#and also i finally watched the final barry season and HAD to finish Barry dragon

[bobby-rising]

LEAP DAY WILLIAM DRAGON FINISHED IN TIME FOR LEAP DAY

also i finally finished some other fandragonz for the first time in ever lol

[unfortunate-stranger-losers]

The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations - How to Crack the Code

Now that Season Three of A Series of Unfortunate Events has aired, I feel it’s about time to finally tell y’all the Code from The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations- for those of you who can’t get the book, haven’t read it yet, can’t figure out the code, or who just don’t wanna spend time finding it out yourselves. 

On page 188 of The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations, the key to cracking a code sprinkled throughout the book is provided: 

WARNING → THERE IS A SECRET MESSAGE IN THIS BOOK

You may have noticed a cross-referencing technique that appears throughout these pages, looking as such: (See: Notorious Researchers, pg. 30). This device is a helpful way to direct readers to relevant information that can be found elsewhere in a text. 

It is also a handy way to send a secret message. 

Every librarian knows that books contain secrets, and hiding a secret message in the pages of a book is a frequent VFD tactic. Volunteers who cleverly cross-reference will discover the message, while their enemies, who rarely finish a book, remain unaware. 

If you have read this far, you may be wondering how to discover this message yourself. First read the book carefully, making note of any parentheticals shaded an unusual hue. This is no printer error; it is a key informing you that part of the message can be found on the suggested page. Follow the references and locate the letters colored a corresponding hue. These letters are scrambled, not unlike an anagram. Once you have unscrambled the word, write it on the color-coded line of this telegram. Completing the telegram will reveal the answer to a question that has stumped philosophers, police inspectors, and even Lemony Snicket: 

What comes after the end of The End? 

Next to this description is a photo of a telegram, which is fourteen words long: 

___ ____ __ _______ 

____ ___ __ _____ 

____ ____ _____

__ _____ _____

And, indeed, each word is underlined in a different color. 

Now... onto cracking the code.

As referenced, there are occasional cross-references in the text. And sometimes, the See: is in the color you need to look for. 

If you follow each See to its corresponding page, you’ll find letters scattered across the text that are in the color you need to find. These letters make up each word. 

Word-by-word, let’s see what we can find: 

The first word, in dark purple, is on page 133: The Reptile Room. To be honest, this is the hardest word to find: the dark color is very close to the color of the actual text. There are three letters here, in the following sentences: 

You always want to do something new, but at the same time, I wanted to see if there were clues I could integrate into the design. 

This flips it so the priority is the reptiles, and his own living space is sort of diminutive. 

And in “The Reptile Room,” [Monty]’s delighted to share his world with these kids. 

otw

The second word is on page 99: Toupees for Toddles, in an orange-ish color. There are four letters, which can be found in the following sentences: 

“Well, we can’t put a wig on a baby.” 

It’s one of the oddest things I’ve ever done in my career, applying a little wig on a baby. 

When we started the second season, Presley had grown her hair long enough that we could actually create the ponytail with here own hair, which was a relief. 

ests 

The third word, in a hot pink, is on page 130: Mr Poe’s Office. There are only two letters, which can be found in the following sentences: 

It can be goofy, but it’s never goofy-stupid. 

He’s the guy that’s literally standing between Olaf and the Baudelaire fortune. 

of

The fourth word, on page 110: How to Dress for a Masked Ball, in a gray-blue color, can be found in the following sentences, with seven letters: 

The flashback that opens “The Carnivorous Carnival” is set at a Venetian-style masked ball, where masks conceal a number of familiar faces. Cynthia Summers designed each mask with the character in mind, including Dr Orwell’s “eyeglasses,” a Medusa-inspired snake mask for Uncle Monty, and theatrical comedy/tragedy masks for the Snicket Brothers. (Jacques wears the comedy mask, while Lemony, of course, is tragedy.) The ball also marks the first on-screen appearance of the mysterious Beatrice, described in the script as “a beautiful woman dressed as a dragonfly.” 

eidnrsf

The fifth word, four letters long, is on page 45: Olivia Caliban/Madame Lulu, is in gray: 

A dangling thread from Season One was a certain book on secret organizations discovered by Justice Strauss - a book whose title will be familiar to anyone reading this. 

Still, they liked the idea of a character finding The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations and having the book change your life, as it will no doubt change yours. 

While the book’s version of Olivia is a veteran agent of dubious morality, the show reinvents her as a noble school librarian struggling against institutional corruption. 

There, disguised as Madame Lulu, she fulfills her mission of passing the book to the Baudelaires - and sacrifices herself at the lion pit to save their lives. 

jtsu 

The sixth word, colored light orange, is on page 109: How to Dress for a Career in Food Service. The three letters can be found here: 

Author Daniel Handler explains that the VFD agents we meed in the show are the types of people whom children notice by adults overlook. 

You’re going to notice things that are invisible to the adults talking over your head. 

Take a good look at the restaurant’s terrifying logo. 

uto

On page 141: The Miserable Mill is the seventh word, in two red letters: 

“The Wide Window” left us with no more stage space, so it forced us to shoot the mill at a real location, an old dock building which we then tried to make look like a stage. 

Klaus comes back from the eye doctor, but he isn’t quite himself. 

fo

The eighth word is on page 97: The Real Sugar Bowl. There are five light purple letters: 

According to Esme, it was stolen from her by Beatrice, and according to Olivia, it may have been the reason for the VFD schism. It’s not the first sugar bowl to play a vital role in a work of classic literature (interested parties may seek out We Have Always Lived in The Castle at their local library), but Daniel Handler muses on another possible inspiration: “There a whole sugar scene in the movie Midnight (See: Snicket, Jacques, pg 44) that must have seeped into me when I was a child. Somehow I think that was one of the sugar bowls of literature that ended up sneaking in.” 

The existence of four identical sugar bowl [props] may be of interest to Esme Squalor, or at least her actress, Lucy Punch, who requested to keep one when the series wrapped. “My character was so desperate for it,” says Punch. “It seemed appropriate.” 

eahrc

The ninth word, in blue, is on page 172: The Carnivorous Carnival. There are four letters: 

There’s literally no program you can watch that’s any wierce. 

The aesthetic of carnivals and circuses is naturally creepy and absurd to begin with. And then you add the overlay of our material, where everything is filtered  through the Baudelaires, so the sets are designed to be seen as if you’re a vulnerable child glimpsing this horrible world and trying to maintain hope. 

Count Olaf arrives at Caligari Carnival, where he hopes the fortune-teller can help him. 

wlli

The tenth word is on page 89: The Many Faces of Barry Sonnenfeld. There are four green letters: 

and in “The Vile Village,” he’s the fire chief posing with his Dalmatian int he firehouse-turned-saloon. 

A common ancestor to our series’ interconnected families? 

Barry birthday is April Fool’s Day, and for his birthday, I decided to knock off a painting with him in it. 

We’re shooting the Hotel Denouement right now, and the whole hotel isi based on the Dewey Decimal System, and each floor is a different subject. 

eetm

On page 64-65: The Sinister Songs, you can find five magenta letters for the eleventh word: 

“I was a huge fan of the books in my twenties, and I  was also a huge fan of Barry Sonnenfeld, so to see those two come together and actually be a part of it was unreal.” 

Count Olaf introduces himself to the Baudelaires with this song and dance - ignoring the fact he’s already met them. Handlers says, “Singing is perfect for Count Olaf because he imagines himself so wonderful.” 

All of the dance numbers were choreographed by Paul Becker, who pulled double duty in the first half of “The Carnivorous Carnival”.

She’s had quite an exciting / Time on the road

agina

On page 24: Violet the Inventor, there are two gray letters for the twelfth word: 

But now those inventions, like the Baudelaire mansion itself, are gone. 

She promised her parents she would always look after them, and while Count Olaf’s schemes have put that promise to the test, Violet’s managed to stand strong in even the most unfortunate situation. 

on

Pages 116-117: Deciphering Code: Using the Dials of the Spyglass, has five purple letters for the thirteenth word: 

As a volunteer, you already know why and when the spyglass was created (See: Motion Picture, Pg 10) but we will briefly recap its history here.

A permanent mark has its advantages, since even the most absent-minded member rarely leave the house without their ankle (See: Peg Leg, pg 86), but it has its drawbacks too, particularly if the organization undergoes a schism, so that the same symbol that once stood for comradery and literacy suddenly represents treachery and pyromania now that it is inscribed on the ankles of your enemies. 

But just as a movie might be more than a movie, a spyglass can be more than a spyglass. 

Critics called these films terrible, which was the point: Sebald wanted to ensure that no one would want to see them besides other volunteers, who would be more interested in their secret messages than their artistic value. 

The cinema’s projectionist assigns the film a production code made up of a unique combination of numbers and symbols. 

riynb

The fourteenth and final word can be found on page 32: Who is Lemony Snicket? There are five pale green letters: 

He is currently investigating the lives of the Baudelaire orphans,  though his reason for doing so is unknown, as are his whereabouts. 

Mr. Snicket can be identified by his dry wit, his tailored suits, and his ankle tattoo, as well as his tendency to launch into wordy monologues containing Very Frequent Definitions. 

But when developing the series for Netflix, Barry Sonnenfeld and Daniel Handler independently felt that their Snicket should be seen as well as heard. 

And they both independently thought of Patrick Warburton, a frequent Sonnenfeld collaborator whom Handler had loved in a little-seen film called The Woman Chaser. Volunteers who track it down will note that it features Warburton speaking to the camera in a suit and a deadpan style that one might call Serlinig-esque - or Snicket-esque. 

haebc

The Code

So now we have all the words:  

otw ests of eidnrsf 

jtsu uto fo eahrc 

wlli eemt agina 

on riynb haebc  

Which do not take a long time to unscramble... 

What comes after the end of The End? 

Well, it turns out... the code is a couplet... 

Two sets of friends, just out of reach 

Will meet again on Briny Beach.

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions November 2018

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies what will be hitting your local cinemas this month:

November 2nd

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman star this retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet from our friends at Walt Disney. The holidays are starting early this year for those looking for a wintry treat,

Bohemian Rhapsody - Bryan Singer directs* this biopic of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury. This project has been in production for some time with Sasha Baron Cohen slated to portray Mercury for years until Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) was tapped for the leading role. Reviews so far for Bohemian Rhapsody have been mixed, but fans of music biopics will show up regardless. (*Singer didn’t return to the set last year after Thanksgiving and was subsequently fired with two weeks left of filming. Director Dexter Fletcher ultimately finished the film, but Singer still gets the lone credit)

November 9th 

The Grinch - Almost 18 years to the day after the release of the live-action adaptation starring Jim Carrey and directed by Ron Howard, the grumpy green Grinch created by Dr. Suess is back on the big screen. This time, however, The Grinch is fully animated by Illumination Entertainment (the people behind Minions) and features the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch. I am sure kids will be lined up to watch this 86 minute feature!

The Girl in Spider’s Web: A New Dragon Tattoo Story - Is it a sequel? It is a reboot? Who knows?! But Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo, is finally back on the big screen with Claire Foy taking over the leading role. Foy becomes the third actress to play Salander, after Rooney Mara in 2011′s adaptation from David Fincher and Noomi Rapace who starred in the Swedish trilogy in 2009.

Overlord - J.J. Abrams produces this upcoming war horror film which follows a team of American soldiers during WWII who uncover secret Nazi experiments. Overlord looks fantastic and got great reviews when it premiered at Fantastic Fest in September. Not to mention I am a sucker for all things Bad Robot. Count me in.

November 16th

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Two years ago, I was moderately disappointed by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them the first post-Harry Potter film set in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. I will see make my best effort to see The Crimes of Grindelwald in the hopes that it puts the franchise back on track, but I am nowhere near excited for this film as I was for its predecessor in the run-up to its release.

Widows - Steve McQueen directs this heist film written by author-turned-screenwriter Gillian Flynn. The ensemble cast of Widows includes the titular foursome of Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Erivo in addition to a handful of household names (and should be household names) like Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson. Widows got rave reviews when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and is one film to keep an eye on come awards season.

Instant Family - Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne take in a trio of foster children in this comedy from the director of Daddy’s Home (and Daddy’s Home 2). I can’t say what hijinks ensure when Wahlberg and Byrne welcome these kids to their home, but I can almost guarantee these kids will find themselves adopted by the film’s end.

November 21st

Creed II - The movie this month I am looking forward to the most is none other than the sequel to the 2015 breakout hit Creed. This new Creed film looks to wear many hats, not only it is a sequel to Creed and the eighth film in the complete Rocky series, it also acts as a follow-up to 1985′s Rocky IV with the return of Ivan Drago, again played by Dolph Lundgren. While stars Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and Sylvester Stallone all return for Creed II, writer/director of the first film, Ryan Coogler does not, due to his commitment to this year’s blockbuster Black Panther. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Creed, do yourself a favor and watch it over the next few weeks. I for one know I will be revisiting it very soon in anticipation of Creed II.

Ralph Breaks the Internet - I only discovered the 2012 Disney animated film Wreck-It Ralph a few years ago and I greatly enjoyed it. And now in the sequel, Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, is leaving the arcade and taking his talents to the internet. Disney appears to be pulling out all the stops in terms of their properties as early trailers show Star Wars, Marvel and Disney characters galore making appearances. The movie almost seems to feel like Disney’s version of Ready Player One. Recently, when it comes to Disney animated films, Pixar seems to be getting all the attention, but Walt Disney Animation Studios has quietly put together a solid streak of great films, looking at their last five films before Ralph Breaks the Internet, you have Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia and Moana. And with Frozen 2 slated for next November, a streak that will continue easily.

Robin Hood - Oh look. Another Robin Hood movie just in time for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, a great cast including Tagon Egerton as Robin Hood, Jamie Foxx as Little John and Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham won’t be able to save this terrible-looking adaptation.

Green Book - The Farrelly Brothers have directed 11 films together since 1996, but now Peter Farrelly, the elder brother, is on his own with his first solo directing credit since 1994 with Green Book starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. Green Book is the true story of the relationship between a Jamaican-American musician and a New York bouncer on their tour of the Deep South in the 1960s. Green Book looks both funny and heartwarming and could be one to keep in mind this month.

The Front Runner (Wide) - While Jason Reitman’s new feature, the story of Gary Hart’s 1988 presidential campaign, won’t open wide until the end of the month, it will be opening in limited release on Election Day, November 6th. This is your reminder to vote. VOTE. Also, Hugh Jackman plays Gary Hart and The Front Runner looks great. 

November 30th

If Beale Street Could Talk - Barry Jenkins is back with his first feature film since 2016′s Best Picture winner Moonlight. The film which is based on a 1970s novel of the same name follows a woman trying to free his wrongly convicted husband. If Beale Street Could Talk has been wowing critics at film festivals this fall already and will likely do the same for audiences when it comes out later this month.

Now for a quick look ahead to December, my top picks for next month are Mortal Engines, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, and Aquaman.

-MB-