#don't trust actors

[rey-jake-therapist]

I love how no matter how much Charlie Vickers tries to stay out of the shipping stuff, ultimately he is the one who ends up contributing to it the most (his cognitive dissonance and trying to handle PR is hilarious to watch). And I say this as not even a shipper but a casual enjoyer haha

He didn’t get to see Morfydd acting as Sauron-playing-Galadriel while on set (he was in hair&makeup getting back to being Annatar after filming his Halbrand bit). So after seeing her performance during the finale screening, he was like, of course it was interesting to see how she interpreted my performance as Sauron but I would give her a few pointers (I’m paraphrasing).

Mind you, Morfydd was playing Sauron-pretending-to-be-Galadriel as smug, all smirking and twinkly eyes, and slightly annoyed and condescending when Galadriel continued her attack. So what feedback could Charlie even give, hmm? That Sauron should have been more emotional? Vulnerable? Interesting indeed. 2x08 could have been better but it’s fascinating still.

I always say that for someone who insists that Haladriel is not romantic, at the end of the day he's the one who describes them in the most romantic way. And his discourse has very much evolved, as he went from "Nope, they're not romantic at all and I hope it will be clear for everyone that it's not!" (I recently found an old interview where he said almost exactly that *crying*), to "I mean, after all, why not ? There's nothing in the lore that goes against it, and it's really cool that people ship it even if I don't see them that way, so just 'ship away' yay !" in the span of a year or two, so... Who knows, maybe next year he'll be like what Mads Mikkelsen is for Hannigram, and will profess Sauron's eternal love for Galadriel ?

I'm kidding of course. But the evolution of Charlie's discourse is certainly the result of a change in the PR campaign orchestrated for TROP. They also went from "No, no romance here ! Galadriel and Halbrand were friends, it was all platonic !" to "Sauron really loves Galadriel" and "Galadriel was obviously in love with Halbrand". And now there are also the social media managers who keep ship baiting ever since the finals came out. That's why I generally don't take anything that actors say seriously: they are trained to lie, to stay vague, to not engage in theories and shipping but also not to discourage them, etc. Also Charlie has proved to be a very good liar in the past, like when he said he "didn't play it that way" with Miv while Miv confessed it was actually his idea to make it "more ambiguous".

I don't remember the part where he said he could give Miv a few pointers, just that he trusted her to do a great job because she's such a fabulous actress :) And also that he found interesting, that it was how she saw him play Sauron.

I think she nailed it personally. Even disguised as Halbrand, Sauron didn't show any sign of vulnerability of emotion... To the point that many of us thought he was mocking her feelings for Halbrand. Now I tend to think that he really just wanted to make the point across that they weren't as different as she claimed, but the way he repeated his speech from the log scene, but without any of the emotion his voice and look expressed then... It was a bit painful to watch, really. The only moment he showed some genuine emotion was after he stabbed her !

So, since he played Annatar/Halbrand this way, it made sense for Morfydd (and Charles) to keep that line, imho. I have no idea what points he could have given her. She seemed perfect to me ;)

[lowhorrors]

MrBallen

I've been listening to a true crime podcast. Normally I'm not into true crime podcasts but this guy is so good at telling a story and a lot of them are bizarre, strange, incredible stories or survival (sometimes attempted survival) than sad murder/misery nomnoming.

I've got about three years of content to pile through and I am doing it. I am devouring this podcast and regularly texting my mother to remind her to lock her doors.

Seriously people, what I'm learning is you need to lock your doors. It turns out some people just try doorknobs like fucked up reapers?

Oh, and don't trust actors/screenwriters.

...and stay out of the woods.

[zivazivc]

the JD loosing touch with society adventures

imagine him rattling and sweating more and more the longer this goes on

While I patiently wait for @picory to make his 'how JD and Rhonda met' animatic I had to get this stupid idea out of my system...

bonus:

next step: they steal the car

[thebreakfastgenie]

I'm gonna try to write a better post on this but at a certain point the check on power is the citizens of a democracy not electing bad actors to positions of power.

[hephaestuscrew]

One of the many Wolf 359 script directions that is Important To Me is this bit from Ep15 What's Up, Doc?, which comes after Hilbert has been threatening to tell Minkowski how Eiffel ended up on the Hephaestus:

[alliaskisthepossibilityoflove]

You know what? Buck also deserves to experience what a good, loving reciprocal relationship looks like and feels like. I'm Buddie endgame, always, but I want them both to be READY damnit, and Buck’s track record up to now has been him bending himself out of shape to be whatever he thinks his partner needs. And the way they are writing Tommy? Like, he's grown so damn much from his Chimney/Hen begins days. He knows HIMSELF, he ACCEPTS himself and he doesn’t need Evan (love love love that he calls Buck Evan BTW!) to be anything but a baby bi. He knows the job, so he's not running, as far as we know he doesn’t need emotional support, he has his career and they are COMPATIBLE, and he's already seen Buck at his worst, most petty and he KISSED HIM ABOUT IT!!!!! and also I will die on this hill, nobody try sway me, he knows he himself is not Buck’s forever and he's absolutely cool with that. So Buck can have a nice, just NICE AND EASY relationship, figure out what he likes in a partner, how to solve conflicts like an adult, experience being appreciated for EXACTLY WHO HE IS - and when the time is right, be exactly the kind of partner and father he WANTS to be for his forever FAMILY

[perseruna]

Pre Season Four press thread with Freya talking about Ciri and Liam.

Freya's been on a press tour for the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes for the past few months, and she'd sometimes share a morsel of information about S4 of The Witcher, so I thought I'd put all the quotes on it together to tide us over during the hiatus and bring in some more positivity!

Allan reveals that Ciri goes to "quite a dark place within herself… She's trying to pretend to be someone else and is becoming that," she explains. "It's a darker place for her but there's many moments of joy and freedom in many ways that she hasn't had. So it's this double-edged sword." To not succumb the story to the fantastical elements and magical powers Ciri has, Allan strives to still make Ciri relatable and as humane as possible. “I’m always fighting to prioritize and keep the story and character building to try to make it as real as possible. Because otherwise, it would just be soul-sucking.” Allan heavily relies on the books in which The Witcher is based for the upcoming season, more than in years past. "It's been exciting because I've been able to have creative input about things I like in the book, and I'll ask to put those elements from the book in the show," she smiles. She sees her journey with Ciri as one that both mirrors and seeps into her own life in its own strange way. "What I go through as Freya in some ways is what she's going through," she says. "We have kind of become those characters and the line has crossed over a bit. She was never particularly dissimilar to me. She's formed quite a lot of me." (via Flaunt Magazine)

"I don't want to speak for [Liam], but from what I've understood, I feel like he's really wanting to try and bring the heart. He's been training. I feel sorry for him, honestly, because, number one, that fan base can be very attack-y, and it's not an ideal situation to be in taking up someone else's role. But I'm really excited to see what he does. And he's such a lovely guy. I just hope that people give him the time of day, you know?" (via Collider)

"[Liam]'s so sweet and just such a normal guy and so willing to connect," Allan says. "And I feel bad for him because he's had so much weight and pressure on his shoulders, joining a new cast as one of the leads and replacing someone else who's already done three seasons. It's a lot. It's been important for the rest of us to really make him feel that he's a part of the family." (via Inverse)

"[Ciri]'s experiencing a very complicated romantic relationship for the first time and really falls into a very dark and brutal side of herself but also a very free one in some ways," Allan says, calling it liberating "to be able to do something different than before and surprising, hopefully." (via Variety)

“[Liam]’s lovely. Really, really sweet, a really, you know, grounded person. And I was dreading it for a while if I’m being honest, but now I’m on it, and we have, thank god, a great director starting us off which has made it so much fun. My storyline is… there’s so much great stuff to play. I’m actually quite happy, yeah.” (via Comicbook)

“I haven’t… I haven't necessarily really wanted to do [Season Four]. But now I really want to. Now I’m loving it. And let me tell you why. Because our director (Sergio Mimica-Gezzan) for block one is brilliant. You don’t always get directors that actually direct you, and give you ideas that you haven't thought of that are intelligent. And he is that. And it’s so lovely to have that. But I struggled at the idea of going back before shooting. Just because it’s been such a long journey, and it’s been very tough at times, for everyone. But now that I’m on it, and I’m with this amazing group of new actors who are just such fun people. And like I said we’ve got this great director, and so I feel suddenly very lucky to be doing it, and I’m glad that I am, having been kind of dreading it for the past year. Was it because it was just so intense to shoot? Yeah. I mean there’s lots of various factors, I think everyone found it difficult last season. And you know, sometimes there can be creative struggles, and that’s why it’s so lovely to have Sergio, our current director, to have someone lead us through it and have someone who's on the same page. And also, just like, you know, you hear this often with people that have been in something that long, and you played a character that long so it really does feel like… I feel like I’m about 100 on that show. I feel like the old women of the set, even tough I’m still the youngest. Still the bloody youngest, but I feel like I’m bloody ancient. Ciri, this season, is so dark. It’s so dark. I mean, this is really exciting, and this is why, now, I’m really getting into it, and happy that I’m doing it because she has such a great storyline, it really goes to a dark place.” (via Reign)

Allan teases that Ciri's storyline in The Witcher's next chapter will take "the biggest shift we've seen. It's so unbelievably different from anything that I've ever played with her," she says. "She has her first experience with romance, if you can even call it that, because it's not a good relationship. She goes into a very dark part of herself that I think is going to be terrifying to look at."  Some fans weren’t thrilled when the transition was first announced, but Allan dismisses the vitriol. Fans “just love to hate on something,” she says. “We’ve made it clear that we’re welcoming [Liam] with open arms.” (via Elle)

There's no relationship this season. Ciri's off on her own path and [Geralt]'s off on his own, and so it's, "Forget about Geralt". That's what Ciri's in the zone of. "Let's try and block that out. That never happened. Now I'm Falka; I'm not Ciri." But as you can see, I sort of haven't left it behind. I'm sort of still in it now. But Liam's lovely; he's a really nice guy. I haven't seen anything he's done because we don't really have scenes together, but he's so sweet. I've heard that he's smashing it, so I can't wait to see what he's doing. (via Screen Rant)

The other day I was fighting a monster [in the Witcher Season Four]. Spoiler. Yeah, no way! Who would've thought! [laughter] And they actually got those VR goggles, so I could see on the set where the monster would be, and how it looked like. It was kinda crazy. They’ve not done that before, but it was great. It meant that I really understood what it is that I’m actually fighting. (via HighVoltageLive)

"You actually also haven't seen that [Ciri] gets new hair and makeup, as well, which I think when you see that, it's a lot of paralleling the game. So, I think that will tie it all together, as well. But I think it was basically about getting a mixture between the books and the game. I was very heavily involved with the costume, and I really wanted it to be a bit of a mixture of both, just so that fans had that. The minute I'm in that costume and the new hair and makeup, it feels like a different Ciri. It's so much fun. We've just never seen her like this, and so I'm really excited for people to see what happens. It's fun." (via Collider)

[On when Season Four will come out.] Listen maybe 2025, maybe… I don't know. That’s me guessing, I’m just guessing. Because I actually don’t know. But I hope so! Because I want people to see it, because it’s actually really cool. So, please watch it. Please, okay. Because Liam’s gonna rock it, so. (via The Direct Extras)

[dawngel]

I cannot stop thinking about Haku.

I have a much longer post in the making, talking about his behavior and his relationship with trust and truth/lies and another one about his relationship with being a ghoul, but in the meantime, have this:

Kano from Mekakucity Actors (Kagerou Project) and Haku from Tokyo Debunkers

Same vibes, trust me.

Just. Listen.

Happy/flirtatious behavior, glimpses of a darker/upsetting hidden past, self-loathing, family not treating them right, hiding their true self, not being happy with what they have become, wanting someone who they can be honest with and who fully trusts them, working hard while acting like it's nothing, lies lies lies, "Ah sorry, I was just joking/it was just a story! haha", just---

Just trust me c:

Looking for more proof? Look no further: listen to Kano's song

(it's so good yo, you won't regret it)

Also, Hotarubi's episode is filled with lies/truth themes... Like.......

Bonus: Subaru saying this to Haku send help please someone save me aaaaaaaaaaaaah

Extra note:

In Kagerou Project many of the characters go through "a traumatic experience" (which is sometimes described as "having your heart be devoured by a monster") that grants them a "power" and they feel "othered" and like a "monster (no longer human)" because of it.

Sound familiar?

Kano's power is to "deceive" btw :)

[dollypopup]

like. . .are any other Polin fans out there that do not give a singular flying fuck about Debling? we should form a club lol because from the very bottom of my heart and with my whole chest: I could not care less about him. Not sorry, I'm tuning into S3 for Pen and Colin and Pen and Colin alone

[mayasaura]

Recently started watching White Collar! More interesting than its reputation gives it credit for, but if the network were being at all honest with us, Mozzie would be trans and either a furry, a drag queen, or both

[nakedphany20]

Pedro and Evan, please, don't let me down, you are the only two men's i trust the most, for being so nice and kind! 💕

[autisticrosewilson]

It's been exactly 25 minutes since she clocked in for work. Which means that it's 10 minutes until her first regular will show up, and 15 until her favorite regular will show up.

The man who walks through the door is neither of these people, for all that he is kind of a regular. Deathstroke the Terminator, someone she'd only ever heard about in stories until she started working the night shift last month. He's not as heroic as the legends made him seem, but the world is rarely so ideal a place.

Greta is not disappointed, she does not need heroes anymore.

She watches idly as he fills a large paper cup with black coffee and an ungodly amount of espresso, more than she's probably allowed to let him take legally. Not that she's going to tell fucking Deathstroke how he should make his coffee.

The smell reminds her of muted arguments and tense breakfasts.

She drags her attention from the seam of her acrylics when he awkwardly places the cup in front of her. "You move real quiet for someone in bulky metal armor." She comments without thinking. She scans the cup but doesn't bother adding all the espresso to the total.

He slides her a fifty. "You should pay better attention to your surroundings." He advises. His voice is too gruff to be natural, like he's trying to disguise it.

"You should invest in a voice changer instead of fuckin up your throat." She retorts, methodically going through the register for the extra change.

The fabric of his mask shifts like he's smiling but she can't quite tell. He blocks her from sliding the rest of the money to his side of the counter. "Noted. And keep the change."

Well, she's not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and it allows her the simple joy of shoving it in her bra. An uncomfortable experience. How do other girls do this? Maybe it's just because she's wearing a push up.

She hears Deathstroke snort before he turns and is gone in a few quick strides. The squeal of tires on asphalt heralds the blue Honda Civic that skids to a stop in front of the store. She glances at her watch, one of the few things she's kept from Before.

Right on time.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

Yesterday my wife and I were discussing the abject nonsense that is the Designated Survivor tv show (I like trash because it's trash fuck off) and I was talking about like. The motivations and informatics of warfare tactics [some people are War Guys TM because they like nazis, I'm a War Guy TM because I think strategy is a fun way to occupy my brain when it's about a war that already ended] and wifey was just like "Yeah, obviously the Geneva Conventions are just a suggestion" to which I replied "as in all things, I remain unconventional" so now whenever she sees me around the house she points at me and goes "most likely to commit a war crime for fun and profit" AND I CAN'T EVEN ARGUE I DID THIS TO ME

[the-blossica-fan]

Hello, I would like to ask again about the children.

I apologize for having you ask again 😓

I'll answer right away.

The kids in the suitcase, therefore part of the cast, actually went through a different process than the others. Except for Sotheby.

Most children were actually kids or family of the staff, like Eagle, and they were offered a role after seeing the need for younger characters and also the possibility to have the parents be a part of it alongside the children.

Sotheby's situation is different, though. Both, she and Mr. Karson, were actually contacted by Laplace Studios (It was supposed to be Foundation Studios but they changed it) since Sotheby had some prominence in acting.

In this AU, Mr. Karson is Sotheby's father, so he also had a big part to play in the story! Though the scene was sad and Sotheby did end up crying multiple times when thinking of that possibly (Karson dying), she admits she had a lot of fun with the other actors.

As for the kids of Rayashki, that's just another situation. August's mother is friends with Vila, so after discussing the opportunity, she agreed to let Avgust learn some acting with Vila and Windsong. He's a quick learner, and with some help, he was able to become a good actor in a short time.

The other kids like Pyotr, Nina and Pasono are from the staff. Though I can't tell you from who, Knut takes care of Pyotr since his dad is busy, Pasono is from one of the side characters of the story and Nina is a relative of Evgeni (they look quite similar). All three of them are good at acting, though Nina is more of theater than movies.

They have a lot of talented staff (they made sure to hire people who are good at acting and at backstage work for this exact reason)

Evgeni was cast like everyone else, so Nina also had to go through a process similar to his but less strict.

Kids like Louis and Louisa, Mondlicht and La Source are familiars of the cast.

Mondlicht is Pavia's cousin, they both went to the same interview and we're cast for similar characters (A wolf and a little red riding hood), so they interact quite a lot, though Mondlicht doesn't appear as often.

Poltergeist is an actual ghost though, she, much like Voyager, appeared one day and shyly asked to be part of the cast. They didn't change her character much because, well, she's pretty much a ghost, she's good at being herself.

[koalas-koalas-everywhere]

Jane encouraging Lisbon to trust her intuition will always make me melt.

[foreignswaggersession]

The Feast of All Saints (2001). Tells the coming of age story of the "quadroon" (1/4 black 3/4 white) Ste. Marie children, Marcel and Marie in pre-Civil War New Orleans, as their dreams of a privileged life supposedly guaranteed by their white ancestry are crushed by the limited possibilities given to those of African descent. Based on a 1979 novel by Anne Rice of the same name (her second published novel).

Explores the history of the gens de couleur libre (free people of color) from several perspectives - free and enslaved mixed descendants of white slaveholders; black Haitian refugees; mixed women engaged in various forms of sex work (including placage - where white men would keep black women as concubines in New Orleans while they kept their legally married white women on the plantation); free black slaveholders; queer black men; white-passing black people; and white slaveholders.

Main cast includes Robert Ri'chard, Nicole Lyn, Bianca Lawson, and Rachel Lutrell. Supporting cast includes legendary black actors: James Earl Jones, Forest Whitaker, Ossie Davis, Jasmine Guy, Ruby Dee, Pam Grier, Eartha Kitt, and Jennifer Beals.

Highly recommend you watch this, especially if you are interested in Louis and his family's characters from AMC's Interview with the Vampire.

TW: This film does not shy away from discussing the sexual exploitation of black women during this time. There is a graphic rape scene in part 2 (the age-restricted video) from about 1:09:45 to 1:12:00.