#Castle Keys Production

[dragonartzstudio]

{ Slight disclaimer, the artwork was done by one of the other artists I run the shop with! I just do promo and also make stuff for the shop. Art is theirs, graphic design work and mock ups are all me}

WE MADE A FLASHBACK MILLIE STANDEE!!!

You can pre-order her here: https://castlekeysproduction.etsy.com/listing/1804898244

[vonkarma2]

do you think werewolf castle would be divorced enough from history to stop the characters from being recognisable or do you reckon imad and matthew ever got called into the writers room to fact check

all the character names we know from werewolf castle have nothing to do with the historical figures, and if it’s this universe’s game of thrones parody I feel like it’s playing pretty fast and loose with the history it’s based on. there’s one character that’s blatantly the king + a couple that are similar if you squint but mostly they straight up made all of this up. very culturally insensitive

[afiniteamountofmonkeys]

I miss good old fashioned product placement like yea give me that long close up shot of the Microsoft logo and then the snipping tool

Yeah tell me how outlook allows you to send group messages completely unprompted in the middle of a murder investigation

[possqueen]

hey you. do you like 3d platformers.

well i'm making one, called Tricky and the Dream Caster! it's got an art style inspired by early Dreamcast games like Sonic Adventure and takes a lot of gameplay influence from games like Mario Odyssey, Pseudoregalia, and Lunistice.

The story follows Tricky after he's been cursed by the titular wizard Dream Caster and trapped within his dream world. So Tricky and his morally chaotic pal Volt venture into the dream world to gather the keys to Caster's castle to beat him up and undo the curse.

Also it's got a Sonic parody boss!

I'm trying to fund it through Patreon since crowdfunding campaigns like Indiegogo haven't worked for me in the past and right now it's only sitting at a measly $23/month, which isn't nearly enough to keep production moving! Patrons get access to exclusive devlogs, screenshots, and footage, and certain tiers also get build access.

There is also a proof of concept demo available released for SAGE 2024 if you want to check it out and see if it's something you wanna see realized.

Patreon || itch.io || SFGHQ

[koolades-world]

Spellbound Secrets

prologue: calm before the storm

synopsis: The House of Lamentation caught fire one night, and you were the only one they recovered from the wreckage. The brothers were in the house as well when you went to bed that night, but they were nowhere to be found. The pact marks are faded, and seem to be getting more and more indefinite by the day. You and Solomon get to investigating but oddly enough, nobody can seem to remember the missing brothers. It’s up to you, with the help of Solomon, to find your beloved demons, lest you never see them again.

navigation: playlist | prologue (you are here!) | chapter one (coming next saturday)

authors note: this was postponed because a roach haha, but! it’s finally here and I’m excited to share the product of my hard work with you all! what do we think of the banner? made it myself! i think it’s nice but I’ll probably hate it in a couple of years haha. please do check out the playlist i made too. more explanation will be made on the post about it :) special thanks to @aaliyahxxvi and @rcbsbb for beta reading each and every chapter for me, as well as being awesome friends <3

While your several years of living in the Devildom came with its challenges, you wouldn't trade it for anything. It was hard to adjust to, and it felt like every day came with a new hurtle for you to overcome. From almost having your soul stolen, to almost failing several classes, to almost dying, you'd seen it all. But, every time, the key word was almost. You always made it out relatively unscathed, to the point where it was a running joke between you and the brothers, some more so than others. (Lucifer didn't find it very funny.)

You really couldn't ask for more. Despite how things seemed early on in your stay, you'd really begun to enjoy everything about the life you hadn't expected, no less asked for. There was so much about living you truly looked forward to now.

Every morning, you knew to expect Mammon either in your room already because he spent the night over, or barging in as soon as he was awake so you could get ready together. More often than not, in the middle of getting ready, Asmo would burst into the room and ask your opinion on what to wear that day. He and Mammon would bicker and if you didn't end the fighting, they'd disperse on their own once they realized you'd walked off. Lucifer wasn't a morning demon, which took you longer to learn that you'd thought, still took the time out of his morning to brew you a cup of coffee.

Every afternoon, you enjoyed a tea with Satan while you read or did some homework together. Sometimes, you didn't say a single word to each other, but just being together was comforting enough. Then, you'd spent a while with Levi, playing whatever game he'd selected for that day. If it was a game you couldn't play together, you'd happily talk about your day while the other played the game. Finally, once it started to get later in the day and the Devildom began to cool down, you accompanied Beel on his second workout of the day. After a long day, you snuggled with Belphie and unwound. As much as he protested about it, he made a great pillow.

You always had a movie night at least once a week which everyone was required to attend; the brothers didn't have it in them to say no. More often than not, the members of Purgatory Hall and the Demon Lord's Castle (if Barbatos permitted it) came over to join you. It was just a fun excuse to get together and enjoy each other's company.

The routine was comforting, to say the least. You'd all grown into it. You felt safe, and content.

That night had started and ended just like any other. It had been Asmo's turn to cook dinner, and as part of a deal the two of you had made together, he'd agreed to make your favorite. In exchange, he made you promise to reserve one evening just for him. Lingering in the kitchen while he cooked was one of your favorite pastimes.

That night, you were almost certain you feel asleep with three demons in your room. Mammon had claimed your right side, as he usually did, which left your other side up for grabs. Satan laid on your left with a book in hand, one you recognized as one you'd gotten together in the human world, and a little reading light. Levi was at the end of the bed, on his Devilswitch. You and Mammon had briefly argued over the remote, but in the end, you selected what you watched even though he had the remote. You chided Satan for having the light on, to which he apologized for and tried his best to keep it out of your eyes. He didn't move though, because he wasn't willing to give up his spot. Levi didn't cause too much of a disturbance, only the occasional exclamations about whatever he was playing.

It wasn't anything out of the ordinary: how things should be. You looked forward to tomorrow. You could already picture what the next day held. You had plans with Satan to head to a new bookstore at the edge of town, and Beel wanted to go on an evening hike and picnic in a nearby park, to which you weren't going to refuse.

If only things were to play out as you imagined.

You weren't sure exactly what time it was when you woke up, but it was blistering, and you couldn't identify a reason why. Your sheets were dangling off the bed, likely the doing of Mammon. You fan was at the highest speed, but it actually only seemed to be making the heat worse. Even stranger was the fact that not a single one of the demons you'd fallen asleep with at your side was present. Not Satan, not Levi, and even not Mammon. In your sleepy stupor, you peeled off the fluffy jacket you were wearing in an attempt to cool off, leaving you in a thinner undershirt. As you plodded around the room, you saw they were nowhere in sight. Their belongings were scattered about, as if they were only going to be gone for a short amount of time and might be back any minute.

Perhaps you might've gone back to bed if you didn't hear the sound of a voice you thought you recognized through the door, accompanied by a muffled roaring. The doorknob burned to the touch, waking you up fully. You wrung out your hand and hissed, cradling it close to your body. It would surely result in a burn later, but for now, that was the least of your concern. The smell of smoke flooded your senses. The was a fire happening in the House of Lamentation, and you were trapped in your room with no way out.

You retreated back to your bed, ripping it apart in search of your D.D.D. Once you found it, you struggled to dial the Devildom equivalent of 911. Thankfully, the call went through and if nobody else had already made a call, they would be on their way.

"666, what is the address of your emergency?" The operator on the other end of the line spoke calmly and clearly.

"The House of Lamentation. The big, haunted creepy house. On Hollow Avenue. I think my house is on fire. I'm trapped in my bedroom." You kept your voice as even as you could so she could understand you.

"The fire department is on their way, sweetie. Are there any other exits?" You could hear the sound of the operator typing.

"No. The only way out is my door, and I burnt my hand on the doorknob. I know you're not supposed to open the door." You weren't sure when you had begun to shake, and struggled to hold the phone up to your ear.

"Alright, put a towel underneath the door to block smoke. Stay low to the ground if you can. What floor are you on?" You could hear the information you were giving to the operator being relayed to others. Doing as she asked, you threw open your closet door and shoved as many towels as you could between the door and the floor.

"First. I'm on the first floor. First floor. I'm not the only one who lives here though. They might be trapped too. I heard someone else before." You thought you heard someone yelling when you'd first approached the door, but you became quickly preoccupied with your own matters. You wished you hadn't.

"Don't panic. Someone is coming to rescue you. I'll stay on the line with you, alright?" She reassured you.

"Thank you." There was a slight pause in your conversation, so you continued to speak. "What's going to happen if they can't get to me in time?" A sort of morbid curiosity crossed your mind. You didn't want to find out, but the thought lingered.

"You're all going to be alright. Talk to me. What's your name?" You didn't know much about the tactics of dispatchers, but maybe she was trying to keep you calm.

"Mc. I'm Mc. I'm one of the human exchange students." You stumbled over your own name. You had no clue what to do besides answer her questions. You felt useless just standing in one spot, but were rooted there.

"How many other people are in the house?" She remained calm, and you took a deep breath, so you could continue to answer her questions. You could feel the panic creeping in and begin envelop you, not unlike the smoke you were trying to block out.

"There should be seven others. A family. I don't know where they are. They were in my room, but they're gone." She probably already knew who the brothers were, and who you were, but you couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of your mouth.

"What are you wearing?" She asked you.

"It's really hot in here, miss." You were quickly growing lightheaded, and drenched in sweat.

"I know. I'm sorry. What are you wearing?" She repeated herself.

"Um, a white tank top and some blue checkered pajama pants." Neither article of clothing belonged to you. The pants were Lucifer's and the tank top you'd stolen from Mammon. It was the one thing about the situation that managed to get you to think a little more positively.

"What's the charge on your device, Mc?" Her using your name shocked you a little. It took you a second to realize you'd just given her your name, which is how she knew.

"It's getting low." Because of the brothers staying over in your room, you never had the chance to plug it in before you went to sleep. Mammon had told you he would do it, but it seems you'd both forgotten.

"What percent?" She asked.

"Twenty-nine." You hoped the battery would last long enough.

"Don't hang up. Help will be there shortly." You tried to respond, but it felt as if all the breath had been knocked out of you. You felt as if your legs were going to give way, so you took a seat on the edge of your bed.

"Miss, I don't feel good." Sweat rolled down your forehead and would've gone into your eyes if you didn't swipe it away, which was growing more and more difficult by the second. The heat was agonizing and you almost felt like you were melting.

"Keep talking to me. How old are you?" When you didn't respond, the operator prompted you again. "Mc? Are you still there?"

You tried to continue to speak to her, but you couldn't form the words you wanted to. Nothing came out correctly. She continued to speak to you, but you just wanted to lay down. She grew quieter the more time passed. The room had started spinning at some point. The urge to close your eyes grew stronger and stronger, so you told yourself just a moment wouldn't hurt.

The next thing you remembered was waking up in what had to be a hospital room. You didn't recognize anything in the room, and everything was unusually bright. Whoever had last been in your room had tucked you in carefully in your hospital bed. You could see from your chest down, but your arms were sitting on to of the covers. An IV drip was in your left arm, and from the elbow down, your right arm was wrapped in bandages. The TV in the room was on to your favorite Devildom cooking channel. It was an episode you'd seen before, so you didn't bother to focus on it. Besides the sound of the television you could hear hushed whispering and shuffling from the hallway, and the constant beeping of the machine connected to you.

As you were taking in your surroundings, the door just out of your line of sight opened. You expected it to be one of the brothers, or a nurse maybe, but it was Solomon. It was nice to see a familiar face regardless of who it belonged to.

"Mc! You're awake. I'll call the nurse." With a smile befitting of the gods, he moved to leave the room again.

"Wait, please." He paused with his hand on the doorknob. "What happened?" Solomon backtracked and pulled up a chair to sit beside your bed. You stared at him expectantly, as he thought about, presumably, what to say next.

"The House of Lamentation caught on fire, but thankfully, you were alright. You got some burns but the doctor says it could've been much worse. You've been out for about a day now. How much do you remember?" He flexed his fingers.

"Not much, but I think that's a good thing. How are the brothers? I hope they're doing well." You expected Solomon to just answer the question, but instead, he cocked an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" At first, you just assumed he was kidding, but this was an odd thing to be joking about.

"You know, the seven brothers? They're the avatars of sin? They should've been in the house. Are they fine or did they get hurt in the fire too?" When he only stared at you blankly, you didn't know how to react. "You're scaring me, Solomon. This isn't funny." You thought back over what you'd said. It all made sense in your head, but something just wasn't clicking for Solomon.

"Who are 'the brothers?'"

[quicktimeeventfull]

recently i've noticed there's been an uptick in people interpreting the aesthetics of death note as christian, and i feel this is at least in part due to the declining popularity of gothic lolita fashion, which is an extremely significant influence on death note's art.

the presence of a religious motif does not represent an invocation of religion. for many people there just isn't any connection between a cross and religion; the invocation is more of decadence, a specific view of the west, and the grotesque. this is especially true in a country such japan where christianity is a minority religion (composing less than 1.5% of the population) but it's also true elsewhere, and it was especially true in the early 2000s, where gothic lolita and fashion styles influenced by it (including visual kei and japanese punk fashion) were extremely prevalent.

from the lolita fashion wiki, we get this description of gothic lolita fashion: "Common motifs in Gothic Lolita often include crosses or religious themes, bats, skulls, coffins, chandeliers, deep red roses, and castles." and then if you look at pictures of gothic lolita outfits or products, you can see that religious motifs repeatedly occur to add interest:

this is really obviously not intended to invoke christianity. it's aesthetic. it invokes the grotesque. in the first photo particularly, you can see that the cross is placed alongside other death motifs -- gravestones and bones. or you can look at this image, in which a lolita is shown surrounded by extremely explicitly religious items (crucifixes and a bible, in addition to the other aesthetic crosses.) again, it's fairly obvious that the intention here is not to be devout but rather to give this sense of the grotesque.

the most obvious example of a character who wears actual gothic lolita fashion is misa amane, but looking at the 'religious' aesthetics more broadly you can see they fall pretty clearly in line with this sense of decadence and the grotesque. again, christian imagery is connected directly to death motifs.

so yes, they're absolutely christian items, but the actual effect of them is not religious. there is no attempt to invoke christian themes but rather to use christian items to give a sense of the morbid. vitally, this isn't even something ohba and obata made up for death note -- it's a common fashion style that they're drawing upon. the whole thing is several layers of distance away from any religious implications.

it's honestly really hard to understate how common these aethetics were in the early 2ks -- you could walk into claire's and find crosses all over the place. they're secular. people wore them because they looked cool. it just does not make sense to look at these images and automatically assume they're trying to say anything about christianity.

i don't think it's untrue to say that there are some religious themes in death note -- this is kind of a complicated question that i won't get into here -- but the assumption that they must specifically be christian religious themes just because death note is using christian motifs is taking the visual language of death note entirely out of context.

[poisonlove]

A macchiato, please | j.o

parte 1 parte 2 part 3

"Wow..." I murmur in awe, looking at the massive medieval castle in front of my eyes.

"Why are we here?" I ask curiously, and Jenna smiles genuinely.

Tom stands behind us.

"It's the set for the new season... obviously all rented," Jenna says, pointing absentmindedly towards the building. The grandeur and impressive atmosphere of the castle leave me speechless.

"When do you start filming?" I ask curiously, looking around.

"Actually, in 10 minutes... but I'm running late," she confesses timidly.

"What? Then go," I say, laughing, and Jenna smiles, taking my hand.

"Come to my dressing room, they need to do my makeup and put on the wig," Jenna asks with a hint of a smile, looking at me with bright eyes.

We hear footsteps approaching.

"But, where the heck were you? You're late," my eyes shift towards the sound of the voice and I smile seeing Emma dressed as Enid.

The blonde girl with pink and blue streaks looks at us curiously"oh... you must be y/n" she says with a smile on her lips.

I turn to Jenna, and the girl blushes intensely.

"You talked about me?" I ask, and Jenna looks away, embarrassed.

"Just what was necessary," Jenna murmurs sheepishly.

"I know I'm late," Jenna says in a distressed voice. "I'm going now," she mutters.

"Move, because if Tim sees you like this... he'll give you a lecture," Emma says authoritatively.

Jenna sighs and tightens my hand, starting to walk towards her dressing room.

"Isn't Tom coming?" I ask, confused, looking at the bodyguard pacing near the car.

"No... when I'm working, he has free time," Jenna murmurs weakly and with a small smile, quickens her pace, dragging me along.

We reach the dressing room and enter. The atmosphere is filled with efficiency and vibrant colors, unlike the austere image I expected. "Here I am," Jenna announces, heading towards the makeup artist and hairstylist.

,"Out of curiosity, how did they get in?" I ask, and Jenna looks at me confused.

"What do you mean?" she asks curiously.

"Well... you sleep here, right? How did they get in?" I ask.

"Oh... when we're filming, theoretically, I go to where they are... but when I don't show up, I've given them spare keys to come wake me up," she says with a little smile.

"I see..." I murmur.

"They're professionals... I assure you they don't come to see me in the middle of the night," Jenna jokes, and I laugh timidly.

Jenna sits on the stool as the makeup artist begins to work with artistic skill. The instruments and products are organized, each ready to play its role in the enchanting transformation.

"So, Jenna, how do you prefer the makeup for this scene?" the makeup artist asks, focusing her gaze on her through the mirror.

"Something light but that accentuates the eyes, please. I want them to stand out in the key scenes," Jenna responds, with a focused expression.

The makeup artist begins to work masterfully, blending and mixing the colors to achieve the desired effect. Each stroke seems to be done with care and intention, creating a result that enhances Jenna's face without overwhelming it.

Meanwhile, the hairstylist works on the wig, patiently shaping it to fit Jenna's character. The dedication and passion of both artists in their work are palpable.

Jenna gradually relaxes, allowing herself to be guided by the skilled hands of the makeup and wig artists. The makeup is completed with a touch of gloss on the lips and a light blush on the cheeks.

"Ready, you're set to captivate on set," the makeup artist announces, admiring the work done.

Jenna smiles, satisfied with the result. The makeup artist and hairstylist leave the dressing room, looking at me with confusion and slight irritation.

"What do you think?" she asks, spinning around so I can get a better look at the full outfit. Jenna strikes a pose, lowers her head, and looks at me seriously through her lashes, imitating Wednesday without a doubt.

"You're amazing!" I exclaim sincerely, admiring the final result.

Jenna lights up at the praise. "Thank you, it's really nice to hear that our work is appreciated. Now, are you ready to witness the shots? You'll see how everything comes to life on set," Jenna murmurs, unconsciously rubbing a part of her lips.

"Wait," I murmur absentmindedly, approaching her.

The absence of heels emphasizes our height difference, and I stop just a few inches from her with a small smile. "What's up?" she whispers weakly.

I raise my hand and place my thumb on her lips, removing the lipstick that was close to her lips. Jenna closes her eyes at my touch.

"You had a bit of lipstick..." I say with a small smile, looking down at Jenna. She had lifted her chin and was looking at me through her long lashes, seriously.

"Thank you..." she confesses and then looks away, her cheeks flushed.

"Mmmh..." Jenna clears her throat. "So, shall we?" she asks with slight discomfort.

"Of course!" I reply, trying to dispel the tension with a smile. "I'm ready to discover the world behind the scenes."

Jenna nods, and we head towards the trailer's exit, ready to face the set and the start of filming. As we step out, I still feel the slight tension in the air, but also a new awareness of our friendship strengthening.

The set is a world of its own, full of activity and creativity. With every step, I feel more and more involved in this adventure, immersed in the magic behind creating a TV show.

Jenna introduces me to various team members, each with their crucial role in the production. There's a contagious energy in the air as we prepare for the takes. I can't wait to see Jenna in action and witness this spectacle coming to life, with her at the center of it all.

[roach-works]

Hi!!!! I recently read When the Wolf Comes Home and I loved the premise the where the fic was heading. I know it hasn't been updated since 2017 so I was wondering if there was any intention of finishing it? I know it's possible you've moved on from that fandom and that is totally fine! If you are, would it be possible to share where you wanted to take the fic? Thank you, I absolutely loved your writing!!!

im a little stuck on that one because yeah i do sometimes noodle a little more on it and i had a pretty solid plot for the first year, after which i was going to be Very Firmly Done because so many rewrites attempt to take on the whole seven year span and founder on the complexity. but the problem is im really ambivalent and undecided on how much i want to participate in harry potter fandom at this late date, with JKR going mask-off nazi sympathizer. it's a weird situation where you can't argue for death of the author when the author is annoyingly alive and arguing that you should be dead.

im deeply reluctant to denounce people still participating in a fandom that i myself found incredibly fun and rewarding for, yknow, several decades of my life, and i don't think i'm better than them, just fortunate to be more interested in other projects.

but ambivalence towards the fandom and deep resentment towards the creator aren't really a productive headspace to actually write in, and i also don't want to finally work through my own doubts, finish another chapter, and then get my head torn off by people who are certain that i'm supporting JKR's toxic fuckwittery.

all in all it's easier and more rewarding to play with other fandoms and work on my many original projects.

where the fic was going:

as far as i remember, in When The Wolf Comes Home, draco was going to get his dad to hire lupin as his defense against the dark arts tutor and rent out the shrieking shack for the man to work out of, thus circumventing the curse on the DADA position and giving draco a werewolf mentor and independent bolt-hole.

quirrelmort was going to continue trying to figure out how to use or dispose of draco on his way to get the philosopher stone, a side-plot draco knew almost nothing about. draco would continue to try to maneuver harry into quirrel's way and snape out of his way, with indifferent success. harry and ron, lacking any voice of reason to temper their enthusiastic partnership of 'baby griffindors looking cool in front of their first real friend ever', would continue to believe that draco, the saddest wet puppy, was an evil monster and the cause of all their misfortunes. draco would continue to be the most mentally and emotionally unstable kid in the castle, taking all the heat off neville, who would end up looking fairly cool and collected by comparison. rita skeeter would feature somewhere in there, hired by narcissa to write little puff pieces on how tragic and brave draco was being about going to school with such a tragic disability.

remus lupin would end up with a full schedule tutoring DADA students about to take their NEWTs and OWLs and make a bunch of money. with lucius as his patron and PR agent, he would be accepted in hogsmeade as a dashing and heroic warlock who had been off having reams of secret agent adventures as dumbledore's key man in the muggle world. remus would not really know what to do with this but eat as much as possible and smile gamely when lucius showed him off to people.

eventually towards the end of the year quirrel would get rid of draco by orchestrating a fight between ron and draco where ron cut his fist on draco's teeth. this would count as a bite and draco would get thrown in azkaban and belatedly realize that he had completely and totally forgotten about sirius black's whole Saddest Wet Dog situation. sirius would do his best to take care of his tiny insane werepuppy cousin until the malfoys and longbottoms and weasleys combined to lever draco back out, using ron's ashamed testimony. draco would immediately turn around and reveal scabbers. the malfoys would end up looking like champions of truth and justice and the weasleys would, unfortunately, have to just stand there and smile gamely for the cameras.

while all this was happening harry would go after quirrel with hermione and neville and take him down. dumbledore would show up at the end, when voldemort was defeated and sirius was exonerated and several deep family feuds had been laid aside, to dispense twinkling paternal wisdom.

draco would kick him in the fork.

THE END.

[justforbooks]

Donald Sutherland

Commanding and versatile actor known for his roles in MAS*H, Don’t Look Now and The Hunger Games

Donald Sutherland, who has died aged 88, brought his disturbing and unconventional presence to bear in scores of films after his breakthrough role of Hawkeye Pierce, the army surgeon in Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H (1970), one of the key American films of its period. It marked Sutherland out as an iconoclastic figure of the 60s generation, but he matured into an actor who made a speciality of portraying taciturn, self-doubting characters. This was best illustrated in his portrayal of the tormented parent of a drowned girl, seeking solace in a wintry Venice, in Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now (1973), and of the weak, nervous, concerned father of a guilt-ridden teenage boy (Timothy Hutton) in Robert Redford’s Ordinary People (1980).

Although Sutherland appeared in the statutory number of stinkers that are many a film actor’s lot, he was always watchable. His career resembled a man walking a tightrope between undemanding parts in potboilers and those in which he was able to take risks, such as the title role in Federico Fellini’s Casanova (1976).

Curiously, it was Sutherland’s ears that first got him noticed, in Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen (1967). During the shoot, according to Sutherland, “Clint Walker sticks up his hand and says, ‘Mr Aldrich, as a representative of the Native American people, I don’t think it’s appropriate to do this stupid scene where I have to pretend to be a general.’ Aldrich turns and points to me and says, ‘You with the big ears. You do it’ … It changed my life.” In other words, it led to M*A*S*H and stardom.

Sutherland and his M*A*S*H co-star Elliott Gould tried to get Altman fired from the film because they did not think the director knew what he was doing due to his unorthodox methods. In the early days, Sutherland was known to have confrontations with his directors. “What I was trying to do all the time was to impose my thinking,” he remarked some years later. “Now I contribute. I offer. I don’t put my foot down.”

Sutherland, who was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, was a sickly child who battled rheumatic fever, hepatitis and polio. He spent most of his teenage years in Nova Scotia where his father, Frederick, ran a local gas, electricity and bus company; his mother, Dorothy (nee McNichol), was a maths teacher. He attended Bridgewater high school, then graduated from Victoria College, part of the University of Toronto, with a double major in engineering and drama. As a result of a highly praised performance in a college production of James Thurber’s and Elliott Nugent’s The Male Animal, he dropped the idea of becoming an engineer and decided to pursue acting.

With this in mind, he left Canada for the UK in 1957 to study at Lamda (the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), where he was considered too tall and ungainly to get anywhere. However, he gained a year’s work as a stage actor with the Perth repertory company, and appeared in TV series such as The Saint and The Avengers. He was Fortinbras in a 1964 BBC production of Hamlet, shot at Elsinore castle and starring Christopher Plummer. He also appeared at the Criterion theatre in the West End in The Gimmick in 1962.

In 1959 he married Lois Hardwick; they divorced in 1966. Then he married the film producer Shirley Douglas, with whom he had twins, Kiefer and Rachel; they divorced in 1971. Kiefer, who grew up to become a celebrated actor, was named after the producer-writer Warren Kiefer, who put Sutherland in an Italian-made Gothic horror film, The Castle of the Living Dead (1964). Christopher Lee played a necrophile count, while Sutherland doubled as a dim-witted police sergeant and, in drag and heavy makeup, as a witch.

In an earlier era, the gawky Sutherland might not have achieved the stardom that followed the anarchic M*A*S*H, but Hollywood at the time was open for stars with unconventional looks, and Sutherland was much in demand for eccentric roles throughout the 70s.

He was impressive as a moviemaker with “director’s block” in Paul Mazursky’s messy but interesting Alex in Wonderland (1970), which contains a prescient dream sequence in which his titular character meets Fellini. In the same year, Sutherland played a Catholic priest and the object of Geneviève Bujold’s erotic gaze in Act of the Heart; he was the appropriately named Sergeant Oddball, an anachronistic hippy tank commander, in the second world war action-comedy Kelly’s Heroes; and he and Gene Wilder were two pairs of twins in 18th-century France in the broad comedy Start the Revolution Without Me.

Sutherland was at his most laconic, sometimes verging on the soporific, in the title role of Alan J Pakula’s Klute (1971), as a voyeuristic ex-policeman investigating the disappearance of a friend and getting deeply involved with a prostitute, played by Jane Fonda.

Sutherland and Fonda were teamed up again as a couple of misfits in the caper comedy Steelyard Blues (1973). It initially had a limited distribution due mainly to their participation together in the anti-Vietnam war troop show FTA (Fuck the Army), which Sutherland co-directed, co-scripted and co-produced.

Sutherland always made his political views known, although they surfaced only occasionally in his films. In among the many mainstream comedies and thrillers was Roeg’s supernatural drama Don’t Look Now, in which Sutherland and Julie Christie are superb as a couple grieving their dead daughter. Despite the dark subject matter, the film was notable for containing “one of the sexiest love scenes in film history”, according to Scott Tobias in the Guardian, the frank depiction of their love-making coming “like a desert flower poking through concrete”. The actor so admired Roeg that he named another son after him, one of his three sons with the French-Canadian actor Francine Racette, whom he married in 1972.

John Schlesinger’s rambling version of The Day of the Locust (1975) saw Sutherland as a sexually repressed character – called Homer Simpson – who tramples a woman to death in an act of uncontrolled rage. Perhaps Bernardo Bertolucci had that in mind when he cast Sutherland in 1900 (Novecento, 1976), in which he is a broadly caricatured fascist thug who shows his sadism by smashing a cat’s head against a post and bashing a young boy’s brains out. “And I turned down Deliverance and Straw Dogs because of the violence!” Sutherland recalled.

In Fellini’s Casanova, the second of his two bizarre Italian excursions in 1976, Sutherland coldly calculates seduction under his heavily made-up features. The performance, as remarkably stylised as it is, still reveals the suffering soul within the sex machine.

In 1978 he appeared in Claude Chabrol’s Blood Relatives, a made-in-Canada murder mystery with Sutherland playing a Montreal cop investigating the murder of a young woman. More commercial was The Eagle Has Landed (1976), with Sutherland, attempting an Irish accent, as an IRA member supporting the Germans during the second world war, and as a chilling Nazi in Eye of the Needle (1981). Meanwhile, he was the hero of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), who resists the insidious alien menace until the film’s devastating final shot.

In 1981 Sutherland returned to the stage, as Humbert Humbert in a highly anticipated version of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, adapted by Edward Albee. It turned out to be a huge flop, running only 12 performances on Broadway. Both Sutherland and Albee played the blame game. “The second act is flawed,” Sutherland said. “Albee was supposed to have rethought it, but he never did.” Albee told reporters that he had scuttled some of his best scenes because they were “too difficult” for Sutherland because “he hasn’t been on stage for 17 years”.

Continuing his film career, Sutherland played a complex and sadistic British officer in Hugh Hudson’s Revolution (1985), and in A Dry White Season (1989) he took the role of an Afrikaner schoolteacher beginning to understand the brutal realities of apartheid. In Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991), he held the screen with an extended monologue as he spilled the conspiracy beans to Kevin Costner’s district attorney hero Jim Garrison.

After having made contact with young audiences in the 70s with offbeat appearances in gross-out pictures The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) and National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), the latter as a pot-smoking professor, he was cast as an unconvincing bearded stranger in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992).

On a more adult level were Six Degrees of Separation (1993), in which he played an unfulfilled art dealer; A Time to Kill (1996), as an alcoholic, disbarred lawyer (alongside Kiefer); Without Limits (1998), as an enthusiastic athletics coach; and Space Cowboys (2000), as an elderly pilot. By this time, he was gradually moving into grey-haired character roles, one of the best being his amiable Mr Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (2005).

The Jane Austen novel was also featured in the television series Great Books (1993-2000), to which Sutherland lent his soothing voice as narrator. Other series in which he shone as quasi baddies were Commander in Chief (2005) – as the sexist Republican speaker of the house opposed to the new president (Geena Davis) – and Dirty Sexy Money (2007-09), in which he played a powerful patriarch of a wealthy family.

Sutherland continued to be active well into his 80s, his long grey hair and beard signifying sagacity, whether as a contract killer in The Mechanic, a Roman hero in The Eagle, a nutty retired poetry professor in Man on the Train (all 2011), or a quirky bounty hunter in the western Dawn Rider (2012), bringing more depth to the characters than they deserved. As President Coriolanus Snow, the autocratic ruler of the dystopian country of Panem in The Hunger Games (2012), Sutherland was discovered by a new generation; he went on to reprise the role in three further films in that franchise, beginning with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).

He played artists in two art-world thrillers by Italian directors: in Giuseppe Tornatore’s Deception, AKA The Best Offer (2013), he was a would-be painter helping to execute multimillion-dollar scams, while in Giuseppe Capotondi’s The Burnt Orange Heresy (2019) he was on the other side of the heist as a reclusive genius targeted by a wealthy and unscrupulous dealer (Mick Jagger).

Aside from James Gray’s science-fiction drama Ad Astra (also 2019), in which he co-starred with Brad Pitt, Sutherland’s best late work was all for television. In Danny Boyle’s mini-series Trust (2018), which covered the same real-life events as Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World, he played J Paul Getty, the oil tycoon whose grandson is kidnapped; while in The Undoing (2020), he was the father of a psychologist (Nicole Kidman), reluctantly putting up bail when her husband (Hugh Grant) is arrested for murder.

For the latter role Sutherland was in the running for a Golden Globe, having already received an honorary Oscar in 2017.

He is survived by Francine and his children, Kiefer, Rachel, Rossif, Angus and Roeg, and by four grandchildren.

🔔 Donald McNichol Sutherland, actor; born 17 July 1935; died 20 June 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[hopelessromantic5]

Arthur Pendragon is a physical specimen. It’s how he understands the world, how he understands the people in it. By the way they shift their weight from one foot to the other, or the way they avoid eye contact.

It’s especially helpful in combat. Arthur needs less than one minute with an adversary to know which side they favor, which defense is their go-to and what strategy they have for attack.

Arthur knows this like he knows the back of his hand.

The first day Arthur met Merlin, he was almost excited.

A new subject to study. A new peasant to bother when he’s bored. Eventually, his father would trust him with real business and he would no longer have the opportunity to bother (cute) peasant boys.

So Arthur thought he would have his fun with Merlin.

Turns out he got a lot more than he bargained for.

A grief-maddened mother tried to murder Arthur in front of the entire court.

Imagine the shock that ran through his body when he turned to look his savior in the face, only to find the same peasant boy. With stormy blue eyes looking back in equal surprise.

Merlin is as much of an empath as one can get. He thinks sometimes, even without the magic, that he would still be unnaturally tuned in to other people’s emotions.

Merlin being magic itself only amplifies it tenfold.

He enters a room and immediately he can feel the sliding scale of energy throughout.

He knows when he’s entered at the wrong time, he knows (sometimes before entering) that the occupants are in a heated discourse.

And he can feel how his own presence will shift it ever so slightly.

Sometimes more than slightly, when it comes to Prince Arthur Pendragon.

Some days (against his will, of course) Merlin can admit that he’s more tuned in to Arthur’s emotions than just about anyone else. Maybe more than his own mother.

The explanation for this, of course, is that it’s Merlin’s job. In every sense of the word. He is Arthur’s servant but he is also the Once and Future King’s unseen guard. He is aware of moves being made against the Prince before anyone, and a lot of the time, he deals with them before a single person even gets a whiff of foul play. So, of course, Merlin knows Arthur better than anyone else.

(At least that’s what he tells himself when the unwanted thoughts start to pile up like dirty laundry)

Merlin has lived in Camelot, and subsequently been in Arthur’s employ, for nearly three years.

Merlin is also a fast learner.

While mastering his duties as apprentice to the court physician, learning the ins and outs of life in the castle, and learning to hone his magic in a way that’s productive, Merlin also studied Arthur.

If he’s being really honest, which he never is, he would say that acquiring knowledge and skill about everything else, happened accidentally, or out of necessity.

Merlin schooled and tested himself in Arthur because he wanted to.

It stopped being about destiny and the future of Camelot, years ago.

But Merlin will remain in denial as long as he wishes. Only letting thoughts like this creep in under the cloak of night, where no one can hear the singing of a little bird that Merlin quietly lets out of his ribcage. Allowing it to croon its heartache before returning it back to its place, locking it with the key.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

First vs. last day of Outlander table read.

How it started

How it ended

Grand Banqueting Hall at Barnbougle Castle

However, the Outlander table read has certainly not always lived the high style, since the former warehouse complex that became Outlander's home in 2013.

The point of a table read is the opportunity for the cast and crew to get together to read the script aloud and not attend prepared for a show.

A table read (also known as a read-through) is a crucial pre-production process for film, TV and stage. It is the first time everyone involved is assembled in one room: including actors, writers, directors, producers and other key people. The people reading the script back will generally be the actors who will be starring in the screenplay. So them or the director can make objections if you think a choice isn’t correct.

If you’ve understood what’s a table reading is a way of showing your director and fellow cast members what you're going to do with the role. The space you use for your table read doesn’t have to be an exquisite stage or set. If you want to set a professional tone for the project, however, a theatre or working performance space would be a wise choice.

Furthermore, actors do not need to print their scripts; a copy is provided as seen on SH's Instagram. During the table read, someone reads the notes and the parts that have not been distributed yet. This helps set the scene and allows the director to fully focus on listening to the actors. Pencils and highlighters are provided, but it's a good idea to bring your own just in case, as taking notes is an essential part of the process. At this table, there are no pencils in front of the actors, only one laptop. Perhaps they don't need to remember what's important, which is very unusual.

Industry-standard table reads are a lot different from the private table reads. They will take place after you’ve got your script commissioned and pre-production is largely at an end.

It’s often helpful to record the table read so that you can review it later on. That way, you will be able to remember certain aspects of the script of those areas that need improvement. You don’t need anything grandiose or hire a film crew, just a simple, static camera in the back of the room that records clear audio should be suitable.

Even major cable networks like Netflix or HBO with a superior budget than STARZ maintain a low profile when it comes to the latest table read. This includes directors, producers, and actors with very solid careers who earn more per episode than most people who met at the Grand Banqueting Hall for an entire year. They avoid publicity when reading their scripts and certainly don’t see them doing their pre-production work in a luxurious setting.

Look at the spaces chosen during the last read table of some acclaimed TV series that ran for eight seasons and more 🎬

The final table read of Games of Thrones season 8 was in the same place in Titanic studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Or the Big Bang Theory, final scene table read after 12 seasons were at the set - property of program creators and CBS.

The cast of NBC's The Office - Finale - Table Read

I was happy that the Outlander production selected Barnbougle Castle, a majestic family home. However, I was surprised that Barnbougle Castle was chosen for a table read event rather than a close as a final flourish. The table read was treated as a grand spectacle, with guests attending a private event, which seemed extravagant considering that reading a script is a normal part of an actor's job. The event included a choir, special catering, and even embroidered cotton napkins from season 8 of Outlander. Fans might be wondering where they can buy these napkins as part of their Outlander memorabilia.

Table reading is both challenging and important. One significant thing to note is that you don't need to hire a fancy place to read the script. However, this table read seems to be a farewell to the Outlander colleagues and employees for making the workplace a fun place over the past 10 years. Unless the Outlander STARZ production has “an ace up the sleeve” It seems the grandeur of this table read would mark Outlander's GOODBYE to Scotland. After this little is left to be shown.

While season 8 will be Outlander’s last — and is currently in production — the last half of season 7 has yet to drop on Starz. The series will return on November 22 with eight episodes premiering weekly.

…….. My thoughts on it!

Posted 15th August 2024

[visit-new-york]

Central Park is a vast and iconic urban park located in the heart of Manhattan, New York City. Covering 843 acres (approximately 341 hectares), Central Park is one of the most famous and beloved urban green spaces in the world. Here are some key details about Central Park:

Location: Central Park is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches from 59th Street in the south to 110th Street (also known as Cathedral Parkway) in the north and from Fifth Avenue on the east to Central Park West on the west.

Design and Landscape: Central Park was designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the mid-19th century. The park features a diverse landscape, including meadows, woodlands, lakes, and recreational facilities. Its design was inspired by the English romantic landscape tradition and includes winding paths, rustic bridges, and scenic vistas.

Historical Significance: Central Park was created in the 1850s and 1860s as a response to the growing urbanization of New York City. It was designed to provide residents with a respite from the city's bustling streets and offer a natural oasis in the heart of Manhattan.

Iconic Features: Central Park is home to numerous iconic landmarks, including Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, The Mall, Central Park Zoo, Belvedere Castle, and The Great Lawn. These landmarks, along with the park's natural beauty, attract millions of visitors each year.

Recreational Activities: The park offers a wide range of recreational activities, including walking, jogging, cycling, horseback riding, and rollerblading. It also features sports facilities such as baseball fields, tennis courts, and a variety of playgrounds.

Events and Entertainment: Central Park hosts a wide range of events and entertainment throughout the year, including concerts, theater productions, film screenings, and festivals. The Central Park SummerStage is a popular venue for outdoor concerts and performances.

Wildlife: The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other small mammals. Birdwatchers often visit Central Park to spot a wide array of bird species.

Conservation and Maintenance: The Central Park Conservancy is a nonprofit organization responsible for the maintenance, restoration, and preservation of Central Park. Their efforts ensure that the park remains a beautiful and well-kept green space for generations to come.

Year-Round Beauty: Central Park offers a different experience in each season, from the lush greenery of spring and summer to the vibrant foliage of autumn and the serene beauty of snow-covered landscapes in winter.

Hiking and Nature Exploration: The park's extensive network of trails and pathways allows visitors to explore its diverse natural landscapes. The North Woods and the Ramble, for example, offer a more rugged and wooded experience, providing a stark contrast to the park's more manicured areas.

Public Art Installations: Central Park often hosts temporary art installations, adding a creative and artistic dimension to the park. These installations range from sculptures to interactive exhibits, providing a dynamic and ever-changing experience for visitors.

Boating: Central Park features several bodies of water, including the Central Park Lake and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Visitors can rent rowboats or take guided gondola tours on the lake or enjoy scenic walks and runs along the reservoir's perimeter.

Ice Skating: In the winter, Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink within Central Park offer ice skating opportunities for both residents and tourists, creating a magical wintertime experience.

Conservatories and Gardens: Beyond the Central Park Conservatory Garden, the park boasts other beautiful gardens, such as the Shakespeare Garden and the Heather Garden. These gardens offer a wide variety of plant species and provide tranquil retreats for garden enthusiasts.

Community and Social Activities: Central Park often hosts community events, fitness classes, and social gatherings, making it a vibrant hub for people from all walks of life to come together.

Film and TV Locations: Central Park has served as a backdrop for countless films and television shows, becoming an integral part of American popular culture. From iconic movie scenes to TV series like "Friends," the park's beauty and versatility have made it a sought-after location for filmmakers.

Educational Programs: The park offers educational programs and guided tours on topics ranging from birding and ecology to history and architecture. These programs provide opportunities for visitors to learn about the park's natural and cultural heritage.

Public Art Installations: Central Park often hosts temporary art installations, adding a creative and artistic dimension to the park. These installations range from sculptures to interactive exhibits, providing a dynamic and ever-changing experience for visitors.

Central Park Zoo: Located in the park's southeast corner, the Central Park Zoo is a popular family attraction featuring a wide range of animals from around the world. It offers educational programs and exhibits that appeal to visitors of all ages.

Transportation: Central Park is easily accessible by various means of transportation, including subway lines, buses, and bike lanes, making it convenient for both locals and tourists to visit.

Sustainability Initiatives: The Central Park Conservancy and the city of New York have undertaken sustainability initiatives to ensure that the park remains environmentally responsible. These efforts include conserving water, maintaining wildlife habitats, and promoting eco-friendly practices.

Picnicking: Central Park provides numerous spots for picnicking, making it a perfect place for a leisurely outdoor meal. Many visitors and families bring their own food and enjoy a picnic amidst the park's scenic beauty.

Conservation Efforts: The Central Park Conservancy, in collaboration with city agencies and volunteers, plays a crucial role in the ongoing maintenance and restoration of Central Park. Their dedication ensures that the park remains vibrant and environmentally sustainable.

Summer Recreation: In the summer months, Central Park offers a wide range of recreational activities, including free outdoor concerts, Shakespearean theater productions at the Delacorte Theater, and the Great Lawn, which hosts events such as movie screenings and cultural festivals.

Central Park Reservoir: The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, also known as the Central Park Reservoir, is a picturesque body of water surrounded by a running track. It offers stunning views of the city skyline and is a popular spot for jogging and leisurely walks.

Conservatory Water: This section of Central Park features a model boat pond where visitors can sail their miniature boats. It's a fun and charming activity, especially for children and families.

Horseback Riding: The Central Park Horseback Riding program allows visitors to experience the park from a unique perspective by taking guided horseback rides through designated trails.

Central Park at Night: While the park officially closes after dark, it has a unique ambiance during nighttime hours. Strolling through Central Park at night can be a romantic and magical experience, with the softly lit pathways and the sounds of nature providing a tranquil setting.

Architectural Features: Central Park boasts a variety of architectural features, including bridges, arches, and sculptures. Bow Bridge, Gapstow Bridge, and the various arches throughout the park are known for their architectural beauty and are popular for photographs.

Diversity of Wildlife: Central Park is home to a surprising variety of wildlife, including birds, turtles, fish, and even the occasional red-tailed hawk. Birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts will find plenty to explore.

Accessibility and Inclusivity: Efforts have been made to make Central Park accessible to all visitors, including those with disabilities. Wheelchair-accessible pathways, ADA-compliant facilities, and programs designed for inclusivity help ensure that everyone can enjoy the park.

Cultural Institutions: Central Park is home to several cultural institutions, including:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which features a collection of art and artifacts from around the world.

The American Museum of Natural History, known for its extensive exhibits on natural history, science, and anthropology.

The Central Park Conservatory Garden, a beautifully landscaped formal garden with themed sections.

Central Park is not only a cherished recreational area for New Yorkers but also a must-visit destination for tourists from around the world. Its combination of natural beauty, cultural richness, and recreational opportunities makes it a symbol of the enduring allure of green spaces in urban environments.

Central Park remains a timeless and beloved destination for New Yorkers and tourists alike. Its enduring popularity, rich history, and diverse range of attractions continue to make it a symbol of the city's commitment to providing green spaces and cultural enrichment in the heart of a bustling metropolis. Whether you're seeking adventure, relaxation, cultural experiences, or a connection with nature, Central Park offers a dynamic and welcoming setting to explore and enjoy.

In summary, Central Park is a multifaceted urban oasis that offers a wide array of recreational, cultural, and natural experiences. Its enduring popularity and the efforts of the Central Park Conservancy ensure that it continues to be a cherished and well-maintained green space that enriches the lives of New Yorkers and visitors alike. Whether you're seeking relaxation, adventure, cultural enrichment, or a connection with nature, Central Park provides a unique and ever-evolving destination in the heart of Manhattan.

[cjkie22]

A non-exhaustive list of why you should listen to hit dirtbag boyband Bears in Trees:

their music is really amazing. you'll love it.

especially if your Spotify wrapped was on the pov: indie side of things

and even if it wasn't.

songs for every emotion

absolutely beautiful lyrics

sometimes these lyrics make sense. sometimes they don't. that's part of the fun.

songs about platonic love !!!!!

songs for the queers! the aros! the aces! the enbies! the trans community!

my dad likes them. doesn't sound like a lot, but it's an achievement.

(more underneath the break)

iain (bass/vox/lyrics) has "ginger" tattooed on the back of their head. if that isn't iconic I don't know what is.

on the note of iain, they were the first person i was aware of that used they as a pronoun, and that changed my life

they have a discord server! it's a really lovely community. i am not biased in the slightest. (discord.gg/sandbox) (https://discord.com/invite/thesandbox) (i will personally send you an invite i don't actually know what the link is)

they should DEFINITELY be on the heartstopper soundtrack

if I'm remembering correctly in the tiktok where they said they should be on the heartstopper soundtrack, they also said 3 out of 4 of them were in some way queer. seems like a good thing to me.

they opened for you me at six earlier this year. it was my first time seeing them live. and WOW.

I met some of my best friends through this band. I'm not joking; big shout out to the mojo dojo castle house, I'll never forget that weekend.

they're hilarious on the internet

you might cry at several of their songs for a million different reasons

BearBerry records

they have a tumblr blog @/bearsintreesofficial (iirc). I'm not gonna tag them but

BiT gigs are a safe space. I may have almost fainted at my last one (new cross inn, August 2023) but I've never met so many kind strangers and genuinely lovely people

merch is super comfy and really cute.

it gives stardew valley and animal crossing (trust me I'm right)

after the new cross gig (sweatiest gig in the world), despite surely being exhausted, callum (uke/keys/vox) took my bereal and i got my mini lesbian flag signed by them all

I turned out not to be a lesbian, which possibly makes it funnier, but the flag is stuck on my wall still

cryptids would LOVE their band

dash.

there's also a community minecraft server for discord members

BiT postcards !!!!

gosh and the bit stickers

they covered stick season on an Instagram live

they also do the funniest twitch streams

iain and the mountain

the raccoon email address

george (drums/production) is elite. the drum fills in doing this again? iconic. also has a specific really cool shirt I want to steal

wedding. dress. tiktok.

callum doesn't wear shoes on stage. apparently this was common knowledge but it sure surprised me at new cross.

the austrian soft drinks advert

iain make up looks

callum plays the flute. I want to say classically trained flautist but i may be wrong.

none of them have EVER bribed any members of law enforcement

their songs are very tattooable

talking of tattoos, nick (lyrics/guitar/saw him play the uke on stage once) has L + R tattooed on his forearms (iirc). absolute genius and I am stealing it when I get more of my patchwork sleeve done

iain releases solo music to under the name pet yeti. it's ethereal. callum also plays flute on one of them.

trumpet joe

the four of them never look like they are dressed for the same event

someone once edited the bears in trees wiki page to say that Ryan Ross was in their band

silly geese

that time we got singing? poetry? performance art? of THAT harry potter fanfiction

according to tiktok, iain and nick once had to sneak into their own show because they were underage

nurby

I have a video in the depths of my camera roll of them covering Mama by My Chemical Romance on a twitch stream

sonick

all of them give me gender envy at different times

their newest single (bart's bike) features banjo

patreon content

yelling it gets better with a room full of people was a healing experience.

tilly

modern baseball and fall out boy adjacent in my brain

if you like bears in trees you're automatically hot and really cool

they did a song with noahfinnce and its really super good

callum also featured on a myriad song which is also really super good

bit songs feel like coming home. they feel like hot chocolate and a blanket on a cold night. they feel like a warm hug. they feel like surviving and falling in love with life again and overcoming the worst things. they feel like victory, because you didn't think you'd make it to adulthood. but I'm 20 now. and I'm still here. I've almost graduated uni. and that's what bears in trees feels like.

all of their songs!!!! amazing!!!!

please feel free to add to this list. I'm taking suggestions.

[brokehorrorfan]

Shout Select has revealed the specs for its Matinee 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray, which releases on June 25. John Goodman stars in the 1993 comedy as a filmmaker inspired by B-movie legend William Castle.

Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) directs from a script by Charles S. Haas (Gremlins 2: The New Batch). Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz, Kellie Martin, and Lisa Jakub round out the cast.

Matinee has been newly restored in 4K from the original negative, supervised by Dante, with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound. Special features are listed below.

Disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Audio commentary by film critics Drew McWeeny and Eric Vespe (new)

Disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Audio commentary by film critics Drew McWeeny and Eric Vespe (new)

Interview with actress Kellie Martin (new)

Interview with actor David Clennon (new)

Interview with director Joe Dante

Interview with actress Cathy Moriarty

Interview with actress Lisa Jakub

Interview with production designer Steven Legler

Interview with editor Marshall Harvey

Interview with director of photography John Hora

MANTastic! The Making of a Mant

Paranoia In Ant Vision – Joe Dante discusses the making of the film

Vintage making of featurette

Behind the scenes footage courtesy of Joe Dante

Deleted and extended scene

Still gallery

It’s 1962, and fifteen-year-old fan Gene Loomis (Simon Fenton) can’t wait for the arrival of Woolsey, who is in town to promote his latest offering of atomic power gone berserk, Mant! But the absurd vision of Woolsey’s tale takes on a sudden urgency as the Cuban Missile Crisis places the real threat of atomic horror just 90 miles off the coast. With the help of Woolsey’s leading lady, Ruth (Cathy Moriarty), the master showman gives Key West a premiere they’ll never forget.

Pre-order Matinee.

[canmom]

Annecy photodump 2 - museums

On Sunday, before the festival began, I went to a few of the museums around Annecy! Starting with the Palace de l'Îsle, then on to the Chateau d'Annecy and the Museum of Animated Film!

Probably the most iconic Annecy Building, it is presently a museum to both the building's own history and the industrial history of the town, which flipflopped countries a few times before becoming an industrial centre after the French rev. The Palace itself has been at various points a mint, a courthouse and a prison.

The museum is mostly captioned in both French and English. The industrial history gets a bit dry, but the downstairs section on the history of the building itself is cool.

My ticket got me into the castle too so I went up this absurdly picturesque little path...

...to be rewarded with the town skyline. Probably not quite as the dukes of Savoy saw it.

The castle doesn't tell you a lot about its own history for the most part, but it does have a couple of art galleries.

I saw a version of Peter Brueghel the Elder's Massacre of the Innocents - though apparently there's a whole bunch of different versions and this one might not be the real one? Art history is funky.

Much of the lower floor of the gallery had these big romantic nature paintings. And when I say big these are really fucking big, like very much 'this would be the whole wall if we weren't in a literal castle' big.

One thing that is really interesting to me here is that the panorama with its cylindrical projection seems to actually predate panoramic photography. Although I can't say whether this is strictly a cylindrical projection, the insanely wide aspect ratio seems to suggest it would be.

Here's a closeup, showing how a tree breaks down into individual dabbed brushstrokes which suggest the texture of leaves without getting lost in noisy detail - the 'painterliness' so beloved of shader designers. It's fascinating seeing these paintings up close like this!

I'm fairly sure this kid is a chimneysweep? Unfortunately I managed to frame this photo so the painting gets perfectly bisected by the corner of the glass box. I'm not quite sure the relationship of the sculpture and the painting.

They also have a bunch of furniture from the castle, if you like wooden boxes. They built things well chunky back then.

The upper floor of the castle was devoted to contemporary pieces. I don't seem to have taken many photos of these, but here's a bike wheel with bits of broken glass which look like mountains when a projector shines through them:

Later in the week I would go to the Museum of Animated Film! It's a bit of a walk from the town centre but well worth the trip. They had various 1800s-era gadgets that form the precursors to animated film...

...though sadly in the low light of the museum, not all my photos came out good. It's remarkable how well these devices work though! The narrow 'shutter' created by the slots works perfectly to make the images appear animated rather than spinning around. Also the illustration quality, and even general sense of motion, is remarkably sound! Like honestly they could give today's animators a run for our money!

The rest of the museum had production materials showing the full range of different animation techniques: storyboards, key drawings, cels, backgrounds, stop motion puppets, pinscreens etc. They covered the history of animation pretty damn well - go figure, it's the animation museum in Annecy of all places.

They also had a special exhibit on showing drawings from Regina Pessoa, whose films I saw as part of the Portugese animation block. These are so cool to see up close. I'm still not entirely sure what techniques she used to make this film, its style is unique.

(My main camera didn't do great in here due to the low light, but I'm learning how to control ISO to get that exposure time under control. My phone actually did a lot better.)

One thing I didn't manage to photograph was the intro panels to the museum where they defined animation. After various definitions based around e.g. constructing frame by frame, they eventually resorted to a negative definition - animation is basically any film that isn't live action. It was pretty funny reading them struggle to pin down such a broad but intuitive concept.

Next up: more movie related stuff!

[agentrouka-blog]

Hey! Did you find the time to read the affc outline yet? I just know people are seething lol. I wanted to ask, what did you think about the Tyrion outline? That he will “witness incest”? Will he see two people and be reminded of Jaime/Cersei because there doesn’t seem to be any other option. Dany is alone and I doubt she will get together with Aegon VI later in the volume.

Moreover, I feel like the pov Prince of Sorrows is Tyrion’s or Tyrion centric nonetheless because I feel “whores go everywhere” is the answer to the constant question Tyrion asks himself in adwd - “where do whores go”. Maybe he finds out about Tysha and it is painful??

I know at this point we can only speculate because we don’t have any evidence to go off on, but what do you think, can we figure out something about the outline?

Hi there! :)

(Reddit post in question)

I've read it but not in-depth. No time, unfortunately. (Employment is a huge impediment to fandom...)

Here are some rambling thoughts, yay!

I'm pretty sure the Prince of Sorrows refers to concept that Tyrion was supposed to have an encounter with the Shrouded Lord (I think?) in a dream of some kind, probably during his near-death at the Bridge of Dream, which was in the Sorrows stretch of the Rhoyne. What snippets of philosophical musings GRRM put under that header certainly fit a transcendent confrontation with Tyrion's conscience. "Let it go or it will become you. Let them go - will not bring you peace." Tyrion's inability to let go of his own trauma and resulting rage (like Dany, like Theon, like Stannis, like LSH, like Bran, like Arya etc etc etc) is utterly the root of his own villainy and future undoing. So that checks out. GRRM cut it, probably because it may have been too heavy-handed at this point in time. He instead opted to show us a Tyrion descending into complete depravity at Selhorys, with any self-reflection deferred to a much later point.

"Witness to incest" is so vague that I don't think we can even extrapolate it refers to any specific action with the plot so much as it's a self-description.

It's important to remember that this informal little note of an outline is from GRRM for GRRM, and these are prompts or reminders that tie into his already existing thoughts. We have no idea what those thoughts are. A phrase like "KILL THE MOUSE" or "witness to incest" can refer to an intended quote, it can refer to a status he wants to emphasize inside the chapter, it can be a personal reminder to achieve a specific moment or plot point, it can be symbolic. Is the Mouse Shadrich, or is it a code for Alayne, who is a mousy-brown creature scurrying about the castle, different but similar to Arya's Harrenhal mouse era? What it does is beautifully showcase how he structures the more pragmatic, detailed bits of his plot around key points he wants to make. Take the Arya notes. "The joy of giving". Obviously, he is working on complex imagery that juxtaposes "taking a life" with "giving the gift", the hypocritisy of murder for hire - and the genuine peace offered to those who come to die of their own volition. Here, too, GRRM chose to hold back on actually going into these issues in the finished product in Feast-Dance, probably saving it for the climactic escape and/or Arya's confrontation with Catelyn's revenant.

Is the incest Jaime and Cersei, which Tyrion has witnessed all his life? Was it meant to tie into Aegon and Dany (who he learns are intended to marry), or to set up something else, or both? GRRM chose to cut it, anyway, so the sentiment may well come back at a later point, much like the insights in the Prince of Sorrows.

Basically, while the emphasis on Sansa's identity is a pleasantly unambiguous support for her (already obvious) trajectory north in GRRM's own mind, I don't think we'll get much else out of this outline that isn't already in the text one way or the other. We shouldn't be too literal with the notes in there because he wasn't writing an explanation of his plot, he was writing an extremely self-referential little to-do list that may be as reliable as the to-do lists I write for myself on a day off: i.e., I end up doing one thing and scrap the rest in favor of lying around on my couch.