#just watched chicago 2002 for the first time

[shepard-tone]

oh yes oh yes they both reached for the gun!

[whereserpentswalk]

Every ten years, some of the most powerful beings in the multiverse bet on the life of an average human.

They've been doing it since humans evolved sentience, it's become tradition at this point. Azarath angel of war and fire. Opheria high lady of the autumn fae. Eoauiioaie old one of dreams and eater of planets. Drehn the dragon at the edge of time. Kalhesh demon of the unbreakable chain. Haramare the parasite that eats the bodies of dead universes. And many others, some of whom I can't even describe here, all gather to make their bets.

They pick a human by rolling millions of dice until they find someone who matches the DNA sequence generated. Then they'll begin to watch them, watch their little moves, their daily tasks, their relationships, everything about them. And they'll start making bets, on little things at the start of the year, on what they'll have for breakfast. On if they'll make the train on time. On what dreams they'll have when they sleep. But as time extends they start getting more and more invested, and they'll bet on the big things, if they'll ask out their crush, if they'll get that promotion, in some dark circumstances if they'll die.

There are only two rules. Nobody can use their powers to effect the person's life. And the human in question cannot be aware of extra dimensional being. The person is just living their normal life, and they're observing, seeing with baited breath what will happen, not knowing.

It's 2022, they're betting on a university student living in Tokyo. She's been burnt out for days, everyone is waiting intently to see if she finishes her papers in time. The multiverse cheers when she does. She passes all of her classes, does well, though feels the pain of a few sleepless nights. Despite her worst fears and insecurities she's quite intelligent, and all her paranoias prove to be illusions of the mind.

It's 2012, they're betting on a teenager living in the Midwestern US. They're considering coming out to their parents but they don't at the last momment. Some cheer because they remained safe and weren't hurt by their father. Some weep because they've waited even longer to come out now. They're still in the closest when they stop being followed on New Years Eve, their parents never accept them, they end up moving to Chicago for college and cutting off contact years after the contest ends.

It's 2002, they're better on a hunter living in the forests on South America, one of the few people left on the earth not to know of the colonizers and the empires of the west, though he's still felt their effects. He's almost ambushed by a python, everyone waits with baited breath hoping he survives. By all luck he does and the multiverse cheers. He'll die a few days after the contest ends, meeting a westerner for the first time, and meeting a western bullet for the first time, as he was considered to be "trespassing" on a private farm.

It's 1992, they're betting on an elderly man living in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, he comes home one night to find out that his beloved cat has died. He weeps and the multiverse weeps with him. Nobody could have known the cat was in danger, so no bets were made on her, but everyone weeps anyway, it is November, and the multiverse knew her well. Throughout halls of civilizations the old man will never know the cat is mourned, entities from countless worlds wishing things could have gone differently.

The contest is always broadcast to the entire multiverse. The faeries, and the old ones, and the demons and the angels, and all other manner of creature, always know. The ones making the bets always root for their predictions to come true, but those who are always watching tend to hope for the best outcome. They become so invested in everyone's lives, hoping everything is ok for them, loving the people they watch in a way those being watched will never truly know.

They say it's to keep them humble. So that the faeries, and the angels, and the dragons, and the elder horrors will all know in a way what it's like to be human, and know to care for those so much less powerful then them.

[wheresarizona]

Arizona’s End of the Year Roundup

Hey, besties! This has been a fucking year, let me tell you, and life really decided to throw me some curve balls over this last month just to keep me on my toes.

2024 was a year of new journeys—I started my new life of official singledom, I cut off all of my hair, I quit the best job I’ve ever had to start a new one with better opportunities, I got healthier both mentally and physically, and lost 50 lbs, I got many new piercings and tattoos, I made new friends, and for the first time in probably my entire life, I got to be happy and focus on myself. Things weren’t always smooth; there were definitely hiccups along the way, but you know what? I made it, and you did, too.

I just wanna thank everyone for their love and support. All of the comments and asks I got this past year, really kept me going, and you have no idea what they meant to me. I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I thought I’d do a little writing roundup, in case you’re interested:

Total words on posted fics and WIPs: 205,993

- Total words written for Learning to Live: 142,852

Most amount of words posted: Learning to Live Chapter 34 - 24,017

Least amount of words posted: Brunettes - 798

My favorite thing I wrote: Javi’s bit about grief in chapter 32 of LTL. I was battling my own grief at the time, and it was very cathartic to go on a similar journey as Cielito, and for her to have someone so loving and supportive.

My least favorite thing I wrote: It’s only because it’s fighting me and the words aren’t coming as easy as usual, but chapter 35 of LTL. Love the content, hate the difficulty.

The thing I’m most surprised I wrote: Columba. I saw one preview for Gladiator 2, heard his voice, and I was done for.

My guilty pleasure that I wrote with me in mind: but he’s the one I want. DBF!Joel has me in a chokehold right now and I maybe, possibly might be writing a follow up…

4 things I watched on repeat while writing:

- The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

- Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997)

- Chicago (2002)

- Les Misérables (2012)

(As you can tell, I love musicals)

Most listened to playlists while writing: Hadestown (Original Broadway Cast Recording) and my Taylor Swift playlist

My go-to writing drinks: Iced soy chai (Starbucks, preferred), Diet Dr. Pepper, or water

My go-to writing snack: Candy (type depends on the mood I’m in. Lately it’s been Hi-Chews)

My favorite place to write: My comfy chair in the corner of my room I got specifically for writing.

My least favorite place to write: Work—too many distractions at this new one.

The wildest places I wrote smut: Outback Steakhouse parking lot while I waited for my food, and sitting at a table at Outback Steakhouse while celebrating my sister’s birthday. (Don’t know what it is about Outback Steakhouse that gets the words flowing)

That’s all I could think to include, but if you have more you wanna know, just let me know!

There are so many people I wanna thank, and I’m gonna try and tag as many as my exhausted brain can remember right now: @juletheghoul @theorganasolo @littlemisspascal @katareyoudrilling @devineconjuring @kilamonster @iamskyereads @theetherealbloom @agg5041 @heareball @artsy-girl-76 @toomanystoriessolittletime @thevoiceinyourheadx and 🌱

Happy New Year, everyone!

[justsheerfilth1]

So i watched Chicago (2002) for the first time last night with my sister ( shes seen it before and was showing me), here are my thoughts:

oh these bitches gay

everyone in this film put their whole pussy into it

that one lass who kills her husband cos he pops gum after shes had a bad day is so real, thats how i feel when i have sensory overload too. bestie just had a bit of the tism

catherine zeta jones should be allowed to commit murder on the regular, it suits her

richard gere the man you are

when youre good to mama goes so fucking hard

the costume design is everything

amos you are precious 😭

i got teary eyed over hunyak

the love lyrics section of " roxie" is how I sound tryna make my essays sound longer

roxie imagining all the women scantily clad every two minute like babygirl... the call is coming from inside the house

my sister is a lesbian and im pretty sure her seeing this movie as a child gave her the source of her lesbian powers

in conclusion: they slayed. literally 💅

[freshbakedbreadstick]

No. 1 Party Anthem - Mikey Berzatto x F!Reader - Prologue

Past!Mikey Berzatto x F!Reader

Carmy Berzatto x F!Platonic!Reader

Richie Herimovich x F!Platonic!Reader

Summary: After running for so long, it was time to come home

Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of the content. Heavy spoilers and angst. Mentions of death, mental health issues, and toxic relationships. It’s not graphic or detailed in this one but I just want to warn you now that this series will deal with extremely heavy topics as it goes on (similar to the show).

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: Hey bestiesssssssssss!!! This is my first ever series and actually first ever written work that I'm posting lol and I'm so excited for it!!! I'm starting off with a series because i had this really good and angsty idea while reading ANOTHER fantastic piece of work and was like “fine…….. I'll do it myself” so i'm here now writing it lmao anyways i'm starting off posting my fanfics with Mikey and Carmy because i've been a little too focused on The Bear lately n love them so much. Chapter one of this series should be coming up this time next week so dw abt waiting so long for an update!! Anyways i hope you all enjoyyyy <3

MASTERLIST

The cool Chicago night air nips at you as it blows by, rolling along the exposed skin of your arms. It was 3 in the morning and the street where The Original Beef of Chicagoland stood was empty and silent.

The building stood before you, quiet and lifeless. It was odd seeing it so silent and it almost seemed… peaceful. But one glance at the rusting sign that seemed to be barely hanging onto the building made the façade of tranquility fall.

The knot in your stomach grew as your eyes traced over the rusted sign and then onto the walls that showed cracks and age. The sidewalk wasn’t any better with uneven cement and haphazard patching. Just then, a piece of trash rolled by the curb, coming from the alley right next to The Beef. 

It was just like how you remembered it. 

The wear and tear was what originally made you appreciate it. It showed use and love, the same way that laugh lines around a person’s mouth showed you that they lived a life full of smiles and laughter. The walls were in use as hundreds filed in and out of the building for their favorites, every week. The floor was worn away underneath the soles of families, drunk friends, older couples, working folk, and more. The ungentrified building made the whole thing feel nostalgic, despite not being a building you were around as a child. It had felt… familiar in a both comforting and melancholic way. 

But now, seeing the building, especially with its marks of age, made your blood run like ice through your veins. It made you shiver, despite it being September in Chicago. 

What once was a warm and inviting place felt cold and even scary. 

It had been months since you spoke to the Berzattos. Actually, it had been months since you were in Chicago at all. About 8 months, that is. You left in February after… everything and never looked back. The east felt too familiar at that point, so you traveled west.

You chased the highs and avoided the lows, moving from one place to another until you settled in a quiet town where you felt loved. But that love didn’t come without its challenges and when it got hard, you did what you knew best and that was leaving. 

So you left with no clue as to where you were going, too proud but mainly too afraid to reach out to the family you had in Chicago. You drove with a car full of junk you couldn't even stand looking at anymore for all the memories of the past couple of months attached to them made your stomach churn. With no place to go, you found yourself, 5 days after leaving and living in your car, sitting on the hood of your 2002 Chevy Impala, stopped and watched the sunset of the west for the last time at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere with your head hurting and eyes puffy. It was then when your phone buzzed. 

The cracked screen blinked brightly as you glanced over at it.

‘Please come home, we miss you - Nat’

Your mouth dried as you read the message. Your heart pounded in your ears as your eyes raced over the words over and over and over.

‘Please come home, we miss you’

‘Please come home, we miss you’

‘Please come home, we miss you’

‘Please come home, we miss you’

‘Please come home, we miss you’

‘Please come home, we miss-

Another message popped up then, interrupting your reading and making you jump. 

‘I promise it’s okay’

Your hands trembled. How Sugar got your number after you changed it twice to avoid your ex from the west was a mystery but it almost felt like divine intervention as you read it under the glow of the cotton candy clouds in the sky. 

‘Come home’

So you made the decision to go back. 

To go home. 

But this decision didn’t mean that you were leaving right away; for two months you practically lived in motel rooms and in your car, pacing back and forth for hours in parking lots, empty hallways, and tiny motel rooms at the thought of facing everyone again. Would they be upset? Angry? Sad? Would they hate you? Welcome you with open arms? Especially after abandoning them the way you did? 

Some nights were spent breathing deeply and slowly, desperately trying to get your heart to beat at a reasonable pace and other nights were spent with tears streaming down your cheeks. You almost even decided to just not come home at all; it felt like moving out of the country and assuming a new identity would be easier to deal with than going home.

But you got yourself together and after pawning everything you didn’t mind parting with for cash, you drove with a lighter trunk and a lighter heart across the country and eastward toward Illinois. 

Before you knew it, the giant ‘WELCOME TO ILLINOIS, THE LAND OF LINCOLN’ sign had appeared in your vision. It greeted you like an old friend, making your eyes sting and your chest tighten as your car zoomed by it. 

Two hours away from Chicago, your stomach would not stop growling so you decided to stop and grab a bite to eat. After settling your car at a nearby park next to an empty bench, you got off and focused a bit too much on grabbing your belongings to notice what your surroundings looked like. 

It wasn’t until you had sat down and ripped the bag of food open, when the smell of a salami and mozzarella sub wafted in the air, perking you up and prompting you to smile softly, that you glanced up. Over the dark green shrubs and still water of Peoria Lake were cotton candy clouds, nearly identical to the ones that you had seen while sitting on the hood of your car, terrified and hoping for a sign, any sign, that what you were doing was the right thing. 

Five minutes later, your car was back on the highway and speeding towards Chicago.

You stayed over at your parents’ house that night. They were overjoyed to see their child. Your mother cried, holding onto you as your father rubbed your back, comfortingly. Part of you wanted to, so badly, melt into their arms, but another part of you reminded you of the last time you were here. Despite the furniture being different and the decorations being rearranged, your body twitched as it remembered the exact emotions and position you were in when you got the news. 

The news that your boyfriend, Michael Berzatto, was found dead.

You couldn’t sleep that night, nor the next, or even the one after that. You got a combined total of about 15 hours of sleep in the past 72 hours, making you look and feel exhausted. But your mind was the only thing that wasn’t exhausted from replaying the memory over and over and over. 

About 5 days after you arrived, you got another message from Sugar. This time, a pit formed in your stomach as you read it.

‘Hey, it’s me again! Can you swing by The Beef tomorrow? I'm working there now and would love to see you. I’m sorry this is on such short notice but I've been crazy busy and I heard you were in town. I really want to see you and if you can’t do tomorrow, let me know so we can plan another day.

We really do miss you.’

You rock your jaw and put your phone down on the edge of the twin mattress you sat on, in your childhood bedroom. Right then, your mom gently knocks on your bedroom door before pushing it open.

“Have you talked to Natalie at all yet?” she said softly, clasping her hands together and leaning against the door frame.

You huffed and smiled weakly, of course your mom would mention something to her, that’s how she knew you were here. While your mom respected you doing things on your own time, she also knew that you needed a little push to make that connection. 

“Uhm… yea she just texted me. I uh, i might see her tomorrow at The Beef,” you murmured with a shaky breath. 

Thank god Sugar ended up being the one to text you instead of you texting her. 

Your mom smiled sweetly, “I think you should go, sweetheart. I know it seems scary but… I think it’s time you saw them…” 

Nodding, you turn and crawl up to the pillows of your bed. With a sigh, you lay down and close your eyes, exhausted. 

From your door frame, your mom quietly watched you and sighs softly. She slowly grabs your door and closes it behind her as she leaves. The hallway light goes off, leaving you and your thoughts alone in the pitch black dark.  

And here you were, a couple hours after you read her message, standing across The Beef on a cool Chicago night with the air nipping at your exposed skin as it blows by. You left in such a rush that you forgot to bring a hoodie and didn’t even bother to change from your thin pajama pants and loose old t-shirt. All you did was throw on your shoes and climb out your window, car keys clutched in your sweaty palm, like you used to do in high school to sneak off with Mikey. 

But those days seemed so far away now the same way that The Beef seemed so far away. It felt as if the trek across the street actually spanned thousands of miles and not a minute walk. 

So you sighed and turned around, walking down the sidewalk and back to your car. Who knew what time it was anymore, but you knew that you really needed to get rest tonight… you had a big day tomorrow. 

[annieqattheperipheral]

for reference here's michael nylander's hockeydb

for my willy babes💕 here u go:

- - - - - - -

STOCKHOLM — About 35 minutes outside Stockholm sits the place that always felt most like home for William Nylander.

It is the long-time offseason home of former NHLer Michael Nylander, and it’s where the Nylander family has been congregating every summer since William Nylander was a boy.

There’s the main house, the guest house and the barn where William practically lived from the time he was old enough to hold a hockey stick. It isn’t the kind of barn where you might house cows, horses and piles of hay. It’s nicer than that, William says. There are wooden floors and, as you might expect in a household of hockey players, two hockey nets.

William and his younger brother Alex would be holed up there for hours, day after day, every summer when they were kids.

Alex would play goalie and William would fire shots. Sticks would be thrown. Fights would ensue.

“But then after the fight, no matter what happened,” Alex said, “we would be best friends again.”

Then they might step and fire pucks on the shooting ramp Michael built in the yard by the soccer nets. After that, zip the 30 seconds it took to the nearby dock for a jump in the lake. Then, a visit to the sauna.

As boys, William and Alex would often make their way over to their father’s gym, where they would watch Dad go through his offseason workouts in preparation for another NHL season.

Then, the summer would come to an end and young William, and the rest of the family, would follow Dad back to North America. Somewhere in North America.

William Nylander’s life has been forever split between two worlds and two homes.

- - - - - - -

Almost every fall, it seemed, Dad’s NHL jersey changed.

Which meant a new city, new school, new friends, new home, new minor hockey team and new hockey heroes for William (outside of Dad, of course).

William Nylander was born in Calgary while his dad was playing for the Flames. Michael was traded there from Hartford. He spent parts of five seasons with the Flames before they dealt him to Tampa Bay. Michael played only 35 games for the Lightning before another deal sent him — and the family — to Chicago.

Trades weren’t talked about in the singular, but rather, the “we.” Michael Nylander wasn’t getting traded. The Nylanders were.

William was just starting the first grade when the Blackhawks traded his dad yet again, after only nine games in the fall of 2002, to Washington. The Capitals flipped Michael to Boston not long before the 2004 trade deadline.

Michael signed with the New York Rangers not long before the 2004-05 lockout. After two seasons there, the family trekked back to Washington, where Michael signed as a free agent.

Over 17 years, Michael Nylander played for seven teams – none lasting longer than a 239-game run with the Blackhawks. He also suited up in Sweden, Switzerland, Russia and Finland, as well as minor league outposts in Rochester and Grand Rapids.

“Moving around – it’s been like that since I was born,” William said. “It’s just the way it was. And actually, every time we moved somewhere, we thought it was fun.”

Moving came to feel normal. The first week at a new school was nerve-wracking, but also familiar. So was making new friends in Chicago, Washington, and New York, the three spots that occupied most of William’s childhood.

It helped that William and Alex always had each other, along with four sisters. Alex was born in Calgary two years after William. They did everything together.

“Willy and Alex, they’re like stuck,” said Rasmus Sandin, the former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman and a close friend of the Nylander family. “They’re together all the time.”

Alex says William is a little quieter than he is, a little less goofy, and more similar to their dad.

Thommy Nylander, Michael’s younger brother and William’s uncle, thinks William inherited his father’s mentality, among other things. Thommy trains William every summer (he’s also a chiropractor and often treats William) and said his thoroughness in preparation is very much like Michael’s.

“He’s so warm and a nice guy, but when you get to the gym, he’s very serious about working,” Thommy said. “He’s probably the best player, but he’s still doing the hours and he’s serious. He doesn’t want to waste time.”

Anders Sorensen, who coached William when he was a kid in Chicago, saw him do things that seemed beyond the comprehension for someone his age. Like the time William dropped the puck behind his own net and took off.

“What are you doing?” Sorensen asked.

“Well, we’re breaking out!” Nylander responded. “It’s a power play!”

He was unmistakably the son of an NHLer.

Michael would bring William and Alex around to the rink often. They thought it was the coolest thing imaginable, being there with Dad where actual NHL hockey was being played.

William would hop onto the ice with Alex and shoot pucks before practice. Then he would retreat, on Dad’s orders, to the ping-pong lounge. From there, they would amble over to the dressing room and inspect the sticks of their father’s teammates – stars like Tony Amonte and Doug Gilmour in Chicago or Jaromir Jagr and Peter Bondra in Washington.

When Michael played for the Rangers, the Nylanders lived for a time in Greenwich Village — about a half-hour’s walk from Madison Square Garden. William’s mother, Camilla, would walk the kids around midtown Manhattan before Michael’s games and then walk up the stairs into the arena.

The “green room” at MSG was particularly special.

“I guess it’s called a family room,” William said. “But me and my brother called it the green room. ‘We’re going to the green room!’ Go smash a Coke every period and watch the game.”

In the green room, they could sip as much Coca-Cola as they wanted.

“It’s like ‘Mom, can I have a Coke?’ ‘No. Today’s not Saturday.’ There you don’t even have to ask mom,” William said.

Their mini sticks were with them always. William and Alex didn’t need much to create a playing ground. A doorway for a goal was all it took.

That’s what made their house in Washington so thrilling: It had a big basement that was perfect for hockey. And because their dad just happened to play in the NHL, those games grew to include actual NHL players.

Fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom visited the Nylander home for dinner frequently. Backstrom says he felt like another one of Michael’s kids. For William and Alex, Backstrom was their dad’s work colleague and also an honourary sibling.

At one Thanksgiving dinner, the Nylanders — with chef Michael doing the cooking — hosted Backstrom and his even starrier Capitals teammate, Alex Ovechkin.

Life amongst the stars was just part of the deal for William growing up. There was that one time he looked up in the elevator at MSG and saw Mario Lemieux standing across from him.

- - - - - - -

Michael taught William the game. At first, he just let William and Alex play for fun. But as they grew older and more serious about the sport, he would instruct them on how to shoot, how to skate, how to do everything on the ice. They would watch, take notes and try to do it all the same.

“Growing up, we would follow him around and stuff, but it wasn’t like he was pushing us or anything,” William said. “But once we decided that we wanted to play, he helped us out a lot and pushed us in the right way.”

Dan Houck, who coached William when he lived in Washington, saw the same thing in him that he did with all the sons of the Capitals he coached. They all seemed to come fully stocked with a certain hockey intelligence.

William saw the ice just like his dad, Thommy Nylander says.

“William was front-row to some of the most dynamic offensive talents in the NHL,” Houck said. “I think that was formidable for him in his development as a player.”

Backstrom remembers watching William and Alex both play for a local youth team. “I knew they were special players, for sure,” he said. “They were dominant.”

“I always looked up to my dad and wanted to be like my dad,” William said.

But William never played much like his dad. Michael was a pure setup man. He didn’t have William’s power as a skater or shooter.

Sorensen wonders if William, raised on all those North American rinks, had more of a shooter’s mentality than his dad, who came up in Europe, where most players think pass first.

Sorensen coached William and his dad together for Södertälje in the Swedish Hockey League when William was 16 and Michael was almost 40. They would all chuckle at signs in the rink that said explicitly: “No parents allowed on the bench.”

Not only were they on the same bench, but often the same line, with William at right wing and Michael in the middle. During one game, William pleaded with his dad: “Pass me the puck instead of hanging onto it!”

Michael wasn’t an overbearing hockey dad. He even pushed his boys to explore other sports. He did like to ask lots of questions though.

“I call him ‘Wallander’ sometimes,” Sorensen said, referring to the fictional Swedish detective, “He’s always like, ‘Why is that? What do you think about that? Why did you do it this way? Why did you do it that way?’ He’s a smart man. He’s a very smart man. He cares for his family, he cares for people around him so I’ve always got along with him great.”

As Sorensen noted, it was usually Camilla who handled a large chunk of the duties when it came to getting William to the rink.

- - - - - - -

Even as a youngster, the skill always popped with William.

Houck remembers the first time he faced William, when he was 10 and playing for the Greenwich Jr. Blues. Houck’s squad was a year older, but they still trailed by a goal late and pulled their goalie. The puck popped up and hit the stick of the “wrong” player — William Nylander. He calmly shot it down the ice into the empty net.

“Not many kids at age 10 would have the wherewithal [to do that],” Houck says. “If you miss that and it’s an icing, then the puck’s pinned in your end again.”

Sorensen remembers a select tournament in Toronto when William faced off against future NHLers like Connor McDavid, Josh Ho-Sang and Robby Fabbri. Someone came up to Sorensen and said: “This Nylander kid, he’s right up there with all those other guys.”

Michael was a little surprised when he heard about it: “They really think he’s that good?”

Houck’s primary objective when he coached Nylander was to ensure he didn’t stifle that skill. He wanted to let those gifts shine as brightly as possible, especially in key spots with the game on the line.

What sticks out most in Houck’s memory of William is how he loved the game. This wasn’t a kid who played because of his dad. It was the opposite with William, who would even sneak onto the ice with Alex’s team whenever he could.

“We always just loved hockey from the first time we ever played it,” Alex said.

- - - - - - -

William still retreats to Sweden every offseason.

“Mostly what you miss about Sweden is the family,” he said.

The Nylanders are an especially tight bunch. Michael is one of seven siblings himself. It’s not uncommon for the Nylanders to make their way to Toronto. Thommy and his older brother, Peter, came to watch in April.

In his early years with the Leafs, William was announced at home games as hailing from Calgary. That changed a couple of seasons ago. Now, when he’s introduced, it’s “from Stockholm, Sweden.”

Stockholm became home on a more permanent basis at 14 when Michael’s NHL days came to an end and when William, with Canadian and Swedish citizenship, had to decide where he would play his hockey internationally. He and Alex both opted for Sweden. That’s when he and Alex could begin to enjoy the outdoor rinks in and around Stockholm and “play and play and play and never go home” as Alex remembered it.

For a long time, William stayed with his parents when he returned to Sweden in the summer. He’s since bought an apartment in Stockholm and invited Alex to live with him in the offseason. They take William’s two dogs for walks down by the water. They hit Ciccios for dinner or Brasserie Astoria next door, or Restaurant AG for a quality steak.

William will golf five days a week with Sandin during the offseason, forever finding space for a daily nap. William and Alex might have friends over and still William will dip out for his daily nap. “We both nap a lot,” Alex said, “but you’ll never see somebody who naps more than my brother. He’ll nap 365 days of the year.”

William is still trained at home by his dad through his Playmaker92 agency.

William and Alex will usually hit the gym around 8 a.m. By 10, it’s over to the ice with a much larger group that includes Sandin and his brother, Linus, for on-ice sessions lasting an hour and a half led by Michael.

Few, if any, NHL players are trained by their former NHL-playing fathers. Michael is known to be a master of the details, creating the kind of skill drills that only a former player of his calibre could.

Another bonus of returning home to Sweden for William is the chance to eat his dad’s cooking.

Michael has been something of a foodie dating back to his playing days. He prepares “gourmet” meals with a starter, main, and dessert. (Unprompted, Backstrom mentioned Michael’s excellent food.)

Sandin remembers a particularly delicious potato pancake and says the experience of eating a Michael Nylander meal is “like you’re going to a Michelin-star restaurant.”

That’s the thing about Sweden for William. It’s home. It’s family. It’s the place he could, and can still, always come back to. It’s the place where he’s able to find some distance from his hockey-playing life.

The days of hopscotching around North America have long been over. William has played the entirety of his career with the Leafs. Toronto has become his adopted second home. He rides the TTC to most home games these days.

He feels settled in Toronto, though, he adds with a big laugh, “With every year having a trade rumor.”

Two worlds. Two homes. Forever the life of William Nylander.

It’s how he was made.

[ezrasimp]

thank you @amrv-5 for tagging me!! this is actually so much fun because this year was the first year where i actually tracked each of the films i watched (because @cannibalismpdf informed me i actually had to log each film lmaoo) this year i watched 107 films, 71 of which were new to me. seeing 71 surprised me so much considering how many times i rewatch films paha, but here's my top nine!! (explanations for the top 9, and the runners-up under the cut!)

Alien (1979) dir. Ridley Scott Bullet Train (2022) dir. David Leitch But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) dir. Jamie Babbit Chicago (2002) dir. Rob Marshall Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) dir. Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) The Four Seasons (1981) dir. Alan Alda Paddington 2 (2017) dir. Paul King The Telephone Box (originally: La cabina) (1972) dir. Antonio Mercero The Wild Robot (2024) dir. Chris Sanders

gonna try and keep these explanations around 100 words each because i do tend to ramble i apologise.

Alien - i truly can't believe it took me so long to watch this amazing ass film. i was on the edge of my seat the whole time and i understand why it's a classic

Bullet Train - got scared this was so overhyped by all the tiktoks edits i'd seen of it, but holy fuck i really don't think it is. it's so much fun and aaron taylor-johnson and brian tyree henry are a delightful highlight

But I'm a Cheerleader - how did this film come out in 1999????? like how???????? it's so beautiful while also being sad and hopeful at the same time, and watching this film made me realise why natasha lyonne is a queer icon <33

Chicago - once again surprised it took me this long to watch this film considering how much i love musicals and movie musicals but now that i finally have. oo booy!! love all the songs and the choreo is so good

Everything Everywhere All at Once - i will always regret not watching this film at the cinema because i would give anything to watch this on the big screen. someone i know is writing their diss on this film, on how its entire thing is just "nothing matters but positive" and yeah. yeah man. awoke something in me.

The Four Seasons - AHHH!!! i neeeeed to rewatch this holy shit, this is such a fun film and my favourite of alan alda's films i've watched (so far) by far!! the vibes are great but it's the friends as family trope that really gets to me

Paddington 2 - technically cheating with this because i love the entire trilogy (all of which i watched for the first time this year), but out of all of them paddington 2 was my favourite because i think it was the funniest and most charming of them all <3

The Telephone Box - omfg watch this. watch this right now. here on youtube, it's a short film, only about half an hour. and as a matter of fact i'm not gonna say anything about it. just watch it please. it has subtitles in many languages <33

The Wild Robot - the moment i saw the trailer for this film, i knew i'd adore it. and i was so right. i want to give chris sanders a hug. this film was so warm and beautiful and i cried through 3/4ths of it.

and now for the runners-up!!:

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) dir. Joel Crawford (still feel bad about being skeptical about this film. it proved me so wrong) The Questor Tapes (1974) dir. Richard A. Colla  (mike farrell falls in love with robert foxworth android. what's not to love????) Spirited Away (2001) (orginally: 千と千尋の神隠し) dir. Hayao Miyazaki (i was finally spurred to watch this because i found out david ogden stiers played kamaji in the english dub. ofc he was great but so was this movie, will have to rewatch in japanese one day coz i normally watch stuff in their original lang but DOS <33) Goodbye, Farewell and Amen (1983) dir. Alan Alda (i don't think i'll ever be emotionally prepared enough to rewatch this) Isle of Dogs (2018) dir. Wes Anderson (once again, never got the chance to watch this in cinemas. once again, a massive mistake on my part) Aliens (1986) dir. James Cameron (love this one a lot for its action, but i just preferred the psycological horror aspect of the first one more) Billy Elliot (2000) dir. Stephen Daldry (julie walters slayed in this film. also GOOD TRANS REP???? such a pleasant surprise) Room (2015) dir.  Lenny Abrahamson (fuck man this film was heartbreaking) Hidden Figures (2016) dir. Theodore Melfi (a film has literally never gone quicker for me in my whole life. it got to the end and i was like huh????? where's the rest of the film???? even though 2 hours had gone by lmaoo) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) dir. Brian Henson (so happy to have finally watched this. this was very cosy, plus i love the muppets so much so it was easy for me to like this film)

i think parker tagged basically everyone i would have ahah so i'll just add @cannibalismpdf, @bjxhunnicutt, @80smen-fanclub, @bardengarde, @cuddleswinchester, @remyfire, @onekisstotakewithme but as parker said as well, feel free to do this even if i have missed anyone!! <33

[amageish]

So we got some more Exceptional X-Men info... and I have some thoughts!

First off, the press release didn't provide pronouns for the new characters which is unfortunate as I really would like to know how to refer to them! Still, their designs continue to look cool - and I hope Melee keeps their unique body type across different artists.

The solicit did have one tidbit that stands out to me though...

EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN begins with Kitty trying to get as far away from all things X as she possibly can. After the actions she took during FALL OF X, Kitty craves normalcy and takes a job as a regular-degular bartender. She’s definitely NOT getting ready to head up an all-new team of wayward young mutants while avoiding the watchful gaze of Emma Frost. Nothing but work, dating and staving off depression. That’s it. Let’s see how long it lasts…

It looks like Pryde is going back to being a bartender! It was previously announced she'd be a barista, but it seems like they've switched back to full-on Mekanix vibes, which I am quite excited by - and feels pretty appropriate to this story?

For reference, Kitty Pryde became a bartender in a 6-issue mini-series written by Claremont in 2002/2003...

The books was partially Claremont grappling with the changes to the status quo made by Grant Morrison, whose work he did not agree with at the time... but his method of processing these changes was sending Pryde back to Chicago where she tried to be "normal" while processing the trauma caused by the destruction of the mutant nation of Genosha...

So uh. In other words, this is basically Exceptional X-Men's premise 20 years earlier - it's also about Pryde in Chicago grappling with identity and trauma related to a mutant island's destruction.

Comic storylines are always cyclical, for better and for worse, but this is a really interesting one to revisit IMHO! I am very curious how Ewing will tackle the subject matter - and especially the idea of what mutants have the privilege to pass as human and hide their mutant identity...

Mekanix is also, uh, a pretty notable book in the queer history of Kitty Pryde too, as it starts her relationship with Xuân Cao Mạnh... When a building collapses around them, they nearly share a kiss before being attacked by sentinels - causing Kitty to state that people like them can never relax their guards, which feels like an intentional double-reference to their mutanthood and their queerness...

This moment is also relatively unique among Kitty Pryde queer moments as it has consistently been followed up on? New Mutants Vol 2 has Xuân talk about to Dani, without naming Kitty specifically.

Liu's Astonishing X-Men also references it, with Kitty continuing to be close to Karma and her siblings...

And Trungles' Karma in Love mentions it pretty directly - with Karma apparently having some complicated feelings about Pryde that she doesn't want to address... as she straight-up just runs away when she sees her.

ANYWAY. The point being: This book could also be a good one to explore Pryde's potential queer identity, if Marvel Corporate is on-board with them actually, uh, doing that now...

[smokin-symbiotes]

October Horror Movies #5

'Manhunter' (1986) - Dir. Michael Mann

Summary: Former FBI profiler Will Graham is back on the job to catch a dangerous serial killer—will he catch the killer before he strikes again? Will his sanity remain intact when he's done? 

Michael Mann is so cool. Even in what is ostensibly a horror/thriller story, Mann has to include his love for synth/electronic music, his slick sense of fashion and decor, his attention to procedure and the chase in catching criminals. He's so fucking cool, dude. 

'Manhunter' isn't my first experience with the 'Red Dragon' story by Thomas Harris. I remember seeking out the 2002 movie of the same name (when I was younger I was really into Edward Norton—maybe a teenage celeb crush?) and then the novel. I recall getting about halfway through the novel before putting it down: I think I just didn't have the drive at the time to finish it.  

As for the movie, 'Red Dragon,' I was a little obsessed with it, mainly because of Ralph Fiennes performance as serial killer Francis Dolarhyde: it's sad, scary, and often over the top, which makes it the movie's most distinct feature. Looking back now, I think he's the only real highlight of the movie, and even then, I have a few reservations about what they chose to adapt when compared to 'Manhunter'. 

I want to talk a little more shit about 'Red Dragon' that I think will segue into 'Manhunter's strength. Again, looking back, 'Red Dragon' feels kind of melodramatic: there's an orchestral score that permeates every pore of the film, the last half-hour has WAY too much going on—I really can't take it seriously. 

Some stuff is just funny—the burning body of Freddy Lounds (Philip Seymour Hoffman) rolling in a wheelchair downhill looks like something out of a 'Jackass' outtake, Francis scarfs down the Red Dragon painting like a dog loose in a paper bin; when Graham's kid is taken hostage by Dolarhyde, Graham roasts the shit out his flesh-and-blood to provoke the Tooth Fairy (I get WHY he did it, it's still kind of funny when it shouldn't be). 

Pivoting to 'Manhunter' now—the movie cuts out some of the fat from the book and leaves a lean thriller that breezes through its two-hour runtime. I think this is helped by Mann's emphasis on procedure—the focus of the movie is on Graham (William Peterson) building a case piece by piece, collecting and analyzing evidence, enmeshing himself deeper into the psychology of a serial killer before it all comes together in one great, big "Eureka!" moment at the climax. 

Peterson's performance is spectacular. Will's empathy has left him burnt out in a way that feels more believable than Norton's take on the character. His self-hatred for identifying with serial killers, his tremendous love for his family and the victims, and his brilliant detective work make him entrancing to watch. He feels like a prototype of the "damaged but gifted" copotype we see so much in the modern era.  

Tom Noonan as Francis Dollarhyde is no slouch either. Dollarhyde feels totally alienated, a prisoner of his own psyche. He's so worn down that he comes off as an emotionless husk, only breaking through with the occasional flash of empathy as Francis, or the cold rage of the Red Dragon. 

The rest of the cast is played perfectly—Brian Cox's Hannibal Lecktor is smarmy but radiates quiet menace: he feels like someone you'd meet on the street. Dennis Farina as Jack Crawford is the perfect authority figure—I particularly love his thick Chicago accent. Joan Allen as Reba McLane is played with confidence and kindness—which makes her victimization at the hands of the Dragon tragic and terrifying. 

And of course, how could you talk about a Michael Mann movie without discussing the production values. Almost every scene is color-coded—Lecter's stark white cell represents his purity, his self-acceptance; Graham is mostly seen in a black suit, a walking void devouring the emotions of those around him; his home is bathed in soothing blue light in the evening, right off of the ocean; anything related to the case is associated with green, for discovery and inquisitveness. Every frame is its own little piece of art, from the color to how it's composed. 

The best thing about the movie is the synth driven score, which somehow works. I was sort of worried going into the movie that the score would clash too much, but it didn't for me. You have ambient themes to emphasize dread and discovery, driving anthems to emphasize the emotional and thematic punch of a scene. Notably, the movie uses an eight-minute cut of Iron Butterfly's 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' at its climax, which heightens the terror of Dollarhyde menacing a captive Reba, while also taking his confrontation with Will and the cops to the next level.

'Manhunter' is sort of the odd-man-out of all the Hannibal Lecter adaptations, but I think it's the one I've been charmed the most by. Mann has a reputation as being the poster-boy for the slick '80s style, but I think his work displays a tremendous amount of rigor, from the production details to his empathetic character writing. On this platform I know NBC's 'Hannibal' is inarguably the most popular version of this story—but this movie is well worth a watch for an alternative take on characters you may be familiar with. Even then—it's a Michael f'n Mann movie. It's gonna be cool as shit.

[thecinemarattifilmclub]

Join us as we celebrate the films that we love starting with Movies That Make You Want to HUG the Weekend! The List, in no particular order:

Tenet In Her Shoes John Wick Chicago It's Complicated Train to Busan Honorable Mention: Call Me By Your Name, I Am Legend

Tenet, 2020 From the opening scene, Tenet is an electrifying blend of heart-pounding action and mind-bending science fiction. Director Christopher Nolan delivers a captivating and visually stunning film. The Protagonist, portrayed by John David Washington, is a complex figure who moves through the film asking the same questions we have as viewers. The cast is fantastic, and there's this one unforgettable scene towards the end where The Protagonist has a revelatory, emotionally charged moment with Neil, Robert Pattinson's character, that leaves you heartbroken. I love this movie and will watch it again and again! -Alana

In Her Shoes, 2005 Often overlooked in the flurry of rom-coms released in the early aughts, director Curtis Hanson’s In Her Shoes exists as one of the most endearing films of the genre. In this 2005 gem, the film’s leads, Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz, and Shirley MacLaine, each deliver performances that are beautifully nuanced in telling the story of two estranged sisters finding their way back to each other, and themselves, after reconnecting with their estranged grandmother. Yes, this is a story about love - the unexpected ways we might find it, learning to permit ourselves to experience it, how it profoundly changes us, and what we are willing to do to rebuild it after it’s been broken - but this film is about so much more than that. In Her Shoes pulls the curtain back on how grief and mental illness change our relationships in ways that can reverberate through generations and how we might be able to pick up the pieces and build something beautiful for ourselves. This movie fundamentally changed me when I first watched it. I love watching movies exploring the depths of sisterhood, both loving and complicated, and this one just means so much to me. -Victoria John Wick, 2014 Keanu Reeves, a fan favorite, is dynamite in the John Wick series. The movies are action-packed, well-acted, and feature a simple yet intriguing storyline. Whenever I'm in the mood for an exciting film with snappy dialogue and an interesting cast, I always turn to a John Wick film. Among the series, the original John Wick is my go-to because what's more exhilarating than a grieving hitman seeking vengeance for his puppy and his car? I mean, if "you've effed with the wrong one" was a person, it'd be John Wick. I'm here for it! -Alana Chicago, 2002 Based on the 1926 play and 1975 stage musical of the same name, 2002’s Chicago is a soaring accomplishment from director Rob Marshall. This musical crime dramedy tells the spellbinding tale of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, both inmates on Murderess’ Row at Cook County Jail, as they chase celebrity and notoriety while awaiting trial. What is at once a tour-de-force of its own merit is also an enchanting homage to its source material, this film is one I simply cannot get enough of. The performances from Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, and Queen Latifah are electrifying and completely mesmerizing, each wholly embodying their lauded characters. Aside from the spectacular acting each delivers in this film, the musical performances are simply out of this world, with credit to the original music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb respectively, of course, but the production comes to life in a whole new way on the big screen. I watch this film a few times a year and highly recommend keeping the soundtrack in your rotation. -Victoria It’s Complicated, 2009 Oscar-nominated writer and director Nancy Meyers followed up a legendary four-film run (The Parent Trap, What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give, and The Holiday) with 2009’s rom-com It’s Complicated. Starring Meryl Streep, with charming supporting performances from Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, this film follows a 10-years divorced baker as she navigates life as an empty-nester and discovers what might be next for her - which appears to include an affair with her now-married ex-husband (Baldwin) and a blossoming romance with the architect remodeling her home (Martin). This film explores the complications of divorce and moving on, while highlighting the joys and pits of rediscovering yourself, especially in your golden years. While this film was met with mixed reviews from critics, there is an undeniable sense of the Nancy Meyers charm that makes it the cozy and beloved film it is to me. Like any Meyers film, the set design is a character and story to discover in itself and perhaps one of my favorite elements of this movie - it’s an aesthetic feast! I have loved this movie for years and it’s one of those movies that pulls on your heartstrings, tickles your funny bone, and makes you feel hopeful for the future by the final scene. -Victoria

Train to Busan, 2016 Train to Busan is an electrifying and almost unmatched zombie film. Like any good movie, it has emotional depth. Your investment in the characters and their survival catapults you from scene to scene. Yeon Sang-ho’s directorial choices build the tension and suspense required for the film’s propulsion, but he also incorporates space for you to catch your breath. And with this plot, you'll need it. Gong Yoo and Ma Dong-seok are a great pair, using their ingenuity and sheer power to fight their way through zombie hoards. Whenever I'm looking for something exciting to watch, this film never fails to deliver. -Alana

[kabbal]

I got tagged by @belphegor1982 and almost forgot to do it because it got buried in notifications 😭 i"m sorryyyyyyy

3 ships : only three??? gee what a cruel question. I guess i will point towards my latest obsessions and shove the rest of the pile under my bed

Zoro/Sanji from One Piece. It's funny to come back to my teenage obsessions to see my taste in ships has drastically changed. I did not ship these two when i was 13 but i sure do now. They're the wings of the future Pirate King. They can't spend two minutes next to each other without trying to cave each other's skull in. They're each other's best friend and they will never admit it. They're a pragmatist/Idealist duo. They always disagree except on the essential. Also the idea of Sanji having to cope with the fact that he's attracted to a man is extremely funny to me.

Ghost/Soap from Call of Duty. My favourite war criminals<3 They're fun they're deadly they commit unspeakable acts on the daily. They nag each other on comms and probably had sex next to a corpse at least once. They're a piece of propaganda from the military industrial complex and i almost forgive them.

Gideon/Harrow from the Locked Tomb. I'm just starting with these two, only started reading Gideon the Ninth but oooooh god. They're obsessed with each other. They hate each other's guts. They want to climb each other so bad. They're a jock x goth pairing. They have witnessed the Horrors together hand in unlovable hand. I can't wait to see more of them.

First ship : Cobra and Kinana from Fairy Tail. The CHOKEHOLD these two had on 12yo me was insane. They were the reason I started reading fanfic (on ffnet at the time because the French fandom for Fairy Tail was insanely good over there). They're your typical edgy redempted villain x sweet girl on the hero's side. Except she was his snake for ten years. But don't worry about that.

I still love them SO MUCH for nostalgia alone (and for some scenes that I maintain were objectively good).

Last Song : the Chicago soundtrack but especially "All I Care About Is Love" and "When You're Good To Mama"

Last Movie : Chicago (2002) and it's a fucking banger but everyone knew that already. Sexy ladies, lies and jazz, what can i ask more??? here, have another gif

Currently watching : i'm kind of between shows at the moment, I watched netflix's live action One Piece and I know Call of Duty Modern Warfare III is coming next month so i'm living in my fanfic bubble not watching too many new things

Currently consuming : my own nose juice because i've got a cold i'm sick i can't breathe leave me alone

Currently craving : these.

tagging @kaantt @dagss @suzhhou

[the-rewatch-rewind]

New episode! Script below the break

Hello and welcome back to the Rewatch Rewind, the podcast where I count down my top 40 most rewatched movies. My name is Jane, and today I will be talking about #35 on my list: Miramax, Producer’s Circle, and Storyline Entertainment’s 2002 crime musical Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall, written by Bill Condon – from the stage musical book by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb, which was based on a play by Maurine Dallas Watkins – and starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere.

Set in the Roaring 1920s, Chicago tells the story of wannabe star Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger), who shoots and kills her lover Fred Casely (Dominic West) when she finds out he has lied to her about his show business connections. In jail, Roxie encounters the famous Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who “allegedly” murdered her husband and sister when she found them having an affair. Both plan to be represented by lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), whose strategy involves turning criminals into celebrities so they’ll be acquitted, which leads Roxie and Velma to compete for the spotlight.

I think this was either the first or second PG-13 movie I ever saw. My mom took me to see it in a theater in early 2003, a couple of months before I turned 13, which was kind of surprising because my parents were pretty strict about what I was allowed to see. I don’t actually remember why she agreed to take me to see it. What I do recall is that one of my best friends at the time was obsessed with this movie, so I’d already listened to the soundtrack multiple times at her house, although we mostly just listened to Cell Block Tango on repeat, so I thought the movie was going to be about those 6 murderers, and was surprised to learn that five of them are barely in the rest of it. I remember really liking the song, and also feeling slightly rebellious listening to it because it had the word “ass” in it (although we usually quickly turned the volume on the CD player way down at that part – we weren’t that rebellious). The movie was a lot more raunchy than I was used to, which made me a bit uncomfortable, but overall I liked it. There were several things about it that fascinated me, so I kept returning to it. I ended up seeing it twice in 2003, twice in 2004, three times in 2005, once in 2006, twice in 2009, once in 2011, once in 2014, once in 2018, once in 2021, and once in 2022. If I recall correctly, we had it on VHS, but then our VCR broke with the tape inside, so we didn’t have it for a while, and then we bought a DVD copy later, so I think that explains the gap between 2006 and 2009, but I could be mis-remembering.

I’ve never seen the stage musical, but I absolutely love the way the movie handles the songs. Apart from a few actual performances, the musical numbers mainly exist in Roxie’s imagination. She wants to be on the stage so badly that she turns everything that happens to her into a production. The editing between drab reality and glamorous fiction is so well done and makes for a fascinating watch. I’m sure the stage version is great – I mean, the revival has been on Broadway since 1996, making it the second longest-running Broadway show of all time – but I know that practically, a stage show could not switch back and forth that quickly. Often when plays are adapted to the screen, the movie still feels a lot like a stage show, just with closeups and maybe a few extra locations. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I love it when the screen adaptation adds things that couldn’t be done live, and Chicago is one of my favorite examples of that. The way the Cell Block Tango keeps switching between jail life and intense dancing; the way the press conference turns into a marionette show and back again in We Both Reached for the Gun; the way Billy’s dance moves in All I Care About Is Love flawlessly transition into his actual actions as he proves the song completely wrong – all of these and more are amazing and could only be done on screen. So if I had to point to one single reason why I keep rewatching this movie, it’s definitely the editing of the musical numbers.

A close second is the performances. Big movie musicals have a strange tendency to feature famous movie stars who can’t actually sing very well. Back in the day, they got around this by dubbing the singing…and then often not giving the actual singers credit, although the truth usually came out eventually – I see you Marni Nixon! More recently, they just, kind of…let the actors sing badly. But in the early 2000s there was a brief period when Hollywood made musicals featuring stars who weren’t necessarily particularly known for singing but still could actually sing, and thank goodness that happened here. The singing is excellent, the dancing is awesome, and the acting is phenomenal. Four of the actors: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah – who plays “Mama” Morton, the matron of the jail – and John C. Reilly – who plays Roxie’s simple, devoted husband, Amos – were nominated for Oscars. Only Zeta-Jones won, and I mean, I think they all did a fabulous job, but if only one could win, it would have been wrong if it wasn’t her. She perfectly conveys Velma’s strength and confidence with just the right hints of vulnerability to truly make the character work. But that’s not to say that other performances weren’t deserving of recognition as well. Renée Zellweger does an awesome job of differentiating between the real Roxie fumbling around trying to figure out how to handle reality and the confident performer she is in her imagination. And while I normally don’t like movies about people who hate each other, Zeta-Jones and Zellweger make Velma and Roxie’s fighting fun to watch. Similarly, Billy Flynn is a fairly despicable character, but Richard Gere is also very fun to watch. Queen Latifah nails Mama Morton’s corruption while still keeping her likeable. John C. Reilly’s Amos is exactly as pitiful as he should be. And the rest of the supporting cast is incredible as well – shout out to Taye Diggs as the Bandleader, all the ridiculously talented dancers, and of course the always fabulous Christine Baranski, who is an absolute delight as Mary Sunshine the reporter. Truly an excellent cast, and, appropriately for a movie about murder, they all killed it.

Chicago was nominated for a total of 13 Oscars, winning six. In addition to Catherine Zeta-Jones’s supporting actress win, it also won Best Picture, Editing, Art Direction, Costume Design, and Sound. I’m especially glad the editing was recognized, and the art direction, costume design, and sound work together with the editing to create that reality vs imagination effect, so I also think those were award-worthy. And my 2011 viewing of this movie was part of my watch-through of all the Best Picture winners. Around that time I recall stumbling upon a list that someone had made of the most undeserving Best Picture wins, and I can’t even remember if it was from some sort of official film critic publication or if it was just some random person on the internet, but it put Chicago at #1, which irritated me so much that I’m still annoyed about it 12 years later. I mean, it is probably true that, like many Miramax films from that era, Chicago won more Oscars than it would have without the campaigning of executive producer and now convicted criminal Harvey Weinstein, which is upsetting. But there are some Best Picture Winners that I found to be barely watchable, and I cannot believe that they deserved the Oscar more than this engrossing, well-told story. So to whoever made that list: you’re wrong.

If you’ve listened to my previous episodes, you may have noticed that when I talk about being aroace, I tend to focus more on the aromantic side of that than the asexual side. That’s mostly because romantic content – at least, straight romantic content – is considered appropriate for all audiences while sexual content is not, so romance is a lot harder to avoid. In general, if you stick to movies made during the Hays Code era from the mid-1930s through the mid-1960s, and movies made after that which are rated G or PG, there might be some innuendo or implied sexual behavior taking place offscreen, but there’s not going to be any actual sexual content, whereas there probably will be romantic content. And since sex and romance are often related, movies that have sexual content are almost certain to also have romantic content. Chicago is rather unusual in that it has sex but very little romance. Roxie uses sex to get what she wants – or at least, she tries to, it doesn’t really work out most of the time – but we never really see her, or any other character, falling in love. Most of the musical numbers feature rather provocative dances in revealing costumes, which isn’t exactly explicit sexual content, but I think could be described as “sexy.” One of the ways I figured out I was asexual was by realizing that I don’t quite understand what words like “provocative” or “sexy” really mean. Like, I kind of get what fits those descriptions, but do people actually see someone of a gender they’re attracted to scantily clad and dancing in a certain way and actually want to sleep with them because of it? Is that a thing? Before I understood that I was asexual, I kind of thought everyone was just going along with the idea of what made someone “hot” or “attractive,” and I still find it hard to wrap my head around the concept of actually feeling that attraction. So I guess the dances in Chicago are meant to turn people on, but ultimately they’re just performers doing their routine. And the main sex scene in the movie, when Roxie hooks up with Fred for the first time, is intercut with Velma’s performance of And All That Jazz right after she killed her husband and sister. Roxie is only sleeping with Fred because she thinks he can help her get into show business, which he lied about to get her into bed, so they’re both putting on an act, just like Velma is – both onstage and in her real life by pretending she hasn’t just committed a double homicide. The whole movie is about obscuring the truth with facades and performances, and the sex is very much a part of that. So as an asexual person, I find Chicago to be one of the least confusing movies that contain sexual content, because the sex and sexiness is intentionally contrived. Since I don’t experience it myself, to a certain extent, sexual attraction has always seemed fake to me. In this movie, it’s supposed to seem fake. In short, a probably unintended side effect of the themes of this movie is that Chicago portrays sex as performative in a way that is consistent with my asexual brain’s inability to comprehend sexual attraction, so that might explain why I enjoy it more than most movies that contain sexual content.

One last aspect of this movie I want to highlight is that it points out some of the glaring flaws in the US legal system. I know it’s specifically about 1920s Chicago, which was notoriously corrupt, but anyone who thinks that justice is blind anywhere in 2020s America must be living under a rock. Chicago straight up says, “It doesn’t matter if you’re guilty or innocent, it matters how much money you have, what you look like, and how the public perceives you.” Admittedly it doesn’t really address the problem of racism, but the only prisoner who seems to be innocent is a Hungarian immigrant who speaks very little English, and she’s the only one we know of who gets executed. It’s both a compelling argument for abolishing the death penalty – far too many innocent people are killed by the state – and a demonstration of why it’s not being abolished – the wrongfully executed tend to be people our society deems “less than.” This message kind of gets buried by the main story, and I feel like it’s easier to miss than it should be, but I appreciate that it’s there. And while it’s painful and upsetting to see that very little has changed in 100 years, in a way this movie can now serve as a reminder that at least occasionally, powerful and famous people who commit heinous crimes do get convicted and sent to prison.

Well, this episode got a little spicy. Thank you so much for listening. Subscribe or follow for more analysis of my most re-watched movies, and leave a rating or review to let me know how you’ve been enjoying it so far. The next episode will be about the final and longest movie I watched 15 times in 20 years, which is another Best Picture Winning musical. By the way, if you like musicals and learning about them, I highly recommend supporting Ashley Clements’s Patreon at the $15 level for episodes of her Patreon-exclusive show Broadway: Before & Beyond. This is not a sponsorship or anything, just a genuine recommendation. Every month, she posts an episode focusing on a specific era or year or particularly impactful show, and I’ve been learning so much about the history of musical theater. There’s also a monthly watch party related to that month’s episode, and my 2022 viewing of Chicago was one of those, so Ashley is partly to thank for this movie making it into my top 40. Anyway, my next episode will feature The Rewatch Rewind’s first ever guest appearance, and the guest is not Ashley Clements, but the guest is a fellow Ashley Clements patron. So stay tuned for that next week, and as always I will leave you with a quote from the next movie: “The poor didn’t want this one.”

[deakyjoe]

hellooo it’s intj anon xx i have no clue if you’ve been asked this already but do you have a fav film or films ?? i’m in dire need of recs and i just know you have the coolest taste :D

I’m a film student who obsessively consumes media. My time has come. Here are my 50 favourite films:

Tangled - 2010

10 Things I Hate About You - 1999

Jaws (+ sequels) - 1975

Saw (+ sequels) - 2004

Jurassic Park - 1993

Brokeback Mountain - 2005

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (any Spider-Man movie but especially this one) - 2018

A Knight’s Tale - 2001

Some Like It Hot - 1959

Get Out (+ other Jordan Peeles) - 2017

The Martian - 2015

The Princess Bride - 1987

Knight & Day - 2010

Night at the Museum (+ sequels) - 2006

Legally Blonde - 2001

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent - 2022

The Social Network - 2010

Zodiac - 2097

American Psycho - 2000

Prisoners - 2013

Little Miss Sunshine - 2006

Clueless - 1995

Scream (+ sequels) - 1996

Moon - 2009

Prospect - 2018

Mamma Mia (+ Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again) - 2008

Calamity Jane - 1953

Ratatouille - 2007

The First Wives Club - 1996

Cooties - 2014

The Batman - 2022

Star Wars (all of them) - 1977

Donnie Darko - 2001

Beetlejuice - 1988

Heathers - 1989

Bridget Jones’s Diary (+ sequels) - 2001

Twister - 1996

Turner & Hooch - 1989

Nativity! (+ Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger) - 2009

Stardust - 2007

Final Destination (+ sequels) - 2000

Cats & Dogs - 2001

Top Gun (+ Top Gun: Maverick) - 1986

Princess and the Frog - 2009

Mean Girls - 2004

How to Train Your Dragon - 2010

Chicago - 2002

Dirty Dancing - 1987

Hairspray - 2007

Journey to the Centre of the Earth - 2008

Please read the general synopsis, genre and trigger warnings (especially the horrors) before watching. Hope you enjoy!!

[cloudsintheskylar]

some thoughts on Barbie (2023)

smart and well done

lovely details beautifully executed, unfortunately overshadowed somewhat by a corporate need to prove itself pro woman, but a second watch helped me notice more

greta gerwig’s talent of showcasing love, family, and womanhood once again dazzles

this movie is deep, thoughtful, actually funny, and a good time all around

i realized, and actually really like, that barbie starts her journey thinking she is going to be helping/guiding/ almost parenting a sad child and then as she is hit with obstacles and discovers what the real world is like it turns out to be that she is playing the child role and gloria becomes barbie’s mother figure as she helps her understand and grow in life. which is part of why at the end barbie wants to be human, because she learned of the beauty of life through this maternal figure, and learned how even though it is hard and scary she can tackle it because she has seen the bravery of gloria and now is no longer scared to be a woman. she goes into the real world and tumbles through so many thoughts and emotions that she crashes and gloria is there to help her while simultaneously barbie is helping gloria in the same vein by being a hopeful light for her but also by giving her something to fight for. barbie gives gloria someone to parent, to guide, as she is wishing her own daughter was closer to her.

and the way that barbie cries when she first feels life through her vision of gloria and her daughter. she realizes something about herself, life, and the real world even though she doesn’t yet understand it. she sees this new world in a new way, and feels safe in it probably for the first time since arriving. and while she is experiencing something about herself, so is ken. he finds a confidence and joy that he never had, and while he goes extreme in his excitement and execution of what he understands to be patriarchy, in the end he is able to realize that he is just ken and that is okay. barbie also learns to be just barbie and helps ken realize he can live independent of her. they help each other on their journeys while also dealing with so much inner turmoil and change. the character development between these two characters is great, especially when considering they are the first, stereotypical, barbie and ken so the real world is a complete 180 from their own worlds and experiences

check out my letterboxd for more thoughts!

https://boxd.it/2C4rb

[samanddeanwerehere]

Terminal City Iron Works, Vancouver

Terminal City Iron Works is a bit unusual when it comes to repeat locations as it was almost more of a back lot than a location. Once upon a time, it was actually an iron works foundry that manufactured fire hydrants and man hole covers. 

When it closed down in the late 90s, film productions started to take advantage of the space. Most notably, Dark Angel (yes, the one that Jensen was in!) came in and developed it extensively into its own Terminal City (if you’ve watched the series, you’ll know they used the name in the show). That production, which incidentally had the same production designer as Supernatural, build numerous facades in the space that made the location almost as much film set as it was a foundry. Those facades remained when Dark Angel ended and made the space desirable as a location that productions could use almost like a back lot for industrial settings. There were large warehouse and factory type spaces, a tunnel that Dark Angel had turned into a sewer set, an office space that played many a police station. And the location was host to literally hundreds of television series and movies. Anything that shot in Vancouver between 2002 and 2014 probably filmed at Terminal City at one time or another. 

Sadly, in 2015 the site was sold and all the sets demolished. The land where it once sat is now home to a modern (and boring) office park. 

I want to preface the SPN specific portion of this post by noting that the episodes I am about to list are the ones that I know of that shot at Terminal City. It is HIGHLY likely that there were even more that filmed there that I’m just not aware of and/or didn’t pick up on because I don't tend to hunt for interiors that are obviously not public.

SPN’s first Terminal City visit was right out of the gate in 1x03 Dead in the Water. That office space I mentioned that played many a police station, was used for, you guessed it, the police station where the boys first meet the sheriff and Andrea and Lucas. 

Production was back again shortly after for all the sewer scenes in 1x06 Skin, using that tunnel that Dark Angel had made into a sewer set. 

In 1x15 The Benders, Terminal City does double duty, first as the site of the first kidnapping (the Tavern sign in the second shot is a notable feature of the Terminal City set). 

And then both the exterior and interior of that office space are back as yet another police station where Dean meets Kathleen. 

John ends up back in the sewer in 1x21 Salvation while trying to thwart Meg and her demon brother. 

In 2x17 Heart, the streets of Terminal City are the site of a werewolf attack. 

2x20 What Is and What Should Never Be sees Dean getting trapped by a djinn in one of the Terminal City warehouses. 

Terminal City again does double duty in 3x07 Fresh Blood, first as the location where the boys find Lucy the vampire. 

And then later both the exterior and interior of the Terminal City buildings are used for the warehouse where the boys track down vampire Gordon. 

In 5x13 The Song Remains the Same, the interiors are used as the warehouse where Cas and Anna meet and the garage where Anna attacks John and Mary. 

In 6x21 Let It Bleed Dean rescues Ben and Lisa from one of the Terminal City warehouses. 

8x12 As Time Goes By uses Terminal City for the final confrontation with Abbadon.

Terminal City is apparently the happening place for djinn to hang out, because they are back in 8x20 Pac-Man Fever, capturing Charlie. 

The last known appearance of Terminal City was in 9x20 Bloodlines, where the gang sneaks in to rescue Violet. (Humorously, at least to me, the exterior of this location is in Chicago, thousands of miles away). 

Unless there was a Season 10 appearance I missed, that most likely is the end of Terminal City’s journey on Supernatural as it was torn down between S10 and S11. Somewhere out there, some lucky fans probably have some great photos of this set because it was one of the stops on a Russ Bus tour in 2009.

Next up in the repeat locations series, the Delta Barber Shop in Ladner!

[waywayoutzp]

An old news article about the creator of Zula Patrol from 2009 providing some background on the show.

Will port the news article in a read more.

The gig: Creator of “The Zula Patrol,” a Saturday morning cartoon watched by 2 million children a week on NBC and public television stations, and Zula World, an online hangout for kids built by IBM Corp. In Los Angeles, the show airs Saturday mornings on NBC and Monday mornings on KCLS public television.

First career: Manchester, 52, was an audiologist in Ohio for 15 years.

Eureka moment No. 1: In 1994, she sold her audiology practice and enrolled in a two-year animation program at Ohio State University. “I always told myself that if I stopped having fun with my job, I’d become an animator.” It took 11 years after making the career switch until her first show aired.

How she came up with Zula: While in animation school, Manchester tore her left Achilles tendon and was in a cast for six months. She tried to find a cover for her cast that would keep her exposed toes warm in the winter. Finding none, she decided to design and sell one. She contracted with a textile manufacturer to produce the covers, which she sold to pharmacies and medical supply shops. The covers for kids sported friendly alien creatures she had designed.

She wrote a children’s book to go with the covers. In 1999, she took it to a book fair in Los Angeles, where she met three television producers scouting for new properties. One hooked her up with Phil Roman, executive producer of “The Simpsons” and “King of the Hill.” Roman encouraged her to create a demo. She made two, each 15 minutes long, which she pitched to network executives for the next two years.

The low point: All the networks rejected her. “The early rejections were heavy blows. But honestly, they just made me dig in deeper and work harder. A lot of times, people look at a roadblock and think it’s the end of the road when it’s not.”

How she dug out: Between 2000 and the fall of 2005, when her show debuted on public television, she visited more than 100 schools to get feedback from students and educators. She also pitched her show to science museums. Two of them, the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio, used her cartoons in their children’s programs.

To scrape by, she made money designing websites and working as a part-time audiologist.

The big break: In 2002, American Public Television said it would distribute her show if she could get the funding needed to make the episodes.

Manchester landed a fellowship in 2003 with Springboard Enterprises, a nonprofit group that helps female entrepreneurs connect with investors.

After spending six months developing a business plan and fine-tuning her pitch, she made a 10-minute presentation at a Springboard event in Chicago that caught the eye of the proverbial “someone who knew someone.”

Her benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, was also a supporter of the Adler Planetarium.

“Usually children’s shows are funded by numerous entities. It makes producing the show difficult from a creative standpoint. By the time your show gets done, it’s a watered-down version of what your vision was.”

Her benefactor took the opposite tack.

“He left me with complete creative control. He told me, ‘If you succeed, it will be your success. If you fail, it will be your failure.’ That’s been incredibly helpful.”

What next: Manchester anticipates that her company will be profitable this year for the first time. She’s teaming with IBM for this month’s launch of Zula World, a subscription website where children will be able to explore and learn about science topics as diverse as tide pools and tundras, atoms and asteroids.