

After an even first period, the Blues absolutely slaughtered the Wild from the moment the puck dropped in the second period. All the excitement and fun was quickly sucked out of Target Field and all that remained was the bitter, unforgiving temperatures. Luckily, we were under the heaters in premium seating, but the warmth did little to ease the discomfort of the night. Kevin did end up scoring one goal. The last seconds of the game are waning and I realize my eyelashes have frozen together from the cold. I stick my nose into my jacket for a few moments to try to regain some blood flow to my face.

When the final horn sounds, I clap my hands and release a heavy sigh. After two years of excitement, and many more than that hoping for this game, it was certainly not the ending any of us wanted.

My eyelashes have completely thawed by the time I see Kevin. My heart squeezes at his obvious displeasure. He’s quiet and still looks like he’s frozen solid. He greets me wordlessly with a kiss.

“Your goal, babe…” I say when we are in his car minutes later. “The patience… Incredible.” He shrugs as he turns out of the parking lot. “I know a win would have been nice, but it’s still a cool experience.” I pause and look at his face. He won’t look at me. “Emphasis on the cool.” I reach out and give his thigh a squeeze.

“It was something.” Okay, so talking about the actual hockey part of the game is a no-go right now.

“Do you still have all your toes and fingers?”

“Yes?” He questions me with a head shake.

“Well there you go! You did win! And I got to drink cider slushies all night. Success.” I give a resolved nod of my head and look back at the snow covered road. Because Target Field is only a few blocks from our place, we pull into our parking garage quickly. Kevin shuts the car off and releases a sigh.

“Damn, I’m still freezing.” He says as he turns to look at me. His shoulders shake from a chill.

“Good thing I know a way to warm you up.” I say to him, unbuckling my seatbelt and reaching for him. An immediate, knowing smile stretches his lips.

“How?”

“Fucking.” I whisper against his lips. He laughs into our smooch and I know he’s turning the corner into a cheerier Kevin. “Your goal.” I try again. “Tell me that one didn’t feel nice.”

“Of course it did. But you’re going to feel better.”

“Fine. Avoid it for now, but we are talking about this later.” I insist to him.

“Okay.” He rolls his eyes. “Get moving.” He jerks his head towards the elevator. I step from the car and begin to walk. I hear Kevin’s door shut, but his footsteps don’t follow. I throw a glance over my shoulder and see him standing by the car staring at me.

“What?” I ask him.

“Just watching my whole world.”

“Walk away from you?” I laugh at him. He begins to walk towards me.

“I see it as you walking towards exactly where I want you.” He comes beside me and wraps an arm around me. He dips his hand into the back pocket of my jeans and we walk together to the elevator.

“Your dick?” I joke as he presses the up button.

“I was thinking on my face, in our bed, but we can go with that too.”

“Oh-kay.” I groan out to him. I reach for the up button and begin to push it incessantly. “Come on!” I yell in fake desperation.

Kevin and I dissolve into laughter and just like that, the world feels a little more okay.