#Rita Shaw

[puterboy1]

My reaction to Christian Bale at the end of Empire of the Sun.

[ellfiend]

[enibly]

what i didn’t remember while watching Fast X

between me and my friend, we were able to figure out who everyone was (and all their various relationships to each other) except:

- who was Little Nobody? could not place him at all but apparently he joined in F8? i’ve only seen that one once so I guess I gotta rewatch it now

- who was the guy running the race in Rio? apparently he’s Diogo and was in Fast Five, and I do not remember him, so I guess I have to rewatch 5 again (which I’ve seen many times, but seriously, who is he?)

- why was Shaw so mad at Han? Shaw “killed” Han for killing hospitalizing Big Bro Shaw in 6, but then Shaw made peace with Dom and the others, so wouldn’t Shaw not be pissed at Han anymore? even when Han was like, I’m not here to fight you, Shaw kept going at him, but why?

[akultalkies]

Bert Kreischer, Mark Hamill, Jimmy Tatro, Iva Babic, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Robert Maaser, Martyn Ford, Rita Bernard Shaw, Jess Gabor, Nikola Djuricko, Amelie Child Villiers, Set Sjostrand, Aleksandar Sreckovic, Dorde Simic,

[alltrekvarnews]

'Fast X' pone $ 69 millones en el tanque durante dos días en el extranjero - Taquilla internacional.

[marciabrady]

"He was a struggling actor when he and Mother met. She had just returned from a war-bond selling tour." While only seen in minor roles, Stephen Crane was the charmer of Hollywood and had gone out with every female star, from Betty Grable to Lucille Ball. On three back-to-back nights, he took Lana Turner out, then Ava Gardner, then Rita Hayworth- a move which was considered legendary, even by Hollywood standards. Lana was his favorite though, after the dissolution of their marriage, he had a brief affair with Rita in the 1940s. "They had known each other anywhere from a few weeks to a few months (depending on who's telling the story) before July 17, 1942, when they flew to Las Vegas and got married. Their union was sealed by the same justice of peace who joined her in wedlock to Artie Shaw. 'Tie it tighter this time, Judge,' said Mother to Judge Marshall. "I think Mother always had a hold on his heart. My father never said a word against her. He was always very protective to the point of getting into fights with her suitors long after they split [like Frank Sinatra]. Frank wouldn't go to any of my father's restaurants, even when they were the most popular places to go. They got into public fights over Mother a few times, before and after my parents married. Frank thought that Dad was some sort of gigolo, not good enough for mother. The first time I know of them ever being civil to each other was at my twenty-first birthday party, in 1964.After her divorce from Bob Topping and his from Martine Carol in 1953, I recall him asking at the end of one of our Sunday outings if she ever asked me about him and if I thought there was a chance they might get back together. 'Well, I don't know,' I said. I was thrilled, but Mom wasn't interested in reuniting with Stephen. After he passed away, I found a couple of scrapbooks he had. Of all the press he received over the years, all he had held onto were those from the time of his marriage to Mother." -Cheryl Crane

LANA TURNER & STEPHEN CRANE footage from a Los Angeles Air Base during WWII, 1943

[balladofthe101st]

malarkey, skip, and penk should've met at college, not at a camp, training to go to war. they should've learned math, english, history, not how to use a gun and mortar. they should be gossiping about who's rita hayworth dating, not whether or not speirs shot those pows on dday. they should be complaining about their grades, not how cold they are, huddled in their foxholes, freezing their asses. they should be tired over studying for their exams, not worn out over night patrols. they should be listening to artie shaw and glenn miller over the radio in their dorm, not to the sound of bullets and artillery over their heads. malarkey and penk should've been the best men at skip and faye's wedding and skip at theirs, not skip and penk never having a wedding, and not them not being at malarkey's

[the---hermit]

2024 reading wrap up

books I read (rereads in green):

Nature Human Nature And Human Difference by Justin Smith

Resurgir curated by Lorenzo Incarbone

Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman

The Pornographer by Restif De La Bretonne

Storie Brutte Sulla Scienza by Barbascura X

Only Dull People Are Brillian At Breakfast by Oscar Wilde

A Day Of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

The Ballad Of The Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde

Notes On Camp by Susan Sontag

The Prince And The Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Oh! Il Libro Delle Meraviglie by Leo Ortolani

Dubliners by James Joyce

The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen

Il Grande Ratolik by Leo Ortolani

Emmeline Pankhurst by Mariapaola Pesce and Paola Zanghi

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Her Body And Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

The Vampyre by John William Polidori

Passage On The Secret History Of An Irish Countess by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

The Daughtest Of Salem by Thomas Gilbert

Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The Mysterious Study Of Doctor Sex by Tamsyn Muir

Apt Pupil by Stepehn King

Harrow The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Nona The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Miti E Leggende Dei Celti by Mila Fois

A Psalm For The Wild Built by Becky Chambers

The Southern Book Club's Guide To Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Quando Muori Resta A Me by Zerocalcare

Storie Di Merda by Barbascura X

Richard II by William Shakespeare

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Norse Mythology graphic novel volume 1

Norse Mythology graphic novel volume 2

A Prayer For The Crown Shy

short stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Something Is Killing The Children volume 7

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Life Isn't Binary by John-Meg Barker and Alex Iantaffi

Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

L'Idea di Medioevo by Giuseppe Sergi

Due Racconti di Vampiri - shoet stories by Frederick Cowles

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher

The Fall Of The House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

The White People by Arthur Machen

The Road - the graphic novel adaptation by Manu Larcenet

The Willows by Algernon Blackwood

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

What Fiests At Night by T. Kingfisher

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison

Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves

L'Importanza di Chiamarsi Oscar Wilde by Licia Cascione and Tommaso Vitiello

Questioni di un Certo Genere by il Post

The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Storia Degli Stati Sabaudi by Andrea Merlotti and Paola Bianchi

I Belli Hanno Rotto Il Cazzo by Barbascura X

Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

This Is How You Lose The Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar

Re:Dracula

The Adventures of Amina Al Sirafi by Shannon Chkraborty

Genderqueer by Maia Kobabe

The Forbidden Harbor by Stefano Turconi and Teresa Radice

Sacred Bodies by Ver

Seghe Mentali Cosmiche by Barbascura X

Costituzione by Maurizio Floravanti

Bi by Julia Shaw

Governo by Paolo Colombo

Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

A Babbo Morto by Zerocalcare

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

A Dog's Heart by Mikhail Bulgakov

the books I have dnf-ed:

The Last Man by Mary Shelly

Venerdì 12 by Leo Ortolani

The Dreamchatcher by Stephen King

Night Man by Leo Ortolani

La Donna Senz'Ombra by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

[billboard-hotties-tourney]

Okay, folks, the mini-tourney is inching closer to the finals, so I'm going to give a list of the competitors in the Miss Billboard Tourney in order to give everyone a chance to submit more propaganda. The nominees are:

Lale Andersen

Marian Anderson

Signe Toly Anderson

Julie Andrews

LaVerne Andrews

Maxene Andrews

Patty Andrews

Ann-Margret

Joan Armatrading

Dorothy Ashby

Joan Baez

Pearl Bailey

Belle Baker

Josephine Baker

LaVern Baker

Florence Ballard

Brigitte Bardot

Eileen Barton

Fontella Bass

Shirley Bassey

Maggie Bell

Lola Beltran

Ivy Benson

Gladys Bentley

Jane Birkin

Cilla Black

Ronee Blakley

Teresa Brewer

Anne Briggs

Ruth Brown

Joyce Bryant

Vashti Bunyan

Kate Bush

Montserrat Caballe

Maria Callas

Blanche Calloway

Wendy Carlos

Cathy Carr

Raffaella Carra

Diahann Carroll

Karen Carpenter

June Carter Cash

Charo

Cher

Meg Christian

Gigliola Cinquetti

Petula Clark

Merry Clayton

Patsy Cline

Rosemary Clooney

Natalie Cole

Judy Collins

Alice Coltrane

Betty Comden

Barbara Cook

Rita Coolidge

Gal Costa

Ida Cox

Karen Dalton

Marie-Louise Damien

Betty Davis

Jinx Dawson

Doris Day

Blossom Dearie

Kiki Dee

Lucienne Delyle

Sandy Denny

Jackie DeShannon

Gwen Dickey

Marlene Dietrich

Marie-France Dufour

Julie Driscoll

Yvonne Elliman

Cass Elliot

Maureen Evans

Agnetha Faeltskog

Marianne Faithfull

Mimi Farina

Max Feldman

Gracie Fields

Ella Fitzgerald

Roberta Flack

Lita Ford

Connie Francis

Aretha Franklin

France Gall

Judy Garland

Crystal Gayle

Gloria Gaynor

Bobbie Gentry

Astrud Gilberto

Donna Jean Godchaux

Lesley Gore

Eydie Gorme

Margo Guryan

Sheila Guyse

Nina Hagen

Francoise Hardy

Emmylou Harris

Debbie Harry

Annie Haslam

Billie Holiday

Mary Hopkin

Lena Horne

Helen Humes

Betty Hutton

Janis Ian

Mahalia Jackson

Wanda Jackson

Etta James

Joan Jett

Bessie Jones

Etta Jones

Gloria Jones

Grace Jones

Shirley Jones

Tamiko Jones

Janis Joplin

Barbara Keith

Carole King

Eartha Kitt

Chaka Khan

Hildegard Knef

Gladys Knight

Sonja Kristina

Patti Labelle

Cleo Laine

Nicolette Larson

Daliah Lavi

Vicky Leandros

Peggy Lee

Rita Lee

Alis Lesley

Barbara Lewis

Abbey Lincoln

Melba Liston

Julie London

Darlene Love

Lulu

Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Barbara Lynn

Loretta Lynn

Vera Lynn

Siw Malmkvist

Lata Mangeshkar

Linda McCartney

Kate McGarrigle

Christie McVie

Bette Midler

Jean Millington

June Millington

Liza Minnelli

Carmen Miranda

Joni Mitchell

Liz Mitchell

Marion Montgomery

Lee Morse

Nana Mouskouri

Anne Murray

Wenche Myhre

Holly Near

Olivia Newton-John

Stevie Nicks

Nico

Laura Nyro

Virginia O’Brien

Odetta

Yoko Ono

Shirley Owens

Patti Page

Dolly Parton

Freda Payne

Michelle Phillips

Edith Piaf

Ruth Pointer

Leontyne Price

Suzi Quatro

Gertrude Rainey

Bonnie Raitt

Carline Ray

Helen Reddy

Della Reese

Martha Reeves

June Richmond

Jeannie C. Riley

Minnie Riperton

Jean Ritchie

Chita Rivera

Clara Rockmore

Linda Ronstadt

Marianne Rosenberg

Diana Ross

Anna Russell

Melanie Safka

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Samantha Sang

Pattie Santos

Hazel Scott

Doreen Shaffer

Jackie Shane

Marlena Shaw

Sandie Shaw

Dinah Shore

Judee Sill

Carly Simon

Nina Simone

Nancy Sinatra

Siouxsie Sioux

Grace Slick

Bessie Smith

Mamie Smith

Patti Smith

Ethel Smyth

Mercedes Sosa

Ronnie Spector

Dusty Springfield

Mavis Staples

Candi Staton

Barbra Streisand

Poly Styrene

Maxine Sullivan

Donna Summer

Pat Suzuki

Norma Tanega

Tammi Terrell

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Big Mama Thornton

Mary Travers

Moe Tucker

Tina Turner

Twiggy

Bonnie Tyler

Sylvia Tyson

Sarah Vaughan

Sylvie Vartan

Mariska Veres

Akiko Wada

Claire Waldoff

Jennifer Warnes

Dee Dee Warwick

Dionne Warwick

Dinah Washington

Ethel Waters

Elisabeth Welch

Kitty Wells

Mary Wells

Juliane Werding

Tina Weymouth

Cris Williamson

Ann Wilson

Mary Wilson

Nancy Wilson

Anna Mae Winburn

Syreeta Wright

Tammy Wynette

Nan Wynn

Those in italics have five or more pieces of usable visual, written, or audio propaganda already. If you have any visuals like photos or videos, or if you have something to say in words, submit it to this blog before round one begins on June 25th!

If you don't see a name you submitted here, it's because most or all of their career was as a child/they were too young for the cutoff, their career was almost entirely after 1979, or music was something they only dabbled in and are hardly known for. There are quite a few ladies on the list whose primary career wasn't "recording artist" or "live musician," but released several albums or were in musical theater, so they've been accepted.

[companion-showdown]

Which companion is the most normal person?

a lot of companions would be getting into tv show worthy situations with or without the doctor, but some of them are just normal people, who if they weren't aboard the tardis they'd be living an ordinary, perhaps even boring, life. who is the most normal

SEMIFINALS

Leo Jones vs Ben Jackson

Barbara Wright vs Ian Chesterton

QUARTERFINALS

Leo Jones vs Sergeant Benton

Graham O'Brien vs Ben Jackson

Brian Williams vs Barbara Wright

Ian Chesterton vs Katarina

previous rounds under the cut

ROUND 4

K9 vs Leo Jones

Sergeant Benton vs Rory Williams

Alison Cheney vs Graham O'Brien

Rita Afzal vs Ben Jackson

Brian Williams vs Evelyn Smythe

Barbara Wright vs Wilfred Mott

Ian Chesterton vs Anji Kapoor

Peri Brown vs Katarina

ROUND 3

K9 vs Business Woman

Leo Jones vs Harry Sullivan

Sergeant Benton vs Kate Stewart

Duggan vs Rory Williams

Tegan Jovanka vs Alison Cheney

Liz Shaw vs Graham O'Brien

Rita Afzal vs Nyssa

Ryan Sinclair vs Ben Jackson

Mickey Smith vs Brian Williams

Evelyn Smythe vs Martha Jones

Grace Holloway vs Barbara Wright

Lucie Miller vs Wilfred Mott

Ian Chesterton vs Victoria Waterfield

Hex Schofield vs Anji Kapoor

Donna Noble vs Peri Brown

Dan Lewis vs Katarina

ROUND 2

Day 2

Mickey Smith vs Jamie McCrimmon

Chang Lee vs Brian Williams

Evelyn Smythe vs Romana I

Adric vs Martha Jones

Grace Holloway vs Izzy SInclair

The Brigadier vs Barbara Wright

Lucie Miller vs Headmaster

Ruby Sunday vs Wilfred Mott

Ian Chesterton vs Amy Pond

Mike Yates vs Victoria Waterfield

Hex Schofield vs Frobisher

Nardole vs Anji Kapoor

Donna Noble vs Liv Chenka

Leela vs Peri Brown

Dan Lewis vs Bridget Sinclair

Katarina vs Bill Potts

Day 1

K9 vs Charley Pollard

Business Woman vs Mel Bush

Leo Jones vs Rose Tyler

Laurence Scarman vs Harry Sullivan

Sergeant Benton vs Steven Taylor

Bernice Summerfield vs Kate Stewart

Duggan vs Helen Sinclair

Sarah-Jane Simth vs Rory Williams

Tegan Jovanka vs Dodo Chaplet

Handles vs Alison Cheney

Liz Shaw vs Adam Mitchell

Sam Jones vs Graham O'Brien

Rita Afzal vs Susan Foreman

Nyssa vs Kamelion

Ryan Sinclair vs Polly Wright

Fitz Kreiner vs Ben Jackson

ROUND 1 (Group Stage)

Group 1:

Susan Foreman

Barbara Wright

Ian Chesterton

Vicki Pallister

Steven Taylor

Group 2:

Katarina

Sara Kingdom

Dodo Chaplet

Ben Jackson

Polly Wright

Group 3:

Jamie McCrimmon

Victoria Waterfield

Zoe Heriot

The Brigadier

Sergeant Benton

Group 4:

Liz Shaw

Mike Yates

Jo Grant

Sarah-Jane Smith

Harry Sullivan

Group 5:

Leela

K9

Romana I

Romana II

Group 6:

Adric

Nyssa

Tegan Jovanka

Vislor Turlough

Kamelion

Group 7:

Peri Brown

Mel Bush

Ace McShane

Grace Holloway

Chang Lee

Group 8:

Charley Pollard

C'rizz

Evelyn Smythe

Lucie Miller

Group 9:

Liv Chenka

Helen Sinclair

Hex Schofield

Bernice Summerfield

Chris Cwej

Group 10:

Fitz Kreiner

Compassion

Anji Kapoor

Sam Jones

Group 11:

Alison Cheney

Iris Wildthyme

Izzy Sinclair

Frobisher

Group 12:

Rose Tyler

Mickey Smith

Adam Mitchell

Jack Harkness

Martha Jones

Group 13:

Wilfred Mott

Donna Noble

River Song

Amy Pond

Rory Williams

Group 14:

Kate Stewart

Clara Oswald

Handles

Bill Potts

Nardole

Group 15:

Yasmin Khan

Graham O'Brien

Ryan Sinclair

Dan Lewis

Ruby Sunday

Group 16:

Vince Hawkins

Duggan

Damon

Group 17:

Rhos

Dr Summers

Laurence Scarman

Lowe

Mergrave

Headmaster

Group 18:

Tamsin Drew

Tania Bell

Business Woman

Kevin

Group 19:

Jackie Tyler

Francine Jones

Clive Jones

Tish Jones

Leo Jones

Group 20:

Sylvia Noble

Craig Owens

Brian Williams

Danny Pink

Rigsy

Group 21:

Tommy Connolly

Riley Vashtee

Hath Peck

Nephew

Rita Afzal

Group 22:

Elton Pope

Ursula Blake

Colin Skinner

Bridget Sinclair

Bliss

links to previous tournaments

[storiesofsvu]

Thursday Funday!

IM SO FUCKING READY. Sometimes I do wish that rita appearances weren’t like.. advertised. I really do want an episode where I am fully not prepared and she just waltzes on screen with no warning. Like.. I’d die…

Okay, what a cold opening that was, creepy and obsessive and I like it.

“just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should.” Accurate.

I both like and hate the way AI is brought into shows now, like it’s being showcased as something that’s not great most of the time but it’s also just scary the shit they come up with that it does/can do and that stresses me out man. Its fucking terrible.

Jfc the height difference between shaw & the lieutenant LOL she so smol.

Why does olivia always look SO much better on the OTHER law and order shows except for her own.. like… cmon guys, do better

Okay the last time a captain used a rape kit dna to find a perp olivia SCREAMED in her face LOL.  But also yes this is a VERY big issue that will make victims not move forward or get kits done. But also WHY isn’t there a SEPARATE and PRIVATE database for rape kits to be a part of??!!

FUCK

(yes rita just showed up)

Oh she is BACK baby. Oh god… this is giving me theories and so many ideas of not only the gap in time that she’s been on the show (aka in court) and the drastic different physical appearance. Oh man. Oh fuck. This is gonna be my only thought all fucking weekend. Why must I go to work?!

Oh sweet jesus fuck. The delivery of the line “someone who has been *raped* before” from rita made me feel things deep in my soul (and they are things that only confirm/further my thoughts, woof) (not to mention further comments from olivia, oh god there is SO MUCH SUBTEXT HERE!) (gifs & my theories to come later this weekend!!)

We are SO BACK.

LIKE, the little quips, the head tilts, eyebrow raises, ugh YES. The acting/characterization is exactly how it should be and SPOT on.  First suit was meh, second suit was fucking fire (and pretty similar to one of the ones she wore in 25 acts). I don’t want this to be over. PLS let her come back more often.

Also this episode is honestly super good plot and writing and pacing wise so I’m here for it.

I honestly REALLY do enjoy that mothership is basically Nolan getting a strip torn off of him by women he works with every week LOL

Olivia PLEASE. If it was casey who’d gotten that guilty verdict you would’ve come in screaming. Nolan deserves it.

Rita’s suits are giving very presidential and I am here for it.

Tbh I really hoped the girl would get off but I was also very certain that wasn’t going to happen.

Why is it over already? I need more. I need so much more LOL.

Svu time…

Guys for a solid hour there I fully forgot Velasco existed. Like.. Joe who? I only know Ms Calhoun.

I’m like.. 99% sure he’s not gonna be in tonights ep LOL. Who ever would have thought of a day where I was more into OG than SVU lol

Not just a judge but a *federal* judge. Well fuck.

OP! there he is!

Yeah this is one of those super fucked up situations. I lowkey called it from the start when she said “why do you remember more about my childhood than I do?” esp when she’s the younger sister. Trauma= memory loss.

Not me sitting here going “man I really wish there was more cop/investigation in this episode” cause like, I am lowkey bored and wanted more Velasco and kate content. When 97% of the time I’m yelling “MORE COURTROOM” lolololol. This was Scanavino’s time to shine.

Bruno looking fine af though

God this shit is so fucked up.

Shoutout to peter for killin in this episode. Glad they finally gave him something to work with.

I WILL say that I do miss the courtroom sass, from ALL the lawyers. Like, a lot of people focus in on Barba being the sassy one but like, literally all the ada’s have the same if not more sass. Ms Alex “you can have a toothbrush” Cabot. Ms Casey “you’ve just got funky sperm” Novak. Do I even need to quote something from SONYA?? (ugh man I miss her, maybe I’ll watch some old svu after this…) And I’m not saying Carisi lacks this, cause he’s got it, especially in the older seasons when he was a cop. The writing is just lacking nowadays. Give them more personality PLEASE.

VERY heavy Olivia focus tonight, especially between both shows.

Still feels weird to have 4 hours of l&o cut down to only 2. Like.. what am I supposed to do now with the rest of my evening? It’s only 8? I’m just gonna sit  here in silence and fixate about rita for 9458504540549i4923 hours…

[mariacallous]

This article is from 2019

Joan Plowright, who celebrates her 90th birthday today, is the senior figure in a remarkable generation of actors including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Eileen Atkins, all celebrated in the film Nothing Like a Dame. Her marriage to Laurence Olivier inevitably made her part of showbiz aristocracy but Plowright brought to British theatre a quality of earthiness and emotional directness shared by near-contemporaries such as Albert Finney, Peter O’Toole and Billie Whitelaw. As the daughter of a Lincolnshire newspaper editor, she could hardly be called working-class yet she was part of a movement that helped British theatre shed its aura of evasive gentility.

You could, for the sake of convenience, divide Plowright’s working life into three phases: her Royal Court period, her National Theatre years and her post-National freelance career.

Rather than catalogue her performances, I would pick out three that illustrate her capacity to give us the unvarnished truth. She came to prominence in the Royal Court of the 1950s but, although I missed her in The Country Wife and the double bill of Ionesco’s The Chairs and The Lesson, where she played a wizened crone and a preyed-on pupil, I did catch her as Beatie Bryant in Arnold Wesker’s Roots – which quickly became a landmark in postwar drama.

The point about Beatie is that she is the daughter of Norfolk farmworkers who, on returning home, first parrots the opinions of her London boyfriend and then, when he fails to turn up, discovers her own voice. Wesker’s play is part of a long line, harking back to Shaw’s Pygmalion and anticipating Willy Russell’s Educating Rita, about female self-realisation. Everyone who saw it remembers the ecstasy that illumined Plowright’s features as she realised she was at last speaking, and thinking, for herself. But Plowright caught no less well Beatie’s potential for joy in the scene where she danced round the stage as her mother clapped to the rhythmic excitement of Bizet’s suite from L’Arlésienne.

Olivier claimed to be “knocked off my feet by her performance”. By 1961 he and Plowright were married and she became a vital part of his inaugural Chichester Festival theatre seasons, which provided a launchpad for the National Theatre company. It can sometimes be tedious to bang on about old productions but anyone who wishes can still find on DVD Olivier’s Uncle Vanya which played at Chichester in 1962-63 and then at the Old Vic. It was one of the great Chekhov experiences of the 20th century, and Plowright’s performance as Sonya, hopelessly in love with Astrov (played by Olivier), was a model of stoic endurance in the face of unfulfilled passion.

The great moment comes at the play’s end when Sonya is left alone with her uncle to face a future of loveless toil. It would be easy to play Sonya’s final consoling speech sentimentally. Instead Plowright, looking at the desolate features of Michael Redgrave as Vanya, struck a note of almost buoyant optimism as she claimed: “When our time comes, we shall die without a murmur … we shall see a light that is bright and lovely and beautiful … we shall rest.” Plowright caught perfectly Sonya’s note of defiant faith in a way that brought tears to my eyes at the time, and that still does when I watch or listen to that performance.

Plowright went on to do many fine things at the National including a strong-willed Maggie in Hobson’s Choice, leading her chosen groom off to the marriage bed by his ears, a deeply sensual Masha in Three Sisters and a single-minded Portia in The Merchant of Venice who first preaches mercy and then displays a vindictive cruelty to Shylock. She was an integral part of the National company at the Old Vic, but the determination to avoid any sense of favouritism – and the fact that she had three young children to bring up – meant that her potential was not always fulfilled. I would love to have seen her play Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth, or Hedda Gabler.

After the National, however, Plowright achieved much. She did Shakespeare at Chichester, Chekhov in the West End, two fine plays by Eduardo di Filippo and enjoyed a late-blossoming film career often under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli. But, if I had to pick out one performance that revealed her unrivalled capacity for earthy truthfulness and emotional honesty, it would be that as Poncia in Nuria Espert’s production of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba at the Lyric Hammersmith, and then the West End, in 1986. The character is the servant to the tyrannical heroine (played by Glenda Jackson). Everything about this performance was perfect, from the way Plowright evoked a lifetime of household drudgery, by smoothing the nap of folded linen, to the hint that she shared the same longing for life and gaiety as Bernarda Alba’s imprisoned daughters.

This is a quality that has characterised much of Plowright’s work: the ability to combine down-to-earth practicality and common sense with an irrepressible joie de vivre. From reading Plowright’s fascinating memoirs, And That’s Not All, you realise how much the National in its early years – and Olivier in particular – owed to her quiet wisdom. Looking back over her rich career is to be reminded of how much she has been a force for change in British acting.

[weclassybouquetfun]

I'm seeing all of these headlines from critics about how ridiculous FAST X as if they are just learning what the Fast and Furious films are. They are ridiculous. And? So? Your point being? Are you going to write that Looney Toons cartoons are silly?

22 years, 10 films, countless implausible moments.

You're going to say the franchise is stupid because you have people driving through skyscrapers or parachuting with cars or even surfing on a car but you say nothing about how we're supposed to believe Paul Walker as an LAPD cop when no LAPD cop in the history of the force has ever looked like that?!

This is the real stretch of imagination.

FAST X. The X stands for X-TREME SPOILERS

THE GOOD -I like a bit of fan service and the franchise keeps doling out heaping helpings of it. We got Letty back, Han back, Owen Shaw, Deckard Shaw, Elena back (briefly), whoever the hell Lucas Black and Bow Wow played in TOKYO DRIFT, Hobbs back and now the gal - Gisele.

Their babies are no longer babies.

At this pace I can't even feel bad that John Cena's Jakob died because we didn't see his body. For all we know he could have jumped out the car when it exploded! We see Han's body and he still returned from the dead so...I'm just saying don't count your dead characters before they hatch.

-I loved that they tied this story into Fast Five because that film was my entry into the Fast and Furious films so I remember that one distinctly enough that I could appreciate how they re-did scenes to add the idea that Dante was in their orbit then.

-Following THE SUICIDE SQUAD's lead and relegating Scott Eastwood to bit player. This feels like they were just trying to help him retain his SAG-AFTRA health insurance.

-The twist with Alan Ritchson's character. They intro him giving a wall of exposition about how the "cult with cars" win everyone over and then we see him won over and I think, "Exactly. As it should be." But no! Mans was luring Dom into a false sense of security. Dom was probably too blinded by that tan Ritchson was sporting for some reason.

-Paul Walker's daughter Meadow having a small role. Wouldn't be la familia without her.

-Jason Momoa was having so much fun and he certainly made for an entertaining villain. I'm all in for a villain who wears nail polish and space buns. And I liked how they actually used his photos from his BAYWATCH: HAWAII and STARGATE ATLANTIS years instead of photoshopping it.

THE BAD -Momoa IMO didn't find a good balance between unhinged lunacy and camp. I wish he was able to blend the menacing aspects of the character into his character when he was being more flamboyant. I think an actor who pulled that balance off perfectly was Chris Pine in SMOKIN' ACES.

-I can turn my brain off, I want to be entertained. If I wanted to logic police these films I'd just tweet Neil DeGrasse Tyson and ask his opinion. That said, bad writing is bad writing and this film had some awful writing. The script was written by Justin Lin, Dan Mazeau (Wrath of Titans) and Zach Dean (The Tomorrow War). I like to think Justin Lin knew some parts of the script was absolute dog piss and quit because he didn't want to have to massage a performance out of his actors using those words.

Justin Lin when handing in the final draft to Universal.

-The CGI was so bad! Regressively so. It was like they were using 2001 technology in some of the big scenes.

THE REST A cliffhanger? Editors exist for a reason. You're telling me I am going to have to sit through another 2 hours watching Letty, Cipher and Gisele on their sub adventure through Antarctica, Deckard saving his mum, Dante acting like he's on RuPaul's Drag Race, Roman with the weak jokes (Tyrese isn't as funny as he thinks he is), then a race to hurriedly find a way to give Brie Larson something substantive to do and because everyone comes back, we will see the return of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) and then shoehorn back in Rita Moreno to close out the film with another speech about family?

[lazorcrab]

My favorite songs that I listened to in 2023 (in no particular order)

Mark Knight & Armand Van Helden - The Music Began To Play

Daft Punk - Revolution 909 (Roger Sanchez & Junior Sanchez Remix)

Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz - Miss You (Showtek Remix)

Armin van Buuren & Mr. Probz - Another You

Party Favor - Too Much

Sans Soucis - All Over This Party (Salute Remix)

Lil Wayne - A Milli (Sidepiece Remix)

Elvis Presley & Britney Spears - Toxic Las Vegas (Jamieson Shaw Remix)

Tiesto, Jonas Blue, & Rita Ora - Ritual

Gorillaz - Silent Running (feat. Adeleye Omotayo)

Mau P - Gimme That Bounce

Tiesto - Lay Low

Armin van Buuren & Stuart Crichton - Dayglow

Jay-Z & Linkin Park - Numb/Encore

Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers - Bustin' Loose

Tiesto - 10:35 (feat. Tate McRae) [Joel Corry Remix]

Meduza and Eli & Fur - Pegasus

Whitney Houston - It's Not Right But It's Okay

Gorillaz - Skinny Ape

Red Vox - Forgetter

Olive T - We'll Maintain

Tchami - Shades (feat. Donnie Sloan & Ricky Ducati)

Climax Blues Band - Couldn't Get It Right

Mack Wilds - Own It

Calvin Harris - Miracle (feat. Ellie Goulding)

Genesi - Everything You Have Done (Meduza Edit)

Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, & Diddy - Creepin' (feat. 21 Savage)

Gorillaz - Tranz

Foster The People - Sit Next to Me

Tyga - I'm Gone (feat. Big Sean)

Avicii - Heaven

Calvin Harris - Miracle (feat. Ellie Goulding) [Hardwell Remix]

Sunday Scaries & Pickuplines - Chill Like That (Odd Mob Remix)

Gorgon City - Voodoo

The Weeknd - Popular (feat. Playboi Carti & Madonna)

Todd Edwards - The Chant (James Organ Remix)

Luke Combs - Fast Car

Armin van Buuren & Sam Martin - Wild Wild Son

Armin van Buuren & Sam Martin - Wild Wild Son (Richard Durand Remix)

Kaskade - Angel On My Shoulder

Deadmau5 & Kaskade - I Remember (John Summit Remix)

JC Stewart - Love Like That

Will K - Sun Is Dark

The Band - The Weight

Aqua - Barbie Girl (Tiesto Remix)

Notre Dame - Yumi (Tiesto Remix)

Meduza - Phone (feat. Sam Tompkins & Em Beihold)

Major Lazer - Particula (feat. DJ Maphorisa, Nasty C, Ice Prince, Patoranking, & Jidenna)

Major Lazer - Que Calor (feat. J Balvin & El Alfa)

The Specials - Ghost Town

The Chemical Brothers - Live Again (feat. Halo Maud)

The Chemical Brothers - No Reason

Swedish House Mafia - Ray Of Solar (Mau P Remix)

Swedish House Mafia - Ray Of Solar (Tiesto Remix)

Alesso - Caught A Body (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)

Armin van Buuren - Lose This Feeling (Dimension Remix)

Sia - Gimme Love (Armin van Buuren Remix)

The Beatles - Now And Then

100 gecs - Doritos & Fritos

Roy Davis Jr. & Peven Everett - Gabriel (Live Garage Mix)

Casso, Raye, & D-Block Europe - Prada

Tiesto, Tears For Fears, Niiko x Swae, & Gudfella - Rule The World (Everybody)

Doja Cat - Paint The Town Red

Fred again… & Baby Keem - leavemealone

Nicki Minaj - Let Me Calm Down (feat. J. Cole)

Nicki Minaj - Needle (feat. Drake)

Overmono - Good Lies

Tame Impala - Breathe Deeper (Lil Yachty Remix)

Drake - First Person Shooter (feat. J. Cole)

Drake - Virgina Beach

Meduza, Ferreck Dawn, & Clementine Douglas - I Got Nothing

Todd Edwards - Perfect Love (Biscits Remix)

Todd Edwards - When Your Alone (A-Trak Remix)

Fred again…, Skrillex, & Four Tet - Baby again… (feat. Lil Baby)

Lil Yachty - The Secret Recipe (feat. J.Cole)

Lil Uzi Vert - Just Wanna Rock (Malivai & Afrojack Remix)

070 Shake - Cocoon (Martin Garrix & Space Ducks Remix)

Ice Spice - In Ha Mood (O'Flynn Remix)

Gunna - fukumean (Diplo, Maesic, & Chad Harrison Remix)

John Summit - Where You Are (feat. Hayla)

Parisi, Steve Angello, & Sebastian Ingrosso - U Ok?

David Guetta & Hypaton - Be My Lover (2023 Mix) (feat. La Bouche)

Killer Mike - RUN (Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley Version)

Elton John - Daniel

Disclosure - Higher Than Ever Before

Alesso & John Newman - Call Your Name

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)

Nick Jonas - This Is Heaven

Black Sheep - The Choice Is Yours

Davido - UNAVAILABLE (feat. Musa Keys) [Major Lazer Remix)

James Hype & Major Lazer - Number 1

Willie Hutch - Tell Me Why Our Love's Turned Cold

John Summit - Veridis Quo vs. Human (Daft Punk vs. John Summit)

Kendrick Lamar - Money Trees (Duke & Jones Remix)

Missy Elliott - 4 My People (feat. Eve) (Basement Jaxx Vocal Mix)

Flowdan, Lil Baby, Skrillex - Pepper

Steve Angello - Rejoice (feat. T.D. Jakes)

Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Strangers (feat. A$AP Rocky & Run The Jewels)

Metro Boomin & Future - Too Many Nights (feat. Don Toliver)

Skrillex, Missy Elliott, & Mr. Oizo - RATATA

Chase & Status and Bou - Baddadan (feat. Irah, Flowdan, Trigga, & Takura)

Lil Yachty - Strike (Holster)

[ashleybenlove]

According to the TV Tropes page, Robo Rita captures (I counted) 16 Rangers, and apparently, THREE of the five Grid Battleforce Rangers (Devon, Ravi, and Nate).

Man, poor Steel and Zoey. Also, sorry to General Shaw and Mayor Dad.

[tawneybel]

2023 Reader Insert Smut Masterlist

Note: And lists. Request rules. I've decided it's easier to just keep a master master list pinned and update it regularly, instead of a new one each month.

Rita Repulsa from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Mary Shaw and Ella Ashen from Dead Silence

Jackson Whittemore from Teen Wolf

Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers, and Tommy Hagan from Stranger Things

Vecna from Stranger Things 4

10 Favorite Monsters, Part XIV

Chad Meeks-Martin and Frankie from Scream VI

10 Favorite Monsters, Part VIII

Hwang Jun-ho and VIP 4 from Squid Game

Billy Hitchcock from Final Destination

pink soldiers from Squid Game

Imhotep from The Mummy Returns

Coach Willis from The Faculty

Glenn Rhee from The Walking Dead

Count Dracula from Dracula

Rafe Cameron and Topper Thornton from Outer Banks

10 Hottest Animated Characters, Part XIII

Chubby, Bibbo, Slim, and Rudy from Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Monstar Blanko from Space Jam

Lalo Salamanca and Nacho Varga from Better Call Saul

Driller Killer from Slumber Party Massacre II

HAL 9000, David Bowman, and Frank Poole from 2001: A Space Odyssey

Gurdy the Clown from 100 Tears

Namor from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Matt Addison from Resident Evil

Sadako Yamamura from Ringu (crossover with Saw franchise)

Namor from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

10 Hottest Animated Character, Part XII

Erik Killmonger, Namor, and M’Baku from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Rafe Cameron and Barry from Outer Banks

Tyler Galpin from Wednesday

Harry Warden from My Bloody Valentine

Top 10 Hottest Characters, Part XIV

Harry Warden from My Bloody Valentine 3D

Ryan Torres from Fear Street Part One: 1994

2022 Movie Ranking

Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington from Stranger Things 4 

Proteus IV from Demon Seed

10 Favorite Monsters, Part VII

Michael Myers and Corey Cunningham from Halloween Ends

Angel Torres from Nope

Brian from Brain Damage 

Top 10 Hottest Characters, Part XVIII

Izzy Bohen, Jake Spencer, Dante Belasco, and Creeper from Jeepers Creepers 2