#jeremy hitchen

[what-if-rpg]

Hey there, tags! The week just got started, and we would already love to see some apps coming. If you are looking for some new rp, check us out. Under the read more, you will be able to see a full list of all our open characters right now. Also, yes, you can send in an original muse of yours. We will welcome you all here.

CANON CHARACTERS

Brittany Pierce

Kurt Hummel

Danielle Harper

Artie Abrams

Shelby Corcoran

Kitty Wilde

Brody Weston

Unique

Shane Tisnley

Sue Sylvester

Jeff Sterling

Sebastian Smythe

Will Schuester

Matt Rutherford

Friday Romero

April Rhodes

Noah Puckerman

Jake Puckerman

Spencer Porter

Emma Pillsbury

Stephanie Pierce

Sugar Motta

Roderick Meeks

Mason McCarthy

Madison McCarthy

Santana Lopez

Bree Jordan

Holly Holliday

Grace Hitchens

Joe Hart

Rory Flanagan

Judy Fabray

Stevie Evans

Tina Cohen-Chang

Hunter Clarington

Mike Chang

LeRoy Berry

Hiram Berry

Jean Baptiste

Azimio Adams

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

Avery Fabray (FC: Lily James)

Stacey Evans (FC: Lili Reinhart)

Chelsea St. James (FC: Ariana Grande)

Shannon Wilde (FC: Hunter Schafer)

Eléonore Smythe (FC: Stefania Spampinato)

Archibald Schuester (FC: Robert Pattinson)

Poppy Rutherford (FC: Ruby Barker)

Jamison Rutherford (FC: Regé-Jean Page)

Danna Rose (FC: Georgina Amorós)

Claire Rose (FC: Danielle Savre)

Thalita Rhodes (FC: Anna Camp)

Lei Readdie (FC: Shay Mitchell)

Evelyn Puckerman (FC: Kat Dennings)

Imogen Porter (FC: Nicola Coughlan)

Zara Pillsbury (FC: Madelaine Petsch)

Elenora Pillsbury (FC: Phoebe Dynevor)

Alessandra Pierce (FC: Claudia Salas)

Rafa Padilla (FC: Rafael Silva)

Adofo Motta (FC: Mena Massoud)

Maximus Meeks (FC: Jonathan Bailey)

Morena McCarthy (FC: Martina Cariddi)

Rebecca Lynn (FC: Ana de Armas)

Valentino Lopez (FC: Wilmer Valderrama)

Treyvon Jones (FC: Mason Gooding)

Talisa Jones (FC: Laura Harrier)

Levi Jones (FC: Michael B. Jordan)

Kyan Jones (FC: Jeremy Pope)

Billie Jones (FC: Alexandra Shipp)

Angelica Johnson (FC: Naomi Scott)

Jordan Jackson (FC: Zac Efron)

Cordelia Jackson (FC: Brie Larson)

Bradley Jackson (FC: Zac Efron)

Mildred Hummel (FC: Sandra Bullock)

Liam Hudson (FC: Dacre Montgomery)

Brian Hudson (FC: Nick Robinson)

Benjamin Hudson (FC: Shawn Mendes)

Gabriella Goldman (FC: Ashley Tisdale)

Abigail Goldman (FC: Ashley Tisdale)

Daniel Fabray (FC: Hunter Parrish)

Mia Evans (FC: Brianne Howey)

Victoria Crawford (FC: Claudia Jessie)

Alannah Crawford (FC: Renee Rapp)

Max Cohen-Chang (FC: Henry Golding)

Jenny Chang (FC: Gemma Chan)

Lucy Blossom (FC: Olivia Wilde)

Troy Adams (FC: John Boyega)

Caleb Adams (FC: Jacob Latimore)

Jess Abrams (FC: Brigette Lundy-Paine)

Castor Abrams (FC: Henry Cavill)

[wisdomfish]

Whether we are ready to face death

For all of us, the most pressing question is whether we are ready to face death—do we have hope beyond the grave? Without Christ, we are without hope and without God in this world (Ephesians 2:12). But Christian people experience the difference that a living faith in Jesus makes when confronted with their own death or that of a fellow Christian. They do “not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Of course, they do experience grief at the death of a loved one, friend, or colleague, but they face it with the certain hope of eternal life beyond the grave.

In contrast, consider the sad case of the late Christopher Hitchens who, having failed in his fight against oesophageal cancer, died in 2011. An atheist, this celebrated writer and orator was known for his vitriolic criticism of people of faith, not least Christians. Some of his books—God is Not Great (2007) and The Portable Atheist (also 2007)—helped solidify his reputation as a spokesperson for opponents of biblical Christianity. A year before Hitchens passed away he was interviewed by well-known British journalist Jeremy Paxman. Asked if he feared death Hitchens replied, “No. I’m not afraid of being dead. That’s to say, there’s nothing to be afraid of; I won’t know I’m dead.”

His confidence was unfounded for, “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Hitchens was well aware of the Bible’s teaching on this point but said he’d be surprised to find himself facing God’s tribunal. Like so many others, he was prepared to take the gamble that there was no conscious existence beyond his physical death. He despised the teaching of the Apostle Peter that, “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). He was prepared to take the chance that he had no soul that would exist after his death. Scripture, however, teaches that the soul is immortal, a person’s most precious possession (Mark 8:36–37).

~ Philip Bell

[darkmaga-returns]

Peter Hitchens

Oct 22, 2024

The most memorable moment at the recent convention of Britain’s governing Labour party was too absurd to report properly. It always will be. I feel it is slightly improper to mention it here. Yet, as you will see, it would be strange not to. In a sprawling, unmemorable speech setting out his dull, vague, and predictable policy priorities, our prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, inexplicably called for “the release of the sausages” in Gaza when he was supposed to be calling for the release of the hostages. The slip was so ludicrous (his face remained throughout in “serious” mode, especially when he rapidly corrected himself), and the subject was so grave and painful that it felt wrong to laugh. Sir Keir has a strange, nasal voice which lowers the temperature of everything he says.

Yet we did laugh. People all over the country were calling and messaging each other to share the comedy. And he will never fully recover from it, just as a former Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, has never fully recovered from tumbling into the surf in front of TV cameras while taking a walk with his wife on Brighton beach in 1983. It is odd that being ridiculous is so much more damaging to a public figure than being wicked. Yet it is so. Such slips strip away the grandeur and importance with which political figures seek to armour themselves.

There was no doubt of what he had said. The recording is easily found and very clear. He really had spoken of “sausages.” The BBC did not know what to do about the inadvertent sausages on its TV and radio bulletins, and ended up skating past them at speed, noting swiftly that the event had taken place. Nor did any serious newspaper give them the prominence they had in fact attained in the national mind. It all had to be confined to humorous sketches and gossip items. One writer remarked that Sir Keir had made himself “a sausage to fortune.” Some recalled Otto von Bismarck’s remark that, if you like either politics or sausages, it is best not to watch them being made.  

[gerryandersontv]

Pod 152 - Jeremy Hitchen (3/3)

Pod 152 – Jeremy Hitchen (3/3)

If you expected a mere two parts for an interview with the legendary Jeremy Hitchen then you should have expected the unexpected! Our third and final interview covers Jeremy’s return to the world of Terrahawks in audio form (available from Big Finish and the Gerry Anderson Store) plus some Facts which are FAB, some listeners who are Podsterons, and an -Iser which is Random! It can only be the…

[sleepykittypaws]

2023 Theatrical Holiday Premieres

Updated: December 6, 2023 (NOTE: Will try to keep schedule mostly up-to-date for this last year, but no longer following production)

Switch (a.k.a. Seuwichi; holiday movie starring Oh Jung-se and Kim Mi-kyung; directed by Ma Dae-Yoon; Korean language remake of 2000′s The Family Man; A spoiled actor experiences a new life when he meets a mysterious taxi driver on Christmas Eve) - Jan. 4, South Korea

Plane (New Year’s-set action movie starring Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yonson An and Tony Goldwyn; directed by Jean-François Richet; A New Year’s Eve storm causes a plane to crash lang on an island occupied by dangerous criminals, forcing the pilot to work with a convict to protect his passengers) - Jan. 13 (Trailer)

One Fine Morning (a.k.a. Un Beau Matin; French-language, partially holiday-set movie starring Pascal Lea-Seydoux, Melvil Greggory, Nicole Poupaud and Garcia; written and directed by Mia Hansen-Love; A widow and single mom juggles caring for her family, including her father with dementia, and a new affair with an old friend of her late husband’s) - Jan. 27, limited (Trailer)

Stars Fell Again (holiday-set sequel to 2021′s Stars Fell on Alabama starring James Maslow, Ciara Hanna, Cecilia Kim and Johnnie Mack; co-written and directed by V.W. Scheich; A year after they reunited at a high school reunion, Bryce is ready to pop the question with a Christmas proposal, but family drama interferes with his plans; filmed in Atlanta) - Feb. 3, limited (Trailer)

The Young Santa Claus (avant garde holiday origin story written, directed and starring Sidin Mido Salkic; A young indigenous man comes out of the sea with no memory, freezing, and puts on a Santa suit for warmth, finding himself instantly transformed; filmed in Australia) - Feb. 15, Melbourne premiere

A Disturbance in the Force (documentary from filmmakers Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak on how the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special came to be) - Mar. 11, SXSW  (Website)

Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures (Portuguese language drama starring Beatriz Batarda, Kris Hitchen, Bob Elliott, Romeu Runa, Victor Lourenço, Nuno Lopes and Rita Cabaço; directed by Marco Martins; Set in 2019, the story of Portuguese migrants who descend on the UK to work in turkey production factories in the lead up to Christmas, along with a woman who used to be one of them, now married to a local hotelier) - Mar. 16, limited (Trailer)

The Naughty List (small budget, partially crowd funded, Australian holiday movie about a girl who holds Santa hostage until she gets a “nice list guarantee”) - Apr. 16, Australian Premiere (Instagram, Facebook)

Hellmark (Hallmark horror parody short starring Tanya Jade and Giles Panton; directed by Jessica Lauren Doucet; A traditional Christmas rom-com takes a turn) - Apr. 16, Crazy 8s Gala (Instagram)

To Catch a Killer (partially holiday-set thriller starring Shailene Woodley and Ben Mendelsohn; directed by Damián Szifron; co-written by Jonathan Wakeham and Szifron; A troubled Baltimore police detective tracks down a New Year’s Eve serial killer) - Apr. 21 (Trailer)

With Joyful Ring (holiday short film starring Matthew Rhodes and Elena Hollander; written and directed by Gary Karapetyan; A lonely and depressed widower makes an effort to reconnect with the world at Christmas) - April 22, Myrtle Beach International Film Festival (Trailer)

R.M.N. (Romanian-French movie directed by Cristian Mungiu; A man who has been working overseas returns to his small, Romanian village for Christmas, only to find his former friends and neighbors caught up in fear and prejudice, which comes to a head when new foreign workers come to town) - April 28, limited (Trailer)

L’immenmsita (partially holiday-set, Italian drama starring Penelope Cruz, Vincenzo Amaro and Luana Giuliani; co-written and directed by Emanuele Crialese; A mother and her children move to Rome in the 1970s; filmed in Italy, where it was released theatrically in 2022; first U.S. release) - May 12, limited (Trailer)

Jingle Hell (holiday horror short starring Keith Szarabajka, Shalini Bathina and Poonam Basu; directed by Sean Cruser; written by Tyler Beveridge; A married couple spending their holidays in a remote cabin must fight off a Christmas Eve killer) - June 8, Marina Del Ray Film Festival

Another Year Together (holiday movie starring Alexandra Turshen, Kiva Dawson, Marilyn Sokol and Robert S. Gregory; directed by Daniel Hendricks Simon; written by Patrick Davin and Hendricks Simon; Three multi-generational romances are tracked through the New York holiday season; filmed in New York City) - June 20, Manhattan Film Festival (Trailer, Instagram)

A Corpse for Christmas (small-budget holiday horror movie starring Kasper Meltedhair, Nicholas DeGideo and Josh Christensen; written and directed by Bruce Longo; Splatter holiday horror set and filmed in Philadelphia) - July 17, PhilaMOCA

Family Portrait (a.k.a. The Christmas Card; holiday drama starring Rachel Alig, Miriam Spumpkin and Katie Folger; directed and co-written by Lucy Kerr; As the pandemic looms, a Southern family struggles to take the perfect Christmas card photo that hides all the dysfunction and grief they’re actually experiencing; filmed in Hunt, Texas) - Aug. 4, Locarno Film Festival  (Website) 

Forgetting Christmas (holiday drama starring Melan Perez, Victoria Rowell, Dennis Jones, Donnie Brown Jr., Raisa D'Oyley and Honour Drew; written and directed by Cadell Cook; A young woman comes home for the holidays to deal with her father's early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis) - Aug. 5, Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (Website)

The Shepherd (holiday-set short starring John Travolta, Ben Radcliffe, Steven Mackintosh, Asan N'Jie and Scarlet Grace; based on the short story by Frederick Forsyth; adapted and directed by Iain Softley; A British pilot heading home from Germany for the holidays has all his instruments fail in deep fog and is miraculously saved by a mysterious plane that guides him home safely; filmed in Norfolk, UK) - Aug. 10, HollyShorts Film Festival (Trailer) 

Santastein (partially Kickstarter-funded holiday slasher movie based on a film school short, co-directed by Benjamin Edelman and Manuel Camilion; In a world without Christmas, a vengeful Santa takes his rage out on a group of unsuspecting teens; filmed in Miami) - Aug. 12, Popcorn Frights Film Festival (Instagram, Trailer)

Championship Christmas (faith-based holiday movie starring Erica Rowell Green, Dalton Delk and Joey Traywick; written and directed by Traywick; A woman reconnects with an old flame who is now a professional wrestler; filmed in Mississippi) - Aug. 26, Quitman, Mississippi premiere

Operation White Christmas (German-language action-comedy; starring Rauand Taleb, Tim Wilde, Tim Seyfi, Roland Düringer, Andreas Vitasek, Yvonne Yung Hee Bormann and Petra Morzé; written and directed by Flo Lackner; A video clerk finds himself drawn into high-stakes intrigue when he’s tasked with stopping a state visit on Christmas Eve to save his shop.) - Aug. 24, Austria (Teaser)

Werewolf Santa (UK-filmed horror movie starring Nicholas Vince, Mark Arnold and Joe Bob Briggs; written and directed by Arielle Anthony Hayles; Santa turns into a werewolf on Christmas Eve and a YouTuber catches it all on camera; filmed in Surrey, England) - Aug. 25, FrightFest London Film Festival (Website)

War is Over! (animated short film inspired by the song “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” from John Lennon and Yoko Ono, produced their son, Sean Ono Lennon) - Sep. 11, limited

You’re Not Me (a.k.a. Tú No Eres Yo; Spanish-language, holiday-set thriller starring Jorge Motos and Roser Tapias; directed and written by Moisés Romera and Marisa Crespo; A woman returns home for the holidays to find a stranger has taken her place) - Sep. 22, Fantastic Fest

The Sacrifice Game (holiday-set horror movie starring Mena Massoud, Olivia Scott Welch, Gus Kenworthy, Chloë Levine, Derek Johns, Laurent Pitre, Madison Baines and Georgia Acken; directed and co-written by Jenn Wexler with Sean Redlitz; Two students, alone at an all-girls boarding school over Christmas break, have to fight off uninvited guests to survive; filmed in Montreal) - Sep. 23, Fantastic Fest

Christmas for Three (holiday movie starring Naomi Matsuda, Ashley Brinkman, Kenney Myers and Paulie Calafiore; written and directed by Candy Cain; A single man suddenly tasked with caring for a child finds himself falling for the social worker trying to help them) - Oct. 28, Lake Placid International Film Festival

How to Ruin the Holidays (holiday comedy starring Colin Mochrie and Amber Nash; directed by Arlen Konopaki and written by Kevin Gillese; filmed in Atlanta) - Nov. 2, limited (Website)

Glisten and the Merry Mission (animated holiday movie from Build-A-Bear, starring Julia Michaels, Dionne Warwick, Chevy Chase, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss and Sisanie Villaclara; directed by Cory Morrison; written by Temple Matthews; A young elf and her mother must find an enchanted deer to save Christmas) - Nov. 3, Cinemark Exclusive (Trailer)

What Happens Later (rom-com starring Meg Ryan and David Duchovny; directed by Ryan; Exes snowed in at a small airport spend a magical night together) - Nov. 3 (Trailer)

The Christmas Classic (holiday movie starring Malin Ackerman, Amy Smart, Ryan Hansen, Will Blagrove, Wes Hager and Charlotte Taylor; written and directed by Shane Dax Taylor; A ski resort owner promises to sell if his ex can defeat her sister, the reigning champ, in an annual Christmas contest a series of outrageous, holiday-themed challenges; filmed in Ruidoso, New Mexico) - Nov. 3, limited (Trailer); also available PVOD

The Snow Queen and the Princess (Russian animated movie based on the Snow Queen fairy tale; released in Russian in February, new English-language dub coming to theaters and PVOD across Europe and the Middle East) - Nov. 9, international (Trailer)

The Holdovers (1970s-set holiday drama starring Paul Giamatti, Carrie Preston and Da’Vine Joy Randolph; directed by Alexander Payne and written by David Hemingson; A universally despised teacher without family of his own is forced to stay at his boarding school to supervise students who can’t go home for the holidays, including one particularly surly teen, with only the school’s longtime cook to help; filmed in New England) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

It’s a Wonderful Knife (holiday horror-thriller starring Jane Widdop, Joel McHale, Justin Long, Sydney Scotia, Sean Depner, Aiden Howard, Erin Boyes and William B. Davis; directed by Tyler MacIntyre; written by Michael Kennedy; A final girl wishes she'd never been born, and lands in an alternate reality where she must once again battle the Christmas Eve killer; filmed in Vancouver) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

Family Time (a.k.a. Mummola; holiday-set Finnish drama starring Ria Kataja, Elina Knihtilä, Leena Uotila, Tom Wentzel and Jarkko Pajunen; written and directed by by Tia Kouvo, based on his 2018 short; A dysfunctional family slowly implodes during a holiday visit) - Nov. 10, Finland (Trailer)

Manodrome (holiday-set drama starring Jesse Eisenberg and Adrian Brody; directed by John Trengrove; An uber driver with a pregnant girlfriend gets drawn into a cult-like male empowerment group) - Nov. 10, limited

Journey to Bethlehem (musical retelling of the Biblical Christmas story, starring Fiona Palomo, Milo Manheim, Antonio Banderas,  Stephanie Gil, Joel Smallbone, Lecrae, Rizwan Manji, Geno Seagers and Omid Djalili; directed by Adam Anders; written by Anders and Peter Barsocchini; original music by Adam and Nikki Anders, along with Peer Astrom; filmed in Spain) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

Your Lucky Day (holiday-set thriller; starring Angus Cloud, Jason O'Mara and Spencer Garrett; written and directed by Dan Brown; When a winning lottery ticket is purchased at a down-and-out convenience store, a hostage situation breaks out as everyone grapples for the winnings) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

There’s Something in the Barn (holiday horror movie starring Martin Starr, Amrita Acharia and Jeppe Beck Laursen; directed by Magnus Martens; written by Aleksander Kirkwood Brown; An American family inherits a remote cabin in the Norwegian mountains and heads there for the holidays only to find they’re not alone; filmed in Norway) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

Vandits (holiday movie starring Enrico Colantoni, Robb Wells, Tony Nappo, Francesco Antonio, Jesse Camacho, Victoria Turko, and Jann Arden; directed by Stuart Stone; written by Rodness and Stone; A group of stoners decide to rob a senior center bingo hall on Christmas Eve; filmed in Winnipeg) - Nov. 10, limited (Trailer)

The Great Turkey Town Miracle (faith-based holiday movie starring and directed by Angus Benfield, along with J William and Cameron Arnett; Inspired by true events, a fired DJ must find 4,000 turkeys for needy families in just a month to hold onto his new job) - Nov. 10, limited (Trailer)

Christmas on Cobbler Street (a.k.a. Den Første Julen i Skomakergata; Norwegian family film starring Henki Kolstad and Kristoffer Olsen; directed by Mika Hovland; written by Maren Skolem; adapted from the classic 1979 TV Norweigan “TV advent calendar” Jul I Skomakergata; An orphan in 1945, post-war Norway takes refuge in a grumpy cobbler’s shop at the holidays) - Nov. 10, Norway (Trailer)

I’ll See You on Thanksgiving (holiday movie starring Aditya 'Adi' Maitra, Ramona Schwalbach and Ulises Ruiz; written and directed by Meshach Malley; College friends meet up after graduation for the holiday and quickly learn how much has changed; filmed in Ohio) - Nov. 11, Columbus, Ohio premiere (Website)

A Savage Christmas (holiday movie starring Rachel Griffiths, Helen Thomson, Darren Gilshenan, David Roberts, Gary Sweet, Ryan Morgan, Thea Raveneau, Max Jahufer and Rekha Ryan; co-written and directed by Madeleine Dyer; A trans woman returns home for the holidays for the first time with her boyfriend, expecting her transition to be the most shocking thing at Christmas dinner only to be upstaged by her dysfunctional family; filmed in Brisbane, Australia) - Nov. 16, Australia (Website)

Thanksgiving (holiday horror movie starring Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Gina Gershon and Patrick Dempsey; directed by Eli Roth, written by Jeff Rendell; based on the mock trailer seen in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's 2007 movie Grindhouse, where a killer fashions a carving board out of his victims; filmed in Toronto) - Nov. 17 (Trailer)

So This is Christmas (Irish holiday documentary about people who struggle with the festive season; directed by Ken Wardrop; filmed in Ireland) - Nov. 17, Ireland (Website)

A Gettysburg Christmas (holiday movie starring Kelley Jackle, Tom Vera, Kate Vernon, Sean Ferris, Lee Majors and Bruce Boxleitner; directed by Bo Brinkman; A woman buys an apple orchard but finds herself lonely at the holidays and in need of a Christmas miracle to keep it all going; filmed in Pennsylvania) - Nov. 27, Majestic Theater, Gettysburg, Pa. (Instagram)

Christmess (Australian holiday comedy starring Steve Le Marquand, Susan Prior and Hannah Joy; directed by Heath Davis; An actor just out of rehab can only get hired as a store Santa during a dysfunctional Down Under summer Christmas; filmed in Campbelltown, Australia) - Nov. 30, Australia (Trailer)

Animal Crossing Christmas Festival: The Movie! (animated movie based on the video game series; A young boy moves to the village and tries to get his busy new friends to celebrate Toy Day with him.) - Dec. 1 (Teaser)

Silent Night (holiday-set, dialogue-free, action-thriller starring Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Harold Torres; directed by John Woo; written by Robert Lynn; A father avenges the death of his son, killed by gang violence on Christmas Eve; filmed in Mexico) - Dec. 1 (Trailer)

Teddy’s Christmas (English-language version of the 2022 Norwegian animated-live action release Teddybjørnens Jul, starring Zachary Levi; directed by Andrea Eckerborn; A little girl wins a magical teddy at a holiday market and wants to keep him, but Teddy prefers a more glamorous life) - Dec. 1, limited (Trailer)

Holiday Twist (holiday movie starring Kelly Stables, Neal McDonough,  Sean Astin, Brian Thomas Smith, Alison Eastwood, Kelly Rutherford and Caylee Cowan; written and directed by Stephanie Garvin; A workaholic Grinch sees the err of her ways thanks to help from a mall Santa) - Dec. 1, limited (Website, Trailer)

How the Gringo Stole Christmas (holiday movie starring George Lopez, Emily Tosta, Mariana Treviño, Jack Kilmer and Alma Martinez; directed by Angel Gracia; written by Ezequiel Martinez Jr.; A father is shocked when his daughter comes home for the holidays with a new, white boyfriend in tow; filmed in Jackson, Miss.) - Dec. 1, limited (Trailer)

La Navidad en Sus Manos (a.k.a. Holiday in His Hands; Spanish-language holiday movie starring María Botto, Santiago Segura and Ernesto Sevilla; directed by Joaquín Mazón; written by Francisco Arnal and Daniel Monedero; An average man must save Christmas when Santa has a serious accident and needs counseling) - Dec. 1, Spain (Trailer)

Andre Rieu White Christmas (holiday concert special feature André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra, with interview and backstage footage hosted by Charlotte Hawkins) Dec. 2, limited (Website)

Russell Saves Christmas (original holiday student film; written and directed by Crystal Cantrell and Drew Matney; A surprise visit from Santa finds a group of high schoolers tasked with saving Christmas; filmed in Kentucky) - Dec. 5, Ashland, Kentucky premiere

Noel Joyeux (a.k.a. Christmas Unplanned; French holiday movie starring Emmanuelle Devos, Franck Dubosc, Dominique Frot, Amel Charif, Axel Auriant and Amir Elkacem; written and directed by Clement Michel; A lonely couple decide to invite seniors from the local retirement home for Christmas; filmed in France) - Dec. 6, France

Christmas at the Frat House (holiday movie starring Karon Riley, Natacha Ellie, Arlen Griff Griffin and Lem Collins, who also wrote the screenplay; directed by Charmin Lee; filmed in Atlanta in 2021) - Dec. 6, Peachtree Village International Film Festival)

The Perfect Christmas (faith-based holiday movie starring Anthony Hackett, Cameron Arnett, Gigi Orsillo and Robert Amaya; co-directed by Hackett and Marc Thevenin Jr.; A father tries to pull off the perfect Christmas for his family, but ends up making a mess of their holiday; filmed in the Washington, D.C. area ) - Dec. 8, limited (Website)

Eileen (holiday-set drama starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway and Shea Whigham; directed by William Oldroyd; based on the book by Ottessa Moshfegh; A lonely prison employee becomes fascinated by a newcomer to the staff, but her obsession leads to tragedy; filmed in New Jersey) -  Dec. 8 (Trailer)

Love Actually (20th anniversary theatrical re-release of the classic 2003 movie starring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson and Bill Nighy; written and directed by Richard Curtis) - Dec. 8 (Trailer)

A Creature was Stirring (holiday-set horror movie starring Chrissy Metz, Annalise Basso, Scout Taylor-Compton and Connor Paolo; directed by Damien LeVeck; written by Shannon Wells; A nurse’s plan to keep her daughter sedated to protect her from a mysterious, malevolent affliction is thwarted by unexpected holiday houseguests with tragic consequences) - Dec. 8, limited (Trailer)

A Male (a.k.a. Un Varon; Columbian holiday-set movie directed by Fabian Hernandez; A young man leaves the safety of his youth shelter in order to spend Christmas day with his family, but must navigate his dangerous neighborhood to do so; filmed in Bogota; submitted for consideration in the Best International Feature category for the 96th Academy Awards) - Dec. 8, limited

A Christmas Story (40th anniversary theatrical re-release of the classic 1983 movie starring Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon and Ian Petrella about a boy who longs for a Red Ryder BB gun) - Dec. 10

A Small Town Christmas (holiday movie co-written, directed and starring Gin Blanton with Tahjjic Smith; A busy attorney with a thriving career finally returns home for the holidays after her grandmother falls ill ) - Dec. 11, Atlanta Premiere (Website)

Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night  (new Christmas special edition of the faith-based story of the birth of Jesus, featuring a musical performance from Andrea Bocelli) - Dec. 12, Fathom Events

SuperKlaus (joint Spanish/Canadian, animated holiday movie/mini-series directed by Steven Majaury and Andrea Sebastián; A concussed Santa adopts the persona Superklaus but gets locked out of his workshop just before Christmas. Can two savvy kids and a loyal elf save Christmas?) - Dec. 15, Spain  (Website)

The Christmas Room (holiday movie starring Kelsey Delemar, Donnie Brown Jr., Kimia' Workman, Cassandra Grant, Jordan Nancarrow, Maya Jai Pinson, Chanel Collins, Kelsey Delemar, Mignon Pinson and Faheem Saadiq Abdus-Salaam; written and directed by Pinson; A woman home for the holidays is shocked by her grandfather’s slide into dementia and struggles to get him the help he needs; filmed in Prince George’s County, Maryland) -  Dec. 16, Maryland premiere (Instagram)

A Fireman for Christmas (holiday movie sequel to 2022′s Christmas at the Holly Hotel starring Kristen Ryda, Donnell J Clayton, Joe Kurak and Jesi Jensen; directed and co-written by Joel Paul Reisig; A woman falls in love with a firefighter at the holidays; filmed in Michigan) - Dec. 17, The Maple Theater, Michigan

A Christmas in New Hope (holiday movie starring Adrianne Palicki, Malcolm Goodwin, Katrina Bowden, David Anders, Ryan Cooper and Mia Armstrong directed by Julia Barnett; co-written by Barnett and Kathleen Estes; A single mom of a special needs child enters a home renovation contest focused on saving her home from foreclosure, but things get complicated when she falls for her musician neighbor; filmed in Waco, Texas) - Dec. 20, limited (Austin and surrounding areas)

An L.A. Christmas Story (holiday movie starring Jessica Moore, Derrick Zonca, Kaylee Frazier, Marla Lizbeth Perez, McKenzie Kelly and Eric Marq; written and directed by Michael Kallio; When her online video asking for a man who is “not an idiot” for Christmas goes viral, a lifestyle vlogger finds her life turned upside down; filmed in Hollywood, Ca.) - Dec. 20, L.A. premiere (Facebook) 

All of Us Strangers (partially holiday-set drama starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal; written and directed by Andrew Haigh; inspired by Taichi Yamada’s Strangers; A lonely man’s encounter with his equally isolated neighbor changes his dreary existence, mostly occupied by memories of past losses) - Dec. 22 (Trailer)

Migration (seasonal animated movie directed by Benjamin Renner; written by Mike White; A family of birds flies south for the winter and encounters dangers along the way) - Dec. 22 (Teaser)

Spy x Family Code: White (holiday-set Japanese anime movie directed by Takashi Katagiri from a screenplay by Ichirō Ōkouchi; based on the manga series; A cooking competition at the academy sets off a chain of events that threaten world peace) - Dec. 22 (Teaser)

Four Little Adults (a.k.a. Neljä Pientä Aikuista; holiday-set Finnish drama  starring Eero Milonoff, Alma Pöysti and Vilhelm Blomgren; from writer-director Selma Vilhunen; A middle-aged couple with a marriage in crisis attempt to integrate the husband’s mistress into their relationship) - Dec. 27, Finland

[twh-news]

The 2020 Tony Awards Preview | Broadway Direct

Like the recent Olympics, the 2020 Tony Awards arrive after a lengthy delay necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And amid enduring uncertainty, they are all the more eagerly anticipated by fans of Broadway theater and the industry serving them.

This year’s ceremony, set for September 26 at the Winter Garden Theatre, will be different on several counts. The number of productions recognized has been limited by the March 2020 shutdown, which prevented a bunch of high-profile shows from opening, and rendered others — including Ivo von Hove’s staging of West Side Story, and Girl From the North Country, the acclaimed musical weaving Bob Dylan songs into a book by Conor McPherson — ineligible, as many Tony voters had not been able to see them.

On the other hand, a new arrangement that will make the entire event available on Paramount Plus, beginning at 7 p.m. ET — with longtime Tonys home CBS broadcasting from 9 to 11 p.m. ET — will enable viewers at home to see awards given out in categories such as design, orchestration, and choreography. “We haven’t had all of our creatives and the awards recognizing them on the special since before my time,” notes Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, which presents the Tonys with the American Theatre Wing.

“The whole point of the show is to set an optimistic and realistic tone,” adds Heather Hitchens, the Wing’s president and CEO. “The theme of this show is that Broadway’s back — theater is safe if protocols are followed — and we have exciting new work for people to see.”

Both St. Martin and Hitchens point to the diversity of shows represented both in nominations for the 2019–2020 season as well as those premiering in the new season, which launched in August with the arrival of Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over. Slave Play, another work by a Black playwright that transferred after earning praise Off-Broadway, is up for 12 Tonys, making it the most nominated play to date. Author Jeremy O. Harris was tapped for his provocative look at the roles race, gender, and sexuality play in contemporary relationships; director Robert O’Hara, leading actress Joaquina Kalukango, featured actors Ato Blankson-Wood and James Cusati-Moyer, and featured actresses Chalia La Tour and Annie McNamara are among the other nominees.

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical is also a contender in 12 categories, with celebrated Black artists including Adrienne Warren, who won raves for her performance as the titular rock and R&B icon, and this year’s Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Katori Hall among the nominees. The other productions up for Best Musical, Jagged Little Pill and Moulin Rouge! The Musical respectively collected 15 and 14 nominations; both combine books by noted writers — Jagged Little Pill’s Diablo Cody and Moulin Rouge’s John Logan — with established music — Alanis Morissette’s for Jagged Little Pill, and various pop songs tracing several decades for Moulin Rouge!.

Consequently, none of the five candidates for best original score is a musical production. They include Slave Play and fellow Best Play nominees The Inheritance and The Sound Inside and new stagings of A Christmas Carol and Tennessee Williams’s The Rose Tattoo. (The theatrical concert David Byrne’s American Utopia is being honored with a Special Tony Award, as Springsteen on Broadway was in 2018.)

Only three revivals made the cut for Best Revival of a Play: a production of A Soldier’s Play showcasing Blair Underwood, a nominee for leading actor in a play, and David Alan Grier, up for featured actor; a Betrayal, featuring Tom Hiddleston, a contender for leading actor; and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, starring six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, nominated for leading actress.

Other stage and screen stars who are candidates at this year’s ceremony include Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge, both for leading actor in Best Play nominee Sea Wall/A Life, a pair of one-man pieces respectively written by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne, each told from the perspective of a young husband and father. In the category for leading actress in a play, Mary-Louise Parker is acknowledged for Adam Rapp’s The Sound Inside, an intimate mystery involving a cancer-stricken college professor and her alienated, prodigious student, also up for Best Play; and Laura Linney is nominated for My Name Is Lucy Barton, an adaptation of Alice Munro’s novel tracing a complex mother-daughter relationship.

Matthew López’s The Inheritance — up for 11 awards, and focused on gay men living in a New York haunted by a pandemic of the recent past, AIDS — yielded nominations for John Benjamin Hickey, for featured actor, and Lois Smith, for featured actress. (Cast members Andrew Burnap and Paul Hilton are nominees for leading and featured actor in turn, with Linda Vista’s Ian Barford also up for leading actor.) And a fifth Best Play contender, Grand Horizons — a comedy that dares to look at sex and marriage in the golden years — and the Broadway debut of Bess Wohl earned a nod for another duly cherished veteran, Jane Alexander, also for featured actress.

Musical theater favorites recognized include Danny Burstein, who earned a seventh Tony nomination for his featured performance in Moulin Rouge; Moulin Rouge’s Karen Olivo and Jagged Little Pill’s Elizabeth Stanley, completing the leading actress category; and Moulin Rouge’s Aaron Tveit, who, as a result of the relative dearth of musical productions in this abbreviated season, was the only performer nominated in the leading actor field. (He needs the approval of 60 percent of Tony voters to claim the prize.)

In vying for Best Direction of a Play, Slave Play’s O’Hara will face stiffer competition from lauded British directors Stephen Daldry (Inheritance) and Jamie Lloyd (Betrayal) and equally accomplished Americans David Cromer (Sound Inside) and Kenny Leon (Soldier’s Play). The directors tapped for their work on musicals are no less distinguished: British film and stage vet Phyllida Lloyd (TINA), Pill’s Diane Paulus, and Moulin Rouge’s Alex Timbers, who, between the two of them, have helmed some of the most admired musical productions of the past decade both on and Off-Broadway.

And thanks to this year’s multiplatform format, fans of the three musicals will get to see awards handed out to their choreographers and orchestrators — one of each, anyway. The nominees include Moulin Rouge’s Sonya Tayeh, whose collaborators have ranged from the Martha Graham Dance Company to Miley Cyrus, and Jagged Little Pill’s Tom Kitt, whose many credits as a composer include Next to Normal, for which he won both Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize.

Variety writer and podcast host Gordon Cox adds that the 2020 Tony nominations would likely have presented “an entirely different race” had the rush of productions originally scheduled to open in late March and April of last year had been able to do so. Still, he believes there are “a significant group of people who think the Tonys can be a celebration, not just of a season that got overshadowed by the pandemic, but of a return to performances — to being able to sit in theatres, knock on wood. There are people looking for an opportunity to celebrate theater in general.”

[kwebtv]

Terrahawks -  LWT  -  October 3, 1983  -  July 26, 1986

Animated / Science Fiction (39 episodes)

Running Time:  30 minutes

Voices

Jeremy Hitchen  -  Dr. “Tiger” Ninestein / Lt. Hawkeye (Hedley Howard Henderson III /  Lt. Hiro / Colonel Johnson / It-Star

Denise Bryer  -  Captain Mary Falconer / Zelda

Anne Ridler  -  Captain Kate Westrel (Katherine Westley) / Cy-Star

Windsor Davies  -  Sergeant Major Zero

Ben Stevens  -  Yung-Star

[insanityclause]

The last Broadway season ended, unexpectedly, nearly a year ago. The next one will begin who-knows-when.

But deep in this winter of our theaterlessness, a dormant tradition is starting to stir: the Tony Awards.

Hundreds of voters, this week and next, are casting ballots for the best shows, and the best performances, of a theater season abruptly cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

The jukebox shows “Jagged Little Pill,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical’ are competing for best musical, and hope to resume performances whenever Broadway reopens. All five of the best play contenders have closed. They are “Grand Horizons,” by Bess Wohl; “The Inheritance,” by Matthew López; “Sea Wall/A Life,” by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne; “Slave Play,” by Jeremy O. Harris; and “The Sound Inside,” by Adam Rapp.

In this strangest-of-all Tony competitions, the voting is disconnected from both the period being assessed, which ran from April 26, 2019, to Feb. 19, 2020, and the ceremony for handing out awards, which has not yet been scheduled.

In other words, we won’t know the results until — well, for a long time.

But here’s what we do know:

Who’s going to vote?

Not a lot of people.

There are 778 Tony voters, but they can only cast ballots in categories in which they’ve seen all the nominees. Because the pandemic prevented any spring theatergoing, there are fewer qualified voters than usual.

There are 25 prize categories; the Tonys won’t say how many people will actually be able to vote in each category, but producers believe slightly fewer than 400 people will qualify to cast ballots for best musical, and fewer than that for best play.

What’s missing?

Parties.

The usual Tonys season is all-encompassing. Shows that opened in the fall (and that would have included all three of last season’s nominated musicals) invite voters back to see them again. Monday nights are jammed with nonprofit galas at which nominees mingle with voters, and those who can sing, do. There are press junkets and mixers; display ads in The New York Times and caricatures at Sardi’s; plus, of course, a raft of spring openings to catch up with.

So much hugging. So much schmoozing. So many four-hour dinners. Everyone complains. And now they long for it.

“I can’t believe I miss buffets,” said Eva Price, a lead producer of “Jagged Little Pill.” “So much that we took for granted, and sometimes grimaced at, we would give our left arms for right now.”

Is it appropriate to campaign?

Yes, but very gingerly.

We’re still in the middle of a devastating pandemic and a huge number of people who work in theater are currently unemployed. Also: money is tight because there are no ticket sales.

“The 2020 shows can’t run a campaign in the usual way, and even if we could it would feel icky to try,” said Carmen Pavlovic, the lead producer of “Moulin Rouge!”

“This is not a moment for cocktail parties and gossip,” she added. “It’s just a moment for lifting up artists from darkness, and hoping that lifts everybody else along the way.”

So swag is minimal. “Moulin Rouge!” and “Jagged Little Pill” sent voters coffee table books about their shows, but that’s about it. The main form of campaigning this year is in the form of “For Your Consideration” emails.

The nominated show that is furthest in the rearview mirror — a revival of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” which closed in July 2019 — sent voters a video montage of interviews including its playwright, Terrence McNally, who died eight months later from complications of the coronavirus.

Nominees are sitting for profiles with theater trade publications. And last week, “Tina,” “Jagged Little Pill,” “The Inheritance,” “Slave Play” and “Betrayal” bought daily sponsorships of Broadway Briefing, an emailed industry newsletter whose subscribers include many Tony voters.

And there are other, newfangled ways to refresh voters’ memories. “Betrayal” on Sunday held a cast reunion on Instagram Live; “The Sound Inside” sent voters videotaped selections from the production; “Jagged Little Pill” released a video reflecting on the year and is re-airing a concert version of its show. “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Inheritance” built voter web pages with performance clips, interviews, scripts and more.

The message needs to be focused, producers say. “We have to be very mindful and respectful of what people’s experiences are right now,” said Tali Pelman, the lead producer of “Tina.” At the same time, she said, “Honoring our talent and their contribution is important. More than ever, we have to shout out about their exceptional value in society.”

What happens when the votes are tallied?

An accounting firm sits on the results.

The voting period runs through March 15, with votes cast electronically via a password-protected website, and tabulated by Deloitte & Touche LLP. Even in pre-pandemic years, results are not shared with the leaders of the organizations that present the awards — the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing — or anyone else before they are announced.

This year they will just be kept secret for longer than usual.

Can you lose if you’re the only nominee?

Theoretically, yes.

Aaron Tveit of “Moulin Rouge!” is the only person nominated as best actor in a musical. This is an unusual circumstance, for which the Tonys have imposed an unusual rule: to win, Tveit must get a positive vote from 60 percent of those who cast ballots. But, to be clear, he’s likely to pick up his first statuette this year.

There are a couple of other nomination quirks, too. There will be no prize for best musical revival, because the only one that managed to open, “West Side Story,” did so after the retroactively imposed eligibility date. And the contenders for best score were all from plays.

So when will we know the winners?

Stay tuned.

It seems clear that the ceremony will only take place after live performance is allowed to resume in New York and tickets to Broadway shows have gone on sale.

That’s because the industry’s priority will be to use the ceremony to remind potential audiences that Broadway is back. The goal, said Heather A. Hitchens, the Wing’s president and chief executive, “is to be most helpful to the industry.”

Several producers and publicists say they are now thinking the most likely time frame is after Labor Day, a full year and a half after Broadway shut down.

The organizers have shared a few other details. This year’s ceremony, like those before the pandemic, will be overseen by Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner. There will be some noncompetitive awards (those are honors like lifetime achievement). But there has been no announcement about whether the ceremony will be in-person or virtual, televised or streamed, live or taped; only that it will take place “in coordination with the reopening of Broadway.”

“We hope to have news very soon,” said the League’s president, Charlotte St. Martin.

[vintage1981]

Terrahawks Volume 3 from Big Finish: Official Trailer

The official trailer for eight brand new, full-cast audio episodes of Terrahawks released by Big Finish Productions on 24 July 2017. Terrahawks: Volume 3! This trailer by Chris Thompson gives the perfect introduction for what you can expect from Terrahawks volume 3. TERRAHAWKS - STAY ON THIS CHANNEL. Pre-order series 3 now: https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/... “Terrahawks, stay on this channel…” A third release for Big Finish's audio continuation of Terrahawks, the fondly remembered action adventure comedy originally brought to you by the man who created Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Space: 1999. 1: No Second Chances by Jamie Anderson

Zelda has pulled off the ultimate heist, and now her victory seems inevitable. To stop her, and against all the odds, at least one of the Terrahawks will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

2: The Wrong Clone Number by Terry Adlam Leaderless and desperate, the Terrahawks turn to pun-meister Twostein. After his victory against Cy Splitter, the comedy clone's arrogance could prove royally problematic for Earth’s defenders. 3: Set Sail for Mis-Adventure by David Hirsch Another mission - another clone. Sixstein is drafted in to service for an escort mission. Professor Otto Maddox’s new weapon is travelling via the Atlantic ocean, and Zelda is poised and ready to take piracy to new extremes. 4: You Foe by David Hirsch It’s the last chance for the Terrahawks to replace their lost leader. But it becomes a race against time as Zelda and her family try to take advantage of the final clone, Threestein’s, good nature. 5: Living Legend by Chris Dale It’s time for Threestein’s first major mission, and he’s in for a treat - meeting one of his idols. But soon his encounter with galactic explorer Elias Crick proves that you should never meet your heroes. 6: The Prisoner of Zelda by Chris Dale Threestein and Lois Price are kidnapped and taken to an unknown coastal location - where a bizarre village - The Community - becomes their prison. Where are they? Why are they here? Why are they all now addressed by letters rather than their names? And just who is the mysterious ‘Z’? 7: Star Crossed by Mark Woollard It’s a case of Cloneo and Juliet - and Threestein’s final chance to prove himself as a capable leader. But when it comes to matters of the heart can a Stein clone overcome his genetic shortcomings? 8: Enemies, Negotiation and Deceit by Jamie Anderson With both the androids and Terrahawks weary of the constant conflict and seemingly unending stalemate, a new approach is tabled. But will human (and android) nature allow the long-time enemies to settle their differences? Written By: Jamie Anderson, Terry Adlam, David Hirsch, Chris Dale, Mark Woollard Directed By: Jamie Anderson

Cast

Jeremy Hitchen (Ninestein, Hiro), Robbie Stevens (101, Hudson), Denise Bryer (Zelda, Mary Falconer), Beth Chalmers (Kate Kestrel), David Graham (Professor Otto Maddox / Elias Crick), Chris Dale (Yuri/Space Bears/Additional voices) Director and Producer Jamie Anderson Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

[maaarine]

MBTI Typing Index: ISTJ

Other types: INFP INFJ ENFP ENFJ INTP INTJ ENTP ENTJ ISTJ ISFJ ESTJ ESFJ ISTP ISFP ESTP ESFP

Neil ARMSTRONG

Ruth BADER GINSBURG

John BOLTON

Tom CLANCY

James COMEY

Jeremy CORBYN

Antoine DELTOUR

Clint EASTWOOD

François FILLON

Peter HITCHENS

Tommy Lee JONES

Henry KISSINGER

Lori LIGHTFOOT

John MCCAIN

Mitch MCCONNELL

Chris MOROCCO

Colin POWELL

Dennis RADER

Ayn RAND

Gareth SOUTHGATE

Arsène WENGER

Other types: INFP INFJ ENFP ENFJ INTP INTJ ENTP ENTJ ISTJ ISFJ ESTJ ESFJ ISTP ISFP ESTP ESFP

[what-if-rpg]

If you guys are looking for a new roleplay to join during summer time, this is the moment to check us out. We are looking for new members, and we would love to have you here. Under the read more, you can check ALL our open characters. Canons and OCs, and yes, you can still send in your own muse if none of the ones we have are for you. Check us out?

CANON CHARACTERS

Brittany Pierce

Kurt Hummel

Danielle Harper

Blaine Anderson

Artie Abrams

Shelby Corcoran

Kitty Wilde

Brody Weston

Unique

Shane Tisnley

Sue Sylvester

Jeff Sterling

Sebastian Smythe

Will Schuester

Matt Rutherford

Friday Romero

April Rhodes

Noah Puckerman

Jake Puckerman

Spencer Porter

Emma Pillsbury

Stephanie Pierce

Sugar Motta

Roderick Meeks

Mason McCarthy

Madison McCarthy

Santana Lopez

Dave Karofsky

Bree Jordan

Holly Holliday

Grace Hitchens

Joe Hart

Rory Flanagan

Judy Fabray

Stevie Evans

Tina Cohen-Chang

Hunter Clarington

Mike Chang

LeRoy Berry

Hiram Berry

Jean Baptiste

Azimio Adams

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

Avery Fabray (FC: Lily James)

Stacey Evans (FC: Lili Reinhart)

Chelsea St. James (FC: Ariana Grande)

Shannon Wilde (FC: Hunter Schafer)

Eléonore Smythe (FC: Stefania Spampinato)

Archibald Schuester (FC: Robert Pattinson)

Poppy Rutherford (FC: Ruby Barker)

Jamison Rutherford (FC: Regé-Jean Page)

Danna Rose (FC: Georgina Amorós)

Claire Rose (FC: Danielle Savre)

Thalita Rhodes (FC: Anna Camp)

Lei Readdie (FC: Shay Mitchell)

Evelyn Puckerman (FC: Kat Dennings)

Imogen Porter (FC: Nicola Coughlan)

Zara Pillsbury (FC: Madelaine Petsch)

Elenora Pillsbury (FC: Phoebe Dynevor)

Alessandra Pierce (FC: Claudia Salas)

Rafa Padilla (FC: Rafael Silva)

Adofo Motta (FC: Mena Massoud)

Maximus Meeks (FC: Jonathan Bailey)

Morena McCarthy (FC: Martina Cariddi)

Rebecca Lynn (FC: Ana de Armas)

Valentino Lopez (FC: Wilmer Valderrama)

Treyvon Jones (FC: Mason Gooding)

Talisa Jones (FC: Laura Harrier)

Levi Jones (FC: Michael B. Jordan)

Kyan Jones (FC: Jeremy Pope)

Billie Jones (FC: Alexandra Shipp)

Angelica Johnson (FC: Naomi Scott)

Jordan Jackson (FC: Zac Efron)

Cordelia Jackson (FC: Brie Larson)

Bradley Jackson (FC: Zac Efron)

Mildred Hummel (FC: Sandra Bullock)

Liam Hudson (FC: Dacre Montgomery)

Brian Hudson (FC: Nick Robinson)

Benjamin Hudson (FC: Shawn Mendes)

Gabriella Goldman (FC: Ashley Tisdale)

Abigail Goldman (FC: Ashley Tisdale)

Daniel Fabray (FC: Hunter Parrish)

Mia Evans (FC: Brianne Howey)

Victoria Crawford (FC: Claudia Jessie)

Alannah Crawford (FC: Renee Rapp)

Max Cohen-Chang (FC: Henry Golding)

Jenny Chang (FC: Gemma Chan)

Lucy Blossom (FC: Olivia Wilde)

Troy Adams (FC: John Boyega)

Caleb Adams (FC: Jacob Latimore)

Jess Abrams (FC: Brigette Lundy-Paine)

Castor Abrams (FC: Henry Cavill)

[jamierumbelow]

a few favourite LRB pieces

The London Review of Books has been a good companion to me, its prose crisp and clean and sometimes lyrical, its horizons broad. And while it's often a little too political, too much on its sleeve – which hinders the analytical power of some of the more polemical pieces – I was a happy subscriber for years and recommend it to anybody.

For the next month, the website's paywall will be down and everything will be free. I figured I'd use this opportunity to link to a few pieces that I've read, enjoyed, not forgotten, or otherwise found interesting.

You could start with Hitchens on Ignatieff on Berlin, Meany on Schlesinger Jr., or Williams on Parfitt. Two pieces by the philosopher Amia Srinivasan, one on octopodes and consciousness, the other on politics and sexual desire are insightful and elegant. Jeremy Waldron, as ever, writes extraordinarily well on the shape and character of a politics given by a country's constitution, and the tradeoffs (tradesoff?) involved.

David Runciman is a regular contributor, and always interesting: on David Cameron and the 2016 referendum; on Theresa May; on Trump; on Obama; on Gordon Brown; and on artificial intelligence. Jonathan Rée wrote on James Harris's Hume, and on Edwin Curley's Spinoza. I've enjoyed articles on punishment and race in America, on Entick v. Carrington, and Geoffrey Hawthorn's reflections on my favourite philosopher, Bernard Williams.

There are three interesting pieces on antisemitism, zionism, Israel, its government, and the relations between all of the above; though none, in my opinion, quite understand the relevant problems, or render with enough subtlty the range of opinions amongst diasporic Jews –– and the dangers of getting the answers wrong. (Relatedly, Ido Vock's piece in Vice is the best article on this subject that I've ever read.)

The LRB occasionally jumps to and revives older texts, like this review of my favourite Iris Murdoch novel, Under The Net. And sometimes it doesn't review texts at all, but instead tells contemporary people's stories.

Finally, the blogs, which always remain free, are also worth exploring. There's a piece on Finnis, homosexuality, and academic freedom by Sophie Smith, which helped me see into a blind spot of my liberalism. Or there's this piece on Landmines in the Sahara by an old acquaintance of mine, Matthew Porges; his piece on Killing a Camel is also good. Srinivasan also wrote a short obituary on Parfitt, which is charming.

[gerryandersontv]

Pod 151 - Jeremy Hitchen (2/3)

Pod 151 – Jeremy Hitchen (2/3)

From working a day job to working for Gerry Anderson on Terrahawks! Jeremy Hitchen remembers hitching a ride with Anne Ridler, drinking beer at Bray Studios with Windsor Davies, and laughing with Denise Bryer. Plus, his insights on Gerry’s directing style, his involvements with Dick Spanner, and getting back into the groove with New Captain Scarlet. You won’t want to miss the second (of three)…

[junker-town]

Da’Ron Payne can fix the Cowboys’ defense

After finishing in the bottom half of the league in run defense, the Alabama lineman is a fit in Dallas.

A year after taking the NFL by storm with a 13-3 record, the Dallas Cowboys fell back to earth last season with a 9-7 record. While most of the blame is due to running back Ezekiel Elliott missing five games, the defense often struggled. The Cowboys gave up 27 or more points in six of their losses last season, and the unit needs some re-tooling.

After only signing pass rusher Kony Ealy and linebacker Joe Thomas, those changes will need to come in the draft. The trouble is, after releasing Dez Bryant, Dallas also needs a wide receiver. They could use a guard as well.

Dave Halprin of Blogging the Boys is here to make the choice in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft for the Cowboys.

19. Dallas Cowboys: Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama

Halprin: This was a tough choice as the Cowboys could have gone with a guard to fill the hole on the left side of their offensive line, or a linebacker where they need another piece after losing Anthony Hitchens. But the Cowboys also need a 1-tech in the middle of their defensive line and Da’Ron Payne represents good value at this spot in the first round. He’s a top-notch run-stopper and the Cowboys defense was soft in the middle of the line last year when they had to play Maliek Collins out of position. Payne will anchor the middle and absorb double teams to allow the linebackers to make plays. The hope is he will also be disruptive in the passing game by pushing the middle of the pocket and forcing quarterbacks to roll out into the arms of the defensive ends. The Cowboys are creating a quality defensive line with DeMarcus Lawrence, David Irving, and they hope Taco Charlton will build on his improved play at the end of of last season. If that happens, and they drop Payne in the middle, they could become a force on defense.

Analysis: An argument could be made that Payne isn’t necessarily the type of defensive lineman that coordinator Rod Marinelli usually prefers. But the Cowboys can’t have another season of finishing 25th in the league in run defense and expect to make a deep playoff run. Payne fits a big need for Dallas, and was the best player available in this mock draft. He can occupy multiple blockers, and is an NFL-ready lineman coming out of Alabama. Payne may not offer a lot as a pass rusher but that’s not what the Cowboys need.

Dan Kadar’s top five players remaining

19. Marcus Davenport, Edge, UTSA

20. Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

21. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

22. Will Hernandez, G, UTEP

23. Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

The final pick of the day in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft comes up at 1 p.m. ET with Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit making the pick for the Lions.

[freechaosdragon-blog]

Quitters and the Rise of Anti-Semitism

Quitters and the Rise of Anti-Semitism

Nazis are Creatures from the Left

Mid February 2019 witnessed nine Labour MPs resigning the Labour Party with eight of them joining with three Conservative MPs to form the Independent Group. The group has formed in opposition to the Labour and Conservative parties’ stance on Brexit. The one Labour MP who declined to join this group was apparently supportive of leaving the EU.

It is interesting…

[semipartisansam]

Peter Hitchens Demands A Real Conservative Alternative To Jeremy Corbyn

Peter Hitchens Demands A Real Conservative Alternative To Jeremy Corbyn

–

The current cast of characters jockeying to replace Theresa May are almost as underwhelming as the prime minister herself. British conservatives of all shades need to have a full and open debate about how best to move the Conservative Party and the country forward, and then find a future leader with the charisma to take on Jeremy Corbyn in the battle for hearts and minds

Exactly two years ago,…