#charm city kings (2020)

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading updates: october 2023

hi everybody!!! things (by which I mean everything) have been a little bit hectic lately (by which I mean it feels like everything is one fire 100% of the time), which I guess explains why I'm late posting this AND why I only finished four books in all of October.

I would be very sad about this if the number of books I read had any correlation to my value as a person, but luckily it doesn't! so I don't give a shit, I am literally just vibing and trying to have a good time reading my silly little stories. here's a book report about it.

what I've been reading:

The Goblin Emperor (Katherine Addison, 2014) - okay, so picture this: you're the fucking elf king's least favorite son. you're not a bastard, but he didn't love your mom and after she died he basically banished you to a miserable little estate in bumfuck nowhere with no one but your abusive older cousin for company. probably he was going to leave you out there forever and hope that you would die quietly so no one would ever have to remember you existed. (un)fortunately, your shitty dad and all of his male heirs just died in a blimp accident and now you're the emperor. GOOD LUCK. this book is political fantasy of the highest order, with loads of machinations and intrigue and chewy worldbuilding interspersed with genuinely sweet moments between characters as one very good boy befriends his way to power. blah blah empires are inherently evil, obviously yes but this is a made up empire with 0 real consequences and Maia is my little dude. the only way I could love him more would be if he'd just nutted up and kissed his boy secretary on the mouth.

Happy Hour (Marlowe Granados, 2020) - I kept seeing this book enthusiastically as kind of a light fizzy funtime celebrating being young and free and running around New York City with no plans, and man... that was not my experience! Isa and Gala are maybe the most stressful girls I've ever encountered in fiction: perpetually broke and hungry, absolutely lacking in direction or ambition, always ricocheting listlessly from one situation to another in search of a good time and mostly only discovering disappointment, I need these girlies to get their lives together for my sake as a reader. there's one scene in particular where Isa is crashing with some disgustingly wealthy friends at the beach and keeps getting callously dismissed while sweating profusely and trying to figure out how she's going to convince them to keep paying for her food and it was so visceral that I developed a second, worse anxiety disorder because of it. Granados' writing is stylish, to be sure, but drama was not worth it for me.

The Magpie Lord (KJ Charles, 2013) - this historical fantasy romance is quick, dynamic, and horny. I can't actually say that I'm particularly charmed by the quality of the writing, which is there to hurtle you at warp speed between scenes of homoeroticism and bald exposition about magic, but I do admire Charles' panache. the book opens on a rather gruesome scene of our protagonist, Lord Crane, attempting to slit his own wrist; it quickly becomes clear that this isn't because he's genuinely suicidal, but because he's been cursed by persons unknown in an attempt to drive him to ruin. enter Stephen Day, a magic practitioner who hated Crane's deceased father and brother but is determined to help him all the same. some plot happens, but also a lot of flirting and (spoilers) sex that comes with an actual power-up for Stephen due to the wonders of blood magic. a pulpy good-time all around, and short enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome.

The Fervor (Alma Katsu, 2022) - The Fervor is a historical horror with a tantalizing premise: in the 1940s, Japanese demons begin to manifest inside of an Idaho internment camp for Japanese-Americans, adding a swirl of the supernatural to a situation that's already rife with mundane horrors. the actual execution is... lacking. Katsu's prose is blunt at best; when I call it "unsubtle" I don't mean the way some racist might mean when they inevitably go on a ramble about how Katsu beats her readers over the head with how racism is bad. racism is bad, duh, and it's hardly unrealistic to emphasize the fear and hatred that dogged the lives of Japanese-Americans during WW2. when I say this book is unsubtle I mean Katsu approaches each chapter like her readers have maybe forgotten everything they read leading up to that moment; you will be reminded frequently of characters' names, relationships, and straightforward motivations. and yet, somehow, the actual plot is still pretty murky. much is hinted at in the protagonist's past in Japan, then never actually elucidated, a main POV character falls clean out of the plot without resolution just before the climax, I still don't know what was up with those goddamn demon spiders. disappointing!

there was also one very specific, GLARING thing in the ending of The Fervor that I did not care for in the slightest, but that's tucked away on my Patreon in the monthly hater post. pay me if you want to hear about some CRAZY copaganda!

[april-is]

April 29, 2023: June, Alex Dimitrov

June Alex Dimitrov

There will never be more of summer than there is now. Walking alone through Union Square I am carrying flowers and the first rosé to a party where I’m expected. It’s Sunday and the trains run on time but today death feels so far, it’s impossible to go underground. I would like to say something to everyone I see (an entire city) but I’m unsure what it is yet. Each time I leave my apartment there’s at least one person crying, reading, or shouting after a stranger anywhere along my commute. It’s possible to be happy alone, I say out loud and to no one so it’s obvious, and now here in the middle of this poem. Rarely have I felt more charmed than on Ninth Street, watching a woman stop in the middle of the sidewalk to pull up her hair like it’s an emergency—and it is. People do know they’re alive. They hardly know what to do with themselves. I almost want to invite her with me but I’ve passed and yes it’d be crazy like trying to be a poet, trying to be anyone here. How do you continue to love New York, my friend who left for California asks me. It’s awful in the summer and winter, and spring and fall last maybe two weeks. This is true. It’s all true, of course, like my preference for difficult men which I had until recently because at last, for one summer the only difficulty I’m willing to imagine is walking through this first humid day with my hands full, not at all peaceful but entirely possible and real.

--

(June is my birthday month and also the best month. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.)

More like this:   » Steps, Frank O'Hara   » After Work, Richard Jones   » Dolores Park, Keetje Kuipers   » Awaking in New York, Maya Angelou   » A Step Away From Them, Frank O'Hara

Today in: 

2022: Poem to My Child, If Ever You Shall Be, Ross Gay 2021: Choi Jeong Min, Franny Choi 2020: Earl, Louis Jenkins 2019: Kul, Fatimah Asghar 2018: My Life Was the Size of My Life, Jane Hirshfield 2017: I Would Ask You To Reconsider The Idea That Things Are As Bad As They’ve Ever Been, Hanif Abdurraqib 2016: Tired, Langston Hughes 2015: Democracy, Langston Hughes 2014: Postscript, Seamus Heaney 2013: The Ghost of Frank O’Hara, John Yohe 2012: All Objects Reveal Something About the Body, Catie Rosemurgy 2011: Prayer, Marie Howe 2010: The Talker, Chelsea Rathburn 2009: There Are Many Theories About What Happened, John Gallagher 2008: bon bon il est un pays, Samuel Beckett 2007: Root root root for the home team, Bob Hicok 2006: Fever 103°, Sylvia Plath 2005: King Lear Considers What He’s Wrought, Melissa Kirsch

[ancientvision]

“Banco-Sumi Master”

by JoLu Amaringo

Size: 135x100 cm

Technique: Oil on canvas

Year: 2020

Brief description of the work:

In this visionary work, on the right side you see a Banco-Sumi Master, a great shaman master and man of esoteric knowledge who can transform his physical body into pure spirit. He wears a robe of fire. To earn this honor you must rigorously follow a diet to learn from sublime masters and win allied spirits: Yanapuma or black jaguar, bears, owls, jaguar, pink dolphins and the eelmama (mother of the brava cocha, which is a wild and mystical lake where few people dare to venture). He sings blanket payariri, a reserved icarus. He says "Manti payariri, ninangu-nacaya", which means "Mantle of fire, strong as my medicine".

The magnificent pink dolphins (sublime spirits of the water) form a vault around the Banco-Sumi, whose electromagnetic auras sustain life; the air, the storm and the wind dominate.

This is also an Inca vision, with those who drink ayahuasca dressed like the Incas, we can see an Inca couple on the right side of the work. The man is called Yacoshun-go, and the woman Nukno-pachac, "sweet land." They come from a city called Great Saara, which was submerged thousands of years ago.

In the central part of the work we can see the Mother of the Chacruna. The chacruna induces colorful visions, while the ayahuasca liana promotes understanding. If you drink pure ayahuasca - the liana without chacruna, maybe a little mapacho tobacco - your visions are only in black and white.

Below we see the jaguar with energy that is being guided by the mother chacruna, this feline is magical and full of esoteric powers. This feline transforms into the king of the spirit world. On the left side, a shaman is seen surrounded by elemental fire, who teaches the esoteric mysteries of charms. And the eyes that emanate above his head allow him to look through them at the spaces of the grid and see other worlds. We also see electric eels, which vegetalistas invoke because the electromagnetic waves of this animal sensitize them to perceive pulsations in their patients.

Source: JoLu Amaringo Arts | Facebook

[mtlibrary]

Collection Highlight: Handbook to London As It Is

Welcome to a new series on our blog where we highlight a book (or a number of books) from one of our lesser-known collections. In this post, we’re taking a look at Murray’s Modern London from our beloved London Collection. A collection dedicated to the past and present of all things London.

Samuel Johnson is famous for saying that to be bored of London is to be bored of life. This does not seem truer when looking at Middle Temple Library’s modest London Collection.

Every book reveals another layer of this old city making it new again. It would be entirely too much fun to talk at length about all the books in this collection, but I have chosen Murray’s Modern London, or Handbook to London As It Is (read the 1851 edition on Internet Archive).

If you happen to be thinking about journeying to London 1879, this is the guide for you. To begin with, it is a lovely little pocket-sized book. A woman of distinction can easily tuck this somewhere between her pleated ruffles, and it is a perfect fit for the pocket of a gent’s coat (you are travelling back to 1879 and therefore must dress the part).

It’s yours for the tidy sum of 3/6 (if you are a UK traveller from the distant future, you are of course familiar with that denomination, which came back into circulation in the 2020s…probably).  At 338 pages it packs a tight punch of information, beginning with this wonderful plan of London’s Metropolitan and Underground Railways featured on the frontispiece. It is markedly different from the Underground Map we are all familiar with, more in the shape of spaghetti than circuitry, but still valuable to those arriving in London 1879.

Before the guide proper begins, there is a handy list of subjects as introductory information.

As a librarian I am immediately interested in the list of boks about London and that is the section I turn to, enjoying a small list that includes Dickens’ Dictionary of London (read the 1882 edition on the Internet Archive.org).

Assuming that our time traveller friends are quite strange, they may wish to jump ahead to part 15, General Hints to Strangers. This part advises the best time of year to visit London 1879 are the months of May, June and July and recommends all that is available to see in the hustle and bustle of those months.

This section also includes Hints for Foreigners (come on 1879, do not disappoint me).

Murray’s Modern London tells the foreign visitor:

By the law of Great Britain all foreigners have unrestricted right of entrance and residence in this country; and while they remain in it, are equal with British subjects, under the protection of the law; nor shall they be punished except for an offence against the law, and under the sentence of the ordinary tribunals of justice, after a public trial, and on a conviction founded on evidence given in open Court.

London 1879 is unexpectedly more hospitable than one realises! Heartening! Better still is this polite advice:

Foreign money is not current in England, and an attempt to use it will expose the traveller to inconvenience.

Solid advice in any era.

The guide continues with directions on appropriate visiting hours, etiquette for lateness, dining advice and more. It ends with a very useful tip when it comes to navigating some of the streets of London:

Be on your guard about the confusion in the nomenclature of London streets; the “Post Office Directory” a few years ago recorded the existence of, in various parts of the town of 37 King-streets, 27 Queen-streets, 22 Princes-streets, and 17 Duke-streets, 35 Charles-streets, 29 John-streets, 15 James-streets, 21 George-streets.

There are of course plans and maps to help our time travellers find their way around, but there are no photographs of what awaits us in London 1879. This does not hinder one’s enjoyment of the guide one iota. It is a strangely charming little book, and one notices a distinct touch of restrained affection for the city; you can almost imagine an editorial moustache threatening to fly off a stiff upper lip from the employment of that restraint.

The guidebook is page upon page of delicious detail, be it on bridges, or markets, or churches, or parks, or breweries, water and gas companies…even sewage and drainage! There is an entire page of detail on the new drainage system of London, ending with only a small mention of the man who revamped the sewage system of London: The engineer of the Main Drainage is Sir Jos. Bazalgette.

You may think there’s simply no time to wax lyrical about Bazalgette in this guidebook which is just about the facts – there is so much to see, after all. You can think again as you turn the page and see a quote from Shakespeare’s King Richard III take up half a page in regards to the Tower of London.

 Poor Bazalgette; great people really are just disregarded in their own time.

The guide moves swiftly on, taking our travellers even through the old pits of London, which have collected the bodies of the dead since plagues of old. On the topic of Bunhill (yes, as in bone hill) Fields Burial Ground, the guide mentions that 124,000 dead bodies were interred there between April 1713 and August 1852, 5000 of which were disinterred and thrown into a pit in 1874 for building purposes. A page and half is all it takes to remember that London is a city built on bones.

Speaking of which! There is an excellent portion devoted to Eminent Persons Buried In London And Its Immediate Vicinity. The usuals are there of course, kings and queens, statesmen, artists and poets. Also included are actors and actresses. Yes, lawyers too. There is also a miscellaneous section, which includes one Will Somers, Henry VIII’s jester. This modern guide is not so modern it will taint its taxonomical arrangements by suggesting a comedian might also be an actor. Also recorded are Eminent Foreigners, one of whom is Isaac Casaubon who apparently studied so hard it killed him (this may not be entirely true, but is a good excuse for not studying too hard).

There is much more to enjoy in this guide, but legal London seems like the natural place for me to realise that you get it, I really happen to like this book.

Firstly, travellers to London 1879 find themselves in the presence of the new law courts in the Strand. The courts are not quite finished and it seems there were a few obstacles to get the building started, including all masons going on strike 1877-8, forcing contractors to hire foreign workman, chiefly Germans and Italians. Mentioned also is Westminster Hall, the Old Bailey Sessions House, Clerkenwell Sessions House, and other various courts before we finally come to the Inns of Court, “the noblest nurseries of Humanity and Liberty in the kingdom.”

We are guided into the Temple area through Spenser’s words:

Those tricky brown towers

The which on Thames’ broad aged back doe ride,

Where now the studios lawyers have their bowers,

There whilom wont the Templar Knights to bide,

Till they decayed through pride.”

Beautiful! The editor’s moustache must have flown right off!

The guide mentions two places in Temple worthy of a visit; Temple Church and Temple Hall. The glowing review of Middle Temple Hall is a little bit of a bittersweet read, as we who sit in the present know of the damage suffered to the Temple area post 1879. The roof is mentioned as the best piece of Elizabethan architecture in London, and also mentioned is the renaissance style screen, which the guide vehemently denies as being made from the spoils of the Spanish Armada.

The editor’s moustache spinning out of control, the guide points out that the exterior of the hall was encased in stone in 1757, in wretched taste. Mentioned too is the very first performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in Middle Temple Hall as is the use of Temple Gardens in a scene from Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part I.

It is also pointed out that a re-enactment of said scene in the gardens would be impossible in London 1879 for such is the smoke and foul air of London, that the commonest and hardiest kind of rose has long ceased to put forth a bud in the Temple Gardens.

To complain about London is just another way to love London, eh Editor?

London, as viewed through this guide, is a composite of many histories and many sights, set out here in fine detail. There is so much on offer, so much to see, and this guide offers an array of interesting stats and facts to entice the visitor. I cannot imagine that our time travellers did not enjoy Murray’s modern London, in spite of its foul air.

___________________________________

Harpreet Dhillon Deputy Librarian

[films-on-a-plane]

to be watched list (series)

# $#*! My Dad Says (2010–2011) 2 Broke Girls (2011-2017) 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001) 6Teen (2004-2010) 8 Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002-2005) 13 Reasons Why (2017-2020) 30 Rock (2006–2013) 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997-1998)

A According to Jim (2001-2009) Adventure Time (2010-2018) Aladdin (1994-1995) Ally McBeal (1997-2002) American Dragon: Jake Long (2005-2007) Anger Management (2012-2014) Archer (2009-2023) As Told by Ginger (2000-2009) Atypical (2017-2021) Austin & Ally (2011-2016) Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008) Awkward. (2011-2016)

B Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995) Black-ish (2014-2022) Blockbuster (2022) Bluey (2018-) Bob's Burgers (2011-) BoJack Horseman (2014–2020) Boy Meets World (1993-2000) Braceface (2001-2006) Brandy & Mr. Whiskers (2004-2007) Broad City (2014-2019) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

C CatDog (1998-2005) Charmed (1998-2006) Community (2009-2015) Cougar Town (2009-2015) Coupling (2000-2004)

D Daria (1997-2002) Dead Like Me (2003-2004) Derry Girls (2018-2022) Disenchantment (2018-2023) Doctor Who (2005-) Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (2012-2013) Drake & Josh (2004-2007)

E Ellen (1994-1998) Emily in Paris (2020-) Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009) Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005) Everything Sucks! (2018)

F Family Guy (1999– ) Fillmore! (2002-2004) Fleabag (2016-2019) Frasier (1993-2004) Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000) Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020) Full House (1987-1995) Futurama (1999-)

G Game of Thrones (2011-2019) Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) Ginny & Georgia (2021-) Girl Meets World (2014-2017) Go On (2012-2013) Good Luck, Charlie (2010-2014) Gossip Girl (2007-2012) Gravity Falls (2012-2016) Grim & Evil (2001-2007)

H Hacks (2021-) Hannah Montana (2006-2011) Hercules (1998-1999) House (2004–2012) Home Economics (2021-2023) Home Improvement (1991-1999) Hot in Cleveland (2010-2015) How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014) How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) (2019-)

I I Am Not Okay with This (2020) iCarly (2007-2012) I Love Lucy (1951-1957) Inside Job (2021–2022) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-)

J Joey (2004–2006)

K K.C. Undercover (2015-2018) Kevin Can Wait (2016-2018) Killing Eve (2018-2022) Kim Possible (2002-2007) King of the Hill (1997-2010)

L Liv and Maddie (2013-2017) Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003-2006) Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004) Louie (2010-2015)

M Mad About You (1992-2019) Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988) Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006) Man vs. Bee (2022) Man with a Plan (2016-220) Maude (1972-1978) Melissa & Joey (2010-2015) Mike & Molly (2010-2016) Modern Family (2009-2020) Monk (2002–2009) Mr. Bean (1990-1995) Mr. Bean (2002-2019) Mr. Sunshine (2011-2012) My Name Is Earl (2005-2009)

N New Girl (2011-2018) Not Dead Yet (2023-)

O Once Upon a Time (2011-2018)

P Parks & Recreation (2009–2015) Party Down (2009-) Pepper Ann (1997-2000) Popeye the Sailor (1960-1962) Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017) Pretty Smart (2021)

Q

R Recess (1997-2001) Regular Show (2010-2017) Rick and Morty (2013–) Rules of Engagement (2007-2013) Russian Doll (2019-)

S Sabrina: The Animated Series (1999-2000) Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996-2003) Sam & Cat (2013-2014) Saved by the Bell (1989-1992) Schitt's Creek (2015-2020) Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969-1978) Sean Saves the World (2013-2014) Sex and the City (1998-2004) Seinfeld (1989-1998) Shake It Up (2010-2013) Shameless (2011-2021) Silicon Valley (2014-2019) Single Parents (2018-2020) Skins (2007–2013) So Help Me Todd (2022-) Space Force (2020-2022) Speechless (2016-2019) SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-) Squid Game (2021-) Stranger Things (2016-2025) Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-2007) Suburgatory (2011-2014) Superior Donuts (2017-2018) Superstore (2015-2021)

T That '70s Show (1998-2006) That '90s Show (2023-) That's So Raven (2003-2007) The Brady Binch (1969-1974) The Crew (2021) The Ellen Show (2001-2002) The Emperor's New School (2006-2008) The End of the F***ing World (2017-2019) The Flight Attendant (2020-2022) The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996) The Golden Girls (1985-1992) The Golden Palace (1992-1993) The IT Crowd (2006-2013) The King of Queens (1998-2007) The Last Dance (2020) The Legend of Tarzan (2001-2003) The Little Mermaid (1992-1994) The Loud House (2014-) The Neighborhood (2018-) The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006-2023) The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991) The Odd Couple (2015-2017) The Office UK (2001-2003) The Pink Panther Show (1969-1970) The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2004) The Replacements (2006-2022) The Suite Life on Deck (2008-2011) The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005-2008) The Twilight Zone (1959–1964) The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024) The Upshaws (2021-) The White Lotus (2021-2025) The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (2022) Timon & Pumbaa (1995-1999) Tiny Beautiful Things (2023) Totally Spies! (2001-2014) Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

U Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2020) Unstable (2023-)

V Veep (2012-2019)

W Web Therapy (2011-2015) Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979) Wednesday (2022-) What I Like About You (2002-2006) Whitney (2011–2013) Will & Grace (1998-2020) W.I.T.C.H. (2004-2006) Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012)

X Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)

Y Young & Hungry (2014-2018)

Z

[talenlee]

October 2023 Wrapup

Dread Month draws to a close! The spookiest of nights, the dawn of the dead, the uh, thing! We shed our shackles and dance in our bones, and tomorrow, go about the business of being people, once again, sloughing out into the drawing heat and the growing, burning, hateful light of a sun that resents us and we celebrate in spite of it. You know, the normal and natural way everyone relates to this time of the year.

Alright, let’s do the Game Pile articles!

Don’t Go In There, a dice chucker board game made in a charming dice tower

Backwater, a really interesting TTRPG about a post-apocalyptic vision of the parts of America that are allowed to stay permanently soggy

Phantom Ink, a hidden information ghosty game in the vein of Mysterium

Carrion, a video recreation of one of my favourite articles to read aloud from 2020

Then there’s the Story Pile!

Bloodthirsty Hearts, a fiction podcast about queer girls fighting gargoyle vampires at a convention in which they learn the valuable lessons that all systems of privilege and power aren’t as important as talking to your gay crush.

The Lighthouse, a black and white movie about what enters you when you take yourself far away from everything and empty yourself.

Jujutsu Kaisen, spoiler-free, a contextualising post about how a great Shounen Battle Anime with horror elements make the idea of shounen anime nonsense.

John Carpenter’s Halloween, from 1978, a movie that is both way better than I expected, and full of all sorts of deliberate choices that people seem to replicate for no good reasons.

Willy’s Wonderland, which is, unironically a Five Nights At Freddies fan movie made by Nicolas Cage in a month and really quite good!

This month also featured a somewhat bumper load of D&D content. First, I did some worldbuilding for Cobrin’Seil, both in revealing a new location, Uxaion, which is a necrocybermagepunk city. It’s an adventure city where you can contend with economic harm and threats, and where you can also just murder your way through cops that only respect the utility of your body as a potential undead – it’s a place for wight privilege. Then I also presented the player backgrounds for characters you could make from the Szudetken province. Along with that, I made an article about Evil Gods, and the antisemitism built into the framework of the D&D Lich, and since I was just in the territory, I made fun of the 4e D&D Vampire character class, even though I think it’s a great idea. Then, in this month’s How To Be article, where I got to hold high Harrowhark Nonagesimus, drowned sad vomiting goth of the Locked Tomb franchise, I also gave a long-form discussion of how to translate a prominent, small-cast character’s vibes in a team based game.

Up here, there’s also room to talk about an OC, Z3R0, and about the ongoing, relentless onslaught of capitalism in the creation of more than half of all valid Commander cards in the past five years.

This being October, I once again did a set of Dread Readings. I know that a lot of my friends have never partaken of a lot of classic, historically important horror media. At first, Dread Readings were Lovecraft Stories, trying to make the difficult readings of his old texts into something more approachable. Then, the year after, I started picking up short stories from other, equally classic horror material that could help – in my opinion – familiarise people with different kinds of horror that you know, didn’t just continue being Lovecraft.

This year, the four Dread Readings are:

HP Lovecraft’s The Thing On The Doorstep, which I bring up as the time Lovecraft dabbled in issues of gender.

A chapter excerpt from Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind In The Willows, in which Mole and Rat meet the Horned King, a totally normal thing to randomly have in an otherwise pretty Christian book!

Destiny’s No Rez For The Weary, a lore tab entry from a videogame. I liked it because it’s horror in a science fantasy space that isn’t

Paul Jenning’s Granddad’s Gifts, a haunting story from an Australian kid’s author. This is a story I really like as an example of horror used to a different romantic effect than just fear.

It wouldn’t be October, the ongoing Dread Month, without some real downer articles. Do you want to read me being a huge downer? No? Okay, well, here are links anyway. I wrote about the Silent Hill Wiki Circumcision Incident, about how we examine the death toll of Chernobyl, about the way we all live the life of Lovecraft’s horror, about the creation of an alternate reality in the form of all media that wants to pretend the Pandemic never happened, and most of all, the horror of a history seeing suicide by immolation become more common. Know what really sucks? Since writing that article I remembered the Arab Spring was kicked off by another one!

Next up, what about this month’s T-Shirt? Since I’ve been watching Jujutsu Kaisen, this horse meme and the narrative of the series came together:

This design was one of those ones where I, with enough work, was able to put together a few variations. Redbubble lets me stick things in collections, and so, here! Have a collection for your consideration of which version looks best to you.

Work-wise, this month is the tail end of semester, which means I have been, I think, marking student work every single day of this month. I’m trying to make sure my students are getting attention they need, and still also provide plans to my cohort of teachers about how we can refine these subjects going forward. This is in addition to my phd work, which…

It’s weird?

I’m excited to work more on my phd tomorrow morning. Like I am genuinely thinking about the stuff I stopped working on today and want to pick up tomorrow. There’s a mindset shift on that front that’s been really hard to get my head around. I’m glad of it.

I’m also kind of boiling with game ideas, and without a theme – and with the upcoming no effort november vibes I’m aiming for… we might see more chill vibes going forward!

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[arithmeticanimaniac]

tag someone you want to know better

tagged by @romanceyourdemons

favorite color: bright pink (also any happy color)

last song: the last song i deliberately played was either “Almost Like Being in Love” by Nat King Cole or “September in the Rain” by Dinah Washington, but the last song that came up on shuffle was “Juliet” by LMNT

last movie: either around the world in 80 days (2004) or inception (2010)

currently watching: the last season of archer (2009)

other stuff i watched this year: lmao i actually have a lot of half baked reviews in my drafts but i never posted them because i’m almost always at my queue limit so here’s my chance to do a rapid fire round of reviews (based entirely on whether i enjoyed them)

how to marry a millionaire (1953) 👍 too many people forget what a comedic genius marilyn monroe was

Love Sarah (2020) 👍 🥲 a bakery, romance, grief and healing, intergenerational bonding, what more could you want

My man Godfrey (1936) 👎 boring

bringing up baby (1938) 👎 it has its moments, blueprint for disney channel show shenanigans

memories of the sword (2015) 👍 sooooo melodramatic

The Dig (2018) 👍 haunting

the misfits (2021) 👍 it is Not Good, but inexplicably charming

Free guy (2021) 👍 responsible for the resurgence of mariah carey in my playlist

Papillon (2017) 🤷🏻‍♀️ hard to get through but not bad

Chungking Express (1994) 👍 i’m not usually an atmospheric film type, but wow

The Lost City (2022) 👍 i had fun

The French dispatch (2021) 🤷🏻‍♀️ tried watching this multiple times, fell asleep each time but the fact that i tried multiple times means it goes on this list

most of the movies in the DCAMU (2013-2020) 👍 i saw a gif from Teen Titans: the Judas contract (2017) which led me to watch 11 of these 16 movies lmao curse you tumblr

Blue crush (2002) 👎

the Batman (2022) 👎

Lost in the stars (2022) 👍 the whole thing could’ve been avoided if (spoilers) were lesbian, but anyways it made me want to visit hainan and shanghai

Dumplings (2004) 👍 i mean i can’t eat dumplings anymore without gagging but

the burning sea (2021) 🤷🏻‍♀️ i remember laughing at the cheesiness (idk how accurately they translated from norwegian), but solid disaster movie

alive (2020) 👍 korean filmmakers really know zombies, but mix in quarantine era

Palm Springs (2020) 👍 went into this blind expecting white lotus lol (very much not white lotus)

The babysitter: killer queen (2020) 👍 i can only do horror if it’s campy horror

the menu (2022) 👎 well made movie, not for me

blockers (2018) 👍

joy ride (2023) 👍

Spider-Man: across the spider-verse (2023) 👍

king arthur: legend of the sword (2017) 👍 i don’t care i enjoyed its ridiculousness

Austenland (2013) 👍 it’s so bad!! i laughed, i cringed, i awww’ed

the tuxedo (2002) 🤷🏻‍♀️ better enjoyed in highlight clips

Matilda the musical (2022) 👎 if i hadn’t seen the danny devito version i might have enjoyed this

heathers the musical (2022) 👎 the off bway actors were better

Mayhem (2017) 👍 samara weaving and steven yeun! another movie apollo threw a covid dodgeball at

Charlie Chan at the wax museum (1940) 🤷🏻‍♀️ could’ve been good, hard to watch with the yellowface and racism

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) 👍

shows i dropped this year/didn’t finish: justified (2010), killing eve (2018) , gannibal (2022), beef (2023), doom patrol (2019)

currently reading: bel canto, but mainly just a lot of medical articles

currently working on: finding a new job because hellooooo 2 year itch

current obsession: ok so if you look at english language sources, most say that pregnant onions are toxic and therefore not edible. however, the medicinal value of pregnant onions is apparently not uncommon knowledge in other cultures (fuck yeah china and south africa). so a family friend gave us a few mature plants that make into soup and i picked off the little seedlings and have been tending to them. that led to spending more time tending to my other plants (i have a lot more loquat trees than i remember) and now i’m trying to air layer some stuff. TLDR; gardening

tagging anyone who wants to do this :)

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Rob McElhenney & Ryan Reynolds: 1 - Meghan Markle: 0 by u/Chasmosaur

Rob McElhenney & Ryan Reynolds: 1 - Meghan Markle: 0 As part of QEII's Platinum Jubilee Civic Honors in 2022, Wrexham, Wales was granted city status by QEII. [wales.com] In honor of that, KCIII and QC visited Wrexham in early December, 2022, which included a visit with football (soccer) club Wrexham AFC.If you aren't aware, actors Rob McElhenney - one of the creators and stars of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" - and Ryan Reynolds - aka, Deadpool; owner of Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile, two marketing companies; and a million viral clips - jointly bought Wrexham AFC in 2020. You can follow their story - including how the team is wound into the identity and economy of the town - on the FX/Disney+ TV show, "Welcome to Wrexham." KCIII and QC toured several parts of Wrexham, but the most publicized part of their visit was when they visited the Wrexham Racecourse, the stadium where Wrexham AFC plays and where the business offices are located. They toured the stadium and also met with McElhenney and Reynolds, the team players, management staff, as well as the many volunteers that help support the club in day-to-day operations.So, did McElhenney and Reynolds sit back on their Hollywood charm and assume they could have a meeting with the King of the United Kingdom and his Queen Consort (as she was still called at that point) without any preparation? Nope - they hired an Etiquette Coach to make sure they greeted and interacted KCIII and QC without embarrassment. They briefly covered those etiquette coach meetings on the Season 2 premiere, which aired yesterday - here's a preview clip from the show's IG account:https://ift.tt/2oYUgiE [Instagram, Official "Welcome to Wrexham"]Now compare this to many self-documented efforts of Meghan Markle - whether they are true or apocryphal is really known to those who experienced them - meeting various members of the BRF. The standout encounters being the OTT bow to QEII she demonstrated in Harry & Meghan, and supposedly meeting the Cambridges for the first time while barefoot, wearing ripped jeans, and giving many "jarring" hugs. 🙄 (And speaking of those ripped jeans - both McElhenney and Reynolds wore well-fitted, camera-ready suits for their meeting! https://twitter.com/Wrexham_AFC/status/1601210048939687937 [Twitter, Wrexham AFC] )Also, it should be noted that while neither McElhenney or Reynolds graduated from college (they both enrolled and dropped out to act), Meghan Markle famously graduated with a double major in Theater and International Studies from Northwestern University. She also attended that brief internship at the American Embassy in Buenos Aires and attempted the FSO exam. (It has a very high failure rate, so I actually don't read much into the fact she didn't pass it, other than it's obvious she doesn't really understand how to behave like a diplomat, so it's unsurprising.)So two smart and successful actors with no specialized academic or job training knew that they needed to prepare for the particular rituals of meeting British royalty on a royal visit. But the actress who married into the BRF and has supposedly taken classes in how to deal with international cultures with aspirations to joining the diplomatic corps doesn't appear to have done any research at all for meeting her future family members. So that tracks... post link: https://ift.tt/4pTAEqb author: Chasmosaur submitted: September 14, 2023 at 08:21PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

[xolomariduenabr]

Em ‘Besouro Azul,’ Xolo Maridueña e Angel Soto contam uma história mágica realista de super-herói

Artigo por: Joshua Encinias.

Besouro Azul – um filme de super-heróis de grande orçamento que pode apontar o caminho a seguir para todo o Universo DC – deve sua existência em parte ao Festival de Sundance.

O diretor do filme, Ángel Manuel Soto, conheceu sua estrela, Xolo Maridueña, em uma festa promovida no prestigiado evento Park City em janeiro de 2020. Soto estava lá com seu primeiro filme de estúdio, o épico de bicicleta de terra batida de Baltimore Charm City Kings, que ganhou o Prêmio Especial do Júri Dramático dos EUA para Ensemble Cast.

Soto não tinha ideia, a princípio, de que Maridueña era "o garoto de Cobra Kai", apesar de terem se conhecido durante um jantar planejado por um dos produtores do Karatê Kid. Cobra Kai, que foi ao ar no YouTube Red/Premium em suas duas primeiras temporadas, estava prestes a se mudar para a Netflix, onde se tornaria um grande sucesso. Maridueña tem seu centro emocional como Miguel Diaz, um novo garoto da cidade que, como Daniel LaRusso de Ralph Macchio no Karatê Kid original, encontra seu caminho com a ajuda de um mentor mais velho em artes marciais.

Maridueña chamou Soto de humilde, fácil de falar e muito honesto. "Xolo's é muito inteligente. Ele não é distante ou algo assim. Ele é um garoto muito inteligente. Ele é eloquente, mas também é um garoto que vive na idade dele", diz Soto. "Ele pode ser engraçado e peculiar e então ele se conscientiza de que é peculiar e então fica sério novamente."

Quando a Warner Bros pediu a Soto para dirigir Besouro Azul baseado em parte em seu sucesso com Charm City Kings, ele começou a ler algumas das maiores histórias do super-herói. O conceito de "Besouro Azul" remonta a 1939, quando o Besouro Azul era um grampo da extinta Fox Comics e estrelou seu próprio seriado de rádio. O personagem logo se tornou propriedade da DC Comics, que em 2007 introduziu uma versão adolescente chamada Jaime Reyes — o terceiro Besouro Azul. Soto se lembra de pensar ao ler as aventuras de Reyes:

"Oh meu Deus, ele se parece muito com Xolo".

Eles também agiram da mesma forma – desde a forma como Jaime Reyes falava até sua relação com a família. "Eu estava tipo, 'Santo, isso é Xolo'", diz Soto. "Quase parece que a HQ é inspirada nele. Até a sua personalidade, o carisma, a honestidade, a inocência, todas essas coisas que fazem parte do personagem de Jaime Reyes, Xolo encarna isso."

"Acho que Ángel viu coisas em mim que nem eu vi", diz Maridueña. "Jaime é agraciado com essa oportunidade maior do que a vida que ele não se sente apto, e de muitas maneiras. Senti paralelos entre nossas experiências."

O diretor ofereceu ao ator o papel durante o jantar, perguntando-lhe: "Você quer ser o primeiro super-herói latino?"

Maridueña começou a chorar e ligou para a mãe. "Foi um momento tão lindo", diz Soto.

Besouro Azul é a primeira história independente do novo DCU

Besouro Azul estava em desenvolvimento na Warner Bros anos antes de James Gunn embarcar para lançar o novo DCU. O diretor da franquia Guardiões da Galáxia da Marvel foi demitido temporariamente por causa de tweets antigos pelos quais pediu desculpas repetidamente - ele disse ao MovieMaker que aproveitou a ocasião para fazer mudanças e pensar sobre seus verdadeiros valores.

Mas logo a DC o contratou para dirigir O Esquadrão Suicida de 2021, a Marvel o recontratou para dirigir o lançamento de maio Guardiões da Galáxia Vol. 3 e, entre os dois filmes, a Warner Bros o trouxe como o novo co-CEO da DC Studios com Peter Safran.

Os dois estão supervisionando uma reformulação completa do universo que inclui Superman, Batman, Mulher-Maravilha e outros heróis icônicos. The Flash, lançado em junho e também em desenvolvimento muito antes de Gunn e Safran assumirem, foi o primeiro filme da DC lançado em seu relógio, e incorporou décadas de história passada da DC.

Mas, de certa forma, Besouro Azul é o futuro: é a primeira história independente da nova era da DC.

Soto construiu sua carreira encontrando o brilho nos outros. Aos 19 anos, estudou arquitetura e publicidade porque não havia uma escola de cinema em Porto Rico, onde nasceu e cresceu. Ele construiu uma carreira para si mesmo fazendo documentários e longas-metragens, e ficou conhecido por mergulhar em seus assuntos, na esperança de trazer a melhor representação de sua pesquisa para as telas. Seu primeiro longa-metragem, La Granja (A Fazenda), foi um indie de baixo orçamento filmado inteiramente em câmeras portáteis que seguia um boxeador, uma parteira e uma criança com uma bicicleta enquanto eles contavam com o colapso econômico em Porto Rico.

Para Charm City Kings, que foi lançado na HBO Max da Warner em 2020, Soto passou sete semanas em Baltimore antes de filmar - e aprendeu sobre a cidade com os moradores locais. "Eu não queria que eles sentissem que eu estava lá para pintar minha versão de Baltimore", disse ele ao MovieMaker em 2020. "Pelo contrário, eu queria que eles me dissessem como se sentiam sobre como estávamos fazendo isso. ... Eu queria respeitar a cidade o máximo possível, da mesma forma que desejo que os outros respeitem Porto Rico em suas representações dela."

Essas experiências o ajudaram a aprimorar seu instinto de agir em seus palpites, como contratar Maridueña. Besouro Azul é seu primeiro papel principal em um filme.

O ator de 22 anos, que é de Los Angeles e descendente de cubanos, mexicanos e equatorianos, começou como modelo infantil antes de aprender o negócio do entretenimento na série Parenthood, da NBC. Em 2013, ele teve um pequeno papel no filme Dealin' with Idiots, e outros papéis incluíram papéis em Major Crimes da TNT e Twin Peaks da Showtime.

Mas Cobra Kai apresentou uma gama maior de seus talentos.

Ao longo das cinco temporadas da série, Miguel Diaz foi um pária solitário, um artista marcial popular, um quase filho de Johnny Lawrence de William Zabka e um protagonista romântico.

Ele lutou bravamente - com Maridueña fazendo a maioria de suas próprias acrobacias - em dojos, corredores da escola, um refeitório escolar, uma sala de estar, em quintais, em um pátio de apartamentos, em torneios. Ele sofreu uma lesão que o colocou em uma cadeira de rodas e lutou para voltar a lutar. Maridueña o torna eminentemente relacionável e inspiradoramente heroico.

Ao longo do caminho, Maridueña ganhou um melhor amigo no colega de elenco Jacob Bertrand (que interpreta Falcão em Cobra Kai), com quem apresenta o podcast Lone Lobos, sobre dois caras que acabam descobrindo a vida. No primeiro episódio, há dois anos, eles discutiram lançamentos póstumos de hip-hop e Bertrand, que havia completado 21 anos recentemente, contou divertido sua primeira visita a uma cervejaria.

Família em primeiro lugar

Se Guardiões da Galáxia Vol.3 de Gunn é sobre o amor de famílias escolhidas, e The Flash é sobre a saudade de sua família biológica, então Besouro Azul é sobre a luta para proteger sua família.

Como o primeiro filme de super-heróis com uma família latina em seu centro, ele se destaca tanto como um divertido filme pipoca de verão, quanto como uma parábola sobre a experiência do imigrante nos Estados Unidos.

Embora o Besouro Azul não tenha pouca ação, ele é baseado em questões cotidianas, como o pagamento das contas e os papéis que as pessoas desempenham dentro de suas famílias. O filme começa com Jamie recém-saído de Gotham Law com um diploma pré-direito. Ele não consegue encontrar um bom emprego e se muda para a casa de sua família na fictícia Palmera City, que é inspirada em parte em El Paso, Texas, cidade natal de Jaime nos quadrinhos.

Jaime logo entra em conflito com a duplicata Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), chefe da Kord Industries. Ela tenta aproveitar uma peça de tecnologia alienígena chamada escaravelho, mas ela escapa de suas garras e transforma Jamie no Besouro Azul. 

Surpreendentemente – em um gênero dominado por um aumento infindável e hiperbólico das apostas – o Besouro Azul não salva o planeta. O filme está mais preocupado com as maneiras como nossas famílias nos salvam quando estamos precisando.

"Queremos convidar as pessoas para a experiência do Jaime, para a casa da família Reyes e seu ambiente", diz Soto.

Maridueña acha que uma das coisas mais importantes e emocionantes sobre o Besouro Azul é que "não estamos lidando com uma invasão alienígena que vai dominar o mundo inteiro, ou um monstro que vai destruir a cidade. ... Este é um filme sobre questões que não só Jaime enfrenta, mas toda a família Reyes, e a grande cidade de Palmera. Todos nós podemos nos relacionar com a luta deles."

Jaime Reyes é otimista e trabalhador. Ele pontilhava cada i e cruzava cada t, mas de alguma forma, ele desenhou a ponta curta do pau desde que deixou Gotham. Toda a família Reyes é realmente um arquétipo do sonho americano que deu errado.

Os temas do filme não são pesados ou politicamente codificados. Mas, em seu nível mais humano, a história da família é sobre algo que está na mente de quase todos nos dias de hoje: a insegurança econômica.

"Isso foi algo com o qual eu realmente me conectei como alguém que está constantemente tendo que trabalhar um pouco mais para a mesma coisa que alguns dos meus colegas de atuação", diz Maridueña. "Explorar essa família que realmente merece mais foi um prazer. Espero que destaquemos alguns problemas reais que as pessoas enfrentam."

Soto sentiu a magnitude de apresentar a primeira história de super-herói de grande orçamento com um protagonista latino.

"Não levei isso de ânimo leve, tanto quanto isso significava, não apenas para os fãs do amado personagem, mas também para a cultura", diz.

Soto lidou com o peso da expectativa como sempre faz: "Gosto de pesquisar muito. Gosto de mergulhar na construção do mundo o máximo que posso." Maridueña acha que uma das coisas mais importantes e emocionantes sobre o Besouro Azul é que "não estamos lidando com uma invasão alienígena que vai dominar o mundo inteiro, ou um monstro que vai destruir a cidade. ... Este é um filme sobre questões que não só Jaime enfrenta, mas toda a família Reyes, e a grande cidade de Palmera. Todos nós podemos nos relacionar com a luta deles."

Jaime Reyes é otimista e trabalhador. Ele pontilhava cada i e cruzava cada t, mas de alguma forma, ele desenhou a ponta curta do pau desde que deixou Gotham. Toda a família Reyes é realmente um arquétipo do sonho americano que deu errado.

Os temas do filme não são pesados ou politicamente codificados. Mas, em seu nível mais humano, a história da família é sobre algo que está na mente de quase todos nos dias de hoje: a insegurança econômica.

"Isso foi algo com o qual eu realmente me conectei como alguém que está constantemente tendo que trabalhar um pouco mais para a mesma coisa que alguns dos meus colegas de atuação", diz Maridueña. "Explorar essa família que realmente merece mais foi um prazer. Espero que destaquemos alguns problemas reais que as pessoas enfrentam."

Soto sentiu a magnitude de apresentar a primeira história de super-herói de grande orçamento com um protagonista latino.

"Não levei isso de ânimo leve, tanto quanto isso significava, não apenas para os fãs do amado personagem, mas também para a cultura", diz.

Soto lidou com o peso da expectativa como sempre faz: "Gosto de pesquisar muito. Gosto de mergulhar na construção do mundo o máximo que posso.

Besouro Azul paralelo com a vida real

Embora Besouro Azul seja uma história feliz, não é sem tragédia e sacrifício. Além de Escobedo como Milagro, a família de Jaime inclui Elpidia Carrillo como a mãe de Jaime, Rocio, Adriana Barraza como sua Nana, Damián Alcázar como seu pai Alberto e George Lopez como seu tio Rudy, que é baseado no tio do escritor Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. Antes do filme começar, a família imigrou do México para os Estados Unidos, mas Alberto não tem documentação, então ele está sob a ameaça constante de deportação.

Pode ter afundado a campanha presidencial de Jeb Bush em 2016 para dizer que a imigração ilegal para os Estados Unidos é um "ato de amor", mas Alberto prova que sim.

Embora o filme não retrate um ataque do ICE, ele inclui uma cena que ecoa um. Kord Industries invade a casa da família em uma cena que pode funcionar como apenas mais um momento dramático em um filme de super-heróis – ou ser tomada como símbolo de eventos que destroem famílias reais. Soto abraçou os paralelos.

"Há uma história que existe antes de uma invasão do ICE. Uma história que inclui viajar quilômetros, trabalhar duro, se tornar uma família, criar memórias e pensar que tudo vai ficar bem", diz Soto. "Mas, de repente, tudo o que você lutou, tudo o que você trabalhou, tudo o que você construiu, agora está queimando.

"Eu precisava que a representação fosse desencadeante, porque é a experiência de muitos."

A experiência com a Kord Industries marca um ponto de virada para Jaime, que promete proteger sua família.

"O amor é um ato heroico, à sua maneira", diz Soto.

"Adoro ter me visto em todos os personagens, mas também é como minha família sente", diz Maridueña. "Acho que isso realmente é um testemunho da escrita de Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer."

Dunnet-Alcocer estourou com seu curta de 2014, "Contrapelo", sobre um barbeiro que é forçado a cortar a barba de um líder de cartel de drogas - ou arriscar tudo tirando sua vida. Tocou em festivais de cinema em todo o mundo. Em seguida, ele está escrevendo El Muerto, estrelado pelo astro da música Bad Bunny como um Luchador dos quadrinhos do Homem-Aranha que ganha poderes especiais a partir de uma máscara mística.

Soto queria que a família Reyes fosse central para o Besouro Azul "porque cada gota dessa família enche o copo dentro do nosso herói".

"Sem ter superpoderes, a família faz de tudo para proteger o filho", diz Soto. "O amor da família de Jaime o ajuda a terminar sua jornada e seu arco." "Realmente, é o amor que você tem pela sua família que supera tudo", acrescenta Maridueña.

'Batman é fascista'

Em abril, o primeiro trailer de Besouro Azul gerou debate online por causa de um momento em que Lopez, como Tio Rudy, declara que o amado ícone da DC Batman é um fascista. Alguns literalistas acreditavam que, como Rudy tem essa visão do Batman, isso deve significar que os cineastas do Besouro Azul também o fazem.

Mas é útil ter em mente que o Tio Rudy é cortado do mesmo pano errático que Doc Brown em De Volta para o Futuro, e ele é um teórico da conspiração. "Sempre quisemos nos divertir com a maneira como Rudy fala sobre outros super-heróis", diz Soto. "Então, para as pessoas que ficaram bravas com isso, nos deem uma chance. Estamos apenas tentando nos divertir com os personagens que amamos. E todo mundo no nosso filme ama Batman, Superman e Flash.

"E, claro, temos críticas a todos eles, como todos deveríamos. Mas isso não significa que odiamos o Batman. Nós amamos o Batman."

A resposta jocosa de Maridueña à repercussão: "F isso!".

"Talvez o Jaime e o público não concordem com o Rudy, mas você pode ter a sua opinião. Tudo bem", diz Maridueña. "Se você se sentia de alguma forma, esse era o ponto. Então eu acho que se você concorda com isso, se você não concorda com ele, ele foi colocado lá por um motivo. E você sabe, todas as pessoas que têm seus santuários do Batman em casa podem mantê-los lá e não precisam se preocupar.

Como Besouro Azul honra o melhor do cinema mexicano

Descrevendo severos aspectos de Besouro Azul, Soto repete a mesma frase: “Por que não?”. A aproximação foi feita, ele diz.

“Eu não tinha razão para apostar em Xolo como eu apostei, mas eu acreditei nele e ele não me deu motivos para não acreditar.” Soto diz. “Vê-lo vestir a camisa e se tornar o super-herói que eu não sabia que precisava é algo que eu apenas conseguia sonhar sobre.”

Maridueña está em uma idade onde ele decide quais valores da infância levará para a vida adulta. Lone Lobos, seu podcast, dá espaço para que ele possa falar sobre essas ideias.

Ele e Jacob Bertrand abriram um episódio no ano passado com uma reza e sava queimada, o que me leva a perguntar sobre sua fé.

“Eu pratico uma religião chamada Yoruba. É uma religião afro-cubana que tem ligações com o Cristianismo, mas é mais ligada à religião africana.” Ele diz. “É algo que eu cresci e herdei da minha mãe.”

Ele passou o último ano fazendo escolhas intencionais.

“Eu ao ler sobre ciência, metafísica e espiritualidade. Eu acho que é algo super importante de se explorar em si mesmo.” Xolo Diz. “Eu amo aprender sobre religião e fés que são de diferentes denominações.”

Toda religião oferece trégua, ou uma solução, para a realidade da morte, e Besouro Azul – spoiler à frente – explora uma vida após a morte que é surpreendente e comovente. É inspirado em parte por uma das cenas do diretor de fotografia Gabriel Figueroa no filme Macario, de 1960 – um filme que eu amo profundamente.

Para os não iniciados, Macario é considerado um dos melhores filmes mexicanos já feitos. Foi exibido no Festival de Cannes, e foi indicado para Melhor Filme Estrangeiro no Oscar de 1961. A história acompanha Macario, um lenhador furioso, que está amargurado com sua sorte na vida. Uma noite, 31 de outubro, ele recebe a visita do Diabo, Deus e Morte – que o leva em uma jornada para a vida após a morte.

Lá, Macario encontra a caverna da Morte, cheia de milhares de velas. A visão é de tirar o fôlego, e Soto faz referência a ela quando Jaime visita seu pai Alberto na vida após a morte.

"O realismo mágico de Macario ficou comigo. Quando estávamos desenvolvendo essa cena, eu fiquei tipo, 'Cara, por que não homenageamos o filme que nos construiu? Por que não homenageamos o filme que podemos dizer que é cinema latino?'", diz Soto. "O realismo mágico de Macário é lindo e inteligente como na literatura latina, e é nosso."

Soto trabalhou com o departamento de efeitos visuais e designer de produção para criar uma homenagem às velas em cascata de Macario, construídas a partir de coisas na casa de Reyes.

"Não há lógica na imaginação, a não ser que construamos as coisas com base no que vivenciamos", diz. 

Eu não esperava que uma cena em Besouro Azul me emocionasse, mas emocionou. Meu pai morreu de insuficiência cardíaca congestiva há quase dois anos e, embora minha dor não seja tão pesada nos dias de hoje, de vez em quando, tenho pensamentos como o que acordei no dia em que vi o Besouro Azul. Naquela manhã de Los Angeles, pensei: "E se eu visse o espírito do papai agora mesmo na sala de estar? Entrei na sala vazia, mas ele não estava lá. Imagine minha surpresa, então, ao entrar em uma exibição de um filme de super-heróis que não apenas faz referência a Macario, mas evoca exatamente a experiência que eu ansiava, poucas horas antes.”

"De jeito nenhum. Estou ficando arrepiado quando você diz isso", diz Soto.

"Essa cena está perto do meu coração. Eu não passei pelas dificuldades que você passou, só posso imaginar. E só de imaginar, é de partir o coração para mim", diz. "Mas sua reação foi exatamente o que estávamos tentando alcançar." Maridueña chama a cena de sua parte favorita do filme.

"Damián Alcázar, o ator que interpreta meu pai, era tão generoso, sábio e calmo", diz ele. "Lembro-me de pensar que parecia etéreo para Jaime ver o pai, mas era apenas a alma dele. Não era o corpo dele."

Nesse momento, Jaime dá um salto de fé.

"Jaime não teve a chance de se despedir do pai", diz. "Quero que as pessoas entendam que, se você tem seus pais, apenas abraçá-los, porque você nunca sabe quando é a última vez."

Soto não tinha recursos ilimitados para fazer Besouro Azul, mas sua experiência no cinema indie o ajudou a esticar um dólar e fundamentar os elementos fantásticos do filme na realidade. 

Ele aponta para o coração. "Demos tudo para fazer algo especial e emocional que se conecte com o público, e o que você acabou de compartilhar é provavelmente o melhor elogio que posso receber", diz ele.

"Vamos contar histórias que nos ajudem a curar. Eu poderia me importar menos com qualquer outra coisa", acrescenta Soto. "Você apenas reforçou a razão pela qual eu quero fazer isso."

Tradução por: Xolo Maridueña Brasil | Mari e Maria.

[limowlee7389]

Currently Watching: July.

KOREAN.

+ Revenant (2023)(23 Jun-) ~ Airing. ★★★★★

I LOVE this show! This is easily the best thing I'm watching right now. Kim Tae Ri never disappoints. I am loving the dark tones that this drama has offered for its opening week.

+ King of the Land (2023)(17 Jun-) ~ Airing. ★★★☆☆

This is the fun watch of the season. It feels more like a 2000s drama. This feels like a nostalgia trip for me. It can come off as super cliche, but the banter between the two leads is fun. Lee JunHo is always a joy to watch. I am relieved to see that Im Yoo Ah seems to be keeping up with him.

+ See You in My 19th Life (2023)(17 Jun) ~ Airing. ★★★☆☆

This may not be great drama writing, but I'm finding it very watchable. My primary gripe is that the leads are a bit mismatched. Shin Hye Sun can run circles around Ahn Bo Hyun when it comes to acting chops. She just brings so much energy to her characters. Ahn Bo Hyun is more just to stand there and look depressed and a bit damaged. I do enjoy the setup and watching what aspects of Ban Ji Eum's 19 lives have made it into the present day.

JAPANESE.

+ Rikon Shiyou Yo (2023)(22 Jun-) ~ Airing. ★★★★☆

This show is shaping up to be everything I wanted in a new KudoKan project. I love our leads as dislikeable as they are. It was so funny to me how they could go from arguing one moment to hosting Shoji Family Relaxing Kitchen the next. The timing is so precise. My hope for this show is that our leads are actually successful in getting their divorce.

ANIME.

+ Hell’s Paradise:  Jigokuraku (2023)(3 Apr-1 Jul) ~ Airing. ★★☆☆☆

I wanted to love this, but I much prefer the source material. I still feel that the opening is GOLD, but overall this adaption feels like a product of Mappa's underinvestment.

+ Insomniacs after School (2023)(15 Apr-3 Jul) ~ Airing. ★★★☆☆

This show has so much charm, but it's sometimes too sleepy for me.

Plan to Watch.

D.P. 2 (2023)(28 Jul-)

Completed.

The Good Bad Mother (2023)(26 Apr-8 Jun)(2/10) ~

Mare (2015)(8 Jan-12 Jun)(7/10)

One Day Off (2023)(12 Jun-13 Jun)(6/10) 

Suga:  Road to D-Day (2023)(19 Jun)(6/10)

Other Things I Watched.

Heartbreak High (2022)(3 Jun)(8/10) ♥ 

The Lost City (2022)(9 Jun)(5/10)

Never Have I Ever (2023)(s4)(8 Jun-10 Jun)(5/10)

Human Resources (2023)(s2)(10 Jun-11 Jun)(5/10)

BTS:  PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE - LA (2022)(14 Jun)(6/10)

Taylor Swift:  Reputation Stadium Tour (2018)(17 Jun)(7/10)

Olivia Rodrigo:  Sour Prom (2021)(17 Jun)(8/10)

Homecoming:  A Film by Beyoncé (2019)(18 Jun)(8/10) ♥ 

ariana grande:  excuse me, i love you (2020)(19 Jun)(7/10)

Happier than Ever:  A Love Letter to Los Angeles (2021)(19 Jun)(5/10)

Folklore:  The Long Pond Studio Sessions (2020)(19 Jun)(8/10)

Skip and Loafer (2023)(15 Apr-20 Jun)(10/10) ♥ ~

Komi Can't Communicate (2022)(c1)(31 Oct 22-21 Jun 23)(8/10) ♥ 

Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru (2023)(1 Apr-24 Jun)(6/10) ~

Tengoku Daimakyou (2023)(15 Apr-24 Jun)(7/10) ~ 

Helluva Boss (2020)(s1)(16 Jun 22-24 Jun 23)(7/10) ~

Cunk on Earth (2022)(26 Jun-27 Jun)(7/10)

Cunk on Britain (2018)(27 Jun)(7/10)

Oshi no Ko (2023)(18 Apr-28 Jun)(5/10) ~ 

Normal People (2020)(20 Jun-30 Jun)(10/10) ♥

[themovieblogonline]

Robert Pattinson’s film career is nothing short of spectacular. When he started his career as a romantic sweetheart who picked up lovable roles (like those high school boyfriends he played), no one could believe how versatile of an actor he’d become. Winning hearts in movies like Twilight, he became one of the best actors in Hollywood. In honor of his newest collaboration with the legendary Christopher Nolan, here’s a throwback at some of his stellar performances over the years. 1. Cosmopolis (2012) The emotionless, cold, and utterly robotic Eric Parker isn’t someone you get to see every day. The billionaire roams around New York City with his wicked charm. It is one of those characters that gained charm by being unreasonably weird. His pure detachment from the world and intricate inner thoughts are what made him unique. And without a doubt, Pattinson did him justice. 2. Tenet (2020) In Tenet, Christopher Nolan brings his sci-fi magic to the screen. Pattinson’s mysterious role is enigmatic and nuanced, adding a complex layer to the film. Neil brings a fresh vibe to the cold nature of the film. His brotherly affection and simple emotional side is a perfect foil to Washington’s serious character which blends perfectly with the overall tone of the movie. 3. The Childhood of  a Leader (2015) Playing the young American diplomat is Robert’s one underrated performance. Standing out in a film that’s about one of the most complicated figures in history, is nothing less than an achievement. His bold aura and magnetic acting viewed his true commitment to the director’s vision.  4. The Devil All Time (2020) Despicable and delirious. Robert Pattinson in Antonio Campos’ psychological thriller gives away this grotesque energy as he brings his sinister charm onscreen. The Southern accent emphasizes his moral misconduct even more. Thanks to him we get the creepy and bleak movie about a preacher who exploits faith. 5. The King (2019) Navigating David Michôd’s epic period piece alongside Timothée Chalamet, Pattinson’s portrayal of malice and devious cruelty serves big time. His comical yet menacing acting within the French setting allows Pattinson to break through the boundaries of his craft and test his range as the ultimate antagonist. He undoubtedly left a lasting impression, without being the central figure in the movie. 6. The Batman (2022) The vigilante of Gotham City, the masked hero, and the rich billionaire aka Batman returned once again to the big screen, this time with a little twist. It was one of the most anticipated releases of 2022 and how it blew the critics up. Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne surely brought his version of the renowned superhero to the screen. A role that has been played immaculately by A-list actors is hard to play. However, Pattinson came out restoring the authenticity all while bringing his impression of the character. 7. High Life (2019) Monte is introspective and struggles through the hardships of an isolated life in deep space. His journey is packed with fear, survival, and uncertainty of life. As he goes through deep existential questions and contemplates his way through life, Pattinson delivers minimalism most uniquely.  8. The Rover (2014) A lost guy who’s both naive and vulnerable. The Rover made the actor push through his range and bring out the emotional disability and physical awkwardness. The fragility through which does justice to the role is highly commendable.  9. The Lighthouse (2019) When you share the screen with someone as legendary as Willem Dafoe, you better bring your A-game and Robert Pattinson did exactly that. Apart from his amazing performance as an actor, he balanced the claustrophobia, hallucinations, and the emotional weight of the lighthouse keeper amazingly. It is surely one unforgettable highlight of his career. 10. Good Time (2016) The charismatic and complicated Connie Nikas is one of Pattinson’s best performances of all time. He immerses himself completely into the role as he plays a criminal who strives to get his little brother out of jail. This is probably my favorite performance of him on this list. It is important to acknowledge Patinson’s contributions to contemporary cinema. Which one of his performances is your favorite? Don’t forget to let us know in the comments. Read the full article

[ebizz]

The Art of Wooing Search Engines: The Ultimate SEO Love Story

Once upon a time, in the bustling heart of North Carolina, a formidable alliance was formed between me and my expert SEO team in Charlotte. Our goal is to unravel the elusive mysteries of search engine optimization and master the art of wooing these digital gatekeepers. With a noble cause at hand, we vowed to develop a love story—one filled with ups and downs, moments of triumph, and occasional heartbreaks. This is our story.

Chapter 1: First Impressions Matter

I remember the early days when SEO was less about crafting poetic love letters to search engines and more akin to a game of hide-and-seek. Websites would stuff keywords into awkward corners, hoping they'd magically flutter into Google's line of sight. Fast-forward to today, and it's all about first impressions, much like real-life dating in downtown Charlotte on a Friday night.

In a city that never quite sleeps, the competition among businesses is fierce. As an SEO company in Charlotte, we realized that to capture the heart of a search engine, you must first cater to its senses. Google, Bing, or Yahoo—each has preferences and quirks, and to win them over, you must speak their language fluently.

Did you know that Google's algorithm considers over 200 factors before placing a crown on your webpage and presenting it to an eager audience? And while we could have whispered sweet nothings about page speed, mobile responsiveness, and user experience all night long, there was more to explore.

Chapter 2: Content, the Heartfelt Conversation

In this digital romance, content is king—or should I say, the heartfelt conversation that keeps relationships alive. As lovers of words and well-crafted narratives, we at Above Bits in Charlotte have always understood that quality content is the heart and soul of SEO Charlotte businesses need. And statistically speaking, websites with a consistent blogging strategy see 434% more indexed pages sans any lipstick on the mirror promises.

Funnily enough, content writing is like being on a never-ending first date. Like how the good folks of Charlotte agent their way through endless possibilities in restaurants, your content must be engaging, informative, and ever so slightly flirtatious without giving everything away at once. After all, Google doesn't believe in love at first sight based on a single keyword-stuffed headline.

Chapter 3: The Dance of Data

In our quest for true search engine love, we quickly learned the importance of courting with accuracy. The world of SEO services in Charlotte isn't just about a swift dance; it's an intricate ballet of data-driven decisions. According to a 2021 study, 72% of marketers said that data was more important than ever in achieving marketing success.

Breaking down analytics was like consulting a celestial map for our journey through the vast constellation of SEO. We discarded our dancing shoes and slipped into analyst hats, deciphering traffic patterns and diving into engagement metrics. Google Analytics became our charming third wheel—an ally who made us question every move and urged us to ponder, "Was it something we said?"

Chapter 4: Courting Challenges

Of course, no love story is without its challenges. Amidst our content creation and data deconstruction, certain foes reared their heads. Some technologies promised quick fixes but came bearing hidden thorns in their bouquets. Take voice search, for example. In growing numbers, North Carolina residents ask their virtual assistants to find nearby businesses, yet optimizing for voice remains as tricky as balancing sweet tea on a porch swing—orchestrating long-tail keywords like a seasoned Southerner at a crab boil.

Moreover, not all was smooth sailing in the sea of SEO tools and strategies. While AI has adeptly predicted patterns and provided user insights, its romance with privacy remains a sore spot for many. Who could forget when, in 2020, Amazon's Alexa reported strange laughter or eerie whispers? Balancing AI's omniscience with ethical boundaries reminds us that too much devotion can sometimes smother.

Chapter 5: The Honeymoon Phase

Just as couples in Charlotte flock to the Blue Ridge Mountains for some R&R, we too enjoyed a honeymoon phase with our SEO efforts. With the right strategies in place, all seemed to hum beautifully along—a serenade of organic clicks and increasing conversion rates.

Our secret? Local SEO Charlotte style. The heartbeat of any community resides in its local businesses, and we were determined to ensure that when someone typed "best coffee in North Carolina," the locals in Charlotte popped up as stars in the search sky. Statistically speaking, 46% of all Google searches are for local information, indicating that a local SEO strategy is as essential as sunscreen on a Carolina beach day.

Chapter 6: The Realities of Long-term Commitment

As any seasoned Charlottean will tell you, maintaining a long-term relationship requires more than just good intentions. Once the initial glow faded, we confronted the hard realities of long-term SEO.

Regular audits became essential, akin to relationship check-ins, consulting tools like SEMrush and Moz, ensuring that every page was up to code and squeaky clean—no broken links left unattended. We encountered Google's algorithm updates—each with the potential to disrupt, much like an unexpected thunderstorm at a Carolina Panthers game.

Continuously proving our dedication, we refined our strategies to meet search engines' ever-evolving expectations, forgoing shortcuts and black-hat tactics in favor of genuine connection. After all, search engines have become quite savvy, and indulging in manipulative practices often results in penalties, as algorithm changes like Google’s Panda and Penguin can attest.

Chapter 7: Learning From the Masters

We drew inspiration from stories of great wooing, studying cases where businesses captured not just the eye but the heart of search engines. Take, for example, the saga of Spotify, which has mastered using data-driven insights and personalization. Who would have thought that a music app could precisely adjust its SEO strategy, targeting users through their listening habits and becoming a global sensation?

Or consider Amazon, a juggernaut redefining eCommerce SEO strategies. They excel in maintaining product page quality and optimizing inventory dynamically, much like a well-trained orchestra that tunes itself seamlessly to the mood of Charlotte web surfers searching for the perfect item.

Chapter 8: Constant Evolution

As with all love stories, adaptation is necessary to maintain the allure. Just as Above Bits has deep roots in Charlotte, NC’s diverse technological landscape, we understood the necessity for constant self-reflection and growth within SEO itself.

From optimizing for mobile-first indexing, following Google's 2019 announcement, to examining the potential impacts of upcoming Web 3.0 technologies and even blockchain—our path was adorned with an ever-expanding tapestry of digital trends. We aspired not just to follow trends, but to ignite the passions of search engine algorithms with innovations that write the next chapters of our SEO love story.

As we continue to generate clicks and connections, our commitment is to uphold the values we've fostered: steadfastness, awareness, and sincerity. SEO Charlotte demands nothing less, and with our expert SEO team in Charlotte, we'll continue to thrive in this dance of digital romance.

Chapter 9: Embracing the Future

The future of our SEO love story is as promising as a sunrise over the Charlotte skyline, and yet, filled with new challenges to navigate. As emerging technologies sweep across the digital landscape, we remain vigilant ready to adapt and recalibrate.

One such development that has caught our attention is the rising importance of video content. Did you know that by 2022, online videos were projected to make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic—15 times higher than in 2017? Platforms like YouTube have transformed not only content consumption but also the way search engines evaluate web pages. Engaging video content can skyrocket your SEO efforts, much like an unexpected twist in a romantic novel, compelling viewers to stay a little longer, dive a little deeper.

Furthermore, voice search continues to grow, with personal assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant becoming household staples. Adapting our strategies to cater to conversational queries is not merely a trend; it is the evolving language of tomorrow. Moreover, Google’s BERT update in late 2019 underscored the importance of natural language processing, reminding us of the value of speaking human first, machine-second.

Chapter 10: Global Trends and Local Insights

While we kept one eye on the global stage, our hearts remained rooted in North Carolina, fully aware that local insight brings authenticity to the digital table—a truth that Above Bits has always championed.

In recent news, understanding cultural nuances and ethical implications has taken center stage as the world becomes increasingly intertwined. Ensuring websites comply with international standards, such as GDPR in Europe or CCPA in California, is essential. Companies can no longer sweep discrepancies under the rug; a misstep on this front parallels a faux pas at a Charlotte dinner party, garnering unwanted attention and potential penalties.

Technology giants like Facebook have shown how delicate an international presence can be, balancing growth with regulatory challenges. Their experience serves as a reminder that step changes in SEO strategy must not be insular but inclusive, respecting the global diversity in digital etiquette.

Chapter 11: The Occasional Heartbreak

As our journey progressed, we acknowledged that even the best love stories could experience the occasional heartbreak brought on by unpredictable algorithm changes or the failure of a heavily anticipated campaign. Like real relationships, the art of wooing search engines is peppered with setbacks.

Amidst occasional frustrations, we stayed true to our transparency and authenticity guiding principles. Content misinformation or malpractice could cause irreversible damage—a lesson painfully learned by several high-profile cases, such as Forbes' brief flirtation with contributor content strategies resulting in a tarnished reputation.

Working with our clients in this dynamic environment has taught us that enduring bonds are built on the ethics of SEO practices, much like solid relationships that withstand the test of time.

Chapter 12: On the Horizon of Tomorrow

Peering into the future, the terrain of search engine wooing looks both thrilling and challenging. As an SEO company in Charlotte invested in sustainable practices, we've turned our gaze toward the horizons shaped by augmented reality (AR) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Imagine potential customers in Charlotte using an AR app to explore local eateries, virtually sampling dishes before visiting in person. This technology foretells a new era of SEO optimization, where schema markup will evolve to bridge the physical and digital worlds seamlessly.

And with IoT making its presence felt, the data flowing from smart devices calls for new strategies in indexing and search intent analysis. As part of our commitment at Above Bits, we’re preparing for how these innovations will redefine what it means to capture digital hearts.

Chapter 13: Embracing the Imperfections

As much as we'd like to boast about our SEO exploits, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention those occasionally cropped-up pesky imperfections. Have we stumbled upon technical glitches like misplaced alt tags or crawled URLs leading to nowhere? Absolutely. And just like anyone else, we’ve faced dips in rankings that took some gentle nurturing to mend.

However, acknowledging these minor hiccups brings authenticity to our story. After all, even the best relationships have off days—moments when the Wi-Fi of our SEO connections grows faint, and through persistence, we find our way back to full signal strength.

Chapter 14: Building Lasting Relationships

Our enduring love affair with search engines also taught us the value of fostering human connections. Engaging with the vibrant community of Charlotte, North Carolina, we’ve partnered with local businesses to amplify their stories, driving forward each brand’s unique narrative under a unified digital spotlight.

Through workshops and consultations, we’ve shared insights gained from Google's ever-turning gears and the subtleties of serendipitous clicks. We feel fortunate that at Above Bits, we aren’t just team members but digital matchmakers, weaving together the strands of SEO expertise for the communal web of Charlotte’s digital future.

Conclusion: An Everlasting Romance

And so, our saga comes full circle. From humble beginnings to navigational challenges and into the arms of ever-new opportunities, wooing search engines reflects the timelessness of the ultimate romance. This dance continues far into the digital frontier.

As industry pioneers at Above Bits, embracing both the complexity and beauty of SEO, we stand resolute in continuing the narrative here in Charlotte, NC—making connections, captivating hearts, and penning the next chapters in The Art of Wooing Search Engines.

Would you like to elevate your search engine love story? Connect with us and let our expert SEO team in Charlotte guide you toward a meaningful and sustainable digital relationship.

[lampiaclips21]

https://www.lamptafm.com

Top 10 most Watched Series of all times | Lamptafm

1.LOVE IN NASHVILE

Love in Nashville is a harmonious blend of sweet melodies and Southern charm, where romantic sunsets meet vibrant nightlife. Couples dance to live country tunes, savor delicious Southern cuisine, and explore the city's enchanting streets, creating unforgettable memories in Music City, where every moment feels like a love song waiting to be sung.

It follows the lives of country music artists navigating love, rivalty and personal struggles in Nashville.

Aired from 2012 to 2018

2.HOME AND JUSTICE

"Home and Justice" on Hallseen Network is a gripping drama that delves into the complexities of family, crime, and morality. Each episode uncovers riveting stories of justice and redemption, as characters navigate personal struggles and societal challenges, ultimately revealing the profound impact of choices on their lives and communities.

3.EVALINA THE GIRL BOSS

"Evalina: The Girl Boss" is an inspiring series that follows Evalina, a determined young woman navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. With fierce ambition and creativity, she tackles obstacles in her path, empowering others along the way. Her journey showcases resilience, innovation, and the pursuit of dreams in a competitive world.

4.HOUSE OF LONDON

"House of London Bb1 Television" on Lampta FM offers a vibrant exploration of London's culture, entertainment, and lifestyle. Tune in for engaging discussions, exclusive interviews, and the latest trends, all while celebrating the rich diversity of the capital. Join us for a unique perspective on life in London!

5.GAME OF THRONES

"Game of Thrones" follows the power struggles among noble families in the fictional continent of Westeros. Eddard Stark becomes Hand of the King, uncovering dark secrets that lead to betrayal, war, and a quest for the Iron Throne.

6.13 REASONS WHY

Thirteen Reasons Why" follows Clay Jensen as he listens to tapes from Hannah Baker, his classmate who died by suicide, revealing the thirteen reasons behind her tragic decision, highlighting bullying and emotional turmoil.

Aired in 2017

7.THE 100

"The 100" is a post-apocalyptic science fiction series that follows 100 juvenile delinquents sent to Earth from a dying space station, the Ark, nearly a century after a nuclear apocalypse. They face survival challenges, encounter hostile survivors known as Grounders, and navigate complex moral dilemmas as they attempt to establish a new society. The series explores themes of leadership, sacrifice, and humanity's resilience in the face of adversity

Aired in 2014-2020

8.ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

"Orange Is the New Black" is a groundbreaking series that follows Piper Chapman, sentenced to a women's prison for a past crime. Through humor and drama, it explores the lives of diverse inmates, addressing issues of race, class, and sexuality while revealing the complexities of friendship and survival behind bars.

Aired in 2013-2019

9.RIVERDALE

"Riverdale" is a dark, thrilling twist on the classic Archie Comics, where teenage friends uncover chilling secrets in their seemingly idyllic town. Amidst murder mysteries, love triangles, and supernatural events, they navigate the complexities of adolescence while confronting the darker side of human nature and their own relationships.

Aired in 2017 till date

10.GREY'S ANATOMY.

"Grey's Anatomy" is a compelling medical drama that follows Meredith Grey and her fellow surgical interns as they navigate the challenges of medicine and personal relationships at Seattle Grace Hospital. With intense surgeries, emotional turmoil, and complex love stories, the series explores the gray areas of life, love, and healing.

Aired in 2015 till date.

[theloniousbach]

JORMA KAUKONEN!!!/JOHN HURLBUT, CITY WINERY ST LOUIS, 10 MAY 2024

I was insufficiently enthusiastic about this show, initially saying I didn’t think so. I have seen streams of JORMA KAUKONEN playing acoustic lead with his buddy JOHN HURLBUT, who selects wonderful songs singing and strumming them capably enough. Fine to stream, not worth the price of a ticket.

Then I realized that it was more like a Quarantine Concert from “radio dream stream land” as we got Hurl to repeat last night. Jorma was playing seven/eight tunes before Hurl coming out to sing. Well that justified a chance to see this most influential hero, the reason why I bought an acoustic guitar in 1969 and not an electric.

I hadn’t even considered fingerpicking then, but that first Hot Tuna album fascinated me. Mostly blues but at least a couple of examples at the end (Mann’s Fate and New Song for the Morning) of Jorma’s songwriting. I saw the electric band in Kansas City for 11 am start shows that lasted past 3 when they and we were much much younger. But it was always the acoustic stuff that grabbed me over the years and eventually several of those tunes formed the core of my repertoire in so far as I have one.

So, gee, it was good to see Jorma and to see many of the ones I play (Hesitation Blues, How Long Blues, Good Shepherd, and the anthem of this season of loss Death Don’t Have No Mercy) and some I’d like to (the Been So Long opener and Another Man Done Gone). There were lots of those Jorma tunes which have distinctive minor chords and articulate lyrics to the extent that I notice such things. And I don’t much, so that I can’t name them until the set list gets published. Still, they are charming and I want to hear them as part of the festivities.

This show concluded this little Midwest tour. Jorma’s voice is hanging in there but it isn’t as rested as it was during the Quarantine Concerts of 2020-1. It’s okay if he whispers and inflects some. The guitar playing remains unparalleled and these tunes he’s lived with 60 years, plus or minus, get more complex. He does so much more with the tunes of his that I play, certainly than I do but even more than what he did in the early years. I don’t know that there was anything whatsoever I could immediately borrow. Except, yet again, inspiration.

Hurl did many of the tunes he’s been highlighting this tour. An old Bob Dylan one, She Belongs To Me, and a newer one, I’ll Remember You; Leadbelly’s Take This Hammer, Pigpen’s Operator (I’ve never heard Jorma talk about Pigpen who shared his love of acoustic blues when their bands were so close during the days in Haight Ashbury; Everybody’s Talking; and, an audible for last night, Spencer Bohren’s Travellin’. I chatted briefly with Hurl about Spencer as a Focal Point favorite while he was peddling the last three of volume three of him and Jorma.

Hurlbut didn’t plug his guitar in for his first tune but we listened attentively and the room had good acoustics. At the start of the second set, Jorma remarked on both things, thanking us for being such an exemplary audience.

At the last minute we got eccentrically good seats. Extreme stage left but right at the stage. It was table seating so it got even better when we turned our chairs around and could look at the stage without twisting or sitting sideways. It was rather like a Quarantine Concert as his hands were clearly visible. And that is a fond way to remember it.

Jorma’s set list:

Jorma 19, 2024

With Special Guest John Hurlbut

City Winery

St. Louis, Missouri

Friday, May 10, 2024

First Set:

Been So Long

Hesitation Blues

Requiem For An Angel (maybe that was the one I didn’t recognize later in the set)

Barbeque King

Death Don’t Have No Mercy

Sleep Song

Trial By Fire (the last one before Hurl?)

Where Have My Good Friends Gone?

Ice Age (definitely NOT played)

I Remember You with John Hurlbut

Travelin’ with John Hurlbut

Second Set:

Blue Railroad Train

How Long Blues

Whining Boy Blues

Second Chances

Another Man Done Gone

Sea Child

Good Shepherd

Great Divide Revisited

Take This Hammer with John Hurlbut

She Belongs To Me with John Hurlbut

Operator with John Hurlbut

A Day In The Country with John Hurlbut

Encore: Everybody’s Talking with John Hurlbut

[jmovielover]

Max Originals (Part 2

Charm City Kings (October 8 2020) "Fourteen-year-old Mouse wants to join the Midnight Clique, a notorious group of Baltimore dirt bike riders." Directed by Angel Manuel Soto

The Witches (October 22 2023) "In late 1967, a young orphaned boy goes to live with his loving grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to a seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world's Grand High Witch has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe to carry out her nefarious plans." (Directed by Robert Zemeckis)

Superintelligence (November 26 2020) "When a powerful superintelligence chooses to study Carol, the most average person on Earth, the fate of the world hangs in the balance. As the AI decides whether to enslave, save or destroy humanity, it's up to Carol to prove people are worth saving." (Directed by Ben Falcone)

The Flight Attendant (November 26 2020-May 26 2022; 2 seasons) "A flight attendant's life gets turned upside down after she wakes up in a hotel room with a dead man but with no memory of what happened." (Developed by Steve Yockey)

Let Them All Talk (December 10 2020) "A young man finds romance with a literary agent while taking a trip with the woman's famous aunt and her friends." (Directed by Steven Soderbergh)

[idolskpop]

Lee Min Ho to Star in New Drama with Gong Hyo Jin and Attend Milan Fashion Week

Lee Min Ho, one of the most popular Korean actors, is busy with his upcoming projects as a global ambassador and a drama star. He recently flew to Milan to attend the Fall/Winter 2024 show of Hugo Boss, a luxury fashion brand that he endorses. He also confirmed his role in a new romantic comedy drama with Gong Hyo Jin, another well-known actress in Korea.

Lee Min Ho’s Dapper Looks at the Airport

On September 20, Lee Min Ho was spotted at Incheon International Airport, where he wowed the crowd with his head-turning visuals. He wore an all-black ensemble that consisted of a leather jacket, a turtleneck sweater, pants, and boots. He accessorized his look with a black mask, sunglasses, and a backpack.

(Photo : Merry Aesthethic Thailand) The actor looked confident and charismatic as he walked through the airport, attracting the attention of the media and fans. He smiled and waved at the cameras, showing his friendly and polite personality. Lee Min Ho was heading to Milan, Italy, to attend the Hugo Boss presentation at Milan Fashion Week 2024. He is invited as a global ambassador of the brand, along with other celebrities and influencers from different countries. https://twitter.com/caramelhershey/status/1704344536477298853?s=20 This is not the first time that Lee Min Ho has attended a fashion show in Milan. He also graced the Spring/Summer 2023 show of Hugo Boss last year, where he impressed the audience with his elegant and sophisticated style. Lee Min Ho has been working with Hugo Boss since 2019, when he became the first Korean actor to be chosen as a global ambassador for the brand. He has appeared in various campaigns and events for Hugo Boss, showcasing his versatile and refined fashion sense.

Lee Min Ho’s New Drama with Gong Hyo Jin

Aside from his activities as a global ambassador, Lee Min Ho is also preparing for his comeback to the small screen. He has confirmed his role in a new romantic comedy drama titled “When the Stars Gossip” (literal translation), where he will star opposite Gong Hyo Jin.

(Photo : Lee Min Ho Instagram) Lee Min Ho “When the Stars Gossip” is a story about an astronaut and a tourist who meet and fall in love at a space station. Lee Min Ho will play Gong Ryong, an OB-GYN (obstetrician-gynecologist) who visits the space station as a tourist. Gong Hyo Jin will play Eve Kim, a Korean-American astronaut who leads the expedition. The drama will be directed by Park Shin Woo, who is known for his works such as “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and “Lovestruck in the City”. The script will be written by Seo Sook Hyang, who has penned hit dramas such as “Don’t Dare to Dream (Jealousy Incarnate)” and “Pasta”. The drama is expected to premiere in 2023, and will be Lee Min Ho’s first romantic comedy since “Personal Taste” in 2010. It will also be his second project after his two-year hiatus since “The King: Eternal Monarch” in 2020.

(Photo : Lee Min Ho Instagram) Lee Min Ho, Gong Hyo Jin Lee Min Ho has been one of the most successful and influential Korean actors since his breakthrough role in “Boys Over Flowers” in 2009. He has starred in many hit dramas such as “City Hunter”, “The Heirs”, “Legend of the Blue Sea”, and “Pachinko”. He has also won numerous awards and accolades for his acting and popularity. Gong Hyo Jin is also one of the most respected and loved actresses in Korea, who has been dubbed as the “queen of romantic comedy”. She has starred in many memorable dramas such as “The Greatest Love”, “Master’s Sun”, “It’s Okay, That’s Love”, and “When the Camellia Blooms”. She has also received many awards and recognition for her acting and charm.

(Photo : Lee Min Ho's Official Instagram) Fans are excited to see the chemistry between Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin, who are both veterans and icons in the Korean entertainment industry. They are also curious about how they will portray their characters who are involved in a unique and unconventional romance.

(Photo : Dispatch Korea)

Netizens’ Reactions

Netizens have expressed their anticipation and support for Lee Min Ho’s upcoming projects. Here are some of their comments: - “Lee Min Ho is so handsome and cool. I can’t wait to see him in Milan Fashion Week and his new drama.” - “Gong Hyo Jin is my favorite actress. She always chooses good projects and partners. I’m sure she and Lee Min Ho will make a great couple.” - “I’m so happy that Lee Min Ho is doing a romantic comedy again. He is so funny and charming when he does comedy. And Gong Hyo Jin is perfect for him.” - “Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin are both legends. They have amazing acting skills and charisma. I’m looking forward to their collaboration.” - “I’m so curious about the story of ‘When the Stars Gossip’. How will they fall in love in space? It sounds interesting and fun.” Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article