#Brad Gillette

[mydaddywiki]

Mike Enzi

Physique: Average Build Height: 6’ 1¼" (1.86 m)

Michael Bradley Enzi (February 1, 1944 – July 26, 2021; aged 77) was an American politician who served in the United States Senate from Wyoming as a member of the Republican Party from 1997 to 2021. Prior to his tenure in the United States Senate he served as mayor of Gillette, Wyoming, in the Wyoming House of Representatives from Campbell County, and the Wyoming Senate from the 24th district. He was the longest-serving senator from Wyoming since Francis E. Warren.

Enzi cut an unusual figure as he strode to and from the Senate floor, often with his eyes cast downward, seemingly glued to a tablet as he was a voracious reader. Mike’s passion was fishing. He didn’t go anywhere without a rod and reel and a spare. It was not uncommon for him to pull over and cast his line as he traveled Wyoming. Definitely my type. Makes me want to go to Wyoming to see if there’s more like him.

Enzi was born in Bremerton, Washington, raised in Thermopolis, Wyoming, and educated at Sheridan High School, George Washington University, and the University of Denver. He served in the Air National Guard, and held positions in the American Legion Boys State, DeMolay International, and United States Junior Chamber.

He died in 2021 following injuries resulting from a bicycling accident at the age of 77. Enzi is survived by his wife; two daughters, Amy and Emily; a son, Brad; and several grandchildren.

[brokehorrorfan]

Paramount Scares: Volume Two will be released on October 1 via Paramount. The 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray box set collects Friday the 13th Part 2, Breakdown, World War Z, and Orphan: First Kill.

1981 slasher sequel Friday the 13th Part 2 is directed by Steve Miner (Halloween H20) and written by Ron Kurz (Eyes of a Stranger). Adrienne King, John Furey, Stu Charno, Lauren-Marie Taylor, Steve Daskewisz, Warrington Gillette, and Amy Steel star.

1997 thriller Breakdown is directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) from a script he co-wrote with Sam Montgomery (U-571). Kurt Russell, J.T. Walsh, and Kathleen Quinlan star.

2012 action-horror film World War Z is directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) and written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (Deepwater Horizon), Drew Goddard (Cloverfield), and Damon Lindelof (Lost), based on Max Brooks' 2006 novel. Brad Pitt stars.

2022 Orphan prequel Orphan: First Kill is directed by William Brent Bell (The Boy) and written by David Coggeshall (The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia). Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, Hiro Kanagawa and Matthew Finlan star.

The limited edition set comes with an special issue of Fangoria magazine, poster, set of four patches, pin, sticker, and exclusive slipcovers for all four films. Special features are listed below.

Pre-order Paramount Scares: Volume Two.

[seeminglyranch87]

Taylor & Travis Timeline

December 2023 - part 3

December 16 - Travis Kelce arrives ahead of game - Foxborough, MA

December 17 - Chiefs v New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

Travis passes by a billboard of Taylor at Gillette Stadium (x) during game warm up session

Taylor attends Chiefs v Patriots game with her dad Scott Swift, Brittany Mahomes, Ashleigh Avignone, Melanie Nyema, Alana Haim & others.

Taylor wore a vintage Chiefs sweater and fan made beanie with custom "87"

KC Chiefs defeat Patriots 27 - 17

Chiefs Coach Andy Reid after the game says of Taylor (x 5:40) when asked about her affect on the team:

"I'm a big fan so I'm glad she was here, I hope she enjoyed it, She's got a great guy that she is dating right now, I'm happy for both of them."

Taylor and Travis fly back to Kansas City.

December 18 - The messenger informs us (x) incase you were wondering...

"There are no plans for an engagement anytime soon," the source exclusively told The Messenger amid rumors. "There is no engagement at this time."

December 19 - Page Six publish article - Taylor & Travis to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve together.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will be spending the holidays together this year, Page Six can exclusively confirm.

A source tells us that the pop superstar, 34, will be with her NFL beau, also 34, in Kansas City, Mo., on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve since he is scheduled to work on both days. “She’ll for sure be at the games,” an insider says.

The Hollywood Reporter post a humorous look at "The 2023 Hollywood Yearbook" and crown Taylor and Travis as Prom Queen and King (x)

December 21 - New Heights Ep. 69 airs. Travis and Jason Kelce discuss the Chiefs v Patriots win and Taylor's popularity at the venue and Scott Swift's support for the Chiefs. (x 38.00)

Travis refers to Taylor being shown on the jumbo-tron at Gillette Stadium during the game...

"I'll say this they showed Taylor at the game and I mean you don't you don't see an entire home team fan base go insane for somebody wearing the opposite team's colors. Just shows you how amazing that girl is They went absolutely insane when they showed Taylor on the screen, there might have been a few Brads and Chads that were booing but for the most part everybody was f** screaming their tail off, I was trying to keep it cool I was like don't show don't show your cards don't show your cards it was fun man it was fun. Shout out to the the Patriots New England, Taylor's on board or she's on record saying that that Stadium's one of the funnest that she's played at so for them to show her is uh just kind of I guess showing her some some love so shout out to the Patriots for doing that."

The NFL continue to post about Taylor and Travis...

December 21 - Taylor at Electric Lady Studios, NYC

December 22 - Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs Quarterback praises Taylor in interview with CBS Mornings (x)

Patrick sharing his thoughts on Taylor...

"She's just part of Chiefs kingdom now, she's part of the team"

"She's top tier at her profession"

"I'm glad that she is the person that she is and that is why I think her and Travis match so well."

December 25 - Christmas Day

Chiefs v Las Vegas Raiders, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City.

Travis arrives at Arrowhead Stadium ahead of game (x)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kansas City Chiefs (@chiefs)

Taylor arrives at Arrowhead Stadium with Santa - Austin Swift

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SportsCenter (@sportscenter)

Taylor watches game with her parents Scott and Andrea, brother Austin, his girlfriend Sydney, Ed Kelce, Brittany Mahomes Lindsay Bell and others.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ESPN (@espn)

Taylor seen wearing a Santa hat with "87" on it in support of Travis. Commentators accidentally call Taylor Travis' "wife" (x)

Raiders defeat Chiefs 20 - 14

Taylor leaves Arrowhead Stadium with Travis (x) to celebrate Christmas together.

December 29 - New Heights Ep 71 airs (x) - Travis and Jason talk about their Christmas celebration with parents Donna and Ed and are also joined by Kylie Kelce.

Travis asked Kylie who grew up in Philadelphia "did you guys go out to Reading or Lancaster?" to buy a Christmas tree when she was a child? With a knowing grin, Kylie admits to never visiting Reading but "I heard there was a tree farm out there" (1:24)

We all know in whose heart there is a "Christmas Tree Farm" ;-)

“I feel like you might like cats now,” Kylie teased her brother in law. Which leads us to ask how is Travis getting along with Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin? (1:27)

When talking about his Christmas Day and referencing the Chiefs loss Travis said “I’ve had better. … But it ended well, it ended well with good Christmas cheer and good people. That’s always gonna save Christmas no matter if you lose to the Raiders or not.”

Travis went on to praise Taylor’s brother, Austin Swift, who attended the game dressed in a Santa costume. “It was a full commit. He killed it,” Travis said, revealing that Austin gave him “a VHS of my favorite football movie of all time... the Little Giants” “He actually made me feel like a child because his gift to me was straight out of the bag.” “Santa kills it,” Travis said of the gift. (1:30)

December 31 - Chiefs v Bengals, Arrowhead Stadium. Travis arrives ahead of game (x)

Taylor watches the game at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City wearing a Chiefs varsity jacket customised with "Tay Tay". Travis wore a matching jacket heading into the game last week. Perhaps this jacket is a gift from Travis?? Taylor looks like she had a fabulous time cheering on Travis and the Chiefs.

Chiefs defeat Bengals 25 - 17 and are now AFC West Champions and qualified for playoffs! (x)

Travis & Taylor leave Arrowhead together

Travis and Taylor celebrate New Year's Eve together (x x x)

Go to part 1 of December 2023

Go to part 2 of December 2023

Go to next update -> January 2024, part 1

Return to the timeline

[frankendykes-monster]

The trailer for Scream VI arrived last week. At one point in the promo, franchise veteran Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) acknowledges how familiar all this has become. “You know you’re like the tenth guy to try this, right?” she complains to the latest killer hiding behind the Ghostface mask (Roger L. Jackson). It’s a sentiment with which the audience might agree, and there’s a strong sense that Scream VI is built around that. “I’m something… different,” the killer intones in reply.

The trailer makes an argument for Scream VI as a departure from what came before. Reports suggest this will be the first film in the franchise not to star Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. The opening of the trailer finds Ghostface discharging a shotgun. Allowing for the Los Angeles setting in Scream 3, Scream VI takes the franchise and its cast away from the familiar surroundings of Woodsboro, with Ghostface stalking his targets in the Big Apple. The movie’s initial teaser trailer was set on a subway.

While these are major departures for the Scream series, they also feel like somewhat generic conventions for any major horror franchise. Classic horror franchises like the Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th series regularly swap protagonists between installments. Despite being perhaps the most iconic “final girl” in horror history, Jamie Lee Curtis has taken extended breaks from the Halloween franchise. As Scream gets older, it feels more like every other slasher series.

There are other touches in the trailer that recall the standard conventions of a long-running series of slasher movies. When it was first announced that Scream VI would be set in New York, there were obvious comparisons to the eight Friday the 13th movie, Jason Takes Manhattan. To be fair, given that famously only the final act of Jason Takes Manhattan actually takes place in the eponymous borough, Scream VI at least looks to take proper advantage of its new urban setting.

The trailer also teases the prospect of a cult built around Ghostface, the unifying persona donned by the individual killers in the previous five features. There appears to be a museum or an auction house populated with memorabilia from the franchise. Oddly enough, this evokes a recurring trend in classic slasher sequels, such as the “Cult of Thorn” in the later run of original Halloween sequels. Cult of Chucky riffs on a similar idea with the eponymous killer doll (Brad Dourif) creating copies of himself.

That said, there are other elements of Scream VI that suggest a more modern style of franchise-building. The film goes heavy on the fan service, even resurrecting characters who should probably be dead. Like so many modern franchises, Scream seems increasingly reluctant to kill its darlings. The trailer brings back fan-favorite character Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), who was brutally stabbed at the climax of Scream 4, but was confirmed alive in an Easter egg buried in the fifth movie.

A lot of this is carried over from the previous installment, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Scream (2022). That fifth movie found a way to bring back the franchise’s original killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), as a vision haunting his daughter, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). This reflected the increasing reverence for continuity and fan service in modern franchising. It is perhaps revealing that one of the posters for Scream VI is a literal web of continuity arranged to evoke a subway map.

The fifth film also demonstrated a reluctance to kill off potentially popular characters, making the film’s killers seem especially inept. Sam’s half-sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega), became the franchise’s first character to survive a movie’s opening set piece. Both Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) also survived brutal attacks at the movie’s climax. In some ways, that film was more engaged with fan-service properties like Star Wars than with horror franchise tropes.

Scream 4 was the final film in the franchise from the series’s original creative team, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson. There were reports that Craven imagined Scream 4 as the first film in a new trilogy, but those plans were scuppered when Craven passed away in August 2015. As such, it seems reasonable to draw a clean line between the original four films defined by the involvement of Williamson and/or Craven and the sequels that followed.

There would be 11 years between the release of the fourth and fifth films, with directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett taking over the series with writers Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt, who had collaborated with the pair on Ready or Not. Understandably, these creators seem to have a very different understanding of what Scream is and how it functions. In some ways, looking at their work on the 2022 movie and the premise / trailer for Scream VI, it is a much more generic franchise.

The original Scream was in many ways a perfect movie for the late 1990s. It was postmodern, ironic, and self-aware. It breathed new life into mainstream horror filmmaking, a genre that was somewhat moribund as the millennium approached. George A. Romero argued that “the genre was dying and Scream saved it.” It did this by drawing attention to the tropes and conventions of the classic slasher movie, presenting a cast of characters shrewd enough to engage with the trappings of the genre.

Scream fundamentally altered what the slasher movie could be and profoundly affected other major horror franchises. Just a year before the release of Scream, the Halloween franchise seemed to be on its last legs with the cheap and dire Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Two years after Scream, the Halloween franchise took its cues (and some uncredited story work and script polish) from Williamson to deliver the franchise revival Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later.

Scream seemed to inspire the best in these old horror franchises. After the disappointment (and controversy) of Child’s Play 3, the Chucky franchise roared back to life with Bride of Chucky, a movie so heavily indebted to the self-awareness of Scream that even the posters evoked Scream 2. Much like Halloween H20, Bride of Chucky was a film that used the youthful energy and self-awareness that made Scream a breakout hit to reinvigorate a franchise that had seemed past its prime.

As such, there is a sense of frustration in watching a franchise that had so effectively reinvented slasher movies become much more generic. These recent sequels enthusiastically embrace the tired tropes that the original Scream mercilessly parodied and criticized: ghosts, the resurrection of fan-favorite characters, unnecessary tangled webs of interpersonal relationships and continuity, cults worshiping that continuity, and the desire to keep things fresh by just swapping setting.

The Halloween and Chucky franchises used to take their cues from Scream, but the trailer for Scream VI suggests that the trend has been reversed. Scream saved the slasher genre from underwhelming and lifeless sequels like Jason Takes Manhattan and The Curse of Michael Myers, so it is surreal to see Scream itself caught in that same web of long-running slasher franchise conventions. What would seasoned video store clerk Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) think of the trailer for Scream VI?

Then again, perhaps it makes sense. There is a solid argument that the self-aware irony of the 1990s has served its purpose, and pop culture is too saturated with knowing and winking media. Watching many modern blockbusters, it can seem that Hollywood learned all of the wrong lessons from the cleverness of Scream. In so many modern feature films, everything is a joke and nothing has any real stakes. That level of detachment can become numbing, especially when applied thoughtlessly.

Looking at recent box office figures, there is a vague sense that audiences might yearn for a little earnestness and sincerity. For well over a decade, the box office has been dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has an aesthetic defined by quippy and self-aware dialogue in the style of Joss Whedon, a key figure in the same wave of 1990s youth culture that produced Scream. However, there is a small sense that audiences are drifting (just a little bit) away from that template.

In contrast, the biggest movies of the past year were undeniably straight-faced, never breaking character to wink at the audience. Avatar: The Way of Water was James Cameron leaning into his cheesy and sentimental side, creating a movie that cannot survive any contact with irony. Top Gun: Maverick is an unapologetic embrace of the conventions and beats of old-fashioned blockbusters, an ode to the old-fashioned movie star charisma of its lead Tom Cruise.

Despite playing its slasher tropes much straighter than the four earlier films in the franchise, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s Scream was a massive critical and commercial success. Along with films like Maverick, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s Scream was part of a banner year for Paramount. In a strange way, it feels like the recent Scream films have read the room and pivoted accordingly, embracing a more earnest and sincere approach to slasher and franchise storytelling.

So this swerve back to an unironic embrace of these slasher movie conventions makes a certain amount of sense in the context of larger cultural trends. Still, it is a little disheartening. Scream used to set horror trends. Now, it looks like it’s chasing them.

[bakerstreetbabble]

Funny blog post from Sherlock Peoria

Here is a funny post from Brad Keefauver's blog at Sherlock Peoria: "Sherlock Smackdown: Benedict Cumberbatch versus William Gillette."   Instead of the common "Cumberbatch vs. Miller"debate  that has occupied many fans of the contemporary Sherlock Holmes incarnations, Keefauver pits Cumberbatch against the original stage Sherlock: William Gillette, who portrayed Holmes onstage approximately 1,300 times, between 1899 and 1923.  Gillette was quite a popular Holmes in his day.   Here's an example of Keefauver's  reasoning:

Benedict Cumberbatch . . . on several "Sexiest Man Alive" lists in popular press. William Hooker Gillette . . . had a castle. Castles, very sexy.

(Incidentally, I am from Chillicothe, IL, which is just 20 miles north of Peoria, so I feel a certain affinity to my fellow Sherlockians from Peoria County.)

[erastour13]

Gillette Night 3!!!!

🚨spoilers below!! 🚨

HAPPY 13TH SHOW TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE!

This was Taylor’s 13th show at Gillette!!!

The 22 shirt read “Who’s Taylor Swift anyway? Ew.”

The rain came pouring down…. And broke Taylor’s piano!!

Both surprise songs were played on the guitar which included Red (Taylor’s Version) and I Think He Knows

Brad Pitt attended the show

What else did you notice from the eras tour night 25?!?!?

[focusonthegoodnews]

Tru Earth is eliminating plastic pollution, one laundry detergent jug at a time

Tru Earth is eliminating plastic pollution, one laundry detergent jug at a time

Good News Notes: “Each year, at least eight million tons of plastic leaks into the ocean, the equivalent of dumping one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. Unless we dramatically reduce our plastic consumption, researchers believe that the amount of plastic flowing into our oceans will nearly triple by 2040, to 29 million metric tons per year. These sobering numbers are what drives Brad…

[floral-poisons]

same anon who asked for your romcom faves ty for the food!!!! would love to see your full movie lost too, i lost it when i saw the bend it like beckham i miss that movie sm

hey anon!! of course!! this is my full list. it's not ranked in any particular way because i love all of them and it's so hard to definitively rank which ones i love. lots of horror on here though.

Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell (2020)

The Love Witch by Anna Biller (2016)

Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky (2010)

Frida by Julie Taymor (2002)

10 Things I Hate About You by Gil Junger (1999)

Thirteen Going On Thirty by Gary Winick (2004)

The People Under the Stairs by Wes Craven (1991)

The Conjuring 2 by James Wan (2016)

The Craft by Andrew Fleming (1996)

Crazy Rich Asians by Jon M. Chu (2018)

Ratatouille by Brad Bird (2007)

Scream by Wes Craven (1996)

Death Becomes Her by Robert Zemeckis (1992)

Midsommar by Ari Aster (2019)

Grease by Randal Klesier (1978)

The Princess Bride by Rob Reiner (1987)

The Fifth Element by Luc Besson (1997)

Cruel Intentions by Roger Kumble (1999)

Alien by Ridley Scott (1979)

Encanto by Byron Howard and Jared Bush (2021)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings by Destin Daniel Cretton (2021)

Scream by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (2022)

Legally Blonde by Robert Luketic (2001)

She’s the Man by Andy Fickman (2006)

El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) by Guillermo del Toro (2006)

El Espinazo del Diablo (The Devil's Backbone) by Guillermo del Toro (2001)

Gone Girl by David Fincher (2014)

The Social Network by David Fincher (2010)

Se7en by David Fincher (1995)

Hellraiser by Clive Barker (1987)

The Princess and the Frog by John Musker & Ron Clements (2009)

Tangled by Byron Howard & Nathan Greno (2010)

Carrie by Brian De Palma (1976)

Turning Red by Domee Shi (2022)

Bend It Like Beckham by Gurinder Chadha (2002)

The Batman by Matt Reeves (2022)

[animentality]

The whole Gillette thing is great because men are once again being forced to realize that their worldview is being challenged.

They just hate it, just hate it, when their shitty behavior is called out, and their privileges are laid bare.

They don't LIKE feeling like assholes and yet, stop acting like an asshole, and you don't feel like that anymore, Brad.

I mean seriously anyone who watches a video that basically asks you not to sexually harass women and teach your daughters to stand up for themselves and says NO, THAT IS NOT THE MAN I WANT TO BE, is just a scumbag.

If your behavior mirrors the exact behavior the ad is denouncing, then you clearly are going to have issues with it, Frollo.

[heybrookiecookiee]

Top 5 Movies of 2019

Being in quarantine has given me a lot of time to rewatch movies. So here is a list of my favorite movies from 2019... from your local film major.

Little Women dir. Greta Gerwig

Florence Pugh & Timothée Chalamet... need I say more

Uncut Gems dir. Josh & Benny Safdie

Adam Sandler was snubbed by The Academy 

Knives Out dir. Rian Johnson

Chris Evans’ sweater collection was the star

Booksmart dir. Olivia Wilde

Having graduated within a month of this film coming out it felt very special to me #classof2019

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood dir. Quentin Tarantino

Leo DiCaprio + Brad Pitt + Manson family = perfection ... Margot Robbie deserved more lines though

Honorable Mentions!!! 

Midsommar dir. Ari Aster

Mark my words Florence Pugh will win an Oscar one day

Waves dir. Trey Edward Shults

Like any A24 film... it’s just a vibe (soundtrack inspired my playlist titled “vibes”)

Ready or Not dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett

Samara Weaving is a horror GEM

[imaginesxthevamps]

Love your writing! Could you do one where brad is trying to use pick up lines of you but is making a fool out of himself? 😂

A/N: I’m glad you love my writing! Thank you for your support!❤

Pick-up lines | Brad

You’re sitting at the bar in a club. Your friends are all on the dancefloor or making out with some girls and boys. You’re not really into that stuff so here you are, drinking alone.

Suddenly a boy with dark curly hair is standing next to you. He is very muscular and has a good sense of fashion. He is kinda hot and that’s what’s drawing your attention.

“Hey sorry, but you owe me a drink”, the boy says.

“Why?”, you ask confused.

“Because when I looked at you, I dropped mine”, he continues.

You sigh and look at another direction. You hate pick-up lines and you know this boy isn’t going to give up any time soon.

“Do I know you? Because you look exactly like my next girlfriend”, he says.

“Try harder”, you say, already hating yourself.

“Are you an omelette? Because you make me egg-cited”

You close your eyes, you can’t cringe harder after that one. You don’t know why but you feel kinda attracted to the boy. It’s not because of the pick-up lines because they are horrible, it’s just a feeling you get from him.

“Are you my Appendix? Because I have a funny feeling in my stomach that makes me feel like I should take you out.”

“Is your last name Gillette? Because you are the best a man can get”

You don’t know why but you have to laugh with the last one he said.

“Finally I get a reaction out of you”, the boy says.

“I hate pick-up lines you know if you want me you should try harder”, you say, pick your drink and walk away. You hope he will follow you and he does.

You stop when you’re on the dancefloor and the dark, curly-haired boy is standing next to you. You guys start to dance together, not breaking eye contact.

“Give me your number”, the boys say and you give him your phone so he can exchange both numbers.

“What’s your name?”, you ask when he gives you your phone back.

“Everyone calls me Brad but you can call me tonight”, he says with a wink and both of you have to laugh.

“What’s your name?”, Brad asks then.

“Y/N”, you say.

For the rest of the night, you guys stay dancing and enjoying each others company. It’s not the last time you two saw each other.

A/N: I have all those pick up lines from a site and I laughed so hard😂 I hope this kinda what you wanted :) xx

Brad requests are closed

Nhc + Reece / Tristan requests are open

[yoymialterego]

Mis favoritas de 2019: diciembre

El mes del fin de año tuvo también lo suyo. Muy buenos estrenos de los clásicos tradicionales, algunas revisiones del pasado y un gran descubrimiento: el director español Jaime Rosales. Lo de diciembre:

The report - Scott Z. Burns

Aceptable thriller que maneja como tema central el abuso, ocultación y cinismo de la gente del gobierno de los EU en el tema del trato a los presos de guerra. De fórmula pero entretenida.

Ad Astra - James Gray

Más que un buen filme de ciencia ficción que nos lleva a través del sistema solar, la cinta de Gray es un viaje de instrospección. Brad Pitt está excelente en su papel contenido sin perder emotividad.

The Irishman - Martin Scorsese

Gran cine de Scorsese. Cocinado a fuego lento, nunca deja de ser interesante como historia y además extraordinariamente actuado. Todo un acierto del maestro. (Alguien mencionaba que es más de lo mismo en el cine de gangsters. Yo digo que es como ejecutar un blues: o lo sabes o no lo sabes hacer... Scorsese lo sabe.

Celle que vous Croyez - Safy Nebbou

La pantalla se llena (como siempre) con la grande y bella Juliette Binoche. La película tiene lo suyo aunque se pierde un poco con su argumento nebuloso hacia el final.

Once - John Carney

Una cinta pequeña que sin embargo brilla por momentos con el fulgor de la sencillez y la sinceridad con la que está hecha. Grandes temas musicales y excelentes interpretaciones.

Ready or Not - Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Comedia negra que logra ciertos momentos (no muchos) de humor, pero que avanza sólo a trompicones. Buen final, en todo caso… aunque previsible.

A Rainy Day in New York - Woody Allen

Hay ligereza pero también profunddad en esta cinta de New York de Woody. Clichés tal vez, pero manejados desde una perspectiva maestra. Grandioso y por momentos emotivo regreso de Woody.

Petra - Jaime Rosales

Impresionante película, desde el guión hasta la manera de desarrollarlo y ponerlo a cuadro. Grandísimas actuaciones y una mirada seca, sórdida, apabullante, pero sin dejar de emocionar.

La soledad - Jaime Rosales

Arriesgada y triunfal cinta de Rosales. Cámara siempre fija, y con la pantalla dividida, crea una atmósfera extraña, a veces cercana, a veces lejana. Grandísimas actuaciones, en un tono impresionantemente natural. Peliculón.

Tiro en la cabeza - Jaime Rosales

Formalmente extrema (no se escuchan los diálogos, filmada con teleobjetivo) y controversial (el día a día de un guerrillero ETA, se supone) Rosales tiene una ganadora de nuevo. No para todos los gustos, pero excelente.

Atlantique - Mati Diop

Diop se mueve entre el thriller y lo sobrenatural (¡además de una historia romántica en medio de todo!). Lo hace con aplomo, aunque a veces se le vea algo abrupto. Película que hay qué ver, y que no deja indiferente...

Pájaros de Verano - Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra

De Ciro Guerra había visto la excelente "El abrazo de la serpiente". Esta se le queda atrás, pero es una estupenda propuesta a propósito del nacimiento del narcotráfico colombiano, y de paso de los arraigos autóctonos.

Monos - Alejandro Landes

Landes logra meternos en los lugares y las situaciones de estos guerrilleros adolescentes cuya organización se viene abajo poco a poco cuando aparecen las pasiones humanas. Excelente cinta.

Las horas del día - Jaime Rosales

La primera cinta de Rosales es excepcional. Un enfocado estudio de la cotidianidad que se concentro en la vida de un individuo digamos que anodino, que sin embargo tiene una especie de solaz: es un asesino en serie...

La propera pell - Isaki Lacuesta, Isa Campo

Brillante thriller de Lacuesta sobre el regreso de un adolescente perdido hace años. Mantiene la tensión siempre, y nosotros debemos estar alertas, con la duda perenne presionando la razón… Excelente.

L'avenir - Mia Hansen-Løve

Entre la sencillez del trato que da Mia Hansen-Løve a su película y la imponente interpretación de Isabelle Huppert, este filme sobresaliente tiene un aura de indiscutible maestría.

The Lighthouse - Robert Eggers

Robert Eggers nos brinda una cinta sólida, con un duelo de actuaciones sobresaliente entre Willem Dafoe y Robert Pattison. En blanco y negro, tipo impresionismo alemán, Eggers nos mete de lleno en el estado de claustrofobia que viven los alucinados personajes.

Zombi child - Bertrand Bonello

La nueva obra de Bonello se aleja de lo típico (para bien) y más bien indaga en lo tradicional del fenómeno, pero crea una historia, logra una atmósfera, provoca sensaciones y redondea un excelente filme.

Sibyl - Justine Triet

Buena a secas. La cinta de Triet entretiene pero hasta cierto límite, porque de pronto los personajes se vuelven absurdos, o el melodrama poco apto, mientras que hay momentos de logrado buen humor entre otros donde se le hace bolas el engrudo de la historia...

[karterh-blog]

Levi 1

Levi 

This is stupid.

What am I doing?

Nothing odd.

Just a tall teen, buying packaged cookies.

And that’s it. 

Watching that movie was a bad idea. Why did I let Nic talk me into watching it? They were so persistent. The movie was good. It made me feel less alien. The worst part was the partial I got from the watching the kiss at the end. I had to hide it behind my letterman’s jacket when we left the theater.

Maybe it’s a good thing. No other on-screen romance has gotten that much of a rise out of me. Fuck. Even my thoughts are getting corny.

“Young man register 15 is available,” the yellow-vested Walmart employee startled me out of my inner turmoil. I looked up at her, she looked tired, unkempt, as my mother would say. She gave me an impatient nod to herd me along to the self-checkout kiosk.

I quickly scanned my purchase and selected the pay option. Fumbling with my wallet I tried to rush the machine into taking my five-dollar bill. The stubborn thing spat it back at me. Infuriatingly, I snatched it back, worked out a barely bent corner and forced the note back into the payment slot. This argument went on for a few more rounds. I felt the stares of the moms waiting in the line. Believe me ladies, I want to get out of here as much as you do. After a fifth attempt it finally accepts my payment and spits my change and receipt at me. I shove it into my jeans pocket, grab my purchase and head for the doors.

“I need to see your receipt, young man,” drawls the exasperated looking man at the greeter post.

I attempt to extract it from my pocket without showering my feet with pennies and dimes. I failed.

“It’s a new policy.”

“It’s fine,” I say and as I hand him the small slip, I see that my hands are shaking.

My hands don’t shake. I scored the winning net in or hockey game against Gillette Saturday night. They’re our biggest competition this season, not to mention our biggest rival. “What is wrong with me.”

“Thank you, have a nice night,” he utters in monotone. he so doesn’t care.

I’m in the clear. Not even close, Pearson.

I make it to the second set of doors and forget how hard it’s snowing. I hate driving around town in snow. I’m not a terrible driver for a 17-year-old. I get carried away after a big win on the ice or a movie with good chase scenes, but generally I keep it in my pants. But other people act like they haven’t lived here for decades and either slide through the intersections or drive half the speed limit. 

Crap, am I really doing this?

At the beginning of Christmas break Nic begged me to go see a movie about some gay kid. It didn’t play here in Sheridan. There is no way it would play here. It might turn us impressionable youths into the gays!! Too late. Anyway, Nic convinced my mom that she would likely get a better present if I were allowed to drive up to Billings, Montana to do my holiday shopping. Nic is basically an only child. They know how to manipulate parents. They are my best friend, but I wouldn’t say that to the guys on the team. The guys already give me a hard time for hanging out with them and some of their “freaky” friends. I just feel so comfortable around them.

Unlike now. My socks are wet from slopping to my car. Chucks are not good winter shoes. I jam the key into the door handle to unlock the car. No fancy fob for this ride. Hell, it doesn’t even have cruise control. Gotta love hand-me-downs. Now that Jess is working a job and going to school (Sheridan College, fancy) he was able to buy a better vehicle. So, I get the old Honda my parents bought used ten years ago. The hinges creak as I open the door and slouch into the driver’s seat.

After shoving my backpack into the floor, I set the package of Oreos on the passenger seat. They’re the holiday ones with the red filling. Not really like the movie said, but close.

The car squeals to life with a good forceful turn of the ignition. I should get my friend Joey to change that belt. It’s getting really bad. I carefully make my way out of the packed parking lot as my phone buzzes in my hoodie pocket. I know it’s Nic, so I don’t even look.

“Hi.”

“Hey babe?” They sound unsure. Great.

“Why do you call me that? Don’t you’ll make me more nervous?”

“Lee, it’s going to be great! I’m so excited for you. I wish I could watch from your backseat.” Nic ignored my question. Typical. 

“God you’re creepy.”

“Yeah. But you love me.”

“Uhhh....” I let silence hang in the chilly air. 

“Levi Pearson, you go give that boy his cookies and make his year!”

“How are you cockier than me? Do you think he’ll even get the reference? This is pretty out there.”

“I know he saw the movie, Sarah Riley showed me his secret Instagram post about seeing it and then journaling at City Brew for hours afterward!”

“How do you know it was actually his post?”

“Babe, the freaks know all the best gossip.”

“Seriously? The babe thing?”

“What about it?”

“Even your friends think we’re together!”

“That’s impossible Lee. They all know I’m a demi/panromantic asexual genderqueer!”

“Nic. No one in this county knows what that means, except for you.”

“You’re totally not my type.”

“You mean you’re not my type?”

“Right. Not everyone can be born with genitalia that you are disturbingly focused on. But you are so stoic that no one knows what your type is, other than maybe cheerleader or volleyball player. I’m the only one who sees you. Well until tonight. Then Patrick will see you. Hopefully more of you than I’ve seen.”

“Hey.” I listen to Nic’s peeling cackle for two traffic lights.

“Holy shit. Aren’t you almost there?”

“Just turning off 5th street.”

“Ok. Ok. Ok. I love you! You’ve got this!” With that she hangs up.

I shift into park and look up at the brick house. The lights in the living room shine through the curtains. A big pine tree blocks the only other window facing the street. That’s probably his parents’ room though. That’s how I remember the house when Brad Warren lived there. We used to hang out in grade school, and we’ve been on the same hockey team for two years. I’d ride my bike over here when mom and dad were both at work in the summer.

God. My thoughts are all over the place. I’m mostly just trying to not picture and also hope for the opportunity to see Patrick’s smile. I think a lot about that smile. I didn’t really notice it until he got his braces off last year. It seemed like he smiled for weeks. He was unfortunately outed by some football players in a pretty brutal manner. He hasn't smiled much since then. Nic says he’s been out to his friends for years, which makes us the only two queer guys in the 11th grade, as far as I can tell.

A shadow passes by the window and I jump. Crap. I probably look like a stalker sitting out here.

I grab my backpack off the floor and chuck a couple of textbooks out, so I can fit in the treat I have for Patrick.

The characters in the movie bond over Oreos. And I figured if I showed up and offered them to him, it could be easier than walking up to him at school and saying something dreadfully embarrassing for both of us.

Pearson. You got this.

I wrench my door open and trudge to the Williams’ front door. I can tell by the blue light that the tv is on and I can faintly hear the sounds of Wheel of Fortune. That show is banned in our house. We watch Jeopardy! and no other game shows.

The chime of the doorbell makes me jump. Breathe. In. Out. Hurried little footsteps come toward me. This must be his little brother. I’ve seen him at school functions with his parents. The knob jiggles as he attempts to open the heavy door.

“No! I got it!” The small voice protests. And lights blind me for a second as he stares up at me. I’m already six-one. He must think I’m a giant, as he stands there with his mouth open and his eye wide before squinting at me. “Who are you? Are you Thor?”

“Uhhh, Levi Pearson?” Wow Pearson intimidated by a juvenile.

“Who’s at the door, Alex?” His voice is clear and sharp and makes shiver run down my spine. And then he fills the crack in the doorway standing behind the shorter version of the same person. His bristly dark blonde curls are cropped short. And his light blue eyes look into my soul.

“Levi?”

“Uhh, hey.”

“Why are you at my house?”

“Can we talk?”

“This couldn’t wait until school in the morning?”

“Please?”

“We won’t get very far if you keep answering questions with questions.”

“Boys, shut the door! You’re letting all the heat out.” Their dad has an intimidating presence. He’s big and muscular, and always has a shadow of coal and grease on his skin. 

Patrick eyes me wearily.

“Well come in.”

“Thanks.”

The front door leads straight into the living room. They must have painted when they bought the house. It looks totally different. Wow. How does anyone really think I am hetero? I choose to blame my mother and her HGTV habit.

“Can I help you?”

“Oh sorry. Ummm. Did you get Speiker’s assignment from yesterday? I didn’t have a chance to see him before we left for the game.” He glares at me. This was a stretch. We have one class together. Algebra II. I’m decent at it. I mean I’m holding steady to my A-, but I can play dumb.

He looks unconvinced.

“You have friends in that class, why ask me?”

I’ve got to bullshit fast. Mini-Patrick has grown bored of me and now that the door is shut their dad is back in a recliner studying the next word puzzle.

“Well, I was on my way home, and your place is on the way–”

“Are you stalking me?”

“What!?” I try to wipe my now sweaty shaking hands on front of my hoodie. It’s wetter than my hands. This is going great!

“How do you know where I live?” He looks nervous and skeptical.

“Oh. Uhh. Brad used to live here before you.”

“Ooookaaay.”

“Anyway. Your place was on my way home and I need to keep my B in Algebra to stay on the active hockey roster.

“Boys, quit flapping your gums or get out of the living room, you’re interrupting the puzzle,” his dad said while waving us to the kitchen or some other part of the house.

“Fine. Come with me.”

Patrick lead me into the house, cautiously monitoring my every move.

“Patrick. Tell your friend shoes stay at the door.” I was so busy watching Patrick watch me that I didn’t even notice his mom perched at the kitchen counter. She scrutinized me over the top of red-framed reading glasses like a mean librarian, if librarians wore paint splotched bibs. She likes to call herself an artist, but Mom says she’s just crafty with too much free time. I don’t really know what that means but I’ve seen her name on fundraiser auction items.

Patrick clears his throat to get my attention.

“Oh god,” I jump, “sorry.” I dig my toe into the heal of my right shoe popping it off and then do the same with the left. I pick up my sneakers and trudge them back to the front door and take a big deep breath before rejoining Patrick in the kitchen. He leads me down a set of stairs into another living area. It’s basically just an older version of the one upstairs. The couch is more worn, and the recliner looks nonfunctional, but cozy.

“Wait here” he leaves me in the comfy room and my eyes wonder to a wall covered in family photos. I resist the urge to memorize every one of them. Geez. I am a stalker. To calm my fidgeting, I perch on the arm of the couch and stare at the ceiling. I slide my backpack off my shoulders and hold it by the loop at the top.

“Do you have your book with you?” I look down and he’s standing in front of me, still glaring.

“Oh, uh, I don’t really need the homework. I got it from Nic. I just–”

“Dude. What’s going on here? Why the fuck are you at my house then?” His voice is icy and cuts through my small shred of confidence.

“Pat. Calm down.”

“It’s Patrick.”

“Sorry. Patrick.”

“Is this some sort of hazing, jock bet? Infiltrate to home of the homo?”

My stomach had been trying to climb out of my chest and these words drop it to the floor. I slump forward and look at my wet pack and socks. The zipper is partially open, and I can see the bright blue package. I don’t know what to say to him. Of course, that is what this looks like.

“I just wanted to give you something.” I reach into my bag and wrestle to cookie package free. I drop it onto the seat of the battered chair and head quickly back up the stairs. I jam my soggy feet into my shoes, shoulder my bad and leave the warm house without looking at any of the Williams family.

Back in the Civic, I see that I have missed 10 calls and 20 texts. I have one voicemail from home. I opt for that first knowing that all the other communications are from Nic. Mom says dinner is ready and mine will be cold by 7. I check the phone’s screen. It’s just after 7. I’ll make something up. It’ll be fine.

Nic texts again as I close the voicemail window.

Nic: Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.

Nic: <3 <3 <3 <3

Instead of trying to type out my humiliation, I opt for a call instead. I hold the phone with my shoulder as I make a U-turn and drive the five blocks home. It doesn’t take that long for me to spew my rejection and humiliation. I park behind Dad’s old beat up truck and rest my head on my steering wheel as Nic attempts to construct further plans. They seem way more invested in my love life than I am right now. I’m half listening to Nic and half listening to my stomach growling. Tall athletes should not miss meals. But despite its protests I don’t think I can keep anything down.

“Lee!”

“Huh?”

“Are you listening to me or wallowing?”

“Definitely wallowing,” I huff. My breath is starting to fog up my windows.

“Babe, remember when you tripped on your own stick while skating toward the undefended goal in the game against Casper?”

“Wow. As if I didn’t feel shitty enough, thanks Nic.”

“Did you give up hockey after that game?”

“No, but that’s different.”

“You’re right it’s a different kind of match between boys playing with stick.”

“Cute.”

“The cutest enby you know.”

“You’re the only enbee I know.”

“Babe, I can hear you shivering. Go inside. Can me later.”

“Sure.”

I lift my head and realize I have sat here long enough for the snow to coat it windshield. And I think my socks are starting to freeze to my shoes.

[vmsdmagazine]

It's the most wonderful time of the year! When VMSD seeks the best and the brightest holiday window displays from this holiday season to cover in its annual recap, set for the January/February 2019 issue. Don't delay -- send us your materials by Friday, Dec. 14, 2018, for consideration. For more info, please visit https://bit.ly/2DKTetA | Pictured: A.K. Rikks, Grand Rapids, Mich. Photography: Brad Gillette, Grand Rapids, Mich.

[flamesorparadise]

It’s gonna be exactly a decade from my very first show ever the weekend of the Gillette shows and I already know I’m gonna be a mess at “please don’t ever become a stranger...I’ve had the time of my life...with you” like it’s absolutely going to completely destroy me. I’ll be sitting there thinking about all of the memories and the shows and the friends put into my life because of Taylor’s music on the anniversary of my first show when I was 16 and we both had poofy hair. I never imagined it’d ever end up like this...but here we are and I don’t regret any of it at all, except not begging harder for my mom to take me to the Brad Paisley tour or the Fearless tour (but really the Fearless tour bc SSN performance). Anyway, I love you lots and can’t wait to lose my mind this summer.