#his movies include darkness and horror and tragedy as well

[dire-kumori]

My current FNAF brainrot actually made me think of this post.

I never get tired of comparing Hayao Miyazaki and Junji Ito. I mean,

Hayao Miyazaki/his art:

Junji Ito/his art:

This is just the funniest fucking shit to me

[a-student-out-of-time]

The Post-Tragedy Horrors of Despair Time

Hello everyone, Mod Bubbles here!

This Halloween, I decided to do something a little different. Rather than a dedicated post or song parody, I've decided to share a worldbuilding analysis. A pretty fortuitous one, since we've recently completed Chapter 2 of Despair Time.

I'm sure it's no exaggeration to say that DT is a pretty dark fangan, especially within its own context. I wouldn't say it's as grimdark and nihilistic as some people are convinced it is, but there's some elements to it that I feel are worth analyzing going forward.

See, it's been established that DT is set within the Hope's Peak continuity. This would mean that the canon games sans V3 (and if you want to have fun with it, other fangans like the Another series) have all happened here.

According to a Q&A, DT is set around 70-80 years after the end of the Tragedy, so if you wanted to estimate based on in-universe dates (such as Makoto's Hope's Peak brochure saying 2010 in the earliest version of the game but 2014 in a re-release), that would put it sometime around 2080 to the mid-2090s. Veronika backs this up in Chapter 2, when she mentions the Tragedy happened "almost a century ago."

Why do I bring all this up? Because if you looked at DT, you'd probably never guess it was that deep in the future. I know I didn't at first. And this is all by design, but it goes beyond simple cosmetic details. Allow me to explain to you why this is probably the darkest timeline that could've happened after Class 78's victory over Ultimate Despair.

___________________________________________________

Modern Stagnancy

So if we look at the obvious, the world of DT looks pretty much identical to our own, which should be a good thing. When you consider that this is set after The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History- an event that saw societal collapse, wars happen for the sake of destruction, massive pollution, rampant murder, and countless killing games- then it almost seems utopian.

Cities have long since been rebuilt, the skies are clear, there are functional trains, movies, celebrities, schools, music, art, Ted-Talks, the internet, all the trappings of normality. And that's really the problem.

Once the recovery efforts were underway, the goal of those in power was to rebuild things exactly as they used to be. Bear in mind, the world looks like our modern day, yet this is set deep into the late 21st century. In that context, the world almost seems stunted in its growth or even that it's regressed, given that CDs and DVDs are used rather than USBs or digital downloads.

Not only that, but this extends to societal attitudes as well. Nico was the victim of bullying over their status as an enby by everyone who knew, including their own father. It's almost the 22nd century and anti-LGBTQ bigotry like this still exists.

In that context, it feels less like the world is recovering and more that it's been stuck in its pre-Tragedy status quo, right down to continuing the Ultimates program that contributed to The Tragedy in the first place. And who would be motivated to do that?

2. Hope's Peak And Their Kin Are Stronger Than Ever

Probably one of the most contentious aspects of DR3's ending is that, after everything the people in charge of it were responsible for- exploiting their students, covering up crimes, human experimentation- Hope's Peak Academy was rebuilt by the survivors, now with Makoto as headmaster.

Now, one could make the argument that Makoto is a better example of hope and thus better suited to lead the school to follow its stated ideals than the Steering Committee ever was. That very well may be true, but as they also proved, nobody stays in charge forever. And now, because of his decision, Hope's Peak isn't contained to Japan.

There now exist Hope's Peak branches in every major country on Earth, with two in the United States. Teruko and co. are students of the East Coast Division's 27th class, meaning that one opened almost thirty years ago. This would also mean that Japan's Hope's Peak would have seen over 150 classes since its inception.

I bring all this up because, as has been made very clear by canon, Hope's Peak is a terrible place even in concept. When you remove the idyllic aspect of fostering talent and guaranteeing its students are set for life, the truth is that ultimates are stunted in their development. They're only encouraged to excel in their particular field, whether they really want to or not.

In addition, Hope's Peak has always quietly held this belief that only people with talent hold any worth; those without talent are just "ticks" who leech off the success of their betters. Characters like Byakuya and Nagito echo those very same sentiments, this extreme elitism that encourages people to view the "99%" as inherently inferior.

Even if you wanted to say Makoto managed to undo that idea, can we really say this divide would never come up again? No matter how many years pass or how many divisions of Hope's Peak are set up across the world? That seems really far-fetched to me.

Consider Min's bonus video. As she explains, she was never scouted by the school. Instead, America's Hope's Peak announced something called the Ultimate Contest for Eminent Students, where eligible high school students would be allowed to take a test, the best of whom would be admitted to the school when they graduated. The catch is that they had 12 years to prepare. Min, who was only 5 at the time, wasn't initially going to participate, but then the founder of a company called XF-Ture Tech approached her family- who was quite poor- and wanted to sponsor her in exchange for her participation.

She spent her entire life preparing for that test. And when she passed, she realized it was all really just an experiment to create their ideal version of the Ultimate Student. She even doubted that she was the best in terms of raw score, just that she met their desired expectations by cutting out everything else in her life for that test.

It also extends beyond just Hope's Peak itself. Those with power and influence now hold a strangle hold over the most vulnerable people out there, as we can see with the Lacroix family.

Rose wanted to help her family out of their financial limitations using her painting skills and her photographic memory, which lead to her becoming an art forger. However, at 15, she was found out and her family faced tens of millions in fines. This would've been the end, but then they were bailed out by a billionaire named Richard Spurling, founder of the Spurling Foundation. In exchange for clearing her charges, Rose had to sign a contract that meant she doesn't own the rights to anything she paints.

She hates what her life has become, where she can only ever really paint things at the whims of the Foundation because it was the only way her family could survive that mountain of debt. The exploitation there is undeniable.

No matter where you look, there's still exploitation and experiment abound with the school, corporations and the wealthy. And if you think the Spurling Foundation sounds bad here, they're implied to be responsible for something much worse.

Which is also brings us to Xander. See, there's a curious detail when we first meet him in the prologue:

And I agree. Xander being the Ultimate Rebel really doesn't fit him, as he's better described as the "Ultimate Revolutionary." Except there's no chance Hope's Peak would call him that, instead paying lip service to the idea in a digestible format to still support the status quo.

Xander is an activist who works to oppose corruption, but the ones who benefit from corruption wouldn't want him to flaunt that. It's a subtle but very clever detail that shows those in power still maintain a hold even over their beloved Ultimates.

They probably had no issue throwing the obviously corrupt under the bus to save their own hides, and raised Xander up with a quasi-supportive title. It gives them a chance to look like they're supporting what he's doing while still tying an element of a "rebellious child" to his image with the name.

Had Xander survived, he had a good reason to want to bring them down, especially the Spurlings.

3. Illness and Poverty

Xander's bonus video clued us in on what I believe is one of the most important parts of DT's continuity: the fate of the town of Chariton, implied to be where he lived. It seemed to be a small town, home to a couple hundred or a couple thousand people, where the only hospital for miles was "dinky, understaffed" and barely able to handle a minor flu outbreak. They were completely unprepared for what became known as the Chariton Incident.

When he was around 14, the town was hit by a disease that caused those infected to decay from the outside in; their limbs would stop working before their organs did, meaning they would just lay there and feel themselves slowly dying. So many died that nobody was left to move the bodies, so they were left where they fell, rotting in the summer heat.

The cause of this outbreak? A contaminated river that served as the town's water source. Chariton was an impoverished community, where people had no money to treat their water, get medicine from a nearby city or to even move out. It's also implied, based on Xander's anger, that Duke Spurling was partially responsible and that he got off the hook, which may be what drove Xander to become the Ultimate Rebel. Especially when you consider he's the only surviving member of his family.

Duke Spurling is, as the named implies and Dev has confirmed, the younger brother of Richard Spurling. The money and influence needed to get his brother off the hook is the very same that has the Lacroix family under his thumb.

So as we can see, Chariton was a major event in DT's canon. Not only does it showcase corruption, it also showcases understated but still prominent problems in the post-Tragedy U.S. If you pay attention, you'll also notice Teruko, Min, and Rose mention poverty playing a role in their lives.

As we can see, poverty plays a major role in their lives, and that extends beyond a personal level. Chariton's poverty is why the incident happened at all, and a big reason is because it's also an example of a medical desert.

"Medical desert" is a term used to describe regions whose population has inadequate access to healthcare. This can be all healthcare in general or in specialties such as dental care or pharmaceuticals. This is an especially prominent problem in rural areas, but it can affect urban ones too.

If that sounds implausible to you, today it's believed that around 30 million Americans- over 1% of the population- live over an hour from a hospital. Can you imagine how bad the problem is in a world after The Tragedy? All the damage to infrastructure, established institutions, the economy, and the population? I doubt Chariton was the first to see something this bad.

Ace's execution gives us more clues. In the Death By Illness section, there are several newspaper clippings on the wall, most of which are readable. One flashes on screen saying "Unexplained Illness Kills Thousands," which I believe is another reference to Chariton (why else would it flash on screen?), but there's more as well:

"More people are dying of cancer than ever before"

"Flu season claims thousands of lives"

"Falling rates of survival for hospitalized patients"

"Antibiotic-resistant infections a growing threat in this hospital"

One is harder to read, but I believe it mentions Chronic Kidney Disease being tied to an early death

Now, the interesting thing is that most of these are modern headlines, and they can be pretty misleading. The cancer one is actually based on the fact that more people are living longer lives, thus are reaching ages where they develop cancer due to their cell infrastructure breaking down naturally. It doesn't mean there's more cancer cases overall across all ages.

The only one that's not true is the falling rates one. Which suggests that not only was it Chariton, but healthcare infrastructure in general after the Tragedy seems to be a mess.

See, I was assuming that these articles are identical to what we see today. But it's also possible that the cancer one is now literally true, and it could be because The Tragedy was rife with this kind of horror. We know that terrorism, coups and wars happened for no reason other than to spread despair across the world.

Could you imagine how many nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological weapons were used? How many diseases and hazardous materials were seeded into the environment? If it's unsafe to drink tap water after a serious hurricane or earthquake, how bad is the problem when contamination is the goal?

And this doesn't even touch on how disturbingly easy it would be to spread long-term illnesses such as HIV or CJD in contaminated food and medical supplies. Some diseases have latency periods that last decades, meaning they could still be killing people even by the time DRDT is set.

Antibiotic resistance is also a very real and serious problem. Even today, some strains have become immune to even the strongest antibiotics available. This has given rise to Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci or VREs, which are immune to basically every medication we can throw at them.

Now, it's still possible to deal with them, such as with naturally antimicrobial metals or experimental treatments such as CRISPR and Phage Therapy, but in a world that saw such a massive hit to everything? I'm certain antibiotic-resistance bacteria have become much more serious, potentially resulting in epidemics over the years.

And when these things happen, it's always the poor who suffer the most.

4. Lethal Repetition

Now we come to the most obvious example, something highlighted by the same reveal that DT is set nearly a century into the future:

Veronika, who provided us with information on the effects the Tragedy still has, apparently has never heard about The Killing School Life.

Now, it's important to keep in mind that most of the Killing Games in DR were pretty secluded and motivated. SDR2 was only broadcast to Future Foundation with the goal to allow Junko to escape into the real world, for example. However, DR1's Killing School Life was broadcast globally as a means to break humanity's hope by showing the Ultimates slaughtering each other. Instead, Makoto and co. managed to reinvigorate the world's hope and played a pivotal role in ending the Tragedy.

...And yet Veronika apparently hasn't heard any of it.

Now, there's two possibilities here, neither of which are good:

One is that the Mastermind has removed their knowledge of previous killing games, specifically. Now, I actually consider this an unlikely explanation because, not only does Teruko seem to vaguely remember the Killing School Life happened, but what's the goal in doing so for the participants?

The canon games all had solid reasons why the other masterminds erased the participants' memories: the revelation that they'd been killing their friends, the fact that their past identities were supposed to be undone to save them, even the fact that they weren't even who they were supposed to be in V3.

But what's the purpose of suppressing the memories of the Killing School Life in the participants themselves? Especially since this game is also apparently being broadcast to the outside world, although we only have MonoTV's word on that. Is it to undermine everything the survivors achieved or to get the participants not to consider the same strategies?

The other, more plausible explanation to me is that the mastermind isn't the one who erased their memories. The outside world did.

It's possible that, in the decades since the Tragedy and the drive to return things to the status quo, knowledge of the Killing School Life has been suppressed. It would be so easy to blame Makoto's decision to rebuild the school, but it's just as plausible that his attempts to genuinely reform the school were undone over the years.

Corporations and those that came after had a vested reason to improve their own reputations, and why would they allow their connection to the Tragedy to remain public knowledge? The entire thing began as a revolution of lower classes against the rich before it became a whirlwind of mindless violence.

So what does this mean for DT? This is more hypothesizing on my part, but I'd say this could tell us a lot about the potential motivations for this very killing game. Could it be someone trying to remind the world about this event and how we got here? Is it more retribution against the wealthy? Is it someone who was inspired by Junko to slaughter her friends? Or is it something else entirely? And what role does Teruko have if someone involved is so hellbent on trying to kill her?

For now, we can only speculate. But I can tell you that, based on what we've seen here, DT is probably the darkest future we could've gotten out of the canon series.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

[rabbittf2x]

Hey!! Saw that your asks are open, would you mind doing The support class + Engineer and Demo is it’s not too many already with an oc who tends to have dark/creepy interests, forensics, horror, etc but a polar opposite personality? Being super outgoing and joking while they’re talking about super morbid stuff. Thanks so much!

Mercs with an Outgoing!Reader that’s morbidly curious

Includes: Engineer, Spy, Sniper, Demoman and Medic

Engineer💖

Engie really enjoyed your company. It was great to be around someone so outgoing and upbeat! So it really surprised him when you told him about… your interests

Engineer couldn’t believe that someone so cheery like yourself was obsessed with all that gory, gritty stuff. He thought it was weirdly charming though, and loved to cuddle up on the couch with you while watching horror movies

Engie wasn’t into creepy and dark things like you were, but supported your interests anyway. If he was out and saw some spooky knickknack or accessory, he immediately thought of you

Spy💖

Spy found your outgoing nature and morbid interests a good balance. He liked that not only were you a delightful person, but a little messed up. Just like he was

Spy enjoyed hearing you talk about your morbid, creepy interests. Anything from forensics, horror, or even straight up gore. He was all for it. Spy definitely didn’t care for the topic as much as you did, but added to your conversations anyway. He lived for that curious glint that twinkled in your eye as he told you horror stories of what he saw on the battlefield

You reminded Spy of romantic tragedies and raw, messy poems. You were a kindhearted soul that was lovingly sprinkled with blissfully morbid horrors. You were his kind of lover

Sniper💖

Sniper couldn’t believe that you were interested in all that nasty stuff! How can a ray of sunshine like yourself be so obsessed with gritty horrors and gory forensics? How?!

Sniper made peace with it eventually though. Just don’t bring up anything too gross or morbid. He often said to you, “you’re lucky you’re cute, mate.”

If you made him feel queasy talking about creepy stuff, just wrap your arms around him with that big ol’ smile of yours. He’d forget all about it and become putty in your hands

Sniper didn’t mind watching late night horror movies with you. He loved the closeness between the two of you, his arm wrapped snug around you as you cuddled on the couch. If he got scared at one of the scenes, he’d act real tough and hope that you didn’t notice. But your laughter usually said it all

Demoman💖

Your outgoing and cheery nature was something Demo could get behind! If it was your thing, don’t be surprised if he offered you to come have a beer with him and his mates. You were a pleasure to hang out with

It was safe to say that Demoman was shocked to hear you were interested in dark, creepy things. Such as forensics, horror and gore. But then again, it didn’t bother him. Demo would just shrug, and lift his drink up with a, “aye, cheers to that!” Clink!

The times you were talking to him about your morbid curiosities were usually the times when he was very drunk. You didn’t mind though. Because at least he actually sat and listened to what you were saying. Others usually didn’t really wanna hear about that dark stuff.

You were lucky you had such a good guy like Demo. He let you talk all night, no matter how drunk he was

Medic💖

Instant besties?!?!

Finally Medic had someone to talk about this stuff with! He was quite outgoing and jolly like yourself, so you both got along really well. Not only that, but he had a hugely morbid curiosity like you too. So morbid in fact, that he explored it through operating on his patients! :D

You were practically vibrating with joy when Medic let you watch as he performed surgery. He let you get in real close, and even allowed you to get your own hands bloody. The two of you laughed, joked and looked at dismembered body parts together

Medic had never felt so alive with someone. Conversations with you were never boring. You were up all night in the infirmary, chatting about horrific topics and playing around with fresh organs. Goodness, was this what love felt like?

[alexhwriting]

Vampire: The Masquerade and its place in vampire movie culture

This is a short essay I wrote for a survey class of Vampire films that I'm currently enrolled in with Dr. Shaviro at Wayne State. I enjoyed doing a dive into the book and some related films.

Vampire: The Masquerade: A Critical Analysis

“Enter freely and of your own free will” is the epigraph that starts the very first page of material for the 5th edition of World of Darkness’ Vampire: The Masquerade Table Top Role-Playing Game (TTRPG), referring itself back to that most famous of vampire fictions, Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel (Hite et al 33). The game that the book describes involves a group of players creating a character from one of several “clans,” or subtypes, of vampires in an exploration of the horror of losing one’s humanity in a contemporary world of darkness, which is described as, “like our world . . . [yet] a world with secrets, deep wells of darkness – and you can stumble into them if you follow the clues” (Hite et al. 33). Narrating the action falls to one of the players who assumes the role of Storyteller, who will perform the non-player characters (NPCs) and explain the challenges and outcomes of the player’s choices. As indicated by the epigraph, the game owes its themes and even core concept to the lineage of games that came before the publishing of its first edition in 1991. Unlike other vampire media though, which delves into more abstract questions of morality and addiction, Vampire: The Masquerade puts the player in the driver’s seat of the moral challenges vampirism offers its hosts.

Though “game” is included in the genre title, TTRPG, gives the impression of something being “won” by the end of the experience. Instead, Vampire: The Masquerade would be more properly described as a collaborative storytelling experience, or even small-scale theater. This is because, much like in vampire movies themselves, there are no real winners in the end. According to game designer Mark Rein-Hagen, though he avoided Anne Rice books while designing the game, the effect that her books have had on the vampire subgenre has brought her touch to the World of Darkness setting. As we see in the despairing lines of Louis nearing the end of Interview with a Vampire (1994), the vampire’s story is always enticing yet always full of tragedy and loss. This is something that Vampire: The Masquerade excels at communicating to its players.

When turning to the page of the massive Vampire tome marked “Character creation, a particular line jumps out, as it reiterates the frequent themes that vampire fiction takes as its own, “Vampireis a game about playing a fascinating monster: an anti-hero, an addict, a parasite with a soul about to plunge into darkness or rise towards the light” (Hite 134). The subsequent basis on which the game instructs the player to build their character is on relationships with other people, be those other player-characters, vampires, humans, or other things throughout the world (Hite 134). Between the kind of “fascinating monster” that the player takes the role of as well as the characters they have connections to, we see Vampire harkening back to older vampire stories. Most obviously, so obvious its almost cliché to mention, is the correlation this has with Dracula: a character who has immense wealth and power, both politically and supernaturally, yet still relies on the humans and thralls around him to bring him from Transylvania to England. Lars Konzack notes in his article, “Mark Rein•Hagen’s Foundational Influence on 21st Century Vampiric Media,” that during an interview with Vampire’s designer, Rein-Hagen, he said that the 1980s vampire movies played a large role in shaping the game as well (119). Specifically citing The Hunger (1983) as one of the influences makes for another ripe example of the ways that other people give the vampiric figure its meaning in both the game as well as in vampire media. We see in The Hunger that the vampires Miriam and John are reliant on the humans around them both for literal sustenance but also entertainment, as in the couple’s relationship with Alice, their music tutee, and John approaching Sarah to help with his rapid aging.

It is through the vampire’s engagement with other people that it receives its meaning. This is exemplified through the Convictions and Touchstones system of morality that Vampire gives its players. For each conviction, typically an “always/never” statement of action, the vampire character has a touchstone, a non-vampire in the game world, to remind them of their conviction (Hite 146). This kind of checking in with human characters when the vampire starts losing control can be seen repeated in the film the Addiction (1995), where the main character Kathy is often found returning to speak with one of her classmates that she refuses to feed on until their very last encounter. In Martin (1977) this trope shows itself as well, with the titular character frequently calling in to the radio station to share the feelings that weigh on him as he experiences limited life in his suburban environment. Finally, in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), though it comes out after the first edition of Vampire (1991), a similar relationship can be seen between Dracula and Mina that advances the plot of the entire film that’s centered around Dracula’s romantic pursuits. These struggles are all made possible, or at least more difficult, by the constant craving for blood that motivates the vampire’s actions.

Through these Touchstones, Convictions, and World of Darkness, players are able to get in the drivers’ seat of their very own vampire and feel what it would be like to live out that power fantasy, or destructive tragedy, that these creatures embody. Vampire: The Masquerade uses these familiar references to movies and popular vampire culture to make the game familiar in concept even with the variety of play and play styles that are inherent in a story told by a storyteller with their table of gaming friends.

Works Cited

Hite, Kenneth, et al. Vampire: The Masquerade. Renegade Game Studios, 2022.

Konzack, Lars. “Mark Rein•Hagen’s Foundational Influence on 21st Century Vampiric Media.”   Academic Quarter, vol. 11, 2015, pp. 115–128.

Rein-Hagen, Mark. “I Am Mark Rein•Hagen, World Creator and Game Designer. AskmeAnything.” Reddit, 25 July 2014, www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2boyia/i_am_mark_reinhagen_world_creator_and_game/.

[stevensaus]

If you don't read anything else before watching the film, you should be aware that The Voices should have trigger warnings for mental illness, violence against women, and suicide. It's listed as a "horror comedy" most places, but it is very, VERY dark. Low on the gore and jump scares, it is a fantastically disturbing psychological horror movie. I reviewed Caroline Klepnes' novel You nearly ten years ago, and the book's horror has stuck with me for quite some time. 1 If you're unfamiliar, the book follows Joe, a bookseller, who meets an aspiring writer who goes by Beck, and falls obsessively for her. Obsessively. In the first chapter, Joe is a mostly relateable guy, who is totally smitten by Beck… and then he naturally (for him) moves straight to sitting on the stoop across from Beck’s apartment and stalking her. Joe is not a normal or well guy… but so many of the feelings and thoughts he has are normal for someone just falling in love, just turned up a little too high.  That’s where I’m reminded (particularly) of the film Goodfellas. Every time I’d start to empathize with Ray Liotta’s character, there’d be something to remind me that this guy was A Bad Man. Kepnes pulls this trick off well throughout most of _You_, and even when Joe goes totally off the rails, it’s very very easy to still understand how he got there in a way that reminds me of the best bits of Red Dragon. I've always thought about it as horror rather than a thriller because of that relateability. The horror comes from the realization that, with just a few tweaks here and there, a few different assumptions about the world, a slight change in brain chemistry, and an utterly horrific course of actions could somehow seem reasonable. The Voices also fits this brief. Ryan Reynolds performs exquisitely in this film as an unreliable narrator who has schizoid-like hallucinations due to his unspecified mental illness. But instead of just portraying an inaccurate stereotype of the "bad" mentally ill person, the film and Reynolds strive -- and largely succeed -- at portraying the tragic, humorous, horror of the situation. From my understanding (not a doctor!), The Voices portrays the experience of having the kinds of hallucinations associated with schizophrenia rather accurately, reminding me at times of the Second Life Virtual Hallucination exhibit. (You can see video of the exhibit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qudbsyJvkX8) Reynold's character, Jerry, is not that different from most people. He has a regular job. He has an office crush. He's socially awkward. He loves his pets. And he does the best he can with reality -- as he understands it -- just like everyone else. The horror -- and humor -- of the film are in how mundane so many aspects of Jerry's life are. How close Jerry's life is to our everyday lives, thoughts, and desires. How things can just go so horribly wrong in a deeply dark comedy of errors that spirals into horror and tragedy. This film is deeply disturbing and horrific in the way that Klepnes' You is. Not by resorting to revulsion, not through jump scares, but by showing how, with just a few small tweaks, something horrible can appear to make perfect sense. Trigger warnings for mental illness, violence against women, and suicide. As of this writing you can watch The Voices on several platforms (including ad-supported ones). 1 I've not watched the TV adaptation. https://ideatrash.net/2024/08/the-voices-a-decade-old-horror-flick-starring-ryan-reynolds-you-should-watch-now.html?feed_id=284&_unique_id=66c87a10d29d7

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2024 MOVIE LIST

www.tumblr.com/theharpermovieblog

PERSONAL COLLECTION WEEK

I watched Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973)

Bought this on DVD recently, just because I wanted to see it for awhile now.

A mute young woman is tricked into heroin addiction and sex slavery. After being brutalized, the young woman eventually decides to get her revenge.

"Thriller: A Cruel Picture" has inspired endless other revenge films, including Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill". But, this isn't a fun action flick the likes of "Kill Bill". We are in darker territory here.

Swedish director, Bo Arne Vibenius, is a man who liked to push boundaries during his short but memorable film career, and "Thriller" definitely speaks to that.

This is the essence of exploitation filmmaking, while being so much more. Certainly, the film looks the part of most other genre pictures of the era, and the plot lends itself to that type of gritty and grimey storytelling, but "Thriller" feels more well crafted than it's contemporaries. It actually manages to evoke real emotion, sympathy and disgust.

Concerning a somewhat heightened, but ultimately realistic version of those stuck in sex slavery and heroin addiction, "Thriller" is an exploitation film that earns it's scenes of revenge. The beginning, in which a little girl is being abused by an older man, is done with a dark artistic flare which allows us to experience a little girl's confusion and horror, before having her innocence stripped away. It's a moment that sets the tone for the darkness to come.

"Thriller" includes full penetration hardcore pornography. (The kind of pornography that will not turn you on, but rather turn your stomach) It also features a woman's eye being gouged out. Something made worse by the fact that crew cut the eye out of an actual corpse to achieve this gruesome effect. (This was a rumor about the film for a long time, which has since been confirmed. Supposedly it was the corpse of a girl who had committed suicide, and the scene was shot in a hospital morgue. It does not get much darker than that in the filmmaking world, unless we go into actual film deaths and tragedies.)

I think people expect films like this, the 60's and 70's era exploitation films, to be unintentionally funny or less intense than modern day films. But, make no mistake, this is one of the darker things I've watched lately. If you're here for the revenge, you get that. There's tons of slow motion murder, car chase scenes and fake blood. But, you go through hell with the lead character before the relief of revenge comes.

Like Ken Russell's "The Devil's" I recently bought a physical copy of "Thriller: A Cruel Picture", because it's near impossible to see unedited on streaming. The American edit "They Call Her One Eye" removes a lot of the original film, and I personally don't approve of editing films for content. It's sad that films like this aren't consistently streaming and available, because they have their place in the history of filmmaking as an art form.

Now that I've seen this film, I'm glad I own it. I like this film. Well, "like" is a strong word for a movie as unpleasant as this, lol. I appreciate this film. I love the grindhouse era and I think this fully encapsulates what I love about it. The promise of seeing something wild, uncompromising and made quickly, cheaply and dirty. Sure, watching it can be trying, but it deserves to be seen. It's inspired so much in the film world and is no doubt a classic of a very special time in cinema.

[elenavr13]

The Beginning of the Horror

Darkiplier x Reader (not DA)

Warning: None

*Y/n is a part the film/production crew Wilford works with. For one of Wil’s productions, he involves one of his “old friends”, Darkiplier. They take residence in Dark’s mansion for the time being. Unbeknownst to  Y/n, a certain entity has been watching them & listening to them talk to themselves about horror books & movies for the past week.*

*Playlist: Baby, You’re a Haunted House- Gerard Way, You’re So Creepy- Ghost Town, Nervous- Lola Blanc*

Y/N’S POV

The library is the perfect place for an introvert to avoid people. Everyone else wants to party & be loud. I’m not completely opposed to that sort of behavior but I prefer someplace quiet like the library which no one seems interested in. They would rather have their faces in their phones, games, & TV instead of a book. Oh well, their loss. Luckily, Wilford doesn’t require my attendance to his “mini parties”. If he needs me, he can text me but I know he isn’t going to for the rest of the night; we completed everything we needed for today. The rest of the day is just down time which I personally spend in the old, dark academia, book-shelved room.

Words from the slightly yellowed paper paint a scene in my mind as my eyes travel over the text. The scene is one from The Woman in Black. I watched the movie when I was little which is why the title caught my attention. I couldn’t recall much from the movie but it had unsettled me then so I hope the story could still deliver that scare factor now that I was older & could understand more of the tragedy.

The book weighs in my hands as I sit on the velvety, Victorian, claret-colored loveseat. My imagination suddenly halts when my left ear perceives a low purr. The hum sends a cold shiver down my spine for a split second. Playing it as my mind messing with me since I am reading a horror book, I expect to see nothing so when I look over my shoulder & come face to face with Dark instead of emptiness, I jump.

A small chuckle escapes his lips. “I was beginning to think you were incapable of getting scared. I guess I’m more frightening than all the serial killers & supernatural poltergeists you read about.” He creeps around the corner of the small couch & takes a seat on the open space about half a foot away from me. I straighten my posture right before my body becomes stiff. I don’t know how to act around Dark. I never really interacted with him, then again, neither has anyone else. The little space between us doesn’t help my nervousness either. I have grown unaccustomed to any physical contact or close proximity with anyone excluding Wilford. Dark’s approach definitely catches me by surprise. I figure it would be rude to stand up or move to another seat so I remain seated & push my anxiousness to the back of my mind.

“What do you mean by ‘incapable of getting scared’? I am too capable of feeling fear & dread.” I question. Yeah, I don’t get scared easily but how do you know that? I never told you.

“Well, you sure don’t show it. You read & watch all these horrifying, morbid tales like they’re nothing. Instead you predict them, laugh at them, & correct all the characters’ mistakes even the murderer’s.” How do you know all this? I don’t have the slightest clue who you are yet you seems to know me fairly well. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had experience in homicide.” A huff of air escapes my mouth. I want to laugh at his last statement but his assessment of me distracts me from humor.

“How do you know all this?”

“You come in here every day after dinner or just whenever you have down time including late into the night to search the shelves, find a horror book, & read it. If I’m not mistaken, you are on your sixth book now. You also watch short horror films on your phone if you don’t want to read. It’s not too hard to know your view on the stories considering you talk to yourself & the characters.”

“You could just say you were stalking me.” My lips form into a smile. I shouldn’t enjoy the fact that someone finds me interesting enough to stalk especially because I have read enough stalking stories to know that they never end well, but I do.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘stalking’. This is my house & you are a guest. I am only making sure you don’t break anything.”

“I guess that makes sense, although, I think it’s more of the others who would break something.”

“Yes, but you are the one who goes off on your own. Don’t think I trust you as much as Wilford does.” We both smile.

There is a moment of silence before I speak again. “I’ve only been here for a little over a week & you’ve picked up that much?”

He smirks & shifts his body so he is completely facing me. His fingers interlace together & he leans back into the corner of the furniture. Black, ebony eyes look me up & down. If I wasn’t completely self-conscious before, I definitely am now. “How long do you think I was behind you for?”

“Maybe a minute or two.” His smirk grows wider.

“Guess again.” Dread fills my chest. Do I really want to know this answer?

“I-I don’t know.” I don’t want to guess again. If I guess something big, he will laugh but I also don’t want to go up by increments of five or ten if it is big. He remained quiet, waiting for a real answer. “5 minutes?” He shook his head. “10?” He drew circles in the air with his pointer finger. “20?”

“Give or take a few minutes but yeah.” He laughs. His genuine smile complements his face well. To be honest, he is pretty attractive. His obsidian eyes, smokey black hair &, deep bass voice captivate me. His blue & red aura accentuates his pale complexion while his lead grey, form-fitting suit enhances his charm & handsomeness. It doesn’t matter what I think though, this interaction will most likely just be a onetime thing. Even if we do get close, we probably won’t keep contact once this production is finished. As soon as I don’t see or work with whoever it is, no matter what kind of relationship I have with them, they forget & replace me. That is just my life. “Do you really not scare easily?” His voice snaps my out of my trance.

“Uh, I-I don’t. I’m not sure why but I don’t. It doesn’t matter what I read or watch or hear; nothing really scares me. & when something does, I obsess over it so much that I become desensitized to it.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, uh…abandoned amusement parks. I guess those never really creeped me out but I just love the aesthetic & ominous, eerie atmosphere of them. Oh, & submechanophobia which is the fear of partially or fully submerged man-made things but, specifically submechanophobia with animatronics. I mean, looking at them is fine but imagining if they break down & you have to go into the water to fix them or if you fall in the water while you’re on a ride or something…you can’t see the gears or anything underwater so…” I let out a small laugh. “I still like them & they are still disturbing. It’s just that they no longer incite the same reaction as the first time I saw it.” Once I come back from my rambling, his stunning eyes pierce mine, inducing my vision to dart to the book resting in my lap. With his arms crossed across his chest, his attention remains trained on me, intently studying me. I read stories ranging from unsettling: a poltergeist that just disturbs a family, to bloodcurdling: a heinous serial killer playing with their victim before gruesomely ripping them apart. None have ever sent a chill down my spine just as much as this situation has. Dark’s undivided attention on me tops any horror story I have or will ever read.

[okinawa-division]

The day was finally coming to an end in Okinawa. It was also a special day as it was Rashaad Young, Japan’s favorite bartender’s birthday. The man of the hour was getting ready for the evening rush of customers even on his birthday duty called. Then all of a sudden a sharply dressed man with a cane in his hand entered Eagle’s Nest. Rashaad quickly recognized the man as Shinji Aoki, second in command to the Kito-gumi. 

“Rashaad-san,” Shinji bowed, using his cane to help him. “Sorry to bother you before your rush but Sakura and her friends have asked me to deliver you gifts they had all gotten you.” 

Using his cane Shinji tapped the floor, signaling for several men to enter the bar bringing inside several gifts including one in a wooden crate. 

“Now if you excuse us Rashaad. We’ll take our leave now. Have a nice rest of your birthday.” Shinji bowed once again, the men behind him following suit before they all left Eagle’s Nest leaving Rashaad alone. Walking over to the gifts Rashaad picked up the lightest one first and opened it. 

Inside the first box was a record of the song "Axman's Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa)" a 1919 song by Joseph John Davilla. Rashaad blinked. Wasn't that song inspired by a serial killer? Shaking his head Rashaad picked up the second gift and opened it.

Inside the second gift was a gorgeous glass decanter and matching drinking glasses. Red, orange, green, and blue colored the set making it look beautiful when the sunlight hit them. Placing them to the side Rashaad turned to the final gift. 

Rashaad wondered what someone could've gotten him for it to be in a wooden crate of all things. Knowing he would get any answers unless he opened it Rashaad began to open the crate. Thankfully it didn't take much strength to open it. 

Inside the crate was a wooden pool table. It was gorgeous with the sides of the table expertly carved and a dark emerald cloth that felt soft to the touch. Laying on top of the table were the billiards balls in their rack and matching wooden pool cues. Seeing a note on the pool table as well Rashaad picked it up and began to read. 

“Raashaad,

Happy Birthday. As thanks for letting us into Eagle’s Nest, we've all gotten you a gift. The record is from Kanon, the pool table is from Reika, and the decanter set is from Sakura. Once again Happy Birthday.

Signed,

Silent Tragedy” 

In Shizuoka Divison…

“Wait. You actually got Rashaad something too Kanon?” 

“Of course. I’m quite fond of the drinks that he makes. This is just my thanks.”

“Please tell me you got him something normal Kanon. I beg of you.”

“A record.”

“Oh thank god.”

“Okay, that's actually pretty tame.” 

“Why do the two of you think I can't gift someone something nice?”

“Your idea of a nice gift often comes straight out of a horror movie Kanon.”

“That's putting it lightly.”

“My gifts are wonderful.”

“Sentient plant monster.”

“Parasitic flesh-eating bacteria.”

Truthfully, Rashaad wasn't a bit surprised to see Shinji-san. Not that he didn't appreciate the older gentleman's patronage. Believe it or not, Rashaad and Shinji actually had a good relationship with each other. It's just that knowing who Shinji-san worked for, the bar owner assumed that he'd be too busy to stop by, and would have had someone else deliver gifts for him. Gifting him a rare bottle of whiskey before he departed, Rashaad bade the older gentleman an 'until next time' before turning to his gifts.

To say he was surprised at them would be an understatement. Knowing each of the three women of Shizuoka personally, Rashaad did his best to keep them all at arm's length. He was grateful for their patronage, but hearing some of the things about them, he tried to avoid being overly friendly with them. Though they weren't as bad as some of the other customers over the years, he tried to make sure they were as amicable as possible to prevent any... trouble from arising.

Smiling at the glasses the rich socialite, Reika, gave him, Rashaad smiled, placing them in his cupboard, promising to use them only on special occasions. Turning his attention to the pool table, he looked at it, pleased with the gift. He knew Master Ace was an avid pool player, and a couple of other patrons had mentioned before about wanting to play some pool.

"Maybe I'll ask Master Ace for a game when he is free."

Looking at the last gift, the record Kanon gave him, Rashaad, though a bit skeptical, decided to give it a play, inserting the disc into his jukebox. Listening to the first few seconds, a smile plastered onto the bar owner's face. A spooky undertone could be heard as the music blasted out of the machine.

"Maybe I should use this for Halloween night in a few months..."

Thanks for the gift!

[pyj-12]

You know what? Fuck it,, I'll give a presentation to my Kuroiro with his headcannons,,,

Alert:emo, cringe and shady content. Please don't kill me-

Ps:(I'm usying google translator bcs my english is horrible-)

Where to start? I really like the character to the point that I filled him with hdcs- let's start with his appearence

My design of Shihai Kuroiro is different from the anime but it is similar to the design he has in the Team Up Mission.

Shihai Kuroiro has diamond-shaped pupils with light-gray blue eyes.

His front teeth are normal but he has large, sharp fangs.

Its gums and mouth (and inside of its body) are dark gray and can be slightly lighter or darker depending on the part of its body.

Kuroiro's body is pure darkness with no trace of light, and he can use his quirk throughout his body for whatever he wants.

Kuroiro with his quirk can deform his body to his liking but cannot transform into living beings or add more parts to the body. (He usually deforms his body with his quirk to scare people)

Kuroiro at the end of the fingers of his hands has sharp claws of pure darkness.

Now let's go with his personality, alert: this is going to be very edgy and emo and horrible-

Kuroiro is someone manipulative and perverse, if necessary he gets his hands dirty but he always has a reason for his actions, even if they are selfish or horrible.

He usually draws in class when no one is watching or when he gets bored, he sometimes scratches the sheets, makes simple drawings with lines or makes incredibly graphic drawings (for better and for worse).

He likes everything that is black.

He likes rock and depressing or dark rhythm songs, his favorite band is Ghost but he secretly likes Lady Gaga songs a lot.

He has very few friends, including Juzo, Togaru, Romero, and Tokoyami. But he also gets along with Kinoko, Kendo and Reiko.

Kuroiro hates Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki to death.

Kuroiro likes black cats, bats, and tarantulas.

Kuroiro is capable of feeling love for many people, he is willing to go out with multiple people at the same time because for him, love is something very important.

Kuroiro is somewhat embarrassed to admit it but he really likes big boys who are related to the dark, among them Kamakiri Togaru, Romero Fujimi and he is certainly attracted and interested in Shoji but out of respect for Tokoyami he does not approach him.

Kuroiro's room is deep purple in color with many black things and dark and gloomy decoration.

Kuroiro is attracted to the dark arts and practices rituals with his friends (not all accept)

Kuroiro has many strange and perverse manias, too many, but he keeps them hidden.

Kuroiro is very close to Juzo seeing him as his younger brother as the two grew up together in childhood plus Kuroiro lives across the street from Juzo's home.

Kuroiro collects many strange things in his room, books on dark arts, bones, posters related to the dark and thanks to Togaru he has a painting with stuffed insects.

Kuroiro loves horror and tragedy movies, especially the most graphic ones, your favorite? Cannibal holocaust.

Well, I think that was it, someday I'll continue it, maybe I'll edit it later, I don't know. If this is poorly written or something is not understood, I will let you know that it is my first time doing this and I also wrote it with the Google translator. I don't speak English but I know a lot, maybe later I'll read the blog in detail- sooo... goodbye

[gellavonhamster]

monthly media recap: june 2023

read:

Blood of Tyrants, League of Dragons, and Golden Age and Other Stories by Naomi Novik - books 8-9 in the amazing Temeraire series (the beginning of which I wrote about last month) and a collection of short stories and drabbles (yep, using precisely this terminology) set in the same universe and based on fanart, including even a Pride and Prejudice retelling in which Elizabeth Bennet is a dragon captain. You can really tell the author is one of us <3

The Romance of Tristan and Iseult by Joseph Bédier - love finishing a book and then finding out that was an abridged edition :))) well, whatever, I didn't like this one enough to look for a full one. But the illustrations in this one were lovely

La Tavola Ritonda - now this kind of Tristania (i.e. where everyone is a bit of a dick) is more to my liking. A very chaotic but entertaining text saturated with pranks and violence. Touches upon some other Arthurian plots too, such as the quest for the Holy Grail. I wrote about it here - 1, 2, 3, 4

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy - a beautiful rural tragedy that kept me very invested in the lives of these people. Greatly enjoyed the writing style and the old traditions seeping into the 19th century life. Eustacia Vye you will always be famous

De ortu Waluuanii - a Medieval Latin romance about Gawain's childhood, very unlike most of the Arthurian texts I've read. Also contains a most insane recipe for making Greek fire? And Guinevere is a prophetess? Fascinating

+ currently reading the second book in the Angélique series - accidentally started it last year by finding the first book at a bookcrossing stand, and now I gotta finish or at least read until it becomes too cringe if it ever does. This will be my Bridgerton, idc

watched:

Sirens (1994) - shy wife of a progressive priest goes with her husband to visit the scandalous painter Norman Lindsay, befriends his models, experiences kind of a bisexual awakening. A simultaneously horny and strangely sweet movie with weird Australian fauna as a bonus

Jawbreaker (1999) - dark teen comedy in the same vein as Heathers. Lots of fun, cool soundtrack, enjoyed it

A Field in England (2013) - very strange. Kind of feels dragged out as you watch it, but then makes you think and think about it when you're done. Not quite my cup of tea, but definitely good

The Return of the Native (1994) - not as good as the novel but still pretty good, and young Catherine Zeta Jones is perfect as Eustacia

The Three Musketeers (2011) - this place has everything: clockpunk, airships, d'Artagnan's cringe horse, flamboyant villain Buckingham, Mads Mikkelsen with an eyepatch, PLANCHET. Wish the dialogue and Constance were more interesting; still, very silly and entertaining

The Phantom of the Opera (1989) - the slasher horror one with reincarnation, wow. Valid in my eyes if only for doing what Coppola's Dracula should've done (i.e., making the reincarnated lover trope creepy). Also, final girl Christine Daaé just feels right

The Phantom of the Opera (Rosen & Schierhorn) - turns out there's more than one POTO musical, and at least one of them is a comedy. It felt like too much comedy to me at times, but overall it's pretty enjoyable plot- and dialogue-wise. Totally forgettable music, though. I watched it because the Persian is there and having the Persian as your favourite POTO character is even worse than having Quincey Morris as your favourite Dracula character, dude is literally nowhere ever.

[berrylover0571]

My little brother suggested that Star Wars become public domain, to which I responded with no I think that is one of the few exceptions that should retain a dedicated group of people telling its story, at least for a Time.

He then asked why and I told him expressly because that would embolden some of the worst actors within the Star Wars fandom who do not understand the critique that Star Wars posits to make their interpretation of Star Wars in all of its capacities the de facto and dominant version.

He is included in that group, because he is insistent that the separatists are better than the Republic because in his mind they are a standing for communism, when they are not they are controlled by opportunistic capitalistic oligarchs that utilize the language of progressivism within the Galaxy to further perpetuate a war and war machines that end up being incorporated into the empire with swift ferocity. He also for some reason adored the Sith and their ideology, despite the fact that it was openly fascistic.

He does not seem to understand the main Crux of Star Wars is that the Clone Wars created the cultural milieu that allowed for the Empire to take hold, and both sides of the conflict were being played by a mystical fascist who then took both sides and Incorporated them into one giant machination that oppressed the galaxy. He managed to watch the entirety of Andor and not get the fact that the major problem within the Galaxy was that people were being disregarded in favor of massive structures.

No clearer was that demonstrated than what the people who were being incarcerated in a factory ended up building, and it's no surprise that the origin of the object they are building came from the separatists.

He could not in any capacity understand why I would say maybe it's not a good idea for a fandom and property that has a largely reactionary fan base who have the absolute wrong takeaway from the movies, did the fall of the Republic is fundamentally a tragedy despite its flaws, that the main victims were not the Republic itself but the general people within it, and it doesn't matter how much of the system you fix, it is the people that need to be convinced, it is the people and systems of capital that need to be dismantled, it is the people, not the government, that decides fate.

Blow up a thousand fucking star systems, destroy a thousand fucking death balls, the result is the same, endless war. The only thing that convinces us to fight back is if we all unilaterally agree that we must fight for the common good.

There are still people who look at the sith, look at the jedi, look back at the Sith and say that the Sith are okay, despite the fact that every Cannon depiction of the Sith is suffering. Every single person who uses the dark side is not doing well.

I honestly think that there are some things, very few things, that should probably maintain in a collected group of storytellers before they're passed on into the public domain, because some people manage to miss the point so fucking hard it hurts, and the culture is not ready in any capacity to take them on publicly because they still take away the wrong fucking conclusions.

Why and fuck are we making a Winnie the Pooh horror movie. Why is anybody putting money behind that? It better be groundbreaking fucking filmography and shit, cuz that's garbage. If you want to make Winnie the Pooh gritty, you don't need to make a material killer you need to have him touch on sensitive social subjects with nuance and Grace that move people, that is quite literally the right take away with Winnie the Pooh.

I hope everybody who’s in favour of a robust public domain is prepared to conquer their impulse to get pissed off at remakes that egregiously miss the point of their source material, because as media from the 1930s and 1940s begins to enter the public domain in the coming years we’re going to be seeing a whole lot of that, and I for one can’t fucking wait.

[denimbex1986]

'From New Mexico’s Santa Fe to New Jersey’s Princeton University, here are some prominent filming locations of Oppenheimer you can visit in real life.

Helmed by veteran filmmaker Christopher Nolan, the biopic revisits World War II to uncover the truth behind one of history’s most important inventors. Starring Cillian Murphy from Peaky Blinders fame, the film depicts J. Robert Oppenheimer’s genius that led to a catastrophic event of such magnitude that the world remembers it even today.

The screenplay is based on the Pulitzer-winning book, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin. Marking the 12th film of Nolan’s career, it is also his longest-running movie with a runtime of three hours.

The cast and plot of Oppenheimer

Besides Murphy, who steps into the shoes of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb, the film also stars Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr and Florence Pugh.

Oppenheimer depicts the life and works of the enigmatic scientist who spearheaded the Manhattan Project — the effort undertaken by the American-led Allied Forces during the war to build a nuclear arsenal.

Where did the Oppenheimer filming mainly take place?

In his quest for an authentic depiction of real-life events, the master director used high-resolution IMAX cameras and even filmed portions in both colour and monochrome for different timelines. In fact, the nuclear bomb test scene was recreated with minimal CGI. Keeping such minutiae of the era in mind, scouting for the most appropriate filming locations became a major task.

Trust Nolan and his impeccable eye for detail to turn every filming spot into a scene straight out of history. Commencing in 2022, filming mainly took place in the US state of New Mexico and its surrounding areas. Los Alamos, Santa Fe, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Berkeley are some of the prominent locations where the team shot extensively.

Add these real-life Oppenheimer filming locations to your travel list

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Several buildings from the Manhattan Project era were utilised in the movie to give it a realistic touch. Los Alamos, codenamed Site Y, served as the location for the scientist’s house and office as well as the site for all his experiments.

In this quaint town in northern New Mexico, the production team erected custom sets to create a vintage setting. The crew shot in and around Los Alamos to capture the raw essence of the location, which is, to date, considered iconic for its fascinating history. Oppenheimer’s house, where the scientist resided along with his wife Kitty (Blunt) and children Toni and Peter between 1943 and 1945, is one of the primary filming spots. As per the film’s website, this house stands in the Bathtub Row neighbourhood.

Interestingly, the Oppenheimer house once served as the Los Alamos Ranch School before the Manhattan Project took over. It was powered by a generator located in the Power House at the end of Bathtub Row.

Other places to visit in Los Alamos: Many other historical gems around this area also appear in the movie that are worth a visit. This includes Los Alamos National Laboratory, Civilian Women’s Dormitory, Lamy Train Station and Fuller Lodge. They offer great insights into the horrors of WWII and the dark days of the Cold War.

The Manhattan Project National Park is a must-visit place to decode what went behind the Manhattan Project and trace the journeys of the minds behind it. The exhibits at the Los Alamos History Museum are sure to transport you to the bygone era as well.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Neighbouring Los Alamos, Santa Fe is a desert city in New Mexico that served as Nolan’s set for the Trinity Test Site. The location where the world’s first atom bomb was tested holds an important place in US history, and Oppenheimer leaves no stone unturned to nearly depict all that went on at the site.

Since the Inception (2010) director did not want to use much CGI, the sandy landscapes located centrally in the Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico provided the perfect backdrop for the nuclear bomb detonation scene. The arid Los Alamos border was Nolan’s choice for reimagining the crucial step in the development of nuclear weaponry. However, the real test site is in Jornada del Muerto, located in the west-central part of New Mexico...

University of California (UC), Berkeley, California

Oppenheimer had an illustrious career as an academician during his time as a professor at the University of Cambridge in Berkley between 1929 and 1943. This was before he was appointed to head the Manhattan Project.

Nolan and his team went to great lengths to transform the 21st-century facade of the prestigious university to mimic the times when the physicist walked its corridors. According to SFGate, Murphy was seen filming in front of Wheeler Hall and the main library, both of which were redesigned with vintage lampposts. Whether it is the LeConte Hall, which housed his office, or the Campanile Way, the university became a major filming location for this biopic.

According to Sceen It, the Edwards Stadium is another noted Oppenheimer filming location which appears in the trailer as well. It is located at Fulton Street, on the Southwest corner of the UC Berkley campus.

How to visit the campus: The university offers guided campus tours throughout the year, except on certain holidays. The 90-minute walk is conducted by student ambassadors and is the perfect window to the heritage institution for a tourist or anyone who wishes to apply. Click here for more information.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California

In an attempt to depict every aspect and milestone achievement of the American genius, Nolan’s crew travelled to the University of California Los Angeles campus where Oppenheimer once taught.

Both Murphy and Pugh, who plays Jean Tatlock, a physics professor at UCLA and Oppenheimer’s love interest, were spotted filming on the college grounds. Greater Los Angeles also became a pivotal filming location as Murphy and Damon were spotted exiting the Millennium Baltimore Hotel in military attire. The latter portrays Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, the engineer, who was one of the architects of the Manhattan Project.

Additionally, Blunt was also spotted around Los Angeles during the filming.

How to visit the campus: The Los Angeles campus also offers guided tours both virtually and in person. These give a glimpse of the high academic tradition and the vibrant student body. Those who plan on applying can also get a housing tour. For more information and to register, visit their website...

Princeton University, New Jersey

Another globally known university, where the physicist served as a director between 1947 and 1966, became a filming location for Oppenheimer. According to the movie’s website, this is also the place where Oppenheimer met Albert Einstein (played by Tom Conti in the film) who was his colleague at the time.

Murphy, Damon and Downey Jr., who plays Lewis Straus — a Jewish naval officer who became the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, were seen shooting in front of the university’s East Pyne library building. The team also took to the streets of New Jersey to film additional post-war scenes.

How to visit the campus: The admission department holds information sessions and guided campus tours on weekdays for those willing to apply. A 360-degree virtual tour is also available that holds a mirror to what campus life entails. Click here for more information...'

[gotolundon]

200 Docks Corners Road_ The Most Beautiful _Haunted_ Romantic Distraction In Boston

200 Docks Corners Road: The Most Beautiful "Haunted" Romantic Distraction In Boston

200 docks corner road

If you’re looking for a spook-tacular night out in Boston, look no further than 200 Docks Corners Road. This uniquely decorated property is home to some of the most haunted attractions in all of Massachusetts. From gothic mansions to eerie forests, there is something here for everyone. And who knows? Perhaps you’ll encounter a ghost yourself while you’re on your way to one of these attractions! So if you’re looking for an unforgettable night out, be sure to check out 200 Docks Corners Road. You won’t regret it.

0 Docks Corners Road: A Brief History

Docks Corners Road is known as the most haunted romantic diversion in Boston. Dating back to the early 1800s, this winding road was once used to transport goods and materials to and from the harbor. As you drive down Dock Corners Road, you'll see quaint homes that date back to the 1800s, as well as a number of businesses that have been in operation for generations. The story behind Dock Corners Road is one of love and tragedy. In 1835, John Palmer married Sarah Whitman. The couple had three children - James, Sarah, and Martha. Unfortunately, Sarah died just two years later in 1837 at the age of 28. John Palmer quickly fell into a deep depression and stopped working. He spent his days sitting on the porch of his home or walking along Dock Corners Road. One night in 1841, while walking down the road with his dog by his side, Palmer was struck by a carriage driven by Joseph Fenton. Palmer died instantly from his injuries. Today, visitors can see evidence of Palmer's life along Dock Corners Road - including his house (now a museum), which is still standing; Fenton's carriage; and the spot where he was killed. This sweet slice of history is perfect for a romantic excursion into Downtown Boston - make sure to check out Dock Corners Road before it closes for good on October 30th!

What to Expect on a Tour of 200 Docks Corners Road

If you're looking for a unique romantic diversion in Boston, look no further than Docks Corners Road. This stretch of road features more than 200 waterfront docks and shipyards, making it the perfect spot to take a walk or bike ride during sunset. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the history of Docks Corners Road is fascinating as well. The area was once home to some of the largest shipping companies in the world, and it's rumored that many of Boston's most famous ghosts can be found here. If you're brave enough to visit during Halloween season, be prepared for crowds and spooky stories galore!

The Mechanics of the Haunted House

Haunted houses are a popular tourist attraction in the United States and around the world. This article will discuss what makes a good haunted house, how haunted houses are made, and give a few examples of haunted houses in Boston. When it comes to creating a believable and scary atmosphere for visitors, there is no one right answer. The key is to be creative and think outside the box. One important factor to consider is whether or not the event takes place indoors or outdoors. For example, if you’re putting on a haunted house show for Halloween, many people would prefer an outdoor setting with spooky woods nearby as opposed to an indoor show with generic props and sets. Furthermore, some haunted attractions take advantage of unique situations or settings that can create truly haunting experiences. For example, one house in Boston has sections dedicated to different types of horror movies (e.g., slasher films), which heightens the suspense for visitors as they move through the house. Another popular type of Haunted House is known as a “dark ride”. These attractions typically have several scenes with quick-paced action that keep guests on their toes. One example of this kind of attraction is “IT’S A HAUNTED HOUSE” at Universal Studios Hollywood in California which features scenes from cult horror films such as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "The Exorcist", and more! Whatever type of Haunted House you decide to

The Scariest Part of 200 Docks Corners Road

The Scariest Part of 200 Docks Corners Road When I moved to Boston a few years ago, one of the things I was looking forward to was finding a place with a lot of character. And boy, did I hit the jackpot when I found 200 Docks Corners Road! The moment I walked in, I knew this was the place for me. Not only is the house atmospheric and wonderfully decorated, but it also has an interesting history. In fact, it used to be home to two notorious killers – one who killed his entire family and another who killed 11 people, including a little girl, in a spree of brutal murders. Needless to say, it's no wonder the house is said to be haunted. But despite its spooky reputation, 200 Docks Corners Road is actually one of the most beautiful places in all of Boston. And if you're looking for someplace romantic and fun to spend your night – without having to worry about ghosts – then this is definitely the spot for you!

Conclusion

If you're looking for a truly unique and romantic getaway, consider checking out 200 Docks Corners Road in Boston. Not only is this place purportedly haunted by the ghosts of murdered sailors, but it's also one of the most beautiful spots in all of Boston. Whether you're looking to spend your evening exploring the sprawling gardens or spending time on the private beach, there's something here for everyone. So if you're looking for an adventure that will keep your heart racing – and your love storybook-worthy memories alive – make sure to add 200 Docks Corners Road to your list!

[rawnion]

David Breskin and A. Watson’s Cover Story on Tim Burton

In David Breskin and A. Watson’s cover story “Tim Burton” from the Rolling Stone magazine, Breskin introduces and describes Tim Burton to the audience through an article that speaks about Burton’s first noteworthy works, and also sheds light on his personality and childhood through the interview portion of the article. Breskin describes Burton as an oddball, but all the while praises him for shining like “a bright flashlight in a very dark place [that is] the grim factory of Hollywood”, where through his work, it seems that he is “angrily spitting something sweet”. I believe that is a great and accurate description of what Burton does, in less than five words. But before his fame, Burton worked for Disney on the animation assembly line in which he described as ‘traumatic’, hating being glued to the animator’s desk. What he wanted was to pursue directing. Luckily, it was at the same studio that Disney gave him more freedom to direct his first animated short, ‘Vincent’ (1982). Some of his other directed works that followed included ‘Frankenweenie’ (1984), ‘Batman’ (1985), ‘Beetlejuice' (1988), and later on, ‘Edward Scissorhands’ (1990), which was considered one of his best movies by some critics. It was deeply personal film to Burton, as it represented the younger version of himself in his teenage years, not having been able to communicate effectively with others. In the interview, Burton opens up about how difficult and lonely his childhood felt growing up. He shares that he felt out of place and maladjusted to society, and that all throughout his life, he had struggled with depression in one form or another. He had always had edgier tastes; with a fascination for horror, monsters; punk, heavy metal, and gothic music genres; as well as death and tragedy. He believed that embracing “that kind of dark catharsis, … dark, dramatic, depressed, sad, moody thing” was healthier than to be going around society pretending to be well-adjusted all the time.

I chose this article because Burton’s films had always resonated with me, and I wanted to learn more about the artist as an individual, behind his art. And like him, I too, feel drawn to darker and more morbid themes, because I find them stimulating. The article, unfortunately did not touch on his stop-motion film ‘Corpse Bride’ but growing up, that had been my favourite stop-motion film of his. I also liked ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, and the special effects of the monsters in ‘Beetlejuice’.

I was not familiar with this article until recently. From it, I learned new things about Burton’s childhood and upbringing that I otherwise would not have found out about, had I not discovered this article.

I really liked the interview portion of the article because the transcription gave me a sense of how Burton talked in real life, but I also did not like the fact that the punctuation and grammar was altered. Although I do understand the editor’s choice, whose intention is for readers to understand what he is actually thinking, without his “Veg-O-Matic style of verbalization” getting in the way of his meaning. It was mentioned that he “struggles to make sense of himself, starting four or five sentences for every one he finishes and dicing his words into bits”. But it was put more euphemistically when Breskin says that Burton thinks visually, and how everything “he says[,] carries with it the burden of translation.”

What could be gained for the readers of this article, is that hopefully they could receive some sense of comfort that it is okay to feel our feelings, and to be dark, dramatic, sad, or moody when we have to be. Burton is one to bask in his raw emotions, and I think that is inspiring when we live in a society where we feel pressured to be or act ‘okay’ or happy all the time, and where it is stigmatized to express those emotions. I hope the article encourages people to face those parts of ourselves that we feel the need to hide and cover up, and grow to be more compassionate and accepting of those parts. I think this article definitely sheds some light on the topics of mental health and loneliness.

Links and sources used:

Breskin, David, and A. Watson. “Tim Burton. (Cover Story).” Rolling Stone, no. 634/635, July 1992, p. 38. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9207130071&site=eds-live&scope=site.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Burton

[lcdrarry]

LCDrarry 2021 Master List

Dear lovely Participants, Creators, Alpha and Beta Readers, Commentors, Cheerleaders, Readers and Fans of our fest,

Our 3rd installment of LCDrarry is coming to an end, and we'd like to thank you all for taking part in our little fest, for creating so many amazing new Drarry works for us all to enjoy, for commenting on your favourite creations, for sharing and recommending the LCDrarry gems with your friends and blog followers, and for making this fest another amazing experience for everybody!

You can find out under the cut who created what ;D

~Your LCDrarry Mods Tami ( @celilasart​ ) and Suzi ( @erin-riwen​ )

PS: Please have a look at the author notes and tags on AO3 for additional information and more detailed warnings.

PPS: As always, reblogs are very much appreciated to promote all the wonderful works of LCDrarry.

Thank you! :)

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Podfic

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[Podfic] Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix

Title: "Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix" Written by: postjentacular Read by: @porcelainsalt​ | bluedreaming (AO3) Word Count: 1,304 words / 8 minutes Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: An exasperated werewolf-slash-professor, a decidedly not-dead drama queen, a brat, and a straight white man settle down to watch a movie. It goes as well as you’d expect.

Listen to "Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix" on AO3.

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Art

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[Art] At the Beginning (With You)

Prompt: "Anastasia", 1997, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman Artist: @zandragorin​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: It's one, two, three, and suddenly he sees it a glance.

View "At the Beginning (With You)" on AO3.

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[Art] Between Your Heart and Mine

Prompt: "Crimson Peak", 2015, Guillermo del Toro Artist: @kryptidfox​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: Auror Harry Potter is called to investigate barren and isolated Malfoy Manor, home to Sir Draco Malfoy. There, he finds forgotten secrets, lingering ghosts and perhaps even love.

View "Between Your Heart and Mine" on AO3.

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[Art] Fallen

Prompt: "Chocolat", 2000, Lasse Hallström Artists: @julcheninred​ & m4gOrtz Art Medium: paper, thread, chalk, ink Rating: General Warnings: Food, Depression, Clergy

Summary: As Père Harry passed the window of the chocolate shop early on Easter morning, he was shocked to discover the Comte de Malfoy, who had destroyed the shop's window display and fallen asleep in his grief and exhaustion.

View "Fallen" on AO3.

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[Art] I am only one side of a coin.

Prompt: "Merlin", 2008-2012 Artist: @digthewriter​ Art Medium: Digital Art in Photoshop Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: The better side, obviously. Merlin/Harry Potter fusion. Harry as Merlin & Draco as Arthur.

View "I am only one side of a coin." on AO3.

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[Art] No Sweeter Innocence Than Our Gentle Sin

Prompt: "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare Artist: writingsbydestiny Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: Inspired by Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare starring Draco Malfoy as Juliet Capulet and Harry Potter as Romeo Montague.

View "No Sweeter Innocence Than Our Gentle Sin" on AO3.

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[Art] The Malfoy Family

Prompt: "The Addams Family", 1991, David Levy Author: @moondraconis​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: None

Summary: Harry and Draco have just got engaged. Now Harry has to sit for a family portrait with his weird new in-laws.

View "[Art] The Malfoy Family" on AO3.

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[Art] The Poet's Choice

Prompt: "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", 2019, Céline Sciamma Artist: @kairennart​ | Personaje (AO3) Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteen century, Harry is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of Draco without him knowing, since he refuses to pose. That means a lot of staring, and a lot of time together. Time goes by, and, inevitably, like everything in life, they fall in love. But Harry has to finish his painting, and Draco has to get married.

View "The Poet's Choice" on AO3.

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[Art] there are dangerous men about

Prompt: "The Legend of Zorro”, 2005, Martin Campbell Artist: @dragontamerdame | dragontamerdrarry (AO3) Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: None

Summary: Two wizards engaging in a vicious duel, but make it gay and sexy.

View "there are dangerous men about" on AO3.

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Fic & Art

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[Fic & Art] One More Lantern

Prompt: “xxxHoLiC”, 2006-2010 (anime)/2013 (live action) Author/Artist: vivi1138 Word Count/Art Medium: 8,373 words & Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: Smoking

Summary: Harry is plagued by spirits who seem intent on devouring him, and there’s only one place they can’t follow: a house hidden in wizarding London, belonging to Draco Malfoy. Harry didn’t intend to stay. He certainly didn’t foresee falling in love. Yet here they are. A slice of life where Draco is a sap, Harry buys ice cream, and spirits keep throwing their peaceful life into chaos.

Read and view "One More Lantern" on AO3.

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[Fic & Art] In the Shadow of Your Heart

Prompt: Howl's Moving Castle, 2004, Hayao Miyazaki Author: @fantalf​ Word Count/Art Medium: 854 words & Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: sectumsempra scars, memory loss

Summary: When the recluded ex-Death Eater Draco Malfoy finds Harry Potter wandering around the hills, with no memory whatsoever of who he once was, he and Teddy decide to welcome him into their little family.

Read and view "In the Shadow of Your Heart" on AO3.

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Fic

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[Fic] Paging Healer Twatwaffle

Prompt: "House M.D.", 2004-2012, TV-Series Author: @veelawings​ Word Count: 1,550 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Mild dub-con and manipulation, but they’re already friends with benefits.

Summary: Healer Malfoy is an absolute wanker.

Read "Paging Healer Twatwaffle" on AO3.

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[Fic] (Let's Take Our Time) Just Moving Slow

Prompt: "Holidate", 2020, John Whitesell Author: Melacka Word Count: 1,886 words Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: Harry and Draco have a mutually beneficial arrangement: automatic dates for all holidays and public events, no questions asked, no obligation, no strings. It all seemed like such a good idea when they started. Harry certainly never expected to develop feelings for Draco.

Read "(Let's Take Our Time) Just Moving Slow" on AO3.

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[Fic] Jurassic Drarry

Prompt: "Jurassic Park", 1993, Steven Spielberg Author: PhenomenalAsterisk Word Count: 1,941 words & Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: Unconventional disposal of dinosaurs; fanart includes graphic image of meat

Summary: An unflappable palaeontologist, a sexy chaos theorist, and a distracted palaeobotanist are called in to tour an eccentric billionaire's pet project.

Read "Jurassic Drarry" on AO3.

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[Fic] My Saviour Won't Stop Texting Me

Prompt: "Hercules", 1997, Ron Clements, John Musker Author: fwooshy Word Count: 5,012 words Rating: Teen Warnings: Texting fic

Summary: Long ago, in Ancient Greece, there was a man named Draco Malfoy who sold his soul to Voldemort. Tortured by his sins, he... oh, who am I kidding? This is a Hercules AU texting fic, not some Greek tragedy! Harry and Draco get together and everyone has phones in Ancient Greece. Please enjoy.

Read "My Saviour Won't Stop Texting Me" on AO3.

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[Fic] The Malfoy Family

Prompt: "The Addams Family", 1991, David Levy Author: floydig Word Count: 7,088 words Rating: Mature Warnings: All Addams Family Warnings Apply, Morbid and Dark Humor, Loving Horror, Mild Body Horror (fun), Carnivorous Plants, Blasphemy, Necromancy, Implied Sexual Content

Summary: The Malfoy Family is the Addams Family, and things are about to get interesting. Draco and Harry Malfoy are odd, intriguing, endearingly creepy, and completely and utterly infatuated with one another. This is going to be a fun one. Featuring deadly magical creatures as house pets, recreational use of Unforgivable Curses, hungry carnivorous plants, and plenty of mayhem in between. Also, the whole thing takes place at a Magical Multi-Purpose Store. The Malfoy Family goes shopping!

Read "The Malfoy Family" on AO3.

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[Fic] Love that Blinds

Prompt: "The Batman", 2004-2008, TV-Series Author: aminathescorpio Word Count: 7,245 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Brief graphic descriptions of violence, dubious consent, gaslighting

Summary: When Draco Malfoy gets accepted to work as a psychiatrist in Azkaban Asylum, he finds himself caught in a complicated relationship with none other than Azkaban's most infamous resident: Harry Potter.

Read "Love that Blinds" on AO3.

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[Fic] Sesame Seeds and the Entire Spectrum of Human Emotion

Prompt: "The Proposal", 2009, Anne Fletcher Author: @bisexualronaldweasley​ Word Count: 9,530 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Nudity, Boat Incident, references to past abuse/neglect

Summary: Faced with exile, Draco pretends to be engaged to Harry Potter, who agrees to play along for Narcissa's sake. When they're forced to spend a weekend together celebrating the engagement with the Weasleys, they might try to kill each other, or... they might just fall in love. . Based on the movie The Proposal (2009), though you don't have to have seen the movie to understand the fic!

Read "Sesame Seeds and the Entire Spectrum of Human Emotion" on AO3.

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[Fic] Ghost

Prompt: "Ghost", 1990, Jerry Zucker Author: @maraudersaffair​ Word Count: 10,761 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: major character death (MCD), canon-typical violence, grief and mourning

Summary: When Harry is killed tragically during an Auror raid gone wrong, Draco does his best to move on. He's even a little cheered when Theo Nott starts pursuing him. Then Sybil Trelawney visits Draco.

Read "Ghost" on AO3.

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[Fic] all in good time

Prompt: "Groundhog Day", 1993, Harold Ramis Author: saltwatergarden Word Count: 13,054 words Rating: Mature Warnings: mentions alcohol

Summary: Draco Malfoy's life is boring and repetitive. He supposes he shouldn't complain, since that's better than sharing a house with Voldemort, or doing time in Azkaban. When he gets trapped in a time loop, however, he is forced to confront the routine he has fixed for himself, and try to break out of it. It isn't all bad, facing no consequences for his actions can be fun for a bit. But after he starts visiting the Auror Headquarters and having brief but remarkably pleasant conversations with one Auror Potter, he finally has the real motivation to break out of the time loop - something worth sticking around for.

Read "all in good time" on AO3.

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[Fic] Star Crossed

Prompt: "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare Author: GallifreyisBurning Word Count: 13,615 words Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: Two Quidditch teams, alike in dignity, In fair Great Britain, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. The Wimbourne Wasps and the Appleby Arrows have been bitter rivals for centuries. When a nasty brawl ends one of their Seekers’ careers, the teams need new blood to take up the slack and divert attention from the bad publicity. And who better to distract the press than the infamous Draco Malfoy and golden boy Harry Potter? Called back from successful careers abroad, the pair are once again to be pitted against one another in an epic feud. Too bad no one told them that before they started flirting…

Read "Star Crossed" on AO3.

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[Fic] The Slytherin Host Club

Prompt: "Ouran high school host club", 2006, Bisco Hatori and Takuya Igarashi Author: shushu_yaoi_lj Word Count: 14,377 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: explicit sexual content, scars, non-graphic mention of past abuse

Summary: Harry is simply looking for a quiet place to finish his Potions essay.It's a pity he ends up at the Slytherin Host Club instead. Or maybe it's a blessing in disguise, since he's had a crush on Malfoy since the beginning of his eighth year...

Read "The Slytherin Host Club" on AO3.

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[Fic] It is on the other side of my soul (where your name is written)

Prompt: "Call Me By Your Name", 2017, Luca Guadagnino Author: opaleopioid Word Count: 16,372 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: implied switching, rimming, anal sex, no age difference (HP canon-compliant age difference)

Summary: Harry’s having it all, now that the unpleasantries of being treated like a loose cannon is gone: the war is well over, and Voldemort is long dead. He’s made the choice to stay in B, an unplottable magical town in Northern Italy, whose protection wards had kept him in one piece at the height of the second wizarding war, and whose seclusion provides him with the quiet, normal life that he now lives. Harry adores the grassy hills that enclose B like the warm arm of a mother; Likes playing the grand piano from dawn to dusk; Cherishes his current life, on the whole. He gets himself Mocaccino every morning and sometimes has dinner with the Weasleys at their cottage nearby. With the majority of his friends and family falling in love with B and gradually settling down as well, Harry feels like this is the last place he would ever want to leave. To say that the arrival of a certain wizard—a razor-sharp, infuriating blond—makes anything remotely different for Harry would be absurd, of course.

Read "It is on the other side of my soul (where your name is written)" on AO3.

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[Fic] In Search of Our Better Selves

Prompt: "Mad Max: Fury Road", 2015, George Miller Author: alrespirar Word Count: 17,519 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Mentions of past torture, mentions of past rape, brief mention of miscarriage, descriptions of gun violence and injury. Sexual content.

Summary: Five times Imperator Draco saved Potter’s life and the one time Potter saved his.

Read "In Search of Our Better Selves" on AO3.

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[Fic] Where in the World is Draco Malfoy?

Prompt: "Carmen Sandiego", 2019, Series Author: Anaxandria Word Count: 18,029 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Minor mentions of homophobia, violence, and blood

Summary: After the war, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter took parallel paths of fighting crime. Draco discovered the existence of VILE, an international organisation dedicated to the eradication of Muggle-borns. With the help of his best friend, Blaise, he commits international capers to steal artifacts before VILE can get their hands on them. Harry is the auror investigating the heists, but his instincts tell him there’s more than meets the eye.

Read "Where in the World is Draco Malfoy?" on AO3.

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[Fic] My Fair Gentleman

Prompt: "My Fair Lady", 1964, George Cukor Author: emilattes Word Count: 20,766 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: light alcohol use and mentions of child neglect by Dursleys

Summary: After an extended stay at Charlie's Dragon Reserve in Romania, Harry returns to London and makes a fool of himself at his first Ministry Gala. Minister Shacklebolt orders Harry to seven months of etiquette lessons with Draco Malfoy. Will Harry pull through and become an expert in PR? Will Draco manage to make over the biggest PR disaster the wizarding world has seen in years? Wouldn't it be loverly?

Read "My Fair Gentleman" on AO3.

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[Fic] saying yes (instead of no)

Prompt: "Schitt's Creek", 2015, Series Author: Pineau_noir Word Count: 21,022 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: canon typical alcohol and drug use, marijuana use, explicit smut

Summary: “It’s a general store that’s also a very specific store,” Draco grumbled. “Most people won’t realise this, but I want to market Muggle goods to the Wizarding world as well. I want something that will help boost the economy of the Hamlet and Muggles have so many amazing things we don’t have.” . Draco sighed again. “I think it would benefit everyone.” He glared at Emily. “But there’s not a single witch, wizard, or wix who will shop at a place owned by Draco Malfoy.” . “What if it’s owned by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy?” Potter asked. . “That would be preposterous,” Draco mumbled. “Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy would kill each other before the store opened.” . “What if you didn’t?” Emily asked. Draco opened his mouth to let her know, they would indeed kill each other, but before he could say anything, she continued, “What if it turned into a lovely business?” . “There’s only one way to know,” Potter said. “I really think this is a good idea, Draco."

Read "saying yes (instead of no)" on AO3.

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[Fic] A First Look Into Resurrecting Mummies With the Aid Of the Chosen One, and Why It Should Be Advised Against (an Essay by Draco Malfoy, Assistant Archaeologist)

Prompt: "The Mummy", 1999, Stephen Sommers Author: @cibeewastaken​ | Cibee (AO3) Word Count: 21,948 words Rating: Mature Warnings: minor violence elements

Summary: Draco hopes to find an ancient spell book rumoured to be in Hamunaptra after Astoria found a map to the lost city. If he makes this discovery, maybe the Magical British Museum will finally look at his application, and his annoying colleague will finally leave him alone. It’s a good plan, until Draco is reunited with Harry Potter for the first time in ten years, as the man is about to be hanged.

Read "A First Look Into Resurrecting Mummies With the Aid Of the Chosen One, and Why It Should Be Advised Against (an Essay by Draco Malfoy, Assistant Archaeologist)" on AO3.

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[Fic] Wicked Game

Prompt: "Jumanji", 1995 or 2017 Author: DearJames Word Count: 22,044 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Sexual Content, Implied PTSD

Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy crossed a line during one of their late-night Astronomy Tower Bonding Sessions and neither are sure what that means. Not that they got particularly far, considering they were caught and assigned detention for their antics. And, now, they've been sucked into a boardgame. That's just fantastic...

Read "Wicked Game" on AO3.

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[Fic] Love in Three Parts

Prompt: "Bridgerton", 2020, Series Author: static_abyss Word Count: 24,172 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Canon-typical content

Notes: Thanks so much to my beta, L, for all her help and her encouragement as I wrote this fic. Thanks to the mods for hosting this fest and to the Anonymous prompter who inspired this fic.

Summary: Draco has everything needed to be the diamond of the season. He has the looks, the pedigree, and if he should be short on the money end, well, it isn't up to him to convince anyone they want to marry him. And yet, he finds himself with no prospects and no suitable matches until Harry James Potter, Wizarding Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor, makes his first appearance in proper Wizarding society for the first time in five years. Together, they hatch a plan to secure Draco a husband and keep the debutantes' mothers away from Harry. And if someone should develop feelings along the way, well, the course of true love never did run smooth.

Read "Love in Three Parts" on AO3.

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[Fic] He would always win the fight

Prompt: "Killing Eve", 2018 - ongoing, TV Series Author: Akira-kun Word Count: 26,578 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Serial Killer, Off Screen Murders, Corpses, Political Polarity, Corruption in Government, Corruption in Justice System, Off Screen Violence, Post War Instability, Ambiguity, Dark!character, Vengeance, In a Twisted Way, Obsessive Behaviour, Crime Mystery, Open Ending

Summary: “But you were always just a puppet, weren’t you, Potter?” That voice kept haunting him, in his dreams and during his days, as if hovering over his shoulder, cold as a ghost, lost and lifeless. He wasn’t sure why it hurt like that. Maybe because it was an ugly truth that Harry hoped no one would ever throw back in his face. Or maybe because it was Malfoy. . Killing Eve inspired Drarry where people are getting killed, Harry is getting desperate, Draco is too sexy for his own good, and all hell will break loose.

Read "He would always win the fight" on AO3.

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[Fic] Peaches & Cream And A Little Bit Of Acid

Prompt: "Modern Love", 2019, Series Author: shortie990 Word Count: 27,755 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: suicidal thoughts, mental health issues

Summary: In love there is no real hiding. You have to be pretty up front on who you are. The problem was though, Harry didn’t have a clue who he was one moment from the next.

Read "Peaches & Cream And A Little Bit Of Acid" on AO3.

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[Fic] Outwit, Outlast, Outplay

Prompt: "Survivor", 2000-ongoing, Series Author: Albuss Word Count: 30,976 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Brief homophobia, mentions of past health issues

Summary: Draco loves Survivor. Loves it. So when his job at the Dept. of Mysteries offers him the opportunity to go on as a contestant, he can't think of anything that could go wrong. He is sorely mistaken, but a little chaos turns out to not be such a bad thing. Featuring gratuitous descriptions of Survivor game-play, really jargon-y magical theory I got way too excited about, and Draco's best friend Isabelle being an absolute QUEEN.

Read "Outwit, Outlast, Outplay" on AO3.

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[Fic] Advantage Rule

Prompt: "The Queen's Gambit", 2020, Series Author: @ziezie13​ Word Count: 42,738 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Character death, Parental neglect, Brief references to eugenics, Sexual content, Mild homophobia, Alcoholism, Drug abuse

Summary: Draco's life has been struggle after struggle. He was exiled as a baby, his mother died, he was forced to live with muggles... Need I go on? Quidditch was supposed to be his escape, but how is he supposed to beat Victor Krum and take the world title if he can't even beat Harry Potter? ~No knowledge of The Queen's Gambit required~

Read "Advantage Rule" on AO3.

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[Fic] (This Will Be) An Everlasting Love

Prompt: #12 (also fulfils #6) | "While You Were Sleeping," 1995, Jon Turteltaub Author: @drarrelie​ & @janieohio​ Word Count: 45,139 words Rating: Teen Warnings: None

Summary: Life doesn’t always turn out the way we plan. That’s what Draco’s mother always used to tell him, but Merlin, who could have predicted how right she would be? A story about feisty dragons, loneliness, family, and friends — and finding love in places you least expect.

Read "(This Will Be) An Everlasting Love" on AO3.

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[Fic] In a Field of Chrysanthemums and the Woods

Prompt: "The Untamed", 2019, TV-Series Author: @outstandingmoralfiber​ Word Count: 83,399 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: None

Summary: Three notes, and yet they made all the difference. Draco could feel it, the slight magic and wavering notes, washing over him in a brief but calming wave that lit his soul and it was then that he knew that he was going to learn how to play this guqin no matter what. Little did he know that, like dominos, this one simple decision would diverge him onto a path he would've never imagined. - Wizarding world in the Untamed setting, (but you don't need to know anything about the Untamed). Drarry AU starting from Goblet of Fire. Rated E for the smut scene in Chapters 13 & 14, but is otherwise rated T.

Read "In a Field of Chrysanthemums and the Woods" on AO3.

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As always, reblogs here on tumblr are very much appreciated to promote all the wonderful works of LCDrarry. But of course, please also shower our creators with comments and kudos on AO3 ;D

And yes, dear creators, you can now credit your alphas and betas and cheerleaders and of course answer the comments :)) 

And if you like, use the banners here to promote your works on your own blogs. Tag us, so that we can reblog your claiming posts.

Thank you again for participating! See you 2022 ;)