#also i spelled theater/theatre like that on purpose

[otacringe]

do you think that back in the day men would go to the theatre to see richard iii and have their scribes write down their favorite lines so they could read them for motivation like sigma males and patrick bateman

[worldsokayestmagicalgirl]

The first batch of pictures for Amoré's character journal are here! Also I have been so super sick that I've literally had nothing to do but to work on this for like almost 2 weeks so...

The cover to cover tour officially starts here. All I can say about the front & back is that I lament my lack of experience with my Cricut when I made these decals. I only had 2 "fun" colors to work with at the time & I was still getting comfortable drawing in Procreate, so my silhouette art leaves a lot to be desired compared to some stuff I've made recently. I also found it's incredibly easy to burn this leather book.

But she's volume one, everything with her is a learning experience, & I realized as much as it helps to have a mini heat press for tight corners & small spaces, the cloth barrier they suggest you use between the vinyl & the iron tends to make things harder to press on this scale. So instead I gotta quickly tap straight on the transfer film & hope I don't burn anything around it :(´◦ω◦｀):ﾟﾟ

So at the risk of thoroughly exposing my inner theater kid, Amoré set the precedent with how I went forward creating campaign characters. I started off collecting 5 songs to make a mini story arc (almost like a show choir set list 🙃) that helps me figure out an outline for the kind of story I wanna give them.

Somehow Amoré ended up with a truly horrendous blend of rock & theatre. Absolutely incredibe. No wonder she's always such a dramatic bitch.

It was a lot easier to go in & add little decals around these lyrics. I'm definitely cursed with the Too Much™ gene, but I enjoy the little pops of color they give ✨ plus it justifies me hoarding all these vinyl scraps printing stuff this small lol.

Stat sheet!

In all honesty, as my first character I had no fucking clue what I was doing when I placed these & if I could go back & change one thing I'd probably swap her Intelligence & her Wisdom. She’s definitely more people smart than book smart.

But everything else is...very accurate. She has all the upper body strength of a chicken nugget. Plus on top of the (already) negative I traded disadvantage on everything DEX for magic crystal shoes that can be periodically harvested. Just a way for her to carry around the family fortune without actually having to return to the vault✨

For something that started so average, her CON became a monster & always comes in clutch for her alcohol tolerance. I've played variations of her across a few different one shots & I always manage to roll well for anything alcohol related. The dice do respect a bit 🤣

Spells on the other hand, I floundered with a lot at first because we’re not a combat heavy game, but then I found Chaos Bolt & that was that. It’s essentially Amoré in spell form & I’ve had a ton of fun with it over the years. Also Mage Armor cuz my girl is SO DISTRESSINGLY SQUISHY.

Cantrips were more or less a bit of a toss up. Message was fun for the sheer idea of her using it to talk shit during social events without being caught. But aside from Light serving fun backstory purposes the other 3 are kinda just what looked fun ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ unless you count the idea that she would absolutely delight in zapping handshakes.

From there, I wanted to extend the world map made by our wonderful DM @cappierong into a full scroll. Ya know, for the aesthetic ✨

Our campaign started in Civania, where Amoré's main Estate is. I just wanted a quick mock up to reference, so I edited a preexisting picture I found that checked all the boxes (large, on a plateau, accessible only by bridge) and then absolutely smothered it in flowers.

But anyways... This is primarily where Diana & Amoré grew up together in their decade of backstory ✨

There was probably waaaay to much back & forth trying to keep the continuity between stuff I've already drawn & this big reference. But I think it turned out pretty ok? Not like if I make a mistake anyone will really know lol.

Scaling was also another big issue I had, & I moments where I thought something was too big I just kinda handwaved it away like "ehhhhh she's from a stupid rich family." But now I have a NEED to draw baby Diana & Amoré around like, the statue gardens or something cuz I feel like certain parts of this place are definitely ominous 👀 especially for children...

And lastly we have the back cover & the High Noble political relationship map! I normally have this closer to the front but for layout purposes it'll be here. I kinda feel like I need to do more for the decoration of it but I can’t think of anything else to add at the moment.

Sam if u read that no you didn't.

But now! Other than a family portrait that I've always wanted to draw, I think I'm ready to move onto the art for Season 1 : Arc 2. It's a pretty hefty amount of art in comparison to others, so I gotta get busy. Especially since I think I'm gonna have to draw a few comics *sobs*

If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading! I'm always excited to talk out our little idiots so thanks for indulging me ❀(*´▽`*)❀

[avocado-frog]

Character board + headcanon post 10- Leo

-Born October 23, 2002

-Older than Cass by thirty minutes

-Hates wearing hats

-Listens to Penelope Scott probably

-Also prob listens to marina and the diamonds (are you satisfied + family jewels are both so leo coded)

-Eats shredded cheese at 3 AM

-Watches true crime documentaries on Netflix

-A theater kid in secret

-Doesn't spell things the American way (spells flavor like flavour, forgets theatre vs theater, etc)

-Never spends more than twenty dollars at a time

-Favorite food is pumpkin donuts

-But she also appreciates raspberries

-ASPD

-Bisexual

-Collects quarters. They're organized by the year

-Really liked Six and Heathers and Ride the Cyclone

-Speaks fluent French and no one knows how

-5'9

-Cried for six hours over Bluey

-"Bluey's so cute, I wish parents were real"

-Uses she/her but is alright with they/them or he/him

-Ends up using a cane and occasionally a wheelchair

-Really good at flirting but has no clue how to handle it when it happens to her

-Has an affinity for playing instruments. Hand her any instrument and she can play it like. perfectly

-But she prefers string instruments. Played the violin for a while

-Played softball in 8th grade. Quit because of grades and because she's awful at sports

-Forgets to drink water

-Goes out of her way to text in lowercase and with perfect grammar

-Would get really good grades if she like. tried at school

-When they first met, Jaxon tried to guess Leo's full name for like an hour and she only recently told him that he guessed right on the first try

-Full name is Leonie

-Accidentally switches between an American and British accent all the time

-Jaxon thinks it's really funny to make her say aluminium

-Picks up on languages really easily. Could be fluent in Korean in a week if she wanted

-Spent two months learning German to mess with Lily

-And it only took her a month or so to pick up on asl for Dylan. Granted she already knew some

-Eats paper on purpose like Jaxon does. They're problem-causers

-Played group laser tag with everyone else, but there was One nine-year-old kid playing with them, so she got the others to team up against the kid and followed her around to shoot her, and then at the end, turned around and got everyone else. Leo's not allowed to play laser tag anymore

-Somehow manages to never get diagnosed with anything. She would've if she actually went to therapy probably

-Probably ends up an English major

-Wears contacts for an astigmatism, Cass prefers glasses, and has the same disorder

-Probably a watcher of South Park. Not one of the problematic ones

[kurt-wagner-is-a-kitten]

Gudentag my friend. Sorry I spelled that wrong. That's all the beautiful language I know. I was just wondering if you like or have ever seen any musicals in the theater? I live them. Always so full if passion and true dedication to the art.

Hello there anon. If you’re asking Muse if they’ve seen any musicals I’m pretty sure Kurt has. I’m not 100% but I’m pretty sure he’s been involved in some theatre productions of musicals. Either purposely or accidentally….

If you’re asking mun if they’ve seen anything, I got to see the nutcracker in theatre when I was little. I suppose that’s ballet not musical but still. Also saw BATB in my local theatre.

[rosekun25]

 December 17th, 2019

Dear Tumblr diary,

I'm on my way back home from my trip. I had lots of fun.

First I went to Disneyland for a whole day. It was super busy and I was super hungry so I ate at the Jolly Holiday for Brunch. I ate the Tomato soup even though I don't like Tomato but Grandpa Walt liked it so I guess it's good enough for me. I also ate a Macaroon. It was delicious. Then I went and bought some of Sarah's ears. Sarah is the girl walking on the tight rope in the Haunted Mansion stretching room.

Sometime after that, I met Sally, We talked about how the spiders helped her do her hair in the mornings. I told her how happy I was to see her and I felt like crying but I didn't want to because everybody laughed at me for crying when I met Minnie.

Then I looked at all of the decorations. The place was super packed so I got on Jungle Cruise because the line wasn't too bad. I went to meet the Princesses I met Tiana, Snow White, and Jasmine.

I remembered to be extra nice to snow white because I called her Mary Margaret and I'm sure the spell Regina put on her made her confused so she probably didn't remember. Then I saw Jasmine and we talked about Sora for a bit and I met Tiana. I was super upset Ariel wasn't there but I talked to Tiana anyway about her dress and how we watched her movie on Thanksgiving.

Then I went to meet Sinterklaas. I was so sick of sitting in line but Pooh's corner was adorable. My favorites were the pooh and piglet snowman. I met Sinterklaas. I wanted to ask him for an Aerith figure for Christmas but he seemed busy. He signed my name on my Autograph and we took pictures.

After that, I went to a small world Holiday. I got the best spot. I was watching the parade and waiting in line. Anna and Elsa waved at me!!! It felt so great!!!

I got on its a small world and had a great time. I thought it was so beautiful and took tons of pictures!

After that, I went to meet Minnie but she was tired so I went to see Mickey instead. I met him asked about Sora and he did motion like he was waving a keyblade!!! In between all the hustle and bustle, I lost my wallet. I was kind of scared.

But since I lost my wallet I ended up looking at its a small world. Since I was there at precisely the right time I got to see the whole place lit up. It was beautiful! 

I met up with my friend Megan and her friend Kevin. My first internet friends!!!! They were super cool. I was scared I wouldn't have a place to stay since I hadn't checked in but Megan offered her hotel room. I was scared of staying with a person I didn't know but it was better than being homeless. The line for Galaxy's edge was super long. But halfway through somebody had turned in my wallet!!!

Anyway, we went on Galaxy's edge and got to be pilots! I felt a lot better after that. We talked about the haunted mansion and how cool everything was. Megan talked to her cast member friends and we got to go for Haunted mansion Holiday without waiting in line! I had so much fun!!

Megan and Kevin showed me some cool backstage stuff like where they dock the boats for Jungle Cruise, backstage of the Haunted Mansion where they park the doom buggies. They also showed me the entrance to Walt’s apartment. 

Also, Kevin was cool enough to let me use his employee discount on stuff. By the way, just in case there are any snitches here. Kevin and Megan aren't their real names. We rode Pirates of the Caribbean. Kevin wanted to go to Olga's but it was packed. So we ended up going to Jolly Holiday for Hot Cocoa. Kevin bought it for us  and then it was time to go home.

Kevin wanted to make sure we all got home safe so he walked me to my hotel and then he walked Megan to her Hotel. 

I took a shower and went straight to bed. 

The next morning I woke up and got dressed. I ate a free Hotel breakfast and rode to the bus station so I could make it to Hollywood. I caught the bus and it was delayed. But I didn't mind. I arrived at the station and stopped at a tropical fish store to talk to the owner about fishes. I pretended I had business there because the sign said no loitering. 

I went to Starbucks and used my reward on a Peppermint cake pop and some tea. I talked to some lady about Homeless youth and the barista about Kingdom Hearts. After that, I went to my hotel. 

I checked in and hung out for a little bit. I also went to the front desk and got free toiletries. I pretended my bag got lost so I could get free stuff. 

I went to Denny's and ate some lunch before heading back to the hotel. I ordered a small sirloin with french fries and broccoli and some chicken soup. The waitress practically ignored me the entire time I was there and they threw away my food while I was in the bathroom but luckily I was mostly finished. 

I told the manager to give her my change as a tip but I think he kept it for himself. 

After that, I got ready for Frozen. I had forgotten my leggings so I knew it was going to be cold. I headed to the museum of death in my very first uber pool! 

I was talking to the guy he had said he had totaled his car in an accident I told him I was glad he was okay and we talked about how my coworker had gotten into a similar accident.

We arrived at the museum of death and I got a student discount so instead of paying 17 dollars I paid 15. I was sad to see that they had retired the turtles because I had really wanted to see them. 

I spent most of my time in the mansion room. It was so fascinating. I couldn't read any of the letters because they had such messy writing. I was very fascinated with the victorian burial rituals and all of the actual artifacts. 

I also realized that we all look exactly the same underneath our clothing. 

Another room I spent a bit of time in was Heaven’s Gate Cult room. I only knew about them because of Family Guy. 

I got a cool button. 

Anyway, after I left the museum of death I went to walk to the theatre to see Frozen. It was really really cold so I stopped at the Funko museum for a minute. I took tons of pictures and had a great time! I didn't buy any souvenirs because I didn't see anything I really liked. 

Frozen was amazing. I had trouble finding my seat but eventually, I found it. I wish I could have sat closer to the middle but it is what it is. 

The theater was freezing. I wonder if they did that on purpose. 

Anyway, I met this nice older couple. The woman offered me her jacket because I was cold but I said I was okay. I was wearing a purple dress with my black jacket and my sparkly flats. I was sitting next to this other girl and her mum I think. 

I like to remember Who I sat with. Like when I saw Anastasia I sat next to a couple kids my age who had seen the movie when they were younger. I sat next to the same-sex couple and they were adorable. I sat next to this girl who gave me chocolate and I was really happy because I had wanted to eat chocolate because Anastasia Romanov ate chocolate when she went to the theatre but the Ghiradelli store was closed lol. 

Anyway back to Frozen. 

They had a little bit of Frozen 2 in the broadway musical. one of my favorite lines was when Anna and Elsa’s mom said “I’m a child of the north mountains” and Kristoff’s mom said “And now you’re a queen? Good for you!!!” 

I liked how Kristoff and Anna had a song together. I didn't like how I was told there was a “Do you wanna build a snowman reprise” but I didn't see one. My favorite was def Let it go. Her costume was so beautiful.  I liked how they made it rain confetti in the theatre. Disneyland made it snow which I thought was super cool. Sadly I didn't see any fireworks while I was at Disney.

After frozen  I went to eat at In and out and they didn't have sweet tea :( So I ate and talked to this lady about theatre and these kids about the concert they went to. I ate about two hamburgers because I knew I couldn't take home any leftovers. 

I watched the new episode of Rick and Morty and I went to sleep. The bed was super nice and comfortable. I didn't feel very good so I didn't eat that much. I wanted Waffles but I had muffins instead. I ate it and went to the greyhound station. The bus was delayed and I wish I would have known it was more delayed than usual because I would have gotten more Starbucks. 

The bus station never opened. We had to wait for the bus with no idea when it was going to show up. I was kind of upset because I also needed to use the bathroom. I eventually got to the station. The driver said my bus was getting ready to leave so I just ran into line. They had us waiting for like twenty minutes so I had some lady watch my stuff when I went to the bathroom.

I got on the bus and made it to Disneyland. I saw the Hooter’s everyone in my family used to talk about. 

I made it to Disney locked my stuff in the locker at the hotel and ran to meet Jack and Sally. I waited in line for about twenty minutes before I saw them. I was so happy to meet them. We talked about Sora and about how the spiders might be able to help Sally have curly hair like mine if they were dancing. 

Jack and Sally said that it would have been a wonderful image. We talked a little bit more and I said goodbye and they signed my book. I bought a lovely pin to commemorate our first meeting.

After that, I went and got a Macaroon at The Jolly Holiday. It was my first mobile order and I ate it because I was ever so hungry. 

Then I met the princesses. Man, I was so sick of waiting in line. I met snow white again and I met  Cinderella and We talked about the ice on the castle and how we were worried about Princess Aurora being cold. But I said Elsa’s ice powers must have made it so she would have the ice but she wouldn't be cold. 

I met Ariel, I wanted to do a short video of singing swim this way with her but she said she was saving her voice so I sang a little bit of it with her. As per usual I asked about Melody and Prince Eric and she said they were doing fine. I said my goodbyes to her and went to meet Princess Aurora. 

I had to wait in another line but I didn't mind.  I met Aurora and asked if she was cold in her castle. 

I met Tinkerbell and asked if she knew Sora. She said no but mentioned he looked familiar. I said she might have met his brother Roxas lol. We talked about Terrance and she told me about her jacket. She mentioned her sister Periwinkle and I really wanted to say “You don't have a sister.” But I didn't want to get her in trouble. 

After I met Tinkerbell I left Disneyland and went to California adventure to see if I could meet Anna and Elsa. I went to the animation studios and met Anna and Elsa after waiting in another huge line. 

I asked if they knew Sora and they said they hadn't. Which again kind of sucked because FROZEN WAS IN KINGDOM HEARTS 3. I told them I thought their outfits were beautiful I asked Elsa if she knew Jack Frost. Another no, but he sounded familiar. 

After that, I went to the Beast’s library. I had never done that before and I was so happy I got to go!!! I took a little quiz and it told me I was most like Belle.  I went to look for Anna and Elsa pins but I didn't like any of the ones they had. I went on the Little Mermaid ride because I wanted to ride it once. After that I was getting super grumpy because I was hungry so I went and ate some ramen at the lucky fortune cookie.  

The ramen was not as good as it could have been. But it was filling. I talked to a guy about where to get Hot Cocoa and he told me Ghiradelli square. I bought hot cocoa and a few chocolate squares. They wanted almost three dollars for four squares of chocolate! So I helped my self to at least four of their free samples. 

I walked around with my hot cocoa and saw most of the Christmas lights. Man, I thought they were so beautiful. I ended up getting on radiator springs racers. since the line was short. Then I went on mater’s Jingle Jam. That was fun. After that, I walked back to Disneyland. 

I wanted to Meet Minnie but she was busy so I bought a rice Krispy and when I came back she was there. I took a few photos with her and then one with Pluto. Then I rode Snow White and Alice in wonderland. After that, I rode Pirates of the Carribean. I wanted to see if I could get on Haunted Mansion Holiday again but I knew I had to leave. It kind of sucked because they announced that the fireworks had been canceled so all the normies were leaving. 

The trip was kind of sad because I didn't get to go on many of my favorite rides :( Next time I’m getting fast passes. 

I did leave a little late and I showed up as the bus was there. Luckily I caught it. But next time I’m leaving in the morning.  

Well, we just stopped at Mcdonalds and I’m sharing fries with the lady who shared funyons with me.

I’ll talk to you guys later!

-Rosemary <><

[badreturns-m]

American VS Australian Names for Things

lol that title could of been better. basically aussies call things different thinsg to american things and things. things. the list will be as follows: 

what an australian calls the thing vs what american call the thing. 

hope that makes sense. hopefully i get it right cos americans like yelling at me when i get things wrong. some most of these i also found online cos i dont know everything anything. so lets not shoot the messenger aka ME.

bonnet ... hood boot ... trunk bumper bar ... bumper mud guard ... fender windscreen ... windshield indicators ... indicators, blinkers, turn signal petrol ... gas bitumen ... asphalt sealed road ... paved road gravel ... road metal ute, utility ... pickup truck 3 or 5 door ... hatch back give a lift ... give a ride lorry ... big rig car park ... parking lot bowser ... gas pump gallon ... gallon (is nearly 20% smaller, 3.8 litres instead of 4.5) overtake ... pass pass ... pass each other driving in opposite directions

A4 ... lettersize (lettersize is shorter and wider than A4) foolscap ... legal size rubber ... eraser blackboard ... blackboard, chalkboard blackboard duster ... blackboard eraser sticky tape ... scotch tape  elastic band, lacky band ... rubber band biro ... pen post a letter ... mail a letter display on notice board ... post a notice postman ... mailman drawing pins ... thumbtacks paper knife ... letter opener golfballs (selectric typewriter) ... elements ground floor ... first floor (Oz floors are US floors less 1) lift (building) ... elevator notice board ... bulletin board lavatory, toilet ... washroom, restroom

biscuit ... cookie, cracker scone ... biscuit (nearest equivalent, made with yeast instead of self-raising) lolly ... candy, treat icey pole ... popsicle, ice pop plain flour ... all purpose flour whole meal (bread) ... whole wheat castor sugar ... confectionary sugar rockmelon ... cantaloupe paw paw ... papaya shallots, spring onions ... green onions, scallions capsicum ... bell pepper silver beet ... Swiss chard punnet of strawberries ... pint, small basket of strawberries sultanas ... yellow raisins jam ... jam, jelly jelly ... jello chips ... French fries potato chips ... potato chips fairy floss ... cotton candy ginger ale ... root beer lemonade ... 7-up (not the same but similar) lemon juice ... lemonade tomato sauce ... catsup, ketchup polyunsaturated margarine ... low cholesterol margarine entree ... appetizer main course ... entree tea (tea in this context, meaning the main evening meal, may be short for high tea, although no one ever says that in Australia) ... dinner tea time, morning tea, afternoon tea ... coffee break half milk, half cream ... half and half black or white coffee or tea ... coffee or tea with or without cream, coffee light serviette ... napkin scroggin ... gorp, trail mix tucker ... grub meat and salad roll ... hero, dagwood, submarine, hoagie sandwich ... blt (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich) make a sandwich ... make or fix a sandwich packed lunch ... sack lunch or box lunch hundred and thousands ... sprinkles (nearest equivalent) custard sauce ... --- jug of beer ... pitcher of beer schooner, midi, pot ... small, large beer restaurant bill ... restaurant check, restaurant bill shout a round ... buy everyone drinks tin ... can mince steak ... mincemeat chicken, chook ... chicken meat pie ... --- pastie ... --- pavlova ... --- sausage roll ... --- lamington ... --- pudding ... --- stew ... --- cooked in a pan, a bit like a pieklet ... drop scone a rich confectionary cut into bars ... fudge like a rich chocolate cake ... brownie clam soup, the most common New England clam chowder is creamy, but there is also a less common red tomato based version ... clam chowder --- ... clam juice to bake under an open grill, i.e., bake and grill food simultaneously ... broil

bring a plate (Oz) =pot luck (US) adj In Oz, one might say "All invited. Bring a plate." In the US, it's a "pot luck dinner". In either case, all guests bring a plate or dish of food which can be shared. In Britain it is apparently called "Dutch treat". crumpet (Oz) n 1. vaguely like an English muffin, only much better. Commonly eaten in place of toast during winter. 2. woman considered as a sexual object (seldom used now). vegemite (Oz) n Wholesome and sharp tasting black spread for toast and crackers. The definitive Australian icon, and there is definitely no US equivalent. University

year 7, year 8 year etc ... freshman, sophomore, junior, senior university, uni ... school, campus at university ... in college masters, PhD student ... graduate student thesis ... dissertation supervisor ... adviser term ... quarter autumn ... fall sit in on course ... audit course primary school ... elementary school maths ... math stats ... stat sinh, cosh, pronounced "shine", "cosh" ... "sine h", "cos h", hyperbolic sine and cos beta, pronounced "beeta" ... beta, pronounced "bayta"

flat ... apartment kitchen tidy ... trash can rubbish bin ... garbage can bucket ... pail tap ... faucet, spigot letter box ... mail box verandah ... porch, deck footpath ... sidewalk lounge ... sofa lounge room, sitting room ... living room wardrobe ... cupboard dresser, dressing table ... sideboard cutlery ... flatware knives ... cutlery freezer ... freezer, icebox kitchen bench ... kitchen counter door frame ... door jam

verge (the grassed area between the footpath in front on your house and the road which you look after as part of your own front yard but which actually belongs to the city council) "You can park on the verge." ... easement (usually used only in legal language), swale (on a property that doesn't have a sidewalk/footpath or a cement curb, the grassy area closest to the road)

laundry trough ... laundry tub clothes hoist ... clothes line clothes pegs ... clothes pins billy (usually a blackened tin pot used on a bushwalk) ... pot billy tea (tea made in a billy on a bushwalk) ... ... escrow (the period between offer and settlment when buying a house) "How's the house buying going? We're in escrow." estate agent ... realtor block of land ... lot of land cubby house ... tree house, play house (baby's) dummy ... pacifier lane ... alley tomahawk ... hatchet cotton wool ... absorbent cotton rates ... local taxes tidy up room, house ... pickup room, house heating outlet ... register

bedsit (Oz) = studio apartment (US) n An apartment with kitchen/living room and bathroom, but no separate bedroom. The US version can be very comfortable (I had one in Goleta, California), while British-style bedsits are often very cramped. A British style bedsit would probably attract the description "toy studio" if found in the US. I noticed the term "studio apartment" in use in Australia (Brisbane) for the first time in 1992, in a real estate advertisement. Obviously it sounded more impressive than "bedsit". In any case, this type of apartment is relatively uncommon in Australia. continental quilt (Oz) n See doona. doona (Oz) = comforter (US) n Quilted eiderdown with a down or synthetic filling. "Doona" is an Tradename. "Doona" is apparently used in Australia only, and is unknown in New Zealand and Britain, let alone the US.

dill ... fool wowser ... teetotaler, non-gambler etc

jumper, pullover ... sweater polo neck (jumper) ... turtle neck (sweater) ... jumper (in the US jumper means a loose fitting sleaveless dress worn over a blouse. This is an older British usage - it's in the OED of 1933 - but is not in current Australian usage.) singlet ... tank top, athletic shirt nappy ... diaper sanitary towels ... sanitary napkins hair pins ... bobby pins press studs ... snaps track suit ... sweat suit, sweats clothes horse ... clothes rack (?) person who buys lots of clothes ... clothes horse reel of cotton ... spool of thread

spanner ... wrench torch ... flashlight oxie welder ... torch

spellings:

ardour, behaviour, colour, honour, glamour, flavour, labour, neighbour, odour, valour, vapour ... no "u" arse ... ass analogue, catalogue ... analog, catalog analyse ... analyze centre, litre, theatre... center, liter, theater cheque ... check computer disc ... computer disk enquire ... inquire enrolment ... enrollment grey ... gray instal ... install, instal -ise, -ize (most words which are spelt with the -ize suffix in the US, can be spelt with either -ise or -ize in Australian English, although the -ise is more common) ... ize modeller, modelling ... modeler, modeling programme (music etc) ... program sulphur ... sulfur

Pronunciations

beta: "beeta" ... "bayta" quay: "key" ... "kway" sinh, cosh, tanh: "shine", "cosh", "thahn" ... "sine ach", "cos ach", "tan ach" z: "zed" ... "zee"

Measures

Celsius ... Fahrenheit (temperature measure are converted by F = 9/5*C + 32) stone ... 14 lb gallon (= 4.5 litres) ... gallon (= 3.8 liters) metres ... yards kilometres ... miles fortnight ... two weeks Saturday week etc ... a week from Saturday Saturday last, Saturday next ... last Saturday, next Saturday 1 cent, 2 cent etc ... penny, nickel, dime, quarter dollar note ... dollar bill thousand million ... billion

Country:

bushwalk ... hike station ... ranch droving ... muster, roundup cocky (not derogatory) ... red neck (derogatory) swagman, swaggie (not derogatory) ... bum, pan handler (derogatory) mate (not derogatory) ... sidekick (slightly derogatory) jackaroo ... cowboy jilleroo ... cowgirl woop woop ... boondocks, boonies behind the black stump, back of Bourke ... podunk bush bashing ... brush busting outback ... --- walkabout ... --- creek ... creek (used in the East by not in California in my experience), stream creek ... brook

Music

semi-quaver (Oz) = sixteenth note (US) quaver (Oz) = eighth note (US) crotchet (Oz) = quarter note (US) mimim (Oz) = half note (US) semi breve (Oz) = whole note (US) breve (Oz) = double note (US) Note that the American terms "quarter notes" etc are also in use in Australia, but the decriptive words are far more common. Other

barrack for team ... root for team sport ... sports stocks (ski) ... poles football ... Australian rules gridiron, American football ... football hockey ... field hockey ice hockey ... hockey noughts and crosses ... tic tac toe newspaper cuttings ... newspaper clippings queue ... line quay ... wharf busker ... street artist unreliable ... flaky, flake out home and hosed ... home free homely ... homey plain ... homely glandular fever ... mono (nuclesis) rsi (repetition strain injury) ... repetitive stress syndrome (less serious), carpal tunnel syndrome (more serious, may even require surgery) doggo ... play dead galah ... wise guy drongo ... bore cinch ... sure thing Father Christmas ... Santa Claus g'day ... hi, howdy ta-ta, seeya ... take care, take it easy tar, thanks ... thanks good on you ... good for you blacklist ... --- (now understood) poker machine ... slot machine shaggy dog story ... --- (now understood) lawyer ... lawyer, attorney (lawyer in generic casual use, attorney in professional contexts) aluminium ... aluminum chemist's ... drug store caretaker ... janitor warder ... prison guard engine ... locomotive shareholder ... stockholder plane ticket ("airticket" now used by travel agents in Oz also) ... plane ticket (colloquial), airticket (formal, in travel agency) disembark (from plane) ... deplane trendoid ... yuppie trendy suburb ... gentrified suburb sus (that's a bit sus) ... suspect sus out (we'll have to sus it out) ... check out only (he's only covered completely in mud) ... bloody (general emphasis, not polite but not real bad either) ... damned tick off (items in a form) ... check off tick off (the teacher caught the boy and ticked him off) ... scold, dress down piss off ... go away, get lost, shove off irritate ... tick off "his bogoted attitude really ticks me off!", miff "That screaming child really has me miffed.", piss off (very common but also vulgar, borderline profane) "That rude sales clerk pissed me off."

dole (Oz) n Unemployment benefits. Father Christmas (Oz) = Santa Claus (US) n Although never used when I was a child, "Santa Claus" is now, in 1997, in common use in Australian department stores. funky adj 1. Oz and US: eccentric, stylish, pleasant, as in good jazz or folk music. 2. US only: dirty or smelly, as in "the bicycle chain is funky". innings (Oz) = inning (US) n Turn to bat, as in cricket or baseball. gaol (Oz) = jail (US) n, v Same pronunciation. often times (US) adv The emphatic form "often times" in place of simply "often" is virtually never used in Australia, but it's quite common in the US (usually pronounced "offen-times"). The Oxford concise lists it as an older usage in British english. paye-as-you-earn (PAYE) (Oz) v Pay income tax automatically at source. Employer deducts a standard amount from each salary or wage payment, and forwards to the tax office. rafferty's rules (Oz) n no rules at all, as of a chaotic contest or organization. reckon (Oz) v In Oz,  "I reckon" translates simply to "I think", but there is no real US equivalent for this very common Australian construction. (September 1999: Kent Parks of Raleigh, NC, writes that "reckon" is also used in the same sense in the Southern US.)

[hamiltoncopyright-blog]

free speech, defamation, and copyright law with Hamilton (AKA That Mike Pence Thing)

& the subsequent backlash, attempted boycott (lol), and bad reviews on Facebook

Copyright law is closely tied in with free speech and defamation cases. I’ve tried to apply most of what I’ve learned in my copyright class to Hamilton, but when we got to this, I was drawing a blank. And then I was suddenly like…oh. Right. The Mike Pence thing.The cast took the opportunity, shortly after the election when Pence showed up at the show, to say a few words, expressing their concern and pleading for understanding.

To no one’s surprise, our esteemed leader had a hissy fit on Twitter. He called the cast “very rude,” and said that they had harassed Pence. He demanded the cast apologize, saying that “the Theater must always be a safe and special place.”

A few things: They were pretty objectively not rude; actually, quite the opposite. But I suppose that he may not understand little things like “civility” and “kindness,” so I try to dismiss this inconsistency. At most, they made it a little awkward for Pence. But, Broadway has always been a welcoming home for the LGBTQ+ community, and Pence’s history with that community posed a huge concern. The used their first amendment right to free speech to speak out while they could. The fact that his tweet demanded that theater must be a safe space is particularly ironic given that the cast’s message was asking for the country to remain safe.

(And, side note, Mr. President: if you want to write “the theater” pretentiously, you don’t just randomly capitalize it. You use the British spelling: “the theatre.” Come on, man.)

Shortly after the show, Pence released a statement saying that he wasn’t offended by the cast’s message for him. Huge sigh of relief, right? The cast really avoided a lawsuit there, right? Actually, no.

Guess what? It doesn’t matter if Pence was offended or not. He’s a public figure, a political public figure, and they can say just about whatever they want to him or about him (blatant lies not included, unless for clear satirical purposes.) And even if they had used offensive words to convey their political message to Pence, they would still be able to do that under first amendment law. Seriously. Political speech is heavily protected by U.S. law, more so than it is anywhere else. Plus, like, Brandon wasn’t even rude about it…so…

So Donald had a fit about it, Pence said he was cool, so controversy over, right? No. Donald’s supporters started saying that they were going to boycott the show. People had fun with this, of course. The thing is, you can’t boycott something (over a speech that wasn’t offensive or illegal) when tickets to that thing have been sold out for months. The show is will soon have five productions across the world.

Incidentally, the week after Pence’s visit, Hamilton broke a Broadway box-office record. Predictably, tickets are still reliably sold out.

But those who were angry at Hamilton didn’t stop with their (failed) boycott. They also tried to destroy the show’s reputation by lowering its overall rating on Facebook. 

Really, the only people who got even close to being sued here are the people who lashed out at the cast by posting negative reviews on the show’s Facebook page. The show went from having a few 1-star reviews to thousands overnight. Not obvious, or anything. Nah. It’s got over 23,000 5-star reviews, but only 146 4-stars, 40 3-stars, and 7 2-stars. Then suddenly, 4,200 1-star reviews from a single night? Seems legit.

Examples of these 1-star reviews, suspiciously posted within 24 hours, and all more about the actors’ political opinions:

“Lousy performance and the actors are classless. Don't go see them.”

“Actors are assholes, a waste of money. Never again!”

“it does not follow the slightest History of true facts it is racially changing the truth and the insult to VP Elect was very uncalled for and should have embarrassed everyone there”

“Shame on Hamilton staff for their blatant disrespectful behavior toward Vice President elect Pence and his family! Appalling behavior!”

“They suck.”

“Garbage. Don’t recommend. Stinks on ice.”

These reviews would be hard to make a decent defamation case over, but if any of them state factually false things in an attempt to make the show sound bad, there could be a case there. I was going to go through more to find something that could make a good defamation case, but it pissed me off too much and I had to stop.

Plus, Hamilton producers were never likely to pursue a defamation case. These reviews nudged the page’s overall Facebook rating from 5 stars down to 4.4 stars, but they’re still selling out and we still love them. (The 1-star reviews are also really, really conspicuous.)

To any other show, this could have done extreme damage. Reviews like these are extremely irresponsible and awful and I’ve made myself really mad about it so I’m going to go drink some tea and watch people die on Game of Thrones.

[womenofcolor15]

CORONAVIRUS FALLOUT: Churches Still Opened For Easter, VA Pastor Dies From COVID-19 + Coronavirus Curve Flattening In Some Cities + Cinemark Needs Bailout

There’s much to discuss with everything that went on over the weekend during the Coronavirus pandemic. More inside…

    Rev. Tony Spell (above) of Life Tabernacle Church in East Baton Rouge Parish – who previously said he’s not too much concerned over the pandemic – held an Easter service yesterday where reportedly over 1,000 churchgoers were in attendance. SIR!

According to TMZ, Rev. Spell – who has previously been arrested for hosting gatherings over 10 people - welcomed 1,345 people to his church to celebrate Resurrection Sunday. In fact, he claims Sunday’s service attendance was higher than his usual turnout. These numbers come from Rev. Spell. It’s unclear how many people were actually in attendance as the count is based on what Rev. Spell shared with the publication.

Rev. Spell had the cameras rolling during his Easter Sunday service, but the cameras rarely showed the people in the audience. According to the site, the cameras focused mostly on Rev. Spell, but the site claims you could hear more than “10 people present.”

Sighs…

Last week…

Rev. Spell told TMZ that his followers would happily die from the virus if it meant they could attend his church services in person. Peep the clip above.

Cops didn't arrest him following the service. It's reported they're currently building a case against him for the District Attorney.

While Rev. Spell is still holding face-to-face services, one pastor in Virginia lost his life doing so...

  It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Bishop Gerald O. Glenn, the Founder and Pastor of...

Posted by The New Deliverance Evangelistic Church on Sunday, April 12, 2020

  A pastor in Richmond, VA has lost his life due to COVID-19, weeks after hosting a packed Sunday service.

It's reported Bishop Gerald O. Glenn of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church has died after contracting COVID-19. His wife, Marcietia Glenn, also tested positive for the deadly virus. The New York Post reports in the pastor's last known in-person service, Bishop Glenn said he would continue preaching unless he was in jail or in the hospital despite the state's "stay-at-home" order. Sadly, his life ended due to the latter.

"I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus. You can quote me on that," he said during the sermon. "I am essential," he said about keeping the doors of his church open. "I'm a preacher - I talk to God!"

The church announced his passing via Facebook. Check it above.

Now, Bishop Glenn's daughter, Mar-Gerie Crawley, is urging folks to stay home.

"I just beg people to understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying it's not just about us, it's about everyone around us," she told local news station WTVR.

It's unclear how Bishop Glenn and his wife contracted the virus and whether or not they infected anyone else.

Sad.

Also...

  Holding a briefing with updates on #Coronavirus. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/dl4jsgL7or

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 12, 2020

  Good news! It seems New York is flattening the Coronavirus curve, thankfully.

During Governor Andrew Cuomo's Monday morning press conference, he assured New Yorkers "the curve continues to flatten," and that "it appears we have a plateau." At the time of the conference, the coronavirus death toll in New York state had reached above 10,000. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/live-blog/2020-04-13-coronavi...

You can check out his press briefs from yesterday (Easter Sunday) and today above and below:

  Holding a briefing with updates on #Coronavirus. Watch Live: https://t.co/XX0lC3jtqk

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 13, 2020

  Across the nation...

  To be clear: 4/20 will not be tolerated this year.

Do not come to San Francisco to celebrate. We will cite people. We will arrest people if necessary.

Order food. Watch Netflix. Stay home and stay safe. pic.twitter.com/4w2T9XJrej

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) April 13, 2020

  Thanks to Mayor London Breed's swift response, San Francisco is also flattening the Coronavirus curve.

You'll recall, she was one of the first mayors to declare a state of emergency, which she put in place in late February. A few weeks after she declared a state of emergency, she banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people. Her aggressive and FAST decisions have helped the city's fight against the pandemic and things are moving towards getting better. 

“All evidence suggests that they are doing much better, and the simplest explanation for that is that they did take social-distancing measures very seriously and they did it early,” said Emily Gurley, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, which has been tracking the global COVID-19 outbreak.

Oh, and don't even THINK about going to San Francisco to celebrate 4/20 during the height of the pandemic. You will go to jail. Peep her message above.

In movie news...

After laying off 17,500 hourly workers and furloughing half of its corporate employees, Cinemark - the nation's third largest movie theater chain - also need a bail out - just like AMC Theaters.

The company is reportedly selling $250 million worth of debt securities via senior secured notes and will use the net proceeds of the proposed offering for general corporate purposes, including further increasing its liquidity. The company said the debt will be secured by a first-priority lien on its leases.

“Cinemark’s priority as it navigates through this uncertainty is to ensure that the company will be able to once again open theatres and employ our global team members,” CEO Mark Zoradi said last month in a statement announcing employee wage cuts. “I look forward to the day in the hopefully not-to-distant future when the Cinemark team can once again welcome guests to enjoy the immersive moviegoing experience we offer at our theatres.”

Here's the latest:

Studios have pushed many of their upcoming releases back until later in 2020 or 2021, meaning that the summer blockbuster season will essentially be a wash. That’s catastrophic for the movie business, which makes more than half of its revenues during the summer.

Some chains, such as AMC Theaters, appear to be on the verge of insolvency, while others are hoping that the federal stimulus bills will help them secure loans that they need to remain in business. Cinemark has furloughed employees and shut down nearly all of its nearly 350 locations nationwide. CEO Mark Zoradi and Cinemark’s board of directors will forgo their salaries during the crisis. Cinemark had a debt load of $3.4 billion at the end of 2019.

Yeah, it looks like movie-going as we once knew it may never return.

Meanwhile this is who Trump has named as his council to determine how to reopen America:

  Trump's Council to Reopen America is made up of two family members with a stake in his business and seven government officials who have visited his businesses. pic.twitter.com/LIjQ2cQv3R

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 13, 2020

Chile...

  EXTRAS:

1. In case you missed, China has made it illegal for citizens to consume cats or dogs. STORY

  2. "Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos has tested positive for Coronavirus. STORY

  Photo: Holly Guerrio/Shutterstock.com/Life Tabernacle Church's IG

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2020/04/13/coronavirus-fallout-churches-still-opened-for-easter-va-pastor-dies-from-covid-19-coronav

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/cate-blanchetts-manifesto-new-radical-burning-sands-intensify-day-6-sundance/

Cate Blanchett's 'Manifesto,' 'New Radical,' 'Burning Sands' intensify day 6 Sundance

The word ‘truth’ has suddenly taken on a new meaning in today’s America, and this has made many of the films shown at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival feel very timely. Of course, they were filmed before President Donald Trump brought in ‘fake news’ and ‘alternate facts,’ but the choices made for screening feel so on track with today, nonetheless.

Al Gore couldn’t have timed his sequel to An Inconvenient Truth better now that we have a president who feels that climate change is a hoax created by China and Adama Bhala Lough’s The New Radical hits the mark with the internet becoming such a political minefield. Day 6 at Sundance continues to bring out some great and conversation worthy films.

MANIFESTO

In her latest film, Cate Blanchett plays a choreographer. And also a puppeteer. And also a schoolteacher, a scientist, a newscaster, a punk rocker, a day trader — and shall we go on? Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto demands 13 different parts from virtuoso Blanchett, who takes on different accents, costumes, and makeup for each. It’s a remarkable feat of acting, but equally remarkable is the text that she’s serving. Each of the 13 characters represents and recites a distinct and canny collage of 20th-century art manifestos, from pop art to Fluxus, Dadaism to film, and each episode is set against a unique and provocative Berlin environment. After appearing as an art installation, most recently at the Armory in New York City, Rosefeldt refashioned the project as a feature film, which debuted at the Festival on Monday afternoon at the Library Theatre.

“I didn’t cast Cate Blanchett for this project,” Rosefeldt said during the post-screening Q&A. “We ran into each other six years ago at an art opening of my work, and we started to talk. She said, ‘Why don’t we do something together?’ You can imagine my reaction. It took me another two and a half years until we finally started to talk about Manifesto. The only thing I told Cate is that she would do many characters. We bargained — she said, ‘Can we do six or seven?’ And I said, ‘Can you do twenty?’ We ended up with thirteen. We had two weeks to shoot this — it was a fantastic trip. And now I believe she could do Mike Tyson.”

Rosefeldt spoke of the verve and passion of the manifestos chosen for the script and offered up an interesting context for texts from artists and thinkers such as John Reed, Dziga Vertov, Paul Eluard, André Breton, and Lars von Trier. “I’m an artist myself, and I know that what we say, we don’t always mean it that seriously,” he said. “Keep in mind that these texts were written when the artists had hardly left their parents’ house — they were 21, 22. And at that time of your life, you’re very insecure. You’re trying to tell yourself who you are and what you stand for. And because you’re insecure you shout very loudly, and with all this anger. You pretend to have a lot of security, but you actually don’t.”

The director talked about the various ways in which he matched text with character and location. Sometimes it was about finding a contemporary analogue — the hyperspeed of online trading with futurism, for example. And sometimes it was pairing opposites, with a traditional nuclear family reciting Claes Oldenburg’s funny and profane “I Am for an Art …” at dinnertime prayer. “You put two elements together that aren’t necessarily friends and then you see what the chemistry does,” he said. Rosefeldt admitted that of all of the texts, he felt most closely aligned with Jim Jarmusch’s ironically titled “Golden Rules of Filmmaking.” Jarmusch’s slogan “Nothing Is Original,” as well as the notion that all art borrows from other art, is a useful guide to “the basic spirit of the entire thing,” he said of Manifesto, “and of life itself.”

THE NEW RADICAL: EXPLORING THE WORLD OF INTERNET ANARCHISTS

As could be expected, one of the most incendiary films of the Festival made for a fascinating piece of post-screening theater. U.S. Documentary Competition candidate The New Radical surveys a new generation of internet vanguards, particularly the savvy, now-28 year-old provocateur Cody Wilson, notorious for making plans for “The Liberator” 3D printable gun available for download, as well as for co-founding Dark Wallet, a bank-skirting Bitcoin app that allows users to make transactions out of sight.

After the screening, director Adam Bhala Lough was joined by co-editor Alex Lee Moyer and Cody Wilson himself, who effortlessly seized the spotlight and expounded upon views of the internet that alternated between idealistic and apocalyptic. After bizarrely fielding questions about his favorite books and recommended places to visit in the Washington, D.C., area, he was finally outright asked what he’s trying to accomplish with his government-goading libertarian initiatives.

“With 3D-printed guns, we really believe that the internet means that one day you’re going to be able to download a gun,” he said. “It was like a proof of concept. So the materials are inadequate — so what? Give us a little time. I never wanted to be just the guy that put the gun online; I just believe in this alternative method of politics.

I believe that in order to create right now we must destroy.”

Lough said it’s a question he posed many, many times throughout the making of the film. “What’s the end goal? They were never able to succinctly illustrate it for me,” he said, which he attributed to the youth of Wilson and his associates. “When we started, Cody was like 24. He’s still figuring his shit out. So to a certain degree, he created this monster, The Liberator specifically, and had to figure out along the way, what is the goal?”

Wilson was asked a series of hypothetical questions, such as his comfort with disseminating nuclear plans and making guns downloadable for children, each resulting in a kind of Socratic exchange regarding access, freedom, and inevitability.

“Isn’t it the purpose of government to protect its citizens?” one woman from the audience asked.

“I think the purpose of this government is to secure the liberties of those governed,” Wilson responded.

“That sounds the same to me,” the woman said.

“We can disagree,” he said.

“You have to stick to your principles,” Lough said. “Freedom of information, free speech, is so vital that in this case, no matter how ugly it sounds — and I don’t want my kids going onto the Internet printing guns, and I won’t let them — but I still think we need the right to be able to make those choices for ourselves. I’ll stand by that, and I stood by that in making this film.”

REBEL IN THE RYE: INSIDE THE LIFE OF J.D. SALINGER

The story of how mythic writer J. D. Salinger came to create The Catcher in the Rye, considered by many to be the great American novel, gets a glossy cinematic telling in Rebel in the Rye, the feature debut from Danny Strong. The director-screenwriter draws parallels between Salinger’s life and how it shaped the creation of Holden Caulfield, his iconic outspoken character who continues to cast his spell on readers to this day.

We’re introduced to Jerome David Salinger (Nicholas Hoult) as a young man at odds with his privileged life in New York City. Despite pressure from his father (Victor Garber) to go into the family business and become “the king of bacon,” his mother (Hope Davis) is more sympathetic to nurturing her son’s burgeoning writing talent. Jerry, as he’s called, enrolls in a writing program at Columbia University, where his smart mouth draws both the ire and admiration of instructor Whit Burnett (Kevin Spacey, wringing every ounce of humor, and later pathos, he can find in the character). Burnett, the editor of Story magazine, which launched many iconic 20th-century writers, becomes a mentor to Salinger and encourages him to create a novel around Holden Caulfield, a character in one of his unpublished short stories.

Before this can happen, Salinger is sent to Europe to fight during World War II. He’s deeply affect by the atrocities he witnesses there and returns to the states at the end of the war with PTSD, which makes simple social activities a challenge for the war vet. Salinger funnels all of his frustrations with life and love into the creation of Caulfield, a new protagonist for post-war America. When Catcher is published, it becomes a sensation and Salinger’s life becomes challenging.

Since Salinger became perhaps literature’s most notorious recluse, Hoult doesn’t have to compete with video memories of the author. The photogenic actor offers a compelling turn that helps anchor the movie and hold viewer interest even when the film falls prey to some biopic conventions.

During the post-screening Q&A, Hoult told the audience he didn’t know much about Salinger prior to the project. “But speaking with Danny and reading his script, I was blown away by everything he experienced and the work he created,” he shared. “Reading more about it, I was blown away by how autobiographical his work was when you line it up with his life.”

Strong said he wanted to make this film partly because he was intrigued by the fact that Salinger “created a masterpiece that changed the world” out of the most extreme trauma a person could suffer: fighting in World War II and witnessing the atrocities of the Holocaust.

If you’re a Salinger fan, take note that this film is likely as close as you’ll ever get to seeing Caulfield on screen. Salinger thought his writing was unfilmable, and he was likely correct. An early short story was turned into a teary Susan Hayward melodrama that the writer reportedly loathed.

BURNING SANDS: FRATERNITY PLEDGING COMES AT A HIGH COST

A group of students at a historically black university learn that pledging a fraternity comes at too high a cost in Burning Sands, from new director Gerard McMurray. With a producing credit on the 2013 Sundance Film Festival breakout Fruitvale Station, McMurray makes his feature directorial debut with a screenplay he co-wrote with Christine Berg, and he dives right into the vicious hazing rituals during the opening scenes.

At fictional Frederick Douglass University, freshman Zurich (charismatic newcomer Trevor Jackson) has the respect of his teachers, including Professor Hughes (Alfre Woodard, in basically a cameo), but his studies and his relationship with his girlfriend (Imani Hakim) take a hit after he pledges Lambda Phi. It’s the fraternity his father had sought to join as a student before dropping out before Hell Week, so Z’s determination to succeed is strong enough to endure an almost incapacitating injury and make it through Hell Week at any cost.

If you’ve seen other fraternity-set dramas, such as last year’s much more brutal Goat, you can likely guess where this will go. Still, McMurray’s direction builds sufficient tension and he injects welcome comedic relief, particularly with the introduction of female characters.

Speaking at the Q&A that followed the premiere, McMurray revealed he’d pledged a fraternity at an all-black university, and the idea for the film came because he wanted to explore the culture of HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) and the various subcultures within that world.

Rap artist Common, who has a producing credit on the film, was effusive in praising McMurray. “Gerard showed the diversity of who we are as black people, because each character represented different things,” he said, adding, “that brotherhood is something we don’t usually see in films.”

THE FORCE: ‘THE WIRE’ OF DOCUMENTARIES

Inspired in part by the hit series The Wire, director Peter Nicks began a series of documentaries exploring the institutions of the city of Oakland, California, back in 2012 with The Waiting Room, which tackled the issue of health care. He brought his second film in the series to the Sundance Film Festival this year, this time covering the city’s notorious police department.

Nicks and his team followed the police department for two years beginning in 2014, getting more than 250 hours of footage to make this complex vérité documentary. When they started, the Oakland force had already been under federal oversight for more than 10 years because of abuses and misconduct, and it still hadn’t fulfilled the requirements to regain full control.

At the outset of the project, the director knew that this was a topic on many people’s minds, but he had no idea how much the issue would explode across the nation over the course of filming.

“This was a really challenging project and process for myself personally and for my team, as we were jumping into maybe one of the most divisive issues of this city in quite some time. We began the project really wanting to understand who the men and women were on the front lines of an institution that was really being called to task, and start a national conversation. But we began the project before Black Lives Matter was even a hashtag. So the ground shifted significantly as we approached the film.”

Nicks wanted to show both the officers and activists as more than simple “two-dimensional portraits without context.” The film team aimed to “[frame] the city in a new way that brings people together” instead of encouraging divisiveness.

As we watch a new chief making a commitment to true reform, the audience feels hope for change. After new disheartening scandals, we watch Mayor Libby Schaaf ruthlessly oust those who have violated the public’s trust, attempting to squash out all the misconduct. But eventually we see that the problems run deep, and they’re embedded into the super-macho culture of the profession. In fact, when the film team already had an initial cut of the film, yet another scandal broke in 2016, this time allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor, and the team had to rethink what their story was going to look like.

At a screening during the Festival, the filmmakers gave some updates on what has happened since they wrapped. Most notable was the news that Oakland had hired a new police chief, the first female chief in the history of the department. With a slew of other women leading the city — including the mayor, her chief of staff, the city administrator, and the fire chief — many are looking forward to seeing whether the deep-seated macho culture of the police department can truly be reformed.

Nicks hinted at a third film in the series, and though he didn’t give any details, he revealed that we could look forward to seeing some of the same subjects from the second installment returning to the screen.

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