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wolken-himmel · 3 years ago

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In which (Y/n) strikes a deal with Azul to get a date with her crush. He in return wants her voice as collateral.

And now, a jealous Azul is dead set on ruining their date.

Request by @fandom-kitsune.

"You won't believe who's here to see you, Azul."

As Jade stood in the door frame of the office, a small grin decorated his lips. His eyes gleamed in amusement — and some sort of sadistic shimmer seemed to be hidden in his heterochromatic hues.

Yet, Azul was too exhausted to catch wind of his dorm member's suspicious expression and instead only waved him away with a lazy flick of his wrist. "I said no more contracts for the day..." he murmured under his breath while skimming through some sort of document he was holding in his hands. "I need a break—"

"It's (Y/n)."

A sharp gasp escaped the octopus merman's lips. "Oh— the prefect!" The corners of his lips curled up into an excited smile as he slammed the document onto his desk and pushed it aside. "Yes, yes. Send her in immediately, Jade!" the dorm leader exclaimed and readjusted his tie.

Jade couldn't help but chuckle at the other's outburst. "As expected..." he muttered under his breath and turned around to gesture to his impatient brother.

As the door was almost flung out of its hinges, Floyd appeared beside Jade, leading the awaited guest inside — you.

The more outgoing brother had one of his hands resting on your back as he led you inside gingerly. "Right this way, Shrimpy!" he chimed and nudged you towards the chair across from the desk. "Take a seat here." Without even waiting for you to sit down by yourself, he planted his hands onto your shoulders and pushed you down easily.

A startled yelp escaped your lips. "...thank you, Floyd," you muttered under your breath while sheepishly rubbing the back of your head.

Azul immediately caught your attention by coughing into his fist. Your gaze flitted over to him to find a charming smile on his lips. "Hello and welcome to our humble establishment, (Y/n)." His voice was smooth and confident — but you swore you could hear a figment of giddiness hidden behind his professional attitude. "It's such a surprise to see you here, really. What is it that you could want from a humble and generous student such as me? I could grant you any wish, really." Then, he leaned forward and put his chin into his hands, elbows resting on the table.

The way his eyes seemed to fixate you in place caused a nervous chuckle to come out of your dry throat. "Thank you for the hospitality, Azul—" Your eyes never really meeting his, you began fidgeting around in discomfort. "Uh well, this is kinda embarrassing..." you stuttered out eventually.

Your hesitancy only caused the smile on his lips to grow. "Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head off! You can tell me anything," he drawled soothingly, somehow eager and impatient to find out why you had come here.

After having taken a deep breath, you exhaled audibly and muttered, "If that's so..." Still unsure, you finally raised your gaze to meet his eyes — and they seemed to really encourage you to speak openly. The corners of your lips quivering up into a nervous smile, you began fiddling with your fingers. "There's this one boy from Octavinelle who's really cute."

Jade raised an eyebrow and leaned closer. "Oh? Colour us intrigued."

Azul, too, seemed taken aback at your confession. It took him a few seconds to regain his lost composure, only for his heartbeat to accelerate. His palms beginning to sweat, he eagerly asked, "...what's his name?" By then, his eyes were as wide as saucers, and he had leaned over the desk to the point where a small push from Floyd could make your faces collide with one another. "Does it perhaps begin with an 'A'?" The dorm leader batted his eyelashes teasingly.

Your eyes grew in surprise. "Yes it does, Azul! How did you know that?" The grin on Azul's face grew to new proportions — that was until you began laughing and continuing, "His name is Aric."

Azul froze in horror.

The eels behind you began laughing and chuckling — Floyd especially couldn't refrain from letting laughter seethe out from behind his palms that were clamped shut around his mouth. "Aric, huh?" Floyd asked between wheezes.

The sudden shift in mood threw you off, but you nonetheless continued carefully, "Yes, a second-year, I think." A silly giggle escaped your lips simply by mentioning him, and you swore your eyes turned into hearts. "He's a waiter here at the Mostro Lounge and saved me from drowning when Grim pushed me into one of your many tanks... and ever since, I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. But he's my upperclassman, and I'm not sure if I could approach him by myself."

Azul sat there silently, slumped into his chair, as he watched you with clenched teeth.

Floyd let out a gasp and turned to you. "I know that guppy! A goody two-shoes~ He was courageous enough to ask me to stop squeezing one of his friends when I was in a bad mood." Then, he extended a hand to pat your head in a teasing manner. "You've got taste, Shrimpy," he whispered jokingly, causing a giggle to escape your lips.

The remark caused Azul to snap the pencil he previously was playing with in half, his eyes narrowed in hidden anger.

"Brother dearest," Jade muttered and sighed, "fetch Azul a new pen, will you?"

The eel merman quickly did as he was asked, all the while a large and toothy grin on his lips. After having rounded the desk, he grabbed a new pen from a case that lay nearby and planted it into his boss' clenched fist again.

By then, Azul seemed to have regained his composure — enough for him to speak again without screaming. "...alright, if that's what you wish for. Here's the contract," he muttered between clenched teeth and slid a golden document over to you. Then, he pointed to the dotted line in the far right corner. "Sign here, and I'll organise a date for the two of you." To say these words seemed like torture for him, but you were too busy skimming the contract to notice the vexed tone of his voice.

As soon as you arrived by the end of the contract, you noticed the fine print — and it caused you to narrow your eyebrows suspiciously. "What's that fine print about collateral?" you asked, your eyes flitting up to meet his.

A grin had snuck its way to his face again. "A tradition first introduced by the great sea witch," he explained smoothly while lacing his fingers together. "In your case, I take your voice as collateral — and if your date is successful, you'll get it back."

"But that means I won't be able to speak—"

Yet, you simply were waved off. "Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out!" the dorm leader exclaimed smugly. "Now, deal or no deal?"

You pursed your lips, your hesitant gaze flickering between the contact and his expectant eyes boring holes into your skull. The fine print sure was suspicious — but you supposed that losing your voice wouldn't be bad since it was only for a temporary period, and you were surely determined enough to fulfill his condition of the date going smoothly.

"Deal."

Nodding, you extended your hand to swipe the pen out of his grasp. His grey eyes watched you intently as you scribbled down your signature into the bottom right corner. In that very moment, you sealed your fate with dark blue ink, unknowing of his sinister intentions.

When you placed the pen onto the desk and turned your attention to him again, Azul nodded in satisfaction before rising up to his feet. His hands planted flat onto the surface of the table, he announced, "That is it. Floyd will escort you out now. Thank you for your time."

The smile you sent him caused his heart to squeak in happiness — but the simple reminder that you liked someone else made his heart scream in pain again.

It was the sound of the door being slammed close that snapped him out of his stupor. Startled, his eyes scoured the office to find it emptier than before — only Jade and he remaining inside. Now finally alone — more or less — he lowered his gaze to his neat desk and let his hands tighten into fists. A bitter scowl appeared on his face, but the anger soon turned into burning determination.

Jade quirked an eyebrow. "I know that look in your eyes."

The dorm leader's low chuckles echoed through the room as he slowly raised his gaze again. "This date is going to be the worst date she ever went on..." he seethed through clenched teeth, an almost maniacal grin on his lips. "And then, when everything went horribly wrong, she'll come running right into my arms." As he finished with his monologue, his grin softened around the corners of his lips.

"So we organise a date and sabotage it?"

"Bingo."

A hum of approval escaped the eel merman's lips; he hadn't expected anything else. And yet, one question still remained in the back of his mind, just waiting to be finally asked. So, before Azul could lose himself in planning the entire event, Jade raised his hand and asked in curiosity, "And what was that whole collateral thing..." He paused, not sure how to venture on with how feverish his boss looked. "There's nothing special about her voice. Why didn't you go for another quality or skill?"

Azul rolled his eyes. "Because not having her voice is going to make the date significantly harder for her. I mean, what are they supposed to do if she can't speak? Would they just be staring at each other all the time?"

A cunning grin grew on Jade's lips. "Very smart, Azul."

"Of course." A wistful sigh escaped Azul's lips. "And once the date is over, I'll be there to comfort the poor girl."

"This is going to be fun," Jade muttered with an eerie smile on his lips.

"A lesser obstacle between the prefect and me, I guess." After a while of contemplation, Azul pushed himself away from his desk and began pacing up and down. Eventually, he came to a halt and exclaimed in determination, "We should start by contacting that Aric in question and setting up the Mostro Lounge for a dinner date."

°°°

It hadn't taken long for Azul to organise everything — from getting the boy in question to show up for this mystery date and setting up the venue.

The Mostro Lounge was only dimly lit when you anxiously set foot into the establishment. Your gaze wandered across the large hall, and you noticed how almost all the tables had been pushed to the sidelines to reveal one lone yet decorated table situated right in the middle of the lounge. As you approached that very table, you noticed the soft music playing in the background.

You didn't get very far before two figures appeared in front of you to block your way — a very familiar set of twins. Your lips parted to let out a greeting, but you very quickly closed your mouth again when no sound came out — oh right, you had given your voice as collateral when signing that contract.

Floyd had a giant grin on his lips as he patted your head. "Welcome, welcome, Shrimpy!"

Before you could show any reaction whatsoever, Jade grabbed you by your shoulders and led you to the decorated table in the middle of the lounge. "Come right in. Everything is set and ready to go already," he cooed smoothly, even having to go as far as pushing you forward when your feet seemed frozen in fear. Your eyes were wide as you couldn't help but stare at the familiar second-year already occupying the table — your crush. "Take a seat right here." Jade chuckled and pressed you down into the chair across from the other guest.

The boy in question immediately perked up once he noticed your presence, previously having been busy typing away on his phone. A bright smile appeared on his lips, which set off butterflies in the depths of your stomach. "Oh, hello." You couldn't help but swoon at how charming he seemed despite not even trying. "I'm Aric—" he began, but stopped in his tracks when he recognised you. "Hey, you seem familiar!"

You nodded eagerly.

Aric began to laugh at the coincidence. "Ah yes, I remember you. The girl that fell into the tank a few days ago, no?" he asked with a sheepish smile on his lips. When you grimaced in embarrassment, he simply waved it off and sent you a comforting smile. "Don't worry about it. It's not like me to let other people drown."

Again, you shot him a grateful nod.

The gesture seemed to confuse him after a while of silence. He raised an eyebrow as he hesitantly asked, "Are you always this quiet...?" The second-year nervously pushed a strand of his shiny black hair behind his ear, now obviously affected by the awkward silence.

"(Y/n) can't speak, idiot guppy!" Floyd chimed in before you could panic. "She lost her voice after having to scold her kitty all the time."

The explanation seemed to satisfy Aric with how he simply hummed and nodded. "Oh, I see." A little chuckle escaped his lips when you playfully pushed the waiter away, only then to turn to Aric with the largest pair of doe eyes he had ever seen. His amusement grew even more when you pointed your index finger at him. "Me?" he asked in surprise. "You want to know more about me?"

The smile on your lips became bigger as you put your chin into your palms, ready to listen to his soothing voice.

Your gazes fixating one another, Aric couldn't help but smile. "Alright, I'm not all that interesting!" At that, you waved him off with a playful scoff. "But sure, why not—"

From behind the bar, Azul, Floyd, and Jade watched the two of you in silence, simply observing your interactions in curiosity. They were too far away to listen in on your conversation with how quietly he spoke, but the smiles you shot Aric and the laughter that escaped his lips said more than a thousand words.

A large scowl was plastered all over Azul's face as he tore his gaze away from you two and turned to his two dorn members instead. "They're getting along too well..." It wasn't before too long that his frown turned into a devious grin. "But, there's more to a dinner date than getting along. Jade, is the food ready?" In true villain fashion, he began rubbing his palms together.

Jade nodded, smiling as he always did. "Yes, extra spicy for the young man, as you wished."

"Good, now serve it."

Just as Azul had spoken those words, Floyd eagerly darted off to the kitchen, where everything already lay prepared, and returned to the lounge with two plates full of steaming and delicious-smelling food. His presence at the table went by unnoticed with how Aric and you seemed too caught up in your conversation to acknowledge the waiter.

Nonetheless, Floyd announced, "The appetizer, here!" Low chuckles escaped his throat as he slowly set down the plates on the table. "For you, (Y/n)— and for you, Aric."

It took the two of you a few minutes before noticing the plates that the by now gone waiter had placed it front of you. "Let's dig in," Aric chimed, to which you replied with more nodding.

From afar, the three Octavinelle students were grinning and chuckling to themselves as they watched the two of you cut out pieces of your food and pierce them with your forks.

"Oh, the spiciness will make him cry like a baby, surely," Azul muttered under his breath, quietly cackling to himself. "Not even the highest spice tolerance can save anyone from this monstrosity. And the worst thing is that the first bite will unleash the spiciness' full effect already."

Much to his surprise, what he heard next was a scream that rang through the entire lounge — and it was so shrill that it shook him to his very bones. A shocked expression ghosting over his face, he shot up from behind the counter of the bar to assess the situation — and what he was faced with was unlike anything he had expected.

It wasn't Aric who was crying and huffing like a baby — no, it was you.

Your eyes were puffy and red, just as the rest of your face. But the most worrying part about you was that you were shaking to your very core, so disoriented that you looked like you were about to faint and fall off your chair.

Aric immediately rushed to your side and put his hands on your shoulders to prevent you from simply toppling off to the side. His blue eyes were full of concern as he shook you back and forth gently. "(Y/n)? Are you alright?" he asked in mild panic when you began crying and sobbing. Without even thinking, he wrapped his arms around you and ran his hand up and down your back.

You clung onto him for dear life.

Unable to witness the scene play out right in front of his eyes, Azul was seething in anger. His teeth were gritted together as he turned to Floyd to seethe, "Did you seriously give the spicy plate to (Y/n)—?" His eyes were narrowed in fury, and he looked like he was about to murder someone.

"Oops—" Floyd let out a theatrical gasp. "An accident, I guess~"

Meanwhile, you had calmed down to the point where you weren't a sobbing mess anymore. You buried your face in your palms, embarrassed out of your mind. All you wanted to do was disappear into the floor, never to be seen again. But, you were eventually forced to remove your hands when a persistent tap on your shoulder caused you to tense up.

"You should drink some water... Here," Aric muttered softly as he held a cool glass of water out to you, still on his knees in front of you. "That should make the pain go away." All the while avoiding his gaze, you eagerly grabbed the glass and chugged its contents down like a madwoman. Your gaze never met his, afraid that he would laugh at your pitiful state — but instead, he shot you an encouraging smile. "Don't worry about it— red cheeks only make you more adorable."

A relieved giggle escaped your lips when he booped your nose in a playful way.

Azul was huffing and puffing as he watched the spectacle from afar. "Great..." His eyebrows were furrowed in discontent — even more so when Aric pulled you to your feet and led you over to the bar. The octopus merman immediately straightened his back and put on the most neutral and nonchalant expression he could muster.

"Dormleader Azul, (Y/n) and I will be going out for a walk," Aric announced in a concerned fashion, his arm still slung around your shoulders. "I think some of the cool night air could help her calm down again."

"Are you sure you don't want to have the main course?" Azul asked with his left eye twitching.

Aric's gaze briefly flickered back to you, and when you shot him a smile of approval, he returned his attention to Azul and explained, "I'm not really hungry right now, and (Y/n) needs some fresh air." When the dorm leader nodded hesitantly, Aric turned around and led you out of the lounge. "See you later perhaps!" Without another word, you disappeared through the entrance doors — out into the darkness.

"Amazing..." Azul threw himself into a free chair after the two of you had left. "Now they're all alone outside," he whispered bitterly.

"We could follow them if you want!" Floyd offered with an excited smile on his lips.

Yet, Azul simply waved him off. "No, no... just let them be." A drawn out sigh escaped his lips as he drew circles onto the marble surface of the bar. His reflection seemed to look back at him with saddened eyes. "Maybe I wasn't meant to be with her, anyway..." he seethed out and closed his eyes.

"Oh, don't say that, Boss," Jade chimed in. "I'm sure she'll come around."

His words fell on deaf ears.

After a while of vexing silence, Azul rose to his feet and walked to his office with slouched shoulders. "I... need to be alone for a while..." he threw over his shoulder half-heartedly before he slammed the door to his office close behind him. With his last drops of motivation, he carried himself over to his desk and sank down into his chair to sulk.

To him, it felt like days that he spent silent and still in that chair — contemplating his life and why disappointment always seemed to haunt him. But in truth, it was only an hour that he sat there before a knock against the door snapped him out of his trance-like state. The noise caused a groan to escape his lips.

"I said I wanted to be alone," he muttered in annoyance.

"Azul, it's me — (Y/n)."

The dorm leader perked up in realisation, and a wave of surprise washed over him like cold water. Not knowing how to continue, he pursed his lips and lost himself in his thoughts for a while. But, despite the pain that it brought him to see you with someone else, he still couldn't deny that he longed to see you again — and, he couldn't suppress his curiosity as to why you had come here again.

So, in the end, he called out, "Oh, (Y/n)... do come in." As the door was pushed open carefully to reveal a familiar figure stepping inside, Azul furrowed his eyebrows and let out a half-hearted sigh. "I guess you got your voice back... that must mean you two had a lot of fun."

You nodded, laughing. "Yes, Aric and I indeed got along very well despite me not being able to talk until the very end..." Azul chuckled and gestured to the chair across from his, and you gratefully took him up on his offer. Your hands planted in your lap, you added, "We parted on good terms! We'll see each other again sometime." A serene smile graced your lips. "—as friends."

Azul couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What—?" he stuttered out with wide eyes.

You let out an embarrassed chuckle. "I think my admiration for him was platonic. Don't get me wrong— he's really charming and kind!" Then, you took a deep breath to muster all your courage to admit, "But... after talking to Jade earlier, I realised that..." You trailed off, growing more nervous by the second.

Azul pursed his lips in anticipation. "Yes, you realised that...?"

"That I really like you, Azul," you admitted shyly.

Even though he had always wanted to hear those words come out of your mouth, he still couldn't entirely process what you just had said. His pale cheeks became red as he opened his mouth to say something — anything — but nothing came out of his throat. Then, in embarrassment, he laced his fingers with one another and hid his face behind his hands, further sinking into his chair. "...that came out of nowhere," he muttered, his glasses fogging up.

His sudden change in demeanour caused a giggle to escape your lips. "I thought so," you said and tilted your head to the side. Briefly, you averted your gaze to your hands in your lap. "Well, after having signed that deal with you, I somehow couldn't stop thinking about you? You were just so... confident in what you were doing, and I guess you managed to impress me to the point where you occupied my mind all the time. Also—" You began laughing. "Jade can be really persuasive."

"Consider me speechless," Azul managed to press out and finally look you in the eyes.

A smile grew on your lips. "Well, I'm here to negotiate a new contract," you suggested playfully. "Perhaps you would like to go on a date with me?"

Azul immediately jumped to his feet, overjoyed. "...I would love to, (Y/n)!" Yet, upon realising that his outburst was anything unlike his usual professional attitude, he sank into his chair again and coughed into his fist in embarrassment. "I'll prepare the contract immediately."

#twisted wonderland #twst x reader #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst #reader insert #y/n #disney twst #twst x you #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader #twst azul ashengrotto #twst azul #twst azul x reader #twisted wonderland azul #female reader

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ramascreen · 4 years ago

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INTERVIEW: Filmmakers Jeff Desom, Saman Kesh, Dugan O'Neal on What They'd Do If Mysterious Alien "DOORS" Appear

INTERVIEW: Filmmakers Jeff Desom, Saman Kesh, Dugan O’Neal on What They’d Do If Mysterious Alien “DOORS” Appear

In the anticipation of DOORS, which hits select theaters on March 19 and On Demand on March 23 + DVD/Blu-ray on April 6 from Epic Pictures, I recently had the opportunity to interview directing team/filmmakers Jeff Desom, Saman Kesh, and Dugan O’Neal who explore both grounded emotions and cosmic themes from this new sci-fi film’s constantly shifting perspective. Without explanation or warning, a…

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#Aric Generette Floyd #Bailee Cowperthwaite #Bira Vanara #Darius Levanté #Doors #Dugan O’Neal #Josh Peck #Julianne Collins #Kathy Khanh #Kristina Lear #Kyp Malone #Lina Esco #Rory Anne Dahl #Wilson Bethel

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fearsmagazine · 4 years ago

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DOORS - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Epic Pictures

SYNOPSIS: Without warning a number of mysterious, alien “doors” suddenly appear in every corner of the globe. While many of those that encounter these sentient visitors feel the strange urge to interact with them – never to be seen again – others stay behind to face the potential threat of what their ultimate agenda towards mankind is. In a rush to determine the reason for the arrival of these cosmic anomalies, the government enlists volunteers to brave the journey to enter the doors so that we might learn more about their origin or purpose. But even these brave volunteers are not prepared for what lies beyond the threshold. The story of the doors is told through multiple perspectives: a ragtag band of high school students discover a door for the first time, volunteers explore the parallel reality beyond the threshold, and a lonesome hermit manages the seemingly impossible as he establishes communication with a door.

REVIEW: A good science fiction story is not about the tech or gadgets. If done correctly, those are just window dressing employed in service to the story. DOORS is an exceptional narrative that explores the human condition against this unfolding event of an alien encounter. The inventive costumes and visual effects enhance these stories and add to their viewing enjoyment. It is done with such skill that the viewer will probably not realize until the end that this is an anthology movie where all the stories share a similar theme - the doors.

DOORS is an effective narrative with a singular plot that is sophistically woven together with a variety of elements that payoff as the stories unfold. The characters are unique, and their stories and encounters differe, but there is a consistency to the universe they inhabit that evolves with each tale's progression. What makes these so interesting is that their situations change and the viewer finds themselves questioning what they would do in this instance. Their characters are different, their encounters vary, but the rules of their universe are consistent. Even as they evolve so do the doors. The narrative unfolds in such a way that the doors begin to become a character based on their encounters with humanity. It adds to the depth mystery and the tension as to what the inevitable resolution will be. Still, there is something expansive about this universe that feels like there is more to be explored, more in depth, such as in an episodic series versus another 90 minute feature film.

There are several different perspectives presented in DOORS, yet the visual elements and production designs stay homogeneous to the narrative. There are only small tweaks in the art direction and production designs, and those are pertinent to the story being told. The cinematography offers an epic gandure to the appropriate tales, and become more focused and intense for the more intimate ones. Like any good science fiction tale they are utilized to impart a sense of beauty and wonder. In hindsight, you can’t help but recognize how judiciously they spent their budget to achieve this amazing look and feel to this independent film.

The majority of the talent is best known for their work in television and they do an excellent job selling the narrative. I feel as a viewer not having a familiarity with an actor’s work adds to the level of being immersed into a tale. Likewise, if the talent is not skilled in the craft it inhibits the viewer’s engagement. The cast for DOORS does an impressive job at helping the viewer to suspend their disbelief and go on this journey. They are able to ignite the viewer’s emotions, there by ramping up the tension and the drama. I was even surprised at how much I enjoyed the last tale given how I’m not a big fan of the format used to tell the story.

Enhancing the film’s overall depth of experience is the score by composer John Beltran. Working with the sound design, it captures the mood of each subplot and enhances the visuals. It runs the gamut of electronic to orchestral that reflects the nature of the tale. It’s not something that distracts from the film, just as a film score lover I fully appreciated his work and how it supports the elements of the film.

A good science fiction film is hard to pull off regardless of the story the filmmakers are trying to tell. It requires a herculean effort to muster all the elements to create a narrative that will draw a viewer in and have them embrace and believe what they encounter. DOORS is one of those compelling examples of an engaging narrative, talented filmmakers, seasoned actors, and just the right blend of costumes, production design, and visuals to take the viewer along for the journey. As an independent film it just falls short of being epic, but it comes pretty damn close. DOORS is a sci-fi journey well worth the ride.

CAST: Josh Peck, Lina Esco, Wilson Bethel, Kyp Malone, Dugan O’Neal, Kathy Khanh, Julianne Collins, Aric Generette Floyd, Rory Anne Dahl, Kristina Lear, Bira Vanara, Bailee Cowperthwaite, Darius Levanté, and David Hemphill CREW: Directors - Saman Kesh, Jeff Desom, and Dugan O’Neal; Creator - Chris White; Story - Saman Kesh & Chris White; Screenplay - Saman Kesh, Jeff Desom, Dugan O’Neal, Chris White, and Ed Hobbs; Producers - JD Lifshitz, Raphael Margules, Brad Miska, Chris White, Saman Kesh, and Kimberly Stuckwisch; Cinematographers - Todd Banhazl, John Schmidt, & Starr Whitesides; Score - John Beltran; Editors - Chris Coupland and Chad Van Horn; Production Designer - Jessica Garrison; OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Doors-Movie-104130898391334 TWITTER: twitter.com/epic_pictures TRAILER: https://youtu.be/snMRw9uiYW8 RELEASE DATE: In Select Theaters on March 19th and On Demand on March 23rd + DVD/Blu-ray on April 6th, 2021

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

#film review #movie review #doors #epic pictures #saman kesh #jeff desom #dugan o’neal #chris white #sci-fi #science fiction #joseph mauceri #joseph b mauceri

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tctmp · 3 years ago

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Sci-Fi

#doors

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kley-blog · 3 years ago

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This was one very weird experience . . .

Make of it what you will . . .

Then let me know . . .

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qresearch · 4 years ago

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([Aric Thompson] - Dominion Tech) & ([Robert Brady] - Floyd County GA Election Chief) = (Nov 3 & 4 etc) Vote Count "Irregularities"

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luteporsualiberdade · 4 years ago

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💥Aric Thompson, representante do Dominion que digitalizou as cédulas com o secretário-chefe de eleições Robert Brady, agora demitido, no condado de Floyd(Texas), onde mais de 3.000 votos (principalmente para Trump) inexplicavelmente foram inicialmente incontáveis. Thompson trabalhou anteriormente para a senadora Kamala Harris. Via Canal @EuVouTeContar https://twitter.com/TalkMullins/status/1333061399132639234 https://www.instagram.com/p/CILhMqanXso/?igshid=ov6szpc7ezr1

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/lewis-hopes-for-senate-upset-may-turn-on-trumps-fate-national-news/

Lewis' hopes for Senate upset may turn on Trump's fate | National News

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis addresses supporters in Stillwater, Minn., on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020, at a get out the vote rally on the banks of the St. Croix River. Lewis, a one-term former congressman and former talk radio host, is challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., speaks to a gathering of people at the Waite Park Community Pavilion Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Waite Park, Minn. Republican Jason Lewis is trying to unseat Smith.

FILE – In this Aug. 18, 2016 file photo, Jason Lewis campaigns at a park in Inver Grove Heights, Minn.

FILE – In this Nov. 6, 2018 file photo, Tina Smith speaks in St. Paul, Minn.

Minnesota candidate for U.S. Senate Jason Lewis stands after being recognized by Vice President Mike Pence at Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020.

Vice President Mike Pence, right, visits with Rep. Jason Lewis and Rep. Tom Emmer bumps elbows with Minn. Air National Guard Commander Chris Blomquist after arriving at at the Duluth International Airport for a campaign stop in Duluth, Minn., Friday, Aug. 28, 2020.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., Tina Smith, second from left, listens to DFL Senate candidate Aric Putnam speaks to a gathering of people at the Waite Park Community Pavilion, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Waite Park, Minn. Republican Jason Lewis is trying to unseat Smith.

Sen. Tina Smith, center, D-Minn., receives a tour of El Burrito Mercado by her Latinx community engagement organizer, Ariana Bergeson, left, during a walking tour of Cesar Chavez Street businesses in St. Paul, Minn., Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 11, 2020. With them is state Sen. Sandy Pappas, right.

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press

STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) — Jason Lewis’ strategy for knocking off Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith has been clear for over a year: For better or worse, the former congressman is all in for President Donald Trump.

Lewis, a one-term former congressman best known from his days as a conservative talk radio host known as “Minnesota’s Mr. Right,” stresses their common opposition to coronavirus restrictions, support for law and order in the state where George Floyd was killed, and the need to put Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court.

“All of these issues that are surrounding life, liberty and property are on the ballot,” Lewis told supporters at a recent get-out-the-vote rally in Stillwater. “Really what’s on the ballot is whether we’re going to have a constitutional republic or whether we’re going to have mob rule.”

Trump has returned the love with frequent name-checks at his recent rallies in Mankato, Bemidji and Duluth. Lewis was part of a four-person welcoming committee when Trump arrived in Minneapolis on his most recent visit, and he got to fly with Trump on Air Force One up to Duluth, albeit in a separate cabin.

But it’s not clear the strategy is working.

A recent New York Times/Siena College poll gave Smith a 9-point lead over Lewis, the same margin that the same poll gave Biden over Trump in Minnesota. Trump, who has often talked about capturing Minnesota this year after coming within a whisker in 2016, has recently cut back on ad buys in the state. And the race isn’t showing up on major handicappers’ lists of Senate seats likely to flip.

#hopes #lewis #senate #trump #upset #National

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sleeppaw · 6 years ago

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Vita Alto plots to kill Finnick Odair by drowning in a pool as Stiles McGraw leaves the group of people. Fortunately for Finnick, she didn’t carry out her threat as she died shortly after (Nancy Landgrabb died on the same day). Finnick’s parents, Triton and Marina, have full life bars (But I’m hoping they live long enough to see Marissa age up to Young Adult). Vita’s son, Ariel, is living with his older sister Holly.

I found out whose child Raven Floyd is. She is Maya and Kazuo’s daughter (They had her very late). Now that Maya and Kazuo are Elders, and Raven is a teenager, I am hoping they live long enough to see Raven become a Young Adult. However, if Maya and Kazuo dies before Raven becomes a Young Adult, she is likely to be adopted by her older cousin Marci (Marci is Hector and Isabelle’s daughter, and she is close to aging up. Hector and Isabelle also had another child, Monty, who has a while to go until he ages up)

Sims who will be Young Adults soon:

Garland Morris-Frio, Aren Keaton, Aric Andrews, Howard Cresta-Odair, Alexa Ursine, Ariel Alto and Rose Oakley (Possibly Perseus Johnson if his and Rose’s relationship develops)

Sims who will age up between Rose and Marcus:

Marissa Odair, Reid and Fawn Landgrabb

Sims who will age up at the same time as Marcus:

Marcus Oakley, Naomi Matthews, Mindy Cresta-Odair, Andromeda Johnson.

Fun fact: Every single younger Sim apart from Aren will be Elders by the time the Generation 2 Arc start (Which will be February 1st)

Generation 1 Arc: Settling in (Started January 1st 2019)

Generation 2 Arc: Villainous Threat (Will start February 1st)

As I go through my Legacy, I am also coming up with storylines for each Generation.

Generation 2 Arc synophsis: After the challenges of raising two kids to Young Adults, Iris and Dennis Oakley are looking forward to grandchildren. Newly-married Marcus Oakley is enjoying his honeymoon before the kids come along. However, a Sim with a grudge against several families has moved into town and the Oakley Family are in the firing line, and the Harris, O’Callaghan and Gillibanks families newfound peace is threatened. Can Marcus and the newly arrived families fight back? Or will their world be turned upside down?

#Sleepy Plays The Sims 3 #The Oakley Legacy

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newyorktheater · 4 years ago

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Watch the hour-long video of 11 short new plays below.

In “Holla,” a serial killer (Will Swenson) wearing the distorted white mask from the Scream series, makes an ominous phone call to Chris (Chris Herbie Holland) an unsuspecting Black teenager, intending to scare him to death. But the conversation takes an unexpected turn.

“What’s your favorite scary movie, Chris?” the deep-voiced killer asks, accompanied by spooky music.

“Fruitvale Station,” Chris replies, referring to the movie based on the real-life police killing of Oscar Grant.

“I meant scary, scary…” That movie “might be scarier for…” — he hesitates – “certain people.”

Chris calls him a racist. The killer gets defensive. “I wasn’t going to kill you because you’re black…I think it’s important to kill all people..”

The four-minute play by Lee Edward Colston II – funny, pointed — is the first of the 11 new short works in #WhileWeBreathe, subtitled “A Night of Creative Protest,” which grew out of conversations the week after the police killing of George Floyd. It debuted this week, and will remain online.

“Holla” is something of an outlier in #WhileWeBreathe. More representative is

Azure D Osborne-Lee’s “Sundown Support.” In it, Kevin R. Free portrays the leader of a support group “for survivors of racial terror,” where we hear some horror stories of police abuse.

One can argue that the entire enterprise functions in some ways as a support group.

That’s been my reaction to most of the anthology productions that have proliferated since the start of the pandemic. They seem to exist on three levels.

They are in effect support groups for the theater artists involved – ways for them to stay busy, feel useful, express themselves, and stay engaged with their community (These are generally not paying gigs.) Almost all of these productions are also, crucially, fundraisers, most for organizations meeting urgent needs. #WhileWeBreathe is a fundraiser for NAACP Legal Defense Fund, The Bail Project, Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity, BYP 100, Forced Trajectory Project, Justice Committee (JC), and Southerners on New Ground (SONG).

And then, on a third level, these group efforts are also gifts for theatergoers – stories or works of art or entertainments (call them what feels apt), often offered at minimal or no charge. Put together with great passion and great speed, these shows seem to put such a priority on community that, one suspects, nobody is excluded and nothing is edited.

Since the participants are talented professionals at the top of their game, these anthologies have felt to me not so much uneven as overwhelming.

In several of the plays in #WhileWeBreathe, a character expresses his or her anger and/or confusion in what initially sounds like a rant but turns into something powerful and lyrical. In Liza Jessie Peterson’s “Do You Really Want To Know?,” for example, Michele Shay portrays a woman asked via text by her family how she’s doing, and she decides to tell them: “Some days I’m just paralyzed with rage. It all comes in waves. I can’t think about George Floyd without thinking about Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery….” Photographs of the victims slowly cover the video as she mentions their names, blotting her out.In Khari Wyatt’s “Mister,” Ty Jones tells his character’s story of heartache hardship, with a payoff that emphasizes the importance of dignity.

Two of the plays present the twin urgencies of protest and pandemic as a conflict: In Steve Harper’s “Three People,” a brother who is a medical professional (Keith Eric Chappelle) argues with his sister (Birgundi Baker) that she should stay home and stay healthy rather than march in the streets; in Arvind Ethan David’s “Pre-existing Condition,” a single character (Neil Brown Jr.) debates the same dilemma within himself. “The arc of history may bend towards justice and this may be our moment to pull it a little closer, but the arc of a pandemic only knows one thing – exponential growth’’

In two other plays, we hear from characters who turn out to be dead; both dramas are probably more affecting if you don’t realize right away that you’re hearing from murder victims, so I won’t name them.

#WhileWeBreathe ends with Aurin Squire’s “Mississippi Goddamn,” which is the longest play (at about ten minutes) and feels like the most developed. Lynn Whitfield and Esau Pritchett play an older couple who live through five days of the current crisis, recalling a lifetime of tragedy, including the circumstances in which Nina Simone wrote “Mississippi Goddamn.” Their relationship is touching and subtly amusing, their recollections deeply sad, their attitude evolves into…hopeful?

#WhileWeBreathe is dedicated to Rev C.T. Vivian and Rep. John Lewis, towering figures of the civil rights movement, both of whom died on July 17 of this year. “We follow you into good trouble.”

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THE CAST:

Birgundi Baker (“The Chi,” “Heathers”), Vanessa Bell Calloway (Coming to America, Letters from Zora), Bryan Terrell Clark (Hamilton, “When They See Us”), Neil Brown Jr. (“Insecure,” “SEAL Team”), Keith Eric Chappelle (“Billions,” Cyrano), Kevin R. Free (Dave, Eighth Grade), Alfie Fuller (BLKS, Is God Is), Marcus Henderson (Get Out, “Tacoma FD”), Chris Herbie Holland (What’s in a Name?, The Cancer Patient), Ty Jones (The Great Society, The Blacks: A Clown Show), Patina Miller (Pippin, “Madam Secretary”), Lori Elizabeth Parquet (Dispatches from (A)mended America, Rizing), Esau Pritchett (“Iron Fist,” “Prodigal Son”), Obie and Outer Critic’s Circle Award winner Michele Shay (Seven Guitars, Meetings), Hailey Stone (Matters of Chance, Nasir), Will Swenson (Jerry Springer: The Opera, Hair), TL Thompson (Is This A Room, Straight White Men), and Lynn Whitfield (“Greenleaf,” The Josephine Baker Story).

WRITTEN BY:

Lee Edward Colston II (The First Deep Breath, “For Life”), Arvind Ethan David (“Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency”), Cheryl L. Davis (The Bones of Giants, “Law & Order: SVU”), Nathan Alan Davis (Nat Turner in Jerusalem, “Sorry For Your Loss”), Steve Harper (“God Friended Me,” “American Crime”), Azure D. Osborne-Lee (Mirrors, Glass), Liza Jessie Peterson (The Peculiar Patriot, Bamboozled), Bianca Sams (At The Rivers End, “Charmed”), Keenan Scott II (Thoughts of a Colored Man, “A Luv Tale”), Aurin Squire (Fire Season, “Good Fight”), and Khari Wyatt (Stomping Down at Sugar’s Love, “Africana!”).

DIRECTED BY:

Steve H. Broadnax III (The Hot Wing King, The Hip Hop Project), Carl Cofield (The Bacchae, Antigone), Bianca LaVerne Jones (Armed, FEAST), Patricia McGregor (Lights Out, Nat King Cole The Public’s Hamlet), Pratibha Parmar (Nina’s Heavenly Delights, Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth), Charles Randolph-Wright (Motown: The Musical on Broadway, TV: OWN’s “Greenleaf”), Kirya Traber (Both My Grandfathers, Permitted), and Tamara Tunie (“Law & Order: SVU,” Flight).

CASTING BY: Venus Kanani, CSA and Stewart/Whitley

EDITED: AJ Francois, Aimee Jennings, Aric Lewis

Watch #WhileWeBreathe anthology and read my review Watch the hour-long video of 11 short new plays below. In “Holla,” a serial killer (Will Swenson) wearing the distorted white mask from the Scream series, makes an ominous phone call to Chris (Chris Herbie Holland) an unsuspecting Black teenager, intending to scare him to death.

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gizedcom · 4 years ago

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‘Yes we exist’ – Black fans eye NASCAR’s work to diversify – Examiner Online

Kevin Johnson became enamored with NASCAR as a kid through clips on “ Wide World of Sports,” decades before billion-dollar broadcast deals when auto racing shared precious air time with barrel jumping and demolition derby.

Raised in the South Bronx, Johnson considered himself “a closet NASCAR fan,” without a friend or family member who truly shared his interest in catching the latest race.

“As you can imagine,” Johnson said, “there just simply weren’t a lot of people receptive to the sport given its history.”

Johnson recalled staying in his Temple University dorm during the massive blizzard that wreaked havoc on the East Coast in 1979 to watch the Daytona 500, broadcast live in its entirety for the first time. His roommate was stuck elsewhere because of the weather, leaving Johnson alone with the TV.

“Nobody knew,” Johnson said, laughing. “As a Black person in an urban area, it wasn’t acceptable. I wasn’t really out there. But that love continued to this day.”

The 61-year-old Johnson, who has retired to Miami, shares his passion for the sport with a Black NASCAR Fans group on Facebook. The group’s bio says: “Yes we exist.”

The fans share favorite race memories, photos of their collectibles and, yes, stories of the historically uneasy relationship NASCAR has had with the Black community.

Johnson has been called racist slurs at the track, felt queasy at the sight of the Confederate flag and often wondered if the good-ol’-boy Southern attitudes seeped in the sport would ever fade.

The catalyst for change has come for the U.S. with the death of George Floydin the custody of Minneapolis police. Not long after that, driver Bubba Wallace shoved NASCAR toward the overdue step of banning the Confederate flag, for decades a waving, nylon symbol to Blacks that they were not welcome in NASCAR Nation.

FILE – In this June 10, 2020, file photo, driver Bubba Wallace waits for the start of a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Martinsville, Va. Some Black NASCAR fans have felt uncomfortable at the track. They’re worried about hearing racial slurs or feeling unwelcome from a predominantly white fan base. The catalyst for change has come. Bubba Wallace prodded NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag last month. There is hope the ban opens the doors to more fans. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

The thought of facing the flag and the potential of alcohol-fueled anger from its staunchest defenders has kept many Black fans away and made the ones who did come watch their step. Johnson said banning the flag will make NASCAR “more inviting.”

“We need to get more people, encourage more people of color to come and enjoy what goes on around race weekend,” added Brad Daugherty, the lone Black team owner in NASCAR.

According to NASCAR, the latest demographics show an overwhelmingly white fan base — 75% — but the multicultural slice of 25% has climbed from 20% in 2011. Black fans make up 9% of the total.

The sight of Black fans lined against the Talladega fence to cheer for Wallace a day after a noose was found in his stall was a heartening moment for NASCAR. But earning the trust of a new generation of fans extends beyond “if you ban it, they will come.” NASCAR and its tracks need bolder attempts at ticket and community outreach programs, much in the way baseball, the NHL and the NBA celebrate pride or ethnic-themed nights.

Minorities may not necessarily become the dominant demographic for the stock car series, but they can certainly grab a larger share of the marketplace.

“I think the challenge for NASCAR is this: they spent a lot of time and money over the years building up a specific brand that centered on Confederate flag-waving Southern white folks as their target market, and aligned themselves with business partners and politicians who also found symmetry with this demographic group,” said Joshua Newman, a Florida State professor and author of “Sport, Spectacle, and NASCAR Nation: Consumption and the Cultural Politics of Neoliberalism.”

“This worked well to create a very specific NASCAR culture, a spectacle of celebrity politicians, military flyovers, conservative symbolism, an all-white driver line-up — for many years, but not always — and grandstands filled with predominantly white consumer fans,” Newman said. “It was unique in the North American sports landscape for its racial homogeneity and pronounced affiliations with one political party.”

But cultural politics can change and NASCAR’s boom has faded. To Newman, that means NASCAR limited its growth potential and now must find a solution.

Could Wallace, who f inished second in the 2018 Daytona 500, engage new fans if he won a checkered flag or two driving for an underfunded team? Would a diversity program that places more drivers in the Cup Series — where Wallace is the only Black driver — broaden exposure and create fans of all genders, ethnicities and backgrounds?

NASCAR has worked on building awareness among multicultural audiences for years, including Latino-focused efforts at Auto Club Speedway in California. Last year, NASCAR and the Urban Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas teamed with a local youth group to bring a group of Black children to the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Drive for Diversity program dates to 2004 and a separate effort to work with key minority business and community leaders started three years later.

“If people look at the sport and see the stars of the sport are representative of different groups, I think it’s just another step toward making the sport feel more open to a larger audience of folks,” Drive for Diversity director Jusan Hamilton said. “If people look at the sport and feel that it’s open, that in turn will help make more folks be interested in coming to the sport.”

The few Black drivers who came before Wallace have heard that hopefulness before only to often end up discouraged at the frayed bond between NASCAR and minorities.

“It’s time to realize it’s a new day,” said Bill Lester, who made 145 career NASCAR starts from 1999-2006. “Not all the race car drivers happen to be white. There are people of color. There are women out there who want to race.”

Lester said he believes NASCAR President Steve Phelps, who tearfully told Wallace about the noose in the garage, and veteran executive Brandon Thompson can provoke tangible culture change within the sport.

“There’s a willingness to listen and engage that NASCAR has that I don’t believe they were sincere about earlier,” Lester said.

Still, Wallace is one of just a handful of non-white drivers. Daniel Suarez is Mexican and Aric Almirola is of Cuban descent. Kyle Larson, who is half Asian, was fired in April for using a racial slur.

NASCAR met this month with the Rev. Greg Drumwright, who organized members of his ministry to make the trip to Talladega to support Wallace. Drumwright said he and his group planned to attend other races, too, and he posted a series of encouraging interactions on his Twitter feed from the All-Star race at Bristol on Wednesday.

FILE – In this June 3, 2020, file photo, Rev. Greg Drumwright, right, greets people at the memorial site for Greg Floyd in Minneapolis. Drumwright, a minister at the Citadel Church & Campus Ministries, helped organize a group of Black fans to attend the NASCAR race at Talladega and support driver Bubba Wallace. Drumwright now hopes he can become an advocate of change for NASCAR. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

“We don’t want window dressing,” Drumwright said. “This is a national dialogue.”

Toni Addison, her husband and three children of Newark, Delaware, have never attended a NASCAR race. They drive by Dover International Speedway on race weekends and catch a glimpse of the carnival-type atmosphere at the track and wondered if they’d feel welcomed.

“It sounds like something we’d be interested in,” Addison said. “But guess I couldn’t wear my Black Live Matter shirt or my Barack Obama shirt to that. I’m a (Dallas) Cowboys fan. It’s kind of like a Cowboys fan doesn’t go into the Eagles stadium, at least not with all the Cowboys gear on.”

She’s become one of Wallace’s newest fans (“I didn’t even know there was a Black NASCAR driver”) and watched him slap hands with fans at Talladega, but acknowledged “fear may keep me away from that.”

“My impression of it is they’re mostly Trump supporters, Confederate flag supporters,” the 51-year-old Addison said. “I don’t know how comfortable I would feel fitting in.”

She could talk to fans like Johnson who, while hurt by the slurs, generally have a great time on race day and want all fans to draw the same enjoyment from the sport he has for more than 40 years.

One memory rises about the rest: Johnson and his wife, Julie, attended a meet-and-greet at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Hall of Fame driver Tony Stewart in the mid-2000s. The couple were fervent supporters of Smoke, who asked a group of fans in a suite if they had any questions for him.

Julie stepped up from the back and told Stewart, “As probably your only Black female fan, I really don’t have a question, I just want a hug.”

Stewart smiled and her invited her up for a big hug and later sent over several autographed photos.

It’s the kind of moment that can make a fan forever — from any walk of life.

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