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written-and-readen · 3 months ago

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Wardance

Kieran Artiste (OC) x Luka

Summary: Some moments taking place during the Xianzhou Luofu's Wardance

Warnings: Spoilers for what happens during the Wardance event, slight suggestive implications

a/n: This event made my brain go brrrrrrr

Kieran looked down at Luka, sound asleep. His head was on her lap, one of her hands mindlessly stroking through his hair. A slight frown crossed her face as he stirred, murmuring something and brows furrowing.

The hallucinations he’d been having since arriving at the Xianzhou Luofu had gotten worse. His performance in the ring was causing her just as much anxiety as him. His most recent matches scared her to no end.

Her attention was drawn by Luka again as he muttered something again, shifting restlessly as his breathing picked up. Nightmare? It seemed he couldn’t even find peace in sleep.

“Luka!” She shook him until his blue eyes flew open.

“What?” He jolted up.

“I think you were having a nightmare.” Luka groaned, lying back down in her lap.

“This sucks,” He grumbled, turning and leaning his forehead against her stomach.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kieran hated seeing him like this, but she had little to no idea how to help. After all he’d done for her, it hurt how helpless she found herself in this situation.

“Can we just stay like this?” He buried his face further into the fabric of her dress.

“Sure.” Her hand returned to his hair. Hearing him breathe a sigh of relief made her relax a little more. It was her turn to be there for Luka, and she swore she’d see it through until the end of this Wardance and they could return home.

“Are you alright?” Kieran burst into the lounge. The minute she’d watched Luka’s metal arm torn apart by Boothill’s bullets, her feet had moved to get to him. She didn’t take mind of the Trailblazer or Carmella who were also there, attention fully on her boyfriend.

“I’m alive,” He replied. Kieran had never seen him this shaken as she stepped closer. “I’d like some space though.” Her footsteps halted before she could reach him.

“Luka…” She hesitantly took another step forward. The other two people in the room had silently walked out, leaving just them.

“Leave, Kieran!” She immediately stepped back. “Maybe it’s not as hard for you to acclimate to this place as it is for me because you grew up in the Overworld, but I don’t think you know what I’m going through.”

Kieran’s eyes narrowed and a slight frown crossed her lips. Luka recognized it as the same look she’d given him when they’d met—distrustful. It was only a moment before the expression fell back, almost like she’d caught herself and regretted it.

“Okay.” Kieran turned on her heel and left, leaving Luka to let out a sigh as the doors closed behind her.

Starskiffs flew by as Kieran leaned over a rail in Starskiff Haven. Her eyes mindlessly followed one until it was out of sight and she picked a new target for her gaze. Even if being on the Xianzhou wasn’t as stressful for her, that didn’t mean she’d been doing alright. Watching Luka struggle through his fights had hurt her too. She rarely saw him angry, and he’d never been angry at her. And she missed Belobog too. She wanted to see Gepard, Serval, Pela, and Natasha again.

“Miss Kieran?” She heard the familiar soft voice of Lynx.

“Hey, Lynxy, how have you been?” Kieran stood up straight to address the girl.

“The restoration of Igor’s jade abacus is going well, but it’s taking a while. I decided to take a look around. Is that what you’re doing too?”

“Sort of. Luka’s fight didn’t go well. He lost.”

“I would’ve thought you’d be on the Skysplitter then.”

“He doesn’t want me around. That was very clear.” Lynx patted Kieran’s hand on the railing.

“If it makes you feel better, Luka comes across as someone who puts on a strong front. He wants to stand on his own, even if he doesn’t have to.”

“Thanks, Lynx.” The two of them stood there, watching the starskiffs go by.

In the evening, Kieran and Lynx returned to the inn they were staying at. The Silvermane guard could hear Hook’s snores as Lynx opened the door to the room she was sharing with the little girl. Kieran slowly entered her own room, unsure if Luka was there yet. Closing the door behind her, she didn’t sense any sign of him. Kieran sighed, setting her sword and dagger on a table, taking off her coat, and discarding her boots. Just as she was about to head to the bathroom to get ready for bed, her ears perked up on the door opening.

“Hey,” Kieran said, pausing in the bathroom doorway as Luka entered.

“You’re still up.” The two of them stood at opposite ends of the room, staring at each other.

“Just got back with Lynx.” Kieran admitted she was afraid to close the distance between them after that morning. Fortunately, Luka did so in just a couple strides, taking her into his arms once he reached her.

“I’m sorry,” He whispered. Kieran let her body melt into his as she put her arms around him. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away like that.”

“I didn’t ask to live in the Overworld,” Kieran murmured, “It’s scary being lost in a place where you don’t know anyone.”

“I know. I’m happy that you, Hook, Lynx, and Svarog could come to the Xianzhou so I wouldn’t be alone.” Kieran moved her arms around his neck so she could pull him down into a gentle kiss.

“You’re forgiven,” She smiled after they parted, “Are you alright after that fight?”

“Some stuff happened. I’ll tell you all about it once we’re in bed. I’m exhausted.” Kieran nodded. Only once they were under the covers—her head leaning against his chest and his arm loosely wrapped around her waist—did Luka tell her about Huohuo and Mr. Tail and how they’d helped him regain his confidence. Kieran could hear his words begin to trail off.

“So you’re going to enter the repechage?”

“Yeah…going to win for Belobog.” Kieran’s fingers ran through bright red hair, finally pushing him into sleep.

“I can’t wait to see it.”

Standing at the edge of the ring with Carmella, Kieran could see the fighters walk off the field towards them—Luka being supported by Yanqing, and the Trailblazer right beside them. Her heart leapt the instant their eyes met and Luka grinned at her. She ran out from the sidelines to meet the group halfway, immediately going to embrace her boyfriend. He laughed as she ran into him, putting both arms around her. Yanqing peeled away, letting Kieran take Luka’s weight.

“You did it!” She beamed with pride, having to shout against the still cheering crowd.

“Now everyone will know Belobog’s name!” Luka shouted back. Kieran moved a hand up to his cheek, taking him in—exhausted and sweaty yet still utterly breathtaking to her.

“Can I kiss you?” Luka’s eyes widened, processing her words against the noise of the arena before slotting his lips against hers. A smile crossed the black-haired girl’s face as she pulled him closer. Both of them parted equally breathless.

“Everyone’s still watching, guys!” The Trailblazer broke them out of their trance, causing them to become cognizant of the sound of the crowd once more.

“Right,” Luka stuttered, slinging his arm over Kieran’s shoulder so she could help him back to the lounge. Once the Trailblazer was out of range, she hooked a finger under his collar, pulling him towards her slightly.

“I’m not done with you yet.” Her breath fanned across his ear, sending his heart into a whir and causing heat to rise to his face. She pressed a kiss to his cheek before releasing him again.

#written by ray #honkai star rail #hsr #honkai star rail oc #hsr oc #honkai star rail x oc #hsr x oc #hsr luka #luka strongarm #kieran armiste

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freshfrompoland · 5 years ago

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THE FIRST EDITION OF PAPERLUST PHOTOBOOKS FEST IS OVER!

IT COULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS, GUESTS, ARTISTS, VOLUNTEERS AND GUESTS. THANK YOU ALL!

by Fresh From Poland & Paper Beats Rock, funded by International Visegrad Fund

24.05 – 14.06.2019, Kraków

Paperlust Photobook Fest is a new biennial on the map of photographic events in Europe, stemmed from love to paper. Fest focuses on regional collaboration and aims to present the local self-publishing scene to the wider audience. The motivation behind the festival is to allow discovery while encouraging artistic exchange and explore the power of self-publishing as an offline medium, co-existing in the era of the Internet. PAPERLUST programme is formed of exhibitions, talks, book signings, panel discussion, workshop, photobook fair, reading room (chill zone and library) and dummy review. We invite small publishers, makers and established artists to present their practices, ranging from self-made publications and zines to book objects, albums, and photobooks published by the established institutions. As a reoccurring event, the festival aspires to become a photobook hub in Central and East Europe.

First edition – PAPERLUST Photobook Fest 2019. Art and self-publishing as a tool for social change is focused on the Visegrad region and has been created in close collaboration with the festival’s partners from Slovakia, Czech, and Hungary. It intends to gather local institutions, publishers, non-profit organizations and makers together to increase the visibility and exposure of the artists using photobooks to tell their stories, as well as strengthen, connect and empower the local art scene.

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PAPERLUST PHOTOBOOK FEST OPENING & PHOTOBOOK. ASSET EXHIBTION OPENING GALERIA I!, KRAKÓW, 24.05.2019

PHOTOBOOK. ASSET EXHIBTION GALERIA I!, KRAKÓW, 24.05.2019

Exhibition Asset focuses on the economic and prestige aspects of art publications. An artistic book has become a tool for the emancipation of artist-maker. Having printed publication allows in an almost automatic way to get into the field of the world of art, or rather the history of art. It is often made with the purpose of creating a unique object, that might become a cultural asset.

Except for the context criterion, we do not have any other criteria for evaluation, what is a work of art and what is not. In any case, however, we need legitimacy – perhaps as time passes, distribution of power and who has the legitimacy to evaluate and give the status to a work of art will change. However, traditional, institutional bodies are still holding a strong position. Even though artists, as well as publishers, say that books are overproduced, that there is no environment, not enough audiences or market, publishing an art book still seems to be amongst the best ways to build up one’s position in the art world.

The exhibition presents the selection of books made with a purpose to become an asset, a self-standing piece of art, to bring an income or to became a valuable, collectable object.

Artists: Petr Fabo, Ivars Gravlejs, Agata Grzybowska, Blanka Győri and Máté Labu, Hubert Humka, Dominika Jackuliakova, Libuse Jarcovjakova, Martin Kochan, Wawrzek Kolbusz, Peter Kollanyi, Martin Kollar, Wojtek Mazan, Peter Puklus, Łukasz Rusznica, Michał Siarek, Jakub Stanek, Krystyna Jędrzejewska-Szmek & Łukasz Gniadek, Beatrix Szörényi, Milan Tittel, Tereza Zelenkova

PHOTOBOOK. STORYTELLING EXHIBTION

ZNACZY SIĘ, KRAKÓW, 24.05 – 14.06.19

The show is a part of the series that focuses on various aspects of the photobook. A carefully designed exhibition presents the most interesting samples of the photobooks from the Visegrad region, that have been made out of the need to convey, usually a personal, story. Most of the presented works are either self-published or published in small editions, including hand-made or low-cost printed zine publications.

A book, as depicted in the show, becomes the means for communicating one’s personal experience, a cultural experience and the same time becomes an instrument protecting such experience from oblivion. The leitmotiv of a narration underlines the role of the recipient as an active participant/interpreter of the work of art.

Low-cost self-publishing is here a starting point for a polemic about the nature of the medium. The dissemination using the most economic and least demanding means gives it the power of an independent statement. The questions asked by the authors are an attempt to reflect on the phenomena of this type of publications on the Central European market, their role, ways of production and presentation, as well as expectations of the recipient.

Artists: Tabori Andras, Ewa Behrens, Eva Benkova, Stanislav Briza, Radek Brousil, Jan Brykczynski, Magda Buczek, Kateřina Držková, Peter Fabo, Viola Fátyol, Lucia Gamanová, Aurélia Garová, Agnieszka Gotowała, Anna Hornik , Tomoya Imamura, Zuzana Ivašková, Tereza Kabůrková, Ines Karčáková, Joanna Margarethe Kischka, Deana Kolencikova, Jan Kolský, Viktor Kopasz, Paulina Korobkiewicz, Andrea Kurjakova, Katarzyna Ewa Legendź, Tomasz Liboska, Michał Loba, Alicja Łabądź, Maciej Moskwa, Boris Németh, Anna Orłowska, Krzysiek Orłowski, Ivana Paleckova, Igor Pisuk, Marcin Płonka, Piotr Pytel, Krzysztof Racoń, Kaja Rejczel Rata, Anka Sielska, Jakub Stanek, Juraj Starovecký, Dorota Stolarska, Eva Szombat, Budha Tamás, Jiri Thyn, Balázs Varju Tóth, Ondrej Urban, Imrich Veber, Dorotteya Veykony, Ján Viazanička, Lukasz Wierzbowski, Karolina Wojtas, Adrian Wykrota, Ficsór Zsolt, Kasia Zolich, KWAS (Karolina Wojtas, Agnieszka Sejud)

PHOTOBOOK. PROCESS EXHIBTION

NO��NA GALLERY, KRAKÓW, 24.05 – 14.06.19

In this exhibition, we treat objects of art as a consequence and as an event. We explore the medium of a book as a work in progress submerged in group work, culture, and its own particularities. The exhibition investigates photobooks as a constantly evolving medium in relation to its potentiality. It includes drafts, dummies, sketches, and excerpts from different stages of the work that cannot be completed.

Referring directly to the activities related to the book in a political context, here also the core idea is an artistic prosumer activity, or more precisely its aspect pertaining to work with an art object, that is done by a particular group/ collective. The work created in this way is a result of the vision and ideas of all those involved in the creation process. We want to open a dialogue on the role of a photo editor in photographic publications. We want to define the route which the author- photo editor relation is going through and tension it generates through the choice of photographs, arrangement, strategy – a cycle of events related to the photographic book.

Process exhibition emphasizes a special presence and interactive lecture by Viktor Kopasz and his lifelong process of creating Diaries.

Kopasz’s works become a starting point to think about a book in terms of a multidimensional process. The process can be considered from the perspective of an artist, as a work that can be presented synchronously – from idea to implementation – or asynchronously, as a kind of spiral, which concentrically returns to the centre, and can be looked at from different positions. By disrupting the order of the beginning and the end, the book appears as a final product of the process, enters into a new cycle – that varies depending on the adapted presentation and distribution strategy.

It is a more specific kind of self-publishing, in the context of the previous examples, as it functions as a work of art on the border of the avant-garde, ready-made and niche, crafted publications. Kopasz consciously plays with the medium, its content, and formal potential.

Artists: Jakub Bors, Kuba Dabrowski, Tomoya Imamura, Viktor Kopasz, Tomasz Laczny, Konstancja Nowina Konopka Książki twórców indywidualnych: Anna Ádám, Milan Adamčak, Hynek Alt, Aleksandra Vajd, Ján Ballax, Jakub Chromiński, Krystian Daszkowski, Peter Fabo (Petr Black FaBox), Lukas Hofmann, Nat Marcus, Alek Janicki, Karolina Jonderko, Ines Karčáková, Barbora Klímová, Paulina Korobkiewicz, Markéta Magidová, Barnabás Neogrády-Kiss, Lucia Nimcova, Lucia Papčová, Monika Pascoe Mikyskova, Tomas Pospech, Peter Puklus, Maciek Przemyk (Maciek P Myk), Catarina Simão, Anna Małgorzata Stankiewicz, Marta Szymanowska, Paweł Szypulski, Martina Šárovcová aka Kosmo Nauty – stories, Jan Sipocz, Bartłomiej Talaga, Konrad Trzeszczkowski, Imrich Veber, Karolina Zajaczkowska Książki grup twórczych: Časopis X o súčasnej kresbe, Hurrikan Press, If I saw that in a gallery I would say, this is art, Paper Beats Rock workshop dummies

VIKTOR KOPASZ. PROCESS. PROLONGED IDENTITY. OPEN STUDIO

APTEKA GALLERY, KRAKÓW, 25.05 – 27.05.19

Our ambition is to involve the artist in the process of creating. Therefore, for a limited time, we want to change the gallery’s window into an artist’s studio. Artist, being present, will allow the viewers to look at a photographic book as part of a broader phenomenon. The artist is working for 3 days in the window of the gallery. The temporary display changes every day. It might be a radical move or a subtle shift of meaning that we can follow alongside the process.

The presentation of the works and performative character of the exhibition by Viktor Kopasz allows placing the contemporary phenomenon of the book boom in a historical context while creating an experience of the process itself in real time.

TOMASZ ŁĄCZNY. PROCESS. C18FE7N18. OPEN STUDIO

APTEKA GALLERY, KRAKÓW, 01.05 – 02.06.19

A live book-making process. The artist creates a hand-made photography artbook using traditional photography techniques with elements of improvisation (taking advantages of technical errors of wet plate photography). It’s the final step of the personal project “It All Is. And Nothing”. The audience has an opportunity to experience work in progress in the experimental stage of the process.

OPEN LIBRARY & CHILL ZONE + KIDS ZONE

MOCAK LIBRARY, KRAKÓW, 24.05 – 14.06.19

If you would like to explore art books in a quiet and peaceful space, Chill Zone is a place to sit down and discover our reading room. It is located in a beautiful and bright MOCAK Library. Presented publications – zines, photobooks, small editions’ publications from Visegrad countries – come from the MOCAK and Paper Beats Rock collections, private collectors, artists and the open call.

We invite kids to spent time in our Kids Zone, space prepared specially for youngest fans of paper.

PHOTOBOOK DUMMY REVIEW

TYTANO, KRAKÓW, 02.06.19

Paperlust Photobook Dummy Review is a project intended for emerging artists working with the medium of photography and art books. Event will allow to connect young talents with professionals, publishers and curators from different countries.

The Tytano space will open for one day for face-to-face discussions over the photobooks in progress. Submissions are open to everyone over 18 years old. Selected artists will be invited to meet four of our international experts. Handmade dummies are in focus, although digital projects and small self-published editions are also taken under consideration. The main aim of the event is to help artists to develop the ideas they are already working on.

On Saturday, 1st June, we invite all of the Participants and Experts of Photobook Dummy Review to join the Portfolio Evening, a special joint event organised by Krakow Photomonth and Paperlust Photobook Fest.

Our Experts: Franek Ammer, Stanislav Briza, Zsolt Ficsor, Zuzana Flaskova, Gábor Arion Kudász, Wiktoria Michałkiewicz, Tereza Rudolf, Olija Triaška Stefanovič

STILL ‘TIS DEVILS MUST PRINT – ARTIST TALKS

MILK, KRAKÓW, 01.06.19

Series of 3 talks focusing on different aspects of the photobook and self-publishing in Visegrad Group countries will take place at Milk Studio. Subjects TBA.

Self-publishing practices in Hungary in the post-digital era/ Beata Istvánkó

The notion of artists’ publishing activities has changed over the past decades, in particular with

the expansion of the art market and the globalization of artistic practices, combined with the advent of the digital era and the introduction of new modes of production and circulation. Print and digital projects employ experimental formats and blur distinctions between art press, curatorial

experiments, and other publishing enterprises. The aim of the presentation is to summarize the history of independent art publishing in Hungary after 2000 through the activity of the Budapest based ISBN books+gallery.

The ISBN is a contemporary art bookstore and a gallery space established in 2017. The name of the gallery was obtained from the 13-digit identification number for publication, the ISBN-number (International Standard Book Number). The most important mission of the ISBN books+gallery is to map, collect, exhibit and distribute the domestic and regional, Hungarian and foreign language, new and second-hand contemporary art publications, exhibition catalogues, zines, art books, photobooks and theoretical publications.

Young scene of photobook makers in Slovakia/ Olja Triaška Stefanović

Five years ago students from the Department of Photography and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, Slovakia showed great interest in making photobooks within their visual researches. Olja Triaška Stefanović, together with her colleague Juraj Blaško from Visual Communication department, realized that it is necessary to open new and interdisciplinary course, that will link two departments and prepare students to make more professional photobooks. They created and started together to teach, PHO BO – Creation of Photobook where the main part of the course is focused on teaching a wide range of technological processes together with visual dramaturgy and storytelling. The author will be focused on the presentation of youngest generations of authors from Slovakia, their production of photobook and how they can improve the self-publishing market in Slovakia. Triaška Stefanović will present their books, zines and introduce to the audience how they work within the PHO BO, what is the course methodology and how they prepare students for professional work after graduation.

I shout „That’s Me!” Stories of Czech fanzines from the ’80s till now // Miloš Hroch & Pavel Turek // presentation of the book

The book ‘I shout “That‘s me!” Stories of Czech fanzines from the 80s till now’, published by PageFive, for the first time takes its readers through uncharted waters of the Czech fanzine scene, that is of unofficial amateur magazines. It brings to light stories of those who fell for computer games or wrote sci-fi stories, who obsessively compiled their own metal music charts, who were driven to street demonstrations by hardcore punk music or who wanted to change the standing of women in society. And about those who then wrote about it freely in their magazines. „This type of publication has the advantage that you can wave it around and shout ‚That’s me!’” – a photographer, a protagonist of the youngest fanzine trend of photozines, explains the essence of fanzines in one of the chapters of the book. And while there is the talk of the decline of printed media, the microcosm of independent printing is constantly expanding.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING – PANEL DISCUSSION

MOCAK, KRAKÓW, 31.05.19

Panel discussion at MOCAK with invited experts from the Visegrad group countries is orientated toward various aspects of the photobooks and self-publishing. The event has an informative and educational character, but also intends to encourage local collaboration.

The debate is focusing on the current situation of self-publishing the Eastern and Central Europe, its role and potential. Guests will discuss the phenomenon in the current socio-political context, its recent trends and how the role of self-publishing evolved in the era of the Internet.

The discussion at MOCAK Musem will be moderated by Michał Sita (Pix.House), and the speakers are Olja Triaška Stefanovič (Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava), Stanislav Briza (Bflmpsvz publishing) and Beáta Istvánkó (ISBN books+gallery, Budapest).

COLLABORATION NOW! SELF-PUBLISHING WORKSHOP

MOCAK, KRAKÓW, 30.05 – 02.06.19

Workshop …. Collaboration Now! International self-publishing workshop.. . is a unique formula designed for PAPERLUST Photobook Festival. As a participant you will gain basic knowledge about photobook creation from the scratch, including craft, design, editing and its function in the wider perspective of the art market. You will have a unique opportunity to work with internationally recognized artists from V4 region. Prepare for an intense experience where you will work in a group as well as directly with workshop leaders and other participating artists. You will progress by presenting your work, participating in round-table discussions and one-to-one sessions.

As a result every participant will create a dummy. This workshop will allow us to develop knowledge and consciousness about the medium of photography, photobooks, editing and narration and the use of visual language and self-expression through art. We believe visual is political and we intend to put it into the process. We will encourage emerging artists and amateurs (participants) to create visual stories, develop real skills and preserve the craft of producing a printed body of art, especially photobook.

Workshop leaders:

Katarzyna Ewa Legend�� PBR| PL

Katarzyna Zolich PBR|PL

Leader from Hungary – Gábor Arion Kudász

Leader from Slovakia – Jan Sipocz

Leader from Czech Republic – Teresa Zelenkova

COLLABORATION NOW! SELF-PUBLISHING WORKSHOP

MOCAK, KRAKÓW, 30.05 – 02.06.19

Workshop leaders:

Katarzyna Ewa Legendź PBR| PL

Katarzyna Zolich PBR|PL

Leader from Hungary – Gábor Arion Kudász

Leader from Slovakia – Jan Sipocz

Leader from Czech Republic – Teresa Zelenkova

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Organisers: Fresh From Poland Foundation, Paper Beats Rock Foundation

Strategic partners: FOTOGRAF Magazine (CZ), The Studio of Young Artists’ Association / FKSE (HU), ISBN könyv+galéria (HU), Hardness &Blackness (SK)

Programme curators: Katarzyna Legendź, Katarzyna Zolich

Exhibitions curators: Katarzyna Zolich, Katarzyna Legendź, Gosia Fricze, Grażyna Siedlecka, Katarzyna Roniek, Beata Istvánkó, Markéta Kinterová, Slavomíra Ondrušová

The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

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42wallaby-way-sydney · 8 years ago

Text

snippet of a ficlet

Domestic au where the mafia find they’re oddly? okay? with babies?

Really I just had these scenes in my head earlier at work and just had to write them out. And of course it’s like 2-4 am as I’m writing this junk so it’s probably horrid but I kind of don’t even care. Have some tooth rotting fluff with some of my ocs because honestly there’s just something super fun about all these mafia people who aren’t afraid to snap someone’s neck and get bloody and nasty but then can turn around half a second later and be the most caring wives/husbands/parents.

Valery and Liliya

2006 Manhattan, New York

Valery stares at his wife, watches as she coos at their newborn as she cradles their son.

“He looks just like you, Lila,” Valery whispers in English, moving to sit beside her legs on the small hospital bed.

Liliya looks up at him and for a moment Valery has a flash of worry as he sees tears in the corners of her eyes. He’s about to ask if she’s hurt, about to jump to his feet and yell for a nurse, but Liliya speaks first.

“I love him so much, Valera,” she says softly in tone that Valery had very rarely heard her use before. She touches the newborn’s cheek softly, trailing her finger tip across his cheek up to his head to adjust the little blue hat. “I…” she trails off, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth for a few moments, clearly searching for the proper words. “I did not think that I could ever love someone more than you,” she finally says, looking up at her husband in wonder.

Valery can’t help but laugh softly at that. Then reaches and squeezes her knee gently. “I feel the same way, ангел.”

He looks at their son with pride bubbling in his heart. He wants to take his newborn son and show him off to everyone. If he’s completely honest, he never thought he’d love anyone until meeting Liliya. And then the way he sees her looking at their son only makes the love he feels for her grow. And the pride he feels for son is a new feeling all together.

Neither he nor Liliya cared for children and when she had learned she was pregnant both had been worried. They weren’t exactly the parental type. But now as they sat in the hospital bed with their child, they couldn’t believe just how happy they were. It was such an odd thing for either to wrap their heads around.

The two of them.

Parents.

They were going to go home, to a new apartment in a new country, with their newborn son.

Liliya began humming softly, an old lullaby that Valery could just barely remember his mama singing to him when he was very young, and it makes him smile all the more.

“He needs a name, Lila,” Valery whispers as he sees their baby yawning.

Liliya hums in thought as she rocks their son gently. “Any ideas, дорогой?”

Valery frowns now for the first time in an hour as he runs a thousand names over in his mind. They’d been trying for months to pick a name and every single time they disagreed. “Igor?” His wife wrinkles her nose, eyes narrowing. So he shakes his head. “You are right. No for that. Hm… Nikolai?”

“Try again.”

Valery rolls his eyes. At times, Liliya can be very picky and even more demanding. “Well I am out of ideas, ангел. You pick something, Lila.”

The woman makes another face, this time sticking her tongue out at her husband. Then hums softly once more. The baby is beginning to really fall asleep now. It warms her heart in so new a way.

“Luka?” Valery asks.

Liliya frowns and Valery is sure that she’s going to tell him to pick something else. When much to his surprise she says the name to herself softly before nodding. “I like that.” She looks down at their son, their little Luka. “Hello, Luka, душенька.”

Sergei and Vera

2010 Hell’s Kitchen, New York

A baby’s soft cries fill the once quiet hospital room and Sergei quickly beings trying to hush his newborn daughter. Vera is half asleep on the hospital bed and she looks exhausted. Understandably so considering she had just given birth not too long ago.

The blonde woman groans softly as she sits up straighter. She loves her little girl, she really does and that’s surprising to her, but she’s very unsure if she can actually handle a baby. If she can take care of a child when she often times finds herself struggling with herself. Having a baby had never been in her plans. But as she looks at Sergei and their child, she can’t help but wonder how their lives are going to be now.

“Do you want me to take her?” Vera asks worriedly. That’s a new feeling for her, actually caring and worried about someone else. She stares at her daughter and feels a pang of worry at the very thought of holding her.

She’s so small. Fragile looking. And Vera, she knows she isn’t exactly gentle and so worries that she could possibly hurt her baby. While Sergei on the other hand looks perfectly at ease holding the newborn.

Sergei smiles softly and shakes his head. “No. She’s fine. I’ve got her. You sleep, голубка.”

He looks down at the baby and sees the baby flailing slightly and looking sleepy. It makes him smile. The newborn has hair that’s only a few shades darker than Vera’s own dirty blonde. Sergei wonders if her bright blue eyes are going to eventually turn out looking more like his or more like her mother’s.

Vera rolls her eyes at him, thinking he’s ridiculous with the amount of pet names he’s constantly giving her. But she won’t deny that she likes it. It makes her feel special. Loved really.

But she takes his advice and lies back, attempts to get comfortable, and lets her eyes shut as she focuses on his coos to their now sniffling baby. “She needs a name,” Vera says, a large yawn escaping.

“We’ll give her a name once you’ve had some rest, alright?”

The only answer he receives is a hum.

Sergei watches his girlfriend fall asleep, a small smile on his face. Vera could be stubborn, annoying so, but he loved her none the less. And loved watching her fall asleep. Being with Vera was different than when he’d been living in Russia and in a serious relationship with a woman, Yelizaveta. He’d had a daughter with her, Nastal, a daughter who he hadn’t seen since she was a year old.

He’d had no part in Nastya’s life, something he’d regretted for the last nine years, and he wouldn’t miss out on his newborn child’s.

Being with Vera gives him faith, and that makes him nearly laugh right there, and hope for the future.

And suddenly Sergei knows just what to name their little girl.

Nadezhda, their little Nadya.

Alex and Anatoly

2012 Hell’s Kitchen, New York

“Papa loves you so much. I do, Annushka,” Anatoly coos in Russian to his newborn baby. The baby just blinks, yawns widely, and turns their face towards his chest. It makes Anatoly grin. “You look just like your mama.”

He’s so busy whispering to the baby that he doesn’t notice his wife stirring awake. And Alex takes this as her chance to watch her husband interact with their baby. She can’t understand a good percent of what he’s saying but his tone, full of love and adoration, make her understand more than enough.

He looks at their baby with love pouring from his very being. He’s so proud to be a father, it’s clear for anyone to see and it makes Alex smile.

“Papa is never going to leave you, I promise.” Anatoly gently wraps the cotton candy pink blanket even tighter around the baby. And holds the newborn closer and presses a kiss to the deep brown fluffy hair on top of their head as he sees the baby beginning to fall asleep.

Alex picks now to yawn loudly, yawn only slightly exaggerated to let her husband know that she’s awake. “What nonsense are you telling that poor baby, Tolenka?” She asks softly so as not to wake the baby.

Instantly Anatoly is turning and quickly walking over to her. “Are you alright?” He asks, accent thicker.

It makes Alex grin. His accent always seemed more prominent after speaking his first language.

“Did I wake you? Are you hurt? Do you need any-”

She cuts him by holding her index finger to her lips, a silent ‘shh be quiet’ motion that makes him quickly fall silent.

“Hush, Tolenka. I’m fine,” she promises, slowly sitting up in the uncomfortable bed. “How’s the baby?”

Anatoly grins once more, beaming brightly in happiness as he slowly sits beside her so that she can see their child’s sleeping face. “Sleeping, звезда моя.” He frowns at her now. “Like you should be. You look exhausted.”

Alex rolls her eyes and waves his concern away. “Hush, Anatoly. I want to hold my child. Why don’t you go get a snack? Bring me back something if you don’t mind?” It’s more of a statement that she phrases to sound like a question but Anatoly understands. She wants to hold their baby and wants him to stop hovering over her like he’d been doing the past nine months.

So he hands over the sleeping newborn and presses a quick kiss to his wife’s forehead and slowly leaves the room.

He runs into Vladimir in the hospital’s cafeteria. The blonde is playing on his phone with one hand, holding a sandwich in the other. But the moment he spots his elder brother Vladimir is shoving the last few bites of his sandwich into his mouth and phone into his pocket as he walks over to his brother.

“How’s Alex? And the baby? I can’t believe you left the room,” Vladimir teases lightly, words falling in a rush and in Russian. He’s worried and nervous for his sister in law and newborn niece.

Anatoly makes a face but grins all the same as they walk over to the vending machines. “They’re both fine. Anya is sleeping. Alex didn’t look too far behind. She practically kicked me from the room. I think she’s tired of my worrying.” He pushes a few quarters into the machine, taps the buttons, and waits.

Vladimir nods in understanding. “Can’t blame her. You worry too much, big brother of mine.” He laughs when Anatoly lightly punches him in the shoulder. “Mm, so when do I get to hold the baby?”

“Soon,” Anatoly says, picking up the water and bag of chips. He flashes a grin to his brother, nudges their shoulders together. “I promise. I’m going to go check back on Alex. I’ll see you later?” Vladimir nods and rolls his eyes as his brother leaves before even waiting for an answer.

When Anatoly enters the hospital room once more he places the water and chips on the nightstand before fishing his phone from his pocket and snapping a picture of his dozing wife and baby. Hair a mess and clearly exhausted, Anatoly thinks she looks beautiful.

Matt and Valdimir

2018 Kazan, Tatarstan

“Sälam.” A very young toddler says, waving her hand before ducking back behind the social worker’s leg. She’s shy, just barely two years old, and these new people in front of her, staring at her, make her uncomfortable. She’d rather go back and play with the other children. But the adults seem fairly keen on keeping her with them.

She ignores as the social workers try to nudge her to go to the new people, two men. One was brunette, the other blonde.

“Isanmesaz. Helleregez nischek?” Vladimir asks, words spilling and sounding terrible to his own ears. He doesn’t think he’s pronounced them correctly at all and judging by the looks he’s receiving from the social workers, he’s guessed properly.

But it does the job of making the tiny toddler look out from behind the social worker. She takes one step away from the social worker, closer to him and Matt. Much to Matt’s pure joy.

This is all the encouragement Vladimir needs. He crouches down so that he’s nearly eye level to the child, and says slowly, “İsímím uh Vladimir. Uh, Papa,” he taps on his chest as he introduces himself. Then slowly points up to Matt. “Daddy.”

She starts speaking quickly, clapping her hands together loudly in her excitement. And Vladimir and Matt can’t understand her at all. But her joy is contagious and they both begin grinning at her. Matt slowly crouches down beside Vladimir, nervous and excited at finally meeting the two year old they’d been in the process of adopting for months now.

Natasha and Yelena stay to the side, Yelena recording them meeting the toddler while Natasha held a half asleep toddler of her own, her little girl Nika.

“Min sine yaratam,” Vladimir says clumsily, pointing to himself then to her.

She lets out a loud noise, squealing, nearly screaming really, mixed with a laugh as she rushes to them. Vladimir glances out of the corner of his eye to see Matt grinning widely and can’t help but feel happiness spread through his being. Seeing Matt happy always made him happy.

“İsímígíz niçík?” Vladimir asks, still trying to speak Tatar and failing horribly.

But again the young child claps her hands happily and she hops in spot as she proudly states, “İsímím Märyäm!” And then she begins speaking quicker and Vladimir is looking up at the social workers, completely lost. While the little girl holds up two fingers, seemingly telling them her age. She reaches out and hops, wanting to be picked up.

And since Matt was closer to her and dying to hold her, he quickly scooped her up, laughing out quietly, “What did she say?”

Vladimir makes a face but stood as well. “Said her name is Märyäm.”

Matt grins, hugs her tighter as she continues to babble away. “I love it. I think it’s pretty.”

Vladimir made a face, nose wrinkling and eyes narrowing slightly as he thought for a moment. Then he shrugged. “We will think of something better. Is ugly name. I do not like it.” He reaches over when he sees the two year old making grabbing hand motions at him now and Matt lets him take the child.

She has deep brown eyes and auburn hair that oddly enough matches Matt’s exact shade. She’s cute, Vladimir will give her that. But he’s still not sure about this adoption thing. Still not sure he and Matt are doing the right thing.

“Min sine yaratam,” the little girl says happily, grinning at him then looking back to Matt. “Min sine yaratam!” She claps her hands, does a little scream laugh once more, then rests her head on Vladimir’s shoulder.

Vladimir slowly hugs her, an odd feeling in his chest beginning to spread.

“What’d she say? She sounded happy?” Matt asked, confused but excited as he tries to make the new language stay with him.

Vladimir says nothing for a few moments, just pets over the little girl’s hair. Then finally, “She says she loves us.”

Piotr and Linda

2025 Hell’s Kitchen, New York

Piotr watches Linda swaddle their son in a light green baby blanket. She seems so good at it already. And he has a moment of self doubt. Of course he’d helped watch over his friends’ children. But Luka, Grisha, Nadya, Vasya, and Jack, oh they had all been young children or toddlers when he’d been babysitting them. Not fleshy little fragile newborns.

He knew he was good with children. That didn’t worry him. But the baby, well simply put, he was a baby. A very little baby at that. And Piotr didn’t know how to care for little babies.

“Do you wanna hold your son?” Linda asks, holding the baby in her arms and ready to hand him over the moment Piotr asks. She’s tired but happy.

But Piotr quickly shakes his head, eyes wide. “I can’t, Linda. He’s so small. What if I drop him? Or what if I break him? He looks very breakable. Or what if-”

Linda cuts him off with a laugh of, “And what if aliens attack New York again? Or, oh I know, this one is a good one! What if ninjas attack the hospital again?”

The Russian just stares at her, not finding her sense of humor all that funny.

But Linda just grins at him. “Piotr, honey, come hold your son and don’t worry so much, okay?”

Piotr looks nearly ready to listen to her, even takes steps closer to the bed until he’s sitting at the foot of it. Then shakes his head. “What if he doesn’t like me?” He asks softly, staring at Linda in worry.

The woman just smiles at him. “Well you won’t know until you hold him.”

“I don’t know how to hold babies, Linda.”

“Well no better time to learn than the present, hm? Come here.”

She gestures closer to herself, scoots over to make room for him next to her, and waits until he’s sitting back down before handing him the baby. The newborn lets out a small noise, gives a long yawn for a baby, and stares up at Piotr while Piotr stares right back at him. Linda leans her head against his shoulder and lets out a tired yawn of her own.

“I decided on a name for him, by the way.”

Piotr just hums softly as he tries to rock his son. He feels clumsy, isn’t sure he’s doing this right. But the baby isn’t crying so he figures he must be doing fine. He hopes so anyway.

“I like Peter. What do you think?” Linda asks, yawning once more and now fighting to stay awake.

Piotr shakes his head, a grin spreading over his face. “Peter Petrovich? Oh that’s horrible, Linda.”

Linda laughs softly, coos gently at the baby before covering her mouth as she yawns once more. “I like it. I, for one, vote on his name being Peter.” The newborn sneezes and lets out a small noise before falling silent once more and Linda nods. “Mhm, see, Peter here agrees with me.”

Piotr rolls his eyes but his grin never once fades. “I guess I’m being outnumbered then. Peter it is.”

His wife begins humming a lullaby, not lifting her head from his shoulder. And within minutes she’s fast asleep. Little Peter not too far along after her.

“Te quiero,” Piotr whispers the foreign words quietly, pressing a kiss to Linda’s hair and Linda smiles in her light sleep.

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dixie78 · 7 years ago

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Igor Kokoskov lands 'dream task' by returning the home of coach Suns

Phoenix Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov speaks with the media Monday, May 14, 2018, in Phoenix. Kokoskov will oversee a considerably enhanced group after they put together the worst record in the NBA last season. (AP Photo/Matt York)

PHOENIX-- The pressures of an NBA head coach are huge. Now include the weight of the world, or a minimum of the world outside the United States, and that's exactly what Igor Kokoskov deals with as the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns.Kokoskov ended up being the

first head coach born and raised outdoors The United States and Canada in NBA history.He acknowledged the commitment he bears upon his

shoulders on Monday, when he was formally introduced as the 19th head coach in franchise history.Kokoskov headed out of his method to thank handling fundamental partner Robert Sarver and basic manager Ryan McDonough for gambling on not only a young coach and a first-year head coach however a foreign head coach." It takes nerve," Kokoskov, 46, stated. "It puts, not more pressure, but expectations to

be show that they were. "The Suns' training search was both substantial and robust, according to McDonough, who in addition to James Jones, vice president of basketball operations, flanked Kokoskov at the podium inside the structure at Talking Stick Resort Arena.Several prospects were spoken to, either face to deal with or over the phone, but it was Kokoskov who stood above the rest to fill the job

following a season where Earl Watson was fired after 3 computer game and assistant Jay Triano worked as interim head coach for the balance of 2017-18. Kokoskov called his working with"a huge achievement"offered the historical significance, and at the exact same time,"a dream task "considering Phoenix is house.His household

-- significant other Patricia, young boy Luka and child Elina-Grace-- has really lived in the Valley given that his first period with the Suns. "This was always home," said Kokoskov, who was a Suns assistant from 2008-13." I was informing Ryan that sometimes you feel you need to hand over return. So that's how we felt as a family.

The household continuously stayed here. We never moved-- even the time spent with the Cleveland company and Orlando and the last 4 years in Utah. This is our home."And unquestionably, from company point of view, from the coach's perspective, this is a life time opportunity merely to coach among the best groups in the history of the league."Obviously, that hasn't been true in current history.The Suns when once again did

not make the playoffs this season, the 8th straight year with no postseason basketball, which extended a franchise-long dry spell. And this season, the Suns finished

with the league's worst record at 21-61. "It's quite a difficulty that I feel I'm ready for which's why you coach,"Kokoskov said.Kokoskov was an assistant under then-head coach Alvin Gentry the last time the Suns reached the playoffs, which culminated in a look in the 2010 Western Conference Finals. It was a team led by Steve Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire and Grant Hill."We tasted and felt that, exactly what is belonging to a winning group and playing in June and being on TELEVISION in June. That's an unique moment and I think all of us should have that,"Kokoskov stated. "I believe the city of Phoenix deserves that. I think the fans who love basketball needs to have that. And we'll provide our best

to bring this company and this group to that path ... that's going to be my objective."Kokoskov's NBA experience extends back 18 seasons, when he ended up being the first non-American assistant coach in league history in 2000. Kokoskov has really been on the training personnel of seven groups to reach the conference finals and 2 teams to reach the NBA Finals. He won an NBA title as assistant coach with the Pistons in 2004."

I found out a lot making my own errors and growing as a coach being with all these various programs, "he said.As well-traveled as Kokoskov has really been in the NBA, it's possibly his worldwide resume that has really set him apart and this offseason made him his first-ever NBA head training interview.A local of Belgrade, Serbia, Kokoskov has in fact worked as head coach of the Slovenian across the country group-- handling Goran Dragic and Luka Doncic-- for the previous 2 seasons, consisting of a gold-medial finish and best 9-0 record at

FIBA EuroBasket 2017. It was that country's very first ever European Champion and first medal at any global competition.In addition to his time with Slovenia, Kokoskov was head coach of the Georgian across the country group from 2008-15, qualifying for EuroBasket 3 times, something the country had actually never ever done formerly." It does not really matter if you're worldwide coach or American coach, all that matters is can you get it done and can you coach," stated Kokoskov, who became a U.S. homeowner in a special ceremony on the Suns 'court on June 18, 2010."It's probably a lot more duties for me due to the truth that being a leader(coach )... I type of bring some duties due to that if this fails, then American media and the general public is going to state, 'See, they ca

n't coach. We got to stick to our guys.'"Like I stated, it's not about being foreign, being a European coach. This is my house, Phoenix is my house and this is where I work. I feel exceptionally comfy. I do not consider myself as a European coach, I'm an NBA coach."

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junker-town · 7 years ago

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NBA draft lottery’s 3 big winners and 3 big losers

These are the winners and losers of the 2018 NBA Draft lottery.

Ping pong balls have magical powers in the world of the NBA. On Tuesday night, they decided to grace the Phoenix Suns with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The Suns have been in the lottery for eight straight years, but this is the first time in franchise history they’ve picked first overall. With an intriguing young core already in place, this pick presents the opportunity for Phoenix to accelerate its development curve and get back in the business of winning basketball games.

The Suns were the biggest winner of the lottery by virtue of winning the No. 1 pick. Other interested parties weren’t as lucky. Here are the biggest winners and losers of the 2018 NBA Draft lottery.

Winner: Luka Doncic

Arizona center Deandre Ayton was the player who most often appeared at No. 1 overall in mock drafts heading into the lottery. That might change now that Phoenix has officially landed the top pick.

The Suns hired Igor Kokoskov as their next head coach earlier this month. Who is Igor Kokoskov? He’s a former Utah Jazz assistant who was also Doncic’s head coach on the Slovenian national team in EuroBasket, where the team made a surprise run through the tournament to win the gold medal.

Yes, it’s easy to point out Ayton has connections to the state, too. But the Suns made an outside-the-box coaching hire with strong ties to Doncic when the franchise knew it would be picking near the top of the draft. Given that Phoenix has put the future of the team in Kokoskov’s hands, Doncic now seems like the favorite to go first overall.

Loser: Conspiracy theorists

This was not a good lottery for the tinfoil hat crowd. The top three picks went to small market teams in Phoenix, Sacramento and Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls fell a spot in the lottery and the Knicks held steady at No. 9.

But hey: if you’re going to rig the lottery, you can’t rig it every year. Take solace in that, conspiracy theorists.

Winner: Sacramento Kings

The Kings were seventh in the lottery standings and jumped all the way up to No. 2. This will be the 12th straight year the Kings have picked in the lottery, but it’s the first time they’ve ever ended up in the top-three.

Well, the Kings did land at No. 3 last season, but that just so happened to be the year they had to pick swap with the 76ers. Sacramento would go down the No. 5 and take De’Aaron Fox, which may work out just fine. But the player who went No. 3 — Boston’s Jayson Tatum — already looks like a star.

The Kings look like they have the easiest call in the draft. Either Doncic or Ayton will go No. 1, and Sacramento gets the honor of taking the player leftover. Not bad.

Loser: Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were 3-20 overall with the league’s worst record at one point last season. Then Nikola Mirotic returned from his broken face, Chicago promptly reeled off a seven-game winning streak, and the Bulls’ lottery odds were instantly shot.

The Bulls were gunning for the No. 1 overall pick in this draft from the moment they decided to trade Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. It turns out they fell a spot after the lottery, and won’t pick until No. 7.

The worst part for the Bulls? If they would have lost the coin flip tiebreaker with the Kings, they’d be picking at No. 2:

Had the Bulls lost the coin flip they would've had the Kings combinations and won the 2nd pick. Oh boy

— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) May 16, 2018

Winner: Marvin Bagley

Bagley was always projected to be a high pick, but now it feels like there’s no doubt he’ll either go No. 3 to Atlanta or No. 4 to Memphis.

Atlanta already has a high-motor, inside scoring savant in its front court in John Collins, who the team drafted last year. That would make Bagley seem redundant on the same team, but the Hawks reportedly like him:

Atlanta will likely gladly "settle" for whoever is left for them between Luka Doncic and Marvin Bagley. We've been hearing for a while now they are very high on Bagley in particular. Trae Young would have likely gotten a strong look had they landed outside of the top three.

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 16, 2018

Sitting at No. 4 is the Memphis Grizzlies, where Bagley would be a great fit next to Marc Gasol. Gasol could protect the rim on defense and space the floor a bit on offense, easing Bagley’s transition to the league on both ends of the floor.

Loser: Dallas Mavericks

That makes 15 trips to #NBADraftLottery & @dallasmavs have still never picked higher than projected slot. Had third-best odds tonight & picking 5th.

— Art Garcia (@ArtGarcia92) May 16, 2018

The Mavericks just can’t catch a break in the lottery. The silver lining is they found a pretty good player in Dennis Smith Jr. last year at No. 8. The pressure will be on to do it again picking fifth this year.

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placetobenation · 5 years ago

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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

Release Date: December 23, 1954

Budget: $5 Million

Box Office: $28.2 Million

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Peter Lorre, James Mason, & Paul Lukas

Director: Richard Fleischer

Plot: In 1868, rumors start to appear of a deadly sea monster that is sinking ships in the Pacific Ocean. Trying to verify if the rumors are indeed true a Professor, his assistant, & a harpooner set sail to find the elusive creature. What they find after the “sea monster” had disabled their ship was that it was not a sea monster after all. It was a submarine that was captained by a man who feels that the human race is lost. Captain Nemo and his crew of his ship the Nautilus take these men aboard and try to show them that life under the sea is better than anything that goes on land. Though intrigued by all that surrounds them the 3 men try to plan their escape.

Final Thoughts: Now this is the first true Disney film that I have seen previous to this trek that that I have started on. Though it has been several years since I last saw it in its entirety the movie holds up big time. This is also the first Disney movie to be released by Walt Disney’s new distribution company, Buena Vista. It was also the first Disney movie to be shot in Cinemascope which was something very rare for the time. It needed a special lens to shoot the movie in this way, and the only other company to use this sort of lens at the time was 20th Century Fox. Which Disney had to lease the lens from in the first place. Though this is my opinion only, and being a Disney fan I am glad they did it, but to be perfectly honest this screwed over 20th Century Fox because they only had the one lens. By leasing it out they couldn’t film anything in Cinemascope, until it was returned to them. But, Disney took a long time to shoot this movie, more than they had in the past in order to make sure that their movie was the only one that came out in Cinemascope.

One of the things I was most shocked at, because I didn’t remember that he was in it was Peter Lorre. I believe that this is the first time that I have ever seen him in color and it was really weird for me. If you don’t know who Peter Lorre is, then you are missing out on of the best creepy actors of all time. He originated the role of Igor in the Frankenstein movies. It was a character that truly was made for him, because in all honesty he probably didn’t need a lot of make up to pull off the role. He would later go on to be in Casablanca and M. M is a notable movie because it’s the first film in history to be about a serial killer. Lorre like in the majority of his movies plays the conniving sidekick to a T. He is great with this role and works well with the ladies man Kirk Douglas character. A funny thing about Lorre and this movie is that he believed that the Giant Squid got the role that was usually reserved for him. Which if you have seen his previous roles you could actually see him being that.

This movie had everything that Walt Disney loved in a movie, it was a classic tale written by a great author (Jules Verne) that involved the sea and the adventures that go along with it. To prove how much he loved this story and movie, he created a ride for it, that would be in both Disneyland (now known as Finding Nemo’s Submarine Voyage) and at the Magic Kingsdom at Walt Disney World. Though both are no longer at the parks in their original forms, there is an Easter egg at the parks to remind you of the story of Captain Nemo. In Nemo’s quarters on the Nautilus, you will see an organ which he plays in several scenes in the movie. The actual organ can now be found at Disneyland in the Haunted Mansion ride (In the ballroom). Replicas of this exact organ can be found in the Haunted Mansion at both Walt Disney World & Tokyo Disney. I am a Walt Disney World freak, so you may get quite a few of these type of things in these reviews.

Getting an actor like Kirk Douglas to be in this movie was a big coup for Walt Disney. This was the first time an actor of his caliber had ever starred in a Walt Disney Production. For the time he was also the highest paid actor Disney had ever used. It was well deserved to, because he was excellent in the role of Ned Land. A Harpooner who is both a ladies man and a “macho” man. Douglas saw himself as that type of actor, in fact in the very first scene you see him in, he purposely had them put 2 women on his arms and for him to start a fight. To show both sides of what he thought he was. This is also the only movie to my knowledge or that I have seen him in where he sings and plays a guitar. He made it look natural even though he only learned how to play the guitar when he started filming this movie.

I would be mistaken if I left out the terrific acting job of James Mason. A role he was absolutely perfect for. He made you hate and envy him at the same time. He held people prisoner, but at the same time who wouldn’t want to be at the reigns of a submarine.

This movie is a great movie for the family, and truly is worthy of being a Disney Classic. I would highly recommend watching it when you have a chance.

Final Score: 4 out of 5

Next Review: Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955)

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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footballleague0 · 7 years ago

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Eurobasket 2017 final – Anthony Randolph on his potential NBA fit

7:00 AM ET

Mike SchmitzESPN

HELSINKI, Finland — Anthony Randolph came into the NBA out of LSU as a tantalizing yet often frustrating talent.

His NBA career path closely resembled his maddeningly inconsistent play, as he took the floor for four teams over the course of six seasons with peaks and valleys at every stop. He was traded four times between July 9, 2010, and July 15, 2014, a stretch marred by inefficient play and wavering intensity.

The 2008 lottery pick was self-admittedly young, immature and ill-prepared for the trials and tribulations that came with an 82-game NBA season. During an era less dependent on small-ball lineups and up-tempo play, he was pegged a “tweener,” not strong enough to play the 4 nor skilled enough to play the 3, and he didn’t do himself any favors with a somewhat shaky approach to the game. Six years after the upside-laden Randolph was drafted No. 14 overall by an exciting Golden State Warriors team, he was out of the league.

Adam Silver tried to let NBA owners solve the issue of healthy players sitting out national TV games on their own, but in the end he needed to take charge. And now the league’s commissioner isn’t taking no for an answer.

The NBA is full of young stars, but which young players have the best chance to be among the league’s greatest in terms of on-court impact?

Here’s our guide to every key date and deadline that will shape roster decisions from now until the postseason.

2 Related

In 2014, he landed in Southern Russia with well-regarded club Lokomotiv Kuban. While Kuban has a history of success in Eurocup, Euroleague and VTB United League, Randolph was no longer treated like an elite high school recruit or a lottery pick. He was carrying his own gear, washing his own clothes and shoes and enduring two-a-day practices with only two other Americans on the roster.

“To keep it real, I got knocked down from my pedestal,” Randolph said during the Eurobasket group stage in Finland. “I had to go back to the basics. It was a different experience. It helped me realize why I really started playing basketball again.”

Randolph turned himself into a reliable 3-point shooter during two years in Kuban, earned All-Euroleague second-team honors and parlayed his strong stint with the Russian club into a one-year deal with Spanish power Real Madrid. Teaming with Slovenian phenom Luka Doncic and Spanish legend Sergio Llull, Randolph played a big role on a winning Real Madrid team this past season, eventually earning a contract extension and reminding NBA scouts and executives of his talent level in the process.

Now 28 years old — 10 years and 407 games removed from his professional debut — Randolph has finally settled in as a player, and the NBA is morphing in his favor with its big men more reliant on length, quickness, versatility and skill as opposed to brute force. Randolph, who shares the same agency — Bill Duffy and BDA Sports — as Doncic, Goran Dragic and coach Igor Kokoskov, opted to play for the Slovenian national team in Eurobasket this summer as a naturalized citizen and has been excellent through eight games.

During three elimination games in Istanbul, Randolph has averaged 24.7 points per 40 minutes while shooting 9-of-11 from 3 in wins over Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia, the Gasol brothers and Spain, as well as Ukraine. Alongside Doncic and Dragic, Randolph will take on Bogdan Bogdanovic and Serbia in the gold-medal game Sunday in Istanbul, serving as yet another opportunity for Randolph to prove his worth in a Sinan Erdem Dome loaded with NBA scouts and executives.

“Exactly what I told Anthony when we first started was that his versatility is what the NBA game is looking for,” Kokoskov said. “His versatility makes him such a unique player in international basketball. He definitely belongs in the NBA. He’s in a good place right now with Real Madrid. Great team, exposure and experience this summer. I really believe that he’s going to get another shot.

More important than his production, the NBA is much more suited for Randolph’s game than when he first broke into the league in 2008. Every team is searching for long-armed, rangy big men who can switch screens, protect the rim off the ball and space the floor offensively. Randolph is no longer a “tweener,” but a modern NBA big man who can, in theory, check up to three positions on defense and space the floor on offense.

“Now I fit in perfect, right?” Randolph said with a smile.

Randolph was drafted by the Warriors in 2008. Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

He has gained over 30 pounds since the 2008 NBA draft combine. He has modern center measurements at 6-foot-11, 230 pounds with a 7-3 wingspan and 9-2 standing reach yet the agility of a wing. After making only two 3s over the course of his first five NBA seasons, Randolph has turned into a threat from the perimeter, as he has made 139 of 400 international triples during his three years overseas. Including Eurobasket and the 2015 Pan-American games, Randolph has made 35.6 percent of his 3s since leaving the NBA in 2014, and there’s little question among scouts, players and coaches that Randolph is an NBA-caliber player.

“I think he should be in the NBA,” said Dragic, who came into the NBA the same year as Randolph. “It’s just life. He said he made some choices that maybe he would do differently, and I still believe he can make it. He is a huge addition to our team. He can play multiple positions — 3, 4, 5. He gives us a different type of game. In the past, we never had a guy you can throw an alley-oop to, can switch everything, can take the big guys out, shoot the mid-range or a 3. He’s a complete player.”

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Randolph still battles inconsistent on-court awareness, a lacking physicality and an up-and-down motor at times. Soft-spoken and not always playing with the fire coaches and scouts look for, Randolph hasn’t completely shaken his tendency to float through games. But with his maturity, the evolution of his game and the NBA, there’s no question he can help a team as a role player — it’s just a matter of for what price and at what level.

“I won’t go back in the NBA just to say, ‘Oh, I’m back in the NBA,'” said Randolph, who has an NBA out in his Real Madrid contract next season. “I feel like I have to know that I’m going to have a role and that I can help the team and that I have an opportunity to play. I don’t want to go sit on the bench, I want to play. I love playing basketball.”

His love of the game didn’t always show on the floor over the course of his NBA career, but with Slovenia across his chest, Randolph has proven exactly why he can be an impactful role player at the highest level. He bought into coach Kokoskov’s system and shined playing third fiddle next to Doncic and Dragic. Although not a perfect player, he’s what NBA teams are looking for from a versatility standpoint. He’s making 3s, switching screens, catching lobs and playing his way back onto the NBA radar.

“Just overall in life I’m just in a better place, man,” Randolph said. “I was younger, trying to figure out who I was as a person. I know who I am now. All I want to play basketball, enjoy this experience, I’m in a great spot where I’m at in Europe, and whatever comes comes.”

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giantsfootball0 · 7 years ago

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Eurobasket 2017 final – Anthony Randolph on his potential NBA fit

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Mike SchmitzESPN

HELSINKI, Finland — Anthony Randolph came into the NBA out of LSU as a tantalizing yet often frustrating talent.

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“Now I fit in perfect, right?” Randolph said with a smile.

Randolph was drafted by the Warriors in 2008. Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

Who are the best ballers in the NBA? We’re counting down the top 100 for 2017-18.

“I won’t go back in the NBA just to say, ‘Oh, I’m back in the NBA,‘” said Randolph, who has an NBA out in his Real Madrid contract next season. “I feel like I have to know that I’m going to have a role and that I can help the team and that I have an opportunity to play. I don’t want to go sit on the bench, I want to play. I love playing basketball.”

The post Eurobasket 2017 final – Anthony Randolph on his potential NBA fit appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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festivalists · 8 years ago

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rEvolutions

In a post-2016 world, does the future look bright to you? How about the future of cinema? Just how much zeal for radical change a festival line-up can contain is examining our editor Yoana Pavlova – at International Film Festival Rotterdam, of course, where else...

Think pieces like this one are usually titled “The kids are all right,” or “The kids are not all right” – depending on the political sharpness honorable authors want to imbue their prose with. This is even more valid when the text is on cinema, young people in cinema, and/or millennials as protagonists.

One of those forever-young events that can serve as a fieldwork to research the next generation and its audiovisual tropes is International Film Festival Rotterdam. Albeit being 46-year-old, the Dutch festival had long figured out the recipe for eternal youth: #1 stay curious to fresh formats, media, and technologies #2 favor rebellious narratives #3 repeat. The easiest way to discover upcoming trends at IFFR is the Bright Future section, a showcase for “major new talents.” And judging from several titles in this year's line-up, all written and directed by upcoming authors in their late 20s or in their early 30s, kids are plotting a revolution, or at least something that looks like it.

With an international premiere plus web series and installation, Anaïs Volpé's HEIS was probably the most visible face of young French cinema in Rotterdam. Dubbed the “French Lena Dunham” in the catalogue was not precisely in her favor, as Lena Dunham's name has some very complex connotations outside of France, where she is wholeheartedly adored as an indie goddess with easygoing yet unlimited creative potential. Still and all, Volpé's HEIS tells a very important story about the young people in France, who, as the film claims, moved directly from feeding bottles to unemployment doles. As of 2016, it is believed that Bertrand Bonello has the patent to speak of social unrest and political catharsis in France, and as a matter of fact his NOCTURAMA (2016) was also shown at IFFR accompanied by a discussion. Nevertheless, HEIS is far more sincere than Bonello's film, and has the advantage of being produced by someone who has more or less the same age as NOCTURAMA's personages whose actual motivation to set Paris on fire remains an enigma up until the dramatic end.

In addition, Volpé stars in her own project, thus crafting HEIS' docufiction plot with bits and pieces of her own autobiography, as well as personal fantasies, cultural references, pop-culture clichés, key geopolitical topoi. From Claude Chabrol's THE GOOD TIME GIRLS / LES BONNES FEMMES (1960) to Mathieu Kassovitz's LA HAINE (1995), the storyline and the visuals play with allusions in the best traditions of XXI-century French cinema, yet it is not neo-Amélie that emerges on the screen but a frenchified Frances Ha, stranger in a familiar land. What is also interesting in HEIS is that unlike so many millennials narratives that are preoccupied with romance, Volpé explores her relationship with her twin-brother vis-à-vis their mother (and the invisible presence of their father), thus charting superposed triangles with an imaginary self. This is how HEIS suggests that rebellion should occur first and foremost within the family, and growing up in a certain way can be an act of revolution too. This self-conscious curatorial approach towards life may put off some viewers who are still hoping for the impromptu power of the French New Wave to be reborn, but it is very effective in displaying the mechanisms that move today's youth.

Another Bright Future film, whose director deliberately embedded himself in the spiel with several levels of irony, is SELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG / SELBSTKRITIK EINES BÜRGERLICHEN HUNDES (2017) by Julian Radlmaier. A film about shooting a film that makes Berlin hipsters mingle with the proletariat, Radlmaier's work is again a tribute to different directors, such as Werner Schroeter and Rosselini. Self-aware of its interactive scheme, as well as of its auteurish stance, SELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG fits the contemporary meme culture that urges many young people to adopt a slogan rhetoric they have no clear understanding of. With a well-articulated notion that solidarity differs from one generation to another, and from one culture to another, the ultra stylish revolution here is led by a mute, sneakers-wearing monk – an agent of Deus-ex-machina resolutions. At IFFR, it proved difficult to corner Radlmaier and obtain a clear statement about his political agenda, yet SELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG feels like it is friendly pulling the chain of the contemporary Left.

Another spiritual pilgrimage ushered by a Messiah-like figure unfolds in A BRIEF EXCURSION / KRATKI IZLET (2017) by Igor Bezinović. Narrated in retrospective by protagonist's voice-over, the film seems to tackle a generation of young people who are already adults (which is also to explain how come seven people can get lost in the woods, looking for an abandoned monastery). Nevertheless, the apparent lack of technology and the early-2000s clothes are just an excuse to look into a timeless cycle on the Balkans, in which youth comes to age in the context of the prevalent Dionysian culture, without a chance to analyze the world in a sober manner. Probably this is why A BRIEF EXCURSION is more engaged with literary works than cinema – based on the novel of the same title written by the Croatian Antun Šoljan in 1965, Igor Bezinović's film suits also the magic realism of Milorad Pavić and the quiet existentialism of Francis Scott Fitzgerald. The every-man-for-himself moral here is central, the revolution appears to be a matter of individual, spiritual salvation, and the collective – a utopia.

A slightly different type of Arcadia takes shape in A DECENT WOMAN / LOS DECENTES (2016) by Lukas Valenta Rinner. I attended the world premiere in Sarajevo, where the film was selected in the Official Competition and felt like a fresh breeze amidst the usual Balkan drabness. At first, the Austria / Argentina / South Korea production combo looked confusing in the context of Sarajevo, but then the deadpan humor à la the Greek New Wave turned out to be spot-on. In Latin American cinema, there is already a sub-genre about oppressed house help, yet it is the first time I see this narrative leading to an Epicurean Garden of sorts, only to destroy the paradise of equality and democracy with nihilistic gusto at the end. In Rotterdam, Lukas Valenta Rinner's film was in its natural habitat, but still, bitter jokes and dark fantasies aside, the question is – is a working-class revolution even imaginable nowadays?

If one needs a more realistic answer, maybe one has to look beyond IFFR's Bright Future programme. Some thoughts on two favorites of mine. PEOPLE POWER BOMBSHELL: THE DIARY OF VIETNAM ROSE (2016) by John Torres is a film about gestures, and a gesture per se. Examining the celluloid spirits trapped in the void of the post-colonial past, Torres is rather sceptic when it comes to re-writing history. On the most fragile medium he brings to life the underdeveloped shadows of Filipino cinema, with all political implications involved in this act of redemption, only to look with compassion and sadness at the result. The last feature of Jan Němec is a similar take on existential checks and balances that flows like a literary mystification. Released post-mortem, THE WOLF FROM ROYAL VINEYARD STREET / VLK Z KRÁLOVSKÝCH VINOHRAD (2016) gets even with the Czech New Wave, the French New Wave, festivals, the USA, Trump, and “the left-wing fools.” Footage of Jean-Luc Godard cutting the screen in Cannes in 1968 prompts for parallel with Mark Cousins smashing his DCP with an axe. The medium is no longer the message but the messenger to be shot in order to start a proper revolution. Enter Kafka and the counter-revolution.

If you are a film industry professional, you can watch titles from IFFR's Bright Future selection on Festival Scope

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