#john ryan is brilliant as well

[superstar49]

actually yeah reblog this and tell me in the tags who your favourite producer is

[chasingshadowsblog]

Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Don't Talk to Me Or My Son Ever Again

Title: Rise of the Planet of the Apes Directed by: Rupert Wyatt Written by: Ryan Jaffa, Amanda Silver Starring: Andy Serkis, James Franco, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto Visual Effects Supervisors: Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joe Letteri and R. Christopher White Visual Effects Team: Wētā FX Year: 2011

I have finally started on my journey with this new era of Planet of the Apes movies and I really enjoyed this first turn. I think a real strength of the plot is the writers keeping the root of Caesar's story very simple: that the mistreatment of him and his kind is what motivates them to leave. I'm very excited to watch the sequel because, while some of the primate characters in this film exhibited agressive behaviour, none of them wanted to go to war with the humans or take over the human world, so I'm fascinated to find out what the turning point is. With that in mind, Rise is an effective kicking-off point as it's a solid standalone sci-fi movie that leaves you wanting more.

Andy Serkis, as usual, is brilliant and I found Caesar to be a really engaging character and a compellingly written hero. After giving us a wonderful dynamic throughout the film Caesar and Will earned their emotional goodbye but it was a scene I felt could have had more heart had it stewed in the characters' emotions a moment longer as well as Will's shock at hearing Caesar speak for the first time. Hearing it for the first time as a viewer when he was in captivity was thrilling.

All in all, this is a well-written, well-made film on its own and as an installment in the franchise, with a compelling build-up in the development of Caesar's intelligence and the introduction of Caesar's character.

Other bits:

I don't know why but I find it really funny that James Franco was in this movie, what was the trajectory of James Franco's career in the early 2010s that made him a lead in the Planet of the Apes reboot?!

I thought the lack of dialogue in the animal control scenes was really well done, not once did I miss it or feel the lack of a human character

I really hated the inclusion of the "damn dirty ape" line and I don't blame Tom Felton's delivery, Lauren­­­ce Ol­­ivier couldn't have done any better with it

all of those apes and chimps and other primates were absolutely justified in what they did, I cannot wait to watch the rest of these movies to see how they develop as a species and community

I'm a really big fan of the original Planet of the Apes so it shouldn't have taken me this long to get into this series but I'm here now and I'm ready for the long haul

[mylifeincinema]

My Best of 2023: Cinematography

My Best of 2023 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2023, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2023.

I'm missing a couple of the big ones, this year, including two on Netflix, but don't feel like squeezing them in or (in the case of The Zone of Interest) waiting for them to reach my culturally dead part of the state/country. So we're going with what we've got. Despite my issues with the pacing and length of Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, it was so incredibly well shot that it was a no-brainer for first place. Robbie Ryan's work on Poor Things was a straight-up fever-dream. Hoyte Van Hotema's turned Oppenheimer from a biopic into a nightmare of a paranoid thriller. Yeoman once again created an eye-popping feast for Wes Anderson's Asteroid City. Messerschmidt, Sandgren and Laustsen filled their respective films with intense atmosphere. Then Prieto once again wows with his colorful, dazzling work on Barbie, and Messerschmidt returns with fantastic period work on Ferrari. Finally, speaking of period work, Bryld brilliant transports us back to the '70s with his work on The Holdovers. Work that legitimately makes the film feel as though it very well could've been made in the '70s.

My Top 10 Achievements in Cinematography in 2023!

1. Rodrigo Prieto for Killers of the Flower Moon 

2. Robbie Ryan for Poor Things

3. Hoyte Van Hoytema for Oppenheimer

4. Robert Yeoman for Asteroid City

5. Erik Messerschmidt for The Killer

6. Linus Sandgren for Saltburn

7. Dan Laustsen for John Wick: Chapter 4

8. Rodrigo Prieto for Barbie

9. Erik Messerschmidt for Ferrari

10. Eigil Bryld for The Holdovers

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Supporting Actress; Supporting Actor

More of My Best of 2023...

[lonelier-version-of-you]

Although it was so busy that I struggled to keep up with everything that was going on at times, I thought tonight's Casualty episode was generally very good! And the busy-ness was sort of the point, so I can get past that.

First and foremost: I LOVE Ngozi! So much so I felt the need to type "love" in all uppercase. I could see her very, very quickly becoming one of my favourite characters. She's brilliant. I adore her. I was already liking her in her first few scenes, and then there was that beautiful scene with her comforting the husband, and that almost made me cry. I hope the show does well by her for however long she's around - and I hope that's a long while - because her introduction has been so promising.

While I'm at it: can Faith leave and Ngozi gets her job? That would be great.

Jacob having so much to do at the start of the episode was nice, but it disappointed me that he seemed to be ignored after that. I think he gets a proper storyline next week, doesn't he? I hope it will be about him for once instead of immediately turning to be Iain-focused.

Goodbye, Ryan Firth, we hardly knew ye. I don't - didn't, I suppose - like Ryan. He was never as interesting as the rest of that friendship quartet: Rida and Jodie are fantastic, and I quite like Cam because he reminds me strongly of Arthur Digby.

Ryan was just a jerk most of the time, and felt like a very stereotypical portrayal of bi men - there's more variety to us than just "guy who wants to date everyone", Casualty! I'm not saying it's inherently wrong to have bi characters like that, I even like several bi characters that are like that; I'm just tired of them being written like "this is how bi men are, why would we write them any other way" and that's how I felt Ryan was written. Maybe at some point we can get another bi male character who's handled better. Or just let Dylan be bi. I'd say "or Max", but Max is presumably leaving very soon now so I don't have much hope for that.

I didn't like that Faith was in the episode at all, but at least she only appeared for a handful of scenes. Still, I'm just waiting on her to leave. Ryan's gone, and I shan't miss him. Charlie's going, and I shan't miss him either. It's just Faith that needs to leave now. I used her and Iain's scene as an excuse to do other stuff while I didn't need to focus any of my attention on the episode.

Jodie looked great tonight. I just wanted to acknowledge that - I loved the way her hair was styled, it looked so cool.

I'm glad Paige spoke up about the engagement. It was never a good idea, all things considered. I'm not sure how to feel about Teddy and Jodie kissing though. Mostly I'm just sadly longing for the days when I thought Teddy/Paige/Sah polyamory was going to happen. The love triangle - or love square now, I suppose - that's happened instead bores me.

I hate that Max's storyline has been so swept to the wayside. Any of the screentime that's been going to Faith could have gone to him. At this point I've just accepted that he will probably become another John Gaskell: no explanation of his backstory until a few lines at the last second before his storyline is over. At least with Max, his mum can come back again to explain his backstory properly someday, because I don't expect Max himself to do so at this point.

Next week: Jacob is in an episode again! Casualty is remembering he exists! The minimum is being achieved! I don't remember anything else I've read about next week, I just know Jacob's there.

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

The Playlist website:

“Thank you to the Television Academy for this honor. I feel incredibly grateful to be recognized alongside my fellow nominees and awe-inspiring cast-mates Niecy Nash-Betts and Richard Jenkins. Congratulations to our brilliant directors Paris Barclay and Carl Franklin on their nominations, as well as to our entire cast and crew who worked tirelessly on Monster. I feel beyond grateful to Ryan Murphy for his unbending support, to all our courageous and irreplaceable writers, and to all our pre and post-production teams. Thank you!!!”

-Evan Peters

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story – Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

https://theplaylist.net/emmy-nominee-reactions-jessica-chastain-pedro-pascal-evan-peters-elton-john-more-20230712/

<333

(i'm just seeing henry winkler got a nomination for best supporting actor. i don't know the series he is in, but i loved classic sitcoms growing up and happy days was my favorite.. the fonz was like, the biggest deal to me as a kid lmao recently was at an antique shop and found a signed mint in box action figure and snatched it up. how wonderful for him)

[bookofkatherine]

The Real Ryan Gosling: Hero Behind These Big Movies

Here's a list of movies that the Lord's angel Ryan Gosling inspired over the years as well as a few television series.

The angel Ryan Gosling has gifted hands. He's brilliant with guns, cars and guitars. That's why his characters are often hitmen.

Angels walk among us. Once known as gods, many angels now work in the City of Angels (Los Angeles) to better influence the world, for good or evil.

Mortal-angel Ryan Gosling has been one of the Lord's most loyal servants for generations. But he's lived many lives and roles before being handed the title actor/musician. Learn about his adventures serving the Lord and living among humans over the years through these characters based on him!

Ryan's Movies

MR. RIGHT (Francis)

THE GRAY MAN (Sierra Six)

AMERICAN SNIPER (Chris Kyle)

THE HIGHWAYMEN (Maney Gault)

THE FALL GUY (Colt Seavers)

THE EQUALIZER (Robert McCall)

GROSSE POINTE BLANK (Martin Q. Blank)

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (Michael Pardue)

LA LA LAND (Sebastian Wilder)

CONSTANTINE (John Constantine)

OCEAN'S 11 (Rusty Ryan)

THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS (Jack Baker)

DIRTY DANCING (Johnny Castle)

SHALL WE DANCE? (John Clark)

LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL (Léon)

DISNEY'S ANASTASIA (Dimitri)

LOVE STORY (Oliver Barrett IV)

OLIVER'S STORY (Oliver Barrett IV)

CITY OF ANGELS (Seth)

TRUE GRIT (La Boeuf)

DRIVE (Driver)

BABY DRIVER (Baby)

GANGSTER SQUAD (Jerry Wooters)

THE LONGEST RIDE (Luke Collins)

Ryan's TV Stories

THE FALL GUY (Colt Seavers)

QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER (Matthew Quigley)

MARVEL'S THE PUNISHER (Frank Castle)

[thesaintking]

Calvin Harris - Motion

After all that discussion of the Calvin produced Off & On from yesterday, I had to listen to Calvin Harris.

On his third album, Calvin did very little singing. He brought in various people and produced instrumentals that supported their words and melodies. I wasn't too keen on this new approach - I liked his geeky dance-pop. But the rest of the world was already riding the EDM-wave and Calvin desperately jumped the bandwagon. His third and fourth albums are EDM-heavy. Since then, Calvin has explored funk and trance in his music. I wonder if he'll push the boundaries further and try something very new for him.

Motion is a 15-track album but I've had to trim it down to a 9-tracker. I'm not a big EDM fan - but I do like Hurts, Ellie Goulding, Gwen Stefani, John Newman and Haim. And what brilliant choices they all were. Ellie's Outside sounds like it has a melodic style akin to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's. John Newman's Blame is fantastic. I love his voice on retro sounds, but this sound also suits his voice really well. Haim's Pray To God changes the song-structure a little bit. We don't have the typical instrumental break after the chorus - which was a welcome change. And Hurts' Under Control is great, but their own work is significantly better. I think it was after this collaboration that Hurts explored a brighter soundscape on their third album. Gwen's Together has the most Calvin-like melody. If I hadn't checked the credits, I wouldn't have guessed that she co-wrote the song. And apparently, Ryan Tedder was involved too! And I find that strange because I can totally imagine Calvin singing the song with no change to the vocal melody.

[fantasticboythinker]

[Fourth Blog] Wrapping Up: Insight from Seasoned Experts

Discover the insights I've gathered from our enlightening GEE 16 Lecture Series

Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer

Speaker: Dr. Gamaliela A. Dumancas

Let’s dive into the fascinating world of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Technology Transfer. It's a bit like a dance, where the goal is to protect those amazing innovations while also making sure they get out there for everyone to benefit from. So, let’s break it down!

IPR is super important because it gives creators those exclusive rights, kind of like a superhero shield 🛡️. This not only keeps their hard work safe but also lets them earn some well-deserved rewards. On the flip side, we have technology transfer, which is all about sharing those brilliant ideas from universities or companies with the rest of the world.

The key here is finding that sweet spot between protection and accessibility. Good policies help create a balance ⚖️, making sure that while inventions are protected, they’re also shared widely enough to make a real impact. It’s all about fostering innovation and making sure everyone gets a slice of the tech pie!

Start-Up Ecosystem

Speaker: Keren Happuch A. Lacadin

Alright, let’s chat about something close to my heart ❤️ – the start-up ecosystem. Imagine it as a bustling city where entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and a whole bunch of other cool folks come together to create magic ✨. This ecosystem is the lifeblood of innovation and entrepreneurial success.

At the heart of it, we’ve got the entrepreneurs. These are the brave souls with the big ideas 💡, willing to take risks and shake things up. Then, we have investors, the folks with the capital, ready to fuel these ideas. Mentors and accelerators step in to offer guidance, helping start-ups avoid pitfalls and speed up their journey 🏎️.

And let’s not forget the role of government policies and regulations. They can either be a boost or a roadblock for start-ups. When everything clicks together, the ecosystem becomes a powerhouse, driving business development and fostering a culture of innovation. It’s all about teamwork and support, turning fresh ideas into thriving businesses 🌱.

Incubation Programs and Opportunities

Speaker: Glyrhiz Marhiel A. Tabamo

Next up, let’s talk about incubation programs. Think of these as the ultimate support system for early-stage start-ups. Incubators offer everything from mentorship and office space to funding and networking opportunities – basically, all the essentials to help start-ups grow 📈.

By providing structured guidance, incubators help entrepreneurs refine their business models, speed up product development, and tackle market challenges head-on. Being in an incubator also means you get to hang out with other start-ups and industry experts, creating a vibrant community of innovation 🤝.

Plus, the credibility and visibility you gain can attract even more investment and partnerships. It’s like getting a backstage pass 🎫 to the business world, giving start-ups the boost they need to scale and succeed. Incubation programs are a crucial part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, turning great ideas into scalable businesses.

Start-Up Journey

Speaker: John Ryan Loyloy

Finally, let’s dive into the start-up journey. This is where the real magic happens, folks. The journey starts with a spark of an idea and a whole lot of courage 💪. Entrepreneurs face uncertainty, hunt for funding, and build a dedicated team. It’s a wild ride!

Throughout this journey, they have to adapt to market demands, tweak their business models, and overcome countless setbacks. Every stage, from ideation to scaling, teaches valuable lessons in resilience, innovation, and strategic decision-making.

But here’s the thing – it’s not just about hitting those success milestones. It’s also about personal and professional growth 🌱. Failures become learning opportunities, and persistence is the secret sauce. Passion, adaptability, and a strong support system are what transform a simple idea into a thriving business 🌟.

So, whether you’re just starting out or deep into your entrepreneurial journey, remember that every step is a chance to learn, grow, and innovate. Keep pushing forward, and who knows? Your idea could be the next big thing!

Mis Últimas Palabras

My journey in my GEE 16 or "Entrepreneurial Mind" course was a rollercoaster of challenges, learning, and unforgettable experiences. As we wrap up this incredible series, I’m filled with gratitude for the knowledge, the growth, and the inspiration to turn ideas into reality. Here's to embracing the future with creativity, passion, and the courage to innovate! 🚀💡✨

[jeanhm]

Tulsa Day 3 Osage area

Today was a day out in Osage country seeing the tribal nations area and visiting the location of the film set "Killers of the Flower Moon". Initially our journey north into the region took us through several townships with native names and past many small nodding donkeys which reflect the areas oil industry. This was the background to the film released last year which documents the 1920s period of Osage history known as the Reign of Terror where native Indians were being killed to gain rights over their land and oil. We had already watched the film so Bob and Sally were taking us to Pawhuska, the location where the township of the film was based.

On our way into Pawhuska we saw a small museum signposted and decided to make a stop - what a gem! Not only did it tell of the oil in the area and of the Osage tribal chiefs and ways of t=life but for me the highlight was finding out that Pawhuska was the location for the very first Boys Scout troop in the USA. There were old documents, uniforms and some brilliant statues.

The story was that John Mitchell, who had been a chaplain to Baden Powell arrived in Pawhuska as a missionary in 1910, shortly after BP had founded scouting in UK and brought with him the ideas of scouting which he sold to both the parents and young people of the church. 19 young people enthusiastically formed a troop and scouting in USA was born. However, the Pawhuska troop didn't attend the incorporation ceremony for the Boys Scouts of America in Washington and another Troop was awarded the Charter as first. In 1956 Rev John Mitchell produced evidence of how the Pawhuska troop was organised and the BSA have now recognised Pawhuska as the first Troop.

Our next stop was lunch at The Pioneer Woman's Emporium in Pawhuska where we tried cheesy Grits and had a beef sandwich and salad, a lot less food than yesterday thankfully. Then it was a walk around the town to see the buildings used in the film then it was off to the Tallgrass Prairie Reserve.

The Prairies used to cover 14 states stretching from Canada to the south and over 142million acres of land. Now there is less than 4% of this area in only Kansas and Oklahoma. The Tallgrass Prairie reserve purchased 29,000 acres of ranch land in 1989 to recreate a functional tallgrass ecosystem using traditional methods including controlled burning and bison. Originally 300 bison were introduced and there are now 2300 or more bison and we got some lovely close up encounters.

Back in Tulsa we visited Bob and Sally's home for drinks and met Ryan and Liz, their son and his girlfriend (and Lucy the dog) and then it was out for our final meal with the family some sushi.

We have had an amazing time with Bob and Sally and its certainly set us up well for our travels.

Now its a question of trying to avoid the snow as we start to move west!

[kwispayne]

The Top 10 Films Of 2023

Ironically the year I got a cinema pass is the year I saw the least films (méniéres disease is a cunt). I tried to see as much as I can this year, but things got in the way. So this is a list of my favorites. I missed a bit sadly.

So before I begin, this is my list and I am going by if it was released this year in cinemas, DVDs or streaming. I haven’t seen all films this year, but I would love your suggestions.

10. Scream VI (Tyler Gillett & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin)

I have always been a fan of the Scream series from a very young age. Even then I knew how intelligent the series was a horror series. Postmodern horror can either go very well or be a parody of itself (although I still think the first Scary Movie is hilarious for being a parody of a parody). After Wes Craven’s sad passing, the idea of anyone taking over the project and maintaining his vision wasn’t going to be easy. But when I saw that the directors of Ready Or Not would be taking over the wheel, I had a sigh of relief. The previous reboot Scream (2022) was a brilliant return to form (I still think Scream IV gets a hard time as it is very enjoyable), but they couldn’t do the same thing that film did. So changing the scenery really helped, as it’s supposed to be a horror the characters can’t escape. Brilliant ensemble cast, with outstanding performances from Melissa Barrera & Jenna Ortega, who sadly won’t be coming back to the series. Incredibly enjoyable, smart, funny and and enough blood and gore to satisfy any horror fans.

9. Pearl (Ti West)

I have been a fan of West’s films for a while now, and I have seen his talent progress. I always knew that his masterpiece was around the corner and here we have it. The previous film to this X which was the first in this trilogy was very good, but it did have West’s Tarantino influence all over it. For this film he has gone back in time. In fact so far back to when films looked like content you would find on TCM, and this was all purposefully done. In many ways this is West’s love letter not just to horror but cinema itself, going from the classic Hollywood style to the psychopathic turns that Hitchcock and DePalma would letter explore. Mia Goth stars in and co wrote the film, and she perfectly adopts the role of a wannabe star slowly progressing into sadistic depravity. The best way to describe this film is flawless. Everything is within its purpose and more. 

8. Barbie (Greta Gerwig)

I really wasn’t expecting much from this film. I’ve seen this films being made in order to push a product in a satirical post modernist way before and they’ve always come as rather cringe or completely missing the mark. When I heard Gerwig was directing it, I was oddly interested. While this film is mostly known for being rather political, I don’t really feel that it was doing anything that wasn’t said before but props for going at it in a unique way. The most unique thing about the film is the incredibly odd humour it has. There’s something about the script of this film and how the actors perform it, it reminds me of something children would say while playing with the Barbie toys. Margot Robbie gives a great lead performance but sadly Ryan Gosling really steals the show, taking the film into a pure realm of childish chaos. Props to Gerwig for creating a very colourful world for the film. I will never see the colour pink the same again. Don’t let this pass you by if you are turned off by the fact it’s a toy film or it’s a bit too lefty or feminist for you. Just shut up and laugh.

7. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley)

I’m not afraid to admit my guilty pleasures. I saw the trailer for this and I thought this looked fun and would waste an hour or 2. But I was pleasantly surprised at how much effort the film makers actually made to this film. Yes it’s silly, yes it’s rather dumb and it is mostly a comedy film, but it has a lot of heart and easily it all could have gone south. The screenplay on this had a lot of great beats, hilarious scenes and a lot of dialogue and story hits that made me think “wow, I didn’t expect a film like this.” Chris Pine always gives a great performance as he is naturally charismatic as hell, but the real scene stealer is Hugh Grant as the villain, who has been doing this role quite a bit now and he always brings comedy to the role. Also having played the rpg game that it is based off of, the film is rather respectful to the source, so big kudos for that.

6. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (James Gunn)

I’m not going to lie, since Avengers: Endgame, Marvel is slowing going downhill. And I don’t see it coming out of this funk. But there is a saving grace, James Gunn has come back to give his final addition to this trilogy. I have never seen a bad Gunn film, so I’m not surprised that this wouldn’t be good. But behind Gunn’s humour is heart, and this film has a lot of heart and oddly one of the most touching messages about animal rights. The cast always works well together, but I have to give props to Bradley Coopers performance. He may not be genuinely on the screen, but he gives a fantastic voice performance. Chris Pratt has always been good, but there are moments in the film where he gets dramatic and he’s fantastic. A brilliant ending to a perfect film trilogy, and if you want to avoid this film because you don’t like Marvel or superhero films, please give it a watch. At its heart it’s a comedy action film, and one of the better ones.

5. When Evil Lurks (Demián Rugna)

I saw one scene from this film that ruined the shock value and I’m sad I did, because it’s better going into this film with no idea what is or will happen. I haven’t seen many Argentinian horrors, but Rugna’s work on this is fantastic. Taking the zombie/possession sides of Rec and mixing it with the panic of Children Of Men, it is an incredibly unique take on this genre. A horror film isn’t without its special effects, and this film dwells into almost Cronenberg territories, which some brilliant gore and disgusting body horror. Also the film has a great lore it creates for the world it is in. A must watch for fans of artistic horror films if you think A24 films are a bit too tame.

4. Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli)

I am so glad that Nicholas Cage is more than just a meme these days as there was a period where he was delving into the realms of mockery, which I thought was a shame because beside his insanity, he is one of the best actors currently working today. In this film he provides a rather nuanced performance and it really bodes well to the Charlie Kaufmanesque world that this film exists in as the protagonist dwells further into what seems like a jovial joke to a Kafka nightmare. I haven’t seen any of Borgli’s films before but his work on this is perfect, hitting the right comic tones, satirical jeers and dramatic human moments.  A unique premise which executed perfectly.

3. Talk To Me (Danny & Michael Philippou)

Sometimes talent can appear from out of nowhere. The Philippou twins were originally You Tube stars and to see someone from that world go into horror, make one of the most unique and well made horror films I have seen in a while is incredibly surprising. When it comes to possession or supernatural horror, it is hard to approach the content and make it interesting. A great ensemble cast too, with brilliant dramatic and comedic performances. The screenplay is great too, with great characters and dialogue throughout. And if you wanted shocking and creepy moments, this would make an Ari Aster fan very happy. Currently its on Netflix, so please give this a watch.

2. The Whale (Darren Aronofsky)

I’ve always enjoyed Brendan Fraser’s films in the 90’s and early 2000’s, but I will admit he was typecast, which sadly was the reason his career faltered. I did see interviews with him and it turns out he is one of the nicest guys on the planet. In fact he’s so much that people online begged for him to come back to acting, to the point where he did and broke out into tears when talking about it. I didn’t expect to see him working with Aronofsky of all people, and I really didn’t expect this performance from him. While he is fantastic in this and well deserves his Oscar for it, I really need to highlight the brilliant supporting cast with an exceptional performance from Hong Chau. While this film is based on a play, Aronofsky did present it wonderfully. He is very much an over the top visual director, so a boxed in set up isn’t really his style, but he handled the direction so well. But the screenplay by original playwright Samuel D. Hunter is the real meat on this film

Tár (Todd Field)

In many ways this film is hard to describe and even having it in my top of the year is odd. It isn’t the most entertaining watch, it takes its time a lot and has head scratching moments, but you have to utterly admire the craft. I haven’t even seen any of Field's films before. I’ve seen him act in Eyes Wide Shut and that’s about it. But when it comes to film making, I know this guy is a proper master of the craft. It’s a film that takes its time and lets the script flow very naturally. There is small little cuts of tension throughout that can be missed if you blink, but it’s all building up to something and in many ways, the film wouldn’t be what it was if Cate Blanchet didn’t have such a captivating performance. I love nuance when it’s done well and this is executed beautifully. A proper piece of art without being overly artistic and must see for a fan of cinema.

[jmreyes9]

PC - Jesse Reyes

A “MAGICAL” GARDEN WEDDING IN STA. ROSA, CALIFORNIA

By Jesse Reyes

It was a picturesque setting for a garden wedding—a large “old oak tree” (as sung by Tom Jones in “The Green Green Grass of Home,”) with rows and rows of grapevines (not the grapevine, the source of juicy news, rumor or gossip) scattered all around as far as the eye could see, with rolling hills of golden brown and green and distant mountains, silhouetted against a cloudless azure sky. It was a “magical” wedding where Ryan Baluyot and Kristen Damron exchanged “I do’s” under the old oak tree—a tree which gave some shade as the shimmering rays of the ardent sun lent its brightness, seemingly giving its nod of approval to this momentous occasion. 

The day before Ryan had posted on Facebook that he felt that this wedding would be a “magical” one and magical, indeed, it turned out to be. From the lovely music played by a string ensemble that included a violin, a cello and several guitars, to the brilliant attire of the groomsmen and bridesmaids; the cute little flower girls; the Bible bearers, one of whom had to be carried by his mom all the way to the front; the beautiful bride, her eyes welling up with tears from the emotion that gripped her as she marched down the aisle with her dad, “all dressed in white”; the bright and happy face of the debonair, sharply-attired groom as he came to claim his bride from her father; the smiling well-dressed parents of the bride and groom; and the fashionably-attired sponsors, the male partners wearing their elegant barongs. It was a beautiful and "magical" garden wedding, indeed.

As the minister uttered his homily, there was a hush in the audience, everyone straining his/her ear to hear what he was going to say. He started out with some humorous stories about the groom and the bride both of whom he had met in Denver, Colorado where he was a pastoring one of the SDA churches. He alluded to the grapevines scattered all around—pointing out that they (the bride and groom) are like the grapes--they can only flourish if they stay connected to the vine, represented by Christ. He also opined that they should emulate the old oak tree under which they stood, still standing tall, its twisted and gnarled branches, signifying years of weathering the constant beating from the rain, the sun and the storms—representing the “storms” of life.

As we trudged along the dirt road from the site of the wedding ceremony to the Damron’s backyard for the reception, we passed along a grape vineyard, with clusters of grapes hanging from the vines. I was reminded of what Christ said about the vine and its branches, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NIV. 

Written in Sta. Rosa, CA on July 6, 2014. Other writings and poems of Jesse Reyes can be found in his blog: anadventurecalledlife.com.  Posted in FB in 2014 and reposted in 2023. Posted in my blog July 2023.

[ducktoonsfanart]

Scrooge McDuck, Flintheart Glomgold and John D. Rockerduck - Three multi-billionaire ducks and the 75th anniversary of Scrooge McDuck

On November 14, 1947, a comic called Christmas on Bear Mountain was released and although it was a Christmas comic, Donald's uncle named Scrooge McDuck will appear for the first time. At the beginning a big grumpy and bastard man, and at the end a happy man and an adventurer who only loves money. Yes, Scrooge appears more often in the comics, but he has become the most important star of the Duckverse in general, after Donald Duck for sure. Also as you know, he is the main star for both versions of Ducktales, with brilliant voice actors like Bill Thompson, Will Ryan, John Kashir, especially Alan Young and of course the famous actor like David Tennatt who played Scrooge very well. Also Scrooge is among the top 10 richest fictional characters of all time. And he is certainly the richest duck in the world.

Yes, I drew Scrooge along with two of his two rivals as best frenemies, which are Flintheart Glomgold and John D. Rockerduck, who are also multi-billionaires, but not as much as Scrooge McDuck. All three characters were invented by Carl Barks, the genius comic artist and writer of most of the Donald Duck comics who established the Duckverse in comics as we know it. Flintheart Glomgold appears in 1956 and Rockerduck in 1961. So, Scrooge along with his two rivals are celebrating the 75th anniversary of Scrooge McDuck. Happy Anniversary Scrooge McDuck!

Yes, I hope to do more specials, if not bigger ones related to Scrooge McDuck's 75th anniversary. I hope you like this drawing. Also my gift for my friend, @pick-and-shovel-laborer .

[thesunsethour]

my official ranking of (basically) every song by The Killers

(excluding remix versions and non-officially released covers. i treat live versions as separate entities to their studio counterparts)

(only the first 20 or so aren’t good. almost every song here is an absolute banger)

158. Goatsucker (objectively odd song, don’t think it was ever officially released)

157. Enterlude (wasn’t needed on the sam’s town album)

156. Exitlude (read above)

155. Get Trashed (”why is the beat made of sandpaper?” - my brother)

154. Who Let You Go? (repetitive)

153. Where The White Boys Dance (dull)

152. Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town (too country)

151. West Hills III (prefer the first version)

150. Mr Brightside - Original Demo (only so low because it’s in direct comparison to the actual Mr Brightside)

149. The Getting By IV (the killers released 5 versions of the getting by. this is the least best)

148. Replaceable (again, not sure if this was ever officially released)

147. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (feat. Ned Humphrey Hansen) (very emotional but very long)

146. Waiting For Love (sounds flat)

145. C’est La Vie (not tonally linked to the rest of the album)

144. Change Your Mind (probably the weakest song, lyrically, on Hot Fuss)

143. Under The Gun (now we’re reaching songs that are good. great bridge)

142. All The Pretty Faces (nice harmonies)

141. The Getting By V

140. Christmas in L.A. (feat Dawes) (this should be higher up but god the killers have so many good songs)

139. Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf (mention of the name Jennifer which I take to be the same Jenny as in JWAFOM)

138. Sweet Talk (people should listen to the sawdust album more)

137. The Ballad Of Michael Valentine (unfortunately this reminds me of P!ATD)

136. On Top (brandon’s voice sounds so young on Hot Fuss it’s mad)

135. I Feel It In My Bones (feat. Ryan Pardey) (more fun christmas charity song)

134. The Cowboy’s Christmas Ball (SO country it’s actually funny. bop)

133. Show You How (experimental)

132. ¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe! (feat. Wild Light and Mariachi El Bronx) (also featuring brandon speaking spanish! kinda)

131. Dirt Sledding (feat. Ryan Pardey and Richard Dreyfuss) (the killers have banger christmas tunes)

130. Move Away (”take your skin off when you listen to me” is an incredible line)

129. Ultraviolet (Light My Way) (U2 cover) (minus points because it made me think of bono)

128. A White Demon Love Song (this was on the twilight soundtrack)

127. Believe Me Natalie (mommy issues)

126. Four Winds (Bright Eyes Cover) (thumbs up from me)

125. Mona Lisas and Mad Matters (Elton John Cover) (bonus points for elton john)

124. Hotel California (Eagles cover) (banger)

123. Oh Yeah, By The Way (again, not sure if ever officially released)

122. Why Don’t You Find Out For Yourself? (fab guitar)

121. Questions With The Captain (bonkers)

120. A Great Big Sled (feat. Toni Halliday) (please listen to this for the HO HO HO’S. very funny)

119. My List (i love the pre-chorus of this song)

118. A Crippling Blow (cool vocals)

117. Joy Ride (the lyrics of the verses are fucking brilliant. chorus less so)

116. Peace Of Mind (slow and beautiful)

115. Why Do I Keep Counting? (daddy issues)

114. Goodnight, Travel Well (lyrics mention “flesh and bone” which is a song on the next album. insert coincidence, i think not! meme)

113. Joel The Lump Of Coal (feat. Jimmy Kimmel) (surprisingly emotional for a children’s christmas song)

112. Daddy’s Eyes (class vocals)

111. Zombie Hands (banger halloween song)

110. Spaceship Adventure (written for a kid’s show. still a bop)

109. The Getting By III

108. Joseph, Better You Than Me (feat. Elton John and Neil Tennant) (bonus points for elton john again)

107. Midnight Show (many Flowerisms in this song. Flowerisms = typical brandon flowers lyrics that i love)

106. The Getting By (why are there so many versions of this one song)

105. A Matter Of Time (worst song on Battle Born but still incredible)

104. When The Dreams Run Dry (i love the format of the verses)

103. Tidal Wave (great vocals again)

102. Running Towards A Place (i feel like i should apologise to Imploding The Mirage for the whole album being ranked quite low but theres just so many good songs)

101. Money On Straight (the word shit is uttered in this song, scandalous)

100. West Hills II (doesn’t hold a candle to the proper version of this song)

99. The Getting By II (feat. Lucius) ( i think this is the last version of TGB)

98. Blowback (i once thought this was a metaphor for a blowjob. its not)

97. Caution - Wasatch Style (not as good as Caution on its own)

96. Fire In Bone (I FELT UNKNOWN!!!!!!!!)

95. My God (feat. Weyes Blood) (brilliant chorus)

94. The World We Live In (this SHOULD be higher only for the live version is so so so so so so so much better)

93. Neon Tiger (i love the way brandon says reDEEM)

92. Blowback - Acoustic ( i love the piano at the end)

91. Imploding The Mirage (banger ending)

90. Boy (only released a few weeks ago and already a new favourite of mine. SO MANY flowerisms)

89. Shadowplay (Joy Division Cover) (again, this would be ranked higher but the live version is vastly superior)

88. Sam’s Town Live From Abbey Road 2006 (i hadn’t listened to this version before compiling this list and its lovely)

87. Boots (brilliant vibes, almost haunting)

86. Runaway Horses II (not as good as the first version)

85. Dustland (feat. Bruce Springsteen) ( @arcmonkeys may kill me for ranking a song with bruce springsteen so low but alas. there are better versions of ADF)

84. Dying Breed (incredible bridge)

83. Don’t Shoot Me Santa (feat. Ryan Pardey) (NO ONE ELSE is doing christmas songs like the killers. NO ONE)

82. Land Of The Free (beautiful & haunting protest song about gun violence and white supremacy in the US)

81. My Own Soul’s Warning (BUT MAN, I THOUGHT I COULD FLY)

80. Pressure Machine (feeling small from the vastness of the universe, brandon? same.)

79. Life To Come (just really beautiful)

78. Have All The Songs Been Written? (spoiler alert: no! flowers goes on to write two more albums and another is in the works)

77. Run For Cover (such a 2017 song)

76. The Man (brilliant to hear live but not my favourite on the WW album)

75, Out Of My Mind (bonus points for a paul mccartney mention)

74. Forget About What I Said (franz ferdinand vibes)

73. Bones (overflowing with flowerisms!!)

72. Just Another Girl (diana agron is in the music video. bonus points)

71. Smile Like You Mean It (you can tell how high the quality of the killers’ music is when a song this good is still quite far down)

70. Everything Will Be Alright (underrated as hell. this song got me through lockdown a couple years ago)

69. Andy, You’re A Star (brandon flowers wrote a song from the perspective of a gay teenager and yet somehow this song is still more gay)

68. Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll (not as good as the Sawdust version)

67. Caution (sad las vegas vibes baby! but upbeat this time!)

66. The Rising Tide (any mention of neon lights is a win for me)

65. Lightning Fields (feat. k.d. lang) (best song on ITM by a country mile)

64. I Can’t Stay (better live but still great)

63. Prize Fighter (i mean this with so much affection: the lyrics of this song are so stupid <3)

62. Carry Me Home (the morning dove sings with two broken wings...)

61. From Here On Out (jam)

60. Here With Me (we’re on a Battle Born roll at the moment)

59. In The Car Outside (INCREDIBLE lyricism)

58. Somebody Told Me (has a bisexual aperitif or whatever damon albarn said)

57. Rut (I’M NOT LIKE HER YOU’RE NOT LIKE THEM!!!)

56. Deadlines and Commitments (extremely underrated)

55. Quiet Town (so sad and haunting)

54. Bling (Confession Of A King) (perfect lyrics but far better live)

53. Runaway Horses (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (bonus points for phoebe bridgers)

52. In Another Life (basically perfect from start to finish)

51. Uncle Jonny (banger)

50. Sam’s Town (once again, only ranked so low because the live version is so superior)

49. Some Kind Of Love (brandon sings with his kids at the end and its so precious)

48. Shot At The Night (oh god, our home has long been outgrown...)

47. Flesh And Bone (love the talking at the end)

46. Heart Of A Girl (daddy kink)

45. I Can’t Stay Live From The Royal Albert Hall (the encore at the end is so beautiful)

44. Somebody Told Me Live From The Royal Albert Hall (the whisper voice at the start of the second chorus oh yeah baby)

43. Be Still (slow and poetic and beautiful)

42. Battle Born (UP AGAINST THE WALL!!!!!!!)

41. Human (VERY iconic)

40. Human Live From The Royal Albert Hall (brandon flowers screams LONDONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN and it changed lives)

39. Mr Brightside (how can a modern day classic be down so low? because the killers are just THAT good, alright?)

38. Cody (brandon flowers is such a good storyteller)

37. Losing Touch (BUT YOU MADE YOUR WAY BACK HOME!!)

36. This Is Your Life (acab)

35. Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits cover) (this cover is better than the original and i will never stand down from this opinion)

34. Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll - Sawdust Version (the superior version. also bonus points for the beatles refrence)

33. Runaways (”like a stumbling ghost i haunt these halls” is one of my favourite lyrics of all time)

32. Smile Lime You Mean It Live From The Royal Albert Hall (just a million times better than the studio version)

31. Sleepwalker (IT DOESN’T COME FROM WITHOUT, IT COMES FROM WITHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

30. Miss Atomic Bomb (worthy sequel to Mr Brightside)

29. When You Were Young (full of flowerisms + he doesn’t look a thing like jesus)

28. Losing Touch Live From The Royal Albert Hall (far prefer the pitched down instrumentals and the outro is fantastic)

27. Desperate Things (this song being so highly ranked must put me on an FBI list. but songs about murder are brilliant!)

26. A Dustland Fairytale (just incredible storytelling)

25. This River Is Wild (flowerisms + the way he says “i SHAKE a little”

24. Tranquilize (feat. Lou Reed) (all around fucking brilliant song. cain & abel reference, creepy children’s chorus, wonderful harmonies)

23. For Reasons Unknown (such emotive lyrics its stunning)

22. This Is Your Life Live From The Royal Albert Hall (you gotta be stronger than the story!!!! oh god, the narrative)

21. Tyson v Douglas (WW is such an underrated album this song is a banger)

20. Terrible Thing (possibly their saddest song... “barbed wire town of barbed wire dreams”...)

19. The Way It Was (i will fight anyone who says BB isn’t a strong album)

18. Shadowplay (Joy Division cover) Live From The Royal Albert Hall (WAITING FOR YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU)

17. All These Things That I’ve Done (flowerisms + the iconic “i got soul but i’m not a soldier”)

16. Mr Brightside Live From The Royal Albert Hall (better live)

15. Wonderful Wonderful (when i saw the killers live for the first time they started with this and i ascended into heaven)

14. The Calling (bonus points for woody harrelson)

13. West Hills (every single line in this song is perfect)

12. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine (first song on their first album and already SO good)

11. Read My Mind (probably the best song in the world, actually. flowerisms galore!)

10. Spaceman (just fucking incredible lyrics)

9. The World We Live In Live From The Royal Albert Hall (DAVID BRENT KEUNING ON GUITARS EVERYONE !!!!!!)

8. Bling (Confession Of A King) Live From The Royal Albert Hall (WHEN I OFFER YOU SURVIVAL, YOU SAY ITS HARD ENOUGH TO LIVE)

7. A Dustland Fairytale Live From The Royal Albert Hall (it feels so personal, so beautiful, and brandon’s voice sounds so much better live)

6. Spaceman Live From The Royal Albert Hall (call and answer bitches!!)

5. All These Things That I’ve Done Live From The Royal Albert Hall (I GOT SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL BUT IM NOT A SOLDIER)

4. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine Live From The Royal Albert Hall (LONDON. I SAID LOOOONDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNN WHAT YOU GOT? 1 2 3 HA!)

3. When You Were Young Live From The Royal Albert Hall (SING ME A LULLABY, COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN)

2. Sam’s Town (Acoustic) Live From The Royal Albert Hall (the best change from studio to live. slow, soft and quiet and beautiful before the tempo builds up to absolute jam. I SEE SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM’S TOOOOOOOOOOOOWN NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW)

1. Read My Mind Live From The Royal Albert Hall (the perfect version of the perfect song)

bless you, thank you. this better not crash my tumblr

[bookofkatherine]

The Three Sisters

My sisters and I have been called The Three Fates. The Three Graces. The Three Charities. Little Women. Feat. Claire Danes, Tatiana Mollmann and Tom Hiddleston.

I have two sisters: Claire Danes and Tatiana Mollmann. Together we are fraternal triplets, separated at birth on December 25, 1975.

We were born to a kick ass mom and dad. Their stories are out there in the books and movies just like their kids.

For example, Atomic Blonde is based on a mission our mother did for the Lord. My dad didn't really die nor did my mom really make love to a French agent, but you can see where their three daughters get their chops from. Mom really is atomic. (She is played by Charlize Theron in the movie, my vampire daughter with my vampire Knight and husband Alexander Skarsgard.)

Now, we have more family too.

Amy Adams, for example, is our cousin. That's is why she plays me in the Book of Katherine films. You can see the family resemblance.

Maybe you can see where I am going with this.

I've lived many lives over the millennia and I've been known by many names:

Eve

Miloo

Sarah

Esther

Aphrodite

Venus

Helen of Troy

Cleopatra

Delilah

Mary

Igraine

Elizabeth Bennet

Edith Cushing, etc.

And the Knights have been alongside me. For example, when I was Helen of Troy, Paris was a Tom Hiddleston variant. (I mean, who wouldn't run off with him!?)

But my sisters have repeated across time like the Knights and I have too.

For example, Bonnie Elizabeth Parker of Bonnie and Clyde fame looks a lot like Claire Danes because she is. Bonnie was an evil Claire Danes variant. (Don't worry. Two of my Knights, John Krasinski and Ryan Gosling, hunted her and Clyde down.)

Honestly, Claire may be most famous as Jo from Little Women. She famously rejected Laurie, another variant of Tom Hiddleston in history, forcing him to finally notice me, Amy.

And that's usually the way things play out when my sisters are around. Men notice Tatiana and Claire first.

Tatiana, for example, is most famous as Leeloo, the Fifth Element. She is absolutely crazy gorgeous. And there isn't much she can't do. Once, when she tried out for Cirque du Soliel, they told her to climb a wall in a creative way.

She climbed it backwards.

But still... when I am discovered, there is an undying love that lasts eternally.

But put all three of us in a room, a shit goes down. We were usually separated at birth for our protection. And that's because, when we weren't, we kind of became famous early on.

To this day, our former lives are still remembered. Some remember us as the Moirai (The Three Fates). Others remember us as the Three Charities or the Three Graces.

And I suppose that makes sense when you put the Fifth Element, the Bride of Christ and super-genius scientist like Claire who happens to be beautiful all in one single family.

And the descriptions of us are pretty accurate too. Let's take the Moirai for example:

Clotho (the spinner) = Tatiana

Lachesis (the allotter of time) = Katherine

Atropos (the inevitable, a metaphor for death) = Claire

Remember what we've already learned. I am Time. Tom is the Timekeeper and Benedict the Time Wizard.

And that's reflected in my role as Lachesis:

Lachesis was the apportioner, deciding how much time for life was to be allowed for each person or being. She measured the thread of life with her rod. She is also said to choose a person's destiny after a thread was measured.

And Tatiana was Clotho. It sure as fuck explains why she's a brilliant designer!!!

And Claire? Well, she built a Death Star. Several, in fact. If any if us three are death, it's her. ;)

[sideofchaos]

Matt Ryan not being Constantine anymore is honestly fucking me up rn. I mean not only is he brilliant in the role but he loves the character so much and you really feel that in his performance imho. I just hate that WB is fucking him over like this. (I do hope he has fun with his new character on LOT and I know he's gonna do great though). Anyways I'm just really attached to Matt's Constantine and will be mourning this loss forever.

I think a lot of people will miss his enthusiasm he had being able play the character. I mean he literally loved it and would continue to read even the new comics that came out of with the character. I don’t think this was a decision done lightly. It just seems weird to me to watch a show after he plays such an iconic character in the show and be like he is now this eccentric scientist. I know he will do great but it’s such a loss cause he could play John so well when given the material.