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satansapostle6 · 11 months ago

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Kids | Rodrick Heffley

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Rodrick Heffley becomes obsessed when he finally meets his thirty-five year old band mate, Bill Walter’s, younger sister.

Warnings: Mature themes/language. Drug use. Sexual content. Violence.

“The Baby Sister”

“The Family Legacy”

Rodrick couldn’t stop thinking about Sara in the past week since they first started to become friends. It was a sickness.

Today alone, he thought about her first thing in the morning, as he opened his eyes and woke up, as he was brushing his teeth(he hoped his breath didn’t smell bad), as he put on his deodorant(he hoped he didn’t smell bad), as he got dressed, while he drove to school, and all throughout his classes.

He knew he had to do something about his feelings for Sara, because they were really starting to become apparent to most of the other people in his life. This, of course, included his band mates, although Chris and Ben also had eyes for Sara Walter, just like any of the other boys who saw her. Rodrick figured the only reason Sara wasn’t as popular as Heather Hills was because she just didn’t want to be.

Sara spent most of her time in and out of school alone, so naturally Rodrick felt pretty important when she decided to spend her time in his company. She typically came with Bill to band practices in Rodrick Heffley’s garage, where she served as quite the distraction to her brother’s younger band mates.

But that day, the members of the charmingly spelled Löded Diper were busy trying to put together a decent set list, for a small backyard party. Rodrick had been standing around with his arms crossed, rolling his eyes as he and Bill watched Ben and Chris argue over songs. Sara, who sat on the couch, decided she’d tune out all the arguing and work on her flash of potential tattoo designs.

“Will you two just shut the fuck up so we can figure this out?!” Rodrick groaned.

“Just give ‘em a few minutes, little bro,” Bill offered his wisdom as he patted him on the shoulder. “Oh. Dude. I almost forgot.”

“What?” Rodrick asked him in fear, thinking it was some sort of band emergency.

“You should totally ask Sara Bear to come to the party with you!” Bill whispered urgently, eyeing his sister to make sure she wasn’t listening in.

“But… can’t Sara drive herself?” Rodrick questioned.

“No, dude, like on a date!” Bill urged him.

“…What?” Rodrick asked skeptically.

He didn’t know anything about having a sister, but he was certain there was no way any guy would willingly encourage his friend to ask his younger sister out.

“Yeah, man, she’s crazy about you!” Bill insisted. “It’s so obvious!” he scoffed.

“She ashed her cigarette on me the other day,” Rodrick frowned, not trusting him at all.

“That’s how she flirts!” Bill exclaimed. “If she did that to you, you’re in! I mean…Not in. That’s still my baby sister. But, anyway, dude, she likes you.”

“…Really?” Rodrick asked, deciding if anyone knew Sara, it had to be her brother.

“Yeah! You should ask her out. Right now,” he encouraged.

“Okay!” Rodrick exclaimed, walking over to the couch. “Thanks!”

“Yeah, anything for you, brother!”

He then realized that, just like the first time he ever had a real conversation with Sara, he had gone over there with no plan. But, it was already too late, so he decided to just go with it.

“Hey, Sara Bear!” he blurted out, visibly cringing and once he realized what he’d said.

“Hey… Roddy,” she frowned humorously, “What’s up?”

“Uh… I was thinking,” he began.

“I’m impressed,” Sara nodded approvingly.

“No…” Rodrick massaged his temples in frustration as he tried to come up with something good, naturally failing. “I was wondering if you were gonna go to our gig this weekend? At the house party?”

“Yeah,” she replied supportively, “I’ll be there.”

“Alright! Totally! Cool…” he trailed off, trying to regain his composure. “Uh… I was thinking, that, maybe… I don’t know…” he struggled to the point of completely abandoning his train of thought.

“Huh?” she asked in confusion.

“Uh, I don’t know, I just wanted to see if maybe you’d, uh, wanna…”

“Go out with you?” Sara offered, coming to the conclusion before he did.

“Yes! …Yeah,” he nodded, trying to still seem somewhat cool, even if that wasn’t really an option.

Rodrick stood there awkwardly, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his grey jeans.

“Yeah,” Sara nodded with a smile. “For sure.”

“Really?” he laughed, catching himself just as she did. “I mean. Really?” he flirted.

“I know Bill put you up to this,” she smirked, eyes glancing at her older brother for a split second, “He’s been talking you up to me for the past week. He’s a real wing man, by the way.”

“Oh. Cool,” Rodrick remarked, slowly turning to look back at Bill, whose widened eyes suggested he was desperate for an update.

Completely clueless, Bill gave Rodrick a questioning thumbs up as Sara watched. Rodrick slowly made an awkward thumbs up, to which Bill nearly reacted by jumping up and down and shouting. After that, Rodrick returned to the band, feeling rejuvenated.

Just before 6 o’clock, Mrs. Heffley poked her head into the garage, watching as Chris and Ben both took off. Bill and Sara still remained, as Rodrick discussed various details of a song with the thirty-five year old.

“Rodrick? Dinner’s ready,” Susan said.

“I’ll be in in a minute, Mom,” he called, “I’m still talking to Bill and Sara,” he said patiently, pointing out his friends standing in front of him.

“Well, I told you that dinner was ready ten minutes ago, and we’re not eating until everyone’s seated at the table,” she stated calmly. “If you still have things to discuss with your friends, you can do that at the table. We have plenty of food,” she offered.

“It’s okay, Mom,” Rodrick assured her, “Bill and Sara were just—”

“Oh, Mrs. H, we’re starving!” Bill spoke for his sister before she could protest, “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled warmly, “Come on in. I made spaghetti.”

“I love spaghetti!” Bill exclaimed childishly as Rodrick and Sara exchanged looks.

The pair of siblings followed Rodrick into the Heffley house. Bill was much more excited, while Sara seemed a lot more tentative.

“Guys, Rodrick’s friends will be joining us for dinner tonight,” Susan Heffley smiled.

Rodrick took his usual seat beside Greg, who seemed to see Sara’s presence as an opportunity. Rodrick glared at him angrily, as Sara sat down directly across from him, next to Bill.

“I’m so sorry,” he mouthed to her silently, only to receive a tiny ‘it’s okay’ back.

“So, we know Bill,” Susan began, turning to Sara, “I’m sorry, sweetie, what was your name?”

“Sara,” she smiled timidly. “I’m in the same grade as Rodrick.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Frank said pleasantly as he filled his plate. “You go to Crossland?”

“Mhm,” she nodded, hesitantly putting food on her plate as Bill piled a mess of salad and spaghetti onto his.

“Oh, wow. And Bill’s your older brother?” Susan asked.

“Yeah,” Sara nodded, as Frank Heffley completely froze.

Rodrick’s father’s face froze as Rodrick tried to stop him from making a scene, only to be completely ignored.

“I’m sorry, your Bill’s sister?” the man asked shakily.

“Dad…” Rodrick said nervously.

“Yeah,” Sara responded, not seeming as awkward.

“Rodrick’s taking my baby sister out this Saturday,” Bill announced proudly with a mouthful of meatballs. “He’s been crushing on her all week,” he teased.

Greg turned to Rodrick, eyes widened in fear as both of their parents slowly took in the girl’s appearance, from her balayage, to her thin eyebrows, to her loose-fitting grey sweater that she wore off the shoulder. Luckily, she seemed somewhat more conservative without makeup.

“…Oh,” Frank gasped, still in shock. “So that was your cigarette out there last week?” he concluded, seeming horrified.”

Rodrick was horrified.

“What?” Susan questioned, having no idea what he was talking about.

“You’re the girl Greg told us about that was smoking?” Frank continued.

“Dad!” Rodrick exclaimed, mortified.

“Uh, no, Mr. Heffley,” Sara said quickly, “I don’t smoke… That must’ve been my cousin Cindy that was with me, we hang out a lot, so she’s always with me.”

“Yeah,” Bill agreed, realizing this was his fault,“Cousin Cindy’s a huge smoker. Coughs up a lung every morning.”

“Yeah, Dad, I wasn’t talking about Sara,” Greg promised, feeling uncomfortable.

“Oh,” Frank murmured, allowing himself a moment to adjust, “Sorry. That was rude,” he smiled, trying to be disarming.

“Yes, it was,” Susan agreed with her husband. “So, Rodrick, you’re finally introducing us to your girlfriend?”

Greg nearly choked on his food from laughter as Rodrick’s mouth stood agape in horror.

“Mom!” he gasped, mortified.

Sara just looked across the table at Greg, seeming to just be appreciating the humor in the situation, if anything. Rodrick said nothing to her, and just have her an apologetic grimace.

“We’re not dating!” he cried.

Sara tried her best to hide her involuntary grin at the absurd situation.

“But, aren’t you going out on a date?” Susan asked.

“Honey, just let them be,” Frank said calmly, “They’re just kids…”

“Well, I just wanted to know!” the woman argued.

Rodrick watched powerlessly as Sara uncomfortably looked down at her plate, feeling horrible. He didn’t know what to do to help the situation, but he felt even if he could think of something, it probably wouldn’t work anyway. There wasn’t much he could do for either of them at this point.

Sara sat in her seat quietly throughout the meal, only speaking when spoken to, and constantly looking to her brother to signal that they should leave. But, unfortunately for her, her brother was Bill. Bill didn’t seem to be getting the hint. It was probably another 45 minutes or so before he announced that they’d be leaving.

“Alright, Mr. and Mrs. H, it’s been real, but me and Sara Bear gotta go,” Bill said as he stood, “We’ll catch you guys later!”

“Alright, take care,” Susan Heffley smiled, a strange discomfort behind her eyes.

“See you,” Frank smiled.

“I’ll, uh, walk you guys out,” Rodrick volunteered, standing with them.

He awkwardly walked behind Sara, hand anxiously hovering over the small of her back as he ushered her out of the house.

“I am so sorry,” he sighed, looking at Sara to see if there was a chance he’d ever see her again.

“Aw, don’t be!” Bill said cluelessly, “I had a great time!”

Sara just shook her head as they all walked out the front door.

“Bill, can you start the car?” she asked politely, intending on having a talk with him later.

“Oh, I get it,” he smirked, looking up at Rodrick, “You two want some alone time.”

“Yes, we do,” she agreed impatiently, waiting for him to walk away before directing her attention back to Rodrick. “So…” she grimaced.

“So…” he genuinely had no idea what to say at this point.

“Sorry, I tried to get Bill to leave, but… you know how he is,” Sara sighed.

“No, it’s fine. My parents don’t hate you guys or anything. They just think I’m gonna turn out like Bill,” Rodrick frowned, not hearing himself.

“Yeah. So do mine,” she assured him. “That’s kind of the problem with them.”

“Well… I actually think you’re really cool the way you are,” Rodrick thought aloud, not sure if he sounded stupid.

“Thank you, Rodrick,” Sara nodded, looking up at him in a way that made his knees buckle.

“You’re welcome,” he stared back, still terrified of her.

“I’ll, uh… I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said as she left, worried that if she showed how excited she was everything would immediately start to go wrong.

“See you tomorrow,” he echoed, watching her as she left.

The car ride home wasn’t too bad for Sara. It was easy explaining to him where he went wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Heffley, but it was more difficult for Sara to get him to see the problems with their own family.

“Bill, we saved up enough money,” Sara sighed as they arrived at home. “We could get an apartment, easily. You can be my guardian until I’m 18. We both make enough money—”

“Sar, I told you, we can’t,” Bill sounded heartbroken listening to his sister. “We can’t just leave Connor!”

“Bill, forget about Connor!” she argued, “We need to think about us, just this once!”

“That’s Mom’s job,” he reminded her, “That’s all she’s ever done, is think about us. We can’t just leave her.”

“Bill, she’s an adult, and so are we,” Sara scoffed, looking at the house that wasn’t their childhood home from the sidewalk. “I can’t stay in that house anymore, Bill. Not after that night.”

The incident of three weeks ago was still a very sensitive topic in their household.

“Look, I get it, I really do,” her older brother promised, “But it’s just a couple more years. Less than a year. And then you can do whatever!”

“And what about you, huh?” she demanded. “You’re just gonna stay here, forever, in the basement? Just because of Connor?”

“He needs us!”

“He’ll be okay!” Sara insisted. “It’s not like we’re leaving the country, we just need a little space! We both did our time in that house, and now we need to get out for our own good!”

“I can’t do that,” Bill said with finality.

“Can’t, or won’t?” she questioned, looking him in the eyes.

“I can’t. I can’t leave Connor.”

“You can’t leave Connor, or you can’t leave Mom?”

“I’m not leaving, Sara,” he said softly. “You can. But I have to stay. Okay?”

From the pained look on his face to the glassy reflection in his eyes, Sara knew she couldn’t press it any further. She was angry, and she needed to leave, but she knew her brother had been hurt enough.

“Okay,” she nodded, dropping the subject entirely.

“Okay,” Bill nodded vigorously, sniffling as he tried to regain his youthful energy.

The more Sara looked into the darkness of his eyes that night, the more she realized that it was his childhood that had aged him so.

“Please, for the love of God, Sar,” he sighed, before they walked up to their house. “Just don’t start with him.”

“I won’t start with him if he doesn’t start with me first,” she muttered as Bill opened the door for her.

The two quietly entered their home, hoping they wouldn’t be noticed and could just slip by. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case.

“You guys sure are home late,” said a voice that made them both shake.

Randy Sharpe, their stepfather, was seated in the living room, reading a book written by a man who could supposedly make anyone a millionaire.

“We had dinner at the Heffleys’,” Bill said through gritted teeth as Sara stopped behind him.

“It’s not even 7 yet,” she said quietly.

“What’d they feed you?” the man asked, being the only one that found humor in his musings. “Caviar on toast?”

“Spaghetti,” Sara interjected. “They’re nice people.”

“And I’m not?” he looked up from his book.

“Yeah, you’re a real peach, Randy,” Bill muttered, creeping off toward the basement as their mother entered the room.

“Hey, Bill. Hey, Sar Bear. How was practice?” Destiny Sharpe asked, intentionally moving the conversation along.

“Good, thanks, Ma,” Bill walked off.

“You know,” Randy chuckled, watching him as he took off his reading glasses, “It makes sense, letting that one come and go as he pleases, I mean… he’s half gone already, but Sara’s still a kid,” he pointed out, pointing his glasses at her.

“Randy, Sara’s sixteen, she’s old enough to not have to come home before 7,” Destiny chuckled, still finding the situation humorous, “Besides. When she works, sometimes she’s not home ‘til 11.”

“What does she need a job for?” he questioned. “She’s a kid!”

“So are you, Randy,” Sara used his name like an insult.

“Hey,” her mother frowned.

“What, he gets to sit there and criticize us all day, but the second someone responds, he’s only human?” she gestured to him in disbelief.

“Hey. Show your mother some respect,” Randy said sternly.

“You first,” Sara cocked her head at him. “Has Mom even seen her paycheck this month? Huh? Could she even tell me how much it’s for, or do I have to go through your ‘accountant’?”

“That is enough,” Destiny interrupted, “Sara, have you been smoking? Weed, that is, because I can smell the box 100’s from over here.”

“I wish,” she responded honestly, glancing over at her stepfather. “I don’t know how else anyone deals with him.”

“What was that, a shot?” Randy butted in. “Taking shots at your mother now?”

“Don’t get any ideas, I’ve seen that shitty Glock you own.”

“Sara!” her mother exclaimed. “You shut your mouth right now—”

“Mom?!”

Everyone looked up at the top of the stairs in a panic as a small twelve year-old looked down the stairs.

“Have you seen my PE shirt?” Connor asked.

Destiny squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm herself for a moment. “Uh… Yeah, baby! It’s in your drawer!”

They all watched him run back up into his room, silently looking around at each other.

“You two need to learn to get along if you’re going to live under this roof,” Sara’s mother pointed at the two of them warningly.

“Or, you could just throw him out on his ass like you should’ve years ago,” Sara crossed her arms.

“Sara,” Destiny glared, finger pointed accusingly, “You best believe that the first of the two of you to be thrown out of this house wouldn’t be Randy.”

Sara tried to contain the hatred growing within her as Randy mockingly pumped his fist in silence as his wife walked away.

“You know, Sara Bear,” Randy said with a smile, “I don’t know why you’re so determined to hate me. I’ve never laid a finger on you, or your mother. You kids wouldn’t have survived a day with my father.”

“You might not have ever hit my mom,” Sara admitted, “But I wish you would. Just so she’d realize what kind of person you are.”

Before she could lose control, Sara ran off into her room, luckily without doing anything she would regret. Not having any other options left, she angrily sank her fist through her door, putting another hole in it just like the one her middle brother had left in it after Bill shoved his head through it.

Ever since he left, Sara had times where she’d almost forget their brother Paul. They never spoke about Paul, and Paul never spoke about them. Sara envied Paul.

“The Date”

#rodrick heffley #rodrick rules #rodrick x reader #doawk rodrick #diary of a wimpy kid rodrick #doawk #diary of a wimpy kid #devon bostick

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trulyinspiringmovies · 2 years ago

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The Invitation (2022)

“The Invitation” is an uninspired mystery movie with uninspired horror clichés that’s afraid to admit it’s uninspired.

Evie Jackson is an orphan who barely gets by in New York. Her mother recently died, so she’s feeling like she has no family. She takes a DNA test to see if she has any distant relatives and finds someone from England named, Oliver. Apparently, Evie has a ton of family there and Oliver is insistent on meeting her. Oliver decides that Evie should come to an upcoming family wedding and Evie agrees. After flying to England, Evie meets a charming man named, Walter, who is the lord of the manor she’s staying at. They get to know each other intimately, but something is off about this place.

“The Invitation” is the first movie where I felt like it was embarrassed by its own existence. I had no prior knowledge going into this movie other than the fact that it has been receiving negative reviews. Although I felt like I didn’t need a review to tell me that, I went in with an open mind. The movie starts off as contrived when the movie expects us to believe that Evie would take a random DNA test for fun, then communicate with her newfound relatives through the DNA tester’s website. Then the movie tells us to believe that this woman would actually go out and meet this stranger that she has no way of verifying is crazy or not. This is all to get Evie into an isolated manor. I thought the mystery of the manor was subpar, but it was the only real thing that was engaging, and the use of that word is generous. Throughout the whole film, you’re trying to figure out what type of beast is lurking in the shadows and why Evie’s great-grandmother decided to commit suicide. The problem is, Evie doesn’t seem to care all that much. She’s barely aware of any of it because she’s too busy swooning over Walter. Instead of following through and building upon the mystery that’s been set up in the beginning, “The Invitation” seems more interested in being a romance movie no one is invested in. That’s partly because everyone knows Walter is somehow involved in this because the movie makes no effort to hide the fact that he’s creepy. I’m not going to root for this couple when I know Walter is up to some shady stuff that’ll be revealed at the end. The formatting of this movie is so dull. It’s a boring romance subplot that overtakes a majority of this movie, then it cuts to one horror scene that has the laziest jump scares in all of horror movie history. Then the movie tries to build Viktoria as a fake-out antagonist, but I don’t think anyone bought it for a second. She’s just written to be comically mean to Evie for no reason. I mean, she’s an antagonist, but we all knew she wasn’t the head honcho. When the third act finally decided to happen, it didn’t feel like a grand reveal in the slightest. So, Walter reveals himself to be a vampire and he basically forces Evie to marry him because it’ll extend his life. What I don’t get is, why did Walter just decide to pressure her and lose favor with her. I mean, they literally had sex the scene prior. She was definitely into Walter and I’m almost 100% certain that Evie would’ve married him if he kept playing his cards right. There was no reason to pressure Evie into marriage other than to finally turn on Walter. It’s contrived and not well thought out. The rules they set up are also really dumb and contrived. Once Evie agrees to marry Walter, Walter will allow Evie to drink his blood which will give Evie vampire powers. Then, Walter must drink Evie’s blood to redeem his extended lifetime warranty. So obviously, Evie takes the powers and doesn’t give him his eternal life. Why did Walter not have any plan to make sure he gets his blood after Evie gets her power? It’s so dumb. It’s honestly all so dumb. To put a cherry on top of this shit pile, Walter dances around calling himself a vampire. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that the filmmakers were literally barred from using the word ‘vampire’. He insinuates that he’s been called by multiple names and that he’s been a bunch known as a bunch of famous vampires. All this is happening during a really lazy fight sequence that I can barely remember as I’m writing this review. The ending I think tries to tease at a sequel, but it’s really hard to tell because they don’t seem committed to the idea. “The Invitation” is a passionless movie that is embarrassed by its own existence and it deserves no attention at all.

★

Watched on September 2nd, 2022

#The Invitation #August #2022 #Horror #Mystery #PG-13 #Jessica M. Thompson #September 2022 #1 star

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pinkbutterfly84 · 5 years ago

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Scorpion Season 2

Here we go season 2 and my personal favourite season.....

2.01 - there has been a break between episodes supposedly over the summer whilst Walter recuperate, Paige tries to improve the office, Cabe is working on a film, Sly tried to evolve, Tony was outdoors and Happy developed a paint gun

The question is have Happy and Toby been spending their time together they walk into the garage together??

No fratanisation at work...... but that doesn't mean out of work? Happy's look to Toby makes me think they see each other a lot out of work

Notice how each time they say no fratanisation 'at work' is always added

I love the way Toby's tone of voice changes when he is taling just to Happy or caring for her

Last scene they are off to Kavalskis together

Favourite quote- 'what do you see' 'a rare and delightful fungus' - this is a very Happy type compliment definitely there are still feelings there but she is still torn between wanting to move on with him and wanting to remain friends

Favourite scene- Toby taking care of Happy and her eye, his hand casually placed on her leg she once hated any form of contact now she didnt even flinch

2 02 - poor Toby obviously feeling the frustrations of being sidelined by Happy so he directs is attention onto poor Sly

The look Toby gives Happy when she said Orphanages suck a look of pure luck and he could help heal her wounds

First time Toby uses the nickname 'Hap' also the only person who calls her this

I love Dr Toby seeing him use his skills either medically or behavioral is when his character shines

Favourite quote- it's like jumping off a really high diving board going 100 miles an hour, exposure therapy

Favourite scene- not my favourite scene but definitely the cheesest was paige coming out the sea slow motion and Walter's face pure cheese

2.03 - this episode doesn't have much Quintis in it but I love Sly having an episode revolving around him he overcomes some fears and opens up to Megan

Ray is a very funny character 'the right way, the wrong way and the Ray way'

Poor Toby overhearing Happy's conversation thinking she is moving on meeting someone at a club he looks so hurt and Happy looks regretful that Toby overhead

How does Toby know Happy doesn't like to dance? Maybe suggested they go dancing together?? Happy's face when Toby actual fights back a bit at her half impressed half annoyed

Chet turning up at the end broke Toby's heart he needed to release some tension. Happy wanted him out of the garage so the team wouldn't know what they meet at the club to do

Favourite quote- Slyvester you and I are about to have a very uncomfortable conversation

Favourite scene- Toby talking g to Sly over the comms picking a fight in the jail yard

2.04 - Happy coming in with Chet either Happy is clueless on what effect this has on Toby or she is trying to make him jealous either way Happy is doing wrong this time

Starting to get some humour from Happy..... I wonder why!

I feel this is one of the first turning point episodes for Happy starting to acknowledge she doesn't need to be alone and there are people especially Toby who will stick with her and support her

Toby is so worried about Happy during this episode he even admits his love to her dad - good advice from him to let her come to him

Happy wants the list to go to Toby none of the others a subconscious decision that proves she relies on Toby

Happy acknowledges she is in denial!

The look she gives Toby over her dads shoulder what do you think she is thinking?

Favourite scene- Toby giving Happy the dolls house, he just wants to spend time with her even if friends

Favourite quote- I am surrounded by Robots!

2.05 - such a fun episode off set with the seriousness of Sly and Megan

Toby looks hot boxing 🔥🔥

Toby giving Happy a gift then saying there just friends - someone is in denial

Toby only worrying about Happy being in danger how does she not pick up on this?

Plus the minute she says she's stuck Toby is out the van to rescue her

Notice how they play dumb about knowing anything about Superfun guy yet in season 1 when Sly was in hospital they all sat and read the comics!

Toby saying no to hanging out with Happy must have been so hard for him but he obviously is feeling too much hurt not being with her but did she overhear him saying he was done with her, she wasn't far away, how would she have felt?

Question is the orange van the same as in the Cuba episode and the episode with Mya Hernandez??

Happy looks so impressed with Toby when he punches the guy, think she likes that he can be tough when needed

Favourite quote- with great responsibility comes great wedgie or dear diary it finally happened

Favourite scene- seeing the team dressed up nice to see the comedy side of the show

2.06 - part 1 of a double episode a really good episode showing Walter being taken advantage of and the guys all in danager

Toby trying the show his independence from Happy but taking it too far they work better together.

Toby looking fine in a suit!

Favourite quote- I kicked that habit cold Turkey, I need Happy like i need necrotizing fasciitis

Favourite scene- Happy creating a speaker and using it to put out a fire great mechanical engineering

2.07 Part 2 - Happy put her life in danger for the greater good in the sub but when Toby was in danger in the server room nothing else mattered but rescuing him

Toby will never know how much she fought to get him out

The look of pure fear and worry about Toby dying was excellent acting and showed such emotion and perhaps made her reevaluate her relationship with Toby

Happy was quite hostile towards Toby when he thanked her why was that? I think it was a defense mechanism he shield going up because she was scared to loose him

Favourite quote- with the clarity of one just risen from the dead, you're being a grade A tool

Except you cant unring a bell - Toby knows he cant easily get over his feekings

Favourite scene- Happy trying to get Toby out of the server room this first real sign that she really does have deep feelings for Toby

2.08 - Toby in the boxing ring he is trying to toughen up the ond thing Happy is known for iz being tough

Happy at the comedy club trying to be funny the one thing Toby is known for

I think there interests are a way to become closer to each other and understand each other

Mighty love oak - Toby finally realised if anything is going to happen he needs Happy to make the first move he has been as open as he can she needs to make the decision herself to get into a relationship with him

Favourite scene- Happy at the comedy club Slys reactions were so much funnier then the joles

favourite quote- this is nuttier then squirrel poop

Yes I know I drive crazy, just give me the keys

Suicidal genius says what now

2.09 - very sad to see the decline in Megan and what Sly is dealing with. How Walter deals with it is unfair to them both and quite selfish although I appreciate everyone handles these situations differently

Happy and Toby support Toby the only way they know bh giving him money.

Happy and Toby seem in sync in this episode just good friends with a deep connection

Toby is focusing his energy in predicting the future possibly to keep him distracted from Happy

In previous episode Toby has been seen with smart phones why all of a sudden is his phone old??

Favourite quote- dental hygiene is beautiful

Favourite scene- no real favourite scene but I do enjoy this episode the team hring scared of the unknown is hilarious

2.10 first time I watched this episode I was hooked and confused and loved the twist of Scorpion playing on Cromwell

Happy and Toby stood next to each other again mimicking each others postures

Walter finally accepting Megan's condition and her relationship with Sly is a heart warming moment and one of the few moments I like Walter

Favourite quote- are we heading to England for a spot of tea

Favourite scene- the team relaying how they duped Cromwell

2 11 - a really sad but beautiful episode with a touch of humour at the right times

Toby shines in this episode with his medical ability

Toby's face when Happy collapses and the lady is in labour his heart wants him to ho to Happy but he knows he must deliver a baby.

I would like to know what Happy thinks when she wakes and sees Toby?

Such a heart breaking scene 💔

Notice how Toby instinctively stays by Happy in the garage providing emotional support

Happy doesn't deal well with the situation so excuses herself to make the drinks

Favourite quote- i have super powers, I am bacteria man

Am I seriously the only doctor in the house

Favourite scene- the end scene with Megan's video and the team gathering to hear Walter's story a beautiful end to a touching storyline

2.12 - really liked this episode finally Happy giving into her feelings for Toby plus seeing them all dealing with their own issues from college gave some of the funniest moments of the season

Seeing cabe trying to talk wrestling was hilarious

She also admitted Toby was cute!

What Mavis said to Happy got her thinking she needs to let her shield down if she wants a Toby/ a family

Meeting Quincy Berkstead I don't think Toby's issue is him stealing Amy away it's a reminder of what a bad place he was back then and that Quincy was a better person than he seemed to be. Quincy said some things which hit close to home. Let's remember Toby is a doctor Quincy is just a psychologist!

Favourite quote- you were cute, what happened

Favourite scene- Happy and Toby dancing this showed real feelings from Happy she wanted to.do something nice for him when he obviously felt so down. I imagine that they all heard what Quincy said to Toby she she knows how it would of effected him

2.13 - quite possibly my favourite episode of the season maybe all 4 seasons

Happy seems uncharacteristically happy at the beginning embracing Christmas or looking forward to a possible future with Toby

Walter talking to himself, Megan's ashes in his car - Toby has his work cut out for him this episode

Sly talking about his love for Megan and not wasting time really gave Happy something to think about

Grandma got ran over by a reindeer! Supposedly some or all of this wasnt scripted just shows how amazing the actors are

The pure panic from Toby when Happy gets pulled under water shows his love and then change in his voice when talking to her is a beautiful moment

Favourite quote- at least we got a doctor in the house, who has 2 thumbs and rocked his GI rotation

'Quality kiss doc, good work' ' now that was a Christmas miracle

Favourite scene- the kiss! Need I say more you can even hear Happy hum during the kiss perfect chemistry

Toby waited so patiently and it paid off Happy came to him and initiated the next step

2.14 - perfect Quintis episode

Toby full of new year spirit wonder why??

Happy is also uncharacteristically Happy perhaps thet both had a good new year together.......

Happy trying to change be more positive maybe to help in a relationship with Toby, so much to surmise in this episode

The look happy gives Toby when he asks to make out is not a never gonna happen but a not now later look

Notice how when Happy is separated she repeatedly calls for Toby. Instinctively that's who she knows will rescue her

Toby is never seen as the brave one but when happy is in danger he is willing to risk his life

Near death has changed the dynamic between them. Happys dad points out she needs to find her Happy- then looks longingly at Toby

Question what everyone wants to know is what happens in the tent!

Favourite quote- who are you and what have you done with unhappy quinn

Favourite scene- Toby admitting he never thought he could die being so lucky with Happy in his arms

Such an honest and emotional scene excellent acting by #EddieKayeThomas

2.15 - poor Toby not feeling well love the thought of happy quickly scribbling down instructions for Ralph on how to look after Toby. Starting to show her feelings more openly

Paige and Walter singing was actually really good

Favourite quote- this is what I get for trying to help Walter date, influenza

Favourite scene- truth is I'm falling for the guy - finally Happy admits it then if only to Ralph - I do think Toby here her and probably calls her out on it later

2.16 - poor Walter trying to do something normal and it all goes to pot!

Toby and Happy going to Kavalskis under the pretense of taking the dish back..... sounds like a date to me that they dont want the others to know about, one of many over the course if the last few episodes I think

Favourite quote- that was a compliment knucklehead lob a little ear candy at her

You got sent to the senior section of speed dating and now your trying to Benjimen your Button

Holy ball boomerang Mericks back

I might only be a psychiatrist but they taught me at med school blowing people up is bad

Toby is on fire in this episode with his one liners - I wonder if all these jokes and sarcasm is because he is finally happy with Happy

Favourite scene- no favourite scene in this not much Quintis action but Toby was in fire in this episode great behaviourist skills and jokes

2 17 - love seeing the dynamic between Walter and Toby in this episode, seeing them in therapy is funny

Toby is definitely the more antagonist one is this episode he says its because he is happy with Happy I think he hates keeping secrets from his best friend and so he is distancing himself

Happy starting to side with Toby shows character growth

On a separate note I love Sly and Ralph's relationship in this episode they are a great duo

Favourite quote- hands at 10 and 2, check, seatbelt on, check, eyes firmly on the ramp in front of you, check, dont tell your mother, check

Favourite scene- the end scene Happy and Toby together at Toby's home confirmation the are together how long has this been going on is the question we all want to know

2.18 - Quintis is announced!

Walter being so upset is a bit strange surly he should be happy for his friends- maybe he's jealous he doesn't have what they have or maybe he is hiding something else........

Comparing to quintis to brangelina maybe not such a good comparison

Walter punishing Toby by making him stay behind is petty and not the first time he has tried

Toby is obviously very excited about his new relationship but suffocating Happy slightly

Walter giving them the ultimatum is uncalled for and Toby is not happy with him

First time we discover Happy's fear of blood, seeing Happy slightly off kilter and Toby supporting her is nice to see

Happy looks do happy when Toby says he is proud of her

Toby using his tone of voice he only uses with Happy, this is his caring soft voice

Oh Toby tracking Happys phone not a good idea I get why he did it and I think she does but not a wise move without talking it over first! I like how they experience normal bumps in the road in their relationship

Happy standing up to Walter was a big step and an important moment in showing she is all in and she looks so Happy when Walter says its ok

Favourite quote- for a million reasons the answer to that question is yes but believing in you the most incredible person I've ever know, no that does not make me crazy. You hear my voice now you hear how calm it is......

Favourite scene- Toby talking Happy through medical procedure

2.19 - Gambling addiction is a very sensitive topic which needs to be dealt with correctly

It is always alluded to Toby being addicted we are lead to believe over the past few years largely thanks to Happy it has gotten better but is obviously an issue for Happy

I dont buy that he gambles more cause he is happy but I'm no addication specialist

I think this shows real growth with Happy 1 year ago she would of just called it quits but now she raises her concerns which are genuine due to her childhood and Toby agrees to give up gambling for her - now that is true love

I feel Toby needed to hear this from Happy he had cut back a lot but the risk of losing Happy is too high and he knows he needs to stop

I think they really played into the gambling references this episode when usually it gets one or 2 mentions if that!

Favourite quote- 'that Pantera is the sexiest thing I've ever seen' 'second sexist'

Favourite scene- the end scene with Toby and Happy, Jadyn gives probably the best performance of the series so far so much emotion

2.20 - playful team is nice to see makes a pleasant change!

Toby shows his medical and behavioral knowledge off well In this episode

I really like that happy is comfortable in her relationship with Toby to show affection ftomt of the team by falling asleep and hugging her

Favourite quote- that guy doesn't respect the game

Well you make friends wherever we go

I know I'm the oh one wearing a hat, hold on to your hats I'm gonna profile the crap out of this guy

Favourite scene- the team waiting to see how Olivia gets on following her surgery

2.21 - so we meet interloper Tim, going to he controversial now but I quite like him.as a character!

Toby doing dares as a way dealing with giving up gambling - Happy should be supporting him not belittling him after all he gave it up for her

Toby compliments Happy and gets told off for doing it st work 1. He is allowed to shower her love and compliments at home 2. She turns her face and smiles secretly likes the compliment

Toby marking his territory with Happy when Tim talks to her its shows his jealous side

Happy chastise Toby for truth or dare he says he still needs to adrenaline rush so she kissee him and compares the adrenaline from the kiss to the gambling adrenaline. This shows how she must feel when she kisses him and is encouraging him to lean on her when he feels the need for the rush

I've also noticed that most kisses on screen she goes to him he also doesn't speak after the kiss until she does - shows he is learning from their first kiss

Favourite quote- 'just dance monkey', 'a 20 year old just called you monkey is life working out how you planned'

Favourite scene- happy kissing Toby on the piano

2.22 - this is a good episode considering it lacks in quintis moments - something which highlights the difficulties in gaining closure with missing military personnel

Oh no Toby lost his hat, I hope this isnt the one Happy bought him hopefully he keeps that safe at home!

Toby asking Happy if something were to happen to him would she move on, Happy saying no she wouldn't just shows her love for him.

Also theoretical marriage proposal and Toby asking Happy to think about it..... could a ring be on the cards although Happy's face is not convinced scares or hiding something

Favourite quote- dont use humour on a date because your not funny

Me and the hat are a package deal

Favourite scene- Toby asking Happy if he was missing would she move on

2.23 - not many quintis moments in this episode I start to look for the small moments in the background the looks std justices telling as the big scenes

Happy and Paige both outting Toby in his place when he makes a joke is funny

Funny how this time Happy doesn't have an issue with Toby crawling behind her in the tunnel

Toby has his arm around Happys shoulders swoon...

Happy puts her arm around Toby when they celebrate its these small things which show the couples development

Walter may diss Toby's skills but he does value and listen to them

Favourite quote- she is very much EQ for my IQ

Crazy man says what now

Favourite scene- Toby and Happy talking at the table playing cards - do I sense a proposal on it's way...... too soon surly they have only been together a few months???

2 24 - Toby Toby Toby winding up mark collins may prove to be a big mistake

Happy actually taking Toby's feelings into account doing a guessing game when Toby isn't around

Happy's jealous face when Toby said a show girl made him a man so sweet

Favourite quote- medically speaking hes nuttier then peanut brittle

I will always give you what you need whether it be emotional, spiritual or romantic so here it is sugar plum

Oh no Toby is in trouble what's going on......

Favourite scene- happy talking to Walter about Paige. This just shows the growth in her character willingly having a this conversation also picking up behavioural tips from Toby

2.25 - there is so much about this episode to write about from the kidnapping to the marriage proposal to the rejection.........

Happy comes in thinking the worst of Toby is he gambling lovd the fact she references the fact they text and meet outside of work - obviously they do but it's never referenced

The minute she hears Collins escapes she knows Toby is in danger and is worried

What is Sly hiding Happy knows he is and isn't Happy that Sly wont say anything

Seeing how worried Happy is, is a refreshing change from her normal closed off self. Her love for Toby really shows through in the episode

You can see Happy's frustrations Sly keeping a secret and Walter not giving up his researched

Happy's face when she thinks Toby is being electrocuted, she looks in pain telling Collins to stop the fear in her voice must be reassuring for Toby to know how much she loves him

Happy face when Collins outs the proposal, she blames herself for Toby getting snatched whilst picking up the phone, is there another feeling there aswell???

When Toby talks to Happy there is so much emotion in his voice saying goodbye, he uses that soft tone he saves just for Happy

Happy risking her life to save Toby shows her commitment to him

The first time I heard the proposal song I thought it was so cheesy but the more I watched the episode the more I realise it was perfectly Toby

Happy face when Toby is singing and proposing is the first sign of any guilt we have seen from her. She is obviously distraught that she has to say no and admit she is married to someone else. Utter heartbreaking scenes acted out superbly

Happy actually had tears in her eyes she must of been so devastated to have to had said no

Toby has never lost his ability to smile or joke but he looks completely heartbroken not only to have had his proposal turned down but to also find out the lovd of his life is already married. So much so he doesn't want to talk to anyone just hit the bottle.

Anyone notice how guilty Walter looks??

Favourite quote- hey is that hat wearing dipstick here

Its Toby Curtis, Doctor, Harvard trained. Were the smartest people in the world why is it so difficult to locate a 168lb wise ass

Favourite scene- there is no favourite scene I love this whole episode even Tody drowning his sorrows in tequila

Season overview - Sly has dealt with alot this season falling in love and then losing Megan he is now trying to look forward still keeping his love for Superfun Guy

Walter has had a few good moments this season mostly with Megan and he seems to deal well with kids. He is still obnoxious and struggles to communicate with people and says the wrong thing

I don't like the say Paige is going she is losing the qualities she was known for at the beginning kindness, compassion. I do like her relationship with Tim

Quintis- the start of the season started with them trying to get back to being friends and they had a few moments early on and then Happy merry Chet which made Toby jealous and he eventually realised that he needed to wait for Happy to come to him. A string of events finally broke down Happy's walls starting with her thinking Toby was going to die then Megan passed away, she met Mavis who encouraged her to lower her shield. Sly then told her to life in the moment and she finally kissed Toby from then things moved quickly secretly at first then in public before Toby gets kidnapped, proposes to Happy, gets rejected and finds out she's already married.

Questions are who is Happy married too?

Why didnt she tell Toby before? I think because she didnt want to ruin what they have and was scared to tell him and the more time passed the harder it got

How is Toby going to deal with this news?

Season 3 will certainly be interesting.......

#toby x happy #toby curtis #happy x toby #cbs scorpion #quintis #eddie kaye thomas #jadyn wong #happy quinn #team scorpion #scorpionedit

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oneofthosecrazycatladies · 6 years ago

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Arrowverse Re-Watch: Arrow season 1, episode 3 “Lone Gunmen”

***Disclaimer: I recommend you read the tags before digging in to this review.

So I’m doing my annual Arrowverse re-watch (where I go back and watch all the Arrowverse shows in chronological order) and this year, I decided I would make these reviews/commentaries about each episode as I re-watch them.

So here goes… WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Request for season 7: Can we see Oliver doing this thing that he’s doing right now again? Standing shirtless and bathed in a single spotlight while he pulls a chain that lifts some pretty heavy-looking weights. God just look st those muscles ripple as he moves. (I don’t have a gif for it, just watch the episode and see for yourself.)

God and that ass!

Stephen, I’m so sorry for objectifying you. You’re a wonderful actor and you seem like an amazing person.

(Okay, hopefully that will ease some of my guilt.)

Okay but what the fuck even is this pool?

Look at how tiny it is!! Who has a pool that small?!

Okay and here’s the pool from a different angle.

I just cannot get over the pool guys. A pool that small is just impractical.

Okay I feel like I should talk about these voiceovers because there’s something really interesting about them.

So if you go back and watch the first three episodes, you’ll notice that Oliver does a lot of voiceover all throughout the episode. But after this episode, there are no more voiceovers except the “My name is Oliver Queen” thing at the beginning.

Now I could be (and probably am) way overthinking this and reading too much into it but...at the end of this episode is when John finds out Oliver’s secret and then he becomes Oliver’s partner in the next episode.

So it’s like the voiceovers are because Oliver is working all alone, but then once he has a partner he doesn’t need the voiceovers because he’s not alone anymore.

Does that make sense? Probably not...but it makes sense to me and that’s all that matters I guess.

Anyway, from a storytelling/character development point of view I find it really interesting.

How can he look so good in just a plain white t-shirt?

(Also, I miss seeing Willa Holland’s name in the credits.)

LL: I hate Oliver and I wish that he had died on the island!

Also LL: *trolls the internet for articles about him*

Me:

Also, does anyone else notice that she’s chewing on a blue pen while she’s trolling?

Now I know this couldn’t have been done on purpose since this episode was supposed to be Felicity’s one and only appearance but because the red pen has become such a big thing in the Olicity fandom...

...it’s just interesting that LL would be chewing on a blue pen.

Oh my god look at Oliver ninja his way up that wall. This man is remarkable.

I love Quentin in this episode so much! And the reason for that is because, even though he hates the Hood, he’s not so blinded by his hatred that he would just ignore contradictory evidence in order to catch the Hood. It shows how much he truly cares about justice and not just letting personal feelings get in the way. Of course, this will totally change in the next episode (as the Lances turn), but I’m just gonna ignore that for the time being and enjoy this version of Quentin.

This. Mother. Fucking. Pool.

Walter: So if I was taking out the competition, I’d have a lot of killing to do in a very short amount of time.

Walter Steele is honestly a legend. It sucks that we’ll probably never get to see him again. Ugh I miss him so much!

So Tommy and Olivear show up at Poison (the nightclub) and what are the odds that LL (and Joanna) and Thea are also at the same club at the same time? Only in TV land I guess.

Oliver: *finds out that LL (the supposed “love of his life”) is sleeping with his best friend*

Oliver: *literally no reaction whatsoever*

Later...

Oliver: *sees Felicity kissing Ray*

Oliver:

(I’m sorry I used this gif twice in one post [and so close together] but it was necessary.)

I’m just saying. If we are really supposed to believe that LL is Oliver’s once and future love, then maybe he should actually act like she is.

(On that note, though, I actually blame the writers for that because honestly I felt like Stephen was working his ass off to make the audience believe that Oliver was in love with LL while KC just gave him nothing in return. She played every scene between them so angry and bitchy even when it was totally unnecessary and didn’t fit with the tone of the scene [but more on that later].)

So LL is able to kick the crap out of Max Fuller in this episode and she did it just because his guys were beating up two people she doesn’t even really like? But literally one episode before this, when people broke into her home she just stood there not doing anything and then ran into the arms of her big, strong man.

Is LL a kickass, independent woman who can take care of herself or is she a helpless damsel in distress that needs Ollie to come and save her? I’m starting to get whiplash from all this character inconsistency.

Oliver Jonas Queen what the fuck do you think you’re doing? I know Yao Fei shot you but that was only to see if you were a threat or not. He saved your life and gave you food and water and shelter. How dare you run away from him.

Okay so I know a lot of people apparently do, but I have to admit, I actually don’t completely hate that frat boy hair Oliver has in these early flashbacks. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely prefer his present-day hair. But I don’t think the frat boy hair looks that bad.

(Then again, Stephen could probably make a mullet and a porn stache look good.)

When was the last time we saw the characters just hanging out at Big Belly Burger? That’s another request for season 7.

Argh! Oliver gets into a shootout with Lawton and Lawton destroys a perfectly good piece of technology!

Oliver Queen there is no Kevlar in that suit, you could’ve gotten seriously hurt or even killed or—

Oh hey, bb, what’s going on?

How’s your day?

I wonder how many times a day she has to ask “have you tried turning it off and then back on again”?

I wonder if she still owns this pink blouse and if it makes her smile whenever she wears it. Although, if you notice, in all 6 years of the show, she’s never worn the same outfit twice. It drives me crazy. I know that she has a lot of money from her days at Palmer Tech but it’s not unlimited. (Although apparently she and Ir*s clothes-swap now? For the record, I thought that sweater looked better on Felicity.)

And Felicity’s chewing on a red pen. Interestingly, it looks like it’s the same kind of pen as the one LL is chewing on, just a different color.

Also, I didn’t talk about this earlier when the scene actually happened, but I find it kinda great that this episode where Oliver finds out that Tommy and LL are sleeping together (and he has no reaction) is also the episode where Oliver meets Felicity. Honestly, if I didn’t know it was just a coincidence, I’d probably think the writers actually planned it all along because it’s just so damn perfect.

Okay so I know that Felicity mentions to William that she’s loved Oliver since this moment. However, since I don’t believe love at first sight is a real thing, I think that she wasn’t head over heels in love with him at this moment, but she could clearly see through all his bullshit and his Ollie Queen persona and she could see his heart. Which is why she helps him even though he’s lying out of his ass.

Because just think of where Felicity is in her life in this moment. Her father had abandoned her and never looked back and, at this point, she probably still believes that she’ll never see him again. She still has a pretty strained relationship with her mother. She still believes that Cooper is dead (I like to think that Cooper was the first guy Felicity was really in love with and that, after he died, she took a job in IT [despite being grossly overqualified] because she wanted something mundane and safe and she probably closed herself off to everyone; I can’t imagine she’s gone on many dates in the last 3 years). So I think Felicity’s pretty used to being lied to and yet, despite all that, she still decides to help Oliver anyway. Everyone always talks about this moment from Oliver’s perspective and how it’s the first time he genuinely smiles and all that, but I like to think about Felicity’s perspective. I mean, she hasn’t had the easiest life either and here comes yet another person with more lies and yet, deep down, she just has this gut feeling that he’s actually a good guy, so for the first time in probably a very long time, she takes a chance. She decides to open up her heart to this guy, whose practically a stranger, but she just knows. Because they’re kindred spirits really, and even though Oliver doesn’t know anything about her past yet, I think he can tell that too. Kindred spirits can always recognize each other.

Also, one more little note. Can we just talk about this for a second: So far, this show has been so dark—literally and metaphorically—and grim. And then...this beautiful bespeckled blonde bathed in bright daylight. Once again, if I didn’t know this was a coinincidence because this was supposed to be her only appearance, I would think the writers planned this all along. She’s the one that harnesses the light inside of him...and when they first meet its bathed in bright sunlight.

I just love this scene so much! In a way, it almost makes it better that all these things were basically accidents. Because it fits so well with the story. Oliver came back from the island with a very specific purpose and plan in mind. He never planned on meeting Felicity but now he can’t imagine his life without her. Emily was only supposed to be in one episode, but now she’s become such an integral part of the show.

This story Moira tells Thea about when she brought home a cat and Robert convinced her to let it go is so wonderful. But it also makes it that much more painful when Thea rejects Robert as her father and starts calling Malcolm “dad”. The whole time I kinda just wanted to scream at Thea and be like “BUT ROBERT LOVED YOU! He knew you weren’t his but he loved you and raised you as his own anyway!!!!!”

I was just so happy when that Malcolm/Thea storyline more or less came to an end and Thea started calling Robert “dad” again. I mean, I think Malcolm is a great character but I couldn’t stand it how he just got away with manipulating her. I don’t blame the characters, of course. I blame Guggenheim for his misogynistic writing. (And I’m pretty sure that MG is the reason Willa left which really sucks because not only did we lose a beloved character, but now MG is gone but we’ll never get to see Thea treated the way she deserves. It kinda makes me wonder if Willa decided to leave before she knew that MG was leaving too and if she would’ve stayed if she knew).

Okay I just gotta ask...with Felicity’s low ponytail and the way the hair totally covers her ears...did they do that on purpose to cover up Emily’s industrial piercing?

And if that’s so, why didn’t they just have her not wear the piercing for this scene? I may not have my ears pierced at all but I’m sure it wouldn’t be a big deal if she took the piercing out for, what, it maybe took an hour or so to film her scenes?

Ugh whatever. I’m just a very detail-oriented person so I always hyper-focus on these things.

Okay I’m sorry, but how did Quentin not recognize Oliver’s voice in this scene? It just doesn’t make any sense!

Tommy: By being better. By being someone that you deserve and that you wanna be with.

Oh Tommy, bb, you’re alreasy too good for LL, okay? She is the one that doesn’t deserve to be with you.

Yay John knows!!!

Okay that’s it for episode 3. To be continued with episode 4.

#arrow #arrow season 1 #arrow 1x03 #oliver queen #stephen amell #anti laurel lance #felicity smoak #olicity #quentin lance #walter steele #anti lauriver #anti katie cassidy #emily bett rickards #thea queen #willa holland #anti marc guggenheim

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thelawststudentdiaries · 3 years ago

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The Painted Veil

True love is not about the happy times it’s about accepting someone despite all their bad qualities and falling in love with who they really are and not just the idea of them. That’s what true love is.

I love this movie. I absolutely love it. Although from reading all the reviews it can be inferred that this has not really hit the hearts of many as it did mine.

This movie is realistic and human beings are afraid of accepting what is real and prefer the Cinderella fairytale.

Here, Walter was a bacteriologist who was a civil servant who studied infectious diseases in a lab in Shanghai. He was deeply smitten by Kitty. A beautiful, vain, selfish young woman who dreamt of romance, the romance that sweeps you off your feet, the romance that and I quote from meet joe black “ Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. How do you find him? Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart. And I'm not hearing any heart. Cause the truth is, honey, there's no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, cause if you haven't tried, you haven't lived “

This was what Kitty dreamt of, but she was forced to marry Walter during these times as women were not allowed to work and she needed a husband to support her. Further, she was pressured when her sister was already getting married.

To my view, this was the main conflict of the situation Kitty married Walter out of convenience - to get away from her mother, to have someone to support her and she did so knowing that this man was deeply in love with her but she knows she can never love him back.

Walter was cold and distant and he never really had anything to say. He just gave Kitty a comfortable life but they shared no same interests and what truly destroyed their relationship was because they were looking for qualities from one another that did not exist.

This is what’s wrong with us, humans. We often fall in love with the idea of love and not really what love is about.

I think this movie is a wonderful illustration on how to define love.

Love is a choice, love is not a fantasy wherein you dream to get swept off your feet. Love is not about the swiftness or the slow burn, it’s not about serendipity love simply is choosing to be with someone and forgiving them despite their mistakes, their short comings and all their flaws. That’s love, it’s acceptance without judgment and forgiveness without resentment. It’s choosing to stay not because of duty but because you know you cannot live without the other person.

I do not condone adultery, but here in this movie I have learned to accept it because of the peculiar circumstances of the situation.

Kitty was looking for romance and excitement but she married a man out of convenience so when she met someone who gave her what she was looking for, she dived into it.

But that’s from where true love blossoms.

When her husband, Walter found out about the infidelity he did not get even by cheating on her but he just wanted to spend more time with her and punish her and humiliate her for ever thinking that her dashing lover, the vice consul Charles Townsend would ever leave his wife.

So, Walter asks her to come with him to an isolated place where a cholera epidemic has broken out and if she refuses he will divorce her for adultery. Kitty begs Walter to let her divorce him quietly. Walter only agrees subject to the condition that Dorothy (Townsend’s wife) will also leave him, and that Townsend will marry Kitty. With that ray of hope, Kitty went to Townsend and told him about the condition.

Townsend refuses to leave his wife, and this reality hits hard for kitty. Townsend does not love her. Despite all the gifts, despite all the sweet talk it was not love because when you love someone you risk every thing for them, without a doubt -- you do not hesitate, you do not think twice you just love that person so much that you will be willing to do every thing for them

and when you make a mistake about choosing them, and decide to correct it -- you jump in with both feet and you let yourself drown in the feeling.

Which leads me back to my main point.

I honestly and fervently believe that the love between Walter and Kitty was true love. Because despite all of Kitty’s mistakes, Walter loved her with open arms and when Walter was dying and Kitty was given the choice to stay or to leave, well she was forced to go but she chose to stay. And despite all the ugliness that came from the start of their relationship, despite all the mistakes they chose to forgive and that’s true love, choosing to forgive someone over and over and staying even when you are forced to leave and embracing every thing about the other person, including and most especially the flaws.

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weekendwarriorblog · 5 years ago

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND August 16, 2019 – GOOD BOYS, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, WHERE’D YOU GO BERNADETTE and more!

Five more new wide releases this week, three of which I’ve seen, although one is embargoed until Wednesday night i.e. after this column “goes to press.”

My favorite movie of the weekend is Universal’s R-rated comedy GOOD BOYS from Bad Teacher writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, the latter making his directorial debut. It’s been one of my most anticipated movies of the year, since I’ve loved all the trailers I’ve seen. Maybe it’s just because I still have the mentality of a 10-year-old, and I generally enjoy R-rated comedy, the raunchier the better, but I’ve also been a pretty diehard fan of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s work and been itching to see this movie since it debuted at SXSW all the way back in March. It’s a nice comedic turn for Room and Wonder star Jacob Tremblay and he seems to have great chemistry with Keith L. Williams and Brady Noon, but I guess we’ll see if this is the next Superbad (after the attempt by Booksmart to be, that is)…

Mini-Review:The best comedies deliver the simplest of premises but try to fill every second with jokes that find a way to connect. In that sense, Good Boydelivers big time.

Tremblay, Williams and Noon are best friends who dub themselves the “Bean Bag Boys” who are about to enter the 6thgrade and are desperate to be seen as cool by the other kids. When Tremblay’s Max is invited to a “kissing party” by one of the cooler kids, he brings his best friends Lucas and Thor along, but first, they have to find out how to kiss.

If you’ve seen the trailers, you probably already have some idea of the hijinks they get into. Sure, there’s a danger of some of the best jokes being used in the trailer, and there’s a lot of that at least in the first half, but other jokes play out much better in the movie than they do in short bursts of marketing.

Mind you, I wasn’t a fan of the filmmaker’s Bad Teacher but having the control of directing allows them to take the humor inherent in watching young actors swearing and getting up to some crazy shit makes Good Boyswork well beyond my already high expectations. Tremblay transitions so smoothly into comedy, using all his adorable sweetness in new ways, and the other two actors are just as funny.

Like Booksmart, and yes, Superbad, and other comedies as well, this is a simple story about a group of kids on a mission to get to a party and the adventures and mishaps they get into along the way. This includes having a run-in with two older girls whose molly ends up in the boy’s hands, one of the longer over-arching subplots which leads the boys into deeper and deeper shit.

You have to give Stupnitsky a lot of credit to be able to get so much funny stuff out of the movie’s young cast and just being able to work with kids in general, but especially getting them to do and say such funny stuff without (hopefully) scarring them for life. (And if there’s an opportunity for a third movie in a Will Forte awkward Dad trilogy, I cannot wait!)

At times Good Boys goes into some obvious territory as it heads into the final act – just like in Booksmart and many of Rogen/Goldberg’s comedies, the friends have a falling out -- but it recovers nicely, keeping the laughs coming as it resolves many of the jokes set-up much earlier in the movie with a solid pay-offs.

Basically, I haven’t laughed this hard in a very long time.

Rating: 8.5/10

I did finally get to see Gurinder Chadha’s BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (New Line/WB), which was all the rave out of Sundance (and I kind of missed at CinemaCon cause the screening was too late at night). It stars Viveik Chalra as Javed, a young man living in Luton, England in the mid-80s, who wants to be writer, much to the chagrin of his traditionalist Pakistani father (Kulvinder Ghir). When he meets a classmate named Roops (Aaron Phagura), Javed is turned onto Bruce Springsteen, and hearing his music inspires him to go for his dreams, including his classmate Eliza (Nell Williams). This musical comedy is based on the memoir “Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll” by Sarfraz Manzoor, and it uses a LOT of Bruce Springsteen in the movie, for better or worse.

Let me explain…

I have never been a fan of Bruce Springsteen. Sure, I’ve always been familiar with his music, but maybe it was because I lived in New England and was more into prog rock and new wave/punk that I just never really cared to buy any of his records. (Also, I was never into the whole “rah rah USA” themes that were emerging in the ‘80s around the time of “Born in the USA.”) Oddly, the one Springsteen album I DO own and enjoy is “Magic,” which is about as big an anomaly to the rest of his discography as you can get. It’s with that in mind that I went into see Chadha’s latest movie unsure if I could bear so much Springsteen in such a short period of time…

Mini-Review: Making a movie based on a memoir generally has its limitations that may sometimes limit or constrict a filmmaker, and that might be the case with Blinded by the Light, based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s book, since he also co-wrote the screenplay.

We meet Javed (Viveik Chalra) as a boy as he hangs with his best friend Matt and navigates living in a strict Pakistani household in Luton, England with a father who wants everything a certain way. The idea of his son becoming a writer is foreign to Javed’s father Malik (beautifully portrayed by Kulvinder Ghir) but Javed perseveres and takes a creative writing class in school that inspires him to continue. (He’s driven by his teacher, played by Hayley (Agent Carter) Atwell, but gives up frequently out of frustration.)

Surprisingly, I could relate to a lot of what Javed is going through Blinded by the Light, even though I myself didn’t start writing until a much later age. The biggest immediate problem with the film is that it takes quite some time for Viveik Chalra to show any sort of personality, and this is the movie’s lead, someone that you’re supposed to care about.

Surely, there will be comparisons to other music movies of the year including the recent hit Yesterday, which under the aegis of Danny Boyle, was just a tighter piece of storytelling, maybe because he was not beholden to a real-life person like this and Rocketman.

Still, the movie does go off on too many tangents that don’t seem necessary to the overall story, like spending time with Javed’s sister at a daytime disco, something that was obviously supposed to explain her situation, but just feels extraneous. Also, the whole subplot with Javed’s childhood friend Matt feeling like Javed is growing apart from him feels unnecessary and both things take away from the main story.

The thing is that I love all the ‘80s new wave and pop that permeates the movie’s first half hour and when it’s replaced by “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Born to Run” and other Springsteen hits, it just wasn’t as enjoyable to me.

I totally can understand Chadha relating to what Sarfraz went through in terms of racism and dealing with the National Front in the ‘80s, and that aspect of the movie really comes through the best. Similarly, I enjoyed the budding romance between Javed and his classmate Eliza, although the way the film breaks out into song seems rather silly and off-putting compared to how this same thing was done in Rocketman.

Essentially, Blinded by the Light is a thoroughly enjoyable film with a lot to like about it, even if you’re not a fan of “The Boss.” It’s a film that has tonal issues and could have used some tighter editing but generally gets Sarfraz’s story across in a relatable way.

Rating: 8/10

I have seen Richard Linklater’s new film WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE (U.A. Releasing), starring Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer and newcomer, but I’m under embargo so I’ll have to add the review later on Wednesday night. I can say that Blanchett plays Bernadette Fox and she’s a rather difficult woman, although you do generally root for her when she gets into a feud with her neighbor, played by Wiig. The movie won’t really be for everyone, although I guess I can find 30-something-plus women finding it empowering but I’ll save my thoughts for the review.

Mini-Review:

There are times when I feel bad for the pressures Richard Linklater must face just by being Richard Linklater. He makes a movie like Before Midnight or Boyhood which just puts a bigger onus on him to live up to those movies, even when he wants to do something lighter or less weighty. After 2017’s Last Flag Flying, which dealt with heady topics like war in a fairly light way, Bernadette must have seemed like the perfect antiseptic.

Cate Blanchet’s Bernadette Fox was once one of the hottest up and coming architects in L.A. but after a series of disappointments, she moves to Seattle with her tech-savvy husband Elgie (Billy Crudup) where they have a now-teenage daughter named Bee (newcomer Emma Nelson). The thing is that Bernadette is rather abrasive, and she’s made enemies in the community, particularly her neighbor (Kristen Wiig) who has been complaining about blackberry bushes that are infiltrating her own yard. One thing leads to another and then another and before you know it, Bernadette has decided to pull a runner.

I should really like this movie more. I loved Ben Stiller’s remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Bernadette is very much in a similar vein but about a middle-aged woman trying to find herself.

The movie just putters around for a good hour or more trying to be funny or witty and generally failing at being even remotely entertaining. It finally gets into gear when the story moves to Antarctica as Elgie and Bee try to find Bernadette, who has gone off on a voyage to the South Pole. (Trust me, to explain her logic would involve so much time and effort that I’m not going to bother.)

The movie offers such a sweet payoff ending, but it’s hard to discount the rest of the movie leading up to that, and it never really earns that payoff since it’s wasted much of the early part of the movie trying to be a budget-rate version of HBO’s Big Little Lies.

Even the title is rather deceptive, because it’s not about everyone looking for Bernadette as much as the more metaphysical “Where’d you go?” as in “what happened to that promising architecture career you gave up?” That is what you're dealing with here.

It’s hard to completely fault Linklater for trying something different, but Bernadette is not the witty mainstream comedy it’s being advertised as and probably veers more into Cameron Crowe’s recent, experimental work in terms of tone and pacing. I’m trying hard not to outright name the movie, but you probably know the one I’m referring to. Think Hawaii.

In other words,Bernadette won’t be for everyone. I wish it luck finding its fans, but this is likely to be a cult movie that only finds a rather small following. I’m honestly surprised this isn’t a Netflix movie.

Rating: 5.5/10

Also, Entertainment Studios is releasing the underwater thriller sequel47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED on Friday night (with Thursday previews). The first movie was a surprise hit, and it was an enjoyable entry into the shark movie oeuvre, so we’ll have to see how director Johannes Roberts takes the concept to a new level with a cast that includes a couple second-gen actors like Sistine Stallone and Corrine Foxx, the daughters of Sly Stallone and Jamie Foxx.

I was invited to see Sony’s THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2, but I saw the first movie, so I didn’t feel like waking up early on a Saturday to catch the press screening. Basically, this is what it is with most of the same voice cast joined by Leslie Jones, Tiffany Haddish (of course) and a few others. It looks cute and I’m sure the characters have some fans from the multitude of games, but I’m not sure a late summer release is the way to go with this rather than just holding it for Sept. where Sony had success with the Hotel Transylvania and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies.

LOCAL FESTIVALS

Before we get to the limited releases, I want to shine a special spotlight on Film at Lincoln Center’s 12th installment of its annual “Scary Movies” series, which will kick off on Friday with Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s Villains, starring Maika Monroe (It Follows) and Bill Skarsgard (from It) as a renegade couple who break into a house in the woods. This year’s closing night film (and party!) on August 21 is Radio Silence’s gory Ready or Not, essentially on the same night of its nationwide release. Also, Andrés Kaiser’s Feral will get its New York Premiere (also Friday), as will Søren Juul Petersen’s Finale. Ari Aster will debut his longer director’s cut of his recent horror film Midsommar, but what I’m really excited about is the “Terrible Bears” double feature of the 1976 movie Grizzly and a 40thanniversary screening of John Frankenheimer’s Prophecy, two movies that scared the shit out of me as a kid and guaranteed I’d never go camping – I’ll be there for that double feature on Saturday. Basically, it’s six days of scary fun and movies that shouldn’t be missed seeing them with an audience.

LIMITED RELEASES

It’s a wild and eclectic mix of limited releases this week, beginning with Victor Kossakovsky’s doc AQUARELA (Sony Pictures Classics), opening in New York and L.A. and playing at 48FPS in the theaters capable of that tech. Kossokovsky’s film centers around the theme of water, and it travels across the globe filming all sorts of scenes most humans will never have had a chance to see from rescuing cars that have fallen through the ice at Russia’s Lake Bailal to Venezuela’s Angel Falls to Miami being hit by a hurricane. The film does have a meditative quality that I quite enjoyed, but as with many cinema verité films, there just wasn’t enough of a narrative, so you never really know what you’re watching. It’s beautifully-shot with some of the most impressive cinematography you’re likely to see (and shot in 96 FPS to really create such vivid clarity). I also kind of liked some of the music, but even at a short 90 minutes I found myself getting bored, so this probably won’t be for everyone.

Although I mentioned I’m not a fan of cinema verité docs, I thoroughly enjoyed Iván Osnovikoff and Betinna Perut’s LOS REYES (Grasshopper Film), which looks at two homeless dogs, Chola and Football, that live at a skatepark in Santiago, Chile. The movie basically films the two dogs and follows their exploits 24/7 and pieces together a compelling story that shows these animals to have true emotions equal to that of any human. The footage of the dogs is superimposed with dialogue between some of the skaters (and drugdealers) that convene at the park, which is an interesting dichotomy to watch. It’s a beautiful film that opens Wednesday at Film Forum on Wednesday, and while I will recommend it to dog lovers, I will mention one caveat that there is a sadder portion to the movie that might upset those who love watching the dogs. (In other words, I’m not sure it would be a good movie for younger kids.)

Yet ANOTHER cinema verité doc out this weekend is Roberto Minervini’s What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire (KimStim), the filmmaker’s follow-up to his Texas Trilogy. This one is a portrait of disparate African-Americans in New Orleans dealing with the cultural racism that has kept them down their entire lives. I can’t say that I was a huge fan of the movie, because I tend to prefer docs that have a stronger narrative rather than being random scenes – beautifully-shot in black and white, mind you. After a preview screening at the Maysles Documentary Center up in Harlem on Wednesday night, the movie will open at Film at Lincoln Center on Friday… and then it’s back at the Maysles for five days starting August 23, before it goes to L.A. Laemmle Glendale on Sept. 6 and other cities after that.

Not cinema verité but still a documentary, kind of, is Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger’s COLD CASE HAMMARSKJÖLD (Magnolia), which begins as his examination to try to prove that UN secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld’s 1961 plane crash in Congo was a deliberate assassination attempt. In trying to solve the case about what happened, the filmmaker -- who inserts himself into the movie similarly as Werner Herzog might, almost to a fault -- discovers something even more nefarious involving Apartheid in South Africa. I will give Brügger points for being innovative with this quirky pseudo-doc, but after two hours, the movie leaves you with more questions than answers, which is frustrating. It opens in New York, L.A., San Fran, Philly and a couple other theaters this weekend.

From GKIDs comes Salvador Simó’s animated BUÑUEL IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE TURTLES which follows the Spanish surrealist who has been shunned from making films in France and has had a falling out with his collaborator Salvador Dali. Broke, he returns to Spain where his poet friend Ramón Acin offers to fund his next movie if he wins the lottery, which he does, as the two of them go into the mountains to film the documentary Las Hurdes in the impoverished village.

This is a really interesting film, not only because the story itself is quite fascinating, but also Simó’s decision to use animation to tell the story. The animation is fairly simplistic, but it works, and it gets even more interesting as Simó actually intersperses footage from the documentary Las Hurdes into the animation showing them make the movie. I honestly know very little about Buñuel other than his classic works, so it’s interesting to see his transition after the disappointing showing for his feature L’Age D’Or, as well as how both his provocative and more humanistic sides come out while making the movie. Simó’s film will open at the Quad Cinema in New York and L.A.’s Landmark Nuart on Friday, plus other cities later.

Shinsuko (Bleach) Sato’s action epic KINGDOM (FUNimation Films), based on the Japanese manga, will open in select theaters nationwide Friday. Oddly, it’s set in China during the 3rd Century where the kingdom of Qin is separated into seven divisions constantly battling against each other. The story mainly focuses on two boys who were raised as slaves and then separated, one to go work under the king.This film was also frustrating, because I generally love this genre, but the storytelling was all over the place in terms of tone and the pacing was off, especially with the sporadic spacing of the action scenes. Also, it covers some of the same territory as Zhang Yimou’s Hero, which is one of my favorite Asian martial arts films of all time, and this pales by comparison. I’ll be curious to see how wide FUNimation Films releases this on Friday and if there’s enough of a fanbase for the Manga stateside for it to have any sort of impact, but I was generally disappointed.

Opening at the IFC Center Wednesday is Rhys Ernst’s coming-of-age comedy (of sorts) ADAM, which premiered at Sundance this year. It stars Nicholas Alexander as high school senior Adam Freeman who goes to visit his older sister Casey (Margaret Qualley) in New York City over the summer and falls for Bobbi Salvör Menuez’s lesbian Gillian who presumes that Adam is trans, and he doesn’t bother to correct her. This is a really fascinating film written by Ariel Schrag, writer on “The L Word,” that takes an honest look at gender and sexuality in a way I haven’t really seen in many movies. It’s a light film with humor but it handles the topic in a serious and almost educational way for those of us CIS-hetero-males who may still be somewhat lost when it comes to some aspects of the LGBTQ+ community. The cast is fantastic, particularly Alexander and Menuez, but also Leo Sheng as Casey’s roommate who befriends Adam. It’s kind of interesting seeing Qualley playing a modern-day woman – the movie actually takes place in 2006 – since I’ve only seen her in period films like Novitiate and Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, but her role is fairly minor even if it helps explore the different types of lesbians. The movie has sweet moments but most of it works due to Schrag’s fine script and Ernst’s ability to get such great performances out of the cast. A worthy addition to the conversation.

Also opening at the IFC Center Friday isArgentine filmmaker Lucio Castro’s debut End of the Century (Cinema Guild), which follows a 30-something Argentine poet named Ocho (Juan Barberini) who travels to Barcelona where he falls for as Spaniard from Berlin named Javi (Ramón Pujol) and after a few failed attempts to meet, they finally hook-up.

Also opening at the Maysles Thursday night is Danniel Krikke’s Scared of Revolution (Film Movement), a documentary about Last Poets performer Umar Bin Hassan, who is struggling as he reaches his 70s decades after influencing many later hip-hop artists.

Opening on Thursday in about 200 theaters is the Bollywood release Mission Mangal (FIP) from director Jagan Shakti, based on the true story of the women scientists who take part in India’s space program. Akshay Kumar plays Rakesh Dhawan and Vidya Balan is Tara Shinde, who lead a team of scientists to launch India’s first satellite to Mars.

After that is a bunch of odds and ends…

William McGregor’s thriller Gwen (RLJEFilms/Shudder) stars Eleanor Worthington-Cox as the title character whose world is collapsing around as she deals with a malevolent presence, while the Korean thriller The Divine Fury (Well GO USA) is about an MMA fighter who helps an exorcist fight evil.

Nick Hamm’s comedic crime-thriller Driven (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), starring Jason Sudeikis, Lee Pace, Judy Greer and Justin Bartha with Pace playing John DeLorean and Sudeikis playing his ex-con FBI informant friend Jim Hoffman who lured him into a cocaine trafficking ring. It gets a theatrical and On Demand release almost a year after it premiered at Toronto.

Opening in L.A. on Friday and then in New York on August 23 is Nick Richey’s teen drama Low Low (Halfway Crooks Entertainment, Gravitas Ventures); the Jonathan Rhys-Myers-led suspense thriller Awake (Cinedigm) directed by Alex Cher and Fedor Lyass; and Brazilian-American director Alexandre Moratto’s gay drama Socrates (Breaking Glass Pictures), which opens at the Laemmle Music Hall in L.A. on Friday and at New York’s Cinema Village on August 23.

STREAMING AND CABLE

By now, you’ve probably already heard the consternation of Marlon Wayans going full Eddie Murphy for his comedy SEXTUPLETS premiering on Netflix Friday. The concept involves Wayans as an expectant father who learns that he’s actually 1/6thof a series of sextuplets, so he goes out to meet them… and they’re all played by Wayans in various make-up prosthetic and fat suits.

Netflix is also debuting the new docu-series Happy Jail about a Philippines jail that becomes known for a viral Michael Jackson video that’s then taken charge by a convict.

I’m embarrassed to say that I still haven’t seen the first season of Mindhunter, but the 2ndseason premieres on Friday as well.

Also Friday, there’s an animated movie called Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus which continues from the popular Adult Swim cartoon show from the early ‘00s.

REPERTORY

Opening on Thursday night nationwide is Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now Final Cut, the 3-hour plus version of his 1979 movie being released in IMAX theaters on its 40th Anniversary following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Check theater listings as it’s only playing once a day at some theatres and might only be for a few days.

METROGRAPH (NYC):

Starting this Friday is the new series Minelli Widescreen, as in Vincente Minelli, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind films like Gigi (1958), An American in Paris (1958), Some Came Running (1958), Bells are Ringing (1960) and many more, all shown using the filmmaker’s 2:35:1 widescreen frame, so this should be something special. This week’s Late Nites at Metrograph is Leos Carax’s 2012 film Holy Motors and the Playtime: Family Matinees is the 1973 film (one of my favorites) The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. This week’s installment of “Godard/Karina Late Nights” is Alphaville (1965) on Thursday through Saturday nights. Unless it’s extended, Thursday will be your last chance to see the 4k restoration of Juraj Herz’s 1969 film The Cremator. It’s a very strange movie, kind of like if David Lynch directed an Addams Family movie, but then it gets far darker and more nefarious. Not to be shown up by BAM’s recent Millennial series, Metrograph is bringing back two of what I consider the most overrated movies of the year i.e. two movies that Millennials love – Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir and Claire Dennis’ English debut High Life, starring Robert Pattinson. I didn’t care for either movie.

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

Just because it’s his theater and he can do whatever he wants Quentin Tarantino continues to use the theater to mostly show Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood through the end of August. As far as rep stuff, this Wed’s matinee is the Rock Hudson-Doris Day film Lover Come Back (1961), the weekend’s KIDDEE MATINEE is Norman Tokar’s 1969 film Rascaland then Monday’s matinee is James Mangold’s Girl, Interruptedfrom 1999, for which Angelina Jolie won an Oscar.

FILM FORUM (NYC):

The Burt Lancaster series ends Thursday so you have one last chance to see Criss Cross, Elmer Gantry, The Rose Tattoo and Conversation Piece, as another fantastic rep series comes to a close. Starting Friday is the next three-week series called “Marty and Jay’s Double Features.” The “Marty” is one Martin Scorsese and the Jay is film critic Jay Cocks, and they’ve put together a pretty amazing line-up, beginning with Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket (1959) paired with Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man (1956) on Friday, Saturday is Renoir’sThe Golden Coach (1952) with Minnelli’s The Band Wagon (1953), and a double feature of Olivier’s Richard III (1955) with Roger Corman’s The Tomb of Ligeia (1964). By the way, those are the only days you’ll be able to see these movies, since they won’t be screening multiple times. The one exception is Sunday and Monday’s double feature of Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975) with a very rare Peter Sellers short called The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn from 1956. I’m not going to go through the whole series but click on the link above and start planning accordingly. Remember, it’s two classic films for the price of one!

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Not to be outshone by Tarantino and the New Bev, the theaters is doing “Once Upon a Time” double features… no, not Tarantino’s movie but a double feature of Once Upon a Time in China (1991) and its 1992 sequel Once Upon a Time in China 2on Thursday, then on Friday, Robert Rodriguez’s Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) with the 2012 Turkish film Once Upon a Time in Anatolia. Of course, they’ll show Charles Bronson’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) on Saturday and then the Sergio Leone crime-thriller Once Upon a Time in America (1984), starring De Niro and James Woods, on Sunday

AERO (LA):

Weds night, the AERO is screening the musical comedy How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (1967) with star Robert Morse in person! Thursday begins a series called “The Neo-Noir of John Dahl” with filmmaker John Dahl in person for double features of The Last Seduction (1994) and Rounders (1998) on Thursday, then Val Kilmer’s Kill Me Again (1989) and Nicolas Cage’s Red Rock West (1993) on Friday. The “Highballs and Screwballs” series continues Saturday with The Lady Eve (1941), starring Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, and Fritz Lang’s Scarlet Street(1945). The AERO has also started a “Dysfunctional Family Matinees” series with Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953)screening Tuesday afternoon.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

You have a couple more days to catch a few of the “Beach Reads: From Sun to Screen” movies, basically Airport, The Deep and The Island on Wednesday, and then Hotel, Valley of the Dolls and The Love Machine on Thursday. Beginning Friday is a restoration DCP of Jacqueline Audry’s Olivia (1951) set in a French finishing school where an English girl finds herself falling for her teacher Clara.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

This week’s Weekend Classics: Staff Picks Summer 2019 is Satyajit Ray’s 1955 film Pather Panchali, Waverly Midnights: Staff Picks Summer 2019 is chosen by some guy named “Ezra” who picked Lexi Alexander’s 2008 movie Punisher: War Zone, while Late Night Favorites: Summer 2019 is… once again… James Cameron’s Aliens. (Seriously, these movies really seem to be on a loop.) On Tuesday, as part of its “Movies with MZS” aka film critic Matt Zoller Seitz, the IFC will screen James Cameron’s 198 movie The Abyss in 35mm print)

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

Punks, Poets & Valley Girls: Women Filmmakers in 1980s America continues through the weekend, screening Julia Bashore’s 1986 film Kamikaze Hearts, Kathryn Bigelow’s 1987 vampire flick Near Dark, Allison Anders’ Border Radio (also from ’87), and then from 1988, there’s Genevieve Roberts’ Casual Sex? And Penny Marshall’s Big, Martha Coolidge’s 1983 film Valley Girl, and Amy Heckerling’s classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High from 1982. On Sunday, the series will screen Mary Lambert’s Pet Sematary with some of her music videos. Also, on Thursday night, BAM is screening Spike Lee’s School Daze (1988).

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

With Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premiering later this month, MOMI is going to show the original The Dark Crystal… and while you’re there, you might as well check out the Jim Henson Exhibit, which has been running there since January.

ROXY CINEMA (NYC)

The downtown New York theater will screen Truffaut’s 400 Blows (1959) on Weds and Saturday and Jacques Demy’s musical The Young Girls of Rochefort(1968) on Thursday and Sunday.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART (LA):

Friday night’s midnight offering is Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum.

Next week, fewer movies as we get further into the “Dog Days of Summer” although I’m kind of looking forward to seeing Angel Has Fallen, the third movie in the Gerard Butler action franchise.

#WhatToWatchThisWeekend GoodBoys AngryGirds BlindedByTheLight WheredYouGoBernadette Movies Reviews

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spryfilm · 7 years ago

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“Baby Driver” (2017)

Action

Running Time: 113 minutes

Written & Directed by: Edgar Wright

Featuring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal

Doc: “So here’s the thing, I’m looking at some of the country’s finest thugs and of course young Mozart in a go-cart over there. People love great bank robbery stories, so let’s give them something full and brazen as fuck to talk about over their lattes.”

After much anticipation Edgar Wright’s career course correction has arrived, after leaving the super hero project “Ant-Man” (2015), (which in fact turned out very well thank you) he has brought to the screen an almost entirely original proposition. In seeing this weeks new release “Baby Driver” (2017), we can only wonder what his vision of the diminutive super hero may have been. To be frank I was shocked watching this new film as it hits the mark on almost every cylinder, it is full of action, drama, comedy, music and thrills, all packed in at under two hours, pedestrian by the lengths of some of the movies released this Summer – especially considering some of them go absolutely nowhere.

After all the shenanigans with mates Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as well as the overtly pop culture referenced work of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World“ (2010) it is great to see him create something (albeit with a nod towards Walter Hills now classic “The Driver” (1979)) original as well as slick not forgetting smart. This feels like the movie that Wright has promised for so long after the double hits of “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) and “Hot Fuzz” (2007). With “Baby Driver”, Wright has built a film around solid if not extreme characters, that are all driving towards goals that while not unified are understandable in the world they are living in. When you watch this movie it works because of the nature of the narrative that builds the plot which is the use of scene appropriate music that frames almost every scene, whether believable or not. This is a fantasy, a dream that asks us to leave real life at the door, welcome the madness as well as holding on to our seats for a truly unique experience.

The film is centred around Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young getaway driver in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was a child, a car accident killed his parents and left him with severe tinnitus, which he blocks out by listening to music. He also records his everyday conversations and remixes them into songs using vintage audio equipment. Baby works for Doc (Kevin Spacey), a mastermind heist planner, to pay off a debt he incurred after stealing one of Doc’s cars. Baby lives with his deaf foster father, Joseph. After pulling off a robbery, Baby is told that the next job will pay off his debt. Baby meets waitress Debora (Lily James) at a diner he frequents, and they fall in love.

Wright has done something few writer/directors are capable of, that is he has reinvented his style to accomodate a new movie. Now while the pace of this film is quick, the actual editing and the way we shift from scene to scene is not. This is in contrast to Wright’s previous films, pretty much all of them, where the audience would be taken from scene to scene with a frenetic style that may have been hiding some of the flaws that were hidden within the plot. Whilst music has always played a large part in Wright’s movies this is the first time he has injected them into the narrative without them being a crux that the move relies on. What I mean by this is if you remove the music from this movie you still have a heist/chase film. With the music added you are witness to a deeper story that invigorates the characters motivations – something special indeed.

The plot of this movie is something audiences have seen many times before, you know, the one about a person trapped in a situation that they cannot extricate themselves from, but can see a way out, particularly after meeting a third party, which normally turns into their love interest. However, this films plot is framed by the well thought out, as well as the soundtrack, full of deep cuts which opens with the toe tappingly great Jon Spencer Blues Explosion ‘Bellbottoms’, where Baby and his crew rob a bank, this plays while they make their outrageous getaway, something that hints at the pace for the rest of the film. The opening also makes a statement about the movie as well as Wright saying “I have arrived!”, in the loudest way possible. Most, if not all the music is diegetic which is unique in itself without the movie being a musical, although at times this movie has many of the same beats as a musical – witness the opening credits sequence with Baby moving in a single shot to the original ‘Harlem Shuffle’, as well as the ending all choreographed to the amazing ‘Brighton Rock’ by Queen. Baby moves as well as drives like a dancer, and the car fu (if you will) beats almost anything seen in the ‘Fast’ franchise, seemingly without the massive CGI that is needed for those behemoths.

Talking about Baby, played by relative newcomer Ansel Elgort, is a character that almost reaches the heights Wright had for him, but maybe his face is a little too baby, without the lived in physique another actor may have had – they try and rough him up by scarring him, but he is almost too pretty – maybe even prettier than leading lady Lilly James – who in my mind seems a little too twee for the part as well as out of her depth in the role. However none of this really matters when the stars come out to play with some of the best dialogue around, they chew it up and roughhouse with each other like the pros they are. Witness Kevin Spacey as ‘Doc’ (an obvious homage to Steve McQueen) who runs the show, Jon Bernthal as Griff (seen all too briefly) and Eiza González as Darling a a lovingly twisted partner to the scene stealing (saying that in this film is a real compliment) Jon Hamm as Buddy.

Speaking of the absolute best performances, they come from the aforementioned John Hamm as Buddy and Jamie Foxx as way too crazy Bats. It can be no mistake that these two actors have the best roles as well as give the best performances; they are polar opposites in this and are set up against each other for most of their time onscreen. However, it is Hamm in the bigger and more defining role that steals the entire movie – including the music. Hamm shines like no other time onscreen in his career, here he is not relying on his winking at the camera or chiseled looks, it is just his menace as well as his complete understanding of Baby that makes his part in this film timeless. Foxx is excellent as well in a dangerous role that sparks the entire third act into motion as well as offering some menacing looks and dialogue, he is always great, but here like Hamm he is off the hook, unlike anything I have seen him in since possibly “Django Unchained” (2012). These two performances are reason enough to see this movie at the cinemas.

Judging from the box office success of this film, quickly approaching US$100 million at the US box office alone this will be one of the bigger success of this Summer season, given that this is an original movie, much like “Dunkirk” (2017) which at this stage looks like it too will be a big success. It can be no coincidence that these two original films (both written and directed by Englishmen) will be surpassing expectations, unlike the glut of sequels, reboots and comic book movies which have mostly lagged behind expectations both critically and financially. What does this say about the tastes of audiences, for one thing maybe its time that more original movies were being made and that filmmakers should be left alone to create original properties?

If you want to see an excellent action/thriller movie this year then this will be the one for you. You will definitely get a kick out of the music as well as the interplay with Baby, as well as the rest of the cast. This is a modestly budgeted film with a cast that is worth their weight in gold. You would be crazy to not see this on the big screen with the volume turned up to 11.

Oh yeah, and look out for the great Paul Williams dressed in a white suit – priceless.

Track list:

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – ‘Bellbottoms’

Bob & Earl – ‘Harlem Shuffle’

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers – ‘Egyptian Reggae’

Googie Rene – ‘Smokey Joe’s La La’

The Beach Boys – ‘Let’s Go Away For Awhile’

Carla Thomas – ‘B-A-B-Y’

Kashmere Stage Band – ‘Kashmere’

Dave Brubeck – ‘Unsquare Dance’

The Damned – ‘Neat Neat Neat’

The Commodores – ‘Easy (Single Version)’

Rex – ‘Debora’

Beck – ‘Debra’

Incredible Bongo Band – ‘Bongolia’

The Detroit Emeralds – ‘Baby Let Me Take You (in My Arms)’

Alexis Korner – ‘Early In The Morning’

David McCallum – ‘The Edge’

Martha and the Vandellas – ‘Nowhere To Run’

The Button Down Brass – ‘Tequila’

Sam & Dave – ‘When Something Is Wrong With My Baby’

Brenda Holloway – ‘Every Little Bit Hurts’

Blur – ‘Intermission’

Focus – ‘Hocus Pocus (Original Single Version)’

Golden Earring – ‘Radar Love (1973 Single Edit)’

Barry White – ‘Never, Never Gone Give Ya Up’

Young MC – ‘Know How’

Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’

Sky Ferreira – ‘Easy’

Simon & Garfunkel – ‘Baby Driver’

Kid Koala – ‘Was He Slow (Credit Roll Version)’

“Baby Driver” is out now in cinemas everywhere.

Film review: “Baby Driver” (2017) “Baby Driver” (2017) Action Running Time: 113 minutes Written & Directed by: Edgar Wright Featuring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal…

#Ansel Elgort #baby driver #baby driver review #edgar wright #film #Film review #film reviews #jamie foxx #jon bernthal #jon hamm #kevin spacey #movie #movie review #movie review new zealand #movies reviews

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cinema-tv-etc · 4 years ago

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My favourite film: Double Indemnity

In our writers' favourite film series, Paul Howlett is moved by the heartbreak in this classy film noir about an insurance salesman Do you feel betrayed by this review? Then write your own here or brood in the shadows of the comments section below

Who would have thought a movie about an insurance guy could be so bitter, so suspenseful, so heartbreaking? I love Double Indemnity because it's about a couple who are cheap and greedy, but achieve a kind of tragic heroism; because it has one of the great father-son relationships (although they aren't actually father and son); because it's a thoroughly cynical thriller redeemed by just a fading touch of romance. And it also has a trio of superb performances: Fred MacMurray, who tended to play amiable chumps, was here recast as a devious murderer (though still a bit of a chump); Barbara Stanwyck, as the deadliest of femme fatales; and Edward G Robinson, the career-gangster now turned softy with "a heart as big as a house".

Like Billy Wilder's other coldblooded, consummate film noir, Sunset Boulevard, where the hero begins his narration from the swimming pool in which he floats, dead, you know things are unlikely to go well for Walter Neff (MacMurray). He's shot and bleeding; and he's recounting, via an office dictaphone recording to his mentor Barton Keyes (Robinson), his tale of love, murder and betrayal. How he hooked up with the icily beautiful Phyllis Dietrichson (Stanwyck) and conned her rich, unloving husband into signing a life insurance policy (with bonus double indemnity clause) he didn't want, so they could murder him and collect the dosh; how love turned sour and mutual suspicion had fatal consequences.

Screenwriters Wilder and Raymond Chandler did a terrific job on James M Cain's hardboiled novel – with a pairing like that, how could they not? It crackles with sardonic dialogue, as in the couple's first charged meeting, when Neff is so taken by Phyllis and her sexy anklet ("There's a speed limit in this state, Mr Neff – 45 miles per hour." "How fast was I going, officer?" "I'd say around 90"). His world-weary voiceover, likewise, has an eerie, doomed quality: "I couldn't hear my own footsteps. It was the walk of a dead man."

The film was shot by John Seitz like a textbook noir. Outdoors it's nearly always night, while the interiors, at the Dietrichson house and in Neff's apartment, are all brooding shadows; the only sunlight filters weakly through the blinds, catching the dust in the air. It's a setting ripe for hot passion and coldhearted, greedy plotting, which is unpicked only under the glare of the brightly lit insurance office.

It's this office that Keyes inhabits; he's the insurance guy devoted to his job ("an insurance manager is a surgeon, a doctor, a bloodhound; cop, judge, jury and father confessor …"). Keyes is the man who figures out that Dietrichson was murdered, and how; and who provides the film's true emotional heft. Because, despite his forensic intelligence, Keyes doesn't see the truth staring him in the face – that Phyllis's lover and accomplice is Neff, his colleague and friend of 11 years, who always has a light for his cheap cigars, and who even admits: "I love you, too."

What marks Double Indemnity out from other great film noirs is that sense, among all the crazy, twisted, duplicitous shenanigans, of real, human heartbreak. It isn't in the violent showdown that concludes the Neff/Phyllis passion play: that was a fatal clinch from the start, despite their fluctuating emotions (she, finally, can't quite bring herself to kill him; he, almost on a whim, and already shot, takes time out to rescue her stepdaughter's relationship). No, it's when the dying Neff spells it out to Keyes: "You couldn't figure this one … because the guy you were looking for was too close – right across the desk from you." Keyes quietly, tenderly replies: "Closer than that, Walter."

https://www.theguardian.com/us/film

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My favourite film

https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2011/nov/29/my-favourite-film-double-indemnity

#Double Indemnity #favourite film

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thegloober · 6 years ago

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Scott Wilson: 1942-2018

by Peter Sobczynski

October 7, 2018 |

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It is hard enough writing a memoriam feature that celebrates the life and work of someone you know them only from their work. It becomes exponentially more difficult when writing about someone you have actually met, and therefore know them as more than just a collection of film titles that you have seen and admired over the years. That is the situation that I find myself in writing about actor Scott Wilson, who passed away yesterday at the age of 76 from complications from leukemia. Over the years, I have admired many of his performances. But I was also lucky enough to meet him in person several times, even getting the honor of sitting next to him on a panel that we both appeared on at Ebertfest, where he was a regular and much beloved guest. Every time I got to talk to him, he was unfailingly kind and open and, best of all, filled with great stories. I mention all of this here upfront because as you read this, I want to stress the fact that he was not just a great actor but a great guy as well.

Photo: AP

Born in Thomasville, Georgia on March 29, 1942, Wilson had originally planned to attend Georgia’s Southern Tech University on a basketball scholarship to study architecture. Instead, in a move that one could see a character of his making in a movie, he elected to hitchhike out to Los Angeles. Once there, he happened to meet an actor in a bar one day who invited him to come along with him to an audition. Wilson didn’t land the part but clearly found his vocation and for the next several years, he supported himself with menial jobs while appearing in local theatrical productions. Unlike a lot of actors, who find themselves slogging through a number of fairly embarrassing movie roles before hitting the big time, Wilson was lucky enough to start his film career as close to the top as possible when Norman Jewison hired him to portray one of the murder suspects in the controversial, award-winning drama “In the Heat of the Night” (1967, pictured above). That same year, director Richard Brooks hired him for his next project, an adaptation of Truman Capote’s landmark work “In Cold Blood” in which he would co-star with Robert Blake as Richard Hickock, one of two men who break into the isolated house of a farm family and kill the four people inside in a robbery gone bad, a crime for which they are eventually captured, tried, and executed.

In making the film, Brooks strove to bring as much authenticity to the project as possible, even going so far as to shoot scenes inside the actual house where the crimes happened and the courtroom where the trial was held. It is entirely possible that he initially cast Wilson for the same reason as he happened to have a striking physical similarity to the person that he was playing. If that was the case, Brooks certainly got a bonus because Wilson’s performance as Hickock is absolutely chilling and wrenching to watch—while co-star Blake is just recognizable enough to remind you that he is acting (not to demean his strong performance at all), Wilson all but disappears into the part to the point where you actually feel at times as if you are watching the real Hickock going through these events. He was so effective in the role, in fact, that an argument could be made that it was actually detrimental to his career as a whole—despite receiving numerous accolades and the cover of Life, he never quite attained the level of stardom one might have naturally expected after appearing in a film where he made such an impact.

“The Ninth Configuration”

Although he would not make a lot of movies in the wake of “In Cold Blood,” he nevertheless found himself appearing in a number of intriguing projects. He turned up in such projects as Sydney Pollack’s surrealistic war drama “Castle Keep” (1969), John Frankenheimer’s period drama “The Gypsy Moths” (1969), Robert Aldrich’s gangster thriller “The Grissom Gang” (1971), the cop drama “The New Centurions” (1972, the weirdo hillbilly revenge saga “Lolly-Madonna XXX” (1973) and the small but undeniably important role of George Wilson in the heavily hyped Robert Redford-Mia Farrow version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” (1974).

His best performance during this period was in perhaps the least seen of the films he made during that time, the genuinely bizarre “The Ninth Configuration” (1980, pictured above), in which writer/director William Pete Blatty adapted his own novel about an isolated castle serving as an asylum for mentally ill US soldiers whose new commanding officer, Colonel Kane (Stacey Keach) allows the patients to embrace their delusions in an attempt to rehabilitate them—the joke is that the guy in charge may actually be just as crazy as the people he is overseeing. Wilson plays Billy Cutshaw, an astronaut who has been sent to the facility after suffering a nervous breakdown that led him to abort a moon launch. The scenes between Cutshaw and Kane in which they debate the existence of God and the afterlife turn out to be the emotional and dramatic anchor of a film that could have spun off into pure weirdness (and believe me, it gets pretty weird) without them and show both actors at their very best. Although it would go on to become a cult favorite, the film bombed when it came out but Wilson’s performance made enough of an impact that he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

The next couple of decades saw him continuing to work in an eclectic variety of films, which kicked off with an appearance in a genuine American classic, Phillip Kaufman’s “The Right Stuff” (1983), in which he played test pilot Scott Crossfield. From there, he turned up in such films as “Blue City” (1986), “Malone” (1987) and Walter Hill’s twisted crime drama “Johnny Handsome” (1989) and then reunited with Blatty on the equally bizarre and underrated “The Exorcist III” (1990), a genuinely creepy and very strange continuation of Blatty’s legendary creation. There were also some instantly forgettable films like “Young Guns II” (1990) and “Pure Luck” and more ambitious projects like the moody drama “Flesh & Bone” (1993) and “Geronimo: An American Legend” (1993). But he found himself in another adaptation of a Truman Capote work, the nostalgic comedy-drama “The Grass Harp” (1995) and stood out as the chaplain in the powerful drama “Dead Man Walking” (1995).

His most significant role during this time would once again come from an unexpected source, an adaptation of the children’s book “Shiloh” (1996), in which he plays Judd Travers, the cruel and abusive owner of the titular beagle who winds up befriending a neighbor boy whose own family has also been terrorized by Judd over the years. Yes, the description may make it sound dull at best and icky at worst but it proved to be a surprisingly effective drama for younger and older audiences alike. Wilson’s performance was a key factor in that—instead of playing the character as some kind of cartoonish monster, he quietly shows us the lifetime of hurt that has caused him to try and inspire as much hurt to others as possible. The effectiveness of his work was best illustrated after a screening of the film at Ebertfest where he was joined on stage by a group of kids with questions for him, the first one being “Mister, why are you so mean?” His perfect response was “Honey, I just don’t know but I learned my lesson.” Indeed, over the course of two sequels, “Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season” (1999) and “Saving Shiloh” (2006), his character would slowly begin to grow past the hatred in his life to the point where it became obvious that the series was really about him all along.

Photo: Thompson-McClellan Photography

At last, Wilson began working steadily in film projects both big and small. He appeared in historical epics like “Pearl Harbor” (2001) and “The Last Samurai” (2003) and small indie films like Victor Nunez’s “Coastlines” (2002), the celebrated “Junebug” (2005, with the Ebertfest appearance pictured above) and Joey Lauren Adam’s lovely 2006 directorial debut “Come Early Morning.” He had a brief but powerful bit as the final victim of serial killer Aileen Wurnos (Charlize Theron) in “Monster” (2003) and unexpectedly popped up amid the chaos in Bong Joon-Ho’s wild monster movie extravaganza “The Host” (2006). On television, he had a recurring role on “CSI” and appeared on such shows as “The X-Files” and “Law & Order.”

His best performance of this period—possibly my favorite performance of his entire career, to be honest—was in “Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon” (2006), a hilarious mockumentary-style spoof of slasher movies in which a documentary crew follows a would-be psycho killer as he meticulously prepares to slaughter the usual crop of dumb teenagers over the course of one night. The film effectively goofs on all the cliches and tropes of the genre, but hits its high point when Wilson turns up as Leslie’s mentor in murder, a former killer himself (it is implied that he is the one behind the killings in the classic “Black Christmas”) who offers sage advice on how one can survive such an attack (“Run like a motherfucker and don’t stop till the sun comes up”) in such a deadpan manner that practically every line he utters turns out to be gold. When I was on that panel with him, I even made sure to take a moment to praise both that film and him to the skies, and while I suppose that diversion may have perplexed many in the audiences who had not seen it (although a cult favorite now, it received a pathetically tiny theatrical release), I am now happier than ever that I did.

Although Wilson would continue to turn up in films from time to time—he made an especially impressive appearance in “Hostiles” (2017), which would prove to be his final film—the later years of his career would find him working more in television. There, he would become best known for playing Hershel Greene for several seasons of the long-running hit “The Walking Dead” and turned up in episodes of such shows as “Justified,” “Enlightened,” “Damien,” “Bosch” and “The OA.” Because of his association with “The Walking Dead,” it was ensured that his passing would not go unnoticed and I can only hope that the renewed interest in the man will inspire some to go looking at some of his past work to see what a truly gifted and memorable actors he was. He may not have been the most famous of actors but when it comes to the things more important than fame—little things like talent and decency—what he left behind will more than stand the test of time.

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Source: https://bloghyped.com/scott-wilson-1942-2018/

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kindergarchy · 6 years ago

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A tale for the time being by Ruth Ozeki

So what happened was that I staggered my way through Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters (it got real….boring halfway through) and I brought the book to a bar where it got lost. So this book was next and I finished it last week. I liked it more than Beautiful Ruins, it reminded me of some nameless books I used to read in secondary school days? Mostly within the realm of coming-of-age narrative in first person peppered with surreal mini-adventures.

I probably liked the book less than I should, although it has elements that I missed/liked, including the topics of meditation, mental health, Schrodinger's cat, and reverse culture shock. And the way it is narrated too, which is mainly divided into the protagonist #1’s pov (in the form of diary) and protagonist #2’s pov (real-time, in third person). I realized that this division is at the core of the book hence is inseparable from it, but at the end I felt like it does it slightly more harm than good, the narratives turn choppy and there were parts my curiosity supposedly stimulated by the alternating povs was not substantial enough to carry on and switch to the other pov (really didn’t care about what happens to protagonist #2). Was it just due to the less-than-ideal pacing and momentums? Well for all I know this could be just my personal preference… Anyway the author Ruth Ozeki seems to be a cool lady, she’s a zen monk and all (always intrigued by monks who appear “normal” + live a city life) I was about to listen to her session with Brad Listi on Otherppl, maybe I should listen to that and give some update here after

Another interesting feature of this book is the footnote, I didn’t realize that the book was originally written in English until a few pages in, and I thought the footnote was written by a translator. When the footnote raised suspicions/questions whose answer can be found easily via modern means, it hit me that it was written by protagonist #2

I also liked the way the book starts off, seems very… self-aware in a way that moulds pretty well the thought process of a junior high school student’s. It does not omit the awkwardness (“Hi! My name is Nao, and I am a time being… Ugh. That was dumb. I’ll have to do better. I bet you’re wondering what kind of stupid girl would write words like that.”) and the lengthy explanation/justification for the existence of the record in the first place, the way you’ll probably feel when you post your thoughts publicly: You put a bit of yourself out there, and you have to, in a place where you’re not too sure whether there’s an audience in the first place (like here? should I feel awkward? lol nah). Nao’s confidence of the special audience’s existence however is uniquely strong in this case, which propels the book forward, giving her diary a conversational and eventually an “interactive” flavor as it goes

This book struck me as one that a Sophie’s World fan might enjoy? (A big ‘might’ bc I’ve never actually read the book lol). It leaves you a trail of philosophical nuggets and interesting riddles that are packaged in a lighthearted manner. Or ambiguous but plain-worded wisdom, which probably to a cynic’s eye won’t pass their bullshit litmus test, e.g.:

... there's the fact of her being a hundred and four years old. I keep saying that's her age, but actually I'm just guessing. We don't really know for sure how old she is, and she claims she doesn't remember, either. When you ask her, she says,

“Zuibun nagaku ikasarete itadaite orimasu ne.”*

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

* Zuibun nagaku ikasarete itadaite orimasu ne — "I have been alive for a very long time, haven't I?" Totally impossible to translate, but the nuance is something like: "I have been caused to live by the deep conditions of the universe to which I am humbly and deeply grateful. P. Arai calls it the "gratitude tense," and says the beauty of this grammatical construction is that "there is no finger pointed to a source." She also says, "It is impossible to feel angry when using this tense.”

The part where Nao starts to understand the essence of meditation intrigued me though, I liked how simple and explicit her conveyance is - in a few paragraphs she lays down the concrete steps and what might happen during the session - it was exactly the same as what I heard from headspace or Pema Chodron - and I started thinking how this now-familiar concept was pretty much unbeknownst to me when I was her age.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZAZEN First of all, you have to sit down, which you’re probably already doing. The traditional way is to sit on a zafu cushion on the floor with your legs crossed, but you can sit on a chair if you want to. The important thing is just to have good posture and not to slouch or lean on anything. Now you can put your hands in your lap and kind of stack them up, so that the back of your left hand is on the palm of your right hand, and your thumb tips come around and meet on top, making a little round circle. The place where your thumbs touch should line up with your bellybutton. Jiko says this way of holding your hands is called hokkai jo-in, and it symbolizes the whole cosmic universe, which you are holding on your lap like a great big beautiful egg. Next you just relax and hold really still and concentrate on your breathing. You don’t have to make a big deal about it. It’s not like you’re thinking about breathing, but you’re not not thinking about it either. It’s kind of like when you’re sitting on the beach and watching the waves lapping up on the sand or some little kids you don’t know playing in the distance. You’re just noticing everything that’s going on, both inside you and outside you, including your breathing and the kids and the waves and the sand. And that’s basically it. It sounds pretty simple, but when I first tried to do it, I got totally distracted by all my crazy thoughts and obsessions, and then my body started to itch and it felt like there were millipedes crawling all over me. When I explained this to Jiko, she told me to count my breaths like this: Breathe in, breathe out . . . one. Breathe in, breathe out . . . two. She said I should count like that up to ten, and when I got to ten, I could start over again at one. I’m like, no problem, Jiko! And I’m counting away, when some crazy revenge fantasy against my classmates or a nostalgic memory of Sunnyvale pops into my mind and totally hijacks my attention. As you’ve probably figured out by now, on account of the ADD, my mind is always chattering away like a monkey, and sometimes I can’t even count to three. Can you believe it? No wonder I couldn’t get into a decent high school. But the good news is that it doesn’t matter if you screw up zazen. Jiko says don’t even think of it as screwing up. She says it’s totally natural for a person’s mind to think because that’s what minds are supposed to do, so when your mind wanders and gets tangled up in crazy thoughts, you don’t have to freak out. It’s no big deal. You just notice it’s happened and drop it, like whatever, and start again from the beginning. One, two, three, etc. That’s all you have to do. It doesn’t seem like such a great thing, but Jiko is sure that if you do it every day, your mind will wake up and you will develop your SUPAPAWA—! I’ve been pretty diligent so far, and once you get the hang of it, it’s not so hard. What I like is that when you sit on your zafu (or even if you don’t happen to have a zafu handy, for example, if you’re on the train, or on your knees in the middle of a circle of kids who are punching you or getting ready to tear off your clothes . . . in other words no matter where you are) and you return your mind to zazen, it feels like coming home. Maybe this isn’t a big deal for you, because you’ve always had a home, but for me, who never had a home except for Sunnyvale, which I lost, it’s a very big deal. Zazen is better than a home. Zazen is a home that you can’t ever lose, and I keep doing it because I like that feeling, and I trust old Jiko, and it wouldn’t hurt for me to try to see the world a little more optimistically like she does.

Jiko also says that to do zazen is to enter time completely. I really like that. Here’s what old Zen Master Dōgen has to say about it: Think not-thinking. How do you think not-thinking? Nonthinking. This is the essential art of zazen. I guess it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense unless you just sit down and do it. I’m not saying you have to. I’m just telling you what I think.

Overall I liked the book, I just thought there would be...more?

#book review #ruth ozeki #a tale for the time being

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kimjauhiainen · 7 years ago

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The Burbs (1989)

(Once again republishing my old writings. This time a review of one of my favorite films of all time. Originally published at thesupernaughts.com on Sep 8, 2016)

The Burbs (1989) Director: Joe Dante Writer: Dana Olsen

“Remember what you were saying about people in the ‘burbs, Art, people like Skip, people who mow their lawn for the 800th time, and then SNAP? WELL, THAT’S US. IT’S NOT THEM, THAT’S US. WE’RE the ones who are vaulting over the fences, and peeking in through people’s windows. We’re the ones who are THROWING GARBAGE IN THE STREET, AND LIGHTING FIRES. WE’RE THE ONES WHO ARE ACTING SUSPICIOUS AND PARANOID, ART. WE’RE THE LUNATICS. US. IT’S NOT THEM. It’s us.”

I have been ruminating a long time about which film I’d be making a retro-review next; there are simply so goddamn MANY to choose from!

Then, earlier this week I ended up watching Joe Dante‘s latest film – “Burying the Ex” from 2014 – and I was kinda dumbstruck of how little of Dante’s personality there was left in that one. I mean – aside from some nods to old classic horror movies and cult films and a Dick Miller-cameo, there was NONE of the visual flair I’ve come to associate with a film directed by Joe Dante. None. I was actually pretty shocked by this. I mean – it’s no secret that Dante has worked VERY sparsely in the 21st century; in fact the list of projects he has tried to get made but have fallen apart in the course of the last 16 years is probably as long as his filmography. If not even longer.

So with that in mind I thought “well, isn’t this the perfect time to blow off some dust from over what I believe is the man’s best movie?” Because I sincerely believe it IS. I’ll give my reasons why I believe so later on. First – let’s look at just how “The ‘burbs” came to be, and how it ended up in the hands of Dante in the first place.

“The ‘burbs” began it’s life as a script called “Life in the ‘Burbs“. Screenwriter Dana Olsen based a lot of it on his childhood experiences of living in a suburb not that different what ended up in the film itself; in fact the story of “Skip the Soda Guy” that the character Art tells in the film is very loosely based on a real story about an axe murder in the 30’s, which was still being passed on from generation to generation to the kids in Olsen’s neighborhood. And his neighborhood had “it’s share of psychos” as he says – the essence of some of them ended up in the script – and as he said “As a kid, it was fascinating to think that Mr. Flanagan down the street could turn out to be Jack the Ripper.” So Olsen wrote the script on spec and passed it around, and very quickly it got the interest of Imagine Entertainment – a fairly new company started by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard in 1986. And due to it’s combination of comedy and horror, Grazer thought the the perfect man to direct this would be Joe Dante.

And Dante responded very strongly to the script, as it presented great opportunities for him to use some of his very specific skills as a director; inserting outrageous elements into a realistic environment; much like in “Gremlins” where a peaceful little postcard town suddenly gets overrun by raving supernatural creatures. But “The ‘burbs” was an opportunity to make a more grounded story. Tom Hanks – who was at the time slowly moving away from his more plainly comedic roles into more serious character parts – was pretty much the only choice Dante and the producers had as Ray Peterson, the everyman lead. And Hanks was quickly drawn in as well, after some hesitation about playing a father for the first time on screen. The rest of the cast soon followed; Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Rick DuCommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal, Henry Gibson as well as Dante’s regular stock company Robert Picardo and Dick Miller. The filming took place mostly in the Universal backlot street-set, which had previously been featured in many movies and TV-shows; in fact, the home of Ricky Butler(Corey Feldman) was the Munster Mansion from “The Munsters” – and the whole street would later be very prominently featured as Wisteria Lane in “Desperate Housewives“.

So, a short recap of the story of “The ‘burbs” in case someone is unfamiliar with the film:

Mayfield Place, a street in a fictional suburb of Hinkley Hills; Ray Peterson, a somewhat tight-wound father and suburbanite, wakes up in the middle of the night to strange noises. They come from the basement of his next door house, recently occupied by a family called the Klopeks. Along with the noises of some ungodly equipment, we also see unnaturally bright lights emerge from the basement windows. Something’s fishy in the neighborhood. We meet the various other neighbors on the street: Ray’s wife Carol(Carrie Fisher) and son Dave(Cory Danziger), Art Weingartner(Rick Ducommun) – a paranoid summer-widower, Lt. Mark Rumsfield(Bruce Dern) – a shady retired military man and his slightly ditzy wife Bonnie(Wendy Schaal), Ricky Butler – a metal-head teenager who’s charged with painting the house while his parents are apparently away for the summer and Walter Seznick(Gale Gordon) – an older gentleman who keeps his lawn in pristine condition while letting his dog take a crap on Rumsfield’s.

After Walter suddenly disappears, Ray – who is on vacation and massively bored – gets further and further entangled into Art’s and Rumsfield’s crazy conspiracy theory that the Klopeks; Werner(Henry Gibson), Hans(Courtney Gains) and Reuben(Brother Theodore) are in fact a family of serial killers moving from town to town. As the mass hysteria builds, the trio of “heroes” try to get to the bottom of the bizarre family’ life – and in their house – by any means necessary. And to find the body of the missing Walter. MUCH chaos ensues…

Now to get back to my initial claim on WHY “The ‘burbs” is Joe Dante’s best film I felt that it would be best to address it with a small list of points:

CLEVER SCRIPT, BALANCED DIRECTING

This is a big one. What comes fairly obvious when looking at Dante’s filmography is that he is a filmmaker who is clearly wearing his cinematic influences in his sleeve; at times he can go into this “throw in everything AND the kitchen sink too“-mode, which is probably the most evident in “Gremlins 2: the New Batch” and “Matinee“. I’m not saying those are bad films, not at all – they just feel slightly uneven when more dramatic scenes get outweighed by chaotic Looney Tunes-like set pieces. “The ‘burbs” is probably the most grounded of all the movies he has made. There is no science fiction. There is no supernatural horror(except in a few dream sequences). The protagonists are human – the antagonists are human. Although the brilliance of the script is that the line between who REALLY is the protagonist/antagonist is very thin – right up until the end of the final act. It’s actually a very clever story point: you can very well say that Ray, Art and Rumsfield are for the most part the villains of the movie, as they show some very clear nearly-psychopathic tendencies as they become more and more obsessed with these “weirdos” that have invaded their neighborhood. In a very clever way writer Olsen and Dante show just how evil humans can get and how easily they can turn on each other. I think that can all be transferred very easily into what’s going on in real life even as we speak, as almost every day the newsfeeds are filled with more and more news of man turning against the fellow man.

And Dante shows extraordinary restraint in his direction here as well. Sure, there are occasions where he goes into his more cartoony mode, but most of the time the story is told in very simple ways, like very long, sweeping camera shots going around the set and cover multiple characters doing their thing. I’d say Dante is paying a lot of homage to Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” in the way the neighborhood is constantly shown to go on with it’s life in the background of all this madness. And when it’s time to go crazy, Dante does not linger with his visual gags; for example in a scene where Art falls through the roof of a garden shed, you can see that he has left a human-shaped hole in the roof. THAT’S the Looney Tunes-Dante, but he does not linger on it; it’s there to be seen but it does not stay and wait for a studio-audience laughter. The same goes for a scene where Ray has momentarily given up on the conspiracy theory and just tries to relax on his yard and have a few beers. There’s a very long sequence where Ray and Art are speaking in the foreground and at the same time we can see Walter’s dog digging for something in the background…and the scene goes on for a LONG time until we are finally revealed that the dog has dug up a human femur bone. And only THEN does Dante go for broke again, as the camera starts snap-zooming while the characters scream in horror.

Like I said: balanced.

BRILLIANT CASTING

As said before, Tom Hanks was kinda moving away from the wacky comedy parts at this point. Which was definitely a good thing: I personally think that in his comedy performances of the early/mid-80’s he was very quickly starting to repeat himself. I’ll give an example: I re-watched “Bachelor Party” a few years ago and; while it was quite fun to watch as a teenager, I think the “likeable manchild”-character that Hanks played in that one, as well as in most of his other movies of that era was ABSOLUTELY ANNOYING. So the character of Ray, who really is the plain everyman, is – and was – such a welcome departure. Sure, the character becomes more and more crazy during the course of the movie, but never over the top – and still remains very relate-able. The “over the top” is reserved for the two true MVP’s of the picture: Bruce Dern and Rick Ducommun.

Dern, who had already at this point had a long career playing dramatic parts and villains in more westerns than there’s time to list here, shows some unbelievable skills at comedy: both verbal and moreso, physical. Rumsfield(obviously an not-so-subtle homage to Donald Rumsfeld) basically treats the whole thing as a military operation, and has access to some pretty sophisticated surveillance equipment as well as weapons(there’s a small hint in the movie that he is in fact a weapons-dealer, and Olsen confirms this in his commentary), but he is also a clumsy idiot, and completely devoid of any real social skills. Meanwhile, Ducommun’s Art is just a stir-crazy conspiracy theorist who very clearly is watching too many sensationalist news-reports on TV. He is a guy you do NOT want to invite to your home, because you will never get rid of him after that. It’s almost impossible to decide who ends up stealing the movie: Dern or Ducommun – so I’ll just say both.

The Klopeks were without a doubt cast with physical attributes in mind, but the actors bring a lot to the table; be it Henry Gibson‘s sort of calm benevolence with some darkness appearing under the seams to Brother Theodore‘s blatant outrageousness to Courtney Gains‘ mostly non-verbal presence. Carrie Fisher probably has the most difficult part in the movie as the sole voice of reason, but her very clear chemistry with Hanks speaks volumes. Corey Feldman has probably the most one-dimensional part in the movie as the cliched “airhead loudmouth teenager“- it’s pretty much “Mouth” from “Goonies” a little bit older – but in a way he’s also representing the audience as he demonstrates that he doesn’t have to watch TV or go to the movies when all the excitement and action is right there outside his porch. The Dante-regulars Robert Picardo and Dick Miller have a very amusing walk-in as two garbage men – as a matter of fact, their short scene almost makes one wish they had made a sitcom of these two characters.

THE SCORE

I think I’ve said this before on an article about film scores; I think Jerry Goldsmith found a perfect cinematic partner in Joe Dante. The score he made for “The ‘burbs” gives him an exceptionally wide range of styles to play with: you have your mystery music to represent the Klopeks, you have your “happy neighborhood” music to represent the suburbian life, you have your dramatic music to represent the family tension as Ray gets deeper into his obsession, you have horror music for a nightmare satanic sacrificial sequence, you have the theme from “Patton” whenever Rumsfield is featured, and you have the sort of Looney Tunes-music when Art does something crazy. It really is chaotic masterpiece of film scoring and I can imagine the late composer just laughing like a schoolboy when he was writing this stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uies0Y-jjH0

CONCLUSION:

So, that’s why I feel this movie is Dante’s finest work. But don’t take my word for it; check it out yourself. There is a wonderful UK special edition Blu-Ray by Arrow Films out there, which includes a few alternate endings (the ending of the movie was apparently a bit of a problem for the filmmakers, as the original was too dark. And they filmed several versions until ending up with the one that is in it now. And after seeing the alternatives, I think they made the right call) as well as a Workprint version of the movie that has a few added scenes, some alternate scenes and a temporary music score which features a huge amount of spaghetti western-music – including the one track that’s actually left in the film, which can be heard when Hans Klopek makes his first appearance.

I’m not sure if Shout! Factory is planning a US release of this, but there’s a bare-bones Blu-Ray release out there as well. Just a friendly hint to any of you who might’ve missed this movie until now.

It really hasn’t aged at all, it’s a perfect mix of thriller and comedy, with some very clever satire on the ingrown living habitats and their effect on people – and it has something very poignant to say about the human nature even now.

Of course, the theatrical trailer at the time was just trying to sell it as another zany Tom Hanks-comedy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3lfkZTwN00

#joe dante #the 'burbs #movie review

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cashcounts · 7 years ago

Text

Steeping E-Juice

If you know anything about cooking chili, it’s that the longer you stir it, the better it tastes.

Such is the concept of steeping. After all, eliquid is much like a food product since it uses food-grade flavoring. Think of a fine wine or bourbon that’s been aged; that is why we steep. Keep on reading to learn how to steep e juice. It’s not rocket science, steeping can be easy…

What is steeping?

Steeping e-juice bottles

Steeping is a misleading term. It is defined by putting a solid in water to soften, or extract flavor from it. (For example, if you’re making peppermint tea or marinating a tough piece of meat to tenderize it. When referring to steeping e-liquid, the word takes on a slightly different meaning. A more appropriate definition would be marinating or aging your e-juice.

Steeping e-juice involves letting it age in order to acheive better flavor. There are many ways to do this, which we will go into more depth later. Essentially, it means letting the e-juice sit. The most important factor in this equation is time. It allows the ingredients (PG/VG, flavorings and nicotine) to blend together. Additionally, some juice can contain trace amounts of alcohol, depending on the flavoring used, which will evaporate during the steeping process.

There is a lot of misinformation on the topic, but it can be broken down into 3 categories. Steeping, breathing and “streathing”, which is just a combination of the first two processes.

Why steep vape juice?

Pre-steeping

As far as I’m concerned, the steeping process starts as soon as the batch is mixed. The time that the juice travels to the store and sits on the shelf is technically when the steeping process begins. However, the flavor will greatly benefit from additional steeping time.

You might be thinking, “Why do I have to do this myself!? Why can’t they just sell the juice when its ready?” The reality is that it takes some time for PG, and especially VG, to properly soak up all the flavor molecules. Plus, that extra time will greatly enhance the taste of your eliquid. If you have ever made sauce, soup or chili, then you know exactly what I mean.

Steeping simply allows the ingredients to congeal. Some flavorings contain alcohols which can taste harsh when they are first mixed. Steeping oxidizes the juice, which allows that alcohol to evaporate. The flavor becomes smoother, much like slow cooking a pot of chili.

Post-steeping

My brother was super hungry one day after work and I was just finishing up cooking a batch of chili. I prefer to let it sit for at least a half hour after it is done to cool down. Although he was starvin’ like Marvin, I strongly advised him to wait another few minutes. But he didn’t.

The truth is that he enjoyed the hell out of that chili. It probably tasted okay since it was already simmering on low for a good hour, but the point I am trying to make is that it could have been even better! The chili becomes slightly darker, thicker and richer in flavor after it sits for that extra half hour, much like steeped e-juice.

Patience is a virtue

If you do not have any patience whatsoever, then just stop reading this. Steeping e-juice is for distinguished gentlemen (and women) trying to squeeze every drop of flavor out of life. The term “steeping” has been used for years, mostly for soup and hot beverages such as tea.

Steeping takes patience, self-control and a vision for a better tomorrow. Tea is not something you can just throw together and quickly guzzle down. We are talking about a much more sophisticated way of life. So, keep on reading to learn how to get your favorite e-juice to taste even better.

How to steep e-juice

This is when you place your closed eliquid bottles in a cool, dark place, such as a tall cigar box, for an extended period. It’s also recommended that you shake your bottles as often as possible to help expedite the process. However, the reality is that real steeping takes time.

Another way to speed up the process is to run the bottles under warm tap water. The heat from the water will get the molecules moving around faster. You could use your sink, or a bathtub if you have a lot of juice. We will go into more depth about “speed steeping” methods later.

How to breath e-juice

This is when you take the cap off and let your e-juice bottle sit for a few hours. We recommend no more than 12 hours of breathing e-juice. Eventually the flavor and nicotine content begins to diminish during this process, so don’t forget about it! (Many people use the term steeping to describe this process, but the truth is that “breathing” is not the same thing.)

How to streath e-juice

Streathing is essentially a combination of steeping and breathing, hence the name. To streath your juice, start by shaking your bottles, then run them under warm tap water. Take the cap off and place them in a cool, dark place for two hours. Put the cap back on and shake well.

Now squeeze the excess air out of the bottle which recycles the oxygen throughout the juice. This can only be done with a bottle that has a nipple, such as a unicorn or chubby gorilla bottle, as opposed to those that come with a dropper. Repeat this process a few times as it takes a lot more patience, effort and precision than simply steeping or breathing alone.

How long does steeping e-juice take?

This is highly dependent on the juice. Fruity flavors tend to require the least amount of steeping time. Tobacco flavors need a bit more time to steep and creamy dessert eliquids take the longest time to reach their flavor peak. It’s recommended that you steep for at least two weeks, but some flavors may take longer, while others may be good right out the bottle.

Using warm water or a heat source such as a slow cooker, a computer fan or an ultrasonic cleaner will help to speed up the process. The whole point of steeping vape juice is to get the optimal flavor out of the juice, so if it tastes good to you, then you’re done. You should observe the color of your eliquid. If it becomes darker, then you know it has been steeping.

Some people like to steep their juice for 2-3 weeks, while others might even let it go for months. It’s highly subjective, so you can steep for as long as you want, but just make sure you are not going past that expiration date! The average shelf-life of e-juice is about a year.

After that, the nicotine will begin to degrade, which will have a negative impact on the flavor. If you notice a spicy taste when vaping, it is probably because your nicotine is on its way out. The flavoring will also start to diminish by that point, leaving you with juice devoid of flavor.

How to speed steep e-juice

Speed steeping e-juice bottles in an ultrasonic cleaner

Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat! Here’s how to steep e-juice fast…

Most people simply don’t have time for steeping. Taste your juice. If you’re already satisfied with the flavor, don’t bother. Some people prefer the taste of freshly mixed juice, believe it or not. If you want to speed up the process, here’s a few speed steeping hacks that you can use:

Bath – Fill a bowl, sink or bathtub (depending on how much juice you’re steeping) with warm water. Not room temperature or boiling water, it needs to be just right. You can test it by putting your hand or elbow in it. (Pretend you are Goldilocks, you know how the story goes.) Place your eliquid bottles in a plastic bag and let nature do the rest. Easy and effective.

Slow cooker – Not only good for making chili, slow cookers provide low heat at a consistent temperature for extended periods. Just fill it up with some water and set it to the lowest heat setting. Place your bag of e-juice inside and periodically shake them from time to time.

Ultrasonic cleaner – If you own an ultrasonic cleaner for vape gear or jewelry, it can also be used to speed-steep your juice. Just fill it up with warm water and let the power of ultrasonic waves send vibrations through your juice. This will allow the molecules mix together quickly.

Magnetic stirrer – Transfer your eliquid into a large container, preferably a glass one. Then place it on top of the magnetic stirrer and let science do the rest. This method works great, especially if you are creating your own DIY juice. (I call this the Walter White method.)

Seed Steeping – Not a typo. Seed steeping is when you blend already steeped juice, with fresh, un-steeped juice. This “plants the seed”, which will help to speed up the process.

Other speed steeping methods

There are many other “creative” steeping hacks to speed up the process. You can find them all over the web. However, we don’t recommend all of them. Using an electric dryer or a microwave might seem like a good idea in theory, but it’s hard to control the temperature.

Get creative, but don’t get too crazy. If you’re using plastic bottles, excessive heat isn’t ideal. In fact, it can alter the taste of your juice. If it works for you, go for it, but be smart about it.

Conclusion

Steeping is not for everyone but is highly recommended for better tasting e-juice.

Vaping has already become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Many juice manufacturers can barely keep up with their rapidly expanding market. These companies probably want to get their products out as fast as possible to meet the demand of consumers like yourself. This means sometimes you might be getting a freshly mixed batch of juice that requires some steeping for it to taste just right.

Of course, you can order from companies that sell “pre-steeped” liquids, or you can just get lucky and get a batch that has already been sitting for enough time. Some flavors may not need to be steeped. On the other hand, if you’ve been steeping a bottle for months and it still doesn’t taste right, there’s always a chance that your juice just sucks.

Check out the Best Eliquids guide if you’re not still getting the taste you were hoping for.

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itsiotrecords-blog · 7 years ago

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What’s white, racist, and totally insane? No, it’s not Mel Gibson. We’re talking about the Ku Klux Klan, America’s most infamous hate group. Founded in 1870, the KKK has terrorized American citizens through propaganda, arson, and murder. Fortunately, the Klan’s popularity has faded over time, and today they’re viewed as a sad reminder of America’s racist history. But what’s even more interesting is the history of the Klan itself because, when you come right down to it, the KKK is completely crazy.

#1 The Black Cop In The Klan In 1979, undercover police officer Ron Stallworth spotted an interesting ad in his local newspaper. The KKK was moving into his town of Colorado Springs and was looking for new recruits. Stallworth decided to call them up and see if he could infiltrate the group. Of course, there was one little issue that made things a bit difficult — Stallworth was black. Not a guy to let details get in the way, Stallworth phoned up the Klan and told them he was a white man tired of being harassed by minorities. He even mentioned how angry he was that his sister had dated an African-American (not the term he used). His act worked. The Klan was only too happy to welcome Stallworth into the fold… after an initial meeting. Thinking on his feet, Stallworth sent a white narcotics officer in his place. He gave his buddy several forms of non-photo I.D. to prove he was actually Stallworth, and a few hours later the guy came back with an application form. Over the next year, Stallworth’s partner attended meetings while the undercover agent chatted with Klansman over the phone. He even called up and talked to Grand Wizard David Duke on several occasions. During one conversation, Duke said he could identify black people by the way they talked, something that must’ve made Stallworth chuckle. Eventually, Stallworth became such a respected member of the KKK that he was offered a leadership position in the local branch. Since that obviously couldn’t work out, the operation was cancelled, and Klansman Stallworth disappeared. However, during his investigation, Stallworth learned quite a bit about the Klan’s activities and prevented any cross burnings from occurring in Colorado Springs. Stallworth was so proud of his work that he framed his KKK membership card and hung it in his office until his well-deserved retirement.

#2 The KKK Hates The Westboro Baptists Nobody likes the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), not even the KKK. While you’d think these two hate groups would get along—especially with their similar views on homosexuals, Jews and Christianity—they actually have quite a few differences, especially in regards to America’s military. On Memorial Day 2011, three members of the WBC showed up at Arlington Cemetery with their usual assortment of “You’re Going to Hell” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” signs. However, just a few feet away were ten members of the Knights of the Southern Cross, a Virginia branch of everybody’s favorite racist organization. The KKK had shown up specifically to counter-protest the Westboro bunch, and they spent the day handing out American flags. While everything seemed relatively peaceful (for a WBC/KKK protest that is), things might’ve gotten nasty if police officers weren’t on the scene. When reporters asked the Klansmen if they were armed, they refused to answer. As to the WBC, they weren’t particularly upset by the Klan’s arrival. Abigail Phelps, daughter of the late Fred, declared the KKK had “no moral authority,” claiming the Bible doesn’t support their racist views. Imperial Wizard Dennis LaBonte shot back, saying it was the soldiers who fought for Westboro’s right to protest. So who won this ultimate smackdown of evil? Well, at the end of the day both groups are still terrible, so we’ll say they both lost.

#3 The Literary Origins of Cross Burning Other than their ghostly hoods, the image most often associated with the KKK is that of a fiery cross. The Klan claims this eerie act symbolizes their Christian beliefs, and in a bizarre PR move, they’ve re-dubbed this ritual a “cross lighting.” Of course, we all know the reason behind their little bonfires. Like Justice Clarence Thomas once said, cross burnings represent the Klan’s “reign of terror” against African-Americans across the U.S. But how did this crazy custom get started? Well, literary fans, we’re sorry to say that Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott unintentionally played a pivotal role in terrifying thousands of black people throughout the 20th century. The Ivanhoe author was extremely popular in the American South, probably because the southern states were populated with people of Scotch-Irish origin. They were especially fond of his 1810 poem The Lady of the Lake, which referenced an ancient Scottish custom of burning a cross to call a meeting of all the clans (although the Scottish cross was in the shape of an “X,” not the Roman one we associate with Jesus). Scott’s vivid imagery captured the imagination of novelist Thomas Dixon. Not only was he a fan of Scottish poetry, Dixon was also a supporter of the KKK. Inspired by Scott’s cross burning scene, he added it to his pro-Klan novel, The Clansman, even though the first KKK (1886 to early 1870s) had never even thought about setting a crucifix on fire. When the 1905 novel was turned into the infamous movie The Birth of a Nation, director D.W. Griffith kept the cross burning scene. The scene inspired William J. Simmons, founder of the second Klan, to kick off the 1915 revival with the first cross burning service in KKK history. Thanks, Sir Walter Scott!

#4 Superman Fought the Klan The Man of Steel has fought some pretty dangerous villains in his day, from Doomsday to Brainiac to Lex Luthor. However, in the 1940s, Superman took on an even more dangerous foe, the dreaded KKK. On June 10, 1946, kids across America tuned in their radios to hear The Adventures of Superman and were enthralled by a new serial called “Clan of the Fiery Cross.” Instead of fighting boring old Neo-Nazis or gangsters, this time Superman was battling racism. “Clan of the Fiery Cross” was the brainchild of Stetson Kennedy, a Georgia man who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan to learn their secrets. He attended meetings, observed rituals, memorized passwords and tried to pass his information to law enforcement officials. However, the cops weren’t interested. Either they were too afraid to take a stand against the Klan, or they were actually members. Frustrated, Kennedy approached the producers of The Adventures of Superman radio show and asked if they were interested in exposing the Klan. They jumped at the chance, and soon the show was mocking the hooded baddies and revealing their codes and customs. Shocked and outraged, the local clan Kennedy had joined started coming up with new passwords and observances. And just as quickly, “Klansman” Kennedy passed along all their new practices to the Superman producers. In fact, it’s said the local branch he’d infiltrated was so humiliated that they actually closed down their chapter. After the success of the Superman show, Kennedy would continue fighting intolerance, publishing books and helping the government crack down on the Klan. He might not have had X-ray vision or the ability to fly, but Stetson Kennedy was a real-life superhero.

#5 The KKK Summer Getaway Looking for a little rest, relaxation and racial purity? Well, if you had lived in Rockport, Texas ninety years ago, you could have visited the Kool Koast Kamp! Billed as an outing “for a red-blooded American” (Klan language for a white person), the seaside resort offered all sorts of fun activities like daylight yachting, moonlight excursions and watermelon parties. Attendees were encouraged to take a dip in the cool, blue ocean, but were asked to refrain from “extreme dress.” Feel like fishing? The Klan was more than happy to provide rods, reels, boats and bait. And who knows? You might even learn a thing or two. The Kamp brochure promised that guests would learn the differences between hammerheads, sea urchins and porpoises. Most importantly, the camp was perfectly safe, especially for white women. The brochure boldly states that “wonderful mothers” need not fear for their safety. “The Fiery Cross guards you at night and an officer of the law, with the same Christian sentiment, guards carefully all portals.” “Beautiful daughters” were also assured the Kamp was just as safe as a mom’s embrace. As bizarre as this all sounds, the Kool Koast Kamp wasn’t really that weird in 1924. Back in the day, the Klan was viewed as a social institution, an organization that helped build and strengthen the community. The group gave money to down-on-their-luck members and promoted small businesses owned by hood-wearing entrepreneurs. Similarly, the resort was meant for poorer Klan clans who couldn’t afford a fancy vacation. For $10, a family could rent an Army tent (complete with cots) and enjoy ten days of summertime fun. However, the Kamp had a second, much more insidious goal. Attendees were asked to bring along non-members in hopes of gaining new recruits. The idea was to dispel negative media portrayals and show the world that Klansmen were just normal, fun loving, family oriented Americans… who lynched black people. They didn’t mention that last part in the brochure.

#6 The KKK Show For Kids When the first episode of The Andrew Show aired in 2009, white audiences were introduced to a blonde-haired boy of about ten. His name was Andrew Pendergraft, and he liked talking about movies, TV shows and the dangers of race mixing. Of course, this preteen hater was nothing more than an indoctrinated pawn reading from cue cards the whole time. Little Andrew is the grandson of Thom Robb, national director of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, the most powerful KKK group today. Robb has spent his life remarketing the Klan as a friendlier, less hateful organization. Part of his ploy involved creating a series of white pride web shows, all hosted by members of his family who sit in front of ugly green screens. For the adults, there’s This Is the Klan which features Robb and his daughter/Andrew’s mom, Amanda Pendergraft, discussing the news. For the teens, there’s Youth Focus, hosted by Shelby Pendergraft who’s also a member of the racist country group “The Heritage Connection.” And most disturbingly, there’s “The Andrew Show,” the Sesame Street for baby bigots. Each of the eighteen episodes starts off with Andrew smiling for the camera and welcoming viewers with, “This show is for all the white kids out there!” He then proceeds to talk about whatever movies or shows he’s watched lately and then ties them into KKK ideology. In one episode, he complains about how the character of Tiana from The Princess and the Frog falls in love with a white character. He critiqued The Spy Next Door for showing Jackie Chan dating a white woman. He’s also full of troubling anecdotes to help drive his point home. For example, Andrew once compared baking a cake to interracial relationships. “My mom taught us about the frosting and when you put the different colors in it—the white frosting? It can never be white again.” While The Andrew Show promotes hatred, it’s important to remember the real victim here — Andrew himself. After all, he’s just a brainwashed kid.

#7 The KKK Highway Scandal Americans love the First Amendment. It guarantees people the right to say and believe whatever they want. But those rights apply to everyone, no matter how awful their beliefs. That’s something the state of Missouri found out the hard way. In 1994, the state’s Department of Transportation received an application from the local Klan. The group wanted to adopt a section of Interstate 55, which mean not only would they be cleaning the highway, they’d get their very own sign on the side of the road. Obviously, Missouri wasn’t too keen on condoning Klan activities and refused the application. Furious, the Klan took the Department of Transportation to court… and won. The judge decided the KKK had every right to adopt a stretch of highway, a ruling the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in March 2000. While they were legally defeated, Missouri had one last surprise for the Klan. Shortly after the ruling, the state congress renamed the section adopted by the Klan “Rosa Parks Highway” after the famous civil rights activist. However, in 2012, the KKK lost interest in the highway and stopped picking up trash, which allowed the government to kick them out of the program. History has a tendency to repeat itself though, and that same year, the International Keystone Knights of the KKK asked to adopt a part of Georgia State Route 515. Despite their claims that they just wanted to keep the road “beautiful,” the government turned them down, knowing full well the adoption was really a PR move. Of course, if the events in Missouri are any sign, Georgia will probably lose their battle too. In a society that treasures free speech and freedom of belief, those liberties belong to everyone, even the bad guys.

#8 The KKK Store That’s Owned By A Black Pastor Laurens, South Carolina has a sad history when it comes to racism. The town is named after an 18th century slave trader and, like many southern cities, was plagued by segregation and civil injustice. As an example of its tragic past, look no further than the Echo Theater. Once upon a time, African-Americans were forced to enter through a side door and watch movies from the balcony, separated from their white neighbors. Today, Echo Theater is home to the notorious Redneck Shop, a little store that sells Klan merchandise and hosts neo-Nazi meetings. But while the store is run by a racist named John Howard, the theater itself belongs to Rev. David Kennedy, a black pastor. Why does an African-American reverend own a KKK shop? Well, the answer is kind of complicated. The story starts in 1994, when John Howard befriended a young man named Michael Burden. Howard took Burden under his wing, taught him the ways of the Klan, and let Burden and his family live in the Echo Theater basement. But Burden’s wife, who was part Cherokee, eventually grew tired of Howard’s racism. She wanted to leave, but Howard didn’t want his protégé to move. Hoping to appease the family, Howard gave Burden the deed to the theater under the condition he could run the Redneck Shop until his death. Despite Howard’s gift, the two men eventually had a fight, and the elder racist kicked the Burdens out of the basement. The Burdens were alone and had nowhere to go, and that’s when Rev. Kennedy and the New Beginning Church stepped in. Despite the fact Burden was a Klansman, the black church bought his family dinner and rented them a hotel room. And as Burden was desperate for cash, he asked Rev. Kennedy if he’d buy the deed for the Echo Theater for $1,000. Kennedy agreed, and that’s how an African-American pastor came to own a KKK shop. And that’s when the drama really started. In 2006, Howard tried to sell the building, either not knowing or not caring it actually belonged to Kennedy. Hoping to stop the old racist, Kennedy sued Howard in 2008, sparking a four year legal battle over who rightfully owned the Echo Theater. During the long, grueling process, Kennedy’s church came under attack from local racists who left dead animals inside and nailed Confederate flags to the front doors. Finally, in 2012, a circuit judge ruled the theater rightfully belonged to the New Beginning Church… only they couldn’t kick Howard out. According to the deed, he could keep on selling his Klan robes and offensive T-shirts until the day he died. Of course, Howard is a sick man, and he might not be around much longer. And what does Kennedy plan on doing with the building once he can finally close down the Redneck Shop? Well, he says, “I think that the church would do good in that building.”

#9 The KKK Neighborhood Watch The citizens of Fairview Township in York County, Pennsylvania don’t have to worry about leaving their kids at home or locking their doors at night. Aside from the fact they have an extremely low crime rate, their neighborhoods are under the ever watchful eye of the Traditionalist American Knights, a KKK group based in Missouri. Lucky, lucky them. Earlier this year, Pennsylvanians were dismayed to find leaflets declaring, “You can sleep tonight knowing the Klan is awake!” Chances are good the flyers had the exact opposite effect, especially on anyone who wasn’t white, Protestant, or native born. Of course, the Knight’s leader, Frank Acona, claims his group isn’t “targeting any specific ethnicity.” They’re just concerned about all the recent car break-ins and aim to put a stop to it. To make things hard on the criminals, Acona’s men will give up their hoods in exchange for everyday clothing. This way, the crooks will never know which ugly, bucktoothed, unshaven white guy hanging around the neighborhood is a Klansman. But why would the Klan want to form a watch group? Well, they need as much publicity as they can get. Whereas they once were nearly four million men strong, today the Klan boasts less than four thousand members. Groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) believe the Klan is desperate to recruit fresh troops and hopes crazy schemes will draw in new blood. However, there’s one last question… why aren’t they wearing their robes? According to the ADL, it’s because they’re not really patrolling the streets. As the Pennsylvania chapter of the Traditionalist American Knights probably has less than fifty members, they don’t have enough men to actually watch out for crooks. And that’s just fine with the folks of Fairview Township.

#10 The KKK Tried To Start Their Own Country Michael Perdue was a loser with big dreams. A Texas convict with Nazi ties, Perdue wanted what everyone wants — to conquer the island of Dominica and establish his own little empire. It was 1980, and the little nation had only been independent from Great Britain for two years. They didn’t have an army, and their newly created police force wasn’t exactly a top notch crime fighting agency. With enough money and the right men, Perdue figured staging a coup would be easiest thing in the world. He was wrong. The plan involved returning the recently deposed Dominican Prime Minister, Patrick John, to power. In exchange, John would give Perdue the right to export lumber and open a casino. The Texan also planned to start a lucrative cocaine operation and become rich beyond his wildest dreams. (Unbeknownst to Perdue, John actually planned on killing him once his position was restored.) With a puppet dictator in place and financial backing from Canadian mobsters, Perdue visited David Duke, the recently retired Grand Wizard of the Knights of the KKK. Duke thought the idea sounded great but was smart enough not to get directly involved. Instead, he agreed to help Perdue rent a boat and suggested several Klansman who might like to invade an island populated by black people. With Duke’s help, Perdue was able to assemble a team of ten mercenaries, almost all of whom were either Klansmen or Neo-Nazis. In fact, one of the gunmen was none other than Don Black, the current Grand Wizard of the Knights of the KKK. After nicknaming their little mission “Operation Red Dog,” the group armed themselves with thirty-three guns, twenty sticks of dynamite, several blasting caps, and five thousand bullets. In addition to their weapons, they also brought along Nazi flags, Confederate flags, and plenty of whiskey. Their plan was to set sail from Louisiana, invade the island, and seize the armory and police station. It seemed like a solid plan, but they didn’t count on the charter boat captain. When he learned about Perdue’s plans, he immediately notified the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). What happened next sounds like a scene from a crazy comedy. On the night the mercenaries were to set sail, they met with undercover ATF agents posing as sailors. The officers loaded Perdue’s private army into the back of a van, explaining they’d drive them to the boat. Only when the doors were finally opened, the halfwit army found themselves staring down the barrel of forty SWAT team machine guns. “You’re not going to Dominica,” a voice epically boomed. “You’re going to jail!” Unfortunately, David Duke escaped prosecution due to a lack of evidence, but the rest of the nutty gang was found guilty of conspiracy and violation of the Neutrality Act. And while they never established their Ku Klux Kingdom, the “Bayou of Pigs” incident lives on as a tribute to true Klan stupidity.

Source: TopTenz

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spryfilm · 7 years ago

Text

“Baby Driver” (2017)

Action

Running Time: 113 minutes

Written & Directed by: Edgar Wright

Featuring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal

Oh yeah, and look out for the great Paul Williams dressed in a white suit – priceless.

Track list:

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – ‘Bellbottoms’

Bob & Earl – ‘Harlem Shuffle’

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers – ‘Egyptian Reggae’

Googie Rene – ‘Smokey Joe’s La La’

The Beach Boys – ‘Let’s Go Away For Awhile’

Carla Thomas – ‘B-A-B-Y’

Kashmere Stage Band – ‘Kashmere’

Dave Brubeck – ‘Unsquare Dance’

The Damned – ‘Neat Neat Neat’

The Commodores – ‘Easy (Single Version)’

Rex – ‘Debora’

Beck – ‘Debra’

Incredible Bongo Band – ‘Bongolia’

The Detroit Emeralds – ‘Baby Let Me Take You (in My Arms)’

Alexis Korner – ‘Early In The Morning’

David McCallum – ‘The Edge’

Martha and the Vandellas – ‘Nowhere To Run’

The Button Down Brass – ‘Tequila’

Sam & Dave – ‘When Something Is Wrong With My Baby’

Brenda Holloway – ‘Every Little Bit Hurts’

Blur – ‘Intermission’

Focus – ‘Hocus Pocus (Original Single Version)’

Golden Earring – ‘Radar Love (1973 Single Edit)’

Barry White – ‘Never, Never Gone Give Ya Up’

Young MC – ‘Know How’

Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’

Sky Ferreira – ‘Easy’

Simon & Garfunkel – ‘Baby Driver’

Kid Koala – ‘Was He Slow (Credit Roll Version)’

DVD & Blu-ray review: “Baby Driver” (2017) “Baby Driver” (2017) Action Running Time: 113 minutes Written & Directed by: Edgar Wright Featuring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal…

#Ansel Elgort #baby driver #baby driver review #blu-ray #bluray review #bluray reviews #dvd #dvd review #DVD reviews #DVDReviews #edgar wright

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