#Rasputins DVD

[remembertheplunge]

Pandemic and Protest And an Altered State Of Living.June 2 to June 4 2020

June 2, 2020 Tuesday 6:14pm Jail Lobby

Barricades are up near the entry door to the lobby..Like, they are trying to protect from being rammed into.

I just invented a new term: Trump-demic! Inspired by the “oh fuck” Trump pandemic meteor hurtling at earth post card I sent to Zoe recently.

This edition of the Journal is the Protest edition. Protests rage across the country. 

Jared Is not happy that I spent $60 on this journal.

End of entry

Notes : 7/8/2024

I wrote the above entry in the lobby of the Stanislaus County Jail 5 miles West of Modesto. Large cement barricades had been set up to block an attempt to forcibly take the building by Black Lives Matter protesters.

My sister Zoe and I liked to send humorous post cards back and forth to one another. On portrayed a meteorite racing toward earth entitled “oh fuck”. It was the Trump Pandemic meteor!

I had paid $60 for the leather bound journal that I wrote the June 2020 entries in. Jared was my law clerk and business manager and was not happy with the investment.

________________________________________________________

6/3/2020 Wednesday 7:10pm 

NPR: Market Place is on. The Pandemic--Protest is in full swing!

I was up in Stockton at the jail. a fellow defense attorney said police are surrounding the court house. She told me not to come to Stockton tomorrow for court. Too dangerous. She will appear for me.

Meanwhile, Jared said a protest in Oakdale today went violent.

The feeling out here is shaky.

The protests flair here. The virus flairs there. But you never know where or when.

End of entry

Notes 7/8/2024

NPR was National Public radio and Market Place was a show on that station. I listened to Market Place a lot in the early =days of the pandemic. They had honest reporting of how the Pandemic was unfolding.

Oakdale is a town in eastern Stanislaus County, California. 

__________________________________________-

6/4/2020. Thursday 5:20pm Rasputiun’s

Cut. Cut. Gone The two trees marked for destruction are gone. Progress? Productivity? Pandemic and Protest Rage, cutting down 2 trees took priority.

Jerad and I had a beautiful talk with the female clerk at Preservation Coffee House this afternoon. She went to the Sunday 11am protest at 1010 10th (down town Modesto, California) and will go to one in Ripon. She told us that“We need to be willing to be injured to push for change.” .

Magnificent.

Jared said that during the Oakdale protest yesterday, Trump 2020 “all lives matter” stood across from “Black Lives Matter” protesters.

People are out in mobs now. 

I think 10,000 protested yesterday in San Fransisco, Thelma and Louise style, racing for the viral cliff’s edge.

I anticipate a spike in virus and in violence.

Mobile Art Gallery just passed

End of entries

Notes 7/8/2024;

Rasputin’s is a DVD record store located near highway 99 and the rail road tracks in Modesto. During the pandemic, when I could no longer write in coffee houses, I would sit in my car, listen to Mavis Staples songs, write and observe. I got to know the area of the parking lot that I would write in very well. Two young trees I often sat near had been marked to be cut down  with white paint rings around their trunks. On June 4, they were gone and I eulogized them in my entry.  There was another man who would at times park there, too in his hot yellow sports car. He would read his  newspaper. He never looked my way, but, I’m sure that he saw me. Pandamic exiles resorting to a parking lot for covid free reverie.

In 2020 I started noticing Graffiti on the trains as I drove up and down  Highway 99. In March 2020, when the State was in  lock down and the highway electronic signs were screaming out “Stay home and live!”.  I had to be out and drive for court. I never sheltered in place. Besides, I wanted to see the world in its grip of fear. It was fascinating. But, scary , too. And there were the trains. And the Graffiti art work on the train cars. And they were comforting. A message written from before the time of the plague , barreling along as if to say, come follow me . I will lead you to safely out of the virus veil. 

Preservation was Preservation Coffee in Modesto where pre pandemic I spent many hours writing. Post pandemic I have rarely returned and never to write there.

Thelma and Louise was a 1991 movie in which two wild intense women go on a crazy vacation that finds them hurling over  a cliff in the end.

[protovulcans]

when i find myself in times of trouble (no wifi) mother mary (doctor who) comes to me speaking words of wisdom (doctor who on dvd)

[honorarysimp]

Hi hello, I was wondering if you could give us, perhaps, a spoiler free headcanons for Lucky and Mabel. If not, that’s fine just ignore this

By the way I love your writing, you’re an amazing writer

Hello friend, I didn’t forget you! Just been sitting on this for a minute to try and work out the best little headcanons that don’t spoil anything :)

You argue over who drives, literally anywhere you go.

Mabel gets offended any time you touch her stereo, you get offended when she won’t take your song requests.

You may have the higher tolerance, but Mabel is the one who taught you how to properly shotgun a beer.

She’ll never know it, but you actually did know how to, you just wanted her to puncture your cans for you (lazy).

Mabel and you have constant arguments over the best rom-com of all time. She will take it to her grave that Footloose is superior.

You buy the CD and it stays in your dvd player indefinitely after your first debate, only because when you sit down to watch it you don’t ever actually… end up watching it.

Mabel never lets you live it down that she was your first.

You never let her live it down that she said ‘I love you’ first.

The moment you realized just how smart Mabel was, you were the one who insisted she go to community college.

“You’re too goddamn smart to waste all that potential-“

“Jesus, for the love of god, this is the third time today. Give it a rest”.

The pillow fights are insane, I’m talking furniture is simply a moveable obstacle.

You’re pretty sure she was ready to throw a whole chair at you one time.

Beer on a pier at sunset, sometimes sunrise when you both manage to get up early enough (or coming in way too late from Rasputin’s).

Mabel slips little sea shells in between your shoelaces, she insists they’re “little guys” hitching a ride.

The amount of naps you two have taken on your swing out on your front porch surpasses the amount of times you’ve both accidentally fallen asleep on your couch.

You tried to teach Mabel how to skate once, she ended up slipping off it and the board popped up and almost took out your knee.

To this day, Mabel still says the reason you walk funny is because of that.

Mabel always makes you buy seeds when you go walk the beach, to feed the birds of course.

You do, every time, and you complain that the birds will shit on you even as you refill her hand with the snacks for the little guys.

After you two break up, you don’t sleep in your bed for four months, the sheets smell like her even after you wash them over and over.

Mabel tells you she burned all your things just to spite you, but every now and then, she wears one of your shirts when she goes to bed and cries herself to sleep.

Any time you see each other in town, you pretend you don’t, when one is looking the other isn’t.

Mabel only starts looking for other people when she sees you talking to a girl outside Rasputin’s one night.

What she doesn’t know is that girl had been beyond wasted, you’d opted to keep an eye on her while waiting for her ride to show up.

Neither of you ever find out this was a simple misunderstanding.

[devildomwriter]

Obey Me As Tumblr #17

Diavolo: Do you know how many bones the human body has? It’s 206. We start with 369 when we’re babies but they fuse. Wouldn’t you want to go back? Have as many bones as a baby? What if I could help you

Mammon: Hey OP what the actual literal fuck does that mean

•

Mammon: I’m sure this has been asked before but would vampires drink period blood, and more importantly would the clumps just be a bonus for them?

Barbatos: Ever had bubble tea?

Satan: I’m going to hurt all of you I’m going to hit both of you with a heavy rock

•

Mammon: *takes off my leather jacket to reveal a second, secret leather jacket underneath*

Raphael: You mean skin?

Mammon: What an absolutely terrifying addition to my post, thank you

•

Leviathan: Every time I sneeze my ribs start aching

Solomon: And every time we kiss I swear I could fly

•

Solomon: Double bubble disco queen headed to the guillotine

Skin as cold as rasputin, Russia’s greatest love machine

Leviathan: Boys you think you know what’s happening in this one and then it just knocks you flat, doesn’t it

•

Asmodeus: *sticks my bare ass in sewer opening* oh no I sure hope no demon clown tries to eat my a

Simeon: I’m on hold with Warner cable getting my WiFi shut off because this post was the last straw for me

•

Beelzebub: Just bought this tapeworm from Etsy

Diavolo: Where are you gonna keep it

Beelzebub: :)

Diavolo: I don’t like this post very much

•

Leviathan: Plankton built his computer wife so he’s also the one who programmed her personality. Plankton made a wife who would belittle and mock him. Plankton has a humiliation fetish.

Solomon: Sometimes we have thoughts but we don’t have to share them with everyone and put them out into the world. Just a suggestion.

•

Leviathan: A clownboy (half clown, half cowboy) says yeehonk

Raphael: This is it. The worst post I’ve seen, my own two eyes are cursed.

•

Solomon: When an earthquake happens coffins become underground maracas

Mammon: Thanks for that not at all terrifying image

•

Satan: Hey

Satan: Everyone’s bones are wet

Solomon: Why would you say that

Satan: No one said hi back

•

Simeon: TIL – You can skip piracy warnings and trailers on a DVD by pressing STOP -> STOP -> PLAY

Leviathan: I can’t wait to do this 10 years ago

•

Satan: If the toys in toy story died the kids would keep playing with them like normal, but the other toys would be playing with their dead friend

Mammon: What the hell

•

Diavolo: Why don’t murderers just hide the bodies in cemeteries

Belphegor: Thanks for the tip

Diavolo: No this is not a tip it’s a joke

•

Leviathan: Things I used to laugh at

• real jokes

Things I laugh at now

• yard sard

•

Asmodeus: Imagine having sex with a ghost and then someone walks into your room and they see your asshole widening and narrowing for no reason

Simeon: Imagine praying to God and going to church

•

Asmodeus: I think I’ve made like 5 jokes about edging on this blog already

Satan: I’ve yet to make one but I have come pretty close

•

Satan: Enough about sex positions has anyone discovered a reading position which doesn’t get uncomfortable after 5 minutes

Last • Next

[veidtveidtveidt]

Rasputin, Dämon der Frauen (1932)

Since it’s one of the most, if not *the* most requested movie of the bunch, I’ve uploaded Rasputin, Dämon der Frauen (1932) to Archive.org. You can grab it from there (right click, save as on the “cinepack” link below the video screen), or watch it there, with English subtitles (the “subrip” link) courtesy of your fellow Veidt fans, (FFF and yours truly, as far as I can remember).

https://archive.org/details/rasputindamonderfrauen

Whether it’ll stay up is anyone’s guess, but it should be in the public domain as far as I know. This is the same file that bootleggers sell on eBay and such as DVD-Rs, BTW, so that’s what you’ll get from them as well, until a restoration comes out (if ever). So, here you go.

[adultswim2021]

The Xtacles #2: “Operation: Murderous Conclusions” | November 10, 2008 - 12:15AM | S01E02

The two completed episodes of The Xtacles aired on the same night, sorta billed as a 30 minute “special”. I wonder if a third episode was in any kind of state of near-completion? Honestly, these two episodes of Xtacles are about as strong as any of the best episodes of Sealab or Frisky Dingo, and I would’ve loved more of these. 

In this one, President Stan has wasted billions of tax payer money to build a gigantic stature of himself. When it’s unveiled, he’s disgusted at the sight of a huge hole ripped into his giant bronze ass. He asks the Xtacles to solve this crime. The crime is rape!!!

The Xtacles reason that no human could make a hole that big, so they suspect a Gorilla as the culprit. After searching their files for a mythic “Rape Ape” they find “Rapier Ape”, a dapper primate who dresses in medieval garb and carries a rapier, the fancy sword from Shakespeare times. I guess. I don’t know man, I tend to lump all history before the invention of television together. Abraham Lincoln, Rasputin, Jesus Christ (FAKE), it’s all Shakespeare times to me. Anyway, he’s probably innocent, but they insist on harassing him, because the Xtacles are jerks!

Bad news if you don’t like hearing the word “rape”, both for this episode and this write-up, I guess. This one has a handful of lines that made me laugh out loud. And that’s where the write-up ends, because I'll just lamely quote all the jokes I liked. There were a lot! Like, three!

I never did watch these when they aired, and I’m not sure why. I think it just felt a little less pressing than other Adult Swim shows, given that it was basically an aborted fetus. That, and I was probably too invested in the ending of Moral Orel to care. I recall people whose opinions I trusted saying that this show was funny, and I went in with a cautiously optimistic attitude. Issues of modern sensitivity-related scrutiny aside (and the lack of true HD copies of the show existing), these hold up. And, given that these aired mere days after famous limousine liberal Barack Obama got elected president, stuff like this represents the final vestiges of Bush-era comedy, and should be cherished.

EPHEMERA CORNER

The Xtacles Skit (2009)

I'm jumping the gun, slightly, unless this debuted online or something. Maybe it did! But this is actually an extra on the Frisky Dingo season two DVD which came out the following January. I'm guessing it was made before the Xtacles episodes? I genuinely don't know, but this actually legitimately bridges the gap between Frisky Dingo and The Xtacles, and explains why Mr. Ford is on the Xcalibur!

[theemporiumreport]

Grand Opening of The Emporium Report!

Hello and Welcome to my blog!

My name is Wayn (They/Them) and I started this blog because I just wanted a place to formally store my thoughts about certain comic issues or comic events!

A little about me, I'm:

Non-Binary

21 years old

Currently in university as a Technical Theatre Major and a Creative Writing Minor.

Filpino-American!

Although I am a Creative Writing Minor, I'm really bad at grammer and overthink a lot so if I write terrible sentences, no I did not <3 :). Other than reading and thinking about comics, I love playing video games such as League of Legends (sadly) + related games, Dark Souls, Resident Evil, Bayonetta, and so much more! (I may from time to time write about these games, but that will be in the future ;)

Little more fun facts:

Favorite Food: Sushi or my mother's sisig

Favortie Musician(s): Wolf Alice, Beyonce, Doja Cat, Rina, plus my monthy music obsession (which is Janelle Monae's The Age of Pleasure)

Favorite Color: Love a good blue, purple, or red

Favorite Movie: At this moment? Across the Spider-verse (EEAO is VERY close behind)

Favorite Show: The Magicians

Now to get into my comic journey and experience!

Comic History

My first exposure to the comics, or at least superheroes, was the Fox X-Men movies! My family had the 2000's trilogy on DVD and it was the one of the only things I liked watching alongside with Spongebob and Ben 10. I would always watch these movies on loop at my father's work on those portable DVD players. Looking back, it was such a fun and simple time!

As I grew up, I watched more Marvel related media such as Ultimate Avengers (2006), Super Hero Squad, Agents of Shield, and even played Marvel Heroes Omega for years until its sad shutdown in 2017. But enough of what I watched or played, the very first comic I read was in 2014 with All New X-Men #18!

But why this particular issue? Well I purely blame Stuart Immonen and his beautiful artwork! I remember seeing this particular cover and loving the new costumes of the O5! The futuristic unitard with each person color coded was very appealing to young me! I also liked that I knew the central characters: The Original Five X-Men. I specifically loved Jean Grey and had an unhealthy crush on Scott Summers (I even read is solo series :o). But this issue is what brought me into comics and when re-reading the run today, I get great flashbacks and memories!

Now here are some personal comic fun facts:

Favorite Character(s): Illyana Rasputin (Magik), Danielle Moonstar (Mirage), Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch), Ororo Munroe (Storm)

Honorable Mentions: Kwannon (Psylocke), Jean Grey, Rachel Summers (Askani), Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman), Gwen Stacy (Ghost-Spider), Miles Morales (Spider-Man), literally all the New Mutants (except Magma...)

Favorite Writer(s): Chris Claremont (past), Jonathan Hickman, Vita Ayala, Leah Williams, Steve Orlando

Favorite Artists: Russell Dauterman, Bill Sienkiewicz, Kevin Wada, Kris Anka, Joshua Swaby, Sara Pichelli

Favorite Limited Comic Run: House of X (2019) by Jonathan Hickman

Favorite Issue: New Mutants #41 by Chris Claremont

What is The Emporium Report?

To elaborate more on the purpose of this blog, I just wanted a place where I can write and write and store my thoughts. Out in the real world, I don't really talk about comics as the community around me are not really fond of comics (theatre people D:). So, I made a twitter (@emporium_report) that I ramble on about comics. But, I wanted to make a full report or essay about certain issues (such as the brilliance of New Mutants #41) so I made this!

Prepare to read:

Analysis on single issues or characters

Reactions/General Thoughts on Comic Runs or Events

Personal deepdives into characters

Possible video game analysis/reactions and such

and more!

Lastly, why is it called The Emporium Report?

Well, I am a really big Scarlet Witch fan (will probably go into my history with her later) and I found her new shop in Orlando's run to be quite neat! The mystical shop is called Emporium and now this page is called The Emporium Report!

Thank you for reading all the way to the end!

I am currently looking for any comic friends so apply away! :D

But in all seriousness, thank you and I hope that I stay comitted to this page!

-Wayn.

[greenlodgecypher]

Film and Video

From Kino

New Releases: Big month in the theaters. Scream 2 is up; Neve Campbell is back. There's a new Bond movie, still Pierce Brosnan. Amistad looks intriguing. Titanic could be a great disaster flick if you enjoy that sort of thing. Alien Resurrection is … certainly something, but if you like the big toothy guys, it exists. (Gillian adds: Sigourney and Winona? Don't care, must see.) Anastasia uses a surprisingly modern date for its fairy-tale style story. Anastasia (yes, the Russian Anastasia) fights warlock Rasputin and her own amnesia. Musical. Not a Mouse flick, surprisingly; it's Don Bluth! New on VHS: Men in Black is on home video. Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone is out, too! Monthly Rental Mission: Have a night with friends. Or, if it's better, a night alone. Pick something you can enjoy, and just take a moment to relax. Stay warm and enjoy the end of the year. At Moshimoshi Anime: New box from Japan. Laserdiscs, DVDs, VHS, soundtracks on CD. Fushigi Yuugi, back by popular demand. We take requests.

[brokehorrorfan]

Scream Factory has revealed the specs for its Rasputin The Mad Monk Blu-ray, which streets on February 18. The 1966 British horror-adventure-drama is currently available for pre-order for $24.88 on Amazon.

Produced by Hammer Films, the film is directed by Don Sharp (Psychomania) and written by Anthony Hinds (Dracula Has Risen from the Grave). Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Francis Matthews, Richard Pasco, and Suzan Farmer star.

Rasputin The Mad Monk is presented with two aspect ratio options: 2.35:1 and 2.55:1. Special features are listed below.

Special features:

Audio commentary with film historians Steve Haberman, Constantine Nasr, and Ted Newsom (new)

Audio commentary with actors Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Francis Matthews, and Suzan Farmer

Tall Stories: The Making of Rasputin The Mad Monk

Brought to Book: Hammer Novelisations

World of Hammer Episodes: “Costumers” and “Christopher Lee”

Theatrical trailers

TV spots

Still gallery

In Czarist Russia, Rasputin (Christopher Lee), a peasant monk, mysteriously demonstrates his healing powers by saving a woman’s life and asking only for wine and a Bacchanalian celebration in return. But soon Rasputin uses his evil charm and powers to become increasingly manipulative and violent. Ferocious, devious and other-worldly, this uncouth peasant ingratiates himself bit by bit into the lives of the sophisticated royal class…

[schlock-luster-video]

On August 1, 2004 Rasputin the Mad Monk debuted on DVD in Germany.

[douglasena]

Hellboy Director's Cut Box Set 🇺🇲 HellBoy Edição do Diretor 🇵🇹🇧🇷 🏷️Edição Brasileira em DVD Duplo do filme HellBoy de 2004. A edição conta com 2 discos sendo 1 com o filme e 1 com bônus extra da produção.Contem áudios em ; 🗣️📀 Inglês : Dolby Digital 5.1 Português/🇧🇷: Dolby Digital 5.1 💬Legendas em ; Inglês , espanhol e português/🇧🇷. ℹ️ Esta edição não contém legendas em português de Portugal 🇵🇹. 📀 DVD Zone 4. ⬇️⬇️ Curiosidades ⬇️⬇️ 🎬 Além de ter referências históricas, Hellboy também conta com referências do ocultismo. 🎬 Hellboy é filho do demônio Azzael e da bruxa Sarah Hughes. 🎬 Apelidadado de Vermelhão e chamado de Hellboy (garoto do inferno), seu verdadeiro nome é Anung Un Rama 🎬 Seu objetivo inicial na terra era abrir um portal que traria o Apocalipse. 🎬 Hellboy foi invocado por Rasputin a mando dos nazistas. 🎬 Rasputin também é vilão no filme da Disney Anastácia. 🎬 A primeira aparição de Hellboy foi na San Diego Comic Con Comis #2, em 93. 🎬 O universo de Hellboy é inspirado nas tramas Lovracratianas e sua trama tem várias referências a H.P Lovecraft e a mitologia Chutuliana. 🎬 Del Toro abriu mão de dirigir “Harry Potter e o Prisioneiro de Azkaban” e “Blade 2” para pôr em prática o projeto de “Hellboy” que estava no papel há algum tempo. 🎬 Hellboy foi interpretado por Ron Pearlman (“O nome da Rosa”, “Alien: A Ressurreição, Blade II). Pearlman é o antagonista da série “Son of Anarchy”. 🎬 Em 2012 Ron Pearlman topou se fantasiar de Hellboy novamente por um fã com leucemia. 🇵🇹🎬🇧🇷💬🗣️🏷️🇺🇲🇪🇺🇮🇪⏯️🇪🇦 #hellboy #2004 #dvdcollection #coleção #follow #españa #dvd #dvds #collection #brasil #portugal #rareedition #germany #midiacollection #guillermodeltoro #directorscut #lisboa #sintra (em Sintra, Portugal) https://www.instagram.com/p/CV7XVt5MgRu/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sushigal007]

I was tagged by @charmandersims!

Five songs you’ve been listening to on repeat recently? Black Sheep - Metric Reminding Me - Shawn Hook & Vanessa Hudgens Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through - Meat Loaf Save Your Tears - The Weeknd Happy Ending - MIKA Also bonus shoutout to WAP WAP Rasputin which continues to play in my head on a loop.

Last movie you watched? Randomly watched Matilda with my kid last week.

Currently watching? Just finished Friday Night Dinner (again) and Ash Vs Evil Dead, so right now I'm watching my Bugs S1 DVD, which doesn't have subtitles, so I'm having to watch each episode twice to focus.

Currently Reading? Four To Midnight by Stephen King. I'm currently on The Sun-Dog and enjoying it very much.

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

some original nonsense

“I’m so glad I get to be here for this,” Eve practically flung herself onto the couch, bouncing slightly before settling. She’d just gotten dropped off after rehearsal and was miraculously still teeming with energy. 

Clara pursed her lips, an obvious attempt to cover up a smile. They’d spent the day helping Eli and Ann track down paperwork and somewhere between the borough hall and stopping at the deli for lunch had been seen by Oliver’s parents. Who forced him to introduce them to Clara and insisted she come for dinner. Ann managed to talk her way out of it by vague statements of “being with her family right now” that had the McNally’s cooing in understanding. Clara couldn’t manage the same without raising too many questions. At least not that quickly. 

So, she’d spent the evening at the farmhouse and then had herself talked into spending the night. The whole experience was odd, Clara settling somewhere between her true sharp self and the doe-eyed charming he’s seen her present herself as. Oliver had the sense that it was strange for her too and that Clara was navigating uncharted waters as she ate his mom’s chicken alfredo. 

But after dinner his parents retreated to the office that used to be the dining room, claiming to be going over paperwork but probably watching House Hunters or something. Leaving the living room to “the kids” which fit when Eve came barging in. 

“I was so worried you would be gone when I got home,” she told Clara, having latched on to the older girl a few days before. 

“I was somehow convinced to spend the night.” Clara narrowed her eyes, brows drawn low as she tried to puzzle out exactly how that had happened. It made her freckles scrunch up into an indistinguishable blur. 

Eve nodded sagely and began wrapping herself up in one of the afghans from over the back of the couch. “Yeah, they do that. It’s a weird quirk of being the ‘cool parents.’” Oliver knew by her tone that she was using air quotes but from the cocoon his sister had made herself it was hard to tell. 

Oliver finished tweaking the playlist he’d made, deciding to kill as many birds with one stone as possible, and pressed play. Rising from his crouch next to their entertainment center to go sit on the couch on Clara’s other side. The music began to play through the living room’s speakers and Eve giggled madly. 

Clara turned to give him the most suspicious look he’d ever seen, and that was saying a lot based on the past week’s events. “I know this song. Maybe. It sounds familiar.” 

Shaking his head, Oliver barely managed to contain his laughter. “Nope.”

The lyrics started and the look of baffled confusion that overcame Clara was the best thing he’d ever witnessed. She froze, shook her head slightly, narrowed her eyes, and then finally turned to him in betrayal. “When did this happen? I was just in Constantinople... When was I in Constantinople?” 

Eve squeaked, high and long as she inhaled. Unable to hold in her own laughter any longer. Oliver managed to remain silent though he was shaking and his stomach ached at the strain. 

“This isn’t funny,” Clara insisted. Her glare wasn’t that harsh though so Oliver didn’t relent. “Oliver!” she scolded. “It’s not funny!” 

“No, it’s hilarious,” he said between gasps of breath. “And it only gets better.” 

~

“Russia’s favorite love machine?” Clara looked like she was going to be sick. “I mean, I might have actually met Rasputin but honestly he was disgusting. And smelt terrible.” 

It was Oliver’s turn to look on in horror. “Of all the things you managed to miss, you met Rasputin?” 

“Possibly,” Clara said sheepishly. “It could’ve just been a drunk.” 

One day, Oliver would stop being shocked by things Clara said. But apparently not today. 

“Ok,” Eve interrupted, “but thoughts on the song?” 

“It’s... good?” 

The look of pure offense Eve gave her made Oliver want to whither and he was mostly immune at that point. Eve took a deep breath, seeming to recenter herself. “It’s a certified bop, Clara.” 

~

“Ok, I’m not an idiot. I know about the Battle of Waterloo. And I’ve read Les Misérables.” Clara was unimpressed by Abba. 

“You actually read Les Mis?” Eve clearly had her own priorities. 

Oliver might not really be into theater but Eve was and he managed to pick some things up. “Ok, hold on.” He tried to do some quick math, but just asking Clara would really be easier. “When did you just... stop following cultural events?” 

She shrugged. “I don’t know, some point after the second Great War?” 

Eve and Oliver shared a look, leaning forward so that they could do so. Eve’s expression said that either Oliver handle this or she would. And also, what the heck was he planning? 

“Ok, so World War II, not second Great War. Where did you even get that one?” he tried to be gentle. But honestly, what the heck?

Clara wrinkled her nose. “I’ve outlasted entire civilizations, Oliver,” she hissed. “Cut me some slack for forgetting some terms. English isn’t even my second or third language. And you people keep changing it.” 

Oliver lifted his hand in defense. “Ok, ok. Point taken. Still, did you not pay attention to the Broadway or West End theater scenes in the 1980s?” 

“No?” Clara turned to see if Eve might be any help. Her slightly manic look meant that probably not. 

“So, you didn’t know that Les Mis is a musical?” She gasped. 

Clara slowly shook her head. 

“Ollie!” Eve screeched, but he was already standing, going to shift through the many DVDs Eve had of various performances. 

~

“Bed,” their mom said, emerging from the office. Their dad had already headed upstairs sometime during One Day More and she was currently in her pajamas. 

Eve tilted her head up, shaking off the hand that Mom was combing through her hair. “But, it’s not over!” she whined. The drums of the finale refrain of Do You Hear the People Sing were starting up meaning that it would be over very shortly. 

“And you’ve seen it a million times and have school tomorrow. Bed,” she countered. 

“Clara’s never even seen Phantom!” Eve tried to counter, which they’d discovered when Eve began rambling about actors sometime during ABC Cafe. Oliver loved his sister, he hated that he knew the names of every song in Les Mis. 

“Clara can stay up and watch it with Oliver then. Or just visit another day,” Mom glanced to Oliver with an almost apologetic tilt to her smile. 

“I can come back,” Clara offered softly. The effect was immediate. Eve and his mom both had twin smiles of pure glee. Much like Ann a few years earlier, Oliver’s friend had been officially deemed another extension of the family. Well neither girl seemed to mind so far. 

Eve launched herself onto Clara in a hug, throwing her blankets to the floor and startling the blonde. Over Eve’s shoulder, he could see Clara’s pale eyes widen and it looked like she was trying very hard not to let her shock get the best of her. They’d managed to keep his parents in the dark about the whole “technically dead” bit but Eve passing right through Clara would kind of ruin the careful charade. 

“I’ll wait until next time for Phantom,” Oliver made it sound like a chore, but he knew Eve would be pissed not to be included. And the whole experience would be more enjoyable for Clara because the two girls had talked through the entirety of Les Mis about the characters and changes from the book. He was positive watching Phantom of the Opera would be the same. 

“You’re not a terrible human,” Eve said by way of thanks. 

Oliver shrugged and their mom rolled her eyes. She started ushering Eve towards the stairs as she said her goodnights. When it became clear that Eve was still occupied squeezing the unneeded air from Clara’s lungs, she gave up. “Don’t stay up too late you two. And Eve, your butt better be in bed by the time those credits stop.” 

Clara laughed and finally began to peel Eve’s arms off her. “You should listen to your mother,” she said kindly. 

“I’m going, I’m going.” 

“If you don’t leave now I will introduce Clara to Drunk Space Pirate without you,” Oliver threatened. 

Eve gasped and leapt to her feet. “You wouldn’t.” 

“I would.” 

The two stared each other down as Eve began backing towards the stairs, almost stumbling over the coffee table in the process. “I knew you like The Mechanisms.” 

Oliver smirked. “Space operas, Eve.” 

His sister huffed and ran upstairs. Clara started laughing softly. “What was that about?” 

“I’ll explain later. I think the novelty of being a ghost would be ruined if I became one too, which would happen if I explained without Eve.” 

“Your sister does seem capable of murder,” Clara agreed. 

“I feel like all the women in my life are?” 

“Yes.” 

Oliver started cracking up at that. Clara joined him. It felt cathartic in light of... everything. Then they remembered that the rest of the house had been going to sleep so they tried to hush each other. Only to laugh more. 

Finally, they sobered and Oliver went to go get his laptop. “Do you know literally anything about the band Nirvana?” 

Clara blinked. “Do you enjoy asking questions you know the answer to?” 

Barking a short laugh, Oliver came back over to sit next to her again. “Ok, fair. But I’m going to play an ironic critic of how people respond to the lead singer’s death for you now.” 

“Why?” Clara asked incredulously. 

“I really just want to see what someone so totally removed from the situation thinks of this song.” Oliver shrugged. 

“You are very strange.” 

“And you shouldn’t throw stones.”

[abd-illustrates]

Dumb question but have you ever seen the animated film Anastasia and if you have what's your opinions on it?

I have it on DVD! It was one of my favorites as a kid and nowadays it’s defo on my list of fun movies that are in no way historically accurate but like, fuck it we’re here for the STORY

Anya was cool, Dimitri was lowkey hot and Rasputin scared the ever loving shit out of me but god dang did he ever have a good villain song. Thinking about it it was defo one of the films that kicked off my current love for musicals lol

[russianperioddrama]

Hi! Would you be willing to share your favorite Russian period dramas (both series and films) with English subtitles for those of us in quarantine who may want to binge watch? Thank you and I love your blog! ❤

Hi! Thank you for the ask and I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog. English subs are always hard to find! A lot of stuff that’s up is on Amazon Prime and I hear that often those shows aren’t available outside of the US. But here are some that I have enjoyed:

Ekaterina - Fansub S1 & 2, Amazon | S1, Amazon | S2  and now S3 is also up on Amazon - Follows the rise to power and early rule of Catherine II, known as Catherine the Great.

War and Peace (1966) - I hear some streaming services carry it, but you can also probably find a free streaming link by googling around. - A Soviet 4-part movie adaptation of the classic novel by Leo Tolstoy.

The Duelist - A retired army officer in the late 1800s makes a living and reputation for himself by fighting duels for others. However, he isn’t just doing it for fun or even to just make a living: he has a goal and a secret.

Barber of Siberia- Amazon is selling DVDs but I’m not sure which official streaming services might have it with subs. But I’ve found free streaming with subs via google before. - In the late 1800s an American woman comes to Petersburg as part of a venture. On the train she meets a young Russian cadet and they fall in love. (But, tbh, this movie is so much more/better than just a love story. Seriously.)

The Road to Calvary (2017) - Adaptation of the eponymous trilogy of novels by Alexei Tolstoy. This is the story of the trials and tribulations (as well as romances) of two sisters during WWI and the Russian revolution of 1917.

ETA: while I have plenty of quibbles with this show about Rasputin, there is canon gay in the last few eps and they are very, very cute. So, in case that’s a point of interest…

You can also see our watch page for ideas for what to watch!

[veidtveidtveidt]

Just a heads-up to you guys: all those bootleg DVDs of Connie's movies that you see flogged around the Internet are ripoffs. If you're worried about the legal gray areas in downloading movies off the Internet from someone like yours truly, the legal issues are even dodgier with those DVD-Rs that get flogged on eBay because people are making money off them. They are usually the exact same movies that circulate on the Internet as video files, the exact same files I have put up for download, and these guys have just burnt them onto DVD-Rs and are now flogging them on eBay and the like for stupid amounts of money. Even worse, some of these movies have been culled from sites and users who have deliberately put up those old public domain movies for free, and have asked people to not exchange them for money. Guys like these literally get kicked off filesharing sites because they take other people's work and flog it for money--they're jerks. Learn to recognise bootleg DVDs, do some research and save your money. If in doubt, you can ask me if a Connie DVD is legit.

So don't let timidity over downloading old movies off me (or anyone else who offers old stuff for free) drive you to giving money to complete scrotes who are distributing the exact same files, only ripping people off in the process. You're not being more "legal", you're being less so.