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cbrownjc · 10 months ago

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Hey :) just saw your post with your speculation about how much Eric/Daniel will be in S3. And while this isn't a definitive answer or anything, Rolin did address the question of whether or not Daniel would still play a part in the story post-s2 in this interview for the A.V. Club: https://www.avclub.com/rolin-jones-interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-finale-1851566667

I kinda feel like this means we'll see him more than just in a couple of scenes here and there, even in S3 (though he didn't specifically say "in season 3". But I feel like "still" implies this?)

Only it's difficult to judge because any present-day storyline they do with him is a big question mark since they seem to have departed from books (where he only gets turned shortly before the concert and does not part from Armand). What Armand is up to in the present-day is also a question mark imo. At least until the story converges at the concert.

I mean, I'll be real I'm also just trying to convince myself he'll be in it more because I'll miss him otherwise 🥲

Hi!

So, first I want to say that I think the two major pieces of casting that still need to be done are obviously Gabrielle and Marius. And I've long speculated that Marius is already playing a huge part in Daniel's story because I really do believe that Marius was the one to erase Daniel's memories of his past relationship with Armand.

Yes, Marius plays an important role in Lestat's life, but he plays an even bigger one in Armand and Daniel's as well, especially going by the books. In the books, Daniel lived with Marius for almost 30 years -- first healing from his mental issues, and then as companions -- before getting back together with Armand during the Prince Lestat era. All that, plus given what Rolin Jones already said about Raglan James, I don't think Justin Kirk is secretly playing Marius. So Marius still needs to be cast, and I very much expect him to be deeply involved in Armand and Daniel's storyline, going forward.

I just don't see that happening much in Season 3, however.

Because Season 3 is Lestat's story and focus, primarily. Just like Season 1 and Season 2 were mainly focused on Louis.

There is really only one episode in those two seasons where you can say Daniel was focused on -- outside of just interviewing Louis -- and that was episode 2x05. And even then, Louis factored heavily in that episode as well.

Armand and Marius play major roles in Lestat's story. Daniel doesn't. So if Daniel has any type of major storyline in Season 3, it will have to be with those two characters, IMO; as well as the Talamasca, since they were the ones to publish Daniel's book in the first place, and Rolin already said they and Raglan James will play an even bigger role in the show than they did in the books.

But without an episode count yet, I just can't see it being a huge focus. Mostly because characters like Marius still need to be fully set up and established. Also, I already think Armand is being set up to be a false Big Bad in Season 3 (since he's pretty much a villain in The Vampire Lestat), so I think whatever of Armand's POV that we get in Season 3, in the present day, will be very limited too, IMO, if we get it like we did in episode 2x03.

And yet, IMO, the only way we are looking at getting another episode like 2x05 in Season 3 is if it's told from Armand's POV. Because, again, Armand actually ties into Lestat's story, both in the past and in the present. And I think for sure that whatever Armand is up to in the present will have something to do with Daniel, as well as whatever else might be going on in the setup for Akasha rising.

Heck, if my theory is right that Marius was the one to wipe Daniel's memories of his and Armand's past relationship, Armand and Marius might have a present-day scene together, likely discussing Daniel (along with what Lestat is doing).

And yes, while Eric might still be in the top five for the call sheet going forward, that really doesn't say much IMO without knowing the Season 3 episode count. I mean, I'm sure Sam Reid was top 5 on the call sheet in Season 2, but if you look at his screen time in Episodes 2x01 and 2x02, it really wasn't much. And we didn't see him at all in episode 2x05, only heard his voice. And he didn't appear in episode 2x06 until the end.

I thought they found a way to work Lestat into the story of Season 2 very well, expanding on things from the book. But he still wasn't in the first few episodes very much.

And Daniel is even more different because he's not mentioned or referenced in The Vampire Lestat book at all.

So wrt Daniel in the present day, I'm tempering my expectations. Because yes, whatever is going on with Eric's Daniel in the present day is completely off-book. But, with every other facet of the story, the show has very much been on-book, in a rather strict way. Lestat's story is the main story of The Vampire Lestat and therefore will be for Season 3 IMO. And I think, whatever happens with Daniel in the present day is going to have to tie into that story. And that can't really happen via Daniel directly.

Louis' story is already being set up to tie into Lestat's present-day storyline directly, with his challenging all the vampires in the world to come for him if they dare. One of the reasons Lestat even became a rock star in the first place was to try and protect Louis by drawing attention to himself in an even bigger way than Louis' memoir drew attention to Louis.

But there are only two ways I see Daniel's story drawing directly to Lestat, and those are not in a way that directly has to do with Daniel. Because Lestat doesn't even know Daniel, has never met him before or interacted with him. (No I don't think they changed that from the book.)

So it's only through Armand, possibly Marius, and the Talamasca that Daniel ties into the larger story of what's going to be going on with Lestat in the present day. (Maybe a bit of Louis too, but the vampires we heard talking at the end didn't seem to be threatening Daniel, only Louis. Curious.) And, again, without an episode count yet, I just don't know how much time that focus can really get, especially when you have to set up Marius as a character; as well as probably having to set up the Talamasca even more as well; as well as maybe not revealing too soon what Armand is up to in the present day to keep his motives as mystery and have non-book readers wondering if Armand is the Big Bad villain they think he is or not.

And having to do all of this, plus laying preparation for adapting Queen of the Damned next. The book where Daniel actually does get a lot of focus.

And this also lines up with what Assad let slip about Season 4 being when we would see Armand's backstory. (Which is when QotD would start being adapted if TVL isn't split into 2 seasons like IWTV was).

And Rolin Jones flat out said people need to stop jumping ahead because Devil's Minion was "3 books ahead" of where they were now in adapting (which at the time was the 2nd half of the IWTV book), and to "slow down" about it.

So for now, I'm going to listen to RJ and just "slow down" about this.

So, in doing so, while I think we'll see Daniel in the present day in Season 3, I still don't think we'll see him much. And I think when we do, one of the episodes we'll get will probably be a stand-alone episode in the vein of episode 2x05 that focuses on what happened in the past. (Which I think will be an episode that focuses on why Daniel once woke up in a parking lot in Milwaukee not knowing how he got there). And I think for sure he'll be in the Season 3 finale. But other than that? 🤷🏾‍♀️ Again, I'm slowing down and tempering my expectations. Especially if we only get another 7-8 episode count again.

Because right now, for Season 3, Lestat's story is the main focus. Not Daniel, not Armand, and not Devil's Minion. And Daniel's character can only tie into Lestat's story via other people, which is rather limiting but can't be helped.

#Daniel Molloy #Lestat de Lioncourt #Armand #The Vampire Armand #Marius de Romanus #Louis de Pointe du Lac #Devil's Minion #The Devil's Minion #Rolin Jones #iwtv Season 3 #The Vampire Lestat #Queen of the Damned #iwtv Season 3 speculation #Interview with the Vampire #amc iwtv #iwtv #ask #ask and answer

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nabi-unveiled · 2 months ago

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When Head and Heart Disagree

So I finally hit play on the ThamePo finale. This had been the finale I was most nervous about the other week so I held off. The more I believe in the writing, the more nervous finales make me.

You see - I had really appreciated certain aspects of the writing of ThamePo, and the characters were fully fleshed out. I actually have very few head canons for this show which is a sign that my brain hasn't got stuck often. But finales are just so hard to write well. In some ways, I'd rather a show have (reasonable) problems the whole time than a good show fail me in the finale. It's less disappointing.

That said, ThamePo had a fairly strong finale. There were a lot of good, solid moments.

The "I noticed that, and I appreciated it" moments:

Nano was bringing it as always. Nano was a delight every time they were on screen.

The phone cases matched their mugs. Cute.

Baifern showed growth in a way that felt realistic to her character.

Baifern's reaction to meeting Thame was fun.

Pepper & Gam 🩷

They're still having fun movie nights even if they never finish the movie. 😉

The sandwiches were back. 🥰 Even if I did think the feeding each other was a bit cringe, I'll never oppose food symbolism.

As someone who wrote a script involving Mars this week, I liked the playfulness of some of the concert materials. Is it gimmicky? Absolutely. I enjoy gimmicks though. The nerd in me approved.

The "I noticed that, but it doesn't really matter" moments:

I always find "the file is on a USB" hilarious in these types of large scale, professional events. Presentation? Maybe. But concert? Even our local community center doesn't use USBs for that type of stuff anymore. Maybe it's different elsewhere though. In the end, it doesn't really matter. Just makes me chuckle.

I didn't think the suits were actually that great during their comeback, but I appreciate the gesture of including Po.

Thame wears his mask on a whim. That tracks though. There's been no rhyme nor reason to his mask-wearing the entirety of the show.

The "it still doesn't make sense, but we're rolling with it" moments:

If Mars could easily pull a crowd that big, there's no good reason Pemika would be trying to break them up. Successful groups handle solo promotions all the time while remaining a group. However, that's been the premise for the entire series, and lot of the idol representations haven't been accurate. I willingly suspended disbelief on that score near the beginning of the series.

The "plan" also didn't make realistic sense, but I didn't expect it to. I'll roll with it for the narrative's sake and entertainment value. Thame was clearly moved after all.

There are not a lot of "negatives" there. No major crimes. It delivered pretty much what it had set up all along.

So why do my head and heart disagree?

It's personal. I know. Overall, I felt like the show closed out most of its narrative threads. It gave a plausible resolution for most characters, and it didn't leave big questions really hanging over our heads. There were a lot of cute moments, and it's obvious that our main couple are madly in love and happy with their life together. My head says I should be satisfied.

But this show has always treaded into personal spaces for me. On the surface, that may be a little strange given it's premise about an idol group. However, this show is really about relationships and desires. It's asking, "What do you want out of life? What's most important?".

In the early episodes, I felt nostalgic. Thame and Po's flirting reminded me of all of the phone calls, long walks and "marathon dates" (as my mom called them) with my now-husband when we were courting. The phone number bit reminded me that my husband kept the scrap of paper where I wrote my number down for him almost 20 years ago. He still carries it in his wallet. I give Thame props though - we'd be screwed if we had needed to rely on my husband's memory.

I loved when Thame comes to Po's house for the first time. The awkwardness but just pure sexual tension of the "will we or won't we" moments was so much fun for me. I always enjoy seeing these types of moments portrayed well. Twenty years ago, even fifteen years ago, I would have ran forward with that energy and this finale would have made me squeal in delight.

In the later episodes, we see our leads struggling with choices. We get the epic "you don't have to have a dream" (in terms of career) idea presented by our favorite suit shop owner. It's a thought that's so rarely verbalized in society and media. It's an incredibly important message. Only you can decide what success looks like for you, and it's okay if it's not the version of success that other people envisioned for you. Living a simple life with the ones you love by your side is a type of success.

10-12 years ago when I was struggling with career choices and a new understanding of myself, I realized that I really couldn't have it all. I had already tried to make it work for years, and I couldn't.

At that time, I would have found this message and finale refreshing and healing. I would've taken comfort in it. It would have soothed my soul then and reassured me that I was making the right choice. That happiness together was the most important thing.

But the me now? The me that knows what those choices feel like a decade down the road? It now questions whether the choice was necessary. Because sometimes the choice IS necessary and sometimes it is not. Sometimes it's about valuing yourself as much as the other person. Sometimes it's a matter of the other person realizing you are sacrificing and encouraging you to find mystery door #3.

I'm not saying Thame doesn't love Po. He does. Immensely so. He would exhaust himself to make everything work out. He would give his everything for Po. I am saying he's a very young person who may not even process fully what exactly Po is choosing to sacrifice. After all, Jun scored that point. And interpret it however you want, Po gave up his job for Thame.

You see, Po is struggling before the finale with the idea that he's met "success", but he's still unhappy. It's because what he wants most is Thame. He chooses to prioritize their happiness together at the expense of doing something that he was good at and enjoyed.

Getting fired from Oner shouldn't have meant that Po had to give up directing or creating completely, but apparently it did in his mind.

It's important to remember, he was a director before Earn too. It's not like directing was some random job for Po. He enjoys it. A lot.

Now Po doesn't mind working in the suit shop. I'd even go so far as to say he enjoys it. Just like I have always found a way to enjoy my work. I try to find joy wherever I can. It's how I make it through some truly awful shows 😂.

But Po never talks about the suit shop the same way as he does the MV or any of his creative work. He's never going to take pride in it the same way. Compare the reaction above when he got the director position to this reaction below when the suits he made are on TV. That's arguably the "high point" of his work in the suit shop. There was a very different feel from Po in these two scenes.

Po doesn't really want to talk about the suit shop at the reunion in the finale. Baifern helps change that subject real quick and moves the focus to his boyfriend who turns out to be a celebrity. My head says that is supposed to demonstrate that his work wasn't the important thing. That traditional success isn't what's important.

But....

I really wish Thame had not come to the reunion. I'll say again, this is not about Thame. Thame pulls Po in immediately. He includes him in the picture. Po is his everything. But this is Po's space. A space he hadn't felt comfortable in previously.

My head KNOWS this dialogue is supposed to convey that Po is stronger with Thame by his side. That they are happy, because they are together. My heart sees the domesticity and happiness, but it adds a whole lot of layers and undertones. It's not convinced that this is the fairy tale happiness being sold. I just wish that Po had felt he was good enough to come to the reunion without Thame. Would he have come if Thame was busy? Maybe. We don't know.

It's important to note this is all very different than Thame's struggle and choice. Thame had a dream. Po recognized that. When fighting the company, Po says that his wish was for Thame to get what he wanted. Thame's dream was to perform with Mars AND have Po. He just didn't want the version of success Pemika offered. Thame rejects the dream someone else (and society) had for him and keeps the dream he had for himself. He gets both Mars AND Po.

Thame gets to confidently say he'll be a poor artist, but that the group will figure it out. He'll live his days happily with Po and figure out how to get to Korea on his own terms. In many ways, it's what he's ALWAYS wanted.

While Po says "all I can do" is work at the suit shop.

He's given up on the idea that he can have both. Is that really the message they wanted to convey? I don't think so. I think that wanted us to perceive Po being satisfied with the suit shop and not needing a "dream job" to be happy and feel valuable. It would show his growth from where he started at the beginning of the show.

But note the language here? Po still refers to the suit shop as essentially being less than being a director. It's not that he's choosing to work at the suit shop because that's what he truly wanted. He's choosing this path because it's the only path he saw giving him Thame. He's choosing Thame. But I ask again - is this a choice he really needed to make? There are other companies and even directorial work outside of the music industry.

Thame responds with what is supposed to be loving reassurance and support. My head tells me that. Just like it told me that 12 years ago when my husband supported my choice to change paths.

My head says that Po & Thame are obviously happy together. We all saw that super domestic montage. My head says to just be satisfied. But my heart isn't convinced.

Because I have learned the value in looking for mystery door #3. I wouldn't trade my years in my "suit shop", but I'm much better off now that I've found the mystery door. Was anything wrong with working at "the suit shop"? Absolutely not. But my heart didn't always believe me. Am I currently living the original version of success I saw for myself? Absolutely not. I didn't actually need that. But I no longer change the subject when someone asks me what I do for a living. My heart now believes IN me.

Which is why, in the end, I'm going to have to create a head canon here. They're still young. They'll figure it out. Hopefully sooner, rather than later. Something like Po eventually develops his own business putting wedding videos together for the people who buy his suits. Or that he becomes someone that takes side gigs helping with MVs for striving artists, social media videos for local businesses, or content of some kind. I don't need him to be a fancy-pants director at a big company. Not at all. But I need him to have an outlet for his creativity and talent. I need him to know that it's okay for him to pursue something if he wants to do so. I need him to have a personal identity outside of Thame. We know Thame will support him, but Po is going to have to look for that door himself. Thame isn't going to notice he needs it.

They'll need to keep figuring it out together. Because this promise? It takes a lot more work than you think it will at 20.

This finale was solid. Will I watch it again? Probably not. I'll stick to other episodes that don't leave me reliving those feelings of "all I can do is".

P.S. I really do wish we had got to see Po pick up and carry Thame. That's definitely going into my head canons.

#sticking the landing is hard #they stuck it #but my heart disagrees #it's personal you know #thamepo #thamepo heart that skips a beat

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the-alan-price-combo · 5 months ago

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Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon)

All Sections | Supporting One Another (1965-1968)

“[Eric] was one of the biggest influences on my music career, and gave me a tremendous insight into blues music.” - Alan Price, Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon).

It happened. It had to happen.

From March 12th to March 17th, 2024, @/tealightwhimsy (who I will be referring to as Tealight), my mother, and I all traveled to London, England. This was my first time ever on an airplane, ever getting a passport, ever traveling out of the country, and ever in a city bigger than Detroit - saving up every cent myself in order to make the journey. And before you think I only made this trip to have my own「Domino's App feat. Hatsune Miku」 moment… I promise I didn’t, haha. I made this trip to see Alan Price, yes, the real Alan Price with my own eyes! He performs in Barnes every second Thursday of the month, always delighted to play these small concerts to this day, and I wanted nothing more than to show my support and appreciation for that.

However, since we would quite literally be in the neighborhood, I thought to myself… Why not see if we can watch a very particular episode of Alan’s 1968 television series at the British Film Institute in Soho while there? It was entirely possible to do so, after all! The journey getting to this point was a bit of a complicated one - and I’m not just talking about the eight-hour-long plane ride - but it was incredibly worth it for the rich, detailed, and affectionate footage Tealight and I bore witness to. Alan Price and Eric Burdon… on screen together… having fun…

The Price of Possibility -

So, my first exposure to the international treasure that is Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon) was in February of 2021, in a Discord group with a couple of Animals friends and I. One of those friends had randomly sent an image of that Music Echo/Disc Weekly photo (featured at the beginning of this section), plus the caption, that I eventually found out was from August 3rd, 1968. By eventually, I mean over a year later, when Tealight had discovered that huge archive of British magazines and I found the Music Echo issue it came from. However, at the time, my mind was absolutely blown. To contextualize things even further, this was still during my satirical “Alan and Eric were acting like petty divorcees in their 20s, lmao” phase, so outside of a few of those super affectionate Animals photos I had seen up until that point (the Pepsi-Cola bottle photoshoot, the photo of Alan holding Eric’s hand, etc.), this was my first time seeing a pleasant, non-antagonistically skewed representation of the pair, with a nice caption to boot. I started to put the pieces together… Eric flew over to “especially to appear on Alan’s new TV series ‘Price To Play”? You had “a great loon”? You guys did “What’d I Say”?!?

It goes without saying that this very much changed my perspective, even if just a little at the time. And I was eager to find this episode, if at all possible.

Doing a bit of quick, preliminary research at this time - again, in early-2021 - didn’t exactly come up with much, only some vague IMDb listings about the episodes and an old forum talking about the episode. I assumed that Price to Play, in its entirety, was just lost media, which was disappointing, but not surprising. Most televised footage from that period was filmed and scrapped like clockwork, with old film being quickly erased after airing in order to be reused. Even the incredible, culturally impactful Ready, Steady, Go! wasn’t safe from this practice, despite the star power behind it. Most recordings were archived thanks to eager fans manually saving the footage to tapes, opposed to studios themselves keeping track of the footage. Alan’s show undoubtedly suffered the same fate, and I had made peace with that - even after confirming the context behind it via the full Music Echo article.

That was until Ray Davies turned everything on its head.

You see, on August 5th, 2022, the BBC Archive’s Facebook page decided to post a random little clip from Price to Play: August 5th, 1968 (with guest star Ray Davies) (from the Kinks). Out of context, it’s just a generally fun clip, watching these two semi-awkward introverts talk about songwriting with one another. Especially funny considering that six years later, on a show called The Midnight Special, Ray Davies would host the June 7th episode (with guest star Alan Price). But I digress; what the BBC Archive thought was just an innocent, celebratory collaboration video they were posting completely blew the mind of a mentally ill lesbian who just woke up one Saturday morning and needed a Dr Pepper.

This… revealed a lot of things to me (Alan’s impeccable late-1968 style of dress, for one), but chief among them was the fact that Price to Play, in some form, was safe, archived, and stored somewhere in the BBC’s vast vaults of chaos. I should also mention that this was around the time I initially finished the bulk of this essay - a couple of months before posting it, in fact, just working on the revision stages. I hesitated to include information about the BBC Archive’s post as not to get anyone’s hopes up… but I certainly got my own hopes up. I didn’t know what to do with this information quite yet, but it was encouraging to know something was out there.

Then, four .gif files changed everything. AGAIN.

On January 3rd, 2023, I was scrolling through the desolate, yet familiar-to-me, depths of Animals tumblr when I came across a .gif set of Eric performing that I hadn’t seen before. It was posted by a user named @/sonand-daughter-1974, who has sadly deactivated since then, but I had reblogged these gifs before they did so. And that first .gif I saw completely threw me, because my eyes were immediately drawn to the keyboardist in the background who did an overly-dramatic hair-flip as he played. An overly-dramatic hair-flip I’ve seen many, many times before… Not to mention, the stage and set Eric was standing on reminded me of the set where Alan and Ray had been chatting in that clip the BBC Archive posted.

The full .gif set!

…Wait… WAIT.

Was this footage of Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon)?!? I messaged Tealight immediately.

Honestly, this was a dumb question to ask, even if rhetorically, because quite obviously, it was. Eric and Alan are wearing the same shirts as the Music Echo photo, the set is the same as the Ray Davies clip… yes, this was indeed what I was looking for. Just to confirm things further, I replied to the post, asking the blogger about the context. Their replies are now gone due to being deactivated, but I remember them saying something along the lines of there being a clip of what they thought was Eric performing “What’s I Say” on the BBC Archive’s YouTube channel back in 2015.

…Well, there it is. I guess it was just the pure adrenaline coursing through my veins, dampening any shyness, but I ended up spontaneously emailing the BBC Archive’s official email account at 11:53 pm with a request for information about Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon) - just wanting to know if the footage was being archived, both the (with guest star Eric Burdon) episode and the others. To which I promptly got an email back the next day saying that they, indeed, had access to all of the episodes, even sending me a handy link to the British Film Institute’s online database! As it turned out, the August 12th episode was indeed featured there, right in the archive! Only accessible via VHS, but STILL! IT WAS THERE!

I ended up talking to someone at the British Film Institute at this time, as well, but with the episode only available via VHS, and thus only allowed to be digitized following a booked research viewing, I was at a temporary dead end. Not a distressing one, of course, as it honestly just meant a lot to know that the footage still existed at all. But I had reached the end of my actual search, with only the hope of the BBC Archive’s social media team potentially digitizing clips to post on one of their accounts. Why those other clips were removed off of YouTube, I have no idea… which implies something was digitized at some point, but I digress.

Anyway, at this point, Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon) had settled comfortingly in my brain, always as a possibility to emerge yet again, either through more lost tumblr gifs or a surprise clip on Facebook one Saturday morning. That was until the idea of traveling to London to see Alan was beginning to come to fruition… plane tickets and all, and we realized this would actually be possible to do, if I set up an appointment with the BFI. Their viewing center was in Soho, not terribly far from where we would be staying in Chiswick - right down the street from the tube station, in fact! All I had to do was pay a small booking fee and fill out an online research viewing form for Tealight and I, where I had to cite this very essay as the “non-commercial” research I would be using the footage for. Yes, this long, meandering essay about Alan Price and Eric Burdon’s relationship got me into a prestigious British film archive to watch some of the footage they’ve stockpiled… and I’m proud of that fact.

With all of that being said… March 14th, 2024. We would actually watch Alan Price himself perform right in front of our eyes later that evening… but first, we made a special stop in Soho to see a different type of performance, on the -1 floor of the British Film Institute. For research.

Let’s talk about it now.

Pure, Unadulterated Enjoyment and Affection -

Finally using the three pages of notes I hastily scribbled down in a corgi-themed notebook during the hour of viewing time we were allowed… Also, I should mention: the lady who took us to our viewing room was actually the one I had corresponded with for a year up until that point, which was really neat! She was incredibly nice to us, and never questioned why us silly Americans were going out of our way to watch such a niche piece of television… but I guess the citing of my essay on my booking form said it all, haha.

Alright, the moment you all have been waiting for: the episode proper. Prior to this, Tealight and I had no idea what the structure of this episode was going to be like, all we had was the context of the Ray Davies clip, the fact Alan was going to talk about music history, and that Alan and Eric were going to do “The Story of Bo Diddley”, “Don’t Stop The Carnival”, and “What’d I Say” at some point. That just made the anticipation rapidly evolve into pure excitement…

At the beginning of the episode, a sketch of Alan Price appeared on the screen. I audibly asked who drew it, to which Tealight replied, “Eric.” This cannot be confirmed, but it’s the right answer. He is an artist, after all.

The episode starts off with Alan and the Alan Price Set (on the verge of becoming the Paul Williams Set, if not already), doing a performance of “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever”. This song was originally covered by the Four Tops, with Alan later covering it for his first album, The Price to Play, and it’s certainly an… interesting choice, for an opener. With a later explanation following the performance, it was primarily chosen due to being a Motown piece, but the lyrical choice and contents also gel extremely well with the surrounding context of a “long-time coming” reunion between these two musical giants; one of them desperate to work with the other again in some form.

Following this first song, Alan talks about the general theme of the following episode: rhythm and beat in pop music, and their Spanish and African influence. He directly mentions Motown, “short for motor town”, and its respective groups, which I found very charming, as a metro-Detroit resident myself. Alan then proceeds to talk about the Old World discovery of the Americas, and the slavery/systematic racism that was enabled by said discovery. Which, while blunt, definitely deserves to be talked about in a candid, straightforward manner, even if by a white guy. It’s no secret that, if you want to be really particular about things, the Animals and other British/non-black R&B groups are technically “appropriating” black music, however respectful they are. “Appropriation” in its more neutral definition, opposed to outright negative, as they still put their own spin on the style, practically worshiped the original artists, and were highly enjoyed by black audiences… but still appropriation. However, Alan shedding light on the history is a great thing to see, especially since this program he hosted was intended for younger audiences: shedding light on specific musical styles an audience might not know the details about. He does the subject justice, even if he uses a bit of “it was okay 60 years ago, but not really now” terms.

Alan talks a bit about the history and rhythm style of “chain gangs”, before going into his own rendition of “Work Song”, which is an absolute treat to hear him perform. The Animals covered “Work Song” themselves (a stellar performance of it was featured on The Ed Sullivan Show in October of 1965, and eventually released on some reissues of Animalisms), and I’m also familiar with Georgie Fame’s version, so hearing also Alan perform it with a jazzy touch was a nice surprise.

After this, Alan talks about the brass bands that arose in the United States following the Civil War, due to the ease of access of these instruments to the black population. The brass Set members then do a stripped-back version of “When the Saints Go Marching In”, before Alan joins in for a cover of “Watermelon Man”. A performance that surprised my mom when I told her about it after the fact, since she actually played that song in a jazz band when she was in high school!

Then, the segue to end all segues occurs, with Alan talking about the introduction of string instruments to the Americas via the Spaniards, and the adoption of guitars by black musicians, turning it into a beat instrument instead of a purely melodic one, backing up the singer. It’s here that Alan mentions Bo Diddley, and the Newcastle Art College student that introduced Alan to his music… in which Tealight and I proceed to implode in on ourselves.

“...and one of the people who I listened to as a young player was an American blues guitarist called Bo Diddley. I first heard of Bo Diddley from a friend with whom I played in the early days, when he was at art college and I was working in a tax office. And his name is Eric Burdon.”

The footage then cuts to Eric, now standing in the center of the stage amidst the Set. He glances around a little, before (quite obviously) locking eyes with Alan, smiling when he does so.

“He was one of the biggest influences on my music career, and gave me a tremendous insight into blues music.”

While Alan’s speaking here, the footage is still focused on Eric. However, when Alan says “...gave me a tremendous insight…”, that’s when Eric turns to smile at him, and you can actually hear Alan smile in his voice as he speaks!! Yes, you’re going to hear me talk about the subtle inflections of Alan’s voice in this analysis, because that’s what you do when your favorite musical relationship in classic rock has a collective 75 minutes of footage in circulation featuring them.

“In my hometown of Newcastle, he was wholly responsible for the popularity of rhythm and blues, and with himself, I started a blues band which came to be known as the Animals.”

Now, the footage cuts to a photo from The Pepsi-Cola Photoshoot… a new photo we had never seen before! If you want a brief refresher on what The Pepsi-Cola Photoshoot is, it’s the photoshoot from July 4th of 1964, when “Rising Sun” was on track to top the charts, the Animals celebrating with a refreshing glass of… well, Pepsi-Cola. Such iconic images as “Alan looking up at Eric”, and “Eric nearly holding Alan’s face” and “Alan with his knee on Eric’s thigh” come from this series of photos, with this outtake resembling the latter photo. It’s at a bit of a higher angle… and you can see just how tucked against Eric that Alan is because of it.

I have this on a shirt...

Anyway, this photo hangs on the screen for the rest of Alan’s little speech, slowly zooming in on the pair.

“Bo Diddley was one of our heroes. And it was like a dream came true when one night, in Newcastle, we had the pleasure of meeting Bo, and one of his band played with us.

“And on the first LP that the Animals made, we had a song which told of this great event for us. Eric Burdon wrote it, and he called the song ‘The Story of Bo Diddley’.”

The dramatic zoom-in on the photo then quickens, before Alan starts out with those cutting opening notes of “The Story of Bo Diddley. If you haven’t heard it before, here’s a link! It’s a great homage to both Bo Diddley himself, “and the rock & roll scene in general” - with so many fun lyrical references and a general cadence that makes Eric seem like he’s improvising the lyrics, on both the album version and this live rendition - which isn’t too far from the truth.

Alright, now… we’re at the main event. Alan Price and Eric Burdon, performing together again. And it’s just as magical as you can imagine. Even with as straightforward of a rhythm as that initial “Bo Diddley” riff, you can really hear the way in which Alan adds little flourishes to further embellish Eric’s voice. Not to mention, it’s just interesting to hear Eric’s “New Animals” voice singing Original Animals’ tunes… like all of Eric’s performances, he never does things exactly like the album, which just makes particular live renditions all the more special.

At the 16:12 mark, the mystery was officially solved. This was where that previous .gif set was from, featuring Alan doing the hair flip and Eric clapping out Johnny Otis’ “Hand Jive”. It was from “The Story of Bo Diddley”! BBC Archive, please put this back on your YouTube channel! PLEASE.

And, just like the album version, we receive a duet…

Eric:

“In a little old country town one day

“A little old country band began to play

“It had two guitars and a beat up saxophone

“When the drummer let go, those cats begin to roam”

Eric and Alan together:

“Oooh we oh oh

Ooh la la that rock and roll

Ya hear me oooh we oh oh

Oooh la la that rock and roll”

Now, while on the album version, it sounds like Eric’s voice being layered, super keen-eared Price-Burdon fanatics might recognize that harmony from the 1982 Newcastle City Hall performance they did together. They didn’t do the entirety of “The Story of Bo Diddley” during this concert, mind you, just this little section, but the ease with which they did it suggested quite a bit of familiarity. And here they are, doing just that! During this entire duet, Alan is staring right at him as he plays, smiling as he sings, and Eric is turned towards him.

That’s not the only duet that hit us like a truck! During the “Hard Day’s Night” section of the song, Alan also duets with Eric! …Gosh, you two… just because they couldn’t be Lennon-McCartney as songwriters, their musical dynamic is still something wholly unique to them. No duet during the “I Wanna Be Your Man” bit (makes sense 👀), but Eric does begin the section with, “Way down in the deep south, way down in Richmond-Surrey… A pair of lips, a pair of hips, belonging to Mick Jagger…” which makes Alan vocally laugh! A little “heh..” and all!! If you’ve seen my Alan Price Laughing Compilation (pinned post on @hide-your-bugs-away), then you know Alan’s laughs are a wonderful thing. ERIC MADE HIM LAUGH!!!!

Of course, this all leads to the climax of the song, with the actual “Bo Diddley” call-and-response, which Alan and Eric leap at the opportunity to do. Mimicking one another’s vocal inflections, glancing at one another as they do so… my jaw hit the floor when I saw all of this. When the song ended, Eric gave a relieved little “Wooo!”, to which Alan responded with another smile-in-his-voice “heh..” Alan, please………..

“I think that because Eric has played such an important part in my musical approach, it’s only right that he should continue with us for the rest of the program.”

Now that Alan’s finally got Eric performing on stage with him and the Set after all these years, he isn’t going to let him slip away that easily…

Alan then talks about the music that emerged from the West Indies, following this explanation with a performance of “Don’t Stop The Carnival”. Which, yes, Eric indeed does duet with him on! Only the chorus, and as backing vocals, but like the “Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted” outtakes, it’s just interesting seeing him perform a song that Alan is so heavily associated with!

Now, for the part that blew the fragments of our minds to atomic particles.

“In our part of the world, that’s where Eric and I come from - the Northeast - the singer is called a ‘chanter’. And now it so happens that one of the really important things for the blues, or, in fact, any kind of rhythmic song, is you’ve got to bring it to a climax. And the best and most effective way to organize a chant is to have a lead singer singing any sort of phrase. For example…"

Alan then turns to Eric, a huge smile on his face. “Do you feel allllllright?”

Eric shrugs, with his own coy smile framing his face. “...I feel… fine?”

“Are you sure you feel… fine?” Alan responds.

“I feel.. I..I feel alright!” Eric nearly collapses into laughter, and when the camera cuts back to Alan, he’s trying to hide his smile with a covert brush to his nose.

A little artwork depicting this exchange! They weren't standing next to each other, but I can still imagine it...

Yes, Alan and Eric shared banter with one another, right there on camera. I know this might seem like small potatoes for folks whose favorite musicians and songwriting duos have tons of readily accessible videos and interviews available of them, but as I said before, Alan and Eric barely have any, so this little bit of footage means the absolute world to us. Confirming the fact that, yes these two have a legitimate good time together, even independent of actively performing. They know how to joke, affectionately push one another’s buttons, and have a laugh. This is just so validating when the common consensus of Animals fans seems to be that these two despised each other and never got along. I respectfully disagree.

“This call-and-answer routine is the perfect way to achieve this simper. Perhaps the greatest favorite of Eric and meself is Ray Charles. And he’s an American blues singer whose recording of ‘What’d I Say’ has become the most classic for rhythm and blues. And it’s only right, and fitting, that we should close with this number. See you next week.”

Here it is… here it is. The whole Ray Charles. Honestly, it’s still incredibly hard to gather my thoughts on the performance of “What’s I Say” here, even eight months later. It’s kind-of like my difficulties describing why the Golden Trifecta of Animals Songs (“How You’ve Changed”, “I Believe To My Soul” and “Worried Life Blues”) are so great because they just… blend so well with their instrumental and musical styles. Made all the more difficult that this is pure, unfiltered, unmitigated, uninterrupted Price-Burdon content. Playing the song that literally brought Eric to the church hall where Alan was playing ten years previously.

I think now is as good of a time as any to do a deep dive into Alan and Eric’s body language and emotions when they perform throughout this episode, with “What’d I Say” serving as the perfect demonstration of this. Since “The Story of Bo Diddley” was mostly Eric’s vocals, and “Don’t Stop the Carnival” was mostly Alan’s, this particular song finally depicts, in both a vocal and a visual sense, more of a balance between them. They trade verses with one another, with one adding little audible noises in the background as the other sings the actual lyrics. And if you’re familiar with the original song and wondering… Yes, they do the call-and-response moaning bit. Twice. 😐 Alan also does his backwards-back-arch-while-shaking-his-head-to-get-hair-out-of-his-face-thing when Eric starts singing, so do with that information what you will.

I’ve mentioned this a handful of times now, but the most obvious indicator of the pure joy they feel while performing together (besides the quality of the music, of course) is Alan’s expressions. Oh, Alan’s letting a lot go here. I won’t show any of the covert pictures that Tealight took of our computer screen, out of respect for the archiving services… but when we showed my mom a couple of the pictures after the fact, she audibly said that she had never seen Alan look that happy before. Like, legitimately, he had the biggest smile that you could possibly imagine, all dimples and smile lines around his eyes and… agGhgh. Alan’s eyes are a give-away as well; you see, Alan usually doesn’t like playing with his eyes open. Much like his musical inspiration in Ray Charles, Alan prefers to purely play by feel. Not to mention, playing on the stage and in front of others makes him quite anxious, so closing his eyes just helps him calm down and lose himself in the music.

“Basically, I dislike being on stage. I don’t like performing in front of people. I used to be very shy. I still am. I still close my eyes and ignore the audience. Which looks like bad taste sometimes - as though I’m disinterested - but really, I’m embarrassed. I often get the horrors sitting in the dressing room. Sometimes in the middle of a number I shut my mind off and think, ‘Just what am I doing here?’” - Alan Price, Music Maker, July 1967.

So, yeah, this is a guy who's prone to panic attacks backstage and frequently, if not always, dissociates while performing in order to not have a panic attack in front of a live audience. Which just makes those moments where he does open his eyes while performing, to communicate with his band members, all the more meaningful. Not to mention, what it means when he smiles as he does so… He’s actually relaxed, in other words. Enjoying himself… and not having a panic attack. The fact that he’s doing this while sharing the stage with Eric speaks volumes, and it’s not a one-time occurrence either - he does it during the New Musical Experience Poll Winners Concert from 1965 as well, among other performances.

Playing around with a more detailed, painterly style to use on occasion... and depicting the smiles. THIS IS HOW THEY WERE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER, I'M NOT KIDDING.

These elated emotions aren’t exclusive to Alan, of course, as Eric is also all smiles throughout the episode as well, especially that last song. Frequently turning his head to glance at Alan, which is thankfully a little easier than usual, as Alan’s not positioned behind him like he usually is. Alan’s beside him, allowing the camera to actually catch moments where they’re both on screen, looking at one another. And Connie proceeds to throw a handful of confetti in the air.

The episode then ends on the finishing notes of “What’d I Say”, with Tealight and I in complete awe, five minutes left to spare before our allotted booking time was up. And, less than seven hours to spare until we met The Actual Alan Price later that evening, but that’s a story for another day…

Meaningful Satisfaction: There’s More to Come -

Like every facet of this passion-project-turned-essay of mine, I did this for the sake of the positivity present in the Animals’ general dynamic as much as I did this for myself. I wanted to satiate my own (and Tealight’s) burning curiosity, of course, after years of knowing that something Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon)-related was out there. However, beyond receiving that vindication I had anticipated, I wanted the world to know just how much these two got along and enjoyed one another. Previously, if you wanted to be extra uncharitable, you can look at that Music Echo caption and assume Eric was dragged there primarily against his will, or was only roped in via money. We only had Alan’s excitable side of the story, of course. But now, I’ve seen the results of this collaboration with my very eyes. Like the affectionate sleevenote Eric wrote, those quality sounds, that dynamic, the passion on display between them and for the music… it can’t be forced. It has to come from two individuals that wanted this, and wanted this to work. It’s no surprise that when this collaboration happened, it was when Jefferies was finally out of the picture for the New Animals. Nothing was forced; everything was natural.

This footage was, honest-to-goodness, incredible to witness. It’s the two of them, in the 60s, having an absolute ball together like it’s still 1959 and they were just beginning to learn about one another. I absolutely love that 1982 concert of theirs as well, which is also just the two of them, but the affection is nearly stifled by the undercurrent of what was to come in ‘83. It doesn’t at all ruin the experience, of course - I mean, they literally hug and it looks like Eric kisses Alan on the shoulder at the end - but again, the cynics can point at the time period and dismiss it on that basis alone. With this performance in 1968, though, it establishes the fact that their relationship is so much more than anyone seems to give them credit for back in the 60s.

If I may be a cynic myself for a moment: besides the general narrative about the Animals that seems to be perpetuated nowadays via hearsay, I think the bias against purely written materials with no visual reference whatsoever, be it through images or video, is one of the reasons why these positive aspects of their history are so frequently glossed over. There’s the fact that most people aren’t actively seeking out these obscure, 60-year-old sources when they’re learning about the band, of course, but it’s also a bit… disheartening that the main biographies/documentaries published/released about the Animals and Eric don’t even try to dig them up or reference them, instead relying purely on all of the band members’ bitter, present-day accounts. And that’s not to say these vintage articles aren’t written with any sort-of bias in mind themselves - they’re meant to be sensationalized, after all - but as I mentioned before, you can’t fake the intent behind the things that happened between Alan and Eric, mentioned in these articles. However, this 1968 footage of Alan and Eric performing together, completely independent of the Animals, and having a good time doing so, finally provides a clear, visual reference of their relationship, entirely on display. No more having to assume articles are written with toxic positivity in mind; absolutely no room for nuance. Price-Burdon had a spark between them.

Something I find charming in retrospect about Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon) is the fact that Alan never actually interviewed Eric, like he did with Ray Davies. This was probably because the episode was more a history lesson, if anything, with Eric as a relevant guest cameo, but I really don’t think an interview or co-hosting was necessary. It’s all information that Alan can easily relay himself… and it’s information that he learned from Eric. Eric taught him about the blues, the styles, the artists, the feeling… and now, he gets to sit back and listen to Alan teach an entire audience of eager listeners, of all ages, everything he taught Alan. I just think that’s very neat… “full-circle”, and all.

I also like their outfits in this. “Eric has pinstripe pants”- the last note I wrote. 😐

Anyway, 5500 words later, I should probably wrap this up, haha. I’ll probably only ever do full-section updates like this when big discoveries like this are uncovered, like if those Ready Steady Go! episodes ever resurface, or that cinéma vérité documentary about the Animals is ever released (I’d probably write a separate analysis for that), or something major along those lines. Tealight and I are considering traveling to London again to see Alan, and if we do, I’d definitely want to try and watch the other episodes of Price to Play and write an analysis of those, too. I truly love and appreciate Alan to pieces (no hetero) so just seeing this previously “locked” content and being able to share it with other Alan and Animals fans would be incredibly meaningful for me!

Also, if any clips from Price to Play: August 12th, 1968 (with guest star Eric Burdon) are ever released online, I’ll definitely add supplementary visuals, whether through images, gifs, or actual video, to this section. I’m just using my art and other reference images at the moment - again, out of respect for the Archive and the work they’ve done preserving and digitizing this for us. Holding out for the possibility that Price to Play becomes available on streaming sometime…

Alright… time for a Dr Pepper and to draw more funny Animals art… Alan and Eric art… wAHHHH!!

All Sections | Supporting One Another (1965-1968)

#animusings #the alan and eric essay #alan price #eric burdon #the animals #60s rock #classic rock

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charlesandmartine · 6 months ago

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Thursday 31st October 2024

Today, we left our glamorous glamping for pastures new. It seems incredible that the week has gone by so quickly in Kakadu. But we have managed to do so much in that time. It was time to pack up shop and head off to Pine Creek and then on to Katherine. Final check to ensure there are no crocodiles hiding in the suitcases.

Now the reason we wanted to call into Pine Creek was that it was the subject a few years ago on our favourite ABC program, Backroads. The presenter Heather Ewart travels around Australia, meeting very small communities and finding out what makes them tick. One such town was Pine Creek. We drove up and down the Main Street looking for signs of life. We thought it would be nice to have a coffee, bit all the possible places appeared shut. There was the old station and museum shut. An exhibition of the old gold mine and subsequent Uranium mine, shut. Not a soul on the streets, and then we came across the Lazy Lizard Tavern. Considering this was the only place with any signs of human habitation at all, it was packed with interest. Firstly, they had a coffee, and they appeared to be serving delicious looking food to a small collection of tourists. Then, at the rear, there was a huge barn filled with restored classic American and Aussie cars and motorcycles. The smell of engine oil and leather was quite beguiling. What an excellent collection. Old metal advertising signs abounded, and a lifetime's collection of registration plates exceeding those of the dvla no doubt. Then, just as you are thinking that the whole place is a little oasis of genius, you notice a small scruffy bloke in the corner playing with a four-foot python which he claims to be perfectly harmless; well at least it's never bitten him he said! He continued to stroke the snake until it becomes apparent something was not right. Hang on, he said, I just have to move his back end slightly. With that, he moved the tail end over the edge of the table just in time for the snake to go about his ablutions. It had never occurred to me that this was an affliction open to our reptile friends, let alone an issue that needs such close attention. However, job done we enquired, as you would after such an event, what he fed said snake with. Oh, rats, he said, I buy frozen ones. It's OK. They only eat one every 3 weeks or so.

Well, moving on, I had to ask about the program. I said Pine Creek appeared on Backroads. Do you remember them making that episode. Oh, I love that show she said. No I didn't know they came here. I'll ask Shannon. She knows everything. She didn't know either. So, there we were with no further leads, and as far as we could tell, the remainder of the town had escaped for the rest of the millennium. The trail was not cold, but dead.

Onwards then to our goal of Katherine. Stopping briefly to admire a buffalo grazing near the roadside we carried on.

Our home for the week is in an apartment on what seems to be a small farm and riding stables. The outlook is very rural and we appear to enjoy unfettered views of a field of cows that enjoy sitting in a small pond to keep cool. We, on the other hand, have air-conditioning to achieve similar aims.

We are still forming an opinion regarding Katherine. First impressions are that it clearly, sadly, has its social problems associated with a high population of indigenous peoples. Once more, we had to be checked before we were allowed to buy a couple of bottles of SB. Small groups of Aboriginies hung around Woolworths and a bit of shouting and lying drunk was occurring, but unfortunately, this can be quite normal behaviour, and it isn't threatening in itself. We made our purchases and returned to our new digs with baramundi and chips. Lovely.

ps. The ABC news showed an article about what they referred to as Pollie Perks. Apparently, politicians, including Prime Minister Albanese, have been accepting gifts, flight upgrades, and pop concert tickets! Shocking. Now, like the UK, there's to be a tightening of rules!

pps Happy 35th Birthday Liam

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miss0atae · 7 months ago

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Random thoughts about First Note of Love (EP 8):

You know I don't know if I really like this series or not. Every week I want to know what is going to happen and every week after watching the episode I'm left with this question: do I like this story? The answer is not easy because I think it has good ideas and great characters, but the pacing of the story and how the mix everything don't work for me. I feel like most of the time nothing happen in the episode, but at the same time you can see that the story is progressing. It such a weird feeling.

Sea finally finished his song and so he can spend some time with Neil. You get cute scenes of them being together and being happy. I like them together, but the problem is that I feel the way their romance started wasn't portrayed properly enough. It felt like it came out of nowhere so suddenly. They didn't give them enough time to show their attraction and the moment they started to be together felt rushed. Now, you have to see them being together, but it feels like something is missing. However, they look good together and the actors play their parts, so you don't get bored.

I have to admit I care more about the second couple Reese and Orca. They also don't get enough screentime, but their story make it easier to accept their romance. Reese is pushing himself to the limit because he really wants to see Neil able to do the concert and so he gets sick. Of course, Orca is here to nurse him and Reese finally admit his feelings for him. I was waiting for this and it was cute. I'm happy they found each other. I only wish they speak more English together because it is so weird to accept they communicate well enough the way they are doing it in the story. I've been in the same situation where I was in love with someone who didn't speak my language and I didn't their language too so we relied a lot on English to be able to communicate. When you talk about about feelings you can't just use simple words or sentences, you need to be able to express yourself in broader way. I don't know if I'm clear enough. ^^"

Next episode, we will see the mock concert version and we will probably hear the song Sea created for Neil. Will it make me forget about the song Orca was singing?! I'm listening on repeat to this song. I'm just a bit disappointed that it's not really Jame who sings it, but it is a Thai singer and he really has a nice voice.

#bl series #bl drama #taiwanese bl #taiwanese series #my thoughts #random thoughts #first note of love #first note of love the series #episode 10 #neil x sea #reese x orca

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alaffy · 2 years ago

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Riverdale, Ep. 7x10 - American Graffiti (spoilers)d

I am not going to get through another ten episodes of this. I want a resolution for the characters we watched for six seasons, we are half way through the season and we are no closer to getting those characters back. Look, I'm going to be honest, I don't care if they don't physically get back to the present until the last few episodes, so long as they remember who they are mentally and that doesn't seem like that's going to happen anytime soon.

So, we have four stories in this episode. Fangs is going to play at a concert and it may be his big break. It turns out to be his big break. Midge is in this, but does anyone care about this plot? No?

We see more of the book club that Toni has created. Cheryl wants to join in on a meeting, but Toni isn't so sure. At first, Toni lies to Cheryl and suggests they try later. Then, Cheryl finds out Kevin has been. So, Toni does allow Cheryl to go. We find out later that the reason that Toni didn't want Cheryl to go is because she was afraid that either Cheryl would be uncomfortable at the meeting or the others would be uncomfortable with Cheryl at the meeting. Which, fair. And the truth was that everyone was uncomfortable at first, but it worked out in the end. Still, Cheryl realizes that she doesn't have to be apart of all aspects of Toni's life and decides not to continue with the book club, although she still wants to read some of the books Clay suggests. What I want to know is, how many of those authors have the writers of this show actually read or did someone give them the cliff notes?

Archie gets his car and dating privileges' back. Archie also finds out Reggie is interested in cars. Reggie barrows the car to take out Veronica, but ends up ditching her to check up on his parents. Archie is more worried about his car then being on a date with Betty. They all end up on a double date, but the boys are more interested in cars then the girls their with (actually, this does kind of sound like high school). I'll be honest, I checked out through most of this storyline. I just know the dates were a bust, but Reggie got a second hand car from Pops....and now Betty is going to help him fix it up.

Jughead asks Tabitha help him figure out what happened to Radberry. They discover Radberry has a wife who is black. It turns out that they were harassed as they were a mixed couple and Radberry left in order to find work. The goal is to move his wife's family to a safer place and then Radberry and his wife were to go live in Paris. Well, that was the plan. Keller tries to convince Jughead that Radberry killed himself based on the fact the Radberry was a draft dodger, junkie, mental patient, and possible Communist. But we find out from Radberry's wife the Radberry served in WW2, got addicted to pain killers due to an injury, and checked himself in to the hospital for treatment. And, while he did attend a few meeting out of curiosity, he was not a Communist. Radberry's wife, June, asks Jughead and Tabitha if they're going steady, which they deny. June stares at them for a moment and you can see that she's seeing herself and her husband in Jughead and Tabitha. However, there's one problem in their way. No, not racism. Erin's contract. So, Tabitha let's Jughead know that she's going back on the tour, but Jughead tells her he'll write. And, at the end of the episode, Jughead meets one of Radberry's neighbors Ms. Dues Ex Machina. She let's Jughead know that a milkman stopped by the night Radberry was killed.

#riverdale #betty cooper #veronica lodge #toni topaz #cheryl blossom #archie andrews #reggie mantle #tabitha tate #jughead jones #fangs fogerty #riverdale spoilers

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monkeyssalad-blog · 13 days ago

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Ingeborg von Kusserow by Truus, Bob & Jan too! Via Flickr: West German collector card by Ross Verlag. Photo: Ufa / Hämmerer. German actress Ingeborg von Kusserow (1919-2014) enjoyed a flourishing career in the 1930s, first in the theatre, and then as a young Ufa star. In 1947, she went to Great Britain, where she filmed under the name Ingeborg Wells. Ingeborg Maria von Kusserow was born in 1919 in Wollstein, during the Weimar Republic; now Wolsztyn, Poland. Her father, Curt von Kusserow, came from an old noble family in East Elbia. She received dance and ballet training as a child. As a teenager, she began her career as a singer, dancer and actress in Berlin and performed at the Berlin Opera, the Metropol Theatre and the Schlosspark Theatre. In 1936, she made her film debut at Ufa in the Operetta film Das Hofkonzert / The Court Concert (Detlef Sierck, a.k.a. Douglas Sirk, 1936) starring Márta Eggerth and Johannes Heesters. It was the first of around 30 features and shorts she made in Germany. She also played a supporting part in a comedy with Johannes Heesters, Wenn Frauen schweigen / When Women Keep Silent (Fritz Kirchhoff, 1937). She was the leading lady in another comedy, Das Mädchen von gestern Nacht / The Girl of Last Night (Peter Paul Brauer, 1938) starring Willy Fritsch. In the following years, Von Kusserow portrayed many young, capricious women or society girls in several film operettas and melodramas for Ufa. She also starred in Nazi Propaganda films during the Third Reich, which she wrote about in a 1949 memoir 'I Was Hitler's Mickey Mouse'. In 1941, Von Kusserow married Percy Friedrich Graf von Welsburg in 1941. He was a Hungarian national born in England. They hoped to get to Britain via Switzerland, but this proved impossible. They spent the war in Berlin, experiencing all its deprivations and terrors, which she described in the memoir 'Enough, No More' (1948). However, she continued to make a few films and in 1944, she was on the list of godsent by the Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda. In the early 1940s, she also released several records for the Imperial label with Willy Berking's studio orchestra. After the war, she enjoyed success at the West Berlin ‘Rheingau-Theatre’ as Eliza Doolittle in the play ‘Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and at the Schlosspark Theatre with Hans Söhnker in the comedy classic ‘Dr. med. Hiob Prätorius’ (1947) by Curt Goetz.In 1947, the couple emigrated to Britain and lived in St John's Wood, London. They had one son, Patrick Hubert Welsburg (1943). In Great Britain, Ingeborg von Kusserow filmed under the name Ingeborg Wells. Her British films included Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (Raoul Walsh, 1951) starring Gregory Peck and a very modest role for Wells and the comedy One Wild Oat (Charles Saunders, 1951) starring Robertson Hare and Stanley Holloway. In British cinema, she mostly played foreign women, such as in the crime drama Women of Twilight (Gordon Parry, 1952), the first British film to get the new X certificate. Her roles were mainly supporting parts. Her final film was Across the Bridge (Ken Annakin, 1956), based on a short story by Graham Greene. She also appeared in several British TV series, including an episode of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956). Kusserow retired in 1963, and two years later, in 1965, she divorced Percy Friedrich Graf von Welsburg. She was invited back to West Berlin to star in a German version of an American play, 'You Know I Can't Hear You When The Water's Running' (1968) by Robert Anderson. She found she was still well remembered by many old fans. In 1968, she married Kenneth Slingsby-Fahn, a retired RAF officer. Their life together in their garden flat in Abercorn Place has been recounted in a memoir by a neighbour. John Mills in The Independent: "She was strong-minded, even at times controlling. This had made her life with Percy stormy; Kenneth, however, was happy to go along with everything she proposed, and so harmony prevailed during their 40 years together." In 1979, she and her husband relocated to a cottage in Houghton, West Sussex, where Kenneth died in 2007. Kusserow lived alone until 2013, when she suffered a fall and had to live in a care home until her death a year later. Ingeborg Wells died in 2014 in Hove, East Sussex. She was 95. Sources: John Mills (The Independent), Stephanie D'heil (Steffi-Line - German), Wikipedia (English, French and German) and IMDb. And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

#Ingeborg von Kusserow #Ingeborg #von #Kusserow #German #Actress #European #Film Star #Film #Cinema #Vintage #Card #Ross #Ross Verlag #Hämmerer #Ufa #flickr

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spoilertv · 21 days ago

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#SpoilerTV

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hannahevemusic · 2 years ago

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Well, we almost recorded Episode 5 of TBC… (Tiny Bedroom Concert) on Saturday, with Keith Lythgoe, Emma Lythgoe and Dean Baylis, however, we had a mic issue, more specifically, an XLR to Jack lead error! This meant we couldn’t mic up the vocals, so instead, we had our belated first get together - ever!

We originally planned to do this at the end of October/early November 2022, but Keith had sepsis, only came out of hospital on 29th December, and it took him a further month or two to start to feel like himself again. Unfortunately, we received some pretty horrid news at the end of April which we have been living through ever since. We have been awaiting an operation date, and so haven’t been in the right frame of mind to practice and get together – but this weekend we thought, “what the hell!”

Saturday was great! Apart from the odd mini solo gig here and there since Somnium disbanded in 2015, I/we haven’t really played live or known what to do with music properly in a gigging sense, but yesterday just felt right. Yes, we were a bit all over the place, yes, I shredded my vocal chords singing over the top of live instruments with no mic, but, it felt like home, and it gave us all the buzz we sorely needed.

Whilst Mr Lythgoe has the most horrendous few weeks ahead of him, and couple of months’ recovery thereafter, it was great to see him doing what he loves – playing music. Sometimes, we all need to push beyond the fear, embarrassment and drudgery of life, to find the things that make us feel impassioned and ‘alive’.

We have been tested. We have broken down. We have been angry, but now, we just want this thing done. I’ve never known resilience and strength like it, and I honestly don’t know how he continues to go through so much trauma, yet manages to always bounce back, without self-pity or moaning.

So, to wrap this up, Keith may be away from music for a while, but the music will always be with him, so bring on the next practice and future gigs – cause the bug is back!

To check out Episode 4, click here: https://youtu.be/lXQgZAzk1Tk

#tiny bedroom concert

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melrosing · 2 years ago

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MBO Robert's Rebellion: Episode 7

for those keeping track, another minor amend to timelines - pushed this ep's events one year later than canon to give Duskendale room to breathe, and conflated Jaime's trip to Riverrun (which has no canonical date but was probably a couple years later than this) with the Lannisport tourney (canonically one year earlier than I have it here). the chronology around each event didn't seem to matter too much and also I really wanted to introduce the Tully sisters at this point, so Jaime's Riverrun visit seemed like the most natural way to tie them in with someone we've introduced already.

also, switched the victor of the Lannisport tourney from Arthur to Rhaegar as I had it the other way round in ep3!

mostly this is a big ole check in with the Robert's Rebellion generation and what kind of kids they are. Cers and Mags didn't seem all that relevant in the grand scheme of things but it felt weird to leave it out given that all goes down during the Lannisport tourney so whatever

Prev: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6

Next: Episode 8

title for this one: Cersei's First Homicide

One year timeskip ⏱We’re in the Riverlands, where a young Petyr Baelish (9) is punting Cat and Lysa down a calm, narrow river. Cat (13) and Lysa (11) lie back together at the prow, whispering loudly to one another in their secret language - this seems to be annoying Petyr, who doesn’t understand a word. He asks them not to speak it, which makes the sisters laugh - together, they rock the boat until Petyr loses balance and falls over aboard

Edmure (aged.... let’s go with 6) appears on the riverbank: Father wants them back at the castle. Petyr asks for a hand out of the river, which Lysa says he’ll only have if he says that he loves her. Petyr looks slightly aghast, and Cat, taking pity, offers him her own hand. Lysa’s turn to look put out

The trio make their way back to the castle; in the courtyard, Hoster Tully greets Jaime Lannister (11), who is acting as a messenger between Lord Crakehall and Riverrun. Hoster introduces his daughters (proudly mentioning Cat's recent betrothal to Brandon Stark), his son Edmure, and, irritably, Petyr - who looks like a drowned rat. Jaime says he does not know House Baelish, Petyr says he imagines there’s much and more the young lord of Lannister does not know - earning an abrupt dismissal by Lord Hoster to go clean himself up

Opening 👏 creds 👏

Meanwhile: Casterly Rock, where Tywin Lannister is hosting a tourney in celebration of Prince Viserys’ first name day. Rhaegar Targ (18) is in concert, playing a sad song on his lil harp. A young Cersei (11) weeps in the audience; her friend Melara teasingly nudges her - Cersei elbows back a little sharper, embarrassed. She casts a hopeful glance to Tywin Lannister, who sits nearby: Tywin returns her looks and nods

Tywin turns to King Aerys, sat beside him, and tries to say something; however Aerys is deep in conversation with one Steffon Baratheon, making a point to ignore his Hand. Meanwhile in the background: cameo from Tyrion Lannister (4), looking bored as hell

The tourney itself: standard scenes of men playing w sticks, concluding in a final face-off between Rhaegar and Arthur. Reminiscent of their first match in ep3, they charge, and Rhaegar wins this time - he’s at the top of his game. Arthur looks entirely unperturbed by his loss, and celebrates Rhaegar with the crowd. Aerys in the background, clutching Viserys like some kind of comfort blanket

Evening, in the Vale with Ned (14) and Robert (16). The two friends are walking down the streets of a nearby town. Entering what’s not quite a brothel, more like a seedy pub, Robert tells Ned he should have his first woman tonight. Ned declines despite Robert’s teasing, but Robert, undeterred, finds a girl for himself. Ned sits awkwardly with a pint of ale whilst Robert sits with a girl in his lap, and asks Ned if Lyanna’s anything like this one?? Ned makes no comment

Cersei and Melara, feeling v giggly and excitable, are sneaking out for their own excursion into the night, to meet Maggy thee Frog. They make their way through Lannisport and vanish into a dark wood on the perimeter

Aerys, in the gallery at the Rock. Aerys is looking upon a portrait of Joanna, and looks irritated to have been interrupted when Tywin approaches. Aerys notes that Cersei looks a great deal like Joanna; Tywin agrees this is true. Carefully, he suggests that they might announce a betrothal between Rhaegar and Cersei - we get the impression that Tywin has raised this many times, and now seeks a final answer. Aerys gives him one, and says that he has no intention of marrying his son to his servant’s daughter. On Tywin, who’s really this close to starting a job search on linkedin

Meanwhile: Cers & Melara. They find Maggy’s tent, and that whole thing happens with Cers getting her horrible little prophecy idk we know how it goes. Subsequently, Cersei trying to hold it together as they leave, and Melara attempting to laugh it all off. They enter a clearing with a well in the midst (!!!!), and Melara tries to console Cersei - a prophecy can’t come true if no-one speaks of it!! Cersei looks up - cogs turning behind her eyes. And anyway, says Melara, she knows she’s going to marry Jaime, so Maggy really is just a stupid old - oh shit Cersei has pushed her down a fucking well!!! I would say Cersei’s crime wiki starts here but well. there was that shit with Tyrion already

Melara screaming at the bottom of the well. Cersei looks as though she can’t quite believe what she’s just done. For a long moment she stands leaning over the edge, looking silently down at the desperate Melara, who begs her for help. Cersei lowers to the ground, leaning against the side of the well - she needs to sit with this for a bit

Ned, leading a drunken Robert back to the Eyrie. He looks annoyed with his friend, like he’s done this before, but this time it’s worse. Then Robert says something to make Ned laugh, and Ned struggles not to smile

Back with Cersei. It’s dawn - she’s somehow fallen asleep at the side of the well. She looks back over the edge: Melara is wide awake, still trying to call, but her voice is shaky and hoarse. Cersei looks down at her for a long moment, and then departs; we hear Melara croaking in dismay

Cersei sneaks back inside Casterly Rock, using some weird connection of tunnels idk. She enters her bedchamber, dresses down and climbs into bed

At Riverrun: Jaime walking with Catelyn and Lysa in the castle gardens, blathering on about swords and squiring. Lysa attempts an interesting comment on the subject, but it doesn’t seem to register with Jaime; Catelyn gives her sister an apologetic smile, and rolls her eyes sympathetically

Back with Cersei once more, on her way to breakfast with Genna; Genna notes that her niece looks tired lol. And then, unfortunately, she must break some bad news: King Aerys has turned down Tywin’s proposition, and will not marry her to Rhaegar after all. Cersei breaks down on the spot, but Genna wills her to stop her tears, and look strong when they present themselves, show the Prince what he’s missing. Cers puts on a brave face as she enters the hall, but catching sight of Tyrion sat with their uncles, some of the façade falls away

Riverrun once more, at table: Jaime is pestering Brynden Tully for stories, Lysa is looking dejected at his side. Hoster suggests that Brynden might have duties away from the table, which Brynden happy latches onto and makes a departure. A disappointed Jaime decides to attempt conversation with Catelyn instead; Lysa looks close to tears, and asks Hoster if they might invite Petyr to table. Hoster like. no lol

A feast at the Rock. Aerys holds up Prince Viserys for everyone to applaud him: Viserys like :-|

Aerys makes an announcement!! Rhaegar is long overdue a betrothal! Tywin and Cersei actually look hopeful for a minute before Aerys goes on to say that he’ll be sending his old friend Steffon Baratheon (little wave from Steffon) across the Narrow Sea to find the most eligible woman for their future queen. nice. What could possibly go wrong

#sparknotes robert's rebellion #asoiaf

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adrinoir · 3 years ago

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Bully into friend/lover arcs - how Chloe was robbed

I was just thinking about this. There are so many good ways to write a bully into friend/lover arc. I know a couple, but Chloe Bourgeois was robbed of this because we can’t have nice things can we, Mr. Astruc?

Good examples

In The Owl House, Amity Blight went from being a school bully to being Luz’s girlfriend, and restoring her friendship with her childhood best friend, Willow. It was so well done, too.

Throughout the series, even after the arc, we see how pressured Amity is by her family. Her parents want her to be a certain way and hold up a “good” reputation. But, Amity wants to be her own person. She cares about Willow, she’s a lesbian and wants to be with Luz, she has her things she enjoys doing (ie working at the library and reading Azura). She doesn’t care about someone being “more powerful” or being a tool in helping her family’s business grow. They even made her changes in hair color represent that, and made her siblings understand her better.

Also notice how it wasn’t super rushed. Willow wasn’t entirely forgiving of Amity right away, it took time to feel okay having her around again and getting Amity to see her as a strong person. Amity also had her chance to ask Luz to prom, but got so scared, and over the course of a few episodes, their feelings for each other blossomed naturally.

There’s also Tyler in Turning Red. He’s this immature kid making fun of Mei, but it’s shown he has no friends. Tyler has all this insecurity in who he is as a person and can’t even have people come to his birthday party without having Mei there to turn into her panda form.

This one also wasn’t super rushed. Mei and her friends agreed to go to this party for the sake of making money, not for Tyler. But they connected dots as soon as they saw him at the 4Town concert, and ran to him. Then, he ends up sticking with the friend group, which was so sweet.

These characters were given reasons for why they became a bully. And you know who else was? Chloe. Their insecurities and upbringing helps the audience understand and connect with these characters, and why they do what they do. This leads me to my next point.

Chloe’s build up

Chloe has a great backstory. Her mom left her and her dad for New York, neglecting them both and having an affair. Meanwhile, her dad is very dismissive and doesn’t know how to be a good parent. He feels the most he can do is buy her whatever she wants. He cares about her, but isn’t good at being an actual dad, moreso just pleasing her impulsive desires.

Chloe also only had one childhood friend, thanks to the parents being friends: Adrien. She’s used to being around not only her rich family, but this one cute boy who also has a rich family. So, her view of other people who don’t live a life of luxury is very warped.

Chloe has this idea that you’re unworthy of being treated well if you’re not super wealthy. The one friend she made at school, Sabrina, is treated as a servant, being ordered to do things for her.

However, deep down, Chloe does care and we started seeing a lot of that at the end of season 1 and in the beginning of season 2. She has a solid enough friendship with Sabrina that she plays dress up with her, and they pretend to be Ladybug and Cat Noir. She cares so much about her friendship with Adrien that she hosted a party and invited all her classmates, just to show she cares. She felt bad about ruining Marinette’s present to Ms. Bustier, enough to apologize and hug it out with her.

Then, we really see how much she cares about her mom in the two part special, when she gets hold of the bee miraculous. She creates a risky scenario to save these people, simply to prove to her mom that she’s “exceptional.” She also wanted to prove herself to her idol, Ladybug. Her mom is shown to be so conceited and neglectful that she can’t even remember Chloe’s name and picked Marinette over her own daughter to come to New York with her. There’s such an emotional scene before her mom gets on the plane, where Chloe cries and says, “why don’t you love me, mom?” Heartbreaking.

There was such a good build up to a potential character arc. So many episodes shined a spotlight on her actions and backstory. The audience could get a good understanding and sympathize for her. But by the time season 3 rolled around, all of that was completely destroyed, as if none of that meant anything.

Thomas knew he wanted her to stay a bully. He selfishly based her off of a nasty ex girlfriend of his. He did the audience so dirty because anyone who wanted a good character arc for Chloe can’t feel that way anymore. She became even more of a brat and didn’t even want Adrien to be her friend anymore in season 4. It’s now too late for her to have any sort of character arc that would actually make sense.

What could’ve been done

If I had overthrown Thomas early on, there are things that could’ve been done to create her character arc.

She could’ve eased up on Marinette after wrecking her present. She knows Ms. Bustier sees the good in her and wants to prove she can change.

She could’ve made more of an effort to be nice to all the classmates, instead of her losing development as soon as the party in Despair Bear was over.

She could start treating Sabrina like a real friend. Hanging out with her more and showing she appreciates her company.

If she proved she can be a good person, she can eventually get the bee miraculous back in her possession, gain Ladybug’s trust.

After proving her worth, Chloe could become Marinette’s friend or at least friendly acquaintance, like Amity with Willow or Tyler with the girls. She could get close with Adrien again and have a more genuine friendship.

Or, if we want to get into lover territory, maybe Marinette feels okay enough to introduce her to Luka or Kagami, and Chloe starts feeling a certain way. Maybe it’s comphet behavior, obsessing over Adrien, because she’s shoving down feelings for girls. Maybe she hasn’t been exposed or understanding enough of other guys who don’t fit the rich boy standard. Either way, having a significant other and/or friends who see the good in her would be so good for Chloe.

She could stand up to her parents about how she needs more love and time with them. How she wants them to be here for her and accept her as a caring person.

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absolutebl · 4 years ago

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This Week in BL

Aug 2021 Wk 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Love Area Ep 4-5 - (ep 4 fan subs here and ep 5 here) play within a play was fine, look on the bright side at least it wasn’t a music concert. But OMG Non & Toon taking over the noodle shop was the cutest thing ever. Valen is such a big sulky yearning baby. We got us a genuine love triangle going on, and everyone of them a tiny disaster. Partly because of that, this show feels a lot faster paced than most pulps. Meanwhile, I’m not sure what happened to get PeetKing back together but it looks like, with Ice in the mix, that King’s got himself a uke to look out for, form of... flexible archetype, love triangle part deux! How exciting. Two different love triangles (and two different kinds seme/uke\seme and seme/flex/uke) in one BL - from Thailand no less. Is this a blessing or a curse?

Check Out the series Ep 0 - this one isn’t supposed to come out until next year, 2022, but they dropped an ep 0 on us anyway with so many tropes I wonder what’s left for the rest of the series. YouTube is excited X a million for this one. The production values are good and the leads have killer bodies and great chemistry so yeah, what more do we want? Oh it starts with a one night stand, something new and different for BL and a personal favorite of mine. 2022 is too far away now.

Siew Sum Noi ep 3? - did’t show up in the grey.

The Yearbook Ep 7 - NOTHING is happening in this show. I mean I’m used to BLs without plot but this is ridiculous.

Don’t Say No Ep 4 - I got drunk and watched the world’s fanciest dumpster fire. What can I say? Or, to be fair, what didn’t I say? It’s not pretty, people. The sex scene isn’t pretty. The wardrobe ain’t pretty. I’m not pretty about either.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Friend or Lover Ep 5 - indie micro series from Taiwan that has been airing for a few months on YouTube. I’m enjoying it. It’s fluff with very little substance, but sweet and harmless. There is at least one more ep, but this kinda felt like the ending.

Given (Japan) Ep 6 fin - a surprisingly happy even sweet final episode. I was not expecting it from this show or Japan. My only issue is that this whole series was a “sing your feelings” chassis as that is one of my least favorite tropes. (It’s why I don’t like rockstar romances.) However, put that aside and this was a solid little live action yaoi from Japan that could have come out anytime in the last 15 years, but I’m gad we got it now. (full review here) 8/10 RECOMMENDED.

Gossip

Jang Eui Soo (Where Your Eyes Linger and Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding) starring in a new Korean BL My Sweet Dear. (Viki Original and it’s listed so you and save it to your watch list NOW! Read all about it here.) Not much is known about this drama yet. except he’s opposite Lee Chan Hyung who was one of the otherworld counterparts in The Uncanny Counter.

Secret Crush On You (formerly Stalker) up coming Thai BL produced (but not starring) Saint, has a GL side couple! We are all very excited by this.

Thai BL adaptation of KinnProsche seems to have been adopted by a new company under a new name. It’s like the shelter dog no one keeps for very long. Perth is out. No idea what’s going on. Frankly, don’t care. Wake me when it has an air date and is actually releasing.

More of our trusted BL grey suppliers on Daily Motion had their accounts taken down, not sure what’s going on or where to find stuff until the dust settles.

Lots of gifs dropped from the ep 0 of Thai BL Check Out the series, coming 2022. Not a much is known about this one except its a cohabitation hotel set piece. But it looks hot.