#i also had another dream recently that i was on a production stage for a movie and there were replicas of temples and pyramids and building

[cliozaur]

Many people have already written about Les Misérables at Théâtre du Châtelet, so I’ll just add a few points of my own.

The best part was that this production was different from the West End version: the costumes, sets, and acting choices felt very refreshing.

The actors’ voices were fantastic. Some leaned a bit too operatic, but it worked well in the context. And finally! Finally, I’ve heard a good Cosette! Maybe I’ve just been unlucky in the past, but every Cosette I’d heard before was just squeaking. Here, Julitte Artigala’s singing was genuinely enjoyable. Claire Perot’s Fantine was good and extremely expressive – looking at her gestures I had a picture of Edith Piaf in my head.

The Thénardiers were surprisingly charismatic. Madame Thénardier came across as almost a tragic figure—her frustration with and anger at her husband were much more palpable than in the English version. I could truly feel her pain. Kids in the theatre (there were so many of them, despite some new quite explicit scenes) were laughing at most of Mme Thenardier’s jokes. Meanwhile, Monsieur Thénardier reminded me of an eccentric Jack Sparrow. It was also clever how they acknowledged having a female conductor: during the wedding feast, when Thénardier called for the “maestro,” she corrected him with “maestra.” Then the orchestra was revealed behind the main stage—it was a very cool moment.

At the factory, they did not show the working process; instead, the conflict took place during a lunch break, with everyone eating or resting—an interesting production choice.

Valjean was not dying alone—even before Cosette and Marius arrived—he was at the convent, being cared for by nuns. It’s much better and less heartbreaking than dying of grief and starvation in an empty dwelling. (I think I read a fanfiction based on this twist.)

There were also some nice touches in the French lyrics. For example, Cosette mentioned the doll from the shop window (Catherina) she dreamed about. Actually, “Castle on a Cloud” is called “La poupée dans la vitrine” (“The doll in the shop window”). For Fantine, it was wolves that came at night instead of tigers (we know that both animals are associated with Javert). Speaking of Javert, in his soliloquy, he mentioned regretting not dying like a soldier, which I found to be a nice touch.

My love goes to the ensemble, as always! You could feel how much they enjoyed performing.

There were so many small gestures—touches, hugs, and all kinds of body contact—that are usually absent from the West End production. People have already pointed out that Javert appears in the “Heaven” finale, shaking Valjean’s hand. It’s a lovely touch, though completely illogical. And during the final bow, Javert kissed Cosette’s hand.

However, there were a few elements that felt dangerous. They used a lot of open fire, and not always for justified reasons. Recently, I’ve heard Ian McKellen talking about how nineteenth century theatres often burned down, and this abundance of fire made me nervous. Another concern was Javert being perched on an extremely high platform during his soliloquy. I hope there was some kind of safety line in place.

What irritated me: Javert carrying a rifle during “The Confrontation”(and he never had a cudgel). Why give him a rifle if he doesn’t use it? (Insert a joke here about Les Misérables being much shorter if Javert had just used the rifle in the hospital scene.) And then… the bicycle. It wasn’t funny, and it wasn’t even historically accurate to the time period in that form!

The audience was incredibly enthusiastic, cheering so much that the cast came back for four curtain calls! And they seemed happy to oblige.

[sparklejumpropekitty]

Since it was announced James was involved in a future acting project in Mr Fanboy (as a villain, which he wanted to do for awhile now and DMD granted him that), I see many people spreading lies about him saying he quit acting which he never did. He has explained this MULTIPLE times for A YEAR and people still be twisting his words. This is just one quick compilation, there's more actually. There's also two quite recent interviews where he talked more in depth about the many factors that led him to withdraw from the series, and how the decision was a collective decision. This narrative has been consistent as Net also has said the same thing - they have talked for almost a year prior from the withdrawal announcement (James, Net, and their management). The two interviews are on YT - one with Poppy and the other one with Pondonnews. You can check out @xxjdesu translations for the interviews on her X account.

Summary of his interview, some factors that made him stepping back from Love Upon A Time:

1. He was struggling mentally while and after filming Bed Friend for awhile (he said it was more than a year). He often couldn't detach himself from the role of Uea (and as we know, Uea is such a depressing character), his family noticed this. (This makes so much sense of his demeanors during that time). He felt like he was losing himself.

2. He was miserable and found joy performing on stage - singing, dancing. He felt truly happy doing those more than acting at that time.

3. He also thought about how many more things he wants to do, while he is still able and young. Remember at this time, LUAT still has no progress to go into filming? No workshop, nothing. They only has shoot for the trailer (2022). That's all there was to that series at that point.

4. The company along with him and Net has had multiple discussions regarding their future with LUAT for almost a year. Then a decision was made and the announcement happened. I'm sure they're aware how miserable James was, but Net still wanted to continue the project, which he has every right to pursue, just like James has every right to withdraw. What they wanted for themselves at that time simply has divided, they no longer shared the same dream. IMO, the way DMD handled that announcement was what that makes people misunderstood and blame it all on James. He kinda was used as a scapegoat. It was a collective decision, but the announcement made it seemed like it was only James' decision and Net and the company just granted him that.

5. James read all the comments blaming him, right after the withdrawal announcement. He felt real bad and considered jumping off of his balcony. I remember him deactivating his X account and had bad feelings about it. I never would have guessed my bad feelings about it is actually horrid. He activated his account again the next day and I remembered him saying he's okay, he just fell asleep. Little did we know, he was thinking about ending it all. Remember he also injured his leg really badly. Just imagine how horrible he must felt. Luckily, his younger sister and her bf were there, taking care of him. If not, there would be no James anymore :'(

James revealed it has been two occasions where he has suicidal thoughts, one is what I wrote above and the other one after he was severely bullied for the Cover MV we all know of. And that one is also a fail from DMD. James took full responsibility on his own, saying it was his mistake not to do another version with proper mixing and post production. The sound they used for that MV was from Melt into You concert, it was only a backtrack. In the concert, James sang live on top of the backtrack, and with the stage production and dancing, of course people never noticed how the backtrack truly sound. So many were praising that performance. Of course, Idk what truly happened behind the scene, but DMD didn't do any quality checks before releasing that MV? The way all of them kept silent (still is until today) and left James being bullied alone truly baffles me. They didn't take down the MV or close the comment section, etc. They did nothing. Even My Chemical Romance, one of the legendary bands turns off their comment section when people stepped way over the boundary. When one of their controversial ex-band mate passed away, they turned off the comment section also. Why can't DMD do any of that? Just take down the TT videos and whatnot, that people still using to this day to mock him. And not one soul in DMD ever talked about that. It was only Neoul from MeMindy that said something multiple times to defend James (and also some people that supposed to be James band mates but that project is not happening anymore, so..)

What this man has been through are just so tough and challenging. I'm not even in his shoes but I cried multiple times because it hurts, knowing he's hurting so much. All he wants is to do his job and chase his dreams. Why people are so cruel to him to the point of spreading lies and accusing him of many things, when most of the time, those people don't even know him that well..

If you don't want to support him, that's fine. But don't lie and throw untrue accusations. That can tarnish his name and made him target for bullies (Which he has had to deal with multiple times throughout his lives, some since he was a kid.)

[jimin-bangtan]

What are Jimin’s new dreams?

Before Jimin even clarified the (below) statement he made at Festa 2021 [set to mark], I had noticed that throughout the years many of the items Jimin had expressed that he wanted to accomplish did  eventually come to pass. He seems to be very good at setting goals and working toward making them become reality.

Click on image to enlarge.

Years later, at this point in their career, BTS has stunned the music industry by remaining productive and relevant while being absent due to mandatory military service.  So even while being in the military, yet another of Jimin’s known dreams came true.

In 2016 in his reflective Festa profile, Jimin declared that a desire on his bucket list was to “get the daesang”.

He may have been hoping for the prestigious daesang (grand prize) for the group at that time, but it wasn’t clearly stated who he had hoped would get a daesang eventually. It could have been a wish for both him and his group separately. Or he may not have been able to conceive of him ever getting a daesang as a soloist himself at that point. With Jimin’s goal setting habit and strength, it’s certainly possible either way.

Since then, it now turns out, the group and Jimin both have daesangs. Over the years, BTS did go on to earn a record-breaking number of daesangs, but in late 2024, Jimin was the first soloist to win this particular daesang (Worldwide Icon of the Year/Fan Choice of the Year), and he was the first soloist in a decade to win any daesang in any category. He is also the first soloist from BTS so far.

Soon after the win, Jimin used one of his rare communication moments with fans to thank them for such an honor.  He was very touched and “stunned”. (Stunned? Stunned stunned. Stunned.🤭)

After another customary break of silence for Jimin, he recently wrote a letter to reach out to fans again in January of 2025. 2025 is the year he is to be finally discharged from military service, BTS is to be reunited as a group, and the group begins the new phase of their careers and lives.

In the letter, Jimin wished fans a happy new year and filled them in on how he was spending his time. He explained that one of the things he was doing was having important conversations with Jung Kook, who is serving alongside him by way of Korea’s companion program. The conversations center around planning for the future.

Jimin's current letter caused me to reflect back to the past and then wonder, “What are Jimin’s new dreams?” If you've read my Chameleon Park Jimin series (especially the more recent ones), I have already been considering some of these same questions: How will Jimin choose to present himself on stage and in life? What will he decide to show that he hadn’t shown before? What will he no longer show that he had once shown? What kind of life will he choose to live as an adult artist in the idol world? How have he and his views changed since serving in the military?

But Jimin's current letter, along with my Festa 2021 reflection and all of his astounding and historic solo achievements, really sparked a curiosity about: What new dreams will Jimin now be aiming for?

In his song, Smeraldo Garden Marching Band, from his MUSE album, Jimin said, “Everything we couldn’t say before… I’ll tell you everything now.” In his MUSE fan song, Closer Than This, he said, “When we meet again on a spring day, I’ll tell you all the things I couldn’t before.”  Now, in his current letter directly to fans, he said he couldn’t wait to have fun conversations with fans about things that had happened.

But the mentioned songs suggest he obviously already had things to tell that had happened before the military.  Will these new conversations shine a light on his new dreams and future plans? I’m sure all of his fans can’t wait to find out the answers to these questions and more. I know I can’t.

BTS, as a group, and now as soloists, have already achieved so much in their careers. They have reached heights and earned accomplishments that have far surpassed what others had done or in which they were the first to do so. After military service and the forced hiatus, Jimin and the rest of BTS will have so many more experiences, skills, and thoughts to share. June of 2025 cannot come fast enough. Whether Jimin shares all of his new (or existing) intentions with us, we know that he usually has interesting and exciting dreams and has the determination and ability - not to mention the support of his devoted fans - to make them come true too.

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday Scottish actor Jimmy Yuill, born March 6th 1956 in Golspie, Sutherland.

Yuill is another of those Scottish actors that has been in an abundance of shows, and will be known, but not as a household name.Fans of the Crime drama series Wycliffe will know him best as DI Doug Kersey, in almost every episode, I will come back to that later.

Known mainly as an actor on the stage Jimmy began in 1976 in The Jesuit at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. After, as he put it “some joyous years” working on new plays and classics countrywide he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1983, as Snug in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ended his time there, in 1987, as Young Wackford Squeers in Nicholas Nickleby on Broadway.

In 1988 he joined Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company for Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Hamlet directed by Judi Dench, Geraldine McEwan and Derek Jacobi, respectively. Also for RTC, Sicinius (Coriolanus); Telygin (Uncle Vanya) and Kent in Richard Brier’s ‘King Lear’.

Other roles include Toby Belch in Twelfth Night and as Henry IV parts1&2 at the Bristol Old Vic; In 2013 Jimmy played Banquo in ‘Macbeth’ at the Manchester International Festival and the following year at the Park Avenue Armory, New York. Most recently Jimmy played the Old Shepherd in The Winters Tale at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End – both productions directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh.

Jimmy Yuill, while always being busy treading the boards, has also found plenty time to appear in many TV shows, they include, in the 70’s The Mackinnons, The Omega Factor and the TV film A Sense of Freedom. in the 1980’s Eurocops and Boon and the 90’s mainly in Hamish Macbeth as Lachlan McCrae and the aforementioned Wycliffe. Into the new millennium he is a s busy as ever in the mini-series Monsignor Renard, A Touch of Frost and a recurring role in 14 episodes of Eastenders as Victor Brown an old frien of Ian Beales. Jimmy also appeared in several episodes of The Bill as D.S. Cottrell.

Yuill has had a longstanding friendship with Kenneth Branagh and has appeared in some of the Irish actor/directors films, including, Much Ado About Nothing, Frankenstien and As You Like It.

I said I would return to Wycliffe, where Jimmy starred in all but two episodes. The series was cancelled after that because Jack Shepherd, who played Wycliffe, refused to continue in the title role when the producers had sacked Yuill “for insurance reasons” after he contracted life-threatening meningitis during filming, and then would not reinstate him even though he made a full recovery. He says he owes his life to Shepherd with whom he was sharing a house while on location, and who rushed him to hospital in the middle of the night. Shepherd and the rest of the cast and crew felt so betrayed that they decided not to make any more episodes once filming of the current series had finished.

Along with Richard Briers he is one of only two actors other than Branagh himself, to appear in all five Shakespearean films that Branagh has directed: Yuill has worked as a performance consultant on a number of productions, and also as a producer.

Jimmy has been in the movies Artemis Fowl , Kindred and my pick The Road Dance, which is set in The Outer Hebrides just before World War One. He also popped up in the Scottish dark comedy series Guilt, fans of Shetland will have recognised him as ‘Campervan’ Angus Wallace in the hit show at the tail end of last year.

[snowlessknitter]

“Please, Blanche! Sidney Sheldon tells shorter stories!”

— Dorothy Zbornak, “Blanche and the Younger Man”

Time for another edition of “Snowlessknitter Explains the Golden Girls Joke”!

After we recently got back Disney+ (thanks to our cable company; we previously had it for a couple of months around the beginning of 2020, but got rid of it when the pandemic forced my dad to take a temporary pay cut at his job), I’ve been rewatching The Golden Girls on there from the beginning (it’s technically on Hulu, but I think our subscription is a Disney+/Hulu bundle which allows you to watch Hulu shows on Disney+ without having to switch apps). Anyway, the streaming version of the show restores jokes and scenes that were otherwise cut from the syndicated version of the show. So anyway, I came across this particular joke for the first time and I decided to look into who Sidney Sheldon was.

Sidney Sheldon was born Sidney Schectel on 11 February 1917 in Chicago. The son of Ukrainian Jewish parents, Sheldon showed a talent for writing from an early age. He sold his first poem at the age of 10, earning $5 for his work. (According to an inflation calculator, $5 in 1927 has the same purchasing power as $90.60 today. Not a bad sum for the time!) He worked a variety of jobs during the Great Depression, and although he was able to enroll in college on a scholarship, he ended up having to drop out after six months in order to support his family. He ended up moving to Hollywood in 1937 to work as a script reviewer and screenwriter. He later enlisted in the Army Air Corps (the predecessor to what is now the United States Air Force) during World War II, but was medically discharged due to a back injury before he would have been deployed.

During his time as a screenwriter, Sheldon also began writing Broadway productions. He primarily wrote for musical theater, but he also wrote several plays, and he eventually developed a reputation of being one of Broadway’s most prolific writers. This reputation allowed him to return to Hollywood, where he won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1948 for writing The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (a screwball comedy starring Cary Grant as the “Bachelor”, Shirley Temple as the “Bobby-Soxer” who develops a crush on the older “Bachelor”, and Myrna Loy as the sister and guardian of Shirley Temple’s character). He additionally won a Tony Award in 1959 for writing the book (musical theater term for “script”) to the musical Redhead. Sheldon’s career in writing for the stage and screen also included many films and television shows, including writing scripts for The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, and later on Hart to Hart.

What makes Sidney Sheldon appear in this series, though, is his career as a novelist. He published his first novel, The Naked Face, in 1970. He primarily wrote in the mystery and thriller genres, and he gained a largely female fan following in part due to the somewhat steamy nature of his novels, as well as his use of primarily female protagonists. He was often regarded as a “potboiler” (or someone who wrote primarily to make money rather than for the sake of art), but regardless he would have been quite well known during the time of The Golden Girls’ run. (This wasn’t the only joke on the show mentioning Sidney Sheldon, by the way. There’s another mention of him in Season 2 — I think the episode where Rose, Dorothy, and Blanche go on a disastrous Caribbean vacation — where Rose admits to reading Blanche’s diary and says she got 20 pages in before she realized it wasn’t a Sidney Sheldon novel.) In his lifetime, Sheldon wrote 18 novels that sold a total of over 300 million copies.

Sidney Sheldon died in Rancho Mirage, California from pneumonia on 30 January 2007 at the age of 89, just 12 days before he would have turned 90. Married three times, he was survived by at least one child (a daughter, Mary Sheldon, who is an author in her own right). After his death, his estate authorized British author Tilly Bagshawe to write sequels to some of his novels as well as novels inspired by his writing style and her works usually carry the Sidney Sheldon’s tag in the title.

[autisticandoddlyspecific]

Anyone got any hair care tips? I’m having trouble knowing what to do bc my hair and my brain are both goofy asf. If I had a less weird head shape and didn’t have such an attachment to having long hair I would probably shave it all and let it start fresh tbh. Here’s a list of traits and what I got to work with.

Long, fine hair. Likely high porosity but I was never sure what state my hair should be in to test that.

Used to be straight, but has started showing more and more signs of turning wavy/curly since about two years ago (happens with hormonal changes which is definitely happening in some capacity at this stage in my life. Possibly due to PCOS)

Sensitive scalp, every tiny tugging sensation is overwhelming and makes me anxious about the possibility of it being pulled out

Prone to dandruff, either in big or small flakes

Cannot let anyone else touch me :(

Poor motor skills, unable to consistently put my hands behind me head and still know where my hands are

Long multi-step processes are really hard to get myself to do, and I often can’t afford to spend the time and energy more often than once a week, maybe twice

100% will forget to do normal routine at some point, need to not lose like 90% of the progress just bc I had a weird day that threw my entire routine off

Struggles with most kinda of braiding and tying knots and similar activities because too many intersecting or parallel lines overload my visual processing and I cannot tell the difference between one strand and another sometimes.

Hair is very eager to mingle and catch on other hairs, meaning if I fumble a strand while braiding I likely need to go back a couple steps.

Live in an area with hard water, but it’s not extreme hard water

The products I have for my hair are Head&Shoulders, Elvive dream lengths shampoo & conditioner, an after-shampoo hair mask/balm/??? from the same brand, that green garnier leave-in for curly hair I heard was mid but also there are as many different opinions on hair as there are people seemingly, an argan oil based anti-frizz serum that does work pretty nice for making my hair behave a lil better, this other curl cream with like coconut or something in it, and recently got a basic clarifying shampoo for the first time bc this is the most products I’ve ever had and so I started actually getting noticeable and disruptive product buildup, which has not happened before as far as I am aware. I’ve yet to use the clarifying shampoo yet but I’m hoping to find time to shower later today after I get some other stuff done.

I also already have a satin bonnet for sleeping and two satin scrunchies ^_^ I do like those except for finding a way to get them to actually stay put bc my head shape and hair are both very difficult to put things on/in, but I am getting better at that slowly.

Hope this was specific enough for without being too annoying idk ^^; I’m just so annoyed that I don’t actually know what to do for my hair.

[pastamansta]

🔥 Tim Burton (him as a person or his aesthetic, your choice!)

"Beetlejuice" (1988) reminds me a lot of another film I watched recently; "Tombstone" (1993). Sold by an aesthetic and a FANTASTIC performance from a side character, audiences were conned into loving a mediocre film. I'm not Lindsey Ellis, so don't expect me to talk about the cartoon.

"Batman" (1989) and its sequel is proof that Burton will not be giving up his aesthetic for God or money. Gotham is heavily disconnected from both the film and its source material, with little reason other than its director. There's a reason no one calls these "Keaton's Batmans," they call them "Burton's Batmans." Jack Nicholson is great as The Joker, but that's no hot take. The hot take is that Devito is too horny as The Penguin, and it makes me uncomfortable for a film that's already so sexual.

"Edward Scissorhands" (1990) is a bitter, bitter film where artist finally meets muse. Not, like, in the plot, but in the production. Depp and Burton were made for eachother... or at least that's what I'm supposed to think. This movie's just too messy, however, and can't decide where its focal point lies and leaves me wishing I had just watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000) instead.

"Sleepy Hollow" (1999) leaves me, a fan of the original text, I know that's probably a weird thing to say, miffed, even if understanding. Outside of some pacing issues, it's a bold reimagining that feels like Burton attempting to get out of his comfort zone... but I just didn't need this story to be turned into an homage to B-horror. Go watch that Disney short, eh?

"Big Fish" (2003) is his best film. I am hardly qualified to speak on it, and even if I did, I would cry. So, you know, just go watch that shit.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) is destined to be compared to "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971), and why wouldn't it? In thirty-four years since the making of the original, not a single person worth listening to said "i need this done right," including Burton himself, which is why he tries to add so much, but no amount of additions changes the fact that he casted his muse instead of someone who could, you know, act like Wonka? So, you know, destined for failure and to be loved by everyone who won't watch movies made before 1987.

"Corpse Bride" (2005) is one of only two claymation films that Burton would actually direct, and he uses this time to steal a Jewish story and make it less Jewish. I don't like the ending or the songs and it feels like it could be cut in half and achieve the same effect.

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (2007) literally doesn't have the iconic opening number from the stage play??? Overall, there's rarely a pairing of source material and director that works as well as this one... If only I enjoyed the source material, eh? So dark, so bitter, so edgy, so... nothing. I never think about this movie. When I do, I think of Mrs. Lovett's dream sequence and remember the good old days of "Big Fish" (2003) when Burton liked to use color.

"Alice in Wonderland" (2010) is one of my guiltiest pleasures in all of film. It is the reason why every time Disney announces a live-action remake, my ears perk up. If all of them were as wild, unhinged, original, creative, and inspired as this one... Well, I think Disney might not be fucking bleeding money right now. No one ever even mentions that it's a sequel to the original animated film. A SEQUEL, not a remake. Sometime movie-goers surprise me with how little they think.

"Frankenweenie" (2012) blows. I don't care how unique it is, I do not like it.

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (2016) is one of the funniest remnants of the teen dystopia genre. Like, it hardly applies, but is trying SO HARD that it's unbelievable. Also, props to Mr. "Black People Aren't My Aesthetic" for casting Samuel L. Jackson as a dude who eats white babies. (I do not mean that.) Seriously, this is proof that Burton, as a modern director, should no longer be taken seriously.

"Dumbo" (2019) is AAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHA I FUCKING HATE THIS DUDE HOLY SHIT

If I didn't mention, I haven't seen it. Yes, I know I skipped some big ones. I may watch them one day, but I am in no rush.

[hrts4hanniehae]

Kpop Self Insert Oc || the beginning

hi guys... have this while I rewrite my smau chpt for the 3rd time... tumblr hates me fr

12 Jan 2022 - The beginning

Soyeon~  Good evening everyone. Today we are debuting our first album, “Oneriophilia”. The title track is “Star Child” and it is written for the children who feel like they never belonged. Our message is that the stars shine for you.

12 January 2022. The debut of Oneiria. The revelation of the nation’s hidden gems.

Host~  Oneiria is Pledis Entertainment’s newest K-pop band. They are one of the only coed K-pop bands out there, with their leader being Kim Soyeon, who I have here with me today.

A new chapter in the world of K-pop was born. On January 12, 2022, Oneiria emerged onto the K-pop stage with a debut that would capture hearts and shatter boundaries. Their very first album, “Oneriophilia,” took the world by storm.

9 Mar 2022 - 1st Live concert~ Oneriophilia 

Jisoo~  Thank you for all the love! I hope you enjoyed the concert!

Jiho~  Have a safe trip home!

Minseok~  Hope you enjoyed the concert.

Soyeon~  Thanks for coming. We are Oneiria.

The crowd cheers as Oneiria disappears backstage.

17 Mar 2022 - 1st Interview~ Getting to know Oneiria

Interviewer~ Congratulations on the success of your debut album, “Oneirophilia”. Can you share with us what inspired your debut album’s concept and title track, “Star Child”?

Jisoo~ I was bullied in junior high and I always felt like I didn’t belong. But luckily I had my sister. I produced the songs in this album for the kids who didn’t have anyone by their side to know that we, Oneiria, are by their side. 

Interviewer~ How has the journey been for Oneiria since your debut? What have been the most memorable moments so far?

Soyeon~ It wasn’t easy. Jisoo and I… our parents disapproved of us becoming idols. They wanted me to become a lawyer, and him a doctor. 

Jisoo~ Fortunately, Soyeon-noona managed to convince them.

Minseok~ Noona also went to help me negotiate with my parents to let me pursue this dream. It’s thanks to her that Oneiria exists.

Interviewer~ Can you tell us about your experience performing your first concert? What was the energy like, and how did it feel to see your fans in the audience?

Jiho~ I never expected to be so… loved by fans. I thought we’d be dancing and performing in silence, but our fanbase is huge! It was truly amazing.

Jisoo~ When they told us our concert sold out completely, I almost broke down.

Interviewer~ Ahhh how emotional! You’ve recently released “Star Child,” which won an award. How did you feel when you heard about the award, and what did it mean to you as a group?

Soyeon~ Jisoo cried. Minseok cried. Jiho screamed. Our hard work all truly paid off. 

Interviewer~ That’s great to hear! Let’s talk about your stage names. What made you choose the stage names Astra, Mirage, and the others, and how do they relate to your individual personalities?

Jisoo~ Astra was the name of my toy lion when I was growing up. It sounded cute so I went with it.

Minseok~ Mirage was cool. I’m a genius for coming up with that

Jiho~ No he used a random name generator.

Interviewer~ [laughs] Kim Jisoo, you’re also involved in production. Can you share your creative process when working on music for Oneiria.

Jisoo~ I just come up with melodies and save them into my phone. When I feel like writing a song, I just choose one and expand it. I have over 40 tunes on my phone right now.  

Interviewer~ That’s amazing… Park Jiho, tell us about the training and hard work that goes into perfecting your dance moves.

Jiho~ My uncle was a dance teacher so he taught me everything I know. I’ve always loved dancing and hard work and dedication are what shaped me into the dancer I am today. There’s no easy way to do things. 

Interviewer~ Each of you has a unique role in the group. If you had to switch roles with another member for a day, who would it be, and why?

Jisoo~ Soyeon-noona. I want to take the weight of everything off her shoulders for once. She’s always so selfless but that’s also her flaw. I want her to know that her younger brothers are always here for her. [Park Jiho & Park Minseok nod in agreement and Soyeon smiles sadly.]

Interviewer~ Fans are often curious about your music tastes. Who’s your favourite K-pop group, and who's your bias there?

Soyeon~ My favourite K-pop group will probably be Seventeen. My bias there is… [Looks to their manager for permission] Dino-sunbaenim.

Interviewer~ Oh really? Dino, your senior in Pledis Entertainment?

Soyeon~ I admire his dancing abilities. Out of the members of Oneiria, I’m the worst dancer. 

Jiho~ She also likes his scenes in the ‘Rock with You’ MV. [Teasing]

Jisoo~ Woozi-hyung is also my idol.

Interviewer~ It’s great to hear that you’re fans of Seventeen and that you admire Dino’s dancing skills, Soyeon. You all seem to have a deep appreciation for their work. Speaking of, Soyeon, I can’t help but notice that you mentioned Dino’s scenes in music videos. Is there a particular reason those scenes stand out to you? Could there be more to this admiration than just dance skills?

Soyeon~ [Slightly flustered, with a warm smile] Oh, well, you know, it’s just... Dino-sunbaenim is incredibly talented, and I find his dancing and stage presence captivating. There’s no deeper meaning to it. [She laughs] We’re just colleagues in the same entertainment family, after all.

Interviewer~ Is that so? Well, how would you feel if I asked Dino about you in their upcoming interview?

Soyeon~ [laughs] We’re in the same company but I doubt he’d know who I am. We’re a group that’s just starting. I’d be surprised if he knew us. 

24 Mar 2022 - Seventeen’s follow-up interview

Interviewer~ Speaking of fans, Dino, do you know you’ve got one special fan in Oneiria? 

Dino~ I do?

Interviewer~ It’s none other than Soyeon, the leader of Oneiria, herself! Let’s watch this clip from our recent interview.

The other members begin to tease Dino. The clip plays.

Dino~ [Slightly flustered, smiles bashfully] Well, that’s unexpected, but it’s nice to hear such kind words. [Clears throat] Soyeon-hoobae, I appreciate your support, and I admire your work too. It’s all about artists encouraging each other, right?

Mingyu~  [Grinning mischievously] Oh, Dino, it seems you’ve got a fan in Oneiria!

Scoups~ [Teasing] Our Dino’s a heartthrob now! Who would’ve thought?

Wonwoo~ [Playfully] Dino, do you have any favourite moments from Oneiria's songs?

Dino~ [Still blushing] Uhm, well, I think “Serenades” is a great song. Their debut album was fantastic.

Hoshi~ [Smirking] You can’t forget that dance practice video they did. I saw you watching that, Dino-ya.

DK~ [Joining in] Yeah, Dino-ya, you were really into that video!

Dino~ [Flustered and chuckling] Hyung, it was just a good dance practice, that’s all!

Seungkwan~ [Teasing relentlessly] It sounds like someone’s got a new favourite group!

The8~ [Teasing] I think Dino is turning into a Star Sailor.

Jun~ [Chuckling] It’s always nice to know that fellow artists appreciate your work.

The8~ Dino, will you show off your dance moves to her?

Joshua~ [Laughs] I'm sure they’d love to see that!

Dino~ [Blushing deeper] Hyung! Let’s focus on the interview!

Jeonghan~ [Winks at Dino] Don't worry, Dino, we’ll make sure to let them know you’re a fan of Oneiria’s music.

Seungkwan~ [Teasing] We’re all watching for those future dance collaborations!

Dino~ Please stop…

tags! @fairyofhour @megseungmin @sun-daddy-yoriichi @woozixo @euphoric-univers @christinewithluv @haowonbins @ocyeanicc @asyre @cynthiaaax13 @superhoshisvt @bangantokchy @chimmy-bts @angelarin @daisawa @writingbarnes @jeonghansshitester

@belladaises @wonwootakemyheart @wonwooz1 @luchiet @kookssecret @caratsland @peachescreamandcrumble @thepoopdokyeomtouched @isabellah29 @leah-rose03 @yandere-stories @coupshour @heesbees @hamji-hae @hyuckxtagram

[miasiegert]

I have a question about Cats costumes! I've been wondering, what's up with the tails? They usually looks to be tied around the waist that really disrupts the fur patterns and doesn't look that good to me compared to if they were attached to the back. Is there a reason for that? I also know Misto changes his tail for his number to be able to dance. Is there other such costumes? It's all so interesting to me!

Excellent questions re:tails!

It's a mixture of aesthetic and safety with the tails (aesthetic is the way they match the warmers so there's cohesion and suspension of disbelief), and some for practicality as another safety in case the lycra tears so there's no fallen tail since there's a lot of weight to them, way more than one would think. Tails also throw the actors off-balance so they have to rehearse in tails right from the beginning for their safety! If attached directly to the back, the actors wouldn't be able to adjust them if there was a problem or center of gravity changes, which could be incredibly dangerous.

We have a tail loop on ours keeping it in place to not slide around and hold it up. The knot on the tail belt is a second safety to keep it up. If either break, the alternate keeps it there. Actors choose where to tie it, front, side, etc, usually female characters wear the belt higher, male characters lower.

For the change of tails, it's basically whether the costume changes. So Misto has a new tail, Hench Cats, Macavity, Jenny's Gumbie suit (some do NOT have tails for this but our design does), Bustopher (different design though). Mungo and Rumple use the same tails but have to move them around their song pieces (again for safety but same principle).

I will try to take pics later if I remember--tech is always chaotic so I forget a lot of things and I've got SO many shoes to paint since right after I finished, many other cast members decided they'd love their shoes to be painted as well (very respectfully asking if I was able to!)

Safety always is our number one priority when it comes to CATS, or anything. Accidents do happen, which are scary, so we take our job very seriously, and fortunately since David was a dancer and we're friends with so many dancers, we know what to look out for to maximize safety. We also consult with every single actor at their fittings and throughout the time we're with a production (if in person) or via email with their costume department (if we ship it out).

Most recently, I had to do a lot of study and work with an actor who has rhinestones on his shoes as he doesn't just dance but he tumbles too. I needed to film him with the blocking to see where the sparkles were/which rhinestones were visible, take a lot of photos, feel his feet/ankles while he wore them, then film basically on the stage/hands and knees, just his feet as he danced so I could review the footage and see if I missed anything. Although I wanted to do fully encrusted sparkly shoes for this performer and I think they dreamed of that, I determined it was not safe enough to that extent so I designed something with fewer crystals in what I believed was a more aesthetically pleasing, although sparser, pattern.

Hope this was helpful!!!

[hustledimension]

The Cast of The Road to El Dorado

From here

KEVIN KLINE (Tulio) has been honored for his work on the stage and the screen. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the comedy "A Fish Called Wanda." More recently, he was recognized with the IFP’s Gotham Award for "The Ice Storm," and a Golden Globe nomination for "In & Out." He had previously received Golden Globe nominations for his performances in "Dave," "Soapdish" and "Sophie’s Choice."

Kline is a two-time Tony Award winner for his work on Broadway in "The Pirates of Penzance" and Hal Prince’s production of "On the Twentieth Century." He also garnered Drama Desk Awards for both productions.

A graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama, Kline is a founding member of John Houseman’s The Acting Company, with which he made his Broadway debut in Chekov’s "The Three Sisters." His additional theatre credits include "Arms and the Man" and "Loose Ends," both at Circle in the Square; the title role in Chekov’s "Ivanov" at the Lincoln Center Theatre; the title role in the 1986 and 1990 productions of "Hamlet" at New York’s Public Theatre, the latter of which he also directed, both for the stage and again for PBS’ Great Performances series; and the New York Shakespeare Festival presentations of "Richard III," "Henry V," "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Measure For Measure."

Kline made an auspicious feature film debut in Alan Pakula’s "Sophie’s Choice," opposite Meryl Streep. He then joined the ensemble cast of "The Big Chill," which began his long association with writer/director Lawrence Kasdan. They have since collaborated on "Silverado," "I Love You to Death," "Grand Canyon" and "French Kiss." Kline’s other film credits include "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," "Wild Wild West," "Fierce Creatures," the voice of Captain Phoebus in the animated musical "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Looking for Richard," "Princess Caraboo," "Chaplin," "Cry Freedom" and the screen version of "The Pirates of Penzance."

KENNETH BRANAGH (Miguel) is an award-winning actor, director, writer and producer. He adapted, directed and starred in 1989’s "Henry V," which brought him dual Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Director and for which he won BAFTA and National Board of Review Awards for Best Director. He was more recently Oscar-nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 1996 release "Hamlet," which he also starred in and directed. Branagh also received a SAG Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Othello," and produced, adapted, directed and starred in "Much Ado About Nothing," which earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Feature. His upcoming film credits include a musical version of Shakespeare’s "Love’s Labour’s Lost," which he adapted, directed and stars in.

In addition, Branagh directed and starred in "Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein," which he also produced, "Peter’s Friends" and "Dead Again." His other credits as an actor include "Alien Love Triangle," "Wild Wild West," Robert Altman’s "The Gingerbread Man," Woody Allen’s "Celebrity," "The Theory of Flight," "Swing Kids," "A Month in the Country" and "High Season." He also narrated the Oscar-winning documentary "Anne Frank Remembered," and, in 1993, received an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short for "Swan Song." That same year, he was honored with the British Academy’s Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Branagh studied at England’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and made his professional stage debut in "Another Country." Joining the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was seen in such plays as "Love’s Labour’s Lost," "Hamlet" and "Henry V" before leaving to form his own successful theatre company. His other stage work includes sold-out productions of "Hamlet," "King Lear" and "A Midsummer Night’s Dream."

ROSIE PEREZ (Chel) received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for her work opposite Jeff Bridges in Peter Weir’s "Fearless." She was discovered by Spike Lee, who cast her in "Do The Right Thing," and she subsequently starred in such films as Ron Shelton’s "White Men Can’t Jump," Jim Jarmusch’s "Night on Earth," Tony Bill’s "Untamed Heart," Andrew Bergman’s "It Could Happen to You," Alexandre Rockwell’s "Somebody to Love," Seth Zvi Rosenfeld’s "A Brother’s Kiss" and Nancy Savoca’s "The 24 Hour Woman," which she also co-produced. She will next be seen starring opposite John Leguizamo in Seth Zvi Rosenfeld’s "King of the Jungle."

Perez began her career as a choreographer for such artists as Bobby Brown, LL Cool J and Diana Ross. She went on to choreograph and direct the Fly Girls on Fox TV’s "In Living Color."

She made her first foray into producing with "Rosie Perez Presents Society’s Ride," which ran as three parts on HBO. She conceived and executive produced "Subway Stories," an anthology of short films by prominent and new directors, which also aired on HBO. Most recently, Perez entered into a unique deal with Artists Television Group (ATG) to develop, star in and executive produce a television comedy series.

ARMAND ASSANTE (Tzekel-Kan) has most recently been recognized for his work in a number of acclaimed network and cable projects. He won an Emmy Award and garnered Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for his portrayal of John Gotti in the HBO movie "Gotti." He also earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Odysseus in the miniseries "The Odyssey," and both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his work in the miniseries "Jack the Ripper." Most recently, Assante starred as the Confederate commander of the first submarine in TNT’s true-life Civil War drama "The Hunley."

On the big screen, Assante received a Golden Globe nomination for his work in Sidney Lumet’s "Q&A," and won a Special Jury Prize at the USA Film Festival for his performance in the title role of "Belizaire, The Cajun." Among his additional film credits are "Striptease," "Judge Dredd," "Trial by Jury," "The Mambo Kings," "Hoffa," "1492: Conquest for Paradise," "The Marrying Man," "I, the Jury," "Little Darlings," "Private Benjamin" and "Paradise Alley."

A native New Yorker, Assante graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his professional acting debut on the stage in "Why I Went Crazy," under the direction of Joshua Logan. His subsequent stage credits include the Broadway productions of "Boccaccio," "Comedians," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Kingdoms."

EDWARD JAMES OLMOS (The Chief) has received honors for his work in films and on television. He garnered both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations and won an Independent Spirit Award for his portrayal of inspirational teacher Jaime Escalante in "Stand and Deliver." He more recently earned acclaim for his role in Gregory Nava’s biopic "Selena," in which he starred as the Tejano singer’s father. He had previously worked with Nava in the film "My Family/Mi Familia."

On the small screen, Olmos won a Golden Globe Award and earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in the HBO drama "A Burning Season." He had earlier collected his first Golden Globe for his starring role in the series "Miami Vice." This season, Olmos appears in the recurring role of Judge Mendoza on the new series hit "The West Wing." He has also starred in such longform projects as "Bonanno: A Godfather’s Story," "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three," "12 Angry Men," "Hollywood Confidential," "Dead Man’s Walk" and "Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills."

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Olmos first gained attention for his performance in the Broadway musical "Zoot Suit," for which he received a Tony Award nomination. He later recreated his role in the film adaptation. His film credits also include "Wolfen," "Blade Runner," and five films for director Robert M. Young: "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez," "Saving Grace," "Triumph of the Spirit," "Talent for the Game" and "Caught."

In 1992, Olmos made his feature film directorial debut with "American Me," in which he also starred. He also executive produced the award-winning documentary "Lives in Hazard," which addressed gang prevention.

[foodfightnovelization]

Hey there! I found your blog last Wednesday, and I gotta say, it's about time someone showed this misbegotten movie some love! I've also been reading Ziggy Cashmere's ebook Drawing For Nothing, which includes all sorts of old material from the film - and even directs you to an early draft of the script! Awesome-sauce! Aside from that, I want to know your thoughts on the proposed franchise Larry wanted to make out of the movie, including sequels, video games, books, live stage performances, etc.?

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying my blog, and yes, Drawing For Nothing is fantastic isn't it? There's a lot more where that came from too, with Ziggy currently working on a documentary called "ROTTEN: Behind The Foodfight" (see my last post for more info on that). It should be coming out very soon, so stay tuned for that! I was fortunate enough to be involved in it, even making a small cameo at one point, and I can't wait for everyone to see the plethora of incredible behind-the-scenes material he's uncovered.

And yes, I read that early draft of the Foodfight! script a while ago and I'll talk about it some more once the documentary is out It's a draft from April 2005 and is VERY similar to the novelization, but there are still a bunch of interesting differences worth discussing. For one, the script includes all the real-world mascot cameos intended to be in the movie (such as M&Ms, Pringles, Oscar Mayer etc.) which were excluded from the novelization presumably due to brand deals not extending to merchandising. This actually leads to some surprising changes in the plot and dialogue, some of which I find incredibly funny, so there'll be a whole lot to talk about!

Anyway, as for my thoughts on the proposed franchise? I think it could've worked, I really do. Not to the extent Larry Kasanoff dreamed of- I don't think there was anyway the proposed "Foodfight! On Ice" show was ever going to happen (there's no way the Brand X soldiers could goosestep in iceskates, come on now). I think that's dreaming too big too soon, the "Disney On Ice" shows didn't happen until Disney had already been making movies for decades. That said, I do think if the production of Foodfight! hadn't been so horribly mismanaged and had come out when it was intended to it would've been somewhat of a hit, and to that end some of the merchandising ideas were really smart. Stuff like the tie-in videogame, children's books, and videogames were just what a lot of movies had back then- this was 2006, every movie had a sidescroller on the GBA and a 3D platformer on the PS2. From what little we've seen of the game it's impossible to know how good it would've been, but those kind of movie tie-ins are usually pretty harmless.

As for the other merchandise, a lot of it WAS released...and I think it's pretty great for what it is! If all of the books, toys etc. had just released alongside the movie as intended, then they'd just seem like exactly what they are - merchandise made to promote a recently released children's film, and there'd be nothing much to discuss about them. They're all only so fascinating because the movie itself came out so badly, and so the merchandise provides a glimpse at what might've been had things gone better. That said, I still desperately want to make a post talking about the Deluxe Sound Storybook at some point, and hopefully I'll get the chance soon.

I don't think Foodfight! ever would've been popular enough to warrant a sequel- I think it would've been like Hoodwinked where some people look back on it fondly but it's largely been forgotten over the years, and I don't think Threshold (the studio who animated Foodfight!) would have ever been the "next Pixar" like Larry Kasanoff thought they'd be either. But maybe in another world, where the production of Foodfight! went as smooth as butter, for a time there'd have been a real Cinnamon Sleuth Cereal with a free Dex Dogtective toy inside. Ten years later someone would make a post on Reddit saying "Hey! Anyone else remember Cinnamon Sleuth?" and a series of pointless arguments about the movie's blatant commercialism would fire up in the comments. And that wouldn't be such a bad legacy to have, right...?

[fanfaire]

　　 ——— ARIA OF ABLUTION ! ———

　　　　　　❝　FAREWELL, happy dreams of the past 　　　　　　the rosiness in my cheeks has already gone pale 　　　　　　the joys, the sorrows soon will end, 　　　　　　the tomb confines all mortals! 　　　　　　do not cry or place flowers at my grave, 　　　　　　do not place a cross with my name to cover these bones! 　　　　　　ah, the misguided desire to smile; 　　　　　　god pardon and accept me.

　　　　　　　　　　　 ♕

lights, camera, curtain! furina has arrived at the liyue harbor lantern festival.

please read below for more information on the details of her being here; i've taken some creative liberty to work her into the occasion as more than just her attending a festival out of curiosity, to provide more potential avenues for interaction!

ENTRER EN SCENE : furina de fontaine.

— it wouldn't be furina if we didn't start with the look. due to her reason for being here, she had a custom tailor, working together with liyuean fashion consultants, put together an attire in which she'll be seen in all public capacities at lantern rite. it's a marriage between liyuean and fontainean designs, and, as furina has heard that it is considered the year of the dragon, has many dragon patterns and motifs inked and embroidered throughout. she also has her hair done up ( its in its long pneuma look ) in a french bun with a few curled loose locks in front, and a gold hairpiece also in the shape of a dragon

— speaking of the reason she's here: furina is preparing for a new production that's made its way through fontaine's social buzz. it's a well-known liyuean opera that's reached international popularity due to a recent manhwa adaptation that took bookstores across teyvat by storm, titled grove of wild boars. fontaine is putting together their own stage adaptation, and furina is serving as a consultant to the director, who, while talented, is still young and inexperienced with the industry. she's here with most of the production crew mostly on research, and the timing just happened to line up with lantern rite. so why not enjoy both!

— though furina will also be busy with production research, she enjoys social and lively atmospheres, and will rarely say no to being approached or introduced to a new experience. she'll most likely be found: around the opera houses and venues; around the nearby areas both urban and wilderness with the production crew; any stand selling sweets; ( occasionally ) squirreled away somewhere quiet and remote to have a moment to decompress

inbox :　open for interactions! dont gotta ask just yeet em in i want to emphasize i'm going to be doing all event interactions as minis with a 250 wc challenge to keep things manageable for myself below are also some specific plot ideas i'm tossing out if you'd like to do something more unique and plotted! please leave a comment with the symbol if you're interested in grabbing a specific plot and i'll get back to you ( it also helps if you leave ur discord if ur comfortable. if not, i'll tumblr dm you )

🍨 after sampling xinyue kiosk's dessert stand, she has to experience the full dining experience at the restaurant herself, especially after learning about its gourmet, luxury service and ambiance! but for a once-archon, for whom attending lavish banquets was once bread and butter, furina finds herself . . . unable to justify the cost of it now, even without chevalmarin's scolding. but she looks so forlorn out there, eyeing the menu. won't you take pity on her?

🐦‍ plenty in the team had told léandre it wouldn't be a good idea to bring his umbrella finches on the trip, but the director-slash-bird-enthusiast simply couldn't bear the thought of leaving his beloved pets behind. and in an unexpected accident, the completely-expected happened — startled by the wild popping of liyue's firecrackers, the birds escaped their cage! all five of them. and you, for one reason or another, have been pulled into helping retrieve them.

💎 while on a walk on some quieter rural roads outside the city, the jade pendant furina had bought earlier in the day suddenly shatters around her wrist. isn't it supposed to be indestructible? —what furina doesn't realize is that jade is meant to ward away evil. only, the evil now fast approaching was far too strong for one measly jade piece to handle.

🕯️ the adepti are such a core part of liyue's cultural shaping and belief system that furina felt the need to visit one of the shrines and pay her respects. only, she can't help but feel that something doesn't sit right about a fake ex-archon offering prayers to a divine being. you catch her in such a rare state of conflict and hesitation, otherwise alone. ( a ruminative, melancholy angled prompt )

🎭 the production crew has secured vip seating for a showing of auspicious dragon and phoenix, performed by the celebrated yun-han opera troupe at heyu tea house: a hard to come by opportunity particularly during lantern rite season when just viewing the traditional masterpiece is said to bring good fortune. only one snag: they need just one more member in their party to qualify for large group price discounts, which they could sorely use given their allotted funds. who'd pass up the chance, right? come attend an opera with furina!

[flyingwargle]

mid-year reflection

now that we're more than halfway through the year, just wanted to make a small post about how things have been and will go for the rest of the year (since tumblr is a blog site-ish and i can write blog-ish posts haha)

burnout is real, let me tell you. after the genshin content creator program died back in february, i, along with many other creators, stopped creating regularly. the monthly rewards were a great incentive and the amount received was generous (it was more than one 10-pull, and that's all i can say). i also got tired of genshin but still play regularly out of habit, but when it comes to writing new content or posting a new fic every month, i haven't been able to keep up.

another factor that comes into play is zine participation. i was accepted into seven different zines in the first half of the year and writing for all of them took a lot of time and energy. i decided to retire from zines because i'd rather work on my own writing. all of the zines are at varying stages of creation, preorders, or production, and so far, only one (ad oblivione) has reached me physically.

something else is also my participation in my writing program. it's broadened my perspectives and allowed me to play with different genres and forms that would not be popular in fanfiction, and i'd rather devote more time toward my dream of publication than write fanfic. this is why i've posted more drabbles lately - small, bite-sized ideas that are quick to write. since we have the summer off, i hope to finish off 1 or 2 drafts sitting in my files to post, but it won't be until after the program is finished, along with my zine deadlines, that i can focus on my own writing again.

finally, it's my declining interest in pairings, xiaobedo especially. there was petty drama in the community, which led me to block a bunch of people and mute others. i still love their aesthetic and truly appreciate their parallels (i bought matching prints of them at a convention recently!) but when it comes to writing new content, i don't feel the spark anymore. the ao3 tag was also filled with explicit fics at a time so i stopped checking it regularly. i have an idea for them that i plan to be my last piece of xiaobedo content. it was going to be a fic with art, as part of the rarepair big bang, but my artist partner dropped out and i followed suit. i'll keep the outline, just in case.

come september, i'm starting my librarian program. it's a two-year intensive program so i'll be back to part-time work and full-time school. i'm not sure how much time i'll have to write, but i hope i'll be able to do so during my commutes, mostly drabbles. i'm excited to learn more about lyney, lynette, and freminet and continue writing wanderer and scarameow. i also hope to write more star rail in the future, too. maybe some pokemon, since i was accepted into two pokemon zines.

overall, i've been pulled in many different directions when it comes to my writing and ideas, which often leads me to do write nothing. i haven't had a proper writing break since 2020 after finishing my novel, where i forced myself to not write and do something else (i.e. watch anime and play octopath during the pandemic). maybe i'll do that once my program is over. we'll have to see what the rest of the year will bring <3

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday Scottish actor Jimmy Yuill, born March 6th 1956 in Golspie, Sutherland.

Yuill is another of those Scottish actors that has been in an abundance of shows, and will be known, but not as a household name.Fans of the Crime drama series Wycliffe will know him best as DI Doug Kersey, in almost every episode, I will come back to that later.

Known mainly as an actor on the stage Jimmy began in 1976 in The Jesuit at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. After, as he put it “some joyous years” working on new plays and classics countrywide he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1983, as Snug in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ended his time there, in 1987, as Young Wackford Squeers in Nicholas Nickleby on Broadway.

In 1988 he joined Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company for Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Hamlet directed by Judi Dench, Geraldine McEwan and Derek Jacobi, respectively. Also for RTC, Sicinius (Coriolanus); Telygin (Uncle Vanya) and Kent in Richard Brier’s ‘King Lear’.

Other roles include Toby Belch in Twelfth Night and as Henry IV parts1&2 at the Bristol Old Vic; In 2013 Jimmy played Banquo in ‘Macbeth’ at the Manchester International Festival and the following year at the Park Avenue Armory, New York. Most recently Jimmy played the Old Shepherd in The Winters Tale at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End – both productions directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh.

Jimmy Yuill, while always being busy treading the boards, has also found plenty time to appear in many TV shows, they include, in the 70’s The Mackinnons, The Omega Factor and the TV film A Sense of Freedom. in the 1980’s Eurocops and Boon and the 90’s mainly in Hamish Macbeth as Lachlan McCrae and the aforementioned Wycliffe. Into the new millennium he is a s busy as ever in the mini-series Monsignor Renard, A Touch of Frost and a recurring role in 14 episodes of Eastenders as Victor Brown an old frien of Ian Beales. Jimmy also appeared in several episodes of The Bill as D.S. Cottrell.

Yuill has had a longstanding friendship with Kenneth Branagh and has appeared in some of the Irish actor/directors films, including, Much Ado About Nothing, Frankenstien and As You Like It.

I said I would return to Wycliffe, where Jimmy starred in all but two episodes. The series was cancelled after that because Jack Shepherd, who played Wycliffe, refused to continue in the title role when the producers had sacked Yuill “for insurance reasons” after he contracted life-threatening meningitis during filming, and then would not reinstate him even though he made a full recovery. He says he owes his life to Shepherd with whom he was sharing a house while on location, and who rushed him to hospital in the middle of the night. Shepherd and the rest of the cast and crew felt so betrayed that they decided not to make any more episodes once filming of the current series had finished.

Along with Richard Briers he is one of only two actors other than Branagh himself, to appear in all five Shakespearean films that Branagh has directed: Yuill has worked as a performance consultant on a number of productions, and also as a producer.

More recently Jimmy has been in the movies Artemis Fowl , Kindred and my pick The Road Dance, which is set in The Outer Hebrides just before World War One. He also popped up in the Scottish dark comedy series Guilt, There are no pdates on his work in the past three years

[eurovision-revisited]

1996 Oslo - Number 6 - Gina G - "Ooh...Aah...Just A Little Bit"

Gina G is not number 1. The singer and song that perhaps best represent the change that is coming to Eurovision, and where the EBU were hoping to take it, fails to take the prize. Both in Eurovision and in my own ranking. Where did it all go wrong?

The UK's selection competition has been renamed The Great British Song Contest for this year and they also introduced a semi-final to winnow eight songs down to four. Whether that was necessary or not is a decision the producers can look back on and ponder. At least we got to see all eight on screen, as the semi-final was a special episode of Top of the Pops, with the final being the more traditional special.

It didn't really matter anyway because Gina G won easily. The single was released in the UK on the 6th April. It immediately went to number 6 and was in the top 10 for ten consecutive weeks, peaking at number 1 the week after the Eurovision final. It's the last UK entry to go to number 1 in the UK charts. It also was a hit in Gina G's native Australia and even got to number 12 on the US Billboard charts. Given the poor sales that recent Eurovision entries had been having, this is everything Eurovision organisers could possibly dream of.

Yet, even though it finished third in the audio-qualifier, it slipped to eighth. Whether that was because it was in the death slot, or because Gina's vocal were a little off in a couple of places, or because NRK decided that what this day-glo, multicoloured dance spectacular needed was a black-and-white filter, we'll never know. But of course it's still a Eurovision classic.

I don't really need to describe Ooh Aah...Just a Little Bit do I? It's high BPM EDM, synth-heavy, and is possibly the first song in Eurovision history to feature two actual computers on stage given the rule that all instruments involved in the production of the song needed to be present on stage. It's outstandingly contemporary and commercial, sticking out like a sore thumb among the rest of the Eurovision fare, perhaps because the only similar song failed to make it through the audio-qualifier for reasons. The UK has had a track record of trying to push Eurovision's boundaries for a few year up to this point and here they finally succeeded. As it's also from the UK it has the most sexual lyrics that were acceptable, but at least, in this case, the entendre is singular rather than double.

Gina herself was an Aussie DJ, who sang on dance tracks. On moving to the UK she was immediately swept up in the Eurovision swirl, and was on stage in Oslo within a year. After this, she had a succession of UK hit singles and an album. Then she was hit by the music industry bludgeon. Contract wrangles and disputes meant her second album was held back, and she effectively disappeared from the music scene. Way to treat your stars record labels. She did attempt a comeback in the mid 2000s, including another attempt to qualify as the UK Eurovision entry in 2005, but by then it was too late. At least she's always going to be a Eurovision icon thanks to this three minutes.

[fayewonglibrary]

It Was "Not Easy" To Do Make-Up For Faye Wong (2023)

Jiamun Koh Celebrated Hong Kong-based Singaporean make-up artist Zing, who's known for creating unforgettable looks for Faye Wong, Sammi Cheng and Shu Qi, has all the tea to spill about these stars and who they are beneath all that foundation and blush.

In a recent interview with Chinese Youtuber AHA LOLO, Zing recalled how he first got into the beauty industry when he was just 19.

Zing would approach pretty girls at night clubs, asking if they were models and if they could let him do their make-up. He then worked for a Singaporean magazine before moving to Hong Kong in 1992 to chase his dreams.

Zing said he really wanted to be Sandy Lam's make-up artist at that time and his wish came true on his second visit to Hong Kong.

"It was for her concert, though honestly, I didn't do her make-up. All she asked me to do was her foundation and eyebrows, every thing else was done by her and she did such a great job. I picked up a lot of techniques watching her do her own make-up. It was magnificent," he said.

In 1993, Zing became Faye's make-up artist and he created some of her most iconic looks, including the 'sunburnt' look.

He was surprised by how well-received it was at that time as he thought it was just so-so.

He admitted that Faye was quite a challenge to do make-up for. "Beautiful people are not necessarily easy to paint," he said, adding that he had quite a hard time working with her in the early stages.

"It wasn't very successful. At that time I was too obsessed with my techniques and the idea of a "standard" kind of beauty. I was too hung up on doing things as a make-up artist instead of doing them as a person," he professed.

It turned out so bad that Faye said she would "never use [him as a make-up artist] again".

"In the end she still hired me again, right?," he laughed, adding that he and Faye slowly learnt how to work together after that incident.

AHA LOLO couldn't resist getting Zing to spill some tea, like, say, who looks the most different without make-up?

While he initially didn't want to reply the question, Zing eventually said: "Sammi Cheng looks very different. Carina Lau as well."

But no, he wasn't being mean.

"I never met Carina Lau in person before and only saw her with full make-up on in magazines and movies. People said she's gorgeous. I thought she was okay, until I did her make-up for the first time. She came barefaced. Wow, I got a shock. She was so beautiful. I needed to make sure my make-up could enhance her beauty," he said.

Zing said many female stars actually look better without make-up. What he does is to make sure they look better on camera.

Zing eventually became so influential, he even got to dictate whether Heavenly King Leon Lai, who was introduced to him by Faye, should or should not wear make-up for a performance.

Recalling how he told Leon that he had really good skin, and needed no make-up that day, Zing said: "I told him: "You need to trust my judgement, not the products I use. You hired me, not a bunch of cosmetics. Now it's up to me to decide if you need to wear make-up, or how much to use if necessary"."

And he would still get paid even if he decided that Leon didn't need make-up, by the way.

"Of course, the money is for my judgement, that's the real purpose of a make-up artist," he asserted.

Zing also lamented how many celebrities are looking increasingly similar to one another.

He thinks it all started with Fan Bingbing and how great she looks with bright and garish make-up.

"What I mind is everyone trying to look like her, so much so that at some point everyone looked the same. I don't think that was necessary."

He continued: "There was once I saw two huge signboards and two magazine covers. I saw Fan Bingbing and thought she was really gorgeous. Then I saw Angelababy and thought she was so pretty. In the end I realised both were actually Angelababy, she really didn't have to [follow Fan Bingbing]."

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SOURCE: 8DAYS