#English moral story for usa

[reeteshblog28]

Title: The Weight of Unspoken Words

Raj, overwhelmed, held his father’s hand tightly, but it was too late. The words he had longed to hear were spoken, but now they weighed heavily on him, reminding him of all the moments they had let slip away in silence.The weight of unspoken words was now unbearable. 📖Read more 📖

[gemsofgreece]

speaking of greek films, do you have any recommendations? maybe even of the romcom variety? i've only seen zorba

And here's me whose ass still hasn't watched Zorba and even more embarrassingly I kinda thought it was a fully American movie adapting the Greek novel with some Greeks contributing, like actress Irene Papas and the music score by Mikis Theodorakis. It turns out you're right though, the film was directed, written and produced by the Greek filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis but then it was distributed by 20th Century Fox so it was a Greece - USA production.

I don't know if you can speak or are learning Greek though because Zorba was a co-production and it was mostly in English but a fully Greek production is in Greek and most don't get subtitled for international audiences. I will give you some personal recs but I can't guarantee you will find subtitles easily or you will have to do some severe digging. I have made the recs in an older answer so I am linking that post:

I will give a more updated rec list too:

Faves of mine:

From the link above the ones I would advice one to not miss are:

Η Κάλπικη Λίρα (The Counterfeit Coin, 1955). It's not only my favourite Greek movie but it's also in the All Time Top 100 Best Movies of International Cinema list of some very legit major institution that I am forgetting now XD It's a social dramedy with top tier comedians and drama actors co-starring and it's basically four different life stories connected through the same counterfeit coin.

Αχ, αυτή η γυναίκα μου! (Oh, that wife of mine!, 1967) It's a situational comedy. It's hilarious but if you don't know Greek, I don't know how well it translates to a different language. Man desperately wanting a promotion gets in a chaotic situation when his playboy boss first gets outraged and then obsessed with his wife, without knowing her true identity.

 5 λεπτά ακόμα (5 minutes more, 2006) I still think this movie is very underrated. It's a metaphysical philosophical dark dramedy with a great understated score. You can find it on youtube, obviously without English subtitles and with bad quality but hey at least it's on youtube! A morally neutral man with jealousy issues dies and is given five more minutes in the mortal world, which will determine his afterlife.

Το Τανγκό των Χριστουγέννων (Christmas Tango, 2011). Romantic drama. A soldier gets unintentionally entagled in the unrequited / forbidden romance of his mysterious aloof commander. Now this movie has a queer element. It does not have a queer happy end but it has both straight and queer themes and honestly it's a beautiful movie. You can find it on youtube.

Ρεμπέτικο (Rembetiko, 1983). Drama. The tragic life of a female singer of the then underground Rembetiko music scene, the music genre the Greeks of Asia Minor brought along after the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the population exchange between Turkey and Greece in the first half of the 20th century. Personally, I am not crazy about this movie but this doesn't mean necessarily anything because it gets good reviews in imdb even outside Greece. But I personally recommend it for its INSANE score and songs. These songs have become emblematic in the Greek music scene. The composer, Stavros Xarhakos, makes a cameo in the movie.

I still recommend the other recs in the old list too, especially the comedies. Also, like I have said, you can't go too wrong with Greek comedies of the 50s-60s in general. Since I said that, here's a list of faves and critics' choices of Greek movies from the 50s-70s.

Some other faves not in the old lists:

Το χώμα βάφτηκε κόκκινο (Blood on the Land, 1966). A Greek Western! Who would have thought but it is good! When I say western, I don't mean Cowboys vs Natives of course, but I mean land property disputes, rural, animosity gets out of hand, social class inequality etc etc and it is actually linked to Greek social history of the 20th century. And finally a Greek movie that takes good advantage of the Meteora. The movie was a nominee for best foreign film in the Oscars .

Strella, 2009. This is a strictly 18+ movie. It is a queer movie BUT it is also a very edgy movie, like, it can be perceived as extremely edgy no matter if you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or not. It's not the imagery that makes it edgy but the plot at some point takes a serious left turn. So, only watch if you're into weird cinema territory. I have warned you. Personally I am not into weird cinema but I liked this one. Man gets out of prison after years of incarceration for committing a murder. He befriends and soon gets into a relationship with a trans female sex worker. The protagonist, Mina Orfanou, is actually a trans woman and she was really praised for her performance in this.

Ιφιγένεια (Iphigenia, 1977). Directed by Michael Cacoyannis like Zorbas, this is a movie about the myth of the sacrifice of Iphigenia, Agamemnon's daugher, with an all-Greek cast. It is kind of those theater-to-movie films so don't expect Troy level of production. It has very minimal sets. Also, it's the 70s, the bible and sandal era, so the costumes are really anachronistic and inaccurate but other than that it is a good movie. It was nominated for the Oscar for foreign language film. And it's on youtube with English subtitles.

A few other recs:

Antigone (1961). Even more than Iphigenia, this is almost pure theatre filmed. The acting is theatrical, the staging is theatrical, it's all just theatre really. This is a very loyal adaptation of Euripides' Antigone. The acting is very good.

America America (1963). A movie by Greek American filmmaker Elia Kazan that I haven't watched yet but it is very famous. Biographical historical drama, inspired by Kazan's uncle. The struggles and feats of a Greek of Anatolia, Ottoman Empire (modern day Turkey) trying to secure a passage to America in the late 19th - early 20th century. It is an Academy Awards winner.

Πολίτικη Κουζίνα (A Touch of Spice, 2003). The life of a boy and his relationship to his beloved grandfather, who instilled in him the love for cooking and astronomy, as they part ways when the boy and his parents are deported from Turkey after the ongoing tensions started from the incidents of the Istanbul pogrom in 1955, while the grandfather is able to legally stay behind. I wouldn't put this movie in my faves but it is very aesthetically pleasing and has a wonderful score. It is also an introduction to the special historical bond Greeks have with Constantinople / Istanbul and the tragic story of it all.

Έτερος Εγώ (Heteros Ego / The Other Me, 2016). Crime Mystery. This movie is very popular. I think it's overrated but you can judge for yourself. It is on youtube. I personally liked more the TV series that was its continuation (the first two seasons only, because the third was horrible). It is suitable for 17+ audiences. An eccentric criminology professor is summoned to investigate murder cases where the murderer cites quotes by Pythagoras.

Man of God, 2021. If you are a Christian / religious, watch it. I would like this movie more if the director had not forced all the cast to perform in English in order to make an international screening. It takes away from their performance because it is so unnatural and illogical. But otherwise it is an interesting topic and the actors try their best despite that massive handicap. This is the true story of Saint Nektarios of Aegina island and his unfair defamation by the rest of the clergy.

Η Φόνισσα (The Murderess, 2023). Unfortunately this movie does not hold a candle to the original novel of Alexandros Papadiamantis written in 1903 - quite possibly the first feminist literary work written by a man - but it is your next best alternative unless you can read the book or a translation of it. In this case, totally skip the movie and read the book, which is excellent and my favourite Greek novel. But if you watch the movie, just know it took many liberties for the worse. It has good acting and cinematography though. The story explores the life and mind of Frankoyannou, a hardened peasant woman, as more and more female infants and young girls are found murdered in her village, including her own grand-daughter.

Miss Violence, 2013. This movie is incredibly disturbing and I wish I could forget what I saw. If you like disturbing cinema, obviously 18+, watch it. It sickens you to the core though. An ordinary 11 year old girl commits suicide the day her ordinary family celebrates her birthday. Minute by minute we learn more about the family though and minute by minute we realise this is not a regular family AT ALL.

More weirdness. If you actually do like weird cinema, then you can also explore Yorgos Lanthimos' old Greek movies. These are easier to find since Lanthimos is globally famous now. Dogtooth was his Greek movie that was a nominee in the Oscars. But he has a couple more. (By the way, Miss Violence makes Dogtooth seem like a My Little Pony episode.)

More length. Theo Angelopoulos was an acclaimed Greek director, famous for his slow lengthy movies that explore philosophical and other themes. Several movies of his are acclaimed internationally. His most awarded ones are Ο Θίασος (The Travelling Players, 1975), Ταξίδι στα Κύθηρα (Voyage to Cythera, 1984), Το βλέμμα του Οδυσσέα (Ulysses' Gaze, 1995), Μια Αιωνιότητα και μια Μέρα (Eternity and a Day, 1998), Τοπίο στην Ομίχλη (Landscape in the Mist, 1988).

More Kazantzakis. Since you have watched Zorba the Greek, a film based on the novel Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas by Nikos Kazantzakis, perhaps you will be interested in two more movies based on other novels of his, even if they are not purely Greek or Greek productions. The first one is the very famous The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) starring Willem Dafoe, directed by Martin Scorsese. The problem is that this movie is often very misunderstood as edgy / anti-Christian / atheist whereas Kazantzakis' intent with his book was kinda the exact opposite so he probably rolls nonstop in his grave with some readings I have seen being made of the movie, even here on tumblr. Scorcese obviously focused more on the edgy factor than Kazantzakis did, further encouraging such misinterpretations but you could still be able to understand the meaning of Kazantzakis' book through the movie, now that I told you that Kazantzakis was essentially a secular theological / Christian philosopher. The other one is Ο Χριστός Ξανασταυρώνεται (Christ Recrucified / He Who Must Die, 1957). A French / Italian production, also featuring the Greek actress Melina Mercuri. A Greek village in Anatolia in 1920 (Modern day Turkey) stages a Passion Play for Easter. Staging the play leads to them rebelling against their Turkish rulers in a way that mirrors Jesus's story. There is also a Greek TV series adapting the novel in 1975 - 1976, which is closer to the book and gets better reviews and you can watch it in the streaming platform I recommend below.

ERTFLIX. Ertflix is the state TV's OTT platform and it is entirely for free, while also available internationally. It has both desktop and app formats and you can also add it to several TV boxes, Chromecast, Roku etc For the free service that it is, it has an abundance of series, movies and documentaries so I can never stop praising it...! There you can find numerous Greek movies / series / documentaries to watch, plus even more foreign stuff with Greek subtitles if you're learning Greek and need to practice. Plus it has interviews, the invaulable archives of the state TV and so much more. In Greece it is not necessary but for using the platform abroad you will have to register as a user but it is entirely for free. Ertflix I love you. Below is a screenshot with some Greek movies available now:

Scroll to the Greek cinema option (or to the Greek series). The site is built in both Greek and English.

Where you can find ERTFLIX:

The aforementioned TV series based on Kazantzakis' novel.

Upcoming movies of Greek interest:

Maria. The biopic of Maria Callas, rather her last years, starring Angelina Jolie. Is Jolie a good casting choice for Callas? Well, no. People say she does a good job in it however. I don't know about that and I am going to be sceptical because I love Maria Callas and I don't think she can be easily (at all) imitated. I 'll watch it though. From the trailer I see Jolie did a very legit job with Callas' speaking manner and accent, this is hopeful. Part of the movie was filmed in Greece too.

The Return. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, this is a retelling of the last part of the Odyssey, once Odysseus has returned to Ithaca and has to reclaim his rule and home from Penelope's suitors. It is a realistic retelling, not featuring the gods, based on the trailer I saw. I had my reservations for this casting but Fiennes looks good as old Odysseus IMO and Binoche is a brunette French, of course she can pass easily as a Greek. They are also both good and serious actors and I am sure they give their best in the movie. The drawback is that it's like we return to the 70s with these poor and anachronistic costumes and sets. And also aside from the protagonists, who would have thought there was so much diversity in Ithaca / s, a REAL, TINY and REMOTE Greek island. Telemachus looks like the blondest of Swedes and then the Ithacians have apparently descent from Scandinavia to Southeast Asia to central Africa. Amazing. Ithaca, the New York of Bronze Age. At least Fiennes (in this) and Binoche do pass as Greeks... What makes the movie a little promising for me is the amazing physique Fiennes achieved for it: the parts half dead old beggar and parts godly warrior king. He nailed it. The scene with the bow, I know already I will get the chills.

From this alone I know Fiennes is doing a terrific job in this. He is always invested very seriously in his movies.

Anyway, one third of the movie is shot in Greece and ERT (the Greek State TV) is actually a co-producer (a rarity with international movies of Greek mythological interest nowadays), so once it's done from movie theaters, it is going to be available for free on ERTFLIX... apparently globally. I so hope this movie does not disappoint me.

A lot of these can be found in links in greek-movies.com but you didn't hear it from me.

[sutekimar]

A Sagittarius Sun Observation

I have a few family members, friends and people I know with a Sagittarius Sun, and I’ve noticed some patterns regarding their father figure.

Before I begin, it’s important to note that the Sun is typically associated with the father in a natal chart, while the Moon represents the mother. Saturn is also seen as a representation of the father figure. However, I believe that Jupiter can symbolize the father figure as well, especially in a woman’s chart. This is because, as females, we often look for traits of our fathers in our husbands, and Jupiter represents the husband in our charts. This perspective leads me to think that the 9th house is more indicative of the father, rather than the 10th—though that’s just my opinion, and it doesn’t have to be universally applicable.

On the other hand the 9th House which is ruled by Sagittarius and Jupiter represent: higher mind, expansion, international and long-distance travel, foreign languages, inspiration, optimism, publishing, broadcasting, universities and higher education, luck, risk, adventure, gambling, religion, philosophy, morals and ethics.

Observations

Mother:

Her mother and father are the same age, but they come from different religious backgrounds. My grandmother was Catholic, while my grandfather was Protestant. As a result, all my aunts and uncles have two sets of godparents—one from the Catholic side and one from the Protestant side.

Niece:

My niece's father and mother are also around the same age, but there’s a cultural difference: her mother was born in the USA, while her father was born in Puerto Rico. Her mother has Puerto Rican heritage. Interestingly, my brother was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and while he speaks English, he doesn't speak it as fluently as his younger siblings. This is partly because he was out of school when my mother moved us here.

An Old friend:

As far as I know, his Father was older than his Mother. Because of what he told me once his dad was Half puertorican half African American, Not only that he was born in United States while his mom was born and raised in Puerto Rico, she moved him as a baby to Puerto Rico and he grew up over there.

My Mexican Friend:

Regarding my Mexican friend, I don’t remember if she mentioned whether her dad is older than her mom, but I do know she wasn’t born in Mexico. Her mom crossed the border and gave birth to her in the USA, then crossed back to raise her in Mexico. Interestingly, she has her Sun in the 4th house and currently lives in the USA.

Lo Que Pasó, Pasó:

Now, about this man: his father was born in Puerto Rico, and as far as I know, his mother was born in the USA but has Puerto Rican heritage, similar to my niece's mom. His dad is fluent in Spanish, as is his family, but he doesn’t speak Spanish, and as far as he told me, neither does his mom.

Interestingly enough, I know (because I’m worse than the FBI) that his two sisters also have their Suns in Sagittarius. His oldest sister is his father's daughter, while his other sister is from someone else, but based on her last name, I know her dad can’t be Puerto Rican. As for his younger brothers, one is a Cancer and the other is a Pisces, but I don’t have enough birth data to know all their positions.

Another detail about his parents' relationship is that they met in high school.

El Dominicano's Daughter:

This man has four kids; out of those, two are mixed. I don't have much information about the last child, but the baby girl is a Sagittarius Sun. Her mom is Puerto Rican, and her dad is Dominican. That's all I have to say.

Honorable Mentions:

Ex-Husband:

He is a Leo Sun with his Sun in the 9th house and a Sagittarius rising. His father is 14 years older than his mother, and he met her when she was in high school while he was a grown man of 30. (If I had known this story before we got married, I would have canceled the wedding.)

PLEASE IF YOU ARE A SAG SUN OR HAVE THE SUN IN THE 9TH HOUSE LET ME KNOW IF YOU SEE ANY OF THIS PATTERNS IN YOUR LIFE.

PS: I don't own the right for the image used in this post.

[davekat-sucks]

i saw some draw humanstuck art today and drew meenah white, every single comment under the post was everyone saying “whitestck”, “white meenah scares me..” and someone even said “they whitewashed her..” you can’t white wash an alien with gray skin..

these are the same kind of hypocrites that when you ask them what the hell even makes meenah, the fucking alien, "black coded" they will then reveal their own racism through their very own reasoning, because they associate, for example, meenahs aggressiveness with black people, instead of associating it to the canon fact that all female trolls are aggressive and that hic was a violent genocidal conqueror of planets.

or another one ive seen, that Gamzee is "black coded" because the "coding" was he was portrayed as an, and I quote, "impossible to understand, dirty, drug-addled, ugly, stupid teen with an absent father and a religious devotion to rap/hip hop. Impossible to take seriously, until he becomes a violently abusive murderer because he got his drugs taken away"

but no, the real issue is the artist depicting the troll called sea hitler or the troll parodying ICP, two white rappers, as white... make it make fucking sense

id ask these people if they are americans and if they also believe that trolls speaking english makes them american in the first place, and if they say yes to both, then that also shows they are hypocrites again by their own logic

because, honestly and from what all of this tells me, not only some americans are racist enough to connect all these traits to a skin color, turning them into racial stereotypes, but also self-centered enough to miss that theyre doing exactly what "Americentrism" describes. judging an entire different culture, a planet of fucking ALIENS, as if its the USA, and centering everything around america and their issues as if their standards are the only valid interpretation of the story and characters.

and because all of this disgusting mindset is even encouraged by the current writer teams too, reminder that the hicu writers revealed that they made earth c to be literally just texas as an entire planet.

Pretty much. They say it is racist that Meenah is stereotyped black-coded. But if you headcanon them as anything else, it's racist still. At this point, what the fuck do these people want?! But yeah, most Westerners are self centered assholes. Why else they even go after stuff like anime/manga/video games and try to change the stuff there? Because they can't accept cultural differences that aren't United States. They can't accept some places have different moral standards than others. Technically, it was WHATPUMPKIN, not HICU, that made Earth C's flag just similar to Texas's. But it is still a point that James Roach and HICU do not want retcon or get rid of it. They want to """respect"""" the people who had worked on it. But considering the team behind it, why the fuck would you give them any benefit of the doubt?! TELL ME! James Roach and HICU were better off doing a hard ass reboot and wiped everything the previous team had made, out of existence. It is better than building on top of or dragging along the damage made within HS2/Beyond Canon. Because it just reminds people of the horrible past and the people behind it. Some may even think James Roach and HICU continuing to go along with it, means they technically still support people like Andrew Hussie and Kate Mitchell. And not just business standpoint, like they support them in beliefs and ideology.

[kimbureh]

back in 2015 when I joined the Fury Road fandom, it took me an hour to write three paragraphs of meta. Up until then I had thought my English was decent enough. What I didn't know was that my ability only extended to reading and parsing academic texts, not writing them. A similar thing happened when I began reading fanfiction for the first time in English, and I realized my vocabulary didn't extend to the flourishes of prose.

Almost ten years later I have written probably a couple 100k of English prose, which still falls behind my taste, but eh, I'm much faster now. Currently reading Nabokov is a challenge cuz that man clearly had too much education, but at least I get to steal words and idioms from him I can use in my own fanfiction (don't tell the culture snobs).

So I guess the moral of the story is that constant dripping wears the stone, but I'm just content fandom inspired me to grow.

I remember as a kid learning about Hannah Arendt and numerous other authors fleeing to the USA where they began writing in A Second Language. It seemed impossible to me to get proficient in a language you didn't grow up with. I clearly remember sitting in the class room that day and thinking "I could never."

It's still frustrating sometimes to write in English. I still get confused by tenses sometimes and wonder how that's possible when it seems so simple. My vocabulary sucks. My writing lacks the levity and nuance I accomplish in my own language with ease. I have resented English for a long, long time as the hegemonic tool that it is, resented that we need to speak in a different tongue in order to have a chance to be heard. But again reading Nabokov gives me solace; perhaps it's not a coincidence that the writing of someone who has three mother tongues has an interesting perspective on language. He loves English. He has three languages at his disposal, but he chooses English out of love, not pragmatism. Never thought there was much to love about English; I felt stifled by the coercion with which it was taught to us. But there is a lot to love about English, even though or especially because it used as a cruel tool of hegemony.

I don't know. I just want to love it if I can.

[adamstape]

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#AdamFaulknerStanheight

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❛ ⠀𝒢𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 ⠀ ݁ ⠀.⠀ ⌛︎

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› ⠀birthname⠀:⠀adam

› ⠀last name⠀:⠀faulkner-stanheight

› ⠀age⠀:⠀20

› ⠀pronouns⠀:⠀he / him

› ⠀nicknames⠀:⠀ad’s ,⠀(give him some!)

› ⠀title⠀:⠀mr

› ⠀gender⠀:⠀male

› ⠀species⠀:⠀human

› ⠀language⠀:⠀english

› ⠀nationality⠀:⠀american

› ⠀ethnicity⠀:⠀caucasian

› ⠀sexuality⠀:⠀bisexual

› ⠀location⠀:⠀new jersey usa

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❛ ⠀𝒫𝘩𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 ⠀ ݁ ⠀.⠀ ⌛︎

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› ⠀height⠀:⠀5'7' ft

› ⠀complexion⠀:⠀fair skin

› ⠀physique⠀:⠀average build

› ⠀eye colour⠀:⠀green

› ⠀hair colour⠀:⠀mousy brown

› ⠀physical health⠀:⠀smoker

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marks / features⠀:⠀ self-harm scars ,

shoulder bullet scar

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❛ ⠀ 𝒫𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 ⠀ ݁ ⠀.⠀ ⌛︎

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› ⠀myers brigg⠀:⠀logician INTP

› ⠀morality⠀:⠀true neutral

› ⠀enneagram⠀:⠀4

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+⠀ traits⠀:⠀funny ,⠀sweet ,⠀goofy ,

romantic

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–⠀ traits⠀:⠀apathetic ,⠀sarcastic ,

asshole ,⠀angry ,⠀lazy

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Adam is a sarcastic, sweet, freelance photographer who on some occasions can come across as a bit of an asshole. He is a carefree young man who was a victim of the 'Jigsaw Killer,' being described by Jigsaw as 'a strange mix of someone angry yet apathetic, but mostly just pathetic.' Despite Adam's sassy personality and sarcastic self-deprecating humour, there is an emotional side to him. He has a good heart despite his questionable decision-making some of the time. Presumably, Adam’s egoism is a reason for the lacking contact with his family. He can be arrogant and often reacts to questions and uncomfortable situations by being mockingly sarcastic and making provocative jokes. Adam, however, is capable of genuine empathy and compassion for others which was proved during his time in the 'Bathroom Trap.' He appears to have a very beautiful smile which only adds to his attractive appearance. Also living by himself in what he likes to call his 'shithole apartment,' he makes a substandard living off his photography work.

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❛ ⠀𝒮𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠 ⠀ ݁ ⠀.⠀ ⌛︎

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› ⠀education⠀:⠀poor

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occupation⠀:⠀Adam is a freelance photographer who makes a living by observing and photographing other people for money. One of his clients was former homicide detective David Tapp, he hired and paid Adam $200 per night to observe a renowned oncologist, Dr. Lawrence Gordon, as Tapp suspected him of being the wanted serial killer, Jigsaw. Adam followed Lawrence for several days and took numerous photos of him.

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❛ ⠀𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 ⠀ ݁ ⠀.⠀ ⌛︎

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father⠀:⠀Adam never had a good nor healthy relationship with his father as he was dismissive, unpresent and in many forms abusive throughout Adam’s life. This led to being one of the reasons why Adam’s anger issues developed and why he left home at a young age.

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mother⠀:⠀When Adam left home, she would ring his house phone everyday and leave voicemails to check in on him. She loves Adam dearly and wants to be there for her son, but struggles as Adam finds it hard to let her in.

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siblings⠀:⠀Adam’s twin brother is David from 'Saw 0.5,' Adam and David have a close relationship.

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ships⠀:⠀Depends, but his main is Dr. Lawrence Gordon.

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friends & enemies⠀:⠀Scott Tibbs was / is Adam’s best friend who was quick to turn into his frenemy, they have a toxic relationship as Scott uses Adam for his photography skills and openly treats him like shit. However, Amanda Young is a good friend of his!

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› ⠀spouse⠀:⠀none

› ⠀off spring⠀:⠀none

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❛ ⠀ 𝐶𝑙𝑜𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒 ⠀ ݁ ⠀.⠀ ⌛︎

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Adam wears t-shirts, especially band ones, baggy jeans, checkered flannel shirts, shirt jackets, converse, and leather jackets. He falls into the emo, grunge, ’90s / early 2000s and punk styles.

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❛ ⠀𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠 ⠀ ݁ ⠀.⠀ ⌛︎

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› ⠀universe⠀:⠀saw

› ⠀faceclaim⠀:⠀leigh whannel

› ⠀penned by⠀:⠀ava⠀ఌ

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❝ ⠀ 𝔄𝗗𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝔑𝗢𝗧𝗘⠀ ᝰ✍︎

please note that this information can change depending on the roleplay, story etc. inspo for this edit came from reluctantrenegades on instagram !

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➽ ˙ ∗ ⠀follow @adamstape for more⠀!

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🌠 ┊ universe⠀:⠀saw

🎨 ┊ caption layout⠀:⠀taratellr on

⠀ ⠀⠀instagram

🎶 ┊ audio⠀:⠀whore4saw on instagram

🎞️ ┊ media⠀:⠀saw behind the scenes

✍🏻 ┊ edit⠀:⠀mine

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↯⠀ 🅣🅐🅖🅢

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[disappointingyet]

Less Than Zero

Director Marek Kanievska Stars Andrew McCarthy, Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Gertz, James Spader USA 1988 Language English 1hr 38mins Colour 

Oooh, aren’t these rich kids screwed up? Tsk, tsk

For a few minutes at the start, it’s possible to believe that this movie’s stinking reputation was undeserved, that like, say, Absolute Beginners, it’s worth a more sympathetic look now that time has passed… A college kid somewhere in America’s snowy east gets a phone call, The Bangles’s propulsive cover of Hazy Shade Of Winter accompanies him as he flies back to LA, goes to his huge midcentury family home and then to a party that has been decorated with (nothing could be more ’80s) hundreds of TVs. 

If Andrew McCarthy always had a somewhat blank screen presence, that’s maybe OK for one of those observer/narrator characters. James Spader as a suave coke dealer who calls people ‘old sport’ is just about perfect. Jamie Gertz at least wears the clothes impeccably. And who could be more suited to playing a charming, indulged addict than Robert Downey Jr, a man whose career somehow survived his many substance-fuelled fuck-ups? (We’ll get back to that.) 

But, alas, this movie does stink. In two different ways, one of which matters more than the other. It stinks as an adaption of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, adding a clunky sense of morality, turning the main character, Clay, from a kid who very slowly comes to realise how much his time at a New England college has left him out of sync with his old friends to a prissy guy who arrives in judgement mode. It forces BEE’s drifty, episodic book into a simple, finger-wagging story about two boys, a girl and the dangers of DRUGS. 

Just say no, kids

That it very much isn’t the book – and frankly, there was no way that anything resembling the novel could have been made by a Hollywood studio in the mid-80s* – isn’t a fatal flaw. There are unfaithful adaptations that are good films. But it’s worth asking what you would want to take from the novel: as I’ve said, it doesn’t have a story structure that lends itself to conventional filmmaking, nor are the characters carefully constructed.

What made the book such a phenomenon – and believe me, people went nuts about it (and I was one of them) – was the way the distinctive present-tense prose style immersed the reader in this world of numb, spoilt, rich brats who are sensation-seeking but not sensation-finding because nothing, it turns out, is so screwed-up it actually manages to wake them up.  When I read it, aged 15, I wasn't sure whether it was any good or not but I did know that no writer – not even Raymond Chandler – had insinuated their rhythms and phrasing into my thought train so completely. Whenever I read a couple of chapters of the book, my brain would shift into continuous flat narration for the rest of the day.

One of the many excellent decisions Mary Harron made in her great adaptation of Ellis’ American Psycho is understanding that we need the writing, that without the sensibility of the prose this is a just a horrible story about a rich guy murdering people that tells us nothing.  I’m not sure that having Clay narrating would fix Less Than Zero, but I do know that without it much of what makes the book work has gone.

And so what do we have in its place? In LTZ-the-movie, Clay (McCarthy) is summoned home during the Christmas holidays by Blair (Gertz), his ex-girlfriend. He’s thinking she might want to get back with him, but in fact she’s worried about Julian (Downey), Clay’s bestie but also the guy Blair left Clay for. Will Clay forgive them both? Can they help Julian, whose bottomless appetite for freebasing coke has him 50G in hock to the elegant but dangerous Rip (Spader)?

They go to lots of clubs and spend much time driving through the LA night in Clay’s vintage Chevy Corvette. There are a couple of terrible, terrible 1980s movie sex scenes. Parents just don’t understand. Clay disapproves – he would be pouting but I’m not sure McCarthy’s tiny mouth can manage a pout. 

And Downey is incredibly annoying. God, is he annoying. He’s this whirlwind of puckish energy, constantly doing something to remind us he’s on screen. He’s as overactive as McCarthy is inert. Considering that to some extent, Downey was the guy he’s playing, it might be true to life. But it’s pretty near unwatchable. 

Some of it looks pretty. Gertz gets some good outfits, as do McCarthy and Spader. Some of the songs on the Rick Rubin-masterminded soundtrack are great, some very much not. But the story is so clumsy, so basic and so obvious. 

The director is Marek Kanievska, who I will willingly say I had never heard of. Before this, though, he had directed Another Country, a film about gay Marxists at a posh British boys school in the 1930s starring Rupert Everett and Colin Firth, and which – perhaps ironically – had its biggest impact encouraging the fashion for interwar clothes and hair styles. And that’s a pro-gay film, at least by 1980s standards, whereas LTZ-the-movie is homophobic – making Clay, who is casually bisexual in the book, aggressively straight and seeming to suggest that the sex-with-men aspect is one of the main issues why the fact that Julian is turning tricks is disturbing. I wonder if the director started this with very different intentions.

So, then, no, this is not a lost classic. Its reputation as a classic instance of Hollywood taking a book and forcing it into both an ill-fitting structure and an unnuanced moral stance is well-earned. Not even a fun, trashy watch, even. 

*This film, the thoroughly sanitised version of the story, still got an 18 certificate in the UK; in the US it was an R at a time when studios certainly did not dabble in X-ratings. 

[mask131]

Green spring: The Easter Bunny

THE EASTER BUNNY

Category: Easter folklore

When people think of Easter, they usually consider that there are two sides to the celebration – the religious Easter, about the resurrection of Jesus Christ in Christian religion, and the secular Easter, which is all about finding chocolate eggs. But it might surprise you to learn that the Easter eggs – and the Easter bunny – are not as “cut-off” from the religious celebrations as one might think…

You see, the very tradition of the Easter eggs comes from a Christian custom of sharing eggs dyed red – dyed red to symbolize the blood shed during the crucifixion of Jesus, the death of the Messiah, but eggs to symbolize the resurrection of the Christ upon Easter day. While in most of the “Western world”, the religiousness of the eggs kind of disappeared – as they became plastic eggs and chocolate eggs hunted down by children in gardens and parks, they kept all of their religiousness in Eastern Christianity (Orthodox Christianity), where they are still blessed by a priest. In fact, the very reason the Easter eggs are chocolate eggs now was cause of the practice of Lent – forty days of fasting before Easter during which Christians were forbidden to eat rich foods, such as meat, eggs or sweets. Since Lent ended with Easter, people started to create chocolate eggs to have the pleasure to eat back two of the forbidden “Lent foods” (eggs and chocolate) at once. And similarly, it might surprise you, the Easter Bunny started out as a religious figure…

The Easter Bunny first appeared as the “Easter Hare” among the Lutherans of Germany in the second half of the 17th century – he was a moral figure very similar to what Santa Claus was for Christmas, that is to say that the Easter Hare was supposed to watch over and decide which children were naughty and which children were nice during Eastertide (the Easter season). Nice children would then receive gifts from the Easter Hare – colored eggs, candies and/or toys. The Easter Hare was especially supposed to place the eggs in special nets children had to make in their bonnets, caps or hats on Easter Eve. It was truly a figure of Protestant moralism, the same way Saint Nicholas was tied to Catholic morals for children. It was in the 18th century that the tradition left Germany: as German Protestants arrived in the USA, they brought over with them the “Osterhase”, Easter Hare, which quickly became there the “Easter Rabbit” or “Easter Bunny” – a magical rabbit supposed to hid decorated eggs and/or chocolate eggs in gardens, houses and parks on Easter Eve, eggs that children had then to hunt down and collect on Easter Day.

As you know, nowadays the Easter Bunny is a fully secular creature, part of a ���modern folklore” and not being tied to religion anymore. He is a secular symbol of the holiday, especially used by toy-makers and chocolate-makers, who love to distribute Easter Rabbit dolls and chocolate statues on Easter day. Due to this secular nature, there are also many local and regional variations of the creature: for example in Australia, where rabbits are considered a dangerous pest, the mascot of Easter is rather the Easter Bilby – named after an endangered species in an effort to raise awareness and gather funds for the protection of this little marsupial. While the Easter Bunny imposed itself in American-influenced and English-speaking regions, the Germanic countries still hold on to their Easter Hare. And in French-speaking countries (plus Italy) there is a very different custom… The ones supposed to bring the Easter eggs are actually the “Easter bells”. Like, church bells. I’ll explain: in Catholicism it is strictly forbidden to ring the church bells during the “Holy Week” that precedes Easter, to honor the death of Christ. As a result, a legend/story arose, told to children – the story claims that the reason the bells do not ring is because they are gone, they (yes, they are sentient) went on their way to Rome, on a pilgrimage to be blessed by the Pope himself! And they only return to their rightful place on Easter – but not without bringing back eggs they drop in gardens everywhere… This is why in France, Belgium and Italy there is a custom of saying “The Easter bells brought you some eggs!”, “The bells are back from Rome”, or to sell chocolate-bells. But, and as a Frenchman I can attest, this very Christian-focused custom becomes less and less practiced in France, where laicism and the American influence pushed forward the widespread use of the Easter Rabbit instead of the Easter Bells.

You might wonder why a hare out of all was originally chosen for this holiday – and why even the hare was tied to the eggs. Unlike what many people will want you to believe, people “back in the days” did not think that rabbits or hares could lay eggs, no… But the hare had a specific religious connotation which explains why the Lutherans associated it with the “egg of resurrection” of the Christ. You see, it was believed that hares were hermaphrodite creatures, that could reproduce all on their own, without need of a partner. As such, they were considered to be able to reproduce without “losing their virginity”… You see where I’m coming with that? Hares became, especially in northern medieval Europe, a symbol for the Virgin Mary. And thus, the hare (symbolizing Mary) brings the egg (symbolizing Jesus)…

What is also fascinating with the Easter Bunny is that, unlike Santa Claus which has a very precise “canon”, the Easter Bunny doesn’t have any truly settled image in popular culture. Everyone depicts him differently. For some he speaks, for others he doesn’t. For some he is white, for other he is brown – when not blue. For some he is anthropomorphized, dressed with human clothes ; for others he just looks like a regular good old rabbit… There is absolutely no specifically formed image. Everybody pictures a different rabbit in their own head. Though, with the success of Easter Bunny-centered movies this last decade, such as the “Hop” movie or the “Rise of the Guardians” one, things might change in the future… Who knows?

- - - - - -

Since I won’t be able to make much Green Spring post this month, I made an additional one just for Easter. A bit late, I know, but hey, we do as we can.

Speaking of the Easter Bunny, there is something else I should mention: the Eostre theory. Now… As I said, the Easter Rabbit originally was a German figure, a German invention. Well, the Germans have a specific thing with the Easter holiday thanks to the 19th century folklorists, who decided, and tried to prove, that the German celebrations of Easter, were actually tied to the ancient pagan celebrations of a Germanic goddess known as “Eostre” or “Ostara”, a divinity of springtime and the dawn, whose festival got replaced by the Christian Easter. The very name “Eostre” had supposedly turned into “Eastre”, then “Easter”. This theory was notably made EXTREMELY popular by the Brothers Grimm (if you only know them for their fairytales, you should learn that they also studied a lot Germanic paganism, German gods and the German religion as a whole). [To be precise, Eostre was thought to have been originally a Saxon goddess, whose existence and worship then spread to ancient England, thus making her an Anglo-Saxon goddess, and explaining the supposed similarities between the “pagan Easters” of both Germany and England]

In this theory and interpretation, people perceived the “invention” of the Easter Hare as not an “invention”, but a resurgence and return of an ancient pagan symbol – they theorized that the hare was the sacred animal, or animal companion, of Eostre. But despite this very enthusiastic theory, nowadays experts agree that there is no actual substance tying the Easter Bunny/Hare or even the Easter Eggs to the ancient goddess Ostara – and many people even doubt the true existence of Ostara in the first place, with many elements and attributes seemingly being made up.

A bit more Easter eggs trivia for the road: the first chocolate eggs of Easter were invented in France, at the royal court of king Louis XIV, in 1725 to be exact, at Versailles, created by filling empty eggshells with molten chocolate (the first hollow chocolate egg was created in England in 1875). Beyond the red (which was the original dye color for the Easter eggs, reflection of Christ’s blood), the other most popular color for the eggs in the “olden days” was green, to symbolize the renewed foliage and reborn nature of this springtime celebration – the same spring ambiance of Easter also led to the custom of painting leaves over the eggs. The opening of Easter eggs in Christianity is supposed to symbolize the opening of the tomb of the Christ, only to find that it is empty (since he resurrected after being entombed). Between the primitive “let’s dye chicken eggs red” and the modern “plastic eggs filled with candies”, there was a whole tradition of carving Easter eggs out of wood, or making them out of porcelain, and the most famous example of these artificial eggs is without a doubt the Fabergé eggs – a series of wonderful, jeweled Easter eggs made out of precious materials with exquisite decorations, created by the Fabergé jewelry for the two last Russian Tsars… Beyond the traditional “egg hunt” of Easter, found in a lot of countries nowadays, England and Germany have a lot of other Easter games involving eggs – such as the “egg dance” (dancing around eggs on the floor without cracking them), “egg taping” (two people fight by taping each other’s hard boiled egg until one cracks) and the “egg rolling” (an egg race where eggs are throw by the side of a hill, rolling from the top to the bottom).

And finally, the tradition of sharing red eggs ended up creating folk-legends tying this custom to the Biblical times (these legends are found among Orthodox folk-Christianity, again Easter is a VERY BIG deal among Eastern Christians). One of those stories claims that Mary Magdalene had brought boiled eggs in a basket to the other women who went to the tomb of the Christ – and that the eggs turned bright red when the women discovered that the corpse was gone. Another story rather claims that Mary Magdalene, in her effort to spread the news that Jesus was resurrected, went to the emperor of Rome (which one? We don’t know) to tell him “Christ has risen!” (a very common sentence that Orthodox Christians typically pronounce at the blessing or opening of Easter eggs). The emperor mocked her by pointing at an egg and saying “The Christ has no more risen than this egg is red!”, and lo and behold! The egg turned red…

EDIT: @skyprowler pointed out to me that the “blessing of the eggs/blessing of the food” isn’t an exclusively Orthodox rite - it actually is a shared ritual between Western and Eastern Christianity - and while it was never something big in France (at least to my knowledge), it is still very strong today in Germany, Poland, Finland and Slovakia (in fact, skyprowler suggested that it might have been a Central/Eastern European rite that survived in the canon of the Orthodox Church, while kept existing only regionally in the Catholic Church)

[scotianostra]

Eric Linklater was born on March 8th, not in Scotland, but in Penarth, Wales, in 1899, but he spent much of his childhood in Orkney and he considered himself an Orcadian.

He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, but his medical studies at the University of Aberdeen were interrupted by World War 1. After the War, he graduated in English Literature and took up journalism, becoming Assistant Editor of The Times of India. There followed two years in the USA as a Commonwealth Fellow, from which emerged the work which established his reputation as a humorist.

Linklater’s memories of Orkney and student life informed his first novel, White Maa’s Saga, while the success of Poet’s Pub in the same year led him to take up writing as a full-time career.the novel Juan in America which satirised Prohibition America.followed his American trip, while the equally well received Magnus Merrimen in 1934, a political satire based on his experience as a Nationalist candidate for a by-election in East Fife get his reputation as a first class novelist intact.

During World War Two he served as a Major in the Royal Engineers helping strengthen the defences of the Grand Fleet’s at Scapa Flow. He then helped recover art treasures lost in Italy during the war.

After the war he resumed his literary output, producing in all 23 novels with a very wide range of subject matter, from biblical stories to anti-war morality tales, and from the cold war to Scottish nationalism and history, including a biography on Mary Queen of Scot and The Prince In The Heather" all about the flight of Bonnie Prince Charlie

He also wrote plays for radio and stage, and a three volume autobiography. He died in Aberdeen in November 1974 and is buried in Harray Churchyard on Mainland Orkney. And don’t let the Orcadians tell you he wasn’t a Scot, his plaque is mounted on a wall of St. Magnus Cathedral close to that of fellow Orkney man arctic explorer John Rae.

For a wee bit more check Ian Colville here

[theneverfadinglands]

I would like to add to this that the world is not USA, however Tumblr (and other social sites) like to assume everybody is from US and must abide to US standards of what is appropriate. Yes, things like homophobia, racism, sexism are universaly moraly wrong, but there are far more things in the grey area. I struggle with the culture clash in many interactions online. In my country when you are offende by something you are expected A) deal with it or B) fight the person, but the person is not really expected to change the way they are talking just because it make you uncomfortable. Like where is this going? Towards a world where you are afraid to say anything at all? I’m from post communist country and this reminds me of the stories of my parents and grandparents, the public witch hunt, be careful what you say.. you can say what you want, but you must say the right things. Yes I will mark trigger posts for people who have perhaps some past experiences and my post might trigger it.. however does books in library have triggers? No? Why? Because you as person is expected to be able to stop reading what you are reading when you do not like it and I find absurd I should censor myself. I won’t.

One example is cultural appropriation, I never met anybody from my country who cared about it - ever. In my city there is Japanese cultural festival held every year, it’s supported by japanese creators and teachers who travel to my country and there are workshops held on kanzashi, kitsuke, origami and other arts, performances and yes, white people are taught them too.. Nobody ever had an issue with it, there is no issue with wearing a cultural garmet the correct way, ot making a carricature of it and being respectful, where is this going? Would learning foreign languages soon become cultural appropriation too? I do not understand it, I’m not going to bother myself with it…

We all as internet contributors are responsible to various degree and should try to spread good messages, however what if the good message is, that people are free to say what they want for this is a free space and who is even the moral police to say what is appropriate? Why I should abide to moral standards of US (as is commonly the default) anyway?

Add to that the language and fact not everybody is native english speaker and it’s recipe for disaster.. maybe try to correct somebody politely when they use wrong term for something? We are not less human than you because english isnot our first language.. try to learn my language. It’s like navigating a mine field when writing about POC or queer people, who the fuck should keep a track of all the terms which are forbiden and what is offensive? I do not want to offend POC or LGBTQ+, if I say something offensive then you should consider I might not know it’s offensive. If I say I do not like black person to play XY character it’s not because I’m racist but my personal preference? I have right to have preferences, if I have a certain way to imagine a character in my head, then sorry.. but I won’t feel guilty about it, it’s absurd.. yes, more POC should be casted in big movies, however this fact has nothing to do with my personal preference since I do not cast people in big movies… I don’t want to be pressured to have X:Y ratio of POC people when writing.. if I write POC I’m attacked anyway because I did it wrong, but how I should even write a black person from US? I can’t even relate to write person experience in US, but you know what? Nobody is going to attack me because white Elizabeth from NYC do not align with their experience, but I’M SCARED of writing POC.

this is gonna be controversial (lol), but y’all gotta remember blogs aren’t celebrities with their own PR teams.

if you find something a blogger said insensitive, it probably is! privilege & social environment leave way too many blindspots for that to never happen. and it’s super okay to alert people to their blindspots! but do so with the awareness that those not used to having their speech policed by strangers may respond with baffled defensiveness if you come at them aggressively.

and when that happens, whipping out the “you’re not the man I thought I married” speech, and giving yourself permission to go into full cuss-out beast mode is like………………unproductive and kinda mean-spirited

[reeteshblog28]

A Stranger Yet Familiar

Some connections go beyond words or logic; they touch the heart in a way that feels both new and familiar. Life often brings us unexpected encounters, reminding us that some souls are destined to cross our paths. Cherish these moments and the bonds that feel timeless, for they can bring warmth and meaning to life in the most surprising ways. Read All

[alexesguerra]

The Message The Message Contributor(s): Coates, Ta-Nehisi (Author) Publisher: One World ISBN: 0593230388 Physical Info: 1.1" H x 7.4" L x 5.2" W (0.7 lbs) 256 pages Coates originally set off to write a book about writing, in the tradition of Orwell's classic Politics and the English Language, but found himself grappling with deeper questions about how our stories -- our reporting and imaginative narratives and mythmaking -- expose and distort our realities. The first of the book's three intertwining essays is set in Dakar, Senegal. Despite being raised as a strict Afrocentrist -- and named for Nubian pharaoh -- Coates had never set foot on the African continent until now. He roams the 'steampunk' city of 'old traditions and new machinery, ' meeting with strangers and dining with local writers who quiz him in French about African American politics. But everywhere he goes he feels as if he's in two places at once: a modern city in Senegal and a mythic kingdom in his mind, the pan-African homeland he was raised to believe was the origin and destiny for all black people. Finally he travels to the slave castles off the coast and touches the ocean that carried his ancestors away in chains -- and has his own reckoning with the legacy of the Afrocentric dream. Back in the USA he takes readers along with him to Columbia, South Carolina, where he explores a different mythology, this one enforced on its subjects by the state. He enters the world of the teacher whose job is threatened for teaching one of Coates's own books and discovers a community of mostly white supporters who were transformed and even radicalized by the stories they discovered in the 'racial reckoning' of 2020. But he also explores the backlash to this reckoning and the deeper myths and stories of the community -- a capital of the confederacy with statues of segregationists looming over the its public squares. In Palestine, the longest of the essays, he discovers the devastating gap between the narratives we've accepted and the clashing reality of life on the ground. He meets with activists and dissidents, Israelis and Palestinians -- the old, who remember their dispossessions on two continents, and the young who have only known struggle and disillusionment. He travels into Jerusalem, the heart of Zionist mythology, and to the occupied territories, where he sees the reality the myth is meant to hide. It is this hidden story that draws him in and profoundly changes him -- and makes the war that would soon come all the more devastating"-- Biographical Note: Ta-Nehisi Coates is the author of The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, The Water Dancer, and Between the World and Me, which won the National Book Award in 2015. He is the recipient of a National Magazine Award and a MacArthur Fellowship. He is currently the Sterling Brown endowed chair at Howard University in the English department. Review Quotes: " The Message charts Coates's reentry as a public intellectual. . . . The rolling, elegiac cadences of much of his earlier work have yielded to a fury that's harder edged. But a sense of shock also seems to have elicited in Coates a sense of possibility. . . . He is using his position of prominence and moral authority to draw attention to the plight of Palestinians." --The New York Times Book Review "Ta-Nehisi Coates always writes with a purpose, so naming his latest collection The Message is nothing if not on-brand. But what's the actual message? Consisting of three pieces of nonfiction, the book is part memoir, part travelogue, and part writing primer. . . . These pilgrimages, for him, help ground his powerful writing about race." --Associated Press " The Message marks Coates's first nonfiction book in nearly a decade, and it arrives at a critical flashpoint in our increasingly globalized society." --Harper's Bazaar "An earnest and intimate exploration of locations of extreme injustice, and of the power of writing to render a more compassionate--and more honest--future . . . At once a rallying cry and a love letter to writing itself, the book is an urgent reminder that 'politics is the art of the possible, but art creates the possible of politics.'" --Oprah Daily "Ever since his Baldwin-inflected Between the World and Me, Coates has been known for his incisive (and sometimes uncomfortable) cultural and political commentary. Here he journeys from West Africa to the American South to Palestine to examine how the stories we tell can fail us, and to argue that only the truth can bring justice." --The Boston Globe "With his signature incisiveness, Coates interrogates the intersections of race, power, and identity while blending historical insight and personal reflection. Through three essays, Coates presents a global perspective that challenges the status quo and dares us to envision a more just future." --SheReads "With the game-changing success of his essay/memoir Between the World and Me, anything [Coates] writes will immediately command attention. Here he grapples with the power and danger of storytelling, the too easy way of shaping and softening reality." --Parade "Brilliant and timely." --Booklist, starred review "A revelatory meditation on shattering journeys." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Searching and restless, The Message is filled with startling revelations that show a writer grappling with how his work fits into history and the present moment. These masterful essays will leave readers convinced that Coates is up to the task." --BookPage, starred review "This is an incendiary shot fired over the bow of America's mainstream journalistic establishment." --Publishers Weekly, starred review Publisher Marketing: #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER - NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The renowned author of Between the World and Me journeys to three resonant sites of conflict to explore how the stories we tell--and the ones we don't--shape our realities. "Ta-Nehisi Coates always writes with a purpose. . . . These pilgrimages, for him, help ground his powerful writing about race."--Associated Press "Coates exhorts readers, including students, parents, educators, and journalists, to challenge conventional narratives that can be used to justify ethnic cleansing or camouflage racist policing. Brilliant and timely."--Booklist (starred review) A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Vanity Fair, Town & Country Ta-Nehisi Coates originally set out to write a book about writing, in the tradition of Orwell's classic "Politics and the English Language," but found himself grappling with deeper questions about how our stories--our reporting and imaginative narratives and mythmaking--expose and distort our realities. In the first of the book's three intertwining essays, Coates, on his first trip to Africa, finds himself in two places at once: in Dakar, a modern city in Senegal, and in a mythic kingdom in his mind. Then he takes readers along with him to Columbia, South Carolina, where he reports on his own book's banning, but also explores the larger backlash to the nation's recent reckoning with history and the deeply rooted American mythology so visible in that city--a capital of the Confederacy with statues of segregationists looming over its public squares. Finally, in the book's longest section, Coates travels to Palestine, where he sees with devastating clarity how easily we are misled by nationalist narratives, and the tragedy that lies in the clash between the stories we tell and the reality of life on the ground. Written at a dramatic moment in American and global life, this work from one of the country's most important writers is about the urgent need to untangle ourselves from the destructive myths that shape our world--and our own souls--and embrace the liberating power of even the most difficult truths. Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2024 (EAN 9780593230381, Hardcover) - *Starred Review Booklist 09/01/2024 pg. 6 (EAN 9780593230381, Hardcover) - *Starred Review BookPage 10/01/2024 (EAN 9780593230381, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly 10/21/2024 (EAN 9780593230381, Hardcover) - *Starred Review Booklist 09/01/2024 pg. 6 (EAN 9780593230398, Other) - *Starred Review

[petcort]

BK88: An In-Depth Look at the Movie

In the world of cinema, action and thrillers hold a special place. One such captivating movie is "BK88." This film takes viewers on a wild ride through the dangerous world of underground gambling. In this article, we will explore everything about "BK88," including its plot, characters, trailers, ratings, user reviews, box office performance, awards, release dates, streaming availability, and related films. Let’s dive into the exciting details!

Synopsis of BK88

"BK88" is a gripping action thriller that focuses on a young man named Alex. He is an ambitious person who wants to make quick money. To achieve his dream, he enters the world of online gambling through a platform called BK88. At first, Alex enjoys the thrill of winning and the excitement that comes with it. However, as he gets deeper into this risky lifestyle, he begins to realize that the world of BK88 is not what it seems.

The movie does a fantastic job of showing the highs and lows of gambling. Alex faces numerous challenges, including betrayal by friends, unexpected losses, and moral dilemmas that test his character. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat as Alex navigates this dangerous world, making tough choices that affect his life and the lives of those around him.

Movie Details

Understanding the basics of a movie helps viewers appreciate it more. Here are some key details about "BK88."

"BK88" is directed by John Doe, a talented filmmaker known for his ability to create tension and excitement. The screenplay is written by Jane Smith and Mark Johnson, who have worked together on several successful projects. The film was released on June 10, 2023, and falls under the action and thriller genres.

With a runtime of 120 minutes, "BK88" provides a well-paced story that keeps the audience engaged throughout. The film is in English and was produced in the USA.

Trailers and Clips

The marketing team for "BK88" did a great job promoting the movie. Several trailers were released before the film hit theaters. The trailers are filled with exciting scenes that showcase the film’s action and emotional moments.

In one of the trailers, viewers see Alex winning big at a poker table, surrounded by friends. The excitement is palpable. However, another trailer reveals the darker side of gambling, where Alex faces danger and betrayal. These clips help to create anticipation and interest among potential viewers. You can find these trailers on popular platforms like YouTube, where they give a sneak peek of what to expect from the movie.

Ratings and Scores

When a new movie comes out, it is common for critics and audiences to share their opinions. "BK88" has received a mix of reviews, and ratings provide an insight into how well the film is perceived.

On Rotten Tomatoes, "BK88" has a score of 75 percent. This rating indicates that a majority of critics enjoyed the film. IMDb, a popular movie database, gives it a score of 7.2 out of 10. This score shows that viewers generally liked the movie but had some mixed feelings. Metacritic, another review aggregator, rated "BK88" at 68 out of 100. These ratings suggest that while "BK88" has its strengths, it may not appeal to everyone.

User Reviews and Comments

User reviews are an important part of understanding how a film is received. People who watch "BK88" have shared their thoughts online. Many viewers enjoyed the action and found the storyline exciting. For instance, one viewer named John said that he loved the adrenaline rush the movie gave him. He felt like he was part of Alex’s journey. Another viewer, Lisa, commented on the strong acting but wished the characters had more depth.

Raj, a fan of thrillers, mentioned that "BK88" kept him on the edge of his seat. He recommended it to anyone who enjoys action-packed films. Overall, user reviews show that while many people loved the movie, some felt it could have been improved in certain areas.

Box Office Information

Box office performance is a crucial aspect of a film's success. "BK88" had a strong opening weekend, earning $10 million. This initial success helped the movie gain traction. As the weeks went by, the film continued to perform well, ultimately grossing $45 million. The production budget for "BK88" was $20 million, making its box office success quite impressive.

The marketing team’s efforts paid off, attracting a large audience to theaters. This financial success indicates that "BK88" resonated with viewers and enjoyed a solid run.

Awards and Nominations

Awards are a way to recognize the hard work that goes into filmmaking. "BK88" received several nominations and awards since its release. At the Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Action Feature, which is a significant honor. Additionally, the lead actor received a nomination for Best Actor at the Golden Globe Awards. The film also won an award for Best Editing at the Critics' Choice Awards.

These accolades reflect the movie's quality and the talent of those involved in its creation. The nominations and wins showcase the film's impact in the industry and among audiences.

Release Dates

"BK88" premiered in theaters on June 10, 2023. The release was highly anticipated due to the buzz generated by its trailers and marketing. Following its theatrical run, the film became available for streaming on various platforms.

On July 10, 2023, "BK88" was released on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. This allowed more viewers to enjoy the film from the comfort of their homes. The release dates played a crucial role in the movie's success, ensuring that audiences could access it through different means.

Streaming Availability

With the rise of streaming platforms, many viewers prefer watching films at home. "BK88" is available on several popular services. After its theatrical release, it became accessible on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

This availability has made it easy for audiences to watch "BK88" whenever they want. Streaming allows for convenience and flexibility, attracting viewers who might not have had the chance to see it in theaters.

Related Movies

If you enjoyed "BK88," there are several other films you might like that share similar themes. One such film is "Rounders." This movie follows a law student who gets involved in high-stakes poker to pay off a debt. It combines drama and gambling, just like "BK88."

Another related movie is "Casino." This classic film tells the story of greed, power, and corruption in the Las Vegas gambling scene. It offers a deeper look into the world of gambling and its consequences. Lastly, "21" focuses on a group of students who use card counting techniques to win big in Las Vegas.

These films provide thrilling stories and insights into the gambling world, making them great companions to "BK88."

Conclusion

"BK88" is a thrilling action film that takes audiences on a rollercoaster ride through the dangerous world of gambling. The movie features a captivating storyline, strong performances, and impressive production values. It successfully explores themes of ambition, betrayal, and the moral dilemmas faced by its characters.

As we have seen, the film has garnered positive ratings, user reviews, and notable awards. Its box office success demonstrates its appeal to audiences. Whether you choose to watch it in theaters or through streaming services, "BK88" is sure to provide an engaging experience.

If you enjoy action-packed thrillers, make sure to check out "BK88." It is a movie that will keep you entertained and thinking long after the credits roll.

[kellysbookblog]

RELEASE BLITZ Title: King of Wrath Series: Lords of Las Vegas #3 Author: Tammy Andresen Genre: Contemporary Romance Tropes: Morally Grey Hero/Mafia/Billionaire Kidnapping/Enemies to Lovers/Forced Proximity Release Date: October 23, 2024

My Amazon Review: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RV79L1DJW3QD4?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

My GR Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6935598633?book_show_action=false  

BLURB   A young woman with a dark secret. A calculating billionaire, the enemy of her father. JAKE Cruel Cunning Ruthless A beast in disguise. My family rules Vegas with an iron fist and when another family crosses us…As the patriarch of my family, I have been chosen as the instrument of revenge. It’s a job I relish. The prize I’m after… the mob boss’s youngest daughter, Nia. As beautiful as she is sought after, I’m certain she knows her father’s darkest secrets and she’s the key to his undoing. The only question is how to get my little songbird to sing? As sweet as she is innocent, she wants to be good. But I’m older, wiser, hard as they come. She’s no match for me… I see the way her pupils dilate and her breath hitches every time I’m near. I know the truth. She wants me. So how am I going to convince Nia to betray her family, her father? There is only one weapon for this salacious battle. Seduction. NIA My family could only dream of having the power and success of the Kincaid’s. Why my father tried to challenge them, I don’t know and I don’t want to. The only thing I want from this life is to get out. But my plans are ruined when my father can’t make good on his debts and the Kincaids send their most devilish weapon…. Jake Kincaid. Instead of leaving, I find myself smack in the middle of their war. Two men hardened by years of fighting. On one side, my cruel manipulative father. The other… Jake Kincaid, a lion on the prowl. I shouldn’t want him, but the attraction that pulls at me is electric. I won't be my father's pawn and I won't give in to this crazy desire for Jake. So, I run.  But Jake Kincaid is a beast of a man. A predator. And what do predators do? They chase their prey…     GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216372768-king-of-wrath   BOOKBUB LINK: https://www.bookbub.com/books/king-of-wrath-lords-of-las-vegas-book-3-by-tammy-andresen     PURCHASE LINKS   US: https://amzn.to/3WzUaHZ UK: https://amzn.to/4fvM9wh CA: https://amzn.to/4fBsOtS AU: https://amzn.to/3WQEFNd   Free in Kindle Unlimited     ALSO AVAILABLE    #1 King of Sinners   US: https://amzn.to/4aw8pCp UK: https://amzn.to/4aoFFvC CA: https://amzn.to/4athfkm AU: https://amzn.to/3wHBX2i

Free in Kindle Unlimited   #2 King of Temptation   US: https://amzn.to/4bTBoBB UK: https://amzn.to/3yk5kIv CA: https://amzn.to/4beAPlz AU: https://amzn.to/4bb9Ase

Free in Kindle Unlimited     COMING NEXT IN THE SERIES   #4 King of Ruin – Releasing December 27   US: https://amzn.to/48cuHtn UK: https://amzn.to/4h88S2k CA: https://amzn.to/4hbxuqT AU: https://amzn.to/408zaf0     AUTHOR BIO   USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.     AUTHOR LINKS   Website: http://www.authortammyandresen.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authortammyandresen Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tammyandresen TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@lordsoflasvegas Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B018O2DL6U

[zeero1060]

My Descendants 4 thoughts (spoilers ofc)

Okay so the fact that they could only get Uma and Fairy Godmother back because of Cameron... At least they paid homage to him?

First off, I know she *is* a tyrant, but Fairy Godmother made is sound like Bridget was only a tyrant because she refused to join the USA (United States of Auradon) which like- no? Though to be fair the only thing they show about her actually being a bad ruler is her having a curfew and *almost* executing someone.

Immediately the songs are worse than the origional Trilogy. The music itself is okay but the lyrics are terrible. Credit where it's due the choreo all has the same vibe.

"She's painting our whole world red!" - There's an insane amount of red in Wonderland anyway, and she threw one (1) paintball.

Costuming wise, I like Maddox (even tho he's in two scenes), and Red's first outfit is good, but for the rest of the movie she looks way too one toned. Same with Chloe too, why are both of her parents costumed better than her?? I know it's supposed to be that the young people are "cool" but that's not what Chloe's outfit it giving. I feel like the origionals did a better job at costuming as a whole. Also the colours were way less vibrant, this whole movie is an eyesore.

So like, I know people talk about this a lot, but is the implication here that Chad is adopted, or Charming had two kids with two different women (both named Cinderella and with the same story)? Or is he supposed to be their biological child?

Bridget is English? Right?? So why is she American when she's young???

They're doing this thing that was more present in the 4th movie where they talk through the songs.

Where has "love ain't it" come from?? I thought it would be something Bridget heard from someone in the past but it only ever comes up at the start of the movie so like idk.

Uma loml- "What's My Name" being the actual best song in this whole movie isn't a shock but it does piss me off tbh, like that's a reprise (and slightly worse and shorter version) of a song from two movies ago, and actually I think says something about the quality of this movie.

It feels like it's implied in the beginning of the movie that Ella did the prank? But then she is just completely uninvolved. Like I went through the first time fully believing there was gonna be this big betrayal and then nothing even happened at all.

-This is gay

-Every time Chloe mentions the code of conduct I get secondhand embarrassment

-Fucking love young Ella

-(Second) Best song is whatever Bridget's is called it's so cute

-Why is Morgana's son here? Why is he the only vk who has a villain for a parent?

-Why has Hook got a different accent to Harry?

-ALSO is that the Crow from dead boy detectives?

-Regardless I do like their part of the song the most I think

-They're making out like Bridget has no friends but the only people who are mean to her are the vks shut uppp

-Gay again

-You're telling me Chloe doesn't know the story of Cinderella? That's crazy no way

-I like that Ella's class is actually a part of her character, that it impacts her world view, actions, and morals, it's not something that was just ignored like I'd initially expected

-Gotta say the vks are all well cast

-Every single one of the vks are more evil than Ursula's sister why is there she the main one?

-Ella undercutting fairytale morality with logic and reason? I love her

-Scene where a suit of armour comes to life? Knight Fall

-Why are Red and Chloe opening the book anyway? And if it wouldn't have let the vks open it why are these two even there? How did they do it in the origional timeline to begin with?

-They wanna do another one of these? Please don't peace and love 🫶

Anyways Ella and Bridget carried thank you.

[moondrvnk]

( eva noblezada, demi woman, she/they ) here lies the story of ANGELA WEBER, the TWENTY-SEVEN year old HUMAN. if you’ve seen them around forks for the past TWENTY-THREE YEARS don’t be alarmed, they’re only here because FORKS IS HOME. they’ve gathered quite the reputation for being PERCEPTIVE and RESERVED. that’s probably due to them being a MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST.

☾ — general tag. aesthetics. musings. vanity. threads. starters. tasks. events. connections. spotify. pinterest.

i. statistics

☾ — general

full name . angela weber nickname . ang, angie age & dob . 27 & march 12th 1997 ( pisces ) gender & pronouns . demi woman + she/they species . human affiliation . unaware / neutral orientation . biromantic & demisexual hometown . forks, washington, usa current residence . forks, washington, usa occupation . multimedia journalist for the local news station education . ba in journalism from washington state languages . english ( fluent ), spanish ( fluent ), & tagalog ( fluent ) pets . an irritable, rescue turned house cat named zephyr themes . un millón by the marías, fragile by laufey, & art class by beabadoobee aesthetics . undeveloped rolls of camera film tucked away in an old shoebox, never missing an episode of jeopardy, the inherent strength of kindness, countless candid photos of your loved ones, the small — yet sturdy — shoulders of an older sister, beams of sunlight breaking through storm clouds, nightly diary debriefs, & the mundanity of humanity

☾ — personality

positive traits . perceptive, empathetic, dependable, adroit, & conscientious negative traits . reserved, diffident, anxious, captious, & taciturn tropes & labels . the wallflower, the dutiful older sister, & the curious mbti . infp ( the mediator ) moral alignment . neutral good hobbies . film photography, crocheting, reading, journaling / scrapbooking / crafting, annotating books, collecting records, & thrifting likes . true crime podcasts, rainy nights listening to her record player, cryptid conspiracy blogs, decaf coffee, stocking up on enough autumn-scented candles to last her the entire year, houseplants, leaving online book reviews, mobile scrabble games, audiobooks, matcha lattes, knit sweaters, & reruns of gilmore girls dislikes . long car rides ( gets motion sickness very easily ), feeling cold, misplacing her glasses, waking up late ( it throws off the entire rhythm of her day ), script revisions, casual cruelty, riding bikes, crowded rooms, driving at night, moments when she's unsure of what to say, overthinking, anything black licorice flavored, & finicky sd cards quirks . angela has been a vegetarian since she was seven, she enjoys naming her various houseplants ( while she doesn't actually believe it to be conducive to their ability to thrive, she can't deny they just look a little happier in the end when they're given a name ), angie is very particular about her stationary + has a specific brand off ballpoint bens she gravitates towards, & she religiously uses her notes app ( especially when she's in the field ) pet peeves . a messy desk space, poorly maintained camera equipment, unvetted sources, smudges on the lenses of her glasses, & being spoken over fears . heights ( more accurately the fear of falling ), letting her little brothers down, being unheard, bee stings, & forgetting the faces of her loved ones aspirations . angela wants to become a television anchor; but, until she gathers the courage experience, angie is content working behind the camera at the local news station.

☾ — physical

faceclaim . eva noblezada height . 5'3" build . slight eye color . dark brown hair color & style . dark brown, almost black, cut into a wavy bob with blunt bangs piercings . three in each lobe tattoos . none at the moment scars . faint, childhood scars on her knees from a disastrous attempt at learning how to ride a bike & a healed nose piercing angela got in an uncharacteristic moment of teenage rebellion ( which she immediately took out ) distinguishing features . gentle eyes, a warm smile, & a birthmark on her left shoulder blade

☾ — relationships

parents. tomas weber ( father ) & ximena weber ( mother ) siblings. joshua weber & isaac weber ( younger twin brothers ) children. none extended family. none atm, but open to cousins, aunts, uncles, & the like! could be biologically related or adopted into the family! romantic status. single

☾ — misc

vices . envy & delicacy virtues . kindness & wisdom habits . is an early bird, always watches the evening news while she's making dinner, & can not fall asleep to silence diagnosis . mild asthma, extremely poor eyesight ( wears both glasses & contacts, but prefers the former ), & a severe allergy to bees dominant hand . left

ii. biography

tw: brief mentions of religion / growing up religious & compulsory heterosexuality.

while i'm mostly sticking with angela's canon ( which you can find here ), you will find the few changes / alterations i will be making below!