#god I just love Michael and KITT

[el-dorado1982]

Well it didn’t post the first time I tried so take two!

It’s spooky season, so you know what that means! The first of my Knight Rider spooky edits! This one is strictly surrounding Fright Knight, and is to the song by Ray Parker Jr. Ghostbusters from Ghostbusters.

I enjoyed making this, even if it did not turn out how I expected.

So now the only question is; Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters? Or FLAG Operatives? Or as RC likes to say, Phantom-busters!

Enjoy!

Question of the post; (besides the rhetorical one above) April or Bonnie? I personally will take Bonnie over April.

[ohmystarrynight]

I was talking with @spiritkidd about this episode and this was the resulting convo

This is probably one of my favorite episodes in the show (besides all my other favorites which is just every episode in the series) but S2 Ep09 was literally hilarious.

[bonnie-barstow-of-flag]

Loose ends of fiction

((potentially turn this into a fan fic))

The brunette allows her tongue to traverse along the subtle craters of her teeth in an effort to bite back the sarcasm welling up inside of her. Her studious and well trained orbs fix upon the thing Rc3 affectionately called his ‘bike’. The motorcycle was something of an abysmal sight, looking more like an object dragged straight from a junkyard than a reliable mode of transportation. “I’m sorry, Rc. I’m going to have to side with Devon on this one. It looks like a death-trap.”  A death-trap held together with duct-tape and glue much like a kindergartener’s art project.

A tentative glance is cast around the semi and were it a smidgen warmer, Bonnie might have broken out in a sweat. “Are you sure that it’ll be safe for me to ride on the back with you?” Her fingers pawed the helmet he handed her with a sense of dread and apprehension. She much preferred things that ran with four-wheels. However, if this was the only way to stop their enemy, then she might have to bite the bullet.

Shifting in his place, the former Street Avenger considered Bonnie. Rc3 can sense her unease as palpable as if, it were the pulse beneath his own skin. Sure, the bucket of bolts didn’t look like much. Yet, when it ran, man, was it beautiful!!! If only she could employ a little more of her active imagination! The rust did not negate it’s overall value. In his mind, it gave the bike character. Besides, he and the bike had been through a lot together. Gesticulating towards his beloved motorcycle he reassures them with great confidence, “this bike will be up and purring like a cool cat. Don’t worry, Bonnie, it’s just as safe as riding with KITT and Michael.” Taking notice of her conflicted countenance, he flashes her an encouraging smile in an effort to sway her opinion. 

(((Insert Kitt having a protest and some statistical evidence that motorcycles are nto as safe as cars. calling transportation on two wheels unnatural.))

Nervous fingers glide across the sturdy rim of the helmet, her own turquoise orbs drifting from Devon, to Kitt, to Michael, and then back to Rc. Briefly, the brunette chews the corner of her lip. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” she counters. While Rc3 indicated that the bike would be purring like a cat, she couldn’t help but wonder which specific kind. After all, some cat’s purrs were more alarming than others. Still, he deserved to have some level of confidence instilled in him! He and his buddies had done a fantastic job with helping her to rebuild Kitt. Bonnie wished she could turn off the corridor of her mind screaming logistics and risk statistics but it can not be overridden. >>>Especially, not when Kitt’s words were bottled up, echoeing inside her cranium>>>

Meeting Rc3′s warm, hot chocolate shaded hues dead-on, Bonnie feels herself surrendering with a begrudging sigh. “We have to have it up and running by tomorrow if we’re going to provide assistance to Michael and Kitt.” She replies, trying to bury the worry ensnared in her tone. “Think you could have it done by then?”

Sensing a challenge, his lips depart with a widened grin. “Could I?” He parrots, eyes twinkling with wild mischief. “Your wish is my command. Just think of yourself as Cinderella and I’m your God-brotha.” His firm hand finds the slope of her shoulder. “It may not look like much now but just you wait. I won’t let anything happen to you.” 

Eyes trail away to lock questioningly on Michael at Rc3′s rather humorous analogy. Her jaw shifts slightly, trying to read Knight’s lovely azures for any sign that she should actively protest the offer. However, all she could analyze in those blistering hot blue eyes was an air of approval. Not quite sure she could trust him, she turns towards the Foundation’s patriarch. 

Devon’s topaz eyes shown with hesitancy. He was not entirely sure she should put herself in that predicament however, this case was urgent and he needed all of his agents operating in the field. He gifts Bonnie the courtesy of a nod indicating that the choice rested solely upon her own shoulders. 

Surrendering, a sigh departs her lips. 

[ichayalovesyou]

This is my carefully curated playlist based on Tumblr's favorite Mafia movie, Goncharov! It is arranged into story order but you can enjoy it on shuffle as well! Normally I color code which songs are about who, but this time around I wanted to leave it up to interpretation, although I think you might be able to tell who my favorite character is lol!

Winter In Naples

“You Need The Fear of God Put Back Into You Goncharov”

Taikatalvi by Nightwish from Imaginaerum • Ruler of Everything by Tally Hall from Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum • Birds With Broken Wings by Ben Caplan from Birds With Broken Wings • Istanbul by They Might Be Giants from Flood • The Cat Came Back by The Laurie Berkner Band from Laurie Berkner’s Favorite Kid Songs • Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz from Gorillaz • Champagne Taste by Eartha Kitt from Totally Crazy • Amar y Vivir by Carlos Rivera from Mexicano • Crazy = Genius by Panic! At The Disco from Death of a Bachelor • Farewell Wanderlust by The Amazing Devil from The Horror and the Wild • Time is Running Out by Muse from Absolution • Aha! by Imogen Heap from Ellipse • Modern Day Cain by I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME from Modern Day Cain

The Ball

“Your Husband Is As Tasteless As His Counterfeit ‘Boots’, Dear Sister”

Vampire by People In Planes from Beyond the Horizon • Don’t Mess With Me by temposhark from The Invisible Line • There’s A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought of It Yet by Panic! At The Disco from A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out • Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps by Daniel Boaventura & Carlos Rivera from Your Song • Careless Whisper by George Michael from Ladies & Gentlemen The Best of George Michael • Real Men by Mitski from Lush • As The World Falls Down by David Bowie from Labyrinth • I’m A Funny Dame by Eartha Kitt from The Essential Eartha Kitt • Sin un Amor by Carlos Rivera from Mexicano • Bad Romance by Lady Gaga from The Fame Monster • Señor Amante by Kika Edgar from Señor Amante • Take Me To Church by Hozier from Hozier • Disarm by The Civil Wars from The Civil Wars • Femme Fatale by Coyote Kid from The Skeleton Man • Monkeys Uptown by Iron & Wine from Kiss Each Other Clean

Two Cigarettes, One Flame

“A Perfect Pearl Need Only Circumstance, No?”

Pretty Little Head by Eliza Rickman from O, You Sinners • Runs In The Family by Amanda Palmer from Who Killed Amanda Palmer? • 551 by Dessa from Castor the Twin • Wife by Mitski from Lush • The Bed Song by Amanda Palmer from Piano Is Evil • The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives from Coyote Stories • Evening On the Ground (Lilith’s Song) by Iron & Wine from Woman King • Better Love by Hozier from Better Love • Arms of A Thief by Iron & Wine from Around the Well • Where Evil Grows by The Poppy Family, Terry & Susan Jacks from A Good Thing Lost: 1968-1973 • Eric by Mitski from Lush • Angie by Bert Jansch from Bert Jansch • I Want To Be Evil by Eartha Kitt from That Bad Eartha • Don’t Get My Hopes Up by S.J. Tucker from Mischief • You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart by Sinéad O’Connor from So Far: The Best of Sinéad O’Conner • Dulce Mal by The Chamanas from Dulce Mal • Don’t You Dare Forget the Sun by Get Scared from Built For Blame, Laced With Shame

The Clock

“How Can Time Be Still, And Still Running Out?”

Blindness by Metric from Fantasies • Come Away To The Water by Maroon 5 & Rozzi from The Hunger Games: Songs of District 12 And Beyond • Era Escuro by Faun from Luna • Fly Me to The Moon by Melodicka Bros. from Fly Me to the Moon (Space Rock) • Glass Heart Hymn by Paper Route from The Peace of Wild Things • Where Butterflies Never Die by Broken Iris from The Eyes of Tomorrow • I Hope Your World Is Kind by Auri from Auri • Ballad of Jeremiah Peacekeeper by Poets of the Fall from Temple Of Thought • Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons from Babel • Dirt And Roses by Rise Against from Avengers Assemble • Marked Man by Mieka Pauley from The Science of Making Choices • If I Had A Heart by Fever Ray from Fever Ray • I Think I Smell A Rat by The White Stripes from White Blood Cells • Paranoid Android by Radiohead from OK Computer • Cool by Ansel Elgort & Mike Faist from West Side Story • That’s My Boy by Vast from Turquoise & Crimson

Ambrosia, The Blood of The Gods

“I’m Gonna Kill That Mario!”

Familia by Nicki Minaj, Angel AA & Bantu from Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse • Onward & Upward by Tommee Profitt & Fleurie from Gloria Regali • The Horror and The Wild by The Amazing Devil from The Horror and the Wild • Breaking the Law by Judas Priest from British Steel • I’m Always Walking as Somebody Else from American Murder Song from Murder Ballads of 1816: The Year Without A Summer • The House Of The Dead by NADA5150 & Mr.Kitty from The House Of The Dead • Adore Me by StarKid Productions from Black Friday • Kill My Friends by gP. from Kill My Friends • 7 Rings by ChuggaBoom from 7 Rings • Heavy Rain by Youth Man from New Moons Vol.1 • Loki by The Mechanisms from The Bifrost Incident • Warflower by The Mayan Factor from In Lake Ch’ • Dead Butterflies by Architects from Meteor • Man or a Monster by Sam Tinnesz & Zayde Wolf from Man or a Monster • The Weeping Song by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds from The Good Son

The Bridge

“If We Really Were In Love You Wouldn’t Have Missed”

What Love Can Heartbreak Allow by Ben Caplan from Old Stock • The Wolf by PHILDEL from The Disappearance of the Girl • Animal Impulses by IAMX from The Unified Field • Don’t Make Me by MALINDA from Don’t Make Me • Shout by Tears for Fears from Songs From The Big Chair • Don’t Call Me Angel by Ariana Grander, Miley Cyrus & Lana Del Rey from Charlie’s Angels • Heaven Knows by The Pretty Reckless from Going to Hell • Castle by Halsey from BADLANDS • Mineshaft 2 by Dessa from Castor, the Twin • Die Anywhere Else by Julia Henderson & Lorenzo de Sequera from Dusk • A Death by an Unkindness from 4 Songs • Despedida by Antonio Pinto & Shakira from Love In The Time of Cholera • Daughter of the Sea by Sharm & Alison M. Sparrow from Daughter of The Sea • Jane Doe by Hail The Sun from Wake • Bag of Bones by Mitski from Lush • Girl Into Devil (I Belong to Me) by S.J. Tucker from Stolen Season

The Train

“We Could Burn It All Down”

Panacea For The Poison by Flobots from Survivor Story • Here Come the Ravens by Aviators from Dystopian Fiction • All Night Long by Peter Murphy from Love Hysteria • A Sadness Runs Through Him by The Hoosiers from The Trick To Life • The Deep by PHILDEL from Wave Your Flags • Irish Hour by Saint Sister from Where I Should End • There Is Still Time by Lorn from The Maze to Nowhere • Happy by Mitski from Puberty 2 • Burned Out by dodie from Human • Where To Begin by Adam Watts from When a Heart Wakes Up • Hungry Like the Wolf by Hidden Citizens & Tim Halperin from Reawakenings • Dark Matter by Les Friction from Dark Matter • I Found by Amber Run from 5AM • The Hearse (Stripped) by Matt Maeson from Bank On The Funeral • The Wolf in Your Darkest Room by Matthew Mayfield from Recoil • The Devil Wears A Suit by Kate Miller-Heidke from Nightflight • Sinking Ship by CAKE from Sinking Ship • Lessons by SOHN from Tremors • Black Sun by Death Cab for Cutie from Black Sun • Die Today by The Txlips Band & Guitar Gabby from Queens of A New Age • Blood Moon by Saint Sister from Madrid • Cinder and Smoke by Iron & Wine from Our Endless Numbered Days • Girl With One Eye by Florence + The Machine from Lungs

The Apple

“Tell Them I’m Sorry, For I Have No Sorrow Left to Give”

The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid by The Decemberists from Hazards of Love • Conversations at the End of the World by Kishi Bashi from String Quartet Live • My Way by Chase Holfelder from Major to Minor Vol.2 • We Are Your Nightmares by Cast of Nevermore from Nevermore: The Imaginary Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe • Oh Death by Noah Gunderson from Saints & Liars • The Coldest Goodbye by Mary Kate Wiles from Spies Are Forever • Cathedrals by Jump. Little Children from Magazine • Carry Me Out by Mitski from Bury Me At Makeout Creek • Ghosts With Heartbeats by Plastic Patina from Ghosts With Heartbeats • Blood by My Chemical Romance from The Black Parade

“The film is gone, the only proof thereof Upon a boot, a tag mark’d Goncharov...”

Quotes from the movie Goncharov (1973) provided through art by: @theshitpostcalligrapher @when-sanpape-arts @inthefallofasparrow @not-the-blue @cloudmancy

[that-banana-headed-bovine]

My main man Michael Knight for character bingo!!!!

AYYY- This one's interesting really, especially because Season 2 Michael is basically,, an entirely different entity? As in, he's reached the end of his character arc and is actually a really, really nice dood. So I had to use two types of bingos, and I'll explain it further below. Here's the original post BTW.

If you can't read the image, don't worry, I'll say all the marked squares below. If you can, let me know if there is anything I can do to make it more legible next time--I mean, obviously, the squares are covered up, but I mostly mean with the colors. I almost used red and green, and then I remembered that, oh yeah, that really sucks for colorblindness. Now the saturation is still about the same, but anything much lighter or darker is less legible??? So yeah, any recommendations on that welcome.

Let's start with the reds, or Definite opinions.

They are soooo cool looking!

I dressed up as Michael Knight for Halloween a few years back, even though I wasn't fully sold on him as a character yet at that point. I was still healing from Season 1 (half kidding) ... but I did it because he is such a Vibe. Seriously, I felt so alive it wasn't even funny AISHDOAS- my final form /j

Michael is, aesthetically at least, literally everything I want to be (other than. y'know. male,,,). Immaculate. MUAH! He really does feel like a California Cowboy of sorts... and leather jackets are a gift to mankind by the way. I especially love how, in his classic leather jacket + red polo outfit at least, he coordinates with Kitt. So cute haodh

Wasted potential

I've been having a bit of a moral dilemma recently when it comes to the way I engage in this fandom, so I want to disclose fully here that, in real life, I don't think a robot can be on the same level of sentience as a human. Perhaps, as tech evolves, there will be AIs that are really, REALLY good at replicating it... but that won't be real. We're just people after all. We can develop really cool technology, and that's all great, but we shouldn't be trying to play God and think we can make actual life. We can't.

That said, within the confines of Knight Rider's fictional universe, Kitt is fully alive. Michael is the only character who has so much as a shot of really getting that. Devon understands theoretically what Kitt is meant to be, and Bonnie even understands mechanically, but Michael sees his personality. And it's strange, really, how the show sometimes treats this as important but sometimes Not. I really love how, in Trust Doesn't Rust, Michael is far more hesitant to go after Karr than anyone else, asking if it really is necessary. I truly wish they'd have taken that further in TDR, and involved it at ALL in Kitt vs. Karr. Season 2 is my favorite because it embraces this (more later), but even then, we didn't get to see the stage in between that brought him there. He went from a caring skeptic in S1 to full-on sap in S2. Honestly, I really believe there's a lesson there about not taking those around you for granted, that just because you don't understand someone doesn't mean they're any less worthy of love, that just because you know you care doesn't mean that they do. I never expected Knight Rider to become an arc-motivated show, but I did at least hope that the subtle throughline would stay more consistent.

They're deeper than they seem

Basically just above 2.0. He has an internal struggle I think, between wanting to trust his new family and having been burned by his old one (the police force I mean, especially Tanya). It takes him a good while to FULLY trust and understand Kitt--yes, the pilot is a big step in that direction and probably what the show writers meant to be the end of it, but I can't help but sense more. Is his best friend even REAL, y'know? Also probably PTSD. And ,,, EVERYTHING about Stevie, it almost feels like an entirely different mini-show in those episodes? Possibly even some imposter syndrome about how this new life isn't even HIS life, he's walking in the shoes of somebody else? I dunno, but there's a lot here.

Also, while I don't know if I'm down fully with the "Michael is ace" headcanon, because he's definitely willingly Done the Deed plenty as implied by certain episodes of the show (man I hate that sentence I'm sorry), I do love the idea that he's really not fulfilled by these relationships in the slightest. That behind the "not thoughts, head empty" smile he just wants something real, but has been dragged into a fake life and a surface-level existence. Feels bad man

They work better as part of a dynamic

Michael and Kitt, mostly. If Michael were by himself, Knight Rider would feel like just another Magnum PI, Hardcastle and McCormick, etc. Not that these shows are bad, Magnum PI has probably aged better than KR after all, but none of them captured my attention quite as much. Kitt,,, MIGHT be able to carry a show by himself entirely, if he were human? Idk, that personality is just so good and unique, but even he benefits from a foil. Michael, though, is probably the best iteration of a very common 80s MC personality, and having Kitt there is what makes it go from a pretty good romp to a wonderful classic.

Also Michael and Karr are my favorite duo to think about, it would be so good. Especially if Kitt is there trying to babysit his two himbo besties. Michael's got no braincells, and Karr has 'em but chooses not to use them.

Onto the blues, or the kinda/conditional opinions.

If they were real, I would marry them.

Depends on the season 100%. Season 1 Michael is likeable enough but just SO frustrating at times, and Season 3 has proven to be frequently outright insufferable. Season 2, though? That man's marriage material probably, and even just aesthetically. Maybe not MARRY marry, I don't really have a crush on him??? Anymore I tend to immediately convert my potential fictional crushes into blorbos, so there's that. But lifelong besties at least.

They're like a blorbo to me

HMM- Honestly? Dunno if this one's true. Then why did I mark it? Because... KINDA???

He's been at the forefront of my mind a lot more recently, admittedly because I already worked out Kitt + Karr's arcs (the TRUE blorbos) and am now trying to figure out what to do with him, but still. And even at times when I hate Michael's guts and wanna bap him in the forehead, I still don't hate him. Like "holy macaroni that was horrific like I actually hate you" "so you don't like him?" "*grinning* nah he's cute". Like, Hoff's characterization of him is too charming ashfo idc if he's an ahole he's MY ahole

So,,, probably more of my Little Skringlo than a Blorbo, but close enough.

Nothing I like about them is technically canon

See,,, Everything above about his character arc. See, I think his arc is SUPPOSED to be canon? But it isn't TEEECHNICALLY canon anymore thanks to Seasons 3 and 4 existing, which means S2 Michael got reverted to S1 Michael and then it was a whole mess. If it had ended in S2, I would have been convinced that it was the intended arc. But now, I don't actually know.

Why do they look like that

I'm interpreting this entirely wrong and I know it, you can't stop me /laughing hard

As I said before, I aesthetically love Michael so much, so I don't mean this as in "ew why does he look like that?" ... I mean it literally, WHY would you do that Wilton?

Why would you find some random guy in the street, go "that's the ticket Shahra", and then PUT YOUR KID'S FACE ON HIM ASDOHSHD WHY FOR WHY

so yeah, not Michael's fault, this is a Wilton callout post now

They got too much screentime

I'm really only saying this about the first half of Season 1. After Trust Doesn't Rust, they seemed to realize that people really REALLY loved the cars, and so balanced the episode more. Before, though, they tried to fit in so many bits for no reason while STILL giving Michael the majority of the screentime? It really went

Devon says Here is Mission (and establishes a Funny Interest)

Michael takes off with Kitt. Michael and Kitt participate in Banter, with Michael getting way more of the words than is reasonable?

Michael tracks down the bad guy and monologues stuff out loud, figures out a gameplan, goes in after Guy

Kitt has A Gag

Michael does 80% of the work

"I need ya buddy" vroom vroom Kitt silently breaks into building.

Michael does Car Stuff

punch punch bad guy even tho we have indestructible car!!! they get apprehended of screen we didn't see any cops show up either so I guess Michael sent 'em to the shadow realm

Devon's interest gets made fun of

Kitt's interest from Gag also gets made fun of

and scene

seriously am I forgetting anything here IASDHOI- The dynamic got fixed pretty quickly tho, which is why it's not a full Yes. I am fine with Michael getting the majority of the screentime so long as Kitt isn't left with like, three lines of dialogue.

Also, I do project SOME imposter syndrome onto him, just not enough to mark off that answer. And also I didn't wanna give y'all bingo so easily >:) try again muahaha

[kitt-rider]

my emotional journey of the episode ‘knightmares’. i have A Lot To Say

so kitt and michael’s first interaction after michael loses his memory is this

kitt: michael? michael please, stop! it's me! kitt! *chase ensues, kitt leaps over something to get to michael* michael: *shoots at kitt in panic* alright out! hands away from your body! kitt: this is not quite the reunion i'd hoped for michael... michael: i said; get out of the car! kitt, sounding hurt: michael, have you really forgotten me? michael: has small flashbacks to kitt jumping kitt: are you alright? michael: no! no, i'm confused! nothing makes sense to me any more, this face, is not my face! my whole world has disappeared and now i'm talking to a car kitt: i think i can explain everything, michael michael: how do you know my name? kitt: we're partners you and i, we're a team. please, let me help you. get in michael: no thanks kitt: as you pointed out, i'm only a car. please. trust me 

and it. it’s a lot. there’s so much emotion in kitt’s voice here, like. something i’ve noticed is that they’ve grown so close that if they’re apart for too long, or don’t know what the other is doing or where they are or how they are, they freak out. if the watch breaks, or loses connection, they get really thrown off kilter, both of them. they’re so entwined that they feel lost without the other, as though they’ve become two halves of a whole. 

kitt sounds really hurt when he realises michael has forgotten him. this is the most human we’ve seen kitt so far, not that he hasn’t been before, but the emotional range in his vocals are just. they’re so raw and it’s so clear to anyone, even if this were to be the only episode they watched, that the two of them have something really special, that the two of them love each other. but then michael has little flashes of kitt jumping. it starts to come back to him. this is a big deal because it’s the first instance of him remembering something. kitt is so deeply embedded in him that his brain automatically responds quicker and easier to kitt, and kitt is a stronger trigger than anything else has been so far. 

kitt speaks very softly, coaxing michael with gentle words of love. the “trust me” absolutely killed me, idk why. maybe because michael DID end up trusting kitt and getting in, or maybe because it was just the gentleness of kitt’s words. i just. hnnnng.

so then michael gets in, freaks out, they go to the foundation, devon and april try to talk to him, they can’t, so he leaves. kitt follows. and the next interaction is this

*kitt is following michael who wants him to go, eventually they stop and michael opens the door* michael: i'd tell you to get this through your head but you're a machine, so run this through your data processor. get lost! kitt: i can't do that michael. i'm programmed to respond to your needs. despite your being unaware of it, you need me! michael: what if i don't want you? kitt: ...i suppose i'll be quite hurt  michael: ...alright. it is pretty hard to get around without a set of wheels. alright. i drive from here on kitt: absolutely. providing you'll promise me one thing michael: what? kitt: please do not refer to me as a car, or a set of wheels. it's most demeaning. i'm the knight industries two thousand. *wistfully* you always called me kitt...

OOF!!! mega oof! kitt can't stand michael calling him a machine because it's not right, his michael always treats him as a person, always calls him kitt, always refers to him as if he were a human bc kitt does have a soul, and he has personality like one. he's not used to michael being so standoffish and mean (although it's not really michael's fault since he's probably freaking out, and also it's like he's reverted to when he first met kitt when he didn't understand that kitt isn't just a machine) so he's. hurt. and his voice is all soft and wistful. it hurts for michael to refer to him as “machine” or even a “car”, because for so long michael has called him buddy, pal, or kitt, as kitt himself said. and it’s important to kitt that that continues, because he loves michael very much, and the thought that their relationship might not be as close as it once was is something he can’t bear. 

and then they drive and all that, we get michael literally calling kitt hot, and kitt smugly replying that he knows. and then on the way, more conversation and. 

michael: you know it's a terrible feeling, every time i pass a mirror or i see a reflection in the window... i see a stranger's face kitt: i wish i could help you regain your memory. especially your memory of ME. ...we have quite a history together

GOD. it's so much. it's all so much!!!!! kitt is desperate for michael to remember him, not just cause he's programmed for michael's sake, but bc he wants michael to remember him specifically, as he says. kitt is going all ways out of professional this episode, and his voice is just. especially when he says the history part, it's so, so soft and full of love and yearning. i can't get over them, honestly. the episodes where kitt is reprogrammed or removed from the car and where michael loses his memory are quickly becoming my favourites, mostly bc there's so much affection and love between them in it. like. their bond is so strong, and these episodes like to prove that that bond breaks through everything.

kitt wouldn’t say he wanted michael to specifically remember him over everything else if it were simply his programming/in a professional sense, which means he wants michael to remember him for HIM. because having a human he’s imprinted on so much feel indifferent to him is just awful, and insulting to the hell and high water they went through.

gahhhh and then! they get to the dam and michael gets in trouble, and goes “kitt! i need you!” and kitt excitedly goes “it’s about time!” AND I!!!! aside from the fact that “i need you” as a general phrase is A Lot to me, because i associate it with “i love you” and in fact, sometimes i need you is even more of a romantic gesture to say than i love you, it’s just so sweet how excited kitt is that things are falling back into place, that his michael is his michael again, and they’ll be a team once more.

then they head off, and kitt shows off his analyser and michael. “you.. .are a regular wonder on wheels, aren’t you?” and kitt “i like to think so”

AND THEN. AND THEN?!

michael: kitt? you said you knew me before the accident. what was michael knight like? kitt, softly and full of love: michael knight was bright, agile, often quite logical. he was also stubborn, impatient, readily distracted by pretty girls. and he listened to possibly the most appalling music to ever shatter my airwaves michael: sounds like my kinda guy kitt: yes that’s what i’m afraid of

and this interaction is so... affectionate? so loving. even though michael is still trying to remember, he smiles automatically, even jokes around a little. kitt analyses the material and then michael says he’s impressed. and then i get a damn BOMB dropped on me.

michael: kane’s? i’m impressed! i mean how does a chemical analyser identify a store? kitt: it didn’t! there’s a card inside michael, smiling: good work kitt kitt: oh one other thing about michael knight michael: what’s that? kitt: i was extremely fond of him

like. i have no words. it’s all right there. i can’t really say any more than what kitt did. and he says it as though it’s a fact. he says it as a way to describe michael, bc now, kitt is a part of michael, and everything that embodies him. kitt loves michael, and it’s a fact. it’s an identifier of who michael knight is. michael knight is someone kitt loves very much.

michael tries to get into a building that’s locked. kitt unlocks it

michael: should i say thanks? kitt: if you do i’ll say ‘you’re welcome’ michael: thanks! kitt; de nada (no problem, no need for thanks, you’re welcome)

god! can they BE any cuter? their interactions are so precious. 

once again we get an “i need you” from michael. i love that. it looks like from now on, that will be a regular thing, bc michael’s only just started saying it a couple of eps ago. something else i love is that the two of them fit back together quickly and easily. they’re already acting as a unit/as they did before not long after they’ve started working together again. they also bicker again, and it falls naturally into place.

michael: i got a hunch that door is not gonna stand in our way kitt: michael this is beginning to sound like old times! 

and then

that’s michael’s expression in response. a warm, wide smile. things are coming together again. he’s starting to remember kitt.

AND THEN

kitt: michael i pride myself on never pointing out the obvious, but i’m afraid we’re driving into a trap michael: i’m not worried kitt, i have an edge. a secret weapon kitt: really? what is it? michael: you

and then kitt blushes!!! for sure! there’s no other way to see it! he’s blushing not only from being a little flustered that michael’s praising him like he did before, but also because even a little while of michael not being affectionate and loving towards him was awful and he’s so happy that michael is becoming more and more like his old self again that his “cheeks” glow with happiness. ugghgngn!!! god. so much! they are so much, and so in love.

so the girl is saved and everything is well. he regains his memory, and we end on michael and kitt being all domestic and married-coupley.

kitt: welcome back michael. i thought as a little present i’d play you some of that appalling music you like so much michael: thanks buddy. come on. let’s shatter some airwaves! *music plays* michael: you know i was thinking. i could have april install an electronic board here and she could hook it up to your speakers kitt: michael? michael: yeah? kitt: don’t press your luck michael: whatever you say pal, whatever you say

AND!! THAT IS JUST SO. coupley! hhhhhhh. and ofc, michael will take kitt on vacation. i was wondering for a moment if he wouldn’t, but that was dumb. of course michael will take kitt with him! he can’t stand to be apart from him! they both can’t stand it!

god. i kind of want to write a little ficlet of the vacay, and i probably will, because i am SO full of fluff. golly. what an episode! michael and kitt are in love and as the show goes on that just becomes more and more apparent <3

[asexual-hugger]

Allison McQueen awakens one morning to rain pelting outside her apartment window. As much as she hates being outside in it, she finds the pattering sound to be relaxing.

Ugh. She groans silently, turning over and covering her ears with her pillow. And I was planning on riding my bike to work today.

Thinking of work, she forces herself out of bed, grumbling, and heads to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Detective Sinclaire always praised her punctuality and positive attitude, so she has no intentions of stopping that now.

She sifts through her laundry. What would be good work attire? Something comfortable, yet suitable for biking in and wearing in the rain.

She’s reaching for a striped top and green leggings when there’s a knock at her door.

Who in the world could that be?

She drops the outfit on top of the pile and walks into the living room to look through the peephole.

Even with the dark raincoat and matching umbrella shadowing his face, she would recognize him anywhere.

She unlocks the door and opens it.

“Detective Sinclaire!” she cries in disbelief.

Her boss is standing on her porch, all business and super cute at the same time. Water runs down the sides of his umbrella and puddles around his feet.

“Good morning, Miss McQueen.” He flashes her his million-megawatt smile, and it’s all she can do to keep her legs from buckling. He is so handsome when he smiles.

“Oh, my god, I probably look a fright!” Embarrassed, Allison feels her cheeks flush and quickly glances down at the T-shirt she uses for pajamas. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. What are you doing here?”

Sinclaire shakes out his umbrella and studies her curiously. Was that amusement on his face?

“I know I’m unannounced,” he says, “and I apologize. I got up early and noticed it was raining, and I immediately thought of how miserable you would probably be if you bicycled to the estate, so I came by to take you myself.”

He nods behind him, where Allison can see the all-too-familiar black patrol vehicle parked in front of her complex.

“You...came by to drive me to work, in your cop car?” Allison is stunned, but she can feel her heart thudding a mile a minute.

Riding in Detective Sinclaire’s patrol car...with Detective Sinclaire...all the way to Ledford Park.

Suddenly, sitting right next to him made her flushed and nervous.

“Miss McQueen?” Sinclaire is eyeing her. “Are you all right with me driving us to work today?”

“Yes!” The word escapes her before she can stop it. “Yes! I am very all right with that! Thank you. I don’t have a car, so I was preparing on riding over like normal. Let me...just go get dressed. Would you like to wait inside?”

“Thank you.” Sinclaire steps into her apartment, and it suddenly seems smaller than it already is. Allison realizes that he has never been inside her unit before, and her already-flushed face burns even more as she knows he’s probably examining every detail.

“I’m sorry my place is so small and messy,” Allison calls from the bathroom. “Again, I wasn’t expecting you to come by. It caught me off-guard. Don’t worry about getting the floor wet from your umbrella. I’ll deal with it later.”

“It’s no problem, really,” Sinclaire insists. “I probably should have texted or called to say I was coming by. I just couldn’t stand to think of you riding your bicycle in this dreadful weather. I know it’s probably your primary mode of transportation. The last thing I need is for you to get into another accident.” He is extra careful of his surroundings as he gently sits down on her couch, making sure his wet clothes don’t soak it.

“I’m glad you came by.” Allison steps out of the bathroom, and Sinclaire’s eyes immediately travel to her outfit. “I know it’s not what you were expecting, but I was trying to put together something I could ride in and wear in the rain.”

“I’m not judging,” Sinclaire insists. “I only hope you own a raincoat. If not, I might have something in the car you could borrow.”

Allison pulls a purple jacket off a pile of winter wear in the corner and holds it up.

“I have this,” she states. “It’s my first choice whenever it rains. It’s short, it’s warm, and it’s monogrammed with the mascot and colors of my brother’s law school.”

Her older brother, Harry, is a lawyer.

“Your brother’s law school, huh?” Sinclaire studies it with an intense gaze. “Your brother must be proud to have a sister like you showcasing his school colors around. I know I’m proud. I’m proud to have you as my assistant. I knew I made the right choice when I signed you on.” He gets up off the couch and uses his umbrella as support. Allison slips into the jacket. “Ready?”

“I’m ready,” she says, hoping that he doesn’t get too police-y and spot her fear with his detective skills. She swears she can hear her own heartbeat.

Why did Sinclaire always make her feel this way? Why did she want to swoon every time she was in his presence? Why did he have that effect on her? He was her boss. Feeling things like desire were forbidden in a business relationship. Now she was walking next to him, almost touching his shoulder...it is all she can do to keep her emotions back.

“Here.” Sinclaire unfolds his umbrella the second before the two of them step back into the rain, and he holds it tightly over both their heads. “The car’s just there. It’s a very short walk.”

As soon as they get to the patrol car, Sinclaire, being the gentleman that he is, quickly opens the passenger door for Allison.

“Your ride, my lady,” he says gallantly.

“Thank you, my good sir,” Allison answers, trying to imitate his fancy mannerisms.

He holds the umbrella over her head until she is safely inside the car, and then he closes the door and walks around to the other side, sliding in behind the wheel.

Damn; he was adorkable.

“Fasten your seatbelt,” he orders.

“Yes, sir.” Allison hides a nervous giggle at his cop voice, and clips the belt into place over her chest.

The inside of the car is nice and warm, and Allison can’t help looking around the interior with awe. The last time she remembered being in this car was when Sinclaire drove her home after her traumatic experience with Dylan. It was the night they met, three years ago.

Sinclaire revs the engine, turning his keys in the ignition. The car gives off a gentle purr.

“I can barely hear the engine start,” Allison observes. “You could drive this thing on Stealth Mode, kind of like KITT in ‘Knight Rider.’”

“I do not know of this ‘Knight Rider,’ but I do know how to be stealthy,” is Sinclaire’s response. “That’s the whole purpose of having a quiet engine. It takes the bad guys by surprise.”

“Oh, my god, you are such a Michael Knight!” Allison comments. “You could totally be the badass undercover cop driving your super stealth car. The only difference is that KITT actually talks.”

“Hold it.” Sinclaire interrupts. “Is KITT some code name for something? And who’s Michael Knight?”

“Michael Knight is the hero of the story,” Allison explains. “He’s a freelancer with the Foundation for Law and Government, and KITT’s his car. It actually stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand.”

“K.I.T.T.” Sinclaire seems to go over the name in his mind. “Oh, so it’s an acronym. I thought it was actually someone’s name. That’s intriguing. What is this story called again?”

“Knight Rider,” Allison answers. “It’s a TV show that was on back in the 1980s, and it’s currently one of my favorites.”

“Easy, Miss McQueen, or I’m going to start watching it,” Sinclaire warns, but there’s a sparkle in his eyes.

Again Allison feels butterflies. It’s like the second he looked at her, it set her off. She bites her lip and turns to face the road, watching the cars go by as they’re reflected in the wet pavement.

If this guy was not my boss, we might actually be dating, Allison thinks, but the second the word ‘dating’ leaves her head, she grimaces. Dating was the last thing she ever wanted to do. With anyone. The idea had always been disgusting to her. It was right at the top of her Most Disgusting Things list, directly below sex.

Dating had been disgusting for a long time...until Detective Ernest Sinclaire with his police uniform, pistol and handcuffs had entered her life. Her real-life Knight Rider, in the flesh. The man who had saved her life three years ago before even knowing her. Ernest Sinclaire was a goddamn superhero.

He is so close to her. She keeps sneaking glances at him, his eyes laser-focused on the road as he steers smoothly through traffic. Somehow, she feels safe. Protected. And it’s not just because he’s a private investigator. He just makes her feel that way without doing anything.

He wouldn’t be interested in dating me anyway, even if he weren’t my boss, she tells herself silently. He’s way out of my league. Handsome guys with sophisticated manners, holding doors for ladies, wearing police uniforms, are almost always taken. It was hard to imagine that a guy like Sinclaire would still be single. He had to have a secret girlfriend somewhere: a girl just right for him, someone he took to movies on the weekend and called every night to flirt and confess his love. She envied that girl.

“You must be popular with the ladies,” she says, staring straight ahead. “Michael Knight was popular with the ladies. He was always rescuing damsels in distress and being the big hero.”

“Really?” Sinclaire turns a corner.

“Yeah,” Allison answers. “That’s why you’re kind of like him. You probably drive girls around all the time in your hot cop car when they’re in trouble, and I’m sure your girlfriend is jealous about it.”

“Girlfriend?” Sinclaire steals a glance at her, surprise written all over his face. “I, er, actually don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Wait, what?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Sinclaire repeats. “And I don’t drive around ‘just any girls’ in my car, unless they’re being arrested. Why would you assume I had a girlfriend?”

Because you’re so damn cute! Allison wants to say. How could you not have a girlfriend with THOSE looks?

But she doesn’t say it. Instead she shrugs. He seems offended by her assumption.

“I just thought,” she starts, her voice trailing off.

“What, because I wear a uniform and carry a badge and pistol that I have women swooning all over me?” Sinclaire’s voice almost sounds flat. “Because I’m good-looking? You’d be surprised, Miss McQueen. You think if I had someone special in my life that I would have hired YOU as my assistant? It most likely would have been HER. So no, I don’t have a girlfriend, and even if girls were falling for me left and right, which I have experienced on several occasions, I’m trained enough to ignore the attention. Although I guess I do see why you might have assumed.”

“I don’t have anyone special in my life, either,” Allison says, a glimmer of hope passing through her at the fact that he’s still available. “I only have Annabelle and Briar, and they mean the world to me.”

“It’s always good to have friends that look out for you,” Sinclaire says. “I’m glad you have that bond with them.”

His street comes into view, and as he turns down it, Allison looks out towards his window for any sign of the detective agency seen through the lines of trees. The moment the first white wall comes into view, she straightens in her seat. Sinclaire pulls the car up into the long driveway, the rain pattering against the windshield and the wipers streaking across it in a back and forth motion. 

“Thanks for the ride,” Allison tells him.

“It was my pleasure.” He shuts off the engine and puts the car in Park, and then he turns to face her with another beaming smile. “I’m sure this was a lot better than getting on that bicycle.”

“You have no idea.” Allison flips the latch on her door and opens it to get out.

“Hold on.” Sinclaire unbuckles his seatbelt and grabs his umbrella as he opens the driver’s door, stepping outside to walk around the front of the car. He appears at her side with the umbrella open and held out towards her. “Best to keep you dry.”

Allison carefully steps out of the car and ducks under the umbrella, and he repositions it so it covers both of them. Closing the door behind her, he lifts a remote attached to his keys, locking all the doors with a click, and then they walk slowly up the porch to the estate.

“You have a lot of keys,” Allison observes. “I have a few here.” She gestures to the lanyard around her neck, where a ring of keys dangles. “I have my bike key, obviously, my mailbox key, the key to my apartment, and that’s basically it.”

“Maybe you should add to that collection.” Sinclaire unlocks the front door and lowers his umbrella, and then he reaches into the pocket of his jacket to pull out something. It’s a single key, on a ring, along with a small tube. “I had a copy made of the key to my estate last week, so you can have your own key to let yourself in if I’m not home.”

“Wait. Are you sure?” Allison looks doubtful. “I don’t want to look like I’m breaking into your house.”

“How can you break into my house if you have a key?” Sinclaire asks. “It’s not breaking in if you’re letting yourself in. In case I’m out on an errand or something, you have your own key to get in. There’s also a bottle of mace attached, so if you’re ever in trouble like you were last time and I’m not fast enough to reach you...” His voice trails off, and Allison can feel him suddenly trembling. Her fight with Dylan had to have eaten away at him way more than she thought. 

She takes the key ring from him and turns the tube around. MACE, it says in bold letters on the front. Pepper spray. He had literally just handed her a bottle of pepper spray. The ultimate enemy on any unsuspecting attacker. 

“Thanks, Detective. I appreciate it,” she says in a soft voice, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Really.” His body relaxes slightly under her touch, and he gives her a determined nod. “I know I’ll put both to good use.” 

“You’d better,” he cautions. “Preferably the mace. Lord Hester may be gone for the time being, but I can’t help feeling he’ll be back. I’ll sleep a lot better at night knowing that you can at least defend yourself with something. They keys can be a good tool, too, but I don’t find them nearly as effective as pepper spray. The attacker would have to be directly on top of you for you to even scratch his arm.” He holds the door wide open and stands aside to let her in first. “Of course, always, ALWAYS, feel free to call me if you need me. I’ll be over there in a flash.”

“I know,” she says, walking into the long front hallway, giving him an encouraging smile. “You went over that with me repeatedly during my orientation. I even put you on speed dial at number one in my phone at your persistent begging.”

“I only want to make sure you’re safe at all times,” he answers. “It never hurts to have a reminder. I’m your employer. I have to look out for my workers.”

“Your ONLY worker,” Allison reminds him. “And I’m not the everyday damsel in distress. I have a few tricks up my sleeves when it comes to surprises.”

[gregoftom]

68-85

68. Favourite movie/series?

oof tough question! fave movies include the sonic movie, blair witch project, upgrade, reservoir dogs, saw, the thing, all evil deads and many more! as for series i love sonic x, stranger things, bojack horseman, rick and morty, sherlock, house, heroes, supernatural, hannibal... and probably more but that’s all i can think now!

69. Favourite genre of movies/books/etc

horror definitely!!!

70. Your fictional crush/es

shadow the hedgehog, megamind, kitt from knight rider... and i think that’s it.

71. Which fictional character is you?

answered already, but sonic! (and ash williams from evil dead now i think about it)

72. Are you a shipper? List your otps, if so

god i have so many!!

- sonadow

- freewood

- michael/kitt

- sabriel, destiel

- sormik, aruju, juvar

- raz/leena, crymaria/klaus

- soriku

- klausper

- nygmobblepot

- lawrence/adam

- ash/herbert

- merthur

- johnlock

- hannigram

aaand there are prob more but that’s all i remember for now 😅

73. Favourite greek god?

hermes!!!! love that funky lil dude w his winged sandals.

74. A legend from where you live that you like

bruh i can’t think of a single one this place boring as hell.

75. Do you like art? What's your favourite work or artist?

i do! not really, i’m a fan of most of it.

76. Can you share your other social media?

yeah ok. my psn is sonicsspeedstar, my twitter is @lastal1a, my snapchat is chill-spike and my insta is enygmat1c (though i rarely ever use the latter two.)

77. Favourite youtubers?

i’m not massively into youtubers but i like idubbbz, weest and achievement hunter/roosterteeth.

78. Favourite platform?

probably youtube (lmao considering my last answer that might be contradictory but still)

79. How much time do you spend on the internet?

a lot lmao, although quite a bit less lately cause of circumstances.

80. What video games have you played? Which one's your favourite?

now this one’s a loaded question! i’ve played so many games, and a lot of them are my favourites. so i might as well just list the games! mean bean machine, toejam and earl, sonic adventure 1 and 2, team sonic racing, sonic forces, sonic colours, shadow the hedgehog, koudelka, shadow hearts 1, 2 and 3, baten kaitos 1 and 2, king of fighters, shadow of the colossus, silent hill 1, 2 and 3 as well as homecoming and shattered memories, basically all of wadjet eye’s games, produced or created, night of the rabbit, chains of satinav and memoria, tales of graces and xillia, kingdom hearts, final fantasy x and xiii, pokemon platinum, sims 3... there are probably more, but that’s all i remember for now!

81. Your favourite books (manga also counts)

skulduggery pleasant, beyond the deepwoods, holes, a spell of winter.

82. Do you play board/card games?

HELL YEA at least i would if i had ppl to play with f....

83. Have you ever been to a night marathon in cinema?

NO I HAVEN’T HEARD OF THAT BUT NOW I WANT TO GO TO ONE DESPERATELY if it’s watching films back to back at the cinema GOD I WANT TO.

84. Favourite holiday

christmas!!

[sweetdreamsjeff]

That Was So Real: Jeff Buckley's Collaborators Tell The Story Behind 'Grace'

8/23/2019 by Steven Edelstone

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the album is being reissued today alongside the release of four full live sets.

“Hey remember that riff you played me at your parents’ place when we were playing guitar on your bed?”

It was April 1994 and singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley’s classic debut album, Grace -- which turns 25 today (Aug. 23), and is being celebrated with a major reissue via Columbia/Legacy Recordings -- was essentially done, set to come out in just a few months. Buckley, then 27, had recently enlisted his friend Michael Tighe, just 19 at the time, to play guitar in his live band as he was gearing up for what would become a grueling, almost two-year world tour.

He convened the rest of his band, made up of bassist Mick Grøndahl and drummer Matt Johnson, to record some B-sides at Sony Studios in Midtown, Manhattan. It was Tighe’s first rehearsal and it began with Buckley asking him to play a guitar riff he showed him at his parents’ place in the West Village about a year and a half prior.

The song quickly became “So Real,” a track that would eventually be situated at the heart of Grace, a stunning alt-rock track that would break up the hushed fingerpicked guitars of “Lilac Wine” and “Hallelujah" -- the latter of which has remained in the public memory long after his death, and still serves as the introduction to his back catalogue to many.

“I played it, and he got behind the drums and started singing the melody to the chorus, and we kind of knew it was something special,” Tighe remembers. “We did the instrumental and that night, he just took a long walk around Hell’s Kitchen and came back and had the lyrics and the melody for the verses and he laid it all down in like two takes. Afterwards, he was like, ‘I want this song to go on the album.’”

“When Jeff took what he did and put his vocals on it and his lyrics, I couldn’t believe it,” Johnson adds. “I thought it was unbelievable. I was like, ‘Oh my god, this guy is amazing!’ I loved what he did, and I was so impressed with the way his melody was so unimaginable, given the instrumental track. In a million years I never would have thought about that.”

But there was one issue: Buckley wanted to add “So Real” to the tracklist in the place of “Forget Her,” a sorrowful and dark, yet direct song that higher ups at the label, including producer Andy Wallace, wanted as the lead single. Buckley now wanted it to remain unreleased entirely.

“It’s the one thing with the album that I wasn’t happy with, that “Forget Her” was left off -- because it was absolutely intended to be part of the album,” Wallace explains, noting that the song was 100% done at the time. “I remember we took him out to dinner, Don [Ienner, Chairman of Sony Music Label Group], Steve [Berkowitz, A&R executive at Columbia who signed Buckley], and me. If I recall correctly, the main point of that dinner was, ‘Reconsider Jeff, blah blah blah.’ He was adamant, and God bless him, he stuck to his guts.”

                           Read More            

Jeff Buckley's Manager On Why He Waited 21 Years To Release Memoir: 'It's Raw To This Day'

For as great as the ultra-personal “Forget Her” was -- the song was eventually given a legitimate release years after Buckley’s tragic 1997 death on the Grace (Legacy Edition) compilation in 2004 -- it wasn’t necessary to launch the New York-based singer from legendary local live act to a worldwide cult phenomenon. Though the album was dogged by slow sales Stateside, eventually peaking at No. 149 on the Billboard 200 albums chart almost a year after its release (he was initially much more successful in Europe and especially in Australia), it was eventually certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2016, 22 years after it hit record stores.

Now, 25 years after its release, the album is being reissued by Columbia/Legacy Recordings, complete with the release of four full live sets: Live at Wetlands, New York, NY 8/16/94; Live From Seattle, WA, May 7, 1995; Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, May 13, 1995; and Live at Columbia Records Radio Hour.

But what became Grace was almost a radically different sounding album. Signed on the strength of his renowned residency at the now-closed East Village venue Sin-é, which saw Buckley perform a wide array of covers and original material each Monday night beginning in April 1992, Columbia initially mulled the idea of a debut release that would have reflected the sparse, solo-electric spirit of the shows, which were marked by his sense of humor and incredible crowdwork (check out his mini cover of Pakistani legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, sung over the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” riff). Though some songs in that vein would make the eventual album -- his covers of “Hallelujah” and “Lilac Wine,” originally by Leonard Cohen and James Shelton (and made popular by Nina Simone and Eartha Kitt), respectively, were the most prominent examples -- Buckley, as well as Wallace and Berkowitz, decided to go in a different direction.

“He wanted to do a band album; he didn’t want to do a solo thing,” Wallace says, who has since worked with Coldplay, Paul McCartney, and The Strokes, amongst dozens of other high profile bands. “There was some talk about that, whether it was best to do something that reflected what he was doing at Sin-é, because he was so good at it. It’s hard to do a full album of just the solo thing, especially because so much of his magic had to do with his persona and his live interaction with the audience. That’s virtually impossible to capture on a record, at least with the same impact.”

The label agreed on the condition that they would put out an EP recording of one of the Sin-é gigs, which was later stretched out into a full LP in 2003. Released in late 1993, it included two originals, as well as stunning renditions of Van Morrison’s “The Way Young Lovers Do” and his take on an old French song, “Je n’en connais pas la fin.” This served as a way to introduce Buckley to an audience outside of Lower Manhattan, hint that more music was on the way, and allow him to pursue forming a real band.

“He just always wanted to be in a band, that was his dream,” Tighe says, who has since written songs alongside Andrew Wyatt for Liam Gallagher, and worked with Adele. “He idolized Led Zeppelin and the chemistry that bands have -- to a degree, the family unit that a band has. I think he really wanted that for a long time.”

Though he now had a trio, made up of Grøndahl, Johnson, and himself, to record with -- Tighe wasn’t added until the recording sessions were largely completed -- Wallace still wanted Buckley to record a bevy of paired-down solo versions of all of the songs. Most nights while recording in Bearsville, New York, a small town in the Catskills, Wallace would have him go out to the live room after dinner -- maybe with a glass of wine -- and perform his Sin-é gig without stopping.

                           Read More            

Live Jeff Buckley Recordings Will Soon Be Available for Streaming

It was in this setting that Buckley was most relaxed (“He definitely seemed like he was most comfortable when he was playing live in general,” Tighe believes), and it allowed him to unwind a bit, while still recording. This is one of the main reasons why so much solo material has been released since his death on various legacy albums and compilations: There’s a still-unreleased version of “Hallelujah” with an extended minor key intro floating around somewhere, Wallace says.

While a lot of the song arrangements were hammered out in pre-production rehearsals, this was an incredibly new band, very much still feeling each other out. Some of these songs were born in the recording studio, including “Dream Brother” -- which, like “So Real,” was marked by the instrumental track being recorded before Buckley had even written the lyrics or melody.

“My musicianship I wouldn’t say was great at the time, but I did feel like I was resonant with Jeff emotionally -- and just in terms of the raw quality of listening to music as music,” Johnson remembers, now the drummer for St. Vincent since 2011. “The depth of his listening showed me how to play music in many ways. The sensitivity to his voice… It was kind of scary sometimes. I felt like a bull in a china shop. I felt like I wasn’t good enough to be in his band. It was formative, and it made me who I am.”

Song after song was then cranked out in that big, ambient room in Upstate New York. From the wild quiet-loud dynamics of “Mojo Pin” to the magical Kerl Berger-arranged strings on “Last Goodbye,” it was obvious that they were working on something extraordinary.

“There’s never a turning point where a light goes on, and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is an incredible album!’” Wallace says. “But I can remember the first time that I really went, ‘Wow, this is not just a young guy with a great voice and a great ability to entertain an audience. It was probably the first time I went to see him at Sin-é and he played ‘Grace,’ which I had never heard before... I remember very specifically, looking over at [Buckley’s manager] George [Stein], ‘Where did that song come from? I’ve never heard that!’ And he said, ‘Oh that’s one of Jeff’s originals.’ That was the first time I felt, ‘Wow, there’s something really special going on.’”

The album would take Buckley and his band around the world multiple times over, even returning to play the same metro areas multiple times in the same year to develop his fanbase, with a heavy investment by Columbia. Always the consummate live performer, Buckley would sometimes leave his own bandmates stunned.

“There would be some nights where he would do some things with his voice where it would completely blow me away,” Tighe remembers. “The thing about performing with him is that he managed to cast a spell over the audience and because of that voice he had, he did the same with the band members. It was like we were in a bit of a trance most of the time. He really had that kind of power to his voice.”

If anything, those around him remember Buckley most for his passion and his sense of humor. Whether it was seeing him light up when meeting his hero, Jimmy Page, after a show at a beautiful theatre in Melbourne or just joking around in the tour van, he had a sensitive and magnetic personality that lives on in everyone that knew him personally.

“There’s a line in one of his songs on [the posthumous release, Sketches for] My Sweetheart the Drunk, ‘I miss my beautiful friend,’” Wallace says, tearing up over the phone as he recites the lyric from “Morning Theft.” “Every time I think of that, I miss my beautiful friend. And I’ve never stopped missing him.”

[stars-over-new-jersey]

KR 1x07: "Not a Drop to Drink"

At first this episode seemed really promising. The basic premise is good, and the characters are likeable.

But the CHEESE. OH GOD THE CHEESE. And the worst part is I know this can't be the worst episode.

The scene of KITT cornering the bull is just utterly ridiculous, especially with the gratuitous jump at the end.

And it gets worse. Every time they use KITT in this episode, the cheesiness level goes up.

(I'm sure six-year-old me loved it. Adult me is wondering why I watched this sober.)

The only reason this didn't get a five-cheese one-star is because I'm sure there's worse.

Ratings (out of 5):

Cheese Level: 🧀🧀🧀🧀 Cringe Level: 😬😬 Michael Knight Hotness: 🔥🔥 Vehicular Shenanigans: 🚘 Overall Rating: ⭐⭐

* my Knight Rider episode reviews

[x-unnamedgraves-x]

YA I finished these. now I can write this off the bucket list LOL. these playlists have no order or cohesion I just slap them on shuffle and add/remove songs based on how well I think they make me think of a character. some of these songs I end up forgetting about because youtube decides to never play them LOL

links to each playlist/text versions of the lists under cut v

Nailioe (x) Lillies of the Valley - David Byrne Heavy Metal Poisoning - Styx Touch-Tone Telephone - Lemon Demon Eighth Wonder - Lemon Demon Enter Sandman - Metallica This is How I Disappear - My Chemical Romance Prototype - WoodenToaster The Future Soon - Jonathan Coulton [REDACTED] Don't Hold it Against Us - Groundbreaking An Unhealthy Obsession - The Synthetic Orchestra Ordinary Man - Jonathan Coulton Paint it Black - The Rolling Stones Happy Nation - Ace of Base Gonna Dig Up Alec Guinness - Lemon Demon Breezeblocks - Alt-J Dentist - Little Shop of Horrors My Ordinary Life - The Living Tombstone Killing in the Name of - Rage Against the Machine Say Amen - Panic! at the Disco Black Soul - Shinedown Dance on Vaseline - David Byrne

Andy (x) Birdhouse in Your Soul - Lemon Demon My Time - Bo En Movie Night - Lemon Demon Paranoid Android - Radiohead The Zombie Song - Stephanie Maybe Subtle Oddities - Lemon Demon Angels - Owl City Rainwater - Lemon Demon Stand By Me - Ben E King The Mind Electric - Tally Hall All of My Friends - Tally Hall Omen - Mother Mother Voices in my Head - Be More Chill Tiny Town - David Byrne Fiberglass Monkey - Lemon Demon Schizophrenia - Jukebox the Ghost Half Crazy - Jukebox the Ghost Sunbeam Light Show Flower Seed - Lemon Demon No Surprises - Radiohead Hymn for a Scarecrow - Tally Hall

Mullion (x) I Want to be Evil - Eartha Kitt The Wanderer - Dion Criminal - Fiona Apple Valerie - Amy Winehouse Big Iron - Marty Robbins Jingle Jangle Jingle - Kay Kyser Short Skirt Long Jacket - Cake Tightrope - The Greatest Showman Hand in My Pocket - Alanis Morissette Heartaches by the Number - Guy Mitchell Clint Eastwood - Trey Anastasio The Villain I Appear to Be - Connor Spiotto Goodmorning - Bleachers Shadow of the Day - Linkin Park Stolen Dance - Milky Chance Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers Ode to my Family - The Cranberries Que Sera Sera - Doris Day Almost Human - Voltaire Never Wanted to Dance - Mindless Self Indulgence Hate Me - Blue October Giving Up the Gun - Vampire Weekend Ninety-Nine Pounds of Dynamite - Buddy Stuart Hold Me, Love Me - Buddy Stuart Put a Lid on It - Squirrel Nut Zippers Everybody Lost Somebody - Bleachers Running Gun - Marty Robbins She Said - Brie Larson Ain't That a Kick in the Head - Dean Martin Renegade - Styx Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden Long Time Gone - Dixie Chicks Top of the World - Dixie Chicks Mama's Broken Heart - Miranda Lambert

Blitzhund (x) Rose Colored Boy - Paramore Without My Tonsils - Lemon Demon Another Night - Real McCoy Plastic Love - Mariya Takeuchi Potential Break Up Song - Aly & AJ I Should Watch TV - St.Vincent & David Byrne Blue Sunny Day - Jonathan Coulton C'est La Vie - B*Witched This Feeling - Macross 82-99 Spring and a Storm - Tally Hall Kissing Strangers - DNCE All She Wants - Mika Crazy = Genius - Panic!At the Disco Long Time - Blondie I Know You're Out There - Stephanie Mabey Radio-Friendly Pop Song - Matt Fishel The Sign - Ace of Bass I Love You Baby - Frank Sinatra Give it Up - KC & The Sunshine Band Now I'm Your Mom - David Byrne Mad World - Tears For Fears Careless Whisper - George Michael Sad Song - David Byrne Green Light - Lorde Life Itself - Glass Animals Flagepole Sitta - Harvey Danger Dread In My Heart - Mother Mother God Says Relax - Lemon Demon Larger Than Life - Backstreet Boys If I Ever Feel Better - Pheonix Now I Am An Arsonist - Jonathan Coulton Waving Through A Window - Owl City I Want Everything - Hope 7 Hypocrite - Skye Sweetnam Avril - Lemon Demon Greener - Tally Hall I Don't Care - Eartha Kitt Harsh Light - Nate Ruess Into The Ocean - Blue October Home - Brian Eno & David Byrne Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears For Fears Stitch Me Up - Fun Nightmare - Set It Off Alpha Dog - Fall Out Boy Kiss You Off - Scissor Sisters

Lollipop (x) Flamingo Legs - Lemon Demon All Around the World - ATC Beautiful Life - Ace of Base Otter Pop - Shawn Wasabi Flamingo - Kero Kero Bonito Rockabye Baby - Clean Bandit Shelter - Porter Robinson & Madeon High Road -  Fort Minor Shout - Tears For Fears How Bizarre - OMC Kitten is Angry - Lemon Demon The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani Labyrinth - Tally Hall Lollipop - Mika Goodbye Stranger - Supertramp Human - Skye Sweetnam Lash Out - Alice Merton Biohazard - Crusher-P Lemon Tree - Fools Garden All I Ever Wanted - Basshunter Good Day - Jukebox the Ghost

Horace (x) Deer in the Headlights - Owl City You & Eye - David Byrne Headphones on You Heart - Leeni Don't Feed The Trolls - Jonathan Coulton Digital Witness - St. Vincent Promiseland - Mika Just Apathy - Tally Hall You & Me - Tally Hall White Bread Boyfriend - Lemon Demon This Hyper World - Lemon Demon Being Alone on Valentines Day - Lemon Demon I'm Not Okay - My Chemical Romance Best Day Ever - Blondie When You Die - MGMT Verbatim - Mother Mother Stuck in the Middle - Mika It Can Get Lonely in My Mansion - Lemon Demon Brave - Jonathan Coulton Reaper Man - Mother Mother Hunger - Florance+The Machine Real Life - Skye Sweetnam Hate That You Know Me - Bleachers Almost Sorry - Scissor Sisters Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Set It Off Enola Gay - Mush No Eyed Girl - Lemon Demon Radio/Video - System of a Down

[ifthenslashers]

[Archive] PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: If/Then — Chance/Choice, and Which Will Win?

By Harry Haun [Mar 31, 2014]

The new Broadway musical If/Then, starring Tony Award winner Idina Menzel, opened on Broadway March 30. Playbill.com was there.

In If/Then, the new musical arriving March 30 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, the road not taken is heavily traveled — and so, too, is the road taken, simultaneously. It makes a busy thoroughfare, watching what might have been and what actually is.

Somebody ought to install a traffic light to prevent a pileup of parallel plots. As it is, lighting designer Kenneth Posner has thrown in some helpful color-coding to keep the storylines straight (red-and-blue states of reality, so you know where you are).

Not only is this a new musical, it is an original, from-the-ground-up-new musical, and there hasn’t been one of those since — well, since First Date, which got the 2013-14 season going, and God-knows-what before that. The Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of Next to Normal, Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics) and Tom Kitt (music), rate A’s for ambition and B’s for bravery in going where very few musicals go anymore.

One qualifier: Although based totally on itself and no other source, it does betray a passing glance at “Sliding Doors,” a ‘98 British flick in which Gwyneth Paltrow hops the Underground that takes her into two different realties which play out in tandem. Here, Idina Menzel is Elizabeth, a prodigal New Yorker in her late '30s returning to NYC from the Arizona desert and divorce, looking for a fresh start. She gets two. Depending on which gay friend she leaves Madison Square Park with (LaChanze’s Kate or Anthony Rapp’s Lucas), she fractures into career woman Beth, who rises high in the urban planning ranks, or underpaid schoolteacher Liz, who has a family with her military surgeon husband (James Snyder). One wears glasses, the other doesn’t. One longs for a real and lasting love, the other yearns for professional fulfillment.

If you put Beth back together again with Liz, you would have Elizabeth, a woman who has it all — the feminist ideal — but at what a cost! “I enjoy playing how each character falls just short of the mark,” Menzel admitted. “What one has, the other wants. You set out on these goals, and you never quite get everything you want.”

In her first Broadway appearance since her Wicked, Tony-winning Elphaba a decade back, Menzel has as much as the new diva on the block could ask for — a character so complex she splits in two for further delineation and a powerhouse score to belt and blast away with. At first she claimed to have no favorite song in the score — “It tends to change on the day. Things resonate differently with me, depending on what I’m feeling that day in my own life” — then gradually the truth came out: “I love the song I sing at the end of the show, 'Starting Over.’ It’s such a beautifully written song. It feels like it came directly from my heart. All the chord changes, the melody — it just fit me, and the emotional connection of the dots was just right on.”

Interestingly, she signed up for this show before a note had been put to paper. “I was with it from the beginning when it was just an outline on a piece of paper,” she beamed proudly. “It was the creative team that brought me aboard.” It meant reuniting with her Rent director Michael Greif and her Wickedproducer David Stone and testing the waters with Kitt and Yorkey. “I surrounded myself with people I love and believe in and know will teach me and make me a better artist. They could have handed me the phonebook, and I would have done a musical of the yellow pages.”

Two and a half hours of industrial-strength belting without almost ever leaving the stage would leave lesser mortals wilting a little around the edges, but Menzel seemed almost energized by the ordeal and charged with unflagging charm and grace through the long and demanding press gauntlet that had been set up in the lobby of the Edison Hotel directly across the street from the Richard Rodgers.

As Menzel’s BFF in the show, a kindergarten teacher with plenty of kick and bounce, LaChanze is likewise returning to Broadway for the first time since her Tony-winning work as Celie in The Color Purple. “It took a while to decide what it was going to be, but this character, Kate, is the best I’ve found,” she said. “I like the role because it’s brand new. My character is happy, full of life. I get to be funny, which I typically don’t get to be.” (For handy example, the charred earth of Ragtime.)

“This character really trusts herself,” she continued. “She steps out there, and she’s bold. She’s that New Yorker that you’ve seen on the subway. If you take the subway in New York, you’ve seen Kate many times. You’ve come across Kate, maybe at the Department of Motor Vehicles. I love representing that kind of character in a show.”

And the lesbian aspect of the role is old hat for her now. “The last time I played a lesbian on stage was in The Color Purple. People don’t remember that Celie definitely was in love with a woman, but in this piece what I love about it is that lesbianism isn’t an issue. It’s not something that’s hidden. It’s not something that’s taboo. It’s just about our love and our relationship. I love being able to really focus on that. From the beginning, right away, you know she is in love with a beautiful woman.”

Her partner in the play is played by Jenn Colella, who similarly embraces the role. “I love this part,” said Colella. “It feels closer to myself than any other part I’ve played. The last role I played was Hedda Hopper [in Chaplin], and she was a villain, and I’m not really a villain. Here, I’m a spunky, wise-cracking lesbian who lives in New York City. LaChanze is a winning actress. It’s very easy to fall in love with her every night.” Unbeknownst to writer Yorkey, her character has switched professions. “Brian decided she is a chef and a dancer, but those are two things I don’t really excel at, so LaChanze and I have secretly decided I’m a pilates instructor/street photographer.”

Rapp’s Lucas is not too far removed from Mark, the camcord chronicler he originated in Rent — both at the barricades protesting housing injustices. “The thing in Rent with the housing was that Benny had made a deal he reneged on,” Rapp recalled, referring to a character played by Menzel’s ex, Taye Diggs. “Mark wasn’t quite on the frontlines as Lucas. Lucas is really the one walking the walk and talking the talk. But, I guess, yeah — both share a kind of idealism. I love Lucas’ passion and commitment, his belief we’re all connected and any one person can really make a profound difference in the lives of others.”

Rapp is another who feels surrounded on all sides by past pals. “It’s a dream to work with Michael Greif and Idina again. And Tom and Brian I had worked with on early versions of Normal. I keep calling this experience 'a bonus round’ because it’s all these people that I love and admire. That we get to work and play together is a gift.”

The split-level storytelling brings out a bisexual dimension in Rapp’s character, the actor is happy to report. “We don’t see a lot of bisexuals on the stage, and I’m proud to be a part of telling that particular story. In one time zone, Lucas genuinely has a loving relationship with a man, and in the other time zone, he’s in love with a woman. I feel that both of these situations are absolutely true to his core.”

Dixon was delighted to be back on Broadway after an intermission of 22 years, his first Main Stem endeavor since Five Guys Named Moe. He and LaChanze made their Broadway bows together as lovers in Once on This Island and played lovers again Off-Broadway in The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin. This time, their relationship is reduced to one line. “We have one tiny little scene that just went in a week and a half ago. She just says to me, 'Hi, Stephen.’ That’s it, that’s it!”

He plays a city exec who keeps offering jobs to Menzel. “He’s gone through quite a bit of development. They didn’t quite know how the career part of Beth’s story should play out on stage. They knew they had to have a human being facilitate that.”

Meet Stephen the Hirer. “I think that’s what’s Stephen’s talent is. As far as being a city planner goes, Stephen is good at it, but I think his real talent is finding other people who are even better at it than he is. That’s his real talent — team-building, looking at somebody and saying, 'Oh, I don’t have that talent. You come work for me,’ and I’ll look all the better for it. He’s complex, he’s funny, he’s flawed — all those things that actors like to play. I think whenever you can recognize a character that has all those things going for it you have to jump at the chance to play it.”

As the male love interest in Lucas’ life, Jason Tam seems to have progressed from Marry Me a Little to ordering from Column B — and he likes the switch. “I love getting to sing a duet with Anthony,” he admitted. “I would never have dreamed this would happen. If you had told me as a 16-year-old listening to Rent and knowing every single lyric and being able to sing the entire thing by myself that one day I would be doing a duet with Anthony Rapp, I just never would have believed you.

"I love these songs. I think the lyrics that Brian has written reflect the swirling contradictions that exist in all of us. They’re not clean, and they’re messy and beautiful. And I think the music that Tom has written is so evocative of what it means to be a human being and to feel this gamut of emotions. He knows what it sounds like to have your heart broken or to go through grief or to celebrate a wedding. He knows what that sounds like and what that feels like.”

On top of it all, he enjoys playing a substantial character — in this case, a pediatric surgeon. “I love the fact that he’s so grounded because I’m not, typically, very grounded, and I love that that’s kinda rubbing off on me as a person. I feel my feet are a little more planted. My posture is a little bit better, believe it or not. David’s got a wonderful career, money, a beautiful house with a garden. He’s just missing a love aspect in his life. That’s what he’s really running towards, fighting for in this show.”

Snyder, the erstwhile Cry-Baby, goes to war in this production as a medical surgeon and, similarly, enjoys the strengthening benefits of playing that kind of role. “Playing someone solid like that seeps into my own life and, I think, helps me be a more solid, grounded person,” he said. “Brian calls my character, Josh, a unicorn because he’s from a broken family but he’s a healer at heart. He falls in love with Liz for exactly who she is and everything she is — a passionate woman, an angry woman — and he loves her in every situation. He knows how to disarm her and love her and accept her. He’s kinda everything I would love to be as a husband and a father.”

As for that romantic chance-meeting that changes the lives of both characters — hey, it happens! “The night I met my wife,” Snyder remembered, “I was going to see a friend in a play. I was supposed to go on Friday, but I went on Thursday instead, and she was there on a date. I met her and asked her to go out on Saturday. If I had gone on Friday instead of Thursday, I might not have met the woman of my dreams.”

Greif, having helmed Rent and Next to Normal, was something of a creative centerpiece for If/Then. “I knew that whatever Tom and Brian were going to be working on would be challenging, sophisticated, smart and moving — that they would get the head right and the heart right — so I really wanted to do whatever they were doing.

"The next step, I think, was David Stone coming and saying, 'I’d love for Brian and Tom to develop something for Idina,’ and I thought, 'Well, that’s fantastic because Idina and I have remained close friends since Rent and I’ve wanted to work with her again for quite some time.’ So a project with Idina in mind began percolating.”

Composer Kitt served Menzel well with power ballad after power ballad. “I just try to write music that right away feels inspired and feels like something I would want to listen to, but, certainly, having Idina in my head as I wrote was wonderful.”

Ironically, his personal favorite number in the score is a Billy Bigalow-like soliloquy delivered by Snyder. “I’ve always been in love with the song, 'Hey, Kid,’ especially as a father. It’s just a song I find very emotional. Brian sent me those lyrics first, and I thought he just nailed it — all the joys and fears of being a parent.”

Yorkey is quick to credit The Big Idea motivating his book to Kitt. “It was originally Tom’s idea,” he said. “He was looking at his life. He’d just had his third kid and had a life he really thought was blessed, but he started to think what a fine line it was between this blessed life he had and a life that might have been very different. And he said, 'Can we write a show about that? Can we write a show on the choices we make and the things that happen to us and the way they play out over time?’” There was a reason the idea appealed to Yorkey. “I was born probably because my father who was supposed to go to Vietnam was, at the last minute, reclassified so he was at home and my parents conceived me. If he’d gone, I probably wouldn’t be here. When you look back on it, it’s terrifying to think how fine a line there is between your existing and not existing, but it’s also fascinating to think about.”

He jumped from Kitt’s idea to a blank piece of paper that kept getting blanker. “It’s harder to start with no source material,” Yorkey contended. “You start at zero rather than some sort of starting place, and it takes longer. I think it takes longer to get it right. Musical adaptations are a challenging form, but it’s great to try to sprinkle in a few originals — a few things that started in musical theatre and went out into the world.”

The songwriter and original author of Wicked, Stephen Schwartz and Gregory Maguire, were very much in Menzel’s camp on opening night, as was her old Rent mate, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Wicked alum Kyle Dean Massey, who turns into Pippin on April Fools Day. “I’ve been waiting a long time to see this show in its final state,” said the latter. “I’ve seen bits and pieces, and now I get to see it fully realized.”

A subdued Mario Cantone beamed contentedly from the sidelines while husband Dixon drank in the limelight of a Broadway opening again. They’ve been together 24 years.

Writer-director George C. Wolfe, busy busy busy on numerous unnamed projects, said he’s particularly looking forward to Zach Braff’s Broadway debut next week in Bullets Over Broadway. “I gave him his first job in some Shakespeare down at The Public, and he, in turn, put me in his first movie.” About five minutes into “Garden State,” Wolfe has a hilarious bit as a hysterical maitre d’ who fires Braff in one long breathless stream of words. Now that it can be told: “There was a big giant rat on the set — they were filming in a real restaurant — so I said, 'That’s it, I wanna go home now,’ and I did it real fast.” The take was too priceless to ever be duplicated.

Rabbit Hole Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire said he’s finishing up one play and sending another off to workshop at New York Stage and Film this summer. “It’s called Ripcord, about two old women in an assisted living facility.”

Actor-producer Kevin Spirtas just did Closer Than Ever and is working on an evening of Peter Allensongs. Scarlet Pimpernel Douglas Sills is playing Captain Hook these days in Diane Paulus’ workshop of Finding Neverland. He is also playing the producer part Dustin Hoffman did in the film. Matthew Morrison of “Glee” is James M. Barrie.

In a short stage-break, Brian d'Arcy James shot “Hoke,” a pilot with Paul Giamatti. “I’m a lawyer who represents a less-than-above-board clientele,” he boasted.

First-nighters included Jesse Tyler Ferguson (promising to return to theatre as soon as his hit series permits), Maura Tierney, Susie Essman, Michael C. Hall (one of the upcoming Realistic Joneses), Darren Criss and In the Heights’ Lin-Manuel Miranda.

[kitt-rider]

god i love kitt!!! i really love kitt like s omuch i can’t tel lyou how much i love kitt. almost as much as michael, like that’s how much. he’s so sweet and funny and cute and an ANGEL and the best hfnjsdmfs ugh. more human than most people just a baby, a baby. it’s loving kitt hours. me @ kitt

[zibizuba]

Black Actors Who Played White Characters

Celebrities Leisure 

Black Actors Who Performed White Characters

2019-12-212019-12-21 ViraLuck

Movie star Information, Leisure

‘); (h12_adarray = window.h12_adarray || []).push({“adcontainer”:h12precont,”placement”:”c9d6b99f00114c5a436a0f497c7bb182″,”dimension”:”300×250″,”sort”:”normal”,”width”:”300″,”peak”:”250″,”title”:””});

Shade blind casting, or non-traditional casting, has opened up alternatives for black actors, albeit slowly. There have been many black actors who performed white characters, however there’s nonetheless room for extra range in Hollywood general.

White characters performed by black actors have paid off on the field workplace as a result of audiences recognize a wonderful efficiency – no matter race. Whereas many followers reacted negatively the casting of black actress Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Youngster, others had been excited that such an completed actress was moving into the position. Even Potter creator J.Okay. Rowling defended the casting selection.

In lots of instances, black actors who’ve taken on white roles have modified the way in which a personality was seen eternally. Pink has been portrayed as black ever since Morgan Freeman performed the half within the movie adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption. We’ll all the time consider Agent J in Males in Black as Will Smith. Michael Clarke Duncan was so excellent for The Kingpin in Daredevil, that Marvel wrote a tribute to the actor when he handed.

This record seems to be at among the prime black actors who performed historically white characters. And whereas we’re speaking about non-traditional casting, which position would you prefer to see a black actor tackle? Let everybody know within the feedback

Zendaya Coleman as Mary Jane Watson

In August 2016, it was introduced that African American actress Zendaya Coleman will play Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man’s love curiosity, within the 2017 Marvel reboot Spider-Man: Homecoming. Zendaya beforehand appeared in numerous Disney Channel exhibits, together with KC Undercover and Shake It Up!, starring because the title character within the former.

Mary Jane (who, in line with IMBb, will be called Michelle within the reboot) was played by Kirsten Dunst within the authentic Sony Spider-Man movie sequence and by Shailene Woodley in scenes that had been deleted from The Superb Spider-Man 2. Within the comics, Mary Jane is a pale redhead. Survey says? Change is nice.

The casting resolution ignited a mini-furor in fan communities, as such selections have done in the past(and likewise this). James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy, took to Fb to handle these considerations, writing:

I can’t reply to the racists – I’m not ever going to vary their minds. However for the considerate majority of you on the market:

For me, if a personality’s major attribute – the factor that makes them iconic – is the colour of their pores and skin, or their hair shade, frankly, that character is shallow and sucks. For me, what makes MJ MJ is her alpha feminine playfulness, and if the actress captures that, then she’ll work. And, for the document, I feel Zendaya even matches what I consider as MJ’s major bodily traits – she’s a tall, skinny mannequin – rather more so than actresses have previously.

Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger

Play: Harry Potter and the Cursed Youngster

Regardless of her accomplishments as an actor, there was backlash over Dumezweni’s casting as Hermione within the play. J. Okay. Rowling, the queen of getting none of it, squashed the criticism, tweeting, “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and really intelligent. White pores and skin was by no means specified Rowling loves black Hermione.” Different Harry Potter forged members supported Dumezweni within the position. Matthew Lewis tweeted, “And Neville Longbottom was blonde. I actually don’t care. Good luck to her.”

Dumezweni said to the haters, “It stems from ignorance. They don’t need to be part of the inventive act. To say it’s not because it was supposed is so unimaginative. I don’t assume they perceive how theater works. We’re right here to heal you, make you smile and whisk you away.”

Will Smith as Robert Neville

Movie: I Am Legend

Neville is the final man in New York Metropolis, or so he thinks. There have been many variations of Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel, however this was the primary time a black actor performed the virologist.

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

Movies: The Avengers franchise

David Hasselhoff performed Fury in a 1998 TV film, but it surely’s Jackson who conjures a particular form of Fury.

Morgan Freeman as Red

Movie: The Shawshank Redemption

Within the e book, Stephen King describes Pink as white and Irish. The road “Perhaps It’s as a result of I’m Irish” was left within the film as a nod to the e book. Stage variations of the e book now forged Pink as black, because of Freeman’s iconic efficiency (which earned him an Oscar nomination).

Idris Elba as Heimdall

Movies: Thor, Thor: The Darkish World

Within the Marvel comedian sequence, Heimdall is a Norse god, however he’s simply as mighty within the arms of Elba on display screen.

Denzel Washington as Bennett Marco

Movie: The Manchurian Candidate

Richard Condon’s 1959 novel was made into a movie in 1962, with Frank Sinatra asBennett Marco. Washington, who lends one thing to each position he takes on, performed Marco effectively sufficient in a so-so remake in 2004.

Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie

Movie: Annie

Many actors have tackle the position since 1982, most notably Aileen Quinn. However Wallis was a refreshing replace to the white, freckled redhead. Wallis’s efficiency obtained a 2014 Golden Globe nomination for Greatest Efficiency by an Actress in a Movement Image – Comedy or Musical.

Brandy Norwood as Cinderella & Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother

Movie: Cinderella

The 1997 ABC TV particular was the primary time Cinderella and different characters had been performed by black actors. In addition to Norwood and Houston, Veanne Cox and Natalie Desselle performed Cinderella’s stepsisters, and Whoopi Goldberg was Queen Constantina. Filipino-American Paolo Montalban performed Prince Christopher.

Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm

Movie: The Improbable 4

Say what you’ll in regards to the 2015 movie, however Jordan was a refreshing replace to Storm. Chris Evans, who performed Storm in 2005, thought Jordan was a positive selection as effectively.

Will Smith as Agent J

Movies: Males in Black franchise

Within the Aircel comics, Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers depicted each brokers as white. Smith, being an enormous star (particularly in 1997), was a straightforward selection as Agent J alongside Tommy Lee Jones as Agent Okay.

Michael Clarke Duncan as The Kingpin

Movie: Daredevil

Duncan performed the villain to perfection in 2003, and left his mark on the character. A lot in order that Marvelhailed him after his passing in 2012.

Pam Grier as Jackie Brown

Movie: Jackie Brown

In Elmore Leonard’s e book Rum Punch, Jackie Brown is a blonde flight attendant. Tarantino noticed the character as black and particularly wished Pam Grier for the position in his 1997 movie.

Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent

Movie: Batman

The Batman comedian sequence portrayed Dent as white. Williams added his personal particular qualities to the villain onscreen in Tim Burton’s 1989 movie. He additionally revealed that he was on the right track to play Two-Face within the sequel, however producers went one other method, selecting Tommy Lee Jones.

Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Ted Ross, Nipsey Russell, and Richard Pryor

Movie: The Wiz

One of many first black casts to tackle the beloved 1939 The Wizard of Oz, the 1978musical was an on the spot hit with audiences and continues to be produced and toured worldwide.

Alfre Woodard, Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashad, and Others

Movie: Metal Magnolias

The all black forged – rounded out by  Jill Scott, Adepero Oduye, and Condola Rashad – appeared within the 2012 Lifetime remake, however confronted a troublesome reception from the diehards of the 1989 film.

Dwayne Johnson as Hercules

Movie: Hercules (2014)

Hercules is Greek; The Rock just isn’t. Nonetheless, that didn’t cease him from being an superior Hercules. Steve Reeves, who performed Hercules in two totally different motion pictures within the late ‘50s, would pull down some columns in approval. Kevin Korbo’s fashionable portrayal in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys ran from 1995 to 1999 and he was irked when producers turned him down for a cameo within the Dwayne Johnson movie.

Eartha Kitt and Halle Berry as Catwoman

Movie & TV Collection: Catwoman & Batman

On the web page of the comics, Catwoman is white and plenty of positive actresses from Julie Newmar to Michelle Pfeiffer have performed the character. However Eartha Kitt made Catwoman iconic together with her well-known growly voice within the late-’60s TV sequence and Halle Berry introduced Catwoman again to black within the 2004 movie.

Bernie Casey and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter

Movies: James Bond franchise

A number of white actors have performed Leiter through the years within the Bond franchise, most notably Jack Lord. Casey took on the position in 1983 in By no means Say By no means Once more; Wright introduced weight and realness to the character in 2006’s On line casino Royale and 2008’s Quantum of Solace.

Will Smith as Jim West

Movie: Wild Wild West

Robert Conrad performed James T. West within the fashionable 1960s TV sequence, with Will Smith portraying the character within the 1999 movie.

David Oyelowo as Henry VI

Play: Henry VI

In 2000, David Oyelowo was the primary black actor to play the English king for the Royal Shakespeare Firm.

Sam Jones III as Pete Ross

TV Collection: Smallville

Within the comics, Clark Kent’s pal is white. Ross turned a fan favourite when he stepped into the position in 2001 on the TV sequence.

Mos Def as Ford Prefect

Movie: The Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy When followers noticed 2005’s The Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy, they had been delighted and puzzled to search out Mos Def within the position of Ford Prefect reverse Martin Freeman’s Arthur Dent. Prefect is a pink head in Douglas Adams’s e book. Def’s model is considerably extra cool than David Dixon’s Prefect on the BBC TV sequence, however each work in their very own method.

Colin McFarlane as Gillian B. Loeb

Movie: Batman Begins, The Darkish Knight

Loeb was a corrupted baddie within the comics. McFarlane’s Loeb performed him with sophisticated motivations in each movies.

Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny

Movie: Skyfall

Lois Maxwell performed Miss Moneypenny for 23 years. Then 4 different actresses (Barbara Bouchet, Pamela Salem, Caroline Bliss, Samantha Bond) took on the position. Producers and forged stored the key till Skyfall’slaunch in 2012, as Naomie Harris turned the primary black Miss Moneypenny.

Laurence Fishburne as Perry White

Movie: Man of Metal

Fishburne portrayed the primary black the Editor in Chief on the Each day Planet in 2013’s Man of Metal. A number of white actors, together with John Hamilton, had portrayed the character up till then.

Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford

TV Collection: Hannibal

Crawford has been performed by Scott Glenn, Harvey Keitel, and Dennis Farina. Fishburne was tapped for the position of the FBI agent within the NBC sequence from 2013 to 2015.

Associated

‘); (h12_adarray = window.h12_adarray || []).push({“adcontainer”:h12precont,”placement”:”c9d6b99f00114c5a436a0f497c7bb182″,”dimension”:”160×600″,”sort”:”normal”,”width”:”160″,”peak”:”600″,”title”:””});

Artykuł Black Actors Who Played White Characters pochodzi z serwisu PENSE LOL.

source https://pense.lol/black-actors-who-played-white-characters/

[jimmythejiver]

Look I love superhero comics, I like some adaptations, hate others and are meh about most of them and I get every superhero has their fans and don’t want to see their property fail and it hurts when it does. I’ve been there. Even in the adaptations I like there’s something off that takes me out of it.

Justice League cartoon: Why is John Stewart a humorless marine with no creativity? Why do people like this John Stewart? Because it’s his only adaptation outside comics, I guess. Why is Wally West acting like Booster Gold? Mixed opinions on Diana and Shayara. Diana has more of the demure alien innocence of comic Shayara, while Shayara has more of the party reveler of comic Diana, it’s weird. Maybe I’m thinking of them in their Satellite era context and less on their Gods and Mortals and Hawkworld versions. Those are small changes to the mostly well-rounded characters, but it makes their iterations off to me.

Captain America: Why is Bucky the same age? Why is Sam a soldier and not a social worker? Why is Natasha not even old enough to have been a KGB member?

Guardians of The Galaxy: Peter Lord isn’t much like himself, Drax is alien, Rocket might not be a raccoon?

Thor: Asgard is downplayed to make it more Jane and friends-centric. Not bad, just different, but dull the second go around.

The Flash TV Show: We get a sweet Caitlin Snow at the expense of Tora Olafsdotter because she’s American? Why would you reframe a potential villain with killer in their name and then make it impossible to credibly make this character not villain material? Why is it that when we get any female villains they have to be pawns who are good victims of circumstance, or Bonnies? It seems both criminality and meta mutations are rare in the xx gene in the Earth-1 Flash Universe. Notice that it’s more common on Earth-2 and Earth-38.

You know how many times I’ve had to watch Catwoman be butchered and just be thankful they didn’t write her as some Frank Miller Sin City meets Angels With Dirty Faces character. And I liked both of those movies, i like Bruce Willis and Mickey Rourke. Jessica Alba was good in that and Machete, and I really love James Cagney and nearly all of his films that I’ve seen, but neither work for a Catwoman setting, nor does divorcing it from Batman and giving her cat powers and some fashion industry subplot ripped off from some one-shot Stan Lee character, nor does erasing her name, putting on a cheap masquerade mask and giving her Huntress motivations, or making her a child hanging out with young Bruce Wayne on a show about the adventures of an incompetent Jim Gordon and his wacko ex-fiance. At least we had Eartha Kitt and Julie Newmar (who I got to spoke to). Michelle Pfeiffer I’ll have to take as a mixed bag. Her dynamic with Michael Keaton has been the best adaptation even though both characters are fundamentally different. She’s good, but underutilized in the Batman: TAS and I think they jumped the gun when Batman outed her secret identity to the world. It severely limited her function in that universe.

[nemolian]

Val Kilmer's 14 Greatest Genre Movie Roles

Kilmer finds he’s no fan of Mars in Red Planet.

Image: Warner Bros.

Val Kilmer has made all kinds of movies throughout his long career, and many of his most high-profile performances (think Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and his groovy debut in Top Secret!) can be found in drama and action films. But when the Juilliard-trained actor—who’s had some health problems of late—goes genre, he makes some intriguing choices. Here are our 14 favorite Kilmer sci-fi and fantasy projects.

Kilmer as Bluntman.

Image: Saban Films

14) Jay and Silent Bob Reboot

The erstwhile Batman plays silent stoner superhero Bluntman in Bluntman V Chronic, the reboot-within-a-reboot that drives the plot of the 2019 Kevin Smith meta-comedy. In a movie stuffed with cameos, Kilmer’s is one of the funniest, just because it’s one of the most unexpected.

G/O Media may get a commission

Kilmer’s version of KITT enjoys a day at the beach.

Image: NBC

13) Knight Rider

We’re mostly focusing on Kilmer’s movie roles here, but how could we leave this truly random entry off the list? The iconic 1980s TV series about the talking car has been brought back a few times, including an NBC reboot that ran for one season starting in 2008. Kilmer supplied the voice of KITT, probably the only notable thing about this short-lived series.

12) Planes

Disney’s spin-off of Pixar’s popular Cars franchise is mostly about a crop duster voiced by unfunny comedian Dane Cook, but Kilmer and his Top Gun co-star Anthony Edwards do pop up to voice a pair of U.S. Navy fighter jets. No doubt that’s a little in-joke for adult viewers, since Planes’ target audience likely would not get the reference.

“I like you, Clarence. Always have, always will.”

Image: Warner Bros.

11) True Romance

True Romance, directed by Top Gun’s Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, is not a genre film; you’ll find it categorized under “crime” or “drama” or “extreme 1990s kitsch overload.” But it does have one fantasy element besides Patricia Arquette’s improbably hot n’ nerdy call girl with a heart of gold, and it’s Kilmer’s barely glimpsed yet still totally memorable appearance as the “Mentor” to Clarence (Christian Slater)—a guy who requires guidance and confidence-boosting from time to time and conveniently receives it in the form of a guardian angel who looks and sounds an awful lot like Elvis.

10) Twixt

Though he more or less retreated from Hollywood in the late 1990s, legendary writer-director Francis Ford Coppola made a rare big-screen return in 2011 with this ghostly tale starring Kilmer as once-successful horror author Hall Baltimore. His latest book tour takes him to a small town with a serial killer problem; a good portion of the movie takes place in a monochrome dream world populated by maybe-vampires (Elle Fanning, Alden Ehrenreich), Edgar Allan Poe (Ben Chaplin), and other gothic types. Eventually, Baltimore’s dreams become entangled with his waking life, much in the way that the events of the movie become entangled with the comeback novel Baltimore’s in the process of crafting. Twixt is, sadly, nowhere near as good as the sorta similar In the Mouth of Madness, but Kilmer’s performance as a writer wrestling with reality is not among its weaker points.

9) The Saint

Kilmer dons a series of questionable wigs and an array of accents to play iconic character Simon Templar, the benevolent but slippery master thief who can claim any prize for the right price. Really, seeing Kilmer adopt all those different corny identities (the sultry Spaniard! The leather pants-clad South African! The German with the pouffy mullet! The dowdy Russian housekeeper! The tweedy, spectacled man with the Doc Holliday twang!) is the main attraction here. Even with the character’s pedigree driving the story, without all the disguises and Kilmer’s charisma, The Saint would be just a middling mid-‘90s thriller with the Sneaker Pimps on the soundtrack, involving a formula for cold fusion that Simon seduces out of a gullible scientist (Elisabeth Shue) on behalf of some politically ambitious Russian mobsters.

Special Agent Kilmer of the FBI’s time-travel unit.

Image: Touchstone Pictures

8) Déjà Vu

Kilmer has a small role in this 2006 thriller that once again reunited him with director Tony Scott. Déjà Vu is mostly all about Denzel Washington’s character, ATF agent Doug Carlin, who’s among the first on the scene after a terrorist bombing in post-Katrina New Orleans. Kilmer plays the affable FBI agent who invites him to be part of a cutting-edge new task force that’s using some very timey-wimey high tech to solve the case. Though Kilmer—who played a very different sort of New Orleans law enforcement type opposite Nicolas Cage in Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, a non-genre movie that’s still chock-full of excellent weirdness—doesn’t get to do a lot, his presence adds dramatic heft to the supporting cast. Also, his character is the kind of cool boss who looks the other way when Carlin decides the only way to save the day is to risk his own life by testing the human limits of time travel.

7) Red Planet

I can’t be the only person who consistently confuses Red Planet with Mission to Mars, which both came out in 2000, but for the record: Mission to Mars is the one directed by Brian De Palma where Gary Sinise gets to hang out with aliens; and Red Planet is the one where Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss inexplicably bring a robot with an easily-triggered “kill mode” on the first manned journey to Mars. Red Planet is not a very good movie, but Kilmer gets to play a wild-man engineering genius (for some fashion flair on the long trip, he dons what very may well be his True Romance Elvis sunglasses), a character that exactly plays to his strengths—he’s almost like an older version of Chris Knight from Real Genius.

6) The Prince of Egypt

Kilmer plays Moses and God in DreamWorks’ 1998 animated musical retelling of the Book of Exodus, bringing appropriate levels of wonder, gravitas, and grief to his performances. The Prince of Egypt manages to infuse actual drama into the familiar story—with its burning bush, “let my people go,” plagues, parting of the Red Sea, Ten Commandments, etc.—by emphasizing Moses’ clash with his adoptive brother Rameses II (Ralph Fiennes), and even though it’s, you know, Bible stuff, The Prince of Egypt never gets too preachy. However, the movie also shows that even the great Kilmer has his limits; like several of the movie stars in the cast (and despite his totally serviceable crooning in Top Secret!), he doesn’t do his own singing.

5) Batman Forever

Kilmer plays the first post-Michael Keaton Batman opposite villains Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey), as well as Nicole Kidman as Bruce Wayne’s love interest and Chris O’Donnell as Batman’s new sidekick, Robin. Batman Forever, released in 1995 and directed by the great Joel Schumacher, is a sort of a midline Batman flick with forgettable details (remember Drew Barrymore was in Batman Forever? No? Neither did we, until a recent re-watch) that has been pushed to the back of all Batman-centric discussions. But you know... Kilmer’s fondness for bringing little eccentricities into his performances made him kind of perfect to play a reclusive billionaire crime-fighter with a bat fetish. (He also had the best Batman lips.) Too bad he only put on the cowl once, and then Batman & Robin happened.

4) The Island of Doctor Moreau

John Frankenheimer’s famously troubled 1996 H.G. Wells adaptation has a lot going on—a wild cast that includes Marlon Brando as Wells’ mad scientist, and Fairuza Balk, Ron Perlman, and Temuera Morrison, among others, as his human-animal hybrid creations—but somehow Kilmer still makes an impression as Montgomery, Moreau’s right-hand man. He’s soft-spoken and only vaguely menacing at first, but like everyone in the movie, he grows way more unhinged as the plot progresses. After Moreau dies, Montgomery attempts to ascend to his former overlord’s white-wardrobed place of dominance, but even the former “brilliant neurosurgeon” can’t survive the island’s rapid spiral into furry, toothy, claws-out lawless mayhem.

3) The Fourth Dimension

This three-part anthology film, which you can watch in its entirety above, opens with Lotus Community Workshop, a segment directed by Harmony Korine featuring Kilmer as “Val Kilmer”—an alternate-reality version of the famous actor who’s turned to new-age motivational speaking. You can’t not love this performance, which sees Kilmer devoid of any vanity whatsoever (just behold his wardrobe choices: beret, polo shirt with an oversized bolo tie, old-man shorts, and a fanny pack) prowl a roller rink that’s been turned into a meeting room, bellowing into a headset mic about the “awesome secrets” he’s going to share with those assembled. His wackadoo monologue is great fun, but for my money the real prize is seeing Kilmer pedal along on a BMX bike, bursting with the sort of joy one can only discover, presumably, within the utopian fourth dimension, a place “Val Kilmer” himself describes as “a kind of world like cotton candy, almost.”

This 1985 comedy, Kilmer’s second big-screen outing, made it very clear that Top Secret! was no fluke. He plays Chris Knight, a college senior whose science smarts have taken a back seat to chasing girls and other campus shenanigans—at least until he meets his awkward new roommate, Mitch (Gabriel Jarret). Mitch desperately needs a cool mentor to help him break out of his shell, while Chris needs an ally to help him take down the jerky professor who’s been exploiting students to create what the kids don’t realize is dangerous, futuristic military tech. Chris is the ultimate blend of party-guy slacker and nerdy supergenius, but Kilmer brings actual dimension to a character who easily could’ve just been there for comic relief.

1) Willow

Obviously, Kilmer’s turn as the charming rogue Madmartigan, who lends a hand (and his sword) to Warwick Davis’ unlikely hero Willow, had to top this list. Ron Howard’s 1988 fantasy comedy has become a classic, and even if Madmartigan isn’t part of the long-discussed future Disney+ TV series, he’ll always be one of our favorite characters in a movie filled with brownies, trolls, fairies, sorcerers, and evil queens. Plus, there’s the added bonus of getting to see Kilmer and future spouse Joanne Whalley fall for each other in real life as their characters are falling in love onscreen.

For more, make sure you’re following us on our Instagram @io9dotcom. 

via:Gizmodo, June 24, 2020 at 12:27PM