#and im still at the BAFTAS

[princeloww]

"good omens is filming soon" "i can't wait for the hair dye" IM STILL HERE

[starfruitsomething]

I saw David Tennant wearing this and had to draw...

[thefrsers]

SamCait + Baft Scotland 2019|2022

[letsplayitcool]

people are forgetting that austin *did* win awards for elvis elsewhere so his performance wasn't for nothing at all bc he actually deserved them

[stylespresleyhearted]

POV: YOU’RE DATING CALLUM TURNER

pt. 🥉

masterlist can be found here

——-

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callumupdates Callum today via @yourinstagram ’s story.

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fan13 I’m so glad he has someone who loves him the way y/n does

user13 every time there’s an update on them i realize how lonely i am

fan23 thankful for @yourinstagram because she takes the best photos of him 😍

yourinstagram isn’t he the handsomest? 🥹

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callumupdates Callum and Y/N spotted today on a date.

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fan12 THE WAY HE’S LOOKIN AT HER 😭😭😭

fan23 oh they are in love love.

user14 🥹🥹 be still my heart

fan32 MARRIED WHEN?! GET MARRIED RN!

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callumupdates Callum at a fashion event today. He’s got the perfect face for sitting on 🤩

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fan23 lmaaaaooooo Y/N LIKED

fan31 do we think she read the caption before liking it?!

user13 knowing her … yes haha 😂😂

fan33 she’s one of us i love it 🫶🏻

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yourinstagram so proud 🫶🏻

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keoghan92 he’s a good lad ain’t he?

fan13 she’s me as a gf honestly

yourinstagram i just can’t believe im so lucky

user12 @yourinstagram so happy he has you beside him!

user33 him stopping to pose for her while on the red carpet is sweet too 🥺

fan23 he’s doing big things now i hope his career keeps growing

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yourinstagram fun in the BAFTAS photobooth 😉

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callumupdates Callum with Taylor Russell at a fashion show today!

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user13 ughhh they look so good!

yourinstagram LUCA GUADAGNINO PUT THEM IN A MOVIE !!! 🌚

fan21 HA she gets it!

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yourinstagram i see youuuu - love you 😘

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fan33 She’s his biggest fan 😩

yourfriendsinstagram This is now a Callum Turner fanpage

yourinstagram ur damn right!

fan22 steal his jumper and wear it looks comfy

yourinstagram 🫡

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yourinstagram u know i love a london boy 💘

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anthonyboyle Cal always having a good time 😂

rafflaw handsome lad

fan23 omg she’s a swiftie too

yourinstagram yes someone convince callum to buy me 5000 taylor swift nose bleeds tickets

——-

As always, anyone willing to chat Callum Turner or Bucky Egan headcanons, asks, or anything feel free to message. I’m currently down bad for this man. ♥️ Let me know if ya’ll want more!

[elvisabutler]

i think there's still a few hours left for your gala, right?? 👁 if so, id like to request 💻 the angst prompt "no, im actually not ok," w austin.. maybe some h/c after the oscars? 🥺🙏

i don't know what i'm feeling

fandom: austin butler | elvis ( 2022 ) rating: g, t if you really squint. pairing: austin butler x gender neutral reader word count: 802 warnings: austin being sad post oscars. talk about the oscars. talk about the whale. author’s note: thank you anon and you were right i did have a few more hours when you sent this to me and was hoping someone would allow me the chance to do a hurt and comfort with this. full disclosure to everyone, i said it once before, if austin was going to lose to anyone, i did want it to be brendan because i was iffy on colin. however, i despise of the whale as a movie- and truly wish brendan had won for literally anything else. so do not take anything i have austin say as my own opinion on the movie itself. i hate it. this is for my 1k gala with the angst prompt of “no, i’m actually not ok.” and saints preserve me i'll live in my universe where i made this boy drunkenly say to his girl some nasty sexy things post oscar. also i'm not the biggest fan of this but i can't tell if that's purely because i'm in my own head about it or not. still hope you enjoy. also i didn't mess up my word count for the third time in all my gala pieces, what are you talking about.

It's an honor to be nominated. It's an honor to be put in the same league as actors who've been in the business for decades. It's an honor to be nominated along someone who's going to grow with him in their crafts. If he was going to lose to anyone everyone had said it was going to be him or Brendan and damn if he didn't think the man deserved it. The Whale was tough to watch but it was good- it was the sort of thing that earned an actor their Oscar. He shouldn't be- He shouldn't be feeling the way he does. Bill didn't get a single award all season and Colin went from a frontrunner with him to the afterthought along with Paul.

He can't even talk about this with Barry because it was always Ke's one to lose and he wasn't going to. Maybe Angela- but hadn't hers been wrapped in the grief from losing Chadwick. He still can't believe he heard Samuel L Jackson make a noise for him of all people behind him. He should be happy, this is the start of him finally making a difference. Making his fans proud and happy for him like Elvis. Making his mom proud that all her work wasn't for nothing. Making Lisa and Priscilla proud wasn't for nothing but why does he feel as if it was in this moment. Why is his brain just telling him this is how it starts? He'll have this whirlwind of three years and then three projects back to back to back only to have nothing afterward. Angela feels him tense a little- she must have because she looks at him and squeezes his hand once again before nodding over to you.

You- you can help ease his mind, once you're in the car he'll talk to you, whisper in your ear how this was not how he thought this night would go. His eyes meet yours and you smile gently before shrugging a little. He watches your lips mouth "love you" before he focuses on the last of the awards. It's a bit of organized chaos leaving the theater and it almost seems as if there's just an Elvis line of people walking around hand in hand like a bunch of kindergarteners before Austin and you finally get into a car and you squeeze his hand. "You okay?"

If it was anyone else, if it was Baz or Liv or Catherine or Kelvin or Luke- if it was anyone he'd lie. But you deserve the truth in a way that very few people do in this circumstance. "No, I'm actually not. I- I don't even know what I'm feeling. I'm mad but I shouldn't. I was nominated for an Oscar. I used to dream about this. I almost won an Oscar!"

"You have a Golden Globe! And a BAFTA!" You remind him, your voice matching his in volume before your hand moves to cup his cheek. There's a wet bit that you brush away with your thumb. "You're allowed to feel something, Austin. It doesn't make you a bad person or take away from Brendan's win because I know you, I know we're going to go the party and you're gonna see him and he's gonna give you a big dad hug and you're gonna gush. And you're gonna bounce up and down with Ke and make sure Baz doesn't drink too much because Catherine asked you too."

The laugh that bubbles up from him is wet sounding, covered in unshed tears as he sniffles. "Forgot how I'm gonna tell Luke about Polly making me do some moves for party tricks. And how Kelvin is going to remind me to-"

"Chill out?" You finish like that's actually what Austin was going to say before he shakes his head, allowing himself to just rest his head in your hand.

"Something like that. I just thought- I let my hopes get up." Austin whispers and you frown.

"No one blames you for that, you know. I don't. Tell you what. When we get to the party, how about we just sit in the car for a little bit until you calm down. And then when we get there, we just relax. Just for a little bit until you stop hurting so much. I'll shoo away the cameras with my charm." Austin raises an eyebrow knowing that isn't always how things go with you and him.

"Yeah? No fighting that'll get us both in trouble?"

"Pinky swear." You hold out your pinky as you move to kiss Austin. "Now, how about we focus on our plans for after tonight. I believe someone promised me a vacation?"

Austin's answer is a hum before he gives you another kiss. "How do you feel about the mountains?"

[mooodyblue]

ahhhahaha im so excited to see ur requests are back open!!! id love to see something with austin after the oscars, maybe some fluff with th reader trying to make sure he doesnt feel too sad ❤️‍🩹

hehe thank youuu!! said i wasn't gonna write today but then i started thinking about austin and couldn't fight the urge. hope you enjoy!

wc: 686

masterlist

austin was absolutely terrified on the way to the oscars. not only was it the end of his elvis chapter but he could possibly be going home with one of the biggest awards of the night and in the industry. his leg bounced up and down in the seat next to you in the car. he was sandwiched in between both you and his publicist. you had never seen him so nervous, not even at the golden globes was he this nervous. 

“look, think of it this way-after tonight, we can finally go on vacation and just spend real quality time together. it’s a win either way, right?” you spoke.

austin shook his head, “i can’t think about anything else. i-i don’t even think i have a speech ready, what if i forget someone? and god, i don’t wanna even think about all the carpet interviews.” he continued to nervously ramble on and on.

you pecked him on the lips and held his face in your hands, looking into his eyes. “austin. i love you, you’re gonna be okay, it’s gonna be okay.”

“what if i don’t get it?” he asked quietly.

“then you don’t get it. you still have your entire career ahead of you, an award doesn’t define you as an actor.” you answered softly. “i’ll still be proud of you regardless.”

he nodded as he gave you a sad smile, looking out the window to the massive crowd at the carpet. 

eight nominations, not a single win. you were thankful you were sat in the back where the camera couldn’t get any sort of shot with you in as your reaction to each loss could have definitely caused a stir on social media. after the show ended and the camera was cut, you made your way to find austin, immediately going to wrap your arms around him. he sighed against you and you pulled away. “are you okay?”

“need to go get ready for the party-”

“austin,” you grabbed him by the shoulders. “are you okay?”

he didn’t respond, instead taking your hand and heading out to go get changed. 

it was just the two of you in the room, austin was behind you, helping you fix your dress. you glanced at him through the mirror, noting he still hadn’t said a word about the awards. “i’m proud of you.” 

he stood up and zipped up your dress, stepping away from you and sighing. he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked around the room. “i just feel like all that hard work was for nothing. i tried to not let this upset me but it just…” he finally turned to look at you, letting out a heavy sigh. “this sucks, y/n. i was so confident, i just hope the presley’s aren’t disappointed in me, in us. y’know?”

“hey, don’t say that.” you walked over to him, austin wrapping his arms around you with sad eyes looking into yours. “you know they’re proud of all of you, more specifically you. especially elvis.” you wrapped your arms around his neck, grinning. “you also got a golden globe and a bafta and like…a million other awards.” you reminded. “you didn’t end this chapter completely empty-handed.”

“a million is a bit much-” 

you shot him a glare, “that’s not the point.” you snapped. “i’m saying, this wasn’t just for nothing. you’re going to have more chances in the future, you’re just getting started. this movie did huge things for you and i will always, always be proud of you. you’re my little movie star, a winner in my heart.”

austin finally gave you a small smile, thinking about all the good memories and achievements he made throughout the past year. “i love you, i hope you know that.” he pressed his lips against your forehead and grinned. “you’re right though, i’m not ending it empty-handed. i got you.” 

you smacked him playfully on the chest, letting out a laugh. “you are so corny it almost makes me sick.”

“but you love me for it.” 

“unfortunately i do.” you sighed. “now, let’s go get drunk.”

[feelboss]

hades won the bafta and hugo awards because you could in fact fish on every level of the underworld

runescape remains a well beloved game and is still played to this day. why? fishing

ocarina of time is considered by many to be the best zelda game. you know why? that's right. you can fish.

deadly premonition could perhaps have been a bad game but we'll never truly know because swery was smart enough to include fishing

re4 clearly became the series standout because it included a mechanic similar to fishing

beloved series silent hill crashed and burned hard and now konami is desperately scraping the bottom of the well. they never put in fishing.

im connecting the dots

[princeloww]

im still at the 2024 baftas by the way. mentally

[ffakeplasstic]

hol up. baftas r over. david and michael still trending?

(im not complaining i like the content)

[destinyc1020]

Imma be honest I was surprisef tom got CC nomination, Im happy for but realistically I thought the award he had the best chance of being nominated for was the baftas. After no sag and GG and I think the emmy is a longshot. I still do think baftas might be next nom tbh.

I actually think Tom has a really good shot at getting a BAFTA nomination and even an Emmy nomination of I'm being honest!

Idk why fans are being so quick to count these awards shows out as being a possibility for him? 🤷🏾‍♀️

Remember, Zendaya didn't get a GG nomination but she still got an Emmy nod..... and WON!!

[thealogie]

i hope im not bothering u but i just have a quick q 🙏 im just wondering how many hours from now the oliviers will start? bc last time i set an alarm for the baftas according to what the time zone converter told me but when i went online i was already two hours late 😔 thank you for your time!

It will start about 26 hours from when I’m posting this at 8:12 am pacific standard time. I still think doing it by time zone is the safer bet. The YouTube stream will start at 6 pm in London. 10 am pacific standard.

[stylespresleyhearted]

CCG — THE PRESS RUN

Notes: It’s been a long time, baby. Life has been kicking my ass but I still think of this universe constantly. Adore you @blainesebastian <3

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enews Elvis star Austin Butler had his leading lady on his arm at Cannes Film Festival. The couple looked stunning and more in love than ever with Butler encouraging her to pose for some solo shots. More pics of the two of them in the link in our bio

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butlerbot SHE’S SO PRETTY IM JEALOUS

austinnb have you guys seen the video that dropped 😭 he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she posed !!!

y/naustin she was so shy and he still had her take some on her own jsgsh

sheilableu Everything I see about this couple I enjoy. Very in love and genuine I see them lasting.

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tmz The best girlfriend award goes to? Austin Butler’s lady has been sure to show her support for Butler through the release of the Elvis film. She as well as his sister accompanied the Elvis star to his debut interview with Jimmy Fallon. Fans were chanting her name as she entered. Pics and videos at the link in our bio

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paparazzi1 when the fans of heart throbs like you, you’re in it for the long run. was lucky enough to meet them and they were so kind and graceful

ccgfan her style is TO DIE FOR

butlerrr She looks like the star and Austin is the supportive boyfriend lmao

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hollywoodreporter A cute moment on the Golden Globes red carpet shared between Elvis star Austin Butler and his longtime girlfriend 💕 Butler spent a few seconds frantically looking around for his beautiful date but when he spotted her posing on the carpet he couldn’t help but erupt in joy and rush to plant a sweet kiss on her. Video on our TikTok and at the link in our bio 

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louisemarie they called me single and said im gonna die alone i can’t handle their cuteness

butlerrr HE IS SO IN LOVE WITH HER 😭

butlerbot siri play ‘can’t keep my eyes off you’

presleyfan her little giggle 🥰 austin is so baby

rileykeuogh This is so real. One of the first things I noticed meeting them is how in love he is. 💗

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coffeegirl I’m so proud of you, babe. I witnessed you pour your heart and soul into this role and there’s no one more deserving. Love you so.

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ashleytisdale THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND!!!

catherinemartindesigns All that coffee must have helped, darling 😉

bazluhrmann No words to express the pride I feel in this guy and the work he did. Unreal.

oliviadejonge 🌹🙌🏼

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ccgupdates Reaction during Austin’s BAFTA winning speech. “… to my girlfriend, the best partner, my best friend, I thank my lucky stars every day I have you by my side. If it wasn’t for your constant love and support, for all the coffee, most of which I only ordered to see you on long set days*laughs* for the oreos and ginger ale — you’re the best part of my dreams coming true. I love you, baby.”

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presleyfam They both got teary eyed and he choked up I can’t -

butlerbot HE LOVES HER SO MUCH LIKE HE IS SO IN LOVE ❤️❤️😭😭💗💗💗

mccall OTP. CRYING.

austinelvis Ok did anyone else also spot Brendan crying during Austin’s speech too? Austin had everyone teary eyed, he’s so genuine

ashleybee ❤️

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austinbnews Austin and his girlfriend leaving the Oscars before heading to the Variety after party.

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butlerbot It’s so good to see him smiling 😭 I know it’s because he has her with him thats why I love her she makes him so happy

austinfan the Oscars were rigged but I’m happy he has her!!!

sharonbleu True love ❤️

ccgupdates They are each other’s favorite win, as long as they have each other they will always be happy and smiling and in love.

[youronlyauthor]

Hobie B./Spiderpunk x FemReader

15+ part 3 of/?

you don't know who spiderpunk is or that he even existed but you are spider women with powers that are the basic spider web shooting, the power to turn invisible, is also from a comic world like Hobie.

You play the bassist in your band.

(Continuing)

the song starts to play, as you look at Hobie he is already staring and sing like he’s singing to you? “Man I thought I had everything but I was lonely, now your my everything I was lonely.” He sings with a passion look straight at you and starts to play his guitar more with more passion the closer he gets to you. “Who woulda known who’da known you would fly my kite?” Now he’s facing you as if he was singing to just you and no one else was there, it seemed so amazing to hear him singing as if it was just you. Why did you feel this way? “No side thing don’t need a back up need a real one don’t need an actor I lost once they think you won a BAFTA, ah come and be my girl.” You felt flustered as he got closer and looked into your eyes playing his guitar smoothly with each note his finger seemed to glide across. “Could ya tell me where my head was at when ya found me? Me and you went to hell and back just to find peace. Man I thought I had everything but I was lonely now your my everything I was lonely” the song starts to end as he still maintained eye contact. The crowd went wild, someone even whistled at the two of us. We both finally looked at the crowd cheering and ready for the next song. “How’d ya like that love? Did’ja like it?” He spoke in a seductive way that drove you mad. “That was amazing..like wow” you stared into his eyes as he gave a quick smirk and que to start your song while they played most of the back track of the song. You grabbed your guitar and set your bass down. As the music started to play you started to play your part.

“I wanna be a billionaire so fuckin bad, buy all the things I never had. I wanna be on the cover up smilin next to Oprah and the queen” you take a breath “ oh every time I close my eyes I see my name in shining lights, a different city every night. Oh I I swear the world better prepare for when im a billionaire!” Hobie joins in rapping “oh yeah yeah a different city every night I swear.” You and him make eye contact and start to get closer and closer to the point you’re looking up to him. “I wanna be a billionaire so fuckin bad..” the song ends. The crowd goes wild but our your eye contact doesn’t break. Hobies seems to be holding something back looking down to you softly. you all then leave the stage as Hobie is extremely close we his arm around your shoulder smirking. He looks at you then your lips, you notice and maintain eye contact. All of a sudden he drags you to the sound proof room and sits down on the bean bag chair and closes his eyes. He hold your hand as you stand next to him. His leg stretched out head back and looks tired, thinking to yourself you admire him sitting on the ground next to him with your head on the arm rest of the bean bag. He stares at you and all of a sudden grabs you, your startled but he gently pulls you atop of him. “Lay with me” as you pulls you down your face heats up, he gently smiles and speaks in a deep tone, “your actually pretty cute you should consider joining the spider verse team.” But as he opens his eyes to check if you heard him your fast asleep next to him with your head nudged into his chest, with one of your hands gently gripped onto his shirt. As you two cuddle Gwen and miles who were looking for them find them both sleeping peacefully and closely cuddling eachother. Gwen whispers in a quiet tone “We need a photo of this I need one they’re too cute together” Miles and Gwen grab their phones and start sneaking photos of them, but then Hobie quietly in a deep tone whispers for them to send that to him smiling. “We will” she whispers back as they creep out of the room. A few hours later Hobie is woken by a sound.. the sound of the door wide open and the familiar face of the man from the street when they first met, he looked angry holding a knife. You wake up hearing voices and look up to see Hobie. You on him and your ex is in the doorway. “H-Hobie?” You start to see your surroundings around you you notice who it is in the door way. As your expression changes Hobie notices your hands shaking and gripping on to him even tighter. “Y/n..?” You look pissed as you turn to the doorway. “Why can’t you just stop following me I don’t love you anymore.” Hobie starts to understand what the situation is. “Oi mate this ain’t yo girl” he looks even more pissed and throws the knife at you. Right before it stabbed you Hobie caught the knife with one hand. He looked angry like something actually got to him. “Mate you don’t know who ya messin wit so fuc’ off aight?” Y/E/N was lunging toward him with another knife. Hobie was no longer smiling but very pissed. Then out of nowhere the blue and red suit.

Miguel attacks the man out of no where. As we watch a white spider women and a black Spider-Man appear. Once Miguel makes Y/E/N run he turns around asking if we were okay. “You haven’t changed” Miguel looks confused and so does everyone else. “Who are you?” He uses a sturn tone. You web him in the face shutting him up. “What can’t recognize your own daughter?” Everyone looks shocked he just stands there. “You don’t know everything y’know” you grab Hobies hand and start to leave. “Hobie where are you going?” Miguel uses an angry tone. He stops and turns to Miguel. “With Y/n where else?” Everyone turns to Miguel as he starts to rush at him, but before he lands a hit you gets in between them to take the hit for him. You fly back and hit the wall, but get back up easily. “Y/n!” Hobie sounds worried and rushes toward you as you get up your chest aches. You touch him and he and you turn invisible as he swings you to his apartment. “Lovely just Lovely, Miguel is your fuckin fatha’ ” he looks stressed “Hey it’s gonna be fine we can figure it out.” He looks even more stressed “no love it won’t be fine what if..” he looks like he wants to say something. “Never mind” you look at him suspiciously “What?” “What are you holding back to not tell me?” He has a frown on his face and sighs “does this all really have to be fake?” You look confused “fake? What is fake?” He sighs again “I’ve known you fucking 3 days and still cannot figure out what this feelin is alright?.” Your curiosity gets the best of you “what do you feel?” He looks at you “you give me this deep feeling to protect you and that I feel as if I’ve known ya for so long love.” You start to understand but keep quiet as he speaks looking at his eyes. “There another feeling I hold back..” you look at him then his lips and you get closer. “To just be near you and touch you as if you were mine…I feel possessive over you, and all these feeling are for you.” You shut him up by putting your hand on his mouth. “Hobie… all I think of is you…and none of this was truly fake at all” you both stare at eachother and suddenly he speaks “May I stop holding back now love?” You look at him craving for him. “..Yes..but may we take it this slow?” He looks happy “of course anything for you love” he grabs the back of your neck and kisses you so passionately and gently at the same time it. He starts to move down to your neck, doing so a soft moan escapes your lips. He gets up off of you “Jesus Y/n your driving me mad” you smile. He starts to lay next to you and cuddle you putting you next to him. “That…that was my first kiss” your face is burning up as he turns to you smirking. “Were you Savin it for me“ you smile “so glad I didn’t kiss (ex/N) instead I kissed you. He looks over to you “was that relationship forced? With your ex I mean” you look at him sadly “yeah he honestly was just abusive towards me, that’s why I moved here.” He giggles as your left confused “why is that funny” you put on a sad frown. “Well wait until Miguel finds out who that dude was, he gonna murder him” you start to smile you nudge your head into him getting comfortable. “I bet you if you came to HQ you would change your mind about coming” your eyes light up, Hobie notices “oh my god HOBIE” he looks confused “what did I do” you light up “I can solve the problem of my dad being mad about you and me.” He lights up “How? Your dad is like always angry” you smirk “I tell him I’ll come to HQ but I will be staying with you and he allows me to date you! Easy!” Hobie chuckles softly “no way he’s going agree” you smirk “wanna bet?” Hobie smirks “what’s the bet?” You smile “for 24 hour if I win you have to do everything I say.” Hobie smirks even more “okay but if I win 48 hour we don’t have to take it slow and you have to do everything i say.” You look nervous “okay deal if he lets us stay in the same room then I win if not..” he grabs your waist and hugs you “then I win” his smile is huge.

[peppermintbuttlemon]

I doubt she’ll say anything too crazy. Any of the songs could be about anybody, we won’t know. It’s not like she’s gonna sing 🎶 I wore his Eddie wig as a merkin while he finger blasted me in his London flat with his best mate Wes in the next room🎶

That doesn't even rhyme!!! Get it together!

DAMMIT. Okay fine

🎶🎶 WHHOAOAOOOOO ooooooooohhhh

He invited me over for a drink I know he was hoping it would be a sneaky link But this is london baby and i got to think-ing That maybe this time, maybe those curls, maybe those eyes, would be all mine Cuz i begged and i pleaded That he would take me to bafta He just smiled and kissed and said maybe afta We can get drinks and go back to mine Thats all it is for him all the time Cuz there are stranger things And he wears all his rings And theyre wrapped around my neck But thats okay cuz im always a wreck. But he brings me back With those chocolate buttons And lord knows im nothing if not a glutton So then Joseph Quinn finger blasts me in the bathroom While his roommate wes is on a zoom—call 🎶🎶

THERE. 😂 Okay obviously I’m not a song writer but the point still stands! I doubt the songs will be super obvious they’re about him. And this one sort of rhymed so you are so welcome 🕺

[nclkafilms]

When your dream becomes your nightmare

(Review of ‘Im Westen nichts Neues’ watched on the 31st of January 2023)

‘Im Westen nichts Neues’ or ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ as it is known as in non-German areas has been sneaking up on the ongoing awards season. From being a player in the International Film category to then starting to pop up in the technical categories, and now, ultimately, it has ended up as being one of the biggest players of the season with 14 BAFTA nominations and 9 Oscar nominations. An impressive trajectory for the German film, which of course is based on the famous book that previously led to 2 Oscar wins from 4 nominations for Lewis Milestone’s 1930 version of the book. This time, as stated, it is a German production, which tells the gripping story of young Paul and his friends in the last year’s of WWI, and director Edward Berger has created one of the most heavy-hitting war films of recent years.

In the beginning we meet 17-year old Paul Bäumer along with his friends as they prepare to enroll themselves in the German army in 1917. Paul has not received his parents’ written consent, but a forged signature later and he’s ready to join the pride of the nation as they prepare for the final weeks of war before finally marching into Paris as national heroes and winners of the war. At least that is the story, that the boys have been fed and the dream they all have as they are hyped for the adventure that awaits them along with thousands of other young souls. Little do they know about the true nature of what awaits them on the western front, and as such these scenes of young pride and excitement are equally devastating and infuriating to observe. What follows is a story with two focus points: the story of Paul and his friends participating in the truly horrific battles of the frontline and a political story in a luxurious train wagon far away from bullets and grenades as officials from France and Germany negotiate the ceasefire and ultimate surrender of Germany finally agreed upon on the 11th of November 1918. 

With the film coming out just a few years after Sam Mendes brought our attention to WWI with his suspenseful ‘1917’ comparisons between the two of them are obvious to make. Especially as both stories try to tell the story of the actual (in both cases very young) men taking part in the devastating battles caught in a game that they have no control of. However, the way they decide to tell their stories are substantially different. While Mendes’ film succeeded as a suspense thriller thanks to its groundbreaking cinematography and a classic heroic tale, Berger’s re-telling of All Quiet has no interest in painting any heroic story. Of course, it’s always the winner, who gets to tell the stories and as such it is also hard to imagine a heroic take on a young German soldier would go down well today. But the facts that Paul is never portrayed as a hero and that Berger allows him to make despicable choices on the battlefield, makes the film’s anti-war story so much stronger, when we still end up hoping for Paul’s survival. He is neither an evil person nor a flawless hero; more than anything he is a confused, deluded young man caught in a dream that quickly shows itself as his worst nightmare. Caught between becoming the man his surroundings demand him to be in order to survive and defending his central human values, Paul becomes a symbol of the millions of young men from all countries who joined the war (and any other war for that matter) on false pretences only to have their lives altered forever. 

Made clear by the themes discussed above, Paul is a very complex character, and the work that Felix Kammerer does with this character is nothing short of spectacular. It seems impossible to believe that this marks his first feature film role. With a slender physical presence, he carries the film on his shoulders as he confidently navigates his way through physically demanding battle scenes, emotionally nuanced moments of reflection and haunting encounters throughout. One scene in particular involving Paul and a French soldier in a crater on the battlefield highlights the film’s biggest strength in my opinion: showing the brief moments of humanity in the bleakest of moments. The moment where Paul realise the nature of what’s going on, is Kemmerer’s finest acting in the film as he within seconds switches from a horrifyingly primitive state of mind to heartbreaking clear-sightedness. In addition to Kammerer, all the actors portraying Paul’s friends and company deliver fine work, but it is well-deserved that Albrecht Schuch as Stanislaus Katczinsky (or simply Kat) has received the biggest attention as he too manages to balance the nuances of their characters perfectly. It would have been so easy to fall into the trap of either making these characters completely unlikeable because of the sheer horror of their actions or awkwardly heroic completely ignoring said actions. It deserves recognition that the film’s main cast manages to balance this complexity as well as they do.

This, of course, also hints at great directing by Edward Berger who has made many clever choices with his film. He does, however, also make some questionable choices. For instance, I get the reason behind showing the ongoing “peace” negotiations along with the war horrors. It clearly serves a purpose by highlighting the absurd nature of the war where young, unsuspecting men play the parts of pawns in a deadly game of chess controlled by the generals, marshals and politicians operating in luxury far away from danger. However, these scenes never feel as fulfilling or interesting as the rest of the film. They feel like a slightly different film and I think it would have worked better if Berger had found a different way of portraying this contrast of the war. It could have been by showing us parts of the reasons why Paul and his friends were led to believe that they were joining the army to become heroes. What stories were they told, how were they told and by who? That could have served the same purpose while keeping our focus on Paul’s arc. 

While this perhaps hints at some issues with the film’s screenplay and Berger’s realisation of this, his realisation of his technical visions leaves nothing to be desired. He has created what feels like the bleakest and most harrowing depiction of war in recent years thanks to stunning cinematography, effective VFX and makeup and a fresh, haunting score. First of all, the cinematography is stunning: you feel the chaotic and claustrophobic horrors of the battles through great action filming, but we are also treated to some stunning night scenes, where I couldn’t help but feel that James Friend had been inspired by Roger Deakins’ work on ‘1917’. The VFX are supporting and often invisible, but they help make the battles scenes feel realistically scary as explosions occur and gun wounds appear naturally. These things of course also gives a lot of work to the make-up department, which have created numerous wounds and injuries through prosthetics, but it is perhaps the make-up that shows the battlefield’s marks on Paul that is the most impressive with Kammerer’s face often hidden behind layers of mud, ashes and blood. Finally, Volker Bertelmann’s score feels fresh and new for a war movie. I first listened to it before watching the film and it reminded me more of a sci-fi score, but it worked really well and it’s ominous and surprising use of sounds helped me get invested in the story. A really cool score!

All in all, the many praises that ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ has received are well-deserved as Edward Berger and his team has managed to create a devastating, haunting and (sadly) highly relevant depiction of war and the many horrors it inflicts on the people who are often closest to the dangers and consequences of it and furthest away from having any meaningful influence on its outcome. As such Berger’s retelling of the 1929 novel is every bit as relevant today as it was when Erich Maria Remarque wrote it based on his own experiences in WWI. We still struggle with war, and on a daily basis we are shown how the decisions of the most powerful inflicts irreparable consequences for the lives of their own people. And as such the ambiguity of the German title “Im Westen nichts Neues” is extremely fitting. Much like the soldiers in the film, Berger’s film is not without flaws, though. However, it surely will find its place among other big films that try to warn us about the human consequences of the constant desire for more power, more victories and more national glory. Because sadly, nothing’s new on that front. 

4/5