#billie product review

[ashleybelmont]

For shaving

Inspired by some beauty tips I found online, I decided to try this exfoliating body scrub paired with Billie's whipped shave cream for a smoother, brighter bikini area. Here's to achieving adult film star-level results where it matters most.

[jokesactorscryingobsession]

LEO the netflix movie from Adam Sandler is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE 💚💚💚🦎🐢

I had heard nothing about this movie, but I am so happy my family and I watched it. This little class pet was so charming and I am going to rewarch this all the time. All the songs, spoken jokes, and visual gags were just *chef's kiss 💋* It's a wonderful blend of older comedy and modern considerations. If there isn't a million memes from this movie then we are lost as a society.

And all the struggles the kids had, that Leo helped in his own way with, were just so wholesome and heartwrenching.

I really think parents, kids, and teachers are really going to like this movie. I don't know how this movie could have been done any better. It was perfect 👌

Also Adam's Sandlers daughters voiced two of the girls in the movie, and his wife voiced the mom of one of them, and that's just really sweet 🥰

I love Leo 💚 . I hope everyone loves this sweet 74 year old strange lizard just as much as I do!!!

And Squirtle too 🤎

***SPOILERS***SPOILERS***SPOILERS***

***SPOILERS***SPOILERS***SPOILERS***

Okay! I am just so excited about this movie. I love the rabid little gremlin kindergarteners🤣! The way they just swarm everything is amazing.

And how Leo and Squirtle only know 5th grade fractions and don't know how to add, or know the alphabet! 😆

And Leo singing to Mia that crying is weak and dumb, and Mia being so smart and showing Leo how crying is good. Leo didn't know how to help Mia so he just listened, and that helped🥺. And now Mia isn't afraid to cry, but also took Leo's advise to be stronger 😫 It's sooo pure.

[azinemagazine]

Jus doin' sum random scrollin'. 📱 - r3al' 🐉 #mambamentality🐍

Call it mindless, yet we all (in some sorta way) do it. It'd been a minute since anything had been posted for Azine. Supposing it appeared as though only reviews about Ye, Drake, Billie, or Taylor were worthwhile, it still felt integral to take my time. I'd go as far as to say that my creative nuances were both amusingly and unapologetically unafraid of patience. Cut to what one could curate as chancing upon the profile for Canadian singer, songwriter, and dancer Kallitechnis's Ardene interview on YouTube. While snuggly lotus sedentary in a lounge chair Kassandra (a.k.a Kallitechnis) sorted words on some pretty deep stuff. (See, I'm the type to keen in what artists fr say alongside of winnowing amid whatever it is they craft.) All her talk about authenticity, longevity, and even therapy, backdrops her latest Single releases, to delicately while devoutly dream weave some of the most sensational late night Trap Alt. Soul/R&B that I'd ever heard. After hours of zoning out on Spotify & Apple Music, I'd seemingly stumbled upon a mound of sound designs showcasing that Kallitechnis latest releases, "KALEDISCOPE LOVE" & "SOFT LIFE, are sonic gems worthy of ethereal shine. 

"KALEDIOSCOPE LOVE" is the most recent release by Kallietechnis.  Lyrically it's the lift off elements of romance dazzled in the depth of the "bedsheet ballets'" that hopefully accompany it. If you tap script Kallie's verses here, it'll literally take your breathe away. This 2024 Soul Over Ego Single release paints a sensual sonata, saturated in the palates of lovemaking by the likes of a Jhene Aiko, Victoria Monet, & fav Kehlani. My cherished over the two songs is the latter 2023 released, "SOFT LIFE", where the copulation carved crooning by Kallitechnics feels more assured in its contour.  Lyrics like, "Cocoa butter kisses on the back of your neck...No ones around, go and say it with your chest." sets up a between the sheet session, where direction details desire and more importantly: pleasures for both parties. The hedonism hails heavy here, and when ya place that alongside of Kassnadra's visceral vocal layerings, you're insatiably sedated into this ‘sensational style of life’ she's sojourning. 

Both releases mode just a mere of the music you can muse through courtesy of Kallitechnis. For me it's the completeness interwoven in the listening experience of these two tracks. Detailing what it takes to call yourself professional in this or any realm is something I valued early on. The attention to detail, care, production, and most importantly the passion, tentpole sound designing success for any act whether indie or not. On that note, Kassandra does something else, almost effortlessly. She ate, and fanged deep into the fact that there are stars who are not signed. Stars: real artists who are crafting carefree of what seemingly fates, what often lacerates acts who sign with labels. Definitively, I'm the late night type. I'm good either playing the pull while out, or layinlow at the cribbo, playlsitin' on the MacBook with Apple TV or YouTube dressing the backdrop. Either in or out, this pair of indie soul sounds soothe both the mind, as well as those other places the sensations may align.😉 

♾️

🔥🔥🔥🔥

∆³

[maxwellatoms]

Would you trust ANY Korean studio for hand-drawn animation today? I ask because, when The Powerpuff Girls came back in 2016, I noticed how slow and stiff the Korean animation was. Since then, most Burbank cartoons animated in Korea, namely Cartoon Network shows, have been like that — mostly on 2s & with less inbetweening. Look at any Digital eMation episode of Victor and Valentino or Samurai Jack Season 5; do they animate as loosely and smoothly as Digital eMation episodes of Billy & Mandy do?

Sure I would. It would all depend on the studio and the circumstances. There are good studios and bad studios, and either of those will treat your show differently based on their perception of how valuable it is to their client. In the early 2000s Rough Draft was a top-notch studio. One of the reasons I switched over to eMation from Rough Draft was that I felt like Rough Draft was putting all of its resources into making Samurai Jack look beautiful, and we were still calling retakes on three year old issues. I knew we weren't a priority to Rough Draft, and I knew that stemmed from Cartoon Network's negotiations with them, so my griping was only going to get us so far. It seemed to me that I needed a studio that was smaller and scrappier like we were. We were putting in a lot of work on our end to make cool stuff and it wasn't ending up on the screen, so we needed people who were just as hungry on the back-end, and eMation stepped up.

There's also the fact, though, that animation itself has changed a lot in the last fifteen years. Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack's animation always seemed to have an air of "motion comics" to it. And frankly, that's part of what I love about it. It was all a throwback to the old UPA cartoons, which were built on strong, clear poses and made for the cost equivalent of a turkey dinner. Likewise, CN storyboard artists usually had around four weeks to write and draw their boards on paper, so there just wasn't time to take the effort to do anything too complex. It was all about snapping between those 300-ish storyboard drawings and momentarily savoring them for their humor and design mastery. Now we have tons of digital tools that make the basics of animation a lot more accessible to everyone, and have changed the entire studio pipeline. Things just won't look like they used to because nobody makes them that way anymore.

When I've had to choose an overseas animation studio, the network's production arm usually gives me one or three choices and tells me that's all there is. Deals have already been made. (Sometimes they make you pick two to save on costs, which (IMO) usually results in two studios that are less functional than any one of them would have been.) The studios usually have reels, so that gives you a basic idea of what they can do. You can (hopefully) find some other show creators who have worked with the studios and get an honest review. It's an important enough decision that it's worth whatever research you can put into it. Even over good bones, an ill-fitting skin can ruin the mood.

The most important thing to remember, I think, is that it's your job and your crew's job to make animating the show as easy as possible. Really, it's everyone's job to make the next person in line's job as simple as they can. Ideally, there shouldn't be a lot of questions because the materials you sent down the chain are clear.

So... yeah. I'd still trust Korean studios as much as I'd trust any overseas or domestic animation studio. You get out of them what you put into them by feeding them money and your own labor. It's quite possible that the shows you mentioned didn't do enough of either.

I imagine the overseas studios are hurting right now, so who knows what that landscape is even going to look like in a few years.

As with every step of the process making a TV show, you just sort of have to weigh your options and find the path.

Hmm. That got long.

[fizzigigsimmer]

Y’all it’s Nutcracker Season!!! This time last year I was playing around with my sims and Harringrove Ballet au was just beginning to take root in my mind. 🥹

Right now, ballet companies around the world are casting their dancers and beginning weeks of non-stop rehearsals in preparation for winter shows. At Mrs. Harrington’s school it’s no different. This is their biggest show of the year, performed right in downtown Indianapolis for crowds of holiday theater goes. Last year Billy was a brand new face. He arrived in Hawkins in mid October, halfway through the semester and almost missed auditions entirely; but he still scored a principle role as the Rat King. A well known critic wrote a review about their production for the first time and called the battles between the Nutcracker Prince and the army of rats “electrifying”. The theater has asked the school to do an extended run this year, and is allowing the principal dancers to attend classes with Indy Ballet as they prepare of their winter show of Cinderella.

Max likes to spend as little time at home as possible so she was one of the students who stayed for the summer workshop. Billy did too, and he might be an ass and well, kinda scary, but he’s also really good, so she’d stalked him at the studio until he called her on it. But then he started giving her tips, and practicing at the same times just sort of became a thing. He’s a shitty coach from an attitude perspective but, well she’s got two solos this year as both a snowflake and a flower! Which means she gets to take the bus with Billy and the older kids to class in Indianapolis on the weekends and stay at a hotel. Lucas and Mike both got solos too so she’s not alone with the high schoolers and their drama. Nancy is pretending not to be upset that Chrissy beat her out for Clara this year, and won’t stop telling everyone who will listen how much technically more difficult the Sugar Plum fairy is. After Nancy made some comment about Chrissy eating a lot at lunch Heather like lost it and accused Nancy of being jealous, so Steve called Heather out and told her to stop being such a bitch to his girlfriend and that really pissed Billy off, since everyone’s like 90% sure that Billy and Heather are dating. Max isn’t so sure. She almost thinks Billy picks on Steve for the attention. He’s like obsessed with Steve.

Max wonders just how embarrassed Billy would be if she ever told Steve how much Billy talked about him all summer. Seriously. It was ALL summer.

[consanguinitatum]

David as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (the first time he did it, that is!)

David Tennant fans are aware of 2011's brilliant Much Ado About Nothing, in which DT starred as Benedick, alongside Catherine Tate as Beatrice. Filmed at the Wyndham's Theatre in London and directed by Josie Rourke, the production was recorded and offered on Digital Theatre.

But did you know David had played Benedick before?

Yep - he sure has!

It was in 2001, a full decade before his production with Catherine.

Beginning in 1999, BBC Radio 3 launched Shakespeare For The Millennium, an ambitious project to dramatize seventeen Shakespeare productions in four years.

The project was done in collaboration with BBC Worldwide, which emphasized it wanted to take a contemporary, innovative approach to the Bard. It launched on 12 September 1999 with a Shakespeare discussion panel, and a new production of Hamlet -- starring none other than Michael Sheen as the Dane!

On 23 September 2001, BBC Radio 3 broadcast a new production of Much Ado About Nothing as the Sunday Play, with David in the lead role as Benedick and Samantha Spiro as Beatrice. Adapted by Sally Avens, it featured an introduction (as had all the previous productions in the Shakespeare For The Millennium series) by Richard Eyre, the former Director of the Royal National Theatre.

The production also starred a few other recognizable names. There was Chiwetel Ejiofor as Claudio, Emilia Fox as Hero, David Swift as Leonato, Julian Rhind-Tutt as Don John, and David Haig as Dogberry.

All original music was composed and performed by Simon Oakes and Adam Wolters.

Radio listings and announcements, and promo photos of David and Samantha Spiro

Here's a review of the prodcuction!

Much Ado About Nothing was commercially released by BBC Worldwide as part of the BBC Radio collection series in 2001.

The sleeve notes of cassettes and CDs of the production include a scene-by-scene synopsis, a full character analysis, and an essay on interpretation from the director Sally Avens.

Almost four years later, in November 2005, BBC One broadcast a television series called ShakespeaRe-Told, a set of four adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. Each play was adapted by a different writer, and all were relocated to the present day.

The first to be broadcast - on 7 November 2005 - was a modern-day version of Much Ado About Nothing starring Sarah Parrish and Damien Lewis...and Billie Piper and Nina Sosanya and Olivia Colman!

You can watch it here:

Six days after this television broadcast - on 13 November 2005 at 7:15 pm - BBC Radio 3 re-broadcast the audio version starring David and Samantha in its 'Drama On 3' slot.

Fast forward to August 2020.

The BBC released a set of four BBC Radio Shakespeare collections: Histories, Comedies, Tragedies, and Roman Plays. Much Ado About Nothing was included in the collection of Comedies, and became available as an Audible digital download.

If you want to listen, you can find this collection a lot of places. It might be at your local library or on Overdrive, on Google Play, or as an Amazon Audible book.

Or, ya know, just go here:

[maraschinocheri]

It was 20 years ago today :: The Return of the King hits the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA) Awards on 15 February, 2004. Representing ROTK were Barrie Osborne, Peter Jackson, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen, Andrew Lesnie, and Andy Serkis (with Lorraine Ashbourne). ROTK won Best Film for Producers Barrie Osborne, Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson; Best Cinematography for Andrew Lesnie; Best Adapted Screenplay for Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson; Best Special Visual Effects for Joe Letteri, Jim Rygiel, Randall William Cook, and Alex Funke; and the Audience Award. The film was also nominated for Best Direction (Peter Jackson), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ian McKellen), Best Costume Design (Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor), Best Editing (Jamie Selkirk), Best Production Design (Grant Major), Best Original Music (Howard Shore), Best Makeup and Hair (Richard Taylor, Peter King, and Peter Owen), and Best Sound (Ethan Van der Ryn, Mike Hopkins, David Farmer, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick, and Hammond Peek). The previous night Andy, Lorraine, and Billy also attended Variety magazine's London Party, benefitting the Elton John Aids Foundation.

[ The Wellington premiere of ROTK | Air Frodo from NZ to LA | Los Angeles | Berlin | London | New York (1) | New York (2) | Empire's LOTR Celebration booklet photography | Empire's outtakes | Critics Choice and People's Choice Awards | National Board of Review Awards | Producers Guild Awards | Tokyo (1) | Tokyo (2) | Golden Globes | Empire Awards ]

[dkmh-news]

'Went Up The Hill' review:

Vicky Krieps and Dacre Montgomery Are Dazzling in a Poetic Ghost Story | Hollywood Reporter

Vicky Krieps and Dacre Montgomery are a captivating and haunted couple in Went Up the Hill. Actually haunted, as in possessed by a ghost. But Samuel Van Grinsven’s elliptical, poetic, technically stunning film is a ghost story that rarely does more than nod at horror tropes. The film pointedly uses that ghost as a means of exploring grief, abandonment and the emotional chaos the dead woman caused even while she was still alive. Van Grinsven was highly praised as a promising director for his first film, Sequin in a Blue Room (2019), made when he was still a film student. Went Up the Hill demonstrates that praise wasn’t misplaced.

The setting is an atmospheric, isolated part of New Zealand. Jack (Montgomery) shows up at a wake for Elizabeth, who committed suicide. The wake takes place at her large, austere house, where light flows through the windows but the walls are cement and the emotional chill is inescapable. He is certain that the dead woman’s widow, Jill (Krieps), has called and invited him to come. Yes, their names are Jack and Jill, as in the pair who went up the hill in the nursery rhyme that gives the film its title. That may sound playful, but there is nothing playful about the film’s tone. The Mother Goose title is a sign that while things might look normal, the fantastic informs this story.

Jill has not phoned Jack, and wasn’t aware he existed, even though he is Elizabeth’s son, but she invites him to stay. At night, as in a kind of dream, they discover that Elizabeth can possess each of them in turn, speaking through them. She called Jack to come. In other hands that would be spooky, but Van Grinsven goes in a different direction. Jack is unnerved while Jill is torn between shock and joy at being able to hear from Elizabeth again, but they matter-of-factly accept that she can channel her presence. And there is nothing creepy about Elizabeth’s voice: Krieps and Montgomery sound like themselves, as the ghost takes over their words but not their physical voices.

Both actors are wonderfully understated. Krieps, of course, has given powerful, measured performances before, notably in The Phantom Thread. Here she looks slightly fiercer when Elizabeth speaks through her. Montgomery, best known as Billy on Stranger Things, looks sterner when Elizabeth speaks through him. With such small touches, they establish what is happening without overdramatizing.

Van Grinsven’s aesthetic choices mirror the mood of the story, and the eeriness comes as much from his technique as it does from any plot turn. At the start, the sound effects by Robert Mackenzie might be wind but also might double as a moan or howl. Especially at the beginning, the cinematographer, Tyson Perkins, plays with focus. The foreground and background shift at times to create a sense of disorientation. And Sherree Philips’ production design is understated and effective.

Jack and Jill rarely interact with other people, as the film stays focused on the pair in that lonely house. But Sarah Peirse makes a strong impact in a small role as Elizabeth’s sister, whose manner suggests severe judgment, and whose conversations with Jack reveal that anyone close to Elizabeth ended up in pain. When both Jack and Jill appear with bruises on their bodies, we understand that Elizabeth had been physically abusive as well as manipulative.

As Elizabeth’s widow and son ask her questions, the answers are more unsettling than her presence. Jack was taken away by social services and put into foster care as a child. He wants to know why. Jill says to Elizabeth, accusingly, “You left me.” But the ghost isn’t there to give comforting answers. Inevitably, it seems, Jack and Jill have sex as Elizabeth channels herself through Jack, which is head-spinning and pretty much as overwrought a situation as it sounds. It’s not exactly incestuous, although Jill has sex with her dead wife’s son and Jack with his stepmother. Jack hardly knows what’s happening during that time and bolts out into the cold night when he comes out of his trance. But in a film this original, Van Grinsven can get away with some outlandish choices.

Near the end, the film does turn toward genre horror, with a single jump scare and a suspenseful conclusion. Went Up a Hill is, after all, a ghost story, but one shaped in a fresh and artful way by a director who, in his second film, already has the control of a master.

[fibula-rasa]

Lost, but Not Forgotten: Two Kinds of Women (1922)

Alternate Title: Judith of Blue Lake Ranch

Direction: Colin Campbell & George C. Bertholon (assistant)

Adapted Scenario: Winifred Dunn

Based on: Judith of Blue Lake Ranch by Jackson Gregory (novel)

Production Manager: R.J. Tobin

Camera: Dev Jennings

Editing: Pauline Frederick (editing supervisor), Colin Campbell, & Dev Jennings

Studio: Robertson-Cole (Production & Distribution)

Performers: Pauline Frederick, Tom Santschi, Charles Clary, Dave Winter, Eugene Pallette, Billy Elmer, Jack Curtis, Jim Barley, Sam Appel, Otis Harlan, Clarissa Selwynne, Jean Calhoun, Tom Bates, Lydia Yeamans Titus, Frank Clark, Bud Sterling, Elise Collins, Joseph Singleton, & Stanhope Wheatcroft (not mentioned after release, but listed during production: L.C. Shumway)

Premiere: Opened at Loew’s State Theatre on 3 February 1922; preview screenings for reviewers in NYC, 27 January

Status: presumed entirely lost

Length: 6 reels,  ~6,000 feet (a few sources say 5, most say 6)

Synopsis (synthesized from magazine summaries of the plot):

Judith Sanford (Frederick) inherits the sizable Blue Lake Ranch after the unexpected death of her father. Upon her arrival, she discovers that the ranch’s manager, Trevors (Clary), has been systematically undermining the value of the ranch. Judith confronts him, fires him, and wings him with her pistol as severance. 

The horse foreman, Bud Lee (Santschi), had suspected Trevors’ dirty dealing, but questions if he can work for a woman. Regardless of his doubts, Bud respects Judith’s goals and remains loyal to the ranch.

As there are still men working on the ranch loyal to Trevors, Judith’s employees are divided. One of Trevors’ hires, Quinnion (Curtis) rebukes Judith and suggests she can’t even ride. She challenges him to bring her a horse he thinks she can’t ride. Judith successfully rides the wild broncho and Quinnion is cowed, leaving the ranch bitterly. The incident wins Judith the respect of the men, including Bud and Carson (Pallette), the cattle foreman.

Judith’s next point of action is tracking down the staff Trevors ousted, most importantly the ranch vet, Doc Tripp (Clark). Tripp returns and uncovers that disease-infected animals have been intentionally introduced to the ranch’s stock. Judith runs Trevors’ vet, Crowdy (Appel), off the ranch.

Hampton, a city boy and one-third owner of the ranch, is unhappy when he hears of Trevors’ firing and decides to pay a visit to Blue Lake. (In reality, he’s dodging his creditors.) The visiting socialites are rankled by Judith’s cowgirl togs and no-nonsense demeanor. Alternately, the ultra ladylike Marcia (Calhoun), Hampton’s fiancee, finds a new devotee in Bud.

On the night of their arrival, Judith learns that the employee she sent to collect the payroll has been robbed. Bud races to the bank overnight to return to pay the staff the following day. As Bud is on his way back, his horse is shot out from under him, but he manages to reach the ranch just in time.

That night, Bud and Judith set out to track down the bandits and recover the stolen payroll. At a cabin in the mountains, they catch the robber after a shootout and find it’s the discharged vet, Crowdy. They agree to stay overnight to guard the injured Crowdy. To pass the time, Judith pulls a book from an unexpectedly well-stocked library in the cabin and sees that the books belong to Bud! They’re interrupted when Quinnion attacks to save Crowdy and another shootout ensues.

Fortunately, Judith’s absence from the ranch was noticed by Hampton. He has mounted up with Bud’s assistant, Tommy, and they arrive in time to save the pair and manage to capture another of Trevors’ agents, Benny (Barley). Benny is locked up, but is freed overnight, meaning there are still more of Trevors’ men lurking. Bud pledges his loyalty to Judith, but then has a romantic foray with Marcia.

Despite the hubbub, the annual Blue Lake dance is held. Carson kits out the workers in suits mail-ordered from Sears-Roebuck, which they accessorise with guns and ammo belts. Bud, it turns out, has a tailored suit of his own that he unpacks and presses for the occasion. He is bewildered when he arrives at the dance and sees a perfectly feminine Judith in a fashionable Parisian gown. Fully enamored with “the real Judith,” Bud whisks her off to the porch and kisses her.

Judith is surprised to find an urgent note from Doc Tripp awaiting her after the dance. The note explains that he has uncovered another Trevors mole and has been wounded. Judith rushes to Tripp, but is waylaid and kidnapped. She manages to remove the mask from one of her abductors and it’s Trevors himself! 

Three days pass. Hampton suddenly orders Carson to prepare 500 head of cattle to be sold at a loss. Immediately suspicious, Bud rides to the ranch house and is told that Judith left for San Francisco three days prior. Given Hampton’s fishy assumption of command, Bud and Carson tie him up while they investigate Judith’s real whereabouts. They discover the forged note and confirm with Tripp that he didn’t write it. With mistrust toward Hampton building, they place him under guard and ride to confront Trevors.

In all that time, Judith has been kept prisoner in the mountains by Quinnion. When Quinnion attacks her, Judith seizes an opportunity to escape, but quickly learns that her prison is set among perilous cliffs. Quinnion gives chase, they struggle, and he plummets to his death. Hopelessly lost and exhausted from her ordeal, Judith makes a last ditch effort for rescue by lighting a signal fire before losing consciousness.

Bud and Carson find Trevors and a wild fist fight breaks out. Bud trounces Trevors and Trevors is forced to leave town for good, but not before revealing where he’s hidden Judith. Bud rescues Judith and they all return to the ranch. After they have had time to recover from their respective tribulations, Bud and Judith reunite and embrace.

——— ——— ———

Points of Interest:

Pauline Frederick made 55 silent feature films in her career. Of those 55 films 45-6 of the films are presumed lost or mostly lost. [One film’s status is unclear ATM.] Of the 9 known to survive, 3 are incomplete (2 are missing at least one reel and the 3rd survives in an abridged cut).  Of the surviving 9, three have had home video releases [Three Women (1924), Devil’s Island (1926), and Smouldering Fires (1925)]. Of the 6 surviving films that haven’t had home-video release, 2 have been screened publicly in the past decade [The Love the Lives (1917) and The Moment Before (1916)]. A very rough record for a big star (who didn’t spend most of their career at Fox) to only have a 16-18% survival rate.

——— ——— ———

Winifred Dunn, prolific writer from a young age working in many genres, wrote/edited 33 silent features, 20 of which are presumed lost.

——— ——— ———

Two Kinds of Women was part of the schedule of R-C Pictures’ releases for early 1922. This was a crucial moment in the history of the company, as it was soon after re-organized into F.B.O. The founders exited the company, but so did Pauline Frederick, Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, and Doris May—their biggest stars going into 1922. 

While the contemporary critical response to TKoW was generally positive and exhibitors across the US and Canada cited good ticket sales, it didn’t leave much of a legacy. At least one contemporary critic, Laurence Reid, considered the film of decent quality but ultimately forgettable. Whether TKoW would have stood the test of time or not, we can’t know. Lost or not, I’m sure the re-organization of TKoW’s distributor affected its potential for long-term popularity. There is at least one instance from after the re-org of a theatre owner receiving a faulty print of the film. So, even by 1923, it was hard to come by a decent print of TKoW.

The reason I’m confident in placing blame on R-C/F.B.O. is that, of the slate of 20 films they released in late 1921 and early 1922, 16 are currently presumed lost and only 3 appear to be completely extant:

Lost: The Lure of Jade, The Sting of the Lash, The Foolish Age, Eden and Return, Five Days to Live, The Vermillion Pencil, A Wife’s Awakening, Silent Years, The Call of Home, The Barricade,Two Kinds of Women, Boy Crazy, Salvage, The Glory of Clementina, Gay and Devilish, and At the Stage Door  Extant: Where Lights Are Low, The Swamp (would live to see this one BTW), and Beyond the Rainbow

☕Appreciate my work? Buy me a coffee! ☕

Transcribed Sources & Annotations over on the WMM Blog!

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 29/06/2024 (Coldplay, Charli xcx/Lorde, Post Malone/Blake Shelton)

Her second week for her second #1, Sabrina Carpenter stays at the top of the UK Singles Chart on an otherwise… interesting week, reflected in pretty much aspect, so… welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: language, misogyny, alcohol

Rundown

As always, we start with the notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75, which is what I cover, after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid adieu to a surprisingly small selection of “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Gata Only” by FloyyMenor and Cris Mj, “As it Was” by Harry Styles and of course, since we haven’t fared well at the Euros, “3 Lions”.

As for our notable gains, since we don’t have much in the way of returns outside of Disclosure’s “You & Me” featuring Eliza Doolittle back once again at #65, we see boosts for “Mind Still” by Sonny Fodera and blythe at #68, “NIGHTS LIKE THIS” by The Kid LAROI surprisingly up big to #47, “Kisses” by BL3SS and CamrinWatsin featuring bbyclose at #44, “the boy is mine” by Ariana Grande at #39 off of the remix with Brandy and Monica (cheap idea, bad execution), “KEHLANI” by Jordan Adetunji at #29 which is a decidedly unslizzy occurrence, “DEVIL IS A LIE” by Tommy Richman at #21, “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar riding the high of The Pop Out at #14 and really, the biggest story: Chappell Roan. Not only are “Red Wine Supernova” and “HOT TO GO!” up to #40 and #33 respectively, she gets her first ever top 10 hit with “Good Luck, Babe!” hitting #7.

As for the top five, we see much of the expected. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish is at #5, Eminem’s “Houdini” is at #4, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is at #3 and of course, both Sabrina Carpenter songs in the top 10 stick to the top two: “Espresso” at #2 and the newer “Please Please Please” at the top spot. As for what’s below it… thankfully not a lot in sheer quantity but a lot of interest so let’s try and make sense of it.

New Entries

#69 - “Tears” - Perrie

Produced by Ido Zmishlany

These “extended” versions are a bit ridiculous recently: personally, I’d prefer my songs come complete in the package and I don’t have to find booster packs. With that said, the aforementioned extended version of this newest single from Little Mix’s second-to-most recent solo breakout, Perrie Edwards, is very good. We’ve had a lot of smooth, lounge-esque 80s pastiches on this show, but this delves so fully into glitzy synth-funk that it’s really admirable. The groove, though a bit plastic and muddy in the mix as you kind of expect from cheaper UK pop production, is undeniable and the easy guitar melody has been in my head persistently since I first heard it. Most importantly, Ms. Edwards actually plays with the instrumental and its composition as a vocalist, she doesn’t just sit afloat in the way many other singers would, and that includes, say, a Dua Lipa. The weirdly fast-paced tumble of a chorus displays that messy breakup so well and rings alarm bells in the posturing that she’s really over it, guys, she’s totally not been thinking about him, within the verses, but she’s still rightfully angry and the chorus isn’t that awkward of a tumble that it can’t carry the same swagger the instrumental from Mr. Zmishlany commands. It’s no surprise to me that this guy has worked before with people like Shawn Mendes and Sabrina Carpenter given how breezy of a listen it is, though Perrie doesn’t stumble over her own writing in the way those two do: she shares the command of the song with the funk behind her. It truly is a brilliant pop song, yet it turns out to be the one that’ll probably flop. I understand that the Little Mix girls have had, so far, very ephemeral solo stardom, but the quality is really there for a lot of them, so it’s a damn shame that the girl group fame hasn’t rubbed off more than it probably should have.

#60 - “misses” - Dominic Fike

Produced by Dominic Fike

Ah, Dominic Fike. I remember when I knew that one song which was a pretty good song, and never even needed to think about him for a second song, let alone an acting career that I couldn’t care about but have heard… not so great things regarding, as well as of course pushing out some of the most insufferable indie pop of the last few years, of which some has been covered here. This new track… okay, are you fucking kidding me? This is one minute and 14 seconds. I get Fike has gained virality more for his demos than his completed songs, and that sometimes this is valid, but you can tell how inauthentic and tacky the “distortion” here is, and the fact that it’s all packed into barely more than one minute shows me two things: 1.) the writers and producers are lazy, 2.) they’re chasing some of that success he got from dumping some, at least honest and interesting, demos onto streaming services. Oh, and a third thing: it was written and produced solely by Fike himself. That’s not particularly impressive, of course, when it’s somehow completely forgettable despite being so concise and insistent on drilling that one chorus melody into you, but he also devolves into vocal riffing midway through over an unchanging garage rock plonker that couldn’t pick up any momentum if it tried. And of course, because it’s Fike, I don’t need to tell you that the lyrics are condescending towards women. Calling her his “miss” is already off to a rough start without some needed context, and he doesn’t grant us that, instead going onto consider the relationship dead and reassuring her that she’ll be “grieved” - as if the woman in any given relationship actively wants their ex-boyfriend to grovel about them instead of just going their separate ways - before pinning the blame on her because he’s just a man who loved too much too quickly, right? The verse later basically berates her for being useless, and that when she’s not with him, she’s misguided and invisible, despite the fact that she’s so beautiful, yeah, piss off. This is a barely-constructed song with nasty attitudes on an album seemingly full of these shitty, malformed interludes and I don’t see any value in it sticking around.

#41 - “Wave” - Asake and Central Cee

Produced by Magicsticks

Nigerian singer Asake, who I’ve praised before on this show but mostly in the lower rungs of the chart and off of it entirely, is finally getting a real UK push, given the Cench feature, and whilst I liked “Lonely at the Top” largely for lyrical and performance reasons, this if anything is more of an exhibition for his producer, Magicsticks, as this is a genuinely unique instrumental here. It’s got an Afrobeats rhythm for sure, but not only is the drum pattering shakier but it’s accompanied by what I can only describe as a groan stick, which follows as weedy a melody as the later flutes. This is largely a chill song about relaxing and flexing, but the flatter sense of groove that exists here, the way the drums never embrace their full punch into long after Asake had meandered beyond the chorus, and only when Central Cee comes in, and still in a slightly staggered, stuttering way, it’s a really interesting decision that works out very well. It almost reminds me of Brazilian funk sometimes, especially with its cacophonic approach and that later screeching synth. As for content, it doesn’t really matter, but I do wish there was a little more substance or at least a less generic Cench verse, but really, the weird note the very busy and tense instrumental carries when placed against the Afrobeats genre’s use of choir vocals is really fascinating. It doesn’t fully hit, but it’s a risk that is pulled off by ensuring other elements of the mix, like Asake’s drowned out vocals or the general blandness of Cench’s cadences, are kept to the sidelines, which doesn’t lead to a fuller song but still an interesting one that is still developing on itself with extra choir harmonies and even uglier synth fuzz at its last moments. Maybe it’s not one I’ll go back to - it’s not particularly catchy - but it’s an interesting way to grab a different audience’s attention.

#37 - “us.” - Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift

Produced by Aaron Dessner, Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff

So, Gracie Abrams, daughter of J.J. of course, released her let’s-pretend-it’s-adebut record, The Secret of Us, and surprisingly to me, despite pretty much no traction before this, it went to #1 on the albums chart: here is your golden ticket as to why. Not particularly this song, but the idea of Taylor Swift being behind this specific young singer and project, as well as making a direct appearance, absolutely helped. It also makes perfect sense considering that both of Abrams’ prior songs I had heard that charted were basically less self-realised Taylor Swift leftovers. She even got both Dessner and Antonoff on here because of course, and well, firstly, I don’t understand why this is a duet - and barely at that. Abrams derives from both her own older tracks and Taylor’s to create some unsubtle metaphors and oddly fragmented verses about a former relationship, and Taylor is here for decoration as far as thematics are concerned as there isn’t a clear attempt at implementing her vocal presence into the narrative. That’s… fine, if not lazy, but once you get to the lyrics themselves, it’s all kind of a shambles that apes Taylor’s style of writing without actually making all too much sense. I would appreciate the fantastical, forelorn imagery of “Babylon lovers hanging lifetimes on a vine”, if she didn’t ask her ex if they “miss[ed hers]”… what exactly could they miss here? If the point is that the vine represents a “lifetime”, then in what sense does it make for someone to “miss” a “lifetime”? Abrams could say that the relationship felt like a lifetime, or took a lifetime out of her, that would make sense, but it gets confused with the use of the Babylon imagery - also, the hanging gardens of Babylon are disputed to have even existed at all, but not in a concrete way where we know exactly what it’s being confused with or who exactly fabricated it, so “Babylon lovers” and the “vine” conceit feels like a cheap use of imagery without really understanding its origin, especially since Abrams makes “us” - I.e. the relationship - solid and established in that chorus.

The verses may be a bit of basic word salad, but when you try and make connections between certain ideas, they start to break down - what does being 29 years old actually have anything to do with being welcoming or open with your younger partner? If you’re going to include the “so”, there should be a connection but it’s never explained. It gets worse and worse throughout the song also: I know the “prophets”/”profits” homonym was probably just an inescapable cliché for our gang of four - even if it actually muddles the flow of that bridge - but what actually ARE the “false profits they make in the margins of poetry sonnets”? Who’s “they”, book publishers? How are the profits in any way “false”, or the exact “margins” of a sonnet relevant? Oh, and thanks for specifying “poetry sonnets”, not to be confused with the other types of sonnets that aren’t poetic, all zero of them. You could argue that part is purposefully meaningless as it criticises the guy for his misunderstanding of literature, sure, but I think to pull that off, one needs to 1.) show an understanding of the unnamed poetry he supposedly misconstrued and 2.) not, in your own poetry, express yourself in obtuse ways acting as rhythmic filler.

If you’re going to bring up Robert Bly and the irony that this guy gifted you his work without understanding its reference to masculinity and not representing the values in Bly’s work, how is this guy in any way “incomparable”? You just made a comparison! The condescending lyric from Taylor that he never “read up on” any of the literature he cared about and that he “could have learned something”, sounds really hypocritical in this song full of adding complexity and faux-poignant takes or, well, comparisons into a song ultimately lacking any nuance, because what does adding any of this meaninglessness really contribute to the general picture Taylor will paint of any ex-boyfriend in a typical song? I’m a sucker for detail lyrically but detail that actually gratifies the listener for looking carefully, not punishing them once the cracks are realised. This sounds nit-picky but is genuinely incredibly distracting for a song wherein I’m supposed to reeled into the narrative on display… and Hell, I’m always being told that Taylor is one of the greatest songwriters, so I’m not sure why I can’t nit-pick for every detail.

Obviously, this is not my only problem with the song. Dessner’s acoustic guitar is twiddly and oddly tense as well as feeling copy-pasted throughout the song, Abrams sounds like a BTEC Lorde on a chart week where we get the real deal taking genuine artistic risk - more on that later - and the chorus is a sludge of a lead vocal melody covered in feathery vocal layers that really emphasise how little is being said. If I were right-wing, I’d probably take even further offense in the sheer amount of pronouns Abrams is shoving down my ears, and honestly, I still am, because outside of the bridge, what is “us”? Why should he miss that? The bridge has all the plastic cinematic swell of a video game trailer, full with swooshing effects and some of the worst drums I’ve heard in pop this year just because of how staggered and dire they feel, they really contribute to a complete tonal clash with the supposed electricity and pure emotional feelings that the two sing about. I know this review is incredibly wrong for a song I don’t really like, but I did come into this with the idea that it’d probably be a good fit for the two to collaborate given Abrams’ influences and the potential for a really interesting narrative as a result, potentially playing off of that dynamic… yet what I get is a white, null void of platitudes that shatter at any scrutiny. Sorry, Swifties… or Abramites I suppose - this is one of my least favourite songs of the year so far.

#34 - “Pour Me a Drink” - Post Malone featuring Blake Shelton

Produced by Louis Bell and Charlie Handsome

Post Malone has yet to truly convince me on the straight-up country pivot. Sure, elements of folk and country have been vaguely reflected in his music for a while, if much lesser than the pop rock influences that have practically always been there and still largely are, but his producers are still his main guys - which I guess I can respect - and he decided Morgan Wallen wasn’t a seasoned enough veteran of Nashville so he went and bagged Mr. Gwen Stefani for the feature on yet another country drinking song… and I guess it’s fine. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a 2000s country-pop track, particularly one with some more organic fiddle but more canned drums and rock instrumentation, and I realise that I’m just describing a Blake Shelton song. Bizarrely, he fits less here than Post, who is a natural fit in his warble for this kind of casual country radio sing-a-long. Much like “I Had Some Help”, which this very much resembles, there’s a quicker pace to some of the songwriting, especially the chorus, that Shelton finds himself a bit behind sometimes, especially in that rough first verse to chorus transition. The second verse has some cool idea of chemistry between the two but it seems very forced. I can’t imagine a situation where Blake Shelton would be calling Post his “buddy” at an old bar as Post is trying to get with some girl. I think something is missing there, optics-wise… as well as a proper bridge, or any real harmonisation between the two, which also has no reason to be a duet, really. That really shows to me that Post or his label have little confidence in his ability to sell country, by lodging these veterans onto the track without any thematic relevance, and also not realising just how charismatic Post is on his own. I can imagine the dumb grin on his tatted-up face as he records the song, I’m not sure I can really imagine Blake Shelton feeling anything at all. I also don’t really buy either of these guys trying to “keep up with the Joneses” - you ARE the Joneses, fellas - but that’s beside the point of the song. It’ll work in the right context, but it’s not like there’s not plenty of these types of songs and the inclusion of Blake Shelton here detracts from it quite a bit too.

#28 - “Girl, so confusing” - Charli xcx

Produced by A.G. Cook

Yeah, I prefer the solo version. Whilst it’s clear that Charli is talking about someone, probably Lorde, on “Girl, so confusing”, which is now confirmed, the more self-contained story of Charli misunderstanding cues and overthinking certain interactions she has with women in general, as well as the more specific showbiz talk, is much more compelling to me than knowing that it’s just about one woman in particular. That doesn’t mean the Lorde version can’t be that as well, but when I first listened to BRAT, “Girl, so confusing” really resonated with me, in part because of the anthemic nature of the chorus, with the scattered vocal stuttering very much in A.G. Cook’s wheelhouse, but also because, I mean, yeah. It is confusing sometimes to be a girl, and that general thesis, as well as applying the lyrics in the verses to everyday interactions, is something I can get behind and see a lot of value in, especially since it uses such a universally humanising statement to bring the album’s themes back home. Unfortunately, here comes Lorde, coming off the strength of her worst album, and making a song already about her… not very easily about anything else.

I’ve said this before with acts like Doja Cat and Ye, but when it gets too absorbed in gossip, I tend to tune out, and I can’t find many universalities in Lorde’s new contributions, to the point where that main lyric starts to sound closer to “It’s confusing to be Lorde”, which I don’t doubt but I also don’t care about hearing unless I spin a Lorde album, which, well, I do. I love Melodrama. What I don’t love is the awkward implementation of Lorde into the Auto-Tuned club-pop cacophony. She gets to the point - are you sure this is still Lorde? - but it’s through a breathless delivery that name-drops specific elements about Charli that take the song even further away from universality for the sake of the “moment”. I didn’t even realise people cared about a Lorde and Charli feud, one I didn’t know existed until this album dropped, and I honestly doubt this lasts much longer thanks to what is arguably a novelty aspect. I still do like the song, and yes, I will count the original in the conclusion because the Official Charts Company doesn’t credit Lorde, but I wish I could connect to it much more, and the way a lot of people really are gravitating to this viral moment at least gives me some solace in knowing it did do that for other people. The funniest end result for me would be if the song is actually about Marina and the Diamonds and this was all grade-A trolling.

#25 - “feelslikeimfallinginlove” - Coldplay

Produced by Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green and Michael Ilbert

So, Coldplay are releasing their second weirdly-stylised, Max Martin-penned space album of the 2020s. Sure. These guys can do anything they want at this point and whilst it frustrates me that they don’t take the risks they have with that freedom, or at least in more compelling ways because there definitely are some… choices on the last few albums, some genuinely experimental and out-there, I know I’m not going to find that in a lead single, and hey, the band’s given us some great music in the past, with singles and deep cuts so there’s a level of expected quality and polish to everything they put out. Unexpectedly, however, I love this song. Yeah, I was surprised too, not been a fan of much Coldplay for a while, but this reminds me of the muted Ghost Stories, where its swell came from a genuine push and struggle to express those emotions, rather than the careening easiness of stumbling into orchestras or guitar overdubs like they usually do. If there’s any song in particular I feel that it’s reminiscent of, it’s probably that record’s big single, “Magic”. The difference here is that this is far from a divorce record, it’s a childishly lovestruck anthem, but one that starts with a piercing, glittery distortion that peters away for Damon Albarn-sounding synths and flickering drum sequencing that is as monotone as Chris Martin’s pained attempts at “la-la”s. He’s so tedious in his delivery that he ends up having to harmonise with a pitch-shifted version of his own vocal take, and all of that is a compliment, this is a really interesting song in terms of where it lies emotionally: he’s in love, but seemingly some of that love is coming out of a pity, a hand being lent to a guy who considers himself born to destroy everything good that comes to him. This is his one attempt to pull on those hands in full sincerity, acknowledging that it’s probably a mistake for him to do so but putting his heart and hope where his hands are: in the trust of a new partner who lets the windows open in spite of all that. Fitting for a Glastonbury performance, there are some lush synth and stringwork in the sing-a-long chorus, and it’s definitely a sing-a-long chorus given the simple melody and platitude lyrics that still do reflect some of the song’s conceits - “You’re throwing me a lifeline” is a great lyric to add to ensure that’s still embedded within each crack of the song’s premise, and yes, he rhymes it with “lifetime” and this time, it makes sense. I don’t usually say, “Take notes from Coldplay,” but we might have to start revising their back catalogue. There’s a certain restraint to the song’s true capabilities too - it’s in full slow build-up Coldplay territory of course, but all we have to really reflect on that other than the expected instrumentation is a guitar line so far to the left channel that it’s borderline communist, and a sputtering of lovestruck gibberish from Mr. Martin that’s honestly kind of adorable. It reminds me of when he performed lyrics from the Crazy Frog live on television as part of an instrumental break, it’s a cute and endearing way to end the song. Surprisingly enough, I do thoroughly enjoy this new Coldplay single. Been a while since I’ve said that with as little hesitation.

Conclusion

It’s tough. Who wasted my time the most? But whom did I clearly at least have something there to tussle with and find some value in outside of novelty? As controversial as this probably is, I’m ultimately going to grant Worst of the Week to “us.” by Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift, because at least Dominic Fike’s vapid garbage is as transparent as it is, and yes, “misses” gets a very close Dishonourable Mention. As for the best, it’s also pretty evident here that it’s a toss-up between a few great songs, but ultimately I’ll actually lend it to Coldplay for “feelslikeimfallinginlove” because it sounds great in what might be a more unique emotional balance than the others, though I’m still giving a tied Honourable Mention to the girls, those being Charli xcx for “Girl, so confusing” and Perrie for “Tears”. As for what’s on the horizon, we’ll see whatever tangible impact Glastonbury and Headie One have, as well as that mess of a Camila Cabello album, Jason Derulo’s team-up with two prominent English DJs and maybe more K-pop than you’d think. Time will tell, however, and for now, thank you for reading, rest in peace to Shifty Shellshock - sugar! baby! - and I’ll see you next week.

[gaymer-hag-stan]

On the 12th of November, twenty-one years ago, Resident Evil Zero was released in North America for the GameCube.

It is a prequel to Resident Evil, covering the ordeals experienced in the Arklay Mountains by special police force unit, the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team. The story takes place in July of 1998 and follows officer Rebecca Chambers as well as convict Billy Coen as they explore an abandoned training facility for employees of the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. The gameplay is similar to other Resident Evil games, but adds the ability to switch between characters to solve puzzles and use unique abilities.

Development for Resident Evil Zero began for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. The partner system was created to take advantage of the short load times possible with the capabilities of the Nintendo 64 Game Pak. The cartridge format also provided limitations, as the storage capacity was significantly less than that of a CD-ROM. The team had to approach the design differently from previous series entries to conserve storage space. Resident Evil Zero was designed to be more difficult than previous Resident Evil games. The team removed the item storage boxes present in earlier games and introduced a new item-dropping feature. Production was switched to the recently unveiled GameCube after development slowed due to memory storage issues. Only the concept and story remained from the original game, which had to be rebuilt.

Resident Evil Zero received generally positive reviews. Critics praised the graphics and audio for building a haunting atmosphere. Opinions on the new partner and item systems were mixed. Some found the changes were an improvement and added new layers of strategy; others believed the changes were cumbersome or non-innovative. The controls were panned as outdated and Capcom was criticized for not evolving the series' tank controls.

Resident Evil Zero was commercially successful, having sold over 4 million copies across all platforms.

[thealogie]

reporting back from r&gad tonight to say i literally could not be happier to have caught this production. dom monaghan and billy boyd (and michael blake as the player!) were truly phenomenal—absolutely within that DT school of acting where they’re taking somewhat dense language and making it feel entirely contemporary and entirely comprehensible. also i’m kind of in love with the production design and the costuming in particular, and i was sitting in the back corner of the orchestra and felt like i could still see everything so i truly believe there are no bad seats. literally my only gripe is that i didn’t feel like the portayal of hamlet was really jiving with the rest of it but that’s ultimately so not the point. definitely go see it if you can swing it, but it’s actually criminal if they don’t plan on a filmed version

Ahhhhh! Thank you so much for sending your thoughts. As you probably know I truly love hearing about people experiencing great theatre and experiencing the second hand high. I am doing everything in my power to go see it and every review I receive strengthens my resolve

[krispyweiss]

Album Review: Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Early Daze

Recorded in 1969 and shelved for 55 years, the album now known as Early Daze captures the sound of Crazy Horse before Neil Young completely took over the band formerly known as the Rockets.

A collection of 10 mostly unreleased songs, mixes or versions - a couple have showed up in Young’s Archives series - Early Daze features the lineup of Young and Danny Whitten on guitars, keyboardist Jack Nitzsche and the forever rhythm section of drummer Ralph Molina and bassist Billy Talbot. Studio talk - “What’s the name of this, Neil?” before “Down by the River” with an alternate vocal track - is included to give the impression of live recording, but these are post-production tracks.

Whitten’s “Look at all the Things” and his co-write and vocals with Young on “Come on Baby, Let’s Go Downtown” suggest Crazy Horse might’ve remained a democracy had Whitten, the inspiration behind “The Needle and the Damage Done,” lived. “Winterlong” finds Young still toiling in the shadow of Buffalo Springfield. And “Helpless” and “Wonderin’” - this is ’69, remember - confirm how little thought Young put in to CSNY and the Shocking Pinks, though “Wonderin’” deserved better than what it got and this may be the definitive take.

“Birds,” presented in a full-band iteration, was also hanging around for a while, it turns out. And “Cinnamon Girl,” with a different outro, joins the aforementioned “River” to preview Everybody Knows this is Nowhere.

Early Daze thus stands as the rare collection of long-unreleased music that succeeds both as a curiosity and as a high-quality standalone LP.

Grade card: Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Early Daze - B

8/14/24

[ohdeedraws]

Bit late to the trend but since the Velma show butchered the scooby gang so badly, I've seen people sharing their ideas for a scooby doo rewrite and I wanted to share an idea for a reboot I've been working on for a while now.

The story would take place in Coolsville, a small town famous for the high number of disappearances every year and the rumors of monsters, a witches curse and other paranormal activities. It's also famous for its renowned Personal Dectecives, Mystery Inc.

The gang would be older in this, probably in their 40s. They have grown up in Coolsville and become local celebrities. Aside from Mystery Solving, they have their own lives and families.

Daphne became the writer of an immensly popular series of mystery books detailing the gangs adventures throughout the years (I'd imagine these to be episodes of the past shows, eg. 'What a Night for a Knight' from Where Are You, 'Camp comeoniwannascareya' etc., because yes, they're canon in this reboot). She married a famous fashion designer (but during the events of the story they're going through a divorce because she has finally come to terms that she is a lesbian). She has three kids.

Fred coaches the local highschool football team when he's not inventing new traps or catching monsters. He married a woman who works as the main news presenter on the local channel and he loves her dearly, more than his traps. Together they have two children.

Velma's main focus is Mystery Inc. But on the side she runs the local book shop, the main supplier of Daphne's books. She was married to an English Professor who works at the University a few hours outside of town, but they realised they weren't right for eachother and got divorced. They had one child together.

Shaggy runs a cooking/food review blog where reviews food from all over the world and shares his own recipes and tutorials, all with his trusted dog Scooby by his side of course. He's a single parent of one, and no one talks about his wife because, quite honestly, no one knows who she is.

The Gang are still close, like family, even after all this time. But the show wouldn't focus on them, it would focus on their eldest kids.

Let's meet them!

Grey Matthews-Blake is the richest kid in Coolsville. He's often seen wearing his father's newest line of clothes and his signature designer green sunglasses (that he even wears inside). He's known to be quite dramatic, sarcastic, and generally uninterested in anything to do with his mother and her job.

Wren Dinkley is often told that it's hard to believe they're the Velma Dinkley's child. Whether it's when their preforming their heart out on the stage during whatever production the local theatre group are putting on, or failing science, Wren doesn't let it get them down. They're headstrong, passionate, and totally comfortable with themselves...'totally'.

Cassia Jones is the nicest girl in town. She's captain of Coolsville Field Hocky Team, Head of the debate team and Student Body President. She's bubbly, hard working and determined to live up to the Jones legacy and make her father proud.

Billie Rogers doesn't care what her dad and dog tell her, she knows the supernatural rumors in town are real. And she's going to be the first person to prove it. She's talkative, outgoing, and very knowledgeable in the paranormal - much to her dad's dismay.

Despite their parents relationships, the kids aren't that close. The town's folk expect them to be just like their parents and that couldnt be farther from the truth. But they do have one thing in common with the Original Gang, their mystery solving talent. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason (*wink* plot *wink*) their parents are strongly against them following in their footsteps.

But things come to head one day when Mystery Inc disappear, and the local police turn up useless in the investigation.

Now its up to the kids, Billie, Wren, Grey and Cassia to band together to take up the jobs left in Mystery Inc's absence and find their parents. But in doing so they'll discover that their quaint small town is not all that it's seems and have to unearth a witches spellbook, an old grudge and an ancient evil that many have tried to escape but no one has defeated.

Ft. Side Characters such as The Suspects aka Jinx and Mozz McKnight (daughter and son of Thorn from the Hex Girls!), RJ Herring (Son of Red Herring), and other callbacks from all of scooby doo lore!

This is just the bare bones explanation, I'll go deeper into each character in their own posts and introductions. But this is my own little passion project. I've been obsessed with scooby doo since forever and I've always wanted to make my own iteration :)

[greensparty]

Blu-ray Review: A Simple Plan

Prior to the late 90s, Sam Raimi was already established for his genre work, especially the Evil Dead trilogy, but when he adapted Scott B. Smith’s 1993 novel A Simple Plan, it was a thriller filled with Shakespearean turns and really showed how skilled Raimi is with actors. It had elements of Raimi's genre skills here and there, but it was a awards-season dramatic thriller that garnered two Oscar nominations including Billy Bob Thornton for Best Supporting Actor. A few years ago when I did my Top Sam Raimi Movies, I named it my #2 Sam Raimi Movie! Now the 1998 film A Simple Plan that I saw opening weekend in the movie theater and have been a big fan of since, is getting a special blu-ray release from Arrow Video.

the 2024 Arrow edition

Set in rural Minnesota, Hank (Bill Paxton) is a local bookkeeper with a pregnant wife Sarah (Bridget Fonda), a local librarian. Hank goes for a drive with his dim-witted older brother Jacob (Thornton), who brings along his redneck friend Lou (Brent Briscoe). They chase a fox into the woods and stumble upon a crashed airplane under snow that appears to have some dead bodies in it and a bag with $4.4 million. They devise a plan to keep the money safe at Hank's house and sit on it until the Spring once they know it's safe to split it evenly amongst the three. Of course this is a simple plan that goes horribly wrong as crimes begin happening.

theatrical movie poster

This film raised a lot of questions about how far will you go for money and will it be worth it in the end. There is a lot going on here in terms of each character having their own motivations and how they coerce others to go along with their agenda. Sarah is clearly a reference to Lady Macbeth, convincing Hank to take action to protect their money that could come in time for their growing family. Jacob wants more than anything to get back to the family farm and if Hank can give him that, he'll go along with whatever plan there is for the money. Hank sees himself as a little smarter and above much of the townies including Jacob and Lou, but that doesn't change this opportunity that's fallen into his lap and the possibilities that cause him to go down a destructive path. This was a serious big swing for Raimi in proving how skilled he is at drama and not just a genre director. But it is always cool to see that old-school Evil Dead Raimi slip into his non-horror films, i.e. a massive gunshot in this. There's a very clear connection to Fargo, directed by Raimi's friends and early collaborators The Coen Brothers. Similar in that they are both film noirs set in the wintry Midwest. Only here there's no humor the way that the Coens intercut the noir with laughs. The ending of this is devastating in it's tragedy of one man's quest for the American Dream. Still guts me away each time I see it. In terms of the new Arrow DVD, there's some cool features here including featurettes with supporting cast and some commentaries from critics Glenn Kenney and Farran Smith Nehme and production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein with filmmaker Justin Beahm. There's some interviews and old on-set features too. This is an underrated film that deserves the massive DVD treatment!

For info on Arrow's A Simple Plan

5 out of 5 stars

[nomilkinmyteaplease]

November has been a pretty good month for theatre goers (read: me).

Almeida's production of Roots (the cast is simulatanously starring in Look Back in Anger and the plays are alternating in the programme as a part of the theatre's Angry and Young season).

I think judging by the reviews that I happened to pick the better out of the two plays. Roots is fabulously acted (Morfydd Clark, Eliot Salt, Sophie Stanton, Billy Howle on the contrary seemingly has a much smaller role than in Look Back in Anger), although maybe a bit too wordy.

Nevertheless, despite a number of people elaving the theatre before the end of the show, it was an interesting insight into the working class, small village family, viewed thought the eyes or their youngest daughter, who left to live in London, and now comes back to family home to introduce her educated, sophisticated boyfriend.