#We Are One Global Film Festival

[nhtmcat]

Benedict Cumberbatch talks about Sherlock and Martin Freeman

Interviewer: Sherlock, anyone knows Sherlock? Obviously, it has been wonderful, but you had said that being in Sherlock that was magic. Why do you think that?

BC: Um… It was a lot of things. It was Martin. It was a modern era take on it. It was Steven… first of all, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss took something they were obsessive fanboys over with total respect, and they crafted a modern version of it with huge (amount) details, hugely rewarding loyalty towards the original stories, but with a very witty plot twist. And I think it was also, you know, it was the dawn of Twitter, and this guy was on the internet, and John Watson was blogging. And I think there was a synchronicity where television became, you know, it was pre streaming. It was sort of a water-cooler moment made digital. And I think that's why it went global. And I, I don't know, maybe it was the part that had just been waiting for me at the right time as well. I just loved it. It was just a heck of a thing. And again, the mental geek a bit. He had to be in the digital space the equivalent of the computers. He had to have an AI speed so that he was speaking as fast as most people think, but very quickly. And that was an acting challenge, and also to some extent having him work on this character, how that fits in society now, where you have asexuals, autists, whatever those, you know, you know, whatever theories of those kinds of wonderful superpowers are, you know. And I think that spoke to a lot of people, that he had a superpower. And socially incredible also such a lot of people take pleasure of other people being vicariously rude or straight, or direct.

Interviewer: No filters for him.

BC: Yeah, no filters for Sherlock. And I think that is a part of his appealing. He's brilliant. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant mind.

Interviewer: What was the first time you walk around the street without being unnoticed?

BC: Oh, you know, it was a particular type of hair, which I don't normally have. You know, I have dark hair and I don't usually have it that long. When I just stepped out of some, you know, pre-production, it literally was that I'd go to the hairdressers and come out, dyed and with the shade, and people literally crack it and sort of, oh, Sherlock! It’s him. It was the first time. And I remember when we were making it, Martin was already very famous from the Office. And when we kind of spent time with each other, started all sorts of, you know, people would sort of go, oh, this is Tim Canterbury! ‘Yeah, yeah, I mean, he's being younger than me, doesn't he? Yeah, yeah…’ He just joked about it.

Interviewer: He's such a fun and nice guy.

BC: Yeah, he's great. He's very funny. One of the funniest human beings I've ever met. And just so inventive and brilliant. And he filled that role with so much nuances and care. He's a precision artist, he's technically brilliant, but he's also a musician I mean, he's got jazz in there as well as every other kind of music. He's wonderful to work with, and like I said, I think that was very early in my answer, that was a huge part of it - that chemistry - that I liked to be there really well.

Red Sea International Film Festival, Q&A, 10 December 2024

[seoul-bros]

Jikook Week 42 Complete (24/09 - 01/10/2024)

Their 42nd week in the military is now complete. It's time to celebrate with a look back at this week in 2023.

It was a big week for JK. On the 23/09 he appeared at the Global Citizen Festival in New York.

On 24/04 it was announced that Jungkook would be releasing a second single as a follow up to Seven. The promo started the same day with stills and Hero Film One and Two

JK came live to talk about the new release....

....and tease an up an coming activity 🤔 (look at that cheeky grin)....

......which we now know was the filming of Are you sure? He arrived back to South Korea on 25/09 and Jimin was there to greet him.

The next day Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung flew to Jeju Island the next day for three days for fun, sea and sun.

3D was definitely the song of the trip....

and Jimin posted a photo from the trip on IG on Chuseok (28/09).

3D single and MV was released on the 29/09....

...and the Live Performance Video on the 30/09.

Jimin posted on IG in support of the release. Pre-tty.

Also this week, the This is Jimin series of dance videos began. On 23/09 Jimin dropped his dance clip to Face Off.

During his 3D live, ARMY asked JK if he had seen Jimin's dance and he had this to say...

Translation: Course I saw it and my man got skills

Jimin posted his second This is Jimin video on 01/10 dancing to Phone Numbers by Dominic Fike.

It was a busy busy week for jikook!

Post Date: 01/10/2024

[hlficlibrary]

✤ Fake Relationship Fics ✤

A series of posts with the top five fics of each category by kudos plus five more hidden gems from that category! Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

- Top 5 H/L Fics -

1️⃣ Escapade by dolce_piccante / @haydolce {M, 146k}

In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He's rich. He's handsome. He's reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

2️⃣ And Then a Bit by @infinitelymint {E, 158k}

“We’d like to give the fans what they want.” Magee states, placing his hand on the table in front of him and leaning forward. “We want to give them Larry Stylinson.”

Or, take a parallel universe where Louis and Harry were never together, mix in a two year hiatus and an impending comeback, pour in a dash of lost fans, two tablespoons of strong friendship and a Modest! employee with a good idea. Add a squeeze of pretending to be a couple, lots of kisses and a tattoo or two. Stir. Serve: the mother of all publicity stunts.

(aka Harry and Louis fake a relationship for publicity. Eventually it becomes a lot less fake and a lot more real.)

3️⃣ California Sold by @isthatyoularry {M, 123k}

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

4️⃣ Paint Me In A Million Dreams by green_feelings / @greenfeelings {M, 112k}

Harry's one of Hollywood's biggest actors, has made a name for himself in prestigious films and lives the life of a superstar. There's just one thing missing to make it picture-perfect, but the one Harry's in love with is completely out of reach for him. Enter Louis, one of Hollywood's biggest actors himself, who just came out of the closet and taps new genres in the industry. When Louis sacks the role Harry auditioned for in Scorsese's next big film, their irrational feud starts. Who could have guessed it would get even worse when for promo season, their teams decide to present them as a couple for publicity?

In short, Harry's in love with someone and doesn't care about dating anyone else, Louis never felt home in L.A., Liam writes love songs for someone he shouldn't write love songs to, and Niall makes everything better with good food.

5️⃣ Faking It by TheCellarDoor / @donotdialnine {M, 46k}

A uni AU in which Louis has been Harry’s best friend since he offered him cubed fruit on the playground, and they spend more time cuddling in their dorm beds than they do apart, but it’s not like that. Or is it?

Aka Harry pretends to date his best friend to escape unwanted attention from a too insistent classmate and hopes it won’t blow up in his face. Featuring embarrassing dildo accidents, awkward boners, longing, first times, late night conversations, emotional discoveries and Niall as the exasperated friend with bad advice.

HIDDEN GEMS:

💎 this charade (was never going to last) by @scrunchyharry {E, 68k}

On the surface, CitizenX, an international caritative nonprofit, looked like any other nonprofit, funding humanitarian missions worldwide and striving to make the world a better place, one donation at a time.

At least, that was what Harry thought, until he was hired as a computer specialist for a spinoff agency called carish, whose true purpose was to reveal CitizenX’s tangled web of lies.

As if the whole ‘industrial spy’ business was not stressful enough, Harry found himself in a hatred-at-first-sight relationship with one of his new coworkers, Louis, a man intent on detesting Harry.

When the worst happened and Harry and Louis found themselves thrown together in hiding, with only each other to rely on, Harry never could have predicted the turn their relationship would take.

Nor could he anticipate that it would all be taken away from him and he would have to decide how far he was willing to go to get Louis back.

💎 Love Is a Winning Game by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings {M, 47k}

Before their broken engagement, Harry had his head stuck so far in the clouds that he doesn’t even remember entering him and Louis for something as crazy as a couple's gameshow until a series of bad, post-breakup decisions puts Harry in the awkward position of needing the help of his ex-fiancé to try and fix the mess he has made.

💎 Wed’n Walk (Or, We Went to Amsterdam Together) by @hellolovers13 {E, 11k}

When Harry had first started planning his honeymoon to Amsterdam, he had not envisioned ending up there with his best friend.

Or getting fake-married to him for 24 hours.

💎 Every Line, Every Word, Everything by lsforever / @kingonafiftymetreroad {G, 10k}

“I just fucking came out of the closet to the whole world so I wouldn’t have to parade around fake relationships anymore and that’s what you’re trying to put on me again?!”

or, the AU where Harry's team suggests that he should have a fake boyfriend after he's just come out. Who would've thought it would be his best friend?

💎 Just To See That Smile by @homosociallyyours {NR, 6k}

It's Coming Out Week at university, and Harry's taken on a lot of responsibilities to make everything run smoothly. Finding his roommate's boyfriend attractive is making that a bit difficult, unfortunately. It might help if he realized that said boyfriend (Louis) is really just there to help said roommate (Liam) figure out if Liam's crush (Zayn) likes him back.

But that would make things too easy.

A fic where a hastily faked relationship and a lot of miscommunication almost ruins a perfectly good dance.

[d-criss-news]

Rachel Zegler, Jordan Fisher, Darren Criss, More Among 2024 Elsie Fest Performers

A host of stars of the stage and screen are slated to perform at the this year's Elsie Fest, the first after a two-year hiatus. The return of the Broadway-themed music festival will be held September 8 at The Rooftop at Pier 17. Performers will include Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, Romeo and Juliet), global touring artist Lizzy McAlpine, Jordan Fisher (Hadestown, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Darren Criss (Maybe Happy Ending, Glee, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Tony winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Swept Away, Spring Awakening), Tony and Oscar nominee Will Butler (Stereophonic, Her, Arcade Fire), Joy Woods (The Notebook, Little Shop of Horrors, Six), RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season two winner Alaska Thunderfuck (Drag: The Musical), and other surprise guests.

The festival will feature additional performances and appearances from Broadway shows Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending, Swept Away, and Drag: The Musical; as well as the Prime Video animated musical series Hazbin Hotel from A24 and FOX’s Bento Box Entertainment. The famed West Village piano bar Marie's Crisis will also return to lead showtune sing-alongs. “We’re very happy to announce that Elsie Fest is coming back this September 8 with a kick-ass lineup of Broadway-inspired artists hailing from the worlds of theatre, music, TV, film, and comedy,” festival co-founder Criss said in a statement. “After a two-year absence, I wanted to resurrect our festival with a powerhouse list of performers and match it with an equally exciting new venue. And with so many singular talents on this year's bill, combined with the one-of-a-kind NYC atmosphere of the Rooftop at Pier 17, I think we got the right ingredients together to bring Elsie Fest back with a bang.” Elsie Fest is produced by Criss, Ricky Rollins, Eleni Gianulis, Jeff Jernigan, Jordan Roth, Dr. Sidney J. Stern, and Corey Lubowich, alongside Live Nation. Elsie Fest was co-founded in 2015 by Criss, Rollins, Roth, and Lea Michele. The festival's 2024 return will mark its seventh iteration. Past performers have included Nick Jonas, Leslie Odom, Jr., Cynthia Erivo, Ariana DeBose, Olivia Rodrigo, Sutton Foster, and many more. Visit ElsieFest.com for tickets.

[iwanthermidnightz]

This was a very good article! I loved hearing Kristen’s (and Jodie Fosters) perspective as a queer trailblazer. Inserting some snippets below 🤍

To get to this point, Stewart’s weathered more than a decade of unrelenting media scrutiny, first about her straight relationships, then about her gay ones, as she figured out her own identity. She leveraged her global stardom from the “Twilight” franchise not to become a superhero or a lifestyle guru, but to fuel an astonishing run of acclaimed independent films, including “Clouds of Sils Maria,” “Still Alice,” “Certain Women,” “Personal Shopper” and the Princess Diana drama “Spencer,” for which she earned an Oscar nomination.

“Whenever I hear that she’s doing something new, I’m so curious to see what it is, because it’s going to be a movie that hasn’t been made before,” says Clea DuVall, who directed Stewart in one of her only Hollywood films during this period, Hulu’s 2020 release “Happiest Season,” the first lesbian Christmas rom-com backed by a major studio. “She really is so herself. And I think that’s why so many people respond to her the way they do — because she is so authentic.”

By the time Stewart stepped on the stage of “Saturday Night Live” in February 2017, she’d spent the previous two years trying to convince the press that it was OK to write about her relationships with women, rather than resort to the vexing practice of referring to her girlfriend as her “gal pal.”

“It wasn’t even like I was hiding,” she says. “I was so openly out with my girlfriend for years at that point. I’m like, ‘I’m a pretty knowable person.’”

But even with that posture, the media’s “gal pal” dog whistle triggered a deeper, more painful history of intrusive curiosity about Stewart’s sexual identity. “For so long, I was like, ‘Why are you trying to skewer me? Why are you trying to ruin my life? I’m a kid, and I don’t really know myself well enough yet,’” she says. “The idea of people going, ‘I knew that you were a little queer kid forever.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah? Well, you should honestly have seen me fuck my first boyfriend.’”

It’s worth dwelling on this point: For almost the entire history of Hollywood, queer actors dreaded the public discovering who they really were, and that fear kept the closet door firmly closed. “Because I was gay, I really retreated,” says DuVall, who came out publicly in 2016. “Even doing a teeny tiny movie like [the ’90s lesbian cult favorite] ‘But I’m a Cheerleader,’ people immediately were like, ‘She’s gay, how can we out her?’ I wanted to stay small.”

Stewart, though, went big, with a monologue on “SNL” about how President Donald Trump, in 2012, obsessively tweeted about her relationship with Pattinson. “Donald, if you didn’t like me then, you’re really probably not going to like me now, because I’m hosting ‘SNL’ — and I’m, like, so gay, dude,” she said to wild cheers from the audience.

“It was cool to frame it in a funny context because it could say everything without having to sit down and do an interview,” Stewart says before running through the kind of questions queer actors have had to consider before coming out publicly: “‘So what platform is that going to be on? And who’s going to make money on that? And who’s going to be the person that broke it?’ I broke it, alone.”

A few days later, I mention Stewart’s “SNL” monologue to Foster over the phone, and she lets out a big laugh. “I never knew that,” she says. “What a wonderful, funny, wry, modern way to be honest to the world. That’s just awesome.”

As Stewart talks about her “SNL” experience, I think about how no stars of her age and stature ever came out when I was growing up as a gay kid in the 1980s and ’90s. So to have her professional trajectory not skip a beat feels like real progress.

When I tell her as much, she takes the conversation in an unexpected direction. “Because I’m an actor, I want people to like me, and I want certain parts,” she says. “I have lots of different experiences that shape who I am that are very, very far from binary. But I did get good at the heteronormative quality. I play that role well. It comes from a somewhat real place — it’s not fake. But it’s fucked up that if I was gayer, it wouldn’t be the case.”

I try to clarify what she means: “So your career maybe would have suffered after coming out had you not affected a performative femininity …”

“… that I know works to my advantage,” she admits, nodding. “That’s why I’m fucking stoked about ‘Love Lies Bleeding.’”

Stewart didn’t let that scandal, as intense as it was in the moment, stifle her. Instead, she grew to fully embrace her queerness in her public life — like bringing her girlfriend, screenwriter Dylan Meyer, to the Oscars in 2022. “It’s not that I wasn’t scared,” Stewart says. “It was just that there was no other way to live.”

She’s even started to recognize that the most ostensibly heterosexual thing she’s done, “Twilight,” has its own queer sparkle. “I can only see it now,” she says. “I don’t think it necessarily started off that way, but I also think that the fact that I was there at all, it was percolating. It’s such a gay movie. I mean, Jesus Christ, Taylor [Lautner] and Rob and me, and it’s so hidden and not OK. I mean, a Mormon woman wrote this book. It’s all about oppression, about wanting what’s going to destroy you. That’s a very Gothic, gay inclination that I love.”

I ask Stewart if she understands how much her decision to come out has also made her a role model for LGBTQ people. She cackles. “Oh, you have no idea,” she says. “Every single woman that I’ve ever met in my whole life who ever kissed a girl in college is like, ‘Yeah, I mean, me too.’ I’m constantly joking with my girlfriend. I’ll be sitting there and be like” — she whispers — “‘She’s gay too. Everyone’s gay.’”

It can be easy to forget just how rare this still is, a giant movie star living such an openly queer life. “It feels like a generational thing, where I’m watching somebody make the leaps that I didn’t think I could ever do,” Foster says.

After fiercely guarding her privacy for decades, Foster came out publicly at the 2013 Golden Globes, and has just now played her first explicitly gay character in the 2023 biopic “Nyad.” Talking about Stewart has put Foster in a reflective mood. As our call is coming to an end, she offers this unprompted insight: “I get a lot of questions about who I was and what I represented in the industry, and was I — I don’t know …” She exhales. “Was I helpful in terms of representation? I’m sure there’s a 12- or 13- or 14-year-old when I was making movies as a young person who said that I had something to offer to them in their life as a queer person. I had to do it my way. I had pioneers to help the way, who I’m grateful for. And now people can be grateful for Kristen for being the pioneer. I’m just — I’m grateful to her.”

This sense of communion with the wider LGBTQ tribe is why Stewart has dedicated herself to embracing the fullness of who she is as a bro-y, butch-y queer woman in her work as an actor and, come hell or high water, a director.

“I was like, ‘I would like to be on that team because we need each other,’” Stewart says. “I didn’t want to be left out anymore. It was this whole world that I didn’t realize I could explore.”

[atalante241]

About Genshin Impact and the technology of Teyvat

We get a kamera at the start of the game from Xu for the “Snapshot” world quest. In it Xu remarks that the kamera is a new invention from Fontaine.

Xu shows surprise at the Traveler knowing what it is, this supports the idea of the kamera being a new invention meaning it’s pricey and rare to have at this point. Later on, on the Traveler’s journey, we get quests to take pictures of things. This could mean that the kamera is becoming more widespread a time goes on, or just the knowledge of it.

During the 4.3 Fontinalia Festival the focus was placed of films. This was an attempt by the Fontaine Film Association to introduce films to the populace, making the main point of the festival the films produced for it.

This would give idea to films still being a new invention, as they aren’t widespread, just like how the kamera was at the start of the game which was about 3 years ago. And based off of Furina’s Character Demo “Furina: All the World’s a Stage” we can assume that the films recorded were black and white in quality. Unless, we assume that the mini-games during the 4.3 “Roses and Muskets” event were canonical in the way they showed the film quality. No noise was shown in either, but one was in color the other not.

This gives us an estimate of where — technological advancement vice — Teyvat is compared to our world. Films started becoming a thing at the end of the 1800s and start of the 1900s. Colored film started showing up around the 1930s, but became more accessible and profitable later on. Films started getting sound added to them around the mid-to-late 1920s. This gives us an estimate of around the start of the 1900s placement vice.

Now I’d like to bring up Khaenri'ah. It was heralded as “the pride of humanity” as said by Dainslief. Khaenri'ah has more than one notable scientific aspect linked to it, one of these being the “Field Tillers” aka Ruin Machines. Ruin Machines vary from “simple” Ruin Guards to a Ruin Serpent(s).

Ruin Machines seem to have been around for a while, since the Archon War even given the Ruin Hunter stored by Guizhong in a domain. This means that the technology may have been around for 1000s of years, likely being used as a defense method during the war and preserved thereafter. The knowledge of this technology didn’t spread much beyond Khaenri'ah, this showing through how the people of Teyvat started calling the Ruin Machines “Ruin Machines” after they spread globally after the Cataclysm.

Around Sumeru there exist three giant Ruin Machines called “Ruin Golems”. These were giant mecha style machines were piloted by a crew of people, and — get this — include a colored screen. By screen I mean the type of screen you’re viewing this through, footage from outside the Ruin Golem being broadcasted to the screen to allow the people piloting to see where they’re going or what they’re doing.

During the “Vimana Agama” world quest that was apart of the Aranyaka quest line we can go into the Ruin Golem in Devantaka Mountain by Port Ormos. There we can use the actual screen and see through it. This being a machine that has sat unused for hundreds of years. And its screen is still in working condition.

So, simply put. Khaenri'ah was very mechanically advanced.

BUT!

I have yet to mention the Terminal Viewfinders in Fontaine. You know, those eye ball machines you use to transfer energy to terminals in puzzles in the Fontaine Research Institute area. You know, the machines with working colored screens. Mind you this isn’t technology you’re able to find all through out Fontaine, only in certain areas usually accompanied by a researcher from the Institute. So it would be more comparable to machines found in laboratories and not accessible to common people.

But still. At the very least Fontaine is near the mechanical advancements of Khaenri'ah either a few hundred to thousands of years ago.

And I have yet to mention everything going on in King Deshret’s places in the Sumeru desert. And I’m not going to go into more than this mention because that is a headache I have yet to even get around to in game.

TL;DR Khaenri'ah was very technologically advanced to the point of hundreds of years later working colored screen technology. Fontaine is around that point with the Research Institute while normal day to day people are around silent movies in advancement, while I have no idea what’s going on with the Sumeru Desert.

[dweemeister]

August 7, 2023

By Maureen Lee Lenker

(Entertainment Weekly) — We'll always have Paris, but for a time, it seemed as if we might not always have Turner Classic Movies.

Since 1994, TCM has aired films, uncut and commercial-free, 24 hours a day, all enhanced by monthly themed and curated programming, hosted introductions and conclusions (known as outros), conversations with filmmakers and talent, and original content. In its nearly 30 years of existence, the network has expanded beyond its already estimable remit as a cable network-meets-film-school, with fan events including a film festival and cruise.

The brand also plays a key role in global film preservation efforts. Restorations of bigger studio titles are typically done by the studios themselves, but TCM is more often than not the showcase for such work — both on air and at the annual film festival. TCM won a Peabody Award in 2008 for its "commitment to film preservation and restoration." 

In 2023 alone, TCM partnered with the Film Foundation and the studio to restore 10 classics for the Warner Bros. 100th anniversary, including 1932's One Way Passage, 1941's The Strawberry Blonde, 1959's Rio Bravo, and 1955's East of Eden, all of which screened at the film festival and aired on the network. Last year, TCM celebrated its expanded partnership with the Film Foundation with the premiere of a 4K restoration of the Elizabeth Taylor/James Dean/Rock Hudson epic Giant at the 2022 festival. (Going even further back, in 2007, TCM tracked down the rights to six "lost" RKO films, including William Powell comedy Double Harness and Ginger Rogers rom-com Rafter Romance, not seen in over 50 years).

But on June 20, all of that seemed to be in peril as news broke that the entire executive leadership team of TCM (most of whom boasted 20-plus years of experience with the network) were being laid off alongside other members of the staff. The latest round of layoffs, which network staff tell EW they were blindsided by, are part of Warner Bros. Discovery's continuing attempts to cut costs across the studio.

Some backtracking from the executives at WBD is alright (especially in terms of staff rehires and bringing back the TCMFF Director), but they cut away at something that wasn't broken to begin with!

[fantastic0fairy]

From Cherry Blossoms to Giant Robots: How Anime and Japanese Culture Captivate the World

Imagine a world where cherry blossoms float through the air, where samurai honor codes meet futuristic technology, and where everyone, from a teenager in New York to a retiree in Paris, can find joy in animated tales of adventure, romance, and heroism. Welcome to the realm of anime and Japanese culture, a vibrant, dynamic force that has crossed borders and generations, leaving an indelible mark on global society.

The importance and growth of anime.

Anime, Japan's unique style of animation, isn't just cartoons it's a cultural phenomenon. From classics like "Astro Boy" and "Dragon Ball" to modern hits like "Attack on Titan" and "My Hero Academia," anime has a diverse range of genres that appeal to all ages. What makes anime so special? It's the blend of intricate storytelling, complex characters, and stunning visuals. These aren't just shows; they're experiences that pull you into their world.

Anime is a gateway to Japanese culture. Through anime, viewers learn about traditional customs, festivals, and even cuisine. Think of "Spirited Away," where the protagonist, Chihiro, navigates a magical bathhouse filled with spirits a nod to Japan's rich folklore and Shinto beliefs. Or "Your Name," which beautifully portrays the rural-urban divide and the traditional practice of "musubi" (tying threads as a symbol of connection).

Global influence by connecting generations

Anime's influence stretches far beyond entertainment. It's a style, a vibe, a community. Fashion brands like Uniqlo and Gucci have launched anime-themed collections, while sports stars like Naomi Osaka openly express their love for anime characters. Moreover, the principles and aesthetics of anime have seeped into global pop culture, inspiring everything from Hollywood films to video games.

One of the most magical aspects of anime is its ability to bridge generational gaps. Parents and children can bond over shared favorites like "Pokémon" or "Studio Ghibli" films. For the older generation, anime offers a nostalgic trip back to their childhood while providing fresh stories that resonate with today's themes and issues.

Anime has created a global community of fans who gather at conventions, participate in cosplay, and engage in online discussions. Events like Anime Expo in Los Angeles or Comiket in Tokyo draw fans from all over the world, celebrating their love for this unique art form.

Fun Fact: The Origins of Cosplay

Did you know that cosplay (dressing up as characters from anime, manga, and video games) originated in Japan? The term "cosplay" comes from "costume play," and it has become a worldwide phenomenon. From local conventions to international events, cosplay is a testament to the creativity and dedication of anime fans.

Anime and Japanese culture are more than just entertainment they are a window into a different way of life, filled with beauty, tradition, and endless creativity. They remind us that, no matter where we are in the world, we can find common ground in the stories we love and the values they teach us. So, whether you're a seasoned otaku or a curious newcomer, dive into the world of anime. You might just find a new favorite story or even a new perspective on life.

Ready to start your anime journey? Check out classics like "Naruto" or "Sailor Moon," or dive into newer hits like "Demon Slayer" or "Jujutsu Kaisen." And if you're already a fan, share your favorite anime moments with someone new you never know whose life you might brighten with a little bit of anime magic.

Happy watching, and may your adventures be as epic as your favorite anime!

References.

Cavallaro, D. (2010). Anime and the visual novel: Narrative structure, design and play at the crossroads of animation and computer games. McFarland.

Condry, I. (2013). The soul of anime: Collaborative creativity and Japan's media success story. Duke University Press.

Napier, S. J. (2005). Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing contemporary Japanese animation. Palgrave Macmillan.

Noppe, N. (2013). Fanning the flames of fandom: The commercialization and transformation of fan activities in the age of media mix. In M. Ito, D. Okabe, & I. Tsuji (Eds.), Fandom unbound: Otaku culture in a connected world (pp. 104-127). Yale University Press.

Steinberg, M. (2012). Anime's media mix: Franchising toys and characters in Japan. University of Minnesota Press.

[bleachbleachbleach]

JFF Theater Premiere!

The film festival we keep talking about on here is starting a new website that will stream a rotating selection of Japanese films, series, etc.! There's near-global availability and a ton of different subtitle languages.

One of the films in their first rotation is the return of IT'S A SUMMER FILM! which is still one of my very favorite of the offerings we've seen:

“Let’s make a movie together!” A girl passionate about samurai films and a boy full of mystery make a film together that transcends time and space.

Not yet convinced? Here's some more Bleachbrained analysis of IT'S A SUMMER FILM!

[usakizades]

📍Monica Bellucci graces the cover of Vogue Arabia, photographed by Nima Benati for their March issue themed 'Beauties of the World'

Italian Actor Monica Bellucci on Continuing to Transfix Audiences Around the World at 59

An eternal muse, the beloved Italian actor continues to transfix audiences around the world. She also inspired the world’s greatest directors, most recently Tim Burton.

The most beautiful woman in Italy. The sexiest woman alive. World class bombshell. Since her first on-screen appearance in the early Nineties, Monica Bellucci has been showered with accolades related to her looks. Now, at 59, praises continue to rain down on her, showing a definitive shift in the global mindset: a woman’s beauty evolves with time; and when led by magnetic charisma and talent that speaks to people across cultures and generations, it endures.

“Things are changing because women today are talking out loud. They’re less scared to talk,” offers Bellucci. “I’m in Paris and I see all these incredible actors like Isabelle Huppert, Charlotte Rampling, Fanny Ardant…women who still have the possibility to play leading roles and they’re still amazing. It really proves how things are different compared to before, where after 40 years old, women didn’t have the chance to work anymore–even though they were still talented, it was impossible. I can’t say that everything is done–the evolution is still there and it’s really changing.”

Of course, Bellucci is far more than a beautiful woman. While her entertainment industry debuts were as a muse and model for photographers like Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton and fashion and jewelry houses like Dolce & Gabbana and Cartier, she has evolved into an artist with an expansive career spanning film and theater. A polyglot, who can act in many languages, Bellucci has worked with the likes of Sam Mendes for whom she made headlines as the oldest Bond girl in history in Spectre; with Giuseppe Tornatore in the role of a war widow in Malena, and with Gaspar Noé who directed one of her most remarkable performances in the dark art film Irréversible alongside her former husband Vincent Cassel.

“Each director gave me the possibility for me to evolve as an actor, and many of them come from different countries and different cultures,” she says. Her experiences with female directors remain sparse but special. “I like it very much because there is an intimacy between women. Sometimes we look at each other and without words, we can have the same feeling about things. There is something very spontaneous and distinctive and natural, and I like this very much,” she says.

Bellucci is also a woman in love. She made her first red carpet appearance hand-in-hand with legendary director Tim Burton at the Rome Film Festival, in October of last year. “It’s so interesting and beautiful to share the experience of work with someone that is also the person that you love,” she says of the time spent on set as an actor in Burton’s forthcoming film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. And while she shares that she is at her happiest when she is with her children, she expresses that she is equally joyful when she is in love. “When I have the possibility to feel alive as a woman,” she expresses of her current state of bliss.

The Burton movie is not the only film forthcoming for Bellucci. The actor’s warm and melodic voice rhymes off her recent work. She is presently shooting a TV series in France and has just wrapped a film with Iranian director Marjane Satrapi, the woman behind Persopolis. “When I make a movie, more than feeling nervous, I’m excited, especially in the first few days,” remarks Bellucci of her feelings on-set. She notes that cinema is a completely different experience to theater, an art she dedicated the past three years of her life to, performing across Europe in the one-woman show Maria Callas’ Letters and Memoirs. “This was really something that made me very nervous,” she says of her experience before a live audience. There is something very sincere and artisanal in the process of making a show. But at the same time, it’s very intense because you can’t really make any mistakes, and the public can really feel what you feel. This relationship is very beautiful, but also very intense.”

Bellucci describes herself as “very feminine,” but is not fixated on anything beauty-related. She practices pilates and eats well. “I’m not obsessed with anything. I like to live and to have a real life. If I want to go and buy things, I want to feel free to go.” Bellucci’s self-confidence, sophistication, and warmth emanate from her hazel eyes. It is perhaps her curiosity that is the essence of her decidedly youthful spirit. “My job, I really think that it’s a kind of job that you never stop learning,” she says. “And I’m still enjoying doing that. I’m really full of passion for my work.”

Originally published in the March 2024 issue of Vogue Arabia

Style: Barbara Baumel
Fashion director: Amine Jreissati
Hair: John Nollet for Maison de Beauté Carita
Makeup: Letizia Carnevale
Nails: Nafissa Djabi
Digital operator: Massimo Fusardi
Hair assistant: Pierrick Sellenet
Lighting assistant: Pierre Cathala
Producer: Sam Allison
Talent: Monia

[exilology]

— EXILE HER @ KBS GLOBAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

OVERVIEW : exile her performed a total of three songs 'OFF THE RECORD' + 'DITTO' + 'DON'T THINK TWICE'. many netizens commented on how pretty and beautiful y/n was and how her performance was the complete opposite of her labelmates, ATEEZ, performance. many IXLUVS also commented on how y/n looked very much like a princess especially with her tiara-style headband.

along with performing at the festival, y/n also had the opportunity to film several TIKTOKS with other idols. most notably ENHYPEN JAY, LE SSERAFIM EUNCHAE and CHAEWON, NEWJEANS, ITZY, and SHINEE MINHO.

COMMENTS :

"ateez's performance was so powerful as expected but exile her's performance was just as amazing."

"this really shows how great of a performer is to follow up ateez and still keep the crowd going..."

"she really is 4th gen's best soloist."

“i can’t believe she performed don’t think twice 🤩 that’s my favorite song off her japanese album!”

“ditto song of the year.”

“i can’t believe we STILL haven’t gotten a tiktok with y/n and one of the boys. come on kq 😒”

“whoa did you all see y/n’s new manager… he kinda hot. yeosang better watch out 🫣”

INSTAGRAM POST :

iamexile princess 🪽

[ggukkiedae]

🔴 yoonmiya started their live: it’s my birthday… 

BTS • 2023.12.13. 20:30

dialogue and comments in italics are in english

the weverse live starts with yoonmi setting it up and sitting back, letting her dog dipper rest his head on her lap, soft music playing in the background

she’s quietly watching the number of viewers for the first minute before she speaks

“hi everyone! hi, i thought i’d come on live for a bit to celebrate my birthday with you. i won’t be live for so long due to personal circumstances, if that’s okay with you”

she opens up her personal phone to look through the comments

some time is spent with her greeting in the different languages she saw in the comments

yoonmi! how are you feeling?

“not too bad, actually. i’m a little bit sad, but i’m okay. i’ll be okay”

are you celebrating somehow?

she smiled softly at this question

“i had breakfast with the tannie oppas two days ago. all of them. they brought out a cake for me and gave me gifts, and we sang happy birthday to all three december celebrants. you’ll never believe this, or maybe you will, but jiminie oppa bought me a kitten!”

she reaches down out of view of the camera and comes back up with a small scottish fold kitten in one hand, gently supported by her other hand

“guys, this is rajah, my new friend. dipper loves her, don’t you, boy?”

the big dog lifted his head, sniffing rajah until rajah booped his nose with her paw

dipper snorted and licked rajah once before putting his head back on yoonmi’s lap

yoonmi placed rajah on dippers head, keeping a hand there to secure her, and read through comments

rajah is so cute!!

dipper and rajah!!

are you going to be in the music bank global festival? Or aaa?

“i’m not, sorry guys. i’m taking a small unofficial break for a bit. i already filmed a few things for 2024, so look forward to that, especially if you’ll be missing a certain golden maknae”

a small bark came from the side, so she looked off camera and laughed before putting rajah back where she came from

“nala actually likes sleeping beside rajah. i think she just likes the fact that she isn’t the smallest fur baby anymore”

do you have anything else planned for your birthday?

“not really…”

she tilted her head in thought before scrolling through her phone

“all my friends and my siblings are pretty busy, but i don’t mind. i like that it isn’t so hectic for me right now”

she shifts slightly, adjusting dipper to reach for something on the table next to her

“i have this little cake, though! yoongi oppa had it delivered to me earlier today”

you looked so good during mma and mama! congratulations!

she flushes a little, laughing to shake off her embarrassment

“thank you, and i wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you guys. i promise i’ll continue to extra work hard for you and the oppas until they come back and we’re together again”

have you been keeping in touch with hannah, seri, and ari?

“of course”

she laughed a little bit

“that group chat is the one that woke me up with all the buzzing. there were endless birthday greetings”

she smirks a little bit before leaning close to the camera like she was telling a secret

“i went to the last days of both the nct nation concert in seoul and the sweet mirage finale shows, and i’ll be there for the last fate tour seoul stop in february. are you guys jealous?”

i think it’s sweet how you were there for all the enlistments

were you with the boys when they shaved their heads?

“i was with every one of them, i promised them i wouldn’t miss any of it”

her hand reached up, tugging lightly on the ends of her hair

dipper looked up from her lap, nuzzling his snout into her hand, so she moved to pet him instead

you’re makeup is pretty!!!

did you come from a schedule?

“i did my makeup for fun today, no schedules”

she thought for a little bit, glancing to the side then back to the live

“i was in the company for a bit a while ago, but it was more of cleaning than working, making sure nothing’s dusty, you know?”

she laughed a little bit while scrolling through the comments

how about you play the happy birthday song?

she just shook her head

“no, i think i’m good”

mark better have sent something good to you

she actually laughed the hardest so far with this comment

“he was on facetime with me until i fell asleep last night… when i woke up, he was scolding hannah unnie for messaging me too much”

she picked up a dior paper bag from the table next to her 

“he also sent me all this makeup! it’s like he has intuition because i’ve been running low on my lip glow oil, the face palette, and my blush. not to mention the flowers and the bracelet”

she places the paper bag down and leans forward to show off the silver bracelet around her wrist

you look tired are you okay?

“i’m fine, i promise”

she nodded and pressed her lips into a tight smile

“it’s just been an emotional few days, but don’t worry about me! i think i can cope for the next six or seven months”

she leaned back a bit, giving reassuring nods before a short silence took over until she was zoning out and staring at nothing

“yeah, i think i can do it”

she looked back to the live and smiled

“i think it’s time for me to go, now. next time i go live, i’ll spend longer with you guys, don’t worry!”

she leaned forward, lifting dipper’s face to be visible on screen

“this is good night from me and dipper! thanks for celebrating my birthday with me, army. love you lots, take care of yourselves, and thank you for charting spring day queen!”

-END-

taglist: @sunflower-0180 @seaoffangirling @yourwonderbelle @1-800-enhypennabi @kamiiyou @strwberrydinosaur @uraveragefangirlsposts @caratinylyfe @1-800-minji @one16core @kimhyejin3108 @chansols @akshverse @toriluvsfics @billboard-singer @stopeatread

drop an ask or a dm if you wanna be added or taken out of the taglist 🥰 requests are also open!

[jung-koook]

Sky if JK is flying to new york... VMA is tomorrow... do you think he'll attend? But they didn't say anything about him performing

If he goes, will he only be attending? Aren't they going to announce untill the last minute? What is happening 😭😭😭😭

I had already said here that I will not share photos or videos of them at the airport, unless it is officially posted by bighit (example: bangtantv episode or bangtan bomb). but in the videos of these two trips he had, you can see in the first one a bighit staff was filming jeongguk and in this one today he is filming himself. so this kind of confirms that he is preparing something for us and that these trips are official (that's also why I'm commenting on them). 👀 I really think this trip is not just for vma but it could also be for vma because he's there. but if the vma is going to be on the 13th, shouldn't they already announce a performance by jeongguk if he's going to perform there? knowing how much more views this award can have with his announcement instead of him making a surprise appearance? so many questions 😭 they need to make an official announcement because many armys need to plan their schedules like myself 😭but If jeongguk really goes there, will he perform too? will he just go there to receive his award? will he go there to present a performance or award?

but back to the subject of him preparing something for us, jeongguk mentioned that his album comes out in november but he never mentioned the date of his next single. 🥹 and there is also his global citizen performance which we don't know yet how long his performance will be. we might get an announcement of something new project before or after this festival. 🥹🥹🥹🥹 I don't know but I swear I'm already so excited that all I can think about is this.

also, its so obviously the airport can protect artists from these people and reporters who go to see them at the airport. whenever bangtan goes traveling they leave the barrier there so they can walk freely without people following them, just reporters filming them. I still don't understand why when they are coming back they don't allow that barrier to stay there.

what are they waiting for??? are they waiting for a serious accident to happen???? this makes me really so mad

[p-h03n1-x]

Yibo Official Weibo update 2.8.2024 (part 4 of 6) Welcome to play UNIQ-Wang Yibo’s key frames of the year. Recall frame by frame, wonderful and colorful. Indulge in the beautiful changes of light and shadow, enjoy expressing your true self in music, explore the unknown in different fields, and progress in life. Keyframes are drawn one by one on the strip. In 2023, you will be rewarded with diligent study and hard work, and in 2024, we will embark on a new journey with steady steps! A new chapter is about to begin. I wish you all to move forward in the Year of the Dragon, and be happy and prosperous!

Part 4 Live Events

Accumulate strength and move forward, the stars are shining brightly Forge ahead with determination and unremitting ambition. Focus and shine and gain recognition

【Movie Roadshow】

Anonymous (top left to right)

·Shanghai press conference of the movie "Anonymous"·

·Beijing Press Conference of the Movie "Anonymous"·

·Movie "Anonymous" Shanghai Roadshow·

·Movie "Anonymous" Guangzhou Roadshow,

·Movie "Anonymous" Wuhan Roadshow·

·Movie "Anonymous" road show in Suzhou and Wuxi

·Movie "Anonymous" Ningbo Roadshow·

"Born to Fly" (top left to right)

·Beijing premiere of the movie "Born to Fly"·

·Shanghai premiere of the movie "Born to Fly"·

Screening of the closing film of the Beijing International Film Festival

Southern War Zone Special Screening Event

Rocket Force Command Academy Station Road Show, Air Force Airborne Force Station Road Show

"One and Only" (top left to right)

·Global Surprise Party for the Movie "One and Only"·

·World premiere of the movie "One and Only"·

·Movie "One and Only" Beijing Roadshow·

·Movie "One and Only" Hangzhou Roadshow·

·Movie "One and Only" Yueyang Road Show·

·Thailand premiere of the movie "One and Only"·

Events (top left to right)

·2023 Dragon TV Spring Festival Gala, Singing the theme song of the same name from the movie "Anonymous"

·2022 Weibo Night·

·The 13th Beijing International Film Festival· Closing Ceremony

The 18th and 19th China Film Huabiao Awards Ceremony·

·Wang Yibo Chunzhen brand meeting.

·2023 Douyin Movie Adventure Night·

·2023 Weibo Movie Night·

·The 20th Movie Channel Media Attention Unit·closing ceremony

· Closing Ceremony of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival

·Moncler Moncler Shanghai Hang Lung Flagship Store Opening Ceremony

·2023 Bay Area Rising Moon Greater Bay Area Film and Music Gala, singing the theme song of the same name from the movie "Unknown"

"Infinite Style" ·2023 Shu Uemura Professional Makeup Competition·

·Yuehua 2023 Family Concert joined with "Exclamation Mark" to perform the stage

·The 36th China Film Golden Rooster Awards Nominee Recognition Ceremony

·The 36th China Film Golden Rooster Awards Closing Ceremony

·2023 iQiyi Scream Night·

·Redmi 10th Anniversary and K70 Series New product launch

·GQMOTY Annual Personality Ceremony·

·2023 Tencent Video Starlight Awards·

Participated in singing·2024 Cross-Strait New Year's Eve·Song "Tomorrow Will Be Better"

·Set Sail 2024 China Central Radio and Television·New Year's Eve Party Singing "Dragon"

·2023-2024 Hunan Satellite TV Mango TV New Year’s Eve Party, Singing "The Song That Never Ends" and "Bystander"

·2023 Weibo Night·

·"This is Street Dance" Season 6 Finals·

Go far with practice and persevere every moment. Every brief moment merges into a rich present

Link here for parts 1-3

[lazbotronence]

Written by BAFTA-winning team Laurence Rickard & Martha Howe-Douglas (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) with Chris McCausland, hilarity and hijinks will commence on production this month at Sky Studios Elstree with the special set to air on Sky and NOW this Christmas.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chris McCausland & Lee Mack to star in Sky Original festive special ‘Bad Tidings’ [x]

Rebekah Staton, Sarah Alexander and Ben Crompton join the cast as production commences at Sky Studios Elstree.

Chris McCausland (The Wonders of the World I Can't See) and Lee Mack (Doctor Who, Inside No. 9, Brassic) star in Sky Original ‘Bad Tidings’, a mischievous festive special about two perpetually feuding neighbours in Stockport who become unlikely heroes, saving their street from notorious burglars with wacky booby traps and Great British banter. Written by BAFTA-winning team Laurence Rickard & Martha Howe-Douglas (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) with Chris McCausland, hilarity and hijinks will commence on production this month at Sky Studios Elstree with the special set to air on Sky and NOW this Christmas.

Joining the cast alongside McCausland and Mack are Rebekah Staton, Sarah Alexander, Ben Crompton, Emily Coates, Josiah Eloi, Millie Kiss, Tupele Dorgu, Sunil Patel, Susan Kyd and Donna Preston.

‘Bad Tidings’ follows a tradition of successful festive Sky Originals loved by Sky customers and star a wealth of British talent. Last year, ‘The Heist Before Christmas’ starring James Nesbitt, Timothy Spall and Laura Donnelly, was the biggest rating Sky Original of 2023 and followed 2022’s ‘Christmas Carole’ staring Suranne Jones, and 2021’s ‘The Amazing Mr Blunden’ staring Simon Callow, Tamsin Greig and Mark Gatiss.

This year’s Sky Original Christmas special revolves around grumpy home-security expert Neil (Mack) and his neighbour Scott (McCausland), who insists on keeping his Christmas lights illuminated all-year-round. And mixing up their bins, criticising Neil’s ‘project’ car and generally winding him up. Basically, Scott’s a git. He’s also blind and all the other neighbours think he’s great. 

When Scott is appointed head of the Neighbourhood Watch, Neil is the only one to question his suitability for the role. Their tit-for-tat argument culminates in Neil triggering a power-cut across the entire street. On Christmas Eve. 

Everyone is forced to evacuate, and Neil and Scott are left alone and on guard. But the local crime family decide to rob every house on the street in a single night, and the pair must set aside their differences to defeat them. They’ve got no lights, no cameras, no alarms and one of them is blind. Which might just be an advantage… 

Chris McCausland said: “Talk about a back of an envelope idea that has got out of hand, we are now making a Christmas comedy film and it's going to be awesome. I can't wait to get up to some hilarious mayhem with Lee and bring some festive spirit into people's living rooms this Christmas!”

Lee Mack added: “I love Chris McCausland, I love the script and I Iove Christmas. Where do I sign?”

‘Bad Tidings’ is written by Laurence Rickard & Martha Howe-Douglas with Chris McCausland, and is produced by Sky Studios. The film is directed by Tim Kirkby with Adnan Ahmed from Sky Studios producing. Anil Gupta Executive Produces for Sky Studios. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handles international sales on behalf of Sky Studios.

[filmnoirfoundation]

NOIR CITY Hollywood starts tonight at the American Cinematheque! Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode in person. Opening Night Cocktail Reception - 6 pm | NEVER OPEN THAT DOOR (1952) / THE WINDOW (1949) 🎞️ - 7:30pm Tickets and schedule are available on the American Cinematheque’s website: https://bit.ly/3Ij9Mc2

NOIR CITY: Hollywood returns to the newly restored Egyptian Theatre, March 22- 31. The festival will be celebrating its 25th anniversary at the American Cinematheque with a killer lineup of twenty-three films. We will be presenting a series of double features, pairing international films with more familiar English-language ones containing similar themes. This global adventure of noir cinema comprises twelve 35mm prints (including a glorious Nitrate print of Nightmare Alley) and special guests.

Highlights include an opening night reception prior to the screening of No abras nunca esa puerta / Never Open That Door (1952, Argentina), a digital restoration performed by the UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding by the Film Noir Foundation. A FNF funded 35mm print of The Window (1949) follows. Both films are based on stories by the pulp fiction master Cornell Woolrich. Closing night features the West Coast premiere of the new 4K digital restoration of Jean-Pierre Melville Le Samouraï (1967).

The Film Noir Foundation’s president Eddie Muller and board member Alan K. Rode will be on hand opening night, Eddie will introduce No abras nunca esa Puerta and Alan will introduce The Window. Eddie will introduce the rest of the opening weekend films and return for the closing weekend to introduce the Friday, Saturday and Sunday screenings except for New York Confidential which will be introduced by Alan who will also be introducing all the weekday screenings.