#but that picture of Michael and David is like night and day to the one with AL

[ingravinoveritas]

So Al post always have to make sure she the centre of attention on Ms big night which doesn't come as a shock in that photo michael look tense and stiff and where the smile it exactly same as the other he pulls when he with her georgia one on seems more general and supportive of her friend and husband best friend then his actual parter

Would love to hear ur thoughts on this one

Hi there! Well, my DMs have been blowing up all afternoon about these various posts, and...yeah. A lot to unpack here, for sure.

It's interesting to see the use of two very different pictures here--one posed, one a candid pic/selfie--and how that frames everything else that is going on, and highlights several contrasts that are much too great to ignore. Perhaps the most significant contrast is that in the posed photo, Michael and AL are barely touching, and the photographer seems to have made the choice not to pose them like a couple. There is also no apparent "pull" that is unconsciously bringing them together, in spite of whatever direction they might've been given. In the picture of Michael and David, however, not only are they sitting very close together, but that "pull" is readily visible, and you can see them leaning/melting into each other without any effort. So that by itself on a foundational, fundamental level puts these pictures into two very different places.

The second aspect of the contrast--again, in my opinion--is the impersonal nature of Anna's post vs. Georgia's. Anna is posting a Getty Images picture with a watermark with another generic "Darling" caption (the same as she did in another post when the first episode of The Way aired a few weeks ago). At this point it feels, as @invisibleicewands previously described, akin to a "Best regards" at the end of an e-mail. And again, it's not only a photo shoot pic instead of a personal one--an especially strange choice given that Michael has repeatedly talked about how much he hates photo shoots--but a shot where Michael looks stiff and so uncharacteristically subdued.

In the picture Georgia posted, we see that twinkle in his eye, how relaxed he looks, full of that life and joy that we've come to so strongly associate with Michael, and it makes it even more stark how absent that is from the second picture. And further adding to all of this is what you mentioned, about AL centering herself/how she and Michael look in this post, as opposed to the opening of the play.

If we had any doubts about this, Anna seems to have taken the point home this with the story she posted immediately following this one:

For those who may not know, this is a photo from the show Schitt's Creek, of the actors who play the main family (special shout-out to Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy, my loves). I have not actually seen the show, so I can't attest to anything specific about the characters' personalities, but it appears this is who AL thinks she and Michael look like. I would say, though, that what is apparent to me is that Anna's priority in posting that first Insta story was the aesthetic/the picture, rather than celebrating Michael or the opening night of the play. Putting these two things together, Michael almost seems like the smallest part of the post, which is an odd thing to do when tonight is the opening night of his play.

And this again wildly contrasts with Georgia's post, where the picture is merely a vehicle for something much deeper, and much more meaningful. Just the positioning of the word "Michael" at the center of the picture is a visual cue that lets us know what this post is about, and this is further augmented by the caption for all of the reasons I enumerated here. I also can't help thinking that there was a reason that a picture of Michael and David was used--not a picture of Michael by himself, and not a picture of Michael and Georgia--and given that this Insta story was posted after AL's, it makes me wonder if that was a deliberate choice, for multiple reasons...

So yes, those are my thoughts on these two Insta stories/pictures from today. I'm definitely interested to see what posts or pictures we might get following tonight's performance/press night (and fingers crossed that David actually made it to the show this time). Also glad as always to hear from my followers about your take on these posts. Thanks for writing in! x

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

David Tennant and Michael Sheen on The One Show 10.7.2023 ❤ :)

(also there Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman, and Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas as interviewers :))

Int1: Well, this is lovely for Wednesday, isn't it?

David: It's a lovely way to spend a Monday night, innit?

Zoe: I was excited to see you both.Likewise.

Int1: Now, Good Omens. I mean, people love the first series. It's back for a second. If there's anybody watching who didn't see the first one, they don't know what we're talking about. Go on, Michael. Fill them in.

Michael: I play an angel on Earth to do angel things.

David: I play a demon. I'm Hell's emissary on Earth.

Michael: And we decide that it's a lot easier if we team up because it saves on shoe leather. So we come to an arrangement, and then we realize that we actually quite like it on Earth, and we don't really want to deal with our respective head offices. And in season one, we save the world from the apocalypse. Season two...

David: And get excommunicated by our respective...

Michael: Yes. Exactly. So season two picks up. We're now...

David: We're at liberty.

Michael: Yeah. I'm in my bookshop, having lovely meals and watching lovely shows and hanging out with my best buddy here.

David: I'm living in my car, unfortunately, becausemy apartment came with a job.

Michael: And then John Ham turns up naked at mybookshop in Soho one day with no memory. And so the mystery begins. Int2: The plot twist. We know we've got a clip.

Nicole: I don't understand why he's [Jon Hamm] not on the couch.

Michael: Well, exactly. Nor me. I think everyone's asking the same thing.

David: Apparently it's a BBC rule you have to be clothed, so he was having none of it.

Int1: Yeah, that would push Monday over the edge. Let's see the clip.

Int2: Let's see the clip.

[familiar trailer plays, nothing new there]

Michael: When I said that line in the scene [I think I may have just started a war.], I knew it would be in the trailer. Do you know when you sometimes go, yeah, this is a trailer, and I got really nervous .I couldn't do it. Doing it over and over again.

Nicole: Well, I'm looking for something to watch. I'm watching that.

Zoe: Yes.

Int2: I like how you were like, yeah, that's the one.

Michael: On 28th.

Zoe: Okay, you watch ours and we watch yours.

Michael: Deal. We're in. We're in.

David: Yes, very good, very good.

Int1: Beautiful. This is the thing, at the heart of Good Omens is this unlikely friendship between you two, but in real life so you filmed it, you didn't know each other, and then they clicked. Look at them. They joined at the hip. They do everything...

Michael: It's true.

Int1: You even had babies at the same time.

Michael: We did.

Int1 [to David]: Your wife posted this picture of you two leaving the hospital.

David: Look how in tune we are with each other.

Michael: And now those two little babies are nearly four, and they send each other little video messages. Yeah.

David: Well, they're babies of the pandemic, so that's how they think everyone communicates.

Michael: Exactly.

Int1: Is then when you went on to do Staged together?

Michael: Yeah.

Int1 [to Zoe and Nicole]: Have you seen that?

Zoe: No.Wait a minute. What are you guys doing on stage right now? Like a tour or something?

David: No, no it's a show .

Michael: It was a TV series called Staged that we did over Zoom. So we could work from our own houses.

David: Yeah.

Michael: We've done three series.

Nicole: They're extremely clever.

Zoe: That's insane. I have to watch it.

Int2: Now, Michael, apparently you turned down the opportunity to play David's character. Arguably got a better wardrobe. Is it something that you're regretting right now?

Michael: He gets all the best clothes. No. Neil Gaiman, who wrote the book that it's based on with Terry Pratchett. I've been friends with Neil for years, and so when we first started talking about the project yeah. We sort of both kind of, for some reason, assumed that I would play this one character, and then as he started writing the scripts, I was like, that's not the character. I'm not going to play that. So I felt kind of bad about saying that to Neil, and Neil was sort of feeling, because he was thinking thesame thing, feeling bad about saying it to me. So it all came out and then eventually it made way for the Tennant to emerge.

Int1: And he came in his lovely outfit.

Michael: Yeah. And his slinky hips.

...

Int2: David.You're returning to Doctor Who. We had Catherine Tate on a couple of weeks ago.

David: Oh, yes.

Int2: o we spoke to her about it all. Now, she said it was like slipping back into a comfy pair of slippers. Was it the same for you?

David: Yeah. I mean, 15 years is quite a long time. And you do worry you won't be able to runf ast enough anymore, but...

Int1: Is it 15 years ago?

David: 15 years.

Int1: It's not, David, it can't be.

David: You're a lot older than you think you are.

Michael: I was only five when... I remember the David Tennant. I was just a little nipper.

Int2: On the Doctor Who subject. Watching... that's what inspired yo uas a child, wasn't it? Watching Doctor Who.

David: Yeah.

...

Int2: Good Omens Series Two on the 28 July on Prime Video and you can catch all three series of stage on IPlayer.

...

Int1: Let's say Nadoli Llawen.

Nicole: Yeah. [Tries]

Int1: Nadoli Llawen. Merry Christmas in Welsh.

Michael: Very good.

Int1: Michael, you can verify this. I mean, even the both of us are from South Wales, and even within 20 minutes car Journey, there'll be different dialects...

Michael: Within streets! Streets! Yeah, you can tell where someone comes from, which end of town people come from. [to Int1] I know which end of town you come from.

Int1: Say no more.

Michael: It's always been very clear, Alex.

Int1: Always very clear.

[heyimdove]

Things of Note at @neil-gaiman ‘s NJPAC talk:

1. Do you people understand that he switches into accents when he reads? Do you people know he does a perfect Michael Sheen impression? did you know it’s also hot

2. He used to cold call publishers/mags to see if they’d publish his work. He’d lie when asked what other magazines he wrote for; they’d think he was more legitimate and would, therefore, be more likely to take him on themselves. “You couldn’t get away with that now” thanks to Google. Also, back then, “we had telephones and we used them,” but today’s publishers would not easily recover if you unexpectedly called them on the phone.

3. It was a personal point of pride for Neil to write for each of the magazines he’d claimed to have written for. He said “I didn’t lie. I was chronologically challenged.”

4. Neil made a deliberate effort to not be boxed in by publishers. He’d interviewed many authors who were unhappily boxed and did everything he could to avoid it, including declining big contracts from prestigious publishers (notably after American Gods). This is why he can write what he likes now. Comics writing spoiled him in this regard, as publishers mistook the medium for a genre, and therefore didn’t care what he wrote (so he wrote all the genres he wanted to in Sandman).

5. He hates Thomas Hardy thanks to being introduced to him in school. Regarding being forced to read Tess of the D’urbervilles, he said “I wouldn’t do that to a dog”. He hopes students, who might have liked him if they found him on their own, don’t encounter his work in school and hate him for it.

6. “The evil characters (you write) don’t possess you, you try to find the little bit of you in them….the little bit of you that is gloriously evil.”

7. “I touched the magic and passed it along” this was a line from Watching from the Shadows that especially moved me.

8. Terry was increasingly upset as the bidding on Good Omens increased (eventually reaching 150,000 - can’t remember if he said $ or £). For his part, when the book finally sold, Neil put on Iggy Pop’s Success and danced.

9. Anansi Boys should be out on Prime by the end of 2024!

10. Described Sandalphon as someone you want to “hit with a large oar”. (The woman next to me, who was extremely stingy with her applause, hooted like an owl at this and clapped til the last).

11. Pronounces Amazon as “Ama-zin” and Los Angeles as “Los Angelese”. This isn’t noteworthy, but I liked it enough to write it down.

12. “Being on a beach in bare feet” was the line that led Neil to realize David Tennant would be perfect for Crowley.

13. He is pictured on the ALA’s poster holding Wind in the Willows because, as a child, “it messed up my head.” He said he is “in love” with a chapter in the middle called The Piper at the Gates of Dawn where the characters meet Pan. It’s often left out of printings, which makes him sad because it is “strange, beautiful, luminous”.

14. TOATEOTL was originally planned to go to Broadway. Then, Covid. They did a “world tour” instead. Now that it’s wrapped, talks about Broadway are happening. He says all of adaptations of his work, this is his favorite.

15. “Disney’s Aladdin plays four times a day in Hell”

16. His favorite question of the night was “WHY did you think of the Other Mother?” He was tickled by the word choice of “why”

17. Asked the library in Sussex “What have you got in the way of really good horror for four year olds?” Obviously none existed so he wrote Coraline.

18. Talked about going viral for being in a falafel, seemed to marvel at the progression of the meme’s meaning.

19. “Tumblr is its own madness”

20. “Stephen King has fabulous stories about meeting fans in toilets, including being passed a book under the stall”

21. Read “The Day the Saucers Came” which I misheard initially as Sauces. Saucers is definitely better.

22. “You want to see me doing Dickens?” I laughed inappropriately at this. I was the only one.

23. I don’t want to say what pieces he read because I want you to buy tickets to his events. But it was very nice to be read to by Neil Gaiman.

It’s very worth it to go. I flew out from San Diego for this and would do it again in a heartbeat!

[mckiwi]

So I met David Tennant this weekend…

Story time below the cut:

Thursday 7/11: Driving Down

I live in south GA so I just drove down to Miami, FL for the convention. Left about 11:30am and got to Miami at 9pm. Checked into the hotel and ordered food from DoorDash. Practically passed out cause I was so tired from that drive.

Friday 7/12: Day Before The Convention

Friday didn’t offer much at first. I was meeting a friend down there and their flight didn’t land in Miami until that night. In the meanwhile I went to Publix to get some drinks and snacks for the room and got lunch from Subway. We went down to the boardwalk area for a bit once she landed and went downtown to get something to eat. It was a bit expensive but good, what else would you expect. Saw where Georgia posted on her story showing she and David were also downtown. Promptly freaked out and got excited at knowing he was within a few miles radius of us. (Didn’t ever see him obviously). Turns out the free public parking wasn’t free and got a ticket for $30… oops. Went back to the hotel and played Battleship and went to bed.

Saturday 7/13: Day of the Convention

Got an Uber there cause I’m not dealing with that traffic again and arrived at like 9am. Waited in line until 10am for the show floor to open. We walked around a bit cause our photo op wasn’t scheduled until 11:10. I got a TARDIS and 221B keychain as well as a Supercon t-shirt. We got in line and got our picture between like 11:20-11:30ish I think? It’s a blur tbh, I saw him and lost all track of time. It was really quick so I couldn’t really get to talk to him. It was just a “hey” “hi” 📸 “have a good one.” 👋🏻 It was a long wait in the line but it passed by pretty quickly cause I got to talk to a few other people in line. This was honestly one of the best parts of the convention besides David himself because I got to meet such like-minded people. You could strike up a conversation with practically anyone and have tons of common interests. My friend and I actually kinda made friends with this other girl that was there by herself so the three of us stuck together the rest of the day. His panel started at 12:30, so we were in line by 11:50 and sat by 12:25. His panel was really fun. It’s really interesting watching his thought process happen live cause it’s so chaotic. I love him and his failed analogies.

David: “I’m going to stop now. I can smell the frosting from here.”

They had a Q&A in the second half of the panel. The new girl and I actually got in line to do the Q&A, but if you know anything about David you know he’s gonna take his time to fully answer even the simplest of questions, so we got through maybe 6-7 questions within 30 minutes. One of those questions was actually from his own kids, so that was funny. I’m not sure if it was Olive or Wilfred that asked, they were both there.

Kid: “who’s your favorite kid?”

David: “who’s your favorite parent?”

Kid: “well Georgia just recorded for a book, so-”

After the panel, the three of us battled the autograph line. We had prepaid for our autograph, so we got in one line from like 12:45-1:45 to register our QR code or whatever and get a little blue ticket. Then we had to wait in another line from like 2:30-5 to get the autograph. Was worth it though. My friend got a book signed and she made a little drawing for him, which he accepted and had her give it to one of his kids to hold onto. I had him sign my Crowley cover of Good Omens (plan to one day have Michael Sheen sign the Aziraphale cover). I honestly can’t remember exactly how our conversation went but it was something along the lines of

David: “Hi, [my name]!”

Me: “Hey!”

David: “So you want me to just sign right here?” (Indicates top half of the inside cover)

Me: “Yea, that’s fine right there!” (Gives a second for him to sign) “I also made this for you if you’d like. It’s coasters of you and your family’s names in Gallifrayan.”

David: (finishes signing and looks up) “oh, that’s neat! That’s all of us in Gallifrayan?”

Me: “Yea, this is Wilfred’s on top I think.”

David: “Cool! Give this to them (gestures to his kids sitting beside him) so they can investigate it.”

I handed the coaster set to Olive and she did actually start investigating it which I find funny and was showing it to Wilfred. My friend also had a small interaction with them and gave them some bracelets she made. They actually put them on so that was nice. I saw them looking at the coasters still as I was walking away so I hope they like them. (Pictures are of the coasters and some examples of what they looked like. Did all 7 of their names as well as “Tennant” to make it an even 8).

After the autograph, we pretty much just wrapped things up and got ready to leave. We said bye to the new girl and exchanged contact info. Got an Uber back and DoorDashed dinner. Was in bed by 10.

Sunday 7/14: Drive Back Home

What it says on the tin. My friend had to get up at like 3am for her flight so we had to call it a night pretty early Saturday and I left the hotel about 11:30am Sunday morning. Got home about 7pm.

Overall a 10/10 experience. Even with the large crowds, no one was fighting or anything and were generally very nice. Next time there’s a convention somewhat close to me I’m totally ready to go.

[redamancy-writes]

Hi babes ❤ Hope you're having a great weekend or week.

How are you doing 🫶🫣

Idk if this request should be headcanon or maybe a short fic. You can choose ᰔ

Lost boys with female s/O who is a werewolf, specifically she is based off the excint dire wolf )(huge wolves). She has the attitude of clawdeen (yes, monster high if you seen it) and she is seen very sassy. I also wonder how Micheal and Star would react to her? (If you write for them! You dit have to!! I just thought it would be cool 🫠) . A fluff and romantic fic

Anyways have great day/night!! Please take your time 😙❤

Hello love bug! I'm doing well, and I hope you are too. I chose to do a blend of headcanon/short-fic. I'm so sorry this took so long, but I hope you enjoy!

The boys ofc were smitten.

You kept up with them- not only with wit and sass, but with your speed and strength. 

They never had to worry about hurting you, or you getting hurt while on your hunts or out for late night shenanigans. 

Now others on the other hand, not so smitten. 

You were talented, confident, but fiercely loyal to a fault

When Star was welcomed into the group, at first you were hesitant, until the boys treated her like a sibling- then you quickly fell in line. 

Your loyalties lay in the hands of your friends and family, and only those two groups could see you vulnerable, soft, and gentle without your usual snark and bite. 

Now Michael-

Michael, Michael, Michael

You two never got along- why?

Well, when Michael was pinning after Star, he was quite…. Prickly with David. 

And when he attempted to fight David, well it took all of your willpower not to let your claws fly, eyes going gold as you felt Dwayne grip your hand. 

That night you forced all the boys into resting in your makeshift den with you rather than sleeping in their usual spot on the ceiling. 

After Max made it apparent that Michael was supposed to become a part of the family, along with his brother and mother, you were seething. 

That bastard who threatened your family now was going to be a part of it? No way

So while you couldn’t necessarily wolf out on the guy, you didn’t hold back your sassy comments or sarcastic side comments around Michael. 

The Boys made it seem all like inside jokes, so Michael was none the wiser- but you knew one thing for sure, should Michael mess up or cause any strife in your family group, he ensured a long and painful death for himself. 

“You alright, doll?” David asked in a low murmur as Michael and Star took off for cotton-candy down the Boardwalk. His arm was wrapped around you and his leather-clad fingers were rubbing circles on your arm. 

“Mm,” You hummed in the back of your throat, rolling your eyes as you pressed against him. 

“I don’t like him,” You murmured back as he pressed a kiss to your jaw. 

“That’s the obvious, sweet cheeks,” Paul chimed in from his spot sitting on the wooden railing of the Boardwalk, admiring the way the colored lights danced on your skin tone. 

“Not just as a person,” You clarified, looking around to try and get your eyes on Star, disliking that she was out of sight. “In my gut, I can tell something’s going to go wrong with this, and I don’t know what.” 

“Oh?” Dwayne knew your instincts were stronger than others, especially about people’s intentions. 

“Should we bring it up to Max?” David questioned, hand now lazily dragging up and down your arm. 

“Hmmm…” Your anxiety lessened as Star came back into the picture with Michael. 

“Not for now, but I say keep an eye on him,” You said in a low tone, turning your head to kiss David, relishing in the feeling of his cool leather glove against your warm cheek.

“Aye aye, captain,” Marko grinned, gripping your free hand in his to kiss your knuckles. 

Tag-list: @icefrozendeadlyqueen

[anna1306]

The Lost Boys Incorrect Quotes

Part 3 c:

Part 2 here

David: Have you noticed that Marko has been acting peculiar?

Dwayne: Yes, from the first day I met him.

Paul: I have no secrets from you. My whole life is an open book.

Marko: Your whole life is an open zipper.

Michael: Alright, alright, David! I'll turn. You win. You always win, but you don't play fair!

David: That's why I always win.

Paul: Art things come easier to me. I've always had a great appreciation for the arts and artists.

Marko: And carpenters and mechanics and delivery boys.

Michael: I am very patient. I once waited two whole weeks for a sty to go away. Every night I'd close my eyes and I'd picture it getting smaller and smaller. And one morning I woke up and it was gone.

Marko: *leaning on David's wheelchair with closed eyes, not moving*

Dwayne: Marko, you okay?

Marko: I'm fine. I'm just trying to make Michael go away.

Marko: Dwayne, why are you in such a bad mood?

Dwayne: Forgive me, Marko, but I haven't had sex in 15 years, and it's starting to get on my nerves.

Paul: I treat my body like a temple.

David: Yeah, open to everyone, day or night.

Marko: Great news, I just got a date!

Dwayne, David and Paul, who just had an argument: *leaving the cave, screaming at each other*

Marko: Well, excuse me for trying to have a life!

Laddie: After I drink milk, I go right to sleep.

Paul: I can think of something else after which I go right to sleep. Huh, David?

David: During.

Dwayne: You bought chocolate cheesecake?

Marko: Just for an emergency.

David: What kind of emergency, nuclear war?

Marko: Depression.

Michael: You know, in the south, we mature faster. I think it's the heat.

David: I think it's the gin.

Michael: *leaves David's nest*

Dwayne: I thought he belonged to the other one.

David: Well, I'm sure Star won't mind one bit.

Dwayne: He's a man. It's not like sharing a beer.

Marko: You just don't understand!

Dwayne: Oh please! What I forgot, you'll never know!

David: Look, you didn't ask for my opinion, but I'm old, so I'm giving it anyway.

Michael: My father was good. He has truly been a father to everybody in our town!

Marko to Dwayne: Now I know why Max likes his mother. She must have been a very forgiving woman.

Marko: As long as you're out there, why don't you clean the bikes?

Tipsy Paul: Alright!

Dwayne: Yesterday you said you were gonna clean the bikes.

Marko: I said I'd get it done and it's getting done, lighten up.

In a country bar

David: Do you know where we can sit here?

Paul: How would I know? I'm here for the first time!

Random passerby, slapping his ass: Howdy Paul!

Talking about meeting the guys for the first time

Dwayne: At that moment I was convinced I'd made a bad first impression. But then I met Marko, and I realized I could have shown up naked, playing ukulele and still got turned.

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

TRAP (2024)

Starring Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill, Jonathan Langdon, Mark Bacolcol, Marnie McPhail, Kid Cudi, Russ, Marcia Bennett, Vanessa Smythe, Lochlan Miller, Steve Boyle, David D'Lancy Wilson, James Gomez, Nadine Hyatt, Michael Brown, Hailey Summer, Olivia Barrett, Allison Ference and M. Night Shyamalan.

Screenplay by M. Night Shyamalan.

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. 105 minutes. Rated PG-13.

It’s been a long time since anyone expected anything even approaching realism in a film by M. Night Shyamalan, but even for him, his latest film Trap rides upon a head-scratching number of coincidences and unrealistic plot points.

Even the basic premise of the film makes little sense. The FBI picks up on the fact that a vicious serial killer known as the Butcher will be going to a pop concert by a huge new teen superstar, and they decide to use the show – with its thousands of innocent bystanders, mostly young girls and their mothers – as a trap to capture the guy. Once the show starts, no one can leave the venue until they are interrogated by the law.

First things first – how do they know that this killer, who they have no name for or description of – will be at this show? (Towards the end of the film, the film does sort of explain away why they believe this, but honestly it kind of feels like a scriptwriter’s cop out.)

However, if they do truly believe he will be there, how is this trap supposed to work? There are about 3,000 adult men in the concert. They have no idea what he looks like, who he is, why he is there. All they know for sure is that he is very good at appearing normal and avoiding capture. Are they really planning on having in-depth interrogations of all the guys in the place before allowing anyone to leave? That would take hours or days. And even if they did that, how would they really know who was the murderer?

Then, when the actual killer recognizes the increased police presence, in another extremely unlikely plot point, he is able to get a stranger who he has just met – perhaps the most indiscreet merchandise worker in the world, to tell him exactly what the police plan is. Hell, the guy even gives him the secret password for employees to be able to move around the venue undisturbed by police. Now is that good luck, or just lazy writing?

That is not even touching on the super whopper of a coincidence in which a character (played by Shyamalan himself) essentially gives the killer the opportunity to possibly escape from the supposedly “unescapable” trap.

So, let’s face it, Trap will strain your credibility mercilessly. You won’t buy most of what it is selling. Which is not to say it’s necessarily a bad film. It does have some very good parts mixed in and a truly fantastic performance by Josh Hartnett as the normal goofy suburban father who is hiding the heart of a killer.

You just really won’t buy the story for a second. But, okay, allowing Shyamalan his premise, what does work?

Well, as noted before, Harnett continues his stealthy comeback with a terrific performance in the lead role. Hartnett is onscreen almost the entire running time of Trap, and even when what his character is saying or doing doesn’t make total sense, he sells it.

Also surprisingly good is the director’s daughter, Saleka Shyamalan, as pop star Lady Raven. When you hear of the casting it reeks of nepo-baby casting, particularly so quickly after he co-produced her sister’s debut film The Watchers. In the early scenes, it feels like Lady Raven is going to be a one-note character observed from afar, but as things move on and she becomes more integral to the plot, Saleka does surprisingly well. Even the music, which was written and performed by the actress, is better than you may expect.

The film also has a strong claustrophobic vibe, taking place almost entirely in one stadium.

Also, while you can see the ending coming from a mile away, for a change M. Night Shyamalan doesn’t try to leave things off with one last huge twist that makes the things that happened before even more ridiculous than they could be. The ability to finally let an ending happen organically may be Shyamalan’s biggest filmmaking Improvement in Trap.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: August 2, 2024.

[saleintothe90s]

497. The Pat Sajak Show, 1989-1990

Back in 2007, a friend had sent me all her old childhood tapes after she had digitized her copies to DVD. I then digitized the commercials to DVD. She had all the CBS prime time cartoons on tape from the late 80s, and I saw this promo for...The Pat Sajak Show?! I remember kinda giggling trying to picture a celebrity hanging out with Pat, because he was known for talking to the every man every day, his contestants on Wheel you know?

In January of 1989, the show premiered, unfortunately around the same time of another television legend:

(article)

Arsenio said in this article:

''My personality is a little easier than Dave's,'' Mr. Hall says. ''I'm just a nice guy. I don't know how to be any different. Let's just say that I'm a warmer version, a warmer brown-bread version of David Letterman. Call me the pumpernickel of late-night.'' 1

If Arsenio was Pumpernickel, then Pat was Wonder Bread compared to Arsenio:

Musical guests will include the likes of Debby Boone, Michael Feinstein, Alabama, the Commodores and the ubiquitous K. T. Oslin - far closer to the easy-listening center than Mr. Hall's. 1

Arsenio's first guests were Brooke Shields, Leslie Nielsen and Luther Vandross. Pat's? Chevy Chase, Joan Van Ark, The Judds, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, and Michael Gross. I know you're reading that list like "dang, that's a lot of guests." And it was -- the show was a mind numbing 90 minutes long. Who, even in 1989 had the attention span late at night for that. It took me a second to realize why the show scheduled Joan Van Ark the first night, then I remembered she was on Knots Landing which was a big show for CBS back then. I have no clue why the Baseball Commissioner (Peter Ueberroth) was there. What an odd pick for the first night of your big deal nation wide major network late night talk show.

Unfortunately I can't find all of the first night! Just this 40 minute clip of assorted clips from the show.

/edit/

I found the whole episode with commercials!

Luv that plaid jacket. He pulled a Herbalife joke as his first joke! "now that I have you all here, I'd like to talk to you about something called ... Herbalife". Oh us anti-MLM girlies love that joke.

The majority of the clip is very painful. Pat's set is sad and beige, Pat's bandleader is awkward, I didn't even realize that his sidekick was his sidekick at first, I thought he was introducing his producer at first. Pat has too many pencils on his desk and Chevy Chase make fun of him for it.

To me, Michael Gross was the highlight of this clip. He also highlights how redic. a 90 minute show is, look at all the hands he has to shake! It looks more like a parody of a talk show.

Mr. Sajak asked Michael Gross of ''Family Ties'' what was going to happen to the Keatons in this, their last scheduled season. Mr. Gross: ''I hope they die in a plane crash.'' He later explained that he would not like to see them being brought back for phony reunions.  2

I found another full episode from April of 1989, and the audience just isn't with Pat through the monologue. He even told a suction cup car window Garfield joke and it bombed. Poor Pat.

Finally, Finally, in October of 1989, the show was reduced to an hour.

By March of 1990, Pat had a hipper, darker set. He didn't stand up for the monologue by then either. He was making Nest door bell jokes 25 years before Nest doorbell cameras were a thing! This is probably the latest episode of the show with Pat hosting that is on YouTube. Yes, "with Pat hosting". By 1990, Pat wasn't hosting the show on Fridays, he handed the show to a guest.

Pat wasn't even there for his last episode, Paul Rodriguez hosted. :

I don't want to get sentimental or nothing but let me just take the second to tell you that uh Pat Sajak uh is one of the nicest people I've ever had the opportunity to know and to meet I'm sure on behalf of his whole staff he'd like me to say how wonderful it was to be here and work with all of you in 15 months that you guys were on and it's terrific, and there is a tomorrow for him.

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Oh hey, there's a sale going on at my Etsy right now til June 15th.

Meisler, Andy. “TELEVISION; Two TV Veterans March Into the Late-Night Fray.” The New York Times, January 1, 1989, sec. Arts. https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/01/arts/television-two-tv-veterans-march-into-the-late-night-fray.html. https://archive.is/4CxFw

O’Connor, John J. “Review/Television; Late-Night Chitchat Additions: Pat Sajak and Arsenio Hall.” The New York Times, January 11, 1989, sec. Arts. https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/11/arts/review-television-late-night-chitchat-additions-pat-sajak-and-arsenio-hall.html. https://archive.is/Z0vun

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

In Heat: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.5k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there is any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

"Once Steve got to the motel, he was supposed to call," she sighs. "He never did. Every time that phone rings..." She can't finish her sentence. "I know in my heart that Steven was happy that day. I swear, it was the first time I'd seen him smile in years. He'd been talking about taking that trip for weeks."

"Sarah, you don't have to justify your brother getting on that bus," Derek says.

"Yes, I do, because it was my fault. I gave Steven the money to go to Miami."

"Why?" you ask.

"I was trying to help him to go somewhere else, somewhere he could feel safe."

"Safe from what?" Sarah becomes rigid and looks to the house as if she doesn't want her father to hear. "What are you looking for, Sarah? Are you afraid somebody's gonna hear you?"

"Was your father hurting Steven?" you ask, fitting the pieces together.

"He really believes he was doing what's right. They just didn't see eye to eye. Steven couldn't stay here anymore, and I had to help him get out."

"Is your father hurting you, too?"

"Never," she says quickly.

"How come?" Derek asks.

She doesn't want to answer that, and you know why as soon as she looks down in shame.

"It's because she's not the one who's gay," you sigh.

David, Steven's father, isn't a very nice man to his son. David believes Steven was confused with his sexuality, that he needed to work out his "issues" regarding that. David believes that wherever Steven is, he is in a better place than his own home. His father is a prison guard, so he found strength and guidance with God.

His faith is his personal code.

Because David is a prison guard, he's seen plenty of men on top of other men. He thinks it's filthy how they would find pleasure in the same sex, and he didn't want that for his own son. He likes to believe that Steven did it to piss him off, not that because he felt right doing it. It breaks your heart to think that Steven had to endure his father's beating because of the kind of people he chooses to love.

It's not right, but it doesn't seem to affect David all that much. He's set in his ways and will have a hard time changing his mind. You don't dwell on that right now because as soon as Hotch and Rossi leave the house, there is news of an abandoned car located not far from here.

When you get there, you see another victim inside the convertible car. Steven is working quickly because his past is catching up to him. He hates who he is because of David, and that hatred and contemptment is shining through in places he doesn't want shining through.

The car isn't the victim's but Deacon's. He drove the car from Texas, and Steven stole it from him when he killed him. When Tina hears it might be Steven, she becomes floored.

"We've had his picture this whole time?"

"Apparently."

"We didn't know soon enough to prevent this. How did the victim die?" you ask.

"Asphyxiation. Why mess with a good thing? It's clearly working for him. This stretch of road takes you out of the city. If we lose Steven now, it could take us months to catch up with him again."

Derek slaps on some white gloves and reaches inside the car where there are scraps of paper in the cup holders

"What are those?"

"Some kind of scraps of paper. Looks like a fast-food wrappers, and a receipt for a youth hostel. It's dated last night. The name on it is Michael Aldridge."

"Assuming Steven has taken over Michael's identity, he might have hitched a ride out of here. It makes sense since Michael looks to be a hitchhiker. He'd have to travel the same way his victims did. It's his illness."

"Where are the nearest hostels?"

"There's a few hostels in north Miami Beach four miles that way, and in Seneca, five miles west."

"Okay, we'll have to split up. We'll take Seneca," Rossi says about him, Spencer, and Emily. "You guys take North Miami Beach."

"Let's go," you say to Derek, Hotch, and Tina.

The woman at the hostel is nice when you meet her, and she gives up the information quickly when she realizes one of her guests might be in danger.

"Michael Aldridge checked in an hour ago."

"What room did you put him in?"

"It's like a day room kind of thing, like a dormitory. It's pretty full."

The other half of the team was called, but you don't have time to wait. If Steven is in there, then you need to get him out now and without trouble. He has a gun with him, so you have to be prepared when you go inside.

Tina and Derek take the lead as you and Hotch follow with your guns out. The entire hostel is filled with kids, and as soon as they see the guns, they freak out.

"Get out of here. FBI! Nobody move!" you yell. "We're looking for Steven Fitzgerald."

You look around the room and see two guys at a table meant for two people. There are cards laid out since they're playing a game, but the guy who has his back turned to you, you know it's Steven.

The officers who accompanied you escort all the kids out of the building except for Steven and the man he's playing cards with. You look at Derek and gesture with your head that Steven is the one who is sitting away from you.

"Steven?" The other man has his hands up and is scared. "Get out of here." The man leaves, leaving only Steven at the table. He isn't going to answer if you use Steven's name, so you opted for a different tactic. "Michael? Michael Aldridge?"

"Yes?" Steven stands up with his hand on his backpack. You know he has the officer's gun in here. "What is this? What do you want?"

He is speaking with a German accent, and you know the real Michael had one.

"I want you to put that bag down. I just want to talk to you," Derek says gently.

"I have done nothing. I didn't do anything," he panics.

"I know. I know. There's nothing in that bag you need, Michael. I just want some information. I need to find Steven."

"My name is Michael. I do not know Steven."

"Yes, you do. Yes, you do. You know where he is."

They go back and forth between "I know him" and "I don't know him" until Steven explodes with anger and sadness.

"I don't know steven! I don't know steven! Why do you want Steven? Steven is stupid. He's disgusting! He's filthy!" Steve yells emotionally.

"Steven, listen to me. Nothing is wrong with you!" Derek yells louder, and Steve becomes quiet with tears in his eyes. "Nothing, man. Look. I'm gonna show you. I'm gonna put this away."

"Derek," Tina whispers, but he doesn't listen to her.

You, Hotch, and Tina all have your guns trained on Steven while Derek is the one to calm him down.

"Steven, do you remember who Sarah is? Sarah is your sister. Sarah is worried about you, man."

"My sister?" he whispers.

"Steven, she loves you. She wants you to stop running."

"Sarah," he mutters, trying to remember who he actually is.

"Put the bag down. It's okay."

"I did nothing wrong," he cries.

"I believe you. You did nothing wrong."

"I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do anything wrong," he repeats to himself.

He drops the bag, leaving the gun inside. Derek walks up behind him and cuffs him, and that's when you put your gun away knowing that he isn't a threat. Tina grabs the bag to search through it, finding the officer's gun. Steven is taken away and placed in the back of a squad car just as the other half of the team arrives.

It's late, people are emotional, and it's time to say goodbye to everyone. Hotch says you can leave in the afternoon, so you'll get adequate time to sleep before take off tomorrow. However, Will needs to leave tonight. If JJ lets him leave without telling him how she feels, then you don't think he'll ever come back.

"Detective Lopez signed this into your custody," an officer says to Will, handing over Charlie's badge.

"Oh, thank you. I still can't believe it," Will sighs.

"That Charlie was gay?"

"That he thought he couldn't tell me. That he thought he had to hide it. I mean, I can't think of anything I'd have cared less about than him being gay, you know? All I ever wanted was for him to be happy, you know? Anyway, I should be going. Take care of yourself, JJ."

Will leaves the group, and you look at JJ who has a longing look on her face.

"Go after him, JJ," you smile and nudge her shoulder.

"What?"

"You really think I didn't know you two were dating? Me? He's head over heels for you, JJ. He's the one for you. Go after him."

She doesn't waste a single second and goes after the man of her dreams. She stops him and kisses him for everyone to see, and he kisses her right back.

"Finally," you grin.

"I thought she was never gonna admit it," Emily chuckles.

"What's it been, like, a year?" Spencer asks.

"Something like that," Derek says.

"If we knew each other's secrets, what comforts we should find." - John Churton Collins

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[eldritchsurveys]

1194.

Did you exchange a walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? by ausmuh

01. What would you say your favorite day in history is, or a day you find interesting? If you could, would you travel back in time to experience or witness it? >> I can't think of a specific date I find more interesting than others. Even if I could, I can safely say I would rather not fuck with the already-tenuous fabric of linear time like that.

02. What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever had an obsession with? Do you still like that thing? >> I'm not embarrassed by anything I've had an obsession with. They are all cherished parts of me.

03. Describe the last movie you watched, but do not give its title. The next person who takes this survey must try to guess the film that the previous survey-taker watched. You may give hints, such as the actors and actresses that starred in the film, the director, the year the film was made, etc. Then the guesser has to describe the last movie they watched, and so on and so forth. can't remember the last movie I watched, so I'll just use the last show I watched. it stars Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Tony Hale, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi in an early 2000s series about a highly dysfunctional family. >> ^ Arrested Development! Hell yeah, good show. Also this is a genius idea for a question. David Dastmalchian is a struggling TV show host who pulls out all the arcane stops for a pivotal sweeps-week Halloween episode. Nightmare scenarios ensue. 04. If you could draw any place that you could be magically transported into, what would you draw? What would you do there? .

05. Do you have the LiveJournal app downloaded onto your phone? >> I didn't even know LJ had an app. I certainly would not need it.

06. Have you ever played any of the Animal Crossing games? Do you have the new game, or do you plan on buying it? >> I've played New Leaf because Sparrow bought a copy of it when it came out. It isn't the kind of thing that holds my interest for long. Oh, and I've also played Pocket Camp (the phone version).

07. Do you talk to anyone from Xanga or LiveJournal on anything other than those two websites? If so, who do you talk to and through what? >> I do not. 08. Has anyone ever showed up at your doorstep unexpectedly (besides people selling things and Jehovah's Witnesses)? If so, who was the last person to do so, and why were they there? >> This doesn't happen to me. Thank fuck.

09. When was the last time you were nauseous? Do you know what caused the feeling of nausea? >> I don't recall. 10. Are you embarrassed when you make a grammatical error, whether it's in a paper for school, a survey, or a conversation? >> I don't make grammatical errors; if I use nonstandard grammar I'm doing it on purpose and it's not an error, it's just nonstandard. Even if I did make an error, I can't imagine being embarrassed about it. 11. Describe the last outfit you saw that you really liked, or if you want, post a picture. .

12. What was the last late night show you watched? Do you regularly watch these types of shows? Who is your favorite late night TV host? >> I don't watch late night TV, no.

13. What brand of earbuds / earphones do you own? Do you like them? >> My earbuds are Raycon and my headphones are Sony. I do like them, a lot. 14. Did you ever think you were going to get into a car crash? Did you or didn't you, and why did you think this? Were you the passenger or the driver? >> I've witnessed a couple of worrisome moments but I've never seriously thought a crash was imminent.

15. What is the most annoying thing your friend does? Do you ever call them out on it? .

16. Do you have a journal or diary that you write in on a daily or weekly basis? Did you used to keep one as a kid? >> I keep a daily journal in my Obsidian vault. I was very into journalling as a child, yeah.

17. For special occasions, do you make cards for others, or do you purchase them? >> I don't give cards.

18. Do you have difficulty swallowing pills? How often do you take them? >> I don't, but I've definitely met my share of challenging pills. Antibiotics were the fucking worst. As for the second question, I take a birth control pill nightly.

19. In your dreams, do you mostly see things through your own eyes, or do you see yourself through a third person view? >> I assume it's mostly the former.

20. Can you remember the last time you saw a rainbow? >> I cannot.

21. What month of this year has been the best for you so far? What was so nice or special about it? What about the worst month? >> I'm not sure. February was the worst, though. 22. Do you have a Vine account? Who are your favorite Vine users that you follow? >> I never had an account.

23. Have you ever tried poutine? (Have you ever even heard of it?) >> I haven't tried it yet.

24. Do you have any plants or flowers in your house? What kinds? Do you like having plants in your home? >> I don't know, there's a bunch. I personally have two in my room, an aloe and a spider plant. I do enjoy having greenery around. 25. What was the last e-mail you sent in regard to? .

[sagemoderocklee]

Return to Sender Original Soundtrack

Once a month, like clockwork, Rock Lee waited with baited breath for his mail to arrive. -Return to Sender, Chapter One

Listen on Spotify (Recommended listening: chronological order. Track list below the cut)

No Postage Necessary 1. The First of the Month Running [Black Violin // Stereotypes] 2. Unwelcome Realization Stray Italian Greyhound [Vienna Teng // Inland Territory] 3. Denial So Afraid [Janelle Monáe // Dirty Computer] 4. Painful Truths You Don't Know What Love Is [Chet Baker, Carson Smith, Bob Neel, Russ Freeman // Chet Baker Sings] 5. The Shinobi Way (Isn't to Love You) I'm a Fool to Love You [Billie Holiday // Lady in Satin: The Centennial Edition] 6. Small Comforts Hope [Daughter // Music from Before the Storm] 7. The Love Letter My Love - Acoustic [Florence+the Machine // Dance Fever (Deluxe)]

Shipping Label Created 8. Promotion The Mission [Black Violin // Classically Trained] 9. Trying to be Helpful Everybody Talks [Neon Trees // Picture Show] 10. Where Is It? Overwhelmed [Chloe x Halle // Ungodly Hour] 11. Friendly Advice Love Will Save the Day [Whitney Houston // Whitney]

Tracking Number 12. Delayed Departure Under Pressure [Queen, David Bowie // Hot Space] 13. Forgive An Old Man's Mistakes Youth [Daughter // If You Leave] 14. Parting Due West [Kelsey Lu // Due West]

In Transit 15. The Journey to Suna Running [No Doubt // Rock Steady (Expanded Edition)] 16. Arrival Come on Home [Franz Ferdinand // Franz Ferdinand] 17. Pressed Against You in the Windowseat Heavenly Day [Patty Griffin // Children Running Through] 18. Guilt Rising Caught [Florence+the Machine // How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Deluxe)]

Out for Delivery 19. Consumed Teeth [Mallrat // Butterfly Blue] 20. The Birthday Festival Landmines [St. Vincent // Marry Me] 21. (Where is) The Love Letter My Love - MEDUZA REMIX [Florence+the Machine, MEDUZA] 22. Red Handed, Empty Handed // Flee Nephilim [Ebony Bones!, The Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra] 23. Open Wounds Biting Down [Lorde // Pure Heroine (Extended)]

Attempted Delivery 24. Waiting Feather Moon [Vienna Teng // Warm Strangers] 25. Try Arrow [Tegan and Sara // Sainthood] 26. Falling Falling [Florence+the Machine // Lungs] 27. Again, Try Break Your Heart [Natalie Merchant // Ophelia] 28. Old Letters, Fresh Snow Waiting for the Snow [Of Monsters and Men // Fever] 29. Apologies One by One [Ruby Amanfu // Standing Still] 30. Secret Grief // A Sister's Meddling Sunlight [Michael Yezerski // The Vigil (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)]

Scheduled Redelivery 31. Waiting, Again How [Daughter // Not to Disappear] 32. Engagement I Wish I Was the Moon [Neko Case // Blacklisted] 33. The Package What You Do to Me [Straight Line Stitch // When Skies Wash Ashore] 34. Nightmares // Fugue State Thousand Eyes [Of Monsters and Men // Beneath the Skin (Deluxe)] 35. Junjō Full of Grace [Sarah McLachlan // Surfacing] 36. Acceptance, Not Forgiveness Love Ridden [Fiona Apple // When the Pawn...]

Signature Required 37. Self-Abasement SUN GOES DOWN [Lil Nas X] 38. The Party Golden Age [Ethel Cain // Golden Age] 39. Oversleeping Watching You Without Me [Kate Bush // Hounds of Love] 40. Your Scars, My Hands Between [Vienna Teng // Waking Hour] 41. Conversations in the Sky Hard Feelings/Loveless [Lorde // Melodrama] 42. Sunsets From A Different (Love) Letter My Love - Dave Glass Animals Remix [Florence+the Machine, Glass Animals]

Wrong Address 43. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back Splintered [Aisha Badru // Pendulum] 44. Don't Forget: Try Sand in My Shoes [Dido // Life for Rent] 45. A New Desk, Another Letter Circles [Of Monsters and Men] 46. How Long Will You Make Me Wait? Wait Another Day [Uh Huh Her // Common Reaction] 47. My Scars, Your Hands Bridges [Aisha Badru // Pendulum] 48. Ambush Kill of the Night [Gin Winmore // Gravel & Wine] 49. Captivity Destroyer [Of Monsters and Men} 50. Dreadful Feelings, Dreadful News Flaws [Daughter // Music From Before the Storm]

Your Package Has Arrived! 51. The Love Letter My Love [Florence+the Machine, Dance Fever] 52. Unconscious But Alive Colorblind [Counting Crows // Cruel Intentions] 53. A Father's Gratitude Undeniable You [Jukebox the Ghost // Jukebox the Ghost] 54. Trauma Honestly Ok [Dido // No Angel] 55. Heart Eater Gentle Beast - Interlude [Utada Hikaru // Heart Station] 56. Confessions Drop in the Ocean [Michelle Branch // The Spirit Room]

Special Delivery! 57. 54 Days Sundown [Nightwish // Imaginaerum (The Score)] 58. Whatever it Takes Our Love Will Survive [Wild Belle // Dreamland] 59. Through the Bad Days, Through the Good Harbor [Vienna Teng // Warm Strangers] 60. Framed Letters Bigger Than Love [Oh Wonder // Ultralife] 61. Sunset XO [Beyoncé // Beyoncé (Platinum Edition)] 62. Tender Kisses Touch My Scars This Love [Craig Armstrong, Elizabeth Fraser // Cruel Intentions] 63. Marry Me Put Your Arms Around Me [Texas // White on Blonde]

[ingravinoveritas]

Heheh

Grouping these all together because a whole bunch of things happened today and there is a lot to talk about. For those who haven't seen, Georgia posted an Insta story of the sunset, which was followed by an extremely similar picture/Insta story from AL about an hour later. Shortly after that, Anna posted another story of Lyra and Birdie baking side by side, which Georgia also reshared:

Right off the bat, one thing in particular stood out about AL's story: Her using the hashtag #bakingwithsheenant, which differs from the tags she and Georgia normally use (#Sheenbergnants or something to that effect). It especially caught my attention because "Sheenant" is one of the ship names used in the fandom for Michael/David (though it is not a term I normally use). AL could have easily been referring to Lyra and Birdie in the photo, of course, but...of all the portmanteaus and hashtags AL could have chosen, she went with that one, and all I can say is that if it was nothing more than a fluke, then it was one hell of a fluke for her to make.

As if all this weren't enough, however, we then have what @phantomstars24 has mentioned, which is another story that Georgia shared just a little while ago:

To what was said in the Asks above, if this is true, it would absolutely mean that Michael and David are also neighbors, and that my head feels like it's slightly melting. Because there is no way in hell Michael bought a house in London next to David by accident. A meteorite has a better chance of hitting the Earth and bringing back the dinosaurs as our reptilian overlords than that does of being an accident.

Also if Michael and David are together as part of some poly arrangement, I can't think of a better way for them to ensure that they can see each other all the time. The number of possibilities are limitless: Random sleepovers, snuggling on the couch for movie date night, unwinding with a glass of red wine after they've had a long day doing their respective plays. Thinking as well of how we saw Michael and David looking at each other at opening night of Macbeth, now the chances of them going home together afterward have shot up by about a million, and I can hardly get my mind around it. I mean...dear God...

As for Georgia's "So linked!" sounding sarcastic, I could definitely see that as sarcasm. The sunset pictures from earlier seemed very planned, and even more so once we saw the baking picture. I saw some reactions from fans calling AL and Georgia "besties" once the Insta stories were posted, but I'm not exactly sure how those posts make them besties. The way Georgia posts about Anna is entirely different from how she posts about Jennie Fava, whom we know actually is one of Georgia's longtime best friends, so that difference makes it difficult for me to see why people see Georgia/AL in that light.

And if they are frequently getting together because of that proximity/because it is easier for Michael and David to have one house to themselves while AL, Georgia, and the kids are in another, I could see some degree of resentment existing on Georgia's end, especially if she feels like more of a babysitter than anything else. It's difficult to say for certain, of course, but we also have so many instances now of Anna copying Georgia on social media that I would imagine it has started to feel like a bit of a "me and my shadow" routine.

In any case, we have a lot of little pieces here that only give us a small glimpse at the whole, but boy, are they some very interesting pieces indeed. I think what strikes me most about all of this is that these stories also allude to Michael and David spending time together, yet we never actually see any pictures of them. (I have an Ask related to this waiting in my inbox, so I will expand more on that in a bit.) But we are being given room to think that, and to draw certain conclusions as a result, and I think both Georgia and AL know that and seemingly do not have a problem with it.

So yes, those are my thoughts on all the developments from today. Glad as always to hear from my followers and what your thoughts are on all this...

[nobitchesformissquinn]

I am absolutely heartbroken to hear about David McCallum's death. I've been a fan of his since I was 11 or 12. He was one of my all-time favorite actors and Ducky (Dr. Donald Mallard) and Illya Kuryakin are and always will be two of my favorite TV characters.

Whenever I watched NCIS, I would always look forward to seeing Ducky. In my opinion, he was the best part of the show! To this day, I still tune in to reruns of the earlier seasons on cable every Saturday. And yes, I still stop and watch when Ducky comes on. Most of the time anyway!

As for The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I started watching that when MeTV began airing it when I was 13. I fell head over heels in love with Illya. As in "head's full of nothing but thoughts of Illya, computer wallpaper is a picture of him" in love. An excellent character he was.

I found out the news about Mr. McCallum on Discord as I was settling down to eat my dinner. Needless to say, I had to excuse myself to go sob like a bitch in my room. The last time I had sobbed this hard over a favorite celebrity was when Michael Nesmith (my favorite Monkee) died a couple years back. Anyway, David had just turned 90 last week. Of course, being the busy bee that I am, I wasn't able to do a little birthday tribute night like I wanted to do.

Well, that's all I have to write here. I will say one more thing.

Goodbye, Illya. I will always love you.

[twwpress]

Weekly Press Briefing #38: March 12th - 18th

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from March 12 - March 18, 2023! Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing!

Challenges/Prompts:

No open challenges/prompts this week that we’re aware of! Do you have an upcoming challenge or event you’d like us to promote? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

Photos/Videos:

Big week for cast photos! Here’s what was posted from March 12 - March 18.

Allison Janney posted pictures of herself at an Oscars party.

Amy Landecker posted pictures taken backstage after the opening night of A Doll’s House on Broadway, featuring Brad, stars Jessica Chastain and Arian Moayed, Arian’s wife Krissy Shields, Arian’s mom, and Nicholas Braun.  

Amy Landecker posted a throwback photo of herself along with Bradley Whitford, Our Lady J, and Zackary Drucker when they visited the White House for the Transparent Season 2 premiere.

Bradley Whitford posted a photo of Amy and their pets. 

Bradley Whitford posted a video speaking out for women’s rights in advance of the April 4 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. 

Dule Hill posted photos of himself signing caps for Caps for Kids. 

Josh Malina posted a selfie comparing his Leopoldstadt beard to Trotsky’s. 

Josh Malina posted a photo of himself with fellow Leopoldstat actors David Krumholtz and Dave Register. 

Josh Malina posted a clipping from Playbill of a letter he wrote about himself in A Few Good Men under a fake name. 

Josh Malina posted rehearsal photos from Leopoldstadt: 1 | 2 | 3 

Marlee Matlin Oscars Round-Up: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Mary McCormack posted a photo of herself with her husband Michael Morris, To Leslie star Andrea Riseborough, and Andrea’s husband Karim Saleh at the Oscars. 

Mary McCormack posted a photo of herself doing DuoLingo at the Oscars. 

Rob Lowe posted the cover of Men’s Health, featuring him and his son Johnny Lowe. 

Lawrence O’Donnell posted a photo of Richard Schiff in the White House.

Richard Schiff posted photos from Washington D.C., including a trip to Arlington National Cemetery. 1 | 2 | 3

Richard Schiff posted photos of himself and his wife Sheila Kelley at the White House St. Patrick’s Day event with several prominent guests. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Donna Moss Daily: March 12 | March 13 | March 14 | March 15 | March 16 | March 17 | March 18 

Daily Josh Lyman: March 12 | March 13 | March 14 | March 15 | March 16 | March 17 | March 18 

No Context BWhit:  March 12 | March 13 | March 14 | March 15 | March 16 | March 18 

@janelmilfoney: March 14

@JanneyUpdates: March 15

@down_brad_: March 12 | March 12 (2) | March 13 | March 14 | March 15 

This Week in Canon:

Welcome to This Week in Canon, where we revisit moments in The West Wing that occurred on these dates during the show’s run.

Season 2, Episode 17: The Stackhouse Filibuster aired on March 14, 2001.

Season 6, Episode 19: Ninety Miles Away aired on March 16, 2005.

Season 7, Episode 13: The Cold aired on March 12, 2006.

 Edits/Artwork

#DONNAMOSS: honey honey honey pie ! by @somethingbuffy [VIDEO EDIT]

#JOSHDONNA: her dad’s irish by @ainsleyhcyes [VIDEO EDIT]

 Miscellaneous:

Rob Lowe celebrated his birthday on March 17.

Editors’ Choice: 

Taylor Swift’s Eras tour kicked off this week! We’re rounding up ten fics titled after or inspired by Taylor’s lyrics - one for each of her albums!

Debut: darling, so it goes (some things are meant to be) by mikaylawrites | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “Hey,” Josh says as he approaches his friend, gesturing in the general direction of the stage. “Who is this?”

Sam rolls his eyes. “I’m doing well, thank you for asking.” When Josh doesn’t respond, Sam gives him what he wants by responding, “It’s Donna.”

“Donna?”

“Donna Moss.” The name sounds vaguely familiar, but Josh can’t put his finger on why. “You know, Donna? She and I were on Andy Wyatt’s tour together last fall? She’s the one who said she didn’t believe I could go shot for shot with her at a dive bar after our St. Louis show and ended up having to drag me back to the hotel and put me into bed afterward.”

The story of rising country singers Josh Lyman and Donna Moss

(Editors’ note: We could not find a West Wing fic titled after debut lyrics, so instead we’re reccing this country music AU partially inspired by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill because of its connection to the first track of the album!)

Fearless: when you’re close I feel like coming undone by pumpkinpatch95 | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | Will, after Josh drags everyone to throw snowballs at Donna's window: is this uhh normal Everyone: yeah

Poor Will is trying to figure out the relationship dynamic of his new colleagues. Plus, Josh and Donna know something has changed after Josh's big gesture, but it takes a dance, and some jealousy, for them to finally get it together.

Speak Now: i'll spend forever wondering if you knew by sam_writes_fics | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | Josh was hoping that tonight would be different. He was hoping that the maybe for once these things would be fun, like they’re supposed to be, because he was celebrating a man that he believed in. He was a key player in making tonight happen, so it stood to reason that tonight should be fun. He could almost feel it, deep in his bones, that tonight was going to be something special. Something he’d remember for the rest of his life. Something he’d tell his kids about one day.

Red: i watched it begin again by hufflepuffhermione | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress | “Is your name really Donnatella?”

“Well, my mom is Italian,” she says with a sigh. “I go by Donna, though. Donna Moss.”

He tilts his head to the side, taking her in. “I think Donnatella suits you. I might call you that.”

“You’ll waste a lot of breath trying to call me by my full name.”

He thinks she’s going to like this girl. “I have breaths to waste."

.

A year after being forced to resign from his White House position, Josh is looking for his shot to get back into the world of politics. His plan: run a nearly impossible Congressional campaign for Joey Lucas in the California 46th. He expects a difficult campaign, but what he doesn't expect is how meeting Donna Moss is going to change his life.

1989: we never go out of style by jeaniecregg  | Rated G | C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler | Complete | CJ and Toby rush to get dressed after morning office sex.

Reputation: only bought this dress so you could take it off by hanyolo | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “Can I tell you one of my fantasies now?” Josh swallows, hands trembling as they come up to undo his top few buttons. “You’re wearing that red dress.”

A flicker of confusion crosses her face.

“What red dress?”

“You had a date.” He clears his throat, lowers his gaze. Can feel himself blushing. “His name was Todd. You were leaving straight from work. And you had on this unbelievable red dress.”

“Oh,” she breathes, eyes wide and awed. “You remember that?”

// josh has a thing for donna in red (as he should)

Lover: sacred new beginnings by JessBakesCakes  | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | But now, he doesn’t need her anymore – or he shouldn’t, anyway. So she’ll go back to her apartment, and he’ll go back to work, and things will go back to normal, whatever the hell that means.

There’s something about that idea that makes his stomach churn.

Folklore: sit with you in the trenches by swancharmings for defendingtheearth | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | ”So you’ve got health and strength.”

“And we’ll steal the rest?”

“Bet your ass.”

//

Four ways they did exactly that.

Evermore: one for the money, two for the show by octothorpetopus | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Sam Seaborn | Complete | “Will you marry me?” The words left Sam’s mouth in a flood, but the hard part was over, so it seemed. The silent moment following the question of the century stretched off into infinity like the world’s biggest rubber band. And, like all rubber bands, after a moment, it came snapping back.

“I’m sorry.” A beat. “I can’t.” A second beat, this one longer, and much more painful. “And I think maybe we shouldn’t be together anymore.”

Midnights: like we were in paris (we were somewhere else) by BeneathAnOrangeSky  | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress | Josh, Donna, and the worlds they transform together

// or: an ode to Paris (Taylor's Version)

Fics:

Presenting your weekly roundup of fics posted in the tag for The West Wing on Archive of Our Own. If you are so inclined, please be sure to leave the authors some love in the form of kudos or comments. Be mindful of posted warnings/tags for each story.

Josh/Donna

Domestic Days by spooky_spacegirl | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

you take care of us (when i make it tough) by mikaylawrites | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

it ain't nothing but a family thing by hell_to_breakfast | Not Rated | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

 Other Pairings/Gen Fic

The Language of Tomorrow by silasfinch for justdreaming88 | Rated T | Ellie Bartlet/Original Female Character(s) | In Progress

Where The Hell…? by dumbchemist | Rated T | No Pairings Listed | In Progress

None of Us are More than Caretakers by onekisstotakewithme for daylight_angel, miabicicletta, Luppiters, hondagirll | Rated T | Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg | In Progress

Always: Your Way by lindsaybob | Rated M | C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler | Complete

Interview With the President by Hackney123 | Annabeth Schott, Donna Moss (no pairings listed) | Rated G | Complete

Multiple Pairings

The Kindness of Strangers by mlea7675 (7th Heaven Crossover) | Rated T | Helen Santos/Matt Santos, Doug Westin/Elizabeth Bartlet Westin, Annie Camden/Eric Camden | Complete

THE WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING TEAM CAN BE REACHED VIA THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

Twitter: @TWWPress

Email: weeklypressbriefing@gmail.com

 Feel free to let us know if we missed something, if you have an event you’d like us to promote, or if you have an item that you’d like included in the next briefing!

xx, What’s next?

[fearsmagazine]

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures

SYNOPSIS: Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 13 years ago, Victor Fielding has raised their daughter, Angela on his own. When Angela and her friend Katherine disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil. -Universal Pictures

REVIEW: William Peter Blatty’s novel, “The Exorcist,” spawned four feature films and a tv series. This forth film is helmed by director/executive producer David Gordon Green and co-story contributor and executive producer Danny McBride (yes, that Danny McBride). This is the same team who worked with Blumhouse Productions to breathe new life into the Halloween franchise with 2021’s “Halloween Kills” and 2022’s “Halloween Ends.” A bit out of their league here, the story disregards many important rules of myths and religious belief system for derivative elements of genre films and franchise films.

Let me address the film's positive portions first. I enjoyed Amman Abbasi and David Wingo’s score that incorporates movements based on Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield used in the original film. I enjoyed Cinematographer Michael Simmonds’ work in capturing moments that were reminiscent of the original film, especially the opening sequence similarities, and clearly his work with Green on “Halloween Kills” and “Halloween Ends.” The special effects makeup is good, but not great. In an area where special and visual effects can work in tandem there is nothing here that feels fresh or original, or even transcends what has gone before.

The cast is fantastic, with the amazing talents of Leslie Odom, Jr., Ann Dowd, and Ellen Burstyn. Leslie Odom, Jr. does the best he can with the material that never allowed me, especially as a father, to connect and empathize with the character. Ann Dowd is riveting as a former nun, now a nurse, with skeletons in her closet and is left to sum up their experiences. I liked her character, but, again, never fully connected with her. Then there is Ellen Burstyn. When she is on screen she is 100% and commands the scene. However, her screen time is limited and it clearly feels like an appearance that serves more as a franchise hook than an honest integration into the plot.

Okay, so the story… Clearly they were following a formula that they constructed from watching the films and not any other literary sources or Joseph Campbell. William Friedkin even sought out one of the people who influenced Blatty’s novel, Father Amorth, and later made a film about the exorcist. There are set pieces, including the exorcism, that feel like separate pieces that they attempt to fit together. There are parts of the story that feel like they are simply checking off boxes and don’t feel centric to this particular story. As someone who has studied world religions, I loved the idea of who these people of different faiths were going to come together to save these girls, but it simply fell apart. There are rules, many similarities between beliefs, that are discarded for genre film cliches and shock value. There are setups that lead to expected outcomes and some things that make no sense. There are a lot of assumptions and things not explained that one might think would be revealed in the next installment. By the end, actress Ann Dowd’s character sits at a table delivering a monologue about evil, the devil and hope as a montage shows the audience where this experience has left these characters. One scene in particular feels like it is the purpose of this entire film, in a way detracting from everything that has gone before or any message the film tries to make.

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER feels more about creating a franchise and an attraction at 2024 Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. It’s one of the better Blumhouse Production films, but the material is beyond the grasp of the writers. Strong performances are wasted in service of a superficial screenplay that weaves in several lines that are written for laughs, and they get them, but don’t really belong here or uttered by the characters that do. The central idea never fully gells and the question of innocence feels to fall by the wayside. As a colleague pointed out, the trailer makes the film look better than it actually is. One can only hope that this is not the first in an attempt to “exorcize” the material in hopes a franchise.

CAST: Leslie Odom, Jr., Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, E.J. Bonilla, Raphael Sbarge and Ellen Burstyn. CREW: Director - David Gordon Green; Screenplay - Peter Sattler and David Gordon Green; Based on characters created by William Peter Blatty; Producers - Jason Blum, David Robinson, and James G. Robinson; Cinematographer - Michael Simmonds; Score - Amman Abbasi & David Wingo; Editor - Timothy Alverson; Production Designer - Brandon Tonner-Connolly; Special Make-up FX Designer - Christopher Allen Nelson; Special Effects Supervisor - Heath Hood; Visual Effects Producer - Andre Coutu.

OFFICIAL: www.theexorcistbeliever.movie FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/TheExorcistBeliever TWITTER: twitter.com/TheExorcistBlvr TRAILER: https://youtu.be/xovJ0GYy75A?si=sxtTkCDkz9pxlcn7 RELEASE DATE: In theaters October 6th, 2023

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

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[derekfoxwit]

The Best Picture Oscar My Way (1951-1979)

Here is Part 3 of my “Best Picture My Way” series. The last two are found here. My stipulations can be found in Part 1.

For convenience sake, I’ll relay this message. For Best Picture, I’m only gonna list the nominated producer for newly added films (here’s the Wikipedia page for the rest). I will mostly go with the ones credited as “produced by” or “p.g.a.” (if the latter is shown) on IMDB as the nominees. Limit is five.

Also, if you’re wondering why there are more years listed here than the other two, that’ll be answered in the next part.

1951

Rashomon - Minoru Jingo

Ace in the Hole - Billy Wilder

A Place in the Sun

Strangers on a Train - Alfred Hitchcock

A Street Called Desire

1952

High Noon

Forbidden Games - Robert Dorfmann

Singing in the Rain - Arthur Freed

Moulin Rogue

The Quiet Man

1953

Roman Holiday

From Here to Eternity

Shane

The Big Heat - Robert Arthur

The Stalag 17 - Billy Wilder

1954

On the Waterfront (still)

Rear Window - Alfred Hitchcock

The Caine Mutiny

Dial M for Murder - Alfred Hitchcock

Johnny Guitar - Nicholas Ray

1955

Marty (still)

The Night of the Hunter - Paul Gregory

Rebel Without a Cause - David Weisbart

The Long Grey Line - Robert Arthur

Mister Roberts

1956

Tea and Sympathy - Pandro S. Berman

The Ten Commandments

Giant

The Killing - James B. Harris

The Searchers - Patrick Ford

1957

The Bridge on the River Kwai (still)

12 Angry Men

Nights of Cabiria - Dino De Laurentiis

Witness for the Persecution

The Seventh Seal - Allan Ekelund

1958

Vertigo - Alfred Hitchcock

Mon Oncle - Jacques Tati

Touch of Evil - Albert Zugsmith

Auntie Mame

The Defiant Ones

1959

Ben-Hur (still)

Anatomy of a Murder

North by Northwest - Alfred Hitchcock

Some Like It Hot - Billy Wilder

The Diary of Anne Frank

1960

The Apartment (still)

Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock

Elmer Gantry

The Magnificent Seven - John Sturges

The Alamo

1961

West Side Story (still)

Through a Glass Darkly - Allan Ekelund

The Hustler

Judgment at Nuremberg

Breakfast at Tiffany’s - Martin; Jurow; Richard Shepherd

1962

Lawrence of Arabia (still)

To Kill a Mockingbird

Mutiny on the Bounty

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Willis Goldbeck

The Longest Day

1963

8 1/2 - Angelo Rizzoli

The Great Escape - John Sturges

Lillies of the Field

America, America

Cleopatra

1964

Mary Poppins

Dr. Strangelove

My Fair Lady

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - Mag Bodard

Woman in the Dunes - Kiichi Ichikawa; Tadashi Ono

1965

The Sound of Music (still)

Doctor Zhivago

A Patch of Blue - Pandro S. Berman; Guy Green

Darling

Ship of Fools

1966

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woof?

A Man for All Seasons

The Professionals - Richard Brooks

The Sand Pebbles

A Man and A Woman - Claude Lelouch

1967

Persona - Ingmar Bergman

The Graduate

The Jungle Book - Walt Disney

In The Heat of the Night

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

1968

2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick

Oliver!

Funny Girl

The Lion in Winter

Rosemary’s Baby - William Castle

1969

Midnight Cowboy (still)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Z

The Wild Bunch - Phil Feldman

Easy Rider - Peter Fonda

1970

Patton (still)

M*A*S*H

Five Easy Pieces

Love Story

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion - Marina Cicogna; Daniele Senatore

1971

The French Connection (still)

The Last Picture Show

McCabe & Mrs. Miller - Mitchell Brower; David Foster

A Clockwork Orange

Fiddler on the Roof

1972

The Godfather (still)

The Emigrants

Cabaret

The Heartbreak Kid - Edgar J. Scherick

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - Serge Silberman

1973

Cries and Whispers

The Sting

The Exorcist

American Graffiti

Paper Moon - Peter Bogdanovich

1974

The Godfather Part II (still)

A Woman Under the Influence - Sam Shaw

Chinatown

The Conversation

Blazing Saddles - Michael Hertzberg

1975 (kept the same)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (still)

Barry Lyndon

Dog Dag Afternoon

Jaws

Nashville

1976

Rocky (still)

Taxi Driver

Network

Mikey and Nicky - Michael Hausman

All the President’s Men

1977

Annie Hall (still)

Star Wars

The Goodbye Girl

Eraserhead - David Lynch

3 Women - Robert Altman

1978

The Deer Hunter (still)

Heaven Can Wait

Midnight Express

Days of Heaven - Bart Schneider; Harold Schneider

Dawn of the Dead - Richard P. Rubinstein

1979

Apocalypse Now

All That Jazz

Manhattan - Charles H. Joffe

Alien - Gordon Carroll; David Giler; Walter Hill

Kramer vs. Kramer