#even Michelle-Anne has a backstory

[waystarresourceco]

David Rasche and Peter Friedman on Karl and Frank's friendship. (x)

Also, because I find it funny, non-lore bonus audio below about whether Frank and Karl would live in a Living + house together in a Krank/Old Guard spin-off.

Podcast credit to ATG, full episode here.

[lumiereandcogsworth]

heyyyyyyy hey wait I forgot I follow up on this, you mentioned there was tea regarding Adam’s dad and his first wife 👁️ is that something you’re willing to share bc I am all ears

ahhhh yes yes yes. my LORE!!!!!!! i am absolutely happy to spill that tea. i did indeed mention here that adam is the product of his father’s second wife, not his first. so let me divulge all the stuff that went down before adam came around!!

so, first, some backstory on louis, adam’s father. he was his father, king antoine’s, firstborn. four years later, he has a brother named adrien. adrien dies of illness around age five, and young louis is devastated, but his father is tough and hard and tells his son to buck up! crying is for the ladies. a few years later, louis’s mother, anne michelle, also dies. louis doesn’t cope well with this at all, but he’s so scared of his abusive father that he hides his feelings once again. soon, king antoine remarries. he and his new wife have a daughter, and they name her genevieve after her mother. they entirely dote on genevieve, completely neglecting louis, leaving him to his own devices. he becomes miserable and cruel, and an entirely reckless young man.

when prince louis is 24, king antoine has a health scare that causes him concern. he fears he may not live much longer, and he sees that his son is in no place to take the throne, should he die. so, he arranges for his reckless son to marry an upstanding young lady, to ensure that louis could become king at the moment of antoine’s passing. louis is less than thrilled about his bride, but when they meet on their wedding day, there is actually a spark between them. her name is agnès claudine marie. she was chosen because their marriage would be politically advantageous, as well as look very perfect to the public eye. louis was all ready to loathe this new wife of his. but he just… didn’t.

agnès was firey and stood her ground. she challenged him constantly and louis was pretty shocked by it. (but also… turned on by it as well.) louis was still a very shitty person, like, agnès did Not make him a better man. but they sort of got along in their own twisted way. they appeared a perfect, prim and proper couple to the public eye, but behind closed doors they were very just… toxic and messy. and what made matters worse was that king antoine died shortly after they were married, so louis had to grapple with his father’s death (sprouting the classic, complicated grief that comes along with losing an abusive father), and handle being king, all while never being mentally or emotionally prepared for it, nor having anyone to lean on in the process. it’s ROUGH.

louis had such a quick temper and was insanely jealous. he got pissed at agnès for even so much as talking to another man at a party, even if he was right there by her side. after the parties would end, he’d throw things and break things and scream at her and she’d scream right back, bullying him just as much as he berated her. these arguments almost always ended in ridiculously hot sex. which is funny and i don’t know why i feel the need to mention it but. as a fake historian it’s my duty to share all fake facts. anyway.

eventually, louis and agnès had a daughter. they named her claudine. louis doesn’t feel MUCH about this, as he very much needs a son to be his heir, but he does care enough about agnès to not completely despise his daughter. he’s a pretty indifferent father at this point. although i’m sure he always made claudine feel fairly useless, just for being a girl.

about six years later, agnès became pregnant with their second child. tragedy struck, however, when she died in childbirth. she delivered a boy, but he did not live longer than a day.

THIS is really the turning point where louis goes from bad to the absolute worst. it’s all buried and complicated inside him but he’s truly devastated by agnès’s death. she was always so alive with passion he just never expected to lose her. and the fact that he loses their son, HIS SON, within a day, it just breaks him for good. he goes from awful to downright ruthless. he grows more wicked toward his daughter, seeing too much of her mother in her and blaming her for it. blaming her too, for not being his much-needed male heir. he also becomes a terror in his court, and in general just a horrible person to be around.

unfortunately at this point, the psychological damage that has been done to him just really causes him to spiral out of control. he’s blinded by unprocessed grief and unfounded rage. and the people are in an uproar! who will be their heir! where is the dauphin of france!! all this just makes him desperate to find another wife to give him a male heir. it’s all he cares about now. so, less than a year later, louis found someone. it was similar to prologue adam’s parties where the villages and towns were taxed to send all their maidens. and renée elizabeth aubert was the only daughter of five children. her parents OF COURSE wanted to give her the opportunity to marry THE KING!

and… it worked. louis saw her and found her to be beautiful. (oh, shall i mention here that he’s 30 and she’s 17?) renée wasn’t as tenacious as agnès but she was gorgeous and held her head high. she intrigued him. (and her mentioning that she had four brothers was definitely a factor for louis.) so, he courted her and married her swiftly.

renée settled into her new life as queen. louis distracted and enticed her with the finest clothes and jewelry, making her feel so very adored. she tried to get along with her step-daughter, claudine, who was around 7 years old at this point, but poor princess claudine was so traumatized from losing her mother and from louis’s abuse, so she didn’t really want to connect much with renée. so, claudine spend the vast majority of her time with her governess, who was basically raising her fully at that point.

soon, renée became pregnant, and successfully delivered a boy! huzzah!! adam is here!!

for a few years, things carry on. louis grows more twisted and disinterested in his wife and children. he hardly sees claudine, and he’s disappointed in adam thus far. (adam didn’t start speaking or walking until he was like 2-3, so louis was convinced he was just “stupid” and they all got worried he was possibly deaf. but renée knew her boy wasn’t deaf or stupid, because she actually spent time with him and could see that his mind just worked differently. and he always looked up at her when she called his name.) regardless, louis was also getting increasingly frustrated with renée, because she kept miscarrying pregnancies. (i think giving birth to adam very nearly killed her, and left damage that just made carrying any future pregnancy to full term impossible.) so, louis was now stuck with a useless daughter and a worthless son and a dysfunctional wife. and he made sure they all knew it! he continued to drink and be abusive. claudine sort of gets out of it, eventually going to live in paris for private tutoring and finishing school.

but! claudine would still come home for christmas, and other events. well, approaching one christmas, louis and renée had been away on a trip for diplomatic reasons. on the trip, renée had caught some sort of illness. when they returned, they kept adam away from her (for fear that the heir would catch it) but unfortunately, princess claudine was there, and caught the illness. renée recovered in a couple of weeks. the princess, however, died. she was 12 years old.

adam was 4, and doesn’t really have any memories of his sister claudine. especially since they didn’t really grow up under the same roof. but anyway, louis is just angered by yet ANOTHER death in this godforsaken family of his. and he, despite caring very little for claudine, IS saddened because she WAS his last piece of agnès. he decided to blame renée, since she’s the one who brought the illness home.

well. time carries on. some years later, when adam is nine and a half, he loses his mother, queen renée, to illness as well. he’s left alone with his father, and you know how the story goes…

anyway my take is that the de beaumont family is quite literally cursed by death and for generations they’re just plagued to lose people but Just Enough survive to maintain the family line. and adam, breaking his own separate curse by the enchantress, does then, in turn, break the beaumont family death curse as well. because true love conquers ALL. thank you 💙

[ca-suffit]

This post is so fucking weird. Why is Armand's backstory approved, bcuz Anne Rice wrote it herself? Do u know how weird Anne Rice was about the topic of rape? How often she just threw it in at random, usually in v misogynistic and gender essentialist ways.

Not to mention her being based off of Anne Rice’s daughter Michele, who died young. It feels disrespectful to her memory in a lot of ways.

What does this have to do with literally anything?? Using emotional manipulation to prove ur point, who cares about this. Her and Louis are essentially a romantic couple in the book at a point (when she's 5), do u have feelings on that for that being Anne Rice's own writing about the character based on her daughter? jfc.

Is rape not a constant threat to women and girls in the world, especially black women and girls? Did we not see Claudia going thru it in ways that were real and impacted her decision making for the rest of her life? Claudia *saved* Madeleine from a rape attempt too, u don't think maybe that held meaning in itself for both of them?

Sometimes this "concern" is not rly concern, it's an excuse to avoid a topic all together but act like it's *not* from personal discomfort.

Is rape ok for Armand bcuz that's a male character? What is the difference here, I'm struggling to understand how anyone comes to this conclusion tbh.

it is integral to how he became a vampire in the first place and entirely informs the way he acts. It’s in the original story, and his entire character would be different without it, so that is an understandable part of it. u could literally write all of this about Claudia too. do u not remember her whole history involving all kinds of abuse, including sexual, before Louis found her? Her running away later too was part of her discovering herself as a vampire on her own, having an identity. This *did* shape that. Part of the reason this even happened is bcuz Lestat kept them so sheltered in so many ways that they had no idea what other vampires were like, they didn't *know* any. She knew how to survive *him* but didn't know what to expect from another. It's not to show she's weak bcuz of herself (although she is forever still physically limited too), it's a reflection of *his* failures. Them landing in Paris is part of that too.

This fandom has a real problem with saying rape is ok as long as it's boys or men and Anne Rice wrote it, but anything that happens to girls or women and usually blaming Rolin Jones for it all (even tho it's not all on him) is evil and wrong. What the hell is everyone's problem, actually.

honestly very glad more people are starting to agree that the SA plotlines in iwtv that were added and were not in the books are weird, unnecessary and disrespectful.

Like having Claudia, an abuse victim, be assaulted just to show “she isn’t strong on her own” is pretty fucking weird actually, especially with her being physically a young black girl.

Not to mention her being based off of Anne Rice’s daughter Michele, who died young. It feels disrespectful to her memory in a lot of ways.

Then the added attempted SA of Madeleine in s2 episode 6. We already know she was ostracised and being attacked by other parisians for her actions during the war, we didn’t need another unnecessary attempted rape scene.

Finally, the comments from Santiago about what happened to Claudia’s ashes after the trial were completely not necessary and actually quite disgusting, the writers truly did not need to put Claudia through any more abuse and violation at this point. They seem way too trigger happy about adding SA and attempts where they never were in the source material, even for very little effect. I’m not a fan.

The only SA plot line that is necessary in my opinion is Armand’s backstory, as it is integral to how he became a vampire in the first place and entirely informs the way he acts. It’s in the original story, and his entire character would be different without it, so that is an understandable part of it.

Anything else? Not needed.

[naughtygirl286]

So yeah we finally went to see Venom: Let There Be Carnage (aka Venom 2) this past Tuesday. I was really excited for this one being I am a Venom fan for as long as the character existed. I also was very curious and interested in seeing how they handle a character like Cletus Kasady/Carnage.

When we went, I was hoping for some in theater merch but sadly there wasn't any. I would have gotten some Venom/Carnage stuff if they had any the movie merch they had was plushies of the characters of Hotel Transylvania 4 which I didn't want

anyway, as for the movie I loved it!! I thought it was awesome!   there is not alot of explanation I do feel the movie actually moves along rather quickly being it wants to get to all the fun smashing and crashing lol

but I do feel that it is very character driven much like the previous one. Some time has passed since the first as Eddie Brock is still struggling with living with Venom and how his life is not going the way he wants it to. I felt the movie was great with plenty of good action and the visuals in my opinion were really good in bringing these characters to life as well as the movie has this kind of dry humor that does pull some laughs and giggles out of you as well as many really nice character moments.

I'm still enjoying Tom Hardy as the character of Eddie Brock he is totally killing it with this character and his interaction with Venom at times is really funny and he just works great on screen and has great chemistry with Michelle Williams' Anne as well as Reid Scott's Dr. Dan and pretty much everyone else

With the story and specifically Cletus Kasady/Carnage they did change his origin a bit to fit into this movie universe which was alright but they did try to keep it as close as possible due to the fact that Cletus Kasady's backstory is like identical to that of the comics they just changed how he becomes Carnage slightly but you can tell they took alot of influence from stuff like Maximum Carnage which is excellent

Now I have to say I did like Naomie Harris as Shriek she did a really good job of handling that character I felt she portrayed Shriek's insanity perfectly and they even included bits of her origin like the being shot in the face by the police but they also changed somethings to have her fit in this story.

Now as for the big one Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady/Carnage I was a bit concerned about this casting being I didn't think he was right for this role. Now after seeing the movie I will honestly say he does do a good job as Cletus Kasady so I was happy with that but at the same time I probably would have still cast someone else in that role. I would look for someone who I thought matched him more physically not just his wild craziness but like I said he still did a great job

as for Carnage as a creature I thought they did an amazing job!! I loved him when he was on screen they had him tentaclely like in the comics which was great he seemed to have like 4 main one come out of his back (similar to what Spider-Man has on his Iron Spider suit) but there were all kinds of lil ones coming off him at various moments which was cool. One complaint I do have is I felt his red was a lil too dark and should have been more brighter

Also I always felt that the Carnage symbiote was more liquidly and fluid then Venom is as in Venom is a static and solid black were I always felt that the Red and Black of Carnage was always shifting and moving and the pattern was always changing as it churned and swirled on top of his skin but from I remember they didn't incorporate that into this version of the character and this is just how I always seen him

In the end the movie is fast, fun and crazy with lots of good action also don't leave too quick there is a pretty mind-blowing credits scene that you just have to stick around and see!

[treesofgreen]

I'm not saying they needed to bring those characters on the show and have a full planned arc for them but a reference to them and what their likely doing would be nice considering NBC Constantine was made canon to the Arrowverse. So those events did happen ignoring it and changing continuity isn't gping to help it just creates more confusion. As for Natalie it seems to me they tied her entire character/backstory to John for man pain when it should have just been tied to Astra her daughter.

I agree, anon.

I have the luxury of just being a fan and sitting back and looking at what they did and thinking "no, not like that". But I was thinking about how I would have done it, or would do it in an AU fic.

First keep the magic introduction/friendship with Anne Marie from NBC along with Gaz, Ritchie, and the rest of what we learned about Newcastle there. Astra was the daughter of a friend who got dragged to hell during an exorcism gone wrong. I would tweak the timeline since it was only mentioned in passing in the pilot, and have it be ~10 years between Newcastle and the pilot, because that just makes so much more sense for all the characters involved.

Conflate the Logues with the Eldridges from Hellblazer - in Hellblazer it was just Astra and her horrible rapist father. The Eldridges are friends of John later, dad Rich is a direct descendant of King Arthur. Mom Michelle - call her Natalie, make her a witch, why not. They had kids, Syder (who John had to perform an exorcism on, while struggling with PTSD from Newcastle) and later a baby girl.

John meets the Logues after Anne Marie, after he's already steeped in magic. He is not in love with Natalie ffs. They're friends. That's enough.

Natalie dies and it's Astra in her grief that tries to bring her back. She's been raised around magic, little pitchers have big ears, but no one has given her The Talk yet. Trying to raise the dead is something a child who hasn't read The Monkey's Paw yet would do. John would never. Or maybe Astra isn't even trying to do that either - maybe Norfulthing is called up as she tries to protect herself from her grief and the pain of her mother's death.

Maybe John left a book of dark magic spells laying around, if you want to give him more to chew on. But his fault is the same as the comics, trying to deal with her possession by calling up a more powerful demon and failing to name and bind it properly. Maybe Norfulthing kills some of the Newcastle crew/Astra's father. Astra's dragged to hell by Nergal and that magical lineage mentioned above is what keeps her alive and aging.

I would not have Natalie's ghost trapped in the house. That's monstrous. Have her ghost, but maybe John tries to communicate with her once he knows Astra is alive in hell.

Astra's mother's death is a trauma but so is being taken to hell and raised there - I would have liked to have seen that addressed more too. Natalie lost her life, but so did Astra. I would like her quest for the Loom to not be solely about bringing her mother back but, over time (because we'd give her more scenes and story here) to realize fully her trauma, to mourn the life she could have had, and want to give herself another chance as well.

Astra can blame John and be angry at John and John can want to fix it/save Astra for Astra and not because he was in love with her mother or could have been her father. She's just a girl whose life he destroyed because he was too cocky, and I think that's a far better story.

[oldbluethings]

So... Venom. I saw this in the theater and was shocked that this was a movie. So shocked that I had to watch it at home again just to confirm it was real and... What the hell is this thing?!! Okay, I kinda like it, but I can’t even... Here are some thoughts in random order (spoilers, I guess):

1. Eddie looks like shit from moment one. Like, don't get me wrong: Tom Hardy makes looking like shit look so damn fine. It's fucking art. But I'm getting a very distinct Jack Nicholson vibe from The Shining, you know? Where he's obviously fucking crazy before the damn movie even gets going? 

And if that's what they were going for, with Eddie unbalanced and mentally unwell from the start, then just fucking go for it, you know? But I honestly can't tell if that's what they were going for :/

1b. Anne’s knee-high boots and short skirt are giving me a creepy, schoolgirl-slash-dominatrix vibe.

2. Why the fuck does Eddie need to leave his phone with his old boss? Can't he just send the photos in a text? It makes no sense and the movie doesn't even give a shit! Here, movie, try this: Eddie has to deliver the phone because his boss has blocked his number and he can't text or call to give him the pictures. There. Or whatever. Would take two seconds of screen time.

2b. Also, the note he leaves seems totally indecipherable unless the boss was supposed to be in collusion with the Life guys or something. 

3. The plot of this movie is almost exactly what I would come up with if I was pantsing a fic. Long, overly complicated backstory with slow build-up before the author gets to the fucking point? Check. Random shit—like E and V scaling the building to give E’s boss the phone—thrown in at random because I just fucking though of it in the shower? Check. No time to worry about the bad guy because I don't give a shit about him and just want to get back to writing about my faves? Check. Skipping over all the interesting character development, like how Eddie and Venom learn to work together and like each other because I've already thought of it too many times in my head? Check. Perfunctory ending that doesn't wrap anything up in a satisfying way because I'm already writing the sequel? Check. 

The only thing missing is random porn thrown in every few pages.

3b. (Because I'm still pissed about this) Cut like twenty minutes off the bloated front of the movie and devote that time to Eddie and Venom learning to work together, or eating weird shit, or just talking. Or why the fuck Venom changed their mind?! That's the movie! Why isn't there more of that? 

4. That travesty of a wig they made poor Michelle Williams wear. I mean, I get it: she has to look like comics Anne Weying because blah blah blah... But no one gives a shit! Just let her have her adorable pixie cut for gods sake!

4b. Tom Hardy’s nipples. 

5.  That phone call to Anne where Eddie’s freaking out while Venom keeps interrupting and Dan is also on the line... Adorable! Give me more of that! Give me a whole fucking movie of that.

6. Right after bad guy orders his goons to get his symbiote back safe and sound, they start trying to blow him up with exploding drones. Why? Who cares.

7. Eddie is adorable. Like through the whole movie.

8. But there's no fucking way he can afford that apartment in SF. No fucking way.

9. I love Mrs. Chen ❤️ 

10. After Eddie gets stabbed and is lying there dead his head is not touching the ground!! This really fucking bothers me. Idk why.

11. In conclusion, give me more of Tom Hardy acting crazy and vulnerable, less wigs, more adorable four-way conversations, and way more porn and you'd have a movie!

[marvelloussynergy]

COMIC BOOK REFERENCES & EASTER EGGS - Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

How awesome is Spider-Man: Homecoming?! It’s funny, thrilling, and has lots and lots of Easter eggs for fans to spot! The following is a guide to all the ones I’ve spotted along with any deviations from the source material (I will update this as more come to light). Note that owing to the convoluted and complex nature of comic books, I’ve tried to include only the most essential information regarding a character’s history and backstories.

As per the source material, Damage Control is a company that repairs and cleans up areas in the wake of a fight between superheroes and villains. In both media Tony Stark is part owner of the company, with Anne Marie Hoag being the director.

The film has Peter Parker attend Midtown School of Science & Technology whereas in the comics it’s Midtown High School. The school was established in 1962, a nod to the year in which Spidey made his debut.

According to director Jon Watts, the Iron-Spider-Man suit from the source material was an indirect inspiration for the Spidey suit in the film. The red and gold costume designed by Tony Stark had audio and visual amplifiers, allowed Peter to glide, and also contained three mechanical arms with cameras on the end. Peter has Ned override the Spider-Man suit’s systems, something which we find out Peter has done to the Iron Spidey costume in The Amazing Spider-Man #536 (2006). The web wings are first seen on Steve Ditko’s original design of the suit, and can be spotted on the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962). We also see Peter use spider-tracers in the film. In the comics they’re devices Peter created to allow him to track foes as well as allies should they need his help. And while Spider-Man can’t summon an army of spiders, when Otto Octavius was in control of Peter’s body, he used a bunch of spider-bots to keep an eye on New York City. Tony asks Peter to just be a “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man,” which is a self-referential phrase Spidey uses in the comics. 

Spider-Man thwarting robbers wearing superhero masks comes from Ultimate Spider-Man #42 (2003), though in the issue we see the criminals sport a Captain America, Iron Man, and a Batman mask. Another moment taken from the comics is when Spidey finds that he can’t swing around suburban New York due to the lack of tall buildings—this occurring in The Amazing Spider-Man #267 (1985).

In the comics Adrian Toomes is an electronics engineer who developed an electromagnetic flying harness. Becoming a thief, he called himself the Vulture. The ruffles on Toome’s jacket in the film is a nod to the Vulture’s green comic book costume, which has a feathered collar. Though he’s usually depicted as having an exposed head while in the suit, the Vulture has on occasion worn a helmet, like the one accompanying his red and black Sinister Twelve outfit. Like the film, the comic book incarnation did indeed have a daughter, though there she’s named Valeria. A car on the Staten Island Ferry bears the number plate SM2-0563, referring to The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (cover dated May 1963), which features the Vulture’s first appearance. 

We see two incarnations of the Shocker in the film: Jackson Brice and Herman Schultz. The comic book incarnation of Brice never took on the identity of the Shocker (the character did, though, in The Spectacular Spider-Man, 2008-09, animated television series), but was a part of the Enforcers, going by the name Montana and using a lariat as his signature weapon. Schultz was a safecracker who developed two gauntlets that could produce force blasts. Both characters in the film wear an outfit with yellow arms, a signature colour from the Shocker’s comic book costume. 

The Phineas Mason/Tinkerer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is much younger than his comic book counterpart. Both are inventors who create and supply weapons to criminals. Mac Gargan is a private investigator and the first to take on the Scorpion identity, having gained superhuman strength and a full-body suit with a mechanical tail (in the film the character has a scorpion tattoo on his neck). In the mid-credits scene Mac tells Adrian Toomes that he knows people outside of prison who would love to meet Spider-Man, a possible reference to the Sinister Six.

Peter’s friend Ned could be a nod to Ned Leeds. In the comics, Leeds didn’t go to the same school as Peter, but did work as a reporter at the Daily Bugle. He would eventually take on the mantle of the Hobgoblin after being brainwashed by Roderick Kingsley, the original Hobgoblin. His appearance and personality though seem to have been modeled after Ganke—they even included the character’s love of Lego!

The character of Liz in the film brings to mind Liz Allan, another one of Peter’s classmates from the comics. Though both versions have a mother named Doris and serve as a romantic interest for Peter, in the source material the character is Caucasian with blonde hair and isn’t related to Adrian Toomes. The Flash Thompson of the MCU bullies Peter just like his comic book counterpart, though he’s not a jock and is academically gifted. This cinematic incarnation has a Guatemalan background, and instead of teasing Peter with “Puny Parker,” he uses “Penis Parker” instead! We see Betty Brandt co-host the school’s news program with Jason Ionello. In the comics Brandt worked with Peter at the Daily Bugle and was in fact his first girlfriend, while Jason is a fellow student at Midtown High School. Michelle revealing that friends call her “MJ” is an interesting nod to Mary Jane, Peter’s most well known love interest. For the record, Kevin Feige has stated that Michelle is not intended to be Mary Jane Watson. There’s also an Asian girl named Cindy, a possible reference to Cindy Moon who was bitten by the same spider that gave Peter his powers. Possessing similar abilities to Spider-Man, Cindy goes by the code name Silk.

Additionally, many of the staff members in the film have counterparts stemming from the comics. Mr Harrington could be a reference to Roger Harrington, principal of Midtown High and the one who hires Peter as a science teacher. Mr Cobbwell may be referring to Professor Cobbwell, an electronics expert whom Peter assisted. Coach Wilson could be a nod to the character of Whiz Wilson, a gym coach at Centerville Junior High School. 

In the comics Aaron Davis is a master thief from the Ultimate Universe who goes by the name the Prowler (which you can see listed as an alias of his when Spidey scans him, along with the name Brian Pichelli, referring to writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli). During his “interrogation,” Davis tells Spider-Man that he has a nephew. In the source material, Davis’ nephew is Miles Morales—who takes on the mantle of Spider-Man after the death of Peter Parker. Additionally, if you look closely you can see that Davis’ number plate reads UCS-M01, referring to Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 (2011), Miles Morales’ debut issue. 

Among other items being moved to the New Avengers facility is Thor’s magic belt, Megingjord. In the comics this item increases Thor’s strength when worn. 

Spider-Man being trapped under a pile of rubble is a moment taken from The Amazing Spider-Man #33 (1966). When Peter looks at his reflection in a puddle we see the iconic split image of Peter and Spidey, something artists would draw whenever Peter’s spider-sense was activated. 

The films ends with Aunt May finding out that Peter is Spider-Man. This is another moment taken from the comics, occurring at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man #35 (2001) when May walks in on an injured and sleeping Peter with a tattered Spidey suit next to him. 

In addition to the comic book references, we get a ton of MCU Easter eggs. The film recounts the airport battle from Captain America: Civil War (2016) told from Peter’s perspective. Damage Control takes over the cleanup in the wake of the Battle of New York. Captain America appears in several public service announcements shown at the school (with his status as a war criminal being mentioned), and students are taught about the Sokovia Accords. Bank robbers can be seen wearing Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Hulk masks. Howard Stark and Abraham Erskine can be seen on a mural at Midtown School of Science & Technology, while a photograph of Bruce Banner can be seen in Peter’s classroom (clearly Banner is one of our greatest scientists!). The Tinkerer says that the Shocker’s gauntlet came from a cleanup in Lagos, suggesting that it’s a modified version of one of the ones Crossbones used (the other was destroyed when he exploded, remember?). There’s a Korean Church of Asgard next to the Thai restaurant May and Peter visit, implying some people are worshipping Norse gods in the MCU. The answer to one of the questions the decathlon team practices with is “strontium, barium, vibranium.” Spidey pulls out an Ultron head from Vulture’s bag. Principal Morita (played by Kenneth Choi) is the grandson of Jim Morita (also played by Kenneth Choi), who was a member of the Howling Commandos; his photograph is on display in the principal’s office. Tony sells off Avengers Tower and relocates to the New Avengers facility. The Vision is mentioned (along with his habit of phasing through walls), Pepper Potts makes an appearance, and Happy Hogan mentions that he’s been carrying around Tony’s engagement ring since 2008, referring to the year Iron Man came out and the debut of the MCU. 

Other things to point out include the piece of graffiti that says “Bagley” (seen on a building when Spider-Man is eating a churro), a reference to artist Mark Bagley, known for his work on the Ultimate Spider-Man series. And though it isn’t a part of the MCU, the famous upside down kiss from Spider-Man (2002) is referenced when Karen urges Peter to kiss Liz after he rescues her.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 5/21/19

Anne Happy, Vol. 9 | By Cotoji | Yen Press – This is the second-to-last volume, but while there are a few hints of plot (Hibari’s family is lampshaded a bit), for the most part it’s devoted to another test of “happiness,” this time by a VR environment that causes everyone to resemble children. Given our main cast already know each other and are pretty good friends, the stakes are honestly pretty low, and there’s a bit less “everyone is useless” here—I don’t even think Botan coughed up blood once. It does make it feel like this is a series that needs to come to an end, though, which is why it’s good that it’s about to. If you’ve been following Anne Happy, this is a pleasant enough volume, and there’s no reason to stop just before the end. – Sean Gaffney

Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey, Vol. 1 | By Akiko Higashimura | Seven Seas – I’d loved everything by Higashimura that I’d previously read—Princess Jellyfish and Tokyo Tarareba Girls—so I was looking forward to the release of the award-winning Blank Canvas a great deal. After reading the first volume I can confidently declare that I’m still enamored with Higashimura’s work. Blank Canvas is an autobiographical series in which Higashimura, now a successful manga creator, reflects back upon her early days as an artist. The first volume shows her in high school as she’s preparing to apply for art school, a somewhat daunting challenge since up until that point she’d largely been coasting through her clubs and classes. Determined to become a famous shojo creator, she enrolls in a community art program, the teacher of which isn’t about to let her get away with slacking off. Told with Higashimura’s characteristic mix of humor, heart, and honesty, Blank Canvas is a tremendously engaging manga. – Ash Brown

Dr. STONE, Vol. 5 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Tempted as I am to just copy/paste my review of the fourth volume here, I will try to say something new. It’s hard, though, as the same two things I spoke about last time are focused on this time. Senku is very invested in science, but it’s a ridiculous shonen kind of science. Also, ridiculous is the order of the day elsewhere, as this series really goes over the top in everything it does. Thankfully, the tournament arc doesn’t last too long. The winner may surprise you, unless you’ve read any other shonen manga ever. I admit I laughed at Ruri’s sprint across the village. But we’re getting a backstory flashback as well, as Ruri knows Senku’s last name. How? We’ll find out next time. – Sean Gaffney

Eve and Eve | By Nagashiro Rouge | Seven Seas – Between Seven Seas and Yen Press, we’re getting quite a few yuri anthologies in 2019. This one is a collection of yuri-themed stories by the same artist, and the title comes from the first of these. They’re fairly explicit—Seven Seas actually labeled the title Mature, something they rarely do—and a few of them range towards science fiction. Two of them also involve getting pregnant in a handwavey sort of way, and in fact those ran in “Yuri Pregnancies” in Japan, which I assume is an anthology and not a magazine. There was nothing earth-shaking in here, but nothing truly bad either. If you like yuri, and don’t mind that it gets sexual (or the magical pregnancies), it’s a good volume to pick up. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 32 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – Karasuno’s game against Inarizaki continues in (and beyond) this volume. The plot = “volleyball,” but that allows Furudate’s artistry to shine. Getting caught up in the drama of who will win is unavoidable, but I also marvel at the skill with which Furudate fleshes out the opposing team and imbues moments of individual victory with significance. For example, I loved when terminal bench-warmer Kinoshita thinks he’s missed his chance at heroism only to be credited by Nishinoya for helping him practice a move that pays off on the court. And I especially loved when Hinata not only manages to perfectly return an intimidating serve but proves so defensively competent that even Tsukushima comes to rely on him. That’s major progress! I love this series so much. – Michelle Smith

Hitorijime My Hero, Vol. 3 | By Memeco Arii | Kodansha Comics – I’m happy to report that Hitorijime My Hero has improved a lot since its first volume, which left me with some trepidations. In this volume, Masahiro’s friends find out about his relationship with Kousuke and one reacts badly, though it’s mostly coming from a place of feeling like he was the last to know something so important. Starting with volume two, Kousuke has been worried that Masahiro might focus on him instead of his “youth,” so he gives some good advice that helps them sort things out. I also appreciated that Kousuke’s friends are really concerned about his choices and grill Masahiro a bit to find out how much of a threat he poses. No, Kousuke doesn’t actually get arrested—although one of his friends is a cop, he’s an absolutely useless cretin—but it’s nice that it’s acknowledged that he could be. I’ll keep reading. – Michelle Smith

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 8 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – After the plot-filled seventh volume, we’re back to wacky gag chapters in this book. Which is good, as this series does comedy well. It’s still working Ino into the fun, but even when the humor is based around a Japanese concept (one chapter talks about collecting bellmarks, which helpfully is so old in Japan that it’s explained in the text) there’s still laughs. My favorite chapter might be the one where Chika tries to tell Kaguya about the one she likes, and paranoia makes everything so much worse (and also reveals Chika is well aware of Kaguya’s ambiguity towards her). As for our lead couple, well, even Kaguya literally collapsing and going to the hospital can’t stop the laughs—or get them together. Great fun. – Sean Gaffney

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 6 | By Afro | Yen Press – There’s some actual character development here, though for the most part the series still runs on ‘cuties camping’ for all its attention. Nadeshiko has been sort of the airhead of the group for most of the series, and I was expecting her desire to own the camping lantern to be blown up in some way, but no—she gets a part-time job, is decent at it, and buys the lamp. The author even toys with us, having her trip and almost break the lamp, but then catching it. What’s more, she wants to try solo camping. Hopefully her camping goes better than Inuko, Aki and Ena, who try a cold-weather campout and thankfully don’t die—though they need a little help to avoid it. This is getting better as it goes on. – Sean Gaffney

Murcielago, Vol. 10 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – I never thought I’d say this, but this is actually a pretty sedate volume of Murcielago. Oh sure, Kuroko finds a new girl she wants to seduce, and there’s some naked bathing, but there’s no sex in this one. Even the violence is relatively behind-the-scenes here, though I have a feeling the volume after this will take things up a notch. We’re at a fishing village with a dark secret at the local church, one that’s led to an awful lot of dead people being eaten by sharks. And, of course, Kuroko’s new girl turns out to be the key to it all—or rather, the rosary left to her by her late father is. Will Kuroko and Hinako save the day? Can Suiren avoid getting seduced? Likely no to that second one, but that’s what makes Murcielago what it is. – Sean Gaffney

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 1 | By Yuhki Kamatani | Seven Seas – Tasuku Kaname has recently transferred to a new high school. His classmates are friendly enough, but soon a rumor starts circulating that he’s gay. Tasuku is quick to deny it, though the truth is he’s struggling to come to terms with his sexuality since it carries such a large social stigma. It’s only after he meets and learns the stories of several other people who are likewise not straight that Tasuku starts to feel less isolated and is able begin to accept himself. The fear, anxiety, and agony that results from not being able to freely live true to oneself both inwardly and outwardly is exceptionally well-conveyed by Kamatani in Our Dreams at Dusk. But while the first volume is at times heartbreaking, it’s also not without hope. Emotionally intense and tear-inducing for both sorrowful and joyful reasons, Our Dreams at Dusk is off to an incredibly compelling start. – Ash Brown

A Strange & Mystifying Story, Vol. 7 | By Tsuta Suzuki | SuBLime – And so, A Strange & Mystifying Story comes to an end. I could quibble with some aspects of this finale, like how Tsumugi convinced grief-stricken Magawa to give up on his destructive quest with ease to spare, but since it led to a happy ending for all concerned, I’m not going to argue with it. There are some great moments between Tsumugi and Kurayori, especially a tearful and relieved two-page hug once the effect of Magawa’s spell is reversed, and I adored their first love scene. It’s fumbling and awkward and loving and entirely about the characters. It felt necessary and not gratuitous. This series stumbled a little in the beginning but I’m glad I kept with it because from the third volume on, it became something special. I recommend it highly. – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[theconservativebrief]

Venom might just be the most relatable comic book character to grace a movie screen. He’s hungry all the time. He understands that Michelle Williams is an American treasure. He thinks Tom Hardy is embarrassing sometimes, but really just wants the best for him. He’s a loser on his home planet, and honestly, life on any other planet seems like a better option, even it means being in a parasitic, toxic relationship.

It’s not clear what precisely we’ve done to deserve this iteration of Venom and the hilariously goofy movie in which he stars, but it’s a mixed blessing worth embracing.

With the success of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Tom Holland’s winsome turn as Peter Parker, coupled with the ever-growing thirst for anything Marvel superhero, Sony has turned to its trove of Spider-Man-related character rights and found Venom, a Spider-Man archenemy that’s as popular as he is fearsome.

In the Marvel comic books, Venom refers to a character created by the bond between a human and an alien Symbiote, which is both a symbiote, an organism that forges a relationship with another organism to reap benefits, and part of an alien race called Symbiotes — I know, it’s complicated. Venom’s first host was Peter Parker himself, but his most iconic host is a disgraced journalist Eddie Brock.

Venom takes some liberties with this history, as the Symbiote in this film has no relation to Spider-Man and has been brought to earth by a visionary space entrepreneur named Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed, cosplaying as a nefarious amalgam of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk). However, luckily for purists and journalists alike, Hardy’s Brock is still a disgraced reporter.

The first third of director Ruben Fleischer’s movie is a painstaking exposition of that complicated backstory. But after that, Fleischer loosens up and unfurls Venom’s true nature: a twisted rom-com between Brock and the rude Symbiote that’s attached itself to him. It’s like “Jack and Diane,” except Diane enjoys human decapitation and sadistic taunts.

Anyone searching for a symbolic conversation about the relationship between authoritarianism and superheroes, or a critique of superheroes as a predominantly male and classist power fantasy, might be turned off by Venom’s fidelity to juvenile rudeness. Yet that all may be part of an elaborate joke on Fleishcher’s part: Venom is so terminally juvenile and inappropriate that it brings you to a point where you can’t tell if you’re laughing at it or with the profane Symbiote torturing our protagonist.

After being relentlessly pelted by the Symbiote’s disembodied insults and the ridiculousness of Hardy’s internal monologue with a flesh-craving alien whose pleasures are both carnal and anatomical, it’s hard not to end up rooting for this strange, mismatched pair. If they can make it in this wild world, maybe we can, too.

Eddie Brock is a nice guy who truly wants to do the right thing. We know this because he’s one of the only characters in Venom who interacts with and is nice to non-white, non-rich, non-male characters. The other sign that Brock is a good guy is that he’s an investigative journalist who, despite a request from his boss to coddle a billionaire who’s given Brock’s network an exclusive interview, is determined to call out the filthy rich on their bullshit — a choice that leaves him jobless and disgraced.

That billionaire is one Carlton Drake, who’s supposedly very concerned about Earth’s current state of waste, pollution, and overpopulation. Instead of pouring his mountain of money into conservation efforts, though, Drake thinks the best idea is to go galactic and find an entirely different planet for humanity to populate. And while his company is zipping across the universe, they come in contact with the Symbiotes, a race of aliens that need hosts to live.

The Symbiote at the center of all this is named Venom. The film is not particularly concerned with how Venom got its English name, or why it knows English in the first place, but we do know that Venom, for one reason or another, chooses to bond with and never let go of Brock.

With Venom bonded, Brock can perform dangerous, adrenaline-spiked feats like intricately weaving through San Francisco traffic on a speeding motorcycle and soaring up the side of buildings — and, perhaps, fighting injustice more effectively than he ever could as an investigative journalist.

Brock needs Venom’s lethal, completely illegal powers to fight back against the power and corruption Drake represents, even though those powers belong to a feral, selfish alien Symbiote. So he’s faced with a Faustian deal: unleash the full, murderous power of Venom in service of a greater good, or remain in his powerless human state.

The choice is made simpler by the deep, disembodied voice of the Venom Symbiote (Hardy is credited with the voice acting), who, since it’s bonded with Brock and knows his thoughts and tendencies, is quick to point out all of the wrong decisions that led to Brock becoming such an impotent loser.

Because there is no convincing argument for Brock to remain an impotent loser, a cynical but compelling idea emerges amid Venom’s incessant juvenile taunts: If we’re all stuck living in this terrible world together, perhaps it’s time to stop clinging to the better instincts that render us weak and powerless, and do what needs to be done to attain the power to make things better.

In a way, that feels more honest than the strain of idealism that distinguishes most superhero movies, daring to question whether great power and great responsibility are a bonded pair, or mutually exclusive.

Brock is given a perfunctory love interest in the form of Michelle Williams as Anne Weying, a serious lawyer who is never seen practicing law, but does wear the type of suit that serious lawyers wear. Venom doesn’t really care to spell out what she and Brock see in each other, outside of a cute little computer screen saver showing photos of them together, and a moment when the Venom Symbiote recognizes that she’s special and means so much to Brock.

But it’s hard to believe him, because the real romance of this movie is between Brock and Venom.

Venom’s strongest elements involve Brock and Venom getting to know each other via a sort of prolonged, difficult internal courtship. Even though their symbiotic relationship may ultimately be, as in nature, mutually beneficial, the movie makes clear that such relationships are not always easy.

At first there’s a struggle as Brock has to curb Venom’s carnal urge for human body parts while Venom has deal with Brock’s stubborn human morality. But they eventually learn what drives each other insane (powerful sound waves for one; the growing wealth gap for the other), what hurts their feelings (being called a parasite for one; being told he’s selfish for the other), and what warms their souls (frozen potato objects, human heads, and apparently Michelle Williams in a bad wig).

It all adds up to a twisted, weird, but ultimately sweet sort-of romance that wouldn’t work without Hardy’s commitment to a specific brand of silly, lunky physical comedy.

In the early going of their bond, Brock is harassed by the Symbiote, who asks if he’s going to cry or if it would be okay, just this time, to put a human head in its jagged-toothed gaping maw. Hardy lumbers around gloriously, opening his eyes so wide that it looks painful, sharpening his face and gestures so it looks like he’s plagued with a terminal itch.

But as he and the Symbiote begin to see each other as more than host and parasite, Hardy starts to take on the more expected poses of an action hero (with the help of some ooey, gooey, squid-ink-colored CGI).

But it’s not just Brock who evolves as a result of this relationship. In fact, the movie’s most touching moment might just be when Venom honestly describes that while it may be fearsome and awe-inducing on Earth, it’s actually a bit of a loser back home. Turns out the power fantasy it has on Earth is tempered and informed by a rather melancholy reality. Symbiotes: They’re just like us.

As with any mismatched movie pair, Brock and Venom eventually find a common understanding. They’re literally bonded, yes, but they’re also symbolically bonded by their shared loserdom — though having a common enemy helps, too. Through this relationship, both learn more about themselves, suggesting that even toxic extraterrestrial relationships might have symbiotic silver linings.

Original Source -> Venom is a fun, twisted rom-com disguised as a bad superhero movie

via The Conservative Brief

[musiccosmosru]

We’ll start with the most obvious thing: there is no Kokomo. Not off the Florida Keys, anyway. Sure, a couple places staked claims, but only after the occurence of the least obvious thing: a has-been pop act, minus their lead singer and creative engine, scoring a #1 hit off the soundtrack to a forgettable film about bartending. “Kokomo” — released 30 years ago this month — was the Beach Boys’ first original Top 20 single in 20 years, and their first chart-topper in 22.

With or without their erstwhile captain Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys never came close to replicating their early success, but no matter: Every time a quizmaster asks what the seven locations are in the song’s chorus, every Gen-X hand in the bar lunges for the pen. “Kokomo” was a peculiar last cultural gasp for everyone involved: not just the performers, but also their collaborators. Together, they formed a coastal coterie, an assemblage of connections both fortuitous and tragic.

The state of the Beach Boys in 1988 was, in a word, shitty. Their last record, 1985’s digitally crispy The Beach Boys, performed middlingly despite contributions from Culture Club, Ringo Starr, and Stevie Wonder. A couple clues to their malaise appear within the record. On the back, there’s a dedication “to the memory of our beloved brother, cousin and friend”; Dennis Wilson, the band’s drummer and only true surfer, had drowned in the water off Marina Del Rey in December of 1983. And on the label, there are three songwriting credits for E. E. Landy.

That would be Dr. Eugene Landy, Brian’s personal therapist, business manager, and professional ghoul. At one point, Wilson’s family had to sell some of his publishing rights in order to afford Landy’s $430,000-a-year fee. Landy’s role as confidant, coupled with Brian’s reluctance to tour, kept him largely away from his bandmates, though they had the right to perform and record as the Beach Boys. And so, when director Roger Donaldson sought the band to pad out the soundtrack to his film Cocktail, they turned the assignment over to their producer, Terry Melcher.

CREDIT: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

Though Melcher had only been been producing the group for a few years, his relationship with the band was a couple decades old at that point. In the mid-’60s, he and future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston made surf-pop as Bruce & Terry, and then as the Rip Chords. Melcher moved behind the boards, becoming a major architect of the West Coast folk-rock sound. At one of his house parties, he re-introduced Brian Wilson to Van Dyke Parks, who tried to help Wilson through the aborted Smile sessions. Parks continued to provide lyrical and instrumental daubs to Beach Boys tracks in the years afterward. In a twisted return of favor, Dennis introduced Melcher to a guy he first met trashing his house: Charlie Manson.

The aspiring megalomaniac also aspired to be a songwriter, and both Dennis and Melcher were impressed with his embryonic sketches. But Manson’s psychotic behavior scotched his chance at a record deal; incensed, he dispatched some of his followers to Melcher’s old house, where they murdered five people, including the actress Sharon Tate. The Manson Family’s spree killings blew a hole in the psyche of America’s counterculture, and sent Melcher into something of a tailspin. He took on fewer projects, eventually signing on to produce a couple television shows for his mother, the actress and singer Doris Day. By the mid-’80s, he was back in the Beach Boys’ orbit. When he was tabbed to find a song for Cocktail, he reached out to an old friend: John Phillips of the Mamas And The Papas, whose hit “California Dreamin’” the Beach Boys had recently covered.

Phillips had spent the decade juggling different Mamas And Papas lineups. He and Denny Doherty were the only returning members; Cass Elliot died in 1974, and Michelle Phillips divorced John in 1970. Their roles were filled by former Spanky & Our Gang leader Elaine McFarlane and Phillips’ daughter Mackenzie, respectively. The group toured and did the requisite casino residencies, but legit success was hard to come by. (The entire time, according to Mackenzie Phillips, she and her father were involved in what was termed an “incestuous relationship.” She made the accusation in her 2009 memoir, as well as on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Immediately afterward, various relatives and family friends issued statements attesting to their belief or disbelief in her account.) By 1986, John was demoing tracks with Scott McKenzie, best known for his Phillips-written 1967 smash “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair).” One of those tracks was “Kokomo.”

You can hear Phillips’ version on the 2010 collection Many Mamas, Many Papas. (The set also contains the racist ditty “Chinaman,” as well as a song called, simply, “Yachts.”) His “Kokomo” is stately and wistful. Other than Florida, Kokomo is the only place mentioned, making the composition a sort of paean to a lost paradise of the mind. It’s been suggested that he was thinking of Mustique, an island in the Grenadines purchased in the ‘50s by Phillips’ friend, the British aristocrat Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner. Tennant nearly went broke maintaining the damn thing, eventually transferring ownership to the islands’ wealthy homeowners (a group which has, at one time or another, included Bryan Adams, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger). Regardless of origin, the “Kokomo” demo was missing a chorus. And that’s where Mike Love enters.

If Brian Wilson was like Paul McCartney, pushing his bandmates to precisely render his sonic fancies, Mike Love was like … well, Paul McCartney, desperately trying to keep all the stakeholders happy and productive. He’s rarely given his due as a songwriter: He sued Brian in 1992 more or less for this reason, eventually winning co-writing credit for 35 Beach Boys tunes. The occasional “Good Vibrations” aside (a lyric written with McKenzie’s “San Francisco” in mind), his gift is punch-ups: tweaking phrases and adding earworms. He scrapped Phillips’ past tense. It sounded like regret, which is not Love’s bag. All he’s ever wanted to do is provide escape. So when it came time to write the chorus, Love sang Melcher a map.

The result was ruthlessly catchy: a combination of dreaminess and insistence, like a tank disguised as a cloud. The “Aruba, Jamaica” bit was bumped to the beginning for maximum effect; Love managed to work in a reference to cocktails, and possibly (in the line “that Montserrat mystique”) a reference to Baron Tennant’s island folly. Van Dyke Parks parachuted in to arrange the steel pans and play accordion, despite (allegedly) being stiffed by Love on plane fare. Studio saxophonist Joel Peskin (whose professional relationship with the Boys stretched back to 1979’s L.A.) contributed the oddly poignant solo. One name was notably absent: Brian was unable to attend the sessions, possibly due to his doctor’s interference. When he first heard the song on the radio, he didn’t even recognize it as a Beach Boys tune. His solo record had just dropped — deliciously, the opening lines are “I was sittin’ in a crummy movie/With my hands on my chin.”

Released 7/18/88 in advance of Cocktail — with Little Richard’s soundtrack closer “Tutti Frutti” as the B-side — “Kokomo” didn’t get any traction. It was only after moviegoers heard the tune scoring Tom Cruise’s move from New York to Jamaica that it caught on. Despite critical indifference (the movie is Cruise’s worst film Rotten Tomatoes) both Cocktail and “Kokomo” became #1 hits: the former for two weeks, the latter for one. In November, “Kokomo” supplanted Phil Collins’ “Groovy Kind Of Love” at the summit. (Collins, however, got the last laugh when “Two Hearts” beat “Kokomo” for Best Original Song at the 46th annual Golden Globes.)

A couple weeks after “Kokomo” hit #1, the Beach Boys (with Brian) guest-starred in an episode of the sitcom Full House. The climax of “Beach Boys Bingo” features the Tanner clan rockin’ out to a stadium performance of “Kokomo,” then climbing onstage to do “Barbara Ann.” The whole thing was old hat for Full House star John Stamos, who had been the Beach Boys’ ancillary percussionist for a few years by then. (He played steel drums in the “Kokomo” video, but not on the record.) If you watch the scene carefully, you’ll see Brian sporting a “Californians For Dukakis” shirt; Mike, infamously, is a Trump supporter and a contributor to Tipper Gore’s pro-censorship Parent’s Music Resource Center.

Having scored an improbable hit, the Beach Boys pivoted to movie soundtracks for a time. They landed “Still Cruisin’” in Lethal Weapon 2 and the Melcher-written title track for Problem Child; neither went anywhere, and the band returned to the state-fair circuit. “Kokomo” was, it turns out, irreplicable. Its lightweight arrangement and hermetic vibe have proven resistant to imitators: You won’t find many notable covers beyond, say, the Muppets. Its real legacy was in lending its name to a host of bars and resorts across the Caribbean Sea. The Orlando Sentinel found a few in a December ’88 investigation, with Key Largo’s Chamber of Commerce noting that “[w]e are flooded with calls, absolutely flooded. We had six calls on the answering machine this morning and several calls during the day.” Sandals renamed their Montego Bay resort “Kokomo Island” for a while, which must have been a nice two-for-one for the song’s fans.

In time, though, “Kokomo” fever faded, and the men responsible for it are starting to pass on. Carl Wilson died in 1998, John Phillips in 2001, Terry Melcher in 2004, Scott McKenzie in 2012. Mike Love, who has long enjoyed the exclusive rights to tour under the Beach Boys name, is the sole living writer. Last fall, he released a double album, with the second half devoted to re-recordings of Beach Boys classics. “Kokomo” is nowhere to be found. Presumably, he decided not to mess with perfection.

CREDIT: Ron Galella/WireImage

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The post “Kokomo” Is 30: The Strange Backstory To The Beach Boys’ Last Cultural Gasp appeared first on MusicCosmoS.

[lindyhunt]

In a World Embracing “Ageless Fashion,” Is 80 the New 20?

FASHION’s March issue is all about women who are in their element, from Big Little Lies’ Zoë Kravitz–who talks about embracing her natural beauty and surrounding herself with strong women in our cover story–to older women who continue to strive later in life. Below, Courtney Shea explores the current golden age of women’s golden years.

Mrs. Robinson didn’t have a first name. When the seminal ’60s movie The Graduate debuted in December 1967, the idea that Dustin Hoffman’s 21-year-old would refer to his older lover using anything other than a formal honorific was laughable. Just the notion that a man in his 20s might be interested in a woman almost twice his age was explosive enough to inspire the entire plot of an almost two-hour movie. “I think you’re the most attractive of all my parents’ friends,” Hoffman’s Ben tells Anne Bancroft’s “Mrs.” shortly before hopping into bed with her, further underscoring the idea that she was majorly hot—for a mom.

Fast-forward 50 years and the pairing of younger men and older women is barely worth an eyelash-bat: Heidi Klum (44) recently dated Vito Schnabel (31), who previously dated Demi Moore (55), who was once married to Ashton Kutcher (39). Madonna (59) apparently dumped her 26-year-old boyfriend to date a more mature 31-year-old last summer, around the same time that Kate Beckinsale (44) was photographed smooching a guy whose mom is reportedly younger than she is. True, the age difference between French president Emmanuel Macron (40) and his 64-year-old wife formed a major narrative during last summer’s election—but he won.

And it’s not just in the dating world where “women of a certain age” are enjoying some long overdue adulation. This past fall, 73-year-old Lauren Hutton became the oldest woman ever to appear on the cover of Vogue, around the same time that Allure announced its decision to ban the term “anti-aging” in its publication. “Whether we know it or not,” wrote editor-in-chief Michelle Lee, “[the term is] subtly reinforcing the message that aging is a condition we need to battle.” At the 2017 Emmy Awards, 14 of the 19 actresses nominated for leading roles were 40-plus (more than half were over 50), including Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman of Big Little Lies—a show that proves teenage Gossip Girls ain’t got nothing on Monterey moms.

Here in Canada, Atwood Mania is the new Bieber Fever, Shania Twain’s latest album debuted at the top of the Billboard charts and Céline Dion (a celebrity who, until recently, could have lost a cool-off against Barney the Dinosaur, has become the fashion world’s most unlikely It girl—make that It woman—just before her 50th birthday). Dion’s improbable ascent peaked last summer at Paris Fashion Week, where her street style wardrobe earned props from all the right peeps: Vogue gave her her own hashtag (#CelineTakesCouture). Drake even said he may get a tattoo of her, which is—let’s face it—the greatest stamp of approval this modern era has to offer. On the topic of tattoos, 83-year-old Judi Dench recently admitted to getting inked for the first time two years ago—block letters spelling out two words across her inner wrist: “Carpe Diem.”

Whereas in previous generations menopause may well have been an invitation to slip into a pair of house slippers and hunker down in front of The Price Is Right, today women in their so-called “third chapter” are, indeed, seizing the day.

Whereas in previous generations menopause may well have been an invitation to slip into a pair of house slippers and hunker down in front of The Price Is Right, today women in their so-called “third chapter” are, indeed, seizing the day. In 2016, 50-year-old tech entrepreneur Gina Pell coined the term “Perennial” to describe individuals of various ages linked by the desire to live in the present and keep up with trends and technology and the refusal to be defined by their birth year.

Nowhere is this so-called “generational blurring” more visible than in the style realm, where so-called “ageless fashion” has become both a movement (the rejecting of the notion that individuals must follow fashion rules in accordance with their age) and an important marketing insight, considering the buying power of both young and old.

“It used to be that women kind of aged out of mainstream fashion,” says Susie Sheffman, a creative director and stylist based in Toronto. Born at the tail end of the boomer generation, she says it makes sense to see her age group throwing out the rule book: “We burned our bras, we were the youthquake of the ’60s.” At 58, Sheffman will often find herself gravitating to the same clothing as her 25-year-old daughter (though they wear their pieces differently), and when she pulls looks for models and clients, she rarely thinks in terms of age-appropriate. She recently posed for a magazine shot in a jean miniskirt and a hoodie. “It’s hard to imagine my mom in something similar.”

I can remember my own mom telling me that after a certain age, a woman in jeans looked a little bit desperate. Mind you, she said that 20 years ago—before major fashion campaigns featured the likes of Joni Mitchell (74), Joan Didion (83) and Iris Apfel (96) for Saint Laurent, Céline and Kate Spade respectively; before hipster fashion grannies were among the hottest Instagram influencers; and before 20-somethings like Ariana Grande and Cara Delevingne started sporting grey hair—on purpose. The result is a Wild West where the old rules don’t apply. “It’s funny, because I think there are some women who wish some of the rules would come back,” says Sheffman, speaking of formerly tried-and-true guidelines, like your shoes should match your purse or your age should match your hemline. “There’s a lot of confusion out there. Women are afraid to make costly mistakes, and rules can help—but, sorry, those days are over.” So there’s a lot of pressure.

It’s easy to see why a mature woman might be all too happy to throw on a pair of Vans if that means maintaining her status as a valuable member of society. But she shouldn’t have to.

It’s no wonder that women have been so eager to enjoy an extended juvenescence given the alternative. The “Invisible Women Syndrome” describes the social phenomenon in which females over 40 often feel completely unnoticed—to not only the lewd catcallers at construction sites but also potential employers, suitors, store clerks and society in general. Preternaturally gorgeous 73-year-old Vogue cover models notwithstanding, women continue to experience appearance-based judgment and ageism at rates that vastly outpace their male counterparts. Maybe you saw the American presidential race, where, at 68, Hillary Clinton was often slagged as a potential “Granny in Chief” (her routine bout with pneumonia was covered as if she’d contracted the plague), while Donald Trump’s age—70—never came up. In this context, it’s easy to see why a mature woman might be all too happy to throw on a pair of Vans if that means maintaining her status as a valuable member of society. But she shouldn’t have to.

And here’s where the whole age-free ethos falls apart a bit. Because, sure, 50 is the new 30, Big Little Lies is the new Pretty Little Liars and so on, but what are we actually celebrating when we applaud older women for cheating time? “Anti-aging” may be out, but the related industry is booming—it’s expected to be valued at $269.25 billion by 2021. Which is an ironic but also a direct and totally logical consequence of a culture touting old as “the new young.”

People recently shared the backstory behind Queen Céline’s sartorial transformation: Inspired by the red carpet looks of Zendaya, she hired the actress/singer’s stylist to retool her look. So after a decades-spanning, chart-topping career, Dion was finally deemed “cool” by patterning herself after a woman who was a year old when Titanic came out. Which is not a bad thing—let’s not forget what it is we’re assigning value to when we praise older women.

Inspired by the red carpet looks of Zendaya, Céline Dion hired the actress/singer’s stylist to retool her look. So after a decades-spanning, chart-topping career, Dion was finally deemed “cool” by patterning herself after a woman who was a year old when Titanic came out.

In The Graduate, what was so great about Elaine, Mrs. Robinson’s 19-year-old daughter whom Ben ultimately runs off with? Sure, she was pretty, but Mrs. Robinson was ridiculously sexy. Emotionally damaged, maybe, but let’s just put that down to a repressive society. I’m pretty sure that today Ben would have chosen the older model. And he would have called her “Barb.”

We all want to slay our goals, revel in success at work and at home and feel comfortable in our own skin…to truly be in our element. But that looks different, depending on where you are in life. Click here to see what being in one’s element looks like for women of all ages.

[ismael37olson]

Do You Hear That Playin'?

There are too many people doing comedy on stage who aren't funny. As they say in one of my favorite movies, Funny Bones, "Some people do funny, but some people have funny bones." Those who aren't funny only understand humor intellectually; it's not in their bones. They imitate funny. As I've written about before, those un-funny sorts don't understand that all good humor does two things: it surprises us and it tells us the truth. Great humor does more than tell the truth; it reveals the truth. And the Second Law of Comedy is: nothing is less funny than the effort to be funny. If we can see you working hard at making us laugh, if you're begging us to laugh, that kills the laugh. Over the first four performances of New Line's Anything Goes, people have come up to Dowdy and me both, saying almost exactly the same words: "I've always loved Anything Goes, but I don't remember it being so funny!" WTF? First of all, you've always loved a musical comedy that wasn't very funny...? Second, I know the songs are great, but Anything Goes would not be a very good show if it weren't funny. Third, what are these other productions doing to diminish -- ignore? -- the rowdy, wacky, subversive comedy the pervades 80% of the show? The only serious moments in the whole show are "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "All Through the Night." One guy who saw our show commented on Facebook that ours was "first time I've seen Anything Goes where the book and lyrics were really concentrated on!" I'll say it again. WTF? This show isn't a revue or a paper-thin jukebox musical. It's a smart, razor-sharp satire. This plot is a masterpiece of romantic farce, as I've mentioned before, using the S.S. American as Shakespeare's Woods, where our characters escape from the rules of The City, where they can de-couple from the wrong partners and re-couple with the right ones. The characters are well-drawn and full of surprises, and the social satire is pointed and insightful. Americans still turn religion into show business, and we still turn criminals into celebrities. Nothing much has changed. But why would anyone do a brilliant satirical comedy if they're going to ignore the brilliant satire? Why share the adult genius of Cole Porter's dense, hilarious lyrics -- or the rich, complex emotion of "I Get a Kick Out of You" -- if you're not going to take the time to understand them and communicate that understanding to the audience?

So many people expected us to impose something on Anything Goes, to change it, but that's not what we do. We take excellent, though often under-appreciated (and/or misunderstood) material and we treat it like it's Shakespeare, Albee, or August Wilson. We take the characters and story seriously, we research period, we research all the unfamiliar language, we get to know the artistic and pop cultural contexts of the story, we explore backstories, relationships, motivations, textual themes, all that stuff. In other words, we take the work seriously. If a comedy is really great, treating it this way will make it much funnier than trying to think of funny gags of your own to insert into the script, the way too many directors do. So many directors and actors think you don't have to take comedy seriously. But you do. Even the most outrageous musicals, like Little Shop, Bat Boy, Urinetown, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Yeast Nation, Jerry Springer the Opera, are funnier if you take them seriously. But you also have to get out of the way -- you can't make a great comedy funny, as too many directors and actors seem to believe; you have to let it be funny. I'm starting to believe that our production of Anything Goes may serve as an accidental master class in doing classic musical comedy. You don't condescend to it, you don't wink at us over its perceived flaws, you don't impose a phony meta-style on it, you don't "excuse" it and yourself by letting us know you know it's dumb. No, you respect it, you follow where it leads, and it you let it work its magic. One of my primary agendas as director was to follow George S. Kaufman's rule of comedy, to never allow silence, unless you use it; and even then, only sparingly. We have wrung nearly every pause out of this dialogue, and I think that at this breakneck pace, the satire is more pointed, the corny jokes more about character, the lyrics more playful, and the chaos so relentless, so deliciously overwhelming. But it shouldn't be a surprise to find out Anything Goes is funny. It shouldn't be radical to treat a classic musical comedy with respect. It shouldn't be shocking for a piece of musical theatre to focus on character and story. Look at the critical reaction so far... "Funnier, sharper and smarter than you may remember. . . a spectacular treat for lovers of modern musical theater. . . .not to be missed. . . non-stop entertainment." -- Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Sharper, tarter and more satisfying than you'd think possible." -- Paul Friswold, Riverfront Times "A triumph!" -- Steve Callahan, KDHX "The entire cast of Anything Goes is simply marvelous. . . Everything about the show is extraordinary. . . New Line has yet another hit on their hands." -- Kevin Brackett, ReviewSTL "Kicky and kooky. . . .a buoyant blast from the past that revitalizes one of the great, grand old musicals with charm, humor and style." - Lynn Venhaus, St. Louis Limelight "It's bound to leave you with a smile on your face." -- Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob "As usual, New Line gets it right. . . this is Anything Goes as it’s meant to be performed and witnessed." -- Jeff Ritter, Critical Blast "Silly comedy, stylish music and effervescent performances in a winning combination." -- Mark Bretz, Ladue News "Energetic, smart, and very very funny. . . a sharp, witty, tuneful, and well-cast production that’s a delight from start to finish." -- Michelle Kenyon, Snoop's Theatre Thoughts "It surely is a great deal of fun, especially if you have the least bit of romantic in you." -- Ann Pollock, St. Louis Eats and Drinks

As I have been before from time to time, I am surprised and amused that treating a great piece of theatre like a great piece of theatre is cause for celebration. Shouldn't that be a bare minimum job requirement for all of us...? Though I can't complain, can I? Apparently, all those mediocre productions of Anything Goes in the past are just making us look brilliant. And we're selling out! Before we opened, I wouldn't have said this, but if you haven't seen our show yet, you probably haven't seen Anything Goes as it was meant to be. So get your tickets now. We run through March 24. According to our audiences and the critics, this is an Anything Goes like you've never seen before... The adventure continues. Long Live the Musical! Scott Click Here for Tickets! from The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre http://newlinetheatre.blogspot.com/2018/03/do-you-hear-that-playin.html

[hipmamajenn]

The goal: Give local kids the opportunity to learn about, design, and build their own skateboard. Introduce them to the library, the skate park and other kids in the area and to give them a safe comfortable means to exercise.

The backstory: I work at the Aldine Public Library in Houston. This is an area of the city known as Greenspoint (which has the hideous nickname, Gunspoint). Crime is rampant, homelessness is an issue, the schools are among the worst in the state and there are no advantages for these kids and library patrons. We try to make up for this by providing a fun, safe environment and keeping our programs engaging and interactive in hopes to give kids something to look forward to.

The beginning: When I started in May, there was a skeletal beginning to a program by my predecessor, Ruby Robinson. She had been in touch with an organization called the Greater Greenspoint Redevelopment Authority and they offered to provide the funds for kids to be given brand new high-end skateboards, helmets, and training to use at the North Houston Skate Park which just happens to be in our part of town.

The kids on a tour of the Skate Park.

For many kids this was their first time seeing a skate bowl.

The format: Day one, come to the library and learn about our services, meet each other, fill out paperwork, ask questions, learn about what to expect for the rest of the week.

The players: Greater Greenspoint Redevelopment Authority: Sponsor, Trenna Dockery: Manager of North Houston Skate Park, John and Michelle Mayes: Owners of Clouds and Tricks Skate Shop, ordered/delivered materials, taught building boards and skating, Myself: Youth Services Librarian at Aldine Branch Library in the Harris County Library System pulling all of the strings together.

The early attempts: We ran the program twice in the summer. Both were successful in that we served the number of kids that we hoped to, ten in the first session, twelve in the second but the catch was that we weren’t serving the kids in our neighborhood. The two-pronged obstacle that we were facing was that most of our participants found out about the program from the skatepark or from the internet, but most of our patrons don’t have access to the internet at home and most couldn’t get a ride to the skatepark to participate.

John Mayes working with the kids.

There is a lot for new skaters to learn!

Safety is a big concern and all the kids learn how to fall first.

Dreaming bigger: Treena, John, Michelle and I began discussing how we could make a bigger and more successful December program. We wanted to serve more kids, serve kids in our own community and maybe even provide them with a commemorative T-shirt.

Highlight: When the transportation component was secure I was able to go up to one of our regular kids (who I’ll call James) who was hanging with his friends. He had wanted to be in the program since it began but never could because he couldn’t get to the skate park.

Me: “Hey, do you guys know anyone interested in the skate program?”

Kids: “Yeah, James wants to.”

James: “No way to get there,” arms crossed, slides further down in seat.

Me: “We have a bus this time…”

James: shoots up to his feet, “How do I sign up?”

Throwing hope into the air: Thanks to a colleague I was connected with the local YMCA. They were more than willing to provide transportation and extra assistance at the skate park which meant that some of the kids whose only obstacle to attending could now safely and efficiently attend the program. I also posted a public plea on Facebook to see if anyone could suggest a fairly priced T-shirt company with quality work. That is when Ann Brooks and her Black Swan Screen Printing company joined us and improved our program tenfold.

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fblackswanscreenprinting%2Fvideos%2F10155997609774158%2F&show_text=0&width=476

Black Swan Screen Printing: Ann Brooks is a highly respected Houston businesswoman. She has been an essential figure in the art and music industries. She saw my plea and messaged me offering to meet to discuss our needs for the program and see what she could do to help us provide not only the current students but the past students with a commemorative shirt. She found an incredible designer, Huls Design and he made an original design for us. She then created a video of each shirt being hand pulled on a silkscreen in her workshop. *The shirts can be ordered for $20 and all proceeds will go to sustaining the program. If interested please email me at jenn.haight1602@gmail.com for more info.* Ann also introduced me to artist Jake Eshelman who owns the company Side Project Skateboards.

Adding an art component: For the first couple of sessions, our art component of the program was incredibly simplistic. We showed some pictures of what skateboards could look like and provided the kids with pens and simple paints. For the latest session, Jake came out and talked to the kids. He told his story of what skateboards and skateboarding mean to him, how art is infused in his life and how the two can be combined. His words of warmth and knowledge made a marked improvement in the kid’s creativity and confidence. He walked around from child to child giving tips, advice, and encouragement. We all agree that this session the boards were more vibrant, cohesive and inspired. Jake loved the concept and has agreed to become a regular partner to the program. He already has more ideas of how to introduce art to the kids and has offered to supply better paints and supplies.

Well thought images can make an impressive design.

A unicorn in the process.

A hot fog skate board.

Jake helping to inspire design.

The future: In this last session we were able to provide transportation to North America’s largest skateboard park, skateboards and helmets and the lessons to build them, T-shirts, art instruction, snacks every day, pizza the final day and an introduction to the library. We have plans to continue this event quarterly and would love to continue to expand and improve the event for all involved. Questions? Comments? Ideas? All are welcome.

How a Community Got Together to Give Skateboards to Kids – a Houston Story The goal: Give local kids the opportunity to learn about, design, and build their own skateboard. Introduce them to the library, the skate park and other kids in the area and to give them a safe comfortable means to exercise.