#Mr. Armitage is great actor

[andywinter16]

Do you remember the  predecessor of the Kingsglaive? The Royal Guard! You know, those guys we fought as Ardyn in his DLC. They also had captain, which was directly under Clarus Amicitia. Well, and since we don´t know how he looked like and I kinda imagined him like Richard Armitage.

And this is my personal headcanon but Titus knew him. Heck, Titus worked under him like a Royal Guard. Until the captain passed away in the Attack on the Insomnia instrumented by Ardyn.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Anonymous asked: Are you a Mission Impossible fan? I’m not a Tom Cruise fan but it’s great dumb fun. And it has a cast full of talented (and beautiful) women. You seem the type to enjoy a good adrenaline rush of a flick (I’m sure the French have a fancy cinematic term for that)

I am unashamedly both a Mission Impossible fan - of the television series and the Cruise movies - and a Tom Cruise fan.

Obviously being born decades after the original Mission Impossible tv series created by Bruce Geller was first aired in the 60s and 70s, I only had the pleasure of watching the box set episodes later in life. I have to say I loved that series. I loved when they hatched the plan. Loved the fake masks. And of course I loved the Lao Schifrin music - one of the most recognisable signature themes in music and TV history.

Classic television has a bit of a blessing and a curse working on it. Most shows of the Golden Age of television didn't have a structured narrative through-line. The idea that one episode will build upon the next is a pretty modern concept. As such, Mission Impossible had a prescribed routine. Mr. Briggs in Season One and then Mr. Phelps in the subsequent seasons drive to a random location, find a hidden mission briefing that self destructs, discusses the plan with the team, and then they execute the mission.

There wasn't much variation to the structure. Thankfully by season three, they got rid of the silly waste of time where Jim Phelps selects his team - because aside from the random guest the team was virtually the same from episode to episode. The thing that changed was how the team pulled off their mission. It was always a mixture of subterfuge and fancy fakery, but it was always exciting and the great team of writers, directors, and the dynamic cast always kept the audience just enough out of the loop for there to be plenty of surprises and suspense.

It's not that Season One wasn't any good, but you could really feel the show was still working itself out. Steven Hill as original team leader Daniel Briggs is decent enough, but he's just not as interesting a performer as Peter Graves as Jim Phelps. Graves is indelible to the show. But it's not just who leads the team that made the show - it was the great actors who made up the series regulars. Greg Morris as Barney Collier and Peter Lupus as Willy Armitage are always great as the tech masters and inside guys who narrowly complete their tasks with milliseconds to spare. Husband and Wife duo Martin Landau as Rollin Hand and Barbara Bain as Cinnamon Carter really helped cement the show through the first three seasons.

So when I got around to watching Tom Cruise’s first Mission Impossible film I was a little miffed. It seemed like the story bumped off his team - a staple of the original tv series - within the first act and the rest of the film is on Cruise control ie it’s just about Ethan Hunt. But slowly as the other MI films came out I was won over. In fact in my mind I tend to think there are two Impossible Missions Force (IMF) operating in two different universes, just because the dynamics are different. That way I don’t waste time whining on which is better or poke holes in the Cruise films for its lack of purity to the original series. I prefer to enjoy both on their own separate terms.

To me Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is the biggest movie star in our current culture of excess entertainment. That’s my gut feeling.  The definition of a movie star, in my personal opinion, has changed dramatically. There was a time and period when the movie star was defined by the name alone. If a Hollywood star had a film coming out people didn’t know what the film was, they just saw it because of who was in it: Will Smith or Jim Carrey or even Stallone and Schwarzenegger. No one else comes close.

The two exceptions might be Leonardo DiCaprio or Keanu Reeves. I think of the two Reeves comes closest because of the success of the franchises he’s been in - The Matrix and the John Wick franchises - but he’s not a movie star. What I mean he doesn’t behave like a movie star in the sense that he is not immersed in the film business as a business nor does he cultivate his star power (he prefers to travel around on a bus and sit on park benches looking forlorn) in the way Tom Cruise does.

Interestingly there are even few directors that can open a movie on name alone. Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, and Steven Spielberg can still get people into the cinema based on their name alone, but the movie star, not so much. Audiences today want IP. They want franchises. However Tom Cruise has navigated all of that and consistently shifted.

Cruise’s dedication to big screen spectacle, also offset by interesting asides like American Made, and very underrated sci-fi and high concept films like Minority Report, Oblivion (very underrated) and Edge of Tomorrow, brings a sense of anticipation to his films. Maybe we’re there because we expect stunts, or we know that he’ll give nothing less than 100%, or it’s an example of a creatively driven project, rather than a marketing machine, but we still show up. It may not always go right, like the misfiring The Mummy or Jack Reacher (where he felt miscast in both), but Cruise has his sure-fires and his surprises.

When a movie like The Mummy doesn’t work out, he reimagines Mission: Impossible, and he is able to take what everyone loved in the 80s about Top Gun and magnify that to what the audience wants today. Honestly, did anyone expect Top Gun: Maverick to be the box office behemoth it has been? I expected it to impress, to be a good example of Cruise’s fervent passion for as much practical work as possible (as opposed to doing 95% with CGI), but after 36 years, that it’s his highest grossing film ever - and the highest-grossing movie of 2022 - is impressive.

It helps that he almost never 100 percent disappears into his roles; we still get that Tom Cruise smile and stare no matter who he’s playing. And the fact that he still looks like 1980s-era Tom Cruise only adds to the lustre. Indeed when Tom Cruise does it, whether that’s fighting for justice in a courtroom, making cocktails, jumping off a roof, flying a fighter jet,  or even singing “I Want To Know What Love Is” shirtless while wearing leather pants, we’re like, ‘Sure. I buy that.’ He’s relatable even when what he’s doing on screen is so far removed from our reality that it’s insane. There is a grounded matinee idol musk to Cruise’s presence on screen that seems to transcend class and political divides. He’s America’s hero and the nice guy who is tough with a sensitive side, as well as the kind of wisdom that impresses but never intimidates. He’s Hollywood’s fine wine.

Tom Cruise is not only the biggest movie star working today, he’s the last movie star working today.

There are plenty of actors who people recognise, and the right combination of actor and role can still be explosive, like Keanu Reeves. But “Tom Holland as Spider-Man” is a very different thing than “Tom Holland as anything except Spider-Man,” and to some degree, that’s by design. Studios would rather own the biggest part of the equation. Tom Cruise doesn’t need your IP, though. Tom Cruise is the IP. People buy a ticket to see Tom Cruise, and they do that because Tom Cruise has figured out how to be the most Tom Cruise that any Tom Cruise could ever hope to be, and every time out, he does his very best to turn the Tom Cruise up just a little bit more.

When he was younger, Cruise built his career by trusting himself and his image to the very best directors he could find, slowly refining a certain kind of alpha masculine ideal. What makes his late-era stardom more remarkable is how he only transitioned into action movies once he was in his 40s, and he has pushed himself harder than arguably any action star of any age in the last few decades. When you see a Tom Cruise film and you see an insane stunt, part of the kick is knowing that’s really him and that he’s entering his fourth decade of being an icon.

That Cruise almost died after becoming entangled in his parachute in the water in Top Gun was somewhat irrelevant, because it was this first Mission: Impossible where Tom Cruise: Stunt Man was also born. From the infamous wire descent, to leaping out of a window to outrun a surge of water from the restaurant he’d just blown a window out from, Cruise was in on the action.

If audiences didn’t quite get that dedication to being visibly involved in the action then, they certainly would by the time he made the more action packed second film, directed by John Woo. M:I 2 cemented the lure of the Cruise stunt. From mountain leaps, to motorcycle rides and more, Cruise set a new expectation for his work going forward. It was a string to his bow, a selling point, and it has proven a tool of forgiveness and resurrection even as his career has threatened to implode under off screen contention.

I think that’s why we rush to go and see the next Mission Impossible film. It’s not for the thread-bare plot or the fantastic action - although it’s better than most action franchises these days. But it’s the mind blowing stunts which we know is not CGI driven nor is done by a stunt double. It’s done by Tom Cruise himself.

He is the Tom Brady/Mark Cavendish/Ronaldo/Roger Federer (delete as appropriate) of movie stars, not just because of his success, but the longevity of his career, as he has found ways to adapt to each change in the industry while also not giving in to what others have had to do.

The key thing is he adapts just enough to make it fresh. The Mission Impossible films are a case in point. Even as the stunts have got bigger, more dangerous, and more spectacular (as all franchise films must it seems), the characters portraits and arcs have got more intimate and more relatable.

In the MI movies he is of course super spy Ethan Hunt but he’s not super-human. But Tom Cruise’s secret is that even when appearing borderline super-human on screen, there’s still an air about him that makes the viewer want to be him or be with him and believe that’s possible. There’s an old-school debonair swagger and a hot everyman to him that many movie stars lack. Dwayne Johnson is many things, including a mountain of a man and a brilliant business person, but few of us could carry that off or believe that what he’s doing on screen is something we could replicate. Inspire, sure, but we could never be him. With each film the character is finding it harder and harder to be cocky and confident. There is a world weariness etched on his strained face. He barely wins fights and often he relies on others to help him or bail him out. Cruise is self-aware that he is getting older, like his character. It’s these little details which count.

Interestingly, I find his women character also infinitely more relatable than any current iteration of the action female heroine. Marvel are lost in swamp of woke feminist BS where all their franchise films have to be led by the cookie cutter ’Strong Single Female’ - the one who doesn’t need mentoring (because that’s just sexist mansplaining); can pick up a life time of a superior set of skills in a matter of seconds; can beat to a pulp a man much stronger than she is; she never falls, stumbles, or fails like the men do; and she alone saves the day of course. Look at Rey in Star Wars or Captain Marvel in the MCU or even Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character in the latest risible Indiana Jones film and tell me any of that isn’t true.

The women in MI franchise are far more relatable within the context of a hyper-realised film about super spies but not beyonds the laws of gravity. They are strong, independent, smart, sure. But they are also feminine and vulnerable. They fight like skilled women and not prize fighters that play to their feminine strengths (they get punched a lot in the gut and it shows). More importantly, they fuck up and fail, but they still come and help others to save the day. From Emmanuelle Beart to Thandie Newton to Rebecca Ferguson, these are kick ass women but in a much more believable way than any Marvel movie she-heroine. Go back and see these movies and you will see what I mean.

What I also like about him is the vibe he gives off that he cares deeply about his movies. It’s not a cynical exercise in money. Of course ego is a different matter, but I’ll give him a pass because he is the consummate professional and perfectionist about his craft. To me Tom Cruise is one of the few performers today who generally thinks of the audience first. Maybe even to his own detriment. But you can tell with everything he does, in all of his films, there is a different kind of commitment he makes to the audience. He actually gives the impression that he cares about giving his audience a good time.

Moreover, to hear it from Cruise himself, as we did during leaked audio of the dressing down he gave M:I7 crew members who were flouting COVID-19 safety regulations: “That’s what I sleep with every night - the future of this fucking industry!” Cruise makes a grand spectacle of carrying every film on his back, so it’s never in question who calls the shots or who, rather than what, makes the movies cinematic. Cruise’s power as a producer really deserves kudos for this. His steadfast aversion to shrinking theatrical windows for any of his projects, and his continued allegiance to, especially in the case of his flagship franchise, adding more ambitious stunts and exotic locations with every entry.

He doesn’t do television. Don’t you dare ask him about streaming. Other stars have also made that transition to streaming. You might call it selling your soul. Deals with the devil. We’ve seen other films in difficult circumstances, having to change their models to incorporate simultaneous streaming and cinema releases. Dwayne Johnson had seen a decline in box office revenue prior to the pandemic that has seen him go a little safer with more Disney material, as well as become a big fish in the Netflix pond. Cruise however… is all about the big screen experience.

Everything Cruise does is about maintaining his star power in the face of any and all obstacles, from a diminished global box office and studio manoeuvring to his own mortality. His legacy decades since secured, Cruise’s latest impossible mission appears to be nothing less than saving the movies themselves.

For that reason and that reason alone, I will always take time to see a Tom Cruise movie especially his Mission Impossible franchise films. Roll on summer. Cue the Palo Schifrin guitar chords. And action!

Thanks for your question.

[angelkarafilli]

Richard Armitage in “North and South(2004)

as John Thornton

Here Thornton is amazed by Mason’s revelation ep3

[mirambles]

Didn’t like romcoms ever - watched a handful of movies, never read Mills & Boons. Still haven’t. What were my handful favourites then?

Pride and Prejudice - Darcy and Elizabeth. I enjoy period novels, dramas and romance. This was the perfect combination. It ruined me cause nothing ever came close to this book, series and this pair. Two strong willed , opinionated personalities clashed and how! Read the book as a 11 year old and that was the romance I desired. Mr Darcy was flawed and perfect, brooding and charming, intense and loving. He was every woman’s desire and dream come true. Elizabeth was equally matched - intelligent, sharp witted, confident , loyal and loving. A match made in heaven that’s what it was. It was the perfect push you far away but will draw you back in romance. Angst and desire. And then there was Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth - they exceeded my expectations of how I had imagined Elizabeth and Darcy to be. Colin Firth made sure Darcy would rule my heart for decades. Still does!

North and South : Thornton and Margaret. A tale told amidst the class divide and industrial changes that Britain underwent. A soft, subtle , slow burn romance. That kiss between Armitage and Denny-Ashe on the platform is one of most swoon worthy kisses ever in any drama series or movie! The book equally good to read.

You Have Got Mail - Tom Hank and Meg Ryan. Neither are drop dead gorgeous people - but both being an endearing charm to the screen and created magic twice - Sleepless in Seattle and then You Have Got Mail. I never really got drawn by the former , but the latter has my heart. The charm of 90s online chats, the mysterious stranger who could be the love of your life , the guy next door. It was so formulaic that you predicted exactly how the story would go and yet these two made you fall in love with it.

When Harry Met Sally - My favourite romantic trope. Friends turned lovers. The bickering, the banter, the I know you better than anyone else. And yet again Meg Ryan - Flawless

Notting Hill - Julia Roberts’ wide smile and Hugh Grant looking dreamy as ever. When i moved to London , I wanted to visit that cute little bookstore where the romance began! The soundtrack of the movie and gorgeous London setting.

Love Actually : Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley - and Christmas. I was sold - I watch this movie as a Christmas ritual every year. The 6 stories interlinked and I enjoy it even today - cliched maybe but the cast nailed it!

Me Before You - Has there been a more gut wrenching and yet so wonderfully told positive love story? Clarke and Will were a match made in heaven - but were never meant to be. And yet in the short time they spent together they gave each other a whole new world and life! ‘Just live well….just live’ I go back to the last scene a million times - it’s so important to count our blessings and live well - because we only get to do so once!

Bollywood romance never worked for me - I loved a lot of movies , hell I grew up on them but none really made me go weak in my knees. We girls then teenagers all wanted to go on a Europe trip after watching DDLJ, but we didn’t really want to meet a Rahul on the trip. The actors and actresses were lovely to watch, the stories were heartfelt but they did not make my heart flutter.

And post the ‘00s - even Hollywood romance turned cliched, the scripts were same old, the chemistry was alright. Good one time watch and then to be forgotten.

And then last year before pandemic hit I was intrigued by a trailer on Netflix - Army romance is my weak point. Hyun Bin looked stunningly handsome in the trailer and it intrigued me , so I started watching CLOY on my flight to USA and fell in love with Yoon SeRi and Captain Ri! I binged the entire series on my round trip and I couldn’t believe I had enjoyed a pure romcom! Great storytelling, terrific characterisations, picture perfect men - what world is this and how had I not discovered it for so long!

So 18 months down the line having watched over 70+ Kdramas - here I’m finally penning down my thoughts. If you enjoy my posts - drop in and say hi!

[okapirose]

Like a lot of people on this site, when you get fixated on an actor or actress, you try to go through their whole filmography for your thirst lol

My current fixation is everything Toby Stephens. Saw him first in Black Sails years ago, then Lost in Space and with a rewatch of Black Sails, decided to delve into all the things.

As it’s his birthday as of posting this, thought it’d be appropriate to share C:

These are not in any particular order, and I’ll keep spoilers out for those who want to watch for yourselves. Overall, Stephens has a lot of variety in his acting, and there’s actually quite a handful of LGBTA+ roles, either out (Black Sails) or ambiguously (Mangal Pandey). Whether he’s irl bisexual or otherwise (he’s married 20+ years to Anna-Louise Plowman) I don’t know and far as I know he’s never said anything, but if you’re looking for more of him in LGBTA rep beyond Black Sails, he does have it.

There’s several more I’d like to see like the new “And Then There Were None”, and “Summer of Rockets” but might be awhile as I haven’t found free versions of either. He’s also going to be doing something related to Oscar Wilde but have yet to see any further news on when that’s coming out.

Anyway here we go...

Twelfth Night - I enjoy Shakespeare though I have some trouble keeping up with the language, fun nonetheless and a great adaptation. Pretty sure this was his first movie where he played a lead and he did so wonderfully as Duke Orsino. Photographing Fairies - Based on the Cottingley Fairies hoax, its an interesting mix of fantasy and also a bit...unsettling? I guess? (not horror though). He plays a photographer who lost his wife in an accident and is approached to look into a photo of a woman’s daughter who is allegedly holding a fairy.  Mangal Pandey: The Rising - Based on the events that started the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he plays Captain Gordon, Mangal’s closest friend. This is a Bollywood and its such great fun, beautifully shot with great costumes, and probably one of my new faves. There is a free version on YT but the subtitles are out of sync, so you’re better off finding it to rent, unless you can understand Hindi, which is spoken throughout most of the film, even by Stephens who learned to speak it fluently.  The Machine - If you’re looking for Stephens in horror, this is it. Robots and those with robotic implants are being used to fight a war with China, Stephens plays a scientist who is in charge of creating said robots-or rather perfecting the AI-but is secretly also trying to find help for his daughter. I cried for sure. Hunter Killer - A sort of cross between The Hunt for Red October and The Sum of All Fears. He plays an irritable US Seal who has to help the Russian president, so if you’re looking for Stephens angy and yelling, here you go lol  Vexed - This is an 9 episode (2 seasons) comedy drama. Super tiny series where if you want to see Stephens at some of his funniest, definitely worth a watch. It does have that House MD feel where the character he plays, Jack Armstrong, is an absolute shit of a person who's great at his job. First season is far more funny imo, but in the second season you get to hear him sing. Agatha Christie's Poirot: Five Little Pigs - Classic Christie’s Poirot, great murder mystery about an artist, and Stephens plays the artist’s closest friend. Jane Eyre - A very pretty Mr. Rochester. That is all lmao BBC Robin Hood - Stephens doesn’t show up until the 3rd season, and plays Prince John. The show itself is mediocre in writing, nothing exciting. They tried to keep it generally light with the whole “oh those merry men, they fooled the sheriff again!” vibe, but the first 2 seasons of it was sorta a slog. Honestly the only thing that kept me going was Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne. When he finally shows up, Stephens absolutely steals every scene as Prince John but his screentime is sadly short lived and he’s only in a handful of eps. Watch it for Richard in order to watch it for Toby lol

The Best Man - If you want to see Stephens be an Unsettling Presence, check this 2-part series out. Stephens plays an over-protective friend, Peter, to the main character, Michael, who ends up in rehab, and finds love and eventually a wife. Peter stalks the pair, jealous or perhaps looking out for his friend? hmm Have to watch it and see! lol The whole thing is on YT but the quality is sorta shit so might be better off renting it. Private Lives - A perfect example of why theatre should always be recorded and made available to all. Stephens is terrifically hilarious, playing a character who bumps into his ex-wife while on the honeymoon of his new one.

[astrovian]

Richard Armitage tweets (13/09/21):

To the new owner, I’m delighted that Gizzy’s jacket found a new home. Thank you for sharing the beautiful story about your parents and for your generosity…here are some answers to your questions:

Question #1 from NJO (New Jacket Owner):

While he was filming Hannibal as Francis/Red Dragon, did he recall that in one of the first few Spooks episodes he was unpacking a box of personal items to decorate his new flat and one of the items was a photo of the Red Dragon and that Lucas was a fan of Blake’s? Question: Do you believe it to be simply a bizarre coincidence you were asked to play Francis or perhaps, could it have been kismet? Have there been any other similar kismet-like occurrences in any of your other works?

Re; Hannibal and M15 (you’re in the US!!!) I use William Blake a lot for research and inspiration but it was a coincidence.

Question #2 from NJO:

I’ve often thought that performing any Shakespearean play on stage would be quite a challenge in part due to the length of the monologues and soliloquys. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if Shakespeare had a hatred of actors, despite having done some acting of his own, and that writing these lengthy passages was an intentionally devious act to make life difficult for actors. RA has commented that he would like to play Richard III. Question: If you were put on the spot, say in an interview or a dinner party (presuming you weren’t too far into your cups) could you recite the opening soliloquy of Richard III by heart?

I absolutely could recite the opening soliloquy to R3. Probably would get a bit ‘paraphrasy’ according to how much I’ve imbibed!!!

Question #3 from NJO:

In almost every movie/TV show I’ve seen RA in, at some point, he picks up and carries a woman somewhere. Most of the time he’s carrying them to a bedroom. (How truly gallant of him to carry these women that are apparently so drowsy they cannot walk on their own to the bedroom to go to sleep?) Must keep this G-Rated. Question: So, Mr. Half-Century man, how is your back holding up?

My back is just fine. Looking for someone to carry me in my next role.!!!

Question #4 from NJO:

As we know, RA likes to write bios for his characters to help him realize the characters’ persona. The director of The Stranger, Danny Brocklehurst, took some of those ideas and added them to the series. While promoting it, RA stated that one of the story lines in the show was something that Richard had experienced himself. Question: Would you be willing to share what experience you and Adam had in common?

Adam Price has a conversation with Johanna Griffin (the amazing @SFinneranTV ) he tells a story about how he met Corrine; the story was peppered with real details about a time I was working in Africa. (Strike Back)

Question #5 from NJO:

RA has been filmed extensively on horseback. Actors often comment on how hard it is to get a nag to hit its mark while filming. According to the “Equine Actors Guild, **” (EAG) these beautiful stallions are well trained in their craft and their hooves do NOT miss their mark. The EAG suggests it is perhaps the fault of the actor on the back of the steed and not the mount itself. Question: Have you ever had trouble getting your hirsute, four-legged thespians to hit their mark? What about the two beautiful Borzoi in Oceans 8?

With regards to horses hitting their marks. I’ve had great experiences and made some firm equine friends on film sets. I did, however, ride a thoroughbred for a short time on Robin Hood, he knew showbiz was a step down from racing, and decided one afternoon to bail…

He tore the bit, and sped off with Gisborne on his back riding with only one rein. So the jacket might have some ‘sweat’ stains, but also I agree with the horse. Racing V Showbiz? No contest!!!

Question #6 from NJO:

WikiFeet, which I didn’t know was a thing until a minute ago, ranks RA’s feet 4.77 out of 5.0 compared to other famous people from Leicestershire. I am not a foot person and do my absolute best to not draw attention to my own feet and quite frankly I don’t notice other people’s feet, including RA’s. Question: How do inane “news” stories and rankings on such stupid things sit with you? As a shy(ish) woman, it would make me uncomfortable, and quite frankly, would chap-my-ass be I in your shoes – pun intended. At this point in your career, are you numb to the idiocy of this and can ignore it and move on with your day, or does it chap-your-ass as well, or do you adhere to the adage that all publicity is good publicity?

I rarely read anything written about myself, apart from items that are brought to my attention (by very kind friends). I try to keep my brain full of the useful stuff; there isn’t that much room for anything else.

[nxsmss]

Movies I watched in February

fyi, I have zero knowledge on how to professionally rate or review a movie. I am not gonna pay attention to every little detail. these rating are simply based on how much I enjoyed/liked the movie

Follow me

Unhinged

In Time

Avengers Age of Ultron

Songbird

Star Trek

Step up all in

Project Almanac

Ant Man

Space Sweepers

Christiane F.

Jurassic World

Jurassic World the fallen kingdom

1. follow me

A social media personality travels with his friends to Moskow to capture new content for his successful vlog. Always pushing the limits and catering to a growing audience, they enter a cold world of mystery, excess, and danger. 

starring: Keegan Allen, Holland Roden, Denzel Whitaker, Ronen Rubenstein, Pasha D. Lchnikoff

the end was very predictable and i pretty much already knew halfway through the movie what was gonna happen. but it still was quite thrilling and I did enjoy watching it

6.5/10

2. unhinged

After a confrontation with an unstable man at an intersection, a woman becomes becomes the target of his rage. 

starring: Russel Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Batemen

hm idk, I didn’t really like it, my sister didn’t really like it but my mom did, I think. it just seemed so, no overdramatic but just too much in a way

3/10

3. in time

In a future where people stop aging after 25 and need to buy time to live, the rich become immortal while others cease to exist. So, Will is on the run with a hostage in a desperate bid to survive. 

starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer

yes, such a good movie. Ireally like the concept. can recommend

7/10

4. avengers age of ultron

When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it’s up to Earth’s mightiest heroes to stop the villanious Ultron from enacting his terrible plan. 

starring: Robert Downy Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johanson, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Bettany

hell yes, one of my favourite marvel movies. Wanda and Pietro.. Hawkeye.. all the little jokes throughout the entire movie and of course the scene where everyone tries to lift thor’s hammer, what’s not to love about this movie

10/10

5. songbird

In 2024 a pandemic ravages the world and it’s cities. Centering a handful of people as they naviagete the obstacles currently hindering society: disease, marital law, quarantine, and vigilantes. 

starring: K.J. Apa, Sofia Carson, Demi Moore, Bradley Whitford, Peter Stromare, Alexandra Daddario, Craig Robinson

I really enjoyed watching this. yeah sure, the ending was obvious but I was still glued to the screen. I also felt super weird watching this, kinda surreal because we are basically living a more harmless version of this rn. I really liked seeing sofia carson in such a movie, I’ve only seen her in the descendants so this was a bit of a change haha. I’m not that big of a fan of kj but he was great as well and i really loved his characters style.

7/10

6. star trek

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father’s legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time. 

starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Carl Urban, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Zoe Zaldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin

I put it on because I wanted to have some background noise while playing sims but I ended up playing like 20 minutes and then just watching the movie haha I forgot how good it was, and the others as well, aaand I totally forgot carl urban was in it, so that was a little surprise. anyways, can recommend watching them if you’re into sci-fi action movies but at the same time, if you’re into that I’m pretty sure you’ve already watched them.

7.5/10

bonus: I also watched star trek beyond the other day but this time I was barely paying attention so I can't really say too much, but it's also quite good👍🏻

7. step up all in

All-stars from the previous Step up installments come together in glittering Las Vegas, battling for a victory that could define their dreams and their careers.

starring: Ryan Guzman, Briana Evigan, Adam Sevani, Misha Gabriel Hamilton, Sephen Stevo Jones, David Schreibman, Mari Koda, Alyson Stoner, Izabella Miko

definetly one of my favourite dance movies. highly recommend it!! I’d like it more without the romancde but it’s fine, I guess, I can live with it haha and the last performance... wow just wow that’s all I can say to that. y’all go watch it

9/10

8. project almanac

A group of teens discover secret plans of a time machine, and construct one. However, things start to get out of control.

starring: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Sam Lerner, Allen Evangelista, Virginia Gardner

okay... I did enjoy watching it! the beginning was a little slow imo but then it just got more and more intense which was kinda nice. god, at some point the main guy kept making the wrong decisions and that was very frustrating to watch. the ending was alright, spoiler ahead (I guess) I would have liked the ending more if it was the exact same as the beginning, meaning that the movie is just one big time loop and the events from the movie were about to repeat themselves. but that's just my opinion🤷🏻‍♀️

6.5/10

9. ant man

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his Mentor Dr. Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Pena, Bobby Cannavale, David Dastmalchian, T.I.

another one of my favorite mcu movies. it's just fun and easy and doesn't have a lot of pain in it. the giant ant it's my favorite part haha I want it as a pet

9/10

10. space sweepers

Set in the year 2092 and follows the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory. When they discover a humanoid robot named Dorothy that's known to be a weapon of mass destruction, they get involved in a risky business deal.

starring: Song Joong-Kim, Kim Tae-ri, Seon-kyu Jin, Hyang-gi Kim, Richard Armitage, Ye-Rin Park

I really loved this movie. I cried like 6 times haha, which came unexpected. (or maybe it's because I'm suppose to get my period any day now) I did not think I was going to enjoy this movie as much as I did, at all. it was fun, it was exciting, it was sad (even my dad said that) the plot was good, the visual effects were amazing, it did feel like I was watching this movie for like 5 hours but not in a bad way and I am now kinda emotionally attached to the characters haha (I might do a rewatch). another thing I really liked was the language/synchronization. in the original version they speak mostly korean and english but also some other languages and it's the same in the synchronizations. the dialogue of the main characters is in the language you pick but every other character (I guess) is a different language and I absolutely love that. I highly recommend watching this!!

also, its was super weird seeing Richard Armitage not as a dwarf hahaha

10/10

11. christiane f.

A teen girl in 1970's Berlin becomes addicted to heroin. Everything in her life slowly begins to distort and disappear as she befriends a small crew of junkies and falls in love with a drug-abusing male prostitute.

starring: Natja Brunckhorst, Thomas Haustein, Jens Kuphal, Christiane Reichelt

I binged the series the other day and after the last episode this movie was in the "watch next" thingy idk and I thought "well, why not" and watched it. good movie, definitely!! I really liked that they didn't show the highs of doing heroin but focused on the negative effects it has on someone and what it's doing to your body. it is a super realistic but very very dark movie. the actors were all about 15/16 years old and looked very young which was a good and kinda disturbing thing because christiane and her friend were like 13/14 when that all happened and it made you realise that there were kids doing all that stuff

9/10

12. jurrasic world

A new theme park, built on the original site of Jurassic Park, creates a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, which escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.

starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty simpkins, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D'Onofrio

13. jurassic world fallen kingdom

When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Isabella Sermon

I am tired and don't really want to say all that much other than both of them are very good and I do like them. good action/adventure movies. can definitely recommend them. I definitely like the first one more because it feels like (just a little bit) that the main story in the second one is the same as in the first one, someone creates a new dinosaur species to make more money and something goes terribly wrong along the way. but it's still entertaining!

jurassic wolrd: 7.5/10

jurassic world fallen kingdom: 7/10

[douxreviews]

North & South Series Review

By ChrisB

“Look back. Look back at me.”

Although I would be hard pressed to pick one BBC period romantic drama that is my favorite, North & South is in the top three. It contains the single most romantic moment ever filmed in period costume and, after all, isn’t the romance why those of us who love these things keep coming back for more?

Shockingly, I had never heard of this novel, or Elizabeth Gaskell for that matter, until I watched this miniseries on the BBC. I recorded it because, well, the BBC always does period drama well and I decided that it couldn’t be all that bad. All that bad? I fell in love with it from the first. It sat on my DVR until I could buy the DVDs; I estimate I have watched it more than a dozen times.

Admittedly, Mrs. Gaskell owes a great deal to our beloved Miss Austen. The plot is Pride and Prejudice redux, but so are so many others. It is a wonderful story, told and shot beautifully with two actors that have just the right amount of chemistry. This review will assume that you have know the series and, therefore, will contain spoilers. As I said, however, it is a plot you have most likely come across before.

I have been wanting to post this review for the longest time, but have been procrastinating because I wanted to read the novel that was the source material. It is very nearly unreadable. I finally gave up and skimmed it for the good parts, but even they were few and far between. All hail, once again, Sandy Welch. I have said before how brilliantly she is able to adapt for television. This show may very well be her crowning achievement.

The first hour is spent introducing us to the characters with whom we will spend the next four hours and kicking off the drama. Played by Daniela Deby-Ashe, Margaret Hale is a woman of her time, yet also incredibly modern. Right from the start, we get a sense of the kind of young woman Margaret Hale is. She is confident, strong, reliable, and able to face life’s challenges head on. In the first ten minutes, we see her turn down a marriage proposal from a man she doesn’t love.

Forced to leave the only home she has ever known, Margaret moves to Milton, a large manufacturing city in the north. As she is looking for a house, she meets Thornton, played to perfection by Richard Armitage. The first time she, and we, see Thornton, he is towering above the mill he runs looking impressive and, yes, incredibly handsome. Our first impression, however, is soon tempered by the fact that he is brutal towards one of his employees, beating the man in front of Margaret.

This is the first of many instances in the first hour in which the differences between the genteel south and the working north are highlighted. The people from Milton whom we meet, Nicholas Higgins, his daughter Bessie, and Mrs. Thornton in particular, are all proud and hard-working. They value their individualism and they abhor charity. Margaret, desperately lonely and looking for a friend, keeps inadvertently offending those she meets.

She invites herself to the Higgins’ home offering to bring a basket. Both Nicholas and Bessie laugh at her, spurning what Margaret sees as a gesture of good will. Not one to be easily thwarted, Margaret does go to visit and she and Bessie take the first steps towards friendship. The woman who would more obviously be her friend, Thornton’s sister Fanny, is silly and vain. Margaret realizes that she has more in common with the working class than the middle class.

Margaret and Thornton spar continually. Unlike the others of his class whom we see, Thornton wants more out of life than just being a mill worker. He hires Mr. Hale to teach him classics and he is intrigued by Margaret and her views. She, however, is unable to move past her first sight of him and is barely civil to him.

Everything begins to change in the second hour. The mill workers all strike and, as a result the workers are starving and the mill owners are becoming desperate for a way to send everyone back to work. Margaret refuses to allow the workers’ pride dissuade her, but she has learned about northern pride. She quietly leaves food and money.

Her charity gets her into trouble with the mill owners. At a dinner party, the other guests all round on her when it is discovered what she has been doing. Ever fearless, Margaret stands her ground, insisting that there is no just cause in the world for a child to starve. As Thornton watches her stand up to the room, we can almost watch him fall in love with her.

Her fearlessness, however, leads her into great danger and trouble. As the desperate mill workers attack the Thornton mill, she runs down and tries to mollify the mob. This scene shows us that there is still a large gap between Margaret and Thornton. She is trying to placate; he is sternly holding his ground. The mob goes after them, injuring Margaret. The end result is that the workers are shamed enough to go back to work. Ironically, Margaret’s intervention works.

Thornton is so overwhelmed by what she has done that he decides to propose to her. The proposal scene at the end of the second hour rivals the first proposal in Pride and Prejudice. Margaret is shocked and not remotely interested in this man she still sees as rough and in trade, and exactly as Elizabeth does, she accuses Thornton of not being a gentleman.

Thornton reacts by shouting at Margaret. He tries to assure her that he loves her, that he is not proposing simply because of what happened at the mill. They argue fiercely and, although Margaret refuses to even consider his offer, she is not unmoved. There is a great deal of passion in their conversation, on both sides.

The third hour opens with a heartbroken Thornton and a distressed Margaret. Thornton turns to his mother for comfort. Mrs. Thornton is a fascinating woman. She knows herself and her children well and is able to see all three of them for who and what they really are. She does tend to think a bit too highly of her son, and her reluctance for him to marry is a touch creepy, but it is easy to understand what Thornton sees in Margaret. He already loves an incredibly strong woman who is unafraid to speak her mind.

It is during the third hour that we see just how strong Margaret is and we watch this young woman fall in love with a man who is now out of reach. The third hour is filled with death and with partings. During each, Margaret is the one who is strong, who comforts those around her even while she grieves herself.

When Bessie dies, Margaret comforts Nicholas. When her mother dies, Margaret comforts Frederick and her father. When Boucher dies, it is Margaret who goes to tell his wife when both Nicholas and her father refuse to do so. It is also Margaret who goes to the station to see Frederick off to London. Once again, she is saying goodbye to someone she loves, probably for the last time.

Thornton sees her at the station and assumes that Margaret does not love him because she is in love with someone else. The irony is, of course, that Margaret is falling in love with him. Throughout the course of this hour, we see her defend Thornton to Henry and she even tells Frederick that “he is a gentleman.”

When Thornton defends Margaret and backs up her lie, even though he doesn’t understand the truth, the transition is complete and Margaret looks at him with longing. But, as she tries to break through to him and thank him, he tells her in no uncertain terms that he did what he did for her father and that he no longer loves her. The stricken look on Margaret’s face is all we need to see to understand how deep her feelings now run.

For a love story, Margaret and Thornton spend very little time together in the fourth hour. Instead, each faces life’s slings and arrows and each ends up being able to see the world from the other’s perspective.

Thornton hires Higgins and quickly sees what Margaret saw in him. The two learn to respect each other a great deal and even begin to like each other at the end. I love the scene where Nicholas plays Cupid, telling Thornton how wrong he’s been about Margaret without ever telling him. The look on Nicholas’s face as the penny drops is absolutely priceless.

Margaret, meanwhile, loses her father and gains a fortune. She returns to Helstone to learn what we all must in our twenties -- the wonderful places we remember from our childhood are not necessarily so wonderful when seen through the prism of adulthood and life experiences. Instead, she finds herself drawn back to the north and back to the man she loves. What I love about the fact that Margaret will fund the return of the mill is that she and Thornton will come together as equals.

But first, we must have the denouement and the way these two come together is simply wonderful. There was an awful lot of griping on the internet when this series came out about the fact that Thornton is not wearing a tie and that a couple of that class would never have behaved that way in public.

To which I say, who the hell cares? I choose to believe that both are so swept up in the fact that they are finally with the other that they forget where they are. Plus, what a delicious irony that they should behave in exactly the way that both Thornton and his mother falsely condemn Margaret for through most of the third hour.

As wonderful as that scene is, it is not my favorite. For me, the best moment not only of this drama but of any BBC miniseries ever, is when Margaret leaves Milton in the snow. Thornton watches her go and pleads for her to turn around. Of course she doesn’t. The camera stays on Thornton for an eternity and we watch as his heart breaks. I’m not sure what it is about this scene, but it gets me ever single time and I always will Margaret to turn around. She never does.

There are many aspects to this series that I have chosen not to write about as this post is long enough as it stands. The music is a treat; the other characters are interesting; I love the way Margaret wears her hair; I could go on and on. Just trust me -- this is one of the great ones.

ChrisB is a freelance writer who spends more time than she ought in front of a television screen or with a book in her hand.

[hellospunkiebrewster]

Do you have a faceclaim for our man Ernest? I just now realized that I don't have one, and it's bothering me!

Oh good grief you have really opened a can of worms here @fullbeaumonty. I have been on a search for the perfect faceclaim, which is difficult, as I want to have them all in period costumes as well. So here’s a dump of pretty men in Georgian/Regency/Victorian period clothing. 🤤

First we have Douglas Booth, in basically anything he’s been in... dude does so many big period movies. Great Expectations/Pride and Prejudice and Zombies/Mary Shelley.

His Mr. Bingley costume was probably the inspiration for our Ernest’s ball outfit. I almost think he’s too pretty and those cheekbones/jaw are too much sometimes.

Then there’s Josh Whitehouse as Hugh Armitage on Poldark, who I adore for that hair alone.

And there’s Leo Suter as Edward Drummond on Victoria. The more I look at him, the more I love him as a FC.

Another actor who I think is totally adorable. Is JJ Feild. Although, I think he works best as an older Sinclaire. He’s Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey and Henry Nobley in Austenland. Or in Ruby in the Smoke/The Shadow in the North. He is quite literally a whole ass mood, throwing shade, rolling his eyes, face palming, in Austenland and I 👏 LOVE 👏 IT 👏.

[inlovewithamantwicemyage]

Rivals on the streets

Setting: various rural area in UK

Warning: smut, swearing,fluff

Pairing: Richard Armitage X Reader

________________

You have seen him so many times before, looking like eye candy. His voice was dark and sweet like chocolate. Never mind you are to proud to admit it.

“Excuse me, do we know each other?”

He smirked at you charming and took a step in your direction. He pulled you closer.

“How could you forget me, darling.”

His fingers played with a loose brown strand of your hair.

“It’s not that I haven’t tried it.”

It was hilarious that someone like him loves someone like you. So you better forget him as fast as you can.

But he whispered: “My love. My heart.”

You couldn’t resist anymore. Almost tasting his lips. Pleasure.

In this moment both of you heard someone’s footsteps.

“Oh no, the guards are coming!”

As an answer he pushed you in the old oaken wardrobe next to you and stepped in as well.

It was thight and warm in there. Both of your legs almost twined around each other.

Outside you heard murmur: “I was sure I’ve heard some voices!”

Your hands got sweaty and you felt his armor cold against your skin.

“Start looking around. I swear these traitors are here!”, one soldier screamed.

The one draw closer to their hideout.

“And cut!”

You and your partner stepped out of the wardrobe.

“Great guys! Richard your performance was excellent! I could feel the tension between Rhin and Lys. Oh and next time (Y/N) don’t turn on the audience so much, just kidding.”

Benjamin Frizz was the best director you have worked with by far.

You went to Thomas, still in his soldier costume, to catch up.

“Oh (Y/N), I can just imagine how steamy it was inside.”

We both giggled. I’ve messed the scene up twice because I felt out of the closet and of course it became hot.

“Do you think Richard will be satisfied this time?”

Oh Richard Armitage. Mr. Perfection.

You and your co-star always joke around how serious he takes his role.

“Yeah, hopefully. I don’t know why he is so worried? This role fits perfectly and otherwise he would still win the award.”

You spoke the last sentence very sarcastic. Deep inside, however, you were envious. This competition was known for always choosing a male main actor for the winning. Although you are at least as good as every man around the globe.

“Don’t worry, lass. I think you are magnificent.”, an older actor, named John, said to me in the following.

It seemed like he has eavesdroped.

You were so amazed by the whole concept of the TV show. The cast was great or to be precise almost perfect.

Suddenly a familiar face came around the corner. Richard. He was still wearing his long dark wig and half of his costume.

“(Y/N)? Do you’ve time? I would like to practice our following episodes a bit more.”

You followed him to one of the meeting rooms.

“Richard, we have played those about 20 times in a row. Don’t you think it will look intentionally acted?”

“No. You need to figure it out. Lys is a strong, independent woman in the 18. century. She would not tease him if she is not interested at all.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Okay one more time before dinner.”

“You make me feel... you make me feel.”, he said quietly, fiercely “and I don’t like it. I want it to stop.”

You response: “I am not going to leave you. It’s a promise.”

Your hands touched his collarbone. Then his lips meet yours. Soft and warm. Tasting a bit like warm tea. Rhins hands wandered from your shoulders to your back. But it was way to early.

“Well, Richard, I’ve a few paragraphs left... so.”

“Oh sorry.”, he blushed a bit and went on “but I think it is enough for today. Let’s go home.”

You grabbed your stuff and went by car to your hotel in the village near the set. Somehow Richard was so fast, you weren’t able to say goodbye at all.

[kylo-ren-has-an-8pack]

Moodboard Masterlist (NEW)

Moodboard MasterList

Below the cut is a master list of all of my AU and canon moodboards for Star Wars (including sequels and prequels etc), Marvel, Jurassic Park/World, Hotel Artemis, Ready Player One, and various fandoms. There’s a little bit of most all of the characters and ships for the Star Wars sequels and if there isn’t, feel free to inbox me and request some that aren’t. I generally respond very quickly. :)

Star Wars

Kylo Ren + Modern Aesthetic

Rose Tico Aesthetic

Armitage Hux + American Psycho Aesthetic

Rey + Super Powers - Hydrokinesis

Hux + Super Powers - Pyrokinesis

Poe + Super Powers - Flying

Phasma + Super Powers - Diamond State

Phasma + Mermaid Aesthetic

Leia + Huttslayer Aesthetic

Wedge Antilles + Modern

Thrawn Aesthetic

Ships

QuiObi Aesthetic

Han/Lando/Leia OT3

Kylux + Gas Station AU

Kylux + Rockstars AU

Kylux + Great Gatsby

Kylux + Breakup/Blues and Yellows

Kylux + Exes w/Benefits

Kylux + Ashterson AU (Black Mirror/Paterson Crossover)

Kylux + Game of Thrones AU

Kylux + Merman!Hux/MarineBiologist!Ben

Kylux + MTV Catfish AU

Kylux +Warlock/CAOS Aesthetic

Kyluxma (Kylo/Hux/Phasma) + BDSM (semi nsfw)

Phasrey + Dance Protege AU

Phux Aesthetic

Benpoe + Friends w/Benefits AU

Benpoe + Racecar Drivers AU

Benpoe + Childhood Sweethearts Canon

Benpoe + Hollywood/Secret Relationships

Reyux + Canon AU

Reyux + Spy Aesthetic

Lt Mitaka/Captain Opan Aesthetic

Gingerpilot/Krennux + Infidelity

Gingerpilot/Krennux + Infidelity Pt 2

Gingerpilot + College Sweethearts

Gingerpilot + Sex Pollen (nsfw)

Gingerpilot + Hospital

Gingerpilot + Escorts AU (semi nsfw)

Gingerpilot + Loan Shark AU

Gingerpilot + Animal Shelter Volunteers AU

Gingerpilot + Folk Singer Poe/Manager Hux

Gingerpilot + Demon/Angel AU

Gingerpilot + esports AU

Gingerpilot + Punk!Poe/Classical!Hux

Gingerpilot + Robot!Hux/Ex Machina AU

Gingerpilot + Reverse AU General Poe/Resistance Hux

Gingerpilot + Zombie Apocalypse

Gingerpilot + The Greatest Showman AU

GingerStormPilot + Hollywood AU

Stormpilot + Bandmates Dating

Stormpilot + Attack of the Clones AU

Poe/Kaydel Ko Connix + Cute Canon Aesthetic

Amileia + Political Activist/Doctor AU

Amileia Aesthetic

DesertRose + College Roommates

JynLeia + Punk Aesthetic

Finnrose + TV Star AU

Finnlo + Actor/Photographer AU

Finnlo + Rival Models AU

Finnrey + Modern Fluff

Finnrey + Superhero/Spiderverse

Reality Show AU (Reylo/Finnrose/Gingerpilot)

Reylo + International Spy AU

Reylo + Avatar The Last Airbender AU

Reylo + To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before AU

Reylo + Office Romance

Rey/Valkyrie (SW/Thor Crossover)

Rey/Valkyrie + Modern Wedding (SW/Thor Crossover)

JediStormPilotMechanic + Canon OT4

Star Wars/Thor Crossover - Poe/Grandmaster AU

Star Wars/Jurassic Park Crossover 1

Star Wars/Jurassic Park Crossover 2

Star Wars/Jurassic Park Crossover 3

Solo/Rogue One

Orson Krennic Aesthetic

Bodhi Rook + Modern Aesthetic

Galen/Krennic (Galennic) + University Professors AU

Galennic + Jealousy

Galennic + Mr and Mrs Smith AU

Jynnic + Modern

Jyn and Galen + Father/Daughter

Darth Director + Choking

Sciencepilot + Modern

SpiritAssassin (Baze/Chirrut) Aesthetic

Han/Lando (Hando) Aesthetic

Marvel/MCU

Loki + Sepia&Green Aesthetic

Thor + Flower Child Aesthetic

Grandmaster Aesthetic

Tony Stark + Past Trauma Aesthetic

Thor & Korg Aesthetic

Scott Lang/Antman Aesthetic

Frostmaster Aesthetic 1

Frostmaster Aesthetic 2

Frostmaster + Sugar Daddy AU

Frostmaster + Colors (semi nsfw)

Frostmaster + Prisoner!Loki

Ironfrost + Avengers!Loki

Ironstrange + Research Scientists AU

Ironstrange + Grief

Ironstrange + Kingsmen AU

Ironstrange + Sherlock AU

Ironstrange Aesthetic

StrangeFrost Aesthetic (Loki/Strange)

Strangefrost + LotR/Middle Earth

Frostcollector (Loki/The Collector) Aesthetic

Star Wars/Thor Crossover - Poe/Grandmaster AU

Hotel Artemis/Thor Crossover - Acapulco/Grandmaster

Hotel Artemis/Avengers Crossover - Nice/Natasha

Rey/Valkyrie (SW/Thor Crossover)

Rey/Valkyrie + Modern Wedding (SW/Thor Crossover)

Captain Marvel Aesthetic

Captain Marvel Aesthetic 2

Carol Danvers Aesthetic

Goose the “Cat” Aesthetic

Hotel Artemis

Acapulco Aesthetic

Crosby Aesthetic

Everest + Medical Aesthetic

Niagara/Wolf King Aesthetic

The Nurse/Jean Thomas Aesthetic

Crosby/Acapulco AU

Crosby/Acapulco + Christmas

Everest/Crosby AU

Orian & Crosby + Father/Son Aesthetic

Orian & Crosby + Werewolf Aesthetic

Acapulco + Vampire Aesthetic

Jurassic Park/Jurassic World

Silverfox!Ian Malcolm Fallen Kingdom Aesthetic

Ian/Ellie/Alan Dinot3

Jurassic Park Series General Aesthetic

Ian Malcolm Aesthetic

Dinot3 Aesthetic 2

Star Wars/Jurassic Park Crossover 1

Star Wars/Jurassic Park Crossover 2

Star Wars/Jurassic Park Crossover 3

Ready Player One

Nolan Sorrento Aesthetic

Nolan x F’nale Aesthetic

Sorrento/Wade + Sugar Daddy AU

Wade Watts Aesthetic

Wade Watts + Neon

Other (Jeff Goldblum Movies)

New Jersey/Perfect Tommy (Buckaroo Banzai)

Jack/Gil (Transylvania 6-5000)

David and Julius Levinson (Independence Day)

Michael Gold (The Big Chill)

CAOS

Sabrina Spellman Aesthetic

Nicholas Scratch Aesthetic

Spellwood Aesthetic

[angelkarafilli]

Richard Armitage in “North and South”(2004) BBC series

as John Thornton

[i-wish-we-were-jedi]

So since I am STILL not over the Percy Jackson movies, here is my casting for the Olympians.

Richard Armitage as Zeus, God of the Skies and King of Olympus.

While the Big Three are all described as having dark hair, Zeus’s is described as “salt and pepper.” Richard Armitage has a very calm demeanor that commands the screen, and if I’m telling the truth he scares me just a little bit. I think that works really well for Zeus. He is someone who you’re never sure if they’re going to give you a smile or blow you to smithereens.

Angelina Jolie as Hera, Goddess of Fidelity and Queen of Olympus.

Hera, like Zeus, is someone that at first glance you don’t know if they’re going to shake your hand or rip your head off, and Angelina plays both good and evil very convincingly, as well as walking the line.

Eoin Macken as Poseidon, God of the Sea.

Poseidon is someone who embodies the sea: constant and unchanging, but also reckless and wild. Eoin Macken is someone who comes across as very chaotic onscreen, but I still can’t help but love him. And that is Poseidon.

Jennifer Connely as Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture.

This is the only one I’m not really sure about. She’s someone who’s both warm and intimidating, but I almost picture someone who is a POC as Demeter. Say, Lupita N’yongo or someone? I’ve been trying to keep the Olympians looking very Greek, but they can appear however they want, so which way do I go with this? What do you guys think?

Jon Bernthal as Ares, God of War.

This one took me a while to figure out, but as soon as I found it, no one else fit. Jon Bernthal is amazing, and as intimidating a face as you can put onscreen.

Janet Montgomery as Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy.

She doesn’t have the grey eyes, but other than that she is absolutely Athena. The calm, intelligent demeanor that hides layer after layer of strategy is great for Athena.

Zac Efron as Apollo, God of the Sun, Music, and Healing.

Ah, yes. I remember the time my mom saw the golden boy all grown up after High School Musical. Oh my word, the dude is hot. And she said “if he lived in ancient Greece or Rome, he would already be declared a god. And since then I have always thought of him as Apollo. Plus he can sing :)

Maisie Williams as Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.

Of course Artemis ages herself up and down throughout the books, but Maisie Williams is someone who never seems to age at all. On screen, she exudes a quiet and intimidating power when she wants to and yet she is visually a very sweet individual, which matches up perfectly with Artemis’s leadership of her huntresses.

Gerard Butler as Hephaestus, God of Metalwork.

Gerard Butler is someone who cuts an imposing figure, but also is good at closed-off and emotionally insecure. I can just imagine him trying to talk to Leo and being so not sure how to express anything.

Margot Robbie as Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty.

See, Aphrodite is tricky because she changes her form to match what the people seeing her are the most attracted to. So, when choosing an actress, I chose Percy’s perspective, which of course means someone who looks like Annabeth, which of course Margot Robbie does. But the thing is, she’s also someone who can play different versions of the same person with incredible attention to detail and still remain recognizable as the same person.

Hugh Jackman as Hermes, God of Roads, Messengers, Thieves, and Doctors.

Ah yes, the lovable rogue. Messengers, thieves, and doctors. As you can see from the picture, he wears a suit well, which fits with the doctor theme, but he also has the rough around the edges look of a thief, and these two aspects coexist without clashing in a way that’s personable and entertaining.

Neil Patrick Harris as Dionysus, God of Wine and Insanity.

Another one that I’m not entirely set on. I tried to look for a chubby, “cherub-faced” actor that is also slightly mean and disgruntled-looking, and failing, I went with Mr. Harris, who is fantastic at the over-the-top exaggeration of character that is trademark of the Olympians, and also has proven with the recent re-adaptation of “Series of Unfortunate Events,” that he can work in prosthetics if needed.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Hades, God of the Underworld.

Was there ever really any other option? “The first god I’d met that actually seemed ‘godlike’.” Just imagine him sitting on the throne, black robe falling to the floor, a circlet of bones and braided gold around his head. Long, silken black hair falling past his shoulders. Yeah. He is the best choice for this.

Katie McGrath as Persephone, Goddess of Springtime and Queen of the Underworld.

Katie McGrath is someone that I can see, like a lot of the top olympians, switching from smiling to snapping necks at the drop of a pin, and she also rocks the deep red lipstick, which I think is an important design point for her, seeing with the whole pomegranate thing and all.

Tell me what you guys think!

[just-call-me-sei]

My friend and I decided to have some fun with the upcoming Marvel Podcast narrative starring Wolverine, voiced by Richard Armitage(The Hobbit, Castlevania). For those unfamiliar; The original story dubbed “The Long Night” from Season 1 involved a lot of mystery and suspense in the form of an audio tale, done by some extraordinarily talented actors mind you. Very similar to a radio drama. The sequel, or rather season 2 “The Lost Trail”, seems to carry that same vibe. But this time including some other fan favorites from the X-Men such as Gambit, and Mr. Sinister!

One of the best things I enjoyed about Season 1, was trying to guess what’ll happen next. Of course, all theories were based solely on subtle audio cues(<- where that great acting comes in!). Much different than your typical visual storytelling. Worlds apart even, if you’re new to the genre.

ANYWAYS; if you’d like to join in on our fun for S2, I provided a blank Bingo Card like sheet for everyone, with some default choices at the bottom to try and guess some of the shenanigans our MC might face...and man! Poor Wolvie got troped hard in the expense of our entertainment(s’all right tho, cuz he’s got dat healin’ factor 😉).

***Wolverine: The Long Night(Season 1) can now be found on almost any audio platform that allows podcasts. Give it a listen! Season 2 will be temporarily exclusive to Stitcher Premium(™).. I think? First Ep. goes live March 25th.

—————[The Boxes]—————

1) recalls a memory vaguely that somehow has to do with what's going on

2) mentions weapon X

3) mentions the X-Men

4) adopts a child or young girl who then follows him around

5) opens a beer

6.) makes an ally

7.) betrayed by ally

8.) gets shot

9.) free space = snikt

10.) mistaken as enemy

11.) somebody loses a limb

12.) loses an article of clothing

13.) ends up underwater

14.) gets knocked unconscious

15.) drives a truck

16.) referred to as an animal

17.) finds a new love interest

18.) ends up in the woods

19.) steals a bike

20.) smokes a cigar

21.) love scene

22.) rages out

23.) somebody close dies

24.) awkward social interaction

25.) gets crushed by something

Just place the numbers wherever you see fit, and fill them out as you go.

[guylty]

My week in retrospect ended with a lovely fan-high: Not only was there a nice selfie of Richard with Richard (III), but yesterday I also welcomed my lovely friend and fellow fan Helen. She came laden with gifts – lots of bits and pieces for my crafty endeavours, as well as a beautiful piece of her jewellery (not the little heart decoration in the pic below).

She stayed overnight with me before heading off to a week-long creative holiday in the West of Ireland. We had a great time yesterday and this morning, although most of our evening last night was taken up by the theatre. We had tickets for the opening night of Hamlet in Dublin’s Gate Theatre, starring Ruth Negga as Hamlet, directed by… Yael Farber. Farber was in attendance last night – presumably she is still rehearsing with the cast – and just before the play started, I spotted her standing just a meter in front of us.

She made an announcement just before the start of the play and watched the performance from a seat in the audience about three rows in front of us. The play itself… well, let’s just say it was long. Three and a half hours of Shakespearean English took a lot of concentration. Not just from the audience but also from the cast. I had had high hopes for this production, not least because I thought it was an interesting move to cast Hamlet as a woman. Ruth Negga did an excellent job. However, it was never really clear to me *why* a woman was cast as a man in this play. With a woman playing the lead role, I had somehow expected Hamlet to be a woman. But that was not the case. The character was still a young man – and I didn’t quite see the point of a female-played Hamlet, especially as the petite actor did not make any attempt at giving Hamlet any “masculine” mannerisms or gestures. Or maybe it was exactly meant as a comment on gender stereotyping, with my ignorance a case in point. If that is the case, it might have been useful to cross-cast a few other roles as well, just to make that point, though.

Anyway, the set was really interesting (consisting mainly of dark panelled doors that were opened and closed in order to create “rooms”) but the overwhelming darkness of the background and the lack of props made it even harder for me to focus and not drift off. There was plenty of obvious symbols in the play – except it was not really clear to me what they were supposed to mean. Again, possibly *my* ignorance. But how good and effective is a play if the audience doesn’t understand the points that are being made? The play had a few trademark Farber essentials, the continuous background drone of the soundscape included. Never-ending tinnitus, if you ask me – I really dislike it, much as I disliked it in TC. There was also the scent of incense in the Ophelia burial scene – and I was convinced I smelled some coffee at another point in the play, but maybe that was just the adjoining theatre bar getting ready for the interval *lol* and some sand being thrown around, which all seemed rather familiar from the other Farber productions I have seen. – Overall, I was not quite convinced by the production. Sure, it is a tragedy, hence the subdued colour scheme of the set and the costumes is explainable. Some other artistic interpretations/choices I could not get my head around. I liked that Farber often uses the auditorium as the stage and had the cast run through and speak from the middle of the room. She was extremely effective with the way she included the audience in TC when it was staged in the round and the lighting design occasionally lit the first row of the audience, thus making us part of the Salem community. In Hamlet, she placed the actors as spectators of the ‘play in the play’ in the middle of the auditorium. Again, a great way of making the audience part of the play. However, it meant that none of the audience could actually see the actors’ reactions to the play – which is a bit of a fail if you ask me. I have not seen any reviews of the play yet – and I am curious to see what the critics make of it. Also, the caveat remains that this was the first performance of the production, and knowing Farber’s MO, there will be plenty of changes in the days to come. Ruth Negga was fabulous and has to be commended for taking up the mantle, especially as she was suffering from laryngitis and had been advised to cancel her performance.

Anyway, sorry for that long excursion. Take it as a “tangentially related” post, as coined by Servetus.

And now for the light relief:

A proper Claude Becker buffet, courtesy of mezzmerizedbyrichard

Moodyhedgie paints Richard as Logan – pretty good! He would fill that role very well, I think

Riepu10 is delving into Sleepwalker to give us the dreamy doctor. Nice one!

I hadn’t seen drldeboer for a while but she is now back with her trademark screenshots, this time of Daniel Miller in the new BS trailer – great

Including this short text post by elizabitchdarcy not only for the funny user name, but especially for the tag

And mezzmerizedbyrichard again – obviously got into a bit of a Daniel Miller frenzy thanks to the new trailer. Here’s a set of really nice pics of Danny Boy

The extended fights scene from the Wolverine BTS, giffed by cxbledxxedpooll – that must have been one heck of an intense recording…

Check out splunge4me2art’s WIP portrait of Richard and then compare with the finished piece

Moodyhedgie again with Wolverine – I like this one better

Yeah, Claude is a douchebag, but he’s nice to look at. Here’s a gif set for the mole lovers among you. Giffed by kendaspntwd

I am right there with spocks-brain

A cutesie piece of fan art for all bagginshield lovers out there. By krappuy

Professor Bilbo LOL. But the “younger Thorin” is really cool. Fan art by nerdeeart

Interesting screen shot by h3110-7h3r3 – now we know what people are searching for…

This short modern!AU of Thorin might actually have legs. I mean, imagine him as a hunky ship captain. Yep, the launch of a thousand ships. Eh, dreams. Thank you, thorins-magnificent-ass

That’s it for this week. I am glad to say I have been able to finally migrate all my stuff from “Little Miss Bling” to “The Silver Fox”. Yes, indeed, I have got a new Macbook. Little Miss Bling is going back to my ex-bosses tomorrow, and after the first Macbook was a complete write-off fresh out of the box, a replacement machine was sent to me and finally put in operation yesterday. It’s a new machine, but a 2017 model, in “space silver” – hence the “silver fox”. It reminds me of my favourite silver fox, too. I might just have called the machine “Richard” but then I thought that maybe that mightn’t have gone down too well with Mr Guylty…

Hope you’ll have a nice weekend,

Guylty ❤️

2018 Armitage Weekly Round-up #25 My week in retrospect ended with a lovely fan-high: Not only was there a nice selfie of Richard with Richard (III), but yesterday I also welcomed my lovely friend and fellow fan Helen.

[sushigirlali]

Famous In Love (Reylo Fanfic)

Art by: @mvcreates​

Summary: Rey scores her first big break in Hollywood co-staring in an Oscar worthy film with acclaimed theater actor Kylo Ren. In order to pull off an intimate love scene, the pair retreat to Kylo's apartment to practice in private.

Pairing: Rey x Kylo Ren/Ben Solo [Reylo] [ReyBen]

Continuity: Actor AU

Rating: E

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or anything that relates to Star Wars. 

A/N: I love watching trashy TV shows, so this story is dedicated to Famous In Love on Freeform. This show is so incredibly bad, but for some reason I can't stop watching it! I was only going to write a few scenes, but the story got away from me, so it's super long lol Enjoy!

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr 

——————

Famous In Love

By: sushigirlali

——————

"Cut!"

Rey sighed as an irate Armitage Hux jumped out of his director's chair.

"What the hell are you two playing at?!" Hux yelled, marching onto set. "This is supposed to be a tender love scene between adults, not an awkward high school grope session!"

Rey pushed herself into a sitting position on the plush bed as Kylo moved away from her, pulling up the rumpled white comforter to cover her body. While she was used to the director's crass behavior by now, being half naked in front of a room full of people made her feel more vulnerable than usual.

"You two have about as much chemistry as a pair of garden gnomes!" Hux continued, eyeing his lead actors in disgust. "In fact, I'd rather watch inanimate objects make out than the two of you!"

Rey tilted her head at the strange comment, trying not to laugh. Laughter would definitely not improve the director's mood. Casting a sideways glance at her co-star, Rey was unsurprised to see Kylo Ren's face composed in his patented bored expression. She would swear the man was a robot if he didn't hit the craft services table occasionally.

"Kylo, have you ever seduced a woman before? Or at least pretended to? No wonder you're chronically single!" Hux blustered. "And you, Rey, are about the least sexy—"

"How would you like us to fix the situation?" Kylo cut in blandly, shifting slightly on the bed so that his massive body partially covered Rey's.

"Become better actors?" Hux replied savagely, focusing on Kylo again.

Rey eye's widened, surprised by the small action. Kylo didn't seem to like or respect her on the best of days, but here he was making a bigger target out of himself to protect her? No, she must be reading too much into it. The only time Kylo Ren was nice to her was in her dreams.

"No? Then how about this: you're both dismissed from set until you can play this scene correctly. Go back to your trailer or apartment or a fucking love hotel—whatever—just work it out!" And with that, their esteemed director stormed off set, slamming doors as he went.

Rey looked up at Kylo gratefully. "Thank you for—"

"Let's go." He interrupted.

"Oh, ah, okay." Rey stumbled slightly in her haste to stand, gasping as Kylo's warm hands settled on her bare waist to steady her.

She quickly twisted away from him, trying to control her reaction to the acclaimed theater actor's touch. He would never know it, but she had been infatuated with him for years. Kylo's brilliant performance as the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway two years ago was still burned into her mind. As a result, working with him on such an intimate basis was proving to be a challenge.

Busying herself with finding her robe, Rey missed the look of hurt that flashed across Kylo's face at her perceived rejection.

——————

Ben gritted his teeth as Rey pulled away from him. He knew she found him unappealing, but did she have to rub it in all the time? Ever since the first time he had seen her, standing among the other hopefuls trying out for the role of his love interest, Ben had been smitten with the young actress from Jakku.

Rey, however, seemed to want nothing to do with him.

Shaking off his frustration, Ben said gruffly, "Let's go to my place, we can practice our scenes there."

"Okay." Rey agreed, tying the belt of her robe.

It was a shame, Ben thought wryly, given how lovely she looked in her underwear. Set attractively against her tanned skin, the matching slate blue bra and panties were perfectly molded to her slender body.

"Do you want to change before we leave?" Ben asked her. It would be so much easier for him to concentrate if she had pants on.

"No, that's okay." Rey said, picking up the tote bag sitting next to her chair. "We should probably stay in costume while we go over our lines. You know, to set the mood."

Ben mentally groaned. Was she trying to kill him? But to Rey he said, "Makes sense," in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone.

Shrugging on his own robe, Ben grabbed his backpack before gaining the attention of a passing crew member.

"Yes, Mr. Ren?" Rose Tico said enthusiastically.

"Can you call for a car? Rey and I need a ride to my apartment." Ben requested.

Rose raised her eyebrows, looking from him to Rey and back again, obviously noting their state of undress.

"Hux asked us to practice lines together before coming back to set, so we're wrapped for the night." Rey supplied with a charming blush. "Nothing weird going on or anything…"

"Sure." Rose grinned suggestively. "Go ahead down to Lot A and I'll have Finn pick you up."

"Oh, I'm sure Finn is busy with—" Rey tried.

"Nope, I just saw him. Since it's so late, the rest of the drivers have left already. So it's Finn or you're stuck here." Rose said happily.

"But—"

"That's fine, please call Finn." Ben directed, putting an end to Rey's protests.

"Thanks, Rose." Rey said weakly, while Ben dipped his head in acknowledgement before starting toward the exit.

"Have fun practicing!" Rose called to their retreating backs.

——————

Rey shot her friend a warning look over her shoulder, but she just laughed in response. Rose was one of the few people who knew about her feelings for Kylo, besides Rose's boyfriend and Rey's best friend Finn. No doubt Finn would try to embarrass her on the ride to Kylo's, so Rey needed to be on her guard.

After a short walk, Rey and Kylo reached the valet drop off area in Lot A. Standing awkwardly next to her co-star, Rey wondered how he would respond to small talk. Kylo was a man of few words, but she hated wasting this opportunity to speak with him. It was a rare occurrence for them to be completely alone.

"So, um, where's your apartment?" She asked tentatively, drawing his attention.

"In the NoHo district." Kylo informed her.

"Wow, so close to the studio! No wonder you're always early to set." Rey laughed.

"There are a lot of theatres in the area." He shrugged. "I didn't really take the studio into consideration."

"Once a stage actor, always a stage actor?" Rey teased.

"Something like that." Kylo responded, his lips tilting up at the corners.

But his face slid back into an impassive mask as Finn drove up in a black Escalade. Jumping out of the vehicle, he came around the front and opened the passenger's side door for them.

"Rose said you needed a ride?" Finn remarked coolly.

"Yes, thank you." Kylo said, moving back for Rey to climb into the SUV before him.

Rey was surprised when he held out a hand to help her into the elevated vehicle. Trying to act casual, she allowed him to assist her, focusing on getting into the car without embarrassing herself. He released her hand as she slid across the backseat, leaving her fingers tingling.

Buckling her seatbelt, Rey settled back against the black leather interior. Rey glanced at Kylo's wide chest, barely covered by the thick white terry cloth robe, as he did the same. He really was massive, dwarfing her in comparison, making her feel incredibly feminine. Shaking herself, she glanced up to see Finn watching them in the rearview mirror. Oh no.

"So, Kylo," Finn started as he pulled away from the curb, "how's filming going?"

"Fine." He said shortly.

"Fine?" Finn laughed. "Word around set is that you're on track to score an Oscar nomination based on your performance so far."

"I have a great scene partner." Kylo replied, playing down his part in the movie.

Rey looked up at him, startled by the compliment. "Really?" She asked involuntarily.

Kylo's gaze appeared to soften as he looked at her, but it could have just been a trick of the dim street lights flashing by outside.

"Of course. You're a wonderful actress, Rey." Kylo assured her.

"Thank you!" Rey felt her face heat as joy flooded through her.

"You're welcome." Kylo said softly.

Finn coughed discreetly from the front seat, gaining their attention.

"Yes, Finn?" Rey slanted him a look.

"We're here." Finn said archly. "Are you two going to get out or are you just going to keep staring at each other all night?"

Rey flushed bright red and attempted to unbuckle her seatbelt.

"Here." Kylo said after a moment, removing her struggling fingers and undoing the safety device for her.

"Thanks!" She said in a high pitched voice, looking everywhere but at him.

"I'll get the door." Kylo shot at Finn as he started to get out of the vehicle.

Rey was bemused as Kylo did just that, opening his door and grasping her hand again to help her out. He didn't let go of her this time, though, and she was too shocked by his courteous actions to pull away.

"Bye, Finn." Rey said breathlessly from the curb, allowing Kylo to pull her toward his apartment building.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Finn snickered after them.

——————

Ben led Rey up the stairs to his third floor apartment. He had opted to rent a smaller, more cozy place than most of his co-stars, hating the glitz and glam that came with being a Hollywood actor.

"I'm sorry if Finn embarrassed you." Rey said apologetically. "He's kind of a wild card."

"I'm not embarrassed." Ben assured her. "We weren't doing anything."

Rey's fingers suddenly slipped from his, startling him. It had felt so natural to hold her hand that he hadn't realized he was still doing it until now.

"Oh. Okay." She said quietly.

Ben sighed. What had he done now? Having next to no experience with relationships, Ben was at a loss for what to say next. Instead, he fished his keys out of the front pocket of his backpack and unlocked the apartment door. Motioning for her to proceed him, Ben closed and locked the door behind them.

Sitting her bag down on the gray and black granite island that separated the kitchen from the living room, Rey hummed her approval.

"This is really nice." She said. "I love open concept spaces."

"Yeah, me too." Ben was glad he had taken the time to clean up this morning. "Are you hungry? I can order something."

"No, thanks." Rey said.

"Really, it's no problem." Ben insisted.

Rey shook her head in the negative. "I ate before coming in this afternoon, so I'm good. But order whatever you want if you're hungry."

He was hungry alright, just not for food. But Ben kept those thoughts to himself. "I'm good too." He said instead.

"Okay, where do you want to practice then?" Rey asked directly. "It's getting late, so we should probably start right away."

"We can use the living room or the bedroom." Ben offered casually. "Whichever you prefer."

Rey looked around, noting the black leather sofa and love seat. "Will the couch be big enough for you to, um, spread out on?"

Ben raised his eyebrows at her wording, but didn't contradict her. "It is a little cramped for my height. I can show you the bedroom if you'd like."

Rey nodded and Ben started to sweat. He could do this. It would be just like on set. Professional. There was nothing going on between them, despite the slight shift in their relationship tonight. He could do this.

"This way." He said, walking down the small hallway to his bedroom.

He stopped at the doorway to make sure the room was clean, grunting as Rey ran into his back.

"Sorry!" Rey said breathily. "I wasn't expecting you to stop."

Ben moved into the room, playing it cool. "No problem. Well, here's the bed." He said lamely.

Rey studied the huge king-sized bed, covered in a red and black stripped duvet, thoughtfully. "Yes, this is definitely better."

Better for what? Ben thought. Torturing him?

"We need to get comfortable speaking intimately to each other." Ben said frankly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Among other things."

"Other things?" Rey queried as she took a seat next to him.

"Kissing, touching." He said lightly, trying not to focus on how high the robe had ridden up on her toned thighs.

"Oh. Right. Well, uh, what did you have in mind?"

"Maybe we should try getting to know each other first." Kylo suggested. There were a few things we wanted to get clear between them.

"Sure. What do you want to know?" Rey invited.

"I know you've never liked me, but—"

——————

"What?!" Rey exclaimed in shock.

Kylo looked taken aback at her outburst. "The first day on set you told your friend Rose that you found me disgusting and hated having to work with me." He said in a wounded tone.

Rey racked her brain, trying to remember if she had ever said such a thing to Rose. The first day of filming had been hectic, made even more so when their slimy Executive Producer walked through the door. Despite his talent for producing blockbuster movies, Andy Snoke had a reputation for being a complete scumbag.

"Snoke had just walked onto set." Rey recalled. "And he called me over to introduce himself." Rey paused, frowning as she thought about the awful memory. "And promptly grabbed my ass."

"He did what?!" Kylo stood angrily.

"Yeah, that's how I reacted too." Rey appreciated his outrage. "Luckily, the film crew caught the whole thing on tape, so I threatened to sue him if he ever came near me again."

"Do you have a lawyer? I can call mine, if you'd like. Her name is Maz Kanata and she's tough as hell." Kylo offered, pacing back and forth.

"No, Kylo." Rey's heart soared at his suggestion. He had to care for her a little to be so upset on her behalf. "I took care of it. Snoke never visits set while I'm there anymore; he's no threat to me."

"Are you sure?" Kylo probed, coming back to sit beside her on the bed.

"Yes." Rey smiled warmly. "Thank you."

"Let me know if he so much as looks at you the wrong way. I have so much dirt on him he'd wish he was dead if I talked." Kylo said seriously.

"You got it." Rey grinned, then frowned as she remembered Kylo's earlier statement. "So, this whole time we've been working together, you thought I hated you?" Rey questioned. "Is that why you've been so standoffish with me?"

"Yes." Kylo admitted easily.

"Well, I don't." Rey said ardently.

"I'm glad." Kylo said, giving her a genuine smile. "Thank you for clearing that up."

"What's next? Do you want to continue talking, or move onto…other things?" Rey bit her lip, trying not to sound too eager. She knew what she wanted to do with him, but it was best not to get her hopes up when they had only just cleared the air.

"Is there anything you wanted to ask me?" He replied.

"Maybe later." Rey wasn't up to a cross examination right now.

"Should be practice…kissing then?" Kylo put forward. "Nothing too heavy, just keep it light. You know?"

Rey watched as Kylo's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Was he nervous too? Deciding to take a chance for once in her life, Rey made the first move.

"Like this, Kylo?" Rey whispered, boldly leaning forward to brush her lips across his. They were warm and soft and felt so good against her own.

"Ben." He muttered in a strangled tone when she moved back.

"What?" Rey asked, dazed from the innocent kiss.

"My real name is Ben Solo. Kylo Ren is my stage name." He confessed.

"Ben." Rey tested the name on her tongue. "I like it. It suits you."

"Thanks." Ben replied huskily.

"Wait! Wait one damn minute!" Rey said as something struck her. "Ben Solo? As in Leia and Han Solo?!"

Ben grimaced, but nodded his head.

"Wow!" Rey said. "That must have been so difficult for you growing up, them being big time movie stars and all."

Ben met her eyes with surprise in his own. "Yes, it was. No one ever seems to get that. They're all too impressed that I have famous parents and think I'm ungrateful for hiding my real identity."

"That's crazy!" Rey said emphatically. "You obviously wanted to make your own way, on your own merits. I think that's admirable. It shows that your talent is really your own and—"

Ben leaned forward suddenly, taking her lips in a searing kiss, his hands slipping into her hair to support her neck as he plundered her mouth. Rey's eyes widened in shock, stunned by the force of his passion. It was the first time she had ever been kissed in such a way, and Rey found that she liked the smooth thrust of his tongue against hers, the sensation of his hands tangling in her hair.

But what did it all mean? Were they still practicing? Or was this something else? Determined to find out, Rey pulled back.

——————

Ben cursed as Rey's small hands pushed against his chest. Damn it! He hadn't been able to help himself, not with her being so sweet and understanding and lovely.

"Fuck, I'm sorry!" Ben tried to pull away, but Rey grasped his biceps with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Wait, I was just surprised." Rey blushed.

Ben stared at her, not sure how to respond. Did that mean she wanted him to kiss her? Ben held his breath, waiting to see what she would do.

"Was…was that a kiss between our characters, or between…us?" Rey asked shyly.

Ben felt like the world was tilting sideways, so he decided to go for broke. "It's whatever you want it to be."

Rey regarded him curiously for a few moments, clearly processing the situation. Was she hesitating because of their professional relationship? He wanted to tell her that he would respect her in the morning either way, but the words were stuck in his throat. He didn't want to risk scaring her away by bringing up work, not when he finally had her where he wanted her.

But scant minutes later, as her slim fingers rose to the belt of her terrycloth robe, Ben realized he needn't have worried. Rey wanted to be here too. He could see it in the heated way she stared into his eyes, in the tremble of her hands, in the flush on her cheeks.

Keeping eye contact with him, she slowly untied the loose knot, shrugging out of the concealing garment to bare her trim figure to his hungry gaze. Biting her lip, she learned forward and placed her dainty hands on the tie of his own robe, her eyes asking a silent question.

Coming up on his knees, Ben allowed her to untie the belt and push the robe off his shoulders. Rey sucked in a breath, staring intently at his muscular chest, and Ben felt his whole body clench at the very flattering look on her face.

Rey slowly reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him close. "Don't stop." She whispered, hazel eyes melting into chocolate brown.

As if in a trance, Ben cupped her flushed cheeks, lifting her mouth to his. Their third kiss was sweet at first, a tentative exploration. But lust quickly took over as their tongues danced together in an arousing tango. Ben could tell she was new to this type of kissing, but what Rey lacked in experience, she more than made up for in enthusiasm.

They sunk onto the bed together, Rey holding him tightly as he brought their bodies into blatant contact. She felt amazing in his arms, soft and sleek, her slender curves fitting to his hard body perfectly. The swell of her breasts strained against his toned chest, making him imagine what it would feel like to touch them with his large hands, with his mouth. He whispered his desire between kisses, and she squirmed under him in response.

"Touch me! Please!" She panted urgently, pushing up to give him space.

Ben caressed her back, locating the catch of her bra and unsnapping it after a few failed attempts.

"Sorry." He muttered, wishing he was more practiced, but she only kissed him harder.

"I love knowing that you can't unsnap a girl's bra on que." Rey confessed.

"This isn't my first time, but I haven't been with many women." Ben reassured her.

His breath caught in his throat as she lowered her arms and allowed him to pull off the flimsy scrap of fabric. Her breasts were small but firm, tipped with dusty pink nipples that hardened into tight pebbles under his fervent gaze. After months of thinking his attraction was one-sided, it amazed him that she wanted him so much, but the evidence before him was undisputable.

"I know they're not very large, but—"

Ben's head shot up and he looked at her incredulously. "Your breasts are perfect. You're perfect."

Rey flushed with pleasure at his words. "Would you…put your mouth on them then? I've never…but I want you to."

"Never?" Ben stilled. "Rey, are you a virgin?" He asked carefully.

Rey hide her face behind her hands, suddenly shy.

"Rey?"

Her answer was muffled, so he gently peeled her hands away, capturing her palms in his and holding them above her head.

"What was that?"

She settled back against the striped coverlet, tentatively raising her eyes to his. "Yes, I'm a virgin."

Ben shuddered at the revelation. He would be her first lover, maybe even her last, if things went his way.

"Are you sure you want this? Want me? You might regret—" Ben tried to give her an out.

But Rey shushed him, pressing a finger to his lips. "Kiss me. Love me. Please."

Bending back to her mouth on a groan, Ben gave up trying to be chivalrous. Placing a powerful thigh between hers, he released her hands and slid them under her buttocks, pulling her forward roughly. She let out a squeak of surprise as he moved the lower half of her body up and down, up and down, dragging her cleft against his hard frame.

"What—oh!" Rey gasped, struggling to get closer as the position applied pressure to her core.

"That's it, baby, find the rhythm you need." He said encouragingly, showing her how to move her hips.

Dipping his head, Ben took her right breast into his mouth, rolling her nipple between his teeth gently. Rey gripped the back of his head, urging him to fed on her. He gave each plump mound equal attention, loving the sexy noises she was making as he drove her crazy.

"Ben?" Rey whimpered uncertainly. "Something's happening to me!"

Her hips were pumping quickly now, her panties soaked through against his thigh. Ben could tell she was close, the friction of cloth on flesh compounded by the feeling of his hot mouth on her sensitive tips. Ben sucked harder, switching back and forth between her breasts like a man possessed until she was writhing uncontrollably.

"Let go." Ben breathed. "I've got you."

Pulling back to watch her cry out a final time, Ben knew he had never seen anything so beautiful as Rey Niima coming apart in his arms.

——————

Rey lay on top of Ben's huge body, feeling weightless, her head pillowed on his comfortable chest. "That was amazing." She purred once she could speak again.

Ben kissed her forehead, lazily stroking her spine. "I've thought about getting you naked since the first time I saw you at open casting."

"I've wanted you since Rose took me to see you on Broadway for my 17th birthday two years ago." Rey admitted softly.

Ben reared back at her pronouncement, putting a little space between them. "Wait, you're only 19?!" He spluttered incredulously.

"I'll be 20 next month." Rey replied uncertainly.

"Oh my God, you're a 19-year-old virgin!" Ben groaned.

"What does it matter?!" Rey exclaimed.

"Rey, I'm 29!" Ben said as if that explained everything.

"So?"

"So, I'm ten years older than you!"

"So?"

"So, you're 19!"

"Almost 20."

"Rey! We can't—" Kylo started.

"We already are!" Rey pushed him down as he tried to get up, straddling his hips.

"Rey, you're so young and I—"

Rey leaned down, pressing her lips against his, slipping her tongue inside his mouth to play with his. "I want you." She murmured seductively, her wet core rubbing against his rigid erection through the thin layer of his black silk boxers.

"Fuck me." Ben muttered.

"That's what I'm trying to do." Rey said with a sly smile.

Ben's chest rumbled under her, but still he seemed uncertain.

"I don't care about your age, or mine." Rey ran her hands over his chest to his washboard stomach. "Just you."

His dark eyes burning with feeling, Ben's hands ran up the back of her thighs to cup her bottom, grinding her against him.

"So—ah—does that mean—oh god!" Rey inhaled sharply as her cliterous made contact with the hard ridge of his penis. "Does that mean you'll make love to me?"

"Oh, what the hell!" Ben said heatedly, rolling her onto her back. "I want you, you want me, the rest doesn't matter!"

Rey shivered in anticipation as he slid off the bed and slowly peeled his underwear down his hips. She gasped as his erection sprung free, curving upward toward his taut stomach in an impressive arch. Rey bit her lip, wondering how something so large was going to fit inside her untried body.

"Don't worry, I'll go slow." Ben soothed her as he caught her expression, climbing back onto the bed.

Rey waited with bated breath as he rose over her, looping his fingers into the waistband of her panties and pulling them gently down her trembling legs.

Ben growled at the sight of her nudity, parting her thighs to reveal the jewel hidden behind her springy curls. She should feel exposed, being spread out like this, but the lustful look on Ben's face dissolved the notion at once. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, and there was nothing to feel insecure about.

"Fuck, you're beautiful." Ben ground out, leaning down to kiss the inside of her thigh.

"Ben!" Rey gulped as his lips traveled toward her heat. "You don't have to—"

"Shh." He whispered gently. "You'll enjoy it, trust me."

——————

Rey whimpered as Ben made love to her tender flesh, his tongue curling around her clit as he pumped two thick fingers in and out of her tight sheath.

"God, Ben!" Rey cried, moving her hips in time with the motion of his hand.

"Not quite." Ben laughed. "But I'm glad you approve."

Twisting her hands in his tousled raven locks, Rey urged his head back to her wet center. She could sense his amusement at her impatience, but Rey was too far gone to care. Ben shifted his position, zeroing in on a spot that had her back arching in seconds.

"Yes! There!" Rey wailed, clutching his hair. "Ben! I'm—ahhhh!"

Fireworks exploded behind her eyes as Ben curled his fingers inside her body, his mouth sucking powerfully on her aroused button. Rey heard a piercing scream as the pleasure went on and on, only vaguely recognizing the voice as her own. Not satisfied, Ben didn't stop touching and licking her until every ounce of climax had been wrung from her virginal body and she lay spent on the cool comforter, gasping for air.

"I love the way you scream my name." Ben said gruffly, crawling between her splayed legs in the aftermath.

Rey touched his face as he came into view, weak from the pleasure he had just given her. "Thank you." She said softly.

Dark eyes burning with lust-and something else?—Ben turned his cheek to press a tender kiss to her palm. "You're welcome."

Boneless, Rey allowed him to rearrange her body, pushing her thighs apart to make room for his possession. Their bodies lined up perfectly, like two puzzle pieces fitting together, and Rey sighed as his weight settled on her.

"I hope you're ready, baby, because I can't wait anymore." Ben palmed his erection in one hand and opened her soaked slit with the other.

"You can come inside me." Rey said shakily. "I'm on the pill."

"Jesus, Rey." Ben groaned, leaning his forehead against hers as he fought for control.

Rey caught his lips in an arousing exploration of teeth and tongue, moaning into his mouth as Ben lost his grip and began pushing into her tight opening. Rey tried to relax as he carefully penetrated her, her short nails biting into Ben's back as she stretched around him.

"Are you okay?" He panted, sweating from the effort of holding back.

"You're so big, Ben!" Rey's inner muscles fluttered as he slid in another inch.

"Relax, baby." Ben kissed her tenderly. "Yeah, that's it. You're so wet, you can take me."

Ben's hips shifted downward sharply as her slick sheath suddenly accommodated him, impaling her to the hilt. Rey's eyes watered at the feeling of emotional and physical completion that suddenly gripped her mind and body at his intrusion. She had heard horror stories from friends about their first times, but Ben had readied her body so well that she didn't feel any pain at all, just an extraordinary fullness.

"Shit, I'm sorry!" Ben attempted to pull back, misreading her glassy expression.

"No!" Rey's legs wrapped around his back, holding him inside her. "No. You're not hurting me, it's just…"

"Just?" Ben brushed her damp hair away from her face inquisitively.

"I've never felt like this before." She admitted quietly, lowering her eyes.

Ben tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "Neither have I."

"Really?" Rey bit her lip.

"Really." Ben smoothed her abused bottom lip with his thumb. "You bite your lip when you're nervous, did you know that?" He teased.

Rey shook her head. "Care to kiss it better?" She asked coyly, wetting her lips in anticipation.

Ben let out a harsh breath, following the swipe of her pink tongue intently. "The things you do to me, woman." He said roughly as he bent to her tempting smile, slanting his mouth over hers passionately.

Rey moaned as he began moving his hips at the same time, measuring his movements against her response. He was the most thoughtful lover she could have asked for, heart swelling as she sensed his incredible restraint. But it wasn't enough, not nearly enough.

"Harder!" Rey begged, throwing her hips back at him frantically.

Ben's dark eyes burned into hers as he picked up the pace, building her pleasure with each powerful thrust. Rey's back arched as he slid impossibly deep, plunging in and out of her deliciously. Encouraged by her inhibited reaction, Ben buried his head between her breasts again, taking each nipple into his mouth in turns, sucking and biting at her until she cried out in supplication.

"Please!" Rey whined. "Ben!"

Ben lifted her bottom off the bed, throwing her legs over his shoulders to plunge into her at a new angle. Rey shrieked as he pounded away inside her, the head of his long penis brushing the entrance of her cervix.

"Come!" Ben demanded, bringing his thumb to her secret place, briskly rubbing her clit in time with his driving hips.

One, two, three thrusts more and Rey had no choice but to obey him. "Ben!" She screamed in completion, bathing him in her fluids.

——————

Ben lowered her legs as she laid dazed and panting, caging her between his hungry body and the mattress as he drove for his own release. Her grasping cunt was still quivering, sucking the life out of him, and he growled as he tried to get close enough.

Gripping her ass tightly, Ben branded her with his cock, screwing her until his eyes crossed and he couldn't hold back any longer. Howling as the dam finally broke, he gave her everything he had, filling her up to the brim.

Collapsing on top of her, Ben lost consciousness for a space of minutes, trying to catch his breath after experiencing the greatest pleasure he had ever known.

"Ben?" Rey whispered in his ear. "Are you okay?"

Ben tightened his hold on her, crushing her against him. "I love you." He blurted out.

Rey gasped under him, bringing his eyes up to meet hers.

"You don't have to say anything back, I just thought you should know." Ben said seriously. "This is more than just sex for me, and I—" But he didn't get a chance to finish as Rey pulled him into a scorching kiss.

Ben groaned as he felt himself harden inside her. How could he respond so quickly given the earth-shattering orgasm he had just experienced? But their attraction defined logic, and Ben went under once again, Rey with him every step of the way.

——————

Ben slowly cracked his eyes open, holding up a hand against the glare of the midday sun as his fuzzy mind tried to work out why his blackout curtains were wide open.

The slender body next to him shifted, drawing his attention and bringing back the previous night's events. Ben gazed down at Rey, bemused to see her clutching at him like her favorite teddy bear, the small smile on her lips warming his heart. Her eyelids were still closed, but he could tell she was waking up. Ben tucked her hair behind her small ear, placing a chaste kiss on cheek.

Although she hadn't said those three little words back to him yet, Ben knew she had feelings for him; her body had shouted it to the stars and beyond last night while they made love.

"Rey?" He called softly.

"Mmm hmm?" She mumbled, curling into his side with a contented sigh.

"It's morning, sweetheart. We have to go to set soon."

"Don't wanna." Rey pouted as she slid a leg over his waist possessively.

Ben shuddered as her molten core came into contact with his hip, but he kept himself in check. She had to be sore after last night, and he didn't want to hurt her.

"We're going to be late if we don't get up." He warned her.

"I don't care." Rey grumbled, keeping her eyes closed as she lifted her face to his. "Kiss me."

Ben chuckled, but complied, kissing her so thoroughly that she had no choice but to sit up, straining against him excitedly.

"There you go." Ben said smugly, throwing an arm around her to keep her upright.

"That wasn't fair." She glowered at him.

"All's fair in love and war." Ben quoted the famous saying. "Now let's shower and hit the road or Hux is going to blow a gasket."

Rey held out her arms to him. "Carry me. I don't think I can stand yet."

Ben laughed as he scooped her up into his arms, lifting them both off the rumpled mattress with ease. "Your wish is my command, sweetheart."

——————

"I'll do anything you ask." He begged her, lifting her small hand to his lips.

"Love me." She responded with feeling, tracing his brow with trembling fingers. "Love me as deeply as I love you."

He gathered her slight form in his burly arms, swallowing her gasp of excitement. They kissed leisurely for long moments, passion growing between them until—

"And cut!" Hux exclaimed, striding onto set once again. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my actors?"

"Excuse me?" Ben said, dragging himself away from Rey with difficulty.

They were filming the titular love scene again today and, knowing each other intimately this time around, the new couple had slipped into character with ease.

"How did you two manage to improve so drastically in one night?" The director probed.

"Practice." Rey and Ben said together, sharing a secret smile.

Hux raised an eyebrow at them. "Is that so? Well, keep it up. This is good stuff!"

Rey sighed in relief as he walked back to his chair in good cheer, calling for the scene to be reset.

Rose jumped in to pat Rey's nose with a little powder, while Ben's assistant tended to him. "You guys are doing great today."

"Thanks, Rose." Rey said. "And, uh, thanks for helping us out last night."

"No problem." Rose giggled.

"What?" Rey raised an eyebrow.

"Let's just say Finn and I saw a little more than we bargained for when we drove by Kylo's after work last night to make sure you were okay." Rose said pointedly.

Rey groaned, covering her face with her hands.

Ben turned his attention away from Kaydel at the sound, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing much, but you should really draw your curtains next—oof!" Finn's laughter was cut short as Rose stood and elbowed him in the stomach.

"What are you even doing here?" Rose demanded, dragging him away.

Ben and Rey watched bemusedly as Finn allowed the tiny woman to cart him off set.

"You okay?" Ben asked her when they were alone.

"Yeah, I don't mind them knowing about us." She smiled at him.

Ben's tense shoulders relaxed, and he smiled back. "Me either."

"For a second there, I was a little worried we wouldn't be able to fake the love scene again." She admitted. "But then I remembered…"

"We're not faking." Ben finished, grinning like a sap.

"No, we're not faking." Rey seconded seriously, staring into his eyes lovingly.

Ben beamed back at her, understanding her meaning.

Rey and Ben resumed their previous positions, knowing that whatever came next, whether this production was a smash hit or not, they would do it together.

"And action!"

——————

Epilogue: Two Years Later

——————

Rey gripped Ben's hand as the presenters read the nominees for Best Actress. Ben had already received the award for Best Actor, so she felt an immense pressure to do the same.

"You've got this." Ben assured her quietly.

Rey turned her scared eyes to his. "What if I don't, Ben? Our film—"

"And the winner is…"

"Oh my god!" Rey whispered in agony.

"Rey Niima!" The presenters read enthusiastically.

Ben pulled her up gently when she didn't react, frozen in shock by the announcement. "Rey, you have to go up there and accept your award." He kissed her lightly. "Rey?"

His comforting touch brought her back to reality. "Right! Okay! I can do this." Rey said firmly, taking a quick breath.

Releasing her hold on her boyfriend of two years, Rey strode toward to the podium with a confidence she was far from feeling. Accepting the award from her colleges, Rey stepped up to the microphone.

"Thank you for honoring my performance with this award. I would like to thank our director, Armitage Hux, for all his hard work and dedication, and every member of the crew who supported me on a daily basis." Rey turned to speak directly to Ben. "And lastly, to my co-star and the love of my life, Ben Solo, I know that I wouldn't be here without you. Your amazing talent and commitment inspires me every day. You make me a better actor and human being. I love you, Ben."

Locking eyes with the woman he loved, Ben left his seat and joined her on stage.

"At the risk of stepping on my girlfriend's moment, there's something I've been wanting to do for a while now." Ben grinned at the crowd. "The first time I met Rey, I knew that I wanted to be with her forever. She's brought me out of my shell and reconnected me with my family, making my life better in a hundred different ways."

Whispers broke out among the audience, and everyone seemed to lean forward in their seats.

"With all that being said, there's only one thing left to do."

"Ben?" She whispered. "What are you—oh!"

Taking the award out of her hand and placing it on the podium, Ben laced their fingers together before slowly dropping to one knee. "Rey, will you marry me?"

The room broke out in wild cheers as Rey stared down into Ben's heartfelt expression, tears filling her eyes.

"Rey?" Ben asked when she didn't respond, more vulnerable than she had ever seen him.

"Yes." She whispered only for him, pulling him up into her arms. "A thousand times yes!"

Ben tasted her salty tears as their mouths met, wrapping her up against him, heedless of the officials trying to get them off stage for the next award, of his mother and father joining them at the podium, of the hundreds of people offering well wishes in the crowd. Nothing mattered but the two of them coming together in this one perfect moment.

It was an awards show that would go down in history, kicking off a legacy that would extend for generations to come. Beyond being successful, Oscar-winning actors in their day, what the world would always remember Ben and Rey Solo for was being famous in love.

-FIN-

——————

A/N: I'm calling him "Big Ben" from now on, and you can't stop me! I may have laughed for an unreasonably long time at my own joke when I first wrote that line lol Now go read my multi-chapter fic Finding You and my Reylo Drabbles too! Much love!