#I love when the actors interact with and appreciate fan creations

[reflectionsofgalaxies]

A story told in pictures:

✨ I love this cast so much 🐉

and @toodrunktofindaurl (thank you to the person who reminded me of her URL! I had her insta tagged here before bc I couldn’t for the life of me remember her url.)

(also honourable mention to Yellowjackets’ Jane Widdop)

[denimbex1986]

'Is Tom Ripley gay? For nearly 70 years, the answer has bedeviled readers of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley, the story of a diffident but ambitious young man who slides into and then brutally ends the life of a wealthy American expatriate, as well as the four sequels she produced fitfully over the following 36 years. It has challenged the directors — French, British, German, Italian, Canadian, American — who have tried to bring Ripley to the screen, including in the latest adaptation by Steven Zaillian, now on Netflix. And it appears even to have flummoxed Ripley’s creator, a lesbian with a complicated relationship to queer sexuality. In a 1988 interview, shortly before she undertook writing the final installment of the series, Ripley Under Water, Highsmith seemed determined to dismiss the possibility. “I don’t think Ripley is gay,” she said — “adamantly,” in the characterization of her interviewer. “He appreciates good looks in other men, that’s true. But he’s married in later books. I’m not saying he’s very strong in the sex department. But he makes it in bed with his wife.”

The question isn’t a minor one. Ripley’s killing of Dickie Greenleaf — the most complicated, and because it’s so murkily motivated, the most deeply rattling of the many murders the character eventually commits — has always felt intertwined with his sexuality. Does Tom kill Dickie because he wants to be Dickie, because he wants what Dickie has, because he loves Dickie, because he knows what Dickie thinks of him, or because he can’t bear the fact that Dickie doesn’t love him? Ordinarily, I’m not a big fan of completely ignoring authorial intent, and I’m inclined to let novelists have the last word on factual information about their own creations. But Highsmith, a cantankerous alcoholic misanthrope who was long past her best days when she made that statement, may have forgotten, or wanted to disown, her own initial portrait of Tom Ripley, which is — especially considering the time in which it was written — perfumed with unmistakable implication.

Consider the case that Highsmith puts forward in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Tom, a single man, lives a hand-to-mouth existence in New York with a male roommate who is, ahem, a window dresser. Before that, he lived with an older man with some money and a controlling streak, a sugar daddy he contemptuously describes as “an old maid”; Tom still has the key to his apartment. Most of his social circle — the names he tosses around when introducing himself to Dickie — are gay men. The aunt who raised him, he bitterly recalls, once said of him, “Sissy! He’s a sissy from the ground up. Just like his father!” Tom, who compulsively rehearses his public interactions and just as compulsively relives his public humiliations, recalls a particularly stinging moment when he was shamed by a friend for a practiced line he liked to use repeatedly at parties: “I can’t make up my mind whether I like men or women, so I’m thinking of giving them both up.” It has “always been good for a laugh, the way he delivered it,” he thinks, while admitting to himself that “there was a lot of truth in it.” Fortunately, Tom has another go-to party trick. Still nurturing vague fantasies of becoming an actor, he knows how to delight a small room with a set of monologues he’s contrived. All of his signature characters are, by the way, women.

This was an extremely specific set of ornamentations for a male character in 1955, a time when homosexuality was beginning to show up with some frequency in novels but almost always as a central problem, menace, or tragedy rather than an incidental characteristic. And it culminates in a gruesome scene that Zaillian’s Ripley replicates to the last detail in the second of its eight episodes: The moment when Dickie, the louche playboy whose luxe permanent-vacation life in the Italian coastal town of Atrani with his girlfriend, Marge, has been infiltrated by Tom, discovers Tom alone in his bedroom, imitating him while dressed in his clothes. It is, in both Highsmith’s and Zaillian’s tellings, as mortifying for Tom as being caught in drag, because essentially it is drag but drag without exaggeration or wit, drag that is simply suffused with a desire either to become or to possess the object of one’s envy and adoration. It repulses Dickie, who takes it as a sexual threat and warns Tom, “I’m not queer,” then adds, lashingly, “Marge thinks you are.” In the novel, Tom reacts by going pale. He hotly denies it but not before feeling faint. “Nobody had ever said it outright to him,” Highsmith writes, “not in this way.” Not a single gay reader in the mid-1950s would have failed to recognize this as the dread of being found out, quickly disguised as the indignity of being misunderstood.

And it seemed to frighten Highsmith herself. In the second novel, Ripley Under Ground, published 15 years later, she backed away from her conception of Tom, leaping several years forward and turning him into a soigné country gentleman living a placid, idyllic life in France with an oblivious wife. None of the sequels approach the cold, challenging terror of the first novel — a challenge that has been met in different ways, each appropriate to their era, by the three filmmakers who have taken on The Talented Mr. Ripley. Zaillian’s ice-cold, diamond-hard Ripley just happens to be the first to deliver a full and uncompromising depiction of one of the most unnerving characters in American crime fiction.

The first Ripley adaptation, René Clément’s French-language drama Purple Noon, is much beloved for its sun-saturated atmosphere of endless indolence and for the tone of alienated ennui that anticipated much of the decade to come; the movie was also a showcase for its Ripley, the preposterously sexy, maddeningly aloof Alain Delon. And therein lies the problem: A Ripley who is preposterously sexy is not a Ripley who has ever had to deal with soul-deep humiliation, and a Ripley who is maddeningly aloof is not going to be able to worm his way into anyone’s life. Purple Noon is not especially willing (or able — it was released in 1960) to explore Ripley’s possible homosexuality. Though the movie itself suggests that no man or woman could fail to find him alluring, what we get with Delon is, in a way, a less complex character type, a gorgeous and magnetic smooth criminal who, as if even France had to succumb to the hoariest dictates of the Hollywood Production Code, gets the punishment due to him by the closing credits. It’s delectable daylit noir, but nothing unsettling lingers.

Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, released in 1999, is far better; it couldn’t be more different from the current Ripley, but it’s a legitimate reading that proves that Highsmith’s novel is complex and elastic enough to accommodate wildly varying interpretations. A committed Matt Damon makes a startlingly fine Tom Ripley, ingratiating and appealing but always just slightly inept or needy or wrong; Jude Law — peak Jude Law — is such an effortless golden boy that he manages the necessary task of making Damon’s Tom seem a bit dim and dull; and acting-era Gwyneth Paltrow is a spirited and touchingly vulnerable Marge.

Minghella grapples with Tom’s sexual orientation in an intelligently progressive-circa-1999 way; he assumes that Highsmith would have made Tom overtly gay if the culture of 1955 had allowed it, and he runs all the way with the idea. He gives us a Tom Ripley who is clearly, if not in love with Dickie, wildly destabilized by his attraction to him. And in a giant departure from the novel, he elevates a character Highsmith had barely developed, Peter Smith-Kingsley (played by Jack Davenport) into a major one, a man with whom we’re given to understand that Ripley, with two murders behind him and now embarking on a comfortable and well-funded European life, has fallen in love. It doesn’t end well for either of them. A heartsick Tom eventually kills Peter, too, rather than risk discovery — it’s his third murder, one more than in the novel — and we’re meant to take this as the tragedy of his life: That, having come into the one identity that could have made him truly happy (gay man), he will always have to subsume it to the identity he chose in order to get there (murderer). This is nowhere that Highsmith ever would have gone — and that’s fine, since all of these movies are not transcriptions but interpretations. It’s as if Minghella, wandering around inside the palace of the novel, decided to open doors Highsmith had left closed to see what might be behind them. The result is the most touching and sympathetic of Ripleys — and, as a result, far from the most frightening.

Zaillian is not especially interested in courting our sympathy. Working with the magnificent cinematographer Robert Elswit, who makes every black-and-white shot a stunning, tense, precise duel between light and shadow, he turns coastal Italy not into an azure utopia but into a daunting vertical maze, alternately paradise, purgatory, and inferno, in which Tom Ripley is forever struggling; no matter where he turns, he always seems to be at the bottom of yet another flight of stairs.

It’s part of the genius of this Ripley — and a measure of how deeply Zaillian has absorbed the book — that the biggest departures he makes from Highsmith somehow manage to bring his work closer to her scariest implications. There are a number of minor changes, but I want to talk about the big ones, the most striking of which is the aging of both Tom and Dickie. In the novel, they’re both clearly in their 20s — Tom is a young striver patching together an existence as a minor scam artist who steals mail and impersonates a collection agent, bilking guileless suckers out of just enough odd sums for him to get by, and Dickie is a rich man’s son whose father worries that he has extended his post-college jaunt to Europe well past its sowing-wild-oats expiration date. Those plot points all remain in place in the miniseries, but Andrew Scott, who plays Ripley, is 47, and Johnny Flynn, who plays Dickie, is 41; onscreen, they register, respectively, as about 40 and 35.

This changes everything we think we know about the characters from the first moments of episode one. As we watch Ripley in New York, dourly plying his miserable, penny-ante con from a tiny, barren shoe-box apartment that barely has room for a bed as wide as a prison cot (this is not a place to which Ripley has ever brought guests), we learn a lot: This Ripley is not a struggler but a loser. He’s been at this a very long time, and this is as far as he’s gotten. We can see, in an early scene set in a bank, that he’s wearily familiar with almost getting caught. If he ever had dreams, he probably buried them years earlier. And Dickie, as a golden boy, is pretty tarnished himself — he isn’t a wild young man but an already-past-his-prime disappointment, a dilettante living off of Daddy’s money while dabbling in painting (he’s not good at it) and stringing along a girlfriend who’s stuck on him but probably, in her heart, knows he isn’t likely to amount to much.

Making Tom older also allows Zaillian to mount a persuasive argument about his sexuality that hews closely to Highsmith’s vision (if not to her subsequent denial). If the Ripley of 1999 was gay, the Ripley of 2024 is something else: queer, in both the newest and the oldest senses of the word. Scott’s impeccable performance finds a thousand shades of moon-faced blankness in Ripley’s sociopathy, and Elswit’s endlessly inventive lighting of his minimal expressions, his small, ambivalent mouth and high, smooth forehead, often makes him look slightly uncanny, like a Daniel Clowes or Charles Burns drawing. Scott’s Ripley is a man who has to practice every vocal intonation, every smile or quizzical look, every interaction. If he ever had any sexual desire, he seems to have doused it long ago. “Is he queer? I don’t know,” Marge writes in a letter to Dickie (actually to Tom, now impersonating his murder victim). “I don’t think he’s normal enough to have any kind of sex life.” This, too, is from the novel, almost word for word, and Zaillian uses it as a north star. The Ripley he and Scott give us is indeed queer — he’s off, amiss, not quite right, and Marge knows it. (In the novel, she adds, “All right, he may not be queer [meaning gay]. He’s just a nothing, which is worse.”) Ripley’s possible asexuality — or more accurately, his revulsion at any kind of expressed sexuality — makes his killing of Dickie even more horrific because it robs us of lust as a possible explanation. This is the first adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley I’ve seen in which even Ripley may not know why he murders Dickie.

When I heard that Zaillian (who both wrote and directed all of the episodes) was working on a Ripley adaptation, I wondered if he might replace sexual identity, the great unequalizer of 1999, with economic inequity, a more of-the-moment choice. Minghella’s version played with the idea; every person and object and room and vista Damon’s Ripley encountered was so lush and beautiful and gleaming that it became, in some scenes, the story of a man driven mad by having his nose pressed up against the glass that separated him from a world of privilege (and from the people in that world who were openly contemptuous of his gaucheries). Zaillian doesn’t do that — a lucky thing, since the heavily Ripley-influenced film Saltburn played with those very tropes recently and effectively. Whether intentional or not, one side effect of his decision to shoot Ripley in black and white is that it slightly tamps down any temptation to turn Italy into an occasion for wealth porn and in turn to make Tom an eat-the-rich surrogate. This Italy looks gorgeous in its own way, but it’s also a world in which even the most beautiful treasures appear threatened by encroaching dampness or decay or rot. Zaillian gives us a Ripley who wants Dickie’s life of money and nice things and art (though what he’s thinking when he stares at all those Caravaggios is anybody’s guess). But he resists the temptation to make Dickie and Marge disdainful about Tom’s poverty, or mean to the servants, or anything that might make his killing more palatable. This Tom is not a class warrior any more than he’s a victim of the closet or anything else that would make him more explicable in contemporary terms. He’s his own thing — a universe of one.

Anyway, sexuality gives any Ripley adapter more to toy with than money does, and the way Zaillian uses it also plays effectively into another of his intuitive leaps — his decision to present Dickie’s friend and Tom’s instant nemesis Freddie Miles not as an obnoxious loudmouth pest (in Minghella’s movie, he was played superbly by a loutish Philip Seymour Hoffman) but as a frosty, sexually ambiguous, gender-fluid-before-it-was-a-term threat to Tom’s stability, excellently portrayed by Eliot Sumner (Sting’s kid), a nonbinary actor who brings perceptive to-the-manor-born disdain to Freddie’s interactions with Tom. They loathe each other on sight: Freddie instantly clocks Tom as a pathetic poser and possible closet case, and Tom, seeing in Freddie a man who seems to wear androgyny with entitlement and no self-consciousness, registers him as a danger, someone who can see too much, too clearly. This leads, of course, to murder and to a grisly flourish in the scene in which Tom, attempting to get rid of Freddie’s body, walks his upright corpse, his bloodied head hidden under a hat, along a street at night, pretending he’s holding up a drunken friend. When someone approaches, Tom, needing to make his possible alibi work, turns away, slamming his own body into Freddie’s up against a wall and kissing him passionately on the lips. That’s not in Highsmith’s novel, but I imagine it would have gotten at least a dry smile out of her; in Ripley’s eight hours, this necrophiliac interlude is Tom’s sole sexual interaction.

No adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley would work without a couple of macabre jokes like that, and Zaillian serves up some zesty ones, including an appearance by John Malkovich, the reigning king/queen of sexual ambiguity (and himself a past Ripley, in 2002’s Ripley’s Game), nodding to Tom’s future by playing a character who doesn’t show up until book two. He also gives us a witty final twist that suggests that Ripley may not even make it to that sequel, one that reminds us how fragile and easily upended his whole scheme has been. Because Ripley, in this conception, is no mastermind; Zaillian’s most daring and thoughtful move may have been the excision of the word “talented” from the title. In the course of the show, we see him toy with being an editor, a writer (all those letters!), a painter, an art appreciator, and a wealthy man, often convincingly — but always as an impersonation. He gives us a Tom who is fiercely determined but so drained of human affect when he’s not being watched that we come to realize that his only real skill is a knack for concentrating on one thing to the exclusion of everything else. What we watch him get away with may be the first thing in his life he’s really good at (and the last moment of the show suggests that really good may not be good enough). This is not a Tom with a brilliant plan but a Tom who just barely gets away with it, a Tom who can never relax.

Tom’s sexuality is ultimately an enigma that Zaillian chooses to leave unsolved — as it remains at the end of the novel. Highsmith’s decision to turn Tom into a roguish heterosexual with a taste for art fraud before the start of the second novel has never felt entirely persuasive, and it’s clearly a resolution in which Zaillian couldn’t be less interested. Toward the end of Ripley, Tom is asked by a detective to describe the kind of man Dickie was. He transforms Dickie’s suspicion about his queerness into a new narrative, telling the private investigator that Dickie was in love with him: “I told him I found him pathetic and that I wanted nothing more to do with him.” But it’s the crushing verdict he delivers just before that line that will stay with me, a moment in which Tom, almost in a reverie, might well be describing himself: “Everything about him was an act. He knew he was supremely untalented.” In the end, Scott and Zaillian give us a Ripley for an era in which evil is so often meted out by human automatons with even tempers and bland self-justification: He is methodical, ordinary, mild, and terrifying.'

[selkiewife]

8, 17, 25 please and thank you

Thanks @owlsinathens my love!

8. You hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc.)

Oh my god I have so MANY! lol. This won't be all of them but I'm trying not to overthink these: A Song of Ice and Fire: More appreciation for the potential of Theon surviving and for Theon eventually gaining some FREEDOM in LIFE. More appreciation for the Theon Sea Reek symbolism (How the Sea Reek was a giant sea monster) More appreciation for Theon's prophetic dream (And how it parallels Jon's Dream.) More appreciation for Theon's connection to Euron and Bran. More appreciation for the symbolism of characters receiving a kind of weirwood stigmata (like when Dany eats the heart- bloody hands and mouth and then losing her hair to the flames, Catelyn Stark after saving bran, Theon- bloody mouth and hands, red leaf falling on his head, etc etc.) More appreciation for Tysha & Tyrion. More people tagging her as Tysha Lannister because FUCK YOU TYWIN. More appreciation for the Tysha is the Sailor's Wife theory. Tysha & Tyrion forever. More appreciation for the parallels between Theon & Jeyne and Tyrion & Tysha. More appreciation for Tyrion ships in general. More appreciation for Tyrion's dragon dreams that he STOPPED HAVING after his trauma and then the contrast with Daenerys beginning her dragon dreams as a response to her trauma. Daenerys x Tyrion as a ship. More appreciation for Mance's band (like literal band lol) of spearwives. Game of Thrones: The acting. I'm serious. I want there to be more analysis about it- I want to go into the tag and see paragraphs dissecting the minutia of Michelle Fairley's Red Wedding Performance, Alfie Allen as Theon performing Reek performing Theon, etc. Tyrion's trial. But also the actors that don't get as much appreciation for the early seasons- like Issac as Bran when Ser Rodrik was executed etc. Also more (or any lol) appreciation for the Reek foreshadowing in Theon's scenes in season 1 and 2. I'll do a gifset eventually about this. Appreciation and analysis of the 4 episodes GRRM wrote (I am actually going to do this myself soon and also make some gifsets of the scenes from these episodes.) More appreciation for the music and Ramin Djawadi. Not just the beauty of it, but the use of certain instruments for certain characters, the META of certain characters sharing a theme- like with Jon and Theon. Also, I would love it if there was a mass movement in the fandom- a petition or something for Ramin to write music to The Seasons of My Love. More appreciation for THE FIX IT FICS! More appreciation for the idea of Daenerys x Missandei x Greyworm as the show's three heads of the dragon. Got/Asoiaf: More appreciation for combining canons in fics, art, and other fan creations. More appreciation and understanding of gifmakers who take scenes from the show out of the show context to depict scenes from the books. Fire and Blood: The Sylvessie ship (Essie x Sylvenna Sand) Gaemoms forever. The conquerers as a TRUE threesome, with Visenya and Rhaenys in love with each other as well. (I would give anything if they portrayed it this way in the show adaptation.) HOTD: More appreciation for AEGON'S DREAM! I really love the exploration of the Targaryen Dreamers. Also more appreciation for Aemma Targaryen's birth scene. I can write more about this later but I loved the way they showed the horror that birth can be- especially when choice is taken away. Harlots: I hope people come to appreciate all of Harlots IN GENERAL. The whole thing. Watch Harlots, Love Harlots, Obsess about Harlots. Also, I would like more people to appreciation the ship Birchlace (Nancy Birch x Emily Lacey.) Seriously if you look at their interactions over the entirety of Harlots it makes SO. MUCH. SENSE. as subtext for a ship. I know it wasn't meant that way but. It is delicious. I really do still need to write this fic. Black Sails: More appreciation for Jack/Anne/Mark Read- and more appreciation of the transition of Charles Vane/Jack/Anne to Jack/Anne/Max to Jack/Mark/Anne.

17. The thing in canon that everyone loves and that you also love.

asoiaf: Theon's Godswood scene. The old gods, they know me. They know my name. Shoot that scene directly into my veins. Carve that monologue onto my gravestone. Harlots: "I loved your ma, you silly cunt." the line heard around the Harlots fandom said by the iconic Nancy fucking Birch! Black Sails: A STORY IS TRUE A STORY IS UNTRUE. And all the other amazing writing that makes my brain unravel. Madi's multitudes, Silver's speech about having no story. Flint's there is freedom in the dark once someone has illuminated it. I have CHILLS.

25. a piece of advice for taking care of yourself in fandom spaces

Concentrate on what YOU love and don't feel bad about it. I'm serious. I have problems with this as well and it's hard NOT to care about what people think because part of seeking out a fandom for something you love is finding community in your enjoyment of something. But believe me, you will find your niche of fellow fans if you just fearlessly enjoy what you enjoy. And personally, I wouldn't even give what you don't enjoy any time at all. And really try to cultivate not getting upset if other fans are enjoying a headcanon or ship you hate or a character in a way you disagree with. And cultivate putting more of what YOU enjoy out there instead. (This is all advice I give myself too everyday and I don't do this well so I'm not trying to be all wise about it. It is just what I am trying to do and when I succeed it really makes everything more enjoyable.)

[kimmyyang]

210408 Zhang Zhehan's interview with Elle Magazine

"I want to be like Ah-Xu, be a gentle yet strong person."

On the day of the photoshoot, it was a rare windy day in Bei Hai. The weather forecast reported it will rain, which made everyone slightly heart-stricken. "Can we still take photos by the seaside?", "how about changing the location?", we were worrying, but fortunately it didn’t rain, only left with steer drop in temperature and roaring wind.

On the way to the photoshoot location, Zhang Zhehan recorded the sound of wind outside of the window. To be able to use the last bit of daylight before the sun sets completely, after filming, he only had one hour and a bit to go back to the hotel, have dinner, change clothes, and get his makeup done. And now, when we have done everything, he uses the time in the car to chat with the long-waited fans in the drama interactive zone.

Busy is an expected state. But when we saw him at the location, you can’t tell any trace of being busy from his face. The strong wind blew the gravels on the beach in the sky. During the interval of the photoshoot, everyone couldn’t help but complained about the cold wind and getting sand all over their faces. Only Zhang Zhehan looked more relaxed as if he came back from a different beach as us.

When we moved to the coffee shop, we finally had time to sit down and talk. He asked the staff to give him a cushion for his back, at that moment, it was probably the first time that made us realize that he is actually very tired. "It’s tough and tiring to be an actor, right?" we haven’t even finished the sentence, and he disagreed, "it’s all the same, every job is tough and tiring."

It seems that he has a big heart.

He chose to ride to Tibet with his friend for his graduation trip. Like his mum said he always has the spirit of seeking out suffering. Speaking of this journey, he said: "we’re living too happily, most families don’t have to worry about clothes and food, don’t need to go through a lot of hardships. I like what Huang Lei teacher once said, ‘people will only have faith after suffering, people will understand kindness after suffering.’ I think after seeing the suffering in the world and feel the suffering yourself - you will be kind to others."

After hearing what he said, you will realize that ‘big heart’ could have been a misunderstanding. He can’t dilute ‘sufferings’ more than others, instead, in the moments of ‘seeking out sufferings’, his feeling towards ‘sufferings’ is stronger and more abundant compared to most people.

He has a very meticulous side, he feels, understands, and hides his ‘sufferings’. Then, those experiences and feelings related to sufferings become something that is hard for others to spot on him.

He said, "when we’re going through a hardship, we can only see the hardship itself, you don’t realize that it’s actually reminding you something and teaching you something else." This is also his understanding of being mature – you can see the many sides of one thing.

‘Bruce Almighty’， ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’， ‘The Bucket List’ are his favorite movies. He said, "there’s a line from Bruce Almighty that left a deep impression – do you really hope God will give you happiness? Maybe everyone’s interpretation of happiness is different, but in the movie, the protagonist only realized it at the end, God was giving him happiness, but not the so-called happiness, God taught him the ability to gain happiness." He pressed his thumb again his chin, slightly looking down, earnestly sharing his impression of the movie.

He added, "you’re actually changing your perspective of the problem." Like what he wrote before, "being mature is being able to see the things that you couldn’t see before."

Maybe if the settling time is long enough, you will be able to stay calm in the change of tides and guard yourself in the quicksand under your feet. Speaking of popularity, he was calmer than we expected.

He said, "popularity is very important for an actor. I think it’s complementary, when you’re popular, you will receive more attention. You will be able to carry some things on your shoulders, first, it can prove that you have the ability, second, it can prove you’re acknowledged by the market."

He continued, "as actors, we also need to be acknowledged by the market. I have seen some amazing actors, they put so much effort into every character but maybe haven’t been acknowledged by the market yet, so they remain unknown. Therefore, a lot of great characters won’t fall into their hands.” It sounds cruel but it’s an undeniable fact. He added, “if you’re not popular, good scripts won’t even land in your hands."

The success of ‘Word of Honor’, to Zhang Zhehan, is like winning the lottery.

He said, "the success of a drama depends on timing, geographical and social conditions, none of these is dispensable. There are hundreds and thousands of dramas filmed each year, but in the end, there will only be one or two that everyone would love. That kind of feels like winning the lottery."

Working hard is very common, it’s nothing special, he thinks it’s unreasonable if you just use ‘working hard’ and ask why you are ‘under appreciated’. Just like how everyone praises him for being an experiential actor and praises his immersive acting. But he thinks, this is the passing line to be an actor, this is what actors are supposed to do.

He said, "if you’re an actor and you don’t experience the character, how could you portray it well, if you don’t get into the character, how could you make the character come to life?"

Working hard, experiencing, and immersing… he views them as a refined definition of actor, these are the preconditions of the lottery ticket. As for whether you can win the lottery in the end, no one can predict it. At least in his experience, he waited for 11 years for that winning lottery ticket.

After the filming ended, he wrote ‘jianghu, goodbye’ on Weibo, when the last episode aired, it was exactly 6 months after the last day of filming. His Weibo is on the setting of showing only the recent 6 months’ posts, as if it was a ‘long been destined’ farewell.

Perhaps the character Zhou Zi Shu is destined to be his. During the four months of filming, he had to gradually reveal Zhou Zi Shu’s two thousand layers of gray, he had to find him, become him, and lastly live the rest of his life for him.

Actors are probably all like this, they always must pour in their own life, emotions, and experience to make the character come to life. The process of making the character come to life means the actors get to experience life and emotions once again.

"Life is experience, you need to put some of your experiences into your characters."

Hegel mentioned in ‘Lectures on Aesthetics’ - 艺术通过供观照的形象可以缓和最酷烈的悲剧命运, 使它成为欣赏的对象。(thank you @sixteenthshen for providing the original quote!)

the specific lines zzh mentioned is bolded: If we are in a general way permitted to regard human activity in the realm of the beautiful as a liberation of the soul, as a release from constraint and restriction, in short, to consider that art does actually alleviate the most overpowering and tragic catastrophes by means of the creations it offers to our contemplation and enjoyment, it is the art of music which conducts us to the final summit of that ascent to freedom.

The reason why those so-called pains are endowed with aesthetic tension may lie in ‘being watched with pleasure’. Those most beautiful things aren’t been torn in our real lives, they become one ‘tearing performance’ after another, being shown on the stage, shown on the screen. The existence of aesthetic distance made ‘those so-called pains’ into something that can be bearable, having its own appreciation.

That so-called ‘pain’ experience comes more direct towards actors, there’s not much room for leeway. In his previous interview, he commented that Zhou Zi Shu is the most memorable character, the character that hurt him the most. Talking about ‘getting hurt’ again, he thinks that is unavoidable.

"I say that an actor has to get into the character and get out of character quickly. But when you’re acting in a happy scene, that happy feeling might last for a day or few days. When you’re acting in a sad, heart-broken scene, even you say it’s ok, it’s fine, it won’t affect me. But it will affect your mood, including your actions. When I go back to my room, I can’t help but to think about that scene, I might not be willing to go out and walk around."

"So, do you think acting is a process of wearing yourself out and wearing emotions down?"

"Of course, of course, of course, it’s wearing myself out." He said of course three times consecutively, "it’s not just wearing my emotions down, it also wears my physical strength out, wears my experience out, and a lot of my own things. So, if I want to do well in a piece of work, I can’t go into the next crew right after I have finished filming. Because you will have traces of the last piece of work, it’s actually hard to accept and get into the next character."

"I personally really like to stay in the filming crew, the reason why I said Zhou Zi Shu is great is that we couldn’t have any other work due to COVID-19 restrictions. I was in the crew for 4 months, in peace. I was looking into and experiencing the character carefully."

On the day of the interview, the Q&A part about acting was the most ‘unrestrained’. Every time we throw out a question, we would always get a powerful and resonating reply. From the perspective of a bystander, you could feel that he is the kind of person that is shining in his professional field.

At the end of every drama/ film, he would choose to leave that environment, and go out to have fun for few days. "I’m not insisting that I need to disengage from the drama/ film, I just want to relax, return to myself, return to Zhang Zhehan’s life."

"So, when you’re looking at Zhou Zi Shu again now as a viewer, do you have any different sentiment?"

"Of course, I would think of the funny parts and incidents. A lot of interesting bits that I’ve added in myself, you can see it in the character." Fortunately, as an actor, he can also feel the happiness that ordinary viewers have.

In our conversation, the words that he mentioned the most were 'gentle yet strong'.

"I really like netizens' comments that Zhou Zi Shu is gentle yet strong."

"The quality that I admire the most now is gentle yet strong."

"I feel like now I want to be like Ah-Xu, someone who is gentle yet strong."

"I want to be like Ah-Xu, become a bit gentler."

He thinks this seemingly contradictory combination is very interesting, "strong describes a person who is strong, whereas gentle is soft. These two words may seem to have no connection, but when they’re put together, it’s also a perfect connection."

"I didn’t feel this way before. I used to think people have to be strong, powerful, how can you be gentle yet strong? I think that’s something I need to learn now. This person must make everyone around them feel comfortable and think of others, but at the same time he/ she is also an individual who’s very strong and full of capabilities."

"Like water, it’s like this when it’s calm, it’s like that when it’s surging high."

He used as many hand gestures as he could as he wanted to express what’s on his mind as much as possible.

Gentle yet strong, this is what he saw, felt from Zhou Zi Shu, and it’s also the character experience he most wants to leave behind.

"Speaking of what hasn’t changed for 11 years, is that I’m still acting; speaking of changes there are a lot. All these years of experience, it became my understanding of each character, in contrast, 11 years of acting experience allowed me to learn a lot from my characters."

To him, every big or small character he had in the past 11 years is a mutual encounter, he gave something to the characters, and the characters also left him with something.

Those who have seen his acting praise him that he truly understands Zhou Zi Shu, so we asked how he could stand in the perspective of Zhou Zi Shu to understand his words and actions. He doesn’t think that it was understanding, it just naturally happened.

"I didn’t deliberately try to understand him, I think what he did was just following his heart, that’s how I feel, so that’s how it should be. I would ask if it was myself, can I do that? Is it acceptable? If I think it’s ok, then it’s right. If I think it’s unacceptable, I will definitely tell the director - 'I don’t want to act this way.'"

"I read another book today, the main idea is the most important thing for people is to know themselves. Know yourself, know what kind of person you are, then you will know the world. You need to learn how to reconcile with yourself, learn how to communicate with yourself, tell yourself when you need to keep going, when to compromise, when you need to understand, when you need to be strong… you need to keep being yourself and convince yourself at certain times."

Meeting Zhou Zi Shu, to Zhang Zhehan is also the process of meeting and knowing himself. "But I’m probably not as mighty as Zhou Zi Shu," he laughed.

He thinks that he’s not at the age of looking back, the things that have happened, just let them go. "There’s nothing to remember in particular, there’s nothing memorable. And my occupation, a lot of people will remember for you, they will remember your good, remember your various moments, so I don’t need to remember. What I need to do now is to live well, my current life, future life, and get into the next role."

"When I can’t act anymore, I think I will look back more."

Now, he wants to challenge a new area, "I really want to act in movies, act in more movies. 40 episodes of acting and 2 hours of acting are different, condensed acting is the quintessence. I still need to learn how to act well in the 2 hours."

And "I hope I can be a director one day."

The beautiful scenery in spring is as deep and wide as the sea, it’s fortunate that we get to meet.

"My occupation, many people will remember every moment of yours."

"Immerse into my next character, and live well - that's what I need to do now. "

Translation by: KIMMYYANG

[waywardodysseys]

The Right One - Chapter Two

Pairing: Single Dad!Chris Evans x female reader

Warnings: fluff

Author’s note: @mug-nificent​ - thank you as always

The Right One: Chapter One

~   ~   ~

The blinking cursor taunts you. It’s thin black line ready to travel over the page as your fingers move across the keyboard. You sigh heavily, hoping the words will come but they don’t. They seem to be right there on the edge, but they never want to appear. You’ve had a difficult time writing lately, especially since your grandmother passed away and the house became the center of your attention.

Your editor has been begging for new work close to four months now. She’d call and pester you about the need for new material and you’d say, “I’m working on it.”

She’d then retort with, “fans are clamoring for the next book Y/N.”

“I know,” you’d hiss at her. You loved your editor but there were times she was a thorn in your side you couldn’t get rid of.

Winter now walks into the room. The jingle of her tags drawing your attention away from the laptop and to her. She sits and looks at you, tilts her head.

You need to get out of the house, out into the fresh air of the world.

“How about we go to the dog park?”

Winter’s tail begins wagging. It doesn’t stop as you get up, walk out of the office and downstairs.

You reach for her leash and stop. Her tattered purple leash hangs next to the red plaid one Chris and Theodore had used to bring her back to you. They hadn’t come by and gotten it. Though it’s only been a few days.

Your fingers trace down the material as you think about the two.

You had noticed who Chris was when you laid your eyes on him, but you had no idea the actor had a son, let alone a girlfriend or wife. You had been living in the country not under a rock and had heard various rumors the actor wanted a family and kids, but he was continuously single after a breakup a couple of years ago.

Winter’s yappy bark removes your focus from your thoughts and back to grabbing the purple leash. You hook the leash on her collar then grab the car keys on the counter.

“Let’s hope the fresh air does us both some good.”

*

The smell of fresh cut grass moves through the breeze as you sit on a bench within the dog park you brought Winter to. Happy dog barks and children playing greet your ears as you eye Winter playing with a couple other dogs.

She had enjoyed the open air and free roam of the farm, just like you had. Both of you had to accustom yourself to life in the suburbs. While you were adjusting to being back in a city, Winter had been raised on the farm, all the dog knew was farm life.

You had known the farm life when you were younger. Living on the family farm every summer until you went to college. You had returned on occasion but remained faithful to finding work in Chicago, spinning out short stories and eventually moving onto novels. You were working on a final book, not your last book, but a final book in a beloved series you held close to your heart.

Maverick was a heroine you had created after a painful breakup, which made you move out to family farm over five years ago. Your grandmother had seen your broken heart and gave you Winter.

“You need something,” she emphasized when she handed you the six-month-old puppy.

You had sighed heavily, knowing you weren’t going to win, and took the fragile puppy into your hands. One eye dark as night, the other eye bright as the snow. You hadn’t like snow for a name therefore deciding on Winter. She had been by your side since.

Then your grandmother had passed away a few months ago, making the holidays unbearable. She had been the only person in your family to understand why you wanted to move away from your parents, to move away from the life you had here once upon a time.

“Can I sit with you?”

A small but familiar voice breaks through your thoughts. You look over into jade green eyes.

You shake your head, “of course you can. Where’s your dad?”

Theo points towards the parking lot. You follow the direction of his arm. “Ladies like my dad a lot, they show up if we leave the house. It’s really annoying sometimes.”

You laugh and smile, “I don’t see anyone bombarding him today.”

Theo huffs and rolls his eyes, “just wait.”

-------

Chris pulls into the parking lot, finds a spot, and parks the SUV. Theo’s already opening the door as Chris removes the keys from the ignition.

“Careful Theo!” Chris calls after him. He smiles looking at Dodger and his son, unsure who is dragging who towards the entrance of the dog park.

His blue eyes roam over the scene before him.

Not a cloud in sight as the bright spring sun shines brightly. Trees budding green leaves as the grass begins to slowly grow in the warmer weather. Children laughing and playing, most at the playground, others inside of the fenced in dog park playing with their beloved pet. Then he spots her.

The neighbor from down the street. Her eyes are searching for her Australian Shepherd, which has made its way towards the entrance to greet Dodger.

Theo unhooks the leash and proceeds towards her. Chris watches as she smiles widely and nods her head, recognizing the young child. He points in Chris’ direction and her eyes follow as her smile remains. She raises her eyebrows and then laughs. Chris is now dying to know what his son had told her.

Chris makes his way towards the entrance, thankful none of the regulars have noticed him. He was getting tired of the attention he got, even in his hometown. Chris walks through the gated entrance to the dog park towards Theo and the neighbor. Their voices carrying over to his ears.

“Why Winter? Because she looks like a snowflake. I would’ve named her snowflake.”

“Because—,” you begin.

Theo continues without taking a breath, “dad has Dodger. I’ve never had a dog before Dodger. I always wanted a dog, but the other foster homes never had any and the group home didn’t allow pets.”

You smile as you take in his words. “I’m sure Dodger enjoys having a kid around.”

Theo smiles brightly, “he sleeps in my room on my bed with me. He used to sleep with dad, but dad said I need protecting so dad told him to watch over me and now Dodger sleeps in my room. On my bed.”

“Well your dad’s not wrong. A dog protects fiercely, just like a parent does,” you reply, finally able to get in a word between Theodore’s rapid firing of information.

Chris laughs and shakes his head. Theo was full of questions. What kid wouldn’t be? He admires your understanding as you try to get in a word edgewise and answer his questions.

“Theo,” Chris remarks as he approaches the bench, “go find a ball and get Dodger moving. We need to wear him out. Maybe get Winter worn out too. I’m sure our friendly neighbor would like a quiet evening at home with her dog resting.”

“Okay,” Theo sighs heavily as he gets up and walks away.

Chris hears you chuckle as he watches his son find one of the many tennis balls on the ground and calls Dodger and Winter. He then proceeds to move his eyes to you.

“Thank you,” Chris utters.

“You’re welcome.” Knowing Chris appreciated you for engaging with Theo and not turning him away.

You two are quiet as you both watch Theo play with Dodger and Winter. The two dogs playing happily together. You smile and lower your head. Winter’s only interactions with other dogs were here and she rarely played with other dogs because she was more focused on you and being your side.

You clear your throat as the silence begins to become too much, “your son said he was in foster care. How long ago did you adopt him?”

Chris glances at you sideways then sighs, “beginning of the week.”

“Still trying to figure out each other?”

“We’ve done relationship building activities for the past two months while everything was getting approved. Gone dozens of places, met my family. I’ve kept everything hidden from the outside world. I’m not ready for people to know I’m a dad.”

“But you are a dad. An official one. And by the looks of things,” you point to the small boy chasing the two dogs, “a good one too.”

“I’ve wanted my own family for a few years but with my work I couldn’t find the time. Couldn’t find the right person,” Chris utters under his breath.

“And now you have the time with the superhero business behind you.”

Chris gives a lopsided smile, “so I guess you do know who I am.”

“I do but I’m not intrigued by that perspective of you. I’m intrigued by the man who gave that,” you point once again towards Theodore, “kid a chance.”

“I saw him, heard his giggly laugh and knew he was the one. Glad I took the chance. I wouldn’t exchange him for another kid.”

“He’s enthralled by you. Must be excited that Captain America is his dad. I’m sure you’d be willing to take a chance on another kid.”

Chris shrugs, “I’d love a daughter too. Best of both worlds. Maybe a couple of years down the road I’ll adopt a girl,” Chris turns towards you, “what about you?”

You shrug, “not much to tell. Grew up in the Midwest, spent my summers on the family farm out here. My grandmother owned the house I’m currently living in.”

“Family farm?”

“Up near Princeton. My uncle and his wife lived there before they retired and moved down to Florida. They had no kids, left the place to me about seven years ago. I officially moved in five years ago after a painful breakup.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

You shrug, “it’s fine. It’s in the past. I created something from it and I’m proud of my creation.”

Chris raises his eyebrows, “creation?”

You smirk, “stop by a bookstore. You know my name.”

-------

A couple hours later Chris is driving Theo and Dodger home when he drives by Concord Bookshop. He looks over at Theo.

“You mind if we stop at the bookstore?”

Theo smiles, “can I get some books on dinosaurs?”

Chris grins and laughs, “of course buddy.”

Theo throws his arms in the air, “yes!”

Once inside the local bookstore, Chris finds a bookseller while Theo wonders off to the children’s section.

“Excuse me?”

The older gentleman looks at Chris over his glasses. “How may I help you?”

“I am looking for anything by Y/F/N Y/L/N.”

The older gentleman thinks, “do you want Creative Rebirth or the Maverick series?”

“Uh, I was given her name on a recommendation.”

“Her Creative Rebirth is a self-help slash journal project. The Maverick series is fantasy. Dark, gritty, apocalyptic.”

“Both.” Chris remarks.

The older gentleman begins moving his feet through some of the displays and tall bookcases, leading Chris over to the Self-Help section. The man scans a shelf and pulls out a book, handing it over to Chris.

Chris begins to flip through the pages of the paperback book.

“She explains how creativity gives someone a chance to reinvent themselves, a chance to remake who they are and move on from the past. I recommend you check out the website, plenty of people post their creative innovations on it.”

“Thanks,” Chris whispers.

“Let me take you to the Sci-Fi section,” the bookseller leads Chris to another part of the bookstore. “After she wrote Creative Rebirth, she decided to follow through with her own advice and began writing the Maverick series.”

*

After getting Theo and Dodger into bed, Chris makes his way through the house towards his bedroom. He did miss the four-legged dog in his bed but knew Dodger was attached to the kid since they had first met a couple of months ago.

Once Chris was in comfortable clothes and settled into his own bed, he grabs the copy of Creative Rebirth and turns to the first page - 

I stared into two eyes – one dark as night, one bright as day. I was lost, forever lost in those eyes. My grandmother told me I needed something when she handed me the six-month-old puppy. She was right but my grandmother didn’t know this six-month-old puppy was going to be my saving grace.

~

My heart was broken in the budding days of spring in the year 2013. I remember the day clearly even though a pounding thunderstorm was beating down over the city of Chicago.

Tags: @random066​, @denisemarieangelina​, @cheeseburgersstuff​, @tessa-bl​, @straightforwardly​, @fallenoutofrose​, @dwights-new-plague​, @firstangeldragonranch​, @cmalass, @memoriesat30​

[wild-aloof-rebel]

I burned through all your Up Close and Personal content recently and came across your post with the litany of 'don't ask creators about fanfic!' tags. You have no obligation to educate me on this take, but if you have other posts or links you can point me towards on this topic, I'd like to hear more from fic writers' perspectives on this. Thanks for all the time you put into this!

i do yell about that in the tags quite a lot, and the reason is really two-fold: protection for the creators and protection for the fans.

creators cannot (or at least should not, if they somehow have not been told they can’t) read fic of their own works because it can get them into all sorts of sticky legal situations. lots of creators have talked about it (and fans, too), but the gist of the thing is that if you send them ideas and they read them (or even tell them about fics you’ve read), they basically now can’t ever use those ideas or anything remotely like them for fear of being sued. if you send them a story that’s by chance similar to something they’ve been working on, congrats, they probably can’t keep working on that, and that’s hours/days/months of work down the drain! if they have an idea of their own that’s even remotely similar to that somewhere way down the road, congrats, they probably can’t pursue that idea either because you might say, hey remember that fic i sent you 15 years ago that was about that, you stole that idea from me, and i want credit and my cut of the money! they cannot read fic in order to protect themselves from those kinds of potential legal issues, so people should not send it to them or ask them about reading it in the first place.

creators know that though, so my primary concern is not them. my primary concern is definitely protecting fans. 

some creators are really lovely about fandom. with sc in particular, dan and co. have generally been very appreciative and generous and kind in their interactions with fans. not all fandoms are like that, of course, and some creators seem to actively hate their fans for whatever reason, but even the nice creators still sometimes put their foot in their mouth when it comes to talking about fan creations. 

i would say uc&p is actually a pretty good example of that. there was a segment of the show that showed off various things people have posted online that they’ve made related to the show—dog costumes, pies, doormats, pins, whatever—and most of that is fine, like, haha this pie says “ew david,” is not particularly offensive to anyone. but there were definitely a few instances of things more like, look at this person’s tattoo, where the reason it’s being shown is really that it’s not a very good tattoo and the characters don’t look very recognizable. it’s put in there specifically to be laughed at, and if that’s your tattoo or if you’re the artist, that probably doesn’t feel great. and creators answering questions about fic is, more often than not, approached along these same lines. even people who are otherwise great about fans and fandom are often like, lol, people are writing WHAT? that’s so weird and funny, and that can be hurtful to the fans who are just expressing love for their creation. 

and in rare instances, there are people who ask about fic with the express intention of making fun of fans—in my previous fandom there was a very well-known incident where someone moderating a panel with the cast and creators decided to be “edgy” and asked the actors to read out a section from an explicit fic (which did not get to the actual explicit part but was clearly headed there), and it was uncomfortable for absolutely everyone involved. imagine being the author whose fic was chosen for that purpose. imagine being any other author in the fandom and fearing that your work might be the next one chosen as an example of how fans are weird and crazy. imagine being a fan sitting in the audience at that panel, excited to share with others in your common love for this show and then instead be collectively derided for it. 

obviously that’s just one particularly terrible instance, and there are certainly people who handle the entire idea of fanfic with much more grace and tact (and dan does seem to have come down somewhere along those lines in the bit he talked about it at the las vegas uc&p), but there’s a long history of fans being looked down upon for writing fic by the very people whose works they’re supporting, and so i just think asking creators about fic for any reason isn’t a risk worth taking. at best they’re going to say, yes, it’s great that fans want to write about the show, go write what you want and have fun, which is what fans were going to do anyway, and at worst, they’re going to make fans actively feel bad about themselves and their hobbies. there’s no outcome here that’s any better than leaving the question unasked, so why ask it in the first place?

[mysterious-messengers]

her idol - friend fic for jaehee and zen

-this version of the idol au is of my own creation, if you would like to see more please check out my account!-

TL;DR Jaehee learns how to respect Zen as an equal rather than a perfect being.

Jaehee has been a fan of Zen’s for a long time, whether it was following his group switches or watching as he improved. It was almost saesang behavior (saesang are obsessive fans who will do anything in there power to get attention from there idol) though she made sure to respect Zen’s boundaries and of course to never get overly obsessive. He was one of her inspirations to learn to dance, and its actually what got her the opportunity to train under C&R. So to learn that her one true idol was going to be in the same group as her made her heart race with anticipation. What would she say? Would she thank him for everything? Would that be weird as a co-member? Jaehee was in the training room sitting on the floor drinking water lost in her thoughts until it was interrupted.

“Hey you’re Jaehee right?- ah sorry should I call you Kang?” an all too familiar male voice said.

“I- no you can call me Jaehee!” She said as she spun around, overflowing with anxiety.

“Ah! Okay Jaehee, you can call me Zen. I just wanted to ask if you were a dancer or vocalist, and also how you were?” 

“Oh I’m doing great actually, I love your work- oh and I’m the main dancer.” She said with a small awkward ‘heh’ afterwords.

“Well then~ you must be very talented! I might want to take some pointers from you” Zen responded a chuckle afterwords. “And I appreciate knowing that you’ve seen my previous works. I hope I’ve improved from where I began.”

Jaehee’s eyes sparkled and a wide smile appeared on her face “You really have! You’ve made your style more expressive and unique in your way of dancing- and especially in your voice! I think you could even make it as an actor!” 

“Wow, Jaehee that is really nice of you to say!- though you don’t have to view me on such a high pedestal, I get that I’m talented among a wide regard but while i am great I’m still human. While I do see my self as a mistake made by god, since I am that handsome.” 

Zen said with a striking a subtle pose “I am still human. I still make mistakes sometimes, as much as I hate it. I did some bad things when I was a kid, bad enough to get involved with the law. So I’m not perfect as a human being, and I’d like you to see me as an equal. We will be on a team after all, you’re free to keep watching my old work but just know you can be as talented as I am in regards to dancing.” he said finishing it off with a smile finally taking a breath.

Jaehee was in some form of shock. Her idolization of Zen had made her forget that he too, had feelings, problems and a past. She was quite disappointing in herself actually. Believing that Zen was the perfect being was preposterous, no one could be, no matter how hard they tried or seemed. The only reason she viewed and respected him so highly is because he had helped her through some of her toughest times looking for a suitable job and bringing her happiness when she was down, inspiring her in every way shape and form to do better because she could be better.

“I’m... I’m so sorry Zen... I just looked up to you for so long and I guess forgot that you were human too...” she bowed her head in both shame and apology. She felt a hand pushing her chin upwards, and looked up to see a smile of appreciation.

“Thank you for apologizing, though there was no need to as I saw it. Here how about this- how about we go to a coffee shop and just talk? So we can become friends, and maybe to show you I’m not all that perfect- as fabulous as I am~” 

“That actually sounds nice... thank you Zen. Thank you for everything.”

------

Jaehee and Zen became great friends after that, talking about there views of other groups, their music, what they could do better on and just having fun talking about music. They also learned how to work together along with the other members of the group. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Woooah!! I actually made a finished piece! Fun fact I started writing this fic on a whim at 3am last night. I really wanted to make something with Zenny since I haven’t had any content regarding him on here, so I decided to make Jaehee and Zen’s first interaction! Since I wanted to make Zen a tiny bit different, he still is narcissistic but due to interactions with obsessive fans he didn’t want to portray himself as the perfect human being and show that he has some flaws too as much as he hates them. 

Anyway I hope you enjoy!~ This was really fun to write! <3

[lilyfromfrogzcountry]

Saw TROS - spoilers ahead, don’t read if you don’t want to be spoiled

I need to get some things off my chest to sort out my feelings about this movie :)

It wasn’t as /bad/ as I expected. Let’s say I didn’t get bored. However, there was a lot of stuff I found weird, dumb or that didn’t make sense to me. A lot of things seemed rushed and like last minute additions, which spoiled a bit my enjoyment of this movie. So here’s a little summary of what I liked and didn’t like.

((Before reading, please be aware that i’m a hux fan and a multishipper (reylo included). If this bothers you, please avoid reading this post, since this will probably influence my perception of the movie))

⛔⛔ SPOILERS JUST BELOW - BE WARNED ⛔⛔

What I liked :

Finn finding other stormtroopers having defected (a whole battalion, even), and realizing that he’s not alone. Even if it was to be expected, Finn was always presented as an exception in the story. This shows us the First Order’s stormtrooper program isn’t as efficient in its brainwashing as they claim to be.

Hux being a spy for the Resistance. I know some Hux fans may not have liked it, but I personally found it to be an interesting development in his character. It’s not everyday that a high ranking officer, who’s been a ‘true believer’ in the cause his whole life, changes side like that. I wish it would have been explored more deeply and seriously. Too bad it felt like a last minute addition.

This idea that “some things are stronger than blood”. Rey’s ancestry doesn’t matter, doesn’t influence her destiny. Light side or Dark: what matters is who she chooses to be.

CGI young Luke and Leia flashback (I’m really a fan of this CGI way of bringing back younger versions of actors, the result is always quite realistic imo).

This cute and polite new little robot, D-0 . So sad to learn it was abused by its former master :’(

Kylo’s clothes changing when turning back to the Light. Bye bye black menacing attire and long cape, hello simple shirt and pants. Even if I loved his former look, I quite liked this one as well, it made him appear more “human”. Also, damn, I really found Kylo to be a treat in this movie, he looked so good!

Rey always making a difference between Ben and Kylo Ren : she makes it clear that what interest her is Ben, ie. the Light side of him. It is only after he turns back to the Light for good, after he becomes Ben again, that he earns her trust and love.

Rey lethaly wounding Kylo, then healing him. Because it really seems to be the thing that shook this boy’s soul and made him turn back to the Light (it’s a big part of why, at least). Also, I’m always a sucker for nice characters showing compassion towards villains.

That reylo kiss tho. I know this is a very controversial ship, but since TFA, I was personally certain something deep was going to happen between those 2. I’m glad it was a cute, sweet and hopeful kiss, right after Kylo saved Rey no less. We even get some Ben Smile™. I really wish the movie would have ended here and there, on this hopeful note.

A lot of Hux’s scenes, since I just like him a lot, and he looks both cute and funny (even if I don’t really appreciate how this character was turned into a joke after TFA). Him being unsettled by Kylo having his mask back on, and then saying fearfully how it ‘looks good’ when Kylo calls him out on it in front of everyone. Kylo waving his finger at Hux to shut him up. The whole interaction with Finn and Poe, how they were surprised he was the spy, how he helped them escape, how he asked to be shot to pretend he was taken hostage, the “I don’t care who wins, I just want Kylo Ren to lose” line, etc. Also, how strong his mind must be if he managed to hide the fact he was the spy from Kylo for so long (or did Kylo know and just ignored it?)

What I didn’t like

Rey being Palpatine’s granddaughter and all her powers coming from him. I’m disappointed, because what really interested me in this character since TFA is that she was a nobody. Star Wars had always been centered around the Skywalker family and its Exceptional Destiny™. It was nice for a change to see someone who came from nothing be the main protagonist and shake up the galaxy just because it was the right thing to do (a parallel to Finn, a simple and almost exceedingly banal stormtrooper who chose to become something more, and wasn’t pushed by some hidden destiny/heritage). Also, this whole Palaptine arc seemed like it was added at the last minute.

The whole ‘Palpatine is back and wants to make a new Empire’ shit. For me, Palpatine was really a thing of the past. That’s also what interested me in the First Order: the fact this was a regime built on the ruins of the Empire, having evolved under its shadow and memory, but wanting to become something more. It was a good way of exploring the “how the past can influence the present” thematic, and could be used as an interesting parallel to IRL authoritatian regimes reclaiming a glorious past. If Palpatine was behind everything from the beginning, nothing of this matters. Also, what was the deal with Snoke, then? Was he a mere creation of Palpatine from the beginning? Or a real being that got captured and manipulated? What was the point of this character?

Hux’s death. Like, I may be biased because he’s my favorite character, but his death was so rushed and unnecessary. Did he really need to be killed off by Pryde like that, in such a quick and callous way? With Phasma and Snoke gone, he was the only one left in the First Order to have a past history with Kylo. I think it would have been better to have them interact more, especially with the whole story of Hux being a spy. It would have created some interesting interactions. Also, he’s not anybody storywise: he’s one of the architects of the First Order’s rise to power, perfected the Stormtrooper program, participated in the creation of Starkiller Base, gave the order to destroy the Republic... He’s not some random underling. Nobody seems to react or care when he’s killed off out of the blue, which doesn’t make any sense storywise.

The whole character of Allegiant General Pryde. What was even the point of this character? Where does he come from? What did he do that Hux couldn’t have done? The only interesting thing about this character seems to be that he already served Palpatine during the Empire, but after this fact is stated, it doesn’t come up again and doesn’t really influence the story. He doesn’t do anything extraordinary, just gives random orders. Clearly a waste, imo.

The fact that the Rose/Finn thing is completely abandoned. I know a lot of people didn’t like that kiss in TLJ. I personnaly didn’t really care. But it’s weird it’s never mentioned again, and that even in the few interactions those characters have together, there’s no awkwardness, no aknowledgement that it ever happened (even just to say “we moved on”). It’s like it never even existed. What was the point of that kiss, then?

That weird love triangle thing I felt between Rey/Finn/Poe, and the hostility Poe seemed to have towards Rey for a good part of the movie. I really wonder if they didn’t try to subtly cater to Finn/Rey shippers (by making Finn seem in love with Rey) and to Finn/Poe shippers (by making Poe seem in love with Finn, and jealous towards Rey), while nothing clear is ever stated out loud. Of course, I may have misread the vibes, but that’s what their interactions made me think of.

Kylo’s death. Like, I may here again be biased because I like redemption stories, but was it really necessary to have him die right when he turns back to the Light? I was so hopeful for him, and it was all gone in an instant. Also, his death was very weird and seemed rushed. Rey kisses him, he smiles, he seems quite fine and not /at all/ on the verge of death, and then he just loses conciousness and disappears? What even was that?? (also, very sad to make that whole family die off without having known any true happiness away from Palpatine’s manipulations)

Stuff overwhelming the story: too many big revelations, too many powerful ships appearing out of the blue, too many weird stuff happening with Palpatine (wtf was that ‘ritual’ even? what was this shadowy audience he had?). Just...a lot of stuff to digest. And the Palpatine storyline seemed like it was added out of the blue. Nothing in the 2 last movies gave a clue about this (or it wasn’t obvious). Seemed like a cheap last minute addition..

[manabingu]

How the Grinch SUCKED at Stealing Christmas 🎄😒

I honestly never thought I'd ever make one of these but I have never felt THIS salty over a film adaptation. I am a huge Suess fan & I love the previous Illumination retellings of Horton Hears A Who & The Lorax. I also really enjoyed Dr. Strange. And the song "Happy" by Pharell is a bop. BUT THE 2018 Grinch movie is one of THE most disappointing film I have ever seen.

Like?? Starting from the top, WHO THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO PLAY "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MOVIE INSTEAD OF THE STEALING PORTION OF THE FILM??? LIKE?? WHO GREEN LIT THAT IDEA??

When the stealing scene happened, it was incredibly boring, uninspired and the regular bland score took away from such an iconic scene. How could they mess the best scene up THAT bad??

•They added unnecessary characters like Fred the Reindeer (literally the sub plot of this character could have been scrapped & things woulda been JUST fine). They made Cindy Lou Who have this squad she hangs out with & showed some shenanigans of her and her friends plotting a way to trap Santa?? Like WTF ?? That ALSO was unnecessary, I just wanted to get to the main story. The creation of these new characters that added NO substance to the story just made it feel like it was a movie about going on meaningless tangents.

•They added unnecessary "relevant ™" things. Like ok as a person who grew up in a single parent environment. I appreciate the "representation" of Cindy Lou Who's family. But it made her sub plot feel so forced? Like it was just tossed in there for the sake of B Plot so that the movie could be longer. It didn't make me care about her character motivations either :/ and her relationship with the Grinch was SO weak compared to the original cartoon and the live action version. Like? They are supposed to have this friendship dynamic that is heartwarming but they BARELY interacted AT ALL throughout the film that when the stuff at the end happens, it doesn't feel believable :/! It just felt slapped together like we're supposed to accept it :/....sorry but no. Plus it derailed from showing what the ACTUAL moral of the Grinch story is?? About showing that the holidays aren't about commercialism and materialistic desire, it's about spending time with loved ones. But they didn't make that the main focus of the film 😡

•The score was not memorable & didn't make me feel the spirit of Christmas. And was too washed out with trendy radio tunes that felt SO out of place it was ridiculous. My sis fell asleep in the middle of the film lol 😂 they just... oh boy... I can't even.

•The character design of the Grinch was honestly REALLY disappointing for me. He looked the the Mayor of Whoville from Horton except green. HE LOOOKED 👏🏼 TOO 👏🏼 CLEAN 👏🏼. This is THE GRINCH WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. The iconic song describes how creepy he's supposed to look? Why were his teeth and eyes not yellow? Or if like the special features of the DVD implied, that they wanted to capture the original book. WHY NOT MAKE HIS EYES PINKISH RED? THE GRINCH IS SUPPOSED TO BE SCARY LOOKIN. And be portrayed as a villian to Whoville or an anti-hero.

•WHICH BRINGS ME TOO MY MOST IMPORTANT POINT.

DISCLAIMER: I like Benedict & think he is a fantastic film actor! I don't hate him. I genuinely love his live action work !

But I hate to be blunt. Him and Pharrell are NOT voice actors.

Please 👏🏼 stop 👏🏼 hiring 👏🏼 celebrities 👏🏼 to do a PROFESSIONAL 👏🏼 VOICE 👏🏼 ACTOR'S 👏🏼 JOB 👏🏼!!!

I apologize if I'm being too picky but I care about voice acting WAY too much. People don't take it seriously and this goes to show that they REALLY should. It's not about hiring trendy celebs. Give jobs to VAs who do this for a living & deserve those jobs & are GREAT at it 👏🏼I can LITERALLY name 10 non celeb VAs off the top of my head who would have NAILED the vocal performance for the Grinch & would have brought that depth that the character requires.

I would rather watch that whole film (even tho I hated the plots they threw in there) but dubbed over with say someone like Steve Blum playing the Grinch. I bet he would be 10x more fun to watch & listen to & he would nail all the nuances & give me an emotional performance. The Grinch is supposed to sound mean & scary the whole film up till the end when his heart grows 3 sizes? THEN after that, I can understand him sounding a bit kinder. THIS GRINCH SOUNDED WAY TOO NICE ALL THE TIME. WHERE WAS THE SASS? THE SNARK, THE SINISTER EVIL LAUGHS? l didn't feel ANYTHING from this Grinch. Literally like?? Nothing? And I wanted to REALLY bad cuz I ❤️ the character. Jim Carrey knows how important the voice is when it comes to portraying characters not only in live action but in animation as well. THAT is why HIS Grinch is way more believable & WORKS than Benedict's. HIS BACKSTORY WAS SO WEAK TOO??

Ben's Grinch was an orphan who grew up w/o anyone to share Christmas with. But he would go to town and EVERYONE WAS NICE TO HIM. He didn't have any bullies. No enemies, he just didn't talk to people so he thought he was "alone" BRUH. NO OFFENSE. BUT SHOWING A BUNCHA CLIPS OF A TINY GRINCH SADLY LOOKING OUT A WINDOW DOES NOT EQUAL "TRAGIC BACKSTORY". I didn't sympathize at all. Plus that's a plothole. Aint no way an orphanage is Whoville "the happiest town ever" would have an abandoned orphanage. They are all jolly people and would surely notice a kid Grinch living by himself. They would help him. The live action version made his backstory 10x more interesting and dynamic imo.

I adored Bendedict as Dr. Strange. And Pharrell sings lovely but I'm terribly sorry to say that they are NOT voice actors. They sounded like they were just reading a script. There was no nuance. No depth. They were just there for a paycheck,& it shows in the vocal performance :/ I WANTED TO ROOT FOR THEM SO BAD. But I LITERALLY COULDN'T CUZ THEY SOUNDED ROBOTIC AND STATIC. I wanted to hear emotions but OMYGOD it was just all so uninspired. And not just them it was the rest of the cast too. Literally the ONLY GOOD VA WAS MAX AND HE IS A DOG. ALL HE DOES IS BARK. That... omfg thas sad.

This movie has no "rewatchability factor". I'll just stick to the Jim Version. That's the only one that characterized everyone accurately.

But tea ☕️ THAT was the tea of how the 2018 Grinch sucked at Stealing Christmas. Thank you for coming to my TED talk gnight.

[honeylikewords]

why don’t you take your old posts down if you don’t want people liking them?? not being rude just curious.

Well, I actually have considered that. And, in some cases, it does seem like the best option, specifically regarding the old Grady posts, which I am sincerely considering taking down, and because of that, I answered a similar question to this one back when I was explaining why I don’t write for Grady anymore. 

The thing is, there’s also a couple of reasons not to do that for other cases. For example:

1. I don’t want to just get rid of my old work; I sometimes actually like the things I used to write, so on a certain level, I like being able to look back and see them and remember the pieces and enjoy them again. I guess I could just copy-paste them into a Google doc and archive them for myself that way, but it’s nice to have this blog in its entirety for me to look through on my own.

2. Some of these old posts seem to be the way people find my blog and then get interested in other things. I sincerely doubt I’d have any followers at all if I hadn’t posted Frank stuff, and if I didn’t still have it up now. While I’m not at all caught up about having a droves of followers, what I do care about is still getting interaction on this blog-- meaning people talk to me, I talk to them, I get anons that give me fun ideas to write and exercise with-- and it seems that one of the ways that people get interested in my blog and, by extension, the newer work I’m making is through these old posts.

3. I don’t necessarily hate or despise Frank Castle or Jim Hopper or even Shane Walsh (though out of the three, he’s the one I have the hardest time finding any remaining love for), nor hate the content I made for them. 

When I made that content, they were still good, rich, interesting characters with loveable sides to them (and, for Shane, I hadn’t watched every single one of his episodes, knowing full well that he only got worse with time, so I quit while I was ahead), and I know that, for many people, they’re only invested in that good side that we knew before they got progressively worse through their shows. 

I still hold nostalgia for early seasons Frank and actually do still like Hopper on some levels, and, heck, when Shane made that return on TWD, I was incredibly excited and it did re-light a small candle in my heart for the work that Jon did on that show, so I also understand that, for some people, they’re still running on those early-season-mindsets, the mindsets where they loved that character, and they don’t want to let that go. And I also understand that it’s a scale of badness and that these characters are not necessarily “entirely canceled”, and that there’s a lot of nuance in my opinions on these characters, and nuance in how other people look at them or try to reconcile early incarnations of them with their later downfalls (a la Daredevil season 2 Frank versus Literal Friend To A N*zi In Punisher season 2 Frank).

But the problem is that I get frustrated by the fact that A) people seem only interested in content for aggressive white men, B) people continue to seek out content for these aggressive white men after they have done incredibly reprehensible things within the most recent incarnations of their stories (for example, getting a huge influx of Frank fans immediately after season 2, meaning these people SAW him do all the horrible, horrible things he did in season 2 and still found him attractive and fetishized him for those self-same horrible things) and C) my very vanilla, SFW, loving, gentleness-focused posts for these characters get reblogged onto violence fetishizing blogs, serial killer blogs, IRL shooter blogs, etc, which violates not only the site policies, but also violates my work and my own feelings, horrifying me to think that my art is being consumed for its adjacency to sexualized violence. 

4. I actually still like Frank. I do. And I wish I could still write for him. But when I step back and look at the whole picture, I realize that if I did continue to, it would just be ignoring the problems created by his story and adjacent fandom, willfully ignoring the worst realities of this media and its biases, and what I want now is for people to be able to critically engage with that and know that it’s wrong to continue glorifying the violence and excusing the bigotry embalmed into the corpse of what used to be a good show and character. 

So I leave up my kinder, gentler posts to hopefully combat the masses upon masses of other posts that sensationalize, glorify, and deify his violence and aggression, hoping that maybe it’ll draw people into the conversation we need to collectively be having about the way we look at male characters, the way we look at violence, and the permissions we give to white (or white-passing) characters regarding violence and abuse that we don’t give to non-white characters.

That mentality is applied across the board to all the other characters.

5. Honestly? One day, I could come back around to these characters. Right now I’m at a stage in my life where I find it too difficult to reconcile the badness of the most recent incarnation with the good parts I saw earlier, and I also am trying to avoid seeming like I condone, excuse or turn a blind eye to these bad things by continuing to apologize for a character. But I might not always be in that stage, and may be able to someday articulate a more complex and nuanced understanding of media consumption and creation, and so I want to have these pieces of what I used to love about them still available to me if I ever change my mind. 

And what bothers me isn’t necessarily that people enjoy those old works-- they’re left up for that reason, so people (myself included) can enjoy them-- but rather that people engage with them uncritically, or without a conscientiousness about what it is, exactly, that they’re consuming. When I see people reblogging my old Shane posts, ones about family and healing and kindness, and then see on their blog that the other things they’ve reblogged are about him being brutal, violent, aggressively sexual, or demeaning towards women, it makes me aware that, in some way, people consider my content complicit with and equitable to content that allows for, excuses, or even adores and romanticizes the worst, most vile parts of characters like Shane or Frank or whomever. 

I know there are good fans out there. Good, critical, thoughtful fans who have been able to think about what it is they’re consuming and like parts of it anyway while simultaneously denouncing the bad parts. That’s what media consumption is, a lot of the time: balancing what we love about it with calling out what we hate about it. So I leave my posts up, hoping to find those thoughtful people who love what I love about it but also understand what there is to hate about it, too. But it worries me over and over that people continue to just glorify and digest abuse and violence as if it’s good, sexy, enticing, complex, or passionate, and that these people find my works and think that my work is aligning itself with these glorifications and digestions of wickedness.

[Obligatory line break!]

At the end of the day, though, I keep the posts up because they used to make me happy and they seem to continue to make other people happy. They get people to engage with this blog and hopefully find other, healthier things to enjoy. They’re not really even necessarily bad posts, sometimes, but when I post about being frustrated that these old posts are the only ones getting attention, what I’m frustrated with is the online cultural fixations on characters who seem to be nothing but aggressive white men. I’m frustrated not by my work, nor by people enjoying it, but by the awareness I have that this enjoyment can be connected to a tacit (or even outright) endorsement of white male violence. 

So I don’t take them down in the hopes that people will find my blog and engage with me about stuff I care about, stuff that I like to write nowadays instead of from however many years ago. I don’t take them down in the hopes that people will read them and be happy, or read them and see a more nuanced perspective on what makes a man attractive (which, 100% of the time on this blog, is gentleness, sensitivity, protectiveness, and kindness). And I like having these old pieces of my work to reflect on and learn from, and hopefully do better in future.

It’s a little like preserving a time capsule, in a sense: I may not like or need the things that were originally put into the capsule, but it’s sometimes nice to remember what they meant to me back then, and what they could mean to me some other day.

I know this response got ungodly long, so please don’t think of it as me roasting you; I promise, it’s not. It’s just me trying to articulate and explain how complicated it can be to negotiate the space between loving something-- for example, the work Jon did as an actor who I like and appreciate-- and the things there are to hate about it-- such as the detrimental portrayals of and subscription to hypermasculinity, violence, and white supremacy that can be found in this most recent Frank Castle iteration-- and why I have such a complicated, frustrated relationship with my old posts.

[mackenzielass4ever]

Outlander Con Vegas part 1...

First of all, I want to say this was a well organized event and very low key, chill. I Loved it! The first day had some glitches with the autograph lines, but the staff corrected for this and it wasn’t a problem for the rest of the weekend. I also feel there were many more opportunities for personal interactions with the cast. I chatted with everyone I had a ticket for and there was no pressure to move along and leave people alone. I’ve never seen an OL event with so many cast members in attendance. I know many were upset with Sam’s inability to attend the Con, but Creation who put on the event, did a fabulous job of securing so many other actors for a one stop shopping kind of experience. I really appreciated this! I would absolutely go to another OL themed Con again if Creation was in charge.

Sophie Skelton: may I say this woman is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen! She’s delicate and tiny like a flipping teacup fairy. It’s ridiculous! I appreciated a couple things about her. Firstly, she takes her role as Brianna very seriously. She knows what others have said about her and her performance and she takes it to heart. She actually apologized to fans for not meeting their expectations. We all quickly put that sentiment to rest for her! She appreciated the support and encouragement we gave her. Secondly, she took time to talk to each and every fan in her autograph line on Sunday and she was at the table for probably 3 hours. She was attentive, patient and such a friendly individual.

During her q&a session, she shared this:

The scene from the book where Jamie shows Brianna she can’t fight a man off if he means to physically overpower her is in the show as well. During the filming of this scene, Scotland was in the midst of a hailstorm. It was so cold and they were being pelted by hail to the point where she and Sam could’ve even deliver their lines. At one point, Sam said he couldn’t do it anymore because he was too cold. Sophie said Sam is usually a trooper, but this time he couldn’t hack it. After all this, they had to film the scene all over again.

In the infamous scene with Bri and Stephen Bonnet, you know the one, Sophie said she’d have a 4 am call to go to set and 3-4 days in a row she got up just to have the shoot cancelled due to the severe weather. Sophie had to study the subject and get in a dark head space in order to do that scene and it was hard to have wait in limbo all that time just to get it done. When the scene was over, she cried afterward.

Richard Rankin: this man is charming, cocky, irreverent, sexy as hell and hilariously funny! He had everyone cracking up all the time. He flew in Saturday late and stayed up all night to hang out and enjoy Vegas so he had NO sleep before he hit the ground running on Sunday. You’d never know it. The man never stopped. BTW, he went to the Beatles show, LOVE. He loved it. He also drank a lot and ate a huge stack of pancakes for breakfast. He was regretting those choices!

Richard and I discussed hair product. He is growing his hair out for season 5 and he let me know that he puts a little leave in conditioner when his hair is freshly washed. Light product to keep it on place and then he’s ready to go! I finally got to tell him I’ve loved his work for years and am so happy he’s Roger on OL.

This man was so accommodating to his fans. One woman wanted a photo op with him, but was in a wheelchair and couldn’t stand or walk well. He took the time to help her up, get posed just like she wanted then helped her back to her chair again. He was so careful and considerate. It made me tear up.

During his q&a, Stephen Walters was introducing him and Richard was standing off stage. They started improvising a bit where Stephen was channeling the spirits and Richard responded as a ghost. Richard kept saying, “is there anyone here in the audience with a name that starts with a B? This person would also have a grandmother.” Stephen couldn’t keep a straight face. Then Stephen read a poem to introduce Richard. He said, “ you really want me to do this?” Richard said, “yes, it’s in my contract. I must be introduced with poetry.” I’ve seen this bit on SM and if you get the chance, watch it. It’s hysterical! He finishes his set with an Irish jig!

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/supernatural-actors-find-time-worthy-charities/

'Supernatural' actors find time for worthy charities

The SPN fandom is known far and wide for its generosity and dedication to the charities that our cast supports. After so much drama, negativity and “wank” in the fandom lately, I figured it was time to focus on the positive – specifically, the cast’s charitable efforts. Stronger Than Storms They don’t call us the #SPNfamily for nothing. On Aug. 25, 2017, hurricane Harvey made landfall in the Houston area of Texas. Many Supernatural fans will know that both Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, two of the stars of Supernatural, make Houston their home in the off-season, and when they aren’t filming. Two days later, Aug. 27, The Family Business – Jensen’s brewery in Austin – started a Crowdrise campaign to raise money for the hurricane Harvey relief effort. The #SPNfamily showed up in force. Later that day, the donations were up to $50,000 – which was then matched by a $50,000 direct donation to Random Acts, Misha Collins’s charity. One day later, the amount was over $100,000; as of the end of August, the amount is at $394,364 – in 10 DAYS. Not only that, the CW – the network that carries Supernatural – is also supporting the cause. A representative from Random Acts says: “We're thrilled and honored that the Family Business Beer Company, along with Jensen and Danneel Ackles, have chosen to include us in this fundraiser. The best thing people can do for those affected by Harvey is to open their hearts and give or volunteer — and so far, people seem to be eager to do just that. In the coming days, as the situation worsens, we hope everyone will keep those things in mind.” Random Acts/GISHWHES/IMAlive/YANA Misha Collins. This man must have “charitable” as his middle name. Random Acts spent over $500,000 in 2016; GISHWHES has raised over $400,000 for charities, completed over 400,000 random acts of kindness worldwide, and: In addition, Jensen Ackles and Misha created the You Are Not Alone Campaign in 2016, to help raise money for IMAlive – a crisis support network fully staffed by volunteers. IMAlive volunteers support con-goers during photo ops and autographs at Creation Entertainment conventions – it can be overwhelming meeting someone you admire and look up to, someone who has made a big impact on your life (I took advantage of speaking with an IMAlive volunteer at the New Orleans convention – being able to talk about why I was there for a Jared autograph helped – a lot). More recently, Misha created the #IWishForThis campaign, which is raising money for Random Acts and Lydia’s Place – “The mission of Lydia Place is to disrupt the cycle of homelessness and promote sustained independence for current and future generations.” According to the Stands website, where the campaign is hosted, 100 percent of the profit goes to a partnership between Random Acts and Lydia’s Place. Here’s what Misha had to say about his charities: “The single biggest strength of the SPNFamily is its passion— its ability to come together to support a cause. Random Acts and YANA were both born as a response to that passion. As actors, it's rare to have an such a supportive fan base and Jared, Jensen, & I feel so fortunate to be able to act as the conduit that directs their energy toward making a positive impact in the world. Whether it's building a school in Nicaragua and an orphanage in Haiti, or assisting other Supernatural fans with mental health support, I'm constantly astonished and humbled by the way the fans always rise to the challenge and can't wait to see what we can accomplish next.” The main cast aren’t the only charitable ones in the SPN family. Rob Benedict, whose charity of choice is The National Stroke Association, says: “As a stroke survivor, I want to do everything I can to raise awareness about strokes and to see the signs when a loved one is having a stroke.  The National Stroke Association is a great organization that is doing just that.” Mark Sheppard, who until recently played Crowley on Supernatural, has chosen Camp Conrad Chinnok as his charity. According to their website: “Camp Conrad Chinnock offers recreational, social, and educational opportunities for youth and families with diabetes. Campers are taught diabetes self-management skills in a fun, interactive, and safe environment. A primary focus of Diabetes Camping and Educational Services is providing residential camping experiences for youth with Type 1, insulin-dependent diabetes and their families at Camp Conrad Chinnock. Whether attending a youth or family camp, a comprehensive educational program provides training in formal and casual settings to teach children how to manage their medication, eat properly, and integrate physical activity into their lifestyle.” Carrie Genzel, who was on both Bugs and Just My Imagination (a favourite episode of mine, as it was directed by Richard Speight Jr.), has her own charity campaign as well: “I had only a small idea of how incredible the SUPERNATURAL Fandom was from doing ‘Bugs’ in the first season, but seeing as social media wasn't as it is today, I had no idea of the overwhelming sense of love that the fandom has and shows those of us lucky enough to have been on the show. When ‘Just My Imagination’ aired there was a sudden tsunami of appreciation and excitement for the episode and the scenes I was apart of. “It was then I understood what makes the SUPERNATURAL Fandom so special, and unlike any other I've seen. That love, that inclusiveness, and support is right along the lines of how I live my life, of what I believe in, and when I launched my blog stateofslay.com I got immediate support from many of the SPN Family. My beliefs are that we don't leave anyone behind, we stand as one, as a community, and knowing that at any given time, every one of us will need some help, or encouragement, the idea of STATE OF SLAY is that together we are stronger and can accomplish anything. “Soon after launching the blog, an incredible woman from the fandom, Willeke Vis, came to me about designing a T-Shirt campaign; we decided to have all proceeds to go BWSS, Battered Women's Support Services, an organization that was close to our hearts -- and an incredible way to give back and send out that sense of community to women who are making a fresh start. We got ‘375cArrow’ aka Carrie, to help us make our design come to life. The idea behind it is that it looks like a superhero emblem, because we are all the superheroes of our own lives, it says SLAY POWERED, as a reminder to use the power within to SLAY our days. The Slay Powered merchandise can be purchased in the SLAY STORE at www.stateofslay.com, with all proceeds going to BWSS. “I am constantly in awe how of the SUPERNATURAL Fandom gives back, from the cast members to those who just feel inspired to contribute and make someone's day brighter. They all inspire me every day. SLAY on.” The Lucifer we all know and love, Mark Pellegrino, is just wrapping up his #onlylove campaign – the T-shirts, available through Represent, support Stomp Out Bullying. Sales just ended on  Dec. 4, 2017, and wound up selling over two-thousand hoodies. Mark says: “I love kids, so my main charity is St. Jude’s. Ending childhood cancer and the suffering it causes would be a dream come true.” The Supernatural fandom is truly a family – we have done so much good in this world, all stemming from a little TV show. Let’s keep it up! Editor's Note: Sadly, there has been that very small minority that has tried to discount the amazing and noteworthy work that the Supernatural actors have done which is sad and just downright disgusting, but all of these charitable causes have been verified and are legitimate endeavors. We have linked to each of them for those interested in learning more about them. Check Out Our Holiday Gift Guides: [abcf-grid-gallery-custom-links id="50643"]

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

[lindsay-erin1996]

I know what you are thinking – LINDSAY DID YOU DIE?

Do not be dramatic, I did NOT die. I decided to take a break (again – lol) to focus on graduating and my post-grad life; which is exactly what I did!

Hello everyone – I graduated COLLEGE!!!! I graduated from Ohio University this past December and I accepted an internship with STEVE MADDEN in NEW YORK (!!!!!). So, here I am chilling in New York; missing you all dearly.

I posted a poll on my personal Instagram asking whether people would read if I started blogging again and basically everyone said YES (wow I love my fans). The answer I got was overwhelming and thank you all for supporting me and encouraging me to continue to do what I enjoy and love. I also posted a suggestion box on posts you all wanted to see; and, again, received an overwhelming amount of responses (heart eyes)!! I plan on highlighting all of these suggestions – don’t worry! However, I thought maybe I would begin my comeback with a New York Life blog post – starting in three…two…one…

The rumors are true, I AM LIVING IN NEW YORK!!!!! I [momentarily] moved to New York to pursue a sales internship with Steve Madden. I plan on writing more about this experience in a later blog – so stick around!

I am here with my friend Heather who also happens to be working this internship with me – so we are basically BFFs. I will add her Instagram handle below if any of you are curious about her – WHICH YOU SHOULD BE.

So, I have experienced a lot since coming here and I want to share it with you! Don’t worry, not in full detail; but I have some fun stories to say the least. So, here is a list of a few things I have done since I have arrived in the big city.

Shopping, walking, and exploring!

Of course I did a little shopping when I got here – sue me. Perhaps you will see these new items in future blogs???? So, yes I did some shopping, but I also have done a lot of window shopping when coming across small and unique boutiques. Boutiques can be expensive, but they all have their own unique vibes. I also live on the same street as the one of the biggest Macy’s. It was considered as the biggest department store up until 2009. I did not buy anything there; but I highly recommend running around because not only does it have everything you could think of, but it is super fun to explore! If you have ever heard of Mango, which may be unlikely since it is based in Europe, then you may get excited to hear that they have one here in New York! While I was in Paris, Mango was my favorite store to shop in and adventure around. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the New York location. Since experiencing the stores in Europe, I was quite disappointed with the store here. It was smaller and did not carry nearly as much stuff as the one I have been in. Don’t get me wrong, it was still fun to shop around in, but it was not living up to the full Mango potential. However, if you are ever in that area, I recommend stopping it because you never know what you might find!

  Another cool place to explore is Chelsea Market. It has shops, restaurants, and a fun market vibe brought on by different types of vendors selling their art and other creations. Even if you don’t plan on buying something, it is still a fun place to walk around and look at. For me, this was a good place to add to my business card collection. When I came to New York, I decided to start collecting different fashion and art cards I can keep to either remember the places I shopped at or potentially shop again. It is a small thing to collect that does not take up much space, but still means a lot; at least to me.  

Check out this really cute art piece I found at Chelsea Market!

Drag Shows and Bars

I finally got to experience my very first drag show and it was an interesting night to say the least. I went to a place called Lips and experienced a show and an incredibly funny waitress named Delilah. The drinks were in fun spirit and so was everyone that was there! Heather and I even met a bride-to-be that kept photobombing us! So, overall it was a 10/10 experience and I HIGHLY recommend going to one, especially in New York. As for bars? New York has so many options with so many different themes. My favorite bar so far has been the Crocodile Lounge which in my opinion gave me the feeling like I was in college again. The unique part about this bar is that every drink you buy, you get a small ticket that you can trade in for your own miniature pizza. I bet you can see why it is my favorite so far! I have gone to some other bars around New York, but none worth mentioning at the moment. Hopefully I can find some unique ones with the warm weather coming soon!

    My Tourist Adventures

When you come to New York City, especially for the first time like me, you have to visit some of the areas that contain the most history. I have gone to the 9/11 Memorial, Ellis Island, The Empire State Building, Carlo’s Bake Shop (Cake Boss ring a bell?), and the Statue of Liberty. I actually had the opportunity to climb to the top and stand in her crown. Unfortunately, I may have experienced an anxiety attack going up and down due to the tight space the stairs had to be. It was a good experience; but because of that little hiccup, it is not something I would do again. However, I am super glad I got to do it! You may have heard, but a new mall opened up called Hudson Yards in New York. This mall is HUGE and I am not exaggerating for once. It has tons of shops, restaurants, and even a really fun and vibrant candy store – which I was more excited to explore than my 12 year old cousin. Outside of the mall is this tall 3-D interactive sculpture that is free to go in and climb. However, when we visited, the wind was incredibly intense that day so we were only allowed to up to the third level. So, if you do visit this vessel – please do – make sure it is on a day that is not as windy so you can experience the whole thing! Something else I recommend is experiencing Little Italy and China Town. The pizza in Little Italy is unbelievable – cough Lombardi’s cough – and the culture in those two areas is something you don’t want to miss! You may even be able to find a way to buy a “designer” bag on the cheap while you are there! 😉

  Broadway and Shows

I have gone to a total of three show since I have been here and I have yet to be disappointed. Have you heard of Drunk Shakespeare? Well, if you have not then I recommend looking it up and seeing it if you ever come to New York. Not only was it hilarious, but it also had modernized twists to the show which made it easy to follow. There was never a dull moment and the actors and actresses were simply amazing! Another great show was Kinky Boots. The vibrant colors and personalities within the show were extremely entertaining and the storyline was emotionally relevant. The last show I saw was called The Puffs which is related to Harry Potter. However, the storyline takes place surrounding the Hufflepuffs during the time Harry Potter was in school. The show was refreshing and had a humor I personally appreciated. In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a show of some kind in New York…and I don’t tend on proving myself wrong!

    FASHION WEEK 201 (Last one – I swear)

I am here to pursue my career in fashion so of course I was psyched knowing we would be here during all of the hype of New York Fashion Week. Although we did not get to volunteer or participate in the shows (we asked around), we actually got to go to one! Don’t get too excited, it was not one of the super big and popular shows but it was still fantastic. Our friend Sanne, who is from the Netherlands (COOL RIGHT?), took us to the Small Boutique Fashion Week show. This show is probably one of my favorite things I have done here in New York so far. I was literally (and I mean literally) on Cloud 9 during the whole show. Even though I felt completely out of place due to my clothing, it was an incredible experience. When I say I felt out of place by my clothing, I mean everyone else was dressed to the 10s while I still have my in-between college wardrobe. 

Remember when I said people were dressed to the 10s? Well these guys were dressed to the teens.

  Me, Sanne, and Heather

I have a lot of exciting posts planned and my goal is to post every 2 weeks, so let’s see if I can stick to it! 😉 Another goal I want to keep working on is regularly posting on my Instagram so not only can you sign up for email reminders on when I post here but you can also follow my Instagram which I will add at the bottom!

Also – if you have any suggestions on some cool things to do during my last month – LEAVE A COMMENT! I already plan on making trips to the Color Factory, Coney Island, a comedy show, a bike ride around central park, and the Central Park Zoo; but I am certainly open to more suggestions! OR you can leave a comment if you’re curious about something I did not mention above because I have definitely have done more than I wrote about! OR just leave a comment for fun! Talk to me!

Thanks for reading!

Lindsay

P.S. Sorry for my bad phone quality! My next posts will be about trends and fashion so I will use my Canon camera! 🙂

My Instagram: @fashiondemonblog

https://www.instagram.com/fashiondemonblog/?hl=en

Heather’s Instagram: @heathergail14

https://www.instagram.com/heathergail14/?hl=en

New York Adventures I know what you are thinking – LINDSAY DID YOU DIE? Do not be dramatic, I did NOT die.

[calvinphilip22-blog]

The Foreigner Experience

In January, the rock band Completely Unchained stormed the Reilly Arts Center stage in a crank-it-to-11 flurry of sparks, leaps and wild hair. Lots and lots of hair. Think manes of hair. Think late '70s, early '80s. Think David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen.

That’s what hundreds of people were thinking that night, as Completely Unchained not only played Van Halen’s hits but inhabited the style and swagger of the legendary California party band. The show was part of the WIND-FM Rocks the Reilly Series, now in its third season. The Ocala-based classic rock radio station brings tribute bands into the arts center, and the shows have proved very popular, often selling out.

The success of the series is part of a larger phenomenon: Venues are booking more tribute acts — musicians who not only play the music of popular, often-gone acts but play the parts. They dress like the originals, strut like the originals, bend guitar strings like the originals. While the burgeoning local arts scene is presenting many headliners and fresh new acts, there definitely is a diverse menu of tribute bands. Reilly Arts Center in Ocala: Let It Be - The Beatles, Cash Unchained — The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute, Remembering John Denver, Nightrain — Guns N’ Roses Tribute and Pig Floyd — The Music of Pink Floyd.

Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale: The Everly Brothers Experience, Hotel California, John Denver Tribute and the Neil Diamond Tribute. This list is not complete. Also, several acts listed are returning. 200 ticket prices. But fans still want to hear that music. 20 ticket to a show minutes away, they will opt for a date night or girls night out in their hometown. Tribute bands also are cheaper for venues. 12,000 or less. Ticket prices are lower, but tribute bands generally fill — at the very least — several hundred seats. With tribute bands, WIND-FM Rocks the Reilly Series has been very successful, noted Hunter, an on-air co-host and WIND-FM’s program director. "We’ve had quite a few sellouts. These things are hot," she said. "It makes for a great date night. From teens to baby boomers, people simply love the sounds, styles and attitudes of classic rock.

20 ticket to see what they missed all those years ago is quite reasonable, local sources contend. Manning said there definitely has been an increase in tribute bands in the last five years. When 7 Bridges started 12 years ago, Manning said there were a handful of Eagles tribute bands touring. "We turn down more shows than we accept," Manning said, noting 7 Bridges also caps its tour dates these days to allow for more family time and side projects. "The appetite is there," said Matt Wardell, CEO and artistic director of the Reilly. So is the inventory. Wardell said the Reilly gets a handful of calls each week from promoters trying to book their tribute bands into the venue. It’s tricky, Wardell noted, because the Reilly never intended to book tribute bands when it opened, opting to present Ocala Symphony Orchestra concerts, local productions and original touring acts.

But the popularity and supply of tribute bands — good tribute bands — is not to be dismissed. WIND-FM rents the Reilly to host their tribute shows, but the Reilly staff has started booking their own tribute concerts in between larger acts and symphony shows. Last weekend’s Denny Diamond concert, for example, was a Reilly-hosted show, whereas Let It Be will be part of the WIND-FM series. "Five to eight years ago, performing arts centers wouldn’t even think about a tribute band," Manning said. But, now, a performing arts center such as the Reilly or Circle Square is perfect for tribute bands.

Fans of the original bands are at an age where sitting down with a cocktail is far more appealing than going to a sweaty bar or a stadium that demands standing. "I saw the Queen (and) AC/DC show at Reilly. It was awesome. I also went to the John Denver one and the Elton John show. I love them," noted Ocala resident Laura Fontaine. JoAnn Grosso, adding she has been called up on stage to dance at tribute shows. Other locals are not quite on board with the tribute band proliferation. Wardell said the Reilly does not want to be tribute band-heavy. It strives to fill its schedule with diverse and original acts with headliner appeal. But the tribute band market is hard to ignore. He said the Reilly vets tribute acts carefully, examining internet clips and talking to references. To be sure, there are bad tribute bands out there. But the increase in tribute bands also means there is a larger number of good bands, Manning said. "The tribute bands have really stepped up their game in the last five or six years," he said. They know how to put on a good show — a production with lights and quality sound and interaction.

"Abbey Road" was a last creative gasp for the Beatles, and on Wednesday the tribute band RAIN turned it into a multi-media, sensory assault. The classic album came out in 1969. It felt like 50 years flashed by in the two-hours, with stunning visual and audio re-creations at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center. "Abbey Road" is a daring, sonic adventure that simmers with furious energy and mind-expanding rock and roll. I’ve seen many Beatles’ tribute bands and presentations, but nothing could match the quality of the music and the visual presentations in this show. RAIN has appeared on Broadway and also played the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The Beatles were well on their way to breaking up in 1969. "Abbey Road" seemed like a farewell get-together in the recording studio that the album was named after.

"We wanted to make one last great album, and that’s how we made ‘Abbey Road,’" Paul McCartney has said. Steve Landes (John Lennon), Paul Curatolo (Paul McCartney), Alastar McNeil (George Harrison) and Aaron Chiazza (Ringo Starr) make up RAIN. They can’t match the Beatles but this group and its Broadway-show like presentation captures the music, emotion and atmosphere of the Beatles. The Beatles, who broke up in 1970, would release one more album - "Let It Be" - after "Abbey Road." That LP was mostly a rehash of old tapes and performances for the "Let It Be" movie. "Abbey Road," in contrast, is a fresh burst of musical adventure. In some ways, it’s a bittersweet album, sort of like a graduation.

The time has come to leave old friends and start over - but you want to have one last blast with your buddies. Landes gave props to John Lennon with a blistering cover of "Come Together" to start off Side 1 of the album. Landes, with shoulder-length hair and a wearing a chalk white suit, captured the 1969 Lennon look. And then there’s George - the quiet Beatle. George Harrison reached a musical climax on "Abbey Road." His ballad, "Something," on Side 1 (RAIN did not perform it) is a classic. Harrison kicked off Side 2 with another standard, "Here Comes the Sun." McNeil played an acoustic guitar on the song to perfection and was spot on with his vocals. After that number, the Beatles turned Side 2 of "Abbey Road" into one of the greatest rock performances in history. And that’s not an exaggeration.

I didn’t expect much from RAIN but they surprised me. The first hour of the program was a guided tour of Beatles history. It started with the appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964. The early songs were fun, as were the old television commercials shown on the giant stage screens behind the band. "Twist and Shout" was the highlight of the early years, with Landes wailing and rocking like a youthful John Lennon. As time passed, the Beatles evolved as human beings and musicians. A turning point in the show was the era of "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver." McNeil, as George Harrison, impressed with his lead guitar work and harmonies.

He did a remarkable job on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," starting the song slow and eventually building to a booming finish. RAIN displayed bright, colorful costumes for "Sgt. All in all, it was a concert to warm the hearts of aging Beatles fans. "It’s the music that matters and that’s why we’re all here today," said Trevor Edwards, who grew up near London and was visiting The Villages. Villager Stan McAlevey said the songs still have depth and meaning. "The Beatles were great storytellers," said McAlevey, who plays guitar and performs. He appreciates "Abbey Road" and what it means in Beatles’ history. "It’s one of the last times that they were happy together and they enjoyed making music," he said. "I love Side 2, when they ran all those songs together.

Led Zepplin tribute band Whole Lotta Led who will be headlining The Waterfront in Norwich. Ahead of Whole Lotta Led’s return to Norwich on Thursday, ADAM AIKEN caught up with Norfolk-born lead singer Lee Pryor. To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Lee Pryor is speaking from his home near Brighton. But he’s not like the legions of all the other 60-somethings enjoying life on the south cost. Pryor is about to hit the road again with his band, Whole Lotta Led, and head to Norfolk - the county where he was born. The Led Zeppelin tribute band have won plaudits for their live shows which, for most of us, are as near as we’ll ever get to seeing the real thing.

They are semi-regulars at the Waterfront, in Norwich, where they draw bigger audiences than many "original" acts, and they are back there this week. Check out the local listings and there are plenty of tribute acts on the circuit - some of them very impressive. But Whole Lotta Led are different from most of their peers. There’s no dressing up, there are no wigs - it’s all about the music. "Some of the other bands out there are really good, but we’re musicians, not actors," says Pryor. "If you’re not trained in acting, you can’t pull it off. Pryor joined Whole Lotta Led - who have been around for nearly a quarter of a century - in 2012, and is regularly struck by the reactions of the audience. And for those who aren’t new to the music, the gigs often take them back in time.

"It’s all about people’s memories," he says. "Music often brings things back in a way that a photograph doesn’t. "We like mixing up the set," says 67-year-old Pryor. Pryor was born in Great Yarmouth before his family moved south when he was a few years old. But he regularly returned for holidays and to help his grandmother in her guesthouse. And while Aerosmith have their own Rock ’n’ Roller Coasters in California and Paris, Pryor has his own favourite fairground attraction a little closer to home. "The Snails are still there!

" he says. "When I went back I had to have a go on them, and on the Tubs! And, in a way, that seems fitting for the congenial and down-to-earth Pryor. He and his fellow bandmates, who have earned the backing of Zep guitarist Jimmy Page, have the talent to be doing their own thing but they are happy paying homage to their heroes. And they are definitely worth checking out. Whether you remember Zeppelin from the old days or whether you just want to see what the fuss was all about, you’re not going to get a find a better tribute than Whole Lotta Led deliver.

To say that Talent Factory owners Larry and Cindy Sloan are bringing in some great shows would be an understatement. Tribute performances have been huge for them in the past year or so, and the Sloans didn’t even have to go after their March 15 tribute show. The leader of Made in America, a Toby Keith tribute band, called the Sloans. "Toby has a lot of his fan base (in Iowa)," Wenzel said. If you love country music, love America and/or love Toby Keith, the Friday, March 15, show is one you won’t want to miss. Those attending are going to see the same size band that Keith actually tours with, Wenzel said.

"We have all 12 pieces … fiddle, horns … and the hits; we have two hours-plus of nonstop Toby Keith top 100 hits," he said. With lights and props, they will drape the stage in patriotism. "You’re going to feel a lot more patriotic going out than you feel going in … We make you feel proud of your country before the night’s over," he said. Keith songs Wenzel enjoys performing most include "You Ain’t Much Fun," "Should’ve Been a Cowboy," "I Love This Bar" and "How Do You Like Me Now? And he really enjoys the end of each show — where they unleash the patriotism.

"We go into ‘American Soldier’ and ‘Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).’ That’s the crescendo," he said. Keith, an America country singer, songwriter and record producer, has definitely made a name for himself when it comes to big and patriotic country songs. But knowing him personally, Wenzel said the media has not always captured who Keith really is. "He’s a man’s man. He loves hunting, fishing, having a beer and talking about sports. And he has a deep love of America … I think he’s a bit misconstrued in the media … He’s portrayed as a far-right conservative when he’s really a moderate independent. When you talk to him, you figure that out," Wenzel said. Wenzel thinks it’s incumbent on him, as the tribute artist, to spread the word about who Keith is and to bring the best "Almost Toby" performances to his audiences.

"Toby Keith just loves his country and the military," he said. "That comes from fact that his father served and lost an eye fighting for the United States in the Army. A lot of his songs that are patriotic are stories about his dad. Wenzel actually opened for Keith’s band — Easy Money Band — when he was in another tribute band. "I’m probably the only person to open for Toby Keith and play him in a band," Wenzel said. But Wenzel, 46, notes that he doesn’t profess to be a Keith clone in life. "That impersonation (of Keith) begins and ends on stage … I bring it all to the stage," Wenzel said. A native of Chicago, Wenzel has been playing music for nearly 30 years.

He switched to country music around 2010, "when I started my band Suburban Cowboys." That band went on to win a couple of Chicago country music awards for best country entertainer. "It was in that band (Suburban Cowboys) that I opened for Toby Keith at (Keith’s) bar in Rosemont, Ill.," he said. Wenzel’s current band, Made in America, has been performing for about two years. "We’re all seasoned veterans," Wenzel said. Great Ides of March is a famous band out of Chicago that wrote hit song "Vehicle" back in the 1970s. The horn section will be in the Made in America band when it comes to Nevada.

Along with a lot of the band’s regulars, Wenzel said he’s pleased to announce that two Iowa musicians, horn players, Dave Rezek and Paul Bilson, both of Des Moines, will join the band at the Talent Factory. When possible, "we like to add local musicians," he noted. The closest Made in America has come to Iowa before is a performance in Savannah, Ill. So, for Iowa’s Toby Keith fans, this show is a unique opportunity. 25 (for front and center rows, while they last). Doors will open at 7 p.m.; the show itself will start at 8 p.m. "We hope that country fans will give us a spin and enjoy the night with us," Wenzel said.

"This show is so much fun. He (Keith) basically sings about three different things — beer, women and the American flag. What’s not to like about those three subject lines? "If you went to a Toby Keith show, you would leave there smiling. For Wenzel and the guys in the band, "we’re all patriotic dudes. ’s a labor of love. One last reminder from Wenzel, for those who attend, "Make sure you bring your red Solo cups. As a side note, those who enjoy good shows should come back the next night, Saturday, March 16, for Beatles tribute band, Rocky Raccoon. 10 for general seating.

Brett Young learned from ACM Awards host Reba McEntire that he's 2018 New Male Vocalist of the Year ahead of the official awards show. Caught off guard by the news — and call from the icon — he could only spout his gratitude. There is surely no better way to start the day, and as McEntire offered one more congratulations and then hung up, Young sat on the sofa in disbelief. Staring at his phone, a big smile soon takes over his face. This is his first-ever ACM Award, but it isn't his first accolade — the singer has been met with massive success since releasing his self-titled debut album last year. His first single, "Sleep Without You," hit No. 1 and went on to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. He was named a member of the inaugural class of Taste of Country RISERS i 2017, and his follow-up single, "In Case You Didn't Know," also rose to the top of the charts (and is now certified 3x platinum).

Grateful Dead lead guitarist Jerry Garcia may have died in 1995, but his group’s music lives on. That’s in part because of tribute bands like DeadBeat, which will be at 9 Wallis this Friday.

The lineup features Beverly natives Gary Barth and Jason Cohen. The Grateful Dead have always enjoyed an ardent group of followers, called Deadheads, and DeadBeat was formed in 2005 to satisfy the members’ hunger for live performances of songs by the original band. "The passion for it is extraordinary," said Barth, who plays rhythm guitar and sings with DeadBeat, which plays throughout Greater Boston and southern New Hampshire. Those faces can range in age from 18 to 80, proving that the Grateful Dead are drawing new fans today, Barth said.

When DeadBeat recently played at The Stone Church in Newmarket, New Hampshire, he saw fans who weren’t even born when Garcia was still alive, but were singing every word. "To me, ultimately, it’s about the music," Barth said. "From a purely musical standpoint, they’re so incredibly diverse. They epitomize what we call Americana, but depending on the time period, it could have been folk, jazz or rock ’n’ roll. The Grateful Dead were also renowned for jamming, rather than playing slavish imitations of their own recordings, and rarely repeated a song if they played at the same venue on successive nights. "For me, I always say it’s that curiosity about what’s around the next corner, even within this song — where is this jam going?

The shared attentiveness of fans generated a spirit that made Grateful Dead concerts special events, so that Deadheads would follow them from city to city on a tour. Barth said that he went to 10 concerts during the original band’s career, which began in 1965, and said they featured none of the theatrical gimmicks that some rock bands rely on to hold an audience’s attention. "There was no banter, never an interaction with the crowd," Barth said. "In fact, there was an incredible interaction, but it was unspoken, nonverbal. The band didn’t record a lot during their long career, producing 13 studio albums, because their focus was on live performances, where they often introduced songs years before recording them. "In the ’60s, it was more blues-based, but more psychedelic," Barth said. "Then in 1970, ‘American Beauty’ and ‘Working Man’s Dead’ were very folky, Americana.

ROCHESTER - The Rochester Opera House will present The Spirit of Johnny Cash at the Rochester theater on Friday, March 8 at 8 p.m. 27, are available now to the general public. The Opera House box office is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone, and in person at the box office, located in Rochester City Hall. This is what country music is all about - the music of Johnny Cash. Harold Ford is incredible as Johnny Cash. He sings and looks exactly like the man in black - and it comes naturally. Accompanied by the Red Hot Cash Band, an extraordinarily talented team of musicians, The Spirit of Johnny Cash recreates the music that made Johnny Cash country music’s most iconic performer.

[justgotham]

Not since the Joker and Harley Quinn has Gotham City seen a not-quite couple so villainous and yet so ‘ship-worthy as Butch Gilzean and Tabitha Galavan. But can these two crazy, murderous kids ever find true love together?

With “Gotham’s” final Season 3 arc underway, questions linger as to whether two of the pre-Batman-set series’ original creations — the loyal-to-a-fault mob henchman, and the whip-cracking Catwoman prototype — share a bond deep enough to qualify as love. Actors Drew Powell and Jessica Lucas recently joined the press for a peek at the Butch/Tabby almost-romance, and whether it actually might have a future,

On what’s ahead for them and where their loyalties lie:

Drew Powell: Whoever he’s with is probably going to win. That’s been the case of late, until they don’t. I think the back half of this season is all about Butch and Tabitha. For Butch, it’s about Tabitha. He’s head over heels in love with this girl, for better or for worse, and he’s trying to convince her that Barbara’s no good for her, Barbara doesn’t care about her, and that Barbara doesn’t deserve her loyalty. So it’ll be this evolution of him trying to explain that to her. Hopefully for her sake, she figures it out before it’s too late.

Jessica Lucas: She’s still furious at Nygma for cutting off her hand. As the alliance between Nygma and Barbara grows, I think it makes her more and more furious as time goes on. You’re going to see her really pushed, and really, really upset, and that’s going to keep growing and growing, and the tension between her and Barbara is going to keep growing and growing, and eventually will have to play out in some way, come to a head in some way.

On whether the fractures in their Barbara Kean relationship will prompt either Butch or Tabitha to make their own play for the top spot:

Lucas: I don’t think so. Not right now. She wasn’t raised that way. Coming from the Galavan family, she’s used to loyalty. She’s the protector, right? She’s a bodyguard of sorts. So I don’t think she has as much desire for power as a lot of the other villains do – which is interesting, because most of them are vying for the throne, but she doesn’t really care about that. She’s too reverent to care about that.

She’s smart enough to know that alliances are important. You don’t want to piss off the wrong people. She’s a bit more of a snake in the grass that way… I think we could both teach Barbara some things. Barbara’s a little bit too self-involved at the moment to be too concerned about helping anyone else. I think by the end of the season, Tabitha will be in a really vulnerable place. So she’s needing to start again. That’s sort of where that alliance comes from, or how it starts to form.

Powell: Here’s the thing: Butch had a moment at top in Season 2, and he didn’t like it. The whole point of Butch is, he’s a survivor. He grew up in Gotham, he knows the nooks and crannies, he knows all the buttons to push, he knows the dark corners, and he knows enough to know that if you’re on top, there’s a much greater chance that you’re going to get knocked down.

I think that’s one of the cool things about he and Tabitha and their bond, is that she’s kind of the same way. She always works better as an off-sider, as a second in command, because she can kind of work in the shadows and creep. So that connection between the two of them I thought was really neat, and great job on the writers’ part. So what I hope to see moving forward is to find out that backstory. Who is Butch really? Who is this guy? Where does he come from? What’s his story? He’s got this random nephew, Sonny. What’s he really about? I’m hopeful that’ll be the case going forward.

On the actual depth of Tabitha’s feelings for Butch:

Lucas: I don’t know that she knows what real love or intimacy really is… But loyalty is so important to her, so for Barbara to turn on her any way, or to be disloyal — that’s where her affection lies, so if that doesn’t exist, there is none. For Butch, I think that she has a lot of affection. He’s like a puppy dog. It’s an unrequited kind of love. I think she’s cares about him more than she lets on.

As Fish Mooney returns yet again, will she pose a challenge for Butch’s ties to Tabitha:

Powell: When she came back the first time – other than when he ran away when the ghost Fish showed up – there’s really no interaction between the two of them. [Now], there’s a scene that we shot that we’re all in. I feel like there’s this closure that’s needed. So we try to address that a little bit when she comes back this time. I think the fans will appreciate it. I would have liked to really get into that. But yeah, there’s this particular scene that I think people will dig.

On the joys of building characters without comic book backstories and fan expectations:

Powell: I took Bruno Heller at his word when he said early on, he’s like, “Look, this Butch character’s going to take time, and he’s going to grow, and people are going to underestimate him until it’s too late. There’s going to be a life here, you’re just going to have to trust me.”

It’s been fun because I’ve kind of known, particularly at the beginning, I knew what was coming, but fans didn’t. So they’re like, ‘This henchman…” Then to see them slowly — I see these Tweets, they’re like, “I don’t know if it’s weird, but I’m really starting to like Butch.” “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Butch it one of my favorite characters.” It’s like each one of those was like a fist bump for me, like, “Yes!”

I think Butch would be a great fit for the comics. I think he would be a great addition to any parts of the canon, because he’s written from that. There is this element of him. How is there not a Butch doll? He’s got the hand, he’s got the scar, he’s got the suits, he’s got the gun. How is there not a freaking Funko with a bazooka? I don’t get it. I do not get it! They’re missing the boat. Hopefully it’ll come.

Lucas: I very much modeled her after Catwoman, honestly, because I was told that she was the precursor to Catwoman and that there was going to be a mentorship there. So I wanted to take elements of that character, especially physically, so that when you looked at her, you thought, “Huh, kind of reminds me of Catwoman.”

But then everything else, as far as developing Tabitha Galavan, I just took things as they came. I’m really, really open to whatever the writers want to write and bring to it. I don’t feel as much of a responsibility as I think some of the other actors do to get these things right, these elements right from the comics. I don’t really have that feeling.

[ideahat-universe]

So it’s come to this. Unlike the Critic I don’t relish talking about Spoony because Spoony brought me so much entertainment. I am one of those users who feel really sad about Spoony’s downfall. I objectively liked him the most out of the Channel Awesome crew and I did indeed put up with his behavior which from the very beginning with his FF8 review I considered to be very bullish and caustic and no. I don’t believe that Lupa didn’t conspire with Scarlet. It’s a guarantee that she did. 

Scarlet was a dragon and not the good kind. What I want to know is what Lupa got out of it? Was it jealously? Does she not like Spoony’s style? Or is she a bitch? Well I don’t know those things for certain I do know that she’s basically unwatchable and is worse than Phelous who is so painfully fake in his videos that it hurts to even hear him emote for the camera. So for her to get one of the best users canned from Channel Awesome over what was a mundane comment from him that had nothing to do with her on a month old post is some incredible bullshit. I would just fume. 

I owe a lot to Spoony. The Ultima Saga is not only an amazing series that far outshines the final fantasy reviews but it’s a great work of philosophy (even the degradation it faces near the end of the series has some philosophical merit to it). 

You want to know how deep the rabbit holes go for me? I became a DnD player because of Spoony. I loved the Counter Monkey stories. My favorites are the Thief’s world two parter and the story about Tandem the Spoony’s run in with the Alice and Wonderland monsters. 

In the last year I found Roll20 and after a couple campaigns I have to be honest. I almost love it as much as video games. Maybe even more because I get to call all the shots, it’s just not as flashy. 

On top of that I turned the homebrew rules that I created for our games into applications so I and anyone that plays with me can have an easy way to create a character and just jump right in!

It’s a lot of fun and I wouldn’t have considered doing that if it wasn’t for him. It’s such a damn shame that he has walled himself off from the world and spends time ranting about Trump and cosplaying as his dog which I don’t think is okay. Dogs have their own personalities and identities. Pretending to be them is impersonation and it’s kind of creepy if you really go deep into the persona. 

Spoony is romanticizing his dog. Does that clear things up? 

Okay, so the old document I had about Spoony focused on what was starting to wear him out which was his own popularity as it so happens. I go into a deep dive on how fanbase are only a facilimie of an actual friend and if you can’t control or understand where the line is on a fanbase they can hurt you and while I don’t think that applies as much to Spoony as I thought I do believe it’s true for many other things *Cough*StevenUniverse!*Cough* I don’t believe it’s true for Spoony. I think at the end of the day we were actually too loyal to him but Spoony is an adult and should have figured out what his limits are. All he had to do was admit that he didn’t want to review final fantasy, he should have just admitted that he didn’t plan on making a movie, he should have just admitted that it’s too difficult to have a high production value for these silly reviews and do it all alone, and he should just admit that Miles made a mistake and you forgive him for that because he’s your brother and you love him. 

He could have if he was a better man. But he’s not. He never was and that’s the worst part. He put on shoes that he couldn’t fit and laced them around his ankles. He’s lost the strength to lift the heels and he’s stuck forever in that pair until the inevitable happens.....

Noah Antwiler and the Spoony experiment

So often do we strive for greatness. In the wake of the internet, thousands of people have done whatever they can to have the sort of popularity where the only glory you get is saying that people like you for something that in all honesty; isn't really that incredible an action. Animators toil on flash, artists churn out web comics and drawings, Musicians sing songs and play music, and writers write. All are endeavors that are worthwhile to expand upon and if the internet helps you then so be it. But the power of popularity is very dastardly despite the hordes of people who pine for it. Will you create for expression? Are you gunning for a contract to pay the bills and finance an expensive dream? Or are you just a regular person who had power thrust upon them and you have no way of handling it?

Power corrupts the weak and emboldens the wicked. And for some. It simply crushes them.  It seems like cowardice to be afraid of popularity or worried about how a community can control you but there’s an argument to be made for the tyranny of fandom. 

Fans are truly a neutral force. Without them you could very well be nothing. If you were interested in fame or fortune or even popularity you need them. They make you exist. And yet. They are the worst people to listen to and put your faith in. They will corrupt your mind with their desires. They will berate you for doing something they disapprove of. They will thrust change upon you while simultaneously disliking all that is different. It is odd. For these fans love you. Or at least. That is what they say. They do become attached to you. But they do not love you. As terrible as it sounds. What is a fan truly?

Fan: A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art or entertainment form, or famous person.

That sounds endearing doesn't it? And yet it isn't really. It is very fickle and destructive. A few devoted fans are quaint and nice and you can acknowledge and like a few fans. But once the numbers become unruly and large fans devolve from individuals that like your work to an amorphous creature that wants to control you. It is two faced and wicked. Hurting you and then praising you in the same breath. Its words become emptier the larger it gets and it seems more thoughtless and monstrous as it progresses. It manages to fight itself over nothing and then take the fight to you regardless of its importance.

Considering oneself as a fan has become a taboo to the conservative and careful. But being a fan is nothing bad. However there is something to the admiration that I find is rarely established.

Love consumes. That sounds disturbing and a bit rude but it does in a way. When you love someone you take on a bit of them and they become a bit of you. Hopefully you will prosper from this and you will grow and be happier for it. But that is love between two people. What happens when you love a thing that is not real? That can never be a person? Madness. You will succumb to madness pure and simple. I do not mean that in some endearing farcical way in which you take pride for an aloof behavior. When you let an object consume you. You will lose yourself. It cannot truly give anything back to you. And you cannot truly give anything to it. The creators decide the fate of the creation and to them it is valuable and in some ways a boon to themselves and their minds. But for you it's just an object to be perceived. When you get caught up in something you cannot affect or control it warps you. You fight for its rights. You defend it against all competitors zealously. You get despondent with it while still feeling some attachment to it. You find yourself caring deeply for it. That is the nightmare of every artist. 

You have to be a powerful person to handle such a burden. Noah Antwiler is not powerful. He is a rather modest person. Not in personality. But the core of who he is isn't really someone who intends to have fans who think highly of him. Does he appreciate having fans? Yes but it's not love. Its tolerance and acceptance. He was just a simple YouTube reviewer who wanted to get into some riffing. Wrote articles here and there. He was just normal. He wasn't shaping to be anyone special and it was probably for the best. But popularity was thrust upon him. He became popular. And he was met at the crossroads. Make this work for him. Or refuse the call. He took the power and put the Spoony Experiment into full swing.

His attempts at collaborating and interacting with other reviewers show that he at least appreciates the virtues of networking. His work started out extremely modest but due to the desires to evolve and grow. He, acknowledging his inner artist and the call for power, expands the reviews and his technique. Granting them stories. Adding in skits. Becoming actor, writer, riffer, and reviewer all at once. It's something he enjoys doing. And yet. It seems to be eating him away. He wouldn't be the first person to suffer from turning an ability into a job. But I do not think Noah will last long like this.

I will come out and say it. This power was not meant for him. He cannot handle the demands. His body is weak and needs peace. The levels he has pushed himself for his craft, and the expectations of his fans and the demands they thrust upon him may make Noah's life very short. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy Noah’s work. He brings me a lot of entertainment and laughter. But I care more about his well being and he isn't well. I'll get along just fine without the Spoony Experiment. But I’d hate to feel as if he pushed himself over the edge because I liked him a little too much for my own good.

It's his life though. Ultimately he can decide his own fate and we as fans can't really encourage him to do anything. It's not our right. To his friends and family Spoony is a person. But to us Spoony is no different than Sponge bob Square pants or Shrek. Just an object for which we show devotion through money and attention.

It's not worth it. The power isn't worth it. Let go of the power and seek peace. End the experiment and return to what you was before. It won't be a fantastic or glamorous life, but you may find happiness.