#Hull Little Theatre

[nofomogirl]

Good Omen's problem with having two canons

They're fundamentally different. That's the problem. That's my point.

For quite a while I focused almost exclusively on the new season of Good Omens, but now I am slowly delving into analysis that takes the entire show into account, and I've encountered a little obstacle. Namely, things from S1 can be really tricky to interpret.

Fair warning: this post is going to zig-zag between various points but I want you to trust me and take this scenic route with me. It will take us somewhere eventually, I promise.

The Arrangement

It's one of the core elements in the Good Omens universe and at the same time a perfect example of the issue I want to discuss. So let's have a closer look together.

In the book, the Arrangement is presented to us in two passages:

the first one, where it is first - very briefly - mentioned:

Aziraphale had tried to explain [free will] to him once. The whole point, he'd said - this was somewhere around 1020, when they'd first reached their little Arrangement - the whole point was that when a human was good or bad it was because they wanted to be.

and the second one, where it is properly introduced and explained:

The Arrangement was very simple, so simple in fact, that it didn't really deserve the capital letter, which it had got for simply being in existence for so long. It was the sort of sensible arrangement that many isolated agents, working in awkward conditions a long way from their superiors, reach with their opposite number when they realize they have more in common with their immediate opponents than their remote allies. It meant a tacit non-interference in certain of each other's activities. It made certain that while neither really won, also neither really lost, and both were able to demonstrate to their masters the great strides they were making against a cunning and well-informed adversary. (...) And then, of course, it had seemed even natural that they should, as it were, hold the fort for one another whenever common sense dictated. Both were of angel stock, after all. If one was going to Hull for a quick temptation, it made sense to nip across the city and carry out a standard brief moment of divine ecstasy. It'd get done anyway, and being sensible about it gave everyone more free time and cut down on expenses.

In the show, the Arrangement is presented to us in two original scenes in the cold opening of S1E3:

(I am quoting most relevant dialogues only)

537 AD, Wessex:

C: So we're both working very hard in damp places and just canceling each other out? A: Well, you could put it like that. It is a bit damp. C: Be easier if we both stayed home. If we just send messages back to our head offices saying we'd done everything they'd asked for, wouldn't it? A: But that would be lying. C: Eh, possibly, but the end result would be the same. Cancel each other out. A: But my dear fellow... well, they'd check. Michael's a bit of a stickler. You don't want to get Gabriel upset with you. C: Oh, our lot have better things to do than verifying compliance reports from Earth. As long as they get paperwork they seem happy enough. As long as you're being seen doing something every now and again. A: No! Absolutely not! I am shocked that you would even imply such a thing. We're not having that conversation, not another word!

1601 AD, The Globe Theatre:

A: I have to be in Edinburgh at the end of the week. A couple of blessings to do. A minor miracle to perform. (...) C: I'm meant to be heading to Edinburgh too this week. Tempting a clan leader to steal some cattle. A: Doesn't sound like hard work. C: That's why I thought we should... Well, bit of a waste of effort, both of us going all the way to Scotland. A: You cannot actually be suggesting what I infer that you are implying. C: Which is? A: That just one of us goes to Edingburgh, does both. The blessing and the tempting. C: We've done it before. Dozens of times now. The Arrangement- A: Don't say that! C: Our respective offices don't actually care how things get done. They just want to know they can cross it off the list.

S2 doesn't actually reference the Arrangement. But it does reuse the dialogue about free will where the 1020 date is dropped. We will get back to it.

The challenge of adapting Good Omens

Good Omens shares a certain characteristic with all of Terry Pratchett's solo books I've read - it couldn't care less about "showing instead of telling". Which I love, just to be clear. A book is a written medium. It's made with words and one of words' major strengths is that you can use them to just tell things point blanc.

Good Omens does it a lot and it's fantastic.

Look at that second passage from the book I quoted earlier.

From just those few sentences we learn a lot about the relationships between:

Heaven and Hell (opponents and competition)

Aziraphale and Crowley (two individuals in the same position and in direct contact with each other)

Aziraphale/Crowley and Heaven/Hell (field agent and a remote HQ that are not in direct contact)

Aziraphale/Crowley and Earth (two individuals and a space they live in)

Heaven/Hell and Earth (a board where the game is played, only winning or losing matters, what actually happens on a board does not)

It's really an extra condensed worldbuilding gem sprinkled with humor, so it's no surprise it's become one of the most iconic passages from the book.

I mean, just browse through some interviews with David and Michael - especially the ones from 2019 - where they explain what Aziraphale and Crowley are about. You'll be hard-pressed to find any where they don't reference that specific paragraph, consciously or otherwise.

But it's only this neat on the pages of the book, where narration like this takes mere seconds to absorb. It's impossible to convey the same information in a visual medium with anywhere near the same efficiency.

The fact that the majority of Good Omens is like this was, in my opinion, a main challenge the adaptation faced. The book is very narration-heavy. It's full of fun facts about characters, side jokes, hilarious comments, etc. Some of that precious material was salvaged by introducing God as a narrator, but there was only so much of it you could squeeze into a TV show. The rest had to either be fit into dialogues or lost in translation from the written medium to the visual one.

Obviously, in the case of the Arrangement, it was the dialogues.

Book canon and show canon

We all know they're not the same. Neil Gaiman also pointed it out several times. But I think our mistake is that we still tend to think about them as complementary.

Look at the Arrangement again. The show canon seems to merely expand on the book canon. Add extra details and fill in the blanks. The Arrangement works the exact same way, except now we also know more about how it started.

If we compile what we know from the book with what we know from the show, we get a more detailed timeline:

Crowley first proposes the Arrangement in 537 (show).

The Arrangement starts in 1020 (book), ie. Aziraphale finally agrees to it (show - deduction); we don't know for sure if it's a "basic version" (not getting in each other's way), or a "full version" (doing each other's jobs) but we can assume it's the former.

In 1601 "full version" of the Arrangement is in place for some time (they've done it dozens of times) but Aziraphale still objects and needs convincing.

But read that description from a book once more.

Does it really fit into the version of events shown in the TV series?

The Arrangement in the book is something that just happened. A natural, and in a way inevitable result of Aziraphale and Crowley's circumstances. We are never told who came up with it first because it doesn't matter. Because it could have been either of them. Because after five millennia on Earth, they were both ready to do it. They were both of the same mind. For all we know it might have been an unspoken agreement all along!

But for the show, the creators had to come up with a good reason for the Arrangement to be discussed out loud. And what could be a more natural situation for someone to describe and explain an idea than trying to sell that idea to someone else?

For that practical reason - among many others, no doubt - the Arrangement is not only explicitly Crowley's idea, but an idea Aziraphale vehemently rejects at first. He needs to be convinced and even when he finally relents he's never entirely comfortable with it. He keeps objecting and it requires Crowley's constant effort for them to keep cooperating in any way.

The fact that Aziraphale is reluctant gives Crowley a perfect reason to keep convincing him ie. talk about the Arrangement. But the fact that he needs to explain and keep convincing Aziraphale means that Aziraphale is no longer a person who understands the same things and feels the same way.

That is a huge change.

Of course, you may say that what I've written about the Arrangement in the book is just my interpretation. It's true that technically there's nothing there that would contradict the events from the show in any way. The thing is, the events in the show aren't very compatible with the overall characterization of the ineffable duo in the book.

Evolution of Aziraphale and Crowley

You might have read that our leading pair was originally conceived as a single character that Neil and Terry eventually decided to split into two separate individuals.

My reaction when I first learned about it was: "Of course they were! That makes so much sense!" Because honestly, as a person who watched the show first and then read the book, I was surprised at how few differences there were between the two in the original text. If you squint your eyes really tight, you can see how book!Aziraphale and book!Crowley are two versions of the same character. They're far more similar than their show versions.

Most importantly, their attitudes toward Heaven and Hell are pretty much identical. Perfectly mirrored in every regard. What Hell is for Crowley, Heaven is for Aziraphale. What Hell is for Aziraphale, Heaven is for Crowley. In. Every. Possible. Way.

Allow me to present some evidence from the book.

Exhibit #1: the end of the scene where Crowley convinces Aziraphale to interfere with Warlock's upbringing

'You're saying the child isn't evil of itself?' he said slowly. 'Potentially evil. Potentially good too, I suppose. Just this huge powerful potentiality, waiting to be shaped,' said Crowley. He shrugged. 'Anyway, why're we talking about this good and evil? They're just names for sides. We know that.' 'I suppose it's got to be worth a try,' said the angel. Crowley nodded encouragingly. 'Agreed?' said the demon, holding out his hand. The angel shook it, cautiously. 'It'll certainly be more interesting than saints,' he said. 'And it'll be for the child's own good, in the long run,' said Crowley. (...)

When Crowley first points out that good and evil are just names for sides, and then insists it's something they both know, Aziraphale doesn't react in any way. That's because these aren't things that book!Aziraphale disagrees with. He does indeed know it and doesn't deny it.

Also, please note just how cynical the angel is here with his comment that influencing the Antichrist would be a more interesting project than influencing saints!

Both would be rather OOC for show!Aziraphale.

Exhibit #2: the scene just after Warlock Dowling's birthday party, when it becomes evident he is not the Antichrist

'You said it was him!' moaned Aziraphale (...) 'It was him,' said Crowley. (...) 'Then someone else must be interfering.' 'There isn't anyone else! There's just us, right? Good and Evil. One side or the other.' He thumped the steering wheel. 'You'll be amazed at the kind of things they can do to you, down there,' he said. 'I imagine they're very similar to the sort of things they can do to you up there,' said Aziraphale. 'Come off it. Your lot get ineffable mercy,' said Crowley sourly. 'Yes? Did you ever visit Gomorrah?' 'Sure' said the demon. 'There was this great little tavern where you could get these terrific fermented date-palm cocktails with nutmeg and crushed lemongrass-' 'I meant afterwards.' 'Oh.'

Can you imagine this kind of exchange in the TV series? Can you imagine show!Aziraphale being this realistic about Heaven, and show!Crowley so naive about it? There's no way.

Show!Aziraphale genuinely believes that Heaven is good at its core.

Book!Aziraphale knows Heaven isn't any different than Hell and would punish him just as ruthlessly and unfairly as Hell would Crowley.

Show!Crowley understands both Heaven and Hell on a very deep level and is highly aware of their true nature.

Book!Crowley buys a piece of celestial propaganda about ineffable mercy and actually expects Heaven to be forgiving.

Let the magnitude of that difference sink.

Exhibit #3: same scene, a bit further

'So all we've got to do is find it,' said Crowley. 'Go through the hospital records.' The Bentley's engine coughed into life and the car leapt forward, forcing Aziraphale back into the seat. 'And then what?' he said. 'And then we find the child.' 'And then what?' The angel shut his eyes as the car crabbed around the corner. 'Don't know.' 'Good grief.' 'I suppose (...) your people wouldn't consider (...) giving me asylum?' 'I was going to ask you the same thing. (...)'

This is just a cherry on top, really.

Yes, in the book, when things go pear-shaped, both Aziraphale and Crowley consider seeking asylum on the opposite side.

Do you need more proof that book canon and show canon really aren't as compatible as they may seem?

Free will

As promised, let's get back to that dialogue because while it may not be obvious at first glance it really illustrates perfectly the problem arising from balancing between two canons.

Here is the full quote from the book:

Aziraphale had tried to explain [free will] to him once. The whole point, he'd said - this was somewhere around 1020, when they'd first reached their little Arrangement - the whole point was that when a human was good or bad it was because they wanted to be. Whereas people like Crowley and, of course, himself, were set in their ways right from the start. People couldn't become truly holy, he said, unless they also had the opportunity to be definitively wicked. Crowley had thought about it for some time and, around about 1023, had said, Hang on, that only works, right, if you start everyone off equal, OK? You can't start someone off in a muddy shack in the middle of a war zone and expect them to do as well as someone born in a castle. Ah, Aziraphale had said, that's the good bit. The lower you start, the more opportunities you have. Crowley had said, That's lunatic. No, said Aziraphale, it's ineffable.

And here, for comparison, is how it was reused in S2E3:

A: There is a stolen body in that barrel! This is wicked! C: Oh, I'm down with wicked! Anyway, is it wicked? She needed the money. A: That is irrelevant. Look, I am good. You, I'm afraid, are evil. But people get a choice. You know, they cannot be truly holy unless they also get the opportunity to be wicked. She is wicked. C: Yeah, that only works if you start everyone off equal. You can't start someone off like that and expect her to do as well as someone born in a castle. A: Ah, but no, no. That's the good bit. The lower you start, the more opportunities you have. So Elspeth here has all the opportunities because she's so poor. C: That's lunacy. A: No, that's ineffable.

I'll be honest with you - I didn't like that scene in the show. It felt jarring and off. Aziraphale was acting like it was his first day on Earth and it was frustrating to watch.

Then, on one of the rewatches, just as I was rolling my eyes at "that's ineffable", a bulb lit in my brain. That line didn't work there because it wasn't created to be there! In the book and in S1 "it's ineffable" was kind of Aziraphale's catchphrase but in S2 it only appears this once. More importantly, in the book and S1, the fact that the angel would say that was all a build-up to the scene when he threw it in Heaven's face at the Tadfield Airbase. Using that word in S2 was like trying to make a running joke that has already reached its destination run again.

And just like that one line the entire dialogue didn't fit because it wasn't meant to be there. It was created for an entirely different context.

What's the difference?

Firstly, book!husbands' conviction was very shallow and it wasn't uncommon for both of them to spout slogans without meaning them. Therefore, book!Aziraphale's words didn't carry that much weight. The very fact that the conversation took place at the same time they formed the Arrangement tells us something about how serious he was. But show!Aziraphale's relationship with his beliefs is different, so when he says things like that it's a much bigger deal.

Secondly, the book explicitly states that Aziraphale and Crowley only developed free will on Earth, due to extended exposure to mankind. The show never really makes a stand on the matter but based on what we've seen so far I think we can safely assume that angels and demons are capable of making their own choices as much as humans do.

In other words, in its original context, the conversation was just Aziraphale talking about a concept he didn't fully grasp, quoting propaganda he didn't fully subscribe to. He was being ignorant and mildly obnoxious in an endearing way.

But using the same dialogue verbatim in the Resurrectionist carried a completely different meaning. Aziraphale who utters it in the show has no reason to be so ignorant about free will. Aziraphale who utters it in the show genuinely tries to defend Heaven. Most importantly, Aziraphale who utters it in the show, doesn't just idly bicker with his friend about general things but is judging an actual human individual that's right in front of them. That, more than anything else, makes it sound heartless and ignorant.

What is the problem with having two canons, exactly?

It's time to wrap things up.

In the opening paragraphs, I've mentioned that I've noticed the issue while interpreting scenes from S1, and yes, that was the case and I do believe that the existence of two canons is especially problematic for S1. That's because pretty much every scene in S1 is potentially like that dialogue about free will in S2, except subtler and harder to spot.

A grand majority of what we see and hear in S1 comes directly from the book. But while words and actions were kept, in some instances things that gave them their original meaning might no longer be valid in the show universe. Sometimes they easily take new meaning, and we don't even notice. But sometimes there's this dissonance that's not as easy to work around.

S1 deviated from the book and created its own canon. But the difference didn't seem to go very deep and it seemed perfectly reasonable to use some trivia from the book to shed some extra light on the content of the show. I used to do it in my head, even though I was aware of the changes that were made.

But S2 expanded the show canon so far beyond what was in the book that I'm really not sure it makes sense to compile them anymore.

There are a lot of things that were only explicitly stated in the book that I keep clinging to. But perhaps it's time to let go...

Thank you for your patience.

I know all of the above isn't exactly a revolutionary discovery, but I needed to get it off my chest before writing anything else.

[droughtofapathy]

"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby

Gypsy

November 21, 2024 | Broadway | Majestic Theatre | Evening | Musical | Revival | 3H 20M

Breaking my silence on attending the Gypsy first preview at last. So, let's start with some caveats and disclaimers. This was a first preview. And because George C. Wolfe does not have invited dress rehearsals, our show was the first time it was fully presented in front of a live audience. Kinks and all. And from an objective standpoint, there are a lot of kinks still to be ironed out. The great news is that this director is known for actually utilizing the preview period for its intended purpose. Changes are coming, and I cannot wait to see what happens.

Let's get the big question out of the way first: can Audra do it? Yes, she can. I don't believe singing the score in a more mixed/head voice substantially damages the character in any way, but I do believe it takes a considerable amount of active acceptance to see (and hear) past the initial shock. It's jarring. Obviously, Audra McDonald is not going to come out with a big brassy Merman. But neither were Angela Lansbury or Bernadette Peters. Because the material is so strong, it allows for a considerable amount of vocal versatility. I don't think she was there yet, and it's a lot to ask of her first preview. Especially in the early scenes of act one, she was almost jittery and gave the character a manic energy. She'll settle. She's going to find Rose over the next few weeks. Performance-wise, she was right on the money in the duets and trios, especially "Together, Wherever We Go," which was one of the night's highlights. She and Danny Burstein play off each other so well. He's already got Herbie down, which is no surprise. He was born for that kind of role. The scene where he finally leaves? Damn.

Audra's initial entrance will be one of the most transcendent moments in theatre history for me. She swept down that aisle and up those stairs just a single row in front of me, and I got teary-eyed. I didn't feel that same euphoria again.

A few moments came close. At some point in act one, just as Mrs. Cratchit answers the telephone and tells the big boss man that the act is having scenery troubles, we had to stop because we had some actual scenery trouble. It lasted less than six minutes (though some online accounts exaggerated by saying it was at least ten or fifteen. They're wrong.) Mylinda Hull played it off with comedic genius ("I'll call you back.") The strippers are show-stealing. That "You Gotta Get a Gimmick" number is perfection from start to finish, and I am deeply in love with every single one of those ladies. Mylinda Hull, my beloved. Lesli Margherita back on Broadway? Lili Thomas Asian Mazeppa? They did this for me. They've got it.

I think the rest of the supporting cast will eventually get it too. The one who has it more than anyone is that little Baby June. Talk about stealing the whole damn show. Jordan Tyson is fine, and I'll be interested to see how she improves as an actress in a few weeks. Joy Woods is also fine. I've never been especially impressed with her in anything I've seen. She has a lovely voice, no denying that, but she's so young and inexperienced and it shows in her acting and control a lot. Here, she's very good as a young wallflower Louise, but her strip transformation from girl to woman is lacking. Yes, yes, first preview, so all those awkward transitions and costume changes are going to be ironed out. I really liked the allusions to Josephine Baker. But the final dressing room confrontation just wasn't landing. By this time, the show was running really long from a mix of lagging scene changes and tech, and Joy's delivery was still very girlish. It felt like a fifteen-year-old throwing a tantrum because her parents said she wasn't grown yet. I'd like to see a lot more work to make her move to sophisticated stardom more obvious. Deliver the lines without getting shrill, ground it more, match Audra's acting.

I'm also not sure about the decision to stage "Rose's Turn" on the passarelle. I was in the front orchestra, no obstruction, possibly the best seat I've ever had. But knowing how deep that mezzanine goes, I cannot imagine how the sightlines were back there. This is the tour-de-force moment. She needs to have the whole stage to work with to be seen by everyone.

As for the rest of it, there's a lot of backstage tightening that's going to happen. For the first night, I could hear and see a lot of commotion in the wings. There are several set pieces that come and go, and it's loud. But that'll be fixed. The actual design of the show isn't really...I just don't know. I don't think the choices are bad, necessarily. They serve the story. But it's not dazzling? The lighting is pretty lackluster. The costumes could be bolder, bigger, better. Oh, sure. I know. It's not that kind of show. But there are definitely points where it could be. Joy's burlesque costumes should be giving more. I think Tessie Tura's butterfly costume is excellent, and Electra's lights are cute (but could be bolder). Mazeppa's is the weakest of the three, and in what's usually the leading stripper role, Lili Thomas does get overshadowed by her comedic genius costars. Lesli and Melinda know comedy like the back of their hands. Lili's voice is strong, but her comedy isn't natural like theirs.

It's been almost a week, and I still just don't know. It's too early for me to have any concrete opinion on what I saw because of how much everything is going to change and improve in the coming weeks. It didn't transcend for me, but that was a huge ask. The show basically sold out and grossed $770k over the first three previews. That places a full-week projection in the $2M range. And that's really good. The big question now is can it sustain that through June? Can it keep filling that massive venue and can these early kinks smooth into place in time for the busiest time of year?

Verdict: Unrated

A Note on Ratings

[writerpey]

Hiiii!! Though you haven’t been around long, you’re one of my favorite headcanon writers on tumblr! Could I request a Caregiver!Stede Bonnet with reader if you have time? Your work is incredible :’)

hello dearie! that is so so kind of you! <3 stede is one of my favourite cgs to headcanon ever! hope u enjoy (I almost wanted to title this one in cursive because it’s so him)

Caregiver!Stede Bonnet x Little!Reader Headcanons

He is absolutely the type of cg to make everything as fun as possible. You want to play hide and seek? He’s creating an elaborate story to go alongside it with mermaids and pirate treasure. You ask him to do a craft? You better believe he’s sent one of the crew to shore to fetch clay and paints.

Speaking of crafts, he’ll literally display or wear anything and everything you make him while regressed. In fact, he urges you to seek out any creativity you do or don’t have! Once you wanted to make him an outfit, so you stole away to his secret closet (one of your favourite places on the whole ship) and splattered crimson paint all over one of his white, frilly shirts. When you brought it to him with a proud look on your face, he gasped and picked you up, twirling both you and the shirt around. I love it! You are so talented, little one. He wore the shirt every day for the next week, even when you weren’t regressed.

Because he comes from a very humble background (total sarcasm applicable here), Stede has mastered the art of comfort, as he likes to call it with a grand gesture. (Not to be confused with the… other art, he once said.) You can bet you’ll never be uncomfortable when you’re around him, physically or emotionally. Squirmy baby that just can’t sleep? Well, of course Stede has an answer for that. He’ll take you by the hand and lead you to his closet, letting you pick any item of clothing that has the most comfortable texture for little you. He’ll offer you hot tea or warm milk, and he loves nothing more than bringing a cup to your lips and helping you drink while you rest your head against his chest.

Stede is also a huge fan of bedtime stories. Apart from his tales to the crew, he loves adding a dramatic bit of theatre to your bedtime routine. He tailors his stories exactly to your mood, softening his voice and letting the sound of water hitting the hull of the ship lull you to sleep, or entertaining you with an hour long epic about the adventures of Blackbeard.

Oh, he’s so incredibly in tune with your emotional needs. He rarely falters in his ability to understand what you need, and he’s able to immediately tell how old you’re feeling just by being in your presence. Feeling smaller today, darling? That’s quite alright. I’ll be right here with you.

He frequently encourages you to play with the other crew members when you’re little as well. He’ll spot you watching Frenchie play music and will take you by the hand to sit with the other, smiling proudly when you let go and clap along to Frenchie’s music happily.

Playtime is always the best time with Stede, although sometimes he can get carried away. Once during hide and seek he jumped out and startled you so bad you burst into tears on the spot. He’s very quick to apologize and soothe your ailments, wiping your tears from your cheeks and promising you a treat from below deck.

Stede will always make sure you’re a happy baby, and if not, he’s always at his best when comforting and understanding your little side.

<3

[whimsicalcotton]

hi!! i have more music!!

all the songs are from the album two player game by joe iconis and george salazar (it's all musical theatre songs he's worked on from different projects. the whole album is great though i do recommend!)

anywho, i think both "broadway, here i come" and "the answer" are very rachel-coded. "the answer" especially for marrow!rachel bc she's running around with max's notebook and trying to figure out what's going on from more of an outsider's perspective than chloe has. "broadway, here i come" is just uh ooh ouch sad (he originally wrote it for the tv show smash so there's a lot of jeremy jordan singing it, if you like him).

"lisa" is a song i honestly feel like speaks to any of the crew (including kate and victoria tbh). very comparative in a similar way to how you write chloe and rachel putting the other on a pedestal at times, not seeing each other's bad traits but being so viscerally aware of their own. same with "norman" but i think that's maybe particularly rachel x victoria coded 👀👀

"the goodbye song" is also just very oh ouch considering the plot of lis and how they parallel the themes in the song. be it rachel to chloe, or chloe to max, or even all the versions of herself that Max leaves behind to her current self (that is slipping through her fingers faster and faster so i think that makes it haunting.)

lastly i think "song of the brown buffalo" also fits the vibe of ambermarsh, something very cutting but also very passionate and heightened in a way that their relationship is. (plus it isn't sad! yay! just pure groovy ass vibes and good mt lyrics.)

happy listening 🫡

not even 30 seconds into Broadway Here I Come and i'm going to fucking combust shdgfsjkdgfsjkdfhsk GOD. 100000000 points psychic damage in that first verse alone. lots of psychic damage also in "focused on my prize" & "will i retain my name" &

^^^ fucking this. i'm crawling all over the walls like a coked out spider. "is it a scream or a cheer? well, nevermind, i'll never find out" i'm turning to dust thanos style and dissipating on the breeze. thank u for the five-star rachel angst breakfast <3

(the bits of seafaring imagery in The Answer are also v painful and marrow flavored indeed. "when a fire starts in the hull, how much time do you have before it spreads to the deck?" oughghghgh. writhing around in agony.)

actually wait i'm beginning to think you set out to murder me w/ this ask bc Norman is wrecking my shit also. you single-handedly just made my amberchase brainworms 459873495x worse. like for real are u in my brain bc this one bit in particular

is like. such a horrid perfect little encapsulation of my personal flavor of amberchase bc [about to sound very unwell] i think they're lowkey Wintergirls coded. she will not slap my hands because she understands!!!!

[just-an-english-guy]

Top Surgery/ Recovery Experience

I’m currently 3 days post-op from having peri with Mr Kneeshaw and his team in Hull so I thought I would write about my experience. This is everything that happened across the last 4 days from travelling up to Hull to surgery and my stay in the hospital to the journey back home. Apologies for weird layout, I’m on mobile.

I was scheduled for surgery on the 8th of March at 7:30am so my partner and I travelled up the day before by train and stayed in the Ibis near the station. We arrived at about 9:30pm as we left Cardiff at about 4pm due to me only being able to get a partial day of work. The train journey up wasn’t too bad, we had reserved seats that were close to each other (not always next to each other due to how busy it was but that was ok). We made sure to pack everything into one suitcase, one backpack and one small gym bag that was used as my overnight bag while in the hospital so that my partner could carry everything back on his own after surgery. As I wasn’t allowed to eat anything past midnight we stayed up pretty late to eat before going to bed. I was also rather anxious too so I wouldn’t have been able to sleep right away. Ive never had any kind of surgery before so I was worrying about what could happen and what it would feel like for a few days before which lead to several nights of not sleeping well.

On Wednesday we woke up at 6am, I had my final shower for a few weeks which I did take my time with and savour. It's only been 3 days so far and I already feel disgusting even though my partner has been helping me wash with baby wipes every morning since getting out of the hospital. Since my overnight bag had already been packed I didn’t need to do much in the morning except make sure my phone charger was added to it. In the end, I only ended up taking my dressing gown, slippers, a pair of joggers and a button shirt to wear as pyjamas and my phone charger. We left the hotel a little later than we had planned so we had to run to the bus station so that we would get the bus in time.

Hull does have a lot of buses that go to the hospital which is very good. We got on the 105 at 6:40 and we ended up getting to Entrance 2 of the hospital at about 7:10. We had to ask where ward 16 was at the main reception as the signs didn’t really make it clear but it wasn’t far and we arrived at the ward at about 7:20am.

Once we arrived they showed us to my room. They are all privet rooms with their own bathrooms which is very nice. While we waited for Mr Kneeshaw and his people to come to see us several nurses came around with things for me. They gave me a gown and a pair of compression stockings, and then someone came over with the evening meal menu for me to select what I wanted to eat in the evening. The food options were more extensive than I was expecting which was nice. Mr Kneeshaw came round shortly after to talk me through the procedure and to draw on me. We agreed on my nipples being in a slightly lower position than the average cis guy's nipples as my nipples sat kinda low anyway. I knew this would be happening when we discussed it in my initial consult back in August 2021 and I'm happy with it since it's not a big deal for them to be slightly lower than average to me. I then got changed into the gown and stockings and a nurse collected me from my room at 9am. They let me keep my own underwear on with the gown which I was thankful for. My partner left the hospital when I was taken down to the theatre as he wasn’t allowed to stay while I was in surgery. He got the bus from the hospital back to the hotel and waited for me to let him know I was awake.

When they took me down I had to sit in a little waiting area for a few minutes while they got my paperwork. After confirming my name, date of birth and allergies for the 10th time that morning they took me into the operating room. It was very cold there. I was in a thick fluffy dressing gown and I was still starting to shiver. They got me to lie on the table and gave me a warm blanket so that I wasn’t as cold. The people were all lovely and chatted with me as they got me prepped for surgery. They put a sticker on my glasses so that they knew they were mine before taking them off me. The anesthesiologist put the cannula into my hand which didn’t hurt that much but still wasn’t pleasant and then they gave me the oxygen mask and told me to take some deep breaths. Apparently, the anaesthetic was a multiple-part thing but I only saw the first part get put in as I was unconscious before the guy could even finish his sentence about what he was doing.

I woke up in recovery at 12:30 roughly, there was a clock on the wall in front of me so that was the first thing I saw. People are right when they say it doesn’t feel like any time had passed. It felt like I had blinked and, at that moment, had gone from the operating table to a bed in recovery. It was a little disorientating but since it had already been explained to me that’s what it would be like it didn’t take long for my brain to catch up. When I woke up I wasn’t in pain at all and I didn’t feel sick either, something they told me would likely be a possibility. I just felt a little sleepy. They took me back up to my room not long after I woke up and gave me my phone as I had left it on the bedside table. I text my partner to tell him I was awake and that he could come and see me now. Because of how far away we were staying and the bus times (it takes 40 minutes roughly for the bus to get from the bus/train station to the hospital) it took him about an hour and 15 minutes to actually arrive but that was ok because I knew he would be on his way so wasn’t worried. After texting him I called the nurse to help me get up to use the bathroom. As it was my first time standing after surgery she helped me get up off the bed and into the bathroom. I felt a little weird about having her there while I used the bathroom so I told her I would be fine on my own and she agreed to wait outside to help me back into bed after. It was difficult at first trying to sit down on the toilet since my legs felt really weak and I couldn’t put any pressure on my arms either to help lower myself. I got there eventually though and it was easier to get up after than it was to sit down. The nurse helped me back into bed and I slept for the remainder of the time before my partner arrived. About 5 minutes before he turned up a nurse came in to check my blood pressure, temperature and pulse rate so I was awake when he got there. Oh, I should mention that when I got up to use the bathroom they gave me two fabric bags to put the drains in and hang around my neck. These make walking around a lot easier.

Mr Kneeshaw and his team came to see me at about 4pm. He very briefly undid the post-op binder to check my chest was ok and he even quickly took a picture for me. I asked since I couldn’t get the angle myself to do it. After that, he put the binder back on tight and told me I couldn’t take it off at all now until my drains came out the next Friday. He said that everything went well with the surgery and looks good so left me to rest for the evening. Roughly every 2-3 hours someone would come in to check my blood pressure, pulse rate and temperature, this continued all the way through the night altho I didn’t mind too much as they were always polite about needing to wake me up.

After Kneeshaw had left, now that the binder was on slightly tighter than it previously had been I felt a little bit of pain down the centre of my chest. The nurses gave me paracetamol but told me I could have tramadol too if the pain got any worse. Luckily it didn’t and the paracetamol was all I needed. My partner stayed until about 6pm and then left so that we could both get some sleep. I spent the rest of the night in and out of sleep with the nurses coming in every few hours. At one point in the night, at about 1am I thought I could feel liquid dripping down both my sides so I called for someone to check I hadn’t dislodged a drain. I couldn’t feel any pain though but at the time I thought that was because whatever pain medication they gave me in the operating room was still in my system. Two nurses came to check on my dressing and it turned out it was just sweat I could feel and my drains were perfectly fine. The room was incredibly hot in the hospital and the blankets they use are extremely good at keeping you warm. No matter what I did in the room I was still too hot so in the end, I had someone turn the fan on and then I used the blanket to cover me from the waist down only so that I could sleep without melting.

I was woken up again at 6am by someone who emptied my drains for me. He did show me how to do it but because I was still half asleep I wasn’t really paying attention. At roughly the same time another person wanted to check my blood pressure again and after they had both left I went back to sleep. I was woken up again at 7:30 by someone letting me know breakfast was on its way and asking what I wanted. I ended up having a bowl of Weetabix at about 8am with a glass of milk. After I had finished my breakfast I went back to sleep but that didn’t last long as at 8:45 roughly I was woken up again by another nurse wanting to change my bedsheets and give me a fresh gown. I got the option to stay in the bed while they changed sheets or sit in the chair, I opted for the chair as I could walk around a little anyway and staying in the bed just seemed like it would be weird and uncomfortable. The nurse helped me get my slippers on and get into the chair before she changed all the sheets for me. She also helped me into a clean gown which I am thankful for as moving my arms wasn’t very easy at the time. I slept again until Ralph, one of Mr Kneeshaw's team came in to check on me and see if I could be discharged. He said that everything looked good and I could go back to the hotel when I was ready.

Because of the way the hotel bookings worked we had to change hotels on Thursday as the Ibis didn’t have any space for us for Thursday night. The split booking was the cheapest way to do things and since travelling alone was costing a fortune we decided this was the best way to do things. Due to the difference in check out/ check in times my partner was set to come to the hospital with all our bags at about 12 and then we would be able to check in to the new hotel at 3pm. When I explained this to Ralph and the nurses they said It was perfectly fine to wait until the afternoon before leaving and I couldn’t leave without my partner coming to get me anyway.

My partner arrived shortly after 12. He helped me eat some lunch as I was still having trouble lifting my arms enough to reach my mouth with a fork and then he helped me wash with baby wipes and get changed into the joggers and shirt I had bought with me as pyjamas since I never ended up using them as such and just stayed in the gown while in the hospital. I asked for someone to come and show us how to empty & reseal the drains again as I was half asleep when they did it in the morning and my partner needed to know anyway. After we were shown that they handed me my discharge papers, an information leaflet about the drains, a sick note to give to my work and a feedback survey to fill out. I completed the survey while my partner made sure everything was packed up and then we left. We got a taxi down to the hotel as we both thought getting on the bus might have been too bumpy for me to handle at the time which im grateful for.

We checked into the Gilson Hotel, close to the train station when we got back to the city. I hadn’t really looked up the hotel before booking it as my only priority at the time was making sure It was close to the station and cheap. It had stairs leading from the entrance door to the reception, with no lift. While not ideal this wasn’t too much of a problem as I could walk up the stairs, I just had to do it slowly and one step at a time with a little pause in between each one. There was a lift from the reception to the other floors though which was good. We were on the 2nd floor but since there was a lift it wasn’t an issue. I didn’t know the layout or design of the hotel before I booked it and it turned out that there were two steps in order to get up to the hotel door from the hallway. Again not ideal but not a massive problem for me. This hotel definetly isn’t accessible though.

Sleeping in the hotel was a little difficult, the bed was low down which was great for getting up and down for me since I am rather short but it also had really thin pillows which made it difficult to prop myself up. We ended up using 3 pillows to create a slightly slanted back rest against the headboard, rolled up my jacket and put it under my left elbow to keep my arm propped up since that was the only comfortable position for it that didn’t hurt and I used only my dressing gown to cover me up since the hotel room was even hotter than the hospital room was.

After a somewhat uncomfortable night where I only slept for about 4-5 hours I woke up and my partner helped me empty my drains at roughly 8am. We were told to do them once every morning at roughly the same time and keep track of what comes out so we measure the ml of each one with a little jug and keep a note of it. We had breakfast and then discovered that the snow had caused mayhem with our travel plans.

We needed to be back in Cardiff by 5pm as we had a house viewing scheduled (I know, it’s a really awkward time to be doing this but our Landlord gave us notice to leave on the 28th Feb so time isn’t really something we have on our side for this situation. We did try arranging the viewing for before we left but unfortunately that just wasn’t possible). Anyway because of the time restraints and our tickets being valid only on off-peak trains we had planned to get the 10:23am train which would have gotten us back in Cardiff at 3pm. Unfortunately, this train was cancelled and the train before it wasn’t considered off-peak so we couldn’t get on that one. This meant that we had to get on the 11:26am train from Hull and that we had lost our reserved seats. This wasn’t ideal but it would still get us back just before the viewing so that’s what we did.

Since it was such a long trip the journey was split into three trains; Hull to Sheffield, Sheffield to Bristol Parkway and then finally Bristol to Cardiff Central. Hull to Sheffield was fine, we sat in priority seating since I struggled to walk long distances still at this point and definitely couldn’t stand up for long periods of time. The plan was to do this all the way back to Cardiff however unknown to us at the time a lot more trains had been cancelled which caused issues later down the line. Sheffield to Bristol was packed. I mean truly rammed. When we got on people were already standing in the walkways because there were no seats. Since I needed to sit down my partner had me get on the train first and basically b line for a carriage to find a seat. When I got on there were no seats at all. I tried asking several people who were sitting in the priority seats if they would mind giving up their seats for me and explained my condition and that my original train had been cancelled so I no longer had reserved seating. No one would allow me to sit. My partner was still out in the walkway by the doors with the bags since he couldn’t get through, not that there would be much point anyway. After asking a few more people if I could have their seat and being told no the train started to move so I gave up trying to find a seat and shuffled back to my partner. He wedged our suitcase between the wall and one of the internal carriage doors and had me sit/lean on that while keeping his arms around me to stop anyone from knocking into me while the train was moving. After about an hour a lady who was also in the doorway section with us spotted someone getting up from their seat in the other carriage to get off at the approaching stop and told us so that I could go and sit down. By the time I had gotten there though someone else had sat down in that seat and put headphones in. Luckily another lady offered me her seat when I explained that I had just had surgery and needed to sit down. I was very thankful to her and we chatted for a bit. The seat turned out not to be her reserved seat either so she warned me that someone might try to claim the seat later. When the train got to Birmingham a lot of people got off and I saw the display screens say there were two available (not reserved seats) opposite the aisle where I was so I decided to move into one of them so that there wouldn’t be a problem if the person who’s seat I was in did actually come to claim it. Since so many people got off my partner was able to make his way into the carriage now and I text him to let him know the seat next to me was available and asked him to bring some painkillers as I was in quite a lot of pain at this point. He came and sat down and gave me the tablets and then a lady came by claiming I was in her seat and that I had to move. I was a little out of it because of the pain I was in so all I managed to say was that I couldn’t move as I had surgery. The lady wasn’t happy with this and insisted it was her seat, even though there were many other empty seats in the carriage. My partner looked at the display unit and pointed out that it was still showing as not reserved and then when that didn’t seem to change the situation he lifted one of my drains out of the cloth bags the hospital had given me and showed it to the lady saying again that I had just had surgery and there was no way he was moving me now. She went to sit in one of the other vacant seats after that. It was a pretty easy journey from then on. I was in a lot of pain though from when I had been standing up so I had more painkillers and then ended up sleeping for a good chunk of the journey. My partner woke me up a little before our stop in Bristol and then helped me off the train. Bristol to Cardiff was pretty uneventful, we sat in priority seats again and it only took about half an hour to get to Cardiff. We got an uber home from the station since we were both very tired after the day of travelling.

I have to keep the drains in until Friday next week when I go back to hull to have them taken out. The post op binder has to stay on for 6 weeks however after the drains come out I will be able to remove it for a few minuets every couple of days to wash, whereas right not I’m not allowed to remove it at all. I was told I could return to work after two weeks and could drive again after the 2-3 week mark if I felt like I could handle the seatbelt against my chest. I can also start exercising again lightly after 6 weeks.

Recovering is going to be a long process but I’m so glad this finally happened. I’ve been waiting over 4 years since I was first referred for top surgery and honestly it was worth it. I feel so happy that it’s finally here.

[canmom]

L'Aventur de Canmom à Annecy - Mercredi 3: The First Slam Dunk

so this is a movie I've wanted to see ever since I saw the trailer.

before that I had never once heard of Slam Dunk, which is a wildly popular and long-running manga series about a delinquent who becomes devoted to basketball, which - in contrast to say Kuroko no Basket - seems to have very little profile in the west. but the visuals of this trailer just blew me away. I didn't even realise it was mostly CG and not just unbelievably tight drawings at first. this film is one of the best uses of nonphotorealistic CG I've ever seen; it absolutely captures the feeling of a manga panel coloured in watercolour. but even more so in motion, the choreography manages to perfectly blend the clarity of manga paneling with naturalistic sports movement. I know basically nothing about basketball, but the animation was so clear that it felt like I could read every move.

so what's this movie about, besides basketball? the structure of the movie is to interleave a movie length basketball game with the backstory of the players, primarily our main boy Ryota, whose family is dealing with the death of Ryota's star basketballer older brother. But all five members of the main team and even the main antagonist player get their own arcs.

And this basketball game - despite knowing how sports movies work, that was so fucking tense. The ebb and flow of points and movement, the tension of each shot, the emotions of the team - I feel like by the end of the movie we've probably seen nearly every possible permutation of basketball events, and yet it never drags. In the final moments I could swear everyone in the theatre was holding their breath. I finally feel it, why people watch sports, instead of it just being something I understand in the abstract.

And to return to the animation, it's honestly incredible - I can only assume they used a method similar to Studio Orange combining 2D choreography and 3D, because the timing, the play of speedup and slowdown and direction of attention, is so on point; somehow it feels like the most realist animation of basketball I've seen and also incredibly manga, with many shots that are clearly splash panels, and even eventually devices like speed lines. The CG - which blends so well that when I saw shots that were probably drawings, I still wasn't sure! - never feels awkward or uncanny, indeed often it's easy to forget it even is CG at all, and I'm dying to know how their shading model works. The lines never look like they're drawn onto a model or display the awkwardness of an inverted hull. I keep coming back to this but it truly feels like seeing a really detailed manga in motion.

It turned out this screening had French subs, and my Japanese vocab is too poor to pick up a lot of the dialogue. So it's a credit to the animation, the acting, that I could still get so invested lmao

So The First Slam Dunk this delivered and then some. I cannot wait for the BDs to come out so I can run this on Animation Night.

[202213850dci2022]

Blog review on Euripide’s Medea

I am a student of the University of Hull blogging as part of my assessment for the module Drama, Conflict and Identity. All views expressed here are my own and do not represent the university.  

I used The Complete Greek Tragedies (Oct.1970) Translated by Rex Warner when writing this essay. 

I’m writing my blog on the Ancient Greek drama Medea, written by Euripide’s around 431 BCE. This tragedy play would have been written for the early spring season festival Great Dionysia where, Greek playwrights would compete and preform 3 tragedies, 1 satyr and 5 comedies. All dedicated to the Greek God Dionysus, God of wine, madness, pleasure and fertility. Theatre, for the Greeks, was a key an important part of their culture and religion.  

The play Medea shows the cathartic story of a betrayed wife, who plots her revenge against her unfaithful husband Jason, by killing their two sons, his new wife and father-in-law. Ending with Jason losing everything and Medea flying away in a dragon pulled golden chariot. The peripetia of Medea’s escape and Jason’s downfall is here depicted carved into the marble of a roman coffin. 

(Ilya Shurygin (2012) Coffin in Roman national museum.) 

The staging of an Ancient Grecian theatres was quite different to modern stages and theatre halls. With no use of modern technology such as microphones and lighting, Greeks had to create structures and methods which allowed the audience to hear and see. 

Actors would use big masks which clear and expressive faces so watchers in the back could easily determine who was who. This was a smart way of not only practically allowing people to see who was on stage from the long distance, but also shows the personality of the characters and mood of the play and scenes. The masks and outfits could be used to show gender, age and social standing. Specifically in Medea, although we know little about the original and first performance, we can expect that the servants had drab or tattered outfits, old characters such as the boys tutor or the king may have had pronounced beards. Needless to say, the constantly mourning Medea could possibly have had an extremely dramatic crying mask to show her despair and mentality. The stage would have also been designed specifically for sound waves to travel all the way to the back of the theatron. The seats were layered almost like steps so the voices and chorus from the stage at the bottom of the hill would carry. 

(Giovanni Dall’Orto. Greek Theatre mask Stoà of Attalus Museum) 

As we don’t know much about the first performance, modern adaptations are an interesting insight to Euripides old tale. To help me understand and gives another viewpoint I watched Robinson Jeffer’s 1959 play of Medea starring the talented Judith Anderson. Her grieving wail of Medea echoed throughout the late 20th century theatre scene. Specifically in the opening scene (From the video below 00:00 – 16:00) the use of Anderson’s voice and movement somewhat mirrors the eccentric movements of Greek theatre to extenuate emotions for far away onlookers. The use of frantically pacing and draping herself over a pillar shows her unstable and lamenting state, as well as her outfit that is loosely hanging off her and plain to show how she is unable to do anything else but weep. Anderson’s makeup also imitates somewhat the ancient Greeks expressive masks using wide eyes and strong makeup to harshen her tormented face. Unlike the original ancient Greek theatre Jeffers uses Greek archelogy of a large house to show, not only the status of Medea further dramatizing her immanent fall by being banished, but also immerses the watcher by having a realistic and interactable setting. With the use of stage, costume design and the adaptation Jeffers has made a stunning interpretation of Euripides Medea, and Anderson provided a spectacular performance fitting for the tragedy and misery of Medea herself. 

(Robinson Jeffer. (1959) Medea, Act 1 Time stamp- 00:00-16:00)  

This scene, in particular lines 215-267(Warner.R translation) (Time stamp 11:20-14:44) - in Act 1 opens the story and shows us Medea’s character and the conflict she is having. Ancient Greeks culture was very male heavy, the women were expected to be subservient and commit to their role in the household. There were few tales based on females that show men in a bad light, so when Euripides chose to victimize Medea, and show her side of the story while providing insight so some very feminist topics he shone a whole new light on gender identity and the strength of womankind in Ancient Greece.  

We see a change in Medea’s identity during this monologue, first she is seen as helpless and sobbing. She is weak and love mad wallowing in her misery starting the speech with “We women are the most unfortunate creatures” (line231). She continues lamenting over the misfortune of women, who must deliver children all while watching their husbands be unfaithful. Medea also shows the loneliness of her identity, that she is “deserted” and a “refugee” (line 255) this alienation and isolation to the whole of Corinth adding another layer of misfortunate to her conflict with Jason and Creon. Who will soon banish her, making her an exile from not only her home country Colchis but Corinth as well. All her conflicts and troubles are expressed however towards the end, we witness some slight foreshadowing as her demeanour changes from sadness to anger. In the 1959 play Judith Anderson begins shouting and almost growling when imagining Jacob kissing his new bride. In the Euripides texts Medea leaves the monologue with the ominous threat “no other soul can hold so many thoughts of blood” (line266) than a woman who has been betrayed in love. This is the turning point for Medea’s character and hints to her revenge plot which will result in the death of her sons, Creon and the young princess, Glauce. Her violent spree came from cunning knowledge and a need for revenge, that audiences in any other context would deem the villain of the story. However, you can't help but feel somewhat sympathetic with the misfortunes of Medea in this cathartic tragedy.  

Medea’s identity is heavily affected by her motherhood, her relationship with Jason and her gender. She is almost the exact opposite of the ideal Ancient Greek woman; she murders her two sons which seems monstrous especially since she is their mother. Being such a big part of her story and identity, most art forms dedicated to Medea depict her with her dead children.  

(Hernandes Amores. (1887) Medea, with dead children, flees from Corinth in a chariot pulled by dragons)

(Photographed by Francois TR. Medea’s monument in Georgia)

(Cleveland, Museum of Art. (1991) Medea on the chariot, the Nurse in despair and the Pedagogue beside the bodies of her children)

 Euripides and Jeffers 1959 adaptation show a troubled but cunning Medea who gets her revenge in a twist of fate which gives uncommon justice to the women of Ancient Greece. The Ancient Greeks use of staging and costume design would have created a dramatic flair that I only wish I could see in the modern day. Judith Anderson’s performance and Jose Quintero’s staging in Robinson Jeffers Medea (1959) was also excellent and really communicated the pain and drama of the characters.  

[tzekkaz]

unboxing: 8th Army vehicles

Today's unboxing is a number of vehicles I got for Christmas, they are all part of one of two 8th Army projects I am working on, these are for the 1942 British armoured brigade from Campaign: the Western Desert book, a copy of Tank Wars is also needed. I am unboxing the following:

Crusader Mk I/II tank

Flying Standard Tilly

Chevrolet CMP 15CWT truck

Bedford OY 3-ton lorry 

Crusader Mk I/II tank

The Crusader tank primarily saw action with British and Commonwealth forces in the Western Desert. They were particularly suited for the kind of mobile warfare that became prevalent in the desert, thanks to their speed and agility. It had a 2-pdr gun in the turret and co-axial machine gun in the hull. The 2-pdr was eventually replaced by a 6-pdr gun.

The kit is a metal/resin hybrid kit and includes damage markers, an order dice and stat cards

The kit looks nice and, assuming none of the resin parts are warped at all, relatively easy to assemble.

Flying standard Tilly

The Flying Standard Tilly or to give it its correct name, the Flying Standard 10 was used by British and Commonwealth troops in the Western Desert.

Another resin and metal hybrid kit, this kit did not come with an additional stuff and looks like the resin will need a little cleaning up. The kit will have to be painted in sub assemblies as the driver needs to be placed in the cab.

Chevrolet CMP 15cwt truck

The Canadian Military Pattern Chevrolet truck saw service extensively with British and Commonwealth troops in the Western Desert and beyond. The cab has a sloping windscreen to reduce glare and the chance of it giving away the trucks position.

The kit is yet another hybrid kit, resin and metal components. The comes with Vehicle damage markers and stat cards.

This kit is probably my favourite of all of them, I love the atheistics of the Chevrolet.

Bedford OY 3 ton lorry

The Bedford was quite ubiquitous covering numerous roles in the British and Commonwealth forces, it saw service throughout the second World War in many different theatres.

Yet another hybrid kit. Looks fairly easy to assemble. The kit was missing two wheels but an email to Warlord Games quickly rectified this and they, rather quickly, sent me the missing wheels.

The kits all look good and I am looking forward to assembling them and painting them. They will all make welcome additions to my 1942 armoured brigade. 

[dishearteningmediocrity]

In this festive season, enjoy this review of the Hull Little Theatre’s 1927 Christmas play, featuring Colin Clive in several roles quite different from those he would become famous for playing. From the Hull Daily Mail, published December 27, 1927. Transcript follows; apologies for the long text post but the article is very difficult to read in the clipping.

Feast of Fun and Fancy

“A Christmas Party” at the Little Theatre

All that a child could dream about the festive season is incorporated into “A Christmas Party,” which was produced at the Little Theatre, Hull, on Christmas Eve for a fortnight’s run. It is a charming show, brilliantly produced, and the work attached to the preparation of its innumerable delights must have been enormous. From the kiddies’ point of view the whole conception of the piece gives unalloyed delight, while the adult spectators will derive interested pleasure in watching the versatile efforts of artists usually associated with dark tragedy or subtle comedy. Personally, I found the show a thoroughly delightful entertainment, and the revival of the old Harlequinade (played by Colin Clive as Joey and Frederick Piper as Pantaloon) was a particular cause for enjoyment. The two actors, who emerged from a giant Christmas cracker, clowned their way through the second half of the programme with rare style, and their patter song about the Little Theater personalities was remarkably clever.

Contrary to custom this Christman party is not a pre-arranged one. It is the sudden thought of two children--Christopher and Evangeline--who are confined to their room with an attack of measles. Unable to join in the round of festivities themselves, they invite Santa Claus and the inhabitants of the toy cupboard to an impromptu party, and the result is absolutely amazing. Father Christmas makes a dramatic entry, in traditional fashion, and then the fun begins, waxing “furioser and furioser,” until it is time for everyone to go home. Patricia Bradfield, the clever young actress who was such a “hit” last season, makes a welcome return to play the part of Evangeline, while Merle Tottenham, another capable artist, acts skilfuly as the little boy. They sing and dance with charm, and their work has the requisite ingenuousness. As the host and hostess, they have a lot to do, particularly at the brilliantly arranged supper table, when the dolls become somewhat peevish and the Golliwog finds the lemonade going to his head. Father Christmas, splendidly played by Richard Fisher, also has to help to keep matters smooth.

Many of the people appeared in several characters. Edith Sharpe was a good-humoured, but garrulous Irish nurse, and a bold Robin Hood, and her songs were warmly applauded. As Anthony Rowley, the frog who would a-wooing go, Colin Clive was most engaging, and his energy as a Jack-in-a-Box was a source of wonder. Frederick Piper made a fine King Cole, and also a splendid toy soldier. In the latter character, Mr. Piper, in conjunction with Peggy Smith, who made an attractive doll, gave us an amusing dance, which was heartily encored. When the Three Blind Mice came in it took Colin Clive all his time to hold back the Cat, which Peter Taylor Smith played most convincingly. This actor took also the part of Mr. Noah and had a good partner in Millicent Jones, who sang in a pleasing fashion. The importation of a conjurer from China caused great excitement, and James Hudson executed some clever illusions which were greatly appreciated. The following also had interesting and amusing parts: Eva Jeafferson, Hilda Whatmore, Gwen Sibley, Ursula Granville, and Barry Barnes, while the following pupils of the Hull School of Music had small parts, and presented some skilful dances: Jessie Selle, Nancy Shores, Marjorie Simpson, Enid Grantham, Audrey Appleton, and Arthur Burrell.

The musical accompaniments were played by Mr. Dennis Boocock with rare sympathy and skill. --C.E.R.

[glassprism]

What sort of Christine is Lucy St. Louis? Does she lean more E/C or R/C?

I'm not sure if she leans hard towards either? Or at least not noticeably so in the videos I have of her (which are admittedly from very early in her run). That's not a bad thing or even necessarily that uncommon; I think a fair amount of Christines manage to balance out that aspect, showing equal amounts of interest in Raoul and the Phantom, whether because they're conflicted or (more amusingly) because they can't stand either of the men.

I think that also describes a lot of aspects of Lucy St Louis's Christine to me, in that she strikes a good middle road in a lot of ways - classical voice without leaning too operatic, innocent without being childish, has a backbone but doesn't come off too fiery or mature, is tormented but doesn't go into full "mad Christine". It does make it a little hard to pin her down in terms of description, but it doesn't mean she's not enjoyable to watch; she just doesn't lean too hard into any one aspect, unlike, say, Holly-Anne Hull (musical theatre voice, energetic, feisty) and Anouk van Laake (definitely more R/C, very childish, has weird girl energy).

I do think what stands out about Lucy St Louis's Christine is a sort of idealism, almost like a light shining out of her face - a very hopeful, radiant Christine, is what I tend to say. It makes it easy to see why both the Phantom and Raoul would fall in love with her, and it gives a sort of ethereal feel, like she is kind of an angel bouncing around, bestowing good will and joy on everyone from her sheer presence. And it ties in neatly with her kissing the Phantom out of compassion at the end - despite everything, she still feels sympathy for him and hopes to draw it out. And it works!

[severalcakes]

Just Watched Sand

Thoughts:

1. My favourite character was the guy on the Sardaukar planet throat-singing and waving his hands around. My man. He seems to have the cushiest job in this whole movie.

2. Why is everyone saying that spider-thing in the Harkonnen base is a mutated/mutilated human? I haven’t read the books, for the record, but... that does not look even slightly human.

3. On that matter, I hope we get to see more Harkonnen biotech in the next two movies. That spider, weird snake/slug and the cyborg attendants near the end only foretell good things to come.

4. I love the aesthetic of this movie, which may be owing to the fact that it’s simply science fiction that isn’t fucking Star Wars. 

5. The sleek, yet weathered look of the starship hulls, how they lift off and float away without typical thrusters, the huge, ominous tube-ships gaping in the skies above Arrakis... it’s phenomenal.

6. I could geek out about the technology in this movie for weeks.

7. Not the force-fields though, because the dozens of devices meant to get around them make the force-fields look weak just as the devices make themselves look deadly and cool.

8. Funny how Paul and Jessica are like, “Wait, we’re in worm country, we gotta walk without rhythm,” one minute, and then just don’t do the sandwalk in the next scene and have to run from the worm... I thought you guys were clairvoyant!

9. I thought the Fremen loved their planet, and were basically symbiotically linked to it. So why did Paul’s vision show them celebrating as they’re dropped off on Caladan?

10. I did watch the original Dune movie, so another thing I’m excited for is what the Guild Navigators are gonna look like.

11. The white dunes of Arrakis with spice dusted over them make it look like the whole planet is made of rice pudding. Yum! No wonder the worms grow so big.

12. That tweet going around saying the movie needed more jokes... but I had to restrain myself from busting a gut in the theatre the moment the Atreides bagpipe-player came onto the scene.

13. I wish there was just a little more blood. Like, actually showing Dave Bautista’s character gorily beheading the Atreides captives, for example. The censorship with scenery and out-of-focus camera shots felt cheap.

14. I was surprised the movie ended where it did. I honest-to-god thought the “Part One” subtitle at the start of the movie would be reflected later with a “Part Two” appearing on the screen, kind of like a Wes Anderson film. I even thought that there could be an intermission at some point!

15. But now that I think about it, it makes sense that it ends when Paul’s first vision comes true, and he kills his first person, starting his journey to becoming the emperor of the universe or whatever.

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Tuesday 6 November 1838

4 ½

10 ¾

ready and all my things outside the door at 5 10 – in 40 minutes from getting out of bed – not often quicker – had to wait for the carriage – George is not a good one at getting off – Josephine certainly not dans le gêne yesterday or this morning – off from the hotel de France à Nevers (a good Inn, malgrée my annoyance about the rooms last night) at 5 ½ - at 6 37 began to see pretty clearly and fine reach of the Loire, distant (left) – fine morning – a sort of ½ twilight when we set off – light at 6 37 vines (the 1st sort of culture I could distinguish) as soon as I could see – Pougues [Pougues-les-eaux] at 6 ¾ - nice enough little bourg – road wet, red, and heavy – fine country – light, sandy land – now at 7 10 narrow corn-ridges again – at 7 25 the Loire again (distant) sweeping round to en face, to La Charité – at 7 ¾ our road close along the river, fine, broad island shallow stream, the light iron (or wooden?) bridge of La Charité closing the reach of river in the distance – Range of pretty low vine-covered hills (near on our right) go along with us and the river to la Charité, forming a beautiful approach to this picturesque old ‘petite ville’ creeping up the hill and stretching along the waters’ edge, and connecting itself on this side by a handsome substantial stone bridge of ten arches with its picturesque insular faubourg, and on the other side, from its faubourg to the left bank of the river by the light but solid probably wood (not iron?) bridge that looking so pretty in the distance at 7 ¾ - the ville seems to have been walled in by-gone days – some remains of the old wall running up the hill and a picturesque large round tower seen for a minute or 2 on approach and first entering the town – much struck with the old Byzantine steeple as we stand at the poste – could merely get a glimpse of it afterwards as we turned (right) leaving it to the left behind, and walking slowly up the narrow steepish-street picturesque old interesting town – it took us 11 minutes – (off from the poste at 8 14) till 8 25 to get the gateway (large oldish square posts with large sort of grotesque figure capital on the outside) at the other end of the town on highish ground above the river – in passing, I observed Rue des Aix apparently a long narrow old street running down to the water – I should have liked a longer peep at the old church town of which arch Corinthian capitalled, or grotesque capitalled columns on each side each light – on the top of the square tower is a modern blue slate-covered tall spire carried up in an 8tagon - on our sortie from the gateway beautiful look down upon the Loire, the white villages scattered far along its left bank, and the 2 white towns on two hills n the distance along its right bank, and the fine rich woody champagne thro’ which it winds its course – the petite vine embossed in vineyards – this must be a vin de Bourgogne country – the River shallow – several sand banks seen above water in spite of all the rain we have had that must have considerably swelled the stream – at 8 40 flock of black turkeys feeding in the fields – road very wet and heavy – very fine open widely extended country that we look upon – one should see more of Burgundy and all hereabouts -  Pity to miss Bourges and its cathedral (vide Itinéraire) said to be the finest gothic building in Europe – and picture we cannot conventionally stop to see the remains of the old Roman theatre at Nogent sur Vernisson – at 8 57 a white hulled master boats on the Loire (rather distant) the 1st craft I have seen of any kind since the charcoal boat at Nevers last night – (could not see what was lying at La Charitè) – the drive from Nevers but more particularly from where the river came in sight at 7 ¾ to Charité, and from La Charité Pouilly very fine – Since La Charité have passed several droves of large fat oxeer for Paris market of course – at 9 ¼ the beautiful line of hill along the right bank of the river – the broad stream, the here and there sparkling white towns and villages, and Pouilly on a head land jutting into the river, very fine – a garden of vines all the way from La Charité to Pouilly and stop at the post at 9 35 – no horses – stopped at last but luckily at the door of a nice little auberge des Diligences – breakfast ready – good bread and butter and milk and coffee – the duchess of Wertembery expected at 12 – we cannot get forwards before 2 – at 9 50 the fourgon (4 horses 2 [?]) of the ducal party drove – (2 men in the coupé before in front of the fourgon joined to the back of the coup, head cook and maitre d’hotel?) – and off again at 10 – breakfast from 10 8 to 10 40 – from 10 ¾ to now 11 50 wrote all the above of today – A-, too, writing – poorly this morning – then at accounts etc. till 12 10 then reading A-‘s Estrangin on Arles (the notes – interesting) till 1 50 – we have breakfasted comfortably and been comfortably here at Pouilly nice little vineyard-surrounded town, - our Diligence auberge close to the poste – off 2 4 – just out of the town diversion of the road (right) to wind into the old road and cut off the little hill – peep at the Loire looking like a lake – Rough pavé – at 2 25 excavation roadside (right) shews 4 yards deep of different cold marly sands, 2 or 3 filets (thin strata) concreted into a whitish sandstone – and here pulling up the old pavé and re-laying it at a higher level – pretty peeps at the Loire its windings among the hills looking lake-like – and here also at 2 25 pass dark coloured moderate sized ass, its hair curled all over like the

SH:7/ML/E/22/0061

woolly head of a negro – at 2 40 three carriages and four, and 5 minutes afterwards britzka and 4 with two gentlemen – as we learn tonight, at Briare, hotel de la poste and du grand monarque where the party slept last night, the duchess and nurse and child were in the 1st carriage and the duke (I think the mistress of the house said) one of the 2 in the rumble behind – she unable to go more than ten postes a day – unable to walk – out 8 days after her confinement and got cold, and has never been well since – going to Genoa for her health – to sleep at Nevers tonight (our hotel de France) – there seemed to be 4 ladies or females in the 2nd landau – soon afterwards see curl-haired white oxen – narrow corn-ridges – at 3 48 picturesque Loire-seated, vineyard surrounded ville of Cosne – woman at the carriage door importune us to buy grapes and pears – more beset by beggars here than anywhere else – handsome little new stone just within the town to cut off a sharpish turn in the street (to straighten in) and raising the level of the stone – some houses having been taken down to make room – drive thro’ one longish widish, goodish straight street - tall, pruned up, pyramidal poplars abound everywhere about rivers, streams, low grounds roads, towns and villages – just out of the town, beautiful reach of the Loire with it cluster of poplar-copse wooded islands and large white house (right bank) and hamlet at a little distance – very beautiful here – quite a picture both behind and before us now at 4 20 with the sun setting beautifully – the effect of his parting rays on the near waters and the distant hills of Berri, very beautiful – his light will soon fail us – and all this beauty which might, and probably does last more or less to Briare (where the Loire finally leaves us) will soon be hid from us – what a pity we have not day light – But nothing on the river – now at 4 25 one solitary little boat lying under the larger white house, a newly white washed tidy chateau, and picturesque little scattered hamlet – beautiful drive – the river wants life, and that is all it does want – roads drier after this fine day, but still very heavy – this and the last stage hilly and one horses tired – at 5 5 A- and I spread our serviette – cut our bread and she on this and dried fruit and I 2 pears and a little of our Eauxbonnes cheese made a good wholesome dinner in 35 minutes – and had just done as the light failed us and we drove up to the poste at Neuvy sur Loire at 5 40 – Lighted the lamps en route again at 5 50 and at 6 42 alighted at the Hotel de la poste et du grand monarque at Briare – a few drops of rain at one whille but fair before we entered the town, and the night so mild asked Josephine if she could go 3 postes farther and should have slept at Nogent-sur-Vernisson, but could not have horses of 2 hours, so determined to stay and be off at 5 am tomorrow – A- and I have two nice little (low) rooms the duke and duchess of W- had last night – and Lady Wellesley and Josephine had these rooms some years ago – had each a tasse of consommé (of bouillon broth, I not ling broth, gave mine to A- who took ½ of it and her own) and wrote our journals and went to bed – she at 10 at which hour I had written so far – very fine day – a few drops of rain about 7 ½ but soon fair and mild warm night F53° at 8 ½ pm

[jjyusmile]

the boyz as european university students

notes: for european deobis! this is my imagination running wild with the help of @haechansbeas​ <33 not sure if anyone has done this before... just a little fun for everyone hehe :’)

warnings: mention of food and drink, mention of loneliness

sangyeon

- graduated from the university of barcelona and moved to the uk last year

- he is currently doing a phd in international politics at the univeristy of exeter

- he plans to move to geneva in switzerland eventually and become a south korean ambassador for the united nations

- he spends his weekends alone most of the time, taking long hikes and listening to music 

- often goes clubbing and teaches his juniors the meringue dance after a few too many rum and cokes

jacob

- studies music technology at the university of toronto but is doing a year abroad at the norwegian academy of music

- allowed to take any electives he wants.. he chose lyrical spanish and dance theory

- misses his friends and dogs a lot -- plans to go home for christmas just to cuddle his brother and his dog

- time distance sucks what is the point

- but he is very much used to the cold weather

- at graduation, he is on track to win most caffeinated and most likely to star in a disney remake

younghoon

- his family moved to moscow when he was twelve just so he could get into the russian institute of theatre arts for drama

- has two dogs named kyung and woo

- plans to find a job in moscow after he graduates but wouldn’t mind going interrailing first before settling down

- wants to visit his friend juyeon so that he has a place to stay for edinburgh fringe festival

- aspires to star in his first korean drama as the male lead but will take any role he can get first

hyunjae

- he flew to milan to study musical theatre with aspirations of moving to new york and starring in a one man off-broadway show

- loves to be on stage but hated the theory work so he eventually dropped out

- fell in love and moved with them to a single bedroom in london, it didn’t work out

- now works as the assistant manager of a boba cafe by the london palladium and gets discounted theatre tickets through an usher he met during the chitty chitty bang bang run

- wears suits and carries around his badge to show his authority

- will probably move back to korea soon and audition to become an idol

juyeon

- moved to scotland when he was 16 to live with his mum’s best friend, now attends the university of edinburgh

- lives in a studio apartment that has a clear view of arthur’s seat on a sunny day out of his tiny window... gets a little lonely sometimes so he meal preps a lot

- studies classical literature and doing a dissertation on toxic masculinity in the epics of homer

- spends his time in clutter filled bookstores trying to find obscure novels

- has read war and peace so many times that the binding on his copy is unthreading

- no space for a book shelf but cannot push his desk chair under his desk because thats where he stores his collection

kevin

- he and changmin decided to move to paris together to venture the city of art… oh and love 

- attends the university of paris to study child psychology with a minor in graphic art 

- sits on his not-so-spacious balcony each morning with a cup of coffee and sketch book looking out onto the concorde waiting for his roommate to wake up

- sells his design prints on etsy under the username m0onscribblez so that changmin can’t find him and buy them all

- will go to independent art exhibitions in his free time and class it as “studying”

chanhee (new)

- got 4 distinctions in maths, economics, psychology and physics in school

- received an unconditional offer from 7 russell group universities but finally accepted an offer from the university of cambridge with a shoulder shrug

- studies a double honours in maths and economics; has been class president for three years and will accept nothing less than that

- but still personifies infp

- interns at cambridge university press as a marketing and finance assistant but could calculate his seniors under the table

changmin (q)

- rents a two-bedroom apartment with kevin and his dog, ghana

- he and ghana will often crash in kevin’s room while he’s up all night drawing

- studies art history at école du louvre and takes advantage of the free louvre tickets he gets to “treat” kevin to a day out “on him”

- teaches at the dance studio on the corner; will shout at students who do not get the choreo right after he’s already told them once

- meets his roommate for lunch every day at the same cafe next to notre dame where he orders the iced tea of the day… unless its hibiscus, we don’t do hibiscus

- drags kevin the horror-themed nights at the local cinema complex downtown

haknyeon

- attends leeds beckett university because they offer the best undergraduate degree in photography

- lives in a 10-person house but only gets along with three of them

- voted best smile at the union awards, he gave the prize toothbrush to his housemate and they moved out because they were offended

- often takes advantage of the student night at the clubs in town every monday

- dance leader of the b-boying society

- will take a packed lunch and wander into the dales when he needs time away from chaotic uni life

sunwoo

- goes to the university of hull to study sport rehabilitation; everyone wants to sit beside him but he just wants to copy their notes

- captain of the football (soccer) team and won the national university championship two years in a row

- doesn’t go to the library because the only free desks by late afternoon are too close to the high story windows

- lives in a flatshare in town so that he’s closer to the nightlife

- friends with everyone and is often mistaken as ‘the guy who flirts’

- doesn’t attend lectures unless they’re after 2pm and will only go to campus on days he has football training

eric

- lives just across the river from sunwoo in lincolnshire

- spent most of his time playing animal crossing and failed his exams, found the university of lincoln through clearing

- studies business management but is considering switching to computer science if they’ll let him

- goes there just to compete against sunwoo in the humber games

- everyone wants to be his friend because he sounds like a cali boy... will be friends with anyone if they will listen to him

- has many dates lining up for the end of year ball but would rather take sunwoo 

-------

A/N: we procrastinated the other day and came up with these university scenarios for the boyz and they just fit so well.. will probably also post this on my twitter lol

[marleneoftheopera]

Can’t wait to see Holly Anne Hull’s photo shoot, heard she did one! Are these all at Her Majesty’s, behind the stage area in the rehearsal studio section? That marble staircase is beautiful!

It doesn't say whether or not specifically, but it is implied that they did the pictures at HMT's. The area that the leads are standing at the end in their regular clothing does look familiar with the gold doors, so I'm figuring it was HMT's. Though they were also rehearsing at the Gielgud Theatre, so there is always a chance that it was done there. Or it could have been a rented space somewhere too.

We wouldn't necessarily be able to tell, HMT's has gone through some pretty extensive renovations, so I imagine the front of house and all looks different. We will know for sure opening night I guess!

Whatever the case, it's a beautiful area. It definitely would fit the show, I think. And it looks very open, which is good not only look-wise, but helps with a little social distancing with Covid.

I hope we get to see some pictures of Holly too! And like, more than the one official photo that alternates tend to get. She seems to be liked by both ALW and Cammack, so maybe that will earn her an extra photo or two.

[365days365movies]

April 5, 2021: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) (Recap: Part One)

Yeah, so...Spectrum exploded last night.

So, I'm unfortunately a little behind. BUT NEVER FEAR! I'll get back on time before you know it! So, uh...where were we last time? OH RIGHT! Let's talk about black comedy. And I don't mean black-and-white comedies, or comedies prominently featuring African-American culture and demographic. No, I mean dark comedies.

The "black comedy" functions off of macabre or taboo humor and jokes, and is often closely associated with biting satire and commentary in film. That definition is loose as hell, I know, but it's all about the subject matter. The most common subject matter for dark humor is death, of course, and related subjects to death. War, murder, strife, madness, and violence are also common topics here.

Some of the best comedies are black comedies, though. For example, Brazil (1985; dir. Terry Gilliam) focuses on themes of depression, dreams, terrorism, totalitarian governments, and madness. And it's GREAT. How about The Death of Stalin (2018; dir. Armando Iannucci)? The title ALONE should tell you everything you need to know about the tone and topic, AND YET...

It's HILARIOUS. And also informative! If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend it. And again, that film is about, well...the death of Stalin, and the fallout of his disastrous and murderous regime. Dark, DARK topic, but very funny movie.

Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is about war; Fargo is about murder in North Dakota; Heathers is about a toxic relationship and the death and murder of teenagers; Birdman, or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance is about an actor's existential crisis and complete mental breakdown; and Trainspotting is about the devastating effects of drug addiction and features a DEAD BABY FOR CHRIST'S SAKE...and yet they're all full of laughs! Except for the baby scene. Fuck me, the baby scene in Trainspotting.

So, yeah, these are a diverse group of films, that's for sure. But where does it all start? There's 1942's To Be or Not to Be (dir. Ernst Lubitsch), which is about a Polish theatre company who need to escape in the midst of...well, 1942 Poland. If you don't get why that's dark, you should probably look up some history, bud. Charlie Chaplin would dip into the role in 1947's Monsieur Verdoux, which I mentioned last time. And there's the seldom-talked-about Kind Hearts and Coronets (dir. Robert Hamer), a 1949 film about murder for status, essentially.

But it's hard to argue that the most prominent early black comedy is 1944's Cary Grant vehicle, Arsenic and Old Lace.

Directed by Frank Capra, this film was based on a 1941 stage play, and is about...well, we'll get to it. While its prominence as a black comedy is one reason I'm watching this movie, the other is...well, to be honest, this is a movie I heard about CONSTANTLY from my Mom, as this is one of her favorites. And yet, like Dirty Dancing, I've somehow never seen it! Let's remedy that.

So, without further ado, let's get into it! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (1/2)

The film starts off with a BANG, as a man calls me a “big simp” to my face! Actually, he’s screaming at a Brooklyn Dodgers game, where a massive fight breaks out. This fight quickly transitions to a city hall, where a line of people are waiting to file marriage licenses. Amongst the line is Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) and Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane).

Brewster is hiding from the press, as he’s a famous reviewer, and author of the Bachelor’s Bible, and it would be quite the scandal for him to get married. And yet, he’s head over heels in love with Elaine. After going through an existential crisis about the whole thing, he gives into Elaine’s sweet demeanor, and the two file their marriage license officially.

It’s Halloween day, and we move from the city to the suburbs of Brooklyn, where two policemen, O’Hara (Jack Carson) and Sanders (John RIdgely) are on patrol. Sanders tells O’Hara of the kindly Brewster Sisters, the sweetest women on Earth, both of whom live in the neighborhood. Currently, they are being visited by Reverend Harper (Grant Mitchell), Elaine’s father. He’s speaking with Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha Brewster (Jean Adair), the kindly aunts of Mortimer. 

Also living there is Mortimer’s brother Teddy Brewster (John Alexander), who apparently believes that he’s Teddy Roosevelt, which is...hilarious. Dude is hilarious, seriously. The cops come over to visit the two, and collect some clothes and toys for local charity. Also, Teddy only leaves a room by screaming “CHAAAAARGE!!!”, and running up the stairs, and I love Teddy a lot.

Reverend Harper and the cops leave for the night, and the sisters settle down for the evening. Abby and Martha state that their plans for Elaine and Mortimer should go as scheduled, which is probably talking about their marriage. Abby also mentions that she’s done something while she was away, to Martha’s delight and surprise. They tell Teddy that he’ll soon be digging a new lock for the Panama Canal...whatever that means.

Martha’s about to go to the basement to see what Abby’s done, but she states that because she was all by herself, the surprise is in the window seat. As she’s about to look at the surprise, Elaine shows up in the window, and the two arrive to give the happy news that they’re married. Elaine goes to tell her father of the news, while Mortimer goes to tell his sweet aunts. Afterwards, the two will be on their honeymoon, going to Niagara Falls. And I should say, they’re quite a sweet couple.

After telling the news to his aunts, he asks them where his notes are for his new controversial book, Mind Over Matrimony. They go to look for it around the house, and Teddy comes downstairs, dressed up in attire to “go to Panama.” Aunt Abby comes across a childhood picture of Jonathan, Mortimer’s brother and apparently a violent sociopath or some sort. She goes to burn the picture (geez), and Mortimer continues to look for the notes. He goes to the window seat.

Yup! It’s a body! Looks like Abby and Martha’s sweet old lady act is a guise for some myurder! Which I know, just because it’s the most famous thing about the movie. However, Mortimer thinks the murderer is Teddy, and tells his sweet old aunts about the body, asking that he gets put into an asylum. But Abby notes that Teddy didn’t kill the man, and they already know about the body!

Which, yeah, surprises Mortimer, obviously.

Abby cheerfully admits that the man, Mr. Hoskins, was poisoned by a tainted glass of elderberry wine, and that they did so on purpose, hiding the body before the Reverend came for a visit. The whole thing isn’t a big deal; it’s just Abby and Martha’s little secret!

After they leave, and brush off the whole thing as easy as needlepoint or macramé as a hobby, Mortimer, is completely broken by the whole affair, and is partially convinced that he’s dreaming. All the while, Elaine’s trying to get Mortimer to come over and speak with her father. But Mortimer can’t exactly forget about this whole silly murder thing, and goes to confront his aunts about it. He learns that Teddy’s digging not a lock, but a grave in the cellar. As he’s done with 10 other bodies. Or maybe it’s 11 others?

After picking up a phone call from Elaine, then hanging up abruptly (and understandably), Mortimer finds out how this whole thing started. See, the two have a “Renters Wanted” sign in their front lawn, and the neighborhood thinks that it’s there so the two sweet old ladies can offer help to anyone in need, even though they aren’t actually renting to anyone. In reality...well, they do it for another reason.

See, an older gentleman stopped by a bit ago, and he had a heart attack right there in the living room. After seeing how peaceful he looked, the two decided to bring in other lonely old men and bring in the same kind of peace. And from there...well, yeah, you get the general idea. They’ve been poisoning them with arsenic, strychnine, and cyanide mixed in with elderberry wine. Apparently, Martha’s got the mixture just right so that it tastes delicious. With all this explained, they offer Mortimer a sip of wine. Which he’s understandably nervous about.

But with all of that done, Elaine comes over to check in on him. But he’s not able to tell her anything, which greatly (and understandably) confuses her. He basically kicks her out (which enrages her, once again understandably), and calls a judge with the intent to frame the whole affair on Teddy, who’s always been.unstable. Which, for the record, is not even SLIGHTLY going to solve the problem.

But as he’s on the phone, a man named Gibbs (Edward McWade) comes in to rent an apartment. He’s all alone in the world, with nobody to care for him. And of course, this leads to the women trying to poison him with the wine. It’s a funny yet tense moment as he stops just short of drinking the wine, distracted by Mortimer’s freakout over the phone. But Mortimer gets off the phone JUST in time to scare Gibbs away and stop him from drinking the wine. And it is...VERY funny, goddamn.

As Mortimer tries to tell the aunts exactly what’s wrong with what they’re doing, the phone rings. It’s a call from Witherspoon (Edward Everett Horton), who runs an asylum that Mortimer wants Teddy committed into. However, they don’t quite have room for him, as they have too many Theodore Roosevelts at present. However, they do need more Napoleon Bonapartes. I love this goddamn movie.

Still, Witherspoon agrees to take him in despite that, and Mortimer head out to get the paperwork done. However, he asks his aunts to not do anything until he gets back, and he also proises that he’ll attend the “services” for their latest victim. He leaves, and kinda steals a cabbie’s car in the process (I love this movie, I’m telling you), and Abby and Martha start shutting things down for the night. However, as they do, they get a mysterious knock on the door. They pretend not to be home...only for a man with an ominous scar to enter the room regardless.

Let’s pause here, shall we? See you in Part 2!