#Star Beast 1978

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

DO THEY EXPERIENCE FEAR ON OTHER WORLDS? -- IS DEEP SPACE INFINITE?

PIC INFO: Spotlight on isolated artwork of the "Star Beast," c. 1978, artwork by Joe Petagno, from the science fiction novel of the same name written by Robert A Heinlein, published in 1954.

EXTRA INFO: Joe Petagno artwork from the first printing of the 1978 edition published by the New English Library (NEL).

Source: www.picuki.com/media/3059425116371366894.

[60s-heartshaped-chevrolet]

SPECIFIC MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS #1

🌙✨ Gothic Fairy-Tale Films with Strong Female Leads ✨🌙

🍒❤️‍🔥Hey lovelies,

If you're like me find endless inspiration in the aesthetics of gothic fairy-tales, then you're in for a treat! I've created a list of enchanting atmospheric films, perfect for a cozy evening with your favorite tea.

To start with, of course, an absolute classic: a folk horror, menstrual tale with possibly the most aesthetically beautiful frames I've ever experienced in cinema. I constantly post something from this film on my blogs.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970): This surreal Czechoslovakian film follows young Valerie as she discovers a dreamlike world filled with vampires and magic. It's a visually stunning exploration of adolescence and awakening womanhood.

2. Daughters of Darkness (1971): This cult classic Belgian horror film features a mysterious, seductive countess who preys on young lovers in a deserted hotel. it’s a hypnotic blend of gothic allure and vampiric intrigue.

3. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979): Werner Herzog's remake of the classic silent version. The film captures the gothic essence with stunning visuals and a chilling, melancholic tone. It's a mesmerizing exploration of fear and beauty.

4. The Vampire Lovers (1970): This Hammer Horror classic stars Ingrid Pitt as the alluring vampire Carmilla, who preys on young women in a secluded 19th-century village. it’s a captivating blend of horror and sensuality.

5. Beauty and the Beast (1978): This dark fantasy film, directed by Juraj Herz, offers a unique and eerie retelling of the classic fairy tale.Ideal for those who love a blend of dark romance and fairy-tale magic.

6. Viy (1967): This Soviet horror film, based on Nikolai Gogol's novella, follows a young priest who must spend three nights watching over the body of a witch in a haunted church. With its eerie atmosphere, stunning special effects, and deep roots in Slavic folklore, it's a captivating blend of supernatural horror and gothic fantasy.

That's all for today. I have many more films like these saved on my watchlist, so once I find some gems, I'll make another list. You can also look forward to a list of my favorite old fairy tales adaptations.

Kisses 💌💌

[thehubby]

Okay, so live action superhero movies haven't been my jam for a few years now. My dwindling embers were practically exinguished, One-For-All-style, with Infinity War and the DCEU has been basically a trash heap (Birds of Prey was pretty good, Suicide Squad was okay to put on while doing chores, but the mainstream stuff, ugh). But I have to say, with the Superman trailer that dropped today, there is hope. Obviously, this is early, we know nothing concrete, and trailers can lie. But this looks like the first great Superman movie in decades. There is a distinct patterning -- and yet modernizing -- of the immortal Superman from 1978, and I am here for it.

Superman 1978 font, John Williams' iconic musical theme: check. (Also, drops on my birthday, nice.)

"No fucks to give" reporter Lois Lane: check. I have no idea who Rachel Brosnahan is, but she absolutely appears to capture what I would expect Margot Kidder's Lois Lane to be in 2025.

"Slightly goofy, mild-mannered reporter" Clark Kent: check. The posture, the non-cool hair, the expression, the just-slightly-off suit. They actually manage to nail it in a way that even Henry Cavill (whom I greatly respect for being a fan and wanting an authentic Superman) couldn't. Look at this guy. There's no way he could be Superman. (Unlike many movies, his hair does seem to change when he becomes Superman.)

Close ties to the adoptive family that give him the humanity and ideals he strives for instead of the philosophy of Jor-El? Check. A 64-year-old Pruitt Taylor Vince is an interesting choice for Johnathan Kent. In the 1978 film, Glenn Ford was a strong, masculine figure (despite his age) who nevertheless raised Clark on the concepts of being helpful, gentle, not showing off his powers, not crushing everyone else. But here, Johnathan is visibly aged, overweight, balding, frail and all the more imperfect. He is weak and inferior to Clark in seemingly every way except presumably his humanity.

Okay, so their Lex Luthor is not going to be Gene Hackman. That's okay, Hackman was a great Luthor for the Superfriends era, but in today's age, hokey aloofness is not what we expect. Much like the Joker, Luthor also evolves with the times. This one is driven by wealth sure, but also he just hates Superman with a passion. Nicholas Hoult (Nux from Fury Road and Beast in the modern X-Men movies) might just be able to pull it off.

Note that while this Lex appears much more serious, according to Wikipedia they're bringing back Miss Tessmacher and Otis, two of Lex's associates from the 1978 and 1980 films.

I expect a significant story moment will be Luthor using his wealth and influence to turn the public against Superman, possibly through ploys like Lexor City where Superman was tricked into destroying an energy-producing device and damaging the city in the process.

Oh, and this Luthor-Superman rivalry? Ties into something else really exciting about this movie: All Star Superman, one of the all-time great Superman stories. There are clearly elements of that story contained within this, from what looks like the threat of a Sun-Eater to Superman's robots falling in battle. And while I'd rather they did a full-on All-Star story instead of just putting little bits and pieces in here, we should take what we can get.

All-in-all, this seems like a great modern retelling of a movie that I still enjoy to this day despite its obvious cheesiness and near-camp at times. I've actually a tiny bit excited.

BONUS POINTS: they're obviously willing to have fun with the franchise despite the obvious seriousness of a murderous Luthor and border conflicts in impoverished countries. Because they're including Kypyto the Superdog:

DOUBLE BONUS POINTS: Nathan Fillion as totally authentic, clown-ass-arrogant-jerk-surprising-decent-dude Guy Gardner:

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

We always headcanon Hobie being a nerd and a geek and loving modern nerd stuff like video games and binge watching shows and stuff like that but uhh

Where's the love for RetroGeek!Hobie???

Hobie's from 1978. The Original Star Trek came out '66.

Star Wars: A New Hope came out 77'. Halloween came out 78'. Like!!!!!!!!!

Hobie being a trekkie? Him LOVING Star Wars and sneaking in to see it over and over!!

Hobie loving old slasher horrors, the more fake syrupy blood the better

Him going to arcades and DOMINATING. Going full beast mode on the slick brand spanking new Space Invaders cabinet (released 78')

Isn't that adorable! He ties a string to a quarter with gum so he can get free plays cause he knows the arcade only upped the difficulty anyway

Retro Nerdy 70s Geek!Hobie I love you

[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).

[doctorwho2022]

Doctor Who episodes that aired on the 25th of November…

In 1967, The Ice Warriors Three

In 1978, The Androids of Tara Part One

In 2018, The Witchfinders

In 2023, The Star Beast

[soulmusicsongs]

Soul Around The World in 25 tracks

Soul music became popular around the world, influencing countless artists across the world. We’ve put together a list with 25 awesome soul tracks form Africa, Asia, Europa and Latin America.

African Hustle - Geraldo Pino (Boogie Fever, 1978) - Sierra Leone

Ahl Jedba - Fadoul (Al Jedba / Al Hayra, 197?) - Maroc

Durban Bump Jive - Thomas Motshwane (Pretoria Bump Jive / Durban Bump Jive, 1975) - South Africa

Funky But… - Mads Vinding Group (Danish Drive, 1974) - Denmark

Gandjal Kessoum - Hamad Kalkaba And The Golden Sounds (Gandjal Kessoum / Toufle, 1975) - Cameroon

Hot Pot - Francois de Louville (La Complainte Du Partisan / Hot Pot, 1969) - France

Jazz Goes to Beat I - Václav Zahradník Big Band (Jazz Goes to Beat, 1970) - The Czech Republic

Jangolo (Les Mangues) - Jo Tongo ( Jangolo, 1976) - Cameroon

Lagos Sisi - Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats (Lagos Sisi / Jeka Dubu, 1973) - Nigeria

Major Minor - Crazy Casey (The Beast And I, 1967) - The Netherlands

Malombo Blues - Malombo (Pele Pele, 1976) - South Africa

Matshatsha - Trio Madjesi & Orchestre Sosoliso (Matshatsha / Good Bye Yuna, 1973) - Zaïre

Mbaye Sasu - Le Xalam (Daïda, 1975) - Senegal

Nadim - Freh Khodja (Bachar Fi Leil, 1978) - Algeria

Na Man Pass Man (Na Iron De Cut Iron) - Pasteur Lappe (a Man Pass Man, 1979) - Cameroon

Nana - The Lulus Band (Nana / Ndiregete Twendane, 1976) - Kenya

N'Zambi - Lilly Tchiumba (N'Zambi É Deus, 1973) - Angola

Passage To Prerov - Jack van Poll Tree-Oh (Hi Jackin', 1972) - The Netherlands

Ray Mbelle - Orchestre Baobab Gouye Guy De Dakar (Ken Dou Werente, 1983) - Senegal

Roll On The Left Side - Knut Kiesewetter Train (Stop! Watch! And Listen!, 1970) - Germany

Sesion Verde - Toño Quirazco (Soul Makossa, 1973) - Mexico

Streap-Tease In The Stars - Sirarcusa (Give Me Your Love / Streap-Tease In The Stars, 1977) - Spain

Wait… No Hurry - Grotto-II (Wait… No Hurry, 1978) - Nigeria

Waqtach Tef'hem - Les Frères Mégri (Younes Et Mahmoud, 1977) - Marocco

Way Back Fifties - The Drive (Can You Feel It, 1975) - South Africa

More Soul Around the World

Soul Around the World in 24 tracks

Soul Around The World

Soul Around The World in 34 songs

Soul Around The World in 27 Songs

Soul Around the World in 20 tracks

Soul Around The World in 22 tracks

Soul Around The World in 33 songs

Soul Around The World in 20 tracks

[justforbooks]

Paul Di’Anno

Lead singer with the heavy metal band Iron Maiden in the 70s

The defining event in the singing career of Paul Di’Anno – and one whose influence he never managed to escape – was his departure from the London-based heavy metal band Iron Maiden in 1981.

Having joined in 1978, Di’Anno recorded an EP and two pioneering albums with the group, but disputes with the bandleader Steve Harris over musical direction, as well as his own unreliable behaviour, led the group to fire him.

The shadow of Iron Maiden lingered over Di’Anno, who has died aged 66, for the next 40 years, with a sequence of briefly successful projects mostly alluding to his former membership of one of the world’s biggest bands. After his departure he quickly descended into a chaotic lifestyle blighted by substance abuse.

“When you’re fucked up on drugs and alcohol you turn into a complete prick,” he admitted while promoting his 2010 autobiography, The Beast, which included endless tales of drunken aggression, unpleasantly graphic encounters with groupies and confrontations with gang members and police officers, as well as incidents of domestic violence. One of these led to a prison sentence in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, after he assaulted a girlfriend with a knife while high on cocaine.

Di’Anno was born Paul Andrews in Chingford, Essex, to a Brazilian father and an English mother: he also used the surname Taylor after his mother remarried. As a teenager he worked as a butcher and chef while singing with a punk band, supposedly called the Paedophiles. His break came when he met Harris in 1978 at the Red Lion pub in Leytonstone and auditioned for Iron Maiden, which Harris had founded three years previously. Joining the band, he adopted the surname Di’Anno.

An untrained but compelling singer, Di’Anno’s raspy, aggressive vocals suited the songs that Iron Maiden recorded for an acclaimed 1979 EP, The Soundhouse Tapes, and their first, self-titled album, released a year later. The early lineup – Di’Anno and Harris plus drummer Clive Burr and the guitarists Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton – built a loyal following in London, particularly at the Ruskin Arms in East Ham, with the weekly rock music magazine Sounds labelling the movement they led “the new wave of British heavy metal”.

Iron Maiden and its lead single Running Free were minor hits, with the latter accompanied by an appearance on Top of the Pops, but the Di’Anno-fronted version of the group gained its greatest public exposure in 1985 when one of the album’s songs, Phantom of the Opera, soundtracked a TV advert for the energy drink Lucozade, starring the athlete Daley Thompson.

By then Di’Anno and Iron Maiden had long since parted ways. The group’s second album, Killers (1981), was more musically complex than their debut: unhappy with this new direction and with the prospect of extended months on the road, the singer sought distraction in substance abuse, consuming up to five grams of cocaine and a bottle of tequila per day, he later recalled. He was subsequently sacked from the band, relinquishing his share of the group’s recordings for £50,000: Iron Maiden recruited a new singer, Bruce Dickinson, and went on to enormous success with a series of high-selling albums and tours.

Left to his own devices, the singer formed a series of heavy metal bands, the first of which, Di’Anno, released a self-titled album in 1984 to limited success. He was briefly a member of Gogmagog and spent the rest of the 80s with a new band, Battlezone.

From 1990 onwards Di’Anno fronted the band Killers, and despite an erratic lifestyle and legal problems he made a living from touring in Europe and Brazil, where he lived in his later years. “In South America we’re absolutely bloody huge, so it makes you feel a bit deflated when you do a small pub and club tour [in the UK],” he told one interviewer.

In 2011 Di’Anno was sentenced to nine months in prison in the UK after being convicted of fraud, although he was released for good behaviour after two months. While performing concerts around the world, he had claimed benefits of £45,000 from the Department of Work and Pensions, stating that nerve damage to his back made him unable to work.

By 2020 he was genuinely suffering from lymphedema of the knee, which obliged him to sing from a wheelchair on stage. His injury was resolved after a crowdfunding campaign and a donation by Iron Maiden, with whom Di’Anno had maintained a distant but mostly cordial relationship.

He was married five times and fathered six children: with the exception of his first wife, Beverley, he kept details of his family members private.

🔔 Paul Di’Anno (Paul Andrews), singer, born 17 May 1958; death announced 21 October 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[electronickingdomfox]

"The Starless World" review

Novel from 1978, by Gordon Eklund. It begins with Kirk reading "War and Peace" in bed, when he gets a call from Spock: they've found a lone shuttlecraft, with a man inside who claims to be Jesus Christ. Okay, you got me hooked! I found this novel quite enjoyable and it kept my interest at all times. It's also well-written, and offers a rare glimpse in the characters' private lives from time to time. My main complaint is that the ending was way too rushed, as if the author realized he had a limit of pages and had to solve everything quick, with a literal deus ex machina.

Some spoilers under the cut:

Well, it turns out the man inside the shuttlecraft is not Jesus Christ, but Thomas Clayton. A previous roommate of Kirk in the Academy, whom he had to report for cheating at exams. The man feels quite a lot of resentment for Kirk, but he has also turned completely mad since his disappearance many years ago. He claims to be actually dead, and be the envoy of a god, Ay-nab. He's put inside an isolation cell, but escapes after knocking McCoy out (this doesn't stop McCoy from doing what he does best, even with a bandaged head: mill around the bridge to annoy Spock).

The Enterprise is suddenly attracted by an inescapable force, and sucked into a Dyson sphere. This is a massive hollow sphere with a star at its center. Inside, it's like those snow globes, where there's a little world in the middle of the glass ball. Something like that but in giant scale. Upon beaming down with Sulu and Uhura, Kirk finds out the world, called Lyra, is a literal paradise. They also come into contact with the natives of the only village that seems to exist there. The natives insist that the star inside the sphere is their god, Ay-nab, something that Kirk can't believe at first.

It soon becomes apparent that something's rotten in Lyra, though. The natives talk about the Strangers, people that their god claims for himself, to feed on them. They're more active at night, like zombies. Also, the constant vigilance of the star, only interrupted by the brief eclipses caused by the inner world's moons, starts feeling truly as a "God is watching you" situation. A Klingon ship has been trapped inside Lyra too. And the Klingons seem all too friendly with Kirk, and too eager to escape that place. The reason: Lyra is travelling straight into a black hole.

That's as far as the plot goes, which I don't feel the need to spoil any further. It's not particularly original, but it's entertaining. Many things are similar to the TOS episode "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky". I have to give props to the "lady of the day" in this novel, Ola. She's quite likable, brave and useful, and gets to save Kirk (and everyone else) in the end. Ever since Kirk rescued her from a beast, she insists that Kirk is her husband (though he says they're just good friends). She's described as pretty, and Kirk's rejection is probably due to the fact she's written more as a little girl than an adult. Ah! By the way, she's also literally a white-furred chimpanzee, like all the other natives of Lyra.

One thing I liked in this book are those little scenes with the crew, where nothing relevant to the plot is happening, but that flesh them out as persons. Sulu teaches magic tricks with cards to Ola, yet another weird hobby he got into lately. Kirk, McCoy and Uhura are bored in the bridge and start an increasingly absurd debate about the meaning of the phrase "a needle in a haystack" (you know, that kind of conversations that pop out among coworkers when you're tired and bored and becoming a bit unhinged). McCoy tries to tell Spock a riddle, but Spock interrupts him all the time to point out all the inconsistencies in his tale. And it's so obvious he's actually messing with him. Actually, Spock is kind of funny in this book. He's in full logical mode, but with this underlying sarcasm that lets you know he's quite a bitch deep inside. There's also a surprising amount of backstory for Uhura. We learn a lot about her childhood in Senegal and her father (who she gets to meet! well, kind of...). I think that TOS writers in this era had a greater leeway to invent details for the characters, with less constraints from established canon. Unfortunately, the rushed ending doesn't explore the aftermath of Uhura's plot in the novel.

Spirk Meter: 2/10*. Very, very little. But there's one point where Kirk informs Spock that he's going to meet the Klingons alone, and Spock becomes suddenly quite emotional about the danger (as happened in "Devil in the Dark", when Kirk's alone with the horta). In fact, Kirk is disturbed by the emotional display, and says he didn't know about the depth of Spock's feelings on the issue.

Apart from this, Spock leans on McCoy to smell his breath and check if he's drunk. Which, for a Vulcan, suggests an awful lot of familiarity. They're a bit clingy with each other while on the planet, as well.

Also, there's a comedic bit, where Kirk wakes up in sickbay after going through hell, and finds Scotty's face, hovering over him, "the most gorgeous sight he had ever witnessed in his life".

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[wildflowerteas]

hella has officially joined the tsp book club! part 2 of our reactions pending lmao those were some very intense hours

if this was an irl socratic circle i would pay to be a fly on the wall. I FUCKED UP BY ADDING TWO MARGARETS THATS MY BAD. they'll be distinguished in upcoming dialogue. Brown goes by 'Maggie' n_n. Precinct 1 breakroom has seen some things. Also, yes! The DA prosecutes for the state! In a civil dispute, it's person to person going before a judge. But in criminal cases, the government is trying to put you away, not receive money/fair compensation for damages, so the DA does that work.

Your flabbers will be gasted 😭 might need to start using that.

BEAST tag is there for a reason! I only tagged it 'beast skk' so that people wouldn't expect the same dynamics or roles for the other characters ( like akutagawa sibling dynamic ), but of course, if skk is beast-au inspired it would naturally affect a few of the characters closest to them as well. Also, Skk is slowly but surely devolving into the aesthetic of their BEAST counterparts. Dazai hasn't been written in that brown coat for a good while now. The white suit at the New Year's party was also a deliberate choice.

never seen or read All my Sons all the way through, but i've encounted this quote in the wild:

“...he'll come back. We all come back, Kate. These private little revolutions always die. The compromise is always made. In a peculiar way. Frank is right-- every man does have a star. The star of one's honesty. And you spend your life groping for it, but once it's out it never lights again. I don't think he went very far. He probably just wanted to be alone to watch his star go out.”

---and i absolutely loved it and have been influenced by it.

i would be sat for that essay honestly.

. . . yes. it's the same diner. implied only, but i do have art in the drafts of skk on a case-date of milkshakes and files with skk in the same seats to parallel it.

Kouyou's assimilation!!!!! I can't believe Rori noticed that!! yes, she's almost always mentioned in a kimono, tying an obi, or wearing her haori, and even needed Chuuya to translate for her during their first years together. but she's changing. super excited to introduce the Kouyou of the present ( yes, she's alive ).

Agatha Christie was. self indulgent.

Yep! Jouno! 😭 The hunting dogs have been in my notes-app plot web since the very beginning when I decided to write tachihara into this. Since I'm translating the insane post-war politics of canon BSD into this au, they were naturally going to find themselves written into it.

TV girl .. . save me TV girl.... taking what's not yours is tsp skk i will be adding this to my on-loop writing roster.

THE JOUNO/DAZAI DIALOGUE HELLA 😭 I ACTUALLY CHOKED.

Unlike canon, TSP fyodor would, in fact die if you shot him. Not that I'm planning on writing that . . .

Jouno and Chuuya was lovely to write. They will be interacting again, unfortunately, so expect some introductions to the other members of the hunting dogs as well.

Dazai in the spotlight for once! Now he knows what it's like to be under the stagelight with Chuuya in the audience.

Kousano! Yeah that ship is preparing to set sail. Whether it's still afloat is the question. A question that hasn't been answered by Miss Medical Examiner's presence in the 1978 timeline. Yet.

[chojin-cu-chulain]

Morphinverse timeline (updated)

Autumn 1977: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 1 (Himitsu Sentai Goranger Season 1)

Autumn 1978: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 2 (Himitsu Sentai Goranger Season 2), Masked Rider Season 1 (Kamen Rider Season 1)

Autumn 1979: Power Rangers Royal Flush (JAKQ Dengekitai), Masked Rider Season 2 (Kamen Rider Season 2)

Autumn 1980: Power Rangers World Strike (Battle Fever J), Masked Rider Tri (Kamen Rider V3)

Autumn 1981: Power Rangers Shine Force (Denshi Sentai Denjiman), Masked Rider Crosser (Kamen Rider X)

Autumn 1982: Power Rangers Nature Fist (Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan), Masked Rider Repton (Kamen Rider Amazon)

Autumn 1983: Power Rangers Five Star (Dai Sentai Goggle V), Maksed Rider Voltar (Kamen Rider Stronger)

Autumn 1984: Power Rangers Mega Assault (Kagaku Sentai Dynaman), Masked Rider Soar (Skyrider)

Autumn 1985: Power Rangers Star Force (Chodenshi Bioman), Masked Rider Supremo (Kamen Rider Super 1)

Autumn 1986: Power Rangers Mythic Fury (Dengeki Sentai Changeman), Masked Rider Alpha (Kamen Rider ZX)

Autumn 1987: Power Rangers Giga Strike (Choshinsei Flashman)

Autumn 1988: Power Rangers Solaris Crusade (Hikari Sentai Maskman)

Autumn 1989: Power Rangers Beast Assault (Choju Sentai Liveman)

Autumn 1990: Power Rangers High Octane (Kouskou Sentai Turboranger)

Autumn 1991: Power Rangers Sonic Warriors (Chikyu Sentai Fiveman)

Autumn 1992: Power Rangers Sky Partrol (Chojin Sentai Jetman)

Autumn 1993: Power Rangers Dino (Kyoru Sentai Zyuranger)

Autumn 1994: Power Rangers Thunder (Gosei Sentai Dairanger), VR Troopers Season 1 (Chojinki Metalder, Jiku Senshi Spielban)

Autumn 1995: Power Rangers Ninja (Ninja Sentai Kakuranger), VR Troopers Season 2 (Uchu Keiji Shaider, Jiku Senshi Spielban, Kyoju Tokusou Juspion, Uchu Keiji Gavan, Uchu Keiji Sharivan), Masked Rider Bio (Kamen Rider Black), Karato, and the Mega Patrol Season 1 (Kidou Keiji Jiban, Tokkei Winspector, Tokkyu Shirei Solbrain)

Autumn 1996: Power Rangers Zeo (Choriki Sentai Ohranger), VR Troopers Season 3 (Uchu Keiji Shaider, Jiku Senshi Spielban, Kyoju Tokusou Juspion, Uchu Keiji Gavan, Uchu Keiji Sharivan), Masked Rider Bio Solar (Kamen Rider Black RX, Shin Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider ZO, Kamen Rider J), Karato and the Mega Patrol Season 2 (Tokusou Robo Janperson, Tokusou Exceedraft, Blue Swat), Big Bad Beetle Borgs (Jukou B-Figther)

Autumn 1997: Power Rangers Turbo (Gekisou Sentai Carranger), Beetle Borgs Metalix (B-Fighter Kabuto), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Next Mutation, Ninjaman (Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya)

Autumn 1998: Power Rangers in Space (Denji Sentai Megaranger), Beetle Borgs Season 3 (B-Robo Kabutack), Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog

Autumn 1999: Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (Seju Sentai Gingaman), Beetle Borgs Season 4 (Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack), Mystic Knights Battle Thunder

Autumn 2000: Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (Kyukyu Sentai GoGoV)

Autumn 2001: Power Rangers Time Force (Mirai Sentai Timeranger), Masked Rider Gilgamesh *(Kamen Rider Kuuga)

Autumn 2002: Power Rangers Wild Force (Hyakuju Sentai Gaoranger), Masked Rider Orpheus (Kamen Rider Agito)

Autumn 2003: Power Rangers Ninja Storm (Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger), Masked Rider Draco (Kamen Rider Ryuki)

Autumn 2004: Power Rangers Dino Thunder (Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger), Masked Rider Code 555 (Kamen Rider Faiz)

Autumn 2005: Power Rangers S.P.D. (Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger), Masked Rider Spade Ace (Kamen Rider Blade)

Autumn 2006: Power Rangers Mytic Force (Mahou Sentai Magiranger), Masked Rider Echo (Kamen Rider Hibiki)

Autumn 2007: Power Rangers Operation Overdrive (GoGo Sentai Boukenger), Masked Rider Horn (Kamen Rider Kabuto)

Autumn 2008: Power Rangers Jungle Fury (Juken Sentai Gekiranger), Masked Rider Chrono (Kamen Rider Den-O)

Autumn 2009: Power Rangers RPM (Engine Sentai Go-Onger), Masked Rider Knightmare (Kamen Rider Kiva)

Autumn 2010: Power Rangers Samurai (Samurai Sentai Shinkenger), Masked Rider Omega (Kamen RIder Decade)

Autumn 2011: Power Rangers Megaforce (Tensou Sentai Goseiger), Masked Rider Duo (Kamen Rider Double)

Autumn 2012: Power Rangers Legendary Voyage (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger), Masked Rider Medanimal (Kamen Rider OOO)

Autumn 2013: Power Rangers Beast Morphers (Tokumei Sentai Go-Buster), Masked Rider Astro (Kamen Rider Fourze)

Autumn 2014: Power Rangers Dino Charge (Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger), Masked Rider Mystic (Kamen Rider Wizard)

Autumn 2015: Power Rangers Imagination Express (Ressha Sentai Toqger), Masked Rider Seed Samurai (Kamen Rider Gaim)

Autumn 2016: Power Rangers Ninja Steel (Shuriken Sentai Ninninger), Masked Rider Pursuit (Kamen Rider Drive)

Autumn 2017: Power Rangers Wild Crusaders (Dobustu Sentai Zyohger), Masked Rider Spirit (Kamen Rider Ghost)

Autumn 2018: Power Rangers Cosmic Fury (Uchu Sentai Kyuranger), Masked Rider Jump (Kamen Rider Ex-Aid)

Autumn 2019: Power Rangers Night Robbers vs Power Rangers United Patrol (Kaito Sentai Lupinranger vs Keisatsu Sentai Patranger), Masked Rider Mix Master (Kamen Rider Build)

Autumn 2020: Power Rangers Dino Fury (Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger), Masked Rider Monarch (Kamen Rider Zi-O)

Autumn 2021: Power Rangers Crystal Cruisers (Mashin Sentai Kiramager), Masked Rider Andro (Kamen Rider Zero One)

Autumn 2022: Power Rangers Mighty Morphbots (Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger), Masked Rider Story Knight (Kamen Rider Saber)

Autumn 2023: Power Rangers Cyber Safari (Avataro Sentai Donbrothers), Masked Rider D.N.Avenger (Kamen Rider Revice)

Autumn 2024: Power Rangers Royal Swarm (Ohsama Sentai Kingohger), Masked Rider Revulpe (Kamen Rider Geats)

[denimbex1986]

'Bad Wolf, Torchwood, Saxon... now "The One Who Waits" appears to be joining the ranks of Doctor Who story arcs teased by writer/showrunner Russell T Davies.

The Giggle – the third and last of the show's 60th anniversary specials – saw the Doctor (David Tennant) once again face off with old foe The Toymaker (now played by Neil Patrick Harris).

The events of previous episode Wild Blue Yonder saw the Doctor unwittingly allow the Toymaker – an elemental force who exists beyond the rules of the universe – entry into our universe.

In The Giggle, the cruel Toymaker was able to provoke the Doctor into challenging him to a game – as the two prepared to match wits, the villain taunted the Time Lord with tales of his accomplishments.

"I came to this universe with such delight," he said. "I played them all, Doctor – I toyed with supernovas, turned galaxies into spinning tops, I gambled with God and made him a jack-in-the-box."

We even discover that The Master – last played by Sacha Dhawan in last year's The Power of the Doctor – fell foul of the Toymaker, losing a game to the villain and ending up trapped, apparently for all eternity.

But then, the Toymaker makes a confession: "There's only one player I didn't dare face – The One Who Waits.

"I saw it, hiding, and I ran."

The Doctor attempts to question the Toymaker further, but he shrugs off his earlier comments, telling his nemesis: "That's someone else's game."

So who is The One Who Waits?

The Toymaker is established as having power almost without limit, able to manipulate the atoms of the universe and conjure up his own magical domain – in The Giggle, we saw a shaken Doctor uncertain if he'll be able to best his enemy once again.

The fact then that, whoever or whatever they are, The One Who Waits is capable of striking fear into the heart of the Toymaker is pretty terrifying. Could an even more powerful being exist in the Whoniverse?

Interestingly, in a social media post made in October, the official Doctor Who account appeared to refer to the Toymaker himself as "the one who waits" – but it's made clear in The Giggle that he's referring not to himself but to some other figure.

Of course, the Toymaker isn't the only all-powerful, ever-living being to exist in the worlds of Doctor Who...

Making their debut in the 1983 story Enlightenment, the Eternals are a race of elemental beings of immense power, capable of manipulating matter and creating objects out of thin air.

These amoral creatures act purely for their own amusement, manipulating "Ephemerals" (read: mortal beings) for fun.

Then there are the Guardians, who first appeared in Doctor Who's 16th season in 1978, a series of interlinked stories which saw the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) on a quest to find the legendary Key to Time.

Transcendental beings who embodied aspects of the universe, immortal and indestructible, we met the White Guardian (Cyril Luckham) – who represented light, order and structure – and his eternal opponent the Black Guardian (Valentine Dyall) – the personification of darkness, entropy and chaos.

Most recently, 2020 episode Can You Hear Me? saw the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and friends lured into a trap by Zellin (Ian Gelder), an immortal "god" who was haunting the dreams of humans, all to feed his beloved Rakaya (Clare-Hope Ashitey).

Could one of these creatures, or something like them, be "The One Who Waits"?

It's also possible, of course, that Russell T Davies has invented an entirely new menace. In the episode The Star Beast, The Meep (voiced by Miriam Margolyes) revealed itself to be in the employ of a figure it referred to as "the boss".

David Tennant later admitted that he remains oblivious to the identity of "the boss", which suggested that this reveal would be held back until Ncuti Gatwa's time in the TARDIS.

The Meep's admission and the Toymaker's confession in The Giggle could be the start of something much larger and entirely unexpected...'

[veryace-ficrecs]

Hi! Do you think you could do some good longfic? I dont mind fandom or pairing but only completed ones please!!

Absolutely! This was harder then I thought it would be, I found out that you can't filter word count on bookmarks doing this!

Here are some:

LongFic Recs

I Decided to classify "longfic" as fics between 40,000 and 100,000 words. Obviously someones personal definition of long will change but I thought this was a good range! Enjoy!

Star Trek:

On A Planet Far Far Away by blancanieve - Not Rated

Words: 40,636

Jim’s mother is spending her shore leave with Jim and Bones on board Enterprise. On their flight back to the ship after picking her up at Starbase 9, the three are caught in a sudden massive ion storm. Thrown completely off course, Jim makes an emergency landing on an unknown planet populated with huge, vicious, prehistoric beasts. Sheltering inside the downed shuttle, the three must figure out how to stay alive until they are rescued or can get themselves off the planet.

My Captain by kcscribbler - Rated T

Words: 45,091

Five reasons why the crew of the Enterprise would follow James T. Kirk to Hell and back, and one reason why he would do the same.

Ransom by blancanieve - Not Rated

Words: 57,399

Jim’s brother, Commander Sam Kirk, is kidnapped on his way to work. The Admiralty sends Enterprise to Deneva to find and rescue Sam.

Another Life by LullabyKnell - Rated T

Words: 61,865

In one moment, James T. Kirk is the acting captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, on his way home to Earth after stopping the Narada. In the next moment, without explanation, James T. Kirk is an Academy cadet on academic probation again, barely a day before Nero will destroy Vulcan. He dares himself to do better. And with a planet on the line and no proof but his own memories, he knows that "better" means he'll need some help.

Supernatural:

Memories Bring Back Memories (Bring Back You) by sobsicles - Rated E

Words: 66,660

When he wakes, he has no idea who he is. Not his name, what he looks like, or why he’s flat on his back, staring up at the stars littering the night sky. The first thing he learns about himself is that he has shitty instincts, especially if his first one is to protect the blue-eyed man currently stabbing someone in the face. Or, the story where two strangers can’t agree on much and know even less, but they’re both fairly certain that they’re in love.

Lost in Time by drmcbones - Rated T

Words: 104,499

Castiel is alone after the events of The Song Remains the Same, left to make his own way back to the present from 1978. But the angel is playing wounded, and his power over time is not as precise as it once was. It is all he can do to cling to the one thread that will keep him from getting lost: Dean Winchester's timeline. He just ends up seeing more of it than he ever expected to, and it affects him in ways he never thought possible.

Wild by Castielslostwings - Rated E

Words: 67,990

Castiel and Dean meet for the first time on a plane ride out of Nowhere, Alaska. Castiel’s headed home after an impulsive solo vacation and Dean, a hardened Alaskan native, is just trying to get out of the impossibly small town he grew up in that’s got nothing left to offer him. They forge an instant connection over Dean’s flying anxiety and whiskey, a meet-cute that has all the makings of a rom-com with a sickeningly sweet happy ending. That is, until their plane explodes in mid-air, crashing headlong into the Alaskan wilderness and killing everyone on board save for Dean and Castiel. When no rescue shows up to save them, the two men are forced to make some tough decisions. To make it home alive they’ll have to trust each other and find faith neither of them has ever really wanted. Will they survive or succumb to the unforgiving mountain wilderness? And will their journey tear them apart… or bring them closer together?

The Martian:

Blue Horizon by Alexandra926 - Not Rated

Words: 67,890

Meet Mark Watney, left behind on Mars. Meet Mindy Park, left behind on Earth.

DND:Honor Among Thieves:

Untranslatable Shadows by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels - Rated E

Words: 42,394

There's only one thing worse than having to make your way through a booby-trapped dungeon, and that's making your way through a booby-trapped dungeon with Xenk Yendar. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Ed has to do to save the soul of his best friend. And extra unfortunately... Xenk might not even be the worst part of this whole thing. Nobody tell him.

Ted Lasso:

number four was always you by thefaceofno - Rated T

Words: 93,423

Ted’s phone rings. He looks away from the window, where he was watching the tree sway in the wind, to see Beard’s face splashed over his phone screen. He thinks about not answering, but if he doesn’t answer then all he’ll have done today is run to CostCo for no reason. He doesn’t need eight pounds of almonds, but he has eight pounds of almonds. a.k.a. the post s3 fix-it where Ted does some intense mental healing.

[ewa-jednak-chce-spac]

[freakiwildi]

WEEK 4: [Reality TV] #Cancelled: The Shocking Truth About Reality Stars Getting a Reality Check

Then vs. Now: A Reality TV Revolution

Reality TV once promised to deliver raw, unscripted drama, but the landscape has drastically shifted. Back in the day, the concept of "reality" in reality TV was simplistic—essentially unscripted entertainment designed to give us a peek into the so-called "real" lives of everyday people. (Marshall, 2006). But fast forward to now, and reality TV has morphed into a complex, multi-layered beast, where every moment is scrutinized (Farias, Seremani & Fernández 2020), every cast member is questioned, and the stakes are higher than ever.

Reality TV Then: The Wild West of Casting

Back in the 80s and 90s, reality TV was a goldmine of unscripted chaos, where casting processes were dangerously lenient. No one cared to dig deep into the backgrounds of those vying for fame. The result? A disastrous oversight, most notably in the 1978 episode of The Dating Game, where the show cast Rodney Alcala—a serial killer later convicted of the murder of 130 women (Helling 2017). He was already a convicted sex offender, but because background checks were practically non-existent, his dark past flew under the radar. The show's focus? Entertainment at all costs, even if it came at the expense of safety.

This era was a time when reality TV didn’t seem to care much about the real lives behind the cameras. It was about the drama, the conflict, and the spectacle—without any real consideration for the consequences.

Reality TV Now: An Industry Under Siege

Fast forward to the present, and reality TV has become a different animal altogether. Gone are the days of unchecked casting. With the rise of social media detectives—audiences and fans who can dig through personal histories in the blink of an eye—the rules of the game have changed. The online world is now a powerful force in shaping what we see on screen. Anyone with a suspicious past is exposed within hours, and a show’s reputation can crumble under the weight of a viral post.

Shows now carefully vet their contestants, knowing full well that a single scandal can lead to a cancellation. They’re not just protecting their profit margins; they’re protecting their brand. Gone are the days when stars could get away with a murky past or bad behavior—they'll be called out by millions before they even make it on air.

But it’s not just the show producers who feel the pressure. Contestants now know they’re stepping into a world where their lives will be laid bare. Fame has a dark side, and the social media spotlight can turn harsh in a heartbeat (Jenner 2020). Reality stars who once joined shows for fame and fortune are now facing the consequences of past actions being dredged up by a public that’s unforgiving and quick to cancel.

Reality TV's new era of Accountability

What we’re witnessing is more than just the evolution of entertainment; it’s a cultural shift. Reality TV’s unchecked chaos has been replaced by a much more calculated, risk-averse environment. Shows are no longer about unfiltered drama—they’re about crafting a narrative that will survive in an age where every tweet, every post, every background check is scrutinized. The result is a new era of reality TV: one where the line between entertainment and public responsibility has become dangerously thin, and the consequences of crossing it are more severe than ever.

REFERENCES:

Farias, C, Seremani, T & Fernández, PD 2020, ‘Popular Culture, Moral Narratives and Organizational Portrayals: A Multimodal Reflexive Analysis of a Reality Television Show’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 171, no. 2.

Helling, S 2017, ‘How a Serial Killer and Rapist Ended up on The Dating Game — and Was Chosen by the Girl’, PEOPLE.com, PEOPLE.com, viewed <https://people.com/crime/how-a-serial-killer-and-rapist-ended-up-on-the-dating-game-and-was-chosen-by-the-girl/>.

Jenner, G 2020, ‘Dead Famous’, Google Books, viewed 18 February 2025, <https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=z4SQDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT3&dq=Fame+has+a+dark+side>.

Marshall, DP 2006, ‘New Media - New Self: The changing power of celebrity’, The Celebrity Culture Reader, pp. 634–644, viewed <https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/new-media-new-self-the-changing-power-of-celebrity>.Roberts, J 2011, Keeping It Real: A Historical Look at Reality TV Keeping It Real: A Historical Look at Reality TV, viewed <https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4442&context=etd>.

[hannahklucey]

Taylor Swift and Blondie's "Pretty Baby"

I wanted to explore some Taylor connections to Blondie's 1978 song "Pretty Baby". Of course, there's the obvious connection to Anti-Hero ("sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby/and I'm a monster on the hill"), and the fact that one of Taylor's nicknames is "Blondie," but I will analyze each verse:

Stars live in the evening But the very young need the sun, uh-huh Pretty baby, you look so heavenly A neo-nebular from under the sun I was forming, some say I had my chance The boys were falling like an avalanche

Here describes the birth of a star, which I find fascinating considering Taylor has been referencing stars, nebulas, and supernovas (a supernova is the death of a star, and Taylor has been featuring supernovas in the tour visuals for her final song, "Karma").

Blondie compares a celebrity "star" to a literal star, with the word "heavenly" further evoking celestial imagery. Taylor also referenced looking/being "heavenly" in a song about fame, furthering the comparison of celebrities to literal stars. Here are lyrics from The Tortured Poets Department's "Clara Bow,"

"Beauty is a beast that roars Down on all fours Demanding "more" Only when your girlish glow Flickers just so Do they let you know It's hell on earth to be heavenly Thems the breaks They don't come gently"

Here, Taylor again refers to the "glow" of fame flickering, comparing it to a light burning out. She refers to herself as heavenly, with a few possible meanings "of the stars," or "not of this earth," reminding us that we oftentimes see celebrities as somehow more than human, or godlike. In the music video for Karma, different versions of Taylor are shown trapped in flickering lightbulbs, until they all glow and each bulb bursts.

Ya ya baby La Dolce Vita is a magic dance No-one was listening Pretty baby, un petite ingenue A teenage starlet, I fell in love with you

The world falling in love with a teenage starlet is truly nothing new, and the word "ingenue" stands out to me here and reminds me of the song "Nothing New" ft. Phoebe Bridgers off of Red: Taylor's Version: "Are we only biding time 'til I lose your attention?/And someone else lights up the room?/People love an ingenue." This lyric shows Taylor coping with the cruel cycle to which Hollywood subjects its stars, in particular female stars.

You, you with the comb You look OK in every way (every way) Ah, I should have known You'd look at me and look away (and look away - oh)

Pretty baby, you look so heavenly A neo-nebular from under the sun Eyes that tell me incense and peppermints Your looks are larger than life, long live innocence

Petite ingenue, I fell in love with you Pretty baby, I fell in love with you, whoah oh Pretty baby, oh oh Pretty baby, whoah oh, I fell in love with you

The line "long live innocence" is an interesting connection, considering Taylor played both "Never Grow Up" and "Long Live" as surprise songs on her final weekend of the tour. Paired with the earlier lyric about a teenage starlet, I'd say both Taylor and Blondie are calling out the exploitative and often predatory way that the entertainment industry treats young women in particular.

Taylor has been referencing the difficulties of aging in the spotlight for years. In her documentary Miss Americana, Taylor discusses the pressure of putting out a seventh album, "There's so much pressure going into putting new music out. If I don't beat everything I've done prior, it'll be deemed, like, a colossal failure."

This may not necessarily be true, but what matters is that Taylor really felt that way, felt that much pressure from either her label, her audience, or her critics, to keep outdoing herself.

"We do exist in this society where women in entertainment are discarded in an elephant graveyard by the time they're 35," she says, and today, on her 35th birthday, a week after wrapping up the most commercially successful tour of all time, I can't help but wonder what that 26-year-old Taylor would think.