#i will passionately craft a man for andrew

[homoeroticvillain]

one of these days im going to start shipping with andrew and not really cause i feel that way with him but cause he deserves to get bitches

[mercillery]

You already know who this is lmao. Since you wrote Andrew perfectly from IDV I GOTTA see how you write Frederick relationship overview 🙏💕 I love my poor disgruntled ex prodigee French man

WARNINGS: GENDER NOT SPECIFIED + NOT PROOFREAD

NOTES: I’ve got nothing to say about Frederick mains yet because I stopped playing around his release…but i’m sure his mains are fun to play with. I imagine they accidentally pop ciphers a lot too.

At first, Frederick would charm you in a way that feels almost unfair, like he’s playing a game you didn’t know you’d signed up for???

You’d find yourself completely entranced by Frederick—there’s no escaping it. This man doesn’t just walk into a room; he makes an entrance with a grace so smooth it practically slides in on polished shoes. He’s got this natural elegance that makes you wonder if he spends his weekends secretly training under some Victorian-era etiquette coach.

Every word, every subtle movement, is meticulously chosen to leave a lasting impression. You can almost hear a soundtrack playing whenever he talks. His gaze? Oh, it’s not just looking at you; it’s reading your very soul, flipping through your emotional pages like a well-loved book. This guy has the power to sweep any lady off their feet, whether they want to be swept or not. But don’t get too worried—you’re not just anyone to Frederick.

Dating Frederick is like a high-stakes thriller with poetic intermissions. When he’s chosen you as his focus, you’ll know it. He’s as devoted as a knight in shining armor with an artistic twist. Forget flowers—he’s out there composing symphonies that embody the way you laugh or the way you wrinkle your nose when you’re annoyed.

And yes, he’s that extra. But it’s not all rainbows and heartfelt sonatas. His passion runs as deep as the Mariana Trench, and with that comes a protective streak that would put guard dogs to shame.

His moments of jealousy? Let’s just say he doesn’t do halfway—Frederick only knows extremes. If you so much as wave at your barista a second too long, brace yourself for a brooding soliloquy about loyalty and his existential fear of being forgotten.

See, the man doesn’t just want to be liked or loved; he needs to be your everything. He’s got this internal scoreboard and if he’s not winning the gold medal in your heart, what’s the point? To Frederick, being mediocre is worse than losing—it’s being invisible, and he won’t settle for that. And honestly, why should he?

When it comes to love, Frederick doesn't do simple—no, he composes entire symphonies that could put Hollywood’s most dramatic love themes to shame. His idea of showing affection? It’s nothing short of an epic masterpiece.

You’d find yourself at the center of a grand concerto, where each note is painstakingly crafted to echo the highs, the lows, and those delicious in-betweens of your relationship. And, of course, private performances would become as routine as morning coffee.

Picture this: Frederick seated at a piano, fingers dancing across the keys, eyes darting to your face every other second as if he's trying to capture every flicker of your reaction. Is that awe? Is that admiration? Good. He’ll take that as a win. Your approval? It’s like a five-star review in a world where his love language is measured in crescendos and decrescendos.

But let's not forget—Frederick is a hopeless romantic, the kind who’s read Wuthering Heights one too many times and thought, Yeah, I can top that.

Love letters? Oh, they’re not just notes; they’re beautifully penned, metaphor-laden works of art that could make Shakespeare sit down and take notes. Candlelit concerts? He’s already planned three for next month, complete with a playlist that rivals the greatest romantic ballads in history.

And the surprises don’t stop there; you'll find flowers and little notes tucked into places you'd never expect: your bag, the fridge, maybe even the laundry hamper (don’t ask how they got there).

But for all his flair, Frederick isn’t just about grand gestures. There are those quieter, softer moments that catch you off guard and remind you that his love is as layered as one of his symphonies.

A simple lean of his head on your shoulder while you read, a touch so subtle you almost question if it happened, or that electric, intense gaze from across a crowded room—those moments are like a secret shared between the two of you. It’s like speaking an unspoken language, one where every glance and touch is a verse in an ever-unfolding poem that only the two of you understand.

Frederick’s sensitivity is a double-edged sword in your relationship, like owning a cat that’s both affectionate and completely unpredictable. On one hand, his perceptiveness is unmatched. This man could tell you’re upset from the way you’re stirring your coffee or the subtle shift in your smile.

Before you even have the chance to sigh, he’s there with those eyes full of concern, ready to listen and offer comfort that feels like a warm blanket on a cold day. It’s this deep empathy that forges an almost magical connection between you two, making you feel seen and understood in a way that’s rare. When Frederick’s with you, he’s with you—body, mind, and soul.

But there’s a catch, and it’s a big one.

His own emotions are about as stable as a teetering Jenga tower in the middle of an earthquake. Frederick feels everything on a scale of 1 to 100, with no in-between. Did you forget to say goodnight because you fell asleep? Prepare for an orchestra of internal questioning that could rival Hamlet’s soliloquy. Did you compliment a friend’s new jacket without immediately reassuring him that he still has the best taste in the room? Cue the silent spiral of doubt. He doesn’t just overthink—he over-operas. (Am I funny yet or do I just sound corny?)

Reassurance isn’t just appreciated; it’s essential. A simple “I’m here for you” can turn his internal storm into a calm, clear sky. Without it, his mind becomes a symphony of self-doubt, complete with the tragic overture of “Are they slipping away?”

And while it might sound exhausting, knowing this about Frederick means you’re sharing in something unique: a relationship where vulnerability is met with raw honesty and a commitment to each other’s emotional landscapes. Just be prepared for those moments when your calming words are the only thing standing between him and a full Shakespearean-level existential crisis.

While Frederick effortlessly projects an aura of undeniable charm and sophistication, it’s in those rare, private moments that you get to see beyond the polished exterior. These are the times when the cracks in his armor show, and you catch glimpses of the man behind the grandeur.

He’ll sit beside you, the gleam in his eyes softened, and open up about the disappointments that still gnaw at him. He’ll talk about the aching void left by his estranged family, the times he felt abandoned, and the relentless fear of mediocrity that follows him like a shadow he can’t shake.

It’s then you realize that his vanity isn’t just there to dazzle; it’s a well-crafted shield, desperately protecting the perfection-seeking artist who’s terrified of being truly seen and found wanting. In these moments, your acceptance of him—raw, imperfect, and honest—is worth more than a standing ovation at a sold-out concert.

But, spoiler alert: listening quietly won’t cut it.

He doesn’t just want to see that you’re present; he needs to hear your voice, feel your words like a balm on his frayed nerves. A silent nod isn’t enough when his mind is a cacophony of insecurities. He craves your reassurance like it’s the only song that can drown out the dissonance of self-doubt.

Then there are those times when Frederick’s paranoia takes center stage, and his brain transforms into a crime scene investigator looking for clues of your potential disinterest. Did you pause a beat too long before answering a question? He’ll dissect that silence like a forensic expert, eyes narrowing as if you just handed him the Rosetta Stone of heartbreak.

Even your simplest words or expressions are put under a microscope, magnified until he’s convinced he’s found proof that you’re slipping away. And yes, this can lead to some tension that’ll have you wondering if you’re in a relationship or a 24/7 reality show with constant performance reviews.

But here’s the twist—your patience and understanding are the keys to unlocking the security he craves. Sure, it might feel like you’re on an emotional tightrope at times, but when you take that moment to reassure him, to tell him he’s enough, you’ll see the tension melt away, and the storm in his eyes settle. Your steady, confident love is what helps Frederick silence the relentless chorus of doubt, making him feel seen, cherished, and—finally—secure.

Frederick has an eye for beauty, a radar for aesthetics, and a deep appreciation for life’s most elegant experiences, so if you’re with him, get ready for a whirlwind of high-class romance. Dates with Frederick aren’t just nights out—they’re productions.

Picture this: a night at the opera where he’s reserved the best seats, just for you and him, leaning close to whisper his insights on the music while his fingers absentmindedly trace patterns on your arm. Or an evening spent at a prestigious art gallery where he guides you from piece to piece, sharing stories and perspectives that make the artwork come alive.

Even a simple walk in the park with Frederick is elevated; he’s not just strolling—he’s carefully navigating to the most scenic routes, stopping at every blooming flower and golden-lit pond to take in the view and share a quiet moment of awe with you. He’ll glance at you with that expectant smile, as if to say, Isn’t this incredible?—and yes, he’ll definitely be checking to see if you agree.

And yes, if you’re wondering, he does have standards—expectations, even. Frederick doesn’t want to enjoy these experiences alone; he wants to bask in your shared appreciation, revel in your mutual admiration for art, architecture, and all things exceptional.

He’ll be delighted to show you off to his social circle, introducing you with a certain pride, as if you’re the finest piece in his collection of treasured things. But with that comes an unspoken agreement that you’ll match his refined demeanor and partake in his world of cultured conversation and elegant gestures.

Now, don’t get me wrong, he’s not expecting you to memorize 18th-century sonatas overnight or debate the merits of impressionism versus post-impressionism at every cocktail party. But if he catches even the slightest yawn during a concert or a vague, non-committal “It was fine” when he asks your thoughts on an exhibit—oh boy, brace yourself.

His brows will furrow in a way that says Is this really happening?, and suddenly, the air will feel a bit tense, like you’ve hit a wrong note in the symphony of his evening. He thrives on shared enthusiasm, so when he doesn’t see that spark in your eyes, he’s left wondering if you’re really on the same page or if you’d rather be anywhere else.

The key to navigating these moments? Patience and a touch of reassurance that, yes, you’re in this for the full experience—fancy outfits, whispered critiques at the opera, picturesque paths and all.

One thing about Frederick? He holds mediocrity in absolute contempt. This extends beyond his own aspirations and into the realm of your relationship, which, to him, is just another area where greatness must reign supreme.

If you're with Frederick, get ready for a personal coach, cheerleader, and, occasionally, an overly intense life mentor wrapped into one. He’ll push you to chase your dreams and won’t just clap when you reach a milestone—he’ll give you a standing ovation, complete with dramatic applause.

But with that passionate encouragement comes an edge; Frederick will also be your most unsparing critic, the kind who’ll say, “That was good, but it could be phenomenal,” right when you’re ready to celebrate. It’s motivating, sure, but if you don’t share his relentless pursuit of excellence or just need a break now and then, it might feel like you’re jogging beside someone who’s running an ultra-marathon…

If you really want Frederick to beam like he just won an award, show a genuine love for his craft or nurture a passion of your own. Respect for talent and hard work is practically woven into his DNA, so when he sees that you have your own spark, that’s when you become more than just a partner—you’re his muse, his equal, the one who fuels his artistic spirit.

Conversations with Frederick are not your run-of-the-mill small talk. Forget chatting about the weather or weekend plans; he’s here to unravel the mysteries of the human mind, ponder the nature of ambition, and debate the intricacies of creativity.

His interest in dissecting emotions, motivations, and talent isn’t just a casual hobby; it’s like he’s running a one-man TED Talk every time he opens his mouth.

And you? You’ll probably find yourself nodding along, wide-eyed, captivated by the way he speaks with such eloquence that even the most mundane statement sounds profound.

Honestly, he could say, “An orange is orange,” and you’d be nodding like, “Absolutely, that’s so true,” while trying not to swoon from the sheer brilliance of his delivery.

That said, these conversations aren’t just one-sided lectures. Frederick expects engagement, intellectual back-and-forth, even if it turns into a bit of a debate. And make no mistake—he’s got strong opinions and isn’t afraid to challenge yours, especially when it comes to art and talent.

But here’s the thing: he respects those who can spar with him in these verbal duels. If you stand your ground and hold your own, you’ll earn a rare, approving smile that makes all those philosophical tangents worth it.

Plus, there’s something quite mesmerizing about listening to him—his voice, rich and confident, pulls you in, and you’re left thinking, “Yes, Frederick, tell me more about the complexities of human nature and why oranges are orange,” while internally planning your Nobel Prize acceptance speech for keeping up with him.

Beneath Frederick’s air of grandeur and confident public persona, there’s a side of him that only you get to see—a soft, almost fragile version of himself that craves simple, unguarded intimacy. These are the moments when he lets the mask slip and the weight of being Frederick Kreiburg, the heir, the prodigy, the perfectionist, melts away.

It’s in these quiet interludes that you find him seeking solace, laying his head in your lap as you read, his fingers idly tracing patterns on your knee while he closes his eyes, enjoying the rare sense of peace. He doesn’t need to fill the silence with grand words or impressive declarations. In your shared space, the performance is over; he’s just Frederick, vulnerable and human, grateful that he doesn’t have to strive for perfection in your presence. Your presence alone is enough to soothe the symphony of doubt that usually plays on loop in his mind.

And while he might dazzle the crowds with his musical prowess and philosophical musings, one of his quieter passions is equestrianism—a skill that, unlike many of his pursuits, isn’t about impressing others but about finding a rare moment of freedom. It’s a pastime that lets him shed the pressure and simply enjoy life for what it is, the rhythmic pounding of hooves syncing with his heartbeat as he gallops across open fields, feeling the wind tug at his platinum hair.

When he invites you to join him on horseback rides, it’s more than just an activity; it’s an invitation into this private realm where he feels unburdened and alive. Teaching you to ride? Oh, he’ll approach it with all the patience and joy that he usually reserves for his most cherished pursuits. He’ll guide you with an amused smile as you find your balance, his hand never straying too far from yours, ready to steady you at the slightest wobble.

But nothing makes his heart lift quite like seeing you experience the same exhilaration that riding brings him. That shared thrill—the wind in your hair, the laughter that bubbles up as you both race through sun-dappled trails—is something he treasures. It’s one of the few times where his worries, ambitions, and relentless pursuit of excellence fade into the background, and it’s just the two of you, free and unbound.

And when he looks over at you, eyes bright and a grin cracking through his otherwise composed demeanor, you realize that, yes, this is Frederick at his happiest—not the heir or the virtuoso, but a man who, for once, is simply living in the moment, sharing it with the one person who makes it all more vibrant.

Ah, the shadows of Frederick’s past—a specter that never quite left him, always lingering in the corners of his mind, whispering doubts and sowing restlessness. There are days when this presence looms larger, and he becomes a man consumed by his inner turmoil, pacing like a caged lion or retreating into the sanctuary of his study.

In these moments, it’s like he’s waging a war with his thoughts, wrestling with the frustration of creative blocks or the relentless voice that tells him he’s never enough. He might shut the world out, drowning himself in a storm of music that’s as chaotic as his thoughts, fingers flying over the keys, each note a plea for peace that never quite comes.

It’s during these times that your role is both simple and profound. You may not know it, but your quiet, unwavering presence is the lighthouse guiding him through the storm.

A soft touch, the brush of your hand against his arm as you pass by, or just sitting in the room while he spirals—these things are the lifelines he doesn’t always know how to ask for but desperately needs. And while you might think that just being there isn’t enough, oh, how wrong you’d be.

The truth is, your patience and silent support do more than calm the chaos; they remind him that he isn’t alone in the struggle. Your reassurance is like a hidden chord in his symphony, one he clings to when the rest feels dissonant.

Of course, it’s not always easy. There will be times when the emotional weight feels as if it’s pressing down on you too, and you catch yourself thinking, Is this worth it?

And then you remember—remember the man behind the polished façade, the one who laughs a little too loudly when he’s truly caught off guard, or who looks at you with such raw, unguarded affection that it makes your heart stutter. The one who finds solace in resting his head in your lap and who lights up when he shares the simple joy of a horseback ride. The man who, despite his brilliance and bravado, is just as flawed and human as anyone else.

And in those moments, it doesn’t feel so exhausting. It feels like you’re part of something beautiful and rare—like you’re holding a piece of someone that no one else gets to touch, no matter how flawless his public persona may seem.

You realize that while being with Frederick comes with its trials, it also comes with moments of breathtaking vulnerability and love so consuming that it makes every struggle worth it. Because underneath the charm, the intensity, and the restless ambition is a man who, at the end of the day, needs you more than he’ll ever admit out loud. And that? That makes it all worthwhile.

[toomanywatchers]

How Steven Lim Impacted Me Growing Up:

I may have joined the Watcher fandom about a year ago, but I have known Steven since the early days of BuzzFeed. That's right, I have always been a Worth It guy since Season 2 if my memory is correct. I have been a fan of food content as some of the many reality TV shows I would watch with my family growing up were competitive food shows a la Gordon Rasmey shows. The thing that differed me from the rest of my family is that I would indulge in YouTube content more than traditional media.

That is why I believe middle-school-me was inclined to click on my first Worth It video; “$17 Fried Chicken Vs. $500 Fried Chicken”. Though I clicked for the visually satisfying display of fried chicken-based dishes, I stayed for a completely different reason. Steven not only crafted a well-organized show while displaying a fun dynamic with his coworkers, and might I add his close friends- Andrew Ilnyckyj and Adam Bianchi- Steven also made a show beyond food and getting to share those experiences with friends;

He made a show to exhibit a wide range of cultures and traditions among various backgrounds masked by the concept of food/cooking for others. Covering a wide range of foods while also traveling to different countries to experience the culture face-to-face, and sharing these experiences with the world via YouTube. For me, a kid mainly watching people goof off while playing video games with each other, a show with so much substance should have not captured my attention at that age, but it did.

Now that I am an adult (of sorts), my appreciation for what Steven has made with Worth It has just blossomed into something real with meaning, and understanding. That same love and appreciation for Steven has tied over into Watcher when I realized he was one of the 3 CEOs of the company. Where, might I add, I see him coming out of his shell even more with Shane and Ryan and ultimately having the creative freedom to make what he wants to make, and make it how he wants to make it.

With the fact that he can create whatever now, Steven still bases his shows on a deeper meaning in understanding all the sides of various people.

Family. Passion. Love. Appreciation. Learning. -and- Experiencing.

Not only are his shows based on this deeper meaning, but he has also shown his selflessness by helping raise money for many charities and speaking out for the Asian and LGBTQ+ community. Let’s never forget too that he put the burden of dealing with the business side of Watcher and putting aside his creative wishes to make sure the company stays afloat. He has done so much for us, the fans, and the one thing this man deserves is our respect.

Steven Lim is truly an amazing guy from what I can see/what others close to him say on his behalf. Along with the few conversations I've been granted to have with him in the obeaver chat on the Wiscord. Steven cares about Watcher so much, and it shows. He has truly inspired me, along with the rest of team Watcher, to push and create. To push myself outside of my comfort zone to better myself as a creative individual, and all in all inspired me to take the leap and actually pursue my dreams in video production.

I hope Steven knows how much the fans love and appreciate everything he does for us, and I hope that one day I can say all of this and more to him in person.

We love you Steven Lim, and we are excited for what you continue to make for us all! <3

[septembersghost]

As our Austin and Andrew girl, why do you think Austin has been treated badly for Elvis when I don't remember Andrew getting that criticism for tick tick boom?

i understand why you draw the parallel, both of them are such talented, empathetic actors, both of them really dedicated themselves to those roles, but it's still very apples and oranges, in the end there are a lot of reasons. ttb is a beautiful film, while it doesn't bear the burden of being as grand in scale, nor about someone world famous. i wouldn't expect the average, non-broadway aficionado, audience to know who jonathan was, but most people at the very least have an image of elvis, if not a litany of stereotypes to also go with it. ttb is a musical in the truest sense of the term, and not a biopic, really - it's part autobiographical, but jonathan was telling a story through his writing too. andrew and austin both took various lessons to prepare and sang (amazingly!), but austin had a far more overwhelming mountain to climb there because of who he was playing. the fact that he surpassed that expectation is astonishing. baz and other creatives who worked on elvis have said a true biopic was not their goal (that the word itself was even verboten on set), and i'd actually hesitate to categorize it as one in some ways, i think it somewhat simplifies what the film is and its purpose, but the...stigma? that goes along with that was attached to it anyway. what's particularly odd is this seems to only accompany biopics of musicians - will's oscar last year was literally for a sports biopic? anyway -

in their unique ways and approaches to their crafts, andrew immersed himself in jonathan, austin immersed himself in elvis, but only one of those comes with both an icon and a joke connotation in pop culture. austin also, to most people, seemingly came out of nowhere, whereas andrew is already established, so people saw this "kid" (he is 31! but i've seen him referred to in this way a lot) playing this unthinkably famous man (trying to comprehend his level of fame and the sheer amount of stuff - true, false, idolizing, spurious, out there - is too much to wrap my mind around, in awed and heartbreaking ways) and were making a lot of judgments and preconceptions. there was that snide, ridiculous attitude towards austin's voice (andrew had to drop his own accent and speak like jonathan! but the judgment here stems particularly from the baggage surrounding elvis' "southern drawl"), there seemed to be this idea that he was too genuine and therefore ~cringey~ (or so genuine, in fact, that it must've been disingenuous! make it make sense), and that the level of care he took and felt was weird/extra. almost all of this has to do, ultimately, with the way elvis himself is perceived, despite the film doing its utmost to dispel that and reach for his humanity. *we* know that, but the overriding noise of social media and the press cycle was starkly different for a long list of reasons.

jonathan's sister speaking about ttb and andrew, and how true and moving his performance is, giving some measure of her brother back to her, being like seeing his light and life again, makes me think so strongly of lisa marie and her response and pride in elvis and the way austin captured the heart and soul of her father - both of which are the most important responses and amongst the greatest gifts those films provided. they were both crafted with respect, reverence, and love.

they should feel nothing but proud of their extraordinary performances and the films they made, which truly touched people and introduced them to other music and art they might not have experienced. the press fades, and what remains is the work. what also remains is who they've proven themselves to be as human beings. i love that both of them are such passionate, introspective humans and provide such insight, into their art but also their perspectives. andrew is well-regarded for a reason. austin, this entire awards season, established himself with graciousness and humility and kindness, and that impacted a lot of people (not only fans, but those across the entire industry, including other, more famous, actors, which is why we saw so many of them take him under their wings or gravitate towards him, and he mentioned himself how much that newfound camaraderie meant to him). his next project will shift the narrative and hopefully no one will focus on the superfluous things. what will stick is the compassion and the meaning of what was created.

[brightviewblog]

Q+A

Andrew Gagne and Henning Reinholdt are two key members of the local band, Bright View. Gagne is the lead vocalist and Reinholdt maintains the beat on the drums. As well as an additional two members, Declan Rider dually plays the guitar and piano, and Rob Ricz as the bass. Four band members from all different backgrounds, and corners of New England such as Maine, and New Hampshire came together during their freshman year at Endicott College and formed a unique cover band. This band sprouted during their sophomore year at Endicott College when they were eager to transform their friendship into a cohesive band. Gagne started his love for singing when he was in Middle School and looked up to his vocally talented sister, and wanted to be just as great as her. Reinhold formed his love for drumming throughout high school and knew it was a talent that would bleed into his collegiate career. While Gagne is planning on becoming instrumentally fluent just like his bandmates, he is still enjoying mastering his vocal craft and elevating the band with it. The band is also working towards twisting existing music to gain more chemistry and ease into original content. For example, they turned a traditional piano ballad into a rock song through their creativity. This is how Gagne and Reinoldt believe they set themselves apart from existing local bands, as their friendship and passion show through their music. Andrew, Henning, Rob, and Declan have a bright future ahead of them, which is articulated very well in the interview. Looking into the future, Gagne and Reinholdt have plans to study abroad in Ireland for four months in the fall, they both are confident that the band will stay intact and even perform better once they are together again. 

Tell me, how did the band start?

Andrew: Me and Declan last year would come and do like little two-man stuff with just an acoustic guitar and a voice but we always watched other bands and we talked about it a little bit last year… I mean we were friends with Henning and we didn’t really know Rob but we liked the band so we talked about filling in and we just got started this year right away, it’s been fun. 

What are your individual roles for the band? How did you start?

Henning: I play the drums so I hold the beat down for the song and I set the cadence- so if it’s a slower rap song ill probably be playing more tighter, quite sounding drums- or if it’s like a rock song ill be playing more symbols- it’s just about volume and keeping everyone in the same kind of rhythm.

Andrew:  Im just a vocalist- I’m not an instrumentalist right now, its definitely something I want to work towards, but it takes time. It definitely takes time. When I was growing up, my sister was big into the theater, chorus scene.  So me trying to one -up her all the time, I got into it, too, and tried to just be better than her. So it's definitely a huge stylistic change, too, from what I was doing in high school and middle school to what I'm doing now.  when I came when I came into college I'd like swore off music just because I'd been doing it for so long that I was like I was done but I guess it's just the people I start hanging around with drag me back in and I'm still like I'm still off of like where I was in high school was all chorus and theater so I'm off that but it's been fun with the band 

Where do you primarily perform? Do you enjoy performing?

Andrew: So we basically just book all our own gigs, whenever we want to around campus. I mean, we’re definitely interested in expanding it outside of campus, but so far the opportunity just hasn't come for us to. 

Henning: I think it’s like easier when it’s just us playing because we get to put together like a five-song performance rather than wait to play… this band is a lot more fun just because we’re close friends all of us and there's good banter… it makes the music experience a lot cooler. 

What is your musical process? What are the challenges?

Andrew: So far we need to improve our process I think definitely that's one of our areas where we’re all needing to improve because we're all such go-with-the-flow people that will text and say we’ll practice tomorrow but then we just don't feel like it or something comes up. 

Henning: We hold the phone up to the amp and we listen to all of our parts and then everyone kind of gets a feel for it and then we just see how far we can make it playing the song together and then we just play it over and over. 

Andrew: You always start with the skeleton of a song, just the chords and the basic melodies. And then you just try to add like little accents and layers where to make it sound like a little bit more full. 

Have you begun playing original music? 

Andrew: We’re in the process of that right now, I mean as a new band we just kind of tried to do covers to get ourselves started and kind of gain some chemistry. There have been a couple of songs that we changed up the styles. There’s a song called Lou by Richy Mitch and The Coal Miners that was generally like a slower piano ballad type of song, but we tried to rock it out a little more so that it could fit our band style. 

Henning: I think the next step is to write all together, get in a room together, and just all decide what we want it to sound like then we can write lyrics together and stuff- but that's further down the line right now. 

Do you come across any conflicts within the group?

Andrew: Definitely, since were all friends, were not afraid to call each other out. If we weren’t friends then it would be way more awkward. 

Henning: There’d be moments of a little grimace on my face, it’d be these moments of onset tension…it would make shit really hard to finish. Like we would not get through stuff very quickly. 

Are there any lasting details about being in a band youd like to add? 

Henning: Well, I think it's cool because Andrew and Declan have never really been in a band before and for like relatively like new band members, they're very easy to work with and like very talented people so I think it just goes to show that anyone should try music, like you know, it doesn't matter what level you are or if you think you can't sing or whatever.  Andrew:  I was definitely hesitant to jump into it here in front of like everyone that I go to school with every day, but like, I think people just need to understand that it's not that serious. Like, it's purely for fun, so like, just do what makes you happy and get it done.

[andrews-reviews-and-thoughts]

Andrew's Review of The Inventor (by Jim Capobianco)

Note: This review was made during the time of the 2023 Writers’ and Actors’ Strike (and finished in November of 2023). Despite not being an official reviewer for a website or publisher, I still stand with the strikers and their attempts to gain better wages and treatments for the work they do. As The Inventor is a film made out of passion, this disclaimer is especially applicable to those who work for something that they love doing. I can only hope for the best that the actors and writers get what they want, and continue to make films like this one under the best circumstances. Learn more at entertainmentcommunity.org

                                             The Inventor

   Well, would you look at that, another stop-motion film has come out. I have got to say, when it comes to stop-motion in the 2020s, it has had a good run so far. Whether it be with Aardman producing Shaun the Sheep for Netflix and the Star Wars: Visions short, “I Am Your Mother”, for Disney+, or individual creators like Henry Selick and Guillermo del Toro making animated films like Wendell and Wild and Pinocchio, they have proven to be standouts in their respective years. But this one is not just a regular stop-motion film. This one is the brainchild of Disney and Pixar veteran Jim Capobianco, who has worked as a storyboard trainee on The Lion King, an animation sequence supervisor on Mary Poppins Returns, and, most notably, as one of the writers for Ratatouille, which he got an Oscar nomination for. Back in 2009, he made a short film called "Leonardo,” which was about the life of famous Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, who Capobianco became fascinated with as a person. So much so that in 2018, he started preproduction on an expansion of that short as a feature film that would blend stop-motion with hand-drawn animation! That alone should make this an interesting feature to look at! And with the help of Pierre-Luc Granjon as co-director, Don Hahn as an executive producer, and Cartoon Saloon’s Tomm Moore as a creative consultant, Capobianco has finally released The Inventor to the big screen. That’s right, not to streaming, but to movie theaters. I don’t think there has been a stop-motion film in theaters since Missing Link back in 2019! So now that we will be looking into the life of Leonardo da Vinci, will this film be as grand as his creations, or will it be given the same treatment as Leo was under the Catholic Church? Let’s find out.

The Story

   When the film begins, it acknowledges that it is based on the life of Leonardo da Vinci, mainly involving his time at the French court in the 1510s. While some would think that this is a biographical picture of how Leonardo made his creations during that time, that is not really the case. Yes, the story does involve him leaving Italy for the French court, along with his attempts to make an ideal city there. But instead of focusing on ‘the life of the great Leonardo’, The Inventor treats itself as a way of delving into da Vinci’s philosophies and goals through the setting that he is in. As a man in the early 16th century who has a curious mind and craft for creating things, he and his ideas are constantly opposed by those around him, rather it be by the restrictive Catholic Church, or by people who, as Leonardo said it best, “cannot see.” It is due to the struggles that da Vinci faces that the film is able to spread out its messages, or more specifically, Leonardo’s viewpoints. These can range from how people will adapt to machines of war and continue an endless cycle of violence; how a religious group like the Catholic Church can be so dismissive of other views and suggestions that it will act against its intended nature as a group that spreads the love of God; and most notably, how people can see one’s ideas, and how willing they are to accept them. (The scene where Leo tells Princess Marguerite about the three types of people he has encountered: Those who see, those who can be made to see, and those who cannot see, is shown.)

   In a way, this could be viewed as commentary on not just the behavior and psychology of people, but also the modern world, since most of today’s recent controversies spring from people who refuse to understand something new or progressive, and will violently deny or fight back against it because it does not match up with their limited views of what should be. But there is another thing that this film addresses, which is Leonardo’s pursuit of what the human soul is. Throughout the feature, Leo constantly tries to figure out what it is all about, and asks some rather deep questions for a family-friendly film. What is the meaning of life? Is there a point to our existence? Why is the soul there, and what is it meant for? And by the end of the film, the answer that is given is one that will probably touch deep with several people. While not a full-on biography, and most likely not a completely accurate one, the story still delves deep into the mindset of Leonardo da Vinci, and the questions and views that he posited.

The Animation

   When one hears the words, “from one of the writers of Ratatouille,” they would probably wonder why someone from a CGI-heavy animation studio like Pixar would use stop-motion and hand-drawn animation for this film. Well, as I have mentioned before, Jim Capobianco is already familiar with hand-drawn through his past works, but the most prominent example of his adaptability is the short film that came with the Ratatouille DVD, “Your Friend the Rat.” While Remy and Emile stay their 3D selves, the rest of the short uses a mixture of visual styles, from 2D animation in the style of Ward Kimball’s educational cartoons from the 1950s, to small bits of live-action, pixel art, and, yes, stop-motion. So I think it is safe to say that Jim has plenty of experience to implement those art forms into his own feature.

   But getting back to The Inventor, one thing that stands out upon first notice is the designs. When looking at the characters, it is very easy to make comparisons to the Rankin-Bass specials. The heads are rather ovular, their bodies are clearly reminiscent of toy models, and their eyes are merely black dots much like Yukon Cornelius, Santa and Mrs. Claus’ eyes were in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Simple designs, I know, but they are still rather charming to look at, and do have a thematic reason for looking the way they do. Considering how this film is about Leonardo da Vinci, it technically fits in with his work as a tinkerer. Do the characters seem like little figurines, and the buildings and backgrounds around them look like models? Good, because that is basically what Leonardo is doing with his sketches and contraptions. Even when there are a few characters with stand-out details like Leo’s mouth sometimes appearing over his beard, and Pope Leo X having a jaw similar to Burgermeister Meisterburger’s, it is easy to imagine that someone is experimenting with their models to see what else can be done.

   As for how the characters move, they do have a good amount of fluidity to them. Not to the extent of Laika’s features, but more so Aardman’s films, where the character animation moves at a good pace, and does follow the anatomy of the human body. And even with the designs being simple, the characters are still able to express their feelings, whether it be through how they move their bodies, or letting the mouth, the eyebrows and whatever else is around the eyes to do the emoting. But I am sure you have all been waiting for me to discuss the film’s standout element, the use of hand-drawn animation.

   Throughout the feature, hand-drawn is often used to convey what Leonardo is thinking about, or as a way for a montage or exposition to happen, and It Looks Beautiful. While not changing any of the characters��� designs, the animation does stick close to the artstyle of Leonardo da Vinci, where there are detailed sketches, watercolor and oil paint making up the backgrounds, and even a couple of references to da Vinci’s own artwork. Combine that with some smooth and fluid animation, and having the camera move about to show dynamic angles, and you have got one of the highlights of the picture, especially when Leonardo has one of his soul visions. (Leonardo’s second vision of him trying to reach the female figure is shown.) It is also worth noting that hand-drawn animation does appear within the stop-motion world, and it blends rather well with the full-dimensional figures. Some examples include Leonardo’s thoughts appearing as sketches; the shadowy spies of the Pope slinking about the walls and floors as Literal shadows; and during some of the musical numbers, where the hand-drawn animation both serves as a representation of what the characters want, and interacts with the stop-motion figures most often. (A section from “An Ideal City” where a swarm of people carry away King Francis is shown.) If I were to guess how much which type of animation was used, then I would say it is 65% stop-motion and 35% hand-drawn. And considering how often hand-drawn appears, I think it is safe to say that people will be pleased by the amount that is shown. With some charming stop-motion and a plentiful use of hand-drawn, the animation in The Inventor perfectly replicates the artistic mindset of Leonardo da Vinci.

The Characters

   While there are several characters in here who are based on real people, accurately depicting them is not the movie’s main goal. Again, the goal is to spread the message of Leonardo’s mindset. And who better to start off with than Leonardo da Vinci himself. As an artist and philosopher, Leo is fascinated by everything around him, and seeks to find out as much as he can while trying to bring his ideas and observations to life. However, doing so is easier said than done. Along with the restrictiveness of the Catholic Church, he is faced with scrutiny from people whose views do not match with what Leo sees. Even if what he brings up is technologically impressive and could benefit society, they would rather him do as he is told and stick to what is traditionally acceptable. On top of that, Leonardo is already an old man, and will eventually have to move on, so his studies into architecture, machinery, the human soul, and even the dissection of cadavers could be seen as him trying to make an impact before time catches up with him.

   As for the other characters, I will admit that there can be those who are mostly there to serve certain roles for the plot, and do not have as much development as Leonardo. But even with that, they still do serve their roles well and can stand on their own. First, there is Francesco Melzi, Leonardo’s apprentice who is the closest confidant and friend the old man has. While Melzi is mainly an assistant who is there for da Vinci to talk to, he is still loyal to the old man and helps him out with his experiments, while also trying to remind him of how he should not get into trouble with the people up top. Alongside the apprentice is Zoroastro, the silent heavy muscle who helps Leonardo with construction and retrieving cadavers. Then there is King Francis I, the King of France who invites Leonardo into his court after witnessing one of his inventions. However, while his interest in Leonardo is genuine, it only goes so far, since he wants the artist to make statues of himself to show off to the other kings. And with his blustery attitude adding to his shortsightedness, this often leads to his mother, Louise of Savoy, to be the one to take charge of the situation and determine what is best.

   And then there are two characters who stand out above the rest. The first of the two is Princess Marguerite de Navarre. Out of all the characters, she is the one whose role and development is able to stand toe-to-toe with Leonardo’s. Unlike her brother Francis, Marguerite is more in touch with the civilians of her kingdom, and prioritizes giving them comfort. This mindset draws her towards Leonardo, whose concepts for an ideal city and queries into the universe give her someone she can view and confide in as an equal, while also giving the inventor someone in the upper class to share and teach his ideas to who can hopefully make things go for the better.

   And the other character is Pope Leo X. While only present in the beginning of the film and the end of the second act, his scenes alone are one of the film’s highlights. As the head of the Catholic Church, he is portrayed as a grown man with a childlike attitude, often giving out fiery statements of what is right and wrong, stating one thing in the moment only to hypocritically state another the next minute, and being swayed by whoever is near him. And with him sending out spies to observe what Leonardo is doing, along with being a bit gung-ho for confronting people, he shows how a religious group that is meant to spread the teachings of God and His love can Easily turn into an oppressive regime that is more focused on maintaining a status quo that barely resembles the group’s original intentions.   And considering my comments sound like critiques against a major system of power, I’m probably next on the Pope’s chopping block after Leonardo. (A clip is shown of Francesco telling Leonardo his ideas will “get him into trouble.” The Pope: “BLAS-PHE-MYYYYYY!!!!!” Francesco: “Like, dead trouble.”)

   I would also like to point out that the actors did a good job bringing their characters to life, while also adding to their personalities. These include Stephen Fry’s inquisitive warmth in Leonardo; Daisy Ridley’s curious wonder in Marguerite; Marion Cotillard’s strict and regal tone for Louise of Savoy; and Matt Berry giving out a pompous performance befitting Pope Leo X. Alongside some nice voice acting, the characters come together to show what it is that Leonardo seeks, and can even leave a bit of an impact on the viewer.

The Songs

   Yes, much like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, this is another stop-motion animated film with songs in it. However, I wouldn’t exactly categorize these as ‘musical numbers’ per say. They instead serve a similar role to the songs in Pinocchio, where, instead of being big, lavish song-and-dance numbers, they are meant to either help show the characters’ wants and states of mind, or progress the story, often through montages.

   The first song of the movie is “The Shepherd’s Song,” which is more of a hymn or sermon that Pope Leo gives to Leonardo, while indirectly describing how he spreads the religious teachings of the Catholic Church. (“The shepherd leads the way / Sheep go about their day / They grow their wool, they breed, and then they die”) Following afterwards is “Mona Lisa,” a brief lament from Leonardo on his situation in Rome and how he may have to stop his studies. (“What counsel can you give me? / Have we really reached the end?” / “We’re out of time, we’re out of time / There’s nowhere left to go”) Then there is “Leonardo’s New Home,” a jaunty little song that also counts as the first ‘montage’ song, accompanying da Vinci as he prepares to bring his ideas to France. (“This will be the perfect library / A study beyond compare! / I could openly look at any book / The Pope need not know nor care”) After a while is “From This Tiny Seed,” sung by Princess Marguerite as she starts to work with da Vinci on the ideal city and what she wants from it. (“Each fulfills their role / Each part forms a whole / Our community / Exists in harmony”)

  Then the next song is “An Ideal City,” where da Vinci and Marguerite present the planned ideal city and how it will work. (“Humans and garlands / With God’s creation / To all the world / An inspiration / That’s what’s in store / For our ideal city / And what’s more / It’s charming and pretty”) After that is “Kings!,” heralding the arrival of the other European kings. Out of all the songs here, this is the one that would fit the most into a Rankin-Bass special, since it is a more fun song that acts like an event rather than a part of the plot. Think of it as the equivalent to “Fourth of July Parade” from Rudolph’s Shiny New Year. (“On your knees / Pay tribute to your kings / About to meet / [Can’t quite discern what is said here. Sorry] simple little things”) Following afterwards is a combined reprise of “Mona Lisa” and “From This Tiny Seed,” but since that one contains some spoilers, all I will say is that it shows Leonardo rising from his lowest moment. So let’s move on to “En Garde, Pret, Allez!”, which is another ‘montage’ song sung by Louise of Savoy while she helps King Francis entertain the other kings. (“En Garde, Pret, Allez / First you’re winning / Then your plans all go astray / When the world makes you feel dizzy / Don’t go into a tizzy / Turn your spinning into a ballet”) And finally, there is “Song of the Stars,” which acts like the final thesis statement of the film. (“See things unseen / Behind the screen / Ever beyond our reach”)

   I will admit, by the time I started making this review, I was having a bit of trouble remembering how the songs went, since some of their melodies can blend together if you’re not paying attention, and their status as ‘slower-paced, non-Broadway songs’ prevents them from being as catchy as a song from Disney. But after taking the time to listen to them individually, I can say that they are rather good. Along with having some nice lyrics and music conducted by Alex Mandel, each of the songs do have their place in the story. Again, they are primarily meant to help establish what the characters think and want, and they do a good job of conveying the hopes and ideas that Leonardo and Marguerite have. Even the montage songs are entertaining in their own right, since they have the animation help show what the characters are trying to do to achieve their goals. The songs in this movie may not be one of the main spectacles on display, but they are still an essential part, and can bring their own value to the picture.

   There have been several big events in theaters this year, but this film is easily up there as one of my top experiences. The Inventor is an amazing film that serves as a celebration of Leonardo da Vinci. The story is simple, yet contains some deep themes and questions; the animation is beautiful and pays tribute to what came before, whether it be the stop-motion Rankin-Bass specials or da Vinci’s hand-drawn sketches; the characters have some nice acting while also being capable of leaving a huge presence; and the songs, while not grand, do help accentuate the characters’ wants, and the themes of the film. If you are a fan of stop-motion, hand-drawn, art, or are interested in Leonardo da Vinci and his creations, this is a must-watch! In fact, I can see this being shown in art classes for kids to watch, even if some of the subject matter may fly over their heads. And while, yes, this was not shown much in theaters and is currently out of them, The Inventor is now available on demand and online, so I would still recommend giving it a watch. I would also suggest sticking through the credits. Not only will you find a few fun Easter eggs in them, but you will also get a look at the behind-the-scenes process of the picture, and have a deeper appreciation for the people who helped bring it to life, either through directly working on it, or just through the Kickstarter campaign. This may not have been as hugely promoted as Mario or any other blockbuster in 2023, but The Inventor is on the same level of quality as Elemental, Nimona, and Across the Spider-Verse, and will be one of my personal favorite films I have watched this year.

Story: 10/10. Animation: 10/10. Characters: 9/10. Songs: 8 or 9/10. Overall Rating: 9/10.

Dingle, Jon. “Interview: Jim Capobianco Chats ‘Ratatouille’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Inventor’.” Filmoria, 15 May 2018, https://www.filmoria.co.uk/interview-jim-capobianco-chats-ratatouille-the-lion-king-and-the-inventor/.

[42ndand5th]

I don't, I want him uncastable. He's digusting to look at and we lie to him from birth. But by god, the kid wants to act, so we let him. It goes nowhere until it doesn't. One day, an ad is placed for Hideous Boy, and he is discovered, his throbbing flesh irresistible to Robert Eggers or Ari Aster or whoever the fuck. He catapults into the clouds, a golden Icarus. #HideousBoyWinter is inescapable, a trend consisting entirely of starvation. PETA gets involved. The Boy makes the rounds: chats up every Jimmy and John, gives a Wired autocomplete interview, does a rom-dram with Saorise Ronan, and is presented an Indie Spirit Award for Unsightliness by Robert Duvall's widow. Everything couldn't be smoother. But then... He invests in himself. Hideous Boy wants to be Beautiful Man. He turns his life around, becomes healthy. He is glowing and no one is interested. No one will speak to him in this state. Unrecognizable without the sustained punishment that was his visage. His profits dwindle. He has crafted a paradox wherein his Hideousness is what brings riches, but he can never use his gains to escape repulsion or their plentiful nature will cease. Hideous Boy cannot improve or change, cannot become new or different, only older and grosser.

He grows tired of his fable and tries to return home. We tell him in our house you can be anything you wish: ugly, beautiful, saintly, or asexual, but preferably not the last one. We only ask you load the dishwasher at night. He rejects this immediately and moves to the Hollywood Hills where he loses a massive lawsuit ascribing thousands of deaths to an interview he gave to Chapel Moan, a CNN presenter in 2027, in which he cites his diet of 'strawberries and La Croix with a little bit of paint' as maintaining his narsty looks. This advice was immediately emulated by every listener of every podcast, including their hosts, resulting in massive mortuary overfill across the nation. Then people started making TikToks with the dead bodies and it was called 'Weakened with Bernie' and it was a whole thing. Hideous Boy had to re-mortgage his house and turn himself into a Living Zoo to pay the settlement. He invited members of the public to come watch him in squalor.

A woman by the name of Christine arrives. She looks upon Hideous Boy without pity, seeing only financial opportunity and tons of it. He takes her in and she, him. Together they forge a bond of passion and madness that can only be described as "a total rip-off of Andrew Lloyd Webber's already derivative bullshit", by a Pitchfork critic (PF in 2030 only reviews real people). Side by side, they begin a fraudulent lifestyle business structured around supplements which are cumulatively neurotoxic, but ultimately paid for by such a milieu of companies that the legality of its ownership is murky enough to tie up the courts for years. This allows Christine and Hideous Boy to swindle their way across the country, house to house, before eventually settling down in the middle of the Grand Canyon. They build a duplex just past the federal 'no trespassers' signs which is a great idea because the rangers are absolute cucks and actually obey those things and the government is on an "anti-landscape" charade and won't be caught dead anywhere remotely gorgeous. The two of them become a tourist trap, literally, so that passersby fall into a hole in the ground and have to pay $20 to rent a ladder to get out. They are wildly successful and deeply in love. When they die in 2055, we let Etsy taxidermists come and skin their duplicitous flesh to make coats for the Four Presidents, all of whom cited Hideous Boy as an role model, and we carve his face into the moon. "Christine"' is revealed post-mortem to be the name administered by Witness Protection to Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for a signed photo of the cast of Scrubs, that incorrigible old bitch. The country is called Cheerios and its capital is Toast Crunch - we had to drop 'Cinnamon' after an outcry from white people speaking on behalf of latinos they had never met. A monkey runs the treasury. All is well.

The end.

id love to be a fAther to a beautiful character actor

[influencermagazineuk]

The Rise and Success of Andrew Garfield, From Social Network to Spider-Man

Andrew Garfield Andrew Garfield is an English-American actor who has been making waves in Hollywood with his critically acclaimed performances. He rose to prominence with his portrayal of Eduardo Saverin in the 2010 movie, The Social Network, and went on to play the iconic superhero, Spider-Man, in two of the franchise's movies. In this article, we will delve into the career of Andrew Garfield and explore the reasons for his success. One of Garfield's most notable performances was in The Social Network, which earned him a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor. He later received another BAFTA nomination for his portrayal of a Jesuit priest in the 2016 movie, Silence. Garfield's ability to bring depth and authenticity to his characters has been praised by both critics and audiences alike. Garfield's star continued to rise with his casting as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2. His portrayal of the superhero was widely praised for its humor, charm, and emotional depth. He also won the hearts of fans with his chemistry with co-star Emma Stone. Garfield has also starred in a variety of other films, including Hacksaw Ridge, where he played a World War II medic, and Never Let Me Go, where he played a man grappling with his mortality. He has also made appearances in theater productions, including a critically acclaimed performance in the Broadway revival of Angels in America. Despite his success, Garfield has remained grounded and committed to his craft. He has been vocal about his love of acting and his passion for storytelling. In an interview with The Guardian, he said, "I just want to be part of stories that inspire me and move me." Read the full article

[pure1024]

Once a dream house, transformed thru action created, materialized so others can see it too.

Most would not think of creating a Chapel for Rescued Pigs, but Andrew did and this ensued from a skeleton left behind, salvaged from another's lost dream.

What have you in mind to find and assemble to create your dreams in real time, perhaps one that is divine, for your life still left to live? Give something incredible back to the world by treating yourself to a tiny house and a new life skill that will not kill but restore the best of America where it is truly needed most. Follow your passions, and your instincts, and live that life right.

Once upon a time, a young man named Jerry started on a tiny house project but took the wrong direction and soon left it far behind. The skeleton of the near-framed dream was incomplete and had a few flaws but sat idle, waiting for the energy to grow. Andrew came along one day with a dream he wanted to portray and decided to take on the one in Manifestation Bay, still laid neglected, idle, and incomplete. Just like the Ugly Duckling that was abandoned and became the Temple Tantra for my home, this little frame had been abandoned until Andrew came along. Now it’s looking pretty good for a Chapel that goes on a trailer to deliver and then goes off to live thereon. The frame was started a few years ago be left behind when the young man had to go. Then came Andrew with a dream that, unlike others, did so seem to have great merit and his will to manifest what is a thrill.

An altar for the candles to burn in memory of the tiny little pig that was a pet until he needed bigger spaces to grow up, 400 lbs, but to big for in the home, then moved off to such pig rescues as this chapel will go to. Mom and Dad still come to see them as they age and grow, play with other sows they make friends with as they age till they must go. This will be the chapel for the memories that it will hold, perhaps some favorite pictures and some incense, each to show that humans and such sentient Beings as pigs, or dogs, and cats you see, are friends that find true love to be a lifelong friend affair. This tribute to such animals is what Andrew is doing here… and feeling as I do for Scarlet, our pig wii love and know, I understand the reason it’s so beautiful and shows that love between the species that I am sure will always grow.

Please join me in 2023 to create more of such sustainable things as Art Houses that will last for uses a hundred years or more instead of throwing this away with no more in the stores. Help me grow Pure Salvage Living for the past is free to grow a future from that is worth living, not to be trashed and just let go. Save the best and build a new home that will be unique and last. Share the pictures and ideas so that this will be the past that children born today will cherish, treasures crafted with a Light on the things that are done right.

Brad w. Kittel

Tiny Texas Houses & SpaceMagic Salvage Designs

bwk@tinytexashouses.com for packages of materials, designs, consulting, and more… for paid subscribers. Appointment only to the 100,000 SF of warehouses full of windows, doors, floors, trim, and more for subscribers only.

Visit and dream in the BnB at Salvage, Texas if you want to shop, plan, design, and ship it home to assemble your dreams into a house one day too.

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Creating Organic Tiny Cottages, sustainable hOMes, toxin & Import-Free, beautifully built to grow a healthy free-living permaculture paradise Wii call Salvage, Texas. Youthful passionate Food Jungle Pure Salvage Living.

[comfortscripts]

You Deserve It All ¬ Andrew G.

Plot - He was incredible in every sense of the word, and you couldn't be prouder of the actor he has become. Genre - Fluff Pairing - Andrew Garfield x GN!reader Notes/Warnings - Alluding to sexual activities, cheesy praise, champagne, just the reader being supportive and Andrew being insecure ish. Golden Globes wasn't a live event so this is just them at home finding out and celebrating. Word Count - 0.8k

It wasn’t typical.

There were no blinding lights, anxious gazes or cheering crowds. No floor length gowns and perfectly crafted suits. There was no fame or intrigue seeping through every door.

There was only the pair of you.

Swapping designer clothes for pyjamas, hair untouched as it flowed free, and a single bottle of champagne that seemed to rattle in anticipation amongst plates with remnants of a homecooked meal. Andrew would never admit it to anyone besides you, but he would choose this setup over a thousand award shows.

Soft hums of the classical radio drifted through the air as you refreshed the page for the millionth time, slamming the button in hopes it would show a result that was followed by the pop of the cork.

“I swear that they were going to announce it at 8pm!”

The delicate touch of his arm wrapping across your waist to pull you into his embrace calmed your frazzled senses. The aroma of fresh pine flowing from the candles melted with the coconut conditioner that the actor used religiously, pulling you further away from the laptop and into the resting arms of the potential award-winner.

“Darling, I don’t understand how you can be so calm”

Faces inches away from one another as you search his chocolatey orbs, attempting to find an explaination within the man you know so well. Something was holding back his nerves, his excitement, something stopping him from the pride.

“My love, I’m not expecting much so what is there to be nervous about? It’s just an incredible honour to be nominated but winning seems a bit far-fetched when I’m in a category with Leo DiCaprio or Peter Dinklage.”

The astonishment on your face was clear. Pure shock filled your veins at the brunette’s insecure confession, a sense of hurt mixing within as you realised the doubt he held for his abilities.

Hands encasing his larger ones, gripping with an attention-demanding hold as you adamantly spoke.

“Andrew Russell Garfield, you are incredible in every aspect of the word. You pour your heart into every second of a project and it shows, your raw talent shows! People everywhere watch you work with awe-struck gazes, and the people who work with you can never sing enough of your praises because they understand that you are a once in a lifetime actor.”

The space between grew smaller as your words sunk in, with him lapping up every ounce of sincere praise. A loud tone shot through the room, pulling apart the pair as it broke the tension and drew their attention to the recent tweet.

“Love, you read it. Got me feeling nervous now.”

Clutching hands, shakes of anticipation rattling through the pair of you as the words appeared on the screen.

“The winner of Best Actor (Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy) is Andrew Garfield for his outstanding performance in Tick...Tick...Boom”

Shrieks of unadulterated joy flow from your being as you notice tears spring to your boyfriend’s sparkling eyes. Laptop falling haplessly against the rug as you pounce to embrace the award winner, arms flinging around his body as he tightens his grip with the same vigour and excitement.

“You did it, baby. You deserve it all and more”

Whispered words hang on his skin as you offer a tender kiss upon his neck, an intimate gesture of appreciation that has been cemented within the years of love. Manoeuvring your body till he found your lips centimetres from his, knowing that there as nothing to pull the attention away this time. The pair of you connected with a gentle passion.

Mouths moving against one another as each communicated a different emotion, a different aspect of their love in the moment. Joy, adoration, pride, safety, excitement, lust; all melted into a singular emotion shared between the pair.

Mumbling against his own hungry lips, you offered those words of support once more. “Andrew, my love, you are the best person I know and the most breath-taking actor I’ve seen. I hope you can now see what the rest of us see when we get to witness your abilities.”

Hands guiding your legs to wrap around his hips, clinging onto his figure as he rose from the comfort of the sofa. Single dip as he grasped the patient champagne before trudging to the bedroom. “Hold on, baby. I know exactly how we are going to celebrate.”

The rumble of the door slamming behind the pair of you was deafen by the joyful shrieks and giggles that tumbled from your lips at the brunette’s antics, and as the pop of the cork sounded against the walls, you knew that it would be a long night of showing Andrew just how proud you were.

Taglist - @gracepotter26 @instabull @codyfernmorelikedaddyfern @euyiana @starstruckspring @d22malfoys @raajali3

[darling-i-read-it]

HCs for Peter dating a weird girl

Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker x fem!reader

Warnings: weird stuff lol uh murder, bugs, jeffrey dahmer talk, spiders, scary movies let me know if i missed anything

Requested; by anon, NO OMFG RQ I LOVE U RIGHT AND I JUST SAW UR PETER PARKER X READER WHOS SUPER GIRLY AND GOOD LORD U ARENT READY

literally ive been thinking of this for so long now and get this. peter parker x weird girl reader. i made a post abt this earlier today and like,,,kinda like wednesday addams kinda girl yk??? lydia from beetlejuice, nancy from the craft, i digress

because GOOD LORD IVE BEEN WILLING TO SELL MY SOUL FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS,,, im like really weird by other peoples standards yk the kinda person who loved bugs as a child and still does (definitely doesnt have taxidermy moths on their wall lol why would i have that obviously not hahahhahah ?????????) and i genuinely need to know what a bitch like this would b like with that bug boy

would show him taxidermy spider collections because they do exist

point being, thoughts and onions. (if this can be counted as a request, hell yeah so be it) lol

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator

Author’s Note: this is so me except i hate spiders with a burning passion. I hope you enjoy babe!

- nerd boy weird girl supremacy!!!

- you probably become friends because you don’t really have anywhere to sit at lunch or something cliche like that

- people like Peter. It’s just that people aren’t really friends with him

- you like Peter though

- you thought he was cute, in a nerdy kind of way, and you liked making him stutter when you talked to him

- he thought you were really pretty <3 <3 <3

- the weirdness didn’t really stick out to him at first despite the fact it was at the forefront of your entire personality. He just thought you were really pretty

- then it hit him full throttle like omg okay wait wait when did we start talking about taxidermy and why did he think it was kind of cute

- you were really passionate about things many people thought was odd

- he understood that

- he could talk about photography for days on end and so he got to taking pictures of you

- the two of you started to date after that because it kind of made perfect sense to the two of you

- it was kind of like emo girl golden retriever boyfriend vibes

- he would get really excited with you about really random ass things

- when he found out you liked spiders he was surprised. Not many people were like that. He was even more surprised you had some stuffed ones. That was weird. But also awesome

- he almost broke down and showed you he was spider man right then

- is dying to do photoshoots with the weird shit in your room

- Why do you have so much stuff? This is all really random. Is this a fake ax?

- oh he has to use this in a photoshoot

- he would absolutely do lighting and all this filmbro shit, make sure you looked perfectly odd

- you make him watch scary movies and he’s kind of too scared of them but he does it. For you

- (more on that here)

- you totally dress him up sometimes all gothy

- he looks hot. He thinks he looks like he just walked out of a hot topic but you think he looks great

- skinny jeans, band t shirt or something like that and you obviously smudge eyeliner on him too

- you like to talk about dark shit sometimes

- Peter now knows a lot about Jeffrey Dahmer

- but you’re just so passionate he can’t get you to stop

- sometimes he talks about how like, Dahmer tried to be a scientist but he was wrong because x y and z

- you are slightly concerned if Peter ever goes off to kill people that he might be able to reanimate them

- you also try and do stuff he likes too

- you’ll go to the science museum together or something and you kind of have no idea what's going on but he enjoys himself so that’s good enough

- when he eventually tells you he’s spider-man you’re dumbfounded and also slightly in awe

- your peter? Spider-man?

- cute!

- amazed at how much blood that boy has in his body that he can bleed that much tbh

- overall the two of you work out somehow. It’s weirdly perfect. Peter thinks it’s picture perfect but he’s just cheesy

Marvel Tag List: @dpaccione, @demonchick1, @karasong, @elisaa-shelby, @lov3vivian, @russian-soft-bitch, @alexxavicry, @valentina-luvs-u, @demigirl-with-problems, @chaotic-fangirl-blog, @caswinchester2000, @mads-weasley, @torresbarnes, @gxrlwithluv, @allthingsavenger-y, @navs-bhat , @inas-thing

[marimelwrites]

@writermuses​ - continued from your reply right here!

As the stranger stopped playing his music, Andrew held out the camera to show him the various shots that he’d taken. He laughed as the man made a declaration about his talent. “Well, I’ve been taking pictures since I was a kid. You know, had a Polaroid when I was really little. Got more serious about it as I became a teenager, really honed my craft though college. Now, it’s my job. I do it all the time. I say it’s my job, but it’s also my passion so... I do it for fun probably just as much as I do it to make a living.”

Andrew looked out over the horizon, drinking in the last remnants of the beautiful sunset, knowing that the lighting was no longer appropriate for taking pictures. Anything that he tried to take now wouldn’t be worth it after developing the photos. “Hey, if you’re cool with giving like some sort of address or something, I could always mail you copies of the photos once I’ve had them developed. Or, if that’s not cool, I can give you my card and you can text me if that’s more comfortable, or drop by the studio or something?” He began to dig into one of his pockets for his wallet to pull out one of his spare business cards.

[justforbooks]

John le Carré, writer whose spy novels chronicle how people’s lives play out in the corrupt setting of the cold war era and beyond.

John le Carré, who has died aged 89 of pneumonia, raised the spy novel to a new level of seriousness and respect.

He was in his late 20s when he began to write fiction – in longhand, in small red pocket notebooks, on his daily train journey between his home in Buckinghamshire and his day job with MI5, the counter-intelligence service, in London. After the publication of two neatly crafted novels, Call for the Dead (1961) and A Murder of Quality (1962), which received measured reviews and modest sales, he hit the big time with The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963).

Its publisher, Victor Gollancz, secured a puff from Graham Greene (“the best spy story I have ever read”), and the widely rumoured belief that the author was an insider in the secret world of intelligence helped his third novel become one of the great bestsellers of the postwar period.

Le Carré’s subject was the human and political ambiguities of the cold war. His book was gritty, stripped of glamour. Reviewers talked of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold as a grown-up answer to Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. It was more than that. His taut, complex plot, strong storytelling gifts, and distinctive characterisation made his book a memorable literary achievement.

Yet Le Carré believed that literary London, with its longstanding apartheid separating literary fiction from its commercial ugly sister, genre fiction, never quite accepted his success. He was not a comfortable player in the metropolitan literary scene. When he was nominated for the Booker prize in 2011, within 45 minutes his agent issued a statement from the author: “I do not compete for literary prizes and have therefore asked for my name to be withdrawn.”

He was born David Cornwell, in Poole, Dorset, and adopted the pen name John le Carré when his first novel was published. His paternal grandfather was a respectable nonconformist bricklayer who became a house builder and served as mayor of Poole. Family life, with hovering Cornwell aunts, was dominated by piety and decorum, leavened by David’s black-sheep father, Ronnie, a noted con man and maestro of bankruptcies, financial crises and repeated brushes with the law. His explosive temper led to beatings for David, “but only a few times and not with much conviction”.

In 1937, when his mother, Olive (nee Glassy, and known as Wiggly in the family), ran off with an estate agent, David was told that she had died. He tracked her down years later, and they met on a platform of Ipswich train station. There was nothing to heal in their broken relationship, and, as he reported in his 2016 memoir The Pigeon Tunnel, she did not think very much of his novels.

He was raised in a bookless household, and left to find his own way to Sapper, the creator of Bulldog Drummond and Arthur Conan Doyle. Sent away to prep school, St Andrew’s, Pangbourne, and then to Sherborne school in Dorset, David became a modern linguist with a special interest in German. He detested the Anglican piety and rampant bullying at his public school, quickly learning the survival value of creating a legend that he had a normal family life.

He never knew when he went home for school holidays which of his father’s mistresses would be waiting to greet him, and deception and lying were the ways adult life seemed to work. He and his older brother, Tony, developed skills in observation and reading between the lines, targeted at their father. They read Ronnie’s letters, and rifled through his filing cabinets in the hope of uncovering their father’s complex web of lies. Passionate in devotion to his children, Ronnie in turn kept his boys under constant surveillance, listening to their phone calls, searching their rooms, opening their mail. Life with Ronnie was an apprenticeship in espionage.

In Single & Single (1999), Le Carré revisited the experience of fathers and sons spying on each other. The struggle against his father continued far beyond Ronnie’s death in 1975. “Until I die the father-son relationship will obsess me,” Le Carré commented in an interview in 1999. His 1986 novel A Perfect Spy, praised by Philip Roth as “the best English novel since the war,” opened a window upon his family life.

He toyed with the idea of writing an autobiography long before the publication of The Pigeon Tunnel, more an engaging collection of reminiscences than an exploration of his inner life – what was left out of his memoirs was striking. Yet the chapter titled Son of the Author’s Father, first published as In Ronnie’s Court in the New Yorker in 2002, is a troubled, brilliant and unforgettable portrait of his parents. His father’s judgment of other people, he wrote, “depended entirely on how much they respected him”.

Le Carré studied German at the University of Berne in 1947-48. A young Englishman from the right social background, approaching fluency in German, inevitably came to the attention of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, familiarly MI6), and he was recruited by a talentspotter in the British embassy in Berne.

Called up for national service in 1949, Le Carré spent time as an intelligence officer in Graz, interviewing defectors from the wrong side of the iron curtain. He found no heroes even among the most daring escapees from East Germany. After two years, his father persuaded Lincoln College, Oxford, to allow his son to be interviewed, although the college had already filled its quota for freshers, and he was accepted to read modern languages in 1952.

At Oxford he resumed work as an intelligence agent. He contributed drawings to Oxford Left magazine and compiled dossiers for MI5 on fellow students suspected of leftwing activity. Le Carré recalled these years with lighthearted irony in A Perfect Spy, but he accepted that communist subversion was a real danger to Britain.

In 1954 he married Ann Sharp. After his father’s spectacular bankruptcy that year, Le Carré was forced to leave Oxford, and taught briefly at Edgarley Hall, a prep school near Glastonbury, before returning to Oxford, and being awarded a first in 1956. He became a schoolmaster at Eton, where he taught German language and literature for two years, and found life laden with complexities. “I found I was involved in a kind of social war. One lived midway between the drawing room and the servants’ green baize door.” In a Paris Review interview he suggested that the worst pupils at Eton provided him with “a unique insight into the criminal mind”.

Le Carré’s CV became more interesting in the years after 1958. Officially, he qualified for a late entrants’ scheme at the Foreign Office, and in 1961 was sent to the Bonn embassy. He made frequent visits to Berlin in that summer, and accompanied Germans who attracted the attention of the Foreign Office on visits to Britain. He continued to scribble away at his novels, until the success of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold enabled him to resign.

Le Carré’s own later accounts of his career in British intelligence veered from flat denials to sharply limited acknowledgments that yes, he had been in British intelligence, but no, he would say nothing about it. His lifelong commitment to the omertà demanded of his counter-espionage work in MI5, and his time as an SIS old boy (“I am bound by the vestiges of old-fashioned loyalty to my former services”), could scarcely be sustained. The details began to leak out, and with the publication of Adam Sisman’s substantial biography of Le Carré in 2015, such denials were untenable. This cat was out of the bag, but the precise details of his work have never been spoken of.

He was a protege of the spy-catcher Maxwell Knight. His principal mentor at MI5 was the senior agent-runner “Jack” Bingham (who in 1961 succeeded as seventh Baron Clanmorris). Their relationship did not long survive Bingham’s resentment that Le Carré was cashing in on his secret service. Why, he demanded, would any decent person soil the good name of the service and provide encouragement for the KGB?

Le Carré devoted himself in MI5 to the patriotic duty of giving the Communist party in Britain a hard time. He ran long-term informants (“joes”) who were active trade unionists and Communist party members, disillusioned by Khrushchev’s revelations about Stalin’s crimes. There were interrogations to be conducted, phones to tap, and break-ins to authorise. It was all small-bore stuff, and he did not much enjoy it.

In 1960, for reasons never publicly stated, he applied to transfer to MI6, completing an initiation course in intelligence tradecraft the following spring. He was sent under Foreign Office cover to Bonn as second secretary (political). He was not declared to the BND (the German Intelligence Service). Bonn was an important posting, and his fluency in German made him a coming man.

The harsh Martin Ritt movie of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), starring Richard Burton and Claire Bloom, won four Bafta awards, including best British film. Le Carré’s account of the making of the movie appears in The Pigeon Tunnel.

After leaving the Foreign Office, he took his family to live in Crete, where he wrote A Small Town in Germany. It was a novel steeped in the hesitant British engagement in the European Economic Community, and the rise of demagogic rightwing populist movements in Germany. The world of British diplomacy has rarely seemed more threadbare, and in the aggressive, lower-class Alan Turner, Le Carré created a perfect foil for the self-deluded upper-class diplomats who proved easy prey for a mole.

American sales made Le Carré a wealthy man, as writers go, but his marriage did not long survive his transition to the life of a full-time writer. In 1964 he began an intense friendship with the novelist James Kennaway, and then an affair with Kennaway’s wife, Susan. The relationship is portrayed in Kennaway’s novel Some Gorgeous Accident (1967), Le Carré’s The Naive and Sentimental Lover (1971), and in The Kennaway Papers, edited by Susan Kennaway in 1981. Everyone came away with a trophy book from this complicated relationship.

The Naive and Sentimental Lover was poorly received. (“The book is a disastrous failure” – TLS.) Reviewers and readers knew what kind of book they wanted from Le Carré, and he was henceforth ruefully prepared to accept the reading public’s judgment.

Le Carré and his wife divorced in 1971 (“I think we should dissolve our marriage,” he wrote from Malibu), and he subsequently married Jane Eustace, an editor with his publishers.

The mole-hunting years, from the unmasking of George Blake to the uncovering of the treason of Anthony Blunt, left the intelligence community battered and discredited. Le Carré had certainly contributed to a new realism about spying, giving readers the strong impression that when spies went about their business they tended to leave their dinner jackets at home. Despite voting Labour and feeling despair at the war in Vietnam, he was not a natural fellow-traveller or much of a man of the left. He politely turned down being made a CBE from the government of Margaret Thatcher. But however clearly he saw the human and institutional failings of the guardians of western liberty, that did not make the KGB and its values any less loathsome.

The pursuit of the KGB spymaster Karla, who has penetrated the “Circus” and ruthlessly exploited its core values of liberal humanism, is conducted by George Smiley through Le Carré’s trilogy of novels, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974), The Honourable Schoolboy (1977) and Smiley’s People (1979). Smiley is an unexpected sort of a hero, “a committed doubter”, who has “sacrificed his life to institutions” but who is determined to protect what is worth protecting in a world of disintegrating values.

John Irvin directed the celebrated BBC/Paramount adaptation, starring Alec Guinness, in 1979. In 2009-10, BBC Radio 4 broadcast adaptations of the Smiley novels starring Simon Russell Beale. The Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s austere remake, with Gary Oldman as Smiley (and in which Le Carré had a walk-on part, lustily singing the Soviet national anthem), was released in 2011.

Le Carré went about the business of being a novelist with journalistic care. Every potential location was visited and conversations, tones, accents, dress and the feel of a location found a place in his travel notebooks. The immediacy of his observations gave his novels an extraordinary visual precision. The publication of those notebooks would provide an extraordinary insight into the way he wrote. While working on Tinker Tailor in the early 1970s he made photographic studies of locations he planned to use (“partly to give me documentary help”), but in later years travel notebooks sufficed. When he visited Lebanon and Israel, doing research for The Little Drummer Girl (1983), he talked to Israeli generals and senior intelligence figures. A knowledgable raconteur with an operational background, Le Carré found unexpected doors open to him.

An account in The Pigeon Tunnel places Le Carré in Beirut, being driven blindfolded to an anonymous building, and then taken into a room to wait. Yasser Arafat enters. “Mr David, why have you come to see me?” I have come, Le Carré said, to put my hand on the Palestinian heart. At which, Arafat seized Le Carré’s hand, placing it on his chest. “It is here, it is here.”

He came to see a moderation in Arafat which confounded western propaganda. Arafat and other Palestinian leaders were unexpectedly forthcoming. The experience of visiting the Palestinian camps in Lebanon enabled Le Carré to see the Palestinians as victims, and not as terrorists. He was accused in Israel of being antisemitic, a claim heartily rejected by Le Carré, and by independent commentators. A review of The Tailor of Panama in the New York Times in 1996, implying that Le Carré was an antisemite, led to an ill-tempered exchange of letters with Salman Rushdie in the Guardian in 1997.

He had been writing for decades about the disintegration of cold war simplicities. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 confirmed his sense that both sides were equally exhausted. The Secret Pilgrim (1990) introduces the first of a new variety of villain: Sir Anthony Joyston Bradshaw, a smooth-tongued amoral capitalist for whom the Thatcherite and Reaganite theology of free markets proved highly serviceable.

A new terrain was opened up by the worldwide typhoon of deregulation that followed the end of the cold war. Le Carré wrote with indignation about the international arms trade and drugs dealers (The Night Manager, 1993, adapted for BBC television in 2016 by Susanne Bier), the exploitation of Africa by the pharmaceutical industries (The Constant Gardener, 2001), and the sinister competition by capitalists worldwide to exploit the valuable natural resources of Africa (The Mission Song, 2006).

He found rich ambiguities in the world of private banking in Single & Single and of post-9/11 espionage in A Most Wanted Man (2008). The fate of the disaffected Muslim immigrant Issa Karpov, torn to shreds by competing intelligence agencies, British, American and German, did not fit into the emerging western discourses of terrorism. Alan Furst in the New York Times said A Most Wanted Man was Le Carré’s “strongest, most powerful novel” with “near perfect narrative pace”. The diatribes against Tony Blair and the British role in the invasion of Iraq in Absolute Friends (2003) were more enthusiastically received in Britain than in the US.

Le Carré always wanted to talk to the real spies, arms dealers, gangsters and crooked financiers. While visiting Moscow to do background work for Our Game (1995), he met a Russian mafia boss named Dima, in the nightclub “which he owned and which was guarded by young men with Kalashnikovs and grenades strapped to their belts. He came in wearing Ray-Bans with his hookers and his men and his people.” In Our Kind of Traitor (2010), he achieved the near-impossibility of making his fictional Dima, a Russian gangster and money launderer, into a complex and sympathetic figure.

The real enemies for Le Carré were not the Russian gangsters, for all their brutality, but the western, and particularly British, enablers and louche House of Lords and City corruptionists, with palms extended to take a share of the money, however obtained and from whatever source. The upper-class rogues who control “Great Britain plc” come quite high in Le Carré’s ranking of evil men. The Mossack Fonseca revelations of 2016 gave his novels of the past several decades a sharp timeliness.

A Delicate Truth, Le Carré’s 23rd novel, published in 2013, belongs to the brave new world of outsourcing, extraordinary rendition, and the war on terror. It is written with a ferocious anger. His bitter disappointment at New Labour, and its free market theology, made A Delicate Truth a testament to the continuing power of a writer by then in his 80s.

Hector Meredith, a security service trouble-maker, describes himself in Our Kind of Traitor as “a late-onset, red-toothed radical with balls”. It’s a good a self-description of Le Carré. “Now we had defeated communism, we were going to have to set about defeating capitalism,” reflects a character in The Secret Pilgrim. Virtually the same words were used by Le Carré in an interview in America.

A Legacy of Spies (2017) looks back to the world of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Agent Running in the Field (2019), set in the upheavals of Brexit, sustains the radical fury. When he was awarded the Olof Palme prize in January 2020 – he donated the resulting $100,000 to Médecins Sans Frontières – the Swedish organisers cited his “extraordinary contribution to the necessary fight for freedom, democracy and social justice”.

Since the 1970s Le Carré had lived near St Buryan, Cornwall, “a tiny, desolate part of England, where the real effects of what I see as terrible misgovernment – central misgovernment – can be felt in detail upon agriculture, fishing, communication, and transport, all of those things”. His sense of the indifference of the rich and the pervasive philosophy of greed in Britain aligned him with the great tradition of Victorian radicals and moralists. Like Dickens, he was a serious novelist, and a profoundly entertaining one.

He donated his archive of personal papers, letters and manuscripts (“filling the space of a Cornish barn”) to the Bodleian library in Oxford.

Le Carré is survived by Jane and their son, Nicholas (who writes as Nick Harkaway), three sons, Simon, Stephen and Timothy, from his first marriage, and a half-sister, the actor Charlotte Cornwell (upon whom Charlie in his 1983 novel The Little Drummer Girl was based).

🔔 John le Carré (David John Moore Cornwell), novelist, born 19 October 1931; died 12 December 2020

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[thelastuniverse]

GRAMMYs Awards 2021

GENERAL FIELD

Record Of The Year: ‘EVERYTHING I WANTED’ — Billie Eilish Finneas O’Connell, producer; Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers/mixers; John Greenham, mastering engineer

Album Of The Year: ‘FOLKLORE’ — Taylor Swift Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Jonathan Low & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

Song Of The Year: ‘I CAN’T BREATHE’ — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)

Best New Artist: Megan Thee Stallion

POP

Best Pop Solo Performance: ‘WATERMELON SUGAR’ — Harry Styles

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: ‘RAIN ON ME’ — Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: ‘AMERICAN STANDARD’ — James Taylor

Best Pop Vocal Album: ‘FUTURE NOSTALGIA’ — Dua Lipa

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Best Dance Recording: ‘10%’ — Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis Kaytranada, producer; Neal H. Pogue, mixer

Best Dance/Electronic Album: ‘BUBBA’ — Kaytranada

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: ‘LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL’ — Snarky Puppy

ROCK

Best Rock Performance: ‘SHAMEIKA’ — Fiona Apple

Best Metal Performance: ‘BUM-RUSH’ — Body Count

Best Rock Song: ‘STAY HIGH’ — Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)

Best Rock Album: ‘THE NEW ABNORMAL’ — The Strokes

ALTERNATIVE

Best Alternative Music Album: ‘FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS’ — Fiona Apple

R&B

Best R&B Performance: ‘BLACK PARADE’ — Beyoncé

Best Traditional R&B Performance: ‘ANYTHING FOR YOU’ — Ledisi

Best R&B Song: ‘BETTER THAN I IMAGINED’ — Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)

Best Progressive R&B Album: ‘IT IS WHAT IT IS’ — Thundercat

Best R&B Album: ‘BIGGER LOVE’ — John Legend

RAP

Best Rap Performance: ‘SAVAGE ‘— Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé

Best Melodic Rap Performance: ‘LOCKDOWN’ — Anderson .Paak

Best Rap Song: ‘SAVAGE’ — Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)

Best Rap Album: ‘KING’S DISEASE’ — Nas

COUNTRY

Best Country Solo Performance: ‘WHEN MY AMY PRAYS’ — Vince Gill

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: ‘10,000 HOURS’ — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber

Best Country Song: ‘CROWDED TABLE’ — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)

Best Country Album: ‘WILDCARD’ — Miranda Lambert

NEW AGE

Best New Age Album: ‘MORE GUITAR STORIES’ — Jim “Kimo” West

JAZZ

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: ‘ALL BLUES’ — Chick Corea, soloist Track from: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade)

Best Jazz Vocal Album: ‘SECRETS ARE THE BEST STORIES’ — Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: ‘TRILOGY 2’ — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: ‘DATA LORDS’ — Maria Schneider Orchestra

Best Latin Jazz Album: ‘FOUR QUESTIONS’ — Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC

Best Gospel Performance/Song: ‘MOVIN’ ON’ — Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: ‘THERE WAS JESUS’ — Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters

Best Gospel Album: ‘GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PJ’ — PJ Morton

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: ‘JESUS IS KING’ — Kanye West

Best Roots Gospel Album: ‘CELEBRATING FISK! (THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM)’ — Fisk Jubilee Singers

LATIN

Best Latin Pop or Urban Album: ‘YHLQMDLG’ — Bad Bunny

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album: ‘LA CONQUISTA DEL ESPACIO’ —Fito Paez

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano): ‘UN CANTO POR MÉXICO, VOL. 1’ — Natalia Lafourcade

Best Tropical Latin Album: ‘40’ — Grupo Niche

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC

Best American Roots Performance: ‘I REMEMBER EVERYTHING’ — John Prine

Best American Roots Song: ‘I REMEMBER EVERYTHING’ — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

Best Americana Album: ‘WORLD ON THE GROUND’ — Sarah Jarosz

Best Bluegrass Album: ‘HOME’ — Billy Strings

Best Traditional Blues Album: ‘RAWER THAN RAW’ — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album: ‘HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET?’ —Fantastic Negrito

Best Folk Album: ‘ALL THE GOOD TIMES’ — Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Best Regional Roots Music Album: ‘ATMOSPHERE’ — New Orleans Nightcrawlers

REGGAE

Best Reggae Album: ‘GOT TO BE TOUGH’ — Toots & The Maytals

GLOBAL MUSIC

Best Global Music Album: ‘TWICE AS TALL’ — Burna Boy

CHILDREN’S

Best Children’s Music Album: ‘ALL THE LADIES’ — Joanie Leeds

SPOKEN WORD

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling): ‘BLOWOUT: CORRUPTED DEMOCRACY, ROGUE STATE RUSSIA, AND THE RICHEST, MOST DESTRUCTIVE INDUSTRY ON EARTH’ — Rachel Maddow

COMEDY

Best Comedy Album: ‘BLACK MITZVAH’ — Tiffany Haddish

MUSICAL THEATER

Best Musical Theater Album: ‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’ — Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard, composer; Alanis Morissette, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: ‘JOJO RABBIT’ — (Various Artists) Taika Waititi, compilation producer

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: ‘JOKER’ — Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media: ‘NO TIME TO DIE [FROM NO TIME TO DIE]’ — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

COMPOSING/ARRANGING

Best Instrumental Composition: ‘SPUTNIK’ — Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: ‘DONNA LEE’ — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals: ‘HE WON’T HOLD YOU’ —Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)

PACKAGE

Best Recording Package: ‘VOLS. 11 & 12’ — Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: ‘ODE TO JOY’ — Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)

NOTES

Best Album Notes: ‘DEAD MAN’S POP’ — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)

HISTORICAL

Best Historical Album: ‘IT’S SUCH A GOOD FEELING: THE BEST OF MISTER ROGERS’ — Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: ‘HYPERSPACE’ — Drew Brown, Julian Burg, Andrew Coleman, Paul Epworth, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, John Hanes, Beck Hansen, Jaycen Joshua, Greg Kurstin, Mike Larson, Cole M.G.N., Alex Pasco & Matt Wiggins, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: ANDREW WATT

• Break My Heart (Dua Lipa) (T) • Me And My Guitar (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie) (T) • Midnight Sky (Miley Cyrus) (S) • Old Me (5 Seconds Of Summer) (T) • Ordinary Man (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John) (T) • Take What You Want (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott) (T) • Under The Graveyard (Ozzy Osbourne) (T)

Best Remixed Recording: ‘ROSES (IMANBEK REMIX)’ — Imanbek Zeikenov, remixer (SAINt JHN)

PRODUCTION, IMMERSIVE AUDIO

Best Immersive Audio Album: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members. The nominations for the 63rd GRAMMYs will be announced next year in addition to (and separately from) the 64th GRAMMY nominations in the category

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL

Best Engineered Album, Classical: ‘SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONY NO. 13, ‘BABI YAR’ — David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Producer Of The Year, Classical: DAVID FROST

 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss) • Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus) • Gluck: Orphée & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus) • Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony) • Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus) • Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner) • Shostakovich: Symphony №13, ‘Babi Yar’ (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

CLASSICAL

Best Orchestral Performance: ‘IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES’ — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Best Opera Recording: ‘GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS’ — David Robertson, conductor; Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Best Choral Performance: ‘DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUAH’ — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: ‘CONTEMPORARY VOICES’ — Pacifica Quartet

Best Classical Instrumental Solo: ‘THEOFANIDIS: CONCERTO FOR VIOLA AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA’ — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: ‘SMYTH: THE PRISON’ — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)

Best Classical Compendium: ‘THOMAS, M.T.: FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK & MEDITATIONS ON RILKE’— Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer

Best Contemporary Classical Composition: ‘ROUSE: SYMPHONY NO. 5’ — Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

Best Music Video: ‘BROWN SKIN GIRL’ — Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & WizKid , Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Astrid Edwards, Aya Kaida, Jean Mougin, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, video producers

Best Music Film: ‘LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE’ — Linda Ronstadt, Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers

[path-of-my-childhood]

Taylor Swift’s “Beautiful Ghosts” might be the best part of the Cats movie

Vox // By Aja Romano // November 20th 2019

“Beautiful Ghosts,” the song that Taylor Swift put words to for Tom Hooper’s upcoming Cats movie, has arrived - and guess what? Swift might be Cats creator and famed Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ideal lyricist.

Lloyd Webber is the man who brought the world Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and one of the most recorded songs in theatre history, “Memory” from Cats. He is notorious for writing musicals with beautiful music and weak lyrics. But “Beautiful Ghosts” makes a compelling argument that what every ALW musical needs is a shrewd lyricist who was once a teenage girl - and who, consequently, is not embarrassed to embrace the gushy romantic heart of his music. Here are five reasons “Beautiful Ghosts” is worth a second listen, or several.

1) It adds to our understanding of Victoria, the White Cat. “Beautiful Ghosts” isn’t a showy end-credits pop song; it’s a new song inserted into the plot of the show. It will follow “Memory” in the upcoming film. The cat who sings it, Victoria has a bigger role: Now, the entire story is framed through her point of view, and Victoria is a younger mirror of Grizabella.

In “Beautiful Ghosts,” Victoria echoes “Memory” and reflects on Grizabella’s tragic life, as well as her own. “Memory” keeps calling for “new life,” while through “Beautiful Ghosts,” Victoria transitions from “Memory’s” sadness to a joy that’s all her own - through the realization that she loves the life she has. Where “Memory” is fuzzy, with vague hints of former happiness, “Beautiful Ghosts” weaves a mini-narrative of Victoria’s life: cast onto the streets, apparently by cruel former owners, she distrusts other cats, but eventually befriends them and comes to love her life. With this one song, she goes from being opaque and silent to having depth, complexity, and a backstory that doesn’t involve her being a sex object.

2) It helps us understand “Memory.” Even though “Beautiful Ghosts” is sung by Victoria to Grizabella, it also gives us crucial insight into Grizabella’s life. When Victoria sings lines like, “Should I take chances when no one took chances on me?” she’s simultaneously referencing her own life and Grizabella’s: Grizabella at least knew a time when she was loved and admired, and had human companionship to look back on. Victoria has only known rejection.

Taylor Swift has clearly asked herself, “How can I bring more coherence to “Memory,” a weird-ass song about a cat who is also a sex worker who is also dying and friendless and stuck with her memories of having once been very hot?” The solution, which she provides in “Beautiful Ghosts,” is to give Grizabella slightly more of a past.

In a recent radio interview, Swift described her approach to creating the song - which involved contrasting Victoria’s life with Grizabella’s: ‘Memory’ is Grizabella singing about how she had all these beautiful, incredible moments in her past. She had these glittering occasions and she felt beautiful and she felt wanted and now she doesn’t feel that way anymore.’ This is fanfic on Swift’s part. While this glittering history can be implied, it’s not literally in the lyrics to “Memory,“ or anywhere else in Cats - the most concrete detail “Memory” offers is that Grizabella once enjoyed “days in the sun.” It’s a huge bonus to see Grizabella given a more concrete backstory that has nothing to do with her, uh, hanging out in brothels.

“Beautiful Ghosts” explains that Grizabella was “born into nothing” but now has memories of “dazzling rooms” and a time she was not just beautiful, but loved. In essence, Swift has not only crafted a satisfying character song for Victoria - she’s deepened Grizabella and “Memory” too.

3) It’s clearly a song that could be sung by a cat. This is hard! “Memory” couldn’t manage it and from the first line of “Beautiful Ghosts,” the song feels like one that could be sung by a cat - one who has wandered the streets, hearing the voices of its fellow cats in the dark. Victoria sings of the “wild ones” who “tame the fear” within her as she longs to “get let into” the rooms inhabited by the humans she once knew and yearned for love from. These are bittersweet lyrics, but more importantly, they’re lyrics that pretty clearly describe the life of a cat.

The extent to which Swift has thought about how cats feel becomes increasingly apparent when you realize that “Beautiful Ghosts” is a hymn to found family and the alley cat existence, the freedom of a life lived on the streets, and the beauty of, well, a gang of stray cats. (This may also sound like a metaphor for marginalized communities finding strength in each other after being turned out of their homes.)

4) It hints at what a new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical could be like with a smart lyricist who embraces his romanticism. The typical trade-off with Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals is that his lush, lofty melodic lines take priority over lyrics. The general wisdom among musical theater fans is that ALW was only truly great when he was composing with his earliest collaborator, the brilliant lyricist Tim Rice. The ALW/Rice shows (Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita) are fantastic - witty, satirical, and incisive, ranging from complex political themes to rollicking whimsy and charming pastiche.

ALW’s later shows’ scores were often gorgeous, full of beautiful melodies. But the plots were often too soapy, and he bounced around between lyricists who frequently paired his music with asinine words. When ALW was working with someone equally as or more talented than he was, he managed to create popular, lasting shows, including Cats and Phantom of the Opera. But ALW didn’t always work with equals who could rein him in. And so he only kept getting more extravagant in his desire to combine deeply emotional musical motifs with schmoopy, overblown storylines. In other words, post-Rice, ALW has always been hampered by his own self-indulgence and the lack of a lyricist as good at writing lyrics as ALW is at writing music.

That’s why a Taylor Swift-ALW collaboration is genuinely exciting. In the annals of ALW collaborators, Swift may be the first lyricist with the range, experience, and stature to stand alongside Rice. But more importantly, she clearly loves Cats, loves the music, and loves actual cats. In that interview quoted above, for example, she discussed Victoria’s cat psychology at length. I cannot imagine any circumstances in which Tim Rice would say, as Swift did in that interview, “I got you. I know what that cat would say.”

And that may be what so many previous ALW musicals have lacked: the enthusiasm of a smart, savvy songwriter who’s also not afraid to unironically love and embrace her subject matter. Taylor Swift isn’t just a brilliant songwriter who credits the lyrics of Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz for teaching her to write music with sharp edges and blatant emotive power. She’s also a fangirl. And fangirls know how to deliver deep, smart character studies while amplifying the emotional core of the stories they love. That combination of shrewd songwriting and passion is what propels the final verse of “Beautiful Ghosts” into something truly great.

5) “Beautiful Ghosts” has a surprise twist ending. Taylor Swift learned a lot from brilliant country songwriters, and one of the common country song traits she likes to carry forward is the “twist.” That’s when the final stanza upends the original meaning of the song and shifts the refrain into something new, surprising, and even richer. Throughout “Beautiful Ghosts,” Victoria has emphasized the fact that Grizabella still has her memories: “at least you have beautiful ghosts,” she sings, and the ghosts are the memories of Grizabella’s life of being beautiful and adored.

By contrast, Victoria herself has always lived on the streets, eventually taken in by the stray cats she eventually began to see as family. Initially, she describes the strays as voices she can only hear in the dark, while she wanders the streets, “alone and haunted.” Later, they become “phantoms of night,” as they lure her into her new exciting life. Finally, when Victoria has her epiphany that she’s happy with her friends, and she loves her alleycat life, she shifts from singing enviously to Grizabella about the “beautiful ghosts” of her memories. Instead, she sings, “So I’ll dance with these beautiful ghosts.”

The ghosts at the end of the song are the cats! Victoria’s ghosts are flesh and blood, and also have you ever met a cat, cats are clearly ghosts, with their silent paws and their eerie glow-eyes, and their ability to vanish into thin air. (Holy shit, the ghosts are the cats!) Only Taylor Swift could turn a metaphor about lost memories into a literal description of cats that is also a metaphor for found families and friendship. Don’t argue with me, this is perfect.

[aion-rsa]

The Craft: How a Teenage Weirdo Based on a Real Person Became an Icon

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“We Are The Weirdos, Mister.” A phrase you’ll find printed over t-shirts, pin badges, mugs, earrings, tote bags, necklaces, and more all over the internet. It’s the most iconic line from The Craft, a film released 25 years ago that still has a rabid following today. For anyone unfamiliar with The Craft, it’s a line spoken by Fairuza Balk’s Nancy, an inferno in black lippy and sunglasses, the de facto leader of a homemade coven made up of outsiders who have taken the raw deal the world has given them and rejected it by learning to harness the power of nature. This line is everything. We are no longer going to be victims, it says. We will no longer be afraid. We reclaim our space, our power. That we are four teenaged girls will no longer mean we have to watch out for ‘weirdos’ – because it is us who are the weirdos. Mister. 

“Nancy is the one everybody wants to be,” says Peter Filardi, the man who created Nancy, Rochelle, Bonnie, and Sarah all those years ago, chatting to Den of Geek from his home, an original poster for The Craft peaking out from behind him on the wall. Next to it is a poster for Chapelwaite, the series Filardi is currently showrunning with his brother Jason, based on Stephen King’s short story, “Jerusalem’s Lot,” a prequel to Salem’s Lot.

“Nancy is the one who is particularly put upon and who finds the power to get revenge or get justice and is going to do that with no apologies. I think it’s how we all envision ourselves or would want to see ourselves, I guess. Here we are 25 years later. Why do you think we’re still talking about it?”

It’s an interesting question because we very much still are talking about The Craft. With Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, A Discovery of Witches, His Dark Materials, and of course last year’s remake of The Craft, we appear to very much still be in the season of the witch, but none is quite as resonant and impactful as the original The Craft. Watching it back 25 years after its release, it’s still just as relevant.

The very first script that Filardi sold was Flatliners, the story of arrogant, hot-shot medical students who plan to discover what happens after you die by “flatlining” for increasing lengths of time. Filardi’s script prompted a bidding war and the movie became a big hit, starring Hollywood’s hottest: Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, and William Baldwin. 

After Flatliners, Filardi had been working on a script about real life teenage Satanist Ricky Kasso, (“He was one of the first to really put the hallucinogenics together with the music and the theology and then sort of brew them all up into this really volatile cocktail,” Filardi explains), so when producer Doug Wick approached him about another supernatural project, Filardi was game.

“He said he would like to either do a haunted house story or something to do with teenage witches. And because I happened to be working on what I was working on I was pretty well-schooled in earth magic and natural magic and Satanism and all sorts of stuff. And we just started talking, and we hit it off, and we decided to develop and create The Craft together,” Filardi recalls.

At the time Wick had just two full producer credits to his name – for Working Girl and Wolf – but he would go on to produce swathes of heavy hitters including Hollow Man, Jarhead, The Great Gatsby, and win the best picture Oscar for Gladiator. Meanwhile, Andrew Fleming, director of The Craft and co-writer of the screenplay, had made horror thriller Bad Dreams and comedy Threesome, and would go on to make several comedy movies as well as many hit TV shows – he’s currently working on season two of Netflix’s popular Emily in Paris.

Filardi’s story was always going to be about women, and it was always going to be about outsiders, the memories of high school still fresh enough for him to remember the pain. “I’m sure it’s like this for every kid. You have memories from those high school years of horrible things that happened to people around you, or were said or done and just the petty cruelties,” he says. “I’m glad I’m an old man now!” (He’s not, he’s 59).

Rewatching and it’s certainly striking how much empathy you feel for the girls. Sarah (Robin Tunney), who is the audience’s way in to the movie, lost her mother during childbirth and has battled mental health problems, even attempting suicide. Recently moved to a new neighborhood with her dad and step mother, she is instantly the outsider at her new school, and is immediately treated abhorrently by popular boy Chris (a pre-Scream Skeet Ulrich), who dates her and then spreads rumors that they slept together. Rochelle (Rachel True) is a keen diver, subjected to overt racist bullying by a girl on the swim team, while Bonnie (Neve Campbell) hides away because of extreme scarring she has all over her body. Before Sarah arrives, the three dabble in magic and protect themselves as best they can from the horrors of high school by telling people they are witches and keeping them at arm’s length. It’s the arrival of Sarah, though, a “natural” witch with some serious power, that turns things around.

“I think that maybe traditionally Hollywood would have done a version where the women were witches like Lost Boys,” Filardi says. “The women were witches, and they had this power, and they’re the dark overlords of their school or something like that. And that’s exactly the opposite of what worked for me and how I thought magic works in general. 

“Magic has always historically been a weapon of the underclass, for poor people… Think of England. People of the heath, who lived out in the country… The heathens, they didn’t have a king or an army or the church even behind them. They would turn to magic. And that’s kind of what I saw for our girls. For real magic to work, you have the three cornerstones of need and emotion and knowledge. And I hate magic movies where somebody has a power and they just do this and the magic happens. I think it’s much more interesting if the magic comes from an emotional need, a situation that really riles up the power within.”

These witches aren’t evil and they aren’t even anti-heroes. Instead, this is pure wish fulfilment for anyone who’s ever been bullied, or overlooked, or been dealt a particularly tough hand, and this level of empathy comes across hard in the film. Watching now and so many of the themes are so current with reference to issues of racism and the emergence of the #MeToo movement.

“I did not write it as a feminist piece per se,” says Filardi. “I really just wrote it as an empathetic human being, I think.”

There’s extreme empathy dripping throughout the script, but don’t mistake that for pity. The Craft deals in female empowerment and just plain fun. It’s here that one of The Craft’s enduring conflicts arises. Are you Team Sarah or are you Team Nancy?

The correct answer of course, is Team Nancy…

“It’s always harder to be the good guy or the good girl,” laughs Filardi. 

After all, before Sarah shows up, the other three are doing fine – surviving, doing minor spells, and looking out for each other. The influx of power Sarah brings allows the group to up their game and together they each ask for a gift from “Manon,” the (fictional) deity who represents all of nature that they worship in the film. Bonnie wants to heal her scars, Rochelle wants the racism to stop, Nancy wants the power of Manon, but Sarah casts a love spell on Chris. Sarah is either taking revenge on Chris, or she’s forging a relationship without consent, and it’s a move which eventually leads to Chris’s death. 

Meanwhile, Nancy is someone who just refuses to be a victim, despite the fact that of the four she’s clearly had the toughest life, living in a trailer with her mum and her abusive stepdad. Nancy won’t allow the audience to pity her. Nancy doesn’t let things happen to her, she makes her own choices, whether they are good ones or not. When newly empowered Nancy is running red lights, with Rochelle and Bonnie whooping in the back, and Sarah telling her it’s all gone a bit far, “Oh shut up, Sarah” feels like the right response. While Sarah might be technically correct, we are rooting for these girls to be allowed the pure joy of something they have created between them.

Nancy is an amazing creation, and Filardi says he couldn’t have anticipated how much the character would resonate.

“I did not envision the great look that Andy Fleming brought to her,” he smiles. “But Nancy was inspired by a real girl, whose older brother lived in a trailer in their backyard, and just had a hard go of it. She’s true to the one I wrote. She always embodied the earth element of fire. Each of the girls is their own earth element. There’s earth, wind, water, fire. And you can pretty much guess who’s who…” 

We could speculate but it’s perhaps more fun to let the audience decide for themselves.

“Nancy in the beginning was always the constructive aspect of that element. She’s the light in the fire in the dark woods that draws the girls together,” he explains. “When she’s all passion and raw nerve, she’s very much like fire, but then when she crosses Sarah and gets overwhelmed with the power of her new abilities, she becomes the destructive side of that same element and burns the whole thing up. But she’s a fantastic character. I think that Fairuza Balk just elevated Nancy to a whole other level. I guess that’s what happens when you’re blessed with the right actor for the right part.”

Exactly who the true protagonist of The Craft is is something Filardi still contemplates. What is notable is that though, yes, Nancy, Bonnie, and Rochelle do at one point try to, um, kill Sarah and make it look like suicide, which isn’t a very sisterly thing to do, they never really become true villains. By the end, the only fatalities are sex pest Chris and Nancy’s abusive step father, and both deaths could reasonably be considered accidental. While Bonnie and Rochelle are stripped of their powers, they aren’t further punished, it’s only Nancy who gets a raw deal. Driven to distraction by her surfeit of power, we find her ranting in a mental hospital strapped to a bed. 

Filardi’s ending was different, though he won’t be drawn on details.

“The original ending was different. I’ve never really gone into the detail of what the original ending was. Well, the original ending was just different…” he says, mulling over what he might say. “So, let’s see. Well, Chris always died… and it was just very different,” he hesitates. “I don’t really get into it because there’s no real sense. It is what it is. I always like in a movie… Having two different children and you love them both for different reasons, but I would have never wanted to be hard on the girls in the final analysis in any way thematically.”

One element of the script that saw slight changes was the motivation of Rochelle, after the casting of Rachel True. 

“To be honest, I think she was the exact same character. She was picked on by the swimmers. There was an added element that she had an eating disorder. She used to vomit into a mayonnaise jar and hide it on the top shelf of a bedroom closet. But other than that, she was really the same character,” he says. “Andy Fleming and Doug Wick, I don’t know who came up with the idea, but they cast Rachel and she added this whole other element to it, the racial element, which I think it was great and I think totally appropriate.”

Though Filardi didn’t work on the remake and hasn’t actually seen it, he’s able to see for himself, first hand, how well the film has aged and how it continues to endure for young women – he has teenage daughters of his own.

“I see them going through all the same stuff that I watched girlfriends going through. And it hasn’t changed all that much,” he says ruefully.

“It’s funny. For years, they had no idea what I did for a living. I think they just thought I hung around in the basement. And one daughter was like… She was going to school with somebody whose father was in a rock band or something, ‘Nobody in this house does anything interesting. Everything’s boring.’ And it was around Halloween and they were showing The Craft at the Hollywood Forever cemetery. I took them to the cemetery and it was great. There were boys dressed in Catholic high school uniforms and women all in black and with blankets and candles and wine and snacks. Amidst the tombstones, they set up a huge screen and showed the film. So, that’s when they first saw it. And it was really fun. A really nice thing to share with my daughters.”

Things don’t change that much. High school is still horrible. Magic is still tantalizing. The outfits are still fabulous. And Nancy is still a stone cold legend. The Craft is an enduring celebration of outsider culture that we’ll probably still be talking about in 25 years to come. After all, most of us, at one time or another, feel like the weirdos. 

“I think of it as the story about the power of adolescent pain and self-empowerment. I think of beautiful young people who are just picked upon or put in positions they shouldn’t be or don’t deserve to be, and having the ability to fight back and weather it and survive,” says Filardi when we ask him what he’s most proud of. 

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“I’m also proud of all the great contributions that the other talented people brought to the script. All I did was a script, but you have actors and directors and producers and art directors and production designers who just… Everybody seems to me to have brought their A-game. I didn’t come up with Nancy’s great look. Other people get all that credit. Like you said, you see her on t-shirts. So, so many people just brought so many things. I guess I’m just proudest to think that a bunch of strangers come together and connect to the message of the piece, and together just make something memorable all these 25 years later.”

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