#Denny and gordie’s relationship

[sochilll]

CHRIS CHAMBERS MY BELOVED

Chris Chambers from Stand by Me my fucking beloved. Who else is doing it like him? He’s a thief. He has a gun but he won’t use it. He loves his friends so much he gets distressed when they won’t make up with him after fights. He has dreams about not being able to save Teddy. He tried to give the milk money back. He was devastated by the fact that a teacher would take advantage of him. Everyone thinks he’s got no future and he’s a waste of space and he is still kind and loving and hopeful. He comforts his friends. He refuses to let Gordie waste his potential. He looked his best friend in the face and said, “Kids lose everything unless there’s someone there to look out for them. And if your parents are too fucked up to do it, then maybe I should.” He spent his whole life having people assume the worst of him, and he proved everyone wrong. Everyone thought he’d end up in a life of crime and he died trying to peacefully stop a violent conflict. I love him I love him I love him.

[zmediaoutlet]

happy wincest wednesday z! <3 I'm sending this around a few boxes today. What movie that you've seen would you like to see sam and dean in, and how much do you have to mangle them to get them in there? are they having a good time? how MUCH kissing is involved

hallo bud hallo, and a happy day of wincest wednes to you as well <3

I'm sure this answer is not original but I'm gonna go with Stand By Me, because the languid summer nostalgia is a+ 100% perf for a weecest feel, and also because I feel like you don't have to mangle Sam and Dean hardly at all to get them directly into that plot and vibe. That said you have to squish around the other characters.

Dean obviously is Chris, Sam obviously is Gordie. (There's a sadder version where you let Dean be the dearly departed Denny, but that would just be a miserable John's A+ Parenting fic and not proper wincest. So screw that.) You squash them together so they're brothers instead of besties-who-might-as-well-be-brothers, and you probably do away with Teddy and Vern except as peripheral characters -- maybe Sam's kinda-friends from school, except he'll never really be close to them because of how the Winchesters are (and always will be). Dean should probably be hanging out more with Ace & Billy et al, but of course he is who he always would be and genuinely prefers hanging with his little bro -- so, there's the tension, the Winchester freaks who get it from the high school kids and the junior high kids, both.

The plot's a piece of piss -- there's a dead body, they go investigate -- but maybe John's drunk at home on a bender and the boys decide they need to see if it was Foul Play Via Ghost on their own (but mainly they have to get away from home because of all that's there), because the point of Stand By Me (like the point of the stories I love best) is not the plot, it's the atmosphere and the character and the relationship and the vibe, and goddd does the vibe fit. I said that above but it bears repeating. Woods-camping on a little adventure with your friends, but the adventure is just a means by which to escape the oppressive reality that's waiting as soon as you stop pretending. (See also: every single episode where the boys take a hunt to 'take their minds of things'.)

Do they have a good time? Umm yes. Especially when Dean gets to beat the shit out of Kiefer Sutherland. Do they kiss? Let's say yes, too, but in a dumb overwrought kid way that has Dean clumsily not knowing what to do with it but trying to be kind, and the long walk back is strange, but (much like a certain recent race through the woods) they'll get through it, because that's who they are, and always will be. We can even patch in the drift-apart from the movie into how Sam decides to go to college and leaves Dean behind. To finish, a cribbed quote --

I never had a brother like the brother I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

Bellona’s videos masterlist - movies - part 1 (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit...) full

The Lord of the Rings

Boromir and Aragorn meet in Rivendell

The Council of Elrond

Arrival at Lothlorien

The Three Hunters meet Eomer and the Rohirrim

Charge of the Rohirrim

*****

The Hobbit

Gandalf meets Thorin at The Prancing Pony

*****

Push

Opening narration by Cassie Holmes

*****

Taking Lives

��You have something that I want. Therefore, it’s mine”

*****

A Knight’s Tale

William finds his father

Introducing Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer

*****

Knives Out

Ransom confesses killing Fran and attempts to murder Marta

*****

The Breakfast Club

Dancing scene

*****

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Dale Cooper talks to Sam Stanley

First meeting of agent Desmond and agent Stanley.

Agent Desmond and agent Stanley talk to Irene

Agent Desmond and Agent Stanley examine the body of Theresa Banks

*****

Van Helsing

The Holy Order

*****

Bordello of Blood

Corey Feldman as Caleb Verdoux

*****

Mad Max: Fury Road

Meeting the Vuvalini

*****

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Jacob meets Nicolas Flamel

*****

The Old Guard

Andy learns an important lesson

“Her name was Quynh”

*****

The Crow

Initial narration by Sarah

Darla is cured by Eric and begins to rebuild her relationship with Sarah.

*****

Kill Bill

Black Mamba (The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo) vs. Gogo Yubari

*****

Stand by Me

Chris’ gun and Dennis’ cap

Gordie confronts Ace

*****

The Mummy

“I… am a librarian!”

*****

Dragonheart

Draco heals Prince Einon

Bowen names Draco and Dragons’ Heaven

Bowen meets the spirit of King Arthur

*****

Kickboxer: Vengeance

Kurt trains with master Durand - part one

Kurt trains with master Durand - part two

*****

Lady Bloodfight

The first round of the Kumite - part one of four

The second round of the Kumite - part two

Jane vs Svietta - part three

The final of the Kumite - part four

*****

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Lucy meets Tumnus

Meeting Aslan

The coronation of the Kings and Queens of Narnia

*****

St. Trinian’s

Annabelle arrives at the school and meets the various cliques

*****

The Three Musketeers

“Three duels in one day…”

*****

Dream a Little Dream

Bobby asks Lainie out

*****

Aquaman

“Are you that fish boy from the TV?”

The story of Tom and Atlanna - part one

The story of Tom and Atlanna - part two

*****

Night at the Museum

Larry releases Ahkmenrah

*****

Footloose

Ren teaches Willard to dance

Ren anger-dancing to Moving Pictures’s Never

The tractor chicken race

*****

The Warriors

The Warriors & the other gangs

Swan and Mercy’s conversation on the tracks

The Warriors vs. The Punks

*****

Eagle vs Shark

Lily and Jarrod

*****

Flatliners

Nelson convinces David to help him

David Labraccio apologizes to Winnie Hicks for having bullied her when they were kids

*****

Renegades

Buster and Hawk learn to work together

*****

Maleficent

Diaval is transformed into a man

*****

Hellboy: The Golden Army

Prologue

Hellboy and Liz meet the Angel of Death

*****

Fight Club

The rules

*****

The Green Knight

The Green Knight issues his challenge

Gawain meets Winifred

*****

Brotherhood of the Wolf

Mani fighting

*****

Gunpowder Milkshake

Sam meets the Librarians

*****

The Village

Lucius and Ivy on the porch

*****

The Kid Who Would Be King

Prologue

Merlin’s debut

Merlin talks to Alex and Bedders

*****

Seven Sisters / What Happened to Monday

Adetomiwa “Tomiwa” Edun as Eddie the doorman

*****

Young Guns

William Bonney arrives at Tunstall’s ranch

Dinner and reading at Tunstall’s

*****

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Prologue

Arthur grows up in the brothel

Arthur pulls the sword from the stone

Jack’s Eye visits Arthur

*****

The Last Witch Hunter

Kaulder speaks to Bronwyn

*****

Priest

Prologue

*****

6 Underground

“We find a Seven.”

Ben Hardy as Four/Billy

Ben Hardy as Four/Billy (II)

Manuel Garcia Rulfo as Three/Javier

*****

The 13th Warrior

“The thirteenth man must be no Northman.”

*****

Logan Lucky

Jimmy defends Clyde when a bar patron bullies him

*****

Legion

Michael talks to Jeep and to Gabriel

*****

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire

Tarak tames the bennu

*****

DOA: Dead or Alive

Tina Armstrong is invited to the DOA

Christie Allen is invited to the DOA

Princess Kasumi is invited to the DOA

*****

Night Watch

Prologue

Anton meets Olga

Day Watch

Anton and Olga swap bodies

Anton's confession to Svetlana

*****

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Edgin and Holga's story - part one

Edgin and Holga's story - part two

*****

xXx

Rammstein perform Feuer Frei!

*****

Django Unchained

Schultz frees Django

Django tells Schultz about Broomilda

Schultz reunites Django and Broomhilda

*****

Bellona's masterlist

[humanteethmarksonhumanbone]

Jefferey Anderson HCs, cause car rides are long

-aro/ace (flux?) -has bi wife energy -how I imagine his personality is: if personalities of Nick Nelson, James Potter, and Dawson Leery had a baby, if that even makes sense -k so he’s bubbly, extroverted and the sweetest people person, who may come across as cocky -loves puns and making them no matter how cringy -takes pride in being french, yk, speaks it all the time with his mom, cooks traditional France recipes, watches French movies etc -I saw someone hc that Jeff speak French when he’s exited and Todd speaks it when he’s mad, whoever that was, I love you - had the classic “why am I like this *cue Orla Gartland*” moment

-blond curly/wavy hair -hazel eyes -5 11” (five feet eleven inches tall) -freclesssss -has reading glasses

-interests include: music, science, insects and actors -celebrity “crushes” As in fave actors he wants to be bffs with: Audrey Hepburn, Marylin Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Olivier, Montgomery Clift, Jean Gabin -fave bands/musicians: he deff listens to classical music and is pretentious about it; Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Vivaldi, also The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Ritchie Valens -loves insects so when he moved out he got a pet Tarantula name Jeremy Finch -you bet he named it after Jem from TKAM, he’d be obsessed with it -got super into alien conspiracy theories in the 50’s like the lil nerd he is

-the kid is a neat freak, like if his room gets messy(like when he gets burnt out or busy studying) actually can’t function for a few minutes will get anxiety attacks from it (cause he’s just like me fr) -says “do you know how many germs are on your hands-???” daily -accidentally flirts with everyone (doesn’t realize it) -people call him a player and he genuinely doesn’t know why people keep calling him that (bless his aro/ace soul)

-him and Todd have/had a relationship like: Jonathan and Will Byres, Syd and Liam Novak, and Gordie and Denny Lachance -were really close I when they were young kids and drifted in HS due to the favoritism becoming most apparent -did reconnect after HS

[dpinoycosmonaut]

GERMANY MAKES HISTORY

by Bert A. Ramirez / September 12, 2023

Members of the champion German team that includes tournament MVP Dennis Schroder (holding trophy) and coach Gordie Herbert (in glasses at right) celebrate after receiving their championship trophy.  (Photo from FIBA.basketball)

Germany has made history.  The Germans won their very first world title of any kind when they held off Serbia 83-77 in a fitting climax to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup last September 10 before more than 12,000 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.

It was undoubtedly a breakthrough triumph for a team that’s in the middle of a three-year program, winning a championship even before it sees that program come to its full cycle in next year’s Olympics in Paris.  But the Germans wouldn’t have it any other way.  With Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner leading the way, they finally achieved what their great predecessors Dirk Nowitzki and Detlef Schrempf could not: win a world championship.

And they did it in the best possible way by finishing with an unbeaten record, winning all eight of their games even as the rest of the 32-team field lost at least twice.

“It's an unbelievable group,” tournament MVP Dennis Schroder said of his team. “It's unbelievable going 8-0.”

Dennis Schroder drives against the Serbian defense in the FIBA World Cup championship game.  (Photo from News.CGTN.com)

Germany coach Gordie Herbert, who took the job in 2021 and built a close relationship with Schroder, was ecstatic that their partnership has borne fruit.  “It's a little bit of a surreal moment,”

Herbert said.  “It's like I told the players.  It's a tremendous group of players, but we were a team first.  Guys cared about each other and they challenged each other.”

The finals that featured several runs from both teams lived up to its billing despite the absence of top favorite and basketball mecca US.  The Serbians took a 26-23 lead after one quarter but the Germans tied it up at the half.  But after the game’s last deadlock at 51-all with 6:52 to go in the third quarter, the Germans ignited a 13-2 run capped by Moritz Wagner’s layup even as Serbia’s guns went cold to take a 64-53 cushion 4½ minutes later.

The Serbians had to play catch-up from there as they trailed by 12, 69-57 at the end of the third.  The Eagles were not finished though.  They would ride a spectacular fourth-quarter performance by guard Aleksa Avramovic to make a game of it.  Avramovic scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the period, hitting 10 of them in a span of three minutes, 10 seconds to bring Serbia to within 73-69 with still 4:50 to play.  His three free throws then put Germany within three at 78-75, time down to 1:21.

But the former Yugoslavian republic could not take advantage of a steal by top star Bogdan Bogdanovic as Marko Guduric missed a tying three-pointer with 56 seconds left.  After a split from the line by Schroder, who led all scorers with 28 points, Guduric made up for that miss with two free shots to make it 79-77 going into the last 39 seconds.

But Schroder iced the game by craftily penetrating the lane and making a layup with just 21.4 seconds left, and the Serbians would finally see their championship hopes die out as Avramovic, worn down by his earlier heroics, shot an air ball from long distance and Guduric would turn it over with 13 ticks remaining.

The defeat sent Serbia to its third bridesmaid finish in the last four major international tournaments.  The Serbs also lost in the finals of the FIBA World Cup in 2014 against the US and bowed to the Americans in the gold-medal game in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.   They finished fifth in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in 2019.

But the Eagles seemed destined for such a finish from the start.  Starting power forward Borisa Simanic was lost for the rest of the tournament in Serbia’s third group-stage game, a 115-83 win over South Sudan, after taking a blow to his midsection and had to have a kidney removed during an emergency surgical procedure.  Starting guard Ognjen Dobric, meanwhile, had to be carried off the floor in the championship game after just 2:20 after injuring his ankle, and never returned.

The Germans, however, would take it any way it could to win a historic first world championship.  After all, their previous best finish in the tournament, or any other world competitions, was when the greatest player in their history, Nowitzki, the former Dallas Mavericks superstar, led them to a bronze medal in the 2002 edition of this tournament.

“They deserved this win,” Serbia coach Svetislav Petic himself conceded.  “They played 40 minutes at a high level.”

And even Nowitzki himself wouldn’t mind.  Tweeting on X (the former TWITTER), Nowitzki said, “World champions!!!  Incredible!  What a team!!!!”

What a team, indeed.

Franz Wagner, the Germans’ second-best player in the tournament, shoots over Nikola Jovic of Serbia during the finals.  (Photo from News.CGTN.com)

Making up the champion German team are Schroder, who averaged 19.1 points, 6.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds in the tournament, Franz Wagner (16.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.0 apg), Moritz Wagner (11.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Daniel Theis (10.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Andreas Obts (10.4 rpg, 2.0 apg), Isaac Bonga (7.8 rpg, 2.3 rpg), Johannes Thiemann (7.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Maodo Lo (6.6 ppg, 2.5 apg), Johannes Voigtmann (5.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Niels Giffey (3.1 ppg), David Kramer (2.8 ppg), and  Justus Hollatz (2.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg).

[firecpals]

the fact that shawshank and stand by me were in the same book of short stories AND were the best movie adaptations of king’s works (besides maybe the it movies because i have a soft spot for them). . . legendary truly 

[motorcityarchive]

Hello, I’m not entirely new around here but this blog is!

As you may be able to tell from the name it’s a Titmouse/Disney Motorcity archive blog, meaning I will be rebloging everything* related to the show and organizing it in order to make certain posts easier to find. Please feel free to send me any old or un tagged posts to archive and please understand that this will be a slow and lengthy process, I am a full time student and as much as I love it organizing motorcity posts is not my only hobby :)

*This includes posts that I may not personally agree with or like

Below are the current Tags I have/will use for posts, it’s LONG:

Warning Tags:

- Potentially NSFW

This tag will house content that has suggestive themes and/or characters lacking appropriate** clothing (**appropriate for the scenario presented ex. burners in bathing suits hanging out at the beach will not be tagged, single burner in a bathing suit without any other context will be tagged. I am being overly conservative on purpose, I’m sorry, this MAY change in the future)

- NSFW

Sexually explicit material: Obvious pin ups of characters/Characters in sexual contexts

- TW Flashing

For videos that contain flashing

- Potentially Triggering

Suicide or self harm mentions as well as generally disturbing material, sorry it’s vague for now I’ll make it more specific if the need comes

- Death

- Implied Death

- Major Injury

- Age gap relationship

- Adult/minor relationships

I am likely as displeased as you that I have to make those a tag

General tags:

- Motorcity

- Headcannon

- Cannon

- Fan work

- Fanart

- Fan edit

- Fan fiction

- Contained Fan fiction

- Video edit

- Image edit

- Screenshot

- Video game recreation

- Digital art

- Traditional art

- comic

- Meme

- Music

- Playlist

- Ask

- Ask game

- Crossover

- Other fandoms

- Written work

- Theory

Gang/Territory tags:

- Burners

- Motorcitizen

- Deluxian

- The Amazons

- Mama’s boys

- Larpers

- The Duke’s men

- Terra dwellers

- The Skylarks

- Fan gang

- Electroblades

- Cablers

- Weekend Warriors

- The Dude Bros

- Outsiders

Character Tags:

- Mike Chilton

- Julie Kane

- Julie Kapulsky

- Chuck

- Texas

- Texas Yang

- Dutch Gordy

- Claire

- Tennie

- Roth

- Jacob

- Hudson

- Kaia

- Rall

- The Duke of Detroit

- Cyborg Dan

- Babs

- Thurman

- Thurman the Magnificent

- Ruby

- Ruby the Darkslayer

- Lord Vanquisher

- The Oracle

- Sam

- Philip

- Rayon

- Red

- Junior

- Foxy

- Lizzie

- Bracket

- Antonio

- Abraham Kane

- Kane

- Crater

- AJ

- Jenzen

- Tooley

- Capri Chilton

- Mike’s Mom

- Mike’s Dad

- Mr. Gordy

- Mrs. Gordy

- Darr Gordy

- Sue Ellen

- Utilitons

- Background Character

- Crossover Character

- [name of crossover character]

- [ship] fankid

- [character] fankid

- [name] oc

- Bots

Ship tags:

- ship

- Implied ship

- Multi ship

- Poly ship

- Cannon x oc

- [character]/[oc]

- MikeTex

- Mike/Texas

- Jukebox

- Julie/Mike

- Muck

- Mike/Chuck

- Dutch/Mike

- Dennie

- DutchTennie

- Dutch/Tennie

- DutchTex

- Dutch/Texas

- Dutch/Chuck

- Dutch/Julie

- Texie

- Texas/Julie

- Clulie

- Claire/Julie

- Chuck/Julie

- Chuxas

- Chexmix

- Texas/Chuck

- Cluck

- Claire/Chuck

- Poly burners

- Jacob/Hudson

- Claire/Foxy

- Flaire

- Red/Mike

- Rulie

- Red/Julie

- Rayon/The Duke

- Babs/The Duke

- Kane/The Duke

I will eventually add more but I either don’t know the ship or do not want to think about the tags of some of the ships I know are on here, I’ll deal with it when I get to it

Au Tags, This is a list that I assume will be ever growing but so far we have:

- Au

- Fantasy Au

- No burners Au

- Galaxies Beyond Au

- Wings au

- Meant au

- And many more to come

All aus will have Au at the end

Idk what to call these but they’re kinda like aus:

- trans!burners

- baby! Burners

- spider! Chuck

- motorcitizen! Chuck

Misc. Tags

Fashion, for outfits other than cannon ones

All posters will have their own tags as well to search by artist/creator

More Tags will be added as I see fit

[cupiiid]

todd and jeffrey hcs because @propaganda-for-poets 's post got me thinking about them

-they were super close when they were little

-during their teenage years, a wedge was driven between them because being constantly compared to jeff his whole life broke todd

-even when todd was at his most jealous, he always loved jeff so much but would hide it

-jeff was always blatant with his adoration for todd. he'd talk off the ear of whoever he was with whenever he had the chance to talk about him

-while they were apart, jeff used to send todd letters every weekend and todd would barely respond, always considering throwing them out (he never did, he kept every single one spanning years) but jeff knew they meant a lot to him

-i imagine them having a very denny-gordie from stand by me type relationship and jeff would always prompt their parents into talking about todd (not like they ever listened)

-once todd was out of school and not living with their parents anymore, they talked everything out and mended their relationship, becoming super close again

-when todd's first poetry book got published, he sent jeff and advanced copy and jeff always keeps it on the coffee table so whenever he has guests over he can be like 'oh, that book over there? yeah, my brother wrote that. he's a poet, can you believe that? a real life poet!'

-they're each other's best men at their weddings

-jeff is incredibly supportive of todd's relationship with neil. he didn't understand it at first but once he saw how much neil makes him happy, he got it

-jeff knew neil at welton so when todd told him they were a couple he was shocked. he didn't know neil well but he saw him in the halls

-jeffs wife betty is a total badass. she's an incredibly progressive beatnik. their parents almost had an aneurysm when they met her. todd loves her though, they bond over poetry and often go to open mics together. all in all, jeff doesn't care what their parents think

-jeff is a lawyer and betty is a painter, she created paintings for todd (and neil's) apartment as a (technically non legal) wedding present

-whenever jeff is able to visit todd in new york, todd takes him to go see whatever show neil's in at the time. if bettys free, she also comes. she adores theatre so she loves to chat to neil about it. jeff doesn't care much for theatre but seeing his wife, brother and brother in law be so excited about it makes him happy

-ever since they were little, jeff supported todd in whatever he wanted to do and was so happy when he finally did what he loved, writing

[i-am-trying-my-best-okay]

I know I’m the only person that wants this but I want that movie Stand By Me, the adaption from the book The Body, to be made into a tv show. Like, the first season would be before the events of trying to find the dead body, where Denny Lachance is still alive and the characters are just living their lives and Ray Brower could be there and then the season ends with Dennis dying and Ray going missing. Then the second season would be about the dead body of Ray and going to go find it. And then the third season would be when they are still kids, and they all deal with the aftermath of all that’s happened in the first two seasons. Do I want this just because the lives of these characters and their relationships intrigue me a strange amount and I want to see flashbacks of how these two different friend groups met and I imagined entire personalities in Ace’s gang for those who didn’t have one? Yes, thanks for asking. Speaking of flashbacks on how they met:

The older boys:

I have this feeling that Charlie Hogan and Billy Tessio probably knew each other since preschool. They probably both wanted to slide down the slide first and ended up getting into an actual fist fight that the teacher didn’t care enough to break up. Afterwards Billy was probably like, “Okay, we fought so we’re friends now.” “Huh?” “Yeah, I heard that if you fight with someone, then you become friends.” “Nuh uh!” “Yeah huh! I heard it on TV.” “Oh, okay.” Unfortunately, nobody else seemed to share this mindset as they started beating up people they wanted to be friends with, and nobody wanting to return that offer of friendship for some reason. They were the epitome of single brain cell shared between them even back then. And nobody gave a damn about either of them enough to explain why their friend making strategy was a bit flawed.

Then there was Ace Merrill, or John Merrill, who Charlie and Billy didn’t really pay attention to until in the third grade when he demanded everyone started calling him Ace. Everyone immediately complied, since Ace was absolutely terrifying, known for going batshit insane at the hint of disrespect. Once a kid didn’t let him borrow a pencil, so when Ace did get his hands on a pencil, he stabbed the kids eye with it. But Charlie and Billy kept forgetting to call him Ace, which Ace took as a slight, and beat them both up. Ace expected that to be the end of it, only to be completely baffled at how now Charlie and Billy wanted to be his friends. As they tried to explain their ideology, Ace thought it was stupid but the two of them were persistent, and that’s how Ace begrudgingly allowed them to hang around him, but had to explain to them that not every person they would beat up would become their friends, which they had to come to terms with much to their dismay. They did start remembering to call him Ace, although it took months.

In the sixth grade is where Eyeball Chambers comes in, or Richard Chambers. Upon entering middle school Ace and his ‘lackeys’ Charlie and Billy had gotten quite the reputation. Ace has evolved his batshitness into something a bit more terrifying; he’d talk gently to you while making threats, smile at you, right before breaking every bone in your body while yelling angrily at you. Now, Richard was a pretty quiet kid, always covered in bruises from his old man, not wanting any attention. But one day he gained Ace’s attention; walking home from school he accidentally tripped over Ace’s bike, breaking it. Ace was unhappy about this, so he gave his usual gentle talking before he pinned Richard to the ground and put out his cigarette just under his eye, accidentally missing his eye, while Charlie and Billy shouted insults and threats. He was going to do more but than Richard was so nonchalant about this injury, not even making any sound of pain. Richard calmly said that he would fix Ace’s bike, to which the three other boys called bullshit, saying that Richard wasn’t smart enough. The three boys followed Richard to his work shed, surprised to find all sorts of little built machines. As it turns out, Richard was good at making things. He fixed Ace’s bike easy, but at that moment Richard’s dad came in drunk and started attacking Richard, breaking Ace’s bike once again. The three boys fought off Richard’s dad and took the bike and Richard and ran. Richard apologized for the bike and Ace just shrugged, saying he could just fix it again. After that, the three boys, especially Ace, would start hanging out with Richard, asking him to fix random stuff, him gaining the nickname Eyeball. Ace actually gave him that name as a strange way of apologizing for the scar. The more Eyeball and Ace hung out, it became clear that Eyeball was somehow special to Ace, and Ace’s favoritism of him was so blatantly obvious it wasn’t even funny. While Billy and Charlie would occasionally suffer the wrath of Ace, as well as the later members of the gang would, never Eyeball.

A year later in 7th grade is where both Vince Desjardins and Fuzzy Bracowicz, or Norman Bracowicz, would join this dangerous group of messed up kids. Vince was easily scared, and when someone or something scared him he would just throw one of the rocks he always kept on his pockets at them and run away, and he was a damn fast runner. So people kept their distance from Vince, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his rock. Now with Ace’s gang, they were an even more dangerous threat with Eyeball. He was still a quiet kid, but if people messed with his friends he would beat them up, although he didn’t care if people messed with just him, having gotten used to it from his dad. His friends however, especially Ace, would care a great deal, so nobody messed with him either. But then Eyeball accidentally spooked Vince which resulted in a rock to the face. Eyeball really didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but his friends thought otherwise. He tried to argue that he’s had worse injuries, AKA his dad, but that was evidently an ineffective argument as they would spend the next week trying to beat up Vince, only for him to out run them each time. They were then approached by Fuzzy, having gotten that nickname in the 5th grade when he threw a possum at his teacher and laughed, and he offered a plan to offer a truce to Vince to hang out and drink, and then jump him once Vince was drunk. They asked why he was helping them, and Fuzzy apparently just thought this entire situation was hilarious, and he wanted to witness the whole thing. So Fuzzy goes and convinces Vince, the most jumpy kid they knew, to come hang out with the most dangerous group in town who have spent the entire week trying to beat him up, a feat that truly impressed the gang. The rest of the gang tried not to get drunk along with Vince but as it turned out Vince was actually a fun person to hang out with and they ended up getting just as plastered. And sure enough, both Fuzzy and Vince began hanging out with the group. They told Vince later what their original plan was, to which he responded that he hated every single one of them, while leaning against Fuzzy and his legs on Charlie’s lap. (I like to think that this group of friends are very physically intimate with each other)

And finally, in the 9th grade is when the final addition to the group was made; Jack Mudgett. Jack had just moved to town, and had made an impression when he was asked to introduce himself to the class, to which he looked straight at the teacher and said, “If you make me do that I will shit all over your desk. Seriously. I’ll take the shit and rub it all over.” Evidently, he wanted to be left alone. And naturally, Fuzzy thought messing him was the peak of amusement, and he recruited Charlie and Billy into his cause, with Eyeball, Vince, and Ace only joining in occasionally. At this point, even upon entering high school were the older high schoolers thought they could knock Ace’s gang down a peg, they found themselves sorely mistaken, and at this point even the police didn’t want to handle them. Vince, while still jumpy, can now hold his own in a fight, although if something spooks him he will throw the rock first, only running if he’s alone. Jack, in response to this bullying from the most feared group in the town, was to be perfectly blunt and tell them they disgust him. Ace, naturally, beat him up so badly that he had to go to the hospital for a few days. But when he came back to school, he continued acting blunt towards them like they didn’t just send him to the hospital. This happened again and again, with Jack never learning his lesson, and at this point Ace is ready to cut off a limb or kill him or something, but Fuzzy thinks this is fantastic and practically begged Ace to let him join the gang. Ace said no, of course, even when Fuzzy got the other friends to ask too. But one day in the cafeteria, while Fuzzy and the rest of the gang were loudly making their case to Ace with Ace threatening to stab all of them, Eyeball spoke up and said that having Jack in the gang could be fun, to which Ace immediately complied and walked over the Jack immediately and practically dragged him to the table; again, blatant favoritism. Jack of course is unhappy with this arrangement, not wanting to be friends with them, but after some time actually fit into the group very well, and he joined the close knit nature of the group.

They probably all bullied Denny to be honest. Jack was the one that came up with the idea to carve a word into their arms, although he was being sarcastic, but Charlie and Billy hatched onto the idea and persisted until it was decided to actually go through with it.

The younger boys:

Gordie Lachance and Chris Chambers probably met in kindergarten. Gordie was always by himself, having trouble connecting with other kids, and Chirs was by himself too, since the other kids parents had warned them all to stay away from that Chambers kid. However, one day Gordie was by himself in the sand, talking to himself. Chris saw this and approached him, asking what he was doing. Chris didn’t really expect a response since most kids ignored him, but Gordie was thrilled at the possibility of a friend, and told him all about this story he was making up. Gordie didn’t really expect Chris to care, since nobody cared except Denny, but Chris was enraptured by his story. And so they became each other’s friends, since nobody else would bother with them.

It was just the two of them until 2nd grade, when both Vern Tessio and Teddy Duchamp joined in, although the came into the group separately. Vern was first, probably struggling hard with some assignment, and all the other kids would always make fun of him for being stupid, except for Gordie and Chris; they only make fun of their friends, which at this point in time was just the two of them. Gordie felt bad and let Vern copy off of him, although they were caught by the teacher and both got in trouble. Chris told them both off and said that Gordie should have just taught Vern how to do it rather than let him copy off him, the mom of the group even back then. And so both Chis and Gordie would help Vern study with varying success, but those study sessions quickly formed into hang out sessions.

It was later into the year when Teddy would join them. The trio were hanging out, and they saw Teddy actually trying to steal a car, although having no idea how to go about it given that he was in the 2nd grade. They went over, Chris saying that if he didn’t know how to steal a car then he probably shouldn’t go ahead and do it, since he’d probably just get caught. Vern said that this reminded him of something and then rambled on about, while Gordie actually managed to get the car door open and start the car. They all turned to Gordie, to which he shrugged and said he read about how to do it, since he was thinking of a story that had someone stealing a car. And Teddy the whole time was just standing their thinking who the hell were these weirdos? But with the now properly stolen car, Teddy wanted to take it for a spin and got Gordie to scoot over. Not wanting to leave Gordie alone in the car with the class maniac, Chris got in to, and Vern got in as well, not wanting to be left behind. Teddy immediately crashed it and they all had to run away from the scene. After that, Teddy just started hanging around them, and before they knew it they were the infamous gang of misfits; the bad news Chambers kid, the Lachance’s failed son, that Duchamp loon’s even loonier kid, and the second idiot the Tessio family produced.

[fearlessjournalism]

just finished reading the body

I’ve got thoughts analysis etc but I’ll slap em under a read more you didn’t sign up for this

ok spoilers for the novella and for stand by me but I just wanna talk about it bc I think it’s interesting. among several other things, I’m super fascinated by the way changing who has the gun in the confrontation changes their arcs. the necessary disclaimer here is that I watched the movie three times before reading the novella, but I do think I like the change? I do like the novella version of the scene, but there’s something about the movie version that kinda gets me.

for chris’ part, you’ve got this kid who has never in his life had anyone looking out for him, whose father is an abusive alcoholic and everybody knows it, but they have no interest in doing anything about it. he tries to protect all his friends, both in the present (teddy, mostly) and in the future (gordie), but nobody protects him until gordie pulls a gun on ace merrill for putting a knife to his throat. or, okay, that might not be fair to the fact that gordie supports him and absolutely believes in his potential, but i think this moment where for once someone who holds the power and the control in a situation is using it for his sake instead of to hurt him would be incredibly important. it’s proof as tangible as proof gets that, while he’s watching out for gordie, gordie is looking out for him, and I love that.

I do think the way book!chris reacts is really interesting and there’s quite a lot there that relates to his sense of justice, but I love the idea present in the movie version of him knowing that someone cares about him enough to put everything on the line for him.

for gordie I think this is fundamental proof of his existence in his own right. he was overlooked in favor of denny when he was alive, we see from the shopkeeper and his parents that he’s overshadowed in the wake of denny’s death, and denny haunts his subconscious as much as he haunts his waking moments. to me, this is him breaking free of that. ace even says that this is something his brother wouldn’t do, but gordie isn’t him and doesn’t need to be. he’s made a series of his own choices leading up to this—his choice of friends, going to see the body, continuing on long past the point where it would’ve been smart to go back, standing here facing down ace merrill—and he is, if you’ll pardon the expression, standing by them. in that moment, he needs to be the person he is, and he is that person fully.

the novella kind of makes this moment about denny and it works in that context, but with the way ray brower’s body is more closely linked to gordie’s grief and the fact that he’s already had a breakdown about it, I think that frees this moment up to be solely about gordie himself. I think the really significant change made to gordie and denny’s relationship is super interesting, and although the novella’s story is still about the processing of grief, it doesn’t feel like the centerpiece in the same way, but that’s a whole separate thing. I just really like this moment of gordie stepping out of the shadow of his brother and everyone’s expectations, and it’s also nice to have a character that looks like that and who doesn’t have traditionally masculine interests have such a steel backbone in a way that feels natural.

at this interval I should reiterate that I do like the novella version also! I don’t want to sound like I don’t. chris just asking gordie to stay, just to be there when everyone else abandons him—that’s also such a powerful moment in its own right. the denouement is so much longer in the novella that I remember fewer details than I’d like, and I’ll have to go back and reread that part later, but that part did absolutely stand out. both versions Work, so I think it just has to do with what you’d prefer it to say.

(also while I’m here. while I’m here. “that sweet, sunny grin”?? “even if I’d known the right thing to say I probably couldn’t have said it speech destroys the functions of love i think”??? that whole paragraph?? what was the REASON. not to like undercut any of the previous analysis by ending it with “haha these guys were in love” but man if you gotta deny it this many times and if there are this many things you can’t tell your wife about your male friend… dude)

[fredheads]

tell us more about parentdale stand by me au please 🥺🥺 or any other king aus you've had kickin around because 🍽️

i was saving this ask bc it makes me so happy :) I think it was @halcooper who first said vern was hal and teddy was hiram in the stand by me au and WHEW!!!!!! that is all you need to know!! AND THAT MAKES GERTRUDE PART OF ACE MERRIL’S GANG AS HIS OLDER SISTER! IT MEANS MUCH TO ME....

but just fuck the fp chris chambers parallels... i cant even speak on it HO GOD !!! bITCH 

and fred just naive and in love with his best friend... not to give tswift rights but when she said “i don't know anything but I know that I love you”... that was abt fredsythe in this au ho my god ;-; 

ALSO I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BASED OSCAR AND FRED’S RELATIONSHIP ON GORDIE AND DENNYS IN THE FIRST PLACE LMFAO THE WORM TURNS!!!!! god.... I'm getting shivery just thinking abt it..... 

basically yes I'm going to write the stand by me au and it will be set in 1960s riverdale and it will be SO. MF. GOOD. SO GOOD!! IVE BEEN FOAMING AT THE MOUTH FOR THIS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME 

also every day of my life i think of fred telling bullies to suck his fat one and fp saying “fred andrews who told you you had a fat one” GOD it lives in my head rent free 

the only other king aus in my head are a) the archie-fred pet sematary plot and b) fp jones as danny torrance in doctor sleep i have not a lot more to say at this time but JUST SO YOU KNOW! but feel free to share any on your mind................ its my favourite topic 

[grownups-are-the-real-monsters]

Another Stephen King topic that I could write a whole essay on:

A lot of his relationships are written in this very specific way that I absolutely love with my whole heart. It is commonly seen in various situations like these 2:

Canon romantic couples

Friendships (Though maybe they’re being popularly shipped)

What is the common factor in most King relationships? WELL...

(Spoilers kind of? Maybe. Idk. I talk about: The Stand, The Dead Zone, IT, 11/22/63, The Body, The Long Walk & Christine) 

It’s very obvious that both people involved love each other (as friends or romantically) but Person A is just so...much more expressive about it. You can feel their love for Person B so intensely it’s almost like you’re in their head.

Person A radiates pure adoration & love. The reader can easily tell this person really loves the other. Which is not to knock Person B’s feelings down at all, but they’re either more reserved about them or just not as expressive as their partner.

You can see this trend in A LOT of King’s relationships. In the case of canon romantic relationships:

Stu & Frannie from ‘The Stand’ : In their case, Stu is Person A. That man loves his lady. Straight up adores Frannie and you can’t physically see his face while reading (Duh) but you KNOW he beams like sunshine at her. This couple is SO romantic in general but Stu has just has this energy....

Larry & Lucy from ‘The Stand’: Man oh Man, Lucy is Person A here. This girl...she falls for Larry so hard and hopes for his love back. Larry does choose her but he’s never been a sincere romantic before type so he’s not quite so expressive about love. But the reader knows exactly how Lucy feels. She just-...Lucy adores Larry. She’s drawn to him. Wants to be picked.

Johnny & Sarah from ‘The Dead Zone’: This one is a little tougher considering how the story develops and Sarah’s confusing feelings. BUT Johnny is Person A. It’s kinda clear in the beginning that Sarah is less interested in Johnny than he is in her. Johnny really really loved Sarah. They were pretty adorable despite not making it together. The reader can feel this thing he has for her. In a different way than Sarah’s.

Adrian & Don from ‘IT’: MY HEART ACHES FOR THEM. Anyway-Don is Person A. Man, he loves Adrian so much. In the little time the couple had on the pages...the reader can feel the adoration pour off him. I mean, “Until Adiran Mellon entered his life, Don had been planning to leave Derry.” The man was kinda scared of the town BUT he stayed just because HIS BOY loved it and wanted to stay longer. Talk about being gone on someone.

Sadie & Jake from ‘11/22/63′: I won’t talk much about them cause honestly, I have forgotten a few details of the book BUT Jake is Person A. This couple kinda echoes Johnny/Sarah vibes for me. Jake...he thought the world of that girl. He was head over heels for her. He thought she had guts and admired that all the way through.

NOW this dynamic is not just used for King’s romantic pairs. He ALSO writes a lot of his friendships just the same way! Like:

Gordie & Chris from ‘The Body’: EVERYONE knows Chris is Person A. That kid loves Gordie with his whole being. His entire soul & SHOWS IT. He thinks the world of him. The things he says/expresses throughout the novella....comparable. Gordie could be so oblivious about it too. He fell for his best friend. Their love is unquestionable. They are soul-mates, be it romantically or just friendship. Chris...believes in Gordie when the kid doesn’t believe in himself.

Ray & Pete from ‘The Long Walk’: Another obvious one. How many times can a guy save his good buddy’s life (After specifically saying he wouldn't do it anymore) before the reader recognizes his unshakable love and adoration of him??? Pete is Person A. He loves & he loves hard. He spends the entire story supporting Ray and helping him to finish even when Ray seems lost. That’s his boy & he doesn’t want to lose him. Ray is a little more oblivious but Pete....everyone knows he loves Ray.  

Richie & Eddie from ‘IT’: YEAH WE KNOW THIS. BUT Richie is person A. boy oh boy, reading that novel for the first time...Richie’s got the biggest crush on that kid. His love and fondness for Eddie is SO strong. Eddie’s attachment to Richie is a bit more subtle but there. Richie is so whipped for Eddie, tbh. We all know that. It kinda echoes the same vibes as Pete/Ray, both are a bit protective of their partners. (Pete & Richie fit into the same King-character type)

Dennis & Arnie from ‘Christine’: Last but not least!!! Dennis straight up LOVES Arnie lol. HE is Person A. Just listen to this: “He could do it good when he wanted to, Arnie could. That was one of the reasons I liked him as well as I did. It was kinda a secret thing, you know? I don’t think anyone really saw that wit expect for me.” AND  “I once heard about some millionaire who had a stolen Rembrandt in his basement where no one but him could see it. I could understand that guy. I don't mean that Arnie was a Rembrandt, or even a world-class wit, but I could understand the attraction of knowing about something good ... something that was good but still a secret.” OK, Dennis slow down. That dude thinks of Arnie as this like...secret little treasure?? OOf. 

Anyway, moral of the story is I LOVE this King-relationship dynamic. It’s the kinda thing where if you know, you know...

The reader just comes out knowing who Person A & B are in each case. SO if you know, you know. 

I also think it says something that King wrote a lot of his canon romantic couples similar to some of the more popularly shipped friendships??? If that makes sense. 

[blackkudos]

Eddie Kendricks

Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), best known by the stage name Eddie Kendricks, was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group The Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do The Things You Do", "Get Ready", and "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". As a solo artist, Kendricks recorded several hits of his own during the 1970s, including the number-one single "Keep On Truckin'".

Biography

Early years

Kendricks was born in Union Springs, Alabama on December 17, 1939, the son of Johnny and Lee Bell Kendrick. He had one sister, Patricia, and three brothers, Charles, Robert, and Clarence. His family moved to the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, where he met and began singing with his best friend Paul Williams in their church choir in the late 1940s. In 1955, Kendricks, Williams, and friends Kell Osborne and Jerome Averette formed a doo-wop group called The Cavaliers, and began performing around Birmingham. The group decided to move for better opportunities in their musical careers, and in 1957 the group moved to Cleveland, Ohio on E 123rd and Kinsman. In Cleveland, they met manager Milton Jenkins, and soon moved with Jenkins to Detroit, Michigan, where the Cavaliers renamed themselves "The Primes." Under Jenkins' management, the Primes were successful in the Detroit area, eventually creating a female spin-off group called The Primettes (later The Supremes). In 1961, Osbourne moved to California, and the Primes disbanded. Kendricks and Paul Williams joined forces with members Otis Williams and Melvin "Blue" Franklin of Otis Williams and the Distants after three members quit and became The Elgins, who on the same day changed their name to "The Temptations" and signed to Motown.

With the Temptations

The Temptations began singing background for Mary Wells. After an initial dry period, The Temptations quickly became the most successful male vocal group of the 1960s. Although technically Kendricks was first tenor in the group's harmony, he predominately sang in a falsetto voice. Among the Temptations songs Kendricks sang lead on were "Dream Come True" (1962), the group's first charting single; "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (1964), the group's first US Top 20 hit; "I'll Be in Trouble" (1964); "The Girl's Alright With Me" (1964), a popular b-side that Kendricks co-wrote; "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" (1964); "Get Ready" (1966); "Please Return Your Love to Me" (1968); and "Just My Imagination" (1971). He was also allowed to sing a few leads in his natural voice such as "May I Have This Dance" (1962). He shares lead vocal duty on other records, including "You're My Everything (The Temptations song)" (1967) (shared with David Ruffin), and a long string of Norman Whitfield produced psychedelic soul records where all five Temptations sang lead, such as the Grammy winner "Cloud Nine" (1968), "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969), and "Ball of Confusion" (1970). He also leads on "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (1968), a popular duet with Diana Ross and the Supremes, and on the Temptations' famous version of the Christmas classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1968).

In the Temptations, Kendricks was responsible for creating most of the group's vocal arrangements, and also served as wardrobe manager, including the now famous purple suits the group wore for one performance. Though Whitfield had chief responsibility for writing, Kendricks co-wrote and received credit for several Temptations songs apart from "The Girl's Alright With Me" including "Isn't She Pretty" (1961) and "Don't Send Me Away" (1967). His favorite food was cornbread, and as a result he was nicknamed "Cornbread" (or "Corn" for short) by his groupmates. According to Otis Williams, Kendricks romantically pursued Diana Ross, lead singer of the Supremes, and he was said to have been close friends with Martha Reeves of the Vandellas. In her second book, Supreme Faith, Supremes singer Mary Wilson writes that she and Kendricks were lovers "briefly," but remained close friends.

Kendricks remained in the group through the rest of the decade, but a number of issues began to push him away from it in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was uncomfortable with singing the psychedelic style that Whitfield was now crafting for the group as opposed to the romantic ballads they had sung under the direction of Smokey Robinson; his friend Paul Williams was often too ill to perform with the group; and Kendricks often found himself at odds with bandmates Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. As he grew away from the group, Kendricks began to rekindle his friendship with ex-Temptation David Ruffin, who convinced him to leave the group.

In a 1991 interview with a Chicago television series called Urban Street, Kendricks said he had actually considered leaving the group as early as 1965, even though that was when the band was finally starting to take off, because of things that "weren't quite proper." He explained that they were working with people that "didn't have their best interests at heart." Kendricks, however, initially decided to stay in the group because he was worried he would not get the support he needed if he left the group. Kendricks also expressed the fact that his relationship with Berry Gordy was less than cordial. "Berry Gordy is a man I don't know, I only met him about three times," he said, but "I know he didn't particularly care for me." Kendricks stated that he did not agree with many decisions that were made.

Following one final altercation with Williams and Franklin during a run at the Copacabana nightclub in November 1970, Kendricks walked off after the first night and didn't return, and it was mutually decided he would leave the group. While working on his first solo album, Kendricks recorded one last hit single with the Temptations, 1971's "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". By the time the record reached #1 on the US pop charts in April 1971, Kendricks had signed a solo deal with Motown's Tamla imprint and was preparing the release of his first solo album, All By Myself. However, many of his problems with Motown would reoccur.

Solo career and later years

Kendricks' solo career began slowly; he endured two years of singles that missed the Top 40, while The Temptations continued with their string of Norman Whitfield-helmed hits (one of which, "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)", was written as a jab towards Kendricks and Ruffin). Despite enjoying only a modicum of commercial success and radio airplay, Kendricks's 1972 album People... Hold On (recorded with his touring group, The Young Senators, composed of Jimi Dougans, Frank Hooker, LeRoy Fleming, Wornell Jones, David Lecraft, James Drummer Johnson and John Engram) was a cornerstone of DJ playlists in downtown New York's nascent disco scene. The expansive, eight-minute take on "Girl, You Need A Change Of Mind", which peaked at number thirteen on the soul chart, was a particular favorite at David Mancuso's Loft. The single was later remade by R&B singer D'Angelo for the Get on the Bus Soundtrack. As the dance craze seeped through into other cities, Kendricks scored a #1 pop hit in 1973 with the Frank Wilson-produced "Keep on Truckin'". As well as reaching #18 in the UK, it sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Further hits included 1974's "Boogie Down" (US #2, UK #39) and another million selling release, "Son of Sagittarius" (US #28) from the same year, 1975's "Shoeshine Boy" (US #18), and 1976's "He's a Friend" (US #36). Another notable song is "Intimate Friends" (1977), which was sampled for the Alicia Keys song "Unbreakable", "A Penny for My Thoughts" by Common, Sparkle's "Time to Move on" on her self-titled first studio album, and for Sweet Sable's "Old Time's Sake" from the soundtrack for the 1994 2pac film, Above the Rim. Erykah Badu also sampled "Intimate Friends" for her song "Fall in Love (Your Funeral)", as well as his song "My People... Hold on" for her song "My People" on her album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War).

Exasperated by a lack of creative and financial control, Kendricks left Motown in 1978, with the requirement of signing away the rights to his royalties. He moved first to Arista Records, and later to Atlantic Records. By this time, his popularity had waned, and he was also gradually losing his voice as a result of chain smoking.

He and David Ruffin briefly re-joined the Temptations for a 1982 reunion tour. In an interview with Tom Meros, Dennis Edwards, Kendricks's former Temptations band mate, claimed that Kendricks had issues hitting his falsetto notes during recording sessions for the reunion album. Because of his singing difficulty, Edwards said that Kendricks went to a physician to examine his vocal ability. The physician discovered a "pin drop" of cancer on one of his lungs. However, Kendricks reportedly refused to undergo chemotherapy at the time because of fear that he would lose his hair.

Ruffin and Kendrick (Kendricks dropped the "s" from his stage name during the 1980s) reportedly met up one night when Ruffin went to watch Kendrick perform in a nightclub; Kendrick spotted Ruffin in the crowd, pointed him out, and invited him to come up on stage and perform with him. Afterward they talked about touring on their own and recorded an album as a duo for RCA in 1988.

Earlier, in 1985, they participated in the Hall & Oates live album Live at The Apollo recorded at a benefit at New York City's Apollo Theater; and sang with the duo at Live Aid in Philadelphia and the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Hall & Oates have cited Kendrick and Ruffin specifically, and the Temptations in general, as a major influence.

In 1989, Kendrick, Ruffin, and their Temptations bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There, Kendrick and Ruffin made plans with fellow former Temptation Dennis Edwards to tour and record as "Ruffin/Kendrick/Edwards, Former Leads of The Temptations." The Ruffin/Kendrick/ Edwards project was cut short in 1991, when Kendrick was diagnosed with lung cancer and David Ruffin died of a drug overdose, although Kendrick and Edwards continued to tour for the remainder of 1991.

Death

In late 1991, Kendricks, by now living in his native Birmingham, Alabama, underwent surgery to have one of his lungs removed in hopes of preventing the spread of the cancer. He continued to tour through the summer of 1992, when he fell ill again and was hospitalized. Kendricks died of lung cancer in Birmingham on October 5, 1992 at age 52. He was survived by his three children: Parris, Aika, and Paul Kendricks. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.

Legacy

In 1998, NBC aired The Temptations, a four-hour television miniseries based upon an autobiographical book by Otis Williams. Kendricks was portrayed by actor Terron Brooks.

On October 16, 1999, Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park, located on the corner of 18th Street and 4th Avenue North, was dedicated to Birmingham native Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations. The park uses Kendricks' family name sans the "s", which was added early in his career. The memorial features a bronze sculpture of Kendricks by local artist Ron McDowell, as well as sculptures of the other Temptations, set into a granite wall. Inscribed on the granite are the names of Temptation's hit songs. Recorded music can be heard throughout the park, featuring songs by Kendricks and the Temptations.

Solo discography

Albums

as Eddie Kendricks

Tamla (Motown) releases

1971: All By Myself

1972: People ... Hold On

1973: Eddie Kendricks

1974: Boogie Down!

1974: For You

1975: The Hit Man

1975: He's A Friend

1976: Goin' Up In Smoke

1977: Slick

Arista releases

1978: Vintage '78

1979: Something More

Atlantic release

1981: Love Keys

Ms. Dixie release

1983: I've Got My Eyes on You

as Daryl Hall & John Oates with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick

RCA release

1985: Live at the Apollo

as Ruffin and Kendrick

RCA release

1988: Ruffin & Kendrick

SinglesTamla (Motown) releases

Arista releases

1978: "Ain't No Smoke Without Fire" (US R&B #13)

1978: "The Best of Strangers Now" (US R&B #49)

1980: "I Just Want To Be the One In Your Life" (US R&B #87)

Atlantic release

1981: "(Oh I) Need Your Loving" (US R&B #41)

Corner Stone release

1984: Surprise Attack (US R&B #87)

RCA release

1985: "A Night At The Apollo Live!" (US R&B #40, US POP #20, US AC #12, UK #58) (Daryl Hall and John Oates featuring David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick)

1987: "I Couldn't Believe It" (Ruffin & Kendrick) (US R&B #14, US AC #48)

1988: "One More For The Lonely Hearts Club" (Ruffin & Kendrick) (US R&B #43)

Wikipedia

[baxterfilms]

Film Essay: STAND BY ME

(WARNING: spoilers ahead!) 

In their book Screening Scripture: Intertextual Connections Between Scripture and Film, George Aichele and Richard G. Walsh explain the meaning to come of age as "a delicate mixture of rebellion, assistance, discovery and accommodation." Fundamental in many narrative stories, coming-of-age films follow characters that undertake a rite of passage to find a new sense within themselves. This transitions them into maturity, bestowing a vast sense of their own individuality and direction in life they, at first, thought impractical.

Often, in the course of a coming-of-age film, the protagonist or protagonists—often precocious beyond their years—accept the quest from their struggle to claim an identity outside of their social norms, outside of their own family or community. Examples of reasons for the protagonist to progress would be an event, a traumatic loss, banishment, escape, or battling against their own internal and external obstacles in their normal environment. Coming-of-age films revolve around a young persons’ desire to find their own honesty as individuals, previously unchallenged before they embarked on their personal journey.

Jule Selbo’s Film Genre for the Screenwriter categorizes the genre with different age groups: pre-teen (12 or younger), teen/adolescence (13-19) and pre-adolescence (20 and over). Selbo also states an undocumented detail that young audience members prefer coming-of-age films where “the protagonist is a few years older than the viewer,” allowing them the opportunity to alter their vision of the future from the character’s pedagogical objective. Thereby, much like the central character (or characters), the journey shapes and molds them with a keen perspective on reality after viewing. The specific knowledge gained from the genre, where the film allows itself to gain access to “memories of insecurity, immature behavior, stubbornness in the face of change,” and similar emotions invoke reality, which, if successful, resonates with observers.  

Set in the small town of Castle Rock, Oregon, in the summer of 1959, Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me adheres to the pre-teen age group of coming-of-age films. These focus on friendship and teamwork to further understand the adult world. A quartet of twelve-year old boys embark on an overnight camping trip to find the dead body of Ray Brower—a boy about their age—in order to claim his body and better their reputations with acclaim and publicity, with thoughts of their faces featured on television or a newspaper.

Told through flashback by Gordie LaChance (Wil Wheaton) as an adult (Richard Dreyfus), his other friends are Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), the tough leader of their gang and part of a bad family scorned by the community, including his alcoholic father and his other hoodlum brother Eyeball. Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) is the disturbed, bespectacled member of the group, with a father given to psychotic fits of rage; in one particular incident, he held his son’s ear to a stove, almost burning it off. The chubby and pathetic Vern is always the target of their jokes, due to his timid nature and peculiar behavior.

The train tracks that lead the characters further to Ray Brower’s corpse builds on character growth throughout much of the film. Reiner and the child actors showcase a sense of camaraderie among the four boys, including frequent displays of childish behavior, given their age. Of course, the drawback to this behavior is an inability to cope with their central problems in a mature way. The train tracks may provide the way forward, but carries danger when speeding locomotives make their route. In one scene, Teddy stands on the tracks, wanting to dodge the train as it travels in front of him. In his mind, he is a soldier centered at the beach of Normandy, where he claims his father fought during World War II. Teddy still stands, with his sleeping pack adjusted like a machine gun, as the train draws closer. Chris grabs and takes him off the tracks, since Teddy’s intentions might have been suicidal instead of playful. His indignant response to Chris after being saved: “I don’t need no babysitter.” 

The boys pursue the quest to find Dan Brower’s body not only to appear heroic, but also to emerge brave men in the eyes of their community. Gordie has the benefit of the American middle-class, it is not ideal as one would hope. The sensitive Gordie is the “invisible boy” in his own home, even more so after his older brother Dennie’s death from a Jeep accident. Shown in the young Gordie’s memories, his brother was considerate and encouraging towards him than his parents, especially his domineering father. In the two scenes with the brothers together, Dennie gives Gordie his Yankees baseball cap and praises a story he had written while their father chooses to keep the subject of Dennie’s all-star football match at the dinner table. Evidently, Gordie bears a resemblance to his brother, according to a store clerk he encounters while purchasing food for the trip.

Gordie providing the food for the group alludes to the boys’ maturity, as well. Though they want to gain a newfound wisdom after they find Ray Brower’s corpse, the boys still lack basic judgment. They forget to pack food for their excursion and have to contribute pocket change to survive, which comes to a paltry $2.37, with Vern having only seven cents. In another instance of youthful naïveté, a farfetched urban legend about the vicious junkyard dog Chopper—reputable for attacking specific parts of the male anatomy—also confirms their simplicity consistent within their age group. This legend is debunked when it is seems Chopper is only a small golden retriever. In one scene, their boyish innocence in an age where early stages of puberty loom over them, indicative when they mention Annette Funicello’s increasing breast size on The Mickey Mouse Club.

In one exchange between Gordie and his father, he tells his son that he does not approve of his friends, which he deems “a thief [Chris] and two feebs [Teddy and Vern].” His father’s denigration towards them dooms him, but it provides a springboard from his father’s all-American standards, since Gordie’s friends do not possess the machismo or intellectual as his older brother’s. The emotional layers within the characters that permeate the film are quite evident. Teddy emulates the valiant military soldier in his father, through ersatz battle cries and machine gun fire. The fact that he endured his abuse does not matter to him; what he sees in his eyes is a true man who withstood combat. Chris has committed petty crimes, but he does not want to share the notoriety his family is known for at Castle Rock. He becomes a victim of prejudice when he returns milk money he had stolen from school to one of his teachers. However, the money had not been returned, resulting in a three-day suspension for Chris, all because the teacher stole it back to buy a new dress.

In their writings of coming-of-age films, George Aichele and Richard G. Walsh state that often in this genre, when a protagonist chooses to separate from their home and community, they journey along and conquer obstacles with the help of a friend that serves as a guide. In a scene that separates the boys into two separate groups along the train tracks, there is an implication that Gordie has a worldly skill to become successful in the future, but not as bright for the other three, obstructed by their idiosyncrasies. Stand By Me takes place shortly before the new school year, and the boys are each defined by the “shop” and “college” courses they will enroll. Whatever Chris believes that Gordie will befriend better classmates, while the rest will be “with the rest of the retards, making ashtrays and birdhouses.” To Chris, if Gordie remains with the gang, he will not become successful as a writer. However, Gordie’s lingering thoughts over his father’s harsh opinions—not explicitly present in the film—make him doubtful about these notions and does not wish to leave his friends.

As their journey grows precarious, the sooner their relationship wanes. Gordie spends a moment of solitude away from his friends, when he makes eye contact with a deer on the train tracks. To him, this is more significant than the usual horseplay he participates in with his friends. His communication with nature reflects how Gordie had felt alone, having lost his brother and raised by an unappreciative family, but if the deer is able to adapt to its surroundings and survive on its own, so can he. However, after the group moves forward across a deep pond, they fool around and dunk each other before they find leeches on their bodies. After evacuating from the water, Gordie faints after finding a leech in his private region. The gang has second thoughts about continuing their journey but Gordie wants to move forward. The narrator implies he would have wanted to travel alone and focus on the task, and not engage in immature antics any longer.

In an age where life demands Gordie and his friends to make decisions about expectations in education, Ray Brower’s corpse is the transition into their teenage years before they arrive back at school. The store clerk mentions a quote from the Bible that acknowledges mortality: “In the midst of life, we are in death.” Though the boys are able to enjoy life’s pleasures, they should not take full advantage of them. When Gordie sees the body, he sobs, wondering why Dennie had died and left him with an ungracious family, stemmed from a nightmare that occurs earlier in the film. In the dream, Dennie’s casket lowers underground, and Gordie’s father turns to his other son and states that it should have been Gordie who died. Meanwhile, rival hoodlums older than the boys, with Chris’ brother Eyeball among them, decide to claim the body and threaten to kill them if they interfere. Like Gordie and his friends, publicity is their gain.

Earlier in the film, a part of Gordie’s deceased brother is desecrated when Eyeball snatches his baseball cap back home. When Ace (the leader of the group) attacks Chris, Gordie commits his own righteous act by pointing at Ace with a .45 caliber handgun he brought along. His retribution has a dual purpose—Gordie refuses to have his memories stripped away and perhaps, a change of heart over Ray Brower’s corpse. Ace and his gang leave, and the boys decide not to claim the body, leaving behind the accolades they yearned throughout their entire trip. When they travel back home, they barely speak to each other, their lives restricted and their town of Castle Rock smaller and different from when they left.

Life, especially childhood, is short. In a coming-of-age film, if the protagonist has a friend that serves as a guide, after the obstacles they have withstood, they at least consider their advice. Gordie becomes a writer, obviously encouraged by Chris, and this story serves as his latest written work in progress. He reveals that he had not seen the rest of the gang in years, but he reveals their futures ahead of them, as they wave their farewells to each other and fade away. Vern is a married man with four children, working as a forklift operator in a lumberyard. Teddy’s deformed ear and poor eyesight led to his rejection from the Army, and has spent time in prison, leading to low-level odd jobs around Castle Rock. Chris enrolled in the college courses with Gordie and became a lawyer before he is stabbed to death in a fast-food restaurant. His last sentence he writes on his computer sends the message further: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve.  Jesus, does anybody?”

Director Rob Reiner spoke about his interpretation on the film’s meaning and stated: “It was all about the beginnings of learning to like yourself, beginning to accept yourself, with the help of good friends who could help you validate yourself by seeing what was good in you.”

[whitejeweler]

Welcome to Music Monday when we often feature throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In late March 1969, Dennis Yost and Classics IV reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with “Traces,” a melancholy song about a man looking back on his life and longing for the love that got away.

In the song, the man finds a trove of items from the past that brings back vivid memories of a relationship that “didn’t work out right.” Among his “traces of love” is a ring.

He sings, “Ribbons from her hair / Souvenirs of days together / The ring she used to wear / Pages brown, an old love letter / Traces of love long ago / That didn’t work out right / Traces of love with me tonight.”

In the final verses, the man says a prayer, hoping that the love of his life will someday come back and dry the traces of tears from his eyes.

Even though “Traces” was released more than 52 years ago, it still gets significant airplay on oldies stations and is considered a classic. In fact, BMI placed “Traces” 32nd on its list of the top 100 songs of the 20th century.

Frontman Yost told the The Tennessean newspaper in 2002 that Classics IV was “the first soft-rock band.” The smooth, easy-listening style of Classics IV stood in stark contrast to the Woodstock-generation protest songs that were popular during the same period.

Classics IV was formed in Jacksonville, FL, in 1965, and is best known for the hits “Spooky” (1967), “Stormy” (1968) and “Traces” (1969).

During the 1980s, Yost became a popular act on the rock nostalgia circuit. In 2008, he passed away at the age of 65.

Please check out the audio clip of Yost and Classics IV performing “Traces.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Traces” Written by Buddy Buie, J. R. Cobb and Emory Gordy Jr. Performed by Classics IV, featuring Dennis Yost.

Faded photograph Covered now with lines and creases Tickets torn in half Memories in bits and pieces

Traces of love long ago That didn’t work out right Traces of love

Ribbons from her hair Souvenirs of days together The ring she used to wear Pages brown, an old love letter

Traces of love long ago That didn’t work out right Traces of love with me tonight

I close my eyes and say a prayer That in her heart she’ll find A trace of love still there Somewhere, oh, oh

Traces of hope in the night That she’ll come back and dry These traces of tears from my eyes

Credit: Image by Bill Lowery Talent (management), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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[chambersonmaine]

how to help your somewhat  grieving best friend

My best friend lost his brother. At first thought, that sounds devastating, an unbearable loss filled with pain that no child, or family in general, should have to live with. But Gordo always had a complicated relationship with Denny. I’m not sure that he would outwardly admit it to anyone, but he was jealous of his brother. Their parents obviously always favored him and expected Gordie to be just like Denny. Why don’t they understand that he can’t BE Denny? Why won’t they just let him be himself? Gordie is one of the smartest and most genuine people that I’ve ever met. Adults don’t know nothing. They want us all to be these perfect little play things that they get to dress up and make into whatever they want. The ones of us that won’t conform get thrown into the garbage, leaving us to be picked apart by sewer rats and vultures. 

Damnit, I just want my best friend to be happy. Is that honestly too much to ask for? His jackass father already hates Vern. Teddy, and I, thinks we’re all good-for-nothing low lives. Pretty sure he thinks that we’re turning his last son into one too. We’re not like Denny’s friends. Gordie isn’t Denny. 

I don’t know how to help Gordie. Obviously, he’s hurting something bad, but there’s too many burns in there for me to soothe. Shit, man, I just want him to be happy. How do I make him feel happy?