#Tyler jacobsen

[razberithreepointonefour]

Someone might be excited for this new card treatment on the Lord of the Rings expansion for MtG.

That someone is me.

[marleneoftheopera]

Holiday Audio/Video Gifts!

For the holiday season, here are some audio gifts from various shows and one Phantom video! The link to them is here and the info is below the cut:

Happy holidays and I hope you are all having time for some rest!

Audios

POTO

Jon Robyns, Paige Blankson, Joe Griffiths-Brown, Kelly Glyptis, Matt Harrop, Adam Linstead, Francesca Ellis, David Kristopher Brown, Maiya Hikasa August 22, 2023; London

Tim Howar, Harriet Jones, Nadim Naaman, Lara Martins, Nicholas Garrett, Arvid Larsen, John Ellis, Valerie Cutko, Kelsi Boyden March 19, 2023; Greece

Josh Piterman, Corinne Cowling (u/s), Danny Whitehead, Katy Hanna (u/s), Ross Dawes, Kris Manuel (u/s), Sophie Caton (u/s), Paul Ettore Tabone, Georgia Ware October 17, 2019; London ​Matinee.

Jeremy Stolle (u/s), Samantha Hill, Greg Mills (u/s), Michele McConnell, Richard Poole (u/s), Tim Jerome, Ellen Harvey, Christian Sebek, Kara Klein, Scott Mikita (u/s) March 9, 2013; Broadway Matinee performance.

John Owen-Jones, Deborah Dutcher, Matthew Cammelle, Bruce Montague, Charles Shirvell, Margaret Mary Kane (u/s), Janet Murphy, Jeremy Secomb, Lucy Middleton January 5, 2002; London

Love Never Dies

Tam Mutu, Celia Graham, David Thaxton, Daniel Dowling August 25, 2011; London Tam Mutu's last performance.

Les Miserables

Christopher Jacobsen (u/s Jean Valjean), Stewart Clarke (Javert), Katie Hall (Fantine), Will Callan (Marius), Lulu-Mae Pears (Cosette), Amena El-Kindy (Eponine), Luke Kempner (Thenardier), Claire Machin (Madame Thenardier), Dejan Van der Flyert (Enjolras), Alex Shaw (Gavroche), Clohe Sullivan (Little Cosette), Tom Hext (Grantaire/Majordomo), Adam Pearce (Bishop/Claquesous), Ellie Ann Lowe (Factory Girl), Jordan Simon Pollard (u/s Foreman/Bujon), Matt Dempsey (Bamatabopis/Lesgles), Annabelle Aquino, Hazel Baldwin, Emily Olive Boyd, Ben Culleton, Matt Hayden, Sam Kipling, Anouk Van Lake, Harry Lake, Ben Oatley, Jonathan Stevens, Phoebe Williams, Ollie Wray September 28, 2023; London 15,000th show in London and the 5th show for the new company.

Sunset Boulevard

Nicole Scherzinger (Norma), Tom Francis (Joe Gillis), David Thaxton (Max von Mayerling), Grace Hodgett Young (Betty Shaefer), Ahmed Hamaad (Artie), Tyler Davis (Sheldrake), Charlotte Jaconelli (Johanna), Jon Tsouras (Cecil B. de Mille) September 28, 2023; London

Rebecca

Laureen Jones (I), Richard Carson (Maxim de Winter), Kara Lane (Mrs Danvers), Sara Harlington (Beatrice), Neil Moor (Giles), Piers Bate (Frank Crewley), David Breeds (Ben), Alex James Ward (Jack Favell), Shrley Jameson (Mrs Van Hopper), Nicholas Lumley (Colonel Julian) September 27, 2023; Off-West End

POTO Video

Ian Jon Bourg, Olivia Safe (u/s), Kyle Gonyea 2001; Hamburg, Germany VOB files. One of the most legendary Phantom's opposite one of the youngest Christine's!

[moonmanatee]

people i want to get to know better

thanks for the tag @geesenoises! i too love these things, and seeing everyone’s answers 😌

last song: U Say - GoldLink & Tyler, The Creator & Jay Prince

favorite color: yellow!! all the yellows!!!

last film/show: Gilmore Girls, our current bedtime ritual

sweet/savory/spicy: I’m with geese - all at once. in one bite. make sure it’s salty too!

relationship status: partnered, domestically

last thing i googled: “serious eats crusty bread recipe” which is a good one but i’m struggling to get the loaf into the preheated pot without deflating the rise? but if i don’t preheat the pot it fucks with the crust/sticks to the pot? if anyone has thoughts send em my way

current obsession: women’s soccer. mewis and gorry playing for west ham with macca, my favorite. how caitlin foord runs like a baby giraffe. cuthbert fucking attacking from mid, she’s amazing. NWSL season starting soon!!

last book: i recently finished The House of Rust, by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber, this fantastical tale of deep sea creatures and local crow and goat shenanigans, it was full of folklore and these gorgeous, spiraling passages about family and ancestry and meaning-making and choice.

now i’m on to the newest book in the Barrøy Chronicles, by Roy Jacobsen, a beautiful and sparse series about a family on a tiny Norwegian island that i discovered from a bookseller rec. i adore these books.

looking forward to: sitting and reading in my new armchair!!!

i have no idea who’s done this yet so YOU and (no pressure) @elskanellis @goblinmatriarch @epitomereally @mallstars @basicallyahedgehog

[coffee-n-ocs]

Onyx Soul: Phoenix Carson, Pure-Blood Werewolf (2001)

The middle Carson-Harlow sibling, and usually the strength of the trio. His parents were both white wolves, and neither led their own pack.

"Hey buddy, good moon last night, right?"

Name

Full Legal Name: Phoenix Nālani Briar Carson First Name: Phoenix Meaning: From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology, derived from Greek 'Phoinix' meaning 'Dark red' Pronunciation: FEE-niks Origin: English Middle Name(s): Nālani, Briar Meaning(s): Nālani: Means 'The heavens' or 'The chiefs' from Hawaiian 'Nā', a definite article, and 'Lani' 'Heaven, Ski, Chief' Briar: From the English word for the thorny plant Pronunciation: na-LA-nee, BRIE-ar Origin: Hawaiian. English Surname: Carson Meaning: Meaning uncertain, possibly from the town of Courson in Normandy Pronunciation: KAHR-sen Origin: Scottish Aliases: None Nicknames: Nix, Nala, Lani, Bri Titles: Mr

Characteristics

Age: 23 Gender: Male. He/Him Pronouns Race: Werewolf Nationality: American Ethnicity: White (White Wolf) Birth Date: April 30th 1978 Sexuality: Bisexual Religion: Wiccan Native Language: English Spoken Languages: English, French Relationship Status: Single Astrological Sign: Taurus Face Claim: Tyler Labine

Geographical Characteristics

Birthplace: Gravesend Current Residence: Gravesend Have They Ever Been Beyond The Veil: Never

Appearance

Height: 6'0" / 182 cm Weight: [Data Redacted] Eye Colour: Blue Hair Colour: Blonde Hair Dye: None Body Hair: Hairy (Technically Fur) Facial Hair: Full Beard Tattoos: 2 (on his lower back) Piercings: Ear Lobes (Double, Both) Scars: None Clothing Style: Loose fitting clothes (Work gear: tank-tops, jeans, high-vis jackets, steel-toed boots)

Health and Fitness

Allergies: Avocados, Grapes/Raisins, Silver Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Social Drinker Illnesses/Disorders: 'ADHD' Medications: None Any Specific Diet: Usually raw food

Relationships

Affiliated Groups: Carson-Harlow Family Friends: Dana Carlisle, Hayden Harlow, Navy Carson-Harlow, Harley Yancy Enemies: None, though the town doesn't trust him Mentor: None Significant Other: None Previous Partners: None Parents: Regulus 'Rex' Carson (Missing, Father), Dixie Carson (R.I.P, Mother, Née Jacobsen), Candace Harlow (Missing, Step-Mother) Parents-In-Law: None Siblings: Hayden Harlow (27, Step-Brother), Navy Carson-Harlow (21, Half-Sister) Siblings-In-Law: None Nieces & Nephews: None Children: None Children-In-Law: None Grandkids: None Other Notable Relatives: None

Note

Occupation: Construction (He & Hayden own his (P.C) father's company) Tropes: (Purely Speculative)

Animorphism: From a Human to a white wolf at will

Body Horror: His full moon transformation, especially because it's against his will

Fangs Are Evil

Forced Transformation

Glowing Eyelights of Undeath: his eyes glow blue in moonlight

Healing Factor: double the speed of a normal human

Human-to-Werewolf Footprints

Involuntary Shapeshifter: Under the full moon

Lunacy: Especially beneath a full moon

Nighttime Transformation: Usually voluntary, unless it's a full moon

The Nose Knows

Personality Remnant: Always stays a gentle, friendly werewolf

Shapeshifting Excludes Clothing

Transformation Horror

Werewolves Are Dogs

Wolves Always Howl at the Moon

Wonderful Werewolf

Voluntary Shapeshifting

[themightyducks-world]

Oldest to middle

Coach: Emilio Estevez as Coach Gordon Bombay (5/12/1962), [D1, D2, D3:(no coach) & The Game Changers]

#21: Aaron Lohr as Dean Portman, "Bush Brothers" #1 (4/7/1976) [D2 & D3]

#18: Marguerite Moreau as Connie Moreau (4/25/1977), [D1, D2, D3 & Guest by The Game Changers: 1×06]

#44: Elden Henson as Fulton Reed, "Bush Brothers" #2 (8/30/1977), [D1, D2, D3 & Guest by The Game Changers: 1×06]

#06: Colombe Jacobsen as Julie "The Cat" Gaffney (12/21/1977), [D2 & D3];

#56: Kenan Thompson as Russ Tyler (5/10/1978), [D2 & D3]

#99: Vincent LaRusso as Adam Banks (5/16/1978), [D1, D2, D3 & Guest by The Game Changers: 1×06]

#96: Joshua Jackson as Charlie Conway [6/11/1978), [D1, D2 & D3]

#04: Matt Doherty as Lester Averman (6/22/1978), [D1, D2, D3 & Guest by The Game Changers: 1×06]

#07: Ty O'Neal as Dwayne Robertson (8/2/1978), [D1, D2 & D3]

[reubenyeoart]

GP Sydney and I got stuff signed by Tyler Jacobson and Kieran Yanner!

[flavoracle]

Teferi: "Time to take the Time Pod Challenge!"

Niambi: "Spit that out right now young man!"

Martha Wells is a phenomenal writer and also a coward for not showing what we were all thinking at the end of the story:

[nofatclips]

Over The Hill and Through The Woods by Lillie Mae from the album Forever and Then Some - Directed by Elise Tyler

[bacejelerenvorthos]

The Lore of Adventures in the Forgotten Realms: Tiamat

“The five-headed progenitor of the chromatic dragons, Tiamat embodies the greed and vices of evil dragonkind. She dwells on Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, but she believes that the Multiverse and all its treasures will one day be hers alone.

Tiamat is a gigantic dragon whose five heads reflect the forms of the chromatic dragons she created—black, blue, green, red, and white. She is a terror on the battlefield, capable of annihilating whole armies with her five breath weapons, her formidable spellcasting, and her fearsome claws.

Mortals who hunger for control, power, and wealth often swear fealty to Tiamat in pursuit of those goals. Many of her followers have attempted to break her out of Avernus—and failed—but even while she remains in the Nine Hells, Tiamat can send her aspect to manifest in the Material Plane.”

Art by Chris Rahn and Tyler Jacobsen

[mitchellkriegman]

Most people know that Bear lives in the Big Blue House with - Pip and Pop, Ojo, Tutter and Treelo - and other little creatures. But many people don’t know that there are other larger creatures in the Big Blue House too. They live beneath the floor (a bit creepy I know). Now and again you might see traces of them especially when big things are happening. They also had interesting names - Peter, Tyler, Vicki, Kroupa, Jacobsen, and even Bear was known to hang out with a guy named Noel (something about Christmas I think). Fortunately they let all the little guys do the talking and you can see for yourself when Near in the Big Blue House comes to Disney + in a few days. So get ready to be sniffed, to sing, and dance the cha cha cha! #bigbluehouse #bear #disney #tv #preschool #luna #disneyplus @peterlinz @noelmacmeal #chachacha #dancingshoes @tylerthebunch #jimhenson #jimkroupa #puppetheap #paulandrejco #peterlurye #brianwoodbury #disneyplus #ericjacobsen https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjk6tHuMnRw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[charlieconwayy]

D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) is the best Ducks movie and a flawless coming of age movie

It’s no secret that The Mighty Ducks are a beloved trilogy. The three films spawned a professional NHL team named in their honor, 2021 sequel series, as well as many knockoff films released in the 1990s. But with any movie series, fans tend to rank the films and have passionate opinions on which is the best. For most Ducks fans, the answer is simple: D2. It has the Bash Brothers, Team USA dominating, the iconic “Ducks Fly Together” scene and two Queen songs. What’s not to love? But upon a rewatch of the trilogy, I came to realize that it’s not D2, or even the original, that is the best in the series.

It’s the criminally underrated 1996 D3 that for me, is the most mature and has the most heart. Perhaps it’s that the Ducks are now old enough to carry their own weight on screen. Perhaps it’s that the film takes a look at trauma, specifically trauma in teenagers, and how that manifests itself. Perhaps it’s that the film is maybe ahead of its time, in the way it discusses classism, racism and sexism. There is so much about this overly hated film that makes it the best Ducks movie and a perfect coming of age film.

The movie starts presumably a few years following the Ducks’ win against Iceland. They all look noticeably older - definitely older than the middle schoolers we left behind in 1994 - and all of the male Ducks’ voices have dropped a few octaves. Gordon Bombay, played by Emilio Estevez, is presenting the team (except for unfortunately, Jesse Hall, a leader among the Ducks who would’ve made for a strong presence in this mature film, as well as Portman, but we’ll get to him later) with scholarships to his alma mater, Eden Hall, a preparatory high school in Minnesota. Charlie Conway, played by a young, pre-Dawson’s Creek Joshua Jackson, is the Ducks’ captain and unspoken leader. There’s been much debate over the years over whether or not Charlie is the true captain of the Ducks. Adam Banks, played by Vincent Larusso, is far and away better than practically every Duck combined. Fulton Reed, played by Elden Henson, has shown more maturity and leadership at this point. It’s probably true that the Ducks as a team think that Charlie is Captain because of Bombay’s favoritism towards him (and his mother), but I think that this film makes it abundantly clear why Charlie is the captain. 

D3 is Charlie’s story. We see that in the opening scene, when Bombay tells Charlie he will not be following the team to Eden Hall, accepting a job instead in California. We learned in the original Mighty Ducks film, that Charlie and his mother left a bad situation in Charlie’s father when Charlie was very young. We also hear about Charlie’s mother, Casey’s marriage to a new man in the D2, who we can assume from what Jan says, that Charlie doesn’t like. We see in that first film, Charlie’s reaction to Bombay announcing that he is leaving the Ducks after the two of them have formed a bond. It is very clear that Charlie deals with abandonment issues, stemming from trauma in his early childhood. Charlie freaks out when a D3 Bombay announces the same thing, and storms off. 

Change is the biggest theme in D3. We see how change affects each of the Ducks, even those who don’t get many lines. Some, like Russ Tyler, played by SNL’s Kenan Thompson, think it’s a good thing. All of the Ducks don’t come from good neighborhoods and we assume that most of them don’t have the best home lives, especially when Charlie tells their new coach, Orion, played by Jeffrey Nordling, that the Ducks are the only good thing that any of them have had. Going to a preparatory school should be a good thing for them. But for most of them, it’s not. The new Ducks (who by the way, three of which are people of color, and one of which, is a woman) are immediately told that “their kind” is not welcome at Eden Hall. The Varsity team claim that they feel this way because the captain’s younger brother was not admitted onto the JV team because of the Ducks’ scholarships, but it’s very clear what they really mean. Russ commented that he’s the only black person on the whole campus earlier, and he, Luis Mendoza (The Sandlot’s Mike Vitar) and Ken Wu (Justin Wong) are the only people of color we see in the film. Change takes a toll on each member of the team. We see it the most in Charlie, but we also hear from Fulton on how the separation from his best friend, Dean Portman (Aaron Lohr), who decided not to enroll at Eden Hall, is taking a toll on him. Connie (Margerite Moreau) and Guy (Garrette Henson) have presumably broken up, as the two small scenes we get of them, they are arguing. It’s a transition period, one that the first year of high school often is. But it’s also a look on how a rich, white privileged world is vastly different than the one that the Ducks are used to. 

Coach Orion seems like a hardass, especially when he tells Charlie at their first practice that he will no longer be “Captain Duck” (as coined by D2’s Gunnar Stahl, played by Scott Whyte, who now plays the level-headed Varsity goalie Scooter). This, to the Ducks, is a line in the sand. Ever since Bombay turned District 5 into the Ducks four years previous, Charlie has been their captain. They’re in a whole new environment, where the man who gave them so much happiness and so many friendships isn’t, and their “little Duck tricks” won’t work anymore. Orion thinks Charlie is a showoff, and perhaps he is. This Charlie is vastly different than the sweet, shy Charlie we see in D1 and D2. But this Charlie is older, has just been abandoned by a man he considered a father, and is being harassed on a daily basis for being, as Varsity Captain Reilly puts it, “white trash.” I find it hard to believe sometimes that fans can look at Charlie from the outside, and not see who he is on the inside. All of Charlie’s closest relationships that we see portrayed in this movie, are with women. His mother (who he, as a teenage boy, says “I love you” to in the final scene of the movie), his teammates, Connie and Julie, who he gets a lot more screentime with, and with new love interest, Linda (Margot Finley).

I think now is a great time to talk about the shockingly impressive way all of the female characters are portrayed in this series, particularly this movie, especially for a 90s sports film. Connie has always been a leader on and off the ice. She’s in a relationship with Guy, but it’s not her only character trait. Dubbed “the Velvet Hammer” by Averman (Matt Doherty), she stands up for herself, and for her shy teammates (she literally shoves Peter Mark - a character cut out of D2 and D3 for good reason - in D1 when he insults Charlie) and stands up to the entire Varsity team despite them telling her that they hope they can “fight” with her later. Julie “The Cat” Gaffney (Columbe Jacobsen) is the second best player on the Ducks, despite the little ice time (thanks, Bombay) we see her have. She is the first person to tell of the Varsity, telling Captain Reilly that his little brother “just wasn’t good enough.” She’s a huge facilitator in the fire ant prank and despite the very weird and out of character game she had against the Blake Bears, shows that she deserves the number one goalie slot that Reilly gives her - despite what Goldberg, and the obvious underlying sexism there, have to say. I’ve also always been very impressed with Charlie’s mother, Casey (Heidi Kling). Although she has a romance with Bombay in D1, she makes it clear from the get go that her first priority is Charlie. We know that she took the two of them away from an abusive situation, and she’s a goddamn hero for that. Her scenes in D3 are limited, but they always show her chastising Charlie’s antics and encouraging him to stay in school. It goes unsaid, but it’s clear that she knows that he’s not going to get an education this good in the problematic public school system. But according to Linda, Charlie’s love interest, the private school system is no better. The first time we see Linda, she is protesting the “outdated” Warriors team name. This was in a 1996 kids movie, no less. She holds her own against Charlie, calling him out when he’s wrong. No one aside from Charlie, and maybe Fulton, get much screentime or lines aside from Bombay and Orion, but her presence and the point of her character is clear - not every rich person agrees with the horrible things that wealthy people do. 

Back to the plot.

When the Ducks receive their positions, they learn that Banks, as a freshman, has made Varsity. From an outside perspective, they seems obvious. Banks is the best player we see in any of the films, definitely miles better than the losers on Varsity, so it seems obvious that he would be promoted. But Banks is unhappy with this. Adam Banks is a fan favorite character, definitely due to the sweet, understated performance by Larusso, but we don’t see much of him. From what we do see of him though, he underwent a huge character arc from D1 to now. In D1, Banks goes against his father’s protests and joins the Ducks, claiming that he “just wants to play hockey.” Here in D3, we see that Banks is utterly miserable despite playing with some of the best players in the state, purely because he’s not with his friends. At the end of the film, he makes the (questionable) decision to rejoin the Ducks and go against the Varsity. But Varsity seems to feel that Banks fits in with them, for obvious reasons. He’s the only Duck who comes from an affluent background, and he’s definitely the most clean cut. Captain Reilly is visibly angry in the final showdown with the Ducks that they no longer have Banks on their side, as if he’s betrayed “his kind.”

The turning point of the film comes when after Charlie has quit the freshman team (no longer the Ducks), Hans, a father figure to the Ducks and Bombay, suddenly passes away. It’s an insanely dark moment for a Disney film, especially when Bombay returns to the funeral and reminds the Ducks that it was “Hans who taught them to fly” and Charlie storms off, crying. I think Joshua Jackson, in the Ducks films, as well as in Dawson’s Creek, is phenomenally good at portraying teenagers who wouldn’t normally be seen as leading men. Who let their emotions overtake them, who have anger issues, who deal with familial problems. Characters like that in leading roles were almost unheard of in the 90s, and in the upcoming scenes, it reminds us why this side of Charlie that we’ve seen throughout the movie is not the only side of Charlie.

Bombay takes Charlie to the rink to see Orion skating with his disabled daughter, who was injured in a car accident. He reveals to Charlie that Orion quit the NHL to take care of her, and this immediately changes Charlie’s opinion of him, but he’s still unconvinced about rejoining the team. The next scene is without question, the greatest and most important scene of the trilogy. The last two films spent way too much time telling us how great of a person Bombay was, how he was the Minnesota Miracle Man,despite us seeing so little of that onscreen. We see him making mistake after mistake, hurting the team, being an unjustified dick to those around him. But this scene more than makes up for all of that. I’ve put the quote from this scene below.

Bombay: I was like you, Charlie. When I played hockey, I was a total hot shot. I tried to take control of every game. I wound up quitting. So I tried the law. I ruled the courtroom, but inside, I’m a mess. Start drinking. Man, I was going down. But then this great thing happened, maybe the best thing ever - I got arrested and sentenced to community service. And there you were - Charlie and the Ducks. And as hard as I fought it, there you were. You gave me a life, Charlie, and I want to say thank you. I told Orion about all of this when I talked to him about taking over. I told him that you were the heart of the team and that you would learn something from each other. I told him that you were the real Minnesota Miracle Man. 

Charlie: You did?

Bombay: I did. So be that man, Charlie. Be that man.

It’s a callback to D2, when Jan tells Bombay “Be that man, Gordon. Be that man.” This scene is flawless. Every good thing that has happened to the Ducks, came because of Charlie’s heart. It came because of that game when Charlie refused to cheat, and made Bombay see his wrongs. It came because of when Bombay first tried to quit the team, and seeing how hurt Charlie was, agreed to stay. It was Charlie who stepped out of the game against Iceland so that Banks could play. It was Charlie who found them Russ. Giving the credit to a young, emotionally unstable teenager, rather than their Emilio Estevez, hotshot Bombay, is the best thing this series ever did.

This movie, in my opinion, is nearly flawless. Every moment has been planned to make the same point - change sucks. Especially when you’re a teenager. Even more so when you’re a teenager with trauma.

[doubleattitude]

JUMP Dance Convention, Pittsburgh, PA: RESULTS

High Scores by Age:

JUMPstart Solo

1st: Penelope LeMieux-’I’d Rather Go Blind’

2nd: Lainey Hess-’When She Came Back’

3rd: Reese Braga-’Fallen Memory’

4th: Harper McCarey-’I Can Go The Distance’

5th: Aleah Blair-’Heartbreaker’

5th: Ava Edmonds-’Let ‘Er Rip’

5th: Daniella Robison-’Through The Eyes of a Child’

6th: Macey Strickland-’Wind It Up’

7th: Ellliana Macioce-’Dreamer’

Mini Solo

1st: Kensington Dressing-’Distant World’

2nd: Tessa Yost-’Runaway’

3rd: Lexus Natalie-’Alternate World’

3rd: Ella Dobler-’Sara’

4th: Aili Joyce-’Hurricane’

5th: Raegan Hess-’Black Hole Sun’

6th: Mya Lanigan-’Halo’

7th: Mia Bianco-’Business of Love’

7th: Madisen Scott-’Diamond In The Sun’

7th: Kendall Bruce-’Swing Phenomenon’

8th: Zoe Wojcik-’Fame’

8th: Kaitlyn Semtak-’Secret Hideaway’

9th: Lily Celaschi-’Brave’

9th: Grace McAllister-’Flying Solo’

10th: Sophia Berzansky-’The Rain’

Junior Solo

1st: Cameron Vorhees-’Unplug’

2nd: Shayla Blair-’To Be Free’

3rd: Adelina Belusko-’Odalisque Variation from Le Corsaire’

3rd: Bella Rose Penrose-’Spine’

4th: Sareni Porreca-’Groovin High’

4th: Paige Borg-’Otto’

4th: Ava Sefcheck-’Sad Day’

5th: Eliza Mercer-’Goetia’

6th: Ella Way-’Peace and Glory’

6th: Ivy Gang-’Stutter’

7th: Lily Turner-?

8th: Brooklyn Corbett-’Feeling Good’

8th: Adina Rooney-’Inhale Exhale’

8th: Emily Wiles-’Our Last Day’

8th: Emma Ferguson-’Too Good to Be True’

9th: Elliana Quiner-’Hidden’

10th: Thalia Millett-’Sorcerer’

Teen Solo

1st: Ying Lei Pham-’Empty Space’

1st: Britton Johnson-’Unbreakable Heart’

2nd: Elyse Wingertsahn-’Daylight In The Sun’

2nd: Lindsey Weaver-’Feud’

2nd: Rachel Quiner-’In Case You Don’t Live Forever’

3rd: Emily Haas-’Light Ascending’

4th: Sarah Georgiana-’Lungs’

5th: Ava Carroll-’Are You Sure’

5th: Zoey Schneiter-’Do You Feel Real’

5th: Samiyah Norris-’You’

5th: Tori Shaner-’Youth’

6th: Isabella Porreca-’Always Be My Baby’

6th: Maya McDaniels-’Edit’

6th: Shay Kaminski-’Love and Respect’

7th: Stella Morris-’The Rain’

7th: Maranda DiNinno-’Trigger’

8th: Calico Reyes-’Je Suis Malade’

8th: Samantha DeFabio-’Multiple Self’

9th: Camryn Lanigan-’False Confidence’

10th: Gavin McGuire-’Beat Box’

10th: Emily Snyder-’Fragile’

10th: Louise Hindsbo-’I’m Not Ready’

Senior Solo

1st: Avery Earle-’Trick of the Light’

2nd: Gionna D’Alessandro-’Wish you were here’

3rd: Savannah Quiner-’Those Days Are Gone’

4th: Sarah Kemling-’Fight It Rough’

5th: Cassidy Reigel-’16 Tons’

5th: Madeline Sciullo-’Failed American Dream’

5th: Katie LaRuez-’Satisfied’

6th: Claire Faust-’All I Need Is You’

6th: Rayna Tyler-’Embraceable You’

6th: Morgan Faust-’Final Curtain’

7th: Nicholas Jacobsen-’Tainted Love’

8th: Kaylie Parker-’90 Days’

8th: Makaylee Rogers-’Deep-Six’

8th: Abby Griffith-’The War’

9th: Kylie West-’What A Little Moonlight Will Do’

10th: Emma Girdany-’Flicker’

JUMPStart Duo/Trio

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Fly Me To the Moon’

2nd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Beat’

3rd: New Level Dance Company-’Ill Be There’

Mini Duo/Trio

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Gallows’

2nd: Inspiration Dance Academy-’Lost’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Rescue’

Junior Duo/Trio

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Exiles’

2nd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Two’

3rd: Studio 412-’Nature Boy’

Teen Duo/Trio

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’still life’

2nd: Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts-’Carmen’

3rd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Wheel’

Senior Duo/Trio

1st: Elite Dance By Damien-’Alter Ego’

2nd: Elite Dance By Damien-’Extremity’

3rd: Ultimate Dance Complex-’In Madness Lies Sanity’

Mini Group

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Undertow’

2nd: Ultimate Dance Complex-’Love Shack’

3rd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Ramalama’

Junior Group

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Hope Theres Someone’

2nd: Evolve Dance Complex-’hope’

3rd: Studio 412-’Afraid To Go’

Teen Group

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Rise We Fall’

2nd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Debut’

2nd: Ludovici Dance Academy-’Runaway Baby’

3rd: Evolve Dance Complex-’My Tears Are Becoming A Sea’

3rd: Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts-’Your Pen, Your Sword’

Senior Group

1st: Ultimate Dance Complex-’In Case You Don’t Live Forever’

2nd: Ultimate Dance Complex-’I Keep On Falling’

3rd: Elite Dance By Damien-’Standards of Society’

Junior Line

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Better Days Ahead’

Teen Line

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Cruelest Month’

2nd: Elite Dance By Damien-’Comrade’

3rd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Pump It Up’

Teen Extended Line

1st: Elite Dance By Damien-’Bring Me To Life’

Senior Extended Line

1st: Ultimate Dance Complex-’If I Should Stay’

High Scores by Performance Division:

Mini Jazz

Ultimate Dance Complex-’Love Shack’

Mini Contemporary

Evolve Dance Complex-’Undertow’

Mini Lyrical

Ultimate Dance Complex-’Send In The Clowns’

Mini Specialty

Evolve Dance Complex-’Ramalama’

Junior Contemporary

Evolve Dance Complex-’Better Days Ahead’

Teen Jazz

Mid-Atlantic Center for The Performing Arts-’Slap That Bass’

Teen Ballet

Mid-Atlantic Center for The Performing Arts-’Gypsy Dance’

Teen Tap

Ludovici Dance Academy-’Runaway Baby’

Teen Contemporary

Evolve Dance Complex-’Cruelest Month’

Evolve Dance Complex-’Rise We Fall’

Teen Lyrical

Elite Dance by Damien-’Pain On My Mind’

Teen Specialty

Elite Dance By Damian-’American Beauty’

Senior Jazz

Ultimate Dance Complex-’I Keep On Falling’

Senior Contemporary

Ultimate Dance Complex-’In Case You Don’t Live Forever’

Senior Musical Theatre

Elite Dance By Damien-’Wilkomen’

Senior Specialty

Ultimate Dance Complex-’If I Should Stay’

Best of JUMP:

Mini

Evolve Dance Complex-’Undertow’

Ultimate Dance Complex-’Love Shack’

Junior

Studio 412-’Afraid To Go’

Evolve Dance Complex-’Better Days Ahead’

Teen

Elite Dance By Damien-’Comrade’

Evolve Dance Complex-’Cruelest Month’

Ludovici Dance Academy-’Runaway Baby’

Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts-’Your Pen, Your Sword’

Senior

Studio 412-’Cellophane’

Ultimate Dance Complex-’In Case You Don’t Live Forever’

Best in Studio:

Ultimate Dance Complex-’In Case You Don’t Live Forever’

Elite Dance By Damien-’Comrade’

Evolve Dance Complex-’Cruelest Month’

Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts-’Your Pen, Your Sword’

[mwcowan]

Mark & Georgia’s Big Trip

Chapter Seven – Miscellaneous Ramblings II

Another busy week, but that’s become the norm. At least this week we saw good progress towards getting everything together that we’ve been trying to get together. But not much of a theme so just some thoughts on the important events of the week.

Caretakers

The biggest milestone this week was that we selected and hired our housekeeper and caretaker. Plus their two boys – we will soon have a new family in our home, and we’re very excited. You’ll soon meet Ranny and Pina, and their boys Prince Denver and Ethan, who will take up residence in our caretaker’s apartment.

Ranny (pronounced “Ronny” – remember that the vowels AEIOU are pronounced here, without exception, Ah, Eh, Ee, Oh, Oo) for the previous seven years has worked as a groundskeeper for Kawayan Cove so he comes with excellent gardening and tree maintenance chops. Pina has been a homemaker, is a great cleaner and a good cook; Georgia says she’s a good student and will quickly learn our favorite dishes. She already knows that I like fresh fruit every morning – half the battle’s won already! Prince Denver (8 yrs) and Ethan (4 yrs) are just normal boys, though very polite. I think it’s going to be fun having them around.

Capiz

Capiz is both a province in the Philippines, on Panay Island, as well as an oyster from the area known for its special shell. A capiz oyster is on the left, the harvested and cleaned shell on the right. One shell of the oyster is flat, growing to 3-5 inches in diameter, and importantly, translucent.

You find all sorts of items here made from capiz – Christmas ornaments, outdoor lights, ashtrays, you name it. When we lived in the Bay Area, Georgia always said you could tell a Filipino’s house because of the capiz lights in the trees. Harvesting and producing craft items from the shells is today the principal livelihood of the people of Capiz. Historically, capiz is important in Philippines heritage and culture, one that’s given away by the Capiz oyster’s Western name: windowpane oyster. For thousands of years the shell served as the “glass” in Filipino windows; many older homes still feature these windows today.

So why this story about capiz? On this week’s trip to Manila, we were wandering around a mall and walked into an antique store. Stacked against the back wall we found a number of dusty old capiz windows. The shop owner had no hard information about their provenance but said they were likely from the 1800’s. They looked it; the Narra and Molave wood was weathered but the craftsmanship was still evident and not of this century. No nails or screws, the window frames are joined with hand-made mortise and tenons, held with wooden pegs. The capiz was dirty, but almost 100% intact – it looks fragile but is actually pretty sturdy stuff. We’re not sure yet what we’ll do with them, but we now have three panels. After an afternoon spent cleaning them we have a treasure we’ll proudly display.

Calamansi

I don’t think Calamansi has been featured in my Strange Fruit of the Day series; it’s really not that strange anyway. Calamansi is the citrus fruit of the Philippines. About ¾ to one inch in size, they look a lot like a key lime but aren’t limes. The insides and juice are orange, but they’re not oranges. They aren’t lemons either, they’re just Calamansi. They flavor many Filipino dishes: you’ll typically squeeze one onto your Pancit before eating, or onto your grilled fish, and they’re often an ingredient in the dipping sauces served with many dishes.

There are no limes here, so I had a dilemma: how to make a proper Gin and Tonic. Finding decent gin was easy (S&R/Costco), and after searching a few stores I found tonic water. But no limes. Calamansi to the rescue! I’m now able to enjoy my favorite summer cocktail. And it’s always summer here! Cheers!

The Massage Table

Massage is a way of life in the Philippines. Go to almost any beach and there will be massage tents set up, in the city there are plenty of establishments, or just call for home service. My only complaint, actually my neck’s complaint, is that the traditional Filipino massage is performed on a flat bed, not a massage table. You’ll sometimes find a real massage table but it’s rare. Fast forward to our weekly trip to S&R, and there it was! My neck had a sudden seizure as I tried to walk past, so into the cart it went! We set it up on the “meditation deck” and brought in a masseuse that Hervé and Lett turned us on to. She’s expensive, about $12 an hour, but good. Very good. Ahhhhhhhh, heaven!

Friends with Furniture

Our friends from Manila, Noel and Michelle Tanada, who have been mentioned before in my blogs (they’re the members at the Balesin Island Club with whom we’ve had some memorable trips) visited us yesterday. I don’t think I’ve ever said much about them. Michelle is a former local TV star/singer; after that career a serial entrepreneur, starting and running businesses in the advertising field. Noel was originally headed for a career in law, but left that world for his art, which encompasses traditional forms such as painting and sculpture, but his real passion lies with interior design and furniture design. In all they do they only use native and sustainable materials, or recycled materials, and always local labor. You can learn more and view some of their products at www.ecohomeart.com. They are also both active environmentalists, deeply involved with coral rehabilitation (www.coralmovement.org). This shot is with them at Balesin Island last year.

Today’s visit was more than a social call as they delivered a van full of furniture, some of the last items for our living room. We’d asked Noel to create some custom bar chairs, a breakfast table and chairs, and a credenza. Since we live in Kawayan Cove he chose a bamboo theme (kawayan is the Tagalog word for bamboo). He also brought a special floor lamp for us. All beautiful and unique pieces we’re proud to have.

House Tour

Finally all the major furniture is here and the house is feeling pretty livable (though we did fine with just a plastic card table and a mattress on the floor for the first 2 weeks…). So, I’ll wrap this up with a photo tour of our newly furnished rooms.

First up is the living room. The coffee and end tables from the acacia slab have arrived, we’re very happy with them and like the way they go with the sofa and love seat. The turtle on the coffee table is from Puerto Vallarta and has a special connection with Kawayan Cove – every fall Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive at Kawayan Cove to lay their eggs.

These are two of the barstools Noel designed for us. Using 100% native and sustainable materials, the backs feature split bamboo and the upholstery is hand-woven Tikog grass from Leyte. Besides a warm an inviting look, Tikog is durable and has a very nice, soft feel. It’s woven into many items here, historically the Banig which is the traditional Filipno sleeping mat.

Also in the same style and materials are this breakfast table and chairs. Noel feels the table design is sexy, resembling a woman’s curves. You decide!

One of Noel’s more creative pieces is this dramatic floor lamp, reflected in our corner windows. The lamp is made of water hyacinth reeds. Beyond being a sustainable material, the use of water hyacinth has an additional benefit as it’s a nuisance here, growing quickly and clogging rivers and harbors.

New in our master bedroom is this computer desk, made of mahogany from our design by Boyet, one of the construction foremen for our contractor. Boyet also made all of the cabinets in the house.

Our small guest bedroom, the one with the great view, has two new side tables of acacia, which we picked up pre-made at the same place where we got our slab. Note the baskets on the wall, which made their way here from the White Sulphur Springs Ranch rummage sale!

Last up is our second guest bedroom. In trade for the lack of a view you get a larger room, with a sofa and coffee table, which is the final piece of our acacia slab. Any of you who visited the Mokawk Community Resource Center last fall will recognize two paintings by Tyler Jacobsen, and a woven wall hanging by Salli Wise. Sorry the bed’s not made, we’ll make sure that’s done before you arrive!

[michaelarnot]

Tales from the Yawning Portal & Dragon Talk with Monica Valentinelli

       The first Dragon Talk of the new year and what a great way to start! Wizards of the Coast announced yesterday the release of Tales from the Yawning Portal, and it looks to be yet another goodie. The cover artwork is supplied by Tyler Jacobsen and, again, it does not disappoint. This artist has quickly become a personal favorite of mine. I’ve heard some grumblings through social media that the stories that will be included are not necessarily ‘classics’ as advertised. I think they’re missing the point to a release such as this. For those of us who haven’t been involved in D&D for thirty plus years, this looks to be a great introduction to what may be only the beginning of re-releases of AD&D campaigns in the 5e format. Sure there are 5e renditions of classics, even the stories to be included in TftYP, online in PDFs but do they include the awesome artwork? The advertising campaign that WotC and D&D are running for the new material they’re putting out are to entice and include a new audience or returning players. I love the ambience and style they are using, it’s got my fanboy juices flowing. 

       Getting back to the Dragon Talk episode released yesterday, it kicks off with Lore You Should Know. Matt Sernett and Chris Perkins delve into Tales from the Yawning Portal. They give a quick history of the Yawning Portal in Waterdeep and Dernan the owner of the tavern. They proceed to talk about how the material could be incorporated by a DM into a current campaign. Next, Shelly Mazzanoble and Greg Tito speak with Monica Valentinelli about her career as a creative writer, game developer as well as novelist. She has plenty of good things to say that was particularly interesting for myself looking to take a similar career path. Take a listen!

http://dnd.wizards.com/play-events/podcasts-livestream-games/monica-valentinelli

[sleepykittypaws]

2020 Theatrical Holiday Premieres

Updated: December 10,  2020

Lina From Lima (holiday-set drama written and directed by Maria Paz Gonzalez; starring Emilia Ossandon, Sebastian Brahm and Cecilia Cartasegna; A Peruvian woman working for a wealthy family in Chile prepares for a Christmas trip home to see her son, her first in a decade, but things don’t go as planned) - Jan. 4, festival (Trailer); also available on HBO Max as of Oct. 8

The Lodge (Christmas-set horror film starring Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell and Alicia Silverstone; A soon-to-be stepmom gets snowed in with her fiancé's two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place.) - Feb. 7, Rated R (Trailer); also available on Hulu as of May 5 

The Crossing (a.k.a. Flukten Over Grensen; Norwegian-language film directed by Johanne Helgeland; In WWII Norway, two young children’s parents, active in the resistance, are captured by Nazis just days before Christmas, leaving them to fend for both themselves and the Jewish children they find hidden in their house) - Feb. 14, Norway/US TBA (Trailer, Website)

Tidy Tim’s (holiday comedy starring Shane Woodson, Rich Williams and Jennifer Day, about a father and son run who run a rickety used car lot in Southern California that is facing foreclosure.) - Feb. 15, Rated PG-13, festival (Trailer) also available on DVD Oct. 6

12 Days of Christmas (holiday movie starring Annie Newton and Drew Petriello; directed by Michael Boyle; Best friends home from college on Christmas break navigate an unplanned pregnancy, making it a tricky holiday with their families) - Mar 7, Cinequest Film Festival (Facebook, Website, Trailer) also available on DVD Sep. 1

The Last Christmas Party (indie drama starring Samantha Brooks, Anna Clare Kerr, Lainey Woo, James Williams, Martin Drop and Gabriel Armentano; directed by Julian Santos; Three college couples attend the last fraught party before Christmas break; filmed in New York) - June 7, Festival (Website, Trailer) available on Amazon Prime Nov. 13

Merry Christmas, Yiwu (Documentary from director Mladen Kovacevic focusing on life for workers in the Chinese city that has over 600 Christmas ornament and decor factories.) - June 24, Hot Docs Film Festival (Website, Facebook, Teaser)

A New York Christmas Wedding (starring Chris Noth, Avery Whitted, Joe Perrino, Adriana DeMeo and Tyra Ferrell; written and directed by Otoja Abit; As her Christmas Eve wedding draws near, a woman is visited by an angel and shown what could have been if she’d allowed her feelings for her childhood friend to flourish instead.) - Aug 21, Festival (Trailer, Trailer 2) also available on Netflix as of Nov. 5

A Christmas Cancellation (holiday movie starring Lauren Melty, Marcus Ellison and Elliott Kashner; written and directed by Justin Timpane; A group of fictional TV characters who become sentient as their show is set to end; filmed in Washington, D.C.) - Aug. 31, American Golden Picture International Film Festival (Website, Facebook, Trailer) available on Amazon Prime Nov. 13

A Christmas Tree Love Story (holiday movie starring Gregory Piccirilli and Ashley Holliday Tavares, filmed in Georgia; Two old friends reminiscence while searching for the perfect Christmas tree) - Sep 8, Richmond International Film Festival (Website, Trailer); also available on Amazon Prime as of Dec. 21

Blackbird (drama starring Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Sam Neill, Mia Wasikowska and Rainn Wilson;  A woman with ALS who wants to end her life on her own terms, gathers her family for one final Christmas celebration) - Sep. 18, Rated R (Trailer) also available VOD

We Three Kings (faith-based film from writer-directors Joseph and Stacie Graber; starring Michael W. Smith, Rebecca St. James and Nice Davies; The story behind the Christmas carol; filmed in Denver, Colo.) - Sep. 27, festival (Website, Trailer)

It Cuts Deep (horror-comedy from writer-director Nicholas Santos; A couple on Christmas vacation trying to figure out their future have their lives turned upside down by a disturbing stranger; filmed in Cape Cod, Mass.) - Oct. 8  (Website)

The War With Grandpa (holiday-set family comedy starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Uma Thurman, Jane Seymour, Rob Riggle and Cheech Marin; A grandfather comes to live with his daughter, ousting his grandson from his room and prompting a declaration of war from young to old) - Oct. 9, Rated PG (Trailer), available on digital Dec. 15 and DVD Dec. 22

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (holiday-set horror comedy written, directed and starring Jim Cummings, alongside Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster and Chloe East; A small town sheriff tries to keep control of a panicking small town as a string of murders on full moons makes the townspeople think supernatural thoughts) - Oct. 9, Rated R (Trailer)

The Food Club (a.k.a. Madklubben; Danish film directed by Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg and starring Kirsten Olesen, Stina Ekblad and Kirsten Lehfeldt; A women abandoned by her husband on Christmas Eve leans on her friends, a widow and lifelong singleton who take her to Italy to take part in an culinary adventure) - Oct. 22 Denmark (Danish Trailer)

Fair Haven (partially crowd-funded indie from Red Skies Studios starring Bobby McGruther and Amandalyn McLellan; A death in the family brings a musician on the verge of making it back to his hometown for the holidays) - Oct. 24, Catskills International Film Festival (Facebook, Indiegogo)

Friendsgiving  (a.k.a. Dinner with Friends; starring Kat Dennings, Malin Akerman, Christine Taylor, Aisha Tyler, Jane Seymour, Chelsea Peretti and Ryan Hansen; directed by Nicol Paone; Friends host a chaotic Thanksgiving dinner) - Oct. 23, Rated R (Trailer) also available on blu-ray Oct. 27

Gledelig Jul (a.k.a. Another Happy Christmas; Norwegian comedy starring Anne Marit Jacobsen and Otto Jespersen; directed by Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken; The story of a family coming together for holidays for the first time in years, where secrets are revealed.) - Oct. 30, Norway  (Website)

A Christmas Gift from Bob (sequel to 2016′s A Street Cat Named Bob, based on the book; starring Kristina Tonteri-Young and Luke Treadaway; A ginger cat saves a homeless man at Christmas) - Nov. 6 UK (Trailer)

My Dad’s Christmas Date (UK holiday-set, comedy-drama starring Joely Richardson, Jeremy Piven, Roger Ashton-Griffiths and Olivia-Mai Barrett; directed by Mick Davis and co-written by Brian and Jack Marchetti; A teenager struggling to cope with her mother’s death signs up her depressed, widower father for a dating service) - Nov. 6, limited (Website, Trailer, Trailer 2) Also available on iTunes

The Santa Box (family movie from writer/director Spanky Dustin Ward and starring Cami Carver and Shawn Stevens; A girl who thinks she’s cursed by Christmas finds a note in a Santa Box left on her doorstep that changes everything; filmed in Utah) - Nov. 6, limited (Facebook) also available via DVD and digital on Nov. 10

Julemandens Datter 2 (a.k.a. All I Want for Christmas 2; Danish-language family film sequel to the popular 2018 movie; After Lucia becomes the first girl to gain entrance to the Santa School, she most prove her best friend, Oscar’s, innocence, after he’s wrongly accused of a crime and expelled from school.) - Nov. 12, Denmark (Trailer)

A Wrestling Christmas Miracle (low-budget movie from right-wing Justice for All Productions, starring Ken Del Vecchio and Oriana D’Agostino and re-using many scenes from last year’s A Karate Christmas Miracle; A young wrestler gives up the sport to make a movie he hope will wake his comatose friend for Christmas) - Nov. 15, festival; also available as of Nov. 27 on Amazon Prime

Malous Jul (Danish-language fantasy film from Frederik Norgaard; starring Karla My Nordquist and Lars Ranthe; A troubled girl finds herself spending Christmas on an island with a family of elves) - Nov. 19, Denmark (Website)

Some Kind of Christmas (holiday movie written and directed by Davien Harlis and produced by his own Act1Scene2 Productions; starring Tomathan McGinnis, Mariela Perez Calderon, Andre Lamar and Derrell Lester; A man comes home for Christmas for the first time in years, but finds his holiday spirit tested when he hires a fake boyfriend to bring home for Christmas) - Nov. 19-21, Cinevision in Ga.  (Website)

A Carolina Christmas (right-wing, faith-based holiday movie from Dalton Pictures; A new city inspector tries to stifle a town’s Christmas celebrations; filmed in South Carolina) - Nov. 20, limited (Making Of Series)

Michael McClean’s The Forgotten Carols (filmed adaptation of the long-running, faith-based, original musical; filmed in Cedar City, Utah) - Nov. 20 in select theaters (Website, Trailer)

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (holiday movie sequel to the 2018 film starring Kurt Russell as a sassy Santa, Goldie Hawn, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tyrese Gibson; directed by Chris Columbus; Kate Pierce—now a cynical teenager—is unexpectedly reunited with Santa Claus when a mysterious, magical troublemaker named Belsnickel threatens to destroy Christmas forever.) - Nov. 25 (Trailer) also available on Netflix

Fatman (action-comedy written and directed by Ian and Eshom Nelms, starring Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Chance Hurstfield, and Mel Gibson as a “rowdy, unorthodox” Santa Claus who is fighting his popularity decline when a 12-year-old hires a hitman to do him in after receiving a lump of coal the previous season.) - Nov. 13, Rated R (Trailer), available on digital Nov. 17

A Christmas Carol (live-action animated feature starring Andy Serkis, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Kaluuya, Martin Freeman and Leslie Caron; abstract re-telling of A Christmas Carol when, during a children’s paper theater telling of the classic story, we enter the imagination of a child hearing it told.) - Nov. 19, limited release (Featurette, Trailer) also available in the UK starting Dec. 4

Katherine Jenkins: Christmas Spectacular (concert film featuring the Welsh opera singer's 2019 Royal Albert Hall Christmas show, including special guests Vanessa Redgrave and Bill Nighy) - Dec. 1 in UK, also available VOD

The Loss Adjuster (holiday movie starring Luke Goss, Martin Kemp, Joan Collins, Gary Siner and Cathy Tyson; An insurance adjuster’s wife leaves him a week before Christmas and his day just gets worse from there, until he discovers how truly lucky he is with the help of some Christmas magic) - Dec. 1 in UK (Trailer, Facebook) also available same day digital in the U.S.

Christmas in the Jungle (Latvian-Estonian family adventure movie, with mainly English dialogue; starring Paaru Oja, Tonu Kark, Rukman Rosadi; directed by Jaak Kilmi; When a 10-year-old girl is moved to the tropics by her parents, she has trouble getting into the holiday spirit, so she and a local friend head into the jungle in search of the Christmas Shaman; filmed in Indonesia) - Dec. 1 in Estonia

Saving the Spirit of Christmas (holiday musical written, produced and directed by members of the Grand Prairie Arts Council; A teen mourns the loss of her favorite Christmas traditions due to COVID, prompting the Spirit of Christmas to visit her) - Dec. 3, drive-in, benefit premiere at South Grand Prairie High School

Dear Santa (feature documentary from filmmaker Dana Nachman; based on the USPS’s Operation Santa, which allows people to adopt and answer children’s letters to Santa.) - Dec. 4 (Website, Trailer) Also available VOD

Lost at Christmas (holiday movie starring Natalie Clark and Kenny Boyle; After being dumped by his fiancé after a rejected proposal, two strangers stranded in the Scottish Highlands join forces to try and get home in time for Christmas; filmed on location in Scotland) - Dec. 4 in UK (Website, Trailer) also available VOD on Dec. 7 (UK only)

Nomadland (drama starring Frances McDormand, Gay DeForest and Patricia Grier; directed by Chloe Zhao; Exploring the life of a modern nomad, who travels the country looking for temporary seasonal work; starting at the holidays) - Dec. 4, limited (Trailer)

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Directed and written by Pedro Brenner, starring Guillermo Ivan and filmed in Mexico, the holiday-set, faith-based story of a reporter sent to research the meaning of a miracle who ends up needing one himself) - Dec. 10, limited (Trailer)

Silent Night (UK action-thriller written and directed by Will Thorne, starring Bradley Taylor and Cary Crankson; An ex-con hoping to go straight and spend a nice Christmas with his daughter, but who gets drawn back into the criminal life) - Dec. 11 in UK (Facebook) also available on UK VOD Dec. 14 and DVD Dec. 28 

Christmas on Mars (a.k.a. Un Natale su Marte; Italian Christmas comedy from director Neri Parenti; filmed in Rome) - Dec. 17 in Italy

The Lost Christmas (Dutch comedy about a theater producer who tries to save his theater from a Coronavirus-caused crisis by putting on a spectacular holiday show that goes horribly wrong; filmed in Velsen) - Dec. 21, Netherlands (Instagram, Trailer)

Pieces of a Woman (partially holiday-set drama starring Vanessa Kirby, Shia LeBeouf and Ellen Burstyn; A home birth goes horribly wrong, leaving a family and community to pick up the pieces) - Dec. 30 (Trailer), available on Netflix, January 7, 2021

Creatures (holiday horror-comedy about a group of students who find an adorable injured alien, only to find he’s being chased by terrifying creatures) - Dec. in UK (Facebook, Trailer, Trailer 2)

[healveterans]

Getting ready for their photo shoot... Thank you Rafael, service dog Lincoln and all the family for an awesome day in the studio!

Many thanks to my tech/lighting assistant Tyler Jacobsen; and to The Image Flow for fantastic studio & staff.