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nancypullen · 2 years ago

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Monday

Oh my goodness, what a busy few days! Matt flew in on Thursday, the Edgewaters drove over Friday after work, on Saturday we raided a pumpkin patch and corn maze, and on Sunday we stormed the castle in Revel Grove at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Fun, but exhausting! We laughed a lot, mostly courtesy of a certain four-year-old that we all know and love. I’ll try not to ramble on too much, I’ll just throw some photos up here and you can see for yourselves. Saturday’s pumpkin adventure was at JZ Farms. They had so much stuff for little kids to do - it was charming, wholesome, and Little Miss had a blast. Check out the corn maze!

https://www.facebook.com/JZFarms1/videos/640946950752720

Here’s a shot from above.

There was a wonderful play town for kids where they could “work” in everything from a diner to a flour mill to an ice cream parlor or a bank. Inside the police station there was a wanted poster that had a mirror in the center and that made the kids giggle.

Our little cop captured a bank robber...

Cuffed him...

and took him right to jail.

She also healed some sick animals, worked on a tractor, ground some grain into flour, and served up a few meals at a diner.

She loved it!

There were also lots of games. How about a bowling alley where all the lanes are made with hay bales?

Stuff to ride, stuff to climb on, stuff to bounce on, and stuff to throw. What more do kids need? There were even little silos of corn for the kids to roll around in, they loved it!

There were two LARGE, rectangular..um...hills (??) that were for bouncing on and they got a lot of play time. Kids were doing flips and just going crazy on them.

In this photo you can see them up toward the top right - they’re huge!

Anyway, a grand time was had at the pumpkin patch and we didn’t leave without visiting the patch and choosing some gourds. I bought a giant pot of mums (cheap!!) and the mister, well...

all I’m going to say is that I don’t have to wait in the patch this year.

We came home, threw some chicken on the grill, baked some taters and tossed a salad. We all slept well after a full afternoon of fresh air and play.

Onward to Revel Grove! On Sunday we were up, fed, dressed, and out the door a bit after nine o’clock. The Maryland Renaissance Festival is in (appropriately) Crownville, and Anne Arundel County. That’s where the Edgewaters live so it was about 50 minutes down the road. We took two cars since they’d be driving the few minutes home after leaving the festival and we’d cross the bridge back to our sleepy part of the state. We parked together and entered the gates to the kingdom. Oh my word. I’ve had a good time at Tennessee’s renaissance celebration in past years, but Maryland’s was AMAZING.

Various stages hosted a wonderful array of performers - you could catch everything from musical groups to daredevils. There were fractured fairytales for kids (told by fairies) and bawdy pub singers for the older crowd.

Some people showed up in incredible costumes, others wore bits and pieces just to share in the lively spirit of the day - a crown or a mask here and there. We were merely the entourage for a princes.

I loved this plague doctor.

The village was full of shops selling every sort of bauble you can imagine and any sort of food you desired.

Imagine the aromas - everything from roasting turkey legs to bespoke perfume oils. The sounds - cheers from the jousting arena, sellers hawking wares, flutes and lutes being played. It was so much fun. The grandgirl took advantage of free pony rides, a children’s play area complete with pirate ship. and a BIG wooden slide that zipped through the trees.

By the end of the day her dress showed the evidence of a day well spent, a dirty hem and a few smears from chocolate covered strawberries just mean success, right? As usual, my pics barely scrape the surface of the fun. The mister took so many good ones, I’ll probably share a few more tomorrow once he sends me his snaps. I have a couple of adorable shots of the Princess of Quite-A-Lot but her parents prefer that I not spread her image all over the internet. Party poopers. Today was a bit slower, Matt pulled out of the driveway in his rental car at about one o’clock, headed for a conference in D.C. I hate goodbyes, but he’ll be back for Thanksgiving, so we’ll see him again soon. I spent the afternoon on a sofa, watching Snapped and remembering that I’m not 30 anymore and two festivals in two days is too much. Just kidding. The grandgirl was getting sniffly and snotty by Sunday and may have picked up the latest cold rippling through her preschool. Because she loves me she always shares. We have our Chincoteague getaway coming up so I’m determined not to get sick again. This scratchy throat and headache are surely seasonal allergies, right? I think karma is smacking me for the decades that I bragged about never getting sick. I may have to start wearing a haz mat helmet. Nah, I’ll toughen up. Just need to get my immune system back to where it was when I worked in the schools, ironclad! This week I’m going to make art, eat healthy, and just enjoy the cool weather and fall colors. It’s really getting beautiful around here and I don’t want to miss it. I’m feeling really, really lucky to have the sweet family that I do, and my plan is to stay healthy so I can enjoy more times like this weekend. We’ve enjoyed more family time in the last 6 months than we have in ages. Our little unit is as strong as ever. It tickles me to no end that Little Miss is all about Halloween, spooky stuff, and witchy things. She spied a very pricey witch hat in a shop at the renaissance festival and I think she would have handed over a good portion of her princess gear as a trade. She happily settled for a wand that was used all day to cast spells and freeze people (mostly her dad).

Isn’t he sweet? Yes, that’s her Jasmine headpiece that she felt worked just fine with her Aurora gown and none of us were going to tell her any different.

That’s that. I’m wrapping up. I said I wouldn’t get wordy and I did. Sorry. Just feeling the love tonight for these people that I’m lucky enough to call my own. I’m glad they want to spend time with us, I’m glad we all enjoy each other, and I’m looking forward to more of this silliness.

Stay safe stay well, I’m going to go rest my weary bones...

Sending out love and hugs!

Nancy

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timeless-hollywood-classics · 4 years ago

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Ida Lupino (4 February 1918 – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, and producer. She is widely regarded as the most prominent female filmmaker working in the 1950s during the Hollywood studio system. With her independent production company, she co-wrote and co-produced several social-message films and became the first woman to direct a film noir with The Hitch-Hiker in 1953. Among her other directed films the best known are Not Wanted about unwed pregnancy (she took over for a sick director and refused directorial credit), Never Fear (1949) loosely based upon her own experiences battling paralyzing polio, Outrage (1950) one of the first films about rape, The Bigamist (1953) (which was named in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) and The Trouble with Angels (1966).

Throughout her 48-year career, she made acting appearances in 59 films and directed eight others, working primarily in the United States, where she became a citizen in 1948. As an actress her best known films are The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) with Basil Rathbone, They Drive by Night (1940) with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart, High Sierra (1941) with Bogart, The Sea Wolf (1941) with Edward G. Robinson and John Garfield, Ladies in Retirement (1941) with Louis Hayward, Moontide (1942) with Jean Gabin, The Hard Way (1943), Deep Valley (1947) with Dane Clark, Road House (1948) with Cornel Wilde and Richard Widmark, While the City Sleeps (1956) with Dana Andrews and Vincent Price. and Junior Bonner (1972) with Steve McQueen.

She also directed more than 100 episodes of television productions in a variety of genres including westerns, supernatural tales, situation comedies, murder mysteries, and gangster stories. She was the only woman to direct an episode of the original The Twilight Zone series ("The Masks"), as well as the only director to have starred in an episode of the show ("The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine").

Lupino was born in Herne Hill, London, to actress Connie O'Shea (also known as Connie Emerald) and music hall comedian Stanley Lupino, a member of the theatrical Lupino family, which included Lupino Lane, a song-and-dance man. Her father, a top name in musical comedy in the UK and a member of a centuries-old theatrical dynasty dating back to Renaissance Italy, encouraged her to perform at an early age. He built a backyard theatre for Lupino and her sister Rita (1920–2016), who also became an actress and dancer. Lupino wrote her first play at age seven and toured with a travelling theatre company as a child. By the age of ten, Lupino had memorised the leading female roles in each of Shakespeare's plays. After her intense childhood training for stage plays, Ida's uncle Lupino Lane assisted her in moving towards film acting by getting her work as a background actress at British International Studios.

She wanted to be a writer, but in order to please her father, Lupino enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She excelled in a number of "bad girl" film roles, often playing prostitutes. Lupino did not enjoy being an actress and felt uncomfortable with many of the early roles she was given. She felt that she was pushed into the profession due to her family history.

Lupino worked as both a stage and screen actress. She first took to the stage in 1934 as the lead in The Pursuit of Happiness at the Paramount Studio Theatre.[10] Lupino made her first film appearance in The Love Race (1931) and the following year, aged 14, she worked under director Allan Dwan in Her First Affaire, in a role for which her mother had previously tested.[11] She played leading roles in five British films in 1933 at Warner Bros.' Teddington studios and for Julius Hagen at Twickenham, including The Ghost Camera with John Mills and I Lived with You with Ivor Novello.

Dubbed "the English Jean Harlow", she was discovered by Paramount in the 1933 film Money for Speed, playing a good girl/bad girl dual role. Lupino claimed the talent scouts saw her play only the sweet girl in the film and not the part of the prostitute, so she was asked to try out for the lead role in Alice in Wonderland (1933). When she arrived in Hollywood, the Paramount producers did not know what to make of their sultry potential leading lady, but she did get a five-year contract.

Lupino starred in over a dozen films in the mid-1930s, working with Columbia in a two-film deal, one of which, The Light That Failed (1939), was a role she acquired after running into the director's office unannounced, demanding an audition. After this breakthrough performance as a spiteful cockney model who torments Ronald Colman, she began to be taken seriously as a dramatic actress. As a result, her parts improved during the 1940s, and she jokingly referred to herself as "the poor man's Bette Davis", taking the roles that Davis refused.

Mark Hellinger, associate producer at Warner Bros., was impressed by Lupino's performance in The Light That Failed, and hired her for the femme-fatale role in the Raoul Walsh-directed They Drive by Night (1940), opposite stars George Raft, Ann Sheridan and Humphrey Bogart. The film did well and the critical consensus was that Lupino stole the movie, particularly in her unhinged courtroom scene. Warner Bros. offered her a contract which she negotiated to include some freelance rights. She worked with Walsh and Bogart again in High Sierra (1941), where she impressed critic Bosley Crowther in her role as an "adoring moll".

Her performance in The Hard Way (1943) won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She starred in Pillow to Post (1945), which was her only comedic leading role. After the drama Deep Valley (1947) finished shooting, neither Warner Bros. nor Lupino moved to renew her contract and she left the studio in 1947. Although in demand throughout the 1940s, she arguably never became a major star although she often had top billing in her pictures, above actors such as Humphrey Bogart, and was repeatedly critically lauded for her realistic, direct acting style.

She often incurred the ire of studio boss Jack Warner by objecting to her casting, refusing poorly written roles that she felt were beneath her dignity as an actress, and making script revisions deemed unacceptable by the studio. As a result, she spent a great deal of her time at Warner Bros. suspended. In 1942, she rejected an offer to star with Ronald Reagan in Kings Row, and was immediately put on suspension at the studio. Eventually, a tentative rapprochement was brokered, but her relationship with the studio remained strained. In 1947, Lupino left Warner Brothers and appeared for 20th Century Fox as a nightclub singer in the film noir Road House, performing her musical numbers in the film. She starred in On Dangerous Ground in 1951, and may have taken on some of the directing tasks of the film while director Nicholas Ray was ill.

While on suspension, Lupino had ample time to observe filming and editing processes, and she became interested in directing. She described how bored she was on set while "someone else seemed to be doing all the interesting work".

She and her husband Collier Young formed an independent company, The Filmakers, to produce, direct, and write low-budget, issue-oriented films. Her first directing job came unexpectedly in 1949 when director Elmer Clifton suffered a mild heart attack and was unable to finish Not Wanted, a film Lupino co-produced and co-wrote. Lupino stepped in to finish the film without taking directorial credit out of respect for Clifton. Although the film's subject of out-of-wedlock pregnancy was controversial, it received a vast amount of publicity, and she was invited to discuss the film with Eleanor Roosevelt on a national radio program.

Never Fear (1949), a film about polio (which she had personally experienced replete with paralysis at age 16), was her first director's credit. After producing four more films about social issues, including Outrage (1950), a film about rape (while this word is never used in the movie), Lupino directed her first hard-paced, all-male-cast film, The Hitch-Hiker (1953), making her the first woman to direct a film noir. The Filmakers went on to produce 12 feature films, six of which Lupino directed or co-directed, five of which she wrote or co-wrote, three of which she acted in, and one of which she co-produced.

Lupino once called herself a "bulldozer" to secure financing for her production company, but she referred to herself as "mother" while on set. On set, the back of her director's chair was labeled "Mother of Us All".[3] Her studio emphasized her femininity, often at the urging of Lupino herself. She credited her refusal to renew her contract with Warner Bros. under the pretenses of domesticity, claiming "I had decided that nothing lay ahead of me but the life of the neurotic star with no family and no home." She made a point to seem nonthreatening in a male-dominated environment, stating, "That's where being a man makes a great deal of difference. I don't suppose the men particularly care about leaving their wives and children. During the vacation period, the wife can always fly over and be with him. It's difficult for a wife to say to her husband, come sit on the set and watch."

Although directing became Lupino's passion, the drive for money kept her on camera, so she could acquire the funds to make her own productions. She became a wily low-budget filmmaker, reusing sets from other studio productions and talking her physician into appearing as a doctor in the delivery scene of Not Wanted. She used what is now called product placement, placing Coke, Cadillac, and other brands in her films, such as The Bigamist. She shot in public places to avoid set-rental costs and planned scenes in pre-production to avoid technical mistakes and retakes. She joked that if she had been the "poor man's Bette Davis" as an actress, she had now become the "poor man's Don Siegel" as a director.

The Filmakers production company closed shop in 1955, and Lupino turned almost immediately to television, directing episodes of more than thirty US TV series from 1956 through 1968. She also helmed a feature film in 1965 for the Catholic schoolgirl comedy The Trouble With Angels, starring Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell; this was Lupino's last theatrical film as a director. She continued acting as well, going on to a successful television career throughout the 1960s and '70s.

Lupino's career as a director continued through 1968. Her directing efforts during these years were almost exclusively for television productions such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, The Twilight Zone, Have Gun – Will Travel, Honey West, The Donna Reed Show, Gilligan's Island, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rifleman, The Virginian, Sam Benedict, The Untouchables, Hong Kong, The Fugitive, and Bewitched.

After the demise of The Filmakers, Lupino continued working as an actress until the end of the 1970s, mainly in television. Lupino appeared in 19 episodes of Four Star Playhouse from 1952 to 1956, an endeavor involving partners Charles Boyer, Dick Powell and David Niven. From January 1957 to September 1958, Lupino starred with her then-husband Howard Duff in the sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve, in which the duo played husband-and-wife film stars named Howard Adams and Eve Drake, living in Beverly Hills, California.[22] Duff and Lupino also co-starred as themselves in 1959 in one of the 13 one-hour installments of The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour and an episode of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show in 1960. Lupino guest-starred in numerous television shows, including The Ford Television Theatre (1954), Bonanza (1959), Burke's Law (1963–64), The Virginian (1963–65), Batman (1968), The Mod Squad (1969), Family Affair (1969–70), The Wild, Wild West (1969), Nanny and the Professor (1971), Columbo: Short Fuse (1972), Columbo: Swan Song (1974) in which she plays Johnny Cash's character's zealous wife, Barnaby Jones (1974), The Streets of San Francisco, Ellery Queen (1975), Police Woman (1975), and Charlie's Angels (1977). Her final acting appearance was in the 1979 film My Boys Are Good Boys.

Lupino has two distinctions with The Twilight Zone series, as the only woman to have directed an episode ("The Masks") and the only person to have worked as both actor for one episode ("The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine"), and director for another.

Lupino's Filmakers movies deal with unconventional and controversial subject matter that studio producers would not touch, including out-of-wedlock pregnancy, bigamy, and rape. She described her independent work as "films that had social significance and yet were entertainment ... base on true stories, things the public could understand because they had happened or been of news value." She focused on women's issues for many of her films and she liked strong characters, "[Not] women who have masculine qualities about them, but [a role] that has intestinal fortitude, some guts to it."

In the film The Bigamist, the two women characters represent the career woman and the homemaker. The title character is married to a woman (Joan Fontaine) who, unable to have children, has devoted her energy to her career. While on one of many business trips, he meets a waitress (Lupino) with whom he has a child, and then marries her.[25] Marsha Orgeron, in her book Hollywood Ambitions, describes these characters as "struggling to figure out their place in environments that mirror the social constraints that Lupino faced".[13] However, Donati, in his biography of Lupino, said "The solutions to the character's problems within the films were often conventional, even conservative, more reinforcing the 1950s' ideology than undercutting it."

Ahead of her time within the studio system, Lupino was intent on creating films that were rooted in reality. On Never Fear, Lupino said, "People are tired of having the wool pulled over their eyes. They pay out good money for their theatre tickets and they want something in return. They want realism. And you can't be realistic with the same glamorous mugs on the screen all the time."

Lupino's films are critical of many traditional social institutions, which reflect her contempt for the patriarchal structure that existed in Hollywood. Lupino rejected the commodification of female stars and as an actress, she resisted becoming an object of desire. She said in 1949, "Hollywood careers are perishable commodities", and sought to avoid such a fate for herself.

Ida Lupino was diagnosed with polio in 1934. The New York Times reported that the outbreak of polio within the Hollywood community was due to contaminated swimming pools. The disease severely affected her ability to work, and her contract with Paramount fell apart shortly after her diagnosis. Lupino recovered and eventually directed, produced, and wrote many films, including a film loosely based upon her travails with polio titled Never Fear in 1949, the first film that she was credited for directing (she had earlier stepped in for an ill director on Not Wanted and refused directorial credit out of respect for her colleague). Her experience with the disease gave Lupino the courage to focus on her intellectual abilities over simply her physical appearance. In an interview with Hollywood, Lupino said, "I realized that my life and my courage and my hopes did not lie in my body. If that body was paralyzed, my brain could still work industriously...If I weren't able to act, I would be able to write. Even if I weren't able to use a pencil or typewriter, I could dictate."[31] Film magazines from the 1930s and 1940s, such as The Hollywood Reporter and Motion Picture Daily, frequently published updates on her condition. Lupino worked for various non-profit organizations to help raise funds for polio research.

Lupino's interests outside the entertainment industry included writing short stories and children's books, and composing music. Her composition "Aladdin's Suite" was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1937. She composed this piece while on bedrest due to polio in 1935.

She became an American citizen in June 1948 and a staunch Democrat who supported the presidency of John F. Kennedy. Lupino was Catholic.

Lupino died from a stroke while undergoing treatment for colon cancer in Los Angeles on 3 August 1995, at the age of 77. Her memoirs, Ida Lupino: Beyond the Camera, were edited after her death and published by Mary Ann Anderson.

Lupino learned filmmaking from everyone she observed on set, including William Ziegler, the cameraman for Not Wanted. When in preproduction on Never Fear, she conferred with Michael Gordon on directorial technique, organization, and plotting. Cinematographer Archie Stout said of Ms. Lupino, "Ida has more knowledge of camera angles and lenses than any director I've ever worked with, with the exception of Victor Fleming. She knows how a woman looks on the screen and what light that woman should have, probably better than I do." Lupino also worked with editor Stanford Tischler, who said of her, "She wasn't the kind of director who would shoot something, then hope any flaws could be fixed in the cutting room. The acting was always there, to her credit."

Author Ally Acker compares Lupino to pioneering silent-film director Lois Weber for their focus on controversial, socially relevant topics. With their ambiguous endings, Lupino's films never offered simple solutions for her troubled characters, and Acker finds parallels to her storytelling style in the work of the modern European "New Wave" directors, such as Margarethe von Trotta.

Ronnie Scheib, who issued a Kino release of three of Lupino's films, likens Lupino's themes and directorial style to directors Nicholas Ray, Sam Fuller, and Robert Aldrich, saying, "Lupino very much belongs to that generation of modernist filmmakers." On whether Lupino should be considered a feminist filmmaker, Scheib states, "I don't think Lupino was concerned with showing strong people, men or women. She often said that she was interested in lost, bewildered people, and I think she was talking about the postwar trauma of people who couldn't go home again."

Author Richard Koszarski noted Lupino's choice to play with gender roles regarding women's film stereotypes during the studio era: "Her films display the obsessions and consistencies of a true auteur... In her films The Bigamist and The Hitch-Hiker, Lupino was able to reduce the male to the same sort of dangerous, irrational force that women represented in most male-directed examples of Hollywood film noir."

Lupino did not openly consider herself a feminist, saying, "I had to do something to fill up my time between contracts. Keeping a feminine approach is vital — men hate bossy females ... Often I pretended to a cameraman to know less than I did. That way I got more cooperation." Village Voice writer Carrie Rickey, though, holds Lupino up as a model of modern feminist filmmaking: "Not only did Lupino take control of production, direction, and screenplay, but [also] each of her movies addresses the brutal repercussions of sexuality, independence and dependence."

By 1972, Lupino said she wished more women were hired as directors and producers in Hollywood, noting that only very powerful actresses or writers had the chance to work in the field. She directed or costarred a number of times with young, fellow British actresses on a similar journey of developing their American film careers like Hayley Mills and Pamela Franklin.

Actress Bea Arthur, best remembered for her work in Maude and The Golden Girls, was motivated to escape her stifling hometown by following in Lupino's footsteps and becoming an actress, saying, "My dream was to become a very small blonde movie star like Ida Lupino and those other women I saw up there on the screen during the Depression."

Lupino has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for contributions to the fields of television and film — located at 1724 Vine Street and 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.

New York Film Critics Circle Award - Best Actress, The Hard Way, 1943

Inaugural Saturn Award - Best Supporting Actress, The Devil's Rain, 1975

A Commemorative Blue Plaque is dedicated to Lupino and her father Stanley Lupino by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America and the Theatre and Film Guild of Great Britain and America at the house where she was born in Herne Hill, London, 16 February 2016

Composer Carla Bley paid tribute to Lupino with her jazz composition "Ida Lupino" in 1964.

The Hitch-Hiker was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1998 while Outrage was inducted in 2020.

#ida lupino #classic hollywood #classic movie stars #golden age of hollywood #old hollywood #1930s hollywood #1940s hollywood #1950s hollywood #1960s hollywood #1970s hollywood #hollywood legend

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passionate-reply · 4 years ago

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Here’s something I know you’ve heard before--Dare, by the Human League! One of the most famous and widely-acclaimed synth-pop albums there is, Dare was a huge game changer. Find out why by watching my video, or reading the transcript, after the break.

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’m going to be talking about one of the single most important albums in the history of electronic music, and, perhaps, in Western popular music as a whole. It’s Dare, the third full LP from the Human League, first released in 1981. While there had been two albums released under this name prior to Dare, these are considerably more obscure.

Music: “Empire State Human”

While “Empire State Human” has a catchy and affable chorus, it’s still a few shades too weird and avant-garde to be a pop hit. In the early days, the Human League’s experimental, underground sound was driven mainly by founding members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh. Prior to the recording of Dare, Marsh and Ware had already left the group, and would go on to form Heaven 17. Frontman Phil Oakey, and newly hired backup singers Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, were without a leg to stand on, as none of them had any serious background in music composition or playing instruments.

While the situation looked quite dire, the trio would find a new musical bedrock in Ian Burden, who had played keyboards on their most recent tour as a session musician. Against the crude, naive, unprofessional vocals of Oakey, Catherall, and Sulley, Burden would provide simple, but competent melodies. The other key ingredient of this new sound was professional production, which would come from Martin Rushent. Despite working with many guitar-oriented acts prior, Rushent was one of the first producers who had deliberately devoted himself to working with electronic instruments at the time. Put all of that together, and you’ve got synth-pop magic, like nobody else had hammered out before.

Music: “Don’t You Want Me”

If you came to this video with even a lick of knowledge about Western pop, then you probably know “Don’t You Want Me” quite well. “Don’t You Want Me” wasn’t the first electronic pop song, nor was it the first major hit to feature a chiefly electronic instrumentation. The real reason it was such a game changer is that it’s ultimately a very ordinary pop song, underneath all of that. Songs like Gary Numan’s “Cars,” or OMD’s “Enola Gay,” were comparatively easy to write off as mere high-concept novelty. Many felt that their vision of a future full of machine music would blow over, the way jetpacks and flying cars had failed to revolutionize the world. But “Don’t You Want Me” proved that you could write an otherwise unremarkable love song, set it to a fairly unambitious synth backing, and achieve major pop success. “Don’t You Want Me” is that watershed moment, where synthesisers start presenting a credible threat to guitars, and everything that they stand for. Moreso than anything else that was released in this era, “Don’t You Want Me” is the reason why “pop” is, at this point, assumed to be electronic by default.

While the sheer influence of this track can’t be overstated, it’s also far from the only thing Dare, as an album, has to offer. In fact, “Don’t You Want Me” is the very last track on it, and its apparent simplicity is heavily contextualized by everything that comes before it. Take “Love Action,” for instance, which was the first single from the album, and one of the band’s best-known tracks.

Music: “Love Action”

“Love Action” is certainly not devoid of pop sensibility, and its being a chart hit makes plenty of sense. But I think it’s decidedly stranger and less conventional than “Don’t You Want Me,” with its piercing intro and glitchy synth effects. While its lyrics aren’t challenging, in an obtrusive manner, they seem to read as a sort of parody of a pop song, declaiming the superiority of limerence or casual affairs--“no talking, just looking.” It’s a pop anthem that’s aware of its own disposability, and the sort of culture of disposability and frivolousness that it’s participating in. Another strikingly ironic number is the album’s opener, “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of.”

Music: “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of”

With its confident proclamations about what “everybody needs,” and unquestioning praise of petty luxuries like ice cream and vacations, the saccharine “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of” is even more pointedly satirical, a wan hymn to the pleasures of postwar prosperity. But even if this track maintains a surface level “believability,” there are still a number of darker tracks to be had on Dare, which more strongly recall the style of those earlier albums. Take a listen to “Do or Die.”

Music: “Do or Die”

One of the more confrontational or frustrated tracks on Dare, “Do or Die” still maintains something of a pop core, and it’s easy enough to sing along to. What I think really stands out about it, though, especially for the time, is the use of mechanical percussion. Prior to this point, acts like Gary Numan, OMD, and even Kraftwerk still had human drummers who physically hit things in their bands. Even Giorgio Moroder’s “I Feel Love” used traditional percussion, despite featuring nothing but Moog synthesisers and the human voice besides. It wasn’t only the guitar that feared for its relevance during this time, but also the drum kit. The dense, rattling backing of “Do or Die” was made with a Linn “drum computer,” and remains an impressive use of it that’s still mesmerizing to listen to. But perhaps the most avant-garde track to be found on *Dare* is “Seconds.”

Music: “Seconds”

While “Seconds” feels sort of warm and dreamy at first, its startling gunshot casts doubt on just how pleasant we ought to feel. “Seconds” is actually telling the story of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, addressing us listeners as though we embody the infamous gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. The titular “seconds” apply to the brief moments of apparent happiness and security we feel before something goes wrong, and those narrow margins of time during which everything in our lives can change in an instant. While it’s significantly shorter, I can’t help but think it recalls the high-concept narrative tracks done by the earlier incarnation of the Human League, such as “Zero As a Limit.”

Dare’s iconic cover, a powerful symbol of 80s synth-pop to this day, was inspired by fashion magazines such as *Vogue.* While the design would crib the title, the typeface, and the face-focused composition from a 1979 cover of UK *Vogue,* the stark, bare white frame that surrounds this close-cropped headshot of Oakey is a major distinction. Floating in this sterile bath of emptiness, and borderline anonymized, it feels like the interchangeable mask of someone living out a mechanized and mass-produced existence. It’s an image that almost plays into how detractors of electronic music have decried its seemingly emotionless, inhuman ambiance, and it rides that enmity with a deliberate, defiant dignity. It says, we are what you think we are, and we’re damn proud of it. Much like the bold and brash title implies, the cover of *Dare* is a provocation, perhaps even a threat. While the cover isn’t particularly beautiful to me, as many others are, I think its austere ugliness is deeply purposeful, and that’s something I’m compelled to admire.

Despite the breakthrough success of Dare, the Human League’s 1984 follow-up, Hysteria, was a relative flop, plagued by troubled recording sessions and a lack of consistent vision for the band and their sound. Its lead single, “The Lebanon,” would achieve modest success, and its use of rock guitar and surprisingly topical lyrics make it feel very different than what you’ll find on Dare.

Music: “The Lebanon”

Though they would eventually go on to have one last major hit, in 1986’s “Human,” the Human League never developed mainstream staying power, and their core trio’s reliance on outside writers and producers left them without a firm artistic identity to fall back on. They’re still around today, performing concerts that revisit their best-known work from the past, but they never recreated the fruitful environment and industry connections that made Dare possible. Still, it’s safe to say that Dare is an inescapable presence in the history of electronic pop, looming over all subsequent works like some inscrutable Sphinx, a lightning in a bottle success whose influence remains all around us.

My favourite song on Dare is “Darkness.” As the title implies, it’s one of the more dreary, gothic numbers you’ll encounter on the album, narrating the harrowing, paranoid mindstate of an insomniac. I don’t particularly struggle with sleep, but I do have a habit of being awake all night and sleeping all day, so I love nighttime-themed songs. Plus, the lyrics of this song make reference to “seeing sounds” and “hearing colours,” a phenomenon called synesthesia. I’m not sure if anyone in the Human League really experiences this, but I do--which is part of why I’m so strongly interested in music. But enough about me! That’s all for today, thanks for listening!

Music: “Darkness”

#music #great albums #album review #album reviews #human league #the human league #synthpop #synth-pop #synth pop

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totallypathet · 4 years ago

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Episode 8

A rusical, okay! We like a rusical. Interesting how they've done it this year though, I don't think they've ever done a rusical where they weren't either singing live or lipsyncing to a pre-arranged track of vocals. Half of me thinks it would have been better if they'd just sung it live, but then I guess they couldn't have done the OTT choreo.

The rusical itself was a little weird, some of the writing was just odd, and the "jokes" really weren't that funny. Anyway, let's talk about it!

1. Denali

I was worried for Denali this week! It happens so often on this show where we see queens say "I don't understand why I've only been safe I have to really up my game this week" and then they promptly get the judges attention in all the wrong ways and get sent home. I also kind of think Rosé did her a massive favour by refusing to give her the role they fought over (I can't even remember the names, they were all bizarre), because I think Denali would have got so in her head about that role and just wouldn't have been able to let go and have fun like she did.

After the Anne Hathaway call though, she just seemed so much happier and more relaxed, and she kind of just went into it with a much better attitude and she killed it! She did an awesome job in the rusical, it was fun to see her play a sort of grungy, messy character because she's so polished usually. She did an amazing job, and she deserved to be in the top this week!

Her look for me was a little bit meh, I just wish the snake headpiece had been bigger and bolder. From a distance it kind of looked like noodles. But it was still good, she still looked great, and I'm proud of her!

2. Elliott

Why is Elliott still there? I don't get it. She should have gone last week, and then this week her performance was just okay, and her look was a worse version of Tina's.

She should have been lipsyncing for me, or at least in the bottom three! I don't get what they see in her.

3. Gottmik

Gottmik was great this week! I loved her performance, again it was fun watching her do something outside her comfort zone, she's not really known for being a dancer, so it was cool to see that. I really like that she really genuinely gave that her absolute best, like she knew she wasn't a great dancer but she worked really hard to get that choreography, and she did it great!

Her look was stunning, obviously! Gottmik and Symone are carrying the runway fashion this season. It was very cool, very conceptual, very Gottmik.

I dont know that I necessarily would have put her in the top this week. I think she was great, but I actually think Tina should have been in the top - which is something I never thought I'd say!

4. Kandy Muse

I feel like Kandy was mostly just unfortunate this week.

I think her recorded track was great - I did think there were to many vocal effects on it, but that's not really her choice, she can't blame her. I also think she's not a bad dancer, but I think she was thrown off to some extent by her wardrobe choices - the wig got in the way too much, and the skirt seemed to be a bit restricting, it just doesn't seem like she thought those choices through very well. It wasn't her best performance, but I also don't think it was a bad performance, which is kind of why I think she was just unfortunate.

Her runway this week I think was stunning. I feel like every week I say she's never looked prettier, but honestly this week she looked so pretty!! I loved the daisy's in her hair, and that long wig was so stunning with all that gorgeous fabric, I just loved it.

I think it's right that she was in the bottom, but again I don't think she did a bad job this week, I think she just delivered an average performance, when most of the other queens had a good performance.

5. Olivia Lux

Another great week for Olivia! She has such a stunning voice I was so excited to hear her do more singing. I kind of think she should have been in the tip three, but again I am biased, as an Olivia Stan 😂

My only real criticism of her this week was her outfit in the rusical? I get that she was a tech student, and I think she was just going for a casual look, it's just kind of unfortunate that it came off boring instead. I kind of wish she'd leaned into a more student look, and done like, stained sweatpants, and a really messy bun. Actually, it would have been really funny if, you know like you see art students with messy buns and a pencil through it? If she'd have done a messy bun and like a computer mouse through it or something! But overall her performance was incredible.

She always brings it on the runway as well, she brings these kind of pageant gowns, but in a really beautiful and modern way? I love it. I loved the big puff sleeve, I loved the fringe, she looked stunning.

6. Rosé

Rosé made me so happy this week! Her voice is so incredible, that Don't Rain on My Parade pastiche literally gave me chills! She is talented as hell, and I'm glad the judges are seeing it.

Her performance was really incredible - she's an incredible singer, and a great dancer - but I have a similar thing as Olivia about her outfit in the rusical? It just seemed like kind of an odd choice. I didn't get until like halfway through that she was meant to be like "the slutty friend", I just didn't really get that from her look. When the dress kept riding up it just looked like a mistake, you know what I mean? Again, it's a nitpick - they probably didn't have a whole lot of outfit choices for this challenge because they didn't know their roles before they came.

I loved her runway look as well! I loved the Mask reference, the only thing I wish is that she'd had a big hat, instead of that tiny fascinator. I'm so nitpick today, honestly! I just sort of wish she'd walked out with a big hat pulled right down and then revealed the green face when she hit the end of the runway. But that's just me! I did think it was stunning. I also don't think it was orange? Like it was the orange side of yellow, but it was definitely still yellow!

I'm really glad she won this challenge, she deserved it so much!

7. Symone

Symone had a bit of a rough week, and I feel for her. She really struggled with her vocals, and look not everyone is a singer, that's okay! But I can see how much she got I her head having seen other queens absolutely kill their vocals, and I think she just felt really insecure about it. I do kind of think it's unfair that they record their vocals in front of everyone else. When it's a team challenge, it makes sense, but when they're competing as individuals it just seems unfair and literally designed to make the queens who aren't singers feel bad!

Also, sidenote, they recors vocals in this huge, wide open runway room, that can't be good acoustics in which to record vocals, surely. In earlier seasons they seemed to use (at least something akin to) a recording studio? I'm confused.

Anyway, it was tough to watch this week, because she really did just get in her head about it, and it affected her whole performance. She wasn't having a good time, and that was rough. I do think part of the problem is that she was wearing sunglasses during the performance? When the audience can't see your eyes it's really difficult for them to connect with you while you're performing. It was just a shame.

Her runway look though! Honestly, her and Gottmik are going to need physio after carrying the whole of the fashion for season 13 on their backs! It was so stunning, that big coat, and the suspenders; she looked so cool and fashionable, I just immediately forgave the rest of her performance!

Unfortunately, I do think she deserved to be in the bottom this week, but I really hope she can pull back up to being the Symone we all know and love next week!

8. Tina Burner

I actually really liked Tina this week! I've been very underwhelmed with Tina this season, but I actually think she did a great job this week! I loved her very Liza Minelli rusical performance (and look), she was giving me that very old Broadway half talking, half singing; and I think it was great! Okay Michelle, she stopped lipsyncing like 2 seconds before the track when she died, but she really performed her track, and she sang it really well!

And then her runway look was great! It was campy, but it was also beautiful! It was fitted beautifully, it was cut beautifully, she looked stunning, the headlights on the tits was hilarious - and I noticed after the lipsync that those were actual lights! They actually lit up! So cute! And finally she wore something other than a red wig, and she looked so beautiful! Her face was gorgeous, the hair was perfect, it was great. So polished.

She did not at all deserve to be bottom three this week - especially not when Elliott with 3 Ks was safe.

9. Utica

I feel like my opinion on Utica goes up and down all the Time. Sometimes I think she's great, and other times I just feel kind of bored by her.

This week I was a little bored. I think she did well delivering that track, that's a tough vocal part. That's it.

Maybe that's not super fair. I just think her actual performance was a bit boring, and her facial expressions are genuinely becoming hard to watch. I am not looking forward to watching her lipsync when she lands in the bottom two.

I also hated hated hated her runway look this week. I know she was going for this medieval thing and she explained the cutout sides and all that, but it was ugly. And not even in a cool way of being ugly but fashionable, or so ugly that it's pretty; it was just fuck ugly.

I think it was right that she was safe, her performance was better than Kandy, Symone and Elliott, but her runway look was definitely the worst.

This week was kind of a weird one, because I really really didn't understand the judging criteria this week. I am still baffled that Elliott was safe, I'm baffled that she's still there at all, honestly. I'm also still shocked about Tina being in the bottom?! I don't get it.

I am kind of glad it was a double shantay this week - I just kind of feel like neither Kandy nor Symone actually did a bad enough job to go home this week.

Having said that, it is getting very tiring that there is still so many queens there! 8 episodes and only 4 queens have gone home? How long is this fucking series going to be???

#drag race #rpdr #rpdr13 #drag race season 13 #denali #denali foxx #elliott with 2 ts #gottmik #kandy muse #olivia lux #rose #symone #tina burner #utica #utica queen

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crackimagines · 4 years ago

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Dorothea and Ann Supports (C-A)

You bet I do, anon!

Persona 5 3H AU Masterlist Here!

(Dorothea) “Hello there, Ann!~”

(Ann) “Oh, what’s up Dorothea?”

(Dorothea) “Nothing too much in particular. I was just wondering if you’d like to get some sweets with me in the dining hall?-”

(Ann) “THERE’S SWEETS?! WHAT KIND?!”

(Dorothea) “I-I’m not too sure actually. Er, ahem! That’s why I was asking, why don’t we go find out together? Two beauties in the mess hall is sure to get some attention~-”

(Ann) “Heck yeah! I’m DYING to get some food in me!”

(Dorothea) “...I swear I just saw you eating earlier though...”

(Ann) “Yeah, I was just going through every snack I managed to sneak in from the mess hall...Let’s see, some sandwiches, some jerky, I think soup...?”

(Dorothea) “W-Wha...You call those snacks and you’re STILL hungry!?”

(Ann) “Yeah, barely half full! Now come on, let’s go have some sweets!”

...

(Ann) “Mmmm! Soooo goood! Maybe I should start eating more European style sweets, these are too delicious to pass up!”

(Dorothea) “How is she not fat after eating all this? I’ve got to get her to tell me her secret...”

(Ann) “Hm? You say something?”

(Dorothea) “Oh, just thanks for accompanying me! Watching you scarf all these sweets down is pretty entertaining...and kinda gross.”

(Ann) “Thanks for inviting me Dorothea! Let’s eat together again sometime!”

(Dorothea) “She was oblivious to all my flirting, and just ate even faster than Caspar. That girl has completely defied my first impressions of her...”

C support has been reached!

(Ann) “Hey, Dorothea!”

(Dorothea) “Hi Ann. Something I can do for ya?”

(Ann) “I just wanted to say thanks again for inviting me out to lunch the other day. It was honestly a lot of fun!”

(Dorothea) “Aww, don’t mention it! I always had a soft spot for pretty ladies.”

(Ann) “Pretty, huh...? Heh, I think that’s a first...”

(Dorothea) “Wait, really? I figured people would’ve been all over a gorgeous girl like you.”

(Ann) “Psh, are you kidding me? Most people avoid me like the plague in my world.”

(Dorothea) “...Huh. I never would have thought.”

(Ann) “Japan isn’t very welcoming to outsiders, especially in the school environments. I was pretty much all alone until Shiho became my friend.”

(Dorothea) “What about your parents?”

(Ann) “I mean, sure they were there, but we were always moving and they were so busy, I’ve pretty much been by myself a good chunk of my life, though I’m used to it.”

(Dorothea) “...”

(Ann) “Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to bring the mood down!”

(Dorothea) “N-No it’s alright! Your story just...got me thinking about my own life is all. It just sounds a lot like mine, actually.”

(Ann) “I heard you were an orphan. Your life certainly couldn’t have been easy.”

(Dorothea) “It was anything but, Ann. Most people never glanced my way until I became a singer. And the ones that did usually called me nasty things, and even threw objects at me...Then after I became a singer, all they wanted was the famous Diva, not the girl beneath that mask.”

(Ann) “Dorothea...”

(Dorothea) “Heh, so yeah, don’t worry about it. Your story hits this girl close to home is all. I get where you’re coming from.”

(Ann) “I think I get you too. You’ve certainly defied my first impression of you!”

(Dorothea) “Really? What would that be?”

(Ann) “At first, I just saw some girl who thew herself at everyone she met, and I thought she was a total badass on how nothing anyone said stopped her. And now, I have even more admiration for her. She’s had to go through her struggles in life and came out on top. It reminds me that I aspire to be someone like you!”

(Dorothea) “Come on now, you’re gonna make a girl blush with things like that. But...thanks, Ann. That means a lot.”

(Ann) “I’m just saying what I see is all.”

B support has been reached!

(Ann) “Thanks for inviting me to tea! I’ve actually never had a real tea party before.”

(Dorothea) “Then I’m glad to let you experience it firsthand! And I made sure to bring in all sorts of sweets for us.”

(Ann) “Dorothea, you are a SAINT!”

(Dorothea) “Just try not to scarf it down too fast? After all, we’re here to savor them.”

(Ann) “Right! Well, let’s dig in!”

...

(Ann) “Ah, now that hit the spot! Now that the sweets are finished, you said there was something you wanted to ask?”

(Dorothea) “Yes. If it’s too personal lemme know. So...What did you mean when you said “I wanted to be someone like you”? Are you a singer in your world too?”

(Ann) “Nah, I’ve been told by Ryuji I suck at singing. I’m a modeler. I get in all sorta fashionable clothing and pose for camera-...Er, people to put in books pretty much. It’s pretty rough sometimes, people only looking at you for solely looks, and not what’s underneath. But, I promised Shiho that I’d become a modeler to let her, myself, and other people happy.”

(Dorothea) “Shiho must mean a lot to you.”

(Ann) “S-She’s...my whole world. I’m sure she would have loved to meet you...”

(Dorothea) “Ann...Sweetie you’re crying!”

(Ann) “A-Am I...? Oh...I am...”

(Dorothea) “I’m sorry, did I-”

(Ann) “No it’s okay, you didn’t step on any boundaries. I was just reminded that she’s...been through some things...Have we talked to you much about our school?”

(Dorothea) “I don’t believe you have.”

(Ann) “To put it briefly...”

...

(Dorothea) “Oh my god...I’m so sorry. I’m glad that bastard Kamoshida got what he deserved!”

(Ann) “Thank you...She’s doing better than she was before. But, thank you for letting me tell you that. Really, only Akira and Ryuji know the full situation about Shiho.”

(Dorothea) “Thank you for trusting me enough to even say all of that. Hah, I guess it’s fair to say you defied my impressions of you. I thought you were just a pretty airhead but...You’ve been through your own hell to be standing up strong. You’ve got your future on your sights and working through the blood sweat and tears to get there...Heh, it reminds me of someone I should be.”

(Ann) “How about this? We’ll help each other get to where we’re headed.”

(Dorothea) “That sounds wonderful, Ann.”

A support has been reached!

#fire emblem three houses imagines #fire emblem three houses headcanons #fe3h imagines #crossover #Persona 5 AU #ann takamaki #dorothea arnault #black eagles

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ancientphantom · 5 years ago

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BUT WE’RE NOT THROUGH YET

A Promise Kept by D.C. Renee is a 2018 contemporary romance novel about an asshole dude who appears to be intentionally torturing the object of his affections because he thinks she’s not a good person and he wants her to know how HE, a scarred man who has suffered and must wear a mask, feels. He’s gonna force her to marry him specifically so she can suffer with being unhappy forever. Apparently this becomes a romance at some point, so... hopefully he gets better?

Opera Macabre by Michelle Rodriguez is a 2015 vampire romance involving two vampires harassing the same opera singer, who is probably going to get murdered and turned into one of them when they get done fighting over who gets her first. You’d think I’d have caught this one, considering that Rodriguez is a mainstay of regular Phantom publications, but it’s here now!

Guardian Angel by Anne Rouen is the fourth in Rouen’s Master of Illusion series, and I SOMEHOW managed to miss it in spite of knowing about the first three. It’s a World War II historical romance involving the struggles between France and Germany and a young singer who has to become a soldier hunted by Nazis while struggling to remain in contact with his true love. There is apparently also a supernatural element involved?

The Phantom of the Opera: The Jeremiah Story by Jeremiah Semien is an extremely short 2010 story about a girl moving into an apartment and encountering the Phantom and his opera house. There is also something about the opera house maybe burning down? It looks like there might be a language barrier involved here.

Death is the Cool Night by Libby Sternberg is a 2013 psychological mystery set in the 1940s involving a tortured composer who has blackouts and isn’t sure if he has committed rumors or if the beautiful soprano he worships did it, and of course we’ve got love triangles and destroyed careers due to tragic injuries and opera productions plagued by deadly mishaps.

Only the Dead Know Burbank by Bradford Tatum is a 2016 novel about a girl who may or may not be a zombie deciding to go to Hollywood in the wake of the world wars and become the secret behind-the-scenes genius who creates the classic horror films The Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, and Frankenstein, complete with Lon Chaney as a character but our zombie protagonist, of course, the true Phantom. There is almost certainly a layer of satire involved.

Gabriella’s Voice by Michael J. Vaughn is the 2000 contemporary story of a rich dude who travels the country seeking out new young opera singers with potential and giving them large sums of money to start their careers, fueled by the SORROWS of his mysterious yet angsty past. He of course runs into a singer who is so amazing that he can’t just leave, though, and gets entwined in her career. We have both a non-traditional romance (the book suggests it hardly qualifies as romance at all) and a large age gap here, things that we often don’t get in these retellings.

The Opera Singer by P.J. Werner is a 2015 retelling of the story transplanted to Victorian England, where an orphaned opera singer comes within reach of her dream of being a prima donna only to be torn between her love for a childhood friend and a mysterious, grumpy stranger who may or may not have committed some murders possibly.

Fractured Light by Ashley Jane Wigfield is a 2011 suspense romance involving a young girl who is swept away to the Paris opera to attempt to achieve her dreams of becoming a star, only to discover that he might actually be kind of dangerous and involved in some bad shit, and also her childhood friend has just returned and really likes her and would kind of like to rescue her from said bad shit, once he figures it out. There appear to be secret societies involved in addition to your general murders and secrets.

I hope everyone involved this brief journey into Phantom Literature I Failed to Round Up. This is an ever-evolving project and I love all of you for caring about it and also sometimes sending me emails that try very politely to tell me I forgot about something important.

#phantom of the opera #the phantom library

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jackredfieldwasmyjacob · 5 years ago

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TOP 3 GALA 10

GOD I MISSED OT AND I MISSED THESE POSTS. Here is last gala’s post (8 fucking weeks ago it’s unreal)

Anyways, that was a ride. This edition is becoming more and more surrealist as it goes on, but it’s also become the most iconic edition for sure. So, they are back in the Academy, of course with some restrictions, one of them being there’s no live audience, and also the dancers have to wear masks at all times which is really really weird. But, the funniest thing is, they filled the place where the audience would be with plants, they say each week there’s gonna be a theme, and this week was nature. And also, they selected some fans to be like a “virtual audience” that every two seconds pulled off giant signs about their faves and stuff like that; and you could send claps and cheers so they can put them after a performance. It was all very bizarre.

About the gala itself, it was heartbreaking, as Gèrard was the expulsed one (still very very pissed, I can’t even wrap my head around it, I refuse to accept it), and the nominations were stupid, but oh well. It was also really emotional, especially for me for various things I’ll talk about, and it was also really shown that the show has become basically a shipping fest at this point, we had shipping for days:

-They talked about the Flamantha (Flavio + Samantha)’s dinner (which was itself the peak of surrealism)

-They revealed Bruno gifted Maialen a necklace when they came back after quarantine (also they both broke up with their SO, so right now everyone is single)

-Jesús being there as a guest artist and shooting his shot so much with Nia it was unreal (he basically read a poem where he mentioned all of the singles of the contestants, and in the end, referencing Nia’s single “8 maravillas” [”8 wonders”], he said “take care of her, cause you have the 9th wonder in the Academy”; and also while he was singing he was looking directly at her). Here is his performance if you want to see it!!

-And finally, the other guest artist was Anne, y’all know how much I love her, she’s my favorite contestant and she was amazing. The thing is, her single, “Salté”, has the guitar played by Gèrard (which, in case you don’t know, is her boyfriend now), so, naturally, he had to play it here as well. They got to see each other after 4 fucking months and they couldn’t touch each other. At least Gèrard slept with her later that night :( Anyways, here is Anne’s performance if you want to see her!!! After that she said she’s working on her second single and either on an Album or an / EP, so that’s great news!!!

Okay, that was a lot, as you can see it was a busy gala lol. Anyways, let’s go to the performances:

Pillowtalk (Gèrard): I’m so proud of him, he went out with a bang. Also this was his gala for sure, not only did he sing this amazingly, he also was Anne’s guitarist and he recorded some additional voices for Nia’s performance! So yeah, he should had been a finalist, but at least he went out with this song. Also, fun fact, he is the contestant that has been the most amount of time nominated out of all OT history.

A Las Nueve (Bruno): This song is from an Uruguayan band, where he’s from, and I honestly really liked it. Also, I loved loved loved the five girls in the Academy being the girls in the song, and how each one had their different personalities and how Bruno interacted with them, just *chefs kiss*. I liked the Second Mic Pass more, tho, and he’s nominated this week, and likely to be the next expulsed cause he’s up against Flavio :(

Sueños Rotos (Samantha): I can’t get over how much this song SLAPS! It’s one of those songs I used to listen in my childhood and had nearly forgotten about, but this week brought it back to life and it’s honestly one of the best sad songs ever, it’s so good. Also, Samantha sung it in front of the original singer, Natalia Jiménez, singer of La Quinta Estación (she was the woman they kept showing), and that needs some guts. But I prefered way more when she sung it in Iván’s group class. See, each week there’s one 2h acting class with all of the contestants, and they are the best classes ever. This week they had to perform their songs helped by the other contestants to set a particular tone or scene, and Samantha’s was really emotional [she starts singing at 30:40]. She was nominated but later saved by the other contestants.

3. PART TIME LOVER - EVA

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Here is the original song, by Stevie Wonder :)

Eva has never been one of my favorite contestants, and still isn’t, but this last week has grown on me a lot, seeing how caring she was with Gèrard and how much she mentioned Anne. Even this afternoon, in her acting class, she told Iván that she believed Anne and Gèrard were the best voices this edition, and she couldn’t believe how they had been expulsed. Me neither, Eva, me neither. Anyway, she was so herself in this performance, it was her best in the contest since Gala 0 for sure. If she continues like this, she might be a clear finalist. She was nominated for whatever reason, but later saved by the teachers.

2. MAN DOWN - ANAJU

youtube

Here is the original song, by Rihanna :)

As she once said, “la diosa a la que yo le rezo” (”the goddess I pray to”). Look at her. She’s fucking gorgeous. I get the feeling I always talk about how good she looks but I still can’t get over how beautiful she is, both in the outside and in the inside. She’s a true queen, and in this performance she was impeccable, she screams finalist I tell you, especially now that she is the only one of my 3 faves that’s still on the program.

1. SARGENTO DE HIERRO - MAIALEN

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Here is the original song, by Morgan :)

Gala 10 is officially the Pamplona Gala cause holy shit the power from that city is immense. In OT 2017, Amaia sung one of her best songs, “Soñar Contigo”; in OT 2018, Natalia sung her best song, “The Scientist”; and in OT 2020, yesterday Maialen sung the second best song of the edition, for me equal to “Who Run The World” (and let’s not forget Anne, who’s also from Pamplona and sung “Salté”!). Like holy shit Maialen. Holy shit. Let’s start with the song, cause I love Morgan and I love “Sargento de Hierro” (”Steel Sergeant”), for me is one of the most heart-wrenching songs there has ever been written, it talks about time and the effect it has on people, and it’s so fucking powerful, every time I hear it I get teary eyed. A lot of people have covered it, cause again, it’s fucking amazing, like Andrés Suárez, my favorite Spanish singer; and OT 2018 contestants Sabela Ramil (in Twitter, sorry) and Alba Reche; but Maialen just puts her own personal magic in there, making it absolutely spectacular. Simply spectacular. On Monday, while rehearsing at the stage, Gèrard started crying after she sung; and the same thing happened in the gala, everybody ended up crying but Gèrard looked absolutely demolished, they had to stop the interview with Flavio, the next one to sing, to ask him if he was okay. That’s the power of Maialen, who is for me a clear finalist, and could even end in the final top 3. After all, no OT is complete without someone from Pamplona in the top 3. No, but really, she was stellar, and everytime she sung it during the Mic Passes and all she created this same magic. I personally really liked her performance during the group class with Iván [she starts singing at 1:02:15], where the rest of the contestants had to pretend to be dead and she had to pass through their lifeless bodies. It was a lot. Anyways, stan Maialen.

And that was all, wow that was a lot, sorry, but it’s been 8 weeks since I’ve done this. Wow. Anyways, this week’s nominees are Flavio and Bruno, I’ll be saving Bruno as we all know Flavio is gonna stay and I just don’t wanna see Flavio win by a landslide, Bruno doesn’t deserve it. They are both singing their singles, so that will be interesting!

#vivitalksot #ot #operacion triunfo #ot 2020

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blackkudos · 5 years ago

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Sherri Shepherd

Sherri Evonne Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, and television personality. She has appeared in several TV shows in recurring roles, and starred as Ramona Platt on the ABC sitcom Less than Perfectfrom 2002 to 2006, for which she was well received and was nominated for the BET Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005.

From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host on The View, for which she received multiple Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning one in 2009. In 2009, she starred in a sitcom of her own on Lifetime, Sherri, which was cancelled after one season, and also published the novel Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break. In 2012, she appeared as a celebrity contestant on the fourteenth season of Dancing with the Stars. Shepherd started hosting the game show Best Ever Trivia Show on the Game Show Network on June 10, 2019.

Early life

Shepherd was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of LaVerne (d. 1991) and Lawrence A. Shepherd (born c. 1947), a church deacon. She is the eldest of three sisters.

Career

Shepherd first became recognized for recurring roles on the sitcoms Suddenly Susan, Everybody Loves Raymond and The Jamie Foxx Show in the late 1990s, before starring in the show Less Than Perfect in the lead role of Ramona Platt from 2002–2006. From 2007 – 2013, she had a recurring role as Angie, the wife of character Tracy Jordan, on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. In 2009, she starred for one season in Lifetime Television's Sherri, a sitcom about Shepherd's life. She played Daphne in several episodes of How I Met Your Mother in 2013. As of 2017, Shepherd plays Anne Flatch in NBC's mockmumentary legal-comedy series Trial & Error.

In addition to her film and television work, Shepherd appeared on Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical production of Cinderella in 2013.

Television personality

Shepherd has appeared as a guest host and contestant on several television shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Rachael Ray, and To Tell The Truth. Shepherd also hosted Nickelodeon's NickMom Night Out special from 2013–14, Shepherd currently hosts Best Ever Trivia Show on the Game Show Network. The show premiered on June 10, 2019.

She co-hosted the 35th Daytime Emmy Awards on June 20, 2008.

In 2006, Shepherd was a frequent guest co-host on ABC's The View. She became a permanent co-host from 2007 to 2014. She received several awards for her work on the show. Since leaving The View in 2014, Shepherd has continued to make several appearances on the show as a guest host and "lead contributor" throughout 2015 and 2016.

Shepherd was criticized after one 2007 broadcast of The View. The show was often filmed "live", with little or no editing. She stated she did not "believe in evolution. Period." Co-host Whoopi Goldberg asked her, "Is the world flat?" Shepherd responded, "I don't know," and expanded that she "never thought about it". Shepherd later referred to her statement as a "brain fart" brought on by nerves. Barbara Walters and Shepherd talked after that episode: Walters said, "Dear, the Earth is round", and Shepherd responded with: "Barbara, I know that!"

Similar criticism erupted after the December 4, 2007, broadcast of The View when, during a discussion initiated by Joy Behar about Epicurus, Shepherd attempted to assert that Christians existed in classical Greece, and that the Greeks threw them to the lions. When confronted on this point, she further claimed that "Jesus came first" (before Greeks and Romans) and stated, "I don't think anything predated Christians", to which Joy Behar responded: "The Jews."

Shepherd garnered criticism after admitting to never voting partly due to her upbringing as a strict Jehovah's Witness. She was quoted as saying that she just "never knew the dates or anything"; she stated, "I've never voted for anything in my life." In January 2008, Sherri referred to Gospel singer Shirley Caesar as "the black Patti LaBelle." LaBelle, like Caesar, is black.

Sherri said, "I was taught not to confront and interrupt people, but that's what I do every day on The View."

In 2008, she created controversy on The View due to "flippant" remarks regarding abortion. She later clarified, saying her remarks weren't meant to be flippant but rather inspire other women who may be dealing with guilt after abortions. She cited having multiple abortions in her 20s, suffering from shame and guilt from those experiences, later converting to Christianity.

On November 6, 2019, Shepherd was unmasked as the Penguin on the second season of The Masked Singer.

Dancing with the Stars

In March 2012, Shepherd participated as a celebrity contestant on the fourteenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Her dance partner was Val Chmerkovskiy. The team lasted several weeks.

Businesswoman

As of 2015, a project includes a line of wigs and hair add-ins.

Writing

Shepherd wrote the book Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break, published in October 2009. Shepherd also has a co-author credit on Plan D: How to Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes, published in 2013.

Charity

Sherri raises funds for the YAI Sherri Shepherd "Believe in Abilities" Fund.

YAI supports people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities in achieving the fullest life possible by creating new opportunities for living, loving, working, and learning. YAI is a network of agencies with programs that empower and enhance the lives of thousands of people we support and their families.

In 2011, Shepherd offered to pay six months' rent and utilities of homeless former American Gladiators star Debbie Clark (Storm).

Personal life

Shepherd was married to Jeff Tarpley from 2001 to 2010.

TV writer Lamar Sally proposed to Shepherd on December 26, 2010. They married in August 2011 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, and in September 2012, Shepherd said the couple was searching for a surrogate in order to have a child. Sally filed for separation on May 2, 2014, and Shepherd filed for divorce days later. In July 2014, Sally petitioned a Los Angeles court for full legal and physical custody of the child expected via surrogacy, who was born in August 2014. On April 21, 2015, a Pennsylvania court ruled Shepherd is the legal parent of a child born from a surrogate mother.

Shepherd has type 2 diabetes after having had pre-diabetes for years.

Shepherd is a devout Christian.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Award and Nominations

2008 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2009 Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2011 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2012 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2013 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2014 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

People's Choice Award Nomination

2013 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

Screen Actors Guild Award Nomination

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Precious (Shared with rest of cast)

Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award Nomination

2009 Nomination for Best Ensemble, Precious (Shared with all cast members)

Boston Society of Film Critics Award

2009 Award for Best Ensemble Cast (Precious)

Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Nomination

2010 Nomination for Best Acting Ensemble, Precious (Shared with rest of cast)

Black Reel Award Nomination

2010 Nomination for Best Ensemble Cast, Precious (Shared with rest of cast)

BET Comedy Award Nomination

2005 Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Less than Perfect)

NAACP Image Awards and Nominations

2009 Award for Outstanding Talk Series (The View)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Sherri)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Series (The View)

2011 Award for Outstanding Talk Series (The View)

Gracie Award

2010 Award for Leading Actress in a Comedy Series (Sherri)

Braveheart Award

2010 Powerful Women in Hollywood Award

#04/22

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 years ago

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I’m a total mess and have no idea what I’m doing with my life so in honor of that: would you please recommend any historical romances with messy bitch heroines? I’m looking for lovable characters who just really don’t have it together. Thank you so much!!

Awwww I get you--I never know what I'm doing, so I also enjoy these types.

When A Girl Loves An Earl by Elisa Braden--I will say, in general, Elisa Braden does a great job with messy, romcom-y heroines. But Viola is the gold standard. Desperately lays traps for this Scottish man before just attacking him at a public gathering.... without realizing that he is Scottish. Excellent.

When A Scot Ties the Knot by Sarah MacLean--I really like this one because the heroine, while practical in many ways, gets in way over her head and poses nude for a painting by her lover, and then has to like... steal the painting back... Fortunately, she's now the ward of a giant Scottish duke guy.

Wicked in His Arms by Stacy Reid--This is the one where the heroine is looking for a husband and staying as the guest of this cold earl who haaaates her. And then they spontaneously fuck in a closet. So. Mess.

How to Marry A Marquess by Stacy Reid--The heroine has been in love with the hero for years, but he insists they stay just friends because he thinks she can't handle his baggage, among other things. He's very rebellious and Social Justice duke and she's kinda flighty. Her bright idea is to ask him to help her seduce "another man", which leads to her getting eaten out in a moving carriage.

The Bride Goes Rogue by Joanna Shupe--Not quite as messy as the next book in the series (The Duke Gets Even, out in January) but still messy. The heroine has been a perfect girl for a year, waiting for her arranged marriage to happy--and plot twist, the hero reveals he has noooo intention of marrying her. She gets pissed as hell and says fuck it all, goes to a masked sex party and hooks up with a man--and who do you think that man is? WHO COULD IT BE???

When the Duke Was Wicked by Lorraine Heath--I think this heroine is messy in a quieter way... but that shit is real. She's a debutante out on the scene and asks a family friend she's always been in love with (duke, widower, lost his wife and child to fever and has become a dissolute rake To Cope) to help her find a good husband. Even though she knows he ~can't love her and she won't accept a marriage without love, they get into a "well a guy who loved you would do THIS" situationship. The famous "I want to taste rum on lips" book.

The Earl I Ruined by Scarlett Peckham--Flighty gossip girl heroine spreads rumors about her brother's uptight best friend, not realizing he's been in love with her for years. To save his reputation, she offers to fake an engagement. Turns out he's a dom, whoops!

The Rake Gets Ravished by Sophie Jordan--I love the heroine in this one because she's just making it up as she goes along. She sneaks into the hero's room to steal documents he won off her brother gambling away. He catches her and in order to distract him she fucks him. Chaos ensues.

The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes by Eva Leigh--Heroine has always been good but wants to walk on the wild side before she marries. Enlists a rake to show her the city. The hero is very himbo, the heroine is letting her hair down. Eva Leigh uses the word "cunt" which is my favorite word for sex parts of any gender.

The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels & The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton--If you like some fantasy in your historical romance, these books are excellent. The heroine of the first book is a bit more obviously messy, whereas the heroine of the second... is a proper girl who acts out, and early (quickly gives it up to a pirate). So good, so funny, so whimsical.

After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne Long--Heroine is a 25 year old opera singer who's fresh off a situation in which two men duel for her favor, and ends up in an enemies to lovers sexual tension situation with an uptight 42 year old duke who doesn't approve of her naughty behavior... until he does. Good if you're in a Lana Del Rey mood.

The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe--Rebellious headstrong spoiled rich girl heroine wants to open a casino for women and enlists a hot casino owner to help her open one. He has ulterior motives due to her father being his secrete enemy. Mutual masturbation at a peep show ensues.

#romance novel blogging #book recs

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the-stark-bunch · 6 years ago

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List of Kids

Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark: Tony Stark’s oldest adopted son. Adopted at age five when his aunt and uncle were killed over the research that gave him his Spider abilities in the same fashion as his mother and father.. Serves as the hero Spider-Man and Iron Spider.

Harlen Tyler “Harley” Keener-Stark: Tony Stark’s second adopted son. Adopted at age 10 when his mother passed away. Has an arc reactor for a heart after unable to find a heart downer when told his Cardiomyopathy would kill him Serves part time as Successor, becoming the successor to the War Machine and Iron Man tittle (though the public still calls him Iron Lad).

Riri Williams: The successor to the Iron Man mantle along with Harley known as Iron Heart. Tony loves her as though she were his own daughter, making her Peter and Harley’s surrogate sister.

Cassandra Eleanor "Cassie" Lang: Daughter of Scott Lang, Ant Man. Her step mother is Hope Van-Dyne, The Wasp and daughter of the original Ant Man and Wasp. She is secretly operating as the hero Stature with the help of Tony Stark, her godfather and uncle. She has Congenital heart disease that was mysteriously cured for a reason her parents are not aware of.

Shuri: Princess of Wakanda and the second Black Panther, also known as Aja-Adanna. Works with Tony very often in the labs, and has developed a close friendship with Riri, Peter and Harley.

Ned Leeds: Peter, Harry And Gwen S’s best friend since diapers. Got a Stark Internship at the end of sophomore year and started dating Betty Brant.

Yukio: accidentally stumbled into her Stark Internship and a relationship with Wade’s friend Ellie. Became good friends with everyone else who lives/works in SI.

Nathaniel Richards: The part time Iron Lad and foster son of Reed Richards.

Elizabeth “Betty” Brant: Ned’s girlfriend and one of Harley’s best friends. The drummer in MJ’s band and one of the only people (along with Ned, Flash and Yukio) who knows about everyone at SI’s secret identities.

Michell Jones: Peter and Ned’s other friend, though she’s closer with Harley who has the same kind of sarcasm as her. Black Lives Matter, Feminist and LGBT Rights. Has a band called The Mary Janes where she is lead singer, Betty is on drums, and Gwen S is the guitarist.

Harry Osborn: Almost a bigger feminist than Michell. The son of Norman Osborn and future owner of Oscorp. Peter, Ned, Gwen S and Harley’s childhood friend.

Gwendolyn “Gwen” Maxine Stacy: Harry’s best friend, as well as Peter and Ned’s. Daughter of the Captain of the NYPD and trained Jr Officer. Secretly the masked vigilante Ghost Spider who is deeply hated by the public and her father.

Eugene “Flash” Thompson: Used to bully Peter, Ned and Harley until Harry and MJ put him in his place. Now he’s good friends with them all, and extremely protective over Harley.

Wade Wilson-Howlett: resident pansexual and one man pride parade. Attends the same STEM school as everyone else, despite being no where near qualified. Adopted son of a history teacher at the school in Westchester that he got kicked out of. Had cancer growing up to the point that doctors said he wouldn’t live to see 16 (he proved them wrong).

Gwendolyn "Gwen" Poole: Seemingly normal girl who works at a McDonald’s in Brooklyn and is the best friend is Miles Morales. At first they believe that Gwen is simply Miles’s best friend and madly in love with Gwen Stacy, but when caught in crossfire they realize she has the regenerative mutant gene just like the Howletts. After her parents and brother are supposedly killed by Ghost Spider, she is fostered by Logan.

Liz Allan: Daughter of The Vulture, a villain Peter fought in freshman year. Really popular and smart. One Harley’s best friend’s (along with Flash, Betty and MJ).

Edward Charles Allan “Eddie” Brock: President of the journalism club at the school with Peter as vice prez. A really sweet guy, but a bisexual disaster at the same time. He got cancer in freshman year, but it disappeared entirely right after Peter met the latest villain Venom...

Miles Morales: A boy in Laura’s class who she later discovers to be the kid Peter is mentoring. He is slated to take over the Spider-Man title. He is currently known as Arachnid or Kid Archnid. Due to his father being the captain of the Brooklyn Police Force he grew up knowing George and Gwen Stacy. He went to the police academy early with Gwen S, and is the only one who knows that she is the Ghost Spider.

Anne Weying: Eddie’s ex and his best friend. Really smart, but doesn’t know how to keep out of bad situations. Almost as popular as Liz, and after her leaving the school, took her place in the power vacuum.

Dan Lewis: Anne’s boyfriend who attends the school with everyone so that he can take as many medical field classses as he can. Wants to become a doctor, but is willing to put his hard work on hold to help a friend in need.

Laura Howlett: Wade’s sister who also attends the STEM school. Has the same sarcasm and pride as her father and brother. Very little patience and is mostly mute due to the pain she feels when she speaks. When she does speak, it is usually in Spanish.

T’Challa: Tired king doing his best to take care of his sister in America when he can. Is engaged to Ororo Munroe, though no one besides he and Shuri know.

Ellie Phimister: Yukio’s girlfriend and Wade’s friend from his old school.

Viv Vision: The Vision’s daughter. She gets back from her tour of the world and decides to start working at SI.

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mst3kproject · 6 years ago

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The Hideous Sun Demon

Have you ever wondered what would be the exact opposite of a werewolf? Apparently writer/star Robert Clarke did, and as his answer, he made The Hideous Sun Demon. Nan Peterson from Girls Town is in it, and Patrick Whyte from Kitten with a Whip, and William White (no relation as far as I know) from The Human Duplicators. There’s a Rifftrack available, too, so this one is officially more than qualified.

We hit the ground running, as a man is wheeled into an ambulance after a nuclear accident. This guy turns out to be Dr. Gilbert McKenna, a scientist of some description, who lost consciousness after spilling a jar of radioactive isotopes. A couple of days later, and he seems to be just fine – he’s feeling well enough to sexually harass the nurses – until he goes out in the sunshine. Rather than just giving him a tan and a bracing dose of Vitamin D, the sun’s rays de-evolve him, transforming him into a lizard monster! The condition reverses in darkness, so McKenna takes to sleeping during the day and only going out at night, but a secret like that can’t be kept forever – especially after his scaly alter-ego commits a murder.

Wow. This movie is terrible. The acting is awful, with everybody sounding like they’re reading their lines off cards. Clarke is one of the better actors in the movie as long as he’s playing low-key. When he’s supposed to be freaking out and crying, he takes it way too far, right over the edge into comical. The actors playing the other scientists always come across like they have no idea what the words they’re saying actually mean, and certainly don’t know how much of it is dead wrong. A scene in which McKenna is beaten up by some thugs outside a bar is so badly choreographed, it’s laughable.

We don’t really know McKenna at all. When we first meet him, he’s just been irradiated and is unconscious on a gurney. We are told that he’s an alcoholic and we see him try to flirt with the nurse, but really we only ever see him as the depressed guy terrified of turning into a lizard. If we knew more about him, we could sympathize with him better and feel his downward spiral more keenly. The one quick piece of background we get actually undercuts his character arc – if he’s already an alcoholic, then we have no baseline for his drinking over the rest of the movie. I think we’re supposed to believe it’s getting worse, but we don’t know.

The worst casualty of this lack of background is the nature of McKenna’s relationship with his colleague Anne Russell. We get the idea that Russell cares for McKenna very much – she worries about him constantly, and another character reminds her that she views him ‘through rose-coloured glasses’. Are they romantically involved? The first time I watched the movie I got that impression, and yet then he goes off to pursue Trudy the lounge singer. Is Anne’s love supposed to be unrequited? Are they awkward work exes? Does he deliberately dump her so she won’t be burdened by his sauranthropy? The script never deals with any of this.

Since most of the movie is set at night, the lighting is terrible – darkness and dark filters make it difficult to tell what’s going on in the outdoor scenes, and the crappy film stock doesn’t help, either. In order to make sure we know this is all happening at night, the foley guys have dubbed in lots and lots of cricket noises… which brings us to the sound, which is so bad that it’s sometimes hard to tell what people are saying. The music is often hauntingly familiar, consisting of public domain tracks we’ve heard in several of these old monster movies before – in particular I’m sure I’ve heard the song Strange Pursuit in another movie, but googling it turns up very few results.

The lizard-man is… not great. The mask is about as good as anything from the fifties, and fairly elaborate, with lots of individual scales and teeth and extra makeup for Clarke’s chest and hands, so he can run around with his shirt open. In other movies the cheese factor of the monster suit is minimized by a lot of lurking in the shadows, and the makers of The Hideous Sun Demon have handicapped themselves quite badly by having a creature that must appear in full sunlight. We get a nice clear look at stuff like the seam where the costume head meets the chest, or the wrinkles where it bends at the elbows.

And yet… for all that… I kind of like this movie. The idea of a reverse werewolf, a creature that transforms and kills by daylight, tickles my sense of humour – but it’s an interesting concept on other levels, too. It invites us, for example, to think about why night is the traditional time for monsters. This is such a truism that it’s rarely even put into words. Everybody knows that Evil People Only Come Out At Night, and when we do think about it, the reason why seems obvious: night-time is when things like wolves and sabre-tooth tigers used to come out and gnaw on the unwary among our ancestors. We’re still here because the survivors passed on genes that made them afraid of the dark.

This means that a man who transforms into a monster by day is a very different creature from the traditional were-animal. Werewolves, who change only under the moon, can lead a normal life while partially, or even wholly, unaware of their affliction. Darkness is anonymity. McKenna doesn’t get to be anonymous. He literally has the full light of day on his problem.

Because darkness is anonymity, it is a time for monsters in another, only slightly less literal way: night-time is when an awful lot of crime happens, because there are less likely to be any witnesses. Again, this is very relevant to creatures like werewolves and vampires, creatures of the night – their activities can go unseen because of this lack of witnesses. It’s also important for Gil, but in a different way. He cannot be a creature of the day, because it brings out the monster in him. He is therefore forced to be a creature of the night, and must keep company with other creatures of the night, such as Trudy and her gangster boyfriend.

Trudy is an interesting character, in that she represents both knowledge and innocence. She hangs out with criminals and, rather astonishingly for a movie of this vintage, is presented quite frankly as sexually promiscuous. McKenna takes her out to the beach and it is heavily implied that they had sex there before he ran off at sunrise so she wouldn’t see him transform, and later dialogue tells us that this is not her first such encounter with a near-stranger! It’s not fully explicit, but it’s still perfectly clear, and this is possibly the one thing the movie does well. At the same time, what McKenna finds attractive about her is that she doesn’t know his secret. She’s innocent of the terrible truth and interacts with him on that level.

I still don’t know what the relationship between McKenna and Russell was supposed to be, but McKenna’s pursuit of Trudy makes sense on this level, even if we assume he and Russell were all but married. He can’t bear to be around Russell because she knows and that will colour how she treats him no matter how much she loves him. Furthermore, every time he notices a difference between her behaviour before and her behaviour now, it will remind him of his condition, which he desperately wants to forget. Trudy’s ignorance is therefore one of the most attractive things about her.

After Lizard-McKenna kills her boyfriend, Trudy vanishes from the movie. She was probably the one who called the police, but we never see her again or find out what she thought of the whole thing. This is disappointing because Trudy’s feelings toward McKenna have changed several times over the course of the film – from infatuation to rage to pity and back to infatuation again. I would have liked to see some sort of conclusion to this. If Trudy’s innocence is the main thing McKenna sees in her, it would have been nice to see them interact again after that innocence is shattered, and what effect this change in her has on him.

Also unresolved is the effort to find a cure for McKenna’s condition. A radiation expert, Dr. Hoffman, comes to see McKenna and examines him, and says he thinks he can at least treat this condition if not cure it entirely – but this goes nowhere. The death of Glenn Manning in The Amazing Colossal Man is made extra-sad by the fact that they did have a cure, and that Glenn didn’t understand that they were trying to administer it. It’s an extension of Glenn’s own story, in which the world has not yet given up on him, but he has given up on himself. McKenna is just being chased by the cops, and sure enough, eventually they shoot him. His death is supposed to be a tragedy, but there’s nothing to give it meaning.

So while I do kind of like the ideas in this movie, the execution of them leaves a lot to be desired. I’d actually be interested to see a remake of The Hideous Sun Demon, made by somebody with a bit more talent at writing (and directing… and acting… and basically everything else). There’s gotta be something you could do with a reverse werewolf that would be way cooler than this.

#mst3k #reviews #the hideous sun demon #episodes that never were #50s #you is a warwelf

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smartgirlreporting · 6 years ago

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All the succulent asks!

burro’s tail: what was the last dream you had? It was weird? And hard to explain? I was working but my keyboard didn’t work so I had to hunt for a new one and each time I found one it broke? I don’t know, it was odd

agave: what’s your favorite time of the day? Just after sunset.

crown of thorns: are you more of a cozy rainy day or a warm sunny day? I prefer cozy rainy days, but I think my personality is closer to a warm sunny day.

sempervivum: what’s your favorite artist to listen to when you’re sad? A mix between Tim McGraw and George Straight; they were my moms favorite singers.

jade plant: what is a bird you associate yourself with? Oo, I’m not sure… I’m not big on birds so I don’t really know how similar I am to any of them. I’ve always loved doves though!

aloe: what is your favorite season and why? Autumn! I love the just cold enough for sweaters but not cold enough for heavy jackets feeling. And pumpkin patches are so great!

pussy ears: how do you take your coffee? Three creamers, two sugars.

ponytail palm: what is your favorite flavor of macaron and ice cream? Macaron: strawberries and creme Ice cream: cherry vanilla!

perle von nurnberg: what makes your heart flutter? This is so sappy, but when Romeo smiles? It’s like I can see flowers blooming and I can’t help but smile too? And it’s not just a flutter, it’s like my heart does flips. (Really anything he does makes my heart flutter but his smile especially.)

moonstones: do you have a significant other? Yes, and he’s the absolute best. I couldn’t ask for anyone better.

agavoides: what is your first plant you ever owned and does it have a name? It was a mint sprig named Richard Campbell Gansey the Fourth (listen, I’m a nerd, and Gansey had my heart for a solid month after I read the Raven Cycle the first time.)

cupid: what are five aspects you like about yourself? My determination, my dedication, …my writing? I can’t think of any others, sorry.

flapjack what are five flaws you have? My naivety, my inability to cook, my stubbornness, my insomnia, and my occasional irrational anger.

string of pearls: do you prefer soft pastels, warm neutrals, or cool darks? Soft pastels!

lavender stones: what do you look for in your significant other? Someone who cares about me and supports my work. (Bonus points if you cook, all the points if you’re Romeo because he’s all of these and more.)

black prince: are there any pets you would like to have? Lucy!! I love her so much, she loves cuddling up with me and she’s everything I could’ve asked for in a pup.

melaco: how would you describe a perfect date? I mean? Any date where we both have fun and are together is perfect?

wooly rose: what are some names that you like? All of these have personal connections to them, so I like them for those reasons, but: Darcy, William, Gulliver, Lillian, Ann Marie, and Katherine (the OG, my mom)

haworthia: are a you more of a fruit popsicle kind of person or ice cream popsicle kind of person? This just reminded me how long it’s been since I had a fruit popsicle… But ice cream, I think?

lithops: how do you spend free time by yourself? Working, usually. If I have the time to pamper myself, I’ll take a long bath with a soak of some sort and put on my favorite PJs and a face mask, then sit and drink a strawberry banana smoothie while watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Haven’t done it in a while though.

aeonium: what is your favorite tea and how do you take it? Earl Grey, three sugars. Green, three sugars and a touch of honey. And one of my coworkers makes this awesome mint tea that I just drink straight.

baby toes: what was the last book you read? Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

topsy turvy: what is the most comfortable sleeping position? Curled up cuddling with either Romeo or Crutchie, or a pillow as a close second if neither of them are available.

calico kitten: what is something valuable that you learned in your life? Be kind. Always.

cactus: how would you describe the last photo you’ve taken? Mmmmm This is the worst description ever but it’s a selfie of me looking up at the clouds and the imminent rain with the LEAST excited expression ever.

irish mint: do you like to cook or bake more? Neither because I burn everything. (Although now I can almost make waffles… Does that count as cooking or baking?)

blue elf: do you have a favorite scent? Depends on the day I think. I’ve always been a sucker for fresh ink though. Blame the writer in me.

jelly bean: do you prefer walking, driving, or biking? Walking! I love it.

california sunset: what accessory do you always have on you, no matter what? Crutchie got me this bracelet for my birthday and I wear it literally every day.

little jewel: are you an art museum or a science museum kind of person? Both? Can I have both?

painted lady: do you have cute nicknames? … I mean, depends on what ‘cute’ means? They’re all just nicknames to me and each has its own backstory.

debbie: how would you describe your handwriting? Very loopy. So many loops where there doesn’t need to be. Why do I like loops?

moonglow: how do you relieve stress? See: lithops

key lime: do you have a quirky catch phrase? I have a tendency to say “yeah, o-kay.” a lot, but I don’t know if it’s a catchphrase?

lola: do you play any instruments? if not, are there any you wish you could play?I don’t! I was fascinated by the guitar as a kid, but I never had the chance to learn it.

#long post //#romo //#uh #ask to tag?

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sillyfudgemonkeys · 7 years ago

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What's your favorite and least favorite persona battle theme?

Only including Mainline Persona games and their remakes and PQ. Not including Fighting/Dance games, the anime/movies, or P5′s DLC (I’ll have you know that I have the dancing one equip tho, both cause I like Anne and MC’s costumes and cause I like the song, even if that version of the song is slow to the hook).

Side note: these are listed mostly in order of series rather than which I like most of the favs, cause it really depends on the mood a lot of the songs are really good but have their own feel so depending on the situation I might want to listen to one instead of the other.

Regular battle theme:

Fav: Mass Destruction (any ver), Wiping All Out, and Reach Out To The Truth (I like how both P3′s are just “we’re gonna annihilate them” and we do and fits the mood of exploring a kill or be killed dungeon, and I like how P4 sticks to its theme)

Least Fav: Time to Make History.....sigh.....do I really have to explain it?

Side note: Both ver Light the Fire Up in the Night get honorable mention (I prefer the female singer on the P4 ver and the rapping on the P3 ver tho). I like Last Surprise a lot, but the hook comes in too late for me. And not a fan of Life Will Change, well like...I’m not a fan of how it overrides LS or any DLC song, LWC gets you pumped but....eh.....only really pumps me up for some of the bosses (1, 6, and maybe 7) the rest I feel like I’m going through the motions and rather have a different song.

Boss Battle (regular/bonus/special bosses) Theme:

Fav: Knights of the Holy Lance (any ver), Additional Boss Battle (P2EP PSP), Danger Zone, I’ll Face Myself, Disturbances - The One Called from Beyond

Least Fav: Will Power and Blooming Villain

Side note: “what no rivers in the desert?!” I do like that one, but tbh it feels like they overused it....esp since it was supposed to be a one boss battle song?? AND NOT the final boss????(kinda restarting each phase with Shido, and then again for the Holy Grail....like? Really? Couldn’t give the Holy Grail it’s own theme? Well I shouldn’t be surprised since you shoved Beneath the Mask down my throat with it’s overplay so whatever >.>)

Final Boss battle Theme:

Fav: Burn My Dread -last battle-, The Genesis, The Infinite. (BMD-lb- is a great call back to the OP, Genesis has the despair that wears you down and then that uplifting melody with the orchestra oh my god so beautiful, and then Infinite iirc had a nice melody that rang a similar tune to P3 and P4).

Least Fav: Both phases of Jaldabaoth, yes even the uplifting phase 2 portion, (never liked P5′s melody, at least I think that’s what it was in phase 2, cause tbh....it’s....not the most consistent melody nor is it very good imo). But I like the 2nd phase more than the 1st.

I just.....really hate P5′s OST ok? I hate it’s melody (tbh I feel like it has like.....more than one melody, but they’re pretty forgettable regardless), all the slow acid jazz all sounds the same, even some of the rock boss battles do too. P5 has the most tracks to work with, it has twice or three times as P3/4 had, and yet it still sounds like they’re only using 2/3 songs all the time. And I know all those tracks didn’t go to the dungeons, and it’s not like they’re all really good on their own (Sae’s is the only one that really stands out and felt like there was effort put into it, the rest feel like general dungeon music), and this also doesn’t include Mementos (which is a whole other just....god what were they thinking). Say what you want about Tartarus and the TV World. Sure they might not have all been amazing, but Tartarus at least slowly evolved as you went up (and if you didn’t care then ask Fuuka to change the tunes then), and the TV World were all different from each other, might’ve only been one song but they were all different and all planted themselves firmly into my brain. Yeah Palaces were all different from each other, but tbh I barely recall when they changed songs within the dungeon, and the Mementos had one freaking song and didn’t even evolve like Tartarus did (Mementos is a poor man’s Tartarus fight me).

Like....P3/4 had a lot of variety in their OSTs, to say one is only j-rap and the other is only j-pop is doing both P3/4 a disservice. Both have pop, both have rock, P4′s rocking that violin, P3′s I think rocking a synthesizer and rap, both have sad tracks that make you feel sad in different ways (P3′s “Living with Determination” is sad but is still oddly hopeful it’s almost bittersweet....it really feels like someone who is experiencing something bad and is willing to keep going with their sheer determination, while P4′s “Reverie” not only lives up to it’s musical piece’s name’s definition, being dreamlike, it also sounds like the embodiment of it’s other definition which is someone who is lost in thought/daydream....a really sad daydream but it just hits you, it feels like someone who experiencing depression and is trying to remember the happy times before breaking down. P5′s alleycat tho? Sounds like someone who is just licking their wounds, not in a sad sense, just “wow this is pitiful” on top of the fact it kinda sounds like a P4 reject song....I feel no sadness or sympathy when I hear Alleycat). Both had ominous songs for their own game. P4 also actually sounded like a detective show.

The only thing I could think about for P3/4 is that, sometimes they didn’t.....really fit the scene (mostly happened with P3 from what I remember). Like sometimes Living with Determination is great for a lot of the sad scenes, but sometimes Reverie would’ve fit better (or vice versa). Or like iirc P3′s one scene with Star the MC gets a phone call with Mamoru saying “Yo man my mom collapsed” or something, and the happy event song is still....just playing, instead of a an intense or worried or sad song (which P4 would do). XP Or like when you max out your female love interests on the male side of P3, the dorm or hangout song is playing instead of a.....more tender song choice (and I checked Tender Feelings isn’t on the male side in P3P). I mean, FeMC only changed 6-8 songs from Minato (like 2 battle songs, and 4 after school songs, with maybe 2 more school related songs), the rest of her OST is exactly the same as Minato’s....with the exception of one song. They ADDED one more song to her list and it was Tender Feelings and, it was used for....you know....tender moments, and boy did it help with the atmosphere. Just one song helped P3. And so....P3/4′s issue isn’t that it doesn’t have variety, it HAS variety, but a few extra alt songs would still work/help it out but they do pretty good for having less. P5 however, has so many songs but even less variety which....boggles my mind.

Another thing, not a point against P5 just....something I find that’s really strong in P3/4, is that P3/4′s melodies are so iconic and.....memorable, and they way they’re used.....I just find P3/4 are the kings of nostalgia. There’s just something about their songs that invoke nostalgia even if it’s not one that has one of those melody influences. Their call back game is amazing.

(Also I know Iwai and Tae’s store songs are pretty good and different but they’re wasted as store songs in all honesty, and Encounter Lovers is great but it’s used like once which is a shame....and ngl it Encounter song like if P4′s Corner of Memories, P3′s Because I will Protect you, and Catherine’s OST had a baby....which I’m fine with).

Sorry for the rant, felt like I needed to explain at least partially why I didn’t like P5′s OST. It’s not that “I don’t like Jazz” I do, but I don’t like how P5 songs like only one half-hearted Jazz song (and the other time a rock song). P3/4 have had jazz or jazz influences in their OST, and I do like Jazz in general....but P5 doesn’t sound like it’s playing Jazz, it’s just one song over and over for me.

I know I talked about P3-5, but what about P1/2 (I know I did mention a few in the boss battle portion)? I either like it or I’m neutral. A lot of songs I’m neutral on tbh, they fit but they aren’t earworms to me (a lot of P3/4′s special boss themes are like this for me). Only P5 do I get annoyed tbh.

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szzln · 6 years ago

Text

a hunnid questions

thanks for taggin me bby :) @dacremontgomerylover

1. What is your nickname? siggy, sid

2. How old are you? 19 (i don’t want to leave my teen years)

3. What is your birth month? september

4. What is your zodiac sign? virgo, yeeet

5. What is your favourite colour? blueeee (like my feelings)

6. What’s your lucky number? don’t really have one, but I like 5 and 8

7. Do you have any pets? a stray cat named Pablo and I love her dearly

8. Where are you from? australia

9. How tall are you? 5’7”

10. What shoe size are you? UK 11

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? 7?

12. Are you random? with my closest friends, yes

13. Last person you texted? my friend group chat

14. Are you psychic in any way? when i predict things, they are usually wrong so i’m going to say no

15. Last TV show watched? brooklyn nine-nine!!!

16. Favourite movie? the book of life, a walk to remember, she’s all that

17. Favourite show from your childhood? iCarly, victorious

18. Do you want children? yes but later down the track. i can’t think of kids now, i have enough brothers as it is

19. Do you want a church wedding? not a church wedding, but somewhere really nice, maybe at a really nice function hall that looks out to the lake, with a dope ass floral garden – a place that’s got them real aesthetics lmao

20. What is your religion? i believe there is a God but I try to follow the christianity values that my family follows. i definitely know i’m going to hell.

21. Have you ever been to the hospital? um yes, who hasn’t? i was born at one.

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? yes (kind of). it was one of those times where i paid for a child ticket when i just started my first year of uni (because the ticket prices for child and student concession are the same) so i thought i wasn’t going to get caught at like 7pm, when all the transport officials have finished. apparently, they hadn’t finished, so i was left with them in front of me asking for my id’s lol

23. How is life? i’m nearing the end of my first sem of second year of uni! i am so relieved that i finished my classes today. i have two essays due this weekend, i’m completely fucked over both and an exam next weekend but i’m okay! i’ve already cried over about them lmao :)

24. Baths or showers? showers all the way.

25. What colour socks are you wearing? black glitter socks

26. Have you ever been famous? if you count people saying hi to you when you don’t know their name, then yes. at school hahaha

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? i’d love to be, honestly. it sounds conceited but i’ve dreamed of being famous. when i get hate comments, i love to be witty

28. What type of music do you like? r&b yeeeet. pop, sad ballads (EXTRA POINTS IF THEY MAKE ME WEEP LIKE A FUCKING BABY)

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? omg no and probably never will

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? i sleep with one with a few rectangle cushions here and there

31. What position do you usually sleep in? on my back with my arms stretched taking up all the space. and my stomach with my leg folded up with my pillow lying vertically with me

32. How big is your house? to be honest, i don’t like talking about my living arrangements. i feel like it’s a place for me, my own private space. i’m just going to say it’s cosy.

33. What do you typically have for breakfast? whatever cereal there is, or for brunch, i’ll have whatever was last night’s dinner

34. Have you ever left the country? once to new zealand

35. Have you ever tried archery? no but i think i’ll suck at it big time. i can’t even handle a toy archery set, what makes me think i can try with an actual arrow??? lmaaoo

36. Do you like anyone? there’s this cutie, he looks like he’s the same age, maybe a little older, and he does after school care for the children at my youngest brother’s school. we have never spoken and i’d like it that way

37. Favourite swear word? fuck

38. When do you fall asleep? whenever i feel tired. or when i have a headache. or when i can’t be bothered with my school work anymore lol

39. Do you have any scars? if you hadn’t noticed, I have chicken pox scars all over my face.

40. Sexual orientation? straight (but sometimes i can’t help that people of the same sex as me are gorgeous and i wish i could be them)

41. Are you a good liar? i’d like to say so. it’s called acting

42. What languages would you like to learn? i’d love to learn spanish again. maybe italian, greek?

43. Top 10 songs? fall in line – demi x xtina be careful – cardi b drew barrymore – bryce vine 2002 – anne-marie smooth criminal – michael jackson what i need – hayley x kehlani you can cry – marshmello, james arthur, juicy j why – shawn mendes i was never there – the weeknd lovely – billie eilish x khalid

44. Do you like your country? yes

45. Do you have friends from the web? omg yes, i love them dearly

46. What is your personality type? according to the 16-personalities survey, i am an adventurer (not an ad lol)

47. Hogwarts House? according to the official Hogwarts house quiz, i’m a gryffindor but i lowkey want to be a slytherin

48. Can you curl your tongue? side to side, oui

49. Pick one fictional character you can relate to?

50. Left or right-handed? right-handed

51. Are you scared of spiders? i’d slowly walk away from spiders, buT FUCK SNAKES I’M OUT

52. Favourite food? anything that’s good.

53. Favourite foreign food? chinese

54. Are you a clean or messy person? i myself am a mess

55. If you could switch your gender for a day, what would you do? look at my new genitals

56. What colour underwear? grey

57. How long does it take for you to get ready? abouts an hour

58. Do you have much of an ego? i’d like to stay grounded for as long as possible

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? both

60. Do you talk to yourself? yes, quietly.

61. Do you sing to yourself? is that even a question, of course i do.

62. Are you a good singer? i’m decent.

63. Biggest Fears? snakES AND CROWDED PLACES FUCK ME UP

64. Are you a gossip? uni has me wary of what people say and what headlines i see online. i won’t believe it until proven.

65. Are you a grammar Nazi? i sat here for a minute before I answered these questions correcting ‘favorite’ to ‘favourite’ and ‘color’ to ‘colour’. but i don’t think I’d point out something unless it was written on paper in person?

66. Do you have long or short hair? medium. my hair is growing and is a happy lass

67. Can you name all 50 states of America? i can probably name like 10, i’m not american

68. Favourite school subject? music practices was fun af

69. Extrovert or Introvert? introvert 100%

70. Have you ever been scuba diving? probably not, i’m scared of accidentally sucking in the mask for the oxygen or the oxygen tank failing

71. What makes you nervous? crowded places and cute guys

72. Are you scared of the dark? no. i love the dark and i get pissed when a room is too bright.

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? i question them whether it’s right or not to see if they’d pick up on it or lecture me on said topic

74. Are you ticklish? i hate that i am

75. Have you ever started a rumour? who has the energy to though?

76. Have you ever been out of your home country? yes. i’ve answered this (so basically there’s 99 qs mwuahaha)

77. Have you ever drank underage? omg no. my parents would have whooped my ass

78. Have you ever done drugs? prescription drugs, yes.

79. What do you fantasize about? me being in a relationship

80. How many piercings do you have? only my hears. i would like a nose piercing soon

81. Can you roll your R’s? okurrrrrrr

82. How fast can you type? i don’t even know

83. How fast can you run? bruh. i don’t run at all (unless if it was for the bus, then maybe)

84. What colour is your hair? black at roots, and then brown and then washed out green

85. What colour are your eyes? brown

86. What are you allergic to? nothinnnn’

87. Do you keep a journal? i try to, but like I forget lol

88. Are you depressed about anything? my life? myself?

89. Do you like your age? yes.

90. What makes you angry? slow walkers, people who are closed minded, people who think feminism is a bunch of sexist, man-hating screaming women (although urban dictionary’s multiple definitions on feminism makes me howl of laughter), people who have a chip on their shoulder for no reason

91. Do you like your own name? i’ve grown to like it.

92. Did you ever get a foreign object up your nose? okay so this happened when i was like between 4 and 6. it was either before or after christmas and i was at my grandparents’ house because they were watching me while my parents were out. for me at that age, i was always bored, so i decided to remove the cushions from the single chair i was sitting on. i found these two little plastic balls that must have come off some christmas decorations and i wanted to see if it could fit up my nose. it did. until i decided to push it up further to the point it got stuck and i started crying for my aunty to help me take it out. she didn’t help me and told me that i needed to get it out myself because it was my own wrongdoing LMAAO

93. Do you want a boy or a girl for a child? why not have both?

94. What talents do you have? i can crack my elbow the way we crack our knuckles, does that count?

95. Sun or moon? moon

96. How did you get your name? my parents had already decided on the name ‘angel’ for me lol. but apparently when i was born, to my mum she looked at me and was immediately was like “sigalu!” (pronounced si-nguh-lou) and so she called my great-grandfather (mum’s mum’s dad) to ask if she could name me after my nana, and voila :) (the name is sacred and can only be given permission to use it).

97. Are you religious? i try to be a good child of God

98. Have you ever been to a therapist? no but i think i should

99. Colour of your bedspread? dark-beige

100. Colour of your room? an ugly off-white colour

#get to know me #me #personal

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