#Top Upcoming Movies 2022

[don-lichterman]

UPCOMING MOVIES 2022/2023 (New Trailers)

UPCOMING MOVIES 2022/2023 (New Trailers)

UPCOMING MOVIES 2022/2023 (New Trailers) Films Included: 00:00 FilmSelect 0:05 Transformers 7: Rise Of The Beast (2023) Official Trailer 2:15 Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) Official Trailer 4:08 Indiana Jones 5 (2023) Official Trailer 5:47 Knights Of The Zodiac (2023) Official Trailer 6:49 Legend Of The White Dragon (2023) Official Trailer 9:04 The Mean One | Grinch Parody (2022) Official…

[taylorswiftstyle]

Eras Tour Film premiere | Los Angeles, CA | October 11, 2023

Oscar de la Renta 'Cutout Floral Gown' - $11,990.00 $5,995.00

In my predictions post for this premiere on the TSS Patreon I selected a different dress by Oscar de la Renta (a longtime favourite designer of Taylors) and noted that my ideal styling with said gown would be a "red lip and pinned faux bob with tons of bangles and chandelier diamond earrings ... for an old Hollywood glam feel."

Needless to say, I support and love this outing.

It's dramatic and ladylike while also honouring and extending the #1989Blue precedent she set during the final stages of the U.S. 2023 leg of the Eras Tour. Dressing to a colour palette is a perfect connector and reminder to bridge both the event at hand of the concert tour movie and her most pressing upcoming record with 1989 (Taylor's Version) set to release on October 27.

All in, this is a beautiful gown and perhaps one of her best appearances ever. The elegant styling (dainty rings and eye-popping matching diamond tennis necklace and bracelet) were the perfect choices. And maybe I'm just jealous that Taylor is someone who can pull off blue eyeshadow (any other brown eyed girls who were told that blue makeup would make your eyes pop and subsequently did not look like Taylor Swift when you tried a powder blue shadow look? anyone? just me?).

Designer Fernando Garcia also noted during the Resort 2023 collection's presentation that "cut-outs have become a go-to for our customer". The ones on this gown feel like an organic nod to the spliced crop tops that were signature to the original 1989 fashion run in 2014. But here, they're more organic and integrated into the design - a natural part of fully blossoming some might say. And if you missed the subtle cut-out nod, there's always the faux bob that might double take you into believing you were back in 2014/15 and also nods to the messy, slightly undone style seen on the 1989 TV cover.

As backstory, it should surprise no one that this particular collection happened to debut on June 13, 2022 at (where else) the New York Botanical Garden.

Worn with: Cartier necklace + Anabela Chan bracelets, Cartier studs + Cathy Waterman + Akillis + Anabela Chan rings, and Giuseppe Zanotti heels

[yridenergyridenergy]

Burrn! Japan vol. 23 Individual Interview Translation Notes

Kyo's favourite movies are those that leave a really bad aftertaste, which he just can't watch more than once or twice. Besides Holy Mountain, some of his highlights have been Pearl, MEN and Midsommar. Ideally, he'd love to replicate this in a live show: as a fan, you would be so shocked and blinded by tears that you couldn't even see Kyo. He thinks that Dir en grey is more and more working toward this kind of mission. Kyo would also love to perform in Las Vegas' SPHERE venue, with this type of overwhelming shock.

If he had to make a movie, it would also be one that leaves a bad aftertaste and which nobody could sanely watch more than twice, but since he would have to do multiple reviews as the director, it won't happen.

Kyo finally explained the focus on Uroboros more: he feels that Dir en grey was able to build something more from this point onward. The worldview started with Withering to death. too, but the base was set more firmly with Uroboros.

For Kyo, the inclusion of Oboro is what totally changes a setlist. He feels that it's a bottomless pit, like he's cutting deeper and deeper into a wound. For Die, The World of Mercy is the song that can make a whole difference in a setlist, because of the change of tempo in the middle.

Die described that when they try to compose songs, sometimes, after 25 years, they can have the impression that the melody's already been done before. But then, let's say Kyo adds his singing on top of it, and it goes through the filters of the other members too, and in the end, Die feels like: "Wow, it's something totally different now!"

Die doesn't usually work on melodies in his free time. The ideas come to him the most when there is a concrete release decided and deadlines, even if he doesn't like deadlines.

Regarding the upcoming European tour, Die reflects that Withering to death. was the first time that they toured in Europe, and in general they have never done "concept tours" overseas. He feels that the band will be able to do things in 2024 that they weren't able to do back then.

Apparently Dir en grey is thinking of celebrating the 30th anniversary since their formation!! And they are wondering whether to release the next album before that or around the same time.

Kaoru mentioned that at first, only Acro no Oka and Zan were supposed to be recorded with Yoshiki in LA, but when they arrived, it was decided to add Yurameki. About Acro no Oka, Yoshiki commented that it was a concern because of the lack of "collision of sounds", whereas Zan was a problem of collision of sounds.

In Yurameki, apparently they recorded some strings separately and overlapped them in post-production because Yoshiki asked Kaoru to play something in a specific way that was impossible, because the string couldn't be held down simultaneously. They figured: "No one will notice."

This European tour was supposed to happen in 2022 to coincide with the band's 25th anniversary.

Shinya would have preferred to sleep until 4PM on the day of this interview. He also appreciated that the songs of Phalaris were introduced in three segments/tours, because he had trouble memorizing the structure of the songs. It would have been impossible for him to play all of the album's songs at once live.

His favourite kind of ending is when the show doesn't end with a bang, but that it instead leaves a lingering worldview, which was accomplished with Kamuy. His favourite part is when the curtain was lowered in front of the stage as soon as Kamuy started. Ideally, he would always just walk off the stage without throwing drumsticks or anything.

For the first time, the rehearsal for Tour23 Phalaris Final –the scent of a peaceful death- was not just [rhythm section] then [whole band]. At Die's suggestion, they had rhythm first, then the four musicians, and finally the whole band rehearsed together.

Shinya was ecstatic that his composition, Yurameki, was chosen for the major debut and that it was produced with Yoshiki. Ever since then, he felt like he could die happy, and all the way up until now, Shinya has continually felt like he could be content to die at any moment.

For ten years now, Shinya has wished to record simple drum melodies. Also, he thinks that he will struggle to re-learn how to play the Uroboros songs.

Toshiya reveals that the imagery projected on the curtain in the opening (during Otogi) and ending (during Kamuy) of the shows in Tour23 Phalaris Final –the scent of a peaceful death- were generated by AI.

It seems that a lot of people have commented that going to see Dir en grey is more like a spectacle than seeing a rock band's live performance.

Toshiya was initially opposed to the idea of re-recording the three singles of their major debut. He feels that old songs are out of their hands, and some things about them belong to the listeners and their past experiences of it. In other words, he is worried that re-recording could destroy something about the memories associated to the songs. In his view, it's better for the creators to re-imagine the songs, like they have done with their remakes so far. At the same time, in retrospection, Toshiya is glad that they decided to do it, because it made him realize that a lot has changed in 25 years, but a lot also hasn't changed, with the band.

[waitmyturtles]

Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: Love of Siam, The Intersectionality of Expectations and Demands, and the Tentacles of Influence On the BL Genre Edition

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, in a long post, I cover the pre-BL film Love of Siam, and its tremendous influence on today's Thai television BL genre.]

As we recover from the first weekend of Only Friends...now for something a little different, ha.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that while I was on the chronological journey through my Old GMMTV Challenge watchlist, that I jacked up my watch schedule to roll back in time to add two pre-television-BL movies in Love of Siam (2007) and My Bromance (2014). My review of My Bromance will drop later this week, but I want to give more attention at the moment to Love of Siam, a seminal film for queer media in Thailand, and a definite influence and harbinger on the development of the future genre of television BL in Thailand after the film's release. Considering our beloved Thai BL auteurs who have been knowingly influenced by LoS: it's a must-add for the list.

Now that I've watched Love of Siam: while I know I'm reviewing it in my 2023 watch schedule out of order, I am tremendously glad that this review will sit on top of the enduring list as the first of the Old GMMTV Challenge syllabus, as I think it contains a number of themes that get explored in the future of television Thai BLs from 2014 on. As well, the film also opens a door into how Thai, pan-Asian, and international audiences of various demographics receive and have received the film over the last 16 years since the film's release.

Most importantly for this piece: I'd like to address Love of Siam in an intersectional analysis, specifically analyzing the film from the queer lens/perspective and the Asian lens/perspective. What I'd like to address about LoS is as follows:

1) A summary of the movie, why Love of Siam was remarkable when it was released, and a quick overview of who has been influenced by it in Thai BL auteur circles, 2) How the ending of the movie (spoiler alert) has been received and understood by specific audiences, 3) An intersectional overview of those potentially differing expectations and opinions, and what that intersection means for how the global television BL fandom watches and understands Thai television BLs today, 4) What we see today, theme-wise, by what works and artists I think were influenced by Love of Siam,

and other floating points as I come to them.

It was the inimitable @bengiyo who recommended -- nay, insisted -- that I watch Love of Siam, not only for the OGMMTVC syllabus, but also as a means of analyzing I Told Sunset About You by way of its story structure and resolution, which I'll get into in a few moments. (I actually had the very great pleasure of joining @bengiyo and @shortpplfedup, along with a few other clowns, to talk about ITSAY on an upcoming The Conversation podcast, in which Love of Siam came up as a topic -- thank you, Ben and NiNi, for the honor! I'll talk more about the conversation that took place in the podcast in a few moments.)

Love of Siam focuses on Mew and Tong, two young schoolboys who were separated by a family tragedy in Tong's family. After Tong's sister disappears and is presumed dead, Tong's father turns to alcoholism, and the family moves away. Tong's mother takes up the mantle of breadwinner and the glue that keeps the rest of the family together. When Mew and Tong reach high-school age, they reconnect in Bangkok's Siam Square mall. I'll try to not give too much more away, because there's a tremendous follow-up to Tong's sister's legacy within the film, but the movie is perhaps best known for its ending, in which Mew and Tong do not get together. The two had spent the film negotiating their attraction to each other in the face of the intervention of Tong's mother, who worked on keeping them apart, and reconnected with the help of a mutual friend in Ying, who originally had a crush on Mew before discovering he was gay. The ending echoes the common endings of the majority of queer media at the time, in which couples did not get together, and/or were forcibly separated, and/or were tragically eliminated. (Brokeback Mountain was released two years earlier in 2005, and André Aciman's original novel, Call Me By Your Name, comes out in the same year as LoS, in 2007.)

For broad cinematic context, Love of Siam was Thailand's entry in the 2009 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film (now called Best International Film). To compare LoS to television BLs on the OGMMTVC list, only the Nadao Bangkok works (I Told Sunset About You, etc.) come at all close to the quality of LoS's filming. The acting, the cinematography, the pacing, and the story structure of this movie were all superb. I enjoyed every minute of it, despite the ending. (We had our first instance of Kob Songsit playing a father named Korn, which -- was it a coincidence that he did the same in KinnPorsche? Especially considering KinnPorsche's happy ending -- it's a high likelihood. More on this in a bit.)

The movie received a fair share of controversy upon its release, as it had been originally marketed as a love story between two heterosexual teen couples. The "surprise," as it were, of finding out that Mew and Tong were the main romantic protagonists, caught Thai audiences by surprise. The filmmakers reported that they were unaware of the modern extent, at that point, of Thailand's common homophobia, but @bengiyo also let me know that at the same time, fans of the film were devastated to not see Mew and Tong get together in the end. Despite the competing controversies, the film was the most successful film in Thailand in 2007.

It's well known that many of our favorite Thai television BL auteurs, like Backaof Noppharnach, Jojo Tichakorn, New Siwaj, and others, watched and were influenced by the film -- they've talked about it previously in interviews in Soonvijarn and other arenas. I haven't seen My Only 12%, but @bengiyo tells me that New Siwaj directly tackles Love of Siam in that series. I'll come back to talk more specific works by these auteurs, and how I think some of these auteurs responded to the influence of Love of Siam in their works, in a bit.

As I mentioned previously: the ending of Love of Siam is controversial. Tong's mother intervened with Mew to tell him to stay away from Tong. She equates Tong being with Mew romantically to "losing her son" (a notion that is repeated in the 2019 film, Dew), which she clearly doesn't want after losing her daughter. Tong's mother is later shown as seeming to accept Tong's sexuality -- but it's not clear if she will ever accept him being in an actual relationship. That's not addressed. Separately, Mew's and Tong's friend, Ying, gives up on her romantic hopes towards Mew to help Tong reconnect with Mew after their brief separation.

Ying helps Tong find a meaningful token of his past with Mew. After gifting him the token, Tong says to Mew:

"I can't be your boyfriend. But it doesn't mean that I don't love you."

And Mew, smiling, says: "Thank you."

The end of the movie shows Ying sobbing heavily among her group of friends, and Mew sitting and crying in a room, saying "thank you" once more.

Jumping ahead a bit: during my participation in The Conversation podcast, the topic came up of whether or not ITSAY was an "apology" for Love of Siam. I think this question is a great way to enter what I briefly want to analyze intersectionally by way of how various audiences can interpret LoS's ending.

In conversation with the wonderful @bengiyo and @so-much-yet-to-learn (thank you both!), I understand that international queer audiences were severely disappointed in LoS's ending, for obvious reason. There was a lot in this movie that seemed to otherwise indicate acceptance of queer relationships and queer love, including by Tong's mother. That a relationship itself could not be confirmed was painful to watch.

When I was watching this film, I knew that the ending wasn't going to be good -- I just didn't know how it would play out exactly. I've had this experience before, where I'm aware that an ending of a thing I'm watching is going to be questionable, and when I get to the actual ending, I'm like -- OHHHH. Wait. I get why this ending is the way it is. The last time I felt like that was when I watched 2gether. In 2G, the ending/lack of intimacy immediately gave me a holistic understanding of why the show performed so well in Asia.

I watch Asian shows first and foremost with an Asian lens -- because I am an Asian. (I'm also a cishet woman.) My expectations of media coming from Asia are different than the expectations of non-Asian audiences. Maybe even as a cishet Asian woman -- my expectations of Asian media might be different from other Asian demographics, like Thai or pan-Asian queer audiences.

Generally speaking, the ending of LoS did not surprise me in the least, especially for being a piece from 2007. When Mew said "thank you," I was like, yep. Of course this was going to be how the movie ended.

Going back to the point I made earlier about queer media, globally, of this moment in 2007 having expected bad endings -- we come to an intersectional interpretive crossroads for Love of Siam's ending. Queer audiences were disappointed to be let down. I'm going to guess that the majority of Asian audiences, like myself, had a less surprised reaction (although again, to @bengiyo's point, it seems like some Thai fans protested the ending).

Non-happy, open-ended, and/or "bad" endings proliferate more in Asian media than in Western media. I've written about this before in a Big Meta on pain and suffering in Asian dramas. As an Asian consumer of Asian media, I've been conditioned all of life to not expect for the best of the characters I'm watching. Many of the Indian movies from the 1940s, '50s, and '60s that my parents showed me in my childhood had sad or politically-driven endings. Love being yanked right away for the sake of a "moral" or "ethical" lesson -- I'm conditioned to expect it. Most memorably for me, when I was a young lass, my parents showed me and my siblings Chemmeen, a 1965 film about a married woman nursing a long-lived lost-love with a man outside of her marriage. They had been separated all of their lives for various social status reasons. At the end of the film, when they finally embraced, they are wiped out by a storm. After the "WTF, mom and dad?!" outbursts from me and my siblings, my parents simply said -- this is the moral of a story that was important when we were growing up. You don't fall in love with someone you are not supposed to fall in love with. (Probably the saddest ending I've ever experienced in Asian media is Yoshimura Akira's Shipwrecks. I recommend it highly, but it's a bruiser.) (And MANY THANKS to my dear friend and fellow desi-homey, @neuroticbookworm, for tracking down Chemmeen based only on my hazy childhood memories!)

I've talked at length with @neuroticbookworm about our instinctual expectations of Asian media and when Asian media either toes the line of predictability (sad endings) or when it pushes the paradigm to, for us, new results (happy endings). (And this is in spite of Bollywood, which of course often has happy endings, but even Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, one of the biggest Indian movies of all time, was laced with sadness.)

LoS did something different than the media I grew up with, which I appreciated in the film. It was subtle, but as @bengiyo noted to me -- it was there. A whiff of acceptance was in the movie. This was the Thai film industry's way of beginning to play around with queer acceptance. I personally think that while the ending statements of "thank you" were stark, they did not indicate anything by way of emotional conclusion for Mew. When I saw Mew crying during his last "thank you," and Ying bawling at the end of the movie -- I took from that their acceptance of the devastation of a socially and culturally-based decision that needed to be made by Tong and his family.

Mew and Tong could acknowledge their love to each other. But for 2007 Thai cinema, they could not go further than that. To flirt with the idea that a Thai family would, in fiction, accept a gay relationship, was likely too progressive. Censors, the government, even Thai audiences, all may have balked.

The intersectional crossroads of this decision are important for me to root myself in. On the one hand, there's the disappointment of Thai, pan-Asian, and international queer audiences that Mew and Tong could not come together.

(I want to note that specifically for Western/non-Asian audiences of all demographics, there is a reality that a DEMAND that Asian filmmakers create happy endings — like Mew and Tong coming together — might be coming from a colonialist point of view, one that may ignore or not consider common Asian media practices and cultures. I unfortunately see this often in shipper culture emanating from the West, and I'm heartened that some Thai content makers are beginning to call international fans out on it. I note down below that market expectations of these endings have certainly changed in today's age, but checking privileges upon demanding something specific of Asian content is something that is always worth doing.)

On the other hand, there are Thai and pan-Asian audiences that interpret Mew and Tong not coming together as a matter of timing (the market not being ready for a confirmed queer relationship on screen), and as well, a matter of expectation that what we'd HOPE for -- Mew and Tong being together -- could AND would not happen, because conversationally, that kind of happiness would be culturally and socially impossible both in art and in real life. For instance, for Mew and Tong to negotiate their relationship with their respective families, on screen, in 2007? Talking to their parents about how they could get together? Damn. I can't.... for that time period, I cannot imagine Asian media, Thai or otherwise, going there. To involve families talking about acceptance -- I don't believe the market, Asian-based audiences, and even international Asian-diaspora audiences being ready for that. (And that's not to say that people of my generation wouldn't have welcomed it. But, for instance -- my parents' generation would have been in protest for movies depicting that kind of conflict, resolution, and outcome playing out in any sort of positive way.)

Remember, again, this is 2007. Let's jump WAY ahead for a second -- to the now, when we can have a show like My School President in 2022. A show, like LoS, that depicts two high school boys navigating attraction and love. A show that actually features a high school band (Mew being a lead singer in a band is a main plot point of LoS). And a show that includes young men falling in love and navigating their families. And Gun and Tinn end up together.

How far we've come from 2007 to now. As I noted above, the expectations of audiences outside of queer circles among Asian and international audiences for positive endings have changed drastically. I haven't even watched MSP yet, but imagine if Gun and Tinn DIDN'T get together. Think about it for a moment. Even as someone who hasn't watched the show yet -- even I know how crazy that sounds, from what we've been habituated to expect out of Thai television BLs, since the rise of the genre from Love Sick in 2014 -- a full seven years after the release of LoS. Thai, pan-Asian, and international audiences of all demographics would have been up in arms.

We know now -- again, seven years after the release of LoS -- how seminal Love Sick was for Thai television BLs, in including the Phun x Noh storyline in the context of an ensemble drama. And now, I feel like I have even more context for how UTTERLY seminal the ending of Love Sick was -- for Phun and Noh to consciously decide to BE TOGETHER, and to end the show that way, in the face of the line of previous expectations that LoS had originally had to toe. It fills my heart that so much progress could have been made in such a short time. Seven years doesn't seem short. But this is where I often drop a comparative point -- that it took 50 years for gay marriage to be legalized in America. Change sometimes seems long, but in hindsight -- change can also happen fast in context.

I think the intersectional conclusion to this is that Thai filmmakers didn’t give up in pushing to experiment with positive endings in a genre — queer media — that didn’t commonly have them. By having Phun and Noh confirm their relationship in Love Sick; by having TeeFuse and FrameBook CELEBRATE their relationships in the early BL series, Make It Right/MIR 2 — these shows began to change an expectedly doomed paradigm of sadness and heartbreak. And — AMAZINGLY! — these early shows that took such risks found accepting audiences. And the market has since responded.

Now — with these shows also came the rise of toxic shipper culture and continued homophobia of actors who are actually out and gay. That’s the gray side to all of this. But Thai BL auteurs then and now still play in this sandbox. As akin to the legislation of gay marriage in America, the progress of LGBTQ+ acceptance in Thai media and Thai society is rocky. (Remember this: Barack Obama did not outright support gay marriage when he first ran for office. He was already president when he permanently changed his public tune.) But that road is continually being paved as audiences in Thailand and globally grow ever more accepting of equal rights for all. While queer audiences celebrate this with bells on — I also am beyond thrilled that Asian audiences can take away learnings about LGBTQ+ equality, especially in countries where homosexuality is banned (Malaysia), where same-sex marriage is legal (Taiwan), and in everywhere in between, where there may be outward social practices of acceptance and internal practices of continued familial or even social homophobia. The general consistency of moving the dial forward on Thai BL media showing equality is good for ALL audiences, no matter how you cut it.

I want to take a moment to talk about the clear and enduring influence that LoS had had on present-day Thai BLs. Like I said earlier, many of our favorite Thai BL auteurs have stated that they were influenced by LoS, and I want to just do a little nerdy comparative analysis out of admiration for those creators that I simp on.

As I wrote previously, I thought LoS was brilliantly written and filmed -- it was a gorgeous movie, even at a 2.5-hour run time. LoS was rooted in a few major themes (but there are more within the film) that I see cropping up in present-day Thai BLs.

The first is the use of religion and spirituality as a means of indicating cultural mores around queer acceptance. Tong's family is Catholic. Catholic imagery peppers the film -- most notably for me, towards the end of the movie, when Tong flops on his bed with a huge poster of the cross pasted on the wall above him. Like I wrote earlier, Tong's mother has said to Mew -- if you two get together, I will lose my son. Tong being in a queer relationship is clearly against the family's Catholic practices -- the cross hovers in Tong's most intimate space.

On the flip side, Mew's family is Buddhist, and clearly demonstrated as so. I would also argue that Tong's Catholic family benefits from Buddhist beliefs, in a reincarnation plot that includes Tong's sister. As we know from the many Thai BLs that incorporate depictions of Buddhist practices -- Buddhism does not generally speak to a condemnation of the LGBTQ+ community, although local expressions and practices may differ. He's Coming To Me, Until We Meet Again, and Big Dragon are three shows that, to me, include Buddhist frameworks most distinctly, but of course -- our beloved BL guys are going to temples all the time and making merit. Even Gay OK Bangkok has multiple temple scenes -- and that's an overtly queer, non-BL drama. A temple is often a common locale that we see our beloved queer couples able to be together safely, outside the privacy of a home.

The second theme of note emanating out of LoS is filial piety. When Tong says to Mew, "I can't be your boyfriend," part of what he's saying is -- I can't do this to my family. Filial piety is SUCH a presence in many BLs -- to me, most notably in I Told Sunset About You, as I reflect on Teh's hugely emotional reaction in giving up his university admission for Oh-aew, and the fall-out vis à vis his mother that results from that decision (and Oh-aew has his own filial piety storyline as well). (I want to note that the ITSAY links include a phenomenal reblog from @bengiyo that talks in part about how ITSAY speaks to LoS -- a must-read.) Part of the presumed danger of coming out in Thai BLs, to me, stems from not only fearing rejection of one's own sexuality by a character's family -- but in also disappointing one's family in the public and private Asian family construct, especially considering that we're witnessing mostly young men coming out, who carry their own load of gender-based expectations from their families.

This harkens back for me Thun's coming-out conversation with his mother in episode six of He's Coming To Me. In episode five, Thun asks, famously, on a rainy rooftop -- "I have this feeling, but I don't know what to call it" (which, I think, is an Aof callback to Tong asking Ying in LoS -- "what am I, Ying?"). In episode six, Thun, a young man who has already lost his father, clearly sits with concern that he might lose his mother. And, of course, Thun's mother comes back with the most empathetic response to a coming-out that I've ever seen in a Thai BL. Maybe Thun's mom is also a response to Tong's mom.

Finally, I want to go back to the theme and the idea of sad endings vs. happy endings. When I first began to get OBSESSED with Thai BLs was when I watched Bad Buddy for the first time. Bad Buddy, to me, encapsulated a feeling I had that what I was watching was DISTINCTLY, PROGRESSIVELY Asian by the many themes it included that I relate to as an Asian, from filial piety, to intergenerational trauma, to keeping secrets from family and friends, and so much more.

I think, for my interpretative stance at this point of the OGMMTVC, that it's clear that Aof Noppharnach has most commonly addressed themes and influences from LoS in his work (again acknowledging that New Siwaj did something similar in My Only 12%). I think I admire the endings of He's Coming To Me and Bad Buddy in particular because Aof did something that I think is really hard to pull off. As I said to @so-much-yet-to-learn, Aof pulled off not-necessarily-happy, open-ended resolutions to those two shows that hewed far more to real-life-level conclusions about queerness than overtly happy endings in the face of other tenuous influences, such as family rejections. At the end of He's Coming To Me, Thun is in love with a ghost that may be reborn at any point in time — Thun could lose Med without a moment’s notice. At the end of Bad Buddy, Pran and Pat are not out to their families and are separated by distance. But -- à la Love of Siam -- there are subtle indications that acceptance may be on the horizon on the part of Pran's and Pat's families.

To me, Aof negotiating these endings is just so brilliant, and hews authentically to the journey, to the path that Asian audiences, like myself, can once again relate to from the media we grew up with. If we as Asians grew up not expecting happy endings, how does that change our experience of watching shows that end happily now? By watching media with inconclusive or pointedly unhappy endings, Asian audiences are led to think that life is more complicated and gray than a happy ending would lead one to believe. From a queer lens — if the MAJORITY of queer media ends badly, then it seems that the underlying message is that the community ITSELF doesn’t DESERVE happiness. I will always appreciate the majority of Thai BLs changing this paradigm.

Many of Aof’s work sit in the middle of this, either by ending or by journey. Moonlight Chicken indicates a painful growth and acceptance process of internalized homophobia for Jim, the chicken rice vendor. Same for Phupha, from A Tale of Thousand Stars to Our Skyy 2. Pat and Pran are physically separated and mostly closeted. Thun is dating a ghost. Even Type and Man in Still 2gether are almost permanently separated by Type’s job. Aof doesn’t shy away from loose ends. He’s not giving devastation. He’s balancing, I think, the history of what was expected, with what real life often gives by way of what actually happens in imperfect situations.

And this isn’t entirely universal in Aof's works. In the two previously existent series that Aof "took over" in Kiss Me Again and 2gether: Pete and Kao are solid at the end of Dark Blue Kiss. Sarawat and Tine end nice and heaty in Still 2gether. But what I think is particularly brilliant about Aof’s overall oeuvre is that balance and appreciation he clearly has for art that questionable, open-ended endings gave to pieces back when he and I were younger folks. Aof doesn’t devastate us, or his characters. But he certainly makes all of us — his characters and his audiences — contemplate the meaning of our existences and our roles in society by way of the obstacles and inequities we all face, by the time a show of his is concluded. Those searing examinations are what I live for in his repertoire in particular, and they are what remind me the most about the Asian media I grew up with vis à vis Aof’s modern works.

I have to thank him for that. Maybe as an older viewer of Thai BLs (I'm close in age to Aof), I sometimes need a bridge to the robust happy endings that shows like Make It Right, Dark Blue Kiss, Still 2gether, and more have. Love of Siam reminded me of where we once stood. Aof's works are the bridge to a kind of 180-degree turn-of-perspective, towards a happiness in fiction that, as a child of Asian media, I never knew I could enjoy. And I'm glad, in today's age as I continue to robustly enjoy the genre that is Thai BL, that I can experience that kind of satisfaction in Thai art now.

[So all of this is happening while we're getting early into Only Friends, and Dangerous Romance premieres this week. The riches! So much going on!

Later this week, I'll publish a (hopefully short-ish) review of another film, My Bromance (2014) to talk about the Flukes and yaoi influences on BL. Then, FINALLY (!!!) will come my Manner of Death review, my A Tale of Thousand Stars rewatch review, my Lovely Writer review (LOVED THIS SHOW), and somewhere in-between, a non-OGMMTVC review of Jojo Tichakorn's The Warp Effect, which I'm HOUSING for the sake of Only Friends.

Hit list below! Hit me with feedback! (Tumblr's new web editor is jacking with this list below and not letting me strikethrough those shows that I've watched. For the most updated list, check this link right here.)

1) The Love of Siam (2007) (movie) 2) My Bromance (2014) (movie) (review coming) 3) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 4) Gay OK Bangkok Season 1 (2016) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 5) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 6) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 7) Gay OK Bangkok Season 2 (2017) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 8) Make It Right 2 (2017) (review here) 9) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 10) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (review here) 11) Love By Chance (2018) (review here) 12) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) (no review) 13) He’s Coming To Me (2019) (review here) 14) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) and Our Skyy x Kiss Me Again (2018) (review here) 15) TharnType (2019-2020) (review here) 16) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (OffGun BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (no review) 17) Theory of Love (2019) (review here) 18) 3 Will Be Free (2019) (a non-BL and an important harbinger of things to come in 2019 and beyond re: Jojo Tichakorn pushing queer content in non-BLs) (review here) 19) Dew the Movie (2019) (review here) 20) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) (review here) 21) 2gether (2020) and Still 2gether (2020) (review here) 22) I Told Sunset About You (2020) (review here) 23) YYY (2020, out of chronological order) (review here) 24) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (not a true BL, but a MaxTul queer/gay romance set within a genre-based show that likely influenced Not Me and KinnPorsche) (review coming) 25) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 26) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake Of Rewatching Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (review coming) 27) Lovely Writer (2021) (review coming) 28) Last Twilight in Phuket (2021) (the mini-special before IPYTM) 29) I Promised You the Moon (2021) 30) Not Me (2021-2022) 31) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 32) 55:15 Never Too Late (2021-2022) (not a BL, but a GMMTV drama that features a macro BL storyline about shipper culture and the BL industry) 33) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) and Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (2023) OGMMTVC Rewatch 34) Secret Crush On You (2022) [watching for Cheewin’s trajectory of studying queer joy from Make It Right (high school), to SCOY (college), to Bed Friend (working adults)] 35) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 36) KinnPorsche (2022) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake of Re-Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist 37) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 38) GAP (2022-2023) (Thailand’s first GL) 39) My School President (2022-2023) and Our Skyy 2 x My School President (2023) 40) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 41) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) (Cheewin’s latest show, depicting a queer joy journey among working adults) 42) Be My Favorite (2023) (tag here) (I’m including this for BMF’s sophisticated commentary on Krist’s career past as a BL icon) 43) Only Friends (2023)]

[samasmith23]

Kamala Khan's death in Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #26 leaked NOT once... but TWICE in a row!!!

It looks like someone at Marvel RRREEEAAALLLYYY wants this whole publicity stunt of killing off Ms. Marvel (aka, Kamala Khan) to FAIL super hard considering that the pages for tomorrow’s Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #26 have been leaked not once, but twice now! And now we sadly know exactly just how Kamala dies…

Umm… last time I checked, Kamala has a healing factor. Sure it’s nowhere as powerful as Wolverine’s (and it does require Kamala to eat a lot in order to replenish her energy reserves), but unless that sword is powered by some kind of magic bullcrap which completely shuts off her healing factor, this makes zero sense! Kamala literally healed from a bullet wound to the stomach in her opening arc, and even survived having an entire building collapse right on top of her (just barely, but still)!

Also, it feels so random and arbitrary to have Kamala randomly use her shape-shifting powers to pose as a body-double Mary Jane, especially since she’s not utilized them a lot due her opening arc centering around Kamala becoming comfortable in her own skin after previously trying and failing to resemble her idol Carol Danvers (therefore overcoming her personal insecurities and internalized Islamophobia).

Plus, last time I checked Kamala's only since then shape-shifted into a couch, James Rhodes, and a scary cartoon face.

While it does feel somewhat in character for Kamala to risk her life to save someone she barely knows as part of her characterization as a superhero, the actual execution of it feels incredibly at odds with her past character development (whether it be struggling with her fears of death and mortality in Magnificent Ms. Marvel, or already receiving validation from her family, friends, and dozens of other superheroes, including Peter Parker, so why does she need it from him again when she dies?!).

Based on these leaked pages, I get the general impression that Zeb Wells originally fully intended to kill off Mary Jane here since all throughout his Spider-Man run he’s heavily hinted at it and foreshadowed it with that Paul guy (seriously... WHO THE HECK IS PAUL?!) and their two kids (who are apparently actual mystical constructs or something…), and that mystical supervillain wanting “the Scarlet Woman’s blood” (I know the phrase "Scarlet Woman" is specifically meant to refer to MJ’s red hair, but it is also unfortunately a derogatory slang term for a sex-worker). But maybe Marvel editorial told him to rewrite his planned death of Mary Jane at the last minute as a desperate effort to promote the upcoming The Marvels movie (which Wells shares a co-writing credit for the screenplay of), or Wells wanted to subvert reader expectations but did so in a distasteful manner?

I honestly don’t know... but if I had to guess I’d probably say it’s the former option since Marvel previously killed off Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch before resurrecting them a few months later to hype up their upcoming MCU films, plus the Spider-Man offices in particular are notorious for their editorial mandates and interfering with writer’s plans at the last minute (just look at how they recently forced Nick Spencer to settle on retconning Sins Past out of existence instead of One More Day like he was originally building-up towards). And do I think that Zeb Wells himself is an Islamophobic misogynist because of this? Probably not... especially considering I don’t know the guy’s personal politics (maybe he's a swell person IRL) and editorial mandates are likely at play here. I do think that killing off Kamala in such a random and distasteful manner is still a bad look and does give off those unfortunate implications. However, based on what I know I feel that this is more a case of judging the actions as bigoted (whether they were intentional or not) instead of labeling the person themselves as a bigot.

But regardless of whether or not the decision to fridge Kamala Khan is the fault of Zeb Wells, or Nick Lowe or someone else over at Marvel Editorial, I do want to make one thing perfectly clear... DO NOT... I repeat... DO NOT SEND ANY OF THEM DEATH THREATS! Like, I've already lost count of how many people I've encountered on both Twitter and Tumblr who are seriously outright calling for both Wells and Lowe's blood in response to these leaks.

And since the issue is being released tommorow, I feel the need to reiterate that harassing creators and sending them death threats is NEVER acceptable under any circumstances, and that doing so makes you no better than the kinds of supervillains that Kamala regularly fights against! We can criticize a bad story WITHOUT becoming supervillains ourselves! Follow the advice of @atopfourthwall here for heavens sake people:

Now this is hopefully going to be the last time I discuss Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #26 here on Tumblr as I have zero plans on giving any actual money to the issue myself. I may consider reading the Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel one-shot, if only because it's being written by several of Kamala's past creators G. Willow Wilson, Saladin Ahmed, and Mark Waid, so I trust them to be able to salvage something decent out of this whole fiasco. But that's it. I do plan on releasing a future post which provides an in-depth analysis about the ways in which Ms. Marvel comics have discussed themes of death in a much more nuanced and respectful manner, but I have no idea when it will be released.

Until then folks... vote with your wallets. Please do not cave into the outrage machine and feed into the publicity stunt that this whole mess so obviously is. Don’t give tomorrow's issue of Amazing Spider-Man any more attention than it's already received. Instead go support all of Kamala's past adventures to show your love and appreciation for the character if you do not own the graphic novel collections already. And most importantly... for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT attack the creators involved with this terrible decision and especially DO NOT send them death threats!

[soob1nn]

INTERVIEWS - ADULT FAME DR

REMINDER! I haven’t shifted yet, so all these is just my imagination 🤍

masterlist - main mastelist

Interviews, a dynamic form of communication, serve as a gateway to understanding individuals, their experiences, and their perspectives. Whether conducted for journalistic purposes, research, or casual conversation, interviews unravel stories, insights, and the diverse tapestry of human narratives. Through questions and answers, interviews facilitate connection, exploration, and the exchange of knowledge, offering a platform to explore the depth and richness of the human experience.

THE TONIGHT SHOW - JIMMY FALLON

2019

Appearing on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon was an absolute blast. We sat down to discuss my upcoming film, "Knives Out," diving into the intriguing details of the project. The conversation seamlessly flowed from the movie to my recent photoshoot, which evidently left everyone with their mouths agape. Jimmy, true to his playful style, explored various facets of my life, including my marriage with Penn, a topic we hadn't openly discussed before. The atmosphere was light and enjoyable as we delved into a range of topics, spiced up by games that had us both laughing. The entire experience was a perfect blend of fun, genuine conversation, and a touch of Jimmy's signature humor, making it a memorable night on "The Tonight Show."

HOT ONES - SEAN EVANS

2021

Appearing on "Hot Ones" was an exhilarating experience that blended spice, humor, and insightful conversations. While I might not have aced the wing challenge, the intense flavors added a unique element to the interview. Adorned with plenty of jewelry, devouring wings proved to be a slight challenge, adding an amusing twist to the fiery ordeal. Sean Evans skillfully steered the conversation through my future projects, providing a platform to discuss everything from quarantine experiences to the unexpected hobbies I explored in my free time. The entire encounter was a flavorful journey, where the heat of the wings mirrored the warmth of engaging discussions on "Hot Ones."

WIRED AUTOCOMPLETE INTERVIEW

2021

The Wired Autocomplete Interview was a solo adventure filled with fun, especially after just wrapping up filming for the new sequel "Top Gun: Maverick." As I navigated through the most searched questions about me on the internet, the queries ranged from the infamous kiss between Andrew Garfield and Ryan Reynolds at the Golden Globes (an event I attended) to unraveling the story behind a song I wrote five years ago. Exploring topics like my transition from medicine school to acting, the interview provided a platform to address lingering curiosities. The experience was not only informative but incredibly enjoyable, and I left with the feeling that I'd gladly dive into it again.

SPILL YOUR GUTS - JAMES CORDEN

2022

Stepping into the "Spill Your Guts" segment with James Corden alongside Miles Teller was quite the adventure, especially as we discussed our latest film, "Top Gun: Maverick." Rocking a green suit and a white T-shirt, topped off with green nails, I brought a colorful vibe to the interview. Things got personal when they probed about my marriage with Penn, a topic we had kept private since our separation. The questions delved into the reasons behind our divorce, shedding light on a part of my life rarely discussed in the press. To add a twist, there was even a question about revisiting a relationship reminiscent of our (miles and I) teenage years. The segment blended humor, revelation, and a touch of nostalgia, giving viewers a unique peek into the unexpected turns of celebrity interviews.

73 QUESTIONS - VOUGE

2022

Vogue's 73 Questions interviews not only offer a rapid-fire insight into the lives of celebrities but also grant fans an unprecedented peek into their homes. As I navigated through the questions, my fans got to explore various corners of my house, creating a more intimate connection. The inquiries ranged from my hobbies to a tour of my extensive library, where I shared books I've read, those waiting to be explored, and even recommended some favorites. Responding to the curiosity about my culinary skills, I discussed what I enjoy eating and whether I possess any culinary prowess. To add a musical note, they asked me to play the piano, a personal touch that added an extra layer to the interview. Vogue's 73 Questions not only captures the essence of celebrities' lives but also establishes a direct and engaging connection with the audience.

VANITY FAIR LIE DETECTOR

2023

Participating in Vanity Fair's Lie Detector interview alongside Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively was an absolute riot, made even more memorable by the fact that I wore an entire pink outfit that drew compliments. The atmosphere was lively and playful throughout, and we had an incredible amount of fun. In a particularly memorable moment, Ryan turned the tables on me, asking about a quirky incident during quarantine when his beloved Canadian maple syrup mysteriously disappeared. Despite my denial, the lie detector hilariously exposed the truth, and Ryan, who has a deep love for that syrup, was genuinely offended. The revelation left us all in fits of laughter, and Ryan playfully expressed his dismay, sharing that he had to wait a whopping two years to go back to Canada and buy his cherished maple syrup again. The Lie Detector interview, with its blend of humor, fashion flair, and unexpected revelations, became a delightful and beautiful experience.

THE TONIGHT SHOW - JIMMY FALLON

2023

During my recent appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon, we delved into the exciting details of my upcoming film, "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo." Jimmy expressed his admiration for the character and my performance, playfully saying "I think the academy is calling Winter!" Our conversation extended to the source material, the book, where we shared our favorite scenes and discussed the nuanced differences between the film adaptation and the literary masterpiece. I revealed that I was already a devoted fan of the book before the film was announced, and my audition was fueled by a genuine love for the character of Evelyn Hugo. Expressing how the role had elevated my craft, I shared with Jimmy that stepping into Evelyn's shoes was not just acting; it was a transformative experience. At the premiere, I found myself feeling more like Evelyn Hugo than Winter Jackman, a testament to the immersive joy that this role brought to my journey as an actress.

[sibyl-of-space]

Ok I know probably none of your guys are as plugged in to #chessdrama as I am but like, putting aside Hans's horseshit for 8 seconds, I am SO EXCITED about the championship match upcoming in 2023.

It's like a Hollywood underdog movie come to life.

The chess championship works like this: there is a "candidates tournament" where only a very small handful of the best of the best are invited to participate, and the winner of that candidates tournament is selected to face off against the incumbent grand champion in the championship match.

There are TWO "but"s about it this year.

1) One of the players invited to the candidates tournament, Sergey Karjakin, publicly announced support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. As a result he was banned from FIDE events for a time - therefore disqualifying him from the candidates' tournament. This will be very relevant later.

2) Reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen declined to defend his title. The likeliest reason being that he has held the title since 2013 and has repeatedly shown himself to be on a league of his own, and already defeated this year's winner of the candidates' tournament (Ian Nepomniachtchi) in LAST year's championship match... anyway for whatever reason he will not be participating and will relinquish the title.

So who is the championship match going to be between? The top TWO finalists of the candidates' tournament. The top finisher was also last year's finalist, Ian Nepomniachtchi.

And who finished second place in the candidates' tournament 2022....?

This is where it gets super juicy. The second place finisher was Ding Liren, who was not originally invited to the candidates' tournament, but was a last-minute replacement for the banned Sergey Karjakin!!!

The guy who wasn't originally even in the candidate's tournament now has a shot at the world champion title.* Y'all it's so exciting. I can't fucking wait until April. Like even if Ian wins the title you can't tell me Ding having a seat at that table isn't some chefs kiss shit.

Anyway here's my favorite picture of Ding Liren which I'm pretty sure was a photo op specifically to announce his invitation to the championship match, and you can't say they didn't flex at the opportunity (but I'm also laughing at the not properly buttoned up dress shirt and ill-fitted suit):

This has been your reprieve from chess drama involving Hans. Thank you for your attention

* it should be clarified that Ding Liren is like up there among the highest ranking players EVER, with a batshit impressive resume of his own, hence he was chosen as a replacement (iirc as the highest ranking player not already in the tournament). So it's not like he's some nobody. He is very very much somebody. it's just the circumstances around his candidacy for the championship title this year are so.. DRAMATIC

[ncisfranchise-source]

Before Glen Powell was a Bonafide movie star, he’s crediting NCIS for keeping his career afloat. The Twisters star has been in the industry since he was younger, and it wasn’t always easy. He’d take on small roles here and there. While speaking with Vanity Fair, Powell recalled being a struggling actor before hitting it big, revealing that his two-episode stint of NCIS paid the bills for a year.

“That’s the other interesting thing about this business right now—how much it’s changing,” he said. “The business no longer supports struggling actors the way it did when I was kind of coming up. I would do an episode of NCIS, and that would keep me afloat for a year. You know what I mean?”

Powell appeared on two episodes of the long-running CBS procedural during Season 10 in 2012 as Marine Sergeant Evan Westcott for the two-parter “Shell Shock.” While the actor did still appear in small roles after that for a bit, being on a show as big as NCIS can definitely help. Powell did not disclose how much he made from the two episodes, but considering he was able to keep going for a year, that’s definitely saying a lot. Fans can watch the episode now on Paramount+.

It still took another few years until Glen Powell really started making it big. By 2015, he was starring on Fox’s Scream Queens and also appearing in movies such as The Bad Guys, Hidden Figures, Set It Up, and more. After starring in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, the rest is history. Since NCIS and the overall franchise is still going, it would be fun for Powell to pop by the series again, even if he doesn’t necessarily need the movie anymore.

At the very least, Powell will be returning to the TV world in the near future. He’s set to star in the upcoming Hulu comedy Chad Powers. It will be his first main role on a live-action TV series since Scream Queens, which ran for two seasons from 2015 to 2016 before being canceled by Fox. It seems like Powell is constantly working these days now. On top of Chad Powers, dystopian thriller The Running Man will be releasing in 2025. Black comedy thriller Huntington will be releasing in the near future as well, and there’s no telling what else Powell is working on.  

[unrelaxing]

an incomplete media list from 26.03.2024 to literally today (25.05.2024)

I kind of fell off keeping track of my media consumption for a little while, so this is not going to be like my previous lists, and is more of a 'these are the ones I remember' list.

I watched a lot of documentaries until Netflix (the villain) kicked me out for not being the main account holder. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing is a 2022 documentary that caught my eye due to the whistleblower that supposedly killed himself while testifying against Boeing. The documentary is about two airplanes that crashed on late 2018 and early 2019, caused by an update that Boeing deliberately attempted to hide in order to sell their new 737 MAX to airlines.

MH370 The Plane That Disappeared is another plane crash documentary - this time trying to solve the mystery of what could have happened to a Malaysian Airlines flight that disappeared in 2014. It mostly goes into theories, because even today we don't really have any answers. YMMV in terms of said theories and whether or not it goes into crackpot conspiracy territory, but I think it's important to also state that some families of the deceased themselves think that things have been hidden from them and that it's not just people trying to make a big deal out of it.

Last Stop Larrimah. This one had me hooked. It's about a 70-year-old man that goes missing in a town with only 11 other people, all of whom hate each other. I feel like if that doesn't intrigue you, the documentary is not for you, because there is no other way to explain how quickly I clicked on this when I saw that synopsis. INCREDIBLY well made, as well, and managed to follow the subjects over a number of years.

Into The Deep: The Submarine Murder Case. I thought this was so unique for a true crime documentary because when the murder happens, a documentary was actually already being made on the murderer, due to the fact that he's an entrepreneur trying to build a rocket. The documentary has been called is an inadvertent "portrait of a killer", and it is super haunting.

Outside of documentaries, I watched the Spy x Family movie Spy x Family Code: White twice in cinemas, a solid 8/10. I listened to The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift (which I actually reviewed, 1/10). I also listened to Bewitched by Laufey, which was a really nice 50's Cinderella vibes album (7.5/10) and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan, which took a while to grow on me, but did (6.5/10).

Also, I binge watched PBS Eons on YouTube, because pre-history has always had me on a chokehold.

Hopefully the upcoming month will have me reading more - I dove back into BBC Merlin fandom and Hetalia and as a result stopped reading for a hot minute. Luckily, I have weirdly strict top/bottom preferences for both fandoms that go against the popular fandom trend (it's likely my preferences are BECAUSE of the strong fandom trend, I can get petty like that... though it's more likely to do with who my favourite is not matching who fandom's favourite is because UNSPOKEN FANDOM RULE TENDS TO BE THAT PEOPLE'S FAVES = THE ONE WHO BOTTOMS WHICH PEOPLE SHOULD REALLY TALK ABOUT MORE) and I therefore am likely to run out fic super quickly or get impatient looking for fic that suits me, so! More books. PLUS, Hetalia fandom always gets me re-invigorated to read history stuff, and I actually bought some books from the vintage market today which I'm so excited about.

[lamaisongaga]

LADY GAGA IN CELINE FOR JOKER LA PREMIERE

Lady Gaga attended the Los Angeles premiere of the upcoming "Joker: Folie à Deux" movie at the TCL Chinese Theatres last night.

Styled by Tom Eerebout and Sandra Amador, here's what she wore!

Gaga opted for a striking black gown by Celine, marking her second time wearing the designer during this press tour. While Gaga had worn Celine at the London premiere just days earlier, her choice to return to the French fashion house for the LA event was deliberate, underscoring her alignment with the film’s darker themes.

This custom piece features a structured silhouette with a mock neck, a daring side slit, and bold, billowy satin taffeta shoulders that extend into a dramatic cape-like feature at the back. The voluminous design of the shoulders, combined with the sleek and minimalist column shape, speaks to a balance between power and elegance—a signature in Gaga’s fashion narrative.

Returning to black after previous colorful and playful looks aligns with Gaga’s understanding of thematic coherence. Black is classic, authoritative, and in many ways, cinematic—especially for a film as tonally dark as this one. Her decision to wear the same designer twice during the press tour could be seen as a continuation of a narrative, tying together both premieres through a consistent aesthetic. Black also allows the focus to shift from the dress itself to the emotional gravitas of the event. It’s a color that refuses to distract, making it the perfect canvas for Gaga’s embodiment of her character.

While it might seem repetitive to some that she chose Celine again, this could signal a deeper connection between Gaga and the brand, especially considering that black, in this case, serves as more than just a fashion statement—it becomes an extension of the film’s atmosphere. Though the user (me) expresses disappointment in not seeing her explore another designer, Gaga’s dedication to theme speaks volumes, staying true to her roots in performance art and creating a cohesive narrative that transcends fashion.

Gaga also opted for Tiffany & Co. jewelry (almost as if expected!).

For her ears, she chose their Schlumberger-designed platinum and 18k yellow-gold on black enamel with diamonds Banana earrings.

Her Vignes necklace hails from the 2022 "Botanica" Blue Book high jewelry collection.

Impressive in scale and presence, it features a suite of oval rubellites of over 330 total carats, oval cabochon emeralds of over 50 total carats and round brilliant diamonds of over 10 total carats – all intertwined by intricate 18k yellow-gold "vines".

Next, she wore the Schlumberger-designed platinum and 18k yellow-gold with diamonds on black enamel bracelet.

Her favorite Pleaser Flamingo-1020 black vinyl platform lace-up ankle boots completed the look.

For the after party, she decided to serve us real 90s goth realness in a vintage black crushed velvet cami maxi dress which she topped off with a Celine classic black wool gabardine blazer with notched lapels and two buttons ($2,750).

Shop:

Celine Classic Blazer ($2,750.00)

She also wore the Oliver Peoples Maysen glossy black acetate sunglasses with silver details ($619).

Shop:

Oliver Peoples “Maysen” Sunglasses ($619.00)

[sarthak2405]

Unveiling Nightmares: The top 10 most Anticipated Horror Movies of 2024

Greetings from a spine-tingling voyage into the future of terror, horror enthusiasts! The horror genre threatens to unleash a tsunami of fear unlike anything seen before as we approach 2024. The list for this year is sure to have you on the edge of your seat, with titles ranging from otherworldly horror to psychological thrillers. Let's explore the most anticipated horror films that will make you shudder in 2024 as we go deeper into the shadows.

1- Lisa Frankenstein(Release date 9th February 2024)

Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse star in this horror comedy about a misunderstood adolescent goth girl who uses a broken tanning machine in her garage to reanimate a handsome Victorian corpse during a lightning storm and begins to rebuild him into the man of her dreams. The amorous couple undergoes a hilariously horrifying transformation before setting out on a homicidal quest to discover real love, happiness, and a few missing body parts.

source - Universal Pictures

2-Imaginary (Release date: 8th March 2024)

The forthcoming supernatural horror film Imaginary is an American production that was written, produced, and directed by Jeff Wadlow, together with Greg Erb and Jason Oremland. DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Veronica Falcón, and Betty Buckley are among the movie's stars. It was produced by Jason Blum under the names Blumhouse Productions and Tower of Babble, and Lionsgate is set to release it on March 8, 2024.

source Youtube.com

3-A Quiet Place: Day One (Release date: June 28th 2024)

The planned American post-apocalyptic horror movie A Quiet Place: Day One is written and directed by Michael Sarnoski and is based on an original story by Sarnoski and John Krasinski. It is meant to be the third full film in the A Quiet Place film series as well as a spin-off prequel. On June 28, 2024, the movie is slated for theatrical release.

source Warner Bros

4- Speak No Evil (Release Date: August 9th 2024)

James Watkins is the writer and director of the upcoming psychological horror-thriller Speak No Evil in the United States. It is a reimagining of the Danish movie of the same name from 2022. James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, and Scoot McNairy are the film's main stars. Producer Jason Blum operates under the Blumhouse Productions name.

Source - Blumhouse Productions

5- The Watchers (Release Date: June 7th,2024)

Artist Mina, 28, becomes lost in a vast, uninhabited forest in western Ireland. After taking cover, she unintentionally finds herself stuck with three strangers who are being followed and observed by enigmatic beings every night.

Warner Bros

6- Saw XI (this film is expected to be released in September 2024)

John Kramer goes to Mexico for a dangerous and experimental medical treatment in the hopes of receiving a miracle cure. However, he finds out that the entire procedure is a hoax designed to deceive the most vulnerable. Equipped with a renewed determination, the notorious serial murderer employs bizarre and clever traps to subvert the scam artists.

Source - Lionsgate

7- Beetlejuice (Release date September 6th 2024)

Beetlejuice 2 is an upcoming American fantasy horror comedy film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by the writing team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on a story by Seth Grahame-Smith.

Source-Warner Bros

8 Alien:Romulus (Release Date: August 16th 2024)

An upcoming science fiction horror movie in the United States titled Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone entry in the Alien franchise that takes place in between the events of Alien and Aliens. Fede Álvarez, who co-wrote it with Rodo Sayagues, is the director.

Source - 20th century productions

9-Nosferatu(Release Date: December 25th 2024)

Nosferatu will arguably be one of the biggest releases of 2024, horror or not. Written and directed by Robert Eggers, the film stars Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Nicholas Hoult, and serves as a remake of the 1922 film of the same name. Fans of Eggers' previous films—including The Northman, The Lighthouse, and The VVitch—should be in for another treat

Source Universal studios

10 The Crow (This film is expected to be released in 2024)

Bill Skarsgård will also star in a reboot of The Crow, alongside musician FKA Twigs. The film follows a murdered musician who is resurrected to avenge his death and his fiancée's.

Source- Lionsgate

[maverickaunnehir]

I found my earliest takes on Top Gun 2! :D

A sequel may fail after all these years, but TopGun 2 deserves 10 stars. I'm dead without "Take My Breath Away"… I don't like Lady GaGa and I expected the planes of the enemy to lack pilots. That would be epic. Towards the beginning of the movie, Pete was told that "pilotless" planes would become commonplace in the near future and he would probably lose his job, and Pete said, "Not the day." Imagine in the "climax" where Pete and Rooster were in the air, they could see the planes that can fly themselves… that would have been a real shock to both this duo and the audience. This is a lost chance… So I'll be looking forward to Tom's future movies. He deserves everything. This movie has owned 2022 so far. Nothing compares to this movie. Most importantly, Tom made me buy a combined ticket to the upcoming Mission IMPOSSIBLE movies thanks to TG2...

I like this, but this doesn't sound like a hardcore TG fan at all xDxD This dude sounds like a softcore Tom fan. I'M MAD ABOUT TG 1&2. Thankssss

[kverything-official]

20 Most Anticipated K dramas to watch in 2024

Without a single doubt 2023 has been a prosperous year for us Kdrama fans. Starting from Crash Course in Romance in January 2023 to Gyeongseong Creature in December, the entire year of 2023 has brought us several unique stories, fantastic plots, sometimes sad endings and sometimes fairly-tale like “happily ever after”. 

Even though there were a fair amount of Korean Dramas that were disappointing in 2023, but trust me when I say it, 2024 is certainly not going to disappoint you at all. Even when 2023 has delivered back to back hits like The Glory 2, Good Bad Mother, Moving and many more, 2024 stores sequels to hit kdramas along with some fresh new stories ready to blow us kdrama fans out of our minds.  

So, without wasting any more time, let’s get into the list.

20 K dramas to watch in 2024

1. Squid Game 2

Episodes: 6 (Not confirmed yet)

Expected release date: Around October 2024

Genre: Thriller, action, mystery

Squid Game redefined the place of Korean Dramas in the global entertainment industry. This drama became the first non-English act to win six Emmy awards as well as gained the title of the most watched Netflix series ever. And to level up the death game even more, Squid Game season 2 is all set to be released in October 2024. 

This season promises Eight additional cast members, making the anticipation even more exciting. So, are you ready to witness this intense gory thriller in 2024 or not?   

2. Marry My Husband

Episodes: 16

Release date: 1st January 

Genre: Drama, Romance, Fantasy  

This fantasy romance then takes us 10 years back before Kang Ji Won was even married. While she gets to choose a new life for herself, we get to enjoy this star studded drama full of angst and romance.  

3. Aema

Episodes: 6

Expected release date: Yet to be confirmed 

Genre: Comedy, drama

Next in the list is the comedy drama Aema, which is all set to feature Lee Ha-Nee, Bang Hyo-Rin, Jin Sun-Kyu, and Cho Hyun-Chul as the main cast. The backdrop of the drama is set in the 1980 as it tells the story of Jung Hee Ran a top actress, who is casted as the protagonist of a movie titled “Madame Aema”. 

This drama will certainly be a fun watch with an intriguing plot. Thus, don’t forget to add it to your list of K dramas to watch. 

4. Everything will Come true

Episodes: 12

Expected release date: Not confirmed yet

Genre: Fantasy, romance, drama 

Who didn’t like Uncontrollably Fond aka one of the saddest k dramas to watch? Only recalling the amazing chemistry between Shin Joon Young (Kim Woo Bin) and No Eul (Bae Suzy), makes us want to scream and cry for the couple. But don’t worry, Woo Bin and Suzy’s upcoming Korean drama Everything will come true will have a much lighter tone with a sprinkle of fantasy to it. 

Woo Bin here plays the role of an emotional genie who meets Ga Young (Bae Suzy) and promises to grant her three wishes. But everything that’s free often comes at a price. However, we hope it’s not a broken relationship this time.   

5. The Trunk

Episodes: 8

Expected release date: Yet to be confirmed 

Genre: Romance, melodrama, mystery 

Gong Yoo is returning with romance and melodrama and it won’t be in your watchlist? How is that even possible! The Trunk is certainly one of the most anticipated k dramas to watch in 2024, not only because it’s Gong Yoo and Son Ye Jin casted as the main lead, but also because this drama is an adaptation of 2022 novel The Trunk by C.M. Castillo. 

The intriguing plot of this drama takes us inside the life of No In Ji, the head of a fixed-term marriage agency and Han Jung Won, a music producer. Both of them despise the idea of getting married but eventually fall in love as the drama progresses. Interesting.. Isn’t it? 

Read more

[ian-galagher]

TAG GAME TUESSSDAY

Thank you for tagging me 🥰🧡 Evie @energievie Coralie @shinygalaxyperson Kaka @stocious Julia @juliakayyy Ri @tanktopgallavich Becki @francesrose3 Lemon @depressedstressedlemonzest Molly @deathclassic Myn @vintagelacerosette

name: Willoooow

age: the other day someone told me I'm nearing 40 and it freaked me out because 40 sounds so much older than 30 somehow

pronouns: they/them

tell me about one of your hobbies: certain people (Leo) have been asking me (repeatedly) when it's Mickey's turn to go in front of Ian's lens... anyway I'm halfway done writing the next chapter of Africa 😁 and ehhh 🚨🔥🥵🚨 but the bad news is I'm super busy for the upcoming 3 weeks so I might not have time to write more for a while... 😭😭😭

what languages do you speak? Today, none 😅

one of your comfort movies: using Ri for inspiration and gonna name a Christmas movie XD A Muppet Christmas Carol, love that movie!

do you have any kids? do you want any? nope, no kids for me, I'm bad enough at looking after myself 😁

cold weather or hot weather? cold over hot, for sure 🥵

you’re at an amusement park. what ride are you going on first? the biggest roller coaster there is... and then all the other ones seem like baby coasters in comparison 😁

what’s your go-to hairstyle/how do you wear your hair most days? short hair gang! All hair out of the way please!

who was your top artist in your spotify wrapped/apple music replay in 2022? it might be Elbow, I love listening to them in the background, but only their slow songs 😁

you’ve just been handed $1000 but you have to spend it on clothes. where are you shopping? I've never liked shopping or clothes lol, I always wear the same thing and I have no idea about brands but I did recently get a new band shirt 😁

wireless or corded headphones? Wireless. Recently made the switch and I was afraid there might be all sorts of downsides to it but it's nice not to tangle with a cord anymore.

finally, tell me something that sparks joy: I had a massive to do list and I chopped it up into smaller lists of only 3 things each and for the last few days I've done a list every day and I'm so proud of myself 😁

Not gonna tag anyone (except @lee-ow) cause I'm super late! But if you see this and want to do it, please do! And tag me in it! 😁

[mediamixs]

The Wives: a horror movie by Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence is set to star in and produce the upcoming murder-mystery film The Wives for A24 and Apple. The film is described as being partly inspired by the Real Housewives franchise, focusing on the "soap operatic and over-the-top theatrics of well-to-do women in cities ranging from Orange County to Miami to Atlanta." Plot details for The Wives are being kept under wraps, but it is said to be a whodunit-style murder mystery. The screenplay was written by Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley, who previously collaborated on the play Circle Jerk. In addition to Lawrence starring, she will also produce the film through her Excellent Cadaver production company. Justine Ciarrocchi will produce alongside Lawrence, with Jeremy O. Harris and Josh Godfrey also serving as producers. This marks a reunion between Lawrence, A24, and Apple, as the three previously worked together on the 2022 drama film Causeway.The Wives is expected to continue A24's track record of delivering high-quality, thought-provoking genre films that subvert audience expectations.

The upcoming A24 film The Wives is said to be partly inspired by the over-the-top drama and theatrics of the Real Housewives franchise. While plot details are being kept under wraps, the film is described as a murder-mystery that will focus on the "soap operatic and exaggerated behavior of wealthy women" similar to what is depicted in the Real Housewives shows.

The Real Housewives franchise is known for following the lives of affluent women and highlighting their lavish lifestyles, interpersonal conflicts, and scandalous behavior.This over-the-top depiction of wealthy female characters is likely to influence the tone and narrative of The Wives, which is expected to subvert audience expectations in a similar fashion to other A24 genre films.

Just as the Real Housewives shows thrive on the "depravity" and "embarrassment of the rich", The Wives will likely use the tropes of the Housewives franchise - such as catty rivalries, excessive drinking, and dramatic confrontations - as a foundation to craft a murder-mystery narrative. The film may explore how the pursuit of wealth, status, and influence can corrupt and degrade the relationships between these privileged women.

Overall, The Wives appears poised to take the heightened drama and social dynamics of the Real Housewives franchise and channel them into a suspenseful, genre-bending murder story that probes the dark underbelly of affluent female friendships and power dynamics.

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson to provide stage for up-and-coming Australian bands

WORDS BY STAFF WRITER

The international star is offering a chance for local acts to shine.

Louis Tomlinson, the renowned singer and songwriter, is setting the stage for emerging talent to shine on his upcoming Australian tour, Faith In The Future World Tour.

In a remarkable move, Tomlinson is opening up opportunities for three up-and-coming bands to join his tour as supporting acts at key Australian venues. This exciting initiative promises to inject fresh energy into the shows as it makes its way through Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney early next year.

Louis Tomlinson Australian tour dates:

Sunday, January 28, 2024: Melbourne – Sidney Myer Music Bowl

Tuesday, January 30, 2024: Brisbane – Riverstage

Friday, February 2, 2024: Sydney – Qudos Bank Arena

Louis Tomlinson’s commitment to nurturing grassroots music is no secret. On many occasions, he has extended invitations to promising bands to join his tours, offering them the chance to showcase their talent to his international fanbase. He’s taken this ethos a step further with the Faith In The Future Australian tour, a reflection of his continued dedication to the music scene.

The three selected local support acts will have the incredible opportunity to open for Louis at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Brisbane’s Riverstage, and Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena. For aspiring musicians, this is an invaluable chance to perform in front of diverse audiences, gaining valuable experience and exposure.

To apply for the opportunity, aspiring bands can head to the official application portal. The selection promises to be highly competitive, but the prospect of sharing the stage with an international superstar like Louis Tomlinson is bound to inspire local talent.

Louis Tomlinson’s return to Australia will be a cause for celebration among his fervent fanbase. His recent chart-topping second solo album, Faith In The Future, is brimming with songs crafted for the live stage. He expressed his enthusiasm about returning to Australia, a place he’s always held close to his heart. Tomlinson remarked, “Australia is somewhere I’ve always loved and really enjoyed visiting. I have some incredible tour memories there, and I can’t wait to return and bring the Faith In the Future tour to Australia.”

Adding to this excitement, earlier this year, Louis Tomlinson unveiled an emotive documentary film titled All Of Those Voices. The film, screened in cinemas worldwide for a limited time, offered an authentic and candid look at Tomlinson’s remarkable musical journey. Through never-before-seen home movie footage and behind-the-scenes access to his sell-out 2022 World Tour, fans gained fresh insights into the artist’s life and career.

Get tickets to the show here.