#Herman has a castle

[centeris2]

oh good lord where do I start, how far back, how obscure, how do I pick just one thing

but if was just one thing it's probably Laverne, who only appeared in the Starshine Legacy comics from like, 2006? 2007?

What's everyone's favourite bit of obscure lore from any part of the SSO franchise?

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Conjuring Nosferatu: Robert Eggers shares the eight films that inspired his remake of “Nosferatu” (2024)

“It’s a world of Gothic Romance, fairy tales, and folklore, made by filmmakers with a passion to transport the audience to another time, another place, and another way of thinking and believing.” Robert Eggers reveals the list of other films (besides 1922 “Nosferatu”) that influenced his version of “Nosferatu” at Lincoln Center

Archie Mayo | Svengali | 1931 (USA)

A dark and seductive tale of obsession and manipulation. A talented young singer falls under the spell of the sinister musician Svengali. As Svengali's influence over the singer grows, he begins to control every aspect of her life, leading to a dramatic and terrifying climax.

Jean Cocteau | La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast) | 1946 (France)

Belle’s father is sentenced to death for picking a rose from Beast’s garden. Belle offers to go back to the Beast in her father’s place. Beast falls in love with her and tests her by letting her return home but telling her that if she doesn’t return to him within a week, he will die of grief.

David Lean | Great Expectations | 1946 (UK)

Orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with his childhood patron, Miss Havisham, and his first love, the beautiful but emotionally cold Estella, he discovers that the elderly spinster has gone mad from having been left at the altar as a young woman, and has made her charge into a warped, unfeeling heartbreaker.

Thorold Dickinson | The Queen of Spades | 1949 (UK)

Countess Ranevskaya, an elderly woman sold her soul to the Devil in order to always win at cards. Captain Herman Suvorin, an embittered Russian soldier, becomes obsessed with discovering her secret and also finds himself smitten by her beautiful young companion, Lizaveta Ivanova. As Suvorin gets closer to the truth, his quest takes an unforgettably eerie turn.

Yakov Bazelyan and Sergei Parajanov | Andriesh | 1954 (Soviet Union)

The evil sorcerer Black Whirlwind kidnaps the flock of a young shepherd boy, Andriesh, along with his beloved talking sheep, Miora, and his loyal dog, Lupar. Heartbroken, Andriesh embarks on a journey to rescue them. He receives a magical flute as a gift from the warrior Vainovan, which is meant to guide him to the castle of Black Whirlwind, who despises all living things.

Jack Clayton | The Innocents | 1961 (USA; UK)

In Victorian England, the uncle of orphaned niece Flora and nephew Miles hires Miss Giddens as governess to raise the children at his estate with total independence and authority. Soon after her arrival, Miss Giddens comes to believe that the spirits of the former governess Miss Jessel and valet Peter Quint are possessing the children. Miss Giddens decides to help the children to face and exorcise the spirits.

Yuri Ilyenko | Vechir na Ivana Kupala (The Eve of Ivan Kupalo) | 1968 (Soviet Union)

Petro is a modest farmhand living in an impoverished village in some unspecified long-ago era. He wants to marry the lovely Pidorka, but her stern father won’t hear of it. The mischievous demon Basavriuk, offers a deal, enticing Petro into crime for the sake of fortune. Based on Nikolai Gogol’s short story “The Eve of Ivan Kupala” (“St John’s Eve”) and Ukrainian folk tales.

Djordje Kadijevic | Leptirica (The She-Butterfly) | 1973 (Yugoslavia)

Based on a revered classic of Serbian nineteenth-century literature, the short story “After Ninety Years” by Milovan Glisic. Its hero is Strahinya, a poor lad in rural Serbia who falls in love with the local landowner's daughter: in order to prove himself worthy of her love, he has to spend a night in an accursed mill. It is said that a vampire is sucking the blood of unfortunate mill men, thereby bringing the village to the verge of famine

[mask131]

What Oz could have been: the 1939 movie

Last time I talked about what Disney's "Oz: The Great and Powerful" would have originally looked like, based on the first version of the script. But today I want to talk about THE big Oz movie, THE classic: the 1939 MGM movie.

Everybody knows this picture, it became iconic and cult, and is such a big part of culture today... Yet, you might be surprised to learn that the movie could have ended up looking VERY different from the one we know today.

Indeed, the "Wizard of Oz" script kept being written and re-written and re-re-written by a dozen of different authors and co-authors, to the point that when it came time to credit who was behind the script problems arose to find an exact name to put on there... If you want to know the detail: a first draft was by William H. Cannon, Mervyn LeRoy's assistant, before the contracts were set and when everything was just beginning. Once the project started, the first full scenario was written by Irving Brecher, but he was then overtaken by another project and replaced by Herman J. Mankiewicz, who worked for one month over the script until a co-author arrived in the form of Ogden Nash. Then a third author joined the team: Noel Langley (he was the one who had the idea of changing the Silver Slippers in Ruby Slippers, and he brought the idea that the three Oz companions would have counterparts as farm helpers in Kansas). HOWEVER Mankiewicz ended up quitting the team. He was replaced by Herbert Fields, who only stayed for three days and didn't change anything, before being also replaced by Samuel Hoffenstein, who also only stayed for a few days without modifying much (or anything). FINALLY Noel Langley gave back the final product of the writers' team... Which of course was edited, rewriten and modified by a second team, formed of Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf. They were then brutally moved to another movie, and the script returned into the hands of Noel Langley to be again rewriten and adapted. One month before the movie started Noel Langley was given another co-author, Jack Mintz, and the second "final" scenario was delivered... Before being corrected and modified by a new author recently brought by Victor Fleming, John Lee Mahin. And THEN it was done!

Of the fourteen different authors that worked on the script, only three ended up being given credit in the final picture: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf.

The result was a project that varied wildly in production. In fact, while the final movie is still vaguely faithful though a bit loose adaptation of the original novel - the very first drafts of the movie had NOTHING to do with the original novel. The "faithfulness" to Baum's Wizard of Oz can be considered almost an accident as each rewrite got closer to Baum's story, only in an effort to get away from the older script... Anyway, here are some highlights and best-offs of the Oz movie we could have had:

The MGM movie has a lot of deleted scenes and songs, that were recorded but not included in the movie. Hopefully a lot of them were released online and can be easily found on Youtube, or elsewhere on the Internet. Most of them were cool reprises that were cut short for time: for example the song "The Wicked Witch is Dead" had a reprise after the death of the Witch of the West, sung first by the Winkies Guards and then morphing into the song being sung by the Emerald City denizens (fragments of this reprise were still used in trailers for the movie). There is also the very famous "Over the Rainbow" reprise that a scared, crying Dorothy was to sing while trapped in the Witch of the West's castle, before the Witch taunted her with an image of Aunt Em in the crystal ball. The reprise is REALLY touching and Judy Garland really put her best in there. There are also alternate takes which reveal a lot about what the movie was intended to be - for example we have alternate records of the "Lollypop Guild" which shows that the high-pitched voice of the final movie was actually an intent to create a "little boys" voice, to match the little girls of the Lullaby League.

The most famous of all these deleted songs is without a doubt the "Jitterbug" song. It was only cut at the last minute, and this brutal removal leaves bizarre remnants in the final movie (for example the Witch says she "sent a bug" to take care of Dorothy and her friends ; and when the Flying Monkey arrive they look sweating and exhausted). This was because originally the Wicked Witch of the West was supposed to send to the heroic party a magical bug (the titular "Jitterbug") that would have forced them to dance until exhaustion, so the Winged Monkeys could easily pick them up. This was however removed out of fear this would date the movie, and they were very much right... Because the entire pun on which the scene relies does not work anymore today: the "Jitterbug" being a specific style of dance very popular in the 1930s and 1940s, but that stopped existing beyond the 1960s. However the "Jitterbug song" earned enough of a fame to get included into the recent "Tom and Jerry" animated movie of "The Wizard of Oz".

Originally, a child-actress was envisioned for Dorothy, and the first choice was Shirley Temple. She declined (but she would later play the role of Tip/Ozma in a Marvelous Land of Oz production). When Judy Garland was cast, there were attempts at giving her a makeup that would make her look more like a child - but everybody pointed out it made her into a ridiculous "baby doll". The first plans were also to have Dorothy be blond, as she was in later Oz books.

Everybody knows the iconic, creepy look of the Wicked Witch of the West, but did you know she was supposed to be... beautiful? One of the main and biggest inspirations for the MGM movie was the huge success of Disney's Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs. Since they attempt to recreate it, their original plan for the Wicked Witch of the West was to have her be a beautiful villainess evoking the Evil Queen of Disney. The original actres cast for this "glamorous witch" was Gale Sondergaar, and we still have shots of her in costume. However it was later decided to make the witch into an uglier, more grotesque character evoking a traditional fairytale hag. Mervy LeRoy was the one who wanted to have the "glamorous, sexy" witch but many (among which Arthur Freed) defended the idea that the witch had to be like Disney's old crone, not evil queen... So they decided to recast the role - leading to the arrival of the one of a kind Margaret Hamilton.

Speaking of the Wicked Wich: One of the original plans for the character was to have her be the Oz counterpart of... Aunt Em. Indeed, no Miss Gulch of any kind. Early on, Aunt Em was considered to be a meaner and colder caretaker to Dorothy, and the one who wanted to get rid of Toto - which explains why she became the Wicked Witch of Oz. (This idea was by Langley, the one who also had the idea of making Dorothy's companions into the farm-helps of Kansas) The Wicked Witch also had a son, Bulbo, an ugly and dim-witted man she wanted to make King of Oz, and who was... the counterpart of Uncle Henry. Later, when the character of Miss Gulch was created, she was given a son named Walter to match Bulbo, before the character was scrapped altogether.

The Jitterbug scene was actually a left-over of a much earlier version of the movie which would have put a strong emphasis on the "musical aspect". This version wanted Oz to be under the tyranny of a spoiled brat of a princess that would have outlawed all forms of music that were not classical music and opera ; young and hip Dorothy, however, would have brought the swing and the jazz from the 1930s USA and used it to win over the princess in a singing duel, and becoming a hero in Oz. Who would have played the princess? I had conflicting reports: some say Deanna Durbin (one of the early candidates for playing Dorothy, alongside Shirley Temple) was considered for the role ; others said it would have been Betty Jaynes playing a certan "Princess Betty".

The earliest version of the script we have (created by William H. Cannon) was heavily inspired by the 1925's Wizard of Oz movie (because yes, there were Wizard of Oz movies before the MGM one), and wanted to remove all forms of magic and supernatural from the story. The brainless scarecrow would have been a man so dumb the only job he could find was to scare crows in fields ; the Tin Man was supposed to be a heartless criminal that the law had forced to wear a suit of tin as a punishment, punishment which did encourage him to learn kindness...

Oh yes, everybody noted in the final movie how Dorothy favorizes the Scarecrow above the other companions. This is a remnant of the scenario drafts wher the final scene of the movie would have been the teary farewell of Dorothy to Hunk, as he leaves for agricultural college and she promises him to write him every day - implying a romance between the two...

People might note a bizarre editing during the scene of the companions freeing Dorothy - such as the door being axed down not corresponding to the door the group escapes from. This is due to yet another cut sequence: the door the companions axed down was to be a trap by the Wicked Witch, who was to imitate Dorothy's voice and song to lure the companions. Once she had captured the three friends, she would have used them as baits, forcing them to call out for Dorothy and to encourag her to take a magical "rainbow bridge" that appeared out of nowhere... Except said bridge would have been created by the Wicked Witch's magic, and while the rainbow was solid enough to walk onto for a certan distance, at one point it returned to being just light. The Witch hoped to kill Dorothy by doing this - but didn't count on the Ruby Slippers' magic actually preventing Dorothy from falling through the rainbow.

Before it was decided to have Glinda send snow to kill the cursed poppies, the original concept was that the Tin Man's tears would have awakened Dorothy (an idea that, as people pointed out, was reused in "The Wiz").

There was at one point plans for the Cowardly Lion to actually be just a... a regular lion that tagged along as a sort of pet with the team, and had dubbed lines, to be revealed as "Prince Florizel", a Prince Charming-type of character that had been cursed under the shape of a lion, and would in the end have married his lover, princess Sylvia (this version was one of Noel Langley's, and very influenced by traditional fairytales). This version most notably pushed Dorothy into being a secondary character: it was the Prince/Lion who was to kill the Witch, by somehow cutting her broom so it would fall into pieces while in the air. There was also a dragon the prince was supposed to fight. This version, being Langley's, was the one that included the Witch having a son (see above). In the older versions of this story, the Witch's plan to make Bulbo king of Oz was to have him marry princess Sylvia, heir to the Ozian throne (hence why Florizel's feud with the Witch is personal) ; later it was changed to the Witch planning to attack the Emerald City and dethrone the Wizard with an army of men, wolves and winged monkeys.

When the MGM learned that Disney was working on their own adaptation of the Wizard of Oz back then, there were brief talks of the two studios uniting their efforts to make a half-live-action, half-animated movie.

During the scene where the Wicked Witch threatens the companions at the cottage in the forest, the Witch was supposed to threaten the Tin Man by briefly turning him into a "beehive", aka filling him with bees, and after crushing one of the insects the Tin Man would have cried, causing his jaw to rust and be blocked.

Early on, there were plans to keep Oz as an actual magical place that truly existed - but the movie-makers of the time considered fantasy was not "sophisticated" and "serious" enough for the audiences, and so they added the entire idea of Oz being shown as a dream-world so adults could "buy" the movie.

[whencyclopedia]

Oheka Castle

Oheka Castle, built by the industrialist Otto Herman Kahn (l. 1867-1934), is one of the best-known luxury hotels of Long Island, NY, USA today. In its time as a private residence, it was the site of the kind of lavish parties which inspired the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby and continues to offer that same experience.

You step into the immense expanse of the foyer and there's the Grand Staircase ahead, wrought iron railings gracefully curving up from the stone landing on which fresh flowers rest on a marble altar. Your footsteps echo loudly across the stone floor and again up the steps to the second floor where a long carpet-runner muffles them as you pass by paintings of various sizes on the walls and statuary on pedestals, all quietly bathed in soft golden light.

Halfway down the hall, you open the door on your left and walk into a room ornately decorated with a silk embroidered couch beneath a gilt-edged mirror, flowers in a vase on a marble pedestal. Sunlight streams in through the window on the far wall and you move past the receiving vestibule with the couch to the bedroom area, draw back the drapes, and look down upon the manicured gardens and fountains. Off beyond the gardens you see Long Island Sound, and, in the silence, you can hear the deep booming of the ship’s engines and the long, low bellow of a tug's horn.

If you feel yourself a character in The Great Gatsby, well, you are not far off. Fitzgerald's novel is set on the so-called Gold Coast of America in the 1920s - the area of Long Island, NY where the wealthy elite built their summer homes between c. 1900 and 1920. Many of the most famous names - Vanderbilt, Phipps, Woolworth - had grand estates here and some have been preserved and are open to the public for tours. The one you have walked into is different from the rest in a number of ways, however, and, most notably, you can stay there. You are in Oheka Castle, formerly the home of investment banker and philanthropist Otto Herman Kahn which, today, is a luxury hotel in Huntington.

Time Travel to the 1920s

Although famously known as a "castle" the building is actually an early 20th-century French-style Chateau designed by the famous Olmstead Brothers Firm (which included Frederic Law Olmstead, the architect who designed New York City's Central Park) who also planned the intricate lawns and gardens. Originally an estate of 433 acres, the site is now comprised of only 23, most of it a golf course, though the French gardens and much of the statuary of the original estate remains.

A weekend at Oheka Castle is time travel back to the 1920s. The owner, Gary Melius, has carefully renovated and preserved the building to reflect the interests and tastes of the original owner. Vintage artwork hangs on the walls and one passes by statues and busts of Socrates, Plato, Epictetus, and Epicurus in the second-floor hallway. Walking down the winding back staircase from the second floor to the bar you feel like Gatsby about to throw another of his famous parties. The wood-paneled library, shelves lined with volumes, looks out through floor-to-ceiling French doors onto the gardens and the lawn and you cannot shake the feeling that Hemingway or Gertrude Stein or T.S. Eliot could stroll into the room any moment.

We were there for a wedding for which we would be staying the weekend and arrived on a Friday. Guests are encouraged to enter through the main gate though one can also access the grounds through a back road. A gatekeeper radios one's arrival and opens the gates. The drive up to the parking lot is impressive enough, passing manicured hedges, statues, carefully cultivated ivy on the archway, but once you pull in to the spacious parking lot, the impression of the hotel is stunning. Oheka is a commanding presence and even before you set foot inside you understand you are experiencing something exceptional.

On this trip, as on most, my wife Betsy and daughter Emily were along, and we all experienced the same sensation of stepping back in time as soon as the high wooden front doors were opened for us and we set foot in the foyer. The lighting from an opulent chandelier high overhead and wall sconces illuminates the grand hall in a soft blush of gold as from candles or oil lamps.

After checking in at the small office just inside the door, we were directed to our room on the second floor and took the ancient elevator up. It should be kept in mind that one is staying in a vintage hotel and the elevator will not operate at maximum 21st-century speed. Remember, you have stepped back in time; everything moved a little more slowly in the 1920s. The elevator opened on the long hallway decorated with artwork and sculpture under soft lighting, noted above.

Our room, previously described, was spacious with bathroom en suite complete with a vintage claw-foot tub and modern shower. There is a television and telephone in the room, neither of which we used, and WIFI is available and password-protected for guests. Modern amenities are never our priority when travelling, however, as we always opt for the time-travel experience in full when we can. Gazing out the window of our room down at the intricate gardens, fountains, and statues under the high blue canopy of a June sky, I thought of the original owner and the people of the past who had stood where I was standing.

Continue reading...

[chouchinobake]

P4 roommates!au hcs

since we're getting a season 4, i wanted to celebrate with hcs i had in my notes for quite some time but never posted :') i'm so excited to see my babies gjfjgkdkd 2024 is gonna be a hell of a year

・bathroom shelves sharing : 40% gregory's make up tools, 40% edgar's shampoos, 20% lawrence and herman's basic stuff

・edgar takes way too long in the bathroom it's criminal

・"tHis cAsTLe iS in UnAcCePtAbLe cOnDiTiOn" — lawrence every 3hours

・gregory lets his art supplies lay literally everywhere in the apartment. eventually the others got tired of telling him to tidy the space and got along with it

・movie night every saturday

・ they all agree on dead poets society to be the Sacred One™

・and disney. they like disney.

・edgar is the official driver since Lawrence drives like an eighty year old, herman has no chill and Gregory doesn't have his driving license

・they go to the library all together at least once every two weeks. they're well known and appreciated by the librarians

・that weird period of time no one is allowed to talk about is when ed and law flirted so hard and yet so obliviously it became awkward for the whole flat-share

・herman and gregory are like kids when halloween is coming. they're the once who put on decorations and buy candies. they even go for a candy tour on 31st. law and ed are tired parents

・they all have such different music tastes their common playlist is a huge mess

・they all agree on classic, jazz and slow rock tho

・ed and law insisted on having an entire wall covered with book shelves. they were the happiest when it happened. precious moment

・gregory is the medic. and he's also the one that gets sick the easiest. beat that logic

・gregory somehow managed to convert the others to billie eilish

・herman is basically bob the builder, when there is a problem in the flat he's in charge

・they just randomly welcome lost pets until their owner shows up

・herman often cooks for them four, he likes to make his friends eat some healthy food

・gregory can listen to the most cheering up sped up tiktok remix songs ever created with a completely straight face

i can't wait to see them on screen, they're so precious <3

[thenightshadowqueen]

Do you mind if I ask your top 5 (or top 10) favorite moments from any media that you love (can be books, anime/manga, tv series, movies, games, etc)? Thanks if you want to answer. Sorry if I ask too much....

That’s a great question! Thank you so much for the ask. Also, I’m so, so sorry about the ridiculous delay in answering; I’ve been super overwhelmed the past couple of weeks, but I think (hope) I’m starting to get back into the flow of things. And you’re not asking too much at all! I love lists.

5. STOPINTHENAMEOFTHELAW! (Toby’s Secret Pocket (Shoot from the Hip), YouTube videos)

This is one of my favourite vocal stims of all time, and Jimmy is the best, and Tom’s quotes are always so quotable, and really all of why I love this bit boils down to autism. Jimmy is adorable, and he’s such a sweetheart, and I just really love this quote because he just wants to be a good police officer (hi Nigel) and he might be really high but he’s doing a great job and I am so proud of him.

4. Arthur’s death (BBC Merlin, TV show)

Look, it’s heartbreaking. But it’s gorgeous (and it’s a seasonal choice), and it’s honestly so well-executed on the part of Colin and Bradley. They did such an amazing job. Merlin’s grief just feels so real, and you can see the love in Arthur’s eyes as he dies. But I think the reason I love this so much is because it is the culmination of everything in all five seasons. This is what everything was leading to, and the payoff is glorious. The first time I watched the show, I didn’t think they’d actually go there, but I am so glad they did. (I have a separate post about why.)

3. “Crawl there, Lair.” “Fuck yourself, Castle.” (All of us Villains by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman, book)

I. Fucking. Screamed. I still scream every time I read this. This was the moment I really started shipping Castlelair. Every interaction they have is so full of contempt and poorly-suppressed attraction, and nothing encapsulates that better than this. They’re so… I actually don’t think I can articulate anything about this. All I can say is, if you haven’t read this book, go do it.

2. Eli hallucinates Victor (Vengeful by V.E. Schwab, book)

This scene. This fucking scene. Look, I shipped Evervale before, obviously, but this scene??? Reinforcement times a thousand. “He doesn’t know how patient you are. Doesn’t know you like I do.” “No. No one ever has.” ???!!??!!!!!!?!????? Are you kidding me???? I just. Fuck. What the fuck???? I don’t know how to talk about this scene, but when I tell you I died—

1. Dreamstat (AMC Interview with the Vampire, TV show)

Wow, hmmm, can you tell I have a favourite trope? Look, I know this isn’t one moment, strictly speaking, and I think it might be pushed a little bit higher on the list than it might normally be due to my current hyperfixation, but I love Dreamstat too much to leave him out. He deserves the spotlight. There’s just something about men hallucinating their toxic-relationship exes being soft with them that gets me (again, refer to number two). Okay, but emotional and heart-wrenching Loustat implications aside, Dreamstat is just amazing. Him eating a photo? Hilarious. “Kill me again”? Devastating. “Romeo? He’s barely Balthazar”? One of my all-time favourite quotes. I just love him.

[themarydragon]

you know i have to ask about this!! :) for the WIP game LoZ: TotK Zelda POV

Yay!

I'm doing the TotK extension of CWRD in two pieces. Arguably three. I'm finishing Born A Storm to finish coloring in the backstory. I'm writing a Link-POV that is also being assisted by Born a Storm work.

And I'm writing a Zelda POV that starts in the exact same place as the Link POV - the morning they leave the Hateno House for the Castle to investigate the Gloom. It follows her to Rauru & Sonia, and is almost entirely My Own Bullshit about what happens between the memories you get to see.

I headcanon that (1) Sonia is about 20 years older than Zelda, (2) already has children that aren't shown, (3) immediately adopts Zelda, and (4) is the maternal figure Zelda needed to direct her power pre-Calamity. I'm expanding Zelda's relationship with Mineru, and I am tripling down on Dad!Rauru. The opportunity to continuously compare Rauru with Rhoam is just too good to pass up.

Sadly, this is NO WHERE near done. It was supposed to be my winter project last year and that just flat out did not happen. I NEED to write it so even if it takes years it WILL get done.

....OH and it's being called Still So it Flows, from a quote from Leonardo Da Vinci: “A river is time in water; as it came, still so it flows, yet never is it the same.”

First runner up for the quote to name the fic was from Herman Hesse: “Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time? That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains. Everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future.”

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

One of the earliest looks at THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, back when it was going to be released as a mainline Walt Disney Pictures films, appears on the 1993 VHS release of PINOCCHIO...

The PINOCCHIO VHS in question streeted in late March of that year, and copies were printed as early as January. Maybe even earlier, so this was early on in the film's road to release.

Close to release, it was decided to have NIGHTMARE be a Touchstone Pictures title instead, as Disney higher-ups had concerns over the film's "macabre" content. 13 years later, in 2006, it was rebranded as a "Walt Disney Pictures" film and all current copies and versions open with that CGI castle logo.

Today, Animation Compendia uploaded an international trailer from the year after its North American release...

Built around the PINOCCHIO VHS trailer, and adding THE LION KING now that that film had already been out in most of Europe before this movie debuted across the Atlantic, it's fascinating to see it open with a Touchstone logo but still hype up how it's part of the Disney legacy of innovation, along with WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT... Even though Disney tried to distance it and that movie from the Disney name...

ROGER RABBIT is its own breed, though. Disney had BIG theme park plans for the movie, with only a few of them materializing (like ToonTown in Anaheim), and Disney Feature Animation did three shorts w/ Roger, Jessica, and Baby Herman, two of which that ran before mainline Disney movies. (The first of them, TUMMY TROUBLE, was attached to HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS. The third, TRAIL MIX-UP, was with A FAR OFF PLACE.)

It's also kinda weird seeing LION KING before this movie, but yeah, in Europe... LION KING was out first, then NIGHTMARE.

Here in North America, NIGHTMARE came out in October 1993, and THE LION KING was a June 1994 release.

THE LION KING was originally meant to be a Thanksgiving 1993 release, following the Thanksgiving debuts of OLIVER & COMPANY, LITTLE MERMAID, RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and ALADDIN... All in a row...

But when LION KING's story issues proved to be a larger problem than anticipated, it broke the new "Disney animated event every Thanksgiving/holiday season" tradition and moved to the summer. So that meant NIGHTMARE had that space to itself, albeit, opening wide two days before Halloween and playing throughout the season. As long as it could, anyways. NIGHTMARE was only a moderate success, grossing a still impressive $50m domestically. Many clicks above Disney's competition (it was even a little bit higher than what Don Bluth's '80s hits AN AMERICAN TAIL and THE LAND BEFORE TIME took in), but quite a few clicks below BEAUTY and ALADDIN.

In Europe, however, THE LION KING was released first. The UK, for example, got it in October 1994. NIGHTMARE was closer to Thanksgiving that year. This was during a weird time where not only did Disney's newest animated movies open waaaay after, theatrically, in Europe... But also, Warner Bros. (!) distributed some of the movies!

Weird, huh?

A practice not uncommon way before these corporations all began to firmly say "All of this stuff is under ONE roof", believe it or not! Disney was no stranger.

For example, in Italy throughout the 1970s, Cinema International Corporation handled distribution of Disney's films. Here's an opening to a 1979 re-release of PETER PAN - sourced from a Super 8 reel - that has their logo following a blanked-out Buena Vista title card...

Disney joined w/ Warner Bros. to distribute their movies in the UK and a few other European territories in 1988, but then ended things in 1992 after BEAUTY AND THE BEAST came out in Europe, later creating a new version of Buena Vista International. That logo, you can see at the beginning of the NIGHTMARE trailer Animation Compendia just uploaded, showed up towards the end of 1993.

They became so big by that point in time, they could now handle more theatrical distribution overseas. Video was still an exception, though. In a country like, say, Brazil, Disney's video releases were put out by a regional company called Abril Video. That's one example of many. You get the idea, right?

Disney minutiae.

[anoramactir]

book recs! tagged by @rosenfey & @jennystahl. blows kisses to both of you <3 i'll tag @a-treides, @katsigian, @dekarios, @shellibisshe, @devilbrakers, and @frankensteined.

last book you read. the salt grows heavy by cassandra khaw.

horror/fantasy, kind of a little mermaid retelling? i had mixed feelings about it. there was definitely an interesting plot in there, but i thought it was bogged down by purple prose. felt more like a challenge to write the prettiest sentences possible - and there were v lovely lines! - than a story at times.

book you recommend. fight club by chuck palahniuk.

hard q, but i went with this one because i feel like the reputation the movie + it's fans have makes people avoid it. i could repeat all the soundbites about it being a brilliant satire & criticque of toxic masculinity (especially if you read the narrator as closeted) but tbh... i'm reccing it because i think it's fun. that's really it.

book you couldn't put down. bunny by mona awad.

disclaimer: i've seen this one hyped as the weirdest shit you'll ever read in your life but i didn't think it was that weird. lower your expectations. i did like it enough to finish in three days, though. idk what to say about it that won't spoil the plot— kinda heathers meets frankenstein? more eerie than scary.

book you've read twice or more. the queen's thief series by megan whalen turner.

society if this was the old school ya fantasy that blew up on booktok instead of shatter me: ☀️🌊🌳 i read this one back in high school and it rewired my brain permanently. attolia irene is the only girlboss that matters. i come back to it every few years (rereading book 4 now) & i think it still holds up.

book on your tbr. last call at the hotel imperial by deborah cohen.

it's a non-fiction about a group of reporters that covered ww2. i picked it up randomly at a bookstore because the cover was pretty, lol.

book you've put down. the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon.

i know i'd love it if i finished but it's just so long. 😭 i've tried like three times and i always lose steam about halfway through. at this point i'll finish it by 2050.

book on your wishlist. hollow places by christopher hadley.

ambie actually recced this to me ages ago and i've been dying to read it. it sounds so interesting! but it's not available as an ebook or at my library, and i'm banned from buying physical books until i get through my stupidly tall tbr stack. one day.

favorite book from your childhood. howl's moving castle by diana wynne jones.

nobody is surprised. it's probably my favorite book of all time. a+ vibes, characters, romance, everything. i own three copies and refuse to get rid of any. if i could find an autographed version, i'd own four.

book you would give a friend. interview with the vampire by anne rice.

i need you all to become obsessed with lestat & louis and then watch the amc series so it gets renewed for season 3. please & thank you.

book of poetry or lyrics you own. time is a mother by ocean vuong.

haven't read it yet, but i've heard great things!

nonfiction book you own. girl sleuth: nancy drew and the women who created her by melanie rehak.

goes into the creation of nancy drew & how it evolved through the years, especially how it was shaped by the original ghostwriter and the daughter of the creator, and their decades-long beef with each other. i came out of it with a parasocial grudge against a woman who died in 1982.

what you're currently reading. a conspiracy of kings by megan whalen turner.

book 4 of the queen's thief series. crown prince sophos has been kidnapped and sold into slavery and it's all very dramatic.

what you're planning on reading next. moby dick by herman melville.

i've never gotten around to this one and i feel like i have to eventually. there's a 75% chance i'll get sidetracked and pick up something totally different, though.

[mr-saavik]

Midyear Book Freakout Tag 2024

Haven't done this in a few years and no one asked for it but here we go

1) Best book:

Lots of contenders for this, but I think it has to be A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. Fantastic writing on a great subject

2) Best sequel:

I haven't really read any traditional sequels where a story continues on from another, but any of the Sherlock Holmes books/short story collections works for this. Maybe The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes or The Hound of the Baskvilles as favorites? Idk

3) New releases you want to read

Henry Henry by Allen Bratton, but idk when I'll get to it because I'd need to get an interlibrary loan

4) Most anticipated release

I'm lowkey bad at keeping up with whats coming out BUT I am excited to read Failure to Comply by @librarycards

5) Biggest Disappointment

Probably Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong because I had heard it was great and a good introduction to writings on disability, but ended up being a very mixed collection of writings and a lot of it just felt meh

6) Biggest Surprise

Perhaps Zong! by M. NourbeSe Philip? Not surprise in the sense that once I knew what it was I thought I wouldn't like it, but surprise in the sense I had never heard of it until I was assigned to read it in a class about literature of the Middle Passage

7) Favorite new author

Virginia Woolf. I've read Orlando before but I don't really remember it; reading A Room of One's Own made me realize I love her writing style

8) Newest fictional crush

Closest answer I can give to this is Sherlock Holmes because I do love that bitch but idk if "crush" is the right word for it or if he counts as new if I was familiar with his character from the Granada tv series

9) Newest favorite character

To not repeat saying Sherlock Holmes, I'm going to say Merricat Blackwood from We Have Always Lived in the Castle even though I've read that before, so again, it doesn't really count as new

10) A book that made you cry

None despite historically being a known crier

11) A book that made you happy

Uhhhhh I guess one of the Sherlock Holmes ones? I tend to read sad shit and reviewing what I've read so far this year there isn't really "happy" material besides that

12) Most beautiful book you've bought or received

Big fan of these two

13) What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Well. Finish what I'm currently reading (Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, Noor by Nnedi Okorafor, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle), also read Before We Were Trans by Kit Heyam because I have it out from the library, same with The White Album by Joan Didion because it is also in the massive book of nonfiction work from Didion I have out from the library, and I think Sara @colors-changing-hue & I are going to attempt to finish all of the Sherlock Holmes books by the end of the year but we've been slow on that recently so we'll see if that happens (to complete the series we'd nees to finish The Return of Sherlock Holmes and then read The Valley of Fear, His Last Bow, and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes). Besides all of that for fun, once classes start back up I will be reading a lot of Shakespeare for my class on his early plays, some medieval romances for a class on that genre, and probably some books about Hitchcock because I'm taking a class on his films and the professor teaching it usually assigns a few whole books to read besides articles & stuff

[princesssarisa]

"Faerie Tale Theatre" Role Association: Seasons 1 through 3

To honor Shelley Duvall in a silly yet fun way, I decided to finally do what I've been meaning to for some time: play a complete game of Role Association for the characters of Faerie Tale Theatre.

That is, describing the story using the names of the actors' more famous characters. @thealmightyemprex and I once did this together, long ago. I thought I would try doing it myself now, starting with the show's first few seasons.

The Tale of the Frog Prince

The Genie is turned into a frog, and only a kiss from Inga can break the spell. Odo is Inga’s father, while Debbie Dunham and Kramer are Genie’s parents. Brave Sir Robin narrates.

Rumpelstiltskin

Wendy Torrence is ordered to spin straw into gold for Lots-O’-Huggin Bear after her father Sarge lies that she can. Tattoo agrees to spin it for her, but at a price.

Rapunzel

Olive Oyle is hidden away in a tower by her abusive foster mother Gloria Swenson, until she meets and falls in love with Prince Lir. Cornelius narrates.

The Nightingale

Ned Kelly is the Emperor of China, who learns the value of friendship from Hillary Whitney and a bird with the voice of Wendy Torrence. Commander Adama is the Prime Minister, while Harold, Iroh, and Mr. Wing are other members of the court.

Sleeping Beauty

Rita the Cat is cursed to die by Ellen Griswold, but Grandmama Addams softens the curse to a 100-year sleep, from which Superman’s kiss will wake her. Father Mulcahy and “Hot Lips” Houlihan are Rita’s parents.

Jack and the Beanstalk

Dave Stohler lives in poverty with his mother Jessica Tate, until Blinkin gives him magic beans that grow into a beanstalk, which leads him to the castle of gigantic couple Ted and Edith.

Little Red Riding Hood

Emily Hobbs goes into the forest to visit Grandma Gilmore and encounters Alex DeLarge, who sets out to prey on them both. The Mayor of San Francisco and Ida Sessions are Emily’s parents.

Hansel and Gretel

T.J. and Savannah are the children of poor woodcutter Wimpy, who get lost in the woods and are nearly cooked and eaten by Mrs. Potiphar.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Addie Loggins intrudes into the house of papa Mongo, mama Alma Cox, and their son Paco. Dick Solomon and Rosie are Addie’s parents and Randall Peltzer is a forest ranger.

The Princess and the Pea

Stephen Waltham falls in love with Sally Bowles, but to test her worthiness, his mother Dr. Lesh has her sleep on twenty mattresses with a pea beneath them. Dr. Jack Bardofsky is a court jester and Chris Hargensen is a mean-girl princess.

Pinocchio

Pee-Wee Herman is a puppet carved by Saul Bloom and brought to life by Maria Portokalos. Kramer and Rocko are two con artists who lead him astray, and Waternoose turns him into a donkey.

Thumbelina

Two-inch tall Princess Leia is stolen from her mother Berta and nearly forced to marry first Castor Oyle, then the Penguin, before finding true love with Tommy Ross.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Cora Crawley is taken in by seven dwarfs after fleeing from Julia, who wants to kill her because Nicholas Medina claims that Cora is more beautiful than she is. Eventually Julia poisons her, but in the end, she revives and marries Frederic.

Beauty and the Beast

Janet Weiss becomes the prisoner of Count Dracula and eventually learns to love him. Chief Hubbard is her father, while Morticia Addams and Helen Henny are her sisters.

The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers

John Cage isn’t afraid of anything, so he spends three nights in Count Dooku’s haunted castle with the promise of marriage to Dooku’s daughter Max. Bob Cratchit is an innkeeper, Stu Pickles is a clergyman, and Frank Zappa is a hunchbacked servant.

[inky-escapism]

Jealously makes the heart.... beat faster?

“You’re spending too much time in the library, don’t you think?” Riftan looked at Maxi through the mirror as he combs her red hair.

“Well, I like reading books.” Maxi blushed from the attention. “And you know that..” she whispered, giving Riftan a soft smile.

The truth is, Maxi has been mumbling in her sleep, calling out a certain name he couldn’t work out and it’s bothering Riftan so much he couldn’t sleep.

For a few weeks now, Riftan’s insomnia has kept the knights enervated, especially Hebaron. Being the only knight who could kept up with Riftan, Hebaron, the sacrificial lamb, endured through the rough waves of drills till dusk. And it doesn’t help that the weather was getting warmer as summer months creep in. “Sir Nirta, come back here!” Uslin hissed, feeling frazzled with the sun shining harshly on his perfect face. Being the vice commander, Hebaron used to oversee the training of squires with Uslin before Riftan’s unease.

“Save me.” Hebaron mouths to Uslin, as Riftan drags Hebaron further away from Uslin’s group.

“Why, why? Why do I have to do this alone?” whingeing under his breath, Uslin repeats this same question for the umpteenth time. Tired and annoyed, Uslin looks up and shouts to the knight carving his own arrows. “Gabel, you come here then!”

“Noisy. Again.” Ruth comments, rolling his eyes as he hears Uslin calling out to Gabel on his trip to the library.

Back at the castle, Ruth was on his way for another lesson with Maxi. ‘Looks like I’ll have to conjure another shield to keep their nonsense out.’ Ruth sighs as he pushes the door open.  

“My lady, you’re early.” Ruth yawned, cracking his fingers.

Maxi jumped from his sudden comment and hugged the book tightly in her chest.

“Don’t bother, I know what you’re reading. No books of spells are in that colour” Ruth giggled.

 “It’s just too intriguing. Do you think the forgotten princess will eventually find out that her new guard was that hero from her childhood? Will she get together with Sir Herman in the end?’ Maxi squeals.

“Lesson 394, My STUDENT.” Ruth taps the blackboard with his chalk sternly as if to bring Maxi back to Anatol, knowing her soul was transported to the Land of Roses with Ser Herman and the maiden, rumoured to be the forgotten princess.

‘Yes, yes, Mage Ruth..’ opening her books while taking a sip of the tea Rudys left before leaving the library for her other chores.

Ending her lessons with tons of homework, Maxi dragged her spell books out of the library. Her small built made her had no choice but to leave her novels behind and come back to get them again after.

“Back from your book club activities with Ruth?” Riftan questioned in bemusement, not expecting his wife to be back this early.

“Where’s Rudys?” Riftan asked as he took over the pile of books from Maxi.

Panting, Maxi waves the questions away with her lady hands as she sat on the bed, trying to catch her breath. Taking a huge breath in, Maxi proceeds to leave for the library again to get her novels.

“Where are you going? Don’t tell me you’re going to the library again! Just how many books are Ruth trying to bury you under? I’ll have a talk with him.” Riftan said as he pulled Maxi’s arm back.

“No, it’s not that. It’s something else. I’ll be back soon!” Maxi chirps as she pecked Riftan goodbye.

“You’re not having dinner with us tonight?” Riftan questions behind Maxi, as she runs off with her puffy dress that can be seen bouncing in far end of the stairs now.

“I’ll see you at the dining hall!” Her little lady voice trailed off, as she hurried back to the library. “Rudys!” Maxi exclaimed. Glad that she caught Rudys in time, before she tidies up the library.

“My lady, please do not run along the corridors. You might fall and injure yourself.” Rudys warmly greeted Maxi with a worry.

Maxi blushed as she bashfully remembered her blue-blacks from her falling and knocking onto the walls whilst reading. It was good practice for her too, on her healing spells.

“My books, they’re not back on the shelves, are they?” Her wide eyes scanning the table.

“No, My Lady, they’re here. I was about to bring them back to your room after cleaning up Mage Ruth’s mess on the floor.” Rudys smiled tightly, her certain dislike for Ruth can been sensed.

Maxi let out a sigh of relief, “Thank you Rudys! That’s very sweet of you!” Maxi exclaimed as she hugged Rudys tightly.

“Let’s go for dinner now, Riftan is waiting!” Maxi collected her books from Rudys, laughing while chatting as they head to the dining hall.

Even at the door, the scent of hot gravy and roasted meat perfumed the air.

“My lady, would you like to join us?” Elliot asked, as he spot Maxi coming through the door. He was standing at his seat, splitting servings of the roasted boar for the table.

“Yes, Sir Elliot! It smells wonderful!” Maxi grins, happier than ever as she realized her stutter has improved dramatically. ‘Not an extra syllable, today!’ Maxi smirks to herself.

Moving their bottoms along, expecting Maxi to naturally take the seat beside their Lord Commander, Maxi saw the empty seat beside Hebaron and just took it. Unbeknownst to her, Riftan wasn’t too pleased with her decision.

‘She knows which pubs I go to.. I can’t just go to any pubs now. I hate drinking in the castle.’ Hebaron was brooding over his avoidance in the local pubs. ‘It’s so boring here… I want to go out there, and drink with the other lads.’ Tilting his head towards the window, Hebaron stares into the night sky whilst Gabel steals his cuts of meat.

A cold breeze sneaked in as swiftly as it went out, causing Maxi to shudder from its sudden visit. As she was directly in Hebaron’s line of sight, Hebaron thinks nothing of it, and took off his vest, putting it on Maxi. ‘Don’t get a cold, My Lady’. Hebaron adds as he got the squires to close off the windows before going back to his dwelling.

Across the table, a darken Riftan was seen stabbing his meat, giving it a second death. ‘Why is he looking at Maxi like that?.. Is it Hebaron?’ Riftan envisaged in his thoughts.

“Sir Hebaron, why are you not eating?” Maxi questioned as she joins Gabel in shrinking Hebaron’s mountain of meat. Jealous at this slight action, Riftan immediately plates more roasted boar for Maxi. ‘I’ll get more meat for you if you want, all you have to do is ask. Why are you getting it from him?’ Letting his jealously run his thoughts, Riftan narrows his eyes at Maxi and Hebaron, frowning so much that his eyebrows are almost touching.

“Start eating or there’ll be none left.” Uslin warns Hebaron as he hastily swats Gabel’s fork away. Getting the cue, Elliot sighs as he stands up again, cutting more meat to fill up Hebaron’s plate.

“I’m not hungry.” Hebaron states, shocking the whole table. “I’ll go to bed now.” Hebaron put his fork down and pushes his plate towards Maxi. “Here, you can have them, My Lady.” Hebaron smiles as he pats Maxi’s shoulder, gesturing her to eat up, before leaving the table.

“Is he alright?” Maxi asked, her eyes following Hebaron as he walked away.

‘Is he alright?! What about me? I’m not alright. Why do you keep looking at him instead?’ Riftan grumbled in his head.

“He’ll be fine, My Lady.” Uslin assured, waving a kitchen maid over. “Bring this and more ale to Sir Nirta’s room.” Uslin instructs her as he hands her a stacked pile of meat on a clean plate.

“Work wife indeed.” Ruth’s comment boosted a great deal of hilarity along the table. However, Gabel and Elliot shut their laughter immediately upon receiving Uslin’s side eye.

Maxi smiled at their interaction, as she continued to stuff her face with dinner, leaving nothing on her plate before she retreated to her room with Riftan.

“Carry me, I can’t walk. I’m too full..” Maxi whimpered, tugging on Riftan’s sleeves. Sighing in defeat, the jealous husband picked his wife up in his arms.

“Am I heavy?” Maxi asked, her fingers fidgeting with Riftan’s top.

“No.” Riftan replies cooly.

“Then why are you grimacing? Your face’s wrinkly.” Maxi pouts as she cautiously cups his face with her hands. Her touch softened his mood.

“It’s nothing.” Riftan kicks the bedroom door open and lays Maxi gently on the bed. Not letting go of Riftan’s top, Maxi used all of her energy to pull him closer for a kiss.

“Silly girl.” Riftan finally smiles as he ruffles her hair, joining her under the sheets. Maxi quickly fell asleep in his arms, with her tummy full of roasted boar.

Unable to sleep, much like the past few nights, Riftan started analysing his thoughts, running through the information as if to plan a combined attack on the field. Misusing his talents as a warfare strategist, Riftan connected the string of words Hebaron told him the other night, that how it was impossible for Hebaron to be with the innominate lady and how rumours will start flying like flies in the sky, with the name Maxi kept muttering in her sleep. Starting with a H, and seems to end with a N.

Piecing 2 wrong puzzle pieces together, Riftan jolts out of bed angrily, as he stormed towards Hebaron’s room with his tirade of nonsensical thoughts.

‘Hebaron, get up.’ Riftan whispered loudly as he fiddled with the doorknob.

Getting impatient, Riftan crushed the doorknob in anger and the door creaked open. Astounded by his own anger, Riftan strut into Hebaron’s room only to find it empty. Not even a soul behind his cloaks this time around.

‘He’s not here?’ Riftan sat on Hebaron’s bed, feeling bewildered with his paranoiac thoughts at the helm. ‘My wife and my best friend?’ Just then, a small shadow on the walls outside of Hebaron’s room caught his attention. “Maxi?” Riftan calls out.

The small shadow on the walls flickered, as Maxi quivered at the sound of his voice, not expecting to hear it at this corner of the castle. She carefully pushed the half-opened door, where the sound was from and was shocked to see Riftan standing in front of her. His hair was in a mess and his body, radiating an unusual amount of heat.

“Riftan, your heart. I can hear it from here. Are you okay? It sounds really fast. It’s beating much faster than usual... ” Maxi questioned with a concerning look in her eyes, her hand reaching out to his chest.

[author's note: have you guys realized that my stories are linked? ٩(⁎❛ᴗ❛⁎)۶]

[nich0las-foster]

Nicholas. This correspondence is important, please pay attention.

I’m intent on marrying your father in the future. This means you are my future step-son.

You are special because you are the version of yourself directly related to Jodie without any technical connection to Glenn.

You are also the exact Nicholas that I tie up in Book Castle, which as you know, is my home.

So you are one of two of my children that I have seen face to face. This is a special bond that we share.

I want to begin family bonding early as not doing so with Herman has made things difficult.

Please list all of your interests so I can find common ground to bond over

-W

Well Actually, he’s not my father. Unless you plan on marrying Willy Stampler- and I doubt you do,- you needn’t worry about being my stepfather.

Also, I don’t think it was neccessarily the lack of family bonding with Herman that caused all that, I think you’re just… You know. A horrible father? Regards, Nicholas Stampler.

[tempest-toss]

GOI File: Troupe of Shadows

this is a long one

Brief Overview: The Troupe of Shadows is a Group of Interest taking the form of an anomalous traveling circus. A fierce rival of Herman Fuller's Circus of the Disquieting, they have reigned a unique balance of terror and enjoyment, although that is subjective.

History: The earliest recorded history of the Troupe goes back to the ages of castles and monarchies. A European king had approved a traveling band of performers to perform in his kingdom. Their acts were fantastical in nature: flaming head juggling, turning shadows into living creatures, a lady duplicating herself before the crowds eyes. The leader of these travelers was known as Lady Midnight, and she managed to catch the eye and heart of the princess, and reciprocated those feelings. The prince meant to wed the princess was angered, and lied to to king, spreading rumors that the performers were there to usurp the kingdom. The princess heard and successfully managed to have Lady Midnight escape, but not before she had to witness her performers be executed; her heart broken more by the fact that the performers remained loyal to her until they perished, not giving away where she might be.

Years would pass by as a hidden escapee decided to get revenge for the mass execution of his fellow performers. He studied as much as he could, until he gained the ability to forcibly anomalize people. With this power he created his own group and lay siege to the castle. Realizing her love was in danger, lady Midnight appeared, to attempt to talk down her former ally. He accused Lady Midnight of betraying the group, and a battle ensued. Depsite the number advantage, the man lost all of his minions, and engaged in a 1 on 1 battle with his former leader. This battle would be fatal for both of them, as their final attack, a banishing magic struck them both at the same time, and reaped their lives. The only part of them that lives on is a slice of their moralities, embedded in an article of clothing.

From this clothing piece a curse would befall the wearer. They are granted abilities to create a new group of performers, and must travel around the land, performing for the masses. After a time ranging between 16-25 years, the clothing, powers, and position must go to another whether willingly or not. Additionally the morality will swap between leaders. Morally pure to corrupt to our to corrupt and so on. The wearer's pre-existing morality, if against the current cycle, will conform to match up with it.

Currently the article is a top hat, and is worn by a woman known as Ringleader Regina. The cycle of morality is on the corrupt side, and she is making a case for being the cruelest ringleader the Troupe of Shadows has ever seen.

Key Individuals: Unfortunately, due to the nature of the ever-changing cast and their elusiveness, it is not definitely known who is a part of the Troupe. An interview with SCP-888 will be needed to know this information. We do, however, know who the current ringleader is.

Ringleader Regina, as mentioned prior, is the current leader of the Troupe of Shadows, and is a very cruel leader. She is reported to delight in the pain both physical and psychological that she inflicts upon her troupe. With the ability to anomalize entities, control their minds, and lure people closer akin to the Pied Piper, she is hard to approach, and even harder to defeat.

Incident Reports and Known Interactions with the Foundation: Due to their elusive nature and consistent movement, attempts to reach them are hard, and due to not wanting to be contained, the Troupe has made few moves to engage with the Foundation. Reports are included but shortened. Full reports can be accessed by the archival computers.

September 3rd, 19█5, August 4th 19█8, May 12th, 196█; on three unique occassions agents Drizell, Research Aide Jackson, and Dr. Driscoll experienced simultaneous days where there were gaps in their memories and their wallets were lighter. Given that these three never partook of drugs or alcohol, it was determined something was afoot.

Incident Report ToS 2a-2b: The Troupe fo Shadows was peacefully detained and sent to Site-███, where they performed many shows. However, a night before the leadership was to change, the then leader, Madame LeBlanc, breached containment alongside the troupe, leaving behind a hand-written apology, promising that it was safer if they left before any blood was shed.

Incident Report ToS 13-S: On [DATA EXPUNGED] SCP-978, "The Desire Camera" was stolen following an atack by the Troupe of Shadows. During their time owning it, the Troupe made a doppleganger version of the camera, with the anomaly to capture the deaths of the taker. SCP-978 was later recontained.

Incident Report ToS 24-A-C: A vehicle containing SCP-888, "The Spider-Boy" was derailed by the Troupe, causing the deaths of Agents Straum and Hoffman, and the capture of SCP-888. A rescue operation went live and Agents Sing and Zimmerman were sent to rescue him. This resulted in 888 successfully hotwiring the Foundation vehicle as Sing and Zimmerman were already turned into clowns to serve Regina. On his second day of traveling 888 was attacked by the very agents meant to help him, now know as Bing Bong and Giggles the clown. 888 critically wounded them and successfully escaped, eventually being found and brought into Foundation custody. The bodies of the clowns were absent when the cleanup crew arrived.

On July 23rd the son and daughter of Agent Mossdeep and Higgins vanished after visiting a Troupe of Shadows performance. The agents joined a search party and were eventually able to locate them again, but they was already made into sideshow performances. They were successfully recovered and made official SCPs, bearing the titles of "The Most Beautiful Thing" (daughter) and "The Blood Puppet" (Son).

Interactions with other Groups of Interest: The following is the known list of GOIs the Troupe of Shadows has interacted with.

Brunshire Academy for the Anomalously Gifted, Deer College, and Kretchmar College: Negative terms. The Troupe of Shadows has frequently kidnapped students and made them performers. All schools have their alumni seeking the students that have been taken.

Dr. Wondertainment: Unlike Herman Fuller, the Ringleader decided to attack the Wondertainment factory to abduct the Little Misters. This siege failed thanks to the very individuals the Troupe wanted to abduct.

Herman Fuller's Circus of the Disquieting: Negative terms. The Troupe and Circus are fierce rivals that often end interactions with bloodshed. It's unknown if this animosity still exists after the Circus's leadership change

Snapdragon Smugglers: The Troupe frequently exchanges goods and services through them. It's rumored that the Troupe hands off low-performing acts to the Smugglers to sell.

Gallery a la Mort: A Ringleader once tried to buy "Easel". Unsuccessful.

Serpent's Hand: Mixed feelings. Ringleader Corrin has donated books and the statue of Lady Midnight to the Library. Years later RIngleader Jezebel attacked the Library and cursed the Book of the Troupe, causing all its pages to fall out and be scattered throughout the world

Church of the High Moon/Children of the Deep Woods: Antagonistic. The Troupe has kidnapped members and forced them to perform.

Flora Fighters: Antagonistic. The Troupe has tried numerous times to kidnap a single member. All ended in death.

West Virginia Bug Committee: Interactions have been made in the past, mostly antagonistic. Several bug-related performers vanished and joined the Committee, most likely a jailbreak.

Final Opinion: The Troupe of Shadows is a highly dangerous Group of Interest that should NOT be engaged with on your own or without permission from the higher ups. If you come across the Troupe, evacuate your location immediately and contact the nearest Foundation location.

You cannot defeat the Troupe, do not risk becoming another asset for them to use and abuse.

[thevida]

The Infamous Side of Chicago

Chicago, the Windy City, is renowned for its rich history, iconic architecture, and vibrant cultural. However, it also harbors a darker side that has captivated the imagination of people for generations.

The Mob and the Prohibition Era Chicago's history is intertwined with organized crime, particularly during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. Figures like Al Capone and Johnny Torrio achieved notoriety for their involvement in illegal activities, including bootlegging and the operation of speakeasies. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, a brutal gangland killing, remains one of the city's most infamous events.

Political Corruption Chicago has been no stranger to political scandals and corruption. Names like Rod Blagojevich, who attempted to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, and former Mayor Richard J. Daley, accused of voter fraud and nepotism, linger in the city's political annals.

The Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is a tragic event etched into the city's history. It resulted in extensive destruction and left thousands homeless. Although the fire was not deliberately set, its infamy arises from its devastating impact on the city.

Haunted Legends Chicago boasts several reputedly haunted locations, such as the Congress Plaza Hotel, known for ghostly sightings, and Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, a burial ground with eerie stories of paranormal activity. These tales contribute to Chicago's mystique.

Gangland Tours For those intrigued by Chicago's dark past, gangland tours offer an opportunity to explore infamous crime scenes and hear captivating stories about the city's underworld. These tours visit places like the Biograph Theater, where John Dillinger met his end, and the former site of the Lexington Hotel, Al Capone's headquarters.

The Dark Legacy of H.H. Holmes Herman Webster Mudgett, alias H.H. Holmes, ranks among America's first serial killers. His "Murder Castle" in Chicago, where he lured and killed numerous victims during the 1893 World's Fair, is a chilling chapter in the city's history.

While Chicago is undoubtedly celebrated for its positive attributes, its notoriety adds depth to its character. These infamous tales, whether involving mobsters, political scandals, or haunted locales, have become integral to the city's narrative.

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Tiger Woods' Ex-Babe Bails on Mega-Bucks Brawl, No Naughty Biz Whining!

Mega golf champ Tiger Woods ain't gotta fork over a mountain of cash no more! His old flame tossed out her whopping $30 million smackdown against his super swanky $54 million Florida crash pad. She's zippin' her lips on any hanky-panky hollering! Whoa, folks, hold onto your golf clubs and brace yourselves for a wild ride down the fairway of legal drama because Tiger Woods’ ex-golf caddy-in-love has just yanked the rug out from under her own $30 million lawsuit! That’s right, Erica Herman, who was cozied up in Tiger's mega-mansion that’s more like a small country than a home, said "Nevermind!" to going after Tiger's deep, deep pockets. Now, this ain't your usual lovers' spat. Nope, Erica was throwing down some serious accusations, saying Tiger promised her a sweet life in his beachfront castle until 2026, but then – BAM! – he gave her the boot faster than a caddy drops a club. But hold up, she’s now backtracking faster than a squirrel on a putting green, declaring she was never the victim of any handsy shenanigans by Tiger or his posse. And get this, she even says she never screamed "fore" about sexual harassment in the first place! What’s more bonkers is her lawyer, ol’ Ben Hodas, who must’ve been hitting the 19th hole a little too hard, because he was out there swinging claims that Tiger was playing in the rough, if you catch my drift. But wait, there’s a plot twist! Erica can’t remember if she signed a hush-hush deal to keep her lips zipped about her and Tiger's private putting practice, but she says if she did, it was only because Tiger was holding a proverbial golf club over her job at his restaurant. And then, in the legal equivalent of a hole-in-one, the judge takes one look at this legal sand trap and says, “No way, Jose!” slamming down her gavel like a driver on a tee box, calling Erica’s claims as “vague” as a foggy morning on the back nine. So what happened behind the scenes? Did Tiger and Erica have a secret clubhouse meeting and bury the hatchet, or did Erica just decide to pick up her ball and go home? Only the squirrels know for sure, and they ain't talkin'. But one thing's for sure, Tiger's still sitting pretty with a billion-dollar view from the top of the leaderboard. Now, let’s see if Tiger can keep his strokes limited to the golf course, or if there's another round of relationship hazards waiting to tee off. Stay tuned, sports fans! SAUCE: Ex-girlfriend drops lawsuits against Tiger Woods, says she never claimed sexual harassment https://apnews.com/article/tiger-woods-ex-girlfriend-lawsuit-41c3d2f248f0462623764afb4f41a318 Read the full article