#lela music

[wolfnlamb]

rules: shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and post the first 10 tracks, then list 10 songs you really like, each by a different artist. then tag 10 people to do the same thing.

Thank you @amethystsoda 💕

The shuffles:

1. Talk that Talk - Rihanna

2. Sea, Swallow Me - Cocteau Twins, Harold Budd

3 The Place I left Behind - The Deep Dark Woods

4. Fire for You - cannons

5. Love it if we made it - The 1975

6. XCT - Che Ecru

7. AUHEJA - Martin Kohlstadt, Sudan Archives

8. Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac

9. The Weight of Gold - Forest Swords

10. Cococure - Maxwell

10 that I like:

1. Love you to death - Type O Negative (thanks zell)

2. Get to Me - Amber DeLaRosa

3. Warm Winds -SZA, Isaiah Rashad

4. Belong - Washed Out

5. All The Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun - Mind Cinema

6. Lamp Lady - Sevdaliza

7. Save room for Us - Tinashe, MAKJ

8. American Teenager - Ethel Cain

9. Us - NAVVI

10. Addicted to Love - Florence + the Machine

No pressure tags of course:

@brujaovermoxy @islandofangels @deliriovs @p00pdev1l @touyangel @miamisa101 @cyancherub @oh-katsuki @helenas-revenge @onecelestialbeing @phen0l @alekstraszas @existentialisttrashh !

[theaddictedwatcher]

Hello everyone!

The series I will introduce to you today is an American science fiction series categorized as cyberpunk. Created by Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar, Shutter Island, Alita: Battle Angel) and based on the novel of the same name written by Richard K. Morgan which was written in 2002, the first season of the series was commissioned by Netflix in 2016 and was released on the streaming platform in 2018. I'm going to tell you about the Altered Carbon series.

As always, let's start with a short synopsis: In a future where humans can transfer their minds from one body to another, Takeshi Kovacs -a rebel- is brought back to life 250 years after his death to solve the vicious murder of the richest man in the world -Laurens Bancroft- in exchange for his freedom. He must find allies, pay attention to every detail, and remember what he was taught as a diplomatic corps to succeed. And a short technical presentation : - Created by Laeta Kalogridis. Based upon Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon trilogy. - Music by Jeff Russo. - Main cast: Joel Kinnaman, Renée Elise Goldsberry, James Purefoy, Kristin Lehman, Martha Higareda, Dichen Lachman, Chris Conner, Ato Essandoh, Trieu Tran, Anthony Mackie, Lela Loren, Simone Missick, Dina Shihabi, Torben Liebrecht.

THE PRODUCTION

As I said in the introduction, Netflix ordered the series in January 2016, fifteen years after Laeta Kalogridis - the series's creator- optioned the rights for a film adaptation of Richard K. Morgan's 2002 novel Altered Carbon. According to her, the complex nature of the novel and the fact that the subject matter is rated R made it difficult to sell the project to a production company. But that was before Netflix launched the project as a series! In fact, the series was one of the many dramas commissioned in a short space of time by the streaming platform, which had committed to spending $5 billion on original content and agreed to make it a project for a mature audience over the age of 16.

Laeta Kalogridis co-wrote the script and was executive producer in addition to her role as creator of the project. Richard K. Morgan, the author of the novel, acted as a consultant during the production of the series. The first season - consisting of 10 episodes - was released in 2018 and the second season - consisting of 8 episodes - will be released in 2020.

In 2018, Netflix also announced an animated film derived from the series to ‘expand the universe’ by adding new elements to the story's mythology.

Titled Altered Carbon: Resleeved and released in March 2020, a month after the release of season 2, the feature film uses character designs by manga artist Yasuo Ōtagaki (Moonlight Mile). It is written by Dai Satō (Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop) and Tsukasa Kondo, directed by Takeru Nakajima (Sword Art Online) and Yoshiyuki Okada, and produced by Anima Studio. It also features an original soundtrack by Keigo Hoashi (Square Enix's Nier franchise) and Kinuyiki Takahashi.

Following the release of the second season and the animated film, Netflix decided in April 2020 not to renew the series. Unlike the cancellation of other series, the decision to cancel Altered Carbon was not linked to the COVID pandemic but stemmed from the lack of return on viewings to the production costs. In fact, the series is the most expensive Netflix production to date and, although production costs have not been disclosed, Joel Kinnaman - who plays Takeshi Kovacs, the series' lead character - said they had “a bigger budget than the first three seasons of Game of Thrones”.

Enough introductions, it's time to get to the heart of the matter! To be perfectly honest, I didn't enjoy watching this series, but I'll come back to that later. I didn't manage to watch it in full and haven't seen the film, although I'll give it a chance one day. In my observations and remarks, there could be questions that remain with me and which may have been answered in the episodes I couldn't bring myself to watch.

THE UNIVERSE

But let's start by giving you more information about the universe into which the series plunges us. The first season takes place in 2384, in a futuristic city called Bay City. In this future, a person's memory and consciousness can be stored on a disc - called a stack - implanted in the back of their neck. The shell can be human or synthetic. In the event of physical death, these storage discs can be transferred to a new envelope. However, if a person's disk is destroyed, then their death is final. While theoretically, this means that anyone can claim immortality, in practice only the richest people - the Meths - have the means to do so through the use of clones and remote back-ups of their consciousness. But these are very expensive and so reserved for a certain financially comfortable elite.

In this reality, Takeshi Kovacs - played by Byron Mann (Skyscraper, The Big Short) in flashbacks - is a political agent with mercenary skills. He is the only surviving soldier of the Envoys, a rebel group defeated during an uprising against the New World Order.

In the first season, which takes place 250 years after the destruction of the Envoys, Kovacs' stack is pulled from the prison where Kovacs was sentenced by Meth Laurens Bancroft. Played by James Purefoy (Solomon Kane, Churchill, Rome), the 300-year-old Bancroft is one of the richest men in the established worlds. Bancroft offers Kovacs a new shell - played by Joel Kinnaman (RoboCop, Suicide Squad) - and the chance to solve a murder and get a new lease on life.

The second season of Altered Carbon begins 30 years after the conclusion of season 1 and finds Takeshi Kovacs - played by Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Civil War, Black Mirror, Notorious) - the sole surviving soldier of an elite group of interstellar warriors, continuing his age-old quest to find his lost love, Quellcrist Falconer - played by Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton, The Good Wife, Masters of Sex). The season picks up some of the characters from Broken Angels - the second book in the series - but has a plot closer to that of the third book in the series, Woken Furies.

THE POST-CYBERPUNK GENRE

The term post-cyberpunk was first used around 1991 to describe Neal Stephenson's science fiction novel Snow Crash.

In 1998, in an article entitled Notes for a post-cyberpunk manifesto, the writer and critic Lawrence Person identified the emergence of a post-cyberpunk current. Cyberpunk was popular in the late 1970s and 1980s (Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, William Gibson's Neuromancer). Lawrence Person defines post-cyberpunk as ‘bringing in characters and settings different from cyberpunk, and, above all, making fundamentally different assumptions about the future. Far from being lonely outsiders, post-cyberpunk characters are often an integral part of society. They evolve in a future that is not necessarily anti-utopian (in fact, they are often bathed in an optimism that ranges from caution to exuberance), but their daily lives remain marked by rapid technological renewal and ubiquitous computerized infrastructure.’ (Notes for a post-cyberpunk manifesto, 1998).

The following are the main differences between post-cyberpunk and cyberpunk:

Like its predecessor, post-cyberpunk describes a realistic near-future rather than distant futures set in space. The focus is on the social effects of technology deployed on Earth rather than on space travel.

Cyberpunk typically deals with addicted loners in a dystopia, whereas post-cyberpunk tends to deal with people who are more involved in society, from the middle classes of the population, and there are very detailed descriptions of the characters' environment.

The post-cyberpunk individual tends to be warm and funny, attempting seduction through optimism after years of seduction through dread with the cyberpunk individual, who is colder and more sinister.

In cyberpunk, the alienating effects of new technology are highlighted, whereas in post-cyberpunk, technology is society. Post-cyberpunk therefore allows more technocratic themes and themes relating to the downside of technology to be included than cyberpunk.

Post-cyberpunk also offers a more realistic description of computers, consisting, for example, of the replacement of traditional virtual reality by a network of voice, image, sound or holography based on the Internet, or the abandonment of metallic implants in favor of body modifications using biotechnologies (particularly nanotechnologies).

Post-cyberpunk undoubtedly emerged in part because science fiction writers and the general population were beginning to use computers, the Internet, and PDAs without suffering the massive digital divide predicted in the 1970s and 1980s. The underlying idea was therefore to humanize the construction of cyberpunk universes and bring them closer to the life that the world's population could envisage in the future with the new technologies that were flourishing. The nightmarish visions engendered by the genre, including and especially in the popular imagination, covered what such a future could contain that was desirable. This is not to say that technological paradise is just around the corner, but that it is possible to be healthy and sane in a hyper-technological universe.

Emblematic works of the genre such as Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell, and the video games Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War by Ion Storm, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided by Eidos Montreal have all played a large part in democratizing the genre among a wider audience.

DIFFERENCES FROM THE NOVEL

As I haven't read the books, I'm giving you the information as I found it during my research into the series. I think I'll try to read the novels one day because, like the animated film, I'm very interested in the theme. As someone afraid of the direction our society is taking, of its relationship with technology, and in particular of its untimely and irrational use of artificial intelligence, I'm always interested in the warnings that artists try to convey through their work, whatever the medium. And I like to think that just because I didn't like an adaptation - it can happen - doesn't mean that the original material isn't worth discovering.

The first season is based on the novel Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan, published in 2002. This is the first volume of a trilogy recounting the adventures of Takeshi Kovacs, a post-cyberpunk techno-thriller series set on the West Coast of the United States at the end of the twenty-fifth century. Although the adaptation retains most of the main plot points of the first volume, the series introduces several major changes to its characters and organizations:

In the novel, the Envoys are elite soldiers of the Earth-based United Nations Protectorate, the complete opposite of the rebel freedom fighters portrayed in the series, who hail from Harlan's World where Takeshi Kovacs was born.

In the book, Takeshi Kovacs was imprisoned for his independent work after leaving the Envoys, whereas in the series, Kovacs is a captured rebel.

Reileen Kawahara's character in the novel was merely Kovacs' ruthless underworld boss and had no blood relationship with him, unlike their brother/sister relationship in the series where she is played by Dichen Lachman.

The Envoy who trained Kovacs in the book was Virginia Vidaura, whereas in the series she is only a minor character. The role of her trainer and her story are carried over to the character of Quellcrist Falconer, who in the third book is the messiah-like historical figure.

Falconer's rebellion did not take place during Kovacs' training, as in the series, but long before Kovacs was born in the books.

In Richard K. Morgan's novel, the Hendrix Hotel is a crucial character. It's not just a Jimi Hendrix-themed building, but also an artificial intelligence in the guise of Jimi Hendrix that has a strange bond with its only guest, Takeshi Kovacs. With Hendrix's estate refusing to license his image for the TV series due to its violence, series's creator Laeta Kalogridis chose the likeness of Edgar Allan Poe - played by Chris Conner - and a Victorian hotel for the replacement AI in Poe's image and said it would juxtapose well with the futuristic look of Bay City.

In the books, Kristin Ortega - played by Martha Higareda- is a much less important character. The main female character in the series, the dedicated detective doesn't have a devastating fight with the Ghostwalker, nor does she get a new super-powered arm. Her subplot with her family and religion isn't explored in the book and she isn't captured and tortured by Rei - although she is tortured all the same. Also, in the book her partner is called Rodrigo, not Aboud, and he doesn't date her mother.

And these are just some of the changes that were made when the novels were adapted for Netflix.

THEMES

Let's move on to the themes addressed in this dystopian work. Many of the themes addressed by the series - such as the human-machine interface, the alliance between technology and our society, cyberspace and objective reality, hyper-urbanisation and artificial intelligence - are recurring themes in cyberpunk and post-cyberpunk works.

Because of the technological implications, the subject also raises moral questions. Is murder always immoral if it is consensual and the victim can be reimplanted in a new body in the space of a few minutes? The police themselves issue permits for spectacular fights to the death, organized in the homes of the rich, with husbands and wives teaming up to fight to the death for entertainment (the winner receiving a new, improved body).

However, another major implication was raised during the first season of Altered Carbon, which Laeta Kalogridis herself underlines: the separation of soul and body and the question of gender identity. If you could choose your own body, would you choose the one you were born with? This is a critical question for transgender people or those whose gender is fluid, and, for the show's creator, the subject was only touched on in this first season. However, she told TheWrap in 2019 that she would like to explore this dimension in more detail :

“The idea that this kind of technology creates interesting intersections between your idea of your physical self and your idea of your inner or spiritual self, or your idea of being fluid in some way, certainly the idea of reassigning your gender, becomes a whole lot easier if you don’t actually have to do it surgically. At the very least it becomes different. You are still in a body you weren’t born in. And I think exploring the idea of being able to recreate the physical self in another different way, I mean we’ve barely scratched the surface of that. And LGBTQ, and so many issues, and the ways in which we feel comfortable or uncomfortable in our physical bodies, are things that I think the show is very right to explore but has not yet been able to do. Certainly first season. We touched on it a little bit — but not much. I mean if we did get a second season — which we don’t know yet — but if we were to get a second season, I would definitely say that was one thing we frankly didn’t have time to touch on and wasn’t dealt with in the book at all. We went a little further than the book did, but honestly, it was just about time.”

What's interesting to me about these themes is that the creators - Richard K. Morgan and Laeta Kalogridis - are both aware that technological developments of all kinds are changing the structure of the world, just as cars, air travel, the Internet, and cell phones have done, and that they're not trying to wrap a soft pink cloud around the dangers that could await us in a few decades.

COSTUMES

There's one aspect that surprised me, it's the costume work in the series. Having read that the production had created approximately 2,000 costumes for the series, including 500 unique, made-to-measure pieces, I was expecting to get a real kick out of this. And although the work of Ann Foley (Marvel's Agents of SHIELD) for season 1, Cynthia Ann Summers (The Last of Us) for season 2 and their teams is visible, I was expecting more grandiose costumes, especially for the Bancrofts who are one of the wealthiest families on Earth at the time of the story. The artistic direction chosen was to make simple, realistic costumes to illustrate the fashion of the future, while adding a color palette and specific details, notably for the Meths.

However, I really like the idea of subtle costume changes for characters who use the same body envelope to differentiate them, as with Miriam Bancroft and her daughter Naomi - both played by Kristin Lehman. Upon this subject, the actress declared that she was very interested in the challenge this ambivalence would require and that it was quite different from her usual roles.

SHOOTING LOCATIONS

The series was mainly filmed at Skydance Studios in Vancouver, Canada, where they stayed for eight months to shoot the first season. Most of Altered Carbon's scenes were created on green screen and in CGI to accentuate the futuristic effect of the universe.

Lead actor Joel Kinnaman told Canadian publication K5 News about the shoot:

"We had a set three soccer pitches deep. Around 400 or 500 extras were bustling around us, it was a real living city, with noodle stores, construction workers and police officers… You could just breathe in the universe without having to imagine anything."

Some of the sets were filmed in real locations, such as Laurens Bancroft's gardens pictured above which were filmed in the Rose Garden at the University of British Columbia, or the hall of the Marine Building, which served as the Bancroft family home.

The former Canada Post building was used as the setting for the Wei Clinic, where Kovacs was tortured. The scenes with the Envoys were filmed on the Sea to Sky Gondola suspension bridge in Squamish.

Other filming locations in Vancouver included the Convention Centre West Building, the VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre, the UBC Museum of Anthropology and the Qube.

MUSIC

Finally, I'd like to mention the work done by Jeff Russo (Umbrella Academy) and his team on the series' soundtrack, which is, to me, the only real positive point of this adaptation. What I particularly liked about their proposal is that they managed to combine very modern tracks like techno or hard rock (e.g. Karate by BABYMETAL) with much older pieces like jazz masterpieces by Django Reinhardt or even classical music (Anton Dvorak or Mozart). Mingling this alliance with the original creations composed by Jeff Russo for the series allows this soundtrack to create the unique atmosphere of each scene, making it easier for viewers to identify the characters and the stakes involved.

To be perfectly honest, when I was writing this article, I was listening to the series' soundtrack which, even outside the series, is very catchy and captivating. Even though I wasn't really hooked on the series, it allowed me to immerse myself in this universe and draw some personal reflections from it. For me, it's one of the greatest proofs of a successful composer's work: managing to draw someone into a specific universe using a few pieces of music alone.

CONCLUSION

And we are done with the Altered Carbon series. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading and staying!

I'm a pretty tenacious person and don't like to give up on series along the way - even when I don't like them - so I have to admit I'm disappointed to have to add this series to the short list of abandoned series where it joins The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad (amongst others). Someday I hope that the animated film Altered Carbon: Resleeved will find favor in my eyes and redeem the adaptation of this universe, which at the moment still looks fun and interesting to explore.

Until that day comes, I'll leave you to it. Despite this setback for me, I can only advise you to follow Laeta Kalogridis' work and read this fine interview with her on the Refinery29 website, in which she talks, among other things, about her approach to nudity as a feminist weapon.

For those of you who have seen the series or read the novels, I'm curious to know your opinion, especially if it differs from mine. So feel free to leave a little comment below the article or send me a message, on the blog or on Instagram at @theaddictedwatcherreviews.

Have a great week, happy viewings, and I'll see you next time!

Eli.

[theepitomeofanakaren]

Zine: Teen Beach Movie 2 was all about feminism & I loved it

“You might not know where you're going, but you know you'll be happy in the end because it's your decision.” - Garrett Clayton

I’ve always loved Disney Channel original movies 🫶🏼 Even those who came after everyone my age stopped watching them. I kept watching them. I always find something meaningful in every Disney Channel movie, even if it’s something small. And Teen Beach Movie 2 wasn’t the exception. I watched it when I was 16 and I enjoyed it so much The songs are soooo goood! 💗 But what I enjoyed the most was Lela’s story 🥰 So I made this zine in honor of her character 👑 Lela, Queen of the Beach 🌊

[kiutotakulady]

Here's Marz just chill fishing on a very peaceful Bahari night while drama brewing in the chat...

[247liveculture]

Lela Rochon (1992)

[kurai-kage]

The first time when i watched Teen beach Movie, i thought that Like me, Can't stop singing and Failing for ya were the best songs. Even after a lot of years is still the same.

[papermoonloveslucy]

CURTAIN UP!

Lucy On Stage ~ Act 4

Lucille Ball’s dream was to be on Broadway. She achieved that goal in 1960, but along the way she found herself on various other stages.  Here’s a look at Lucille Ball, stage actress. 

In school, Lucille’s mother Dede encouraged her daughter to be active in the drama club. Lucille performed and directed with the group, staging a production of Charley’s Aunt by Brandon Thomas, which opened on Broadway in 1893.  In the above photo, Lucille Ball is seated in the front row, second from the left. Her teacher was named Lillian Appleby. Lucille later honored her by naming a character on “I Love Lucy” after her. 

The Celoron, New York, grammar school Lucille attended (above) has long since been razed. But a formative moment in Lucille Ball’s life occurred on this site when her stepfather, Ed Peterson, brought her to see a performance by the renowned monologist Julius Tannen in the school auditorium. As Lucy remembered, “I don’t think a stage career ever occurred to me until that night.”  Lucille left school before graduating, going to New York City to attend drama school. The experiment was short-lived and Lucille returned home. 

In 1929, 18-year-old Lucille Ball was cast in a production of Within the Law by Bayard Veillier  – her first stage performance outside of school. Lucille played the supporting role of Agatha at Jamestown’s Shea Theatre. In 1991, the theater was formally renamed The Lucille Ball Little Theatre in a ceremony with Ball’s family in attendance.

Back in Manhattan, Lucille was cast (but quickly fired) from the chorus of two road shows of Broadway productions. Rio Rita was a New York hit produced by Flo Ziegfeld. 

In a 1963 epsiode of “The Lucy Show” Lucy Carmichael says that Thelma Green (Carole Cook) once appeared in the third road company of Rio Rita. The writers used Ball’s real-life history but attributed it to Thelma. 

She was also in the road company of The Stepping Stones, a musical fantasy about Raggedy Ann and Andy starring Fred and Dorothy Stone. Again, Lucille was quickly let go. 

In Hollywood, Lucille Ball was coached by Lela Rogers, Ginger’s mother, on the RKO lot. At the RKO Little Theatre (later the Desilu Workshop Playhouse) Lucille appeared in several plays. In 1936 she was in Fly Away Home, a play that had appeared on Broadway the year before starring Montgomery Clift and Sheldon Leonard. Agents, Managers, and members of the public could attend for twenty five cents.

Also in 1936, she appeared in Breakfast With Vanora by Fred Ballard, which received good notices in the press. Lucille played the leading role and Barbara Pepper was in the ensemble. Above, Lela instructs John Shelton how to hold a gun while Lucy looks on.  

In 1937, Lucille took a break from Hollywood to make (what she hoped) would be her Broadway debut in Hey Diddle Diddle, a play by Bartlett Cormack starring Conway Tearle. The play premiered at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, with a destination of the Vanderbilt Theatre on Broadway. In its second out-of-town stop in Washington DC, Tearle become gravely ill. That, combined with the fact that producers felt the script needed revisions, caused the production to be halted.  Lucille returned to Hollywood. In 1953, Tearle’s name was mentioned on “I Love Lucy.” He had died in 1938. 

In mid-1947, now married and a successful film star, Lucille Ball again began to think about her stage aspirations and left Hollywood for the boards. She toured in a tour of Dream Girl, a fantasy play by Elmer Rice that had played Broadway in 1945. 

The play’s fantasy sequences seemed tailor-made for Ball’s style and comic wit. In a way, Georgina was a prelude to the “Lucy” character on TV, who is dreaming her way out of her suburban life - and sometimes succeeding.

The play co-starred Scott McKay as the imaginative writer. McKay played the role of Wilbur in the 1958 pilot for TV’s “Mr. Ed” but was replaced on the series by Alan Young.

"I have seen other productions of this play, but the only actress whose performance really delighted me was Lucille Ball. She lacked… tender wistfulness, but her vivid personality and expert timing kept the play bright and alive." ~ Edgar Rice, Playwright

The tour was produced by Herbert Kenwirth who later directed 14 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”  It featured Barbara Morrison, Alan Hewitt, and Hayden Rorke, who would all later appear on Lucy sitcoms. 

In January 1948, Lucille got the opportunity to recreate the role in Los Angeles, but fell ill with a virus shortly after it opened and the show closed prematurely. It wasn’t long before Lucille was back in front of a live audience, but this time on radio, as the star of the sitcom “My Favorite Husband,” which led to her meteoric success on “I Love Lucy.”  

After the series came to an end in early 1960, Lucille again revived hopes of acting on Broadway. Wildcat, a new musical about by Richard Nash with songs by Cy Coleman was looking for a star. Nash had envisioned the main character of as a woman in her late 20s, and was forced to rewrite the role when 49 yearl-old Lucille Ball expressed interest not only in playing it but financing the project as well. Lucille personally chose her co-stars Keith Andes as her love interest and Pauls Stewart as her sister. Future sitcom star Valerie Harper was in the chorus (above right). 

Lucille played Wildcat ‘Wildy’ Jackson, who dreams of striking oil in 1912 Centavo City, California. The score included what would become her signature tune: “Hey, Look Me Over”.  

The Philadelphia tryout opened on October 29, 1960 to a glowing review from Variety, but local critics were less enthusiastic. The scheduled Broadway opening had to be postponed when trucks hauling the sets and costumes to New York were stranded on the New Jersey Turnpike by a major blizzard. After two previews, the show opened on December 16 at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon).

Ball quickly realized audiences had come expecting to see her Lucy Ricardo persona and began ad-libbing to bring her characterization closer to that of the zany housewife she had portrayed on television. But the rigors of singing and dancing in a Broadway musical eight times a week caught up with Ball. She got illl and demands for refunds ran high, the producers planned to close the show for a week to allow her to recover. The closure came sooner than planned when Ball, suffering from a virus and chronic fatigue, departed for Florida. She returned two weeks later, but collapsed on stage. It was decided the show would close for nine weeks at the end of May and reopen once its star had fully recovered but when the musicians' union insisted on members of the orchestra being paid during the shutdowns. Not even Lucille’s deep pockets could afford the cost, and the show closed permanently on June 3, 1961.  

Lucille returned to Hollywood, her dream realized, even if it was short-lived. Thereafter, she would incorporate her love for theatre into her television and film performances, starring in many ‘mini-musicals’ on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy” and - in 1974 - tackling the full-scale Broadway musical Mame on film. 

CURTAIN DOWN on ACT 4

[randombush3]

another snippet while I slave away lol

this one hurt a bit to write x

“My mums are lesbian!” he blurts out, excited enough to attract the attention of his teacher. When she appears, he grins at her sweetly; the kind of smile that has melted many hearts, though Nico is unaware of how many people know he exists. “More paper, please.” 

“Nico, you haven’t even tried with your first one.”

She isn’t harsh at all, but he has slowly learnt to stop asking follow-up questions. Six months of exasperated ‘I don’t know, Nicolau’s has taught him that. 

He shrugs. “Okay.”

He learnt what a shrug was the other day, when Mapi told him off for doing it to her. (“Don’t shrug your shoulders at me, Nicolau Putellas!” she had chided playfully. “All I asked was which of your mamas’ houses we need to go to.”)

“Nico, what’s ‘lesbian’?” 

“Mama says football is lesbian. Basketball might be lesbian! That’s why your sister is lesbian.” 

“My mum says that lesbians kiss girls.”

“Mama kisses girls! And Mami. And they used to kiss each other but now they don’t speak and me and my sister swap houses.” Nico begins drawing it out for Paula when she peers at him, befuddled. “Here is Mama’s.” A big square, a glamorous-looking woman inside of the blue shape; a stick with a circle on the end of it; the notes he sees in his piano music floating in the air. “And…” he says, tongue sticking out as he concentrates on the opposite half of the page, “here is Mami’s.” 

He draws a football. He picks up the red crayon too, and uses both the blau and the grana simultaneously. “Mami plays football for Barça.” He draws two lines on Alexia’s t-shirt. 11. “Mami made me get 11 at football.” Nico had originally worn the 10, but then the affair had come to light and Alexia was suddenly deep in conversation with his coach and apologising to the boy Nico then had to swap shirts with. 

Then, he drops the crayons in his hand and searches for the stack near Paula. He selects the purple one, gripping it tightly, his friend still listening to him with intrigue. 

“This is me and Lela.” Two stick figures are drawn in the middle of the page; the middle ground between each of the squares. 

Nico sometimes feels stuck between it all. 

When Mami got very sad, he and Elena went to stay with Mapi and Ingrid for a few nights. He held his little sister’s hand as much as he could. He always tries to remind her that he is right there with her. 

Mami once told him that it was his turn to protect Elena. Nico hasn’t forgotten that. 

“I keep Lela safe.” He has encouraged her, slightly selfishly, to call him ‘skipper’, which he has picked up from the Lionesses. Luckily, Alexia has not told him off for it because she doesn’t know what it means. “Lela is my little sister. She is a baby. She doesn’t remember what it was like when Mama and Mami loved each other, but I do.” 

The purple crayon scrapes on the page as he presses it into the white, colour rubbing out in the shape of a heart. “Lela and I are together. Mami tries to take me from her sometimes, but I don’t let her.” 

His story – and ability to make Paula pay attention for longer than ten seconds – has already garnered the quiet attention of his teacher, but she moves closer as Nico continues. The four-year-old leaves out how Alexia usually is inviting him to training with her. With Elena yet to show any interest in football, it remains her and Nico’s special thing, and, of course, she misses him when it is not her turn. 

You usually give your permission if you have no other plans. Alexia is upset that the only hindrance is the little boy who once worshipped her like a god. 

“Nico, why did you want two pages?” asks Paula curiously, assuming he is finished now that his whole family is displayed on the piece of paper. 

He frowns. “Because now I have to do this.” And with that, he tears the sheet in half. 

Paula’s mouth drops open in surprise, as does his teacher’s. 

“What’s wrong?” comes a mature voice, a hand placed on his shoulder just like it is when the other children in his class cry. Nico doesn’t cry. He is strong and brave, like a little soldier. “Did you not like your drawing?” 

“No,” he replies neutrally, “half can live with Mama, and half can live with Mami.” 

“But now you are ripped down the middle.” 

He traces the jagged edges of the halves of his life. One leg is on your side, the other on Alexia’s. 

“I know, but it’s okay. I don’t cry.”

[city-tickles]

Hello! I was wondering if you have a video (I think you posted a clip of it already, idk if it got deleted but it was an ask that said “do you have any clips of a younger lee and an older ler”) of Danica Logan Strapped facedown with her arms up and being tickled by a blond women. In the middle of the vid Lela Beryl comes and they tag team on her.

Im pretty sure there’s a revenge with Lela as the lee but idk if it’s the same vid or not. I was just wondering if you had the full vid? Sorry for the long ask

Hi!

Again, if I did not get your ask right away, please do not ask the same thing again. If it’s been a month and I don’t get to it, then remind me. But this was less than two weeks ago and I already said multiple times I am busier than before so to please give me time. I don’t mean to sound rude or off-putting but I am currently doing the best I can and I hope people can understand that.

That being said, I was able to find the revenge video which I’ll share along with the other video because the company is no longer in business. Hope you enjoy!

[wolfnlamb]

here’s my random playlist of songs that remind me of aki that no one asked for (;´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ`)

[feasibilities]

More Attuma Headcanons - (18+) ༺

Warnings: Dead Dove/DNE, Stalking, Rough Sex, Degradation, Oral Sex, Pain Kink, Size Kink, etc.

Author's Note: This is for you, Attuma anon! Is Attuma sane? Of course not. Enjoy! 😅

༺ Meeting Attuma was an accident. On your way home from a late-night class, you saw him brutalizing police officers on a bridge. You were paralyzed with fear and tried to turn your car around.

༺ Before you knew it, a spear flew through your windshield and went through the headrest of the passenger seat. You screamed at the top of your lungs. The driver's door opened and you saw the colossal blue man up close. You heard him speak. Máaxech? (Who are you?)

༺ You understood Yucatec Mayan, so you blurted out your name. He stared at you like a predator stalking its prey. You avoided his gaze and gripped the steering wheel tightly. He then jumped over the bridge's railing into the chilly waters below.

༺ For days on end, gifts like seashells and jade jewelry were left at your doorstep. You originally loved living near the beach, but there was an uneasiness that ruined your experience. You decided to go to the beach to end this once and for all.

༺ You aimlessly walked around the beach until you heard his sonorous voice behind you. Encantado u wilech ka'a yaabilaj. (Nice to see you again, sweetheart.)

༺ You turned & asked him why he chose you. Ba'axten ka teen. Ba'ax je'el meentik ta wo'osal. (Why me? What could I possibly do for you?)

༺ Attuma took your hand and pulled you closer. He kissed you gently and put his hand on your lower back. Your heart raced.

༺ You couldn't deny your desire for him no longer. You kissed him back and placed your hand on his chest. He was cold to the touch.

༺ Each night, you & Attuma screwed on the beach. Sometimes, you felt like he would break you in half. His strength was overwhelming and his thrusts were unforgiving.

༺ He was appreciative of how disarming you were.

༺ Your nails dug into his thighs until they bled while he fucked your face. When he was finished, he pulled you up by your hair and gave you a wanton kiss.

༺ When he was doing you from behind, he whispered the most prurient phrases in your ear. Jach apretado, lela' arreglará tuláakal le yaan. (So tight, this will fix all of that attitude). He had a tight grip on your upper arms.

༺ His favorite position was the Upstanding Citizen. You were completely at his mercy. Your cries of ecstasy were like music to his ears.

༺ He loved kissing you all over. His cold fingertips made you shiver.

༺ You loved running your hand through his hair when he ate you out.

༺ He would leave love bites on your thighs.

༺ You would fall asleep in his arms when you two were finished.

[artzychic27]

since we have a Zombies AU, what about Teen beach? Adrienette could be Lela and Tanner (with Marc as Butchy since he and Mari are HC’s as cousins. And Luka and Kagami could be Mack and Brady, but it would end up as a long-distance kind of poly thing!

On the sunny beaches at the lovely French Riviera, Kagami is a young surfer known around for her impressive moves and skillfull maneuvers

As she's getting back from surfing a wave, she makes her way to The Liberty, a surf shop owned and operated by Anarka Couffaine and her children, Luka and Juleka, to get some board wax

There, she walks in on them watching their favorite film, a 1960s musical titled Wet Side Story, where surfers and motorcycle bikers battle for the privilege to hang out at Big Kwami's, a beachside restaurant

It's surprisingly progressive by showing white and people of color hanging out together and the subtle queer themes

As Kagami and Luka watch the scene where Adrien, the leader of the surfers, catches Marinette, the cousin of the biker leader as she's falling off of the stage during her solo, they can't help but gush over their chemistry

Kagami: For such a campy low-budget film, this scene is truly a work of art.

Luka: Yeah, you can tell by Marinette's reaction that she wasn't expecting a surfer of all people to help her and Adrien... He didn't think about her being a biker, he just saw someone in need of saving.

Soon, Kagami's aunt, Tamika, comes by. Despite being the sister of Tomoe, she's nothing like her. She never excelled at fencing and is always aiming to please and honor her big sister despite the fact that she passed away years ago

When Tamika tells her that she needs to finish packing, this gets Luka's attention

Kagami then explains to him that before her mother died, Tamika promised Tomoe that Kagami would attend the same private school she did in Japan and join the ranks of the school's top-rated fencing team to continue her family's legacy. And she is leaving the next day

Luka: It doesn't sound like you want to go.

Kagami: I don't. But, it's what my mother would have wanted.

However, Luka's not letting her leave without a proper sendoff and without spending just one last moment together. So, he calls Kagami the day before she has to leave, and tells her to meet with him on the beach with her surfboard.

Together, they decide to surf a 40-foot wave that is about to hit the beach. However, the wave proves to be too strong, and they get swept away before they can paddle back

Somehow, eventually, they land on another beach where it's day time and brightly-colored

After their vision adjusts, they find themselves on the beach where Wet Side Story was filmed during the cast's opening number. Deciding not to let this moment goes to waste, Luka joins the film's cast in singing "Surf Crazy" while Kagami is wondering what the fuck is going on

When the song comes to an end, and the two wrap their heads around everything after concluding that this is not a dream, they remember that there will be a storm and giant wave at the end of the film. They can paddle out and it'll take them home. They just have to go along with the film

They go into Big Kwami's and introduce themselves to the surfers- Adrien, Nino, Nathaniel, Myléne, Ondine, Denise, Chloé, Cosette, Aurore, Jean, Austin A, Austin Q, and Austin B- who are all perplexed by the newcomers and don't know what to do or say until Jean just hollers,

Jean: These smoothies are crazy, dudes!

Then a moment later, the bikers arrive, consisting of their leader, Marc, his cousin, Marinette, along with Alya, Ivan, Max, Kim, Alix, Sabrina, Rose, Zoé, Simon, Mireille, Reshma, Lacey, Ismael, and Austin T

Luka: Oh, my God, I love this song.

Kagami: Yeah, and Marc is obviously looking at Nathaniel every time he says, 'Cruisin' for a Bruisin'... Also, is Marinette hotter up close, or is it just me?

Luka: Oh, I was looking at Adrien, but yeah, you're right.

After the start the surf and turf war and the number, "Cruisin' for a Bruisin'", Kagami and Luka are then invited to come to a party at Big Kwami's later that night.

That evening, Luka is enjoying the vibe of the film while Kagami is becoming more stressed by the minute as they need to get back home so she doesn't miss her flight. Luka's attempts at assuring her they'll get home before that don't work, and she starts to storm off as Marinette is singing "Falling For Ya" on stage

As Kagami is about to leave, she trips on the steps because of her flip flops and falls in the arms of none other than Adrien. Seeing this, Luka turns to the stage and sees Marinette about to fall off of the stage, but then catches her, and the two leads fall in love with them

This interferes with the film's plot, and now, none of the characters are sure what to do now. To keep the movie flowing and get out, Kagami and Luka realize that they need to make Adrien and Marinette fall in love to fix things

Luka: Let's just hope Les Moth and Dr. Pavon don't mess things up.

Kagami: Right. Them... Do those villains seem out of nowhere, or is it just me?

Luka: Yes! What is up with that? I get that they have to like, make the Bikers and Surfers get along to save their friends, but why scientists who are trying to control the weather?

Kagami: And the technology seems far too advanced for a 60s film.

Luka: What about Frankenstein?

Kagami: It is based on a book, it does not count.

As Adrien and Marinette express their love for Kagami and Luka, respectively through the song "Meant to Be", they try to subtly suggest to them that there may be someone else they are really meant to be with. Though, they can't lie and say they're not smitten by their damn 60s charm

That night, Luka joins the biker boys for a sleepover/initiation now that he's dating Marinette, while Kagami hangs out with the surfer girls (And Denise) at Big Kwami's as they sing "Like Me."

With Kagami, their relationship advice doesn't match with her modern views on how a relationship should work

Chloé: Invest in a cute sundress. Guys love to see a little knee these days!

Denise: And put those baking skills to use! Feed him a pie, and he's all yours'.

Cosette: Remember to look shy. Bat your eyes and look away to get him interested.

Now, with Luka

Kim: Take the lead. The ladies like a man in control.

Ismael: Don't let 'em know how much you care, alright? You can't be soft.

Marc: Yeah, trust us. The guys will be all over you... GIRLS! Girls! I meant girls! I am heterosexual... Dudes.

Austin T: *Whispering* Nice save.

As the movie progresses, they fail to make any progress on getting Marinette and Adrien together and find themselves falling for the characters themselves. Needing to de-stress, Luka decides to join some of the surfers by the bonfire

They get a little hostile at first when they see his biker attire until Luka correctly guesses the model guitar that Austin Q is strumming, and Adrien invites him to sit with them

Adrien: So, what's a biker doing over here?

Luka: I don't know. What's a cute surfer doing inviting me to sit with him?

Adrien: It's... Wha... What?

Nino: Dude, did he just flirt with Adrien?

Nathaniel: That's... Cool?

Jean: I wanna flirt with guys!

Cosette: Fuck that. I'm flirting with girls.

As Luka plays "Meant To Be Reprise" on the guitar and sings, Adrien is just smitten and sings along as the surfers find themselves thinking about the crushes they can't have for two reasons

Meanwhile, Kagami goes to surf, and catches Marinette's eye. When she returns to the beach, she's confronted by Marinette, who asks her to teach her how to surf

Kagami, after falling off her board while giving Marinette and lesson, realizes that she and Luka are morphing into the film when she falls into the water and her hair does not get wet

Kagami: Why isn't my hair wet?!

Marinette: *Giggles* Everyone knows you don't get wet when you get in the ocean or a pool. God, you're every bit as funny as Luka says you are.

Kagami: ... He talks about me?

Marinette: Yeah... Is there something going on between you two? I-I wouldn't want to-

Kagami: I wouldn't mind if you had a crush on Luka. That is to say, if we were dating, but we're not. But, I am polyamorous, so it would not bother me if you liked Luka.

Marinette: ... Poly what?

Now back to the real issue at hand. Luka and Kagami can't get wet, and they then begin to spontaneously sing and are unable to stop, leading to a song that is nowhere in the movie's cast album, "Can't Stop Singing"

They are then captured by Les Moth and Dr. Pavon and taken to the villains' lighthouse lair before their respective dates with Adrien and Marinette on the beach

Instead, Adrien and Marinette meet. And after some awkward conversation, they find they have a bit in common. However, before they can talk some more, Adrien spots a strange signal coming from the old lighthouse. In morse code, someone's saying "Help us. Kidnapped. Kagami and Luka." Good thing his character bio says he can read morse code

They round up the bikers and surfers to convince them to save Kagami and Luka and expect some reluctance, but to their surprise

Jean: That biker taught me things I didn't think were possible! *Seizes Austin T by the face and kisses him* Hell yeah, I'm saving him!

Zoé: Sure. Fuck it. *Kisses Cosette*

Marc: I'll help you if you do two things for me. One... Quit holding my cousin's hand, pretty boy! *Adrien quickly lets go of Marinette's hand* And two!... Tell me where that cute redhead surfer is.

Nathaniel: *Giggles* Hey, cutie.

Marc: *Smirks* I'll get to you later.

Meanwhile, Kagami admits to Luka that she is glad that she ended up in the film and does not have to attend private school and live up to the expectations her mother had in place for her

When she confesses that she thinks Marinette is braver than her for stepping out of the role the movie had set for her, Luka denies that, saying that she is the bravest girl he knows. And, noticing the little tint to her cheeks when she talks about Marinette, he asks if she likes her

Kagami: ... Don't think I didn't see you almost kiss Adrien.

Luka: Okay, that's fair. But, um... He's not the only person I like.

Kagami: I know, you like Marinette. Who doesn't?

Luka: Yeah, her too. But, I also meant you.

The surfers and bikers storm the lighthouse and in a typical queer teenager fashion, they trash the place with weapons they somehow obtained, and make out on top of the expensive equipment as Elvis plays in the background and disarm the machine... But now it's gonna explode

They escape just seconds before it explodes, and the scene takes them back to the beach. The film's plot returns to normal, and Luka and Kagami realize they are able to return home

Kagami: ... Fuck it. *Kisses Adrien and then Marinette*

Luka: Well, if she's doing it. *Kisses Adrien and then Marinette*

Austin A: Wait, we can just like, date more than one person? That's a thing people do?!

After saying goodbye to everyone, Kagami and Luka get on their surfboard and return to the real world, where no time has passed since they left. Kagami successfully surfs the 40-foot wave without getting dragged into a movie, and all is well... But, Tamika's upset about her delaying her flight

Kagami stands up to her aunt, telling her to stop trying to impress her sister when she's no longer around and to finally take the weight off of her shoulders. It takes a bit of convinving, but Tamika relents and agrees to let her continue her education in France.

Now all is well, and Kagami and Luka start dating

*Post Credits*

*Drenched and coughing up water, the bikers and surfers drag themselves onto the beach*

Marc: Guys! Guys, my hair is wet!

Alya: WHAT THE HELL?! So is mine!

Chloé: My mascara is running!

Kim: My beautiful quiff! Someone get me some grease!

Nathaniel: Why is it so hot outside?! It's boiling!

Austin A: Ew! The water tastes like salt!

Modern surfer: Hey, dudes. Are you lost? You're like totally wiggin' out, bruh.

Bikers/Surfers: ...

Sabrina: ... Hello. What year do you come from?

Modern Surfer: ... It's 2015. Seriously, do you need to call someone? *Holds up a flat phone, and the bikers and surfers scream*

Adrien: This is a phone? *Slowly takes it* Where's the dial?

Marinette: Maybe you open it?

Phone: You have one new message.

Bikers/Surfers: *Scream again*

Max: Guys... There's a woman inside of it.

Cosette: What sort of witchery is this?

*They crowd around Adrien as he taps the screen, and they scream at the image of Jagged Stone as the Home Screen*

Marc: Men can wear makeup?!

Jean: I am in awe of the future! *Sees a bunch of tan shirtless guys* And the awe continues.

[v4mpfilm]

forest nymph seeking write/blrs!

hello everyone !! i'm Lela [lee-lah] (20, she/her, insane) and I'm a newbie to writeblr and looking for fellow writers to follow and be moots with!!

I love to write, particularly in the world of adult fantasy, romance, and thriller! Alongside other sins, I love film, music, and complaining (if anyone wants to trade letterboxd, Spotify, and x nametags, I'm down!!)

My goal is to write more and finally write my first draft! Despite my extensive fanfic writing days, I feel like a new writer and would love to improve. GET ME OUT OF MY HEADDDDD

Looking for moots, so pretty please with a cherry on top, reblog and reply, especially those who...

have a brain cell they can let me borrow to start my first draft

write fantasy! romance! or, honestly, any genre

have reading recs

want to help improve one another!

don't judge! (everyone has their own writing journey!)

[lboogie1906]

Antoine Fuqua (born May 30, 1965) is a film director, producer, and actor. He was known for directing music videos for Toni Braxton, Coolio, Stevie Wonder, and Prince including the music video for “Gangsta’s Paradise”. He earned a name in Hollywood after directing Training Day.

He has made action, crime, thriller, and drama films as well as documentaries, including Shooter, Brooklyn’s Finest, the Equalizer films, Southpaw, the remake of The Magnificent Seven, Olympus Has Fallen, as well as What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali.

His first feature films were The Replacement Killers and Bait. His next films were Tears of the Sun, King Arthur, Shooter, Brooklyn’s Finest, Olympus Has Fallen, and The Equalizer. He directed Exit Strategy.

He co-created the comic book miniseries After Dark. He worked as one of the executive producers on The Resident. His thriller sequel The Equalizer 2 was released as well as Infinite.

On December 3, 2021, he inked a first-look deal with Netflix. He renamed his production company Fuqua Films to Hill District Media. He signed an overall television deal with Paramount Television Studios and MTV Entertainment Studios. He is married to actress Lela Rochon. They have two sons and he has a son from a previous relationship. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[kujo1597]

I’m pretty darn excited to jump into the Starbright episodes. These set the tone for the rest of the series. The songs are also generally better after this point in the show. Not that they were bad before. But I just like them more.

Not much to say leading into the recap today.

Huh. I didn’t expect a recap to start this episode off. I forgot they did this. It makes sense that they would. The first five episodes are summed up here.

We start the episode proper with Jerrica throwing a party at Starlight Mansion. And we see one of the bigger redesigns. I read that this was done to get the Jerrica on the show to look more like her doll and that makes complete sense. But I also like how this works as Jerrica changing her hair into a more mature style now that she’s taking on so many more adult responsibilities. She’s a businesswoman now and likely wants to be taken more seriously as one. Her wardrobe also shifts post-syndication into a more mature selection.

Howard asks Jerrica where Jem is because this is Jem’s party. Jerrica says that she’ll get Jem and runs off to quickly change into her alter-ego. And this is when Kimber catches up to her. She also got a slight redesign but the main thing is swapping eye colours with Jerrica. Now we have Kimber with those dark blue eyes I love so much. I got sidetracked. The countess wants Jem and The Holograms. She’s come to the party with a bunch of new outfits for them.

A quick transition later and they’re modelling their new clothes. Rio says that Jem is so hot she makes the cameras sizzle. This gets a giggle out of Jem and she says that Rio’s in the movie too. Then Mrs. Bailey asks Kimber where Jerrica is. Kimber has no answer but Jem says she’ll go find Jerrica. And runs off to change back.

Mrs. Bailey takes Jerrica into the living room and we see Be Nee sitting like, two feet away from the screen. Mrs. Bailey says that she’s worried about Ba Nee’s eyesight and Jerrica agrees there there is a reason to be concerned. She tells Mrs. Bailey to call an ophthalmologist. Side note, this scene how I learned that word. And right after that Anthony walks up and asks Jerrica if she knows where Jem is. And Shana just kinda looks like, “Oh crap.” which amuses me.

Well, Jerrica runs off again but this time goes to check up on Synergy to make sure she’s not being pushed too hard with all this changing back and forth. I like how Jerrica affectionately pats Synergy’s monitor.

Anthony wanted to introduce Jem to a videographer named Vivien Montgomery. She tells Jem to call her Video because everybody does. She wants to make a documentary about Jem’s movie and naturally Jem agrees.

Now we get Lela calling out for Jerrica. And Jerrica has a moment where she forgets which identity she’s wearing and runs up to Lela to help. And then after seeing herself as Jem in the mirror kind of awkwardly walks off to change.

Lela needed help in the kitchen, turns out the older Starlight girls are doing the catering. Well, everybody’s busy and they’ve run out of ice. Jerrica tells Lela to have Becky order more. Rio catches up to Jerrica and pulls her away from the party.

He’s not too happy that Jerrica is doing so much work for Jem. He sits Jerrica down and sternly tells her that she needs to rest. And he’s right! A party as big as this shouldn’t be run by just Jerrica and a handful of her foster daughters.

Jerrica, bless her, says to Rio, “Jem looks pretty good, doesn’t she?” And Rio agrees with a very dreamy expression and tone. He says that Jem makes the air sizzle like a bright and dazzling dream. But follows that up with a negative, “IF you can find her.” And then the sweet talker says, “You know what I love about you Jerrica? You’re so responsible, and dependable, and comfortable to be with.” Which makes Jerrica feel like an old pair of shoes.

Good job Rio.

The couple kiss and we get our first music video of the episode.

I just needed to embed the master tape version. It’s really good. Like Deception this is a song about Jerrica feeling conflicted about the love triangle. But this time she’s not sure if Rio is actually in love with her, or if he’s more in love with Jem. He’s made it very clear he’s attracted to Jem. And this does bother Jerrica.

So much so that the end of the kiss is a little awkward, Jerrica immediately excuses herself so she can do more work at the party.

We cut to Pizzazz spying on the party from the balcony of her own mansion. Then we learn that she never did tell Stormer and Roxy that she’s rich. Pizzazz says, “Who cares about money?” and we get this great moment.

Stormer and Roxy exchange a look and reply with, “We do.” It’s wonderful.

Pizzazz walks into the house and says her motivations to become a rock star. She wants her name spoken with awe, she wants people to throw themselves at her feet, she wants attention. Roxy then says that if she has the kind of money that Pizzazz does then she’d just make her own dang movie. And this gives Pizzazz an idea.

We cut to Pizzazz in her father’s office. His name is Harvey Gabor by the way. She sits on his desk and says that her dad promised her anything for her birthday. And I never thought much of this line before I started writing time skip stuff and Jerrica and Pizzazz as a couple. But this scene takes place six months after Jerrica’s birthday, June 1st, which would mean that Pizzazz’s birthday is very likely in late November or early to mid December. December has a couple birth flowers, every month does, you know what one of them is? Narcissus. And I really like that. (Daffodils are a part of this plant genus which amuses me.) That was such a major tangent I’m sorry.

Let’s get back to the plot. Pizzazz asks her dad for a movie studio and Harvey is shocked by this. He doesn’t immediately agree to buy Pizzazz a movie studio and she throws a bit of a fit. Eventually Harvey gives in and buys whatever studio Pizzazz wants.

I’m sure you know where this is going.

Everybody arrives at the movie studio and Howard Sands runs up to the car in a panic. The studio had just been bought and he’s worried about the production. The new owner wants to see Jem and The Holograms in his office right away.

Jem is as scatterbrained as I am right now and says that she thought Eric was in jail. He gives the same answer he gave Jerrica.

Nobody’s happy about this situation but they’re under contract. We cut to commercial and after we return Howard says to Jem that he’ll understand if she quits.

That would be such bad publicity. But I suppose Howard isn’t in charge of marketing.

Well, publicity isn’t even on Jem’s mind. She’s just refusing to stand down because she refuses to let Eric bully her out of her own movie. And her sisters are right behind her in this decision to stay onboard.

Well, time to record the movie. Anthony is angry because he’s the director and Eric changed the script without consulting him.

Eric is apparently not a morning person and Jem pokes fun at that fact.

On their way to hair and makeup Kimber asks a very important question, what would happen when somebody tries to do Jem’s makeup? Jem assures Kimber that she’ll think of something.

But before they can get in the makeup room the Misfits barge in front of them. And I must know how old Roxy thinks Jem is because she says, “Beauty before age.” While getting her makeup done Pizzazz trashes Jem to her makeup person. Then the Misfits finish up and Jem and The Holograms enter.

So what is Jem’s brilliant idea to avoid having her makeup done? Well, just tell the makeup artist that she has to do her own makeup. And because Pizzazz was just trashing Jem the makeup artist whispers to her coworker that Pizzazz was right about Jem being a snob.

Before filming starts Pizzazz makes this grand announcement that her father owns the studio and she asks for a chair.

Which is taken out from right under Kimber. She’s caught by a man named Jeff Wright, he introduces himself but before Kimber could even look at him an apparently handsome guy passes by. A movie star named Nick Mann and Kimber is smitten.

Nick walks up to Jem as she’s going over the script with Anthony and introduces himself. Pizzazz is jealous and points out that she’s also Nick’s costar. But Nick doesn’t care, be pulls Jem away to go over a love scene with her and Kimber catches up to them.

She starts batting her eyelashes as Nick and he says, “Look, there’s a quiet corner over there” and drags Jem off.

Jeff is more than happy to point out that he was right about Kimber not standing a chance with Nick. And she’s not having any of it.

Nick is flirting with Jem and saying that he always falls in love with his leading lady. And Jem is so completely disinterested in him she’s just reading the script. It’s hilarious. “And they always fall in love with you, I suppose.”

Pizzazz is trying to stir the pot by calling Jem fickle to Rio. But like, Rio should be able to see that Jem gives no fucks about Nick. This is the body language of a woman who has less than zero interest in someone.

Let’s just leave this mess for a minute and check out who’s entering the studio.

It’s a new character, one with wild hair and clothes. She introduces herself at the gate as Miss Montgomery. So she’s let in.

Not even two seconds later Video drives up and she’s denied her pass because a Miss Montgomery had just come in. Video knows exactly who that other Montgomery is. Her cousin Clash.

And Clash is the biggest Misfits fangirl. She runs up to them and starts gushing. Pizzazz is loving this. But Video is not. She warns Jem that her cousin had snuck into the studio. And we learn how Clash got her name. She bangs her wrist cymbals together right behind Jem’s head.

And that hurts like hell. Anthony is pissed and tells Clash to get off the set. But Pizzazz says that Clash can stay because she’s her friend. So Anthony tells them that can both leave. But Eric yells at Anthony and basically drives him to quit.

Which he does. And I really don’t blame him.

The day’s over and Mrs. Bailey tells Jerrica when Ba Nee’s eye appointment is. Then we see the Holograms all in a bedroom looking pretty miserable. Shana says that things can’t get any worse, and Jerrica optimistically says that it just means that things can only get better.

Yeah it did not work.

Music video time! I like this one. It’s atypical for this band. It’s all Rio being jealous of Nick Mann as he’s doing a scene with Jem. It’s a good tune.

The video ends with Rio punching Nick right in his smug face. Nick can’t take a punch very well. Jem is shocked that Rio would punch a guy for a doing a scene with her. And let me tell you, this is only the beginning of Rio’s jealousy issues. Pizzazz further fans the flames by whispering in Rio’s ear that if he wants to stay in the film then he’d better be very nice to her. Jem storms off.

It’s the next day and we see the redesigned Lindsey Pierce. She has a perm now and is wearing much more casual clothing. She says that it’s the third day of filming. Man what a long three days.

Nick pulls Jem away and tells her to play up their romance. And Jem isn’t having it. But Nick insists because it makes great publicity. Rio’s being pissy by the way.

Well it’s time for the interview and Jem is doing her best. This is probably her first time being crowded by so many reporters. Nick says that Jem’s thankful for his expertise. Jem’s awkward, “Nick’s been very… uh… very helpful.” is just the best. She gets bombarded by more questions about her and Nick and he decides to be a creep and dips Jem and kisses her right on the lips. This really gets the cameras flashing.

Kimber walks off because nobody cares about her. And Eric remembers that Kimber has been extremely jealous of Jem in the past and tries to take advantage of that. In his usual creepy and overly touchy way. He tells Kimber that she can have her own scene with Nick Mann and this excites her.

Meanwhile Pizzazz is trying to get Rio even more jealous than he already is. And then she gives the signal.

A banner showing that The Misfits are the main starts of the movie is unfurled and this gets the press excited. They ask so many questions about how this came to be. By the way, Jem is jealous that Rio’s been spending so much time with Pizzazz.

After the press conference we see Howard Sands trying to talk some sense into Harvey Gabor. He mentions that Eric has a bad reputation, that the movie’s going to lose millions, and the money thing does get Harvey’s attention. But he stops caring again once he realizes which investment is being talked about. Harvey doesn’t care about losing the money as long as his daughter is out of his hair.

There is a reason I wrote a meta post about Pizzazz and her relationship with her father. It’s not great.

Jem’s ready to record her next music video but there’s been a change of plans. Instead we get…

My favourite Misfits song! :D Universal Appeal is so good! I love it! Aaaahhhh! I reblogged a very interesting post about this song and I’m gonna stick it here because it’s very good.

Jem’s fed up with Pizzazz. Just completely done with her. They attack each other with the set. And then afterwards Jem rants about just how sick of everything she is and then she quits and storms off. I really really love how she’s allowed to get mad. She has every right to be; her patience has constantly been tried every day of this filming. It was supposed to be really fun but Pizzazz came in and ruined everything.

The other members of Jem and The Holograms quit too. Eric tries to stop Kimber but she’s loyal to her sister.

Nick Mann’s not happy about Jem quitting but the makeup artist from earlier tells him that she’s just playing prima donna and will be back tomorrow.

Video leaves with Jem and says that she’s not going to film The Misfits.

Who are celebrating together with Clash. They’re so happy. :)

We now see Ba Nee’s eye appointment and it’s not looking too good. The eye doctor sends her out of the room so he can talk to Jerrica in private.

And he tells Jerrica that Ba Nee could go blind in a matter of months, or maybe even sooner than that.

We end the episode on this shot.

And that’s it, the first part of the Starbright trilogy. I actually don’t have much to ramble about here. I did all my rambling earlier.