#i say this being the erik's biggest fan and lover

[luneemeritus]

I see your "Christine was right choosing Raoul because Erik was bad" and I give you "They were both bad and the fact that Raoul is a rich Viscount with a good reputation within his family and society makes it worse for Christine to stand up for herself. She should have stayed single and should continue her career by her own".

[mutxnts]

ok so we know each other from xmen but you’re obvs a huge ace attorney fan so I’m just curious, is there any characters or ships in ace attorney that are similar to Charles and Erik? I don’t know too much about aa so anything’s new info to me lol

OKAY SO: i would say the closest characters to charles and erik are also the main characters from aa, phoenix wright and miles edgeworth! like erik, miles is kind of an asshole, but he's a likeable asshole who does have his moments, like doing the right thing in the end. his big source of trauma also happened to him when he was a kid, which strongly influenced his character and who he is as an adult.

phoenix is a little bit harder to compare to charles since there's a lot less direct links. but i think because he's a defense attorney, he really likes to see the good in people and blindly put his trust in them (which sometimes leads to good things and sometimes to leads to bad things). i think that's also a really big characteristic of charles as well bc he's so willing to work alongside humans to figure out a way for mutants and humans to coexist! he sees all the potential humanity has and chooses to focus on that, even after all that he's seen or heard with his powers. it's kind of the same with phoenix, he's Seen Some Shit but still chooses to keep believing in people no matter what. also you know how in dofp charles goes through a really rough depressed patch of his life? phoenix goes through something similar as well in one of the later games, which is where my pfp comes from!

the ship for these two characters is the biggest in the fandom and have like a million ship dynamics like cherik does (friends to rivals to sorta friends again to case partners to friends to lovers etc etc) bc they've been friends since they were kids! you know how charles saved erik by pulling him from the water? well miles did something similar to that but is a lot less dramatic than erik drowning lmao. basically, when they were in like 4th or 5th grade, phoenix got accused of stealing lunch money from miles, and all of his classmates believed that and started hating him. miles demanded that they hold a trial in class so he could clear phoenix's name and prove he was innocent. they became best friends after that until the previously mentioned trauma happens to miles, and he's forced to move away. which i feel like i need to mention he moves away to germany and like erik is german lol so that's just another similarity

they also have some incredibly Gay Ass Moments that can't be explained as anything else but them being in love with each other, but that would make this post like 20x longer than it already is so i won't get into it lol

anyway thank you vivi for sending me this, this was really fun to think about since i haven't thought about xmen meta for a hot a sec!! i definitely recommend these games if you ever feel like giving them a chance <3

[earnestly-endlessly]

Do you mind doing a list of your favourite modern AUs? A mix is powered and non-powered fics is okay :) TY!

I'm so sorry how late I am with this, but here’s my looooong list of my favourite modern AUs. I hope that you like this list and can find some fics in there that you haven’t read before. Enjoy!

*******

Cherik Modern AU Fic Recs 

Sprich Mit Mir | Talk To Me – dreamweavers

Summary: When Charles meets Erik on a midnight train to London, it’s like all of his Christmases and birthdays have come at once – until Erik opens his mouth, and reveals he cannot speak a word of English.

It isn’t easy to pursue a relationship with someone you need to play Pictionary with just to chat to, but with a little help from Charles’ telepathy, the two language-barrier lovers are determined to make it work.

Come as you are – scarlettblush

Summary: Hospital AU. The one where Charles unknowingly woos a coma patient with Pride and Prejudice. Years later, they meet again.

The Man on the Train – Sophia_Bee

Summary: Charles is heading home from a shift at the busy emergency department of the urban hospital where he works as a nurse. He meets Dr. Erik Lehnsherr on the train, who is clearly interested in Charles, but Charles has a rule. He does not date doctors. Not at all. Never, ever ever. But he does shake his ass at Erik, which might be his downfall.

Eyes on Fire – Black_Betty

Summary: Every once in a while, fashion tycoon Emma Frost invites her favourite male models over to entertain her. And by "entertain", I mean she makes them have kinky consensual sex in front of her....Emma never touches herself when she watches, but she always has a glass of wine with her. Emma likes it best when they eventually forget that she's watching.

Charles and Erik meet each other through Emma...

(I've taken some liberties with the prompt, but all the sex is still there, and it's wholly consensual...and gradually, becomes more than just sex...)

Paper Monsters – Clocks

Summary: Fill for this prompt: Charles meets Erik Lehnsherr, his favorite novelist of all time at a coffee shop, but doesn't know it's him, and Erik just criticizes his own writing in front of his biggest fan.

Order Up - ikeracity

Summary: Charles has a terrible habit of multitasking, and that is probably why he absentmindedly tells the pizza man that he loves him when hanging up. Then the pizza man says it back. And Charles is pretty much smitten from there.

Some Things Are Meant To Be – Ikeracity

Summary: Erik is a famous singer. Charles is a closeted fan. When Raven drags him to Erik's concert, the last thing Charles expects is for Erik to single him out of the crowd, for Erik to look right at him as he sings. And the last, last thing he expects is for Erik to personally serenade him and pull him on stage and kiss him senseless, because some things are meant to be and Erik knows it.

Rumor Mill – Ikeracity

Summary: Erik is the grumpiest, most foul tempered worker at Stark industries. His grumpiness is the stuff of legends. So it's obviously the talk of the office when Erik is being made to go to the company party and he's bringing his husband. There's rumors flying round about how much of a masochist or equally antisocial bastard Erik's husband must be to put up with him. Others think he must be a meek mouse perhaps bullied by Erik.

What they weren't expecting was the confident, charming, adorable and unbelievably nice Charles that turns up on Erik's arm. What they certainly weren't expecting was how much Erik obviously adores his husband and how happy he is to let others see this.

Serendipity – humanveil

Summary: Charles sends a text to the wrong number.

[10:22 AM]

Can we meet for coffee? I just got dumped.

[10:30 AM]

I think you've got the wrong number.

[10:31 AM]

Unless you make a habit of texting people you don't know about this sort of thing?

A Nice Boy (The Family Matters Edition) – pocky_slash

Summary: Erik's not sure whether the problem is that he doesn't want his parents to meet Charles or that he doesn't want Charles to meet his parents. Either way, he never invites Charles to brunch. Why should he? It's not like they're dating.

Frosted Hearts – aesc, palalife

Summary: Emma Frost has 99 problems, but a date ain't one. Specifically, she has no time to play the dating game--which is fine with her, because she'd much rather run it instead. From a set of sleek, silver and white offices on Fifth Avenue and with her trusty, stylish, and silent partner Janos Quested, Emma has built Frosted Hearts into New York City's premiere dating service, built on the principle that money, and a sufficiently rigorous psionic scan, can, in fact, buy you love.

Somewhere in Frosted Hearts's server is one Charles Xavier, genius and geneticist, with the kind of nicely-starched good looks that sell well on brochures for New England prep schools. He's also a telepath who's decided to give up pursuing serious relationships and instead spend his thirties doing what he should have done as a teenager: have a lot of sex with random people. Fortunately for him, Erik Lehnsherr, metallokinetic and engineering executive, has absolutely no time in his heart or his schedule for anything more serious than... well, absolutely nothing romantic at all.

Work/Life Balance – pocky_slash

Summary: As teens, Charles was the star of a super popular tween/teen television show and Erik was his best friend. As adults, they're a frighteningly domestic married couple and Alex, Darwin, and Sean are Erik's nosy co-workers.

Impulse Decisions – listerinezero

Summary: Erik wakes up in Las Vegas with a hell of a hangover, a telepath in his bed, and a ring on his finger. Now what?

Fools Rush In – LoveSupreme

Summary: Erik owns a cafe on the edge of campus and accidentally starts maybe-stalking a Biology Professor there.

The Proper Care of Actors – afrocurl, Clear_Liqueur, Clocks, Etherei

Summary: Erik is an A-list action star who is notoriously difficult to work with, until the day he gets cast alongside Charles Xavier, rom-com darling who can charm the pants off movie audiences the world over and apparently even one Erik Lehnsherr. The paparazzi catch them out and about soon enough, and their real-life Hollywood movie romance becomes instant tabloid fodder.

In the Bleak Midwinter – keire_ke

Summary: It is not easy to find out, well into the second decade of the twenty-first century, that your mother arranged a marriage for you. It is even less easy to convince her that you have no interest in the very fertile Magda, she of the wide hips and lustrous auburn hair. Fortunately, with a good friend at his side over the holiday weekend, Erik is sure he will prevail.

Curve Fitting – kianspo

Summary: The weird thing is, Charles always introduces Raven as his sister, but he never calls Erik his brother. Erik would be bothered, except he prefers not to think of Charles as his brother, either. He can’t figure it out for four years, and then suddenly he can.

Or. A non-powered AU in which Sharon Xavier never remarries, and Charles 'adopts' not only Raven, but Erik too.

Right Person, Wrong Time – PoppyX

Summary: "TL;DR Charles is an insecure high school student who loses his virginity to the right person at the wrong time, and Erik makes it up to him in a romantic manner."

Favorite Mistake by endingthemes

Summary: Charles Xavier doesn’t think anything of it when he sneaks out without even saying goodbye to his latest one-night stand. What he doesn’t expect is to walk into his new position in the Xavier Industries marketing department and find that his latest hook-up is now his new boss.

I ♥ NY (It’s My Friends I’m Not Sure Of) by oddegg

Summary: For a 1stclass-kink meme promp: Erik is a single, successful man who likes quick sex with no strings attached. Then, he meets college professor Charles and it's love at first sight, at least for him. Charles, who heard of Erik's notorious ways, wants nothing to do with him besides being friends. Cue Erik bending over backwards to steal Charles' heart.

From Westminster With Love - thehoyden

Summary: NATO intelligence says there’s an omega-class telepath who sleeps under Westminster. Major Erik Lehnsherr is about to find out the truth for himself.

Accidentally Welcome to the Rest of Your Lives by kianspo

Summary: Non-powered college AU. Erik and Charles have nothing in common until they end up having sex at someone's party. They don't have much in common after that, either, but find each other a hard habit to quit.

irreconcilable differences (make for surprisingly good bedfellows) – pocky_slash

Summary: Tonight on The Evening Report with Malcolm Stevens, noted geneticist and mutant equality proponent Dr. Charles Xavier faces off with the infamous mutant rights activist Magneto in a live televised debate over the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act.

(At least, if they can stop flirting long enough to stay on topic.)

Mutually Beneficial Transaction – Pookaseraph

Summary: In his sophomore year at Columbia University, Erik, feeling slowly strangled by his mounting college debt, places an add on a sugar daddies website. He doesn't know exactly what to expect from it, but when he's contacted by a man named Charles who seems less creepy than the other people who have responded to his profile, he decides to give it a shot. Charles is nothing like what he expected, and Erik finds himself slowly falling in love with his sugar daddy while trying to find out exactly what caused this amazing guy to buy his emotional and sexual intimacy when he clearly deserves so much more than that.

Made To Be Broken - Yahtzee

Summary: Charles makes a New Year's Resolution: “No more straight men,” Charles repeated as he began scrolling through the apartment directory for Emma’s name. “No more futility. No more pointless hoping and heartbreak. In 2013, I never want to hear the words ‘exception,’ ‘experimenting’ or ‘phase.’ If, God forbid, I hear ‘bicurious’ even once, I may take a hostage.”

Then he goes into the party, and Erik is there.

Anarchy In The U.K. – Yahtzee

Summary: "Good God, Erik thought. The Prince of Wales is gay."

Charles lives in the unceasing glare of the public spotlight, yet keeps his sexual orientation a closely held secret, afraid he could lose his throne and force his deeply troubled younger sister into a role that would crush her. Erik, journalist and world traveler, has been a loner most of his life; he has little patience for closet cases. But a chance meeting in Kenya brings these two opposites together and sets in motion a love affair that will challenge the British monarchy -- and their most deeply held beliefs about who they are, and who they should be.

An Ideal Grace – afrocurl

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a visiting professor at Columbia University, as well as an acclaimed and award winning poet. Charles Xavier is a lead researcher with the Genetics Department who is well on his way to tenure. But what happens when Charles has to cancel a class because half his students abandon him in favour of a mysterious new English Lit professor? Naturally he ends up sitting in in the class, where Professor Lehnsherr mistakes him for a student. It's really too bad Erik has such a strict policy against dating students. It's also too bad Erik doesn't seem to know how to use Google.

An absence which could not be more there – aesc

Summary: He prepared to shift another half-step over to the Current Events section (which would, of course, enrage him) when the teaser positioned by the model's left elbow caught his eye: DATING WHILE TELEPATHIC: WHY I DON'T DO IT.

rooms/shares – pocky_slash

Summary: Erik is single, working a cube job he hates, letting his master's degree in mutant studies collect dust, and living on his best friend's couch. When she kicks him out, he's forced to trawl Craigslist for the least-offensive rooming option within his meagre budget. He never expects a response from the persnickety, high maintenance ad he replies to as a joke, but it's possible this too-nice apartment and mysteriously absent roommate might be the answer to all four of his problems.

Heli Cases –Black_Betty

Summary: "Heli Cases" is a program on PBS whose aim is to educate on the rapidly increasing occurrence of genetic mutation in the general populous by breaking the complex science down into palatable, easy to digest pieces.

It is also the only thing that helps Erik get his fussy daughter to fall asleep.

(Featuring Dadneto, baby Lorna and the struggles of single fatherhood, and Charles as the host of a late night show about genetics.)

Simple and Uncomplicated – Pookaseraph

Summary: Erik and Charles had been fuck buddies for some, but when Charles is in an accident he figured their relationship would be over. Erik's visit to his bedside in the hospital changes his assumptions even as he has trouble believing Erik is sincere.

Guilty by Association – Regann

Summary: While investigating the homicide of a John Doe who he suspects might've been murdered while working the streets as a prostitute, Detective Erik Lehnsherr finds an unexpected ally in a hooker named Charles who seems as determined as he to solve the case. As they become more deeply involved both with the case and each other, there's just one thing that Charles neglects to mention -- that he's really an investigative journalist, one quickly convinced that what they're dealing with is more than simple murder. cop!Erik, fake-hooker-slash-reporter!Charles, Modern AU.

This Is Not Comedy – baehj2915

Summary: Written for amarriageoftrueminds' prompt for a Cherik version of Louis CK's tangent about the fuckability of Ewan McGregor.

Naturally the similarities end there. I made this about Erik's full on public lust-filled gay revelation, and the chaos that spirals from there.

Politico – cygnaut

Summary: Modern Genosha Politics AU. In which Erik is l'enfant terrible of the mutant National Assembly, and his staff just wants to get him laid.

Conspiracy of Kisses –  Alaceron

Summary: Seven-year-old Erik needs to keep his telepathic best friend Charles from finding out that he wants to kiss him. But that's okay, because he has a plan - he'll put on a tinfoil hat.

The Pretender – Clocks

Summary: Charles is sick of having his best friend Erik drop to one knee and fake-propose to him in restaurants, just to score a free dessert. He doesn’t know which is worse: the complete embarrassment, or the likelihood that Erik doesn’t mean a word of it.

Bound – FuryRed

Summary: Is there anything worse than someone else’s wedding? Well, perhaps your sister’s wedding- where the groom just has to invite his boss and that man just happens to be your ex-boyfriend; a person you had an extremely passionate and tumultuous relationship with that ended badly.

Charles hadn’t seen Erik for a year by the time Raven had told him about the wedding. He wasn’t looking forward to the occasion, particularly when Raven explained that they would be celebrating the event with a two-week extravaganza at a luxury hotel, meaning that Charles would be forced to spend a whole fortnight with the man who he’d given everything to; the man who had ultimately broken his heart…

Lonesome On the Shelf – ikeracity

Summary: After three years of marriage, Charles has to admit that his relationship with Erik has significantly cooled off. These days, they're barely ever home at the same time and it seems like every conversation they have turns into an argument. Charles misses the way they used to be, misses the spontaneous dinner parties and the surprise morning sex and the wake up calls in the early mornings to catch the sunrise. But it's going to take two of them to fix this marriage, and some days, it seems as if all Erik wants is to be rid of him.

A fic about rekindling marriage.

Math Reasons – pearl_o, pocky_slash

Summary: "Mom says Erik always knows what he wants, it just sometimes takes him a little while to actually realize it," Ruth said.

Charles fell in love with Erik the first night they met, the first week of freshman year. Two years of friendship, adventures, arguments, hijinks, secrets, and summer visits later, Erik is starting to catch up.

Melted Ice Cream and Macaroni Art – pocky_slash

Summary: Everybody likes Charles. Nobody likes Erik. And that's really the source of Erik's doubts. Also, there's ice cream and a baby.

Watch Your Back – swoopswoop

Summary: Bodyguard AU where Erik is overly protective and things aren't as simple as they seem.

Dress Your Family in Plaid and Skinny Jeans – cygnaut

Summary: Erik and Charles meet at the mutant playgroup/parenting support circle and they instantly hit it off. And so do their kids, Lorna and David.

Continue firm and constant – aesc

Summary: Moira hasn't seen her old partner in saving the world from threats human and intergalactic, Erik Lehnsherr, for a few years. When she finally does see him again, she finds a man different from the one who's been with her down in the dark and the dirt and the blood... or maybe he isn't so different after all.

cradles you and connects you to everything – pocky_slash

Summary: Charles and Erik spend a chilly November afternoon in Manhattan doing not much at all. Also, there are cupcakes, chess, and Feelings.

[kendelias]

💞 + kit?

weaver teal - you are well aware of the impact that they have had on my life. i love them so, so fucking much. sibling SUPREMACY!!!! the fact that kit would literally not have a place in this world without her... who else, when a malnourished feral child slave shows up in their guild hall with nothing but a name and the clothes on his back, would take him home to their parents and be like “he lives with us now”????? HELLO???? who else would spend their entire adult life supporting their sister and being her biggest fan and trying to make sure she finds the happiness and comfort that she deserves like??? HELLO???????????? their house is iconic, their co-dependency issues are fully relatable, their teamwork is literally incredible, their two sides of the same coin aesthetic is amazing, i would absolutely kill a man for them. WHEN WILL YOUR FOUND FAMILY EVER????? LIKE WHEN??????????

macbeth - you know.... that i could go on about them.......... for hours. for literal hours. but you already know so i’ll spare you most of the details. but. they grow so much throughout the series... childhood friends to enemies to lovers... fighting each other on the battlefield even though it’s fucking killing them but they both think that they’re doing the right thing and will not back down... waiting twelve years to be reunited because they know, somewhere deep down, that the other will return to them... writing letters for seven years to someone you don’t even know is reading them, because you want him to know that you’re never going to leave them again... reading and internalizing all of that and becoming more determined than ever to FIND HIM.... i honestly. cannot. do it. like i-- HELLO???????? also not to mention the influence he has on kit to rebel and fix the system that so obviously failed him, and the influence kit has on macbeth to realize that no matter how terrible the world has treated him, there is still good and they deserve to be a part of it. their love story is honestly something that reshaped me as a person.

lyon vastia - i know i don’t talk about them a ton bc they’re both like “ugh, manly, feelings bad” but... they literally love each other so much. that’s his best friend!!!! they would do anything for each other. like, lyon may pretend to be annoyed, but if not love best friend, why call him when sad, hm? why take him almost everywhere you go, hm? why go drinking together and trust him to carry you back home (even if he does not do it, oopsie)? and kit will outright admit that he is a ride or die for lyon vastia. also, as per the other two dynamics on this list, it’s the having a tattoo for every beloved person in your life for me. like who does that??? kit, that stupid idiot who loves lyon so much that when he “died” he literally felt it and was ready to go find that stupid son of a bitch and make him be alive again. that is basically his brother (and is his brother-in-law) and he loves him with his whole heart.

toby horhota - OH TO BE TWO CRACKHEADS. you know how much i love them. whereas everyone else is a stickler for the rules, he and toby will do absolute batshit shit together and everyone else will either have to hold them back or deal with it. he wants to protect toby with everything that’s in him, and toby helps him to let loose in a way that he hasn’t been able to since he was a kid. kit is always trying to be the bright and sunshiney person for everyone, but when he needs it from someone else, it’s from toby! toby will always cheer him up when he’s down. and kit never treats toby like he’s stupid, or somehow an outcast, and that’s really refreshing for him. also if anyone says a bad word about toby kit beats the shit out of them. i love their dynamic so much and it warms my heart every time i think of the two of them together.

lisley law - oh so we talkin heartbreak out here..... okay. kit actively tried to move on after seeing macbeth again, and lisley definitely cracked that shell that most other people weren’t able to crack. like, he dated plenty and probably was serious with a couple others, but no one hit him like she did. he was, to put it plainly, a huge fucking simp. she’s hilarious and take charge and he loved that confidence she had, and she’s also super grounding whereas he’s a total goof, which is something he always needs. they managed to balance each other out in a way that was super interesting and definitely something he needed. also, he loved her no matter what! he loved her so much he was considering quitting his guild to go move in with her - and that’s super hard for him, because he’s already left one family and doesn’t want to leave another one. also, even though they don’t talk anymore, their breakup was pretty amicable. no one was like really angry, just pretty sad on both ends.

honorable mentions: dimitri keyne, the teals, jura neekis, richard buchanan, lucy heartfelia, erik, lamia scale as a whole

send me 💞 + an oc for their top 5 dynamics!

[pierrotdameron]

1) Jean Grey: The Early Years

While X-Men: Apocalypse introduced a grown-up Jean to the First Class timeline, it turns out that Charles Xavier has a longer-standing relationship with her. “There are not a lot of flashbacks in the movie, but that foundational relationship between Young Jean and a younger Charles is one of the core themes of the film,” Kinberg explains. “The question of Jean’s relationship to her own powers becomes a big conflict for her throughout the film once she’s transformed by something that happens up in space, that has nothing to do with her childhood. It opens with a mission that takes them up into space that has consequences for Jean that ripple throughout the movie.”

2) The Professor’s Problem

In previous tellings of the Dark Phoenix story, Professor X has limited Jean’s capabilities after seeing the full potential of her power – and the Dark Phoenix trailer teases at a similar strand here. “Charles has been hiding secrets about Jean’s past from her that get revealed over the span of the movie, and only make her more unstable,” say Kinberg. “It’s the most inopportune time for this character to become unstable emotionally, because she’s becoming unstable in a much different way after this cosmic thing that happened to her in space. In this way, Dark Phoenix is the most intimate, emotional and personal movie we’ve made, and yet also has the biggest breadth in terms of spanning beyond our planet, even beyond our galaxy. There’s a sense that the things that are happening emotionally for Jean and what’s happening cosmically inside her is making her incredibly unstable, dangerous, destructive.”

3) Present Day

Cut back to the main timeline, and a reasonable amount of time has elapsed since we last saw Prof X and co. “It’s 1992, nine years after Apocalypse,” confirms Kinberg. “The X-Men have become the X-Men that many of us know from the comics – they are heroes. They’re still viewed as different by society, but they’ve been more embraced than ever before. And when the movie starts in 1992, they are a known superhero team.”

4) Suburban Outfitters

In a move sure to please many long-term fans, the X-uniform in Dark Phoenix finally brings in a classic yellow-and-blue design similar to the comic and cartoon incarnations. “I’ve been waiting to do that from the first time I ever got a call from Avi Arad,” Kinberg enthuses. “Avi and Kevin Feige were the chief two people that called me about an X-Men movie 15 years ago. We talked about the costumes, and what Bryan Singer had done I understood and liked, but they were very different to what I had grown up seeing in the comics. So I was excited finally as the director to have more of a say and clothe them in their classic costumes.”

The new look pinches elements from various designs seen on page and screen over the years. “I had a board full of my favourite images from the comics, and then I worked with our costume designer, who also worked on Logan, to create something that was incredibly loyal to the comics and then also had a little bit of its own feel. There’s little nuances from the cartoons, the comics, from whatever it is that if you were a fan you grew up reading or watching.”

5) Sense Of Mystique

While Mystique was primarily an antagonist in the original X-Mentrilogy, working alongside Magneto, she’s skewed more heroic as Raven since her introduction in First Class. At the end of Apocalypseshe chose to stay with Charles, and help establish the X-Men – and she’s still part of the group nine years on. “Raven is a part of the X-Men, but she’s critical of some of Charles’ methodologies, in terms of him feeling as though they can just dress up in those costumes and be considered the same as the rest of humanity,” Kinberg explains. “So there is a schism forming between her and Charles. That struggle has been present in every movie, and we do it in a hopefully slightly more subtle way in this film. She toggles back and forth between Raven and Mystique, and there is meaning to that as there has always been in the previous three X-Men movies.”

6) Star-Crossed Lovers

Jean and Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, both entered the prequel saga in Apocalypse, with sparks of chemistry between the two. In the comics and original film trilogy, the pair are a fully-fledged item – and in the intervening nine years they find themselves in a similar place emotionally here. “The love story between Scott and Jean is such an integral part of the Dark Phoenix saga in any iteration, whether it’s the comic book or the cartoons,” reasons Kinberg. “Obviously we don’t have Wolverine, so that’s one less part of that love story. It is very central [to the movie], and they are a couple. As Jean starts to become more unstable, there are people in the X-Men who don’t think she can be helped and saved, many of whom think the world and others need helping and saving from her. And so Scott is probably the most prominent person who’s holding on to the hope that Jean can be saved.”

7) The Village Green Preservation Society

While Charles remained at his mansion to build the X-Men team at the end of Apocalypse, Erik Lensherr, aka Magneto, went his separate way. In the Dark Phoenix trailer, he’s in a leafy commune when Jean approaches him for guidance. “What you’re seeing is the beginnings of Genosha,” reveals Kinberg. “That’s where Erik is when we meet him. It’s like Magneto’s Israel – a land built for mutants, a homeland where they can be safe and self-sufficient. Jean finds him there because what’s happening to her is making her do destructive things, and she doesn’t know why. The only person she’s known who has done destructive and lethal things in the past but came back from it is Magneto. She feels he alone can give her answers because he’s lived both sides. He’s lost control and killed and hurt people, some of whom he even loved, and yet he’s also found a measure of peace and that’s what she’s searching for.”

8) Intergalactic Influence

The main new cast addition to the series is Jessica Chastain, who’s gone all platinum-blonde to play… well, we don’t know. But Kinberg elaborated a little on the origins of her character. “I can tell you this much. Jessica’s character is not of this Earth. She’s an extra-terrestrial character, an alien character,” he teases. “I won’t say much more in detail on the specifics of that. While everyone else is trying to control this power inside of Jean, she’s much more interested in essentially encouraging her to go further with it and try to be the peaceful side of herself. She is the devil on Jean’s shoulder, so to speak.”

9) Cosmic Jam

Cut to the end of the trailer, and we get a glimpse of the outer space incident that kicks off the whole Phoenix takeover. “Jean is in space, and what she’s taking in is a cosmic force that she thinks is one thing, and over the course of the movie realises is something far different, that our human science can’t explain,” says Kinberg. “But she needs to find a way to control it or she’ll destroy more than just her friends – and even our planet.”

10) Cracked Actor

Before the title card, we see Jean in Phoenix mode, face streaked with white lines – and she’s only just getting started. “That’s not maximum [Phoenix]. That’s a two or a three on the Dark Phoenix spectrum,” warns Kinberg. “It is a manifestation of her transformation from the Jean we know into Phoenix. Over the span of the movie we see different symptoms or iterations of that. The lines on her face let you know that Jean is losing control, and that force inside her is trying to escape, push through, take over. Those cracks are almost as if something inside her that’s more powerful than she is is trying to push out of her body.”

11) Earthy Tones

For years, the X-Men logo and title card has been emblasoned in bold metallic fonts – but not here. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (or simply Dark Phoenix, as it’s being called in the US) has a darker, more mellow typeface that Kinberg explains is emblematic of a new tone for the franchise. “The way I wanted to make the movie was very different than the aesthetic of previous X-Men movies, which I’ve been very involved in and proud of,” he says. “But I wanted it to feel more naturalistic, I wanted it to feel edgier, more handmade, more real. I was very inspired by what James Mangold did with Logan, and I felt like if I could bring a measure of that aesthetic in the film that all of the intergalactic and larger-scale things that happen in the movie would feel more shocking, more realistic, more emotional. They’d be grounded in some reality. And so, all of the movie – from the costumes, to the title card, to the set design, to the way the X-jet looks – all of that stuff is just more analogue in a way. More like, let’s say, the original Star Wars movies. Not that analogue, but the movies I grew up loving had this very gritty, edgy, cool, human feeling to them.”

[amour393]

ALRIGHT @jayabound and @only-lonely-stars ASKED SO HERE WE GO

OKAY, so there's this guy. We'll call him...Andy. Andy is a FAN FLIPPING TASTIC HUMAN BEING. he's ✨️that character✨️ that is ALWAYS RESERVED, ALWAYS COMPOSED. You never know what he's thinking. He holds his cards close to his chest

Andy starts liking this girl, who we'll call....Sophia. Sophia and Andy are friends, and Andy is basically head over heels and the wAY HE LOOKS AT HER 🥺😭🥺😭 Andy reaaaaallly likes Sophia.

Sophia starts catching on that Andy prolly likes her, and she does not reciprocate (AT TIMES SHE EVEN EXPRESSEED SHE WAS FRUSTRATED SHE DIDNT RECIPROCATE BECAUSE ANDY IS SO WONDERFUL. 10/10 HUMAN), so she goes to some of her other guy friends and is like, what do I do, and they're all bro you gotta tell him. You GOTTA tell him you're just friends.

So Sophia's like ok ok and she goes to Andy and tells him the whole "hey, just want to clarify that our friendship is just that, a friendship" and Andy is all "actually, I'm really glad you said that, thanks :)" BUT POOR LITTLE ANDY IS MORE HEARTBROKEN THAN HE LET ON AND IT TOOK THE WHOLE SUMMER AND THEN SOME TO HEAL HIS BROKEN HEART

so, Sophie has a friend, um...Jane, we'll call the friend. Jane and Andy are becoming really good friends!! They go to church together and talk for HOURS after. Andy realizes he's catching feelings and he's all nope, not again.

Early on in said friendship between Andy and Jane, Jane made clear the whole "yeah we're just friends" and so Andy just mentally was like yeah nope. Don't even bother. I don't have a chance

ON TOP OF THAT, Jane has had the BIGGEST CRUSH on one of Andy's good friends...uhhhh....Erik. Erik is ALSO A 10/10 HUMAN, THE SWEETEST EVER, and as such Jane has liked him for two going on three years.

Andy, who is very analytical, catches on a few months in that oh yeah, she definitely likes Erik. Well now I can never tell her, for both their sakes, WHICH IS A TROPE IN ITSELF-

So, the months go on, and eventually Andy reaches a point where he realizes that his feels for Jane can't just be ignored or suppressed. We'll get to ✨️that moment✨️ later

Flash forward a few months. Jane and Andy are SUCH GOOD PALS. THEY'RE SO CLOSE. And suddenly, Jane's not so sure how she feels. She starts getting doubts, and as the year begins to draw to a close, on one of their platonic dates, as I call them, she asks him hey, I need you to define our relationship. What am I to you

aND ANDY REVEALS THAT HES LIKED HER FOR MONTHS (fRiEnDs tO lOvErS cHeCk) and they have long, deep conversations on ok, Jane isn't sure how she feels, how would they work in a relationship logistically. So Jane says ok. Give me a week to get my feelings and such in order and make a decision on whether or not I want to give this a try

A week comes and goes, and during the week, Jane decides that yeah, I think we're just friends. I'm sure. I'm CERTAIN

So they go to they're scheduled meeting at Barnes and noble and she tells him, but as soon as she's with him, she's not sure anymore (?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!) As soon as they're together it's just different

They talk for awhile, and Andy tells Jane a) how he wants to be an open book. He knows he's reserved a lot and she doesn't know what he's thinking so he's going to try to be open with her (HE ONLY OPENS UP TO HER HELLO???????????) and b) the MOMENT he knew he couldn't suppress it. they were at panda express and talking on a Not Date or whatever and a song that Jane loves comes on, and Jane does the "I love this song!!" And starts singing and dancing to it and THAT was the moment and if THAT IS NOT THE MOST PRECIOUS THING IVE EVER HEARD-

So they're still talking, and Andy mentions "yknow, I know you said how it makes sense until you're here, but like, we've just been sitting and talking for five hours and you didn't even notice" and Jane is all ITS BEEN FIVE HOURS?????????????

At some point Andy says "yeah, it's not hitting yet. I'll walk in my door tonight and it'll hit and then it'll be rough but for now, I'm okay." And Jane does the kind-almost-skeptical-soft eyes "are you sure?" anD ANDY WHO IS ALWAYS COMPOSED JUST SQUEEZES HIS EYES SHUT AND GOES "please dont...please don't look at me like that, ok?" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH

AND LATER JANE TELLS ME "This could be the best thing that could ever happen to me...I could see us out in the world, together, and nothing else feels more right" OH MY GOD??????????? JANE THAT'S ADORABLE SHOOT ME ACTUALLY

And when I asked her about the changing of mind and heart and the uncertainty of it all, SHE FRICKING SAYS "And as much as I want to stand strong in my decisions, he makes it so, frustratingly HARD, because when I'm there with him, it's like all other things, priorities, predjudices, they all just dissappear and it's just HIM, and me, and nothing else"

SO IN SUMMATION, I want what's best for them of course, but also IF THIS WORKS OUT I WILL HAVE WITNISSED MY FAVORITE FRIENDS TO LOVERS TROPES PLAY OUT IRL AND NOTHING WOULD MAKE ME HAPPIER

watching your favorite media tropes play out in real life can be so personal actually

[cryptodictation]

The Mafia of Tigers: unlikely and unmissable series becomes a phenomenon on Netflix

(Netflix / Disclosure)

How many documentary series have you watched in the last year? Possibly few, as this is by no means the most popular genre on streaming platforms. Netflix recently started betting on documentaries about its series and films and, in the case of “La Casa de Papel: El Fenómeno”, it worked very well.

But these are specific cases and have a very specific nature. Series and film documentaries are spiritual descendants of the good old extra content that we found on DVDs. They are relatively easy to make and serve to add even more value to the main product. In the case of “La Casa de Papel: El Fenómeno” there is yet another advantage: a huge consolidated fan base.

But Netflix saw a much more unlikely success emerge than this: the documentary series “The Mafia of Tigers” – or “Tiger King” in the original title. It is the great must watch of the platform in the United States and here in Brazil many people have also fallen in love with the series.

Over seven episodes, the documentary focuses on the story of the tiger king Joe Exotic, a big cat lover who maintained a zoo in the interior of Oklahoma, in the United States. Absurdly eccentric, Joe introduces himself as a red neck – nomenclature used to refer to white, low-income, and generally conservative rednecks in the United States – and it also does not hide that it is gay. Full of piercings and tattoos, sporting a blond mullet and a costume that mixes trucker hats with shirts worthy of a lambada show, Joe Exotic is truly an exotic man.

Filmed over several years, the series shows that Joe has managed to take advantage of his eccentricity. He started recording some home videos and took a liking to the thing, which made him call a television professional to follow his steps in the park's daily routine. The venture culminated in a reality show aired online. With no tongue in cheek, he also started to capitalize on disputes with his biggest rival: Carole Baskin, founder of an NGO that rescues big cats in the United States.

And there are many animals to be rescued, to the surprise of those unfamiliar with the life style of big cat lovers in the United States. In the first episode of the series we see a report that says that there are more tigers in captivity in the United States than in the wild around the world. Having one of these animals – or several – at home is a status symbol and there is a lot of rot in this environment.

Carole Baskin: founder of the NGO Big Cat Rescue is Joe Exotic's biggest enemy

Carole Baskin: founder of the NGO Big Cat Rescue is Joe Exotic's biggest enemy (Netflix / Reproduction)

More than talking about Joe Exotic and his troubled prison – a fact that is presented to us in the first two minutes of the series – “The Mafia of Tigers” shows that this life style is even more absurd than it appears. “Who raises monkeys is a little bit different, they are kind of strange. But the fissures of big cats are shit that stab people in the back, ”says one of the businessmen – a.k.a., owner of an obscure strip tease club – linked to Joe Exotic's old zoo.

In a fast and straightforward way, the series is putting together a puzzle full of absurd details. The feeling of “damn it, it can't be!” it happens at different times. In this respect, knowing more about the plot can impoverish the experience of watching it. In the United States, the series exploded precisely because Joe Exotic was already known as a picturesque creature, but not knowing certain details about his story generates much greater surprises for the viewer. It is a sum of absurdities that could only be predicted by those who are already familiar with the trajectory of Joe and the people connected to him.

It is not difficult to see that the final material of “The Mafia of Tigers” benefited, in great part, from chance. The documentary clearly started being produced before Joe Exotic's arrest, which took place in 2018. “Originally, the program was not supposed to be about Joe being arrested or anything like that. It was supposed to be about the underworld of big cat breeders. Then he was arrested and everything changed ”, said Joe’s husband, Dillon Passage, a Variety. Even so, the work done by the series team is remarkable.

Doc Antle, Joe's mentor: ostentation, accusations and multiple wives

Doc Antle, Joe's mentor: ostentation, complaints and multiple wives (Netflix / Disclosure)

It is fair to say that documentary series that unite crimes and eccentric characters are the fillet of the genre. But it is not enough just to look at the material well, it is necessary an exquisite edition to unite everything in a cohesive and, at the same time, instigating way. “The Mafia of Tigers” manages to do this better than “Wild Wild Country”, “Bandits on TV” (both from Netflix) and “The Jinx” (HBO), other good recent titles of the genre. These three series bring very surprising stories and have a wealth of details, but sin in the rhythm of the narrative.

In the end, “The Mafia of Tigers” manages to be great entertainment, while reflecting on a series of themes like cruelty to animals, obviously, but also on ostentation, hate speech, the search for fame at any cost and image building in the age of social networks.

Another good news is that the series is so successful that it can even leverage other documentaries. To get an idea of ​​how it is only talked about in the United States, last Thursday (8), Donald Trump was asked about the possibility of a review of the sentence imposed on Joe Exotic – who got 22 years in prison. This happened after your son, Donald Trump Jr., declared that the sentence seemed “too aggressive”.

The making of a documentary requires a lot of dedication and delivery. This also applies to the genre of fiction, but many documentary filmmakers still have to basically risk their lives when it comes to collecting material and revealing thorny facts about the portrayed characters to the public. In contrast, independent documentary filmmakers struggle to earn money from what they do, since the genre usually does not give an audience.

“Cowspiracy” is a good example of this. Made independently, the film exposes large corporations and even NGOs. In addition, it speaks of a controversial subject that displeases most of society: the harms of the meat industry. The director Kip Andersen did a great job of investigating, but it was Leonardo DiCaprio who managed to make the film reach the general public.

As an executive producer, the actor not only put money into the project, but also generated a sense of credibility in relation to what is said in the film. Since 2015, “Cowspiracy” is part of the Netflix catalog and has even generated a certain buzz with the public. In 2017, the platform also purchased display rights for “What The Health”, also directed by Andersen, but the film reached the same hype as the previous one.

And that is exactly the point of the question: the hype. As much as the streaming platforms have a decent number of documentaries in their catalogs, they are obviously after productions that fall in the public's taste. Fortunately, there is another determining factor for Netflix to have a special affection for documentaries, but it only applies to films: Oscar. It is much cheaper to obtain a statuette with documentaries than with fiction films.

In 2014, “The Square” earned Netflix its first Oscar nomination. In 2017 came the first victory, through the short film “White Helmets”. 2018 was the year that “Icarus” became the first feature of the streaming platform to win the award. Since 2014, Netflix has put documentaries on the Oscar list every year, adding up to 15 nominations and four victories. Only the general public hasn't even heard of most of them *.

According to Variety, “The Mafia of Tigers” was watched by more than 34 million Americans during the first ten days of exhibition. Launched on March 20, the series had a little help from the quarantine to reach that number, but one thing is certain: after the play is given, if the content does not win the viewer, he will watch something else. And that is not what happened, as we know.

And the story doesn't stop there. On Thursday (9), Netflix announced that it will release an extra episode of the series. Baptized “The Tiger King and I”, it will work in the after show and show interviews with characters linked to Joe Exotic telling how their lives changed after the series was released. This episode will be released next Sunday (12).

The Tiger King and I – a Tiger King after show hosted by Joel McHale and featuring brand new interviews with John Reinke, Joshua Dial, John Finlay, Saff, Erik Cowie, Rick Kirkman, and Jeff and Lauren Lowe – will premiere April 12 pic.twitter.com/8fbbNdaiDA

– Netflix (@netflix) April 9, 2020

Would the “A Mafia of Tigers” boom be the kick start for documentaries to be more appreciated by the general public? It is too early to say, but it may be that this success inspires more investors and that documentary filmmakers are more valued – from those who tell interesting stories to those who are at risk of life to expose injustices.

* These are all the Netflix documentaries that were nominated for an Oscar: “The Square” (2014), “Virunga” (2015), “What's That, Miss Simone” (2016), “Winter on Fire” (2016) , “The 13th Amendment” (2017), “The White Helmets” (2017), “Extremis” (2017), “Ícaro” (2018), “Strong Island” (2018), “Heroine (s)” (2018) , “Absorbing the Taboo” (2019), “The Final Match” (2019), “American Industry” (2020), “Democracy in Vertigo (2020) and“ A Vida em Mim ”(2020).

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[hollowpages]

Your Biggest Fan 4 (Commission)

The following is a commission. Mature content is within.

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Your Biggest Fan - Part Four Captain Gonzales was deathly silent, staring down at the files in front of her on her desk. Across from her, Gary sat, Lisa to his right, watching, waiting, for the Captain to say something. Captain Gonzales was the type to wait to speak until she felt she needed to. Her silence tended to convey her thoughts for her, but she could easily talk up a storm if the need arose. Typically, she was a reserved woman, maintaining a cold, distant demeanor with those around her, hence the reason for Erik’s ‘steely’ Latina joke. She didn’t let her emotions show except for very specific, very rare circumstances. Such as the current moment, where she didn’t bother hiding her genuine disdain for the subject at hand. “I had a feeling,” Captain Gonzales said, “that The Fan would return eventually. Someone like that, they’re not going to just up and disappear. That sort never does.” “What do you want us to do?” Lisa asked, leaning forward. Gary could tell that Lisa respected Captain Gonzales. She held the woman in a lot of regard, and Gary couldn’t exactly blame her for it, either. The Captain had been at the precinct for almost twenty solid years, working her way up from beat cop to detective to the rank she currently held, and she had done it by herself, through hard work and a whole lot of determination, even with the various odds stacked against her. Gary knew from experience the kinds of shit the Captain faced. Racism due to her being a Mexican American, born from illegal immigrants that came to the States looking for a better life. Sexism, due to being a woman trying to be a cop. Gary heard horror stories of the way others treated her, how many had gone out of their way to try and make her quit or to make her see that her place was at a desk, not in the field. But through it all, the Captain kept going, kept persevering, until it finally paid off. She was worthy of admiration. But now wasn’t the time for that line of thinking, Gary knew. He focused instead on watching the Captain’s face, noting the subtle shifts as she Captain closed her eyes and sighed. “I want all four of you to go back to the Grand Flora,” she said. “You two talk to the manager, find out everything you can, including why he decided it was the best course of action to tamper with a crime scene before the police arrived. Arrest him if you have to. Get Benson and Carter to interview the staff, I want to know everything about that room the day of and the day before. Check security, everything.” That was all the Captain was going to say on the matter. Gary could tell by the look in her eyes, as she shifted her gaze back to the files. The Captain was going to dig into The Fan with everything she could, probably going to pull every bit of evidence she could find on them. Gary believed it. So, he nodded and exited the room, Lisa following right behind him. Erik was busy filling in his partner, Davis Carter, on the events that he had missed. Davis was a good man – African American, born in New York, but moved to Los Angeles ten years prior. He was smart, and cool, and calculated, though the biggest flaw that Davis had was the fact he seemed to always be late to the party, no matter what. Davis liked to joke that he wasn’t late, but that he preferred making an entrance at the ‘perfect time.’ Gary had seen him do it, a few times, in fact, though it didn’t stop him from teasing the man about his tardiness. Granted, when you had a wife and three kids to look after, it was to be expected that you would be late at times. Everyone understood his reasons, it just didn’t spare him from the teasing and the banter often aimed his way. “Ah, Davis,” Gary said, coming to stand beside Erik’s desk. “Nice of you to join us today.” Davis waved him off. “Slept through my alarm, what can you do, huh?” “Get a louder alarm,” Lisa said. Davis grinned. “And ruin my beauty sleep?” “Is that what they call it these days?” Gary asked. “Hey, you’re one to talk, my man,” Davis said. “Look like you could use some yourself. Anyone ever tell you you’ve got the face of a bulldog?” Gary rolled his eyes. When it came to appearances, Gary was more or less what you’d expect from someone in his line of duty: he was average. Average height, average build, average everything. His hair was dark and short, often semi-neatly combed – when Gary had the time, of course, otherwise it was a bit of a mess, but nothing too out there. His eyes were green, his skin an average tone with the slightest of tans going on. But yes, as Davis pointed out, he wasn’t skinny. True, he wasn’t quite as big of a man as Erik was, but he wasn’t a twig, either. The past few years had been rough for Detective Frost, and he had let himself go – just a bit, of course. It wasn’t enough to make him unattractive or even unappealing to be near, and it certainly hadn’t affected his physical prowess in any way. But, as Davis was poked fun of for his tardiness, Gary was teased either for this fact, or because of his icy demeanor, hence the Snowman moniker. Everyone had something, even the Captain. Lisa was the only one without something to tease her for, but Gary was certain that would change in due time. “We heading out?” Erik asked, breaking the silence. “Yeah,” Gary said. “Back to the Grand Flora. You two are on the staff and security details, Lisa and I have the honor of dealing with this idiot of a manager.” The other two men stood and gathered their things. All four sauntered toward the elevator together. “The Fan, huh?” Davis said as they entered, Davis pressing the button to go down. “I don’t know who the hell they are, but they are a piece of work, that’s for damn sure.” “Piece of something else, too,” Lisa added, shaking her head in disgust. “What the fuck kind of sicko cuts off a person’s tits? Or hands? Or ears? Seriously, that’s like something out of a Stephen King book, not reality.” “What I don’t get is why they just vanished for a year,” Erik said. “Most of the monsters and psychos we’ve dealt with don’t stop and take a damn vacation.” The elevator doors opened, and the four of them stepped out. “Something’s off about this whole situation. I’m not going to say it isn’t The Fan, but for them to randomly stop and then start up again out of the blue like this?” Gary shrugged. “Not every killer is linear in how they think, Erik. This isn’t a horror movie or a comic book. People are way more complicated than that.” Erik gave a half nod. “I guess so, but it still bugs me.” “We can figure it out later,” Davis said. “Let’s get to the hotel. I’ve always wanted to see the inside of the Grand Flora. Heard great things.” “Eh, it’s not that great,” Lisa said. “Kind of boring, honestly.” “Not enough eye candy, Petrucci?” Davis asked, cocking an eyebrow. Lisa smirked. “Not the right kind for me.” Gary and Lisa climbed into their police cruiser, Erik and Davis into theirs, and the four drove off toward their destination. “So were there ever any big name suspects?” Lisa asked after a moment of silence. She snuck a look at Gary, studying him. “I can’t wrap my head around the idea that someone like this could just go around killing people without someone being a big suspect.” Gary nodded. “Four years ago, we had three major suspects that we investigated. Put a lot of time and energy into delving into everything we could find about them.” “Who were they?” “The first was Abraham Baldwin,” Gary said. He could recall all the details about the man, from face to personality, with near perfect clarity. “Baldwin fit a lot of the bill for what we were looking for at the time. He was young and athletic, had a few previous arrests for stalking and breaking and entering, and we knew he had a history with at least two of the victims. Guy had a shady side to him, and there was just something about him that made me think he might’ve been The Fan.” Lisa waited, listening. Gary sighed. “But, then he got hit by a car. Paralyzed him. He’s been confined to a wheelchair ever since, and this was only midway through The Fan’s spree. So, he was off the list.” “Shit,” Lisa said. “Next was Karen Moore. A bit older, but no less dangerous and no less crazy.” Gary’s lips twitched. “She had a history of mental illness, and an obsessive behavioral pattern when it came to people she deemed worth her time. She would start getting delusions about famous people, believing them to be friends, family, lovers, you name it. Led to a lot of problems with the law, and a lot of problems with the media when they heard about it.” “You thought she could be The Fan?” Lisa asked. “At first, yes,” Gary said. He paused to flick his turn signal on. “But then, she was removed from the pile when it became clear the woman’s mental health was getting worse over time. She wound up getting admitted to a hospital and stayed there till she died from a stroke. This was after The Fan killed their fifth victim, right before the sixth.” Lisa shook her head. “Fuck. And the last suspect?” “Aaron Roderick,” Gary said. His expression darkened. Of the three suspects, Roderick had been the one Gary truly believed to be The Fan. He was always nearby the murder scenes, had interacted with each of the victims at least once that was known in public, and he never had a solid alibi despite his frequent insistence that he was innocent. Not only that, but there was a way about him, the way the man carried himself, walked, talked, and just… looked. Not on the outside, no, but the way he looked at others, with a level of dispassion and disdain, the sort of look someone who could take a life might look. Aaron Roderick gave Gary the air of a man who could break at any moment. He genuinely thought that Roderick was The Fan given his past, a past drenched in a whole lot of stalking and obsession with famous people. That, and an overzealous hatred for the famous – Aaron hated them with a passion, because he wanted what they had. He wanted the wealth, the fame. Gary knew it the moment he and Aaron first spoke. He could tell these things without Aaron openly admitting them. That had been why he was so certain that Roderick was the killer. “What happened?” Lisa asked. “Did he die, too?” “No.” “Get paralyzed somehow?” “No.” Lisa scowled. “So then what? How’d he go from being the number one suspect to, you know, not?” Gary stared at the road as he made another turn, the hotel looming in the distance. He came to a stop, parking the car. He unbuckled and glanced at Lisa. “Because the day when we finally felt we had enough evidence to arrest him on the charges of all the murders, the day that I thought we had found The Fan once and for all, the day when it seemed so certain this monster was caught, everything was shot to hell when we got to Roderick’s place to pick him up.” “Why?” Lisa asked. “What happened?” “He was dead,” Gary said. “The Fan murdered him.”

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[sentrava]

What’s On in Copenhagen: March 2018

We’re big fans of spring in Denmark: b-i-g fans. Blossom-filled days when the sun starts to come out and the evenings are getting longer (finally!). Plus, there are lot of great activities in Copenhagen to force yourself out from your cozy confines. There’s a whole heap of different exhibitions, festivals, food and drink events, markets, gigs and parties.

Here are all the best events happening in Copenhagen during March:

Thursday 1st March – Sunday 25th March

The Wave

If you missed the brilliant light installation “The Wave” last year, fear not: it is back for part two. Walking through this trippy display feels a bit like entering another dimension. And it’s perfect Instagram fodder too.

    Friday 2nd March

The Room at Huset Biograf

Cult favourite, the Room, has got extra screenings added. Blame James Franco. Once deemed the worst movie ever made by film critics, this fan favourite just won’t go away.

    Saturday 3rd – Sunday 4th March

Annual Copenhagen Film Festival

The second edition of the ACFF will be held at Husets Biograf. The two day festival that celebrates entertainment and commitment to improving the film industry will show a series of short films and documentaries from 7 – 10 each night, followed by award announcements and networking on Sunday night.

    Saturday 3rd March

Jolene presents: Nosaj Thing

Get your disco shoes on cuz American producer Nosaj Thing is playing tracks at Jolene. He’s already made hits for Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper, and now he’s gracing the meat packing district!

    Sunday 4th March

BBC Planet Earth II: Live in Concert

Marvel at the world around us with this encapsulating programme from the BBC, with music by the legendary Hans Zimmer being performed on the night by a major symphony orchestra. Unfortunately David Attenborough won’t be in attendance, but we bet it will still be a very special evening.

    Tænkepauser at Nørrebro Teater

Every month through June, Nørrebro Teater will be presenting a scientific book in partnership with Aarhus University. Comedian and journalist Sebastian Dorset will present the book as well as interview someone behind the research. March’s book is about fiction, pessimism and sound. The ticket price (150 DKK) includes the book, and there are drinks at the bar afterwards where you can meet everyone involved.

    Tuesday 6th March

South Pacific at Husets Biograf

Watch the 1958 classic romantic musical, but this time in color! Set on a South Pacific island during World War II, love soon blossoms between a young nurse and a French plantation owner, who’s being courted for a dangerous military mission. It nabbed three Academy Awards in its time. If you haven’t seen it yet, you know what to do.

    Wednesday 7th March

Luster at Vega

After leaving Sleep Party People, singer songwriter Jacob Haubjerg spent the last three years concentrating on refining his sound and the result was Luster…

    Thursday 8th March

Kickstart Women’s Day

Music, coffee and inspiring talks to kick off International Women’s Day in the right way.

    Friday 9th March

Akira at Cinematek

Cult Japanese animated sci-fli flick Akira tells the story of a teenage boy who acquires telekinetic powers after a motorcycle accident. Soon he finds himself in the middle of a chaotic and bloody conflict that threatens the future of Neo-Tokyo, then the entire world.

    Saturday 10th March

Mega Sale at Depanneur

We can only assume that cafe Depanneur are upping sticks and leaving, or having a bit of a renovation, as they’re selling off all their old interiors. Everything from chairs, to coffee and even wine is up for grabs, so come and nab a bargain!

    Monday 12th March

Designing for Natural Interfaces: Vision

SPACE10 presents a new series of lectures discussing the way technology is changing the world around us and how we interact with it. From computer vision to voice searches to brain interfaces, this monthly free series will tackle the spot where humanity and technology intercept and the tension that arises from that space.

    Tuesday 13th March

I’m Dead but I Have Friends at Cinemateket

A black comedy from Belgium follows a rock band, whose lead singer loses his voice and can’t shout for help when he finds himself dumped in a ditch and left to die. The four remaining members choose to honor their friend’s memory by going on tour with his ashes. But on the day of the tour-kick off a mysterious man, claiming to know the deceased suddenly arrives…

    Wednesday 14th March

Mad About Copenhagen Book Kickstarter Launch Party

Head over to beloved wine bar Vinhanen in Vesterbro to celebrate the launch of the Mad About Copenhagen book kickstarter. First 200 drinks are free & they’ll be serving chocolate and toasts on the house all night. If you’re a food-lover in Copenhagen, you’ll want to know more about this book!

    Beer Quiz

Do you like beer? Do you like the sweet taste of victory? Then you’ll love Absalon’s beer and quiz night where even the questions are beer-related. It costs 30 kr to enter; you can’t go wrong.

    Thursday 15th March – Sunday 25th March

CPH:DOX

The annual international documentary film festival CPH:DOX is back for its 15 year. The biggest of its kind in Scandinavia, the festival continues to grow and bring exciting docs to the big screen. Check out this year’s program for a full list of all the not-to-be-missed films.

    Friday 16th March – Saturday 17th March

Sauna Fest

A two-day festival where you can experience saunagus under the night’s starry sky and listen to some soothing, ambient sounds. Plus follow it all up with a cool winter dip in Copenhagen’s waters. The perfect weekend to get rid of your winter cold once and for all.

    Saturday 17th March

Born into the 90s

All the best hip hop and R & B from the 90’s in Lille Vega. It’s a five-hour party with the big hits and some beloved classics.

    Sunday 18th March

45 years of cinema at Huset

Husets Biograf want you to come and celebrate with them on their 45th birthday! There’ll be cake and popcorn and FREE FILMS! Plus, anyone who’s been involved in the cinema since its inception is invited to say a few words, cute huh? Show them some love.

    Monday 19th March

Harry Styles Live On Tour 2018 at Royal Arena

Teen dream Harry Styles and his new record Sign Of The Times are making their way to Copenhagen’s Royal Arena. Lock up your daughters, husbands, mothers or pet gerbils because everyone loves Hazza.

    Tuesday 20th March

Testing Tuesday

Your chance to try out some new game prototypes at Huset’s Bastard cafe. Some of these games may never even get put into production!

    Thursday 22nd March

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: In Concert

Music and magic all swirl together in this spell-binding concert. The Czech National Symphony Orchestra will bring Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets alive when they play John Williams’s unforgettable music in the DR Concert Hall.

    Friday 23rd March

WhoMadeWho at Store Vega

Thought by many to be Denmark’s best live act, WhoMadeWho have undoubtedly delivered rivetting, unforgettable concerts. The trio are notorious for their high-octane acts and bubbling energy on stage. Expect to be impressed.

    Saturday 24th March

Rejjie Snow at Pumpehuset

Irish rapper Rejjie Snow who has already worked with Grammy winner Rahki (Kendrick Lamar) and Joey Bada$$ is bringing his unique, dream-like rap to Scandi shores. His latest single “Egyptian Luvr” was just named Annie Mac’s Hottest Record In The World on BBC Radio 1.

    Monday 26th March – Sunday 1st April

Copenhagen International Improv Festival

For the fifth year running, the Copenhagen International Improv Festival will host 140 workshop spots with 20 different teams from all different countries around the world participating. If you’re ready for a new challenge, you should totally sign up!

    Tuesday 27th March

Rhye at Vega

The dreamy R&B Danish/Canadian pair Rhye produces enchanting sounds, like a mug of hot chocolate for your ear drums.

    Wednesday 28th March

Majid Jordan at DR Concert Hall

Having already penned for Drake, the Canadian duo Majid Jordan are set to release The Space Between later this year. Their smooth and soulful pop will leave you shuddering on the dancefloor and day-dreaming about the one that got away…

    Friday 30th March – Sunday 1st April

CPH Art Space

50 selected artists with disciplines in modern art, ceramics, fine art and sculpture will be showing in this communal space in Nordhavn.

    Saturday 31st March

DVSN at Pumpehuset

Lots of Canadian R&B acts gracing Copenhagen this month. Dvsn, made up of singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85 (responsible for Drake’s “Hotline Bling”), make lusty, cautionary tracks about haunting lost loves and messy, bitter-sweet affairs. Not for anyone getting over a break-up.

    Ongoing in March: Hvad der sker i København

I Am Velvet Black: Erik Mortensen Haute Couture Exhibition at DesignMuseum Danmark

Running until March 2018, this gorgeous exhibition explores the work of famed Danish couturier Erik Mortensen. Head designer for Parisian fashion house Balmain from 1982 – 1990, Mortensen’s work is as intricate and dramatic as it is elegant. This exhibition will be a revelation for fashion-lovers.

    Art in the Making at Statens Museum for Kunst

Ever wonder how a masterpiece is made? This exhibition explores the process by which art is made from initial sketches through final results. Artists such as Krøyer, Degas and Rembrandt are included. On from 8th February until May 2018.

    Picasso Ceramics at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Ceramics lovers: this is not to be missed! A major showing of over 160 pieces of ceramic art from Picasso, this exhibition at Louisiana is the first of its kind in Scandinavia and is truly special. On until end of May.

  If you’re a business or organisation that would like us to add your event to next month’s calendar, please contact us at hello [@] scandinaviastandard [dot] com. Thank you!

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  What’s On in Copenhagen: March 2018 published first on https://medium.com/@OCEANDREAMCHARTERS

[alecthemovieguy]

‘LEGO Batman’ tells a great Batman story

“The LEGO Movie” was one of biggest surprises of 2014, with Will Arnett’s Batman stealing every scene he was in. Now, Arnett has received his own film with “The LEGO Batman Movie,” a hilarious send-up of the Dark Knight mythos that also manages to tell an effective Batman story.

The best parodies work as both a satire of a genre and a worthy addition to the genre that is being lampooned. This certainly holds true of Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” “LEGO Batman” works so well because it manages to achieve this.

Once again, Arnett plays Batman as an arrogant, over-confident hero who insists on working alone. Batman has always been defined by his parents’ death and, in this story, it is the root of his emotional distance from those around him, including his butler Alfred (voice of Ralph Fiennes); his adopted son Dick Grayson (voice of Michael Cera); and the new commissioner, Barbara Gordon (voice of Rosario Dawson).

Eventually, a family unit is formed leading to some genuine moments of emotions. This is an authentic and respectful extension of the Batman lore, which helps the film to be more than just a series of jokes.

The film, directed by Chris McKay, a veteran of “Robot Chicken,” and written by Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jared Stern and John Whittington, is also smart in the way it plays with the Batman and Joker (voice of Zach Galifianakis) relationship. One of the recurring themes throughout Batman’s history is that Batman and Joker need each other to a certain degree.

“LEGO Batman” has Batman refusing to acknowledge this relationship stating “I like to fight around.” Galifianakis plays Joker as a heartbroken jilted lover. “You never once said ‘I hate you.’” This is funny as well as being an accurate reflection of Batman and Jokers’ ongoing dynamic.

The script also features both fond and not-so fond references to nearly every previous incarnation of Batman, even dating back to the black-and-white serials from the 1940s. The more familiar you are with all things Batman, the more entertaining the film will be, but the film’s enjoyability doesn’t live or die on one’s knowledge of Batman.

“LEGO Batman” also has fun with Batman’s Rogues Gallery of villains, even including obscure ones like the Condiment King. Joker is fed up with the incompetence of these villains and schemes to upgrade to a higher class of villains from outside of the Batman universe. It would not be fair to spoil who appears, but there’s a tremendous sense of fun watching all these different villains working together during the climax.

As was true with “LEGO Movie,” “LEGO Batman” is clever with exploring the idea of a LEGO universe. Characters have the ability to make anything from the building blocks around them, which is handy when things literally begin to fall apart. The solution to how to save Gotham is also a witty nod to how LEGO blocks work.

The voice work throughout is terrific with Cera giving Dick Grayson an enthusiastic energy mixed with an endearing need for approval; Fiennes projecting real warmth as Alfred and Dawson adding attitude, humor and heart to Barbara. It is amazing how expressive the CG animated LEGO figures can be, but the voice works goes a long way to help selling the emotions.

If there’s a shortcoming, it is that a lot of the supporting voice talent is wasted. The likes of Conan O’Brien, Billy Dee Williams, Jenny Slate, Seth Green, Eddie Izzard, Jemaine Clement, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Adam Devine, Kate Micucci, Riki Lindhome, Ellie Kemper, Zoe Kravitz, Hector Elizondo and Mariah Carey are in the cast and, in some cases, are only used for a single line. Worse, sometimes that line isn’t even deserving of the people brought into say it.

It is great to have someone like O’Brien as the Riddler, but give him something funny to say. Williams played Harvey Dent in Tim Burton’s “Batman” but didn’t get to play Dent’s alter ego Two-Face in “Batman Forever.” Now, he’s given that chance but without a single worthwhile line of dialogue. It is a missed opportunity.

Still, at the end of the day, “LEGO Batman” is more than just a 90-minute commercial for the famous toy line, although it certainly will help sell a batboat load of toys.

“LEGO Batman,” while not quite as imaginative or original as its predecessor, is a funny, action-filled and emotionally affecting animated film that will play well for Batman fans of all-ages.