#but it is just a little funny that he lost to a sitcom actress

[welcometohermitcraft]

Can't believe they had Neil Degrass Tyson on celebrity Jeopardy and he lost. Like you have a doctorate, act like it /J

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

That is what I thought too! That she may return (Fingers crossed, I have NEVER seen that done in a Jesus film even though it is ironically Biblical, full of potential and right there in the Bible!).

But I think that the actress leaving is the main reason for her character's death. I don't blame the actress but I totally hate it when something like that happens in any show. The character always needs to be a) Recasted like James and Philip, breaking imo suspension of disbelief, b) Die super randomly like Ramah just did, or c) Go away and barely be mentioned, making the audience question wth happened to them and why someone who was so important to the characters before isn't there anymore, cause it doesn't make sense in-world, only in the real world. So yeah, stop leaving shows midway through actors!!! (Just kidding lol, but for real, I hate it).

I know many are ok with the writing choice of her dying (Rather than recasting/keeping Ramah away from the plot through other means), but the message her death is trying to convey seems repetitive to me (Yeah, Jesus can't heal everyone because ~mysterious ways and plans are mysterious and strengthening our faith and hardship can bring us closer to God and so on~, the problem of evil and all that, we get it!!!) We already saw Simon and Little James going through the same!! The audience is aware!!

Others are going “oohh, this is perfect because this is the reason he is ‘Doubting Thomas’”, but I am like dramatically going “nooooo” because I (very personally) hate that explanation for Thomas being “doubting” Thomas. It may work for people whose difficulty with faith is related to trauma, but I relate to Thomas as someone whose doubts all over the years have had little to do with hardship and more to do with simply “intellectual” questioning (By intellectual I don't mean I am smart, though many who go through the same of course are often very smart, I mean I was inquisitive as a child and a teenager and so on, I still am, I just actively choose to have faith and trust God), and I guess I thought from a few lines here and there and Thomas's similarities to Matthew's love for logic that the show was going with the same interpretation of Thomas as that in my head. A Thomas who has logical questions and that is why he doubts, someone the average agnostic or atheist who later started opening up to spirituality again (Perhaps ALSO through questioning and doubting) could relate to, but it seems that his doubt is going to be written as more emotional rather than intellectual, coming more from the trauma of loosing Ramah than anything else. I am sure it will be very beautifully portrayed, but the potential of something different that could have been done with Thomas's characterization is lost imo

Second thing I hated this episode was Quintus's reaction to stabbing Ramah! Wth! His shock and horror at what he had done were so out of place and took the charm out of his character! He IS funny, but they are turning him into a sitcom character with how he talks tough but at the moment of doing evil he almost chickens out, or reacts as if he had. Can't we have one-single-miserable ruthless villain in this show? Who is a SERIOUS villain? Gaius is the perfect “not like the other Romans” character, and Atticus is there too, the Pharisees are complex too, with good, bad and everything in between among them, so I didn't get this directing choice of making Quintus look sad (or shocked?) about stabbing one of the people he has claimed countless times he feels little for. I get the point of Christianity is redemption, but I think showing that some people would be a lot harder to redeem or that straight-up refuse to be is important too! Don't they want “realism”?

With that said, I did appreciate Jesus's reaction and attempts to comfort Thomas. That “I love you” and “I am sorry” were very genuine.

One last thing, I think spending so much time on present drama to tackle the problem of evil is robbing the show of scenes that could have focused on Jesus spending one one-on-one time with his disciples, discussing their past hardships, traumas, sins, and so on. This could have communicated the same message to the audience, but no…

My thoughts on the end of ep 3 (don't read if u haven't seen episode 3 yet)

Well, I got a spoiler that Ramah died (but tbf it was a comment on a yt video) so it didn't really shock me that much (it was still sad tho) but, like everyone else I have some ✨thoughts✨ abt it.

When Jesus said, "it's not her time," I immediately thought that she was going to rise, just not then. There's a piece of scripture that says after Jesus died, many believers rose from the dead, and I'm guessing that she's going to be one of them. If that's the case, I think that it was a good writing decision. But if not- then it was probably for shock 🥲

[birdy-lady]

As we gear up for Moira Rose's favorite season — awards — I have a humble plea: Give everyone on Schitt's Creek an Emmy already. The dreamy Canadian sitcom is the best comedy on television, a rare gem that is both radically empathetic and riotously funny. The story of the formerly wealthy Rose family — parents Moira (Catherine O'Hara) and Johnny (Eugene Levy) and their adult children, David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) — who relocate to a small town after losing their fortune, Schitt's Creek is packed with characters who are easier to love in person than they might have been on paper. For everything the show owes to its whip-smart scripts, it sings because the cast is capable of embracing that tension. If we lived in a world as kind as the one depicted in the show, the whole ensemble would be rolling in Emmy nominations.

O'Hara is the show's most obvious scene-stealer, and her Moira — an eccentric soap star whose fading celebrity status sends her sense of self into a tailspin — is its most unique creation. Moira arrives in the town of Schitt's Creek with no creature comforts but her black-and-white wardrobe and a collection of wigs she treats like old friends. Her diction is lofty; her elocution is loftier. Give O'Hara an Emmy for the way she says "baby" alone, and then give her another for the half-human, half-crow voice she adopted for Moira's big comeback role in the fifth season. The actress plays Moira's showboating as the product of a life spent jumping from one role to the next. She distracts people with flair because she doesn't know if she's enough without her fame. All the world's a stage, and Moira Rose's greatest performance is Moira Rose.

Moira takes her bravado to the extreme, but she taps into universal anxieties. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, O'Hara described her character as "no more [tragic] than we're all tragic characters in life. I love that we're all kind of delusional and we have really no idea of what impression we're making on others." Moira works as a character because O'Hara plays her with empathy — she's all of us, just heightened. Everyone wants to believe in their potential like Moira does at her best, and everyone crashes emotionally when the world can't see it. There's something childlike about how Moira navigates her life: She might not know who she is, but she screams when she wants to scream. Her dramatic responses to life's inconveniences are what the internet might call a whole entire mood. Moira's dazzling histrionics are, in O'Hara's hands, honest.

But while the decadent confection that is Moira Rose is (justifiably) getting showered in praise, O'Hara seems just as thrilled to let her castmates shine. She's balanced out by her longtime collaborator Eugene Levy — who co-created the series with his son, Dan Levy — as the family's befuddled patriarch, Johnny. Where O'Hara is airy, Levy is an anchor, grounding the show in familial love. The former CEO of a chain of video rental stores, Johnny vibes like a dependable, business-savvy dad, but Eugene Levy plays him with an undercurrent of panic: He doesn't even know how to work a grill. Johnny may be the smartest person in the room, but he's still a disaster in his own right. Every week on Schitt's Creek, Levy and his expressive eyebrows teach a masterclass in deadpan comedy. He can land a punchline just by staring helplessly into the distance.

Schitt's Creek is a family affair both behind the camera and in front of it — Sarah Levy co-stars with Eugene and Dan, her father and brother, as guileless local waitress Twyla Sands. But on screen, there's no mistaking that the Roses are the ones who are related. The four stars who bring the Rose family to life have worked out an uncanny set of shared mannerisms. It isn't just that Dan Levy inherited his father's eyebrows but inverts his facial expressions (Johnny absorbs frustration; David reflects it). It's the way O'Hara, Murphy, and Dan Levy all talk with their hands, like they're used to wearing too many heavy rings. The physical comedy of Schitt's Creek isn't pratfalls; it's the body language of elite wealth.

No one has a more endearing physicality than Annie Murphy, who deserves the inaugural Emmy for best wrist acting. Murphy acts wrists first; she twists her hands to wave out of car windows and dances her fingers along countertops and poses, bunny-like, when she has something to say. The way Alexis holds herself is a definitive character trait, blending rich-girl snobbery with something inherently cuter and more innocent. Her vocal fry is the same: She gasps and exclaims ("Ew, David!") with such delight that she turns a ditzy stereotype on its head. The fifth season took Murphy's vocal and physical comedy to new heights when Alexis performed her long-lost pop single — and certified bop — "A Little Bit Alexis," complete with choreography. Alexis is incapable of disappearing into a performance; she's just too happy to show off. Her valiant little high kick in the town's production of Cabaret was the funniest split second of the season. Annie Murphy is a stone-cold comic genius.

Season 5 also gave Murphy and her on-screen brother more opportunities to crack their characters' shells, as both Alexis and David pushed themselves to be more vulnerable in their romantic relationships. Alexis took a leap with wholesome veterinarian Ted (Dustin Milligan), while David got engaged to his business partner, Patrick (Noah Reid), whose steady practicality is the perfect foil to his fussiness. Reid brings an easy charm to Patrick's patient amusement with David, and Dan Levy plays David like he's becoming amused with himself, like he might as well start every conversation with, "Please humor me." Like Alexis and Moira, David could have been grating in the wrong hands, but Levy makes him likable by playing with the fact that David is simultaneously aware of himself and unable to be anyone else.

David is a difficult cocktail of contradictions: His unapologetic flamboyance hides deep insecurities. He is his mother's son, right down to the black-and-white clothes, but unlike Moira, David doesn't try on different parts; he's just trying, again and again, to match up to the version of himself that he projects to others. There's a frantic vigilance to him — Levy's line readings are hilariously snappy, his dialogue so crisp it feels like it's on the verge of shattering. Even at his most controlled, David is a baffled mess. But Levy always leaves warmth simmering below the surface. Schitt's Creek walks a fine line between the Roses' damaged past and the love they gradually learn to express, and the show finds quiet moments to highlight their growth: It's in the way David's eyes tear up when his armor is cracked, Moira touches her son's arm, Alexis lights up when she smiles, and Johnny visibly uncoils when his family is happy.

The show's cast of locals is equally gifted. Stevie (Emily Hampshire), who co-owns the motel with Johnny, shone in Season 5 when she broke out of her shell to star in Cabaret, embracing the potential Moira saw in her. Hampshire sang "Maybe This Time" with all the unpolished elation of someone letting herself believe she could win for the first time. Meanwhile, in the audience, Milligan's Ted held his playbill open in front of him for the entire show, a truly galaxy-brained character detail for the wide-eyed vet. Reid makes Patrick soft without making him a pushover; Chris Elliott somehow makes the town's obnoxious mayor, Roland Schitt, more respectable by refusing to sand down his rough edges; Jennifer Robertson plays Roland's wife, Jocelyn, as far smarter than most of the Roses would bet. The whole ensemble finds chemistry in the way everyone is entertained by — and tolerant of — everyone else's quirks. Because these people like each other, the audience can do the same. They should really win Emmys for that. I would love that journey for them.

The first four seasons of Schitt's Creek are streaming on Netflix. Emmy nominations will be announced Tuesday, July 16. The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast Sunday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Fox.

[ask-anyone-from-the-tick]

Bellow the cut are my spoilery thoughts after watching season 2 of the Tick

I’m kind of glad Dot turned out to have a super power because being the only hero with no powers is sort of Arthur’s whole thing. I also like that she didn’t outshine Overkill and just step over him, but still looks up to him a bit and appreciates his approval. They feel like equals, and he’s still an awkward turtle socially.

THEY WERE SO CUDDLY AND AWKWARD ON THE COUCH, Overkill is def the kind of guy who can’t move if there’s a pet on his lap. He’s so soft I can’t...

I LOVE that we get to see more of Joan and her relationship to her family, she’s awesome and I love and support her. She’s just doing her best, and I hope those lobster babies come to visit.

Superian and Larry’s relationship continues to baffle me just a bit. Larry seems to just be a willing servant to cater to his whims I guess. I kinda hoped they were more buddy buddy than that. Apparently it makes Superian feel better to toss him way up and catch him lawl

The way Hobbs reacted when Tick broke the arm wrestling machine thing makes me wonder if Tick is actually the strongest superhero in the world, maybe second only to Superian ??? Or at least the strongest ever registered with AEGIS.

I really, REALLY like Sage. He’s fantastic. He’s also really attractive, is it just me? DAT VOICE THO. [take me on a wild nipple ride! jk omg I’m sorry]

That twin woman who was impressed with Arthur’s nerdy organization came off as REALLY OBVIOUSLY flirting with him, and his reaction was to just shrug it off like he wasn’t in to her, even though she was gorgeous, and Tick immediately picked up on it that she was flirting and got DEFENSIVE AS HELL like she was taking Arthur away and I just-- that’s pretty gay guys. That’s really... wow. And then she comes back and continues to hit on Arthur and he never once acts like he’s in to her, I don’t... I don’t know what to say but if Arthur suddenly starts pining over her in season 3 out of no where I’m gonna kms [not because he’s not gay but because it’s pretty clear he’s not interested in this woman. Don’t establish this and then force romance after we’ve seen there’s none.] Also when Arthur was picking out fancy clothes Tick had REALLY specific fashion descriptions and opinions on what looked good on him. He was like enjoying Arthur modeling clothes ajdlfdjas

Someone needs to draw Overkill being lovingly rescued by dolphins STAT

I honestly, unironically, think Edgelord’s entire look is cool and he’s very handsome. I think he looks like if Johnny Depp and Adam Driver had a baby.

SUPERIAN FEARS THE TUMBLRS. We’re his kryptonite. 

Dangerboat... plane... whatever he is, kinda deserved a little more attention toward the last half of the season. The episode centered around him was the most emotional and it brought everyone together more, I really dug that. It made me cry. ALSO WE STAN MICHAEL, HE WAS TOO GOOD FOR THIS WORLD. I’m so proud of Arthur for seeing Dangerboat more as a person and making an effort to connect to him as a friend. <3 good job Arthur-- at the same time--

I HATE they way Arthur acted like Dot has a specific thing she should or shouldn’t be that was out of character. It’s like the writers wanted the female character to undergo some sort of oppression to rise up against, some form of misogyny from her male family member that she had to point out. You shouldn’t have to tear down a good character because he’s male, to make the female look good. If misogyny was gonna come out of Arthur, let it come out another way other than “this isn’t want you’re supposed to do” like mother fucker, she’s been taking care of you your whole life, she’s done martial arts training, she’s a paramedic, she is way more qualified than you. He’s the last person to talk that way to anyone and it’s pissing me the fuck off. He’s the one struggling with mental illness and no phyical ability to fight anyone, it makes no sense.

Arthur’s actor Griffin Newman, he just does such a fantastic job. The whole undercover scene was so perfectly on pitch, like... just the right level of second hand embarrassment and pride came outta me. He was so close to  blowing it because he’s an anxious person by nature, but he pulled it off and came off more as just an awkward criminal with tons of money that was just believably nerdy. I loved it, it was so funny. Please give him all the awards. And that scene where Tick is on one side of Lint, way too close to her, and Arthur is on the other, and they just work her forking nerves was so hysterical. I died. I think they need to play up that comedic chemistry more often because Tick and Arthur bounce off each other really well when they’re not busy trying to solve serious problems. 

Ok so the whole human furniture thing caught my eye immediately. The pose we are first introduced to is an infamaously disturbing pose by a real life serial killer who ate people and posed their bodies in weird positions and used them for sex and I forget what else. Anyway I tried to brush that off as coincidence, but then later on Dot and Overkill go to where they think this Duke guy’s lair is, and his house looks exactly like John Podesta’s house that had a statue of that EXACT same serial killer’s victim in that pose, and podesta’s walls were covered in creepy pedo art of little girls and drowning women. And the walls of Duke’s lair were covered in creepy human furniture art. I mean there are all kinds of parodies this season that are in your face, but I don’t think anyone who didn’t follow pizzagate carefully would catch this one.

Speaking of parodies OMFG I lost it when Superian reenacted that Superman scene where he’s like “Can you read my mind?” as he’s dragging the screaming guy across the night sky. 

Ugh, I’m so sad that Tick and Arthur don’t get to keep those precious baby lobsters, and where did they get all the cute toys?? I wanna think Joan picked those up for them. Kawaii lobster voice: “Joaaan!” Tick is such a good dad...  A family can be a giant Tick man, a moth boy, a hobo, a mimaw, and a bunch of singing lobsters. "SHE'S THE MOTHER OF OUR CHILDREN!" Tick drinks respect woman lobster mom juice.

I think I don’t know what to make of the reverse Green Goblin twist going on with Ms. Lint. The creepy voice is telling her to become a hero I guess, but not really? I think the joke is we think it’s telling her to be a hero, but really it’s teaching her to be a  better villain LMAO

I’m glad kevin has a power and he was welcomed to come help even before said power was revealed.-- woah wait where tf is Karamozov?? I gotta tweet his actor he loves this show and he wasn’t in this season ???

I don’t blame Dot for being upset they want to defrost The Terror, but at the same time due process is a thing. I don’t know how that would work in a society full of super powers though. Because the moment you defrost him he’s going to find a way to escape. He’s the oldest, and the worst super villain of all time. This is why I’m ok with the death penalty and killing villains lol

I was expecting Walter to be some sort of MK Ultra sleeper agent, but the plot twist was, that’s what Overkill would become I guess. And Lobstercules. OH BTW I think she’s voiced by the same actress who played Captain Liberty in the old Tick sitcom! “Walter isn’t Walter? My feet don’t feel so good.” Aw Tick

Ty Rathbone drinks respect mothers juice.

Acting agent commander doctor agent Hobbs, honestly I suspected he was the main villain like the moment he was headed toward Lobstercules because something about the lighting and the camera work seemed to telegraph that.

I bet the reason Ty Rathbone feeds his black hole heart monster mice, is because it requires frequent blood sacrifice and that's the smallest sacrifice he can think of that he can quickly just put in there and placate it and go on with his day. I don’t know if he’ll be season 3′s villain or if it’s the aliens that just came back to reclaim Superian. 

Which btw, I called that shit from season 1 episode 1. Superian showed up crash landing inside Big Bismuth which is the only thing that could trap him. He was a prisoner, probably because he did some bad shit, and he told Arthur he helps humanity because he just wants to be a good person. Like he wasn’t one before and now he wants to try to be one.

I want to talk about these, nearly involuntary dance parties Overkill rewards himself with... but I uh... I still can’t compute that that’s actual canon. That that’s a thing Overkill and Dangerboat enjoy together and he... he can’t seem to control himself when the music plays... And also that Dot AND Overkill both know how to floss dance... I just... wow...

Oh and that hug with Overkill made me an emotional mess, he just... he really needed that, thank you Dot.

This concludes my rant and ramble.

[reviews-22]

First Blog -Insecure

Hello, my name is Rachael, this will be my film and television review blog. This is my first time doing something like this, but I have always loved film & television along with writing, so this felt right. On this blog I will write about current and old films and movies. I do not want to discriminate against older films & shows because I feel like some could be lost to my generation and are worth watching and learning from. I will write about what I personally like and do not like about them. Things that may have motivated, inspired, or impacted me. I would also discuss writers, directors and producers, actors/ actresses who are killing the game right now. Basically, the sky is the limit if it in the scope of film and television.

            On today’s episode I want to talk about a show that I have been recently addicted to. I stumbled on it a couple of weeks and I literally can’t stop watching it I’m so invested to so how it will end. That shows name is (drum roll please) insecure. Watching it for the first time felt refreshing and yet comforting at the same time leaving me in awe. I am current on season 4 with one season left to go and right now it has two big thumbs up from me. I am just hoping it does not let me down like the final seasons of Vampire Diaries. WARNING ALERT! WARNING ALERT! SPOILERS AHREAD! One of the main reasons why I like the show is because it is centered around a black female and her black friends. While there are other shows like Scandal and How to get away with murder this show takes a different path. The main character Issa is a quirky, relatable, funny young woman with real life experiences and real emotions. In my opinion sometimes black women are only casted in a couple of ways. As a strong black woman, an angry black woman, or a ghetto/funny black women. As a black woman myself it’s comforting to see diversity like this on the screen. I also really liked how real and vulnerable the show has been toward her life. When Issa cheats on her long-time boyfriend Lawrence in season 1 we see her pain, her anxiety and regret. Vice versa we see his pain and anger and eventually we see them both come together in a forgiving scene. A twist I really liked is instead of having the man be the cheater they had the woman cheat. Furthermore, instead of it being one person’s fault both had to realize where they went wrong and accept their own responsibility. As the show continues, they both seek out their own relationships and careers. The show has been a reminder that everything that you plan does not always go your way. Nonetheless you still must go for what you want and believe in your ideas because a lot of people will doubt you. Some unpopular opinions involved in the show is that Issa is the villain. Some audiences believe that because she has a pattern of leading some people on and cheating on Lawrence that she is a bad person. Some people also believe that she often acts like a child. While I do think these statements are true, I do not agree with them. Yes, Issa did cheat on Lawrence and that was very wrong, but he was able to forgive her and move on and she understood what she did as wrong. Furthermore, she had led two guys on but in her defense, they had also led her on at one point. Finally, Issa can be a little childish at times but as the seasons continues, she grows. Another unpopular opinion is that insecure has bad writing. These audience members believe the only reason the show is popular is because of the constant romantic will they, wont they scenes. While I personally do not think that they show is bad writing, sometimes I would like the characters to say something with a bit more depth than just “shut up girl”. However, the show is realistic in that way. When girlfriends talk to each other the banter is light and witty similar to other popular sitcoms like Friends. One thing that I do agree with is that some plot holes are never talked about further. For example, when the character Tiffany mentions that something that happened with her in her husband in the past year it was never revisited. Instead, their relationship is broadcasted as a perfect relationship most of the time. I feel when it comes to important plot points there brought up again. But I think it would be nice to see all her friends grow as people and share their experiences openly with each other.

Thank you for reading the first installment of my blog. Stay tuned for more each week.

[lightsandlostbells]

Skam Austin episode 3 reaction

My favorite comment this week on the Skam Austin Facebook page:

Why do you use the font that SPAM uses and say you are in Austin where SPAM is located when you are actually in Austin TX and have no affiliation with #HormelFoods

Hormel Foods, the manufacturer of Spam is located in Austin, Minnesota, for the record.

Episode 3

Clip 1 - Lying in the back of the truck

This scene was actually new. I think it’s supposed to stand it for the Eva/Jonas lying in bed when she kicks him out and her mom comes in, but most of the ideas and dialogue within the scene were original, not borrowed. They didn’t have Meg mention that Zoya said she should break up with Marlon, nothing about Marlon saying she couldn’t live without him though he was similarly dismissive. She does it in a text later, though, and he tells her she wouldn’t last a second without him.

This camerawork does feel like Julie a lot. Especially the overheard of both Meg and Marlon lying down, that’s some total Skam couple vibes. Except early on Meg and Marlon are not touching and aren’t even on the same level, because as a couple … they’re not on the same level, lol.

Well, I considered the dance team to be sports but Meg disagrees with me, I guess. If you’re funded by the athletics department, then I’d say you’re a sports team. (It might vary from school to school but my high school definitely counted the cheerleading and dance teams as part of athletics.)

Meg: Dancing is about art. Marlon: Nah I don’t think so. GODDAMN MARLON FUCK OFFFFFF

I know a high school dance team has a different purpose in mind than like, New York City Ballet, but dance is absolutely an art form. This isn’t controversial, dumbass.

Can you please just be supportive of your girlfriend, Marlon? She found something that might make her happy and she’s socializing with other girls.

Someone in the FB comments said Meg and Marlon are cute together in a way that Eva and Jonas weren’t and like, everyone has a right to their opinion but I’m going to make a PowerPoint detailing my opposing view, which is 100 slides of NOPE.

Clip 2 - Sloooooooow mooooooooo whiiiiiiiiite guyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Meg is actively lying to her mom about being on the dance team. At least she runs into some new friends when her mom says to tell Abby hi.

KELSEY’S EYEBROWS I’M YODELING

There are some parts where Kelsey seems a little too like a sitcom character. It has more to do with the writing/directing than the actress, who’s been doing a decent job and having fun with the role. The bit where she’s like “SOME people in the group” works perfectly fine as a joke on its own - we all recognize the absurdity of her trying to obscure the person’s identity when there are five girls in the group and everyone knows who Kelsey’s got beef with. You don’t need to add on “you know … Zoya” which is just overkill.

Zoya just got them 100 pounds of free cookie dough to raise money for the team. Or… y’all could eat it … not that this is what I would do or anything.

But good job Zoya! And now Kelsey has to reconsider her position on Zoya. Free cookie dough?

He’s called Penetrator Jo??????????????

“Why is he called Penetrator Jo?” “No one knows.” OK …. I actually find that kind of funny but also … really, Julie? That’s far more obvious inside the narrative than calling a character Marlon.

Now we have what is obviously the most important scene of the season according to certain parties: William/Daniel’s introduction.

I have a confession to make. Uhhhh … taken on its own, I sort of like this version of the slow motion montage over the original.

I was never wowed by William’s intro, and this one at least has some tongue-in-cheek choreography with the football players and has Childish Gambino over it (in my version).

But at the same time I’m like really?

I think if I just watched both scenes side by side with no further context, I would prefer this one, because it’s so OTT ridiculous I would assume the director was making a joke. However, knowing the full situation, with S2’s Noorhelm and William depiction, and Julie’s intense love of the character, it does spoil the effect, because Julie really does believe that stuff about William/Daniel being painted as a villain. Like there’s definitely a humorous component to the scene but it doesn’t work as well when the director buys into the character’s hype. Same with Grace’s unimpressed eye roll and her comment about him being a cliche: on its own it’s a welcome voice for the audience, and I’m sure it’s an entertaining comment for the shippers, but knowing that it’s going to be ironic later spoils the effect.

Thinking about it, I also feel the same about the Penetrator Jo comment, maybe. On its own with no context, I’d find it funny - there’s something ridiculous not just about that nickname but by the fact that “no one knows” how he got something that should seemingly be obvious, yeah? Knowing that show ends up being on #TeamPenetrator is not as fun.

And not gonna lie, part of me will just never get Julie’s love of the William character when she has created so many more well-rounded, interesting, unique characters, and William is a well-worn trope played straight.

On that note, I see the complaints that this is like a very typical American teen drama, and on the one hand I can’t argue with that, popular football player all the girls thirst over is a pretty common trope. But also, lol … the original was just like this, the William character and the Noora/William relationship were the most CW-ish parts of the show. No matter whether you liked them or not! 

Neither William nor Daniel are really my type so I’m not hung up on stuff like whether the actor is hot enough. He’s kind of just like … a generically attractive white boy. I saw four of those at Steak ’n Shake the other night. Not trying to be mean, I get why girls would like him, and I really don’t care about anyone’s appearance on this show. His bone structure does seem above average.

Girl Jo is so cute. “He has a lot of shirtless pics.” “She has places to be, that’s like, adult stuff.”

She is getting a little passive-aggressive with using Kelsey as her cosmetic guinea pig. Kelsey is kind of a pushover, isn’t she? There’s a dynamic to explore there, where the two of them are obviously BFFs but Kelsey is letting Jo commit atrocities on her face. I wonder if that will build to anything or it’ll be a running gag. Maybe Daniel, instead of telling Kelsey she’s not pretty or good enough, will just be like your brows are NOT on fleek.

Clip 3 - Marlon and his crew are the worst

Shay: “I don’t know why we’re arguing about this, you’re freaking rich...ly, killing it in that sweater.” Marlon is selling his Adderall, I’m calling it now. Shay doesn’t want to draw attention to the fact that Marlon has some spare change accumulating from somewhere. I guess Abby could be buying from him and that’s why she was all CALL ME?

That’s not a bad change at all from the source material. Because while smoking weed can get you in trouble, selling drugs can get you into even more trouble. It would also be thematically relevant to the theme of pressure, do everything to succeed, be a winner not a loser, etc.

The way they’re sitting is so (intentionally) awkward with Megan clearly on the outside of their little group dynamic and on a lower level.

They are eating the pizza and someone presumably paid for it already, so this is a strange conversation to have, but then again I have ordered takeout plenty of times with friends where one of us paid upfront and then the rest of us paid them back or covered them. I guess Marlon could have paid for it at the door? Still kind of a weird conversation when you consider they could have been like … looking at the menu and talking about what to order and arguing about who’s gonna pay.

Marlon is SUCH an asshole. DUMP HIM. He started to make fun of her about her dance team in front of his friends. Meg gives Marlon’s crappy music her attention, he can’t support her in her dance team?

This scene made it really clear that it’s not a situation similar to Eva, where yeah, Jonas and Isak did gang up on her and could be mean to her, but she was still a part of the trio. We saw them eat together, go to movies together, have little jokes together. Eva was friends with Isak. Megan is only here for Marlon. Tyler and Shay aren’t her friends.

Some of the joking here - like Tyler saying, “Wait, Megan, you actually became a stripper? You took my advice, bro” - in another context I could see that being fine, like if Tyler was saying that to Shay, it’s just friends taking the piss out of each other, but he and Megan aren’t good enough friends for that not to have any tension or awkwardness.

Marlon being like “I’ve tried to convince her that team sports brainwash people … guess they already got to her though” is so so insensitive. Jackass! This was something that made her happy and she had to give it up FOR YOU.

I am so so glad that she called him out though, and she’s right. He’s got a limited set of talking points.

But it sucks that Shay and Tyler got in on it and called her out. Her attitude about the Kittens was clearly motivated by hurt and resentment over what she’s lost and a person who has since made her feel like shit, not her overall attitude toward sports teams. I would think they would know that much since they have to be somewhat familiar with the Megan-Abby drama. Tyler especially takes it too far when this is not a comfortable situation for Megto be in, she’s not included in anything, she’s just the girlfriend who’s there. Like I do not blame Megan at all for having some interest in Jo, because even if he’s sleazy, he’s the one who’s paying her compliments.

Clip 4 - Party invite

Julie continues with her tradition of “shooting the protagonist from behind as they walk somewhere.”

Kelsey’s eyebrows aksdfalsjnd

“I’m only waxing my mom’s chin so” Jooooooo.

Zoya telling Kelsey to chill and Kelsey immediately trying to chill … I feel like she wants to impress and go along with Zoya more than Vilde did with Sana. Kelsey seems like more of a people pleaser.

See, I heard people complaining that Zoya is too mean (and IDK, there might be some stuff to unpack there) but I felt in this scene she made her intentions pretty clear, that she was trying to help Kelsey calm down and not embarrass herself in front of the football guys, whereas Sana’s motives were probably the same but weren’t laid out like that and Vilde got pissed off at her.

I was kinda hoping that Zoya would be like “You are a hot girl” to Kelsey specifically but it’s nice she referred to the whole group as the hot girls. The only part I found excessively mean was the bit about Kelsey’s eyebrows (and I mean … she’s not wrong, but tact).

Jo is in love with Zoya.

It was sort of random that we pulled back a little and just watched Jo and Kelsey talk about her eyebrows, I mean that kind of casual conversation is fine, it was just the physical distance that was odd when so much of this series relies on closeups. We didn’t even see Meg’s reaction, not even to show Megan and Grace being like well, we’re done with this conversation and walking away.

There was an IG pic of the girls with Kelsey covering her eyebrows, which is adorable, but I’m not sure when the pic was taken because Meg is shown walking up at the start of the clip and Meg and Grace walk away at the end, and it looks like they’re in the same location. I guess Meg ran back to take a group selfie.

Clip 5 - American teen party with red Solo cups

I was wondering how they’d do the slow motion walk since I mean… they’d probably have to drive to the party, lol. And they did have them in the car! With the girls having a good time and Grace in the backseat looking awkward.

Actually I’m really glad Julie didn’t full on recreate one of the most iconic scenes of the original show, I prefer that she gave it a different spin. I don’t think this version of the scene will stick in my mind as much as the OG, but this does feel, well, American and relevant to the culture.

All the girls look great. I’m really digging Zoya’s hoops.

If anyone cares to know what I hissed at Daniel when he was checking out Kelsey.

I like how Abby seemed like she’s holding court among the Kittens.

I hate Marlon/Meg so much that even Meg/”Don’t be a cocktease” Jo is preferable. Though neither is the best option.

Part of me is like SIIIIIIIIGH at them not going to address Kelsey’s religion at all. It’s not that every Christian has to be abstinent or anything, I know Christian girls who were big on partying and had premarital sex. It’s that this is a big opportunity to shake up the story and add another dimension to the situation, and I feel like it won’t be addressed. I’d love if they at least talked about it in the next episode, if Kelsey’s trying to lose her virginity to Daniel and acquire birth control.

“I touch my friend’s boobs all the time” LISTEN UP JULIE ANDEM. Please let Jo be not straight. Please let Jo and Shay interact and possibly date. Both of those characters have some of the most personality on the show, it’d be a hit. Skam France set the precedent and made the equivalent character bi, YOU CAN DO IT.

I am overjoyed that so many people seemed to share my opinion of the world peace guy, which is Daniel who? Penetrator what? Give us more of THIS rando.

Honestly in his limited screen time, he has some decent comedic timing? He might be funny as the Magnus character.

That whole conversation was the highlight of the clip, the episode, and the series so far.

This is super random but I’m glad Meg and Grace went to the bathroom together because like … yes, that is what you do when you’re girls who are awkwardly standing around at parties. Bathroom solidarity.  And actually that’s a good setup for Grace leaving Meg alone and Jo getting to her rather than Noora ditching Eva to take a phone call. 

Marlon’s last name is Frazier for anyone curious.

“There’s another bathroom upstairs I can show you.” Smooth.

Zoya adding some food coloring into her Abby attack was an upgrade, particularly when the target’s in a white shirt. 

Jo taking off her earrings once the fight starts - she is the beeeest.

The shot of the girls climbing into the car is really cute to me, IDK.

I thought this was a fun clip but admittedly that’s 90% because Jo is a gem.

General Comments:

Some of me wonders … what if Tyler has it bad for Marlon and Shay has it for Meg? Tyler being “clingy” in the gc according to Marlon (which is just Marlon’s opinion and may not be that serious, to be sure) and Shay is noticeably nicer to Meg than Tyler is. I think.

Actually that text about Meg being added to their group chat made me cringe. They really aren’t welcoming to her. Meg has been dating Marlon since at least February - I’m pretty sure it was more like Christmas - and he’s only now adding her to the chat. Okay.

When Isak contacted Eva on Skype in episode 1, it seemed like he just wanted to chat with her. I guess maybe he wanted to sniff out if Jonas was there but he didn’t ask about it first, and he and Eva laughed about the Pepsi Max girls, and when he saw Eva was sad, he tried to give her some advice about talking to Ingrid. It was definitely a friendly conversation. When Shay did the same call, she asked where Marlon was, and after Meg said she didn’t know, Shay quickly said she had to go. It wasn’t a friendly, just-to-talk conversation. Meg tried to extend the conversation a little longer by talking about the Kittens - this makes me sad because it felt like she really needed to talk to someone, and Shay’s response isn’t that supportive or like she knows the magnitude of the situation with Megan and Abby. It makes me wonder because Eva was close enough to Isak to confide in him, and Meg will probably do that with Shay, but I don’t feel their relationship is as tight on its own terms to merit that.

I do find all the viewer comments on Meg and Marlon’s IG pics that are like “He’s cheating on you!” and “Why are you lying to her?” to be very funny and endearing.

Some of the FB comments about Zoya’s character … have some implications, like I haven’t seen anything outright Islamophobic, but there is a sense of “she’s too aggressive/too mean” and some of it is hard to judge whether it’s a fair assessment of her character thus far and how much of it is code for “she’s a mouthy black Muslim.”

It also got me thinking because all of the Noora/William combos have been white across the remakes, and IDK, I think it’d be great if the big man on campus that all the girls found attractive was a MOC, but also - can you imagine if a William was black and how differently he would be judged on his behavior, provided it was the same as in the original? The black guy heartlessly using and throwing aside the sweet virginal white girl? Or the black guy relentlessly pursuing the white girl who said she wasn’t interested? Or the black guy smashing a bottle over a guy’s head? I feel like a black William would reveal some ... enlightening viewer reaction. To put it mildly.

Jo is the most popular character by a landslide according to a poll on the FB group and that does not surprise me in the slightest. I’d be a little interested to know who was the most popular character so far in the original Skam. My guess is that opinions would be more widely spread.

Her IG posts/stories with Kelsey’s makeover and eating with the girls are really cute, btw.

I don’t really know how to judge the ratings because Facebook Watch is largely untested as a streaming platform, but there seem to be at least 1,000-2,000 new users following the show per day, maybe more (though stuff like fake/spam accounts need to be taken into consideration) and the full episodes are getting far more hits than the individual clips.

[greensparty]

Movie Review: On The Rocks

A Sofia Coppola movie is always a high priority for me. I actually got to meet her in 2000 when she had a festival screening in Boston for her directorial feature debut The Virgin Suicides. The response from audiences across the board to that movie was “she’s a way better director than she is an actress”. Her performance in The Godfather Part III, directed by her father Francis Ford, is one of the most critically reviled performances in film history, but she has had quite a second act as a filmmaker. At that screening in 2000, she was quite nice and signed my program (also with her was her ex-husband Spike Jonze and Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon). It was her follow-up Lost in Translation that really showed her strength as a filmmaker. That was one of the best movies of the 00s: I saw it in the movie theater, bought it on DVD and got the soundtrack. After Wes Anderson showed audiences the dramatic strengths of Bill Murray, Coppola took it several steps further and he gave one of his best performances. He was even nominated for an Oscar. Coppola herself won an Oscar for Original Screenplay and she became the third woman in history nominated for Best Director. Since then, her career has had some ups and downs. I kinda liked her new wave 80s take on Marie Antoinette and her slow-paced Somewhere, but The Bling Ring and Beguiled were kinda letdowns. Her new film On the Rocks opens in theaters today from A24 and it will be on Apple TV+ on Oct. 23.

movie poster

The most exciting thing about her new film is that it reunites her with Murray. Roshida Jones plays a wife and mother who begins suspecting her workaholic husband Marlon Wayans is cheating. Her father played by Murray is an old-school NYC playboy who left the wife and kids and never fully settled down. She turns to him about her marital concerns, which is either a good or bad idea depending on how you look at it. 

Coppola directing Jones and Murray

What truly made this movie was Murray. He is so overly-Bill Murray in this movie! But similar to Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers and Rushmore, there is a sadness beneath the funny moments. Roshida Jones is fantastic and most audiences only know her for comedies, but she was has dramatic chops (watch Jesse and Celeste Forever if you don’t believe me). The same sense of isolation and loneliness that was in Lost in Translation is on full display here in NYC as Jones wanders the city and tries to make the most of her day-to-day routine. Without getting into spoilers, the last third goes a little off the rails and Coppola uncharacteristically allowed the film to devolve into sitcom territory. There was an underrated 1996 indie film The Daytrippers where Hope Davis suspects her husband of cheating so her whole family go with her into NYC as she attempts to seek the truth. That movie was less sitcom-like with a similar premise. But Murray and Jones do have serious chemistry. Just watching them drink, slip in an out of parties, driving, and reminiscing - those were the parts where the movie came alive and actually overshadowed the marital suspicion storyline. But when in doubt just sit back and enjoy watching Murray singing and cracking jokes!

For info On The Rocks: https://a24films.com/films/on-the-rocks

3 out of 5 stars

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY AND ANN-MARGRET

S2;E20 ~ February 2, 1970

Directed by Herbert Kenwith ~ Choreography by Jack Baker ~ Written by Milt Josefsberg and Ray Singer

Synopsis

A chance meeting with Ann-Margret leads to songwriter Craig performing with her on television.

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter), Desi Arnaz Jr. (Craig Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter)

Guest Cast

Ann-Margret (Herself) is one of Hollywood's most enduring sex symbols, singers, and actors. She made her screen debut in 1961's A Pocketful of Miracles and followed up with the critically acclaimed film musicals State Fair and Bye Bye Birdie. After this episode of “Here's Lucy” she was nominated for Oscars for Carnal Knowledge (1971) and Tommy (1975). In February 1969, she appeared on “The Jack Benny Birthday Special”, which also featured Lucille Ball, although the two did not share  screen time. At the end of 1969, Lucille Ball guested on her special “From Hollywood With Love.”  In 2010, Ann-Margret won her first Emmy Award for her guest appearance on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” 

John O'Neill (Walter, Ann-Margret's Pianist)

Although billed as ‘Walter’ in the final credits, Ann-Margret calls him ‘Wally’ in the dialogue.

Gary Morton (Voice Introducing Ann-Margret) was a comedian who worked the famed ‘Borscht Belt’ in the Catskills Mountains. He met Lucille Ball shortly after her divorce from Desi Arnaz and they married in November 1961. At her request, Morton gave up his nightclub career and became a producer of “The Lucy Show.” Morton also served as a warm-up comic for the show’s studio audience. He played the Emcee in “Lucy and the Andrews Sisters” (S2;E6) and will make two more on-camera appearances on “Here’s Lucy.” Morton passed away in 1999.

Throughout the episode, Morton’s loud guffaw can be heard on the soundtrack. 

Ann-Margret's back-up dancers (3 men and 3 women) perform uncredited.

The much anticipated episode was the subject of a TV Guide "Close Up”. It mentions that the singer was repaying Ball for appearing on her earlier special...

“Ann-Margret: From Hollywood With Love” in December 1969. In it, Ball played herself and an autograph hound named ‘Celebrity Lu’ (above). 

The date this episode first aired (February 2, 1970) the 27th Annual Golden Globe Awards was held. Lucille Ball was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series, but lost to a tie between Carol Burnett and Julie Sommars in “The Governor and J.J.” John Wayne also won for True Grit. Both Burnett and Wayne were guest stars of Lucille Ball’s on her sitcoms. Joan Crawford (who guest-starred on “The Lucy Show”) received a life-time achievement award. 

Two days later, on February 4, 1970, Lucie and Desi Jr. appeared with their father on NBC’s “Kraft Music Hall”. Vivian Vance and Bernadette Peters were also part of the cast. Desi Sr. performed "Babalu" and "Cuban Pete" and teamed with his children on "The Straw Hat Song”.  Lucille Ball does not appear. 

In the DVD introduction to the episode, Desi Arnaz Jr. says that he had a crush on Ann-Margret since he was ten years old.  At the beginning of the episode, Kim says her brother is “barely seventeen.”  This was true for Desi Jr. when the show was being filmed, but he celebrated his 17th birthday two weeks before the show first aired. 

Lucy Carter describes her aspirations for her children:

KIM: “Mom wants me to be a wife and a mother.” LUCY: “Yes. And in that order.”

Lucy wants Craig to be a doctor, while he wants to be a songwriter. 

LUCY: “We’ll compromise. You’ll be the only songwriter in the world to make house calls.” 

In the early part of the 20th century, physicians often visited the home to treat patients, a practice that is virtually unheard of in most parts of the country today. 

The ad soliciting new songs Craig finds in the newspaper gives an address of 718 North Gower. In reality, this is the address of Paramount Studios (formerly Desilu) where the show was filmed.

Lucy hopes Craig becomes as famous as Simon & Carbunkle. Kim corrects her: Simon & Garfunkle. In 1970 Paul Simon and Art Garfunkle released the album “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Lucy later says Craig sings as well as Engelbert Pumpernickle. Craig corrects her: Engelbert Humperdinck. In a previous episode, Lucy pronounced the English pop singer's name “Englebert Dumperhinck.” Lucy is turning into a regular Mrs. Malaprop!  

Craig calls himself “this generation's Cole Porter.”  Cole Porter (1891-1964) was a songwriter who wrote both lyrics and music. He was responsible for the score of DuBarry Was A Lady, a Broadway musical that was filmed in 1943 with Lucille Ball. The show included the Cole Porter song “Friendship,” which Lucy Ricardo later sang with Ethel Mertz in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3, above).  

When Craig needs $100 for his song to be published, he wants to ask his Uncle Harry. 

LUCY: “Uncle Harry wouldn't have given Francis Scott Key $100 for 'The Star Spangled Banner.'”

“The Star Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) wrote a poem which was eventually set to music by John Stafford Smith. It was adopted as the anthem in 1931. 

Wally, Ann-Margret’s arranger, suggest she sing Craig’s song as a duet - perhaps with Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. Frank Sinatra’s hit single from 1969 called “My Way” re-entered the charts in 1970, spending nearly a hundred weeks in the top forty. In 1970 singer Dean Martin, who was one of Lucille Ball’s favorite performers, was still producing new episodes of “The Dean Martin Show” (above) as well as starring in the feature film Airport. 

On her coffee table is a copy of the December 1966 issue of House & Garden Magazine. Ann-Margret obviously doesn’t have much time for reading! 

Lucy Carter seems to have no qualms about leaving her 16 year-old son alone in the apartment of a 28 year-old woman known to the world as a ‘the original sex kitten’!  Offstage, however, Lucille Ball was not quite as understanding when Desi Jr. took up with 23 year-old divorcee Patti Duke, whose onscreen reputation was considerably more wholesome. In tabloid press, Lucille Ball was quoted as saying “Leave My Son Alone...He’s Only 17″ and “Patti Duke Used My Son and Victimized Us”. 

When Ann-Margret is slipping into “something more comfortable” (an age old film and TV trope intimating seduction), Craig practices his dancing alone to the strains of “I'm in the Mood for Love” written by Jimmy McHugh in 1935. Ann-Margret covered the song in 1962 on her album “On the Way Up.” While Ann-Margret’s version of the song was on RCA Records and had lyrics, the LP Craig selects has the Capital Records label (the rainbow ring) and is instrumental only. Coincidentally, Guy Lombardo included the song on his 1958 release on Capitol Records, although the version heard is not that cover.  

While Ann-Margret is off changing, Craig has three wordless minutes on screen alone to imagine his evening with the noted sex symbol. Here, Desi Jr. does some very funny and charming silent acting depicting the nerves of a first romantic encounter. Until she breaks the spell by appearing in a chenille robe, fuzzy slippers, and curlers! 

Craig and Ann-Margret perform the song "Country Magic" which in reality was not by Craig or Desi Arnaz Jr. but by Steve March, the son of Mel Torme and adopted son of Arnaz family friend, Hal March. 

Steve March appeared onscreen as one of Craig's high school friends in “Lucy and the Bogie Affair” (S2;E13) and will appear in a future episode guest starring Sammy Davis Jr. When Craig referred to his friend Steve in past episodes, this is likely who he has in mind.  

The pink paisley Fender telecaster guitar Craig plays during his number with Ann-Margret belonged to Jimmy Burton (below), Elvis Presley's number one guitar player. 

Burton actually played the guitar solo on the soundtrack. 

Unusually, after leaving Craig with Ann-Margret, the Lucy character is not seen again until the final fade-out. Lucille Ball is off-screen for 10 minutes of her own 24-minute show!  

In December 1968, just as “Here’s Lucy” was starting, Lucille Ball and Ann-Margret shared the cover of Coronet Magazine. Lucy wrote about her teenagers while Ann-Margret modeled see-through fashions. 

Lucy Carter wants Craig to be a doctor, not a musician. On “I Love Lucy” Lucy Ricardo wanted Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux, above) to be a doctor, not a musician!  

When Ann-Margret changes into “something more comfortable” she comes out wearing the same blue chenille bathrobe that Lucy wore in “Lucy and Tennessee Ernie's Fun Farm” (S1;E23, left). It looks very similar to the one that Vivian Vance wore in 1952’s “Breaking the Lease” (ILL S1;E18, center) and other episodes. It is likely that it is the same robe from the Desilu wardrobe racks!  

FAST FORWARD!

A year later, Ann-Margret is mentioned as one of the wishes Craig would ask of a magic lamp in “Lucy and Aladdin’s Lamp” (S3;E21). Craig must have forgotten this lengthy encounter when he mentioned his wish. 

Both Lucille Ball and Ann-Margret were on hand for “America’s Tribute to Bob Hope” on January 2, 1988. 

In 2000, Lucie Arnaz and Steve March-Torme (author of “Country Magic”), both children of megastars, did a cabaret act together. This was March’s cabaret debut. As of this writing, two decades later, they are both still performing in cabaret - just not together. 

Memory Lapse! Lucy tells Ann-Margret that the last time Craig sang in public it was “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Actually, Craig sang in his school musical in “Lucy and Carol Burnett” (S1;E17, above), in “Lucy and Tennessee Ernie's Fun Farm” (S1;E23), as Bing Crosby in “Lucy and the Andrews Sisters” (S2;E6), and in “Lucy and the Generation Gap” (S2;E12) – all in front of audiences!  

Hey Lady! At the end of “Country Magic,” Lucy bursts from the wings and shouts to the studio audience “My son the songwriter!”  If this was one of Ann-Margret’s television specials (as was earlier mentioned), a random mother bragging about her son is not something you’d expect to see!

Can I Have a Drum Roll... Please? Oddly, there is absolutely no mention of Craig’s former musical obsession - the drums! A skilled percussionist in real life, there were many episodes in which played drums and even a couple that revolved around it. 

This episode is a terrific showcase for Desi Arnaz Jr. He does his best with the comedy, but really shines in the musical number, where his dancing is as his sharp as his musicianship. Ann-Margret seems to be enjoying herself and the episode is fun to watch, although not particularly funny.

[hollywoodshrinerp-blog]

NAME: Erin Bengal AGE: 32 GENDER: Female PROJECT: Lady Cross POSITION: Producer

you got two black eyes from loving too hard and a black car that matches your blackest soul

Erin might’ve been born with big dark eyes full of wonder, but it’s not how she ended up. The youngest of three children born to Paul and Julie Bengal, Erin’s older brothers didn’t care that she was smaller than them in every way. She was a Bengal, just like them, and they took her under their wing as if she was a boy and not a girl. Considering the fact that Theodore and Calvin Bengal were already built like football players when she came along, growing up with her burly brothers shaped her profoundly.

By the time she got to high school, no one dared to stand in her way. It helped that if anyone looked at her funny, two hulking behemoths who were the stars of the school’s football team mysteriously also appeared.  But the youngest Bengal girl had a lot of clout herself. Erin saw what she wanted and went for it. Captain of the softball team? Easy. All A’s? Piece of cake. And she was a fiercely loyal as a friend as she was in her enjoyment of life. As Erin’s friend group grew, however, a bitter ex girlfriend of her older brother decided to make her life a living hell. Whispers about her being a slut, shooting steroids, and cheating on tests made their way around the school lightning quick, striking right at Erin’s heart.

Erin allowed herself one day to lock herself in her room in cry, and then took action. She started dropping comments, leaving notes in lockers, and discovered she could change the tide as easily as the ex girlfriend could --probably better. She honed this skill as she finished high school (revenge easily achieved of course), and decided to see how far it could take her. She went to Columbia and majored in filmography.  She headed to California the very next day after crossing the stage in her cap and gown.

invisible to the Hollywood shrine always on the hunt for a little more time

Starting as a production assistant to the popular sitcom ‘Cara and Elle’, Erin quickly stood out to her boss. She was skillfully able to draw the best performances out of the pint sized stars even as they grew tired, and they happened to adore her. She quickly ascended to actual producer and bounced around the TV circuit for a good few years afterwards.

Nowadays, she’s a popular commodity that many directors clamor to have on their team. Although production on ‘Lady Cross’ has only been going for a week or two, she’s already been working her magic - despite some clashing with her co-producer.

connections:

just another LA devotee

ORION BISHOP: Erin and Orion met several years ago when he auditioned for the reality show she was starting on. Even though he didn’t get the position of a possible suitor, he got a job in the crew, putting the two in close proximity. The heat between them is a genuine flame that has led the two of them to get into bed together on multiple occasions. They even tried dating, though Erin’s dedication to her job frustrated Orion. When he got his breakout role in the political thriller ‘Ace in the Hole’ a few years ago, they lost contact, but it remains to be seen whats the future for them on the set of ‘Lady Cross’.

GALEN DEVERAUX: There is no one who quite pushes Erin’s buttons like Galen. Suave, charming, with that dumb habit of sprinkling french in his speech to try and influence actresses to do what he wants (which they do, because the world is unfair). Not to mention the amount of innuendo’s he drops in every conversation. It’s a miracle she hasn’t killed him yet.

WESLEY PATRICK: Wes is one relationship that isn’t complicated for Erin.  Both very straight-forward, they are open and honest with each other. Erin likes to hang out with Wes because he reminds her of her brothers.

ERIN BENGAL IS PORTRAYED BY KRYSTEN RITTER AND IS CURRENTLY OPEN

[kamelodi]

Get to know me tag!

Tagged by the beautiful @toomanyfeelsexogdi, lovely @ilikechimchimnuggets, sweet @kaidonutsuniverse. ✨

Tagging: @loyalkaisoo @wuace @xxlostinthedragonxx @livinka-n-diland @wakawaka33 @hellomellowyellowjello @dcc1288 @monkeecamsie (Do it if you want to! I apologise if you’ve already done it! :>) 

Rules: answer these 92 statements and tag 10 people.

THE LAST:

1. Drink: Orange juice. Gotta get that Vitamin C because I ain’t getting that Vitamin D. It’s so cold here, I feel like my nose is going to fall off. :< Please eat lots of oranges to protect yourself against the cold everyone! :> 

2. Phone call: My friend Toby. He let me listened to his dog whine through the phone. Great thing to fall asleep too. :> I wish I had a pupperino. 

3. Text message: My sis-in-law because I wanted bubble tea! 

4. Song you listened to: What Redbone would sound like if it were a Cat Piano Cover

5. Time you cried: Today!

HAVE YOU:

6. Dated someone twice: Yes, only once~ I actually remember sneaking out of my house once when I was really young, lied to my family just so I can have a sleepover with them. We didn’t do anything inappropriate but I nearly got lost in the streets by myself at night just to see them. We haven’t talked in years and it’s funny how they live down the street to me now. :> 

7. Kissed someone and regretted it: Yes! I would rather kiss a frog than kiss them again. 

8. Been cheated on: Fortunately not yet. 

9. Lost someone special: Yes. 

10. Been depressed: :(


11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: No! I don’t think I will ever drink hahaha but I do want to get drunk once and see if I do anything funny. Just so I have a funny drunk story to tell. :>

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

12-14: Blue has been my favourite colour since I ever knew about colours. It’s really pretty, calming, like the sky. However I definitely think colour is associated with personality because nowadays I prefer to tell people that I like red ever since I wanted to become more confident. I think the intensity and passion of the colour is what I wanna be rather than a passive and calm blue. But that’s how I show myself to the world, I’m still an alice blue inside (I say that because my name is Alice and alice blue is a shade of blue! hahaha). I will always love black...even if it’s a shade. It’s just sophisticated, classy and mysterious. 

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: Yes! Hopefully it will last! :> 

16. Fallen out of love: Was I really in love with that person? 

17. Laughed until you cried: Yes, my friend was reading a poem to me and I fell onto the middle of the road and laughed until I cried. It was the way he read it. No one else can make it funny but him.

18. Found out someone was talking about you: Nope!

19. Met someone who changed you: No...? But ever since I joined Tumblr a few months ago, I got to talk to people who has had a major influence on me. Before that, I would just stalk them online so I’m happy to have finally talked to them. :>

20. Found out who your friends are: Yep!

21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: Ya! 

GENERAL:

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: 50%? 


23. Do you have any pets: I have 3 lovely pet fish who like to splash in their pretty fish bowl and I stalk this beautiful cat who appears in my neighbourhood. 

24. Do you want to change your name: Not...really? When I was 8, I remember asking my mum if I could change my birthday. It was really silly because it was the date that the Simpsons movie was going to be released lmao and I guess that was me expressing my excitement? Twitter/tumblr style lmao. But I love my birthday. 💕

25. What did you do for your last Birthday: Every single birthday, we go to my favourite fancy restaurant and eat lobster. 

26. What time did you wake up: 8am because food. 

27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Watching The Little Mermaid for fic writing purposes! But I fell asleep while watching it! 

28. Name something you can’t wait for: kaisoo’s wedding. I even have a speech prepared. 

29. When was the last time you saw your mom: This morning. 


30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: A lot of things...I really wanna go back in time. Let’s build a time machine. \o/

31. What are you listening right now: The Weeknd - Die For You | The Theorist Piano Cover

32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: Yep!  


33. Something that is getting on your nerves: My uncle smokes and drinks a lot. He has lung problems but he’s really stubborn about overcoming his addictions or going to the doctor. He just stays in his room, play games and every 2 minutes he would cough and clear his throat very loudly and it drives me insane. I’m too scared to talk to him. 


34. Most visited Website: Youtube/AFF. 

LOST QUESTIONS.

35. Mole/s: Many! I’ve even had some removed...it was my biggest childhood dream to have them gone tbh! 

36. Mark/s: Some!? 


37. Childhood dream: Wanting to be like wonder woman, do every job in the world. I had a whole list of what I wanted to be like an author, doctor, lawyer, singer, artist, director, actress etc. I would count them off my fingers really quickly like my whole life was planned. But growing up, I learnt a few things about the world, myself and my family and I know now that I really want to be a doctor! I still have an interest in many things but I think it would be wonderful to take care and save all the wonderful people I want to be. :) Also publish at least one book in my life! My ultimate life goal! 

38. Hair Colour: Light brown. 

39. Long or short hair: Medium?

40. Do you have a crush on someone: I don’t do crushes. ;) 

41. What do you like about yourself: I am small. 

42. Piercings: Ears! 

43. Blood type: ABO because I don’t know! ^o^  

44. Nickname: Arisu!!!!!!!

45. Relationship status: In a relationship.  

46. Zodiac: Capricorn 

47. Pronouns: She/her

48. Favorite TV Show: Can I say EXO Showtime? I also like Hannibal! I really wanna get into House of Cards or Game of Thrones lmao. 

49. Tattoos: No....t yet. 

50. Right or left hand: Right. 

51. Surgery: Dental surgery?

52. Hair dyed in different color: Yes! My favourite was red, I will go back to it soon. :> 

53. Sport: Running! Track and field with my super short legs! 

54. Vacation: Seoul?

55. Pair of trainers: 3. 

MORE GENERAL:

56. Eating Currently: A starburst. 

57. Drinking currently: Nothing but I should drink some water. Stay hydrated everyone! 

58. I’m about to: go workout! 

61. Waiting for: sleep! 

62. Want: turn my dreams into reality! 

63. Get married: yes!? I grew up watching this TV sitcom where there’s this really rich lady who married 8 rich husbands. I joke to my mum that I will be like her. 


64. Career: Something medical, something literary. 

WHICH IS BETTER

65. Hugs or kisses: Hugs! Warm bear hugs. :>


66. Lips or eyes: Eyes. I wonder what Kaisoo would choose lmao. 

67. Shorter or taller: Taller. I’m really not asking for much because I’m super smol. 


68. Older or younger: Older? 


70. Nice arms or nice stomach: Nice stomach? 

71. Sensitive or loud: Loud like Baekhyun please! 


72. Hook up or relationship: 
Relationship pls. 

73. Troublemaker or hesitant: Trouble maker. 

HAVE YOU EVER:

74. Kissed a stranger: nope! ^o^ 

75. Drank hard liquor: nope! ^o^ 

76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: nope! ^o^ 

77. Turned someone down: yep!

78. Sex in the first date: nope! ^o^ 

79. Broken someone’s heart: yes. 

80. Had your heart broken: yes, it’s karma. :)

81. Been arrested: nope! hopefully never! 


82. Cried when someone died: yep! 

83. Fallen for a friend: yep! 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

84. Yourself: it’s a tough journey getting there but eventually yes. 

85. Miracles: yes
! always having hope.

86. Love at first sight: Yes! But I think the Japanese phrase “Koi no Yokan” describes how I see it better, “The sense one can have upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love.” 

87. Santa Claus: no. T^T 

88. Kiss in the first date: yep! :> 

89. Angels: I think people can be like angels. I also have this silly thought that I have a guardian angel these days. 

OTHER:

90. Current best friends’ names: Toby, Zeri 

91. Eyecolor: Dark brown! 

92. Favorite movie: Classic list - Her, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, A Beautiful Mind, Oldboy, The Handmaiden, Amelie 

[mfmagazine]

Debby Ryan

Article by Kelli Kickham

Photo by Everette Perry

The life of an 18-year-old girl usually centers around boys, graduating high school and wondering "what next?" For teen star Debby Ryan, things are a little different. You probably know her from her role as Bailey on The Suite Life on Deck, and now she's getting ready for the premiere of her new show Jessie this fall. Ryan's pretty face has graced the covers of many teen magazines. There's plenty more to come from the talented young actress. She's known for her impeccable comedic timing and adorable smile, both of which she carries with an extraordinary level of poise. Rumor also has it that she bakes some pretty amazing pastries and plans to own a jet-pack sometime in the future. So, you may be wondering, "How can I even start to get to know the ins and outs of one of teen America's favorite stars?" Aw, I'm so glad you asked! Trust me, you've come to the right place.

You decided to pursue acting as a full-time career when you were 10 years old. That's a young age to be making any life decisions. Can you remember the thoughts that were going through your head when you made the decision "Yes, this is what I want to do"?

I realized that every amount of work and sacrifice was worth that moment: sitting by a velvet curtain, pulsing with the adrenaline of preparing to get lost in another world, and take people with me. I wanted to use every minute of free time between school, chores, dance, and homework to immerse myself in that realm. I found myself captivated with spending hours studying characters and acting styles, running lines, go to bed early so I could rehearse before school. That, to me, was better than going to the mall, and worth not having free time.

The Suite Life on Deck is all but wrapped up. Are you going to miss your cast mates? Did you make any friends you think you'll keep in touch with?

Of course. I realized I talk to at least one person or another from Suite Life almost every day. When you work with a group of people for 9 to 12 hours for three of some of the most monumental years of your life, it would be pretty hard not to form bonds. You see so many sides of these people, more often than family sometimes. Honestly, the cast and crew of Suite Life was such a diverse collection of people with so many different skills and experiences; I'm very excited to see where everyone goes from here.

So, moving on to the present-day, congratulations! You are starring in the show Jessie where you play the lead role as-- you guessed it-- Jessie. How are you feeling about the new show?

I'm proud- watching this artful machine with my name on it. Disbelief- that I get to come to work everyday and do what I do. Restless- always looking for some way to make it better. Anxious- can't wait to show my fans what I've been pouring my heart into for the last seven months. Developing this project was some of the most fun work I've ever done. Now that we are in production, it's not only meeting, but actually exceeding my exceptions. It already feels like a family, of such talented people. I get to tell such funny stories, on gorgeous sets, in amazing clothes, alongside talented people. What else could I possibly ask for?

Do you relate to your character at all?

Yeah, I mean, one of my favorite things about this role is that I get to play someone who was raised sort of similarly to my own upbringing. Except Jessie is a much cooler version of myself. She's sweetly strong; confident in her strength that she doesn't feel the need to try and prove it all the time. Plus, she's a funny chick. You know, we both babysat growing up and it seems to have really helped prepare us for the roles we've just found ourselves in. Jessie, as the nanny of 4 crazy kids with the world at their fingertips. Myself, at the helm of a young cast who's brand new to the sitcom world. We both grew up around the military world, and family is very important to us. Both Jessie and I have been encouraged from a young age to find our strength, and fight for the things we believe in.

All the Debby Ryan fans out there already know that singing is a huge passion for you. Do you get to do any writing or singing for this new show?

I always loved to write, and express myself through art. As I watched my brother Chase channel his passions into music, my words started to come with rhythms, and melodies. I'm most interested in the writing/producing side of music, but I can't go five minutes without singing or humming something. Plus, sometimes I write a story that I just need to tell in my voice. That's how "Open Eyes" and "Made of Matches" both were, even though they're insanely different...and Yes, I do get to work on and sing the theme song. Plus, we may or may not work some of my hobbies into the show, as well as how the cast and I have been spending our time [jam sessions!] but Disney and I have established that Jessie is not a music show.

When you work on your music, where do you look for inspiration?

I don't look for it. I couldn't. I never want to sit down with the intention of writing a song. That's when it becomes forced and contrived, and not art and expression. A lot of my writing comes from my acting; feeling what others are feeling and telling someone's story. Come to think of it, last night I wrote lyrics from the perspective of someone whose heart I've watched get broken. I see the situation as it is, why he does what he does, where it leaves him, but sometimes you need to blind yourself of the full view. When I look at him, alone by his own hand, and start to feel his cold of loneliness, trying to chase it away with unfulfilling sparks, holding too tightly and smothering the embers, and letting go the second the orange starts to fade, because it's all or nothing in his fairytale mind, and he's so afraid of being left again.. when my heart starts to break for someone, that's where I get the best songs.

Alright, so we know you're a busy girl. Moving from one TV series to another, working on your music career... assuming that you have any time to do anything extra, what do you do with your spare time? Any hobbies or interests that we might not yet know about?

Well lately, I've been obsessed with taking my kids on cast excursions. Glow in the dark mini golf, breakfast, Disneyland, etc. I go to concerts with my friends, download records, make playlists for my friends, and write about these experiences in my music blog, whoisdebbyanyway.tumblr.com.

Do you have any actresses that you look up to? Have you had the chance to talk or work with her/them?

Emma Stone, Tina Fey, Sandra Bullock, Zooey Deschanel...Growing up, I watched a lot of Amanda Bynes. There's something about a girl who can lose themselves in a role, comedy in particular, in such a ridiculous but genuine and earnest way. Smart, professional, directably, and fearless. Also, I totally see Tina Fey's business sense as a road map to my ideal career. I met Emma Stone at a premiere very briefly, and was enamored by her approachability. Some people fake it on screen. She's genuinely relatable, but still inherently cool. Zoe Saldana's that way as well. That's such a cool balance.

What's the most valuable piece of advice you've ever been given (career oriented or otherwise)?

Learn. Always listen. Ask questions. Soak it all up and use everything as a lesson and an opportunity to become better in every area. Also, learn multiple sides of your trade. I never learned certain things as an actor until I sat in the editing room on Suite Life after work, or the writer's room on hiatus, or shadowed a director during other people's scenes.

You're doing great with family-oriented shows on the Disney Channel. Are you hoping to branch into other genres?

I initially wanted to be in independent drama films, but I fell in love with multi-camera sitcom style. The older progression of what I do would be something like The Big Bang Theory or Friends. But I would like to branch into another genre of television: I watch a lot of NCIS, so something like that, or Psych or the Warehouse. That feels like a mini-film, with plenty of drama and splashes of comedy. Also, I've discovered randomly enough how much fun I have with my hosting gigs. As far as films go, ultimately, I'll be kicking butt in a fast paced action adventure.

What would be your dream role?

A sort of rogue modern-day superhero. Lara Croft, James Bond, Hit Girl, Indiana Jones' -hybrid chick. If Emma Stone's character in Zombieland had a setup like Catwoman.

Do you ever have trouble balancing your career and your personal life?

I learned early on that one of the biggest tools you need to be a successful actor is the understanding that you will have to give things up on one side to keep your priorities on the other side. I'm a person first. A daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend first, and I have to be willing to say no to exciting or important things and keep promises to loved ones at all cost. It's all about balance, and you can never find the perfect one, but you should never ever give up trying.

Ok, you're a talented actress and singer, but let's talk about some things outside of your career!

Okay. I bake some pretty mean gluten-free brownies. ..from a mix, but still.. they're mean.

Do you have any pets?

Yes. My nugget Presley was the best 17th birthday present ever. He's a toy poodle, and totally converted me to a little dog person. I've been wanting a Siberian Husky or a lab, but I saw him and we pretty much fell in love. He's strong and tough and doesn't quite know he's a little dog, and I'm determined to keep it that way. I bought him a spiked collar, and whenever he goes anywhere, he walks or runs on his own four feet. And our family has a sweet older Yorkie named Daisy.

If you were able to be any animal, what would it be? Would you be domesticated (cared for, pet, spoiled) or wild (freedom, fighting, killing-for-your-food)?

Wolf. I'm definitely a pack animal, and I'd rather go hungry than be sustained by something canned and set in front of me.

Do you like to read in your free time?

Yes. I used to read a lot more when I was younger; now, it's more like I collect books with hopes of absorbing them through osmosis. Just began Frannie and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. Salinger's tone is so cool. I'm usually into Shakespeare and C.S. Lewis, where you do a bit more translating of words and concepts, but this book vibes conversationally offbeat. Actually, the book was a gift. On the inside cover, it explains that, with the way I use words, I'm reminiscent of a modern day Salinger.

When it comes to things outside of the acting/music industry, who do you look to for advice or guidance?

My brother, Chase. He's got a great head on his shoulders and doesn't mind telling me the things I don't want hear, in a way where I can receive them.

Let's say you're taking an astronomy class, and as you're looking through the telescope you see a star not in the book. "Wow," your teacher explains-- you've discovered a brand-spanking-new star. What will you call it?

Wow, I'm honored. Go me, with my little telescope...I'd name it 'Galadriel', or 'a UFO'. "Hey look, up there! What's that star?" "Oh, that's 'a UFO'." "NO WAY!" "yes way. Debby discovered 'a UFO', last week. She saw it with her own two eyes." "gnarrllyyyyy!"

Another scenario: The world is being torn apart by a war. It's a war between ninjas and pirates. Which side do you choose?

Ninjas. They're agile and shifty, and I use words only when necessary.

Now you've chosen your side, a regular human name just won't do... what will your alias be?

Redemption.

There are a lot of young girls in the world who feel lost-- be it about family, relationships or what they want to do with their lives. Do you have any words of advice or encouragement?

I don't think you ever fully figure yourself out, because you are always growing and changing. Own that! Find the joy in surprising yourself. Explore the world around you and finding out how you feel about what you see. Try out new hobbies, styles, foods, cultures.. see what sticks. Its natural if you don't know just yet what you stand for, but you need to know what you stand against. Have an anchor so life doesn't toss you around. It's good to have a mentor who has achieved what you want to achieve. They can help you so much and you can learn from their mistakes.

[fashiontrendin-blog]

We Need To Talk About Armie Hammer's Bonkers Billy Graham Movie

https://fashion-trendin.com/we-need-to-talk-about-armie-hammers-bonkers-billy-graham-movie/

We Need To Talk About Armie Hammer's Bonkers Billy Graham Movie

Armie Hammer is enjoying a nice little career renaissance, one that has earned him a ticket to Sunday’s Oscars, where 2017’s finest movie, “Call Me by Your Name,” will compete for Best Picture. After wading through flops like “The Lone Ranger” and “The Birth of a Nation,” Hammer is once again beloved. In the coming months, he’ll appear in the jocular Sundance highlight “Sorry to Bother You” and a Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic that’s sure to be part of next year’s awards conversation.

Countless profiles have already traced Hammer’s roots as the aristocratic great-grandson of an oil magnate, and almost all of them herald 2010’s “The Social Network,” in which he pulled double duty playing twin Olympic athletes suing Mark Zuckerberg, as the actor’s illustrious Hollywood breakthrough.

Sure. “The Social Network” was Hammer’s breakthrough, and it’s certainly the movie that made him famous. But most profiles overlook the few projects that came before it, particularly one that caught my eye the other day: “Billy: The Early Years,” a biopic in which Hammer plays the one and only Billy Graham, who died last month at the age of 99.

Yep, Sir Armie ― the charming hunk who smooched Leo DiCaprio in “J. Edgar” and took a bite out of Timothée Chalamet’s semen-stained peach in “Call Me by Your Name” ― once portrayed America’s most famous evangelist, a Southern-fried live wire who popularized tent revivals, became the youngest college president in U.S. history, counseled actual presidents in the White House, called homosexuality “a sinister form of perversion” and urged his following to vote for Donald Trump despite the crude “Access Hollywood” tape that leaked during the 2016 campaign. 

But let’s not get sidetracked by Graham’s politics when we have a movie so deliciously bonkers to dissect.

“Billy: The Early Years” is a true wonder of the world, far more vapid and unskilled than your average inspirational biopic. Distributed by Rocky Mountain Pictures, a conservative company that would later release “Atlas Shrugged: Part I” and Dinesh D’Souza’s “2016: Obama’s America,” it opened Oct. 10, 2008, on 282 screens ― a decent number for a limited release ― and collected all of $347,328 at the box office.

Further clogging this enigma, “Billy” is directed by Robby Benson, a minor ’70s heartthrob who lost out on the part of Luke Skywalker, voiced the Beast in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and helmed a handful of “Friends” and “Ellen” episodes.

According to a Los Angeles Times report from 2008, “Billy” cost $3.6 million ― more than the budgets of “Saw” and “Moonlight” combined. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association declined to endorse the film, calling it “greatly embellished,” even though it’s a saccharine portrait that paints Graham in an wholesome, exceedingly favorable light.

“They wanted to make a movie about someone whose face could be chiseled into a mountain,” Benson said, referring to the producers, who’d recruited him for the job. “I said, ‘Let’s make it fun and funny.’”

Well, it’s fun and funny, all right. It’s also a fascinating case study of an actor making an odd career choice on the pathway to fame. Let’s recap the film’s highlights.

‘Billy: The Early Years’: An Incredibly Specific Plot Summary 

Following a Brooks & Dunn cover of Johnny Cash’s “Over the Next Hill (We’ll Be Home),” the movie opens with a framing device. Martin Landau ― yep, Oscar-winning Martin Landau ― plays the elderly, hospice-ridden Charles Templeton, Graham’s evangelist BFF who later denounced Christianity.

He’s giving an interview to a documentary crew, though said documentary’s only purpose in the film is to provide Templeton interludes that fade out to reveal Graham-centric flashbacks. Every shot in Landau’s hospital room is overlit like a second-rate sitcom.

The first flashback cue: “Billy’s life was like a fairy tale. […] Billy grew up in a Norman Rockwell painting.” The stage has been set. We transition to Charlotte, North Carolina.

As it turns out, all Billy Graham really wanted to do was play baseball! Armie Hammer ― or someone who looks like him; we only see his backside ― hits a ball into a starry night sky in slow motion.

Six minutes in, here comes the Armie we know and love, dressed in a trim baseball uniform and delivering flowers to his mama.

As we learn, 16-year-old Billy didn’t have much of a thing for religion, probably because of his devout, uncaring father. For example, during a prayer at the dinner table, the little rebel sneaks a bite of food. (Maybe this is a good time to note that it’s the Great Depression? Multiple characters mention it, but the movie doesn’t delve into many of the era’s social dynamics.) 

Billy swears he’ll never become a preacher (or an undertaker, which we can’t fault him for). In his eyes, evangelists are “money-grubbing” hacks, period.

Blissfully, “Billy: The Early Years” has no time to waste. Immediately after he condemns preacher-hood, a farmhand invites Billy to attend to a tent revival. For the uninitiated, that’s an outdoor worship service where a man in a boxy suit shrieks about eternal damnation. There, the reverend addresses Billy directly, leading to the quickest change of heart ever known to changes of heart. Time to go to Bible school! 

But forget all that altar-call stuff. The movie gets good ― real good ― in the next scene, when Armie dons overalls and tends to farm work like something out of a fetish fantasy. Luckily, his mama approves of Bible college! (Told you it was the quickest about-face.)

Oh, and “Billy: The Early Years” Armie is just as handsome as “Call Me by Your Name” Armie, but he’s slightly less sculpted, giving him a plantation-twink vibe. He was 22 when the movie came out, and more young boys would have come out too, had they seen it. (Little did we know the peach-related intrigue that awaited us.)

The movie returns to Landau for some fodder on Templeton’s less dogmatic religious conversion. Boring.

Meanwhile, Billy has begun selling hairbrushes door to door, bringing his chewy Southern cadence and calculated charm to one home after the next. Knock on my door, Billy!

Here he is cheesing at evangelism-school orientation. Look at those blue eyes shimmer.

When seminary begins, Billy’s roommate tells him preaching is no different than selling brushes. Voila! It all makes sense now. But phooey on that one girl in class who rejects his advances. “I just don’t think you’re going to amount to much,” she says, after showing up at a dance with another boy despite having told Billy she’d go with him. Ouch. What a fool.

As for Billy’s first sermon, well, I’m not sure what we’re meant to make of it. Amid a staggeringly earnest story, the scene jolts into a surreal whimsy that’s just plain confusing. Billy stands at the lectern nervously, fiddling with his notes and observing a clock’s defeating tick.

Then, as if a lightning bolt has struck him, he starts shouting to the room in nonsensical fragments (“And what about David and Moses?!”) as the camera zooms toward him feverishly. Zany hoedown music plays as he yaks. At first it seems like a fantasy sequence, something taking place in his head. A homily on LSD, if you will.

But it’s all too real. I think?

The congregation’s reaction shots ― also captured via quick, tilted zooms ― seal the deal. A diamond in the extreme rough, that Billy.

Now it’s back to his romantic life. He’s crushing on the girl who will become his wife, Ruth Bell (played by Stefanie Butler). After he passes her a note in the school library and ignites their courtship, Billy and Ruth start romancin’ it up. Naturally, it’s a sexless arrangement, as far as we see it, until children enter the picture. Gotta stay pure.

But remember how baseball was once the only thing Billy wanted to do? Well, apparently he’s no good at it anymore. Ruth knows how to throw a ball, but Billy does not know how to catch it without hurting his cute little hand. (Or his big hand. Armie Hammer is 6-foot-5!)

He squeals in pain every time. Does it really hurt that much to catch a baseball? (This is a real question. I wouldn’t know.)

Billy then has the dreamiest split-screen phone call with his mother to proclaim his love.

One quick serious note: Lindsay Wagner, the “Bionic Woman” and “Six Million Dollar Man” actress who portrays Billy’s mother, is actually rather lovely in this movie. She has a delicate way of making silly dialogue seem authentic. Bravo, Lindsay Wagner. Someone give her a real role.

OK, so we’re a little more than halfway through this 85-minute gem when, for some reason, Billy starts preaching to anyone who will listen. Literally. I guess that’s what evangelizing means? Sort of? Cut to him standing outside some dilapidated sheriff’s office wearing this oddly patterned suit and converting a nonbeliever in a matter of seconds. And to think how hopeless he was the last time we saw him orate.

Meanwhile, Martin Landau is still stuck in that hospice bed, recounting his own evangelism days and his friendship with Billy, who is now preaching to larger and larger crowds.

In the best moment so far (other than the overalls), we get this cool shot of Landau imagining his younger self, played by Kristoffer Polaha.

Polaha’s Templeton is suddenly everywhere in Billy’s life, including at the birth of his first daughter. But Charles’ faith is shaken by the horrors of World War II ― which, sure, fair. Makes sense. Nazis are horrific.

Things keep on zipping, and after a title card informs us that two years have passed, Billy goes from farmland sermonizing to being president of Northwestern Bible College in Minneapolis at the age of 29. He doesn’t want to be one of those money-grubbing preachers he slammed at the start of the movie, so he tells his staff to make sure he’s “accountable for every penny collected” and can avoid whatever might precipitate the “downfall of an evangelist.” 

Here’s when things get Mike Pence-ish. In order to avoid a scandal, Billy decrees that “no man is to be in a room alone with a woman other than his wife.” It’s the most sexually explicit moment yet, other than the overalls. (But just wait.)

Charles’ crisis of faith intensifies as the war rages on. He brings his dilemma to Billy. How can God leave Hitler to run amok? How can the Almighty allow such travesties to blanket the globe? 

They sit together on a couch, seemingly on the precipice of a big ol’ smooch. Little did Armie know, he was auditioning for “Call Me by Your Name” almost a decade too soon. 

Charles abandons the pulpit, but Billy keeps praying nonetheless. When he next sees his friend, it’s the summer of 1949, four years after the end of World War II. Charles has doubled down on his agnosticism, and Billy, now 31, has doubled down on his convictions.

More importantly, they’ve both doubled down on their sexual tension. This is presumably unintentional, but let’s ignore that boring detail and accept the scene at face value.

Now, with less than 12 minutes remaining, a seed of doubt has been planted in Billy.

He has a dark night of the soul ― literally. In the next scene, he teleports like a ghost, appearing in the middle of the woods somewhere. Now we know where that $3.6 million went: The CGI is lit. 

It’s his come-to-Jesus moment. He is coming to Jesus to beg for proof of the Bible’s veracity. “Where are you?” he yells, after which a montage of moments from his still-young life flash by. That’s it! Mystery solved! It only took recalling his past to move on with his future.

“I hear you, Lord,” he says, again proving that Billy Graham had the hastiest religious conversion ever known to preachers whose net worth totals $25 million.

And now, everything’s hunky-dory. Billy’s “early years” are coming to an end, and so is the movie. Suddenly, he’s preaching about his friend Charles in his own tent revivals and telling the masses that Jesus “came from that part of the world which touches Europe and Africa and Asia” ― aka the Middle East ― and “probably had brown skin.”

Considering how much some fundamentalists love White Jesus, this is maybe sort of a progressive idea to include in this otherwise ginger movie? 

Anyway, apparently this is what it looks like to stand in front of a sky. (Note: The sky is gray at the start of this concluding sermon, but grows progressively bluer as Billy continues. It’s a metaphor!)

And the crowd! What a mighty crowd! He made it though the wilderness! (Yeah right.)

That’s the final shot. The end credits roll to the sounds of Michael W. Smith’s “Amazing Love.”

Here’s what we learned about Billy Graham from “Billy: The Early Years”: He’s a walking version of the hymn “Old-Time Religion,” blessed with a pleasant working-class upbringing and a squeaky-clean respectability but cursed by a sex appeal he can’t take advantage of and what seems to be no desire to visit his old friend, who is stuck in hospice giving interviews about Billy’s life.

You should watch this movie. It’s a masterwork to behold. 

A representative for Armie Hammer did not respond to our request for comment.

[londontheatre]

With Travesties and David Baddiel: My Family Not the Sitcom taking up residence in the West End, Funny Girl on the road as part of a major national tour, the Menier Chocolate Factory today announces the West End transfer of their current critically acclaimed revival of Terence Rattigan’s Love in Idleness. Trevor Nunn directs Eve Best (Olivia Brown), Edward Bluemel (Michael Brown), Anthony Head (Sir John Fletcher), Vivienne Rochester (Miss Dell) and Nicola Sloane (Polton/Celia Wentworth). The production plays a strictly limited season for just 50 performances, opening on 18 May at the Apollo Theatre, with previews from 11 May, and is running until 1 July. Tickets go on sale to Menier Chocolate Factory members today, 27 March, at 6am, with public booking opening at 9am on 29 March.

Returning from Canada after a four-year absence during the war, eighteen-year-old Michael is full of youthful ideology and leftist leanings. But he is shocked to find his widowed mother Olivia is now the mistress of cabinet minister Sir John Fletcher, enjoying a comfortable society life. When Michael and John clash, sparks fly and relationships are tested as everyone learns some difficult lessons in love.

This new production sees Nunn return to Rattigan, following the huge success of Flare Path, with another of the playwright’s trio of ‘war plays’, which also includes While the Sun Shines.

Nunn will follow Love and Idleness at the Menier Chocolate Factory with Lettice and Lovage opening on 17 May, with previews from 4 May, and completing its run on 8 July.

Terence Rattigan’s (1911 – 1977) major works include The Deep Blue Sea, The Browning Version, Separate Tables, French without Tears and The Winslow Boy.

Eve Best is playing Olivia Brown. Her theatre credits in London include Hedda Gabler (Almeida Theatre / Duke of York’s – Olivier Award for Best Actress, Evening Standard Award for Best Actress), Antony and Cleopatra, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe),The Duchess of Malfi, A Moon for the Misbegotten (The Old Vic), As You Like It (RSC/Sheffield Crucible), Le Misanthrope (Chichester Minerva), Mourning Becomes Electra (Critics’ Circle Award for Best Actress), The Coast of Utopia, Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard and The Heiress (all National Theatre), and ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Young Vic – London Evening Standard Award and Critics’ Circle Award for Best Newcomer). Her theatre work on Broadway includes Harold Pinter’s Old Times and The Homecoming (Tony Award nomination for Best Actress) and A Moon for the Misbegotten (Tony Award nomination for Best Actress, Drama Desk and Outer Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Actress). For television, her work includes Lucky Man, Nurse Jackie, The Honourable Woman, Life in Squares, The Shadow Line, Shackleton and Prime Suspect; and for film, The King’s Speech. She made her directorial debut with Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2013. This is her third collaboration with Trevor Nunn following The Cherry Orchard and The Coast of Utopia.

Edward Bluemel plays Michael Brown. His theatre credits include Animal, Longing, Strange Orchestra, The Winter’s Tale (Richard Burton Theatre Company), Mercury Fur (Company of Sirens). His television credits include The Halcyon. His film credits include The Commuter, Access All Areas.

Anthony Head plays Sir John Fletcher. His theatre includes Ticking (Trafalgar Studios), Six Degrees of Separation (The Old Vic), The Tempest (New Huntington Theatre), Otherwise Engaged (Criterion) Peter Pan, Pirates of Penzance (Savoy Theatre), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Duke of York’s), Rope (Wyndham’s), Chess (Prince Edward), Yonadab, The Prince of Homburg (National Theatre) and Patriot for Me (Chichester Festival). For television his work include Still Star-Crossed, Guilt, Drunk History, Harmony, Dominion, Galavant, The Selection, Warehouse 13, Dancing on the Edge, Free Agents, Sold, The Invisibles, Sensitive Skin, Dr Who, Persuasion, Hotel Babylon, Rose and Maloney, My Family, Monarch of the Glen, MIT, New Tricks, Little Britain, Reversals, Manchild, Spooks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Love in a Cold Climate; and for film, A Street Cat Named Bob, Despite the Falling Snow, Flying Home, Convenience, Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters, Ghost Rider – Spirit of Vengeance, The Iron Lady, The Great Ghost Rescue, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Sweeny Todd and The Tourist.

Vivienne Rochester plays Miss Dell. Her theatre work includes The Magna Carta Plays (Salisbury Playhouse), Singing Stones (Arcola Theatre), The Women’s Spring (The Roundhouse), Twelfth Night (Leicester Haymarket, Belgrade Coventry), Tamburlaine (British Council Tour), Hobson’s Choice (Birmingham Rep), Electra (Shaw Theatre), Sir Thomas Moore (Shaw Theatre), Restoration, Macbeth, The Balcony, Kissing the Pope and The Rover (Royal Shakespeare Company), and A Mouthful of Birds (Royal Court, Birmingham Rep). For television Little White Lies, Men of the Month and Window of Vulnerability.

Nicola Sloane returns to the Menier Chocolate Factory to play Polton/Celia Wentworth – she previously appeared in A Little Night Music (also West End). Her other theatre credits include London Road, 50th Anniversary Gala, Anything Goes and Love’s Labour’s Lost (National Theatre), Flowers for Mrs Harris, My Fair Lady and Me and My Girl (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), Two Cities (Salisbury Playhouse), Enter the Guardsman (Donmar Warehouse), Strife, Way Upstream, The Gondoliers and The Waterbabies (Chichester Festival Theatre), To Kill a Mockingbird (Royal Exchange Manchester), and The Sound of Music, Acorn Antiques, Spend Spend Spend, Martin Guerre, Les Miserables and The Woman in Black (West End). For television, her work includes Maigret, Black Mirror, Home Fires, Call the Midwife, Parade’s End, Dancing on the Edge and Home Again; and for film, The Danish Girl, The Tale of Tales, London Road, Mr Turner, The Theory of Everything, Les Miserables, Broken and Season of the Witch.

From 1968 to 1986, Trevor Nunn was the youngest ever Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, directing over thirty productions, including most of the Shakespeare canon, as well as Nicholas Nickleby and Les Misérables. From 1997 to 2003, he was Artistic Director of the National Theatre, where his productions included Troilus and Cressida, Oklahoma!, The Merchant of Venice, Summerfolk, My Fair Lady, A Streetcar Named Desire, Anything Goes and Love’s Labour’s Lost. He has directed the world premières of Tom Stoppard’s plays Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia and Rock n Roll; and of Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Starlight Express and Aspects of Love by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Other theatre includes Timon of Athens, Skellig (Young Vic); The Lady From The Sea (Almeida Theatre); Hamlet, Richard II, Inherit the Wind (The Old Vic), A Little Night Music (Menier Chocolate Factory, West End and Broadway), Cyrano de Bergerac, Kiss Me Kate (Chichester Festival Theatre); Heartbreak House, Flare Path, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Tempest (Theatre Royal, Haymarket); Scenes from a Marriage (Coventry & St James), All That Fall (Jermyn Street & New York); A Chorus of Disapproval and Relative Values (West End). Work for television includes Antony and Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, Three Sisters, Othello, The Merchant of Venice and King Lear, and on film, Hedda, Lady Jane and Twelfth Night.

Produced by Chocolate Factory Productions & Nica Burns.

Set and costume designs are by Stephen Brimson Lewis; with lighting design by Paul Pyant; sound design by Gregory Clarke, and projections by Duncan McLean.

Helen George is unable to transfer with the production due to prior filming commitments.

Listings Information Love in Idleness Venue: Apollo Theatre Address: Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES Press Night: 18 May at 7pm Dates: 11 May – 1 July

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