#No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section

[hippography]

MULES CARRY WOUNDED AND SUPPLIES ON FIFTH ARMY MOUNTAIN FRONT

Object description: The mules carry wounded soldiers on their return journey. In the mountainous areas on the Fifth Army front, mules carry supplies, ammunition and equipment. In some cases they carry medical sipplies forward and evacuate wounded. On the French sector, a Moroccan Medical Battalion is relying on mules to carry their precious supplies of medical equipment forward.

Related period: Second World War (production), Second World War (content)

Creator: No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit

Production date: 1944

Catalogue number: NA 13884

Imperial War Museum

[carbone14]

Général Montgomery à son quartier général de la 8th Army – Campagne d'Italie – Termoli – Italie – 9 novembre 1943

Photographe : Sergent Bourne - No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit

©Imperial War Museums - NA 8536

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

"Outlander’ is coming to an end, but Season 7B has released a new set of photos. These photos capture William Ransom's interaction (Charles Vandervaart's character) and one of them caught my eye.

The Outlander season 7️⃣ scene above was filmed on 11/11/2022, the photos tease the upcoming premiere of season 7B on Friday 22/11/2024. The shots hint at what might come next. In one of the photos, we see him holding a gun, but not on the battlefield.

In the image, William is seen in his full uniform, holding a pistol in a barn and a serious expression on his face. While many speculate on who William might be planning to shoot, My interest is in the pistol itself.

William in this shot is not prepared for a duel or a battle. His left hand is clenched, indicating he opts for a pistol over his sword. The pistol was, and is to this day, more of a personal defence weapon, and is far easier to handle despite duelling in the Georgian Era being a matter of Honour throughout the eighteenth century that become fashionable in Britain and by Britons overseas.

If he is not fighting for his life in hand-to-hand combat, it’s not time for a soldier to draw the blade. His sword is in its scabbard. We see the sword knot looped onto the top end of the narrow part of the guard and left to dangle if you are a cavalryman or an infantry field officer. The acorn part then sticks out forward from beneath the little finger when in the 'carry swords' position.

The pistol held by Lieutenant Lord Ellesmere, William Ransom played by Charles Vandervaart seems to be a British officer's Queen Anne Flintlock Silver Mounted Pistol style from the last quarter of the 18th century and the colonial wars. These are the types of pistols that would have been used by both British and American officers alike during the Revolutionary War.

These pistols came into fashion in England during the reign of Queen Anne, who reigned between 1702 - 1714 and are consequently so named. In this moment the flintlock pistols would have been used primarily as a self-defence weapon. Their effective range was short, and they frequently used as an adjunct to a sword.

Queen Anne pistols are a type of breech-loading flintlock pistol known as a turn-off pistol, in which the chamber is filled from the front and accessed by unscrewing the barrel. Another distinguishing feature of the design is that the lock plate and the breech section (chamber) of the firearm are forged as a single piece.

This would not be a trooper's pistol, but a military officer's private purchase example, they are from one of the great makers and suppliers to the regiments and officers of his day, during the time of King George II. These pistols would have seen service during the War known as King George's War of 1744-48, in America, and the 7 Years War of 1756–1763 principally against the French but involving the whole of Europe.

The pistol’s details are not well visible in the photos, but it looks like a very rare and expensive military piece, to appear in a few episodes as part of Outlander memorabilia. I wonder who takes care of the weapons on set?

During that time, the gunmakers' shops in London had numerous contracts with the British government to provide military muskets. They also operated a bespoke gun-making business for affluent customers. The pistol is 12 1/2 inches in overall length, with a 6 3/4 inch cannon barrel, in the typical "Queen Anne" style. It's predominantly made of iron and steel and has a walnut stock. This pistol is particularly interesting due to its silver inlays, making it an excellent military period piece.

The pistol in these shots is different from the one used by SH while filming Outlander season 8 at Eglinton Country Park and in other seasons. Both are Flintlock Pistols from the mid-18th century made in London, England, but they are different styles. Queen Anne’s style is a military piece proper for a British army officer.

It looks like they are in the last days of filming Outlander season 8️⃣ celebrating their 100 episodes. The final countdown has begun. It's going to be unforgettable, but "everything that has a beginning comes to an end."

#FinalCountdown #LieutenantLordEllesmere #WilliamRansom #CharlesVandervaart #pistol #QueenAnneFlintlockSilverMountedPistol #style #18thcentury #colonialwars #Britishofficer

Posted 26th September 2024

[shefanispeculator]

The Chosen’: See 30 photos from a tour and learn about the show’s new Texas set

News media were invited to Camp Hoblitzelle, south of Dallas, to see the film campus and production facilities of ‘The Chosen’

Published: Oct 7, 2022, 4:28 p.m. MDT

VIEW COMMENTS

By Trent Toone

MIDLOTHIAN, Texas — Since 1956, The Salvation Army’s Camp Hoblitzelle’s 1,200-acre property and facilities have served as a summer camp for children and a conference and retreat center for civic, business, school and church groups all year-round.

The same landscape, located near the town of Midlothian on the southern side of the the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, is now also the home of a first century Biblical film campus that includes a new, state-of-the-art, 30,000-square-foot soundstage.

“We were looking for a place that would be convenient for cast and crew, where we could capture the essence of the Middle Eastern locales where Jesus’ ministry took place,” said Brad Pelo, president of “The Chosen.” “When we saw this site and the wide open spaces with rolling hills, we knew it was the place to build our soundstage and set, and to become our home for years to come.”

Now “The Chosen” has called “that’s a wrap” on the filming of Season 3 at its new home. The popular faith-based series is planning a theatrical release of its first two episode starting on Nov. 18.

Producers of “The Chosen” invited news media to tour the Biblical set, soundstage and other Camp Hoblitzelle facilities in mid August. Cast and crew were also available for interviews.

But “The Chosen” needed a more permanent home, which led the show to its partnership with The Salvation Army’s Camp Hoblitzelle.

The new 2-acre, authentic Biblical village was created to accommodate and reuse as many as 80 different sets capable of portraying multiple cities.

The set includes:

A Roman section complete with soldier barracks, painted symbols and replica graffiti from Pompeii. There is a large mosaic featuring Neptune, the Roman god of water and seas.

Replica first-century Jewish homes.

A first-century cafe and butcher shop.

Recognizable set designs from Season 1, such as Matthew’s tax collector home.

Fake palm trees.

A governor’s mansion.

There are plans to bring in olive trees at some point to help recreate the Garden of Gethsemane.

Even with their new home, producers said they will continue to split time between Texas and Utah to use the Jerusalem set near Goshen.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Xuanzang Culture Millennium Road (2020) 玄奘文化千年路

Genre: Documentary / Short film Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2020-04-01 (Mainland China) Number of episodes: 7 Single episode length: 23 minutes Also known as: Master Xuanzang Type: Crossover

Summary:

After many years of planning, filming and production, the "Xuan Zang Cultural Millennium Road" photo album has been grandly launched online on overseas platforms, with a total of seven episodes. It mainly uses dynamic illustrations to present the plot of the story, supplemented by interviews and narrative sections, the legendary life of Master Xuanzang is laid out.

Episode 1: There is a Datong family in the Tang Dynasty who started the thousand-year path to Bodhi. When he was young, his mind was enlightened and he realized the truth. He saw the Buddha nature and passed through many difficulties. Seeing the wisdom and liberation of all people at a glance, they are far away from the true ascetics in the world. I have studied all kinds of learning from the Ming Master and absorbed everything from hundreds of rivers. Resolve to have holy views for all generations, and respectfully obtain the supreme teachings. A Buddha has no fear in life or death, and his paintings shine alone on his way to the west.

Episode 2: After a narrow escape, one's ambition will become stronger, and one's journey will continue for thousands of miles. Since ancient times, there have been many heroes in the country, but only this man has been honored. He vowed to take up yoga, receive the ultimate meaning, and establish the path of the Chinese path. It is clarified that after enlightenment, one can practice higher cultivation and think that the disciples of the Buddha can enter the holy position. The King of Gaochang recognized his talents and was reluctant to travel far and form Taoist companions. In order to spread the holy law to heaven and earth, he would go west without saying a word even if he died.

Episode 3: Say goodbye to the predecessor and talk about hundreds of theories. If the five yins are destroyed, it will be called the ultimate. Who can achieve such nirvana? It is the method of the two-vehicle Bodhi Buddha. When he is in danger in the water and is about to be killed, he prays for the sacrifice of his soul and pays homage to Maitreya. After learning the subtle principles of yoga, he had a great wish to come and save all sentient beings. The great protector of the Dharma preached the wonderful meaning, and Xuanzang's Eight Consciousnesses extolled the rules. Thousands of years of Bodhi and one river crossing, who can know the wind and moon of his heart?

Episode 4: The Nalanda Temple will teach the sages, and the light of wisdom will rise again to restore the holy throne. Visited the victorious army and sang high righteousness, leading the first yoga discussion. It is difficult to understand the ultimate meaning of the Tathagata if one should become a meditator in the self-sustaining state of mind. The wonderful meaning is revealed in Hui Zong's theory, and the eight consciousnesses are the ultimate principles of the true Buddha. Start the performance of the first meaning of consciousness alone, clarifying the true meaning of Tathagatagarbha. Mahayana originates from Alaya, one mind and eight consciousnesses are the same in ancient and modern times.

Episode 5: There are more than a thousand verses on how to control evil. Only consciousness can truly understand the Buddha's purpose. The first master of Buddhism's theory of Buddhism, and the first person to sing again throughout the ages. It is a sign of great significance to express gratitude and express gratitude and to reveal the Buddha's heart is to shake the five seals. At the beginning of the end of the Dharma, the sages came and reappeared in the Buddhist kingdom and descended on all the heroes. The treasures of the Tathagata are incomprehensible, and they can only be heard after receiving the teacher's teachings personally. The ultimate truth is limited by one's own mind, and all generations of sects have taken refuge in it.

Episode 6: With a pure heart, he thanks Ronglu and did not interfere with political affairs and achieve fame. He entered the field of translation with great ambitions and opened the Dharma Storehouse in 19 years. Hundreds of people in a temple asked questions, and they proclaimed the wonderful meaning of wisdom and wisdom. From now on, the increase in the nine consciousnesses will cease, and the disputes over the Buddha nature will subside. Instruct the Tao to spread to Japan, and teach the wise men to truly see the Tao. The lights are endless and the sect is established, illuminating the Mahayana masters of the ages.

Episode 7: The translation is superior to all the sages, and the Dharma and its meaning are fully present in China. To destroy one's body for the sake of the Dharma and to serve as the holy way, he is exhausted and is a perfect person in the translation field. Through the ages, one theory has become the only knowledge, and the Tathagata has established the righteous Dharma wheel. The disciples of Mingxin are all inspired to join the Zen sect and set their purpose. One flower and five leaves will bloom naturally, and the master and apprentice will meet again to write history. The space is endless and the wish is endless, and we feel sentient beings when we enter the sand of eternity.

Source: https://movie.douban.com/subject/35070999/

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkSJGBHDbuKAQfDfyouT1Vz-TXKJg0Cxj&si=hwurdujOLwgSoTB-

[clonewarsarchives]

Inside 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'

By: Gerri Miller  (original article link on howstuffworks)

Sources

George Lucas interviewed August 4, 2008

Dave Filoni interviewed September 11, 2008

The sci-fi phenomenon that began more than 30 years ago with a movie about a galaxy long ago and far, far away has expanded exponentially ever since with sequels, prequels, books, games and animated spinoffs. Although the animated "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" movie, released this summer, has to date grossed a less than stellar $34 million, it was an offshoot of creator George Lucas' mission to create a TV series, and it served its purpose as a promotional tool for the weekly "Clone Wars" episodes that premiere on Cartoon Network Oct. 3, 2008.

Focused on the conflict briefly referred to in the original "Star Wars," the galactic civil war takes place in the period between "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" and "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." The Clone Wars pit the Grand Army of the Republic led by the Jedi Knights against the Separatists and their Droid Army, led by Count Dooku, a Jedi turned Sith Lord aligned with the evil Darth Sidious. Many of the characters from the "Star Wars" universe are involved, including Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and young Anakin Skywalker, before he was tempted to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader.

"I was lamenting the fact that in 'Episode II,' I started the Clone Wars, and in 'Episode III,' I ended the Clone Wars, and I never actually got to do anything on the Clone Wars," says Lucas. "It's like skipping over World War II."

To remedy that omission, he tapped Dave Filoni, an animator (Nickelodeon's "Avatar: the Last Airbender" series) and passionate "Star Wars" fan, to bring "The Clone Wars" to TV.

Ensconced at Big Rock Ranch, near Lucas' Skywalker Ranch headquarters in Marin County, Cali., Filoni and his team of artists and computer animators are making 22 episodes in season one and have nearly two more seasons written.

"We're way ahead. We've been doing this ever since I finished 'Revenge of the Sith,'" says Lucas, who hopes to do at least 100 installments.

He and Filoni collaborate on everything from story to design to execution in translating the "Star Wars" universe for television. It's a daunting creative, technical and logistic task, as we'll explain in the following sections.

Building the Universe

How do you scale down an IMAX-size spectacle for television and still have it make an impact, especially on a small screen budget? That's just one of the problems Dave Filoni has to solve.

"'Star Wars' is very famous for the scale of it, and how convincing it looks. So when you're doing a weekly television series, you have to figure out how to do things on that level," he notes. "Sometimes it forces you to be creative and come up with solutions that are better than if you can shoot everything you want," he continues, preferring to consider budgetary constraints a creative incentive rather than a limitation. "The team here is challenged to come up with these giant battles. We haven't shied away from anything."

While he did some of the initial character design, subsequently, Filoni has spent most of his time supervising other artists and animators, who number around 70 in-house and another 80 or so at facilities in Singapore and Taipei.

"Everything is written here, and the story and design and editing are all done here. The animation and lighting are done overseas, and sometimes some modeling as well," he outlines.

­"I meet with George to talk about the episodes and he hands out a lot of the storylines and main ideas for the stories. I'll draw while he's talking and show him the sketch," Filoni continues. "That way we communicate right off the bat about what something might look like."

At any given time, the director notes, episodes are in various stages of completion, "from designing to working on a final cut, or adding sound and color-correction. I have four episodic directors to help me, who each have an episode they're managing."

Rather than use computer animation to duplicate the live-action films' characters or continue in the very stylized vein of the 2004-2005 "Clone Wars" micro-series, "We kind of shot for the middle," says Filoni, who endeavored to blend a 2-D esthetic with 3-D technology.

"The 3-D model makers and riggers who worked on the prequels dealt with the height of realism to create convincing digital characters. I knew that we weren't going to be able to do that for the series. And we wanted it to be different than a live-action feature, to get away from photo-realism. It was a choice to simplify something in the character models, the same way we would do things in a 2-D show."

So how did Filoni stay true to the "Star Wars" legacy in this newest installment? Read on to find out.

Clone Style

Taking some inspiration from the earlier cartoon series, Filoni

approached the characters as a 2-D animator would, "but stylized the face a little more. If you look at Anakin, he has certain edges and lines in his face. I would draw an edge or a line that might be unnaturally straight or curved, and that would play into the lighting of it. I tried to sculpt in 3-D the way I would draw or sculpt an image in 2-D, with shadow and light. I wanted it to look like a painting -- you see a textured, hand-painted style on every character. I have texture artists who literally paint every single character right down to their eyeball, because I wanted that human touch on everything."

Advances in computer animation have allowed Filoni to accomplish much more than he would have been able to in traditional 2-D. "For eight years I worked just with a pencil. I never touched a computer. But working with George, we try to look at computers as an incredibly advanced pencil. The technical side helps the creative, artistic side," he says.

Battles filled with huge numbers of soldiers can be rendered faster than ever before, but they still have to be created, along with every other prop and character in an enormous universe. "'Star Wars' is so complex in that you're building a whole galaxy. We go to many different planets," Filoni reminds. "So every rock, tree, blade of grass, native vehicle -- every asset -- needs design. We had to create a whole bunch of assets for each episode, and the budget goes up for each element you have. Once you build it, you have it, but we can't go to a different planet and have the same chair there," he laughs. "On a schedule where we need those things right away, it's difficult to get it all built."

Since "The Clone Wars" is chronologically sandwiched between "Clone Wars" and "Revenge of the Sith," it has been a mandate for the creators to stay consistent with the mythology. "That's probably one of the trickiest things," admits Filoni. "We always have to keep in mind what the characters are thinking and feeling at the beginning of this and at the end. You have a lot of room to play with when you're in the middle, but you have to remember what people say in the third movie. With characters like Obi-Wan or Anakin or Padme, I have to pay very careful attention that it will hook up. And then there's the expanded universe of "Star Wars" novels and video games. I try to be aware of it all and work it in, because fans really appreciate it."

Filoni hopes to attract existing fans and create new ones, especially among the younger generation, but admits doing the latter may be easier. "One thing we have that's different from any movie that came before is we're an animated series. But there's an instant reaction to the word animation that it's for kids. How you get around that is with the stories you tell. We'll have our snow battles and we'll also have our lighter 'Return of the Jedi' moments. Some episodes lean older, some younger. But in the end it has a broad appeal," he believes.

The recent "Clone Wars" movie (out on DVD Nov. 11 ) served as a stand-alone prequel to introduce the characters at this point in time. In contrast, "The series has its small arcs and shows you the war from across a broad spectrum of episodes. It's not just Anakin Skywalker's story," Filoni underlines. "We can go left or right of that plot and deal with characters we have never seen. There's a lot of material. It's a three-year period in the history of the 'Star Wars' Universe, and there are so many stories to tell. The longer it goes, the more chance we get to tell fascinating stories in that galaxy."

Character Study

"The Clone Wars" shows a different side of some of the film franchise's most iconic characters. "In a series, you can do a whole episode about a character and learn more about what they were like, which makes what happens to them a lot more poignant," explains Filoni. "We know Yoda is powerful, but how does that power develop? How does he use it? We get to go into more detail that you just couldn't do in the live action films, because they're mainly focused on Anakin."

While few of the actors from the live action movies agreed to reprise their roles in voice over for "The Clone Wars," Anthony Daniels, the original C-3PO, is the exception. "One of the special moments for me was hearing Anthony on the telephone, discussing C-3PO with me and his experiences. That really helps us round out the characters," says the director, who enjoyed similar input from Rob Coleman, the animation supervisor who worked on Yoda on the prequels.

Of the new characters not seen in the live action series, there's the alluring but venomous Asajj Ventress, a disciple of Count Dooku. "She is, of course, a villain, and fits into the structure of the Sith," Filoni elaborates. "Darth Sidious -- Senator Palpatine -- is the main bad guy, and his apprentice is Count Dooku. Dooku is training Ventress in the Dark Side. She's getting more powerful. I wanted to make her intelligent, deceptive and also kind of sexual. She's kind of a forbidden fruit -- Jedi are not supposed to get involved with the more lustful aspects of life. She adds another dynamic to the series."

On the other side of the good/evil coin is newcomer Ahsoka Tano, Anakin's teenage pad­awan, or apprentice. "She's Anakin's student and helps us see him as more of a hero," says Filoni. "Once he gets over his initial reaction, he takes pride in her. He's unpredictable and the Jedi know that, but he has compassion and that is used against him and it later brings him to the Dark Side."

Ahsoka was created, says Lucas, "Because I needed to mature Anakin. The best way to get somebody to become responsible and mature is to have them become a parent or a teacher. You have to think about what you're doing and set an example. You look at your behavior and the way you do things much differently. The idea was to use her to make Anakin become more mature. We've made her a more extreme version of what Anakin was- - a little out there, independent, vital and full of life, but even more so. He gets a little dose of his own medicine."

"She's been a really fun character to develop," adds Filoni, who likes Ahsoka but admits that his character tastes tend to run a bit more obscure -- his favorite is Plo Koon, "a bizarre Jedi Master. It's been fun to develop him and show his personality beyond the fact that he's bizarre looking and carries a lightsaber."

Fan Fare

Just three years ago, Filoni dressed up as Plo Koon to see an opening night showing of "Revenge of the Sith," so it's not surprising that the 34-year-old fan is still pinching himself that he has this job. "It's a very creative atmosphere," he says of Big Rock Ranch, where the lakeside setting is "meant to inspire us artistically and definitely does. A lot of the people I work with grew up with 'Star Wars,' so we have a great time. It's hard, intense work, but George is very engaged in what we're doing. What more could you ask for? I have the guy who created the 'Star Wars' universe excited and interested in what we're doing. We couldn't be happier about that."

Asked why he thinks "Star Wars" remains a fan favorite today, three decades later, Lucas says diversification is the key. "We were always able to deal with different aspects of the story in various forms and I think that keeps it alive. It is a lot of fun and it's a universe that has been created to inspire young people to exercise their imagination and inspire them to be creative, and I think that always works."

"The original 'Star Wars' had broad appeal to everybody, and it holds up so well," adds Filoni. "I think there's a timelessness to it, even though Luke looks like a kid from the '70s with that haircut. Luke is a farmer boy and Han is a cowboy. Jedi Knights are like the samurai of Japan or the knights of Europe. Those archetypes work the globe over. It's a world phenomenon that speaks to everyone. There will always be a character you can relate to."

[papermoonloveslucy]

THEY STILL LOVE LUCY

May 23, 1977

[The article below is reprinted verbatim. Photos and Footnotes have been added for editorial enhancement.]

There has already been some moaning at the bar that when Dinah Shore's blithe talk show moves to Channel 5 in July, it will be on 3:30 in the afternoon instead of 6:30 p.m. I have letters from viewers who lament "Now we'll never see it." I'm with them. It was nicely placed in the wake oi Cronkite, some easy chatter and gossip after the somber events of the day, like turning from the front page to the feature section of a newspaper. Moreover, Dinah does her interviewing very well, much less obtrusively than the assorted Mikes and Mervs of TV. She actually makes you believe she's more interested in the answer than the question.

Sometimes the answers are hard to come by. The other evening Lucille Ball was much more interested in clowning than answering serious questions about her comedy. Flanked by Jim Coburn and James Garner, Lucy was much more intent on giving a performance and it was great fun. Anyway, Lucy saves her serious answers about comedy these days for the seminar she's conducting at a professional school in Hollywood. 

I asked the great redhead the other day what she told her students "Whatever they ask me," she said. "I just answer questions. If they're not interested enough to ask questions, the hell with 'em." That's basic to Lucille Ball. In her philosophy, you push forward, you ask, you try things. She used to tell her daughter Lucie: "Don't turn things down. No matter how lowly it seems at the time, you'll find you learn from everything you do it's worth it." 

Years ago, Eddie Cantor told me that during the filming of Roman Scandals with the Goldwyn Girls, director Busby Berkeley worked out a sight gag wherein someone threw a glob of mud at Eddie who bent over at that moment and the mud sailed over him and caught some beautiful girl square in her pretty face. He asked for volunteers among the girls. All of them shrank back except one a redhead who stepped forward. "I knew," said Eddie, "that she was the one who would make it. Lucy Ball." 

Too Much Lucy? 

In case you are one of those who will miss Dinah! because you don't watch daytime TV, you may be unaware that Lucille Ball's fourth and last Lucy series. Here's Lucy, is now rerunning on CBS every morning at 9 on Channel 2. This is the six-year series in which her children grew up Lucie and Desi Arnaz Jr. with Gale Gordon as Uncle Harry. 

There are six years of those shows and even spun off daily they should be around quite awhile. Not surprisingly, they're on opposite I Love Lucy which Channel 11 shows in the mornings at 9. Lucy shrugs at the schedule. At one time, there were Lucy shows on various channels seven times during a day "That bothered me," she said. "Every time you turned on the tap. you got me. There can be too much of anything." 

To an historian of this windblown diversion, it's interesting two versions of the same basic Lucy character 20 years or so apart, still equally delighting audiences. Lucy, the character, must be the most durable creation of the television age, unsinkable, unstoppable, largely changeless. I have had the feeling at times that Lucille Ball feels Lucy rides her instead of vice versa. When she was doing Wildcat on Broadway, she said: "I thought they wanted something different, but they don't So in the show, I'm doing Lucy." 

The other day the comedienne said: "I'm having a recurrence of that In the last couple of years, I've been doing specials that were different kinds of comedy dramas than the Lucy shows. I did a couple with Carney, I did that show with Gleason trying to play my age, trying to do something they would believe and buy. Well, they didn't buy it not really. What the people seemed to want was Lucy again. Now I'm faced with doing two more specials for next season, and I thought: 'Oh. God, not that again.' Then I decided the hell with anything different I'll do a Lucy show." 

Old Friends on Hand 

She'll be back in her own arena the three-camera TV technique created for her by Desi Arnaz; Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll Jr., who wrote most of the Lucy shows over a quarter century, are doing the script; Gale Gordon will be on hand and perhaps Mary Wickes and Mary Jane Croft but not the kids: Desi is making a Robert Altman movie in Chicago; Lucie is on the summer musical circuit. The topper the show will be directed by Marc Daniels, who directed the first season ever of I Love Lucy. They'll film it in August for a probable November showing. (1)

There are other roles Lucille Ball itches to play a legless legend of a woman who has been a patron saint of the ghetto kids of Baltimore, for one. (2) She turns down constant requests to direct. (3) She likes teaching, working with kids. There's very little comedy on television she can watch. "I keep seeing rip-offs of my writers. They're doing our old scripts. Laverne & Shirley they're doing the shows Vivian Vance and I did years ago." (4)

# # #

Cecil Smith (author) began his Times career as a reporter and feature writer in 1947 and became an entertainment writer in 1953. He was the entertainment editor and a drama critic in the 1960s, and in 1969 he became the paper's television critic and a columnist for The Times' syndicate.  Smith served as a captain in the Army Air Forces during World War II and as a pilot flew a B-24 Liberator in the South Pacific. After the war, he wrote radio plays and television scripts before getting involved in journalism.  He was related to Lucille Ball by marriage. Cecil's wife Cleo was Lucille's first cousin.  He had a cameo (with other journalists) in “Lucy Meets the Burtons” (HL S3;E1) in 1970.  He died in 2009. 

FOOTNOTES from the Future

(1) “Lucy Calls the President” aired November 21, 1977 featuring Gale Gordon, Mary WIckes, Mary Jane Croft, and although she is not mentioned in the article due to her health issues, Vivian Vance.  Desi Jr. was filming A Wedding, and Lucie was appearing as the lead in Annie Get Your Gun. 

(2) This refers to ‘Aunt’ Mary Dobkin, a little league baseball coach and children’s welfare advocate.  The role eventually went to Jean Stapleton and the film was aired on “The Hallmark Hall of Fame” in 1979.  

(3) In 1980, Lucille Ball signed with NBC, and finally gave in.  She directed a pilot for a half-hour sitcom called “Bungle Abbey,” starring Gale Gordon.  The pilot was not picked up and that was her only solo directing credit, although she had co-directed a few episodes of her series.  Many directors would say that despite who got the credit, Lucy was also directing!  In fact, that was nothing new.  

Exactly 40 years earlier, to the day, the above item appeared in Erskine Johnson’s “Behind The Make-Up” syndicated column!  

(4) It was not secret that “Laverne and Shirley” was heavily influenced by the antics of Lucy and Ethel. The show’s creator Garry Marshall was one of Lucille Ball’s writers at one time, and readily admitted how much he admired her. 

[g3tth3l00k]

[ ISSUE 2 ] [ LOLA CEP ]

And were backkkkk !!! If you haven't heard of this absolute fashion icon or the movie, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, go straight to disney plus and watch it ! Its cheesy, and I didn't know what to expect on my first watch but its quickly become one of my comfort movies and I watch it ALL THE TIMEE. And I mean that. SOOO without further a due, lets get into the analysis of Mary Elizabeth Cep (or better known as Lola Steppe)'s style :)

Lola is definitely unique, and her style isn't really for the more casual so even if you wouldn't wear any of these iconic fits in their entirety, these are great examples of places to borrow little pieces and add them to your every day to spice it up a little !

I should mention that this is the section where I normally do a bit of intro about the person whose style we're analyzing, but since this is a movie character, their personality is very accessible in the film/show they are in since it's self-contained anddd there is only enough background info that is necessary to the plot ! okayyy let's get started

Lola's style is eccentric, as is her personality, and her outfits follow my favorite formula which is whatever she thinks looks good. The writer of the film states that she is a Pisces, and every outfit shows depth and thought put into it and exemplifies good style knowledge that is essential to making good outfits (psst. need 2 know more abt that ? I have a post coming out ;)

Let's looks at some key details of Lola's outfits !

Accessories! One of the most important parts of these fits is the accessories ! Lola is a sucker for a good hat (as am I) and my favorite type of hat right now is the baker boy/newsboy hat we see here. The grommets make it even better (one of my personal fav details rn) She wears other types of hats too though, including baseball caps, beanies, and scarves tied around her head. Accessories normally make an outfit, but her use of hats, belts, outfit-appropriate necklaces, and jewelry, commonly seen in large silver hoops, and of course her signature bottlecap necklace (you can make it! see link below) totally make most of her outfits.

Layering (Jackets !!) Lola wears many types and builds of jackets in this movie, my favorites being her army green zip-up, feather-trimmed mesh duster, and don't even get me started on the amazing patchwork leather jacket ! The outfits without these layers are okay but often her jacket is a statement piece and totally makes the outfit She also employs layering in her earliest outfits, layering the fishnet top over the "I <3 NY" tee I'm sure you've already seen on Pinterest and her first day of school outfit that is topped off with a scarf-like shawl tied around her shoulders

Graphic tees/ Patterned tops Now if you hadn't seen the last image on Pinterest I'm 100% SURE you've seen this iconic photo. I love this outfit and the color story is dramatically made better by Lola's red and black simple graphic tee she wears with her green cargos that is dejavu to Freaky Friday (issue coming soon) This is the top she chooses from Stu Wolff's house nearing the end of the movie and colored metallic is so very early 2000's

Customization I absolutely LOVEE customization (issue coming soon, geez how many times have I said that now lol) and it is a big part of Lola's outfits. This handmade-looking NY Knicks jersey is to die for and I'd like to believe she made it herself, and you probably could recreate or do something inspired by with materials from the thrift ! As you can see in some of the previous photos as well she adds her own decorative flair to all of her things, like the pins on her bag in the bike pic and her customized name hat in the same image.

Dressing for the Occasion One of Lola's biggest fashions strengths, I think is dressing for the occasion/ situation she is put in. You can see this in her outfits for the "death" of her favorite band Sidarthur (not pictured, can't find for some reason), her audition for the school play (modern pygmalion), and this 80's workout fit she wore to dance practice. This makes her outfits seen on key and perfect for the event she is at, and she never seems out of place, just more dressed than the rest

Last Call !! Makeup and Hair !

Lola's hair is Lindsay Lohan's natural orangey-red, but more blonde on top making it seem a bit sun-bleached (doesn't make much sense in context but still very pretty). She doesn't do many hairstyles in this movie, instead opting for hats when there is detail missing on the top of her outfit. This being said her hair is down for 99% of the movie, which means it's in loose spiral curls (Let's be honest nobody's hair does that naturally) so a blowout is probably necessary.

Her makeup is veryy minimal, but you can tell she is wearing some. To me, her character seems like someone who would experiment a lot with her makeup looks, but if anything it lets the outfits shine even more. I would guess she is wearing nude or pinkish eyeshadow, maybe a bit of brown to darken right under her eyes and where eyeliner goes on top of the eye. I also see a pinkish blush (choose what's right for your skin and undertones :) and most likely mascara with black eyeliner on both waterlines. Highlight could be added to make the look more modern but make sure it's light !

Lola's character is very outgoing and I think we could all learn from her a bit. She wears all of her outfits with confidence, isn't afraid of what others think, and believes in herself and her abilities. She is eccentric, sure, but very fashionable and isn't afraid of failure. She always gives it her all and I think that is very admirable.

TL;DR of this article :) aka. Basics of how to look like Lola Cep <3

Accessories!! Hats (baker boy hats, baseball caps, beanies, scarves, you name it), statement chokers, big silver hoops, belts, and her signature bottlecap necklace are key

Layering! Jackets and statement jackets are key, and also fishnet shirts and big sheer shawls

Graphic tees :) simple and cute, stick to 2-3 colors for maximum wear potential

Personalize your shit ! buttons, patchs, pins, custom jerseys and tees are perf

Dress for the occasion ! Play audition = dress like the time period the play was written, Athletics ? 80's workout inspired ! Death ? PAINT IT BLACK (respectfully ofc)

Hair is not that important, as it is in loose curls and down in 99% of the movie, and the color is also not too crucial but the original Lola's was sunbleached orangey red

makeup is minimal, neutral eyeshadow, mascara, pinky blush, and black eyeliner in the waterlines, maybe highlight to modernize it but LIGHT !

Thanks so much for reading  !! dms are open for style analysis requests or just in general <3<3

[bexterbex]

A Soul To Mend His Own | Ch. 7a

@hannakin-skywalker​ for the gif.

This POST HAS A SECOND PART: SEE IT HERE

Warning, if it hasn’t been obvious in the movies there is Nazi symbolism within the First Order. I will expand on this much more throughout the story. If this is something that bothers you, please just exit the story. The author does not condone any Nazi ideals, this is just for fictional uses only.

A Kylo Ren x Modern! Reader in a soulmate au with some canon divergence. —————————————SLOWBURN————————————–He is already the Supreme leader, searching the universe to find you, his Empress. Your name on his wrist has been the only constant in his life, while you have doubts about his existence and his acceptance of you. He isn’t in the database and why did the name Kylo Ren cover Ben Solo?

Originally posted on my Ao3 Crystallclover (If you can’t find it here)

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7b

Chapter 7: The Beginning of an Education

Summary: On the back of the pamphlet, there was a quote from Allegiant General Hux, ‘Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.’

______________________________________________________________________

You were handed three pamphlets. The first one was titled “An Introduction to the First Order.” There wasn’t tons of information in it. It talked about the goals of the first order, to ‘remove the disorder from the galaxy,’ taking down the Rebellion and the Republic. That the First Order’s job is ‘simply to maintain order.’ One piece that struck you was the education section: ‘Make sure to read all education information, approved literature, watch videos, and after the registration the twice-daily morale sessions.’

You were beginning to believe that Scott was right about one thing, that they were probably going to brainwash you into believing their beliefs. On the back of the pamphlet, there was a section about recruitment for the stormtroopers.

You moved on to the next pamphlet, ironically a recruitment pamphlet for the stormtrooper ranks. It was fairly convincing. Talking about exploring the galaxy frontier and helping out other planets. They were also in need of scientists, researchers, and industrialists. The First Order seemed to be a military heavy government.

The last pamphlet is the one that interested you the most. “Leadership of the First Order: Get to know your new leaders.” The inner page had more information on Supreme Leader Ren, the man you were being taken to meet. ‘The master of the Knights of Ren, he has conquered much go the galaxy during his reign as Supreme Leader of the First Order. The man who became known as the “Jedi Killer” was born on the planet Chandrila in 5 ABY. Ren assassinated former Supreme Leader Snoke and usurped the position of Supreme Leader, seizing both military and political control of the First Order.’ Under his description was an image of him with his mask. You could now more clearly see that it was broken up jaggedly with red lines and there was chrome surrounding where his eyes should be. He was pictured in all black with a cape. In his hand you could see a sword that glowed bright red he looked intense.

On the next page was a photo of Allegiant General Armitage Hux, the red-haired officer from the news broadcast: ‘A human male who is serving as the allegiant general in the military forces of the First Order. Born on the planet Arkanis around the time of the Battle of Yavin, Hux was the son of Commandant Brendol Hux, creator of the Stormtrooper Army. Hux has followed in his father's footsteps by instilling new technology and had ordered the firing of Starkiller's superweapon to destroy the New Republic capital of Hosnian Prime."

In the middle of the pamphlet was a photo of the silver soldier you also saw on the news broadcast, Captain Phasma: A human female stormtrooper captain of the First Order. Phasma grew up as a member of the Scyre clan on the nuclear-ravaged world of Parnassos. She is a formidable warrior. Over the years, Phasma has risen through the ranks of the First Order and became in charge of the stormtrooper training program. Having consolidated her position within the First Order, Phasma became part of an official triumvirate consisting of Allegiant General Hux and the Supreme Leader Ren.’

The last group inside the pamphlet were people you have yet to see, the Knights of Ren: ‘The Knights of Ren are an enclave of masked warriors who serve Ren—master of the Knights of Ren and Supreme Leader of the First Order. Adhering to the ways of the Ren, a philosophy epitomized by the lightsaber, the Knights roam the galaxy instilling order devotees of the First Order. Armed with distinctive weapons for ranged and close-quarter combat, they were the fearsome enforcers of their master's will.”

On the back of the pamphlet, there was a quote from Allegiant General Hux, ‘Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.’

You pondered on this pamphlet more than the others. This whole First Order thing seemed much more intense than you had initially imagined. You were mostly worried about meeting the Supreme Leader, you were also hoping you did not have to meet his red light sword.

You looked up at Captain Moden Canady who sat across from you. “I am finished with the pamphlets,” you said.

“Good, I’ll pull up an education video on this data pad. I probably didn’t need to hand you the stormtrooper recruitment one, seeing as I doubt the Supreme Leader would ever approve of you joining, but it is standard procedure.” He then handed you the data pad. “This one is only about 42 minutes long, but we will arrive in Washington D.C. in about 50 minutes so it will be just enough time before we will disembark.”

You just nodded and started the video or the “Official First Order Film for the Purpose of Public Enlightenment. Authorized by Admiral Pho Jebeh Boessl First Order Minister for Public Enlightenment. ‘The Empire: The Jedi Question and the Galactic Lie.’

The video informed you about this thing called The Force, a group of ‘evil’ people called the Jedi and how they kidnapped children and their religious cult ways. You learned of a man named Darth Vader and the former Emperor Palpatine and how the wanted to restore order to the galaxy. You also learned about Order 66 and how there is no proof of such an order, that the New Republic has spread lies and calls any Jedicide deniers Neo-Sith. That a systematic order was never taken out by the imperialists, in fact, that many Jedi died because of disease and starvation due to war bombings. The true imperial plan was to put them into forced labor camps that took care of the masses, but many of them died due to separatist bombings. The video ended at 42:05. The video seemed to have many good points but you were unsure of what to think at this point.

You looked back up at Captain Moden Canady who was on his own data pad. “I am finished.”

He looked back up with you and then smiled, “Good, the Supreme Leader will be pleased that you have had at least some education before you meet him. I suppose now is the time to ask if you have any questions?”

“Why am I being brought to the Supreme Leader,” none of the education you have received thus far had answered that question.

“That is an answer that you should only get from the Supreme Leader himself,” said the captain with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

This answer both perplexed and worried you. “Am I going to be executed or imprisoned?”

“It is highly unlikely, but not impossible. Again that is a question for the Supreme Leader.”

“Sir, we will be landing in a few moments please make sure all loose items are secured,” said the pilot.

“Thank you KU-9843,” with that he put both data pads away and readjusted himself in his seat.

You both silently waited to land. You felt the shuttle halt to a stop. The captain directed you to unbuckle and headed to the door. You waited for the door to open. When the door opened you saw someone you saw someone you did not expect to see.

[oncloud999]

Things that make me go hmmmm

It’s hard to be certain of things about people you don’t know, but whatever bond jm and jk share, it’s pretty deep. While I try to remain skeptical about it all, there are definitely moments that make me go HMMMM hard and it’s hard to find a less... controversial explanation for.

1) NJ vlive

though short, this vlive provided a lot of insight into their relationship for me and what they’re like as people behind the scenes as well. the first thing that caught my eye was jimin’s whole demeanor and expression when the camera first panned to him. The first word that came to my mind when seeing his expression was “contrite”. He doesn’t wear this expression often and when he does, it usually carries a more playfulness to it. Here it actually looks super soft. and he was like “jk scolded me” etc... also in a very contrite tone (to which jk denies)... and then as he walks towards the camera, his persona changes back to how we normally see him, the bold and confident jm. 

next interesting thing is when jm tries to leave after apologising, JK didn’t even dignify that with a proper answer. he immediately goes back to how they turned the vlive off. it just feels like jk was not ready for jm to leave even though his initial reason for coming on vlive was to just say hi to army. 

then next interesting part is when TH discovers the underwear on the armchair. you see JM rushing towards TH to try to stop whatever he was doing. (why do you care so much?) and then when jk leaves his chair to go sort this out, JM sits down and deliberately changes the angle downwards to avoid capturing anything going no in the background. this is interesting. is it truly to not show the underwear? but then later on, they had no trouble showing JK’s whole suitcase on camera. it’s all a bit odd (am i implying those clothes were JM’s? yes...) 

Then the next one I can’t figure out. When everyone is starting to leave, you see the black bag on the edge of the bed being lifted then put back down. JK was in his chair. So who was moving that bag? 

Then there’s the whole millions of times JK and JM tried to get Jin and TH to leave. And they were not subtle about it. like JM tries to tell Jin to leave so JK can say what he wants to say to ARMY. and then jin, rightly so, questions why he can’t be there when JK says whatever it is he wants to say. I’ve never seen any of the boys try so desperately to get rid of other members before. it’s intriguing... 

this whole vlive made my eyebrows travel quite far into my hairline 

2) Rosebowl

Now that we got a better quality version of that moment, it certainly is hard to deny that the ear was in the mouth. or close to. even if it was an accident, neither reacted to it and they just kept doing what they were doing. they’re clearly VERY comfortable with each other

3) JK’s bday 2019

it says A Lot that JM planned his holiday (with other friends, mind you, not just himself) to essentially coincide with JK’s bday celebration. he can’t miss it, even if he’s literally landing at 8pm and leaving the next day for another long flight. that is some dedication... and the other thing is, he didn’t need to show us the picture of JK at his Bday party. He already posted a video. he wanted the world to know he was there with jk. and he was the one to post the photo, rather than like JK himself or Jhope which says he wanted people to know he came back for JK. 

4) Tokyo 2017

The whole tokyo trip. The fact that they planned it. and decided to spend what little holiday they have with EACH OTHER. because clearly they don’t already do so. and again, they chose to be loud about it. not only in gcf format, but also in subsequent interviews where they KEPT talking about it. LIKE ON AND ON AND ON. it’s very sweet. 

(also potentially another trip that never happened because JM tried to convince JK to take a trip with him around the time of his 2019 birthday and JK was not having it... again, the fact that they’re even considering spending MORE TIME together, during what little holiday they get, despite having spent 6-7 years essentially together already shows how freaking close they are) 

5) GCF

the earlier GCF. I’m not a film person, but it’s easy to see that in Tokyo, Osaka and Saipan, the main focus is JM, even if in the latter two, the other members were present. There’s more scenes with JM. And it was very interesting how that director described JM as representing JK’s idea of happiness and love. I mean even if it’s not romantic, that’s incredibly meaningful. i want a friendship hlike that

6) Hawaii BV

There were a few things that was a bit weird in this time. The footsie is definitely one The other is how close JM put his face to JK’s when they were saying the whole bon voyage line. JK calling JM “baby”. is there a more platonic explanation for this? Esp cos it came from JK to JM who is older. 

7) Other BV scenes that always confused me

in Malta, when everyone drops the meat during the camping, JK told Jin it was ok. JM who dropped the meat a while ago, told JK he wants to hear the same thing from him. Even NJ was confused as to why JM wants to hear it from JK. and loudly says it. also during malta, when TH delivered his gifts to the members individually, you see he gave it to JM, who was hanging off of JK (in a separate section of the room to other members too mind you), and then short cut scene, and you see JK has yeeted himself out of that shot. HMMMM 

another scene is in BV new zealand, when they were setting up camp, JM asked JK to help him with the cots or something. JK was entranced by YG and Jin setting up the fire and didnt want to leave. Jhope offers to help JM since JK wants to stay with the fire. And then JM says to JK (in a slightly wobbly voice), how can you, of all people, do this to me? (yes it was something Jhope had said to JM when they left him at the gas station, but the tone of voice was... very interesting). 

8) London outing

the fact that JK went with JM and his friends on an outing. may not be romantic by itself, but says a LOT about their relationship...

Yep those things definitely have me wondering. 

[kpopgerapitico]

Song of the Week

I worked on this for like 20 minutes, and then Tumblr ate it. I’m minorly livid about it. Now to rewrite.

Honorable Mentions:

For something distinctly trippy and cool, look to GOND with Hotel Room, a synthy rap track that uses its synths just as importantly as the distinct silences peppered throughout the track. The raps are solid, the autotune makes perfect sense, and the music only chorus takes the themes and expands. There are surprises every verse in the best way. This is avant garde in music form.

Park Seo Joon sighting, ft. an actress I recognize but annoyingly cannot place.

Please listen to Jo Gwangil, I need everyone to discover him. His flow is so so so damn good. He does rap about pretty dark stuff, like so dark that Depersonalization has a warning on the beginning about imagery. But he feels raw and honest in a way I haven’t heard as much recently, and he does while creating like 90% of a songs rhythm from his own mouth. This track has a bit more from that point of view, but is still fairly sparse, and has sections that are nearly empty besides his voice. P.S, if you are easily squeamish, there is a clean version. Sadly, both versions are pretty flashy, so be aware if you are photo sensitive.

And now for a new segment, idol roundup, where I mention every single idol I watch, in the hopes of remembering for myself as well as catching when I miss ones that don’t go to the compilation channels. The girls got shafted this week for sets.

- Only You by Saturday. This sounds and looks like a b-side. Sweet bubble gum pop I have negative interest in.

- X by Chungha. X feels very different for Chungha, but makes sense for a female soloist in K-pop.

- Lemon Candy by Pink Fantasy: I don’t find anything particularly special or interesting about this, but it’s fine.

- Love So Sweet - Cherry Bullet: I get why people like Cherry Bullet a little bit more, but I like the first verse more than the whole rest of the song.

- No diggity by ONEUS: It’s fine, but it doesn’t draw me in the same way as some of their other tracks have. Also it kind of looks like they took like every VIXX video and said, “we’ll use them all” for the visual concept.

- My Turn by Cravity: This is what happens when your company seems Stray Kids and NCT and decides that success is the average of the 2. I still don’t know what Cravity’s sound is.

I have many words to say about U-Know’s Thank U. But before I get carried away about the video, let’s address the song. It is sexy and cool and instantly recognizable as Yunho. TVXQ is the only group I can think of who have an overarching discography between that not only sounds cohesive, but still manages to have distinctive and obvious differences between each solo effort and the pair as a duo. You know this is a TVXQ member’s track right away, while also knowing it is specifically Yunho’s through some magic of consistency. And this video is so damn good. It is plot driven in the year 2021 of our lord, with a plot that doesn’t require reading a primer by a fan who is way more into this stuff than you to understand. Yunho not only has multiple wonderful set piece stunt fights (that seem to all actually be him, or at least a majority) but also dances that come from those same scenes? And mostly fit the vibe? Not to mention the frankly stunning visuals. Honestly, you could write a paper about this 7 minute MV and get credit in a film studies class. I hope that this means that post army Yunho will get an action movie/drama role (hopefully his acting has improved while he was in the army; god knows it couldn’t get worse). Anyways, go watch and listen and enjoy the power of experience.

Subtle and sweet was not the sound I expected from an Epik High comeback, but that’s what Based on a True Story is. Heize sounds great, and the beat feels different for Epik High in the best way, especially with the orchestral backing. The accordion is a nice touch. Rosario on the other hand makes absolute sense for them. It again sits on a slightly different beat for Epik High, which is always a great thing to hear from them, and has incredible verses from Tablo, Mithra Jin and Zico, as well as a great chorus from CL. If you want the full effect, you probably should spend some time with Born Hater first, because Rosario feels like a lyrical successor, and more obviously a visual and spiritual successor. Epik High has always made great collabs, but this pair fit into the same theme. They are all a response to a specific type of hate. Born Hater is about people complaining about people being overrated/untalented. Hell, there is a reference to Zico in it by Mino (an apt call out at the time). Rosario is a response to the title of has-been, and a bit the idea of current idols paving the way. Having Epik High, CL and Zico in a room puts that even more into perspective, as all of them are known for their contributions in one way or another. Epik High are hugely popular and well known rappers to basically anyone who isn’t just an idol fan. CL has proven that you can be a female rapper who goes solo and still kills the game. And Zico is the first truly successful idol producer. All of them have made huge contributions to the Korean music industry, but are often ignored by younger fans who don’t know their history. Well, here’s a place to learn it.

Short aside: Tablo’s verses are so damn well written basically always, that even the translations have to work hard on them. And I bet they miss out some of the subtleties. Also, his verse in Rosario is the only one that combats a different issue, definitely turn on subtitles for it.

Both Thank U and Rosario are important to me for different reasons, and they both win.

[hippography]

HORSES OF THE KING'S DRAGOON GUARDS: OBSERVER STORY

Object description: Original wartime caption: Rose enjoys a roll in the snow. 

Creator: No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit (Photographer)

Lieut. Morris (Undefined)

Production date: 1945-02-23 

Catalogue number: NA 22533 

Part of WAR OFFICE SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION 

Imperial War Museum.

[carbone14]

Des hommes du 2nd Sherwood Foresters avec une mitrailleuse MG 42 – Campagne de Tunisie – Campagne d'Afrique du Nord – Medjez El-Bab – Tunisie – 27 avril 1943

Photographe : Sergent Frederick Wackett - No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit

©Imperial War Museums - NA 2355

[brokehorrorfan]

Book Review: Stories from the Trenches by Marco Siedelmann

If Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films - Mark Hartley's excellent 2014 documentary on the independent film company - left you wanting more insight into Cannon Films' glory days, look no further than Stories from the Trenches: Adventures in Making High Octane Hollywood Movies with Cannon Veteran Sam Firstenberg. The book features firsthand accounts from filmmaker Sam Firstenberg and many of his collaborators. One of Cannon Films’ in-house directors during its 1980s heyday, Firstenberg helmed such cult classics as American Ninja, Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination.

The exhaustive read consists of a series of career-spanning conversations between the 70-year-old filmmaker and writer Marco Siedelmann over the course of 755 pages, along with anecdotal asides, interviews with his cast and crew (most of which are new, although some archival pieces are peppered in), and a plethora of black-and-white photos. Rather reworking the interviews into a narrative, the questions and answers are printed verbatim. It's segmented into seven chronological chapters, each of which is further broken down by film. The massive tome is coffee table book-sized but paperback.

The book kicks off with an introduction by Firstenberg, in which he explains how he came up with the title of Stories from the Trenches when he was considering writing his own memoir and what it means to him. He also sets the stage with a humorously stark contrast between his low-budget B-movies and their high-profile Hollywood brethren. It's followed by an introduction from film critic Oliver Nöding, who warmly explains why, as a teenager, he thought Cannon Films was the best studio in the world and Firstenberg was their standout director.

The first chapter, "The Early Years," explores Firstenberg's upbringing in Jerusalem, formative exposures to cinema, film school experience, working his way up the hierarchy as an assistant director (under Empire Films' Charles Band and Cannon Films' Menahem Golan, among others), and making his feature directorial debut on One More Chance in 1983. It also features interviews with assistant director Leo Zisman (Jane the Virgin), production manager Omri Maron (Iron Eagle), and producer David Womark (Life of Pi).

Stories from the Trenches really picks up, as does Firstenberg's career, in the second chapter, "King of the Sequels." The filmmaker opens up about his next three films - 1983's Revenge of the Ninja, 1984's Ninja III: The Domination, and 1984's Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo - which happen to be among his most well-known works. He breaks down key scenes in each movie and discusses his relationship with Cannon Films.

This chapter is accompanied by interviews with stunt performer Steven Lambert (Titanic), editor Ken Bornstein (America's Next Top Model), karate champion Keith Vitali (Wheels on Meals), actor Jordan Bennett (Ninja III), producer Alan Amiel (The Blackout), cinematographer Hanania Baer (Masters of the Universe), and Breakin' cast members Lucinda Dickey, Michael Chambers, and Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quinones.

"The Golden Age of Cannon," is another interesting chapter. Set against the backdrop of the rising home video market, Firstenberg finds his voice as an action director on 1985's American Ninja before going on to make 1986's Avenging Force, 1987's American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, and 1989's Riverbend, the latter of which he made after his falling out with Cannon.

It includes interviews with producer Gideon Amir (Doom Patrol), writer Paul De Mielche (American Ninja), actress Judie Aronson (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter), actor Michael Dudikoff (American Ninja), marshal artist Tadashi Yamashita (American Ninja), actor Steve James (To Live and Die in L.A.), actor Larry Poindexter (The Hard Times of RJ Berger), cinematographer Gideon Porath (Death Wish 4: The Crackdown), stunt performer BJ Davis (Army of Darkness), editor Michael J. Duthie (Stargare), and editor Marcus Manton (Pumpkinhead).

"Back in Israel" chronicles Firstenberg's journey of making films in Israel, including his only Hebrew film, 1990's The Day We Met; 1991's Delta Force 3: The Killing Game, after he rejoined the Cannon fold under its new regime; 1992's American Samurai, which was reworked by Cannon after he completed production; and Tropical Heat, a TV series on which he helmed six episodes in 1992. Editor Shlomo Hazan (American Samurai) is also interviewed.

"The Rise of Nu Image" covers Firstenberg being poached by Nu Image, whose low-budget action movie model was a spiritual successor to Cannon Films. His output during this era included the new film studio's second production, 1993's Cyborg Cop; its 1994 sequel, Cyborg Cop II, also known as Cyborg Soldier; 1993's Blood Warriors, produced by Indonesia's Rapi Films; and 1997's franchise-launching Operation Delta Force. Writer Jon Stevens Alon (Cyber Cop II) is also interviewed.

"The Late Years" sees Firstenberg working on his 1997 neo-noir thriller Motel Blue; the 1998 Hulk Hogan vehicle McCinsey's Island; 2000's The Alternate, also known as Agent of Death, on which the director returned to his action B-movie roots; directing second unit on Tobe Hooper's 2000 film, Crocodile; 2001's Spiders II: Breeding Ground, on which he implemented early CGI; and 2002's Quicksand. Curiously, 2001's Criss Cross is Firstenberg's only film to not receive its own section.

This chapter is accompanied by interviews with producer Frank DeMartini (Mechanic: Resurrection), actor Bryan Genesse (Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target), visual effects artist-turned-writer Stephen David Brooks (The Mangler), and actress Brooke Theiss (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master).

The epilogue covers Firstenberg's final film, The Interplanetary Surplus Male and Amazon Women of Outer Space, a hard-to-find 2003 send-up to campy sci-fi films from the '50s. It also includes a retrospective interview with the filmmaker from 2012. Israli filmmaker Alon Newman provides a brief afterword, noting Firstenberg's inspiration on his work.

Stories from the Trenches provides a fascinating look at a renegade style of filmmaking that only could have thrived in the 1980s. Firstenberg's story is a compelling one, even for cinephiles who may be unfamiliar with his oeuvre. Beyond minor grammatical errors, the book could have used a more scrupulous editor to trim the fat (including some of the dozens of photo pages laden with empty space) and tell a more concise, focused account without sacrificing the comprehensive nature; but presenting the conversations is full allows the reader to experience the story straight from the horse's mouth. I would love to see Siedelmann tackle the storied careers of other cult filmmakers who don't receive their due recognition.

Stories from the Trenches: Adventures in Making High Octane Hollywood Movies with Cannon Veteran Sam Firstenberg is available now via Editions Moustache.

[kyleisme14]

My trip to Area 51 - unedited

On Facebook, a kid from Bakersfield created an event. He uses his page, perfectly named, shitposting because my life is in shambles and makes 'storm area 51, they can't stop us all' and seemingly overnight a million people said that they would be attending. I did attend. Shitposting because my life is in shambles is inadvertent the most zeitgeist worthy name for this page. Shitposting is when you share terrible content that you know is bad just to get a reaction. You are sharing a low effort joke for the sense of connection from others.  Because my life is in shambles, this anonymous statement of personal vulnerability, I shall try and make a low effort attempt at connection. This is what our age is all about. We are doomed to be as connected and as isolated as possible. This had a chance of being a real life meme where we'd be isolated no longer.

The page became an immediate stronghold for memes. It adopted other internet jokes like Karens asking to see managers, Kyle's drinking monster energy drink for invincibility, and Naruto runners being faster than bullets, as ways of infiltrating the base. And also generated new ones about what people would find inside Area 51 like the 10th doctor to recommend a toothpaste or where my girlfriend wants to go for dinner or how we'd sneak in with a minivan but escape with a space ship. The killer meme was how once we 'free them aliens' we'd keep them as lovers and bang them so hard that we 'clapped them cheeks'. This was the low effort comedy that this meme page generated.

Was it a joke or would people actually go? At first I did not know why I needed to go to area 51, and everybody seemed to ask me. I failed to recruit any friends to join me on the quest, 7 hours driving to the infamous base. Most thought I was crazy for going. My brother told me to be safe. My sister thought I was joking, and called to counter my bluff. Whenever somebody said they couldn't go, I pittied them because I was sure they were going to miss something incredible and life affirming. I was excited because I had no idea what was going to go down, and nobody in the whole world did. I stopped at the army surplus. I thought we'd either see a humanitarian crisis like fyre fest or a government crackdown. Don't forget, 2 million people clicked GOING online, so even if 1% came that'd be 10,000 people to a town with a population of  1000. The airforce released a warning about 'raiding' active military bases being a bad idea and the use of deadly force being a possibility. Lincoln County, one of nevadas sleepiest, had to call in enough police to potentially break up a neo-woodstock.

I always wanted to go to area 51 since I first learned about aliens as a kid. When I asked the big question of are we alone in the universe? If there was an answer, if somebody had the evidence, if it was anywhere, it was stored at area 51.  UFO's and little green men were hiding somewhere in Nevada... at least according to pop mythology. In grade school I would check out the same book over and over from the library, about aliens and the search for exterterestrial life and the scientists who were looking at the stars. There was a spooky section about times aliens might have visited early humans based on cave paintings and statues. And then the next page was all about area 51, where the government did secret expirements on alien artifacts and maybe had a specimen. So I've been captivated since at least then. Area 51 represents a big secret. A mystery! And somebody powerful, a general or established congress person, knows and is keeping the answers from us. So as an anti-establishment, meme and alien lover, I was fascinated with this 'movement,' that would of 'raid the base'. I wanted to go and find out how many people like me were out there! Turns out I wasn't completely alone! But... for the ignorant... What is Area 51? I could never believe people weren't following the biggest BREAKING news of our lives. But for those out of the loop, Area 51 is an infamous hotspot for UFO lovers. It has a rich history in alien folklore. But here is the factual history: Nevada is almost all federal land. and it was used back in the day for nuclear testing. an original tourist attraction to Las Vegas was watching nuclear testing in the distance...

Some airforce commanders were flying around dropping bombs when they spied a dried lakebed next to a mountain, Groom Lake. They landed on it and found it to be a perfectly flat natural runway. Excellent for testing expiremental aircraft. The facility became known as  Area 51. And was where the airforce and Lockheed Corp developed the U-2 stealth bomber. They brought the best and brightest scientists and engineers to develop new aeronautics and weaponry for the US military. At the height of the Cold War, any foreign technology that was aquired would be brought to Area 51 to be tested and backwards-engineered. You can imagine Chinese reactors and Russian jets being taken apart and used by the best tinkerer's and best test pilots. People at the highest levels of classified access. Because if you are one of the folks who are handling stolen foreign items, you are so classified that your spouse isn't supposed to know what you do all day. Yes honey, I was testing out the Ruskies new fighter plane! They don't even know we have it! These were experts in aeronautics and weapons science who could decipher technology even if the instructions were in another language... so perhaps if the US government were to encounter any other 'foreign technology' of an unknown origin, maybe they'd  send it to Area 51 to be backwards engineered? That's the set up, those are the facts, the rest is conjecture and tinfoil hats stuff. Like unexplained phenomena,  military released sightings that definitely aren't weather baloons and general mysticism. Do you believe in aliens or not?

If you believe that it's more likely that our government would keep aliens a secret than releasing that information to the public... welcome to the club! If not, do some reading. As I drove across the desert, down lonesome roads and through one horse towns, I realized what I was doing. I was driving into the middle of nowhere, likely to stand around doing nothing... and boy was I excited. My plan was to go and maybe film something and if that didn't work out I'd put on an alien costume and hold a sign. I figured that there'd be a bunch of cameras and I could use it to collectively protest all sorts of wrongs in the world. One of the initial reacitons to the playful event was, 'hey there are more imporant places to raid! why not raid the border detention centers, why not congress, why not the oil companies?' To which I say, hell yes... but that's not shitposting. That's being earnest and noble. This was about being ironic and part of a joke. This was about chasing an internet meme into the ground and disecting it until all that was left was the human connection. I had a sign and costume and figured that even if nobody showed up at least news organizations would be covering it.  The sign I held said, Peace on earth ain't coming from outer space, and I really believe that. We shouldn't expect peace to come from somewhere else in the universe, it has to start right here at home, inside each of us. I wanted to get that message out. The day of the event, due to classic internet decentralization, people debated whether the raid meet up (located at the Area 51 gate) should be at 3am on friday morning or 3am on saturday morning. Most people kind of agreed to just gather sporadically between those two times. I monitored a live stream late on thursday to confirm that millions of people weren't gathering to make American History. Instead, about 30 people gathered for that 3am moment. I only missed a photo-op. I awoke on friday morning and drove towards my destiny. There were two events scheduled. One hosted by the facebook Shitposting kid who decided to use his 15 minutes of fame to organize a rave in the desert at the local Little Ale'inn, a motel close to the gate. The other was set up by a filmmaker who made a movie about Area 51 at the Alien Research Center. Both locales are alien themed tchotchke paradises designed to sell the eager UFO tourist any manner of t-shirt, shot glass or Alien doll. These spots have a fun feel and would be desert trinket spots selling only desert sage and gems if not for the boon of being next to an infamous mystery base.

The dueling events were both hoping to capitalize on the rush of people to the desert for the raid. Alienstock, as shitpost called it, was going to be a kumbaya style gathering. But everybody thought it was an alibi for shitpost incase anybody got in actual trouble at the gate and roped him in. Shitpost from bakersfield ended up not even going to his own event out of fear. Also the county sued him for the cost of preparing for a potential fiasco. The Alien Research Center event was going to have famous Alien Community folks speak and some high end music performances. But as I drove down the dusty route 375, known as Exterterestrial Highway, I saw very few people on the roads. Lots and lots of cops. It became obvious that the whole county and the organizers of these events had been preparingor at least 30,000 people. They had nearly 200 port-a-potties. Which makes  sense, if 1% of the people who claimed they were coming online came! The reality was that maybe only 1% of 1% showed up to these sleepy nevada towns on the edge of a fabled military base. The imediate reality of the events was that they were extremely underattended, but that was also a blessing. it made everything a little bit more intimate and accessible. I pulled into the dusty parking lot of the Little Ale'inn to find a rag tag DIY music festival set up. People were essentially tailgating on the side of the road. It was a scene and it was dusty. All sorts of folks were jovially milling about, some in alien themed costume, many with cameras. Many folks with booze, despite the morning. I pulled out a camera and tried interviewing people, but found that everybody I talked to had the exact same talking points. Do you believe in aliens? Duh. Why are you here? Free them Aliens. Do you really think they are in the base? Yes, but maybe now they've been moved. What did you think would happen if we charged? We'd all get killed or arrested. Nobody seemed to have really believed in the facebook post's idea of 'they can't stop us all.' Most people were sure that, especially with the meager turn out, the military and police could stop us all. Everybody just wanted to see what would happen, expecting anywhere from fyre festival 2.0 to a bloodbath to nothing. Everybody had listened to the same Joe Rogan podcast, where he'd interviewed Bob Lazar who claims to have worked at the base. That podcast was the bible of this gathering and  was what had inspired Shitpost to shitpost.

It was special that everybody was a believer. That's rare that strangers are all on the same wavelength. Nobody seemed to have any doubts that the government knew about aliens and weren't telling the public. And it was agreed that UFO's had been tested and stored at the base. Everybody I ended up meeting seemed pretty prepared. They had plenty of water and booze and camping supplies, so the idea that a humanitarian crisis was going to occur dissapated completely and reminded me of a group outting to the desert. Most important was that everybody at the event seemed to be in on the joke. They might believe in aliens but had no plans of raiding the base in actuality. Aliens might exist but the might of the US government is way more certain. The police presence alone was insane, but they merely hinted at the military might behind the base's perimeter. The police actually became quite friendly once they realized it wasn't going to be a boodbath. But the silent and hooded guards behind the gate remained terrifying with big guns and big dogs. There was definitely the threat of violence if you crossed. But we all joked that maybe if a million more people showed up we'd actually start Naruto running passed the guards.

After a while of milling around quasi-interviewing people I decided there were enough people with cameras that I should just put on my alien costume and go to the gate and get in front of the camera. I was taken to the gate by some friends I'd made while trying to get interviews. Evan and Kevin were two dudes I became super weirdly close on the day of the Raid. Each of us had come by ourselves from far away, San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles, with a vague intention of documenting it in some way. I had a vision of either a mini doc or article, Evan was a photographer and who took some insanely beautiful photos (featured here).

Kevin was a video creation guru who just wanted to make as much instagram content as possible. Kevin was by far the most successful, he's got that showman's knack to always get on camera with insanely high energy. There were a lot of cameras and each one he'd run up to and start lecturing about how the governemnt needed to release the secret documents! It was a great bit especially with his Boston Townie accent turned all the way up.

Evan explained how he was drawn to the site by a mysterious desire to see what would happen.  He expressed it best as, 'this is like a reddit safe post.' People will find safes while remodeling or cleaning a house and say, 'hey reddit, look i found a safe, i'm going to open it and see what's inside!' Then people get excited trying to guess what marvelous jackpot could be in that old dusty safe. They wait desperately for the original poster to share an update. More often than not the poster never returns and people are left waiting for nothing.

Once and a while there will be an updated post to show what was found inside and sometime's it's a haul of trinkets and dubloons and rare items that were saved throughout time to be found by some noble internet user. but then most of the time it's like, wow a roll of coins from 1953! "so yeah i felt obligated to go and find out what was in the safe and share it with reddit even if there actually was nothing inside. reddit deserves to know.' evan said. Because sometimes those posts are just as important, the safe find coming back to say, 'hey we cracked the safe, but turns out there was nothing in it! here's a picture of an empty safe."

So I was beginning to realize that I was standing inside an empty safe. But wow, all of these people had also come to be here and that was something special. It's not often that we get to organically be around likeminded strangers that all have such clear and imediate shared experience. Here we all were, because of a a meme, just to see what would happen. The gathering had a magical quality because we were an internet joke that had left the cyber space and entered the meat space. It was a silly idea that was reaching a physical end point.

I stood around the gate for a good while, we chatted with everybody, shook hands with the police guarding the gate, exchanged instagram handles and shared jokes we'd heard on the internet. You could tell people were really cutting loose. Most people spent most of their time on their computers it seemed. Hey, me too. We shouted 'clap them cheeks' and 'let them out.' We were all in on the joke. There were still mainly cameras and I got interviewed and photographed by dozens including history channels ancient aliens and the nytimes and countless youtubers and instagramers. It all kind of culminated when Kevin and Evan were getting cold and saying we should leave, I heard a distant 'clap them cheeks' chant and booty shuffling down the lonesome road to the infamous Area 51 gate was Riley Reid! Pornhub's number 1 star. She's somebody I have searched for all my life, on google. She did a strip tease and pretended to rush the gate. She was an internet hero in the flesh, and she was in on the joke too! A perfect metaphor, eh?

The next morning, hungover from the excitement and extrovertism of the day before I was sitting in a diner scouring news websites for mentions of the raid and looking for photos of myself. Behind me I heard some locals discussing, a gravelly voice said, "usually this town has 1 car every 10 minutes. this weekend we've got like 1 car every minute!" The townsfolk seemed to have had the wildest weekend of their lives. Me too. I managed to get into a few articles in my green alien suit.  A USA Today affiliate newspaper even printed a whole write up about me and my sign. On the way back, realizing I expected nothing, and found little more than nothing, I was completely satisfied. I had held my sign for peace and found a version of it, internet strangers, weirdos from all over had gathered peacefully to celebrate an idea. A silly and anti authoritarian conspiracy idea, but an idea none the less. I decided the reason I was drove all this way through beautiful american desert land, was because it's something I would have thought was cool as an 11 year old. A mission to see aliens and the people who wanted to meet them. Radical.

[k-llama-llama]

BTS Love Yourself Tour: Hamilton Day 2 - My Experience

I’ve been to a few concerts in my time, but oh my gosh this was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. 

We planned to leave around 8am (for a 2-2 1/2 hr drive). We had assigned seating, and neither me or my sister (the person I was going with) were super concerned about merch. 

Either way, I somehow made myself so nervous on the drive there that I threw up in a Tim Horton’s parking lot. But I was fine after that...so yay!

We got there, and initially couldn’t tell what line was what. We walked about three minutes down a road following a line, before I finally asked someone what line she was in. Turns out that that was the GA line. The next one we found ended up being the soundcheck line, but eventually we found the end of the merch line. We got in the line at about 10:30, and it was super organized. There wasn’t any pushing or shoving, which was amazing. It was about a 2 hour wait from the moment we got in line to the moment where we got our purchases and left. 

At that point, all of the hoodies and shirts had sold, as well as the group picket at the premium photos of Jungkook and Jin. Which was fine, because honestly we weren’t picky and were just going to buy whatever we could. 

Kay so this was like my final haul Initially (like through the merch line) I just bought the Jimin picket, a V picket (for my sister,  not pictured) and two sets of the photocards. All of that came to $70 CAD. My sister also got a thing of photocards...and a V premium photo. I posted a pic of that on twitter if you want to see it.

I was totally not planning on getting an Army Bomb. They were $75, and it just didn’t seem worth it to me. Well, my dad went to the bathroom, my mom decided that she thought it was worth it, and then we bought two Army Bombs. The strap on mine was initially broken, but we went back to the express booth and they were super great and got us a new one. Those things are freaking cool. I’ve been playing with the lights non-stop.

So...we enter the venue at about 3:30 (the show starts at six.) We buy candy, which we never ate, and then had some pizza. Our seats (section 221 if anyone cares) were amazing. We could see the whole stage and there was nothing blocking our view. Plus, we were at the end of the row next to the stairs, so no one was blocking up or walking past us.

The show begins...I’ve included the video because I adore it...but you don’t have to watch it if you don’t want it spoiled for you. 

It was amazing.

I filmed a lot but honestly I don’t want to post a crap ton of videos and spoil stuff for you guys.

Just know that I cried. A lot. They sounded amazing and I don’t have a single criticism.

The way they all say ‘Canada’ is so cute. Nam Joon was saying that they were so surprised by the Canadian crowds energy that they had to figure out how to match it. Suga said that he had no choice but to come back next year, and Jin said that he was going to tell his parents about Canada😂

Honestly, it was great. Anpanman was a favourite (because Jungkook climbed on V’s back), but Epiphany and Serendipity we’re also phenomenal.

My favourite song is Answer: Love Myself, which is what they ended the show with and I cried.

They took a while to leave the stage, and bowed with their dancers and everything. It was amazing.

(BTW we had the set list that includes Baepsae and Dope)

I know I probably sound crazy, but if you guys ever have a chance to go then you should. It was beautiful and amazing and I loved every second of it.

If you have any questions...shoot em my way and I’ll try my best to answer them! And I’ve added a bunch more pictures down below because I want you all to fangirl with me!