#charlie is strength personified

[bairdthereader]

Charlie Spring, An Appreciation: Part 1, Courage

Nick Nelson gets a lot of love, and justifiably so; I'll be the first to admit that he's amazing (see my many Nick-related posts as evidence). But I hear all too often that Charlie is leveling up by being with Nick, or that Nick is too good for Charlie. I beg to differ—vehemently—and here's why, part 1 (of 3, maybe?).

I often find myself in awe of Charlie during some of the quietest and least dramatic parts of the Heartstopper show and comics, because his bravery, resilience, and tenacity are displayed in ways that seem inconsequential, but are actually incredibly meaningful and telling. This boy has a thread of steel running through him, whether it's obvious at first glance or not.

We see this almost from the very beginning, when Charlie is assigned to a new form and told that he'll be sitting next to Nick, "one of the rugby boys," and, "I'm sure you'll get along swimmingly." Here is not only Charlie's worst personal nightmare, but also a teacher who is blithely unaware of the terrible position he's just put Charlie in--being placed in close, daily proximity to the type of person Charlie associates with the darkest time of his life. But we don't see fear on his face, or even that much dread—this tells us so much about him in just a nanosecond. There's resignation and bitterness, yes, but Charlie knows he can withstand this, because he's been there before and survived. This is borne out in later conversations with Nick where Charlie assures him that "I'm used to it." This is a horrifying injustice, one Nick rightly calls out, and it shows Charlie's resilience in the face of a degree of cruelty that many people never experience.

This little moment outside of the changing room is another revealing scene. Charlie knows exactly what he's walking into, exactly the kinds of comments and sly bullying he's going to experience in that room. He knows he will have to have his guard up every second, that he will have to prove himself to this group, even though he shouldn't have to. He also knows he'll be fighting his own self-doubt, and so this experience will be a battle on two fronts. (Three fronts, if you include trying to hide his feelings for Nick.) But he does it anyway. Sure, you could argue he's doing it solely to be near Nick, but I think this is also his way of making sure that those boys don't dictate his actions or his life. This is Charlie taking a stand. And this is just one example—he does this over and over and over again, in many different settings and situations.

Case in point, calling it off with Ben. Charlie has been the victim of what is essentially brainwashing and abuse from Ben for months. Ben has told Charlie verbally and shown him physically that Charlie means less than nothing to Ben, and that Charlie can never expect anyone to ever want him or care for him. And Charlie often, tragically, believes him. That Charlie is able to break free of this vicious cycle and take the steps to distance himself from Ben shows his immense inner strength. You can see on Charlie's face (thanks to Joe Locke's inimitable talent) that he can't even believe he's done it. And we have to keep in mind that this happens long before Nick is a real possibility, so we can't say Charlie does this for Nick. He does it for himself.

I do have to include one of the more iconic scenes, because this ⬇️is Charlie's clarion call, his hope, his banner, for the rest of this story. He knows he has a lot of problems to work through, that he's complicated and sometimes hard to interpret, so it's easy to see this scene and think Charlie's words come from a place of insecurity (and of course that is some of what's happening here). But he's strong enough to both acknowledge it and ask honestly that Nick not let those parts of Charlie become the focus of their relationship. He requests, even during this moment of almost brutal honesty and vulnerability, that Nick see him completely, as the whole person he can be, because Charlie knows that person is there inside himself. The self awareness and bravery this takes is enormous.

There are a million other moments like this that I could write about, both big and small:

But I'll end this already lengthy post with this: When one considers the amount of sheer courage Charlie has to exert just to live his daily life, it almost defies understanding. Charlie Spring is a gladiator of the mind and heart, completely worthy of any good thing.

[ao3feed-deckerstar]

Dimming the Lights, Lighting the Universe

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Hx2BT1w

by Unofficial_Lz

Canon Divergence from Season 6 Episode 5 but take Rory never being in the show.

What if Chloe did end up killing Lucifer with the Blade of death because She was addicted to the power the Necklace of strength gave her? What if Chloe killing the Lightbringer causes the universe to fall? Would she be too hungry with power to stop?

What if the blade didn't destroy Someone's soul, but instead sends them to a blank Universe?

What if Lucifer gains all the power Samael once held as Will?

Could Michael live with his twins death? Or would he be succumbed to the darkness without his light?

Could Hell go on without its master? Could the universe handle having more angels pass?

And what will happen to Humanity when the stars start to burn out without their Lightbringer?

Words: 4115, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Lucifer (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: F/M, Gen, M/M

Characters: Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Chloe Decker, Samael Morningstar, Michael (Lucifer TV), Hell - Personified, Cerberus - Hellhound, Mazikeen (Lucifer TV), Trixie Espinoza, Eve (Lucifer TV), Uriel (Lucifer TV), Remiel (Lucifer TV), Amenadiel (Lucifer TV), Linda Martin (Lucifer TV), Charlie Martin (Lucifer TV)

Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Michael & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Trixie Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker & Trixie Espinoza, Chloe Decker & Mazikeen, Mazikeen & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Trixie Espinoza & Mazikeen, Eve/Mazikeen (Lucifer TV), Lucifer/Michael, Linda Martin & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)

Additional Tags: End of the World, Lightbringer, world ending, Flaming Sword, Blade of Death, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Lucifer (TV) Season/Series 06, 605, Rory Morningstar does not exist, hellhound, Hell, Demons, Stars, Angels, Angel Wings, Angel Death, Character Death, Nesting, Angel nesting, Angel & Demon Interactions

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Hx2BT1w

[the-kingshound]

Hello! I hope you’re doing well today!

I’m hoping it’s still ok to submit an OC (if not, just ignore this XD), but if not that’s okay!

One of my more beloved OC’s is named Charles, but prefers to go by Charlie (or Lee, whichever is more convenient for people). Charlie goes by He/him pronouns and is essentially a personified golden retriever. (Or if someone wants another, more specific comparison, imagine Tadashi from BG who gives Baymax-level hugs)

He’s got the short golden hair, icy blue eyes, loves people, is incredibly affectionate (gives tons of compliments and his love language is physical touch. But obviously he’ll respect boundaries because the last thing he wants is to make people uncomfortable), and is one of the most loyal people ever.

Speaking of love language, Charlie’s (at least in this universe) likely comes from the lack of physical love he got from his parents, thus warranting him the need to give it to others (Arthur and Gwyar better watch themselves, they’re in for lots of love from this boy). He wants people, through his actions and words that they matter, both to him, and to everyone else, and this includes Mordred. Charlie knows what it’s like to be seen as other, as something his parents were never proud of, so he gladly takes young Mordred under his wing and cares for him as much as Mordred will allow. Charlie’s also a 6’3’’ mountain of muscle, so everyone must beware of sudden (yet loving) hugs from behind and being picked up randomly when Charlie senses the conversation’s going badly (this includes Yniol btw. They may be tall, but Charlie’s got the strength and heart to lift pretty much anyone).

But as affectionate and caring as Charlie can be, he can also be pretty scary when he’s angry. While he would never hurt an innocent person, should anyone dare hurt his loved ones, whether with words or through action, the only thing holding Charlie back from striking them down would be the explicit permission of the person who was hurt. Even then, Charlie will not care what happens to himself or the offender as long as they either apologize or get shat they deserve.

[luninosity]

*wanders by* Look what I worked on today...

Warnings for…NOT actual self-harm, but Jason spotting a scar on one of Colby’s hands, a scar he doesn’t know the story of, and briefly considering that possibility. (The actual story is much more of a cooking-related accident!) Plus general warnings for brief mention of Colby’s Awful Exes and family, & related emotional abuse.

#

“How’s this?” Jason waited, fingers resting over Colby’s hands in his. The hotel room wrapped comfort around them; it’d begun as nondescript, but had welcomed Colby’s rainbow cascade of scarves and Jason’s tidy unpacking. It was their home now, for these next two weeks of filming on location. “Helping?”

 “Very much helping, thank you.” Colby obediently didn’t move, holding both hands out. They were sitting on the bed, having changed into pajama pants and t-shirts—Colby’d borrowed one of Jason’s shirts, too large but in a cuddly flattering way—and the day had been long. They’d been filming into the evening, because Jill had wanted the specific light, dwindling away as Colby’s young and brilliant magician character got imprisoned and bound by iron and tortured, refusing to give up and lead the villains to Jason’s hero.

 The chains and cuffs had been fake, of course. Hollywood movie-making magic. A vast leap from real iron.

 But that didn’t mean they were soft or forgiving. They’d had hard edges, angled in spots, heavy, with no real padding. He’d had to struggle against them. He’d had to kneel while the villains shoved his hands to the floor and—cautiously, weight judged for performance—stepped upon them, pretending to shatter bones. The floor, and the impact, hadn’t been soft either.

 The bruises and scrapes and cuts were all too real. Colby winced as Jason spread healing salve across a tender spot. “Ow. Sorry, sorry, I know you’re being careful, I’m not complaining.”

 “Tell me if it’s hurting too much.” He tapped a finger over the back of Colby’s wrist. “And don’t apologize for it. Are you sure you don’t want me to get the medical people to check you out?”

 “They did, right after. I know you know; you were there. It’s fine, it’s not—ow—serious. It’ll heal.”

 “Might need some wrapping, though.” Jason eyed the bruises, the nicks. They shuffled purple and red across Colby’s skin, shame-faced. He didn’t like them existing, though he knew they weren’t anyone’s fault. “Just for tonight, to keep all this on. Not too tight.”

 “Whatever you think works best,” Colby agreed. “You’d know better than I would, as far as stunts and injuries. Ow, oh, drat, that one hurts a bit more.”

 That one was probably the worst, Jason judged: scraped raw, layers exposed, across Colby’s left wrist. The edge of that cuff had been both rough and sharp. And obviously his touch hadn’t been careful enough. “Shit. Sorry. Love you. Is the numbing part working, at all? It’s supposed to be helping.”

 “Oh yes,” Colby said, obligingly. “It’s already better. Thank you for doing this.”

 Jason sighed.

 “It’s true,” Colby protested. “I honestly do feel better. I’d tell you if not.” Hair tumbling to his shoulders in loose dark waves—not a wig, but extensions, left in for fantastical mystical effect—he was elfin and pretty and earnest, wearing Jason’s too-large shirt, eyes huge and blue and searching Jason’s face.

 “I know you would. But I also want to know if it’s not helping enough, okay?”

 “Yes,” Colby said meekly. “I’ll say so if it’s not working, I promise.”

 “Okay, then. Just checking.” He tried to make his touch as gentle as possible. He tried to be as soothing as he could: a protective bulk, not a threatening one. Hands offering care, not more harm. Weight and breadth positioned harmlessly on the bed, no demands.

 He knew Colby trusted him. He felt a small glow of pride that Colby did: enough to admit to being in pain, to wanting care. He loved Colby and would care for Colby with all his heart, all his strength, all his soul; not a question, not ever.

 He still hated seeing Colby in pain. Always had, always would.

 That’d be true for anyone he loved, of course. He’d had some discussions with their therapist about that, about grief and loss and Charlie and Jason’s own desperate need to save people, to be strong. He knew that about himself. But it was worse, it was the worst it could be, when the person in pain was Colby.

 Colby was the other half of his heart. The brightest piece of his life, the piece that’d dived in and reminded him how to swim and that he liked baking, the piece that’d made him laugh and drawn him into whimsical chattering conversations about wizards and dragons and romance and coffee. The piece that liked pink shirts with sequins on the sleeves, and anchovies on pizza, and history and stories and words that could steal an audience’s breath away.

 And Colby had been hurt before, so very badly, for so very long. Inside and out, physical and emotional bruises, day after day. Jason hadn’t been there then, hadn’t known him for the worst of it. But he knew now, at least as much as anyone could, after the fact.

 He’d seen Colby flinch from an unexpected touch, get wide-eyed at a large body hugging too tightly at a convention, and—the scariest of all—go silent and someplace else, someplace not present, at a drift of familiar cologne and a flash-flood of memory in the air. He knew what Colby had told him, which was enough to make Jason carefully store up a lot of emotions and then go down to the gym and beat the hell out of a punching bag for long enough to get his reactions under control.

 He knew about Colby’s family, too. The layers of those bruises—not physical, but emotional, a slow brutal evisceration of Colby’s sense of self and self-worth—went back decades. They were working on it; their therapist said that Jason being here, not leaving, not making Colby earn any crumb of affection, was the exact best thing he could do. Jason hoped so.

 He wished he could do more. He wished he could fight all of Colby’s demons. Like his character in this film, raising a sword. Lifting a shield. Fighting for a cause.

 He knew Colby’s hands pretty well, by now. He knew the way those slim graceful fingers felt in his, on his body—in his body, and oh that was always fun, Colby teasing him open and stroking him and pressing inside him. He knew Colby’s gestures on and off camera, the weight and shape of his palms, the backs of his hands, the old scars from period-piece swordfighting lessons and some small-scale stunt work, comedy pratfalls and in-role clumsiness. He knew about the short jagged line on the outside of Colby’s little finger on the right hand, from hopping a fence while filming a scene for that high-school coming-of-age comedy.

 He knew he didn’t know every smallest detail—he didn’t have a photographic memory—but he had a decent idea of Colby’s hands, he thought.

 Which was why his fingers slowed and came to a stop, as they felt something—as his gaze landed on something—that he didn’t recognize.

 Thin. White. Just above the heel of Colby’s left hand, across his palm. Long-healed—no texture at all, only noticeable if someone was paying extremely close attention, but enough to’ve left a line. Liam, Jason thought first, with a shock of anger like scarlet blood—but no, this was older than a handful of years, older than any injuries at Colby’s ex’s hands. Clearly so.

 Colby hadn’t seemed to notice—he’d been looking at Jason’s other hand, which had scooped up more salve—but he noticed the pause now. His eyes came up to find Jason’s, huge and flower-blue.

 Jason turned Colby’s hand more upward. Touched the line, very very lightly. His fingers shook.

 “Oh,” Colby said, soft with love, wry in the way of someone realizing, “no, it’s not what you’re thinking, and don’t say you weren’t thinking of at least two possibilities. It’s not either of those. I, er…well, I was about eleven years old and I’d been trying to prepare dinner for myself and I had absolutely nonexistent knife skills with regard to chopping carrots. And my father’s chef kept his knives very sharp.”

 “You were making dinner…for yourself?” He touched Colby’s palm again, traced the scar above the heel. It had plainly been a clean cut, straight, but deep enough to leave a mark once healed.

 Colby did that familiar nose-scrunch at him, the one that meant you won’t like this story. “You won’t like this story. But it wasn’t that bad.”

 “Tell me? If you want,” he amended. Not an order, not a demand. The freckle near Colby’s collarbone winked at him, playing peek-a-boo with the loose neck of Jason’s shirt.

 “Oh, of course. It’s hardly a secret.” Colby wiggled salve-smeared fingers at him. “So we were living in Paris then—Dad having been appointed as an ambassador and all, you know…”

 The storied instrument of his voice became, for an instant, more American than anything else, on the word Dad; Howard Kent personified the type of United States politician who embodied privilege, money, and self-interest above everything, including his marriage and his son.

 “…and my parents, being, er, my parents, did tend to do things like go on holiday without remembering that I existed, which meant the staff also generally forgot I existed, or took their cues from my parents, or assumed someone else had made some arrangements somewhere. So I was eleven and a bit, and I’d got used to making sandwiches and things, but I thought perhaps I’d try to cook, because I was trying to learn, you know, so I wouldn’t have to bother anyone.”

 Jason opened his mouth. Shut it.

 Colby lifted both eyebrows, inviting and amused. “Yes, go on, say it.”

 “You know everything I’m gonna say.”

 “I do. It’s all right; I’ve got you now.” Colby leaned against him, on the bed: easy contact, unremarkable, except for how it was remarkable, it was a marvel, given everything Jason knew.

 He wanted to cry for the boy Colby’d been, precocious and shy and so very alone.

 He held Colby’s hand. “I’m here. I’m always here. I’ll chop all your carrots if you need me to.”

 “You would, if I asked, wouldn’t you? Well, in any case, I managed to slice my hand open, as you might expect under the circumstances, and then I very nearly passed out from the sheer shock of it, and then after a few minutes I pulled myself together and found a first-aid kit and tried to patch it up, though it didn’t work terribly well because I was trying to do it one-handed.”

 “Jesus, Colby.” He could’ve demanded, why didn’t you call someone, a member of the security team, the household staff, a doctor, an emergency number, your parents? He didn’t.

 He knew why Colby wouldn’t. Not causing a fuss, not giving anyone a reason to disapprove or to not want him, not believing anyone would come or answer or care…

  His heart cracked open and bled more. Like younger Colby, huddled on a kitchen floor with a first-aid kit. “What happened?”

[brandufo]

Top 20 movies if you watch you will cry

One of the best ways to go through a tough week is to watch a 'tear-jerking' movie. Viewers may wish to invest in tissue boxes to watch these top 20 movies if you watch, you will cry.  Check out the top 20 movies if you watch, you will cry.  - The Notebook

IMDb- 7.8 A very energetic and emotional film with a great cast and script. The love story of the characters makes you believe in love though it's hard to believe. The final scene is very sad and probably not what anyone can expect. It can make anyone cry at the end as they will always be together now. The whole movie is very emotional. We can all agree that The Notebook is very touching. Allie choose Noah knowing that everything in life can have no meaning when you can't have love. Their love is pure and sincere. Undoubtedly, this movie is on our top in the list of top 20 movies if you watch, you will cry.  - The Green Mile

IMDb- 8.6 Most of all, the Green Mile is a very touching drama, with the joys and sorrows of life pictured with great skills. The movie revolves around the prison most of the time, everyone who had acted in the movie has performed their role to perfection. It's an emotional rollercoaster along with supernatural elements. The acting of Tom Hanks is brilliant along with the other cast members. Undoubtedly, this movie is on our top in the list of top 20 movies if you watch, you will cry. - Boys Don't Cry

IMDb- 7.5  This movie stays with you for a long time after watching it. Direction is amazing and lead actress Hilary Swank is character personified. Also, extremely sad at the end, really makes you think about humanity. It is a very compelling movie about trans gender phobia in the 90s. It is extremely sad to find out that it’s based on a true story. Also, It gives an insighful feel for an early understanding of transgender challenges. - The Passion of the Christ

IMDb- 8.7 This movie is a powerful, intense, and realistic biographical drama. This passionate film displays the dark spiritual warfare raging around Jesus Christ during his Passion. This deeply moving film shows the great love and sacrifice of Christ to pay for mankind’s sins.  It has very real beatings and shows what the persecution was really like. It's a good mix between Jesus' actual life and reality which some people tend to not look at often. Also, it is very touching and sad to watch something as real as this movie.  - Life is beautiful

IMDb- 8.6 This movie sends a powerful message of Love and Hope and brings humor even in the toughest of times. This movie warms your heart and then crushes it. It is a movie combining every emotion into one inspiring story. Set in two moments during WWII, both parts of the film is magnificent. This is not just an ordinary drama.This movie makes you laugh from the beginning and makes you cry at the end. It is based on a true story along with brilliant performances and very strong direction. - Philadelphia

IMDb- 7.7 Films do have an effect on society and this one was truly essential during that time. The last scenes after judgement were especially admirable, emotional, and heart touching. Also, it is an excellent and a soul-challenging movie on so many levels. Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks showed a very powerful and emotional performance in this movie. Viewers are inspired by both sensitive and dramatic acting, plus some by subtle camera catching touching moments, scenes and non verbal dialogues. - Forrest Gump

IMDb- 7 The story revolves around two ideas that Life is a Destiny vs Life is a chance but concludes with Life is a bit of both. This is not just a movie, it's a movie that also includes various elements of emotions. This movie has a great lesson which tells us not to give up in tough times and find our inner strength which can lead to great things. Also, it will take you with a rollercoaster ride. This movie comprises various surprising treats, along with sweet and sometimes bitter moments. - Me Before You

IMDb- 7.4 The movie is about how to enjoy every moment of your life when everything seems at an end.  It has a lot of messages and also can really help people who are going through a tough time. It also teaches you to live life to the fullest. A sweet story with a sad but beautiful ending. The chemistry between the two main actors is just about as perfect as any other couple you could think of. The moment that tears your heart apart is when Will tells Lou that he is not going to change his decision. - Hachi: A Dog's Tale

IMDb- 8.1 This movie has a heart wrenching ending. Undoubtedly, It will leave a forever mark in your heart. It will take out your hidden emotions and also it will turn you into an emotional being, a real you. It's a real story of a Hachiko dog born in Japan 1924 who passed away in 1935 waiting for his master. It is indeed one of the best dog films to come across to a viewer.  - Lion

IMDb- 8 It is a beautiful, gripping movie about a young boy getting lost and eventually finding his mother with very little knowledge and memory of where he came from. It really brings that sense of human spirit amongst all humanity and of course how can you not cry during the last scene? Undoubtedly, it's an emotional journey to watch this movie with a touching story at its core. This movie also includes most talented Indian actors such as Deepti Naval, Nawaz & Tannishtha. -  Titanic

IMDb- 7.8 The quintessential tragedy and romance film everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime. It also keeps you glued, and emotions are going to breakthrough in this one. This movie is breathtaking and also inspiring. The love story has indeed a deeper meaning. It's emotionally so powerful that it really puts you there like you’re just another passenger on the Titanic and puts the viewer into tears during the climax.  - Call Me By Your Name

IMDb- 7.9  This movie destroys viewers in the best possible way, with so much emotion, so much power and its beauty in itself is just mesmerising. This is no ordinary movie, this movie will release so many emotions. The acting from Timothee and Armie is perfect, undoubtedly amazing, perfect in chemistry, in every single way. This movie will make you cry, make you angry, make you happy and grateful and also one part which you should anticipate is a speech in the ending. It will change your life in the best way possible and honestly.  - Portrait of a Lady on Fire

IMDb- 8.1 Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a phenomenal film that echoes the directors passion undoubtedly with stellar cast, brilliant writing and amazing cinematography. The chemistry between the leads is on another level. Surely, the philosophical plot will hit you right at the core of your heart. No unnecessary frames have been used to disturb the connections between you and also the characters. The film also consists of many heart touching delicate moments. It encompasses countless human emotions.  - The Farewell

IMDb- 7.6 A Farewell tells the story of a family who fabricates an imaginary wedding in order to spend time with, and say goodbye to, their beloved matriarch. It is a very sweet and heartwarming true story about family and also love. It is recommended for fans of dark comedy and also of culturally curious. The story is so good because it just speaks through the heart and doesn't try anything else which is good. The script is tight, funny, moving, thought-provoking. This is also the kind of movie that hits your every emotional button. It will undoubtedly resonate with anyone who has a grandparent/parent/any relationship whom they are close to and facing the possibility of losing them.  - The Pursuit of Happyness

IMDb- 8 This is a family movie, the family should always have faith in one, moreover, a father and son should always have faith in each other. Surely, It’s an incredible film that depicts the importance of hardwork and success. Will Smith and his son, Jaden bring to life the true story of a father-son family, struggling to step up from the bottom rung of the ladder.  - Dead Poets Society

IMDb- 8.1 This movie leaves you with all the magic poetry, the realism of life and how still we can choose to stand up for ourselves despite what life throws at us. The movie will give tears, happiness, sorrow all at once; just like life itself and that's the reason this movie hits hard. This movie is indeed a definite watch for all age groups. It also evoked feeling, from its raw approach to life down to its heartfelt depiction of friendship and longing for freedom.  - The Fault in Our Stars

IMDb- 7.7 Firstly, this movie is one of the most heartfelt and heartbreaking films to watch. From ending the story's plot thickened and thickened and never was there a boring moment, it just stayed heavy with action and also kept you hooked throughout the chapters. The chemistry between Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort is brilliant. It teaches you that life is a beautiful thing and we truly need to spend every day as if it's our last. It shows how wonderful love is even when you are in your worst state.  - Marriage Story

IMDb- 7.9 The story shows us both sides, neither it makes anyone guilty nor it victimizes anyone. Both Charlie's and Nicole's thinking process and their sufferings are shown. It is an insightful and solicitous look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together. Also, this film is heart-rending, but it also has a comedic touch. The performances by Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, and also Laura Dern are all pretty much perfect and the emotions displayed by everyone in the cast is great. - Before Sunrise

IMDb- 8.1 A story of two strangers meeting on a train journey and deciding to spend a day together in Vienna. Firstly, they get to know each other as they check out the town and end up falling for each other. The Film indeed focuses on the finer nuances in the scenes, making it subtle and relatable and makes You feel for the characters as time flows. This movie is undoubtedly so clean and beautiful yet so engaging with an emotional ending. The movie is excellent and is also beautifully shot. - Five Feet Apart

IMDb- 7.2 How can we forget to put this movie under the list of top 20 movies if you watch, you will cry? Undoubtedly, the movie Five Feet Apart is really great if it made viewers' tears roll on their cheeks several times. The movie also reminds us not to lose hope but to follow the tiniest dot of light and it will surely radiate inside of our soul. Indeed, It is a beautiful and hopeful story, yet giving young adults an eye-opener about individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis. This movie also presents a very inspirational and emotional experience for the audience.  Related Article - Top 20 movies if you watch you will cry Benefits of Using Angular for Web Development 2021 How to Write Business Proposal for Client with Sample Format Top 10 Best Jackie Chan Movies of all time 10 Best Japanese Foods Everyone Should Try Read the full article

[fromthemouthofkings]

First Lines

Thank you for the tag @artemis-personified!!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line.

1. Space Pirates (There are two fist lines, the first line of the intro and the first line of chapter 1, and I’m including them both because they’re pleasingly symmetrical):

Before, it had been the three of them: Kestral, Magenta, and Charlie. / After, Kestral slept in late and woke with an ache in their chest.

2. Resurrected

John stood in front of a grave marked Sherlock Holmes and tried to speak.

3. Apothecary Thief

It’s a dark and quiet night in the village.

4. The Haunted House Job

The rickety old two-story house was looming menacingly over the road, Eliot thought.

5. Tristan

“So, what do we do now?” said Tristan in a voice like a stretch of empty highway at 2 am.

6. The Hobbit everybody lives/nobody dies au

And then, with strength at last waning,/Thorin Oak-Shield beat back the blade/Of the pale orc, bravely taking/Its cold bite into his shoulder. The song drifted up, faint but clear, from the banquet hall in the mountain below where the host of dwarves sat feasting.

7. Patricelia Moonbeam, PI

I moaned and threw myself back in my office chair dramatically. "Have I ever mentioned that I hate being human?"

8. Fantasyland

The gnomes of Aegia, who lived in the underground caverns of Uvdulia, believed that life came out of the water, the rushing underground springs that wet the cave walls and birthed fish, and fungus, and glowing bioluminescent moss.

9. Dramatic Bastard Villain

You arrange to meet him at a downtown theater, in the middle of a performance of an Italian opera.

10. Harry Potter, except everyone is trans and JK Rowling can die by my blade

When Professor Minerva McGonagall showed up at the Grangers’ door one sunny day in the middle of July to tell Mr. and Mrs. Granger that their child was a witch, Hermione nearly cried.

11. not to me, not if it’s you

It's late.

12. obianidala cocktail sleuthing

Music swirled around Obi-Wan’s head and couples spun dizzyingly together on the dance floor.

13. Safe In My Arms

Harry slumped down against the castle wall in their favorite unused classroom and let their head sink down.

14. Othermages

Xavier stood before their mirror and straightened their collar.

15. good down to the bones

The car saleswoman pats the top of what is soon to be the latest model of Lucille and says, "This van is good down to the bones," and Hardison wants to do the same to Eliot, to Parker.

16. Mattait’

Master Ky-Lan sits down on the edge of the bed next to me.

17. The Mysterious Disappearance of Michael J. Callinghart

Note from the editor: It was late one night in early September that I met Michael Callinghart for the second time.

18. White

Dorian shows up at my door again that night, pale and sick and shaking, and the white, blotchy mark has spread a little further across his face.

19. the sun is just another star

I feel as if our story has played out across a hundred different stars, each time coming to the same inescapable end.

20. The Egg

I.                The Scene

A quiet English garden, overlooked by a fine country house.

This is a great game for me because easily 10 or 15 of these projects are technically WIPs that I’m still actively working on. I noticed while picking these out that they kind of fall into three categories: description, narration/backstory, and lines that drop the reader right into the action. I feel like the latter are the strongest overall, though a few of the description or narration lines work really well because they’re breaking form and doing something interesting. Some of the lines from older stuff are not as strong as the newer ones, which makes me want to cringe a little, BUT I’m choosing to look at it as a mark that I’m improving as a writer :3

I think if I had to pick a favorite, it would either be from Space Pirates or from the Hobbit au. Those are both doing something fun and interesting, which makes me feel clever and pleased with myself >:) I think the first line from Resurrected is maybe the most successful, though--it’s short, snappy, and impactful and gives a really strong sense of place and character and situation right away.

@a-nerdy-shade-of-purple @bram-stoker-hate-blog and anyone else who wants to join in!

[babbushka]

Hey Zannah! Asking 7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it. & 5. Share one of your strengths. <3

Eve my friend hello! Thank you so much for asking :) 

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it. 

Okay so this is nearly impossible for me to choose as a favorite, but certainly one scene that I am very proud of is this from my Charlie Barber/Reader fic: Mind & Soul:

In the morning they will come and take these sheets away, wash away the evidence of his betrayal, of your corruption, if that’s what they want to call it. Charlie doesn’t feel corrupted in the slightest, the only fire and brimstone of adultery he feels is that of the rush in his veins when he draws out the sweetest softest whines from you.

For context, this story is a canon-divergent fic where Charlie has a different sort of affair during his marriage. There’s a lot of imagery in this story that plays with the contradiction of the subject matter itself -- morality, judgement, condemnation, and isolation. 

Charlie is a man of duality, he is charming and personable and talented, but he is also selfish and dishonest and miserable. He finds solace in you, and vice versa, and the both of you are very aware of what you’re doing. You both know how wrong it is to be doing what you’re doing, but ultimately, you’re both willing to put aside the morals of it all for your own selfish desires. 

And maybe there’s some commentary in that, in doing what you want as opposed to what you should be doing. Charlie has a lot of moments where he feels like if he’s going to hell, he might as well do it his way. And you feel like what’s the point in life if you can’t live it the way you want. He has a lot of moments where he feels more judged by his own conscience, as personified by the ghosts which haunt his theater, than by the lawyers who are actually there to condemn him. 

He stands, on the stage.

It’s empty, always empty when he’s there, these days anyway. He comes too early and stays too late. They call him a workaholic, and they’re not wrong.

They’re not wrong.

They don’t know that he’s running though, they don’t know that he’s flying, leaping, begging, desperate to be free, to cut himself free from this tether he’s tied around his own waist, around his own finger. He looks at his finger, sees the ring there, wonders when he’ll get rid of it. He could get rid of it now, if he wants.

He’s already getting rid of so much, gotten rid of so much.

“Fuck!” He shouts, loud loud loud in the empty theater, one o’clock in the morning, no one there but the ghosts in the rafters.

Oh, those ghosts. How they mock him. How they laugh and titter.

How they weep.

Or is it him, who’s weeping?

The ghosts are there to remind Charlie that what he’s doing is wrong, and I’m particularly fond of the bits where his little nervous breakdowns include them, lol. 

(I have a lot of feelings about this fic I’m sorry lmao)

5. Share one of your strengths 

I believe that one of my strengths lie in my dialogue. I’ve spent a pretty long time studying the way that we speak to one another, just from listening to the conversations that happen around me. But what’s more than that, is I think there’s so much that can be shared in the things we don’t speak, or in the way that we present our words. 

There’s a saying ‘there’s no good dialogue in real life,’ but I don’t necessarily believe that -- in context there cannot be bad dialogue because it’s organic, and I like to think that organic is the best that there is. Some people might say that it’s mundane or boring, but forced dialogue in any context (IRL or in my writing) is a big yikes for me, so I work very hard to let my dialogue flow somewhat realistically. 

Whether or not it works, I suppose is subjective, but sometimes it’s nice to try and push ourselves to be a little more human and down to earth about the way we let these people talk to one another. Lol if every conversation were some grandiose epic monologue, we’d exhaust ourselves. We could all do with a little mundanity, every now and again. 

[back-and-totheleft]

An epic memoir for an epic life

In a 1992 interview with Arthur Miller, Charlie Rose asked him what quality the great playwrights have shared in common, distinguishing them from the not so great ones in any given age?

After a pause to gather his thoughts, Miller replied that the “big ones share a fierce moral sensibility” and that “they are all burning with some anger at the way the world is.” “The littler ones,” Miller continues, “have made their peace with it. The bigger ones can’t make any peace.”

Oliver Stone is an artist whose work (his early work especially) is, as with Miller’s and all the “bigger ones”, suffused with the passion and fire of a man who refused to make peace with the world he both experienced and observed around him after serving two tours in Vietnam as an infantryman, prior to emerging determined to live life on his own terms or not at all.

The period covered in Chasing the Light runs from Stone’s his childhood and formative years all the way to the mountaintop that is Oscar night in 1987, when he picks up the Oscar for best director for Platoon, which also wins the award for best picture, editing, and score. In between we are taken on a journey of Sisyphean magnitude as he battles to overcome personal demons as a result of fraught-ridden teenage years in the midst of his parents’ divorce, which shatters any semblance of security and certainty he’d enjoyed as a child of relative privilege and affluence. Those demons were key in his decision to volunteer for Vietnam, which he does bent on either death or spiritual rebirth in this hell of his own choosing.

Greek mythology is a key theme in the book and in his life during this seminal period — in particular the epic character Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin), hero of Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey, and also a key character in its prequel, the Iliad. Stone uses Odysseus as his inspiration in choosing to forego the safe and steady path of convention and instead embrace the wisdom enshrined in Nietzsche: “The secret of realizing the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment of existence is: to live dangerously!”

Stone’s struggle to mount the ramparts of the fortress that is Hollywood would have broken the spirit of all but those in possession of the kind of adamantine tenacity and perseverance that takes you to the edge of madness. Reading of his struggles, his years of rejection, of climbing the ladder of hope only to be kicked off it again, you are reminded of the agony of Vincent Van Gogh, expressed in his letters to his brother Theo, or of Knut Hamsun in his classic semi-autobiographical novel Hunger, chronicling his early failed attempts to establish himself as a writer.

To wit: Hamsun: “I was conscious all the time that I was following mad whims without being able to do anything about it … . Despite my alienation from myself at that moment, and even though I was nothing but a battleground for invisible forces, I was aware of every detail of what was going on around me.”

Stone: “I drew hurt and perverse pride in being able to take rejection. Yet my wounded ego interfered with my ability to understand the reasons for these rejections….Beyond the paper world of rejection, there was also the in-person wound of being told no in face-to-face meetings — when they could be had — the hard-to-come-by lunches, the unreturned phone calls.”

In one the most powerful passages in the book, Stone garners renewed strength from visiting his beloved grandmother in Paris on her deathbed. Amid the flux and tumult of his parents’ split during his adolescent years, she had been both sanctuary and emotional anchor.

But then: Meme [grandmother] wanted me to go — quickly, before it was too late. I couldn’t hear but it was clear what the shades were saying: We, the dead, are telling you — your lifespan is short. Make of it everything you can. Before you’re one of us.

After many fits and starts, Stone’s breakthrough comes through his writing — first with Midnight Express, for which he wins the Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 1979, and then Scarface in 1983, a cult classic to this day. The writing in both movies crackles with a rare kinetic energy, jolting you out of your comfort zone with the unvarnished truth of the human condition in situations of extremis. If the famed and controversial Method system of acting has its parallel in screenwriting, Oliver Stone was perhaps its first and still most notable exemplar.

But despite his success as a writer, Stone’s calling is as a writer/director, with his fierce sense of how his words and vision should be captured on screen driving him on through setback after setback, until in 1985 with Salvador (released in 1986) his moment of truth arrives. The drama involved in getting it over the line more than parallels the drama captured onscreen.

At the time, Salvador’s impact on the conscience and consciousness of America when it came to the disjuncture that exists between the mythical depiction its role in the world as a force for good, and the grim truth of its litany of crimes in places that most Americans, trapped in a bubble of celebrity culture and a news information ghetto, don’t even know exist, can’t be underestimated. Salvador was crucial moment in my own political awareness, as someone who grew up in Scotland on a diet of American pop culture and Hollywood movies, becoming imbued in the process with the idea of America as the place to be, the place where you had to be if you wanted a shot at an exciting, meaningful and fulfilling existence.

When it comes to Platoon, there really is nothing more to say or write that hasn't already. It remains the Paths of Glory of our time, a withering riposte to the flag-waving, chest-beating, unthinking patriotism on the part of those whose belief in the myths of Americana personified by John Wayne and the heroes of Iwo Jima has trapped them in a prison of false consciousness. Platoon — not only a masterful movie in its own right in terms of its writing, acting, cinematography and brute authenticity — exploded in the midst of Reagan’s America as a subversive and delicious j’accuse, levelled at a status quo which two decades on from the social upheaval of the sixties, had sought to repackage and resell Vietnam to the American people as a noble if failed attempt to thwart a Communist drive for world domination in service to the God of democracy.

The movie’s depiction of the internecine struggle that rages within a combat platoon polarised along racial, class and cultural lines mirrored and still mirror the faultlines which continue to polarise American society today. In this respect, Platoon is as much social commentary as it is a dramatic piece, retaining its force and relevance thereby.

Throughout the book Stone writes with commendable candour about his fears and insecurities, his relationships, and also his lapse into Hollywood hedonism and drug use, which all serves to make him three dimensional and relatable in equal part.

Ultimately, in reading Chasing the Light, you are reminded of Theodor Adorno’s admonition that “Behind every work of art lies an uncommitted crime.” If Stone had not succeeded as an artist and his creative powers applied constructively, you come away from his story convinced that those powers would have found destructive expression, given what he experienced in Vietnam and his struggle to readjust thereafter. Given his remarkable body of work, we can only be thankful that the former rather than the latter prevailed.

-Jon Wight’s review of Chasing the Light, Medium, Aug 31 2020 [x]

[batgirl-87]

Hogwarts Mystery Gang: Signature Scents

So while making the Amortentia post for the HPHM Gang I did a lot of research with perfume/cologne notes which inspired this post which is purely just for fun ;) I may even do more, who knows?!

I had a lot of fun making this and I have to say I’m actually rather proud of it. Enjoy =)

(If you want to reblog with, or make a post about your own MC’s and/or Jacob, please do so and tag me =) Images ended up larger than intended...)

My MC - Adelyn-Keira: Black Opium - Yves Saint Laurent  

“A rock ‘n’ roll interpretation of the classic that should highlight the dark, mysterious side” “Fascinating and seductively intoxicating, the opening notes of adrenaline-rich coffee and the sweet sensuality of vanilla recline into the softness of white flowers for a modern, young, and vibrant interpretation of addiction.” “A haunting kind of innocent sweet creamy dream” “Intoxicating, warm and cozy, alluring, sexy and beautiful” “Sweet. Warm. Sexy. Beautiful. Sophisticated.” “Fall in a bottle” “Dark. Sweet. Sexy. Spicy. Enticing.” 

Notes: Coffee, Vanilla, Warm Spice, White Floral, Pink Pepper, Patchouli, Pear, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Bitter Almond, Cedar, Licorice, Cashmere Wood

Rowan: Vert d’Encens - Tom Ford (unisex)

“Represents the scented interpretation coast of Corsica, sophisticated, aromatic, and wild” “Smoky incense, pine resin, and fir balsam evoke the sense of a dense forest and rugged peaks, while delectable heliotrope and woods heighten the grand atmosphere of sea and shadow.” “[This] is what promiscuous forest Nymphs would smell” “A walk through a warm forest” “Beautiful green earthy incense” “Aromatic. Distinguished. Epic. Wild.”

Notes: Woodsy, Balsamic, Aromatic, Wood Resin, Pine, Incense, Balsam Fir, Heliotrope, Fresh, Green, Smoky

Ben: Cool Cotton - Clean (unisex) 

(Or Blur - Maison Martin Margiela [I thought the name of this one was also perfect =p])

“A citrus aromatic fragrance for men and women” “Clean, fresh, simple” “Like freshly laundered cotton sheets” “Clear blue skies, beaming rays of sunshine, and the soothing texture of soft cotton” “Reminiscent of Spring” “Subtle and calm, fresh and crisp”

Notes: Cotton, Citrus, Mint, Musk, Amber 

Penny: Beautiful - Estée Lauder 

“A romantic, light bouquet of a thousand flowers, combined with citrus on the top and warm, woodsy notes in the base.” “Intensive floral heat is sweet...the base notes are warm and elegant [creating a] creamy, vintage, rich floral chypre” “Intoxicating,classy, elegant, complex, fresh, and feminine.” “Romantic. Feminine. Memorable.”

Notes: Floral, Aromatic, English Marigold, Rose, Carnation, Tuberose, Jasmine, Mimosa, Lily, Orange-Flower, Ylang-Ylang, Lilac, Chamomile, Freesia, Sandalwood, Amber, Violet, Vanilla, Mandarin Orange, Fruity Notes, Black Currant, Bergamont, Green, Vetiver, Sage, Neroli, Cedar 

Bill: L’Homme Intense - Prada for men

(TBH I almost went with Fahrenheit Absolute by Dior which is a smokier, more intense, “darker” version of Fahrenheit, with amber and myrrh, described as “leaving an impression of adventure” because I thought while Bill had this one, Charlie liked it but it was a bit too much for him so he went for the Fahrenheit version instead which is woodsier. So... alternative? Options?)

“High quality, expensive, cool, smooth, seductive, mature” “A multi-layered experience...to evoke the elusive nature of the multi-faceted Prada man” “Imagine a gentleman wearing this scent in the Fall/Winter, well dressed, having a glass of wine with an attractive woman on the couch in front of a fireplace (Fleur =p)” “Familiar and comforting” “Soft and playful but also elegant, classy, and sexy” “Sweet and spicy” “Masculine. Sexy. Alluring.”

Notes: Leather, Amber, Iris, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Myrrh 

Barnaby: Boss Bottled - Hugo Boss for men

“Warm, sweet, inoffensive, subtly sexy” “Classic, manly, elegant, and cozy”  “The fragrance is fresh and sharp with a woodsy base. A fresh and fruity  blended with floral and spicy heart with a masculine base.” “Smooth, creamy, masculine, and seductive” “Soft, elegant, and sweet” “Woody, warm spices, masculine citrus, fresh...A calm scent, gentle, sparkling like a stream in the sunlight” “A loveable scent with a simple agenda” “Like an inviting, sensual apple pie” “Fresh. Sweet. Spicy.”

Notes: Woody, Vanilla, Warm Spice, Fruity, Apple, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Bergamont, Plum, Vetiver, Mahogany, Oakmoss, Cedar, Carnation, Geranium, Olive Tree, Musk

Andre: Touch for Men - Burberry 

(or L’Homme Ultime - Yves Saint Laurent - it was almost this one but Andre and Burberry are a match made in heaven. I almost gave him two signature scents because I had such a difficult time deciding between this one and Touch for Men - or Mr. Burberry Indigo - other options/alternatives) 

“Sophisticated, confident, sexy.” “A clean fragrance created by fairy dust. From a magical wish to the physical realm... Captivating and addicting.”  “Versatile - can be dressed up and be formal and classy or dressed down and casual” “Beautiful, intoxicating violet leaf gives off a powdery vibe accented by clean musk and spicy pepper and cedar” “Subtle fragrance that makes you feel clean and sophisticated”  “Classy and fresh” “Soft and refined, unique and classy.”  “Dressy casual” “Classic representation - a gentleman” “Unique, sexy, fresh, energizing” “Fresh and elegant” “Sophisticated and comforting” “Elegant and creamy” “A gentleman’s cologne” “A versatile, wearable fragrance that is welcoming but rich in contrast”

Notes: Fresh Spicy, Ozonic, Musky, Woody, Aquatic, Aromatic - Violet Leaf, White Musk, White Pepper, Tonka Bean, Cedar, Nutmeg, Vetiver, Artemisia, Mandarin Orange 

Tulip: Byzance - Rochas

“Floral, aldehydic, vintage, woodsy-spice” “Unique, strong, beautiful” “Very strong and complex with a dark mysterious vibe” “80s vibe” “Conveys the message ‘I know what I’m doing’ without being domineering or a know-it-all” “Oriental-floral and warm spice that reminds one of Turkey”

Notes: Warm Spice, Floral, Woody, White Floral, Tuberose, Aldehydes, Turkish Rose, Carnation, Spices, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood, Cardamom, Jasmine, Heliotrope, Amber, Vanilla, Musk, Anise, Basil, Lily, Mandarin Orange, Green Notes

Tonks: Rock Angel - Oriflame 

(And maybe later Roses & Chocolate - Mancera ;p)

“Fragrance for modern women inspired by rock music and youthful rebellion as well as tenderness and elegance that are symbolized by an angel. This fragrances tends to illustrate and distinguish the two sides of a woman - the temperamental and strong side and the gentle and subtle side. ‘Destroy stereotypes, redefine the boundaries, show the world your unique combination of gentleness and power’ it demands.” “Definitely one with a strong personality”

Notes: Fruity, Sweet - Bergamot, Pear, Red Apple, Peach, Praline, Grapefruit, Gardenia, Rose, Vanilla, Violet, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk, Cedar, Tuberose

Charlie: Fahrenheit - Dior 

“A woody, floral, musk fragrance for men” “A resolutely contemporary fragrance characterized by a meeting of extremes. Fresh, elegant notes blend in perfect harmony with bolder, more virile overtones to create a scent that is warm, subtle, and distinguished.” “Represents the ‘perfect man’ - Classically masculine [while] unafraid to show a softer side. Doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty as long as the job gets done but cleans up nicely. He’s fun, can laugh at himself, has manners and class. A true gentleman who treats his date with respect yet a sexual stunner when appropriate. Showcases his intellect without being pretentious or condescending. Knows his strengths without being arrogant.”

Notes: Leather, Fresh Spice, Aromatic, Woody, Ozonic, Honeysuckle, Nutmeg, Vetiver, Violet Leaf, Musk, Lavender, Cedar, Sandalwood, Amber, Patchouli, Hawthorn, Tonka Bean, Bergamont, Jasmine, Mandarin Orange 

Jae: Intense Oud - Gucci

“Simple elegance, smooth, refined, rich” “Dark and warm” “A cleverly crafted fragrance” “Deep and richly layered character” “Simplistic Elegance. Daring. Subtle Sophistication. Warmth.” “Manly, sophisticated, comforting, irresistible... Not overpowering, bold, or loud in the face [but] smooth, smoky, warm leaning towards a “modern” masculine” “Extremely luxurious Oriental fragrance - smells like you’re a billionaire”

Notes: Balsamic, Smoky, Oud, Incense, Olibanum, Saffron, Amber, Pear, Raspberry, Bulgarian Rose, Orange Blossom, Woody notes, Patchouli, Musk, Leather 

Badeea: Portrait of a Lady - Frederic Malle

“Elegance personified” “Vintage and modern at the same time” “Consider perfume a portrait of its wearer: the sound of her voice, her gaze, the way she plays cards. At once timeless and resonant with today, here is a scent that speaks of her innate sophistication. Charm that emanates from within, boldly depicted without; an expressive portrayal of modern grace.” “Consider perfume a portrait of its wearer: the sound of her voice, her gaze, the way she plays cards. At once timeless and resonant with today, here is a scent that speaks of her innate sophistication. Charm that emanates from within, boldly depicted without; an expressive portrayal of modern grace.” “Portrait of a Lady is more like portrait of perfection. It smells like fantasy stories, mysterious and deep.”

Notes: Warm Spice, Balsamic, Rose, Patchouli, Incense, Clove, Sandalwood, Raspberry, Black Currant, Cinnamon, Amber, Musk, Saffron, Benzoin

Liz: Philosykos - Diptyque

“Fresh. Green. Juicy.” “Humid. Juicy. Watery. The dampness makes it feel alive, like it just rained and now it’s sunny.” “ Like you’re walking through fig trees in mid-August.” “Scent of a snapped twig of a plant full of sap” “A green scent with a hint of warmth.” “Imagine cold Indian summer morning, sun slowly rising, a woman is drinking her hot tea with coconut milk watching the sunrise through an opened window, while a cold breeze brings in the smell of freshly cut moist grass.”  “Natural smelling” “The memory of a Greek summer at Mount Pelion. To get to the sea, there was a natural grove of wild fig trees to cross through. The sun at its zenith heated the earth, the dry wind carried the scent of the trees and their fruit. Philosykos is an ode to the entire fig tree: the green freshness of the leaves, the density of the white wood, the milky flavour of the figs.” “Creamy. Green. Woody. Earthy.”

Notes: Green, Woody, Fresh - Fig Leaf, Fig, Green Notes, Fig Tree Sap, White Cedarwood, Woody Notes, Musk, Coconut Milk 

Diego: 1 Million Intense - Paco Rabanne 

(there are so many Paco Rabanne fragrances that would work for Diego - think we found his brand =p)

“This high-impact fragrance creates a multifaceted signature of masculinity. Freshness, striking and assertive, refined yet virile, elegant, and one of a kind.” “Very sweet, intoxicating, warm and spicy - definitely attention grabbing.” “A nice, strong, and deep sweet masculine scent” “Strong and intoxicating but playful.” “Darker, spicier, and smoother...less loud, more interesting” “Modern, irreverent, provocative, and charming.” “Intoxicating sweetness, spicy musk, seductive, and rich.” “Warms the senses” “Fresh. Spicy. Vibrant.” 

Notes: Warm Spicy, Cinnamon, Rose, Blood Mandarin, Cardamom, Saffron, Black Pepper, Sandalwood, Neroli, Patchouli, Leather, Iris, Orris Root

Talbott: Rocabar - Hermès

“A unique smelling scent which captures the feeling of  the great outdoors perfectly. Pine woody notes combined with citrus and vanilla notes gives this scent a freshness and lightness but there remained a beautifully earthy feel to the scent.” “Opening briefly with sharpness, dries down to be warm, cozy with a touch of cool majestic” “Strong silent type with wisdom in his eyes” “Manly but soft around the edges” “A mixture of chypre with a dry resinous and spicy oriental feeling, something able to transmit a rough and at the same time velvety” “He is down to earth and rough, but kind hearted and refined.” “Whispering gentleness and intelligent manner.” “The man who knows but remains silent.” “Reflects a man who is calm, assured, and kind.” “It seems to breathe in the fresh air of a pristine forest” “Elegant. Reserved. Alluring.”

Notes: Woody, Aromatic, Fresh Spicy, Warm Spicy, Balsamic - Juniper, Coriander, Bergamont, Lemon, Cedar, Canadian Balsam, Benzoin, Vetiver, Italian Cypress, Cardamom, Vanilla, Violet, Carnation, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Fir 

Chiara: Balenciaga L’Essence - Balenciaga

“Possesses an ethereal quality” “Opens with an ozonic feeling in the air on a summer day when it’s about to storm. It has a perfectly gentle, vague woody base that is warm but not heavy, nothing sharp or intense... just grassiness in a lush garden.” “Green, wet, lush, and juicy while soft and powdery.” “A natural, fresh, forest scent” “Lovely creamy green scent” “A dark mysterious forest after it’s rained, out of a fairytale” “Calm and confident but not boastful, kind, a little playful, and friendly.” “Light and airy and soft...like a whisper in paradise, a dream that lasts only for a second. Makes people curious with its enchanting quality” “Charming and loveable scent” “A really beautiful forest floor scent - shaded trees, cool air, violets everywhere, and unicorns!” “It’s like inhaling all the greens of a deep wood with a very shy sun gently caressing the trees, yet heavy grey clouds are still present and the moss and grass are still humid after a short and light rainfall; flower beds of wild violets - you are alone and introspective”  “Lovely, quite melancholic, energetic yet meditative, subtly sweet”

Notes: Green, Woody, Aromatic, Ozonic, Powdery - Green Notes, Violet Leaf, Violet, Vetiver, Cedar, Sandalwood, Patchouli

Merula: Midnight Poison - Christian Dior

“A bewitching scent” “Empowering” “Thick sweet woods dripping in amber and spicy dark rose” “A dark potion of almost black roses and earthy bitter patchouli. Spicy, sexy, intriguing. No softness, no sweetness. Unapologetic and fierce darkness.” “Brooding patchouli and sinister spice...Dark, spicy, and woody.” “Maleficent” “Seductive and intense. Makes one feel confident” “Opens sharp and overpowering but dries down, mellows out, to creamy and sweet.” “Feminine with a gothic edge” “Gothic dark beauty” “Mysterious and seductive yet there is a strange innocent quality” “Smoky and sultry with subtle sweetness and softness” “Strong and dynamic - demands attention” “A magic elixir dark witches brew to entice and enchant” (need to get my hands on some of this! My MC would also rock this - she’s going to “borrow” some from Merula =p)

Notes: Patchouli, Rose, Amber, Citrus - Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Warm Spice - Vanilla

Ismelda: O - Blood Concept

“Unique and enigmatic.” “Weird, sharp, and unique.” “Cruel leather with metallic notes... a predominant kick in the nuts” “Up close has a softer presence, more pleasant and actually comforting” “Smokey, strange, bitter” “A bizarre combination that is pleasant despite its strange quality. Powerful, direct, and confident. The composition is modern, minimalistic, edgy, empowering, and unisex. Aromatic and spicy...strong...projecting power and confidence.”  “And interesting fragrance that can come off as cold” “I could see Lestat wearing this” “Smoky, intense, earthy, and definitely bizarre” *Others have said this scent has made them physically sick (well with Ismelda’s unwashed hair...maybe it’s not that, maybe it’s this!)

Notes: Leather, Metallic, Sweet - Raspberry, Smoky, Woody - Birth Tar, Virginia Cedar, Caraway, Rose, Cyperus Esculentus

Jacob: Olympic Rainforest - Olympic Orchids Artisan 

(and Narciso Rodriguez for Him - Narciso Rodriguez - probably wears this darker fragrance more after the Vaults and Cult experiences, but the Olympic Rainforest reminds him of living in Canada, being in the great outdoors, and provides him a sense of peace and comfort)

“Explore the mysterious, lush, mist-shrouded rainforest of the Pacific Northwest where everything is constantly green, every surface dripping with water and covered with life in the cycle of growth, decay, and rebirth.” “Like hiking through a recently burned forest to the untouched forest beyond.” “A touch of sweetness underneath the woody, rustic smell.” “Opens very dark but soon dries down to some sweetness and warmth.” “The forest is alive and dynamic.” “Something soothing yet daring - takes great risks” “Phenomenal, sublime, majestic, embracing.” “The change from the cool, wet pine through the floral heart and warm honeyed wood is like the passing of a summer’s day in the forest.” “Bitter, dark and cool to warm, soothing, slightly sweet.“ “Spicy, resinous, mossy, fresh, rich, natural” “Lovely, therapeutic, calming yet playful.” “Has a pensive, calming, almost therapeutic quality”  “Like hiking through the forest after it rains”

Notes: Woody, Balsamic, Earthy, Aromatic, Woody Spice - Canadian Balsam, Port Orford Cedar, Oakmoss, Sword Fern, Myrrh, Boletus Edulis (Forest Mushrooms), Black Spruce, Beeswax, Wildflowers, Rhododendron

[dipshithqs]

☠ ◞ ashton moio . 23 . cismale . he/him . › is that rocco mena i see walking through the campgrounds ? i can’t believe that the sagittarius is spending their summer here . i heard that MOUSE is a pizza delivery boy when they’re at home in chandler , arizona . but while they’re here , i’ve seen them stuffing his face while humming all night longer by sammy adams . i’ve called them the village idiot but that’s only because of their PLAYFUL and DIMWITTED tendencies . apparently , they’re back at camp silver lake this year because he missed the place . ‹ played by t , he/they , 18+ , mst . ›

INTRODUCTION

name. rocco age. 23 birthday. 11/23 sexuality. heterosexual

EXTENDED

full name. rocco spencer mena pronunciation. ROCK-oh SPEHN-suhr meh-NUH meaning of name. “rest” aliases. mouse, ,rocky, roc gender. cismale pronouns. he/him species. human zodiac sign. sagittarius hometown. chandler, arizona occupation. pizza delivery boy/camp counselor label. the village idiot faceclaim. ashton moio

RUNDOWN

🍕 a Very Dumb™ 🍕 obsessed w/ rap/hip-hop and constantly tries to write his own songs 🍕 super bad at writing but actually a decent rapper 🍕 generally liked by the kids ,, , mostly bc they can get away w/ a lotta shit w/ him 🍕 pinterest board 🍕 has been a pizza delivery boy fr 3 years 🍕 was a clerk n a babysitter before that 🍕 never taken seriously 🍕 loves energy drinks 🍕 still lives w/ his parents 🍕 developed a panic disorder n started getting panic attacks at 13 ,, , after his first run at camp silver lake 🍕 Would Rather Be Sleeping 🍕 bit of a momma’s boy 🍕 spotify playlist 🍕 a Good Choice if all you wanna do is sit around n eat cheetos all day 🍕 been skateboarding since he was 9 🍕 was close friends w/ 3 out of the 10 kids that disappeared 🍕 parties like a frat boy

QUESTIONS

why are they labeled as the trope that you applied for ? remember that kid in class that used to sit at the table during arts and crafts time just eating glue and putting stickers on his face ? that was mouse ... . ... and he hasn’t changed, ,,,he’s labeled the village idiot ‘cause homeboy is dumb as dirt ! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!! !! a safety hazard. w/ the kinda luck he has too,,, he’d end up getting someone else ( along with himself ) killed ,,, fortunately, , where he lacks intelligence ... . n luck ,, ,  he makes up for in friendliness who are some of their character inspirations ? ( bonus points if you list some horror movie or television show characters ) gOd i wish i had more characters frm horror movies/tv but highkey philip j. fry from futurama, , a dash of charlie kelly from it’s always sunny in philidelpha,, touch of michael kelso from that ‘70s show minus the narcissism ( tho mouse has his moments ), ,,,, , andy dwyer from parks and recreation ,, , lowkey xander harris from buffy the vampire slayer do you think they’d run into danger or run away from it ? it depends tbh, ,,but probably run away , ,, like 93% of the time he’d run away what are the worst parts of their personality ? o god he is so. .. .. .. .. .. .... ..... ..so dumb, ,,fatally dumb, ,, , keep-your-distance dumb,, ,, actually making him annoying at times ( especially in serious situations ) ,, , n he can b V lazy so asking him to do. .. ... Anything .. ... can b such a Chore, ,, this makes him appear selfish at times,,, as well what are some connections that they would have formed at camp the first time they were around ? his main focus would’ve probably been the boys at camp the first go around, ,, since he was just set on having fun w/ a group a friends n girls just seemed Annoying at the time,,, , so BROS !!!!!! [ insert me and the boys meme here ] there’s a possibility he’d gotten a hardcore crush at camp the second go around ( at 14 ) tho are they nervous about returning back to camp silver lake ? why or why not ? noooooo he is v much Excited to b returning,, , thanks to his good ol’ ‘ subconsiously blocking out tramatic experiences ’ method ,, ,albeit ... .. . he didn’t expect to come back ,, , but couldn’t resist what’s their favorite scary movie ? so hard !!!! he’s def more into comedy or cartoons than scary or gore but he can b down fr a good funny horror ,, ,,, probably tucker and dale vs evil finally, what are some connections you’d like for them to have ? ( please list a minimum of three ) would fckn Love something along the lines of those two guys/heterosexual life-partners (shaggy/scooby, jay/silent bob, monty/jasper, etc) pLease ,,, might b pushing it but maybe something like cloudcuckoolander’s minder ?? listen .. ... ... ..he’s gonna die Quick w/o a smack whenever he tries to do smthn stupid (n thts all th time fjds),, !!! just friends !!! r smthin like it,, , def can see him crushing on someone, ,trying to hit on ‘em,,, , pulling out those cheesy pick up lines n they just Do Not Want , ,,,, ,lbh he’s not bf material, ,, ,, ok but i'm down fr aaannnnyyyytttthhhiinnngggg tho honstly it’s cool to just come up w somethin on the fly, ,, pLS HMU !!!!!!!

APPEARANCE

height. 5′8″ weight. 138 lbs eyes. brown hair. dark brown race. hispanic/latino nationality. american complexion. beige build. scrawny voice. x scent. cheese dust,, fruity pebbles, ,,body spray

RELATIONSHIPS

parents. donté + maría siblings. jamie children. none enemies. none ( that he knows of )

MENTAL

education. high school languages. english, spanish disorders. panic disorder habits. eating 'til he passes out, ,taking looooong ass naps ,, ,playing on his skateboard in the cabins ,, ignoring his general duties as a councellor/steering the kids off course

TRAITS

positive. optimistic, supportive, playful, tenderhearted, easygoing negative. lazy, dimwitted, self-indulgent, immature, careless

CHARACTERIZATION

moral alignment. neutral good jung. enfp-a enneagram. the peacemaker four temperaments. phlegmatic tropes. crying wolf, the ditz, buffy speak, dumb is good, too dumb to live, kindhearted simpleton, casanova wannabe, manchild, butt-monkey, the slacker, know-nothing know-it-all, fun personified, extreme omnivore, cloudcuckoolander, adorkable, unfazed everyman, innocently insensitive archetypes. the performer, the caregiver, the rebel aura. red tarot card. the sun

ATTRIBUTES

strength. 3/10 dexterity. 4/10 magic. 0/10 cunning. 2/10 willpower. 4/10 constitution. 8/10

INTELLECT

musical-rhythmic intelligence. 6/10 visual-spatial intelligence. 2/10 verbal-linguistic intelligence. 3/10 logical-mathematical intelligence. 1/10 bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. 3/10 interpersonal intelligence. 6/10 intrapersonal intelligence. 5/10 existential intelligence. 6/10 naturalistic intelligence. 2/10

[forksofwisdom]

Twilight Characters Cast as Greek Deities - pictures + explanations

Warning:

This is a long one (but there are a lot of pretty pictures!)

By Greek Deities I mean all of them - the Primordial gods, Titans, Olympians, Daemones (personified spirits), and Nymphs. I focused on the deities personalities, abilities or history to find the right fit! Relationships are not taken into account!

Thanks to the anon who encouraged me to combine my love of Greek mythology with Twilight! This is for you!

These are simply my headcanons, so you're free to disagree or expand on them as you like!

The Olympic Coven

Carlisle's foremost characteristic is his compassion and desire to heal others. He saved the lives of most of his family members; Edward, Rosalie, Esme, and Emmet. Asclepius, the son of Apollo and famed physician, was punished by Zeus for saving the life of mortals from certain death. He was elevated to godhood in death.

Esme is described as the heart of the family. In ancient Greece, the hearth was the center of the home and family. Hestia received the first offering in every household since she presided over the preparation of the family meal.

Jasper participated in two major wars, both as a major and then as a second-in-command. He isn't rash or sadistic enough to be Ares, but his gift for strategy and charisma makes Pallas, the Titan god of Warcraft and military campaign, an excellent choice for him.

Alice has the gift of foresight, but her vivacious personality is why I chose the Titaness, Phoebe, out of all of the prophets and oracles. Phoebe is derived from the Greek word "phoibos" which means bright or radiant!

Emmett has superior strength than most vampires. Kratos is the personified spirit of strength, might, power and sovereign rule.

Rosalie was a difficult choice because she's like the lovechild of Aphrodite and Athena. She's beautiful, passionate, and desires children (procreation) but a she's also intelligent and interested in mechanics and engineering which is Athena's domain. I went with Aphrodite in the end because Athena is a maiden goddess and asexual.

Edward was an easy choice however because there are surprisingly few gods who rule music. Apollo is the god of music, poetry, and healing (to name a few) and Edward has an interest in medicine. To my knowledge, there are no Greek gods with the ability to read minds as Edward does.

The Quileutes

Sam was forced to keep the Alpha position by Jacob, which is an immense responsibility. Atlas was condemned to bear the entire sky for leading the Titans in their war against Zeus. Atlas came to mean endurance. (I thought of Hades at first, and I totally agree with you anon - he's got the 'hard on the outside soft on the inside' thing down to pat, but Hades fit another character better!)

Jared has the penchant for gambling. At first, I thought Hermes would be a good match for him, but Hermes many other titles (so, so many titles). I decided that Caerus, who is the god of opportunity, critical time, advantage and profit, was a better fit since those are attributes of (successful) betting.

Paul has a temper, but he's not a sadist like Ares. Poseidon is infamous for his temper tantrums, causing earthquakes and tsunamis (he's also a petty bitch, and I wouldn't put it past Paul to be one too if he could get away with it)

Jacob has a love for mechanics, and not many can say that they built their car! Hephaestus became the god of smiths, fire, and metalworking and his creations are prized and sought after by all the other gods!

Leah was challenging to cast. Initially, I thought she'd make a good Artemis, but that goddess has notoriously born hatred for all men since her birth. The only side of Leah we get to see in canon is the front she puts up - burnt and bitter. She's argumentative, sharp-tongued, and downright vicious. Eris is... not pleasant to be around. I think Leah would join Artemis and become her handmaiden once she's calmed down and away from Sam and Emily.

Seth is our sunshine boy!!! (need I say more???)

Embry is reserved and likes his space. I think he's the type to take advantage of the trails around La Push and go on long walks and enjoy his own company. Pan was the god of shepherds and forests of the mountain wilds. The Greeks associated his name with the word pan which means "all." However, its true origin lay in an old Arcadian word for rustic, but I couldn't resist quoting Hitchhiker's Guide in the picture - it's my favorite. I'M ONLY HUMAN!)

Quil is remarkably relaxed and cheerful for a boy who's supposed to be raging with testosterone *cough* Jake *cough* Paul *hack*. He seems like the sort of guy to enjoy a good party, and Dionysos certainly does. It doesn't hurt that he's best friends with Pan (Embry).

Emily was against Sam imprinting her at first. She was a victim of circumstance (it’s still shitty what they did to Leah), and Persephone was precisely that: a victim. Hades asked Zeus for the hand of one of his daughters and Zeus said that he could have Persephone, but that he'd need to kidnap her because Demeter would never allow him to have her daughter. He stole her and later tricked Persephone into staying with him for eternity. They fall deeply in love by the end tho.

Kim's personality isn't known in canon - other than that she's shy. She's a favorite of mine though, so that's why she's here! In my headcanon, Kim is intelligent and offers great advice. She's cunning as well, and nothing goes past her - Jared doesn't stand a chance. Metis was a councilor of Zeus during his war against the Titans and hatched the plan which would make Cronus regurgitate Zeus's siblings. (She's also the mother of Athena - pls read her story it's incredible! ಥ_ಥ)

The Swan Family

Bella is a shield, both in her human life and as a vampire. She does what she can to protect her loved ones, even going as far as to sacrifice herself by drawing blood as a distraction during the battle against Victoria. Soteria is the goddess and personification of safety, deliverance, and protection from harm. Deliverance, the action of being rescued or set free, is appropriate since Bella saved Edward from his inner demons as well.

Charlie represents the human laws in Twilight as a police officer. He's calm and more accepting than most (though he has his limits *cough* Edward *cough*). Rhadamanthys was a famously just lawmaker during his mortal life and was appointed as one of the three Judges of the Dead and King of the Elysian Fields after he died.

Renée tends to shift her hobbies and interests from one to another. Horme is the personification of effort and represents setting oneself in motion, and starting an action.

The Volturi

Aro is the current king and ruler of the vampires. He isn't a philanderer, so Zeus was out, but how he murdered his sister, Dinyme, in cold blood to keep Marcus from leaving the Volturi (and thus losing his power) reminds me of Cronus's desperate attempt to thwart his prophesied defeat at the hands of his child. Cronus ate his own children and familicide was one of the worst crimes you could commit in ancient Greece.

Marcus was DEPRESSED after he lost Didyme, his mate. The guy whispered "finally" when his head was about to be ripped off. Penthos is the personification of lamentation and mourning.

Caius is a sadist whose answer for everything is death and destruction. Ares revels in war for its own sake. He delights in the din and roar of battles, in the slaughter of men, and the destruction of towns. When Thanatos (the grim reaper) went missing, and people stopped dying, Ares sulked and famously said: "What's the point of war if no one dies?"

Jane was easy. She experienced such pain when she was burning at the stake that she could wield it with her mind when she became a vampire. Lupe is one of The Algea, who are three sisters that are the personification of pain and suffering - in both body and mind - grief, sorrow, and distress.

Alec's power reminded me of Hypnos, who puts you to sleep before Morpheus gives you dreams. Alec shuts off all of your senses - kind of like turning the off switch.

Sulpicia isn't given much of a personality in canon, and in Life and Death, Smeyer simply turned her into a female Aro by giving her his abilities of tactile telepathy. She deserves more credit; she's incredibly old, and I like to think that while she's locked up in the tower, Sulpicia keeps up with the times by watching the news on TV or reading news articles on the internet. Mnemosyne was the Titan goddess of memory and represented the rote memorization required to preserve the stories of history and myth before the introduction of writing.

Didyme's power was inducing happiness. Euphrosyne was one of the three Charities and the goddess of good cheer, mirth, merriment, and joy.

Athenodora is said to be one of the oldest vampires still walking the earth. We don't know much about her, but I bet she's created a few vampires in her time to keep the species going. Gaia was born at the dawn of creation, and all of the heavenly gods are her descendants.

Corin's addictive power is what persuades the wives and Chelsea to stay content in their imprisonment. You go through severe withdrawal by leaving, but it can be done since Eleazar, whose ability Aro coveted, left with Carmen. Peitho personifies persuasion and seduction - not 100% fitting to Corin's talents but the best I could think of...

Felix is a high-ranking guard and relies on strength and combat techniques to serve his leaders. His physical capabilities are so powerful that he has maintained within the guard for centuries. Alexiares, whose name means unconquerable, is one of two brothers that preside over defense and fortification of Olympus's gate.

Demitri's tracking ability and "Casanova lifestyle" immediately reminded me of Hermes, who is the god of herds, travelers and hospitality, roads and trade, thievery and cunning, heralds and diplomacy. It's fitting because Demitri is also shown to be polite and restrained, but he undoubtedly has a few aces up his sleeves to have survived in the Volturi guard for centuries.

Chelsea's ability to strip people of their emotional ties and forge new ones is unnerving. Ananke was the primordial goddess of necessity, compulsion, and inevitability. She emerged from Chaos fully formed at the beginning of all creation and is thought to be untouchable by all, from mortals and the immortals. She's able to control the fates of other gods and make them slaves to their own urges if she so chooses.

Afton's ability to make himself invisible is not found in any Greek deity, but Hades owns a helmet which is made of darkness and renders the user invisible.

The Denali Coven

Eleazar's ability to see other's potential reminds me of Prometheus's forethought and the unshakable belief he has in the humans Zeus forced him to create.

Carmen is pretty chill and peaceful from what we get to see of her in Breaking Dawn. She isn't overly troubled by the legality of things since she accepts Renesmee, whose existence goes against both the laws of vampires and those of nature, at once. We see that Carmen is maternal and gentle when she asks if she can hold Renesmee. Eirene is the personification of peace, and for Carmen, I interpreted that as personal peace and not upholding the legal system. Statues of Eirene often depict her as a maiden holding the infant Ploutos (Wealth) in her arms.

Kate is OOOLD but not the oldest vampire in existence. Since the power of lightning is solely in Zeus's domain (and Kate isn't a serial rapist), I had to overlook her electric ability. Electricity is used as a source of light, so I think Hemera is a good choice for Kate. She's the primordial goddess of the day and would disperse her mother Nyx's dark mists every morning to bathe the earth in the light from the ether.

Tanya reminds me of the Titaness Eos because they both have an insatiable desire for handsome men. Eos shares Hemera's domain, and later took over her duty of bringing the dawn to earth by opening the gates for Helios's chariot.

Irina thought the Cullens had created an immortal child, which was the outlawed. To her, it seemed like the Cullens thought they were above their laws and reported them to the Volturi accordingly. Nemesis is the goddess who exacted retribution against those who succumb to hubris.

The Irish Coven

Maggie can detect lies. Aletheia's the personification of truth and sincerity.

Siobhan's talent is outcome manipulation, which I assume means she can affect the outcome of some event. Lachesis was the second of the Three Fates. She distributes the 'thread' of a life. "Lanchano" means to obtain by lot, by fate, or by the will of the gods.

The Amazon Coven

Zafrina's ability of visual projection reminded me of Pasithea's past time of inducing hallucinations and relaxation. She was one of the younger Charities but later married Hypnos and now resides with him in the Underworld.  

Kachiri was the first out of the Amazon Coven to be bitten, but she didn't want to be separated from her two best friends, Senna and Zafrina, so she went back and turned them as well. I'm endlessly fascinated by their coven, so I didn't want to separate them here! Macaria is the goddess of "blessed" death which reminded me of how Kachiri came to collect her friends.

Senna is the quiet one, but that might be because she was wary around the Cullens. Gorgyra is a nymph in the Underworld and gave birth to Hade's orchardist. I can see her chilling with Katchiri and Zafrina in her son's orchard.

James’s Coven

James is an asshole. He’s so petty that he couldn't deal with the Cullen's refusal of sharing their meal, so he tricked Bella into coming to him by pretending to have her mother (how would he know who Renée was and wasn't she in Jacksonville??? Use your brain, Bella). Dolos is the personification of trickery, cunning deception, treachery, and guile - so basically, he's a nasty piece of work. He and James deserve each other.

Victoria was the first one I cast. She instantly reminded me of Hera because instead of punishing her husband/mate for his wandering eyes (greedy, in James's case) she goes to great length to punish Edward by trying to kill Bella, who is the innocent one in this whole shitshow. Hera, the goddess of marriage, should have picked a better husband because Zeus already was notorious for panting after every attractive face that came his way before they wed (heck he even cheated on her during their wedding celebration).

Laurent didn't give me a lot to work with since he's only portrayed as a coward. That doesn't seem correct because he came back to warn the Cullen's of James's plans and he later returned to Forks as a favor to Victoria. Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus, was the Titan god of afterthought and excuses. I think Laurent regretted his decisions in the end, both for having traveled with James, and for having listened to Victoria. He also gave Bella the excuse that he had to kill her since Victoria was his old buddy.

Nomads

Peter was another difficult choice. At first, I thought Thanatos might be a good choice since Peter enjoyed fighting in Maria's army.  Thanatos's gentle touch kills instantly, but Jasper was the one who killed the newborns. Peter fell in love with Charlotte, whose newborn powers eventually expired, but instead of "delivering" Charlotte to her death, Peter told her to run and chased after her. Kharon (Charon) transported the dead across the waters to Hades in his boat but refused those that couldn't pay for the ride.

Charlotte is a survivor. She isn't a fighter by nature, but she made it through the Southern vampire wars alive and then fled with Peter to roam free as a nomad. Nike is the goddess of victory - both in war and in peaceful competition. I think Charlotte conquered all of life's trials and also when it came to love.

Alistair is an ancient hermit. He's suspicious by nature and rather displeased with his lot in life. I don't blame the guy since he was betrayed by his father and as a vampire, the falcons Alistair loved flew away from him in terror. Ouranos was the primordial god of the sky and was later betrayed by his sons.

Garrett was a hotheaded patriot who willingly fought for the colonies' right to self-govern. He was a true believer in the American dream. Menoetius was the god of rash actions and violent rage. The Greek word “menos” means might, force, passion, and battle rage.

Maria isn't a nomad, but I thought I'd include her on the list. She lived in Monterrey with her coven, her mate and two others that were like parents to her, before they were destroyed in the vampire battle for territory. Maria was the only survivor, and she built an army to extract revenge and get her territory back. Poine is the personified spirit of retribution, vengeance, recompense, punishment, and penalty for the crime of murder and manslaughter.

The Egyptian Coven

Benjamin was a tough one because of his elemental powers. The Greek gods divided the four elements between them, so there isn't one deity that has control over them all at once. Phanes was the primordial god of creation in the Orphic cosmogony. He was the generator of life and the driving force behind reproduction in the early cosmos. Phanes hatched from the world-egg, a primordial mix of elements split into its constituent parts. So he sort of had control over the elements at one point before dispersing them among his siblings. (Phanes was later known as Eros).

Tia was a quiet woman but when she did speak her words were insightful, and there was gravity to everything she said. Epiphron was the personification of shrewdness, careful consideration, and sagacity.

Kebi was Amun's slave while she was human. He chose her to become his mate because of her good looks. She was helpless from the start, and we never get to hear her speak or show any indication of being unhappy with her situation. Aporia is the personified spirit of powerlessness, want and difficulty.

Amun was tricky because, to be honest, he's a bastard, but we mustn't forget cultural relativity. Slavery was considered to be a-okay back in the days, and it was probably a fantastic way to keep a vampire's kitchen stocked. Now not so much but Amun doesn't seem like the type to evolve with the times. He's possessive and paranoid, keeping Benjamin locked away in an ivory tower so the Volturi won't come and steal him away as they did to Demitri. He also deprived Kebi of her choices and made her his slave/mate in death as well. Along with ruling death and funeral rites, Hades is also the god of the hidden wealth of the earth, from the fertile soil with nourished the seed-grain to the mined wealth of gold, silver, and other metals. Benjamin is Amun's hidden treasure.

Humans

Jessica is a normal teenage girl. She likes having friends, gossiping, and has a crush on the most handsome boy in school who doesn't return her affections. Echo was much the same; she gossiped, but she wasn't meanspirited, and genuinely wanted to help her friends in the conquest of love. She lied to Hera, who cursed her to have an echo of a voice as punishment for distracting her from Zeus's affairs with her endless chatter. She later fell in love with Narcissus who spurned her affections.

Angela is the sweetest, most kindhearted person we get to meet in Twilight. Philophrosyne is one of the younger Charities and is the personification of friendliness and welcome.

Mike has the hots for Bella. He has an on-and-off relationship with Jessica but only asked her out because Bella told him to. Himeros is the god of sexual desire and the personification of longing, and yearning.

Lauren is jealous of everyone who is pretty, despite being the most popular girl at school. She's also standoffish and snobby. Hybris is the personified spirit of insolence, hubris, violence, reckless pride, arrogance and outrageous behavior in general.

Let me know what you think!

Please don’t repost the pictures without asking for permission first and don’t remove credit!

[genderonthescreen-blog]

The Male Gaze: Seen But Not Heard

The “male gaze” is a concept created by feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey in her 1975 essay titled “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” The male gaze is a way of filming that sexualizes women by making them the passive objects to heterosexual masculine desire—usually personified as the male lead. Thus, making the audience view the female characters as that lead would; as something to be looked at—Mulvey, taking from Freud, describes it as scopophiia: “in which looking itself is a source of pleasure.” By objectifying women in this way, it subdues, and often submerges, any kind of personality or desire that she might have, and reduces her to nothing more than a body for the hero to look at and lust after. Though this isn’t always the case, and some films actually do a decent job at portraying women. However, because most of Hollywood makes films with the heterosexual male viewer in mind, the male gaze has become the norm.  

A perfect example of the male gaze is a scene in the 2013 movie Star Trek Into Darkness (a reboot of the classic TV show). About half-way through the movie there is a scene (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6zGX2qpxzU) where two characters, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Dr. Carol Marcus (Alice Eve), are discussing where to go to take apart a torpedo that they have on the ship. As they are talking, they walk into a shuttle craft and Carol asks Kirk to turn around. He does, but not before asking “why?”; to which she replies “Just turn around.” She continues talking for a few seconds while the camera stays on Kirk, but soon he turns around (for no apparent reason) to see a tantalizing shot Carol in her bra and underwear—meant for the target audience, I’m sure. Now, this scene might’ve been able to be passed off as an awkward encounter, but only if Kirk had turned away quickly, and Carol had been filmed in a less objectifying way. However, what we get instead is a full body shot of Carol Marcus in a push-up bra and tiny panties, and another shot of Captain Kirk staring at her with his mouth open. I would love to ask the creators of Star Trek Into Darkness why this scene needed. Because, to me, it is completely unnecessary! In the original series, Carol and Kirk do have a romance (and actually have a son together). However, in Star Trek Into Darkness that romance isn’t there past Kirk flirting a little bit with Carol—to no avail, I might add. And even if there was a romance, that scene still wouldn’t have added much to the plot besides reducing Dr. Marcus to a sex object.  

A classic example of the male gaze is Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) in Transformers (2007). A scene in Transformers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6L3Ef1JCC8) depicts Mikaela checking out the engine of Sam Witwicky’s (Shia LaBeouf) car. She’s pointing out what’s wrong with it, and talking about how her dad taught her about ow to take care of cars when she was a little girl. Sounds nice right? And it would be, if it weren’t for the fact that Fox is being shot as if she was in a porn. The camera drags up her bare stomach and focuses on her breasts as she leans over the car with her butt sticking out. The scene is obviously shot from the POV (point of view) of the male lead, Sam, and you can tell he is getting off on her leaning over the engine due to his comical facial expressions. It’s absolutely ridiculous, and even more disappointing when you realize that, while all this ogling is happening, Mikaela is talking about something she is very passionate about (something her love interest, Sam, should be interested in). But it is completely glossed over to get a tantalizing shot of her pornographically leaning over a car.

The resident pop culture symbol of feminism, Wonder Woman, is also being seen through the male gaze—though it isn’t uncommon for female superheroes to be hyper sexualized (check out The Hawkeye Initiative, http://thehawkeyeinitiative.com/, for some funny gender-role reversals of superhero characters). Surprisingly, Wonder Woman (2017) did a really good job at avoiding the male gaze (thank you, Dir. Patty Jenkins!), especially considering the fact Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) wore a bustier throughout most of the film. However, in regards to Justice League (2017) the same cannot be said. In Diana’s opening scene in Justice League, the viewer can see a clear difference between how Jenkins shot her and how Dir. Zack Snyder shot her. Look at these two scenes where Diana is in battle, from the respective movies, side by side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlwHKphUU_Y&t=151s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QJ2mqXdr5I

In the Justice League scene, there are numerous shots of Diana’s butt and a view, or two, up her skirt while she is fighting that are completely unnecessary and uncomfortable. It’s very disappointing to see her sexualized like this, and especially after the success of Wonder Woman (2017)—makes one wish Patty Jenkins could direct all movies that feature Wonder Woman. However, in the Wonder Woman scene, there are no up the skirt shots or closeups on her butt. Instead Diana is a total badass, and her power and strength are being highlighted instead of just her body. While it’s obvious Gal Gadot is beautiful, Diana’s beauty this isn't the focus of her character. Wonder Woman (2017) is about Diana’s growth not about how appealing she looks. Wonder Woman isn’t perfect—the bustier and wedge heels donned by Diana are an issue (who would want to fight in that!) and the film suffers from the “token female character” trope (as do many superhero movies)—but, in regards to cinematography, there is minimal objectification.

Wonder Woman (2017) isn’t the only movie that avoids the male gaze, there have recently been numerous movies that get it right. Pitch Perfect (2012) does a really good job at taking a scene, that would be shot as tantalizing in any other film, and making it funny while also pushing along the plot and showing relationship development between two of the lead characters! The scene (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg18gcypaJI) shows Beca (Anna Kendrick) is singing in the communal showers at her college before she is interrupted by Chloe (Brittany Snow) who tells her that her voice is so good and she needs to join the campus all female a Capella group, the Barden Bellas. Even though both girls are naked it’s not objectifying or tantalizing at all—it was shot from the shoulders up, as if “Beca” and “Chloe” were “Ben” and “Charlie.” It’s awkward and funny and shows the bonding between two characters who later become friends. Like all movies, Pitch Perfect is not without its issues (oh, hello there, racial stereotypes!), but it does a wonderful job at showcasing a group of semi-diverse, well developed female characters in a non-objectifying way.

The problem with the male gaze (not only in film but also in advertising, porn, TV, and social media) is that it makes women into objects, often sexualized objects (AKA sexual objectification). It takes away their humanity, and can lead to self-image issues, mental illness, and becoming victims of sexual violence and/or harassment. However, things are looking up. Even though the male gaze is still alive and well today, there are more movies that are being directed by women and/or have a large female cast and crew who are trying to take the male gaze out of Hollywood. Films like Ghostbusters (2016), and Black Panther (2018) are good examples of what a male gaze-less future might look like, and, considering the fact that more of these kinds of movies are on their way (Captain Marvel [2019] Check out the trailer! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BCujX3pw8), the future's looking bright! 

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Check out these cool sources!

http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-the-male-gaze-mean-and-what-about-a-female-gaze-52486

https://www.filminquiry.com/film-theory-basics-laura-mulvey-male-gaze-theory/

http://www.composingdigitalmedia.org/f15_mca/mca_reads/mulvey.pdf

https://ginacalnan.pbworks.com/f/themalegaze.pdf

How about this cooler bibliography!

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/the-male-gaze-in-film-6412329#

https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/how-justice-league-panders-to-male-gaze-with-overt-sexualisation-of-wonder-woman-4220451.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrdih26Dv_g

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017/05/152837/summer-movies-2017-female-male-gaze

[ao3feed-deckerstar]

Dimming the Lights, Lighting the Universe

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Hx2BT1w

by Unofficial_Lz

Canon Divergence from Season 6 Episode 5 but take Rory never being in the show.

What if Chloe did end up killing Lucifer with the Blade of death because She was addicted to the power the Necklace of strength gave her? What if Chloe killing the Lightbringer causes the universe to fall? Would she be too hungry with power to stop?

What if the blade didn't destroy Someone's soul, but instead sends them to a blank Universe?

What if Lucifer gains all the power Samael once held as Will?

Could Michael live with his twins death? Or would he be succumbed to the darkness without his light?

Could Hell go on without its master? Could the universe handle having more angels pass?

And what will happen to Humanity when the stars start to burn out without their Lightbringer?

Words: 4115, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Lucifer (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: F/M, Gen, M/M

Characters: Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Chloe Decker, Samael Morningstar, Michael (Lucifer TV), Hell - Personified, Cerberus - Hellhound, Mazikeen (Lucifer TV), Trixie Espinoza, Eve (Lucifer TV), Uriel (Lucifer TV), Remiel (Lucifer TV), Amenadiel (Lucifer TV), Linda Martin (Lucifer TV), Charlie Martin (Lucifer TV)

Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Michael & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Trixie Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker & Trixie Espinoza, Chloe Decker & Mazikeen, Mazikeen & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Trixie Espinoza & Mazikeen, Eve/Mazikeen (Lucifer TV), Lucifer/Michael, Linda Martin & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)

Additional Tags: End of the World, Lightbringer, world ending, Flaming Sword, Blade of Death, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Lucifer (TV) Season/Series 06, 605, Rory Morningstar does not exist, hellhound, Hell, Demons, Stars, Angels, Angel Wings, Angel Death, Character Death, Nesting, Angel nesting, Angel & Demon Interactions

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Hx2BT1w

[airadam]

Episode 111 : Pay Attention!

"Classical soul, I got the nastiest flow"

- Sean Price

We had to open the show with an Aretha Franklin track to mark her sad passing this month, and you'll hear her essence at various points throughout the episode. I'm just about beating the buzzer to get this one out on time, but I'm sure you'll agree it was worth the effort!

Manchester shows for the month;

Beatnuts, The Bluntskins, Didjit, Air Adam | September 19th, Whiskey Jar

Havoc, Big Noyd, DJ L.E.S, Seven Spherez | September 24th, Joshua Brooks

Twitter : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Aretha Franklin : Rock Steady

We had to start things off with a classic from the Queen. This 1971 single from the "Young, Gifted, and Black" album isn't short on legends, with Donny Hathaway on electric piano and organ, and Bernard Purdie doing the business on the drums. A much covered and much sampled record, all trying to get just a hint of the flavour of the original. 

Pete Rock : Aretha

A perfect instrumental for me to come across this month, drawn from the golden period in which Pete Rock was on production for InI's unreleased (but heavily bootlegged) debut album. This beat wasn't used, but it comes to us courtesy of the 2017 "Lost Sessions" release alongside nine other previously-unreleased instrumentals.

[DJ Premier] Gang Starr : 92 Interlude

I just had to include this - an interlude beat from the "Daily Operation" LP that built around just a tiny incidental piece of a famous Aretha Franklin track and put other producers on notice when it comes to how Primo picks gold!

JR & PH7 ft. Chuuwee : Meadowview Morning

Thank you Spotify for dropping this one into one of my playlists! The German producers JR and PH7 have made a brief appearance on the show previously, but their work on this track from "The South Sac Mack" is really something. They come up with a jazzy but sombre instrumental which perfectly fits the trio of Sacramento MCs telling tales of life in their corner of the world. 

Hieroglyphics : Oakland Blackouts

Keeping it over on the West Coast, the Hiero crew have always been reliable as a source of bars upon bars. The "3rd Eye Vision" album is creeping towards twenty years old, but is still an excellent listen! Opio of Souls of Mischief is on production for this one.

Termanology : Are You Sure?

We don't hear Erick Sermon's name brought up enough when it comes to some of the greatest producers, so I'm glad Termanology linked up with him for this head-nod groove on his latest album "Bad Decisions". This is almost Term's version of Gang Starr's "The Planet", with him telling the story of coming to New York from Massachusetts and having to work to establish and hold his position. I won't give away the hook sample in case it's uncleared, but it's also a quality record :)

Sean Price : Director's Cut

This one has an unusual structure - a series of short two-bar "scenes" separated by two-bar sections of commentary. It's raw street business with a dash of humour as you'd expect from Sean P, gracing the Khrysis beat with some classic jewels. If you like this track, then the "Jesus Price Supastar" LP is a must in your collection.

DJ Agent M : Keeping Me In The Dark

Agent M is a producer and DJ from Leeds whose 2018 beat tape "Closure" is the sound of him working through a period of loss. This track is based around a classic sample, which is not just flipped for the sonics but also for the title.

Kev Brown : Voltron

It's been an extremely long wait for a proper follow-up to Kev Brown's 2005 debut LP "I Do What I Do", but finally he returns with "Homework" - twenty-nine tracks for a grateful audience! It's a partly vocal and partly instrumental album, with many tracks clocking in at under two minutes long. This was an initial standout for me, and while it's tickling my head as though there's a familiar sample, it wouldn't surprise me to find out that everything was played from scratch - Kev certainly has the capability.

The Game ft. Faith Evans : Don't Need Your Love

I've got to be honest - the lead-up to the release of The Game's debut album, "The Documentary" felt like one of the first times I felt as though the industry was really trying to force-feed an artist into the scene. He'd only been rapping for a relatively short time (for that era) before this LP came out, and has to be credited for building his skills in such a short time, but the Dr. Dre co-sign and G-Unit affiliation was of course what put him over the top. He's still active nowadays though, and has absolutely earned his place. Anyway, the first album had two tracks I really enjoyed - "Put You On The Game" and this, a track straight from the heart with Faith Evans blessing the hook. Havoc of Mobb Deep is on production with a beat that isn't what you might expect from him in terms of sound, but is right there at the standard of quality that he'd set.

DJ Cam ft. Cameo : Love Junkee (Dilla Remix)

You may or may not know it, but you cannot deny that this is a serious tune! The original was cool, in a relaxed and organic way, with Cameo an extremely welcome guest to proceedings,  but Dilla turned it into a banger. Incredibly minimal on the surface, but packed with lots of little subtleties if you listen closely enough. If you can hear past that thumping low end! Get yourself a digital copy of both versions, and thank me later.

Zapp : Computer Love

I've said it before, but Zapp were something like fifteen years ahead of the advent of internet dating! This is a stone classic record, sampled and flipped countless times, and one which I'm glad to have enjoyed as a new track when it was released back in 1985! Shirley Murdock features as half of the lead vocal duet alongside Charlie Wilson of The Gap Band, and the great Roger Troutman (RIP), who also wrote the song, comes in on the talkbox. Apparently Charlie Wilson's record label thought this wasn't going to be a hit...I assume much crow has been eaten since! You can find this as a single, on the "The New Zapp IV U" album, and on many compilations.

Onra : Wait A Minute

This needed a bit of additional looping to be long enough to fit here, but it fit so well in terms of sound that it had to be done. It's taken from the new "Nobody Has To Know" album, the instrumental story of a secret relationship.

Sean Price : 60 Bar Dash

Sean P again with a stream of the disrespectful lines we love him for, on a record from relatively early in his solo career - you can find this on the B-side of the "Boom Bye Yeah" 12" single. PF Cuttin is on production, working a break you might know from the first Diamond D album.

De La Soul : The Art Of Getting Jumped

I always enjoyed this one and the 80s Aretha sample that makes up the hook! Underrated but big tune from the "Art Official Intelligence : Mosaic Thump" album, all about those times when the pack strikes and isn't concerned with fighting fair...

Eric B & Rakim : Set 'Em Straight

If you don't have the "Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em" album, then you probably don't know this track - it wasn't a single, it's not a club track, but my goodness, it's dope. The title is perfect, as Rakim takes the time to primarily put other MCs in check, but also correct one or two false rumours of the time, including that that he was supposedly locked up on Rikers Island for selling drugs. Pure heat from the very early 90s.

Blade : Rough It Up

Long before his union with Mark B (RIP) that many of you will know him for, Blade was an MC who absolutely personified the grind and the real DIY attitude. His first LP, "The Lion Goes From Strength To Strength", was in my opinion the original crowd-funded album, and the determined and defiant nature required to undertake such a task in 1991 is evident on this early 12"! He's talking about his real life right down to washing dishes to pay the bills, over a soup of funk cooked up by his own hand alongside the underground legendary engineer/producer "No Sleep" Nigel. I learned about this record when Pete Tong played it as a brand new tune on Radio 1, and it made me a Blade fan for life.

K-Def : Get A Clue

I needed something funky for this spot, and with the help of a bit of looping to make it a suitable length, I found it on K-Def's "Willie Boo Boo" collection, which is one that the beat heads should definitely have in their collections.

Aretha Franklin : Young, Gifted, and Black

What can you say? I thought this soaring anthem would be a great record to end the episode on. Nina Simone was the original writer (with Weldon Irvine) and performer of this song, back in 1969, but just three years later Aretha released this incredible version as the title track of her eighteenth (!) studio album. I certainly remember hearing many versions of this track as a child, and this is the perfect time to bring it out for all of you. Turn up the volume and take in the mastery.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[glenngaylord]

SLOANE SQUARED - My Review of MOLLY’S GAME (3 Stars)

Have you ever had that experience of seeing a film you really enjoyed, but had a nagging feeling about nonetheless?  Where you wondered why it was made in the first place?  How its central premise ultimately made no sense?  Such is my ultimate summation of Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut with MOLLY’S GAME, based on the autobiography by his title character, Molly Bloom.  

Jessica Chastain plays Molly, an Olympic skiing hopeful whose accident during the qualifying rounds would send her life in a completely different direction.  Moving from Colorado to Los Angeles, she slept on couches and worked as a server until happenstance would being her together with Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong, who REALLY knows how to play the hell out of your garden variety Hollywood douchebag).  Hired as his assistant, she made $450 week fetching him bagels and performing any menial tasks required.  Soon, he roped her into acting as the hostess for his underground, high stakes, celebrity-filled poker games.  In real life, Molly collected $10,000 buy-ins from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck, here personified by Michael Cera and known in the film as Player X.  When Molly and Dean reach an impasse, she poaches his contacts to migrate to her own poker events.  All of this, as the movie takes great pains to clarify, is legal, since Molly’s payments are in the form of tips and she reports her income to the IRS.  So far, so good.  There would be no movie, however, unless she crossed a line, scraping money from the earnings and acting as a lending bank for the gamblers in hoc.  Now we’re off to the races!

Sorkin tells the story well, with a mixup of timelines which take us from Molly’s youth, her rise, and her struggles throughout her battle in court.  He employs a ceaseless voiceover throughout, but the writing of it is so good and so compellingly performed by Chastain, that I didn’t mind.  Besides, this movie has some ‘splaining to do.  

Raised by a strict father (Costner, who brings shines as her tough love but caring parent), Molly appears hardened at a young age.  She’s self-possessed, direct, and fraught with a nihilistic streak.  Her introduction on the ski slope in the opening scene as her voiceover explains in exhaustive detail how things went so wrong on her fateful slalom, sticks the landing with her perfectly placed “Fuck you” even when her body literally doesn’t.  It’s a great introduction to her character, but she’s not presented as the most layered person on the planet.  If anything, she seems to be a icier, chillier V 2.0 of Chastain’s performance in last year’s MISS SLOANE.  While Chastain captures the real Molly’s precise intelligence well, her sexuality goes missing.  Molly Bloom made herself over to appeal to the rich poker players, who clearly prefer women in breast enhancing sausage skirts and Louboutins.  She has a funny, flirty side that Chastain and the script seem to ignore.  Chastain’s Molly is all business all the time.  

Once Molly starts committing crimes, she seeks the help of an Attorney, Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), who’s reluctant to take her case since she was busted by the Feds, stripped of her money, and, oh yeah, broke the law.  Nevertheless, Jaffey takes the case because…well, I’m not really sure.  Because it’s high profile?  Because Molly has integrity because she refuses to name names?  God, I wish I knew, because it’s a huge stumbling block that the movie, for me, never really addresses properly.  My guess is that Sorkin, working with a female protagonist for the first time, saw his story as a treatise on how tough it is for single women to survive in this world.  Molly played the game, dressed the part, and appealed to men in order to keep a roof over her head.  When she started feeling comfortable, she lowered her standards and made the choice to break the law…and now we’re celebrating her as some sort of working class heroine in a major motion picture?  Can’t we just stick with Norma Rae?  She had fun spunk.  Molly has spunk too, but it’s pretty humorless.    

Now don’t get me wrong.  There’s a lot of greatness in this film.  Idris Elba, compelling and winning as always, has a standout scene in which he keeps switching seats back and forth with a spectator in a courtroom so that he can keep talking to Molly.  Chastain knows how to keep you watching her, even when the script doesn’t allow her as many levels as we would hope to see.  It’s still a magnetic, memorable performance.  Michael Cera, who really knew how to play the monster version of himself in THIS IS THE END, excels as a celebrity sociopath who loves to watch others lose.  I was shocked to discover that Bloom based him on Tobey Maguire, who she claimed bullied her.  I guess you can’t be Spider-Man 24/7.   Chris O’Dowd, Brian d’Arcy James and Bill Camp offer up terrific supporting turns as some of Molly’s poker players. The script has Sorkin’s patented onslaught of sharp dialogue, forcing the viewer to sit up and take notice for its entire running time.  As a director, he has clearly learned a lot from the David Finchers and Danny Boyles of the world by keeping things moving along crisply, despite a lack of his well-known walk and talks and a running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes.  He still has a ways to go as a visual stylist, but it’s impressive work nonetheless.  

Evidently, Sorkin was reluctant to take on this project.  I’m guessing he was troubled by the same things I’ve mentioned, but somewhere along the way, he found his way in to his character.  His attempt is on the screen, finding a key moment in her life where she found inner strength and persisted, but I don’t think he’s completely succeeded.

There have been many films about innocent people drawn into a life of crime, THE GODFATHER, GOODFELLAS, and THE DEPARTED among them. MOLLY’S GAME can fairly be named the distaff version of these works, complete with a heroine who steadfastly refuses to curry favor from the audience.  She made her choices, however, and those involved going too far.  Should that be celebrated?  I really don’t know.  

[justbloggingit-blog]

The 10 Best Documentary Films of 2017 (So Far)

Narrowing down the best documentaries of 2017 we’ve seen so far to only a list of ten movies felt more than difficult—it seemed unnecessary given the glut of vital (we do not use that word lightly) and groundbreaking documentary films coming out of a festival like True/False, to name but one.

This list also doesn’t take into account the documentaries we’ve seen which are still without a U.S. release date, such as Matt McCormick’s excellent Buzz One Four, which premiered at the Portland International Film Festival. It tells the story of McCormick’s grandfather, one of the U.S.’s select B-52 bomber pilots burdened with flying world-clearing, 4-megaton nuclear weapons on marathon missions over North America, staying ever-ready to drop them on Russia should the Cold War come to a disastrous head. The film’s strength is its wordless, practically impressionistic sense of gravity when pouring over so much found footage and assorted documents from the time, detailing just how much of the world’s destiny was shaped by human beings as susceptible to error—to the failings of the human body—as any one of us. Scored by Portland ambient artist Eluvium (Matthew Cooper), Buzz One Four will, with hope, make it out of the Pacific Northwest and find some distribution care of its growing number of festival appearances.

Still, the documentaries listed below—unranked, because this early in the year it’s too much of a stretch to pick which wins out as most vital—are about as essential as such vessels of truth can get, presented with both breathtaking candor and heartbreaking drama to get to the core of what it means to be a witness in 2017.

Here are the 10 best documentaries of 2017 so far.

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Director: Steve James Imperiled families are popular forms of community in documentaries this year—on the more heartwarming side is Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, the deceptively straightforward new film from Hoop Dreams director Steve James. In it, James details the ordeal of the Sungs, who ran the only bank to face federal prosecution in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse. What’s even more surprising is that their bank, Abacus Federal Savings, was a tiny, local institution catering to New York City’s Chinatown residents—hardly one of the massive financial corporations that helped crater the world economy. There is a happy ending to Abacus’s legal nightmare, however, but James uses the court case as a means to explore the Sung family, particularly patriarch Thomas Sung, who even in his late 70s still elicits a strong hold over his adult daughters, who help run the bank with him while jockeying to curry his favor. Abacus is a family portrait mixed with current events, and if it’s less ambitious than Hoop Dreams that doesn’t diminish the warmth and subtlety James brings to this look at an anxious, close-knit clan who rally around one another once the government goes after them. —Tim Grierson

Casting JonBenet Director: Kitty Green An unlikely cross-section of humanity also populates Casting JonBenet, which boasts a provocative idea that yields enormous emotional rewards. Filmmaker Kitty Green invited members of the Boulder, Colorado community where JonBenet Ramsey lived to “audition” for a film about her. But in the tradition of Kate Plays Christine or The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear, that’s actually a feint: Green uses the on-camera interviews with these people to talk about Ramsey’s murder and the still-lingering questions about who committed the crime. She’s not interested in their acting abilities—she’s trying to pinpoint the ways that a 21-year-old incident still resonates. It’s a premise that could seem cruel or exploitative, but Casting JonBenet is actually incredibly compassionate. Green wizardly finds connective tissue between all these actors, who have internalized the little girl’s killing, finding parallels in their own lives to this tragedy. High-profile murders like Ramsey’s often provoke gawking, callous media treatment, turning us all into rubberneckers, but Casting JonBenet vigorously works against that tendency, fascinated by our psychological need to judge other people’s lives, but also deeply mournful, even respectful, of the very human reasons why we do so. —Tim Grierson

Chasing Trane Director: John Scheinfeld Those old and new to John Coltrane will find something to appreciate in this vivid, albeit effusive, tribute to the jazz legend. Family members, former bandmates and famous fans (Kamasi Washington, Wynton Marsalis, John Densmore, Bill Clinton) recount the genius of the sax player’s compositions and evolution of his talents, from his Charlie Parker-mimicking early work to his later, freeform experimentation. Devotees shouldn’t expect much of a deep dive here on any level; via home movies, archival footage and personal diaries read by Denzel Washington, the film takes a linear, survey-style approach to his North Carolina childhood and drug-addled twenties, two marriages, and quick succumbing to liver cancer in 1967 at only 40. Filmmaker John Scheinfeld dips in and out of the music—too much so, it turns out, and with too little insight into the specifics of his gifts. Still, the overarching salvation Trane found in music resonates with such joy. The sequence about his civil rights opus “Alabama,” which took its phrasing cues from the cadence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is a stirring illumination of his creative process. As Coltrane’s notes unfold atop King’s words, music and speech flow into and out of each other in a still urgent, impassioned release. Elsewhere, the doc looks at the transformative power of Coltrane’s faith, his relationships and his legacy with iconic works such as “My Favorite Things” and “A Love Supreme.” Midway through the film Dr. Cornel West describes Coltrane as a thermostat, not a thermometer, of the times, an instrument personified that adapted rather than just measured. In its best moments, Chasing Trane succeeds in that as well. —Amanda Schurr

City of Ghosts Director: Matthew Heineman There need not be a documentary about the Syrian catastrophe to rally the world around its cause—just as, in Matthew Heineman’s previous film, Cartel Land, there was no need to vilify the world of Mexican cartels or the DEA or the paramilitaristic nationalists patrolling our Southern borders to confirm that murder and drug trafficking are bad. The threats are known and the stakes understood, at least conceptually. And yet, by offering dedicated, deeply intimate portraits of the people caught up in these crises, Heineman complicates them beyond all repair, placing himself in undoubtedly death-defying situations to offer a perspective whose only bias is instinctual. So it is with City of Ghosts, in which he follows members of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, a group committed to using citizen-based journalism to expose the otherwise covered-up atrocities committed by ISIS and the Assad regime in Syria. In hiding, in Turkey and Germany and at an event for journalists in the U.S.—in exile—these men, who Heineman characterizes as a very young and even more reluctant resistance, tell of both the increasingly sophisticated multimedia methods of ISIS and their hopes for feeling safe enough to settle and start a family with equal trepidation about what they’ve conditioned themselves to never believe: That perhaps they’ll never be safe. Heineman could have easily bore witness to the atrocities himself, watching these men as they watch, over and over, videos of their loved ones executed by ISIS, a piquant punishment for their crimes of resistance. There is much to be said about the responsibility of seeing in our world today, after all. Instead, while City of Ghosts shares plenty of horrifying images, the director more often that not shields the audience from the graphic details, choosing to focus his up-close camera work on the faces of these men as they take on the responsibility of bearing witness, steeling themselves for a potential lifetime of horror in which everything they know and love will be taken from them. By the time Heineman joins these men as they receive the 2015 International Press Freedom Award for their work, the clapping, beaming journalists in the audience practically indict themselves, unable to see how these Syrian men want to be doing anything but what they feel they must, reinforcing the notion that what seems to count as international reportage anymore is the exact kind of lack of nuance that Heineman so beautifully, empathetically wants to call out. —Dom Sinacola

I Am Not Your Negro Director: Raoul Peck Raoul Peck focuses on James Baldwin’s unfinished book Remember This House, a work that would have memorialized three of his friends, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers. All three black men were assassinated within five years of each other, and we learn in the film that Baldwin was not just concerned about these losses as terrible blows to the Civil Rights movement, but deeply cared for the wives and children of the men who were murdered. Baldwin’s overwhelming pain is as much the subject of the film as his intellect. And so I Am Not Your Negro is not just a portrait of an artist, but a portrait of mourning—what it looks, sounds and feels like to lose friends, and to do so with the whole world watching (and with so much of America refusing to understand how it happened, and why it will keep happening). Peck could have done little else besides give us this feeling, placing us squarely in the presence of Baldwin, and I Am Not Your Negro would have likely still been a success. His decision to steer away from the usual documentary format, where respected minds comment on a subject, creates a sense of intimacy difficult to inspire in films like this. The pleasure of sitting with Baldwin’s words, and his words alone, is exquisite. There’s no interpreter, no one to explain Baldwin but Baldwin—and this is how it should be. —Shannon M. Houston / Full Review

I Called Him Morgan Director: Kasper Collin I Called Him Morgan is the story of two troubled people, one of whom killed the other. Documentarian Kasper Collin—who previously made My Name Is Albert Ayler, also about a jazz musician—looks at the difficult, abbreviated life of trumpeter Lee Morgan, who was shot dead in the winter of 1972 in New York. It’s not a mystery who pulled the trigger—it was his common-law wife, Helen, who was more than 10 years his senior—but I Called Him Morgan isn’t about solving a crime, rather, it’s about connecting the dots regarding why the crime happened. Throughout the film, you feel the slow, grim pull of inevitable tragedy set against a lush visual palette. (Oscar-nominated Arrival cinematographer Bradford Young is one of I Called Him Morgan’s credited cameramen.) Talking heads’ tales are crosscut with dreamy images—snowy nights in New York, a hypnotically colorful fish tank—that always feel pertinent to what’s being discussed. And then there are the interview subjects and the milieu. Jazz musicians such as Wayne Shorter and Charli Persip talk about their friend with specificity and insight, and Lee Morgan’s music—as well as the music he played in other people’s bands—fills the soundtrack. The film will be heaven for jazz aficionados, but those who don’t know the difference between bebop and hard bop won’t feel lost. Collin understands that his film is about people, not art, but his deft storytelling—and the endless sadness that comes from his tale—flexes its own nimbleness and beauty. —Tim Grierson / Full Review

Karl Marx City Directors: Petra Epperlein, Michael Tucker If you didn’t live in East Germany during the decades the Stasi was extending its insidious reach, perhaps your only knowledge of the GDR secret police comes from the 2007 Oscar-winner The Lives of Others. If nothing else, Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s Karl Marx City offers a necessary riposte to Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s film—and not just because one talking-heads expert in the film takes devastatingly direct aim at that film’s bogus sentimentalities. Epperlein and Tucker go deeper into elucidating the inner workings of Stasi authoritarian machinery than most films, exposing a whole society driven by paranoia, one where few people felt they could trust even their closest friends. But perhaps the most noteworthy achievement of Karl Marx City lies in the way it manages to use Epperlein’s own personal story—her quest to discover whether her late father was, in fact, a Stasi informant—as a conduit to explore this harrowing period in German history without coming off as merely solipsistic. Here is a sterling example of a deeply intimate story that successfully opens out into broader historical terrain in genuinely eye-opening ways. —Kenji Fujishima

Kiki Directors: Sara Jordenö With the help of model/activist Twiggy Pucci Garçon (who gets co-screenwriting credit here, in addition to appearing prominently), Sara Jardenö returns to the voguing scene Jennie Livingston so memorably captured in the legendary 1990 documentary Paris is Burning. What she finds is perhaps less immediately revelatory than it was almost 30 years ago, when Livingston first brought the voguing scene to a wider audience through her film. Which is probably to be expected, because much has changed since then, with AIDS no longer the scourge it once was, and with trans people of color becoming more visible. But as Kiki poignantly demonstrates—and as the real world constantly reminds us now in the midst of the Age of Trump—much more work still needs to be done. Thus, Jardenö’s greater focus on personal stories here is welcome, showing us an array of figures, some of whom are in the stages of gender transition, some who are trying to help others in the community and keep the voguing scene a safe space for them to fully express themselves. Kiki may be more of an activist documentary than Paris is Burning was, but it is no less affecting for it. —Kenji Fujishima

Risk Director: Laura Poitras Laura Poitras’s previous documentary Citizenfour hummed with the certainty of the nobility of its subject Edward Snowden’s mission to expose the rights-trampling inner workings of the National Security Agency through the documents he leaked. By all accounts, the original cut of her new film, Risk, which premiered at Cannes last year, was similarly one-sided in its valorization of Julian Assange, who has taken such leakages to a much grander scale through his WikiLeaks platform. The version that’s about to hit theaters, however, is dramatically different, not only from Citizenfour, but from just about anything Poitras has done before. The revelations about Assange’s possible behavior towards women and his potential role in influencing the 2016 U.S. presidential election shifted both the man’s public image and Poitras’s perspective as well. Risk is a film that worryingly explores the contradictions of this aloof and ambiguous figure, making the director’s own ambivalence as much the subject as the man himself. It may be more insular in some ways that her previous films, but it is also much more exploratory, and thus much more dramatically compelling. Sometimes the people on the side of angels aren’t exactly angelic themselves. —Kenji Fujishima

Starless Dreams Director: Mehrdad Oskouei Mehrdad Oskouei, the director of this sobering documentary about young girls in a juvenile-detention facility in Iran, is well-regarded in his home country, but until the Museum of the Moving Image in New York gave this film a theatrical run earlier this year, he was barely known, if at all, by international audiences outside of the festival circuit. Based on Starless Dreams, though—and especially in tandem with two earlier, shorter, similarly themed documentaries of his, It’s Always Late for Freedom (2007) and The Last Days of Winter (2011)—the belated wider attention seems richly deserved. A mix of talking-heads interviews and fly-on-the-wall observational sequences, Starless Dreams couches its critique of a heartless judicial system, and by extension a repressive society, in deeply human terms. The personal stories Oskouei, with his paternal manner, collects are heartbreaking in their evocation of childhood innocence crushed at a prematurely early age, with some of them either fearing returning to their normal lives outside of the facility, and others simply wishing for death. And yet, occasionally these girls are able to find pockets of light, mostly through the bonds they’ve forged with each other. Abbas Kiarostami may have left this earth last year, but his gently inquisitive spirit, at least in the nonfiction realm, finds a successor in Oskouei.