#Kate Makes Spectacular Art and it comes as a surprise to No One

[leeoliver]

my great and heterosexual pal kate @hygiei opened up commissions again so i snagged a dmitri one and suggest you all do the same (snag a commission in general, that is. not specifically of dmitri, but that’s definitely on the table)

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in March

Thought I’d chronicle the films I’ve been watching over the March period, from the 1st to the 31st, and how I’d rate them. If you’re looking for something to watch, perhaps this will help. A lot of these movies are available on streaming services also.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - 10/10

I hadn’t watched this in a couple of years but I was blown away. Peak Scorsese.

Rushmore (1998) - 7/10

Not the best Wes Anderson movie for me but still fun.

Lion (2016) - 8/10

I discussed this at length on my podcast: The Sunday Movie Marathon. Great movie!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10

Now this is one of the best Wes Anderson movies. I discuss this more on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Fantastic, funny and I watched it twice because it’s so much fun.

Inception (2010) - 10/10

Discussed on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Best Christopher Nolan movie for me, Inception is just breathtaking.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) - 5/10

This might be Anderson’s weakest film (at least from what I’ve seen) but it’s still not as bad as a lot of directors at their worst.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 10/10

I was really on an Anderson binge in March. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the most wholesome movies I’ve seen and certainly one of his best films.

Rome, Open City (1945) - 4/10

This was filmed in Nazi-occupied Italy and from that premise, the film enticed me. Despite having some interesting qualities, I do feel that initial pull is most of what the movie has going for it.

The Prestige (2006) - 7/10

I showed this to my brother and for what it’s worth, he enjoyed it. I do think this is one of Nolan’s weaker efforts but considering how much I like it, that speaks a lot to Nolan’s filmography as a whole.

Nostalgia (1983) - 10/10

I watched Nostalgia three times in the space of a week and reviewed it on The Sunday Movie Marathon. It’s phenomenal.

Kangaroo Jack (2003) - 1/10

Another one I watched for the podcast. Kangaroo Jack is truly terrible and it upset me a great deal. Avoid this movie.

Stalker (1979) - 10/10

Another Andrei Tarkovsky movie (director of Nostalgia). I watched this again during the day before my second watch of Nostalgia and while it’s hard to compare such different movies, I enjoy Stalker more. It’s a staple of Russian cinema for a reason.

Four Lions (2010) - 5/10

Watched for the podcast. I didn’t really gel with this comedy but it would certainly appeal to someone who enjoys the humour, as my co-hosts did.

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 6/10

This Sam Mendes joint was a tad too melodramatic but still boasted some great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Metropolis (1927) - 6/10

This silent film is a staple in cinematic history. Its themes are as painfully relevant today as they were in the 20’s, yet despite that I found a lot of it to be intensely boring. After it hit the hour mark, I started playing it at 1.5x speed.

Crimson Peak (2015) - 4/10

A lot of great set design and costumes and colours, yet the story itself was madly uninteresting.

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004) - 10/10

Who doesn’t love a good movie written by Charlie Kaufman? I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and after a third watch, it is as fascinating as it is gut-wrenching.

Godzilla (2014) - 3/10

If you wanted to see Godzilla fight a bunch of monsters for two hours, then this is not the movie for you. There’s maybe about ten minutes total of on-screen Godzilla action and considering that’s really all anyone’s watching this for, it’s amazing the titular sea lizard occupies so little of the movie.

Prisoners (2013) - 10/10

Brilliant mystery thriller by my favourite director, Denis Villeneuve. Discussed on the podcast.

Eraserhead (1977) - 7/10

David Lynch’s debut feature film went down in my estimations this time around. You can listen to why on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Still, Eraserhead is a very good movie.

Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981) - 6/10

The first Indiana Jones movie proved to be a fun romp and Harrison Ford plays the character beautifully. I’m just not a big fan of Spielberg and his average verging on pretty good but rarely ever great movies. Perhaps on a second watch, I may enjoy this more.

The Seventh Seal (1957) - 9/10

Watching this movie again was so much fun. So far, it’s my favourite Ingmar Bergman film. It’s a celebration of life and love, with an underlying sense of dread as death looms ever-present.

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984) - 5/10

I can tell why this generally looked on as the weakest in the trilogy. Harrison Ford is still great but the movie dragged a lot and felt more like a bunch of things happening for the sake of it rather than a fun action/adventure.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989) - 7/10

The Last Crusade was a lot of fun and maybe it was Sean Connery’s inclusion, or perhaps the bottle of wine I drank through the movie elevated my enjoyment. But alcohol aside, I still believe this to be the best in the series.

Justice League (2017) - 2/10

People really weren’t kidding when they said this was bad. I watched this in preparation for the Snyder cut and I was not happy. This took years off my life.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) - 3/10

Barely any better and double the run-time of the original. I discussed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and I was certainly not impressed. Better luck next time, Zack!

The Truman Show (1998) - 10/10

Brilliant movie and one I would highly recommend for a stellar Jim Carrey performance. This was another recommendation for the podcast.

Eighth Grade (2018) - 7/10

I was impressed with Bo Burnham’s debut feature. This is a coming of age story centred around a young girl growing up in the modern world and how it can affect the youth of today. Burnham shows a deep understanding of youth culture and a real knack for filmmaking.

Bad Education (2019) - 8/10

A real “yikes!” movie. If you want to learn a bit about the embezzlement that took place in an American school back in the early 2000’s, you need not look further than this tight drama with fantastic performances from Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney.

Twelve Monkeys (1995) - 8/10

One of the only movies where the time travel makes sense. I recommended this for The Sunday Movie Marathon and it’s pretty great.

Ready Or Not (2019) - 7/10

Despite a premise that is not wholly original and a super goofy third act, Ready Or Not is gory, violent fun with a lot of stylish art direction.

Dead Man (1995) - 3/10

Recommended on the podcast. I really did not get a lot out of Dead Man. It’s a very slow movie about Johnny Depp going through the woods and killing some people on the way, but it’s two hours long and hugely metaphorical and sadly it just didn’t connect.

Misbehaviour (2020) - 6/10

A big draw for me in Misbehaviour is Keira Knightley; I think she’s a great actor and I’m basically on board with anything she does. I’d been wanting to see this for a while and I was shocked to see just how relevant it is (being set in 1970) to the world we find ourselves in today, where women are still fighting to be heard and to be treated equally. While the film is not spectacular, I still got a lot from its themes, so recently after the murder of Sarah Everard and how women are being treated in their protest.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (1964) - 7/10

I was surprised at just how hilarious this early Kubrick movie is. While I can’t say it floored me or took any top spots, it’s still a great examination of the military and how they respond to threats or try to solve problems and the side of war we don’t often see in films: the people in the background sitting in a room making crucial decisions.

Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10

Wow! I can’t believe I’d never seen this before but I’d never really had access to it. Taxi Driver is a beautifully made movie with so much colour and vibrancy. De Niro puts on perhaps his best performance and Paul Schrader’s timeless script works miracles.

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - 5/10

Classic Tim Burton aesthetics in a pretty by the numbers, almost Supernatural-esque story eked out over an hour and forty minutes.

Seaspiracy (2021) - 6/10

Everyone’s going crazy over this documentary and I agree it tackles important issues we’re facing today surrounding the commercialization of the fishing industry, but a lot of what’s presented here is information already available to the public. The editing feels misplaced at times and the tone is all over the place. Nonetheless, it’s still quite fascinating to see good journalism being done in a way that exposes this side of the industry.

Pirates of The Carribean: The Curse of The Black Pearl (2003) - 8/10

Super fun and a great first instalment in a franchise that sadly seems to have peaked at the first hurdle.

My Octopus Teacher (2020) - 8/10

Great cinematography and a lovely premise, this documentary has garnered an Oscar nomination and I can see why.

The Sisters Brothers (2018) - 8/10

A really solid western I was happy to watch again. It’s a shame no one really talks about this movie because it is excellent with stunning visuals and great performances.

Pirates of The Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) - 5/10

A strangely massive drop in quality from the original. If I didn’t like the whole concept of this franchise so much, I might have had a worse time.

Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 8/10

On a second watch, Tarantino’s first feature is still wildly impressive.

Life of Brian (1979) - 7/10

This is perhaps my third time watching Monty Python’s Life of Brian and it’s still incredibly funny, however it never manages to measure up to its predecessor (and one of my all time favourites), Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @vanessawolfie!

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Post Season 6 AU, BDSM, Dom!Stiles/sub!Derek, Alpha!Stiles, established relationship 

Read on AO3

 *****

Green Eyes

Chapter One

It was a mystery to Stiles how they got here. Sometimes it felt like he had blinked and changed overnight from being Scott’s sidekick and extraneous human to an emissary-in-training and general badass. On other days he looked in the mirror and saw how much he had changed in the past six years, going from adolescent to man and now more than able to hold his own. Either way he was grateful because it had brought him more than he would have ever thought he’d get. He had a good job working as a supernatural consultant, his Spark carefully nurtured into maturity as Deaton’s apprentice after they were finally done with Gerard and Kate. Now he was the one being courted by other packs, no longer living in Scott’s shadow even though he was loyal to his pack and his alpha.

He lived in a small house on the edge of the Preserve with enough land to have a well-tended garden and access to the woods behind him. It was close enough that if he wanted to he could stroll out into the trees at night and stare at the stars or run with the huge black wolf that haunts them at night. Once he was done, he went home to lie in the huge bed in the loft that they’d converted to an attic and listened for the distinctive bang of the oversized doggie door that lead into the kitchen at the back of the house. He’d installed it as a joke, almost vibrating with glee when he’d unveiled it to the house’s other occupant only to get a raised eyebrow and a slow grin that had told him that his challenge was most definitely accepted. In fact, Derek used it more than he used any of the other entrances into their home.

Ah yes, Derek. Another little surprise Stiles had had on the way to adulthood (not maturity because it’s still abundantly clear that he doesn’t have much at the best of times. The time honoured way to settle disputes in the Stilinski-Hale household is by thumb war.) but one that he’d been delighted to get. After the Argents were dealt with, there had been a very short lived thing with Lydia, which had pretty much exploded in their faces and the first time they had had sex had left them both confessing that it wasn’t going to be a thing. Two weeks later, Lydia was at MIT and he was at Berkley and their friendship had been cemented. Three years later and they’d both come home and Lydia had moved straight into her grandmother’s lakehouse with a certain deputy/hellhound who’d quietly become a permanent fixture in her life and Stiles was on his own again. Scott and Malia were headed for long term mated bliss with the pack’s first cub on the way, Jackson and Ethan had moved back to the US and were living in San Francisco and the rest of Scott’s pack were paired off so he was on his own again.

Well, him and Derek. It had been only sensible for the two of them to rift towards each other just like they had before, their relationship slowly changing until they had a standing pizza night, standing baseball night, standing dinner with the Sheriff night and a standing avoiding Peter night. The fact that they were spending almost every evening together, frequently falling asleep on each other’s couches and then in each other’s beds, had hit them both by surprise when Noah and Peter had pointed out that they were in fact behaving like they were in a committed relationship. Stiles remembered the night vividly. It had started with he and Derek laughing over ribs and beer about what their respective family members had said and then suddenly they were staring at each other.

‘Shit.’ Stiles had looked at Derek, drawn in by those beautiful iridescent green eyes like he always was. ‘I think I love you.’

‘Fuck.’ Derek had looked equally astonished. ‘I think I love you too.’

The next thing they’d been kissing and that had turned into hands down each other’s pants and tongues in mouths and toppling over onto the sofa. Clothes had gone flying and Stiles had discovered that werewolves did not in fact have knots. They did, however, have a thing for scenting his neck and biting the insides of his thighs so it was still a win. Things had been surprisingly easy after that, he and Derek falling into sleeping with each other and becoming an item like they’d been doing it all along. Which, he supposed they actually had. Now it was two years later and they were mated and happier than Stiles had thought possible, even if Derek shed all over the couch and drank milk straight from the carton and his closet contained no less than seven different leather jackets.

Of course, that didn’t mean he hadn’t been caught off guard by some things. He had known what to expect with Derek in terms of his traumatic past and abandonment issues and the guilt he wore like a second skin. He hadn’t expected the need for boundaries that Derek had gradually trusted him enough to confess to needing. Being a beta wolf in a large pack had made him very aware of where his place was and what was expected of him and their loss, Laura’s death and Derek’s brief stint as an alpha had thrown all his instincts out of wack. Added to that was the loss of not one but two packs and a desperate need to trust and submit but with nobody he could do that with. He and Scott were still suspicious of each other, their less than amicable relationship meaning that Derek was not officially pack, although as a Hale he had land claims that meant that they had to play nice and share Beacon Hills. It didn’t help that Stiles had openly stated that he would not necessarily be taking Deaton’s place as Scott’s emissary.

Because of all this, it was fair to say that when he and Stiles had gotten together, Scott had not been best pleased. It had taken Stiles sitting him down and relating every single way Scott had screwed both him and Derek over in the past four years until Scott had lost his temper and declared that maybe he was being an asshole but that Stiles was being a traitor. Stiles had promptly chucked the rest of his beer in Scott’s face and stalked out of the bar, refusing to even speak to him until three days later when Scott had turned up on his doorstep and declared that the fact that he’d been an asshole was not in dispute and that he was very sorry and he’d appreciate if Stiles would forgive him.

Stiles had met Malia’s gold eyes over Scott’s hunched shoulders and grinned. They had not worked out but he was glad that Scott had someone like her to be blunt enough to get him to pull his head out of his ass. Derek, of course, had wanted to go over and eat Scott’s face off. Stiles had laughingly considered it for all of a second and then bopped him on the nose with a rolled up comic. So now here they were, a Spark and a werewolf who bordered on being an omega playing house and trying to just get through all the shit that the supernatural world threw at them.

The way Stiles had gone to bat for Derek just like he always did had meant that with their new dynamic there had been a subtle shift in the way Derek interacted with him. He had become more tactile, fiercely protective but also in need of reassurance and approval from Stiles in a way that he hadn’t been before. Stiles had been a little bemused by things until one night when he’d been doing his best to fuck Derek into the bed and he’d reached out and playfully pinned Derek’s hands to the bed. He’d never thought anyone could come that hard, but apparently it was a thing because the next time he did it Derek growled loud enough to rattle the windows and bit right through the comforter.

So, Stiles being Stiles, he’d gone into research mode and read all he could on wolf pack dynamics and nearly kicked himself for missing it. Derek being a near omega meant that he had a compulsive need to submit to an alpha and it was getting completely out of control. Stiles laying down the law on his behalf with Scott meant that his wolfy self had taken this as a sign that Stiles was now his alpha and of course wanted to submit to him. There was a hell of a lot of bullshit all twisted up with this so Stiles knew had had to tread carefully and he took the maxim of sane, safe and consensual very very seriously.

What he hadn’t realised was just how much he would enjoy it.

They had started off slow with Stiles gently restraining Derek during sex with his hands (not ropes, never ropes) and scenting him in the way he’d learned Scott did with his pack. That had turned into Stiles issuing instructions and Derek had fallen instantly into giving over control, the relief evident on his face when Stiles took charge. There had been other things, Stiles playing around with his role of stand in alpha. He’d learned to mimic an alpha’s deep growl enough to make Derek whine and bare his throat to him. Through magic, he was able to flash his eyes red and change his scent to the musky richness of an alpha wolf and the results had been spectacular. Now all he had to do was adopt the authoritative tone he used during their scenes and Derek’s pale eyes would go soft and hazy and he’d fall willingly to his knees, sitting at Stiles’ feet with an adoring look on his face.

Stiles wasn’t one to disregard such a gift and in truth, he completely got off on Derek being comfortable enough to trust him with every choice that needed to be made. He’d always wanted to be in control, wanted to be more than he had been and save everyone around him. Now he had a way to make that come true, just the littlest bit. The power he felt was heady and addictive and now they had it down to a fine art. Stiles had learned to read Derek so well that he could tell just when his sourwolf needed to let go and give everything up for a while.

Which was why he was now looking at Derek arguing with Scott about border disputes and knew that he was getting close to shutting down in that way he did when he was overwhelmed. It had taken years for Stiles to realise that the bad attitude, general tendency towards violence and the need to martyr himself was Derek reacting to being given to much to carry. He was so bad at asking for help that he just turned it inward and Stiles knew that he’d be hostile and snappy for hours afterwards if he didn’t do something.

‘Scott.’ Derek’s voice was tight and the tension in his shoulders was more than evident. ‘We can’t just turn up there uninvited. That would be considered a hostile act.’ He wasn’t pack per se but he was still consulted in matters where his knowledge of born wolves and how they worked outstripped any other information than the rest of them had.

‘So we’re just going to wait for them to bring the fight to us?’ Scott had his arms folded. Stiles could not fault his bravery or his wanting to do the right thing, but he still didn’t think things through like he should. ‘This is my territory, Derek. I’m not just handing it over.’

Derek’s eyes flashed once and a muscle in his jaw twitched and Stiles knew that was going to the be the final straw. Scott’s grand declarations of ‘his’ territory didn’t sit well with him at all, but Stiles knew better than to let him get into it right then.

‘If you’re not going to listen, why the hell did you ask my opinion?’ He snapped and Stiles decided enough was enough.

‘Okay, we’re done here.’ He got up from the chair he’d been occupying and walked over to where the two wolves were standing off. ‘I think we all need a time out and it’s after two, Scott. We’ve got to work in the morning.’

‘I agree.’ Lydia yawned where she was on the couch, her head cushioned on Jordan’s shoulder.

‘Yeah, I got to second that.’ He smiled at Lydia like she was his entire world and Stiles was once again grateful that Lydia had found someone who valued her and appreciated her the way she deserved. ‘I think we should call it a night.’

Scott’s face changed and he glanced around the room, seeing for the first time how his betas’ heads were all drooping. Stiles was convinced that Liam had slept through the last hour.

‘We’re not done.’ he said and Stiles sighed.

‘We’re also not making any progress and I’m tired and they’re tired and I want to go home and get into bed with my mate.’ He reached out, hand going to the back of Derek’s neck. He squeezed gently enough that it was barely noticeable, but the effect was immediate and he felt the tension flow right out of Derek’s body.

‘Fine.’ Scott threw up his hands and then looked around. ‘Where’s Malia?’

‘She went up to bed an hour ago.’ Mason was hauling a sleepy Cory off the chair he’d been curled up in.

‘See?’ Stiles grinned. ‘We should follow the pregnant coyote’s example.’ He did not mention that the last thing he planned on doing when he got Derek home was sleeping.

Goodbyes were finally said and everyone got into their respective vehicles and left Scott’s house. Stiles was the last, standing on the porch while Derek lurked by the Jeep.

‘He’s right, you know.’ he said and Scott frowned. ‘You should trust what he says.’

‘He’s not pack.’ he replied. ‘And I think sometimes you’re too close to see that he’s not always right.’

‘Neither are you.’ Stiles countered. ‘And he may not be pack but he’s my mate. That should be enough.’ He patted Scott on the shoulder and walked down to where Derek was waiting. They got in the car and Stiles watched him lean back, breathing out deeply.

‘Hey.’ He kept his voice low and warm. ‘Look at me.’

Derek did, his eyes tinged with blue. Stiles cupped his face in his hand and ran his thumb over Derek’s lower lip.

‘Safeword?’ he said and Derek’s eyes flared.

‘Aconite.’ He growled it out and Stiles smiled.

‘Okay. You’re going to sit there and let me drive you home. Once we get there, I want you to go inside and upstairs. You’re going to get ready and wait for me. Got that?’

Derek nodded, rubbing his cheek against Stiles’ hand.

‘Yes, Stiles.’ He was completely different to the way he’d been inside, all banked power and slowly relaxing into the role he was going to play.

‘Good.’ Stiles started the car. ‘Let’s go home.’

Chapter Two

The drive home was all of twenty-five minutes but it felt like longer. Stiles used the time to tune into his mate, letting his magic show him Derek’s aura. It was its usual blend of deep blue and green shading to almost black, but tonight also shot through with deep red. The anger was slowly dissipating though and Stiles put a hand on Derek’s knee and squeezed. Derek rumbled deep in his chest, part plea and part defiance. He was already on his way though, falling into the headspace he needed to let Stiles take control and his movements were lethargic as he got out the car.

Stiles followed him, checking the Jeep was locked up before heading to the front door. He unlocked it and ushered Derek inside, glancing back once to check for anything out of the ordinary before going inside. He locked up, listening to the heavy thud of Derek’s boots going up the stairs. He placed his left hand flat against the door and the symbols inscribed into the wood lit up sliver as the wards locked down for the night. These ones shrouded the house in silence, blocking out everything and keeping away any would be intruders. Stiles preferred complete privacy for what he and Derek did and this was a guarantee that they would be undisturbed.

He fussed around for a while, getting bottled water and fruit juice out the fridge and some of Derek’s favourite chocolate bars from the cupboard. He could hear the shower going and considered doing the same in the guest bathroom, then decided against it. Derek liked him to smell like himself and the spell that Stiles used to alter his scent wouldn’t be as effective if there was no base to work from. He walked slowly up the stairs, giving Derek plenty of time to get into position and settle himself as well. His own headspace was equally important and Stiles took his role as Dom seriously. Derek’s care was his first and foremost thought.

Their bedroom was at the end of the landing, the door closed. Stiles approached and stopped just before he opened it, invoking the spell that would turn his eyes red and make him smell the way Derek expected him to. Alpha’s gave off a unique cocktail of pheromones that induced obedience in their betas and Stiles sensed the change in more than just his appearance. He felt more dominant like this, as if his natural aggression was ramped up a level. He’d had to work hard on his control, but it had been worth it. He cracked the door and got his first look at what was waiting for him, his breath catching.

Derek was kneeling facing the side of the bed waiting for him. His naked skin had an ethereal glow in the dim light of the nightlight, something Stiles had never quite been able to figure out given that Derek didn’t lie around in the sun regularly. His head was bowed, the beautifully sculpted line of his shoulders contrasted with his inky black hair and the stark curves of the triscele between his shoulder blades. His legs were folded neatly beneath him, the bare soles of his feet oddly vulnerable, and Stiles knew that his hands would be folded in his lap, holding the simple black leather collar they used and waiting for Stiles to put it on.

He took his time, setting out the drinks and snacks on the nightstand and going into their bathroom to undress. He stripped down, shedding his clothes and shoes until he stood naked and taking in his reflection in the mirror. He wasn’t the same skinny teenager he’d once been. Now Stiles was strong and muscular, although he’d never achieve the same level of ripped as Derek. He had abs now and hair that grew in a patch on his chest, thickening down his stomach to his cock. Derek loved it, enjoyed rubbing his face along it and getting his scent all over Stiles. He met his own gaze, the starling crimson of his irises a perfect reproduction of an alpha wolf’s. He’d tried with fangs once as well, but it hadn’t worked so now he just held onto the back of Derek’s neck with his human teeth. They worked just as well.

He left the bathroom, turning off the light and going to the bed. He was already getting hard, heat curdling in his chest as he came to stand in front of Derek. He drew in a deep breath and reached out, fingers brushing Derek’s hair.

‘Derek.’ He kept his voice perfectly measured. ‘Look at me.’

Derek responded beautifully, his green eyes blown and his mouth slightly open as he looked up at Stiles. There was no tension left in him, every line soft and easy in a way Stiles had never seen before they’d started doing this. It made Derek look years younger and Stiles took a moment to feel for the young man he’d once been and whose innocence had been so brutally ripped from him. It brought out all his protectiveness, and he gently cupped Derek’s chin and smiled at him.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked. ‘You want this?’

‘Yes, Stiles.’ Derek smiled back, completely at ease. He blinked slowly like a cat, thick dark lashes hiding a subtle flicker of blue as he submitted, tipping his head to the side to expose his neck. Stiles rested a hand on the exposed skin, thumb stroking over the jumping pulse in his neck.

‘You’re so beautiful.’ He never got tired of telling Derek that. ‘So obedient. You’re a perfect beta.’

Derek’s pleased rumble filled up the air between them, his eyes dipping in a bashful display so unlike his normal self-assurance. It was flirtatious too, and Stiles could almost feel the electricity between them.

‘Behave.’ He tightened his grip and Derek shuddered under his hand. He was also hard now, uncut cock rising from his lap and gleaming at the tip. Stiles held out his other hand and gestured for the collar. ‘Give it to me.’

Derek offered it up in both hands and Stiles took it, running the supple leather through his fingers before sitting down on the edge of the bed and spreading his legs.

‘Here.’ he ordered and Derek rose up enough to shuffle on his knees between Stiles feet. He waited patiently as Stiles collared him, tightening the buckle securely enough but leaving enough room for Derek to breathe unimpeded. It was plain, the steel fittings the only embellishment. The second it was on, Derek let out a soft breath and he leaned in far enough to rub his cheek against the inside of Stiles knee. His stubble scratched deliciously and Stiles rewarded him by running his fingers through Derek’s hair, getting a handful and tugging softly.

‘You good?’ he asked and Derek smiled at him.

‘Yes, Stiles.’ His eyes were now glowing blue, muted by his emotional state, drifting happily into subspace almost effortlessly.

‘I’m going to make all the decisions.’ Stiles told him. ‘I just want you to be. Can you do that for me?’

‘Yes, I can.’ Derek pushed into the hand in his hair.

‘Good.’ Stiles leaned back on his other hand and gently guided Derek forward. ‘Hands behind your back and open your mouth. You know what I want.’

Derek nuzzled in close, his hot damp breath hitting Stiles cock. He moaned softly and licked up the length of Stiles’ cock, the velvety drag of his tongue knocking all thought out of Stiles’ head. As much as he loved to give Derek his quiet, it was just as effective in silencing his own racing mind, drawing his focus down this single thing. It got even better when Derek slid his mouth over the head of Stiles’ cock, lowering to take him in as far as he could. He was good at this, sucking hard on the lift before easing back down again in a steady rhythm that had Stiles clutching at his hair again and panting. He could come easily from this, but he didn’t want to yet and so he gripped tightly and guided Derek’s head into a slower pace. Derek went with it, swallowing around Stiles and using his tongue just under the head and driving Stiles slowly insane until he finally pulled him off. Derek’s eyes were back to green and glazed over, his mouth swollen and wet. He licked his lips, eyes flicking back down to Stiles’ cock with undisguised desire.

‘No.’ Stiles pushed him back onto his heels. ‘Not yet.’

He leaned back and looked at Derek, taking in the way his chest heaved and his breathing stuttered. He was deep in subspace now and it wouldn’t take much more to put him completely under and send him right off into a deep dreamless sleep.

Stiles got up, moving to the side and pointing at the bed. Derek had pulled back the covers as part of getting ready for their scene.

‘Up.’ He’s still so calm, a side of himself that he found utterly unnerving the first time he’d fallen into his own dom space. ‘Get on your knees and spread your legs for me. Hands on the rails.’

Derek unfolded himself from the floor, getting onto the bed and into position. He gripped the cast iron footboard in both hands. Back perfectly arched as he spread his knees apart and presented

himself to Stiles. There was a gleam between his legs and Stiles smiled. Derek paid close attention to his instructions and knew that Stiles liked him wet.

He got on behind him, admiring the shadowed planes of Derek’s body and rubbing a hand over the dimples just above his ass. Derek growled happily and Stiles decided to push him a little bit.

‘Is this what you wanted?’ His other hand grabbed one muscular thigh and squeezed. ‘You want your alpha to mount you?’

The growl turned into a whine and Stiles gave him an admonishing swat on the ass.

‘Say it.’ he demanded. ‘Ask me for it.’ He ran his hand down, thumb dragging over Derek’s entrance and then pushing in easily. Inside Derek was hot and wet, clenching down around the intrusion.

‘Please.’ It was rough with want. ‘Mount me, Alpha.’

The words went straight to Stiles’ cock and he got in close, guiding himself to rest against’ Derek’s body, precome adding to the slick glide.

‘I want you to howl for me.’ he instructed and then pushed in, bottoming out in one steady thrust.

Derek tipped his head back, fangs bared and claws clinking against the railing in his hands. His snral was harsh, and he pushed back hard onto Stiles’ cock, the muscles in his back and ass flexing in a way that made Stiles’ mouth go dry.

He got a firm grip on Derek’s hips, easing back out and then slamming back in. It jolted Derek forward and he made a sound like an angry dog, dropping his head and arching his back into an exaggerated curve. Stiles laughed and started a punishing rhythm of thrust and pullback, the impact of their bodies loud in his ears and the smell of them both overwhelming to even his nose. Derek was growling continuously, his skin sheened with sweat and the corded muscles of his forearms standing out.

‘That’s it.’ Stiles upped his pace, driving in as hard as he could. There would be bruises on his hims the next day but he was damned if he would stop. ‘I want to see you come. Let it go, baby.’

‘Fuck, Stiles…’ Derek sounded desperate and he took one hand off the railing to stroke his cock, the movement of his hand falling in with the way Stiles was pounding into him. It wasn’t before he was bearing down hard around Stiles’ cock, chasing his orgasm and throwing his head back to howl when it hit. Stiles fell forward, one hand around Derek’s throat and his teeth sinking into the back of Derek’s neck as he followed, the strength of it enough to white out his vision and make him deaf to anything but the rush of blood in his ears.

He fucked his way through it, spilling deep inside Derek until he finally stopped shaking. Beneath him Derek was a writhing mess, whining like a cub and collapsing onto the bed. Unfortunately he took Stiles with him, his own descent nowhere near as grateful. He didn’t pull out though, knowing that Derek’s instincts loved being filled in imitation of mating.

They lay there until their breathing regulated and Stiles lifted enough to gently ease out of him. He smiled at the sight of his come leaking from Derek’s body, his open mouth tracing a wet soothing line down Derek’s sweat-drenched back, salt bursting on his tongue.

‘You good?’ he asked and Derek made a muffled noise of assent into the bed. He was drifting now and Stiles gave him a pat and got off the bed. It was a quick walk to the bathroom for a washcloth to clean them both up and then he manhandled Derek up and back onto the pillows, cracking a bottle of water and feeding it to him, followed by a couple of pieces of clementine and chocolate.

Derek’s smile was beatific, his eyes now perfectly clear. It was such a gorgeous sight, never failing to take Stiles’ breath away and he leaned in and kissed him, soft swipes of his tongue through Derek’s mouth.

‘You sleepy now, baby?’ he asked and Derek made a low noise that sounded suspiciously like a purr, snuggling down into the covers that Stiles pulled over them. He ended up nestled into Stiles side, his mouth against Stiles’ neck.

‘Thank you.’ he mumbled and Stiles kissed the top of his head, absently spitting out a mouthful of hair afterwards.

‘You’re welcome.’ He pulled Derek in closer. ‘But you’re making breakfast tomorrow.’

‘Okay, Alpha.’ Derek’s voice was fuzzy with fatigue and he was asleep before Stiles even had a chance to turn off the light. He muttered a small incantation and it fizzled out, leaving them in the dark and the quiet. He lay back down and closed his eyes, drifting off to Derek’s soft snores and the steady thud of his heartbeat under Stiles’ hand.

Tomorrow would undoubtedly bring more bullshit but for now, Stiles could keep his beta safe.

[americanateurovision]

Get To Know Your Eurovision Entries: Semi 1, Part 2

Welcome back to Get To Know Your Eurovision Entries! Let’s continue with our analysis of the 2019 Eurovision songs. Next up, the remaining eight acts of the first semi-final. (If you’re curious about the others, check them out here.)

Belgium: “Wake Up,” Eliot

The last time Belgium did well at Eurovision was in 2017, with a young lady named Blanche. So this year, Belgium has teamed up the writer of that song, Pierre Doumoulin, with singer Eliot Vassamillet. Much like 2017′s “City Lights,” “Wake Up” is modern, moody, and cool.

Georgia: “Sul tsin iare,” Oto Nemsadze

Well, let’s be honest, this is a rough one. Georgia doesn’t have a great track record at Eurovision; they’ve haven’t made the final since 2016. Singer Oto Nemsadze sings with passion, but his vocal stylings are jarring. “Sul tsin iare”means “Keep On Going,” and while the performance is powerful, it lacks universal appeal.

Australia: “Zero Gravity,” Kate Miller-Heidke

After several years of internal selections, Australia decided to open things up this year and had their first ever national selection show, Eurovision– Australia Decides. Kate Miller-Heidke, a classically trained singer and actress, was declared the winner, and this is an entry you have to see to believe. The giant platform dress– yes, we’ve seen that all before (here, here, and here). But the dark creature behind her on a pogo stick? That’s supposed to be a physical representation of “depression.” Rehearsals in Tel Aviv have just started, and rumor has it the Australians are changing things up a bit for the big show. They promise something even bigger and better.

Iceland: "Hatrið mun sigra,“ Hatari

Only Iceland could give us a performance like this. They’re a techno-punk-metal-BDSM-anti-captialist group with an uplifting message behind their song: "Hatrið mun sigra” means “Hate Will Prevail.” An usual sentiment for Eurovision, until you realize Hatari are… 90% not serious. Let’s call them an art school project all grown up. You see, when they get out of the leather and latex, they really seem like pretty nice guys! If everyone in Israel’s in on the joke, then they’ll succeed at doing Silvia Night better than Silvia Night.

Of course "Hatrið mun sigra” has created quite a stir among fans. But this is the kind of absurdity that could win Eurovision (remember 2006?). Apparently in Iceland, some of their biggest fans are toddlers and grandmas– so it would seem they appeal to a wide audience. Iceland is the only Nordic country who’s never won Eurovision, but they’ve come second twice, first in 1999. And then again, in 2009. Maybe 2019 will be their lucky year.  

Estonia: “Storm,” Victor Crone

Estonia outsourced this year by selecting Victor Crone of Sweden to represent them at Eurovision. You may remember Victor from Melodifestivalen 2015. This time, he went to nearby Estonia, got himself a song co-written by Estonian superstar Stig Rästa, and won Eesti Laul. “Storm” is a country-twinged pop song, catchy, although a little generic.  

Portugal: “Telemóveis,” Conan Osiris

Portugal, true to form, is sending us something completely different. But this year, it’s quite captivating. Conan Osiris (real name: Tiago Miranda) is an ARTISTE, darling. “Telemóveis” is a song that combines elements of traditional Portugese fado music with Asian influences. It’s extremely experimental, and will definitely stand out. Which is a risk, but one that will probably pay off.

Greece: “Better Love,” Katerine Duska

After failing to qualify for the final last year with a Hellenic ballad, Greece is back to their normal form by sending a party song. Katerine Duska is a native Canadian, of Greek ancestry, and has a very Florence Welch vibe. “Better Love”is cool and current, and it’s likely the Greeks will give us a very polished performance.

San Marino: “Say Na Na Na,” Serhat

Serhat, who previously represented San Marino in 2016, had one of the surprise hits of that year with his song “I Didn’t Know.” He came 12th in his semi-final, so he just failed to make the final, but a star was born that day. He went on to record a disco duet of the song with Martha Wash(!), of The Weather Girls(!!), that popped up on the US dance charts. So it was inevitable that Serhat would return to Eurovision one day. “Say Na Na Na” continues with the disco theme. It’s one of the year’s most joyous, and also, most stupid, songs. Serhat was chosen to close out first semi-final, which means we can probably expect a high-energy, fabulous performance. San Marino has only made the final once in its decade of Eurovision participation, so hopefully Serhat will give us something spectacular once again.

That’s the first semi-final for you! Tune in on Tuesday, May 14th to see for yourself how things pan out. Get To Know Your Eurovision Entries (GTKYEE) will continue next week.

[shorthaircutsmodels]

Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles - 10+ - https://shorthaircutsmodels.com/kate-bosworths-short-haircuts-and-hairstyles/ - Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, Next sprinkle volumizing powder or dry shampoo Brager Kevin Murphy recommends puffing powder for added texture to hair lengths. Then, starting at the top of the ears, tie the hair into a half-up half-down knot, including the ends of your braid. Secure with a clear elastic band. Any part of his face was left to tuck behind his ears. Finish the look with Hairspray. Brager recommends bumble, and bumble does it all. Naturally Kate is perfect with both long and short hair. Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, But change is good. And we're excited to see what comes out of the pipeline that requires such dramatic chops. For this tousled texture, Josh steamed the John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves sea salt spray over towel-dried hair and then dried it with a diffuser and fingers. He added some polish when needed and smoothed the top with a flat iron. You want to show me your name. Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, my bag, your new bag. Actress Kate Bosworth rocks her bag which she received while her name Kate was recently outgoing. Apart from the custom handbag she wears her long locks in a straight hairdo to complete the edgy outfit. Kate Bosworth's Short Hairstyles Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, But warns his longtime friend and hairdresser Harry Josh, you wouldn't dare say he's skipping a trend. While the Bobs are huge at the moment, Kate's focus is on her craft. She has several big upcoming roles so she knew the cut would be as good as she explains as her long hair was bound. Josh broke his 10-inch locks while visiting his home in New York City. Kate Bosworth's Haircuts and Hairstyles Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, FYI, supermodel Helena Christensen was there because they were all eating together like Gorgeous, Beautiful People. Her stylist John Frieda Beach Bosworth towel dried hair into blonde sea waves of sea salt to get the look spritzed. Josh then used a diffuser and his fingers to work on the product until it dried. He eventually used his signature Pro Tools ceramic forming iron to add definition to the waves and straighten the top of the star's hair. Kate Bosworth's Hairstyles Kate Bosworth's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, What do you think of Kate Bosworth's new bob haircut? Sound off in the comments section and take inspiration from the more famous tousled bob hair in the slideshow below. Earlier today celebrity hairdresser Harry Josh thrilled us all when he posted this Instagram photo with the headline OK I just cut literally a foot off a mystery actress. It will be unveiled on the red carpet tonight. A photo posted by Harry Josh @harryjoshhair on January 13, 2020 at 9.44 am PST now we know the identity of this mystery actress. Kate Bosworth. Here's her new cut that got her for her upcoming role in 90 minutes in Paradise debuting her hair according to her own. Kate Bosworth's Short Hair Instagram pic. A photo posted by Harry Josh @harryjoshhair on January 13 2021 at 12.43 PM PST recently saw a lot of actresses getting this kind of tousled bob but this may be my favourite band. She looks gorgeous and her hairstyle is perfect. After filming was completed, Kate voted that she should keep this look for a while. We Love actress hair because it looks chic. Here we take some photos of Kate Bosworth and hope you can find your favourite ones. Kate Bosworth completes her embellished outfit with a simple ponytail. Kate Bosworth's Hair The actress styles them as a long side neighborhood and a ponytail pulls them back. Hair goes well with her red lipstick and opens up her pretty face. You can easily copy your hair but you have the first silky straight hairstyle. Kate Bosworth's long hair did two-tone tresses. She pulls all the locks up and ties an easy ponytail high. Hair can lengthen the neck and reveal make-up perfectly. It can be worn by any girl with long hair. Kate Bosworth gives a funny braid with a side part for her long hair. She looks like she's next door. Braided hair can always bring a fresh and beautiful look to the hair. Anyone can try the little braid in any color you want. Kate Bosworth's braided hair is a bit sophisticated. Kate Bosworth Hairstyles-Kate Bosworth Hair Pictures Her locks are braided and placed behind her elegant head. Hair complements her ensemble and brings a retro vibe. If you want to look at your hair you can use lots of hairpins and anti frizz hair Productions. First the fairy, then bob. Now the locks are getting longer. On Tuesday, Still Alice star and Trendsetter Kate Bosworth revealed on Instagram that she cut her locks into an asymmetrical lobe of the season. A new haircut can really change your life. Just ask actress Kate Bosworth, who got a new bob haircut on Instagram on Tuesday. Kate Bosworth haircut Kate Bosworth has now been serving cool girl super chic lewks for almost two decades. Starting with her Blue Crush days and literally up to the girl rn has always been able to make us swoon and gave us serious hair envy along the way. From possibly having the world's first lob to fearlessly switching from Platinum to strawberry and doing a twist of duty on her own are some of the most beloved Kate Bosworth mane moments of all time. Kate Bosworth | Medium hair styles, Hair lengths, Hairstyles The 32-year-old actress cut off her lust-worthy blonde locks for her upcoming role in 90 minutes in Paradise. Of course celebrity hairdresser Harry entrusted Josh with a seemingly daunting task. The result Bob Josh said the modern Greaty Gatsby invention was truly spectacular tousled with layers of face framing. Bosworth's new do is on trend with other stars such as Emma Stone Sienna Miller and Gabrielle Union embracing shorter and slightly messy hair. I agree with you. Earlier today celebrity hairdresser Harry Josh thrilled us all when he posted this Instagram photo with the headline OK. Kate Bosworth hair color I just cut literally a foot off a mystery actress. It will be unveiled on the red carpet tonight. Now we know the identity of this mysterious actress. Kate Bosworth. Here's her new cut that got her for her upcoming role in 90 minutes in Paradise debuting her hair according to her own Instagram pic. Kate Bosworth's New Bob Haircut Makes I agree with you. No doubt weekend one's coolest Coachella hair award goes to Kate Bosworth. We weren't too surprised given her style chops but the actress skillfully managed to pull off three very coachella��worthy hairstyles—a perfectly tousled lobe half bun and a delicate braid-in a gorgeous look. Kate Bosworth bob haircut But while Kate certainly deserves the stage to take everything out flawlessly, her hairdresser Bridget Brager deserves our praise for imagining a truly beautiful look. You can find the same content in another format or find more information on the website. The inspiration for Kate's festive hair is the grunge chic with a twist or braid that's half the 90s. Kate Bosworth hair colour He told us this morning. Again all three elements are styles of expression in their own right, but Brager's delicate approach Little braid little bun holds him up too much. Here she explains how to try it yourself at home because this good thing shouldn't just be reserved for the music festival circuit. Starting from the second day. Kate Bosworth hairstyle Dry hair picks up a small part of the hair no bigger than the width of the tip of your ring finger, which you would normally have a middle part of. This section should end on top of your head just before your head begins to bend. Kate Bosworth Coachella Hair Tutorial Your forehead. Finish the braid where your hairline stands on your forehead and make two sections by dividing the third strand of the braid. Secure the braid with a small bobby pin. Push the pin as straight as possible towards the middle of the net. Divide the unbraided ends of hair around your face to create framing. Polish March s 35-year-old recently showed off her dark hair as she stepped out with Michael Polish in snowy New York on March 7 and went out again the next day as she arrived at LAX. Kate Bosworth brown hair This is only a temporary change as the actress rarely changes her signature icy blonde shade, prompting us to wonder before I wake up. Another clue is that Kate often goes to hairstylist Harry Josh, who has yet to share a picture of her transformation. Kate is not the only blonde who embarked on a copper transformation recently with Lara Worthington sporting a similar shade on Instagram. Looking for more hair inspo. Times Kate Bosworth's Hair Made Us Swoon Check out our celebrity transformation gallery here. This long light blonde do has jagged long layers cut along the edges to lighten the length, allowing for natural movement. This beach baby appearance requires low maintenance and corrects regularly every 4 to 6 weeks to avoid split ends. Kate looked great with this short chic bob at the Whitney Museum's art party.

[kateemmerson]

Malaga Momentos - My City of Healing

This is my tribute to a city that held me tight while I grieved a part of my life no longer real or relevant, cried a whole river of tears, let the sun warm my bones and fell in love with me again. Like L’Oreal says …‘cos I’m worth it, baby!

I have lived my entire life believing that certain places call out to my soul. They whisper quietly and then if perhaps I don’t listen timeously, they yell a little louder. It always feels like threads of energy are attached to my heart and they start tugging gently at me. I have never been able to adequately explain it, suffice it to say that I am a gypsy-traveller-nomad at heart, and love to move. Often. I also understand the innate value of a home, a base, and roots, but I have danced and moved between these two extremes all my life.

The way it happens varies – it might be the first time someone utters the name of that place and it feels like the words leave their lips and send a cupid’s arrow straight to my heart; or an image lands on my retina for the first time, or the words jump off the page in a book and just…won’t… let…go…!

Sometimes it’s just a whispering deep inside…that inevitably becomes stronger and stronger. Having traveled alone on a plane at the tender age of 8, that bug bit early. Many times I have literally sold up everything I own in order to make a trip to follow the strings that are pulling the hardest. The yearning that will not quieten down. 4 years ago I even took it a bit further, and as a ‘late-in-my-40’s’ year old, packed up again and went #LocationFree with my business still intact and growing. I have just written about that journey for my 5th book, due for release later this year.

For 4 years I have had no fixed home of my own, simply following the strings pulling at my heart; combining retreats, talks and coaching work around the world – and LOTS of online work, along with many visits of the heart to South Africa. One suitcase and a large armful of dreams. But now, I am finally looking for my next home. A little place to call mine – a nest to return to. Roots to plant and lavender to pick. Listening once again to the stirrings in my heart. I’m also getting clear about where I DON’T want to be, which can pave the way for where I do. There is a very loooong back story as to how I landed up coming to Spain – my business partner Sarah walked a part of the Camino in 2018 and together we decided it would be a spectacular way to combine writing and walking. So we did. Another whole story layered on top of that was that in my personal relationship, Spain seemed like somewhere to explore as a potential home for us in the future.

But where to explore? And where to explore for my heart?

Choosing Malaga was easy. My mama-bear lives in a beautiful retirement village in the UK and I have gotten to know many of her lovely neighbors. Cue a wonderful couple who spends a LOT of time in Spain and own homes here. So I popped across for tea asking for some necessary advice. I was presented with a good old fashioned map and a destination. They know my age, my interests and I just said – “where do you think I should spend the winter to write my book?” “MALAGA!”

“Where?”

“Malaga – you will LOVE it. Lots of culture, museums, history, art, expats, locals, awesome food, warm etc, etc.

“Where? Oh there, on the coast – I see it.”

“But not to the West Kate; Malaga or East.”

Got it. Done. That’s all it takes for me sometimes. A clear directive delivered at the right time. Apparently, many people I know have already been to Malaga, including my parents (and Hemingway of course); but I didn’t know that at the time (in my active brain). Go figure.

So I duly went into my trusted housesitters profile  (click link if you want a 25% discount) and started looking for a Malaga based house-sit for the winter. Mmmmalaga. A 2.5 month house-sit for one kitty popped onto my screen. Looks easy peasy. And warm – just like a Durban winter. If you are not from South Africa just think cozy, sunny and warm, a bit like Florida in the winter. Where all the human “swallows” might go in search of thawing out. You just need a light jacket in winter, no serious heating and can soak up plenty of vitamin D.

Well, yes, that beats the dreary UK over the winter, dunnit?

Fast forward – we facilitated the Walk ‘n Write Retreat in Northern Asturias region; my partner doesn’t join me as originally planned; Sarah and I visit Madrid for 4 nights; I plonk Sarah on the plane and then I head South. Alone. I like the way Malaga rolls off my tongue. Sounds exotic – I’m spending winter in Malaga. Tra la la – like I’m some millionairess with a house on the hill. Ha – If only I knew what was in store.

The potential house-sit didn’t pan out, after all, so while in Madrid I had booked 6 weeks in a glorious modern Air B‘nB New York type loft, thinking I could get writers to join me for a residency while I wrote over winter too. Or perhaps friends could pop over from the UK? It was gorgeous and trendy and just a short walk from everything. The morning after I arrived, I walked the 18 minutes across the “dry river” bridge into the historic city center to go and sign up for Spanish Classes. After all, I needed a total immersion if considering living in Spain. I thought it best I scrub up a bit and take the language plunge. Plus it would get me to meet people in a city where I knew literally no one and I could use it with my significant other.

I fell in love. INSTANTLY. Everywhere I looked made me beam from the inside out.

I have three innate questions when visiting a new place: Do I love it? Will I ever come back? Could I live here?

It was an instant YES to all three. It took me by surprise actually. These questions get asked and answered internally for me, without having to actively process them the moment I arrive somewhere. Most places I visit I generally tend to really like, or even love. Some, I definitely know I’ll be back to visit again and then a few grab me and my heart almost instantly. Malaga was an instant cupid moment and it has stayed with me. Four months later, I still absolutely love this city, and I absolutely could live here – but I also have come to realize that Spain is somehow not my next home. It’s a hard one for anyone else to fathom what I am saying – but that is how it feels for ME. It’s been a really interesting concept for me to lean into. I could live in Malaga but not in Spain. Mmm ok – so it’s off the list as a permanent base then.

I am still on the hunt for my next country! How exciting!

Malaga will 100% be a place I return to. It feels like home even though it won’t be my permanent home. Does that make sense? The first Air BnB apartment turned out to be inappropriate ‘cos I couldn’t sleep, thanks to the neighbor’s TV on till 3 am. Thankfully I managed to cancel the rest of my booking and moved straight into the center of the historic town. There is a fabulous brand called ILOFTMALAGA – great curated apartments of very high standards. Funky, modern and minimalist – me to a T. My quiet apartment looked onto a bustling street in the heart of the olde town. Bliss.

I started looking for another house-sit. I also found the awesome website GUIDE TO MALAGA and reached out to it’s founder, Joanna Styles, and joined a networking session to meet like-minded business women. Bliss! Her guide really is the GO-TO for anything that you want to know about. Be sure to grab it when visiting Malaga.

“Why a house-sit Kate”, you may ask?

Mostly because I love to feel like I’m really IN a city, living there like a local, with animals to look after and using local transport – rather than being a visitor looking from the outside in. Can you believe that the same housesit from my initial search, was back in play on the membership site, as she had been seriously let down by anther house-sitter? Only this time I was already IN Malaga and could meet the “pussycat’s slave” in person. I got to visit the exquisite property just to the East of Malaga, and it instantly felt like Cape Town – Camp’s Bay to be precise. With a sweet black ’n white kitty to love and vice versa. I needed some animal love! It was a done deal. I had a winter home and a base from which to write my next book and heal my heart. The Cat slave, Melanie, is  helping shift people’s perceptions to become Vegan through her recipes and coaching.

This might be another whole blog post one day, but at a very personal level, suffice it to say I was walking into the “Devil’s Den” by wondering if I could actually LIVE in Spain. It was part of another story of my potential future that was rapidly changing before my eyes– a future that it seemed was sadly not coming to fruition. And yes, I am being a little cryptic on purpose. If you know me, pick up the phone and call to chat for a more personal update! But, sometimes we need to face the fire. Spain was that for me. Healing, writing, walking, crying, yelling at the universe, sleeping, laughing, walking, reading, writing, creating a new community. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Malaga Momentos.

After about 2 weeks of being in Malaga – already with some favorite spots under my belt, an innate understanding of all the cobbled streets, local coffee shops where locals hung out, many, many beach walks, clients taken care of, and my resonance with the city deepening, I realized I needed to really LIVE and CONNECT and be less of a hermit. I was spending too much time alone if this was going to be my home for a few months. Working mostly online can be deceptive that way. I am always connecting with coaching clients, mastermind folk, writer’s and my mentorship groups and always interacting with people, friends, and family. But I needed more connecting IN THE FLESH. I knew I was going to be staying for a minimum of 3 months and I thought I best get to work on building a community of people. Playmates, colleagues, connections to yackety-yack with. Solidarity and friendships. The best way I know how to do that is to do it via something I love. I looked at dance classes, but they started at my bedtime. So what about writing?

I had decided it was the time to start writing my 5th book and had lodged that in my heart as my “winter” project. It’s about the past 4 years of living location free. So I searched for and joined the local Facebook group for Expats, and put up a post about how I was writing a book and asked who fancied joining me for some writing sessions? A simple post. I often do these writing sessions with our writers in our mentorships and regularly sit in community with writers. I was bowled over by the responses, especially a lady from Scotland who lives here all winter who started pointing me to all sorts of people she instinctively thought I’d like to meet. Instant networks and threads for me to explore.

I wasn’t starting the Malaga group as a paid membership or community –simply more to meet people and anchor myself in front of my computer. In the first meeting, there were 5 of us – and in 2 short hours, I had planned my whole book in 13 pages of hand-written notes. I always have a rule that every time you sit to write you need a goal to aim for. I offered this one rule to the group to get everyone to set minimum word count/goals for the writing session. Very little talking – lots of writing and lots of coffee. Word quickly spread. This week, as I leave Malaga, two other writers have taken over the group to keep the energy going and to keep writers writing!  Thanks to a lovely young lad Matt from the USA and Marta from Scotland (a belt loving scriptwriter) who took over,  I somehow feel as if I have managed to leave a little piece of myself here in the form of a committed writing group. That makes me so happy! I had been shown a PERFECT writing spot by my house-sit host. La Galerna is right on the beach in Pedregalejo, and we sit upstairs looking over the Mediterranean. I gathered folk who wanted to write together, once or twice a week. Within just 11 such writing sessions I had finished the first draft of my book. FANBLOODYTASTIC! Thanks to the regular committed folk Marc, Ruth, Carolynne, Eunice, Gian, Jan, Matt, Caroline, Marta and Lina. My regular writing tribe!

I have a small community here now, favorite places that call out to my heart, little back streets I always walk, bus drivers I know to greet, the place I buy my breakfast, an awesome physiotherapist, a weekly co-working meet-up with the fabulous Victoria Watson, a brand & PR expert, my regular pit-stop to the El Haman Turkish hot baths that soothe my muscles as I let the stress slip onto slabs of heated marble. I literally used to pray onto the slabs of marble while pouring buckets of piping hot water over my soul. The power of rituals. Then there is the powerhouse that is the incredible Nathan Manzaneque who runs the BTB networking club. I was also bowled over by the powerhouse of heartfullness, Victoria Ahlen who runs The Vilostrada Foundation doing phenomenal work in Morocco, and she is based between Morocco and Malaga. Or how about early morning Pilates with Ruth on the beach watching the sunrise.

I found a funky hairdresser and the best nail technician I have ever found anywhere. She’s called Angelica – go figure- and she is like a little butterfly on my nails. Or for the gals who need Frida type eyebrows – visit these two gorgeous Polish sisters who make this an unforgettable experience. Lashes and brows with love. I also have many other local coffee shops. I even get to tell established residents where to eat a certain food or entice them to a piano concerto in the magnificent Art Deco Concert Hall. And a guy I make sure I go and visit every time I’m near Plaza Constitution with his puppy called Kitty to offer an ear as he battles the streets. It’s a community for me. I know I will entice you to come and visit and …I already have plans afoot to host a Writing Residency in November 2020. Hosted at a gorgeous, brand new Retreat Centre called VegaHouseSpain run by Ana Capucho Maybe you get to explore this city with me soon?

I walk through it like a local. Smiling!

For me, life is usually about going TO something rather than walking away FROM somewhere else. I know it’s still Europe / Uk that’s pulling me. That’s what I know for now.

But I needed a blank page in between the old and the new. Malaga was my place. Officially leaving South Africa after to-and fro-ing for 4 years, I am in the place of – oh hell – so where next? Where is the place I let myself “pot”. You know- when you POT A PLANT? I have picked up my roots from the 50 years of being in SA, but am now dancing in the air waiting for the drumroll of ….YES, IT’S HERE. To feel the resonance of “This place wants me to stay.”

Malaga offered me a precious place to pause. To regather me to myself. Process and ponder life and where I am going. How do I want to truly live going forward, and how do I want to show up for my work and purpose. Where do I wish to create a proper home and retreat center? What does this new chapter look like and who joins me on it? Do you know what I mean when I say certain cities have the ability to help you heal – from the inside out? Malaga just mostly made me smile – or when I was grieving I could still smile through the tears as I stared at the ocean. It is an outrageously wonderful city to be in over Christmas and New year – the shops and Christmas lights and concerts are simply magnificent.  I also had a dear friend and my mum come visit – and it was so easy to show them “my” city. Every time I spot the ‘Catedral’ I burst into a smile- she suddenly appears as you walk along a narrow street then BOOM – her majestic dome and “manquita arm” is right in front of you. Or walking past Octopus- the multi-million dollar yacht that was berthed in the Puerto all winter. I never did get an invite onto it. Rooftop terraces to bask in the sun sipping vino and tapas. Buskers playing everything from harps, to flutes to opera. A little Flamenco passion and “Naranja” lined streets. I also happened to have a fabulous Spanish teacher who lived in my complex – if ever you need a Spanish language immersion, she’s your teacher! I met many, many, amazing souls and you all know who you are, even if not mentioned in person here. Thank you for making my time in Malaga so precious.

I would really LOVE to know where you have ever found yourself doing some deep inner healing and re-assessment work? Or where you are right now? Was it a bustling city, a new country, or a wee village on a remote island? Was it summer and sun, or snow and shovels?

How long did it take you to come back to yourself – to find a sense of inner rhythm again? I feel like my winter sojourn to Malaga has revived me, and I know everything is gonna be just perfect, even though it’s totally different from what I had imagined unfolding these past few months. Life has a plan for us – we just have to show up and be present.

Drop me a line on kate@kate-emmerson.com to connect- or leave me a comment

If you feel like you need to take some time to gather yourself towards yourself, be sure to come and grab my latest series about THE STRATEGIC POWER OF DISCONNECTING

Love Kate xx

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Malaga Momentos – My City of Healing was originally published on Kate Emmerson - The Quick Shift Deva

[ramajmedia]

D23 Marvel News: Every MCU Reveal From Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios had a strong presence at this year's D23, and dropped news on everything from Black Panther 2 to Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight Disney+ TV shows. D23 is the official Disney fan club, with the name referencing the year 1923, when the company was founded. Every two years, the House of Mouse hold a convention to celebrate their upcoming projects; it essentially serves as a mini-Comic-Con dedicated just to Disney properties.

This year's D23 fan expo was a particularly important one for Disney. On the one hand, this was Disney's biggest opportunity to market the Disney+ streaming service, launches in November. Meanwhile, Marvel Studios needed the chance to reset the narrative after a torrid week in the press, given the collapse of the Spider-Man deal with Sony.

Related: Disney Has Just Had Its Worst Week

Marvel rose to the occasion. They had a strong presence at D23 2019, with a wide array of breaking news that included release dates, new show announcements, casting details, and exclusive footage. Here's our round-up of all the biggest news.

One of the biggest pieces of news over the weekend was that Black Panther 2 will release on May 6, 2020, with Ryan Coogler returning as both writer and director. A sequel was always inevitable; the first Black Panther was a cultural milestone, and grossed over $1.3 billion at the global box office. This fits with Martin Freeman's recent comment that Black Panther 2 will begin filming in 2021. Marvel chose to avoid announcing the movie's official title at this stage, holding that back for a later time.

At SDCC, Marvel Studios announced a slate of TV shows that would be exclusively available on the Disney+ streaming service. But it turned out they'd held the best till D23 - with Marvel revealing that their Phase 4 slate also includes three more shows. Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk will all be coming to the MCU - and according to Marvel, these characters are destined to transition from the small screen to the movies themselves. The Ms. Marvel series will be helmed by Bisha K. Ali, and it's reasonable to assume Marvel has also chosen showrunners for Moon Knight and She-Hulk. They just aren't ready to announce those yet.

Game of Thrones' Kit Harington has been cast to type as the MCU's Black Knight. In the comics, Dane Whitman is the bearer of the mystical Ebony Blade, a sword that grants him supernatural abilities but also has an insatiable bloodlust. Marvel's Kevin Feige confirmed that the Black Knight will make his MCU debut in The Eternals, although Harington didn't take to the stage with the rest of the cast.

Related: What Are The Eternals? Marvel’s New Cosmic Movie Team Explained

The stars of The Eternals took to the stage, and Marvel used the opportunity to reveal two specific casting choices. Gemma Chan is playing Sersi, and Barry Keoghan is Druig. These are two particularly interesting choices; Sersi is generally the leading character in the Eternals, so this may be a starring role. Druig, meanwhile, is traditionally treated as a rogue Eternal. He took on a position of power in the fictional country of Vorozheika, and sought to use his psychic abilities to take control of the Eternals as well.

Marvel revealed concept art for The Eternals, showing ten characters in costume. It's worth remembering that this is just concept art, meaning the finished looks could be different. What's more, the Eternals are a civilization of immortal beings, so these outfits could just be some of the clothes they were. Interestingly, although there had been initial reports that The Eternals would be strongly influenced by the original Jack Kirby comics, but these designs are more like the Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr. run from 2006.

Marvel Studios offered D23 attendees a new look at next year's Black Widow movie, introduced by Scarlett Johansson wearing an all-white costume that seems to be designed for a snowy environment. It hasn't been released online, but the standout scenes featured David Harbour's Red Guardian suiting up. He was shown working with both Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova, with a telling line about family getting back together again; this suggests the characters' comic book origin has been rewritten in some way. The footage moved to an action sequence in which Yelena and Natasha traded banter. It ended with Black Widow in the white costume, engaged in battle against Taskmaster. The villain was still in full costume with a mask, meaning their identity is still unknown.

Wyatt Russell has been cast John Walker, aka US Agent, who will make his MCU debut in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. In the comics, Walker was the US Government's choice as the next Captain America, but he ultimately suffered a mental breakdown and went rogue until Steve Rogers took the shield back. Walker objected vehemently to Sam Wilson's politically-charged stint as Captain America, and even attempted to beat him down and reclaim the shield. This news strongly hints at the overarching plot of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, which will presumably be about how Sam Wilson comes to earn the shield in the eyes of both the US Government and the public.

Related: Everything We Know About The Falcon & The Winter Soldier TV Series

Kat Dennings' Darcy Lewis and Randall Park's Jimmy Woo will return in the WandaVision TV series. Darcy was last seen in 2013's Thor: The Dark World, when she was still interning with Jane Foster, but she's since appeared in the official tie-in novel The Cosmic Quest Volume II: Aftermath, where she became a lobbyist for the scientific foundation run by Erik Selvig. Jimmy Woo, meanwhile, has only ever appeared in Ant-Man & the Wasp, where he was a Federal agent who persecuted Hank Pym. It's impossible to say how these two characters fit into WandaVision, which Marvel described as "half classic sitcom, half MCU spectacular."

Dennings and Park aren't the only MCU stalwarts to be returning; Emily VanCamp will be reprising the role of Sharon Carter in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. This will be Sharon Carter's first appearance in the MCU since Captain America: Civil War, when her character shared a lip-lock with Steve Rogers himself.

Marvel's What If...? will explore alternate versions of the MCU, with the film stars themselves acting as the voice-cast. One of the most exciting ideas is an alternate timeline where Peggy Carter was the one who took the super-soldier serum, and Marvel released an image showing her wearing a gender-swapped version of the Captain America (or is she Captain Britain?) costume. Footage shown exclusively at D23 also included a shot of a zombie Captain America fighting the Winter Soldier in a subway, and a first look at the Watcher.

Marvel announced that Kate Herron (Sex Education) had signed up as director of the Loki TV series. It was another surprising choice, given Herron has never tackled anything on this scale before. She's best known for her comedies, so it suggests Loki could have a distinctly humorous edge.

More: MCU Characters (Currently) Missing From Marvel Phase 4

source https://screenrant.com/d23-2019-marvel-news-summary-movies-dates-casting/

[nickgoesabroad]

2 - New York City

Song of the Week: Perfect Places by Lorde

People tend to be weirdly surprised when I say that I’ve never been to New York City. “You have to go,” or “There’s nowhere like it, it’s incredible.” or “Nick, when are you going to come visit me at Barnard I need to show you New York.” When I say people, 90% of them are Sophie Kreitzberg.

Sophie and I met in 7th grade, technically pre-Algebra but our ~connection~~ didn’t form until we were both cast in equally important roles: her, the female lead, and me, the Rabbi’s son, in our school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. (yes, it was the junior version). I had 7 lines and Sophie had 100+ and a few songs, so, you know, equal. We had a natural bond that came, I think, from the fact that Sophie seemed to be everything I wanted to be but was scared that I couldn’t: fearless, loud, wore stripes with polkadots, could sing, could act, took the classes I wanted to take, a confidence that warmed up every room she was in; I had a deep admiration for her, and she, inexplicably, wanted to be my friend as well (I’m not being self-deprecating for the fun of it, I was a gross, pimply, had-never-shaved-but-really-needed-to, wore Crocs unironically, wore fleece gray sweatpants, had bangs, my voice was cracking, deodorant was something I put on for ~special~ occasions, you get the picture, and if you don’t, here are some actual pictures)

I’m not sure what was happening, either.

Anyways, we quickly became fantastic friends (2 screens, 1 computer) and 7 years later it’s only strengthened. I decided that since I was already on the East Coast visiting Danny, it only made since to also visit Sophie. Just kidding, we bought tickets to Lady Gaga’s Joanne World Tour back in February so this was a long time coming. I got on a train in Boston, headed south for New York.

(This was also the moment I realized I left my laptop at Danny’s apartment) 

The train let me see a good portion of the Northeast: a view that I rarely get an opportunity to see. It was very green, lots of boats, open spaces, and two men sitting in front of me discussing the stock market. After four and a half hours, we pulled out of the lush green countryside of the Northeast into New York.

I felt like I’d been to New York due to how many movies and TV shows (like, every single one) taking place there, but it still felt surreal pulling up to the city, seeing the skyline, and realizing that the city actually exists.

I don’t want to sound like a BFA-guy-trying-to-impress-everyone-with-his-sense-of-the-world, but when I stepped off the train, it felt like nothing I’d previously experienced. The city was moving at a pace at least ten times that of what I’m used to. Everyone was going somewhere, had a goal, someone to see, hopes, dreams, ambitions (not to say that only people in New York have those things, but it was uniquely tangible). I got in an Uber headed straight for Barnard College. My driver told me about nearly every building we passed and its relation to his family (oh, I was in that building once, etc.), including a long strip of buildings that he identified as, “All owned by Trump!”

“Wow.” I said.

He dropped me off outside what looked like one of those places that’s a Taco Bell but also a Pizza Hut at the same time except instead of Taco Bell and Pizza Hut it was a FedEx and a ShakeShack which was an even weirder combination than Taco Bell and Pizza Hut and legitimately my first thought was, “Oh, I guess this is what Barnard is...”

I thought Barnard was a Shakeshack/FedEx.

I was then greeted in the lobby of her building by Sophie who guided me upstairs to her shockingly large apartment. I was under the impression that every place to live in NYC was the size of a glove compartment, but this apartment had hallways, a decently sized bathroom, a great, bright kitchen, and nice rooms. I met Perry, Sophie’s then-girlfriend, who I’d heard so much about but had yet to meet. Perry was holding on to my Lady Gaga ticket, and after discussing how high school theater is pioneering the gay-rights movement and doggo culture ruining modern society, we were on our way to the concert.

I’d always heard about New York pizza and was slightly skeptical about how good could it really be. We walked across the street to a place that claimed to have the largest slices in the city, and I’m inclined to believe them.

That’s a really big slice of pizza.

Sophie and Perry informed me that the pizza there wasn’t known for its outstanding quality, but rather as the best place for Columbia students to go on drunk nights. It tasted great to me, so I can only imagine what some alcohol would do to enhance the experience. Sophie (despite being lactose intolerant) and I contemplated getting a second slice because we’re insane, but Perry reminded us that the concert was in 30 minutes so we should probably get on the 45 minute subway ride.

Riding on the New York subway system felt like a rite of passage and I was a little anxious the entire time that I wasn’t “riding the subway correctly,” as if people were looking and judging me. As we got closer and closer to Citi Field, the subway car got gayer and gayer with more extravagant outfits coming in by the stop. 

Me and Sophie went to a Lady Gaga concert in January of 2013, our sophomore year of high school. I wasn’t out to anyone except 3 friends, my sister, and my therapist, but as Sophie and I discussed on the subway, she was expecting me to come out to her at that concert (during Born This Way, specifically). I had no such agenda planned, because, hey! Straight dudes go to Lady Gaga concerts when they’re 16 with their friends who are girls!! Right? Right. 

I rarely talk publicly about my sexuality (except for that time it was the subject of my high school graduation speech), but I have to say, going to a Lady Gaga concert as an out gay man is so much more enjoyable than being in the closet. It’s a legitimately accepting environment where no one’s looked down on for being themselves, and everyone’s just there to enjoy the music.

The concert was, as expected, spectacular and everything I expected. My voice was hoarse and my spirits soaring when we left Citi field and made our way to a (possibly?) 24/7 diner. 

This place had a neon sign that said “Open 7 Days a Week, 24 Hours a Day”, which would, you know, imply that they’re always open. So, we sit down, really hungry after expending all of our energy on Gaga. I order a somewhat absurd amount of food (hashbrowns, pancakes, eggs, bacon, cranberry juice, coffee, etc.), and after we order, the waiter (65+, Eastern European, frown etched on his face) goes to take our menus.

“Oh,” I said. “I’d actually like to hold on to it, if that’s ok. In case I want more later.”

“If you want to order later you have to order now.”

So he takes my menu and the three of us are doing our best to not burst out laughing at being told that this place that never closes will not be taking orders later. It was really bizarre.

The waiter returned with my coffee after forgetting to bring it out with everyone else’s drinks (at this point we’re ~99% sure he hates me), and I kid you not, he doesn’t stop walking while putting my coffee on the table. He was walking at a steady pace and did not slow down at the rest stop that was our table. At this point we’re laughing hard, the kind of laugh you can only achieve past one in the morning. 

We went to (I think?) Brooklyn Bridge park to look at the skyline, which was irritatingly, beautifully, cliché. It was exactly and nothing how I imagined it would be. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and I remembered a scene from Kate & Leopold, a Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman movie I watched with my family several times when I was younger. Characters who jumped off the bridge at a certain point exactly at midnight were transported through time. And I was walking across this portal. 

Sitting at the subway platform, trying not to pass out, Sophie, Perry, and I were greeted by a 10-minute rant-but-possibly-performance-art-I’m-not-quite-sure-what-was-happening from this lady who seemed to be asleep when we sat down but was awoken by some external, ethereal force that summoned her to impart otherworldy wisdom on us; topics ranged from Crony Capitalism, Prostitution, to the, as Perry hilariously put it, less original content such as, “If Facebook told you to jump in front of the train you would do it.” 

As we were walking away, Sophie said, “I kind of loved it, it was like spoken word, you know? It had like a refrain, changed narrative perspectives a few times, really kept me on my toes.”

I think about that woman daily. 

We got three hours of sleep that night (morning?), and Sophie and I said a flash-goodbye since she was running late to a meeting. I sat in Starbucks for like 5 hours before making my way back downtown to the bus station that would take me to Stewart International Airport, where a Norwegian Airlines’ plane was waiting to take me across the Atlantic... 

[sebastiankurz]

Don’t miss our Design Guide for NY’s AD Design Show 2019

In March New York will be invaded by top popular design event AD Design Show 2019. In order for you to know what to do in NY in and out of this event, we provide you with this complete design guide for you to enjoy the best this event has to offer.

If you’re planning to attend AD Show 2019, you might be wondering how to plan your stay: where to eat, what to visit, how to get there, and, most of all, what can you expect from this top event. So in this complete guide, we will be giving you an insight into the following topics:

All About the AD Design Show 2019

The Best Hotels & Design Hotels

The Top Restaurants & Bars

The Best Galleries & Design Museums 

Top Showrooms & Design Stores

Top Attractions

AD Design Show 2019

During 4 Days, PIERS 92 & 94 at 55th Street at 12th Avenue in New York City will be the Place to Be if you Love Design and Get Inspired by this Industry! That’s right! A world of design inspiration awaits you at the 18th annual AD Show, a top design show where the world’s leading brands along with today’s top talent come together in a carefully curated presentation of design, offering inspired vignettes by respected brands, design seminars, culinary demonstrations, and special appearances. From furniture, accessories, lighting, and art to kitchen, bath, and building projects, the show offers thousands of products to source and shop—both from independent makers and established manufacturers.

Now in its 18th year, the Architectural Digest Design Show draws approximately 40,000 design aficionados to interact with incredible design displays from more than 400 brands and those brands will include powerful names like Covet House, Miele, Essential Home,DelightFULL, Campagna, BrabbuorAlexander Gyrai!

Unlike many other trade shows which focus on specific categories,  the AD Show is a wide-reaching event. Visitors can find handmade ceramics or loom-woven rugs in the MADE Section, then can hop over to the Furnish Section to buy a dining table, and then they can even stop by the Refresh Section to pick out a dishwasher. All in all, the Ad Show offers a world of solutions and creative ideas! You can also stop by the popular DIFFA’s Dining by Design Event! The exhibitor list for this year’s fair is now live, and tickets are on sale here. You can learn more about the Sections of AD SHow 2019 in Here!

Dates and Hours

MARCH 21-24, 2019 

Thursday, March 21:  10:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M. Open to design trade & VIP consumer ticket holders. Friday-Saturday, March 22-23:  10:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M. Open to all ticket holders. Sunday, March 24:  10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Open to all ticket holders.

You may also like: Give a new look to your home with Abstract Art Geometric trend

We all know New York City is an incredible place but it’s also a crazy city! It’s one of the biggest and busiest cities in the whole world, with leading business centres everywhere and a strong and opinionated population! Whether you visit New York for the Ad Show or for any other event, just be aware that you can always expect an intense and adventurous journey and not really much of peace and relaxation. Nevertheless, you can Relax and have Fun in New York City and so we’ve decided to present you with a guide with the best Hotels, Restaurants, Galleries, Bars and Attractions to visit in New York.

Best Hotels & Design Hotels

Royalton New York 

The iconic Royalton has been brilliantly reinvented by Roman and Williams, reinstating its place as the stylish living room of Manhattan, and crossroads for international travelers and the New York elite. Simultaneously sophisticated and complex, this New York midtown boutique hotel features a floor-to-ceiling hand-forged cast bronze fireplace, a twenty-foot screen that was once part of the façade of a building in France and hand-upholstered leather walls reminiscent of African tribal art. Located in the heart of midtown, Royalton is just steps from great shopping, Broadway, the Theater District, Grand Central Station, Empire State Building, Times Square, Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center.

Hotel Giraffe

Inspired by the Art Modern period, Hotel Giraffe contains a distinguished architecture and design that embodies elegance and strength. This luxury hotel offers timeless style, spacious guestrooms and great service that makes it an ideal New York city getaway for leisure, business travelers and designers!

The Ritz Carlton Central Park 

Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the mid-19th century as an open-air oasis for a bustling metropolis, New York’s Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States, which makes the hotels that front it some of the most captivating in New York City. Among them, The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park stands as a stately presence, its Art Deco facade just a hint to the richness of detail that lies within. Offering all the elegance and charm of a private home, this Central Park hotel in New York City features 259 lavishly appointed guest rooms and suites, and The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge experience for guests seeking a heightened level of comfort and privacy.

The Surrey

The Surrey has the exquisite feel of a billionaire’s Art Deco townhouse. The atmosphere creates mesmerizing Chuck Close tapestry of Kate Moss in the lobby and the Coco Chanel-inspired Bar Pleiades. This design hotel rooms range from classic ‘salons’ with hand-painted wardrobes, fireplaces and private terraces, to various suites starting from 600sqft, with separate living, dining, and kitchen areas.

St. Regis New York 

The St. Regis New York is a Forbes five-star, AAA five-diamond luxury hotel in Manhattan. It is located at 2 East 55th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues, with an entrance on Fifth Avenue. Featuring dramatically renovated and redesigned guestrooms, suites, and public spaces along with the debut of the new King Cole Bar & Salon, The St. Regis New York has unveiled uptown sophistication meets downtown chic at Manhattan’s best address.

Trump International Hotel 

Most hotels give you a room; we give you an entire city. The Midtown West Side, Central Park, Lincoln Center, Fifth Avenue – and a lifetime’s supply of the shopping and nightlife you expect from the best city in the world. The 52-story Trump International Hotel & Tower is a luxury hotel in Midtown Manhattan that is simply dedicated to exceeding expectations. Named the only Forbes Five-Star and Five-Diamond hotel with a Five-Star and Five-Diamond restaurant in New York, guests are surrounded at all times by impeccable style, spectacular service and rich, luxurious amenities, including a personal Attaché service exclusive to Trump.

Archer Hotel

Distinctive for its exposed brick and butcher-block flooring, the Archer Hotel is evocative of the industrial past of the neighborhood. The furniture of the hotel was custom-designed and the art pieces hand-picked to enhance the elegant vibe of the space.

Top Restaurants

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar 

Sitting across the Galleria from a seafood restaurant, Aldo Sohm’s annexed Wine Bar is far less buttoned-up than its big brother, but the level of detail here proves this apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Gallow Green 

In the early evening, the height of this dreamy, overgrown rooftop bar affords a regal view of the incredible West Side buildings and the amazing horizon, lending the place the feel of a garden party lost in time.

You can also check out: Don’t miss these fierce 2019 Trends revealed by BRABBU!

L’Amico

Laurent Tourondel’s Italian-influenced American restaurant has a menu that includes market-driven salads, fresh pastas, thin-crust pizzas, and rustic meat dishes.

  Sessanta 

For lovers of Italian cuisine, Sessanta is the stylish Italian restaurant in the Soho hotel Sixty Lure Fishbar from.  This is a good choice for things to do in NYC.

  The NoMad Bar

This fireplace-lit space goes back to the late 19th century when the area was dubbed the Tenderloin due to its casinos, brothels, and crime. Comes with no surprise that the bar is the craziest of the hotel’s bunch, a dazzling anomaly of a pub.

Vaucluse 

One of the finest dining restaurants in NYC, Vaucluse serves French classics like duck à l’orange, sole meunière, and escargots à la Bourguignonne. The kitchen is also preparing a number of house-made pastas, plus a long list of salads and vegetable-based dishes.

The Best Galleries & Design Museums

AIGA National Design Center Gallery 

The gallery at the American Institute of Graphic Arts prides itself in presenting exhibitions on a contemporary design which are, themselves, design pieces. The content of each exhibition is presented in a narrative format which both looks beautiful and explains the relevance of the work on display.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

This museum is devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. Cooper Hewitt educates, inspires and empowers people through stunning exhibitions and educational programs. Housed in the former home of steel, the design museum’s building is a landmark on its own. The museum also encompasses the National Design library, a tremendous historical resource for design.

MAD Museum 

Located at 2 Columbus Circle is the Museum of Arts and Design. MAD champions contemporary makers across creative fields, presenting artists, designers, and artisans who apply the highest level of ingenuity and skill to their work.

You can’t also miss: More about ArtsTool Project Culture’s Series of Handcrafted Designs

New York School of Interior Design Gallery 

The New York School of Interior Design Gallery is unique in its ability to host student work throughout the year, allowing the development of future design careers. It also features professional work by well-known designers. Definitely a place for design interests that are looking for inspiration and get to know the best trends in the field.

The Met

Metropolitan Museum of Art, best known as simply The Met is probably one of the most famous museums around the world. Located in Central Park, there’s no excuse for you to miss this mandatory stop.

Top Showrooms & Design Stores

Covet NYC 

A Staging project between Tessler Developments and Covet House makes “The Mansion” at 172 Madison Avenue the most coveted address for Design Lovers and Professionals in the Big Apple, just a few steps away from Madison Square Park, the Flatiron District, Gramercy Park and NoMad, right in the center of one of the city’s chicest neighborhoods.  COVET NYC is a Luxury Experience and the most powerful tool to boost an interior designer’s creativity, right in the heart of New York, the city that never sleeps, and the most inspiring place in the world.

DDC Minotti

Thi is the leading source of contemporary furniture design. They can offer an exceptional variety of home and contract furniture, lighting and accessories, ranging in style from classic modern to the most cutting-edge designs in their showrooms – the most notorious ever.

Herman Miller’s Store 

Any designer that travels to NY always needs to find good inspiration and incredible design shops on its way, for that reason the prestigious Herman Miller’s new flagship store at the 251 Park Avenue South needs to be mentioned in this New York City Guide.

New York Design Center 

Located at 200 Lexington Avenue, the New York Design Center is the country’s oldest furniture and design building. Built-in 1926 as the New York Furniture Exchange, 200 Lex was the dream of visionaries in the furniture industry. Today, 200 Lex houses nearly 100 showrooms representing more than 500 lines of fine, traditional, contemporary, residential and contract furniture, as well as fabric, floor covering, lighting, wall covering, kitchen and bath and decorative accessory resources.

MOMA Design Shop 

Located at the 44 West 53 Street, NYC is the incredible MOMA design Shop. There you’ll find classics of yesterday and today, from humble masterpieces to transformative technologies. Design that elevates every day.

Roll & Hill 

Hometown hero Roll & Hill has become an in-demand lighting company in recent years. The brand, headed up by veteran designer Jason Miller, inaugurated in 2016 a 4,000 sq ft, three-floor space in Soho, where its extensive collections will be permanently installed…

Top Attractions

Although there are many more stunning squares worth the visit when you’re in New York, Times Square will always be the one you’ll come back to. It’s the epitome of New York’s culture. It has people, lights, music, noise and diversity only imaginable once you’re there. Like Times Square, Central Park is also an icon of New York. An absolute jewel in the middle of the city, you cannot skip a walk through Central Park during the Spring. Make sure to stay in the city a few days after the Architectural Digest Design Show is over and enjoy every last bit of the energy this incredible city has to offer. 

If you want iconic, then you must pay a visit to 3 of the Most Iconic Skyscrapers of New York: Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and the World Trade Center. Believe us, they are worth a visit. But speaking of Iconic, what would a trip to New York be without a visit to the classic Statue of Liberty? If you love sports you can also watch a NY Knicks Game at Madison Square Garden or, if you are in a mood for some light entertainment, why don’t you stop Broadway and watch a show? After this what’s the difficult part of the trip? Wanting to go back home after Ad Design Show 2019.

from Sebastian Kurz Blog https://www.designbuildideas.eu/dont-miss-design-guide-nys-design-2019/

[renaroo]

Wednesday Roundup

The late but always reliable reviewer Rena is here today. I sat on this one for a while considering the... internet-wide discussion we all are a part of now given Marvel’s recent revelations from this particular Wednesday, and the fact that I have a Marvel comic (even if only one) on my Roundups today made me somewhat reluctant to fully get into this, but I had, personally, a good Comic Day and I would hate to waste the opportunity to share the good in comics going on right now with all of you. So we’ll see how everything stacks up, and just how I’ll be handling Roundups in the future as a result of the current... nastiness, we’ll call it.

DC’s Batwoman, Image’s Descender, Marvel’s Invincible Iron Man, DC’s Super Sons, DC’s Superman, DC’s Superwoman, DC’s Trinity

DC’s Batwoman (2017- ) #2 Marguerite Bennet, James Tynion IV, Steve Epting, Jeromy Cox

As worried as I was with the Batwoman: Rebirth issue -- and I think I laid out my concerns pretty fairly, I have to fully admit that my worries have been almost entirely subsided as we go forward starting with this issue. 

I always have this concern when there’s a continued revisionist history of a character’s origins that we’re going to be falling into a Donna Troy affect -- where every author is more interested in retelling and retconning her history than actually allowing the character to be who she is and moving forward from there. A problem in comics that disproportionally affects female characters if you’re sharp enough to notice such things. 

This issue really helped me to put down that worry mostly because while, yes, we are revisiting Kate’s past for the hundredth time in the last ten years, the story proper is actually pushing us and her forward rather readily while not shying away from the aspects of Kate that make her Kate. 

Her loyalty, her issues with commitment, her homosexuality -- everything comes into play this issue and leaves us itching for more involving these Many Arms of Death plot overall. I’m very excited about this comic and am so glad that Maguerite Bennet is becoming such a good fit for it. 

Image’s Descender (2015- ) #21 Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen

So I just recently got caught up on Descender in time to review the newest issue the week it came out, so I have to give major thanks to @feministbatman for recommending this comic to me. What can I say, you know me so very well and my love for robots and sci-fi has been incredibly rewarded for it.

This issue was another brilliant one, we had Tim-22′s reveal and takeover of the ship, but we also got to see a lot more development of Andy and Effy thanks to Bandit’s little vision quest of sorts for us. 

But of course the most anticipated and worrisome part of all of this is worrying for Tim-21 who is still in Psius’ hands and at the heart of the Havester plot that keeps on thickening.

It’s hard to say much else. 

I will say that while I’ll always be a fan of Nguyen’s signature style, I do find at times the choice to make this entire comic watercolor rather than more inked and refined does do some disservice to certain moments I think could benefit from having stronger color and more definition to them, but that’s a general criticism I’ll probably dive more into with the wrap up of this arc. 

Marvel’s Invincible Iron Man (2016- ) #6 Brian Michael Bendis, Stefano Caselli, Marte Garcia

An entirely all-female supporting cast to a female Black superheroine Ironheart with our token dude (Tony) being a computer AI. It’s the setup dreams are made of and I love how much love Riri is getting in the media and the world for her choices here. 

It’s also incredibly relatable how she reacts to being in her idol’s workshop, the idea of her “using it as her base” is unfathomable and her geeky cries of “THIS IS HOLY GROUND” had me literally laughing out loud. I loved it, and I loved how much agency and voice is given to Pepper as Rescue. So often when a young new hero takes over an identity, the trailblazers before them get left out (looking at you Captain Marvel, though you did make up with it in a pretty good issue yourself). 

There’s just so much to love in this comic and I’m glad that at the end of the day, even with all the Women in Science, it doesn’t diminish Riri’s single mom who works a 9-5. That relationship, you can already tell, is going to be monumental moving forward.

Great issue, great introduction to Riri. Am looking forward to seeing more of her. 

DC’s Super Sons (2017- ) #3 Peter J. Tomasi, Jorge Jimenez, Alejandro Sanchez 

To put things simply: This book might be one of the most amazing things that DC is putting out right now and if you have absolutely any interest in it at all, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend you pick it up because this is some a-grade fun. I adore having this book to look forward to and the antagonism as it comically plays out between Damian and Jon is easily some of the best stuff I’ve read with Damian’s character since the Robin: Son of Batman comic. 

Which, if you know how much I flatly adored that comic, should obviously be taken as pretty high praise.

That being said, there’s some issues. Damian’s skin tone is not being protected enough by the editors and the whitewashing, especially compared to how good DC’s Rebirth comics have been about it in other series, is very distracting and supremely disappointing. 

Jon has grown on me very quickly and while I will continue to talk about my longing for Chris Kent and my apprehensions about the continued theme of biological kids erasing the bonds of adopted kids, this is a good comic overall.

DC’s Superman (2016- ) #21 Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, John Kalisz

In this episode of “how is an evil cow taking down Batman” today, we get no such answers to no such questions, but we get a giant octopus monster fight with Superman, Superboy, and Robin and -- really -- isn’t that the content anyone really comes for in a Superman comic. 

Once again, Jon’s heat vision is out of control and kills something, but rather than it being another moment of horror and reflection for him, as his father was trying desperately to save the creature’s life along with the citizenry of Hamilton, but the entire town seems to turn on Superman and praise Jon over him for “doing what is necessary.”

Now, this might be me reading too much into this (and read: it is) but this seems honestly like a huge commentary on the values of classic heroes like Superman being put in stark contrast to the blood thirsty and fear mongering of the public today. Too often we praise the most immediate and final of reactions rather than the harder and grayer solutions which Superman is supposed to be able to give us. 

And considering how awkward the praise heaped on Jon feels in this issue, and the surprise revelation at the end, I’m pretty sure we’re not supposed to like that a life lost unnecessarily is being celebrated by everyone around. 

Damian and Jon are still a ruckus and everything is still very intriguing. This is definitely my favorite Superman run in a long time.  

DC’s Superwoman (2016- ) #9 K. Perkins, Stephen Segovia, Art Thibert, HI-FI

So here we are starting off with a new creative team and resetting my Rule of Three, which for anyone new means that I give new runs and new comics 3 issues to hook me before deciding how to handle the series moving forward. And considering that I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the last two or so issues of Jimenez’s run, I’m not completely objecting to a bit of a change up in the creative team. 

This issue is dealing with the fallout of the Superman Reborn storyline and mostly about Lana dealing with once more being powerless, and how that makes her feel conflicted. I felt like this dealt with Lana’s emotions in a much more respectful and loving way that the last issue did, definitely, but mostly the issue read as filler before we get into the next arc which’ll be starting with #10. 

So here we go into curiosity. I’m very interested in where this new team is deciding to take us. 

DC’s Trinity (2016- ) #8 Cullen Bunn, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, HI-FI

Another issue, another tie-in, another creative team change. Now, I’m going to be flat honest with you: I have absolutely no explanation for what happened in this issue. And I’m not doing that for comedic effect, it’s just honest. 

This definitely felt like more filler before we get to somewhere beyond all the crossover events and can instead return to Trinity’s desperate attempt to find its own status quo. Something that positively worries me because its predecessors in spirit, Superman/Batman and Batman/Superman, never really cohesively found that groove for themselves. 

For the time being this feels like after the first arc, this series has become something of a place for reactionary storytelling -- basically paid advertisements for bigger events going on in the rest of the DCU. 

I desperately hope I’m wrong, I really liked the first arc and would like to see more friendship-centered adventures between DC’s Big Three, but I’m going to officially move this series to trade-wait if things don’t change by the next issue. We’ll see.

So this has been a rough week for comic fans, there’s no getting beyond that, and this Roundup was at least in part held back due to my own concerns about just how much the fallout of some truly bad decisions over at Marvel was going to play into my own feelings toward comics this week.

I feel, overall though, I had a good pull this week, and while some were a little lackluster and have gained my reservations, I overall really loved my Super Week. And of my Super Week I definitely have to give my favorite issue to Super Sons, which has just turned out to be a spectacular gem to follow and I’m very glad for it existing. 

But how do you all feel about this week? Any comics I missed you think I should try out? Any disagreements with me on this week’s picks? I’d love to hear from you!

[judefan850-blog]

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[onthegoinmco]

Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and Bob Carr Theater are always hosting amazing events, and here is the latest news and what is on sale now at the venues!

Just Announced – Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts:

THE MASKED SINGER NATIONAL TOUR

On Sale: Monday, February 17, 2020 at 10 a.m. 

Show Date:  Friday, June 26, 2020 

Show Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Walt Disney Theater

Tickets: Start at $24.74. VIP Packages available. 

Presented by: Dr. Phillips Center in association with Live Nation

An all-new live production based on the hit TV show….The Masked Singer National Tour is coming to Orlando!

Your favorite characters from the hit Fox TV show brought to life live on stage, as well as surprise celebrity hosts, and amazing new performances. Can you guess who’s behind the mask?

A mystery celebrity will be unmasked in every city in this can’t-miss spectacular live show for audiences of all ages!

On Sale Now – Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts:

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON

Show Date:  Monday, April 6, 2020

Show Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Bob Carr Theater

Tickets: Start at $49.50. VIP packages available

Presented by: Dr. Phillips Center in association with Bill Blumenreich

“Delusions of Space Enthusiasts”

In this illustrated talk, Neil deGrasse Tyson will explore the perennial mismatch between collective expectations of where we should be in space by now and the geopolitical, cultural, and economic realities that limit it.

ELI CASTRO

Show Date:  May 15–17, 2020

Show Times Vary

Venue: Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater

Tickets: $30 

Presented by: Dr. Phillips Center 

One of the most innovative comedians around, Elizardi Castro uses language and culture to create humor that appeals to audiences of all ages. He has written and performed eight one man shows including “Made in Puerto Rico” and most recently, “Words Cannot Explain”. 

His one man show “Made in Puerto Rico” made its Off-Broadway debut in 2019 and ran for seven weeks, selling out thirty two shows! His critically acclaimed shows have been reviewed and recommended by numerous publications including the Chicago Sun-Times and the Orlando Sentinel. 

His shows have also been featured on ABC’s The View; Telemundo’s Emmy-winning morning show, Un Nuevo Dia; Fox’s Good Day New York, WGN-TV, and the Univision network, among others. He recently won “Best Stand Up” at the acclaimed United Solo Festival in NYC.

Russian Ballet Alafaya ALADDIN BALLET

Show Date:  Saturday, April 11, 2020

Show Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Bob Carr Theater

Tickets: $24.50 

Presented by: Russian Ballet Alafaya/Ballet Fedotov

Vizier Jafar dreams of obtaining the Magic Lamp. Jafar makes a plan on how to brutally take over the throne. Jasmine and Aladdin are reunited at the Palace. Jafar is furious and orders Aladdin to be cast into the abyss. The Genie comes to Aladdin’s aid and they escape together after trapping Jafar in the Magic Lamp forever. Jasmine and Aladdin are finally able to be together.

Russian Ballet Alafaya/Ballet Fedotov presents original choreography by Vadim Fedotov with original music by David Goldstein “Aladdin”. Based on the Arabian tale “One thousand and one nights”.Special guest artists, Principal Ballet dancers from Ukraine and Japan.

Celebrate African American Artistry With These Great Shows

February Features – Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts:

ALVIN AILEY

Photo: Pierre Wachholder

The iconic dance company returns to the Dr. Phillips Center with powerful new works and their signature piece, Revelations.

Show Date:  Tuesday, February 18, 2020 

Show Time: 7:30 p.m.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance.

The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents – as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms.

Today, the Company continues Mr. Ailey’s mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 235 works by over 90 choreographers have been part of the Ailey company’s repertory.

GREGORY PORTER & LEDISI

Jazz, Soul, Gospel – these exceptional artists showcase their award-winning vocals.

Show Date:  Saturday, February 22, 2020 

Show Time: 7 p.m.

GLADYS KNIGHT

The legendary artist, fresh off her star turn on The Masked Singer, makes her debut at the Dr. Phillips Center.

Show Date:  Thursday, January 30, 2020

Show Time: 8 p.m.

Very few singers over the last fifty years have matched her unassailable artistry of Gladys Knight. This seven-time Grammy winner has enjoyed #1 hits in Pop, Gospel, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance.

Knight has recorded more than 38 albums over the years, including four solo albums during the past two decades: “Good Woman” (1991); “Just for You” (1994); the inspirational “Many Different Roads” (1999); and “At Last” (2001). “At Last” showed the world that she still has what it takes to record a hit album, employing the talents of contemporary producers like Randy Jackson, Gary Brown and James D.C. Williams III, Jon John, Jamey Jaz, Keith Thomas, Tom Dowd and Tiger Roberts.

Keep the Romance Going 

IL VOLO 

Celebrate the best of 10 years and experience this trio’s remarkable vocals.

Show Date:  Thursday, February 20, 2020

Show Time: 8 p.m. 

From their debut in 2011 to the present day, IL VOLO has performed over 300 concerts in 210 cities on 3 continents, mostly sold out. 

The new album, 10 Years – The Best of, offers all the best of Il Volo’s repertoire, from “O Sole Mio” to “My Way” to “Grande Amore.” The tracklist is comprised both by songs recorded in the studio and by new live recordings such as the June show in Matera, Italy which was filmed and will be broadcast later this year. 

Il Volo: Ten Years will make its premiere on PBS stations nationwide beginning November 30.

DANCING WITH THE STARS LIVE

The hottest dance show on TV is live onstage.

Show Date:  Sunday, February 23, 2020 

Show Times: 3 & 7 p.m.

America’s favorite dance show is going back on tour this winter with “Dancing with the Stars – Live Tour 2020.” Kate Flannery will be joining the show to wow live audiences across the country by performing fan-favorite routines from this past season.

The all-new production will feature fan-favorite professional dancers wowing audiences with every type of dance style as seen on ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars. The show continues its legacy of performing showstopping routines alongside new numbers choreographed just for the live show ranging from the time-honored dances of the Cha Cha, Foxtrot, Salsa, Tango – and everything in between. In the longest and most expansive North American tour to date, audiences will have the opportunity to experience the excitement, glamour and glitz they see in the ballroom every Monday night live in their hometowns.

Courtesy of Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

How to Buy Tickets – Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Tickets may be purchased online at drphillipscenter.org, by calling 844.513.2014 or by visiting the Bill and Mary Darden Box Office in person at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at 445 S. Magnolia Avenue between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. Online and phone ticket purchases are subject to handling fees. Prices, shows, artists, dates and times are subject to change at any time without notice. 

Follow us for more updates:

The post On Sale Now at the Dr. Phillips Center appeared first on On the Go in MCO.

[cynthiajayusa]

Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Outshine Film Festival Miami Edition takes place from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 28. During the first week (through Wednesday, April 24) the festival is showing 31 films plus 2 Men’s Shorts compilations. Here are some of the highlights, but to see a complete list of films and parties go to: OutshineFilm.com.

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex  

Gripped by a failing marriage and the responsibilities of having a young son, Lydia (Critic’s Choice Nominee Holliday Grainger) finds solace in her growing bond with the town’s recently returned female doctor Jean (Academy & Golden Globe Award Winner Anna Paquin). But this is the 1950s in post-WWII rural Scotland, and the women’s relationship prompts raised eyebrows in their provincial circles. Based on the novel by Fiona Shaw, Tell It To The Bees is a story of courage in the face of terrifying intolerance and a heart-wrenching portrait of a love against all odds.

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

Does every relationship have an expiration date? Adam and Marklin are about to find out. Their 5-year relationship has gone from a passionate flame to a medium burn, forcing them to reconcile with each other’s shortcomings all while watching their support network crumble around them. But in this mess, hope springs eternal as they all muddle their way through to try and make life work. Featuring Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, and Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson; Sell By asks the timeless questions…how do you know who’s right for you and how do you know when to let go? In attendance will be writer/director Mike Doyle.

José – 9pm

José lives with his single mom in cramped quarters in Guatemala, a tough life in one of the world’s most dangerous, religious, and impoverished countries. His mother sells sandwiches, and he delivers food at the drive-by diner. Resigned and aloof, the one bright spot in his life is the face of his mobile phone – it literally lights up his evenings and helps him find men to hook up with in pay-by-the-hour hotels. That is, until construction worker Luis enters his life and José is thrust into a dimension of passion, pain and self-reflection previously unimaginable.

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

John Curry transformed ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Coming out on the night of his Olympic win in 1976, he became the first openly gay Olympian in a time when homosexuality was not even fully legal. Toxic yet charming; rebellious yet elitist; emotionally aloof yet spectacularly needy; ferociously ambitious yet bent on self-destruction, this is a man forever on the run from his father’s ghost, his country, and even his own self. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Elderly Senator Ramon, the pride of his small, provincial hometown, moves in with his terminally-ill best friend Fredo in his final days. It turns out that their connection goes beyond mere friendship, and the revelation of their relationship brings scandal to the town and conflict among his three adult children. It’s up to his saintly wife to restore harmony. Like the most polished of family melodrama, Rainbow’s Sunset bursts with generosity and heart, and yet veteran hit-maker Joel Lamagan subverts the genre, touching on old age, a subject that LGBTQ cinema has yet to explore.) In attendance will be executive producer Harlene Bautista.

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

The true story of Erik/Erika Schinegger – the ski sensation that became a media sensation. Declared female at birth, Erika is raised as a girl until a gene test proves that she is genetically male. Athletic success turns to heartbreak as he is disqualified and accused of fraud. The National Ski Federation insists that he undergo a medical procedure to make him fully female. Erik finds himself alone, facing the most important and agonizing decision of his life. Erik & Erika follows his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood and his fight for recognition in 1970’s Austria where there was no place in the social dictionary for a word like transgender.

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Two very different families spend their holidays in the same seaside house: the aristocratic Castelvecchio’s – open-minded, eccentric, but quite selfish – and the working-class Petagna’s – very tight-knit and united around solid conservative values. What brought such distant worlds together? Only Tony and Carlo, the two middle-aged heads of the families, know! The unexpected announcement of their engagement will disrupt an apparently ordinary summer and turn the lives of everyone around them upside down. With the wedding already set for three weeks, even more chaos will ensue.

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Cast adrift in Los Angeles, lonely TV weatherman Sean (Golden Globe Winner Matt Bomer) drives past a middle-aged Latino migrant worker standing outside a hardware store looking for work. He decides to hire this kind-looking man – to be his friend. Sean is young, gay and white; Ernesto is portly, straight and married. Despite the language barrier and having nothing in common, they build a sort of friendship – until Sean becomes consumed with a deeper obsessive need. Papi Chulo is a black comedy about loneliness and the desire to find connection across clear racial and socio-economic lines.

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Matteo is a young successful entrepreneur who is open-minded, charming and dynamic. His brother Ettore, who still lives in the small provincial town where they were born, is a cautious and honest man who has always stayed out of the spotlight out of fear of making mistakes. They are two apparently very distant people. However, a difficult situation results in the two brothers being given the opportunity to get to know each other, and they soon discover that they have a surprisingly close bond in a vortex of fragility and tenderness, fear and euphoria.

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Adam, Nico and Su are members of Germany’s first gay rugby team. Tackling Life portrays their everyday lives and follows them into the world of the sport, showing their struggle for recognition – in competition with the hetero regional league teams – as well as their community involvement: gathering money at colorful fundraisers and visiting schools to give anti-bullying workshops. Looking beyond the surface of self-presentation and cliché, we focus on how our trio copes with the challenges of everyday life and their search for belonging. Alternating aggressive, vibrant athletics with quiet observation, the film is fragile and profound, but also spectacular and loud.   

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

Genderqueer Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon’s intense and compelling piece of guerrilla filmmaking powerfully illuminates four queer Arab stories: Jordanian teenager Hiba is transitioning in secret, fearful of being killed by her Bedouin tribe; Gay Iraqi refugee Youssef fled Baghdad and is living in limbo in Bryon’s safe house in Amman; Lesbian feminist Rasha hides her sexuality and her relationship with Bryon from her family while striving for LGBTIQ visibility; and Khalaf, a gay Imam turned activist, lives a lonely life in Beirut. As Bryon becomes more entangled in their struggles blurring the lines between lover, friend, filmmaker, and activist, tensions explode and a dangerous crisis emerges.     

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Egor is a fearless state forest guard in the Siberian Taiga. He is a good family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child. But one day Egor finds out that he has cancer and only two months left to live. No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save him. As a last resort, he chooses to take the identity of a woman so death can’t find him. He finds that his new identity is his true self and his family and the local society now have to accept the new Egor.   

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Sixteen-year-old Jamie New lives on a council estate in Sheffield and doesn’t quite fit in. He is terrified about the future, but little does he know – he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness into the drag queen spotlight. Filmed live from London’s West End, with songs that have the wow factor, this funny, fabulous, feel-good, musical sensation will sweep you away on a tide of mischief, warmth and exuberance.      

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

A raw, atmospheric drama about masculinity in South Africa’s “Bible Belt”. The central province of Free State is a stronghold of the white Afrikaner minority. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno is different – a delicate and sensitive boy. When his religious mother takes in a Pieter – a hardened street orphan – to save, she asks Janno for help. Janno is supposed to accept Pieter as a brother, but the two boys struggle for power, tradition, and parental love.     

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Juno is just a child when his father abandons him in their village of Center Java. Alone now, he joins a Lengger dance center where men shape their feminine appearance and movement. But the sensuality and sexuality that come from dance and bodies, mixed with the violent social and political Indonesian environment, force Juno to move from village to village. If on his journey Juno gets attention and love from his dance teachers, his weird aunty, his old uncle, a handsome boxer, and a Warok, he still has to face by himself the battlefield that his body is becoming.      

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) –  6:45pm

US PREMIERE – Recently widowed Martin is overcome with grief after his beloved husband dies in a car accident. When a friend asks him to marry Tamara, a 20-year-old young Congolese woman who doesn’t have any papers, the gay 50-year-old refuses at first, then agrees when he’s offered a sum of money that will allow him to keep the house he shared with his husband. Different on every level, they’ll need to make their love believable to the authorities – but if they pretend long enough, they might learn to love each other… in their own way!        

Neverland (Nevrland) – 9:15pm

17-year-old Jakob wants nothing more than to feel alive, yet uncontrollable anxiety attacks force him to escape into fictional and virtual worlds. A chance encounter in a sex-cam-chat marks the beginning of an online relationship with the gorgeous and seemingly perfect 26-year-old Kristjan. It’s not until the death of Jakob’s only true emotional attachment, his grandfather, that he is willing to meet up with Kristjan in real life. Over the course of one night, they embark on a transpersonal journey to the wounds of their soul where Jakob must face his biggest fear.

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

14-year-old Segundo is following in his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes. Segundo reveres his father, and when he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harboring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined. Retablo masterfully explores the weight of heritage, the boundaries of love, and the burdens of family expectations, as well as the complexity of accepting our parents for who they really are.    

Mr. Leather – 9pm

In 2018, the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition was held. Five individuals vie to wear the sash, each with their own backstory. The winner will be crowned by Brazil’s first Mr. Leather, Dom Barbudo, the person most admired within the country’s leather community. Along with the title comes a year-long commitment to promote the culture of the leather community throughout the country. Whether part of the leather and/or fetish lifestyle or simply intrigued by it, Mr. Leather will raise the spirits and the understanding of an often-misunderstood community.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2019/04/movie-schedule-2019-outshine-film.html

[demitgibbs]

Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Outshine Film Festival Miami Edition takes place from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 28. During the first week (through Wednesday, April 24) the festival is showing 31 films plus 2 Men’s Shorts compilations. Here are some of the highlights, but to see a complete list of films and parties go to: OutshineFilm.com.

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex  

Gripped by a failing marriage and the responsibilities of having a young son, Lydia (Critic’s Choice Nominee Holliday Grainger) finds solace in her growing bond with the town’s recently returned female doctor Jean (Academy & Golden Globe Award Winner Anna Paquin). But this is the 1950s in post-WWII rural Scotland, and the women’s relationship prompts raised eyebrows in their provincial circles. Based on the novel by Fiona Shaw, Tell It To The Bees is a story of courage in the face of terrifying intolerance and a heart-wrenching portrait of a love against all odds.

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

Does every relationship have an expiration date? Adam and Marklin are about to find out. Their 5-year relationship has gone from a passionate flame to a medium burn, forcing them to reconcile with each other’s shortcomings all while watching their support network crumble around them. But in this mess, hope springs eternal as they all muddle their way through to try and make life work. Featuring Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, and Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson; Sell By asks the timeless questions…how do you know who’s right for you and how do you know when to let go? In attendance will be writer/director Mike Doyle.

José – 9pm

José lives with his single mom in cramped quarters in Guatemala, a tough life in one of the world’s most dangerous, religious, and impoverished countries. His mother sells sandwiches, and he delivers food at the drive-by diner. Resigned and aloof, the one bright spot in his life is the face of his mobile phone – it literally lights up his evenings and helps him find men to hook up with in pay-by-the-hour hotels. That is, until construction worker Luis enters his life and José is thrust into a dimension of passion, pain and self-reflection previously unimaginable.

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

John Curry transformed ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Coming out on the night of his Olympic win in 1976, he became the first openly gay Olympian in a time when homosexuality was not even fully legal. Toxic yet charming; rebellious yet elitist; emotionally aloof yet spectacularly needy; ferociously ambitious yet bent on self-destruction, this is a man forever on the run from his father’s ghost, his country, and even his own self. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Elderly Senator Ramon, the pride of his small, provincial hometown, moves in with his terminally-ill best friend Fredo in his final days. It turns out that their connection goes beyond mere friendship, and the revelation of their relationship brings scandal to the town and conflict among his three adult children. It’s up to his saintly wife to restore harmony. Like the most polished of family melodrama, Rainbow’s Sunset bursts with generosity and heart, and yet veteran hit-maker Joel Lamagan subverts the genre, touching on old age, a subject that LGBTQ cinema has yet to explore.) In attendance will be executive producer Harlene Bautista.

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

The true story of Erik/Erika Schinegger – the ski sensation that became a media sensation. Declared female at birth, Erika is raised as a girl until a gene test proves that she is genetically male. Athletic success turns to heartbreak as he is disqualified and accused of fraud. The National Ski Federation insists that he undergo a medical procedure to make him fully female. Erik finds himself alone, facing the most important and agonizing decision of his life. Erik & Erika follows his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood and his fight for recognition in 1970’s Austria where there was no place in the social dictionary for a word like transgender.

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Two very different families spend their holidays in the same seaside house: the aristocratic Castelvecchio’s – open-minded, eccentric, but quite selfish – and the working-class Petagna’s – very tight-knit and united around solid conservative values. What brought such distant worlds together? Only Tony and Carlo, the two middle-aged heads of the families, know! The unexpected announcement of their engagement will disrupt an apparently ordinary summer and turn the lives of everyone around them upside down. With the wedding already set for three weeks, even more chaos will ensue.

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Cast adrift in Los Angeles, lonely TV weatherman Sean (Golden Globe Winner Matt Bomer) drives past a middle-aged Latino migrant worker standing outside a hardware store looking for work. He decides to hire this kind-looking man – to be his friend. Sean is young, gay and white; Ernesto is portly, straight and married. Despite the language barrier and having nothing in common, they build a sort of friendship – until Sean becomes consumed with a deeper obsessive need. Papi Chulo is a black comedy about loneliness and the desire to find connection across clear racial and socio-economic lines.

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Matteo is a young successful entrepreneur who is open-minded, charming and dynamic. His brother Ettore, who still lives in the small provincial town where they were born, is a cautious and honest man who has always stayed out of the spotlight out of fear of making mistakes. They are two apparently very distant people. However, a difficult situation results in the two brothers being given the opportunity to get to know each other, and they soon discover that they have a surprisingly close bond in a vortex of fragility and tenderness, fear and euphoria.

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Adam, Nico and Su are members of Germany’s first gay rugby team. Tackling Life portrays their everyday lives and follows them into the world of the sport, showing their struggle for recognition – in competition with the hetero regional league teams – as well as their community involvement: gathering money at colorful fundraisers and visiting schools to give anti-bullying workshops. Looking beyond the surface of self-presentation and cliché, we focus on how our trio copes with the challenges of everyday life and their search for belonging. Alternating aggressive, vibrant athletics with quiet observation, the film is fragile and profound, but also spectacular and loud.   

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

Genderqueer Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon’s intense and compelling piece of guerrilla filmmaking powerfully illuminates four queer Arab stories: Jordanian teenager Hiba is transitioning in secret, fearful of being killed by her Bedouin tribe; Gay Iraqi refugee Youssef fled Baghdad and is living in limbo in Bryon’s safe house in Amman; Lesbian feminist Rasha hides her sexuality and her relationship with Bryon from her family while striving for LGBTIQ visibility; and Khalaf, a gay Imam turned activist, lives a lonely life in Beirut. As Bryon becomes more entangled in their struggles blurring the lines between lover, friend, filmmaker, and activist, tensions explode and a dangerous crisis emerges.     

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Egor is a fearless state forest guard in the Siberian Taiga. He is a good family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child. But one day Egor finds out that he has cancer and only two months left to live. No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save him. As a last resort, he chooses to take the identity of a woman so death can’t find him. He finds that his new identity is his true self and his family and the local society now have to accept the new Egor.   

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Sixteen-year-old Jamie New lives on a council estate in Sheffield and doesn’t quite fit in. He is terrified about the future, but little does he know – he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness into the drag queen spotlight. Filmed live from London’s West End, with songs that have the wow factor, this funny, fabulous, feel-good, musical sensation will sweep you away on a tide of mischief, warmth and exuberance.      

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

A raw, atmospheric drama about masculinity in South Africa’s “Bible Belt”. The central province of Free State is a stronghold of the white Afrikaner minority. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno is different – a delicate and sensitive boy. When his religious mother takes in a Pieter – a hardened street orphan – to save, she asks Janno for help. Janno is supposed to accept Pieter as a brother, but the two boys struggle for power, tradition, and parental love.     

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Juno is just a child when his father abandons him in their village of Center Java. Alone now, he joins a Lengger dance center where men shape their feminine appearance and movement. But the sensuality and sexuality that come from dance and bodies, mixed with the violent social and political Indonesian environment, force Juno to move from village to village. If on his journey Juno gets attention and love from his dance teachers, his weird aunty, his old uncle, a handsome boxer, and a Warok, he still has to face by himself the battlefield that his body is becoming.      

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) –  6:45pm

US PREMIERE – Recently widowed Martin is overcome with grief after his beloved husband dies in a car accident. When a friend asks him to marry Tamara, a 20-year-old young Congolese woman who doesn’t have any papers, the gay 50-year-old refuses at first, then agrees when he’s offered a sum of money that will allow him to keep the house he shared with his husband. Different on every level, they’ll need to make their love believable to the authorities – but if they pretend long enough, they might learn to love each other… in their own way!        

Neverland (Nevrland) – 9:15pm

17-year-old Jakob wants nothing more than to feel alive, yet uncontrollable anxiety attacks force him to escape into fictional and virtual worlds. A chance encounter in a sex-cam-chat marks the beginning of an online relationship with the gorgeous and seemingly perfect 26-year-old Kristjan. It’s not until the death of Jakob’s only true emotional attachment, his grandfather, that he is willing to meet up with Kristjan in real life. Over the course of one night, they embark on a transpersonal journey to the wounds of their soul where Jakob must face his biggest fear.

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

14-year-old Segundo is following in his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes. Segundo reveres his father, and when he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harboring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined. Retablo masterfully explores the weight of heritage, the boundaries of love, and the burdens of family expectations, as well as the complexity of accepting our parents for who they really are.    

Mr. Leather – 9pm

In 2018, the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition was held. Five individuals vie to wear the sash, each with their own backstory. The winner will be crowned by Brazil’s first Mr. Leather, Dom Barbudo, the person most admired within the country’s leather community. Along with the title comes a year-long commitment to promote the culture of the leather community throughout the country. Whether part of the leather and/or fetish lifestyle or simply intrigued by it, Mr. Leather will raise the spirits and the understanding of an often-misunderstood community.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/184272242865

[hotspotsmagazine]

Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Outshine Film Festival Miami Edition takes place from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 28. During the first week (through Wednesday, April 24) the festival is showing 31 films plus 2 Men’s Shorts compilations. Here are some of the highlights, but to see a complete list of films and parties go to: OutshineFilm.com.

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex  

Gripped by a failing marriage and the responsibilities of having a young son, Lydia (Critic’s Choice Nominee Holliday Grainger) finds solace in her growing bond with the town’s recently returned female doctor Jean (Academy & Golden Globe Award Winner Anna Paquin). But this is the 1950s in post-WWII rural Scotland, and the women’s relationship prompts raised eyebrows in their provincial circles. Based on the novel by Fiona Shaw, Tell It To The Bees is a story of courage in the face of terrifying intolerance and a heart-wrenching portrait of a love against all odds.

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

Does every relationship have an expiration date? Adam and Marklin are about to find out. Their 5-year relationship has gone from a passionate flame to a medium burn, forcing them to reconcile with each other’s shortcomings all while watching their support network crumble around them. But in this mess, hope springs eternal as they all muddle their way through to try and make life work. Featuring Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, and Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson; Sell By asks the timeless questions…how do you know who’s right for you and how do you know when to let go? In attendance will be writer/director Mike Doyle.

José – 9pm

José lives with his single mom in cramped quarters in Guatemala, a tough life in one of the world’s most dangerous, religious, and impoverished countries. His mother sells sandwiches, and he delivers food at the drive-by diner. Resigned and aloof, the one bright spot in his life is the face of his mobile phone – it literally lights up his evenings and helps him find men to hook up with in pay-by-the-hour hotels. That is, until construction worker Luis enters his life and José is thrust into a dimension of passion, pain and self-reflection previously unimaginable.

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

John Curry transformed ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Coming out on the night of his Olympic win in 1976, he became the first openly gay Olympian in a time when homosexuality was not even fully legal. Toxic yet charming; rebellious yet elitist; emotionally aloof yet spectacularly needy; ferociously ambitious yet bent on self-destruction, this is a man forever on the run from his father’s ghost, his country, and even his own self. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Elderly Senator Ramon, the pride of his small, provincial hometown, moves in with his terminally-ill best friend Fredo in his final days. It turns out that their connection goes beyond mere friendship, and the revelation of their relationship brings scandal to the town and conflict among his three adult children. It’s up to his saintly wife to restore harmony. Like the most polished of family melodrama, Rainbow’s Sunset bursts with generosity and heart, and yet veteran hit-maker Joel Lamagan subverts the genre, touching on old age, a subject that LGBTQ cinema has yet to explore.) In attendance will be executive producer Harlene Bautista.

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

The true story of Erik/Erika Schinegger – the ski sensation that became a media sensation. Declared female at birth, Erika is raised as a girl until a gene test proves that she is genetically male. Athletic success turns to heartbreak as he is disqualified and accused of fraud. The National Ski Federation insists that he undergo a medical procedure to make him fully female. Erik finds himself alone, facing the most important and agonizing decision of his life. Erik & Erika follows his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood and his fight for recognition in 1970’s Austria where there was no place in the social dictionary for a word like transgender.

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Two very different families spend their holidays in the same seaside house: the aristocratic Castelvecchio’s – open-minded, eccentric, but quite selfish – and the working-class Petagna’s – very tight-knit and united around solid conservative values. What brought such distant worlds together? Only Tony and Carlo, the two middle-aged heads of the families, know! The unexpected announcement of their engagement will disrupt an apparently ordinary summer and turn the lives of everyone around them upside down. With the wedding already set for three weeks, even more chaos will ensue.

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Cast adrift in Los Angeles, lonely TV weatherman Sean (Golden Globe Winner Matt Bomer) drives past a middle-aged Latino migrant worker standing outside a hardware store looking for work. He decides to hire this kind-looking man – to be his friend. Sean is young, gay and white; Ernesto is portly, straight and married. Despite the language barrier and having nothing in common, they build a sort of friendship – until Sean becomes consumed with a deeper obsessive need. Papi Chulo is a black comedy about loneliness and the desire to find connection across clear racial and socio-economic lines.

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Matteo is a young successful entrepreneur who is open-minded, charming and dynamic. His brother Ettore, who still lives in the small provincial town where they were born, is a cautious and honest man who has always stayed out of the spotlight out of fear of making mistakes. They are two apparently very distant people. However, a difficult situation results in the two brothers being given the opportunity to get to know each other, and they soon discover that they have a surprisingly close bond in a vortex of fragility and tenderness, fear and euphoria.

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Adam, Nico and Su are members of Germany’s first gay rugby team. Tackling Life portrays their everyday lives and follows them into the world of the sport, showing their struggle for recognition – in competition with the hetero regional league teams – as well as their community involvement: gathering money at colorful fundraisers and visiting schools to give anti-bullying workshops. Looking beyond the surface of self-presentation and cliché, we focus on how our trio copes with the challenges of everyday life and their search for belonging. Alternating aggressive, vibrant athletics with quiet observation, the film is fragile and profound, but also spectacular and loud.   

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

Genderqueer Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon’s intense and compelling piece of guerrilla filmmaking powerfully illuminates four queer Arab stories: Jordanian teenager Hiba is transitioning in secret, fearful of being killed by her Bedouin tribe; Gay Iraqi refugee Youssef fled Baghdad and is living in limbo in Bryon’s safe house in Amman; Lesbian feminist Rasha hides her sexuality and her relationship with Bryon from her family while striving for LGBTIQ visibility; and Khalaf, a gay Imam turned activist, lives a lonely life in Beirut. As Bryon becomes more entangled in their struggles blurring the lines between lover, friend, filmmaker, and activist, tensions explode and a dangerous crisis emerges.     

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Egor is a fearless state forest guard in the Siberian Taiga. He is a good family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child. But one day Egor finds out that he has cancer and only two months left to live. No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save him. As a last resort, he chooses to take the identity of a woman so death can’t find him. He finds that his new identity is his true self and his family and the local society now have to accept the new Egor.   

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Sixteen-year-old Jamie New lives on a council estate in Sheffield and doesn’t quite fit in. He is terrified about the future, but little does he know – he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness into the drag queen spotlight. Filmed live from London’s West End, with songs that have the wow factor, this funny, fabulous, feel-good, musical sensation will sweep you away on a tide of mischief, warmth and exuberance.      

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

A raw, atmospheric drama about masculinity in South Africa’s “Bible Belt”. The central province of Free State is a stronghold of the white Afrikaner minority. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno is different – a delicate and sensitive boy. When his religious mother takes in a Pieter – a hardened street orphan – to save, she asks Janno for help. Janno is supposed to accept Pieter as a brother, but the two boys struggle for power, tradition, and parental love.     

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Juno is just a child when his father abandons him in their village of Center Java. Alone now, he joins a Lengger dance center where men shape their feminine appearance and movement. But the sensuality and sexuality that come from dance and bodies, mixed with the violent social and political Indonesian environment, force Juno to move from village to village. If on his journey Juno gets attention and love from his dance teachers, his weird aunty, his old uncle, a handsome boxer, and a Warok, he still has to face by himself the battlefield that his body is becoming.      

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) –  6:45pm

US PREMIERE – Recently widowed Martin is overcome with grief after his beloved husband dies in a car accident. When a friend asks him to marry Tamara, a 20-year-old young Congolese woman who doesn’t have any papers, the gay 50-year-old refuses at first, then agrees when he’s offered a sum of money that will allow him to keep the house he shared with his husband. Different on every level, they’ll need to make their love believable to the authorities – but if they pretend long enough, they might learn to love each other… in their own way!        

Neverland (Nevrland) �� 9:15pm

17-year-old Jakob wants nothing more than to feel alive, yet uncontrollable anxiety attacks force him to escape into fictional and virtual worlds. A chance encounter in a sex-cam-chat marks the beginning of an online relationship with the gorgeous and seemingly perfect 26-year-old Kristjan. It’s not until the death of Jakob’s only true emotional attachment, his grandfather, that he is willing to meet up with Kristjan in real life. Over the course of one night, they embark on a transpersonal journey to the wounds of their soul where Jakob must face his biggest fear.

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

14-year-old Segundo is following in his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes. Segundo reveres his father, and when he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harboring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined. Retablo masterfully explores the weight of heritage, the boundaries of love, and the burdens of family expectations, as well as the complexity of accepting our parents for who they really are.    

Mr. Leather – 9pm

In 2018, the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition was held. Five individuals vie to wear the sash, each with their own backstory. The winner will be crowned by Brazil’s first Mr. Leather, Dom Barbudo, the person most admired within the country’s leather community. Along with the title comes a year-long commitment to promote the culture of the leather community throughout the country. Whether part of the leather and/or fetish lifestyle or simply intrigued by it, Mr. Leather will raise the spirits and the understanding of an often-misunderstood community.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/

[aion-rsa]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Complete Guide to Marvel Easter Eggs

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We're tracking down every Marvel Universe Easter egg and reference in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Help us out!

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Mike Cecchini Gavin Jasper

Marvel

Dec 14, 2018

Spider-Man

Animation

This article consists of nothing but Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse spoilers. We have a spoiler-free review right here if you prefer.

Well, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse absolutely delivers everything a Spider-Man fan could possibly want. Who needs the Marvel Cinematic Universe when you've got a movie that tell such a wonderful, compelling story on its own, and one that draws so heavily purely from Spider-Man mythology, right?

And for those of you who want to dig as deep as you can on everything Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has to offer, we give you this (mostly) complete guide to Easter eggs in the movie. If you spot something we missed, mention it in the comments, or give Mike or Gavin a shout on Twitter...and if it checks out, we'll update this and credit you!

Now, let's get swingin'...

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Characters

While the multiverse is, of course, infinite, this movie focuses on a handful of key Spider-people.

Miles Morales

Miles Morales was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli. He originally appeared in Marvel's (now defunct) Ultimate universe, as the replacement for a very dead Peter Parker. Sound familiar? He's currently part of the main Marvel Universe, though.

read more - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Who is Miles Morales?

- The genetically modified spider that gives Miles Morales his powers has the #42 on it, this is straight out of his Ultimate Spider-Man comics origin, as is the stuff about Miles getting into the private school due to winning a lottery is taken from the comics.

- Miles is often seen reading a comic called True Life Tales of Spider-Man. The name and the logo recall an actual Marvel series called Untold Tales of Spider-Man, which came out during the 1990s, and told stories that happened “in between” important moments in Spidey’s early career. One of the covers is an obvious callback to Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Peter Parker.

- Names in Miles’ phone include B. Bendis and Sara Pichelli. He'd better have those names in there...they are the people who created him! The pair get another shout out later on, as when Miles accepts who he is, the comic book cover mentions Bendis/Pichelli.

Meanwhile, Miles' Dad’s phone has Peter Parker co-creator Steve Ditko on speed dial. Of course, Steve Ditko wasn't really fond of taking phone calls, but it's great to see him referenced here (and of course, Stan Lee has his traditional, but first posthumous, cameo).

- Miles wonders how two Spider-Men could exist and for a second we see a comic cover of “Two Spider-Men.” Spider-Men is the first crossover between 616 Peter and Miles.

Peter Parker

- This movie takes place about 10 years into this world’s version of Spider-Man’s career. To fill in the blanks, there are loads of visual homages to the three Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies during the scenes establishing who this world’s Spider-Man is, including the restaurant/taxi/spider-sense sequence, the famous bit where Spidey stops the subway on the elevated tracks, the upside-down kiss, the horrid dancing from Spider-Man 3, and more. Later in the movie, Spidey’s “broke my back” joke is both another Spider-Man 2 reference and a callback to Tobey Maguire’s back problems/negotiating tactics between the first two movies. There’s also a visual homage to him pulling the Staten Island Ferry together from Spider-Man: Homecoming.

read more - Every Marvel Easter Egg in Spider-Man: Homecoming

- Peter Parker and Mary Jane are divorced in the older Peter’s world. This is rather surprising to see if you were following the character back in the mid-00s. Joe Quesada really did not like the idea of the two being married because he felt it made Peter too hard to relate to. He had to go through the stunt of having them sell their marriage to Mephisto (the Devil...but from space!) to create a retcon that they never got hitched. Why not just have them straight-up get divorced? Quesada claimed it would age Peter too much and would make him even harder to relate to. Meanwhile, this movie makes a 40-year old Peter Parker going through a midlife crisis as easy to relate to as any version of the character in history, but whatever.

Spider-Man Noir

- Spider-Man Noir comes from a brief line when Marvel released miniseries that reimagined their characters as grounded 1930s-1940s counterparts. For instance, X-Men Noir was about a group of grifters with special gifts (ie. Rogue’s ability to perfectly steal someone’s identity) opposing a corrupt police force. Spider-Man Noir received two miniseries and appeared to be the only hero of that line to have actual powers. His origin is rather ill-explained, where he’s bitten by what appears to be mystical spiders and hallucinates seeing a spider god.

Spider-Gwen

- Spider-Gwen made her first appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse #2, created by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez. There are a lot of differences in her reality, but one of them is that Gwen Stacy was the victim of the radioactive spider bite instead of Peter Parker. The gist of her quick backstory from the movie very much lines up with the comics. This includes the fact that her boyfriend Peter turned himself into the Lizard after being broken down from constant bullying. Spider-Gwen fought the Lizard a little too hard with the offense and ended up killing him by accident.

She also plays in the Mary Janes, a band also made up of Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant, and Glory Grant.

She'll return in an animated spinoff of her own, so don't you worry.

Spider-Ham

Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham (typing that will never, ever get old) first appeared in a one-shot comic in 1983 called (seriously) Marvel Tails, and then went on to headline his own book. He is exactly what you expect.

For more on Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, well...we have his complete and weird (and completely weird) history right here for you.

Peni Parker

Peni Parker and Sp//dr first appeared in Edge of Spider-Verse #5, and they were created by Jake Wyatt and My Chemical Romance's own Gerard Way.

Believe it or not, this is only a small sampling of the Spider-Men of the Spider-Verse out there. We have a complete guide to all of them right here.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Comics Easter Eggs

- Throughout the movie, there are loads of great references to printed comic book storytelling, like using the captions as thought balloons, Ben-day dots for effect, sound effects on screen, and more.

read more - The Making of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

- On a monitor when Kingpin’s scientists were turning on the particle collider during the Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin fight, there are different Earth numbers mentioned like “E-616” and “E-1610.” 616 is the designation for the "main" Marvel Comics Universe.

- Is it us, or does Mary Jane in this movie look like J. Scott Campbell art?

- The shot of Uncle Ben “dying” looks an awful lot like one of the covers of Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man where we see Peter and Ben walking into the afterlife together.

- The pink-haired girl from Miles’ old school might be a reference to the Ultimate Comics version of Kate Bishop, who dated Miles for a bit.

- The revelation that this Spidey is blond feels like a slight nod to the Ben Reilly era of the character. Essentially (hoo-boy) in the ‘90s Marvel had this awful idea called The Clone Saga. In it, Peter Parker retires as Spider-Man and is replaced by his clone, who, to distinguish himself from Peter, dyes his hair and takes the name Ben Reilly (Ben after his Uncle, and Reilly being Aunt May’s maiden name).

- Peter plans to take Miles under his wing, but dies. In an issue of Ultimate Spider-Man where Miles and his friends discuss how things probably would have worked out if Peter survived, Miles admits that although he never got to meet his universe’s Peter Parker, he feels that Peter would have been his mentor.

Spidey's Secret Headquarters

- In Spider-Men, 616 Peter does visit Ultimate Aunt May’s home. Although things work out in the end, her initial reaction is to attack him until Miles (who she knows) explains that he’s the real deal. Bonus! Aunt May appears to have her furniture covered in plastic. That's a nice detail for anyone who has an elderly relative living in the boroughs of NYC. It's basically standard issue.

- Pretty sure you can spot “The Rose” on the wall with the chart of the Fisk family in Spidey’s hideout.

- The infamous Spider-Mobile is on display in the late-Spider-Man’s lair. The Spider-Mobile was always a merchandise-driven creation, the irony being that Peter Parker didn't actually know how to drive. Why? Well, for starters, he lives in New York City. If you grow up here, there's little reason for you to drive. More importantly, he got his powers at 15 or 16, and the driving age in New York is 16. Why bother learning to drive when you can web swing?

- Suits in the lair include the video game costume, Iron Spider suit, stealth suit, MCU suit. The caped one is from What If v.1 #19 (he stopped the thief and remained an entertainer). One of them is Spider-Man from Exiles, coming from a world where Peter Parker wore the Carnage symbiote.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Villains

Now, let's talk baddies...

The Prowler

- There have been several characters to assume the identity of the Prowler. The character has been kicking around the Marvel Universe since 1969 (as Hobie Brown), before a guy named Rick Lawson took over the role. But neither of those are the guy on screen here...

It was the Ultimate Universe Prowler who was Aaron Davis, Miles Morales' uncle, and he didn't come around until Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1 in 2011.

Kingpin

It's kind of amazing that this is Wilson Fisk's first big screen appearance, especially given the popularity of the character both in the comics on TV. Liev Schrieber manages to deliver a different enough performance from Vincent D'Onofrio's to make it his own, though.

- Kingpin is haunted by the rejection and deaths of his wife Vanessa and son Richard. In the comics (and especially the Daredevil Netflix series), Vanessa is a lot more open to Wilson’s dark dealings. In the main comics, Richard was an adult and hated his father, though never sure whether to usurp him as a villain or betray him as a hero. In the end, he was shot dead by Vanessa.

- The closest counterpart to the movie’s depiction of Richard Fisk is in Punisher MAX, where he was an 8-year-old boy. Wilson Fisk coldly allowed him to die in a hostage situation rather than give himself up to an enemy and Vanessa forever hated him for it.

- Kingpin’s bodyguard is Tombstone, otherwise known as Lonnie Thompson Lincoln. Created by Gerry Conway and Alex Saviuk back in 1988, Tombstone is an albino with the strength and fighting skill that makes him capable of trading blows with Spider-Man. He tends to exist as a mafia figure for the most part instead of a cackling supervillain and has indeed worked for Kingpin in the comics once or twice.

Doctor Octopus

- Dr. Olivia Octavius is an original character. Or as original as you can get for being a gender-flipped Otto Octavius. That’s kind of the point of the twist is. That said, there have been at least two female versions of Doc Ock in the comics. The most famous one is Carolyn Trainer, who took the mantle back during the Clone Saga days after Kaine snapped Otto’s neck. More recently, the Web-Warriors gained an ally in Octavia Otto, a member of the Young Avengers from a world where Spider-Man is the villain.

- Dr. Octavius talks up alternate universes and describes them as “WHAT IF to Infinity,” referencing Marvel’s famous alternate history comics as well as their most famous crossover events (and live action movies).

- The version of Green Goblin seen on the screen in this movie feels very much like the Ultimate version of the character, where Norman Osborn had actually mutated himself into a hulking green beast, rather than dressing like a goblin.

- This is a different version of Scorpion than we've seen in any movie, animated series, or game. Any ideas where he's pulled from? In any case, this is Scorpion's first shot at the big time on the big screen, although there's an excellent chance he'll appear in a future live action Spidey movie, as Mac Gargan was played by Michael Mando in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

- During the sequence showing off Spidey's villains (most of whom make more substantial appearances in the movie), you can see a quick flash of Rhino at one point, but he doesn't seem to appear anywhere else in the movie.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Video Game References

- The shot of Peter Spider-Man crawling upside down towards the viewer looks exactly like the cover to the great PS1 game.

- Spidey does the “finger guns” like he does in the amazing PS4 video game.

Miscellaneous Spidey Stuff

- When Miles goes to his Uncle Aaron’s house, the episode of Community (“Anthropology 101”) with Donald Glover in a Spidey costume is on TV. This visual was one of the main inspirations for Miles Morales’ very creation. Glover himself has voiced Miles on Ultimate Spider-Man: Web-Warriors and played the live-action version of Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

- It’s not an Easter egg, but this movie has a terrific use of Black Sheep’s “The Choice is Yours,” a guaranteed party starter whenever it drops anywhere. Later in the movie there’s an appropriately cheesy use of “St. Elmo’s Fire.”

- Billboards in Times Square include: From Dusk til Shaun (the Shaun of the Dead sequel we deserve) and John Mulaney and Nick Kroll in “Hi, Hello.” Also a cartoon called Clone College (uh-oh...don't say "clone" around Spider-Man fans) and a toy called Mr. Tomato Head.

Elsewhere in New York City you can spot signs that say “Bendis” (another nod to Brian Michael Bendis, Miles' co-creator) and “Romita Ramen” (for John Romita Sr. and Jr...both of whom have made their mark on the Spidey mythos...but especially sr.)

- The shot of Peter sitting behind the desk, up to his shoulders, is from the ‘67 cartoon and lives on in meme form. This includes the infamous “And I’m just sitting here masturbating” memes, which was specifically referenced in a Web-Warriors comic when Spider-Gwen visited that cartoon’s world.

- Miles’ Spider-Man costume Halloween mask looks exactly like the old, cheap plastic Ben Cooper mask, right down to the nose holes.

- Did you know this movie almost featured a Doctor Strange cameo? Well...it almost did! More details here!

- I couldn’t tell for sure, but a piece of art in the underground area looked an awful lot like Leon: The Professional.

- Spider-Ham’s “That’s all folks!” is...well...you know where that's from. Wait...is he even allowed to say that?

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Post-Credits Scenes

The initial end credits include at least two references to Spider-Man ‘67 stills that became popular. One is an image of Spider-Man sitting behind a desk while the wall behind him is covered in framed photos of himself. Another is the “hay” image, where Spider-Man was laying down on a train track. Despite the intent of the animated scenes, the way he’s posing makes it look more like a sexual invite. Earth-67 is where the 1967-1970 Spider-Man cartoon takes place. The footage originates from the season one episode “Double Identity.”

Spider-Man 2099

Spider-Man 2099 is Miguel O’Hara, an Alchemax employee from the future who accidentally gave himself spider powers. Taking up the mantle of Spider-Man, he was the first of many hero reprisals from that era. He has teamed up with his past counterpart on various occasions and has taken part in his share of dimensional team-ups.

Funny enough, the movie had set up Spider-Man 2099's appearance way earlier, as Alchemax was introduced in the Spider-Man 2099 comics  as a mega-corporation that does everything from pharmaceuticals to privatizing the police force. Only recently has Marvel created a modern-day take on the company, revealing it to be Liz Allen’s Allen Company after absorbing Oscorp and Horizon Labs.

We went into much more detail about those post-credits scenes right here.

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