#ESPECIALLY debbie reynolds dress

[sheepwithspecs]

dance scenes that make me want to wear dresses more often

video link:

[fashionbooksmilano]

Hollywood Moments

By Murray Garrett

With an introductory note by Debbie Reynolds

Abrams, New York 2002, 178 pages, 24x30,5cm, 145 duotone photographa, ISBN 978-0810932425

euro 80,00

A follow-up to Hollywood Candid showcases 145 images of stars taken during intimate or irreverent moments, in a volume containing many never-before-seen photos and complemented by personal reminiscences.

he pathos of Old Hollywood emerges in this dazzling collection of black-and-white photos from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Celebrity photojournalist Garrett captured his subjects at nightclubs, industry soirées and parties-an in-between world where stars tried to enjoy their private lives while still very much on public display. Garrett maintained a studied reserve toward the celebrities (he made a point of never addressing them by their first names) and his photos have a appealing mixture of intimacy and detachment as the celebrities drink, laugh and carouse while tricked out in formal wear and immaculate hair-dos. He is especially fascinated with Hollywood divas like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Leslie Caron and Ava Gardner; his photos show the warmth of these vibrant personalities while hinting at the strain they suffered in maintaining their glamorous facades. The photos are accompanied by piquant reminiscences: of the wise-cracking Zsa-zsa Gabor shoving her way into every picture frame, the lovable Jimmy Durante shoving his way into oncoming traffic, and the thuggish Milton Berle shoving hapless underlings out of his dressing room. In one tense picture worth a thousand words, a vampy Lauren Bacall embraces Van Heflin while her husband, Humphrey Bogart, looks on ("I heard Bogey say, in a chilled tone, 'Van, that's close enough'"). In these lively, unlacquered but sympathetic portraits, celebrities emerge as flawed, human and never entirely free of self-consciousness.

17/10/23

[yowyowyaoi]

The Akatsuki’s Favorite Halloween Movies

Deidara, Hidan and Tobi: Halloween (1978) and Halloween II (1981)

The iconic theme song. The silent killer stalking his victims in the chill of the night. The way he never says any words, never gives any warning sign of his presence until it’s too late. There are a thousand different reasons why these two movies are the favorite of this particular trio. They like to camp out in the living room and watch them back to back. Sometimes they’ll eat snacks, sometimes they’ll style each others hair, a couple of times they’ve carved pumpkins like the characters in the movie. Deidara and Tobi love the first Halloween the most, and neither felt like such a perfection in storytelling really needed a sequel. Tobi especially likes to argue on how Michael Myers is scary not because of the mask (while touching his own) but because you as the viewer don’t know the motivations behind why he targets this particular group of people. Hidan got them into Halloween II and insists that it’s still scary even knowing (some) of Myer’s thought processes. And Deidara has to admit the lab explosion scene at the end is “an artistic masterpiece, hm!”

Konan: Hocus Pocus (1993)

Konan doesn’t really like scary movies, exactly. She likes things that are light and childlike, and films that evoke a sense of nostalgia. No Halloween movie gives her that sense of fulfillment quite like Hocus Pocus. The story of the boy who was turned into a cat trying to save his sister  resonates with Konan, as she would have done anything to save her “family” (Yahiko and Nagato). The sweet teen love story between Max and Allison really moves her, and she has a soft spot for Max’s quirky little sister Dani. And speaking of sisters, The Sanderson Sisters holds a place on Konan’s heart as some of the greatest “villains” of all time. She’s made Deidara and Itachi sing “I Put A Spell On You “ with her more times than they care to admit, with her as the lead witch of Winnie. They’ve even dressed up as the sisters one Halloween, with Konan as Winnie, Deidara as Sarah, and Itachi as Mary. They looked fabulous but of course Hidan never lets Deidara or Itachi forget that they “dressed up like chicks”.

Nagato and Kisame: Halloweentown (1998)

Another nostalgic movie that isn’t really scary so much as it’s fun. For both of them, the notion of an entire town where “freaks” aren’t only welcome but are the norm, is very appealing to them. Kisame knows his shark-like appearance would fit right in to this mythical place, and Nagato imagines that he and his Pein bodies could really find their niche there. Kisame in general is a big fan of classic movies, and has long since been a fan of the work of Debbie Reynolds. When he found out that she played the lovable witch grandmother to Marnie in this movie, well, he was hooked. The two like to eat a lot of candy while watching this movie (it’s the only time of year that either of them truly indulges in sweets) and discuss ways they could improve the government of this fabled town.

Kakuzu: Beetlejuice 1988

Kakuzu admires the character of Beetlejuice. The man is long dead yet he’s managed to use his talent of being repulsive as a means to earn income by scaring living people out of ghosts’ former homes. Kakuzu’s always says that “Hell runs on money”, and this movie gives credibility to the idea that he’s right. He hopes that if and when he finally dies, he will be able to use his talents of bounty hunting in the afterlife to keep on earning money. Maybe wrangling up wayward spirits that don’t accept that they’ve passed on? Or souls that don’t follow whatever the rules of the afterlife are? Kakuzu sees the possibilities as being endless. Kakuzu has also always had an eye for architecture and especially buildings or structures that are way outside of the norm. He’s fascinated by the remodeling that Delia Deetz does to Maitland’s house, and secretly would love such a bizarrely constructed house to live in himself one day. 

Itachi: A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Itachi despises Freddy Krueger. In his mind, the man being burned alive was too light a punishment for the atrocious acts he committed against children. BUT the Uchiha was understandably drawn in by the concept of being able to control and manipulate someone through their dreams. Very similar to gengetsu, and some of the nightmares that Freddy gives to people have become inspiration for visions that Itachi’s given to his enemies. Konan likes to watch this movie with him, as she likes the character of Nancy Thompson; but she gets so scared during the movie that she has to hold on to Itachi’s arm for support the whole time. Itachi often comes away with deep fingerprints imbedded into his skin the next day.

Zetsu: Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)

It should be no big surprise that a movie about a sentient plant with a rapidly developing lust for human flesh would be Zetsu’s favorite Halloween film. He loves how manipulative the plant Audrey II is with Seymour, and how easily he’s able to convince him to “feed” him. Zetsu also loves how campy this movie is, with the overzealous acting and the constant musical numbers. He’s tried to convince the entire Akatsuki to put this on as a play, and invite people from neighboring villages to come and watch. When Nagato questioned what they would do after the viewers realized they were all Akatsuki members, Zetsu’s solution was to invite them backstage to “meet” Audrey II … and never emerge again. Of course his idea was shot down, but he still loves the movie and watches it at least 10 times every October.

Sasori and Orochimaru: Child’s Play (1988)

This one almost seems too obvious, but Sasori really, REALLY loves the character of Charles Lee Ray, aka Chucky. Finding a way to beat death by transferring his soul into a body that could never be hurt, or age, or die? Sasori was sold from the first time his grandmother let him watch this film as a little boy. Of course Chucky’s body isn’t without flaws; in fact carefully studying Chucky’s design is what’s driven Sasori to make so many improvements on his own body. When Orochimaru was still in the Akatsuki these two would watch Child’s Play and it’s sequels, and argue on whether Chucky had found the best path to immortality. One thing that Sasori can’t relate to, however, is Chucky’s desire to transfer his soul back out of a doll and into another human body. Sasori prefers to stay in his doll body for eternity. Orochimaru, however, was very, very intrigued at the idea of putting one’s essence into different bodies, and this movie opened up his mind to hours of research (and eventually trial and error) on the subject.

[cressida-jayoungr]

Coeli's Picks: Blue, part 2

(Multiple movies listed left to right.)

One Dress a Day Challenge

July: Blue Redux (+ Green Redux)

Love Me or Leave Me (1955) / Doris Day as Ruth Etting

Lady Macbeth (2016) / Florence Pugh as Katherine Lester

Mirror, Mirror (2012) / Lily Collins as Snow White

"I didn't realize until just now that this is a wedding dress! Ah well."

Dangerous Liaisons (1988) / Glenn Close as the Marquise de Merteuil

(I actually featured this one during the first month of blue--see here.)

Crimson Peak (2015) / Jessica Chastain as Lady Lucille Sharpe

Mad Men / Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris

"I've never watched the show, but the costuming, especially for this character, is stunning."

Murder on the Orient Express (1974) / Jacqueline Bisset as Countess Elena Andrenyi

"Tricky to find a good shot of this one, as she's often seen in a white fur stole that partially obscures it and is mostly sitting down."

(And what an interesting neckline!)

Singin' in the Rain (1952) / Debbie Reynolds as Kathy Selden

Immortal Beloved (1994) / Valeria Golino as Giulietta Guicciardi

The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) / Jane Russell as Mamie Stover

[whoslaurapalmer]

top five black and white movies !! 👀

I Love Being Asked About Movies And Yet I Suffer Because I Must Pick So Few. alas.......

black and white specifically........hmmmm.......................okay so once again this is perhaps not The top 5 but certainly A top 5 re: movies, a top 5 i have scraped around in my brain for to shake up my default picks

-the night of the hunter has some extreme light and shadow, especially shadow, and i don't think it would have worked, i don't think it would be the same movie, without those extremes.

-les yeux sans visage has some really striking and haunting shots, and a bit of blood that i think would have read as weird in color, but is perfectly acceptable in black and white. and the face mask, too!! i don't think it would have been the same if it wasn't so, fuzzy and muted and gray. almost blending into her face until the light hits it right and you really feel the sadness and horror of it.

-inherit the wind. i never want to say a lot about inherit the wind bc i feel it speaks for itself but i think it's a gorgeous movie, AND it has gene kelly in a non-dancing and non-singing role, which i love.

-GOD I SHOULD REALLY PICK A COMEDY OR SOMETHING. one of the things i find fascinating about black and white is that, well clearly it was filmed in color (never forget the story of carl reiner being asked 'so how do you feel about the dick van dyke show being colorized? won't it be strange to see it like that?' and he said 'well, we filmed it in color. i saw it in color. while we were shooting.'), but i just cannot imagine it in color (like, myrna loy's christmas party dress in the thin man. it's probably like, red and white, like a candy cane, bc it was christmas. but to me it is gray and white, bc that's how it shows up on the screen, and i love it like that.), and i think that becomes really funny and charming in a movie like, mr. blandings builds his dream house. it's a light and fun little time with cary grant and myrna loy, uh, building their dream house, and there's a moment where myrna loy is describing the super particular paint shades she wants. and it's in black and white. does she ever get her robin's egg blue?????? but it also still doesn't matter that it's in black and white!! you still haven't lost anything!!!

-the gazebo. for some reason it took quite a few watches for this movie to grow on me, like when i first watched it i didn't think it executed everything right but i loved the idea of it so much i still just kept watching it, until it became a movie i go back to with relative frequency. it's just such a fun little black comedy with like, all the pieces of a noir, you could say, murder and blackmail and a man turned to the darkest act by circumstances, at times shadowy and dark, just played entirely as a comedy, bc it's also so fucking absurd. there's a pigeon!!!! there's a phone call with alfred hitchcock!!!!! the murder victim is wrapped in shower curtains!!! lo and behold, carl reiner is here!!!!!! my all time favorite character actor, john mcgiver, is here, pronouncing gazebo as gaze-bo!!!! debbie reynolds gets some of the best dialogue in the whole movie!!!!!!!

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Connie and Carla

I know nothing about this film requested by Chad other than the following facts: It was Nia Vardalos’s follow-up to the indie smash hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and it was universally reviled by audiences and critics alike. So I’m in for a fun afternoon! The plot is your basic Some Like It Hot ripoff - Connie (Vardalos) and Carla (Toni Collette) are childhood best friends who have spent their whole lives performing together, believing they are destined for musical theater greatness. After witnessing a murder, they go on the run and hide out in the last place anyone would think to look for them - as women pretending to be men pretending to be women, aka performers in a drag queen bar in L.A. Everything’s going great until a BOY shows up (David Duchovny), and Connie falls for him. Gender gags, musical theater numbers, mistaken identify, Russian mobsters, hijinks - yeah, we’ve all drunk this cocktail before. So was this top shelf, or something found in a plastic jug at the gas station? Well...

How about a mid-level ridiculous flavored vodka? Like Pinnacle Whipped Cream or something. The film’s conceptions of gender (and of straight women’s feelings of entitlement to what should be LGBTQ spaces) are not my favorite. But its heart is in the right place and overall this leads to something pretty fun and charming, especially if you happen to love musical theater.

Some thoughts:

If there were an airport lounge where I could watch two sad 30-somethings singing a medley of musical theater’s greatest hits, I would go there every day. I wouldn’t even book a flight, that would just be my favorite bar. I think I would go broke driving to the airport every day and buying drinks in this lounge. I’d have my birthday party there. 

Oh I love Greg Gruenberg in a bit part as the cheesy celebrity bus tour guide in L.A. 

Hello David Duchovny as Jeff! He was my first celebrity crush, and his aw shucks nice guy thing in this movie is really working for me. 

This is wildly offensive to drag queens not because of stereotypes, but because no drag act would ever come so ill-prepared with a Rocky Horror number. I recognize that in 2004 we didn’t have over a decade of RuPaul’s Drag Race under our belts, but c’mon, even the most sheltered Midwestern queer would come with something better than this. 

Is this supposed to be some kind of feminist statement about beauty standards in L.A.? This anti-botox rant Connie and Carla go on, and the makeover of the woman in the salon - no no no, straight hair and beige lipstick is Bad but curly hair and lip liner is Good. It feels confusing that we’re supposed to see this as empowering when we’re just trading one commodified flavor of femininity for another. 

There’s something that just feels deeply wrong about these women taking one of the only paying drag gigs in town, particularly when actual drag performers come to them and beg them to open up their act to include other drag queens. Note that they all offer up tangible skills - I can sew a dress in 3 hours, I can do incredible makeup, I’ve got great choreography. Yes Connie and Carla can sing, but drag is meant to be performative - the artifice is part of what makes it an art form. Smarter queer people than me have written about this, but even for the uneducated, there’s something about this concept that feels off, wrong and exploitative, and deeply rooted in straight privilege. It’s the same icky feeling I get at the gay bar when all the seats for the drag show are taken up by straight women’s bachelorette parties, while actual queer women and men who came to see the show are pushed to standing room. 

Ok, I do kind of love these interludes with Tibor (Boris McGiver) looking for the girls in every dinner theater and Broadway show in the country and the only show playing is Mame every time. Fun fact - McGiver’s father actually starred in the 1974 version of Mame!

Feels a little weird that Connie is the one who is explaining to Jeff why drag queens “like to dress up.” Is this being an ally or just erasing and talking over queer folks’ experiences? This is what I mean when I say it feels off - I don’t think it’s malicious, but the way the film handles queer stories feels like a dismissal, an invalidation. Like these straight women can do queer camp better than these gay men. 

Did Carla literally just say “I need to get out of this closet”????

Connie is literally the worst at maintaining a cover. The trappings of fame are proving too alluring! 

As far as performances go, Collette and Vardalos have great chemistry, and Duchovny is being pretty dreamy as the romantic lead who’s around because he’s trying to reconnect with his estranged brother, Robert (Stephen Spinella). Nobody is winning an acting award for this, but Collette especially is a lot of bubbly fun.

Jeff is a difficult character to grapple with. On the one hand, he doesn’t always handle Robert’s sexuality with grace or compassion, and that can be difficult to watch as a queer person because we all have experienced that same kind of look, that tone of “why can’t you just be normal?” However, he’s putting in an honest effort to grow, and I think that should count for something. Also he straight up gets sexually assaulted by Connie, so I don’t blame him for having a hard time feeling comfortable around the drag queen scene. And that’s another fucked up thing, just adding to the “gay men are predatory and will put the moves on straight guys at the first chance” stereotype. 

Even though it sounds cringey as hell when he says it, I’m sure it is probably cathartic for any gay kid who stumbles across this movie and hears Jeff make his big speech about “I should have just loved you and accepted you and not cared about the fact that you wear dresses.” That’s what I mean when I say the script seems to have its heart in the right place even though the way it’s expressing a lot of these ideas just reinforces the status quo rather than interrogating it, or propping up the stories of people who live outside that status quo.

My god, do I love Debbie Reynolds in this head-to-toe red glitter number.

Yeah I don’t think all these queens would take this kindly to being lied to and having their act infiltrated by a couple of straight women. Like this feels laughably “all’s well that ends well.” 

Did I Cry? Ok, a tear slipped out when Jeff and Robert hugged for the first time. 

This was a very interesting watch. I know I seem to be dragging this shit out of this movie, but I actually largely enjoyed the experience of watching it. It’s got a very 2004-esque view of some complex gender and sexuality issues (and wouldn’t it have been so much more interesting if a queer person had written this and was able to use it to interrogate issues of femininity and its performance as it relates to queerness?). BUT, honestly, the whole thing is Shakespearean in its plot and its broad strokes characters. You’ve got crossdressing, mistaken identity, some light gay panic, long lost brothers reuniting - all that’s missing is a Duke and a forest setting, and you’ve got half of Shakespeare’s comedies right there. And much like Shakespeare, there’s nothing here that hasn’t been done before - it’s the medium parts of Some Like It Hot, the general plot of Sister Act (swap nuns for drag queens), the gender panic of every cross-dressing movie. All very surface-level stuff but there’s a reason these same kind of stories have been putting butts in seats for 400 years. 

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

[norashelley]

for the two faced shades ask... candy fairy!

also I am so sorry about your beloved cat, and I am sending you much love!

candy fairy: name a fashion icon from each decade of the 20th century Well this one will be nice and distracting and take some time to think about! 1900′s - Maude Fealy So many dreamy fairy tale looks often with her long flowing hair, white dresses and flower crowns.

1910′s - Mary Pickford She wore the 1910′s fashions so beautifully, especially the ringlets but even with her hair up she was always sporting some great fashions of the time! One of my favorite fashion eras.

1920′s - Coleen Moore She perfectly embodied everything 1920s and with a fun girlish flare that I love!

1930′s - Claudette Colbert She always wore such beautiful things and I love her sense of style in the 30s especially.

1940′s - Marsha Hunt I don’t think there has ever been someone more fashionable than Marsha Hunt. She was always impeccably dressed and her loves of sleeves matches with my love sleeves. I highly recommend her book on fashion “The Way We Wore”

1950′s - Debbie Reynolds She really suited those full 50s skirts that I love so much! I especially love how she would match with her daughter Carrie sometimes! So cute!

1960′s - Penelope Tree I love how different she was and how unique her styling was! Especially with these folk themed outfits she modeled often.

1970′s - Princess Anne This might seem pretty random, especially since I don’t really pay attention to or care that much about British royals but she wore so many of the long flowing dresses with the epic sleeves that I love and adore so much from the 70s so I had to choose her!

1980′s - Strawberry Switchblade When it comes to the 80s I love the over the top, wild and slightly gothic looks so I have to go with girls of Strawberry Switchblade who did it like no one else.

1990′s - Lisa Bonet She has always had such a cool style, I especially love her dark grungy period.

Thank you for your condolences. It’s been a hard year and somehow anniversary make things much harder. I think it’s hard for people to understand how much that cat affected every part of life and understand why it’s been such a devastating loss for me so it means a lot to have your warm thoughts. I ended up spending all night searching for images for this so it did indeed take my mind off things so thank you <3

[hilarieburtonmorgan]

MORNINGS WITH HILARIE BURTON MORGAN AT MISCHIEF FARM

In the series ‘Mornings With’, we begin a new day with inspiring talent in film, television and media, in an equally inspiring place in New York. ROSE & IVY founding editor, Alison Engstrom sits down and chats about morning routines, exciting projects and what inspires them and drives them to be their very best. Given the current climate, we had to switch gears slightly, but we are beyond delighted to meet Hilarie Burton Morgan at her farm in Upstate New York.

In this day and age, curling up with a good book that transports, uplifts and makes you want to be a better human is vital. In our newest edition of Mornings With, I am incredibly excited to chat with Hilarie Burton Morgan about her debut book, The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm. In this heartfelt and honest work, which is part memoir and part DIY with other life antidotes—hot pepper flakes to keep squirrels out of the garden (genius!), the Burton pickle recipe and how to make dandelion wine—she wants to inspire readers to take a risk. She speaks eloquently about what she had to endure in her early days as an actress, her search for meaning, building a life on a farm, relationship obstacles, grief, fertility struggles, losing herself and then ultimately finding herself. I also talked to her about her morning routines, how she lives her life with intention and the importance of creating a community.

Would you say are you a morning person?

I have always been the kind of person who wakes up in the morning in a good mood. I like potential and mornings are full of potential—I have been that way since I was little. I am absolutely a morning person, however, I don’t get dressed until the afternoon because I cherish the morning. I can get a lot of things done in a bathrobe, so I make my mornings last as long as possible

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? 

I have to get my kids going so the first thing I do is I get my son up and make him breakfast, then pack his lunch and then I’ll go and get my daughter up and get her dressed. Then we do school drop off. I am most productive in my morning hours; it’s when I am making my lists and doing the things that require higher brain function, like answering emails, because then I can go into manual labor mode at the end of the day, hunker down and get my work done.

I know that coffee is important to you because you have a section about it in the book—a girl after my own heart! How do you prepare it?

I go through a yearly cycle where halfway through the summer, my sweet tooth kicks in and it’s when I use a lot of creamer, I like putting hazelnut creamer into my coffee that is my guilty pleasure. I also love a good gas station coffee, where it’s like the French vanilla latte— it’s just sugar with some brown food coloring. Then the other six months, I drink it black and as temperatures are starting to warm up, I don’t want all of the dairy and I just like it thin, angry and very, very strong.   At Samuel’s Sweet Shop we serve Partner’s Coffee and we also have a deal with Brooklyn Roasting Company—they created a coffee for us that we are going to be selling on the Mischief Farm website.

“I have always been the kind of person who wakes up in the morning in a good mood. I like potential and mornings are full of potential.”

Do you have a motivating morning mantra or meditation practice that helps to frame your day?

I don’t have a meditation practice; making lists I think is very important for me, it’s something that I have always done. My dad has this phrase that he has had forever, which I talk about in the book. It is: the want to, creates the how-to. If  you want something bad enough, you will creatively think of every way you can get it and how to do it. If you aren’t able to figure out how to do it, and you are like meh, maybe you didn’t really want it in the first place. So going into each day thinking about what I want to do and how am I going to get it is one mantra. And another mantra is, I used to do a lot of student government growing up and one convention had this huge banner with a motto that said: if not you, then who?  It’s one of those universal truths that everyone should probably say, I mean, if you don’t jump on it, who else is going to do it? That’s a call to arms.

Before we talk about your book, how are you and your family doing during this time? Per your Instagram, you have been busy at work sewing masks for frontline workers.

I don’t feel great—I  feel like there's much more that we can be doing. The problem I think specifically with being a mom right now is that we are working, we are mothering, we are housekeeping and trying to do all of these things while trying to be an active member of our community; we aren’t succeeding necessarily at any of them. We are getting by with a lot of these things, but we have to be okay with just getting by right now. There are no wins right now or we have to reevaluate what wins are right now, we have to be very gentle with ourselves and not be judgy. I got mad at myself this morning because I hadn't made masks in four days and I felt like I was letting people down. It’s hard because it’s all I want to focus on—I could churn out like 200 if I could just sit down alone and do it but I have people sending me messages about how to do it or asking me to connect makers with facilities that need things and so a lot of that coordination eats up a lot of time and at the end of the day, I look at my pile of masks and it's not as big as I want it to be. Because it is all unknown, there is no clear directive on what our next best thing is. Right now my daughter is obsessed with Frozen II and it’s been on repeat in our house. There is a song in it The Next Right Thing and I feel like Disney purposefully did this to me (laughs) because it is in my head right now. Do the next right thing, maybe it’s the dishes, the laundry, or making a mask. 

Congratulations on your first book The Rural Diaries! It’s wonderful—you speak so eloquently about love, loss, growth, grief, happiness, ups and downs in a relationship, losing yourself and finding yourself, with so many other real and raw emotions that are very relatable.  What was the process like and did you always want the book to be so honest?

I honestly set out to write a book about the farm and to encourage people to take risks. As I sat down to write it, I was pregnant with my daughter, I started it two months before she was born and then wrote it until last May. It took me a long time, especially the editing process of making sure that everything made sense and was accurate. I was very precious with it. That said, I didn't set out to write something that was so oversharing but I think that in order to encourage people to take big risks, I needed to admit the things that I had done wrong and to admit my vulnerabilities, my insecurities, because I am a deeply insecure person, and that’s not a bad thing, it just means that I care. So I felt like a fraud writing oh, this is my farm and aren’t my flowers pretty, kind of book.  So much effort went into cultivating this lifestyle and it felt cheap not to acknowledge it.

“ I don’t want to be a person who mindlessly does things. I don’t want to coast because I think it’s a disservice to people who I have lost. If I am not taking advantage of every single day, it’s an affront to the loss. ”

As I was reading it, you could feel your blood, sweat and tears and all of  the work that went into making a home and also your DIY spirit. I love that the bigger picture, as you said is to take a risk. If you stay in your comfort zone your whole life you will look back in 20 years and be disappointed that you didn’t even try.  Would you say that it was the biggest leaf of faith you’ve taken?

I would say it was the biggest gamble because I am not near my old support network, there was no family or friends here. It was me and my son in a cabin. Jeffrey (Dean Morgan, Hilarie’s husband) was coming back and forth from work and we were trying to figure out how we were going to create a life up here. You put your energy into your priorities right and a lot of people make work their priority. What we are discovering in this current situation is that maybe what’s going on in your home could be a bigger priority. Let’s make healthy circles, work might be an outer circle and home is an inner circle. Now we have this amazing support network because we made connecting with the people in our town a priority. It’s  paying off specifically right now because we are so interconnected and we can take care of each other in a lot of different ways.

What I loved so much about the book is that it feels like your heart, mind and soul lined up when you found where you belonged in Rhinebeck, New York. It was like a moment of grace.

I remember being a little girl and we weren’t allowed to go to other people's houses or have friends over. I was one of a lot of kids—I have three younger brothers—and it was like, play with each other! I’d hide out in my room all day and just daydream. I was a huge daydreamer and a big reader; in my mind, I had this idea of what my adulthood would be. It involved caftans, a lot of beads, books, crazy hair and this pastoral lifestyle. There was this character in the movie Tammy and the Bachelor—it’s this Debbie Reynolds movie and there was this old spinster aunt who was super eccentric and wanted to paint cats and I was like that sounds great. So living a lifestyle that was a little bit outside the norm was always something that was appealing. And when I came to Rhinebeck it was like walking  into the backlot of a Hollywood movie studio, it was beautiful. Everyone knew each other and it felt like a club that you wanted to join, like when you get into high school and you say, I want to be a part of that club. I wanted to be a part of it, so I made it a priority to get to know people and offer up help. When there is a charity event, it's like, what can I do? It feels nice to have the family that you choose for yourself.

What was it about the acting world that lured you in? Would you say you were a natural performer?

I had been doing theater since I was eight. I asked to be put in classes when I was four or five—I was very articulate about wanting to be a performer as a child. My parents, God bless them, gave me every opportunity they could afford. I did all of the local and regional theater in Virginia. They would get off work and spend all night taking me to rehearsals. They would drive me up to New York once a month so I could audition. We would rent a car, it was a big deal. I did a lot of professional theater as a kid so that was always there. My decision to go to college in New York was solely based on wanting to be where the opportunities existed. I just applied to every school  in Manhattan and went to the one that gave me the most money. I love the city because there is so much kismet in it, when Manhattan feels like a small town, it’s magical. I’ll run into people from like 20 years ago who I worked with at MTV.

“I honestly set out to write a book about the farm to encourage people to take risks.”

In the book, you talk about how you were very disappointed when you left One Tree Hill. later in the book, you revealed what you had to endure on set.

I was so disappointed that I got everything that I wanted and it was just so toxic, there really isn’t any other way to describe it. I am very good friends with the cast of that show and I am very good friends with so many crew members of that show but there was an overarching toxic thing. When it’s your first job, you assume that every other job will just be more of that, I was exhausted by that and really second guessed my life. It wasn’t until I got my next big job on White Collar, where I saw what it was supposed to be. I saw what leadership was supposed to look like, how people were supposed to be treated and how your boss can be an ally, as opposed to someone terrorizing you the whole entire time. I remember joking and telling a group of the writers some horror stories of One Tree Hill and laughing about it, saying, oh my gosh and you wouldn’t believe it and I remember them stopping me as a young women, I was 27, and saying, it’s not supposed to be like that and we are so so sorry that happened to you. I was so embarrassed that someone had to take me by the shoulders and tell me that. It set the bar very high for future jobs. When you get the right baseline, it’s all very manageable and fun. I love doing what I do but there was a period of time where I was so scared that what I had imagined this industry was didn't exist.

It definitely made me prioritize my personal life over my professional life. Because in my professional life, specifically on that job, I was told, you are so wonderful! You are the best! You are the best actress, the prettiest, the most talented. I was the one going out and doing all of the press, doing all of the interviews and engaging with all of the sponsors—I played the game hard for that show, because I thought that they loved me but when I raised my hand and said that there was some really bad stuff going on here, it was all of a sudden you are disposable, you don’t matter to us, we can replace you.  So I knew that I had to create something real in my life so that that work thing couldn’t touch the core anymore. It derailed me, it was like a really bad divorce.

While renovating your home you said, “Even with all the blood, sweat and tears. I felt like I was coming back to the truest version of myself.” It’s a great metaphor of how you were also rebuilding how you felt inside. 

I think that manual labor is very important for self-esteem—being an actress you are treated like you are a little idiot. If you have input of what your lines should be or how you want to wear your hair, your costume or what props you want, in good work environments there is collaboration, in toxic work environments there is eye-rolling, it's like oh, you little idiot, stay in your lane—-just hit your mark, say your lines and go home. So doing tangible work, where I could be in total control and that I controlled the end product was so good for my self-esteem and my self-worth. To this day, I still revert back to that. I just ordered five gallons of paint that got delivered yesterday because I feel so out of control in the midst of this pandemic and what I can control is the color of my living room walls. So when my children go to bed at night, I will be painting my living room. 

“It’s very important that our children witnessed us dividing and conquering and playing to each other’s strengths and championing each other’s strengths.”

You talked about how your friend Scott’s death affected you and that you wanted to “Wake up intentionally. Work intentionally. Eat intentionally. And rest intentionally.” I love that.  What does intention mean to you today?

I lifted that whole passage from a journal that I kept right when Scott died. When I set down to write the book, I pulled out my journals from the last 20 years and put them all out and that specific section, I wrote the week after he died. I still want to live by those words. I don’t want to be a person who mindlessly does things. I don't want to coast because I think it’s a disservice to people who I have lost. If I am not taking advantage of every single day, it’s an affront to the loss; it’s being hyperaware. I can’t live up to that every day, no one can, but if we can manage that like three to four days out of the week, that’s good.

You talk about the moment that you pivoted, after you experienced your first miscarriage, you said, “My grief was making me someone I hated.” You channeled that loss into helping others by volunteering at the Astor Services for Children and Families in Rhinebeck. I love how you said, “In working for others, we found ourselves again.”

I feel safe saying that I am a self-loathing person that stems back to some elementary school drama. Everyone carries some degree of that and everyone deals with it. When I have time to sit there and think about myself and woe is me, I can spiral just as much as the next guy, but when I am feeling that time and putting my energy to where people need it and who are desperately seeking help, affirmation or guidance or physical manual labor. It’s not that I feel better about myself but I feel a purpose out of my own self-loathing. I feel like that becomes a tool instead of a liability. You have to use the tools that you have. My self-loathing allows me to rally the troops in town, or put on a show or paint some walls.

So many women are going to relate to your journey to conceive. My heart was breaking for you as you lost your first and then second baby. Was it hard to reflect back on that part of the journey for the book or was it therapeutic?

I needed to write the book that I needed to read when it happened. The narrative with miscarriage is that women are just getting to be open to talking about it, men haven’t reached that yet. James Van Der Beek is one of the only men, who I know, who has spoken on the subject. There was no way for me to know what was going on with my husband and how he felt about my infertility or our losses because the language wasn’t there. Men aren’t allowed to mourn that way, they are expected to be strong and just help me get through it—it’s their job to make sure that I am okay. A girlfriend gave me a book called Vessels: A Love Story by Daniel Raeburn that was written from the male perspective, without Jeffrey even having to come out of his shell, or his garage where he had been hiding out, all of a sudden, I had this guide book for what he was dealing with and it very much softened my perspective. What I wanted to put into the world was for the couple who perhaps was having trouble and that celebrity narrative of oh, this brought us closer together is making them feel like a failure, the same way that it was making me feel like a failure. I wanted them to know that it is perfectly alright for you and your partner to have two different sets of needs in the midst of trauma and it doesn’t mean that you are doomed or aren't destined for each other, it just means that maybe you have to walk two separate paths for a minute. But that doesn't mean you aren’t going to meet back up. I needed people to know that was okay. There wasn’t a lot of information telling me that it was okay.

I love discussing the subject of fear with people because it can often play such a big player in someone’s life. In the book you wrote, “There is an absolute moment of freedom when you realize that the things that used to scare you have no power over you anymore.” I underlined that about three times. Is there anything that makes you feel fear today that you are working to rise above? 

I have to set new goals for myself—I have said out loud I want to direct. I think it’s important to grow female talent in whatever industry. There is this expectation that you become an actress when you are 20 and you just stay an actress for forever, whereas for men, there are a lot of opportunities for them to direct, produce. create and all of that. I would like to grow in that aspect, I mean I am nervous about it because I don’t know if I’ll be any good. I feel like I have been in the business for a long time and I think I am very comfortable in this current stage because I got what I said I wanted, I got my baby and the farm is becoming a well-oiled machine, so then it becomes what types of stories do I want to tell. I want to write another book, so I am thinking about what’s the next book going to be. The fiction book is always there and I have so many short stories, but because you bring it up, the thing I am most scared of is putting fiction out there because it’s something that I have written my whole life for me and the idea of having it scrutinized is terrifying.

“...it is perfectly alright for you and your partner to have two different sets of needs in the midst of trauma and it doesn’t mean that you are doomed or aren’t destined for each other, it just means that maybe you have to walk two separate paths for a minute. ”

What was the process like of creating the book? 

I spoke with a bunch of different publishers and I cannot praise Harper One enough. The second they got my book and my sample chapters, they were like, this is a feminist book. It was a boardroom full of women and they let me pick everything. They let me art direct it and pick every little piece of it because they wanted me to love it—what an amazing partnership. I didn't anticipate that I would be given that freedom. I cannot wait to write another book for them.

In addition to everything that you do, you also help run Samuel’s Sweet Shop, a joint endeavor in Rhinebeck. What’s been one of the biggest lessons you have learned about running a business?

I was very very lucky in that our business partners Andy Ostroy and his girlfriend Phoebe Jonas and then Julie Rudd and her husband Paul have all brought such different skill sets to the endeavor. Andy has had a marketing company in Manhattan for years so he understands business in a way that I don't necessarily do. Julie was a PR executive and knew what we needed to do to create the brand and I was the one who really wanted to do the manual labor part of it. I wanted to be in the shop and touch everything and make it pretty and aesthetically pleasing. It’s very important that our children witnessed us dividing and conquering and playing to each other’s strengths and championing each other’s strengths. I don’t have any illusions that I am good at everything but I have friends who fill in my gaps.

You are currently co-hosting and producing Night In With the Morgans on AMC and have a recurring role on NBC’s new show, “Council of Dads.” What factors have to come into play before you sign onto a new project?

That’s my kismet job. I had a public falling with a former employer because they weren’t as interested in telling as diverse of stories as I did. I just stopped working with them and it was a paycheck I wasn’t getting. I put out into the world that I wanted to tell more diverse stories and then a girlfriend of mine, Tara who I share the same birthday with and who I reference in the book, we were talking about what we wanted to do for our collective birthday that year and I said I wanted to go to Savannah because I had never been. Three days later, I got a phone call and they said, Hilarie, you got to get on a plane, there is this job waiting for you in Savannah, which was Council of Dads. This show is a beautiful showcase of what family, love and connectivity can be. Even though we shot it  pre-pandemic, I cannot think of a better project to put out into the world right now. It feels really weird to be promoting anything right now, knowing how much hurt and anxiety people are feeling, but I feel very comfortable in pointing people in the direction of that show because I feel like it’s a big warm hug.

[formeandmyfics]

Where Did He Go?

JUGENEA FAN FICTION

1963

Author note: I re-watched a dinner scene from ‘Burton & Taylor’ and it was so very Jugenea that I decide to build a snippet around it. That scene is not mine, just edited to fit the Jugenea universe.*

“You’re going to be great, darling,” Judy said holding June Allyson’s face in her hands adoringly.

They two sat in opposite chairs on the CBS soundstage of The Judy Garland Show during the last rehearsal of episode 5, which would tape in front of a live audience the following day.

June’s husband, Dick Powell, had died earlier that year and it left her good friend deeply depressed. So, Judy invited her to perform on her show. It was the first time she had performed since his passing so it left June nervous on how she’d sound. Judy helped her friend with the melodies and showered her with nothing but love and reassurance. But, the hard work on the show and the energy she had been putting out to others left Judy drained. Not to mention, there was current tension at home with her husband.

Gene was the director of the show, their creative baby, as they called it, and at first everything was amazing. He understood her better than anyone, and he had experienced how she had been treated at MGM. She had been overworked, criticized, scrutinized, it goes on and on. Here, he was patient and understanding and open-minded. They were a ‘hell of a team’, even back to the old days when they acted opposite each other. Plus, Gene absolutely loved directing, especially in this medium. When she did her TV Specials, he was only a producer. Now, he was both and they could call all the shots.

But, a month and a half rolled by, and Judy noticed he would stay at work long after she had left. Most days he would come home and continue working for next week’s episode. She’d go to bed alone and wake up alone, as he’d already be out, or he’d be asleep in the adjoining bedroom. They didn’t go out on their usual date nights and any spare time they had was with the children. She knew this work was important, but she also noticed the two were becoming more like housemates than the lovers that they were.

This past week, however, Gene had started to act harder on the cast and crew. He was irritable, becoming too stern, and not as playful with screw ups as he had been previously. Judy knew Gene was a perfectionist, but she never thought he would treat her like some of his female costars in the movies he was with. Debbie Reynolds, for instance, whom he was very hard on because of her unskilled, ingénue stage.

June replied with relief, “Aw thank you, Judes; we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. That laryngitis really got me this time.”

“Nah, you sound like a bell. See you tomorrow, darling.”

“Bye, sweetheart.”

As the two walked off the stage, Judy looked over at her husband who stood in a group of men going over some things. When she caught his attention from across the way, she motioned to him if she was okay to leave. Gene nodded and shoo’d her away.

When Judy got to her dressing room, she noticed a note taped up on her mirror next to all the pictures of the children hanging there. Leaning in closer, she immediately recognized the handwriting and furrowed her brow as she ripped the paper off to read it.

I’ll be working a little late again tonight. Meet me for a late supper and a drink at Musso and Franks in our usual spot. I’ll be there around 9.

Love you sweetheart,

G

Judy smiled. That was her honey. Feeling better, she left the studio right away to go home and get ready.

Precisely at 9 p.m., Judy walked into the popular bistro on Sunset dressed in a sleek, black cocktail dress with her highest stiletto’s, something Gene thought was sexy ever since she started wearing spiked heels during her concert career. She had washed off her thick stage makeup and applied a more natural look but still had her black lashes and fire red lips, something her husband also loved and her short hair was pulled back to look like a French twist.

Tony, the restaurant’s main maître d, held up his hands graciously as she walked through the door.

The short, bald man’s thick Italian accent filled her ears and she smiled warmly, “Ahh, Mrs. Kelly,”

The two were acquainted since the 40’s, when she first started coming there with Vincente, as it was his favorite restaurant. Tony was a new employee and always addressed her by her husband’s last name. The restaurant was known for its discretion. As a popular celebrity spot, it was always private and respectful to its well-known diners.

“You haven’t been here for months, yes?” he asked taking her hand. “Afraid not. We have been busy with work.”

“New television show. I’ve seen it. Magnifico.”

Judy laughed gleefully, “Thank you, Tony. I appreciate that. Is my husband here?”

“Ah, no. But Mr. Kelly did call ahead. We have your favorite booth over here for you.”

“Thank you.”

He led her to a booth directly behind Charlie Chaplin’s booth, a booth named after the actor, one of the restaurants first celebrity diners.  

She had just ordered a glass of her favorite German wine, when Gene walked in. He was in one of his business suits, but not a dinner suit and his expression looked a little stressed as he walked up to her.

“Hi, doll,” he bent over and gave her a kiss on the cheek before sitting across from her.

“I got your note.”

“I knew you’d see it. Sorry I’m late.”

“You’re not.”

“Can I get you something to drink, sir?”

Gene turned to the waiter, “Scotch rocks, please.”

When the waiter walked away, Judy smiled at her husband in comfortable silence.

When he smiled back just the same she spoke up, “This is lovely. Very intimate.”

Gene noticed a couple across the way staring at them in awe and Judy noticed him staring back and she inquired, “What?”

“Bizarre. I mean, all these years and they’re still interested. You’d think they’d tire, but…”

He looked around again and seemed a little distant and Judy sighed, “Are you going to be like this all night? Just drifting off?”

“I was just thinking of the old times at Ciro’s. It’d mostly be all our friends and such but you’d have some tourists or newcomers come in and they’d sit there staring at all of us like they were watching a movie or something. Do you remember?”

“Sure do.”

“Do you ever think of those times at Ciro’s or The Coconut Grove?”

Judy blinked tenderly at the memories still very much alive for her, “Every day.”

The waiter set his drink down, “Here you are, Sir. Would you like to order?”

“Give us a few, thank you,” Gene took a sip of his drink and perched his lips together, “Did you hear about Saul and Patty?”

“No.”

“They’re getting divorced.”

Judy’s mouth opened a tad, “What? You’ve got to be joking.”

“Nope. They’re the last people I thought would get divorced.”

“Under what pretenses?”

“Not entirely sure. I know a while back he mentioned they were drifting apart.”

Judy raised her eyebrows as she looked down fiddling with her nail, “That’s a shame.”

“It’s funny isn’t it?”

“Hm?”

“What’s at the heart of a good relationship? I mean, love obviously, but that’s a catch-all, really. It’s the main area where all the other bits reside under. The question is: what’s the critical element of a fresh relationship, what keeps a couple together?”

“Err, passion for the heart and soul of one another.”

“Maybe.”

“Sex.”

“Hm. Important. Very.”

“Trust.”

“That’s probably it. I always feel I can trust you when it comes to our relationship.”

Judy smiled mischeviously,“Even before we married?”

“Our affair wasn’t about trust, we both know that. It was about perfect timing.”

“Really? That’s what you think bound us: timing? I always thought it was because of my legs.”

They both chuckled.

“Yes, well, they clearly had a role. They’re still magnificent by the way.”

Gene’s eyes shined as he took another sip of his cocktail and she almost blushed.

“So,” he said breaking the trance, “Are you ready to order or…”

“Darling, listen, listen, listen…” she cut him off gently, “I want to say some things. I’ve wanted to say them for a while. I almost did the other night but you seemed stressed…”

He immediately chimed in with a tired sigh, “I am stressed. I mean, we just got the show going and that damn CBS Aubrey is…”

Judy furrowed her brows a little taken back, “No, I’m not talking about the show, Gene. I’m talking about you and me and how our relationship has been since the show.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re overworking yourself and—“

“Judy, please,” he leaned forward on his elbows and lowered his voice, “Can I say something, now that’s it’s on my mind?” Judy nodded apprehensively and he continued, “There are a couple of things which have crept in over the beginning run of the show. They’re tiny things, but, the way you play to the audience, for instance, you seem too involved in knowing you’re on camera. I don’t mean knowing where to hit your mark, because you do that on point, but your confidence level. I think you should play it as if you are back on stage, you know at the Palace or Carnegie Hall…”

Judy stared at him appalled, “You’re giving me notes? I’m trying to talk to my husband, and instead my director is giving me acting notes?”

“No, I…”

Judy pushed her wine glass away from her not interested in the meal anymore, “Jesus, Gene. Why did you ask me out tonight?”

“What?”

“Why did you ask me out to supper tonight? Why did you do that?” she demanded.

“Because I wanted to have dinner with you and get a drink after a hard week at work.”

Judy giggled almost pathetically shaking her head.

“You’re my wife. It’s perfectly natural for me to want to get dinner with you, isn’t it?”

“I thought my husband was asking me out, not my director. I thought we were going on a date. I got all dressed up and was looking forward to spending time alone with you. You were just flirting with me and now you’re giving me god damn notes.”

Gene let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his seat, “For Christ sakes, Judy. I was just making conversation.”

Judy leaned forward and lowered her voice pointing at him to prove a point, “When we worked together in the past, you never discussed our work when we went out for dinner. Why now?”

“I told you I’m stressed. It’s a lot of pressure on me to…”

She cut him off, “It’s a lot of pressure on me, too, but you don’t see me giving you notes on how to be a better director.”

Gene clenched his jaw, “I beg your pardon.”

Judy rephrased herself, “You’re a great director, but lately, you’ve started acting the way you promised me you wouldn’t act.”

“Such as?” he demanded back.

“You’ve been hard on me. You’re irritable and impatient with everyone.” He opened his mouth to speak but she put her hand up, “At home, we’re drifting apart. I thought you noticed and that’s why I assumed you asked me out for a date. We haven’t gone out, we don’t spend time alone at home, and we barely even sleep in the same bed for goodness sakes.”

Gene acted like he barely listened as he pound his finger on the table now making a point himself, “I want our show to be perfect.”

Seeing that he didn’t reply to anything she said of them, she hissed, “Fine, in which case, I’ll take that note. Where did my Harry Palmer go, remember?”

Gene looked at her incredibly at the mention of his first on-screen character from their first picture.

“Or Serafin or Joe Ross…the man who would’ve risked everything for me. Who did! He risked his marriage and his career; he tossed it all against the rocks so he could be with me. Where did he go, Gene?” Her voice rose as she stood up, “Tell me where my fucking husband went!”

With that, she threw her napkin down on the table and stormed out as diners stared their way.

The next afternoon, it was past 12 when Gene finally emerged from the spare bedroom. He made his way to the kitchen where Judy was still in a bathrobe and making tea. When he walked in, looking well rested, she turned to look at him as if to see who it was, then turned back to her tea.  

“You slept late,” she said surprised.

“I guess I needed it.”

“You did.”

Gene stared at the back of her a moment as if pondering something before he walked up to her. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and placed his hand on her back, “Hi honey.”

She gave him a side eye, but her expression was soft and she didn’t nudge him away. It was good enough for him so he pulled her closer to speak softly into her ear as she stirred honey into her cup.

“Listen, I…”

Suddenly the sounds of the children piling through the front door interrupted them. Then teenage Liza came through the kitchen door.

“Hi, Papa Gene!” Liza exclaimed as she embraced him.

“Hi, baby, when did you here?”

“Yesterday afternoon.”

“How was the park?” Judy inquired.

“Good. The kids behaved themselves.”

“Went to Holmby Park again, huh?”

“Yep. Guess, what, Mama said that she’s going to do a Christmas show and that all of us can perform on there with her.”

“Oh, I know, it was my idea.”

“Was not…” Judy mumbled.

“Was so,” he repeated just the same.

Liza sensed some tension, “Ah, I’m going to make sure the kids get cleaned up,” and she quickly skedaddled out of there.

“I’m the one who mentioned it to you,” she said matter-of-factly.

“I’m the one who set up the sketch.”

“But it was my idea, Gene.”

“Okay, it your idea sweetheart. It always is,” he said quite sarcastically.

“Don’t do that,” she sighed.

“Here is my idea. At the end of the show, I want you to sing Rainbow.”

Judy looked at him to protest but he quickly stopped her, “I know you don’t like doing it much on television, but I think if you do it with the children, it will be very special.”

She gently smiled, “I like that idea.”

“Good. You know, I did a lot of thinking last night about what you said…” he trailed off.

“And?” Judy took a sip of her tea.

“And, I have been quite a jerk haven’t I?”

“I wouldn’t say that, Gene. You’re not vindictive; you’re just being too hard on everyone all of a sudden. Including me.”

Gene hung his head and nodded, “I’m sorry. I know you’re under pressure, too, but I think for me that’s the reason why I’m suddenly short with everyone.”

“Maybe you should find ways to cope with that. Start swimming again. You always did that when you were stressed.”

“I think I will.”

“And what about us?”

“I miss you, too,” is all he said as he leaned over to give her a kiss, “Can I ask my wife out for dinner and dancing tonight after the show?”

“It’s tape night. Won’t you be too tired?”

“Darling, for you, it’s worth it.”

Judy smiled as he gave her another kiss.

[harryandlouisarehappilystrong]

As we hit the 20 year mark of The Flood of '98 today, it's weird to think that I, who has always been praised for a good memory, can barely remember this day. Granted, I was 8, but still. I know it was raining. Again. Still.

I remember being in the car with my mom on the way to my cousins' house and watching the rain on the windshield, being scared of all the water on the road but trusting that my mom could drive us there safely. Because of course she could. Nothing bad had ever happened in my life, why would it start today?

We were on our way to my cousins' house, and then we were going to go to the movies to take our minds off the rain. And then we got there and their house had flooded. For some reason, one of my clearest memories of that day is watching my uncle sweep the water out of their house with a broom.

Afterwards, it all kind of skips and blurs.

I remember sitting in the living room watching The Weather Channel and hearing loud laughter (wailing, crying) from the other room for a long time. Wondering what could possibly be so funny but not wanting to get up and ask because something about it scared me and I didn't know why. To this day, loud groups laughing makes me feel sick. (side note: that day we thought we lost Pa before we did, right before I burst through the door, everyone was laughing about something, but I thought they were crying. Weird flip side.)

Time skips. I remember my cousin running by crying. I asked, she told us, and I went back to watching TV (I'm pretty sure I did anyway). Because at 8 years old death meant nothing to me. I didn't realize it was permanent. That it meant we would never see him again. The day I met my best friend six months later, I distinctly remember telling her “oh, my uncle died a few months ago.” Still not getting it, what that meant, how it would feel, what grief was like. Not really.

I remember the first time I ever saw Pa cry. He was standing in the breakfast room late at night watering what I now know is the plant The Debbie Reynolds gave us when Joe died (I'm fairly certain we still have it) and just bawling.

There's a photo of me in the newspaper at Uncle Joe's memorial in a Christmasy dress and the caption says something like "Marisa, 9, being comforted by her mother as she cries." The thing that's always bothered me about that photo is that I wasn't sad or crying, I was FREEZING, and my mom had me bundled in her jacket rubbing my arms because I was shivering so bad it hurt and I’m sure I wouldn’t stop complaining about it and driving her nuts. I don’t remember anything about the service beyond lighting little candles to float along the lake along with some pink flower petals. It was freezing and raining, like it is today, 20 years later.

I think it bothers me so much because I was still too young to get it and I don't like being assigned an emotion I didn't know how to feel yet. I couldn't grieve something I didn't understand and once I finally DID understand, once the magnitude of what we all lost finally sunk in, I was years beyond the only memories I have. That feels strange to say, but I was only 8.

The memories I have of him, of that time at all, are like little flickers in the corner of my eye, I can’t quite see them if I focus hard enough to capture it: eating cinnamon Trident gum in his car when he'd pick me up (where did we go and what did we do, oh how I wish I knew!), myself trying to nurse a dying bird back to health in his bathroom sink after I chased my cat away from gorging on it (that's disgusting, whyyyyy, tiny me?!), him telling me once on our way back from somewhere that if you take your hand off the steering wheel it'll fly off the car (it took me YEARS of panic to realize that wasn't true), bath time with Marisa Maroo Rabbit and Jordy Wordy Capordy, and him, of course, calling everyone a Stinker Winker Dinker. I have a few other memories, but nothing I can quite pin down, which is so frustrating knowing that there are memories I can’t reach and might never remember as I get farther from them.

I cry about him sometimes. It feels weird to cry over someone you only have flashes of memories for, and then I cry BECAUSE of that. It’s like the echo of an ache I don’t quite feel anymore. Especially now, after losing Grammy and Pa. I KNOW what that grief feels like, how much that hurts, I’m fully able to process and feel that hurt, unlike I was back then. I can’t decide if it’s BETTER to really know the magnitude of what you’re losing while it’s happening, or WORSE. Some days I wish I barely knew them, that I’d been younger, so it didn’t hurt so much, but other days I’m glad I can at least feel it, that I won’t be entirely cut off from the feeling until it’s too late.

It sucks to know we'd be really, really close these days if he was still here. That we'd be actual friends who could talk and hang out and actually know each other and have a blast, like I do with my aunts and uncle now. I think that's what makes me sad the most, all the lost potential, more than a life I barely remember. That sounds awful to say too, but at least it makes sense in my head.

It’s weird to think I was only a part of his life for 8 years, but he’s forever been a part of mine, in reality and memory. That’s a bit hard to wrap my mind around sometimes. I think about that for Grammy and Pa too, I was only in their lives for 28 of their 85 & 86 years, but they were there since Day 1 of mine.

People will mention The Flood of '98 casually from time to time, and I sit there thinking how lucky they are to only have the crazy rain to comment on. How lucky that it didn't alter your life forever.

All to save a boat we never touched again, which is what makes me the angriest of all. Except for cleanup efforts, our lake house property has been mostly abandoned by us for the last 20ish years. Even now, 20 years later, there’s still a line of mud on the wall of our deck that must go up twenty, thirty feet in the air that shows how high the water got that day, and it’s never gone away. It’s a stark reminder of what we lost.

All that to say: there is not a single earthly possession you could ever have or save that's worth your family spending 20 years without you.

[tomeandflickcorner]

The Halloweentown Tetralogy

To commemorate this Halloween, I’ve viewed all four of the Halloweentown movies, as requested by @knightrookjones.  Special thanks to @xemmaloveskillianx @unabashedlyswimmingtimemachine and @midouriya for helping me locate sources where I could watch them.

Halloweentown- The first movie in the Halloweentown Tetralogy where we’re introduced to the series’ main character, Marnie, and her family.  In the first installment of the franchise, Marnie is 13-years-old, and she lives in an unnamed town with her apparently widowed mother, Gwen, and her two younger siblings, 12-year-old Dylan and 7-year-old Sophie.  For some reason, Gwen is clearly adamant about preventing her children from participating in any of the usual activities associated with Halloween, from going trick-or-treating to attending costume parties.  But when the family receives a surprise visit from Maternal Grandmother Aggie, played by the dearly departed Debbie Reynolds, Marnie ends up eavesdropping on a conversation between her mother and grandmother, which leads her to discover that their family are actually descended from a long line of powerful witches.  But, because Gwen’s late husband was an ordinary human from the Mortal World, Gwen had decided to keep her children from ever learning of their magical heritage, in the hopes that they would grow up to be normal.  This doesn’t sit well with Marnie, however, and, with her younger siblings tagging along, she ends up following Grandma Aggie back to Halloweentown, a pocket dimension where witches, goblins, monsters and every manner of spooky creature have been living in peace for centuries in order to avoid persecution from the people of the Mortal World.  Shortly after they arrive, the children learn from Aggie of a mysterious being known as Shadowman, who is behind the disappearances of many of Halloweentown’s inhabitants.  It eventually comes out that the Shadowman’s ultimate plan is to lead Halloweentown’s population in a revolt against the people of the Mortal World, in order to take back their rightful place instead of continuing to live in hiding.  The only hope of defeating the movie’s antagonist is by activating Merlin’s Talisman, which Aggie just happens to have in her possession.  But when Aggie and Gwen (who ends up journeying to Halloweentown herself upon discovering her children were not in their beds) fall prey to the Shadowman’s evil spell, it’s up to Marnie, Dylan and Sophie to help save the day.  

As far as made-for-TV Disney movies go, this one is fun.  I particularly like how creative they got in regards to creating the world of Halloweentown and the number of creatures that live there.  We got a skeleton who drives a taxi, a werewolf hairdresser, and a literal cat woman who works as an aerobics instructor. They even had the town dentist be the actual tooth fairy.   And actress Debbie Reynolds was by far one of the highlights of the movie, as she just took this role so seriously.  Not just when she had to play the part of a bonafide witch, but also when she was interacting with her on-screen family.  You really got the impression that she was utilizing her experience of being a real-life mother and a grandmother when she was portraying the role of Aggie Cromwell.

Of course, the movie is not exactly a masterpiece.  There are a few moments when they resort to obvious green screen technology, and that can be a bit distracting.  But that wasn’t my only issue with the movie.  For instance, Marnie’s brother, Dylan, comes across as a bit of a pod person.  I get the idea is that he’s supposed to be the serious-minded sibling, but come on. What 12-year-old kid talks like that? I’m also a bit confused on exactly why Gwen was so adamant about keeping her children from having anything to do with Halloween.  The movie claims it was because of her mortal husband, but that seems like a rather weak explanation to me.  It would be one thing if the movie gave any indication that Gwen had experienced some kind of ostracization because of her magical heritage when she first decided to stay in the Mortal World with her non-magic husband, but they never alluded to anything like that.  Though, to the movie’s credit, Gwen eventually acknowledges that she was wrong to try and prevent her kids from learning of their family history.  As far as the main character goes, Marnie was a pretty believable 13-year-old, right down to the fact that she was clearly at that stage where she felt she was, and I quote, ‘practically an adult.’  Even though everyone over the age of 20 would know that’s not the case. And admittedly, there were many times when she was a bit useless.  Not that I’m saying that to mock her or anything, because she was able to figure things out on her own when it mattered the most.  But at the end of the day, it actually was the little sister, Sophie, who contributed the most. They wouldn’t have managed to even activate Merlin’s Talisman in the first place if it wasn’t for this kid.  Honestly, Sophie was probably the best out of the three siblings.

I also do have to applaud the movie for the reveal of the Shadowman’s true identity.   I suppose you could say it was a pretty big Scooby Doo moment when it’s revealed the main antagonist was the town mayor, Calabar. They even have him do this whole bit when he explains that his true motivation was his bitterness over how Gwen ended up marrying a man from the Mortal World instead of him.  That’s right, the movie’s antagonist is angry over how he was ‘friend zoned’ by his crush, and that made him decide to turn evil.  I can see how this could potentially rub some people the wrong way.  Of course, on the other side of the coin is Luke, who is initially Shadowman Calabar’s smart mouthed flunky.  At first, he admittedly comes across as this punk kid who thinks he’s all high-and-mighty because of his position of being the main antagonist lackey.  But once he figures out that Shadowman Calabar is even willing to harm Aggie and the rest of the Cromwell family in his quest to overthrow the Mortal World, he quickly recognizes the error of his ways and even helps Marnie save the day.  On a final note,  I think it could be argued that the way they ultimately defeat Calabar seems a bit too convenient, in the sense that it really comes across as a whole ‘defeated by the power of love/friendship/etc.’ sort of deal.  Especially when Dylan is suddenly revealed to have magic powers as well, despite there not being anything to suggest he had inherited the magical gene before that point.  But hey, it’s clear this was never meant to be this big epic movie, so I suppose I can cut them some slack.  After all, for what this movie was, it was pretty good.  Though the people who wrote the movie’s script really need to come up with better insults.  (Seriously, did Marnie actually call Shadowman Calabar ‘chocolate bar?’  What kind of insult is that?)

Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge- The first sequel to the Disney Channel original movie, this one was certainly the darkest film of the four.  But it also brought about a slight issue with how to spell the name of the first movie’s antagonist.   The title card for this movie stated it was spelled with a K, but the closed captions and opening & closing credits for the first installment had his name begin with a C.  But that’s probably just a small nitpick.  Regardless, I’m going to continue spelling it with a C for these reviews.  Anyway, the movie opens on Halloween night, exactly two years after the events of the first movie.  Right away, we see that Aggie has moved in with her daughter and grandchildren, and Gwen has eased up on her anti-Halloween stance enough to allow her family to throw a Halloween party at the house.  Of course, that doesn’t mean things are completely harmonious for the Cromwell family, especially since Marnie is scheduled to spend an entire year in Halloweentown with Aggie in order to focus on her training, as she is first in line to become the next head of the Cromwell line.  And if Marnie chooses to follow that path, she’d have to completely give up her life in the Mortal World.  Which is something that would deeply affect Gwen.  Of course, Marnie is still a bit of an idiot, and when a young boy her age named Cal shows up at the party, Marnie instantly develops a crush on him, like you do.  And, in order to impress her new crush, she proceeds to show him around the house, including a stop at Aggie’s room.  This, of course, proves to be a mistake, as Cal is actually Calabar’s long-lost son. No word on who the baby mama was, but it appears Cal has decided it’s up to him to continue his father’s work in conquering the Mortal World. Taking advantage of Marnie’s naive trust in him, he steals Aggie’s spell book and uses it to cast a spell on all of Halloweentown, turning the whole place into a warped version of the Mortal World, in which everything is dull and gray and the people of Halloweentown are transformed into caricatures of boring old humans.  This, of course, turns out to be only the first step in Cal’s evil plan, as he only casts this spell in order to trick Marnie and Aggie into entering Halloweentown, thereby getting them out of the way while he gets to work on his real plan- turning the humans into the very creatures they dress up as for Halloween, as punishment for always mocking the people of Halloweentown.  When Aggie is once again put out of commission because of Cal’s spell, Marnie has to team up with, Luke, the goblin she befriended in the last movie, to try to find a way to fix things while Sophie and Dylan work to assist them from the Mortal World.  They even manage to utilize a time traveling spell in their attempts to stop Cal’s plan.  While there are moments in the movie where it seems like they’re simply following the formula from the last film, there’s still enough fresh elements to make things seem new and interesting.  Including the introduction of the crotchety Gort, who collects and hoards every single item that’s ever lost in both Halloweentown and the Mortal World. Basically, every time something ends up lost, from that last puzzle piece to the left sock, it magically ends up at Gort’s place.  

In a lot of ways, this movie often seems to be better than the last one.  Especially since the stakes seem a lot higher, as Cal’s plans will effectively destroy both worlds if he succeeds.  We also get a legitimately creepy scene where the mother, Gwen, is transformed into a hag and even tries to attack Sophie.  And, towards the end, it really seems that Cal actually wins, as the portal between Halloweentown and the Mortal World closes before Marnie, Aggie and Luke can succeed in stopping Cal, which means they’ll be stranded in Halloweentown and won’t be able to save Dylan, Sophie and Gwen, not to mention everybody else, for an entire year.  But because of another Deux ex Machina moment, which involves Marnie deciding that they can take advantage of the strength of the Cromwell family’s magic and pretty much rewrite the laws of magic, they manage to reopen the portal despite Halloween being over.

One thing I particularly liked in this movie were the scenes with Sophie and Dylan.  And not just because these two really sold the whole brother and sister dynamic.  Sophie is more or less the same as she was in the last movie, but she’s become a bit more assertive than the sweet little 7-year-old she was when we last saw her.  Dylan, on the other hand, really has improved in terms of his believably.  In the original movie, the character of Dylan came across as if it had been written by someone who wanted him to act like a nerdy stick-in-the-mud kid, but had never actually been around a 12-year-old and therefore had no idea how they actually acted and spoke.  This time around, Dylan’s characterization was much more believable.  He’s still reluctant to embrace his magical heritage, but he actually does act like an average 14-year-old.  Especially when he’s trying to find a date to a costume party at the school later that night. (Though that does seem a bit odd, that the Cromwells throw a Halloween party at their house when there’s another party being held later on that night.  Exactly how long is this Halloween night supposed to be?)

Now, there’s this one part in the movie that, depending on your sensitivity level, might be offensive.  There’s a character in the film named Alex, who poses as Cal’s father before Cal’s true identity as Calabar’s son is revealed.  Thanks to Sophie’s intuition, Alex is eventually revealed to be a golem that Cal created out of frogs.  Considering the golem is a figure of Jewish folklore, the inclusion of Alex in this movie could potentially offend some people and be taken as cultural appropriation, especially when the golem was created and controlled by a warlock. It’s possible that this was just an unfortunate oversight on Disney’s part (and let’s face it, they do have a history of overt racism in some of their movies, particularly the older ones,) but you could argue that makes it even more offensive.  That particular issue aside, however, this was a good sequel to Halloweentown, as it brought back the whole cast and actually connected to the events of the first movie.  But the problem is, the sequels that came after the movie never referenced anything about Cal again.  That admittedly bothered me a lot, because the movie even had them acknowledging that Cal would probably come back.  But if he did, we never saw it happen.  Talk about a major loose end.

Halloweentown High- Once again, two years have passed, and Marnie has been commended by the Halloweentown Council (because there’s a high council now) for the part she played in ensuring the portal between Halloweentown and the Mortal World would remain open all year round, and not just on Halloween.  But now, Marnie has developed an idea to fully heal the rift between humans and the people of Halloweentown by creating an exchange program of sorts, in which some teenagers from Halloweentown would actually attend a school in the Mortal Realm.  Unfortunately, Marnie ends up accidentally wagering her entire family’s magic on the outcome of this, meaning that if this attempt to prove that humans have changed since the creation of Halloweentown and would no longer persecute the creatures that live there doesn’t work, then her entire family would lose their magical powers forever.  When Marnie realizes what she’s just done, she is reasonably uneasy, but is still confident that she can make this work, as long as she’s there to help guide the Halloweentown students, which consist of Cassie the witch, Pete the Werewolf, Natalie the troll, Nancy the fairy, Chester the gremlin, Bobby the ogre, and Ethan the warlock, with the non-humanoid students donning human disguises while attending the school.  The whole human disguise thing alone was pretty laughable by itself, as they’re basically just wearing human skinsuits like it’s a Men in Black movie.  (Wasn’t there a spell that could make them appear human?)  Aggie also ends up stepping in to assist Marnie’s efforts by getting a teaching job at the school.  But of course, this movie decides it wasn’t enough to just have this be a simple high school themed movie, because we also have to contend with an apparent threat from Knights of the Iron Dagger, a fabled order that sought to destroy all things magical.  

Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it.  This movie was terrible!  I can’t think of a single scene in this movie that I even remotely liked.  In fact, while watching it, I kept checking the time to see how much longer I had to endure this crap.  I think the worst part was that they were clearly trying to give the movie this whole underlining message about prejudice and whatnot, but the execution of it was just so horrible.  In the climax of the movie, it’s revealed that the father of the warlock student, Ethan, who is actually on the Halloweentown Council, wants the portal between Halloweentown and the Mortal World to be closed permanently.  So he conspired with the human school’s principal to expose Marnie as a witch in the worst possible way, by making it look as if she was openly attacking the school with her magic at the school’s annual Halloween Bash.  Thereby getting the other students to resort to a mob mentality and try to chase her and the Halloweentown exchange students out of town.  But all it takes for everyone to calm down is a whole ‘shame on you’ speech from Cody, Marnie’s new love interest, and then it’s all hunky dory. Even the school principal, who was in league with the movie’s main antagonist, ends up changing his tune because of his apparent crush on Aggie.  Okay, obviously, it should go without saying that prejudice is bad. But it’s a very complex issue. It’s not something that can be instantly solved with the substance of an after school special.  So seeing the way this movie resolved everything was quite eye rolling.  They even have Aggie completely forgive the principal, even though he had been openly persecuting her and her granddaughter moments before.  While forgiving someone is obviously admirable, it’s a bit bothersome that the movie is acting as if Aggie should just forget all about what the principal had just tried to do and enter into a relationship with him.  Just saying, forgiving someone does not mean you have to let them back into your life.  Especially if there was a serious breech in trust between you and the person you’re forgiving.

And even the way this movie portrays characters we’ve grown to love in the first two movies was really bad.  Sophie, who was a prominent character in previous installments of the Halloweentown series, is now little more than a background character.  And she seemed to disappear from the movie altogether after the mall scene.  That alone was annoying, as Sophie was arguably a better and smarter witch than Marnie, and the only reason why Marnie was first in line to be the head of the Cromwell line was because she was the oldest.  As for Aggie, she suddenly seems to be more of a senile old woman than a powerful and wise old witch, with the movie playing her up for laughs.  I’m just saying, considering she’s supposed to have spent four years living in the Mortal World, you’d think she’d be a bit more careful in regards to her magic and wouldn’t accidently magically create a parrot in front of a roomful of students.  Oh, and Gwen, who had made it clear beforehand that she wanted to simply live her life as an ordinary mortal like her late husband and only used her magic in special circumstances, is now using her magic in everyday situations.  The only character who seems to have maintained his characterization from the last two movies is Dylan, even though he spends most of the movie sharing a possible romance subplot with Natalie the Troll.

Finally, there’s the fact that they’ve seemingly forgotten all about Cal, the antagonist of the last movie.  Even after the last movie implied that he would be back, we never see him do so. They don’t even acknowledge his existence, even though they had the perfect opportunity to do so.  At one point, Marnie and Aggie are having a mild argument about Marnie’s latest crush, Cody, with Aggie being suspicious of him as Cody has apparently just moved into the area.  So, when they start seeing evidence that the Knights of the Iron Dagger were lurking around the school, Aggie speculates that Cody might have something to do with it.  Of course, Marnie isn’t interested in hearing any accusations against her crush, but this was such a perfect opportunity for Aggie to say something like ‘remember what happened the last time you met a boy who had just moved here.’  But they don’t.  It’s such a missed opportunity.  And by the way, why are the movies so determined to give Marnie a love interest? I know, she’s supposed to be a teenage girl and all.  But doesn’t she have enough on her plate, considering she’s training to be a witch while trying to help bridge the gap between Halloweentown and the Mortal World so they won’t have to remain separate anymore?  Not to mention the fact that her entire family’s magic is on the line.  Does she really have the time to worry about finding romance?  I’m not saying that finding love is necessarily bad, but it is bad to imply that someone NEEDS to have a boyfriend to be fulfilled. Besides, what happened to Luke?  I know there was never anything to suggest that they were ever more than friends, but Luke clearly had a crush on Marnie ever since they first met at 13.  And the last movie had him saying something along the lines of how he believed anything was possible as long as Marnie was there.  So I was admittedly a bit of a Marnie/Luke shipper.  Thus, I was really upset that we didn’t see him appear in this movie.  They could have easily made him be one of the Halloweentown exchange students.  Even if they didn’t have him and Marnie end up together, they had a pretty good friendship going on.  I would have been satisfied with them simply continuing on as good friends.

Return to Halloweentown- Okay, apparently, Halloweentown High was supposed to be the final installment of the Halloweentown series.  But in 2006, someone over at Disney decided to try and squeeze out a bit more milk from the franchise, creating this fourth film.  I’m not sure why they thought it was a good idea, as Halloweentown High wasn’t even good.  And apparently, Kimberly J. Brown seemed to agree that this was a bad idea, as she didn’t return to reprise her role as Marnie, forcing them to hire Sara Paxton to take her place.  

So, in this movie, Marnie has been accepted at Witch University, a college located in Halloweentown, with a full scholarship.  This is a bit distressing to Gwen, who had hoped that Marnie would go to college in the Mortal World, but Marnie insists on going to college at Witch University because she didn’t want to hide her powers while attending a human college.  Which does present a bit of a continuity issue, as Halloweentown High suggested that everyone now knew all about Halloweentown. And it’s not as if they try to pretend that movie never happened, especially since the character of Ethan Dalloway comes back as one of Marnie’s classmates at Witch University.  Regardless, Gwen eventually allows Marnie to go off to Witch University, on the condition that Dylan goes with her.  (It’s stated at one point that Dylan ended up skipping a grade).  Of course, once Marnie arrives at Witch University, it slowly becomes apparent that she was only given her scholarship because this evil group of witches called The Dominion stumbled across some moldy old prophecy involving an ancient box that had once belonged to one of Marnie’s ancestors, Splendora Cromwell. This box is said to contain the Gift, an extremely powerful magic, and that only a Cromwell can open it.  So this evil group of witches, which includes Witch University’s headmistress and the history professor, plan to trick Marnie into opening the box so they can steal the Gift for themselves and become all powerful.  Yeah, the plot of this movie is just as painful as the one of Halloweentown High.  And to make it even worse, we have to endure the inclusion of the Sinister Sisters, the typical Mean Girl™ troop, the leader of whom Dylan ends up getting a crush on simply because she can speak Latin.  Which just really makes Dylan seem extremely pathetic as he doesn’t even care when Scarlet and her sisters treats him poorly.  Not even Debbie Reynold’s portrayal of Aggie Cromwell could save this movie, considering she was barely in it, since Aggie was away focusing on Sophie’s witch training and only appeared briefly through magical hologram.  Yeah, that’s right.  Sophie wasn’t even in this movie, and Aggie only briefly appears twice.  Instead, we got a Aggie lookalike in the form of Miss Periwinkle, one of the professors at Witch University.

Of course, one of the most painful aspects of the movie is one I have to go into spoiler territory for.  Marnie, at one point through some more time travel shenanigans, ends up finding out that Splendora Cromwell was actually just a younger version of Aggie.  And that the Gift was a magical amulet that could be used to grant the wearer the power to control anyone.  Unfortunately, after she finds that out, the members of the Dominion try to blackmail Marnie into helping them enslave all the non-magical inhabitants of Halloweentown.  Okay, since when was it even hinted at the fact that some witches and warlocks viewed the non-magical inhabitants of Halloweentown as inferior? Wasn’t the last movie’s attempts to send an anti-prejudice message bad enough?  Now we got a moral about segregation?  Even though these are good points to get across, the Halloweentown films are not exactly the best place to try and convey those messages.  Besides, how did we go from angry warlocks who wanted to punish humans for persecuting them to angry witches and  warlocks viewing their non-magical neighbors as inferior beings?

It’s just really upsetting that the Halloweentown franchise went so downhill like this.  The first two installments were really good.  Not great, but really good.  They were fun and imaginative and unique.  But then they had to go and butcher it by turning the last two movies into generic, formulaic drivel, complete with one-note antagonists who are either lack a relatable motivation or are simply being mean for the sake of being mean. And of course, they’re also trying way too hard to give the movies a relevant moral to teach kids some life lesson or whatever, completely forgetting what made the first two Halloweentown films special in the first place.  We watched the Halloweentown movies because we wanted to see something fun with interesting creatures.  I don’t think anyone was interested in seeing the franchise turned into bland ‘high school movies.’  Because that’s what Halloweentown High and Return to Halloweentown were. They were just another set of ‘high school movies’ that just happened to feature the characters of Halloweentown.

I don’t know what else to say.  By all means, check out the first two Halloweentown movies sometime. Especially if you want to see something fun and lighthearted.  As for the other two, just skip them.  Because you won’t be missing much.

[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

Summer Film Preview: 27 of the Most Anticipated Movies of the Season!

Among ET's 90 top picks for summer are our 27 most anticipated films of the season.

Every summer, there is no shortage of new films to blow audiences away at theaters -- and blow away records at the box office. This summer, things are looking especially massive. Blockbuster season kicks off in a huge way with the highly anticipated back-to-back releases of Deadpool 2and Solo: A Star Wars Story, ushering in an onslaught of franchise films with new installments of Jurassic World, Marvel's Ant-Man, Mission: Impossible and The Purge.

Not everything is a sequel, though. Of the originals is the eagerly awaited adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, marking the first time a major studio has produced an all-Asian-led film since The Joy Luck Club; Spike Lee's latest, BlacKkKlansman; and -- because it wouldn't be summer without one -- a shark attack flick, The Meg, starring Jason Statham.

But no matter what you’re looking forward to, there's plenty to choose from among these 27 sure-to-be hit films.

Deadpool 2 (Out Now)

The Deadpool sequel is bigger, louder and packed with more violence and superpeople, dick jokes and fourth wall-breaking meta-ness than the original X-Men-adjacent movie. And while that all sounds like a recipe for a bloated case of sequelitis, Ryan Reynolds and co. not only pull it off, but top the first.

Directed by: David Leitch | Written by: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Ryan Reynolds Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams

Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 25)

Forget everything you think you know about the legendary smuggler and prepare for the unexpected. That's the best advice we can give you about Star Wars' latest anthology installment, which, sure, features the Kessel Run and Han Solo and Chewbacca's origin story, then blasts off for so much more.

Directed by: Ron Howard | Written by: Jonathan Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Emilia Clarke

American Animals (June 1)

The Orchard / MoviePass Ventures

According to the minds behind American Animals, while most movies are based on a true story, this one is a true story, about four college students who plan "one of the most audacious art heists in U.S. history." It also marks the first appearance on this list by the true star of the summer movie season: Ann Dowd.

Directed by: Bart Layton | Written by: Bart Layton Starring: Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Ann Dowd

Hereditary (June 8)

A24

Following its screening at Sundance earlier this year, Hereditary was hailed as the scariest horror movie in years -- if not of all time. As for what actually transpires in the film, well, that is best left vague. Brace yourself for hypnotically unnerving tongue pops and flashbacks to Toni Collette's iconic turn in The Sixth Sense.

Directed by: Ari Aster | Written by: Ari Aster Starring: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd

Ocean's 8 (June 8)

This year's Met Gala might as well have been early promo for Ocean's 8, which centers on another heist-happy Ocean, Debbie, who assembles a team of women to help rob a fictional Met Gala. (If you do some simple math, it seems Anne Hathaway's mark is one of the eight, too.) Unfortunately, Rihanna will likely not be dressed as a sexy pope.

Directed by: Gary Ross | Written by: Gary Ross and Olivia Milch Starring: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (June 8)

Focus Features

If you were a child in the '60s -- or '70s, '80s, '90s, the aughts, really, if you were a child ever -- then Won't You Be My Neighbor? will be a nostalgic return to your younger years, a look at the long-running and formative TV series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and the man behind it, the late Fred Rogers.

Directed by: Morgan Neville

Hearts Beat Loud (June 8)

Gunpowder & Sky

This gem of an indie is for anyone who has ever wished Nick Offerman could be your best friend, your dad or both: Kiersey Clemons plays Offerman's daughter and reluctant bandmate as they navigate fame and family in Hearts Beat Louder. Sprinkle in a queer romance and an earworm-y soundtrack, and what more could you ask for?

Directed by: Brett Haley | Written by: Brett Haley and Marc Basch Starring: Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Toni Collette, Sasha Lane, Blythe Danner

Hotel Artemis (June 8)

Global Road Entertainment

Read this logline: "Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, Hotel Artemis is a high-octane action-thriller starring Jodie Foster as The Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only hospital for criminals." Now re-read that sentence over and over and over until you go insane and this becomes your most anticipated movie of the year.

Directed by: Drew Pearce | Written by: Drew Pearce Starring: Jodie Foster, Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella, Zachary Quinto, Sterling K. Brown, Jeff Goldblum

Incredibles 2 (June 15)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

It has been well over a decade since the original Incredibles arrived in theaters and, even now, under the looming threat of superhero saturation, that first film remains one of the best superhero movies period. Finally, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack are back, with Frozone and, of course, Edna.

Directed by: Brad Bird | Written by: Brad Bird Starring: Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine Keener, Sophia Bush

Tag (June 15)

Warner Bros. Pictures

This is a movie about tag -- as in, the game in which you tag someone and they are then "it." Specifically, Tag is about a group of childhood buddies who have been playing tag one month out of the year, every year, for 30 years. If you are wondering, Where do they come up with this?!, it was a Wall Street Journal article.

Directed by: Jeff Tomsic | Written by: Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen Starring: Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Jon Hamm, Hannibal Buress, Isla Fisher, Leslie Bibb

Damsel (June 22)

Magnolia Pictures

If you hear that Robert Pattinson is starring in a Western, you probably have a notion of what that film is. Damsel is not the movie you're imagining, guaranteed -- unless, of course, you pictured a screwball comedy about a pioneer who voyages west with a drunkard and a miniature horse named Butterscotch.

Directed by: David Zellner and Nathan Zellner | Written by: David Zellner and Nathan Zellner Starring: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 22)

In the colossally successful Jurassic World, the dinosaurs destroyed the park, as dinosaurs are wont to do, and now Isla Nublar is threatening to destroy the dinosaurs. Thus, Claire and Owen are enlisted to help save the dinosaurs from a second extinction -- and that's only the beginning of this adventure.

Directed by: J.A. Bayona | Written by: Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, James Cromwell, Justice Smith

Under the Silver Lake (June 22)

A24

Something about those hot summer nights must make us itch for a mystery, because this is yet another noir-y flick arriving in cineplexes, albeit a very modern take on the genre. Andrew Garfield plays a stoner Angelino who begins sleuthing when his dream girl disappears in the middle of the night without a trace.

Directed by: David Robert Mitchell | Written by: David Robert Mitchell Starring: Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace, Jimmi Simpson

The First Purge (July 4)

Universal Pictures

There's something almost comforting about knowing that every (sometimes every other) Independence Day brings a new installment in the ongoing Purge franchise. Who knew a nutty little murder flick could have so much steam? This one goes back to the beginning and the invention of a government-sponsored killing spree.

Directed by: Gerard McMurray | Written by: James DeMonaco Starring: Lex Scott Davis, Y'lan Noel, Luna Lauren Velez, Joivan Wade, Marisa Tomei

Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6)

Consider the Ant-Man sequel a respite for those still reeling over the ending of Infinity War, a plucky comedic romp about heroes who shrink, supersize and now fly, too, which probably won't leave you frantically wiping away tears as the theater lights come on. Also, Michelle Pfeiffer plays a superhero!

Directed by: Peyton Reed | Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari and Paul Rudd Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hannah John-Kamen, Michael Peña

Sorry to Bother You (July 6)

Annapurna Pictures

There is original, and then there is Sorry to Bother You. If a stranger, more out-there film has ever been made, I haven't seen it. I've never seen anything like this, a satiric tale about a telemarketer who uses his "white voice" to get ahead that feels at once painstakingly plotted and completely free-associated.

Directed by: Boots Riley | Written by: Boots Riley Starring: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Steven Yeun, Armie Hammer

Whitney (July 6)

Whitney is not the first documentary to turn the lens on Whitney Houston in the years since her 2012 death, but it is the first to be endorsed by her estate, featuring interviews with loved ones of Houston who had never spoken publicly before and bombshell revelations that made news ahead of Whitney's official release.

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald

Eighth Grade (July 13)

A24

You know how adults always say, "I'm so happy I didn't grow up when there was social media." Watch this Sundance drama, comedian Bo Burnham's directorial debut, and feel that tenfold, alternately a cringey and heartwarming look at what it means to be coming into your own -- yes, with YouTube and Twitter.

Directed by: Bo Burnham | Written by: Bo Burnham Starring: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (July 20)

Is Meryl Streep's character still alive for the Mamma Mia! sequel? Supposedly. We do know that we will see a younger version of Donna (played by Lily James) as the ABBA singalong jumps back in time to show the Dynamos' origin story, while in the present, Donna's daughter is pregnant with a baby of her own.

Directed by: Ol Parker | Written by: Ol Parker Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Lily James, Colin Firth, Cher

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (July 27)

Paramount Pictures

After successfully completing five other supposedly impossible missions, whatever Ethan Hunt is tasked with in Fallout should be considered mission: pretty difficult but manageable. Still, Tom Cruise continues to up the ante in insane and preposterous ways, like jumping out of a plane at 25,000 feet, for one.

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie | Written by: Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett

Christopher Robin (Aug. 3)

If you enjoyed last year's period drama Goodbye Christopher Robin, about the real boy who inspired the creation of Winnie the Pooh, then you are sure to enjoy this, too, Disney's less historical, more fantastical tale about grown-up Christopher Robin and how Pooh and the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood gang help him rediscover his imagination.

Directed by: Marc Forster | Written by: Alex Ross Perry Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Chris O'Dowd, Brad Garrett, Toby Jones

The Spy Who Dumped Me (Aug. 3)

I would pay money to watch Kate McKinnon read the phone book. Thankfully, she gets much more to do in this action-comedy, in which Mila Kunis plays the unwitting woman dumped by a spy. McKinnon plays her bestie, and the two quickly find themselves in over their heads trying to stop a terrorist group and save the world.

Directed by: Susanna Fogel | Written by: David Iserson and Susanna Fogel Starring: Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Sam Heughan, Gillian Anderson, Justin Theroux

BlacKkKlansman (Aug. 10)

Focus Features

Spike Lee is back with his latest joint, the so-crazy-it-must-be-true saga of Ron Stallworth, the first black police officer in Colorado Springs, and his undercover operation to infiltrate a local Ku Klux Klan chapter, which was so successful that he eventually became its head.

Directed by: Spike Lee | Written by: Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, Kevin Willmott Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Topher Grace, Laura Harrier

The Meg (Aug. 10)

Warner Bros. Pictures

No summer is complete without a silly shark attack movie, and for the summer of 2018, The Meg fits that bill and then some. First of all, the shark in question is a megalodon, which basically just means a REALLY BIG F**KING SHARK, and hopefully Jason Statham will punch it at some point, right?

Directed by: Jon Turteltaub | Written by: Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber Starring: Jason Statham, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Bingbing Li, Cliff Curtis, Masi Oka

Crazy Rich Asians (Aug. 17)

Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians is about a Chinese American professor who travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend's family and discovers they are -- you guessed it -- crazy rich! Hijinks ensue. This is also the first Hollywood movie with a majority Asian cast in 25 years, i.e., crazy overdue.

Directed by: Jon M. Chu | Written by: Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Ken Jeong

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Aug. 17)

Netflix

Here's one YA fans have been waiting for. Based on the bestselling novel by Jenny Han, the title refers to letters our heroine, Lara Jean Covey, writes to her past crushes, love letters they are never meant to see -- but do, after they're accidentally mailed out. You don't need to head to the cinema to swoon over this one; it's streaming on Netflix.

Directed by: Susan Johnson | Written by: Sofia Alvarez Starring: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, John Corbett

The Happytime Murders (Aug. 17)

Nothing says summertime like puppets snorting ecstasy and soliciting sex. The Happytime Murders -- no lie, from the same director as The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island -- is about police partners, one felt and one Melissa McCarthy, investigating who is shooting the stuffing out of puppets.

Directed by: Brian Henson | Written by: Todd Berger Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale

MORE SUMMER PREVIEW:

Summer TV Preview: 26 of the Best New and Returning Series to Watch!

Summer Music Preview: 17 Albums We Can’t Wait to Hear

Summer Theater Preview: 11 Must-See Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows

Summer Book Preview: 9 Beach Reads by Bill Clinton, Emily Giffin, Lauren Weisberger and More!

[fybillielourd]

With memorable turns on Fox’s Scream Queens and last year’s epic American Horror Story: Cult, Billie Lourd is quickly becoming one of the most exciting new faces on the small screen. And as it turns out, when she’s not on set, the 25-year-old actress often looks to TV shows herself for inspiration, especially of the sartorial sort. So when we asked Lourd whose look she was crushing on right now, we weren’t surprised that she rattled off primetime’s ultimate fashion boss, Olivia Pope, a.k.a Scandal actress Kerry Washington. Ahead of Scandal’s final season (the winter premiere is Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. on ABC), we connected the two TV stars to talk shop. On the agenda? ‘90s throwbacks, the magical power of Gucci, and what they always steal from set. Listen in on their chat below. Billie Lourd: Kerry, I’m a huge Scandal fan. And your personal style inspires me endlessly. You’re amazing at dressing funky and classy at the same time. Kerry Washington: Wow, I’m so flattered! I feel like you also capture that feeling of being both classic and outside the box, not just on the red carpet but with your characters too. BL: I don't know about you, but working on a TV show has really made me focus on fashion. Lots of outfit changes. KW: Most of what I've learned about style has been through the characters I’ve played. If it wasn't for my job, I’d probably be in tank tops and jeans every day. BL: Same! When I was Chanel No. 3 in Scream Queens, I became obsessed with all of her little mini skirts. How has playing Olivia Pope influenced your style? KW: I wear Olivia’s suits for 16 hours a day, so I try to be edgier with my own patterns and colors. I do plan on stealing all 1,003 of her Prada bags one day, though. BL: You have to keep something, right? I learned that from my grandma [actress Debbie Reynolds]. She was the ultimate costume collector. On American Horror Story, Ryan [Murphy] always wanted my character to wear a cameo necklace, so I had to steal one of those when we wrapped. KW: Ha! I love it. BL: When you’re not on set, what do you like? I’m into Adidas tracksuits lately. KW: I love that ’90s feel too. I’ve been wearing my Fenty jelly sandals to death. I have a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, so my off-duty look is definitely off-duty. BL: What do you wish you knew about style when you were starting out? Share your wisdom, please. KW: In my 20s my style was definitely not as cool as yours! I didn’t know how to pronounce anything. BL: I still don't know how to pronounce anything. [laughs] KW: My best advice is to find an aesthetic that you love and just own it in your own way. BL: Well, my mantra is, 'When in doubt, wear black.' You might look like you’re going to a funeral, but it’s classy. KW: It’s the Kanye route. All black everything! [laughs] BL: Do you work with a stylist for the red carpet? I have a lot of fun picking out my own stuff to wear. KW: I love to pick my own looks, but it’s helpful to have a stylist from a time-management perspective. You have to find one that’ll be your partner, though. I like to think about the story that I'm telling with my clothes. I'm not looking for someone to strong-arm me into something. BL: When we met at the GLSEN [Respect] Awards, you were wearing this colorful floral suit. It was epic. KW: Oh, that was Roberto Cavalli. I wasn’t sure how it was going to photograph, but I was so in love with it. What’s your favorite thing that you’ve worn? BL: Probably my Gucci gown. I love everything Gucci is doing right now because I’m a glitter whore. KW: I love Gucci too. Everything feels so edgy and modern but still whimsical. BL: Truly magical! My mom [Carrie Fisher] would have been obsessed with that dress. It was her vibe. KW: Do you feel like she’s in a lot of your choices? BL: Absolutely. She loved glitter and color. I’m a little more conservative, but I've been trying to channel her eccentricity lately. I’ve definitely got her sense of humor that I live by everyday. KW: I love that. There's this pressure in Hollywood to wind up on a best-dressed list, and sometimes I think people end up wearing what they think other people will like as opposed to expressing themselves. I love that you’re not feeling indebted to those tastemakers. BL: It’s easy for me to say no to something I don’t like! KW: It’s funny, when I walk out the door I kind of hope that somebody will hate my look. If everyone likes it, I'm probably not taking a risk, you know? BL: Amen to that.

[inloveandwords]

I read a total of 14 books between June 14 & June 27 and there were so many great ones!

All of the books I mention in this video can be found and purchased on my storefront here.

  Quiet Girl in a noisy world by Debbie Tung

4 stars

This is a graphic novel that is basically a series of scenarios that will be very relatable to true introverts. I am much more of an extroverted introvert, so there were some things that I didn’t fully relate to, but I totally understood. The illustrations were adorable and I read this book within an hour. I think this book would make a great gift for your introvert friends who don’t get enough love in this noisy world.

Can I Come Over by Whitney G

4 Stars

I saw that a friend of mine on bookstagram was reading a couple of Whitney G novels and this was one of them. It definitely inspired me to pick it up since it was my birthday and her novels tend to be short and sweet – like a little treat on a day of relaxation.

This book had so many great romance tropes happening in it. First of all, the heroine, not unlike Whitney G, is a successful author of short, self-published, steamy romance novels. She joins this sort of pen pal ish service that is supposed to be strictly platonic and starts talking to this guy. At first he’s a douche, but then they work things out. Turns out he is her dad’s good friend. So there is a forbidden and age gap scenario.

I have to be honest, I didn’t love this at first. I really didn’t like the way the hero was talking to our heroine at all and I worried he wouldn’t redeem himself.

He did and I ended up really enjoying this. Whitney G does what few authors can when it comes to steamy novellas: she builds chemistry quickly and crafts a believable romance in otherwise outlandish settings. Her and Katee Robert are my two very favorite short, steamy, romance writers for that reason.

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

5 Stars

I finally did it! I read a Tessa Dare novel and everyone was right. I freaking loved it.

This book is about a woman who is incredibly introverted and to avoid having to do the typical coming out in society thing, she makes up a pretend boyfriend. A Scottish soldier who, it turns out, actually exists.

He has been receiving her letters and learns all about her from them, so when he shows up unexpectedly at the house she inherited because of her fake engagement to him, she’s obviously surprised.

For those who don’t normally like historical romances, I think Tessa Dare is the perfect place to ease your way into the genre. Her heroines aren’t annoyingly innocent and naive. Her books feel modern even though they are not.

This had so many elements of a great romance: fake dating, a little bit of enemies-to-lovers, and an adorable meetcute.

I can’t wait to read more Tessa Dare!

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

5 Stars

This is a coming-of-age memoir about a mixed-race gay teen who eventually finds himself when he discovers drag, written in verse. Obviously I can’t personally speak for the rep in this novel, but I can tell you that it was beautifully written.

I’m a big fan of modern poetry and though I connected a little more with the poetry in The Poet X a little more, I still really liked this one. While I loved the audiobook, I have seen a few pages of the book and I wish I had it as I was reading as well.

I feel like this book is so important for young people to read, to help them see outside of their boxes – or to help them find themselves on page. To help them not feel so alone.

Cherry Magic

4 stars

My very first official manga was gifted to me by my sweet friend, @genkireader, for my birthday. There was definitely a learning curve when it came to reading this. I was messaging her on Instagram with questions like, “Wait, this book is backwards, where do I start? Do I read right to left or left to right?” It was surprisingly more difficult than I expected, but I REALLY enjoyed this book. So much so that I ended up buying a few more of her favorites.

This book was quirky and cute. It’s about a guy who has developed the power to read people’s mind through touch and he thinks it is because he’s a 30yo virgin. He ends up reading the mind of a charasmatic, good-looking guy in his office and discovers that he is attracted to him. So many adorable moments ensue, a ton of over-thinking and awkwardness, but also super sweet, swoony moments, too. I feel like this will speak to any of us who overthink every little thing when we are falling for someone. Especially when it is unexpected.

Thank you, De’Siree for this gift, it was like you gifted me a piece of yourself because I know how much you love these stories. Lovelovelovelovelove.

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon

3 Stars

This is a cute romance between a buff, tattooed nanny who begins working for a savant young surgeon and mother of two girls.

This book was fine, though I didn’t see anything special about it. Maybe I gave in a little to the hype surrounding it and that was the issue, but mostly the romance was just ok. I felt like it was a little rushed, I wished there was more pining and more of a forbidden aspect to this, but it seemed like they both gave in pretty quickly.

Loving Mr. Daniels by Brittany C Cherry

5 stars

This was a super angsty, emotional story about a girl and a guy who are both dealing with terrible tragedy and find solace in each other. The first night they meet is filled with unbelievable chemistry, it’s almost too good to be true.

And it turns out to be. Because it turns out he is her high school teacher.

The heroine was held back in school because of a medical condition, so she is 19 years old and a senior. He is a young teacher, in his early twenties, so the age gap isn’t really a thing, but it doesn’t make it any less forbidden.

When they realize the situation, it’s heartbreaking because of how intense their first meeting was. A series of super angsty things happen and it’s all very intense, but in the best epic love kind of way.

I was rooting for this couple the entire time, but not only that, I loved the heroine’s relationship with her step siblings even with all that drama.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds

5 Stars

This is a super relevant fictional story that is somewhat reminiscent of The Hating Game.

This is about a boy in the ROTC in high school who is falsely accused of stealing by a racist, hateful police officer who ends up beating him until he is unconscious which stirs protests in his town that is sick of this constantly happening.

Sound familiar?

What’s interesting about this story is how it follows the perspective both of the victim and a white boy that goes to his school who is linked to the police officer.

I was completely invested in this story, while also cautious. I was super curious about how this book would end. Would it be far too optimistic or would it be realistic?

When I finally came to the end, I very much appreciated it. It was hopeful without being naive. It left questions that we still need answers to, but it didn’t feel too unresolved that it leaves you unsettled. I almost took it as… let’s let current events tell us how this story is going to end.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

5 Stars

I read this sweet, heartwarming graphic novel with my girls. They adored it from the very first night we read it before bed.

This story is about a prince who likes to wear dresses and hires, in secret, a dressmaker to make him custom dresses.

I didn’t tell them what it was about, I wanted them to discover it on their own and ask questions as they came up.

Books are an essential parenting tool for me.

The girls begged me every night to keep going. They loved the characters in this book and they were excited to see what was going to happen.

This entire book, but especially the ending was so adorable. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read more from this author. Especially if I can share the experience with my girls.

Addicted series books 1 & 1.5 by Krista and Becca Ritchie

5 stars and 4 stars

A lot of my friends have read and loved this series, between that and the premise, I’ve been super excited to read it.

This is about a woman who is a sex addict and her best friend she’s in a fake relationship with who is an alcoholic.

This is a super angsty, dark, gritty series so far with such a strong romance. These are extremely troubled characters who are using their relationship and each other to hide their addictions.

I found this book, ironically enough, addicting to read and I can’t wait to read on in the series.

The second book did seem to drag on a bit, I feel like it could’ve been half as long as it was, but I know it was necessary.

Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

5 Stars

I am absolutely LOVING these Brown sisters books! Chloe’s book was fantastic, but I think this one might be my favorite so far.⁣

⁣

Dani is a smart, independent savvy woman who is not interested in a long term relationship. Zaf is basically the complete opposite.⁣

⁣

The two of them have not had much more than a nice rapport – he’s the security guard at the school she teaches at, until Dani gets trapped in an elevator and Zaf rescues her. This wouldn’t be a big deal if the entire rescue didn’t get caught on film and go viral.⁣

⁣

The “going viral” thing seems to be really popular lately and it’s not normally something I would gravitate towed. Honestly, I tend to prefer if romance novels just pretend that social media didn’t exist. I think it’s tricky including anything involving technology in contemporary romance novels only because things change so rapidly, it’s easy to become outdated.⁣

⁣

However, I didn’t care what this book was about, I knew I was going to read it and fully expected to love it … and I was right.⁣

⁣

As always, Talia’s steamy scenes are SO on point, but more than anything, she writes sweet heroes SO well. I adored Zaf with everything I am. I can’t handle how much I love his side job and that despite being a big guy, he’s a big softie. ⁣

⁣

And, of course, I adored Dani. I love how badass and confident and independent she is, even if it does complicate her relationships.⁣

Becoming by Michelle Obama

5 Stars

I borrowed this on a whim from my library. I’ve been reading a few nonfiction books lately and have enjoyed all that I’ve picked up.⁣

⁣

I have to admit, though, I loved this one the most.⁣

⁣

I didn’t realize Michelle’s father had MS. As soon as she mentioned his symptoms, my stomach dropped and I just KNEW it. It’s always hard for me to read about people who have Multiple Sclerosis, especially nonfiction because I’m always wondering if that will be me and when.⁣⁣

⁣

As a romance reader, I adored Michelle and Obama’s romance. I officially ship them SO hard. Watching their relationship unfold was so satisfying and adorable.⁣

⁣

I’m not a big crier while reading, but I got choked up so many times. When she talked about visiting the VA, when she talked about Sandy Hook… it wasn’t overly dramatic, but it was enough to have me covering my mouth with my hand trying not to cry.⁣

⁣

I’ve always admired this woman, but even more now than I did before learning more about her. ⁣

  Recent Reads: June 14-27 I read a total of 14 books between June 14 & June 27 and there were so many great ones!

[redcarpetview]

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Announces Acquisition of Bela Lugosi’s Iconic Cape from Dracula

   Major Additional Donations and Acquisitions Showcase Breadth of Museum’s Costume Collection, Including Pieces Worn by Shirley Temple, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jack Nicholson

LOS ANGELES, CA, October 21, 2019–The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is pleased to announce numerous iconic movie costumes it has acquired over the last year through generous donations, partial gifts, and purchase. Costume design will be one of the many motion-picture arts explored in the Museum’s inaugural exhibitions.

    Among these exceptional additions to the fast-growing collection is the cape that Bela Lugosi wore in his legendary performance as the title character in Dracula (1931). A partial gift from the Lugosi Family, the famed Dracula cape was personally owned by Bela Lugosi after filming the classic. Following the runaway success of the 1931 movie, Lugosi continued to wear the cape on stage and in personal appearances. The cape remained in his possession until his death, and then in the possession of his ex-wife, Lillian Lugosi. Lillian later presented it to her and Bela Lugosi’s son, Bela G. Lugosi.

    “My father’s screen-worn cape has had a very special place in my life and in the lives of my children and grandchildren. In fact, it has been a part of my mother’s household and then my household since I was born—for over 80 years,” said Bela G. Lugosi. “After several years of discussions with Founding Director Kerry Brougher, who showed such care and appreciation of its important role in film history, it became clear that there is no better home for the cape than the Academy Museum, allowing movie lovers to view a piece of classic horror film history and enjoy Bela Lugosi’s acclaimed performance for years to come.”

    “It has been our pleasure to work with Kerry Brougher and Exhibitions Curator Jessica Niebel as we navigated the emotional journey of transferring my grandfather’s treasured Dracula cape from our family collection to the Academy Museum,” said Lynne Lugosi Sparks, granddaughter of Bela Lugosi and Chief Executive Officer of LUGOSI LLC. 

    Jessica Niebel said, “This outstanding acquisition simultaneously represents the character of Count Dracula as a cultural icon and the life and career of an extraordinary actor, Bela Lugosi. It is important to us as a museum to be able to restore and safeguard this artifact, especially knowing that much of the material history of the classic horror cycle has been lost forever. We are deeply grateful to the Lugosi family for entrusting us with a treasure that means so much to them.”

    Other major gifts include:

• Shirley Temple’s gown, cape, crown, and scepter from The Little Princess (1939), donated by the Family of Shirley Temple Black. Like many of the costumes worn by the child star, whose outfits (unlike those of other actors) could not be easily repurposed for use in other films, they are in near-pristine condition.

• Wedding dress worn by Jennifer Jones in Madame Bovary (1949), donated by the Arnold R. Kunert Collection

• Cloche worn by Debbie Reynolds in Singin’ in the Rain (1952), donated by Lauri Buehler

• Gown worn by Ann Blyth in The King’s Thief (1955), also from the Kunert Collection.

    The cape that Bela Lugosi wore in his legendary performance as the title character in Dracula (1931). Photo courtesy of The Academy.

   Diana Ross arriving at the Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1973. She was nominated for Best Actress for her first acting role, the lead in "Lady Sings The Blues.” Photo courtesy of The Academy.

     The Museum has also expanded its collection through purchase, acquiring items including:

• Marlene Dietrich’s Helen Faraday evening robe from Blonde Venus (1932)

• Gene Kelly’s sweater and slacks from An American in Paris (1951)

• Sammy Davis, Jr.’s two-piece, black-and-white-patterned Sportin’ Life suit from Porgy and Bess (1959)

• Costumes from The Shining (1980), including the crimson jacket worn by Jack Nicholson

• Black wig with gold trim worn by Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (1963)

• Diana Ross’s Billie Holiday jacket and skirt ensemble from Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

• Richard Pryor’s baseball uniform from The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976)

• Black sequined dress worn by Sonia Braga as the title character in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

• Denim and flannel ensemble worn by Kathy Bates in Misery (1990)

• Three-piece, poly-cotton waitress uniform worn by Susan Sarandon in Thelma and Louise (1991)

• Robe and shorts that helped Jeff Bridges transform himself into The Dude in The Big Lebowski (1998)

• Costume worn by Saoirse Ronan as Mary Stuart in Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

      The Academy Museum has actively been acquiring three-dimensional motion picture objects since 2008. Its holdings now number approximately 3,500 items representing costume design, motion picture technology, production design, makeup and hairstyling, promotional materials and memorabilia, and awards. To learn more about the Academy Museum’s collection, click here.

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[swearronchanel]

Another one of these untitled commentaries

Since I did not go to class today & was not all productive I decided I’d at least post something so I can feel good about myself haha

I asked what episode of call the midwife to watch & @ilovemushystuff suggested The 2013 Christmas Special aka The Wedding

Here we go

      -   Aw I miss Christmas already 😭

lol sometimes I forget Jenny was a thing, I liked her a lot but I didn’t see her departure coming and I was mad

Honestly the show has just gotten better so I’m no longer mad

Fred was the original scammer I love it

Peter letting him slide too haha

Polio vaccination sign *sucks teeth*

“I can’t believe he’s getting married in 3 days!” “to Sister Bernadette” SAME AND IT’S BEEN 4 SERIES

Lol Sister Evangelina, I get why she’s mad but damn let them live

Chummy & Freddy aw. I feel like Chummy didn’t like being a stay at home mom?

Old Nonnatus! & Fetus Trixie 😭😍💕 she’s blowdrying the hyacinth haha

Jenny & Alec were actually so cute. Like remember when he brought the Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds thing back up before he died? Broke my heart.

Debbie Reynolds is dead now too omg I’m still sad, anyway let me continue

SHELAGH & the pink box😭💔

Is this the scene that was cut & sister Julienne actually told Shelagh that Jane left to be a nurse?

Never saw it, someone find it and post it

“My dear Shelagh..” omg my precious bby so happy yet sad. WHY DID I WATCH THIS?

Aw I remember Yvonne & Alan

“You blasphemous lot” Chummy was gold, I can’t lie

I want to try babysham, why do they love it? is there no Bacardi available in Poplar

TIM YOU LITTLE GREMLIN! GET SMACKED, STOP BEING MEAN TO SHELAGH

Tim why tf would you tell her people were talking shit about her?

Ugh Shelagh I’m so sorry bby

Is it just me or does Jenny Agutter have such a relaxed voice? I feel like she could calm me down when I need to. Angelic

Laura Main literally pulls off every hair color

“First year I haven’t joined the Carol singing” 😭

I can’t quote this whole scene but it makes me emotional

Like Shelagh you deserve the whole damn world 😭💔 everyone literally loves you. Especially me

YES BBY WRITE YOUR OWN RULES

i forget what Cynthia looked like without the habit

“Where’s Sister Monica Joan?” Omg my fav line is coming

“OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME, BLACK AS THE PIT POLE TO POLE, I THANK WHAT EVER GODS THERE BE, FOR MY UNCONQUERABLE SOUL”

I love that she’s just reaching to the sky it’s freaking great

I love sister MJ omg

Shelagh looking so lost, I cry

I MISS SISTER EVANGELINA, SHE WAS SO BADASS

“..Will be disciplined, by me” how can you not love Trixie?!

SHELAGH WEARING HIS PYJAMA SHIRT, how did that happen!?

Still love it. Also love her hair here

When did Laura Main ruin my dignity? Like she could tie her shoe and I’d be like “DIOS TE BENDIGA, OMG YOU’RE AMAZING"

same with Helen George too

I loved Alan and Yvonne’s story 😭💔

Sister MJ 😭💔 “since Sister Bernadette departed..” but damn she didn’t die, she’s just getting married lol

Trixie consoling Alan 😭 she knows he’s not crazy he’s just hurt

& Trixie talking about putting on a show, Aw bby💔 I cry with you😪

I’m sorry but I hate 10yr old boys, they are in their prime of grossness/gremlinness haha

Alec carrying Jenny up the stairs 😂

Oh shit Wait I forgot I was doing this let me type more

SHELAGH TRYING ON THAT GREY DRESS, MY HEART OMG I CANT

LIKE HER FACE WHEN SHE LOOKS IN THE MIRROR BREAKS ME

Also stresses me out because I feel like she’s spent most of this entire show being sad most of the time. LET SHELAGH BE HAPPY WITH NO INTERRUPTIONS

Also also: hella redundant but who cares give Laura Main every fu*king award ever  

Am I the only one who hated “Auntie Shelagh”? Ew haha

Again more sad Shelagh and I’m dead inside

BUT IT’S OKAY BECAUSE SHE GETS THE PERFECT PRINCESS GRACE INSPIRED DRESS IN THE END

“Brides need mothers”..“do you have any sisters?” “No.” Yes u do bby! why is the episode killing me? I don’t remember the last time I watched it & now I see why

uh oh, tim’s down. He’ll be alright though so I have no feelings

The nurse looks like one of my great grandmothers that I never met it’s strange

Shelagh singing in compline & sister Julienne holding her hand 💔

lol I remember watching this with my mother & she knew the words to this and I thought it was so funny

Sister Julienne & Shelagh’s conversation ugh my HEART HURTS

“I know I couldn’t quite face the fact that it was happening & now it isn’t and I think my heart is breaking” well, I’m crying

This show never fails to reminds me I’m not the cold bitch I think I am

Shelagh kissing Patrick’s hand aw

The first time I watched them detonating the bomb or whatever had me SHOOK AF

I’m too anxious of a person & I’m not a fan of surprises

“It’s been a while since I’ve wanted Adolf Hitler’s guts for garters. I’d cheerfully dance on his grave today” SAME. did I already mention I really miss sister E?

“This blood is beautiful” more tears

Omg I know it’s supposed to be a sweet moment but Patrick & Shelagh holding Tim LOOKS SO UNNATURAL and AWKWARD why

The Nonnatus fam all separated on Christmas made me sad

“We heard it demolished in the distance”

ONE OF MY FAV SCENES EVER IS THIS ONE WHEN THE NURSES HELP  SHELAGH PRACTICE GETTING READY FOR THE WEDDING

I LOVE IT SO MUCH LIKE THIS IS WHAT SHE WANTED THAT DAY LOOKING IN THEIR DOOR

MY BBY DESERVES EVERYTHING

no but for real I really want more scenes of Shelagh interacting with the nurses!!

Like Shelagh and Trixie are my favs can I please have at least one scene of them being cute together, especially now shelagh’s pregnant!? It’s about time bc 1) Trixie and Shelagh are one of the select few who’ve been on the show since the first series B) Trixie was the only one besides sister Julienne to visit her in the sanatorium, I think they should have a friendship 3) I just love them both & they’re both so different but perfect & I want them to be friends

SISTER MJ WITH THE FLOWERS 💕😭

Tim no one is paying attention to your leg braces. Like literally no one, everyone is still shook that sister Bernadette was actually gorgeous af & is now marrying the doctor

“You should be giving her away” sister J is basically her mum & I love it. don’t come @ me

AH SHE’S FLAWLESS

Trixie is flawless too & omg her asking Shelagh if she’s ready ugh, add that to the list ^^ they need a friendship pls

“So we bloom where we are planted, turning our faces to the sun” Vanessa Redgrave making everything better.

The girls look so cute !

And lastly to conclude, Laura Main is a gift to us all and I’m now dead. The End