#Steve Kurtz

[oldschoolfrp]

A corpse emerges from the mushroom-covered midden and cries out "You cant make me leave! Never! I'll guard my home forever!" This is a reasonable reaction to being awakened suddenly. (Terry Dykstra, from Steve Kurtz' AD&D Ravenloft adventure "The Price of Revenge," Dungeon magazine 42, July/August 1993)

[retroscifiart]

Panels from ‘Kultz’ by Steve Bissette (Epic Illustrated, June 1981)

[alwaysmoncheri]

𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 | 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

summary: in which best friends, y/n henderson and steve harrington get caught up in their feelings while paranormal activities occur in the small town of hawkins, indiana

cw: fem!reader, I wrote this a long time ago(I apologize for everything cringe), shit writing, first person pov, implications of sex, 1k

<3

The day seems to drag on incessantly as I drown in my own pool of sorrow.

As I'm sitting at lunch, Tommy and Carol crack their typical 'humorous' remarks, triggering an unsettling feeling within me.

"I still think that creep killed him." Tommy says referring to Jonathan while spooning food into his mouth.

"He's such a freak." Carol comments, laughing.

Steve shoots his friends a look before he glances at me with a concerned expression. To my surprise, he rests his hand on my thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze, leaving it there, before returning to his food.

Steve doesn't bring up what happened last night.

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

"The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress. And Kurtz's life was running swiftly, too—"

I slump in my seat, absorbing this incredibly boring lecture as the day reaches its conclusion. Suddenly the office lady walk in and halts the teacher's speech.

Thank god.

"(Y/n) Henderson and Nancy Wheeler? If you would come with me, please," She says motioning for us to walk with her.

With exhaustion dragging me down, I rise from my chair and shuffle after the lady through the classroom door to the empty cafeteria - a tense scene awaiting. There, Mrs. Wheeler sits, across from two officers, who look at Nancy and I with stern expressions, which causes my heart to quicken with anticipation.

Nancy sits down next to her mom and I sit myself down next to Nancy.

"We're here to discuss the whereabouts of your friend, Barbra Holland." One of the deputies says, with a notepad in hand.

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

"So, this argument you and Barbra had... What exactly was it about?" The officer, Powell asks.

"It wasn't really an argument..." Nancy says hesitantly, "Barb just wanted to leave. I didn't, so, I... I told her to just go home."

"Then what?" Powell asks.

"Then I went upstairs to put on some dry clothes." Nancy continues.

"And the next day," Powell says, "You guys went back and saw, a bear, you're thinking?"

"We don't know what it was... but we think..." I pipe in, "We think maybe it took, Barb."

"You need to check behind Steve's house—" Nancy starts.

"We did. There's nothing there." The other officer, Callahan, says shaking his head, "There's no sign of a bear."

"And there's no car." Powell finishes.

"What?" I say, as Nancy and I glance at each other.

"Look, we figure that Barbra came back last night and then she took off, went somewhere else." Callahan says.

"Has she ever talked to either of you about running off?" Powell asks, "Leaving town, maybe?"

"No," Nancy says shaking her head, "No, Barb wouldn't do that, ever."

"She wasn't maybe upset about the fact that you were spending time with this boy?" Powell asks, "Uh, Steve Harrington?"

"What? No." Nancy says uncomfortably.

"Maybe she was jealous because she saw you go up to Steve's room?" Callahan presses and Mrs. Wheeler looks at Nancy pointedly.

"It wasn't like that." Nancy argues.

"Like what?" Callahan asks.

"Steve and me... We're..." Nancy's starts, "We're just friends. We just talked."

Callahan looks down at his notes and I avert my gaze to the window, hiding my jealousy.

"Now was this before or after you changed out of your clothes?"

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

After riding my bike home, I grab a snack from the fridge as the phone begins to ring. I walk over to the phone holding it between my shoulder and ear. Opening the wrapper for my snack, I take a bite while answering the call.

"Henderson residence." I say into the phone.

"(Y/n)?" I hear Jonathan's voice through the speaker.

"This is she," I reply.

"Uh, could you help me with something?" He says hesitantly.

"Of course, what is it?" I ask, leaning against the wall.

"I need to organize Will's funeral and I just can't do it alone." He responds solemnly.

"Oh..."

"You don't have to, I just—"

"No, no, it's okay Jonathan," I say, reassuring the boy, "Pick me up in ten minutes?"

"Okay."

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

Jonathan arrives at my house approximately ten minutes later. As he drives us to the funeral home, my thoughts wander to the difference between riding with him and sitting in Steve's car. Jonathan's car is cold and bleak while Steve's car is warm and causes my emotions to buzz with excitement.

Jonathan pulls up outside the funeral home and we both head inside. An old man greets us with a sad smile and guides us over to view the available caskets.

"It's made of soft wood with a crepe interior," The old man says gently, "Uh, now, I don't know what your budget is but over there, we have copper and bronze." He says leading us over to more caskets.

Nancy walks in through the entrance, her steps slow and hesitant. Jonathan and I notice her arrival, prompting her to offer us a wave that mirrors her anxious demeanor.

"Can you just give us a second?" Jonathan stammers before we walk over to Nancy.

"Of course." The man says kindly.

"Hey." Jonathan greets.

"Hey, Nance." I say.

"Hey..." She says, "Your mom, um... she said you'd be here."

"I just... can we talk for a second?"  Nancy continues nervously.

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

"It looks like it could be some kind of perspective distortion, but I wasn't using the wide angle." Jonathan says looking at the taped picture Nancy hands him after we sit down on a bench.

"I don't know. It's weird" He continues handing the picture back to Nancy.

"And you're sure you didn't see anyone else out there?" Nancy asks.

"No." Jonathan replies, "She was there one second and then, um... gone. I figured she bolted."

"The cops think that she ran away." Nancy says sadly, "But they don't know Barb."

"And we went back to Steve's... and we thought we saw something..." I say.

Some weird man or...I don't know what it was." Nancy finishes with a sigh before looking at Jonathan.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here today." She stands, "I'm so sorry."

"What did he look like?" Jonathan says abruptly.

"What?" Nancy asks turning back around.

"This man you guys saw in the woods." Jonathan says, "What'd he look like?" He repeats.

"I don't know," Nancy stammers, "It was almost like he... he didn't have—"

"Didn't have a face?"

<3

next chapter . masterlist . steve harrington masterlist . taglist

thank you for reading, my darling! remember to like! reblog! and comment! i’ll give you a smooch if you do, ily! send requests to my inbox!

alwaysmoncheri © ─ all rights reserved. please do not repost/translate/copy any of my work.

[medium-observation]

February Release!

Schmigadoon! - Broadway Center Stage

February 6, 2025 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Alex Brightman (Josh Skinner), Sara Chase (Melissa Gimble), Isabelle McCalla (Emma Tate), Javier Muñoz (Doc Lopez), McKenzie Kurtz (Betsy McDonough), Ryan Vasquez (Danny Bailey), Brad Oscar (Mayor Aloysius Menlove), Ann Harada (Florence Menlove), Kevin Del Aguila (Reverend Layton/Leprechaun), Emily Skinner (Mildred Layton), Ayaan Diop (Carson Tate), Angel Reda (Countess Gabrielle Von Blerkom/Ensemble), Richard Riaz Yoder (Harvey the Innkeeper/Ensemble), Nathan Lucrezio (Farmer McDonough/Ensemble), Jess LeProtto (Pete/Ensemble), Phillip Attmore (Freddy/Ensemble), Brandon Block (Buford Riggs/Ensemble), Holly Ann Butler (Helen Pritt/Ensemble), Max Clayton (Larry the Fireman/Ensemble), Kimberly Immanuel (Zaneeta/Ensemble), Eloise Kropp (Nancy/Ensemble), Lauralyn McClelland (Ruth O’Reilly/Ensemble), Shina Ann Morris (Norma Nelson/Ensemble)

Master Notes:

Near perfect video of this AMAZING show. There is some washout in wideshots but that's really the only issue with this video aside from some shakiness and readjusting throughout.

NFT Date: August 1st, 2025

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC1KET

Video is $20

Les Misérables - Sixth US National Tour

January 18, 2025 (Matinee) - Medium Observation

Video 

Cast:

Nick Cartell (Jean Valjean), Nick Rehberger (Javert), Lindsay Heather Pearce (Fantine), Delaney Guyer (Cosette), Jake David Smith (Marius), Mya Rena Hunter (Éponine), Matt Crowle (Thénardier), Christian Mark Gibbs (Enjolras), Victoria Huston-Elem (Madame Thénardier), Jack Jewkes (Gavroche), Kyle Adams (Grantaire), Daniel Gerard Bittner (Feuilly), Danny Martin (Courfeyrac), Andrew Marks Maughan (Combeferre), J.T. Wood (Joly), Steve Czarnecki (Factory Foreman/Brujon), David Andino (Bamatabois/Babet), Jonathan Young (Jean Prouvaire), Jeremiah Alsop (Montparnasse), David T. Walker (Claquesous), David T. Walker (The Bishop of Digne), Colin Anderson (Lesgles), Paige McNamara (Factory Girl), Ashley Alexandra (Old Woman), Emily Fink (Wigmaker), Emerson Mae Chan (Young Eponine), Greta Schaefer (Little Cosette) 

Master Notes:

Excellent Video from the orchestra. Shot between heads but very beautfiul zooms. Wideshots can have a head or two but they usually never take away. Some washout, shakiness and readjusting throughout.

NFT Date: August 1st, 2025

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBYUhZ

Video is $20

The Great Gatsby - Broadway

February 7, 2025 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Ryan McCartan (Jay Gatsby), Traci Elaine Lee (u/s Daisy Buchanan), Noah J. Ricketts (Nick Carraway), Samantha Pauly (Jordan Baker), Tess Soltau (u/s Myrtle Wilson), Terrence Mann (Meyer Wolfsheim), John Zdrojeski (Tom Buchanan), Charlie Pollock (George Wilson), Dan Rosales (Mr. McKee/Bystander #2), Dariana Mullen (Gilda Gray), Kayla Pecchioni (Mrs. McKee), Carissa Gaughran (Catherine), Samantha Pollino (u/s Bystander #1), Justin Keats (Cop)

Master Notes:

Decent capture of this show. Whenever Terry Mann is on stage it's a fancam. The first 20 minutes are completely blindly filmed so i defaulted to wideshotting most of it. Due to usher activity a lot of the show is shot this way, whenever he left i could zoom and such, second big issue with this video is the obstruction. The people in front of me never stopped moving and they kept getting into my shot constantly so there is a lot of obstruction that i try my absolute best to avoid.Some washout, shakiness and readjusting throughout.

NFT Date: August 1st, 2025

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC1PXh

Video is $15

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - First US National Tour

January 28, 2025 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

John Skelley (Harry Potter), Emmet Smith (Albus Severus Potter), Aidan Close (Scorpius Malfoy), David Ables (e/c Ron Weasley), Ebony Blake (Hermione Granger), Trish Lindström (Ginny Potter), Benjamin Thys (Draco Malfoy), Naiya Vanessa McCalla (Rose Granger-Weasley), Julia Nightingale (Delphi Diggory), Timmy Thompson (Craig Bowker Jr.), Mackenzie Lesser-Roy (Moaning Myrtle/Lily Potter Sr.), Ayla Stackhouse (u/s Polly Chapman), Larry Yando (Severus Snape/Amos Diggory/Albus Dumbledore), Evan Maltby (s/w Lord Voldemort), Chadd Alexander (u/s Sorting Hat), David Fine (Yann Fredericks), Alexis Gordon (Madam Hooch), Katherine Leask (Dolores Umbridge/Professor McGonagall), Maren Searle (Trolley Witch), Caleb Hafen (Cedric Diggory/James Potter Sr.), Zach Norton (Karl Jenkins/Viktor Krum), Rene Thornton Jr. (Station Master), Torsten Johnson (Professor Mazoni), Paul Thornley (Voice of Ludo Bagman), Chris Jarman (Voice of Phone Box)

Master Notes:

Excellent Video of this tour! Due to how far i was alongside the darkness of the show it can become grainy at points. Some washout, shakiness and readjusting throughout. All sales from this video will be donated to Mermaids UK.

NFT Date: August 1st, 2025

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBZSdU

Video is $20

The Bedwetter - Arena Stage

February 5, 2025 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Aria Kane (Sarah), Shoshana Bean (Beth Ann), Darren Goldstein (Donald), Liz Larsen(Nana), Ashley Blanchet (Miss New Hampshire), Alina Santos (Ally), Alysha Umprhess (Mrs. Dembo), Avery Harris (Laura), Rick Crom (Dr. Riley), Emerson Holt Lacayo (Abby), Elin Joy Seiler (Amy)

Master Notes: Excellent video of this shows first preview! There are 2 show stops but i’ve cut them down to about 10-15 seconds each. Some washout, shakiness and readjusting throughout. 

NFT Date: August 1st, 2025

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC1KE2

Video is $20

Six - Second US National Tour (Boleyn)

January 8, 2025 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Chani Maisonet (Catherine of Aragon), Gaby Albo (Anne Boleyn), Kelly Denice Taylor (Jane Seymour), Danielle Mendoza (Anna of Cleves), Alize Cruz (Katherine Howard), Tasia Jungbauer (Catherine Parr)

Master Notes:

Fantastic Video of the new tour cast! Due to my seat sometimes it can be a tad grainy but other than that great video. Some washout, shakiness and readjusting throughout.

NFT Date: February 6th, 2026

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBXFgm

Video is $20

Hadestown - First US National Tour

March 14, 2024 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

John Krause (t/r Orpheus), Amaya Braganza (Eurydice), Matthew Patrick Quinn (Hades), Lana Gordon (Persephone), Will Mann (Hermes), KC Dela Cruz (u/s Fate), Hannah Schreer (Fate), Marla Louissaint (Fate), Sevon Askew (Worker), Jamal Lee Harris (Worker), Cate Hayman (Worker), Quiana Onrae'l Holmes (Worker), Daniel Tracht (Worker)

Notes:

Excellent Video of John Krause’s first performance back on the tour! There is a show stop during way down hadestown which causes them to restart the song when they come back on stage.Some washout, shakiness and readjusting throughout.

NFT Date: August 1st, 2025

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBiyw4

Video is $20

To Purchase any of these videos please fill out this form

[geekcavepodcast]

"Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson" Short Stories Anthology Drops Jan. 2025

Titan Books' Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson is an anthology of 13 short stories "inspired by the Marvel comic book universe." Authors featured in the anthology include Maurice Broaddus, Jesse J. Holland, Gar Anthony Haywood, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Kyoko M., Sheree Renee Thomas, Gary Phillips, Danian Jerry, Gloria J. Browne Marshall, Glenn Parris, Christopher Chambers, and Alex Simmons. The novel is edited by Jesse J. Holland.

"As a Black man in America, Sam Wilson knows he has to be twice as good to get half as much credit. He must be a paragon of virtue for a nation that has mixed feelings towards him. In these thirteen brand-new stories, the all-new Captain America must thwart an insurrectionist plot, travel back in time, foil a racist conspiracy, and save the world over and over again." (Marvel Comics) Other characters appearing in the novel include Steve Rogers, Redwing, Nomad, HYDRA, Sabretooth, Kingpin, and more.

Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson goes on sale on January 14, 2025.

(Image via Marvel Comics - Cover of Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson)

[kinonostalgie]

An early scene in "Apocalypse Now" (1979) where Captain Willard is alone in his hotel room was completely unscripted. Martin Sheen told the camera crew to just let the cameras roll. Sheen was really drunk. He punched the mirror, which was real glass, cutting his thumb. Sheen also began sobbing and tried to attack director Francis Ford Coppola. The crew was so disturbed that they wanted to stop shooting, but Sheen wanted to keep the cameras going. At the time he was fighting a drinking problem and his own issues. He got so caught up in the scene and his own inner struggles that he hit the mirror. He believed that continuing the scene would help him face his problems. This was revealed later in a conversation with Coppola and Sheen, and has been shown in the Redux version.

Steve McQueen was Coppola's first choice to play Willard, but McQueen did not want to leave America for three months and Coppola was unwilling to pay his $3 million fee. When McQueen dropped out in February 1976, Coppola had to return $5 million of the $21 million he had raised. Al Pacino was also offered the role, but he too did not want to be away that long, and was afraid of falling ill in the jungle as he had done in the Dominican Republic during the shooting of "The Godfather Part II" (1974). Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford and James Caan were approached to play either Kurtz or Willard. Keith Carradine, Nick Nolte, and Frederic Forrest were also considered for Willard. Nolte has said that he had never wanted a role more than that of Captain Willard, and was very disappointed when Coppola picked Harvey Keitel for the part. When Keitel was fired (Coppola said that Keitel "found it difficult to play him as a passive onlooker"), Nolte thought the role was his, but Sheen eventually won the role.

In a 2015 The Hollywood Reporter interview, Clint Eastwood revealed that Coppola offered him the role of Willard, but much like McQueen and Pacino, he did not want to be away from America for a long time. He also revealed that McQueen tried to convince him to play Willard; McQueen wanted to play Kurtz because he would have to work for only two weeks.

Sheen had a heart attack during the filming. Coppola and Sheen were so worried that backing would be withdrawn by the studio and distributor if news of Sheen's heart attack leaked out that they both kept it quiet. The official shoot schedule said Sheen was hospitalized due to heat exhaustion. After recovering from his heart attack, there was concern that Sheen looked too healthy to be the war-weary cynical assassin that Willard was towards the end of his mission.

It took Coppola nearly three years to edit the footage. While working on his final edit, it became apparent to him that Sheen would be needed to tape several additional narrative voice-overs. Coppola soon discovered that Sheen was busy, and unable to perform these voice-overs. He then called in Sheen's brother, Joe Estevez, whose voice sounded nearly identical, to perform the new narrative tracks. Estevez was not credited for his work as a stand-in, nor for his voice-over work.

[vintagerpg]

Cities of Bone (1994) is Steve Kurtz’s second Al-Qadim box (elements of which, like Ruined Kingdoms, reappear in the Necromancer’s Guide). I don’t really like Ruined Kingdoms or Corsairs of the Great Sea much, but Cities of Bone put the brakes on Al-Qadim’s decline.

Up until now, all these skinny boxes have included source material about the world and a set of adventures that explores them. At this point, the source material is dispensed with, allowing for the box to return to familiar environs, detailing dead cities that have already been touched upon in other sets. The adventures aren’t really connected. Five of them are short dungeon dives. The sixth is more developed and is a favorite of mine because is so clearly draws inspiration from Clark Ashton Smith’s “Empire of the Necromancers” (the whole box feels Smithy, honestly, particularly his Zothique stories). This scenario features Kazerabet, a powerful necromancer who Kurtz liked so much, he brought her to the Necromancer’s Handbook.

As ever, nice illustrations from Karl Waller. He’s quite good at skulls and wizened visages. I don’t know cover artist Roger Loveless, but I like this cover. It’s nicely evocative and reminds me a bit of Hickman’s Deserts of Desolation modules. ¶

[bloodcrosses]

I want Chris to do for Michael Carmen Pitt what Mel Gibson (yes I know he's a total PoS) did for Robert Downey Jr and give him a role, fuck all the execs and hire him.

After Day of the Fight, I think he's more than proved himself, and seeing all the noses being turned up when it comes to awards was upsetting. He's hardly the first actor to have serious mental illness exacerbated by drug issues. If Martin Scorcese can still embrace him and see him as a good guy and Steve Buscemi feel the same way, maybe it's time Hollywood let this fucking go.

Vivian Leigh, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando etc had their issues but people kept hiring them. I get that mobile phone with video cameras exist now when they didn't then, but there's still plenty of B-roll of Marilyn's antics and it's well know Brando got to the point where he couldn't be arsed learning his lines amd just read them off of cardboard held up the crew.

And he still delivered a sublime performance as Colonel Kurtz.

I mean, people should be professional. But I think the correct thing to do was to tell Michael to get into a good rehab and sort himself out, really sort him out. Those pictures from when he was 5150'd and had to strapped down during that time are horrible, they actually upset me. He looks like a damn zombie. Seeing his interviews recently - sober, alert and chatty - made me realise how many interviews I'd seen where he could barely answer.

That made sad. I remember one concerned interviewer openly said this guy is unwell, he's clearly on heroin. The crew wanted to give him soup he looked so unwell. That interviewer was a rare good guy. Thank you, whoever you are.

And thank you to all those keeping him well. Thank you Michael for overcoming everything and adhering to "never complain, never explain." You can share one day if you want, but it's your private life and you don't owe us fuck all. I'll always be cheering for you.

[broadwaydivastournament]

Christine Baranski in Caricature

Left: "Christine Baranski" in Coming Attractions (1/9/81) | Right: "Christine Baranski" in Rumors (1988) - Al Hirschfeld

Christine Baranski has not one, not two, not three, but six Hirschfeld drawings in the span of ten years. She can be seen individually, or alongside her show cast. However, the full cast drawing of Coming Attractions remains ever-elusive.

"Rumors," Published November 13, 1988 - Al Hirschfeld

L to R: Ron Leibman, Jessica Walter, Lisa Banes, Ken Howard, Andre Gregory, Joyce Van Patten, Christine Baranski, Mark Nelson. The first four actors pictures have since passed away.

"Lips Together Teeth Apart," Published June 27, 1991 - Al Hirschfeld

Pictured: Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski, Swoosie Kurtz, Anthony Held

"Nick And Nora With Barry Bostwick, Joanna Gleason, Christine Baranski, And Asta" (11/3/91) - Al Hirschfeld

It is with heavy heart and distress that I report to you Christine Baranski does not have a Sardis portrait.

"Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration" (2020) - Squigs

Here, Christine is instantly recognizable along the right-hand side two faces above Steve himself. For a full list of stars, click here. See if you can identify the other Divas in this lineup.

"Christine Baranski" The Lights of Broadway (TM), 2022 - Squigs

[ulkaralakbarova]

A small circle of friends suffering from post-collegiate blues must confront the hard truth about life, love and the pursuit of gainful employment. As they struggle to map out survival guides for the future, the Gen-X quartet soon begins to realize that reality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Lelaina Pierce: Winona Ryder Troy Dyer: Ethan Hawke Vickie Miner: Janeane Garofalo Sammy Gray: Steve Zahn Michael Grates: Ben Stiller Charlane McGregor: Swoosie Kurtz Wes McGregor: Harry O’Reilly Helen Anne Pierce: Susan Norfleet Tom Pierce: Joe Don Baker Tami: Renée Zellweger Rick: James Rothenberg Grant Gubler: John Mahoney Damien: Eric Morgan Stuart Grant’s Produzent: Barry Del Sherman Troy Groupie: Chelsea Lagos Truck Driver: Bill Bolender Waitress: Helen Childress Phineas: David Pirner Rock: Andy Dick Roger: Keith David Louise: Anne Meara Stand-Up Comic: Mick Lazinski Psychic Phone Partner: Amy Stiller Janine: Afton Smith Cashier: Pat Crawford Brown Stage Manager: Jeff Kahn Actress ‘Elaina’: Karen Duffy Actor ‘Roy’: Evan Dando The “Wienerschnitzel” Manager (Uncredited): David Spade Cheryl Goode (uncredited): Jeanne Tripplehorn Self (uncredited): Tony Robbins Film Crew: Executive Producer: Wm. Barclay Malcolm Director of Photography: Emmanuel Lubezki Screenplay: Helen Childress Director: Ben Stiller Producer: Michael Shamberg Producer: Danny DeVito Editor: Lisa Zeno Churgin Executive Producer: Stacey Sher Casting: Francine Maisler Production Design: Sharon Seymour Costume Design: Eugenie Bafaloukos Set Decoration: Maggie Martin Music Supervisor: Karyn Rachtman Stunts: Barbara Anne Klein Stunts: Charles Croughwell Hairstylist: Claude Díaz Makeup Artist: Deborah K. Larsen Hairstylist: Peter Savic Hairstylist: Donna Spahn Makeup Artist: Marja Webster Editor: John Spence Art Direction: Jeff Knipp Foley Artist: Joan Rowe Foley Artist: Catherine Rowe Sound Editor: Elliott Koretz Sound Editor: Dean Beville Movie Reviews:

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

August 10, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

“Good Lord, Who Among Us Hasn’t Paid For A Clarence Thomas Vacation?” David Kurtz of Talking Points Memo asked this morning. Kurtz was reacting to a new piece by Brett Murphy and Alex Mierjeski in ProPublica detailing Justice Thomas’s leisure activities and the benefactors who underwrote them. 

Those activities include “[a]t least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events, typically perched in the skybox; two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.” The authors add that this “is almost certainly an undercount.”

Thomas did not disclose these gifts, as ethics specialists say he should have done. House Democrats Ted Lieu (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), and Hank Johnson (D-GA) have said Thomas must resign. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who has led the effort to extricate the Supreme Court from very wealthy interests for years, commented: “I said it would get worse; it will keep getting worse.”

Thomas’s benefactors, Murphy and Mierjeski noted, “share the ideology that drives his jurisprudence.” That ideology made Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who has been in the news for the release of his December 6, 2020, memo outlining how to steal the 2020 presidential election, speculate that Thomas was the Supreme Court justice the plotters could count on to back their coup. “Realistically,” Chesebro wrote to lawyer John Eastman, “our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion by Jan. 6, which might hold up the Georgia count in Congress, is from Thomas—do you agree, Prof. Eastman?” 

Last Saturday, Republican leaders in Alabama illustrated that their ideology means they reject democracy. After the Supreme Court agreed that the congressional districting map lawmakers put in place after the 2020 census probably violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a lower court ruling that required a new map went into effect. But Alabama Republican lawmakers simply refused. 

Alexander Willis of the Alabama Daily News reported that at a meeting of the Alabama state Republican Party on Saturday, the party’s legal counsel David Bowsher applauded the lawmakers, saying, “House Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy doesn’t have that big a margin, that costs him one seat right there. I can’t tell you we’re going to win in this fight; we’ve got a Supreme Court that surprised the living daylights out of me when they handed down this decision, but I can guarantee you, if the Legislature hadn’t done that, we lose.”

Paul Reynolds, the national committeeman of the party, went on: “Let me scare you a little bit more; Texas has between five and ten congressmen that are Republicans that could shift the other way,” he continued. “How could we win the House back ever again if we’re talking about losing two in Louisiana, and losing five to ten in Texas? The answer’s simple: It’s never.”

Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall added: “Let’s make it clear, we elect a Legislature to reflect the values of the people that they represent, and I don’t think anybody in this room wanted this Legislature to adopt two districts that were going to guarantee that two Democrats would be elected…. What we believe fully is that we just live in a red state with conservative people, and that’s who the candidates of Alabama want to be able to elect going forward.”

The determination of Republican officials to hold onto power even though they appear to know they are in a minority is part of what drove even Republican voters in Ohio to reject their proposal to require 60% of voters, rather than a simple majority, to approve changes in the state constitution. 

Meanwhile, today’s July consumer price index report showed that annual inflation has fallen by about two thirds since last summer, a better-than-expected number suggesting that measures to cool the economy are working without hurting the economy. Real wages have outpaced inflation for the last five months, and unemployment is at a low the U.S. hasn’t seen since 1969. 

At the same time, the country is ending one of the last pieces of the social safety net put in place during Covid: the rule that people on Medicaid could remain covered without renewing their coverage each year. That rule ended in April, and states are purging their Medicaid rolls of those who they say no longer qualify. In the last three months, 4 million people have lost their Medicaid coverage, mostly because of paperwork problems. (Texas dropped an eye-popping 52% of beneficiaries due for renewal in May.) 

Biden officials have tried to pressure states quietly to fix the errors—including long waits to get phone calls answered and slow processing of applications, as well as paperwork errors—but yesterday released letters it had sent to individual states to warn them they might be violating federal law. Thirty-six states did not meet federal requirements.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[oldschoolfrp]

Illuminated by dragon fire, adventurers and Githyanki battle for a stolen vorpal silver sword (Peter Clark cover art, Dungeon 43, September/October 1993, featuring Steve Kurtz' plane-travelling adventure "Into the Silver Realm")

[derekfoxwit]

The Best Picture Oscar My Way (1980-1999)

Here’s Part 2 of Best Picture My Way (as started here). All information about my approach with this category can be found on that linked first part.

For convenience sake, I’ll relay this message. Only the films I add onto here as nominees will have listed nominated producers next to the movie’s title. (Here’s the Wikipedia page for the rest.)

1980

The Empire Strikes Back - Gary Kurtz

Raging Bull

The Elephant Man

Coal Miner’s Daughter

Ordinary People

1981

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Das Boot - Gunter Rohrbach; Michael Bittins

Reds

On the Golden Pond

Chariots of Fire

1982

Tootsie

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

Fitzcarraldo - Werner Herzog; Willi Segler; Lucki Stipetic

Missing

Gandhi

1983

Fanny and Alexander - Jorn Donner

Terms of Endearment

Scarface - Martin Bregman

Mender Mercies

The Right Stuff

1984

Amadeus (still)

The Terminator - Gale Anne Hurd

Love Streams - Yoram Globus; Menahem Golan

Ghostbusters - Ivan Reitman

A Passage to India

1985

Back to the Future - Neil Canton; Bob Gale

The Color Purple

After Hours - Robert F. Colesberry; Griffin Dunne; Amy Robinson

Ran - Masato Hara; Serge Silberman

Witness

1986

Platoon (still)

Misery - Rob Reiner; Andrew Scheinman

Hannah and Her Sisters

A Room with a View

Blue Velvet - Fred C. Caruso

1987

The Last Emperor (still)

The Princess Bride - Rob Reiner; Andrew Scheinman

Broadcast News

Moonstruck

Fatal Attraction

1988

Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Frank Marshall; Robert Watts

Rain Man

Dangerous Liaisons

Mississippi Burning

The Last Temptation of Christ - Barbara De Fina

1989

Do The Right Thing - Spike Lee

Driving Miss Daisy

Dead Poets Society

My Left Foot

Cinema Paradiso - Giovanna Romagnoli

1990

Goodfellas

Dances with Wolves

Edward Scissorhands - Tim Burton; Denise Di Novi

Ghost

The Godfather Part III

1991

The Silence of the Lambs (still)

Thelma & Louise - Ridley Scott

Beauty and the Beast

Boyz in the Hood - Steve Nicolaides

JFK

1992

Unforgiven (still)

A Few Good Men

Malcolm X - Spike Lee; Marvin Worth

Reservoir Dogs - Lawrence Bender; Harvey Keitel

Aladdin - Ron Clements; John Musker

1993

Schindler’s List (still)

The Piano

Philadelphia - Jonathan Demme; Edward Saxon

In The Name of the Father

The Fugitive

1994

The Lion King - Don Hahn

Forrest Gump

Pulp Fiction

The Shawshank Redemption

Eat Drink Man Woman - Kong Hsu; Li-Kong Hsu

1995

Toy Story - Bonnie Arnold; Ralph Guggenheim

Se7en - Phyllis Carlyle; Arnold Kopelson

The Postman (Il Postino)

Before Sunrise - Anne Walker-McBay

Braveheart

1996

Fargo

Trainspotting - Andrew Macdonald

Secrets & Lies

Jerry Maguire

The English Patient

1997

Titanic (still)

Good Will Hunting

L.A. Confidential

Princess Mononoke - Toshio Suzuki

Boogie Nights - Paul Thomas Anderson; Lloyd Levin; John S. Lyons; JoAnne Sellar

Lost Highway - Deepak Nayar; Tom Sternberg; Mary Sweeney

As Good as It Gets

The Full Monty

1998

Saving Private Ryan

Life is Beautiful

The Thin Red Line

The Big Lebowski - Joel and Ethan Coen

Mulan - Pam Coats

Central Station - Arthur Cohn; Martine de Clermont-Tonnerre; Robert Redford; Walter Salles

The Truman Show - Edward S. Feldman; Andrew Niccol; Scott Rudin; Adam Schroeder

Rushmore - Barry Mendel; Paul Schiff

Shakespeare in Love

1999

The Matrix - Joel Silver

American Beauty

The Green Mile

The Sixth Sense

Magnolia - Paul Thomas Anderson; JoAnne Sellar

The Straight Story - Neal Edelstein; Mary Sweeney

Man on the Moon - Danny DeVito; Michael Shamberg; Stacey Sher

Being John Malkovich - Steve Golin; Vincent Landay; Sandy Stern; Michael Stipe

[alwaysmoncheri]

𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒

pairings ❧ steve harrington x reader

summary ❧ nancy, jonthan, and (y/n) investigate the strange events that keep occurring in their small town

warnings ❧ female!reader, shit writing, implications of sex

word count ❧ 1k

additional notes ❧ none ´･ᴗ･`

The day seems to drag on incessantly as I drown in my own pool of sorrow.

As I'm sitting at lunch, Tommy and Carol crack their typical 'humorous' remarks, triggering an unsettling feeling within me.

"I still think that creep killed him." Tommy says referring to Jonathan while spooning food into his mouth.

"He's such a freak." Carol comments, laughing.

Steve shoots his friends a look before he glances at me with a concerned expression. To my surprise, he rests his hand on my thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze, leaving it there, before returning to his food.

Steve doesn't bring up what happened last night.

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

"The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress. And Kurtz's life was running swiftly, too—"

I slump in my seat, absorbing this incredibly boring lecture as the day reaches its conclusion. Suddenly the office lady walk in and halts the teacher's speech.

Thank god.

"(Y/n) Henderson and Nancy Wheeler? If you would come with me, please," She says motioning for us to walk with her.

With exhaustion dragging me down, I rise from my chair and shuffle after the lady through the classroom door to the empty cafeteria - a tense scene awaiting. There, Mrs. Wheeler sits, across from two officers, who look at Nancy and I with stern expressions, which causes my heart to quicken with anticipation.

Nancy sits down next to her mom and I sit myself down next to Nancy.

"We're here to discuss the whereabouts of your friend, Barbra Holland." One of the deputies says, with a notepad in hand.

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

"So, this argument you and Barbra had... What exactly was it about?" The officer, Powell asks.

"It wasn't really an argument..." Nancy says hesitantly, "Barb just wanted to leave. I didn't, so, I... I told her to just go home."

"Then what?" Powell asks.

"Then I went upstairs to put on some dry clothes." Nancy continues.

"And the next day," Powell says, "You guys went back and saw, a bear, you're thinking?"

"We don't know what it was... but we think..." I pipe in, "We think maybe it took, Barb."

"You need to check behind Steve's house—" Nancy starts.

"We did. There's nothing there." The other officer, Callahan, says shaking his head, "There's no sign of a bear."

"And there's no car." Powell finishes.

"What?" I say, as Nancy and I glance at each other.

"Look, we figure that Barbra came back last night and then she took off, went somewhere else." Callahan says.

"Has she ever talked to either of you about running off?" Powell asks, "Leaving town, maybe?"

"No," Nancy says shaking her head, "No, Barb wouldn't do that, ever."

"She wasn't maybe upset about the fact that you were spending time with this boy?" Powell asks, "Uh, Steve Harrington?"

"What? No." Nancy says uncomfortably.

"Maybe she was jealous because she saw you go up to Steve's room?" Callahan presses and Mrs. Wheeler looks at Nancy pointedly.

"It wasn't like that." Nancy argues.

"Like what?" Callahan asks.

"Steve and me... We're..." Nancy's starts, "We're just friends. We just talked."

Callahan looks down at his notes and I avert my gaze to the window, hiding my jealousy.

"Now was this before or after you changed out of your clothes?"

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

After riding my bike home, I grab a snack from the fridge as the phone begins to ring. I walk over to the phone holding it between my shoulder and ear. Opening the wrapper for my snack, I take a bite while answering the call.

"Henderson residence." I say into the phone.

"(Y/n)?" I hear Jonathan's voice through the speaker.

"This is she," I reply.

"Uh, could you help me with something?" He says hesitantly.

"Of course, what is it?" I ask, leaning against the wall.

"I need to organize Will's funeral and I just can't do it alone." He responds solemnly.

"Oh..."

"You don't have to, I just—"

"No, no, it's okay Jonathan," I say, reassuring the boy, "Pick me up in ten minutes?"

"Okay."

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

Jonathan arrives at my house approximately ten minutes later. As he drives us to the funeral home, my thoughts wander to the difference between riding with him and sitting in Steve's car. Jonathan's car is cold and bleak while Steve's car is warm and causes my emotions to buzz with excitement.

Jonathan pulls up outside the funeral home and we both head inside. An old man greets us with a sad smile and guides us over to view the available caskets.

"It's made of soft wood with a crepe interior," The old man says gently, "Uh, now, I don't know what your budget is but over there, we have copper and bronze." He says leading us over to more caskets.

Nancy walks in through the entrance, her steps slow and hesitant. Jonathan and I notice her arrival, prompting her to offer us a wave that mirrors her anxious demeanor.

"Can you just give us a second?" Jonathan stammers before we walk over to Nancy.

"Of course." The man says kindly.

"Hey." Jonathan greets.

"Hey, Nance." I say.

"Hey..." She says, "Your mom, um... she said you'd be here."

"I just... can we talk for a second?"  Nancy continues nervously.

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

"It looks like it could be some kind of perspective distortion, but I wasn't using the wide angle." Jonathan says looking at the taped picture Nancy hands him after we sit down on a bench.

"I don't know. It's weird" He continues handing the picture back to Nancy.

"And you're sure you didn't see anyone else out there?" Nancy asks.

"No." Jonathan replies, "She was there one second and then, um... gone. I figured she bolted."

"The cops think that she ran away." Nancy says sadly, "But they don't know Barb."

"And we went back to Steve's... and we thought we saw something..." I say.

Some weird man or...I don't know what it was." Nancy finishes with a sigh before looking at Jonathan.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here today." She stands, "I'm so sorry."

"What did he look like?" Jonathan says abruptly.

"What?" Nancy asks turning back around.

"This man you guys saw in the woods." Jonathan says, "What'd he look like?" He repeats.

"I don't know," Nancy stammers, "It was almost like he... he didn't have—"

"Didn't have a face?"

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alwaysmoncheri © ─ all rights reserved. please do not repost/translate/copy any of my work.

[xcziel]

Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson a collection of short stories edited by Jesse J. Holland

The new Captain America has a heavy shield to hold. As a Black man in America, Sam Wilson knows he has to be twice as good to get half as much credit. He must be a paragon of virtue for a nation that has mixed feelings towards him. In these thirteen brand-new stories, the all-new Captain America must thwart an insurrectionist plot, travel back in time, foil a racist conspiracy, and save the world over and over again. As the Falcon, Sam Wilson was the first African American super hero in mainstream comic books. Sam’s trials and tribulations reflect the struggles many Black Americans go through today, as Sam balances fighting supervillains and saving the world with the difficulties of being the first Black Captain America. This action-packed anthology inspired by the Marvel comic book universe, will see Sam team up with familiar friends like Steve Rogers, Redwing and Nomad, while fighting Hydra, Sabretooth, Kingpin, and other infamous villains. These are stories of death-defying courage, Black love and self-discovery. These are the stories of a super hero learning what it means to be a symbol. These are the stories of Sam Wilson. Featuring original stories by Maurice Broaddus, Jesse J. Holland, Gar Anthony Haywood, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Kyoko M., Sheree Renee Thomas, Gary Phillips, Danian Jerry, Gloria J. Browne Marshall, Glenn Parris, Christopher Chambers, Alex Simmons.

[darkmaga-returns]

A 2024 Election Eve special. A number of us from the Ghetto get together to discus the meaning and importance of Peanut the Squirrel and the power of memes in general.

κρῠπτός, The Black Horse, Riley S, and 2 others

Nov 04, 2024

Peanut the Squirrel and his untimely death have been all over Twitter/X over the weekend. I was joined by 

The Black Horse, Johann Kurtz, Riley S

 and Steve from Fox N’ Sons Coffee to talk about why Peanut captured our attention. We talk about the power of memes and symbols, the administrative state, Girardian scapegoats and much, much more. A light hearted and yet totally serious conversation about nothing.