#Brian Patrick Farrell

[burningmarsdenss]

From "amazonfreevee: Instagram.

[vintagetvstars]

Hot Vintage TV Men's Bracket - Round 1 - Part 1/2 (Polls 1-99)

Round 1 (All Polls)

Ted Bessell Vs. Dick Van Dyke

Jonathan Frid Vs. William Hartnell

Claude Rains Vs. William Hopper

Eric Idle Vs. Peter Tork

Henry Winkler Vs. Tom Smothers

Martin Kove Vs. Tom Selleck

Jeff Conaway Vs. John de Lancie

Dave Foley Vs. Michael J. Fox

David Hyde Pierce Vs. Tony Shalhoub

Jason Bateman Vs. Rob Lowe

Ted Cassidy Vs. Boris Karloff

Eddie Albert Vs. Russell Johnson

Bobby Sherman Vs. Micky Dolenz

Robin Williams Vs. Fred Grandy

Kevin Smith Vs. Bruce Campbell

Brad Dourif Vs. LeVar Burton

Seth Green Vs. Brandon Quinn

Matthew Perry Vs. Tim Daly

Mike Farrell Vs. Judd Hirsch

Matt Bomer Vs. Timothy Olyphant

Larry Hagman Vs. Kent McCord

Fred Rogers Vs. Bobby Troup

David Cassidy Vs. Luke Halpin

George Takei Vs. Richard Hatch

Ricardo Montalban Vs. John Forsythe

Richard Dean Anderson Vs. Bruce Willis

Anthony Head Vs. Paul McGann

Thorsten Kaye Vs. Michael Horse

Darren E. Burrows Vs. Dana Ashbrook

Adam Brody Vs. Milo Ventimiglia

Adam West Vs. Richard Chamberlain

Randy Boone Vs. Dean Butler

Clint Walker Vs. George Maharis

Erik Estrada Vs. Paul Michael Glaser

Billy Dee Williams Vs. Rock Hudson

Ted Danson Vs. Jameson Parker

Sylvester McCoy Vs. Armin Shimerman

Joe Lando Vs. Spencer Rochfort

Ben Browder Vs. Keith Hamilton Cobb

Richard Ayoade Vs. Kevin McDonald

Patrick McGoohan Vs. Robert Vaughn

Chad Everett Vs. DeForest Kelley

Jon Pertwee Vs. Mark Lenard

Darren McGavin Vs. Peter Falk

Terry Jones Vs. Alan Alda

Michael Tylo Vs. Timothy Dalton

Sean Bean Vs. Valentine Pelka

Ioan Gruffudd Vs. Colin Firth

David Tennant Vs. Robert Carlyle

Jason Priestley Vs. Tom Welling

Martin Milner Vs. James Garner

David Soul Vs. Lee Majors

Derek Jacobi Vs. Andrew Robinson

David Hasselhoff Vs. Stephen Nichols

Jimmy Smits Vs. Hal Linden

Brent Spiner Vs. Ted Raimi

Patrick Troughton Vs. Andreas Katsulas

Miguel Ferrer Vs. Mitch Pileggi

David James Elliot Vs. Andre Braugher

Blair Underwood Vs. Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Don Adams Vs. Cesar Romero

Bob Crane Vs. John Astin

Walter Koenig Vs. Davy Jones

Tom Baker Vs. Jamie Farr

Woody Harrelson Vs. John Schneider

John Goodman Vs. Joseph Marcell

Danny John-Jules Vs. Marc Alaimo

Michael Praed Vs. Kevin Sorbo

Mark McKinney Vs. Colm Meaney

Neil Patrick Harris Vs. David Schwimmer

James Arness Vs. Robert Fuller

Clint Eastwood Vs. Robert Conrad

Jonathan Frakes Vs. Michael Hurst

David Duchovny Vs. Michael T. Weiss

Luke Perry Vs. Jeremy Sisto

Matt LeBlanc Vs. John Stamos

Reece Shearsmith Vs. Alexander Siddig

Eric Close Vs. William Shockley

Daniel Dae Kim Vs. Robert Beltran

Scott Cohen Vs. Scott Patterson

Dick Gautier Vs. Michael Landon

Wayne Rogers Vs. Alejandro Rey

Gerald McRaney Vs. Robert Wagner

Simon Williams Vs. John Cleese

Brian Blessed Vs. James Earl Jones

Noah Wyle Vs. Kyle MacLachlan

James Marsters Vs. Paul Gross

Paolo Montalban Vs. Robert Duncan McNeill

Garrett Wang Vs. Nate Richert

Christian Kane Vs. Michael Vartan

David McCallum Vs. David Selby

Leonard Nimoy Vs. Colin Baker

Randolph Mantooth Vs. Michael Nesmith

Demond Wilson Vs. Tony Danza

Ron Perlman Vs. Mr. T

Ron Glass Vs. Dirk Benedict

John Shea Vs. Michael Ontkean

Jeffrey Combs Vs. Rowan Atkinson

Tim Russ Vs. Bruce Boxleitner

Round 1 Polls 100 - 128

[mbdmnts]

So Patrick Dempsey is the Sexiest Man Alive? When did Jensen Ackles, Riz Ahmed, Omar Ayuso, Jonathan Bailey, Antonio Banderas, Jon Bernthal, Henry Cavill, Chace Crawford, Carlos Cuevas, Itzan Escamilla, Luke Evans, Colin Farrell, Michael Fassbender, Philip Fusco, David Gandy, Brett Goldstein, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hardy, Kit Harington, Ethan Hawke, the Hemsworth brothers, Sam Heughan, Tyler Hoechlin, Tom Hopper, Michiel Huisman, Oscar Isaac, Theo James, Gus Kenworthy, Joel Kinnaman, Luke Macfarlane, Richard Madden, James McAvoy, Jason Momoa, Viggo Mortensen, Timothy Olyphant, Jared Padalecki, Lee Pace, Regé-Jean Page, Pedro Pascal, Chris Pine, Alan Ritchson, Brian J. Smith, Sebastian Stan, Fabricio Ternes, Max Thieriot, Russell Tovey, Aidan Turner, Karl Urban, Jeremy Allen White, and Taylor Zakhar Perez die?                                               

[ulkaralakbarova]

With a serial strangler on the loose, a bookkeeper wanders around town searching for the vigilante group intent on catching the killer. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Kleinman: Woody Allen Prostitute: Kathy Bates Student Jack: John Cusack Irmy: Mia Farrow Prostitute: Jodie Foster Hacker’s Follower: Fred Gwynne Clown: John Malkovich Alma: Julie Kavner Marie: Madonna Magician: Kenneth Mars Eve: Kate Nelligan Doctor: Donald Pleasence Prostitute: Lily Tomlin Mr. Paulsen: Philip Bosco Spiro’s Assistant: Robert Joy Simon Carr: Wallace Shawn Vogel’s Follower: Kurtwood Smith Priest: Josef Sommer Hacker: David Ogden Stiers Cop at Police Station: John C. Reilly Woman with Baby: Eszter Balint Vigilante: James Rebhorn Roustabout: Richard Riehle Cop: William H. Macy Undesirables Onlooker: Fred Melamed Killer: Michael Kirby Vigilante: Victor Argo Vigilante: Daniel von Bargen Landlady: Camille Saviola Dwarf: Tim Loomis Fat Lady: Katy Dierlam Strongman: Dennis Vestunis Prostitute: Anne Lange Student: Andy Berman Student: Paul Anthony Stewart Student: Thomas L. Bolster Police Chief: Greg Stebner Cop at Police Station: Peter Appel Cop at Police Station: Brian Smiar Cop at Police Station: Michael P. Troy Cop at Police Station: Remak Ramsay Cop at Police Station: Ron Turek Bartender: Peter McRobbie Cop with Priest: Ira Wheeler Baby: Rebecca Gibson Hacker’s Follower: Robert Silver Spiro: Charles Cragin Vigilante with Spiro: Tom Riis Farrell Vigilante with Spiro: Ron Weyand Roustabout: Max Robinson Film Crew: Additional Casting: Todd M. Thaler Casting: Juliet Taylor Writer: Woody Allen Producer: Robert Greenhut Assistant Editor: Mark Livolsi Costume Design: Jeffrey Kurland Production Coordinator: Helen Robin Executive Producer: Charles H. Joffe Executive Producer: Jack Rollins Editor: Susan E. Morse Hairstylist: Romaine Greene Assistant Art Director: W. Steven Graham Casting Associate: Laura Rosenthal Supervising Sound Editor: Robert Hein Director of Photography: Carlo Di Palma Gaffer: Ray Quinlan Sound Designer: Dan Sable Foley Artist: Brian Vancho Set Decoration: George DeTitta Jr. Assistant Costume Designer: Donna Zakowska Production Sound Mixer: James Sabat Production Design: Santo Loquasto Assistant Sound Editor: Stuart Levy Co-Producer: Joseph Hartwick Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Lee Dichter Construction Coordinator: Ron Petagna Key Scenic Artist: James Sorice Production Assistant: Robert C. Albertell Makeup Artist: Bernadette Mazur First Assistant Director: Thomas A. Reilly Art Direction: Speed Hopkins Property Master: James Mazzola Assistant Production Coordinator: Ilyse A. Reutlinger Still Photographer: Brian Hamill Standby Carpenter: Joseph A. Alfieri Jr. Scenic Artist: Cosmo Sorice Set Dresser: Dave Weinman Assistant Camera: Michael Green Sound Recordist: Frank Graziadei Camera Operator: Dick Mingalone Script Supervisor: Kay Chapin Set Decoration: Amy Marshall Boom Operator: Louis Sabat Dolly Grip: Ronald Burke Key Grip: Robert Ward Wardrobe Supervisor: Patricia Eiben Second Assistant Camera: Michael Caracciolo Camera Trainee: David E. Baron Art Department Coordinator: Glenn Lloyd Second Assistant Director: Richard Patrick Assistant Editor: William Kruzykowski Transportation Captain: Peter Tavis Transportation Captain: Harold ‘Whitey’ McEvoy Production Assistant: Justin Moritt Wardrobe Supervisor: Bill Christians Foley Artist: Elisha Birnbaum Additional Casting: Judie Fixler Key Construction Grip: Vincent Guarriello Production Assistant: Danielle Rigby Projection: Carl Turnquest Best Boy Electric: Jim Manzione Costume Assistant: Lauren Gibson Assistant Art Director: Robert Perdziola Foley Editor: Lori Kornspun Assistant Art Director: Peter Eastman Location Scout: Megan Monaghan Assistant Art Director: Richard Michael Miller Apprentice Sound Editor: Yasmine Amitai Location Manager: James A. Davis Movie Reviews:

[celtic-cd-releases]

https://leonardbarrymusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/leonardbarrypipes/

https://leonardbarry.bandcamp.com/album/littoral

https://open.spotify.com/album/4D6OPJJCFnlXMgHiu862nB

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 2.6

Beer Birthdays

Henry Miller (1857)

George Wiedemann Jr. (1866)

Brian Ford (1964)

John Foster (1965)

Jay Sheveck (1970)

Erin Fay Glass (1971)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Mike Batt; rock musician (1949)

Bob Marley; reggae musician, singer (1945)

Eric Partridge; lexicographer (1894)

Michael Pollan; journalist (1955)

Adam Weishaupt; German philosopher (1748)

Famous Birthdays

Rick Astley; pop singer (1966)

Nicolaus Bernoulli; Swiss mathematician (1695)

Eva Braun; model, Hitler's mistress (1912)

Robert Brooks; Hooters restaurants founder (1937)

Tom Brokaw; television journalist (1940)

Aaron Burr; politician, U.S. Vice-President (1756)

Natalie Cole; singer (1950)

Alice Eve; actor (1982)

Mike Farrell; actor (1939)

Scipione del Ferro; Italian mathematician (1465)

Anton Fokker; aviation pioneer (1890)

Gayle Hunnicutt; actor (1943)

Károly Kisfaludy; Hungarian poet (1788)

Mary Douglas Leakey; archeologist (1913)

Theodor Lessing; writer (1872)

John Henry MacKay; anarchist (1864)

Patrick MacNee; actor (1922)

Barry Miller; actor (1958)

Kathy Najimy; actor (1957)

Gigi Perreau; actor (1941)

Ronald Reagan; 40th U.S. President (1911)

Axl Rose; rock singer (1962)

Babe Ruth; New York Yankees OF (1895)

Jeb Stuart; confederate calvary commander (1833)

Rip Torn; actor (1931)

Robert Townsend; actor, comedian (1957)

Francois Truffaut; French film director (1932)

Michael Tucker; actor (1945)

Mamie Van Doren; actor (1931)

Karel Wellens; Flemish artist (1889)

Otis Williams; rock musician (1936)

[crowdvscritic]

round up // NOVEMBER 23 + DECEMBER 23 + JANUARY 24: CROWD vs. CRITIC vs. CHRISTMAS!

November and December push me to the limit—how many movies can I fit in before the end of the calendar year? In 2023 (plus a few bonus days), the answer was more than 130 new releases. And who wants to skip all of their favorite Christmas movies? Because I extend my holiday viewing into January, I fit in almost 90 this year, adding a few more to my all-time must-watch list. Once the Oscar noms were announced, I was already back to my usual shenanigans and had watched my 400th unique movie on Turner Classic Movies. Whether these statistics are cool or pathetic (erm, don’t tell me), I’m grateful for the slowness of Dump-uary and the depth that comes with thinking about the same Oscar-nominated films for several weeks. (Too bad we need to revisit Melissa Villaseñor’s Oscars snub song from SNL.)

To help sum up these three packed months, I’m resurrecting Crowd vs. Critic vs. Christmas: five crowd-pleasers, five critic picks, and five Christmas treats. Who says you can’t make these holiday recommendations part of your February entertainment?

Holiday Crowd-Pleasers

1. SNL Round Up

Studio 8H is making up for lost time after those strikes: 

“Question Quest” (4906 with Emma Stone)

“Beep Beep” (4907 with Adam Driver) - #SoMidwest

“Weekend Update: Chloe Fineman’s Save the Last Dance Holiday Gift” (4907)

“Tiny A** Bag” (4907)

“Christmas Awards Cold Open” (4908 with Kate McKinnon)

"North Pole News: Killer Whale Attack” (4908)

“ABBA Christmas” (4908)

“Yankee Swap” (4908)

“Please Don't Destroy - Roast” (4910 with Dakota Johnson) - As one who still has yet to understand the appeal of the PDD guys, this resonated with me

“The Barry Gibb Talk Show: 2024 Election” (4910)

“Weekend Update: A Guy Named Ethan on the 2024 Oscars Snubs” (4910) - I am...probably only a few years away from turning into Ethan?

2. Triple Feature - Big City Crime Thrillers: No Way Out (1987) + Cop Land (1997) + Widows (2018)

The stars aligned on all of these! In No Way Out (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10), Kevin Costner is assigned to investigate the murder of his secret lover (Sean Young) in Washington D.C. The twist? The person who assigned him the case was also her lover, Secretary of Defense Gene Hackman. In Cop Land (9/10 // 7.5/10), Sylvester Stallone sheriffs a New Jersey town that houses a corrupt batch of New York City cops (including Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, and Robert Patrick) that Robert De Niro is investigating. In Widows (8.5/10 // 8.5/10), Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, and Michelle Rodriguez are completing the heist that killed their husbands (including Liam Neeson) in a corrupt Chicago run by Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, and Daniel Kaluuya. All are twisty, gritty, and thrilling.

3. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Oh no, there goes Tokyo—but at least it’s going to a spectacle as fun and well-crafted as this one. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

4. Double Feature - ‘90s Matt Damon Dramas: School Ties (1992) + The Rainmaker (1997)

Because Matt Damon has always been good! Though he’s not always been the good guy: In School Ties (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10), Brendan Fraser must hide his Jewish identity to survive at a prep school in the ‘50s, and bullies like Damon are who he’s most afraid of. In The Rainmaker (9/10 // 8.5/10), Damon is the good guy as a baby-faced lawyer who wants to protect Claire Danes, Teresa Wright, and Mary Kay Place from villains like slick lawyer Jon Voight. Here’s hoping Damon has another coming-of-age movie (as a teacher) and legal thriller in his future.

5. The Jerk (1979)

Not every moment of this movie would fly if made today, but Steve Martin’s episodic adventures in his first journey away from home gave me some of my biggest laughs in months. Crowd: 9.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

More Holiday Crowd-Pleasers: Three Men and a Little Lady (1990) reminds us how much fun it is to let three charismatic movie stars (Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg, and Tom Selleck) cook // The Mrs. Doubtfire National Tour is fluffy fun // Maggie Moore(s) (2023) is a true crime story that makes me wish Tina Fey and Jon Hamm could become the new Myrna Loy and William Powell // Quiz Lady (2023) lets Will Ferrell live out his Alex Trebek dreams // John Mulaney in Concert Tour is making me count down till his next special is released to get memes about his grandfather, his bus driver, and his son // Reacher Season 2 is the perfect action show to watch with my dad // I’m not sure if Man of the Year (2006) was prescient about the future of politics or if it just understood human nature well enough to anticipate the populist movement and election fraud conversations we’re having today, but this Robin-Williams-as-Jon-Stewart comedy is underrated // The real-world implications of V for Vendetta (2005) are…confusing, but this literary-inspired adventure is still thrilling // Desperado (1995) is an over-the-top, shoot-'em-up Western

Holiday Critic Picks

1. The Best of 2023

2023: a year of products, greed, put-upon employees, and artificial intelligence—and not just in the actors’ and writers’ strikes! It was also a great year for movies, which is why I couldn’t narrow down my list to just 10. Read my top 10 picks for 2023 movies, as well as 28 honorable mentions at ZekeFilm, and then check out the accompanying list on Letterboxd.

I also dug deeper into some of the films mentioned in my Best of 2023 in these reviews:

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes - ZekeFilm review

Maestro - ZekeFilm review

Priscilla -  ZekeFilm review, KMOV review, Do You Like Apples discussion, updated Letterboxd Sofia Coppola rankings

2. Double Feature - New Baseball Documentaries: It Ain’t Over (2022) + The League (2023)

I am not a Yankees fan, so who would have guessed that the Yogi Berra documentary It Ain’t Over (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10) would make me cry? And my baseball history knowledge always has room for improvement, so The League (8/10 // 9/10) is a phenomenal fix to many of my blind spots. Both are now inducted in my Baseball Movie Hall of Fame.

3. Triple Billing - Come From Away + Tina: The Tina Turner Musical + Funny Girl National Tours

Looking for a true story turned into an excellent musical? Try Come From Away, which captures the chaos of flights rerouted on 9/11 with the pathos you expect (and the comedy you don’t). Or try Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which is one of the best—if not the best—jukebox musical I’ve seen because the songs are integrated into the story instead of just as a musical revue of a a well-known career. Or catch Funny Girl, which captures comedienne Fanny Brice’s life with the help of a powerhouse singer channeling Barbra Streisand’s powers. Better yet, I recommend not skipping any of them when they come to town if you can swing it.

4. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (2023)

What do you do when your dad goes missing in the middle of a global pandemic and the only one who was with him when he disappeared is your non-verbal brother? That’s the central mystery of Angie Kim’s latest novel. Instead of an edge-of-your-seat-thriller, it’s a story that propels us forward with the questions that plague its characters.

5. Hollywood Victory: The Movies, Stars, and Stories of World War II by Christian Blauvelt (2021)

The Turner Classic Movies Library has yet to miss. Hollywood Victory doesn’t just provide an in-depth overview of Hollywood from 1933 to 1945. It’s an exploration of Hollywood’s inextricable relationship with American politics, its contributions that helped the Allies win the war, and a unusual but informative lens of movies and the war itself. It’s also a long set of additions to my watchlist—of the 260+ films referenced, I’ve only seen a quarter. Thank goodness for TCM and a DVR with unlimited space!

More Holiday Critic Picks: American Symphony, Chevalier, Fallen Leaves, Freud’s Last Session, and Master Gardener were all films in consideration for my Best of 2023 // Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl short film adaptations Poison, The Rat Catcher, The Swan, and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) are bite-sized, beautifully manicured delights // Debbie Reynolds paves the way the way for Kathy Bates’s Titanic role with her charismatic starring piece in the musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) // Barbara Stanwyck is wonderful as always in the melodrama All I Desire (1953) // Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) is filled with some of Preston Sturges’s most fun mixups and hijinks

Holiday Treats

1. Ken The EP by Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson

I don’t care if these are barely Christmas songs—let’s give Ryan Gosling seasonal updates of “I’m Just Ken” for all of 2024!

2. Mixed Nuts (1994)

Hot take: Steve Martin has not been in enough rom-coms. A kookier—but nonetheless delightful—brand of Nora Ephron stars Martin and Rita Wilson as co-workers at a crisis hotline who are clearly meant for each other. If only they—and Madeline Kahn, Juliette Lewis, Adam Sandler, Liev Schreiber, and Garry Shandling— could get out of their own way. Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10  

3. Fitzwilly (1967)

Christmas Ocean’s Eleven! Dick Van Dyke is as charming as ever and the vibes are as ‘60s as ever as he tries to pull off a heist at Gimbels on Christmas Eve. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

4. Metropolitan (1990)

Before Chris Eigeman was Jason Stiles on Gilmore Girls, he was essentially playing the same character in Whit Stillman’s comedy riff on The Great Gatsby. A young, bougie group is attempting to survive debutante season (also the Christmas season), debating the pros and cons of wealth and falling in and out of romance. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10

5. The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944)

Hollywood Victory informed me I’m not the only who can’t believe this was allowed to play for audiences in 1944! Betty Hutton marries a soldier on a whim, but the next morning she can’t remember which one. Her BFF with an unrequited crush (Eddie Bracken) is the only one who can help her figure out who her husband—and the father of her child—is before the scandal gets out and destroys her reputation. Because this is a Preston Sturges feature, it’s actually a hilarious quest. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

More Christmas Treats: Klaus (2019) is a hidden gem on Netflix // Okay, the ick factor in Susan Slept Here (1954) is real, but Dick Powell and Debbie Reynolds are just so darn charming! // 8-Bit Christmas (2021) is a better-than-it-needed-to-be update of A Christmas Story featuring a Nintendo instead of a BB gun // How did I never see Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) all the way through before this year? Once I realized I’d missed some scenes in my umpteen cable watches over the years, it shot up on my John Hughes rankings // Pocketful of Miracles (1961) is a delightful Cinderella tale that proves Bette Davis always had it 

Also this Holiday Season…

I reviewed even more new movies, including Next Goal Wins (ZekeFilm), The Marvels (KMOV), and the new Mean Girls musical (ZekeFilm)

The St. Louis Film Critics Association nominated and voted on our Best of 2023 films. You can see every winner and every film we nominated on Letterboxd, and you can read my summary of how I voted here on Crowd vs. Critic. Keep scrolling if you’re on the home page to my last post, or read it here.

Photo credits: Funny Girl, Happiness Falls, Hollywood Victory. All others IMDb.com. 

[byneddiedingo]

Brian Donlevy and Glenda Farrell in High Tension (Allan Dwan, 1936)

Cast: Brian Donlevy, Glenda Farrell, Norman Foster, Helen Wood, Robert McWade, Theodore von Eltz, Romaine Callender, Hattie McDaniel, Joe Sawyer, Murray Alper. Screenplay: Lou Breslau, Edward Eliscu, John Patrick, J. Robert Bren, Norman Houston. Cinematography: Barney McGill. Art direction: Duncan Cramer. Film editing: Louis R. Loeffler. 

High Tension is a lively little action comedy that comes in at 63 minutes, just right for the bottom half of a double feature. Brian Donlevy has the boisterous role of Steve Reardon, an underwater engineer for a transoceanic cable company who unwinds from his stressful job by getting drunk, telling tall tales of his undersea adventures, getting into fights, and messing around with his girlfriend, Edith McNeil (Glenda Farrell). It's a little hard to see why she puts up with Steve, let alone wants to marry him, except that she makes a good living writing pulp fiction based on those tall tales. Allan Dwan sets a nice pace for the movie, which puts Steve into a couple of knock-down, drag-out fights, one of which involves Steve and his opponent shoving a piano at each other in Edith's apartment. The more important fight, for the sake of the plot, comes when a couple of guys (one of them played by an unbilled Ward Bond) set upon him with the aim of picking his pocket. The movie's second lead, Eddie Mitchell (Norman Foster), manages to save the money that the thugs stole from Steve when he was knocked cold. Steve wakes up the next morning to find himself in bed with Eddie, who took him home for the night. It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship, with whatever homoerotic undertones you might want to find in it. Grateful for Eddie's help, and discovering that he has a degree from Caltech, Steve gets him a job with the company he works for and trains him to be his right hand man. Eventually, all this winds up with some romantic complications, with Steve, who has broken up with Edith, putting the moves on Eddie's pretty secretary (Helen Wood), whom the shy Eddie secretly loves. And there's a big underwater rescue scene (done pretty much on the cheap) that sets everything straight again. The whole thing is quite watchable, except for the sexist and racist elements that don't go down as well today as they did in the '30s. Steve has to deal with his boss's prissy assistant, F. Willoughby Tuttle (Romaine Callender in a role probably written with Franklin Pangborn in mind), a prime example of the "pansy" stereotype that afflicted movies of the era. And Hattie McDaniel is cast as Edith's maid, unimaginatively named Hattie, a role that McDaniel plays with more sass and vigor than it deserves -- McDaniel was a true professional, and if you can overlook the stereotyping her performance is a delight. 

[tonguetiedartist]

Days of the week, Inside Gaming style! feat. a little Ben

[that-shamrock-vibe]

St. Patrick’s Day: Celebrating Irish Culture

It’s that time of year again where for one day in the 365 rotation, the people of Great Britain are given an excuse to drink to excess and penalize anyone who forgets to wear green. For us who have Irish heritage we often treat is as both a serious and lapse event, we still get drunk but feel it is our duty as Irishmen and Irishwomen to do so.

However, unlike other religious holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving for our American cousins, the religious foundations of this day have long been lost and only really celebrated by those devout to religion.

This, fortunately, does not concern me as I am not religious. However I have recently been feeling an itch to learn more about my Irish roots and maybe it is just the time of year or the fact I have been feeling rather reflective lately, but I thought I may as well start this journey by talking about what I do know to the faceless masses online.

My Heritage:

Okay so I know I am 1/4 Irish on my father’s side, my granddad is fully Irish as are my 9/10 great-uncles and great-aunts. I know the names of two of them but to be clear I do not come from the type of family where all the extended family is known.

In total I know I have a mum, dad, sister, brother, 3 uncles, two sets of grandparents a cousin and just under a dozen great-aunts and uncles collectively from both sides. I know for a fact my dad’s side of the family is expansive from my nan’s funeral but the only ones I could point out there are the great-uncle I know and my second cousin(?) who I only met there and who was absolutely wasted. No one does a funeral better than the Irish.

I also know my great-aunt on my mum’s mum’s side (her sister) has a daughter and granddaughter, aside from that and the fact my cousin is pregnant I am at a loss to where everyone else is on my family tree.

I also know I am from Irish descent on my mother’s side as my great-great-great grandmother is Irish to some degree and her daughter and my great-great grandmother hails from Ireland but again no one living knows the actual heritage there. Either way for me it’s very little but adds to what I already have from my dad’s side.

In the grand scheme my heritage doesn’t mean anything really. To my knowledge our family is not religious, my dad essentially denounced god when my brother died and aside from attending a religious youth group during our pre-teen years, my sister and I have never had an interest in religion. I am Pagan and more specifically Wiccan but at this point in time not practicing and the only things I worship at the moment are JustEat or alcohol.

It’s also note-worthy that I didn’t grow up surrounded by my dad’s family, as mentioned earlier the first time I met the mass of them was at my nan’s funeral back in March 2013 and that became a drunken haze which didn’t really include much socializing. Because of this, and because I have moved cities a few times in my life, I haven’t got a natural brogue more commonly known as an Irish accent.

Interestingly though, because of being brought up in the generation where TV raised us, which took place the generation before any screen raised kids, I have adopted a very fractured Irish accent which only comes out in certain situations such as when I converse with other Irish people and almost catch their accent. Also certain words and phrases I say in everyday conversation will sound Irish, words like “Word(s), World and generally words containing that “or” sound will come out as Irish.

Irish Folklore:

There is a lot to be said about Irish folklore also, not least about the legendary creatures the country is for, specifically Leprechauns and Banshees.

For instance, I always believed that my sister was a banshee because when she used to get angry her shrieks were earsplitting. There is an old wives tale of if Irishmen were to track their family history back long enough, they would discover they had a banshee as an ancestor. Some tales about banshees believe that their physiology is a curse that is passed down through the generations. So it stands to reason that my sister could very well be a banshee.

Leprechauns meanwhile are supposed to be creatures of luck that travel on rainbows and continuously recite limericks. If one is caught then he is supposed to lead you to their pot of gold which is traditionally said to be at the end of the rainbow. 

While there are many other creatures and tales in Irish folklore, such as Selkies which are essentially Celtic Mermaids, none of them are really as talked about or celebrated as the aforementioned two creatures and St. Patrick’s Day.

The only other mainstream celebration in folklore other than the three is the symbolism of the lucky four-leaf clover which when in possession of an individual is meant to grant said individual luck. This is also a reason as to why clovers and shamrocks are often used as visual representations for luck.

Who’s Dublin Got:

So as I mentioned before, my dad’s side of the family hails from Dublin and when I mentioned that to a classmate, his response was to ask “What is there in Dublin?”. My first response was to retort with “More than Hull” but I thought better of it and instead decided to educate both him and myself.

When it comes to famous people from Dublin, there are some I know are from Dublin and some I had to research. For instance I know the singers Danny O’Donoghue, Sinead O’Connor, Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden are from Dublin. The latter two of whom are/were members of Westlife which is a boy/man band based in Dublin. Their manager Louis Walsh is also from Dublin and his pets Jedward are also from there, those two aren’t the best of examples but I digress.

In terms of acting talent, Colin Farrell, Poldark’s Aidan Turner, Game of Thrones’ Aidan Gillen, the Gleeson family consisting of actors Brendan, Domhnall and Brian are all from there as well as Sherlock’s Andrew Scott and Michael Gambon.

What It All Means:

So what being Irish means to me, in terms of looking deep and not just saying it’s an excuse to drink, wear green and say a few stereotypical one-liners, is more of a sense of longing to belong. Because I have never been around the Irish congregation of my family for longer than a funeral and I haven’t even been to Ireland I literally just have the superficial Irish tropes which everyone simply believes I am playing up rather than being genuinely Irish.

As mentioned before, I don’t have an actual Irish brogue and have traces which when they appear I get told I am putting it on...I am not. Yes I like to drink, particularly Guinness, whisky and gin, yes I like the colour green and cannot remember where the favoritism started. All I know is green is great and green suits me. But I don’t just want to be a stereotypical Irishman.

My ambition in life has always been to travel, one place of interest for me to visit is definitely Dublin to get a feeling of my heritage and my family history.

So in conclusion, I want to thank everyone who has made it this far down and say that while this has been quite a deep and personal post it is also something I hope brings some poiyancy and food for thoughts.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, drink, be merry, stay safe and have a think about what these days and traditions really mean to you. In the mean time post your comments and check out other posts.

[filmspun]

2023 Oscar nominations :

Best Picture

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Malte Grunert, Producer

“Avatar: The Way of Water,��� James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers

“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, Producers

“Elvis,” Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss, Producers

“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert and Jonathan Wang, Producers

“The Fabelmans,” Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, Producers

“Tár,” Todd Field, Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert, Producers

“Top Gun: Maverick,” Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison and Jerry Bruckheimer, Producers

“Triangle of Sadness,” Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober, Producers

“Women Talking,” Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Frances McDormand, Producers

Best Director 

Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 

Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”) 

Todd Field (“Tár”) 

Ruben Östlund (“Triangle of Sadness”)

Best Lead Actor

Austin Butler (“Elvis”) 

Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 

Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) 

Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”) 

Bill Nighy (“Living”) 

Best Lead Actress

Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) 

Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) 

Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”)

Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”) 

Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

Best Supporting Actor

Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 

Brian Tyree Henry (“Causeway”) 

Judd Hirsch (“The Fabelmans”)

Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 

Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

Best Supporting Actress

Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) 

Hong Chau (“The Whale”) 

Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 

Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

Best Adapted Screenplay

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Screenplay by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” Written by Rian Johnson

“Living,” Written by Kazuo Ishiguro

“Top Gun: Maverick,” Screenplay by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks

“Women Talking,” Screenplay by Sarah Polley

Best Original Screenplay

“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Written by Martin McDonagh

“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

“The Fabelmans,” Written by Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner

“Tár,” Written by Todd Field

“Triangle of Sadness,” Written by Ruben Östlund

All Quiet on the Western Front”, James Friend

“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” Darius Khondji

“Elvis,” Mandy Walker

“Empire of Light,” Roger Deakins

“Tár,” Florian Hoffmeister

Best Documentary Feature Film 

“All That Breathes,” Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann and Teddy Leifer

“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin and Yoni Golijov

“Fire of Love,” Sara Dosa, Shane Boris and Ina Fichman

“A House Made of Splinters,” Simon Lereng Wilmont and Monica Hellström

“Navalny,” Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris

Best Documentary Short Film 

“The Elephant Whisperers,” Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga

“Haulout,” Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev

“How Do You Measure a Year?” Jay Rosenblatt

“The Martha Mitchell Effect,” Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison

“Stranger at the Gate,” Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones

Best Film Editing

“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

“Elvis,” Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond

“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Paul Rogers

“Tár,” Monika Willi

“Top Gun: Maverick,” Eddie Hamilton

Best International Feature Film 

“All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany) 

“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina) 

“Close” (Belgium)

“EO” (Poland) 

“The Quiet Girl” (Ireland) 

Best Original Song 

“Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman,” Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop

“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler

“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR,” Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose  

“This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne 

Best Production Design 

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper

“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole

“Babylon,” Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino

“Elvis,” Production Design: Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn

“The Fabelmans,” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara

Best Visual Effects

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar

“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett

“The Batman,” Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White and Dan Sudick

“Top Gun: Maverick,” Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson and Scott R. Fisher

Best Animated Feature Film 

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley

“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” Joel Crawford and Mark Swift

“The Sea Beast,” Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger

“Turning Red,” Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins

Best Animated Short Film

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud

“The Flying Sailor,” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

“Ice Merchants,” João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano

“My Year of Dicks,” Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon

“An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It,” Lachlan Pendragon

Best Costume Design 

“Babylon,” Mary Zophres

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Ruth Carter

“Elvis,” Catherine Martin

“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Shirley Kurata

“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” Jenny Beavan

Best Live Action Short

“An Irish Goodbye,” Tom Berkeley and Ross White

“Ivalu,” Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan

“Le Pupille,” Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuarón

“Night Ride,” Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen

“The Red Suitcase,” Cyrus Neshvad

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová

“The Batman,” Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Camille Friend and Joel Harlow

“Elvis,” Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti

The Whale,” Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Anne Marie Bradley

Best Original Score 

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Volker Bertelmann

“Babylon,” Justin Hurwitz

“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Carter Burwell

“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Son Lux

“The Fabelmans,” John Williams

Best Sound

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte

“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges

“The Batman,” Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson

“Elvis,” David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller

“Top Gun: Maverick,” Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

[p-isforpoetry]

Master poetry playlist

Each of these links will redirect you to the relevant playlist on my non-monetized Youtube channel (new video every other day)

By actors

Tom Hiddleston (Words and Music, Ximalaya FM, Coriolanus watchalong with Josie Rourke, Tom and the cast, interviews, Betrayal reunion)

Bruce Alexander, Sam Alexander, Nonso Anozie, Richard Armitage, Dame Eileen Atkins, Annette Badland, Kathy Bates, Xander Berkeley, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Richard Burton, Simon Callow, Robert Carlyle, Helena Bonham Carter, Kim Cattrall, Glenn Close, Sir William "Billy" Connolly, Ben Crystal, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ossie Davis, Dame Judi Dench, Vincent D'Onofrio, Brian Dennehy, James Earl Jones, Beatie Edney, Mark Ebulue, Ralph Fiennes, Kate Fleetwood, Jodie Foster, Polly Frame, Morgan Freeman, Stephen Fry, Michael Gaston, Sir John Gielgud, Aidan Gillen, Rupert Graves, Eva Green, Sir Alec Guinness, David Harewood, Tom Hollander, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Alex Jennings, Toby Jones, Jude Law, Robert Sean Leonard, Damian Lewis, John Lithgow, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Helen Mirren, Richard Mitchley, Alfred Molina, Sir Roger Moore, Sam Neill, Al Pacino, Ron Perlman, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Sir Jonathan Pryce, Alan Rickman, Sir Simon Russell Beale, Susan Sarandon, Andrew Scott, Fiona Shaw, Michael Sheen, Gary Sinise, Dan Stevens, Sir Patrick Stewart, Mitchell Brian Stokes, Mark Strong, Natasha Richardson, David Tennant, Kathleen Turner, Eli Wallach, Dominic West and Samuel West.

In this playlist there is 1-1 poem read by Tony Amendola, Sebastian Arcelus, Mackenzie Astin, Gerry Bamman, Alan Bates, Gina Bellman, Cathy Belton, Edward Bennett, Tilly Blackwood, Claire Bloom, Lindy Booth, Peter Bowles, Eleanor Bron, Sir Michael Caine, Peter Capaldi, Sir Sean Connery, Lindsay Crouse, Ruby Dee, Adrian Dunbar, Lindsay Duncan, Noma Dumezweni, Adetomiwa Edun, Rupert Evans, Colin Farrell, Deborah Findlay, Edward Fox, Jonathan Frakes, Hugh Fraser, Jennifer Garner, Jill Gascoine, Annabeth Gish, Iain Glen, Ioan Gruffudd, Julie Harris, Josh Hartnett, John Heffernan, Douglas Henshall, Hozier, Sir John Hurt, Amy Irving, Sir Derek Jacobi, Peter Jacobson, Lennie James, Paterson Joseph, Rory Kinnear, Hugh Laurie, Sir Christopher Lee, Robert Lindsay, Ophelia Lovibond, Helen McCrory, Niamh McGrady, Sepideh Moafi, Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Tessa Peake-Jones, Dame Sian Phillips, Wendell Pierce, Rosamund Pike, Diana Quick, Jemma Redgrave, Iwan Rheon, Sebastian Roché, Hugh Ross, William Sadler, Kerry Shale, Imelda Staunton, Rufus Sewell, Jenna Stern, Juliet Stevenson, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Jo Stone-Fewings, Tilda Swinton, Peter O’ Toole, Harry Treadaway, Indira Varma, Dame Harriet Walter, Sam Waterson, Fritz Weaver and Carolyn Wickwire.

By poets

W. H. Auden, William Blake, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Robert Burns, Byron, Lewis Carroll, John Clare, E. E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, John Donne, T. S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Seamus Heaney, Robert Herrick, Gerard Manley Hopkins, John Keats, Rudyard Kipling, Edward Lear, Robert Lowell, Christopher Marlowe, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Pablo Neruda, E. A. Poe, Christina Rossetti, William Shakespeare, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Alfred Tennyson, Dylan Thomas, William Wordsworth, W. B. Yeats and other poets.

Short scenes from movies/theatre plays

Coriolanus (Tom Hiddleston), King Lear (Sir Athony Hopkins), Much Ado About Nothing (Emma Thompson & Kenneth Branagh), Hamlet (Andrew Scott), Much Ado About Nothing (Catherine Tate & David Tennant), Macbeth (Sir Patrick Stewart)

[vintagetvstars]

CLOSED! Preliminary Hot Vintage TV Men List

Alright folks! We have one week left on submissions for the Hot Vintage TV Men's Bracket! As promised here is a list of all the Hot Vintage TV Men who have been submitted and passed our preliminary eligibility checks. There are a handful of guys on this list and one or two not on it that we are currently still debating on so reminder that this list is not final and subject to change.

Currently we have 231 Hot Vintage TV Men!

Also in advance of the competition I'd like to remind anyone submitting propaganda for someone that starred in a show that aired only partially during our timeframe or was under 18 for a part of a shows filming, to please make sure you are only submitting propaganda that is from within our timeframe and when the actor was 18 years or older. This is also just good to keep in mind in general as several people submitted actors for shows that aren't eligible for our tournament either because it was outside our time period or in one case the actor was underaged for the entirety of the show (though many were eligible for other shows they were submitted for). We do our best to screen for these things but sometimes it's hard to tell or it’s a show we don't personally know well enough so we appreciate help from y'all letting us know if you do catch anything.

List below the cut

Preliminary Hot Vintage TV Men List

Dick Van Dyke

Alan Alda

Hugh Laurie

Peter Falk

Adam West

Donnie Wahlberg

Kevin McDonald

Scott Thompson

David Duchovny

Henry Winkler

Leonard Nimoy

Scott Bakula

James Garner

Tom Selleck

Dave Foley

John Astin

Joe Lando

Patrick Troughton

William Shatner

DeForest Kelley

Michael Ontkean

Russell Johnson

Kyle MacLachlan

Bruce McCulloch

William Hopper

George Clooney

Jeffrey Combs

Michael Horse

Mark McKinney

Jensen Ackles

Alejandro Rey

Mitch Pileggi

David Cassidy

Jeremy Brett

Anthony Head

George Takei

David Selby

Rod Serling

Paul Gross

Desi Arnaz

Tom Baker

Richard Dean Anderson

David Keith McCallum

Richard Chamberlain

Charles Shaughnessy

David James Elliot

Vincent Van Patten

Darren E. Burrows

David Hyde Pierce

Randolph Mantooth

Ricardo Montalban

Gene Anthony Ray

William Hartnell

Patrick McGoohan

René Auberjonois

Alexander Siddig

Reece Shearsmith

Michael T. Weiss

William Shockley

Spencer Rochfort

Danny John-Jules

David Hasselhoff

Conner Trinneer

Patrick Stewart

Jonathan Frakes

Paolo Montalban

Scott Patterson

Armin Shimerman

Anthony Andrews

David Schwimmer

Blair Underwood

Sylvester McCoy

Andrew Robinson

Pierce Brosnan

Thorsten Kaye

Anthony Starke

Darren McGavin

Clint Eastwood

Joseph Marcell

Michael Vartan

Richard Ayoade

George Maharis

Michael J. Fox

Dwayne Hickman

John de Lancie

Andre Braugher

Robert Carlyle

Dean Stockwell

Matthew Perry

Robert Fuller

Michael Hurst

Dana Ashbrook

Jonathan Frid

Dirk Benedict

Martin Milner

Demond Wilson

Robert Conrad

Telly Savalas

Peter Davison

Michael Praed

Jason Bateman

David Tennant

Brian Blessed

Miguel Ferrer

Micky Dolenz

Wayne Rogers

Mike Farrell

Michael Dorn

Cesar Romero

Eddie Albert

Nate Richert

Nicholas Lea

Brent Spiner

Dick Gautier

John Corbett

Jeremy Irons

David Suchet

Raymond Burr

LeVar Burton

David Wenham

Clint Walker

Larry Hagman

John Goodman

Matt LeBlanc

Tom Smothers

Erik Estrada

Jeremy Sisto

Colm Meaney

Stephen Fry

Ted Bessell

Ron Perlman

Luke Halpin

Ted Cassidy

Kevin Sorbo

John Cleese

Colin Firth

Colin Baker

Fred Rogers

Ben Browder

Keir Dullea

Randy Boone

Kent McCord

Jimmy Smits

Mark Lenard

Jon Pertwee

Fred Grandy

Mark Hamill

Ted Danson

Adam Brody

Noah Wiley

Eric Close

Lee Majors

Jamie Farr

Tony Danza

Kabir Bedi

Seth Green

Rik Mayall

Hal Linden

Diego Luna

Peter Tork

Sean Bean

Sam Neill

Eric Idle

Ted Lange

John Shea

Ron Glass

Tony Dow

Mr. T

John Hurt

Avery Brooks 

Billy Dee Williams 

James Marsters 

Robert Vaughn 

Kevin Smith 

Davy Jones 

Luke Perry 

Robert Duncan McNeill 

Simon MacCorkindale 

Keith Hamilton Cobb 

Chad Michael Murray 

James Earl Jones 

Bruce Boxleitner 

Timothy Olyphant 

Andreas Katsulas 

Valentine Pelka 

Peter Wingfield 

Sebastian Cabot 

Michael Nesmith 

Timothy Dalton 

Michael Shanks 

Joshua Jackson 

Michael O’Hare 

Robert Beltran 

Simon Williams 

Paul Johannson 

Daniel Dae Kim 

David Boreanaz 

Boris Karloff 

Robert Wagner 

Brandon Quinn  

Walter Koenig 

Richard Hatch 

Christian Kane  

Francis Capra  

Nathan Fillion 

John Forsythe 

Patrick Duffy 

Tony Shalhoub 

Ioan Gruffudd 

Garrett Wang  

Joe Flanigan  

Rider Strong  

Michael Tylo 

Bruce Willis 

Skeet Ulrich  

Jeff Conaway 

Paul McGann 

Scott Cohen 

Mario Lopez  

Martin Kove 

John Stamos 

Judd Hirsch 

Johnny Depp 

Tom Welling 

Matt Bomer 

Grant show 

David Soul  

Bob Crane  

Tim Russ 

Rob Lowe 

Neil Patrick Harris 

[rabbittstewcomics]

Episode 287

May 2021 Solicits

Comics Reviews:

Young Hellboy 1 by Mike Mignola, Thomas Sniegoski, Craig Rousseau, Dave Stewart

Avatar: Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy by Faith Erin Hicks, Peter Wartman, Adele Matera

Marvel Action: Origins 1 by Chris Eliopoulos, Lanna Souvanny

Aria: Heavenly Creatures by Brian Holguin, Jay Anacleto, Brian Haberlin, Drew Posada, Raymund Lee

Immortal Hulk: Flatline by Declan Shalvey

King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes 2 by Marc Bernardin, Kyle Hotz, Rachelle Rosenberg, Geoffrey Thorne, Jan Bazaldua

X-Men Legends 1 by Fabian Nicieza, Brett Booth, Adelso Corona, Guru eFX

Snow Angels 1 by Jeff Lemire, Jock

GI Joe Castle Fall by Paul Allor, Chris Evenhuis, Brittany Peer

Black Cotton 1 by Patrick Foreman, Brian Hawkins, Marco Perugini

Black Friday 1 by Jon Clark, Travis Williamson

Mapmaker 1 by Francesca Carita, Ben Slabak

By the Horns 1 by Markisan Naso, Jason Muhr

White Ash Presents: Glarien 1 by Charlie Stickney, Conor Hughes, Romina Moranelli, Yishan Li, Fin Cramb

Recount 1 and 2 by Jonathan Hedrick, Gabriel Ibarra Nunez

Hollow Heart 1 by Paul Allor, Paul Tucker

Savage 1 by Max Bemis, Nathan Stockman, Triona Farrell

Shadow Doctor 1 by Peter Calloway, Georges Jeanty, Juancho!

Father of All Things by Sebastian Girner, Baldemar Rivas

Not Forgotten Anthology by Jeff Leeds, Omar Morales, Joel Cotejar, Marco Maccagni, Paula Goulart

Forever Home GN by Jenna Ayoub

Girl Haven OGN by Lilah Sturges, Meaghan Carter, Joamette Gil

Additional Reviews: WandaVision ep7, Drowned Earth, Class Action Park, Cecil Hotel documentary, Surviving Joe Exotic documentary

News: DC buy-out madness, War of the Bounty Hunters (Star Wars crossover), Superman '78 and Batman '89 comics announced, Infinity Train renewal, Wednesday Addams: Teen Detective from Tim Burton, Constantine reboot from HBO Max, Die ending with #20, Spawnverse expansion, Supergirl cast for Flash movie, Netflix Marvel shows back to Marvel Studios, ATLA reboot catastrophe, DC teases, Falcon/Winter Soldier casting rumors, Department of Truth optioned as TV series, Palmiotti/Conner take over Red Sonja

Trailers: Cruella, Mortal Kombat, Invincible

Comics Countdown:

Girl Haven by Lilah Sturges, Meaghan Carter, Joamette Gil

Barbalien: Red Planet 4 by Jeff Lemire, Tate Brombal, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Jordie Bellaire

Snow Angels 1 by Jeff Lemire, Jock

Batman/Catwoman 3 by Tom King, Clay Mann, Tomeu Morey

Stillwater 6 by Chip Zdarsky, Ramon K Perez, Mike Spicer

Thor 12 by Donny Cates, Nic Klein, Matt Wilson

TMNT: The Last Ronin 2 by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Esau, Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, Samuel Plata, Luis Antonio Delgado

Haha 2 by W. Maxwell Prince, Zoe Thorogood, Chris O'Halloran

Once and Future 16 by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons 4 by Jody Houser, Jim Zub, Diego Galindo, Msassyk

Check out this episode!

[aspiestvmusings]

WHO WANTS TO BE ON TMS?

List of people, who should totally be on The Masked Singer

Here is a combined list of the names I’ve combined. It included both the names I personally wish would do the show & the names I would suggest the show should try to get - who would do this kind of show...who don’t hide away from a little “reality tv” (the celebs, who are currently popular - filming year-round, touring year-round, playing/competing year-round don’t usually have time for such shows, but if they’ve retitred, or taking time off, or it’s off-season/between projects...then anything’s possible...)  

NOT REALLY/MOSTLY KNOWN AS SINGERS:

Adam Sandler, actor (USA) 

Amanda Seyfried, actress (USA) 

Amy Adams, actress (USA) 

Anna Kendrick, actress (USA)

Anne Hathaway, actress (USA) 

Ansel Elgort, actor (USA)

Antonio Banderas, actor (Spain/USA) 

Barret Foa, actor/stage star (USA)

Brian Austin Green, actor (USA)

Bo Guiney, TV host (USA) 

Cara Delevingne, actress/singer/model (UK/USA) 

Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress (UK/USA) 

(Colonel) Chris Hadfield, astronaut (CAN) 

Chris Pine, actor (USA) 

Cobie Smulders, actress (CAN/USA) 

Colin Farrell, actor (UK) 

Daniel Radcliffe, actor (UK) 

David Anders, actor (USA) 

David Duchovny, actor (USA) 

David Hasselhoff, actor (USA) though, he is also known as a singer

Dermot Mulroney, actor (USA) 

Donald Glover, actor (USA)

Drew Carey, actor/host (USA)

Eddie Murphy, actor (USA) 

Eddie Redmayne, actor (UK) 

Elyes Gabel, actor (USA)  

Emily Blunt, actress (UK/USA) 

Emma Stone, actress (USA) 

Eric Radford, figure skater (CAN)

Esera Tuaolo, athlete/singer NFL (USA)

Ewan McGregor, actor (UK/US)

Gwyneth Paltrow, actress (USA) 

Hailee Steinfeld, actress (USA) 

Hugh Jackman, actor (AUS/USA)

Hugh Laurie, actor (UK/USA) 

Idris Elba, actor (USA)

Jack Black, actor (USA) 

Jadyn Wong, actress (CAN/USA) 

James Corden, host-actor-singer (UK/USA)

Jamie Foxx, actor (USA) 

Jane Levy, actress (USA)

Jared Leto, actor/singer (USA)

Jason Schwartzman, actor (USA)

Jason Segel, actor (USA) 

Jason Sudeikis, actor (USA)  

Jeremy Renner, actor (USA)

Jerry Stackhouse, athlete NBA (USA)

Jim Sturgess, actor (UK)

Joey Lawrence, actor/singer (USA) 

John Travolta, actor (USA) 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor (USA)  

(Dame) Judi Dench, actress (UK) 

Justin Tucker, athlete NFL (USA)

Karen Gillan, actress (UK)

Kate Winslet, actress (USA) 

Katey Sagal, actress (USA)

Kevin Bacon, actor (USA) 

Kiefer Sutherland, actor (USA)  

Kristen Bell, actress (USA) 

Liv Tyler, actress (USA)

Lucy Hale, actress (USA)

Luke Evans, Welsh actor/singer (UK)

Mandy Patinkin, actor (USA) 

Mark Wahlberg, actor/singer (USA) 

Martin Short, actor/comedian (USA)

Marvin Jones, athlete NFL (USA) 

Matt Damon, actor (USA) 

Matthew Broderick, actor (USA) 

Maya Rudolph, actress/comedian (USA)

Meryl Streep, actress (USA) 

Nicole Kidman, actress (USA) 

Nicole Richie, actress-celebrity (USA) 

NPH, actor/stage star (USA) 

Odell Beckham jr, athlete NFL (USA)

Olivia Newton-John, actress/singer (UK/AUS/USA) 

Patrick Wilson, actor (USA)

Peyton Manning, athlete (USA)

Rami Malek, actor (USA) 

Reese Witherspoon, actress (USA) 

Renée Zellwegger, actress (USA) 

RDJ, actor (USA) PS. Though most know about his singing skills  

Robert Pattinson, actor (USA)  

Ru Paul, host/singer (USA) 

Russell Crowe, actor (NZ/AUS)

Russell Wilson, athlete (USA)

Ryan Reynolds, actor (CAN/USA) 

Sarah Hyland, actress (USA)

Sarah Silverman, actress/comedian (USA) 

Scarlett Johansson, actress (USA)  

Scott Grimes, actor (USA) 

Seth MacFarlane, actor (USA) 

Scott Porter, actor/singer (USA)

Skylar Astin, actor, singer (USA)

Stephen Colbert, TV host/comedian (USA) 

Taron Egerton, actor (UK) 

Tatyana Ali, actress (USA)

Taye Diggs, actor (USA) 

Teri Hatcher, actress (USA) 

Tom Cruise, actor (USA) 

Tom Hiddleston, actor (UK/USA) 

Tony Parker, athlete NBA (USA)

Will Smith, actor/singer (USA) 

Zachary Levi, actor (USA)

Zooey Deschanel, actress (USA)  

KNOWN AS SINGERS

Alicia Keys, singer (USA) 

Avril Lavigne, singer (CAN)

Barbra Streisand, singer/actress (USA) 

Björk, singer (Iceland)

(Lil) Bow Wow aka Shad Moss, rapper/singer, USA 

Britney Spears, singer (USA) 

Bruno Mars, singer (USA) 

Charlie Puth, singer (USA)

Damon Albarn (Blur), singer (UK)

DMX aka Earl Simmons, rapper/singer (USA) 

Eminem, rapper/singer (USA) 

Enrique Iglesias, singer  (SPAIN) 

Harry Connick Jr, singer (USA) 

Jakob Dylan, Bob Dylans son (USA) 

Jamie Lynn Spears, singer (USA) 

Jason Mraz, singer (USA) 

Jesse McCartney, singer (USA)

John Legend, singer (USA) 

Jon Bon Jovi, singer (USA)

Justin Bieber, singer (CAN)

Katy Perry, singer (USA) 

Lady Gaga, singer (USA) 

Leona Lewis, singer (UK)

Lily Allen, singer (UK) 

LL Cool J, rapper/singer/actor (USA) 

Ludacris, rapper/singer (USA) 

Lukas Nelson, Willie Nelsons son (USA) 

Macklemore, rapper/singer (USA) 

Michael Buble, singer (CAN) 

Miley Cyrus, singer (USA) 

NAS, rapper (USA) 

Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), singer (USA) 

Pharrell Williams, singer (USA) 

Rihanna, singer (USA) 

Robbie Williams, singer (UK/USA) 

Snoopp Dogg, rapper/singer (USA) 

will.i.am, singer/musician (USA) 

CELEB FAMILY 

Adam Cohen, musician...Leonard Cohen’s son (CAN) 

Jaden Smith, Will & Jada Smith’s kid (USA) 

Lily Collins, Phil Collin’s daughter (UK)

Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson’s daughter (USA)

Willow Smith, Will & Jada Smith’s kid (USA)

Zoe Kravitz, singer...Lenny Kravitz’ daughter (US) 

YOUTUBERS 

Colleen Ballinger (MirandaSings) 

James Charles

Lisa Cimonelli 

Madilyn Bailey 

Markiplier 

Sophia Scott

ALSO (WOULD MAKE THE LIST WAY TOO LONG IF ALL LISTED SEPARATELY):

 ANY BOY BAND MEMBERS

ANY GIRL BAND MEMBERS

ANY BAND MEMBERS (NOT SOLO ARTISTS. eg: Slash, Brian May) 

(STAGE) ACTORS/ACTRESSES

MUSICAL TV SHOW/FILM CAST MEMBERS (eg: GLEE, ZEP) 

COMEDIANS/TV HOSTS 

ATHLETES

I wrote this list last year, around the time S2 was airing on TV. I just added a few names now, before finally posting it. 

[basic-cable]

Fic Rec Bingo

I saw this making the rounds on Twitter and decided I’d like to try it (mostly because I enjoy going back through my list and reminiscing about the ones I love but haven’t read in a while), but didn’t feel like Twitter was the best place to post mine. I’ve got both Dreamwidth and Pillowfort, but I haven’t really used them. This is probably the kind of thing that should go there, so maybe I’ll post it there, too. We’ll see. 

Anyway, I only read in four fandoms, so maybe my recs will be boring to most people. But they’re good stories, and maybe there are even some people out there who haven’t read them. 

I don’t expect any reblogs or anything, but maybe people will see it and decide they’d like to take part, and then there will be more fic recs out there making the world a better place.

I put them under a cut because the descriptions and stuff take up so much space.

1. A fic you love without knowing the source material Take the Pieces and Build them Skywards by quarterturn Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 44,816 ** Explicit ** Character Death Gerard's not happy with his life, but that doesn't mean he's particularly thrilled when he wakes up dead. To add insult to injury, he finds out that instead of crossing over, he's been chosen to join the ranks of the grim reapers. Things get more complicated when he falls for one of the living, a waiter named Frank Iero. And just when everything finally seems to be falling into place, Frank's name shows up on the list of souls to be reaped. Loosely based on the TV show Dead Like Me.

I don’t know anything about the TV show Dead Like Me; when I first read this fic in 2009, I had never even heard of it. I’ve wondered since then if I like it even better because I don’t know anything about the source material, but I’ll never know.It made me laugh and cry; it’s an emotional roller coaster, and I love it.

2. A fic with a premise that shouldn’t work but does

An Inexplicable Occurrence of Angels by stele3

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 35,192 ** PG-13 ** No Warnings

I've messed with the band timeline, clearly. This is set in summer of 2005... but it ain't the Summer of Like. This is a story about second chances and gutting through your own failures, but never letting them defeat you. Take that, bitches.

Frank (Frank!) is a literal angel, okay, but there is not a thing I don’t love about this story. It’s angsty but still manages to be cute and charming as fuck, and the characterization is great.

3. A fic you’ve reread several times

Seeds by thesardine

Sherlock ** Gen, supposedly ** 5,475 ** PG-13 ** No Warnings

In a fit of boredom Sherlock plants some seeds, may or may not eat one cracker, and definitely waxes dramatic on the sofa for a while.

Sherlock struggles with a bit of depression caused by boredom, and accidentally discovers a hobby he slowly learns to allow himself to enjoy. I love this a lot; the author takes us into Sherlock’s headspace, so you’re painfully aware just how much he needs a distraction, and how much better off he is with John in his life.

4. A fic you still remember many years later

In Care Of by Fangs_Fawn

Harry Potter ** Gen ** 45,319 ** PG-13 ** Child Abuse

During the summer before sixth year, Harry finds an injured bat in the garden and decides to try to heal it...and an unwilling Snape learns just what kind of a person Harry Potter really is.

Between the Dursleys getting what’s coming to them, and the redemption of Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore in each others’ eyes, this story has really stuck with me through the years.

5. A comfort fic

Nature and Nurture by earlgreytea68

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 203,273 ** Mature ** No Warnings

The British Government accidentally clones Sherlock Holmes. Which brings a baby to 221B Baker Street.

Thousands of words of fluff. Literally. There’s not a lot of conflict in this story, which makes it a great comfort fic when your mind is too busy or real life is too depressing.

6. A cathartic fic

The Quiet Man by ivyblossom

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 157,369 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

"Do you just carry on talking when I'm away?"

Post-Reichenbach John is walking the line between fantasy and reality, choosing to stay with the Sherlock in his head rather than deal with the reality where he no longer exists. He eventually manages to attempt a normal life, but he’s bored and basically sleepwalking through his days, so when Sherlock finally reveals himself, it’s the best kind of relief. They go after the last remnants of Moriarty’s web, in hopes of a second chance at the life they should have had together.

7. A fic you’d print and put on your bookshelf

Saving Sherlock Holmes by earlgreytea68

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John Mycroft/Greg ** 139,494 ** Mature ** Underage

Okay. So. This was literally supposed to be, like, three or four chapters as a prologue to the show. Sort of a "what happened in the Holmes childhoods to make them the way they are today." That's why it's set in the time period it is, because I thought I was eventually going to leave them to go on to the show. And then...I got a bit carried away and thought, Here I have established the two young Holmes boys. Now what happens if, instead of making them wait twenty years, I give them everything they need to fix themselves right now? Forty-three chapters later, you have this story.

To be honest, I would like to have most of my favorite fics in book form, with actual pages, that I could pluck from my actual shelf and sit and read without the glare of a screen between us. But I do enjoy the feel of this story, and I do believe it would make a good actual book.

8. A fic you associate with a song

Unholyverse by bexless

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 186,764 ** Explicit ** Violence & Character Death

“He thinks I have stigmata,” Frank said, because what the fucking hell, it couldn’t get any worse. He might as well just lay it out.

“Oh, well,” said Brian into his hands. “Of course.”

Every time I so much as think about this series, MCR’s Heaven Help Us starts playing in my head.

9. A fic that inspires you

Turn by Saras_Girl

Harry Potter ** Harry/Draco ** 306,708 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.

Frankly, I love every single thing this author has ever churned out, but this one is my very favorite. Harry gets a glimpse into what his life could have been, and a chance to make big changes he desperately needs. 

10. A fic that brought you on board a new ship

So, So Fucked by Anonymous

Bandom ** Pete/Patrick ** 12,565 ** Mature ** No Warnings

Pete accidentally "outs" himself and Patrick on Good Morning America. Only problem? They're not gay. What now?

I was reading strictly in Harry Potter at the time, and wasn’t interested in bandom at all, but my best friend was doing betas for someone who was writing in bandom, and she ended up getting into it and then wrote this one, and kept calling me about it to bounce ideas around, and the story was so cute, and Pete and Patrick were so cute, and I suddenly found myself totally invested. Honestly I think it may have been one of the best things that ever happened to me.

11. A fic you wish could be a movie

The Anatomy of a Fall by novembersmith

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 107,525 ** Explicit ** Violence & Character Death

The unholy union of a high school AU and a ghost story. Gerard's life takes a strange turn when his family moves to a small town in Vermont and he discovers the locals aren't all what they seem to be. Also includes: unexpected nature walks, murder, pining, improper treatment of crime scenes, a number of bone-related puns, high school bullies, and a short-range shrub named Ferdinand.

This story has excellent imagery that I think would work really well on the big screen. Plus I can’t even hear the name of it without my heart doing flip-flops.

12. A fic that led to you making friends with the author

Seven ficlets for Valentine’s Day Part VII by RedOrchid

Bandom ** GSF ** 1,042 ** Mature? ** No Warnings

Panic-as-cleaning-equipment-AU Valentine's Day GSF.

I technically don’t have a fic for this bingo square, but this one comes close, I guess. The author was already in my larger circle of friends, but we didn’t actually talk to each other? She wrote this crack ficlet around the same time we started talking to each other more, and I still vividly remember it because of the genius involved in turning band boys into literal cleaning equipment. The line “Ryan bristled” has stuck with me to this day.

13. free space

Elf ‘Verse by mokuyoubi

Bandom ** GSF ** 103,247 ** Explicit ** Underage

Modern AU where Ryan is a famous poet, and he and Spencer are fiercely private and insular and stupidly co-dependent until Jon shows up and effortlessly breaks down all their walls.

Or

Wherein Brendon and Frank are Christmas elves who, inspired by Will Farrell movies, venture into the real world to become rock stars. Or something of that nature.

I’ve got a lot of love for this universe for various reasons, but it’s also fun and heartwarming and honestly, I don’t really need anything else.

14. A fic you’ve gushed about irl

Harry Potter and the Battle of Wills by Jocelyn (and her mum)

Harry Potter ** Mostly Gen ** 137,385 ** Basically PG-13 ** Character Death

Harry mourns his godfather as the war finally begins in earnest, bringing tragedy and new struggles for all those on the side of Good. If they hope to win, all quarrels must be set aside, new alliances must be forged, and Harry Potter must find the courage to face down dark wizards, his own emotions, and a destiny he did not choose. Snape blows his cover as a spy to save Harry from Voldemort.

This begins after Order of the Phoenix, and the story and characters read more like canon than any other HP fic I’ve read, so because of that and because it’s so, so good, I like to rec this one to people who are new to fandom.

15. A fic you associate with a place

Stately Homes of Wiltshire by waspabi

Harry Potter ** Harry/Draco ** 57,582 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

Malfoy Manor has mould, dry rot and an infestation of unusually historical poltergeists. Harry Potter is on the case.

Wiltshire! I’ve never actually been there, but this author is really good about details. The story is also lovely and funny.

16. A fic that made you gasp out loud

Home is a Name by Arsenic

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 39,314 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

MCR Clinic of Love. Companion fic to Wednesday Night Boys.

Okay, so this one is actually a sequel, and the first installment, Wednesday Night Boys, should 100% be read first. It must be said, though, that while the sequel doesn’t have any warnings, Wednesday Night Boys is about the Panic! kids as prostitutes, and has warnings for graphic violence, rape/non-con, and underage sex. The MCR guys work at the free clinic, and Home is a Name focuses on them. They’re honestly both gorgeous stories.

17. A fic you found at the right time

real or not real by thearkdelinquents

Anne with an E ** Anne/Gilbert ** 11,587 ** PG ** No Warnings

“I could do it.” Gilbert said, looking straight ahead.

Anne stopped. “What?”

He turned to look at her; they were just outside Green Gables now. “I could do it. I could court you.”

“What- We- You- I- You don’t like me like that.” Anne sputtered.

Gilbert smirked at her. “Well we could pretend. I could court you and be your fake boyfriend.”

For one of the few times in her life, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert was speechless.

-

a fake dating fic but it's basically just a shirbert To All The Boys I Loved Before au.

I really, really loved Anne with an E. When the final season was released, I spent a weekend binge-watching the entire show, and then it was over and I was bereft, so I decided to see what was available on Ao3, and I found this, and it was exactly what I needed. And now I have another fandom.

18. A fic that you would read fic of

Left by lifeonmars

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 45,153 ** Mature ** No Warnings

John Watson is left-handed.

He’s tried not to let it affect his life, but as any Lefty knows, that’s almost impossible.

In this universe, all right-handed people have some kind of power, or ‘knack’, most of which are mild and easily categorized. Sherlock’s is rare and believed to be the only one like it in the world. John is left-handed, part of the 10% of the population without a knack. I would read all kinds of fics of this fic.

19. A fic that made you laugh out loud

What to do When Your Flatmate is Homicidal by hyacinth_sky747

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 58,650 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

Sherlock takes Molly's advice when dealing with his dangerous flatmate.

Heartwarming and hilarious. I laughed a lot.

20. A fic with a line (or two) that you’ve memorised by heart

A Necessary Requirement by Bexless

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 3,759 ** Mature ** No Warnings

Right, here is the extremely silly storylet I wrote BY HAND on holiday. On PAPER. With a PEN. My god. The things I do when I'm separated from my beloved net. It is set during the Summer of Like (Warped '05, for those of you who don't know) and is basically a product of my reaction to various pictures of Gerard groping himself on stage, which led to me obsessing about his dick and what it might look like. As usual, I chose to work this obsession out through Frank.

This fic could have gone to multiple other squares, but I am not usually the kind of person who can quote lines from things, and I have many lines from this story committed to memory. I’ve read it multiple times, because I read it every time I need a pick-me-up or a good laugh. Or if I’ve read something scary and I need something lighter before I can actually get up and move around my house...

21. A fic that gave you butterflies

Pretty Much A Sex God by adellyna

Bandom ** Spencer/Jon ** 3,985 ** PG-13 ** No Warnings

Jon and Spencer’s first date.

The Jon in this story is so soft and warm and fluffy and his character makes my heart and stomach do weird things.

22. A fic that embodies something you value in life

A Marauder’s Plan by CatsAreCool (Rachel500)

Harry Potter ** Harry/Hermione ** 865,520 ** PG13 ** Violence/Death/Underage

What if Sirius decided to stay in England and deliver on his promise to raise Harry instead of hiding somewhere sunny? Changes abound with that one decision...

ALSO

Harry’s New Home by kbinnz

Harry Potter ** Gen ** 318,389 ** PG-13 ** Abuse

One lonely little boy. One snarky, grumpy git. When the safety of one was entrusted to the other, everyone knew this was not going to turn out well... Or was it? AU, sequel to "Harry's First Detention". 

In these two stories, Sirius and Severus throw everything they have into creating the best possible world for Harry, as he is their number one priority, because that is exactly how parenthood should be. 

23. A favourite AU

Performance In a Leading Role by Mad_Lori

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 156,714 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?

This has got quite a bit of schmoop, which isn’t usually my thing, but this story is so, so good, and I always love stories that describe Sherlock realizing and appreciating how extraordinary John is.

24. A fic you stayed up too late to finish reading

Collared by VelvetMace

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 83,028 ** Explicit ** Violence & Rape/Non-Con

In a world where the British Empire is still strong and slavery is her economic backbone, John has become a terrorist for the abolitionist movement. He is caught by Mycroft, enslaved, and given to Sherlock for training. The goal: To test a new kind of slave collar with the power to break even the strongest willed fighter. One that will make even John learn to love being a slave.

Dubious consent, and humiliation. I remember staying up very late reading this one, even though I had to work early the next morning. I just couldn’t put it down. 

25. A fic that made you feel seen

Buy Handmade by jjtaylor

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 18,755 ** Mature ** No Warnings

He knows something else is going to happen; his life isn't always going to be this. He just doesn't know what has to happen for that change to come, for him to wake up and become an artist with an Etsy page and a home studio, and to never have to see a cubicle again.

This is the story of my heart. I have felt Frankie’s feelings and thought his thoughts, and I love that he does something about it, and I love Gerard so, so much. I first read this in 2009, and my love for it has never wavered. I could have used this one for a good half of the bingo squares, but it’s the only one that could go here.