#Spy film 2015

[captain-rickbond]

hello! i'm a fellow rickbond fic writer and i'm desperately searching for something, and for some reason you came to mind (i think it might be the username?)

i vaguely remember a q&a answer (might have been via twitter) where either ben or larry confirmed who paces and who writes - and i cannot find it for the life of me! attempting to write a writing-for-bill era fic and want it to be at least slightly accurate lol

hi!

I asked my friend @bawdiestrhymester about this because I knew this was the person to turn to if you wanna get a legit answer💜

and it turnes out... Ben is the pacer, and Larry is the writer

link to the WANA podcast when they talk about it :)

anyway, if you're writing about writing-for-bill era, have this quick crazy Walsingham doodle (I haven't had a full night's sleep in over a week so this shows exactly how I feel 🙃)

[kpop-emo-trash]

Colonel Flagg (mash) and Sir Francis Walsingham (Bill) are literally the same characters

Need I say more 🤣🤣

[pedroam-bang]

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

[jasonsutekh]

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

An American spy and a Russian spy have to team up to prevent a surviving Nazi column from accessing nuclear weapons.

 Unlike much of the earlier series on which this film is based, it justifies the protagonists’ involvement with the CIA by presenting cooperation as the result of blackmail, thus distinguishing him from the many CIA war crimes and making him a little more likeable. It combines the traditional enemy elements of Russia and the US creating conflict and resolution. It��s also appealing that it ties the story in with established real world events.

 Most of the plot is fairly basic although confusing at times and not in the way that later justifies itself by having a clever twist or conspiracy. Some of the more significant absences from the movie were the references to the source material, like a cameo from David McCallum. It also fails to make good, or even proper hints, at the clear gay subtext between the two partners, which felt necessary to call out Russia’s long-standing anti-gay policies, something that should be done on reflex by 2015 standards. The cast felt largely wasted as there were some good talents in there that didn’t get to show much, if any, range.

 There’s lots of action to cater to the lowest level entertainment crowds but it’s not innovative, just shooting and cars. The budget looked about as high as one would expect a modern Bond film to be although the directing didn’t quite reach the same gravitas. The story is fed directly to the audience so it at least works if you don’t have the brain power for even usual spy films.

 The confusing parts come when the music cues are so out of place that it makes the scene feel bizarre and the multi-shot action sequences where one doesn’t know quite where to look. All this isn’t helped by the occasional yellow subtitles when they’re presented on a bright background. The ending is unsatisfying because it doesn’t built up to a big finale, they squeeze in a solution they’ve already prepared and there’s the obligatory betrayal in there which doesn’t really come good because it’s excused by being a betrayal to a different opponent, which isn’t much better in terms of trust.

 3/10 -This one’s bad but it’s got some good in it, just there-

 -The footballer, David Beckham, has a cameo as the projectionist near the start.

-In both this film and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) Jared Harris’ character clears a crowded area by just raising his hand. Both films were by the same director.

-Delivered to theatres under the title “Waterloo”, a reference to the character nicknamed Napoleon.

[vampirecorleone]

Appreciation for BLUE fashion throughout tv & film: Gone with the Wind (1939) | Serving Sara (2002) | Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) | The Sweetest Thing (2002) | Aladdin (2019) | Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion (1997) | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) | Marie Antoinette (2006) | Striptease (1996) | Austin Powers: Goldmember (2002) | Sugar & Spice (2001) | Dracula (2013) | The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) | Rosemary's Baby (1968) | Aladdin (1992) | American Horror Story: Hotel (2015) | Django Unchained (2012) | Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me (1999) | Reign (2013-2017) | How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) | Spice World (1997) | A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) | Gossip Girl (2007-2012) | American Beauty (1999) | Scarface (1983) | The Handmaid's Tale (1990) | Titanic (1997) | Miss Congeniality (2000) | REPO! The Genetic Opera (2008) | Legally Blonde (2001)

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

End of month update - July

Hello, all! This is the end-of-month update, where I post Tumblr’s current top four films that have received the highest percentage of “yes,” “no,” and “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes.

As of today, the top four films with the highest percentage of “yes” votes are:

Finding Nemo (2003) | Shrek (2001) | Monsters, Inc. (2001) | The Lion King (1994)

Next, the top four films with the highest percentage of “no” votes are:

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) | Sausage Party (2016) | Pinocchio (2019) | Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)

This top four changed through the new addition of Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), which replaced All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).

Finally, the top four films with the highest percentage of “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes are:

Faat Kiné (2001) | Now Add Honey (2015) | Like a Cat on a Highway (2017) | Dean Spanley (2008)

That’s it for July’s end-of-month update! Remember that you can view last month’s update by clicking here. Additionally, you can view the full ranked Letterboxd lists of movies that have come up on this blog by clicking the following links:

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “yes” votes.

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “no” votes.

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes.

Remember to vote on the polls that are currently running: Winter Light (1963) | Call Me By Your Name (2017) | Head (1968) | The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979) | Almost Famous (2000) | The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013) | Hotel Mumbai (2018) | The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019) | Liz and the Blue Bird (2018) | Phantom of the Paradise (1974) | Eureka (2000) | The Wolfman (2010) | The Hangover (2009) | Project X (2012) | Poison (1991) | Life, and Nothing More... (1992) | Edward II (1991) | The Crying Game (1992) | The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) | Everything Is Illuminated (2005) | Samurai Rebellion (1967) | Spy (2015) | Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) | Hell is Empty (2021) | The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988) | Sorcerer (1977) | Running on Empty (1988) | Departures (2008) | My Fair Lady (1964) | The Great Mouse Detective (1986) | Solaris (1972) | Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010) | The Order (2003) | The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009) | The Mask (1994)

[absolutebl]

Welcome to Tumblr BL Fandom - Here’s Your Primer

memes, insider trading & obsession meta post

The Death Stairs 

They haunt us. These same stairs constantly pop up in Thai BLs and we worry that someone is going to die on them (or fuck on them, or both).

BL origin = unknown, we only recently started tracking them (but the actual origin of the death stairs is 99 Home Studio117, RPC6+JM3 ซอย รามอินทรา 117 Min Buri, Bangkok 10510, Thailand. It appears to be a house rented out for filming. Honestly? They should AirBnB that level of fame. I’d rent it, buy a cactus and a chili plant, just for the photo op.)  

Rain Makes BL Boys Sick

For which the only solution is a sponge bath administered by another boy with a bowl of water and a damp white towel.

We don’t make the rules, the BL gods do. 

origin of the rain=fever = cultural

BL origin for the sponge bath = 2014′s Love Sick

The gayest bridge in Thailand

The Rama VII Bridge has appeared in so many Thai BLs - boys kiss on it and in front of it... A LOT. 

BL origin = SOTUS 2016  

Honor the Crumbs

Side dishes given very little screen time always end up being everyone’s favorites (especially in the pulps). Also falls under side dish syndrome. This is mostly a Thai BL thing, since they’re usually the BLs featuring more than one couple. (Taiwan is getting there, tho.)  

BL origin = @heretherebedork

The Engineering Department is Gay (also Pink Milk) 

The hot Thai boy in the engineering smock (red or blue) is either gay or a chaos bisexual. There are no exceptions. 

BL origin = SOTUS 2016 

Korea’s BL bubble 

A world where queer is simply accepted and a hostile society doesn’t exist. ​

Origin, probably Strongberry’s 2017-2018 shorts, but best known starters are 2020′s Mr Heart & Wish You

Namgoong award for best wingman 

Supportive straight(ish) besties! Appear throughout BL history, but really reached peak awesome with Namgoong, so a collection of us just started saying “thank you, Namgoong” whenever this archetype shows up. 

BL origin, Light on Me 

Korea’s BL formula 

(1 short Kpop idol + 1 tall actor / random separation in the last half of the final episode) x a small cast = KBL (usually 6-8 episodes totaling under 2 hrs)

BL origin, 2015′s The Lover 

Korean male beauty ideals here. 

Korea figured out boys can kiss 

To be fair Strongberry always knew this and Just Friends? gave it to us in 2005, it’s just they forgot for a while. A long while. 

origin = Korean 2022 BL

speaking of... 

Dead fish kisses

This tradition carried for years by Japan’s light BL, early Thai BL like Love Sick, & then Korea. It took Thailand’s 2016 BL (specifically elder gods KarnNut & MaxTul) to start breaking this curse. Could be argued that Ohm in 2016′s Make it Right also paved the way (while BoomPeak exemplify dead fish kissing). 

origin = early 2000s JBL when it was still known as Live Action Yaoi 

Taiwan = the kings of high heat 

Taiwan always serves up the most consistent and authentic chemistry, kisses, and higher heat. Thailand has it as well, but isn’t as consistent about it. 

BL origin = 2017 HIStory franchise and every Taiwanese BL since (although Eternal Summer probably started it in 2006) 

Taiwan’s marriage equality 

Taiwan was the first to feature sanctioned gay marriage in a BL, the first to depict queer engagements - and they regularly like to remind us that it’s legal there. As they should. 

BL origin = HIStory 2: Right or Wrong 2017 

Thailand’s food = love

Lovers cook, serve, feed, and/or eat together. Always. At least something along these lines in every Thai BL. 

origin, well just Thailand in general (and Asia to be fair), but probably SOTUS & Love Sick 

Vietnam’s domesticity

Vietnam always depicts at least some of their characters in a home environment, with family life, adopted kids, and more.

BL origin = Tein Bromance Extra

Cactus baby (and chili plant younger sibling) 

Hilariously a cactus plant was deployed as a courting gift, spy device, and blooming representation of sexual awakening in MaxTul vehicle Manner of Death. Tumblr adopted that cactus baby. 

BL origin = Manner of Death 2021

What China Did 

Massive wholesale censorship curtailed/abruptly cut short multiple shows in progress in 2016-2017. Also resulted in rewriting and reshooting of those in production, and more weird and invidious things. This also showed up as a purge (and likely persecution) of Chinese queer vloggers on YouTube, the imprisonment of several danmai authors, and eventually the censored bromances we now get today. 

BL origin victim = Addicted, Advance Bravely, etc...

Japan’s lanes 

Japan’s propensity to lean in favor of either

sweet, campy, and very low heat live action yaoi shot in a manga style with HEA, or 

dark, gritty high heat queer cinema and pinks shot in an atmospheric style with tragic endings 

BL origin, Boys Love 2006 & Takumi-kun 2007 

History of Japanese BL here and the weeds of Japanese BL here. 

#In Strongberry We Trust 

Small, queer, Korean production house Strongberry had been producing short form pro-queer KBL successfully for years, long before larger studios picked BL up. But when they transitioned to long form in 2022, we were a little scared they wouldn’t stick the landing. #InStrongberryWeTrust became our mantra.

BL origin = Choco Milk Shake 2022 

Faen Fatal(e) 

A side character, usually an ex-girlfriend but occasionally an ex-boyfriend, whose sole purpose is as a plot device to drive a wedge between the leads, or cause jealousy. 

BL origin = Love Sick

The Thai BL Pulps

Very low budget BL with terrible sound, crazy soapy plots, and earnest acting.

BL origin = Make It Right 2016 (term coined by @heretherebedork​ & self) 

The Mame effect 

AKA #oh mame must you? 

The mameverse features great characters, killer actor chemistry, and higher heat combined with terrible damaging tropes and non-sensical plot devices.

BL origin = TharnType (although technically started in Love By Chance) 

The 2 Moons Curse 

When a popular BL franchise struggles to survive over one season and keeps having to recast the leads. 

BL origin = 2Moons original 2017 

Dread Episode 11 

AKA Doom of Ep 11

Explained here. 

Golden Rules of BL 

Never trust: 

a Thai trailer, 

a Viki Category, 

a Vietnamese sub, 

an MDL description, 

a Taiwanese title, 

Japan, 

or a BL made before 2014.

Origin = me over the years 

BLoundary Test: has the seme ever respected a single boundary?

BLechdel Test. 2 ukes discuss something that is not their seme(s). Also uke indicates actual interest in sex in a relationship.

(source)

okay what did I forget? 

[innamorament0]

This is an X-Files AU. 1 chapter - 1 case and only Rao knows how many chapters there will be =D

It wasn't the first time Lena Luthor was in Washington, but for the first time, she descended into the basement to meet her new partner. She took her phone out of her pocket to look at the time and watched cellular service bars disappear one by one until she finally reached a dead zone. 

"What am I getting myself into?" Lena whispered under her breath, but the elevator doors slid open. She didn't have much more time to think about her fate; instead, she stepped out into a dusty corridor with the only door in the middle of a wall.

She stopped before it, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She shouldn't be so nervous, but neither her surname nor beautiful but cold exterior made her particularly likeable to the people she met, especially in the Bureau, where more than half of the agents worked over at least a dozen different cases against either her family or the goons who worked for them. Lena doubted this encounter would be any different.

KARA DANVERS

special agent

Lena reread the words on a plate at least five times as if she hadn't known the whole biography of this person that she could find online, along with her thesis and credentials from the Academy. She lifted her arm painfully slowly before finally gathering her courage and knocking at the door.

"Sorry, there is no one here but the FBI's most unwanted!" she heard a muffled voice behind it.  

Lena wiped her clammy hands over the expensive burgundy 3 piece suit before pushing the door open and entering the small, cramped office. The air there was stale, which wasn't surprising - there were no windows, and the only source of relatively fresh air was a small vent near the ceiling covered in a thick layer of dust. 

The office looked like a portal to the 90s - an old yellowed projector stood out, placed on a small table almost in the middle of the room. The phone looked like it was brought here from the antique store. The walls were clad in photographs and posters with UFOs of at least five different sizes and shapes and abandoned places that Lena couldn't recognise. A few pictures of mutilated bodies and mummified remains littered all free spaces between posters. 

The central part of this exposition was a large glossy photo of something that looked like a humanoid figure flying across the skies of a city that appeared to be Metropolis, NY. The words "Up, up and away!" were printed on the lower part of the picture.

"It's nice to meet you, Agent Danvers! I am your new partner - ag…" Lena started, but the blonde woman who sat in a creaky office chair abruptly turned around, cutting her off.

"Special agent Lena Luthor, scientist and prodigy of a kind. I read your Quantum Entanglement theory - it was quite entertaining."

"You mean?" Lena asked carefully, expecting Agent Danvers to make fun of her.

"I mean, I liked it! And I like how cool, analytic and scientific your mind is." Kara jumped up, switching on an old projector that threw a dull light over the grey wall.

"I have also read your work - "Psychology and Unexplained Behavioural Patterns of Separated Twins". It was fascinating. But your approach is… different." Lena instantly felt regret over making this borderline offensive pause between words, but Kara wasn't phased. She only smiled at Lena, the tingles of genuine joy touching her eyes. 

Kara had a beautiful, contagious smile.

"I presume Hank, I mean Assistant Director Henshaw, put us together, so you would be a science to my… different approach. Orrr, maybe he sent you to spy on me? 

Whatever it is, it leads me to a very important question!" Kara slapped the film on the projector's surface and walked to the picture of a plane crash that appeared on the only clean wall. "As you see, this is a view of a cockpit - although the plane crashed into the water, it broke in half. Thankfully, there are not a lot of casualties, but look at what is especially interesting in this case. The plane crashed down into the river in unclear circumstances - there were no malfunctions, no distress signals. When the rescue team entered the crash site, they saw that the cabin was broken in half, but the cockpit was intact, the doors closed, and the windshield undamaged. But both pilots vanished without a trace. How would you scientifically explain it, Special Agent Luthor?"

"They could have left the cockpit in panic and gone into the cabin, then fall out of it when the plane broke. Did the local police search the river?" Lena knew that her explanation was flimsy at best, but it was the only thing she could come up with now. 

For some unexplained reason, she wanted to impress Agent Danvers despite her promise to herself that she would never do it again, not after Lex. But Kara was so endearing that she let her insecurities go.

"Well, I would say that it's highly doubtful that two pilots with more than twenty years of experience would go cuckoo enough to leave the cockpit and run away. And yes, the local forces searched the river. They found all survivors and all the bodies, but still, there was no trace of the pilots." Kara took the film off and put another, showing the view at the door into the cockpit from the cabin. It was securely sealed shut. "This picture was done as soon as the rescue team entered the crash site."

"They couldn't just vanish into thin air - there should be an explanation for this! An early evacuation? A terrorist attack?" Lena started to stress it out, but Kara put a hand on her shoulder, looking at her with a warm smile.

"Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?" Agent Danvers suddenly leaned close to Lena and whispered in her ear. It sounded a bit too ominous, and Lena turned around to look at her. 

"Well, logically, I would have to say no," Lena sighed, somehow expecting this question. "Given that the distance between celestial bodies is enormous, and the energy required to cover this distance is exceeding anything that exists in this realm, making it impossible to…"

"See? You try to find the existence of these substances here in our world, but the possibilities become much, much wider if you see beyond our realm. You just need to think outside the box! You need to believe!" Kara seemed excited despite Lena's bewildered expression.

"What I see as hard to believe is the fact that these people vanished without any scientific explanation." Lena shrugged. "There should be one; there should be a logical way of how they disappeared."

"Welp, Agent Luthor, it seems like we will need to find it out together. Be ready to depart to National City, California in… Oh, in less than two hours. See you at the airport!"

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Bengiyo's Queer Cinema Syllabus

For those of you who don’t know, I decided to run the gauntlet of @bengiyo’s queer cinema syllabus, which is comprised of 9 units. I have completed four of the units (here is my queer cinema syllabus round up post with all the films I’ve watched and written about so far). It is time for me to make my way through Unit 5- Lesbians, which includes the following films: The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995), Bound (1996), Water Lilies (2007) [Skipping for now until I can get access to it], Saving Face (2004), D.E.B.S. (2004), Set It Off (1996), The Handmaiden (2016), Carol (2015), Imagine Me and You (2005), Two of Us (2019), Rafiki (2018), and The Color Purple (1985).

Today I will be talking about

D.E.B.S. (2004) dir. Angela Robinson

[Run Time: 1:31, Language: English] [Content Warning: there is one use of the r word] Summary: Plaid-skirted schoolgirls are groomed by a secret government agency to become the newest members of the elite national-defense group, D.E.B.S.

Cast:  -Sara Foster as Amy -Jordana Brewster as Lucy Diamond -Devon Aoki as Dominique -Jill Ritche as Janet -Meagan Good as Max ___

This write up will not be very long because this movie is not working with substantial, in-depth, layered messaging. BUT HOLY SHIT IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. This is a shitty little cult classic that sees a paramilitary agent (who was recruited from some secret questions in the SATs) and a supervillain falling in love and running off into the sunset together. 

So, I’ve seen low budget films that have quite a lot to say and know it can be done, so I was curious about how in-depth this film might go into discussions of law enforcement, mostly because in the evil lair there is a sign that says The Only Good D.E.B. is a Dead D.E.B. But this is a light hearted comedy piece so though we do get Amy literally saying she’s a cop, there is not a whole lot of like anti-cop sentiment or anything in the film. 

The premise is a spy and a supervillian literally crash in to eachother, have some level of instant connection, the spy has her queer awakening and runs off with the supervillian, is rescued essentially mid coitus, and the supervillian is inspired to start returning all of the things she’d stolen over the years in an effort to get Amy to leave D.E.B.S. and just be in love with her. It’s riddled with hilarious sound effects, forcefields made of plaid, and a SECRET TUNNEL! 

What it does is show that the world’s most wanted supervillian is pretty chill, very gay, and has maybe been portrayed as more ruthless than she actually is (yes that is in fact Madam Super Villan dancing with her henchman in the gif above). What it does show is that little Miss Perfect Score on the secret spy test does not want to be a spy but felt obligated to do so because she was good at it. I did enjoy the repeated questioning of standardized testing, Lucy asking what the spy test tests for and Amy realizing that she doesn’t know and never bothered to ask yet that test was deciding her entire future. 

But again this was SO. MUCH. FUN. to watch and I would recommend it to many people even as just like a silly little wind down film if they were in need of a quick pick me up.

Also there was lots of gay kissing, which I feel is important to note. 

Favorite Moment

My favorite moment was Lucy breaking in to the D.E.B.S house to see Amy the first time. What an iconic piece of comedy: the plaid forcefield around the property that matches their school uniform, Lucy cutting a hole in the forcefield with what legitimately looks like a sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who, jumping over laser detectors on the grass that are also plaid, and climbing up the wall with those like hand-held suction cup things with the most hilarious and incredibly incorrect popping motion every time she sticks the suction cup to the wall. 

Favorite Quote 

“Yes, well, the poster child doesn’t know it yet but she’s into me.” 

I love when queer people recognize queer people, and appreciate that because Amy is young and was just getting out of a relationship with her boyfriend that she might not know her own sexuality yet or have a full understanding of what she is feeling. But Lucy Diamond is an established, adult, queer woman who definitely sees the way that Amy is acting around her and understands immediately what is happening. 

Score

10/10 

For this moment alone

THAT SAID. I do feel the need to justify this scoring. I tend to score things by what they put forth, so a show with campier premises and executions like this one would be scored almost exclusively by vibes. Things like The Miracle of Teddy Bear, for example, which takes itself incredibly seriously, has multiple layers of messaging, and incredibly realistic depictions of queerness, homophobia, and domestic violence is something I would score with a number of actual story telling factors in mind. 

This gets a 10 for vibes, I don’t think I had a single critical thought in the entire hour and a half watching it and I was having a fucking BLAST.

[vintage1981]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROLINE MUNRO! 

Caroline Munro (born 16 January 1949 in Windsor, Berkshire) is a British actress and model best known for her many appearances in science fiction and action films of the 1970s and 1980s. According to Munro, her career took off in 1966 when her mother and photographer friend entered some headshots of her to Britain’s The Evening News “Face of the Year” contest.

“I wanted to do art. Art was my love. I went to Art School in Brighton but I was not very good at it. I just did not know what to do. I had a friend at the college who was studying photography and he needed somebody to photograph and he asked me. Unbeknownst to me, he sent the photographs to a big newspaper in London. The famous fashion photographer, David Bailey, was conducting a photo contest and my picture won.” 

This led to modelling chores, her first job being for Vogue Magazine at the age of 17. She moved to London to pursue top modelling jobs and became a major cover girl for fashion and TV ads while there. Decorative bit parts came her way in such films as Casino Royale and Where’s Jack? (1969). One of her many photo ads got her a screen test and a one-year contract at Paramount where she won the role of Richard Widmark’s daughter in the comedy/western A Talent for Loving (1969). 

1969 proved to be a good year for Munro, because it was then that she began a lucrative 10 year relationship with Lamb’s Navy Rum. Her image was plastered all over the country, and this would eventually lead to her next big break.

Hammer Films CEO Sir James Carreras spotted Munro on a Lamb’s Navy Rum poster/billboard. He asked his right hand man, James Liggett, to find and screen test her. She was immediately signed to a one-year contract. Her first film for Hammer proved to be something of a turning point in her career. It was during the making of Dracula AD 1972 that she decided from this film onward she was a full-fledged actress. Up until then she was always considered a model who did some acting on the side.

A string of fantasy and horror roles followed, including starring turns in Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1973), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974), At the Earth’s Core (1976),  The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), StarCrash (1978), Maniac (1980), The Last Horror Film (1982), Faceless (1988), and The Black Cat (1989).

By the 1990s Munro had decided to focus more on her family, daughters, Georgina and Iona, and husband George Dugdale. However, since 2003 Caroline has renewed her interest in acting and has appeared in a number of film and audio productions. Since 2021 Caroline has been presenting the hit television series The Cellar Club for Talking Pictures TV.

The title First Lady of Fantasy was given to Caroline by journalist Steve Swires, who wrote many Starlog and Fangoria (@FANGORIA) articles on the actress in the 1980s and 1990s. 

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Official Website:  http://www.CarolineMunro.org

Representation: Thomas Bowington/Bowington Management

Some of her credits include: Dracula AD 1972 (1972), Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1973), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974), At the Earth’s Core (1976), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), StarCrash (1978), Maniac (1980), The Last Horror Film (1982), Faceless (1988), The Black Cat (1989), Flesh for the Beast (2003), Turpin (2009), Midsomer Murders (2013), The Landlady (2013), Crying Wolf (2015), Vampyres (2015), Cute Little Buggers (2016), Frankula (2017), End User (2018), House of the Gorgon (2019), The Haunting of Margam Castle (2020), Ulalume - A Ballad (2023), The Pocket Film of Superstitions (2023), and the upcoming The Presence of Snowgood (2024).

[100gayicons]

Gay Icon Verka Serduchka

Verka Serduchka (aka Andriy Danylko) is the most famous drag persona in the Ukraine.

Danylko invented the character of Verka Serduchka in 1990. Verka is a flamboyant middle-aged woman from a rural family and makes a living as a railroad sleeping car attendant. Since then Verka has rocketed to stardom.

Verka represented Ukraine in the 2007 Eurovision competition with the song “Dancing Lasha Tumbai”. The selection of Verka was controversial and heavily criticized in local media and by Ukrainian politicians, saying Verka was “grotesque and vulgar". But Verka got the last laugh - the song came in 2nd in a field of 24 countries.

A writer for the British newspaper The Guardian even called "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" as the "best song never to win Eurovision".

Later Verka was a judge on the show that picks future Ukraine Eurovision representatives, and appeared in Melissa McCarthy’s film “Spy” (2015). Verka also judged on X-Factor on Ukrainian TV (2016-2019) and The Masked Singer (2021).

Although Andriy Danylko threatened to retire his Verka persona, he continue to perform in drag - especially as a voice against Russian’s invasion of Ukraine. Verka has performed in numerous fundraisers for Ukraine.

Verka sold Freddie Mercury’s 1974 Rolls Royce at auction in 2022, for £250,000. The auction house waved fees and the buyers premium. So that entire proceeds (£286,250 or $327,600) were donated to help fund a modern rehabilitation and prosthesis center in Ukraine for victims of the war.

Andrii Danylko was awarded the Order of Merit Third Class in 2022 by the President of the Ukraine.

Danylko has stated that he does not appear in drag outside of performing as Verka. It’s also been reported he occasionally dates women. But Verka is still an inspirational LGBT+ icon.

2007 Eurovision performance

[doomspiral]

Doom's Movie Rec List

Some of these are bangers, some of these are the worst thing I have ever seen in my life, but I think they are all worth watching and enjoying one way or another. Sometimes the enjoyment is cringe and sometimes its staring at a wall for three hours. <3

The seventh seal (1957)

Classic chess game with Death film, I presume the entire thing is Bergman staring into the soul of the viewer in dead silence until you can read his mind.

The cabinet of Dr. Caligary (1920)

Strange, lurching, I watched this in German without knowing enough to keep up and I believe my confusion added to the experience.

Atomic blonde (2017)

This is my favorite movie. This is the one that I can't stop rewriting in my fics. I can't get the "lies" soliloquy out of my mind. My soul is tied to this fillum. Hot insane woman does a lot of violence, kisses women, beats up a guy who truly deserves it. Iron Curtain Spy Nonsense.

Hackers (1994)

Am I depressing you? Good, watch Hackers to experience child-like wonder and also see a grown man skateboard down a foggy street in the middle of the night to harass the homosexual teenagers (and slim shady) he's beefing with.

The core (2003)

This is not a good movie. But there is a little freak in there named "Rat" who I am obsessed with.

Angel's egg (1985)

This is the kind of movie where you have to not try to figure out what's going on and instead let it take you by the hands, just experience it, just keep your mouth shut and your mind at rest and you can consider the implications afterward when its safe.

Princess mononoke (1997)

I watched this as a child and saw those beasts dissolve into bloody worms and apparently that left a lasting mark on my brain.

Nausicaä of the valley of wind (1984)

I actually read the manga for this one but this is a movie rec list, so please go watch this for the death and rebirth vibes, and some mild foeyay yuri.

Invasion of the body snatchers (1978)

Horror movie that's odd and disturbing and clearly betraying some better dead than red fears, worth it for the horrible despicable freakish noise the guy makes at the end while pointing at the viewer.

Strange days (1995)

Please read up on this before watching it, it revolves around a fictional, then-futuristic critique of the adult film industry, HEAVY focus on the capitalistic dehumanization and devaluing of human life.

Underworld (2003)

Bad asses in leather fighting monsters. Core memory.

Blade (1998)

Bad asses in leather fighting monsters but maybe you need a break from how white this whole movie list is overall. That's okay, I see you, this vampire flick fucks severe.

Fright night (1985, 2011)

The first movie is pretty campy (fun) but the remake dug into my actual stressors and fears and scared the lights from my eyes for a day or two. Welcome... to FrrrighT NighT.

Dracula (1931, 1992)

First movie is a classic, this is thee one with the guy crawling around like a lizard and there's armadillos for no reason. The 90's version has no business being as deranged as it is and for this it is a core personality trait movie.

Fast&furious: Tokyo drift (2006)

Not sure I would say this is peak cinema but it's a racing movie that falls in line with the F&F tradition of being clearly in love with the entire premise, location, and cast. Rent free.

Drive (2011)

I like this movie because it is not about the guy getting the girl, it is about doing the right thing every single time because that's what it takes to be a real human bean. being. whichever. I was so obnoxious about this movie when I watched it with my now-ex gf that I wish I could siphon the memory of it out of her brain, because I kept pointing at actors I knew.

Green room (2015)

This is the best punk parable I can think of. Litany against not reading the room, litany against being the hero when there's no one to save, litany against thinking shared trauma is gonna get you any pussy.

Lords of chaos (2018)

I'm obsessed with the band Mayhem there is no other explanation.

There will be blood (2007)

WILD WEST TOXIC YAOI. I'm not apologizing for this summary and I'm not elaborating.

Butch Cassidy and the sundance kid (1969)

I don't know. I watched this in the wee hours of the morning with my best friend and actually cried about it. Doomed criminals and a famous final stand.

Saw (2004)

I used to watch Saw movies when I lived in the trailer park while hiding from my family in a neighbor's place so I don't know if these movies are good or if I needed to watch tortureporn to relax bcs the roof leaked on my bed when it rained? But I think everyone should at least watch the first movie or how are you going to play any games?

Chernobyl diaries (2012)

I walked out of this movie shaking head to toe and couldn't think about anything else for months. I don't think I'd be as scared now but I can't say if that's because I'm not 16 anymore. Warning against going into a dangerous situation with a guy you met off Craigslist.

Constantine (2005)

Demon hoards, evil angels, catholic bullshit, 9/10.

The neverending story (1984)

Well after all that let's reinstate some whimsy into our souls again bcs this is the Jim Henson Power Hour. This one is just a solid entry point into "puppets are fun and practical effects are my best friend".

The dark crystal (1982)

My babysitters put this on for me as a bed-time story when I was five (5) years old and I do not believe I slept, I think they regretted this and had to tell my parents what they did. But now I will never stop making Skeksis noises at people I love.

Labyrinth (1986)

Y'know the phenomenon of alt teens and preteens dating young adult men who are total and complete losers, including actual band members? It's not that this pre-dates any of that, but I believe it does a good job representing it through the lens of a modern fairy tale. Like when you watch this you have to realize this is wish fulfillment for people who want to be Sarah because their age-gap goth boyfriend in the real world is a manipulative disappointment.

Pacific rim (2013)

Love letter to the mecha and kaiju genre(s). Makes no sense, compels me though.

Eurotrip (2004)

This is the movie "Scotty doesn't know" is from. Some high schoolers fuck off to Europe and have the most misadventure possible. It's somehow exactly the kind of cringe humor you would expect from the 00's without being cruel or overly disgusting. I used to watch a lot of really bad 00's comedies and this is a good one I promise. Scussie.

Hamlet (1996)

Personality point, I think this is the best version on film because the guy actually looks like how I envisioned Hamlet. Ignore your girl! Avenge your dad!

Advantageous (2015)

This movie goes in on the connection between race and class in a sci-fi future where you can change the former through predatory, dangerous cosmetic surgery.

Gravity (2013)

This is my go-to movie when I need to sob like a sick little baby. Space travel as a metaphor for motherhood, spaceships as the womb, scientists are the babies who left their babies back on earth. It's about what you give up in the name of fulfilling your human urge for the unknown.

All clear on the western front (2022)

Thee anti-war fillum. Very well done. I never recovered from one of the final scenes to the point I wrote a final paper on it. Without spoiling it, the Ending gave me the feeling of when you're a kid and you want to go play, but you're grounded and you fall asleep listening to your friends outside in the street. I hope this sentence ruins your life if you watch this movie.

Inglorious basterds (2009)

They lock some nazis in a theatre and set them on fire, good cinema.

Shadow dancer (2012)

Domhnall Gleeson in one of his classically pathetic twink roles but its about British imperial violence and Irish reactionary violence.

Logan (2017)

Good art film, a story about dementia, legacies, and why putting children in cages is fucking evil.

The batman (2022)

Weird art film, next question.

Joker (2019)

I do not care about the opinions of straight men who watch things uncritically, this is a good movie because of the depictions of poverty in the US. I don't believe this needed to be about the DC Joker this should have been a standalone art film about a mime.

Dragonheart (1996)

Medieval era dragon nonsense, I will never be convinced this is a bad movie.

Sleeping beauty (1959)

Personality trait was rooting for the dragon.

Snow dogs (2002)

I'm not defending this one it stands on its own, please watch this movie if you wanna see Cuba Gooding Jr. bite a husky's ear so it'll stop ruining his life.

Luck of the irish (2001)

This movie is genuinely so bad I have considered it some kind of hate crime since the day it came out, because I watched this the day it was a direct-to-TV movie. I think I was too young to feel insulted but I was deeply, deeply bemused.

Black swan (2010)

There is a woman inside her and she is trying to crash the plane. Can I get away with calling this foe-yay yuri also? I'm going to.

I, tonya (2017)

Sufjan Stevens' song "Tonya Harding in Eb major" makes me so unreasonably emotional, so one day I watched this movie and then the film of the 1988 Calgary Olympics in the living room while all of my housemates had to sneak around in the dark. This is just a solid movie about ambition, betrayal, abuse, tragedy, and having to get over it and move on because you're not dead yet.

Phantom of the opera (2004)

Whatever was going on in Labyrinth, this is the adult version. Weird man in a sewer possessing a soprano. I think there's some gender happening here but it gets a little lost under the love(?) triangle.

A knights tale (2001)

Just go watch some more medieval nonsense, it's good for you, its fun.

White chicks (2004)

I'm not defending this choice, it's a good movie. "You were thinking it" "Yeah but you said it" there are some phrases you could use to see if I had been replaced with a body double and this is one of them.

Heathers (1988)

Ouughhgh ough oh. Personality trait. Watched this because I kept listening to the musical soundtrack, love both but agree the themes are much tighter in the movie. This is just a fun schlock to tell teens life is stupid and difficult and bad things will happen, so don't abandon your friends.

Priscilla queen of the desert (1994)

Classic homo fillum, if you wonder why I write Gilbert Like That it's partially because of the mean little fruit from this movie. It's about the Aussie drag scene and who belongs in the queer community.

300 (2006)

I'm not sure that I would call this a "good" movie, but it's a classic as far as I'm concerned. This is the "THIS IS SPARTA" movie.

The foreigner (2017)

I actually don't remember the plot of this one too solidly but the suspense and action were solid, and I enjoyed the setup. Good for if you wanna be really pissed off for two hours.

Conan the barbarian (1982)

Look at me. Look into my eyes. You're going to watch this movie. You're going to think about the wheel of pain and you're going to go wow, this is so stupid. Don't look away I'm not done. You're going to watch this movie and then you're going to get a couple of paper towel tubes and find someone to beat the shit out of each other with the tubes.

Law abiding citizen (2009)

I don't know I think watching this movie changed my brain chemistry in very special ways. Guy fucking loses it and becomes a problem for his local community by kidnapping and torturing people who killed his family. Cathartic and vile.

Black dog (1998)

:D DO YOU WANNA WATCH AN ACTION MOVIE ABOUT AN 18-WHEELER?

The hunt for red october (1990)

Almost forgot this one. Lithuanian Submariner off the shits, goes rogue, I'm not sure what accent Sean Connery is going for, I get the impression he just showed up to gigs and did whatever he wanted.

[jasonsutekh]

James Bond (Craig): Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), S.P.E.C.T.R.E. (2015), and No Time to Die (2021)

The famous agent navigates several missions fraught with treachery and history coming back to demand consequence.

 One of the more attractive aspects of the modern Bond movies is the high quality of the image which shows the varied and aesthetically engaging locations to give the story scale. This contrasts the iconography of familiar aspect which are often simpler like a car or drink. What improves most is there’s a recognisable minor cast who get a much more active role in the narrative.

 All the narratives are naturally very reliant on action which lengthens the run-time a great deal without adding anything intellectual so one’s mind can tune out for long periods. The series reuses the femme fatale trope in roughly the same way which gives it a diminishing effect and the investigations also get so complex in some that they become almost irrelevant. Most of the themes are good visually but the songs are weakest in Solace which isn’t too memorable and No Time to Die which is slow too minimal.

 The villains are consistently strong, mainly thanks to the actors who play them. The stories bring modernity to the classic style which makes it relevant to new audiences, there’s some great subtext about espionage industries and new forms of warfare. Craig’s Bond has a little more subtlety at times which is likeable and there’s even a little homosexual references allowed which is unusual for a series which reflects such a traditionally unhealthy masculinity.

 The weakest installment is probably Solace because it follows straight on from the previous one but doesn’t add much which is new so it feels like more of a filler piece. The newer ones have fewer interesting gadgets, presumably to distance itself from science fiction. The last villain is effective but the back story isn’t explained sufficiently which leaves the character disappointing.

 Casino Royale: 4/10 -It’s below average, but only just!-

 Quantum of Solace: 3/10 -This one’s bad but it’s got some good in it, just there-

 Skyfall: 5/10 -Can’t find a better example of average-

 S.P.E.C.T.R.E.: 5/10 -Can’t find a better example of average-

 No Time to Die: 4/10 -It’s below average, but only just!-

 -The later Bond films finally remark on the changing face of the agent which provides a way to make all previous Bond films part of the same canon.

-Solace marked the first film in the franchise to be a direct follow-on from a previous film.

-The first time “fuck” or any of its derivatives are used in the franchise is in Skyfall by M.

[ramon-tikaram-love]

Ramon Tikaram is a British actor and singer of Indo-Fijian and Malaysian descent, born in 1967.

feel free to browse and interact.

• tags list •

TV series

this life (1996-1997)

daylight robbery (2000)

judge john deed (2001)

dream team (2002)

mile high (2003)

silent witness (2004)

murphy's law (2005)

nathan barley (2005)

tripping over (2006)

wired (2008)

primeval (2008-2009)

my spy family (2007-2009)

m.i. high (2011)

eastenders (2009-2012)

white heat (2012)

father brown (2013)

game of thrones (2013)

moving on (2009-2013)

law & order: uk (2013-2014)

stella (2015)

man down (2013-2015)

new tricks (2015)

midsomer murders (2016)

casualty (1997-2016)

happy valley (2014-2016)

the coroner (2016)

death in paradise (2017)

fortitude (2015-2017)

hetty feather (2017)

shakespeare & hathaway: private investigators (2018)

lee & dean (2018)

flowers (2018)

the victim (2019)

feel good (2020)

the great (2021)

brassic (2019-2021)

the curse (2022)

murder, they hope (2022)

pennyworth (2019-2022)

love rat (2024)

renegade nell (2024)

tell me everything (2024)

kaos (2024)

movies

kama sutra: a tale of love (1996)

code name: wolverine (1996)

supply & demand (1997)

krakatoa: the last days (2006)

mischief night (2006)

the ruby in the smoke (2006)

dean spanley (2008)

endgame (2009)

the kidnap diaries (2012)

vampire academy (2014)

jupiter ascending (2015)

dragonfly (2015)

5 greedy bankers (2016)

boogie man (2018)

solo: a star wars story (deleted scene) (2018)

fisherman's friends: one and all (2022)

the hunting of the snark (rec. 2019, rel. 2023)

games

dead space (2009-2011)

dragon age: inquisition (2014)

need for speed: payback (2017)

overwatch (2022)

short films

broken eternity (2012)

cowboy ben (2014)

theatre

gaddafi: a living myth (2006)

the king and i (2011)

other

the mighty boosh (2005)

jackanory junior: let's go home, little bear (2007)

unit: the new series (2015-2018)

singing

my drawings 🍓

my writings 🍋

unavailable media

please help me find the unavailable media if you can

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

End of month update - June

Hello, all! This is the end-of-month update, where I post Tumblr’s current top four films that have received the highest percentage of “yes,” “no,” and “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes.

As of today, the top four films with the highest percentage of “yes” votes are:

Finding Nemo (2003) | Shrek (2001) | Monsters, Inc. (2001) | The Lion King (1994)

Next, the top four films with the highest percentage of “no” votes are:

Sausage Party (2016) | Pinocchio(2019) | Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014) | All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Finally, the top four films with the highest percentage of “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes are:

Faat Kiné (2001) | Now Add Honey (2015) | Like a Cat on a Highway (2017) | Dean Spanley (2008)

This top four changed through the new additions of Faat Kiné (2001) and Now Add Honey (2015), which replaced Monica and Friends: Bonds (2019) and Monsturd (2003).

Currently, The Incredibles (2004) is the still the only film to receive absolutely zero “haven’t heard of this” votes.

That’s it for June’s end-of-month update! Remember that you can view last month’s update by clicking here. Additionally, you can view the full ranked Letterboxd lists of movies that have come up on this blog by clicking the following links:

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “yes” votes.

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “no” votes.

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes.

Remember to vote on the polls that are currently running: The Road Within (2014) | About a Boy (2002) | Spy Kids (2001) | Frozen II (2019) | High Noon (1952) | Horns (2013) | Im Himmel ist die Hölle los (1984) | In Bruges (2008) | Sideways (2004) | Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998) | Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie: Black Dream Hole (1995) | Mamma Mia! (2008) | Down with Love (2003) | Stonehenge Apocalypse (2010) | This is Spinal Tap (1984) | The Kids Are Alright (1979) | Lisztomania (1975) | A Little Chaos (2014) | Redline (2009) | The Stepford Wives (1975) | Blancanieves (2012) | Clerks (1994) | Promising Young Woman (2020) | What's Up, Doc? (1972) | The Apple (1980) | Broken (1993) | The Virgin Suicides (1999) | The Phantom of the Opera (2004) | The Wolf Man (1941) | The Boxtrolls (2014) | Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) | The Perfect Score (2004) | The Man from Earth (2007) | Shapeshifter (1999) | The Lighthouse (2019)

Also, remember that the ask box will open for requests some time before July 4th! There will be a post announcing when it's open, so keep an eye out for that if you'd like to request some movies!

[justabigoldnerd]

So my lovely mother has always been my biggest, unconditional supporter. She'll listen to me go off about fandoms and characters she's never heard of and will be genuinely interested and even read the fanfiction I send her (STRICTLY the not sexual stuff lmao).

Herein lies the admittedly hilarious problem.

My latest obsession is TMFU (2015), and she's been listening to me talk up and down about these characters and the film, but she's never seen it. Part of my ranting sometimes involves lamenting the misfortune of Illya being played by the pest he's played by and listing who I wish they would recast for him. My top pick is Alexander Skarsgård. My mom LOVES Alexander Skarsgård. And every time I mention wanting him to replace he-who-shall-not-be-named, she nods and says;

"He plays gay really well."

Which has made me come to realize that my mom is FULLY under the impression that this 2015 60s spy movie is CANONICALLY and explicitly queer.

I have made a terrible mistake.

She's gonna be SO disappointed when I "force" (she wants the record to state that I'm not forcing her if she's willingly watching it) to watch it and it's not at all queer, other than maybe some homoerotic subtext lmao

For added context, my mom is bisexual and polyamorous and I probably definitely got my "no such thing as love triangles, they're all in love" from her 😅