#50 Hour Film Competition

[luvnami]

back to my waka obsession (feat. actor au)

“so, what do you think of your co-star?”

cameras flash as a microphone is shoved into your face. you smile politely at the overenthused journalist, taking a few moments to come up with an appropriate answer.

“ushijima wakatoshi is a lovely person to work with. he’s very talented, it was a pleasure.”

ushijima stands next to you with his eyebrows raised slightly, as if he’s surprised. he’s close enough that you can smell the cologne he’s wearing. clean, woody, and with an undertone of spice. god, you would inhale all 192.7cm of him if you could. 

for the awards show tonight, ushijima’s wearing a fitted suit with detailed handiwork on the lapels. you wear a floor-length gown with a thigh slit in similar fashion – matching as co-stars on a recent blockbuster was important for promotion of the film. 

“ushijima, how do you feel about being nominated for best actor? any celebratory plans in mind?”

the journalist turns to ushijima. he straightens his back ever so slightly and immediately commands the attention of the small crowd before him. you take in a sharp breath. he answers the journalist patiently, saying that he feels very flattered and that he’s up against worthy competition, but no, no plans for tonight just yet.

you pretend to pay attention to a few quips that the journalist and ushijima, only tugged back down to earth when his hand touches your lower back. 

“let’s move on,” he murmurs.

your skin prickles. the journalist moves on to the next actor behind you. ushijima guides you on the carpet into the main event hall, where someone directs you to your table. you past by a crowd of celebrities and directors you vaguely recognise. 

ushijima pulls your chair out for you.

“how polite. thank you,” you smile and he pushes your chair in. 

the material of your dress slips off your thigh as you cross one leg over the other.

“you’re welcome. here, take this.” ushijima shrugs off his jacket. he hands it to you, helping you cover your legs with it. 

“you don’t have to, your stylist is going to get mad!” you protest. 

he gives you a quizzical look. “but i wanted to.”

heat rushes to your face when you hear a quiet murmur come from a nearby table, their eyes on your back. ushijima glances over his shoulder and they fall silent.

that night, when he wins the award for best actor, ushijima’s stylist sends him a very angry text about appearing on stage without his ‘custom suit jacket that took him 50 hours of hand embroidery to finish!’.

ushijima just leaves them on read.

[roseygurl]

jobs i think the marauders & friends would have

james potter

- works at a sporting goods store

- he’s very knowledgeable and great at his job

- will definitely persuade you into buying something you don’t want or need

- “sir these nike airs will make you jump so incredibly high”

- always chewing gum and always getting yelled at for it by his boss

- hates working register, you’ll find him in the shoes section reading a magazine

- made the store playlist, he’s always on aux

- all his coworkers are really old but he still manages to get along really well with them

- has definitely grabbed a beer with the 50 year old cashier

sirius black

- movie theatre employee

- he hates his job so much. so much

- but he loves saying he works at a movie theatre because it sounds cool

- applied because he loves films and the smell of theatre popcorn

- works at the concession stand and steals extra large slushees (his go-to flavors are cherry and coke)

- he’s really bad at customer service but he’s naturally charming so it’s okay

- always has one airpod in

- coworkers love him because remus brings him food on his break that he shares with everyone

- never ever wears the hat that comes with his uniform because it’s ugly and makes his hair look bad

- definitely cries in the bathroom

remus lupin

- waiter at a nice restaurant downtown

- he’s actually quite rude but his dry humor and nice cheekbones charm people for some reason

- (gets horrible tips)

- has to wear a fully black outfit with a silly black bow tie, sirius thinks he looks handsome

- really good at bussing tables and rolling silverware

- steals fries from the kitchen

- sometimes they ask him to bartend and he really enjoys that

- the hostess girl adores him (sirius despises her)

- smokes near the dumpster on his break and then sits on the floor in the walk-in for a few minutes

- “can i speak to the manager?!”

- “ma’am i am the manager” (he’s lying)

peter pettigrew

- works at a gas station

- constantly forgets to check for ID

- free cigarettes for his friends

- actually likes stocking shelves because he doesn’t have to talk to anyone

- always scared the store is gonna get robbed at gunpoint

- sees people steal but never says anything about it

- he literally never sees his boss around, where is that man???

- usually closing shift, he hates it

- reads comic books up front all the time, sometimes he’ll have really long conversations with customers about x-men

regulus black

- works drive-thru at a burger joint

- customer service is on point but after 8pm he turns into the biggest bitch on the face of the earth

- he just wants to go home

- sirius and james always drive by to troll him and order shakes

- sirius is really good at doing the karen voice and has actually fooled him almost every single time

- big brother behavior

- his uniform is rancid and smells like burger grease

- always having one sided competitions with other coworkers that nobody is in on except for him

- he loves oreo milkshakes

- ends up having to train the new hires but he’s so terrible at it

- “idk i think this is how you do it but im not sure”

- bad at counting change on the spot, he’ll start tearing up if you give him coins

lily evans

- second-hand bookstore employee

- started out as a volunteer but they actually ended up hiring her

- she doesn’t get enough hours

- works next to a coffee shop so she always grabs a cappuccino for james after her morning shifts

- gets to wear cute outfits but has to wear an ugly gray apron

- decorates it with pins

- remus always comes to visit her and they bitch about rude customers together

- he ends up helping her move heavy boxes

- her boss is this sweet weird hippie woman who somehow knows everyone personally

- the dusty books give her terrible allergies

- that girl is always sneezing and sniffling

- will talk your ear off about jane austen

[starrgaziinggg]

wherefore art thou romeo | yang jeongin

SCENE ONE ・❥・ break a leg (6k words)

directory

SCENE ONE ・❥・ ACT ONE

"If you don't start enunciating your words, I'm going to bite you."

You give Jeongin a nasty look, rolling your eyes at him from where he sat behind the counter. Unfortunately, before you could get the chance to offer a sharp tongued rebuttal, two customers walk up to you, hand in hand.

"Two tickets for, Last Christmas, please!" The woman in front of you says gleefully whilst her partner kisses her on the check. Oh, how naive, you thought, knowing that in the movie, the main love interest is actually dead the whole time. You'd been through the trauma of watching the movie yourself, so you could understand the pain they'd be in, in approximately an hour and forty five minutes.

"Here you go," you say, plastering a fake smile on your face as you hand over the tickets, turning back to Jeongin once they leave. The best thing about working in a cinema? Minimal customer interaction. Plus, as a film geek, you got 50% off movie tickets, which meant you and your coworkers spent as much time in the cinema chairs as you did cleaning them.

"Better yet," Jeongin continues, grinning up at you from where he sat on a stool, leaning against the back wall. "Every time you mumble, I'll throw a piece of popcorn at you."

"I'll just catch it in my mouth, dipshit," you tease, sticking your tongue out at him as you pick up your script again. As much as Jeongin was an absolute nuisance, he was helping you prepare for your audition tomorrow, so you couldn't be too annoyed with him.

"Oh yeah? You really think you've got that level of coordination?" He teases more. "Might I remind you, you're the same kid that tripped over every hurdle at sports day circa five years ago."

You huff, fully turning around to lean against the counter as you eyed the boy below you. He was grinning up at you, his perfect teeth gleaming as he pushed some of his dark hair out his eyes.

"Shut up," you huff, folding your arms over your chest. "Can you actually be constructive with your criticisms instead of just bullying me?"

Jeongin laughs at you, shaking his head and pouting. "Come on," he tilts his head at you, waving the script he was holding in front of you. "These lines aren't going to memorise themselves."

You sigh, knowing he's right. You didn't usually get nervous over auditions, since you were more than used to them by now. You'd been acting since you were a toddler, whether that be putting on shows for your family or in your local theatre group, and you had the confidence to soar through them, but this was different. Going to a prestigious school for the arts meant competition for the top roles was more than tough, and your end of year performance was the most important and well attended production each year.

Romeo and Juliet, was this years choice. Sure, it was only because your head of department had just recently got engaged and made her sappy love life everyone's business, but you actually loved the play, so you weren't mad about it. And, of course, you were trying out for the part of Juliet.

"Romeo can, Though heaven cannot," Jeongin starts, putting on a girly voice as he pretends to act as Juliet's nurse for the chosen audition scene. "O Romeo, Romeo, Whoever would have thought it? Romeo!"

You have to admit, you loved practicing with him. Jeongin, being on the same acting course as you, was amazing at performing, and put his all into it every time - even if it was just a silly practice audition.

You laugh as you begin your line, trying to remember your monologue without a script. "What devil art thou that dost torment me thus? This torture should be roared in dismal hell. Hath Romeo slain himself? Say thou but "Ay," And that bare vowel "I" shall poison more...than...than-"

"Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice. I am not I if there be such an "I," Or those eyes shut that makes thee answer "Ay." If he be slain, say "Ay," or if not, "No." Brief sounds determine my weal or woe," Jeongin finishes the part you couldn't remember for you, reading directly from the script in a whimsical voice as you sigh.

"Why did they choose the original play script," you whine, grabbing the script off Jeongin to reread the line. "Surely they could have adapted the language to make it easier to learn. I feel like I'm summoning serpents right now."

Jeongin laughs at your dismay, shrugging his shoulders as he stands up to deal with the group of customers he sees walking in and letting you have time to look over your script. "I dunno, I like the original. That bullshit Di Caprio version - you know, the movie with the guns - that sucked. It was all over the place; you can't have them speaking Elizabethan English and then make them shoot each other in the street and drive sports cars."

You give the back of his head a smile as he serves the customers, giving over their tickets and making up their popcorn. It was just the two of you on shift tonight until the cinema you worked at closed at 12, which you didn't mind at all since Jeongin could help you with you with your lines. That, and the fact that out of your friends, he was the most calm - which was saying something, because Jeongin was loud for an introvert.

"I liked the movie," you say once the customers leave, Jeongin coming over to stand beside you. "I thought it was an interesting take."

"You just fancy young Leo," Jeongin points out, making you scoff and push his shoulder. "Don't even pretend you don't! I was sat beside you in the lecture hall when we watched it for our extra curricular last semester and I watched you physically drool when he showed face."

You frown, knowing he's exactly right. The fact you were slightly infatuated with young Leonardo Di Caprio was not a secret.

"Oh, look how handsome he is," Jeongin continues to tease, pretending to be you fawning. "He looks like a dream!"

"Oh, come on," you laugh, using a phrase you'd picked up from Felix. Working with your best friends meant you'd adopted a lot of their habits, which you'd only realised when Felix had pointed it out. "I wasn't that bad."

"You didn't have to sit beside you."

You stick your tongue out at him, picking up your script again. "Are you not more nervous? Considering you're also auditioning tomorrow?"

Jeongin shrugs, manoeuvring so that he's facing you and gently tapping your feet with his. "Not really. I'm auditioning for multiple parts so I don't really mind what I get."

"Are you going for Romeo?" You ask him, glad the conversation has turned somewhat serious.

He nods, frowning. "Yeah, don't see why not. The more parts I go for the more options I have. You must be pretty dead set on playing Juliet if you're only auditioning for her."

You can't help but to feel nervous, knowing that you were taking a risk by only going for the role of Juliet. Jeongin seems to notice this, though, moving his face so that you look at him and giving you a smile.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll get it," he says, before breaking out into a cheeky grin. "If you remember your lines, that is."

You wish you could be annoyed at him, but you appreciate how he tries to keep the situation lighthearted. You'd always appreciated that of him. He was good at reading a room, and knew how to dissolve tension. It came in clutch when you and Jisung got into a tiff about god knows what whilst you worked together.

Jisung's parents owning the local cinema you worked at meant he liked to, well, not do his job, which you could get pretty annoyed at as much as you loved your friend. There was perks with working with your friends, but there were also downfalls, such as Jisung refusing to do certain tasks.

Jeongin snaps you out of your thoughts, taking the script back from you.

"You're going to do your own head in if you keep going over it," he points out. "Remember that one time when we were auditioning for that play in middle school and you memorised the script so much you started saying other people's lines out loud?"

You laugh at the memory. "That witch of a teacher shouted at me in front of everyone. It was so embarrassing."

"Mhm," Jeongin hums, tilting his head at you. "That's why you should put this down for a bit."

"The only thing worse than over-knowing your lines is not knowing them at all," you groan, stretching your limbs and rolling your eyes at a group of teen girls talking way too loudly for 10pm. Jeongin senses your discomfort and deals with them, unaware of the looks they all give him. Working with Jeongin so often, you'd come to realise he didn't know how handsome he was, evident when he let flirtatious opportunities go amiss. He'd been like that since you'd met him in middle school, though.

You'd first met when the two local middle schools in your area moved into the new, larger and more modern school that had been built to allow the two older buildings be knocked down. After the awkward tension between the two different school groups in one classroom dissolved, your friend group (consisting of you, Yunjin, Jisung and Minho) collided naturally with Jeongin's. Hyunjin, Felix, Seungmin and Jeongin merged well with you and your friends, and thus your new, much larger group was formed.

"Enjoy the movie," Jeongin smiles, finishing up with the group of girls.

"Oh, we will," a particularly bold girl says, turning away with their giggling friends. Jeongin turns to you with a raised eyebrow.

"What was that about?" he questions sincerely, coming back to lean against the wall with you. You shake your head in response.

"You're so niave," you chuckle, knowing even if you tried to explain to him why those girls were so giggly around him, he probably wouldn't understand anyway. "Now please help me memorise these lines."

"Nope," Jeongin says lazily, running a hand throw his curly black hair. "You're done for the night."

You grown for what feels like the millionth time of the night. "We've still got two hours before our shifts end. What the hell else am I gonna do?"

"Hang out with me," Jeongin replies, turning to face you, a smile etching his eternally happy face. "We never just talk about normal stuff anymore. It's always about uni."

"Yeah, well, our lives revolve around it, now."

Jeongin seems as though he doesn't like your answer, scoffing and hitting his shoes off of yours. "I know but - come on, surely you've got some gossip for me."

"Jeongin, we have all the same friends!" You laugh, shaking your head. "If I have any gossip I'm pretty sure you'll know it, too."

"Well how about this," he says, turning fully to face you. "Did you know that Jisung and Yunjin had a thing for each other back in middle school, but neither of them acted on it?"

Your jaw almost drops. Yunjin, your best friends since infantry, had never once divulged this interesting piece of information to you. Plus, Ji and Yunjin were your friends before they were Jeongin's, and it felt wrong that he knew more about them than you.

"How the fuck do you know that?" You ask in disbelief. Jeongin only taps his nose.

"Trade secret," he says ominously, so you lightly punch him on the shoulder. He giggles, pretending to stumble backwards. "Okay okay, Jisung told me at the time and Yunjin told me when she was drunk a few months ago."

You sigh, promising yourself to bring it up to Yunjin when you go back to your dorm later. "Why does everyone tell you their secrets when they're drunk? Nobody tells me anything."

"Cause you're a blabbermouth," Jeongin says with no hesitation, so you give him a look. "What? You have been since middle school. I told you I had a crush on Yeji and you told everyone."

You huff, remembering the event. You were only, like, thirteen in all fairness, but you did feel bad about it even after all this time. Jeongin didn't speak to you for weeks after Yeji shut him down.

"I apologised for that a million times, I didn't even mean to let it slip!"

"Yeah, well," Jeongin rolls his eyes. "I'm still mad at you."

You give him a grin, knowing he's completely lying, and he can't help but crack a smile right back at you.

"See? Isn't this nice?" He says, his eyes glistening from the overhead light. "We've not talked casually like this in ages."

"Aw, are you missing our conversations, Jeong?" You laugh, reaching over to shake his shoulder. He swipes you away, always hating physical affection, laughing.

"I wouldn't go as far as to say I was missing it, but I do enjoy talking to you about non school or work related things," he says honestly, and you can't help but nod your head in agreement.

Once the movies let out around the same time, all you and Jeongin have to do is clean the two theatres, make sure everything is prepared for the day staff tomorrow and lock up. It doesn't take you too long, and Jeongin connects to the speaker system to play his music, which passes the time even quicker.

You're exhausted by the time Jeongin locks the back door, pocketing the keys and leading you to his car. He'd saved up for months to pay for it, claiming he was fed up with Jisung driving him around like a maniac.

"Fifteen minute drive home," Jeongin says out loud, pulling up the maps on his phone despite knowing the route back to the on campus dorms. "You should go for a nap, you look tired."

"Thanks, Jeong," you say with a roll of your eyes, getting yourself comfortable in the passengers seat.

"Not like that," he says lazily, looking behind him as he pulls out of his parking space. "Here, I'll even crank up the heating like you enjoy. I'm sacrificing my own comfort for you, here."

You give him a fake smile, unable to help yourself from curling up as soon as you feel the heat blast your face. Jeongin's body temperature was always much warmer than yours, so you'd always fought about the heat of the car when you were the passenger.

It's not long until you arrive back to the dorms, Jeongin having to gently push you awake after you'd drifted off. He stops off at your dorm first, of course, halting right outside the door. He roomed with Seungmin, Felix and Hyunjin five minutes away whilst you shared with Yunjin and two girls you weren't all that close with. Jisung and Minho had moved into their own flat a month ago.

"If you're not fast asleep in the next ten minutes I'm coming over and forcing you," he says, his face serious, and you know he's only half joking. "Get a good sleep for tomorrow and you'll be fine."

"Same goes for you," you say, stretching your limbs as you open the car door. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," he firms with a nod, giving you a grin after and starting the car as soon as he watches you open the main door to your dorm building.

Yunjin's already dead asleep in her room when you go in, which leads you to crash in your own bed as soon as you've finished brushing your teeth and changing out of your work uniform, the script pages of Romeo and Juliet floating around in your mind. 

SCENE ONE ・❥・ ACT TWO

When the time flashes on your phone reading 9:46am, it doesn't compute in your brain that you've slept in. It's not until you hear Yunjin banging on your door, shocking you out of your system and causing you to jump up in terror, that the realisation hits you.

You've slept in. On audition day.

Despite remembering setting your alarm for 8 sharp, you were fourteen minutes away from missing the auditions and getting stuck as a background actor. You fling open your door, revealing a panicked Yunjin on the other side.

"Did you -"

"Yes, I know I've slept in!" You answer, leaving the door open and turning to get changed out of your pajamas at lightening speed.

"And you -"

"Auditions start at ten, I'm fully away," you rush out, able to practically read Yunjin's mind at this point. You'd laugh if you weren't so stressed.

"Jesus, you're giving me so much stress right now," she says, taking a deep breath in and out. "I'll make you a coffee and you'll be out the door with time to spare, okay?"

"Okay!" You shout back, pulling a hairbrush through your hair as Yunjin hurries through to the kitchen.

Thankfully, within five minutes, you look somewhat presentable. You grab your black uni bag, containing your script and other necessities, before scrambling to the kitchen and taking the coffee Yunjin has made you in your favourite travel cup.

"Good luck!" Is the last thing you hear her shout, giving her a hasty thumbs up as you flee out of your dorm building and practically run towards the theatre building, where the auditions were being held.

Luckily, the theatre building was only a five minute walk away from your dorm, so you managed to get there just in time. Everyone from your course was gathered in the hallway, and you spot Jeongin talking to some of his friends by the entrance.

You're huffing and puffing as you walk up to him, resting your hand on his shoulder as you fold over, breathing in and out heavily. He turns around, his eyes widening.

"You slept in," he says instantly, and all you can do is nod. He chuckles, moving himself to face you fully and abandoning his conversation with the guys behind him. "You're such an idiot. I was about to come and break your door down."

"Yeah, well, I've made it," you breath out, standing up right and taking your hand away.

"Thankfully," he says, tilting his head and giving you a smile. "You have two different shoes on, by the way."

You look down, and of course he's right. One black converse and one blue. Groaning, you slump against the wall behind you.

"Have you seen the audition schedule?" You ask, knowing they put out a list of who will audition in what order. There was about fifty or so people on your course, so auditions usually took most of the day, but once you were finished you could go home.

"Yeah, and you're one of the first people to audition, so you're lucky you made it in time."

"Of course I am," you say, knowing it's just your luck. "When's yours?"

"I'm a couple people after you. They say the auditions should finish around 4pm, then roles will be released around 8pm," Jeongin explains. Usually, you're not nervous about auditioning, but since you were going for the main lead, the stakes were high.

Jeongin gives you a nudge. "Don't be nervous," he says, as if able to read your mind. "You'll be great. You've practiced more than enough."

"I know, but still. I really want this part," you say honestly, and he nods knowing exactly how you feel.

"We'll try our best," he says, tilting his head with a grin, his dimples showing. "And I tell you what - no matter what parts we get, I'll get the guys together later for a drink and we can celebrate."

"Or drown our sorrows," you say, which he laughs at. Your conversation is interrupted, though, as your head lecturer comes out to bring the first person in for their audition. Everyone starts to sit down, knowing they'll be waiting around for a while.

Jeongin and you sit cross legged on the floor, going over your lines until you're called in for your audition. He gives you a grin and a thumbs up as you leave, which surprisingly seems to settle your nerves.

Taking a deep breath, you follow one of the student advisors who helped with the audition process through to the large stage room, where the auditions were being held.

Although it was your third year of university and you'd been in this room numerous times, a shiver ran down your spine at the thought of auditioning. Like a true professional, however, you walked with an aura of confidence; standing on the black 'X' taped onto the floor in front of the panel of lecturers assessing your audition.

"You may begin when you're ready," your head lecturer states with a smile, nodding her head at you. With the countless study sessions you've done of the Juliet audition script, you're able to recite your lines with ease, it all flowing back to you in the heat of the moment.

Acting is second nature to you. It had been since you were a kid, putting on performances for your family. It continued through middle school, as you signed up to every school play and scored the lead in every single one. And it shined now, as you spoke your lines out perfectly.

You finish your audition feeling as though you couldn't have tried harder, which was all you wanted. Of course, you realised you wouldn't get the lead role in everything, but there was something so captivating about playing Juliet - you just had to get this role.

Your head lecturer, Miss Choi, smiles at you warmly as you bow, a standard practice after auditioning. She doesn't say anything but nods her head as if to say, 'you may leave.' The audition process of your university was something you'd become very aware of - you knew your lecturers would not be allowed to give any indication of who got what roles until they posted the notice in a few hours.

So, you left the exam hall, feeling all eyes on you as you exited. You walk up to Jeongin instantly with a small smile on your face, not wanting to boast about how well your audition had gone in front of your peers.

"So?" He asks quietly, patting the space next to him as you crouch down against the wall and plant yourself beside him.

"It went well," you whisper, leaning in so that those around you can't hear. People are chatting, but there's a quiet and antsy aura surrounding the hallway space, so you don't take any chances.

"Of course it did," Jeongin says with no distaste to his tone, a grin lighting up his features. "I'm pleased for you!"

You knew he would be as he always is. It was one of the reasons you got along so well - being the only two of your friend group to be interested in acting in middle school caused you to instantly click, but what solidified your friendship was the fact that no matter who got what role, say Jeongin got a 'better' part than you, there was never any controversy between the two of you. You were always genuinely happy for each other.

You help Jeongin go over his lines as the next few auditions go by, listening intently as he says his audition piece. He was such a captivating performer, and you truly had no doubts in him getting the lead. You might have been biased, since he was one of your best friends, but you felt he fit the role of Romeo better than anyone else on your course.

As soon as his name is called, he stands up, throwing you a smile as he enters the hall. You wait patiently for him, scrolling aimlessly on your phone until he comes out, walking towards you and giving you a hand.

You take it, standing up and heading towards the buildings exit. "So?"

"Went good," he says lazily, holding the door open for you since you were both finished and could now do whatever until the roles were announced.

"Yeah? Remember all your lines?" You tease, walking out into the warm September air. Jeongin playfully shoved your side, watching with a laugh as you stumble, nearly missing someone walking in the opposite direction.

"Yeah, I did," he mocks back with a face. "Now, want to go to Eden or Pod?"

You weigh up the options of the two coffee places on your campus. "Eden," you answer. "It'll be quiet right now."

How mistaken you are. The place in general isn't busy, but you walk in to find Jisung and Felix slumped over a table at the back of the café. They notice you straight away, so after ordering your regular, they force you to sit with them.

"Are we looking at the new lead roles of the end of semester show?" Jisung asks instantly. "Or are we looking at the future owners of the cinema?"

"Shut up, Ji," Felix whines at him, nudging his leg from under the table for mocking you and Jeongin. He turns his attention to you. "Are we, though?"

"Calm down," Jeongin rolls his eyes as he pulls over a chair for you both to join the two boys at their table. "We won't know which roles we get until 8pm."

"Pity," Jisung huffs, moving his chair over slightly so Jeongin can sit beside him. "I was looking forward to hearing about it."

"You'll hear soon enough," you remind him, sitting in your seat beside Felix. "And even if we didn't get the leads, I'm sure we'd manage to find work out with the cinema."

Jisung scoffs, waving his hand. "Why would you want to?" He questions. "Best job on earth. Free popcorn, discounted movies - plus, you get to work with me!"

"The last of those is not a bonus," Jeongin teases, making a face when Jisung gives him his middle finger. "I was thinking, despite which roles we get we could all get together and have a drink tonight?"

"I'm up for that," Felix grins, closing his laptop as if he knows he's not going to be getting anymore work done. "Our dorm?"

"Yeah, if the other guys agree," Jeongin confirms. "I'll text them. You up for it, Jisung?"

"I'm always up to get drunk," he points out, which you all know to be true. "Plus, it's a Friday and I have no plans."

"So we're your last option?" You tease. He gives you a frown.

"Of course you are," he says as if it's obvious, no hesitance. "If I had a gorgeous girl to go and see, you guys wouldn't even be in the equation."

"Maybe you will be seeing a gorgeous girl tonight," you say all knowingly, giving Jisung a wiggle of your eyebrows.

"If you're talking about yourself, you're highly mistaken, and that's gross," he says, grimacing. You only roll your eyes and give Jeongin a smirk which he responds to with a laugh, knowing exactly who you were talking about.

"Why are you guys even here?" Jeongin asks, changing the subject. Felix huffs dramatically, turning his laptop around to show Joengin his work, displaying a word document that he'd written all but ten words on.

"Am I supposed to be looking at something substantial?" Jeongin questions cheekily, raising an eyebrow at Felix with a blank expression.

"It would be substantial if I understood the fucking assignment," Felix groans, turning his laptop back around. "You don't understand how much this course sucks now that I'm on my own."

You ruffle his hair gently, giving him a pouty face. Poor Felix was on the dance course at your school for the arts, which he used to enjoy greatly when Hyunjin was also on the same course.

Unfortunately for him, Hyunjin had switched to an art and design course halfway through last semester, claiming that art was his passion and dance was more of a hobby. Despite his warm aura and bubbly personality, Felix was as quiet as mouse around people he didn't know, thus making it impossible for the boy to make friends on his course. Thus, he's been struggling alone since Hyunjin's departure.

"You guys are so lucky you can do all your schoolwork together," Felix says to you and Jeongin, jealousy making him pout. All you do is shrug and give Jeongin a smile.

"He's not wrong," Jisung adds. "I wish I had someone to help with all my schoolwork."

Jeongin screws his eyebrows up, turning to face Jisung. "You have both Seungmin and Yunjin on your course," he points out, which makes Jisung roll his eyes.

"Seungmin is too goody two shows to ever give me the answers to stuff, and Yunjin is an idiot," he replies nonchalantly. Yunjin, Seungmin and Jisung were on the classical music course at your uni. It was kind of inevitable most of your middle school friend group would end up at a university for the arts, considering you'd grown up with a love for it. The only person from your friend group who didn't attend your university was Minho, who ended up going to a culinary school ten minutes away instead.

"Speaking of, aren't you supposed to be in lectures right now?" you point out, thinking about how you knew Yunjin's schedule and she was definitely in class right now.

"Don't care. Didn't ask," is Jisung's response. You roll your eyes, looking toward Felix. He shrugs.

"We do, but we ditched to write this assignment," Felix responds. Jeongin laughs, shaking his head.

"Good thing you've done a lot," he says sarcastically, which Felix gives him the evils for. Jeongin's phone pings then, which he attends to, pulling out his phone and checking the notifications. "Oh my god!"

"What?" You ask, watching him scan over the contents of the message.

"The auditions are finished," he says, eyes not leaving the screen. You don't have time to stress, since Jisung gives you all a grin.

"Excellent!" He claps his hands. "We will all be drunk when you get the results, so no matter what you get we'll have a good night, right?"

"Right," Jeongin confirms with a smile, flashing you his set of pearly whites. "On that note, we should all probably head and get ready."

"Sounds good to me," Felix sighs, closing his laptop down, ridding himself of the assignment he'd written nothing of. "I can't wait for a drink."

"Ditto," you chuckle, ruffling the boys hair. "We'll see you guys later then?"

"Yes you will," Jisung winks, which you gag at. With a nod toward Jeongin, the two of you leave the coffee shop, walking towards the dorms. The two of you say your farewells when you reach your dorm, making the plan to go to Jeongin's dorm for drinks in two hours.

SCENE ONE ・❥・ ACT THREE

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Minho grins when you and Yunjin walk into the boys dorm. Him and Jisung had arrived before you, clearly, and the boys had already started drinking. You give him a quick hug, letting him ruffle your hair. He gives Yunjin a side hug too, whilst Felix walks up to you both with drinks in his hands.

“Audition went well?” Minho asks as Felix places the cups in yous and Yunjin’s hands, which you gladly accept.

“She only made it by the skin of her teeth,” Yunjin giggles, which you roll your eyes at fondly, laughing when she sticks her tongue out at you.

“I think so,” you respond honestly, smiling when he gives you a thumbs up in response.

“Good, come join us. Hyunjin has Jisung in a headlock,” Minho chuckles, ushering you towards the living area of the dorm.

“Classic,” Yunjin laughs at the scene, in which Hyunjin truly does have Ji in a headlock. “Another bet?”

“Of course,” is Felix’s response. You wave towards Seungmin and Jeongin, the two boys waving back with beers in their hands. “Jisung is refusing to pay up.”

“What was it this time?” You laugh. The two boys were terrible for betting each other about anything and everything, which often ended up in debt and arguments.

“Something about Jisung being unable to ask some girl on a date,” Jeongin answers as he walks towards your group, Seungmin making an attempt to split the two boys up. Yunjin audibly scoffs at that, which you send Jeongin a look for. He shrugs his shoulders with an expression you read as, ‘I told you so.’

“Excuse me,” Jisung intervenes, shooting Hyunjin daggers. “I would have asked her out, but she literally wasn’t in class yesterday! Why would I give him money?”

“Because there was no sub rules stipulating her presence in the university building, all you had to do was ask her out by this morning - you could have sent her a lousy text for all I care,” Hyunjin shoots back nonchalantly, giving the two of you girls a nod hello.

“Wah wah, shut the fuck up the both of you,” Minho yawns, checking his phone. “There’s half an hour until your roles get released, so I say we play a drinking game until then?”

“Sounds good to me,” Seungmin grins, opening up a cupboard and pulling out a deck of cards. “These two are giving me a headache.”

Your drinking game flies by. You’d all created it years ago, the easiest game if all you had was a deck of cards. Everyone was dealt three cards, and the person with the highest score got to direct a question to whoever had the lowest score. You could either answer, or take the number of shots as your lowest card.

The last round, for example, concluded with Hyunjin pulling three kings (which Jisung deemed as cheating, since he dealt), and Yunjin ending up with two twos and a three. Instead of answering the incredibly invasive question Hyunjin had directed her, she’d taken two shots.

It was at that point you noticed it was past 8pm, and a notification pinged on both yours and Jeongin’s phone. You send him a nervous glance as you open it, the beady eyes of your friends watching you both cautiously.

“What did you get?” Seungmin asks, impatient as ever. You can’t hold back the grin the spreads on your face as you read ‘Juliet’ beside your name on the cast list.

“You got Juliet?” Jisung grins back, able to read your face a mile off. You nod, whilst your friends erupt in cheers so loud you can’t even think.

“I got Romeo,” Jeongin says then, increasing the noise tenfold as your friends hug you both, congratulating you on getting the leads. Jeongin hugs you tightly, dimples flashing as he tells you how proud he is. When it’s Yunjin’s turn to squeeze you, she pulls back with a weird look on her face.

“What?” You ask her, tilting your head as the boys start pouring celebratory shots, chatting amongst themselves.

“You’re Juliet and Jeongin’s Romeo,” she says, and you think she’s just stating the obvious. “You get what that means, right?”

You scrunch your nose up, not following where she was going with this.

“You’re playing love interests! You’re gonna have to kiss and, like, die for each other and stuff,” she says, flipping a strand of hair behind her ear.

And oh Christ, because no you didn’t think about that, and she can clearly tell as you watch Jeongin down a shot in horror. You’d have to kiss one of your best friends. You’d have to act as though you were in love with the boy you’d grown up with.

Yunjin only laughs, shaking her head.

“Oh girl,” she grins. “Break a leg.”

so after almost a year (I’m so sorry tf) the first part is here!! Lmk if you like it, I’m super excited about this (mainly because I’m biased I heart jeongin) but the concept is so cute too hehe

[ultrone]

Just had a question, you don’t have to answer, if you don’t want to ofc. If the girls, Jackie, Lottie, Shauna, Nat, etc didn’t do Soccer, What do you think they’d be doing instead. Either other sports or clubs, whatever you think, I’m curious. Also have the loveliest day you deserve it!

JACKIE's only concern and goal would be getting chosen as prom queen, she gives me humble/himbo regina george vibes lmaoooo i feel like she’d do a lot of community service hours and force shauna to come with her so that she’s not alone. she’d be the type of girl to have more self-care items in her backpack than actual school supplies; she’d be asking everyone for a paper and a pencil on a daily basis, but would casually pull out her blush and mascara to do some retouches in the middle of class ☠️🙌🏻

SHAUNA would prolly not play any sports at all and just focus on school and extracurriculars—considering that she mentioned how she hated soccer. i feel like she’s naturally good at maths but likes writing better, or biology 🤔 if she played any other sports, i can see her playing badminton idky LMAO or volley.

NAT would spend half of the day in detention i just know it, my girl just doesn’t give a single fuck 😭 i also feel like she’d be a good drummer or bassist (i don’t think she’d have the patience to play an electric guitar, but might know a few chords on acoustic tho). i feel like she's good at history too, probably her highest grade—whether she likes the class or not.

LOTTIE would probably be class president or vice president—she's not as authoritative as tai, but i feel like she'd get chosen because she's very caring, a good leader in general and has good grades. if she didn’t do soccer i feel like she'd play tennis idky, probably cuz that's like a rich people sport lmaoooo i can see her playing volleyball too.

TAI wouldn't be class president cuz even though she's a natural leader and ended up persuing politics as an adult, something tells me that she doesn’t care much about her grades 😭 i feel like her average is 85% but a 70% doesn’t keep her up at night. i also feel like she’s terrible at drawing but would love painting in art class, she’d find it therapeutic and would actually paint cool landscapes and stuff. big bob ross fan (ironically). she’d make silly drawings of everyone; like she’d draw a stick man with a big dick and say that it’s obviously van 🤣

VAN would just stay at home scratching her balls lets be real 😭 but if she played any other sports i can see her playing basketball 🤔 i also feel like she’d be interested in film, especially the cinematography aspect of it. idky i feel like her average was a 60% LMAOO but then she improved her grades.

MISTY would run an anonymous gossip girl newspaper or something 🤣 i also feel like she’d be really good at computing or programming, not because she’s good at technology per se, but because she’s so nosy that it would be enough motivation for her to spend most of the day practicing, just so that she can stalk ppl and shit 🕵🏻‍���️ i also feel like she’d be better at chemistry than bio.

MARI gives me silly bully vibes LMAOO she'd spend 50% of the time making fun of ppl and the other 50% judging them, she’d be a real homie to her friendgroup tho 💪🏻💯💯 i can see her taking advanced spanish every year cuz it’s her native language, so it’s an easy A—rather than learning another language and getting a lower grade. i feel like her average would either be a solid 80%, or maybe she’d actually be very competitive and get really good grades.

CRYSTAL would def do choir 😭 her friend group would be only like 3 people but everyone at school would think that she doesn’t have any friends cuz she’s very quiet during class. she’s very sweet to everyone tho so no one would hate her—but people wouldn’t notice her that much anyway.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Chapter 3. Economy

Don’t people need bosses and experts?

How can anarchists organize themselves in the workplace and coordinate production and distribution across an entire economy without bosses and managers? In fact, a great deal of resources are lost through competition and middlemen. Ultimately it is the workers who carry out all the production and distribution, and they know how to coordinate their own work in the absence of bosses.

In and around Turin, Italy, 500,000 workers participated in a factory takeover movement after World War I. Communists, anarchists, and other workers who were pissed off at their exploitation launched wildcat strikes, many of them eventually gaining control of their factories and setting up Factory Councils to coordinate their activities. They were able to run the factories themselves, without bosses. Eventually, the Councils were legalized and legislated out of existence — in part co-opted and absorbed into the labor unions, whose institutional existence was threatened by autonomous workers’ power no less than the owners were.

In December 2001, a long-brewing economic crisis in Argentina matured into a run on the banks which precipitated a major popular rebellion. Argentina had been the poster child of neoliberal institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, but the policies that enriched foreign investors and gave middle class Argentinians a First World lifestyle created an acute poverty for much of the country. Anti-capitalist resistance was already widely developed among the unemployed, and after the middle class lost all its savings, millions of people took to the streets, rejecting all the false solutions and excuses offered by politicians, economists, and the media, declaring instead: ��Que se vayan todos! ” They all must go! Dozens were killed by police, but people fought back, shaking off the terror left over from the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina in the ’70s and ’80s.

Hundreds of factories abandoned by their owners were occupied by workers, who resumed production so they could continue to feed their families. The more radical of these worker-occupied factories equalized wages and shared managerial duties among all workers. They made decisions in open meetings, and some workers taught themselves tasks such as accounting. To ensure that a new managerial class did not arise, some factories rotated managerial tasks, or required that people in managerial roles still work on the factory floor and perform the accounting, marketing, and other tasks after hours. As of this writing, several of these occupied workplaces have been able to expand their workforce and hire additional workers from Argentina’s huge unemployed population. In some cases, occupied factories trade needed supplies and products with one another, creating a shadow economy in a spirit of solidarity.

One of the most famous, the Zanon ceramics factory located in southern Argentina, was shut down by the owner in 2001 and occupied by its workers the following January. They began running the factory with an open assembly and commissions made up of workers to manage Sales, Administration, Planning, Security, Hygiene and Sanitation, Purchasing, Production, Diffusion, and Press. Following the occupation, they rehired workers who had been fired before the closing. As of 2004, they numbered 270 workers and produced at 50% of the production rate before the factory was closed. Bringing doctors and psychologists on site, they provided themselves with healthcare. The workers found that they could pay their workforce with just two days of production, so they lowered prices 60% and organized a network of young vendors, many previously unemployed, to market the ceramic tiles throughout the city. In addition to producing tiles, the Zanon factory involves itself with social movements, donating money to hospitals and schools, selling tiles at cost to poor people, hosting films, performances, and art shows, and carrying out solidarity actions with other struggles. They also support the Mapuche struggle for autonomy; and when their clay supplier stopped doing business with them for political reasons, the Mapuche began supplying clay. As of April 2003, the factory had faced four attempted evictions by the police, with the support of the trade unions. All were forcefully resisted by the workers, assisted by neighbors, piqueteros, and others.

In July 2001, the workers of the El Tigre supermarket in Rosario, Argentina, occupied their workplace. The owner had shut it down two months earlier and declared bankruptcy, still owing his employees months in wages. After fruitless protesting, the workers opened El Tigre and began running it themselves through an assembly that allowed all workers a part in decision-making. In a spirit of solidarity they lowered prices and began selling fruit and vegetables from a local farmers’ cooperative and products made in other occupied factories. They also used part of their space to open a cultural center for the neighborhood, housing political talks, student groups, theater and yoga workshops, puppet shows, a café, and a library. In 2003, El Tigre’s cultural center held the national meeting of reclaimed businesses, attended by 1,500 people. Maria, one collective member, said of her experience: “Three years ago, if someone had told me we’d be able to run this place I’d never have believed them... I believed we needed bosses to tell us what to do, now I realize that together we can do it better than them.” [32]

In Euskal Herria, the Basque country occupied by the states of Spain and France, a large complex of cooperative, worker-owned businesses has arisen, centered around the small city of Mondragón. Starting with 23 workers in one cooperative in 1956, the Mondragón cooperatives included 19,500 workers in over 100 cooperatives by 1986, surviving despite the heavy recession in Spain at the time and with a survival rate many times better than the average for capitalist firms.

Mondragón has had a rich experience over many years in manufacturing products as varied as furniture, kitchen equipment, machine tools, and electronic components and in printing, shipbuilding, and metal smelting. Mondragón has created hybrid cooperatives composed of both consumers and workers and of farmers and workers. The complex has developed its own social security cooperative and a cooperative bank that is growing more rapidly than any other bank in the Basque provinces. [33]

The highest authority in the Mondragón cooperatives is the general assembly, with each worker-member getting one vote; the specific management of the cooperative is carried out by an elected governing council, which is advised by a management council and a social council.

There are also many criticisms of the Mondragón complex. To anarchists it comes as no surprise that a democratic structure can house an elite group, and according to Mondragón’s critics this is exactly what has happened as the cooperative complex seeks — and achieves — success within a capitalist economy. Although their accomplishment is impressive and gives lie to the assumption that large industries must be organized hierarchically, the compulsion to be profitable and competitive has pushed the cooperatives to manage their own exploitation. For example, after decades of sticking by their egalitarian founding principles regarding pay scales, eventually the Mondragón cooperatives decided to increase the salaries of the managerial and technical experts relative to the manual workers. Their reason was that they had a hard time retaining people who could receive much higher pay for their skills in a corporation. This problem indicates a need to mix manual and intellectual tasks to avoid the professionalization of expertise (i.e. creating expertise as a quality restricted to an elite few); and to build an economy in which people are producing not for profit but for other members of the network, so money loses its importance and people work out of a sense of community and solidarity.

People in today’s high-tech societies are trained to believe that examples from the past or from the “under-developed” world have no value for our situation today. Many people who consider themselves educated sociologists and economists dismiss the Mondragón example by classifying Basque culture as exceptional. But there are other examples of the efficacy of egalitarian workplaces, even in the heart of capitalism.

Gore Associates, based in Delaware, is the billion dollar high-tech firm that produces waterproof Gore-Tex fabric, special insulation for computer cables, and parts for the medical, automobile, and semiconductor industries. Salaries are determined collectively, no one has titles, there is no formal management structure, and differentiation between employees is minimized. By all capitalist standards of performance — employee turnover, profitability, product reputation, lists of best companies to work for — Gore is a success.

An important factor in their success is adherence to what some academics call the Rule of 150. Based on the observation that hunter-gatherer groups around the world — as well as successful communities and intentional communes — seem to keep their size between 100 and 150 people, the theory is that the human brain is best equipped to navigate webs of personal relationships of up to 150. Maintaining intimate relationships, remembering names and social status and established codes of conduct and communication — all this takes up mental space; just as other primates tend to live in groups up to a certain size, human beings are probably best suited to keep up with a certain number of companions. All Gore factories keep their size below 150 employees, so each plant can be entirely self-managing, not just on the factory floor but also including the people responsible for marketing, research, and other tasks.[34]

Skeptics often dismiss the anarchistic example of small-scale “primitive” societies by arguing that it’s no longer possible to organize on such a small scale, given the huge population. But there is nothing to stop a large society for organizing itself in many smaller units. Small-scale organization is eminently possible. Even within a high-tech industry, Gore factories can coordinate with one another and with suppliers and consumers while maintaining their small scale organizational structure. Just as each unit is capable of organizing its internal relations, each is capable of organizing its external relations.

Of course, the example of a factory producing successfully within the capitalist system leaves much to be desired. Most anarchists would sooner see all factories burned to the ground than anti-authoritarian forms of organization used to sugarcoat capitalism. But this example should at least demonstrate that even within a large and complex society, self-organization works.

The example of Gore is still problematic because the workers do not own the factory, and also because formal management could be reimposed at any time by the company owners. Anarchists theorize that the problems of capitalism do not exist only in the relationship between workers and owners, but also between workers and managers, and that as long as the manager-worker relationship persists, capitalism can reemerge. This theory is certainly born out by the Mondragón example, where over time managers gained more pay and power and renewed the unequal, profit-focused dynamics typical of capitalism. Taking this into account, several anarchists have designed an outline for a “participatory economy,” or parecon, though no one has yet had the opportunity to set up such an economy on any considerable scale. Among other things, parecon emphasizes the importance of empowering all workers by mixing tasks that are creative and rote, mental and manual, thus creating “balanced job complexes” that will prevent the emergence of a managerial class.[35]

During the rebellion in Oaxaca in 2006, people without prior experience organized themselves to run occupied radio and television stations. They were motivated by the social need for free means of communication. The March of Pots and Pans, the legendary women’s march on August 1, 2006, culminated with thousands of women spontaneously taking over the state-run television station. Inspired by the sudden sense of power they had won by rebelling against a traditionally patriarchal society, they took over Channel 9, which continuously slandered the social movements while claiming to be the channel of the people. At first, they made the engineers help them run the station, but soon they were learning how to do it themselves. One woman recounted:

I went daily to the channel to stand guard and help out. The women were organized into different commissions: food, hygiene, production, and security. One thing I liked is that there were no individual leaders. For each task there was a group of several women in charge. We learned everything from the beginning. I remember somebody asking who could use a computer. Then many of the younger girls stepped forward, saying, “me, me, I can!” In Radio Universidad, they announced that we needed people with technical skills, and more people came to help. In the beginning, they were filming headless people, you know. But the experience at Channel 9 showed us that where there’s a will, there’s a way. Things got done, and they got done well. In the short time [three weeks] that Channel 9 was running, until Governor Ulises commanded that the antennas be destroyed, we managed to spread a lot of information. Movies and documentaries were shown that you could never have imagined seeing on TV otherwise. About different social movements, about the student massacre in Tlatelolco in Mexico City in 1968, the massacres in Aguas Blancas in Guerrero and Acteal in Chiapas, about guerrilla movements in Cuba and El Salvador. At this time, Channel 9 wasn’t just the women’s channel anymore. It was the channel of all the people. The ones participating made their own programs as well. There was a youth program and a program where people from the indigenous communities participated. There was a program of denouncements, where anyone could come and denounce how the government had treated them. A lot of people from the different neighborhoods and communities wanted to participate, there was hardly enough airtime for all of them.[36]

After the occupied television station was taken off the air, the movement responded by occupying all eleven commercial radio stations in Oaxaca. The homogeneity of commercial radio was replaced by myriad voices — a radio station for university students, one for the women’s groups, one radio station occupied by the anarchists from a punk squat — and there were more indigenous voices on the radio than ever before. Within a short time, people in the movement decided to return most of the radio stations to their self-styled owners, but kept control of two of them. Their goal was not to suppress the voices that opposed them, as artificial as commercial voices are, but to win themselves the means to communicate. The remaining radio stations operated successfully for months, until government repression shut them down. One university student involved in taking over, running, and defending the radio stations said:

After the takeover, I read an article that said that the intellectual and material authors of the takeovers of the radios weren’t Oaxacan, that they came from somewhere else, and that they received very specialized support. It said that it would have been impossible for anyone without previous training to operate the radios in such a short amount of time, because the equipment is too sophisticated for just anyone to use. They were wrong.[37]

[mysterious-prophetess]

Yesterday Afternoon-Evening, I watched the James Cameron Avatar 2 movie.

Spoiler free thoughts first:

It was fine.

I was expecting something trite but it was mostly fine.

It was WAY too long. Like, James, buddy, I know you’re one for “epic movies” but over THREE HOURS is just too much. There were times when I was checking my silenced phone to see what time it was so I could keep track of where we were in this movie.

Pacing was very stop-start.

I personally think this should have been a mini-series. Three episodes around an hour, or so, each and you’d have achieved much of the same effect. Or broke this into two films to be released back-to-back. Or, edited some of this monstrosity DOWN.

As we say in writing, kill your darlings, James.

The children characters were fine. I’ll touch more on them in the spoiler bit.

The fictionalized science was plausible but I do have a hole or two to poke into the plot/motivation of the bad guys I’ll save for the spoiler filled part.

It, of course, looked GORGEOUS. The music was also well done.

It was a well put together movie. I can see why it cost so damn much.

Rumor has it, it has to make 2 BILLION to break even.

idk that it will in this economy BUT it does have the fact that it’s mostly being shown in 3D to help bolster that number for the ticket sales and a lack of any sort of real competition.

I mean it’s Disney so I really DON’T care if it does.

So, Tl:Dr for this section—If you have the patience, this is a fine movie to see, and drop-dead gorgeous. Just don’t expect a masterpiece. This movie is a solid B+ (it earned a lot of extra credit from its visuals).

Spoilers ahead!

This movie really ran the gamut of rehashing movie one to Moby Dick IN SPACE.

Don’t get me wrong—when Pikon (Picon?) the lone space-killer-blue-whale showed up and kicked ass, it was pretty epic, but it was the most epic part of the movie and it took nearly three hours to get to that.

Of Jake and Ney’tiri’s four kids, only two really had any sort of personality: the second son Loaq and the adopted daughter Ki’ri (sp? Na’vi names are friggin’ weird). The youngest kid was just a kid. She really only acted as designated hostage most of the movie and she even complained about it when she got tied up, again.

The oldest brother was dutiful son and I was like 50% sure he was going to end up dying from the beginning.

Loaq reminded me the most of Jake—which was likely done on purpose with his writing.

Ki’ri—Grace’s biological child—was the most interesting character.

There is a way this is actually plausible. It’s a process called “parthenogenesis.” Parthenogenesis tends to happen in reptiles. Essentially, she is a clone of Grace’s avatar body.

It’s pretty damn obvious her other parent is Eyowa since she seems to be constantly surrounded by all sorts of critters and such and her whole glowing fish thing at the end of the movie.

The epilepsy thing sounds like it is going to either be a limit to what her body can handle or a side effect of being a clone offspring of Grace’s Avatar.

Loaq and his space-killer-blue-what friend were also an interesting part of the movie.

Of course where the film veers into Space Moby Dick is where I have a nitpick of the badguys.

In movie one, they wanted some rock with a stupid AF name “unobtainium.” In that case, it made sense they had to be there to get it because you can’t make more of a rock.

However, with them being after spermaceti-er I mean amoretia I have a bone or rather a brain to pick with them.

Instead of wasting money on a Aussi space Ahab, why don’t they use their seemingly miraculous cloning tech to just CLONE THE SPACE-KILLER-BLUE-WHALES. Or, better yet, JUST MAKE A BRAIN FROM TISSUE SAMPLES!

If we, in the current non-sci-fi tech level Earth are close to tissue cloning, then that lot capable of inter-stellar travel should be able to EASILY pull it off.

And if they can deal with Na’vi DNA to make human-alien hybrids, then they should be able to handle Space-Killer-Blue-Whales DNA.

Safer. Likely cheaper. Especially if it yields that anti-aging hormone.

Also, I didn’t think that in the year 2022 of our lord I’d be watching a movie with a SAVE THE WHALES message.

Second Bad-Guy nitpick—Why are they fucking around on a moon whose atmosphere is unbreathable to humankind and filled with forms of life HOSTILE to human when Mars is RIGHT next door, and doesn’t have angry native life forms (or any life at all).

Their tech means they’d have an easier time than we —at current tech levels— of Terraforming Mars and while humanity lives on Mars, they can also un-screw-up the Earth and also make cloud cities on equally unpopulated Venus and the unpopulated moons of Jupiter.

Likely, less time in transit, less time spent FIGHTING, and a better investment in the long run. These bad guys are just dumb and spiteful.

As for specific plot gripes: A good HOUR of this movie could have been removed since the kids who ended up kidnapped in the beginning (prompting Jake to move the family and lead to the movie 1 rehash section) end up kidnapped AGAIN at the climax with the addition of Water guy’s daughter.

As pretty as everything looked, a large part of this movie felt like padding.

Everything pre time-skip. Cut. Hell, everything pre-joining the Reef people. Cut it and use flash-backs to explain. Maybe in a nightmare sequence.

Do more montages for the adaptation to the Reef People way of life part and maybe show hints of Ney’tiri not adapting as well.

Just THREE FRIGGIN’ HOURS MAN. Too much!

I’d hate to see the extended cut.

Something that bothered me was, while Jake was lecturing his sons when he was scared to lose them he NEVER mentions his identical twin brother at all.

You know, the one whose semi-cloned body he’s walking around in, the one whose death led to him being on Pandora in the first place because they were Identical Twins? That twin? Not a mention.

Did James Cameron forget?

Maybe it bothered me because I’m a twin. It’s not something you forget.

We’re not even identical twins. We’re not even close.

My father had a twin sister.

I’m just saying. It was a plot point in Movie 1 and since Movie 2 was about family—largely—this seems like something Jake should have told his sons about.

Idk a “I’m rough on you because I had a brother and I lost him.” would have been nice.

Spider saving the hybrid clone of his bio-dad is a thing that may or may not bite everyone in the ass, but it shows that Spider is a good person. I do wish his character design didn’t have dreads, though.

As for Clone Quaritch and his blue-squad, I’ve actually read fanfictions that semi-predicted that so that was interesting to see.

If I was team bad-guy and I had access to DNA samples and shit from the old base, I’d clone JAKE and force him to fight himself. They had brain scans of Jake to synchronize him with the Avatar. They could sci-fi BS stuff and basically make a copy Jake.

I’m also going to call it now: Ki’ri is going to be some sort of chosen one. After all, she’s kind of Eyowa’s daughter.

Of course, this movie needs to NOT crater like a friggin’ pancake if the sequels are to happen at all.

So. Leaner plot. Less fluff. More action.

[denimbex1986]

'Barbie and Oppenheimer's July 21 release date fueled heated debates online about which would win the box office, and while one movie out-grossed the other, they're both champions given all the records they collectively achieved. The two movies couldn't be any more different, as one is a comedy about a toy doll and has a color pallet that's 50 shades of pink, and the other is a bleak biopic about the inventor of the atomic bomb. Both come from visionary directors, too. Oppenheimer is by Christopher Nolan, who makes movies on an epic scale and pushes the boundaries of cinema, and Barbie is directed by profound filmmaker Greta Gerwig.

Despite the debates about which would do better during their opening weekend, viewers embraced the phenomena of "Barbenheimer," and many went to see both movies on the same day. In a plot twist as great as any of Nolan's, the two movies seemingly helped each other become more successful instead of stealing the other's audiences. Not only was it perfect counterprogramming, but viewers who wouldn't ordinarily watch Barbie embraced the film, and vice versa. As a result, "Barbenheimer" is being hailed as the weekend that saved cinema, with Barbie and Oppenheimer both opening big at the box office, and it's led to a number of records being set and/or broken.

17. Oppenheimer Is Christopher Nolan's Best Opening For A Non-Batman Movie

Einstein and Oppenheimer talking by a lake in Oppenheimer Oppenheimer had one of Christopher Nolan's biggest box office openings. The biopic had an opening domestic gross of $80.5 million and a debut worldwide gross of $174.2 million, and both numbers are higher than the respective grosses of Nolan's other films outside his Batman movies. Even then, Oppenheimer made more than Batman Begins did in its opening weekend, which is even more impressive given that Oppenheimer is three hours long.

16. Barbie Has The Best Opening Weekend Of 2023

Barbie is rated PG-13, which is surprising for a movie based on children's toys. However, despite this, the movie still managed to make much more than The Super Mario Bros. Movie did in its opening weekend. Barbie grossed $155 million domestically and $182 internationally, and both of these figures beat the animated video game movie and knocked it off the top spot of 2023.

15. Barbie Is Already Mattel's Highest-Grossing Movie Ever

Even though it is just the movie's first weekend, Barbie has already become Mattel's highest-grossing movie of all time. Granted, there might not have been much competition when it comes to movies based on the brand's toys, yet it's still a huge feat considering how quickly the record was achieved. The toy manufacturer will undoubtedly now greenlight a lot more movies based on its products.

14. Barbie Is Warner Bros.' Biggest Opening Weekend In 7 Years

Warner Bros. hasn't seen this much success in an opening weekend with any of their movies in seven years. The last Warner Bros. movie to gross more than Barbie in its opening weekend was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Even then, the 2016 release was a huge event movie, and when it quickly earned a mixed reception, the film suffered a huge dip in its second weekend. Given the positive reception of Barbie, the 2023 film will undoubtedly outperform the superhero movie.

13. Barbenheimer Is The Fourth-Best Opening Weekend In History

Together, Barbie and Oppenheimer had a total domestic opening weekend gross of $235 million at the box office. That's the fourth-highest domestic opening weekend ever. "Barbenheimer" weekend sits behind the opening weekends of Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It might have required two films, but the fact that two films grossed a combined $235 million domestically on the same weekend is arguably even more impressive.

12. Barbie Is The Biggest Opening Weekend Ever For A Woman Director

Greta Gerwig has made history with Barbie, as the movie has become the biggest opening weekend for a woman director, and that likely won't be beaten any time soon. The previous record holder was Anna Boden, who co-directed Captain Marvel with Ryan Fleck. The superhero movie grossed $153.4 million domestically in its opening weekend, and Barbie only just barely beat it.

11. Oppenheimer Is The Second-Biggest Opening Of All Time For A Biopic

Oppenheimer had the second-biggest opening for a biopic, sitting behind American Sniper, which grossed $89.2 million worldwide in its debut. However, Oppenheimer could still potentially have a much better box office performance overall, as there's a lot more interest in Oppenheimer internationally than there was with American Sniper.

10. Barbie Is Greta Gerwig's Biggest Movie Ever

It wasn't remotely hard for Barbie to surpass the previous Great Gerwig movies at the box office, but it's still an impressive feat. Gerwig directed Lady Bird, which took in a total of $79 million worldwide, and Little Women, which grossed $218 million worldwide during its entire run. Barbie has grossed more than both of those two movies combined, and the movie did so within its opening weekend alone.

9. Barbie Is Margot Robbie's Biggest Opening Weekend Ever

Margot Robbie is a huge movie star who has led a ton of blockbuster movies, including Suicide Squad and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. However, Barbie easily delivered the biggest opening weekend the actor has ever had, beating Suicide Squad's $133.7 million. The actor needed this, as Barbie follows Margot Robbie's two 2023 box office bombs, Babylon and Amsterdam.

8. Barbie Is Ryan Gosling's Biggest Opening Weekend Ever

Not only did Barbie give Margot Robbie her biggest opening weekend ever, but it's Ryan Gosling's, too. Gosling's Ken is a scene-stealer in Barbie, and the box office performance is just as much of a win for him as it is for Robbie. While Gosling is an A-list star, he has surprisingly never had a huge box office hit, as his previous biggest opening weekend was $32.8 million for Blade Runner 2049.

7. Barbie Is The Biggest Opening Weekend For A Movie Based On A Toy

Barbie beat Transformers: Dark of the Moon by a landslide to have the biggest worldwide opening weekend for a movie based on a toy. The Transformers sequel took in $115.9 million worldwide in its debut, losing to Barbie by $50 million. If this is a sign of things to come, based on the Transformers movies' box office grosses, Barbie will easily pass the billion-dollar mark before it's done.

6. Barbie Is The Largest Non‐Sequel, Non‐Remake Movie Released In July

Though Barbie is an IP-driven film, its success isn't based on any previous movie, and that has led to another huge record. July is always a huge month for blockbuster movies given that it's part of the summer movie season, but Barbie had the biggest worldwide opening of any non-sequel and non-remake released in the month. The animated feature The Secret Life of Pets previously held the record, as opened with $104.4 million in 2016, but Barbie beat that by over $50 million.

5. Oppenheimer Is The Biggest IMAX Opening For Christopher Nolan

Though Christopher Nolan has broken three IMAX cameras, the filmmaker has always championed the format and believes that IMAX screens are the only way to watch his films. The director even worked with IMAX to develop a black-and-white IMAX camera for Oppenheimer, so it must be gratifying for the director to know that the 2023 movie gave him his biggest IMAX opening ever. The total sales of IMAX tickets for Oppenheimer over the weekend was $21.1 million, accounting for more than a quarter of its worldwide gross.

4. Barbie Is Warner Bros.' Biggest Opening Weekend For A Non-Sequel/Non-DC Movie

Barbie gave Warner Bros. its biggest opening weekend in seven years — since the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — but without taking into account sequels or DC movies, the 2023 film had the studio's highest opening ever. Warner Bros. has never seen this much cash flow before, not even with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The previous record holder was 2017's It, which debut with $123.4 million worldwide, but that was dethroned by Barbie.

3. Oppenheimer Is The Biggest Opening For An R-Rated Movie Since Joker

Joker had the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated movie, grossing $96.2 million worldwide. Nevertheless, there have been some noteworthy R-rated movies since then that had lower opening weekends than Oppenheimer, such as Bad Boys for Life and John Wick: Chapter 4. This is even more impressive given that not only does Oppenheimer have a limited audience due to its R rating, but it's also three hours long, partly presented in black and white, and tackles sensitive subject matter.

2. Barbie Has Already Surpassed The Lifetime Grosses Of Several Female-Led Movies

Barbie's opening-weekend box office gross is already much bigger than the lifetime grosses of many recent female-led movies. The 2018 spinoff Ocean's 8, which is part of a bankable franchise, had a total worldwide gross of $297.7 million, and Greta Gerwig's own Little Women grossed $218.8 million. Even Birds of Prey, which is both led by Margot Robbie and part of Warner Bros.'s DCEU franchise, grossed $205.3 million. These are figures that Barbie didn't even need a full weekend to break.

1. Barbenheimer Is The First Time 2 Movies Have Opened To Over $80 Million Each

When it comes to two movies being released on the same weekend, one movie usually dominates over the other one, whether it's because one had more exposure or marketing or because one of them was negatively received. However, the joint release of Barbie and Oppenheimer is the first time ever that two movies have had domestic grosses of over $80 million in their opening weekends.'

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this Week #118 (Year 3/Week 14):

My 3rd re-watch of Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean’s magnificent, all-male epic and the movie that Steven Spielberg had seen more than any other film. It’s so grand that the nearly 4 hours spectacle opens with 4+ minutes of orchestral music prelude on a dark screen and includes an ‘intermission’.

It got me to realize that most all movies (maybe because of the economics of movie-financing) always show deference to authority; The influences they represent, whether government, military, religion, civil powers, or simply ‘the big man’, the rulers are always accepted as masters.

🍿  

The Garden of Words, my second anime ever, and coincidentally also my second by Makoto Shinkai (After ‘Your name’). A melancholy and poetic story about a 15-year-old aspiring shoe-maker student who keeps meeting a woman skipping work on a park bench at the beautiful Shinjuku Gyo-en gardens during the raining season. Gorgeous visuals of nature and rain.

The Wikipedia page for this film is nearly as long as the one for Obama!

🍿

3 more terrific debut films by young female directors:

🍿 For some unclear reasons, I’ve seen a large number of Parisian high school dramas recently. Spring blossom is one of the best. A gentle drama of a shy 16 year old girl who falls in love with a 35 man she sees outside a local theater.

And like Quinn Shephard’s ‘Blame’, it’s twice as impressive, because it was written by the talented Suzanne Lindon when she was only 15, and she directed it and starred in it before she was 20. Je l'adore! 8/10.

🍿 The Hive, my first film from Kosovo. Another on my growing list of “Debut films directed by female filmmakers”. The “first film in Sundance Festival history to win all three main awards – the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award and the Directing Award – in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition”. Based on a true story, it tells simply but touchingly about a war widow who started a small business, making homemade Ajvar and empowering the women in her village. Highly recommended. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And of course, reminiscent of the Macedonian documentary ‘Honeyland’. 8/10.

🍿 Rye Lane, a cute new rom-com about two young black South London strangers who meet at random and spend the day getting to know each other. Fresh and original.

🍿  

My 7th by Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki. Every time I watch another of his movies, I get elated. There is nobody who make movies like him, he’s one of a kind. The man without a past, the second of his “Losers” trilogy, opens with a cinematic gut pinch and doesn’t let go until the end. My favorite of all his films so far?...

The trailer. 9/10.

🍿    

The Hollywood Reporter Critics put out a new list of their ‘50 best films of the first 21 years of the 21st century’, and I decided to go through the ones I haven’t seen yet.

First was Far from Heaven, my 4th tragedy by Todd Haynes. A precursor to his masterful ‘Carol’, this is another Douglas Sirk-inspired melodrama of oppression and unrequited desire in middle class America of the mid 50′s. Drenched in luminous colors over all (except of the scenes of illicit dangers, in the gay bar and black cafe), and accompanied by another expansive score, it’s a devastating tale of the price of conformity. The husband who can’t control his homosexual urges, and the wife who falls for a black gardener are doomed, and their lives will be shattered. The poor players had simply nowhere to go. 8/10.

🍿 

‘Today I learned’ about ‘Elite Panic’ describing the “behavior of members of the elite during disaster events, typically characterized by a fear of civil disorder” and the shifting of focus away from disaster relief towards implementing measures of "command and control".

New order, my third memorable film by Mexican auteur Michel Franco (after the terrific ‘Sundown’ and the disturbing ‘April’s daughter’) describes a society collapsing, the exact moment when the shit finally hits the fan, when the riots on the TV screen cross over and knock on your door. It’s a brutal and unforgiving story, ugly, violent and without any sentimental sympathy. Shocking anarchy escalates quickly when the pressure gets too much.

When the revolution comes down, it will bring some serious bloodshed. No wonder the greatest boogieman the ruling class warns us all about is “Class Warfare”. The most distressing film of the week - 9/10!

🍿  

To catch a thief, Hitchock’s romantic thriller. The Good: Grace Kelly on the French Riviera, the ultimate glamour of the lifestyles of the rich and famous at Cannes and Nice, Hitchcock’s first (?) use of helicopter shots and modern car chases. The Bad: The genre roles & sexual politics of the husband-seeking unmarried young woman would not fly today.

I watched it solely because of this clip.

🍿 

2 with Brigitte Fossey (of ‘Jeux interdits’):

🍿 “...The square is mine!...”

I forgot that she played the grown-up Elena in Cinema Paradiso, one of Ennio Morricone’s most popular movies. And yes, without his magnificent score, the 3-hour long nostalgic trip to the heart of cinema, would not be half as enjoyable.

The question that was not well-answered was: Why did he not bother to visit his mother for 30 year? (Re-watch).

🍿 The happy road, a mediocre 1957 children comedy about 10 year old American boy and French girl, who escape from a Swiss boarding school, and hitchhike to Paris. Directed by and starring Gene Kelly, falling for the girl’s mother. 3/10.

🍿    

Inside, the new Willem Defoe survival thriller. He’s an art thief who breaks into a hi-end NYC penthouse of a wealthy art collector, intending to steal 3 paintings by Egon Schiele. But the security system traps him inside, and he’s unable to escape for many months. Captivating hi-concept and one-trick film, but a bit too long. 6/10.

🍿    

...”Never forget how much he loved you, Kubo”...

After being seriously obsessed with everything ‘Coraline’ all of last year, Adora moved on to Laika Studio’s next stop-motion animated story Kubo and the two strings. A Japanese-inspired action story about a one-eyed Samurai son who creates magical origami figures from his 3-stringed shamisen. But it was as if all the pretty parts were combined by an AI-engine. 4/10.

I will introduce her next to ‘The Iron Giant’, and ‘Isle of dogs’.

🍿    

First watch: The green room, one of the last few François Truffaut films I haven’t seen yet. In it, he plays a somber 1920′s journalist obsessed with death who builds a shrine to everybody he had lost. I love his human directing style, but this was a confusing mess. 2/10

🍿    

RIP, Ryuichi Sakamoto X 2:

🍿 In remembrance of his passing I started re-watching Bertolucci’s ‘The Last Emperor’, but to be honest, I got bored after 30 minutes; I blame the less than HD version of my pirated copy. So maybe I’ll try it another time.

Instead, I went back to my of favorite ‘Black Mirror' episodes, and the only one he composed the score for, Smithereens. It was directed by the same man who did my other cherished story ‘Hated in the nation’, and was also about online media frenzy that spirals out of control. This ‘Tyranny of the Screens’ parable received mixed reviews, because it wasn’t futuristic enough, but for my money it is a tense thriller on par with the best of them. 10/10.

Sakamoto’s dark score is subtle and minimal. You have to strain to notice it. Perfect!

...”This is my last day!”...

🍿 Psychedelic Afternoon, a 2013 animated short, featuring David Byrne, and released to raise money for children who survived the 2011 tsunami.

🍿  

‘Mad men’ is one of the few TV-shows I've seen, and I’ve seen it 3 or 4 times (including once last year). “Hazel” of YouTube ‘Dream Dimension Productions’ analyzes one “Perfect Scene” from Season 3 finale “Shut the door, have a seat”.

A terrific breakdown, which got me to watch it again, together with a few more.

Extra: Her ‘Netflix has a content problem’, which I also agree with, as I was attempting to avoid 90% of all their content.  

🍿   Talk to her, my 3rd unsatisfying film by Pedro Almodóvar (after ‘All about my mother’ and ‘The human voice’). A twisted story about two unappealing men who befriend each other at a clinic where they both care for comatose women. His editing choices and scattered direction, constantly focusing on unrelated detail in every scene turned me off. Some artistic perversions (like a silent film clip of a tiny man entering a giant vagina) notwithstanding. I guess I’m not a fan. 4/10.

🍿   2 more by Noah Baumbach (both with Adam Driver):

🍿 The last film I saw this week was also the best one:

I started watching the new Adam Driver dinosaur fantasy ‘65′. but it felt so stupid the moment Adam Driver opened his mouth, that I had to switch it off within 5 minutes. Instead, I turn to Marriage Story again. An absolute masterpiece, so painful and so true, for all divorced couples and parents of children of divorce. (That 10 minutes long scene at the apartment was raw! - Screenshot Above). 10/10 deservedly and without any reservations. 

(And now I must see ‘Two for the road’!)

🍿 (Actually, I ended up with his uneven While we’re young, which didn’t measure up to that. The milieu of hipster millennial poseurs and Brooklyn wannabe documentary filmmakers was uninteresting, and I also can’t stand Ben Stiller.)

Still I will look for the rest of his movies I had missed.

🍿

(My complete movie list is here)

[hms-no-fun]

it’s not just rental stores either. if there’s no physical version of a film or tv show to acquire, then libraries are trapped in the same IP-licensing hell that all other streaming media is. the kanopy access i’m granted through the seattle public library lets me watch three (3) entire movies per month. three! if you’ve got a college library account i think you get ten. it’s the same with books. last summer i wanted to get into ursula k leguin, only to discover that not only were all the physical copies of her books checked out and back-reserved for months, their ebooks were all checked out too! ebooks! the seattle public library ran out of ebooks!!!!!! a digital file that can be reproduced infinitely at zero cost made arbitrarily scarce because greedy publishers want to give us as few legal ways to read stuff for free or at low cost when we could be buying them at full msrp instead. which creates more waste than the alternative, inevitably traps us in digital ecosystems which WILL be destroyed and replaced wholesale within the decade. oh and where do people buy most of their books today? oh amazon, oh that’s funny, that’s a cute coincidence.

but let us not forget that blockbuster itself was an invasive corporate parasite that drove countless independent video stores into bankruptcy using the very same business model that defines tech companies today: get big on a national scale, make prices unreasonably cheap and just eat the losses, choke out all the competition, and then hope that when it comes time to actually be profitable that they’ll just be too big to fail. unfortunately it turns out that what actually happens in this case is that when the competition is dead and you’ve stripmined every cuttable corner, your profit margins decline and you go bankrupt and now an entire industry is blown to smithereens. golly that does sound familiar! probably won’t happen with any other monopolies though, i mean what happened with blockbuster was sort of a fluke because usually the rate of profit only ever goes up! i think. i’ve only ever skimmed marx but i’m pretty sure that’s what he said

and this whole process exists in concert with the death of broadcast media and syndication. i’ve been a film nerd for a long time, i got it from my dad early on because we would watch reruns of hollywood schlock from the 40s and 50s together for hours. tv stations revived countless old undervalued media through rebroadcast. it’s a wonderful life is just one very famous example of a film that was generally disliked in its day but found an audience decades later through syndication. and yes, they did this because it was cheaper than producing new content to fill a 24/7 broadcast schedule (this was before they invented reality tv to scab for a striking writer’s guild), but it’s an undeniably more sustainable business model than what we have now. so much media today is produced for right now specifically. stranger things exists for social media, it exists to be talked about in the week of its release, it exists to bolster netflix’s name and capitalize on the very present-tense nostalgia for 80s aesthetics in an incredibly surface-level, conservative america friendly package that removes everything about the films it worships which once made those very films deeply transgressive and uncomfortable in an outsidery sort of way. and none of this even touches on the matter of how streaming media pays out infinitely less royalties for airing existing media (oh hey kind of like how spotify fucks over musicians, that’s another weird coincidence)

once a full season of streaming tv is dropped in a single day, yes, sure, hypothetically you can watch it again whenever you want. but do you? when new stuff shows up on the platform constantly, do you really go back and watch what you meant to watch earlier? doesn’t it feel like a waste of time to watch something that isn’t very immediately in the zeitgeist? so instead of recycling existing media, using the hypothetically infinite reproduceability of digital media to give a new generation of young people unprecedented access to classic films and tv shows, evolving and expanding the framing techniques that made turner classic movies so charming, they’ve opted to infinitely devalue everything which does not obviously meet the metrics of virality in an algorithm they literally paid a guy with a degree in money making to invent out of thin air. if an executive cannot see the immediate obvious shareholder-related value of something, they can choose to throw it in the trash and we’re just stuck with that decision. execs at hbo discovery can indefinitely memoryhole infinity train because it isn’t a story to them, it isn’t art, it is private property. and in the eyes of the government, that gives them every right to put it in a vault forever if they so desire. at least until it passes into the public domain in, oh, i don’t know, eighty years? thanks for that one disney. oh shit, another monopoly! it’s so funny how we keep running into those

physical media is a license that cannot be revoked. a corporation can’t invalidate it, take it away from you, make you pay for it again (except by inventing new technologies that utilize a different storage/playback technology), or keep it out of libraries. they only ever tolerated this lack of control over their ~~~intellectual property~~~ in the past because they had no alternative. but now, in the age of infinite digital reproduction, artificial scarcity is more valuable than ever. isn’t it funny that the overwhelming media narrative about physical media over the last fifteen years or so has been that it’s dying? always it’s dying. bookstores are dying, rental stores are dying, comic stores are dying. and yet the cause is never actually consumer habits, but market capture and price-fixing by unrestrained and totally unmonitored corporate capitalists. most everyone i talk to prefers reading physical books if given a choice. everyone loves vinyl and tapes despite the fact that they universally sound like shit! even streaming die-hards have copies of their favorite movies on discs.

physical media isn’t dying. corporations are deliberately killing it to bolster their bottom line.

i will never be against piracy ever but i also need physical media to remain

[delhiinstitute123]

Top Spanish Language Institutes in Delhi

In today’s globalized world, learning a new language can significantly enhance your personal and professional opportunities. Among the various languages, Spanish stands out due to its widespread use and cultural richness. With over 500 million native speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language globally, making it an essential skill for communication, travel, and business. In this blog, we will explore the importance of the Spanish language and highlight the top 10 Spanish language institutes in Delhi where you can embark on your learning journey.

Why Learn Spanish?

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, making it a valuable skill for global communication. Learning Spanish can enhance your career prospects, enrich your travel experiences, and deepen your understanding of diverse cultures.

Here are some reasons why learning Spanish is crucial:

Widespread Use: Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is widely spoken in the United States, with over 40 million speakers.

Career Opportunities: Bilingual individuals have an edge in the job market. Many sectors, including healthcare, education, and international business, require Spanish-speaking professionals.

Cultural Enrichment: Understanding Spanish allows you to appreciate literature, music, film, and traditions from Spanish-speaking countries.

Travel Benefits: Knowing Spanish enhances your travel experiences in Spain and Latin America, allowing for deeper interactions with locals.

1.     Hablo Spanish Language Institute – The Best Choice

Hablo Spanish Language Institute stands out as the number one choice for learning Spanish in Delhi. They offer a variety of courses tailored to different proficiency levels, from beginners to advanced learners.

Course Offerings

Beginner Level (A1): Basic grammar and vocabulary.

Intermediate Level (B1): Conversational skills and writing.

Advanced Level (C1): Professional fluency and cultural nuances.

 Fees

The fee structure at Hablo is competitive:

A1 Course: ₹20,000 for 3 months

B1 Course: ₹20,000 for 3 months

C1 Course: ₹20,000 for 3 months

Fluent Fast Academy is renowned for its interactive teaching methods and experienced instructors. They provide both online and offline courses.

Course Offerings

Beginner to Advanced Levels

Specialized courses for professionals

Fees

A1 Level: ₹10,000

B1 Level: ₹14,000

C1 Level: ₹17,000

This institute focuses on a comprehensive approach to language learning with a strong emphasis on cultural immersion.

Course Offerings

A1 to C2 levels

DELE exam preparation courses

Fees

A1 Course Fee: ₹8,675 for 30 hours

A2 Course Fee: ₹14,175 for 50 hours

Langma School offers a wide range of language programs with a focus on practical usage.

Course Offerings

Certificate Courses (A1-A2)

Diploma Courses (B1-B2)

Fees

Certificate Course Fee: ₹10,500

Diploma Course Fee: ₹15,500

Mundo Latino is known for its vibrant learning environment and cultural events that enhance the learning experience.

Course Offerings

General Spanish Courses

Business Spanish Courses

Fees

General Course Fee: ₹12,000 for 3 months

This institute provides personalized attention with small batch sizes to ensure effective learning.

Course Offerings

Beginner to Advanced Levels with a focus on conversation skills.

Fees

A1 Level Fee: ₹10,000

B1 Level Fee: ₹15,000

Ramjas College offers structured programs within the university framework.

Course Offerings

Certificate and Diploma Courses in Spanish.

Fees

Diploma Course Fee: ₹18,500 + annual exam fee.

Daulat Ram College provides quality education with experienced faculty members.

Course Offerings

Certificate and Diploma levels available.

Fees

Certificate Course Fee ranges from ₹4,500 to ₹10,000 depending on the level.

Miranda House is well-known for its academic excellence and offers comprehensive language programs.

Course Offerings

Various levels from beginner to advanced.

Fees

Varies based on course level but generally affordable.

Located in Mukherjee Nagar, this school offers professional training with skilled trainers.

Course Offerings

A range of programs from beginner to advanced levels focusing on practical usage.

Fees

Competitive pricing around ₹10,000 for basic courses.

FAQ

Which institute is best for learning the Spanish language?

Hablo Spanish Language Institute is often regarded as the best due to its comprehensive curriculum and experienced instructors.

How much does it cost to learn Spanish in Delhi?

The cost varies by institute but generally ranges from ₹8,675 to ₹18,500 depending on the course level and duration.

Can I learn Spanish in 3 months?

Yes! Many institutes offer intensive courses that allow you to achieve conversational proficiency in about three months with dedicated effort.

What is the fastest way of learning Spanish?

The fastest way includes immersive learning through conversation practice with native speakers and consistent daily practice using language apps or online resources.

Conclusion

Learning Spanish opens up a world of possibilities. Whether you’re looking to enhance your career prospects or enrich your travel experiences, choosing the right institute can make all the difference. The top institutes in Delhi provide excellent resources and skilled instructors to guide you on your journey toward fluency in this beautiful language. Start your journey today! 

[sophiaz59]

Research

Inner West Film Festival

For 2024 IWFF is bringing over 50 films across 70 sessions in venues like Dendy Newtown, Palace Norton, Marrickville Golf Club, Actors Centre Australia and town halls. There will be pitching and short film competitions, parties, Q&As, location tours, special events and much much more.

2 short film programs and 1 music program

Location: Headquarters

Time: Before or / and during 11-21 April

Copy-writing, Administration, Graphic design, On-site assistant, Social media, Photography, Video shooting and Editing

Advantage:

Experience of operating social media and graphic design

Experience of photo and video shooting, and editing

Internship experience of administration assistant

Why:

Interested in film festival and comedy

Great chance to know about film festival and meet many talent creators and artists

Great experience that may be helpful for working in other film festivals or big events, even in other nations

Spectrum

Do the post-production for many famous films, documentaries and TV series

Time: After early April

Location: Moore Park

Client service, provide administrative support...

Advantage:

Experience of operating social media and graphic design

Internship experience of administration assistant for a lawyer team: knows about client service, supporting a team and keeping secrets

Good computer skill: Word document, PowerPoint, Excel...

Why:

Interested in post-production

Big company with mature internship system

Great chance to learn about script

Studio 13

Francis Cai: Fine art photographer, Visual Artist and XR film director with unique perspective in psycho-geography, focus on surreal landscapes and rising self-awareness in the post-pandemic era

The Daylight Moon (2022)

Time: Every Monday or Thursday

Location: Paddington

Production and post-production, PR, PS...

Advantage:

Bachelor of Visual Arts, Major in Screen Arts

Knows photography and video shooting, PS and PR

Taking course, Mixed Reality this semester

Held a small installation exhibition in 2023

Language: Chinese & English

Why:

Interested in how to prepare an art exhibition in this industry

Eden Collective

Time: March 5th -

Location: Surry Hills

Production management, Audio, Camera, Lighting...

Audio/ video editing, logging and workflow management

Advantage:

Have studied Lighting / Photo-media

Experience of audio recording, video shooting and editing

Why:

Great chance to learn a lot

Catalyst ABC

Australian science journalism television program broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Time: May 13th - 24th for 6-8 days

Location: Ultimo

Working on the new series of Catalyst in May

Full-time / 3-4 days a week for 2 weeks

Meeting with Penny in late March for a general introduction after signing the Schedule

Need to be very organised as the essay is due soon after the placement

Advantage:

Watched some science TV program

Why:

Great chance to learn how TV program work

Visakesa Chandrasekaram

Sri Lankan film director, community law practitioner, human rights lawyer, activist, writer, novelist, dramatist, songwriter, artist, stage performer and academic

Forbidden Area (1999)

Time: March 30th (16 hours) / May 30th (24 hours)

Proposed activities/ time-frame and dates for 40 hours of placement

Approx 7-8 x 5 hours sessions or 6 x 6 hours sessions

Research for screenplay development & develop a preliminary shooting schedule

Advantage:

Internship experience with a lawyer team

Why:

Great chance to learn about research for screenplay development and develop a preliminary shooting schedule

Links

Inner West FF

https://www.linkedin.com/company/inner-west-film-fest/

Studio 13

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cai-francis99/

Catalyst ABC

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-penny-palmer-8b934828/?originalSubdomain=au

[mdifilm]

Room 237 Film Competition at Horror Hotel Film Festival from Johnny Wu on Vimeo.

More information, visit horrorhotelfilmfest.com

All filmmakers attending the festival will receive a NFC ID Badge that can access the website when put it close to your smartphone. Goodie bags will also be available (while supply last.) Registration

There will be a 50$ (USD) registration fee per film entered into the competition. Registration will be limited to 36 films. Every person working on a film, including cast and crew, must complete a registration form before work begins on the film. It is the responsibility of the team leader to ensure each team member completes the registration form. Failure to comply will result in the film being excluded from the competition. To register, each team member should click on this submission form link, and correctly identify the team they are on. To make payment, one member of the team should click on this button.

Kick Off Event

The registration form below must be completed for each film entered into the competition 24 hours before the kickoff event. The competition is limited to 36 films, so teams are encouraged to register early. The kickoff event will be held via a live zoom meeting. At the meeting, the competition rules will be reviewed. Two murder weapons will be assigned to each film entered into the competition. The zoom meeting will be recorded for those unable to attend. An email with the rules and assigned murder weapon will be sent to each team leader after the kickoff event. The kickoff event will occur on Sunday, April 21st at 5:00pm ET.

[jsbmr06]

Salaar vs. Dunki: Prabhas Trails as SRK Dominates Advance Box Office with 150,000 Tickets Sold

Summary: Salaar, starring Prabhas vs. Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki, is on pre-sale. The Prashant Neel directorial has collected Rs 3.58 crore through pre-orders, taking the SRK film's total to Rs 4.46 crore.

Telugu actor Prabhas is all set to dazzle the silver screen with his upcoming film 'Salaar: Cease Fire, Part 1' which is scheduled to release on December 22nd. According to industry researcher Saknilk, Salaar has already generated a staggering Rs 3.58 crore in revenue through pre-orders and sales of over 150,000 tickets. In the Hindi-speaking world, Salaar has received over 18,000 pre-orders.

However, the film faces stiff competition from Shah Rukh Khan's much-anticipated film Dunki, which is scheduled to release on December 21. The competition is evident in the pre-bookings, with the SRK lead actress leading the way with pre-bookings worth Rs 4.46 crore. Advance sales for both works began on December 15th. Shah Rukh Khan's recent success with Jawan and Pattern gives Dunki an edge and makes him a formidable competitor to Prabhas's Salaar.

Read: Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’ Potentially Rescheduled To Avoid Box Office Showdown With Prabhas’ ‘Salaar’

Directed by Prashan Sunil and produced by Vijay His Kiragandur under the banner of Hombale Films, 'Salaar' has an excellent cast, including Prabhas Raju Uppalapati, Shruti Haasan, and Madhu Guruswamy. He plays an important role. Earlier, Salaar producer Vijay Kirgandur spoke about the conflict with Dhanki in an interview with Bollywood Hungama. Mr. Vijay said the team does not want things to get "ugly" and is actively working with exhibitors and deale

"For solo releases, occupancy is usually around 60–70%. Some screens are given to Aquaman, but between Salaar and Dunki, the best-case scenario is 50–50 screens. We are hopeful of getting. In such a scenario, if we can achieve 90–100% occupancy, it will be a good outcome for both films," he said.

'Salaar: Part 1: Ceasefire' starring Prabhas will finally be released in theaters on December 22nd. The film will be released around the same time as Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki, which will be released in theaters on December 21st. The two films will face stiff competition at the box office.

The makers of both films have already started pre-sales overseas, but advance ticket sales for both films have not yet started in Japan.

According to Box Office Worldwide, Rajkumar Hirani's drama "Dunki" has grossed $566,000 as of Tuesday afternoon, including $185,000 in North America, $68k in the UK and between $8,000 and $120,000 in Australia. According to a report in the Times of India, the film sold about 5,400 tickets in 915 screenings at 320 locations in the United States.

Boman Irani, Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu, and others will also be seen in Dunki. The main character played by Shah Rukh and his three friends who want to travel to a distant country in search of better employment opportunities.

Meanwhile, Salaar will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. The journey time is 2 hours and 55 minutes. Shruti Haasan, Jagapati Babu, Eshwari Rao, Suriya Reddy and others are playing the lead roles in the film.

[mogwai-movie-house]

Anatomy of A Fall (2023)

Watched this recent French film last night; the winner of this year's Palme d'Or, which says something about the level of competition in the world of film today.

It's an excellently acted and well-shot story of a wife on trial for the possible murder of her husband, who is found fallen from the highest window of their alpine home, but at 2½ hours, it's a good 40 or 50 minutes too long for such a small and relatively simple drama. There are endless courtroom scenes that don't progress the narrative or add any shocking twists, which could have easily been compressed or pared down in more competent hands.

It's an extremely - and frustratingly - female film, in its wallowing in subjectivity and its repeated assertion that what one feels is actual reality, regardless of the facts of the matter, and as a result, there is no clear ending to the film, the message being that you can just go away believing whatever the hell you like. But of course this is silly nonsense: either one human being pushed another human being out of a window or they didn't, and in a murder trial, that should be all that matters.

So yes, it's a strange thing to rate: on a moment-by-moment basis, it's well-observed and often engrossing, but the substance of the story itself is flimsy and, in the final analysis, almost non-existent, so the most I can generously give it is ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

[trendingnewsworldsblog]

Unleash the Power of Digital Drop Servicing: Free SEO Tools for YouTube Success

In today's competitive digital landscape, standing out and achieving success on YouTube requires a strategic approach to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is where Digital Drop Servicing comes in, offering a suite of free tools designed to empower YouTubers of all levels.

By leveraging these tools, you can optimize your channel content, attract the right audience, and ultimately grow your subscriber base and engagement. But before diving into the specifics, let's explore the broader concept of Digital Drop Servicing and its potential benefits.

What is Digital Drop Servicing?

Digital Drop Servicing is a business model where you outsource tasks to freelancers or virtual assistants, allowing you to focus on high-value activities and scale your business efficiently. This approach is particularly relevant for content creators like YouTubers who often juggle multiple responsibilities alongside creating engaging videos.

Benefits of Digital Drop Servicing for YouTubers:

Time efficiency: Free up your valuable time by delegating repetitive tasks like keyword research, competitor analysis, and video editing.

Cost-effectiveness: Utilize a global talent pool to find skilled freelancers at competitive rates, maximizing your budget and resources.

Improved focus: Dedicate your energy to the creative aspects of content creation and channel growth.

Access to diverse expertise: Leverage the skills of specialists in various fields like SEO, graphic design, and social media management.

Free SEO Tools by Digital Drop Servicing:

Digital Drop Servicing offers a range of free SEO tools specifically designed for YouTubers:

YouTube Thumbnail Downloader: Easily download high-quality thumbnails of any YouTube video for analysis and inspiration.

YouTube Backlinks Generator: Identify valuable websites and generate backlinks to your YouTube channel, boosting your search visibility.

YouTube Keyword Research Tool: Discover high-volume, low-competition keywords to optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags.

YouTube Competitor Analysis Tool: Analyze your competitors' channel strategies and identify opportunities for improvement.

YouTube Channel Audit Tool: Get a comprehensive overview of your channel performance and identify areas for optimization.

Case Study: Sarah Thompson's Success with Digital Drop Servicing

Sarah Thompson, a travel vlogger with a burgeoning YouTube channel, was struggling to manage her time effectively. Between filming, editing, and social media promotion, she found it difficult to devote sufficient attention to SEO. Sarah discovered Digital Drop Servicing and began using the free YouTube Backlinks Generator tool. Within a few months, her channel experienced a significant increase in search visibility and organic traffic, leading to a 30% boost in subscriber growth. Sarah was able to dedicate more time to creating high-quality content, further accelerating her channel's success.

How to Use Digital Drop Servicing Tools to Make Money: Here is the tool https://digitaldropservicing.com/youtube-backlinks-generator

Let's take a closer look at how you can leverage Digital Drop Servicing tools to offer SEO services and generate income:

Service: YouTube Backlink Building

Cost to Start: $0 (Using Digital Drop Servicing's free YouTube Backlink Generator)

Average Earnings: $100 - $500 per project

Profit Difficulty: Medium (Requires research and outreach skills)

Potential Platforms: Fiverr, Upwork, 99designs, Toptal, PeoplePerHour, Freelancer, Truelancer, Outsourcely

SEO Service Fees:

Fiverr: $5 - $20 per backlink

Upwork: $10 - $30 per hour

99designs: $50 - $200 per project

Toptal: $75 - $150 per hour

PeoplePerHour: £10 - £30 per hour

Freelancer: $15 - $40 per hour

Truelancer: $5 - $20 per backlink

Outsourcely: $10 - $30 per hour

Why Choose Digital Drop Servicing for Earning Money:

Digital Drop Servicing's free tools offer a significant advantage for aspiring SEO service providers. By eliminating the need for expensive software or subscriptions, you can start offering services with minimal upfront investment. Additionally, the tools are user-friendly and require minimal technical expertise, allowing you to enter the market quickly and efficiently.

Final Verdict:

Digital Drop Servicing offers a powerful combination of free SEO tools and valuable resources, empowering YouTubers to take control of their channel growth. By leveraging these tools and adopting a strategic approach to digital drop servicing, you can carve out a fulfilling career in the ever-evolving online world.

Conclusion:

Don't miss the opportunity to harness the power of Digital Drop Servicing and unlock the full potential of your YouTube channel. Start exploring the free tools today and embark on your journey towards online success.

[granturismo7pcdownload]

Gran Turismo 7 Full Version

If you predict correctly, you will win 1 million credits per competition. With the film of the game of the GT Academy competition starting to release on the 9th August outside of the USA, and the 25th in the USA, there’s a paint scheme within Gran Turismo 7 that matches that of the picture. Enter that online race, or if you’ve entered any of the previous GT Cup events this season, and the Morizo Edition will be gifted to you as a prize on 28th August.

Try 30 laps of Tsukuba on a track that starts dry before being drenched with rain then partially drying out again. Wet weather tyres help, of course, but if you haven’t got them, you can still get around by sticking to the dry(er) line that emerges. Venture onto the visibly wet portion of the track and it’s like an ice rink.

These time and weather changes are made possible by a simulation model made using extensive climate data taken from each track location. The result is a breathtakingly realistic and beautiful recreation of our sky. With over 25 years of development behind it, this title sees the greatest advancements yet in Gran Turismo’s physics simulation model for cars. Using computational fluid dynamics, the game is able to recreate the changes in downforce due to front to rear height changes, as well as effects to handling due to wind direction and air turbulence.

Players will routinely be reminded of Polyphony Digital’s reverence for the source material in nearly all aspects of Gran Turismo 7. To celebrate its launch, its developers have released an epic seven-minute long movie, and in typical grandiose Gran Turismo 7 style it celebrates the “relationship between cars, people, and society over the last 150 years”. In other words, it features some eye-poppingly brilliant cars and a soundtrack more rousing than waking up to find a lion in your bed.

In several of the “Menu Book” missions, the Cafe’s owner “Luca” will set you the task of collecting cars of a certain type. To achieve this he’ll give you access to various races and championships which give you most of the cars you’ll need. The 424-car launch day roster of GT7 includes cars from more than 90 years of motoring, and some stretch into the eight-figure price range (and may vary, day to day). That means players won’t want to be spending too much money on the more ordinary fare, especially with tuning, painting, wheels, and body upgrades all costing a packet (as will the optional credit top-up microtransactions).

Progression events are clearly marked with a little yellow icon, and the gameplay itself in these races is very short - usually about 10 minutes a race. However, it remains a shame that Polyphony keeps compromising its high-quality driving by persisting with frustrating rolling starts for career mode events, repeating the same mistake GT6 made. In a real-life motor race, cars cruise closely in two rows for rolling starts. But in GT7 career races, the cars are arranged in single file, 50-odd metres apart, and we are always placed in last.

In addition to featuring over 130 wheel designs and 650 different aero parts, players can now add roll cages and perform wide body conversions on certain models. Gran Turismo 7 isn’t the second coming of racing games, and it doesn’t need to be. It still captures that feeling of spending hours and hours admiring your garage and flipping through car facts from a few of the best entries in the series, and still feels like a big-budget racer. The Music Rally and Music Replay modes that were highly-touted in the run-up to release are nothing more than gimmicks, with Music Rally simply aligning a checkpoint countdown to a track’s BPM. Music Replay offers camera cuts in line with the beats, but even these don’t seem to work the way I expected, with some cuts coming on upbeats and others not falling in time with any part of the song.

From familiar production models to rare and legendary racing vehicles, cars from all eras have been meticulously recreated in-game. Additionally, more vehicles have been added to the game via regular content updates since the title's How to Download Gran Turismo 7 release. Gran Turismo 7 has made some big improvements since its release and a new update only adds to the fun. Update version 1.29 arrives this week with five new cars, a brand-new racing venue, and a slew of other great features.