#actors and lines apparently don't mix well

[runic-dreamer]

Organizing Theatre Actors is like herding cats,

if those cats were absolutely dumb and ignorant and just so fucking annoying and self-serving. (Which most cats are not, despite the stereotype)

Already ranted this on twitter, but I want to rant more here, and the character max is annoying.

Context:

We are puuting on a Production of Dracula: A Postmodern Postmortem. You never heard of it? How could you when we wrote it ourselves. Myself included. I spent 2 1/2 precious months of my uni free time in last years summer, writing at an original interpretation of moterfucking Dracula.

We cast it. One of our actors jumped ship. We recast.

Winter hit and People had the flu, rehearsals were sparringly since people were sick.

One actor had to leave for 2 weeks to attend a wedding on the other side of the globe.

I badly sprained my ankle and was out of commission for 2 weeks, and on crutches for another 6.

Now it is the WEEK BEFORE PERFORMANCES, and one of our actors does not know his lines.

And sure, it is his first play. And it is a big-ish role. You all are familiar with Van Hellsing? Yeah that guy.

What shoudl be said is however that we already cut a lot of his parts, because he felt unsure about stage fighting.

So now Van Hellsing is in 2 scenes. Not long ones either. so...

sometimes you just want to gently murder people for disappointing you. not in the sense of death, just in the sense of wantign to be rid of a problem for a while until you feel calm enough to actually talk it through with them.

Is this about our theatre production? yes Is it because of our "Sorgenkind"? also yes Because it is THE WEEK BEFORE PERFORMANCES START, and this clay-brained ASS does NOT KNOW HIS FUCKING LINES!!!!! He is in 2 scenes. We shortened the role for him. We made his part smaller. And.

what do we get? Nothing. Cause apparently he is allergic to asking for help rehearsing his fucking lines

I offered. Repeadetly. I am at uni most hours of my day anyway. At least this way I won't waste my time.

But no. He knows better how he learns lines. At home. all alone.

And now that he has pressure from our director (who also helped write the play) he is supposed to run lines with me tomorrow. Has he answered me when he has time? No.

Like I adore our production. I do. I really do. In fact I love it so much that I am going to spend my night staying up and sewing pants and an underskirt. (current local time: 10.47pm)

But I have other shit to do.

I have an essay about the replic of an ancient greek ship to write (8 pages).

I have a termpaper about the idea of freedom in the mediaval ages as evidenced by Anselm of Canterbury to research and write (15 pages)

I have 2 exams on the 5th of February.

I have to negotiate with my future landlord and get the lease signed. Also until in about 2 weeks.

Have I started on any of these things? Not really.

I have a summary for on exam and read one (1) of the theory texts for the second exam.

I have an outline for the essay.

Nothing for the termpaper.

Sometimes you just want to princess and the frog it and punt people against a fucking wall

[aangarchy]

Alright. I've rewatched the trailer like 20 times by now and i've been processing it.

First things first: anyone that's gonna talk shit about Gordon Cormier is gonna have to go through me first. I've only had Gordon!Aang for a day and a half and if anything happens to him i'll kill everyone here and then myself got it?

Just look at him! This is the exact big eared cute little kid i wanted them to cast for Aang. He looks adorable and honestly his outfit is growing on me.

The glowing arrow looked cool as hell. I like that the light spread through his tattoo almost like veins. I'm still curious on how the full avatar state is gonna look, how they're gonna get the glowing eye effect. Please don't let it look goofy.

Y'know what does look goofy?

Is it better than the m night shyamalan appa? I guess. Does that mean it looks good? Well.... at least momo sort of looks cute instead of some folklore nightmare like in shyamalan's version. But also you can tell in this shot in particular that it's very green screen-y

Then we go over to the bending, the limited shots we have of it. Mainly firebending was shown (a little airbending too but kinda hard to get a stillframe for that one)

Idk how to feel about it. In screenshots it looks alright but the shots while they were moving looked a bit off, especially the one where zuko's kicking. We only got very limited shots and that's intentional. I feel like the bigger cgi fails are gonna show up once we get the full show. If the bending looked good all the time i feel like they'd be showing it off by now.

What i don't like, is how apparently they're gonna SHOW Zuko getting burned. Like sure in atla they didn't bc kids show and Nickelodeon wouldn't allow it, and netflix can take darker turns if they so please. But i personally always felt that scene made so much impact because we didn't see it. Iroh is telling it from his memory and he didn't look when it happened, so we don't see it either. It's like a courtesy the show extends to both Zuko and the audience. We just hear the harrowing scream, and that's enough to know how devastating it is. I don't need a dramatic overlook so we can see the whole thing in detail, netflix.

Another thing is the hair in some scenes.

Daniel dae kim looked better in that promo photo, bc here you can just see how the bulky goatie was glued on. And then Sokka's hair..... where's the ponytail? It's laying completely flat against his head... why? Is it bc that's Ian's hair and they didn't know what to do with it? Literally get a comb and tease that bitch. This is like the complete opposite of Jackson Rathbone's hair in the shyamalan version, and somehow that full maybelline ponytail makes more sense than this sad excuse of a tail. Either way at least Suki looked dope.

Another thing i found weird about the trailer is the narration. I think it's either Iroh's voice or maybe Gyatso's? (I haven't heard Iroh's actor talk yet so idk, but it felt like it was being said TO either Aang or Zuko) but the lines they gave him... it felt like some weird mumbo jumbo tbh. Something something about the past and present being the same and it's up to us to know the difference and be the difference? It's saying everything and nothing at the same time and it felt kind of out of place. They're probably saving the iconic opening narration done by Katara for the full trailer (i hope???) but still they could have just gone with music, or maybe just a few iconic existing lines?

The music? Fire. Nothing needs to be added there. Was i kind of hoping for a different soundtrack? Maybe a bit. But am i mad? Not at all. They clearly took the nostalgia route with the more epic version of the avatar theme, and i can only respect them for that.

So far, very mixed reviews for me. I'm morbidly curious and very nosy by nature though, so i'm absolutely watching.

[spidey-strange]

Romeo, Romeo...

I am now living in a post Romeo & Juliet world. It might well be the only time I get to see it, but honestly what I saw on Saturday is going to stay with me forever. I wanted to put it down into words - my review of this play.

The first part of the experience is the music. We were in the bar and this repetitive rumble sound played over the tannoy, signalling that we were being called to Verona. We took our seats and we waited, all while more and more haze appeared across the sparsely-set stage and the music bore deep into my soul, gnarling and industrial, giving a sense of dystopian doom and foreboding. By the time the lights went out and the video screen showed 1597 in bright red lettering, I was already feeling a nervous nausea and an elevated heart rate.

This play is asking you to pretend, as much as they are. There is no set. There are no props. The actors stand like statues, dotted around, sometimes deep into the back of the stage as if ghostly apparitions. Sometimes the actors talk freely, other times they take their place behind mic stands as if part of a debating society. What happens on stage is coupled with video footage of other actors scattered around the bowels of the theatre, in the narrow backstage corridors, or even the theatre bar (and, of course, the roof). The fourth-wall breaks that often punctuate the end of these short video pieces eally pierce into your soul, looming over you, much like the mood of this whole production.

An example - as Mercutio lay dying, the camera is right in his face so you get the full pain and rage of him as he screams "a plague upon both your houses" and takes his final breaths. All the while, Romeo stands metres away, covered in blood, seething with unbridled rage, tears mixing with the blood of his friend.

The interval moment that follows literally made everyone gasp, a jumpscare that absolutely warrants the gravity of the moment. I won't say more because if there's even a 0.1% chance of you seeing it I don't want it ruined.

The second act of this play is decidedly quieter than the first. Clandestine conversations, whispers between characters, the comedy, gone. The deaths of Thibault and Mercutio loom large as the reality of the consequences kick in. Juliet remains defiant to the last - this is a Juliet who really knows what she wants (supported by Nurse, who is more like an older sister character full of kindness and friendly age-appropriate advice). As the end draws near, and the inevitability of what's about to happen (let's face it, we've all studied it at school, we know what happens!) becomes apparent, the silence in the theatre speaks volumes.

This production challenges you to see the traditional story through a far darker lens, and the blank spaces leave room for the oppressive mood and music to thrive and grow. It asks you to find answers in the quiet as much as the loud. It might be the best known love story of all time but the added weight of the staging proves everything hangs on the final line: "For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

Now. Acting. And oh boy was there acting. I'm going to start with Mercutio (Joshua-Alexander Williams) and Paris (Daniel Quinn-Toye) - two actors who are in their first professional production. What pressure, and how they dealt with it. Particularly Joshua-Alexander! I thought Tomiwa Edun, who played Capulet, Juliet's father, was immense - so sinister in his delivery, he had me convinced he was head of a family and of a gang empire. And Freema Agyeman as Nurse was wonderful, as I said earlier, giving this big sister energy and providing delighful lighter moments against the shade. HUGE mention to Nima Taleghani who not only was an excellent Benvolio but also edited the original text to make it a 1hr 45 version that was powerful and punchy.

Now, our main stars. Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet was incredible. She was headstrong, she was poised, she was dynamic and still at the same time. She portrayed a Juliet desperate to be free from the confines of her family, but clear that she knew what she wanted from the love (and escape) she sought. The second act belonged to her, her stillness lingering.

And the reason I fought for a ticket, Tom Holland. I've seen him at film premieres and press events, and twice playing golf, but the opportunity to see him do what (as fans) we all know to be his true calling, was irresistible. And oh my God. Honestly I was blown away by his portrayal. Brooding, emotional, at times so quiet you had to strain to hear his lament. And then rage, euphoria, shyness, a fumbling lovesick idiot. Throughout the production he provides so much range, but also so much depth, it's impossible not to feel everything he does.

To see him, clearly in his element, providing a soul to Romeo that I've never felt before - I couldn't be prouder as a fan. For too long he has been tarred with the brush that he is not a "serious actor". As fans we know that The Devil all the Time, Cherry, and The Crowded Room are proof otherwise. This should be the moment the world realises he is INCREDIBLE, to be taken seriously, to be given the respect he is long overdue.

I wish beyond words that I get to see this play again. I hope at the very least it gets an NT live screening so that fans around the world get to witness this amazing, unique, innovative production.

Violent delights indeed have violent ends.

[piedoesnotequalpi]

My unsolicited thoughts on the production of Newsies that I just saw

I overall enjoyed the show, but it was a mixed bag in some regards so. yeah!

Act 1

Crutchie and Jack were not nearly close enough (physically or emotionally) in the opening scene. Also, Crutchie's crutch was on the wrong side even though the actor playing him apparently has mobility issues?

Some newsies were dropped/sent off by their parents during Carrying the Banner! Amazing! Very neat to see this explicitly acknowledged! 100/10!

Jack was shorter than Katherine <3

Race was implied to be younger than Albert based on their pants styles???

Also, Albert paid for his papes, which was disappointing

This production's Les played the "I'm ten...almost" line very differently from Livesies Les (more a reluctant acknowledgement than aggressive), which I liked (I really liked this production's Les)

The way Pulitzer said "I don't look pretty" absolutely killed me. Also, he was incredibly fidgety during the office scene and Nunzio was visibly irritated by this. The Pulitzer and co scenes were generally really well blocked and acted.

Jack walked into the scene where Snyder shows up with a flower girl that he's implied to be flirting with, which I thought was an interesting addition. She spent most of the scene waiting and looking like she really wanted Jack to pay more attention to her (he was focused on Davey and Les) but did at least stick around long enough to distract Snyder.

"But I can see her - [embarrassed pause] - her legs."

The guy Medda addressed in That's Rich ("hey, baby, I was just talking about you") collapsed in his chair after the acknowledgement even though it's not a particularly positive interaction

During the pre-WWK scene, the ensemble was weirdly quiet the whole time.

Albert had to be held back after the "aw, just let 'em try!" bit

Now that I've seen the UKsies staging/delivery of "I say we save any interviews for a real reporter" I cannot go back to watching Davey deliver the line as directly as he did in this production.

Les tried to volunteer to visit Brooklyn but Davey pulled his hand down, which was hilarious

During the WWK reprise, they did a sort of chair assembly line to get the chairs offstage, which I thought was a good way to incorporate the set change into the choreography.

I wish Jack would've given Katherine more personal space in the post-Jacobi's scene, but it was at least better than Livesies

Also, this Jack overall did not have good pacing in his line delivery

Katherine absolutely crushed WWH and I loved the way she did the "it's a girl" section

I wish Crutchie had been better incorporated into the dances. Maybe it was something to do with the actor's disability, but there has to be a better solution than Crutchie sitting to the side/being offstage half the time during WWK and Seize the Day

After the line about skull-busting Albert stood up to fight the Delanceys and Mush had to pull him back down.

Davey didn't address people individually during the Seize the Day intro :(

Another UKsies related thought is that their choice to have the scabs explicitly be from the main group was a good one and I wish this production had done it too

Jack was really in the thick of it during the fight

As Jack was climbing to the rooftop before Santa Fe, he was audibly sobbing and he kept crying during Santa Fe, which almost made me cry.

A general thought is that the existence of Livesies seems to make directors afraid to do their own thing with the show.

Act 2

Jacobi was running the deli with his...wife? and she was helping patch up some of the newsies pre-KoNY

In this scene, but also in general, Race did not commit to the bit nearly hard enough - "wouldya lookit, that's me! I'm famous!" didn't really feel like a distraction tactic

The ensemble was divided into tap dancers and spoon players (they even had a "spoon captain" listed in the program) and the spoon players at one point played their spoons on the tap dancers' shoes

The Katherine interlude in KoNY was very oddly done and I am not sure what they were trying to accomplish (and she didn't even have tap shoes, which, what?)

The person I knew who was in the show had a dance highlight in the pre-Letter from the Refuge dance break! Yay!

Les was SO funny during the WWHR lead-up and as soon as the date exchange started Jack backed away slowly since he was standing between Davey and Les before.

The Bottom Line (reprise) lead-up was REALLY well-staged

When Katherine was revealed to be Pulitzer's daughter, Katherine was visibly upset at being used as a pawn and Hannah ended up trying to comfort her, with mixed success.

When Pulitzer mentioned Davey, Jack had already been knocked to the floor but he tried to get up and lunge at Pulitzer.

Katherine ran offstage when Pulitzer said "too bad you've no family, but you can't have mine"

The person with the Bronx sign kept the sign turned around until his line

Les was fully not at the rally, which, what?

Jack also didn't get into any physical altercations at the rally, which, again, what? Weird choices were made there!

Much like the pre-WWK scene, the ensemble was weirdly quiet.

This is probably an unoriginal thought about STBI, but I think a potential way to make the "or is it because I'm a girl?" line less weird is to have Katherine deliver it in a more resigned/frustrated than accusatory tone ("I'm dealing with this again? Really?") - her concern of being dismissed is not invalid, but I think it's less to do with Jack specifically and more to do with the world she lives in.

The way Jack said "if you weren't an heiress" killed me

There were fog machines during OAFA and the scene leading up to it, and that plus the lighting during the scene looked SO COOL

Davey and Jack had their arms around each other during the beginning of OAFA and Katherine just kinda stood next to them (close by, but still) which was. a choice.

During the lines "ready to fight us a war" and "talk about seizing the day" there were choreography callbacks to "either they gives us our rights or we gives them a war" and a section of the Seize the Day choreography.

Katherine kissed Jack on the cheek before she left, which was very cute

Davey and Jack stood face-to-face very close together with their hands on each other's shoulders at the end of OAFA and it was, again, certainly a (very gay) choice

Pulitzer terrified Bunsen out of the room during the phone call bit, which led into Bunsen presumably encountering Jack and co. and then escorting them in

Jack turned to Katherine instead of Davey after the Roosevelt handshake, which I disliked not for Javid reasons but just because Davey has context for the interaction and Katherine doesn't.

During the line "New York's got us, and we're family" Pulitzer stuck his head over Katherine's shoulder. Katherine was not particularly happy with this development, but I thought it was funny.

Katherine and Les hugged in the final scene!!!

Snyder being sent to jail in Broadway!Newsies always makes me miss 92sies!Crutchy's "make friends with the rats" line

Jack and Crutchie didn't hug until the very end (right after Jack and Davey hugged), which I thought was a weird choice to make. No one hugged Crutchie when he first entered either, which was sad and honestly made Crutchie feel less like part of the group :( (which is a staging choice I disagree with)

There was no curtain call, just slower-paced bows that extended from the curtain call music through the bow music. Also, someone juggled during the bows?? I need to figure out if I've met that person given how small the juggling community is in my neck of the woods.

...This kind of just turned into a stream of consciousness infodump. Bone apple teeth!

[orange-demons-deactivated2024]

omg!!!!! bosch stuff!!!!!!! been a while since i've been on tumblr and it's so nice to see some stuff in the bosch tag for once ^_^ and not only that but a bunch of neat speculation stuff about sf6 and headcanons..... i thank you very much.

can you do one where bosch and avatar go to watch a horror movie together? any kind of horror movie really, though it'd be really interesting to think of what kind of horror he'd be scared of specifically.

bosch stuff! and thank you for the sweet words. sorry for the long wait for your request! I saw you, i swear! it's just taking me a moment to get through everybody. also i love horror/thriller movies, it's the only ones i see in the theater now. i don't really have much hcs for this. art by @komewatari on twitter. also shout out to @corokoro for the body horror one, it was so good i had to include it. maybe you should be a writer too 👀

I think Bosch would be the type to be able to sit through most movies pretty well with the occasional spooks here and there.

He's not afraid of Horror/Thriller comedies and watches them passively from time to time: Scream, Trick 'r Treat, and Ready or Not.

But the genre that does get under his skin are suspenseful ones, like The Strangers or The Conjuring, especially when they drag out the tension.

Bosch also doesn't take too well with overly gory visuals and people screaming bloody murder. So, Terrifier and Sinister are out.

Yes, he knows people are bound to scream because it's a horror movie. But there's something so guttural about the actor's scream that makes the experience much more uncomfortable.

That, mixed with over-the-top gore would give him an upset stomach for a while.

Same thing with body horror. Seeing people and 'monsters' alike twist and contort into inhuman ways makes him sick. Especially if the plot includes some type of possession or parasite.

Depending on your reaction to Horror movies, he'll either force himself to sit through the whole thing or say that he isn't really feeling it.

"Shutter?" Bosch said, holding out the flyer with a confused tone.

"Yeah, it's like the it movie right now. Apparently, it scored high on Rotten Tomatoes." You replied.

"Rotten Tomatoes?"

"You know, the place where the general public gives their reviews to see if something is worth seeing." You took the flyer from him. "Have you seen any scary movies lately?"

"I mean, I've watched a couple at Coach's house, but I haven't gone to an actual movie theater before."

"Oh cool, that means you get to come with me for the viewing in Metro City tonight." Your ears perked up.

"Hang on, I didn't say I was gonna go."

He ended up going.

After running some errands for Coach, Bosch met you in front of the theater.

The neon lights flickered in the early evening, and a line had already formed outside the box office. You were standing near the entrance, a wide smile spreading across your face when you saw him approaching.

"You made it!" you said, practically bouncing on your feet.

"Yeah, yeah, don't make a big deal out of it," Bosch muttered, scratching the back of his head.

Though he couldn't hide the slight smile tugging at his lips.

The two of you got your tickets and headed inside with the smell of popcorn and the buzz of excited chatter filling the air.

You dragged him to get some food before the showing, but he didn't expect almost a whole buffet of different things.

Tubs of candy, Icee machines, ice cream bar, alcoholic beverages, Nachos. He thought you said you were only going to watch a movie, why is there so many things to eat.

"Bosch, taste this."

"Why? It's just popcorn."

"Yeah, but it's different from the homemade ones."

It's definitely buttery, but he doesn't think it's worth spending 15 Zenny on it.

After you two settled in your seats, you pulled out two warm hot dogs you snuck into the theater.

He can't blame you, seeing the prices of some of the foods made him rethink how he should be spending his night.

"Where were you hiding this?" He whispered, holding the warm hotdog you put in his hands.

"I can tell you, but you have to promise to not get mad."

"...I don't know if I want this hotdog anymore."

He would sit through the whole movie with you. And similar to a cat, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stick up when a particularly intense scene showed on the screen.

And unless you like floor popcorn, I suggest that you hold the bucket.

All in all, going to the movie theater wasn't that bad.

Maybe pick another genre next time.

"Ugh, how do people enjoy this stuff?" he muttered to himself as you two left the theater

"You alright there, Champ?" You asked with your eyes twinkling in amusement.

"I'm fine," Bosch said. "It's just a movie."

"Just a movie, huh?" You teased. "You looked like you were about to jump out of your seat a couple of times."

"Now you're just seeing things."

"Maybe." You laughed.

When you and Bosch parted ways, he tried to push the movie out of his mind.

He busied himself with mundane tasks, hoping to distract himself.

But when it came time to go to bed, he found himself lying awake with every creak and shadow in the room putting him on edge.

Contemplating what to do next, Bosch heard a ping from his phone.

[You]: Can't sleep, Sweetheart?

[Bosch]: Don't call me that. And no, I can't.

[You]: Maybe, I should've eased you into another movie for the movie theater. I think Shutter was too intense for an introduction. Sorry :(

[Bosch]: It's fine, I'm just trying to pass the time before I fall asleep.

[You]: Do you wanna FaceTime?

[Bosch]: No

[You]: Your loss, but hopefully that shadow peeking over your bedside doesn't get you.

He felt his heart stop as he looked up from his phone.

Seeing nothing he texted:

[Bosch]: I hate you.

Bosch sighed in defeat.

[Bosch]: Fine, but only for little bit.

It was barely 5 seconds before he received the call.

And when he answered, he was greeted with your face staring at him in silence, before you busted out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Bosch asked.

"It looks like you've seen a ghost."

"Don't even start."

"Hehe, I'm just pulling on your tail." You propped yourself up in your bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Good, I guess. I mean as well as I can take a horror movie at night." Bosch leaned back into his pillow.

You both chatted about mundane things that helped ease his mind. Like his plans for tomorrow, battle hub news, new shops that opened up, etc.

He talked to you damn near until the sun rose. And the only reason why you both stopped, was because you had to meet up with one of your Masters tomorrow morning.

"But I wanna keep talking to you." You sleepily mumbled.

"We can talk later when you're not busy. Plus, the sun is about to rise in 30 minutes, didn't you say you had to be there by 8?"

"Ugh, alright, I'll talk to you later then…" It looked like you wanted to say more, but ultimately decided not to.

He sighed, "I love you too."

"But I didn't-"

"That's what you wanted to say, right?"

"I guess my intentions are too obvious." a shy smile playing on your lips.

Bosch chuckled, a soft, affectionate sound. "Maybe, but it's one of the things that I like about you."

"...Goodnight, Bosch." You said, feeling the warmth creep up your chest.

"Night…"

As the call ended, Bosch stared at his phone a beat longer, before tossing it on the nightstand. He covered eyes with his forearm, trying to block any lingering light that seeped into his room.

He tried to at least get a wink of sleep before he got back into his normal routine.

It didn't help that the last thing on his mind was the way you looked at him when he told you he loved you, instead of some stupid scary movie.

[atopvisenyashill]

To not clogging the thread: Vaemond Velayron deserved to be feed to a dragon and his Slient Five got off lightly just losing their tongues.

1) Apparently they only 'notice' the bastardy of the three boys after Laenor died.

2) After Harwin died.

3)And Laena died, but apparently her twins are unworthy of Driftmark do to lack of the dick but not of birth.

4)This feeds directly into treason against the king and into the political schemes of the Greens.

5)The toddler betrothals basically made the issue mute because /Laenor and Laena/ made them.

6) Also book!Rhaenys was a brunette and show!Rhaenys white, unless someone wants to colorcode every other family by paternity and paint color I will die on this hill.

I mean look at Jennifer Beals (Flashdance) and Mel B (Spicegirls) who are both biracial.

Also the entire mystery of the main series was a brunette man can't have light hair colored children. Ever. No one looks like grandma.

*Pulls out four of the five Stark kids have red hair and blue eyes. Rhaenys the Queen that Never Was had a Baratheon mother. Jon and Rhaenys both look like their mothers. Woah.)

i didn’t wanna be like “AND MAYBE IF THE SILENT FIVE WERENT DUMB BITCHES THEY WOULDNT HAVE DIED” bc yeah it was getting long but lmaooooo EXACTLY.

like, beyond the fact that i just have a very hard time taking any sort of "but they're bastards" argument seriously (that goes for ned too, and i've whacked him for it but WHY exactly does joffrey's behavior become worse knowing he's a bastard? hmmmmmm???) but it's like. so you've had an issue with this for years, and either brought it up to corlys/laenor who told you to suck shit, or never brought it up to the head of your house OR his heir and decided to kick it STRAIGHT up to the king. the king whose daughter you are accusing of treason. why do you think this is gonna end well? the fact that viserys didn't straight up execute them is crazy.

"oh well she's stealing-" no, she's actually not because as you say, laenor & laena engage their kids and baela and rhaena come before vaemond's line. if they had like an actual problem they would have gone to corlys before he was dying not after. they would have said something right after laenor dies. they wait years. yeah yeah torture is bad and murder is bad but they're no different than renly, vainly grasping at power when they think they see an opening. and just like renly, they play the game of thrones, and they lose. if you don't want to lose, maybe be smarter about it!

and yeah these are my go to "mixed but they look white as hell"

First is Cameron Boyce, he had a black dad and a jewish mom, those are his parents and sister. People love to pretend like they don't know he's black and "oh well he looks white so" he did an entire bit on disney channel explaining who the clinton 12 were because his grandma is jo ann boyce. if you're trying to make the argument that the beloved grandson of one of the first schools to desegregate aftr brown v board isn't black just bc he's pasty, like, what are you even fucking doing lol. the other two are kj apa. he's another actor people love to pretend is white but like. first of all look at his sister - they clearly look alike while she also "looks samoan" and his dad is the same as his sister. his dad is a tribal chief. the tattoos he has are sacred. just because people are insane about blood quantum in the usa doesn't mean that race and ethnicity isn't more complicated than that and calling the son of a matai a white boy simply because they made him dye his hair red and covered up his tattoos for a few roles doesn't actually make him suddenly non samoan.

people kinda do this with the dragon twins too like "oh well they shouldn't look so visibly black they only have one one black grandparent" BEHOLD ANOTHER ACTRESS WITH ONLY ONE BLACK GRANDPARENT

like can we be serious lol. can we please be serious.

[sugaldean]

"what have you done today"

Well I wanted to train my linework (I'm not an artist so idk why)

So I put on d20 while I do lines

The they talked about the into the woods play

And I was like "I've only seen the movie maybe I should watch the play"

So I went on YouTube

And saw a recommended video of Kate and Anthony

So I watched it

Then saw "pride and prejudice but everything is explained by John Mulaney"

So I watched it

Then I wondered if John Mulaney was problematic or if I was mixing him with another highly memeable brown hair comedian

I went to look for the info, didn't see a "Controversy" section on Wikipedia, thought it was a great start. Went to political view and just died laughing cause I learnt that Joe Biden's wife is named Jill. And a married couple named Joe and Jill is hilarious

So I went to look John Mulaney problematic but when typing it "John Mulaney Porstate exam" was a suggested search

That I search and ofc it's a stand up thing

So I watched it

It was a bit funny I closed the page

Look if he was problematic (he did a show with a renown transphobe apparently)

And I started closing tabs

Found my pride and prejudice video again

Finished it, it was very funny

Saw the YouTube search bar "into"

Found the original cast play absolutely immediately

STEPHEN SONDHEIM? The d20 character?

Started looking what play this man wrote

Jesus he made a lot

I wonder how many got a glee version

Quickly gave up that search by getting lost in the west side story Wikipedia page

Shakespeare was married to Anne Hathaway which is very funny

Our Anne Hathaway was my age when she played in the devil wears prada

Thought about the fact that both Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep were in into the wood and the devil wears prada

I wondered how many movies they did together, 3, those two plus the return of Mary Poppins

Other actors/actress she did 3 movies with (Emily Blunt) : Amy Adams, John Krasinki, Jason Segel

The actors/actress Meryl streep worked the more with: Mamie Gummer, Kevin Kline, Margo Martindale, John Rothman and Stanley Tucci

Oooh Mamie is her daughter

Nepotisme comes from the word "nipote" which is Italian for Nephew

Just learnt the concept of Clientélisme, don't know if there's an English word

Closed tabs

Omg Saturday Night Fever and Pulp fiction are not the same movie

It's been an hour and half and my dad asked what I did. Well. Nothing and everything.

[pardi-real]

[AKNK] Butler in Wonderland / Chapter 2 - The Suspicious Cats?

Prev | All | Next

[Devil's Palace, Hallway]

I went out of the room…  The hallway was also decorated in Halloween style. Looking at this set-up, it seems like they prepared this with great enthusiasm.

> (I have to chase the rabbits)

As I was looking around, trying to find those two… Suddenly a person fell from the ceiling.

*Close-up*

Lamli: “Alright...”

> “Woah! La-Lamli…?”

Lamli?: “Hmmm~? Who is Lamli, meow~?”

Shechire Cat: “I’m not Lamli meow~.  I’m ‘Shechire Cat’ meow~.”

> “Cheshire Cat?”

Shireche Cat: “Wrong, wrong. It’s ‘Shireche Cat’ meow~. Huh? Or was it ‘Chireshe Cat’...?”

Cheshire Cat: “Shechire Cat, Shireche Cat, Chireshe Cat, Chesire Cat…”

Lam-cat: “Meh, whatever is fine meow. It’s bothersome, so ‘Lam-cat’ is fine meow!”

I was still confused that Lamli appeared so suddenly… and then two more butlers in cat costumes appeared.

Shino-cat: “Fufu… then I guess I am ‘Shino-cat’. Since ‘Yu-cat’ sounds a bit off-putting…”

Lato-cat: “In that case, then I am… called ‘Lato-cat’ or something like that.”

> “Lato and Yuhan are cats too.”

Lam-cat: “Ah! ‘Yumeow’ and ‘Tora-chi’! Look, look~ ♪ It looks like somehow a wonderful person becomes a lost child ♪”

> “ ‘Yumeow’ …?” > “ ‘Tora-chi’ …?”

Yumeow: “Um… Mr. Lam-cat.  I said this during the earlier meeting as well, but… Isn’t ‘Yumeow’ a bit… too adorable…? For an adult guy.”

Tora-chi: “I heard that this is not a tiger costume, but a cat costume though… ”

Lam-cat: “It’s okay, it’s okay ♪ Whatever you call yourself, as long as it's easy to say!  Anyway, it’s only for Halloween ♪”

Yumeow: “Hmm… It can't be helped. They said 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'...  Let's listen to what the senior cat has to say. I don't have many good memories with 'tigers' though... ”

Tora-chi: “Kufufu… I am a tiger who only eats parsley, so do not worry.”

> “The costumes suit you three.”

Yumeow: “Really? Thank you very much. I don’t know much about the original novel… I was worried that I might ruin the image.”

Tora-chi: “Me too… Actually, I don't really know what kind of novel it is, but I read it many times because the illustrations are beautiful.”

Lam-cat: “Heheh, so that means the one who knows most about this, is me! When you wanna know what to do next… Try to ask me, okay ♪”

> “Then…”

In line with the purpose of this recreation, I told him that 'I was looking for rabbits'.

Lam-cat: “Hm~, I see. So rabbits, eh~ Then, you are 'The Turtle’ ! ”

> “Eh, why?”

Lam-cat: “Because, you’re chasing rabbits ♪”

Yumeow: “Hmm… I feel like you have it mixed up with another story.”

Tora-chi: “Yes. Besides, turtles should not have such lovely ears. *Close-up* Hello? Are you a turtle?”

Suddenly Lato came close to my ear, I was shocked. I felt like I was being toyed with by a real Cheshire Cat.

Yumeow: “My, my. Seems like you are really shocked. My compatriots have been so rude… By the way, could you tell me your name?”

> “It's (name)...”

Yumeow: “So Lord (name). What a wonderful name… I want to take it home and make it a heirloom. If it’s alright, would you exchange it with my name?”

> “E,exchange…?”

Yumeow: “Yes. From now on you’ll be called ‘Yumeow’. ”

Lam-cat: “Wait, wait~ Don’t just exchange your names so conveniently. Look, look, Yumeow. Lord (name) seems troubled, right?”

Yumeow: “.........”

Lam-cat: “Yumeow! Lord (name) hasn’t said anything about the exchange, no?”

Yumeow: “Hmm… indeed. How regrettable.”

> (What a strange situation…)

After that, I tried to figure out where the next 'destination' will be from them…  But maybe because they're playing elusive characters… The talk isn't going anywhere.

[Some minutes later]

Fennesz: ".......... The Lord didn't come to catch us… How is the situation? Haures."

Haures: "Wait a moment. I'll take a peek… Hmm. It looks like they're at the mercy of those three cat actors, apparently."

Fennesz: "That's so… Well, Lamli and Lato are free-spirited… or rather, Yuhan as well… When with those two, he matches up with their antics."

Haures: "Yeah… He looks reliable, and has good acting skills. Since Yuhan is here… I think he'll end the conversation at the right moment. Speaking of the devil, Yuhan pointed at us."

Fennesz: "Well then… Is it about time, for The Lord too?"

Haures: "Yeah. Next, we'll lead them to the garden. Let's walk so that they don't lose sight of us, but also make sure to not get caught.

Fennesz: "U, understood… Let's hurry slowly."

clack… clack… clack… *slowly hurries*

Wham!

Fennesz: "Uwah!!"

Haures: "H, hey… are you alright? Fennesz."

Fennesz: "Ahaha… I think I tripped over my foot because I was in a hurry…"

Haures: "I see. Come to think of it, the rabbit in the original work was also in a hurry… Hm… Our Lord behind us looks really surprised. Nice performance, Fennesz. Now, can you stand?"

Fennesz: “Ye-yeah… Thanks.” *close-up* (Ugh… The Lord saw me… I-I’m so embarrassed… If there was a hole, I’d crawl in…)

note: tora means tiger

and there is a reference to the Aesop's story "The Tortoise and the Hare".

I'm not sure about localizations. By the way, they really use '...' a lot

Prev | All | Next

[okayto]

Mini-Review: Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space

Bee, an unemployed woman in her early twenties, encounters a mysterious creature she terms PuppyCat. She adopts this apparent cat-dog hybrid, and together they go on a series of temporary jobs to pay off her monthly rent. These bizarre jobs take the duo across strange worlds out in space.

This is the kind of show I often enjoy, episodic while expanding the world and our view as the stories pass; humorous without making me cringe.

It's a very fun show that looks like its aimed at kids, and would probably be fine for that audience--it's not adult humor in the vein of things like The Simpsons or Rick and Morty, but it feels like adults are the audience because of the atmosphere.

Bee is a mess, in a recognizable way: she's been fired from her job for possibly valid reasons but also partially for taking the blame for someone else. She's aimless: if it wasn't for the rent being due, she wouldn't really be looking for another job.

The aimlessness of being an adult, yet not automatically having things all together, is a running theme. Bee definitely doesn't. Her best friend and neighbor, Deckard, is struggling to decide between following his passion, and staying where he is in a predictable environment with friends and family.

His sister Cas gave up a passion project in favor of the predictable work and stability of software engineering, something she has complicated feelings about. Their landlord, Cardamom, seems to have everything all together, except he's a 7-year-old with no adult supervision, and as the episodes go on you realize that his straightforward approach to life is actually a child being forced to handle things that are an adult's domain.

The setting is also fun: it's hard to tell whether things like toilets be a place to store food instead of, well, bodily functions are normal, or why a 7-year-old seriously acting as a landlord doesn't seem to raise many comments. Is this a fantasy land where things are just kind skewed anyway? Or are Bee and her neighbors extra-odd? In that way, it reminds me a bit of Steven Universe, with its mix of cartoon reality and non-main characters eventually making clear that they think this is weird, too.

The actual fantastical bits are interesting, too. We get information about Puppycat towards the end, but he definitely has secrets, and Bee isn't as straightforward as she appears at the beginning, either. Their visits to other planets/dimensions (?) to earn money would be an interesting show even without showing any of their home lives.

You can definitely see the influences of classic magical girl anime, but this show is also the answer to the premise: what if magical girl, but tired adult? What if magical girl, but it's just kinda a job?

Verdict

Voices: Very good! They sound very...realistic, not super polished. I don't mean that they sound like inexperienced voice actors, I mean that they sound real and variable, which isn't common in voice acting. I really enjoyed them.

Also, special shoutout to my favorite character, Toast, whose first line had me wracking my brain to figure out why did her voice sound SO familiar and why was her voice affecting something in my emotions until I looked it up, and her voice actress is the English voice of Sailor Moon/Serena that I grew up with!

Visuals: Vibrant and pastel colors, a very round cartoon style, it feels modern and cozy.

Worth watching? Yes! On one hand, it's just a fun series, the balance between "just living life as an aimless young adult" and "brightly-colored fantastical adventures" is done well. The supporting cast of characters is great and entertaining. And on the other hand, it's also nice to watch a cartoon that feels very much like the target audience are adults, but not because the show is raunchy. I really hope we get another season someday.

Where to watch (USA, as of September 2023): Netflix. Note that a 10-episode original web animation (titled Bee and Puppycat without any subtitle) can be found on Youtube; the Netflix series I watched is both a reboot (covers the original series' material in a few episodes) and then continuation. After asking advice on here, general consensus was that newbies starting with the Netflix series is a good idea, but there's nothing wrong with the older, original web animation.

Click my “reviews” tag below or search “mini review” on my blog to find more!

[thistle--bug]

GMMTV 2025 Lineup Thoughts

After watching all the trailers, here are the shows I'm looking forward to!

Memoir of Rati. It looks so beautiful and elegant and it's a period piece set in 1910's? Hell yeah! Love me some elements of secrecy and arranged marriage

Whale Store XOXO: Listen. We got only two GL's and you bet I'm going to watch both. I love Milk, I love Love so here I am. Excited to see Love playing the more forward, making-moves character. I also like that it's focused more on adult life instead of their usual school series.

Only Friends Dream On: Will this be top quality content? Of course not. Will it be entertaining as hell? YES. Glad that Mix making a cameo ended up turning into this lol! It's less of a sequel and more of a spin-off and what a line-up. Earth! Mix! Ohm! Let's GOOO. I'm also really entertained by Earth and Ohm being brothers (that have a lot of beef apparently). The setting being a theater putting on Romeo and Juliet is soooo up my alley. Though I doubt Boston will play a big role in this I hope he gets to sleep with everyone as a treat. King of messiness is back lmaoooo

That Summer: Winny and Satang get a show as main leads? Finally! They play bickering-to-lovers really well and it seems like it'll be sweet. Satang just suits the role of a prince so well. I hope he sings the theme song for this because his voice is lovely

Wu: Very little info in the trailer but I'm intrigued! I haven't actually seen High School Frenemy so I'm not familiar with the actors, but I like the vibe and the red string of fate thing they have going on. A lot of people are complaining that it's another "bromance" instead of being explicitly gay but honestly... I don't mind! I'm okay with their dynamic being left up to our interpretation.

Girl Rules: I CAN'T WAIT!!!! P'Jojo said I'm back with the messy ensemble shows but this time SAPPHIC and I adore him for it. We get to be toxic too yippee! In love with and obsessed with all of them already. It'll be so much fun to watch this while it's airing

Ticket to Heaven: WOW!!!! WOW WOW WOW!!! I can't even put into words how excited I am for this show! P'Aof is my favorite director and I've loved everything he's made so far so I trust him. Catholic seminary in the 90's with young men struggling with their faith and sexuality is SUCH a fantastic premise. And the fact that Gemini and Fourth are starring in this makes me even more excited. They are fantastic actors that killed it in Moonlight Chicken and I was hoping for more nuanced and mature shows like that instead of their usual high school rom-coms. And this is everything I wanted and more! I sobbed throughout the trailer. This will wreck me in the best way possible. Plus the cinematography was STUNNING. For sure my #1 favorite of the lineup

I might check out Burnout Syndrome, Dare you to Death, and My Magical Prophecy as well when they air, but we'll see. The rest I'll probably pass on unless someone tells me they're absolutely incredible. In general, there's a huge trend of fate, fortune telling, mind reading, etc, which is fun. HUGE push to make shows outside of high school and college which is also really refreshing. I have mixed feelings about the fixed pairs, but I am glad that they are pushing the actors to do things they haven't done before. Specifically Gemini and Fourth acting in a more serious show while First and Khaotung act in a very fluffy light-hearted show (which I will be passing on but I hope they have fun!). I am in awe that ONE SINGLE SHOW out of this lineup is straight. Yes ONE. That's a huge deal! We even have more GL shows that straight ones (not by much and I wanted WAY MORE booooo). Sure, not all of these shows look incredible, but the fact that there are so many queer shows to choose from is wonderful. There's variety! We love to see it!

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | The Town That Dreaded Sundown (Gomez-Rejon, 2014)

A lot of legacy sequels tend to at least implicitly grapple with the, uh, legacy of the original. The Halloween series has done something along those lines multiple times. But I don't know if I've seen an extreme an example as this. Here the original film exists as a film within this one's universe, plays annually at the drive-in as a tradition, and is decried for its insensitivity towards real life events. Not only that, but it features Charles B. Pierce's son as a character, and apparently casts the real Charles B. Pierce, Jr. in a bit part as well. (I must sadly note that neither provides bumbling comic relief as Pierce Sr. did in the original.) So this is probably worth a look for its ambition in a genre that doesn't necessarily invite such a thing, even if I don't think these narrative ideas really add up to much or pay off in a satisfying way. Going back to the Halloween series, you can see how later entries that have tried to "decode" Michael Myers have lacked the potency of the original. Sometimes simpler is better.

This also has a good amount of style, emphasis on the amount. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is a "better" director than Pierce in that he has a steadier handle on visual tools like shot composition and use of colour, and sends his camera spiralling during the energetic murder sequences. But again, I think this results in a movie less scary than the original, which got a lot of power out of just observing the villain in action through relatively simple shot compositions and letting his appearance and mannerisms and the surrounding darkness do their thing. The fact that this has a backstory to unfurl and lets the killer talk also makes him less unsettling in my eyes. Also, you guys are probably sick of me bitching about sheen and probably wish I'd never listened to that episode of the LexG Movie Podcast where he explained the concept, but while the nighttime scenes in this look okay, all the light sources in the daytime scenes have this horrible glow to them, which is extra off putting in the yellow-green colour scheme the movie adopts for whatever reason.

So definitely a mixed bag, but this does have some good actors in the cast like Addison Timlin, Veronica Cartwright, Anthony Anderson and Gary Cole, and has at least one instance of a character simultaneously getting blown and blown away, so it's probably worth a look.

[aventvrina]

@lunaetis gambled:

" do you ever get scared ? " the inquiry came almost like an arrow, straightforward and out of nowhere. the trailblazer couldn't help her gaze fixating on him as she remembered how utterly confident he appeared during that battle even when he was about to meet with death. it might've been his plan, it might've been well-thought out but there was no guarantee of his safety.

" to go that far for your mission, for the IPC ... all or nothing ... " his words still rang in her mind. all or nothing. a bet he had made countless of times, she was sure. just ... how. the way her aureate orbs gazed at him was a mix of curiosity, and admiration. of awe. she had developed a sense of respect for the man who was willing to put everything on the line. a bet after another. he kept winning, didn't he ? but what if ...

... what happened if he loses ?

" that conviction ... the commitment. aren't you ... ever scared of the outcome ? " her voice dropped slightly, not taking her gaze off of him. he was a good liar, a good actor. the smile he put on, sometimes she felt like it was similar to when she reassured those around her that she was fine. in order to keep moving forward. is it because he's not scared, or he can't allow himself to showbe ?

The earnest question has him pause, drink in hand mere moments away from a sip. It's not so much of the question itself but of who it delivered, he wonders just how truthful he should be with the trailblazer. His image is that of the fearless gambler, the one who defies the odds and dances the line of life and death with each bet. Yet the left hand is hidden, shaking, rigid grip, betraying the bravado displayed at his opponents, displayed at life itself.

To be gazed upon with such acclaim, Aventurine feels unworthy of it. Putting his life on the line is easy, a sad necessity he has long accepted since he was young, what's hard is keeping the facade. Not of the fear of losing, no, that would never be his fear. His true fear is that it'll never be worth it. To find that all his craft, all his boldness, all his sacrifices were worthless in the end. The rain won't come, and he'll die, pathetically, by his own doing. He can't begin to fathom the disappointment his family, his clan would feel if he were to exit so easily. All that praise, all those hopes, lost in a moment.

She, with her keen curiosity, her expectant admiration, showcased Aventurine just how naive the trailblazer still is in the matters of her own work. As a Nameless, she too puts her life on the line, only she gets to say that it's for a bigger purpose, for a mission, she has the comfort of having a reason for it. Perhaps that's why it impresses her, to throw life at the storm, without fear of the outcome, for apparent no motive. But there's always a motive, be it for fame, be it for fate, even for the thrill, a gambler always has a motive, much like the Nameless.

"Don't we all?" He finds himself giving half answers, even if Eden will never know the true depth which his fear runs, what she needs to hear is not his feelings but his truth.

"But let me ask you, what is there to be scared? There's only two outcomes in all of this." He briefly moves his drink, the ice swirling inside lazily as he muses. "If one's willing to accept the win, they should also know to accept the loss."

A simple platitude but one that rings true to everything he does. Loss is not a bad outcome, neither is death, what is bad is staying stagnant and letting his opponents trump over his hand without him even moving.

"When you fought for Herta's Station, did you question the possible outcomes or did you believe in only one?" He hopes the question offers her the answer he's trying to convey. Fear is inevitable but in the end, it's as much as a driving force as it is paralyzing. It's up to the person to decide what to do with it, whether they want to use it as fuel for their win, or as a certainty for their loss.

[missmungoe]

Hello~ I hope you're having a good week start~

Have you heard of the one piece live action? Apparently it may start airing on August and a lot of people have mixed opinions on it.

If yes, from what have been released (the straw hat’s actors and official poster) and since Oda is involved in it; How do you think it’ll turn out?

Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of anime fandom like a live action adaptation, haha, but yes, I've heard about it! I don't have very strong feelings towards it one way or the other, so I haven't been paying much attention, but from the few shots I've seen, the sets and the ships look really nice, and the cast, but as I mentioned when Shanks' actor was first announced: that they look the part isn't what matters to me, it's that they embody the characters.

As for the show itself, I don't want to assume it's automatically going to be bad; I prefer to hope it'll be good, although I get why a lot of people are skeptical, but adapting a series like One Piece was always going to be a challenge, because it's so intimately connected with its drawn/animated mediums. A lot of things in One Piece work because it's drawn, and so with real people and CGI, I don't know if it will be super uncanny, or if they'll find a way to make it work. I guess it depends on what kind of adaptation they're going for, but I hope they make it its own thing. It already exists as a manga and an anime, and I generally don't want adaptations to be carbon copies; I want something that captures the essence of the original but that still dares to be distinct from it. That Oda is involved isn't a guarantee for anything - it could help in capturing his vision, but it could just as easily hurt it, if it gets too caught up in trying to be something it isn't.

I'll probably check out the scenes with Shanks for curiosity's sake, and if I like it, I'll give it a shot. I would love for Arlong Park to be done well, and I'm also curious about how they'll handle Buggy and Mihawk. There would be one reason for me to watch it, but from what I've gathered, they haven't even cast Makino (local writer is disillusioned by the hard truth of just how minor her beloved minor character is). I did get a message a while back about a leaked script that allegedly mentioned her, but I'll believe it when I see it, haha. But it's not really that strange if she doesn't feature in it: they have a lot of material to cover in a short season, and as long as they cover the devil fruit and the sea king, they could easily trim the scenes with Shanks, and Makino wasn't exactly crucial in those (local writer is once more disillusioned by the fact that the events of her own fic are, sadly, not canon). So I wouldn't be surprised if she only appears in the background without any lines, if she's in it at all, but I'd love to be wrong. And I'd love for the show to be good, but if it's not, it's not, and it's not going to affect me much either way. It would be nice if Shanks wasn't terrible, but if nothing else, it's going to take a lot to top his 4Kids VA, whose take still gives me nightmares.

[world-cinema-research]

"Free thinkers at seventeen!"

Dead Poets Society - Grant Montoya

Security and conformity, or insecurity and the chance to prove all you're worth?

Within many, there lies an urgency; gnawing desperation to do something great before we can't anymore. If one never comes to this realization, then it'll be years more of tearing across the dotted line.

In the 1989 film Dead Poets Society, we get to see what happens when an unorthodox English teacher Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) helps a class of young students lift the veil off of this very subject, and we the audience must decide: Was this for the better, or for the worse?

I was able to find what hit me the hardest in this movie after my long-awaited rewatch. It was a scene where one of the more reserved students, Todd Anderson, was called up to do an impromptu poetry exercise with Mr. Keating after informing him that he didn't do his poetry homework assignment:

I thought this was a brilliant display of the director's use of "show don't tell," as such Todd's poetic rambling is raw and believable. Afterward, I felt sympathy with the character because I too feel as though my voice, literally and figuratively, is weaker than my peers. Dead Poets Society boasts a number of these scenes, and this if nothing else is worthy of applause.

It's interesting to see the rating this film received from renowned film critic Roger Ebert, who has a website where he along with many co-writers reviews various movies. Although he found this movie special enough to review himself, the 2/4 score he gave it doesn't give it much merit.

"The society was founded by Keating when he was an undergraduate, but in its reincarnate form it never generates any sense of mystery, rebellion or daring. The society's meetings have been badly written and are dramatically shapeless, featuring a dance line to Lindsay's "The Congo" and various attempts to impress girls with random lines of poetry." - Roger Ebert

I would argue that the tone of Elbert's assessment is more on the level of a snob's wishlist of things or ideas that could have been. Nonetheless, I guess that a more sophisticated person might find the movie to be lacking compared to other works with similar themes.

Beyond the reviews of the critics which are mostly mixed, there lays an abundance of high audience ratings. A user by the name of 'peterwixongb' of IMDb said the following with a 10/10 score:

"Dead Poets Society has got to be one of the best-written films I have ever seen. The way the writers are able to control your emotion is insane."

The themes and underlying message of the movie are pretty clear and universal; something to the tune of "seize the day and live on your own terms." But the unconventional aspects are apparent in how the movie shows this idea. This is most noticeable (spoiler ahead) at the most emotional moments i.e. when Neil commits suicide, Keating's unhappy ending, etc.

Nonetheless, Dead Poets Society did phenomenally well at the box office for a 1/1 lesser-known adaptation, and it also stars the beloved actor/comedian Robin Williams, so we're definitely looking at a mainstream movie.

I feel that the producers of the film did try and appeal to the masses by implementing all of the things that people like to see in cinema. There were bouts of comedy, a love affair, dramatic music, and relaxed cinematography. The story was linear, and despite a few instances of symbolism, there weren't many loose ends or odd artistic choices.

Honestly, as much as I like this movie, I think that there is a lot that could have been left out. Half of the character interactions felt dry of anything progressing the story, and there may have been too many ideas without enough divulgence. Mr. Keating's character was outspoken but at the same time, it would have been nice to see what he truly thought of the rest of the character's actions, especially towards the end.

More than anything, I would love to see how this teacher would respond to a class that has no initial interest in any of his antics or preachings. Maybe this has been done before.

This movie came from a book as previously mentioned, and as such, I doubt that the release date of the movie was planned in alignment with a certain social agenda or contemporary event at the time. There is nothing of which I've found that even slightly contributes to the premise of the movie.

Anyone who is still looking for their identity in a world that demands conformity would highly benefit from watching this.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 26th March

If you know anything about 1959 in music, you might have realised that I've been carefully not mentioning something for quite a few. Something pretty major. I mostly didn't mention it because it wasn't really relevant. But that's about to change this week, as we finally hit the UK's first posthumous hit. But before we get there, two completely different songs, one quite good...

Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price (peaked at Number 7)

To be fair, this one's also pretty morbid. Not that you'd realise from the sound of it, because this version of Stagger Lee's a rip-roaring R&B knees-up. But Stagger Lee's an old murder ballad, all about the murder of one Billy Lyons in 1895 by the pimp "Stag" Lee Shelton, possibly named for his habit of "going stag" to social events, but also possibly named after a boat that doubled as a brothel. Wherever the name came from, the historical record shows that Lyons and Shelton were drinking, when they got into a fight about a hat, leading to Lyons' murder. The murder caught the public eye, and a song version's recorded as existing just two years later, though it only got recorded in 1923.

Lloyd's version is apparently slightly abridged, and has a completely different tune to this one, but it's the same story, and I have to say, I think it retells the story well, with a good mix of evacative, haunting details and economical language, setting the scene with lines about how the night was clear / And the moon was yellow / And the leaves came tumbling down. Lloyd positions himself as an outside onlooker, whose dog barks at Stagger Lee and Billy as they gamble in the moonlight. They argue, and Billy takes Lee's brand new Stetson, prompting Lee to go home to get his gun, just to pay that debt I owe. Returning to the bar-room we get Billy's impassioned plea: please don't take my life / I got three little children / And a very sickly wife. But to no avail: Stagger Lee shot Billy / Oh he shot that poor boy so bad / Till the bullet came through Billy / And it broke the bartender's glass.

There's something a bit "urban legend horror story" about it, with its callous, over-the-top violence, plus the added plausibility factor of Lloyd claiming to have seen it all himself. It's got a sort of cheesy Internet clickbait vibe to it that honestly scratches an itch, at least for me. It's the same reason I like teenage tragedy songs from the same era, I think - there's just something enjoyably theatrical and almost silly about them, a sort of lurid camp that's very appealing, especially when you combine it with an upbeat, catchy tune. Which this song absolutely has, with its heavy use of horns, its sax solo, its go Stagger Lee backing, and its strong, driving, rollicking rhythm. I defy you not to have fun listening to this.

It also makes me think of modern debates about gratuitous violence in, say, rap music. Because if you think about it, the story here's pretty gangster. It's a story, ultimately, about a pimp getting drunk and shooting a friend over a gambling debt. You just know if a hit rap song came out like this today, it would be slammed for promoting gun violence. And yet, all the way back in 1959, we get this, a reworking of a song that had already existed for almost half a century at this point. Proving, at the very least, that people have always enjoyed a bit of violence in their music. You know, as a treat.

Oh man, this song is really good. The more I'm listening, the better it keeps getting. I almost don't want to click onto the next song. But needs must...

Gigi - Billy Eckstine (8)

Well, this is definitely a change of pace. Not necessarily in a bad way, though it does feel a lot more old-fashioned. It's a proper operatic ballad, all strings and big, sustained notes, and as tends to be the case for songs like this, it's from a musical film, also called Gigi. It's the love theme from that film, and it was originally sung by the French actor Louis Jourdan, though it's this cover, by Billy Eckstine, that seems to have made it big in the UK.

The film, then. It's apparently considered the last big Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical, and it's a historical romantic comedy, set in the 1900s in Paris, all about a young gadabout called Gaston who hangs out with a certain Madame Alvarez and her young granddaughter, Gigi, who is in trianing as a courtesan but sees Gaston as an older brother/uncle kind of figure. Many hijinks ensue, none of which sound like they portray Gaston in a flattering light at all. But still, somehow, they end up married. Despite Gaston being, by all accounts, the worst.

Admittedly, he comes off pretty creepy in this song, too, with all sorts of lines about how you've been growing up before my eyes and how you're not at all that funny, awkward little girl I knew. Billy's delivery is smooth enough to avoid sounding outright lecherous, but it's still not a super comfortable vibe, especially with all the reminders of how much younger she is, how inexperienced, compared to Gaston's rather disreputable life. To be fair, though, I do like the line where he wonders have I been standing up too close / Or back too far? It's a perfect encapsulation of that idea of familiarity breeding contempt, and of not seeing what's just under your eyes. Pity that what's under our Gaston's eyes is a young girl who he seems to be low-key creeping on.

Musically, I guess this is pleasant. Billy's got a smooth, baritone voice, rich but never overdoing it, in a way that does the lyrics justice. Because creepy as they may be, they are well-written. Plus, as in seemingly all the musical films of this era, it's lushly and expressively orchestrated, too, all strings, brass and rolling timpani. It doesn't get the blood pumping like Stagger Lee did. But it's well-made, still. Perfectly acceptable listening. Pity it's just about been overshadowed by...

It Doesn't Matter Anymore - Buddy Holly (1)

Let's be real, this is the real "story" in this entry. Stagger Lee turned out to be surprisingly interesting. And Gigi gave us a little glimpse into film history, too. But this? This is what people were actually probably talking and reading about, in February and March 1959. Because come February 1959, Buddy Holly and his band were on a tour through the American Midwest, along with Richie Valens, the Big Bopper and Dion and the Belmonts, and a few other performers. It was a nightmare, by all accounts, with venues lined up seemingly randomly all around the Midwest, the tour zig-zagging around erratically, with distances of up to 400 miles between venues. The musicians travelled together in clapped-out, refurbished school buses, with next to no road crew, for stretches of up to 12 hours, and travelling around rural Iowa, temperatures reportedly got down to −38 °C. A drummer was hospitalised for frostbite, and several other musicians came down with flu-like symptoms as the buses kept breaking down in waist-deep snow. Understandably frustrated at this, some of the performers, Buddy decided to charter a plane between two of their destination. A combination of poor weather and incomplete weather briefings then led to a crash that killed Buddy, along with Richie and the Big Bopper.

Dubbed "the Day the Music Died", it's a crash has since gained almost mythical status, in no small part due to the 1971 Don McLean song American Pie. But it made waves, even at the time, as this sudden tragedy, as not one but three influential rock and rollers were lost at once. Plus, in a genuinely horrific postscript to an already tragic story, Buddy's pregnant wife, Maria Elena, actually heard about it on a news broadcast, leading to a miscarriage that doctors attributed to the shock of it all. Again, horrible, and this song, in this light, takes on a sort of dark irony. It doesn't matter anymore, indeed. The songwriter, Paul Anka, certainly agreed, and actually donated the proceeds from the song to Maria Elena. And yeah, fair enough. Classy move.

All this, of course, completely overshadows the song, as a song. Which is a shame, because it's decent, a real breakup banger. Buddy's love left him to cry, and he did, but time's passed and I guess it doesn't matter anymore. He remembers how crazy he was about them, but now he's moved on, looking back on the days and nights he wasted moping, and singing about how tired he is, before summing it up: you go your way and I'll go mine / Now and forever 'til the end of time / I'll find somebody new, and baby, we'll say we're through / And you won't matter anymore. I love that, the way we shift from "it doesn't matter anymore" to "you won't matter anymore", just casually savage. And yet, it's still future tense. Their love's over and done with, but he's not quite over the relationship, not yet. He's pretty sure he will be, in time. But he's not quite there yet, despite the jaunty rhythms and cheery-sounding strings telling you otherwise. Melancholy stuff.

I'm kind of glad this song's actually good. Posthumous hits can be a real mixed bag - you get the feeling sometimes that people are more buying them for the tragedy of it all, and not for the song itself. But I feel like this probably would have been a hit, plane crash or no. It's got attitude, plus a good, solid hook, as well as all of Buddy's usual goofy charm, with little vocal hiccups and lines like oopsy daisy. It's very Buddy Holly, and as such, very endearing. There are worse songs to go out on.

Well, that was a lot of death. Also a mildly creepy love song about a teenage courtisan. But that's by the by. Because like I said, the real story this week is all Buddy Holly. Which is why it's gonna be all the more shocking if I crown a completely different song as my favourite. Because I liked It Doesn't Matter Anymore, and I find the story around it fascinating. But as music? You simply can't beat a murder ballad. All of which leaves me in a tricky spot. Or not, because it's my blog. So, as a one-off...

Favourite songs of the bunch, plural: Stagger Lee AND It Doesn't Matter Anymore

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Bimonthly Media Roundup

-Frieren (Anime) - Finished up Frieren quicker then I thought I would, mostly because I had been previously watching at a more leisurely pace in line with its themes of taking your time - but then I hit the magic exam arc and binged the remaining show in a couple days. What can I say, as much as I respected the slower pace and steady character moments of the first half, exam type narratives that require the protagonists to complete unusual tasks and solve riddles while competing against various unknown and interesting new characters are always fan favorites for a reason - It's interesting to see how different types of people try to solve the same problem. This apparently might be the most we get from Frieren for awhile anime wise, so my conclusive thoughts for now are thus: Frieren and Fern are very well written and compelling characters individually and seeing their bond grow over the different stages of Ferns life is pretty unique and cute. Fern and Starks growing romance is also quite cute and remarkably believable. The themes of enjoying your time and community are ones I agree with. The animation and music were top notch and while the pacing can take getting used to I think anyone not averse to fantasy anime can find something to enjoy here. Good stuff!

-Tango & Cash (Movie) - Two-parter with the next movie in a Kurt Russell themed St Pattys day party. I don't think it was a very good movie as the plot was generic, the ending felt unfinished, and while I liked a couple of lines the dialogue was mostly corny one liners, but I did like the actors performances as all three of the leads were pretty charming and seemed to be having a good time. You do get to see Kurt Russell in drag which I can't say about any other film. I don't really recommend watching this unless your a big Kurt Russell/Sylvester Stallone fan but I don't regret watching it either.

-Big Trouble in Little China (Movie) - 2nd movie for the Kurt Russell line up, this one I actually quite like. Its self aware, it's stupid, it's goofy, it features random supernatural elements that are never adequately explained that add to the "wha???" factor of the film, it mixes intentionally awful effects with pretty nice sets, it's great. The best part is of course putting it on at a party for people who haven't seen it so you can see them react to the increasingly insane elements of the film. I wouldn't put it on the same level as EEAAO or anything where the insane elements grow into a profound and memorable narrative, but BTiLC isn't really trying for that and works as a silly parody of kung fu movies. You should watch it at least once, preferably with no context.

- Pokemon (Video Game) - This is mostly because I've been seeing a resurgence of Submas content on my dash lately. While I can't say I really understand why they were the big takeaway from Arceus given how many neat characters that game introduced, I can't say I dislike them. I've grown fond of doomed sibling dynamics lately and the "Dark intimidating twin is secretly very nice vs the light friendly looking twin is secretly mean" dynamic is fun. Plus Ingo's presence in Hisui is still hilarious to me, Pokemon God threw 1/2 the set of a random American Subway worker into ancient Japan and then never fixed or acknowledged the situation again. Incredible. Anyway I've seen some good art.

- Mage and Demon Queen (Webcomic) - Finished up this fantastic Dragon/Human yuri webcomic, and gotta say I'm quite impressed with it. It subverted a lot of my expectations for these types of stories: having the characters reflect on how their actions affect others and work to be better, featuring likable characters of both genders, letting the protagonist and love interest have important and meaningful relationships outside of eachother whose development we get to actually see, having an actually interesting plot with twists and turns, and featuring a likable transwoman lesbian character who's not demonized or fetishisized by the narrative but allowed to exist outside of a typical trans narrative. Obviously I adore both Malori and Vel both character and design wise and find their relationship adorable. I also love the demon generals and their fun monster designs and found family dynamic. The humor is very very good as well, one of the funnier webcomics I've read with how often the characters recognize and indulge in the absurdity of their situations or just goof around for levity's sake. Overall I have very little complaints, this has been one of my favorite f/f focused media I've consumed and I'd love it got an English physical print release or an anime adaptation. Also spoilers but perfect endings all around, I love when peace wins, monsters are empathized with, and we get a significant time skip to see how our hero's happy ever afters are going. 10/10 would read again.

- The Apothecary Diaries (Anime) - Been hearing great things about this for awhile and finally jumped into it, became instantly hooked. What if House MD was set in imperial china's complicated political court and starred an autistic little chinese girl who has a Haruhi-Tamaki dynamic with the most beautiful and fruity man in the palace. What if there was genuinely engaging mysteries that are solved with medical knowledge and not some random anime twink with mind reading powers. What if the animation was gorgeous and the women were well written. Really great start so far, excited for more.

- Yu-Gi-Oh (Anime) - This is mostly here as I've had the abridges series on in the background while I work, though I am considering actually reading or watching the real one. Or maybe I won't I don't know. I don't care very much about the card game elements but I do think the dynamic of "Cursed ancient Egyptian spirit posses a guys body to play messed up death games but it's fine because the guy is cool with it actually" is one of the funniest and most compelling character dynamics characters can have. I also just appreciate the incorporation of Egytian elements as I think its a very aesthetically neat location that isn't used alot, though I can't speak to the accuracy of the representation. The hair is also alot. Most anime hair you could possibly have.

- One Piece (Anime) - Mostly through Whole Cake, and while I wouldn't put it in my favorite arcs it's been good so far. The emotional stuff with Sanji's backstory and his relationship with Luffy is really good stuff, Big Mom's backstory was shockingly dark even after getting used to One Piece's messed up world, I like the complicated relationships amongst Big Moms children and Pudding and Katakuris designs are great for one. I also really like this location, Brook getting a chance to shine, the fact that Jinbei's back and everyones outfits. That being said the pacing is getting worse, I like most of what is happening I just wish it happened in a more concise manner.

- Genshin Impact (Video Game) - Been really enjoying the potion making event, I love meticulously placing the ingredients to get the most use out of the space, mixing and matching the pretty little potions, and guessing from the descriptions what types of potions people need. I'm sure it will go away after the event but I wish it would stick around, it's definitely my favorite non-story event I've been around for.

Listening To: Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas, Hey I Don’t Work Here by Tom Cardy, Crazy by Walk Off The Earth, How Did You Love by Shinedown, Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan, Feast or Famine from Starkid Productions, Ruthlessness from EPIC, Turn the Lights Off by Tally Hall, No One Else Is Singing My Song from Crazy Ex Girlfriend, The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives, You Didn't Know by Andrew Underberg