#hilary mccormack

[aarontveitisonfire]

Earth Abides | MGM+

Episode Synopsis *SPOILERS* under the cut.

Episode 1 "Alone"

Ish, a solitary young geologist, barely survives a snake bite; after he wakes from a coma, he drives to the nearest town only to find dead bodies; he searches for survivors, from San Francisco to Las Vegas. [Release Date: Dec 1, 2024 USA. Dec 2 Australia.]

Episode 2 "The Space Between"

Ish finds a survivor and feels a romantic spark; he feels the need to see if it real, or if it is the reality that they are last two people on earth; rats plague San Lupo; Ish dreams of rebuilding civilization. [Release Date: Dec 8, 2024]

Episode 3 "World Without End"

New survivors appear but Ish doesn't trust them, Emma invites them in; a bad storm slams San Lupo. [Release Date: Dec 15, 2024]

Episode 4 "Predators"

A drought hits San Lupo; a nomadic group arrives that knows how to find water and want to trade; Ish has his doubts, but chooses to accept help. [Release Date: Dec 22, 2024]

Episode 5 "The Return"

Ish catches Charlie assaulting Evie so San Lupo must decide how to punish evil; the virus returns and Joey falls ill; Ish feels humanity's future hanging in the balance. [Release Date: Dec 22, 2024]

Episode 6 "Forever is Tomorrow is Today"

San Lupo fights for survival against the virus; Ish realizes the answers to humanity's future may not be in his books and finds Joey's secret project. [Release Date: Dec 29, 2024]

*Aaron Tveit (Charlie) appears in Episode 4 and Episode 5. Both episodes air on Dec 22, 2024.

[oceanusborealis]

Earth Abides: World Without End – TV Review

TL;DR – How do you build community when you fear the world outside? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Disclosure – I paid for the Stan service that viewed this series. Earth Abides Review – Earth Abides has been a very interesting show so far, in many respects, in how it can blow through time yet still make it feel like a coherent whole. Alone was about Ish’s journey to find himself in a world alone,…

[klaineharmony]

Why We Ship: Josh/Donna (The West Wing)

Okay, friends. This post has been sitting in my drafts for SIX YEARS. (No kidding.) And since my West Wing obsession is currently on full display, I am finally going to talk about the OTP to end all OTPs: to wit, exactly why we ship Josh Lyman and Donnatella Moss untill the end of time.

I have to preface this post with a couple of things. First, this year is the 25th Anniversary of Season 1 of this incredible show, and I have been so emotional seeing the reunion photos, Janel’s article about Donna, her exchange with Brad on Twitter, Mary McCormack and Melissa Fitzgerald’s new book, the cast’s appearance on the Emmys, just everything that has been about celebrating this show that won 26 Emmys, in large part due to a flawless cast and Aaron Sorkin’s writing. (Where did the time go?!)

Second: a bit of fandom history as I lived it. What I want everyone to understand about these two is that we ALL shipped them. Every single one of us, from Season 1 onward. It didn’t matter who else you shipped (and you could ship other couples, it was fine!), who else you thought could have been a couple, who else was paired off with whom in the show - we all shipped Josh and Donna. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since. It wasn’t the original plan for them to end up as a couple, but they had such chemistry, and Brad and Janel are so exquisitely perfect at what they do, that they created seven seasons of flirting and hilarity and angst and heartache that had you rooting for Josh and Donna the whole way. 

Third, and this is just me talking: Aaron Sorkin left the show after Season 4, and he left this perfect setup for Josh and Donna to get together. I don’t know who was in the room after he was, but they decided to write another 2 1/2 seasons of agony. Of absolutely soul-shredding agony, watching Josh and Donna break each other into pieces before finally sorting themselves out. In one way I really love that arc - it gave Donna a lot of wonderful independence and let her become her own person, away from Josh, and I love that for her! Not to mention that it allowed Brad and Janel to show entirely new dimensions of their characters, and the ways they interacted when things were hard, and angry, and resentful, and Josh and Donna had to find some way to function without each other. The acting is masterful. In another way, it was so painful to watch that I wished (at the time) that the writers would have taken Aaron’s opening and found a less gut-wrenching way for them to form a relationship as a couple. I occasionally still wish that, as the painful section of Josh and Donna’s relationship was in the darkest and most stressful part of the show as well. It felt like the writers started going for grim realism instead of Aaron’s signature brand of hope. It was hard to watch, and honestly still is, despite the still incredible writing and acting.

All of that is my preface to singing the praises of these two to the skies and beyond. Why do we ship Josh and Donna? Let me count the ways.

First: these two know the best and the worst about each other almost from the get-go. Before Donna even meets Josh, she knows he’s frantically busy, bad at answering his phone, totally disorganized in his office, and high maintenance in general. Josh figures out her history with Dr. Freeride during their first conversation, but he’s also impressed with her earnestnesss and determination. We also know that he ends up at Donna’s apartment sometimes when he’s drunk. We know Donna keeps boundaries around him after he’s shot. Donna is the one who figures out that Josh probably has PTSD, before anyone else does. We see Josh basically put his job on the line to protect Donna when she lies under oath to Cliff Calley. These two protect each other, fiercely and with everything they have.

Second: their banter is an art form. It is flirty and hilarious, and also smart and clever, and in the midst of it you realize just how smart Donna is. She can keep up with Josh Lyman! The smartest guy in the Democratic Party! What’s more, she’s not afraid to challenge him and tell him he’s wrong. And Josh loves that about her. As much as he teases her about her positions and her questions and her endless challenges to him, he loves that she isn’t scared of him and is willing to push him to be better. How many people tell Josh Lyman no, or even dare to argue with him?? Almost no one, and they can’t even begin to be as funny and attractive as Donna when they do manage it. And sometimes it goes from arguing policy to being downright flirty, and you just want them to give in and kiss already! It’s about the *tension.*

Third: All the silent communication. There is a post on my dash somewhere that has all kinds of gifs of Josh and Donna touching each other in all these little ways, and a quote from Janel where she talks about how she and Brad found all of them, all these little touches that indicated sexual tension and flirtatiousness but also affection and familiarity. Josh and Donna are also masters of looks that speak. They can look at each other in all kinds of ways, and exchange all kinds of information without saying a word - and most of the time we as viewers know exactly what that exchange is, which just says volumes about Brad and Janel’s acting skills. 

Fourth: Even when things are at their worst, even when Josh and Donna are hurt and angry and barely speaking, you can see how much they still love each other. You can see they want to fix things and just don’t know how, don’t know what to do to move past the anger and hurt feelings and sense of betrayal. Even though they are both in tremendous pain, you never get the sense that they stop loving each other, just that they are at a point where they need to be apart long enough to sort themselves out individually, before they can come back together. And as painful as it is to watch, it’s also quite extraordinary.

Bottom line: Josh and Donna love each other. They adore each other. They fight for each other, and are willing to risk everything for each other, again and again. Their love and connection is never absent and always visible, whether they are flirting or arguing or absolutely furious, whether they are protective or panicked or exultant. They love each other through every moment of everything, and it’s impossible not to love watching them while they find their way to each other.

See the previous entries in this series (and please feel free to add your own!):

Neo/Trinity (The Matrix)

Steve/Peggy (Marvel/MCU)

Jack/Sarah (Newsies)

Harry/Hermione (Harry Potter)

[eco-lite]

Some mostly out of context funny/sweet/heartbreaking moments from Una McCormack’s Enigma Tales:

[Text ID: “Renel took the other chair and the two guls, both big men, perched awkwardly together on the sofa. Garak had asked for the sofa’s dimensions to be just slightly too small to comfortably seat two adult males. His cruel streak always found expression somehow.” End ID]

Garak forcing stuffy military men to squeeze onto a tiny sofa together. Utterly diabolical.

[Text ID: “My real pride is, of course, my garden. I have worked hard here. Parmak helps, although he has a tendency to kill plants on touch—worrying in a doctor (previous sentences underlined in red by me). He can’t do too much damage. The plants are hardy, the flowers have their own agenda, and not even Parmak can kill dry stone monuments.” End ID]

I love that in The Crimson Shadow, it’s implied that Kelas takes care of Garak’s garden while he’s away, yet here we learn that he’s actually terrible at it. First of all hilarious. Second of all, very sweet that Garak trusts him to keep trying.

[Text ID: “’There might be another route to Garak,’ Alden said slowly, at last. ‘Ambassador, what do you know about Kelas Parmak?’

‘He is the castellan’s close friend,’ said T’Rena. ‘Probably one of his closest advisors—not officially, but certainly they are often together.’

‘Are they lovers?’ said Pulaski.

‘I don’t know,’ said T’Rena. ‘I do know that Parmak was interrogated by the Obsidian Order in his youth, and that Garak may have been involved.’

‘Damn,’ muttered Alden, ‘this place is twisted.’” End ID]

Pulaski just assuming that Garak and Kelas are lovers. A perfectly valid assumption--it’s the same assumption I make myself. Also, Peter Alden pointing out how it is frankly fucked up that they should be lovers considering the circumstances of their past encounter. He’s not wrong... Kelas is just a forgiving angel of a man.

[Text ID: “She picked up the parcel she had brought with her. ‘Hey,’ she said. ‘I’ve got to go now. I hope it’s been good to see me. But I brought you a present. Well, it’s not really from me. Several of your friends got together and found this, and when they heard I was coming they asked me to bring it with me. I hope there’s no injunction on importing livestock. I think I got away with it.’

He was hardly going to unwrap the gift, so she pulled at the paper, revealing the small brown bear inside. She reached for Bashir’s hand again, lifting it and pressing it against the toy, in case the touch stirred some memory. She pressed it against his cheek too, so he could catch the scent. Smell and memory were closely intertwined; smells took you back to places more than anything else. Then she put the bear upon the windowsill, half looking out at the city, half looking back at Bashir. She smiled at it; this little guy had been loved, she saw, and someone had done some stitching that would make a surgeon proud. She reached out and rubbed its ears.

‘He’s an old soldier, isn’t he?’ she said. ‘He’s been through some wars. We’ve all been through some wars.’ She stopped and kissed her lost friend gently on the brow. ‘Come back, Julian,’ she said. ‘We miss you.’” End ID]

Pulaski bringing Kukalaka to comfort the comatose Julian are you kIDDING ME? This scene is so bittersweet.

[Text ID: “’My father would say, all the time, how much I was wanted. How much he wanted me.’

(Next paragraph highlighted red by me) Well, he had wanted something, Garak thought. Telek’s father had not wanted the child he got. And that hurt, as Garak had cause to know; yes, that hurt very badly.” End ID]

Hahahahaaa ouchie.

[Text ID: “Garak realized that he was still holding the phaser. He slipped it back into his pocket, for he would no doubt need it again one day, and then he rested his head against the cool of the window. My poor Julian, he thought. He let himself tremble for a while, allowing his body to process the shock. He might have allowed himself some tears then, too, in the dark while nobody could see, for all that had been lost, for all that he had done; for everyone that he had harmed.

Everyone that he had been unable to save.” End ID]

Despite everything, Garak is a very compassionate person. He very kindly talked down Telek, who was about to kill him, and was sensitive and remorseful that Telek’s Bajoran genetics had been eradicated as a child, at the insistance of Telek’s Cardassian father. And then immediately after that assassination attempt--a moment in which you’re surely allowed to think selfishly--he instead thinks of “My poor Julian,” another man whose father did not want him as he was. And that’s not even acknowledging all the other shit Garak is going through here. It’s a lot.

Love to end on a sad note. But seriously, everybody go read this book! These are just a few great moments among many. Lots of angst, lots of tenderness.

[mermaidinthecity]

This album is called FEARLESS, and I guess I’d like to clarify why we chose that as the title. To me, FEARLESS is not the absence of fear. It’s not being completely unafraid. To me, FEARLESS is having fears. FEARLESS is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, FEARLESS is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. FEARLESS is falling madly in love again, even though you’ve been hurt before. FEARLESS is walking into your freshmen year of high school at fifteen. FEARLESS is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again…even though every time you’ve tried before, you’ve lost. It’s FEARLESS to have faith that someday things will change. FEARLESS is having the courage to say goodbye to someone who only hurts you, even if you can’t breathe without them. I think it’s FEARLESS to fall for your best friend, even though he’s in love with someone else. And when someone apologizes to you enough times for things they’ll never stop doing, I think it’s FEARLESS to stop believing them. It’s FEARLESS to say “you’re NOT sorry”, and walk away. I think loving someone despite what people think is FEARLESS. I think allowing yourself to cry on the bathroom floor is FEARLESS. Letting go is. Then, moving on and being alright…That’s FEARLESS too. But no matter what love throws at you, you have to believe in it. You have to believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after. That’s why I write these songs. Because I think love is FEARLESS.

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU

I want to thank my family. Austin, thank you for understanding all of this and never getting frustrated. I love you with all my heart and I’m so proud of you. Mom, you’re my best friend and your laugh keeps me sane. Dad, thank you for your help selling t-shirts and playing the role of “proud dad” 24/7.

Nathan, my brilliant producer, thank you for your intuition. Thank you for your talent, I’m lucky to have you.

Liz Rose, you’ve never stopped standing by me.

To my wonderful little record label that has grown quite a bit since the days of no furniture, fresh paint, and 12 employees…Thank you. I’ll never forget the days of sitting on the floor, putting cds into envelopes to send “Tim McGraw” out to radio.

Scott Borchetta, thank you for believing in me since I was 14 and still trying to straighten my hair. You’re family.

Robert Allen, thank you for all of your hard work on the road and your lovely British accent.

To my promotions team, thank you for all the number one singles! Jayme Austin, Mandy McCormack, Jeff Davis, Erik Powell, Larry Hughes, and Jack Purcell. Also, Andrew Kautz, John Zarling, Allison Jones, Whitney Sutton, and everyone at the Big Machine.

Thank you to Monte Lipman, Joel Klaiman, and everyone at Universal!

I love you Emily Evans. Jason Hutcheson, thank you for looking out for me.

Sandi Spika, thank you for your pretty dresses and glam assistance.

Lorrie Turk, thank you for your awesome make up skills and wonderful laugh.

Paula Erickson, you’re an amazing publicist and anyone would be lucky to be your client. 😉 You’re the best publicist EVER.

Claudine Ottinger, thanks for all the tour press! Kelly Rich, you’re wonderful.

Duane Clark, thanks for helping me learn the business end of things.

Mike Milom, thank you for endlessly combing through my contracts. Crazy lawyers…Troy Tomlinson at Sony/ATV Publishing, you make me happy, Greg Oswald (You’re incredible), Dave Wirchtshafter (You get it done basically you’re awesome), Jason Trawick (You’re hilarious and awesome), and all my friends at William Morris.

Thank you to country radio. I remember riding in the back of a Taurus on radio tour, and meeting you all for the first time. Look at what you’ve done for me!

Thank you to CMT, GAC, and MTV.

Colbie, thank you for lending your angelic voice to this album. It’s an honor to have you as a co-writer and friend.

Abigail, distance has never held us back and it won’t now that you’re at college. Best friends. That will never change.

Kellie Pickler, you’re the sister I never had.

To my band, “The Agency”, you are family. Caitlin Evanson, Paul Sidoti, Grant Mickelson, Al Wilson, Amos Heller, Ben Clark…Thank you for dressing up in crazy costumes because you know it makes me laugh.

Thank you to the people with the hard jobs — My crew and bus drivers.

But most of all, thank you to the fans. I’m nothing without you. Nothing. I’ll never forget that.

I want to thank you for giving me this life, from the bottom of my heart. With everything I have and everything I am, I thank you. I’m nothing without the people who believed in me and my music enough to go out and buy a copy of the first CD…or the people who bought tickets to see me in concert. So the final thank you goes out to you.

Fans are the reason I even have a second album coming out. I love you. Thank you for all you do. Endlessly. l’ll always thank you, and I thank God every day for putting you in my life.

And to the boys who inspired this album, you had fair warning.

FEARLESSLY, LOVELOVELOVE-T-

— Taylor Swift, Fearless (2008)

[inherentlyindecent]

Well, I was weak....

David Sanchez: Casting agent (Pedrol Pascal)

Hunter Soto: New age shop owner (Danny Griffin)

Taylor Graves: Website designer (Leo Woodall)

Griffin Hodder: Podcaster (Rohan Campbell)

Lorcan Benson: Rancher (Lee Pace)

Gunner Jacka: Escort manager (Dylan O'Brien)

Bowen Zhang: Stripper (Yoshi Sudarso)

Elijah Rollins: Drifter (Alex Hogh Andersen)

Nathaniel Delwood: Mechanic (Joel Kinnaman)

Clayton Long: President of Reapers MC (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)

Vincent Long: Vice President of Reapers MC (Tom Hardy)

Orin Bergeron: Sgt at Arms of Reapers MC (Leo Suter)

Kane Thomas: Treasurer of Reapers MC (James Lafferty)

Archibald Clarke: Member of Reapers MC (Glen Powell)

Robert Ramirez: Prospect of Reapers MC (Froy Gutierrez)

Samantha Beesmer: Photographer (Josephine Langford)

Carli O'Dell: Professional Cosplayer (Ayo Edebiri)

Victoria Hendrix: Laywer (Jessica Chastain)

Maeve Loughlin: Carpenter (Niamh McCormack)

Ashley Hewitt: Podcaster (Olivia Cooke)

Riley Thorton: Paranormal investigator (Emma Mackey)

Margaret Fitzroy: Professor (Rachel McAdams)

Aaliyah Fuller: Editor (Candice Patton)

Angelina Barzel: Nurse (Samara Weaving)

Hilary Zucker: Outdoor guide (Emilia Clarke)

Cheryl Owens: Distiller (Lily James)

I'm done. No one let me make any more muses...

[kunaigirl]

Ok so I learned something amazing (and hilarious) today. We all know Bandit, the super wonderful Dad to Bluey and Bingo on Bluey right? Right!

Well did you guys know that his voice actor, David McCormack, WAS ALSO THE LEAD SINGER AND GUITARIST IN A 90s PUNK BAND CALLED CUSTARD???? BECAUSE HE WAS! It's also the most 1990s thing ever, you're welcome.

(I'm sure this is probably pretty common knowledge over in Australia since his band had singles that made it into the top 100 at the time/etc, but I know being here in the USA I sure as hell didn't know about it, and I NEEDED to share this discovery ASAP lmao.)

His band also released a reunion album in 2015!

So yeah if you didn't know before, you do now! These songs have such a chill-punk vibe to them and I love it! Even though all I can hear is Bandit OOP

[red-jenny]

"And after all that backflipping for bat-daddy, you're right back where you started… alone and helpless, wondering why he hasn't come to save you. …Why that's just… hilarious. Time to say bye-bye, birdie! "Fly, fly, bird boy! No blade cuts deeper than betrayal, kid. And when Batman finds out you gave up his greatest secret to save your own ass--that'll be the real killer! Now scram!"

Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood, 2022 by Sean Murphy, Clay McCormack, and Simone Di Meo

[anhed-nia]

You can really hear the smug voice of an insufferable grammar wonk dictating the tagline for this stupid movie. THE LESSON has one of my favorite movie problems to hate on, which is that it's about someone impossibly great at their craft creating an impossibly great masterpiece--a premise that almost no one can execute, unless you're like making THE RED SHOES with Moira Shearer who was beyond human, this is basically the worst plot setup ever. If you don't literally have the greatest living artist to help make your movie about the idea of the greatest living artist, just don't do it, I'm serious. And actually it's even worse when its a story about a great writer writing a great story, because what is that supposed to imply about the screenwriter who wrote it? And god forbid it's some sort of fantasy tale in which you get to have the uniquely insulting experience of a storyteller telling you that storytelling is literally magical, the implication being that the storyteller is himself some sort of high priest you should worship. But the king of this general problem is FINDING FORRESTER, a movie with all sorts of issues, the main one of which is that it's supposedly about "great writing" but you basically never catch a glimpse of what that consists of. It's like making KING KONG with no ape, just people telling you how big the ape is. Holy mackerel he was a whopper, take my word for it! Big, big ape. The biggest. As I recall your closest encounter with the amazing writing of the story's young prodigy comes when he drops his backpack while trespassing on scary Old Man Forrester's territory, and Forrester leaves notes all over his notebooks like "CONSTIPATED THINKING" and "ATMOSPHERE PUNGENT." Spoiler alert but near the end of FINDING FORRESTER, there is finally going to be a big public reading of an amazing essay--but then as soon as it starts, the music swells and there's just this hilarious montage of extras pretending to listen to something awesome. An amazing mass performance by all the extras.

So anyway THE LESSON is about how Richard E. Grant is a super amazing writer writing his highly anticipated next novel, and Daryl McCormack has to come to his palatial estate to tutor his neurotic son. Daryl spends a lot of time presumably doing great writing, spying on Richard E. Grant while he eats out his wife Julie Delpy, and spontaneously spouting verse or rattling off Wikipedia articles about great cultural figures. THE LESSON has a lot of cosmetic similarities to SALTBURN so it's really obvious that some sort of perverted plan is being hatched by one or more of the people involved, and like I just could not wait for them to get on with it. Daryl is so smarmy and precious and dewy-eyed I just wanted to punch him in is pretentious little face, I never imagined how angry I could be at someone just for reciting Shakespeare, I was really rooting for him to get victimized by the rich people. At least Richard E. Grant is always exciting even when he's saying the dumbest "smart guy" shit imaginable, he's such a demon, but this script is really the pits. It's almost like the guy who wrote it actually hates writing and writers and has some sort of bone to pick with people who are good enough to get novels published. Actually the guy who wrote it is a playwright who does some sort of comedy routine with an acoustic guitar, and I don't think I need to know a whole lot more about that. But at the same time this movie could have done with some jokes, and it was stingy of him not to offer them.

I do have one nice thing to say about THE LESSON though, which is that intermittently, for no particular reason, there are these great inserts of beavers dicking around in the idyllic pond by Richard E. Grant's house. It's so startling when it first happens because apparently beavers make THE WEIRDEST NOISE, it's so cool and fucked up, it sounds like a sick kazoo and I totally love it. I have to think that the beavers were included in the movie spontaneously during production just because they happened to be there and it always adds value to have random nature stuff if you can get it. Nobody ever refers to them, there are no other animals or animal-type metaphors in the picture unless you count some sort of analogy to Julie Delpy getting her beaver licked constantly. That would be pretty funny actually.

N.B. I couldn't find a video of the angry beaver noises that closely resembled the ones in the film. It would be weird if it was just some eccentric foley choice, I don't think it is, but in any case you'll just have to imagine it unless you want to watch THE LESSON.

I'll say one more thing about SALTBURN and then I'll stfu: I guess this is vaguely spoilery so stop reading if you care about that, even though I have to say I found that movie so obvious. By the time it finally gets around to its big perverted twist, I just kind of felt like, Well yeah, DUH. Usually I when I come to a movie like that, I tolerate the beautiful young people and stay for the psychotic debauchery, but in this case I found the movie's darkness so forced and condescending and basically meaningless that I couldn't bring myself to give a shit. The best parts of SALTBURN are when the beautiful young people are having a great time, trying on fun outfits and frolicking on the castle lawn. That seemed to me to be the most honest part of the movie, and actually I think that when people tell these stories about how rich people are secretly corrupt and dead inside despite their veneer of happiness and achievement, it's clear that they're really in it for the fetishistic depictions of extreme decadence, and the twist or the comeuppance part is just a cheap, moralizing excuse to fantasize at length about how awesome it would be to be rich. I guess SALTBURN's big excuse for existing is its ultimate assertion that being jealous of rich people is way sicker and more disgusting than being an actual rich person who hoards resources and plays games with the plebeians. I find that pretty suspect, and I think it would have been a better movie if it just let itself honestly fetishize power and luxury instead of making shady excuses.

[quibbs126]

Does anyone else just sometimes take characters in a series and in your mind try to replace them with other characters their actor has voiced?

Like, I only know Yuri Lowenthal and Patrick Seitz for the Ancients (as well as I suppose Patty McCormack for Dark Enchantress, but I only know her for Rhoda Penmark in the 50s), but the mental image of Clive and Dio being allies is hilarious to me. Feel free to add in whoever else for maximum insanity

[aarontveitisonfire]

Earth Abides | MGM+

Alexander Ludwig as Ish

Jessica Frances Dukes as Emma

Aaron Tveit as Charlie

Birkett Turton as Ezra

Elyse Levesque as Maurine

Hilary McCormack as Jean

Jenna Berman as Evie

Luisa d'Oliveira as Molly

Based on the novel by George R. Stewart. Premiere December 1, 2024.

[themovieblogonline]

A Simple Favor 2 Gets Fancy in Capri

Remember that twisty, hilarious movie "A Simple Favor" with Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively? Well, get ready for another round of murder, mayhem, and maybe some overpriced wedding cake, because a sequel is officially happening! Mark your calendars and get your fascinators ready, because things are about to get wild in Capri, Italy. Deadline spilled the tea two years ago that a sequel was brewing, but now it's officially official. Amazon MGM Studios is bringing the whole gang back together, including director Paul Feig and the original cast. That means we get to see Anna Kendrick reprise her role as the quirky Stephanie Smothers, and Blake Lively back as the seemingly perfect Emily Nelson. Henry Golding (hello, eye candy!), Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho, and Kelly McCormack are also returning, so basically, it's gonna be a party. Lionsgate Crashes the Wedding Remember that crazy rich ex-husband from the first movie? Lionsgate is co-producing this sequel, so get ready for some serious high-society drama. The first movie made a killing at the box office, raking in a cool $97 million, so it's no surprise they're jumping back on board. Cameras are already rolling this spring, and the plan is to release the movie on Amazon Prime Video in a whopping 240 countries! This time around, Stephanie and Emily are ditching the suburbs and jetting off to the stunning island of Capri for Emily's extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Sounds fancy, right? Wrong! Because with these two, things never go according to plan. Expect murder, betrayal, and enough plot twists to make your head spin. Think "The Talented Mr. Ripley" meets "Wedding Crashers," with a dash of "Bridesmaids" thrown in for good measure. The Dream Team Behind the Scenes The script is being penned by Jessica Sharzer, who wrote the first movie, so you know the witty dialogue and killer twists will be on point. Oscar-nominated director Paul Feig is back in the driver's seat, so expect his signature blend of humor and suspense. Basically, this sequel has all the makings of a major hit. While we wait for the wedding bells (and inevitable drama) to ring out in Capri, here's what the cast has been up to: - Anna Kendrick: This multi-talented actress is making her directorial debut with the Netflix film "Woman of the Hour," while also starring in and producing the movie. - Blake Lively: She's starring in the film adaptation of the bestselling novel "It Ends With Us," and is also gearing up to make her feature directorial debut. - Henry Golding: This heartthrob is currently filming season two of Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers." - Basically, this cast is booked and busy, but they all cleared their schedules for a trip to Capri (and maybe a little on-screen murder). Mark Your Calendars, Drama Lovers! "A Simple Favor 2" is shaping up to be an epic follow-up to the first film. With its killer cast, hilarious script, and exotic location, this movie is a must-watch for fans of dark comedies and anyone who appreciates a good plot twist (or ten). Keep an eye out for more updates, and get ready to witness the return of Stephanie and Emily! (Source: Deadline) https://youtu.be/SUEFYZTFXkY Read the full article

[shutupanddeal]

My top movies of 2022

I saw 95 new releases this year. Heartbreak still feels good in a place like this. The films that moved, excited, provoked, and delighted me the most:

10. BODIES BODIES BODIES: A Gen Z horror satire starring Pete Davidson on paper sounds tailor-made to annoy me, but instead the uproarious humor here camouflages the year’s most incisive countercultural commentary about victimhood and the internet.

9. TOP GUN: MAVERICK: Tom Cruise pulls 10 Gs – dayenu. But also: awe, action, aviators, and a reckoning with obsolescence. It made me cry.

8. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH: Everybody clap your hands!

7. DECISION TO LEAVE: Fun, slippery, and finally staggering, this fusion of cat-and-mouse detective thriller, noir, romantic melodrama, and comedy keeps you guessing until it wallops you.

6. TÁR: The world’s greatest ears and what they choose to hear. Árt, rát. An exquisite, rigorous dissection of genius, power, and their discontents.

5. FIRE OF LOVE: What comes through most poignantly in this gorgeous volcanologist documentary is the resonance of the human heart with the natural world: both full of mysteries beyond our grasp.

4. HIT THE ROAD: This Iranian road trip family dramedy thrums with such authenticity as to make other movies seem false. A thing of political courage and cinematic wonder, plus the cutest kid actor in ages.

3. AFTERSUN: Loose with life but carefully calibrated, Charlotte Wells’ memory piece about a father and a daughter reaching for each other sneaks up with the force of its emotion and its formal innovation.

2. THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: The voice of his generation, or at least a voice of a generation: Joachim Trier understands that it’s never too late to find yourself — but that if you take long enough, the costs start to pile up. There are at least two breathtaking sequences here that will stay with me forever.

1. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: An utterly brilliant, hilarious, moving, bonkers mindfuck; a resonant exploration of regret and possibility; a cry against nihilism; an oblique response to post-truth politics and the meaninglessness-making of the pandemic years; and a million other beautiful things: The title already told you.

~~~

Honorable mentions that could have easily made this list: AFTER YANG … BABYLON … BROKER … CAUSEWAY … GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE … HAPPENING … MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON ... PETITE MAMAN

And assorted other superlatives:

Least favorite movies: BLONDE … DINNER IN AMERICA … THE WHALE ... CRIMES OF THE FUTURE … THE LOST CITY ... THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING … ARMAGEDDON TIME … BROS

Best leading actress performances:

Cate Blanchett, TÁR

Olivia Colman, EMPIRE OF LIGHT

Danielle Deadwyler, TILL

Ji-Min Park, RETURN TO SEOUL

Margot Robbie, BABYLON

Best leading actor performances:

Colin Farrell, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

Brendan Fraser, THE WHALE

Daryl McCormack, GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE

Paul Mescal, AFTERSUN

Bowen Yang, FIRE ISLAND

Best supporting actor performances:

Anders Danielsen Lie, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD

Brian Tyree Henry, CAUSEWAY

Judd Hirsch, THE FABELMANS

Ke Huy Quan, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Mark Rylance, BONES AND ALL

Best supporting actress performances:

Allison Janney, TO LESLIE

Nicole Kidman, THE NORTHMAN

Janelle Monáe, GLASS ONION

Rachel Sennott, BODIES BODIES BODIES

Michelle Williams, THE FABELMANS

Best lines:

“Surgery is the new sex.” CRIMES OF THE FUTURE

“You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve.” THE MENU

“The world of love wants no monsters in it.” BONES AND ALL

“I’m not your buttercup, perv!” AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

“Secrets aren’t always things we try to hide. There’s just no one to tell them to.” PETITE MAMAN

Best endings:

AFTERSUN

BABYLON

DECISION TO LEAVE

EMILY THE CRIMINAL

TÁR

WHITE NOISE

Best weapons

Fanny pack in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Flaming motorcycle in RRR

Fingernails in THE WOMAN KING

Nail gun in KIMI

Autocorrect in DEEP WATER

Miscasting couch

Greta Gerwig in WHITE NOISE

Antoni Porowski in SPOILER ALERT

Lil Rel Howery in DEEP WATER

Billy Eichner in BROS

Highest concentration of extraordinarily hot people trying different accents: DEATH ON THE NILE

Most surprising critique of the military-industrial complex: THE SEA BEAST

Funniest mention of Brown: THE MENU

Strangest conception of legal education: TICKET TO PARADISE

Most unhinged moment: Sandra Bullock improvising erotica about the eczema on Channing Tatum’s back in THE LOST CITY

Worst hats: MARRY ME

Best title of a movie I saw: ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED

Best title of a movie I didn’t see: PURPLE HEARTS

Worst title: SPOILER ALERT

Special commendation for a title that is just my initials: EO

And now, because I’m crazy, here are some maps of where the movies took me this year (excluding films that took place in several/unspecified/imaginary states or countries):

[eco-lite]

Just finished reading Una McCormack’s The Crimson Shadow! Aside from the political thriller of it all, here are three little moments I love very much.

Firstly, I don’t think we’re talking about “culture” here, are we? Kelas knows what’s up. 😏

Best of the Garak and Picard interactions. It’s only now after all Garak's trials and maturation that these two men could possibly be friends and equals. Although it's hilarious to imagine how infuriating it would have been for Picard to interact with the Garak of the past.

And finally, this sweetest of moments between Garak and Kelas. His friendship and forgiveness are the best things to have happened to Garak. I could write a whole essay on this little exchange alone.

[booasaur]

Killjoys - 5x08