#fuck around and find out or actually put thought and artistry into your movies

[andi-o-geyser]

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio compared to all the other iterations that have come out recently really exemplifies the issue that, at a fundamental level, the desire to roll out A list actor filled cash grabs of live action remakes of old movies simply does not understand the nature of media. Certain forms of art- and I feel that I cannot stress this enough- do not mesh well onto a different form of art. Sometimes they can, and it’s wonderful, but very often I’m finding that a lot of remakes are missing the point of how animation is its own medium, stop motion is its own medium, video games and books and even television vs movies are all their own mediums. You really have to know when you’re making something if this is the right form of it, because if not it ends up looking cheep despite the millions of dollars spent to create the whole fucking thing. And a little bit of love and creativity doesn’t hurt either. I think studios to a large degree underestimate how much the creator’s passion imbued in a film translates through the screen to an audience, because we really can feel it. Sure, we all watch shitty TV and moves once in a while, but when something actually moving comes around there’s never any doubt of how masterful it is. And you just don’t ever really get that with soulless billion dollar remakes. Anyways Guillermo del Toro fucking rocks and everybody should go watch Pinocchio. 

[higherthanvic]

PAINTER!GETOU HC'S.

first post! enjoy a few (n)sfw headcanons of a AU that has taken over me. minors, SHOO!

this was written with a black reader in mind btw !

SFW.

painter!getou is a worldwide known artist for his wonderful use of symbolism and meaning behind each piece he curates in the comfort of his studio apartment that he has the pleasure of sharing with his muse and symbolism expert; you.

muse!reader is the overall inspiration for each piece and reason why he loves what he does for a living. you make his painting career so eventful, and he can't find the words nor actions to thank you enough.

painter!getou takes your suggestions and thoughts when it comes to anything. when it comes to painting, you help him try to broaden and emphasize what message he wants to come across with your knowledge of symbolism. you both work as a team; getou with the artistry, the muse with the knowledge and explanation.

"wait, how about you add red to this? i get the message and everything, but the red would make it more obvious of what you're trying to say. red can mean passion, en-" quickly pours out red paint as she talks

every painting painter!getou curates has to have a certain part of the drawing involving you. if it isnt your actual full body on the piece, there's always something in the background that he puts in. when the piece finally gets published into art shows, its like a guessing game to find out which part of the piece is symbolizing you before you get getou to tell you (which you're mostly right at times).

painter!getou secretly loves when you draw on his canvases just so he can keep each drawing in the final piece, he just gets "mad" for no reason.

"wait, baby... aren't those the hearts I drew on the corner of the canvas?" "mhm, what about them?" "why'd you keep them?" "i...forgot."

painter!getou bought you your own plush lounge chair when it came to posing for him so you didn't get too uncomfortable to stay in the same position for too long.

after you suggested that he should try to light incense around the apartment to help set the mood for painting, painter!getou never paints without incense lit and warm lighting dimly lit in the living room.

"sweetheart, can you grab the open box of incense in the kitchen? i need to start this commission." "you know you don't have to light them everytime you paint-" "they make me feel relaxed."

painter!getou adores the way you get so excited and run to your lounge chair when he asks if he could use you for a piece idea. your smile lightens up the entire room, and he cant help but smile back.

you two have "dates" almost every weekend + Friday. whether you go out for a movie, dinner, make a pillow fort, or just spend quality time with each other, you always insist on calling it a date when painter!getou just says its just spending quality time.

"i call it a date because we're together and doing fun stuff together!" "so are painting nights not fun?" "that's different. that's for work."

NSFW.

since painter!getou works from home instead of in an office, you have to leave during the day to attend your corporate job even after getou insisted on helping you financially instead of you leaving his side every morning. during these few hours of your absence, he can't help but think of you. stroking his cock as he reminisces about your nude body sprawled out on the lounge chair you pose on, getting your pussy drilled into continuously as the finished canvas dried. there were also a few times he jerked off to his own pieces of your nude body, but never told you that.

painter!getou adores forcing you to look at yourself in the mirror as he fucks you senseless. he wanted you to see what he saw in you for yourself.

painter!getou is POSSESIVE AS HELL!!! he understands that people might find the anonymous person on his pieces sexy because she's nude, but all he cares about is that you come home to him at the end of the day. you come home and gag on his cock delightfully before you both continue with your day.

painter!getou doesn't just like cumming inside of you. he adores the way his warm liquid drapes across your face or stomach. it makes him feel like he's making a masterpiece on a canvas all over again.

painter!getou's position that makes him the most weak in the knees ever since being with you: cowgirl. the way he can see your entire figure all out for display and bouncing so quickly on his cock sends him into a spiral.

[strawberryamanita]

Sorry, started ranting about live-action adaptations and corporate dilution of artistry, Can't Help Being A Capricorn or whatever

Discourse is allowed, just don't add something like "wow OP/prev you're a fucking reprobate I hope something happens to you that compromises your health" thanks ✌️😘

I'm also not tagging this, so if it breaches containment it's not my fault lmao

If I could be so bold.

I think the reason there's just so nauseatingly many live-action adaptations out right now, and over the past 12 years, is because there were quite a few fan-casts made over the years, whether by one person or a small group brainstorming together. Like if you search "[series] fan cast"***, there's a very good chance you'll find people still having fun with the idea of matching a celebrity up to their cartoon lookalikes, even today. Not corporations trying to drum engagement, not stark and barren listicle websites, but individual human beings who haven't been paid to say what they're saying or do what they're doing. Even after we've seen just how little Hollywood actually does with the concept 95% of the time, people are having fun with hypotheticals and being creative without restraints.

***The exception is live-action adaptations that have been officially made. If you look for things that have not been tainted adapted yet, it's like looking into a portal to a time before all This Shit started happening.

I think the main issue is, nobody who's making those fan-castings is imagining, like, a full-on movie to go with it. It's more like, who would look cute cosplaying as that character. The extent of the idea is a PhotoShop job, and that's it.

Not whatever vortex of billion-dollar soullessness we've been tossed around in for the past decade.

The Nihilist part of me wants to say: "This kind of open discussion online is gonna keep convincing Hollywood that these ideas are guaranteed to birth successful films, so we should just stop having these convos publically" -- but that's an incredibly stupid thought. I'm not gonna try and convince people that creating is something to be ashamed of and hidden away; in this Capitalist Hellworld, where artistry is minimized to keep profits high, commercial-free creativity often feels like our last stand.

I don't really have a solution at this time, myself. Nor do I think I'm responsible for providing one -- the majority of people I've tried to make a big artistic project with can tell you I'm not the most experienced nor the most confident director. But I do know that this is what the culture of media has been since the early 2010s, and all I aim to do with this rant is bring that fact to the forefront.

In the 80s and 90s (and some of the 00s), companies had no problem churning out fun visuals and engaging soundtracks and worldbuilding that took honest-to-God effort by the dozen. I mean we have nostalgia over commercials from those eras, and it wasn't just because we're susceptible to consumerism; if that were the case, we wouldn't roll our eyes and groan whenever we hear the Unholy Trio of a ukulele, glockenspiel and someone whistling over whatever fucking hunk of plastic they're trying to shove in our faces now.

The 00s had a more laid-back vibe to it, particularly with videogame commercials. This was the Era of Grimdark and goths and embracing darkness because it felt more real than anything else, or whatever the fuck I was writing about whilst crying over MCR songs. But even so, a good chunk of 00s media had effort put into it. Yes, more than half of it was horribly problematic and exploitative; I'm not telling you it was good, I'm telling you there was effort. Even the shit with deadpan narration and cheap mascot costumes and out-of-place toilet humor had some sort of creative writing team, had some sort of vision, had some sort of direction.

Then the Internet started ramping up in quality and bandwidth, and people actually could speak loud enough that companies would hear them. To anyone who's too young to remember a world before the Internet being pushed into every corner of everyday life: it wasn’t this way 15+ years ago. Media slowly became more collaborative over the era of AOL and MySpace, because consumer feedback became easier and easier to access. And then with the advent of YouTube in 2006 -- which, as shitty as it is now, was revolutionary at the time, being a place where you could publish videos without needing to audition for anyone -- access to free ideas had very suddenly become exponentially faster. More and more Internet stars were popping up on TV (think "Web Soup" and "Tosh.0"), and then Google bought YouTube and decided to monetize it and now everyone's a rockstar and Andy Warhol's laughing at us from beyond the grave.

Fuck off, Andy.

...Now, I know it feels like I took a million detours -- and I agree that it does, because driving around in my brain feels like zig-zagging between five lanes at once -- but this all came from my theory that the ideas for media are in the hands of unpaid creators. We went from production teams being creative as Hell in the 80s and 90s, to an intentional cynicism in the 00s, to a fizzling-out of ideas and corporations holding their hands out for scraps of ideas from the consumers in the 2010s.

Money isn't trickle-down, but culture sure as shit is trickle-up.

Again, I don't have any ideas on how to fix this. Capitalism breeds a culture that allows exploitation of every fundamental part of human existence, and it knows how to adapt. With every new slew of ideas I have on how to combat it, it worms its way through anyhow. It's like fighting a hydra, and it gives me agita if I think about it for too long.

I don't know.

I remember a time when adaptations were fun to think about, but they almost never came from the minds of people looking to profit off nostalgia. They came from impassioned, vision-driven fans who wanted to try retelling their favorite stories through a different lens... and I think that's a beautiful thing. All fanart is -- fanmade drawings, fanmade covers of songs, fanmade films, cosplay, and fan-casts.

I don't really know how to end this rant neatly. Just... next time you're on your way to watch the latest diluted, regurgitated corporate shlock that's trying to profit off your nostalgia, just remember that there's probably some unpaid, good-natured rando out there that took your favorite media to new heights without any executive meddling. Maybe save a buck or two from not buying a ticket.

Or just watch the original story again, since everyone seems to have forgotten what a re-release is.

I'm taking a nap. Thanks for sticking it out, if you made it this far into whatever the Hell this is.

[thefloatingstone]

Last time I made a playlist of recommended youtube channels to enjoy while in lockdown or self quarantine, I focused on individual videos while also recommending other videos from the same channel.

I thought I’d make another list only this time I’m going to be recommending playlists or series on youtuber instead of just individual videos.

This is gonna go exactly like last time, so check out any of these that might seem interesting to you, and hopefully I can give you something to look into if you want something to watch but don’t feel like watching a Netflix or Crunchyroll show.

Last time I tried to put this under a read more break but it didn’t work and I ended up posting this long-ass post on everyone’s dash. Well I decided to do so again here. hit J to skip to the bottom of the post if you don’t feel like reading this whole thing. If you’re on tumblr mobile; why?

In no particular order;

Cinemassacre movie reviews and topics

All of you already know James Rolfe as the AVGN. I started watching him before Youtube was even a thing, before he was even signed on with Screwattack. Back when his videos could only be seen on his own website (or for some reason included on the free DVD you got with the local video game magazines). However, I eventually outgrew the outrage style humour of the AVGN episodes... but then James started doing Monster Madness where he would talk about his love for horror movies, and this where I learned about his vast knowledge about movie history and even films I had never even heard mention of before! I think it’s safe to say, he got me to be interested in movie history just as much as movie production and film as a viewing experience.

I recommend this playlist which is a hodgepodge of James talking about old horror movie franchises, talking about his first experience with Power Rangers as someone who didn’t grow up with it, or how Bob Ross is a childhood hero of his. It’s an excellent play list that’s really laid back but you learn a lot of stuff from it. James is very informed for the most part and it leads you to wanting to check out a lot of these things too, just because he’s so passionate about it.

If I ever get over my weird hang up about speaking out loud, these are the kinds of videos I’d like to make.

Vinesauce Vinny: The Neverhood

Vinny is by no means a new Let’s Player, having been on Youtube for over 10 years now, but I only started watching him a few months ago. I started with this playlist when I saw he was doing The Neverhood, a game I had heard about but never seen played before. The Neverhood is a bizarre game, as a point and click PC game from the 90s where the entirety of the video game was made with stop motion and clay. Something that sounds so insane you would say it’s impossible if not for the fact that it exists. The claymation itself is extremely well done, and the game has a really weird and absurd sense of humour. Just the strangest things happen in this thing. Now couple that with Vinny’s very dry and straightforward delivery and you have probably one of the funniest Let’s Plays I’ve watched in a long time.

This is also “short” for a Let’s Play series. With only 4 parts to it, the longest video only being a bit under and hour and 30 minutes. It’ll still take up a good chunk of your time, but it’s not as daunting as some of the other Let’s Plays I’ll mention on this list.

Team Four Star: Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke

Exactly what it says on the tin. The guys from Team Four Star play Pokemon Shield with Nuzlocke rules. They’ve done several Nuzlocke runs in the past, but I find the Pokemon Shield is the best one they’ve done. Especially since a lot of the needless fluff and grinding has been edited out. So unlike some of their previous series you don’t see a lot of Kieran and Grant running in a circle for an hour trying to catch a specific pokemon or trying to get to a certain level.

It’s also hilarious as they have a lot of “house rules” for the Nuzlocke often involving the exercise bike they.... have..... for some reason.

It’s very good and the gym battles become SUPER hype with the Nuzlocke rules and the music.

Baywatching

Having been going to a few years now, watch Allison try her very best to go through and do a video series where she talks about summarises every episode of Baywatch.

.... Ever. Single. Episode.

She’s not even close to done yet (and now she’s introduced Baywatch Nights AS WELL) but her trying to explain the batshit insanity of this show, it’s over the top characters, it’s insane plots and behind the scenes weirdness with all the enthusiasm and love for this slice of 90s is amazing. Please enjoy a good thick chunk of inside jokes, silly character voices, and a whole lot of ?????

Brutal Moose: Shenmue

Probably one of the most chill channels on all of Youtube, Brutal Moose aka Ian, prefers playing games you wouldn’t think would make for good Let’s Plays. And maybe they don’t, objectively. A collection of playlists covering Truck Simulator, Nancy Drew, Hidden Object games etc etc, spliced in with old commercials from drive in theaters from the 50s,60s and 70s. Ian’s Let’s Play channel is great for just putting on and letting play for company while you’re drawing or grinding in a video game or playing Stardew or something.

I recommend his Shenmue playthrough as Ian completely fell in love with the game and went on to play both the sequel and the newly released third game. Ian genuinely adores the weird voice acting and all the menial tasks and mini-games you can do. I watched this a lot in 2018 when I was going through a rough time, and it really helped me in a strange way to just put Ian on and listen to him talk to the chat and drive a forklift around for like 4 hours straight before going to Tomato Mart or wasting all his money on the gacha machines.

A Measured Response to “In Defense of Dark Souls 2″

At some point, big name youtuber Hbomberguy made a video called “In Defense of Dark Souls II”. I’m not subscribed to Hbomberguy but I enjoyed his video on why Sherlock (the BBC show) is trash. (come to think of it I should have added that to the first list). And it seems the video on Sherlock was really good and well argued.... and it seems his “In Defense of Dark Souls 2″ video... was not.

Using subjective language, bad representation of facts, or simply outright getting certain information wrong, Hbomberguy′s video on Dark Souls II is, at best, a man trying to argue that he likes Dark Souls II because it is “Objectively good���, rather than simply accept he likes it... because he likes it.

MauLer is kind of an asshole, but I have learned more about dissecting someone’s argument and deconstructing what they have said watching his response series than I have in any english or debate class I have ever had.

The response is over 10 hours long, but this is because MauLer takes time with each and every statement he takes umbrage with, discussing what is being said, discusses why it is false or dubious, and then compares with actual facts and research.

If you ever want to know how to to distinguish subjective opinion from objective fact in someone else’s argument regarding... ANYTHING really, I highly recommend this series.

I may not like MauLer as a person, but DAMN if he doesn’t know how to deconstruct an argument in a logic, emotionless way.

John Wolfe: Maize

Maize is a stupid game. a Stupid stupid game.

It involves sentient corn, and underground secret genetics lab, a Russian bootleg teddy bear that hates everyone, sentient corn, and a crumpet.

This game IMMEDIATELY went on my wishlist after watching this playthrough. Please watch John try and figure what the actual fuck is going on in this Monty Python-eque weird black comedy. It’s stupid, it’s weird, it’s bizarre and it’s honestly one of the funniest games I’ve seen streamed.

Hollywood: a Celebration of the Silent Era

This is not a youtube playlist. I mean it IS, but what this actually is, is a TV series released in the UK in 1980 covering the Silent Film era. As it was made in 1980, it includes interviews with many of the silent film stars who were often still alive during this documentary’s production. Each episode covers a specific theme of the silent movie era. One episode is about comedies, one is about WWI, one is about Westerns etc etc.

It’s a fascinating series, because it focuses on the silent era which, in modern day, I think many people unfairly think of as “those first few years of movies before movies really became a thing.” And that’s such a shame and really not true. The artistry, camera tricks, and raw nature of this early era of film making is so important and produced films which can still be watched today easily, possibly even easier than a few modern movies as often the very fact that the films are silent means they are universal, regardless of what language you speak.

I think an episode or two might have been turned to private or copyright claimed in this playlist, but I know if you do a search on youtube you can find the episode uploaded by someone else.

Diamanda Hagan: Bonekickers

Bonekickers is the show Mathew Graham made before he went on to work on the new Dr. Who. It is about archaeologists and it is God-fucking-Awful.

It is.... look. Ok. I like Archaeology a lot. But this isn’t a show that’s bad “if you like history” or “if you know things about archaeology”. This show is bad because it doesn’t make a single fucking lick of sense, all the characters are awful and terrible, and even if you understand what’s going on in the story you’re still going to be screaming “WHY????” at the screen as each new baffling stupid piece of the puzzle slots into place.

Diamanda Hagan has 0 time for this garbage and she’s going to walk you through each episode to show you how truly horrible this piece of garbage is.

Cry Plays: Ori and the Blind Forest

With Ori and the Will of the Wisps releasing recently, now is a great time to go and watch Cry playthrough the first Ori game. an absolutely gorgeous piece of work with a beautiful soundtrack and really likeable character designs and a sweet story, Ori is a great game to put on, sit back, and just let it wash over you. Cry’s playthrough is also great because although its a Metroidvania game, Cry fast forwards the parts where he backtracks for a long period of time, so you don’t get stuck watching him run back and forth as he tries to figure out where to go next or anything like that.

Cry also recently started playing the sequel as well!

If you enjoyed this list at all, please consider tipping me for a coffee

☕️ Ko-fi ☕️

[ialwayscomewhenyoucall]

I wanna wake up where you are...

winterhawk

rated: mature

~1.4k

“I should probably go.”

Bucky’s arm, wrapped firmly around Clint’s middle, pulls him somehow closer to his own chest. How does Clint, the taller and ganglier of the two, always end up as the little spoon?

“You don’t have to,” Bucky murmurs, the vibration of his lips on the back of Clint’s neck sending shivers down his spine.

Clint halfheartedly tries to pull away, but finds himself weakening. Every time they do this it gets harder to go, to get dressed and go to his own place. It’s not the distance--if he doesn’t feel like going to his apartment across town he can go to his floor here, and it’s only down a few flights of stairs. If he’s feeling lazy it’s only an elevator ride, although it’s hardly worth the wait for the car. It’s not comfort--yeah, Bucky’s bed is comfortable, and Clint is sometimes envious of his sheets, but his own bed is comfortable too. And the pillow is just the way he likes it.

No, it’s not inconvenience or comfort. It’s that he just doesn’t want to leave the warm bed with the hot as hell supersoldier in it.

But they’re just friends, right? This isn’t any kind of a relationship.

They fight bad guys together. They play video games and order pizza, and yeah, they often sit next to each other on movie nights, but that’s just because they usually come in together and oh fuck they are in a relationship.

He flips through the past few months in his mind. He’d introduced Bucky to some of his favorite movies of the 80s and 90s, sometimes with the team but sometimes at his place, or Bucky’s. They’d sit together and eat popcorn, critiquing acting abilities and writing and film styles. They’d spent countless hours of target practice together, seeing who could get the best score. It was comparing apples and oranges, of course, with them using different weapons, but they did it anyway. They’d sat in silence on slow, easy mornings, drinking coffee. Bucky sipped slowly, Clint downed his half a cup at a time, but it accomplished the same thing.

And then, after a particularly harrowing mission, they’d fallen into bed together.

Not that there’d been an actual bed involved. Not that time, at least. They’d both been riding high on adrenaline--saving the day will do that to a body. They were still on the scene, clean-up crews everywhere, when a damaged gargoyle gave up hanging on to the church it had been clinging to for decades--or possibly centuries--and crashed to the alley below. Clint and Bucky had been checking out the alley for stragglers and had walked directly into its path, but Bucky heard it falling at the last second and pulled Clint out of the way. They ended up with him against the wall and Clint pressed up against him, chest to chest, faces inches apart. They both could feel the charge from the contact, could see the blown pupils and pure want on the face of the other. Clint raised his eyebrows in a “are we really doing this?” look.

Bucky, accepting the challenge, grabbed Clint by the hair and mashed their mouths together.

There had been no finesse, that first time. How much subtlety, how much artistry, can there be in a rubble-strewn alley? It had been all hands and mouths, all tongues and teeth. Zippers pulled and fabric ripped. Neither one of them had lasted long, there was just too much.

And they didn’t talk about it after. Not that first time. But they kept going back to each other.

After the first time things were slower. Deeper. More...intimate. Still frantic with need, still fueled by that charge they got when they touched, but somehow more about the journey than the destination. (Well, okay. Maybe it became about the journey and the destination.)

But it was still just...sometimes. And Clint didn’t stay the night, because they were just friends.

Right?

All this runs through Clint’s mind within a few heartbeats, and before he can say anything Bucky’s pulling him, impossibly, even closer. He throws a leg over Clint’s legs, and begins ghosting his lips against Clint’s skin again.

“I won’t make you stay,” he says, and Clint can feel the heat of his breath, a sharp counterpoint to the chill of the air conditioned air on his sweat-sheened skin. “I’d never make you stay. Never. But I want you to stay. I want to fall asleep with you, to get kicked or elbowed or whatever when you thrash around while you’re sleeping; I want to hold you when you have a nightmare and to wake up with you in the morning.”

“I’m horrible in the morning,” Clint says without thinking. “Until I have coffee.”

Bucky laughs, and Clint can feel the rumble of it resonating from Bucky’s chest and into his back. “I have seen you in the morning before, you know. I know at least partially what I’m getting into. How often have I been the one to hand you that first cup of coffee?”

Staying within Bucky’s hold, Clint rolls over until they are face to face. He puts a hand against Bucky’s chest, the thump-thump thump-thump of Bucky’s heart under his palm, and says, “I thought...I always go away because I didn’t want you to think I was being clingy. That I’d...caught feelings.”

There’s laughter in Bucky’s eyes, but his voice stays even when he says, “And have you? Caught feelings, I mean?”

Clint knows the look on his face is ridiculous. “Yes.”

Bucky rolls him onto his back in the span of a heartbeat, and then he’s on top of him, kissing him so thoroughly that he can barely breathe. Not that he cares. This would be an excellent way to die.

“You’re an idiot,” Bucky says when he pulls back to take a breath. “We’re both probably idiots, but I think you get the prize. What did you think it meant that I kept making you coffee, asking you if you wanted to go to the range with me, sitting with you at movie nights. Have you ever seen me play Mario Kart with anyone else?”

“In my defense,” says Clint, grasping at straws, “you never...I don’t know, tried to hold my hand. Or put your arm around me at movie night.”

Bucky buries his face in Clint’s neck for a moment. The sound that comes from deep in his chest is somewhere between a growl and a groan. “I’ve never held hands with anyone. I’ve never really had...anyone.” He looks Clint in the eyes. “Before, when I was a kid...things were different. There were sometimes guys I met up with in dark places, but there was never anything special. It was too terrifying to be special. Everything was secret.”

“Oh, fuck. I didn’t...Bucky, I didn’t even think.” Now Clint wants to hide, but with Bucky on top of him there aren’t many options. “You’re right, I am an idiot. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Quiet is fine. Secret is fine. Whatever you--”

Bucky stops him with a kiss. Just a small one this time, but it’s effective enough.

“Sweetheart,” he says, and Clint warms at the nickname. “Stop babbling.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t want to hide. If this, with us, is really a thing--”

“It is,” Clint interrupts.

Bucky’s smile is soft. “If it’s really a thing, then I want everyone to know. And I’ll hold your hand whenever I want, no matter who else is looking.” He raises his eyebrows questioningly. “Yeah?”

Clint quests around in the sheets until he finds Bucky’s hand, then laces their fingers together. “Yeah,” he says.

“And you’ll stay the night?” Clint can hear the hesitancy in Bucky’s voice.

“Whenever you want,” Clint says. After a beat he says, “I’m gonna take my aids out now, if we’re actually going to sleep.”

“I suppose I can let you sleep now,” Bucky says with a wink. “I make no promises for later.”

 *

“You sure about this?” Clint asks. He pushes back the curtain of hair that’s keeping him from seeing Bucky’s eyes.

Bucky nods, his jaw set. Stubborn. Clint runs his thumb along that jaw, rough with stubble, and Bucky relaxes at the touch. Just a bit, but it’s enough.

“Okay then.” He tilts Bucky’s chin up enough to brush his lips across Bucky’s; a promise for things to come.

They lace their fingers together and push open the stairwell door, walking onto the common floor side by side.

****

Author’s note: Yeah, this whole thing happened because I've been feeling nostalgic lately and have been listening to 90s music...and somehow got Slide stuck in my head. (And yes, I know the song is about a pregnant girl. Still...)

I wanna wake up where you are, I won't say anything at all... -Slide, The Goo Goo Dolls

[fangsmyth]

100 character development questions || no longer accepting

to save time and space imma be real and just... shove these all in one post under a read more because i got a LOT of these ( tysm!! i love talking about this piece of shit literally ask me anything any time any day of the week i’d be happy to answer )

sooo here we go!

nsfw and unsanitary mentions under the cut

@haemoneiron sent:

002. Do they do anything to celebrate their birthday?

ehhh he’ll call it a celebration, but lanque really doesn’t do much of anything different from what he normally does. he probably won’t even vocalize the fact that it’s his wriggling day, just look around to see if anyone’s already throwing a party that he can crash. if not, on alternia he probably just drank heavily in his room and played edm way too loudly.

here, he’ll probably just go to some bar and fuck somebody. so... what he does pretty much every day

016. What is their choice of weapon?

teeth! teeth! teeth! teeth! teeth! no fr if he had to pick an actual physical weapon it’d probably be a knife or a dagger, definitely something sharp and intimate...... like teeth. i say a lot that lanque isn’t a fighter but he can and will kill if he needs to

044. What disgusts them?

mainly just bad kinks! bad kinks being scat, vomit, piss, and inc*st/p*dophilia i know that’s everyone but what he considers genuinely revolting is just that specific. also people that don’t really bathe/clean themselves

---

@anglerfishnabe sent:

031. Are they superstitious about anything?

ehhh, nah i feel like lanque will see a string of bad luck as a sign that he should just go home for the rest of the day, but i don’t think it would reach much further than that. he’s definitely into people that are superstitious, and taking advantage of ‘signs from the universe’ and shlocky stuff like that, but i don’t think he really personally believes in all of that stuff. lanque is a lot of things, but spiritual is not one of them

034. What’s their view of lying?

he doesn’t see the problem in little white lies that won’t hurt anyone, especially if it gets him what he wants. ( see him HONESTLY trying to tell mspa reader he’s a virgin )

but if people lie about things that will have reaching consequences that will hurt other people, that’s just... really shitty. he does this very rarely if he’s especially desperate to get some sort of reaction out of someone, but generally speaking when he wants to hurt people and make them feel bad about themselves he points out truths based on what he gauges from observation.

---

@feraldeus sent:

013. Have they ever been bullied or teased?

yes! very much so! a lot! to the bitter end, actually! his entire cloister does have valid complaints like how he probably comes back drunk a lot of the time and has a tendency to stir the pot just to see what happens, but lynera honest to god just... hates him so much because of all the attention he garners from bronya she tended to shit talk him behind his back.

i’d imagine part of his reason behind finding it so important to be honest with how he tears someone in half is because of how much it secretly hurt him that lynera spread the occasional lie attempting to leave bronya thinking he’s beyond saving.

not only that, but i’d imagine when he was younger he probably got picked on a lot for crying and being so emotionally vulnerable and open which is why he’s so guarded now!

---

@haruakifusaishi sent:

012. What makes your character embarrassed?

openly and honestly expressing his feelings as shown in the above. generally any positive, warm feelings towards anyone are humiliating as all hell and not in the kinky way. he hates being caught being sappy or expressing romance in the sweet way he does behind closed doors.

with that, honestly if anyone that knows him for his sex drive and general hedonistic tendencies found out about his poetry readings or pretty much any of his written poetry he’d just die! that’d be the end for him!

068. How strong is your character’s sense of responsibility? What kinds of things trigger it?

lanque never feels responsibility for himself or the need to own up to his own actions at all, honestly. his entire kink is being sexy and irresponsible. he primarily feels a sense of responsibility for others’ actions significantly more than his own.

like if he witnesses someone being dishonest or just doing something generally shitty, he feels like it’s his responsibility to call them out since no one else has the balls to do it. if it looks like someone’s going to put themselves in danger, he’ll warn them. if he cares enough about them, he might go out of his way to physically drag them out of it.

it’s all in the moment things, his responsibility is never thought about or premeditated in any way!

073. In a novel, what plot role would your character fill? (hero, anti-hero, sidekick, villain, etc.)

ehhhh i wanna say anti-hero, but at the same time that could be me being inherently biased. i feel like it’d be significantly more interesting if he were a foil for any protagonist, i just seriously doubt he’d ever be the main character in anything as much as he would have the bravado of someone that wants to be?

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@enradiant sent:

026. What do they consider ugly in others personality-wise?

lying fake bitches!!!! people that try to suck up to people just to get a leg up on others!!!!!! hypocrites!!!!!!! shitheads that aren’t at least a little self-aware!!!!!!!!!!! people that ask too many questions, fuck off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

027. What is their idea of perfect happiness?

oh god that’s a good question can i take a raincheck i dunno, just a life without any kind of fear or anger? having a perfect soulmate that’s willing to do whatever? everything is going the right way? ultimately he feels perfect happiness is impossible and unrealistic since happiness is never constant and sustainable? uuuugh tbh it’s probably something he’d never consider because he thinks it’s so dumb and not gonna happen

059. List several phrases your character is fond of uttering. Where did they pick them up?

i only use like one of these but let’s play in the space and add some lines i should definitely be using more

“ hey, baby. ” i guarantee you he got this from some movie or game i just can’t put my finger on which one. i hear it so clearly in my head every time i type it out i just hear some chick’s voice i just can’t put my finger on who it is she’s high pitched and horny i just know it’s not catherine it’s either jessie from huniepop or one of her lines in huniecam studio i’m so fucking stupid

“ will you help me feel alive? ” or something along those lines, i feel like it was from some vampire drama on the cw can you tell that i don’t know anything this is just the single sexiest line in his fucking route i’m so angry about it my pants were already off

“ it’s one thing to not want something. it’s another to be told you can’t have it. ” i cheated this one’s from how i met your mother i’m a fucking asshole but he would totally say something in this wheelhouse either to himself or to someone he’s trying to convince

“ we’re only alive once. ” a classier way of saying yolo don’t fucking @ me

“ vampires are always in some kind of trouble. i prefer to be in it with you. ” this is a weekly reminder that i really need to watch true blood

“ i’m all yours, do whatever you want to me. ” it’s jessie huniepop again please he’s just so horny

074. What is your character’s favorite game?

would it be cheesy to say the game/art of pick-up artistry? like convincing people he’s worth their time and that they really wanna forget about their troubles if only for just one night? i feel like lanque finds a lot of fun in the thrill of the chase! he's usually extremely disappointed by how rare it is for someone to actually leave him satisfied, but the last thing he wants to do is consider something a waste of time. sometimes you gotta find the fun

076. How do they express anger?

he doesn’t, or at least not in terms of any sort of emotional projection. lanque isn’t usually someone to hide if something pissed him off. he’ll wait for someone to realize, and if they don’t and/or keep doing the thing he’ll just tell them ‘hey this was really shitty, stop it.’ 

---

@plumbacks asked:

011. How would your character court the person of their dreams?

as in how he would act in the relationship? terribly. lanque is already really bad in regular relationships and flings, but when he’ll find the one he will be an absolutely deliberate fucking mess. he’ll dig up information just to use it against them, try and express every single one of their flaws (even when they’re flaws he actually kind of likes) he will do anything to get out of that relationship.

he’ll use his poetry as a last resort, intentionally trying to come across as overly possessive and clingy (i mean he already is, but i’m talking like yuri doki doki levels. an intentional exaggeration of his clingyness to attempt to scare them off) but when they just accept it and say that it’s fine, he’d probably blow up at first!

lanque would break up with them!!! all the time!!! the worst on again off again relationship ever!!! it would take a ton of patience for someone that he really adores to get settled into the more genuine, sappy romance he really wants to have. taking them out on trips to the countryside, laughing and sharing picnics with fine wine, discussing books and even trying to write ones together

but getting to that point will take ages! it’s not worth it!!!

[realityhelixcreates]

Lasabrjotr Chapter 13: Baited Traps and Telling Dreams

  Chapters: 13/? Fandom: Thor (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Warnings: Nothing, I Think Relationships: Loki x Reader (But not yet) Characters: Loki (Marvel), Thor (Marvel), OFC, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Clint Barton Additional Tags: Post-Endgame: Best Possible Ending, Writer Wants to Make a Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok Joke but Never Finished the Book, Look Dude the Avengers Don’t Like You, Deal With It, Loki Makes a Hasty Declaration Summary: Loki begins his investigation, Reader deals with being injured.

“Hear me, loyal followers!” Loki addresses the gathered encampment. ”You who persevere through cold nights, you who make your devotion known with your presence! I have need of your assistance in an important matter!”

Perhaps he was laying it on a bit thick, but it had netted him the attention of every human in the camp; even the little worm he had berated before.

“Just this morning, outside the city, an attempt was made on the life of my…”He hesitated for just a moment. “My Seidkona. Perhaps some you remember her? She came out among you a month ago. This craven assailant then stole a horse, and rode back this way. He used this blade.”

Loki produced the offending weapon and held it out for inspection.

“I will not require you to throw the coward at my feet this instant; I would not expect any of you to put yourselves in that kind of danger. However, if any of you have information, I expect it to be delivered to any of the gate guards very soon. Until then, go about your business, with my blessing.”

A few of them winced at that last part, which filled him with a dark satisfaction. So there were intelligent individuals out here after all, those who might understand that the blessing of the God of Mischief may have many edges.

Let them band together or tear each other apart now; it didn’t matter. As long as he got what he was after, who cared how these mortals produced it?

He left them to their tents and fires, marching back through the city, glaring at practically everyone who approached him.

That was one possibility set in motion. Hopefully the strength of their faith would allow the campers to turn on one of their own, if one of them was really the culprit. He would see that a handsome reward would go to any of them that provided information. The camp humans hadn’t been shown any special regard so far, but keeping them firmly on the side of the gods might be more advantageous than he had previously thought. They had to know every human in the area, because they were every human in the area.

Loki made straight for the large library, where, on his orders, most of the remaining Asgardian historians were gathered. Here, he presented the blade once more, bidding them to search any sources they might have, to discover if the weapon had any known history. If it had come from within Asgard, they had the best chance of finding out.

That was the second possibility. If any of his Asgardian enemies were behind this, he would not show them mercy either. You were human, but you were under Crown protection. An attack on you was treason, and no matter how above the law some families thought they might be, he was all too willing to remind them of how wrong they were.

Now for the most annoying part. Passing the guards and entering the sparse, shrine-like computer room, he switched the machine on and entered his own password. He brought up a video call, and waited.

Tony Starks’ smug, stupid face popped up on the screen.

“Hey Thor, you need a genius today or wh-“ He noticed who he was talking to. “Oh, fuck off!”

He stormed away from the camera, quickly replaced by Pepper.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Potts.” Loki said evenly. “Good to see a professional.”

“Kiss my titanium ass!” Tony shouted from offscreen.

“Er, what can I do for you?” She asked, eyes flicking to the side as Tony began going into a full rant. “I’m sorry, it looks like I need to transfer you. One moment.”

“No, we don’t apologize to him! We do not-“

The screen blacked out for a moment, coming back online in an entirely different part of the tower.

“Hello? Who is…hm.” A familiar face and voice went from curious, to cold in no time flat. Loki smiled, but not in a friendly manner.

“Hello, Clint.” He said in a low, gentle voice. “How are you doing today?”

“I was better twenty seconds ago. What do you want?”

“I would not assume you are ignorant of what is happening in my area of the world. Why would I call?”

“Either something is rotten in the state of Asgard, or something concerns the woman you stole. So which is it? Straight talk; I don’t have the time or patience for your knotted speech, so just get to the heart of it.”

Insufferable. Why couldn’t Banner have been there? He could at least talk to Bruce. This was going to be like flinging words at a wall.

Loki explained what had happened, playing up your vulnerability, and the injustice and cowardice of your attacker. Clint had a soft heart underneath all his skill; he would want to help you, even though he had never met you.

“What I want to know is if she had any enemies among her peers that would have the means to get here. Or alternately, if you know of anyone who would make an attempt on her for being close to my brother and I.”

“Oh yeah, that’s not a huge number of possible suspects or anything. Let me just get right on that, it’s not like I have anything else to do for the rest of my life.”

“I didn’t say it had to be you specifically, but if you are volunteering…”

“I’ll see what can be done. No guarantees.”  Hawkeye then abruptly ended the call.

Loki sighed at the blank screen. The only consolation was that eventually, this entire generation of humanity would die, and he might be able to make a fresh start.

Now to wait.

No, now to check on you.

                                                                                  *****

 Loki led you gently by the hand through the most lavish building you had ever seen. There were entire gilded rooms, glowing, warm; tapestries as long as the halls, gloriously detailed in the history of Asgard. Every floor a mosaic, every pillar carved with the delicacy of lace. Foreign music floated on the air.

You felt as if you were floating as well, wrapped in loose clothing, light on your feet. Loki wouldn’t let you make any sudden moves, bidding you to just walk slowly and take in everything around you.

You were vaguely aware of a stiff feeling in your back, of your surroundings being smaller than they appeared. Loki’s scent was all around you, comforting. Here, you had no fears. In this beautiful palace, he ruled, and you were safe. No sickness, no dead fields, no evil; just tender hand-holding, and justified pride in thousands of years of Asgardian artistry.

Your clothing tangled around your legs, but you didn’t fall. A sheet? You were wearing a sheet? And bandages? You could feel them around your torso, not too tight, but enough to be noticeable.

The music changed, fading into a low hum. You had heard this before, in the medical wing. Bjarkehild had described a machine that showed everything that might be wrong with a patient. She’d called it a ’Soul Forge’, explained that what they had now was a very stripped down version of it. Like the Bifrost, it was one of the things they were slowly rebuilding, always improving upon.

Were they near the medical area of the palace? What wonders might be there? You asked if you could go see it, and Loki simply smiled and nodded.

The place he led you to was just as lovely as the rest of the palace; clean and sterile, but not lifeless, decorated in soft, calming colors. You’d spent a lot of time in doctor’s offices and hospitals over the past year, but none of them had seemed so comforting.

Loki scooped you up and placed you on one of the beds. It was so soft and warm. The sheet spread out around you. He tucked it up around your shoulders, sat down next to you, and took your hand again, under the sheet.

If only you could stay like this. Safe and unafraid. Warm. Happy.  You knew it couldn’t last; you lived a life of impermanence. Once you opened your eyes, this would all be gone.

You opened your eyes to find yourself only partially correct. You were in a bed, and you were in the medical area. You were in a sheet, and wrapped in bandages. Loki was there, and he was holding your hand under the sheet.

But there was no ancient palace, no beautiful art or architecture. And unlike what you now realized was a dream, you were still filled with fear and apprehension.  You drew your hand away.

“Ah, you’re awake.” Loki said, standing to hover over you, worry in his tight expression. “How do you feel?”

“Not sure yet.” You said, groggy. “What happened to me?”

“We were attacked. Some craven bastard threw a knife at you.”

“Oh. I thought it felt like getting punched by a fist made of wasps.” You said. You didn’t mention that a sneaky knife attack sounded like the kind of thing Loki would do. Perhaps it was only ‘craven’ when someone else was doing it.

“Did you hit the horse?”

Loki sighed and sat back down. “No. You actually guaranteed that wouldn’t happen. Not that I would have struck the animal anyway; my aim is always precise.”

“I messed up your throw. Sorry.”

“Oh, a bit more than that, I’m pleased to say. You performed your first feat of independent magic. Teleportation. You brought my blade right back to me. It was very tidy, but you’ve had an excellent teacher, so I expect no less.”

So smug. You would have found it endearing, if you weren’t so caught up in yourself.

“It doesn’t hurt as much as I thought.” You said. “Don’t get me wrong, it hurts a lot, but I thought it would be more debilitating.”

“The knife did not penetrate far. Luckily, our assailant was clumsy with his throw, and left you with no more than a nasty cut. The only reason you are here right now is because dealing with a sudden injury and with sudden magic fatigue at the same time overwhelmed you. But you will be fine now. Look, I have grapes.”

He handed you a little bowl full of the green and purple fruits, which you dug into ravenously.

“I can teleport?”

“You can teleport objects, at least. Small ones. But perhaps bigger, with time. Perhaps even something as big as yourself, someday.”

“So…kinda like a little, walking Bifrost?” You wondered. Loki went silent, mouth opened, mouth closed, absorbing the idea.

“That is actually a very interesting thought. What a clever little thing you are! Look at how your value grows. A movable Bifrost would be precious indeed.”

His expression darkened.

“All the more reason to find this enemy and neutralize them. I’ve got several investigations ongoing, but for now…” He placed his hand on top of the sheet, trying to find yours underneath. You moved your hand away.

“I know I have been busy, and you’ve been cooped up like a doll in a closet. But while this threat is still looming, I intend to keep you close by. You may have to sit through some terribly boring official meetings, but at least you will not be alone. It’s either that or being locked into your room, I’m afraid.”

“Is that allowed? I’m not a dignitary or anything. Isn’t some of that stuff secret?”

Loki regarded you with some amusement. “Tell me, what is it you think royalty actually does?”

“I dunno.” You grumbled. “Top secret government stuff.”

“Ha! You think we have garden parties and eat treats all day, don’t you?”

You thought about Hamlet. Lear. Othello. All the blood, the distrust, the betrayal.

“Not exactly. I guess I just don’t know.”

“Prepare to learn. And if you get bored, you can just bring a book.”

You groaned.

                                                                                  *****

Loki had been right: some of these meetings were super boring. You couldn’t understand most of what was being said; only when Thor or Loki were using their ‘allspeak’ magic. Even then, you only got their parts of the conversation.

Loki had dressed you up like you were something special, but it hardly seemed to matter. The people meeting with the brothers either ignored you completely, or seemed annoyed that you were there at all, no matter how you looked. Maybe he’d just done it for his own pleasure. He had referred to you as a doll, after all.

One fellow in particular seemed very displeased to see you there, and had a lengthy-and if Loki’s expression was any indication-impertinent argument about your presence. Loki had used Allspeak the entire time. Either he wanted you to know how disgusted this man was by you, or he wanted you to know he was defending you.

“It is final, Alarr.” He said firmly. “It is not your concern.”

The man, Alarr, bristled and huffed, speaking back with obvious disrespect.

“Actually, you do.” Thor said. “He is my brother, my advisor, my second-in-command. He is your prince, and it is important that everyone remembers that, especially people with your influence. It is of utmost importance that we remain united as we rebuild. There are too many people who would see us divided.”

Alarr gesticulated broadly. You thought you heard the name Odin somewhere in the tirade.

“This is all true. However, these times are different from our golden age, and calls for a different kind of leadership. Even our father grew weary of conquering and made sincere attempts at peace. So too, will we. But it must start with tolerance for the presence of the people who were here before us. There will not be another Nornheim.”

Alar stroked his braided, blonde beard. He was clearly still displeased, but seemed to acquiesce, though he shot suspicious glances at you for the rest of the meeting. He seemed to be demanding that the camp be removed, viewing them as a safety hazard, a possible harbor for enemies.

To your relief, both king and prince believed that to be unreasonable and unnecessary. Not to mention unsustainable.

“How many Einherjar do you propose we remove from their posts and their training, to fruitlessly patrol the fens in search of itinerant humans?” Loki asked. “And by what rights do we remove citizens of this country from land that is still theirs? What measures do you suggest we take to repel them? Do we become violent toward the very people who have harbored us?”

The argument went back and forth, but Loki’s defense of the camp stuck with you. He didn’t even like the people out there. He too, had said that he considered them potentially dangerous. You didn’t see what he got out of defending them. It couldn’t be because of you, and you doubted it was simply because it was the right thing to do.

“He is literally always so unpleasant, all the time, every day.” Loki said, after Alarr had left.

“He’s of the old guard.” Thor said with a shrug. “He will get used to the new ways. There isn’t really any other choice.”

“He’s going to be trouble.” Loki warned. “He does not see me as a legitimate authority, and he barely tolerates you as one.”

“And what do you suggest then? We can’t imprison him for ‘general unpleasantness’. For one thing; we don’t have a prison.”

“What, you guys don’t have spies? Can’t you just watch over him?” You interjected.  They both turned to look at you, their movements almost comically mirrored.

“Eh, never mind.” It wasn’t really your place to speak here. Who knew, maybe all their spies had been killed in the destruction of Asgard, or were trapped offworld, with no Bifrost to bring them back.

“It’s nothing you need worry yourself about.” Loki said. “You needn’t worry about anything.”

Or do anything, if the entire boring day was any indication. At least Loki and Thor got to talk to people, even get into interesting debates. You got to sit still and say nothing. You couldn’t even get really comfortable, the slash across your back twanging every time you put any kind of pressure on it.

He was probably just trying to reassure you of your safety, but the boredom was almost torture. You could have stayed locked in your room and been safe enough. At least then, you could have had a nap. But Loki insisted on keeping you within arms’ reach. The attack must have really spooked him.

You probably should have felt more conflicted about it than you did. Someone had tried to kill you! Or, at least, someone had tried to hurt one of the two of you. Loki could not be ruled out as the intended target of that knife either.

Oh, he had been so ticked off, demanding to know if you had seen the danger coming, if you had tried to protect him with your body. You had told him how stupid that was; he was thousand times tougher than you, he could take a knife without needing your help. That seemed to mollify him, but now you wondered if you should have lied and gotten yourself locked up.

Again, at least you could have taken a nap.

Loki left his chair to crouch before you.

“Are you hungry? Do you hurt?” His hand stroked down your back, causing you to wince away. “Oh, you do hurt. Do we have anything that can alleviate pain?”

“We need to stock up on some human medications for you.” Thor said. There was a sort of sparkle in his good eye as he watched his brother. “They’re completely ineffective to us, I’m afraid.”

“Er, speaking of that, I’m definitely going to need some, uh, feminine hygiene products.” You hadn’t wanted to talk about this, but there wasn’t any getting around it. “I’ve got the insert, but it takes a little while to dry everything up.”

Both brothers stared at you, baffled.

“I know what all of those words mean individually…”Loki began.

You sighed. “I think I need to talk to Bjarkehild.”

[kinsbin]

Movie Night

Title: Movie Night Ship: Johnny Cage/Alexys [Self Insert/Canon] Word Count: 2058 Summary: Johnny and Alexys plan for their annual movie night, with a selection of good monster movies and a plan to kiss during all of them. Pure fluff.

A/N: A commission for @bad-blue-moon-rising! She’s slowly getting me into mortal kombat and it is a TIME

Movie nights were, more or less, a tradition now.

Alexys would call it a testament to their relationship, in a peculiar sort of way. The endless entertainment both herself and her boyfriend seemed to garner from the animated or live-action features always drew them closer together. It was important to how they first met and, hell, it would be important for the rest of their time together certainly. There was something about being able to forget about the outside world that warmed her heart. Of cuddling into a pile of blankets with her boyfriend and being able to exist only in that pure bubble of momentum and delight. The mere idea brought a smile to her lips as she imagined a life where they could be together comfortably. To always have movie nights. To be...she dared say normal...but what life was normal with Johnny Cage?

Her thoughts were interrupted when a hand fell against her wrist, pulling her back against a strong chest as a chin rested on the top of her head. She could feel the taught muscles of the body against her go lax the moment they made contact, the warmth of their shared heat nothing short of delightful as she exhaled outwards and smiled. Reaching up, she felt the arm around her and squeezed it, half hugging the being behind her in the best way that she could as she also tried to focus on the hot popcorn bag she had been pouring into a bowl before hand.

“Johnny,” She managed out through a small fit of laughter that only seemed to grow as his lips descended on her neck, “I’m trying to make us popcorn!”

“And I’m trying to kiss you,” He purred back with a smirk that she could feel on her neck, “Looks like we’re both doing pretty good at what we decided to try, eh?”

“Easy for you to say! You don’t have hot butter near your fingers, now either help or sit on the couch.” She giggled and smacked his arm playfully. Johnny laughed back at her before relenting, raising himself upwards and off of her body so that he was at her side rather than behind her. Alexys looked up and admired the face of the man before her, muscled with a curved and perfectly kissable jaw that she loved and adored so much. Without his signature sunglasses covering his eyes, she was able to note the soft laughter lines that trailed from underneath his pupils to down on his lips, admiring their movements as he stretched his face between words and expressions. They were always so fascinating and, somehow, so melancholy to see on him all at once...it was interesting.

“Hey, Ripley, you’re spacing out on me.” He joked as he snapped his fingers in front of her, drawing her out from her momentary enamorment of his face. HIs grin was wider now than it was before, “I know I’m good looking but, dang darling, you’re gonna make me blush if you keep those doll-eyes up on me.”

Alexys felt her face heat up with intense redness, her gaze pulling itself away so that he wouldn’t catch the effects it had on her as a whole. He did, however, because he was just that good. Because he was Johnny Fucking Cage. And he bit back a laugh as he instead returned to hugging her, his lips this time finding her cheeks and nuzzling into her temple with a purr, “Don’t be so embarrassed, doll, I think it’s incredibly adorable. Goes with the rest of you~.”

“Stop being a sap and tell me what movies you brought over,” She laughed it off with a grin, turning to kiss his nose in retaliation. After a moment of sputtering and laughter over the sudden kiss attack he had been the victim of,  he recovered by removing his hands from her in a gesture of surrender before reaching around to the messanger bag he had set unceremoniously on the ground before wrapping himself around his lover. When he rummaged through it, he eventually pulled out two DVD cases with a wide, delighted smile.

“Aliens and Big Ass Spider. Classics.”

“One of these things is certainly not like the other,” Alexys managed out with a bubbling laugh over the ridiculous title of the second one, admiring the way its cover displayed its concept almost too perfectly. A large, comically photoshopped tarantula whose eight legs were busy crushing cars as people ran in mock terror was organized on the front, along with the name of the movie in comic sans font and the head actors who, surprisingly, were no one Johnny actually knew. Well, not so surprisingly perhaps. It was a very niche movie.

“One is a cinematic masterpiece filled with beautiful acting, a strong female lead, and a fearsome inhuman foe ready to kick the ass of everyone in its way,” Johnny declared, “And the other is Alien.”

Alexys cackled at the comparison, her hand flying over her mouth to stop the laughter as she shook her head. Johnny’s own laughter echoed heartily against the kitchen as they shared the moment of giggles together. It was moments like this, she admitted with ease and delight, that she loved these movie nights most of all. The feeling of laughing with the man she loved, the strong earthen defender who had somehow fallen for her...It was almost normal. A sweet sense of normalcy that she had craved time and time again amongst fights and bloody fists and watching him come home with blood that wasn’t his across his torso...It was something else, certainly.

It was almost homey.

“Go put it on the TV,” Alexys sighed, “I’ll finish getting the popcorn.”

“And the soda!” Johnny called out before exiting the kitchen to the living room with a grin, sending a sharp wink her way before complying to set up their featured films. Alexys smiled as he went, watching him as he began to juggle the two DVDs in his hands, knowing she was staring behind him. Knowing that she knew he was showing off. She laughed again before gathering the popcorn up into its bowl and melting some butter to go with it.

The snacks organized and balancing precariously in her hand with some sodas, Alexys meandered her way towards the couch, where Johnny had already set himself up comfortably, DVD in and remote in hand prepared to hit play on the feature whenever his girlfriend gave the okay. He reached over to nab the sodas from her, smiling as she sighed with relief and was able to put the popcorn down with no spillage to its contents. “Gotta say, doll,” He joked while putting one of the buttered popcorn pieces into his mouth, “You know how to butter me up.”

“That joke was as corny as these kernels.” Alexys chided with a laugh at the joke either way, making Johnny grin and lean forward to press a kiss to her cheek, which she accepted happily with a hum of approval.

“So which cinematic masterpiece are we watching first?”

“If we watch Alien first, it’ll only enhance the pure artistry of Big Ass Spider,” Johnny reasoned, the shit-eating grin on his lips stretching further when Alexys rolled her eyes and shrugged to indicate that she was fine with that order of business, perhaps even a bit happy to be putting off the lesser horror movie for a couple hours longer as she pushed herself closer to Johnny and snuggled up into is side. Johnny felt the tips of his ears glow a bright red at how close she was, at how he could feel her body press on him, and he could only cough between a subtle remark of how he was going to press play.

The movie started in the way it always did, for they had seen Alien together more times than Alexys could actually count on her fingers. She considered it a bonding movie in one way or another, the joy to which the both of them had in quoting the entirety of it line for line and laughing at the parts that  did not hold up to modern day cinematic standards was a delightful way to offset the true tension and terror the Xenomorph could instill upon them to that day. Alexys felt Ripley’s lines falling from her lips, word for word, while Johnny seemed to read for everyone else. It had been their fifth time watching it together when she had acquired the teasing nickname of ‘Ripley’ by her star of a boyfriend, happy to hear her quote words in and out of the comfort of their home. Happy to hear her excited about whatever she was talking about.

Happy to be with her.

The thought still rustled in the back of her mind, making her blush at the mere idea of it. Someone like Johnny Cage somehow liked her...It’s how most people would view it, wouldn’t it? When she had met his friends, their first impressions had been something along that nature but now...now? Their shared banter of movie quotes and bad jokes had everyone nodding in understanding. An appreciation to how well they got along permeated the friendship circle endlessly as they continued to stay together.

Alexys leaned in further against Johnny’s chest, her breath hitching as the climax of the movie set itself into place and Ripley was facing off against the Xenomorph at long last. The music score crescendoed darkly, emphasizing the already dark parts of the room around them. Johnny watched her out of the corner of his eye, biting back his own smile at just how cute she looked pressed up against him. How her eyes grew wide with tension and excitement and her tongue darted out to lick at her lips while she waited for the part she knew was going to happen occur full force. Her excitement warmed his heart, in a strange way.

His arm found its way around her shoulders, bringing her close to his body and giving him a chance to haphazardly hug her. Alexys startled at the touch, blushing brightly but smiling as she snuggled into his body. He pressed his head to the top of hers, kissing and inhaling the scent of her soft hair as they watched the rest of the movie together. Against her, he whispered softly:

“You know it’s popular to kiss during the scary parts. Distracts you from the actual scare.”

“We’ve seen this movie like ten times, Johnny,” Alexys teased, “What are you, a teenager?”

“Maybe at heart,” He laughed back, “But maybe I just really want to kiss you right now. Did you think about that?”

She averted her gaze biting back a smile with a thoughtful hum for comedic effect. Johnny laughed, but used the moment to lean in and capture her lips in a kiss. Alexys squeaked, but accepted it. In the background, the final fight scene echoed against her eardrums as Ripley and the Xenomorph attacked one another. As they fought for survival. In the meantime, she put her hands on Johnny’ chest, feeling the solid muscle underneath the loose shirt he wore. Feeling how careful he was being with her, keeping his hands on her shoulder and hips, to bring her as close as possible to him while he kissed her.

When he pulled away, she was breathless. Alexys felt the warmth of her face as she looked up at him, the only saving grace of the embarrassment was the fact that she could see the red tips of his ears and nose as well, showing just how in love he was with her. Showing just what she made him feel.

“I love you,” He finally murmured out, pressing a new and more gentle kiss to her forehead. Alexys sighed with a content breath, snuggling into his chest and reaching for a piece of popcorn, popping it into her mouth and closing her eyes for a moment to relish in the shared care they had for one another.

“I love you, too.”

[theseventhhex]

Alexina Interview

Alexina

Photo by Bree Hart

Soaring between genres whilst maintaining an addictive pop appeal and wistful atmosphere, multi­-instrumentalist and thoroughly gifted Alexina indulges her every musical impulse with prominent promise. Combining relatable lyrics with powerful catchy choruses, beguiling vocals and on-point production, Alexina has arrived equipped with many skilful facets. Pushing the envelope by playing by her own rules, this young and progressive songwriter has an ever-present and self-confident energy alongside a wide variety of inspirations that inform her songs… We talk to Alexina about living in London, being influenced by literature and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3…

TSH: You’re currently in the midst of writing one song a day for the next ten days. What made you settle on this direction?

Alexina: Well, I’m set to be in the studio with Rob Brinkmann for the next few weeks. He’s who I do all of my songwriting and production with and beforehand I thought it would be a good idea to challenge myself in this way. After all, I feel like I’ve grown as a writer and I shouldn’t be relying on people to write songs anymore.

TSH: What intentions do you mainly outline in terms of production?

Alexina: The amazing thing about working with Rob Brinkmann is that he has an incredibly organic way of looking at production. A lot of my EP is synth heavy in terms of sounds but we’ve used a lot of organic instruments as well, there’s a real blend of the two. For instance, we record real drums on an iPhone and then put in processed drums or we’ll record guitar, then distort the guitar and put it through a synth pedal. There’s a real hash mash of different sounds, but every sound is there for a reason.

TSH: What’s at the core of your recent musical expressions?

Alexina: I’m very reactionary writer; something has to hit me to write about it. The bulk of the work that I’m working on now is written about a pretty intense breakup I had about a year ago. The poor guy is still being used as a source of inspiration, ha! But yeah, everything is written from a very personal point of view. Also, I try to discuss things relating to women of my age and the impact of society too - how fucking tough it can be living in London and working at the same time.

TSH: How do your London surroundings impact your music?

Alexina: Living in one of the most expensive cities in the world and trying to be creative at the same time is incredibly difficult. You end up using so much energy only to have just about enough time to be in the studio, but you’ve got to pay rent too. I can’t help but look at my friends around me who aren’t artists and how they make money and constantly strive ahead in terms of their careers. The comparison between yourself and others can be very stark. I sometimes feel like I’m living in a very microscopic environment. I actually grew up in the countryside and in London I get caught up working too much or going out too much. It’s not the best place to be, but there is still so much going on that I draw upon for my artistry.

TSH: Your name of course stems from the Scottish female warrior. How often do you channel your inner Alexina?

Alexina: Whenever I need to feel liberated, ha! The name makes me feel empowered, that’s why I try to write lyrics about real things that are going on. So much music nowadays has no substance to the lyrics and I want to write about stuff that people are going through and that they can relate to.

TSH: What was the process like in fleshing out ‘Partying on My Own’?

Alexina: I wrote this song two months into my breakup with a guy named Paul Usher. We worked in this tiny little studio that had no windows and we were there for two days. I liked working with him but we just couldn’t get anything out - nothing was sticking. Anyhow, I played what I had to Rob Brinkmann and he was so impressed. He told me to rewrite parts of the song and we eventually got it to sound just right. It was written initially in an angsty way and it then turned into this massively powerful song.

TSH: Your track ‘Silent Kill’ was also featured on the Terminal soundtrack starring Margot Robbie...

Alexina: That was crazy! I think the most exciting thing about that song was that I wrote it in four hours. For that song I was given a brief about writing a track for a movie with a slightly 70s and dark feel - almost like a Bond-esque track. This was the first time ever that I’d written a brief to song which I really liked the arrangements on. I’m so proud of it. Oh, and going to the premiere was really cool too.

TSH: Books are also a source of inspiration for you...

Alexina: I’m a massive reader. If I’m lacking in inspiration in terms of fleshing out an idea that I have, I’ll definitely draw on a book that I’ve read. I feel like I’m more of a writer than an artist. Literature is another part of being a musician that gets me so excited. I love how certain authors arrange words with unique combinations; I want to do the same with my music...

TSH: Much like Roald Dahl did with his books...

Alexina: Yes! He is one of my favourite authors of all time. I love his adult short stories like Switch Bitch and Kiss Kiss. They use the same kind of imagination and magic as his kids books but in a very dark and twisted way. I love the dark side of Roald Dahl - the way he can make people feel so uncomfortable and create such a unique feeling.

TSH: And you’re also going to publish a book for children inspired by your dog...

Alexina: Yes, it’s in the middle of being written. It’s really sad because my poor dog got put down a few weeks ago and I really miss him. He’s the only dog we’ve ever had and he’s inspired this children’s series about dog stories. It’s fictional and I kind of twisted the plot. I’ve imagined that he was this young puppy that comes from a spoilt house in London and gets adopted by this really lovely old farmer couple in Scotland. So it’s about an urban dog adapting to the countryside, being spoilt and thinking he knows it all.

TSH: Speaking of the countryside, is the Scottish countryside your go to place to unwind and find clarity?

Alexina: Yeah, definitely. For me coming back to Scotland is like my therapy. I’m more in love with Scotland than anywhere else in the world - it’s so special and it can truly break your heart in the most amazing way.

TSH: Have you managed to revisit and play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 recently?

Alexina: Haha! You know it’s so gutting because that’s a PlayStation 2 game and I’ve got a PS4. I suppose I can maybe download it? I remember back in the day having my tonsils out and I managed to complete the whole series of Pro Skater 3. I was so good at it!

TSH: What sort of preferences do you have in mind for future music?

Alexina: I have always had incredibly big dreams about what I want from being a musician. My main goal right now is just to be able to travel the world and play shows. I fucking love performing and if I can be touring and seeing parts of the world whilst making a little bit of money from music then I’ll be the happiest girl in the world.

Alexina - “Partying On My Own”

Cool Together - Single

[mondkendrick]

Sophia Somajo talks Private Dancer, women in pop and writing with Max Martin

Last week Stockholm-based pop polymath Sophia Somajo released an intimate bleakpop reimagining of Tina Turner’s 80s behemoth Private Dancer, and in the coming weeks she’ll be featured on a fairly high profile collaboration with a song she wrote in the same way she’s written music for many massive pop artists in the past — she imagined someone else would eventually sing it, so she finished the song and moved on.

Ultimately the collaborator liked Sophia’s vocal so much that they persuaded her to stay on the track, and the timing of Private Dancer, the first new music from Sophia’s upcoming Freudian Slip II EP, is no coincidence. “I want Private Dancer to be something you can listen to if you want to know more about me,” she says, but she’s already released an EP and two albums of idiosyncratic, personality-packed original material so at first glance it seems strange to that she hopes to introduce herself to new listeners with a cover version. “I’ve heard Private Dancer a billion times,” Sophia explains, “and I’ve always thought: ‘What a great chorus, but what’s up with the saxophone?’ Then one day I listened to it differently.”

Sophia’s ears opened when she heard Tina’s version on the radio during a late-night cab journey. (Songs always make the most sense in late-night cab journeys and that’s just a pop fact.) “I realised that in my career and in life in general I’ve been dancing, quote unquote, for men,” she says. “I’ve come to realise that in a room where a man has the last word, which is almost every room except the rooms in my apartment, you have to dance, in a way, to be heard. You have to strip. Many times in my career I’ve had meetings with very powerful men where I feel like their interest in me has a lot to do with that energy. The possibility of… Something.”

Sophia spent her early years in Stockholm and lived in Paris for three years in her teens, before a spell in an American high school led to a school concert performance that caught the eye of a parent who also happened to be a record executive.

“I was signed to a development deal but didn’t put out any music because apparently I was ‘stubborn’,” she says today. “I wasn’t comfortable just being a ‘girl singer’, but I was quickly put in with teams of producers and songwriters, and they were always men, and they were always a lot older than I was. They would work nine to five, banging out hits. I’d been writing for years, but wasn’t invited in to write songs at that point, let alone produce. It was always a case of ‘don’t touch the buttons’. Being young and a woman I could only be a singer, and that was it.”

Sophia says that Max Martin, with whose team Sophia’s been working as a writer for about a decade, proved to be a rare exception. “Max is actually one of the few people that isn’t like that at all,” she adds. “He was the one giving me a voice, because he wanted my perspective. He is the one who gave me a chance and treated me like an equal. He gave me my first real honest shot and I’ve seen him use his position again and again to empower women’s roles in the industry, with artists like myself, Tove Lo and Laleh, and with backing The Equalizer Project. But elsewhere, it hasn’t been so positive.”

She talks about producers who’ll want to work with her, but really they’ll just want to meet in a bar over drinks. Then there are the recording sessions that happen to take place in hotel rooms, where she’s invited to stay over. It’s all fucking grim to be honest. “So anyway, “ Sophia says, returning to the theme of Private Dancer, “when I listened to the song in the back of that cab I thought: ‘Yeah. Keep your eyes on the wall, keep your mind on the money and just fucking dance, then go home and have a shower.”

There is, of course, the fact that Private Dancer was written by Mark Knopfler — quite literally, a man. “The whole full-circle irony is that he wrote that song,” Sophia laughs. “I think he did a good job but the irony is genius. It resonated with me. But it’s interesting that so often in popular culture when women relate to women, they’re actually relating to women as interpreted by men. Pop culture shapes us, we all accept that. We grow up listening to music and watching movies. When I think about a lot of my heroes in film, a lot of the time the directors and screenwriters have been men. It’s the same in pop: men write women from a male perspective and young girls shape their identities based on those perspectives.”

Sophia herself is familiar with writing in character. Search for her songwriting credits alongside Max’s team and you’ll only find a few examples, like Robyn’s Time Machine, but that’s because the vast majority of her work has been written under a number of pseudonyms — about ten, she reckons, “and I come up with different characters for each of them.”

One of those characters is Tiffany Amber. Tiffany wrote 3 and Criminal for Britney Spears, for instance, as well as Christina Aguilera’s Your Body. It’s fun to write as Tiffany, Sophia says, because Tiffany feels like she’s farthest from Sophia on the artistic spectrum. “Tiffany Amber does her nails on the regular,” Sophia decides. “She drinks everything through a straw and she’s written for Britney, Christina and Backstreet Boys — all her idols.”

“It’s nothing to do with me being ashamed of these projects,” Sophia says of the multiple pseudonyms. It’s more about managing expectations when it comes to her own work. “If you listen to my first album and think ‘Max Martin’, my music will come off as unfinished and unpolished and, well, just badly executed. If you listen from the perspective of ‘here’s a DIY artist with little or no budget experimenting in her bedroom and she has no professional training’, you can maybe hear something.”

She made a rare exception and used her own name on Time Machine by Robyn — “a Swedish artist who’s really paved the way for me and so many other Swedish artists.”

There are hints of Robyn’s vision, artistry and fearlessness in what Sophia’s been doing since 2008’s The Laptop Diaries but last year’s Freudian Slip felt like her most fully-realised moment yet so it seems reasonable to have high hopes for Freudian Slip II. In the meantime, Sophia’s forthcoming collaboration may introduce her back catalogue to some new ears. “It’s never happened before that I’ve written a song like that and thought, ‘ah, actually, let me sing this’,” she says. “It’s exciting. Maybe there will be a bit of noise around the collaboration, and hopefully my music will be exposed to a larger audience.”

. Private Dancer is out now. Follow Sophia on Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.

from Popjustice https://ift.tt/2QMgKKB

[allofbeercom]

The 20 Best Movie Performances of 2017: A Year of Black, Gay, and Trans Excellence

Despite the raging fire that has swept through Hollywood since Harvey Weinstein’s monstrous behavior finally came to light, if you managed to escape to the cinema this year you may have found more hope for Hollywood’s future. As new sexual misconduct cases arise—and our memories flood with the realization that this industry we celebrate so often has victims whose artistry will never be realized because of the iniquitous systems in place to keep their voices quelled—it’s a wonder that anything actually moving, anything with a soul manages to reach the silver screen.

But 2017 flourished with performances that highlighted what it means to to be a gay man, a trans woman, a black woman, an immigrant who specializes in holistic medicine, an HIV-positive activist, a struggling mother or even a fallen Valkyrie. This week, a Los Angeles Times cover celebrating actresses calling for “a change in the way many stories are told” featured only white actresses on the cover: Margot Robbie, Diane Kruger, Saoirse Ronan, Annette Bening, Kate Winslet, and Jessica Chastain. When called out on it, Chastain responded, “It’s a sad look that there’s no WOC in this pic of us promoting our female lead films. The industry needs to become more inclusive in its storytelling.”

It’s absolutely true: there’s much work to be done in this industry for more inclusion in front of—and even more, behind—the camera. But we as an industry also need to look beyond the Chastains, the Meryl Streeps, etc. when we celebrate the actors who illuminate our spirits. With that in mind, I found a selection of twenty performances this year that bewitched me, made me cry, made me laugh, made me struggle with my own identity or simply made me want to stand up and cheer.

20. Nicole Kidman, The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Nicole Kidman’s best performance this year was in HBO’s Big Little Lies, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t also deliver in Yorgos Lanthimos’ chilly, terrifying horror film The Killing of a Sacred Deer. We’ve seen Kidman portray a mother desperate to protect her children at any costs, but never has she seemed so broken down, so utterly defeated. Kidman giving a handjob in a hospital parking lot is perhaps the darkest scene she’s ever performed.

19. Hong Chau, Downsizing

Downsizing is a horrific movie and honestly, Hong Chau deserves accolades for acting against Matt Damon in yet another role as a clueless white guy who somehow gets it right in the end. Her performance as a Vietnamese immigrant could’ve been hackneyed and offensive, but Chau brings a sentimentality and humanity to the character that the script doesn’t seem to care about that much.

18. O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Ingrid Goes West

O’Shea Jackson, Jr. can do so much with a smile. In the little-buzzed-about Ingrid Goes West, which admittedly collapses into a bit of a mess in its third act, Jackson is a breath of fresh air among a slew of characters who are absolute psychopaths. A bright spot of 2017 has been the deepening of depictions of black men we see on film, and Jackson’s cool, aloof, Batman-obsessed Venice dweller is the best part of Ingrid.

17. Salma Hayek, Beatriz at Dinner

Salma Hayek is almost unrecognizable as a working class healer who practices holistic medicine in Beatriz at Dinner. It’s some of her most moving and emotional work and it’s a shame that such a strong and confident turn from a frequently stunning actress has been lost amid some of the more flashier performances of the year.

16. Josh O’Connor, God’s Own Country

Taking cues from Brokeback Mountain, Francis Lee’s directorial debut manages to expand on what we think about gay romances. At the center of this deep, character-driven drama is Josh O’Connor depicting a farmer who’s closeted and comes to realize what he needs to sacrifice in order to have love in his life. It’s an incredibly stirring performance in one of many beautiful additions this year to the queer cinema canon.

15. Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Get Out is one of the year’s most important films—and one of its best. Years from now, we’ll look back at Jordan Peele’s movie as the beginning of an onslaught of thought-provoking horror films about the black experience in America, and at its center, Daniel Kaluuya holds it all together. Look no further than when Catherine Keener places him in “The Sunken Place,” a scene which requires all of Kaluuya’s skill as an actor as he performs against a CGI backdrop. It’s thrilling and unlike anything that’s ever been put on film before.

14. Vicky Krieps, Phantom Thread

Where the hell did Vicky Krieps come from? Paul Thomas Anderson isn’t usually great at female roles, but there’s something about Krieps in Phantom Thread that makes you want to inhale her intoxicating performance.

13. Holly Hunter, The Big Sick

I’m hopeful that The Big Sick will usher in a new era of romantic comedies that depict their lovers like real human beings. Even more refreshing than Zoe Kazan and Kumail Nanjiani’s realistic romantic journey is Holly Hunter’s performance as Kazan’s mother. Often, the secondary characters in rom-coms—and especially parents—turn into ridiculous caricatures but Hunter’s character feels real and lived-in. It should be remembered as one of her finest performances.

12. Kelvin Harrison Jr., It Comes at Night

Amidst the fervor for Get Out this year, not much attention has been paid to another black horror film: It Comes at Night. The post-apocalyptic saga manages to be horrifying and thought-provoking all at once and  Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s quiet, intimate performance is one we rarely see afforded to young black men on film.

11. Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Despite finding Three Billboards nauseatingly tone-deaf when it comes to its depiction of race, there’s no denying Frances McDormand is a force of nature in this film. An actress of that caliber is expected to rise above the material, but it’d be nice if the material put as much into McDormand’s character as she put into the film.

10. Tessa Thompson, Thor: Ragnarok

There’s so much to love about Taika Waititi’s take on the Thor mythos, but the addition of Valkyrie—and casting her with Tessa Thompson—made it that much more magnificent. Thompson’s beer-swilling, joke-cracking, punch-throwing Valkyrie is the best part of the film. When she puts on her Valkyrie swag at the film’s conclusion and sashays down Bifröst, Asgard’s rainbow bridge, you’ll stand up and cheer and demand we get a solo Valkyrie film immediately.

9. Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World

It’s been years since Michelle Williams found a melodrama like Brokeback Mountain to truly sink her teeth into. In a perfect world, Douglas Sirk would still be alive to cast her as the lead in one of his lush dramas (or Todd Haynes would find a better way to serve her talents than he did in Wonderstruck). All the Money in the World is a magnificent drama, dizzying caper, and taut thriller but at the center of it lies Williams, who drives it forward with verve.

8. Timothée Chamalet, Call Me By Your Name

As much as Michael Stuhlbarg may be the MVP of Call Me By Your Name, the film doesn’t work without Timothée Chamalet’s performance. He absolutely lives in Elio’s body and carries the vivid Italian fantasy from the first frame to the last, which is a fucking knockout of a shot. In my review of the film, the description of Elio could double as a description of how Chamalet seduces the audience. His seduction is in his movements: how he wriggles his hips like Michael Jackson, David Bowie, or Madonna in their early ’80s videos, how he keeps his bedroom door open at night to let the moonlight suggest his intentions, how he darts around Oliver’s body during conversations like an archaeologist examining an unearthed statue.

7. Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Laurie Metcalf’s best performance is obviously Debbie Salt in Scream 2, but seeing as how it went woefully unrecognized by the Academy, here’s hoping they celebrate her nuanced and emotional turn as the mother of a rebellious teenager in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird.

6. James Franco, The Disaster Artist

I disliked I, Tonya, which felt tonally all over the place and at the end managed to make its subject a punchline. On the other hand, The Disaster Artist avoids those pitfalls by finding the humor in The Room director Tommy Wiseau’s absurd personality while also peeling that persona away to examine the human underneath. James Franco has never been better.

5. Daniela Vega, A Fantastic Woman

If Daniela Vega makes history as the first transgender woman to be nominated for the Academy Award nominee for Best Actress, it will be wholly earned. Chilean director Sebastian Lelio’s portrait of a trans woman who loses her partner and fights for the right to mourn him succeeds thanks to Vega’s bold and confident performance. More than a film that depicts the difficulty of asserting your trans identity in this world, it also shows a trans woman’s journey to finding her voice as an artist and leads to a beautiful, stirring conclusion. Vega is an actress we deserve more of.

4. Betty Gabriel, Get Out

In a year where black women have been celebrated for showing up at the ballot box to save America’s slide into moral corruption, there should be much more attention paid to Betty Gabriel’s stirring performance in Jordan Peele’s horror film Get Out. Depicting a black woman trapped in her own mind and held prisoner by white captors, there’s no character that resonates more when it comes to the erasure of black women’s voices in America—and the industry at large—than Gabriel’s, and her performance is truly the most unsettling of the film’s barrage of horrors. Naturally, she’s the one who tries to save Daniel Kaluuya’s character Chris Washington. Leave it to black women to try and save the day, as usual.

3. Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name

Michael Stuhlbarg has been one of my favorite actors since A Serious Man, but for most of the runtime of Call Me By Your Name you might feel like he’s being underutilized. No, that’s just because director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter James Ivory were saving his skills until you weren’t prepared for Stuhlbarg to utterly devastate you. Much has been said about Stuhlbarg’s monologue at the conclusion of this gorgeous romance, but it’s probably all understatement. Not since Viola Davis in Doubt has a master done so much with so little.

2. Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip

To describe how shocking it was that Tiffany Haddish didn’t get a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Girls Trip is to be rendered speechless. Haddish’s performance was self-assured and infectious and the main reason Girls Trip was the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year. Thankfully, Haddish herself is just as endearing, and America seems to have fallen in love with her. There’ll be more performances from Haddish in the future, but now that we know how magnificent she is, there’ll probably be none as surprising and lightning-in-the-bottle as this.

1. Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, BPM (Beats Per Minute)

Robin Campillo’s BPM (Beats Per Minute) sadly didn’t make the shortlist for Best Foreign Film at the upcoming 2018 Academy Awards, which is why I will spend every chance I get next year championing the best film I saw this year. This French drama captures the story of Paris’ ACT UP activists fighting for recognition from the government in the 1990s, but it’s not just a film about how devastating the AIDS crisis was and is, it’s a film about what it means to truly crave life. Biscayart’s lively performance as passionate activist Sean Dalmazo, whose body begins to fail him, embodies this year perfectly. Despite his condition, he never stops fighting for others and for his own life. Take for instance a poignant backlit scene in a hospital room, when Biscayart’s character is given a handjob by his boyfriend. It’s a beautiful scene where Biscayart, even as a disease ravages his body, is still given a chance to experience the humanity in sexual intimacy. What a stunning thing to behold, and just one reason why Biscayart gives the most beautiful performance I saw all year.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/the-20-best-movie-performances-of-2017-a-year-of-black-gay-and-trans-excellence/

[melttmagazine-blog]

my friend Julian was so kind as to make us a playlist! he’s on twitter at @HulianDaCuban, and also we hate him. 

Waddup pimps, I'm Ellie's friend Julian. Some people look at me and think "wow, that kid is cooler than Ellie", and they're not wrong. But that's besides the point. Ellie has asked me to put together a guest playlist or two for your guys because she's busy or something, I don't really remember right now. Anyways, here are some jams I've really been digging recently and why.

Featuring: Turnover  Drowners flor The Story So Far Surfer Blood Grayscale  Basement Day Wave Microwave COIN

"Humming"  by Turnover - Life is hard. We all go through significant rough patches and emotionally draining chapters where we just feel like giving up, and we keep fighting until we're strong enough to pull ourselves out of these ruts. Sometimes, when it seems like there's no hope, you meet someone who shows you a new perspective on life, and that is what "Humming" is about. It tells the story of a man who finds that exact person, and hopes that they can help pull him out of his depression. Dream-poppy guitars help portray a new hopefulness and light that was once unheard of in Turnover's dark and depressing discography, and has become the catalyst to their newfound sound. Lyrics such as "Let me know your secret/ Tell me how you color all the empty space" display the marvel and intrigue the narrator has for this girl, and "Take me where you go/ Without you I won't make it out/ I don't think I'll make it out alive" really show the desperation behind his attempt to end up her. "Humming" only one piece of an emotional (and phenomenal) album, and I would 14/10 recommend. Turnover fucking rules, guys.

"Luv, Hold Me Down" by Drowners -  This is the song I imagine playing in underground shows in the United Kingdom. Lyrics like "So hold me down and never let me go" and "Everytime you leave I wanna go" paint the picture of a man's head over heels infatuation for a special girl. Its poppy, 80's brit-punk sound and upbeat tempo just makes you want to grab a drink, a special someone, and just dance until you can't any longer. Seriously, this is like the perfect concert dance song and it's an anthem for falling for someone. Just fucking listen to it and tell me you don't hear it.

"no more time" by flor -  When you're in your early twenties, it is not uncommon to go through existential crises on a somewhat daily basis. You start to realize just how brief life really is and that every moment is precious. You also realize that life isn't a movie. Yeah, things normally work out in the end, but what if they don't? What if you don't find "the one"? What if you don't end up where you worked hard to get? What if you fucking die?  In life, there are too many variables to predict the outcomes, and that's what makes this transition into adulthood so terrifying. One thing that makes me feel better about this transition is not being alone. That's where "no more time" comes in. Lyrics like "If somebody came to haunt me/ Scare me simply/ Say 'just one life'" really illustrate the anxiety that not only the vocalist is experiencing, but most millennials do. Aside from the lyrical content, the song fucking grooves and is easy to sing and dance to. Oh, and the ending fucking rips too. "no more time" will surely be an anthem for our generation and hopefully will inspire us to make the best of every moment.

"How You Are" by The Story So Far - TSSF is one of my all time favorite bands, and I promise you there is no better band to listen to when you're in a resentful mood. "How You Are" is about reflecting upon a past relationship that went sour and trying to confront the feelings head on and gaining closure about it. I've been in multiple relationships and emotional flings, and I can relate to each layer of lyricism of the song. The song begins with "Gone now/ I keep my distance/ but still show persistence/ in trying to find out how you are", which reflects the beginning of the process. Trying to find out what went wrong is often painful, yet necessary to move on from a relationship. At some point you have to rip off the bandaid. And you can hear the teetering around getting it over with in the lyrics of this song. From "You're so appealing/ You can get anyone that you want somehow" and "Patience is useless/ when I'm sober and you're wasted/ and you don't want to hear it" display the disdain, yet care that the vocalist still has for this person. This quickly evolves into an understanding that he too is at fault and must keep his distance and figure himself out for his own well-being, as described by "Gotta figure out who I've been running from" and "I keep my distance now/ Forcing my jaw to smile". Instrumentally, this is one of the most interesting songs in TSSF's discography and weirdly grooves aggressively. It definitely has a unique sound, and is well worth the listen.

"Prom Song" by Surfer Blood - I first heard this song playing between sets at my first Day Wave show. It caught my ear immediately and I had to Shazam it right away. Its melancholic, yet uplifting sound and lyrics as well as an interesting guitar riff really give it a unique sound I've never really heard before. It was playing on repeat for months after I heard it, and it came to the point where I needed to know more about it, so I did some research. I found out that the song was written by the band's former guitarist, Thomas Fekete, and early in the band's tenure, and was played live for two years before it was finally recorded for their record Pythons. I also learned that Fekete had tragically passed away from cancer a couple years ago, and it broke my heart. A song like this doesn't come around often, and I think of it as an ode to his life. It really put the lyrics into perspective of how tiring it can be to move on, but it is essential in life. Whenever I feel defeated, I remember the lyric "Something else is out there for me", and it helps me put things into perspective, and I hope it helps you too.

"Let It Rain" by Grayscale - I have always been a self-proclaimed "Pop Punk piece of shit", but recently I found the genre needing something new. One can only listen to the powerhouses for so long before needing a breath of fresh air. The newer bands with generic sounding names playing generic sounding music were starting to get boring, and I felt like the genre needed a bit of a reboot. Enter Grayscale. Aggressive guitars, an uptempo beat, and noticeably emotional lyrics and vocals on "Let It Rain" really provide that tasteful step in the right direction for the genre. The song is about hoping the rain will come and wash away the bad things other people have done and provide him a fresh start (topical, eh?). Although he wants this fresh start, he acknowledges his past lessons of dealing with these people and how that will help him moving forward, a la "I'd set you straight/ I'd wear your blood like war paint". This song is also a total push pit jam. It gets me HYPE AF. Also, the album that it is from is fucking sick too. Grayscale will be a staple of the genre soon enough, mark my words. Just listen to them.

"Brother's Keeper" by Basement -  This song changes pace so much, and I fucking love it. It's poetic lyrics overlap interesting chord progressions that lead to an epic ending. Admittedly, it took me multiple listens to this song before the artistry to it finally fucking hit me. The song is heavily influenced by the biblical story of Cain and Abel, which illustrates a deep regret by the vocalist, feeling as though he has let down this person he is referring to in the song, and that he owes them everything he has. The emotional payoff at the end of the song is fucking fantastic and it's hard not to admire it.

"Total Zombie" by Day Wave - I can't imagine the past two years without this song. It is without a doubt one of my all time favorites, and it will always have a significant place in my heart. First of all, I love the way the vocals and instrumentals are mixed. This saturated sound provided by the synth and vocal effects almost make you feel like you're in a dream-like state and that you're hearing the vocals in your head. But that's just a small fraction of why I love this song. Have you ever felt unworthy of someone's time who you are romantically interested in? Cause I have. I think a lot of us have. The lyrics "Only a fool would want me/ and you're gold/ Honey, I wish you would've been told" speak to that feeling masterfully. Often times, these feelings are only in our own heads, and it's hard to shake the images we have of ourselves. This song came into my life during my senior year of college, which just so happened to be the year I started appreciating myself for who I am. I met fantastic people throughout my college career who showed me that I was worth other people's time and I wasn't the monster that I always thought I was. I will never not flash back to these times when I hear this beautiful song. I hope you love it as much as I do.

"but not often," by Microwave -  Ladies and gentleman, I now introduce you to the first song you blast with the windows down when if finally fucking gets warm around these parts. This song is a BOP boi. It's hard not to groove along to this fantastic example of tasteful contemporary rock music. I actually fucking dare you to not enjoy this one. If you don't, I'll give you $5 (not really though, still broke lol). Anyways, the story this song tells is interesting, going from being infatuated by a person because you can get fucked up and do the sex with them, but then realizing that's all you do and all you really liked them for. Going from "You show up to my room/ With an arm full of booze/ God, you're perfect" to "You've been spending all my time/ And you don't even know me/ We're always getting fucked up/ Why do you really need to know me?" really puts things into perspective. You have to really figure out who you really want to be in your life for the long haul. Like my friend's sister once said, "at this stage of life, you're either in it or you're not". You can't have patience for stupidity. But really though this song fucking rips and you should listen to it lmao.

"Growing Pains" by COIN - I wanted to end this on more of a positive note, cause I know my music can be somewhat angry, vengeful, and flat out depressing at times. But the message to this song is important, nonetheless. "Growing Pains" takes more of a glass half full approach to growing up. Although there is obvious doubt in the lyrics, ultimately the ending message is one of hope and excitement. Lyrics such as "I'm young and I'm dumb/ I'll live and I'll learn/ Yeah what's the hurry now?" reflect more of a relaxed approach to growing up, as the vocalist understands that mistakes are just a part of the journey and in the end they make you better. This song is poppy, fun, party friendly, and easy to sing along to. The open ended "You'll never know what kind of person I'll become when you're gone" outro to the song leaves you with an exciting outlook on where your life could go from this exact moment. Sometimes, you need to look at the brighter side of things, and I hope this song helps you do just that. (also, COIN attended my alma mater, Belmont U! -eh) 

Whelp, that's it for me guys. It's been a pleasure to make a guest submission to MELTT. I'm gonna go to sleep now. Deuces.

thanks Julain! 

[angstandhappiness]

Interesting

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio versus all the other iterations that have come out recently really exemplifies the issue that at a fundamental level the desire to roll out A list actor filled cash grabs of live action remakes of old movies does not understand the nature of media. Certain forms of art- and I feel that I cannot stress this enough- do not mesh well onto a different form of art. Sometimes they can, and it’s wonderful, but very often I’m finding that a lot of remakes are missing the point of how animation is its own medium, stop motion is its own medium, video games and books and even television vs movies are all their own mediums. You really have to know when you’re making something if this is the right form of it, because if not it ends up looking cheep despite the millions of dollars spent to create the whole fucking thing. And a little bit of love and creativity doesn’t hurt either. I think studios to a large degree underestimate how much the creator’s passion imbued in a film translates through the screen to an audience, because we really can feel it. Sure, we all watch shitty TV and moves once in a while, but when something actually moving comes around there’s never any doubt of how masterful it is. And you just don’t ever really get that with soulless billion dollar remakes. Anyways Guillermo del Toro fucking rocks and everybody should go watch Pinocchio. 

[thefloatingstone]

I feel like talking about my books

Instead of working on the next page of the comic I took photos of some of my books because I wanted to show you guys. Because I honestly like books a lot, and I’ve got some interesting/weird ones I wanted to share.

And sometimes I just like to remind myself of nice things I have. (sorry for the bad photos)

1:

This is a really really good book.

It’s all about ways and cases of how people have faked “new species” or “scientific evidence” of mythical creatures using weird taxidermy, photo-doctoring and other ways in which people have SUCCESSFULLY FOOLED a large enough group of people for a while to be noteworthy. The book was published in 1975 and is honestly written in a way that you can tell the author was having an enormous amount of fun, never dodging facts and never letting a good story ruin what is the truth, but also thoroughly enjoying the joke on people and sometimes celebrating the insane creativity behind some of these creations.

The book includes things you’d expect like the Fiji mermaid, and the unicorn skeleton which was pretty infamous, but also bizarre things like the fur-bearing trout.

I got it for $3 at a flea market.

2:

I’m gonna avoid saying “this is a good book” or I’m gonna say that on every single one of these.

This is a book written in english by an english speaking author who lives in Japan, and although it includes a section on Anime, Chanbara and Kaiju, it also covers all the other sections of Japanese cinema that the non-Japanese audience might not even be aware of. From dramas to Pink movies to ‘Japan on Japan’ to art house. It’s probably the best book I’ve seen on Japanese cinema that offers a really broad look at the country’s film history, rather than focusing on the few exports we associate with the country.

I got this at a warehouse sale where the bookstore chain in this country use to have a bi-monthly thing where they sell their extra stock by weight, rather than cover price. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford the $50 price tag.

3:

The best book on Archaeology I’ve managed to find thus far. I’ve tried finding other books that match how good this one is but I haven’t managed it yet. I’ve found inferior books on Archaeological discoveries, and books about like... the process of archaeology itself, but not a book that documents the histories and stories behind the discoveries themselves, talking about the persons who made the discoveries, the nature of each discovery, the time setting and weird events around the excavations. As well as giving facts about everyday life of people in the past and what each discovered item teaches us.

It’s in this book I learned about Mrs. Pretty and Jean Louis Buckhart. I’m just angry this book I bought on a whim turned out to be the best one and I now have an impossibly high standard for any future books on the subject.

I have this other book about lost treasures and In the Mrs. pretty story it uses a pun on 50 Shades of Grey for the chapter title. Just... fuck off.

4:

I actually keep meaning to read this one and I still need to get around to it because I’m pretty bad at reading. I never seem to just sit down and do it unless I’m forced to.

However I’m still kinda into this book as a concept at least. The blurb says:

The Bible is full of myth and full of mystery and the Very Rev Gillbert Thurlow, the Dean of Gloucester takes the well known stories of the Old Testament and explains the purpose and symbolism behind the myths, showing where myth ends and history begins and how relevant these stories are to us today. He then goes on to examine the nature of the Mysteries of the New Testament.

And you guys know me, I’m all about symbolism and deeper meaning behind things (within reason)

The book was published in 1974. I got is for $4 at a flea market.

5:

“Misao to Fukumaru” is a small little book with no actual writing in it. It’s a collection of photos taken of the author’s grandmother and her partially deaf cat living in rural Japan. It’s a gorgeous little book showing simple, everyday life and happiness. I have the second one too but the first one is much better. The second one is mainly made up of the B-roll and it kinda shows.

6:

A book about the history of toys. Underneath it you can see my other book on toy history, but I decided to show this one instead. The other book documents the history behind things like Troll dolls and hula hoops, whereas this book instead is more “historical” for lack of a better word. Showing us popular toys from hundreds of years ago and earlier. Showing things like Ancient Egyptian horses on wheels to be pulled by string, doll houses from Victorian England, and french dolls from the Rococo period. It’s almost a bit heartbreaking to see the artistry in these toys, and compare to the cheap manufactured factory stuff made today. However I suppose back then only rich kids could get toys, instead of being widely available for everyone the way it is today.

Oh well.

7:

I highly recommend this book if you can get your hands on it!

Honestly, I’ve found it hard to find any books on exploitation movies. Yes, there’s the Internet and shows like ‘The Cinema Snob’ which fills in a lot of the gaps, but no real BOOKS on the film subgenre. This is the best one I’ve managed to find that focuses on the topic itself, rather than talk about exploitation films as a single chapter in a book on film as a whole. Which is a shame, because Exploitation ‘trash’ (and yes. a LOT of it is complete trash) helped build movies into what they are today, for better or worse. They played a very vital role in shaping cinema, and not only that, but to ignore parts of history in favour of other parts paints an inaccurate picture of a time period.

It’s why you have people who believe ‘Saw invented Torture Porn’ when movies like ‘Blood-Sucking Freaks’ have existed since the 60s.

I once attended a screening by Jerry Beck on his ‘Worst Cartoons Ever’ show, where he states that he believed preserving terrible awful shit cartoons to be very important, and how nobody was doing it. Because “If we only remember the good and forget about the bad, of course we’re gonna say ‘Everything was so much better 20 years ago!’ If we ignore the crap how can we really see how much we’ve improved?”

Exploitation films are why the modern horror genre even exists tbh. Hollywood saw how much money ‘Last House on the Left’, ‘Halloween’, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and ‘Friday the 13th’ were making and went “Hey! There’s money here!” and made ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’. The first mainstream blood-soaked horror movie widely distributed.

Which, sadly, mostly killed the exploitation circuit. Because when all you have to fall back on is blood and nudity, how can you compete when Hollywood, which actually has money, starts muscling in on your territory.

Hilariously the opposite is now starting to be true. Hollywood is so focused on churning out stupid gore-soaked horror movies that people are starting to pay more attention to the low-budget indie films that tend to have more thought put into them.

No photos of the inside on this one because it’s an indie released book (as it should be) and printing costs limited how many pictures could be included, so it’s mostly text.

I bought this from the Author while visiting friends in L.A.