#Judy Toll

[ellie88-blog-blog]

Casual Sex? – That’s the Name of the Movie, I’m not Asking

In the 1988 film "Casual Sex?" directed by Geneviève Robert, Stacy and Melissa navigate relationships and sexuality at a health spa, confronting the AIDS epidemic.

If you have never heard of the 1988, Geneviève Robert directed film “Casual Sex?” I promise you, it’s not what you’re thinking. When I was first introduced to this film by, my MOM, I was shook simply because of the title. I couldn’t imagine why my mom was not only attempting to get me to watch smut, but she wanted to watch it with me! Thankfully, that’s not what this movie is, though I’m sure…

[viandede-porque]

He chose his Spartak mugshot for the autograph event 🥺

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Richard Luscombe at The Guardian:

Six major book publishers have teamed up to sue the US state of Florida over an “unconstitutional” law that has seen hundreds of titles purged from school libraries following rightwing challenges. The landmark action targets the “sweeping book removal provisions” of House Bill 1069, which required school districts to set up a mechanism for parents to object to anything they considered pornographic or inappropriate. A central plank of Republican governor Ron DeSantis’s war on “woke” on Florida campuses, the law has been abused by rightwing activists who quickly realized that any book they challenged had to be immediately removed and replaced only after the exhaustion of a lengthy and cumbersome review process, if at all, the publishers say. Since it went into effect last July, countless titles have been removed from elementary, middle and high school libraries, including American classics such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

Contemporary novels by bestselling authors such as Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume and Stephen King have also been removed, as well as The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank’s gripping account of the Holocaust, according to the publishers. “Florida HB 1069’s complex and overbroad provisions have created chaos and turmoil across the state, resulting in thousands of historic and modern classics, works we are proud to publish, being unlawfully labeled obscene and removed from shelves,” Dan Novack, vice-president and associate general counsel of Penguin Random House (PRH), said in a statement. “Students need access to books that reflect a wide range of human experiences to learn and grow. It’s imperative for the education of our young people that teachers and librarians be allowed to use their professional expertise to match our authors’ books to the right reader at the right time in their life.” PRH is joined in the action by Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster and Sourcebooks. The 94-page lawsuit, which also features as plaintiffs the Authors Guild and a number of individual writers, was filed in federal court in Orlando on Thursday.

The suit contends the book removal provisions violate previous supreme court decisions relating to reviewing works for their literary, artistic, political and scientific value as a whole while considering any potential obscenity; and seeks to restore the discretion “of trained educators to evaluate books holistically to avoid harm to students who will otherwise lose access to a wide range of viewpoints”. “Book bans censor authors’ voices, negating and silencing their lived experience and stories,” Mary Rasenberger, chief executive of the Authors Guild, said in the statement. “These bans have a chilling effect on what authors write about, and they damage authors’ reputations by creating the false notion that there is something unseemly about their books. “Yet these same books have edified young people for decades, expanding worlds and fostering self-esteem and empathy for others. We all lose out when authors’ truths are censored.” Separate from the publishers’ action, a group of three parents filed their own lawsuit in June, insisting that the law discriminated against parents who oppose book bans and censorship because it allowed others to dictate what their children can and cannot read.

Six major publishers sue Florida over book ban law HB1069.

[gatheringbones]

best books I read in 2023:

sophie strand, the flowering wand: rewilding the sacred masculine

alex iantaffi, gender trauma: healing cultural, social, and historical gendered trauma

matthew desmond, evicted: poverty and profit in the american city

betty dodson, sex for one: the joy of selfloving

ching-in chen, andrea smith, jai dulani, the revolution starts at home: confronting intimate partner violence within activist communities

robin stern, the gaslight effect: how to spot and survive the hidden manipulation others use to control your life

nick turse, kill anything that moves: the real american war in vietnam

lori fox, this has always been a war: the radicalization of a working class queer

arline t. geronimus, weathering: the extraordinary stress of ordinary life in an unjust society

roxanne dunbar-ortiz, not a nation of immigrants: settler colonialism, white supremacy, and a history of erasure and exclusion

eyal press, dirty work: essential jobs and the hidden toll of inequality in america

rabbi danya ruttenberg, on repentence and repair: making amends in an unapologetic world

michelle dowd, forager: field notes for surviving a family cult

starhawk, the empowerment manual: a guide for collaborative groups

betty dodson, orgasms for two: the joy of partnersex

timothy snyder, black earth: the holocaust as history and warning

kidada e. williams, I saw death coming: a history of terror and survival in the war against reconstruction

judy grahn, another mother tongue: gay words, gay worlds

jennifer m. silva, coming up short: working-class adulthood in an age of uncertainty

susanna clarke, piranesi

megan asaka, seattle from the margins: exclusion, erasure, and the making of a pacific coast city

starhawk, truth or dare: encounters with power, authority, and mystery

laura jane grace, tranny: confessions of punk rock’s most infamous anarchist sellout

molly smith, revolting prostitutes: the fight for sex worker's rights

richard c. schwartz, you are the one you've been waiting for: applying internal family systems to intimate relationships

timothy snyder, our malady: lessons in liberty from a hospital diary

peter levine, trauma and memory: brain and body in search for the living past

kylie cheung, survivor injustice: state-sanctioned abuse, domestic violence, and the fight for bodily autonomy

timothy snyder, bloodlands: europe between hitler and stalin

joan larkin, a woman like that: lesbian and bisexual writers tell their coming out stories

cj cherryh, hammerfall

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Bonten Sanzu Haruchiyou - "CRAZY S/O 2"

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

But it's headcannons this time..... so yeah...

Warnings -> Implied drug abuse, Mentions of holding Koko hostage, Implied domestic violence (throwing shit), sex near a corpse, Burglarization of houses, Theft, Misuse of prescription medication, and side effects of drugs.

                                                                                                   

💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉

💊 It was mentioned in the first iteration of this but Sanzu and you live together. But he wants his lover to be safe so the both of you live in the nearest neighborhood to the Bonten headquarters. This also helps him get home much faster compared to where you both were living beforehand.

💊 Sanzu will startle you when he holds you from behind and tilts your head back to kiss you while you hold a gun to his head and he holds a knife to your throat. Iconic? Sure. Romantic? Eh...Not so much. Maybe to him though, we'll never really know what goes on in whatever is left of his brain cells.

💊 Often times Sanzu brings his work home to you and let's you watch. If he's in a good mood he'll even let you help. Isn't he such a sweetheart? Although the most he let's you do is help him move the corpse into his trunk once he's all finished. He doesn't want some rando's blood on you even if it make you look really hot.

💊 Kokonoi still hasn't forgiven you for holding him hostage. Especially considering that this was the fourteenth time you've done it already..... He's gotten far more cautious of his surroundings and now completes a threat assessment every half hour without fail. You really have scarred this man.

💊 Sanzu always ends up having to shell out a ton of money on fine china because his lover flies off the handle and throws dishes at him fairly often. It's really starting to take a bit of a toll on his paycheck so he's in the process of trying to convince you to throw less fragile objects instead.

💊 You and Sanzu have in fact made love in the same room as a dead body on multiple occasions... It usually happens about twice a week and he really looks forward to it, actually. Weirdo...

💊 Sanzu actually tends to get his drugs from you. It seems you've developed a hobby of breaking into neighboring people's houses and stealing only their prescription medication. You never go for anything over the counter for some reason and still have yet to get caught.

💊 You bought Sanzu a parakeet and he quickly taught it to say 'Kill the traitors'. Haru Junior still lives with you guys to this very day; just chilling in his massive birdcage and watching 'Judge Judy' or whatever was on the old line up of t.v. broadcasts in the afternoons.

💊 On days when you're feeling more yourself, you'll patch up Sanzu's wounds and help him down from any of his particularly bad trips from whatever drug he'd decided to take this time. Maybe you'd even order take-out from some shitty restaurant on the other side of town and complain about the wait time while you both lazed around on the ripped up some, watching some crappy movies that he rented from a Redbox on his way home.

💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉•♡•💉

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Masterlist!

[shydroid3000]

Was listening to Leonard Cohen as I am wont to do, and I couldn't help but feel that "Love Calls You By Your Name" has very Lawlight vibes (lyrics/audio at bottom). Specifically, anime Light from the rain scene to L's death to his own death. The role of names, and truth, and liminality.

It makes me think, of course, of the raw vulnerability of a name in Death Note. The way Light only comes to know L's true name after his death, though the 'L' was true all along (not Ryuzaki, not Ryuga). The way L doesn't just call Light 'Light,' but Kira too. But also of the way L reaches out to Light in the rain scene, gives him that chance to be truthful for once (or rather, expresses his own futile longing for Light to be truthful, to let L touch beneath the mask if only for a moment). The way that it's only in the liminal spaces that Light allows perhaps a glimpse of something authentic, or the shadow of a glimpse. The moment before he responds to L in the rain -- the way it goes silent for a second as they look at each other, a space of possibility before the lie/mask is chosen. The moment Light reaches the towel out to L's hair during the foot massage; Light says, "You're still wet" -- they aren't in the rain anymore, but they aren't quite out of it yet either, as it drips from the strands of L's hair onto the skin of Light's foot. L's "you and I will be parting ways soon" -- the space between together and apart. As they sit on a staircase, between here and there. The moment of L's death, Light looking into his eyes so deeply, as Kira in that final second. The moment of Light's death, having that vision of L in the time when he slips from life into death. These in-between spaces that are both microscopic and vast... As Leonard Cohen might say, "Between the darkness and the stage," "Between the victim and his stain," "Between the ocean and your open vein," "Between the traitor and her pain." It's where L hears the bells tolling... it's where I think he and Light hear the call of what they are to each other, knowing it will go unanswered, despite how it rings in their heads.

----- You thought that it could never happen To all the people that you became Your body lost in legend, the beast so very tame But here, right here Between the birthmark and the stain Between the ocean and your open vein Between the snowman and the rain Once again, once again Love calls you by your name The women in your scrapbook Whom you still praise and blame You say they chained you to your fingernails And you climb the halls of fame Oh but here, right here Between the peanuts and the cage Between the darkness and the stage Between the hour and the age Once again, once again Love calls you by your name Shouldering your loneliness Like a gun that you will not learn to aim You stumble into this movie house Then you climb, you climb into the frame Yes, and here, right here Between the moonlight and the lane Between the tunnel and the train Between the victim and his stain Once again, once again Love calls you by your name I leave the lady meditating On the very love which I, I do not wish to claim I journey down the hundred steps But the street is still the very same And here, right here Between the dancer and his cane Between the sailboat and the drain Between the newsreel and your tiny pain Once again, once again Love calls you by your name Where are you, Judy, where are you, Anne? Where are the paths your heroes came? Wondering out loud as the bandage pulls away Was I, was I only limping, was I really lame? Oh here, come over here Between the windmill and the grain Between the sundial and the chain Between the traitor and her pain Once again, once again Love calls you by your name -----

[vukovich]

I don't think the American Library Association is on Tumblr, so I'm sharing this. If you've had your work censored, you know the toll it takes.

Are you going to see names you really don't like on the list of banned authors? Yes. But you're also going to see Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Judy Blume. And that should upset you more.

Be an adult about it.

--

From ala.org:

Banned Books Week, Sept 22-28, 2024

Dear Banned Author: Letter-Writing Campaign to Support Authors, Library Workers, and Educators

Dear Banned Author is a letter-writing campaign that encourages readers to write, tweet, or email banned or challenged authors during Banned Books Week and beyond to share what their stories mean to them. Hosted by the American Library Association, Dear Banned Author raises awareness of censorship while supporting the power of words and those who write them. Authors have also shared fan letters as support when there's a public challenge to their books.

The print and digital postcards provided for Dear Banned Author can also be used to let library staff and educators know that you value their work and support them.

Printable Postcards • Social Media Postcards • E-Cards • Print on Demand Postcards • In-Person Letter Writing Program Tips • Virtual Letter Writing Program Tips • Social Media Tips

Your local library may be hosting an in-person letter writing event.

[spirk-trek]

Nome Fanzine | Judi (1987), Humberto Garcia (1980), Ellen L Kobrin & Lydia Moon (1981)

--keep reading for poems in plain text--

McCoy by Judi

When you came to me that night so very long ago, I sensed a puzzlement, A need to know and understand… Interpret your own upwelling rush of --Dare I say it--feeling.

So I became your translator, Spock, Your standard giver and the measure against which you Calibrated your thoughts and--there, I said it again-- Feelings.

You placed me in the role of lowest common denominator. I was the pit of emotional, wallowing humanity; You were the cleanly slicing pendulum, Oftimes drawing blood with your steely sharp logic, Cutting out the dross, occasionally sparking pure metal.

You read my face and eyes, Storing information away For that longed-for instant, Hoped-for opportunity of a dream-come-true day, When you could love Jim, Somewhere other than in the black crypt of your soul.

And that moment came, No fixed date or time, It was a knowing, an awareness of a passion unchanged, unchained, Sought and claimed in the fullness of your time.

The ransom of your love set you free, But locked me in a cell of desolation, No longer sought, no longer read… No longer valued-- So I said The price of your desire--McCoy forsaken.

But chance encounter and predestination, The needs of the many enmeshed with deadly radiation, I was there and so were you, You gave all you had to give and I received all that I could hold, To keep safe and warm, Until called forth to-- Remember.

No Vulcan ritual can exorcise these tangled thoughts, Yours and mine, Of warmth and tender consolation mingled with Precisely logical explanations; Knowing this about ourselves, We can reach, love, heal and--no longer fearing-- meld.

You can say you love me, Not with voice or face or gesture, But eyes can speak, Minds can smile, Spirits can be held in loving arms Bestowing completion to our lives- And I know I am cherished and no longer forsaken. -- -- --

Lament of the Other by Lydia Moon

"Physician, heal thyself," the maxim goes. More truth has ne'er been said. No other soul Can e'er relieve me of the pain that grows As all the years demand their rightful toll. My friends believe they understand my heart. They pass the gruff exterior, and see That neath the face I show, there is a part Too vulnerable ever to set free. But even they can never know the full Extent of this great loneliness I bear. The times when I would welcome Lethe's pull. To give surcease from pain no one can share. I cannot heal myself, and so I keep My true despair inside me, buried deep.

[big-ass-magnet]

Relatively Speaking, This Will Probably Be Fine (Ch 2)

Fandom: Girl Genius Rating: T Summary: Barry has left Agatha in the care of his mother, Teodora. As far as anyone knows, she is the daughter of a family friend and Teodora's ward, keeping her company while her sons are missing and her husband's illness keeps him on death's doorstep. It is up to Lady Teodora to ensure that no one questions this story.

A prequel to 'Helpful, in a Heterodyne Sort of Way'!

<Last Chapter | Next Chapter>

AO3 link

The important thing, Teodora knew, was to get ahead of any rumors before they could start. Even the possibility of a new Heterodyne would bring the eyes of Europa onto them.

So the day after Barry left, Teodora took Agatha Sannikova with her to the market.

Teodora had made a point not to let her sons’ disappearance or her husband’s illness interrupt her schedule, even after all this time. She hoped it brought a sense of normalcy to the people of Mechanicsburg in a time of such uncertainty. The Heterodynes are out of reach, the Jägers are gone, an outsider rules the town, but it is Wednesday and Lady Teodora is going to the market.

Sometimes she worried it was instead a reminder of a family dead in all but name, the last survivor and the only one they didn’t need.

The moment she set foot outside, she knew she had been right to move quickly. All eyes fixed on the little girl at her side. She saw people drifting together in twos and threes, whispering to each other, a hopeful hunger in their expressions.

“Now, you stay close, Agatha,” Teodora said as they approached the market stalls.

“Yes, Ms Teodora,” Agatha said obediently. Teodora saw that reach the people’s ears, souring hope with the first touch of uncertainty. She prayed this would work. Oh, why couldn't Barry have taken the girl to Punch and Judy? But she had not been able to find the strength to insist. Now that she knew Agatha existed, Teodora wanted her close.

“We’re going to go straight to the grocer’s first, but on our way back, I want you to look around at the stores and pick out two new things for your room. You'll be living with me from now on, and I want the house to feel like a home to you.”

Agatha gave her a strange sort of smile—the indulgent kind an adult might give a child who was being unrealistic.

“Okay.”

And sure enough, on the way home, the things Agatha considered were all small trinkets, things that could be easily tucked into a bag or a pocket. Barry had been right—the lack of stability had begun to take its toll.

“How about one of those paintings?” Teodora suggested. “Maybe that one, with the clank in the forest? Your uncle said you like clanks.”

“It is pretty,” Agatha said, softly, longingly. But then she shook her head. “Too big.”

“They’ll bring it to the house if you don’t want to carry it.”

Again that indulgent smile.

“To fit in my bag, Ms Teodora. And too expensive to leave behind.”

“You don’t have to put it in a bag—”

But Agatha’s eyes went wide.

“Look at that!”

She obediently did not release Teodora’s hand, but instead dragged her all the way across the road to a little cart of novelty clocks. All eyes were on Agatha now, and Teodora’s heart began to beat faster. If this didn’t work—if Agatha didn’t—if the people didn’t care about the—

The clockmaker had been keeping his hands busy, and showing off his skill, by assembling a clock right at the stall. Agatha stood on tiptoes to see all the pieces and tools, her eyes shining.

“Wow!”

“You like it?” he asked, pleased. He lifted the half-finished clock and turned the back to Agatha so she could see the mechanism. “Go on, push that button there.”

“But it’s not done yet,” Agatha said. “I can see the pieces that are missing.”

The clockmaker’s eyes lit up, and a wave of nausea rolled over Teodora.

“Can you now?” he said, smiling. “Well it can still run, even without all the parts.”

“Really?”

“Sure. Just can’t keep time very well.”

Warily, eyeing the clockmaker as if he might be pulling some trick, Agatha reached out and pushed the button. A tiny counterweight dropped, and cogs began to turn. Agatha watched, eyes alight, fixing her attention on each part of the mechanism one at a time, fascinated by their intricate movements.

“It sounds so much prettier than a pocket watch,” she said.

“That’ll be the pendulum. You can’t put one in a watch, ‘cause it only works properly when it’s stable. As soon as you move it around, physics kicks in and plays hob on the tempo.”

“What if you built it so the pendulum ignored the physics?”

The clockmaker smiled, folded his hands on the table before him, and leaned forward. His manner was casual, but he was eager, and all around Teodora could feel the Mechanicsburg crowd begin to form around them. Moths to the Heterodyne flame. 

“And how do you suggest I do that?”

Agatha gnawed on her lip, eyes flicking over the clockwork.

“Something gyroscopic—no, but that would only be good for keeping it still. Maybe some sort of counterweight! Something that could—”

Suddenly she let out a cry of pain and grabbed her head.

“Ow! Ow, ow ow—”

Teodora wrapped her arm around Agatha’s shoulders as the clockmaker sat back, alarmed.

“I didn’t—”

“It’s alright,” Teodora reassured him. “She gets these headaches sometimes, when she gets...overwhelmed.”

And that did it. The light left his eyes. All around them, Mechanicsburg turned away. The whispers faded, the rumors stillborn.  Whoever this mysterious girl was, she wasn’t the mystery they wanted. Whoever heard of a Heterodyne who got headaches when she thought too hard—and over something as simple as clockwork?

“Ah. Poor thing.”

Teodora felt relieved.

And she felt like a monster.

“Come along, dear,” she said, soothingly, leading Agatha away. “Let’s get you home and you can lie down.”

“It hurts,” Agatha sobbed.

“It’ll be alright,” Teodora said, every word burning like hellfire in her mouth. “You just need to be sure to take it slow, next time.”

[joeygoeshollywood]

My 25 Favorite Films of 2023

It's that time of year again! Here are my top 25 films of 2023.

25. Joy Ride

Following in the footsteps of Bridesmaids and Girls Trip, Joy Ride offers some of the biggest laughs of 2023 proving once again women can be just as raunchy as men. The cast includes up-and-comers Ashley Park, Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu, and a scene-stealing breakthrough performance from Sherry Cola. Joy Ride marks a strong debut from writer-director Adele Lim.

24. Theater Camp

Anyone who had aspirations of becoming an actor can relate to Theater Camp, a mockumentary about the staff of a theater camp struggling to keep it afloat. Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, and Noah Galvin lead both behind and in front of the camera in this superb comedy that will leave you singing from the rooftops.

23. A Thousand and One

A Thousand and One is a heartbreaking indie film about a mother's desperate effort to form a bond with her estranged son by kidnapping him from the foster care system following her stint in prison. Teyana Taylor packs an emotional punch with her crushing performance with the help of A.V. Rockwell in her feature debut as a writer-director.

22. Thanksgiving

Eli Roth's filmography in horror is a mixed record, but his latest flick Thanksgiving may be his best work yet. Not only is it a solid slasher with great over-the-top killings, its brilliantly hilarious. In a time where horror franchises can be tiresome, Thanksgiving is one that could call for a second or third helping.

21. Somewhere in Queens

TV icon Ray Romano makes his feature directorial debut in the family comedy Somewhere in Queens. He stars as the father of a promising high school basketball player who goes through perhaps desperate means to assure he lands a college scholarship. Joined by the wonderful Laurie Metcalf, Somewhere in Queens has plenty of laughs as well as plenty of heart.

20. Dream Scenario

The remarkable comeback of Nicolas Cage continues with his brilliant performance in Dream Scenario, a dark fantasy horror comedy in which he plays a college professor who inexplicably starts appearing in everyone's dreams, sparking a national phenomenon that will ultimately take a personal toll. Cage balances the absurdity of the situation his character is in with emotional heft that comes with it. This marks Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli's first English-language film and based on how well-executed Dream Scenario is, hopefully it won't be his last.

19. The Covenant

Guy Ritchie's latest The Covenant is a heart-pounding war film based on the true story of Sgt. John Kinley's rescue effort of his Afghan interpreter Ahmed. Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim make a perfect duo in this dramatic, suspenseful film that may be Ritchie's strongest work to date.

18. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Judy Blume's 1970 adolescent classic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. finally made its way to the big screen this year in the heartwarming coming-of-age tale of a girl's awkward journey from childhood to adulthood as well as the complexities that come from being an interfaith household. Abby Ryder Fortson shines as the titular Margaret in an outstanding performance not often seen from child actors. Also, we need more Rachel McAdams.

17. BlackBerry

Arguably the biggest surprise of 2023, BlackBerry offers some of the best laughs in the comedic retelling of the rise and fall of the iconic BlackBerry device. BlackBerry is a showcase of talent of its star Jay Baruchel, Matt Johnson (who also directed and co-wrote the film), and Glenn Howerton of It's Always Sunny fame, easily giving one of the best on-screen performances of the entire year.

16. You Hurt My Feelings

Writer-director Nicole Holofcener reunites with her Enough Said star Julia Louis-Dreyfus with You Hurt My Feelings, which centers a turbulent chapter in a couple's marriage after a novelist overhears her husband mocking her latest book. The dramedy examines the thought-provoking nuances of how fully honest one actually should be with their spouse (the answer may surprise you!). The greatest strength from Holofcener's latest is how its humor comes naturally from the reality of relationships.

15. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Mission: Impossible does the unthinkable in Hollywood: keeping a franchise in top-notch shape. Dead Reckoning Part One, the whopping *seventh* installment of the Ethan Hunt saga, delivers on a compelling plot and incredible action sequences, all of which is cemented by the star power of Tom Cruise, who has carried this spy franchise for nearly 20 years. There have been hints that Dead Reckoning may be the beginning of the end for Mission: Impossible, and if that's the case, it's going out with a bang.

14. Talk to Me

The best horror movie of 2023, Talk to Me is a chilling film about a group of teenager's ill-fated decision of doing a viral challenge of interacting with the dead, only to mistakenly leave the portal open between the living and the spirit world. What makes Talk to Me work is the family drama at the core of the film and the powerful performance from its troubled heroine Sophie Wilde.

13. Sisu

Inglorious Basterds meets Mad Max: Fury Road meets John Wick, Sisu is a WWII-era revenge action flick about a gold prospector's quest to retrieve the gold that was stolen from him from a group of Nazis. Full of brutal, bloody fight sequences with a twisted sense of humor, Sisu is one helluva ride.

12. Creed III

Creed III is a throwback to the era where Hollywood blockbusters were able to provide complete satisfaction. The latest installment of the Rocky spin-off franchise marked the strong directorial debut of its star Michael B. Jordan and also may have sadly marked the final film of the incredibly talented Jonathan Majors, whose recent assault conviction may be a knockout punch to an otherwise booming career.

11. May December

Often having vibes of a soap opera, Todd Haynes' May December is a compelling and at times disturbing film of an actress (played by Natalie Portman) who shadows the woman she's depicting in a film (played by Julianne Moore) famous for her 90s love affair with a then 13-year-old, who later became her husband. Despite the powerhouse performances from the two Oscar winners, the film really belongs to rising star Charles Melton, whose character finally comes to grips with the trauma he unknowingly endured as a child. And Melton's performance is among 2023's best.

10. Anatomy of a Fall

We don't often get great courtroom dramatic thrillers these days which is why Anatomy of a Fall really stands out. German actress Sandra Hüller gives a breakthrough performance as a wife and mother who becomes the prime suspect in what authorities believe is the murder of her husband, who had fallen to his death from the attic window. With plenty of twists and turns, Anatomy of a Fall will keep viewers guessing throughout.

9. Maestro

Not only does Bradley Cooper give the performance of his career, he has also shown his ability to direct is no fluke. Maestro, a biopic that spotlights the personal drama of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein, is a beautifully-shot, well-acted film that solidifies Cooper as one of Hollywood's newest talented filmmakers.

8. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

One would assume that a Spider-Man cartoon would solely be geared towards children but Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is such a sophisticated film between its complex plot and the remarkable animation that are a continuation from its 2018 Into the Spider-Verse predecessor. Between a strong voice cast, an amazing score and a brilliant cliffhanger, Across the Spider-Verse was the shining gem of the many superhero duds 2023 had to offer.

7. Killers of the Flower Moon

At 81-years-old, legendary director Martin Scorsese hasn't lost his step with Killers of the Flower Moon, his best film in at least a decade. The crime drama is based on a true story on the 1920s murders of members of Osage Nation and its ties to the marriage Ernest Burkhart and Mollie Kyle, played by the reliably gifted Leonardo DiCaprio and powerful newcomer Lily Gladstone.

6. Saltburn

Following her strong debut with 2020's Promising Young Woman, filmmaker Emerald Fennell makes a valiant return with her twisted comedic psychological drama Saltburn, which surrounds an Oxford student who is quickly embraced by the wealthy family of a classmate and the jarring fallout as a result. Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Irisherin, Dunkirk) proves he's more than capable of being the leading man and is joined by rich ensemble including Rosamund Pike, Jacob Elordi, Richard E. Grant and Carey Mulligan. With stunning visuals and some of the most shocking things you'll see onscreen in 2023, Saltburn is a stirring work of art.

5. The Holdovers

It's been a long time since a new Christmas movie can live up to beloved holiday classics and Alexander Payne makes the closest effort with The Holdovers, a 1970-set dramedy about a miserable teacher at a boys academy who is stuck essentially babysitting the "holdover" students who didn't go home for the holidays. Joining the always-brilliant Paul Giamatti is newcomer Dominic Sessa as his troublesome student and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who gives a powerful Oscar-worthy performance as the cook mourning over the loss of her son. The Holdovers is the perfect film to warm your heart over the holidays this year and every year going forward.

4. Past Lives

Perhaps one of the more unsung heroes of 2023 cinema, Past Lives is a touching story about love and what if. Greta Lee stars in a breakout role as a married woman who rekindles a relationship with a childhood friend from South Korea but rather than going down the typical "will they, won't they" or "love triangle" paths this film easily could've taken, Past Lives delves into the emotional complexities with such tenderness that only writer/director Celine Song could've told (the film is semi-autobiographical).

3. Oppenheimer

If anyone knows how to make a biopic an epic, it's Christopher Nolan. Oppenheimer is essentially two films rolled into one- a tick-tock thriller about the creation of the atomic bomb as well as a political drama that J. Robert Oppenheimer endured. Cillian Murphy gives the performance of his career and leads a gigantic ensemble cast in a film that despite its 3-hour running time goes by fast. And while Barbie may have won the box office battle, Oppenheimer certain won the war in more ways than one.

2. Polite Society

Polite Society is a brilliant action comedy following an aspiring stuntwoman who believes her sister is marrying into a sinister family. In the style of a Tarantino movie, up-and-coming filmmaker Nida Manzoor makes a strong feature debut that is the epitome of a fun popcorn movie, which have been in short supply in recent years.

Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos has quickly risen as of the strongest filmmakers of this generation, proving so once again with his latest film Poor Things. Emma Stone gives an Oscar-worthy performance as a woman brought back to life who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and autonomy and is accompanied by an excellent supporting cast. Like a modern-day Tim Burton, Lanthimos was able to create a mesmerizing universe with incredible production design, a whimsical music score, and stunning cinematography. Going to the movies is meant to be an escape, and Poor Things perfectly encapsulates that.

[gladyssite]

Judy Bunch - Bunch Family TS3

Here's the story: Two working parents juggle family, household chores, and their careers while their four children run wild. What is the right balance for this family of six to stay sane?

Judy is a hardworking woman with three jobs: wife, mother, and scientist. She doesn't get a lot of time for herself these days, and it's taken a toll on her exercise routine and eating habits.

[wexhappyxfew]

Might be a silly question but would you be able to do a quick post about the girls of Silver bullets and who their relationships (romantic?) are with?

I find that I’m reading too many things at one time and am having a hard time remembering who’s with who. Ps absolutely love your writing!

hey anon! not a silly question at all and something i'm more than happy to provide!!! it's quite the grouping and a whole lot of people and moving parts, so it is no worries at all :D some of the girls have more established and *finalized* storylines and such, while others....we'll see as it comes. so! below are all the pairings, with little descriptions i've given each! both vivian and bessie have boyfriends back home (and are serving in the war), while all the other girls are either paired with some MOTA boys or not (if you have ideas though, i'd be happy to take them!) this can serve as a silver bullets pairing masterlist!! thank you again and enjoy! <3

PAIRINGS:

ANNIE BRADSHAW X JOHN BRADY

Two pilots who find one another amid a world war, trying to seek out some form of comfort and warmth, in a time filled with grief, mental torment, and uncertainty.

FRANCIS MONTEZ

A co-pilot whose mental battle becomes the biggest proponent next to a world war - wondering if their replacement pilot will step up to plate, if they'll go down and lose Silver Bullets altogether, or if they'll be blasted from the sky in a metal coffin.

BESSIE CARLISLE X THOMAS MCKENZIE (OMC)

Separated by countries and oceans and merely connected through nothing but letters and pressed flowers, with scented envelopes, childhood sweethearts who fell head over heels with one another.

CARRIE ACHTERBERG X JAMES DOUGLASS

Bombardier friends who suddenly find themselves together more often not - and usually always trying to get the other to laugh, even if they're not watching.

KENNEDY FARLEY X JOHN EGAN

In training, she was a waist gunner on his fort. Then he found out she was a Red Sox fan and he, being a loyal Yankees fan, took every opportunity to 'bust her chops'. On tougher days, they seem to linger a little closer to one another than warranted.

MARGIE HARLOWE X BERNARD DEMARCO

Bonded over their love for animals and seemed to hang around one another since. Co-parents it appears to Meatball, the husky won in craps - they say they're just friends though.

JUDY RYBINSKI X ROSIE ROSENTHAL

Losing command pilot after command pilot began to take its toll on the young turret ball gunner, so getting a new pilot who stepped up to the plate and took charge made her gravitate closer toward him more than anything.

MARIANNE SALINGER

Lovingly takes care of an orange cat named Frank who likes to wander the base. Has never been in anything serious with a guy, usually a cheerleader for her friends, if anything.

VIVIAN RATCLIFFE X JAMES PENNINGTON (OMC) (eventual EVERETT BLAKELY)

He worked at her dad's mechanic garage and soon was coming over for dinner at the Ratcliffe household. She hangs onto any letters he sends and spends nights writing back to him in training, hoping one day, they're back on her family's farm once again.

PAULINA STAGLIANO X HAMBONE HAMILTON

Had a boyfriend back home, but when she was in Greenland, wrote that he thought they should break it off - since then has made it her goal to commit entirely to the cause and focus on the world in front of her - and the war.

[genocidalfetus]

Brain Rot Thot

i know not a lot of ppl care, but this is my damn dump bin for my hyper fixations so I'll continue to write, even if it's just me screaming into a void to barely anyone...anyways...

I think the brainworm for my new Throuple started because I want to see Johnny in another light. Do I think he's a toxic Dipshit? Absolutely. But what if being in Kei's head makes him less of one? What if it awakens something in him that makes him realize that he always had feelings for Kerry? And what if he also has feelings for Kei? As for Kerry, he finds himself drawn back to Johnny after fifty years, but also to Kei. The kid has awakened his passion again. Is he a little sus when Johnny expresses the desire to make things up to him? Of course, but Kei becomes the mediator between them, healing them both. Kerry finds it weird, to be with two people, one of them being a ghost, but he's been in weirder dating situations in his lifetime.

At first, Kei allows Johnny to take over to be with Kerry sometimes, until Kerry sees how much of a toll it takes on Kei. A little trip to the Dark Web and Kei finds some tech that can tap into the relic and allow another person to see/hear/feel the construct, something experimental that has been smuggled out of Arasaka by 'someone'. Kei buys the tech and has Judy tweak it so it's safer, then surprises Kerry with it.

The Throuple are able to be with one another, at least in the privacy of their homes, but all three know that this won't last...Kei and Johnny can't co-exist...

[charlesandmartine]

Monday 28th October 2024

Oh it's the glamping life for me! The Cooinda Lodge is a large and diverse site in this wilderness oasis. Cooinda means Happy Meeting Place in the Aboriginal language. Crocodile hunter Tom Opitz and his English wife Judy opened a Tent Store here in June 1964 and that is where it all began. Against all comments at the time, it was Tom that insisted on the name of the place, and now it is on the map. It developed into a more general Store plus fuel then hotel. Now it has chalets, pools, restaurants and the glamping chalet we are staying in for the week. Judy, 90 widowed and living back in England now was the true life inspiration of the character Nicole Kidman played in the film Australia! We have surprised ourselves by actually liking our circumstances here. The canvas chalet is very comfortable and the air-conditioning very efficient. The 'facilities' block, not usually necessarily high on our list of must haves, preferring our own private department, is 20 meters away, very clean, quiet and functional. It also contains a small communal kitchen which is useful. Were the site busy, we might have a different opinion possibly.

The plan today was to head south from Cooinda to the Baramundi Gorge, for here are to be found the waterfalls that pour into the oh so deep rock pools of Maguk. Reaching this beautiful geological feature is not so easy. The first obstacle one spots is at the turning to Maguk itself. For there's a big sign telling you that this is an unsealed road and is suitable only for 4WD vehicles. Happily I know all about the switch that mystically makes our Ford so equipped. Secondly we would need to keep very quiet about travelling a road such as this with Mr Europcar. As we set off down the track, creating clouds of dirt in our wake we form the opinion that this is a piece of cake. However, this is a 10km bit of road, and before long we discover why it is felt a 4WD vehicle might be better suited. Clearly during wetter seasons than we are in now have taken their toll on this road and ruts have been made which would cause the British Army some difficulties. We navigated our way through as best we could, then along sections of ridges that certainly would have thoroughly tested the bits of the car that are usually sensitive to vibration. Then, all was done and we parked up in an empty car park. We are in rainforest, the path we are now taking is on foot and weaves through forest foliage and to either side, swamp. Occasionally there is boardwalk and then a section of boulders to negotiate and climb. And all the way along are signs warning of crocodiles. We came across a monitor lizard or two, none of his larger mates. Then, just as you wonder how much further it could possibly be, the sound of cascading water comes crashing around the rock formation and there is the pool, as deep as deep can be and it was fantastic.

What a relief to be back in the Ford and rumble back over those unsealed roads and back to the lodge with the aircon full on. Cup of tea, pint of Pale Ale and then a free concocted meal using breakfast sausages. All washed down with SB we brought from Darwin. Great day.

ps. There's a cheeky cockatoo that sits on a tap here and drinks from its drips. The next step on evolution might be that he turns the tap?

[johndhu]

Moar Judy X V Thoughts,*spoilers!* Some Due to be in fics (some nsfw under the cut)

V's Nicknames for Judy: Babe, Jude, Judes, Judy Booty (after her infamous drunk text).

Judy's Nicknames for V: Babe, Mi Calabacita, Loca, Val (only when they're alone and even then usually only whispered in her ear)

Judy likes to flop down in V's lap. Typically leads to fingers buried in hair, getting lost in each other's eyes, quiet afternoon dozing.

V donated most of her car collection to the Aldecaldos, but she kept her original ride, Jackie's Arch and used a good chunk of her savings to buy a tractor trailer. With some work by Claire (Who decided to join the family) it's become Judy and V's combined home/garage/armory/bd editing studio.

After they stop V's ticking clock with the help of Panam's expert, V still suffers from occasional migraines. Judy's always there with a blanket, water and blackout curtains for the trailer.

Judy tends to hum to herself, especially when she's in a good mood. She doesn't realize she's doing it until V says the song and artist.

V proposes during a diving trip. She sneaks out early and hides the ring in an interesting spot. Later on when they're both under together she points out the box like "Hey, what's that?" it says "Forever?" under the lid. When Judy turns back to look at V she's awkwardly trying to float on one knee. "Umf! Fuck! Probably shoulda practiced this part." Judy swims over and hugs her tight. "Goddamnit V! You just had to go and make me cry inside this helmet!" "So...?" "Yes! Yes you stupid gonk!"

They both got small Aldecaldos tattoos when they joined the family. When they got married they also had a small line tattooed on their hands half and half so that when they hold hands it spells out "'Till the toll of the bell, then I'll meet you, in heaven or in hell."

For their first anniversary, Judy gives V a shard with the BD of their first date, bad stuff like the relic malfunction edited out. V gives Judy the old poleroid camera they found during the dive, lovingly restored in secret.

Most of the time they make love rather than fuck, but it depends on the evening.

V's a big time service dom. She loves the soft longing in Judy's eyes when she's tied up and V is teasing her. She likes to relax and let judy take the wheel sometimes though.

Judy is a switch. She's either a playful Dom, a brat or the sweetest pillow princess depending on the mood.

Judy's friends in the Mox and her time spent editing has taught her a few pole tricks. She surprises V with a dance on her birthday.

[hauntfcrged]

@coinquinatvs / ed sent a starter.

❝ Y'know, I think we should call Georgiana and ask her to take Judy to the movies while we.. go dancing. Just you and I, no talk of cases, nowhere we have to be.. just time for us. Out of the house, away from everything that even resembles work. — Then when we come back home, maybe we could have a glass of wine, and settle in for a nice, long bath. ❞

A chuckle follows his last words, but truth be told, there wasn't any part of his suggestion that didn't sound entirely delightful. She wouldn't trade the work that she and Ed did together for anything - it wasn't just work, it was their purpose, their calling -- but it was draining in ways that were impossible to explain to those that weren't in the thick of it. Spiritually, emotionally, physically; the work took its' toll on them both, and, no matter how hard they sought to maintain balance, she knew it took a toll on their family, and their marriage as well. Time just for their family, or just for the two of them was a rare treat. And one she would not mind, in the least, indulging in. "I think ... that sounds wonderful," Lorraine replied, her fingers gently smoothing out the edges of his collar, the buttons of his shirt, palms resting lightly on his chest. "I don't remember the last time we went dancing," she admitted. "We could make a night of it. Dinner, dancing. Maybe get a hotel room for the night, stay in the city."