#anna seward

[tenth-sentence]

In a poem by Anna Seward, one friend feels complete despair when her best friend is engaged to marry and their cold future encounters:

When thou shalt pass me with averted eyes,

Feigning thou seest me not, to sting and grieve,

And sicken my sad heart, I could not bear

Such dire eclipse of thy soul-cheering rays

I could not learn my struggling heart to tear

From thy loved form, that thro my memory strays;

Nor in the pale horizon of despair,

Endure the wintry and the darken'd days.

"Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History" - Philippa Gregory

[pollywiltse]

Anna. Anna. The poor man was just hanged as a spy. Is that not humiliation enough? Did you have to publish the letters he wrote when he was nineteen and trying to impress the girl(s) that he was into as well?

[violettesiren]

While one sere leaf, that parting Autumn yields, Trembles upon the thin, and naked spray, November, dragging on his sunless day, Lours, cold and fallen, on the watery fields; And Nature to the waste dominion yields, Stripped her last robes, with gold and purple gay— So droops my life, of your soft beams despoiled, Youth, Health, and Hope, that long exulting smiled; And the wild carols, and the bloomy hues Of merry Spring-time, spruce on every plain Her half-blown bushes, moist with sunny rain, More pensive thoughts in my sunk heart infuse Than Winter's grey, and desolate domain, Faded, like my lost Youth, that no bright Spring renews.

Sonnet LXXXIV. by Anna Seward

[whats-in-a-sentence]

In a poem by Anna Seward, one friend feels complete despair when her best friend is engaged to marry and their cold future encounters:

When thou shalt pass me with averted eyes,

Feigning thou seest me not, to sting and grieve,

And sicken my sad heart, I could not bear

Such dire eclipse of thy soul-cheering rays

I could not learn my struggling heart to tear

From thy loved form, that thro my memory strays;

Nor in the pale horizon of despair,

Endure the wintry and the darken'd days.

"Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History" - Philippa Gregory

[astrylx]

You all said you wanted it so here we go. Things I like about Nosferatu as a Dracula adaptation vs things I don’t.

LIKE: Anna Harding

Anna Harding is the Nosferatu equivalent of Lucy Westenra, one of my absolute favorite characters in all of Dracula. So many adaptations of Dracula tend to make Lucy out to be a “slut,” and appear as if she is deserving of her fate as a victim of Dracula. This is all taken out of context by the “Why can’t a woman marry three men” line that she says. Nosferatu does not fall into this. That may be in part because instead of having three suitors, Anna has one married husband, but either way, the do not make Anna to be promiscuous and they instead utilize and showcase her true character traits.

Lucy Westenra is an innocent, loving woman, who is loyal and virtuous. She sticks by the people she loves. The line that makes her sexualized is a line showing in part her innocence and deep love. She cares for all the men in her life, and she does not want to have to choose, risking in part hurting them. Anna, in Nosferatu, is incredibly loyal to Ellen. She stands up for her and cares for her. There are even slight touches of queer undertones between Lucy and Mina in the book, if you’re looking for them. Anna has done nothing but care for the people in her life.

And then she is transformed. And the transformation, in some ways, does resemble the wantoness that takes over in the book, through her odd behaviors, and almost orgasmic expressions.

While it’s not a perfect representation of Lucy in the novel, it’s so much closer and done so much better than some others. Anna is a much more minor character than Lucy as well, but just as Lucy does, she drives the plot. And just as Lucy’s death does ultimately lead to the death of Quincey Morris, one of her courtiers, so too does Anna’s death lead to that of Friedrich, her husband.

And that brings us to the next point.

DISLIKE: Lack of Quincey Morris

I honestly don’t even think I need to go into depth in this. Quincey Morris is such a good character in the novel. The cowboy vampire slayer. He’s fantastic. A+ character. And Jonathan and Mina even name their child after him.

He and Jonathan are the ones to finally destroy Dracula, even if it ends in his own demise. Yet… in Nosferatu… he’s not there. I hate this. Justice for Quincey.

LIKE: Von Franz

Dracula adaptations have two tendencies with Van Helsing, neither of which Nosferatu falls into: Either he is the decades long enemy of Dracula, a vampire hunter, or he is the all knowledgeable man everyone relies on. The truth, Van Helsing is quite an odd character. And he’s not a vampire slayer or all knowledgeable of vampires. He simply studies many different things. It’s not that vampire knowledge is what he seeks.

Nosferatu understands this. We get to see the quirks of Van Helsing. His relation with Seward (though minimal), and his true knowledge. Plus, Willem Dafoe is exceptional in the role. It’s refreshing to see a Van Helsing that, despite any flaws in the film, actually resembles Van Helsing to me. He’s not perfect, but he feels right. Much closer than many other adaptations.

DISLIKE: Herr Knock

Look, I will admit, I am quite biased when it comes to this. To me, no one will ever come close to Dwight Frye’s Renfield. He’s just absolutely exceptional in that role, and I couldn’t ask for more. Meanwhile Herr Knock, while having his moments, is quite flat and boring to me. He lacks many of the complexities of Renfield that make him stand out. And so much of his character just feels like they jumped around, didn’t clearly plan how they wanted to use him. I could barely follow it half the time. Which isn’t always a bad thing in horror, but to me was disappointing.

Especially because I tend to view Renfield and Jonathan as interesting parallels. Jonathan could, in my opinion, have very easily ended up like Renfield. And they are even more so connected by their relations with Mina. Mina is the character that reveals Renfield’s true nature underneath the vampirism. He wants to prevent her from being like him, and to keep her safe. Meanwhile, in Nosferatu, Ellen and Herr Knock never meet.

LIKE: Thomas’ Approach to the Castle

I do have to ignore the racism to the Romani people in this, because it is… prevalent. It isn’t shocking at all because unlike some people on Reddit seem to think, I do in fact have critical thinking skills and recognize the source material, time and place of the film, and cultural ideas and views still existing. It doesn’t mean that I don’t recognize it.

But. Aside from that, the approach to the castle is done so incredibly well. It’s frightening and eerie. You can really place yourself in Thomas’ shoes and understand his fear. It works so well to establish mood and foreshadowing for the actual castle. Plus, one of my favorite scenes from the novel is utilized.

When the woman gives Jonathan a crucifix “for his mother’s sake.” That scene always just stands out to me and has such an impact, so seeing a representation of it on screen was great. I turned to the friend I was sitting beside in the theatre with a big smile, pointing and mouthing “they did the thing!!”

DISLIKE: Ellen Hutter

To me, Ellen feels almost offensive in the face of Mina. Not saying Ellen is a bad character, but when she’s the Mina of the film, it just… rubs me the wrong way. Mina is smart, loyal, clever, loving. She’s faithful and dependable. She’s incredibly, impenitently strong. So incredibly strong.

Throughout the story, Mina keeps her wits about her. Despite what is happening to her, she remains collected and calculating, showing deep strength and love. She never falters from Jonathan’s side, and she fights for her friends. She plots and she plans. The entire downfall of Dracula is orchestrated by Mina. She tracks him, and allows Jonathan and Quincey to finally destroy him.

Ellen, yes she is the one to ultimately defeat Orlok, but it’s not the same. For one, she is the summoner of Orlok, attracted to his darkness. And she destroys him by getting with him. When she isn’t doing this, she’s having fits, completely out of lucidity, and acting manic and out of control. A far cry from the strong will and composure Mina manages to hold on to. Not to mention her relationship with Thomas which will be touched on later, let me assure you of that.

And then there’s the whole aspect of her relationship with Orlok. In the book, the interactions between Lucy and Dracula, and Mina and Dracula very much come across as allegorical to SA (same with the interactions between Jonathan and the three vampire brides, but that is a conversation for another time). Therefore, writing any sort of romance between Mina and Dracula in any adaptation tends to come off to me at least as distasteful. Dracula is not Mina’s dark lover who allows her to let free the darkness inside her, the chains from the stifling world of the roles of Victorian women. Dracula is her abuser.

While yes, it is made clear that Ellen wants Thomas, not Orlok, at the end she still saves the day by being the virginal sacrifice to him, and she still summoned him with her “darkness.” It may be a reach, which I will wholeheartedly admit upon and take on my chest, but it can almost feel like it’s saying Ellen was calling to be abused…

LIKE: Wolves

In the novel, Dracula does in fact surround himself and utilizes. Not many Dracula adaptations use these wolves and the fact that Dracula can bend their wills with his own. Which is sad in an era where werewolves and vampires are often seen as enemies in popular culture (thank books like Twilight). Seeing the wolves be used, and used well, was really great. I could totally understand the terror Thomas would have felt.

DISLIKE: The Lack of Teamwork

In Dracula, all the characters, moved by Lucy’s passing, Jonathan’s torment, and Mina’s turning into a vampire, work together in order to defeat Dracula. There is a sense of camaraderie between the characters, each using their own knowledge, skills, and experience in the fight. At the end of the novel, Mina and Jonathan have named their son after the party members, a testament to the camaraderie of the group. They’re a regular old likable band of unlikely heroes.

This… is not present in Nosferatu. The characters barely work together. There isn’t a sense of connection or partnership. Friedrich fights with the group the whole time until his death. Von Franz keeps things from everyone. Thomas and Sievers feel absolutely useless for the most part. I mean, as if the lack of Quincey wasn’t enough, you go and erase any semblance of teamwork too…

LIKE: I honestly… don’t have much else to say for any likes… at least, as a Dracula adaptation. There was more I liked about the movie standalone, but this isn’t the post for that. Maybe the rats scene, not in the sense of it being a Dracula adaptation, but in the sense that it reminded me of the rats scene with Renfield from the 1931 film.

DISLIKE: The Hutters Marriage

On of my favorite lines in all of Dracula is said by Jonathan. He says, “To one thing I have made up my mind; if we find out that Mina must be a vampire in the end, then she shall not go into that unknown and terrible land alone. I suppose it is thus that in old times one vampire meant many; just as their hideous bodies could only rest in sacred earth, so the holiest love was the recruiting sergeant for their ghastly ranks.” The holiest love. Their love and commitment to each other is so strong. Jonathan is willing to live an eternity with his tormentor, with the woman he loves basically lost to him forever, just to stay by her side. Even if she cannot recognize him or love him, and is simply as Dracula’s three brides. The holiest love.

Sure, Thomas and Ellen love each other. It’s present and clear. But it’s so lacking in comparison to Jonathan and Mina. They don’t communicate, there are few scenes of them together, and the ones with them feel rushed. Meanwhile Mina crosses the country for Jonathan to marry him on his sick bed. I just wish Thomas and Ellen offered us more.

FINAL DISLIKE: Orlok’s Death

Orlok’s death feels so rushed. Just… Ellen has intercourse with him until the sun rises and he dies. Let us not forget sunlight does not kill Dracula, merely weaken him. Which is the most minor complaint over this. The scene is horrifying and beautiful. It’s scary and gothic and thrilling and chilling. None of that I will deny. But it also happens so quickly it feels quite odd. Considering the rest of the pacing of the film, you’d think the final scene, the scene of victory, would feel more complete. It doesn’t. And it is nothing like it is in the book.

Overall, as a movie I rate Nosferatu 4/5 stars. As a Dracula adaptation? 2/5 if that. It’s not Dracula and it is loosely based, but I’m rating it here strictly as a Dracula adaptation. The movie has flaws outside of the sphere of Dracula as well, which I could get into another time. But I hope you enjoyed my ramble.

If this interested you, I would love to cover other Dracula adaptations, whether Coppola’s Brad Stoked’s Dracula, the 2020 TV series, or the original Nosferatu. Please let me know!

If you have any issues with my post or anything you’d like to add or comment on, please do so and please let me know. I love criticism and conversation. Now, I wrote this with no proofreading in my free time today, so it’s likely flawed. I accept that. For now, I’m going to go nap.

Wake me up when you have a good real estate deal for me.

[hotvintagepoll]

this is a poll for a movie that doesn't exist.

It is vintage times. The powers that be have decided to again remake the classic vampire novel Dracula for the screen. in an amazing show of inter-studio solidarity, Hollywood’s most elite hotties are up for the starring roles. the producers know whoever they cast will greatly impact the genre, quality, and tone of the finished film, so they are turning to their wisest voices for guidance.

you are the new casting director for this star-studded epic. choose your players wisely.

Previously cast:

Jonathan Harker—Jimmy Stewart

The Old Woman—Martita Hunt

Count Dracula—Gloria Holden

Mina Murray—Setsuko Hara

Lucy Westenra—Judy Garland (rip)

The Three Voluptuous Women—Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall

The Agonized Mother—Mary Philbin (rip)

Dr. Jack Seward—Vincent Price

Quincey P. Morris—Toshiro Mifune

Arthur Holmwood—Sidney Poitier

R.M. Renfield—Conrad Veidt

The Captain of the Demeter—Omar Sharif (rip)

The First Mate of the Demeter—Leonard Nimoy (rip)

Mr. Swales—Ed Wynn (rip)

The Correspondent for The Daily Graph—Ethel Waters

Dracula in dog form—Frank Oz with a puppet

Sister Agatha—Angela Lansbury

Mrs. Westenra—Gladys Cooper (rip)

Dracula's solicitors—Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee

Dr. Van Helsing—Orson Welles

Thomas Bilder, zookeeper—Lon Chaney Jr.

Thomas Bilder's wife—Elsa Lanchester

The Reporter from the Pall Mall Gazette—Hattie McDaniel

Patrick Hennessey M. D., M. R. C. S. L. K. Q. C. P. I.—George Takei

The Cockneys from the carrier's cart—Wilkins and Wontkins

This character does not speak, but Mina is so enraptured by her she doesn't notice the nearby Dracula, so I’m including her for kicks.

[whencyclopedia]

John André

Major John André (1750-1780) was a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). He is best known for negotiating with the American turncoat Benedict Arnold, who offered to hand over the stronghold of West Point. The plot was exposed when André was captured behind American lines, leading to his execution as a spy.

Early Life

John André was born on 2 May 1750 in London, England, to a family of wealthy Protestant immigrants. His father, Antoine André, was a prosperous merchant originally from Geneva, Switzerland, while his mother, Marie-Louise Girardot, was French. He was the eldest of five siblings; he had three sisters, Mary Hannah (b. 1752), Anne Marguerite (b. 1753), and Louisa Catherine (b. 1754), and a brother, William Louis (b. 1760). John was initially educated at Westminster School but was eventually sent to study mathematics and military drawing at the Academy of Geneva. He excelled at academics and showed proficiency in languages; by his late teens, he was fluent in English, French, German, and Italian. Yet his true passion rested in the arts. André would spend most of his free time sketching or painting, writing poetry and short plays, and playing the flute.

André returned to London in 1767 and longed to join the British army, which he saw as a chance to see the world and break free from the middle-class life to which he felt condemned. His father, however, had other plans, and put him to work in his countinghouse, hoping that John would one day inherit the family business. André dutifully worked for his father for two years until April 1769, when Antoine André died at the age of 52. Later that year, André accompanied his mother and sisters on vacation to Buxton Spa in Derbyshire, hoping that the trip would ease their grief.

It was on this trip that André became acquainted with Anna Seward, a noted poet who ran a literary salon out of her father's lodgings in Bishop's Palace in Lichfield. Seward invited André to Lichfield, where she introduced him to her childhood friend and poetic muse, the beautiful, yet reserved, 17-year-old Honora Sneyd. Seward doted on Sneyd and described her as "fresh and beautiful as the young day-star, when he bathes his fair beams in the dews of spring" (Seward, cxvii). André was quickly smitten with the girl and would often find excuses to be in her company. Although some scholars contend that Seward had romantic feelings for Sneyd herself, she appears to have aided André in his suit, reading love poems aloud as André and Sneyd dreamily held hands.

Before long, André proposed to Sneyd, but her father disapproved of the match, viewing André as too poor; he said that he would accept their engagement only if André gave up his military ambitions and instead devoted his time to making as much money as possible. Viewing a glimmer of hope, André raced back to London and plunged diligently back to work in the countinghouse. All the while, the lovesick André wrote letters to Honora, describing how much he hated life as a merchant but tolerated it because of his love for her:

When an impertinent consciousness whispers in my ear that I am not of the right stuff for a merchant, I draw my Honora's picture from my bosom, and the sight of that dear talisman so inspirits my industry that no toil appears oppressive. (Sargent, 15)

Within a few months, Sneyd's father grew impatient and became convinced that André would never make enough money. He abruptly broke off their engagement. Distance had perhaps cooled Sneyd's feelings for André, as she did not protest too strongly and was soon being courted by other men. Heartbroken, André decided there was nothing left for him in London. After working a little longer to provide money for his family, he purchased a commission in the British Army on 4 March 1771. He was selected for special training in Germany, where he spent two years before being assigned to the Royal Fusiliers (7th Regiment of Foot) as a second lieutenant. In 1774, André was sent across the Atlantic to join his regiment in Quebec, a deployment from which he would never return.

Continue reading...

[teamthunderdome]

TEAM THUNDERDOME.

TWO TEAMS ENTER. TUMBLR VOTES. ONE TEAM LEAVES. TRIAL BY COMBAT. TO THE DEATH. VICTORY OR SOVNGARDE.

The Rules:

Fights will occur over the course of ONE WEEK, quarter 1 begins JUNE 1ST, 2024 at 12:00 AM MIDNIGHT EDT (UTC-04:00).

Multiple fights happen across one week.

ONLY 3 to 4 team members per team. 2 is too few, 5 is almost cheating. If a team has more than 4 members, some will have to wait in the stands (looking at you, Scooby-Doo and Tally Hall).

Tumblr poll will determine the winner of an individual fight via emotional support and gracious cookie donations.

Majority Wins. Whether or not a team would canonically win or lose the fight does not matter, only the number of votes.

Single Elimination.

Outside of the rules listed above, anything goes. Reblog a fight to get your friends on your side.

Propaganda is fair game. If you know perhaps a little too much about one of the teams and want to explain why your team should win, please submit an in-depth propaganda post to the blog homepage.

Spread the word! Your favorite might win! (Or not! I just run this thing!)

Lasko Wind Machine

All 64 Teams Competing (In random order - will NOT reflect the final bracket):

Team WINCHESTER (Sam, Dean, Castiel, Crowley)

Team FORTRESS (Heavy, Medic, Engineer, Soldier)

Team AIONIOS (Noah, Lanz, Eunie, Riku)

Team GONDOR (Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf)

Team TWILIGHT (Jacob, Edward, Bella)

Team STAR WARS (Han, Luke, Leia, Chewbacca)

Team NARUTO (Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura)

Team SHREK (Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss In Boots) (As portrayed at the end of Shrek 2)

Team OF LIGHT (Jonathan Harker, Jack Seward, Quincey Morris, Abraham Van Helsing)

Team PERSONA (Makoto Yuki, Kotone Shiomi, Yu Narukami, Ren Mamamiya)

Team HOMESTUCK (John, Jade, Rose, Dave)

Team MUSKETEERS (Athos, Porthos, Aramis, D'Artagnan)

Team HERCULES (Hercules, Iolaus, Salmoneus, Autolycus) (The Legendary Journeys, Hercules as portrayed by Kevin Sorbo)

Team PUYO PUYO (Ringo, Arle, Amitie, Lemres)

Team BAKUGO (Bakugo, Mina, Denki, Eijirou)

Team WIGGLES (Jeff, Anthony, Murray, Greg) (as originally formed)

Team GRYFFINDOR (Harry, Ron, Hermione)

Team COOL RUNNINGS (Derice Bannock, Junior Bevil, Sanka Coffie, Yul Brenner)

Team AEGIS (Rex, Pyra, Mythra) (all other party members excluded due to Blades and their pesky "friendships" binding them to their users)

Team RHYTHM THIEF (Raphael, Fondue, Marie, Charlie) (what a cute doggy :3)

Team MYSTERY INC (Fred, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne) (sorry no pets allowed)

Team DEKU (Izuku, Tsuyu, Ochako, Shouto)

Team KRISPIES (Snap, Crackle, Pop)

Team ELITE BEAT (Agent Spin, Agent J, Agent Chieftain, Agent Starr)

Team JIGSAW (Kramer, Young, Hoffman, Gordon)

Team UMIZOOMI (Milli, Geo, Bot)

Team TRIFORCE (Link, Zelda, Groose) (Skyward Sword variants)

Team LAYTON (Layton, Luke, Emmy) (Pre-Azran Legacy)

Team SONIC (Sonic, Knuckles, Tails)

Team ASKR (Alfonse, Anna, Sharena)

Team TARDIS (The Doctor, Amy, Rory, River)

Team WOOHP (Sam, Alex, Clover)

Team KEYBLADE (Sora, Donald, Goofy)

Team 1908 THOMAS FLYER (Montague Roberts, George Schuster, Hans Hendrik Hansen, George MacAdam)

Team BIONIS (Shulk, Reyn, Dunban, Sharla)

Team DARK (Shadow, Rouge, Omega) (Ultimate Life Form status tenuous)

Team OOO (Finn, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, BMO)

Team TALLY HALL (Rob, Zubin, Andrew, Joe) (Ross excluded - he's just a drummer)

Team DOODLEBOPS (Deedee, Rooney, Moe)

Team SCIENCE (Gordon, Tommy, Bubby, Dr. Coomer)

Team POWERPUFF (Blossom, Buttercup, Bubbles)

Team INCONCEIVABLE (Inigo, Fezzik, Vizzini)

Team METROCITY (Megamind, Metro Man, Roxanne, Minion)

Team WONDER PETS (Linny, Tuck, Ming Ming)

Team REGULAR (Mordecai, Rigby, Muscle Man, Skips)

Team PILLAR MEN (Santana, Wham, ACDC, Kars) (Ultimate Life Form status tenuous)

Team BEATLES (John, Paul, George, Ringo)

Team SMILING FRIENDS (Pim, Charlie, Glep, Alan)

Team ROTTEN (Robbie, Tobby, Bobby, Flobby) (Ultimate Life Form status confirmed)

Team KRUSTY KRAB (SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs)

Team VOCALOID (Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Len, Kagamine Rin)

Team GARFIELD (Garfield, Jon, Odie, Liz)

Team POOH (Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Christopher Robin)

Team AVALANCHE (Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret)

Team LOONEY (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Michael Jordan)

Team GHOSTS (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde) (freshly dead)

Team ROCKMAN (Rock, Roll, Blues, Bass)

Team MARIO (Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi)

Team WRIGHT (Phoenix, Apollo, Athena, Trucy) (as seen in Dual Destinies)

Team SHERLOCK (Sherlock, John, Mycroft) (Brigandorf Crimplesnart's depiction of Sherlock)

Team MASH (Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, BJ Hunnicutt, Charles Emerson Winchester III)

Team RWBY (Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Blake)

Team CHANNEL 5 (Ulala, Space Michael, Jaguar, Pudding)

Team FANBOY (Fanboy, Chum Chum, Kyle)

GOOD LUCK!!!

(you're gonna need it)

[agirlwithachakram]

dracula cast but everyone's like twenty years older because I think that's interesting, why didn't mina and lucy get married yet, and jonathan is rebooting his life as a lawyer, etc.

Mina: Laura Donnelly. give Mina PRESENCE. she walks into a room and only Van Helsing has the gall to act like she's not up for anything

Jonathan: Tom Hardy. HEAR ME OUT OKAY? I know he's all buff normally but just ask him to cut the protein shakes and pushups for a couple months and he'll be wearing period clothing anyway. he can look like an elegant victorian fellow as needed but more importantly he can scramble and he's not a big imposing dude and we already know he can pull off "mark me down as scared AND horny" when pursued by an obsessive monster. also i want to see him climb out the window, lizard fashion, and be deathly ill and terrified and cling to Mina's arm scandalously.

Quincey: Pedro Pascal. I just think it would be fun

Arthur: John Boyega. he and Lucy can be the youngsters in the Gang.

Lucy: Anna Popplewell. I haven't seen her in anything since Narnia and I want to. I think she'd make a spooky bloofer lady

Seward: Sendhil Ramamurthy. i know, Seward is kind of a tool and SR deserves better. But consider this: i want him in the movie so here he is.

Renfield: Daniel Craig, he would kill it.

VH: Now this I struggled with. I don't know enough Dutch (or Flemish?) actors. anyone got an idea?

Drac: yeah I don't know abt this one. The low hanging fruit is Mads Mikkelsen, but I think we can get more interesting. i almost want Sebastian Stan, because he is actually Romanian, i want to see him terrorize and eyefuck a stressed out Tom Hardy, he has charisma, he always gives everything he has. okay yeah. I convinced myself. Sebastian Stan for Drac. but none of this "mina's in love with drac" bullshit!

[fictionadventurer]

Fortnight of Books 2023: Day 10

The book I read but have already forgotten

Even though I (of course) liked the prose, I remember next to nothing about The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge, which really disappoints me.

I can't remember anything about the mystery in Lonesome Road by Patricia Wentworth.

Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White is almost completely gone from my brain.

I forgot almost everything about The Europeans by Henry James pretty much the moment I finished it.

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes had fairy tale atmosphere and lush prose and Venice and books and a quirky bookseller and a guy who had lost his visual memory, but I have no clue what the story was.

Tournament of Ruses and Guardian of Ruses by Kate Stradling were interesting enough while reading them, but when I try to remember the story, I come up with almost nothing.

Book with a scene that left you reeling

Catherine standing up for herself at the end of Washington Square. I'm not sure I knew sadness could be so triumphant.

A very harsh scene toward the end of Anna and the Swallow Man that makes the book much darker and pretty much ruined it for me.

The moment in the middle of Land of Hills and Valleys by Elizabeth Grace Foley when it suddenly comes out that the very slow beginning has been setting up a very twisty plot that the heroine is now entangled in.

The story of Seward's almost-assassination in Team of Rivals

Finding out in Grant's memoirs that his twelve-year-old son was with him throughout the Vicksburg campaign.

Emma meeting Jack's mother in The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 5

Several redemptive moments in Break the Beast by Allison Tebo.

The ending of The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson (not in a good way)

The plot twist with Phyllis' suitor in The Romance of a Shop made me shout in surprise.

The scene with the prayer beads ("for the queen") in The Painted Queen by Monica Boothe.

The moment in Chase the Legend by Hannah Kaye where the heroine genuinely considers killing the captain (I did not expect a light Christian fantasy to get so real.)

The reveal in Yours, Constance by Emily Hayse that made me want to reread the whole book.

[wankerwatch]

Commons Vote

On: Renters' Rights Bill: Third Reading

Ayes: 440 (79.0% Lab, 14.1% LD, 2.7% Ind, 1.1% DUP, 0.9% PC, 0.9% Green, 0.5% SDLP, 0.2% APNI, 0.2% UUP, 0.2% TUV) Noes: 111 (97.3% Con, 2.7% RUK) Absent: ~99

Day's business papers: 2025-01-14

Likely Referenced Bill: Renters' Rights Bill

Description: A Bill to make provision changing the law about rented homes, including provision abolishing fixed term assured tenancies and assured shorthold tenancies; imposing obligations on landlords and others in relation to rented homes and temporary and supported accommodation; and for connected purposes.

Originating house: Commons Current house: Commons Bill Stage: 3rd reading

Individual Votes:

Ayes

Labour (347 votes)

Abena Oppong-Asare Adam Jogee Adam Thompson Afzal Khan Al Carns Alan Campbell Alan Gemmell Alan Strickland Alex Baker Alex Barros-Curtis Alex Mayer Alex McIntyre Alex Sobel Alice Macdonald Alison Hume Alison McGovern Alison Taylor Alistair Strathern Allison Gardner Amanda Hack Amanda Martin Andrew Cooper Andrew Gwynne Andrew Lewin Andrew Pakes Andrew Ranger Andrew Western Andy MacNae Andy McDonald Andy Slaughter Angela Eagle Angela Rayner Anna Dixon Anna Gelderd Anna McMorrin Anneliese Dodds Anneliese Midgley Antonia Bance Ashley Dalton Baggy Shanker Bambos Charalambous Barry Gardiner Bayo Alaba Beccy Cooper Becky Gittins Bell Ribeiro-Addy Ben Coleman Ben Goldsborough Bill Esterson Brian Leishman Callum Anderson Calvin Bailey Carolyn Harris Cat Eccles Cat Smith Catherine Atkinson Catherine Fookes Catherine McKinnell Charlotte Nichols Chi Onwurah Chris Bloore Chris Bryant Chris Curtis Chris Elmore Chris Evans Chris Hinchliff Chris Kane Chris McDonald Chris Murray Chris Vince Chris Ward Chris Webb Christian Wakeford Claire Hazelgrove Claire Hughes Clive Efford Clive Lewis Connor Naismith Damien Egan Dan Aldridge Dan Jarvis Dan Tomlinson Daniel Francis Daniel Zeichner Danny Beales Darren Jones Darren Paffey Dave Robertson David Baines David Burton-Sampson David Pinto-Duschinsky David Smith David Taylor David Williams Dawn Butler Debbie Abrahams Deirdre Costigan Derek Twigg Diana Johnson Diane Abbott Douglas Alexander Douglas McAllister Elaine Stewart Elsie Blundell Emily Darlington Emma Foody Emma Hardy Emma Lewell-Buck Emma Reynolds Euan Stainbank Fabian Hamilton Feryal Clark Fleur Anderson Florence Eshalomi Frank McNally Fred Thomas Gareth Snell Gen Kitchen Georgia Gould Gerald Jones Gill Furniss Gill German Gordon McKee Graeme Downie Graham Stringer Grahame Morris Gregor Poynton Gurinder Singh Josan Hamish Falconer Harpreet Uppal Heidi Alexander Helen Hayes Helena Dollimore Henry Tufnell Hilary Benn Ian Lavery Imogen Walker Irene Campbell Jack Abbott Jacob Collier Jade Botterill Jake Richards James Asser James Frith James Murray James Naish Jas Athwal Jayne Kirkham Jeevun Sandher Jeff Smith Jenny Riddell-Carpenter Jess Asato Jessica Morden Jessica Toale Jim Dickson Jim McMahon Jo Platt Jo Stevens Jo White Joani Reid Joe Morris Joe Powell Johanna Baxter John Grady John Slinger John Whitby Jon Pearce Jon Trickett Jonathan Brash Jonathan Davies Jonathan Hinder Josh Dean Josh MacAlister Josh Newbury Josh Simons Julia Buckley Julie Minns Juliet Campbell Justin Madders Kanishka Narayan Karin Smyth Karl Turner Kate Dearden Kate Osamor Kate Osborne Katie White Katrina Murray Kerry McCarthy Kevin Bonavia Kevin McKenna Kim Leadbeater Kirith Entwistle Kirsteen Sullivan Kirsty McNeill Laura Kyrke-Smith Lauren Sullivan Laurence Turner Lee Barron Lee Pitcher Leigh Ingham Lewis Atkinson Liam Byrne Liam Conlon Lilian Greenwood Lillian Jones Linsey Farnsworth Liz Kendall Liz Twist Lizzi Collinge Lloyd Hatton Lola McEvoy Lorraine Beavers Louise Haigh Louise Jones Lucy Powell Lucy Rigby Luke Akehurst Luke Charters Luke Murphy Margaret Mullane Maria Eagle Marie Rimmer Marie Tidball Mark Ferguson Mark Sewards Mark Tami Markus Campbell-Savours Marsha De Cordova Martin McCluskey Martin Rhodes Mary Glindon Matt Bishop Matt Rodda Matt Turmaine Matthew Patrick Matthew Pennycook Maureen Burke Maya Ellis Meg Hillier Melanie Onn Melanie Ward Miatta Fahnbulleh Michael Payne Michael Shanks Michael Wheeler Michelle Scrogham Michelle Welsh Mike Kane Mike Reader Mike Tapp Mohammad Yasin Natalie Fleet Natasha Irons Naushabah Khan Navendu Mishra Neil Coyle Neil Duncan-Jordan Nesil Caliskan Nia Griffith Nicholas Dakin Nick Smith Nick Thomas-Symonds Noah Law Oliver Ryan Olivia Bailey Olivia Blake Pam Cox Patricia Ferguson Patrick Hurley Paul Davies Paul Foster Paul Waugh Paula Barker Paulette Hamilton Perran Moon Peter Dowd Peter Kyle Peter Lamb Peter Prinsley Peter Swallow Polly Billington Preet Kaur Gill Rachael Maskell Rachel Blake Rachel Hopkins Rachel Taylor Rosena Allin-Khan Rupa Huq Rushanara Ali Ruth Cadbury Ruth Jones Sadik Al-Hassan Sally Jameson

Sam Carling Sam Rushworth Samantha Dixon Samantha Niblett Sarah Champion Sarah Coombes Sarah Hall Sarah Owen Sarah Russell Sarah Sackman Sarah Smith Satvir Kaur Scott Arthur Sean Woodcock Shabana Mahmood Sharon Hodgson Simon Lightwood Simon Opher Sojan Joseph Sonia Kumar Stella Creasy Stephanie Peacock Stephen Kinnock Stephen Morgan Stephen Timms Steve Race Steve Reed Steve Witherden Steve Yemm Sureena Brackenridge Tahir Ali Taiwo Owatemi Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Tim Roca Toby Perkins Tom Collins Tom Hayes Tom Rutland Tonia Antoniazzi Tony Vaughan Torcuil Crichton Torsten Bell Tracy Gilbert Tristan Osborne Tulip Siddiq Uma Kumaran Valerie Vaz Vicky Foxcroft Warinder Juss Wes Streeting Will Stone Yasmin Qureshi Yuan Yang Zubir Ahmed

Liberal Democrat (62 votes)

Adam Dance Al Pinkerton Alex Brewer Alison Bennett Alistair Carmichael Andrew George Angus MacDonald Anna Sabine Ben Maguire Brian Mathew Calum Miller Cameron Thomas Charlie Maynard Claire Young Clive Jones Daisy Cooper Danny Chambers David Chadwick Ed Davey Freddie van Mierlo Gideon Amos Helen Maguire Helen Morgan Ian Roome Ian Sollom James MacCleary Jamie Stone Jess Brown-Fuller John Milne Josh Babarinde Joshua Reynolds Layla Moran Lee Dillon Lisa Smart Liz Jarvis Luke Taylor Manuela Perteghella Marie Goldman Martin Wrigley Max Wilkinson Mike Martin Monica Harding Munira Wilson Olly Glover Paul Kohler Pippa Heylings Rachel Gilmour Roz Savage Sarah Dyke Sarah Green Sarah Olney Steff Aquarone Susan Murray Tim Farron Tom Gordon Tom Morrison Victoria Collins Vikki Slade Wendy Chamberlain Wera Hobhouse Will Forster Zöe Franklin

Independent (12 votes)

Adnan Hussain Apsana Begum Ayoub Khan Ian Byrne Iqbal Mohamed Jeremy Corbyn John McDonnell Mike Amesbury Rebecca Long Bailey Richard Burgon Shockat Adam Zarah Sultana

Democratic Unionist Party (5 votes)

Carla Lockhart Gavin Robinson Gregory Campbell Jim Shannon Sammy Wilson

Plaid Cymru (4 votes)

Ann Davies Ben Lake Liz Saville Roberts Llinos Medi

Green Party (4 votes)

Adrian Ramsay Carla Denyer Ellie Chowns Siân Berry

Social Democratic & Labour Party (2 votes)

Claire Hanna Colum Eastwood

Alliance (1 vote)

Sorcha Eastwood

Ulster Unionist Party (1 vote)

Robin Swann

Traditional Unionist Voice (1 vote)

Jim Allister

Noes

Conservative (107 votes)

Alan Mak Alberto Costa Alec Shelbrooke Alex Burghart Alicia Kearns Alison Griffiths Andrew Bowie Andrew Griffith Andrew Murrison Andrew Rosindell Andrew Snowden Ashley Fox Ben Obese-Jecty Ben Spencer Bernard Jenkin Blake Stephenson Bob Blackman Bradley Thomas Caroline Dinenage Caroline Johnson Charlie Dewhirst Chris Philp Claire Coutinho Damian Hinds Danny Kruger David Davis David Mundell David Reed David Simmonds Desmond Swayne Edward Argar Edward Leigh Esther McVey Gagan Mohindra Gareth Bacon Gareth Davies Gavin Williamson Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Geoffrey Cox George Freeman Graham Stuart Greg Smith Gregory Stafford Harriet Cross Harriett Baldwin Helen Grant Helen Whately Iain Duncan Smith Jack Rankin James Cartlidge James Cleverly James Wild Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Wright Jerome Mayhew Jesse Norman Joe Robertson John Cooper John Glen John Hayes John Lamont Joy Morrissey Julia Lopez Julian Lewis Julian Smith Karen Bradley Katie Lam Kemi Badenoch Kevin Hollinrake Kieran Mullan Kit Malthouse Laura Trott Lewis Cocking Lincoln Jopp Louie French Luke Evans Mark Francois Mark Garnier Martin Vickers Matt Vickers Mel Stride Mike Wood Mims Davies Neil Hudson Neil O'Brien Neil Shastri-Hurst Nick Timothy Nigel Huddleston Oliver Dowden Patrick Spencer Paul Holmes Peter Bedford Peter Fortune Rebecca Paul Robbie Moore Robert Jenrick Roger Gale Saqib Bhatti Sarah Bool Shivani Raja Simon Hoare Steve Barclay Stuart Anderson Stuart Andrew Suella Braverman Victoria Atkins Wendy Morton

Reform UK (3 votes)

James McMurdock Richard Tice Rupert Lowe

[pollywiltse]

The painting of Anna Seward on the Claudia Kairoff book looks weirdly like my niece, actually. I think it's the shared ethnicity, though.

I still haven't opened it, partly because I keep getting distracted by trash books online so I have this pile of serious hardcover non-fiction that I mean to read but never get around to, and partly because when I was looking for something else, I stumbled on an excerpt from it where Kairoff insists that Anna Seward being supportive of Honora Sneyd marrying Edgeworth is evidence that Seward wasn't sexually attracted to her and I got pissed off. Again. Especially since I had just seen someone act like Baron von Steuben encouraging his proteges to get married was in no way evidence that he wasn't sleeping with them, and Kairoff is a lit professor, so she's in a field where it's, for example, completely acceptable to claim that some man who was constantly falling in love with women was actually exclusively homosexual because he never married any of them because the only possible reason a man could have been single was because he was gay and if you think this is sexist bullshit, you're either stupid or a homophobe, probably both. But somehow Anna Seward's crushes on men aren't fake even though she never married any of them and if you think this is kind of a sexist double standard, don't you know there are plenty of reasons for a woman to stay single other than her being lesbian and there isn't good enough evidence why don't you care about evidence? Weird.

Though tbh at this point I'm not really in favor of deciding historical women were gay using the same flimsy logic as people keep applying to men, because first of all it's dishonest and the left already has a problem with thinking it can lie for "moral" reasons let's not enable it even more, especially because second I think it will just end up like the slash fic where the canon female love interests would get made lesbian so they can be more easily put on a bus because the authors felt it was a less sexist way of completely erasing the male characters' relationships with them than making them straight total bitches. Which, I mean, I guess it is, but in a sort of being decapitated is better than being hanged sort of way. Like you would see fic that was tagged with an f/f pairing that you wanted to read, but then you'd open it up and it would be all "Arwen and Eowyn had just gone off to a lesbian retreat so Faramir or whoever Eowyn married I don't remember was staying with Aragorn. 'Good morning, darling,' said Faramir", and then you're like, "Fuck you, don't tag pairings that get mentioned once in passing, especially if they're rare pairs that no one writes and also this doesn't count as lesbian representation stop congratulating yourself." (Actually I suspect this is a bad example because the LOTR fandom is big enough that most Arwen/Eowyn fics probably actually involve Arwen and Eowyn, but get into smaller fandoms and you run into this constantly.)

In other words I think it's just going to end up somehow erasing women and benefiting men because it always does. Especially since I've seen multiple instances where it was really clear that someone was only interpreting this woman as queer because they were trying to use it as evidence that some man she was involved with was gay. (I don't think I have ever seen someone claim that a man being attracted to men was evidence that his wife was gay.) Granted these were not academics, but every time I stumble into queer academia, it's the extreme, overt version of the sexist batshittery that you see covert and toned down in real life. There's also the relative of this where people will look at female behavior that seems suggestive but decide it means that the men are gay and the women are straight. Like there's this meme from the turn of the 20th century that women are attracted to feminine men, and after you've read enough of these books, it becomes very clear that calling these men feminine isn't complimentary, but it also doesn't imply that they're gay. It's actually more likely to imply that they're some unacceptable ethnicity, or that they want to spend all their time with their chorus girl mistress instead of heading off to Africa and seeing how fast they can make lions an endangered species like a real man, or that they're capable of having conversations with women instead of standing in the corner hoping the girl they're into will realize they want to marry her by telepathy. So in early 20th century novels, it's like "dumb bitches need to realize what they actually want is a socially awkward Englishman and not this reanimated ancient Egyptian with social skills", and then the "of course homosexuals* exist (*male)" people got hold of the "women like feminine men" meme, but decided the obvious queer interpretation wasn't "women like feminine men because what women really want is another woman and this is the best they can do in a heteronormative society", it was "dumb bitches don't realize this guy is actually gay and what they really want is a manly man who will throw them over his shoulder and carry them back to his cave". I mean, both are unintended by the author, but there's this consistent resistance to the idea of women being gay from people who have no problem with the idea of men being gay. (Also the specific example I'm thinking of is a guy who literally gets described as having the face of an evil woman, and there actually might be an implication that he's maybe somehow a reincarnation of his mother (it's been a while, so I might be wrong), so a queer reading that claims that all the women who are attracted to him are actually secretly gay and the end where he's defeated and Our Hero's fiancee who he's cast a literal spell on is saved and marries her gender-conforming straight boyfriend is about female homoerotic desire being suppressed so the the hero's love interest can take her place as the submissive heterosexual wife of the main character would actually probably make more sense than the people on Goodreads who are like clearly Antony Ferrara is gay. But I forgot, we only do secret homoerotic desire projected onto the opposite sex for men. If a woman is written as attracted to a man, there's no possible way to interpret that as her being anything other than straight. Also, there are have never been any closeted lesbians in heterosexual marriages. Actually at this point I think people are more threatened by female homosexuality than by male homosexuality because how hard people try to explain why it doesn't count and how much less willing they seem to be to reinterpret women in heterosexual relationships as gay than men. It's like they can't bear the idea of a woman a man was attracted to not being into men. How dare you not be male property? You're only allowed to not be male property if no man wants you. Honestly the two groups of people that make me feel like they think a woman's true role is to be some man's property are conservatives and the queer representation people.)

[violettesiren]

Now Spring wakes the May-morn, the sweetest of hours Calls the lark to the sun-beam, the bee to the flowers; Calls Youth, Love, and Beauty to hail the new day, And twine their gay garlands in honour of May; Yet hope not, amid the soft pleasures they bring, That moments so jocund will pause on their wing!

Obey, my fair Laura, the summons that breathes In the hue of the trees, in the scent of the wreaths, In the song of the woodlands, for love is the lay, And lustre and perfume are types of his sway; More tuneful his accents, more rosy his spring, And O! not less rapid the flight of his wing!

Glee by Anna Seward

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.12

Holidays

Air Force Day (Croatia)

Boca Fans’ Day (Argentina)

Christmas Jumper Day (UK)

Customs Day (Kazakhstan)

Day of the Land Forces (Ukraine)

Festival of Unmentionable Thoughts

Frank Sinatra Day (Nevada)

Ganden Nga-Choe (Winter Festival; Tibet)

Golf Tee Day

Ground Forces Day (Ukraine)

Heather Day (French Republic)

Hovercraft Day

International Bluegrass Music Appreciation Day

International Day of Heavy Metal

International Day of Neutrality (UN)

International Sound Check Day

International Universal Health Coverage Day

Jamhuri Day (Kenya)

Kanji Day (Japan)

More Good Today Day

Motel Day

National Clayton Day

National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples (Canada)

National Ding-A-Ling Day

National Dirty Dozen Day

National Literature Day (Kyrgyzstan)

National Lost Day

National Mic Check Day

National Poinsettia Day

National Ribbon Splicing Day

National 12-Hour Fresh Breath Day

National Workplace Day of Remembrance (UK)

Neutrality Day (Turkmenistan)

Nupi Lal (Manipur, India)

Paris Agreement Anniversary Day

Pa-Togan Nengminja Sangama (Meghalaya, India)

Poinsettia Day

Regina Hall Day

Retail Employees’ Day

Unmentionable Thoughts Day

World Book Sniffing Day

World Dysphagia Day

World Iberian Lynx Day

World Swallowing Day

World Vitamin B-12 Day

Yuletide Lad #1 arrives (Stekkjarstaur or Sheep-Cote Clod; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

ABT 12 Day (Belgium)

Bonza Bottler Day

Gingerbread Decorating Day

Gingerbread House Day

Mince Pie Day (UK)

National Ambrosia Day

National Cocoa Day

Independence & Related Days

Constitution Day (Russia; Thailand)

Kenya (from UK, 1963)

Otaliana (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Pennsylvania Statehood Day (#2; 1787)

Savoy (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

2nd Thursday in December

Global Day of Joy [2nd Thursday]

Klopfleisnachte (Germany) [2 Thursdays before Xmas]

National Truck Driver’s Day (Netherlands) [2nd Thursday]

Thirsty Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thoughtful Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]

Three for Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thrift Store Thursday [Every Thursday]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Toast Thursday [2nd Thursday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning December 12 (2nd Full Week of December)

None Known

Festivals Beginning December 12, 2024

Billboard Music Awards (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Chennai International Film Festival (Chennai, India) [thru 12.19]

Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival (Palm Beach, Florida) [thru 12.15]

Rockwood Farmers’ Santa Claus Parade of Lights (Guelph, Canada)

Tulsa Farm Show (Tulsa, Oklahoma) [thru 12.14]

Feast Days

Abra of Poitiers (Christian; Saint)

Anna Seward (Writerism)

Bruma III (Pagan)

Clairaut (Positivist; Saint)

Colman of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Columba of Terryglass (Christian; Saint)

Corentin of Quimper (Christian; Saint)

Cormac (Christian; Saint)

Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet (Christian; Saint)

Edvard Munch (Artology)

Epimachus, Alexander and others (Christian; Martyrs)

Farewell to Autumn Festival begins (Hopi)

Feast of Masa’il (Questions/Mystery; Baha’i)

Feast of Rekereke (Polynesian God of Pleasure)

Finnian of Clonard (Christian; Saint)

Fire Festival of Sada (Zoroastrian; Everyday Wicca)

Gustave Flaubert (Writerism)

Hanukkah Day #5 (Judaism) [thru Dec. 15th]

Helen Frankenthaler (Artology)

Ice Cream Day (Pastafarian)

John Wayne Gacy Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Karl Briullov (Artology)

Koloman Sokol (Artology)

Make a List Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Oir (Celtic Book of Days)

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Christian; a.k.a. ... 

Day Sacred to Coatilique, Tonantzin & the Black Madonna

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Roman Catholic)

Fiesta del Virgin de Guadelupe (Mexico)

Lady of Guadalupe Day (Mexico)

Las Mananitas (Puerto Rico)

Miracle of the Roses

Patrick O’Brian (Writerism)

Tough Luck Lester (Muppetism)

Unmentionable Thoughts Festival (Goblins, Imps and Naught Fairies; Shamanism)

Valery (Christian; Saint)

Vicelinus (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Premieres

Babes at Sea (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1934)

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (WB Animated Film; 2000)

Bicycle Thieves (Film; 1949)

Big Bad Sinbad (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1952)

Camille (Film; 1936)

Clubland, by Elvis Costello (Song; 1980)

Daffy Duck in Hollywood (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

Dawg Gawn (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1958)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (Film; 2008)

Dizzy Red Riding Hood (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1931)

Gifts from the Air (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1936)

Girl with a Pearl Earring (Film; 2003)

The Godfather II (Film; 1974)

The Hitch Hikers (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1947)

How to Be a Detective (Disney Cartoon; 1952)

Inherent Vice (Film; 2014)

La Valse, by Maurice Ravel (Choreographic Poem for Orchestra; 1920)

Live Peace in Toronto 1969, by the plastic Ono Band (Live Album; 1969)

The Magic Christian (Film; UK 1969)

A Man For All Seasons (Film; 1966)

Marie, starring Marie Osmond (TV Series; 1980)

The Midnight Chew-Chew or Stick to Your Guns (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 134; 1961)

A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway (Memoir; 1964)

Once Upon a Deadpool (Film; 2018)

Pluto’s Day (Disney Animated TV Special; 1956)

Popeye (Film; 1980)

The Pups’ Christmas (Happy Harmonies MGM Cartoon; 1936)

Put Your Hearts Up, by Ariana Grande (Song; 2011)

The Reader (Film; 2008)

The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, by Vladimir Nabokov (Novel; 1941)

Red-Headed Baby (WB MM Cartoon; 1931)

Robot Rabbit (WB LT Cartoon; 1953)

Scream 2 (Film; 1997)

See You Later Alligator, recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets (Song; 1955)

Seven Wise Dwarfs (Disney Cartoon; 1941)

The Ship Who Sang, by Anne McCaffrey (Novella; 1969)

The Smurfs Christmas Special (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1982)

Something’s Gotta Give (Film; 2003)

Stir Crazy (Film; 1980)

Stuck on You (Film; 2003)

Swing, Monkey, Swing (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1937)

The Tao of Physics, by Fritjof Capra (Philosophy Book; 1975)

Three Amigos (Film; 1986)

Viva Buddy (WB LT Cartoon; 1934)

When Moose Meets Moose or Two’s a Crowd (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S3, Ep. 133; 1961)

The Wide, Wide World, by Susan Warner (Novel; 1850)

A Yarn About Yarn (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1941)

Today’s Name Days

Johanna (Austria)

Spiridon, Špiro (Croatia)

Simona (Czech Republic)

Epimachus (Denmark)

Aivar, Aiver, Aivo (Estonia)

Tuovi (Finland)

Chantal, Corentin (France)

Johanna (Germany)

Spiros, Spyridon, Spyros (Greece)

Gabriella (Hungary)

Giovanna (Italy)

Iveta, Otīlija (Latvia)

Dagmara, Gilmintas, Vaingedė (Lithuania)

Peggy, Pia (Norway)

Adelajda, Aleksander, Dagmara, Paramon, Suliwoj (Poland)

Spiridon (Romania)

Otília (Slovakia)

Guadalupe (Spain)

Alexander, Alexis (Sweden)

Finley, Finn, Fiona, Guadalupe, Lupe, Lupita, Mekhi (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 347 of 2024; 19 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of Week 50 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 19 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Bing-Zi), Day 12 (Geng-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 11 Kislev 5785

Islamic: 10 Jumada II 1446

J Cal: 17 Black; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 29 November 2024

Moon: 90%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 11 Bichat (13th Month) [Monge / Euler]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 6 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 81 of 90)

Week: 2nd Full Week of December

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 21 of 30)

[sepublic]

            Finally watched The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and I gotta say this one is a keeper for those who want a story true to the spirit of the original novel! I’ll mention spoilers both for the film and the novel Dracula, so for Dracula Daily readers who are having their first go this year, beware!

         When I saw the previews and trailers for the film, I wondered about some of the additions to the cast the film made; A doctor and a stowaway, as well as a child and his dog. Granted, it’s an adaptation of a relatively brief part of the film, so expanding on the cast feels natural… But seeing everything in the actual context of the film itself, you really begin to appreciate these additions!

         What I’m saying is, it feels as if the makers behind this movie wanted to do a full adaptation of Dracula, but they couldn’t; So they instead focused on one part they really liked, and then pulled elements and themes from the rest of the book and put it there. A sort of sampler of Dracula, to satisfy both themselves and the audience, especially if we don’t get a sequel chronicling Clemens’ journey.

         Clemens is obviously a Seward archetype; He’s a doctor, he represents rationale and reason, science and modernity. There’s a brief allusion to steamships, and Clemens acknowledges that they’re a result of progress; All of these capture the themes of the novel, and the mention of steamships feels like a reference to the one Arthur buys to chase Dracula at the end of the book.

         Of course, the steamship breaks down and fails during the pursuit, as part of the recurring theme of modernity failing against the ancient forces of the supernatural, myths and legend, etc. Superstition is returning to power after being forgotten, and we see that tension thankfully emphasized in this movie. While Clemens initially works with the rationale of a rabies infection, he eventually has to work with what he sees in front of him and says so, just as in the novel.

         The blood transfusions are also a nice callback to the book, particularly the ones given to Lucy, which Seward and Van Helsing pull off. Anna is a fusion of Lucy and Mina; A woman victimized by Dracula, but like in the actual book, this is not romanticized whatsoever, nor does the movie insinuate in any way that she could’ve brought this on herself by being ‘promiscuous’ or whatever.

         Anna is a victim, essentially Dracula’s rations for the trip. As mentioned, the blood transfusions are meant to keep her alive, but it’s revealed that it’s merely delaying the inevitable, just as they did for Lucy in the book. Like in the book, Dracula and his vampirism is conflated with infection, with disease, though it’s one so potent even the rats are driven off by it. Anna’s weak breathing reminds me of Lucy’s, as do her dreams of helplessness. Anna is also a bit of Jonathan as well, as his first victim prior to the ship back in Romania, who manages to wound him back in vengeance and provides information from her experience.

         The film carries the connection between Anna and Dracula due to the feeding, just as it occurred between Mina and Dracula; And like Mina, we have the sentiment of dying as a human, despite the initial protests of the victim’s friends. For Mina and Anna, this is a moment of reclaiming agency against Dracula’s corruption, and even though Mina doesn’t have to carry this sacrifice through, I found it to be a nice tribute to that decision of hers.

         Similarly, Anna brings up the idea of respecting Toby’s wishes to Elliot, who considers bargaining with Dracula in the hopes of getting his grandson back. This reminded me a lot of how Seward and the other suitors hesitate to kill Lucy in her grave, until Van Helsing explains to them how death as a human is more true to their beloved than ‘life’ as a vampire. It’s what Lucy would want, and so they go through with the staking.

         Toby being infected and killed also reminds me of Dracula’s implied plan in the novel; To infect the children of England through someone else he corrupted. Olgaren tries to do this, but it’s up to Dracula to step in himself. I must say, I appreciate the film being bold enough to kill off the child… And not just kill him, either! They rub salt in the wound by having him come back to life as a vampire, only to burn to death as he grabs onto his wailing grandfather; YIKES.

         This also reminds me of his dog Huckleberry, obviously a reference to canines victimized by Dracula throughout the film; Not just the one he kills at Whitby, or the one he scares at the abbey. But there’s also the wolf Berserker that Dracula controls, and really the wolves in general back at his home. Alas, the movie did not go through with my speculation that it’d play with the audiences’ knowledge by having Dracula exit the Demeter in the shape of a black dog, mimicking Huckleberry. I think that would’ve been really neat; Not just as a nod to the same detail in the novel, but a sort of twisted disguise, pretending to be a slain victim to earn trust and sympathy.

         If there is a disappointment I had, it’s that the First Mate’s story in the novel is compelling because it’s implied he knows who Dracula is, and keeps quiet for fear it’ll minimize the damage if they don’t resist. Here, Wojchek is totally unaware. It’s a shame, but with the film being compelling enough as it is, especially as an adaptation of Dracula, it’s a change I’m willing to accept.

         I like how the movie emphasizes that the people who deliver the boxes to the Demeter aren’t villains; They’re victims just as terrified, the same townsfolk that had to bargain with Dracula to live. They hope for the survival of the Demeter’s crew, unlikely as it is. And this brings me to another point; The goodness of humanity.

         Many Dracula adaptations have been criticized for their nature as adaptations for portraying humanity as essentially the real monsters, Dracula as the misunderstood beast, etc. But this is not how it goes in the novel, which emphasizes plenty the kindness of humans coming together to finally triumph against this demonic evil. The film understands this, with sole survivor Clemens’ monologue at the end bringing this up; Yes, he has come across some of the worst evil the world has to offer, but he was reminded of its good as well, and that gives him greater incentive to keep living and fighting.

         I loved Clemens’ rant at the end, where he deconstructs Dracula and lays him bare; He’s a coward, only slightly less mortal than humans. The weaknesses of blood and sleep are laid out by Clemens, as he exposes Dracula to be just a scared human deep down, too. Again, another moment of good triumphing and fighting back against evil, and one of my favorites because it recognizes the character of Dracula at its core, better than some adaptations which bastardize Bram Stoker’s name as a posthumous seal of approval.

         The portrayal of Dracula is lovely; I can’t help but think that THIS is what Jonathan Harker had to deal with, not long before! This is a monster who feeds, but is also very intelligent. He’s animalistic onscreen, just as Vampires ultimately are in the book, but Anna does reassert that Dracula is a thinking creature. He clearly strategizes and plans, and takes sadistic glee off of tormenting his victims and being in control; All true to the novel. He is a beast disguised as human, and seeing Dracula actually blend in as an aristocrat at the end was a treat.

         When I heard the tapping in that tavern, I hoped it was from the wolf cane we saw earlier, and I was delighted it was! Similarly, Dracula’s box is a special one, with unique locking mechanisms and a dragon aesthetic –alluding to the etymology of his name, “Son of the Dragon”- that really sells it as his coffin. It’s no doubt THE sole surviving box of dirt that Dracula escapes back to Transylvania in, at the end of the novel (and I love Clemens’ jab at Dracula’s dirt-sleeping habit; Carrying the association of Vampires with uncleanliness from the book).

         The film plays itself straight, it gives us the boxes of dirt and their importance as Dracula’s way to sleep; Because again, he’s mortal. He still needs rest, he still needs a wink. This means one weakness is emphasized, sunlight; Though the novel portrays sunlight as merely robbing Dracula of his supernatural powers, here it’s shown like other adaptations and assumptions, burning Vampires on contact. But like with the First Mate, it’s a change I accept because of how artistically it’s done, with Olgaren’s death reminding me of immolation, of witches being burned at the stake, etc.

         However, Dracula’s aversion to crosses and running water seems absent, which did bother me a little; A cross is what protects Jonathan, and later crosses are used plenty by the protagonists to good effect. And the running water was a nice bit of real life Vampire lore, which seemed to suggest Dracula was also trapped on the Demeter too; However, this is not the case as Joseph’s death illustrates.

         I like how the film gave more rationale to the protagonists; They don’t wait until the very end to check the boxes of dirt, and to be fair, this is because they actually know they’re dealing with Dracula, thanks to Anna. They actually attempt to sink the ship to take Dracula down, and I liked the reference to the Captain’s death from the novel. It’s a shame we didn’t see an entire crowd at Whitby react to it, but the mocking way Dracula strings him up like Christ is impressive, as is his sole devotion to his duty. Likewise, Wojchek’s initial preservation of the ship being motivated by the legacy he feels responsible for was nice.

         There’s a lot of little details I like here or there; There’s a crewman more eager to volunteer for the Demeter than anyone else, undeterred by his own age… But as soon as he recognizes Dracula’s symbol, THAT’s when he caves, further selling just how much of a deterrent Dracula is to even the brave and determined. I appreciate the cane being fashioned after a wolf, since Dracula is also associated with them, as well as Elliot trying to make Toby feel like he’s doing something right after failing to protect Huckleberry, via the inconsequential task of looking after the telescope. The grief over a failed promise in Huckleberry’s death reminds me of the grief of the suitors in doing all they can to save Lucy, yet failing anyway.

         I honestly have hopes that this film’s success may prompt other films set in the same universe, telling the rest of the story we missed out; Castle Dracula, Lucy and Mina, Renfield and Seward, etc. We can see how Dracula operates as a speaking aristocrat to Jonathan, as well as Lucy struggling against vampirism. This of course makes me wonder about the role of Clemens…

         Will he take the role of Van Helsing? As a doctor who knows of Dracula? He mentioned going to Cambridge; I don’t recall if this was Seward’s college, but it could set up Clemens to be an old colleague of his. Or maybe they’ll just insert Clemens into the cast alongside Van Helsing, maybe reveal he was the classmate of Seward’s briefly alluded to. THAT would be poetic as a coincidence, just as Dracula going after the loved ones of Jonathan was; He messes with Clemens and soon crosses paths with Clemens’ old classmate and professor from Cambridge!

         The nature of prequels to stories where good triumphs against evil always gets me melancholy… We know the heroes of THIS story can’t win, not yet, because future ones need to. But seeing them retain the spirit, the drive, that their more famous and successful protagonists do, it threads a kinship they aren’t aware of, but one the audience can’t appreciate. Maybe the crew of the Demeter couldn’t succeed, but they can rest knowing that eventually, someone out there will, and will ensure their sacrifice does not go to waste. The viewers at least know these wonderful souls will be avenged. Maybe in another life, they could meet…

         …For real though. I was lowkey hoping for a Lucy and Mina cameo; Seeing Whitby’s coastline and knowing these two, as well as Mrs. Westenra and Mr. Swales, are watching, really gets to me. A prequel and sequel with the book protagonists, when?

         All in all, a good film! I dug the vibes and cinematography. I like the allusion to Theseus’ ship when Clemens explains how the Demeter can still live on; The spirit is still there even if the matter is different, and I can safely say this film carries the spirit, even if it may seem less of an adaptation, and more of a glimpse, compared to other Dracula films.

[vyrulent]

this is a multimuse roleplay blog with muses that i’ve rp’d from over the years. due to working a full time salaried job, i am a primarily queue based blog. i’m 30+ and have been rping since like 2014/15.

i'm foxxy. she/her. selective. no discord available.

( rules ) ( memes )

muse list beneath the cut:

TV

Chloe Decker ( Lucifer ) Dutch Velders ( The Strain ) Ebenezer Scrooge ( OUaT ) Frederick Chilton ( Hannibal ) Hadley Rockefeller ( TWD ) Jack Frost/Snow Miser ( OUaT ) Jolene July ( NOS4A2 ) Lisa-Marie Andrews ( TWD ) Russell Edgington ( True Blood ) Santiago ( Interview with the Vampire ) Simone Grove ( Why Women Kill ) Uriel ( Lucifer )

MOVIES

Aleera de la Fuente ( Van Helsing ) Abigail Samuels ( IT deleted scene ) Amy Peterson ( Fright Night mythos ) Anna Valerious ( Van Helsing ) Ariel Triton ( The Little Mermaid ) Baroness Lynnette Von Claire ( TNBC/Halloweentown ) Count Lowen Baker ( TNBC/Halloweentown ) Damien Thorn ( The Omen mythos ) Deacon Frost ( Blade mythos ) Frank/Adam Barrett ( Abigail ) Harper-Lee Smith ( Texas Chainsaw Massacre mythos ) Kristof Lazar ( Abigail ) Lawrence Talbot ( The Wolf Man mythos ) ( HIATUS ) Lena Dupree ( Scooby Doo on Zombie Island ) Lord Lorenzo Franco ( TNBC/Halloweentown ) Lydia Deetz ( Beetlejuice ) Prince Leopold Von Claire ( TNBC/ Halloweentown ) Sibella Dracula ( Scooby Doo & the Ghoul School ) Simone Lenoir ( Scooby Doo on Zombie Island ) Tiana Broussard ( The Princess & the Frog ) Winnie Talbot ( Scooby Doo & the Ghoul School )

NOVELS/MYTHS/LEGENDS

Amber Davies ( Wolf Creek: Desolation Game ) Arthur Holmwood ( Dracula ) Hades ( Greek mythos ) ( very low activity -- ask interaction only ) Jack Seward ( Dracula ) Lucy Westenra ( Dracula ) Micah Nicolescu/The Big Bad Wolf (The Company of Wolves/Little Red Riding Hood) Minthe ( Greek mythos ) Psyche ( Greek mythos ) Virginia Dare ( Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter & The Last American Vampire ) Zeus ( Greek mythos ) ( very low activity -- ask interaction only )

FANDOMLESS/OTHERS

Anita Bergese