#jules: threads

[trrids]

@lgends​ / carter

           the  night  had  set  in  and  her  appearance  was  sudden  ,  midnight  blue  dress  clinging  to  body  as  she  shimmies  inside  ,  immediate  attention  drawn  .  being  a  sex  worker  had  earned  her  a  reputation  but  being  an  onlyfans  star  ,  launching  into  different  avenues  ...  had  made  her  infamous  to  some  ,  the  seedy  at  the  top  of  that  list  .  her  front  never  fell  ,  her  character  who  she  was  the  majority  of  the  time  ,  vulnerability  a  rare  sight  to  behold  .  she  saddles  up  to  carter  at  the  bar  ,  the  element  of  surprise  at  her  late  appearance  ,  “  there  you  are  ,  my  handsome  lover  ,  “  elongated  last  word  ,  irony  .  “  how  shall  i  embarrass  you  tonight  ?  i  have  so  many  ideas  already  in  my  mind  ,  “  clicking  for  a  drink  from  behind  ,  confidence  radiating  from  her  .  the  man  may  have  thought  she  hated  him  (  an  emotion  well  earned  from  his  betrayal  ,  projection  of  his  lack  of  morals  upon  her  )  but  really  ,  she  thought  him  a  fool  ...  someone  so  incredibly  incapable  of  change  that  he  was  his  own  worst  enemy  .  he  could  do  her  no  damange  but  she  knew  that  she  could  mess  with  him  ,  pride  ,  ego  ...  precious  cargo  to  men  .  

[891movies]

Top 25 films (of the second 250 I watched for this project)

Around two years ago I posted a top 25 list of the first 250 films I watched for this project. Since I have now watched another 250 films and discovered many new favorites, the time has come for a second top 25!

Without further ado, I present them in chronological order (because if I actually had to rank them this list would never get out of the editing stage):

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938, dir. Michael Curtiz, William Keighley)

This movie is a storybook adventure come to life, charming, entertaining and beautiful to look at (I miss you, technicolor!). Errol Flynn has an unmatched energy as the titular character and Olivia de Havilland is the picture perfect leading lady, with the exact right mixture of grace and fire. This is may not be a particularly complex or groundbreaking film but it does what it does perfectly and taps into that childlike sense of wonder that few films manage so well.

A Matter of Life and Death (1946, dir. Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell)

One of my most delightful discoveries since starting this project have been the films of Powell and Pressburger - I'm not sure what other directors could boast releasing three of the greatest films of all time in three consecutive years (those being A Matter of Life and Death, Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes). This film mixes a deeply moving love story with a metaphysical court room drama to great success and this strange mixture is mirrored in the film's form, with some experimental but mostly conventional cinematography.

Ace in the Hole (1951, dir. Billy Wilder)

As grim and cynical as it is sharp, this movie plays out like a feverish nightmare. I was honestly shocked at how dark this movie got, considering the time and place in which it was made, but that is absolutely what the story needed and I'm glad Wilder got to tell it this way.

A Star Is Born (1954, dir. George Cukor)

Has there ever been another star to reach the heights of emotional intensity that Judy Garland did in her time? I was lucky enough to see this movie on the big screen and I can't imagine watching it at home, because Garland is so larger than life, I can't see how a smaller screen could contain her. That's not to take anything away from James Mason, who gives a tragic and intense performance for the ages.

Johnny Guitar (1954, dir. Nicholas Ray)

Joan Crawford in your butch black shirt save me! Save me, Joan Crawford in your butch black shirt!

Bigger Than Life (1956, dir. Nicholas Ray)

Surprise, it's another Nicholas Ray melodrama! Ray had this habit of creating highly emotional stories that hid some sharp social commentary, but the commentary is barely hidden this time and it is shockingly subversive. Mason gives another intense performance but here it tilts fully into unhinged territory and he is terrifying to watch. The ending feels a little slapped on but it also feels like the only way Ray could get away with everything that came before.

Mon Oncle (1958, dir. Jacques Tati)

This movie feels like a precursor to Playtime, one of my all-time favorite films (incredibly novel opinion, I know). The sets are meticulously designed and a delight to behold, and Tati's performance as Monsieur Hulot (the titular uncle) is charming as always. I especially adore the contrast between the traditional and modern Paris, as well as the unconventional sound mixing that refuses to privilege dialogue, leaning into cinema's strengths as a visual medium.

Jules and Jim (1962, dir. François Truffaut)

This is by far my most recent watch on this list and it's still kind of percolating in my head but I loved it when I watched it and my fondness for it has been growing daily. It has that charming, youthful irreverence that the French New Wave is so known for, as well as one of the most complex depictions of a female character I've seen in french cinema.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962, dir. Robert Aldrich)

Bette Davis is one of my all time favorite actresses and this is one of my all time favorite performances. She puts everything into this role and the rest of the film compliments her perfectly; it's funny and dark, tragic and absolutely unhinged. And Joan Crawford is good too, I guess.

Tokyo Olympiad (1965, dir. Kon Ichikawa)

This blew my mind when I first watched it, seeing what incredible feats documentary filmmakers were capable of so early on in the genre's history. It is also the perfect counterpoint to Riefenstahl's earlier documentaries about the Olympic games; where she emphasized nationalism and feats of strength, Tokyo Olympiad focuses on the humanity of it and the power this event has to bring us together. Probably my favorite section of the film focuses on an athlete who was the sole representative of his newly independent country and who did not qualify for the finals in his field (unfortunately I don't remember the country or the sport). But just the fact that he made it to the Olympics, that he got to represent his country on the world stage, is an incredible feat in and of itself, and the film recognizes this.

The Wild Bunch (1969, dir. Sam Peckinpah)

This movie is everything a western should be - exciting, violent, and deeply critical of the ugly history it is depicting. The characters are not good people but they are compelling and incredibly fun to watch.

Woodstock (1970, dir. Michael Wadleigh)

Another mindblowing documentary that pushes the ability of the medium to its limits. It captures a unique moment in time, a spirit of rebellion and hope for the future that unfortunately feels worlds away from our current cultural landscape. It is also an incredible display of the emotional power of music. I cried during Janis Joplin's performance and it felt impossible to match, but then it is immediately followed by Jimi Hendrix and I could feel my soul descend to a higher plane of existence. It is my life's goal to see this film in the theater.

In the Realm of the Senses (1976, dir. Nagisa Ōshima)

Everything is sex, except sex, which is love and beauty and death all intertwined and impossible to separate.

Atlantic City (1980, dir. Louis Malle)

Rarely has a setting felt so integral to a film. Everything from the story, to themes, to the characters revolves around and is subservient to the setting of a declining Atlantic City whose glory days are far behind it. It is also a microcosm of American society at large, at least as people were experiencing it in 1980 (although it's pretty relevant today, I would say).

Gallipoli (1981, dir. Peter Weir)

This is the movie that definitively convinced me that anti-war films are indeed possible to make, just not in Hollywood (Come and See had me thinking this, but Gallipoli proved to me that it wasn't a unique feat of just one film). We barely see the war in this movie but it is all about the incredible tragedy of it.

Koyaanisqatsi (1982, dir. Godfrey Reggio)

I was completely expecting this movie to put me to sleep and instead, it was one of the most viscerally intense and haunting viewing experiences of my life. It is hypnotic in the very best way and somehow captures the ennui of modern life without a single word being spoken.

Paris, Texas (1984, dir. Wim Wenders)

This film is an intoxicating mixture of tenderness and brutality, and a deeply moving depiction of our longing to reach out and connect to one another. This is the other film on the list I got to see in the theater and the cinematography was absolutely breathtaking on the big screen.

Trust (1990, dir. Hal Hartley)

This is such a delightfully strange film, almost but not quite set in our reality. The strangeness makes the gentleness of the love story all the more touching; this is one of those movies that makes me happy to be alive.

Safe (1995, dir. Todd Haynes)

I have been kind of obsessed with this movie since I saw it, so much so that it will actually be a focal point in my master's thesis. Everything in the film, from the cinematography to the soundtrack to, especially, Julianne Moore's performance, builds to this overwhelming sense of anxiety and dread, and Haynes' refusal to give an easy answer (or any answers at all) makes it all the more unsettling.

Scream (1996, dir. Wes Craven)

I do like scary movies, yes. I especially like movies that are scary, funny, and feature a bloody final girl and (more than) a touch of homoeroticism.

The Blair Witch Project (1999, dir. Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez)

Look at that, another scary movie! I am probably more susceptible to this movie's attempts at scares than most viewers, because I've only very recently started to build any kind of tolerance for horror, but it got me so good. The simplicity just makes it better; it may only do one thing but it does it very, very well.

Dancer in the Dark (2000, dir. Lars von Trier)

I'm always kind of hoping when I watch a new Lars von Trier movie that maybe I won't like this one, because I don't know what it says about me that I enjoy his films so much but I know that it can't be good. But this movie belongs just as much to Björk, who gives an incredible acting performance and an all-time great vocal performance. I was left a sobbing wreck; to this day, just humming 'The next to last song' to myself brings a tear to my eye.

Volver (2006, dir. Pedro Almodóvar)

Penélope Cruz is a revolution in this movie, my god. She brings the emotional sincerity that the film needs to keep its elaborate plot grounded. As always, I appreciate Almodóvar's clear love for strong and complicated women, as well as the often messy relationships between them.

Phantom Thread (2017, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

I love a good twisted love story and it is beautifully told here. Form also compliments function to a tee; a story about an obsessive compulsion to create perfect art is mirrored in the absolutely meticulous cinematography and costuming. Daniel Day-Lewis gives the performance of a lifetime here and while I do miss seeing him in the theater, what a film to end on!

Roma (2018, dir. Alfonso Cuarón)

This is one of those movies where nothing happens, in that there isn't a traditional plot (events still take place, obviously), because it's about life, man. It's a type of film that needs a deft hand and a filmmaker with something to say, and Cuarón has both in spades. Funnily enough, this movie reminds me a lot of Paris, Texas; it has that same mix of tenderness and harshness that compliment each other.

[onismstrikes]

@wishingonstcrs

It had been the longest day. A rewarding one after the surgery that she'd just been in with Ndugu. Their job didn't always end on the best of notes, but god was it exhilarating when it did. She'd just changed out of her scrubs, walking through the hospital towards the main doors when a certain fellow intern caught her eye. An immediate smile formed on her lips and she stepped up next to Yasuda where she was leaning against the wall. "Hey, you."

[fadinglights]

“i’m  not  the  one  you  want.  it’s  okay,  it’s  fine,  i’ll  get  over  it,  you  know,  eventually.” / @ameliiorate

the  cool  night  breeze  caresses  their  faces  as  jules  and  seonho  find  a  moment  of  respite  away  from  the  chaos  unfolding  on  the  rooftop.  below,  the  city's  lights  dance  and  twinkle  while  her  heart  paces  anxiously.  jules  has  contemplated  breaking  the  weighted  silence  first,  but  he  has  beaten  her  to  it.  "no  —  it's  not  like  that."  her  heart  aches  at  the  guilt  and  distress  etched  on  his  face,  a  consequence  of  the  hurt  she  has  inadvertently  caused  him.  taking  a  deep,  steadying  breath,  jules  allows  her  words  to  tumble  out,  even  if  they  are  far  from  polished.  "the  truth  is,  i'm  acting  distant  because  i  like  you  too  much."  she  admits,  a  dry  chuckle  escaping  her  as  her  fingers  fidget  on  the  cool,  stony  surface  beneath  them.  "i  know  it  sounds  weird,  but  it's  something  i  do.  it's  scary  to  me...  getting  attached  to  people."  and  he  has  already  caught  a  glimpse  of  how  she  never  quite  had  the  best  luck  when  it  comes  to  love.

[gcldfanged]

@monstersmade:

Ruluf was a man of many talents; a brilliant Turk and a desperately sought after bodyguard before that. Born and raised in Wallmarket, few could match how easily he took to violence, and his capacity for dirty fighting. Perhaps it was his time working with the Turks that had taken a slight edge off, or perhaps Jae had just picked a very good moment to strike - because he caught him off guard with a blow that sent him to his knees. "Oi! Get fucked, Jae! What was that for?!"

Yoon thought he would have been over it by now. Jules was right- It was over with and he hadn't come out worse for wear aside from some bruising.

Ah, but he personally knew how it could have all gone horribly wrong.

Suddenly he was fourteen years old again, snot-nosed and sobbing. Heavy footfalls echoed against corrugated metal and concrete walls and massive silhouettes cast long shadows that oozed across the ground like tar from the devil’s hooves himself. Light flooded his vision from a klieg and he'd raised his head, blinking and squinting against the harsh blue florescent bulb covered with crisscrossed wires and fat black buzzing mosquitoes.

"You could have asked me for help, y'know- It would have been easy: Just cut some fucker's fingers off and call it a day once we found who you were looking for. But your stupid ass thought up some dumb as shit plan involving Jules getting fucking drugged and snatched?"

He doesn't care if he's freaking out, he doesn't care if Ruluf is pissed as Hell, he just shoves the other Turk's chest roughly and glares so hard a lesser man would've spontaneously combusted from the sheer shame of it all.

"He could've been branded, ASSHOLE! Or has the top-sider life gotten to your head so much, you magically forgot how things work in our line of business."

[vonlipvig]

me who got spoiled on the fact that cyrus kills david like months ago and simply pretended not to know seeing cyrus killing david

[letters2fiction]

Captain Barbossa!

You have a new member in your crew: Lupita Medina, 16 years old and from Mexico. Just keep an eye on her, she tends to get into trouble very quickly. She may be clumsy but she really wants to be a great pirate, she admires you a lot. 🫣😅

Jules 🍏🏴‍☠️

Jules!

I am always happy to have new crew onboard. Just make sure she does what she is told, and I'll have no problems with her. There is always extra space on my ship.

-- Captain Barbossa

[v4vile]

—⠀⠀‘i swear to fuckin god jules,⠀i don't know the dude.⠀he just gave me the bag and hightailed it.’

ONE-LINER 4 @heartsbreaking <3

[daydreambclievers]

@shakinthedust

[message: Tanner] i think you’re cute, i’m hoping you matched with me because you think i’m cute, and i’m really bad at texting. sooo at risk of coming on too strong, what do you say we go get coffee sometime this week?

[cynosurems]

juliet and grant. @wildmuses

𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 were a stark contrast to the dark interior of the rented car her and grant currently occupied , the hood of a particularly thick hoodie up around juliet's face to give her some warmth in the dormant vehicle . she had a pair of binoculars held up to her eyes , looking into the windows that weren't covered by curtrains in order to try and get a feel for what was happening inside . ❛ can you chew quieter ? ❜ she huffed , turning to look at her partner with a pointed glare . ❛ you took all that extra time to get into the fbi and they never taught you how to eat with your mouth closed ? ❜

[ghstfacr]

@greedaeye / @a1phapack liked for a one liner !

⸺ ❝ 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 the absolute best and come with me to get groceries ? ❞

[delicatlueur]

                    julien   has   this   …       claim   …       over   camille   .       and   it’s   wrong   .       god   ,   it’s   all   sorts   of   wrong   .       but   he   charmed   her   away   from   her   ex   once   ,   didn’t   he   ?       so   why   wouldn’t   he   think   he   could   do   it   again   ?       “   so   ,   i   hear   darius   has   emerged   from   his   …       comment   dit - on   ?       ah   ,   yes   ,   hiding   place   ,   ”       mumbles   ,   lips   ghosting   her   neck   ,   barely   touching   ,   breath   warm   on   her   skin   .       he’s   so   damn   confident   ,   so   very   sure   ,   as   fingers   tilt   her   chin   up   ,   up   to   meet   his   gaze   .       “   to   that   ,   i   propose   a   night   out   .       just   you   and   i   .       oh   ,   and   a   horde   of   paparazzi   ,   of   course   .       think   of   the   message   that’ll   send   ,   hmm   ?       it’ll   paint   such   a   vivid   picture   of   where   your   loyalties   truly   lie   .   ”       //       @salvateure

[ultescape]

@johnnysslaughter said: ❛ your heart is beating so fast right now. ❜

he's right; julie feels it in her ears, her frightened bird's heart pounding blood and narrowing her vision. it had started gradually, her slow athlete's pulse quickening with each successive moment spent in his company, an unconscious response that she had only grown aware of in the past few moments.

she'd had an instinctive trust in the boy who'd introduced himself as johnny. he was young like her, good-looking and seemingly friendly. after all, who wouldn't be curious about a gaggle of college kids showing up in the middle of nowhere, stomping around in the lonely texas dust?

but there was something off about him. there was something unsettling in his dark eyes, in his sharp smile that reminded her of the sleek shapes she'd occasionally seen in the waters of her old surfing grounds.

julie had thought herself unafraid of sharks.

"maybe it's because you make me nervous. you're awfully close." her voice is carefully sweet, almost, the sort of tone she'd have used to charm a boy she wanted to bum a smoke off of. with johnny, it feels like stepping through a minefield, navigating a temper and intentions she's unsure of. there's a glint of metal on his belt and she thinks of maria, missing, and her bird's heart beats faster.

[fadinglights]

@evocatiive

she  should  have  known.  should  have  known  that  he  would  go  overboard.  yet  her  smile  cannot  be  any  brighter  and  her  eyes  have  grown  misty  from  the  words  so  fondly  written  on  the  album.  if  she  thinks  more  about  how  everyone  who  comes  across  a  copy  can  read  what  she  just  read  word  for  word,  she  might  just  never  step  out  of  her  apartment  again.  “i  was  right.”  she  announces  with  a  sigh  at  last,  still  a  little  dazed  from  the  amalgam  of  affection  and  joy  for  his  much  awaited  break.  “you  are  the  cheesiest  man  in  the  world.”  

[ameliiorate]

☀︎ — closed starter for @fadinglights / from Seonho to Jules

After speaking with Joonho, Seonho has prepped himself to finally be upfront with Jules, asking her to meet at the cafe rather than going through with her brother's suggestion to have him ditch a plan meant for the three of them. He wants to approach this with all of the honesty and sincerity that he can muster. Continuing to keep his feelings a secret would be a disservice to himself, and he has to trust that his friendship with Jules is concrete enough that it can withstand the possible blow that might come with her rejecting him. He's ready for that possibility, and is more mindful of her feelings than he is of his own, not wanting to pressure her in any way. "So do you have any makeup sessions planned for this weekend?" Seonho begins, first asking about Jules' work and readying himself to segue into what he wants to talk about. His hand curls around his lemonade, taking a sip to wet his cracked lips. "Because if you aren't busy, I was thinking...maybe the two of us could do something?" It's not uncommon for them to spend time together, but he doesn't want this to be a normal hangout between them.

[soughthope]

"Jules I wanted to know if you ever loved me because I did love you .fuck I don't know what I'm saying anymore." His speech was slurred as he looked at her knowing that he loved her and that they had everything in his dreams and now as he stood here facing her knowing that his dreams would be just that dreams he kept with him when nothing else helped him through it .

Leave it to Nate to turn the chill night into a goddamn spectacle. It's too damn cold and she's wearing too little to be standing out here in the dark having this conversation, especially about feelings she's been trying to process.

She takes his hand and pulls him away from the club to the patio seating area so they could have a little privacy and sits him down, taking the seat beside him and pushing his hair away from his red eyes.

" You're an actual mess, Nate Jacobs. But yes. I did or do. I'm not someone who can just throw away my feelings even when I feel like I should. " She leans back and sighs. " I had such high hopes when you went by tyler and we chatted. I feel like...finally someone real but when I realized it was you I didn't know how to trust those words anymore but I meant all of mine. "

@predatorymaniac