#Eileen Curtis

[livresderomance]

📕Reconquérir le cœur de ma femme PDG📕

Pendant deux ans, Bryan n'a considéré Eileen que comme une assistante.

Elle avait besoin d'argent pour le traitement de sa mère, il ne pensait donc pas qu'elle le quitterait facilement. Il lui semblait juste de l'aider en lui donnant de l'argent en échange de relations sexuelles.

Cependant, Bryan ne s'attendait pas à tomber amoureux d'elle.

Eileen lui a dit : « Tu aimes quelqu'un d'autre et tu couches toujours avec moi ? Tu n'as pas honte ! »

Au moment où elle claque les papiers du divorce sur le sol, Bryan s'est rendu compte qu'elle était la femme nominale qu'il avait épousée il y a six ans et qu'il n'avait jamais rencontrée.

Déterminé à la reconquérir, Bryan l'a choyée.

Alors que d'autres se moquaient des origines d'Eileen, Bryan lui a donné toute sa fortune, heureux d'être un mari compréhensif.

Aujourd'hui, Eileen est devenue une PDG influente, mais Bryan s'est retrouvé plongé dans un autre tourbillon…

𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙯 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙨👉https://reurl.cc/lyZk0v

Chapitre 1 Donne-lui vingt millions (Partie 1)

Dans le salon du PDG du Groupe Apex.

Une fois sortie du lit, Eileen Curtis a ramassé le chemisier et la jupe courte qui jonchaient le sol et les a enfilés rapidement. Alors qu'elle s'habillait, un charme séduisant flottait dans ses yeux, encore frais de sa récente rencontre intime avec l'homme dans le lit. Son regard a rencontré l'expression froide de l'homme.

Cet homme s'appelait Bryan Dawson, le PDG du Groupe Apex, son patron et son bienfaiteur.

Leur relation secrète était strictement limitée à ce salon. Au-delà de ces murs, elle n'était rien de plus que son assistante particulière.

« M. Dawson, si vous n'avez rien d'autre à ajouter, je vais reprendre mes fonctions », a déclaré Eileen, en offrant un sourire expérimenté.

Tout en parlant, elle a habilement arrangé ses longs cheveux en un chignon, son apparence passant rapidement de séduisante à strictement professionnelle.

On aurait presque dit qu'elle n'était pas celle-ci avec qui il avait été intime.

Bryan a plissé les yeux, son regard s'attardant sur le visage fragile d'Eileen.

« Vivian est de retour. »

Eileen avait atteint la porte du salon, la main prête à l'ouvrir, lorsque les mots de Bryan l'ont stoppée dans son élan.

Son corps s'est crispé et son visage s'est vidé de ses couleurs ; même sa respiration s'est momentanément arrêtée.

Cependant, elle a rapidement retrouvé son calme et s'est retournée, conservant son sourire bien mesuré.

« C'est compris, M. Dawson. Je ne reviendrai plus dans cette pièce », a-t-elle déclaré.

Le premier amour de Bryan, Vivian Warren, qu'il a attendu pendant six ans, était de retour. Pour lui, Eileen n'avait été qu'un moyen de lui satisfaire les besoins.

Malgré le fait que depuis deux ans, la présence de ce jeune homme était sa seule source de soutien, elle était parfaitement consciente qu'elle ne l'avait uniquement pour elle que dans les moments d'intimité.

Bryan a quitté le lit, indifférent à sa propre nudité. Il a récupéré son pantalon sur le sol et l'a enfilé.

« Qu'est-ce que ça a à voir avec toi ?», a-t-il demandé avec un petit rire, lui tendant sa chemise, qu'elle a commencé à l'aider à enfiler.

Pendant qu'elle lui boutonnait la chemise, sa voix s'est fait entendre. « Rédige-moi une convention de divorce.»

Eileen s'est arrêtée et a regardé son visage, les lignes nettes de sa mâchoire et ses lèvres minces.

« Je lui ai fait perdre six ans de sa vie avec moi. Il est temps d'y mettre un terme », a-t-il déclaré en lui tendant sa cravate, la sortant de ses pensées. « Qu'en penses-tu ?»

Sans un mot, Eileen a pris la cravate, le cœur en proie à un tumulte d'émotions.

En fait, la femme dont Bryan venait de parler, c'était elle.

En plus d'être son assistante et son amante, elle jouait un autre rôle dans la vie de Bryan, celui de femme.

Il y a six ans, on avait diagnostiqué un cancer chez la mère d'Eileen, qui avait besoin d'un traitement urgent et coûteux. Fraîchement diplômée et financièrement incapable, elle était désespérée jusqu'à ce que la famille Dawson lui vienne en aide, un acte de gentillesse qu'elle n'oublierait jamais.

Plus tard, lorsque Vivian, la fiancée de Bryan, l'avait quitté pour s'installer à l'étranger, les ragots et les moqueries s'étaient multipliés.

À l'époque, Bryan avait eu besoin d'une femme pour sauver la face. Sa grand-mère avait trouvé Eileen, qui avait accepté d'épouser Bryan pour lui rendre la pareille.

Reconnaissante de l'aide de la famille Dawson, Eileen avait fidèlement joué son rôle d'épouse de Bryan, ne demandant rien de plus.

Après le mariage, pour continuer à payer le traitement de sa mère, elle avait quitté une petite entreprise et avait rejoint le Groupe Apex, espérant de meilleures opportunités.

Alors seulement, elle avait découvert que le PDG du Groupe Apex était Bryan, son mari, qu'elle n'avait rencontré qu'une seule fois le jour de leur mariage et qui ne l'avait pas reconnue depuis.

Déterminée à obtenir des fonds pour les traitements médicaux en cours de sa mère, Eileen avait choisi de rester dans l'entreprise, évitant Bryan autant que possible. Le destin avait cependant d'autres projets et elle s'était retrouvée un soir à coucher avec un Bryan ivre. À la suite de cette rencontre involontaire, Bryan l'avait promue de façon inattendue au poste d'assistante particulière.

Satisfait de sa compagnie, Bryan l'avait forcée à coucher avec lui à plusieurs reprises, faisant d'elle sa partenaire sexuelle.

Chaque fois qu'il la convoquait, elle obéissait sans broncher. Parfois, il lui demandait si elle avait besoin de quelque chose, et dans les moments financièrement difficiles, elle lui demandait ouvertement de l'argent.

Mais lorsqu'elle n'avait pas besoin d'aide financière, elle refusait ses avances, s'efforçant de préserver un semblant de dignité dans leurs échanges, résistant à la volonté de limiter leur relation à de simples transactions.

Eileen avait envisagé à plusieurs reprises de mettre fin à ce type de relation avec Bryan, mais les coûts élevés du traitement de sa mère l'avaient obligée à mettre sa fierté de côté.

De plus, elle avait fini par tomber amoureuse de Bryan.

Se sentant indigne de Bryan, elle avait dissimulé ses sentiments, se consacrant à le soutenir au travail.

Mais à présent, Vivian était de retour.

Qu'elle soit l'assistante de Bryan ou sa femme, Eileen savait qu'elle devait passer à autre chose.

Elle s'apercevait qu'aucun de ses rôles ne pouvait rivaliser avec le premier amour de Bryan, ce qui l'attristait vraiment.

Un sourire amer a soudainement traversé les lèvres d'Eileen.

Bryan s'en est aperçu et a froncé les sourcils, confus. « Pourquoi souris-tu ? », a-t-il demandé.

Eileen l'a aidé à ajuster la cravate et s'est dressée sur la pointe des pieds pour lisser son col.

« Je suis simplement heureuse pour vous, M. Dawson. La femme que vous chérissez est enfin de retour », a-t-elle déclaré.

Prenant une profonde inspiration, elle a fait un pas en arrière et a hoché légèrement la tête. « Je vais maintenant rédiger la convention de divorce. »

Bryan a froncé les sourcils, ressentant d'une certaine manière une pointe d'agacement. « Tu es une assistante tellement exemplaire, Eileen », a-t-il fait remarquer.

Le détachement de la jeune femme l'a fait douter de son charme.

𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙯 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙨👉https://reurl.cc/lyZk0v

[msclaritea]

Box Office: ‘Civil War’ Starts Off With Impressive $2.9M in Thursday Previews

Alex Garland's controversial movie about the political divide in America easily scored the best preview number ever for A24.

BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

APRIL 12, 2024 9:18A

Alex Garland‘s dystopian action movie Civil War has started off its North American box office run with an impressive $2.9 million, a record for indie studio and distributor A24.

The $50 million movie about a divided America is a big swing for A24 as it tries to produce bigger movies, and is its most expensive production to date.

Civil War is tracking to open north of $20 million, although one leading tracking service has a slightly lower range of $19 million to $20 million. As with the preview number, that would be record for A24, beating the $13.6 million opening of A24’s horror pic Hereditary in 2018.

A24 and writer-director Garland held the movie’s world premiere last month at the South by Southwest Film and TV Festival, an ideal venue since many of the attendees are younger adults, the film’s target demo.

Set in the near-future, the story follows a wartime photojournalist (Kirsten Dunst) and her colleagues as they make their way across a hostile and divided United States of America that has been torn apart under the authoritarian rule of a three-term president (Nick Offerman). Yet the film shys away from red state/blue state divisions, and the politics behind the conflict are generally left unexplained, other than to say that one of the president’s first first actions was to disband the FBI in an apparent nod to former President Donald Trump, who has called to “defund” the Bureau.

Civil War‘s timing surely isn’t a coincidence as it hits cinemas amid a contentious election year in which President Biden and former President Trump are once again the leading candidates for their respective parties as Trump seeks to return to the White House

At a SXSW panel following the film’s premiere, Garland said it made sense to release Civil War now, although it’s not as if there is anything new about the contentious political discourse gripping the country.

“I think all of the topics in in [Civil War] have been a part of a huge public debate for years and years. These debates have been growing and growing in volume and awareness, but none of that is secret or unknown to almost anybody,” Garland said. “I thought that everybody understands these terms and, at that point, I just felt compelled to write about it.”

Cailee Spaeny, Jesse Plemons and Wagner Moura also star.

2012–2013: Founding and early years

A24 was founded on August 20, 2012, by film veterans Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges. Katz formerly led the film finance group at Guggenheim Partners, Fenkel was the president, co-founder and partner at Oscilloscope, and Hodges served as "Head of Production and Development" at Big Beach. The name "A24" was inspired by the Italian A24 motorway Katz was driving on when he decided to found the company.

Guggenheim Partners provided the seed money for A24. The company was started to share "movies from a distinctive point of view". In October 2012, Nicolette Aizenberg joined as head of publicity from 42West where she was senior publicity executive.

The company began its distribution of films in 2013. The company's first theatrical release was Roman Coppola's A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, which had a limited theatrical release. Other 2013 theatrical releases included Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers, James Ponsoldt's The Spectacular Now, and Sally Potter's Ginger & Rosa.

In September 2013, A24 entered a $40 million deal with DirecTV Cinema, where DirecTV Cinema would offer day-and-date releases 30 days prior to a theatrical release by A24; Enemy was the first film to be distributed under the deal. That same year, A24 entered a deal with Amazon Prime, where A24-distributed films would be available on Amazon Instant Video after becoming available on Blu-ray and DVD.

2014–2017: Television and later productions

In May 2015, A24 announced that it would start a television division and began producing the USA Network series Playing House, as well as working to develop a television series that would later become Comrade Detective, produced by Channing Tatum. The company also announced that they would also finance and develop pilots.

In January 2016, Sasha Lloyd joined the company to handle all film, television distribution and business development in the international marketplace. The company, with cooperation from Bank of America, J.P. Morgan & Co. and SunTrust Banks, also raised its line of credit from $50 million to $125 million a month later to build upon its operations. In April, the company acquired all foreign rights to Swiss Army Man, distributing the film in all territories, and partnering with distributors who previously acquired rights to the film, a first for the company. In June, the company, along with Oscilloscope and distributor Honora, joined BitTorrent Now to distribute the work of their portfolio across the ad-supported service.

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Michelle Yeoh Says Hot Dog Fingers Scene With Jamie Lee Curtis Was ‘Most Beautiful Love Story

Not much time is shown in this universe. All the audience knows is that Evelyn works at a pizza shop. She is shown wearing a ridiculous costume and waving around a sign.

"A24 and writer-director Garland held the movie’s world premiere last month at the South by Southwest Film and TV Festival, an ideal venue since many of the attendees are younger adults, the film’s target demo..."

Penske Media Corporation (PMC /ˈpɛnski/) is an American mass media, publishing, and information services company based in Los Angeles and New York City. It publishes more than 20 digital and print brands, including Variety, Rolling Stone, Women's Wear Daily, Deadline Hollywood, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Boy Genius Report, Robb Report, Artforum, ARTNews, and others. PMC's Chairman and CEO since founding is Jay Penske.

President Trump awards Medal of Freedom to Roger Penske | Fox News Video

In addition to media publications, Penske Media Corporation owns the Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival and is a 50 percent stakeholder in South by Southwest. It is also the owner of Dick Clark Productions which includes the award shows Golden Globe Awards, American Music Awards, Streamy Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Billboard Music Awards.

Jay Penske--NACSCAR Heir ARRESTED...and It's A Pisser

@aeltri I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. What was that you told us, recently, about Pizza and Hotdogs?

[onenakedfarmer]

Currently Watching [Horrorfest 2022 Edition]

BURNT OFFERINGSDan Curtis USA, 1976

[kwebtv]

Secret Army - BBC One / BRT - September 7, 1977 - December 15, 1979

War Drama (43 Episodes)

Running Time: 60 minutes

Stars:

Bernard Hepton as Albert Foiret

Jan Francis as Lisa "Yvette" Colbert (series 1-2)

Christopher Neame as Flight Lt. John Curtis (series 1)

Angela Richards as Monique Duchamps

Clifford Rose as Ludwig Kessler

Michael Culver as Maj. Erwin Brandt (series 1-2)

Juliet Hammond-Hill as Natalie Chantrens

Valentine Dyall as Dr Pascal Keldermans

Ron Pember as Alain Muny

Eileen Page as Andrée Foiret (series 1)

Robin Langford as Cpl. Veit Rennert (series 1-2)

Timothy Morand as Jacques Bol (series 1)

James Bree as Gaston Colbert (series 1)

Maria Charles as Louise Colbert (series 1)

Gunnar Möller as Hans van Broecken

Marianne Stone as Lena van Broecken (series 1-2)

Henrietta Baynes as Yvonne (series 1-2)

Stephen Yardley as Max Brocard (series 2)

John D. Collins as Insp. Paul Delon (series 2-3)

Hazel McBride as Madeleine Duclos (series 2-3)

Nigel Williams as François (series 2)

Paul Shelley as Maj. Nick Bradley (series 2-3)

Neil Daglish as Wullner (series 2-3)

Trisha Clarke as Geneviève (series 2-3)

David Neilson as Jelinek (series 3)

Terrence Hardiman as Maj. Hans-Dietrich Reinhardt (series 3)

Michael Byrne (series 2) and Ralph Bates (series 3) as Paul Vercors

Stephan Chase as Capt. Stephen Durnford (series 3)

Hilary Minster as Hauptmann Müller (series 3)

[wrestlinghistorywithkay]

Hot Rod: Remembering ‘ Rowdy ’ Roddy Piper

Today is the nine year anniversary of the death of WWE Hall of Famer and Wrestling Legend , ‘ Rowdy ’ Roddy Piper. I have mentioned Piper in my article about Scottish wrestlers that I did in June, if you haven’t , please go check that out . I’m doing this article as a tribute to Hot Rod by celebrating his life and career as a wrestler and an actor.

Roddy Piper was born Roderick George Toombs on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon , Canada . He was of Scottish descent due to his mother, Eileen , being of Scottish- Canadian descent. His father , Stanley , was of Anglo-Canadian descent. He spent his childhood being raised in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he attended school. He was expelled from school due to having a switchblade knife when he was in middle school. He also left home after having a dispute with his father and decided to stay in a local hostel. For income during this time , Toombs was hired by local professional wrestlers to run errands all while he worked at a few gyms. He also learned to play the bagpipes , however , he has claimed that he didn’t know where he started with them. Thus , he also had a lifelong best friend , Cam Connor , a retired National Hockey League Player ( NHL ).

Toombs was a black belt in the sport of Judo and an amateur wrestler before deciding to train for professional wrestling. He was trained by Gene LeBell , a former Judo instructor, professional wrestler, and stuntman. Therefore , under the guidance of wrestling promoter , Al Tomko , he had his first match in front of an audience with ‘ Midget Wrestlers ’. Therefore , he was earning money to survive by wrestling all while going back to school.

Toombs’ first match in a well known wrestling promotion was against Larry Henning , the father of ‘ Mr. Perfect ’ Curt Henning , and the grandfather of former WWE Superstar, Curtis Axel. The match took place in the American Wrestling Association ( AWA). For his entrance, he had friends play bagpipes for him as he handed out Dandelions to the AWA audience. The announcer of the promotion only knew that his name was Roddy, thus , he came up with the name ‘ Roddy Piper ’. Therefore, Toombs would be known as Roddy Piper. He was an enhancement talent in the same promotion from 1973-1975. This meant that he was paid to wrestle and lose matches against the top wrestlers in the AWA. He did the same for the NWA Central States territory. This territory consisted of Missouri , Iowa, and Nebraska. He also was an enhancement talent in the Maritimes for the Eastern Sports Association. He also was booked in the NWA Houston Wrestling Promotion under Paul Boesch and Big Time Rasslin under Fritz Von Erich. Both promotions were located in Texas.

In late 1975 and going into 1976 , Piper was the top Heel for the NWA Hollywood Wrestling Promotion, which was owned by Gene and Mike LeBell. A Heel is a wrestler who is considered the ‘ villain ’ and hated by wrestling fans. Piper was also booked to work at NWA San Francisco, which was owned by Roy Shire , in 1977 and 1978. He was feuding with Gory Guerrero and Chaco Guerrero Sr, the father and brother of Eddie Guerrero. Their feud included Piper losing his hair in a match and a few loser leaves town matches . This meant that whoever lost , had to leave the wrestling territory. Piper also appeared as The Mask Canadian in the territory as well. He was soon unmasked by Hector Guerrero. Piper also worked in the Pacific Northwest , Georgia, and Mid-Atlantic territories. He made his return to Jim Crockett Promotions in 1983 after wrestling in Puerto Rico. When he returned to Georgia , he became a fan favorite and feuded with top stars such as Ric Flair, Sgt Slaughter , and Greg ‘ The Hammer ’ Valentine.

In 1983, at the first Starrcade show , Piper and Valentine had a Dog Collar match. This type of match is when two wrestlers are strapped together by two dog collars and chains. During the match , Piper suffered from a broken eardrum in his left ear due to Valentine hitting him with the collar of the chain. He lost 50%-75% of his ability to hear due to this . He also made a few early appearances in the WWF in 1979 under Vince McMahon Sr. His first match in the promotion was against an Enhancement Talent named Frankie Williams. Thus, wrestling manager , ‘ Classy ’ Freddie Blassie , decided to place toilet paper in Piper’s bagpipes , therefore , the crowd wouldn’t be able to hear them as he made his way to the ring.

Piper returned to the WWF in 1984 under Vince McMahon Jr., after being advised to finish out his contract with Jim Crockett promotions in 1983. He was in a managerial role when he returned when he was partnered with ‘ Mr. Wonderful ’ Paul Orndorff, and ‘ Dr. D ’ David Schultz. This role ended and he soon became an in ring competitor full time . Nevertheless, with his strong microphone skills, he was given his own little segment called , ‘ Piper’s Pit ’ . The segment took place for three years , ending in 1987. He insulted talent such as Bruno Sammartino, which their storyline ended with Piper losing in a Steel Cage match in 1986. He also insulted Jimmy ‘ Superfly ’ Snuka, which left him being hit in the head with a coconut. His most well known storyline is with Hulk Hogan , Mr. T, and Pop Star , Cyndi Lauper. Hogan and Piper faced off for the WWF on an episode of MTV’s ‘ The War To Settle The Score ’ in 1985. Nevertheless, this storyline and event went on to help set up the first Wrestlemania.

Piper returned as a Babyface in 1986 on ‘ Championship Wrestling ’ for a match against AJ Petrucci. A Babyface is a wrestler who is the hero and is loved by the fans. During the storyline , Piper became upset after finding the ‘ Piper’s Pit ’ segment was now ‘ The Flower Shop ’ , an interview segmented hosted by fellow talent, Adrian Adonis. Adonis also decided to hire ‘ Cowboy ’ Bob Orton , the father of WWE Superstar, Randy Orton , and former bodyguard of Piper, as his own bodyguard. Piper soon destroyed the set with a baseball bat, leaving the two to have a match at Wrestlemania lll, before he retired from wrestling to start an acting career. He returned in 1989 and interviewed Brother Love ( Bruce Pritchard ). He also became a co-host alongside Gorilla Monsoon for the show , ‘ Prime Time Wrestling ’ the same year. He had feuds with major stars such as Bobby Heenan and Rick Rude. Piper would return to the show in 1991.

Piper went on to star in the iconic 1988 sci-fi film , ‘ They Live ’ , which was directed by John Carpenter. Piper’s signature line from the movie was , “ I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubble gum. ” . This movie made him a ‘ Cult Icon ’ according to Entertainment Weekly magazine.

In 1994, he returned to the WWF again as the guest referee for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship match with Bret hart and Yokozuna at Wrestlemania 10. He soon started a feud with Jerry ‘ The King ’ Lawler. He also began hosting a segment called ‘ The Bottom Line ’ on ‘ All American Wrestling’ . He took a break in 1995 before coming back in 1996 , taking on the role of Interim WWF President. He reinstated The Ultimate Warrior and participated in a “ Hollywood Backlot Brawl ” match against Goldust at Wrestlemania 12. He soon went to WCW and feuded with Hollywood Hogan and the nWo.

On the November 18 episode of ‘ Monday Nitro ’ , Piper revealed that Eric Bischoff was the newest member of the nWo. Thus , this led the faction to attack Piper after doing so. Ric Flair and the 4 Horseman offered to help Piper against Hogan , thus , on the December 9 edition of ‘ Monday Nitro ’, he declined and went on to defeat his long time rival on his own as he declared he would at Starrcade in 1996. In 1997 , Piper joined forces with Flair and the Horseman to battle the nWo. Piper took a hiatus from the promotion , only to return in 1998 as the new Commissioner of WCW. His last WCW appearance was in 2000.

Piper made a few more appearances in WWE and went on to make an appearance in TNA. He continued wrestling on the independent wrestling circuit until his retirement in 2011. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 by Ric Flair. Piper died at the age of 61 from a Heart Attack on July 31 , 2015 in Hollywood , California. Piper is considered to be the Greatest Heel of All Time. Wrestlers such as Drew McIntyre, MJF, and Ronda Rousey were all fans of Piper. He gifted Rousey his nickname ‘ Rowdy ’ and his jacket. She’s wore it to the ring .

My Final Thoughts:

Roddy Piper is my favorite Heel of all time. I love how he didn’t care what you thought about him . He was also pretty cool as well. I wish I could’ve seen him in his prime and met him. Have you met Rowdy Roddy Piper? What is your favorite Roddy Piper match or moment? Let me know!

Love You All,

- Kay

[queenofsliferred]

Due to character limits, this will just be names of my OCs. You can get more information by clicking this link. I welcome nearly any question about my silly mary sues.

Adventure Quest: Chalia

Akira: Kuroda Emi

ATLA: Rimon Suu

Big Bang Theory: Alex Munroe

The Big Chill: Veronica Heather

Big Hero Six: Mati Spence, Masuyo Smith

Bleach: Chikako Aizen, Hotaru Kurosaki, Halcyon Boosalis

Buckaroo Banzai: Sage Spence

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Isolabella Dawson

Cats & Dogs: Aurora Lee Phantasm

Chainsaw Man: Moe Nagamine

Channel Awesome: Avalon SexehTwilight Mary Sue, The Black Widow

Charlie the Unicorn: Jenniffer the Pegasus

Cowboy Bebop: Hazel Prince

Cyberpunk 2077: Himiko Otomo, Vidya "V" Zenith

Danganronpa: Sumire "Owlyn Srebrenka" Hino

Deadly Premonition: Absinthe Maidstone Stonewall MacShakeit, Abigail Maidstone

Death Note: Katherine "K" Kilgore, Melusine "Meruko" Badeaux, Sora Kurohoshi, Jezebel Blackheart, Mitsune Sakura

Devil May Cry: Beatrice Lacrimae, Lavinia Sparda-Amata

Devilman: Astraroth "Astra"

Digimon: Hana Otogi

Disastrous Life of Saiki K: Moemi Saiki

Dragon Age: Coriander Tabris, Craig Cousland, Dove Surana, Lieselotte Brosca, Princess Aeducan, Lovewave Lavellan

Dragon Ball: Remin, Unshiu

Earth Girls Are Easy: Andromevak "Andy"

Eltingville Club: Seraphim "Sera" Herrera

Fallout: None, Nothing

Fate: Cosette Everild-LaAnimus, Delphine Everlid-LaAnimus

Final Fantasy: Jehfa Fakthu

Fire Emblem: Briar, Delshad, Dreamer, Euphemia, Florian Gloucester, Historia, Marguerite Ciar, Primrose Gloucester, Solanine, Wander

Free!: Akira Hanamura

Friday the 13th: Lynn Curtis

Ghostbusters: Aisling Redhead (2016), Aisling Redhead (1986)

Goosebumps: Rosalind "RL" Greene

Gorillaz: Clotilda Culpepper

Grand Budapest Hotel: Cvetka Kovacs

Gundam: Atlus Darkwater, Nnyley Romantica

Halloween: Alice Linklater, Bijou Hart, Brianna Willow-Winters, Dolores Orth, Jason Lee Cranston, Lynn Curtis, Moon n Stars Morris

Harry Potter (All created when I was in middle and high school. This was before JK Rowling shat her diaper. I do not condone Joanne and her hateful bullshit and just wanted to share OCs I made as a kid.) : Akemi Akiyama, Cassandra Finnegan, Harmony Dumbledore, Jaycelynn "Jacky" Lavgine, Kendra Pepper

Independence Day: RL Stineler

Inuyasha: Aihime, Kiki (2004), Kiki Shiina, Usagi Hinode

Jennifer's Body: Christie Fatt Cox

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Fiori Stelline, Jonah Joestar-Angelakos, Kanon "Eileen Diamandis" Shiina, Otome Tanaka, Passion Angelakos, Sakuro Gackt-Myers, Stephanie McCormick

Jujutsu Kaisen: Chidori "Chitose" Iori

Jurassic Park: Anna Rose Morgan, Gillian Mayham, Jen Morris, Joy Tootoosis, JT Malcolm, Marina Malcolm, and Miharu Hamano

Kingdom Hearts: Kitana, Nerissa

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Dazzle Kovacs

The Lorax: Cipher, Avalon and Story

Mario: Princess Velvet

Marvel: Allie N Blumsford, Genesis, Jamie Johnson, Jocasta "Cipher" Macbeth, Makelsolakveder, Zelda Kirkness

Mass Effect: Adette Shepard

Metalocalypse: Maiko "Manko Kechaman" Roberts

Mortal Kombat: Amaya, Emberlynn Augus, Feather Dance, Stryker's Dad, Kandace Stryker, Laytanya Moore, Marina "Monsoon", Kirke

My Hero Academia: Rin Amamiya, Kirameki Sarashina, Youmu Yumemite

Naruto: Akiko Haruno, Asuka Hatake, Hoshiyo Kanmuri, Kazuma Hanamori, Subaru Kanmuri

The Office: Cam Keeper

One Punch Man: Sumika Nagisa

Ouran High School Host Club: Bunko Matsushima, Ryunosuke Kanagawa

The Outsiders: Josephine "Joey" Wiehler, Serenity "SW" Wiehler, Sincerity Travis

Passengers: Dr. Galaxy Pepper

Persona: Jun Adachi, Junya Daidara, Marina, Momoka Mishima, Minako Iori, Sayaka Sakamoto, Stephanie McCormick, Tomoko Nakajima, Hamuko Arisato, Minako Arisato, Rin Amamiya, Yuka Narukami

Pokemon: Amanda, Altreis, Catalina, Dolores "Lolita-chan", Emilia, Isobel "Izzy", Galan, Gabrielle, Gelato, Medee, Muffy, Paloma, Pycal, Tila, Twinkle, Wasabon

Power Rangers: Emi Johnson, Dawn "Milky" Garson, Jacintha Cranson-Park, Lady Johnson, Lady Johnson (2017), Octavia Clearwater, Serena Ryder, Tamsin "Tami" Oliver, Thomas "Tommy" Oliver, Wednesday Neckoway, Yumeko Takahara, Ashton Redhead, Derek Ng, Jaiden Lawliet, Lux Cranston, Morgan Valentine, Nicholas DuBois, Scout Park, Saintan

Rance: Aellae, Ashelotte, Desu, Cosmia

Resident Evil: Ianthe Hawke

Rise of the Guardians: Eros

Riverdale: Winona "Sodapop" Bighetty

Sonic: Blossom, Purple, Jeff, Mango, Mist

SPY x Family: Lyubov

Stardew Valley: Stella

Star Wars: Hiak Ray "Talarth"

Steven Universe: Imperial Topaz, Nokomis Queens

Stranger Things: Heather Ranger

Street Fighter: Neroli

Sugar Sugar Rune: Akiko Sakura, Cerise Incroyable, Sugar Graves

Tezuka: Daiya Mondo, Melody Serendipity

Tokyo Ghoul: Teruko Yumemiya

Touken Ranbu: Kanon Tachibana, Momoe Tachibana, Tokiko Minami

Transformers: Carly Rae Jepsentron

Twin Peaks: Eden Hill

Until Dawn: Moon n Stars Morris, Rosario Hicks

View Askewniverse: Artoo "Ari" Hicks, Alyce Linklater, Bijou "Rhapsody" Hart, Jaycelynne "Squall" Thiffault, Nova Phoenix

Voltron Legendary Defender: Forever, Harper Thiffault

XIN: Myth

YuGiOh: Aikako Hisahama, Airi Sarahi, Hitomi Nakajima, Hotaru Tenjouin, Jason Trudeau, Jaycelynn Trudeau, Kairi Sarahi, Masuyo Tachibana, Momoe Yukimura, Naomi Sarahi, Ringo Hinagiku, Raven Sarahi

YuGiOh GX: Ai Yuki, Aika Hana, Anais Kuroda, Anastasia Rosseau, Emi Jounouchi, Hitomi Nakajima (GX), Jaycelynn Rosseau, Kaori Tenjouin, Katsuro Jounouchi, Marina Mikan, Naomi, Soul Yagami, Yuudai Yuki, Kaori Torimaki, Koden Saotome, Moira Tenjouin

YuGiOh 5Ds: Barbie O'Neil

YuGiOh ARC V: Shinju Sawatari

Zack and Miri Make a Porno: Pepper Culpepper

Crossovers: Jaycelynn Yuki, Aqua Marine, Desu

In History, Maybe - A coming-of-age story starring Hazel Nylan and her on-again-off-again girlfriend, Stephanie McCormick just trying to make it in the third biggest “city” in Manitoba.

Hazel Nylan , Stephanie McCormick

Nobody of the Luck - A fantasy-isekai story about depressed popular boy getting sucked into a fantasy themed eroge called Nobody of the Luck and saving the world by accident.

Tristan Stark, Aellae, Freya

Fractured Faerie Tales - Tristan is sucked into yet another eroge, this time its fairy tale themed.

Tristan, Cendrillion

RandoRanger - A team of spandex technicolour clad heroes are here to defeat the hentai tentacle monsters!

Masuyo Kusanagi, Ryota Matsuda

Starry Starry Night - Akiko Valentina constantly wished that she’d take that advice to heart for once in her life. Growing up, it seemed like every wish she’d make would come true. Life should’ve been a breeze… and it was for a while. Her family had won the lottery a few years ago, along with her mother’s seaweed gin distillery taking off which brought the Valentina Family even more fortune. Classes would be cancelled, boys asked her to the dance, her favourite TV shows would suddenly be back even when they were cancelled whenever she seemed to will it. Though, like a bad 90s kids horror series, there was always a cruel twist at the end.

Now living alone in the penthouse apartment her now dead family’s fortune got her, Akiko spends her free time overindulging herself in luxury, to distract herself from the dark. Things had gotten stale after two years of spoiling herself rotten.

“I wish something would happen in my boring life.”

One night, she’s approached by a stranger on the way home from partying…

Amber “Akiko” Valentina, Akira Angelus, Blair Princeton, Charles Broadmoor, Cheyenne Princeton, Fafnir, Gaylene, Kirk Grimme, Nyarou, Thorn

Fairy Ring - A small town on the border of southern Manitoba that hides some magical secrets.

Antigone, “Kisecawchuck”, Dorothy, Carly, David Young, Abigail Maidstone

Roseburough - A city with a dark past–its first settlers were a group of cultist for a demon of lust–that has a proclivity for less than pure activities.

Amelie, Anita Wood, Aurora, Circe, Dani Michaels, Daniel Michaels, Eitaro Satou, Emiri Satou, Genesis “Genni” Jones, Joey Spence

Eidolons and Eudaemonia -Eudaimonia is a world where each country worships a particular element. Each country has a temple and a candle that must be lit at all times to prevent a calamity. Its said that the candles represent hope, the one thing that kept ‘humanity’ going after the first calamity. Every few centuries, new candles must be created and infused with magic and blessings from each country before being placed in the temples and lit. It’s a ritual that has been carried on long before the formation of the Church of the Star Bringer, which eventually took control of candle duties. 

Team Disatisfaction: Anita, Arlis, Milk, Opal, Rubia, Vesta, The Artist

Lovewave

The Demon Lords: Lovena

Kuroi

Mizuka

Magical Flower Maidens: Anemone, Cassiane, Ione, Renthe, Sayuri, Zinnia

Tristan's Party: Tristan, Akihime, Plum and Peaches.

Story-less OCs:

Stephanie "Desu" McCormick, Stephen "Boku" McCormick, Aisling McCormick

Rhubarb

Mermaid Squad: Arctic, Sea Bunny, Goffik

[thesilvervicar]

So now that I’ve officially fallen back into Bloodborne hell, a part of me is tempted to attempt drawing the CF duo as hunters, possibly getting into bloody antics around Yharnam. Slaughtering beasts and madmen, getting chased around a graveyard by Father Gascoigne, probably greatly concerning Eileen.

(Curtis would probably look great in Crowfeather garb and a top hat, or just the Hunter garb. No idea what weapons they’d use)

[the-paint-pad]

Our seventh report on Earth-Y/New Earth is on Ice Cube.

Ice Cube was born as Irene Curtis in 6995 on Goiky Island to two farmers. Under the economically liberal trading kingdom, her parents would raise her in tolerably comfortable conditions, but were radically religious. Her life felt like it ended in 7003, when the government seemed to collapse, and her parents were killed as the island was invaded. She would suffer a traumatic head injury years later in 7009 in an accident which would kill her older brother, which she would take almost eight years to recover from. She would spend a year in an orphanage.

In 7010, she would venture off to find someone to support her, and would stumble into the group that would shortly become contestants in BFDI. She would go on to describe BFDI as insufferable and tiresome, and would describe Leafy as the most insufferable of the first season. In 7012, BFDIA would see her recover almost completely from her injury, and she would show social intelligence fitting her age, and also a very strong sense for technology. The only real issues she suffered from were memory issues for the following years. Ice Cube would describe her experience with Freesmart as nightmarish, with Book being her only real friend. She would grow to feel as if Book were a surrogate older sister to her, but only vaguely expressed it.

She would continue to live in Yoyle City with everyone by then, and would prove to have a strong sense of compassion and morality as she sacrificed herself briefly in IDFB to save Woody's life in 7016. The revival of the Kingdom in 7020 would be followed by an opportunity for her to cut herself off from Pencil and Match's toxic disaster of a friendship, and she would move away to live in an apartment building run by Barf Bag and Eileen, the former Evil Leafy. She would initially be afraid of Eileen, as the frightening experience of BFDIA 5b stuck with her, but Eileen would treat her with unusual kindness. Both would grow to view each other as surrogate siblings. Unlike Book, Eileen went out of her way to provide, and assumed a more motherly role. Eileen only asked that Ice Cube function as the apartment's mechanic in return for her free apartment.

Eileen herself would describe Ice Cube as meek and kind. Eileen had very little connection to Linda emotionally, and Ice Cube filled the void to some extent. Ice Cube would be ecstatic when Book and Ruby would move away from Pencil and Match in 7021. Ice Cube would never dress very much, though. A farmer's skirt had always been enough, and her enmity with Pencil made it an emotional choice. A sentiment Eileen related to. Ice Cube would become famous briefly as an interview of the contestants in the apartment featured remarks from her describing herself as a proud peasant, and would eventually write an autobiography.

Today in 7024, Ice Cube lives in moderate comfort and joy. Despite her struggles and disabilities, she became an icon for overcoming even the most unbeatable odds.

Our next report will be one on a friend of hers who was not nearly as successful in life, Book.

[bob-the-movie-man-film-reviews]

"Flickering Dreams" Ep. 39: Reviews of Eileen, Fallen Leaves, Genie, Family Switch, Candy Cane Lane & The Peasants.

Episode 39 of Flickering Dreams. #flickeringdreams. Features: Eileen, Fallen Leaves, Genie, Family Switch, Candy Cane Lane, The Peasants & Archie: The Man Who Became Cary Grant

In Episode 39 of Flickering Dreams I’m joined by Andy Godfrey of Sorted Magazine and Konnect Radio, and Scott Forbes of The Forbes Film and TV Review. In this episode Bob, Scott and Andy review the following films: Eileen: a Hitchcockian thriller from William Oldroyd with a twist!; Fallen Leaves: a Finnish deadpan rom-com that delights; Genie: a Richard Curtis-penned fantasy getting a mixed…

[alexlacquemanne]

Octobre MMXXIII

Films

Le miroir se brisa (The Mirror Crack'd) (1980) de Guy Hamilton avec Angela Lansbury, Geraldine Chaplin, Tony Curtis, Edward Fox, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, Wendy Morgan et Margaret Courtenay

L'Homme de Rio (1964) de Philippe de Broca avec Jean-Paul Belmondo, Françoise Dorléac, Jean Servais, Milton Ribeiro, Simone Renant, Adolfo Celi, Ubiracy De Oliveira, Roger Dumas et Daniel Ceccaldi

Opération Dragon (Enter the Dragon) (1973) de Robert Clouse avec Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Ahna Capri, Shih Kien, Bob Wall, Angela Mao et Betty Chung

Le Grand Bain (2018) de Gilles Lellouche avec Mathieu Amalric, Guillaume Canet, Benoît Poelvoorde, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Philippe Katerine, Félix Moati, Alban Ivanov, Balasingham Thamilchelvan, Virginie Efira et Leïla Bekhti

Bernadette (2023) de Léa Domenach avec Catherine Deneuve, Denis Podalydès, Michel Vuillermoz, Sara Giraudeau, Laurent Stocker, François Vincentelli, Lionel Abelanski, Artus, Scali Delpeyrat et Barbara Schulz

Gaz de France (2015) de Benoît Forgeard avec Olivier Rabourdin, Philippe Katerine, Alka Balbir, Antoine Gouy, Philippe Laudenbach, Darius, Jean-Luc Vincent et Élizabeth Mazev

Mariage à l'italienne (Matrimonio all'italiana) (1964) de Vittorio De Sica avec Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Aldo Puglisi, Tecla Scarano, Marilù Tolo, Enzo Aita, Gianni Ridolfi et Generoso Cortini

Adieu poulet (1975) de Pierre Granier-Deferre avec Lino Ventura, Patrick Dewaere, Victor Lanoux, Julien Guiomar, Pierre Tornade, Françoise Brion, Claude Rich et Claude Brosset

Des hommes d'honneur (A Few Good Men) (1992) de Rob Reiner avec Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, James Marshall et J. T. Walsh

La Vie de château (1966) de Jean-Paul Rappeneau avec Philippe Noiret, Catherine Deneuve, Pierre Brasseur, Mary Marquet, Henri Garcin, Carlos Thompson et Marc Dudicourt

Tout ce que le ciel permet (All That Heaven Allows) (1955) de Douglas Sirk avec Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead, Conrad Nagel, Virginia Grey, Gloria Talbott, William Reynolds et Charles Drake

L'Attentat (1972) de Yves Boisset avec Jean-Louis Trintignant, Michel Piccoli, Jean Seberg, Gian Maria Volonté, Michel Bouquet, Bruno Cremer, Daniel Ivernel, Philippe Noiret, François Périer et Roy Scheider

Chaplin (1992) de Richard Attenborough avec Robert Downey Jr., Geraldine Chaplin, Paul Rhys, John Thaw, Milla Jovovich, Moira Kelly, Anthony Hopkins, Dan Aykroyd et Marisa Tomei

L’Évadé d’Alcatraz (Escape from Alcatraz) (1979) de Don Siegel avec Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Roberts Blossom, Fred Ward, Jack Thibeau, Paul Benjamin et Larry Hankin

Les Sorcières d'Eastwick (The Witches of Eastwick) (1987) de George Miller avec Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Veronica Cartwright et Richard Jenkins

Bird (1988) de Clint Eastwood avec Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Michael Zelniker, Samuel E. Wright, Keith David, Michael McGuire et James Handy

Wolf (1994) de Mike Nichols avec Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Plummer et Eileen Atkins

Séries

Brokenwood Saison 8

Du berceau au tombeau - Sortie de scène - Du rififi au paradis - L’homme qui valait 6 dollars - L’or ne fait pas le bonheur

Affaires sensibles

Massacre du Bloody Sunday : la vérité 38 ans après - Bobby Sands, destin tragique d’un héros de l'indépendance Irlandaise - 1979, ils ont assassiné l’oncle de la Reine Elizabeth II - Les Malouines : bataille navale dans l’Atlantique Sud - La chute de la Dame de fer - « La Dame de fer, le Roi Arthur et la grève des Mineurs » - Dr Goldman et Mister Sachs - Elizabeth Holmes, l’arnaqueuse de la Silicon Valley - 13 mai 1981 : le jour où on a voulu tuer le pape Jean-Paul II - Tuer de Gaulle, l'attentat du Petit-Clamart - Bugaled Breizh : un naufrage en eaux troubles - Le monstre du Loch Ness, un animal merveilleusement insaisissable

Inspecteur Barnaby Saison 13, 16

Meurtres sur mesure - L'épée de Guillaume - Du sang sur les éperons - Les Fantômes de March Magna - La Musique en héritage - Mort par K.O. - La Bataille des urnes - Régime fatal - Les meurtres de Copenhague

Coffre à Catch

#135 : Christian est de retour !!! - #136 - Christian veut le titre de Jack Swagger - #137 : DANS LE MAIN EVENT: Christian nouveau champion ECW ? - #138 : Kane contre le Boogeyman + Santino à la ECW ! - #139 : Le jour où Triple H débarque chez Randy Orton !

Happy Days Saison 3, 4

Un locataire encombrant - La Bécane de Fonzie - Fonzie le téméraire : première partie - Fonzie le téméraire : deuxième partie - Une de trouvée et dix de perdues - Œil pour œil, poing pour poing - Une famille contestataire - Les Quarante-cinq ans d'Howard - Fonzie fait la loi - Cours de drague - Les Vacances de Pâques - La Soirée hawaïenne - Quatorze ans trois quarts - Chagrin d'amour - Un tango pour Fonzie - Représentant ou dresseur de fauves - Baby sitting - Fonzie Superstar - Qui sera le pigeon ? - Le Concours de beauté - Spike fait des bêtises - Fonzie porte des lunettes - Le Mariage d'Arnold - Fonzie est amoureux : première partie - Fonzie est amoureux : deuxième partie - Fonzie est amoureux : troisème partie - Fonzie chez le psychiatre - Pas de panique, restons cool ! - Une dette envers Potsie - Richie s'émancipe - Marathon de danse - Richie grand reporter - Fonzie et le shérif - Nouvelle conquête - Le Rendez-vous de Fonzie - Nuit d'enfer dans une remise - La Soirée des records - La gloire est éphémère

Castle Saison 3

Un homme en colère - Tranches de mort - Eau trouble - Le Tueur de L.A. - Mort d'une miss / La Mort d’une miss - La Traque

Top Gear Saison 21

Nostalgie des années 80 - Road Trip à Tchernobyl - Abu Dhabi, Du Sable dans le Carbu ! - Mercedes, folle du désert - Destination Thaïlande - Un pont sur la rivière Kwaï

Alexandre Ehle Saison 4

Cœur de pierre - Puzzle au zoo

Sous contrôle Saison 1

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6

Parlement Saison 3

On ne peut plus rien dire - Le background - Ego to absolvo - Le grand départ - Super pro Brexit - Riders - You shall not pass - Comme le disait Jean Monnet - Fish and ships - Europe, the musical

Les Petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie 70's Saison 3

En un claquement de doigt

Kaamelott Livre III

Le Jour d’Alexandre - La Cassette II - Poltergeist - Les Paris II - Au Bonheur des Dames - Les Tourelles - Cuisine et Dépendances - Arthur sensei - Le Solitaire - Les Festivités - La Menace fantôme - La Coopération - L’Empressée

Spectacles

Les inoubliables : les plus grandes BO du cinéma italien (2023) par le Radici orchestra, Céline Laborie, Simona Boni et Rocco Femia

Livres

OSS 117 : Délire en Iran de Jean Bruce

Lucky Luke : Tome 26 : Nitroglycérine de Morris et Lo Hartog van Banda

Le Chat : Tome 4 : Le Quatrième Chat de Philippe Geluck

Détective Conan : Tome 14 de Gôshô Aoyama

Détective Conan : Tome 15 de Gôshô Aoyama

Spirou et Fantasio : Tome 7 : Le Dictateur et le champignon de Franquin

Astérix : Tome 40 : L'Iris Blanc de Fabcaro et Didier Conrad

Détective Conan : Tome 16 de Gôshô Aoyama

Jack Palmer : Tome 12 : L'enquête corse de René Pétillon

Détective Conan : Tome 17 de Gôshô Aoyama

[welcometowowsville]

#burnt offerings #karen black #oliver reed #bette davis #lee h montgomery #eileen heckart #burgess meredith #dub taylor #dan curtis

[motionpicturelover]

"Burnt Offerings" (1976) - Dan Curtis

Films I've watched in 2022 (164/210)

Full movie:

[blackramhall]

Knives Out, a Rian Johnson Whodunit

by Eileen Steinbach (SG Posters)

Blackram Hall: The guy practically lives in a Clue board

[saturdaynightmovie]

Eileen Way, Tony Curtis and Edric Connor in

The Vikings (1958) Director: Richard Fleischer

[dweemeister]

Burnt Offerings (1976)

The haunted house subgenre of horror films has a storied history. For horror fans in the mid-1970s, the haunted house movie had become passé, with grotesque offerings such as The Exorcist (1972) and The Legend of Hell House (1973) pushing the envelope for horror at large. In various ways, Dan Curtis’ Burnt Offerings, based on Robert Marasco’s novel of the same name, feels like a throwback for a ‘70s movie. This is slow-burn horror, and that did not appeal to most moviegoers then or in our hyperactive present day. Burnt Offerings’ commercial failure upon release means it remains overshadowed by some other haunted house movies of its decade, including The Amityville Horror (1979). Yet for those who allow the film’s atmosphere to wash over their nerves, Burnt Offerings is a somewhat flawed, but worthy addition to the subgenre.

The Rolf family – father Ben (Oliver Reed), mother Marian (Karen Black), 12-year-old son Davey (Lee H. Montgomery) – are visiting a nineteenth century neoclassical mansion. Ben and Marian, who saw a picture of the home advertised as a summer rental in a newspaper, are surprised to find it in decrepit shape. However, the aging owners, siblings Arnold (Burgess Meredith) and Rosalyn Allardyce (Eileen Heckart) are willing to rent the house for $900 (just over $4,000 in 2021’s USD) from July 1 to Labor Day (first Monday in September). There is one other condition: that their 85-year-old mother be allowed to stay in the upstairs room and that the Rolfs do not interact with her other than leaving a tray of food outside her door. The Rolfs consent to the agreement and arrive July 1 with Ben’s Aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis in a surprisingly non-cantankerous late career role). A series of curious incidents without any foreshadowing color the Rolf family’s stay in the early day and weeks of the summer, as the temporary residents realize that something – or someone – sinister is taking hold of their time there.

Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Marasco, the film’s title alludes to sacrifices, perhaps of a religious nature. A burnt offering in the Abrahamic religions, Hinduism, and various other religions is a primeval practice, connecting these faiths to times when superstition and fear of the unknown ran rampant. However, Burnt Offerings, as a title, is meant to be metaphorical, not literal. As such, there are no burning incidents to any degree or ritual sacrifices over the course of the film. Whatever or whoever is haunting this house demands sacrifices from the Rolf family, and these demands become harder to ignore as the summer wears on. For one family member, tending to the malevolent force’s appetite for sacrifices takes on ceremonial, reflexive dimensions. It is as if they are a lonely attendant, receiving direction from an intangible source, and dotes on the house because they know little else in life. This family member capitulates to the house’s genius loci incrementally – by film’s end, igniting this summer home’s true horror.

Burnt Offerings, even for the 1970s, reveals its secrets at a leisurely pace. Interested viewers must modulate their expectations, as contemporary jumpscares are all but nonexistent. Director Dan Curtis, working on an adapted screenplay that he co-wrote with William F. Nolan (primarily an author; 1976’s Logan Run) sets the tempo of the film to a slow, steamy summer. Narrative revelations unfold slowly, as do the film’s most horrific moments. One striking sequence early on in the film takes place at the mansion’s pool. The scene begins innocuously, only to descend into a disturbing moment that takes place without any musical, narrative, or visual foreshadowing. It is not the last time such a set-up occurs, as Burnt Offerings’ most effective horror scenes occur without much warning, gradually escalating – even if the scene’s ultimate result might become apparent midway through – into an explosion of visceral horror filmmaking. There is nothing groundbreaking here, especially with a screenplay disinterested in examining the family relationships, but it does manage to pull the viewer in to see what happens next.

Solid performances help sell the psychological terror that the Rolf family goes through. As the patriarch, Oliver Reed looks and sounds nothing like a suburban father. Ignoring the fact he retains his English accent, his body shape and the patrician air about him (director Carol Reed of 1949’s The Third Man and 1968’s Oliver! acclaim was Oliver’s uncle) makes an uneasy fit. The role requires more mental uncertainty and, going by his considerably masculine appearances and demeanor alone, he does not look the part. Oliver Reed, as Ben Rolf, performs best in moments requiring significant bodily movement. The aforementioned pool scene and most terrifying moments of the movie justify his casting. As Marian Rolf, Karen Black undergoes the most startling transformation over the course of Burnt Offerings. At the height of her career following appearances in Airport 1975 (1974) and Nashville (1975), her role here steadily sheds its sympathetic beginnings until she is barely recognizable from the movie’s opening. A lesser performance from Black or any other actress might tip audiences off to her character’s changes earlier. That Black instead reins in any expected histrionics is to the movie’s great benefit – and helps it earn its finale’s lunacy.

Lee H. Montgomery, as the young Davey Rolf, was best known at this time for being the lead in Ben (1972), and delivers a sufficient performance here. Bette Davis, in the final stages of her storied sixty-year career, provides one of her best bits of work for the late-career filmography. So often cast in crotchety, antisocial, misanthropic at this time, it is refreshing to see her as a significantly less crotchety, caring aunt. But on- and off-set, Davis voiced her displeasure with the screenplay and her adult co-stars – labeling Oliver Reed a drunkard and Karen Black a prima donna. There are no indications of this contentious working relationship that might be obvious on-camera. Her final scene in the movie – shared with Oliver Reed – has Davis appear bloated (with the assistance of makeup), sweating profusely, in a simultaneously touching and sad moment that their characters share together. Davis’ utterances in that scene, along with her physical acting, elevate the moment beyond what might easily have been kitsch.

Coming into Burnt Offerings, cinematographer Jacques R. Marquette (1957’s The Brain from Planet Arous, 1958’s Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) and editor Dennis Virkler (1990’s The Hunt for Red October, 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick) both had little on their résumés that could inspire any excitement. Yet, in their collaboration, Burnt Offerings represent what might be, for both craftsmen, their finest work. Utilizing DeLuxe color and overexposing all of the exterior scenes, Marquette draws sharp contrasts between the exceptionally bright natural lighting against the slightly dim indoor scenes. Marquette’s decisions make Burnt Offerings’ daytime horrors all the more shocking when they happen. Virkler’s judicious editing allows for unfussed dialogue, and permits the film’s brief, but intense, spurts of violence a visual staccato that nevertheless retains a comprehensible, albeit gruesome, transition from more relaxed moments. When in tandem with Bob Cobert’s (the soap opera Dark Shadows that ran from 1966-1971) film score, that work is undermined in the film’s second half. Cobert tends to rely on horror music stereotypes – grating, chaotic strings and foreboding woodwinds and brass – that increasingly telegraphs the film’s shocking moments as the film progresses. Credit Cobert, however, for a memorable music box motif (yet another horror movie music fixture) that will stay in one’s head as the end credits roll.

Filmed at the Dunsmuir House, in Oakland, California, Burnt Offerings is the beginning of that location’s cinematic history. Dunsmuir House, a neoclassical-revival mansion, would later appear in movies such as Phantasm (1979) and A View to a Kill (1985). For Burnt Offerings, the walls of Dunsmuir House were repapered and its swimming pool – damaged in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake – repaired. The house, already in some state of disrepair when shooting began, was restored to its original condition by the end of production – a development and an expense that makes more sense when you have completed viewing Burnt Offerings. With Dunsmuir House, production designer Eugène Lourié (1939’s The Rules of the Game, 1953’s The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms) has a gorgeous canvas to work with, and returns to his roots in 1930s French cinema (oftentimes in films starring middle- and upper-class characters) to evoke the house’s former and, eventually, restored elegance. Burnt Offerings, through its production design alone, would not look out of place in 1930s French moviemaking – an incongruent, but nevertheless fascinating decision for a movie set in the United States.

Mixed reviews upon its release and the film’s deliberate pacing ensured Burnt Offerings’ underwhelming commercial returns for United Artists (I, for one, do not mind deliberately-paced horror cinema as long as long as the decisions deliberately pace the movie are executed with artistic intelligence). For director Dan Curtis, this was his first foray into feature filmmaking that did not involve the Dark Shadows television series. As a director, producer, and writer on the original Dark Shadows soap opera as well as the director on House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark Shadows (1971), Burnt Offerings seems to be suitable to Curtis’ specialties. Curtis lamented the original novel’s ending, but nevertheless found himself up to the challenging in adapting the film. The film’s disappointing reception would make Burnt Offerings Curtis’ only involvement in a theatrical feature.

Burnt Offerings, in the shadows of later movies such as The Amityville Horror and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980), has struggled to gain much visibility in the decades after its theatrical run. A 2003 DVD release for Canada and the United States contained poor video quality and an inexcusable audio track for the voices. Stylistically, Burnt Offerings stands apart for the way it approaches its frights. As it cuts it way through the Rolf family’s summer vacation, it tends to laze about in the sun, with admiring shots of the Dunsmuir House even in the most perilous moments. If the viewer can appreciate Burnt Offerings’ decision to delay its soon-to-be-pervasive sense of dread, the film’s closing stages become much more rewarding.

My rating: 6.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

[likeabitchylamb]

Just had to get this out of my head

Shoutout to Sam’s Blurry, Nameless, Wife that existed solely to have a child named Dean