#biopic recap

[amberraymond]

Britney Spears new Project

[atravesdetupantalla]

5 Películas sobre la realeza.

Spencer. 📺 Prime Video.

Harry & Meghan. A royal romance.

Mary, Queen of Scotts. 📺 Netflix.

Mary: The Making of a Princess. 📺 Prime Video.

Grace of Monaco. 📺 Prime Video.

[zacefronews]

matthowerton: 🗣️ Hire me Entertainment Tonight! Jk 😉 here’s a quick recap of the world premiere of the @ironclawmovie last night in Dallas! It’s a biopic of the Von Erich story—the fame and the dark side of the ring. Hear from @zacefron, @jeremyallenwhitefinally, @thekevinvonerich, and @chavoguerrerojr! Thanks to @a24 for hosting us!

[milfweirdal]

I missed the Instagram live thing :( can you share any good moments?

aww ok lemme see if i can recap anything that i remember! it was hosted by the composers of the weird biopic, zach and leo something, ill check in a min

they were talking about their favourite score cues in the weird movie, they really liked the theme that played when dani-Al reunites with his dad. they said that at one point in the movie they had a version of al's theme based on madonna's holiday (which made me pog cos i love that song but hadnt noticed)

al said he wrote now you know in 5/4 time (which i hadnt noticed either) and that it was his first and only song in 5/4, and that he must have been feeling jazzy and progressive lol

someone asked who als favourite pool party cameo was and he was like "theyre all my friends, i dont want someone to get jealous" paraphrasing btw not direct quotes i cant remember exactly what was said

eric appel also joined the stream briefly! to show off a bunch of props he had in his office like the golden bust, the Hay Boy, and a tiny drumset, but then he had to leave. after he left the guys hosting said "theres a bunch of people in the chat saying "who was that guy?" like guys that was the director of the movie" it was like oh my god

also people were SPAMMING fortnite and the guys asked al if he plays fortnite or wants to be in fortnite and he was like "No i dont play fortnite but i guess if they approached me about it i wouldnt say no" then everyone in chat was yelling at him to hit the griddy

they asked him what games he plays and he said he had the taste in games of a 14 year old boy but at that point I fucking spilled my drink everywhere :( so i missed most of that conversation

someone asked about the possibility of a Weird Al Cinematic Universe and al was basically like "that already exists"

OH . THIS WAS IMPORTANT. right at the end al said to one of them (cant remember who - the one on the right? i know their names are leo and zach) something like "you were talking about your favourite weird al song in a panel and said it was "windows 95 sucks" and the guy said "yeah! i love that song man!" and al said "yeah well actually i didnt write that song" and they both were literally like :O!!! and everyone was cracking up and al jokingly called him out for downloading his music like "i feel like you found that on napster" KFJHSG. thats the real consequences of music piracy, kids - not hitting children w your car or selling crack going to jail or denying artists their diamond encrusted swimming pools - the fucking real Weird Al may call you out publicly for misattributing parodies to him. the guy took it well i have to say. like he looked very embarrassed but he handled it fine. i would have died.

[basicpart]

James Gray's ‘Kill Your Darlings' to Star Julia Roberts — World of Reel

James Gray, the filmmaker behind “Two Lovers” and “Lost City of Z,” is giving Luca Guadagnino a run for his money in terms of collecting an endless amount of projects in development. Just a brief recap, Gray’s next film is supposed to be “Paper Tiger,” starring Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong and Adam Driver. Also in the works, a JFK biopic, the sci-fi “Summer Frost,” the ghost story “Ezekiel Moss,”…

[a2zsportsnews]

Director for Hulk Hogan's 'Killing Gawker' Biopic Revealed

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan’s impact on professional wrestling is legendary, and now his larger-than-life story is set to be captured in a new biopic. The director for Hogan’s upcoming film, “Killing Gawker,” has been confirmed. To recap, Hulk Hogan’s legal battle with Gawker started in 2013 when he sued the media company for publishing excerpts of a private tape. The case, which took three…

[supdocshow]

So much is going on!

But mostly we wanted to tell you we’re doing a new biopic recap format called BIOPSY!

It’s not replacing the documentary focus, just a way to also wedge in some recent movies we’ve seen and wanted to share about.

Starting with the Taron Egerton version of Elton John in Rocketman!

You’ll hear the episode in your Sup Doc feed on July 8th, but here’s a rough audio version just for Patreon patrons.

[thishadoscarbuzz]

216 - Snowden

Welcome all our new CIA listeners, because this week we are talking about 2016′s Snowden. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as controversial whistleblower Edward Snowden, the film follows Snowden’s journey through exposing the surveillance state and his exile to Russia, all while maintaining his relationship with girlfriend Lindsay Mills (played by Shailene Woodley). With Oliver Stone at the helm and Laura Poitras’ Snowden doc Citizenfour having recently earned the Best Documentary Feature Oscar, the film arrived with high expectations that it immediately disappointed when this bland biopic debuted at TIFF.

This episode, Joe gives us a recap of his New York Film Festival experience this year before we dive into Stone’s misfire. We also talk about Oscar winners that have played Oscar winners, Gordon-Levitt’s distracting baritone while playing Snowden, Peter Gabriel’s film awards history, and Stone’s fall from the height of his cultural significance in the 1980s and 1990s.

Topics also include TIFF premieres that open to general audiences during the festival, the 2011 Best Supporting Actress race that Woodley narrowly missed, and Chris’ ongoing journey with Survivor.

Links:

The 2016 Oscar nominations

Subscribe:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Play

Stitcher

[mr-water-downer]

one of the only fanfictions I read was this sort of biopic type thing on incredibly anti-heroic n psychopathic super renegade Commander Shepherd who’s being interviewed in a prison cell. don’t know why I remember it since it’s been a decade and I don’t think I ever finished it but it was good. I hope the author took that idea and turned it into an original story since they were really just recapping the events of the game from the viewpoint of a monster who’s also the galaxy’s best hope.

[hakasims]

Luca Marinelli Things That Will Never Be SLMR’ed

I don’t think many people care, but I need consistency and also I love lists, so here’s a list of actually good Luca Marinelli projects that I will never shittily recap and instead highly recommend you to watch (if you haven’t already).

Trust (2018)

It’s not because it’s a TV show. Believe me, if it were bad, I’d take so much pleasure in recapping and making fun of it one crappy episode at a time. But this limited series is actually really good, especially if you don’t care much about historical accuracy and framing rumors as true events (which, to be honest, very few “based on real events” things do). It has gorgeous visuals, stellar acting, excellent character work and poignant writing. Give it a chance. And please, don’t skip the first two episodes just because Luca isn’t in them. Despite giving us Primo Nizzuto, the best character Luca Marinelli has ever played, bar none, this show goes beyond simply having a hot Italian gay in tight pants - although he certainly is big part of the appeal. If anything, no other piece of fiction will make you loathe billionaires as much as this show. Seriously, as someone who was all “Eat the Rich!” before watching it, I was surprised how much hatred my heart was still capable of.

Content warnings: violence, blood, gore, death, nudity, sex, swearing.

Non essere cattivo (2015)

While Primo is Luca’s best role, Cesare doesn’t lag far behind, easily clearing the top 5 as one of the most interesting and nuanced characters Luca has played in his career. If you thought Trainspotting was a good movie, you’ll like this one as it is similar in its masterful mix of comedy and drama as well as the portrayal of hopeless mundanity of the working class in the 1990′s in a country I (and most of you) have never lived in. As a bonus, this movie has some top-notch Gay Longing™ for its two male leads.

Content warnings: drug use, violence, transphobia, blood, death.

Martin Eden (2019)

This one is gonna be short. You don’t need me to tell you how great this movie is: dozens of critics have done so much better than I ever would, and no matter how thirsty I’d try to be for comedic effect, they’ve outdone me while being 100% serious. This movie is gorgeous and poignant: just watch it.

Content warnings: drug use, mild violence, blood, death.

La grande bellezza (2013)

Speaking of award-worthy films, there’s this little Oscar-winner. Like many of its European art-house peers, this one is an audience divider where some people adore it and some think it’s teeth-grindingly boring. My reason for not touching it is simple: Luca only appears for a minute. The specifically Luca part of Shitty Luca Movie Recaps would be one paragraph long, and nobody wants that.

Content warnings: suicide, lots of full-frontal nudity and other stuff I can’t remember.

Fabrizio de André – Principe libero (2018)

And we’re back to conventional films that are good and deserve your attention. Granted, this one is a three-hour two-parter but it’s a biopic about a musician that spans over 20 years of Fabrizio de André’s life, so it makes sense for it to be that long. It falls into some of the trappings of music biopics but then casually avoids others. It’s not Rocketman but it’s definitely not Bohemian Rhapsody, so give it a go.

Content warnings: infidelity, alcoholism, kidnapping.

Il padre d’Italia (2017)

Do I even have to talk about this one? You’ve seen it and you probably love it. If for some reason you haven’t checked it out, do. Just trust me, it’s good.

Content warnings: um, a pregnant lady drinks and smokes? Also nuns.

Ricordi? (2018)

No one’s talking about this one, but we should. It’s good. This movie is less conventional than some of the other entries on this list, but it’s pretty and dream-like and pensive and I enjoy the hell out of its atmosphere. Luca’s character isn’t the most likeable guy in the world, but his co-star Linda Caridi more than makes up for his flaws. (Seriously, she’s so cute and sweet, you guys, I love her.) Please watch it.

Content warnings: nudity, sex, parental abuse, teacher-student relationships.

A bonus point to all of these except Il padre d’Italia and Martin Eden: they feature Luca with long hair who, as we all know, is superior to short-haired Luca. Speaking of bonuses:

La solitudine dei numeri primi (2010)

This one isn’t on the list because I think it’s good and you’ll like it. I personally can’t stand this movie, but I also don’t think it deserves mockery like Slam or Mary of Nazareth. My best friend liked it while I don’t ever want to see it again, so if you’re curious, check it out for yourselves.

Content warnings: nudity, parental abuse, bullying, self-harm, eating disorders, weight gain, weight loss, mental disorders, death.

Literally every other Luca Marinelli movie is fair game. That doesn’t mean I’ll SLMR them all, but it’s possible, especially if you want me to. Let me know what you think!

[karanscottcoaching]

Oh boy, last night’s Oscars were something of a teachable moment. Host, Chris Rock, made a disparaging remark about Jada Pickett Smith’s shaved hair style (due to alopecia): “Looking forward to G.I. Jane 2”. Jada rolled her eyes, but during a commercial break her husband Will Smith appears to have assaulted Chris Rock; Will Smith was certainly, visibly upset. Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry counselled Smith — and here is our teachable moment today — as Washington told Smith: “At your highest moment be careful, because that’s when the Devil comes for you”. Will Smith then went on to win Best Actor for King Richard, a biopic about Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams, and someone who “was a fierce defender of his family”, as Smith stated in his acceptance speech. So, to recap… “At your highest moment be careful, because that’s when the Devil comes for you” — Denzel Washington #willsmith #jadapinkettsmith #chrisrock #denzelwashington #atyourhighestbecarefulbecausethatswhenthedevilcomesforyou #teachablemoment #wisdom #lifecoaching #karanscottcoaching #karanscottmentoring #karanscottnlpperformancecoach #mindsetcoaching #mindsetmatters #mindsetiseverything #mondaymood #becareful https://www.instagram.com/p/CboteEmDc00/?utm_medium=tumblr

[maeve-of-winter]

I love the way you write Parson and the Aces. Do you have any aces headcanon that you havent shared? (also ur metafic about the parse biopic is hilarious and I am thankful that you wrote it)

I’m sorry for the long delay in this ask, anon! I kept thinking I would be able to finish a fic that would include a lot more of my headcanons about Kent and the Aces, but I’m pretty stalled on that right now, so hopefully this answer is better late than never.

Also, I’m so glad you liked the Parse biopic fic! I wasn’t too sure how it would do, since I’d never tried writing metafic before, but I’m so glad you enjoyed it! (Link for anyone who’s interested: Lights, Love, and Legend.)

- I feel like in general, the Aces management and veteran players alike were all very, very nervous about Kent joining the team, mainly because of the drugs angle. Hockey is a very, very conservative culture in general, and a player fitting in with the team is pretty crucial as to whether he goes or stays, by choice or otherwise. The concern for Kent was both professional worry that he was into drugs and might create a toxic locker room situation and tarnish the team’s public image, and personal concern that he was also suicide/drug risk and might OD like Jack. There was a lot of emphasis on their “supportive family culture” once Kent joined the team.

- Kent was really handled with kid gloves by the other team members, and dudes kept on making excuses to hang out with him/show him around the city/include him on even the most mundane errands. Kent was dragged along on so. many. Target runs. “Oh, hey, have you seen the grocery store? I know you get your meals delivered, but you should know where it is, just in case!”

- The Aces management immediately decided Kent was going to be living with a veteran teammate and his family, and Kent gets to live with a couple of little kids who really look up to him and are fascinated by this new stranger who’s apparently going to be staying at their house for a while. And since Kent is a rookie, he’s tired all the time from the rigorous schedule and the extra stressors in his personal and professional life, so sometimes he accidentally just falls asleep on the family couch without meaning to. And once in a while when he wakes up, he finds that one or more of the kids have snuggled up to nap right next to him.

- Kent is reluctant to bond with his teammates’ kids at first, because he’s been prepped to hear the worst about himself and get all kinds of intrusive questions about his life with Jack in Juniors so many times that it’s in his head, and he’s worried about maybe being a bad influence on them. But he likes kids, because they’re so easy to please and they seem honestly happy to be around him, so he quickly finds himself helping them across the monkey bars and launching stomp rockets and giving them piggyback rides. It just feels so good to see them smile.

- One of Kent’s teammates is a Russian player nicknamed Yaks because he talks so much. Yaks takes a real shine to Kent and often invites him over to his house to cook for him. He owns several large and fluffy cats that he’s rescued as a part of the Aces’ partnership with the county’s animal shelters. Almost as soon as Kent sits down in this Yak’s living room, he’s overwhelmed by three huge cats trying to cuddle with him, and Yaks takes it as a good sign that his pets automatically like Kent so much. He encourages Kent to get a pet of his own, and this is where Kent gets the idea to adopt Kit Purrson.

- Kent starts learning Russian to surprise Yaks, and when he knows enough to hold a full conversation with him, Yaks ends up being impressed that Kent took the time and effort to learn (even if Kent’s accent is atrocious). Kent then gets the idea to learn the language of each of his international teammates to help them feel more adjusted to life in the US. (This is actually based on RL Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, who knows seven separate languages.)

-  Swoops actually doesn’t really like Kent when Kent first signs the Aces. He hears all the rumors about his partying with Jack prior to Jack’s OD, and is deeply unimpressed. It also doesn’t really endear Kent to him that Kent almost immediately starts playing on the second line with him. 

But then he starts hearing the chirps Kent’s been getting from rival players about Jack’s OD. And he sees how Kent just takes it and tries to ignore it instead of chirping back, since losing Jack as a (boy)friend was painful and he’s still trying to process. And so Jeff gets angry, and so Jeff starts chirping back and fighting these guys to avenge his teammate. He wants to make things right for Kent.

And then one time when he’s out with Kent and the team, celebrating their victory, they change the channel to a recap of their game, which includes a highlights reel of all the guys Jeff fought that time for Kent. One of the commentators jokingly mentions, “There’s nothing Jeff Troy won’t do for Kent Parson,” and all the Aces laugh, because Jeff really has been like Kent’s knight in shining armor for a while now. 

Except Jeff glances over at Kent, who’s smiling for once, and his heart and stomach both lurch, and then he realizes, Oh, shit, there really isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him, and that’s how he realizes he has a thing for Kent.

Thank you for the ask, anon! Sorry that it took me so long to get to it!

[eyreguide]

A recap of the Brontë2020 Virtual Conference

On Friday the very first virtual Brontë conference was held and included a program of various talks and presentations by people knowledgeable on many different aspects of the Brontës. And reader, I had a wonderful time.  

This post is just a brief overview of the event, with some commentary on the different topics and comments that were discussed and that I found interesting. This conference was held as a way to help support the amazing Brontë Parsonage in Haworth as they are going through a difficult time with the impact of Covid-19. If you are able, please donate whatever you can to the Parsonage by visiting this site. Help them reach their goal!

I live in the United States so I wasn’t able to attend all the panels - I decided to make my first one the discussion with Sandy Welch (screenwriter of the 2006 Jane Eyre adaptation) which was 5 am my time! I was so excited to hear what Sandy had to say about writing Jane Eyre that I was wide awake by the time her panel started.

Special Guest: Sandy Welch

First off, I didn’t realize Welch had also written the screenplay for North and South (one of my absolute favorite period dramas!) so I was pretty much in awe of her talent, even though the 2006 Jane Eyre isn’t exactly my favorite. If you read through my reviews of all the adaptations here. I have a few issues with the scenes after the failed wedding where Jane and Rochester are on her bed. And also I felt like the dialogue and added scenes did not always feel true to the novel. But Welch talked about her approach to adapting Jane Eyre and I agreed with all of her comments. Jane is a modern woman in that she is making her own way in the world, and that her thoughts and prose in the book are direct and clear to the reader. And Welch was glad to give more time to the conversations between Jane and Rochester so that the humor and intelligence that connects them shines through. The emotions were allowed to develop and we can see how Rochester changes with Jane.  

There was some discussion about the character of Rochester and how the audience needs to see that they deserve each other and are equals. So you see more of Rochester’s vulnerabilities and emotions in this adaptation. It’s important to remember too that Charlotte made Bertha irredeemable so that Rochester could not make his situation better, but he tried his best to take care of her.  

A question from the audience did bring up that scene where Jane must say goodbye to Rochester and they end up on her bed - I was very keen to know what Welch would say. She acknowledged that it was a bold choice, but there is that sensuality in the book, and Rochester wants to “impress” himself on Jane, and throughout the novel, Jane is very passionate. It seemed natural to Welch to have that shown on screen. It’s a bit of artistic license that still doesn’t sit easily with me, but I am glad to know the thought process was grounded in trying to take a realistic approach to how that scene would develop.

Another question also asked about the addition of the twins and the doubles theme in the adaptation. Welch included that to give Jane an opportunity to participate in the conversation around her since she is intelligent and able to hold her own. And to show that not all of the people in Rochester’s party are horrible. It also gives a little foreshadowing to the call across the moors between Jane and Rochester near the end.

The last topic I want to mention is when someone asked what the difference was between approaching Margaret Hale’s character (from North and South) and Jane Eyre. Welch worked to make Margaret more sympathetic and Thornton a little less so, so that they were equals in the story - much like Jane and Rochester already are.

A Day in the Life of the Parsonage

I was very excited about this next panel, where Ann Dindsdale, the collections manager of the Parsonage, and Rebecca Yorke, the communications manager, talk about what it is like to manage the Parsonage day to day. It made me long to be able to work there myself! Just think how lovely it would be to be up early in the morning at the house, preparing for the visitors that day.

On my last visit to the Parsonage, I was able to take the VIP tour (which I talked about here) and I have to say seeing a glimpse of the place behind the scenes and led by a knowledgeable docent was amazing. They do wonderful work there!

The two talked about the work that goes into maintaining the house - especially during the month-long closure in January where they clean every book and check every piece of furniture! When asked how they decide what to display, Ann said she puts out “what she likes” (lucky!) but it was also good to rotate everything regularly.  

The Parsonage feels it is important for guests to “engage with the Parsonage” - a wonderful way to describe how the guests are made to feel when they visit - as a part of the experience. And with social distancing right now due to the pandemic, visiting the Parsonage couldn’t be a more personal and intimate experience. I so wish I could make the trip across the pond right now and visit!

Author Roundtable: The Brontës, the 21st Century and Us

This was a fascinating panel with talented authors. I’ve read some of their books so I’ll link to my review of their work when possible. The panel was moderated by Rowan Coleman (The Vanished Bride) and included Finola Austin (Brontës’ Mistress), Syrie James (The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë), Sarah Shoemaker (Mr. Rochester), Julie Cohen (Spirited), Lucy Powrie (The Paper Hearts Society) and Nikita Gil (a well-known poet, although unfortunately I am unfamiliar with her work.  

The conversation was dense and thought-provoking. The authors touched on many topics and ideas beginning with how each author felt about the Brontës’ work. Their books are about identity and who we are as people - we can live by their ideals, said Lucy. Sarah said that women are still not equal to men in how they are treated today and she loves how Jane does not hesitate to tell Rochester that she does not think him handsome - it’s an unconventional answer, the unexpected one, and it shows how they are opening up to each other and on their way to being equals. Syrie is fascinated by the almost mythical story they lived in their little place in the world. And how you can feel their rage against patriarchal societies in their work. Nikita pointed out that patriarchy erases the role of women, but the Brontës have endured in spite of that.

In their approach to writing stories that revolve around the Brontës and their work, they try to be as reverential as possible and stick to the facts because so much of their lives are known, and their stories can be very autobiographical.  

Julie talked about how we read the Brontës to find out about ourselves. With Villette especially there is a sense with Lucy Snowe that she is hiding a part of herself from the reader and people can relate to that.

The talk ended with thoughts on publishing bias - how women may not need to publish under pseudonyms today, but there is still a bias against what a woman writes and against race, sexuality, and many other things. We as readers need to show that we are interested in reading about a variety of lives and experiences.

In Conversation with Adam Nagaitis

Adam Nagaitis played Branwell Brontë in the film To Walk Invisible and talked with the organizers about his role. They opened by asking him trivia questions about Branwell to see how much he remembered from his research. Adam mentioned that he is still in touch with the actresses who played his sisters which I think is wonderful. They seem to all have gotten along very well.  

Adam read all the classic works on Branwell to prepare, but he also dived into documentaries on alcoholism and it’s gruesome realities to understand Branwell better. Branwell wasn’t mature enough to deal with the vicissitudes in his life - with his relationship with Lydia he was excessive and consumed. He thought that turned her off from him, and that started a cycle where he blamed himself for the failed relationship and his failures in his art.  

Because he was always surrounded by the people who knew him best, he was always reminded of his failure. Adam’s approach was very sympathetic to Branwell and tried to understand him mentally. Adam also talked about how he felt Branwell was never free as an artist. He always needed to work for the family or money but he could have been a brilliant newspaper satirist - something that might have been more along with his interests since he made wonderful biting cartoons.

In Conversation with Sally Wainwright

The last panel of the conference was a talk with Sally Wainwright - the writer and director of the superb Brontë biopic To Walk Invisible. Sally was approached to write this back in 2010 but she didn’t have time until 2016 which coincided with Charlotte’s bicentenary. It was a tough shoot for her as she felt she didn’t get all the shots she wanted, but the set was fantastic. They recreated the Parsonage as accurately as they could, resulting in a place that is bleaker and more isolated than the actual Parsonage today.  

Sally also mentioned something that I found interesting - that she felt like the “Victorian” speak that people use today in period dramas probably didn’t really exist. We have constructed people in our period drama adaptations to speak in a particular way. And that the inclusion of curse words in her program showed that the characters were very like us - of course Branwell would curse and say the F-word.  

Her approach to adapting the story was always to show it as realistically as possible and she wanted to show how the family was an interdependent team. For people who felt that Branwell was featured too much in the story - it’s important to remember that he was the leader of their gang as children and that when they were older, living with an addict affected their work as can be seen in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Wuthering Heights.  

And speaking of Tenant of Wildfell Hall, apparently, Sally is working on a screenplay for the story, although it is on the backburner at the moment. She is having a hard time empathizing with Helen - especially because it is difficult today to empathize with a character who behaves in a certain way solely because of their religious beliefs. I do hope we get to see her adaptation of Anne’s work someday soon though!

[hellzyeahwebwielingessays]

The Not-So-Amazing Mary Jane Part 27: AMJ #3.1

Previous Part

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Master Post

*pinches bridge of nose* Oh my God this is so bad

I was hoping last issue was a fluke but no. This issue also demands we dissect the recap page.

Let me just spell out for you all some fundamental dos and don’ts of a recap page.

DO please recap  the events that happened in prior issues, or relevant context from any other issues.

DON’T introduce new information.                                                                    

Last issue was guilty of that. And now so is this issue, arguably moreso.

This recap provides us with the working title for the Mysterio biopic. That’s right, the very first time we learn the name of the movie  is on this recap page not in the actual story!

Want to hear another oh so slightly important DON’T to bear in mind?

DON’T contradict the story you are recapping!

The recap claims funding dried up when the footage of Beck abusing a crewmember leaked. That wasn’t the situation in issue #2. MJ speculated  that that might be part  of the reason. But the bigger reason was that Beck had sold the investors one one type of film and delivered another.

Let’s also consider this line from the recap.

…video of Cage acting more like, well, Mysterio…

So the recap (and by extension Williams, the editors and presumably MJ herself) acknowledge that Mysterio being abusive is standard practice for him. Good to know they are aware he’s a horrible dangerous person but are just ignoring that then.

The recap also confirms for us that MJ is definitely the only person who knows ‘McKnight’ is really Beck. So absolutely everyone on the crew are unwittingly putting themselves at risk, and MJ is just letting that happen. If they knew they might not want to work with him for one reason or another, but MJ and Beck are knowingly withholding that choice from them. It doesn’t matter that they are only getting this shot because of Beck’s charity, at least some of them would think twice if they were aware of the potential scandal they were working on.

The recap also contradicts last issue’s recap in regards to the staff of the movie. Last time it was staffed by ‘outsiders’ but now it’s ‘newcomers, rejects and outsiders’. Which is it? I’m not claiming this is irreconcilable or that big of a deal storywise but it’s another example of the incompetent craftsmanship on this title. Not to mention this recap again omits the fact that active villains are working on the film.

The recap also implies Mary Jane is ‘invested’ in the film. Let me get this out of the way now to save myself time later. Mary Jane wouldn’t be invested in this movie, at least not the way the story is depicting her as.

To a large extent this touches upon earlier instalments where I explained why MJ wouldn’t sympathise with Beck, why she wouldn’t regard him as a kindred spirit and why she wouldn’t value her career above the greater good. 

Having said all that I don’t feel it’s necessary to dedicate a whole instalment to why MJ wouldn’t  be invested in the movie. The idea that MJ would endanger herself and others for the sake of an artistic project  she believed in or was interested in is fucking ridiculous. 

The idea she’d be chummy with Mysterio is fucking ridiculous given their shared history and what she knows about him. But, just as a little reminder, here is Daredevil v2 #8, where MJ basically says Beck deserves no pity.

As we open up the story proper, Mallorie rescues a veteran actor (Sonny Diperna) cast as the Vulture. Specifically she rescues him from the Scorpion who trashes the set.

This scene has an admittedly funny meta-gag about Michael Keaton having played both Adrian Toomes in the MCU and Birdman in the eponymous movie.

Mallorie is also pretty cool here. Initially I was going to complain about how unlikely it is for there to be two  capable and resourceful civilians in this story (MJ and Mallorie). However, in thinking about it, MJ didn’t become  resourceful in the first place due to rare life circumstances. Therefore it’s perfectly reasonable that Mallorie be similarly resourceful in a crisis. Plus her job on set opens up the idea that she knows how to muddle through a crisis.

On the next two pages Vulture menaces the set and we are more formally introduced to his Savage Six. They consist of Vulture, Scorpion, Stegron, Tarantula (I don’t know which one), Rhino and King Cobra.

Whilst Williams characterization of Beck is generally great (albeit too sympathetic) the same can’t be said of Vulture. Making art or artistic vision a theme for this series (and Mysterio specifically) is perfectly invited by the premise of the story. However, it’s very ill fitting for a character like Vulture. Vulture is absolutely not  defined by that theme whatsoever. He’s an inventor. He’s a grumpy, bitter old man. He’s someone who’s got a chip on his shoulder, out to prove that he isn’t passed his prime.

With that said, what the Hell is up with this dwelling upon ‘art’ in these two pages?

Fleeing the chaos, Diperna mistakes the villains as part of the film; a fact Mallorie goes along with. As Kangaroo (who’s basically the muscle on set) gets defeated, MJ and Beck try to escape. MJ insists they get the staff to safety which Beck agrees with, deciding to act as a diversion. MJ is concerned for his life, but Beck assures her it’ll be fine. Just then he’s dragged away by Scorpion.

MJ seeks out Noah from last issue and drives his truck towards the Rhino. 

The art isn’t exactly clear on what she does next, but the end result is that she’s gathered up all the cast and crew into the truck. Meanwhile, Beck begins to engage the six by conjuring his trademark green smoke. 

Mallorie and Diperna make it to the truck, with MJ lowering the ramp to allow them access. She is visibly concerned for Beck as they move out of sight of one another. The cast and crew for their part are star struck by Diperna. Diperna explains that he came out of retirement to play the Vulture as it was something different from the roles he was usually typecasted as.  He elaborates that the movie has Hollywood on edge and that the elites do not want the film to succeed. He joined the cast to help them out a bit.

Elsewhere, Mysterio duels the Savage Six. He uses his illusions to trick them into believing they are in the desert. As they begin miles of marching, Vulture speculates McKnight is a double agent for A.I.M.  When the illusion ends they find themselves at a national park, prompting Vulture to swear vengeance.

Much later MJ laughs at Beck’s trick complimenting his cleverness. However, the event has prompted several cast and crew to leave and delayed shooting even more. Thankfully Beck’s found a safe new location to film at.

Sorry for that lengthy description. I just felt it was more efficient to get through that whole sequence and then break it down fully.

First of all, see all my prior comments about how bullshit it is for MJ to compliment, laugh at, be concerned for, or be sympathetic towards Beck. I also find Williams choice to frame him in a heroic, self-sacrificing light to be questionable. He is after all none of those things. Just the last issue the story called out the movie as a vanity project.

Additionally, this whole situation is exemplary of many of the points I made in parts 19-23. Here we have a major crisis with super villains on the rampage. Civilians and property are in jeopardy.

And Mary Jane’s abilities to help are limited. They are in fact incredibly reliant upon Mysterio covering her. Noticeably, he  is the one actually fighting the Savage Six. MJ’s abilities to help are limited to shepherding  and transporting people to safety. But she’s only able to do that with Mallorie’s help and the presence of a huge truck that was there purely by chance.

What If Beck wasn’t present, or worse, on the Six’s side? What if Mallorie hadn’t saved Diperna? What if there hadn’t been a truck? How would MJ have succeeded realistically? I’m not saying it’s impossible but her chances of survival were slim at best and would’ve been reliant upon finding other  resources to exploit to her advantage.

Furthermore, the Knagaroo was  injured in the fray. Maybe not seriously, but he was nevertheless injured and MJ was powerless to prevent that. He was lucky to have survived at all, now imagine if he was a normal security guard who had no experience fighting super powered type? How likely would he have been to live?

Now of course, the Six’s attack wasn’t exactly Mysterio’s fault. We could argue if Beck hadn’t endeavoured to make the film or omitted to include the Vulture the situation might’ve been avoided. However, this isn’t the first production in the Marvel universe to include ‘real’ super villains. Had the real Cage McKnight (or any director) made any movie featuring the Vulture at this time, it would’ve happened. In fact without MJ or Beck’s presence the cast and crew’s likely wouldn’t have fared as well.

Nevertheless, as far as MJ knows a similar situation could  have occurred (or could still unfold) with beck and/or his criminal crew. Last issue she already saw Beck start a panic in the streets by throwing a tantrum. She doesn’t know all the crew so well as to guarantee they wouldn’t do anything nefarious. And in such a situation, her abilities to help would be extremely limited and situational, just like they were here. In fact if Beck has just explained to her how he single handily dealt with six  super villains (who’re all stronger than him by the way) shouldn’t that spell out to MJ just how dangerous he is? That he could very easily ‘deal’ with her too if he wanted to and her chances of victory would be extremely slim?

Then we have the revelation that cast and crewmembers have left the project. The implication is that these crewmembers left because of the Six’s attack. Either they were hurt or more likely they were concerned about the risk. However, none  of them were aware that they were already taking a big health/career risk by working under Mysterio himself; whilst he was stealing someone’s identity no less. MJ’s complicity in this deception is removing the agency of the cast and crew for no justifiable reason.

More problematically we don’t know if any of the crew who left were the active villains spoken of in issue #1. If they were then MJ has just allowed them to walk away without facing justice! And realistically given how they are fugitives and the film was a unique opportunity they are very probably going to go back to crime! But Mary Jane is laughing!

Now in the interests of fairness I should point out Beck did put himself at some risk for MJ and the others. This is one of the important factors that has led Peter to giving criminals a chance at redemption in the past. We looked at several of these back in part 10. However, noticeably most of those people weren’t as  bad as Beck. They also hadn’t hurt Peter or his loved ones as personally the way Beck has from MJ’s point of view. There were also other extenuating factors going on that led to Peter giving them a shot. Often this entailed Peter knowing there was something or someone capable of reliably  keeping the reforming criminals in check. Whether that was his own super human abilities or an official body monitoring them, the point is MJ hasn’t got anything like that in this situation.

Beck might’ve shown a glimmer of promise, but MJ is fully aware how villains like Venom and Sandman have displayed moments of self-sacrifice too. They’ve continued to do bad things in spite of that, or gone back on any promise they once showed. That doesn’t mean that Beck definitely would, but it’s a humongous gamble to take with no insurance.

And let’s remember what Beck was willing to sacrifice himself for? His cast and crew? No. His art. Look back at the page introducing the Six. Beck accuses them of being ‘Enemies of Art’.

Yes, the most generous interpretation is that Beck genuinely cares. But it’s also more than possible his care fro his cast and crew extends merely to their contributions to his vanity project.

On the next page we discover Beck’s new, safe location is something of a shithole. 

Beck’s hired a new crew, but with everything that’s happened cuts will need to be made. MJ suggests they cut the romance scene with her character. Beck points out that it’s less screen time for MJ. MJ counters it doesn’t take away from the hero’s development and that it was always self-indulgent anyway. She follows up that they are making a biopic, not a fantasy film. Beck seems miffed at this point.

There is a fair bit to unpack here.

MJ is being self-sacrificing here, which is true to her character. She’s allowing her career opportunities to suffer in order for the project over all to succeed. This further hurts the argument that MJ is sticking around for the sake of her career.

But the context is confusing.

In ASM v5 #29 dialogue from the script was ripped straight from Webspinners #1-3.

This dialogue involved Beck talking to an old flame (Betsy Schneider), arguably the only woman he was ever in love with. She was noticeably not  a super heroine, yet in the movie she was. I didn’t bother to bring that up before because, this being a vanity project, it’s not unbelievable that Beck would misrepresent his life inaccurately. ‘Look at me I got a sexy super hero for a girlfriend! Aren’t I cool!’.

MJ wouldn’t necessarily know the truth of Beck’s lover so I didn’t bring it up before. Here though, Williams is implying that she has sussed out that Beck was making that aspect up. At which point MJ should further realise the movie is an exercise in self-indulgence. She even says so in this scene.

More confusingly, in issue #1 Beck heavily implied to MJ that he was making this movie (and wanted her in it) largely because he felt he let Betsy down. That being the case, wouldn’t cutting out the romance undermine the point  of the movie? Or at least undermine it from MJ’s POV? Honestly, that’s not that big of a deal though. Beck’s motivations for making the film have already been contradicted since issue #1 anyway; it’s already a goddam mess.

Furthermore, the scene specifically says romance ‘scene’, as int eh singular. Call me crazy but whenever there is a romance between a protagonist and a love interest in a film their romance isn’t confined to just the ONE scene. It’s usually a few scenes at least. In this case, MJ’s character exists in the story fundamentally to be  Beck’s lover. She’s been given much more than that due to MJ’s suggestions in issue #1. But that was still the primary role she existed for. This means MJ’s role in the movie goes against the entire reason Beck included her. So why would he agree to that? Why would MJ suggest it if her investment hinges upon sympathy for Beck? She has basically taken Beck’s original intention for her character and gone from improving upon it to basically substituting all of his original intent for something else entirely.

She even calls its inclusion unrealistic. That could be a display of her trademark confidence (MJ is fully aware she is attractive) and/or a dig at Beck. Either way she’s tempting fate there. She already saw him throw a tantrum last issue and now she’s altered arguably the most important role in the movie to him and thrown shade at him over it. Real clever.

Additionally she refers to Beck’s role as the hero. This further contradicts issue #1’s assertions that the film was portraying Beck as a villain. It’s also rich for MJ to claim the romance should be cut as the film is a biopic. By that logic Beck shouldn’t be framed heroically, empathetically and the film should apologise for his acts of evil.

There is also a meta-argument to be made about Williams’ intentions with this page. It’s possible she’s critiquing the superfluous nature of so many romance stories in Hollywood films, arguably super hero films in particular. I don’t really have any praise or problems with that if it is the intent. Just thought I’d point it out.

As for the new crewmember…we’ll get to them later.

Over on the next page ‘McKnight’ tells Mallorie to give MJ a producer’s credit. Beck explains that the new location is an abandoned zoo, hence why it’s a shithole. He proceeds to introduce the new members of the crew.

The only thing of note is Beck giving MJ a producer credit. This raised an eyebrow from me because it epitomizes so much of MJ’s role in the story thus far. 

MJ’s most famous profession is an an actress. In the majority of adaptations that’s her job. It was part of how she was introduced to us in ASM #43. It’s one of the things that thematically connects her to Spider-Man. It’s also through her renewed interest in acting that we got this story. 

In fact MJ gave a heartfelt monologue specifically about acting in ASM v5 #25 and it was this monologue that led to her job on the biopic.

And yet in this story Mary Jane has spent very little time acting. The story itself has ruminated very little about her role as an actress or depicted her acting at all. Mysterio has been acting far more than Mary Jane has.

MJ’s main role thus far in the story has been as Beck’s right hand, as his producer.

Isn’t that rather problematic? That wasn’t the story as advertised in Spencer’s ASm run, nor even in the initial build up to AMJ’s release. It also goes against the themes that have traditionally defined Mary Jane, especially within the context of her actually working  on a movie.

I have a tinfoil hat idea as to why this might be the case though. Here is an excerpt from an interview Williams gave prior to issue #1’s release:

It's set in Hollywood and it's a film production, and my work background is actually in film production. I lived in LA for a little while. So drawing upon the full arsenal of my Hollywood hot mess stories of what goes on on film sets, that has been an absolute delight. Because then I can also demonstrate how MJ is able to think on her feet and be like, okay, well let's not do the bad thing. Instead, let's be smart about it. Very cathartic, again. So cathartic.

-From Bleeding Cool

I’m not going to presume working in ‘film production’ means Williams was a producer per se. I’ve also been unable to find any evidence that she was a credited producer nor that she worked as an actress.

But it seems to me Williams in drawing upon her personal experiences is skewing MJ more towards the jobs she personally did. In other words Williams is writing MJ as closer to a producer than an actress. It comes across very much like Spencer/the editors handed her a certain premise and she then terra formed it into what she wanted to do, rather than what the direction he set up implied.

That is all total speculation on my part. I have no hard proof at all to corroborate that.

But if that is what’s going on, then I find it kinda shitty. It’s not exactly what the role asked of her as a writer and more poignantly it’s not what MJ’s history invites either. It’s not that MJ couldn’t be a decent producer it’s just that that isn’t where the thematic resonance for her character lies. At least, not within the context of making a movie.

Let’s leave it there for now and continue next time.

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[dramaqueeenamby]

Waves [Drabble-ish]

A/N: I apologize if (that) this is trash, but it’s necessary, and you’ll all see why soon enough....

Also, if you don’t read The Root, I’m gonna need you to get it together

I also tagged a few of you for....reasons 

TAGS: @purple-apricots @honeyybey @letsshamelessqueen-m @amethyst-dreams-and-candy-canes @sisterwifeudaku @brittyevans @idilly

Bow Down, Bitches: All Y(our) Faves Hit The Club Last Night, and Black Twitter Exploded

By: Amber Smith

2/28/19 10:14am

Filed to: BLACK GIRL EXCELLENCE

When Beyonce snatched our edges and entire income tax check, it was done so with all of the love and grace of our lord and savior, Queen Bey. We had zero complaints (unlike the credit card company’s who wouldn’t take “it was Bey” as a reason for a missed payment, but I digress). It was for the cause. For the culture. For us.

Well, last week, a similar moment occurred at the annual white men controlled Academy Awards.

Best Actor, Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Best Supporting Actor, Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Best Supporting Actress, Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Actress, Summer Hemsworth, A Star Is Born

Not only in Wippo Oscars history was this the first time that the winners for the top four categories were snatched by POC, but our favorite weather witch’s win marked another accomplishment.

She is now the first, youngest, and only African American to win three Academy Awards.

Hemsworth earned her first award for Best Actress in 2012 for her powerful portrayal as African queen Bashira in the absolutely heartbreaking biopic, 4AM (the unofficial black people’s Titanic). She became the first and youngest black woman to take home the coveted award since Halle Berry in 2002. Fast forward seven years later, last week Hemsworth took home the honor for her role as Ally, opposite Bradley Cooper, in the hopefully last reboot of A Star Is Born (if you haven’t seen it, please do, you will cry. A lot).

Black Twitter had a complete meltdown over Summer’s emotionally gripping acceptance speech where she acknowledged legendary black actresses who have yet to win an Oscar. Even before that though, the MCU actress walked on the stage in her House of M original dress that cost more than I make in a year.

And not to present.

Along with singer-songwriter/bff, Siyanda, Summer accepted the award for Best Original Song, Shallow. In an interview with eonline, Siyanda shared that she and bestie Summer wrote the song in under an hour after Yanda’ found out her friend wrote poetry in high school.

“She [Summer] was really against the idea of singing at all. I think Brad and her discussed someone else doing all of that [singing], and then she came to visit me at the studio. I told her I was doing some songs for the soundtrack when she told me that she did poetry, and I told her “if you can write in iambic pentameter for school, you can do it for this movie.” So, we sat down, and like an hour later, we wrote the whole song. She recorded it in one take. It was fucking amazing. She’s a goddess.”

So not only is Summer now the first and only black woman to win two Oscars for Best Actress, she now has a third under her belt along with Siyanda, who is the first black woman to win in the Best Original Song category where she was also nominated for her Black Panther theme, All The Stars alongside Kendrick Lamar.

Celebrations were and still are in order which brings us to our recap of the perfection that was last night.

Siyanda, Summer, Megan Thee Stallion, Onika, and Queen hit the oh-so-popular LA Club, Lush, for some much needed black girl only celebration.

Oh, and Lizzo was there too.

Yes, you read that correctly. All of our favorites were in one building, like, interacting with each other. Two of the best female rappers in the game right now, the reincarnation of Whitney Houston, this generation’s Toni Morrison, and a future EGOT legend (fingers crossed) were all in the same place…..at the same time.

The only thing missing was Mrs. Knowles Carter (the Hive still ain’t forgot what you did, Shawn).

There was twerking, there was drinking, there was laughing, and almost all of it shared via several of the star’s social media accounts.

Queen Ororo shared a now my iphone wallpaper candid on her Instagram of all five of the women with the unofficial Wakanda Forever emoji followed by the crown emoji. Her story included videos from throughout the night which included a hilarious video of Megan teaching the ladies how to “drive the boat.”

Siyanda’s stories showed the quad singing their majestic melanin hearts out to Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts.” The duo also posted on their IG’s the night of the Oscars, photos of them hugging and crying, along with detailed and heartfelt compliments expressing their love and appreciation for each other.

According to Summer, the two first met when Siyanda was brought on as a dance consultant to help Summer prepare for the role as Queen Bashira, who was a classically trained dancer.

“I can’t dance to save my life, but this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I deeply wanted the role so I pushed myself. I’d been following Yanda since her Soundcloud and YouTube cover days so I was a big fan. Turns out, she’d seen almost all of my indie films and was a fan of me too. Honestly, we hit it off on the first day. She asked me to dance for her, I did so, she clowned me, I flipped her off. And that was really all she wrote. She’s like the sister I’ve always wanted. I love her to death.”

The friendship has lasted throughout the years with Summer appearing in several of Siyanda’s music videos including: 7 Rings, Party, God is a Woman, and let’s not forget, Partition. I’d never seen the hype in Mr. Hemsworth until I was blessed with that visual.

Summer is the real MVP, ya’ll. Homegril is winning on and off stage and in the bedroom.

In a day and age where division runs rampant among the black community, it is truly heartwarming to see such displays of black excellence. #BlackGirlsRock

Peep the slideshow below to see all of the footage (so far) from the melanated lituation.

RELATED:

PERIODT: Mrs. Hemsworth snaps on the “colorist” and “self-hating” trolls who keep infiltrating her IG comments with their “disgusting” and “pathetic” #LightIsRight “bullsh-.”

Bish Betta Have My Money: Summer Hemsworth shares how she “almost quit” following a pay discrepancy between herself and Olsen #3

Say It Loud, Say It Proud: The Queen of Wakanda shuts down reporter who refers to her as “a pseudo black”

Don’t Mess With My Man: Summer Hemsworth is not here for you hoes with this “divorce bullsh-” and shares a steamy photo of her and White Thunder from Down Under to prove it