#my favorite vincent film ever

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

These guys, I swear... 😆

Vincent Price and Peter Lorre

The Comedy of Terrors (1964) dir. Jacques Tourneur

[saucy-mesothelioma]

October 29th: Meso's Honorable Mentions | Child's Play

Child's Play was released in 1988 and was directed by Tom Holland (no not that Tom Holland). On his sixth birthday, Andy Barclay (played by Alex Vincent) gets the toy he so desperately wanted: a Good Guy Doll. The boy is naturally ecstatic, but his mother Karen (Catherine Hicks) becomes wary when peculiar things begin happening, such as Andy claiming the doll is talking to him and doing things around the house. It isn't until Andy mentions the recently-deceased serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) that Karen begins to believe that not only is her son telling the truth, but that there is something far darker going on beneath the surface.

While the majority of horror franchises have ignored or retconned various aspects of their past films, the Child's Play series is one of the very few that has maintained a rather consistent storyline throughout all seven of its films and even into its TV series (although fans of the franchise such as myself will tell you that it is definitely not without it's flaws). The movies vary greatly in tone and style, although they stick true to the comedic presence that has been present in the film series since the beginning. The thing that probably endears most to the franchise including myself is the fact that the Child's Play series has always been a sort of family affair, both in a figurative sense and a literal one: the majority of the cast and crew have stuck with the series since the beginning and even Brad Dourif's own daughter Fiona Dourif would go on to star in several of the later films as well as the television show. Child's Play is also considered one of the most queer-friendly franchises in horror as well, primarily due to the fact that the creator of the series Don Mancini himself is gay.

I could not find any platforms where you can watch it for free.

Content Warnings for the Film (may contain spoilers): violence, sexual assault (interrupted), jumpscares

Once again, get ready for some behind the scenes info because this movie is absolutely top-notch when it comes to its practical effects.

Although Don Mancini described Chucky's look in his script that were then made into sketches by producer David Kirschner, we have special effects artist Kevin Yagher (who had previously worked on Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and several Nightmare on Elm Street movies) to thank for bringing Chucky to life (he also met and married Catherine Hicks [Karen Barclay] while working with this franchise, and they're still together today. I just thought that was sweet). In total there were nine different animatronics used for Chucky, each having their own specific purposes such as walking, gestures, and even flailing around. Usually groups of nine would work on one animatronic with one guy operating the eye movement and eye lids, another doing eyebrows, ect. One of my favorite things about the Chucky animatronics are the fact that as Chucky becomes more and more human, so does the doll he's trapped in. The plastic sheen becomes more fleshy, his eyes more sunken, and it even gain's Ray's receding hairline. When Chucky wasn't an animatronic, he was played by Ed Gale, who wore suit and did a fantastic job attempting to replicate the movements of the animatronics. Also just a fun fact Chris Sarandon, who played Detective Mike Norris in this film, also played Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride and voiced Jack fucking Skellington. If you want to see more behind the scenes info, please check out this video on it.

[oneinathousand]

I recently got the 1995 book Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and Horror Cinema by Mark A. Miller and decided to put together some of my favorite quotes. I bought the first edition because it was cheaper, but the second edition had some revisions and expansions, what exactly was different I don't know (I'm sure it addressed Lee's big explosion in popularity in the early 2000's among other things), but there's still lots and lots of interesting material in here; plus, to my surprise the copy I got was signed by the author himself back in 1995, so that's pretty cool.

Anyway, here's some quotes for ya:

These first two quotes are Vincent Price talking about Lee and Cushing which I thought were absolutely darling. Here's the one about Lee:

Everybody told me that he was rather stiff and unbending and not very funny. Well, we screamed with laughter from the minute we shook hands until now. We get along just like mad... write each other rude notes and funny letters and telegrams and postcards and, you know, anything we can find that we know will tickle one another. He's one of the few actors in my life that I have stayed in touch with, strangely enough. If you get him on a subject that he likes, he's very warm and vibrant. I think he's got a wonderful sense of humor, but I don't think everybody knows how to get at it. For some reason or other we strike each other as funny, and it's wonderful fun to be with him.

Here's him about Cushing:

He's nothing like Christopher Lee because Peter's a very wiry, little fellow. But Peter is one of the strongest men I ever knew in my life. I had to do several fight scenes with him [in Madhouse]. My God! He can throw you! He doesn't fake it at all. Nobody warned me about this, and I was sort of battered and bruised. He's a very realistic and very serious-minded actor. I like Peter very much, and I hear from him always at Christmas. On our birthdays we send each other the funniest cards we can find too. He's a very gentle, sweet man. I am very, very fond of him.

Cushing was, in fact, not a little man, but of course Price would have seen him as one from his perspective lol... The part about Cushing apparently being incredibly strong is pretty wild considering Price was referring to him during the making of Madhouse, when he had spent the last 2-ish years losing a lot of weight, smoked like a chimney (the book mentions at one point that he could smoke up to 50-60 cigarettes a day before he quit), was a vegetarian, and was in his early 60's. If he was strong enough to toss Price's tall ass around like a rag doll then (which is a very funny mental image), how strong was he during his prime???

Here's a description of the Lee family cheering up Cushing for the holidays during the making of Horror Express:

He faced his first Christmas without Helen and in a country that was not even his own. Luckily he found solace on Christmas Day in the warm family gathering of the Lees in their Madrid hotel. Gitte and Christina had flown over for the holiday, and they invited Peter to spend the day with them. This was the fourteenth film in which they had both acted since The Curse of Frankenstein fifteen years before, and one that offered them many great scenes together. But their best scene together was the one in that Madrid hotel on Christmas in which Peter Cushing received the emotional support he needed so desperately. The next morning Cushing was back at the studio, cheerfully ready for work.

So sweet... For anyone wondering, this book did not mention anything about Lee supposedly comforting Cushing with his presence in case the latter ever had any night terrors while making Horror Express. I'm starting to think that story might be made up! Maybe it was mentioned in the second edition, or maybe it was mentioned in one of the interviews or whatever that Miller used for researching this book. My search for a primary or secondary source continues.

Here's actress Lorna Heilbron about Cushing and Lee during the making of The Creeping Flesh:

Peter Cushing is a brilliant actor I think. I was, of course, playing his daughter, and Peter had quite recently lost his wife Helen and was grieving for her and was very open about this. He related to me as a father and was tremendously caring and supportive, especially as he felt that I resembled Helen, so we had a rather intense relationship where I felt he really "lived" his part in the film. He came the first day on the set with his script covered, literally covered, with notes he had written about what he felt his character would do or be feeling at any particular time. He also knew down to the last detail what props he would require and had obviously chosen his costumes with immense care. Within all this careful forethought he was very flexible so that if an actor gave him something unexpected, he would respond to this and was willing to go with what was happening "now". He was charming, courteous, and clever and was dearly liked and admired by everyone. At that time he was, as I said, feeling very sad and so was clearly very vulnerable. He would take himself on his own to have a bit of a wander and, I suspect, a jolly good cry. I adored him. I didn't get to know Christopher Lee so well, mostly because I didn't actually have many scenes with him and partly because he kept "himself to himself" as we say over here. I remember he had a most wonderful singing voice, of which he was justly proud, and which would go ringing round the corridors of Shepperton. The crew called him "Rabbity Lee" because he loved to talk, which he did very amusingly and at some length. I have often felt he was a much better actor than some of his material. He and Peter seemed close and distant at the same time. They probably didn't have that much in common apart from a very strong symbiotic working relationship.

Rabbity Lee… 🥲

Next is Price, Lee, and Cushing's opinions on House of the Long Shadows, which I feel each perfectly encapsulate their personalities.

Vincent Price spoke bitterly about the film in 1991: "A disaster - because the man, whoever - I can't even remember his name; psychosomatically I've forgotten it - the guy who directed it and the [editor] who cut it... they just cut all the comedy out of it... I hated it. Desi Arnaz, who was very good in it - they just turned it all over to him so that you never had the four people you wanted to see ever doing anything at all. That was that stupid director." When asked in 1992 if he agreed with Price that the film constituted a missed opportunity for the all-star team-up, Christopher Lee quickly responded: "I do, without a doubt. He was absolutely right. It's the old, old story: get it on film, finish it in time and on budget, and if it's in focus, we can sell it." Asked also of his memories of Pete Walker directing him, Lee replied simply, "He didn't." Peter Cushing's only complaint is that he suffered from bronchitis while making the film in a cold, damp, seventeenth-century manor house in Hampshire that had no heat. Because he found working with Lee, Price, and Carradine to be "a joy," Cushing summed up the film as "lovely to do."

Speaking of House of the Long Shadows, I wanted to bring up one particular criticism Mark A. Miller had of the movie to be very ironic if you've been in the fandom for this era of horror whatsoever on Tumblr. Miller absolutely hated the iconic "bitch" line from Price, saying of it:

Instead of the good-natured, funny lines that work so well in horror send-ups like The Raven, A Comedy of Terrors, and Young Frankenstein, in this film we only hear Price's character call Lee's a "bitch" - the embarrassing epitome of the script's nasty, witless spirit. After Price's line, the film seems more like a cruel practical joke on the venerable cast than an amusing parody of their images.

I agree with many of Miller's takes throughout the book, but definitely not all of them, and this is a case of that. That line's the best part of the movie! It's Vincent Price saying "bitch" in cursive, it's so delicious! Did Miller hate fun? I can't ask him because he's dead. What if the line was an ad-lib from Price, huh? If Miller knew how popular that moment is on this website, he'd probably be baffled, lol.

[thealmightyemprex]

Who are your absolute favorite classic movie star

So I thought it would be fun to share who I think is my favorite movie star of all time ,and I wanna see who you guys pick as your favorites

So here are how I define a movie star

1.They must be charismatic

2.They have a type they usually play though they can break from it,but mostly you know what your getting from their films

3,They are the headliner of the film usually

4.They are the selling point of the movie ,they are the main reason you watch the movie

5.A movie star doesnt have to be a great actor ,and a great actor doesnt mean their a movie star .They can be both though

I have only two rules:You can only pick one and no living movie stars ,like their legacy must be in stone

So going first ....My favorite movie star ever has to be

Vincent Price

A person who I admire as a individual and an artist ,hes kind of who I think of when I think of a movie star who can convince me to watch most anything cause at least hes gonna be fun .Always a delight to watch and brings an eloquence and likeability to most roles even when playing villains

I tag @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @countesspetofi

@ariel-seagull-wings @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @princesssarisa

@alexa-santi-author @amalthea9 @filmcityworld1 @florals-cardigan

@punster-2319

[wrtingsoftheunknown]

Vincent Sinclair HC

Vincent Sinclair hc SFW and NSFW

I’ve haven’t  been seeing my boy get repped recently so I have to do it myself. My first time writing something on here or towards this character ,I promise I will get better y'al,l I made this super quickly not proofread oops.

SFW

-While he can be insecure about his face he definitely has an ego from being the favorite child and having perfected his craft.

Lester drags him out to go for a ride around town or force him to come to his place for some quality brother time (Bo joins every now and then but wants peace and quiet dammit )

‘I know a lot of people have him learn sign language but I think he either writes what he wants to say, speaks as best as he can, or gestures, ( he was born in the south to parents that I don't think cared about communicating with him too much but he could have picked it up later in life maybe in his teen years or middle school era)

More sadistic than Bo when it comes to killing, he doesn't care if they are dead or alive when working on them and takes satisfaction in the result of his work

He prefers to work in silence but you can catch him humming now and then some country song or a guilty pleasure pop song from the 80’s( I see you Vince)

I think he partakes in multiple forms of art besides wax work.We see he’s able to paint, draw, but he also  takes pictures, , sews, writes, makes videos, anything artistic he’s learning and keeping up with new techniques.

Since he takes video of the killings at times I think they sell them as snuff films to make extra cash on top of stealing and selling victims stuff. (At least that’s what I thought when I first watched the film anyone else or just me)

Rarely happens but will keep victims that interest him like Bo ,but dispose of them when they get boring  or no longer match up the ideal version of them in his head.

-Does want a lifelong partner, the white wedding and picket fence, kids,  but knows it might be difficult with the line of work he does.

- He can talk but only does when it’s important or to emphasize something. He does have a southern draw like Bo and I imagine his voice to sound similar but raspier, maybe deeper/ quieter from not using it as much.

-like I said earlier you have to really catch his attention and be able to hold it for more than a week, if that happens then he’s obsessed and protective maybe a little too over protective.

Does indeed have a hair care routine I believe this full throttle and no one can can tell me otherwise I'm not listening.

NSFW

I don't know if he’s a virgin, I don't think he is something is telling me he isn't, but i’m not sure

He has no problem with nudity, bodies are seen as art, there's not as much of a sexual connotation with them as with Bo and Lester .

He wants to be in love with the person he is intimate with, he wants to be worship and worship his muse.

Drawings  of his partner naked as well as in the midst of a passionate night, he might tease them all night to make sure the sketch is as life like and accurate as possible

Good size and thick that's all I gotta say

Praise kink hard core, hearing his partner call him a good boy or how he makes them feel so good he will crumble

He starts slow and sensual, enjoys the control he has and having someone at his power.

I think he will edge you and leave you high and dry when you act out but he always caves by the end of the day and gives you what you need.

Can last a long time surprisingly

Mainly a giver but someone please for the love of god give this man the nastiest had he’s ever received will make the prettiest noises 

Is down to try anything new and more open about sex than you would think.

When he’s horny he comes up behind his partner and starts caressing every inch he can reach, while resting his chin on their shoulder acting as innocent as he can.

[bogleech]

well, you made a fighting roster for one of your favorite things, bugs, so why not do your second favorite? HALLOWEEN.....but you don't have to if you want.

I actually did that of my own accord with concept sketches once but it was two years ago so a lot of people haven't seen it.

It started when I made up a Darkstalkers fan character; a "scream queen" (type of horror movie actress in the 50's) and Bug Eyed Monster duo, with some more move ideas:

But then I decided to just make a dozen monster fighter characters of my own like it was its own distinct game and not Darkstalkers:

Mermaid who was partially eaten by people who thought it would make them immortal, instead it killed them because she was poisonous but she doesn't know that so her ghost is stuck on a revenge killing spree that can never be satisfied

Cartoon werewolf in a zoot suit and punk rock vampire with boombox coffin, I didn't come up with storyline for them, I just needed a werewolf and a vampire

Frankenstein's daughter who put her brain into her own monster in order to defend humanity against her dad's creations and other supernatural threats, I decided on this partly because I'm not really into superheroes but they're one of the top most common Halloween costumes so I tried to make a Halloweeny one that I'd like

Nurse who accidentally transfused herself with cursed mummy blood. I made this one because there's a picture I drew when I was real little of a bleeding mummy with the words "MUMMY BLOOD" on it that child-me thought was the scariest picture ever, and also because I love the (mostly Japanese) trope of medical themed mummies. Also based on the fact that "sexy nurses" are a top selling Halloween costume and then that easily ties into a Silent Hill reference. This all felt creepypasta-like so she's also like a slendersman

Old fashioned Halloween mascot pumpkin man with a vegetable ghost gang, actually the ultimate villain of the setting and a monster that eats children

"Bogeyman" fighter inspired by edgy 90's comic books, a ragdoll scarecrow grim reaper clown. She's a manifestation of the fears of children, but in the sense that she exists to destroy whatever threatens them so her main goal is to kill all other monsters and especially the pumpkin guy

Entire zombie outbreak as one fighter, represented by a cute little fungus mascot, but every fighting move is performed by zombies coming and going from the ground

shapeshifting space alien disguised as a generic housewife, the human disguise would animate like a doll being played with by invisible hands

Ideas for extra-weird, secret unlockable fighters:

Photorealistic giant insect

Vincent Price parody and all his moves are obvious special effects performed by a film crew in the background the whole time

Mysterious entity in a "morph suit" because that's become such a staple of Halloween costumes. Changes into all manner of colors and printed textures for different moves or is the token "mimic" character.

Completely normal middle aged office worker who was on his way to work when he was accidentally caught in the monster brawl, battles on the power of pure blind panic. The tournament put his name down as "I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE"

[beerok23]

2024 FIC Roundup

In response to those of you who tagged me (@pookasluagh @captainblou and @missunderstoodlyrics) here is my AO3 author interview.

What fandoms do you write in? At the moment, only for Good Omens! But in the past I've written for Friends, The Pretender and Alias.

How many words have you published in 2024? So far, 186,754 words. I'll soon have a new Christmas fic to post that will definitely increase the count to more than 200k.

What is your greatest achievement this year? Starting to write for this fandom. When I started reading canon post S2 fix-it fics at the end of 2023 I didn't know that I would fall in love with AUs. Today I'm sure that this is a fandom that can express the best AU - if only for the fact that canon is 'fantasy' and AU are 'realistic'. I've changed my style from AE to BE and I'm trying to strengthen my writing. It's not always easy, but I've found beta readers who are so helpful in the process. I can't thank them enough.

What are your favorite top three fics you wrote this year? I've only posted two long fics, which are obviously the favorite I wrote: The Tadfield Holiday (A human ‘The Holiday’ AU) Runaway Groom (A human ‘Runaway Bride’ AU)

But as I mentioned, I'll soon post my Xmas fic 🎄🎁

What was your biggest pit of despair moment? I don't think I ever got desperate, but sometimes it's not easy being a non-native speaker. And the thing I've struggled with the most? Smut scenes 😁 What have you learned? Go with the flow. When the flow hits, just go with it. I'm saying this after writing almost 40k words in less than three weeks.

Did you beta any fics? Actually, I am! I'm not a useful beta when it comes to language, but I'm the best cheeleader 😁😁😁

What three fics have you read this year that you love? Only three? Impossible. I've read hundreds of them. I always read fics and most of all I re-read my faves. So here's a few.

and salt the Earth behind you by @sunrisesinthesuburbs The love and respect I have for this author is immeasurable. Just RUN read EVERYTHING she writes. Of course her Borrowed Words is a masterpiece, but I have a special place in my heart for Profiler Aziraphale and CI Crowley.

Overboard by @joanofart5 I write film-inspired AUs, and Joan did the same with this little gem. It's based on the 1980's romcom 'Overboard' and it's funny, and lovely and makes you FEEL all the right feelings.

Find the Light by @klikandtuna Oh, what an extremely talented author 💛 You've got Headmaster!Aziraphale and Rockstar!Crowley all cuddled up in an awesomely fluff story. Wonderful ❤

The New Road (is an old friend) by @missunderstoodlyrics Pastor!Aziraphale meets SingleDad!Crowley and his daughter Mira. Pining ensured and angst that made me die a little (a sweet death, mind you). Still one of my personal faves by this incredibly talented author.

I'll tell you who's in charge by @captainblou is still my fave of them. But even in other fics, Blou has this wonderful way with words and smut scenes and writing badass Crowley who's actually the sweetest creature. And the way they write about trans characters is the best in the fandom.

When Hell Freezes Over by @hermiola She has a WIP (subscribe, it's hilarious) and she's recently finished her Pretty Woman AU "Take a Little Love From Me", but I discovered her with this two-chapters one shot featuring a charming Peter-Vincent-inspired!Crowley and journalist!Aziraphale. I'm so glad we are collaborating, because your writing truly inspires me 💙💙💙

But oh there are so many others fellow authors: @bellisima-writes ("The Last Angel" is one of the more complex well-thought plots I've ever read), @feraltuxedo (If "All lines are open" was a book, I would have consummated its pages by now), @fellshish (My gosh, how many times I've read "Trial & error"?), @lyricalkris ("The Devil Built a Chapel" killed me 💚💛).

What ideas are percolating for next year? One too many. That's why I'll probably stop writing for a bit. I mean, there might be another movie-inspired AU project in the work, but...We'll see 💜

Who do you want to thank? My three besties, @pookasluagh, @somewhere-in-wales and @ineffablerainstorm. You know everything already 💚💛❤💜🧡🤍 And also, all the writers who make this fandom the precious, peaceful place it is. We've been through a lot this year. But we get them back together in less than a month.

And I can't wait.

[draganwhorror]

Here are some fun little tidbits I gleaned from my time at Astronomicon in Michigan this past weekend:

Bruce Campbell is really, really fond of and seems proud of Briscoe County Jr. Someone asked him about the show, and he talked about the horses and filming for quite a while. If you're a fan of Bruce and haven't seen it, give it a watch!

Bruce Campbell is apparently NOT a fan of that X-Files episode he did. 😂 I asked him about that episode, and at first he was like, "I played a demon with a heart of gold! I just wanted a normal baby!" Then he talked about how long it took to shoot that episode, the long hours, and the absolute disregard for budget and filming (I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it).

Theo Rossi asked me about my nose piercing, then told me a story about Aubrey Plaza having a magnetic piercing for Emily the Criminal and swallowing the piece that holds it on (the magnet?) twice. He said he was gonna tell her to just get a real nose piercing instead. haha

Joel David Moore is new to cons. This was only his third con, I believe he said (I'd met him previously at HorrorHound last year). He loves meeting fans and appreciates that people want to come out and see him. He's genuinely a nice person, so if you're a fan of Dodgeball, Hatchet, Grandma's Boy, or anything else he's been in, and you see him at a con, go say hi!

Cerina Vincent is an absolute sweetheart. She's seriously my favorite person ever. Not only did she remember me from HorrorHound last year (she said it was because of my "pretty brown eyes" although she could have just been saying that...), but she also thought I was 26 (I'm 40), and she told me kind people see kindness in others and are drawn to it, and that's how our interaction was (I went back to see her a second time on Sunday to get a Cabin Fever novelty razor signed, and that's when she got a little philosophical with me).

Cerina's husband Mike (also the agent for Sam/Ted/Bruce) is also seriously awesome. I talked to Mike on Friday when he swung by the bar. I was drinking and waiting for some brown butter cake, and he came by to get some tea for Cerina. I asked him if Bruce would be opposed to posing with me a certain way, and we discussed my Pavel cosplay and how I did the cosplay with Ted in Canada last year at a con, and Mike was like, "Go for it." Then he saw me in cosplay on Saturday morning and came over to tell me it was "nice to see you again."

I did also talk to Mike again later in the day on Saturday (after changing out of my cosplay). I asked him if I could be a pain in the butt real quick, and he was like, "You can ask me anything." So I asked if he had an intel on upcoming cons for Ted (and possibly Sam once he finished filming) that he could let slip (besides what was already announced), and he said he did have info, but he couldn't tell me anything yet, and to just keep an eye on his website because he'd update with new shows there. I also asked if it would be possible for Steel City Con to get Sam in December (since he'd been scheduled the past two Decembers and canceled both times). Mike said SCC is a great show (I work for SCC, so yay!), and that all he could say was "they're definitely trying." But Sam is still iffy because of filming, so that's all I know.

Ethan Suplee is also a sweetheart. I don't think he gets to sign The Quarry (or anything relating to the game) all that much, because he was super excited about signing the photo I brought with me to have him sign. He also wrote, "Ouch, that hurts!" on it. 😂

Tommy Chong is the most fascinating individual. I didn't meet him (just got a pro photo with him), but I sat in on his panel. It wasn't a Q&A. It was just Tommy telling stories for 40 minutes. Even if you're not into the sort of things he's into (I'm not), he's still so fun to listen to. He talked about his time(s) in prison, starting his own company, being threatened by the government, and finding God. If you get the chance to see him at a con, please do so.

Doug Bradley kinda "scolded" me when I told him I saw Hellraiser as a kid and was terrified of him for the longest time. He asked how old I was when I first saw it, and I was like, 7 or 8 (early 90s). He was all, "Yeah, you weren't the target audience for that film." lol Ted kinda did the same thing to me at the con in TN when I brought up his death scene in Darkman giving me nightmares about being run over as a kid. He was like, "Sounds like you had a shitty childhood." I was like, "I did, Ted, thanks." 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also, if anyone is curious, Ted was announced for two Days of the Dead cons later this year/next year (and he'll be at Big Texas Terror in June, and For the Love of Horror in Manchester UK in October)

[literary-mafioso]

directors cut u KNOW im askin abt some weird sin baybee! tell me all abt it

What an insane undertaking that was! I remember when the premise occurred to me, I was walking down Michigan Avenue back in September of 2022 and it just fell out of the sky: "What if Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley actually met each other right here in Chicago instead of passing each other like ships in the night? And what if Vincent thought Neil was an undercover cop, and Neil thought Vincent was a fellow thief?" It's the closest I've ever come to writing something approaching a film script, and looking back over it the amount of plot engineering and dialogue involved was bananas. It is still at its core a romance, but it required me to dip my toes in other forms of genre writing that were totally foreign to me until I committed to seeing it through. I still have no idea how I managed!

Writing a brand-new diner scene from scratch was by far the most intimidating thing I've ever done in the fandom. It's such a perfect scene the way Mann has it in the original, so how the hell was I gonna replicate that chemistry under such radically different circumstances? I took a purely symbolic tack with respect to their domestic failures (hence the dollhouse story), and since Vincent was not surveilling/pursuing Neil on the job what was a tense pseudo-interrogation became a game of omission between the two of them. That scene at Lake Michigan with the sun rising was meant to mirror/invert the one where Neil returns home at twilight and sets his gun on the table, because I can't write a Mann fic and not insert a large body of water for the protagonist(s) to contemplate.

But my favorite chapter is actually the one where they reunite at the bar, because there are three levels of conversation happening simultaneously: the one Neil thinks he is having with Vincent, the one Vincent pretends to be having with Neil, and the one Vincent is actually having with Neil (known only to himself). Every line has multiple layers of meaning, because at that moment Vincent has figured out who and what Neil actually is, and Neil still thinks he's dealing with one of his own. Vincent goes from flirting to speaking in grim jokes and double-entendres, hinting at his fear that Neil will go ballistic on him once he realizes that Vincent is actually a cop:

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to say ‘thank you’ to that.” “Oh. Please. Don’t thank me. But it is a compliment.” “That’s right. I forgot. Yours are the kind should come with a manual.” “Wouldn’t want you getting the wrong idea.” “That’s new.” “I just get the feeling you’re not the kind of guy who’s real comfortable with ambiguities, you know? Uncertainty. Spontaneity. Shit gets weird, life throws you curve balls, you walk across the field, beat the umpire to death with the bat.”

But the best part of "Some Weird Sin" for me as a writer and Heat obsessive was the excuse it gave me to play around with Nate as a supporting character. I will now look for any excuse to shoehorn him into a fic. He's the Mr. Deadpan Straight Man to Neil's infatuated romantic/gangster entrepreneur, and the conversations they have were some of my favorites to write:

Neil stops reading. He knows the rest. “We could frame it,” he says, pointing to where an assortment of commissioned lithographs presides over rows of gleaming bottles, portraits of outlaw blues legends and romantic Hollywood renegades. “Put it up behind the bar.” “You’re a comedian now, too.” Nate’s expression is unchanged. “A Renaissance man.” “Tough crowd in here.”

I never knew I could have so much fun writing something so challenging. And because I can't resist putting myself through the wringer a second time, I am already halfway done with a two-part epilogue. Coming soon to an AO3 theater near you!

[sunbeamsandmoonrays]

❄️Sunny Watches the Oldies: January Edition❄️

I got the idea to do this from one of @daughter-of-winterfell 's posts. Thanks for the inspo, Lydia! So without further ado, here are the classic musicals I've watched in the month of January with my review. (Putting everything under the cut because I'm sure I'll ramble lol.)

I'm not even sorry to admit that a majority of these movies will either star Judy Garland or Gene Kelly (or both). I went down a rabbit hole with both of them because of:

1. The Pirate (1948)

Have I watched this before January 2025? Yes, several times. But! It did set off my current classical musical journey, and I did watch it in January, so I'm including it. This movie gets better and better for me each rewatch. The songs actually take a few viewings to really appreciate (and there are still only 2 catchy ones). Loooove the costumes/hair. The storyline is hilarious...Gene Kelly and Judy Garland are hilarious - and their chemistry??? It's 🔥🔥🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥. Just look at the above gif! Like!!! This was the sexiest musical MGM ever made, and studio head Louis B. Mayer h a t e d that it was. (I swear I think he purposely made MGM not promote it as much so it wouldn't do well in the box office.) I will probably be on my deathbed thinking about what the choreography was for the Voodoo dance number that was too sexy to live lol. And it had to be...pretty graphic...due to what actually made it in the film! Gene pole dancing! The cigarette kiss! The french kisses with Judy! Judy fantasizing about Gene's thunder thighs in short shorts! The caressing! Judy's orgasmic singing while sliding down a pole in Love of My Life! The prudes of 1948 may not have appreciated it, but I did (lol)! Anyways....my only critique is I wish there was an actual duet between Judy's character and Gene's (other than Be A Clown). But other than that, I love this movie so much.

Rating: 9.5/10

How I watched: 🏴‍☠️ (heh) (Now I own it on blu-ray)

Favorite Number: Niña (the production of this number alone is INSANE. Vincente Minnelli, man...an ARTISTE🤌🏼) (also I'm sure Gene insisted on doing the 3 continuous shots at the beginning.)

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? Duh.

~~~

2. For Me and My Gal (1942)

My Gene Kelly/Judy Garland mania continues to their first movie together (and Gene's first ever movie). Ohhhhh myyyyy goddddd. I was actually kind of surprised at how much I liked it. The movie is set during WW1, and Gene and Judy play a joint vaudeville act trying to get the coveted performance spot at the Palace Theatre in New York. Most of the musical numbers are the characters performing either in their act or later on in the war for the troops in France. Gene's character is...very hard to like at first. He's a heel, and very ambitious, which makes him short-sighted wrt pretty much everything else - especially matters of the heart. His determination to perform at the Palace is what ultimately makes him lose Judy's character...until he redeems himself. Whereas I disagreed with the general audience's reaction to The Pirate, I do agree with them wrt this movie, because apparently they felt like he didn't do enough to redeem himself in the initial version - so they did reshoots. And I think the finale they ended up with is perfect. Hits me right in the feels! Critiques: the time marquee at the beginning drives me crazy lol. It says the year is 1916, then a lot of time passes in the film before you see a newspaper headline that the Lusitania sunk, which was in 1915. I wish they either said the time was 1914 or 15 (or not include the marquee at all haha). There were other historical inaccuracies but they were pretty minor imo and could be ignored. My other critique is I just didn't like the song Oh, You Beautiful Doll. There were so many implications in there and...blech. It's a shame that that was the only number that George Murphy performs that stayed in the movie, because it looks as though he's a great singer/dancer.

Rating: 9.5/10

How I Watched: 🏴‍☠️ (Now I own it on blu-ray)

Favorite Number: A tie between For Me and My Gal (check out how the tap portion is one continuous shot) and Ballin' the Jack (with even more great dancing)

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? Sadly, no.

~~~

3. Summer Stock (1950)

Gene and Judy's third and final movie where they were romantic leads 😭. Gene's character in this is the sweetest and gentlest I've ever seen him play (I think it had partly to do with what was going on bts 😭😭). When he traded his car in for a new tractor for her *swoons*...and that look on his face when the camera pans to him in the Friendly Star number?? *actually dies* And!!! Why was there a cut in their first kiss scene? Did the damn censors strike again?? *shakes fist* Anyways, they were ofc great. Will now never not be obsessed with them and their movies. Critique time: aside from a few side characters, I...actually wanted to murder everybody? Which is an unusual thing to want when you're watching a supposed feel-good musical. At least Judy got to deservedly yell at people.

Rating: 8/10

How I Watched: 🏴‍☠️ (Now I own it on blu-ray)

Favorite Number: The first 2 versions of You Wonderful You, Portland Fancy, Get Happy

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? Yes! This movie is when I decided to look up who she was because I recognized her from The Pirate (and then I started to see her in all these other MGM musicals lol).

~~~

4. Ziegfeld Follies (1945)

There's no plot to this one really; it's just an excuse to show off the top MGM stars in unrelated sketches. Was only here for the musical sketches, tbh; the acting/comedy sketches were just okay. The production value in the musical sketches was incredible - I think Vincente Minnelli directed most if not all of them, so that tracks. Lucille Ball steals the show in the opening number. She enters standing on top of a ginormous horse. Iconic. I absolutely loved the first dance number with Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer...then I shouted in dismay at their second number. They were in yellowface 😩...like...why.... (And that's not even the first time I've shouted in dismay at seeing Fred in a racist as hell number. 😩) Judy's number was really funny. Fred and Gene's number make my purchasing this on blu-ray worth it. I cannot believe MGM didn't actually put them in an actual movie. I can think of a premise right now that would have been perfect for them. What a shame.

Rating: 7/10

How I Watched: I decided to go ahead and buy it on blu-ray.

Favorite Number: The Babbit and the Bromide

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? Yes, but I will confess that I was actively looking for her since I remembered this movie in her list of credits on imdb.

~~~

5. Cover Girl (1944)

This movie was so good that MGM never loaned out Gene again. I think his chemistry with Rita Hayworth is second behind his chemistry with Judy. Obsessed with Rita's hair and costumes. I can see why redheads of the time wanted to be called Rusty after her lol. The one dance number of hers that's on a sound stage is a feast for the eyes. I could see hints of what Gene would later choreograph in Singin' in the Rain in Make Way for Tomorrow. But speaking of Gene and choreography - the dance off with himself in Alter Ego??? HOOOOWWW the fuck did they accomplish that?? In 1944?!?! I've read about the process and I still can't wrap my head around it?? Bravo, dude. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Rating: 9/10

How I Watched: youtube

Favorite Number: The Alter Ego Dance

~~~

6. You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

Soooooooooo cute! Rita and Fred have great chemistry. I also love their dancing; I feel like Rita brought out a playful side of Fred I haven't seen in his other films. I am once again obsessed with Rita's hair and costumes.

Rating: 9/10

How I Watched: 🏴‍☠️

Favorite Number: The Shorty George

~~~

7. Du Barry Was a Lady (1943)

Silly and fun. Historically significant because this is the movie that made Lucille Ball a redhead. Excellent costumes and wigs in the fantasy portion. (I swear, Lucille's Du Barry wigs make her look like Dolly Parton lol.) Songs were meh, though.

Rating: 6/10

How I Watched: 🏴‍☠️

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? Yes! In the opening number. (For my sanity, I'm going to pretend she and the other dancers don't have that fake tan.)

~~~

8. There's No Business Like Show Business (1955)

I'm including this in my list even though I technically didn't finish it yet (I got 3/4 the way through). I watched with my mom, and we both were let down by this. Maybe the part we didn't see would have changed our opinion of it lol. But anyways, the production value was fantastic. I love a majority of the cast. The older brother played by Johnnie Ray was a complete miscast, though. The way he sings was a popular style for a brief moment in time and it's definitely outdated today. (He's also not a good actor lol.) And this is probably sacrilegious to say for a review about a musical, but I felt a lot of the songs went on too long? If they had cut a few verses off of them, that would have helped a lot with the pacing. And them repeating Alexander's Ragtime Band four times so each family member can showcase their talents was overkill (I love the concept of showing off their strengths, but it could have been in one number.) Donald O'Connor is the best. The only number I really enjoyed was his solo one.

Rating: 6/10

How I Watched: youtube

Favorite Number: A Man Chases A Girl

~~~

9. Call Me Madam (1953)

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! This movie was much better. Ethel Merman's character is so funny, and her costumes?? J'adore! And omggg Donald O'Connor and Vera-Ellen were sooooo gooooood. I can see why 20th Century Fox tried to pair them up again in White Christmas. I was in awe of their dance numbers in this. And Vera-Ellen's white ball gown with a hint of pink in the skirt?? J'ADORE!

Rating: 8/10

How I Watched: youtube

Favorite Number: It's A Lovely Day Today, What Chance Have I With Love?

~~~

10. Calamity Jane (1953)

Very fun with catchy songs! I usually never go for ot3s or ot4s, but even I couldn't ignore the strong ot4 vibes in this lol. There were an unfortunate high number of Native American slurs, judging by how many times my tv bleeped them out.

Rating: 8/10

How I Watched: it was on tv (but I think it's also on HBO max?)

Favorite Number: The Windy City and I Can Do Without You

~~~

11. The Harvey Girls (1946)

A feast for the eyes. I really love how this was directed. The costumes, hair, and makeup were top notch. Judy Garland is stunningly beautiful. And so is Angela Lansbury! I also enjoyed seeing bb Cyd Charisse and Ray Bolger (Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz). I'm glad Ray and Judy had a dance scene together. The plot kind of petered out at the end. And...I'm sorry....but Judy's love interest creeped me out. 🙈 I know I would like their dynamic a lot if someone else played him. (And according to imdb, Gene Kelly was initially considered..... *internal screaming*)

Rating: 7/10

How I Watched: I decided to go ahead and buy it on blu-ray.

Favorite Number: On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe and Ray Bolger's solo

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? Yes! (See above gif.)

~~~

12. Anchors Aweigh (1945)

Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset to watch this, but I was disappointed? Gene's dance solos and Frank Sinatra's singing solos were spectacular, though! The plot meandered a bit...and I think I ultimately didn't like Gene's character that much. 😬 And Kathryn Grayson's soprano singing is not my cup of tea.

Rating: 7/10

How I Watched: I decided to go ahead and buy it on blu-ray.

Favorite Number: Probably gonna be controversial and go with La Cumparsita (though Gene being a not-disney princess in the Jerry Mouse number was the first of its kind and iconic because of that)

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? No.

~~~

13. On The Town (1949)

Cheating a bit because I have already seen this one, but it was a loooooong time ago, so it felt like the first time watching. And it was amazing! Stupendous! Hysterical - I was howling with laughter at some parts! And it's hilarious at the amount of dirty humor they got away with - Comden and Green supremacy! And for a movie where all the characters are super horny, it was so sweet and wholesome! I think I can add a few more exclamation points!!! Lol in all seriousness, this is definitely in my top 5 Gene Kelly musicals ever.

Rating: 10/10

How I Watched: I decided to go ahead and buy it on blu-ray.

Favorite Number: All of the songs are great...but's hard to beat New York, New York. Special mention should go to the A Day In New York ballet.

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? Yes! In the Miss Turnstiles ballet number.

~~~

14. Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)

I decided to go ahead and watch this once I found out that Betty Garrett and Jules Munshin, who were in On the Town, were ALSO in this film. And I'm glad I did! It was very entertaining. I have become a Betty Garrett stan. She and Frank Sinatra steal the show for me. I know I probably shouldn't love their relationship as much as I do (Betty's character is pretty much a stalker and definitely harasses Frank's character), but I somehow don't mind it? Lol I'm just chalking it up to their natural charm and chemistry. And how can I not love them when Betty literally carries Frank around like it's no big deal? The one thing I didn't like in the movie was the Yes, Indeedy number. Yes, I understand Gene and Frank's characters are lying through their teeth about their exploits while on their vaudeville tour (and I think the song is also making fun of men in that time period), but some of the lyrics went too far.

Heartbreaking fun fact: Gene supposedly came up with the story idea, and his love interest K.C. Higgins was thought of with Judy Garland in mind. *wails in the unfairness of it all*

Rating: 7/10

How I Watched: 🏴‍☠️

Favorite Number: O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg

Did I spot Dorothy Tuttle? No.

~~~

15. The Red Shoes (1948)

I always thought this would be purely about the fairy tale for some reason? But it's about the ballet company putting on a show based off the fairy tale. Moira Shearer is a phenomenal ballerina. And I really enjoyed the movie. Sometimes, I felt as thought it went a little overboard with the symbolism, but that's my only critique. And I also had the passing thought, "Oh, this is where Joe Wright got his train imagery in Anna Karenina," not even halfway expecting to be right...and apparently my offhand observation was accurate! Lolololol.

Rating: 8/10

How I Watched: HBO Max

~~~

16. What A Way To Go! (1964)

H i l a r i o u s - another banger from Comden and Green! So glad I caught this on tv. Shirley MacLaine is a wealthy widow who wants to give her fortune away to the IRS because she believes the money is cursed. They think she's crazy and refer her to a psychologist. She proceeds to tell him of how her four husbands (Dick van Dyke, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, and Gene Kelly) all became greedy once they achieved their fortunes and how that led to their demises. It's very stylistic and clever. I love how each honeymoon period with the husband was portrayed by a different film genre: Dick van Dyke - silent film, Paul Newman - b&w French film, Robert Mitchum - made fun of the current (50s/60s) expensive/stylistic films, Gene Kelly - musicals ofc. Paul Newman looked so hot with a beard omg. And I was wondering how racy the French film portion would get....and I was surprised at how far it did go lol. The real highlight for me were the Edith Head costumes. Oh. My. God. They spared no expense. I don't even think I can choose a favorite. They were all outlandishly fantastic.

Rating: 10/10

How I Watched: on TV...but apparently it's on youtube, as well!

Favorite Number: On a Houseboat

~~~

If you got this far, thank you so much for reading. Catch y'all again in March!

[nitewrighter]

Raven: now we come to the final film of our marathon, last but not least, “the portrait of asmodeus”, Starring my favorite actor- Pryce Peterson! (Named after Vincent price, Peter Cushing and Cassandra Peterson)

Beast boy: hey, I know about him! Rita showed me some of his movies, she even worked on a couple of his last ones. She said he was a good guy.

Cyborg: let me guess, he was a wizard too? The murders in his movies were real and he blackmailed the studio to cover it up? A vampire? He was possessed by a demon the whole time?

Raven: (offended) NO! He didn’t kill people……..not innocent people anyway. Ok, he was a half demon wizard, but Rita was right, he was a good guy. According to legend some scenes of his movies used footage of his real battles against evil forces. He was never going to be a dr fate or zatanna, I would say he was like a less self destructive Constantine. He spent so much of his early life thinking he was doomed to serve evil, and dedicated the rest to fighting it, and he seemed to have gained a joy for life. One could hardly blame me for looking up to him.

Cyborg: ok, I guess it wouldn’t be so bad if that ghost showed up.

Beast boy: and even if he doesn’t his performance is the most awesome ham!

Raven: that’s the spirit! (Pun may or may not be intended)

Zatanna: So... the House likes you.

Raven: Really? There was a while there where I really thought it was going to eat me and my friends.

Beast Boy: WHAT!?

Cyborg: AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!?!?!

Zatanna: Tiaw ni eht rehto moor, eslaep.

*Both Beast Boy and Cyborg blip out of existence*

Raven: Um--

Zatanna: *hand wave* They're fine. But it's good to know there's someone I can trust with the House if I'm ever called away.

Raven: *snort* I don't think it would be fair to bring Gar and Vic along, though.

Zatanna: Mm. Maybe. Though honestly, those two kind of clinched it for me.

Raven: Wait, seriously?

Zatanna: Just like an electrical current needs grounding, magic needs an anchor. And you've got some powerful anchors.

Beast Boy: *banging on the door, muffled through the door* Raven, if she's going to feed you to the House, tell her she can feed me to the House instead!

Cyborg: *also banging on the door* I agree! Feed Beast Boy to the House!

Raven: *yelling through the door* No one's getting fed to the House!

Zatanna: *sigh* They're adorable.

[jadedbirch]

I finally watched the 2023 French fanfic of my favorite book, i.e. The Three Musketeers: Milady, part deux of Martin Bourboulon's two-part adaptation of the Alexadre Dumas' novel. I talked about part 1 - The Three Musketeers: d'Artagnan - earlier, but I like to think of them of them together as one oeuvre, since they were shot as one film and then split into two cinematic releases.

Those of you who know me, understand by now that my movie reviews predominantly judge these movies not as standalone works of cinema but as adaptations. I don't ever ask for historical or canonical accuracy (which I have long ago accepted is much too much to ask for), but what I look for is that the plot and the characters serve the underlying spirit of the original Dumas novel. And perhaps this is why, more so than with other - admittedly much more terrible - adaptations, this one just makes me blind with rage. I don't know when filmmakers decided that how we like our morally gray characters is somehow justified, redeemed, and generally de-clawed. If what they were going with here was to make Milady de Winter, the murderous villainess of the novel, into some kind of a post-feminist hero, then they have failed miserably. (Lots of spoilers below the cut)

I don't usually feel the need to put SPOILER warnings on adaptations of the 3 Musketeers, but this ones veers so far off plot that I'm putting it here just in case.

Let's start by saying that it is certainly not Milady who is the main villain of these movies. It's not even Cardinal Richelieu, the man who seems to pull her strings. Rochefort, sadly, does not even appear in this adaptation, and honestly, I feel like docking a point just for that. Apparently M. Bourboulon decided that Dumas' masterpiece just wasn't interesting enough on its own, so he felt the need to "beef" it up, i.e. rewrite the narrative by taking out critical characters like Rochefort and Lord Winter and substituting them with new characters like Mathilde (Aramis' knocked-up sister), Benjamin (Athos' Protestant!!! brother) and maligning poor Gaston le duc d'Orleans by making him the main villain of the duology. Which is a damn shame, because these were all one-note characters foisted upon us at the expense of delightful assholes who made the original novel so fun to read.

And that goes for all the main characters here, including the titular Milady herself. Book!Musketeers are young, reckless assholes, who wench, fight, gamble and generally engage in very questionable behavior. You know, "boys will be boys" - and I do mean that with every possible connotation, i.e. they're horrible. By taking away their youth (excuse moi but Vincent Cassell, who plays Athos, is in his 60's LMAO), Bourboulon would have stripped their bad behavior of any of the benefit and charm of youth. So, I guess, Bourboulon decided to get rid of the bad behavior entirely, instead. Other than Porthos having an occasional bisexual threesome (bless), and Athos drinking while brooding, we don't really see any of the musketeers being the delightful assholes that I, for one, expect them to be. Strip away everything else, but do not ever take the assholery away from me! Here, they are old and they are boring, and honestly, it makes absolutely no historical or narrative sense that any of them are still in the service.

As for d'Artagnan, our hero, he is painted with such a chaste and faithful brush that I'm not actually sure - is this the same shithead who in the book fucks Milady's maid so that he can pretend to be Milady's boyfriend in the dark and sleep with her without her consent??? Hm... nope. This d'Artagnan is so faithful to his Constance, even though they barely touched hands, that he rebuffs Milady's (very assertive) attempts at (inexplicably) seducing him. Oh dear, oh dear, you might say. How is she supposed to spend the rest of the movie trying to get her revenge against him for raping her? Oh, that's right. She's not!

This Milady is no villainess but she's certainly no post-feminist heroine either. Her backstory is so cliche, it is for to weep, and I raged and ranted at great length about it here. She was forced to marry at 15! To some unnamed man who beat and raped her! And whom she killed - a totally justifiable homicide - before somehow falling in love and marrying Old Man Athos and bearing him a child (future Mordaunt? I see you, cutie!). But alas, Old Man Athos learned of her past crime - because she told him - and turned her over to the authorities, resulting in her being branded (natch) and then hanged (convenient how Athos doesn't actually get his own hands dirty). This Milady has literally Never Done A Thing Wrong. Since there's no Lord Winter, there's no poisoned husband. She never succeeds in killing Buckingham or having him killed. She never tries to even so much as look at d'Artagnan wrong, in fact, they keep saving each other's lives for Reasons of the Narrative, none of them particularly compelling. And finally, our poor Constance, I was really rooting for her to survive this AU, but alas. She ends up once again doomed by the narrative, but so stupidly, that I honestly don't know what to say. It made absolutely no sense for Queen Anne to hide her in England with the Duke of Buckingham since doing so would have implicated her in both treason and adultery. BUT WHAT IS LOGIC? Anyways, suffice to say, it's not Milady's fault that Constance ends up dead in d'Artagnan's arms by the end of the movie.

Don't get me wrong. This Milady is very hot (she is played by Eva Green, after all). But there's really nothing interesting or compelling about her as a character. She's a survivor, determined to survive. WHICH SHE DOES. Yay, it's a Milday-is-alive-at-the-end AU! And, honestly, good for her. By all means, girl, you kill that old man who betrayed you and handed you over to be hanged! He doesn't deserve you! And you abduct your own son and smuggle him out of France to teach that old man a lesson! But for the love of all that is holy, can you please, PLEASE raise him to be at least a tiny bit evil???? Please???

I am begging, can we just let villains be villains? Milady's original character was so much more fabulous not because some man beat and raped her but because of her ability to bend men to her will and whim throughout the novel. She outwits and outmaneuvers all of our "heroes," leaving a titillating trail of bodies and broken hearts in her wake, and it takes TEN MEN in the end to hunt her down and execute her. And listen, Athos spends the rest of his life trying to atone for it. THAT IS HER POWER. This Milady? Blah. And while we're here, this Athos? Double blah. I don't care, let her kill him. There's absolutely nothing interesting about this man. (And yes, I think hanging your wife for lying to you and then becoming a murderous alcoholic about it is very interesting, Athos. Very interesting, indeed.) I'd rather watch Vincent Cassell in Eastern Promises 20 more times - now THAT was a character worth his acting skill!

As for the movies themselves, it's sad to say that the only time both my wife and I felt ANY level of investment was close to the very end, when we were waiting to find out whether Constance was going to die. And most of that was due to the extremely convoluted narrative bending that defied logical sense and occasionally space and time. We did not give a shit about anything else, which does not, generally speaking, a great cinematic experience make. And where Part I at least gave us a few moments of levity and a great win for humanity in bisexual Porthos, Part II is merely dark, drab, and joyless.

Final grade for both parts: I give it a C- as a film and a D as an adaptation, in which the only thing that saves it from being an F is Eva Green's hotness.

[thealmightyemprex]

Top 10 Favorite Classic actors

So I was thinking of doing a top 10 actors list....But the list was dominated by classic actors ,so doing that list .Might do more modern actors too.Also this is both actors AND actresses

Rule to clasify for classic actor ,I went exclusively with actors who have passed on

10.Christopher Lee-Guy with a long and very varied career,Lee brings a dangerous villanous yet sophisticated and even seductive vibe to most roles

9.Peter Lorre:Arlene Francis once described Lorre as "Our favorite sad eyed villain" and that sums him up well .He brings both a creepines and yet a sense of sadness to many roles while also being an underrated comic talent .Even though type cast as villains he could play diffrent types of villains ,as shown by his three breakthrough performances in M ,Man Who Knew Too Much and Mad Love,where he plays a tormented pathetic childkiller ,a cool levelheaded kidnapper and a obsessed mad stalkerish surgeon with equal pinache

8.Roddy McDowall-Theres a sad cliche that child actors often have bad careers ,Roddy McDowall is a big exception,transitioning from child star to one of the most praised character actors of the 20th century with a six decade career .Be it film,television ,theater or voiceover,McDowall conquered it ,and be it a historical epic , a horror film,a cartoon or a certain franchise about talking apes .....McDowall NEVER phones in ,he brings the sauce

7.Vincent Price : Vincent is one of my favorite personalities of the 20th century ,known for his sophistication and wicked sense of humor .He started out as a matinee idol before finding his niche playing villains ,usually in horror.What I find interesting about Vincent is he is really good at playing the "Man drivent to villainy ",he can play a right evil bastard but his villains tend to be either sympathetic to an extent or they are clearly having a ball so you cant help but like them .Whether villain ,protagonist or even a side role hes just a hoot to watch

6.Boris Karloff -Karloff for YEARS was my go to answer for favorite actor .Of the classic horror stars Karloff is so understated,like he could go big if he wanted to but the little inflections and movements he does are effective enough.PArt of my love for him is his voice,like watch the GRinch or him telling the story of Death and the Servent in Target and you are just pulled in .He can do sinister very well,(I will always remember his slimey grin in The Body Snatcher) but of course his greatest legacy is being the FRankensteinMonster which if you ask me is one of the greatest performances in cinema ,he is brutal and vacant but at the same time sad,frightened and child like

5.Ingrid Bergman -So while I adore Casblanca and she is great in it....It is her performances in Gaslight ,Murder on the ORient Express and especially Anastasia that put her so high.I have never seen a performer just ....."Go there" as well as she does ,so consistantly and I kind of forget Im watching a movie .Shes not higher cause I just havent seen enough of her

4.Humphrey Bogart-Bogart is cool,and while Ive always thought he was cool,i wasnt initially impressed by ol Boagey .......The more stuff Ive seen with him the more I realize beneath that coolness is a really good actor who can do comedy,romance,be a tough guy and even be the second most paranoid nervous wreck of a villain I have ever seen (Behind Tony Goldwyn in Ghost ),theres more to him then just being cool

3.Katherine Hepburn;.....DO I have to explain placing one of the greatest performers of the 20th century so high? .....Just watch Philidelphia Story,African Queen and Lion and Winter,youll get it

2.Eli Wallach-I pretty much love this guy anytime he appears in something .Hes another guys who can play vilains but add a layer .Hes always entertaining and he played one of my favorite film characters ever Tuco in The Good the Bad and the Ugly

1.Claude Rains.....I think Claude Rains should be called the greatest actor of the 20th century over the likes of Charles Laughton,LAurance Olivier and John Gielgud.....Cause this guy TRAINED Charles Laughton,Laurance Olivier and John Gielgud !!!!!He is one of the greatest character actors of the 20th century .He has possibly the greatest voice of any actor (The competition is James Earl Jones and James Mason ) which was so striking,his big break was the Invisible Man ,a movie where you dont even SEE HIM .Man did horror,adventure ,sci fi ,musical ,dramas and was in both Casablanca (As my favorite film character ever Louis Renault ) AND Lawrance of Arabia ,AKA two movies considered pretty darn good .And if you want more proof ,watch his death scene in Deception where he is shot by Bette Davis ....And just smirks and says "You fool ".I stand by Rains being my absolute favorite actor

So thats my list,share your favorits if you want ,or just share your thoughts on mine

@piterelizabethdevries @the-blue-fairie @ariel-seagull-wings @themousefromfantasyland @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @princesssarisa @countesspetofi @amalthea9 @barbossas-wench

[cinnamontails-ff]

Name 10 Of Your Favourite Movies Using Gifs

Thanks for tagging me @davenswitcher!

rules: without naming them, post a gif from ten of your favourite films, then tag ten people to do the same.

I do not use this term lightly, but this one deserves it: Lightning in a bottle.

I believe your favorite Ghibli movie says a lot about you, and well, this one's mine.

Writing has given me this terrible habit of constantly thinking, "Oh, I know how this story could have been done a little better!" Not for this one. This one is flawless; I would not change a thing about it.

This dominated my childhood.

The way he looks at her in the rain still dominates my mind.

WHY DOES NO ONE EVER TALK ABOUT THIS MAN AND THIS MOVIE

I remember not understanding this when I first watched it. I do now.

This could have gone wrong a million different ways and the fact that it didn't -- that it reads as wholesome rather than predatory -- is honestly so impressive.

Best. Christmas. Movie.

This one I have ya'll to thank for. Would not have re-watched it as an adult (and fallen in love in a totally different way) if it hadn't been for all the people who compared my fic to this ❤

All right, no-pressure tags for @canon-in-too-deep @pouroverpaloma @larvasmoon @lady-vincent @curlychops @bananaiguana @wobblyweasels @tavplum @ladyduellist @roguishcat

[knightotoc]

ranking all the scary movies/shorts/TV I saw and the scary books/stories I read this spooky season (August - October)

Mr. Vampire (hilarious 80s kung fu-jiangshi-ghost bride movie from Hong Kong)

The Innocents (rewatched this beloved 60s British ghost movie about abandonment vs smothering, grief vs insanity)

Carrie (iconic 70s tragi-goofy sexploitation-turned-bloodbath movie)

The Beast in the Jungle (Henry James short story about the horror of missed opportunity, a la I Saw The TV Glow) (which would have been #1 but I saw it before my arbitrary cut off date)

Dracula + Spanish Dracula 1931 (rewatched beloved Dwight Frye vehicle + finally watched its filmed-by-night Spanish counterpart, and learned you gotta see them together)

The Curse of Frankenstein (finally watched some 50s Hammer horror with Peter Cushing as the nastiest Frankenstein ever and Christopher Lee as a pathetic wet cat)

Dracula (más Hammer with da boys)

The Way It Came (another Henry James that I especially liked for being strangely funny)

The Haunting of Bly Manor (rewatched beloved TV show and found more flaws in it this time, oops🙃 but it got me to read these Henry Jameses so 👏 and it still got me to cry 👏)

Boogeyman (free YouTube movie from 2005 that everyone thinks is terrible except for me, I thought it was absolutely fantastic, though that might have to do with all the parallels I was seeing to Attack of the Clones)

Personal Shopper (heartbreaking and beautiful Kristen Stewart vehicle)

American Psycho (the most disturbing book I've ever read, by far the most fucked thing here)

The Exorcist III (I never saw the first one but I skipped to part 3 for my man Brad Dourif and Blatty's always relatable spiritual torment)

Viy (super fun 60s Soviet man vs ghost lady movie)

Weeping Woman Way (I found a new Junji Ito at the library and this was my favorite story, as someone who used to cry all the fucking time)

The Romance of Certain Old Clothes (Henry James story about envy and repression, if you can believe it)

The Metamorphosis of Mr. Samsa (brilliant Canadian animation short from the 70s made by pushing sand around to give a swirling, wiggly feeling)

The Last Man on Earth (bleak and quite accurate Vincent Price adaptation of the Matheson novella)

Nightbreed (really fun Clive Barker "mean humans vs nice monsters" movie)

Dead Ringers (beautifully sad Cronenberg about the tragedy of utter codependence)

Scanners (an earlier Cronenberg about psychic connections, which is one of my favorite themes)

Society (fun rich people body horror cult movie with a fabulous finale; I thought the rest of it was quite touching too)

Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker (👏camp👏)

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? (terrifying short story from the 60s about a demon kidnapper by Joyce Carol Oates from Twitter)

The Spirit Flow of Aokigahara (another great one from the Junji Ito book which has an evil mlm makeout and a totally fucked Logan Paul reference)

Minnie the Moocher (very very good Betty Boop, featuring rotoscoped Cab Calloway)

The Lord of the Rings (speaking of rotoscoped, Bakshi's wacky 70s animation which PJ kind of ripped off, kind of improved, but has its own fabulous character that had me weeping the nerdiest tears I've shed since like 2017)

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (weird and beautiful Thai movie from 2010 that definitely counts as existential horror)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (people seem very critical of this 2018 adaptation of the Shirley Jackson novella, but I loved it, especially the way it so often keeps the camera on the fiercely protected ground)

Possession (weird European-y movie that is really good but I had a bit of a hard time getting into)

Isle of the Dead (slow 40s Boris Karloff movie with some fantastic agnostic angst)

The Curse of Dracular (very cute new claymation short a guy made for his dad)

Slumber (another Junji Ito, another on the theme of a psychic connection)

The Jolly Corner (really cool Henry James story, also about missed opportunity, specifically a dissolute ex-pat fighting his mean and greedy remained-in-America-sona)

Audition (nasty Japanese time-bendy anti-romance)

The Uninvited (40s movie with a very similar ghost effect to Personal Shopper; I watched it twice and enjoyed the second time more since there's a big twist that reframes everything; saddest ghost crying I've ever heard)

Rope (the gay Hitchcock one; makes me want to see a stage production where the Jimmy Stewart character is actually fruity)

Train to Busan (fun and emotional Korean zombie movie with a kinda stupid ending)

Blade (90s comic book vampire movie with the Volturi if they were Protestant)

Hellboy (romantic and transgender-ish comic book movie from 2004)

Perfect Blue (90s anime movie that predicted internet parasocial relationships; very good but I have some beef with it)

Never Open That Door (50s Argentine anthology movie that goes great with Black Sabbath and Shadow of a Doubt)

Dead of Night (40s British anthology movie with a brilliant framing device)

The Phantom of the Monastery (30s Mexican movie that really understands how horrifyingly effective Catholicism is at preserving stuff)

Eyes of Laura Mars (faboo 70s fashion slasher with another psychic connection)

Nosferatu (rewatched with the Radiohead soundtrack being shown at indie theaters, I thought it was awesome)

Madonna (Junji Ito vs Catholicism feat. pillars of salt)

An American Werewolf in London (very funny Landis movie with a really annoying romance)

The Alter of the Dead (Henry James anti-romance with a kinda weak ending)

The Ruins (silly plant horror movie that feels like the Hunger Games extended universe)

The Ruins (I preferred the movie because the plants just get too smart in the book)

Darth Plagueis (Star Wars at its coldest and meanest!)

Let the Right One In (creative Swedish vampire movie with some great ideas and some really stupid ones)

Hell Followed With Us (ig I'm too old for YA, but I appreciated the representation)

Don't Look Under the Bed (the scariest DCOM; pretty fun lore)

The Legend of Hell House (horny 70s movie that keeps turning me off then winning me back, feat. Peter Cushing's Van Helsing's boyfriend Michael Gough)

The Happening (the Shyamalan that's bad ... on purpose?)

Friday the 13th (fun to watch but man it is not good)

Practical Magic (frustrating cozy 90s witch movie)

Creature from the Haunted Sea (Corman parody with one or two good jokes: "Little did they know that I, Sparks Moran, was an American agent... My real name was XK150")

Carrie (the boring remake with Ansel Elgort, boo!)

Son of Dracula (dreadful 70s Ringo Starr thing with potentially interesting lore and a kinda iconic blood transfusion scene)

Hearts and Flowers (creepy 1930 stop motion that is pretty cool and imaginative but also racist af)

[all-souls-matinee]

Quick-bite reviews: The Tingler (1959) dir. William Castle

When happy-go-lucky coroner/pathologist/mad scientist doctor Warren Chapin finds cracked vertebrae during an execution postmortem, it's obvious to him that the corpse was a victim not just of the state but of literal spine-tingling terror: an inborn human spine parasite dubbed 'the tingler' that responds to fear with vice-like grip on its host. The tingler looks like a cross between a dachshund, a garbage bag, and a velvet worm, makes 1950s domestic problems worse, and is rendered harmless by the sound of screams.

This movie is better known for its schlocky gimmicks than any filmmaking prowess; director Castle stepping in to explain that perceptive viewers will feel the tingler in the theater with them and should scream to ward it off, with a series of interaction points to follow. You might remember a tumblr post making the rounds that claimed audiences were given electric shocks to simulate a tingler attack, but the truth of select seats gently vibrating is much funnier, as more than half of the film's budget was spent on selling theaters sets of repurposed WWII aircraft cooling motors. Because The Tingler is discussed more as a cultural object than a watchable movie I didn't expect the plot to have any substance, but I actually got a huge kick out of it. The melodrama's fun, the dialogue is snappy, Dr. Warren might now be one of my favorite Vincent Price performances ever, and Judith Evelyn is excellent both as an actress and for her part in a genuinely cool effects sequence. I also love the tingler lore?? It's clear just how much thought and care went into making their monster without over-explaining it, and I won't spoil the way it moves or the way it SOUNDS. Most importantly, The Tingler sets itself apart in B-moviedom with one of the funniest plot points in any horror media I've seen. Warren wants to experience the tingler but is sadly just too brave for it; how ever will he get scared in a controlled and quantifiable way?...

Buy a ticket? Sure, it's fun! Though I think best enjoyed if you've got someone on the couch with you to tingle. oooo